Remnants of Magic (25 page)

Captivated

Chapter One

Tall, blond, and delicious heading your way.

London blinked at the text message that woke her from a fitful slumber. Only the soft glow from the kitchen illuminated her living room, where she’d crashed on her sofa. Double-checking, she slid her hand between the cushions, finding the comforting, cold metal of her pistol. Sleep didn’t come easy when Donovan and his cadre of Unseelie wanted you dead.

The text message came from Selena, of course. Four in the morning was prime time for vampires. London texted her back.
Did he say anything about me?

Since being cursed, all that mattered was getting her life back. Working for Lugh in exchange for the Touch was a major part of that plan. At least it had been, up until Lugh went off with a wood elf that knew too much about London’s less-than-brilliant past. She truly regretted her mistakes, but that didn’t buy her forgiveness. The Unseelie death sentence was a case in point.

But London had never met anyone like Lugh. For the first time, she had a slim hope. And after journeying through denial, anger, and stupidity… hope, no matter how thin, was a vast improvement.

Still in the sweat shirt and pants that she’d worn the evening before, London wedged herself up off the sofa. The gun, she transferred to the coffee table and covered with a magazine. Not an extraordinarily complicated hiding place, but easy to access should an Unseelie or a Changeling or any other bad-n-nasty bloke decide to invade her flat. Coffee seemed like a good idea, so she wouldn’t come across as bleary eyed and befuddled when Lugh got there. The coffeemaker just began to brew when the phone played the ringtone for Selena.

London answered, “Too long for a text message? Should I be worried?”

The vampire’s smooth voice glided over London’s senses like silk. “I just spent a very interesting evening with Lugh.” The sigh practically dripped with satisfaction.

“No details, please. I’ve not even had a cup of coffee yet.”

Vampires indulged all their lusts with a relish few other creatures could match. Except the fey, whose reputation for casual sex rivaled even that of the vamps. And among those fey, the Sidhe especially seemed made of equal parts magic and sex appeal. The pairing of a vamp and a Sidhe might seem like rampaging hormones taking their course, if not for the fact that vampires preyed upon the fey. How Lugh and Selena hit it off, London didn’t know, but she certainly didn’t need the sticky blow-by-blow account of the bedroom negotiations.

“London, Luv. Promise me that you’ll take precautions.” And London could tell from her tone that Selena wasn’t talking about condoms.

“Why? What’s happened?” The coffee cup slipped from her grasp and banged down on the counter. “What did he say?”

“It wasn’t what he said as much as how he acted. More aggressive than before. Darker.” The vampire laughed, low and seductive. “Not that I didn’t like the rough play.”

“Darker?” Forgetting her coffee, London crossed to her research strewn across her kitchen table and shuffled through it. All her sources agreed that Lugh, the Shining One, was the epitome of Seelie. Worshiped as the Celtic sun god, the man was the personification of light and of the Summer Court. Civilized and chivalrous. Even the accounts of his battles never once described him as the least bit ‘dark’ in nature. That just wasn’t supposed to be in his nature at all. Then again, how much was myth and how much truly reflected the man he was? But rough? Aggressive? London wouldn’t have thought that of the compassionate Sidhe she’d met just the day before, whose tender Touch had filled her with such light and wonderment. “Maybe you just bring out the beast in him, Selena.”

“Perhaps.” A self-satisfied smile colored her voice. “Just thought you should know.”

“Thanks.” London’s head lifted at the sound of a rap on her door. “I think he’s here. I’ll call you later.”

London left her phone on the dining room table. Even as she approached the door, she rubbed the nervous sweat from her palms onto her hips. With a quick check through her peephole, she verified what she’d assumed. Tall, blond, and delicious was on her threshold. But even knowing he was there, the moment she opened the door to him his presence stole her breath.

At something close to seven feet tall, Lugh loomed over her. Leaning forward with his arms braced against either side of the doorframe, he made for an imposing figure. All of the Sidhe were sexy beyond reason, and Lugh was no exception. Athletic, with the toned body of a swimmer, there wasn’t an ounce of extra padding. The snug cotton shirt and jeans showed off his physique beautifully. His blond hair was stylishly cut, leaving just enough length that he could hide his elven ears if he wanted to. He wasn’t hiding them tonight. The piercing blue of his eyes struck London with nearly hypnotic force. The deep resonance of his voice captured her completely, “I’ve returned, as I told you I would.”

London froze when he reached for her. His casual affections still startled her. Her breath caught as he stroked over her hair. A small gesture, but one that soothed the edge of her anxiety. Even still, until she knew for certain how he was going to react to the truth of her past, nothing could ever really make it go away.

Only on a second glance did she notice the hint of darkness about him, and not just the choice of clothing, which was all black from the denim jacket to his trainers. A slight smudge of dark circles hinted beneath his eyes, as though he were fatigued. And something on his cheek…

London reached up and brushed it away with her finger.

Blood.

Chapter Two

“A little worse for wear?” She asked, rubbing the blood between her thumb and forefinger.

“Not mine.” And in his smile, London thought she caught a hint of what Selena had been talking about. Something devious. Lugh leaned closer, blocking the doorway. “May I enter?”

London backed away. Instinctively, her muscles tensed as they would when she encountered a vampire she didn’t trust. “Then whose blood is it?”

“A werewolf’s.” He responded matter-of-factly, as if werewolves were a common annoyance and not worth further discussion or explanation. Which in itself shocked London enough that she just stared after him as he made a quick survey of her flat. Werewolves hunted the fey more violently than even vampires. The very scent of the Sidhe could send them into a frenzy, something she hoped to never witness first-hand ever again.

London knew most of the parahumans in Dublin. Counted many of them as friends and clients before being cursed. This probably wasn’t a stranger’s blood smeared on her fingers.

Lugh had apparently bested this one without injury to himself. But then again, he was ‘Lugh,’ not one of the young, inexperienced earthborn Sidhe that a werewolf or vampire could overwhelm with their superior strength and speed. This man defeated whole armies without getting his clothes wrinkled, if one believed the myths.

“Selena spoke of your vocation.” Lugh shifted through the papers on her dining room table. “You track misplaced persons and items?”

London intercepted him, gathering up the printouts. No point in letting him see just how much she’d researched him. “Yeah. Freelance work mostly.”

“Personal research?” Apparently he’d seen more than she thought.

“Just educating myself.”

A smirk tugged at his lips and something of a dangerous twinkle sparked in his eyes. “And do you feel enlightened?”

“Not especially.” She deposited the pile onto the seat of one of the chairs. “There isn’t much accurate information about the fey floating about.”

“Nor would we wish it otherwise.” Lugh hooked his jacket over the spindles on the back of one of the chairs. He rested his backpack on the table and extracted a sheaf of papers. “It is the lack of accurate information that makes the work with which I shall tax you a challenge. These are the only documents I have depicting known relics from the first realm of fey. Easily over ten millennia old. If they still exist, finding them is essential. Do you think your tracking skills might locate some of them?”

London shifted through the parchments with a professional eye. “I can check with some of my contacts, but most won’t work cheap.”

From the backpack, Lugh drew out stacks of cash wrapped in bundles. “Cost is not an obstacle.”

“Holy…” London stared at the growing pile in disbelief. “Where did you get all that?”

“Do you know what tribute is most commonly gifted to the god of the sun?” He paused only a breath before answering. “Gold. My temples runneth over. I know a dragon with allies who converts it into the common currency.”

“And you’re just going to run around toting a bag of money with you?” London flipped her thumb along the stacks of notes. The band around each bundle of twenties marked it as 2000 euros. Given the pile on her table, he’d probably unloaded about 50,000 euros in all.

“Hardly. You are going to use it to see to the expenses, purchase supplies, and allot yourself a generous allowance.” Lugh lightly caressed her short, dark locks again. Then his hand fisted in her hair, getting her undivided attention. His voice deepened, dangerous and edgy. “No more freelance work.” With a serious tilt of his head and glare that tolerated no argument, he added, “Particularly with wizards or Changelings.”

That stole her spit.

She had to clear her throat before she could ask, “So Kev told you?” And no doubt the wood elf had known everything about her tarnished reputation, given that he’d apparently been hanging around the Unseelie.

“What he did not tell me, I suspected.” With the slow roll of his wrist, Lugh angled her neck. He stared at her throat. Lips parted. Fixated, like a vampire.

For several nerve-wracking seconds London didn’t risk moving. Or even breathing.

Then his grip relaxed. “But all that happened before.” The predatory glint faded from his eyes. “When you were without guidance.” His voice was not quite so deep now, as the refined accent returned. “When you did not understand your need or the consequences of your actions. By becoming my druidess, you shall be remade, with a new life and a fresh start.” He released her hair. With a relaxed smile, he stroked it smooth one final time before pulling back his hand. His manner shifted back to calm civility as quickly as it had turned treacherous. “But, I require complete devotion and dedication from my druids, if you are still seeking to pledge yourself to me.”

“Right.” He’d not hurt her, but he’d definitely given her a fright. Knowing that he wasn’t going to up and kill her over her misbegotten past was a relief. But she didn’t doubt that Lugh meant what he’d said. His Touch and his tolerance depended on staying in his good graces.

But there had been more to it than just the threat. Selena had warned her that something was off with Lugh. Something darker about him. More aggressive. And she’d been right about that.

Getting a little distance from him, London collected the money into a cloth bag and stashed it for now behind the bottles and cans of cleaning supplies beneath her sink. She’d have to introduce Lugh to the concept of credit cards one of these days. But then again, that was part of her new role, to navigate the technology and modern customs for him, so he wouldn’t have to concern himself with it.

“Are you ready?” From the breast pocket of his jacket, he withdrew a necklace. Holding the chain so it dangled from his fingers, he showed her the filigree pendant that caught the glints of the light upon its golden surfaces. The pendant was a complicated and delicate knotwork pattern in the shape of the sun.

“Ready for what?” She stared at the beautiful pendant, and then lifted her gaze to Lugh’s deep blue eyes.

“In ages past, complicated ceremonial customs accompanied the making of a druid. Severe times deny us such luxuries, but believe it not that it conveys any less of an honor or a responsibility.” Lugh crossed to her and fastened the golden necklace around her neck. “The chain is enchanted and can not be snapped nor drawn over your head, save by your own efforts or mine.” His fingers glided over the chain and brushed against her skin as he traced it from behind her neck down to the pendant, sending a wicked shiver through her. “With this token, I shall always know where to find you. When you invoke my name with urgency, either in thought or aloud, I shall feel your need for me and respond when I am able. This is for use only in dire times, you understand.”

“I understand,” she breathed the words softly as her fingers caressed over the intricate charm. Of course, she’d read about the artistry of the Sidhe, but as far as she knew, she’d never looked upon one of their pieces. Such fine details. Such delicate craftsmanship. Small but perfect in its endless linking loops and knotwork.

“Pledge these words to me, if you mean to become my devout druidess.” Lugh’s palm cupped her face, and in the flow of his Touch, words filled her mind.

This was what she’d been hoping for. What she knew she needed to survive. Accepting Lugh as her patron, and by becoming his druidess, guaranteed the Touch magic she needed to live. Even though he’d unsettled her, London knew no better way. And she’d already tried about every other option she could think of.

So London repeated the words that danced across her mind, feeling their resonance in the magic between them. “I pledge to you, Lugh Samildanach, that I shall preserve your secrets. I shall honor you above all others and never slander you nor speak to others of our grievances. I shall be the shield at your back and the staff by your side. I pledge to you my life, both in my living and in my dying, always in service to you. Friendship, love, and loyalty, such is my eternal promise.”

His voice caressed her through his Touch, and she knew when he spoke that he completed some enchantment. “With my symbol, I have marked you. With my magic, I have claimed you. And with your pledge, I have made you my druidess. And so you are an initiate of my temple and of my order, as well as my companion.” He raised her face in his cupped hand and kissed her lightly on the mouth. Not demanding, or even romantic. Just a kiss. And yet a fine one laced with the magic of his Touch that sealed her promise to him.

Although…