Chapter 89
Daniel POV
Our first morning in the hotel was going perfectly, I could see us spending every morning of our lives drinking coffee, reading the paper, and enjoying domestic bliss together. Until Dermot called to tell us about what Hyacinth had felt. I felt like I was drowning, overwhelmed with my need to protect Charlie, to get her away from the danger I knew was coming but I also knew we couldn’t leave if we ever wanted answers about her powers. Charlie immediately jumped into action, she pulled out clothes and zipped around the suite, gathering her toiletries to shower, and pushing me to do the same. I found myself staring at her, stunned by how much I loved her, and how scared I was of losing her, while she fought her own fears and forced me out of my paralysis. Somehow within an hour, Charlie had managed to get us both ready for when Dermot arrived and made sure we had everything we would need. We still hadn’t unpacked or settled into our suite, the plan was to do that after breakfast, maybe go for a run and take in some of the city. Instead, we were once again readying ourselves to face a threat we knew nothing about, and without any more information, I was struggling to come up with a plan to keep Charlie safe.
“There’s a coffee shop downstairs, we could grab a cup while we wait for Dermot?” She asked me, she smiled lovingly at me.
“You’re not leaving this room until Dermot arrives, they will call up from reception when he gets here, or he can call me on my cell. But until we know what was trying to get through Hyacinth’s protection we are going nowhere, it’s the only way to keep you safe.” I growled, a little more aggressively than I intended.
“We don’t know that whatever Hyacinth felt was to do with us being here. Maybe we shouldn’t assume anything until we know more. Besides, no one knows we are here, not even the pack, so how would anyone else? You don’t think someone as powerful as Hyacinth makes enemies? Or if people are curious about her Fae community? How do we know it isn’t someone just looking to speak to Hyacinth? Another witch maybe?” She asked softly as she took hold of my hands, I understood the urge. She didn’t want to believe we could be found or that we were the reason Hyacinth or her people could be endangered, but something within me, an instinct, told me it was someone looking for Charlie.
“Can we just err on the side of caution until we know one way or another, please?” I asked, hoping she would agree.
“Fine, but I’m going to want a spa day before we leave after the crazy dies down.” She teased, and kissed me, her soft lips enticed me.
“I’m sure we can arrange something if you promise to ask for a female masseuse?” She had to know she could get me to agree to anything with one kiss.
“What about the other packs?” She asked innocently.
“They can wait.” I groaned as she sucked on my earlobe.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” She whispered against my neck, as her lips trailed down my throat. She was intentionally teasing me, making me hard, making it difficult to think, as she pushed me back onto the bed. She lifted my shirt, her lips moved down my stomach, my breathing accelerated, and the phone started ringing. Charlie jumped to pick it up, leaving me extremely frustrated and uncomfortable. “Dermot’s here.” She said quietly, then picked up her coat and hung up the phone. I got up, adjusted my erection, and put my arm around her. “I’m sorry, I was hoping we had enough time for me to help you... relieve some stress.” She said, diplomatically, it made me smile.
“Thank you for wanting to help me relieve my stress,” I replied as I stifled a chuckle.
“You’re welcome.” She giggled and put her arms around my waist. “Come on, we need to get downstairs, we can’t keep Dermot or Hyacinth waiting.” She stretched up to plant her lips on mine before she walked towards the door, my hand in hers and led me wherever she wanted to go.
Charlie POV
When we got in the car with Dermot on that damp Wednesday morning, I noticed all the jokes and teasing were gone, a tense silence hung in the air. When we arrived at the town, I noticed the people we had seen the day before, making their way through the streets were gone, the air felt eerily quiet, and the town appeared deserted.
“Aren’t you worried about humans coming here and seeing the streets empty? Won’t someone realise something isn’t right?” I asked as we travelled down another desolate street and then turned into Hyacinth’s driveway.
“Hyacinth has been up for hours fortifying her protection spells, it will keep out anything that doesn’t have an invitation,” Dermot replied, confidently, but as we passed by the outer walls of the cottage, I felt a strange sensation, like someone was watching me. I tried to brush it off as a side effect of the abandoned streets. I allowed myself one glance around me, just to be safe, when I got out of the car, I saw no one, and nothing out of place, I headed inside after Dermot, Daniel inches behind me, he also glanced in all directions, until the door was closed behind him. Dermot led us into the same parlour as the day before, only now Hyacinth was lying on one of the couches, a cold washcloth over her eyes, while the attractive woman, who let us in the day before, fanned her.
“What on Earth happened?” Dermot almost yelled, as he ran to Hyacinth and knelt at her side.
“I tried to cast a protection spell, designed to be used by a group of Fae, it’s the last word in protection, second to none, and requires too much power for me to do it alone,” Hyacinth admitted bitterly.
“Then we will gather, cast the spell together, as a coven,” Dermot said determined.
“No, it is too risky, many of our people are too weak, to even attempt it would be dangerous,” Hyacinth replied, but there was a command to it, not even I missed.
“What about me?” I heard myself ask, as much to my surprise as anyone else’s.
“Sweet child, we don’t know enough about your powers or skill levels yet, I would not ask such a thing of you. But I thank you all the same, you have a kind heart.” Hyacinth replied with a sad smile, she beckoned Daniel and I over to her. “Daniel, my darling boy, you look tired.” She said as she sat up and extended her hand to him. He took it and knelt at her right, Dermot was still knelt at her left, making her truly look like a queen for the first time to me. “We don’t have the time for delays, we have to get to work finding out as much as possible about this young lady and her powers,” Hyacinth said indicating to me, and I noticed how tired she looked for the first time. She extended her arms to Dermot and Daniel, who sprang into action, they lifted her gently from the couch and led her out of a door at the back of the room. Not knowing what to do I followed them, taking in as many details about the beautiful house as I could. We walked through a short corridor and through another door into a large room, that at one time may have been some sort of indoor sports hall, but now housed very little. There were several large floor mats, ranging from a couple of inches to a couple of feet deep, piled in one corner of the room, and an armless rubber-looking mannequin. The floors were polished cappuccino-coloured micro cement, while the walls appeared to be of similar material, in a soft, pale duck egg, the room was light and airy, but cold, and a little unwelcoming. I found myself hugging my upper body, the room wasn’t exactly chilly, but I still found myself shivering. “This is where we have the children practise their budding powers, the room has been reinforced, and we haven’t had anyone in here yet who has been able to make so much as a crack. Maybe that will all change today.” She said with a giggle of excitement as she turned to face me.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked, unsure.
“Look inside yourself, find your powers, and bring them to the surface. I don’t expect you to be able to do anything on the first try, but by the end of the day I’m confident we will be able to pin down which species you are, at the very least!” Hyacinth exclaimed with glee, her dazzling green eyes widened, as she waited for a sign my powers were emerging. I closed my eyes and focused on my chest, where my powers always seemed to come from, but I felt nothing, no build-up of energy, no power, nothing. I felt foolish and underwhelmed as I stood in front of Daniel, Dermot and Hyacinth, unable to make anything happen. I tried again and again, but each time I could find no power within me to release, I became more frustrated and self-conscious the longer it went on.
“Every time she has exhibited powers, she was under great emotional distress, seeing a vision of me dying, being slapped by my mother, being verbally attacked by my uncle, or when we had a fight. I don’t think she knows how to access her powers without losing control emotionally.” Daniel whispered to Hyacinth, but his voice carried in the echoing room, I felt inadequate, as I struggled to locate the powers, I knew resided within me. I fought back tears as I continued to stand, being observed, but unable to grasp the energy I had thought I was becoming familiar with.
“Hmm, I wonder. Charlie, dear, would you object to a little physical stimulation?” Hyacinth called to me hesitantly.
“No, absolutely not!” Daniel cried, he stepped between Hyacinth and me.
“We would start small, a pinch? Work our way up, hopefully never having to reach the level of actually hurting the girl. Humour me a moment please?” She said sweetly, she clasped Daniel by the arms and shoved him aside so she had an unobstructed view of me.
“I said no, unless you want my wolf going crazy and possibly ripping down a few walls, who knows what he will do to any of your people he finds in his path.” Daniel menacingly warned as he moved back in front of me.
“Oh, Daniel, I have been dealing with the threats of Alphas for longer than you’ve been alive.” She flicked her wrist and Daniel appeared frozen, unable to move a muscle. Hyacinth nodded to Dermot, who silently advanced on me as she walked around Daniel to improve her view. I felt a panic rise in me, without the fear of Daniel’s retaliation, how far would they go to provoke a reaction? I found myself backing away, fearful of what they would do, and afraid of what Daniel would be aware of.
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