CHAPTER 2

 

 

Did she have to babysit the man? Honestly, his attention was somewhere out in the stratosphere. It took every ounce of mental fortitude she possessed to get him to straighten up and focus. Focus. Some days, he wandered so far into his head, she wondered if he would ever come out again.

She was grateful for his work ethic, which she never questioned. Elon agreed to work holidays, weekends, overtime, any shift, whenever she asked, without prompting. He was an employer’s dream-come-true in that respect. After he’d applied for an assistant’s position two years ago, Aisanna had come to know Elon for who he was. Trustworthy and hardworking and an all-around good guy.

Not to mention damn attractive.

She could depend on him to open the shop on those mornings when she simply could not find the energy to make it in. Or when her family life went to hell and she was out half the night tracking down magical stalkers.

Elon would do what she asked of him and do it right the first time. And despite their considerable comfort in the working arena, there was no way in hell she’d tell him any details about Israel. She could picture it now, the look of horror on his masculine face as his good mood plummeted into the dirt.

Things did not work that way. Aisanna preferred not to mix her work and personal life, no matter how desperately Elon wished to break those barriers. There was an old saying her father once told her, which stuck with her to this day: Don’t get your honey where you make your money.

She lived the motto.

Still, Aisanna studied her best worker and wondered why his face filled her mind more often than not. Elon Fayer had the arrogant good looks of a con artist without any of the cockiness. He was the tailor-made boy-next-door, she thought, with cheerful blue eyes, a hint of scruff, and a wide mouth always stretched in a smile.

He toed the line between skinny and muscular without the bulk of a habitual gym rat. When she hired him, he’d worn his mane of dark brown hair hung low, reaching his collar. Now he trimmed it to keep up with the times: simple and casual with shorter sides and longer on the top, slicked to the side with styling product.

His grin came and showed a slightly crooked canine. It was an honest face. An outgoing, friendly one.

In a different world, a different life, things may have turned out otherwise for them. Say, for instance, if Elon had been born with the genetic capacity for magic in his veins. Then she would have no qualms about bedding him and indulging in those secret, dirty fantasies every woman had about handsome male coworkers. Even ones who were five years younger than them.

She imagined they’d have fun together. Again, in another life. Elon was human, with no power whatsoever, outside of his miraculous ability to charm little old ladies. That he had in spades. This had made him a great asset to her growing brand. He was a budding botanist with heart and soul. It meant he was a good counterpart to her level-headedness.

Against her parents’ wishes, she had signed the lease on the building some seven years ago. They’d wanted her closer to home, closer to the family business. Considering her father worked for a bank and her mother worked on her face, Aisanna was not exactly sure what constituted a family business.

Flowers and plants, naturally, appealed to her on a basic level. Her magic sprang from the earth itself, and she, like her mother and her mother’s mother, held dominion over living flora. It was power in its simplest form, encouraging young things to grow.

She’d thought long and hard about what she wanted to do. Greenhouses appealed to her at first until she realized she hated getting dirty. Her first summer interning at a local nursery had been a disaster of callused palms and shin splints. No, she’d rather make beautiful arrangements. She did better behind a desk with numbers in a spreadsheet than digging in the dirt.

Thus, a shop. A business catering to the consumer while still letting her flex her muscles as a witch and soothe her desire for pretty things. It was the perfect mesh of two worlds.

The small storefront right in the hub of downtown fit her style seamlessly. She’d designed the decor and layout herself. Warm natural wood accented the glass displays and aged metal—farmhouse meets modern.

If anything, Aisanna needed to focus on her job. On keeping business steady through Valentine’s Day. Then she would have a chance to slow down and worry about the looming eclipse and the fraying veil keeping their reality and the reality of ancient magicks separated.

There was also the fact that she might be related to the Harbinger witch. Born into times of great change and great need, the Harbinger had the potential to restore balance. Aisanna’s middle sister, Astix, fit the bill, but good luck trying to get her on board with the concept. Astix still insisted they were looking for someone else, despite a rather spectacular display last month where the young witch managed to draw up magma from the earth’s core.

Yeah. In addition to Aisanna’s overbooked schedule, she had an unraveling veil, wild and uncontrollable magic leaking through, and an insane immortal on her hands.

She glanced at the peonies again and strangled a groan, casting another look in Elon’s direction. “Are you done wandering in the fields of imagination? Have you found your way back to reality yet? Because we need to get this order out the door in the next ten minutes.”

Elon blushed, the color traveling to the tips of his ears. “Yes, I have.”

He had strong arms, wide shoulders. He’d rolled his sleeves up to the elbows. Big hands, she thought, but they could do delicate floral work with ease and elegance.

“Let’s get on with the lineup for the day.” Aisanna tapped a few keys on the computer, bent down for a closer look, and sighed. “Have you spoken to Mrs. Ulrich about the arrangement she wants for her fiftieth wedding anniversary?”

He gave her a little nod and kept his hands busy, scattering papers in an attempt to find the right folder. “Um, yeah. I have the notes on it somewhere. Give me a second.”

He bent at the waist and gave her a prime view of his rear without meaning to. It was a struggle to look away. Just what, she wondered, was a man like him doing working in a flower shop? Then again, some people did well in a sales setting. They were built for people-pleasing.

She wouldn’t give him up for anything.

Finding the notepad, Elon straightened and relayed the information. “She left a message on the machine and I gave her a call first thing this morning. She wants roses, poinsettias, and those maroon irises you did for her daughter’s wedding two years ago.”

“She does realize that it’s the end of January and irises are not in season?”

“I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. She said if anyone could do it, it’s you. She’s willing to pay a little extra for the inconvenience. I explained the last-minute change and the likelihood of finding those particular flowers in those particular colors. I even suggested several perfect alternatives. You know how Mrs. Ulrich is when she sets her mind to something. She refused to make the change. If anything, she dug her heels in deeper. She’s like a mule.”

Aisanna listened to his soft-spoken words. Beyond the fact that she would have to go outside conventional means to get those flowers, the colors together simply didn’t work. They might if she did something to blend them. Well within her ability, sure. Totally outside the scope of a normal florist. It would take a lot of finagling.

Elon kept eye contact with each word and forced a smile into his voice to reassure her. “It won’t be too much of a problem, will it? I told her you could handle it. You always do.”

“Leave it to me,” she told him. “I’ll figure out something while you finish the peonies.”

He regarded her thoughtfully. “I’m sure you will. No one in the city does it better than you.” She raised her eyebrow and he stammered to correct his unintentional choice of words. “Does flowers better, I mean. You are the best at flowers. And…and bouquets and…”

She sent him a small grin for his show of faith. She could have told him she knew plenty of witches with greater skill than hers, her mother and sister included. Not to mention the vast array of healing magic her gifts encompassed. “Thanks. Now get to work.”

“You got it, boss.”

Aisanna appreciated his dedication, even though he was a regular guy. She could practically see his mental slap at the unintentional innuendo.

Then she shook her head to clear it and pointed over her shoulder. “I’m going to the back to see if I can find anything for Mrs. Ulrich’s arrangement.”

“Do you really think you have something in stock that will work? Like I said before, she’s really counting on those irises. I don’t think she’s willing to compromise.”

“Yeah, I know. But let me take a peek. I might be able to find a bulb and coax something in the next week. Or find a distributor somewhere willing to overnight.”

“If you think you can…” Elon trailed off. “I’ll watch the front. Oh, and Johan is in the prep room so I’d steer clear. Black mood.”

Aisanna nodded and made her way toward her office, leaving Elon to deal with the tinkling bell tones heralding a new arrival. Johan and his black mood? Definitely better to take the long way around.

She kept a small area near the storeroom for herself, for whenever she was forced to do paperwork. Something she avoided like the plague. Making sure the door clicked into place securely behind her, she slapped her hands palm to palm in preparation. She’d need a bit of magic to conjure those flowers. Damn Mrs. Ulrich and her impossible expectations. Double damn to Aisanna for constantly filling them when she should refuse.

“These are going to be the best irises you’ve ever seen, lady,” she muttered under her breath.

She drew air into her lungs and closed her eyes, going into herself, tapping the well of energy lying at the ready beneath the surface. She exhaled. Power swelled upward, bursting into reality. Transforming into physical substance. A clear picture formed in her mind of a flower, the maroon iris with a golden center. Forest-green sparks flashed into existence around her outstretched palm. Making sure to maintain the image in her head, she loosed her magic like an arrow.

When Aisanna opened her eyes, she held three blooms in her palm. Delicate leaves spindled out from a lush green center. They looked for the world as though they’d been plucked from some garden moments earlier.

Yes, they would do.

Her mother had told her it was stupid to practice obvious magic in front of humans. Aisanna felt the population at large were too caught up in their own lives and problems to recognize anything magical even if it bit them in the ass. So far, she’d been lucky. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if her luck ran out.

She waved a hand to preserve the blooms for the coming days while she worked on an excuse. “Now, where can I put you?” she muttered, glancing around the room for a hiding spot. “The safe.”

A knock on the door was the only indication he gave before Elon burst inside seconds later. “Change of plans! The Stevenson triplets want hydrangeas for their father’s funeral instead of the lilies we were going with before. Please tell me we have some in stock. We have about four hours to make the change before I need to drive them over to the funeral parlor.”

Aisanna shoved the irises behind her back and regarded Elon with wide eyes. Her heart beat like a mixer blade turned on high. “Hello? Have you ever heard of privacy?”

He laughed at her. “Did you hear me about the change?”

“Yes, I heard you. Although I think it’s a really stupid idea. Maybe Johan will get to use his blue hydrangeas after all.” She used her free hand to shove hair out of her face. “Please, get out of here so I can concentrate.”

Elon rolled his eyes before exiting. She let out a whoosh of air and sank to the floor, weary from her near-discovery. All the time they’d worked together, she’d managed to hide her magic from him. There was no telling what he would do if he happened to find out about her. She took great pains to make sure that never happened.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Elon peeped around a final time and lingered near the door. “Why are you on the floor?”

Aisanna shooed him away. “Get out.” She was too tired to deal with him. Five years younger and full of boundless energy, Elon was eager to please. “Can’t have a moment of peace around here,” she said to the blooms. “There’s always something.”

The rest of the day went on without any new complications. After his abrupt interruption, Aisanna hardly paid Elon any mind. They went about their duties separately yet worked in perfect unison. Even Johan’s good mood was restored.

She locked up at six o’clock and bid her coworkers farewell. Tomorrow held another full day of orders, not to mention the walk-in customers Elon generated with his fabulous PR plans. He’d managed to increase her out-the-door clientele by fifteen percent in the last six months.

Walking to the car, she breathed in the icy scents of the day, her lungs stinging from the cold. Fingers trembled as she reached into her bag for the ring of keys.

Please let the car start, she silently prayed. Come on, Baby.

That’s when she heard whispers on the wind. They started low, like gnats buzzing around her head. Aisanna wiggled her jaw to pop her ears. When that didn’t work, she tenderly worked a finger into the depths of her ear canal to clear it of any waxy buildup.

The whispers continued like a breath, or a forgotten song. She couldn’t make out the words. Was hardly aware of them. Yet something in the air felt charged. She swatted around her head to dispel the buzz. Her fingers grasped the keys at last and she hastily opened the driver’s side door, barricading herself inside the vehicle. The engine roared to life. Thank goodness.

The murmurs grew in cadence until their volume blotted out the world. Aisanna ducked, holding her ears with a cry. She slammed on the brakes although the car remained in park.

“What the hell is going on?” she yelled, trying to hear her own voice.

The world stopped. Time came to a standstill; air froze in a cloud above her face. The last few weeks, what with her sister, the mess with the wild magic, the supernatural stalker, and trying to get back to a new normal, Aisanna felt like she had been holding her breath, without knowing why she was doing it. Like she was waiting for her reality to fade around her. A daydream.

Calm never lasted forever.

Now she understood. Really understood. It was time to start taking things seriously. Unfortunately, the realization kicked in when it was too late to react.

Her body didn’t belong to her anymore. She urged her hands to grasp the wheel, to shift into drive and get away from whatever presence weighed on her soul. She urged her vocal cords to scream. The moment stretched on. The windshield stirred as though it were a blanket shaking itself out, and then went still.

Her attention flicked down to the seat when she felt it move beneath her. For an instant, reality slipped, went askew. Righted itself within seconds. She saw the error as clearly as she saw the shadowy figure crouched on top of her hood. One who hadn’t been there before and shouldn’t have been there at all. She couldn’t make out its face and her brain struggled to make sense of the scene. Then her blood became ice in her veins.

The car was silent. The connection between her mind and body had been severed. Was the figure controlling her? Everything was wrong.

The shadow was the only thing in the world still able to move, cocking its ephemeral head to the side. Aisanna’s heart began to pound against her ribs.

Something was very, very wrong.

Fear surged through her with nowhere to go. No outlet for the adrenaline boiling her from the inside out. There was something odd about the shadow. Something fluid and otherworldly. If the thing had been human once…it wasn’t now.

The One Who Walks in Darkness was back.

Time crawled. Silence stretched. She couldn’t turn her head, her eyes focused on the darkness. Dust and dirt flew up outside in a cyclone around the car, and the shadow bent sideways. Fear was a crashing wave, coming in surges. Light burst behind her eyes and the world rumbled like something was trying to break through. She knew something bad was happening. Just wasn’t clear on what.

How could she have been so stupid as to think her problems were over? That they’d defeated the swell of rogue magic coming for them before the eclipse? It was here, in front of her. Here, and grotesquely out of place. Slowly, the shadow’s fist came through the windshield, forcing through the elements and pushing the thick air out of the way to reach Aisanna. The glass broke and snapped. The mechanisms of the car were crushed. Destroyed. Yet she remained, the emotional damage done.

Darkness knew this would hurt more.

She wished she could turn her head, or call someone to come help her. Her mind rushed for a spell. An angry piece of something to break her out of the stupor and rip Darkness to pieces.

Bells began to pound in her ears. The sound came faster and faster. When she prepared to give in to panic, it was done. A tremendous burst of reality that returned the car to normal. Without warning, the shadow vanished. She crumpled forward the instant the thing disappeared, her arms, back, and legs cramped and devoid of strength.

Aisanna drew in a huge breath in a mix of relief and agony while the wind outside flailed leaves and debris from the ground. She focused on the movement. Struggled to draw air into her lungs. Tears stung and she would have given anything to rewind, to tell herself not to be so damn complacent. She should have taken precautions.

Darkness wasn’t done with them. Sure, nothing terrible had happened. This time.

Next time she wouldn’t be so lucky.

 

**

 

Elon stayed later than usual, trying to finish a few miscellaneous items on his checklist. He had no place better to be and really didn’t mind putting in the extra hours. Anything he could do to ease the boss’s workload. Johan called him pussy-whipped without the benefit of ever having the first part.

So be it.

When he glanced up from the computer, night had settled over the city. Stars winked to life in a cold, heartless sky, and his stomach growled a warning. A hungry protestation telling him in no uncertain terms that he’d missed dinner.

He rubbed a hand over his abdomen to settle it. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten lost in his head and forgotten to feed the beast. Surely it wouldn’t be the last. He reached into a back pocket to pull out a candy bar, ripping through the wrapper and tearing half off in a large bite. Sugar slapped his taste buds, the taste so delicious he wanted to cry.

Never underestimate the power of a good piece of chocolate.

He quietly set the storefront to rights, munching away, and shrugged his arms into the warm fleece coat hanging near the back door. Through the dim light, he could see Aisanna’s car still parked across the way. Headlight beams cut through the empty lot and fell on a nearby dumpster.

What is going on? Aisanna never stayed parked if she had plans. She kept herself busy and on a tight schedule. What was she still doing here?

Elon locked up then stepped toward the car, though it took him a minute to notice the slight figure slumped behind the wheel, head turned at an odd angle.

“Jesus!” He sprinted the rest of the short distance and lifted his hand to tap on the glass. “Hey, hey! Wake up.”

Aisanna sat inside the running car, her delicate build drooped to the side and her mouth hanging wide open. Elon had one hand in his pocket ready to call 9-1-1 when he noticed she was breathing, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.

“Aisanna, wake up. Aisanna!” His nerves felt like he’d just eaten a piece of metal instead of chocolate. It took multiple frantic knocks for her to jerk forward. Her head snapped up and knocked against the steering wheel.

She winced in pain. Elon tugged at the door and found it locked. He fished around for his phone and clicked on the flashlight app, flashing it against the car window and watching her pupils contract.

She gasped, one hand shooting up to cover her mouth. At least she was alive.

He fumbled for something to help jimmy open the door. Sometimes, it felt to Elon like they’d known each other for a thousand years. He knew her every gesture, every expression gracing her beautiful face. He saw them in his mind: the terse smile, tight at the edges, the lips barely parted when Johan said something stupid; her squint when she stared over his shoulder, blotting out the rest of the world and bringing his work into focus.

But he’d never seen the look on her face he saw then. There was fear around her wide eyes. Pain evident in the thin press of her lips. There was concern, but not for him. There was something else, too. Guardedness, like a lock clicked shut over a treasure box. And through it all…terror. Sharp, sparkling terror.

“Are you okay?” His voice did not seem to reach her. “Answer me. Are you all right?”

“Ugh…where am I?” she grumbled, her words slurred and slow to come.

Elon propped his head against the window, shielding his eyes to get a better look. There was no broken glass. No clouds of carbon monoxide or smoke in the interior. Had she taken something?

“Are you okay?” he repeated. “You’ve been out here for hours. I thought you’d gone home for the night.”

“Hours?”

“How about you unlock the door and let me in?”

Aisanna rubbed her forehead, disoriented. “I was supposed to already be at home.”

“You’re still in your car. Now unlock the damn door.” Rarely did he demand anything, and never of her. This definitely qualified as an extenuating circumstance.

Hearing the click of the lock disengaging, he took it upon himself to throw the door wide. He knelt beside her and turned the key in the ignition to cut off the motor. A dull hush filled the air.

“God, you could have frozen to death if you hadn’t left the heat on. Did you have some sort of attack? How is your pulse? Let me know if you feel lightheaded.”

He reached for her hand and she yanked it back, shaking despite the warmth. She rebutted with a question of her own. “How long have I been out here?”

“Well, you walked out the door around six, so I’d have to say you were here for at least two hours.” Elon spared a glance at his watch. “It’s a little past eight now.”

“Two hours? Are you kidding me?”

“Please, tell me what happened.”

“If I knew, I would.” She bit the inside of her lip. “Trust me, if I knew…”

“I’ll get you some water.” He tugged her hand until she rose out of her seat. Willing his heart to slow, he took her in, starting from her toes and working his way to the tips of her ears. Already her color had returned to normal.

“What?” She gave her head a toss and turned to size him up in return. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m making sure everything looks normal.” He pressed his thumb against her wrist and mouthed the seconds while he took her pulse.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. I must have dozed off.” Movement belied her words when she stumbled and would have tripped over her own feet had Elon not been there to catch her.

“Sure,” he agreed sarcastically. “Let’s just get you that water.”

Disoriented, she allowed him to lead her back inside. With a single jiggle, he removed his key from his pocket, stepping aside and holding the door open for her. Soon they were in the back room with Elon moving to the prep sink and grabbing a clean glass. A moment later, he handed her the glass and watched her gulp down the whole thing.

Aisanna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You’re trying to tell me it’s really eight o’clock at night. I lost two hours of my time. Poof. Gone like smoke. This isn’t a prank?”

Elon peered at her, seeing faint, murky spheres under her eyes. They stood out against her pale skin like someone had given her a knockout punch.

In his mind, she was too strong to look damaged and unnerved. Whatever happened in the car had deeply rattled her. Too deeply for his liking.

“It’s eight o’clock at night,” she repeated. Like she wanted him to tell her it was nothing but a joke.

“It is.” Elon leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

She lashed out at him with anger, her defensive response. “What are you still doing here? Were you watching me?”

Tonight, he didn’t blame her. “Maybe I should have been.” Instead of responding heatedly, Elon took a breath and kept his distance. No good would come from pushing her. “I don’t know what you saw out there. I’ve been inside finishing up the books for the catering affair next week, along with a few last-minute details. You looked tired when you left. I didn’t think you’d want to deal with it tomorrow.”

Calm and steady, he told himself. Get her relaxed and don’t pry. Don’t pry! God help him, it was harder than it should have been.

“Well, aren’t you an apple polisher?”

His gaze hardened. “I thought I was saving you some work.”

Aisanna sighed and gave a curt nod. “That’s fine,” she said slowly. “I’m sorry.”

She drained the last sips of water before setting the cup down on the counter. The sounds of the shop were a balm to her nerves. They listened intently to the constant hum of the refrigeration units, the occasional clink from the heater. There were no spooky voices echoing in the halls or in her mind.

Everything was as it should be. Which meant sleep deprivation had done some very strange things to her.

“Did someone hurt you? Maybe we should call the police. You look like someone—”

“No police.” They wouldn’t understand. Witches had their own governmental body in place to handle these matters. And no way did Aisanna want the Claddium alerted to this newest batch of weirdness. “I think I’m ready to go home.”

“I’ll drive you.” Elon dug in his pocket for a separate keychain attached to a fob at the end. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I can handle a ten-minute commute, thank you very much, Mr. Fayer.”

“I insist. It would be my pleasure. Besides, who knows if your car would make it, anyway,” he joked.

He watched the war taking place in her psyche. On one hand, she recognized her own vulnerability and part of her wanted to take advantage of his offered kindness. On the other, she was just plain stubborn. He admired both but wished she would go with the former instead of the latter.

At last, she agreed. “Fine. Just don’t turn this into some kind of white knight thing. I couldn’t handle it.” She turned her nose up at him and strode toward the door, her grand exit marred when she lost her footing and fell against a table.

Elon hurried forward and took her arm to steady her. “My mother raised me right. Do you want me to catch hell if she finds out I let you go home by yourself? Do it as a favor to me. I don’t want a tongue-lashing the next time she calls and asks me how you’re doing.”

Her eyes shifted and pinned him. “As a favor?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t say another word. They walked around the block to where he’d parked, his awareness focused on her arm in his hand, the brush of her body against his. If he didn’t touch her now, he was afraid he would break down under the weight of his worry. His fingers tightened of their own accord.

Pull yourself together, Fayer. Don’t let her think you’re getting close to cop a feel when she’s acting loopy.

He took her in, the angles of her face, coupled with the odd blue, green, and amber eyes gleaming in the light of a hazy gibbous moon. Despite the years separating them, Elon knew he would rather die than be without her.

He wished she felt the same way about him.

“Get in and I’ll let her warm up a bit. The engine does strange things in the cold.” He opened the passenger door and helped her onto the worn leather bucket seat of the rebuilt Karmann Ghia, a hobby project shared between him and his father. “After you, milady.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The look she sent him was meant to appear stern at first glance, but it hid a fair share of gratitude along with amusement. It would have felled a lesser man’s heart. Instead, his turned over.

He made sure the door was shut and locked before returning to the driver’s seat. “You don’t need to give me the address. I know where it is. Just try to relax.”

“And how do you know where my apartment is?”

“How long have we known each other? You’ve had me deliver mail when you were out of town. Or have you forgotten?”

“Oh, jeez. Ignore me tonight. I’m obviously out of my mind.”

“I’m glad I stayed late.”

“If you act any more concerned,” she told him softly, “you’re going to make me twitchy.”

“Never worked on you before,” he countered.

His jest had the desired effect when her lips drew up in a small smile.

They drove in silence toward her place. She didn’t question how he maintained a consistent five miles per hour below the speed limit. He wanted to speak, to offer some sort of platitude to help her feel better. He kept his thoughts to himself and felt the weight of her gaze on him for those first few miles. Then her exhaustion became too much to handle. She closed her eyes and Elon listened to her breathe.

Nothing was the way he’d expected it to be.

At last, he pulled up to the curb in front of her building. “Do you want me to walk you to the door?”

“No. Thank you. I appreciate you finding me. Driving me home.”

“Anytime.”

They said their goodnights and she felt him watch her while she walked to the front door. You are a tough cookie, she reminded herself.

She managed the three flights of stairs without assistance and let herself into the apartment, closing the door behind her. The familiar scents and sights of her space were a balm.

There she gave in to her exhaustion and sank to the floor.

She fell asleep, keys in hand and her head resting on the wood.