Kailey and Cassie were halfway across the dance floor when Kailey said, “I sure could use a strong drink. It’s a damn shame the bar isn’t open yet.”
Cassie grinned. “Does that matter?”
Kailey gave her a curious side-glance.
Cassie shrugged. “Tell me what you want. I can get it. I worked the bar quite often before I met your brother.”
“Just anything to take the edge off.”
“Sure.”
Blaze sat at one of the barstools, trying to comfort Luna who was leaning her head facedown on the bar, sobbing.
Cassie walked behind the bar while Kailey climbed onto the stool beside Luna. She rubbed Luna’s back.
Luna gazed up. Her tear-streaked cheeks were red and puffy.
Kailey hugged her. “It’s going to be okay. I know how much it hurts to lose someone you love.”
“That’s not why I’m crying,” Luna said in a sob-broken voice.
“What’s wrong then?”
“Raven’s going to … kill me.”
The statement jolted Kailey. She looked toward Blaze. He confirmed Luna’s statement with a simple nod. His brow was firm with anger.
“What makes you think that?” Kailey asked.
Luna pulled a crumbled piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Kailey. Kailey uncrumpled it and froze. Scrolled on the paper was the same symbol that had been drawn on the mirror, only instead of Brady’s name it had Luna’s. The blood used for the symbols had already turned a rusty brown.
“When did you get this?”
“This morning,” Luna replied.
“Did you show Micah?”
Luna shook her head.
“Why not?”
“I didn’t want to ruin the memorial service.”
Cassie took the paper and studied it for a few seconds before setting it on the bar. “Seems Raven has a series of vendettas.”
Kailey hugged Luna. “You should still tell Micah.”
Blaze nodded. “That’s what I told her, too.”
“I will,” Luna said softly. “I wanted a better time, rather than earlier when we were gathered to remember our loved ones.”
“When someone’s threatening to kill you,” Kailey said, “it’s something you need to take seriously. You don’t put it off, or you might end up as one of the casualties.”
Luna’s face contorted with sorrow and confusion. “I don’t understand why she’d want to kill me. What did I ever do to her? I was friendly to her. I let her borrow my clothes. Remember? I thought she was so cool. Since she had been your friend, I had hoped she could be mine, too, you know?”
“I know. Not that it helps matters much, but she wants to kill Brady, too.”
“What?” Blaze said, rising on his barstool.
Kailey nodded. “And me, of course.”
Luna wiped her eyes and snorted a deep breath through her stuffy nose. Cassie tossed a box of Kleenex onto the bar. Luna took several and wiped her eyes and then beneath her nose. “Was she always this demented?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Then why would you be her friend?” Luna asked.
Kailey placed her hand atop Luna’s on the bar. “I didn’t know that she was so twisted inside. I was just discovering it myself when I first met you and Blaze.”
“Really?”
Kailey nodded. “She hid it quite well for four years.”
“That’s scary,” Blaze said.
“Yes, it is,” Kailey replied.
“But why does she want to kill me?” Luna asked.
“Out of jealousy.”
“Why would she be jealous of me?”
“She’s jealous of anyone who took any of my attention away from her.”
Cassie slid a heavy glass of brown liquid across the bar to Kailey. Cassie glanced toward Blaze and Luna. “You two want anything? Bar’s open.”
Blaze shook his head. So did Luna.
“No charge,” Cassie said, beaming a sly grin and a quick wink.
“Thanks anyway, but no,” Blaze said with a polite smile.
“Suit yourself.” Cassie put the bottle to her lips and tilted it back, taking a long drink.
“I had thought Raven and I were getting along the night she came to Micah’s magic shop,” Luna said.
Kailey sipped the drink Cassie had made for her. The liquid hit the back of her throat with a slightly pleasant burn. “Sorry, but no. Raven was making fun of you behind your back with all sorts of mean insults. I scolded her for it, and her actions opened my eyes to how possessive she was about me. Even Skye warned me. Raven seemed to think she owned me. I realized then that by being with her, I was in a dangerous relationship. I should have told Micah to postpone our coming to the nightclub that night. It would have prevented a lot of what’s going on now.”
“Like her becoming a vampire?”
Kailey nodded. “Yes. That has enhanced her anger and resentment even more. Not to mention, she’s now much more powerful.”
Luna blew her nose. “Raven wants to kill you and Brady?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you … afraid?”
“In some ways, I’m absolutely terrified.”
Luna shook her head. “You don’t look like your frightened at all.”
Kailey smiled. “It always helps to hold a stern confident appearance. It keeps your enemy guessing.”
“I don’t see how you do it,” Luna said.
“It was something I was trained to do in martial arts.” She shifted on her seat and pulled the stake from her back pocket.
“You brought that into the nightclub?” Luna asked.
Cassie’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s a direct violation.”
“No worse than Flora helping Raven harass and threaten us,” Kailey replied. “I should have the right to protect myself, right?”
Blaze frowned. “So, are you planning to stake Raven?”
The question took Kailey by surprise. Her stomach twisted from the thought of what that required. “Forrest said that he was going to find and slay her. I thought he’d be out here.”
“He and Jacob left before you joined us,” Luna replied.
“Odd,” Kailey said.
“Why?” Blaze asked.
“It’s no secret that Jacob resents Micah. Some of us believed he’d have challenged Micah for leadership before the old Circle of Unity was broken.”
“That was fairly obvious,” Blaze said, nodding.
Kailey said, “Which is why I found it interesting that Forrest would leave with Jacob. Forrest was pretty outspoken about his opinions in what should have happened with the vampires. He certainly knew how to push Micah’s buttons and didn’t let up, either. Micah nearly lost control of his wolf, and Forrest showed no fear.”
“Why would Forrest do that?” Luna asked.
Kailey shrugged. “He’s somehow related to Micah.”
Blaze frowned. “Really?”
She nodded. “That’s what he said. Forrest certainly knew Micah’s father. I wanted to talk to him about Raven before he left the bar.”
“And what if Raven confronts you when Forrest is nowhere around?” Blaze asked. “Are you capable of slaying her?”
Kailey downed the rest of her drink. She was trying hard not to show how much she was quaking inside and hoped the liquor helped settle her nerves. Every time she pictured staking Raven, conflicting thoughts battled inside her mind. She tried to work up her courage so that when she was faced with such a confrontation that she could plunge the stake through Raven’s heart without any hesitation. Should she pause, she’d be dead. Raven would kill her. She swallowed hard. “I’ll have to be, won’t I?”
“I hope so,” Blaze replied. “I imagine such a decision wouldn’t be easy to carry out; killing a vampire that was once a close friend.”
Tears burned Kailey’s eyes. “You’re right. It won’t be.”
“Of course it helps having a boyfriend who’s a werewolf to protect you. Luna and I aren’t that fortunate. Since Micah established the new Unity, he spends more time here than he does at his magic shop.”
“Blaze, we’re all in this together,” Kailey said.
“Are we?” he asked.
“Yes. And if you need a place to stay where you feel safer—”
He shook his head. “No, we’re safe inside the shop. Raven has full access to anything she needs for her magic spells. But it’s once we need to leave to get food or other necessities that we become vulnerable. We have no idea if Raven has a human servant to do her bidding during the daylight hours or not. Flora has many servants, as do her brothers and sisters. We’re easier targets for them to kill.”
“You really think it’s that bad?” Kailey asked.
“Do you even need to ask?” Blaze said. “It’s much worse.”
“Sorry. With Raven just recently turned, I never considered that she might have others working for her.”
“I don’t believe Flora will lack in teaching Raven all the necessities vampires need to know in order to survive,” Blaze replied.
Luna blew her nose and snuffed. “And since she has magical strengths, more than I do … she has an even greater advantage. I’ve placed warding spells around the magic shop, but she probably knows ways of how to break through them.”
“Have you talked to Jaclyn?”
“Not yet,” Luna said.
Blaze shook his head. “That’s a last resort.”
“Why?” Kailey asked with a frown.
“Her magic scares me,” Luna said.
“She’s on our side,” Kailey replied.
“She practices dark magic, which is something that contradicts my beliefs.”
Kailey nodded. “I understand, but sometimes having an ally like her can be beneficial, even if you have to suspend your integrity.”
Luna frowned. “Like shaking hands with the devil to get inside the Pearly Gates?”
Kailey laughed. “No, nothing that severe. But Jaclyn has powers you cannot tap into.”
“I never want to tap into such magic,” Luna replied. “There’s a heavy price for using black magic.”
“She said that there’s a price for using any magic.”
“Maybe so, but the magic she uses slowly eats away at your soul, taking control and consuming your essence. Eventually that magic controls you. You don’t control it. That’s why I fear Jaclyn. I don’t know if she’s gone beyond the point of where she is controlling the magic or it has taken control of her.”
Kailey found the information interesting. “Have either of you met the two new witches that have become a part of the Unity?”
They nodded.
“Micah introduced us,” Blaze said. “Raine and Gillian.”
“And what was your impression of them?” Kailey asked.
Luna gave a quick glance toward Blaze. Both shrugged.
“You don’t know?”
“We only met them in passing. We didn’t get to talk to them. But since they were handpicked by Jaclyn, I imagine they practice darker magic, too,” Luna said. “I believe they’re the reason for why Micah has changed.”
“You think they’ve cast a spell on him?”
Blaze shook his head. “No, but they are greatly influencing him and his decisions. However, unlike Micah, I think the witches like the idea of combining their magic to make them even more powerful.”
Kailey said, “So do you think maybe he needs them for better protection?”
“Provided they are actually using their powers for good.”
“You think they wouldn’t?”
Blaze sighed. “They might have an ulterior motive that Micah doesn’t know about.”
Kailey thought about how Jaclyn had practically mentioned the same thing.
“Well,” Blaze said. “The original ‘Trinity’ was supposed to be the three groups coming together for equal representation, but as we know, that didn’t happen. Four factions joining forces has caused more division than before, and the witches can use this more to their advantage.”
“How?”
“If these three witches are of the same mind,” Luna said, “they are definitely a force to contend against the vampires and demons. Micah’s safer being in their proximity.”
“So Flora and her siblings might actually fear them? Is that why they’re choosing not to come to Nocturnal Trinity as often?”
Blaze shrugged. “It’s always possible, but that’s only our speculation. Their real reasons could be something completely different.”
“Then why don’t you ask Micah to allow you to stay here with him? If he’s safer with these witches, wouldn’t you be, too?”
Luna forced a smile. At least her tears had subsided, but she could not hide her inner fears. She grabbed Blaze’s hand. “I’ve … we’ve discussed it.”
“I still think we’re safer at the magic shop,” Blaze said.
“I understand,” Kailey replied. “You need to be where you feel best protected.”
“Not only that,” Luna said, “but I have the freedom to practice my magic without outside interference or negativity.”
Cassie leaned against the bar and with a teasing grin she whispered, “Your wolf is coming.”
Kailey glanced over her shoulder. Brady was fuming. He formed fists and his jaw tightened as he stormed across the dance floor toward the bar.
“He doesn’t look too happy, either,” Cassie said.
“Not at all,” Luna added.