Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 55

  I forced my attention back to the cover I was working on. It was a paranormal novel with some sort of romance added in. From the author’s emails and descriptions, I had gathered it was about werewolves. The blurb sounded interesting, and the title was catchy. I hoped it did well. Every cover pushed me a step closer to leaving Spark behind and making Designs by Kenna my sole occupation, because every cover gained me more visibility for other authors to find me. I enjoyed working at Spark, but I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

  My conversation with Landon this morning flickered through my mind. He had called to check on the Sage issue, because I’d forgotten to call him back. It hadn’t taken long for me to fill him in. While he hadn’t agreed with Sage’s actions, he still seemed relieved to learn she was okay. I hadn’t the heart to tell him how irate Bianca was with her and warn him of how terrifying she seemed. Instead, I’d flipped the conversation to questions of how he was doing. I still harbored heavy guilt for what I had done to him. At this point, I could accept the fact that I most likely always would.

  Afterward, we shifted topics to the wraith. He offered to give me some time off until things were situated and I was wraith-free. I accepted. Of course.

  Our entire conversation had lasted twenty minutes, but I was glad I’d answered the phone. It was nice to hear how well Landon was adjusting to his new life.

  A knock at my front door stalled my thoughts. I set my laptop on the coffee table and made my way to answer it with a pounding heart. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face Lexy’s irritation toward the situation. God, I hoped she didn’t think I had anything to do with whatever Bianca was dangling over her head. When I pulled the door open, it wasn’t Lexy standing there, but Luke instead.

  The sight of him shocked me. I wasn’t sure why though. He should be here. His twin sister was coming back to town for the first time in five years. This was a big moment for him, one that held the potential to be pivotal.

  “Hey.” I stepped to the side so he could slip through my door. “Come on in.”

  “Hi.” He flashed me a charming smile, it didn’t reach is eyes though, and strutted past me.

  Luke was attractive—blond hair spiked to perfection, electric blue eyes, which held a hypnotizing quality about them, tanned skin, and toned muscles any girl would go crazy for. The only thing keeping me from joining the Luke Bloom Fan Club was his arrogant attitude. Nothing turned me off more than a guy with an ego issue.

  “Are you here for Lexy’s welcome home party?” I joked to lighten the mood as I closed the door behind him. There was a somber air surrounding him that made me uneasy.

  “Funny.” His smile dimmed. Without waiting for an invitation, he sauntered toward my couch. “I’m here because…” He trailed off as he shifted to sit on the arm of my couch. “I’m not sure why, actually.”

  I crossed the living room and sat down where I had previously been. His gloomy mood was so uncharacteristic of him. Generally, he was chipper to the point of grating on my nerves.

  “Nervous about seeing Lexy?” I tucked my feet beneath me. “I don’t know what you two fought about before, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to remedy things.”

  Luke nodded. “Apologizing and catching up with her are things that need to happen for sure, but—” His eyes drifted to mine. There was something swirling through them I couldn’t fully decipher. I wasn’t sure if it was denial or anger. “I can’t believe Sage was the one who kidnapped Randal.”

  “Why does that surprise you?” Now that I had thought it over more, I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t thought of Sage first when Randal went missing. She could be impulsive at times.

  “I thought we had something good going.” He shrugged. “But I guess that was just a ruse. She was using me. Wasn’t she?”

  “Why would you think she was using you? She kidnapped Randal because she didn’t want him to die.” It had nothing to do with Luke.

  “Maybe you’re right.” He ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair. “I’m probably looking into things too much.”

  “I think you—” I was interrupted by a knock at my front door. This time I knew it had to be Lexy.

  “Do you want to answer it or should I?” I asked him.

  As he stared at me, contemplating his answer, another knock sounded. “I will.” He stood and crossed the room in large strides.

  I shifted in my seat, watching as he swung the door open. Lexy stood with a bag slung over one shoulder and a large suitcase at her feet. Her blond hair was piled high on her head in a messy bun, and she was dressed in a thin T-shirt and skinny jeans with sandals. While I had seen pictures of the two side-by-side on the internet, I’d never seen them together in person. The similarities between them were incredible. Twins would never cease to amaze me.

  “H-hi,” she muttered. Tension filled my apartment, stemming from the two. “What are you doing here?” Her words were sharp and composed. Somehow she had gathered her shock at seeing him in the span of a few heartbeats. I wondered if memories from whatever had forced them apart consumed their minds yet.

  “I wanted to see you.” Luke ran a hand through his hair. I had never heard him sound so insecure before.

  “Okay, well, now you’ve seen me.” Lexy gave him a go to hell look, while managing to hold on to that edge she’d created after the initial shock of seeing him had worn off. “Think I can come inside now?”

  “Yeah, sure. Here.” Luke took Lexy’s bags from her and stepped to the side so she could get through.

  They seemed so awkward it almost made me want to leave the room.

  “Thanks.” Lexy’s eyes fell to me as soon as she stepped through the threshold of my apartment. Her arms folded across her chest. “I’m here now. Can you call Bianca and verify it for me?”

  “Okay.” Confusion clouded my mind. I wasn’t sure why she would need me to. Why couldn’t she call Bianca herself?

  “I know it sounds strange, but it’s what she wanted.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m just following her rules.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll call her in a minute.”

  “Thanks.” She moved to sit on the couch beside me.

  “No problem. Thanks for coming.”

  “How long are you supposed to be here?” Luke asked as he stacked her bags inside the door.

  “I guess until Sage and Randal are located,” she answered.

  “How long will that take?” Luke moved to sit in the recliner.

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never tried to find someone cloaked by hoodoo before.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Our magic isn’t like theirs, or have you forgotten while you were gallivanting around that high-class strip club of yours?”

  My jaw dropped. High-class strip club? I could see that being a valid description of Luke’s club, Love Potion #9.

  “Could we get a minute?” It took me a moment to realize Luke was talking to me; I was so shocked by Lexy’s words.

  “Yeah, sure.” I gathered my laptop and stood. “I need to finish this cover anyway.” And they obviously had issues to resolve, or worsen, whichever.

  “Thanks.” Luke ran a hand through his hair, making it more ruffled than it already was.

  “No problem.” I darted down the hallway, heading toward my room. I heard Luke say something about how he knew she was still pissed at him for how he had acted, and I wondered if it was the beginnings of an apology or if he was getting ready to rehash whatever had separated them for so long by opening up old wounds.

  Once I had situated myself on my bed with my laptop, my cell rang. It was Bianca. My heart hammered in my chest at the sight of her name and number.

  I swiped my thumb across the screen and pressed the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

  “She made it there.” Bianca didn’t have to say Lexy’s name; I knew who she meant. The question was: How did she know Lexy was here? Was Bianca lurking outside my apartment? Surely not. It was early afternoon. While I understood the sun didn’t affect her a
s it did newer vampires, I knew it still drained her.

  “Yeah, she just got here. She and Luke are catching up,” I informed her.

  “Perfect. Tell her I expect to have the whereabouts of my brother by nine tonight.”

  “Umm, I’m not sure—” I started, but then paused at the sound of her hanging up on me. “Good talking to you, too,” I muttered.

  I’d give Lexy and Luke a few more minutes before I passed the news along. I wasn’t sure how she planned to seek Randal and Sage out, especially with such a short timeframe, but I had all the faith in the world that she could.

  Shifting my attention back to the werewolf love cover I had been working on before everyone showed up, I began toying with the title color once more.

  Chapter 14

  “So what’s Bianca holding over your head?” I watched Lexy as she continued to pull random items from her suitcase. Luke had left a few minutes ago. While I wasn’t sure what note their reunion ended on, I could tell she was still worked up. Even so, curiosity got the best of me.

  “Who said she had anything over my head?” She grabbed a vial of oil and twisted the lid off. After taking a sniff of its contents, she wrinkled her nose and secured the cap back on.

  “No one. I just assumed since—”

  “You assumed what? That because I’m here, there must be some sort of blackmail she has on me?” Lexy’s eyes grew dark. “There isn’t anything incriminating Bianca’s holding over my head. Okay?”

  “Then what did she do, threaten you?” My throat constricted as the words passed through my lips. I hated the thought of putting someone else in danger for the sake of my wellbeing. It seemed to be an all too popular theme with me lately.

  “No. She offered to pay me a heavy amount to do this spell for you guys.” Shame twisted her facial features; money as the motivating factor for her to help wasn’t something she was proud of. “An amount I couldn’t turn down. Bloom’s Garden might look like it does well, but alternative medicine isn’t for everyone. I struggle to pay the bills for the place some months, but with this money, that won’t be an issue anymore. I could buy the building flat-out.”

  I blinked. “Wow. Okay.”

  I knew Randal, Bianca, and Arabella had money, I just never realized how much. If Bianca could offer to pay Lexy enough to buy a commercial building outright in exchange for her finding Randal’s whereabouts without batting an eyelash, their net worth must be pretty hefty.

  Lexy’s phone chimed with a new text.

  “It’s probably Luke. I hope he’s apologizing for his small minded ways.” She reached for her phone and glanced over the text. “No.” There was fear embedded in her tone, making me question whether it was Luke.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Lexy’s face grew pale. “She has Luke.”

  “Who has Luke?” I knew who she meant, even before she answered, I just wasn’t sure why she would take him.

  “Bianca. She has Luke.” Lexy confirmed my theory.

  I swallowed hard. “Why?”

  “She wants me to do the hoodoo spell.” Lexy muttered. “I still get the money when I find where Randal is being kept, but Luke won’t be safe until I agree to go through with the spell.”

  A sick feeling lurched through my stomach. Bianca had taken things too far. I hated that someone else was in danger because of me.

  “I have to agree.” Lexy’s words were soft, yet controlled. She began to type out a response.

  “What about the spell twisting your magic?” I reminded her. While I understood her urge to save her brother, I wanted her to think things through first.

  “That’s a risk I’ll have to take.” She brought her eyes to meet with mine. “Luke is more important than magic. I can handle twisted magic, but I can’t handle something happening to my brother.”

  I understood. Her determination was one I had felt often. Lexy and I were similar in the sense that we wouldn’t let someone else pay for something because of us.

  Lexy sent a text to Bianca. Seconds later, her cell chimed again.

  “What did she say? Is she releasing him?” I asked.

  “Not right away.” Lexy shook her head. Of course Bianca wouldn’t release him that fast, who was I kidding? “She said she would decide when the time was right to release him.”

  “I bet that’s when the spell is complete.” I said what I knew we both were thinking.

  A heavy silence filled the air.

  “I’m sure.” Lexy said after a few minutes. She pulled a few more things from in her bag. “Can you clear off that table for me?” She pointed to my coffee table. Apparently it was time to get down to business.

  “Sure.” I reached for the odds and ends littering the table. After I moved it all to the kitchen counter, I noticed she had draped a black cloth over the table. She was rubbing the smelly oil I’d seen her sniff earlier along the length of a black candle. Alarm buzzed through my insides. What type of magic would she be using to find Randal and Sage? Dark magic?

  “You can sit. You don’t have to lurk around behind me,” she muttered.

  Exhaling the breath I’d been holding, I moved beside her and sat on the floor. “Okay.”

  Lexy moved from one candle to another, rubbing oil over it as well. When she finished, she lined them up on the table. There were four total—one black, one white, one blue, and one purple. I wondered what the color of each symbolized, but I didn’t ask. She seemed lost in concentration, and I didn’t want to break it. She stood and headed to the kitchen, taking a silver dish with her.

  The sound of running water echoed through my silent apartment. I swallowed hard, wondering what it was for. I had read a book once about a witch who used a spell that turned the water’s surface into a mirror, allowing her to see things she wanted. My insides twisted, and knots formed in my stomach. While the idea of magic—real magic—was exciting, I couldn’t deny how frightening it was as well. Both emotions raged through me, rushing beneath the surface of my skin.

  Grant me the final scrape of control, and you won’t have to take part in this moment at all, the wraith insisted.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking him out. Lexy walked back to the table and placed the bowl in the center. It was halfway full of water. I opened my mouth to ask her what it was for, but when she began to align the candles into a formation of some sort, I thought better of it.

  “Will you hand me that stick of incense?” She pointed to a brown stick lying beside me on the floor.

  I scooped it up and held it out to her. “What is all of this for?” I asked, taking the opportunity to learn what she was doing.

  “The spell, of course.” She smirked. It was nice to see her have a sense of humor, even in the dire state things were in. She and Luke were more alike than I’d originally thought.

  “I know that much.”

  “I’m kidding. Relax. I’m not doing any freaky satanic ritual in the middle of your living room, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She licked her lips as she placed the stick of incense into its holder. “Everything holds a purpose, right down to the color of the item in this spell. The black tablecloth is to give me a solid base to build the spell from. Black is the color of protection, but it can also confuse anyone who might want to hinder me from seeking out Sage and Randal, while concealing me from them as I’m working.”

  Wow. Magic was some serious business. I wanted to know more. “And the candles?”

  “One for each of the four corners—north, south, east, and west,” she continued. “Black for protection and concealment, white for purity, blue for summoning information, and purple for wisdom, as well as to intensify my abilities.”

  I watched her as she fumbled through the top part of her suitcase until she found a lighter. “The incense is to cleanse the area before we begin and to keep negative spirits away.” She situated herself in front of the table again. Her hands rested in her lap, and she closed her eyes. “Close your eyes, and relax your mind. I need to begin.
”

  I did as she said, feeling as the nervousness in my stomach began to eat away at my insides. The flick of a lighter startled me. I opened my eyes and watched as Lexy lit each of the candles, followed by the incense. My eyes zeroed in on the orange flames, watching as they moved in an unfelt breeze. When she set her lighter down on the table, I closed my eyes again.

  “Focus on your breath, clear your mind of any thoughts,” she muttered.

  Easier said than done. My mind was jumbled with thoughts about where Randal was, and what Sage must be doing to him in order to keep him there.

  Hopefully, you don’t see something you wish not to. The wraith’s insinuation was not lost on me.

  I frowned, and chose to focus on my breath again. Not much longer, this was what I reminded myself as well as him.

  It wouldn’t be long before I was free from him now that Lexy had been forced into doing the spell. The problem was, I wasn’t sure how the spell worked. Jasper had mentioned the risks for Lexy, but he never elaborated on any for me. If someone had to willingly die for me in the last spell, I wondered what horrific price this one asked for.

  Questions burned the tip of my tongue. I swallowed them and searched for any sign that whatever Lexy was doing was working.

  Chapter 15

  A gentle breeze flitted through my living room, holding an odd charge. The strange part was there wasn’t an open window. Lexy must have called magic to her finally. The desire to open my eyes was nearly overwhelming. The only thing keeping them closed was the fear I would cause whatever she was doing to cease if I did. With nine o’clock a few hours away, Lexy didn’t need any setbacks. I would wait until she told me it was safe.

  “Open your eyes,” she demanded a few minutes later. “Does this place look familiar?”

  I opened my eyes, but wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be looking at, until I noticed the rippling water in the silver bowl. An image wavered across the surface, becoming clearer as the seconds passed.