Chapter 56 Raven
Raven
It was quieter up here; the music muted. People huddled in booths, hidden from view by large plants, gaudy decorative items, and floaty curtains. I heard moans and whimpers as we passed some booths, and I tried not to picture what might be happening.
Sexy things was my guess.
My core tightened at the memory of what I’d done with my bear and incubus during our last visit to this club.
A female wearing a silver chain around her waist flashed me a smile as she passed us. Yikes, was the chain attached to her clit? It appeared so.
Goddess save her, she must have a pierced clit.
I tripped over my own feet at the thought of a needle going anywhere near my delicate bits. Not happening. Sure, Zane had had his dick pierced, but he seemed to enjoy pain, so he’d probably loved the experience.
The female swung back our way with an empty tray. She leaned in and whispered to me.
“It feels amazing. You should try it.” Siren magic washed over me, warming my body with a low-key sexual buzz. Behind me, Alaric growled a warning.
“Fuck off!”
The siren laughed, not at all offended. She blew us both a kiss and sashayed off, her ample hips swaying seductively.
“Fucking sirens,” Alaric muttered before steering me into an empty booth. He yanked the curtain across the opening, blocking out most of the light and noise. Was the curtain spelled? It had to be.
A mage light glowed above us, painting Alaric’s face gold. I thanked the goddess for a flattering light to hide my sweaty complexion. As much as I loved dancing, I definitely didn’t love how sweaty it made me.
Alaric’s gaze dipped down into my cleavage, where the amulet rested. Because I was all hot and sweaty, the lilac fabric clung to my curves. Was this why Zane had chosen it? Knowing him, probably. He seemed to have a knack for choosing dresses that showed off my figure in the most lascivious way.
What did Alaric even want to talk about? He’d avoided me since the incident with Montgomery. It surprised me when he joined us this evening.
“I’m sorry for not coming to find you after Montgomery spelled you.” The storm mage’s apology seemed sincere, but I remained silent. “I wanted to,” he continued, “but Dad called me home, and with lockdown on campus, it’s been difficult to get around.”
“No problem.” I shrugged and tried to peer through the gauzy curtain. Was there table service? Stars, I needed a drink. My bear rumbled in my head, anxiously checking on me.
I pushed positive thoughts along the bond, and then shut it down. If Alaric wanted to talk, it was unfair to let the others eavesdrop. Although Zane could be nearby. My incubus loved to stalk me, usually while he’d shifted into a form I failed to spot immediately.
“Would you like a drink?” The mage’s polite question jolted me from my thoughts. I blinked.
“Um, yes?” I could get used to this solicitous version of him.
He placed his palm on the metal disc on the table in front of us. A few seconds later, a brunette siren appeared.
This one was tall, slender, and drop-dead gorgeous. And also naked. It was very hard not to ogle her perfect body, but I did my best. Not that she paid me any attention.
“Alaric Vane. What an unexpected pleasure!” My chin snapped up in time to catch the siren making sexy eyes at my mage. “It’s been a while, sugar.”
“Tamzin, fetch us a bottle of elkwine and two glasses. Put it on my father’s tab.”
“Please,” I muttered. Manners cost nothing. Sure, the siren was a flirty bitch who had no right to make heart eyes at my mate, but since it was in a siren’s nature to be seductive, I ignored her blatant sex-eyes.
A female had to earn a living somehow.
Tamzin smirked. “Of course, sugar. And would you like me to join you?” She leaned in, causing her breasts to sway uncomfortably close to my face. I’d never been attracted to females before, but stars be damned, this siren’s sexual allure was intoxicating.
Alaric frowned when he realized the effect the siren was having on me.
“Quit it, Tamzin. It’s about time you learned the meaning of consent!”
The siren pouted and sniffed. “I’m a siren. It’s in my nature.” With one last smolder, she left us. The minute she disappeared, the intense sexual arousal fogging my senses faded. I rubbed my face and stared down in embarrassment, cross with myself for not being able to withstand her magic.
Alaric had been right all along: I was a useless witch.
“It’s not your fault,” he said with a sigh. “Siren magic is extremely potent. The sirens working at this club earn bonuses for upselling additional services. I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”
“Were you not affected by her magic?”
“No, I learned my lesson the first time. I cast a protection spell before we entered the club to block siren magic.”
“The first time?”
His expression shuttered.
“Never mind that. I’m not in the mood to dredge up unpleasant memories. It won’t be long before the fucking incubus comes and drags you away.”
It was a miracle Zane hadn’t appeared already.
“I expect all three of them will be here shortly, so what did you want to say?”
He rubbed his temple as if it pained him. Had the music given him a headache? It was loud. Or it had been downstairs. In this booth, I could barely hear anything, which was good because I didn’t want to listen to other people fucking.
Since the siren hadn’t returned with our drinks, I reached for the jug of water in front of me and poured myself a glass. Only Alaric slapped my hand away, causing me to spill the liquid all over my dress.
“Why did you do that?” I glared at him, conscious that my dress was now nearly translucent. And I wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” He scrubbed his hand across his jaw while doing his best not to stare at my breasts. “The water is enchanted with siren magic. Drink one glass and you’ll be a horny mess.”
I nearly choked. Thank the goddess he wasn’t a shifter, or he’d know it was too late for my underwear—enchanted water wasn’t the only reason for my fidgeting.
There had to be something in the air here. Perhaps the air-conditioning system was enchanted too? I looked up and squinted at the wall vents.
“The air is safe.” He rolled his eyes, correctly reading my mind.
“I should get back to the others.” My patience had already worn thin. Despite claiming he wanted to talk, he’d said nothing of note so far.
I shuffled toward the edge of my seat, intending to go, but he grabbed my wrist.
“I’m sorry. My head feels fucked up this evening, and I’m not sure why.” He shook his head and focused on my face, being careful not to ogle my see-through dress, which I appreciated.
“What Montgomery did was wrong, but more than that, he could have discovered the secrets you’ve been hiding.”
My heart thundered in my chest as his words sank in. Goddess. If Montgomery had read my mind and figured out Rasmus was on campus, we were all fucked.
Then anger shot through me. It had been days since Montgomery had used his foul magic on me. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?!”
He sighed.
“I’m sorry, I meant to come and find you the next day, but I got a message from my father and he called me home. Then…” He blinked in confusion for a moment. “Then…I’m not sure. I guess I forgot.”
“You forgot?” How could he forget to tell me such an important thing when Rasmus’s life was literally at risk? We could end up locked up in the penitentiary with the baddest and most dangerous criminals in the realm!
The thought of my mates being taken from me caused my magic to flare. Oh my stars, Kenji too! My poor kitsune wouldn’t survive incarceration.
Oh wait…he’d probably escape.
My merman would suffer the most. I highly doubted the magical penitentiary had a swimming pool. He’d wither away, just like my bear would without access to his animal.
Alaric shook me hard enough to make my teeth rattle.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over, like he didn’t understand what had happened either. “I have no clue why it slipped my mind.”
I focused on his aura—something I rarely bothered to do these days. Being surrounded by magical beings had numbed me to their auras, and unless I met someone who seemed off, their aura tended not to jump out at me.
Alaric’s aura was usually silver threaded with violet, but tonight it had turned a murky gray color, almost as if he’d become infected with…
I sat back against the padded backrest, my heart pounding uncomfortably fast. I’d seen this effect once before when I dream-walked to Kai. His aura back then had been dark and smoky. Malignant.
Oh my goddess, had Alaric’s father hexed him with dark magic?
The longer I stared at Alaric’s gray aura, the hotter my amulet burned against my skin. It was as if my magic sensed something wrong with Alaric. Something dangerous.
I needed to get away from him; call Adam for help. I didn’t have the skills to break a dark magic enchantment. Stars, it had taken a tremendous amount of power to break the one cast on me via Kai.
Maybe Farris could help us? For a price, naturally, but Alaric was my mate. Even though he’d failed to warn me about the spell Montgomery used, I couldn’t let him suffer.
“Whatever your father’s done, we can fix this.” Alaric stared at me in confusion.
“What are you talking about? I’m worried about you, not me! I can handle my father.”
“Really? I’m not so sure,” I muttered under my breath. For all Alaric’s arrogant self-belief that he was the most powerful mage in the realm, his father was no fool. And if he’d cast a dark magic enchantment on his own son, he must suspect him of something.
“We have to get out of here right now,” I said, channeling all the badass witchfluencers I admired while hoping he didn’t catch the wobble in my voice.
“No, we need to—” Before Alaric could finish his sentence, he froze. For a few seconds, his face turned into a blank mask, and then he fixed me with a crocodile smile full of dark malice.
The Alaric I cared about had vanished.
Emerald-green eyes turned cold gray, like a frosted leaf in the frigid dawn. He shifted at speed to block my exit. A large hand collared my throat, pinning me to the seat.
“Little witch, it’s time to meet my father.”
To be continued…