Page 27 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)

Searching

Amorandes

My vision came back far too slowly. I was disoriented for a moment. Then I noticed Damon was missing.

The bottom fell out of my world. Where was he?

I rounded on the witches, my fury powering my change, my full demon form bursting out of the beautifully tailored tuxedo. Damon was going to murder me for ruining it later. The vague thought passed through my mind as I focused all my ire on Thyme.

“What did you do?” I shook with fear and anger. Damon was gone, yet I knew he was still alive. Whatever fledgling bond we had developed let me know that. My magic had bonded itself to him subconsciously. Damon was mine as much as I was his.

“I… uh…” Thyme cut a nervous glance at Oak. “I unlocked him.”

“Unlocked him?” I repeated, barely comprehending what he was saying .

“I was the key. Fern made it so I could unlock the spells with my magic. He has all his powers, plus some. Whatever was left of Fern’s magic went into him… and to me.”

When I spared Thyme more than a passing glance, I could tell he was struggling with magical overload. His fingertips sparked against the carpet he’d landed on.

“Then where is he?”

Oak recovered first. “He had a massive surge, likely putting him down for a while. He’ll have gone somewhere safe. If he’s not in your apartment—“

“Unlikely, the warding is too tough because of the elves. No one can portal inside. Teleportation will be out too.”

My teeth bared in frustration, earning a flinch from Thyme. I’d feel bad about that later and likely apologize to the witch, yet having Damon out of my sight after such a trying and emotional day left me feeling off kilter. Like I’d lost something fundamental to myself. I was desperate to find him.

“Where else could he have gone?” My wings fluttered with agitation. I just wanted to take wing and scour the city for Damon. A thoroughly useless endeavor since I didn’t know the boundary of his magic .

“With his magic so new and protective? Somewhere with good memories attached to it.” Oak was frowning at Thyme, who was slowly letting bursts of magic out.

Damon couldn’t have gone back to the demon realm. I would have felt a door opening. Standing in the club was useless. I had to get out and explore the city, figure out where the bond wanted me to go.

“I’m going to look for him. Alone.”

He wouldn’t come home if they were with me when I found him.

“Mori, is that wise?” Thyme asked, still hesitant to speak to me. While I hated that he was afraid of me, I was too caught up in finding Damon to care.

“Basil can’t do anything to me, and one person searching the city is less conspicuous than if we all went. You two can stay here until I know where he is. Hela is guarding our apartment. If you don’t want to stay, I’ll just lock the doors and set the wards.”

“No, we can stay. I want to know he’s okay. Despite everything, I care about him. He’s my little brother. I half thought I’d never see him again.” Thyme’s eyes filled with tears, which he swiped away angrily. “Just find him, please Mori.”

I backtracked to our shared apartment, petting Hela as I went to our bedroom to get some clothes. I had to take a few calming breaths before I could use my magic and take my human form. The shredded tux I put on a chair. I’d use it as proof to Damon to show how much I loved him.

The weather was still cold at night, so I slung a hoodie on over jeans and a t-shirt. The hood easily hid my horns and ears, handy since they wouldn’t go away. It was taking too much focus to keep my tail and claws back.

Dawn was on its way as I walked the city streets, using the pull in my soul to take me to Damon. I tried his phone a couple of times, but it went straight to voicemail.

My steps slowed as I approached a building. The door was locked with an electronic lock, and I had no idea which apartment he could be in. I was certain he was inside.

Only one person I knew had the ability to get me inside and narrow down where Damon could be. I called Parker, not caring about the time difference.

“Hello?” He picked up after only a couple of rings. “Mori? Is everything okay?”

“I need your help. Damon is inside this building and I can’t get inside.”

“Where are you? Give me the address and an explanation.”

“Long story short, Damon is a witch and his brothers are Basil and Thyme. He’s just had his magic unlocked, overloaded and somehow transported him to this address.” I gave the street name and building number.

“Oh-kay, well, that’s going in my pile to deal with later. I need you to get Damon to call me as soon as he’s okay.”

“I swear it. Damon’s had a lot to deal with. We’ll get him through it.”

“Damn straight.” Parker clicked on some keys. “Huh, that’s Cody’s place. Thought it sounded familiar. Go get him and text me, okay?”

“Will do.”

A text followed the end of the code with the key to get into the apartment building and which number Cody had lived in.

On his floor, I found the right door. With a little magic, I opened it, and there, sprawled out on the bed, sleeping soundly, was Damon.

I closed the door quietly, then crossed the room to the bed. My knees gave way with relief at finding him safe.

With a careful hand, I brushed his hair off his face, seeing dark circles of stress under his closed eyes. I consoled myself with stroking his hair and let him sleep a little longer. He’d transported himself halfway across town with his first magic use. That was an insane amount of power. Normal witches didn’t teleport. He’d likely never do it again, since it was probably the overload after being unlocked, but it was terrifying to think of how much power he would wield.

My text to Parker was brief and to the point.

Mori: Found him. Safe.

“Mori?” Damon’s sleepy voice crackled next to my ear. “Are you really here?”

Tears welled in my eyes over how distraught he sounded. “I am, my love. I could find you anywhere.”

“You could? Even like this?”

“Especially like this.” I stroked a finger down his nose and booped it, trying to lighten the mood. “Your soul is so bright right now. It called to me. Told me where you were.”

“Mori… I don’t want this.” His chin wobbled as he held back his own tears. I let mine roll free.

“I know. It’s not fair, but you were made for incredible things, and besides, this means great things for us.”

“How?”

Finally, those pretty light blue eyes opened to meet mine. I had to swallow my gasp because they were different. They had two new rings, one of dark blue, like sapphire, and another of gold. His magic was a tangible force in the room, almost suffocating.

“Well, now I get to keep you longer. I worried we couldn’t bond properly. The archives were going to get sick of me because I was going to spend all my free time looking for a way to share my lifespan with you.”

“Mori… fuck! That’s beyond romantic.”

“Now, we have a bit more time. You get to live longer, just as you are, with me.”

“That makes it worth it.” He nuzzled his face against my palm. “Knowing you’re still here for me helps me breathe. I was so scared, Mori.”

“I know, sweetheart. It’s going to be fine. We have each other, and our family. We can end this and be happy.”

“Do you really not care I’m a witch?” Damon’s eyes met mine. “Even after your contract, Cody’s mom, everything?”

“No. I don’t care what you are. Only who you are. Witches have hurt me, they also gave me Cody. I can’t regret him. Before you, he was the light of my life. You are the love in my soul.”

Damon wept. His tears glistened with magic, filling the air with it. “I love you so much. I thought—“

“Thought I’d run from you? Never. Unfortunately for you, I’ve bonded with you. You’re never getting away. ”

He chuckled through tears, then paused. “Wait, what?”

“Sweetheart, look inside you. Can you feel it? Next to your magic, it’s me. I’m there, where I belong.”

For a long moment, he closed his eyes and searched internally, grasping at his magic, then sinking deeper. I didn’t know when we had started our bond. It wasn’t intentional, it just was.

“I see you. How can that be? We aren’t fated.”

“No, we aren’t. You are chosen, which can be a stronger bond for it.” I sighed. “This story has been itching to come out. There just wasn’t the right time, except I think you need it now.” I ripped the bandaid off. “My fated mate died a long time ago.”

“Oh god, Mori, I’m so sorry.”

“Honestly, it’s fine. We never bonded. Never wanted to.” It was the whole truth. My preference was for men, although I had been superficially attracted to the succubus.

“You see, she had mates and wasn’t looking to add to her group. They didn’t want me either, which, again, was fine. We wouldn’t have suited. If we had met earlier, then maybe. Or if she had lived, perhaps we could have worked something out. It just wasn’t meant to be. She is why my family and I put more stock into chosen heart mates. Like you are to me.”

“Even as a witch? ”

“Even as a witch. Remember, I was ready for you to be part ogre.”

Damon laughed, the sound pushing away all of my fears. Finding out the truth was hard. No doubt about that. Damon was stronger than he thought.

“Why don’t you climb up here with me? I want to cuddle a bit.”

I’d almost forgotten I was sitting on the floor by Cody’s bed.

“You know as well as I do that if I get up there, it’ll end up in so much more than a cuddle.” I grinned at my lover, my mate.

“Yeah, and?” Damon smirked despite me catching on to his wicked plan.

“Have you forgotten you’re lying on my son’s bed? He wouldn’t let us fuck in his castle. Do you really think he’d be okay with us fucking on his bed?”

More healing laughter. Damon was so resilient. I was in awe of him.

“How about making sweet, sweet love?” Damon teased.

I shook my head with a laugh. “How about we head home? Hela is desperate to see you, I’m sure.”

“Okay, that sounds better, actually. I have no idea when Cody last changed these sheets!” Damon scrabbled from the bed, nearly stumbling into me. I steadied him gently. “Thanks. ”

“You’re welcome.” I took his hand and led him out of the apartment. “So why this place? Why did the magic take you here?”

Damon was quiet as we walked the streets. “I think it was the last place where things were normal for me. No magic. No witches. No gorgeous demon lovers. I was just so scared. Everything had changed in that one moment.”

“Not everything. I still love you. So does Parker, Cody, my mama.”

He laughed again. “You don’t think they’ll care, do you?”

“Not at all. Like me, they just get you for longer. No one is going to be sad about that.”

“You say the sweetest things, you know.” He cuddled closer his head resting just below my shoulder. The sun was rising, but there was still a chill in the air. He brought us to a stop and looked up at me. “Hey, could you fly us back? I want that feeling of safety I get when we fly.”

With a careful stream of magic, I let my wings out without damaging the hoodie. I tucked Damon close, letting my wings surround him, before I jumped into the air.

“Anything for you.”