Sinfully Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 1) (21 page)

After dealing with the police and telling my parents what
had happened, I was more than a little bitchy. That seemed like the perfect
time to call Marcos. I still hadn’t changed my mind about quitting. Even though
I had no idea how I was going to handle my need for sexual energy or pay my
bills, I couldn’t continue working at SpellBinders.

“SpellBinders,” Marcos answered, sounding irritable, which
made sense since he’d likely been stuck dealing with the police last night.

“Hey, Marcos. It’s Allie,” I said by way of greeting.

“How’s it going, Al?” he asked. “You gonna be ready to come
in to work tomorrow?”

“That’s why I’m calling.” I began.

“Listen, Al,” he interrupted. “I get that this has been a
shitty week, but I’m short-staffed right now, and I just can’t cover your shift
tomorrow.”

“I’m actually calling to quit,” I said.

“Quit? What do you mean, quit?” he asked, as if I’d just
spoken some strange foreign language.

“I can’t work at SpellBinders anymore,” I told him simply,
wondering how much clearer I could be.

“Is this about that warlock?” Marcos demanded angrily. “Does
he have an issue with you working here?”

Leave it to Marcos to ignore the fact that someone—probably
a serial killer—tried to abduct me after work, and then a customer attacked me
in SpellBinders.

“No. While Dylan does have an issue with me working at
SpellBinders, that’s not why I’m quitting.”

“I get that you haven’t been happy here,” Marcos returned
with a resigned sigh. “It’s just not a good fit for you, but give me some time
to find a replacement before you leave me high and dry.”

While I wanted to quit now and never set foot in
SpellBinders again, it was unfair to do that to Marcos, even if he was a jerk
most days. “Fine, I’ll give you two weeks.”

“A month,” Marcos countered. “Please, Al. You know it will
take that long to interview, test, and train a replacement.”

“Three weeks,” I relented. “That’s my final offer.”

“Thanks, babe,” Marcos said. “So, things are going well with
the warlock?”

“They’re going fine, but that’s not why I’m quitting. You
said it yourself, the job’s not a good fit, and you must have noticed how much
I hate working there.”

“True,” Marcos said. “I asked about the warlock because I
heard rumors you were going to marry him.”

“Where did you hear that?” I demanded.

“I have my sources,” was all he said. “Just be careful, Al.
Don’t let the witches push you into this. If you ever need a place to hide,
call me.” Marcos hung up after making that strange offer. That was twice in two
days Marcos had tried to be nice. Maybe he was possessed by a demon nicer than
him, because that was the only explanation I could come up with for his strange
behavior.

It had been a little over two weeks since Allie was almost
abducted after work, and the police didn’t seem to be any closer to finding the
killer. The last murder had happened the same night Allie was attacked by that
bastard demon at the club, and I thought that made the demon a good suspect.
The police didn’t agree, and refused to share their reasons for believing the
demon wasn’t the killer, which is why I’d called Julian Talbot to find out what
they knew. According to him, the demon was still under suspicion, but his
mother insisted he was at her home at the time of the most recent murder. They
hadn’t been able to interview him because he’d disappeared after spending the
night at his mother’s house.

We hadn’t really talked about Allie staying when the danger
to her was over, but it was my hope she’d want to. Hell, I was seriously losing
it over this woman.

Allie was still sleeping when I was ready to leave for work
that morning. She’d worked late the night before, which also meant I was
exhausted. I was hoping to catch a nap at the office between afternoon
meetings. This schedule was getting to be too much for me, but I wasn’t about
to leave Allie alone at SpellBinders.

Leaning down, I kissed Allie’s cheek. “I need to get into the
office, but Melina will be here in about an hour to spend the day with you.”

“I don’t need a sitter,” she grumbled, which made me smile
because she said the same thing every day.

Most likely, I was being paranoid about leaving Allie at my
house while I was at work. With my security spell, it was unlikely anyone would
get in unless Allie let them in. It was also unlikely the killer knew Allie was
here, but that didn’t make me worry any less.

“I’ll feel better if you’re not alone,” I said, much like I
did every morning.

“Fine,” she grumbled and rolled away from me to go back to
sleep.

“Don’t forget we have the affinity test tonight,” I reminded
her and then nearly laughed at her groan of frustration. Allie hadn’t warmed up
to the idea of the affinity test in the two weeks since the council meeting,
even with everyone telling her it was a good idea. I was actually surprised by
how much her mom supported it, considering her lowly opinion of warlocks.

Before leaving the bedroom, I stopped in the bathroom to pull
some hair from Allie’s brush, wondering what she’d think about what I was
doing.

I was distracted with thoughts of tonight’s council meeting
the entire drive to the office. This was something I’d never expected to be
excited about, but that was probably because I’d never met a witch I could
picture having a future with. I was also nervous about the affinity test,
mostly because I was worried about Allie’s reaction if it went the way I
suspected it would. Okay, I was also worried I might be wrong. What if we
failed the affinity test? What if Trevor’s dad told us we weren’t compatible
and advised against any relationship? That would mean I wasn’t supposed to be
with Allie and should let her go, but I wasn’t entirely sure I could do that.

The lobby of my office was empty, with the exception of our
assistant, Sage, who looked to be in a piss poor mood. Of course, that was no
surprise since it was almost a full moon, and Sage was a werewolf. Our
agreement with her pack said she was to be given the week of the full moon off,
but they’d made an exception this time when our other assistant was called out
of town for a family emergency.

If Sage’s mood didn’t improve, however, we might need to
call in a temp for the rest of the week so she didn’t bite someone’s head off—literally.

“Your first appointment is already in your office,” Sage
grumbled. “She seemed pretty mad that you’re late, and then she had the nerve
to act like it was my fault you don’t know how to get your lazy ass out of bed
in the morning.”

I looked at the clock on the wall. “I’m barely a minute
late,” I foolishly argued with my cranky assistant.

“Yet, I still got bitched at,” Sage shot back.

I decided to avoid angering the werewolf any further and
made my way into my office.

Sitting in my chair, regarding me with both annoyance and
amusement, was my first appointment of the day.

“Dylan,” she said with a regal tilt of her head.

I greeted her with a sigh. “Were you really harassing my
assistant this close to the full moon, Mom?”

“Are you really making that poor girl work this close to the
full moon?” my mom asked in an accusatory tone.

“Not intentionally,” I grumbled. “Can I get you anything to
drink?”

“I’m fine,” my mom assured me. “Could you get one of the
treats you keep for Percy? He’s been excited about coming here just to have
one.”

It was then that I noticed Percy lounging on my sofa,
looking annoyed. Not that I blamed him. My mother must have taken him to get
his hair done recently because he still had several pale blue bows in his
fluffy black hair.

“Hey, bud,” I said with a grin, glad to see him, but he
dropped his head back down. “Yeah, I can see why you’re mad about the new
hairdo.”

Reaching up to the top shelf, I pulled down one of the
treats I kept for Percy in my office.

“He’s supposed to be at the sitter, but he insisted on
coming here for a treat first.”

“Well, I’m glad you brought him,” I said honestly.

“Can you please explain why you needed to speak to me this
early in the day? I had to reschedule my hair appointment, which means I’ll be
cutting things close for the council meeting,” my mother complained.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it there on time,” I
said with a chuckle, knowing my mom would do anything in her power to watch my
affinity test with Allie.

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she confirmed
with a warm smile. “Now, what exactly do you need?”

“I need your help getting a familiar for Allie,” I
explained.

Her brow creased with obvious concern. “Doesn’t she already
have one?”

I shook my head. “Obviously, her mother couldn’t get one for
her. I’m not sure why one of her witch relatives never tried, but it’s probably
because that responsibility usually falls to the mother’s side of the family.”

My mother looked shocked by my request, and it took her a
moment to respond. “You really care for this witch, don’t you? It’s more than
just your magic being complementary and more than you being attracted to her.”

I opened my mouth to deny it, mostly out of habit, but I
figured there was no point in lying to my mother. “Yes,” I admitted. “Allie
makes me crazy, but I can’t get enough of her, and I really want to make her
happy.”

“I’ll need blood, hair, or saliva,” she said and smiled when
I placed the bag with Allie’s hair on the desk. “Do you think she has an animal
preference?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” I said. “Just don’t get anything
exotic since she may refuse to move in with me and need to keep it at her
apartment.”

“Why would she refuse to move in with you?” my mother asked,
clearly confused.

“Allie’s not sure she wants to be with me,” I admitted.

My mother actually laughed at my distress, which annoyed me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”

“I am on your side,” she insisted. “Hearing you complain
about a quality you found desirable in women a month ago is just amusing to me.
Now that you’re looking for something permanent, the girl you want is making
you work for it.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “She’s coming around, but I
really wish she’d agree that we belong together.”

“I think this is good for you,” my traitorous mom said.
“You’ve gotten far too used to getting what you want without much effort.”

“I worked hard to get where I am,” I argued.

My mom raised a skeptical brow. “Really?” she asked. “In
school, you had an easy time with spells, and the witches threw themselves at
you. Since then, you’ve avoided relationships but known you could have one any
time you wanted. Now, you’ve met a woman who doesn’t fall all over herself to
please you, which is wonderful because you’ll appreciate her more.”

“At first, I wondered if I was drawn to her because she was
playing hard to get,” I admitted.

“And what did you decide,” my mother asked.

“I decided that I want Allie because I feel complete when
she’s with me,” I explained. “I could spend hours trying to understand it and
come up with dozens of complex reasons, but Allie is simply the right witch for
me.”

My mother grinned. “I’ll cancel my hair appointment so I can
make arrangements for Alana’s familiar,” she said as she grabbed the bag of
hair and rounded my desk to kiss me on the cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy I
am that you’ve found your witch. You may think I was pushing you to find a
witch for grandchildren, but the truth is, I want you to have what I have with
your father. What you just described is what I feel for him. Don’t be late,”
she warned before leaving my office.

“Are you ready for tonight’s council meeting?” Mel asked as
she finished off the last of the ice cream.

We’d pretty much been eating all day because of my nerves.
Not only was I stressed about the test, but Delilah had sent me a quick text
earlier to let me know she was no longer in any hurry to return from the demon
realm. Apparently, the demon her mom had fixed her up with was enough to keep
Delilah there. That meant I would also need to find a new roommate.

“Not even close,” I almost groaned. “When I got an email
saying the meeting on Sunday had been canceled, I was beyond relieved.” If I
were being honest, I had also been oddly disappointed. “The COWs must love
torturing people, because the email rescheduling it for today came hours later.
I really don’t want to go.” I pouted childishly.

“I don’t blame you,” Mel said. “I always hate it when the
council makes me do something in front of everyone, like I’m on display. They
are way too into these stupid rituals. Why can’t you have an affinity test
without a huge audience?”

“The last meeting was awful, and I’m sure the affinity test
will be even worse. I’m just lucky I don’t have to attend regular meetings.”

“I don’t attend many, and I’m thankful for that,” Mel
agreed. “Unfortunately, I still get talked into it when my mom is busy. Why she
can’t send one of my sisters, I have no idea.”

“Have you witnessed an affinity test before?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ve seen a few,” Mel said. “It’s different for each
pair, so it’s hard to say what they’ll have you do. Honestly, it’s over before
you know it. The part that should worry you is what happens after the test.”

“Why?” I asked. “We’ll fail the test, and then we can leave,
right?”

Mel shrugged. “That’s what happens if you fail. A lot of
people pass parts of it, and then they have to listen to suggestions to make
things work. Sometimes, they pass part of it, but they’re still told they
aren’t a good match. Those ones usually end up looking like something out of a
daytime talk show, complete with yelling and the occasional chair flying across
the room. So, you could get stuck there listening to a boring explanation of
your results. If you pass, then you have to deal with Isadora Hunt and her
quest to find a witch for her son. I hate to say it, Allie, but something tells
me Isadora is going to get her wish.”

As if summoned by our conversation, the doorbell rang, and
when I looked through the peephole, I found Isadora Hunt standing on the front
porch.

“She’s here,” I hissed to Mel over my shoulder. “Dylan’s mom
is outside.”

“Then you’d better let her in,” Mel said. “That woman is a
force to be reckoned with, and even I try to stay on her good side.”

I opened the door and gave Dylan’s mother a shaky smile.
“Hi, Mrs. Hunt. Dylan is at work right now.”

She smiled and continued to make her way into the house.
“Yes, I saw him there about three hours ago. Actually, I came by to see you.
Please, call me Isadora.”

All I could manage was a nod. Why would Dylan’s mom want to
see me? Maybe she’d finally figured out I wasn’t good enough for her son.

“Melina,” Isadora said by way of greeting to Mel. “How is
your mother?”

“Same as always,” Mel replied. “She’s happy and busy.”

“And your sisters?” Isadora asked.

“Pretty and perfect,” Mel said less cheerfully. “Amelia is
having another baby.”

“Your mother must be thrilled,” Isadora gushed before her
eyes drifted to my belly. “I can’t wait to have grandchildren of my own.”

“Hopefully, Dylan will find the right witch soon,” I said,
feeling oddly jealous just thinking of Dylan getting another woman pregnant.

Isadora laughed. “Oh, my! You certainly are going to make
this difficult for my boy. Naturally, as his mother, I should be upset that
you’re being disagreeable and making him work so hard to get what he wants.”

“Doesn’t seem to bother you much,” Mel remarked.

“That boy needs a witch who can keep him on his toes,”
Isadora said.

“I’m more succubus than witch,” I reminded her.

She shrugged off my statement. “I came by to talk to you
about the affinity test.”

“What about it?” I asked.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I insisted on it,” she said.
“It seemed like we should talk about this before tonight. Unless I’m mistaken,
this is causing you more stress than it is my son, but I think he’s resigned
himself to the inevitable.”

“Doesn’t that just make things sound nice,” I muttered.

Isadora chuckled. “Stop being so gloomy, dear. This is all
going to work out, but I want to make sure you understand why I’m forcing this
issue.”

“I already know why you’re pushing for the affinity test.
Everyone knows you’ve been hoping to find a witch for Dylan. Even though I’m
not an ideal choice, I put myself in a position where you could demand an
affinity test.”

“You did make it easier for me, but I wouldn’t have pushed
the issue if Dylan had refused,” Isadora explained as she made her way toward
Dylan’s kitchen. “I’m going to make some tea.”

Since this was her son’s house, I figured she had every
right to use his kitchen. Still, I stood there watching her for a moment,
wondering where this visit was headed.

“This is really bizarre,” Mel said quietly as we watched
Isadora disappear around the corner toward the kitchen.

“I know,” I agreed, glad I wasn’t the only one who felt that
way. “Should I follow her into the kitchen?”

“Duh,” was all Mel said.

“Writing scripts for teens is really impacting your
conversation skills,” I told her.

“I definitely need a vacation,” she said. “Preferably
somewhere with hot guys to wait on me hand and foot. It’s been way too long
since I’ve had a man. Seriously, I haven’t had sex since I was audited.”

“You had sex with an IRS demon?” The few I’d met seemed
boring beyond belief, so I was having trouble picturing one in bed.

“Those guys are total freaks. Maybe I should try getting
audited again,” she said thoughtfully.

“Why not call Trevor?” I asked, bumping against her
playfully. “He’s usually the perfect doting boyfriend for the first week.” It
actually sounded like a good solution all around. Mel could get her need to be
pampered out of her system, and Trevor could get his obsession with Mel out of
his system.

Mel’s scowl told me she didn’t like the idea at all.

“Not gonna happen,” she said as we entered the kitchen.

Isadora had a teapot I hadn’t realized Dylan owned on the
stovetop already. When we walked in, she smiled. “Shall I tell you my reasons
for pushing you to take such a big step, Alana?”

“I’m dying to know,” Mel piped in.

“We’ve already established you want your son to find a witch
and settle down,” I said.

“I want my son to find the right witch for him to settle
down with,” Isadora corrected me. “I think you would be a good match.”

“I’ve heard all about how this test is supposed to tell me
if we’re compatible, but I don’t buy it,” I argued.

Isadora gave me a sympathetic look. “I can see why your
family history and personal experience with warlocks would make you feel that
way. I’ve been with Dylan’s father for nearly a century. We have three
wonderful children, including my baby, Dylan. That makes it a little easier for
me to believe in happily ever after.”

“There are just as many, if not more, stories of witch
couples who aren’t happy and end up being unfaithful,” I argued.

No matter what anyone said, trusting some stupid witch test
made about as much sense as letting a quiz in
Cosmo
decide if Dylan was
the man for me. For the record, the
Cosmo
quiz said he was, but the
Glamour
quiz said he had put me in the friend zone.

“Dylan’s not the type of man who would cheat,” Isadora
insisted.

“He’s not a man looking for marriage, either,” I pointed
out. “If he were, he wouldn’t have been trying so hard to avoid dating witches.
Had Dylan realized I was a witch in good standing that first night, he would
have avoided me like the plague. The only reason he’s with me now is because he
believed I was a succubus—someone completely unsuitable for a long-term
relationship.”

“I doubt he would have been able to stay away from you,”
Isadora said with a laugh.

“I’m with Isadora on this one,” Mel added as she dug in the
back of the freezer, probably looking for some hidden ice cream. Hopefully,
she’d find some because I really needed my good friends Ben and Jerry right
about now.

“Dylan clearly has feelings for you,” Isadora said. “Why
else do you think he made a big show of letting the entire council know you
were with him?”

“With the robe situation, he didn’t have much choice,” I
argued before relenting. “Fine, Trevor would have agreed to say I was with him.
He actually offered, but Dylan wouldn’t let him.”

“Because he wanted everyone to know you were with him,”
Isadora repeated. “That’s never happened with Dylan. He also could have argued
against taking the affinity test. Dylan has never been one to just bow down to
council authority.”

I wanted to insist that Dylan had only agreed to the test
because he was being contrary, but I wasn’t sure that was true. Everything with
Dylan was confusing.

Isadora finished making tea in silence before pouring a cup
for me and patting my arm. “I need to go, but I thought this would help you relax.
It’s my own special blend,” she explained. “I’ll let myself out, dears.”

With that, she swept out of the kitchen, leaving me staring
at my tea.

“Wow!” Mel said, breaking the silence.

I had nothing to add to that. As Mel had already said,
Isadora Hunt was truly a force to be reckoned with.

“How’s the tea?” Mel asked after I’d taken a couple of sips.

“Relaxing,” I admitted. “She was definitely right. About the
tea,” I quickly added. There was no way I was admitting she might be right
about Dylan and me.