Black Magic Rose (27 page)

Sofia practiced kicking for the next hour. When she mastered kicking with her right foot, he made her do it with her left. She learned not only how to kick without sustaining the impact, but how to aim and place a kick for a specific outcome. She learned to block kicks as well. Then she stepped over the hedge and stared at her flowers. That’s when she found herself holding a shovel.
 

“Get digging.”

She dug up the hedge and did push-ups in the dirt. About forty minutes into it she whined about wanting to take a break.
 

“You’ll take a break when I decide.” Osgar stood over her. “Those are lame-ass push-ups.” His hand landed on her back and he shoved her down into the soil. “That’s more like it.”
 

When she finished with the push-ups, they moved on to defensive posturing.
 

The sun set and darkness began to fall, but Sofia didn’t notice. She was too busy kicking Osgar all over the yard and blocking his return kicks.
 

She landed a kick to Osgar’s chest and knocked him, winded, onto the ground. Exhausted, she dropped beside him. “I’m not defenseless.”
 

Chapter Twenty-four

Only the moon and stars lit the yard. The sensor triggering the front light wasn’t working. Dragomir stood on the porch with Sofia and Osgar, watching his mate grow angrier by the second and worrying about how she’d respond when he forcibly removed her to Cader. She stood between them, huffing, arms folded over her chest, foot tapping furiously.
 

“Just who do you think you are telling me I can’t go in my own house?” Her hands flew to her hips.
 

Osgar leaned on the doorframe acting like a goalie at a hockey game. He’d already bounced her back to Dragomir three times.
 

Dragomir kept one eye trained on the flowers and one on his fuming mate. She had already demonstrated tremendous strength and flexibility by snapping her porch swing from its hinges and hurling it across the porch only to race past it to stop it from crashing through her window.
 

 
“Well, if you didn’t send them, then who did?” She pointed at the flowers. “I should have known they didn’t come from you. Why would a vampire send flowers? That’s like expecting a serial killer to send a condolence card.” She raised her chin and huffed again.
 

The flowers glowed in the moonlight. Red petals blazed above black hearts. Each flower pulsed and the sickeningly sweet aroma seeped into the night.
 

“My guess is Kiernan. Was there no card?” Dragomir studied Sofia. Her mood had gone from pleading to absolute confusion to rage in less than four blinks of her eyes.
 

The poisonous flowers were certainly doing their job. She was hardly in control of herself and more than a minor challenge to contain.
 

She plastered herself against the window, drawn to the flowers like a child to a candy store. “It was signed from you.” Her breath fogged the glass.
 

Dragomir looked at Osgar and raised an eyebrow.
 

“Now you can understand why I agreed to train her.” Osgar shook his head. “She’s better in the fresh air. This close she’s somewhat obsessed.”
 

Dragomir nodded. “She only touched them, no consumption. Is that correct?”

“Yeah, but she wanted to eat them.”
 

“I’m right here.” She glared over her shoulder. “They smell so good.” She smiled and licked her lips then turned back to the window, pressing her forehead to the glass. “I’ll share them.” She sang the offer, batting her eyes at the flowers.
 

“Who delivered them?” Dragomir peeled Sofia off the window and pulled her to the edge of the porch.

“Flowers by Judy.” Sofia tried to wiggle free.
 

He tightened his grip.
 

“Let me go.” She pushed on his chest. “I want to go into my house. Let me go!” She glared at him. Her dark green eyes held more than the usual contempt.
 

“You cannot enter the house. The flowers know you. They want you.” Dragomir held on to Sofia’s hand while picking up the bag he’d brought. Swords and stakes clanged when he slung the strap across his chest. “We go back to Cader.” He pulled her along the porch. “Osgar, I’ll return with reinforcements.”

“Okay.” Osgar leaned against the house. “Good luck getting her back to the hospital.”
 

“I’m not going there. You can’t just drag me off because of some flowers.” She dug her feet in, using all her weight in an attempt to remain planted where she stood.
 

Dragomir pulled her down the stairs, yanking her hand harder with each step she resisted. His grip tightened around her wrist, trying to keep hold of her without breaking any bones. Focusing on not hurting her, he didn’t anticipate her next move. She swung her foot out, tangling her right leg between his and sending him flying down the last two steps. She sailed over his head, tumbling to a stop in the rut that had once been her hedges.
 

Bolting to her feet she made a run for the back deck.
 

“She trained easily. And she’s a bit sneaky, too.” Osgar chuckled. “Maybe I should have warned you earlier.”

Dragomir caught Sofia well before she reached the first step. What he didn’t expect was an all-out attack.
 

She spun to her left, planted her left foot hard, and kicked him in the chest with her right. He flew backwards, landing on his back. She sprinted up the stairs to the landing. Dragomir leapt onto the deck, blocking her path to the door.
 

Sofia hunched as though she planned to plow straight through him. Her eyes narrowed and she curled back her lips. “Get out of my way, vampire.” Her voice dropped, making her sound possessed.
 

Dragomir did not move. He watched Sofia. Her eyes darted between him, the flowers, and the stairs. She panted. Sweat beaded on her upper lip. Her hands trembled.
 

“You have been marked. Black Magic Roses are deadly. Kiernan has sent an open threat. He means to kill you.” Dragomir shifted his weight. “I know you hate Cader after sundown, but that is the safest place for you.” He stepped toward her.
 

Her breathing came fast and hard. She edged back from him, glancing to the sides. “I’m not safe there. And you know it.”
 

He had to admire her efforts. Obvious as she was, she looked for a way to stop him, an escape. But he’d not let her get away. She would not elude his protection.
 

“Killing you would be a tremendous blow to The Alliance,” Dragomir said. He took a measured step to the right, cutting off her path to the stairs but allowing her a view of the flowers.
 

She stared at the roses. “Why? Because there’d be no one to write policies?” she hissed. Her eyes glazed and she stood up straight, dropping her arms and stepping toward the sliding glass door as though hypnotized.

Dragomir was familiar with the effects of Black Magic Roses. He’d seen vampires succumb to their poison. Even at this distance Sofia was helpless against their magic. One drop of their venom and she’d be lost forever.
 

Dragomir darted in front of her, pulling her against his body. “You are special to Jankin and you are my mate. To lose you would be painful for us both.” He caught her chin and brought her gaze to his. “In spite of what you think, I care about you.” He bent his head to hers, his mouth barely brushing her lips. “You’re mine to protect. My heart is yours.”
 

She didn’t react, simply leaned against him. He didn’t wait for her to protest. He picked her up and carried her down the stairs to the forest edge.
 

“Osgar, let us deliver Sofia back to Cader. We will visit Flowers by Judy tonight. There’s a delivery boy with some information we need.”
 

A gust of wind blew. The scent of the roses was carried in the opposite direction.
 

Sofia snapped out of her lethargy and squirmed like a puppy trying to break free. Dragomir lost his hold and she landed with a thud on her ass. “I’m coming.” She stood up. “I’m not going to Cader. I’m coming with you.”

“No.” Dragomir caught her elbow and ushered her into the woods.
 

To his dismay, she flipped backward out of his grip. “Listen, you Neanderthal, you are not telling me what to do. In the past four weeks I’ve tolerated an awful lot from werewolves, Dr. MacDuff, and
you.
I have officially hit my limit.”
 

Osgar joined them in the woods, looking from one to the other, though he didn’t say a word, just watched their interaction.
 

“You’re either taking me willingly or I’m coming on my own. You don’t own me. I will not be forced to do one more thing against my will.” She stalked back toward the driveway. “Tolerating violent wolves. Drinking vampire blood.
Marrying a vampire
. Magic roses.” She turned around. “That’s it.” She threw her hands in the air. “Not one more thing. That’s the threshold. One more thing and I swear to God someone is going to die.” She climbed into Osgar’s truck. “And I’m riding shotgun.”
 

Dragomir and Osgar looked at each other. Osgar’s shoulders rose and dropped. “Do we take her?” he whispered.
 

“I can hear you!” she yelled. “Let’s go!” She clicked her seatbelt.

Dragomir sighed and led the way back to the truck. “This is a very bad—”

“Zip it, Vlad.” She crossed her arms over her chest and one leg over the other. Her foot tapped.
 

Osgar backed the truck out of the driveway.
 

“Sofia,” Dragomir began.
 

She spun around in the seat, finger pointed at him. “Do not even think about telling me I’m staying in the truck. I’ve…” Her mouth dropped.
 

Dragomir sat watching her, silent, not breathing, still as the night. But he knew what she saw. He was ready for battle, ready to defend, ready to kill. His eyes blazed. He’d hoped to warn her about what she’d see before she turned around, but instead she, of course, had something to say.
 

If he hadn’t experienced a similar event the other night, he’d have been just as surprised as Sofia. His vision had faded to black and white the moment he acquiesced to her demand to accompany them. He’d instinctively gone into battle mode, ready to defend her to the death. It was usually safe and comfortable. But with Sofia all that had changed.
 

Everything he saw was in black and white except Sofia. She remained in full, vibrant color.
 

She swallowed.
 

“May I speak?” His voice was low, calculated.
 

She nodded.

“As you insist on participating, tonight’s mission will be just to gather information. We will not confront anyone. Do you understand?” He watched her face, waiting to see if her mouth dropped a quarter inch and if she averted her eyes for a split second, both telltale signs that she would agree. He knew her well enough to know when she was weighing her risks. If she agreed too soon, he’d take her back to Cader, probably bound and gagged and needing Osgar to help get her that way.
 

“But, what if the delivery boy is there?” Her eyes darted down and her mouth opened a touch then she bit her lip and looked back at Dragomir.
 

“We watch him. Nothing more.” Dragomir concentrated on not smiling.
 

“But…”

“Then we return to Cader. Tonight you learn to use your arms and hands in a fight.” Warmth rolled through Dragomir. The idea of teaching his mate to spar excited him. He’d trained many a soldier, but never one whose very existence was tied to his. “You’ve learned well with Osgar today.”
 

“And no lessons before. Impressive,” Osgar said. He turned the truck down Route 102 and took the left past Gregson’s.
 

“My dad showed me a few moves when I was a kid. That’s all.” Sofia faced forward.
 

“I thought your dad had been sick. How was he showing you fighting moves?” Osgar slowed the truck, looking for the side street that led out to Wolf Run Road.
 

“I don’t know. I guess he wasn’t always weak. When I was a teenager, he couldn’t do as much. But when I was younger we practiced and raced and stuff.” She looked out the window. “It’s the next right.”

Osgar took the next turn and slowed.
 

“How do you know the farm?” Dragomir asked.

“I knew Judy and Ilene for a long time. Judy was my first boss. They were like family.” Sofia turned to Dragomir. “They weren’t really killed in a fire, were they?”
 

He shook his head. The Alliance had made up the story. Last Christmas Judy and her sister became two more dead victims of Bas Dubh.
 

Osgar drove by the farm without changing speed. Dragomir noted five cars parked in the back, one a limo. He cracked the window and inhaled. The musky scent of wolves blew into the truck. Wolves and the unmistakable scent of poisonous roses.