Part 13 (1/2)
”What did you say?”
The violence of Bram's question took him aback. ”EEmma?”
”You're certain?”
”I overheard a telephone conversation, but reasonably so, yes.” The wizard didn't hesitate. ”You have a new mission: Besides getting that book away from Sydney, make her tell you more about Emma. Immediately.”
Bram's sudden command was somewhere between stunning and what-the-h.e.l.l?
”You don't have time to help me when you're throwing me to the wolves, but when I mention some woman-”
A loud chirp, a flap of wings, followed by a woman's panicked voice interrupted the beginnings of Caden's tirade. Some witch had compelled a bird to deliver a message to Bram. And from the sound of it, the message was urgent.
”I must go. I'll send you help to obtain the book since you're not female. But get all the information you can about Emma, then call me.”
”d.a.m.n it, I'm not your errand boy.” Caden shouted. ”Who is Emma?”
”My mate. That's the first clue I've had of her since she disappeared. And I'm going to find that woman if it's the last b.l.o.o.d.y thing I do.”
After the worst Tuesday ever, Sydney was more than happy to escape back to her flat. She shed her clothes as she headed back to her bedroom. She shed tears just as easily.
Dear Lord, her careless words had gotten Caden sacked. Granted, he had been eavesdropping, and suspicion that he'd been trying to scoop her still lingered. She'd tried to talk Holly into taking him back.
No luck. And Caden had likely a.s.sumed that she'd tattled to her editor because he'd hurt her by leaving her bed this morning. He'd think her spiteful and never want to see her again.
That possibility crushed her. She must find Caden, set matters straight. Already she missed him with a yearning she didn't understand. It was impossible to fall in love in a few days with a man who had begrudgingly shared himself. Blast, he had never even kissed her.
Even if the man wanted nothing more to do with her, she couldn't tolerate the thought that he might believe that she'd had him sacked in a scorned woman's act of vengeance. Under normal circ.u.mstances, she would ring him up and explain and apologize. But she had no means of getting in touch with Caden-no idea where he lived, no mobile number . . . nothing.
Sydney bit her lip. Well, except that magical diary.
Had the fact she had written in it previously brought Caden to her door? Or had it been mere coincidence?
She couldn't know for certain unless she experimented.
With a sigh, Sydney reached for her mobile and called Aquarius.
As soon as her friend and a.s.sistant picked up, Sydney blurted, ”Did the book work for you?”
”Mellow, boss lady. Like I said at lunch, it works. From what you said, you discovered that yourself.”
”Maybe it was coincidence.”
Aquarius laughed. ”Though I love magic, I was skeptical at first. I wrote about Alex a few times before I truly believed.”
This morning, she'd felt wretched and unintentionally manipulative. Had she made a man who didn't truly want her come to her flat and have s.e.x with her? She still winced at the possibility.
”It seems like such a pathetic thing to do, write a fantasy so it will come true, regardless of what he wants.”
”I understand being worried about bad karma.”
That wasn't exactly her issue, but close enough. ”But if I'm going to report about the book, I should test it again. Caden is the only man I fantasize about. I can't move forward with the story about the ident.i.ties of the bodies in the tunnel yet. I need to sh.o.r.e up a few facts. I didn't have the heart to ask your cousin any more questions after she broke down at lunch today. She looked so pale and tired. Is she all right?”
”As well as can be expected, but she won't talk anymore, Sydney. When she asked me if you were a journalist, I couldn't lie. She knows she's said too much, and when I admitted you'd written stories based on her information, she became terrified that Mathias will find her.”
”I promise, I've never given details about her ident.i.ty.”
”She says it's too risky for her, for magickind, and for you. Mathias is ruthless.” d.a.m.n it! Sydney gripped the phone. She needed that source . . . yet the witch's fragile physical and mental state not only raised Sydney's pity, but concern. Aquarius's cousin was one shock away from a breakdown. Sydney would have to find another means of researching this magical war.
As soon as she made this week's deadline-and got in touch with Caden.
Sydney and Aquarius rang off. She sank onto the edge of her bed, unstacked the books on her desk, and lifted the one at the bottom. The little red one. She turned to the page where she'd written her previous fantasy about Caden making love to her.
Last night when she'd arrived home from work, the words had been on the page, mocking her for her stupidity in believing that magic would ever fall into her lap. Tonight, the page was blank. The words were gone. Disappeared. She peered at the spine, but no signs of a ripped page. No erasure marks. Just one perfect, pristine page after another.
What did that mean? That her fantasy had come true so the words had . . . vanished?
No. There must be some logical explanation. The pages were stuck together or she wasn't seeing the ink right in this light or, heaven forbid, Caden had found the page while he was here last night and carefully removed it.
Sydney bit her lip. Whatever was going on here, she wanted to talk to Caden, and hoped that he wanted her beyond what she'd written.
Before she could lose her nerve, Sydney grabbed a pen, then carefully crafted a ”s.e.xual fantasy.” That is, if a fantasy of Caden darkening her door to have an honest conversation with her counted as s.e.xual. She couldn't resist adding a line wis.h.i.+ng that he'd make love to her if he genuinely desired and cared about her.
Sighing, Sydney put the pen down. Moments later, fresh ink appeared on the next page: Sleep, dream, antic.i.p.ate . . .
The fantasy you imagine will soon be your fate.
Twice now, the book had responded. Sydney s.h.i.+vered. Apparently something paranormal had happened to her . . . and might happen again. As she closed the book, her thoughts spun.
What if the diary was unable to make emotional fantasies come true? What if it didn't grant conversation, just s.e.xual wishes? She had asked for honesty, not pillow talk.
c.r.a.p! She'd written in pen, and couldn't erase the words. But honestly, she didn't want to. If it brought Caden here so they could talk-and she could apologize-she'd put the brakes on anything else until she was certain it was truly mutual.
The question was, how long would she have to wait before she saw him? And what would happen once she did?
After a basically sleepless night, Sydney trudged into the office the following morning, lugging her briefcase in one hand and her extra enormous coffee in the other. Wednesday. Technically, only one more day before her next story was due to copy editing. b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, she hadn't even started it. She was waiting. On Caden. Would the magical book work?
”Morning, Syd!” Holly popped her head in her office, blond curls framing her face in a way many women paid hundreds of pounds to reproduce, her cupid's bow mouth painted an eye-catching red.
”Morning, Holly.”
Sydney wanted to be angry at Holly for Caden's dismissal, but after her description of his eavesdropping, she understood Holly's position. Even if Caden had done it because he wanted to protect her, it looked fishy.
”You look like s.h.i.+t. Sleep more. If you're losing some over Caden's sacking, problem solved. Meet Zain Denzell.”
As if Caden could be replaced with any warm body . . .
In the doorway, Holly stepped back. A man edged forward, tall, lanky, and scruffy. He sported inky black hair, a goatee, a crooked nose, and an office-inappropriate T-s.h.i.+rt that said ”Wanted: Meaningful Overnight Relations.h.i.+p.” But the eyes . . . those were sharp, almost dissecting. Sydney had the immediate impression that Zain was used to people underestimating him, and he preferred it that way.
”h.e.l.lo.” She walked around the desk and stuck out her hand.