Dead and Beyond (17 page)

“That’s a horrible pickup line. You should’ve tried ‘sparkle like diamonds’.”

He frowned. “No, Amber. Your eyes have changed color to red and purple.”

“Oh.” I peered around me only now realizing I didn’t bother to bring my handbag with my compact mirror, so I picked up a knife to regard myself. My reflection was blurred but I noticed something blood red that seemed to shift as I moved my eyes. “Crap. Not again.”

“It happened before?”

He made it sound like I was at the doctor’s complaining about a rash or sore throat. Irritated, I dropped the knife on the table and turned to face him, ready to change the subject because I sure had no explanation up my sleeve. “How’s your coffee? Good? Care to describe what it tastes like because right now I’d kill for a single sip.”

“I get it, you don’t wanna talk about it.” He nodded and gulped down half of his coffee, making me instantly jealous. “It’s delicious with a strong yet smooth aroma. Is that a hint of vanilla? I swear I ordered cinnamon but vanilla’s even better.”

I slapped his hand lightly. “Shut up. You’re so not helping.”

“So, you’re in big trouble, huh?” He put the cup down as his gaze met mine again. And this time I could see an intensity there that worried me. I felt like a tiny mouse watched by the big hawk. Should I deny it? Part of me knew that was the right thing to do. When the hawk’s waiting for the precise moment to attack, tiny mouse watched by the big hawk. Should I deny it? Part of me knew that was the right thing to do. When the hawk’s waiting for the precise moment to attack, you don’t share with him your weakness. I opened my mouth to tell him he had it all wrong when he interrupted me. “Is that why you called Brendan? You thought he could help you?”

I hated how horribly weak and useless that made me sound. “It was the other way round, but we came to an understanding,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

“What did he want?” Something shimmered in Devon’s eyes. I stared at that blackness, allowing it to suck me in. Damn, me and my big mouth. My mind went blank an instant before a sense of peace and trust and tranquility washed over me.

The guy was messing with my head.

He was trying to use me again, just the way he did a few weeks ago.

“Why don’t you ask him? Or better yet, see whether you can screw with his mind as well. He might appreciate it more than I do.” Getting up, I kicked my chair aside and headed for the door. He caught up with me outside the café as I was about to teleport in front of a huge crowd that was so typical of Wembley.

Devon’s hand wrapped around my upper arm, and I stopped, but not because I wanted to. If I teleported now, I’d take him with me, and that was the last thing I needed.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Old habits die hard. But I swear I didn’t mean to. I just worry about you.”

A very unlady-like snort escaped my throat. “Yeah, right. Like the giant hawk you are.”

“Huh?”

I waved my hand in his face. “Forget it. I was planning to tell you, but now I’m not going to.”

“Amber, I’m really sorry.” He took a deep breath. I strained to read his expression. He wanted to know my secret badly; I could see it in the way his brows furrowed slightly yet he tried hard to relax, as though it didn’t matter. But it did. “Brendan’s still young,” Devon continued. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

So, it wasn’t about me but Brendan. “If you tell me what he wanted, I’ll tell you what Aidan was doing here. That’s why you went to the Lore court, isn’t it?”

I shivered as images of Devon following me like a creep flashed before my eyes. “How do you know?”

He shrugged. “Just because your boyfriend leaves you unsupervised to visit that place doesn’t mean I won’t take care of you. Do you have any idea what could’ve happened to you? That place is dangerous. A touch from that succubus, and you could’ve been lost forever.”

I lifted my chin a notch, ready to jump to Aidan’s defense if need be, but Devon didn’t pursue the matter.

“Do we have a deal?” he asked.

“No deal. I don’t need you to reveal Aidan’s secret when I can just ask him myself.”

He laughed softly. “Really? Is that why you need to spy on him? Because he’s so open and honest with you?” The guy sure knew how to make my relationship sound like a giant soap opera with everyone deceiving everyone else. But he did have a point. How many times did I ask Aidan and he refused to tell me? Here was my chance to find out what was going on. I pondered over my options. Go home and forget about it. Knowing my inability to keep my nose out of other people’s affairs, that wouldn’t work in a million years. Or I could just take Devon up on his offer. What was the harm in telling him what Brendan wanted?

They had this weird bloodthing going on, so it was probably just a matter of Brendan not wanting to burden him. In a twisted kind of way, my logic actually made sense to me.

“Okay—” I took a deep breath “—but you go first.” Devon shook his head. I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on. What’s with the trust issues? I wasn’t the one who kidnapped you!”

“We only tried to protect you.”

If he kept saying that every time I brought up the issue, I might just end up slapping him. I didn’t need protection from a guy. Not in the past, present or future. “I’ll give in, but only because I want to get back home before Aidan realizes I’m gone. Brendan came to tell me about Angel’s disappearance.” It was half the truth, but Devon needn’t know. I was proud of myself that I didn’t stumble over my words. In fact, I was slowly getting really good at this telling-only-half-the-truth thing. And then I figured if I kept half the stuff to myself, he might just do the same to me.

“Is that all? He said nothing else?” Devon’s tone raised my suspicion. There was more to the whole story, I knew that part straight away. This was my chance to find out what that was.

“Obviously not.” I scoffed. “There’s something fishy about the whole affair. It’s pretty obvious someone she trusted persuaded her to go with them. Maybe she was threatened. Obviously, Brendan is hell bent on finding out what happened and I think I can help.”

Devon didn’t even blink. The way he just kept staring in silence with an unreadable expression on his face made me feel uncomfortable. “You think someone threatened her?”

Whoa, was he asking me for my opinion? I shrugged. “Does it matter? A dear friend is gone and I won’t rest until the puzzle is solved.”

“So, what have you found out so far?” His eyes glittered unnaturally bright. I could feel something in the air. Maybe apprehension. Was he nervous? Did he think I had discovered something I shouldn’t have? My heartbeat sped up. Granted, I never figured I might just be a natural-born Sherlock Holmes, but I couldn’t ignore the facts. I had a new lead, and this time it was Devon. He knew something that Brendan didn’t, that consequently I didn’t. I only had to find out what that something was.

“Well—” I moistened my lips slowly “—let’s just say it’s big. I had no idea it was this huge and so many people are involved.”

A frown appeared on his forehead. “A conspiracy?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” I nodded, wide-eyed.

“Did you know your boyfriend and the Lore Court are involved?”

Devon’s question took me by surprise. Of course I kind of guessed something was going on and Aidan knew more than he let on, but having my suspicion confirmed didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

“You didn’t,” Devon said, misinterpreting my silence. “But surely you wondered why he’s been gone so much lately.” He inched closer to whisper in my ear. His hot breath brushed my cheek, making me flinch just a little. It was strange but not unpleasant, almost like some part of me enjoyed it, which didn’t make any sense. I had absolutely no romantic interest in this guy, and yet…A craving awoke inside me, starting out as a tiny pang, no bigger than maybe a passing fancy that slowly turned into a longing sensation. It took my breath away. My knees began to shake beneath me as my vision blurred and strange pictures flashed through my mind.

A carriage hurried past, the sound of the horse’s hooves carrying through the silence of the night. Devon dressed in black from head to toe, his black hair swaying in the wind, his jaw set as he regarded a motionless bundle on the floor. He poked the bundle with the tip of his boot, and then tossed the coarse, gray blanket aside to reveal the bloodless body beneath. And in that instant I knew the killing had been my doing.

I shook my head. Not my doing. The murderer had to be someone else because I wasn’t even born yet. A soft laughter echoed in my ear and the pictures returned.

A woman with red curls that reached down to her waist was watching him from the high tower of a church. Her hands were drenched in blood, just like the front of her blue corsage dress. She pressed a perfumed handkerchief against her mouth to get rid of the stench wafting from the streets below and took a step back, disappearing in the shadows. For a moment, my vision shifted and I thought I saw the world through her eyes: running through the busy streets of Victorian disappearing in the shadows. For a moment, my vision shifted and I thought I saw the world through her eyes: running through the busy streets of Victorian London. Killing an innocent just to see his blood staining the dirty cobblestones, all the while thinking of Devon and how sweet his blood would taste.

My stomach clenched, jerking me back to reality. A strong shiver ran down my spine. I knew that woman. It was Aidan’s ex, Rebecca. She had known Devon, followed him even, but why? She could’ve easily attacked him if she only sought his blood. But she wanted more. Did she have a crush on him?

And why would I think I was her?

I had to clear my throat several times before I found my voice again. “I told you what I know. Now it’s time to keep your part of the bargain.”

“My pleasure.” Even though I couldn’t read his expression because his mouth still lingered an inch from my ear, I knew he was smiling, as though he expected me to dump Aidan after I discovered his secret. I instantly prepared myself for the worst. “Aidan’s been frequenting the Lore court for a while, but not as much as he has in the last few days since he accepted a job for Layla.” That much I knew already. While I didn’t like the bitch hitting on him, I couldn’t ask him to give up his job. I nodded so Devon would continue. “Layla fears someone’s about to take over her throne and Aidan’s supposed to find the person. Trouble is he hasn’t been able to locate him yet.”

When he stopped I peered up at him, relieved but also a bit disappointed. “Is that your big revelation? Boy, you just dropped a bomb. I don’t even know where to start picking up the pieces.”

Devon smiled. “Not quite, Amber. Don’t you want to know what she offered him in return for his services?” Did I want to know that? Not really, but I nodded anyway. “The whereabouts of a mirror that can fuse any soul with a mortal body. Does the name Rebecca ring any bells?”

A mirror.

I had found one at the shed a few minutes before Aidan arrived. He never told me what he came for, just took me home with the pretense to come back later. All blood drained from my face. I felt so faint I thought I might just drop to the ground and die there and then. Rebecca, the crazy ex who turned him into a vampire. Granted, she was pretty with red hair, gorgeous eyes and skin as smooth as alabaster. But what the heck? She was a bitch. Had he lost his marbles? Got the crazies? What guy in his right mind wanted to date a psycho killer? Was the blood bond between Aidan and her so strong he simply couldn’t let her go? Or did his feelings go deeper than he claimed?

It certainly explained why he took Layla’s job and wouldn’t tell me anything about it. I knew all along he had something to gain, now I also knew what.

I took a deep breath as I tried to push the array of questions to the back of my mind. There’d be enough time to think about them later after I kicked his ass into next week. Good that I hadn’t slept with the cheater yet.

“Did you know Aidan’s house is haunted?” I laughed at his perplexed expression. “Yeah, me neither until a few days ago when blood started to spill down the walls and scratches began to appear on the floor.”

“Are you sure?”

“As sure as any necromancer could be.” I regarded him intently. “Why? You don’t believe me?”

“Of course I believe you. Are you okay?” Judging from his tone, he was telling the truth.

“Oh, you bet I am. It’s just a ghost.” I waved my hand in the air. “All it can do is walk through some walls and wail in its nightgown, right?”

Devon nodded, seemingly unconvinced. “If you need anything—” His voice trailed off.

“Nah, unless you can find me a coffin, and preferably one Aidan won’t be able to pry open because I intend to send him on a very long date with a ghost.” I smiled sweetly. “Thanks for an interesting day. I had fun.”

“So did I.” His face inched closer. The air crackled. Time seemed to stand still. I held my breath, almost expecting—fearing—he might kiss me. Even though I was pissed at Aidan, I didn’t feel like kissing another guy. To my relief, Devon leaned in to plant a soft peck on my cheek, lingering just a tiny bit but long enough to allow me to take a whiff of his aftershave. I breathed in, surprised how much I liked it.

“I’ll call you.” My voice came lower than planned, full with promises I had no intention to keep.

“I hope so,” Devon said before he began walking down the street.

His departure came so sudden, I stared after him until he disappeared in the mass of people, towering at least a head over them. Only when I could no longer see his dark hair and broad shoulders did I teleport back to Scotland, more furious than I had ever been in my entire life.

I materialized in the backyard next to the wilted rosebushes. I was able to let my anger roam free for all of three seconds, or as long as it took to kick the garden bench, sending it flying through the air a few feet, after which I regained my composure. I even managed a tiny smile even though I probably looked like a psycho, but who cared? I was an enraged woman on a mission.

So here’s what I did when I arrived home. Even though every single cell inside my body screamed to toss one vase after another over Aidan’s head, I didn’t enter the mansion straight away because I was an adult in a grownup relationship so, consequently, I was going to defy my nature and actually talk things over. He deserved a chance to explain himself.