The Elfbitten Trilogy (17 page)

     Corbin’s building was a duplicate of the ones to either side of it; about ten stories tall, rust colored in the pale street light with rickety iron fire escapes zigzagging along one side. I cringed at the sight of all that iron and was doubly happy for my tall leather boots – if I needed to use the fire escape they should offer me some protection from the painful metal. There were few working streetlights on this block, which both encouraged and discouraged loitering depending on your intentions, luckily my elven eyes, now full of magic from Andre, could see through the shadows almost as easily as if it were daylight. There was a faint smell of sewage wafting up from the sewer drain at the end of the block. I crinkled my nose at the smell.

     “Well, Taryn, what do you say?” I whispered to myself, knowing if I waited any longer I would just be stalling. I pushed off of my car and walked across the street to Corbin’s building. There was a security door and it was locked, just my luck. I scanned the list of names next to the intercom speaker, but there was no “Corbin” listed, not that I was surprised. Andre hadn’t told me his last name, but the apartment number was listed on the scrap of paper so I pushed the button next to the name “Eloise Smith” with a shrug. The buzzer sounded extraordinarily loud in the seemingly deserted street.

     I heard a faint electronic click a few moments later, but no one spoke. I took a few steps back to look up the face of the building but I didn’t see life in any of the windows. I walked back to the speaker and leaned closer to it and spoke, “I’m looking for Corbin.”

     I heard the electronic click again as if someone had taken their finger off of the intercom button, cutting me off. After the last few days of hostile attitudes I’d been faced with I could deal with this. So I waited and after another minute I heard the click again and again no one spoke.

     “Andre sent me?” I offered, trying to keep my voice quiet, “he said you would help me. My name is Taryn Malloy.” The listener didn’t respond, but when I didn’t hear another click I felt hopeful. There was a sense of waiting, as if they were deciding something so I pushed a little more and said, “Andre also said, if you wouldn’t help me to remind you of the gremlin incident.” I kept my voice steady, wanting them to think I knew what I was talking about incase they argued, but again, there was nothing. I heard the electronic click cutting off our one sided conversation. I huffed and blew my bangs out of my eyes and just as I was about to turn back for the sidewalk I heard the buzzer of the door and the click of a lock sliding out of place.

     With a sigh of relief I rushed and opened the door before he could change his mind. When I shut the door behind me I felt utterly alone in the dingy foyer. It looked like an old hotel from the beginning of the last century with art deco designs and real marble floors. Only the floor was still polished and beautiful, the rest was yellowed and sad, as if the owners had left town years ago and forgot to have anyone air it out occasionally. Flowers were long dead and brown in vases, windows in doors were broken. Anything brass was tarnished and a layer of dust coated all of the table tops. I cringed and made an effort not to touch anything as I walked towards the stairs. Even if the elevator was still working I had no desire to test it out. Corbin, according to my slip of paper, lived on the ninth floor, and I just didn’t trust anything mechanical in this place to carry me for ninety feet when the stairs were wide and sturdy.

     There were dim lights along the walls as I climbed flight after flight of stairs, but I had a feeling, if I were human, they wouldn’t provide sufficient light to see by. I could feel the presence of life behind some of the walls as I passed, but none felt truly alive. I wondered if this were a place only inhabited by the Fae, the undead and one, reclusive witch. When I finally reached the ninth floor I realized most of the lights were out, leaving a long dark hallway stretched out in front of me. I pursed my lips and considered whether or not this was a parlor trick to scare off the faint of heart. I didn’t think Andre would send me somewhere he didn’t think I wouldn’t make it out alive. He had said it himself that he like me. Why then would he send me somewhere dangerous?

     I took a step forward into the hall and realized that the life, what little there was, that I was feeling in the lower floors, was missing up here. It seemed as though this Corbin had the entire floor to himself. That was either a very good thing for me or very bad. I guess I would just have to wait to find out which. I tossed my hair over my shoulder with a shake of my head and started down the hallway. I kept my shoulders back and my head held up, trying to look more confident than I actually felt. Finally, after what felt like miles, I reached Corbin’s door. I knocked even though I was expected, but no one answered. After a full minute I knocked again, a little louder this time, but again there was no answer and I couldn’t hear anything on the other side of the door.

     “Seriously?” I called out in frustration, but there was no response. I stared at the doorknob for a moment before I reached out for it. The door was unlocked so I pushed it open, letting it swing all the way open until it hit the wall behind it to ensure no one was hiding behind it. The air from the apartment was cleaner, fresher than the rest of the building and I breathed it in greedily.

     “Hello?” I leaned over the threshold as I called out, glancing around. “Corbin?” I was looking into a sitting room, full of warm earth tones and rich woods, thick cushioned couches and what had to be thousands of books. The lighting was dim by human standards, but bright enough for my elf eyes to see clearly. Still no one answered me. I took a tentative step inside, crossing over the threshold. I felt a wash of power course over my body as I came into the room. I shivered under it, but it passed with little effort so I didn’t pay it much attention.

     “Well at least you’re not lying,” a male voice spoke from somewhere deeper in the apartment, startling me. Witches may be magical people, but they were still humans, usually they couldn’t surprise the Fae.

     “Excuse me?” I responded a little lamely. I grabbed the door and swung it shut, not wanting anything else to surprise me tonight.

     “You said you needed help, if you were lying, you wouldn’t have been able to come in,” the disembodied voice explained. I could tell by the volume he was coming closer.

     “No, I’m not lying,” I said dryly, but this little test was better than having a murder of crows set on me.

     “So what is it that you want?” Corbin stepped out of the shadows of the hallway finally so that I could see him. He wasn’t tall by anyone’s standards, not even mine and I’m only five foot one, on a good day. If he was even an inch taller than me I would be surprised. He had a strong chin and shoulder length curling golden blond hair, from here his eyes appeared dark, I was guessing brown. I was surprised to see that his skin was bronzed from the sun; I had been expecting a pasty white recluse after all this pomp and circumstance.

     “I need a spell,” I said.

     “Yeah,” he smirked, “sure I kinda figured that much.” I bristled at his mockery and had to stop myself from spinning around and storming out. Andre said he could help me and I was desperate.

     “I’ve been bitten,” I explained and saw him arch one eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. “I’ve been bitten by a Hunter. I’d like to get the bond removed. Andre seems to think you can help me.”

     “A Hunter’s bite?” Both his eyebrows climbed up his forehead in surprise and he started across the room towards me. I felt my shoulders tense as he approached, but if he noticed he didn’t show it.

     “Yes,” I said, trying to remain calm, “a Hunter’s bite.”

     “May I see it?” his voice was softer now as he stood in front of me and he was in fact within an inch of my height. I nodded and pulled at the neck of my shirt so he could see the angry wound on my shoulder. He leaned forward to examine it and I had a moment to get a better look at him. His eyes were in fact brown, dark and haunted, seeming out of place in his boyish face. There was a cleft in his chin that made me want to reach out and press a finger to. I pushed that thought away when the bite on my shoulder pulsed as Corbin’s breath caressed my skin. He had high cheek bones and his nose was a little crooked, like it might’ve been broken at some point and wasn’t set right.

     “It doesn’t look that fresh,” he murmured and I realized my throat felt tight so I just nodded in response. He was entirely too close. The bite on my shoulder pulsed again, making me close my eyes, trying to concentrate on anything but Corbin’s full pink lips and how close to my skin they were. He reached out a hand and his fingertips grazed my shoulder, making me jump back, hitting the door behind me.

     “Don’t touch it!” I nearly yelled, making him jump back and snatch his hand away. My whole body shivered and my thighs clenched together. Apparently I hadn’t spent enough time with Andre as I had thought.

     “Sorry,” he said, his brow was wrinkled as he started at me.

     “I’m sorry I yelled,” I said, straightening my shirt and covering the demanding bite. “It’s just really sensitive and I don’t want to set it off,” I explained. “I don’t think you want to either.”

     “What happens when you set it off?” he asked.

     “It depends,” I said, looking away from him, desperately wanting to hurry this up and get out of here.

     “On what?” he prodded.

     “On how fast I react to it,” I said through gritted teeth. I didn’t like talking about the bite, the more attention I paid to it, the more it seemed to respond and right now I was pushing it.

     “And if you don’t react to it?” I glared at him, feeling my anger rising, making my body run hot and the bite on my shoulder began to pulse in a steady beat.

     “Well the last time I lost two days and woke up with a stranger in my bed,” I said bluntly, making him blink and after a moment laugh. “I’m glad you find this so fucking amusing.”

     “I’m sorry,” he waved a hand at me as if trying to dismiss my comment. “It’s not that, you’re just so different than anyone I’m around these days. Humans aren’t as open about things like this and you surprised me.” He’d stopped laughing and that was the only reason why I hadn’t lashed out at him with an energy bolt and stormed out.

     “Here,” he beckoned me with a wave of his hand and turned to walk, “come into the kitchen and we’ll talk about what we’re going to do.” I pushed away from the door and made sure I was steady on my feet before I followed him. His kitchen wasn’t large and the table and chairs in the middle took up much of the room. He had pots covering the stove and herbs hanging from the ceiling drying. It smelled of sweet spices and was warm. He pulled out a chair for me and went to pour us each a cup of tea. I glanced around and suddenly had a flash of the last time I was in a kitchen with a man. Daniel had taken me on the counter in my apartment.

     “Um,” I cleared my throat, “do you mind if we talk in the living room?” I asked. Corbin glanced at me over his shoulder for a moment before shrugging. I turned and hurried back into the living room and sat on one end of the couch. I closed my eyes and tried to push the heady memories out of my mind before Corbin came into the room, holding two mugs. He set them both on the low coffee table before sitting on the other end of the couch. I was very aware of his closeness even though there was at least two feet of space between us.

     “Did Andre happen to mention my fee?” Corbin asked, his dark brown eyes leveled on me. I gripped the arm of the couch, curling my fingers into the fabric.

     “He just said that you weren’t cheap,” I responded. “But I have plenty of money, whatever your price; I just have to get this thing taken care of.”

     “I don’t need money,” he shook his head and dropped his eyes. “I have plenty of money.”

     “What then?”

     “I’m sure you know how difficult it is to be a witch these days,” he said, his voice softer, making me yearn to lean towards him.

     “How do you mean?” I said, managing to stay still.

     “Not all of us were interested in creating those collars, you know,” he said, his voice edging towards defensive, but I stayed quiet and he seemed to calm down almost as quickly. “But a few bad apples and all that,” he sighed, “anyway so now witches are shunned by the rest of the magical community.”

     “Right,” I agreed, nodding my head.

     “See, it’s well known who supported the collars and who was against it. I was against it. More and more witches who were openly against the collars started disappearing so others suddenly changed their minds and became supporters.”

     “But you didn’t,” I offered and he nodded.

     “It was only my level of power that kept me safe. See, since the rest of the magical community shunned us you never saw what was happening within our own community. Witches need magical interaction just as much as the rest of you.” He looked at me then and I saw the sadness he had been hiding behind his mistrust and smirking face.

     “I figured you all got what you needed from each other.”

     “Sure, if you’re not shunned, which I am,” again his anger pitched, making his voice rise and me cringe. “Sorry,” he whispered. I could feel the erratic rise and fall of his emotions and his aura as it washed against me. I knew what he wanted for his fee. I also knew if I said no, he’d think of something else for payment, but his loneliness spoke to me and I realized I wanted to respond to it. I wanted to give him what he was missing.

     “I understand,” I whispered back. His left hand was resting on the cushion between us and I reached out and laid my hand over it. His skin was as warm as the tan made it look. I felt his fingers flex in surprise when I touched them but as I curled my fingers around his, he relaxed slowly. He turned his hand over and twined his fingers with mine. I looked at his face and saw that he was staring at our hands, a sadness hung over his face as all the years of being utterly alone washed over him. I scooted over closer to him until I could place our hands in my lap. The back of his hand was resting against the bare skin of my leg and the warmth started to spread through me.