Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series Read online

  “I don’t know, but it’s all everyone is talking about.”

  “Well tell them you heard it from the source that it’s not true. I swear everyone in Moon is worse than a group of teenagers.” I swallowed my growing frustration. “Have they restored the protection spell?” I knew the answer before Fiona spoke.

  “Yes, they were successful like two days ago. I…never mind. I don’t think I should say anything.”

  “Spill it, Fiona.”

  “It just…Holly has been spotted around the castle acting like everything’s peachy.”

  My frustration quickly grew into anger. Why the hell hadn’t Charles called me to let me know the spell was back in place? And why wasn’t Holly held up in a dirty cell?

  “I knew they wouldn’t believe me about that night. Holly is going to get off scott free,” I bit out. “Is Charles at the castle now?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him today.”

  The line went silent for a moment. “Sorry for the rant. How are you? How’s the spell casting going?”

  “Moon is okay, but it’s not home. I miss Flora and you. Ethan and I are good and I’ve learned a lot of cool new spells.”

  I could hear the smile in her voice and it made me smile in return.

  “That’s good. Moon may not be home but it’s the safest place for you right now. You wouldn’t want to be drawn into the drama I’m facing,” I laughed but it sounded fake to my ears.

  “Gwen, is everything alright? You said Flora was invaded? By what?”

  “I’m over reacting as usual,” I laughed and this time it sounded sincere. I could tell Fiona about the rogues and the bond with Aiden but I didn’t want to worry her when she was thousands of miles away and unable to do anything but work herself up.

  “Okay, but if something else is going on you better tell me. Just because I’m studying in Moon doesn’t mean that I’m not still your best friend. And if I find out you’re lying to me I won’t hesitate to use one of my new spells on you.”

  I smiled wide. “Consider me scared.”

  After we hung up I stared at the phone for a few minutes as I contemplated whether I should call Charles. If the council was allowing Holly to roam around the castle, then maybe they were part of her scheme. And if everyone in Moon believed I was going through with the hybrid thing then I definitely didn’t have any fans there. It looked like I was on my own and would have to take care of Holly myself.

  “It was so nice to meet you, Gwen.” Amara embraced me. I couldn’t help but notice her hair smelled like lotus blossoms and when she touched me my entire body relaxed against hers.

  “I hope you’re not leaving because of me.” I still wasn’t sure if there was something going on between her and Dorian but that didn’t matter; I liked her. And I was supposed to be taking a break from relationships so if she was involved with Dorian then it would give me a good reason to stop thinking about him.

  “Of course not,” Amara said. “I’m just passing through. On my way to Maine.” At my confusion she said, “I don’t like staying in one place for too long. The world is too vast to stand still.” She eyed Dorian across the room and then turned me slightly, motioning for me to follow her down the stairs. When we were standing in front of the door she leaned in really close, her face almost touching mine.

  “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s not as shallow as he seems. A vast life of solitude with nothing more than the dead to keep him company has hardened his heart. That is, until he met you.” She stepped back, winking as she opened the door.

  “Goodbye,” she called loud enough for Dorian to hear.

  “Good travels, Amara,” Dorian said from the top of the stairs.

  When the door closed I turned to stare up at him, taking one step at a time as I slowly ascended to the top floor. Dorian had his hands braced on either side of the short wall surrounding the staircase, blocking my path.

  “What’s the plan?”

  Dorian reached his hand out and I took it, stepping up to the landing. I tried, and failed, to ignore how small my hand looked in his. Everything about him made me feel safe. I knew without a doubt that whatever threat was thrown my way, Dorian would shield me from it. I had learned he was more than his attitude when he first saved my life.

  “The only thing you have to do today is be a tourist.” He shook my hand gently. “Hi, I’m Dorian and I’ll be your guide to all the wonders that is New Orleans.”

  *

  We walked all up and down Bourbon Street, my eyes wide while Dorian pointed things out. It was unusually warm for a February day or maybe that was one of the perks of living in the South. The world still went on with its business while my mind was plagued with thoughts of rogues, vampires and scheming council members. Tipping my eyes up, I stared at the fluffy white clouds against a bright blue sky. Walking next to Dorian, I could pretend everything would be all right, if only for a day.

  The scent of food from the multiple restaurants lining the street permeated the air and made my stomach grumble.

  “Hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  Dorian laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tugging me into the nearest restaurant. The sign had a grinning alligator welcoming guests. A woman with short, red hair smiled at us.

  “How many?”

  “Two,” Dorian responded.

  She grabbed two menus and we followed her through the restaurant and outside to a bricked courtyard. Colorful plants rested in various sized pots while a fountain trickled water toward the back. A bar sat off to the side and wrought-iron tables sat in rows.

  “Your waitress will be with you in a moment,” the hostess said. Dorian and I sat, picking up our menus. I smiled with excitement at seeing alligator and jambalaya listed.

  “What’s a boudain ball?”

  “They’re a mixture of rice and sausage. Very good, but spicy.”

  I nodded. “I think I’ll try those.”

  As I waited for Dorian to choose and our waitress to come over, so many thoughts raced through my head. I still needed to ask Dorian about what really happened at my shop, what he did to Aiden and the rogues and figure out a way to tell him that my council might be shady. As I watched Dorian, I also wondered if I could trust him. Holly was the one who brought him to Moon. That wasn’t a good start. But against my better judgment, I did trust him. He had saved my life more times than I could count and acted protective of me.

  “Hi, I’m Marie and I’ll be your server today.” The waitress smiled at both of us but chose to keep eye contact with Dorian. I didn’t blame her, Dorian was nice to look at.

  “She’ll have the boudain and I’ll have the blackened pasta.”

  “Okay,” Marie said, writing our orders down. “And what can I get you to drink?”

  Dorian looked at me.

  “I’ll have iced tea with lemon, please.”

  “And I’ll have water,” Dorian added.

  Marie took our menus and walked away, leaving Dorian and me to ourselves. A lump formed in my throat as the words I wanted to say ran through my head. My mouth opened and then closed, opened and closed. If Dorian thought I was gasping like a fish out of water, he didn’t say anything. Finally I found my voice.

  “I visited the store the other day.” The words didn’t carry as strongly as I intended over the clatter of the restaurant, but he’d heard me. Dorian turned his attention towards me, his head bobbing as if it was the courteous thing to do.

  “It was a mess,” I continued. “Micah came by to tell me I should keep it closed. I guess other business owners have complained.” I was getting off track. “Did you have to bust my door down? Did you have a sudden fear of door knobs?”

  “The next time your life is in danger I’ll be sure to follow protocol,” he said sarcastically. His sarcasm didn’t bother me as much as it used to, Especially if it was always followed by that sexy ass grin.

  “Something strange happened when I was there.”

  “Oh y
eah?”

  “Yeah,” I responded. “I saw—”

  “Here we go,” Marie said, sitting our drinks down. “Your food will be right up.”

  “Thank you, Marie.” Dorian smiled and a fresh blush colored Marie’s pale skin. She cut her eyes to me, looking away quickly as if embarrassed to be swooning over another girl’s boyfriend. I didn’t have the heart to tell her Dorian and I weren’t an item. If he was interested in her it would last one night, and Marie would be crushed. It was better they never interacted outside of the restaurant.

  When Marie walked away, I took a big drink of my iced tea. Leaning up, I rested my folded arms on the table, my knee bouncing up and down nervously.

  “You were saying…”

  “I remembered things that couldn’t be real,” I began. “I mean, I guess they could be real. We deal with ghosts all the time but…” I stopped to take a deep breath. Circling around what I wanted to say was pointless. I just needed to spit it out and hope he told me the truth.

  “What did you do, Dorian?”

  “I thought it was clear what I did,” he responded. “I saved your life, again.”

  “But…I was a ghost. I saw it, saw you…suck my soul into your hands.” My upper lip lifted in a cringe. If I was just watching Dorian, daydreaming about all the things I would like to do with him, it was easy to pretend he was normal. But if I thought about all the things I had seen him do, that fantasy collapsed. He wasn’t just otherworldly, he was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

  “I did what I had to,” he said tersely.

  “Was I supposed to die?” I whispered. I waited, watching him speculate internally on how much he wanted to tell me. “Damn it,” I slammed my hand down on the table, rattling our glasses. The other patron’s searched for the commotion and quickly looked away when I glared at them.

  “I have a right to know.”

  “It’s not the time for this conversation,” he snapped. We were locked in each other’s stares when Marie popped back up. She sat our plates down in front of us, but still we didn’t break each other’s gazes. I could see my angry face reflected in Dorian’s sunglasses.

  “Uh…Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  “No, thank you,” Dorian said and Marie scampered off. “Eat,” he ordered, breaking eye contact to pick up his fork and stir his pasta. I shook my head, my frustration outweighing my hunger. How could I sit across from this man and eat lunch like everything was hunky-dory?

  “You are the most pig-headed man I’ve ever met. How in the world I was ever attracted to you is beyond me—”

  “At least you’re admitting to it now,” he interrupted, shoveling a mouthful of noodles into his mouth.

  “Shut up,” I retorted. “Marie.” I waved my hand in the air. She looked up, her eyes volleying between me and Dorian. After a few seconds she headed over to our table.

  “Can I get a to-go box please?”

  “Sure, would you also like the check?”

  “No, he’ll take care of it.”

  Marie nodded, her hair bobbing against her shoulders. “Be right back.”

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Dorian asked. It may have been childish but I ignored him. There were too many emotions fighting for my attention. If I acknowledged him, I might start screaming. Since I didn’t want to draw any more attention than we already had, I kept my mouth closed and my thoughts to myself.

  “Here you go.” Marie handed me a Styrofoam container.

  “Thank you,” I smiled.

  Storming out loses some of its effect when you stop to fill a doggy bag, but I knew my appetite would return and I was curious to try the boudain. Besides, I didn’t care what Dorian thought of me, or about the smug smirk currently on his face.

  Standing, I picked up the container and headed out. Dorian didn’t try to stop me. I had no clue where I was going. Going back to Dorian’s townhouse wasn’t an option, and I wanted to experience the city. Taking a right, I headed down the sidewalk and walked and walked. The sidewalks were crowded in every direction. I cut across the street, heading south. After ten minutes or so the city opened up to a large square. An elaborate building rested against manicured shrubs and flowers, its spiky steeples reaching towards the darkening sky. Its white granite exterior was in sharp contrast to the gloomy clouds above.

  Spotting an empty bench, I walked over and sat down. My eyes studied the gray clouds and it only made me madder. They raced across the sky, mimicking Dorian’s eyes. My head tipped down, staring that the container in my lap. My appetite still hadn’t resurfaced. As I thought about my argument with Dorian, I watched people walking through the square. I was thrilled I was still alive, but at what cost? Had Dorian thrown the cosmic design off balance when he chose to restore my soul to my body? I really wished I had asked Amara about it; she was one of the Fates after all. Maybe her visit wasn’t just about Dorian finding information on why he couldn’t see my destiny.

  The angel of Death was such a mystery to me. Half the time I wanted to punch him, and the other half I wanted to rip his clothes off. He had gotten under my skin in more ways than one. I replaced my aggravated thoughts of Dorian with the NAWC. If there was anything that could make me angrier than Dorian, it was my council. As soon as I got back to Dorian’s I was going to call Charles and find out what the hell was going on. Knowing that Holly was roaming around the castle like an innocent woman had me seeing red. Not only did she try to kill me, but she was the one who, informed Ian about me. Had he not known a spirit walker was within his grasp, my life would still be my own.

  My mind stewed, changing to thoughts of the VC. Where did they come into play, and why did they order Aiden to drink from me? A million different motives were in play, and eventually they would all collide. I needed to be ready when it happened.

  I felt him before I saw him. The icy coldness of death’s grip hit me in my gut. I had gotten pretty good at not focusing on the sensation; otherwise I would go insane. But Dorian wasn’t someone who could be ignored. His presence dominated wherever he was. Currently, he was walking across the square toward me. I watched in awe as people went out of their way to walk around him, making sure to not get in his way. I wondered if he knew the effect he held over them. I cursed mentally when I felt my anger with him slipping away. I was more focused on the confidence of his walk, the way the strong wind whipped his hair across his face, the fullness of his lips and the snug fit of his motorcycle jacket. My brain told me to be pissed, but my body was currently thinking “bow-chica-wow-wow”. I was a hopeless mess.

  “Do you feel better after your tantrum?” Dorian sat next to me, resting a foot on his bent knee. He leaned back, placing an arm across the back of the bench.

  “It wasn’t a tantrum,” I bit out. “I just don’t like you keeping things from me.” I lost some of my steam, leaning back and crossing my legs. I looked at Dorian. “How did you know where I was?”

  His lips bent upwards. “You can’t hide from me, cupcake. I’m the keeper of souls, and I’m attuned to yours.”

  I didn’t know how to respond. It was an obvious statement, but the way he had said it implied it meant more than just being able to track me down. I looked away, watching the people instead of focusing on Dorian. We sat in silence, absorbing the city. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but neither of us made a motion to move. The wind picked up, caressing my face. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoying the feel of it against my skin.

  Fingers curled around my shoulder, tugging me closer. My eyes opened slowly, and I looked at Dorian. He was staring straight ahead, but his lips strained as if holding back a smile. Anger forgotten, I leaned closer, resting my head on his shoulder. It didn’t matter how many times he infuriated me; being next to him, feeling his hands on me settled my soul. He was a hot cup of tea on a cold day; a big serving of comfort food that always hit the spot. He might poke the fire within me but he also knew how to tame it.

  “Dorian,” I wh
ispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “Did you condemn me by saving me?”

  His fingers brushed against my shoulder back and forth. “The payment will be mine.”

  I tilted my chin up so I could see him. “What does that mean?”

  He looked down, his other hand coming around to caress my face. “It means you have nothing to worry about.”

  Something about his words made me sad. Before I could analyze why, my mouth was on his. I kissed him gently, placing my lips against his soft as a whisper. His arm tightened around me, holding me close to his body. Our mouths worked against each other, unhurried as we savored the moment. Unlike the other times, this wasn’t raw sexual desire. It was a sweet, untainted emotion. Droplets of water splashed against my cheeks and the thunder grew louder.

  When I pulled away all I could do was stare at him, speechless against the emotion swirling through my stomach. I could deal with lust, it was a natural feeling, but it wasn’t what was causing me to catch my breath or see Dorian with new eyes. I sat up quickly, putting distance between us.

  “We should probably get home before it really starts pouring.” I stood, ignoring the rain splattering against my face and the thoughts cluttering my head. I heard Dorian stand, but couldn’t look at him. Instead, I began walking. Once we got back to his place, I could occupy myself with trying to find answers. Charles was the first one my list, and then Aiden. I was hoping the VC might have explained why they made him drink from me. The bond left me angry, but not at Aiden. The VC had something up their sleeve. I just needed to find out what it was, and why. Surely they couldn’t be that angry over losing a lowlife like Ian.

  I glanced over my shoulder, and stopped when I saw Dorian staring up at the beautiful building. All of the other people rushed around him, hurrying to outrun the coming storm. He was a picture of solitude staring ahead at the towering church. Turning, I walked toward him. Everything else faded into the background as I made my way to him. I was captured by the loneliness seizing his face. It only took moments, but my short walk toward him left me with the realization that Dorian was deeper than I gave him credit for. I no longer saw a man who slept around and spouted off sarcasm like it was his first language. All of the one night stands were nothing more than an opportunity to share a small piece of his life with someone else, a moment when he wasn’t alone. Amara had told me that the lifetimes had hardened his heart, but maybe his detachment from the world was for protection.