it.
If he told her to lick it off of him and suck him dry she would.
She didn’t breathe. Didn’t dare. Didn’t look down at his hand, either because she couldn’t bear to see his shiny essence glinting at her in the night.
So fucking weak. Don’t step back. Don’t give him a clue. Stay still . She took a step back.
He didn’t seem to notice.
“ I need a favor,” Rachel said, and stood a little straighter. She sounded calm, collected.
Good.
Jack laughed, like he’d found out he’d won the lottery and been diagnosed with incurable cancer in the same breath. “Oh God. That can’t be good.”
“ You’ll probably get to kill something,” she said.
“ Who? What? Why me? Shit, let’s just go for all five—who, what, where, when, why?” He sat down on a nearby rock, moving carefully like the truly inebriated do.
“ Some evil people. Monsters. San Jose. Soon. Because.”
He gave her a look of disgust. She could see it even in the dark, might have felt it even without her heightened senses.
“ Why me?” Jack asked, extending one leg out and leaning back on both arms.
“ I need backup.”
“ Get Lucas to help you.”
“ No. I owe him enough. I don’t want him involved.”
“ Real friends wouldn’t use it as leverage later,” he said snidely.
She chuckled. “Lucas isn’t a real friend. He is my Lord and Maker. Big difference.”
“ Lord and Maker. Creepy. He’s your best chance at success if you need firepower. Ask him.”
She looked down, kicking her foot on the ground. Her words were quiet. “He can’t know. It’s too important and I want to keep her away from him.”
“ Her? New girlfriend?” He asked and couldn’t stop the unhappy laugh that came out.
“ No. Niece, actually.”
He grunted. “Niece? How is that possible?”
“ Witches are long lived. It’s my sister’s daughter. I want to get her out of the coven.”
“ Why?” He shifted, resting his hands on the rock behind him.
“ People don’t know witches. They are not like their image. None of this granola-eating, white-magic, love-the-earth, blessed-be, crap. They’re evil. Like Wicked Witch of the West after she ate Toto for breakfast, evil.”
“ Hmm,” he said, brows drawn together. “And you want to save one of them? And you think I’ll help?” He looked at her oddly, like he couldn’t believe he was hearing her correctly.
“ She’s still little. Her powers have not manifested yet. But the witches, if she stays with them, they’ll have her start doing magic early, trying to bring her powers on. And that would turn her evil. Like serial killer, evil.”
He visibly recoiled. “How old is she?”
“ Ten.”
“ And they’d have her…killing people?”
She nodded, looking at the ocean and away from him. he didn’t answer. She’d have to say something else. She could feel him staring at her in the dark. Shit, she didn’t have anything else to say that might convince him.
“ Is that what you did?” he asked, too calmly.
“ For a little while. Witches have to use their power. And it’s dark. You can’t do it without causing a certain amount of pain. But that doesn’t mean she has to be a killer. Lucas got me out at twelve, and by then, I’d done a lot.”
“ Why did he save you?”
She smiled at him a little oddly. “I’m a witch.”
“ Yeah, but…. Why didn’t he take someone else or—”
“ What are you fishing for?” she said, sounding impatient.
“ What does Lucas say about why he saved you and what he wants from you?”
“ I haven’t asked him.”
“ Why?” He burst out, “How could you not want to know?”
“ Because it’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me , and I don’t think he did it out of the kindness of his heart. He’s of the heart-two-sizes-too-small-variety. I don’t want to know that the best thing that’s ever happened to me wasn’t done because he—” she swallowed hard, “—okay, you know what, I didn’t come
If he told her to lick it off of him and suck him dry she would.
She didn’t breathe. Didn’t dare. Didn’t look down at his hand, either because she couldn’t bear to see his shiny essence glinting at her in the night.
So fucking weak. Don’t step back. Don’t give him a clue. Stay still . She took a step back.
He didn’t seem to notice.
“ I need a favor,” Rachel said, and stood a little straighter. She sounded calm, collected.
Good.
Jack laughed, like he’d found out he’d won the lottery and been diagnosed with incurable cancer in the same breath. “Oh God. That can’t be good.”
“ You’ll probably get to kill something,” she said.
“ Who? What? Why me? Shit, let’s just go for all five—who, what, where, when, why?” He sat down on a nearby rock, moving carefully like the truly inebriated do.
“ Some evil people. Monsters. San Jose. Soon. Because.”
He gave her a look of disgust. She could see it even in the dark, might have felt it even without her heightened senses.
“ Why me?” Jack asked, extending one leg out and leaning back on both arms.
“ I need backup.”
“ Get Lucas to help you.”
“ No. I owe him enough. I don’t want him involved.”
“ Real friends wouldn’t use it as leverage later,” he said snidely.
She chuckled. “Lucas isn’t a real friend. He is my Lord and Maker. Big difference.”
“ Lord and Maker. Creepy. He’s your best chance at success if you need firepower. Ask him.”
She looked down, kicking her foot on the ground. Her words were quiet. “He can’t know. It’s too important and I want to keep her away from him.”
“ Her? New girlfriend?” He asked and couldn’t stop the unhappy laugh that came out.
“ No. Niece, actually.”
He grunted. “Niece? How is that possible?”
“ Witches are long lived. It’s my sister’s daughter. I want to get her out of the coven.”
“ Why?” He shifted, resting his hands on the rock behind him.
“ People don’t know witches. They are not like their image. None of this granola-eating, white-magic, love-the-earth, blessed-be, crap. They’re evil. Like Wicked Witch of the West after she ate Toto for breakfast, evil.”
“ Hmm,” he said, brows drawn together. “And you want to save one of them? And you think I’ll help?” He looked at her oddly, like he couldn’t believe he was hearing her correctly.
“ She’s still little. Her powers have not manifested yet. But the witches, if she stays with them, they’ll have her start doing magic early, trying to bring her powers on. And that would turn her evil. Like serial killer, evil.”
He visibly recoiled. “How old is she?”
“ Ten.”
“ And they’d have her…killing people?”
She nodded, looking at the ocean and away from him. he didn’t answer. She’d have to say something else. She could feel him staring at her in the dark. Shit, she didn’t have anything else to say that might convince him.
“ Is that what you did?” he asked, too calmly.
“ For a little while. Witches have to use their power. And it’s dark. You can’t do it without causing a certain amount of pain. But that doesn’t mean she has to be a killer. Lucas got me out at twelve, and by then, I’d done a lot.”
“ Why did he save you?”
She smiled at him a little oddly. “I’m a witch.”
“ Yeah, but…. Why didn’t he take someone else or—”
“ What are you fishing for?” she said, sounding impatient.
“ What does Lucas say about why he saved you and what he wants from you?”
“ I haven’t asked him.”
“ Why?” He burst out, “How could you not want to know?”
“ Because it’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me , and I don’t think he did it out of the kindness of his heart. He’s of the heart-two-sizes-too-small-variety. I don’t want to know that the best thing that’s ever happened to me wasn’t done because he—” she swallowed hard, “—okay, you know what, I didn’t come
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