Reluctant Adept: Book Three of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life (4 page)

BOOK: Reluctant Adept: Book Three of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life
4.39Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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I parted my lips to tell him so, but then he ruined it by adding, "Keeping you safe is but a small price to pay."

Any heartfelt words died in my throat, smothered by a hefty dollop of reality. I was the
prized
adept to be protected at all cost.

I tried to thrust the bitter thought aside but couldn't. I didn't doubt that Kieran respected and cared for me. I knew he did, but it wasn't the sole reason he'd chosen to remain at my side.

There was Nuala to consider, the amhaín's adept-in-training who, years ago, he seduced into becoming his soulmate in order to bring her under King Faonaín's dominion. Once she discovered that Kieran had deceived her, she withdrew from him. And even though he'd fallen in love with her, Nuala had never forgiven him, never opened herself up to him, not in the near century they were together, ending when she died in an earthquake. The mistake continued to haunt him, even after nearly two thousand years, and it was why Kieran was known to many as 'the Deceiver.'

I think in some small part, the reason he sought to protect me from King Faonaín's threat was to make up for what he'd done to Nuala all those years ago.

So, instead of babbling something sappy, I looked away and muttered, "Right … keeping me safe."

I stepped out of his reach, smoothing my hair as I forced myself to consider our current predicament instead of our relationship issues. If I let him make all the decisions, we'd be heading out the door without so much as a goodbye to anyone.

"Lire?"

"I think it's time to pack, don't you?" I said, ignoring his troubled expression, and then spun on my heel to cut a path upstairs to my bedroom.

Inside my walk-in closet, I snagged my paisley duffel from the floor and shook it roughly so my yoga gear spilled onto the carpet at my feet. While I toed aside my rolled-up mat, hand weights, and exercise clothes, Kieran's presence filled the doorway.

"We'll leave tonight," I told him. "But we're going to the party, at least for a couple of hours. If we don't show up, my friends will worry and our enemies—if they're even out there—will know we're up to something. Afterward, we'll slip away. I think we should drive to Whistler. Airline tickets are too easy to track. I have emergency cash in my safe to cover our expenses, and we'll take … Daniel's car."

I faltered over the name of my childhood friend and had to stop to suck in a shaky breath. Memories of Daniel's recent murder at the hands of Azazel hijacked my thoughts all too often.

If I'd known how to close the portal sooner, I could have saved him.

I buried the frequent recrimination before I could beat myself up with it anymore, adding, "I'm pretty sure Michael hasn't sold it yet and it's safer than taking my Mercedes, even if it does have armor plating."

When my suggestion was met with silence, I glanced away from the clothes I was snatching from their hangers to consider Kieran. He'd donned his customary mask of superior neutrality. It was the look that said he'd lived long and nothing he encountered at this point could surprise him. I knew better, though. Oh, he'd definitely seen it all—after twenty-seven-hundred years, that was a given. But I'd come to learn that he also used the façade to cover his emotions, to prevent anyone from knowing what he might be thinking. In the Otherworld, where lies weren't tolerated, emotions would reveal too much and invite potentially uncomfortable questions.

I had to wonder whether this cool detachment was the main quality that drew me to him as surely as a newly turned strigoi to fresh blood. I longed to strip away the impassive mask, to find the very truth of the man underneath, to know him like no other, and to show him that he was so much more than a fallen sidhe with dubious honor.

It was a challenge I relished.

I turned to him, clothes draped over my arm. "Why so quiet? I figured this is what you wanted."

"It's a reasonable course," he replied. "Will my cousin be an attendee at this soirée?"

"I think so. Michael said they'd be late, so I assume that means they're both planning to come." I narrowed my eyes, examining him. "Why?"

"You'll be tempted to tell him our plans, to include him. We're safe to discuss it here, with your building's wards and guardian djinn, but at the party, no matter how discrete you try to be, it's possible for our enemies to overhear anything you might say. Keep our plans to yourself unless you're under the protection of my shroud. Even then, the fewer who know our intentions the better." Leaning against the door frame, he folded his arms. "Let me take care of informing Tíereachán."

"Informing him?" I swallowed my bark of laughter. "If you tell him to stay put, you know he won't listen, right?" I went back to yanking various items from their hangers and muttered, "You guys are worse than adolescent siblings with the way you peck at each other."

"If I intended for him to …
stay put
, as you say, I'd know better than to inform him of our plans." He sniffed. "The man is worse than a disobedient mongrel."

I managed to hide my smirk at his disgruntled tone, ducking behind my armload of clothes and turning to rummage in my lingerie drawer. Satisfied that I'd pulled out at least a week's worth of panties and bras, I snagged my duffel with my foot and kicked it toward my bed.

Kieran examined me suspiciously as I passed. In better spirits now that we'd agreed on a plan, I rose up to give him a peck on his cheek. "Grab the black backpack from the middle shelf, you gorgeous, sexy elf. Hurry and pack, or we'll be more than just fashionably late."

He scowled at my favorite taunt, but when he turned to do as I asked, I caught a flash of his smile. It zinged through me, bouncing off every nerve ending like a pixie on a sugar high.
Yum.
It was crazy what the man could do to me with a single spontaneous smile. I'd never done recreational drugs, but they couldn't possibly compete with Kieran.

Gazing at his retreating backside from over my shoulder, I teetered at the threshold before dumping everything on the floor and chasing him back into the closet. I smiled, wicked purpose infusing every step. Guess we were going to be late.

When my fingers slid under his shirt, eliciting a hungry growl and eager response, I couldn't find it in myself to be upset about it.

 

Laughter and Lady Gaga's 'Applause' greeted us when I pulled open the glass door of Peabody's Beans. A bright yellow notice flapped in the rain-scented breeze, informing anyone not already deterred by the bright-red neon CLOSED sign that this was a private party.

As I stamped my damp boots on the doormat and shook the ever-present Seattle drizzle from my hair, the smell of espresso, overlaid by the aroma of Julie's signature nachos, stirred my hunger. A growl issued from my stomach almost loud enough to be heard over a boisterous cheer. Behind me, Kieran slipped inside, and I watched him take in our surroundings, fascination crinkling the delicate skin at the outer corners of his eyes.

While I hung up my jacket and gently repositioned my purse at my hip, so as not to disturb Red, I surveyed the large shop for the source of the raucous cheers. A small group of six or seven had gathered near a vintage Ms. Pac-Man arcade game, no doubt watching Julie's brother compete with whoever he'd suckered into going head-to-head with him, a challenge that no doubt involved shots of tequila for the loser. Tom was a lot like his sister, he approached everything he did with an infectious
joie de vivre
that even a toga-wearing frat boy would envy. Although, when the morning-after hit, maybe not so much.

My mouth watered at the piquant fragrance of pickled jalapeños, onions, and cheese. I'd dig ditches through hardpan for a plate of Julie's nachos.

Dozens of friendly eyes met mine as I searched the familiar crowd in search of my good friend. Clusters of people peppered the spacious coffee shop, some sitting at tables or in the padded chairs surrounding the in-the-round fireplace, others standing in small groups, chatting over their drinks and plates of food. A mob hung out at the back counter where Julie usually set up the refreshments. Here and there I caught a few new faces.

The loiterers hovering near the counter parted and Julie bounded toward me. I waved at people I knew, responding to variations of 'Hey, Lire!' until my friend of seven years halted practically in my face, hands on her hips, sleek brown ponytail swinging.

"You're never late! I thought you forgot!" she exclaimed. Her attention wandered to Kieran. She blinked long, her eyebrows pursuing her hairline, as her gaze flitted from his face down to his toes and then reversed course. "Never mind. I forgive you."

She shook herself and turned to me, her grin wide and a little sloppy. Someone was tipsy. "Holy crap, Li-Li, you weren't kidding. Get out the Dustbuster. Worth every crumb," she gushed, admiring Kieran and nodding her head gravely. "Monday through Saturday and twice on Sunday. Your eyes do not lie, girlfriend. I'll never doubt you again. Swear." She held up her hand, pinkie waving.

I gazed heavenward. "God save me from drunken best friends," I grumbled, cheeks heating, and then narrowed my eyes at her. "I've got three words for you: The Lucky Caldron. Behave, or a certain someone's going to learn all about the bachelorette party gone wrong."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. That secret's following us to the grave and you know it. Pinkie swears are absolute."

I pursed my lips to hide my grin and leaned closer. "Remind me to stop confiding in you." Straightening, I said, "Kieran, this is Julie, my soon-to-be
ex
-best friend." I shot her a warning glare, knowing it was a lost cause but unable to help myself. "Jules, this is Kieran."

She stuck out her hand and Kieran shook it, his lips quirked by an amused smile. After they exchanged good-to-meet-yous, Kieran looked at her askance. "Dustbuster? I imagine there's a hidden meaning at work here," he observed, glancing at me before his eyes narrowed and turned conspiratorial.

I leveled a finger at Julie. "Don't even think about it," I said, voice pitched low, but she just snickered.

Ignoring me, she took Kieran by the elbow. "Kieran, hon, I'm so glad you asked." Smug grin firmly in place, she guided him toward the refreshments. "It's a private joke Lire and I cooked up after a night of one too many drinks. You ever hear the saying, 'I'd let him eat crackers in my bed any day?'"

He chuckled. "No, I can't say I have."

She stopped to peer up at him, unsteady in her stance as she cocked her hip. Her chain-link belt, which perched low on her hips, clanked softly. "I don't need to explain it, do I?"

"Crumbs in one's sheets are a terrible business," he replied in mock seriousness.

After a moment of looking puzzled, she brightened when his words apparently sank in. "I know, right?" She beamed. "Now, decide how many days of the week you'd put up with it and there you go. I agree with Lire, you're definitely a seven-day-a-week guy, but don't go getting cocky. Personality counts. I haven't accounted for that yet." She shot me a devilish grin and giggled. "Although, Lire has … along with performance." She waved her hand dismissively and rolled her eyes. "I'll be taking her word for
that
."

"Good grief." I smacked my palm to my forehead. "Kill me now." I stared at her, exasperated. "Remind me: Why did I come here?"

"Nachos. And the BFF Seal of Approval, of course. He's stealing you away for a three-month sabbatical and this is the first I'm meeting him." She shook her head and tsked at me. "Girl—seriously? You didn't
actually
think you could come out of this unscathed, did you?"

She folded her arms and eyed Kieran authoritatively. "Lire is my best friend. She's part of my family. You hurt her and I will hunt you down, and most of the people in this room will join me. Here, or the Otherworld, it doesn't matter. I might be human, but I'm inventive and persistent and very, very devious. Just ask any of my brother's skanky ex-girlfriends." She poked him in the arm with her index finger. "Got me?"

Kieran regarded her thoughtfully and bowed his head. "Of course. You have my word, Lire's well-being is my highest concern."

Looking satisfied, Julie nodded. "Good. Then we have an understanding." She dusted her hands together and grinned at us. "Let's party!" She bounced on the balls of her feet and then strode around the rustic fireplace toward the counter. "Warming up your food now, Li-Li," she announced. "Grab a drink, you two."

Shaking my head, I risked a glance at Kieran. Thankfully, he continued to look amused. "You want a beer?"

"Certainly." He followed me to the large tubs filled with ice and various beverages.

As I straightened from the container, cold Blue Moon in hand, he grasped my waist and whispered over my shoulder, "For you, I would not be deterred by one crumb nor ten thousand, day of the week notwithstanding."

I shivered at the warmth of his breath against my cheek. When I turned, he smirked and tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear.
Holy cow.
With Kieran around, who needed a roller coaster for a case of plummeting stomach?

Although I did my best to hide it, a goofy grin spread across my lips. Being cool was a lost cause. Going, going, gone.

BOOK: Reluctant Adept: Book Three of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life
4.39Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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