Blood and Loss (Cassandra Myles Witch Series) (5 page)

“Morven told t
hem that you were too dangerous, that if you could do this during an exam, heaven knows what else you might be capable of in the real world. So they voted on it. One by one, each one of those cowards agreed with her. They worked together and put a
geis
on you. Your magic is there, but you can’t access it.”

“How long?” I couldn’t breathe. I had this one good thing left. How could they do it? They were monsters, all of them.
I fought the panic welling up in my throat.

“I don’t know for sure, some were saying that no decision should be made until things calm down.”

“Cut the crap; you know. Tell me what she said.”

“She wants
twenty years.”

I didn’t want to live
; I didn’t want to die. Was there another choice? I wanted to kill Morven. A person could only take so much. My plans were gone, my family was gone, and my magic was gone. “What now? I just go on my merry way, get a job at McDonalds?” I closed my eyes. I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Morven wants you gone as soon as you wake up. I think she would have put you on the sidewalk if she could have got
ten away with it. They’re bitches, Cass, just a scared bunch of bitches. Blaming you when it is their fault; they should have stopped her when they knew what she was going to do.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I just needed to have it done.”

“You shouldn’t be alone tonight.” I didn’t want to be alone, but Lena could still be a very powerful witch. She had helped me so much already. If she did anything further, the Witches Council might see her as a threat. I couldn’t have her getting in trouble because of me.

“I guess I have to check into a motel. I can’t go to my parents
’ place. I just can’t go in there.”

She took my hand and looked me in the eyes with her beautif
ul baby blues. “I’ll come with you. Then we will figure everything out in the morning.”

“No, you can’t get in trouble over this. I would never forgive myself.”

“I care more about you than this school, Cass.”

She had tears in her eyes and I knew she would do anything for me and that meant I had to make sure she stayed out of trouble.

“Lena, please listen to me. I love you with all my heart and that’s why if you really want to help me, stay here and graduate. Don’t get in any more trouble. I mean it. It would be the last straw for me if something bad happened to you.”

“Okay, for tonight I stay here, but tomorrow we reassess.”

“Deal. I guess I should get a hotel room. “

For the first time
, I noticed my stuff had been all packed up and set in the corner. “I did it. I wouldn’t let them touch your stuff. I threatened to unleash some serious mojo on them if they stepped one toe in here. I’m probably in deep shit, but I don’t give a fuck.”

I couldn’t look at her. I had been such a total bitch and she was still trying to help me. “I’m sorry about the way I have been acting
, Lena. You didn’t deserve it.”

“Don’t even. You have been having some serious shit happening. Cutting you some slack is the least I can do.”

She hugged me tight and then she started to cry again. “What?”

“Good news, bad news
, chickie.”

I felt a cold chill run down my spine.
Lena always got both when she had a vision. I didn’t know if I could handle the bad. “Bad news, then good.”

“We won’t be seeing each other for a while. That is the bad news
, in case you didn’t know. The good is, at least for the next while, you’ll be okay.”

“How am I supposed to be okay without you?”

“You are one tough chick. The question is, how am I supposed to be okay without you?” She laid a whisper of a kiss on my lips, and then shook her head. “We will always be family Cass. I love you.”

Chapter 5

I looked across the table at my boss. We were on our weekly dinner date. Well, not really a date, but he liked to check in with me one on one at least once a week and we usually did it at a restaurant. Even though he was a vampire and couldn’t eat, he took me to only the best places around town. As a result, I had developed quite the palate. Things I hadn’t even thought of eating before now were part of my regular diet. Tonight, I wasn’t very hungry, but we were in my favorite seafood restaurant and I was having scallop
ceviche
. The fresh hint of grapefruit and cilantro woke up my tongue, making it ready to enjoy the creaminess of the scallops and to finish with a very subtle hint of heat from a thinly sliced cherry pepper. The wine was a perfect pairing. Slightly sweet, it complimented the subtle heat and tang of the dish.

I
blushed immediately when I realized I had let out a low moan. My cheeks burned. Quintus was watching me with a grin on his face. “Sorry, this is just so good. I feel bad though, every time we go out, I’m the only one who gets to eat.”

“Nonsense, it is pure selfishness on my part. I enjoy watching you eat. The joy you get from these foods is the closest thing I come to eating again.”

“Then you must really enjoy tonight because this is amazing.” Some people thought lobster was the ultimate seafood, but I preferred scallops.

He chuckled. Quintus was a breathtaking man. I mean that literally. He
was so handsome, women actually experienced a cessation of breath when he walked into a room. It could be his black hair that was always cut in a way that was short enough to look professional, but long enough to show a hint of boyish curl or his eyes that were such a pale blue they looked like they had a hint of silver running through them. His lips were full without being feminine. He was tall and lean, but muscled. Okay, so I may have had a crush on him once upon a time. He made it hard not to have some kind of hormone-induced response.

He was the stuff fantasies were made from. Fantasy rarely lived up to reality so for the last five years
, I considered myself lucky to have him as a friend and a boss. He had come to my hotel room the night the academy had kicked me out. I wasn’t in the best state of mind. To this day, I don’t even remember getting to the hotel. I was in a state of shock.

He seemed
just to appear above me like a guardian angel. He said he wanted to help me. He wouldn’t tell me how he had found me or how he had known what had happened to me, but he wanted to be there for me. I have tried to figure out why I agreed. It could have been shock, lack of options, self-preservation; I didn’t know. In my opinion, when you are drowning, you will grab anything that keeps you above water.

Quintus was the master vampire of the Vancouver/Seattle territory. He wanted me to go with him that night. I should have been terrified of him. He was a vampire. His kind had torn my parents to pieces. Maybe I was suicidal that night and I was just hoping he would do it for me. Introspection is not my forte. I am an end result kind of girl. In the end
, Quintus moved me into his home and gave me a job as his personal assistant. He helped me settle my parents’ will and when I was strong enough, he helped me find a place of my own.

He
might not have saved my life; only I could decide if I was going to be able to move on from everything that happened. He did create an atmosphere where I could make a fresh start. He helped me see that I could be happy again. I would do anything for Quintus. So far, the only thing he had asked of me was to do my job. Even that was something I loved. I got to help a very powerful man rule a very powerful territory. It was no make-work project for the poor orphan girl, either. I worked my butt off and enjoyed every second.

So here I was
, five years later, enjoying his company and food. He reached for my hand and kissed the palm. The mercurial flecks in his eyes flickered in the candlelight. “You know I think the job you do is top notch.”

“Thank
you; you always make me feel appreciated.” I took another mouthful of
ceviche
. Oh my God, this was so good.

“I don’
t want you to feel obligated to stay if you ever wish to do something else.” He looked so serious.

I pulled back my hand. “Are you firing me?”

He smiled and I felt a little better. “I have not gone about this the right way. First, let me say that firing you is the furthest thing from my mind. You are irreplaceable. I was going to wait until after I had met with her, but I can’t. When it comes to you, I find I can’t keep any secrets. Illi has agreed to discuss taking the
geis
off of you. I think she is going to agree to reverse the decision made by the Halifax Academy.”

Tears came to my eyes. “You have to stop doing all these amazing things for me
, Quintus. I will never be able to thank you enough.” I told myself not to get my hopes up. Quintus had been trying to get the council to reverse their decision for almost five years. This might be another dead end.

We knew
the Halifax Academy would never reverse the decision as long as Morven was there. Quintus had appealed to the national witch’s council and the Vancouver Academy. Illi was Morven’s counterpart on this coast. Illi had never agreed to meet with us before; this was hopefully good news.

He took my hand again
in his. It was cool and smooth. “I have told you time and again, Cassandra, vampires never do anything without looking ahead at what they may get back.” His thumb stroked my palm and my heart started to beat faster. “I care a great deal about you. I would do anything in my power to help you, but my kind is not capable of doing things without strings. Always keep that in mind when you deal with us.”

“I know you tell me that every time I thank
you for something. The thing is, and not to get all philosophical about it, but I don’t feel like anyone does anything for purely altruistic reasons. I don’t care. I would do just about anything for you.”

He took his hand back. Vampires don’t blush, but he looked very uncomfortable. Had I embarrassed the great Quintus? I took pity on him and changed the subject.
“Do you really think she will remove the
geis
?”

“I think I can talk her into it. She hates Morven, so that is a bonus. She has always thought what they did that day was monstrous. It isn’t just her decision. In order to overturn
what happened in Halifax, Illi would have to get permission from the National Council. She is old enough and powerful enough to have many friends on said council.” He gave a big sigh. “Long story short, this is your best chance.”

“I promise not to get my hopes up, but wow. I don’t even know what I will do if it happens.”
I said I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but I could feel a crazy grin on my face.

“I love seeing you happy
, Cassandra. It was selfish of me to tell you until I was sure.” He looked out the window of the restaurant towards the harbor. “I am lucky you are not the kind of woman who would take advantage of me. I would go broke trying to please you.”

It was my turn to be amused. Quintus was rich and even though I didn’t have an exact number, he had property in every major city in the world. It would take a lot more than me going on a few shopping sprees to bankrupt him.

“Well, I didn’t know that was an option.”

“Just remember that when all those job offers start rolling in. I offer perks the others don’t.”

I studied his face. Vampires could put on an unreadable mask when they were with you. It left you no clue as to how they felt. Quintus never wore that mask when he was around just me. I would never be this relaxed with any other man this handsome, but Quintus was never someone I thought of as anyone romantic. I found him very attractive, but it never occurred to me that we could be equals. If rumors were right, he was 2000 years old. How could someone that experienced and that handsome ever want anything more than just friendship from me?

“I would never leave you. Don’t even worry about paying me more.”

“I will not hold you to that, Cassandra. I would gladly give you a raise.”

I put my hand up and shook my head. Quintus already paid me an obscene amount of money for what I did. Most personal assistants couldn’t afford rent in Vancouver and I
had bought a house. I had my own car and never had to think twice when I needed some retail therapy. To let him pay me even more would be greedy.

“Do
you mind if we skip dessert? I really want to get home and tell Declan. He will be so excited.”

Quintus’ face darkened. He did not like my roommate and the feeling was mutual. Declan hated Quintus with a ferocity I didn’t understand. “If that is what you want
, then of course.” His voice was tight and maybe even hurt. I hadn’t meant to slight him.

The drive home was quiet
. Quintus normally had a driver, but when we went out for our weekly dinner, he always drove. When he pulled up to the curb in front of my house, I saw the curtain in the living room move. Jeez, Dad, I came home before curfew.

I turned to him
, not wanting to leave on a bad note. He was perfectly still as only the undead are capable of. Until you sit beside a vampire when he is in still-mode, you don’t realize how much a human moves even when they aren’t trying to. It felt like we were each waiting for the other to say something. I reached over and gave him a big hug. He was stiff at first, but then relaxed and pulled me closer. “You are so important to me. I want you to know that.” I rested my head on his shoulder.

His cool lips moved
across my neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. “You are important to me too. I have come to rely on you. I haven’t done that in a long time. Now go inside before your roommate wears a hole in your floor from his pacing.”

He was looking at the window.
I was embarrassed that Quintus had seen Declan’s Peeping Tom routine. I kissed his cheek before I let him go. “I’ll see you tomorrow, boss.”

Declan was now standing in the
window. Subtle was clearly not his speciality. His large frame filled the whole window. He stood there with his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. His scowl was speaking volumes of his mood: he was pissed. He was usually at work when Quintus and I went out, but when he was home, there was usually a fight. It was getting old.

Declan was the other
gorgeous man in my life with whom I didn’t have sex. If I were a man, I’d have constant blue balls. He moved in only one month after I bought my little home. I didn’t need the money, but I did need the company. I tried to live on my own, but I never felt safe enough to relax and enjoy living on my own. So I decided to get a roommate. When I interviewed Declan, I’m afraid my libido made the decision. His curly sun-kissed brown hair and rugged good looks made picking anyone else impossible.

Even though I made the decision based on looks,
I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. We had a connection immediately. The first night he was living with me I had one of my nightmares. I woke up with his arms around me. He had been there for me ever since. It didn’t matter what we were doing together, we always had the best time. I thought we were perfect for each other. His only flaw was that he thought he was perfect for every woman who walked by.

If I wasn’t his best friend
, I might have called him a slut. He used his job as a bartender to pick up anything without an Adam’s apple that walked into his bar. He had never once brought any of these skanks to our home, but he did stay out all night several times each week. That was why I didn’t understand his “angry dad” routine when I had a platonic dinner with my boss. He was clearly not interested in me. I had made it as clear as I could, still keeping a little pride that I was available. He never made one move on me.

Sometimes I
just got the cold shoulder and sometimes he lost his mind. If he wasn’t such a sweet guy in every other way, I don’t think I would have put up with it. I swung the front door open, bracing myself for a conversation I had had a thousand times already.

“Sorry I’m late
, Dad. I tried to make curfew.” Maybe if I kept it light, so would he.

His mo
ss green eyes narrowed to slits, radiating anger from every pore. “You know, for someone who has been through what you have, you are still pretty naïve when it comes to vampires.”

I wish I had the strength to knock that smug look off his face. My hands formed into fists anyway. “Seriously
, Declan, I am not in the mood for this. You’re like a broken record.”

“
I can’t believe you’d trust him enough to let him kiss your neck.”

My eyes widened and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but if Quintus really wanted my blood
, he could have had it six ways from Sunday by now. I was alone with him all the time. “That is none of your business.”

I brushed by him to go to my room, but he grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away and it only made him tighten his grip. “You let that corpse kiss your neck and I saw the look on your face. You were aroused.”

“That is the line, Declan, and you have so crossed it.”