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Chapter Fourteen

M arric couldn’t believe he had a date with Iven, the sheriff of Fortune Falls. Someone as hot as him liked Marric, a farm kid and heir to a title he didn’t want. Marric really wasn’t anything special. But Iven had protected him and put himself on the line by helping Marric. It was truly amazing.

“So did your mom teach you magic?” Iven asked as he held the door open to the library.

The building appeared to be a lot older than the surrounding buildings.

It smelled old too. Maybe it was the smell of so many old books.

It wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, Marric liked it.

“She didn’t want Tory, Emery, and me to use it, so we had to teach ourselves.

I’m teaching Emery, but I don’t know what I’m doing any more than she does. ”

A man stood behind a counter, watching them as they approached.

Iven was the one who spoke to the man. “Can you point me toward the archives?”

“Is there a problem, sheriff?” He raised his eyebrows as if expecting Iven to affirm that something was wrong and that Iven would spill his guts to the guy simply because he was the librarian.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” Iven’s expression was neutral, but his tone held just enough authority to let the guy know he meant business.

The man pointed deeper into the library. “Turn left at the medieval history section and then take the elevator down to the basement.”

Iven nodded and pulled Marric along in the direction the librarian pointed. “I could teach you.”

“Teach me what?”

“How to channel your magical abilities. I’m not a witch. My magic comes from a different place, but I can help you still.” It was kind of sweet the way Iven blushed at the suggestion, as if he expected Marric to say no.

“I wouldn’t mind getting a lesson or two from you.” Okay, Marric hadn’t meant that to come out so suggestive.

Iven smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Are we still talking about magic?”

“Not at all.” Marric pressed against Iven’s side.

“I can give you another kind of lesson too, right alongside the magic lesson.”

“Like a reward?”

They were the only ones in the elevator, which made their conversation a lot easier. They didn’t have to continue to whisper anymore.

Marric turned into Iven when Iven pulled him closer.

“I’ll reward you, honey.” It felt as though Iven already was with the way he tucked Marric against him.

“We’re going to bond, aren’t we?” Marric’s dad would hate it, but he already knew he wanted something permanent with Iven.

“Eventually. But we should get to know each other first.”

“With magic lessons that include rewards.” Marric was really leaning into the positive reinforcement.

Marric never understood the expression, smiling with his eyes until Iven did it.

The elevator dinged. Marric could have stayed inside all day with Iven, but the doors slid open and Marric had to move away.

Iven took his hand as they walked into a dark room with shelves so large they reached the ceiling.

“Whoa.” Marric moved closer to Iven, pressing against him again, but for a whole different reason the second time. There were shadows, creating too many places for someone to hide.

“There are wards everywhere. No one can hurt you,” Iven whispered and squeezed his hand gently, as if to let him know he was there to protect him. It felt good to have someone he could rely on. Someone who would have his back.

“How can you tell if there are wards in place?” Marric understood what a ward was. His mother had put some on their property. Her magic still tingled whenever Marric walked the perimeter. But he had felt nothing upon entering the archival room.

“You can’t feel them like you would with other wards. This one keeps stuff in, rather than people out.” Iven didn’t answer his question, but that was okay. He’d learned something about wards he hadn’t known before.

“So keeping stuff in, meant books and papers and things like that, right?” Marric eyed the shelves.

“Right.”

“So I’ll feel the wards on the way out.”

“Only if you take something.” Iven smirked. “Don’t do that and you’ll be fine, little thief.”

Marric loved the way Iven teased him about how they met, but it brought back Miss Hattie’s murder. While they were finding a spell to reverse the curse, they were also investigating the murder of a woman who didn’t deserve to die.

Iven drew his eyebrows together when he saw Marric’s expression. He guided Marric in between the stacks and drew him into a hug. “What’s wrong, honey?”

Marric lay his head on Iven’s shoulder. He lost tension he didn’t even know he had until it wasn’t there anymore. “Someone died because of me.”

“There’s no evidence that suggests Hattie’s murder had anything to do with you.” Marric’s gut told him something different.

“She didn’t deserve what someone did to her.”

“No, she didn’t.” Iven rubbed Marric’s back. “Do you want to know more about her? It might help.”

Marric met Iven’s gaze. “I think I would.”

Iven nodded. “Hattie used to babysit Griffin when he was a toddler. That was back when I was a deputy and Zinnie was renovating the inn. She was like a grandmother to Griffin.”

Marric sucked in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

Iven cupped Marric’s cheek. “It’s not your fault. None of this is your doing.”

Marric didn’t believe him, but he wouldn’t make a fuss about it. It wasn’t about his guilt. It was about Iven grieving a loss at the same time he investigated his friend’s murder. No one should have to do that. “I’m still sorry. I feel terrible for you. And I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Iven smiled. “You’re investigating with me. That’s all the help I need.”

Marric realized something about Iven. He had a quiet strength that hid his true feelings. But if Marric asked Iven, he’d be honest about how he felt. “Will you promise me something?”

“Depends on what it is.” He wore his quietness like a shield. Marric had to wonder if he was a ticking time bomb behind the walls he put up.

“Will you promise not to hide from me?” Marric knew the request would be difficult for Iven to promise.

Iven stiffened and drew his eyebrows together. Marric thought he’d even release him from the hug, but his hold tightened. “I’m not hiding anything from you.”

“Not now, but you won’t tell me some things.” He hadn’t told Marric the dead lady was family. He’d made it all about Marric. Iven had shoved his own feelings aside. “You take care of people, right? That’s who you are.”

“That’s not a bad thing, Marric.” Yep, Iven didn’t like being called out. He was upset enough to drop the endearment and use Marric’s name instead. He also dropped the hand on Marric’s cheek.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It makes me like you more.” Marric smiled and ran a hand down Iven’s chest to calm him. Iven looked at his hand and then at Marric with raised eyebrows. “You’re not a spooked horse. I forgot.”

Iven chuckled, which was the result Marric had wanted. “Get to your point, Marric.”

“My point is, who takes care of you while you’re taking care of everyone else? You have needs too. I have a feeling you won’t let me help you unless I make it a point, so that’s what I’m doing.” Marric knew he hit the nail on the head when Iven sighed.

“I’ll try.” That was going to be as good as it got. Iven was out of practice with letting people in and Marric was demanding it. Hell, not shutting down the discussion right away was a step in the right direction. It told Marric the wall Iven had built around himself was scalable.

“That’s good enough.” Marric sealed the discussion with a kiss. He intended for it to be chaste, but Iven leaned into it with a hand on Marric’s nape. And then he deepened it by licking at the seam of Marric’s lips. Iven’s little licks went straight to Marric’s heart and then it went to his cock.

His chest ached at the same time he melted. His moan was more of a whimper. The sound echoed, bouncing off the stacks, making it seem louder than he intended.

Iven pulled away. He wrapped his arms around Marric. “Shh, honey. I’ve got you.”

Marric didn’t understand why Iven ended the kiss or why he responded by comforting Marric as though he were emotional. And then he realized he was shaking. He wasn’t sure why until he heard himself whimper again. This time, the kiss didn’t muffle the sound, making it echo even more.

Marric took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He thought about things that would make his erection go down. He’d never gotten hard from a kiss before or wanted to climb someone like a tree the way he did Iven. “Sorry.”

“I’m having the same problem.” Iven smiled when Marric met his gaze.

“You’re not shaking and whining for more.” Marric sighed. Saying it aloud made him sound desperate, but he stopped himself from backtracking. Iven was his mate. He could trust him not to make light of it.

Iven kissed Marric’s forehead, which made Marric melt even more. “I want to do a lot more than kiss you, but I’ve met the archivist. She’d be scandalized if she found the sheriff with his pants down.”

Marric chuckled, muffling the sound against Iven’s chest. “She’d think you’re sexy.”

Marric stiffened when he smelled someone behind him. He pulled out of Iven’s arms and turned, growling at whoever approached. He bared his teeth, letting his fangs drop. He’d shift and attack if someone threatened his mate.

The woman wore orthopedic shoes and a skirt so long it nearly covered her ankles. She wore pink glasses. Her gray hair was in a bun. She raised her eyebrows at Marric. When she spoke, it was to Iven. “Are you making out in the stacks, Sheriff?”

Iven blinked and didn’t answer.

Marric relaxed. He bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Iven’s kept an arm around Marric’s waist. “We’re looking for a book on curses.”

She sighed and turned, walking away. “Follow me.”

Iven finally smiled and winked at Marric. “Never admit anything to her. She’ll hold it over your head for life.”

“I heard that, Sheriff.” Her shoes squeaked when she walked. “I still haven’t forgiven you for breaking my lamp.”

Marric raised his eyebrows.

“I was rambunctious in my youth.” Iven winked.

When they finally caught up with her, she tsked. “He played football during my class.”

“With paper. It was an accident.” Iven shrugged.

“I might be a witch, Mr. Palmer, but I have excellent hearing.” She turned toward them. “What sort of curse?”

“Um, a curse that causes sickness. Prolonged fever with unconsciousness. The unconsciousness lasts longer and longer each time,” Marric answered.

“That’s a witch’s curse.”

“What I’d like to know is why someone would use it,” Iven added.

“And if anyone can use it or are we just looking at dark magic users.”

She scanned the shelves. “I can’t say I’ve ever cursed someone before, but I know a bit about them.”

She pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to Marric. “You can check this book out. It’s due back in two weeks.”

“Thank you.”

“A curse like the one you described has to be maintained.”

Iven sucked in a breath. The muscles in his jaw ticked.

Marric looked from her to him and back again. “What does that mean?”

“It means someone keeps poisoning you.” Iven’s expression turned stoney.

Marric shook his head. “What? That’s not possible.” Who would do that to him?

“I want you with me at all times. No exceptions.” Iven making demands didn’t sit right with Marric.

“I need to think.” Marric hugged the book to his chest and backed away from Iven when he touched him.

“Are you okay?” The archivist frowned at him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Marric just shook his head. He needed more information. Maybe she was wrong about the curse having to be maintained. But if she wasn’t, he needed to figure out who might do something like that.

“I need to call my dad.” Marric tensed. Panic rose in his chest, tightening his lungs. “Emery. Oh gods, someone is hurting Emery too.”

Marric ran for the elevator. Iven grabbed him from behind, holding him in place. Marric fought him, but his hold was firm, although not painful.

“Calm down. You’re safe.” Iven whispered in Marric’s ear.

Marric growled and fought Iven. The elevator dinged, and the door opened. Marric stopped fighting when Iven moved them inside, but he didn’t let go.

“Press the button to go up, honey.”

Marric’s hands shook, but he did what Iven asked. “I need to go. Please. Let me go.”

“If you let the perpetrator know you’re onto them, they could hurt you. They’ve likely killed once already. You can’t protect her if you’re dead.” Iven’s voice penetrated the hazy panic.

Marric sagged against Iven. “Let me go. Please.”

Iven cursed for reasons Marric didn’t understand, but he released Marric. By then, the elevator was moving.

Marric turned and practically threw himself at Iven. He would worry about being embarrassed later.

Iven seemed surprised by Marric’s behavior, but he still held him close.

Marric had never felt more secure in his life. “What should we do?”

“Well, first, you let me help you calm down. You’re still shaking. Then we’re going to respond to the information instead of reacting.”

“What’s the difference?” Marric asked, but he wasn’t sure he cared that much. He was fine as long as Iven didn’t stop holding him.

“Responding requires a plan.” Iven rubbed his back. “The first thing we should do is go to your house and clear it.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll clear it of all the negative magic and shore up the wards.” Iven’s jaw ticked. “And then we’ll have a talk with your dad.”

Marric was dreading when Iven met his father. Only the gods knew what would come out of Kinnison Ransome’s mouth.