Magick (Immortals and Magick Book 2) (9 page)

I sat in Gareth’s living room, watching Gareth’s fire, with a bottle of Gareth’s water in my hand. My emotions had all but given out, dispersed into the atmosphere along with the wind I had created back at Written. I had nothing left in me but a simmering cauldron of rage that grew exponentially with every flash of memory that assailed me.

That bookstore was everything in my world. I had given blood, sweat, and tears to build the store to what it was and it was almost destroyed.

I looked over at Harley, who was curled on the couch, a glass of wine clenched in one hand. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks, leaving trails through the soot that covered her face. She hadn’t moved since Noah took us to Gareth’s, with assurances that he would handle everything. I couldn’t even be certain she had looked away from the spot on the floor she was staring a hole into. 

I swung my vacant stare back to the fire. How the flames danced, as if they were celebrating a victory. One of the first things you learn as an apprentice witch is how volatile fire is; you never turn your back on it, or think that you have it tamed, because that’s when it attacks. Fire was not one of my favorite elements to work with, and I only used it when absolutely necessary. Noah had no problem working with fire, but he had more power in his little finger than I had in my whole body, and he could control it better than I had ever seen anyone control it before.

I didn’t need Noah to tell me who caused the fire at Written. And it wasn’t Padraigan; setting fire to a building wasn’t quite his style. Gemma’s blood-covered form floated, superimposed, on the flames in the fireplace, then was swiftly replaced by her smug face at Written.

Oh, I could see the conniving little bitch setting fire to the store. If Padraigan had been able to make it back to his lair without being consumed by Noah’s flame, she had probably gotten it in her head to avenge him. Let the little coward get close to me, and I would give her something to write home about.

I could hear the door in the kitchen that led from the garage open and shut, followed by the sound of footsteps crossing the hardwood floor. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Noah leaned over the back of the couch that Harley was on and study her for a moment. He brushed her hair back tenderly and tucked it behind her ear, his eyes sad as he looked at her.

Jealously rushed through me, so acute it was painful. That he should go to her first, touch her so tenderly, especially after what had passed between us before the fire happened.

“I’m taking her up to bed. I’ll be right back down.” Noah whispered, not looking at me. I tried to look away, sliding my eyes back to the fire, but they were drawn back to him as he moved around the couch and bent down, scooping Harley up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. She curled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, the sobs starting to come. I had never seen or heard Harley cry until tonight. Just another strike against Gemma and Padraigan in my mind.

Noah murmured softly to her, leaning his cheek against her head, and all the jealously roiling through me was pushed out of the way by a new emotion, one I was not familiar with and one that I wanted to fight tooth and nail. I loved him. I was IN love with him.

I leaned forward, all the breath knocked out of me. I stuck my head between my knees, dragging in deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart.

No, no, no! I did not need this! I didn’t want to be in love, let alone with Noah. He was an arrogant jerk, rude, too cocky for his own good…but did I really think that anymore? He really hadn’t been all that bad since the wedding, so I couldn’t really use those excuses anymore.

And the way he had taken care of Harley touched my heart in a way no other man had before.

I heard him coming back down the stairs, so I sat up quickly, my heart still beating a mile a minute, and tried to compose myself. He came into the living room and sat down on the couch he had just picked Harley up from and stretched out his long legs, his hands laying palm up on his thighs. He looked exhausted, with soot covering his face and hands, darkening his blonde hair. The urge to go over to him and lay his head in my lap and just hold him came back, its unfamiliar presence something I was becoming more accustomed to.

The room was silent, with only the crackle of the flames breaking the stillness. I didn’t know what to say or even how to say it. I found that in the realization of my love for him, the rage I had been feeling was tamped down; not gone, but down to manageable levels.

“I can put the fire out, if you’d like. It can’t be a comforting sound to you right now.” His voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

“Ironically enough, it’s soothing to me. I appreciate the offer though.” I replied, feeling awkward. For the first time in a very long time, I had no idea what to do. Usually self-confident and not a little impulsive, I found myself in uncharted waters with no course of action.

“How’s Harley?” I asked, turning in the chair so that I could face him. His head was leaning back against the couch, his eyes closed. I thought for a moment he had fallen asleep, but his features twisted in a grimace.

“I don’t know what’s worse-the fire or what it’s done to her. She’s not in a good place right now.”

“I should go up to her.” I stood, feeling ashamed. She had taken care of me after Padraigan, and I was sitting down here, doing nothing but fighting with myself.

As I passed him, his hand shot out and caught my arm.

“She’s asleep. She’ll be fine until morning.”

“Noah, it is morning.”

He let out a hoarse chuckle, and tugged my arm. I let him pull me down, and I landed next to him. He tucked me under his shoulder, and it felt so right that I twisted into him until I was resting my head on his chest. I had no idea where he got a shirt from, unless he had gotten it from Gareth’s closet, but it was clean. The same could not be said for my nightshirt or his jeans.

“Gareth and Anna are going to freak when they get home and see how filthy their furniture is.” I mumbled against his shirt. His hand had come up and his fingers were massaging my scalp, the long fingers gentle and soothing.

“I’ll have it cleaned for them. I think they will understand.”

It grew quiet again, and the rhythmic feel of his fingers were lulling me to sleep. Peace stole over me, but I fought against falling into oblivion.

“Noah, what did the fire marshal say?” I tried to sit up, but his arm tightened to keep me still, so I settled back and he resumed his massage of my scalp.

“They’ll know more in the morning. I gave them my cell phone number to call, let them know that you and Harley are with me.”

“Did you see how…how bad it is?” I found it hard to ask, because I didn’t really want to know. The morning would bring it all crashing down soon enough, and I wanted this night to come to terms with all the feelings crashing against each other inside me.

“Teagan, let’s worry about that later. I’m exhausted, you’re exhausted, and Harley’s nearly catatonic.” I could hear the exhaustion in his voice; I hated to keep him awake. However, despite not feeling jealous anymore, I still wanted to know why he paid so much attention to Harley when he had come back.

“Why didn’t you come to me first when you came back from Written?” I hated the way my voice sounded, all small and hurt. It was not something that I had ever thought I would hear coming from myself.

“What?” I could feel him looking down at me, so I swiveled my head around. His face was inches from mine, surprise lighting those blue eyes.

“When you came in, you went right to Harley and didn’t even look at me. I just wanted to know why.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but as close as we were, I don’t think he bought it.

“Well, for one thing, you were the stronger one. Harley hadn’t said a word since I had tossed her over my shoulder, but at least you were muttering curses the whole way here from Written.” He replied, his fingers brushing across my cheek.

“And the other reason?” I prodded when he didn’t go on.

“Because if I had gone to you first, I wouldn’t have been able to leave you alone, even to take Harley upstairs.” He finally whispered, placing a tender kiss on my forehead.

“Noah, we need to talk-” I started to say, but he cut me off with an even more tender kiss to my lips. It was intoxicating, and my heart started its race again.

“Not tonight, if it’s okay with you. I really am exhausted. I think I pulled a muscle.” He grimaced, twisting his shoulder.

Despite the pulled muscle, he stood and scooped me up like he did Harley, and carried me up the stairs. I let myself be carried, let down my guard enough to enjoy the feeling of his strong arms across my back and under my knees.

He walked into the room that I usually used when I slept over and laid me down gently on the bed. He leaned over me to place another kiss on my forehead, but then he stood up as if to go.

“Noah, could you…I would really like it...” I couldn’t get the words out, and my stammering had me blushing, which made me angry.

“Crap, will you just stay with me tonight?” It came out sounding rude and demanding, but he just laughed. He eyed me shrewdly, but nodded, walking around the bed. He laid down next me, and I moved immediately towards him, burrowing into his side.

“Don’t you want a blanket?”

“No, this is fine. You’ll keep me warm.” I assured him. I could feel him nod his head.

The room enveloped us in silence, with not even the crackle of a fire to break it, and I wondered if this would be the night. It should have been the farthest thing from my mind, but I didn’t want to think about Padraigan and Gemma anymore, didn’t want to think about meetings with insurance adjusters and fire marshal’s. I just wanted to be with Noah.

The sound of his breathing lulled me to sleep.

When I woke up, it was with a start. I went from a sound sleep to my eyes popping open in a split second. I laid there, trying to figure out why I was laying on a bed in Gareth and Anna’s house, when I heard a rustling next to me and felt movement on the bed.

I turned my head slowly and saw Noah next to me, sleeping. His face was relaxed, a slight smile on his mouth. He would have looked almost angelic if it weren’t for the soot that was still grimed into his skin. I wanted to reach out and trace his lips with my finger, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Everything came flooding back, the late night visit from Padraigan, Written being set on fire, Noah and I going at each other like starving people put before a feast.

I fought the flush that washed my cheeks at that last thought. I was way out of my comfort zone with Noah, and I wasn’t sure how I would take to doing things and saying things that I looked at as being weak, or soft.

I had always been more of a tomboy than a girly-girl. I played sports all through middle and high school, watched football and baseball till I was blue in the face, and cursed like a sailor. I had no patience for all the girly things in life, like shopping, gossiping, sighing over each other’s boyfriends…it just wasn’t me.

Still watching him sleep, I marveled that he wanted me. For all that he could be contrary and stubborn, I was worse and I knew it. I would take everything that he said and twist it to make it sound worse than it was. My hackles went up at the slightest indication that he considered me inferior, which he had never given me a reason to think that way.

I had been the original instigator, with my prejudice against sorcerers. I had been the one with the attitude. He had just been fighting back.

It was an amazing epiphany.

As I watched him, his eyelids fluttered against the sun shining in the windows, and his eyes opened, the sharp blue irises focusing on me immediately. His mouth curved into a sexy smile that I couldn’t help answering with a smile of my own.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” He said softly as he stretched his long body luxuriously. He never looked away from me and I couldn’t have looked away even if I tried.

“Hi.”

“Short on words? That’s a first.” He finished with a laugh as he slid his arms around me, pulling me closer. He leaned in for a kiss and I brought my hand up between us.

“I have morning breath.” I panicked, having the strangest urge come over me. I wanted to look and well, smell, my best when he kissed me again. Morning breath had never stopped me before.

His smile grew bigger and he looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.