Black Magic Rose (28 page)

Sofia’s head turned toward the farm and she inhaled loudly.
 

Dragomir didn’t smell the vampires, but he felt their power coming from the building. He couldn’t be sure which vampires were present, but there were at least three masters somewhere on the property.
 

Osgar drove to the end of the road and took a left. “I don’t think we should make another pass. Too much power to risk it.”
 

“Agreed. To Cader with a report.” Dragomir held the window button and the glass slid back into place. “After our report you will show me all you can do, Sofia.”

She glanced back and nodded.
 

Her agreement nearly confused Dragomir. He’d expected her to argue that she’d decide if and when she’d train with him. He was glad to be seated behind her in the dark where she couldn’t see him. “You will learn the knife and the stake. When the times comes, you will be prepared to kill.”
 

Chapter Twenty-five

Sofia sat on the couch in Dr. MacDuff’s office while Osgar and Dragomir gave a report on the events from the past twelve hours. She’d been in this office twice before. Both times Dr. MacDuff had left her waiting for him, giving her plenty of time to snoop. She was well aware of his “Sofia shelf” and his pictorial family tree that spread across three of the four walls.
 

“The roses are being grown on the farm, not twenty miles from here,” Dragomir said.
 

Fergus and Dr. MacDuff nodded, occasionally asking a question, but otherwise they simply listened.
 

“He hasn’t used Black Magic since the deaths of Ralston and Maria Campbell in 1898.” Dr. MacDuff faced the portraits of Maria and Ralston. When he turned to face them, Sofia noticed he looked tired, older even.

“This time the flowers were much more potent. Fuller, petals like pockets of fluid.” Dragomir stood to Sofia’s left. “Almost like mutant roses.”
 

“Sofia succumbed within a few minutes of their arrival,” Osgar said. “I’d never seen them before. If I’d known what they were, I wouldn’t have allowed that kid to deliver them.” Osgar frowned and raked his fingers through his hair.
 

“You didn’t know, lad. You weren’t even born the last time we encountered them.” Dr. MacDuff sat back. “I doubt you’d have been able to stop the delivery. Black Magic Roses are grown specifically for each victim. Sofia would not have allowed you to send them away. The roses wouldn’t have allowed you to interfere.” His eyes widened a touch.
 

“How were they grown for me?” Sofia asked. The roses
had
known her. They called to her by name.
 

“The poison is created from your DNA then fed to the roses as they grow. Someone has been working on this project for years,” Dr. MacDuff answered.
 

“Bas Dubh has known about me that long? They’ve wanted me dead? They don’t even know me.” This was just great. She really was a target of some group of psychos. In the back of her mind she wondered how many of them she might have fired or disciplined at other jobs.
 

“Aye. They’ve known.” Dr. MacDuff pulled out a binder from the shelf, flipped open a page to an article cut from the Mid-State Bulletin. The headline read: Football Team State Champs. He pointed to the picture below the caption. Sofia sat in the stands. “Do you see the man sitting two rows behind you, the one staring at you?”

It was a grainy shot, but she could easily see him staring at her. The expression on his face gave her the creeps. “I remember this. Dad was very upset by it. He looks like a pedophile. But I never even noticed him.” She remembered her father not letting her leave the house unattended for several weeks after the photo made the paper.
 

“That is Kiernan. He could have easily swiped you away that day. Right under our noses he sat within an arm’s reach of you.” Dr. MacDuff closed the book. “He’s been planning for a long time. He probably took a few locks of your hair that afternoon.”

“Why do you suppose he didn’t just take me then?”

“Kiernan is a patient man. Devious. Dramatic. Losing you on that day would have been painful. But watching you suffer the effects of the roses would have been far worse.” Jankin’s presence moved around Sofia like a warm blanket wrapping around her shoulders.
 

Sofia hadn’t realized how close she’d come to her own demise before today. “He could have found my hair or DNA anywhere on that farm. Back then I worked two afternoons and Saturday mornings for Judy.”
 

“Black Magic poison is a slow moving poison. The victim begins with an obsession about the flowers. The need to consume them overtakes her. She will stop at nothing, even killing to have them.” Dr. MacDuff replaced the book on the shelf.
 

Sofia shivered. Dr. MacDuff was right. She had wanted those roses. She’d have killed for them. She glanced up at Dragomir. She had contemplated using his own sword to cut his head off.
 

“Once the victim consumes the poison, she falls prey to Kiernan’s commands. And his main goal is to destroy The Alliance and bring civilized humanity to its knees.”
 

This world was far too violent for her. What was she becoming?
 

“Why? Why would I be the target?” Sofia looked from Dr. MacDuff to Dragomir.

“It had to be your connection with me,” Jankin answered. He watched Sofia with an expression of guilt. “I tried to be careful and keep hidden my friendship with your parents. But my efforts were not good enough.”
 

“What do you mean?” His explanation confused her.
 

“I can only assume Kiernan saw an opportunity in our connection. His goal would have been for you to be under his command, but closely aligned with me.” Jankin and Dragomir looked at each other as if a secret message had passed between them.
 

“And with you mated to me, Kiernan would have known I’d train you to fight.” Dragomir’s hand rested on Sofia’s back. “He’d have commanded you to kill Jankin.”

Sofia’s mouth dropped open. “I couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do it.”

“You’d have had no choice,” Dragomir said.
 

“I knew something wasn’t right. The moment that truck pulled up I knew I should stop that kid. But I didn’t.” Osgar looked up at Fergus then back at the floor after only a second.
 

Fergus placed a hand on Osgar’s shoulder. “Don’t. You could not have stopped this delivery alone.”

The moment they touched an invisible link connected Fergus and Osgar, and Sofia couldn’t help but sense the current flowing between them.

“I didn’t want her upset.” Osgar’s voice dropped to a mumble. “I should have killed that kid. I failed her.”
 

“No, Osgar. You didn’t.” Sofia reached for Osgar’s hand. “Don’t think that. You helped me. I’d have eaten one of those stupid flowers. It’s insane, but I wanted to eat roses today.”

“Osgar, you did right by Sofia.” Dragomir sat on the couch beside her. “Keeping her out of the house saved her. Rigorous activity flushed the poisonous vapors from her system.”

“If you’d been there, you could have helped. You’d have been able to stop the spell before it started,” Osgar said. His shoulders slumped.
 

“If she’d allowed me.” Dragomir glanced at Sofia. His dark gaze moved over her face, and her heart sped.

“What do you mean?” She had the desire to touch him. It was almost as strong as her desire to eat poisonous flowers.

“To break the spell would have required physical contact, intimate physical contact of one sort or another.” He licked his lips.
 

Heat rose up Sofia’s neck to her cheeks. Her stomach knotted, and she thanked God she was seated because her arms and legs suddenly had that familiar feel of gelatin bones. She didn’t want to look away. She wanted to be able to hold his gaze, not flinch. But she couldn’t. Parts of her that shouldn’t warm up were heating straight to her core.
 

She let her gaze drop to his chest.
 

“Well.” Dr. MacDuff stood. “It seems we have a leak within our ranks. Sofia Engle-Petrescu?” He shook his head. “I’m not a fan of the hyphenated name. A bit old fashioned, I’ll admit.” He glanced at Sofia and Dragomir. “None the less, that information had not been shared until late this afternoon. Only we five, Meg and Jamieson knew last night. Our security plan needs an upgrade.”
 

“Word of our mating seems to have spread with haste. Dice knew,” Dragomir said.
 

“I released the announcement to The Alliance just before you and I met earlier. In fact, I sent the message as you walked into this office.” Dr. MacDuff looked at Fergus. “You’re sure none of the wolves breeched the information?”
 

“Aye. They were all given the command to remain silent in this matter.”

“I’m not sure if the threat to Sofia was targeted solely at you, Jankin. It’s quite possible Kiernan could have seen an opportunity to defeat us both. Whatever the case, Sofia needs better protection,” Dragomir said.

Sofia nodded. “I’m ready to train. I concede. There may be a need for more physical responses in certain situations not related to employment where people have to defend themselves against attackers who can’t be reasoned with.”
 

All four men looked at her.
 

“Of course, I mean quickly reasoned with. No sense in getting killed because you launch into a long dissertation about human rights or mutual respect with a hungry vampire or rabid wolf. Do werewolves get rabies? I don’t know. Either way, I’ll train.”
 

All four of them wore the same look—eyebrows raised, mouths hanging open.
 

“Sorry. Some things just don’t change. I can’t see hurting someone for no reason. I’m not going to walk around hitting or kicking everything that moves. There is a limit to my… Why are you all looking at me like that?” She sat up straight and glanced from one face to the next.
 

“I’m glad to hear you recognize the need for physical responses to certain situations.” Dr. MacDuff sat on the edge of his desk. “However, I think we need to circle the wagons for a bit.”
 

“Agreed,” the other three men echoed.
 

“What wagons?” Sofia asked. That feeling like some sort of impending doom was looming just beyond the door hung in the air. She was fairly certain they weren’t talking about Radio Flyers.
 

“For the time being it would be best if you resided at Cader,” Dr. MacDuff answered.
 

She did a double take from him to Dragomir and back. “Here? No.”

“Your home is off-limits until we find a way to safely remove the roses.” Dr. MacDuff folded his arms over his chest. “If that’s possible.”

“I’ll go to a hotel. Not here. That’s a terrible idea. I’ll even buy a gun. I’ll shoot anyone who attacks. There’s no need to stay here.” She couldn’t stay here. As it was, her skin had been jumping from the moment she set foot in the building. She felt like she’d shuffled across a shag carpet in a lightning storm while rubbing balloons on her hair. If she were any more tingly, she’d be able to stick a light bulb in her mouth and illuminate the room.
 

“There is not a safe hotel anywhere in this state,” Dragomir said. His jaw was set as if he’d made up his mind for both of them.
 

“I’ll take a guard. Two or three, if you want.” She looked at Dr. MacDuff, not even bothering to try to sway Dragomir whose penetrating gaze practically burned a hole into her head.

“Sofia, child, I cannot spare the guards. Two or three will not keep you safe. Kiernan will send enough men to overpower them. Cader is the best place for you.”
 

“No. I’m not staying.” She stood up.
 

“No one will harm you here,” Dr. MacDuff said.
 

“Oh, that’s easy for you to say. No one zaps you every time you enter a room or leers at you like you might be dinner. And you don’t live in fear of witnessing vampire lunch breaks.” She marched to door. “I’m not staying.”

“Sofia.” Dragomir’s hand covered hers on the doorknob. “I promise you none of those things will happen. You have my word as your mate and as a member of The Board of Masters for The Alliance. I will keep you safe here.”
 

The familiar smooth flow of Dragomir’s power moved along Sofia’s skin, enveloping her in a calm she only ever felt when he touched her. That irritating tingling ceased. Her heart no longer felt like someone had jump-started it during a code blue. Her muscles relaxed.
 

“You can’t stay glued to my side every second.” She watched his fingers curl around her hand.
 

“We’ll work it out,” he said.
 

She sighed. The fact was she didn’t want to be at Cader, but she didn’t want to be outside of Cader. Now she was afraid of vampires who were on her side, werewolves who hated her, being tricked by roses and wimpy little delivery boys from the farm not ten miles from her house. She really had no choice but to accept Dragomir’s offer.