Chapter Eleven

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Warrick watched Bianca until she exited Mummy’s Diner, then turned his attention back to the sheriff. Hank had a bemused expression on his face.

“What?”

“I have to say it’s fascinating to watch you when you’re in Bianca’s company.”

“Why is that?”

Hank sat down in the seat Bianca had vacated. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. In a low tone, he said, “You just look different.”

“Different? I don’t know what you mean.”

“You look calmer. More focused, maybe, definitely in tune with your new lady friend. Who would have thought a mighty dragon shifter would be so smitten with a beautiful psychic alien? I will admit I didn’t see that coming.”

Warrick looked around to be sure no one was paying the least bit of attention to them. “While I certainly enjoy hearing your appraisal of my love life with the perfect woman, why are you interrupting me again?”

Hank cleared his throat. “There was another break-in near Vilma’s house last night.”

“Again?”

The sheriff nodded, but didn’t look as upset by the news as Warrick would have expected. “This time the owner caught the culprits and held them until we got there. As I suspected, it was a couple of kids daring each other as part of an initiation into a foolish online club of some kind. Turns out they broke in and took a selfie in your mother’s library. There is an amazing shot of the two of their faces, with the Hart family coat of arms clearly displayed on the wall in the background, right next to the bookshelf.

“So the evidence of their previous break-in at your mother’s was right on their phone.” Hank rolled his eyes. “Kids can be so reckless. They’re lucky they didn’t get shot at. Or worse.”

“Thanks for letting me know. At least my mother is heeding your advice about using her security system.”

Hank stood up. “Well, that’s something anyway. I should delay telling her about the foolish kids we caught for a day or two so she’ll keep up her new security routine.”

Warrick pushed to his feet as well. “I’m pretty sure Rochester will insist on the practice continuing.”

“Good enough.” They shook hands and Hank left the café. After paying the bill, Warrick headed back to his shop to get all the supplies ready to pack up the cheval mirror for delivery. Once the sealant was dry tomorrow, he’d get the mirror placed, make the final touches, and get it ready to go in no time. He made arrangements to drop it off the next day with the client.

Phone in hand, Warrick realized Viktor hadn’t called him back yet. He’d have to find out what his brother wanted to tell him. The sun wasn’t yet down when he closed up and headed for Viktor’s home late in the afternoon. Sometimes his brother was up before the sun made its final descent in the west. As long as he stayed out of the direct sunlight, he wouldn’t have any problems.

Warrick let himself inside the first floor of his brother’s place and took the stairs to the lower level.

His brother was perched on the edge of the couch watching a game show on television. “What is Romania?” he shouted at the screen. A contestant’s voice said, “What is Romania?” and won the question.

“Playing interactive Jeopardy again?” Warrick asked as he came into the living room.

“You know it. What’s up?”

“I should be asking that. You called me.”

“Did I?” he said absently.

“You left a message on my phone last night.”

Viktor was only half paying attention. He shouted, “What is Bulgaria?” at his large flat-screen. Again the show’s contestant repeated his answer and won.

Warrick picked up a stuffed football labeled with Viktor’s favorite sports team, aimed for his brother’s head and drilled his best fast ball. Viktor caught it mid-air without looking, gave him a dirty look and said loudly at the television, “What is Slovakia?” The contestant said, “What is Slovenia?” and lost.

“Should have listened to me, dude,” Viktor said to the contestant.

Warrick cleared his throat with exaggerated emphasis. “Do you have a message for me or not? I have things to do.”

“Like what?”

“I have a date.”

That got his brother’s attention. “With Bianca?”

“Yep.”

Viktor grabbed the remote and muted the volume. “I remember why I called you.”

“Awesome. Let’s hear it.”

“This started out as purely gossip, you understand. But then I remembered something else and everything became clear.”

“For some of us anyway. Spill it already.”

“Okay. So at Insomnia last night, someone was talking about the break-in at Mom’s house. How they knew about two dudes who had been caught at another house—did you know they caught a couple of kids?—but someone had put them up to it.”

“Yes, Hank told me. Who put them up to it?”

“Don’t know. They jetted out of there.”

“So that’s the gossip. What did you remember?”

Rarely did his brother look uncomfortable, but right now he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. “Okay, so I saw something on Mom’s desk before the break-in. Something I forgot about until after I saw you with Bianca.”

“What?”

There was more hemming and hawing and a couple of looks around the room before Viktor said, “You know Mom put a spell on you and Bianca, right?”

“What?” Warrick shook his head decisively. “No. She didn’t. She swore she’d never put a spell on us.”

Viktor shrugged.

“What makes you say that?”

“I saw some paperwork on her desk.”

“Paperwork? Like what?”

“Matchmaking paperwork.”

“Matchmaking.” Warrick laughed out loud. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, I’m not kidding. I saw a matchmaking contract with your name on it. On top was a little pink square note with Mom’s handwriting that said, love spell.”

“But she swore to us she’d never use a spell on us.” Warrick thought about his sudden infatuation with Bianca. It wasn’t a spell. Was it? No. His mother wouldn’t betray him, not even for grandchildren.

Viktor lifted one shoulder. “Okay, so maybe she didn’t put a spell on you. The thing is, Bro, she never promised she wouldn’t put a love spell on your psychic alien girlfriend. The one she set up for you with a matchmaking service.”

Warrick felt like his legs had disappeared and there was nothing holding him up. He sat, or fell, plopping his body into a nearby easy chair. He was absolutely stunned. Did Bianca only love him because of a spell? Was she Warrick’s spellbound psychic alien?

Viktor leaned back, sinking deeper into the sofa. One hand held the remote, and the fingers of his other hand tapped restlessly against one thigh. “She’s never made it a secret about the grandchildren she wants. And as time goes by, she gets more anxious for them, not less. I suspect she’s taken matters into her own hands to step things up.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“What can’t you believe? The lengths she’ll go to get grandchildren? I believe it. And you know I’ll be next on the list. Then it’s goodbye Insomnia at all hours, good day game shows whenever I want, sayonara stepping out with whoever I want, whenever I want.”

Warrick’s thoughts were a disheveled mess. He loved Bianca. Didn’t he? “Do you know anyone who can find out if I have a spell on me?”

Viktor stopped talking about the loss of his fond bachelor life and squinted. “Maybe.”

“Call them.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I need to know.”

Viktor made a phone call. It was the longest thirteen minutes and forty-seven seconds of Warrick’s life as they waited for a response. Then a kid in a gray hoodie and black sweat pants knocked on the front door. Viktor ushered him downstairs. Their visitor pushed back the hood to reveal a kid who didn’t look a day over fifteen. He squinted at Viktor, but his brother pointed to him. The kid stared at Warrick for ten seconds and shook his head. “He’s clean. I don’t see any magic, spells or negative aura.”

“Thanks, kid. I owe you one.”

“Great. Can you get me into Insomnia?”

“Sure. The day you turn twenty-one.” Viktor pushed the scowling youth toward the stairs.

“That sucks, Viktor.”

“Lots of things suck. Like prison, for instance.”

The kid left, grumbling all the way.

Viktor turned to Warrick with a huge grin. “That’s good news. You really love her and that’s awesome. And even better, it lets me off the hook. You can get married. You can have a whole gang of little alien fire breathers.”

Warrick grabbed his brother by the shoulders. “You can’t tell her.”

“Who? Mom?”

“No. Bianca.” Warrick was thinking fast. If Bianca had a spell on her, then she might not love him if it was removed. Maybe if he had time to let her get to know him, they’d still have a chance once the spell was taken away. Not only would he show her his weapons collection, he would let her get a closer inspection of it. He could let her try out whatever she wanted. They could hang together anytime she wanted. Maybe she would eventually love him for himself, and not because some spell made her think she did.

“Tell her what? That you don’t have a spell on you?”

“No. Don’t tell her she’s the one caught in a love spell.”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“Also, I need a favor.”

“Favor? Bro, you are off the rails. I don’t like the look in your eyes.”

Warrick ignored his brother’s concerns. He was fine. It would all be fine. “I want the file on Bianca.”

“What file?”

“The matchmaking file you saw on Mom’s desk in her library. Surely Bianca’s name is also in there with some sort of file. I want to know the details of the contract.”

“What if Mom put it back?”

“I don’t care. Find it.”

“Are you going to tell Bianca that Mom put a love spell on her?”

“Not yet.”

“When?”

“After she and I spend more time together and she falls in love with me on her own.”

“Warrick, this is wrong. I don’t know how I feel about tricking her.”

“It’s not a trick. I just want a chance for us to get to know each other better and then I’ll tell her.”

“Are you certain she’s even spellbound?”

Warrick pushed out a sigh. “She used to be afraid of vampires and dragons. But when she found out last night that I was a dragon shifter and you were a vampire, she went inside Insomnia with me anyway. What does that tell you?”

Viktor shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s brave?”

“Very funny. I don’t doubt she’s brave, but I don’t want to take any chances. I do not want to lose her.”

His brother mulled that over. “Okay. How long before you tell her?”

“A month or so.”

“Forget it. You’ve got a week, and then you come clean.”

“Fine. A week.”

“And then what are you going to do?”

“I’ll take her to Mom’s and have her remove the spell…after…we spend more quality time together.”

Viktor straightened. “You’d better not take advantage of her.”

Warrick practically growled. “I would never do that. It’s like you don’t even know me.” Warrick wouldn’t sleep with her no matter what she said or did to him.

Bianca was afraid of losing control. But he would not. His resolve would never waver. Not until the spell was taken away. Until that time, he’d do his utmost to make her stay in love with him after the spell was gone.

Viktor nodded. “Fine. I believe you won’t take advantage of her. But you’re forgetting something: Bianca can read my mind. She’ll pluck the information right out of my head the next time we meet. I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. I’ll be like, ‘Don’t think of the love spell. Don’t think of the love spell,’ and the jig will be up in about three seconds.”

Warrick remembered all right. “So you will avoid her at all costs. And if you do accidentally run into her, just don’t think about what I don’t want her to know yet. Got it?”

“Right. I’m sure that will be really easy.” Viktor didn’t sound confident.