“Well…” Danny began slowly, leaving her face hidden behind her hands. “I was sort of thinking of leaving town.”
Imani clucked her tongue and shook her head. “I know you’re joking, girl. Because if you were serious, I’d be obligated as your friend to warn you that once an alpha werewolf catches the scent of a dormant, that kind of shit don’t fly.”
“Who says he knows about my dormancy, Ima?” Danny raised her head and squared her friend with a hard look. “I had that shield up to the very last. Worst case scenario, he knows there’s something magical going on.” Danny figured that the very fact that she had disappeared from her room and had yet to return would tip Caige off to that much. Either he would think she did it herself and was therefore a witch – or he would think that some magical beast appeared out of nowhere and absconded with her.
That thought almost made her laugh. Almost.
This was just too serious. If she hadn’t been dreaming about him, it wouldn’t be so bad. And it wasn’t just the dreams. The truth was, she was so attracted to him, it felt almost like some kind of iniquitous sex virus had invaded her system. To her, Lucas Caige was that piece of seven-chocolate mousse cake with whipped cream that you got after a lifetime of dieting. He was tempting and that was putting it lightly.
“You’re underestimating the wolf in him, Danny,” Ima warned softly. “Don’t put anything past him. We’ve worked with his kind for a long time. Would you put anything past Charlie?”
Danny thought about that. Charlie, or Claire, as most others knew her, was a very powerful werewolf. And when Imani put it that way, then no. She wouldn’t put it past Charlie to figure things out eventually. Luckily for Danny, Charlie was already well aware of Danny’s dormancy and had promised long ago to keep it a secret.
“No,” she replied softly. “But I really was careful about that one. Still, the magic will be bad enough.” She felt suddenly sad. There was a pain yawning to life inside of her and she didn’t like it one bit. “I suppose he’ll hit the road now.”
To that, Imani said nothing. But if she had been planning on speaking eventually, she was saved the trouble. Boots crunched the cold grass and rocks behind them and both girls turned to see one of Jason Alberich’s apprentices standing behind them. He was a tall man dressed in black, as was customary.
“Dannai, the herald wishes to see you.”
“I’ll just bet he does,” mumbled Imani in such a quiet voice that only Danny could hear her. Danny shot her a glance half wary and half weary and then stood to follow the apprentice off of the cliff-top field. She didn’t look to see whether Imani followed as well; she had so much on her mind in that moment, she almost didn’t care.
When they reached the festival grounds, it was to find the celebration winding down for the night. The bonfire was down to the dregs of its once mighty flames and cars were pulling out of the lot in a long line. Their headlights cast a lonely light through the foggy night.
They reached the herald’s tent and the apprentice held out his hand, gesturing for Danny to enter. Danny watched a few children being pulled by weary parents toward the emptying lot and then she ducked under the flap of Alberich’s tent and went inside.
Jason Alberich had always had good taste in décor. The herald’s tent was far from an ordinary living structure. It acted as a portal, more or less, to the rooms of Alberich’s mansion. During the height of festivities, the tent could be found resembling the herald’s work room, which Danny had only ever caught glimpses of since she was normally too busy to bother the wizard while he was working.
Other times, it was the dining hall and Alberich would invite the coven for a meal. It was a meeting room, a library, a bedroom. That last one, Danny had never seen.
At the moment, the interior of his tent was warm and inviting, and because Danny was a witch, she saw it as it truly was – far grander on the inside than the allotted space on the outside should have allowed. Any human mistakenly entering the tent would have seen nothing but white material, a dirt floor, and a few chairs.
What was really there, however, was what looked like the Gryffindor common room from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The floor was a limestone and marble composite, the stone hearth crackled merrily, the round table was set with food and drink, and a black mastiff rested on a thick white rug beside a set of plush love seats.
Alberich sat in one of the seats, his tall strong form draped in the customary black of his station, his blonde hair stark in contrast. He glanced up at the entrance to the tent as Danny came in and his green eyes glittered with an unsettling mixture of keen intelligence and observation.
“You wanted to see me?” she said.
He nodded, lifted a goblet of some kind of drink to his lips and gestured for Danny to sit in the chair across from him. “Please have a seat, Danny.”
The mastiff raised its head, sniffed in her direction, grunted satisfactorily, and then lowered its head and closed its eyes once more. As soon as Danny took her seat, a goblet matching Jason’s materialized on the coffee table in front of her.
She glanced at it, wondering what it was. Her stomach was in knots, however, and she wasn’t sure she wanted anything at all.
“Danny, I saw you earlier with the werewolf, Lucas Caige,” Jason told her. Danny’s head snapped up and her eyes cut to him once more. His green gaze was ever steady and unnerving. “Quite frankly, it concerns me.”
“Why?” she asked, feeling a little sick.
“You know very well how Caige feels about us,” Jason said softly, leaning forward to set the goblet down on the table. He rested his elbows on his knees, laced his fingers together, and sighed. “It’s clear that you’re keeping your true nature from him, or he would not have accompanied you to the festival tonight. What concerns me most is that you would hide who you are in order to satisfy the closed-minded whims of a werewolf.” He speared her with a hard look for a second. “Would you care to explain your actions?”
Danny pulled her gaze away from his and felt her cheeks heat up. Jason’s words swam around in her head. He was right. Caige’s hatred of magic was notorious enough. “Not really,” she replied.
“I see,” Jason said. He sighed again and came to his feet. Then he paced slowly to the fire place, braced his arms against the marble mantle, and gazed into the flames. “I can understand your interest in such a man,” he said softly. “Lucas Caige must seem the ultimate game to one such as yourself. If you can make him fall for you, you can make anyone fall for you. Is that it?”
“What? No!” Danny shook her head. “That’s not it at all!”
Alberich glanced at her over his shoulder. “No?” he asked, never raising his voice. “Are you certain? Because I can’t imagine what kind of future you could possibly think you’d have with a man who loathes our kind as much as he does.” He pushed off of the hearth and turned to face her. “Caige can never love a witch, Danny, and you can’t hide from him forever. There will come a day – soon – when he knows you for who and what you truly are.” He looked at the floor and shook his head, closing his eyes. “I would spare you the ensuing pain.”
Danny’s head was spinning. Everything Jason was telling her was true. She knew it in her heart. And that heart was breaking already. She turned her face slightly away from him when she felt tears gather in her eyes. She couldn’t believe this was hurting her as much as it was. And she didn’t want Alberich to see that.
“Danny, what you just did with those children on that cliff was a gift more precious than any other witch has ever been given,” he continued, his voice still soft, his tone gently beseeching. “To that end, I honestly know of no other witch in existence who has demonstrated the level of power you have over all. You are a boon to us, Danny. Your people need you. You realize this, don’t you?” he asked, as if just to make sure.
Danny hated to answer such a question. Saying “no,” would seem outright stupid, and saying “yes,” would make her pig-headed. So, she remained si
lent. She didn’t know whether she could trust herself to speak anyway. Her throat seemed swollen.
Alberich was silent for a long while and Danny was afraid he would realize she was trying not to cry. She listened as he moved around the love seat in which she was sitting until he was standing directly behind her. She could feel him gazing down at her, tall and powerful above her. It felt a little like being observed by Darth Vader.
Which was strange. Vader was supposed to be evil. Alberich wasn’t evil – why would she compare him to such a character?
“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you what will happen should you sleep with the werewolf,” he said then, breaking the silence. Danny’s heart skipped a beat. Her body went stiff. He was talking about her gift now – and how Lalura had warned her that if she slept with a werewolf, she would lose her ability to heal. Just like that, it would go poof. Gone forever.
“Is a man who despises everything you stand for really worth throwing something so precious away, Dannai?”
Danny’s chest felt as if it were cracking wide open. She wanted to leave. She needed to be alone. Without allowing Alberich to see her face, she stood, her back still to him. “Is this all you wanted to speak to me about?” she asked softly, her voice nearly cracking under the pressure.
Jason waited several beats. And then he said, “No.”
Danny held her breath.
“I don’t want you to hate me for having to be the one to warn you,” he told her. “The last thing I want is your scorn, Danny,” he added softly. She heard his boots on the marble floor as he moved around her and came to stand before her. She looked up at him, knowing it was no use trying to hide the pain in her expression now. Let him see it, she thought. It doesn’t matter.
But when she met his gaze, she was struck with another thought. Anakin Skywalker. She blinked. Imani doesn’t trust him. Why? Jason Alberich was a very handsome and very powerful wizard. And he’d never been anything but kind to her.
He looked down at her and his own expression softened. The green in his eyes melted from emerald to jade, the hard cut to his features smoothing out as he raised his hand and gently cupped her cheek.
The sensation was somewhat startling to Danny. He literally played with fire, holding it in the palms of his hands – but his touch was cold. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting. It was so different from the way Lucas felt. The werewolf’s body felt as if it were always running a fever.
“I care for you, Danny,” Jason whispered. “I always have. Can you not see that?” he asked, shaking his head. Danny’s mouth went dry. She thought of Imani’s warning. Alberich has a thing for you. He has for years.
By the gods, Danny thought. Imani had been right. Why hadn’t Danny seen it before? Why hadn’t she noticed? If the look in Jason’s eyes at that moment was any indication of how he’d felt about her for the past several years, then Danny had been naively oblivious in the worst way.
Why?
“Whatever feelings you think you may have for this werewolf, please reconsider them. If not for me, then for you.” Jason brushed his thumb along her cheekbone and his gaze narrowed in earnest. “And when you realize the mistake you’re making – and change your mind – know that I will be here, Danny.” He dropped his hand and took a step back. “I will always be here for you.”
He turned away from her and made his way toward a small black wooden chest that rested on the mantle above the fire place. He waved his hand and the lock on the chest snapped open, the lid gliding up. Danny watched as Jason pulled something from the black velvet depths of the small chest. He closed his hand over whatever it was and made his way back over to her.
“I want you to have this,” he told her softly, the look on his face an attractive mixture of discomfited reticence. He seemed unsure suddenly. As if she would reject the gift and he was taking a chance in giving it to her.
Danny looked down at his hand as he opened his palm. At its center rested a small, delicate pendant. The gold chain was very fine and at most sixteen inches long. The pendant itself was a single black diamond.
Or, at least, that what it looked like at first glance. But if it was, then it was incredibly valuable, because it glittered with stark radiance in the firelight and even without touching it and examining it, Danny could tell it was clear of imperfections or clouds.
“What… what is this, Jason?”
He smiled at her, flashing perfect white teeth. “I like the way my name sounds when you say it,” he said. Then he took her hand in his and opened her palm, setting the pendant in her grasp. “It belonged to my mother and my grandmother before her,” he said. “Every witch in my family line.” Then he chuckled softly, closing her fingers over the necklace. “Oddly enough, it’s utterly lacking in magical properties.” He shrugged, his green eyes sparkling. “But it is quite lovely.”
“But –” She stopped, bit her lip, and started again. “But why are you giving this to me?” she asked softly.
“Because,” he said, pushing her hand down so that the pendant was firmly in her possession. “You would look beautiful in it. And because….” His voice trailed off. His gaze narrowed on her, becoming more thoughtful. “I’ve wanted to give it to you for a long time.”
Danny swallowed hard and nearly choked. Jason Alberich had it bad for her. He was giving her jewelry. Oh goddess, she thought. Jason deserved better than her. She respected him, but she had no romantic feelings toward him at all. He could have any woman in the coven – any other woman, that is. Why did he have to zero in on the one woman who could not return his affections – because she was falling hard for someone else?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Never accept jewelry from a man unless you were serious about him. It sent the wrong message. She held her hand up once more, unfolding her fingers to reveal the pendant. Jason glanced from her to the necklace and back again.
“I can’t take this, Jason,” she said. But before she could continue, Alberich stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She felt instantly dwarfed by his size and stature and her voice was trapped in her throat.
“Yes, you can,” he said firmly. “And you will. As your herald, I’m ordering you to wear it,” he told her, the hint of a smile on his lips the only indication that he wasn’t actually giving her an edict. “Now turn around,” he commanded, taking the pendant from her hand before signaling for her to turn her back to him. “And lift your hair.”
She did as he told her, figuring that she could take all of this up with him later, when she was rested and fed and after she dealt with her feelings about Caige.
Lucas, she thought. He was probably on his way to Mexico by now, running from the crazy-ass witch girl who lied to him.
Pain arced through her chest at that thought. But she shoved it away and lifted her hair from her neck. She had a lot of hair and strands and locks always got loose. Jason didn’t seem to mind. He waited patiently and then, when it was clear, he draped the pendant over her décolletage and clasped it closed at the nape of her neck. It was very cold where it rested against her collarbones and the hollow of her throat.
“Now go,” he told her, gently grasping her upper arms from where he still stood behind her. “Go home and eat and rest,” he ordered. “I can sense your weariness. You saved lives today.” He released her and turned away. She could hear his voice become more distant as he made his way across the room. She turned to watch him go. “You are a very powerful witch, Dannai,” he said, just before disappearing through an archway that clearly led to some other area in his mansion. “But even you have your weaknesses.”
*****
When Danny finally made it home later that night, it was to find all of the lights left on and the kitchen smelling like veggie Jambalaya. It was one of Imani’s best dishes and Danny was starving.
She also had no appetite whatsoever, despite her starvation.
Imani was waiting up for her. She appeared in the hall as soon as the front door closed behind Da
nny.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Danny said. It wasn’t really a question; she knew Caige wasn’t around. The mansion was unprotected, free of all shields. If the werewolf had been near, a shield to hide its magic would have been erected.
“Yeah,” Ima replied, her expression concerned, her deep voice soft. “Come here,” she said and then moved forward to pull Danny into a warm embrace.
“I don’t even know why I care,” Danny mumbled into Ima’s shoulder.
“Because you’re a dormant and he’s your big bad wolf,” Ima said, chuckling softly. “You’ve been dreaming about him, girl. Any man worthy of a woman’s dreams is gonna be hard to let go.”
Danny pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “Think I’ll ever get over him?”
“Who knows?” Ima said, cocking her head to one side. She gave Danny a long, appraising look for several seconds, and then her gaze slipped down Danny’s body. Something wicked gleamed in her eyes and her sorry expression was exchanged for one with a bit more impiety. “But I think I may know of a way to help you along, sugar.”
Danny’s brows rose. A butterfly took off in her stomach and her body grew warmer. She knew that look.
Imani leaned forward and took Danny by the arm, turning to guide her down the hall and up the stairs to the bedroom. Danny fell silent behind her, her legs growing a little weaker with anticipation. She had to admit that though Lucas and Jason were each vying in different ways for her mental and emotional energy, Ima was perhaps the one person in the world who could take Danny’s mind off of them.
At least for a short, delicious while.
*****
Danny had barely drifted off to that sacred place between waking and dreams when something rudely jarred her from it, setting her heartbeat to rapid fire. She blinked several times where she lay, trying to clear her vision and adjust to the semi-darkness. The moon was low on the horizon and its faint blue cast barely managed to pierce the blackness. The windows were open a crack, allowing the slightest breeze to rustle the gauzy curtains. There was no sound but the thudding of her heart.