Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten (9 page)

Finn maneuvered us so that we were back beneath the blankets and my back was to his front. Then he surrounded me. There was no other word for it. His long arms wrapped around me, one under my body, the other coming over my ribcage. Then he moved so close that I was plastered to him from the crown of my head to my feet.

We didn’t speak anymore, which was a relief. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to think. The slow tempo of his breath helped me sink deeper into relaxation. I dozed, never completely awake or asleep, until dawn. I could tell by the looseness of his body that Finn was sleeping soundly. Unable to stand lying in bed any longer, I decided to get up and let him rest.

Moving slowly, I slid out of bed, shivering at the chill in the air. Both fires must have gone out last night and I hadn’t thought to turn on the furnace. I snagged a pair of thick flannel pants and socks from a basket of clean laundry and crept out of the room. I was surprised that Finn didn’t wake up.

I moved downstairs on silent feet, avoiding the steps that squeaked. Once in the living room, I switched my shorts for the pajama pants and pulled on the thick, fluffy socks. Already feeling somewhat warmer, I went to the large fireplace and poked at the ashes. The fire was completely dead.

I tried to be quiet as I scooped out the ashes and started a new fire. Within a few minutes, it was crackling steadily, the flames growing bigger and brighter. After I was satisfied that it wouldn’t go out, I rose from my crouch next to the hearth and headed into the kitchen. I was in desperate need of caffeine. The stress and lack of sleep from last night were taking their toll.

As I prepped the old fashioned percolator, I heard the sounds of Finn moving around upstairs. I lit one of the gas burners on the stove and set the percolator on it. While I waited for the coffee to finish, I set a pan on the stove to fry bacon but didn’t turn on the burner yet. I required coffee before I would have the ability to concentrate on cooking.

Though I wasn’t very hungry, I needed to eat and Finn was a big guy. Even if he didn’t need blood this morning, he had to have food for fuel. Funneling the amount of magic I’d used last night took a toll on me. I might not be a skinny girl, but that sort of casting depleted my entire body and mind.

The coffee was just beginning to perk when Finn came down the stairs, wearing only a pair of mud-stained jeans. He had my cell phone in his hand.

Pausing by the counter, Finn tilted his head and ran his eyes over me. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.

“Tired and sore.” I was tired from lack of sleep and sore from our joint activities after our showdown in my yard last night.

For the first time, Finn didn’t smirk when I made a reference to sex. Instead, he glanced over at the stove and was visibly surprised when he saw the enameled percolator there. “Is that…”

I smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah. My mom always said brewed coffee didn’t taste as good as perked. I still make my coffee that way when I come here. It…reminds me of her and makes me feel closer to her.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “Belinda called.” Whatever he saw in my face made his jaw tighten. “I didn’t answer. She left you a voicemail message.” He held my phone out to me.

Surprised he hadn’t listened to the message, I took it from him and murmured, “Thanks.”

Finn didn’t respond, merely turned on his heel and headed back upstairs. I watched the muscles play in his back as he ascended as I fought the urge to go after him and apologize for whatever I’d done to upset him. Frowning, I shook my head when I realized the direction my thoughts had taken. Since when did I worry about hurting a vampire’s feelings? I preferred to be direct. I often tried to be tactful, but I never sacrificed my honesty, even with my friends. No wonder I only had a few.

With a sigh, I selected my voicemail app and listened to Belinda’s message.

“Kerry, Finn called Lachlan last night and told us what happened. I need to speak to you as soon as possible, preferably in person. There’s something….” She paused. “There’s something you need to know before things go any further.”

The message ended. I noticed the coffee was ready, went to the stove and turned off the burner. Then I called Belinda.

After one ring, she picked up. “Kerry. How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine.” My voice caught and I cleared my throat and repeated, “I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” she asked.

My voice was stronger when I answered. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Though she probably knew better than to believe me, the High Priestess didn’t push me for the truth. Instead, she said something that shocked me. “I had a vision but I don’t think we should discuss it over the phone. Are you still at your mother’s house in Farmersville?”

“Yes. Are you sure you can’t tell me now? Won’t it be dangerous to come out here?” I asked, my heart beating faster.

“It will be easier if I talk to you in person. Lachlan and Calder will bring me in a couple of hours and we can discuss it then.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you soon, Kerry.” Belinda paused. “Be sure and tell Finn we’re coming, okay? I don’t want to surprise him.”

I doubted that would happen, but I knew she was right to remind me. I was so used to being alone, I often forgot my manners. “I will.”

“Good-bye.”

I disconnected the call without responding, curious as to what Belinda had foreseen.

“Is everything okay?”

At Finn’s question, I gasped and whirled around, clutching my chest. “Dammit, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Can you make at least a little noise to let me know when you’re around?”

He smirked. “I’ll try.”

Grumbling under my breath, I grabbed the mug of coffee I’d poured and handed it to him. “Belinda, Lachlan, and Calder are coming by in a couple of hours. She had a vision and she wants to discuss it with me.”

“That sounds ominous,” he muttered.

Without saying anything else, Finn went to the fridge and began to rummage around inside. A few moments later, he emerged with bacon, a carton of eggs, and butter in his hands. I watched as he placed them all on the counter and reached into a cabinet for a bowl.

“I’ll make breakfast while you take a shower,” he stated, without turning to look at me.

I didn’t argue. Finn might be right that I was stubborn, but I wasn’t stupid. If I could have a meal that I didn’t have to cook myself, I’d take it. Though I would probably bite my tongue off before I admitted it, it was nice to be taken care of from time to time.

A
fter I took
my shower and discovered that I had dried mud in places I could barely reach, I dressed in a pair of jeans and a incredibly soft navy sweater that brought out my blue eyes. I didn’t bother with shoes, just a pair of fluffy, warm socks.

I could no longer ignore the smell of frying bacon and decided to skip primping. I twisted my hair into a bun before I headed downstairs, my empty coffee cup in hand. I paused when I entered the kitchen because Finn was still shirtless and barefoot, standing in front of my stove with his back to me.

For the first time since we’d met, I let myself really look at him and openly appreciate what I saw. His dark brown hair was tousled, just brushing his shoulders, and his lightly tanned skin felt as smooth as it looked. Though he wasn’t as bulky as Conner and Lex, his shoulders were broad and the taut muscles of his back flexed with each movement of his arms. The jeans he wore rode low on his hips and, while they weren’t tight, they molded perfectly to the curve of his ass and left my mouth watering. I wanted to sink my teeth into the firm muscle. Which was strange, because I’d never thought about doing something like that before.

“Are you going to stand there and stare at my ass all day or come eat this breakfast I’m slaving over?”

I jumped at Finn’s voice and felt my face heat up. I moved to the side of the stove and picked up the percolator to refill my cup.

Desperate to change the subject, I said, “Frying bacon shirtless is a little risky, don’t you think?”

One corner of Finn’s mouth lifted and he looked sideways at me. “How so?”

“Hot grease and bare nipples are not two things I’d want to put together.”

He chuckled as he began to shift the bacon from the frying pan to a plate covered with a paper towel. “You’re worth the pain,” he answered wryly.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. “Save the corny lines and finish my eggs. I’m starving.”

Finn’s hand shot out and gave my ass a light smack as I added sugar and creamer to my coffee, but he didn’t reply.

A few minutes later, he brought two plates to the table, each filled with eggs, several strips of bacon, and toast. My eyebrows rose as I looked at all the food in front of me, then my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I could indeed eat it all.

After channeling so much power, my body needed to be fed and I would probably need a nap later in the day as well. All magic carried a price and the more you used, the more you paid. Residual magic gave you an energy high that would last a few hours before you crashed hard. I paused at the thought. Last night, I’d cast the most powerful spell I’d ever attempted, then, later, I began to shake and sweat. I realized that the two could be related and decided to ask Belinda if she knew anything.

I took a bite of eggs and was pleasantly surprised at the texture and flavor. They were just right. The bacon was crispy and well done, exactly the way I preferred it.

“Wow, this is delicious, Finn,” I murmured, taking another bite of egg.

“Thanks.” His eyes twinkled with good humor. “Although this is one of the five things I can cook well.”

After I finished another bite, I asked, “What are the other four?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs, grilled steak and baked potato, just about any kind soup, and fish and chips.”

“That all sounds pretty good.”

He shrugged. “It is until you’ve been eating it for a decade. Before he met Donna, I ate at Conner’s a lot because he’s the best cook I know.”

I chuckled. He had a good point. Having tasted Conner’s food, I had to agree. He could probably make cardboard taste good.

We finished our breakfast in companionable silence. I started to wash dishes, but Finn insisted on helping me, so he dried them.

I couldn’t help thinking about the strangeness of this situation. Just twelve hours ago, I’d been in mortal danger, and now I was standing in my kitchen doing mundane chores with a vampire. The concept of vampires was so exotic that the idea of one of them keeping house seemed foreign. Yet, here we were, washing dishes together like an old married couple. Well, maybe not married, since most of the married men I knew couldn’t put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, much less help with actual hand washing and drying.

After we finished cleaning up the kitchen, Finn said he had some calls to make and I poured myself another cup of coffee and headed into the study. Years ago, before she died, my mother had the house expanded to include a spacious library that connected to a solarium. In the solarium, my mother had grown herbs and medicinal plants needed to cast spells, create potions, and make charms. I continued this practice, but also included cooking herbs and a few orchid plants. There was even a small cast iron wood stove in the corner of the library.

It was by far my favorite room in the house.

I walked around the room, trailing my fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but, as my finger tips slid across the back of one book, I felt a tremor go up my arm. I paused and pulled the text from the shelf.

There were no markings or writings on the binding, so I opened the book. When I realized what I was holding, my stomach plummeted to the floor.

It was a translation of an ancient Latin text that had been banned by the coven. The elders claimed that, while it wasn’t true black magic, it was a gateway to the dark arts. My mother obviously hadn’t agreed. It surprised me that she kept it on her shelf so openly. Even more shocking was that I hadn’t noticed it before. While I hadn’t catalogued her library after her death, I had spent many hours in the study during the last few years.

I took the book to the table and sat. As I turned the pages, a feeling of recognition sparked through me though I’d never read them before. Midway through my scan of the text, I found a folded paper tucked inside.

My heart stopped when I saw my name in my mother’s handwriting. With shaking hands, I unfolded the sheet and began to read.

Beloved Daughter,

If you are reading this letter, then you have found the Book of Shadows. There is speculation that this is one of the first in history.

It also means that you are in need of the information it contains.

The spell I cast on this book keeps it hidden until it is needed by my blood. When its contents are required, it will appear on a shelf in the library when you are near. You will also feel it call to you, as though you’ve been looking for something but you’re not sure what. Don’t ignore that call. It may mean the difference between victory or defeat, life or death.