Free Influential Magic by Deanna Chase Page A

pointedly not looking at David. “Fine. I’ll be upstairs in the kitchen if you need me.”
    “Thanks.”
    David watched Phoebe round the corner to climb the stairs, a trace of smugness flashing on his pale face.
    “Knock it off.” I crossed the room to grab Link’s dog brush and cutting shears. The mats from his two-month-long grooming hiatus weren’t going to take care of themselves. I eased onto the couch, sitting cross-legged. Link jumped up and settled onto my lap, ready for his brushing.
    “I’m listening,” I said without looking up.
    Silence, except for the worry of bristles through Link’s fur, filled the room. Determined to wait him out, I concentrated on finding and trimming mats. If it hadn’t been for his vampireness pressing down on me, I could have almost put him out of my mind. Almost.
    The familiarity of the situation set my nerves on edge. How many times had we sat together, sharing a comfortable silence? I swallowed a hollow laugh. At that moment a bikini wax would have been more comfortable.
    “I owe you an apology,” David said so quietly I barely heard him.
    Damn right he did. “Way to state the obvious.”
    “For the way I left things, I mean.”
    Oh, that. “I don’t want your apologies. I’m over it. I want answers. And I want the truth. Who are you really working for?”
    “But I—”
    I leveled a glare at him, stopping him mid-sentence.
    He shifted, sitting up in the chair, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. “Fine, we’ll discuss it later.”
    Irritation spread through my limbs. I shifted as my wings spread unconsciously. Why was he acting as if we still had a relationship? I hadn’t heard from him in over two months. If he thought he could just pick back up after he’d tossed me aside, he’d either forgotten who I was or he hadn’t ever known me at all. And turning vampire wasn’t an excuse. People turned vamp all the time and didn’t abandon their loved ones. Especially people like David. Loyal, caring, protective David.
    I frowned, pushing the thoughts away. It didn’t matter.
    “Answers,” I said.
    He leaned back into the chair. “Relax, Wil. There’s no rush.”
    I narrowed my eyes, a torrent of obscenities forming on my lips.
    David nodded to Link. “He’s going to shift if you don’t control your agitation.”
    Link jumped off the couch, his eyes gold. He was vibrating and moments from shifting. I could let him, but if he decided to attack David, I wasn’t sure I could stop him. My agitation fed Link, and he wasn’t old enough to control it. I took a deep, cleansing breath, tucked my wings close to my back, and waited. After Link visibly calmed, I turned my attention back to David. “Start talking or next time, I’ll let him have you.”
    He glanced at Link. The dog settled on the carpet, keeping his eyes trained on the vampire. “All right. What do you want to know?”
    Why you broke up with me . “Do you know anything about my brother’s death?”
    He shook his head. “I don’t. And if I did, I’d do everything in my power to get you the truth of what happened.”
    The familiar sincerity in his voice shot pangs of regret through my heart. I forced myself to ignore it. “Fine. Why did you tell Allcot about your deal with the Void?”
    David stood and moved in front of me. He kneeled, his blue eyes staring intently into mine. “There’s only one reason I agreed to be a double agent.” He reached out as if to take my hand but seemed to think better of it and pulled back.
    “To save your ass?”
    His face transformed, full of worry. “To protect you. And to do that, I need Eadric’s help.”
***
     
    “Do you believe him?” Phoebe asked from her spot at the kitchen table.
I grabbed a slice of pizza and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    “Which part?”
    “I don’t see how he’d know anything about Beau’s murder since he wasn’t a vampire then.”
    “True.” Phoebe sipped from her favorite solid-black coffee