Page 2 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)
Cursed Silence
Damon
Thumping my foot against the door, I made the knock that signaled that I was outside, my hands too full of takeout.
Parker opened the door and relieved me of my burden. He headed off to the kitchen while I scoped out the desk he’d been working at, checking for any clues he might have missed. I wasn’t sure that he would leave anything out for me to happen upon, since Parker was usually meticulous about his work environment. Another reason I didn’t take him on jobs often, he hated the mess they inevitably made.
At the corner of the desk was a piece of paper, the writing too faint for me to make out. I reached for it, curious why Parker would leave this out. When I picked it up, the paper zapped me with some heavy magicks. The name entered my head, but it got trapped. I could feel it pulling at me, the information trying to shield itself from my consciousness.
My handler and friend took two plates from the kitchen through to the tiny table and grinned. “So now you know, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s—“ I tried to pronounce the name, already knowing it wouldn’t happen. Still, I had to test the limits of the spell.
Like Parker, I choked and floundered the more that I tried to push through to get it out. Parker leaped from his seat and came to my side. “Fuck! What’s happening?”
“Water,” I rasped, as I held myself up against the desk.
Parker led me to the couch and let me calm down while he got me a drink. I drank half the glass before he spoke again. “So why can’t you say it’s... Basil? Fuck, that was hard to get out. We both know, so why won’t it let you talk?”
I thought about it for a minute. Magic had always made me itch uncomfortably. Shifters, vampires, nymphs. I loved them all. Witches, though, gave me the ick. “I can only assume it was because the spell just started on me. You struggled and you’ve had this information for what, a week?” I shuddered, knowing that magic had been done on me unknowingly. Then pushed my conscience away when I remembered the spell in my pocket. I didn’t have to like witches to find some spells useful .
“Yeah. I’ve tried digging up information on him. Not only was he part of the coven at one point, he was the High Witch. There’s nothing else.”
I wrinkled my nose. “This reeks of magic.”
Parker frowned. “That’s just the paper.”
Slapping a hand on his chest, I drawled, “No, honey. The lack of information on the contract. It’s been magically erased. This Basil guy either has connections, or he used his magic. If he was the High Witch, then he was very powerful.”
“Right, so what now?”
“We continue as planned. This could all be coven infighting or some random grudge. Either way, I want none of that. If Cody is as innocent as he seems, then we call the job off like we planned. We have reasonable cause to get this guy blacklisted. He used magic against us without permission, right?” Parker nodded. “So we get him shut down and move on to the next job.”
“What? Who are you?” Cody lurched up in bed, half sitting against his pillows, when he became aware of my presence. I’d actually been thinking that I’d have to wake him. He’d already ingested the drops of the truth potion I’d acquired and I’d been getting bored.
Seriously, the man had no self-preservation instincts. He hadn’t even put the chain on the door!
“I’m the man that was sent to kill you, sweetness. So, what did you do?” I smirked down at him. The question burned within me. All of me said that Cody was innocent of any wrongdoing. He was someone that needed to be protected, cared for. I’d seen how hollow and lonely his life was. Sure, he had some friends, but no one really loved him.
As I spoke, he wriggled and tried to scramble up the mattress as if trying to get away from me. His face paled further when he noticed I held a gun in my gloved hands.
“Nothing! I swear!” he vowed, his voice full of sincerity.
“Strange thing is, I believe you.” He didn’t need to know about the spell. Not now. Not ever.
My new friend shook as I told him about the contract on his life. “Why are you doing this?” he asked when I called Parker to blacklist Basil, though I couldn’t say or type his name with Cody around.
He asked me if I knew who, but I shook my head. As much as I hated the untruth, it wasn’t a complete lie. Basil was part of it, but it was unlikely that he wanted Cody dead. On his own, Cody was powerless, defenseless. No, this came from somewhere else.
As I watched Cody center himself, drawing on an inner strength that I could only admire, I knew I was going to do anything in my power to protect him.
The Luna had not thrown me a bone. I had a boner and no one to fuck. Goddammit, why did I always have to crush on the incompatible ones? I loved Cody in a complicated, protective way. He called to me in ways I couldn’t explain. Just being around him made me feel normal.
Over the last couple of days, I’d spent time cleaning up the mess of the broken contract and making sure that Cody was safe. We’d gotten him better locks, wards, the works, just to make sure that his enemy, or enemies, wouldn’t try again.
On jobs, I was usually denied the privilege of getting to know the marks like Cody. He got to know every side of me, to where I was using disguises less and less around him, letting him see the real me underneath.
“Hey sweetness,” I called as I entered Cody’s home. He’d buzzed me up, and I was coded into the spells he had protecting him.
I found him, his firm ass hanging out of his closet, looking frantically for something. “I mean, I love you like this, but you need clothes, sweetness, for that meeting with the board. You’ve got five minutes before we need to leave.”
“I can’t find it!” he wailed.
“Find what?” I frowned at him. He hadn’t paid me any attention as I stood there with the hair products that would tame that hair. I wondered how he hadn’t spotted the new suits hanging in the closet that I’d had my tailor make especially for him. The man was the least vain man that I’d ever met. Had he even noticed me sneaking new items into his closet or had I blended them in too well?
“I had everything set out last night. I checked my alarm clock a dozen times! It’s never failed me. It’s spelled not to! Then there’s no heat or hot water!”
He was this close to breaking. I set down my burden and went to him. “Hey, slow down,” I turned him to face me, his skin icy under my hands. “Shit! We need to get you warm. You’re like ice!” I hugged him to me, trying to share my body heat, then took off my jacket and draped it over him. “Here, wrap up. I’ll find you the perfect outfit, then we really have to go.” I found what he needed and passed it out. “Get these on.”
Within minutes, I had Cody out of the door, my concern for my friend speeding me along. The magic of the wards was off. It hadn’t tingled over my skin in welcome like usual. The lamp on the bedside table was off center. An imprint of a person was on the bed next to Cody’s feet.
Whatever was happening with Cody wasn’t over.
“Thanks, Damon. I’m lucky to have you in my life.”
“Anything for you, cutie. “You know that,” I said playfully.
The short drive to his office passed as Cody got himself ready and I thought about what I needed to do. First, I’d contact Parker and check that no other contracts were out on Cody. I thought we had an alert set up for his name, but things could slip through. Second, I’d do some digging into his work. Check out the other employees. It was where he spent most of his time, so it made sense to look there.
If I had to go into the coven for him, I would. Basil wasn’t there now, though it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he was waiting to take his place back. Rumors on the street said he hadn’t gone willingly.
“I think I love you!” Cody said as we pulled up outside the building. “Seriously, you saved my job!” He leaned into my space and pecked me on the cheek. I loved that about him. Despite what I was, he was never afraid of me.
I couldn’t resist reaching out and touching him. “If only you could fall in love with me, cutie. ”
“Just give me time and I might.” He gave a flirty wink that we both knew wasn’t real. “Either that or I’m going to become a spoiled brat.”
“Never! You’re much too sweet for that. Knock ’em dead, darlin’. I’ll pick you up later on.” I planned on circling the block and ditching the car. Paranoid was better than dead in this business. I made sure to never be seen in the same vehicle for long, just in case.
“I’ll just get a ride share or something,” he said as he left the car.
“No chance. I’ll be here,” I vowed with a kiss.