Chapter 9

9

EVANGELINE

I woke up groggy, with a crick in my back. Pothos was flopped across my neck like a scarf if scarves snored softly. I gently transferred him to a pillow so that I could sit up, and he let out a wheezy sigh before settling back down.

There were two blankets draped over me, and when I squinted at the coffee table, I saw a mug of water and a bottle of aspirin, along with a note addressed to me in Gabriel's spiky handwriting.

Evangeline,

I dealt with the remains of the walnuts, and disposed of the concoction we made for the ritual last night. Please let the walnuts dry out for a minimum of a fortnight before consuming them as it will concentrate the flavor. I've asked your home to lock the door behind me after I leave, but I'm unsure if it will listen.

If you need find any more leads, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Gabriel De Montclair

Below that was a phone number and a full address, zip code and all. I threw the note back down onto the table, popped two of the painkillers, and chugged the water. Then I treated myself to a nice long groan, scrubbing my hands over my face.

God, what had I been thinking, drinking so much on an empty stomach? And in front of Gabriel, too. Some of the stuff I'd said to him… I winced. I was just grateful I hadn't made a pass at him.

My headache thudded dully behind my eyes as I went through the motions of making eggs and bacon on autopilot. Wonderful, wonderful greasy food would help. I munched on the bacon while the eggs cooked in the bacon fat, then piled the fluffy, golden scramble onto a thick slab of toast. I got the sense I would need carbs to face the day. Next to the sink, my dish rack had been filled with de-hulled walnuts, washed clean, and laid out in tidy lines.

"Oh, God," I said to myself. "Oh, my God, I called him a dweeb." I turned to Pothos, who was busily kneading the blankets I'd left on the sofa. "This is why I'm single," I told him. "Because when I meet a hot guy who's kind of an asshole but in a fun way, I get drunk, call him a dweeb, and fall asleep."

"Aaaa," said Pothos, emphatically.

"Yeah, buddy, you and me both," I grumbled, pouring some kibble into his dish. He trotted over, tail held high, and began to absolutely stuff his face. I ate my breakfast quickly, then grabbed one of the canned iced coffees I kept in the back of the fridge in case I ever had a caffeine emergency, and took it to the shower with me.

Between the food, the coffee, and the hot water, I was starting to feel a little more human. I threw on some clothes, not bothering to look too closely and just grabbing whatever seemed comfortable. When I went back into the living room, Pothos hopped up onto my shoulder and sneezed directly into my ear.

"Nasty," I told him. "You're so gross." But I scratched his cheeks until he started purring. With him still on my shoulder like a grassy parrot, I went down to the office. Work—that was what I needed. Work would distract me.

Soon, I was leaning against the edge of my desk, staring at the information I had so far while I dangled a piece of murder-board string for Pothos to play with.

"Four pieces," I murmured. Four pieces in four locations. "One piece found in a dark embrace, where shadows dwell, concealed by grace… Concealed by grace?" I frowned. Something was ringing a very faint bell.

I grabbed a book on local history from the shelf and flipped through it until I found what I was looking for. I huffed out a humorless laugh.

"Of course," I muttered. "Where shadows dwell."

I went back upstairs with Pothos in tow, then grabbed my phone and typed in the number Gabriel had left in his note. As I changed into a more flattering pair of pants, I texted him.

got a clue, might know where the first piece of what we're looking for is. meet me at big sal's asap. we need to figure out a plan for this one

this is Evangeline btw

By the time I got to Big Sal's, Gabriel was already there, sitting in the booth farthest from the door. He had his hands wrapped around a mug, and he'd been staring out the window, but he looked up when I came in.

I raised a hand in an awkward wave.

The worn vinyl of the booth squeaked as I slid into the seat opposite Gabriel.

"Thanks for dealing with the walnuts," I blurted out.

Gabriel blinked. "It seemed a shame to waste them. And I can't exactly enjoy them myself."

"Makes sense," I said, trying not to fidget. "Hey, uh, I'm sorry about last night. I was out of line. And thanks for the water and blankets and stuff."

Gabriel didn't meet my eyes. Instead, he began to reorganize the little plastic single-serving tubs of jam in the condiment holder on our table by flavor. "It's no trouble," he said. "And the building set out the painkillers for me. I didn't go rummaging through your medicine cabinet."

Just then, Sal came over with a mug and a pot of coffee. "Lookin' rough, Angie," she said, filling my mug. I accepted it gratefully. "Were you out getting into trouble again?"

"Not this time," I said. "I was staying in and getting into trouble."

Sal grinned widely, wagging her eyebrows. "Good for you, kid. Can I get you a refill on that, pup? We've got some more synthetic O-negative in the back. I can warm it up for you," she said to Gabriel.

"I'm fine, thank you," he said.

She nodded and bustled off.

"Pup?"

He sighed quietly. "Baby bats are called pups."

"Aww," I said. "Sal gave you a nickname on your first visit. She must like you."

"Do you come here often?" Gabriel asked, then apparently realized what he'd just said and backpedaled. "To eat. Not—not like that. I. Ah." He took a long sip of the synth-blood in his mug. "You said you found a lead?"

I grabbed onto the topic change gratefully. "I did. The first line that describes where one of the pieces is located… I think I figured it out. There's a place near here called the Umbral Village. It's kind of a local legend."

Gabriel nodded. "I've heard of it. The abandoned village."

"The village filled with weird shadows," I said. "The prophecy said ‘where shadows dwell.'"

"A promising start." Gabriel leaned slightly forward in his seat, and the bench squeaked under him.

"It gets better," I said. "There are these plants that grow all around that area. Bushes with little yellow flowers."

"And those are… relevant somehow?"

"They're rue plants," I said, tapping the table for emphasis. "And one of the other names for rue is herb-of-grace. It completely covers the ground around there, which means…"

"It would be easy for something to be covered up by it. Concealed by grace," Gabriel breathed. "Brilliant."

"Exactly," I said. "It would take me a while to get there, but I can head out tomorrow and have a look around—see if I can find anything."

"Wonderful. Where should we meet?" Gabriel asked.

"What?"

"Where should we meet tomorrow before we leave?" he said.

Something warm and prickly was in my chest. "You're going to come with me?"

Gabriel met my eyes properly for the first time since I'd gotten to the diner. "Unless you don't want me to."

"But all the stuff I said about you last night…" I trailed off with a wince.

"All the stuff you said about me last night was correct. Aside from calling me a… dweeb. I looked up what it means, and I don't feel it applies to me," he said with a minute frown. "I have been trapped in a way of doing things I've never bothered to question, and I'd like to change that. Not many people are willing to talk to me that way. It was almost refreshing. So, I'd like to come with you."

I took a long pull of my coffee to give myself time to process that. "Eight o'clock tomorrow," I said finally. "The stone arch at the northern entrance to the woods. We might need to camp, so bring supplies."

"I'll be there," Gabriel said.

"Good," I said, then more quietly, "Thanks."

The corner of his mouth lifted ever-so-slightly. "It's my pleasure."

Nobody had the right to look that handsome in diner lighting. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said, draining the last of the coffee and sliding out of the booth.

"Tomorrow," Gabriel agreed.

I tried to pay Sal for my coffee, but she waved me off. "Don't worry about it, Angie, Mr. Cheekbones over there already paid for both of you."

"Mr. Cheekbones? I thought you decided his nickname was pup ," I said with a grin.

"Seeing how men like that respond to silly names can tell you a lot about them," Sal said with a casual shrug. "I like to know what I'm dealing with."

"And what did it tell you about him?" I asked.

Sal gave me a crooked smile. "Ah, where's the fun in me telling you? You've gotta find it out for yourself."

When I got home, my front door was unlocked. I tensed, building some of the power I'd need for a stunning spell in the palm of my left hand as I swung the door open. Then I let out an exasperated sigh as I took in the familiar shape in my window seat.

"Hi, Marcus," I said. "Please, come on in, make yourself at home."

Marcus blinked at me owlishly over the top of his glasses, stroking a hand along Pothos's back. The traitorous little bastard was curled up in his lap.

"Ah, Evangeline!" he said, like he was surprised and delighted to have bumped into an old friend. "How wonderful to see you. I trust the investigation is going well so far?"

"Yeah, it's been great," I said. "Hey, Marcus? Why the hell are you in my house?"

"Ahh, I suspected you might ask," he said sagely. I rolled my eyes. "I had the sense my presence would be helpful, and I also had a craving for those wonderful dumplings they make at the restaurant downstairs. I got extras. There are some in the refrigerator for you to enjoy at your leisure."

Wizards. I shook my head. Marcus's shirt today was bright purple and covered with gold stars. It made him look like Merlin, if Merlin was trying to go undercover as a geology teacher on vacation in the Florida Keys.

"I could actually use your help with something," I admitted a little grudgingly. I'd been planning on calling Marcus once I came home, but I would rather eat my own legs than admit that to him. "I need to borrow the bottomless tote."

"Of course, of course. Are you planning some sort of expedition, perhaps?" he asked.

"Not sure I'd call it an expedition," I said. "I'm just going to the Umbral Village. It'll take two days. Maybe three at the very most. I feel like an expedition has to be at least a couple weeks, right? It's not like I'm exploring the Arctic or something."

"The realm of shadows," Marcus said. "Interesting." He fixed me with a look. It was the sort that kept me from ever completely falling for his weird old man act, razor-sharp and searching. "I've heard rumblings lately," he told me. "Strange goings-on in that area. You should be careful if you're going to go poking around there. If you'd like backup just say the word."

"I've already got backup," I told him. "Gabriel's coming with me."

"Gabriel?" Marcus raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Gabriel De Montclair," I said. "The, uh, the heir of the De Montclair vampire clan."

Marcus stared at me again, scratching Pothos's grass-green cheek. "Very interesting," he murmured. "The two of you have struck up a partnership?"

"Just for finding the ascendancy array. He thinks it might have something to do with some recent disappearances. Low-ranking vamps going missing."

"And you trust him?" Marcus asked.

The question blindsided me. I blinked a few times. "I mean, I… Yeah. With this, anyway. He cares about his people. Solving this is important to him."

Marcus nodded. "Very interesting indeed. Excuse me, my friend." That last bit was directed at the cat, who he gently shifted to a different part of his lap so he could get access to one of the many pockets on his awful cargo pants. They were the kind that zipped off into shorts, I noticed with a faint pang of horror.

Marcus pulled out a bag made of blue plastic tarp. It had blue and yellow strapping for handles. It was also clearly an Ikea tote bag, although it was smaller than the usual ones, and it had a bright yellow zipper closing off the top.

"There are a few odds and ends still in there, but I don't believe there's anything in it that should cause problems. Who knows, they could wind up being useful," Marcus said, handing over the bottomless tote. "Do be careful with this, won't you? I'll need it next weekend. I'm planning on going antiquing."

"I'll be careful," I promised.

"Wonderful," Marcus said, gently depositing Pothos on the floor. He stood, stretching his back out with a loud pop as the cat twisted around his ankles. "Do have fun on the hike," he added. "Those woods are beautiful this time of year."

I packed more supplies than I would probably need, but it never hurt to be prepared. I was the sort of person who brought six pairs of underwear on a weekend trip just in case there was some sort of horrific panty catastrophe. It had been a while since I'd had the chance to go camping, but my tent was in decent shape, and my sleeping bag smelled more like long-faded wood smoke than dust, so I was counting that as a victory.

Food was next. I had a smaller bag, enchanted to stay cold for up to a week, and I loaded some basic ingredients into it before putting it in the bottomless tote. The dumplings Marcus had left in the fridge for me were delicious, just like everything else from the place downstairs, even if he'd taken all the seaweed kimchi for himself.

I spent most of the day packing, then wound up in that weird, twitchy headspace I always went into when I was about to take a trip but I'd already done all the prep work. I cleaned the kitchen, just for something to do, until it was eventually a reasonable hour to go to bed.

I didn't bother with pajamas, just stripped off and collapsed dramatically into bed like I was doing a bellyflop. I got through a chapter and a half of the book I was reading—a novel about a werewolf naturalist trying to save native plants and animals while keeping her pack alive during the apocalypse—before I finally drifted off, nestled into my cool pillow.

There was a tap at my window. Then another. It was late, although my internal clock was too muddled to tell me anything aside from ‘time to be asleep'. I pulled on a robe and slid the curtain aside just in time to see a pebble hit the window.

I slid the window open and stuck my head out. Below, lit by a streetlight, was Gabriel. His eyes were wild, his hair windswept.

"Gabriel?"

"Evangeline," he replied. He said my name like it was something sacred. "I'm sorry, I know it's late. I needed to see you."

"Is everything okay?"

"Can I come in?" Gabriel asked. There was a note of desperation in his voice I hadn't heard before, and it made something in my chest twinge.

"Of course, let me—" I turned to head to the door to let him in, but before I could even cross the room, he was already climbing in through the window. A gust of cold wind made the curtains billow into the room, and I was suddenly very aware of how thin my robe was.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Gabriel said. "Ever since the day when we first met, you've drawn me in. You're incredible, Evangeline. I am… I have been trying so hard to restrain myself and keep my distance, but it's a constant struggle."

My breath caught in my throat. "What are you saying?" I asked, stepping closer. He looked almost frantic.

"You're intoxicating," he told me. "I can't bring myself to want anyone but you, and I want you so desperately, I feel like I'm going to go mad with it. I'm tired of pretending."

I looked up at him. Even worked into a state like this, he was impossibly handsome, like a marble carving of a Byronic hero. His hands trembled very slightly.

"Fuck it," I said, then surged forward, fisting a hand into the soft fabric of Gabriel's shirt to pull him down into a kiss. He froze for a moment, and then he was kissing me back desperately, his cool hands cupping my face.

It was a fantastic kiss, urgent and overwhelming. Gabriel's body was solid and tempting against mine, and I didn't see any reason not to give in to temptation. He let out a soft, sad noise when I pulled away, but I started scrabbling for his waistband, and he perked right back up. Between the two of us, we got his shirt off. Neither of us paid attention to where it landed. Gabriel was broad-shouldered but lean, and I was surprised to see the edges of tattoos curling around his shoulders. There was a lot of pale brown skin on display. I didn't have time to ogle, though—there were more important things on my mind. This kiss was even hungrier, and I couldn't hold back a moan as he licked into my mouth. I was pretty sure I felt him smirk against my lips at that, and I nipped at his lower lip in retaliation.

Gabriel pulled back and looked down at me with hooded eyes, panting for breath I was pretty sure he didn't need. Between the cold air and the… well, everything else, my thin robe was doing absolutely nothing to hide how hard my nipples were. Gabriel brushed a thumb over one of the firm nubs through the fabric, and I gasped. Heat throbbed through my core, pooling between my legs.

"I need…" I managed. "Gabriel, please."

"Anything," he said against my lips. "Anything you want."

I tugged him toward the bed, and he went with me willingly, pulling me into another dizzying kiss. We fell onto the blankets, and the jolt of it pressed us even closer together. The long, hard line of his cock pressed against my thigh. Very long, I realized giddily. Gabriel fumbled for his belt, his eyes never leaving mine, as though he wanted to memorize every second of this.

At some point, the belt of my robe had come undone, and it was falling down my shoulders. I was so wet I felt like I was dripping with it, and when I felt the cool press of the head of Gabriel's cock against my entrance, I slid down in one smooth motion. We moaned in harmony, and…

I woke up.

My cunt was embarrassingly wet and clenching around nothing. Dragging my hands down my face, I let out a miserable groan. If I was going to have a sex dream about someone, why couldn't I at least wake up after the good part?

I sighed, frustrated on a couple different levels. If I didn't get off, I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for ages, so I grabbed a toy from my bedside drawer, flicked it on, and tried my best to think about anything other than cool hands and intense purple eyes.