Chapter 24
“I’m going to see Rafael alone,” Logan said, pushing to his feet. “I’m going to figure out what’s happening to Paisley if
I have to string that fucker up by his intestines to do it.”
“No!” I shot to stand. “If he’s kept you in the dark, he doesn’t trust you. You can’t just go in there demanding answers.
Bring me . . . I’m sure he’ll be dying to brag about how I’m cursed and it’s going to take down my entire family.”
Logan smirked, his answer already clear across his rigid features. “Cute that you think I’d take you anywhere near that asshole.
Noah will be with me. Rafael might be blinded by hate, but I’m his only son. He won’t kill me. And,” he added when I opened
my mouth to protest again, “even if he was ready to ditch the Kingston line, I’m strong enough to fight back.”
Every part of me rebelled against what he wanted to do, but there was no real argument I could think of for me to be there.
It was dangerous to deliver me directly to Rafael, but the thought of Logan going without me . . .
“For once, I agree with a Kingston,” Dad said, using the tone that meant he would not be dissuaded.
“You’re not leaving this country to visit the psycho who wants to destroy our family.
You’ve just told us that you’re weak. Your magic is suppressed.
There are a dozen reasons why this is a terrible idea. ”
“Logan going is a terrible idea,” I bit out. “Angry and half-cocked. He’s going to get himself killed.” I faced him fully.
“You’re going to get yourself freaking killed.”
As he shook his head, I squeezed my eyes closed, fighting to find a reason to stop him from leaving. I didn’t trust Rafael
not to hurt his son, or at minimum keep us apart until the curse ran its course and it was too late to halt anything.
“It’s the only way,” Logan said, his scent wrapping around me as he moved closer.
“I’m scared of what he will do to you,” I whispered. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
Logan didn’t look concerned, but as he was a powerful, arrogant spellcaster, I wasn’t particularly surprised. He’d always
been the strongest in the room, the predator that others feared, but his father was older and evil.
“How will we know you’re okay?” Mom asked, and my magic hummed at the concern in her tone. “Paisley is your mate, and if this
magical bond is as strong as it appears, she will break if anything happens to you. You have to think of her now when you
make decisions.”
Logan showed a level of calm in his response that was unexpected. “I think of her with every decision I make. My bond with
your daughter is not a responsibility I take lightly. More than that, I love Paisley and would kill my father before I caused
her an iota of pain.”
No one could miss the truth in his words. “What if Logan wears a wire?” Dad said suddenly.
Everyone stared at him, including my siblings, who’d remained quiet during our discussion.
“A wire?” Trevor finally said with a shake of his head. “Like a human?”
Jenna sat straighter. “It makes sense. Rafael would never expect his son to use human technology. He’s too strong to hide magic from, which makes a wire the perfect solution.”
Logan looked between them, and through our connected magic I sensed his confusion. One day he wouldn’t be surprised to be
surrounded in support and comfort. “He could just call me and leave the phone in his pocket,” I suggested with a smile. “No
need to resort to anything too drastic.” After all, phones were human technology that we all used in lieu of magic to easily
communicate.
“That would work too,” Dad said, his cheeks pinkening slightly. “When will you leave?”
Logan checked his watch. “It’s the middle of the night there, so I’ll leave early tomorrow.”
The room grew silent as we considered what the next day could bring our way. For me, I hoped it was the truth, and a chance
to move forward without the constant worry of my energy fading into nothing.
“Well, if this is our last day of normal,” Trevor said, yawning and lifting his arms, shirt riding up on his tanned skin,
“I vote for a movie afternoon.”
“I’m in,” Jenna said, sounding more like her old self.
“Me too.” Alice popped to her feet and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll grab snacks.”
“Wait,” I called, before everyone dispersed. “We never really discussed my affinity and what happened last year. Do any of
you want to ask me anything, or maybe yell at me for keeping it a secret? Do you—” my voice broke, but I got it together fast
“—hate me because I unintentionally got a student killed?”
I’d personally never forgive myself for what happened, but I had to move on with the knowledge that I’d never purposely hurt anyone. I wasn’t a bad witch. I just lost control of magic that should have been explained to me upon my bloom.
“Paisley Jane Hallistar!” Jenna growled, pointing a finger at me. “You have to be kidding us. We would love you even if you
turned out to be a serial killer. I mean, I wouldn’t help you move dead bodies, because ew, but I’d never think less of you. I know you’d only murder evil assholes, and I’d trust you had a very good reason for it.
You’re the best of all of us, and that’s saying something, because I’m an angel.”
Trevor snorted and covered it with a cough when she glared at him. “Jenna is right,” he said quickly. “There’s nothing you
could do that would make us turn against you. Hallistars stick together. And just as information to consider, I would personally
help you hide the bodies, because I’m the better sibling.”
Jenna flipped him off, and my heart flipped with it as a lightness infused my energy.
“Just never keep secrets from us again, sis,” Jensen said, hopping up to wrap me in his strong arms. “Or I’ll have to beat
your ass.”
Logan gently extracted me from Jensen’s hold. “Threaten Paisley again, and the only ass getting beat around here will be yours.”
He shot my brother a feral smile that had Jensen backing up, hands in front of him.
My laughter was cathartic, especially when Logan’s energy eased up and everyone clued in on the fact that he was teasing.
Mostly. Having him here just felt right, and for the briefest of seconds I forgot the shit we were dealing with—that in a few short
hours he’d be stepping into his father’s evil lair to figure out what was happening to my energy.
After that, we threw ourselves into our favorite afternoon activity: family movie day.
I sat on one of the softer couches with Logan, sinking against him.
My energy wasn’t as low as it had been—the support of my family was intrinsic to our familiar magical connection, and it was as important as my bond to my mate.
I’d been neglecting that part of my energy, which hadn’t helped the whole situation.
Logan held me close through the afternoon, both of us snacking on the popcorn and pizza Mom brought as no one wanted to leave
the cozy room to cook. It was one of the best afternoons I’d had in a long time.
I fell asleep against Logan’s chest halfway through our fifth movie, and when I woke very early the next morning, we were
in my bedroom, my spellcaster wrapped around me. He was asleep, and I took a second to study his face in the low light from
the rising sun outside my window. It was rare I had a chance to truly look at him like this, his dark hair a mess above a
face completely unguarded, his all-seeing green gaze hidden behind closed lids and sooty lashes.
“Who’s the stalker now, best friend?” he mumbled, sending goose bumps across my skin. “Watching me sleep like a creep.”
“Like a real creep,” I confirmed.
His smile was soft as he opened his eyes for me to sink into that endless green. “You slept well last night,” he said in an
attractive rasp, his hold across my back firming as he pulled me closer. “Your weakness has eased a little.”
Letting my head rest against his chest, I listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “I’m surprised my dad and brothers
didn’t try to drag you out of here.”
His hand slid across my throat and tilted my chin up so he could kiss me. “They strongly encouraged me to leave,” he said
coolly. “But they conceded that it’s my job to protect you, and for me to do that effectively, I need to be close at all times.”
I shifted against him, desire rising like a tide inside me, until I was in danger of being washed away. Logan had been withholding sex due to my exhaustion, and it was the worst case of edging I’d ever experienced. I’d combust soon.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered against my skin, tasting my desire. “If you can stay quiet.”
Goddess, there was no fucking way.
Logan slid down my stomach. “Use the pillow,” he ordered, and before I could clarify what he meant, he buried his face in
my pussy. As a groan was torn from me, I managed to yank the pillow over my face to muffle the sound. He devoured me until
I was crying into the soft material, and when his mouth closed over my clit, I jerked. Logan slid one finger along my lower
lips, through my arousal, before he pushed that thick digit inside me. I gasped as a second finger joined, the pair scissoring
and pumping in and out. I was so slick that he moved with ease through my heat as he flattened his tongue against my clit
once more.
At this point I was breathlessly crying into the pillow, hoping that no one was right outside my door. “Come for me, Precious,”
Logan growled, the speed of his tongue increasing as his fingers slammed inside me. “Now, baby.”
Every muscle in my body tightened as I did exactly what he commanded, the walls of my pussy clenching around his fingers as
he dragged out the pleasure until I was panting.
His hands traced down to wrap around my thighs. “You completely undo me, Paisley Hallistar. You’re so fucking beautiful. Perfect.”
His voice lowered menacingly. “Whatever my father’s plan is, I will make sure it ends today.”
Drawing on my pathetic upper body strength, I lifted myself up toward him.
The hard length of his cock was visible in his tight boxers, but when I reached for him, he moved away.
“This morning was about your pleasure. You still need to rest until we know the exact reason for your magical malady.” On occasion, Logan forgot he wasn’t a warlock from the nineteenth century.
When I reached up to touch his face, he moved closer once more. “I love you and I trust you,” I said, determined that when
he left here today, he’d know exactly how much he meant to me. “Promise that no matter what you learn today, even if it’s
going to change my life, you tell me the truth. I don’t ever want to go back to last year when you were a beautiful and scary
stranger, keeping all your dark secrets.”
Logan shook his head. “We’re partners, Precious. I won’t keep the truth from you, even if it’s hard. You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine.”
Logan leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. “Always. I’ve been yours for most of my life. You know that.”
I did know it.
Now we just had to hope that it wasn’t too late to reverse whatever Rafael had done to me and my magic.