The Unseen Series Book 2

“Dahl, that’s enough. We’ll report this to the council for treaty violations,” Cane says, grabbing the coin from the table and tucking it into his pocket. Dahlia’s gaze follows him as he moves to a seat across the diner, her eyes locking with the Illios witch one last time before she smiles and dismisses her.

I’ll deal with her later. Every magic comes with a cost.

“You won’t do anything that could risk the treaty,” he commands.

“Of course not,” she replies, her attention drifting back to the menu. He takes it from her.

“I mean it.” She looks up to meet his gaze.

“Understood, Cane,” she murmurs, her head tilting in a show of submission. The intensity in his eyes almost makes her blush.

When the waitress returns, he orders for her. She doesn’t mind, assuming he knows what’s good here. They eat in silence, and when they’re done, he drives her to the store. He pays for her items without a word, not questioning her need for them.

“Dahlia,” he asks softly on the drive back, “did you really kill your parents?”

She snorts, laughing as she looks at him like he’s just said the funniest thing.

“Of course not, you fool. Why would you even think that?” She chuckles.

“Clayton seems, well, scared of you. Like you might attack him any second,” he confesses.

“That? Oh, I’ve killed people. Lots of people. I make them vanish.” She grins. Cane can’t tell if she’s joking.

“I’m not. Joking, I mean. I’ve made a lot of money doing it. You can ask Ryder about it. He knows.” She talks about it so casually that all he can do is stare in a sort of fascinated horror. “But, I would never have hurt my parents,” she adds quietly.

“So then,” he begins, but can’t finish.

“He’s afraid that if he upsets me too much, I’ll kill his little girlfriend,” she rolls her eyes, “I’ll admit, the thought of making her vanish has crossed my mind, but I’m not that terrible. Besides, I think it would be more fun to strip him of all the power I gave him instead.”

“Wait, you can do that?”

“Of course, it’s just more painful because he’ll resist,” she states matter-of-factly.

The silence stretches on until they arrive at the complex. She gathers her things, thanks him for the ride, and steps out of his car. She waits until he’s out of sight before heading into the woods.

As she ventures deeper, it becomes darker and quieter, until the underbrush is thick and only the sounds of wildlife accompany her. When she finds a spot with soft enough foliage, she lays down plastic tarps, securing them with stakes and covering them with a sheet for comfort. She’s arranging candles for light when she feels someone watching her.

“You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you until later tonight,” she murmurs, starting to light the candles and pouring enchanted chalk powder into a tight circle around her tarp setup.

“Virtue warned you then, I assume?” The voice is smooth. Pure, unfiltered emotion. She fights the urge to look at him.

“Candles? How romantic.” His voice takes on a teasing tone.

“Spells for night vision are annoyingly complex,” she mutters. “Besides, I’m being punished for using magic. Why would I use more?” She scoffs.

“I can’t wait,” he purrs. “Punishing you is my favorite pastime.”

“A pastime?” she questions.

“I have to do it so often that it’s become one.” She can hear the grin in his voice.

“I guess you’re right, sorry for interrupting your busy schedule,” she mutters. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes. Would it be too much trouble for me to get some?”

“You can use what you’re wearing. I won’t be damaging them this time.” She looks up in surprise, stumbling back when she realizes he’s closer than she thought. He grabs her arms, pulling her close.

“There’s no need to be scared. We’ve done this many times.” His amusement is almost palpable.

“You will undress and lay on the tarp unless you need my help?”

She shakes her head, and he lets her go. He leans against the nearest oak tree and she takes him in as she undresses. He’s dressed quite formally today; his pinstripe suit looks freshly pressed and his tie is perfectly straight. His hair is neatly pulled back into a ponytail, and the black earrings he usually wears are missing. She frowns.

“Did you dress up for this?”

“You caught me,” he grins, watching her fold her clothes and set them aside. “This is a significant punishment. Remember the last time you used blood magic?” He sighs dreamily. “I dressed up then too.”

“I don’t remember the punishment at all, actually, I only remember how long I slept.” A dark scowl crosses his handsome face, making it look terrifying for a brief moment.

“We’ll fix that this time,” he promises as he moves toward her. She can’t help the stirrings of fear.