Chapter 9
9
“ Y ou have to what?” my mom asks, her blonde curls frizzing around her face as if she just touched an electrical outlet.
To be fair, I have just dropped a bombshell on her.
“Well, um…” Suddenly twisting my fingers into the skirt of my dress seems like the most intriguing thing ever! “Well, something strange happened with my powers, and they got switched with Devlin Ross’s.”
My father drags a tired hand down his face. “And I suppose that means something bad?”
Mama shoots him a look. “Phillip, we’re trying to be supportive here.”
My father shrugs. He’s sitting in his favorite recliner in the living room with his feet up. I’d tracked both of them to this room after the whole Freaky Friday thing happened with Devlin. I think they were looking for a break from the ball. Surprise! Things got bad.
Mom’s sitting on the love seat, her deep burgundy gown looking like a wave made of wine that surrounds her.
Dad stretches his arms behind his head. “I have the feeling you’re about to pull an Addison.”
“Of course she’s not going to pull an Addison.” Mama scoffs. “Boy, we don’t need that happening again. Remember last time? We thought Feylin was going to throw her in a dungeon and never let her out.”
Dad thinks about it. “That was on the worst side of what could happen. We knew he was smitten with her.”
“Yes, and see how that unfolded.” Mama smiles. “It worked out great. Now they’re married.”
My dad takes this as his cue to shoot me a funny look. “Are you and Devlin about to elope?”
I roll my eyes. “No, Dad. We’re not eloping. Will you just let me explain?”
“We’ve been sitting here,” he says.
I stop myself from reminding him about how they were both just waxing poetic about them good old days of Addison and Feylin’s relationship. “Devlin and I have switched powers, and he needs me to be near him so that he can?—”
Oh crap, I’m not supposed to tell anyone about his CIA clearance level of wizardry. Time to make something up, or at least hug the truth closely enough that no one notices that I’m not actually explaining the situation.
“I need her for a project that I’m working on.”
Devlin’s voice takes me by surprise. He stands in the doorway, looking all rumpled and gorgeous. He’s plowed his fingers through his hair, and he’s tugged down his tie a bit. He kind of looks like he just climbed out of bed and threw on a tux like he couldn’t be bothered.
Well, he can bother me anytime.
Wait. Where did that come from?
Wherever that voice came from, it can retreat back down to the pits of hell where it belongs.
That’s a big fat no to me and Devlin. No no no. I don’t want love. I don’t need love. All I need is to get married, and my perfect match is not Devlin Ross.
I will repeat—it is not Devlin Ross.
Dad perks up. “Devlin, good to see you; why don’t you sit down? Cigar?” he says, pulling a box from his pocket like cigars are Tic Tacs that he carries around to keep his breath fresh.
Before I can explain that no, Devlin does not need a cigar, and no, we don’t need to treat Devlin like royalty, he lifts a hand and shakes his head. “That’s very kind of you, Phillip, but it’s getting rather late.”
Dad is crestfallen. He lives with a bunch of women, and he probably feels like his testosterone is swept up into a dustpan and thrown out the back door just about every day. So whenever there are men around, he makes it a big point to bond with them.
I really need this thing with Storm to work out so that my dad doesn’t imprint on Devlin Ross. He can imprint his devotion onto Storm instead.
“But yes, I need Blair,” he says, sidling up to me.
I instantly stiffen at his proximity. Did I approve this closeness? Not technically, no, but as long as he doesn’t put his arm around me, we’ll be fine.
He drapes his arm around my shoulders. The move is so sudden that I jolt. Devlin flinches, too. For me it feels like a thousand fire ants are biting my flesh. He must be experiencing the same thing. See? Not meant to touch. Fire ants are proof.
“As I was saying, I need Blair’s help with a project. Her expertise with potions is going to come in handy.”
“But can’t you just hire someone?” Dad asks.
He’s trying to help, I know he is, but for once can’t my father just sit back, nod and say, Okay, kids, go have fun. Don’t burn down the house while you play chemist.
“I wish that I could,” Devlin explains. “But Blair has the sort of talent that you really can’t buy.”
I frown. “I do?”
“She does?” Dad asks. Way to have faith in me, Dad!
“Of course she does, Phillip,” Mama says in my defense. Go, Mom! “Remember how she was top of her class in potions?”
“Oh, that’s right. I was doing a lot of dragon chasing in those days. It’s hard to remember.”
Devlin’s hand has found its way onto my shoulder like a tarantula trying to stow away into my luggage. I shrug it off as he says to my father, “I’d love to talk to you about those dragons sometime.”
“Anytime,” Dad says with an easy smile. “Stop by whenever you’d like.”
Mama rolls her eyes. “But back to this whole thing with Blair.”
“Yes.” Devlin shifts on his hips. When he does, his body brushes against mine. And I take a small step away. “This particular project that I’m working on requires a full-time, twenty-four-seven helper. It’s just for a few days.”
Now Mama’s eyes are big as plates. They scour my face, then his, then back to mine. “But what about the courting season?”
This is a big deal because this is the first time that my family is pulling out all the stops. They’re not just hosting balls. There are also events . Old-fashioned events where the gents and ladies are chaperoned by the older witches, who all giggle, plot and bet on who’s going to end up with whom.
There’s even correct grammar like the word whom thrown around.
“She’ll be at every event,” he tells them.
“With you?” Mama asks.
“No,” I say loudly. Devlin stiffens. “We won’t be together. We’re not together. I’m only helping him on this thing.”
“But you’re spending the night there,” Mama says.
Oh, right. This looks bad, right? Like I’m shacking up with Devlin at night and then flirting with other men during the day.
“It’s the nature of the project,” Devlin insists. “I have no intention of defiling your daughter or laying any claim to her.”
“Thank goodness,” I murmur. Everyone looks at me. I shrug. “What? We’re not together. I’m only helping him. Storm Grayson is here. I’m not going to lose out on the chance to get to know him.”
Devlin nods. His body reminds me of a mountain—a hot, lava-created structure made of flaming coals. Heat wafts off his body and clouds around me like a fog. His presence can’t be ignored because he’s so big and…just…everything about him is too much.
In fact, it feels like the air is being sucked out of the room.
“Well, it’s at a strange time,” Mama murmurs.
“I know, but Devlin needs his own power for the experiment and I have it,” I explain.
“Plus she does have other potion-related talents that I require,” he adds, returning to his original point that I’m some sort of potion savant, which I am not.
I won’t lie. There is a special place in my heart for potion making. A big one. It’s been years since I was dumped in a lab with ingredients and given the chance to have at it. Even though Devlin’s lying so that my parents approve of this arrangement, the urge to start mixing ingredients and seeing what happens makes my fingers ache.
Mom looks at Dad and he nods. Then she glances back at me, and her gaze is searching my face like a spotlight. She’s trying to look into my soul to see if this is really what I want.
Of course it isn’t what I want! But for the sake of this family, I need Storm Grayson to love me. He has to fall for me, and if anyone can seduce a person, it’s Devlin.
So unfortunately, that means I need him, too.
Finally Mama exhales a big sigh. “Well, if this is the only way for you to get what you need, Devlin.”
“I wish it was any other way, Clara. I don’t want to use Blair like this, but she does have my power, and like I said, I can also use her expertise with potion creation. But don’t you fear—I’ll have her at every single event, and on time, too.”
“But you won’t make it look like we’re together,” I snap.
Devlin’s sharp gaze flicks toward me. He hesitates but says, “No, we’ll arrive separately so that no one will suspect. The last thing that we need is for anyone to think that we’re joined at the hip.”
“Amen.”
Devlin clears his throat and turns his attention back to my parents. “I promise that I won’t keep her for any longer than I have to, but right now I do need her near me.”
My dad shifts his attention to me. “And you’re okay with this?”
It feels like my rib cage is hugging my heart so hard that it’s about to be smothered. The world has literally been sucked away from me in the past few minutes. I’m going home with Devlin Ross. I have to help him see the future. I have to help him, period.
This isn’t something that I thought I’d be saying. But he’s going to help me, too. Devlin is going to ensure that I win Storm Grayson, the mysterious inventor. By the time this courting season is over, I will know everything about Storm Grayson, including what kind of supernatural he is.
All with Devlin Ross’s help.
I steel my heart, which is screaming and tugging me by the imaginary sleeves of my dress in the other direction. It wants us to run away, and I don’t blame it.
But I mentally lock it in a box. This is for the best. This is a business transaction. I help Devlin. He helps me.
End of story.
I smile widely at my mom and dad. “Am I okay with this?” I say, repeating my dad’s question. “Of course I’m okay with it. Devlin needs my help, and I’m the one person who can do that.”
Turns out, he’s the one person who can help me, too.
Fingers crossed this works.