Born in Fire (Page 28)

Those threads of fear resurfaced. She was right about my power, but was she guessing, or did she know?

“For that reason,” she went on, speaking to me, “You need to take care of them, or your power can be used against you. Not to mention analyzed. So two small magical containers would be all I’d advise.”

“Fine,” Darius barked. He checked his watch. “Get two more in motion. Charge the card on file. I will have my assistant review the charge. I expect a discount for the bulk order.”

“You’ll get no discount, or you’ll get no supplies.” Callie gave Darius her bulldog expression.

“That’s what you get for not using please,” I murmured.

Darius threw his hard gaze at Dizzy. “I would like a handful of distraction spells, delivered to Reagan now. Then a dozen more, styled to look like various creatures, color coded. My people will supply you with the colors, as usual. Make the dragon breathe fire.”

“I’m…not sure I can do that.” Dizzy scratched his head.

“C’mon, honey, let’s heal your face.” Callie tugged me along behind her.

“Oh. Do we have time?” I glanced at Darius. He gave me a nod before following Dizzy into his shed. That wasn’t the answer I’d hoped for. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone with this woman.

“I hate dealing with that vampire,” Callie said as she pulled me toward the house. “Which is why I usually don’t. He makes me want to kick him.” She huffed as we entered through the door. “Right, honey, down to the brass tacks.” She still hadn’t released my wrist, and was now yanking me toward the stairs. “Do you know about your father?”

“I don’t think I am who you think I am,” I said, guarded. “I’m not a curse breaker. I don’t even know what that is.”

“You didn’t tell that fool of a vampire what you are, did you?” At the top of the stairs, she saw my hesitation. “I knew your mother. I knew her when she met your father. I helped her after she kicked your father out. I know what danger you are in, which is why I agreed to cut all bonds until you were old enough. She died before her time, and I lost sight of you. You took her teachings to heart, which is good. But because of that, we’ve lost valuable time.”

This time I didn’t resist when she pulled me down the hall.

“I loved your mother like a sister,” she continued. “We all did, those of us who knew her well. We didn’t like that she tried to disappear. I was the only one powerful enough to confront her about it. Lord almighty, she gave me a good magical wallop, I’ll say that much. She had great offensive magic. I got through, though. I got to meet you.” She smiled and touched her hand to her heart before directing me down the hall. “Such a little cutie, you were. I couldn’t have kids myself, but I do love them. I got to hold you and rock you—Mother Nature is the most magical of us all. It is wise to use her for guidance.”

Touching moments made me uncomfortable.

I scratched my arm and contemplated making a run for it. Curiosity stayed my feet, however. My mother had never told me someone else knew about me. We’d always been alone. I said as much.

“Your mother and I agreed that your identity should be a secret. At least until we assessed your magic. When it turned out you had a good deal of your father in you, keeping you secret became a necessity until you mastered your various gifts. I didn’t visit your mom because I am always surrounded by busybodies and power seekers. If someone followed me, it would’ve put you both in jeopardy.”

Callie sat me down in front of a huge vanity. It didn’t surprise me to see that all the little boxes and serums were perfectly organized. A massive bed sprawled out behind us, one side ruffled and the other crisply made. An open door on the other side led to a bathroom and a giant bathtub.

“I wondered if she would eventually turn you over to the Mages’ Guild.” Callie assessed my face. “They would want to claim you, and in doing so, protect you. But she was probably right in her choice. They’d seek to use you. Maybe even trade you. They’ve gone horribly corrupt. They don’t have a presence around here, thank God.”

“When I was old enough to look after myself, I tried to get her to join the world of the living again.” I shrugged. “By that point, she said there was nothing for her anymore. She was happy with the life we had, working on her magic, seeing if she could create a spell I couldn’t break apart.”

“I bet that was a challenge for her.” She leaned closer to my forehead. “Burned your eyebrows away, huh? And how’d you get the scratch?” She thumbed my cheek.

“A plant-based sort of goo. I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

“Ah. No problem. I can fix this in a jiffy.” She pulled one of the containers toward her and took off the lid.

“My mother was excellent with healing magic. I didn’t inherit the ability.”

“Not many do.” She waved her hand around. “Hence the big house. Rich humans pay me to smooth facial lines and cure hangnails. Vanity pays, dear, which you’ll learn readily enough from that vampire out there. He’s as vain as…” She let the words trail away. “Don’t trust him, by the way. I’m sure you know that.”

“Obviously.”

“And while he is gorgeous, and undoubtedly has great techniques in the bedroom, it’s not worth it. Think with your head.”

“I know this.”

“It doesn’t hurt to be reminded. A man that fine can wear on the logic, don’t I know. I got mixed up with one of them when I was in college. Time of my life. Getting away wasn’t so easy. Had to kill him and cover it up.” I jerked back in shock. “Hold still, honey. I only want to put this salve on the trouble spots.”

“You killed him because you didn’t want to stop seeing him?”

“It was the only way, I assure you. He wanted to bond me, of all things. I was extremely naive and powerful, a great combination for a predator. Thanks to the advice of an old biddie like myself, I got out. Otherwise I would’ve been lost to him. He didn’t want me to leave, of course. This might sting a little.”

I sucked in a breath—it felt like acid was eating away my cheek. “This is helping me, not disfiguring me, right?”

“Let me work.” She blew on my cheek. “It took a combined effort of a few of my friends to trap and kill him, but we managed. It was hairy there for a little bit. He almost broke free. But my friend—a dainty little thing—rushed him with a stake. She saved the day. We covered it up and no one knew. Or else they didn’t care. I assume you are excellent at killing vampires?”

“At killing everything.”

“Yes. Your mother told me she’d teach you to fight. She was fierce. Had been training since she was little. This will feel better. Here you go.”

A cool liquid calmed my burning skin.

“I was five when she enrolled me in a martial arts studio,” I said. “She lied on all the documents. Paid in cash. I have no idea where she got the money.”

“Me. Don’t wrinkle your eyebrows, or I’ll miss and give you a hairy forehead.”

“You?”

“I was the middle man, actually. She made her potions and spells in the woods, shipped them to my warehouse for distribution, and I saw that her customers got them. It was no hassle, and since I had my own setup as well, no one was the wiser.”

“You did all that for her?”

“I got something in return, don’t you worry. She was a better healer than I am. I learned plenty, bought supplies from her—it wasn’t just goodwill. Otherwise, she would’ve cut me off. Okay, there you go. Back to normal.”

I turned to look in the mirror. Except for the singed bangs, which could be swept to the side, I looked like myself again. “Wow,” I said. “That was quick work.”

“I’ve been doing this a long time. Flesh and hair problems are easy. So is making a vampire disappear without a trace.” She tapped the side of her nose with her forefinger. “You know, just in case you sample the sexual waters and get stuck in them.” She gave me a knowing look.

Gross.

I hopped out of the chair. “Thanks.”

“And sweetie,” she said quietly, her eyes flicking sideways toward the door, “I know it doesn’t need saying, but if you want to continue living life as you know it, you’ll keep your true gifts a secret. Better to be a bastard than to be dead or under someone else’s control.”

“Maybe I won’t actually call myself a bastard, but…”

“Smart girl.” She threw her arms around me for a tight hug. “There has been so much business, I haven’t let this sink in. What a treat! We’ve stayed in the area, hoping to catch wind of you again. I wondered if it was you when I heard about a particularly effective bounty hunter, but no one at the Magical Office would tell me anything. We had no way of knowing you were still around here.”

She stepped back and smiled, staring at me with glistening eyes.

“Yes, well…” I tried to wriggle away, feeling intensely awkward.