Chapter Fifteen
Payton was on the verge of tears, but she’d be damned if she’d show it.
She loved Dailey. Those feelings hadn’t disappeared since their parting, and this new development, where being near her triggered his destructive behavior or amorous thoughts not his own, was problematic.
Yes, Elara was clinging to the belief that his love was the cause, but Payton knew better.
She refused to have him consumed by feelings not his own.
“We need a plan,” she said, determined to put an end to all of the madness. “Where can I go to isolate myself from others, and how do we stop this magic from escalating further?”
“Another realm?” Tripp asked, directing the question to Hermes. “Perhaps Vorren—”
“No!” Dailey snapped.
Plink-plink-plink.
Elara glanced up. “Is the roof on fire?”
Tripp cursed, but snuffed out the danger with a simple wave.
“Dailey, please control your anger.” Payton rubbed her forehead, hoping to dispel the building migraine. “There is no reason for jealousy. Is Vorren stupid hot? Yes. Am I going to jump his bones? No. There will be no sexual escapades for me until these things are off my feet.”
“Good.” Hermes gave an approving nod. “It’s best if you don’t. The two of you engaging in sexual congress without resolving your issues will be catastrophic.”
She froze. “How?”
Dailey jerked, whipping his head to the side to frown at Hermes. “You said, and I quote, ‘He’s either going to bring down the heavens, or he’s going to curse us all forever by partaking of the forbidden fruit!’ The first half I get, but what the hell does the last bit mean?”
Payton’s heart thudded, and her anxiety spiked. Was she the forbidden fruit destined to curse them all forever?
With his skin a sickly pallor, Hermes grimaced.
“Tell them,” Tripp ordered in a stern tone. “They deserve to know what’s happening to them.”
“I can sense the energy shift,” the Trickster began. “As with Elara, the combination of your magic, the ever-changing power of the boots, and my Trickster influence has caused the original spell to become something greater.”
“That cleared up exactly nothing,” Dailey snapped.
“I believe what he’s saying is the combination of all three is causing the enchantment to become a living, breathing beast,” Payton said slowly. “I never felt wanted, and instead of giving me confidence, I’m now wanted by every living creature, except my family, correct?”
Hermes nodded.
“And Dailey, whose feelings were taken away, now has an overabundance of feelings he’s finding difficult to control,” she added.
“Yes.”
“But both of those things are expanding by the minute. You fear that if we don’t resolve our issues but give in to lust, it could forever damn us.”
“Yes. I know I said you should stay in Witchmere, but it was to keep you and Dailey together.”
“So you lied,” she said flatly.
He scrunched his nose and shrugged. “Meh. I suppose you could say I stretched the truth a bit, but now it’s no longer safe for you.”
“What’s to stop this from spreading if I go to another realm with Vorren? What if the people there are consumed? Also, did he agree to this?”
“He’s right outside. You can ask him yourself.” Hermes gestured toward the window.
“You didn’t answer me,” she stated coolly with a raised brow.
“The truth is, I don’t know. I don’t think it will follow you, but I cannot be sure.”
“Then I’ll stay here on earth.” The last place she wanted to be was with a kingdom of creatures she didn’t know jack-shit about. She turned to Tripp. “Can you find me a deserted island, or at least create one with amenities?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks.”
Elara raised her hand. “Um, I hate to be the blight on this plan of yours, but how will you resolve your issues if you are alone on an island? Neither of you will be able to work through your issues.”
“She’s right.” Tripp smiled at her like she was the brightest of pupils.
Payton tamped down her envy, fearing she’d never have a relationship as beautiful as theirs. Her gaze drifted to Dailey, who watched her closely.
“What do you think, Lee? You’re the other half of this, too.”
He crossed to the window, his gaze following the movement outside. “What if we stay here, you and I?”
“That’s unwise—”
He cut Hermes off with a look.
“I get it. But the dragon can stay to keep the others at bay and play catcher to my incoming meteors. We can see if Cory will join him. Between the two of them, I feel they could fend off the more persistent lovelorn vying for Payton’s hand.”
Tripp narrowed his eyes in contemplation. “Go on.”
“Additionally, with all of us, we can come up with a spell to keep Payton and me apart. Possibly electrocute me if I go near her.”
“Lee!”
Dailey cast her a lopsided grin. “Trust me, I’m not into self-punishment, but if it helps prevent a widespread calamity, then I’ll do it.”
“How does any of this resolve the problem?” she asked.
“You and I will be sequestered here to work through our issues.”
“And if we don’t?”
His expression was steely. “We will. We don’t have a choice.”
Shy of him shipping his mother to Siberia, she couldn’t see them resolving diddly squat. But she didn’t voice it aloud. If he favored positivity, who was she to naysay him? She’d bolster his optimism if she could.
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this scenario,” Elara said, casting a worried glance between them. “What if the electric-fence idea fails?”
Dailey didn’t have an answer. He’d fallen back on his original hair-brained idea to abduct Payton and keep her here until she removed the spell. Yet like the boots, his objective was changing. Mainly because his emotions were no longer numb, and his love for her had been rekindled.
His only fear? He couldn’t trust it.
And Payton knew it, too.
He could see it in her eyes, the wariness, the inability to believe herself worthy of his devotion. If he were smart, he’d second her remote-island suggestion, but her absence would kill him. A life without her would finish him for good this time around.
“Pay? What is it you want?” he asked softly.
A stone lit on the left boot.
Well, at least he was making progress by considering her feelings, right?
Another diamond flared bright.
Jesus! Was it really so simple?
“What are you thinking?” she asked. With her head tilted in curious confusion and her eyes filled with caution, she appeared vulnerable. Dailey wanted so desperately to hold her, but he couldn’t risk it until they had a failsafe in place.
“About how much you should have a voice in all of this,” he replied. “About how I need to make things right and provide a safe space for you to be yourself without outside influences.”
Two more jewels came to life.
“You seem to be working through your half of things,” she said.
Her smile was bittersweet, and for the life of him, he couldn’t grasp why she was so freaking sad.
“We’ll work through them together, Wildfire,” he promised.
Elara wrapped an arm around her sister’s waist. “You two may be further along than Tripp and me. I’m feeling good about your chances this lifetime.”
Dailey barked a laugh, startling himself and the others. Unfortunately for him, Payton didn’t find it as humorous.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
Her fire was a sight to behold, and he grinned.
Balling her fists, she charged, only to be caught by Tripp and Elara. The former released her as if burned, paled, and backed up.
“Hermes, she’s stronger.”
“I know. I feel it, too.”
The grim response didn’t bode well, and Dailey’s humor fled.
“Then let’s ward the house, and protect her from everyone, me included,” he said.
“This may take more firepower than two compromised gods,” Hermes replied. For the span of a few heartbeats, he stared at Payton, then he snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. The gargoyles!”
“What about them?” he asked.
Tripp grinned. “Of course!” Withdrawing his phone, he made a call.
“Archer, I need a favor.” They all remained quiet as he relayed the problem to Archer Roche, Witchmere’s ancient guardian.
“How many of your clan can you rally to protect Payton?” He glanced at the occupants of the room.
“Just Dailey and Payton with Cory and his brother-in-law, Vorren.” Tripp paused to listen.
“Dragons. And yes, I know you are on separate sides of the divide, but—”
The demigod hung his head and sighed.
Dailey’s stomach tightened, fearing the worst. If the rumor was true, a war might break out between the gargoyles and dragons.
As Tripp had hinted at in his conversation, the two opposing factions were in a centuries-old feud.
Of course, Dailey had never given it much credence, since he’d never encountered the winged menaces before.
Or he hadn’t believed he had until learning Cory was one earlier.
“Archer’s been to The Winking Wyvern, hadn’t he?” Payton asked in a hushed voice.
To a one, the rest of them shrugged.
Dailey couldn’t recall Archer ever setting foot in the bar, which in itself was odd. His unique ability allowed him to remember everything. But in all the time he’d known the man— it had been his entire life—he’d never seen him enter the establishment. Had the guardian somehow known what Cory was?
Tripp’s tone changed. “You are the protector of Witchmere, Roche. Do your damned job!”
Thunder boomed, rattling the windows, and dark clouds rolled in, casting shadows over the room.
“You dare—”
Elara snatched the phone. “Archer? Elara, here. Can you tell me what it would take for you and your clan to help my sister and Dailey?” As she listened, she strong-armed Tripp, playing keep-away with his device. She did, however, put it on speaker.
“… I’d like to help out, Elara. But the best I can offer is to come out myself. I cannot ask my brethren to set aside their grievances.”
“What if Vorren went back to his realm?” Dailey asked. “You’ve co-existed with Cory until now.”
“If the prince returns home, then yes,” Archer agreed. “I will call my brother, Valken, to bring a small army.”
Payton’s brows shot up. “You have a brother?”
His raspy chuckle filled the air. “Do you believe I was hatched, like those devil dragons?”
“I’ve never given it much thought,” she admitted.
“I will be there as soon as I can contact the others. I will require at least one to watch over the residents and another for the tourists.”
“Two to do your job?” Dailey asked with a laugh, striving to keep it light.
“Something like that,” Archer replied dryly. “Can you survive an hour or two until I can pull Cecil and Greer from Seattle?”
“We’ll make do,” Tripp assured him. “And Roche? Thank you.”
“You can thank me by ousting Prince Vorren and his men.”
Dailey’s jaw dropped. “Men? What men?”
“Drakoryth royalty doesn’t go anywhere without their guards, Cobb,” Archer explained. “If you didn’t see them, it’s because they’ve shielded themselves.”
“How? A cloaking spell?” Elara asked.
Invisible visitors didn’t sit well with Dailey. They played by a specific set of rules in Witchmere. All magical visitors had to announce themselves. Not only didn’t Vorren do that, but he failed to alert them of his personal guard.
“Their scales are the source of their magic,” Hermes explained. “They use them for camouflage, blending with their surroundings at half use, and complete invisibility when they are in full stealth mode.”
“No wonder Archer is angry,” Payton said, sidling up to him. “What—oh!”
The fragrance of her skin teased him, and Dailey leaned in to run his nose along the column of her neck, inhaling deeply.
“You smell divine,” he whispered, touching his lips to her jaw. “I—”
She shoved him, sending him crashing into the door.
The knock to his head helped.
Mouth compressed into a thin line, she glared.
“I’m sorry, Pay.” True shame washed over him. His inability to control himself was terrifying.
Without breaking eye contact, she raised her voice and asked, “Archer, are you immune to Trickster magic?”