Enchantment (32 page)

Adrian stopped fighting the ropes and leaned
back languidly in the chair. He smirked. “Where’s the missus?
Didn’t want to partake in my castration? I’m surprised.”

Raj frowned. “She’s not fond of Paris, and
she’s not fond of you.”

Adrian showed all his teeth when he smiled
next. “Good thing she has a double then because her copy has a
great fondness for this city and as for me . . .” Adrian glanced
toward the bedroom. “Well, let’s just say that a woman left alone
in a foreign country sometimes succumbs to her deepest, darkest
desires.”

Sparks flashed across Raj’s pupils. His
fingers formed a tight fist around the needle.

Good, maybe he’d break it.

“You’re lying,” Raj said through clenched
teeth.

“Am I?” Adrian raised a brow. “Perhaps you
ought to do a truth spell . . . that is, if you can handle the
truth.”

“He’s trying to distract you,” Holloway said
impatiently.

Raj didn’t take his eyes off Adrian’s.

Adrian lowered his voice as though it were
just he and Raj facing off inside his apartment. “If I’m lying then
how come I know about the heart-shaped birthmark just beneath her
left cheek?” Adrian looked above Raj’s shoulder as though just
remembering something. “Oh, right, I forgot. You never did manage
to tap that ass. You were too busy chasing after the updated
model.”

Adrian laughed, even as Raj snatched him by
the collar. His minty breath rushed over Adrian’s face. Of course
Raj would take the time to floss and rinse before storming Adrian’s
apartment.

“If I find out you so much as touched Gray,
I’ll do more than take away your powers.”

Adrian chuckled. He could feel the cruel
gleam in his eyes when he leaned toward Raj. “Careful, the missus
might get jealous.”

“Enough of this!” Holloway bellowed. “I want
his blood.”

“I’ll get you his blood,” Raj said, releasing
Adrian’s collar. Without another word, he flicked the cap off the
needle and grabbed Adrian’s arm.

The boy could really use a lesson from Gray.
She at least knew to use a tourniquet before sticking the needle
into a vein. Raj had the bloody thing raised in his fist as though
his main objective was to stab him.

Adrian attempted to thrash his way out of the
chair, which distracted Raj only momentarily.

“You’re better off holding still,” Raj said.
“Unless you want to do things the hard way.”

Adrian sneered at him. “It’s the only way I
do things,
boy
.”

“Very well.” Raj grabbed Adrian’s arm roughly
and was about to jab the needle in when Gray’s voice stopped
him.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

No one had heard the door open.

She still had on the black dress and heels.
Not surprisingly, the necklace was gone.

Raj’s eyes widened. “Gray?”

To Adrian’s utter surprise her face showed no
trace of pleasure when she looked at Raj.

Raj seemed pretty surprised himself. “What
are you doing here?” he asked as she stepped toward them
slowly.

“You need to let Adrian go.”

Raj’s mouth hung open.

Holloway bumped Raj aside to take his place
between Adrian and Gray. Fuckwit. Now Adrian couldn’t see her, and
he wanted to look her in the face and see if he could figure out
what was going on.

“Not happening,” Holloway said. “Besides,
it’s four against one. Raj is on our side now.”

Raj finally found his tongue. “Now wait a
minute. I’m not on a side. I’m here to help Gray.”

Adrian saw Gray’s face again when she moved
toward him. Her expression softened when she said, “Then help me
get Adrian out of here.”

Raj looked at her in disbelief. “Why do you
want to help him?”

Adrian leaned forward, but before Gray could
respond little fuckwit junior snorted and said, “Because she loves
him.”

Raj wasn’t the only one to do a double take.
The moment Adrian recovered, his eyes flew to Gray, waiting with
bated breath for her to vehemently deny this accusation. But all
she said was, “Shut up, Ryan.”

“Gray, is this true?” Raj asked, studying
Gray’s face.

Answer the question
, Adrian thought.
Is it true? Could it possibly be true?

Gray shook her head slowly. Adrian felt his
heart plummet.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Either way, I
can’t let Holloway remove his powers. Not again.”

The longest pause followed and then Raj
nodded his head slowly. He turned to face Holloway, Marc, and Ryan,
a languid grin appearing over his lips. “I guess now we’re two
against three.”

Holloway looked down at Raj. “I am very
disappointed, McKenna, but I can’t say I’m surprised. The three of
you have been a thorn in my backside these past two years, and you
will all pay the price.”

Holloway’s arms rose at both sides and he
began to chant. A look of concern crossed over both Gray’s and
Raj’s faces. Just as Holloway’s arms and voice reached their peak,
a man burst into the room and hollered, “Three against three!” He
pushed his arms out as though shoving an incoming attack. Holloway
stumbled back.

“Charlene!” Ryan cried.

Gray watched in disbelief as Charlene stormed inside
the apartment. Gray hadn’t closed the door behind her. Her sister
must have felt free to let herself in. What the heck was she doing
there anyway? At least she claimed to be on her side.

Ryan must have missed that part.

“Now we can reverse the spell,” he said
gleefully, oblivious to the previous activity of extracting
Adrian’s blood.

“No,” Charlene said. “Now we can put a stop
to
you
.”

Ryan’s face fell. “Charlene, what are you
saying?”

Cruel laughter ripped through the room. Gray
turned slowly. She hadn’t looked at Adrian since storming in and
seeing Raj with a needle over his arm. The sound gave her the
chills. She looked at Adrian, grateful his eyes were fixed on
Ryan.

“What she’s saying is that she’d rather be
with other women than with you. Love’s a bitch, wouldn’t you
say?”

Gray winced inwardly. She supposed that last
part was for her benefit.

Fine, if love was such a bitch then she’d be
on her way . . . but first she had to save his stubborn ass.

Gray started for the chair then abruptly lost
her balance when the building began to shake.

“Both sisters have stolen bodies?!” Holloway
thundered.

Marc Phillips actually cowered. It might have
been comical if the room wasn’t rocking on its foundation.

Gray shared a look with Raj right before
sprinting the last few feet to Adrian. Raj, meanwhile, lifted his
hands to freeze Holloway.

Holloway’s bellow was followed by Marc’s
scream as Charlene knocked him unconscious with a barstool over the
head. Good to see Charley boy had jumped into the fray. It’s not as
though Charlene was above getting her hands dirty.

Gray started with the ropes around Adrian’s
ankles, pulling the knots out as quickly as she could. Rather than
express gratitude Adrian demanded, “Why are you helping me?” as
Gray worked the ropes free.

“We don’t have time for that,” Gray snapped,
avoiding eye contact.

She only hoped that the binding spell was on
the actual restraints and not Adrian himself. It didn’t take long
to find out. The moment she freed both his hands he stood and
grabbed her by the arm.

Gray supposed she ought to worry over the way
she felt more pleasure than pain in the way Adrian hauled her
against him.

“Why did you come back?” he hissed inside her
ear.

Shivers ran down her body. Adrian’s grip on
her tightened as though he’d mistaken it for fear.

“Why do you think, you fool?” Gray cried. “I
told you I care about you.”

Adrian’s grasp on her loosened slightly.
“While you were under a spell.”

Gray snorted. “I’m a powerful witch, Adrian.
Do you think I lost control of my mind completely? Do you think I
need a spell to enjoy your company? Your hands on me? Your lips on
mine?”

She relished the increase of his breath.
Served him right. Adrian wasn’t the only one capable of whispering
wicked words.

Gray’s fists ached. She didn’t remember being
the one to grasp Adrian suddenly. It had to be the adrenaline; the
fear when she’d seen him strapped to the chair surrounded by
Holloway, Marc, and Ryan and, worst of all, Raj gripping his arm
with the needle. If Gray hadn’t made it when she did it would have
been too late. Taking his powers from him would have been too
cruel. He’d already suffered enough loss. Magic was Adrian’s
greatest joy in a life that had robbed him of just that.

A vase shattered behind them, followed by
Ryan’s yelp. Gray didn’t so much as bat an eye. It was as though
she needed the chaos to admit how she felt.

“These past few days have been the best days
of my life.”

Adrian’s mouth dropped open. He took Gray
gently by the shoulders, searching her eyes.

Gray didn’t blink or look away.

“Do you really mean it?” he asked, barely
above a whisper.

Gray nodded.

Adrian studied her several seconds more then
leaned forward. Gray’s heart fluttered inside her chest. She’d
given her body to this man, but this moment, this embrace would be
their first real kiss. Gray lowered her lashes, but before their
lips touched Adrian was yanked away.

Holloway must have gotten loose while Raj was
helping Charlene restrain Ryan.

Gray cried out as Adrian was torn from
her.

Holloway’s expression had scared her the time
she and Raj broke into his house to steal his pendant, but that was
nothing compared to the look on his face now. His eyes were wide
and bloodshot—crazed—lips curled above his gums.

Holloway had Adrian in a headlock with one
arm. With his free arm he flicked his wrist, flinging open the
balcony doors. The outside air rushed in as Holloway dragged Adrian
backwards towards the balcony.

“Sorry,” Holloway said, hissing his s’s. “No
time for a good-bye kiss.”

Adrian struggled against him, but from the
rasping noise he made it sounded like Holloway was choking him.

Gray rushed after them. To her alarm,
Holloway had him pushed against the iron railing, a cool gleam in
his eye. A look of panic flashed over Adrian’s face when he looked
at the street below.

“There is one other way to put an end to you,
Montez,” Holloway said. “Give us your blood willingly or the last
thing you’ll kiss is the pavement below.”

For a moment Gray’s heart stopped. She had no
breath, no air, no feeling inside her body.

Even when Holloway released his hold on
Adrian’s throat, Adrian clawed at it as though choked by an
invisible force. He took in enough air to rasp, “Go to hell,
Holloway.”

Holloway frowned. Then in one swift motion,
he crouched down, reaching for Adrian’s legs.

“Nooo!” Gray screamed.

Without thinking, she charged forward. She
kicked at Holloway’s hands. He grabbed her legs to stop her,
lifting her as he straightened up. Gray struggled to free herself
from his grasp. She socked Holloway in the jaw and flung herself
backwards. Too late, she realized that she was above the railing,
clearing it as soon as Holloway’s grasp on her slackened.

Gray had never known fear till that moment.
It grasped her worse than the time her mother’s creepy Contact
shoved his bony fist inside her chest. At least she had a fighting
chance with the Grim Reaper. But falling from a building . .
.witches could float, but they couldn’t fly.

Maybe she could slow herself down or teleport
to safety, but that took concentration and all she could think
about at the moment was the pavement below.

There was a brief moment of denial before
Gray heard the girl from her dream screaming. She screamed the
whole way down. And like the times before, no blinding light met
her at the end. Her father didn’t greet her. Angels didn’t sing.
There was nothing.

* * *

Gray woke up to the smell of rotten cheese. Before
her eyes opened her nose wrinkled. “Ick!”

Gray heard Charlene laugh before she wrenched
her eyes open.

Gray lay in bed inside an unfamiliar, lavish
bedroom, Charlene the man sitting at her bedside.

“Wake up, sleepyhead, you’ve been out almost
all day.”

Gray sat up abruptly. “Where am I?”

Now Charlene had her nose scrunched, quickly
tightening the lid on the little vial she’d held under Gray’s nose.
“You’re at my apartment.
Mi casa es su casa
. See? I can
speak Spanish.”

Gray quickly wiggled her toes and moved her
arms around. Everything seemed to work. How was it possible to even
be alive?

“What am I doing in your apartment?”

“I may not look like it, but I’m your
sister,” Charlene said indignantly. “I look out for my own.
Besides, I still owe you a new wardrobe.”

New duds were the farthest things from Gray’s
mind.

“Where’s Adrian?”

Charlene put a hand over hers. “Don’t worry,
he’s at his apartment. He tried to come with us, but I made him
stay away.”

Charlene must have missed their near kiss
before Gray plummeted to her apparent non-death.

“I fell off a building,” Gray said, staring
into the room in shock.

Charlene patted her hand as though she were a
child. “At least Adrian was good for something. If he hadn’t put a
protection spell over you I’d be wearing black in the middle of
summer. The horror.”

“A protection spell?” Gray repeated, ignoring
the rest of Charlene’s babble.

“Yeah,” Charlene said impatiently. “He said
he put a protection spell on you last night. No harm could come to
you for twenty-four hours. I think even he was surprised that
included a twelve-story drop from a building.”