Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) Read online

  “Two nights in a row?” Tim smirked. “Is that an all-time record?”

  “Just shut up and get me that meeting.”

  I got up and looked out the window at the people outside. None of them were worried about crazy bears and wolves trying to take over the city. How had my life gotten so damn complicated so fast? Nineteen wasn’t supposed to suck so much.

  My phone rang and I grabbed for it, hoping the unknown 631 number was the call I was waiting for.

  “Toby here.” I used my business greeting without thinking.

  “Ah hey. It’s Casey.” She sounded different on the phone, more timid maybe.

  “Hey. I was wondering if you were ever going to call.” I tried for nonchalant.

  “Yeah, I worked most of the day.”

  “You work on Saturdays?” Had I known that, I would have gone in to see her. It would have simplified things.

  “Usually. I also work a lot of Sundays.”

  Maybe I’d have to start going over to Coffee Heaven seven days a week. “Good to know.”

  “Why? You planning to come in on weekends now?”

  I smiled. She’d gotten that right. “Like I said last night, you serve good coffee.”

  “Do you still want to hang out?” She sounded kind of nervous, like she thought I was going to back out.

  “Yeah. Definitely. Have you decided whether I can pick you up?”

  “Jess says I can trust you. But can we do coffee instead of dinner?”

  “And you trust Jess?” I wasn’t sure how close they really were. I’d never heard Jess talk about Casey before. I knew the coffee instead of dinner trick was to make it easier for her to leave if things got awkward. I was okay with that. I’d just make sure things ran smoothly.

  “I think I do.”

  I laughed. “Either way, you can trust me.” And even if you don’t, I already know where you live. I kept that part to myself. I also didn’t voice the part about following her home the night before to make sure she was okay. She’d probably interpret my protectiveness as stalking.

  “You can’t be worse than Eric.”

  I frowned. What kind of trouble had he been giving her?

  She gave me her address and I pretended to jot it down. “Coffee sounds great. I’ll see you at seven.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  ***

  Casey was waiting for me outside when I got there.

  “Am I late?” I glanced at my watch. I’d made sure to leave extra time.

  “No.” She looked away guiltily. “I just thought I’d meet you out here.”

  “And here I thought you trusted me.”

  She shrugged. “My dad raised me to be careful around men.”

  “That’s a good thing.”

  We turned the corner and started walking down MacDougal Street in the opposite direction of Coffee Heaven. Even if it weren’t run by bears, I wasn’t taking her to the place she worked for a date.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Just a little café I know about.” What I left out was that it was a paranormal place with a strict ‘no humans without an escort’ policy. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice anything different about the clientele. The upside for me was that we’d get a private table with a view. If she wanted a coffee date, she’d get it, but it wasn’t going to be anything run of the mill.

  Three blocks further down, I hailed a cab. I didn’t want to do it too close to her place. There were so many eyes on me at any time, and there was no reason to make it that easy.

  “We’re taking a cab? There’re plenty of good places right here.”

  “I think you’ll like this one.” I held open the door to the yellow cab idling at the curb.

  “If you say so.” She slipped in, and I followed her.

  I gave the driver the address of the café, which also happened to be the address of Battery Park. It wasn’t too long of a cab ride.

  We walked around for a while, and I was thankful that the night was a little bit warmer than the previous few. Spring hadn’t come early, and I didn’t want Casey getting cold.

  “How did I not know there was a second café here?” She gazed around at the gardens like a kid in a candy store. I made a mental note that she liked flowers.

  “I guess you haven’t been with the right company.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that the café, The Sprite House, was hidden by spells. Some Pterons stay away from magic, but I embrace it. Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up in the supernatural world. I was only introduced in my early teens.

  After giving her some time to enjoy the courtyard, I gently led her through the door. We walked up a spiral staircase to the main floor. The entry to the café was decorated in different shades of gold and red. The color theme extended to the elaborate chandeliers that hung down from the ceiling.

  Casey eyed me skeptically. “I thought you agreed to a coffee date.”

  “This is a coffee date. I promise.”

  I put my hand on the small of her back and directed us to the hostess stand. “Table for two.”

  “Right this way, sir.” The blonde haired witch smiled as she led us through the main section of the room. The café served coffee and dessert until ten o’clock at which point it switched over to a night club. Designed for privacy, it was one large circle with a dozen smaller circles surrounding it. The hostess left us in our own little alcove. Instead of chairs, it was set up as a booth with only one bench. The hostess had correctly assumed this was a date and not business.

  I gestured for Casey to scoot in first, both to give her the window, and because I liked the idea of blocking her from the line of sight of anyone passing by. I didn’t expect trouble in the café, but you never knew what was going to happen.

  I opened one of the black leather menus and set it in front of her. “They have some pretty good specialty coffees here, and the crème brulee is the best I’ve had.”

  She leaned in toward me, her shoulder bumping into mine. I savored the closeness. It had been ages since I’d been that close to a girl, let alone one as beautiful as Casey. A few minutes into our date, and I was already berating myself for not asking her out sooner. Even her scent made me happy. The smell wasn’t perfume. I figured it was probably body wash. Strawberry.

  “Have you had the vanilla storm coffee before?” She used her pointer finger to mark the spot on the menu. The remnants of some sort of light pink polish remained on a few of her nails.

  “No, but it sounds good.”

  “Want to order that for two?” She glanced up at me. “It’s funny that you have to order things that way.”

  “Sure, sounds good. “ I didn’t mention that they had different types of menus. The witch had slipped us one that only offered larger portion beverages—designed for intimate dates.

  As soon as the waitress arrived, I ordered the vanilla storm and a crème brulee to share. By Casey’s smile, she agreed with the dessert order.

  She settled back against the pillows lining our bench seat and gazed outside. The sun was just going down, creating an orange-red glow across the sky that nearly lit up the window. I assumed the witches were accentuating it somehow, but Casey was transfixed so I was glad for it.

  Our waitress brought over our order and Casey tore her eyes away from the sunset. “You definitely know how to pick a place.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled. “I try.”

  “They take this whole ‘for two’ thing seriously.” She warily picked up the two handled container of coffee.

  I laughed. “We don’t have to drink it at the same time or anything.”

  “Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.” Her expression was light as she lifted the cup and brought it to her lips. She let out a soft moan that made me wonder what a much louder moan caused by something else entirely would sound like. “This is heavenly.”

  I took the outstretched cup from her. I sipped the coffee, and she was right. “Very good.”

  “I wonder why they call it a storm?” />
  “I don’t know, but I doubt they’ll tell us. They’re pretty secretive about recipes here.”

  “Oh.” Some disappointment crossed her face, and I knew I’d get the recipe sooner or later. “Well, then, we might have to come back.” She accepted the cup from me and took another sip. After she gave off another of those small moans, I got a little suspicious.

  “Would you excuse me for a minute?”

  She nodded, going in for yet another sip.

  I found the witch that owned the place, the same one who’d seated us. “What did you put in our coffee?”

  She smiled. “You shouldn’t have tasted anything different, sir.”

  “But she’s tasting something different, isn’t she?” I nodded over my shoulder.

  “I thought I’d help you out a little. Push things in the right direction.” She rolled her tongue over her teeth.

  “It’s an aphrodisiac spell?”

  “The spell only affects women. I know The Society rules about using magic on Pterons.”

  “Now what do I do? I can’t take it away from her, but I can’t let her drink it.”

  “Why not? You can take her home after this.”

  I shook my head. “This better not happen again or I’ll close this place down.”

  “You could thank me.” She wore a playful look, and I was certain this wasn’t the first time she’d used the spell on a customer.

  “Thank you?” Witches were usually okay, but this one was earning a spot on my bad side.

  “For helping out. It’s been too long. Allie’s gone, it’s time to find someone new.” She spoke as though we were close friends and she knew exactly what I was going through. The reality was, we’d only met a handful of times.

  I knew the action was done with the right intentions, but it really put me in a bad place. Now even if the opportunity arose, I couldn’t ask Casey to go back to my place. I sure as hell wasn’t going to take advantage of her that way.

  “Relax, Toby. It only works if the girl’s into you already. If she isn’t, it will be useless. If it works well, you know you’ve got her attention even without the spell.”

  “I could kill you for this,” I muttered before returning to the table to find Casey with a nearly empty cup and half the pot of crème brulee.

  “Sorry I started on this without you.” She pushed the dish toward me.

  “It’s okay.” I put an arm behind her and she happily snuggled into my side. I figured letting her get close wasn’t taking advantage of her.

  “I’m glad you asked me out.” She ran a finger down my chest, and even through the cotton of my shirt, it made me shiver with a mix of anticipation and need. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

  “Me too, but it’s getting late.”

  “Are you ready to go home?” Her words were innocent enough, but her eyes weren’t. She wasn’t planning on spending the night in her own bed, which made it that much more important that she did.

  “Unfortunately, I have to run into work. I’ll make sure you get home safe first though.”

  “Really? That’s not fun.” She pouted. Then she looped one leg over my lap and straddled me. Her fingers moved to my shirt again, but this time they didn’t stop at my chest. I stilled her hand before she could start playing with my belt buckle.

  “How about we go out another night? Maybe next week?” I wasn’t against using her state to my advantage by lining up a future date. Hopefully she’d remember we made one.

  “I’d love to. But do we have to wait that long?” Her teeth nipped my ear. “Can’t you just put off work a little bit longer?”

  “It’s going to be a busy week for me.” And a painful night. I’d never hated my jeans more. “But I’ll see you at work.”

  “At work?” she purred into my ear. “Can’t it be at play?”

  What kind of spell had they used? Casey was ready to go right there at the café. I had to cool things down and fast.

  “Not yet.” I carefully moved her off my lap and stood up.

  The physical separation seemed to help a little. Her face relaxed, and she rested her hands at her sides. “Okay. Hopefully the week will go fast.”

  “You and me both.” I wasn’t sure how long the spell would last, but hopefully a week would give it enough time to leave her system.

  I sat on the opposite side of the cab and gently pushed her back over to her side every time she got too close. The looks the cab driver was giving me in the rearview mirror were priceless. He thought I’d lost my mind. I’m sure it looked that way. Generally, it wasn’t my practice to push away a sexy girl who’s trying to get into my pants. Knowing her desire was accentuated by magic didn’t make it easier.

  “Keep the change.” I shoved a couple bills in the driver’s hand before helping Casey out of the cab. She unlocked the doors to her building and we stepped into the lobby.

  “Want to walk me up?” She cocked her head to one side.

  “Yeah, of course.” I wasn’t leaving her until I knew she was home safely.

  “Great, let’s go.” She took my hand and practically dragged me up the three flights of stairs. Normally, I’d have loved it, but knowing I had to say no really sucked.

  We stopped outside her apartment. “I had a great time tonight.” She hesitated with a hand on the door. “I don’t want to say goodnight though.”

  “Me either, but we have to. I’ll see you for my coffee tomorrow morning.”

  “You promise?” Her eyes were asking about more than my coffee stop. She wanted assurance I’d be taking her out again.

  “Yes. Let’s do dinner next time.”

  She smiled. “Good night, Toby.”

  “Good night, Casey.” I kissed her on the cheek and high-tailed it down the stairs before my chivalrous side lost out to my need to answer the lust rolling off her in waves. Damn my determination to be a gentleman.

  “I’m surprised to see you leaving so soon.” Eric stepped out of the shadows before I could start looking for him. There was no chance in hell I was leaving her in that state with a bear outside her door.

  “Why’s that?”

  “I saw the way she was looking at you. There was only one thing on her mind.”

  “I don’t take advantage of girls.” I kept walking. If he wanted to talk, he’d follow, and the further I could get him from her apartment, the better.

  “Was she drunk?”

  “Spell from The Sprite House.”

  He growled. “I hope you didn’t set it on her intentionally.”

  “If I did, would I be leaving her alone in her bed right now?”

  “True enough,” he grunted. “Are you having her place watched?”

  “Yes.” I wasn’t going to beat around the bush.

  “We’re watching it too.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s important.”

  I stopped walking. “What does she mean to you?” I didn’t believe any of his interest was random.

  “She means something to us.”

  “Real helpful.” I played with my keys in my pocket. It was time to show my cards. I needed more information. “You were there that night… I know you were.”

  He watched the passing traffic, his eyes anywhere but on my face.

  I pressed further. “The wolf.”

  “Wolves. It’s the same pack.” He finally turned back to look at me. “They keep coming by when she works.”

  “Why is she being targeted for a kill?”

  “We don’t know it was for a kill.” His hands balled into fists. His anger made him slightly more believable.

  “You think they wanted to take her?”

  “What is this to you? Do you have some sort of hero’s obsession now?” he asked as though I were the one with the problem.

  “I saved her because I wasn’t going to let some innocent girl get mauled. Where the hell were you? I know you were in there.”

  “Indisposed.” He said the word with distaste.

 
; I grinned. “You almost let her get mauled or kidnapped because you were taking a shit?”

  “Obviously, it didn’t matter. You just happened to be around.”

  It didn’t take long to figure out what was going on. He was angry at himself for missing his chance to protect her. “Why are you so worried about her?”

  “Same reason you are.”

  “Which is?”

  He looked over his shoulder, double checking no one was behind us even though we both would have sensed it. “She’s perfect. A fucking wet dream for a mate.”

  “You’re not taking her for a mate.” The thought made me sick.

  “I’m not?”

  “No. Stay away from her.” Once again, I felt the urge to transform. I’m sure my eyes were already turning black.

  “Chill out, Toby. We’re on the same side—for now.”

  I breathed in and out. Transforming on the street could have some bad repercussions. “How do you see that?”

  “We both want her alive and safe.”

  “And do you have suggestions? Aside from keeping her under constant guard. We’re doing that already.”

  “Nothing concrete yet, but you’re thinking exactly what I am.”

  “Which is?” I turned the corner.

  “The attacks relate. Casey being targeted ties in somehow.”

  I nodded. Not wanting to admit I agreed, but having the same logic moving through my head. “Maybe, but what could an ordinary human have to do with it?”

  “I don’t know but I plan to find out.”

  “Does your uncle know?” I already knew the answer, but I had to ask.

  “He knows something. He’s not talking about it though.”

  “And the attacks?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t imagine he’s behind them. He’s not for hurting humans. Especially not women.”

  “I can agree there. He definitely enjoys them.” Marv would probably never settle down with a mate, human or otherwise. Lots of bears mate with their own kind, but more often, they’ll pick a human. It’s a much larger pool to choose from.

  My mind swam with questions, but I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers from Eric that night. “Keep me posted, but don’t screw with Casey.”

  “Why? You can’t handle the competition?” he taunted.