I nodded, feeling the situation was finally making sense. “So how do I figure in this?”
“She wants to give everyone reason to join her. You’re that perfect reason.”
Well crap and a half, this couldn’t be good. “Why?”
He shook his head, annoyed I wasn’t following him. “There wouldn’t be any bad blood between the creatures if you can bring back all their dead. In a way, we’d all start from scratch again, no harm done. That and it replenishes the union. No beings would ever need to die.”
“Strength in numbers.”
“Yes, so when news spread of Jack, I went to Bella, and I made an agreement with her. She was to leave you alone. I told her you weren’t as strong as I’d thought and that I did the majority of the reanimation myself. Clearly, she didn’t believe me.”
My shoulders slumped, and I stared straight ahead, looking at everything, but seeing nothing. “So that’s why Bella invited me to this party?”
“Yes, she wants to announce that you’re now working for her.”
My mind spun like a roulette wheel, and I wished I’d never agreed to come here. “Are you on her team?”
He shook his head. “No, I haven’t yet agreed to anything. I was quite surprised to receive the invitation here tonight. I can only surmise Bella wanted to show me how many have already joined her ranks to entice me to her side.”
“I see.”
“Having you here tonight was much more important to her than having me join her legion, though. You’re the newest and most valuable addition to the unionizing efforts. And now that you’ve shown your face, you can’t return to your old life.” There was a finite sadness to his voice.
I couldn’t bridge the idea that my being here wouldn’t allow me to return to my former life. “I’m not a prisoner. I can just walk away and go back home.”
His smirk wasn’t an encouraging one. “And she would come for you. An ability like yours won’t be ignored.”
Clearly, he was upset, and I still didn’t know enough of why he was upset to be truly upset myself. “You said to Sinjin that I was just a new witch.”
He shook his head and stepped back. “He knows I was trying to protect you. This couldn’t have been any worse. I’m going to have words with Bella.”
“Well, I could decline the offer.”
He laughed as he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Jolie, you have no choice. Our society isn’t like yours. There’s no freedom of choice or democracy. And now if you don’t have a protector, you’ll be forced to join her union.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. God, it sounded like the mob or something. “A protector?”
He sat next to me, which was a relief because I was getting tired of watching him pace. “There are rules in this society, Jolie. Rules I haven’t explained to you and hoped I wouldn’t have to. I wanted you to return to your old life until you could decide if you wanted to give it up for this one. Now, it seems the choice has been made for you.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, my voice so thick, it barely made it out of my mouth.
“If you don’t have a protector in this society, then you have no one to champion you. You’d be forced to join ranks with Bella.”
Forced? This was sounding worse and worse. “How does a protector, as you call it, make any difference?”
He stood and started pacing again. “If you have an employer, or a protector, then you’re safe. Bella wouldn’t be able to force you into her union if someone else has already unionized you. If she wanted you for a particular job, she’d have to go through your employer.”
This made a little more sense, but I didn’t understand how an employer, as he called it, had anything to do with it. “So, just for the sake of argument, why would it be so bad for Bella to be my protector, since she wants to do so?”
“She’s a greedy, selfish bitch.” He paused and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to tell you because it’s so horrible …”
My heart forgot to beat for a few seconds. “Go on.”
“Once I returned Jack to Bella, and she realized she’d now have to assume responsibility for her father, she killed him on the spot.”
“She did what?!”
“She would kill you as soon as look at you.”
My stomach churned as if I’d swallowed a gallon of sour milk. How anyone could kill her own father was beyond me. Okay, so working for Bella was not an option. “Why couldn’t I just say I’m working for you?”
He shrugged and didn’t quite meet my eyes. “I’ve always been on my own, I’ve never been protected by anyone, nor have I ever offered protection. I’m not certain I’d be the best alternative. I’ve not agreed to join Bella, but I’m not enough of a threat yet for her to try to convince me.”
“If you aren’t protected then how come no one comes for you?”
“I’m very powerful, and it would be no easy feat to get me to bend to someone’s will. I answer to no one.”
To some his comment may have sounded arrogant, but there was no conceit in his gaze, just honesty. And I believed him. But powerful warlock or not, it was his fault I was in this mess in the first place. So he hadn’t invited me to this party, but he’d invited the attention of other people who might wish me harm. As far as I was concerned, he was the first wrongdoer in this tangled web.
“I’m sorry about all this, Jolie,” he said, as if sensing my thoughts.
I stood and started for the door, needing to escape. Rand was at my side instantly. “Can we leave?” I asked, my lips tight.
He nodded and opened the door when Bella, dressed as Cleopatra, appeared in the doorway. I stepped back, right into Rand’s hard chest. He sidestepped me and let’s just say I was glad I wasn’t Bella with the look he gave her. Something cross between wishing her dead and wanting to do the deed himself.
“Well isn’t this the warm little reunion?” she asked while looping her arm through Rand’s. He straightened, clearly uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t just shrug free of her. Rand didn’t take crap from anyone ... right? Something was up.
“I’ll have words with you later,” he whispered to her.
She just smiled and swept her eyes over me, making me feel as if I were withering in her stringent gaze. It was at that moment that I realized I hated her. Not so much for forcing me into a life I was in no way prepared for, but for her smugness. And for the way she threaded her arm through Rand’s—that burned me like all the fires of hell.
“I’m glad you came to my little party, Jolie. You were my honored guest, you know?”
I was done with pleasantries. “Your honored guest? I haven’t heard it described like that. In fact, I’d more accurately describe it as your honored prisoner.”
She laughed and with a wave of her braceleted wrist, threw aside my anger as if it were day old bread. “Yes, the party was in honor of you. It would’ve been such a shame had you not shown up. But, alas, I thought our handsome pirate here might cause you to reconsider.” She patted Rand’s expansive chest.
I blushed at the insolence of the comment and dropped my gaze. She’d known all along I’d come. I felt so naive—so stupid. I’d fallen for her plan as pretty as you please. All it required was Rand as the bait. My injured pride rebelled against the stupidity of my blind desire, which had gotten me into this problem in the first place. Life was so much easier when all you had to worry about was your cat.
“You had no right inviting her here, Bella,” Rand said between tight lips.
She trailed her fingers down his chest, and a new wave of anger visited me. Why did he allow her to touch him? Why didn’t he pull away from her? Clearly, he hated her—it was written all over his face.
“Oh, I had every right, Rand. She wasn’t under anyone’s protection so I wanted to graciously extend my own.”
Rand stepped away from Bella, his aura looking like it would attack her if he didn’t. Then it dawned on me that he mus
t’ve been trying to preserve the truce between them.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Bella, she’s agreed to be under my protection.”
I tried to keep the shock from my face. Wasn’t he just saying he worked alone? I didn’t get a chance to ponder it further—Bella’s aura grabbed my attention as it vibrated with the same violet Rand’s did when he was angry.
“You offer no protection, Rand; you’re a renegade as everyone knows,” she spat between gritted teeth as I waited for a forked tongue to accompany the statement.
“I’ve offered her protection, and she’s accepted. She and I will be working together. I think it fair as I’m truly responsible for discovering her.” He smirked, satisfaction drenching his smile.
Bella’s nostrils flared, and her chest went up and down like a ship on a stormy sea. If it was possible for someone to burst, she was well on her way. “Is this true? Has he offered to vouch for you?”
So now I had the choice to ally myself with Bella who seemed to be possessed by the devil or Rand who had problems of his own. Still, Rand hadn’t murdered his own father … that I knew of. “Yes, it’s true. He offered, and I accepted.”
Bella gave me a look that said she would enjoy peeling off my skin, layer by layer. Luckily, she didn’t attempt it and instead, turned on her heel and walked away. Her hips swayed as if to say she’d have the last word.
“I’m sorry, Jolie, but you’re involved in this lifestyle now. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me as we’re going to be working together very closely,” Rand said, his voice low and exhausted.
I couldn’t help but think of the irony of the situation. I wanted nothing more than to work closely with Rand, but not like this. “So are you telling me I can’t go back to my old life? What about my shop, my house, my cat, and Christa?”
He sighed, and I knew it was bad. “I’m sorry,” he said as if that would make it all better.
It didn’t. “This is ridiculous. I never agreed to any of this.” I’d had enough of being a pawn in this game. These people or whatever you wanted to call them could choose to live their lives according to some doctrine of witches, but I was human and had freedom of choice. I lived in the United States for Christ’s sake!
“Actually you just did.”
My fingers curled, my nails biting into the palms of my hand. I tried to breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose, but it did nothing to calm me. I was in a house of otherworldly creatures, no one here was human, and what scared me most was that I was now one of them.
Well, I wasn’t standing for it. I wasn’t going to allow these creatures to dictate my life. I’d show them what they could do with the situation they were trying to force on me. They said I had no free will, no right to choose, well screw them!
I didn’t give Rand a backwards glance as I neared the doors. Two enormous men dressed as Egyptian guards, complete with jackal masks, naked chests, and Roman-looking skirts, stepped in front of me, blocking my exit.
“I want to leave,” I said between gritted teeth.
“Apologies, but we can’t allow that,” one of them said and panic welled up within me, choking the air from my lungs. They weren’t going to let me leave? Okay, if they wanted to play, we’d play. I focused all my energy on them and willed them to move, forced myself to use the magic Rand had taught me.
I was rewarded with my magic bouncing off them and roaring back into me. Knocked off my feet, I landed with a thump on my ass. My ridiculously short dress rode all the way up my waist. Thank God, I was wearing boy shorts. I watched the guards’ attention settle on my panties and blushed as I pushed my skirt back in place.
A hand appeared in front of me, and I glanced up into the face of a very amused Sinjin. I refused his offer and pushed myself to my feet.
“I suppose I failed to mention that your magic will not work here. There is a spell to prohibit it,” he said.
I nodded but said nothing as the only thing I could think to say was a few choice curse words. My life was falling apart right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do.
“Are you alright?” he asked. I could only imagine his concern was anything but real. He probably wanted something from me just like it seemed everyone else did.
“I’m fine. My ego is hurt, but that’s about it,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I do not suppose anyone was concerned with your fall, they were more concerned with your pink lace knickers. I, myself, quite enjoyed the spectacle.”
I frowned. “Are all vampires so … sexual?”
He laughed. “We are considered a randy group, I suppose. But then you could say that of all otherworldly creatures. Whereas humans tend to ignore their primitive, baser needs, we relish them.”
Great and now, I was among this noble group. The thought made me ill.
“Sinjin, leave her alone, she’s spoken for,” Rand said, stepping between the two of us.
“The boffin has returned,” Sinjin faced me with a sigh. I didn’t know what a boffin was, but the remark made me smile all the same.
“Randall always making his presence known when he is least wanted. I know she is spoken for—Bella marked her as her own.”
Rand smiled with purpose. “I’ve marked her for my own.”
I swear a growl accompanied the statement.
Sinjin frowned, shifted and glanced at me. “That cannot be, Bella said the party is in honor of the new witch.”
Rand stepped closer to the vampire, their muscular chests practically touching.
“I bloody well found her, therefore I have rights to her, and I’ve exercised those rights. If you want something from her, you must go through me.”
I didn’t know if I wanted to shout or hit one of them. I felt like the maiden being fought over by two primitive idiots. “I was just leaving,” I said and tried to push past them.
Rand’s hand clamped down on my arm like a vice. Before I could resist, he maneuvered me away from Sinjin.
“Let go of me,” I said, ready to battle him.
“You don’t understand what you’re now involved in, Jolie. These aren’t friendly people here—they’re vampires, werewolves, and demons that would kill you as soon as look at you.”
Okay, that did the trick. I guess I hadn’t been thinking properly. I wanted out and that feeling was greater now more than ever. I didn’t belong here—I wasn’t like them. I might have unexplained powers, but that didn’t make me like them—I was innocent and wanted to stay innocent.
My body began to tremble, and I could do nothing to stop it. “I don’t want any part of this. It isn’t fair.”
“I know, Jolie, and believe me, I wish you’d never come here tonight. Had I known that Bella was coming after you, I would’ve done my best to hide you. I was foolish—she owed me fealty for you resurrecting her father, and I said we’d call it even if she left you alone.”
I nodded—the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit, but that didn’t mean I had to like any of it. As far as I was concerned, I was whisked out of my happy, albeit boring life, but happy all the same, and now I had to fear for my safety. I never asked for any of this, and that was the worst of it. “I just want to go home, Rand.”
He clasped my shoulders. “I know, Jolie, but I’m afraid that’s not possible now. You’ll have to make your home with me.”
Live with him? Tears stung my eyes as frustration got the better of me. “I … I don’t e … even know where you live! I don’t even know what your last n … name is!” When I really get angry, I start to stutter. My stuttering only aggravated me all the more.
He reached out to touch me, but I batted his hand away. I was livid and didn’t know if I wanted to scream and tear my hair out or cry. I managed to do neither.
“I live in England and my last name is Balfour,” Rand said.
“England!” Then the sobs came. I’d never been abroad and now I was expected to move to England? My mom would have a heart att
ack! She couldn’t even handle me moving from Spokane to LA.
“Shhh, Jolie,” Rand whispered, looking about himself for what I assumed was a more private area, lest I have my mental breakdown in the midst of the party. He grabbed my arm and led me into a bedroom, closing the door behind us. He turned on the lights with a nod of his head, and I collapsed against the bed, sobbing.
“I’ve never even been to England!” My voice broke, but I was past the point of caring. I was being deported.
“I promise to make this as comfortable for you as I can.”
I sat up and tried to get some semblance of control over myself. “Why do we have to live in England?” I rubbed my eyes with my arm and sniffled.
“Because that’s my territory—witches are broken into covens and each coven mans a certain territory. Bella’s territory is here.”
“Los Angeles?” I asked while Rand fished inside the pocket of his pirate pants and handed me a hankie. Even though my nose was running, there was no way I was going to blow it in front of him.
“Well, yes, but more than that—she controls the Western states of the US.”
I sniffed. “What does that mean, territory?”
“It means I control all otherworldly goings on in England, Scotland, and Wales. If an otherworldly person wishes to move to that area, they must get permission from me—if they wish to work in that area, they must go through me. We’re broken up this way so we can cover the most ground and be the most efficient.”
“And the vampires and werewolves and demons?” I asked, in shock the statement had even come from my mouth. It sounded so Hollywood movie fake.
“Vampires fall into houses that align themselves with our territories so they’re similar in that respect. Werewolves and demons have nothing to do with us—they make their own rules and are becoming more of a problem. We’re going to have to figure out what to do with them soon, as there needs to be an established order in our society. The vampires, much though I dislike and distrust them, have at least made the attempt.”