Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
S oft melon-color light eked through the closed slits of the blinds as my eyes fluttered open. Acutely aware that the sheets weren’t as soft and luxurious as the ones I’d slept on over the past few days, I stretched out on the bed, which wasn’t the soft sturdiness of Dominic’s bed.
I was home. In my bed.
It worked.
Bolting upright, I scanned the room and landed on Dominic’s imposing frame standing in the corner. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his dark gray slacks. The crisp, slim-fitted shirt bound to the contours of his body. The Prince of the Underworld’s lips were stretched into a severe line as his clinically assessing eyes took me in.
“You’re finally awake,” he noted in a whisper.
Running my fingers through the tangles of my hair, I made an unsuccessful attempt to smooth out the strands. “Yeah. How long have I been…asleep?”
Was I asleep? Unconscious? In a state of comatose shock from unbearable pain?
“Almost two days.”
“It worked!” I preened, ignoring the part about losing nearly forty-eight hours of my life. We were out of the underworld, and if the cost was lost hours and pain, it was worth it.
He nodded, although the blank canvas of his expression was worrying.
“What’s wrong?”
My eyes followed his to my dresser where the orb was placed. The luminous lively green colors that filled it as it pulled the magic from me were gone. Reading Dominic’s etched frown, the magic had returned from where it came.
In me.
His hands rubbed over the rough shadow of hair on his face and he blew out a breath. My heart pounded in anticipation of the bad news he was about to deliver. His face may not have betrayed him, but his tense posturing did.
“You’re the vessel,” he said, strained. “Taking the magic from you broke the spell, but it returned to you. You can’t be without the magic.”
One of the many questions had been answered. Removing the magic did nothing. I was still bound to the supernatural world—to Peter. I existed as a tool of malice for him.
“I need a shower,” I blurted abruptly, scuttling out of bed and stumbling when I put weight on my legs. They felt like rubber. My initial steps were as awkward as a fawn learning to walk. My body felt off and unusually weak. A moment of reprieve and time to gather my thoughts was what I needed.
Steam from the shower filled the room, I supported myself on the vanity, looking at my steam-clouded expression, expecting to see something other than the woman who had stared back at me hundreds of times before. I was the same Luna and I desperately wanted the same life. But it wasn’t the same and the sooner I accepted it, the more time I could dedicate to doing what was necessary to obtain a new version of Luna’s normal. Taking the magic from me wasn’t an option, so the next best step would be to make it unusable. If I couldn’t get rid of the machine, I’d break it. I was going to take my life back.
The hard water battering against my skin brought a smile to my face. How quickly I’d gotten used to the comforts of the underworld’s estate. This was my home. I lathered my body with fruity-scented shower gel, rinsing away the suds and any lingering defeatist thoughts. After washing my hair, blow-drying it, and securing it in a loose ponytail, I emerged from the bathroom to find Dominic gone and Emoni’s strained voice making a poor attempt at hiding her frustration and concern as she asked for me. Rushing to dress, I threw on an oversized button-down shirt and leggings, and opened the door to find Dominic and Anand standing in front of her, preventing her from moving any farther.
The way Emoni clutched the oversized beige slouch purse she was carrying, it was likely she was moments from using it to whack her way through. The potency of her glare lost some heat with her more youthful appearance created by her thick coils of hair being gathered into a puffy bun, leaving the back loose. Frustration had placed a glow along the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Where her features had softened to the point she seemed innocuous, she placed a blade edge in her voice at the sight of me.
“Out of my way,” she demanded, tacking on a disingenuous “please” as she shoved past them. Tossing her bag aside, she gathered me into a hug so tight it pushed the breath out of me.
She whispered, “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop for four days.”
Once she released me, I saw the entirety of her concern. It looked as if she hadn’t slept in those four days. There were bags under her eyes and her emotive, lively eyes were dull. She retrieved the slouch purse and pulled it to her like a security blanket.
“Cameron is…” She searched for the words, but they didn’t come immediately. “Disappointed,” she finally provided. That hurt more than if she’d told me that she was angry. Our relationship with the owner of Books and Brew had been an odd tacit agreement different from the typical employer-employee arrangement. Having been with the company since the beginning, our roles weren’t typical. Cameron took our ideas into consideration, allowing us to take an influential part in the bookstore and café’s business. She gave us impressive holiday bonuses and a livable wage. The small, committed staff allowed us to become a work family and one of the reasons the business thrived. It was difficult hearing that Cameron was disappointed and believed I’d taken advantage of her kindness. We helped each other out and last-minute callouts were often filled by employees without a problem. But I hadn’t shown up for several days. No-call, no-show. What could she think? And Emoni didn’t have an explanation to give her. Cameron had to run her business and I was a no-show for work. I needed to make things right.
“I’ll go in tomorrow and talk to her,” I assured Emoni. Hopefully, I could convince Cameron to allow me to keep my job. But with my life the way it was, could I give her the consistency she needed? I had to. I wouldn’t let Peter take that from me. He’d already messed up so many things in my life.
“Luna.” Emoni’s low, tentative plea pulled me out of my reverie and snatched me from spiraling into desolation. She nudged her chin in the direction of my bedroom for some privacy.
The desperation and confusion in her face made the decision I’d been grappling with since I’d seen her, much easier. I wouldn’t leave her in the dark, nor would she be subjected to their magic to keep their secrets. Emoni could be trusted. She would be trusted.
“No, I think we should stay here. I have a lot to tell you and they should be here as well. They can fill in whatever information I may not have a complete grasp of.”
Dominic’s lips pinched into a line of apprehension. Shaking my head, I gave him a look that I hoped relayed how I felt. She has to know.
“Okay,” she said slowly, easing to my small living room. “Coffee first, okay?”
It was close to noon. I had slept or been in a state of unaware for nearly forty-eight hours. Coffee was definitely what I needed. Or maybe something stronger. But I needed food, too.
I nodded and followed her to my kitchen, taking out the supplies to make pour-over coffee. Cameron had gifted us each with a Chemex and gooseneck kettle, and filters in celebration of the store’s anniversary. Mine was only used when Emoni visited. I was content with the coffee from a drip coffeemaker. Emoni pulled a metal container of ground coffee from her bag.
“It was just ground today,” she supplied, but the only person who cared about beans being ground within hours of use was her. I didn’t know if Dominic and Anand were as finicky about coffee as she was. While she prepared the coffee, I went to the fridge to scavenge for food. At the sight of the stocked fridge, I shot Dominic an appreciative smile. At least he was optimistic that I’d wake up. I made a sandwich and ate it quickly while standing, scanning the room for something else to eat when I was finished. It wasn’t until I’d consumed the food that I realized how hungry I was. Anand and Dominic declined my offer of food and looked amused as I finished off a bag of chips, an apple, a croissant, and the premade salad I found. Emoni halted preparing the coffee and watched with concern as I ate as if I feared the food would disappear.
Feeling full and fueled helped, though my body still felt odd. The rubbery feeling had gone but I ached and felt an uneasiness, as if I hadn’t completely settled into this world, a disconnect I couldn’t quite describe. Grabbing a handful of chocolates that reminded me of the rich and decadent ones I had in the underworld, I handed Emoni a few. Her expression mirrored the way I felt, nibbling on one. Taking another bite, she savored it the way she did dark roast coffee.
I nodded and took a seat. Emoni finished the chocolate, which I quickly realized she’d been using as a temporary distraction. There had to be some part of her that knew things were about to get strange. Dominic and Anand took the coffee she offered, and once she’d gotten a cup for herself, she stood against the kitchen nook with it in hand.
“What’s been going on, Luna?” she breathed out. The touch of desperation in her words made my heart ache for the betrayal she had to feel. She was my best friend, and despite my desire to protect her, I didn’t think I’d done the right thing by keeping this from her.
Taking a deep breath, I looked to Dominic who had taken a seat next to me on the sofa, and to Anand who was seated in the kitchen a few feet from where Emoni stood, a small smile of appreciation for the coffee on his face. Emoni grinned in his direction, the interest piqued when she’d met him in the café now renewed. Being coffee snobs seemed like a poor foundation for any attraction, but I’d seen weirder.
I started by telling her about Peter. She didn’t seem the least bit surprised that he turned out to be a horrific magic wielder. Peculiarly, she was taking the influx of information well.
“He has very strong magic and he used me to release prisoners from the underworld,” I repeated with emphasis, expecting more emotion than her slowly nodding her head and sipping from her cup. The only departure from her head nodding was her shifting to change position against the nook. She clutched the counter for support when I told her about a vampire compelling her to deliver me to Peter. She paled when she learned of Peter doing the illegal necri spell that essentially sentenced her to death. I told her that Dominic had saved her life, although I left out the bit about him being reluctant to do so because it prevented him going after Peter. She faltered when I explained that her memories had been altered to forget the entire incident.
Anand’s cup was on the counter and he was next to her in a matter of seconds, giving her a firsthand example of his preternatural speed. Grimacing at the display and his presence next, she closed her eyes and took in several long, measured breaths. The silence extended from beats to minutes as she struggled with that information.
I gravitated to her side and placed a hand over hers. She felt cool and her stance became stiff. She was going to pass out.
“Emoni,” I whispered.
“I’m fine,” she assured me. She wasn’t fine. There were noticeable cracks in the brave face she was putting forward. It was only a matter of time before it shattered.
“I’m sorry I brought you into this,” I said.
She shook her head before her gaze drifted to Anand, who was still standing close to her as if he was waiting for her to lose it. Despite the heaviness of the situation and her clearly being affected by it, she seemed to determine to not give Mr. Supernatural a reason to rescue her. A small snort of laughter burst from me before I could control it. Her pettiness was endearing and reminded me of her getting Jackson’s order wrong every time he came into the café after our breakup, or writing ‘cheating asshole’ on his cups. It was Emoni in protective mode, and now she was showing that we had this, that we could deal with whatever was thrown our way. Her resolute personality always emboldened me.
She turned, addressing Anand. “What type of magical creature are you? Vampire?”
He sneered.
“I don’t think he likes vampires,” I whispered.
She looked confused, understandably so. I’m sure she’d done what I had and formed a division between human and not human. It was easy to do when you didn’t understand the nuances, history, politics, and motives. A lot of it was still confusing to me.
“I’m a shifter. Wolf shifter.”
Her disconcert became intrigue. “Can I see it?”
“I can’t change.”
Confusion swept over her face again and she looked to me for answers.
“It’s a long story,” I said. “Let me finish telling you everything.”
Whatever resolve remained in her, she shored up to get through the rest. Her gaze continued to drift to Anand with a fierce curiosity. A seraphic-looking shifter who couldn’t change, lived in the underworld, and refused to offer her any more information than that. I debated whether she needed to know the entirety of his history. Her interest would lead to more questions once we were alone, that much I knew, but his story wasn’t mine to tell. I hoped she could respect that. Knowing her as I did, she’d respect my boundaries but wouldn’t be afraid to ask the source. There was going to be an interview.
Her acceptance of this strange new world wavered at Dominic’s role as Prince of the Underworld and dissolved when I told her about me being a vessel and being used to imprison us in the underworld, and what was done to escape. Dominic took over the retelling of breaking the spell that had imprisoned us, filling in the blanks in the story that I was missing.
The new information lingered in the silence as she rummaged through my cabinets and pulled out a nearly full bottle of peach-flavored vodka we’d opened a few weeks ago during our movie night: an excuse to drink, chat, eat snacks and food with zero nutritional value, under the guise of binge-watching TV. She poured out her coffee, rinsed the cup, filled it with vodka, and then took a long drink.
“You’re the underworld’s prince? What’s your designation? Vampire, witch, a nonchanging shifter?” She flashed a playful grin in Anand’s direction.
“None of the above,” he said. His ethereal movement had him inches from her, claws exposed with the ease of showing her his nails. She took it in with a shuddering breath.
“That’s the only thing that changes?” she asked, then took another long drink.
He nodded. “I can perform magic and spells, but it has its limitations, as with anyone. Whereas vampires can compel, I can manipulate memories. But I don’t survive on blood. I’m immortal and very difficult to kill.”
“So, if I staked you?” she challenged.
“It would anger and hurt me.” After another long drink, her gaze dropped to his chest. A stake through the heart would just hurt.
“And you?” She directed her question to Anand.
“Shifters are harder to kill because we heal extremely fast,” Anand offered.
I suspected he was even more difficult to kill because of the magic he possessed along with his shifter abilities.
Emoni’s lips formed a tremulous line as she attempted to make sense of this new information and world that coexisted along with hers.
“Are you immortal?” she asked me tentatively, again displaying cracks in the courageous mask she presented.
“I don’t think so.”
“How do you know? You’re a magical source. Are you considered”—she frowned, took in a deep breath, and held it before releasing it—“human? How are you different than a vampire, witch, or shifter?”
Dominic answered her. “No one is definitely immortal. We all can succumb to death. Witches and shifters live longer than average humans, but they will die from old age. Vampires can be killed, but their appearance stays as it was when they were changed. The same for me. I can be killed. It is quite difficult, but it can be done.”
Dominic’s clarification on immortality didn’t clear up things much. Vampires didn’t age and were hard to kill. That says immortal to me. Shifters and witches weren’t immortal.
“What is longer than human?”
Emoni got to the question before I could.
“Witches can live to around two hundred years, shifters three,” Dominic said. It may not be immortality, but they outlived the humans they would encounter in life. The risk of magical dilution kept them from mating with humans, but I suspected having to watch them die was another reason.
“I don’t know if Luna is immortal,” Dominic admitted.
My mouth opened but the questions didn’t come out. Nothing. A flood of questions came to mind but I was speechless.
“She exists to hold Tenebras Obducit magic. Dark and powerful magic. Take it from her and she dies. I haven’t been able to establish whether Peter drawing magic from the well takes away from her life.” He held my gaze and with a great deal of effort my mouth closed and I desperately attempted to appear stoic, a task I failed on a massive scale.
As he moved closer to me, all emotion fell from his face, perhaps to offer me comfort. It served as a distraction as I focused on him—him alone.
“I attempted to bring you back but I couldn’t until the spell was reversed.” Pulling his eyes from me, he looked at Emoni then back to me. “You can die. You did. Briefly.”
The cost of me leaving the underworld was more severe than I initially thought. Whether brief or not, that was the result. Death.
There wasn’t any coffee in my cup and I didn’t bother rinsing it out before dumping vodka in mine and taking a long drink.
“I was going to tell you earlier but you fled to the bathroom before I could.”
Because I had to deal with not being able to remove the magic, not that I only existed to serve as some source of it.
“How did Peter find out what she was?” Emoni asked, giving me a small smile. “I can’t imagine he did it himself.”
“No, he’s quite powerful. It had to be done by another Caster and Peter learned of it. We’ve made it our mission over the years to rid the world of them. She”—Dominic shifted to peek in my direction—“was a contingency plan. Their main goal was always to cause havoc and unchecked destruction. I’m one of the few whose magic and abilities rival theirs.”
“Rival? He imprisoned you.” Emoni was in protective mode and she was struggling to temper her words and frustrations.
“Yes, with the use of magic he pulled from her. He wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise. Which is why everything needs to be done to keep him from accessing the magic she holds.” Dominic’s tight-lipped smile mirrored Emoni’s. A slight narrowing of his eyes showed his dilemma: admiration for her fierce loyalty and protective mode and annoyance that her enmity was directed toward him.
“What does this mean for Luna?” Emoni asked. “You’re free. You have your weird job of supernatural enforcer back and, well, you need to do something about Peter, but that doesn’t have anything to do with Luna. Lock him up, do a better job than you did the first time, and let her have her life back.” She clearly meant a life without Dominic having any part in it. “You two”—she jabbed her finger at each of them—“are the only ones who know about her. Forget that information and move on.”
“Peter will be handled. I have every intention of finding him and making sure he never has access to Luna. As far as I know, he’s the only one, besides us, who is aware that she’s a vessel of dark magic. That should keep her safe.”
The ominous promise left nothing to the imagination. The room became quiet. I continued to sip my drink, watching Emoni deal fairly well with the overt admission that Peter would be killed.
“Forest,” Emoni sighed, breaking the silence with my brother’s name. She put the cup on the counter, eyes widened on me. “Is he like you? Maybe he’s always known, which is why he’s had problems finding his footing in this world.”
Dominic shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”
I wasn’t convinced. His ‘explorer of the world’ may have been a reaction to finding out that he was just housing for magic. He could know more. Could have known all along that his existence was to be a magical source. The realization of that being what I was became acid burning in my chest.
I wanted to be brave. Display bravado that I didn’t possess. It was too difficult. My head pounded and I couldn’t get my mental bearings. It was all too much. I needed a moment to process it. Figure out a plan. With two reminders of the crapshow my life had become, I needed a few moments of reprieve. I excused myself to my bedroom.