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AIDAN ARRIVED AT THE office shortly before eight in the morning. After the wonderful night they’d shared, he hated leaving Paige alone. She’d promised to go straight to the shop and not do anymore investigating without him. She’d also agreed to ride with Cassie to the ball and would meet him there later.
There were too many coincidences revolving around Harker’s death and her involvement for him to ignore. Hopefully, by solving the case, he’d also find a way to help her dispel the demon energy.
He heard arguing coming from the lab and went to investigate. He stopped in the doorway and spotted Chance dangling a black eye mask from his fingertips. “I don’t understand why I can’t go like this.” He waved his hand along the front of his tall form. “I have a mask.”
Cassie stood in the middle of the room twirling her braid around her finger. “Because, Professor. You can’t go to the masquerade ball tonight wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Security won’t let you through the door.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. “She’s right. You’ll need a costume.”
She glanced in his direction, her face beaming. “See?”
Chance frowned at her. “I suppose you already have a costume.”
“Yep. Went shopping a few weeks ago with Paige and Alex.” She walked past Aidan, pausing long enough to tap him on the shoulder. “And her dress is smoking hot.” She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned, then scooted past him on her way back to the reception area.
“How about you?” Chance asked, sounding depressed.
“I’ve got it covered.” He was actually excited about attending the ball. He’d been inspired by the thought of getting Paige onto the dance floor and had put some extra thought into his decision about the selection of his outfit.
“Well, hell.” Chance dropped the mask on the center island.
He walked over to the center island and picked up a vial containing a disgusting green liquid. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” He wrinkled his nose and set the glass container back on the counter. “In the meantime, did you find any information on the spell used on Paige?”
Chance perked up like a kid who’d solved his first puzzle. “Just as we thought. It was definitely a stunning spell.”
“Anything on the signature we can trace back to the caster?
“Nothing yet. I need more time. Whoever it was is very good at covering their tracks.” Chance walked over to his computer and typed on the keyboard. “I downloaded all the files from the device and found something curious.” He pointed at the monitor. “Harker had a spell for extracting dark magic hidden a few layers deep in his files.”
“Seriously?” Aidan walked over and gazed at the screen. Was it possible the healer had found a cure for Paige, and was killed before he could help her?
Chance rubbed his chin. “Not sure why he’d need this kind of spell, though.”
“Why? I thought you said it gets rid of the dark powers.”
“It does, but this spell harnesses the power once the host’s life force is drained.”
Aidan frowned. “Meaning?”
“Meaning whoever does the casting must first kill the host before they can absorb the demon energies.”
Holy shit. Chance had a point. Why would a coven healer need this type of spell? To them, preserving life was a sacred part of their profession. He’d known Harker for years and couldn’t believe he was capable of something this malevolent.
Was it possible someone else knew about Paige’s problem? And, if so, had they persuaded the healer to help them extract the powers? Or maybe the man had refused to perform the incantation and that was what got him killed. It might explain why the file was hidden on Harker’s computer and why there was an intruder at his office the other night.
If they were searching for the spell and found it, then Paige’s life was in danger.
#
THE WINTER MASQUERADE ball had officially started fifteen minutes ago. Cassie had come by Paige’s place after work to get ready, and they’d ridden together to the coven hall.
She leaned against the counter in front of the large, rectangular mirror in the women’s bathroom, applying a fresh coat of lipstick and waiting for her friend. Earlier in the day, she’d spent a half hour on the phone catching up with Alex. She’d been depressed to learn her roommate wasn’t going to arrive home until the following day and would miss the ball. They’d attended every dance together since high school.
Paige had omitted telling Alex anything about her current relationship with Aidan, not sure how to tell her friend she was sleeping with her brother. Thinking about him reminded her of the night they’d shared and she couldn’t wait for his arrival.
He’d called her twice during the day. Once in the morning to check on her and tell her he was thinking about her. And again in the middle of the afternoon to make her promise she’d stick close to Cassie until he arrived.
She heard giggling and glanced at the reflection of two young girls, barely out of high school, walking into the room. One of the girls was a tall, thin blonde and wore a gown of soft purple, and the other was shorter and wore a strapless gown of light peach. They moved to the empty spots to her right and set their ornate matching evening bags on the counter.
The taller of the two flipped open her small purse and asked, “Did you see the way Selene was hanging all over him?”
Paige cringed at the mention of Selene’s name. There was no way she was going to let her ruin this night for her. She tried to ignore their conversation and focused on freshening her makeup.
The shorter girl adjusted a silver comb in her light brown hair. “I’ll bet they get back together.”
The blonde pulled a small cylinder out of her bag. She popped the cap and sprayed a gentle mist with the soft scent of strawberries across the underside of her wrist. “Do you really think she’ll take him back?”
The brunette gaped at her friend. “How could she not? Aidan is totally hot.”
Paige’s pulse rate jumped, and her hand quivered. She dropped the small tube of lipstick on the counter, then quickly reached out to retrieve it. Okay, so ignoring them is going to be more difficult than I thought.
Both young women gave her a curious glance, then went back to their grooming. One of the doors opened behind her, and Cassie stepped out of a stall. Exasperation flitted across her features as she straightened the skirt of her floor-length black dress. She glared at the girls and snarled, “Don’t you two have somewhere else you need to be?”
They gawked at her as if she were a two-headed beast, then quickly snatched their handbags and rushed for the door. Damn, she can be scary sometimes. Paige might not approve of Cassie’s method, but she was certainly glad to have her friend’s support.
Cassie walked over to the counter. “Please tell me you weren’t buying into that bullshit.” She tugged at the top edge of her strapless bodice. “The man adores you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
The night before had been fantastic and far exceeded anything she’d ever imagined. They’d made love three times before she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Besides being thoughtful and attentive, he’d risked his life for her. How much more proof did she need? She pushed away her stupid doubts and said, “You’re right.”
“Of course I am. Now let’s go have some fun.”
After locking their personal belongings in one of the women’s lockers, Paige followed Cassie back to the main hall. The low lighting sparkled off the glass and glittering decorations, giving the interior of the large room the appearance of a winter wonderland. Her chest sparked with pride as she admired the committee’s handiwork.
The dance floor was already filled with men and women decked out in their formal masquerade apparel. Women wore gowns with full flowing skirts in a wide rainbow of colors. The men wore anything from silk shirts and dress pants to formal tuxedos.
She scanned the room, recognizing quite a few people while searching for one particular person in the crowd.
“Damn, girl, he is smoking hot,” Cassie said.
“Who?”
She nudged Paige with her elbow and pointed toward the entryway. Her eyes locked on Aidan, and she nearly melted from the way his dark-eyed gaze ate her up. Cassie hadn’t been kidding. The man was downright sexy. A steal a girl’s breath kind of sexy. His tailored outfit—comprised of complementary shades of dark brown and rust—emphasized every attribute of his athletic build.
Desire radiated from his cinnamon-colored eyes, leaving her breathless and incapable of moving. Heat surged through her and pooled in her belly. He strolled toward her, his lips forming the brightest smile she’d ever seen.
Cassie grinned and slipped a velvety purple-and-black mask over her head. “Have fun. I’ll catch up with you later.”
#
SINCE DRAKE HAD BEEN tied up in a meeting with the coven elders for most of the morning, Aidan wasn’t able to meet with him until mid-afternoon. He shared the information he’d gathered from Chance as well as his speculated theories about Harker’s murder. His uncle agreed they could be dealing with someone who craved power. Craved it bad enough to kill for it.
The only clue they had was the mysterious woman Kayla mentioned. First thing in the morning, he planned to spend some time following up on the information.
When he’d called Paige earlier, he’d planned to tell her about the spell Chance had found. After hearing the excitement in her voice when she mentioned the ball, though, he couldn’t bear to ruin her night and chose to wait on sharing the bad news.
Right now he was anxious to find Paige and make sure she was safe. Cassie had called saying they were going early to help Alma with some last-minute tasks before the dance started. He knew she’d already arrived at the coven hall.
There’d been an accident on the main road, and he’d been delayed by half an hour. He’d tried calling Paige’s cell several times, but the calls went straight to voice mail. Walking into the large hall, he tried to convince himself the loud music was the reason she hadn’t been answering.
He viewed the wintry display, scanning the faces, searching for the woman he loved. Loved? He’d been denying how he truly felt about her for years, but the word felt right. After last night, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. And planned to do everything possible to keep her in it.
He spotted her standing off to the right with Cassie. When she turned and glanced in his direction, he thought his heart was going to explode.
Holy shit. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her lustrous sapphire gown gave her a radiant glow. The strapless, low-cut bodice complemented the curves of her breasts. The material shimmered and clung to her, the skirt flaring to accent her waist.
Longing and need danced in her eyes. Everyone and everything in the room seemed to evaporate. All he could think about was getting to her, touching her, making sure she was real and not a dream. He was halfway across the room, not ten feet from reaching her, when Selene stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop.
She threw her arms around his neck. “I’ve been searching all over for you.”
Aidan had finally gotten the woman he cared about to trust him, to be with him, and now this. He damned well wasn’t going to let Selene come between them. He yanked her arms from around his neck and held her wrists when she tried to reach for him again. He gritted his teeth and snarled in a sharp, warning tone, “There. Is. No. Us.”
#
PAIGE WATCHED SELENE throw herself at Aidan and gritted her teeth. She’d had enough of the clingy bitch and was prepared to yank her off of him, even if she had to grab a handful of long hair to do it.
Aidan saved her the trouble by rejecting Selene’s advances and striding over to her. He kissed her before taking a step back and letting his desire-filled gaze roam over her from top to bottom. “You look radiant.”
“For a guy who doesn’t like costumes, you’re looking pretty handsome yourself.”
“I guess we should put these outfits to some good use then.” He offered her his hand. “Dance with me.”
Their first dance was slow and sensual. Paige enjoyed having Aidan’s strong arms wrapped around her waist. He held her so close, she thought she’d melt from the heat radiating from him.
“Your dancing has improved since you practiced with Alex back in high school,” Paige said.
He pulled her closer. “If I'd known it could be this much fun, I'd have asked you for lessons, then taken you to the prom.”
“Maybe if you had, your underwear wouldn't have gotten singed.” Even then, she’d had a crush on him and had been heartbroken when he’d asked someone else.
“You did that?” he asked.
She nodded. “Technically, Alex was responsible, though I did ask her to do it. What can I say? Your sister is a great friend.”
"And extremely devious, apparently."
When the beat of the music increased, he loosened his grip and twirled her around the floor. She felt as if she’d stepped into one of her favorite historical romance novels.
After several more dances, including another slow one, he pressed his face against her cheek. His warm breath tickled her neck. “Would you like something to drink?”
She nodded. “Sounds great.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and led her toward the far end of the hall where the committee had set up one of the smaller rooms with buffet-style tables filled with a variety of appetizers, desserts, and beverages.
They’d barely reached the doorway when she heard a woman yelling her name. She turned and spotted Ember, her hands lifting the front of her full-length skirt, rushing toward them. “Thank goodness I found you,” she managed to say through panted breaths.
Paige frowned, hoping her friend’s anxiety wasn’t going to ruin her perfect night. “What’s the matter?”
“They ran out of tickets at the check-in table and said you knew where to find the extra rolls in the storage room.” Ember inhaled several more deep breaths. “Can you show me where they are?”
Relieved the crisis wasn’t serious, she placed her hand on Aidan’s arm. “I better take care of this. I’ll meet you by the drink table.”
He pulled her into his arms and brushed her lips with a gentle kiss. “I can’t wait.”
