The question preoccupied her throughout the police questions, the majority of which were answered by Raiden and Lisa. When they had asked her, she had just stared at the police officers with a blank expression of shock, and they had evidently decided to work around her seeing as they had plenty of other resources to work with.
Miss Gregor, the head mistress of the academy, came to stand with them during the questions, showing the school’s support and interest in the attempted abduction, and Paris had burst out of the crowd of students and wrapped herself around Lia, rocking slightly either to comfort herself, or offer it.
What had changed? The answer was: so much. She had started working at the club, gained a boyfriend and a new housemate in one weekend.
Paris’ phone rang, and she let go of Lia in order to answer it.
Raiden stepped in, pulling Lia against him, and she put her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest, the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear comforting. He continued to answer questions and give contact details, his voice a rumble in his chest to Lia. She let it wash over her, calming her.
The police released them, and Paris returned with Cael in tow.
“Alright, let’s go,” Raiden led them to the Ute. The traffic had cleared during the time it had taken to speak with the police, and he pulled out without difficulty.
“The police told Miss Gregor that they think it has something to do with the young women who have been disappearing,” Paris said. “That is just… terrifying. What do you think they do with the women?”
A muscle in Raiden’s jaw clenched.
“Sex slaves,” Cael drawled with enjoyment.
“No way.”
“Well, I doubt they are stealing pretty young women in order to educate them,” Cael pointed out. Lia glanced over her shoulder at him, and he grinned widely and lifted his eyebrows at her. “Do you, Cecelia?”
“What do you think?” Lia asked Raiden under her breath, knowing that he would hear her.
He flicked her a look. “I think it is a good idea if you take that teacher’s suggestion, and take tomorrow off, Lia, until we know more. You too Paris,” he looked into the rear-view. “I am sure Brock would agree with me.”
“Works for me,” Paris replied. “I would be happy to stay in my room with my honey until they catch whoever is stealing women around this city. That is just… creepy. That they came so close to taking Lia is just so, so frightening. If you hadn’t been there, Raiden…” She left it open.
“Lia was holding her own,” Raiden murmured, his tone thoughtful, and Lia looked up at him. What had he seen? She suspected that they would be having a lengthy conversation about exactly that when they got back to her house.
“If we miss too many days, we will be dropped,” Lia cautioned said to Paris, to change the subject.
“What does it matter anyway?” Paris sulked. “Final year, and they have already cast the roles for the end of year display. Predictably, we are scenery again. Not going to land a role in a company as a flower. It is time for plan B.”
“What is plan B?” Cael asked her intrigued.
“Convince my BFF in the front seat to quit school and do the audition rounds with me,” Paris used the toe of her foot to nudge the back of Lia’s chair.
“Do you have any other skills?” Raiden wondered as he turned into suburbia.
“Besides arabesques and plies? Nope. Like most dancers, I transferred from high school to dance school when I got accepted at the academy,” Paris told him. “Whilst I technically have my high school certificate, all the subjects were dance orientated.”
“Same,” Lia sighed.
“So, it is dance or lift trays for the rest of my life,” Paris finished glumly.
“You could take a course, or go back to high school?” Raiden suggested.
“Oh, yeah, I can see my parents gleefully supporting me for another few years,” Paris snorted. “They have wanted me to quit dance since I started.”
“I don’t have the finances,” Lia shrugged. “No parents. Did you finish high school?” She asked him.
“Yes, and uni,” Raiden pulled into the driveway. “I studied engineering.”
“Oh,” she flicked him a look under her eyelashes. He was older, better connected, had more money, and a far better education. What was he doing with her? How could he be serious about her? And yet, here they were, together, she thought. And they were together.
“But you don’t work in the field?” She asked him when he opened her door and helped her down.
“No,” he was amused. “A friend went into sign writing and graphic designing, and we ended up going into business together, and then, of course, I flip houses.”
“Life doesn’t always go to plan,” Cael observed as they entered the house.
“True,” Raiden agreed. He waited until Paris and Cael walked down the hall, chatting between them, Paris’ laughter spilling out brightly in response to something the blonde man said before he turned into his bedroom, and then drew Lia into her bedroom. “Lia, when Brock comes, I have to go for an hour or so. I will come back. and we will make that dinner, eh?”
“Okay,” she hesitated. She suspected that he intended to go and speak with Elior about Lucian. “Raiden, about what you said about Lucian being responsible… I really don’t…”
“Lucian is a petty crook,” Raiden said firmly. “Who hides what he is behind fine suits and expensive cars. He took a fancy to you, and he does not like being told no. Don’t worry, Lia, I will just have a word with Elior and make sure the message is passed along to Lucian that if he is behind this attempt to abduct you, he will have to deal with me.”
“Raiden,” she drew in a deep breath.
The roar of a motorbike pulling up outside distracted him. “It is Brock,” he kissed her. “I will just go have a word with him and make sure he doesn’t park behind me. I will be back soon, Lia.”
Before she could say anything further, he was out the front door. She sighed. She heard the rise and fall of their voices as she unpacked her dance bag. She took her dirty washing down to the laundry and put it into the machine.
“Hey,” Brock stopped in the door of the laundry. “Raiden’s just going out for a short time, Lia. I will be here, and I guess Cael is, though I am not sure how useful he will be in a fight… Not that we are expecting a fight,” he added hastily. “But, you know, so you feel safe.”
“Okay, thanks Brock. I will just go to my room and do some stuff. I won’t leave the house.” She wanted to go to the turret room and see if the book had any information that might be useful. “Maybe have a shower,” she added so that if he or Paris, or even Cael, popped their head into the room, they would not panic at not seeing her there.
“Alright.”
She went to the kitchen to retrieve some food for her fairy as she had forgotten to feed him that morning and found Cael there, eating an apple. He looked up as she entered and smiled brightly. He was, she thought, dazzled, just entirely too handsome with the sunlight catching in his golden hair and his blue eyes dancing with laughter as if he had been up to some mischief in her absence and was waiting for her to discover it.
“Cecelia,” he purred.
“Cael. You still owe me rent,” she reminded him pulling herself together and moved to the fridge.
“And you still smell of dog,” he replied mildly, but took his wallet out of his jeans and pulled out the contents, counting it out onto the worn tablecloth that Paris liked because of the old-fashioned embroidery around the edges. “There you are,” he tucked the rest away.
“Thank you,” she collected it up and held it awkwardly in one hand, and a carrot in the other. She leaned her hips against the kitchen bench, not wanting to join him at the kitchen table, still wary of him and his strange familiarity and appeal.
“Though I should get a discount,” his eyes met hers. “I don’t remember house pets being mentioned on the advertisement. Will they be staying frequently?”
“I guess,” she replied carefully. She hoped so, she thought thinking of watching Raiden move around the room, her heartbeat picking up. She really did hope so. “I am sorry if having them around disturbs you.”
He stood and took his cup to the sink, deliberately crowding her against the cupboards at her back, leaning over her and breathing in. “You are still in heat,” he commented, his face angled so that if she tilted her chin ever so slightly their lips would meet, as if in invitation of just that. “I could help you with that, you know.”
“Did you learn about what you are from your parents?” She asked him, shuffling slightly to the side to put some space between them, before walking across the room because they were still too close for comfort.
“Of course.” He watched her move with amusement.
“Mine died,” she explained. “I was raised by my grandmother. She taught me a lot about my magic, but she never mentioned this. She died, last year.”
“But she is still lingering,” he leaned his hips against the kitchen bench where hers had been as if claiming the territory. “I have seen her wandering about.”
“Yes. I am actually…” She leaned against the wall, so that they stood on opposite sides of the room. “I am grateful she has, as it makes it feel as if I haven’t lost her.” It was nice to have someone to talk to about it, even if that person was Cael. As much as Paris was her best friend, she could not share this part of her life with her, and it was lonely to hold such secrets to herself.
“But you have,” he pointed out bluntly. “It is not good for either of you to stretch it out. Her soul is not at ease. She needs to move on.”
“I guess.” She wondered what kept her grandmother lingering, and how to help her resolve it. But she was not ready for that final goodbye, and so she pushed the thought aside for another time. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him about his upbringing, his parents, and what he knew that she did not, but she did not know where to begin to phrase them.
“You should find a witch,” he said casually, pushing off the kitchen bench and crossing the room to open the door next to where she stood. He looked down at her. “There are plenty around. Find one who will take you as apprentice. Learn about your powers. Stay away from the dogs, they are not your kind. You have a lot of potential, and the dogs would have you squander it and squeeze out litters instead.”
The door swung shut behind him.