The Haunting (Immortals) (16 page)

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay. Grab your stuff.”

“But, Mom, what about the ghost?”

The woman looked around the room. “If the ghost
knows what’s good for it, it’ll be gone before we get back.” Then she smiled and with her free hand, ruffled his hair.

Sarah watched them disappear into the back and debated trying again to get their attention, but she couldn’t shake the image of the woman beating her with the bat before she had a chance to explain. Not that Sarah blamed the woman. In this day and age, it paid to be cautious. A lesson Sarah wished she’d not had to learn the hard way.

Sarah backed away from the mirror, left that room and walked to another door. Behind it, she found another room with a window. It was another living room, but this time it was empty.

Sarah went to the next room and found the same thing. There was something familiar about all of these rooms and it took her a minute to figure out what it was. They all looked like hers. Not the decorations or the color of the carpet, but the layout. Could it be that each of these windows was looking into an apartment in
her
building?

She went into the next room and stood at the window, peering into another living room. Just below the window, she could make out a dining table. Of course. These windows were the mirrors hanging on the walls behind the tables.

Sarah felt a surge of hope. If she was right, then behind one of these doors was a window looking into
her
apartment. If she could find it—and then, if Jenna was home…

The thought of escape spurred her to race out the door and start checking each room. It seemed to take forever, and the hallways in this place all looked the same. After a while, she didn’t know which hallways and rooms she’d explored and which she hadn’t. And time was running out. The genie would eventually notice she was gone and come looking for her.

She pulled off a shoe and whacked its heel against the door. To her delight, the hard sole left a small dent. It wasn’t the best solution, but it was the only one she had.

Now as she checked the rooms, she left a small indentation on the door before moving on to the next.

She got so used to looking into rooms she didn’t recognize that when she finally hit one she did, it didn’t register right away. She moved closer to the glass and stared at a familiar photograph on the bookcase facing her. An attractive woman with long black hair stood beside a handsome man with tattoos covering his arms and chest. Between them, they held an infant. She’d seen this picture before. These were Mai’s friends—which meant this was Mai’s apartment!

Unfortunately, Mai was nowhere to be seen. Sarah banged on the window but after a few minutes gave up. She was so close. With renewed hope, she quickly moved into the hall to find her own apartment, marking doors as she went.

Three rooms down, she found the window looking into her apartment. Sarah hardly dared believe her luck when she saw Jenna sitting at the table. She looked horrible, like she hadn’t slept in days, and her eyes were red from crying.

Sarah rapped her knuckles against the window. “Jenna,” she shouted.

Jenna’s head snapped up. She’d heard. Sarah pounded on the glass again. “Jenna. Help me. I’m behind the mirror.”

Jenna’s gaze shot around the room, coming to stop on the mirror. “Sarah?” Jenna stood to face the mirror, her eyes wide in shock. “How?”

A noise from somewhere deep in the labyrinth of hallways told Sarah the genie had finally noticed she was gone. “Hurry, Jenna. He’s coming.”

“Who?”

“It’s a genie. He pulled me through and I can’t get out.”

Resolve hardened the features of her sister’s face as she raced into the kitchen. Sarah saw her pull a knife from the cutlery block and bring it back to the mirror. Her lips were moving and Sarah knew she was casting a spell. Jenna, who’d been born a witch, hadn’t practiced witchcraft since she was a teenager and Sarah prayed her sister still knew enough to help her.

Sarah watched—and listened to the noise from the hallway grow louder. “Hurry,” she pleaded with her sister.

Jenna raised the knife and drew it across her open palm. As blood welled up, she slapped her palm against the mirror. The glass that had been there dissolved and suddenly, Sarah could reach through.

“Jenna.”

Her sister’s eyes had taken on the white light of her magical power and Sarah knew Jenna was seeing through her inner sight.

“Hurry,” Jenna gasped, then continued with her chanting.

Sarah threw her leg over the edge of the mirror. Jenna dropped the knife and with her bloodied hand still applied against the mirror frame, grabbed Sarah with the other and pulled.

As soon as Sarah touched her sister’s hand, she felt Jenna’s magic envelop her.

“You will not leave,” the genie bellowed, grabbing her from behind. “You are mine.”

“Jenna!” Sarah tried desperately to fight off the genie, but he was too strong. She felt herself being pulled back into the mirror. “No. No!” she screamed. If she didn’t get out now, she never would.

Sarah felt Jenna’s power falter as her attention was diverted from her spell. Then she was chanting again, faster, louder.

The genie began uttering words under his breath and
Sarah felt caught between two magical forces. The surge of living magic and the burn of death magic.

Suddenly Sarah was lifted bodily and sent crashing back into the darkened room of her prison. She landed hard, hitting her head against the floor.

Her vision filled with little white lights and an incessant ringing started in her ears. She was dizzy and her vision began to tunnel and fade. The last thing she heard was Jenna’s scream. “Sarah!”

Nick was dreaming of her again.

They were lying together and he was running his hand along the curve of her hip and waist, reveling in the feel of her soft, smooth skin. He found the shape of a woman’s body—of
her
body—glorious. He could stay this way forever and be content merely touching her.

But he was greedy tonight and wanted more. She was lying with her back to him, so he leaned forward to kiss the side of her neck, just below her ear. She leaned back into him and he sensed, more than saw, the smile touch her lips. She raised her arm and ran her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, then slowly guided him down so his next kiss touched her lips.

Even prepared as he was for the resulting explosion of need and desire, it still amazed him. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to be with a woman this much.

He rolled her fully onto her back so he could gather her into his arms and deepen the kiss. He heard the small sound she made—a delicate moan—and knew she was as aroused as he.

“I love—” He stopped, horrified even in his dream at what he’d almost said. She waited for him to finish and he quickly collected his thoughts. “I love being with you.” He bent to kiss her, to distract her. It was the truth, he
loved being with her, but that hadn’t been what he’d started to say.

“I love being with you, too,” she sighed between kisses. She arched her body into his and he felt his body tense in anticipation. He wanted this. He wanted her.

Lowering his mouth to her breast, he tongued her nipple to a tight, stiff peak before pulling it into his mouth. He heard her breath quicken and smiled before doing the same to the other breast.

Her hands gripped his shoulders, squeezing tighter each time he pulled on her nipple, then relaxing their grip when he laved it with his tongue.

His own body was rigid with need, but he ignored it. He wasn’t done loving her yet and knew the moment he took her, it would be over for him.

Sliding his hand between her legs, he slipped his finger between her folds. Her hot, slick wetness was waiting. Encouraged, he probed a little deeper and felt her muscles squeeze his finger.

“Yes,” she gasped as he slipped another finger into her. She was tight and the scent of her arousal filled his senses. His need was now more than he could endure, so he withdrew his hand and positioned himself between her legs. He fit himself to her opening and entered her slowly, though it nearly killed him.

They’d made love before, but this time felt better than anything that had passed between them before. He wasn’t sure what was different, wasn’t sure he cared. He withdrew only to fill her again. She shuddered beneath him as her nails raked his back. The small pain from the scratches only stoked the flames of desire burning inside him.

He couldn’t silence the groan torn from deep inside him. He was so close, but he didn’t want it to end. Not before she found her release.

Then she cried out as her inner muscles tightened around him like a hand, gripping him. It drove him over the brink. With a primal roar, he spilled himself into her—

—and woke from the dream to find himself lying between Mai’s thighs, his cock still throbbing deep inside her womb.

A thousand thoughts filled his head only to vanish when Mai’s eyes flew open.

“Oh God,” she moaned in the voice of someone in shock. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

He frowned, not sure how to interpret her reaction. He’d expected surprise. Hell,
he
was surprised. But the sex—what he could remember of it—had been great. To think it hadn’t been for her was a bit deflating—in every sense of the word.

Sensing his best course of action was to give her space, he eased himself out and rolled to the side. He needn’t have worried about small talk. As soon as he was off her, she shot out of the bed and raced for the bathroom.

He gave her a few minutes while he used his discarded towel from the night before to clean up. He still had no clothes to wear, so pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around his waist. Then he went to the bathroom door and knocked.

“Mai. Are you okay?” There was no answer. “Mai. Open the door. We need to talk.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I mean, it
was great, but I’m sorry to have, you know, caught you—caught us both,” he quickly corrected, “by surprise.” He shut his mouth before he made matters worse, but damn! It was hard to regret something that mind-blowing.

The silence from the bathroom continued and a new, horrifying thought occurred to him. “Mai—oh God. Please tell me I didn’t force you. I’m sorry.” He wanted to tell her he’d never do it, but what if that’s exactly what he’d done? Just because he’d been asleep, it was no excuse. He dragged a hand down his face as his mind imagined how horrible it must have been for her. He had no idea what to do to make it better.

He heard the sound of the doorknob turning and then Mai walked out, dressed in the same outfit she’d worn the day before.

“You didn’t force me,” she announced, pushing past him to go back into the bedroom.

“Oh.” Relief flooded through him, quickly followed by another fear. He went to the bedroom doorway and stood there, watching her pull the remaining sheets off the bed. “You weren’t a virgin, were you?” He thought about the question and quickly dismissed it. “Of course you weren’t.” She’d stopped tugging on the sheets long enough to scowl at him. “You weren’t, were you?”

“No.” She quickly rolled the sheet into a wad and threw it to the floor with some force, glaring at him as she did.

Still feeling guilty and, not knowing exactly why she was upset with him, he walked over to her as she pulled extra linens from the chest of drawers.

“Stop, please,” he begged her, taking hold of her arms and forcing her to look up at him. “We should talk about this.”

“Why?”

Why
? Caught off guard, he took a minute to answer. “Well…what if you get pregnant?” It was the first thing
he thought of and he realized with a start that the idea of her carrying his child wasn’t as terrifying as he would have thought. He tried to imagine Mai, her belly round and swollen with his child. A surge of protectiveness welled up inside, catching him unawares.

“I’m on the pill, so don’t worry.”

Her apathy was unsettling. “I wasn’t worried. It’s just that neither of us expected this to happen.” He smiled. “Prayed. Hoped and dreamed, sure.”

Her expression softened marginally, and her lips twitched in an effort to hide a smile. She shook her head and there was a trace of laughter in her voice when she spoke next. “And to think I was worried that taking two bullets in the back might have slowed you down.”

Relief washed over him to hear her joke. “I told you last night, I heal quickly. So, how about dinner tonight?”

She frowned. “Dinner?”

“Yeah. You know. That meal you eat at the end of the day? Preferably joined by someone you’re dating.” He smiled. “Someone you might have even slept with?”

She rolled her eyes. “Look. I’m not mad at you for what happened. It was as much my fault as yours, but that doesn’t mean we should have a repeat performance.”

He gave her his best shocked look. “I would never suggest a repeat performance.” He sounded indignant.

“You wouldn’t?” She sounded dubious.

“Of course not. What kind of man do you think I am?”

“The male kind,” she mumbled.

“Well, for the record, the next time we have sex, we’ll be awake for the entire thing. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Checking that the sheet was securely wrapped around his waist, he headed for the front door.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Dumpster out back where I was forced to hide my other clothes.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Dressed like that?”

He rubbed a hand across his bare chest, gratified to see her gaze follow the movement. “I’m sort of out of options, in terms of clothing.”

“Wait here a second.”

He ignored her order and followed her to the bedroom, where he found her rummaging in the corner of the closet. When she stood up, Nick was surprised to see her holding men’s sweatpants and a T-shirt. “These might be a little snug, but maybe you can, you know, adjust your size. I think your shoes are still in the bathroom where you left them last night.”

He held the pants up to his waist. They looked like they might actually fit, though they’d be a bit on the short side. The shirt was definitely too tight and he wasn’t about to make himself look thin and scrawny just to make it work. “Whose are these?”