Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
“Itrust Xavier,” I say, unable to help myself.
“I believe you do.”
“But you don’t think I should?”
Marie rests one of her hands on her lap, casually playing with a string of magic like it’s a fidget spinner. “I think vampires don’t like being reminded there is anything out there stronger than them.”
It’s strange, being on the other side of it. Because Marie doesn’t have to say it for me to know: witches think they are better than vampires. It’s not a one-way street of hate and wanting to out do one another.
Vampires excel at physical strength and speed, of course, but I suppose when it really comes down to it, they are no match for our spells and curses.
“He encourages me to use my powers and learn more about my family and past.”
“Then he will have no problem if you join us for a coven gathering in a few days. I’m setting something up. It’s been quite a while since Charlotte has hosted anything like this.” She looks around. “It’s a beautiful city. It’s my first time here.”
“Are there a lot of witches here?”
“No. Curious, isn’t it? A town run by vampires has no magical presence.”
“When and where are you meeting?” I ask, ignoring her little dig. I am desperate to find out more about my family and learn how to do more spells, but I cannot and will not let someone I just met drive a wedge between me and my husband…even though I think there is truth to what she just said.
I am a human and am beneath vampires because of that. My life can easily be taken…but I can wield power they will never be able to possess, power that can end them without me even breaking a sweat.
“I haven’t decided yet,” she tells me. “I’ll make sure you know.”
“Do you want my number?”x
Her lips turn up in a smirk. “I’m not an amateur.”
At first I assume she means she already has my number. It’s not hard to find someone’s personal info with the internet, though being a member of the Order has given me anonymity most people don’t get.
“You’ll receive my message.”
“Oh, uh, okay.”
“Be careful, Florence. I have a bad feeling that something dark has attached itself to you.”
Hah. It has. “Wait, before you go, you said something about the Blackwoods hunting.” I blink and get a vision of the dream I had before we killed the demon at Camp Dogwood. It was about my parents and they were talking about killing a demon.
“Ah, yes. You asked if witches are allowed to hunt. Yes, we can do what we want in that aspect.”
“If there are no rules against it, then why did you say it like it’s a bad thing?”
“Most witches do not hunt demons. It’s dangerous, both physically and, well, emotionally isn’t really the right word.
Demons can be tricksters. They go after the things that matter the most and as you know, it’s not a quick and painless death they offer.
Some families, like the Blackwoods, felt it was their duty to use their powers for good.
I am not that familiar with them, but I’ve heard stories that they’ve taken out and locked up some pretty powerful demons over the last few centuries.
” She gives me another sympathetic half-smile.
“There is a high priest in Ohio who I believe went to school with the Blackwoods.”
“School?”
Her eyes light up. “There is so much I don't know. There are several academies across the country. I, of course, will say the one in New Orleans is the best.”
“Academies for what?”
“Witchcraft.”
I walk into the house momentarily forgetting that my brothers are here.
Unable to stop thinking about Marie, I drove home in total silence.
I can’t decide what to think. Is she someone I can trust?
Do witches really look out for each other?
She went out of her way to find me and people aren’t that nice.
But sometimes they are.
Hell, we traveled all over the place hunting demons and it’s because we believe in the cause. Believed? No, I still believe. Just not in the order.
Kicking off my shoes, I find Leo and Antonio in the kitchen. If I had to take a wild guess, they are hanging out in here because it’s the room least likely to be used by a vampire.
“Hey,” I say, coming into the room and stopping short at the sight of books on the island counter. “What’s all this?”
Antonio looks up from an old leather journal. “Has it been that long you don’t recognize research when you see it?”
I blink once. Twice. Are those Order journals on the table? “H-how?” I stutter. I was only gone for like two and a half hours. Where the hell did these books come from?
Xavier comes into the kitchen carrying an impossibly heavy stack of books with one hand. “These aren’t in English, but they have symbols.”
“Perfect,” Leo says and grabs one as soon as Xavier puts them down.
“What is going on?” I ask, blinking again as Devon follows in, also carrying books.
Xavier speeds over to me, hands landing on my waist. “I asked your brothers how you go about hunting demons and they informed me it starts with research. So we’re researching.”
“But how?” I slide my foot forward, moving closer to Xavier. “The book. They weren’t here this morning.”
“No,” he replies. “It took longer than I would have liked for them to arrive.”
“Again, how?”
His lips turn into a smirk. “I know a guy.”
“Oh, do you now?” I can’t help but smile back at him.
“Yes, a professor at Davidson College in the history department who has an interest in mythology owed me a favor.”
Antonio looks up. “What kind of favor did you do for a history professor? Wait. I don’t want to know.”
“The journals,” I start. “They look like Order-issued journals.”
“That’s because they are,” Leo tells me. “None of them are in English.”
“That’s not a problem for us,” Devon tells us and then says something in German, I think.
“And you complained when I insisted you learn at least four languages,” Xavier replies and I can see the judgement on Antonio’s face.
Yeah, I agree; it’s weird thinking about Xavier being a father figure to Devon not all that long ago.
“And the books were acquired at an estate sale, sold under the pretense these are nothing more than the ramblings of a crazy man.”
“So you’re all working together?” I ask, though it’s clear that’s what everyone is doing.
“We all care about you, Wren,” Antonio says, looking up from a demonic encyclopedia.
“Thanks,” I reply, not really sure what else to say. I’ve gotten myself into some sticky situations before, but I always got myself out.
Alone.
This is so different.
Xavier’s hand lands on the small of my back and we go to the large island counter, sitting next to my brothers. I take the lid off the box of books, snickering when I see the name tag.
“Property of Beau Butts,” I laugh. “Beau Butts. That’s the professor’s name?”
“It is,” Xavier answers, not even looking up from the book he has in his hands. “I’ve known Professor Butts for a few decades now.”
My mouth opens as I silently laugh. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me I am the only one not mature enough to handle that name.”
“How do you think he handled it?” Devon snickers. “His parents must have hated him.”
“Seriously,” I say back and we both laugh. Shaking my head, I grab a book and then realize Devon is still looking at me. I catch his eye only to quickly look away. It’s not a look he should be giving me. I’m his sister-in-law. He knows I love Xavier.
Leo notices and shifts his eyes from Devon to me to Xavier before raising his eyebrows in silent judgement. If there was anyone I could tell the whole truth to, it’s Leo. Or at least I would have thought so. His weird behavior has me second guessing everything right now.
We get busy with research, searching for any mention of the demon. I know it’s powerful, and being trapped is a pretty good giveaway that killing it isn’t going to be easy at all. Even with the looming contract hanging over my head, my mind drifts back to Marie.
I decided on the way home that I won’t mention her to Xavier.
Not yet at least. And that’s pretty much the only thing about her I have decided, because I had no idea if she’s actually trustworthy or not, and I know the thought of having a coven, from learning from an actual witch can blind me. I need to be careful.
“It’s weird doing all that research again,” I tell Xavier maybe an hour later when we decided to take a break. We’re in his office and the metal blinds are drawn. The only source of light is coming from his open laptop. “It makes me miss the life I so desperately wanted to escape.”
“It was familiar. Even though it wasn’t ideal, you knew what to expect.”
“You’re right. I’m good at this. Hunting. Killing. The stakes weren’t this high before, but hey, I work great under pressure.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes,” he deadpans. “It’s alarming how serious you’re not taking this.”
“What, are you mad at me?”
“Yes!” he replies. “At least I want to be. You chose your brother over yourself and that was selfish.”
My brows go up. “I beg to differ. That’s the total fucking opposite of selfish.”
“You only thought about how you would feel,” he says and I watch the emotion cross his face.
His words carry weight. I did save Antonio because I didn’t want to have to face living in the world without him.
I didn’t want to have to deal with the heartache of grief.
But what I did also kept so many others from feeling it too.
And Antonio deserves to live.
“What about the rest of us?” Desperation slips through his carefully held composure. “Look at what we’re doing.”
“Then don’t help. I didn’t ask you to! I can figure it out on my own.”
Xavier turns, balling his fingers into fists.
“It’s not about helping, Wren. It’s about the danger of losing to this demon.
” He comes back to me, jaw tense as he fights back his emotions.
“Looking through books is a waste of time. Tell me where the Order keeps their relics and I will burn every fucking building to the ground.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asks seriously. “You said it before. Fire kills most demons. If there’s a chance it’ll destroy whatever sigil this demon is tethered to, I’ll take it.”
“And if not? We’ll have burned a bunch of buildings.”
He shrugs. “Those fuckers deserve to have their lives burn.”
“But human firefighters will respond. It’s dangerous.”
Xavier looks at me for a moment and I see in his eyes that he doesn’t care who he puts in danger if it means saving me.
“You can’t literally burn the world for me,” I say, voice tight as my heart swells in my chest.
“I can. And I will.”
“Xavier,” I breathe and reach up, putting my hand on his cheek.
“I am not losing you, Wren! I told you, I will do whatever it takes and I warned you that if you didn’t like it—”
“What?” I interrupt, throwing out my hands. “I could leave?”
“No,” he says, in a gentle tone. “You could turn a blind eye.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
“Nothing about this is okay,” he counters. “
“You can’t just beat a demon up.”
“I can try!”
“Xavier,” I say, breath hitching in my chest. “We barely made it out unscathed last time. That demon was nothing compared to this demon.”
“I know,” he snaps, but I can hear the desperation in his voice.
He steps in, closing the distance between us.
We stare into each other’s eyes for a fleeting moment before passion takes over.
Xavier’s hands clasp around my waist and he picks me up, setting me on the desk.
I widen my legs, welcoming him in between.
His lips touch mine and then the door behind us flies open, pushed so hard it slams into the wall.
“What have you done?” Theo demands, bursting into the room.
Light from the hallway illuminates his face, highlighting the rage—and the blood splattered across his face.
He slams something onto the desk and my eyes widen in terror.
Are those—no, no way. Those aren’t wolf fangs… because that could only mean one thing.