Page 18 of Buzz Kill (Smoke & Mirrors Tavern #7)

Chapter eighteen

DECLAN

Voices filtered in slowly through the haze of pain and that cold, hollow ache. Fuck. If Elliot was going to expose all my secrets, he could have at least healed me. I must have moved, because the next thing I heard was Elliot’s voice.

“He’s waking up.”

“Good, he has some explaining to do,” Ollie snapped.

“Now I’m pretty sure he’s playing dead,” Elliot added.

“Open your eyes or I’ll make you wish you were,” her evil voice whispered next to my ear.

With an inward sigh, I gave in and let my eyes squint open, finding Elliot and Ollie hovering over me on one side of the bed and Alwin and Rith on the other. We were in the bedroom I’d used during my brief stay in their hell pit of love and debauchery. The debauchery part I could deal with, but all that lovey shit was seriously hard to be around.

“Thought you couldn’t do magic?” Ollie accused the moment my eyes could focus.

“Not my magic,” I answered, wincing at the pain echoing through my body. “But you already knew that.” She’d noticed the spells on my hands the moment we met, despite the fact that I always kept them covered.

“Here,” Elliot said, offering me a glass bottle. “I healed the wounds from the blast the best I could, but magic depletion isn’t easy to fix. The restoring potion will work better for that.”

I took the bottle and Alwin helped me sit up to drink it. When he did, the blanket fell down to my lap revealing, everything I’d managed to keep hidden all this time. Apparently, I’d been stripped while I was unconscious.

“Your clothes were ruined,” Elliot informed me, but his eyes were lingering on my chest, not my face. I had the urge to cover myself, but they’d already seen everything there was to see. “That spell has been there a long time,” he added. “I think it’s entwined itself too deep to remove it. It’s beyond my abilities anyway, but we’ll look through our library to see if there’s anything there on removing curses.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Ollie demanded. “Is that why you wanted to move in here? You could have just asked for our help.”

I snorted. “Ask the town that hid Elliot from me for help? How do you think that would have gone? You guys had me figured out the moment you heard my name.”

Ollie threw up her arms. “Because you were acting shady as fuck! If you’d just told us you’d been cursed, we could have helped.”

I waved a hand before prodding at my aching head. “Forget it. I don’t need help, that’s not why I came here anyway.”

“Who did that to you?” Elliot asked.

Guess we weren’t forgetting it then. I tugged the blanket a little higher, shifting uncomfortably as the potion started working. “I did. Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”

“That curse has been there for a long time. You would have been a child when it was cast,” Elliot pointed out.

You would think so. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, well, I was young and stupid.”

Ollie huffed, but Elliot’s stare was a little too knowing for my liking.

As if sensing how naked I was suddenly feeling, Alwin handed me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I gratefully tugged the shirt over my head and felt a little better when my mistakes weren’t out there for all the world to see. There was a soft knock on the door and Connor poked his head in a second later.

“How is he?”

When he saw me sitting up he flashed a warm smile. “Feeling better? We brought food. After healing and depleting your magic, you need to eat.”

Connor lined up dishes on the dresser and handed me a bowl of soup, setting a plate with a thick slice of fresh bread on my lap.

I eyed all the dishes. “Thanks. But I’m not a shifter, I can’t eat this much.”

Connor ruffled Rith’s hair. “He wouldn’t leave your side, so I brought enough to share. Ollie, Sage is out there waiting for you.” He turned his warm brown eyes my way once more. “Come out when you’re ready, there’s dessert.”

While the bear shifter had never been as hostile toward me as the others in this town, he’d certainly never been so overtly friendly to me before and I didn’t know how to respond. Ollie was still hovering by the side of the bed and she leaned down to crush me in an awkward hug before following Connor out the door. I watched the two of them go with growing horror.

“Alwin, I think I fucked up. We escaped the demon world only to get trapped in some alternate version of the human world. There’s some messed up Twilight Zone type shit happening right now.”

While Rith had climbed up on the bed to get closer, Alwin had been a silent sentinel next to the bed. He hadn’t uttered a word and even now he wasn’t amused by my bullshit at all. I hadn’t expected the guy to crack a smile at my lame joke, but I usually at least got some hint of amused annoyance in those crystal blue eyes. Right now, the elf just looked like he wanted to kill someone.

A soft chuckle drew my attention to where Elliot was still standing on my other side. With Ollie gone, he moved closer and settled a hand on my shoulder. The familiar tingle of magic rose the hair on the back of my neck and I flinched away without thinking, spilling hot soup on my hand.

Drinking a potion, inking a spell into my flesh, casting a curse on myself, those were all things I was in control of. But I still had my hangups about the feeling of Prescott magic curling under my flesh. And now that I wasn’t on the verge of passing out, it was obvious.

Elliot jerked his hand back at my reaction. “Sorry, I was just checking to make sure you’re all healed.”

I waved him off with a forced smile. “You just startled me. I’m fine. All healed, thanks.”

He hesitated, but dropped his hand to his side. “Ollie doesn’t handle losing people well and watching you nearly get blown up and survive only to find the curse has her a little on edge. But they’re grateful to you for saving us. I think some of those layered spells were there to trigger the explosion, and the rest were there to amplify it. If you hadn’t been there to break so many of them and give us time to escape, things would have been really bad.

“We’re pretty sure magic was the trigger on the bomb. It activated once I cast that glamour and there was enough power there to take down the whole building and everyone inside. If you hadn’t known to look for it, someone would have cast some kind of magic eventually and with that concealment spell, we probably wouldn’t have noticed it in time. Imagine if it happened while the tavern was busy, or during one of the community meetings, it could have been a disaster. Thanks to you, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. The tavern and the bookstore next door are in bad shape, but no one was hurt.”

“That’s… good,” I finished lamely.

While I was sure the hunters and the dark mage would have been happy to take out the whole community, I didn’t think that was the plan. By this point they’d been watching the tavern for a long time. It didn’t take a genius to know that when Royce shut down the tavern for a private party, it meant their biggest targests were going to be gathered in one place. They didn’t expect me to be so familiar with Acacia’s magic and find the bomb so quickly, but my guess was that once the meeting was in full swing, they would have made some kind of move that prompted the others to use magic, and in the commotion, would anyone have noticed before it was too late? That one attack could have cleared the way for the dark mage and the hunters to take over Eastbend.

Truth be told, I didn’t really give a shit about this town or most of the people in it. I wasn’t in the habit of caring about people and giving my family one more vulnerability to go after. I’d come here for the strictly selfish reason of getting behind Elliot’s wards where Acacia’s demon couldn’t find me, and I couldn’t do that if he was dead.

Except, even once I got behind those wards, it wasn’t like I slept any easier. Just being back in this house made me itchy. These people, with their blatant displays of affection and the way they doted on that baby like it was the greatest thing in the world. It was just… weird. One more weak point Elliot didn’t need. He’d surrounded himself with vulnerabilities and showed the whole world how important they were to him. He was a fool. And me being there only drew attention to the problem.

Elliot headed for the door. “Come out when you’re ready, everyone’s still showing up and Royce is still dealing with the sheriff and the fire wolves at the tavern. Or what’s left of it, anyway.” He stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Aiden and Lachlan just showed up.”

Alwin nodded and left the room with Elliot. He hadn’t spoken one word since I woke up. When the door closed, I turned to Rith who was happily chewing through a plate of sandwiches next to me on the bed.

“He’s mad at me, huh?”

Rith shrugged. “Because you’re stupid.”

“I was trying to keep him alive,” I grumbled.

“So was he.”

“It’s different. I can’t die.”

Rith side eyed me but he didn’t need to say anything. If a bomb exploded in my hands, how much of me would be left to survive? The curse on my chest would have been blown to pieces. Would I really have come back? There was no way to know. And even if I did, it would probably have been more painful than anything I’d ever experienced — which was saying something.

“It’s not like Al could have survived an explosion any better than me. I mean, sure, he’s faster, more agile, and more capable in general, but he’s not invincible. Everyone else seems fine, I don’t get why he’s so pissed.”

“Because—”

“I’m stupid. Yeah, I got that, thanks,” I finished for the little brat. “We’re going to have to expand your vocabulary now that you’re here.”

I drank down the bowl of soup and pulled on my sweats before sliding out of the bed. The potion was working quickly and sweatpants weren’t exactly hiding my renewed, er, vigor. I sighed and dug through the closet, finding some designer jeans, a black button-down shirt and a spare pair of gloves from the things I’d left behind when I went back to the hotel. Closing myself in the bathroom while Rith ate his way through Connor’s offerings, I changed into the clothes feeling a little better once I could look in the mirror and see the version of me that was capable of dealing with people.

Bed-ridden sweatpants Declan was not someone I let others see. Except for Alwin, I supposed, but after the incident in the hotel room and the night spent fighting my demons, there wasn’t a whole lot left that I could hide from him anyway. The guy already knew what a fucking mess I was.

Maybe that was part of the reason for the attitude. Now that we were back in the real world we needed to put some distance between us, but if he thought I didn’t already know that he was dead wrong. I knew better than anyone that our arrangement had a limit. They always did. No one had ever come to my rescue, and anyone who’d offered help disappeared just as quickly. It wasn’t like I expected Alwin to stand by my side and face the infamous Prescott Sorcerers. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

When I finally dragged myself out to the living room where everyone gathered, there was something very different about the eyes that all landed on me and the sudden quiet that came over the normally rowdy group. It wasn’t the first time I’d grabbed everyone’s attention when I walked into the room, but it was the first time the stares weren’t filled with an underlying hostility or suspicion.

Levi was the first to speak as he came in from the kitchen with a tray full of snacks. “Hey, you’re up!” he said brightly. “How are you feeling?”

“Uh, fine. Thanks.”

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Connor added. “Come sit down, I’ll get you a plate. Soup won’t be enough after a healing.”

He ushered me in and pushed me down on the couch next to Ollie and Elliot while Rith settled on the ground by my legs, still a little nervous around the crowd. Poor kid was going to get stuck staying with people he barely knew until Al and I returned from the next part of our mission, but taking him with us into the belly of the beast wasn’t an option. My aversion to this place aside, Rith would be safe behind Elliot’s wards.

Connor stuffed a plate of food into my hands, pulling my attention from the young demon, and I looked up to find Blue dangling a glass filled with amber liquid in front of my face. I could have cried. It was the most beautiful thing I’d seen in weeks. I greedily took the glass, swallowing down a huge sip and savoring the burn in my throat.

“Thanks, I needed that.”

The rainbow-haired shifter patted my shoulder and the smile he gave me was more genuine than anything I’d seen from him before. This was just freaky. I grabbed something at random from the plate in my lap and shoved it in my mouth, so no one expected me to respond to whatever the hell was happening here.

Luckily the attention was taken off of me when Royce arrived with his mate, looking as irritable as ever. The much smaller crow shifter soothed the angry bear as they found their way in.

Nikko was there, handing over a beer a moment later. “How bad is it?”

Royce rubbed a hand over his face. “It’ll be closed for a while, but the wolves offered to help rebuild. The owner of the bookstore next door retired and left it to his nephew a few months back. Between the fire, the smoke and the water, all of their stock was destroyed. The insurance will cover their losses, but after this, he’s not planning to re-open. They won’t be renewing their lease. Right now the Sheriff and the Fire Department are investigating and then we’ll have to wait on the insurance to come through.”

Alwin sat near his brother across the room, cradling the sling with the egg against his chest. He spoke for the first time since the explosion sounding as calm as ever. “The tavern has become a hub for the community and a place for Bastian to reach them directly. It may be wise to expand the tavern to the full building rather than restoring the existing layout and attempting to find another renter for the second storefront. This affects my family directly, so I will help cover the cost of rebuilding once the investigation is complete.”

Royce waved him off. “I was thinking the same thing. Mostly because I can’t guarantee the safety of any other renters that may get caught in the crossfire. The tavern has been doing really well since Levi came on board and we’ll be fine without the rent. If anything, we might bring in more money by expanding the tavern.”

“I’ll chip in too,” Ollie agreed. “I’ve been using the tavern for work for forever, so the faster we get it up and running again, the better. And I have some connections that have magic that can help with repairs. I’ve had to tap them once or twice after some of my spells went a little wonky.”

Pretty much everyone in the room shot Ollie a knowing look, but before anyone could call her on her reckless use of spells in the past, a hand appeared in front of my face.

I looked up to find Royce offering me his giant mitt and arched an eyebrow at the gesture. I shook his hand because it would be rude not to, but I wasn’t sure what game we were playing because the grumpy man had done nothing but shoot me suspicious glares since the moment I arrived.

“Uh…”

“Thanks for what you did back there,” the bear said. “You gave them enough time to get everyone out and that’s all I can ask for with something like this. And…I owe you an apology. We were all suspicious of a Prescott looking for Elliot, but today you saved his life and I have to admit I was wrong.”

Oh shit . I’d seen this happen more than once now. The whole gang was getting that look in their eye. The one that said I was officially one of them, but that would bring nothing but trouble for all of us. Time to nip that in the bud before it was too late.

I gave Royce a wry smile. “Ah, you may want to hold on to that thanks until you hear the full story. Specifically, the part where it’s my fault the hunters have that concealment magic in the first place. There’s a reason I was familiar enough to know how to get around it.”

The hurt look on Elliot’s face made by guts twist, but it was for the best. “You sold concealment magic to the hunters?” he asked.

Well, I couldn’t get away with that lie since I wouldn’t be able to tell them how to use it. “Not exactly. But it’s my fault they have it. So save your apologies and your thanks and take comfort in the fact that suspicion is always the correct way to deal with a Prescott.”

The looks shifted into something I was much more accustomed to and I relaxed a little under their renewed suspicion. Except one stare caught my eye and I shrank a little under Alwin’s watch. He knew the truth. And he probably knew exactly what I was doing as well.

“If you’re here to hurt this town, then why did you save us?” Elliot asked.

“He’s not here to harm the town,” Alwin finally spoke up. I snapped a warning look his way, but the elf wasn’t remotely intimidated by me. “His family gave the concealment spell to the dark mage in an effort to drive Declan out.”

“Didn’t you say they threw you out?” Ollie asked. “Why would they keep messing with you even after you left?”

“They didn’t throw him out,” Elliot answered. “He’s the last Prescott heir, there’s no way they would just let him walk away and end the family line. That part I knew all along, but I thought maybe he wanted us to hide him here.”

“So you’re saying he ran away and your family is trying to get him back?” Nikko asked, the concern in his voice was obvious and I sighed.

“Drop it. It doesn’t matter why I’m here. Did you all forget that I only do things for my own selfish reasons? I told you that the moment I showed up here and that hasn’t changed. My family saw the situation here in Eastbend and they used it to their advantage because of me. That’s what they do. And no matter the reason, I brought a fight with the Prescotts to your doorstep. It was only a matter of time. So save your thanks, don’t give me that shit. Instead, ask yourselves how much the hunters would never have been able to do without that concealment spell. Capturing all of those shifters and fae? The black magic spells? This fight wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for that spell. So forget your misplaced thanks. We’re supposed to be finding the home base of The Origin Order, right? Al and I have a mission to finish.”

If they were surprised that I was suddenly volunteering for missions, they didn’t show it. If anything, they seemed to be struggling to wrap their heads around everything. But my sudden eagerness didn’t come from a place of charity or regret.

Now that I was back, it was only a matter of time before Acacia and her demon caught up with me. As long as I was close, that fucker would be able to track me down, and no doubt they’d be keeping an eye on Eastbend. The sooner I was off on some mission with Al fucking things up for the hunters, the better. I’d face a thousand hunters before dealing with one of my family members any day.