Page 3

Chapter 3

M ari went back to her room and got dressed, putting on whatever Rio handed her without looking at it—joggers, a T-shirt, and flipflops. Saints, she was so fucking tired. This day had gone on for a week already. At least her magic was sort of back?

“You’re lucky Cisco didn’t see you walking around half naked,” he murmured, hugging her around the hips and pulling her back against him after she’d changed. “That one might have actually been worth a spanking.”

She leaned into Rio and smiled absently. “Maybe I need some growly discipline to get me out of this funk.” She definitely needed something. How was she going to make it through her training with Pricilla? She could hardly keep her eyes open.

“I’ll make you some coffee and bring it to you,” he said, kissing the side of her neck. “Don’t forget. We’ve got the tasting for the caterer tonight.”

Fuck. The party was in just over a week. She briefly considered canceling but knew that would never fly. They needed to project strength. Everything was business as usual. No ancient paranormal entities were on their way to—well, honestly, she had no idea what the Old One was going to do, but Dohal was afraid, and that was more than enough to keep her up at night.

“Right, I’ll definitely be able to stay awake for that and won’t fall face first into the canapés.”

He wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged tight. “I’ll tickle your knee under the table to wake you up whenever you nod off. Don’t worry.”

“What would I do without you?” she asked and meant it, turning to offer her mouth up for a kiss.

He savored her lips with a purr that warmed her, body and soul, then broke away to kiss the tip of her nose. “Come on, you’re going to be late.” He nudged her toward the door, took her hand and gave her a twirl, and then walked her to her office.

Rio nodded to Pricilla in greeting as he helped Mari into her seat. “Take it easy on her today,” he warned. “She was up late last night and is still recovering from the mother of all magic hangovers.”

Pricilla chuckled. “I can tell. We’re probably just going to talk.” When he left to get Mari’s coffee, Pricilla sat forward, looking her over. “Seriously, how are you not burned out? That discharge last night was immense.”

Mari took a breath and tried to figure out where to start. “Most of it wasn’t mine. I was just a conduit, I guess.”

“And that giant in the hallway was Dohal, I take it?”

Mari nodded. “Sorry about that, by the way. I was too out of sorts to control my reaction.”

“I should have anticipated that you would be protective.” Pricilla shrugged. “So, he’s just out walking around now? The discharge was how you freed him?”

“Yeah, I healed his scars. They were etched into his skin over the lines of power in his body and tied him to the place they had been keeping him all these years.”

Pricilla let out a low whistle. “I don’t know how you survived the unmaking of a spell that could hold a dragon for that long.”

“The goddess,” Mari said after a few seconds. “She’s been hoarding the magic for a while. When I told her I wanted to heal him, she gave it to me.” She didn’t share the goddess’s reason for keeping back the magic—that she had somehow known and been in on Dohal’s plan to take over the world with an army of monsters that Mari would birth—that felt too personal.

“And we don’t think he’s plotting vengeance anymore?”

That struck a little too close to what Mari had just been thinking. She hoped that her face didn’t give anything away. “Now that he’s free, I think he’s a little less interested in retribution.”

“I noticed that he altered the wards,” Pricilla said carefully.

Mari took a breath. “I think he’s trying to make sure the city is still protected, but I have yet to talk to him about it.”

Pricilla showed her a small smile. “There’s a lot going on today.”

Mari nodded and hoped she didn’t look half as tired as she felt. She barely resisted rubbing her forehead. “He’s with Luis now. I’ll try to get answers about the wards as soon as I can.”

There was a soft knock, followed by Dante peeking around the door. “Rio sent me with a coffee delivery.”

Mari beamed at him. “Come on in.”

Dante entered her office balancing a tray in one hand and crossed to the desk. When he got closer, he frowned, then set the tray on the sideboard before crouching beside Mari. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little tired.”

“Let me give you a little pick-me-up?”

She laughed. “That’s supposed to be what the coffee is for.”

“I have half a mind to walk right back out of here with that coffee and send you for a nap.”

Saints, she must look exhausted, judging by the concern in his voice. “Let me just finish this up, and I’ll find you and we can nap together. Deal?”

“Okay, but if you’re not knocking on my door by lunch, I’m coming to find you and throwing you over my shoulder.” He reached for the back of her neck and rested his palm against her skin, sending some of his magic into her body in a warm eddy.

Her power came alive at his touch, and she shivered. “Mmm. That’s delightful.” She closed her eyes when he brushed her lips with a sweetly soft kiss.

Much too soon, he broke the contact and returned to the tray. She was still tired, but the edge had been taken off for certain, and the headache that had been threatening had retreated.

He placed coffee mugs in front of both of them, along with two glasses and a pitcher of water. “At least as much water as coffee.” When she didn’t respond, he narrowed his eyes at her. “I mean it.”

“Yes, sir,” she laughed. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

He tucked the now-empty tray under his arm. “It’s a full-time job.”

“Are you angling for a raise?” She grinned.

His face fell as he looked away from her eyes. “No…I…”

She rushed to reassure him. “I was teasing.” Fuck, what had she even said that had upset him? She had no idea. “We’ll talk about it later?”

“Yeah.” He forced a smile and left the room without saying anything else.

Mari tapped her fingers on her desk. “You want to give me advice on whatever that was?”

“Nope,” Pricilla said, shaking her head. “Not getting anywhere near that one.”

“I figured.” Mari sighed. “Okay, what we were talking about?”

“The mysterious timeless dragon who is definitely not going to destroy the city in a fit of anger anymore.”

“Right.” Mari cleared her throat. She took a long sip of coffee, and then guiltily took another one of water. “He’s very invested in protecting me from what he thinks is coming, so I’m fairly certain that whatever he’s done to the wards is with that in mind.”

Pricilla nodded. “If you trust him, then I do too. What is it he thinks is coming?”

“Have you ever heard of something called the Old One?”

The other witch’s eyebrows drew down. “I don’t think so?”

“He says that’s what my father was trying to keep out of Las Vegas all these years.”

“Okay.” Pricilla took a breath. “I’ll do some research. Anything else to go on?”

“He said it was the genesis of all paranormals on Earth.”

Pricilla frowned. “Kind of scary to imagine something like that is still walking around.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll try to get more details from him. Can we keep this close until we know more about what’s going on?”

“Absolutely. You, your gentlemen, and Willow, I assume?”

Mari inclined her head. “Willow might be the best avenue for research on this one. Do you have any idea how old they are?”

“Not a clue. Older than anyone I know, for sure.” She shrugged. “Probably not as old as Dohal.”

“I honestly have no idea how old he is. He said he was trapped here before humans descended from trees, but I don’t know if that was true or just hyperbole. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with him.” Another question to add to the pile. She was going to have to start a list.

Her head was starting to throb again by the time she left her office and went to find Dante. She knocked lightly on his door, unsure if he would be in.

A few seconds later, he answered with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. “Right on time. I was about to go looking for you.” He pulled open the door and gestured her in.

She hadn’t been in his room before, so she took a moment to glance around. He was tidy. All of his clothes tucked away rather than spread around the room. On one dresser, there was a tray with neatly wrapped sandwiches she recognized as Giselle’s handiwork.

“I grabbed lunch so we wouldn’t have to sleep on empty stomachs.”

She watched him as he walked toward the bathroom. Saints, he smelled glorious. “That was thoughtful.”

He came back in a few seconds wearing some pajama pants with ducks on them. “I don’t want to work for you anymore.”

The smile wilted on her face, and tears pricked at her eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh no. Sweetheart. Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and pressed his face to her temple. “I meant I don’t want you to pay me anymore. I called Esmé this morning and gave her my two weeks’ notice. She told me to fuck off and fired me.”

Mari laughed into his chest. “That sounds like her.” She angled her head to look up at him. “That’s what upset you in my office?”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “The idea that you thought I was only taking care of you because you paid me. It hurt my feelings.”

“I never thought that, Dante. I mean, I was paying you, but only because that’s what we had agreed to. And I wouldn’t be mad about keeping on paying you either. But I know you care about me, and I’m sorry I made you feel bad.”

He kissed her forehead. “Apology accepted.” He reached for one of the sandwiches. “Now, eat this.”

She chuckled as she unwrapped the sandwich. Her stomach wasn’t thrilled with the idea of eating, but that was probably because she’d had too much coffee and not enough food already today, and she knew she should put something in there, especially after the night she’d had. “So, is this what I can expect from now on?”

He watched with narrowed eyes as she took a bite of the egg salad sandwich. “Probably. I know Rio tries to make sure you take care of yourself, but he’s got business stuff keeping him busy a lot of the time. I talked to him this morning, and he’s fine if I help.”

She rolled her eyes when he handed her a glass of water but sipped dutifully all the same. “I’m an adult you know.”

“Uh-huh. An adult who pushes herself right to the edge of exhaustion and doesn’t think about taking care of herself until after everyone else is taken care of.”

“Guilty as charged.” She sighed and took another bite. It really was a very good sandwich, with just the right amount of mustard.

He rested a hand on the back of her neck. A line formed between his eyebrows. “Headache is back again? Thought I took care of that last time.”

She felt the warm touch of his magic permeating her spine, relaxing her in an instant. “Probably just dehydration. Yesterday was a complete madhouse, and then today I’ve had too much coffee and not enough water.” She offered him a guilty smile. Saints, had their failed date just been yesterday? It felt like a million years ago.

He huffed and kept up the slow trickle of healing magic. “At least you can admit it.” He curled his fingers into her neck a bit to work at the tense muscles. “Finish that up, and then I’m going to get you into bed.”

“You want me to sleep here?” She took another bite, glad that her stomach had settled.

“Yeah, maintenance crew is cleaning up the glass from last night and replacing the windows in the pool house, so it’ll be quieter in here until they’re done. I already told Rio this is where you’d be.”

“So, you’re both mother hens now?” she asked, smiling at the thought.

“Yup, at least until you start taking care of yourself.” He nodded at the glass, prompting her to sip. “You went through a ton of magic yesterday, and today you’re running on empty, and you were just going to keep on pushing through it, even after your magic was slow to rebound this morning.”

She finished chewing the final bite of the sandwich and took another drink of water. Much as she might love to argue his points, she had responsibilities to all the people in this house and under her protection. Letting herself get worn down wasn’t going to help any of them. “You’re right. Thank you for caring, and thank you for looking after me.”

He took the glass and the wrapper from her and set them both on the tray before scooping her up in his arms. “I’m prescribing one orgasm and at least an hour of sleep.” His grin was wicked. “How do you want it?”

“You pick.” Her eyes already felt heavy, and she didn’t want to make any more decisions right now. She trusted him completely.

He put her down in the middle of the bed and pulled off her flipflops before tossing them toward the door. “Mouth it is.” Peeling off her joggers and panties with no fanfare, he made himself comfortable between her thighs and set to work diligently, delivering a toe-curling climax that built up her magic nicely before tucking himself around her. She kept all that magic for herself rather than releasing it into the wards and fell asleep in seconds.

When she woke a while later, Dante wasn’t in the bed with her, but Dohal was, watching her with lidded eyes.

“How is Luis?” she asked, after her brain came the rest of the way online.

“As well as can be expected.” He placed a hand on her hip and sent his magic tickling through her. “You should sleep more.”

“I must really look like shit today,” she grumbled. “Everyone keeps telling me to go back to bed, even when I’m in bed.”

“You look beautiful today and every day.” A wry smile twisted his lips. “But you are also exhausted. You used more magic in a day than some witches do in a year.” He sounded impressed, and a little scared.

“It was close, wasn’t it?” She didn’t say what it was, but they both knew—frying all her magical pathways and burning the magical ability out of her entirely.

“I think so, yes.” He slid his hand up along her body to curl a lock of her hair around his fingers. “You undid a spell it had taken ten incubi to create. It should not have been possible.” He lowered his voice to a whisper, “You should not have attempted it.”

“I wanted to free you, and that was the only way.”

He stared into her eyes. “My freedom was not worth your life.”

“Yes, it was.” She reached out and stroked his horn.

He rumbled pleasantly and leaned into her touch. “Do not rile me, bavi. You are not up to another round with me yet.”

She sighed, bone-weary. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? I’m just going to close my eyes for another minute.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead, his magic spreading through her body with a delicate touch.

The next time she woke, Rio’s arm was draped around her, and she felt much restored.

He curled his arm to snuggle into her and purred. “You feel better.”

She smothered a yawn with her hand. “Yeah. Dante and Dohal have basically been pouring healing magic into me all day.”

“Mmhmm.” He inhaled deeply. “That must be why you smell like s’mores.”

She laughed. “Campfire and marshmallows?”

“Yup.” He nuzzled into the back of her neck. “They belong with us. On you, they smell like home.”

She tightened her hand around his, relief flooding her. “I was afraid you might be…upset with having to share me.”

“No,” he said simply, rubbing their joined hands over her belly. “They aren’t mine, like Cisco is. But they are yours. Dante has grown on me, and I’m sure the big lug will too.”

She leaned back into him. “How’s Tristan?”

“The same. Greta checked up on him again while you were sleeping and says he’s stable.”

“Doesn’t he have to eat or something?”

“Phoenixes do this stasis thing sometimes when they are in danger. Greta thinks that’s what he’s doing. He just doesn’t know he’s safe yet, so he’s biding his time.”

She stretched her toes and calves as she considered that. “Maybe you should go tell him.”

“Huh,” he chuckled. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Halcyon said he came back to find you, right? So he remembers you from before. Maybe he’s just waiting for you to tell him it’s okay to wake up.”

“That’s not a bad idea. We can go try that as soon as we finish with the menu tasting.”

“Oh, right. I’d forgotten all about that. Well, good thing I’m hungry, I guess.”

“I brought you a change of clothes.”

“Oh, thank you. That was thoughtful.” She sat up and stretched her arms and her back. “Are they done in the pool house yet?”

“Close to finishing up, yeah.”

“Good. I didn’t mind napping here, but this bed definitely isn’t big enough for all of us.”

Rio exhaled a laugh. “For sure.” He rolled onto his back and watched her as she padded into the bathroom to freshen up.

When she came back out, she was wearing the cute blue dress he’d brought for her—one of Cisco’s favorites. It was cut low in the back to show off her tanned skin almost down to her hips, and she had to giggle about how obvious Rio was about trying to please him.

With a sly smile, Rio held up the sky-high white espadrilles that Cisco absolutely adored on her.

“Oh, I see, we’re flirting with our gargoyle tonight with my outfit.”

“We’re always flirting with our gargoyle,” he said with a particularly feline grin.