Chapter 22 Use a wish right now
“What was that?” he asked, turning to her.
“Nothing, I said I’m Lucy,” she replied, louder, trying to hide her face in the collar of her shirt.
A few more minutes passed and, finally, they were standing in front of a door, numbered 6.
“You mind?” he asked, eyeing her, then the door.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” she nodded, jumping to open the door for him.
There was no one here. All the desks were empty, even the lamps were turned down low, so the light was barely there, almost romantic. Renwick put down the books on the table, with a loud thump noise. He put his hands on his back and stretched a little.
“Those were heavy,” he told her. “So, what exactly are you looking for?”
“I have a paper on Rasputin,” Izabella replied. “I need to know everything about him, including the little known facts.”
“Lemme see…”
He wandered through the room, looking for something only he knew where to find. He stood on his tiptoes and reached a book on the highest shelf. Izabella was surprised to see how far his arms could stretch. He got the book, then handed it to her but not before blowing on it a little and raising a cloud of dust.
“Sorry, it’s been a while since anyone used it,” he apologized.
“Thanks,” she smiled, feeling relieved that the tension between them was left in the dark hallways.
“So, why him?” he wondered.
“Oh, there was a list of people we needed to choose from, so I just chose the name that appealed to me the most.”
“Again, why?” he repeated his question kindly.
“Well, I always wondered if all those things they claim he did were true, and, his death...”
“His death?” he repeated, surprised.
“Yes, the way he died, you know. The cyanide poisoning which didn’t work, the three gun shot wounds, one of which was straight in the forehead, and then dropping him off a bridge…”
“Oh, that!” Renwick laughed. “That was just child’s play. You know he didn’t die, right?”
“Didn’t die?” she asked, in shock. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said,” he explained. “He didn’t die. He was a warlock. A very powerful one. I mean, why else do you think the cyanide laced cookies and wine didn’t
harm him? And he got up from three gun shots and attacked Felix, the man responsible for this?”
Izabella had to admit, she never even considered this possibility. After all, there was a body. Photos even.
“But, okay, not many people know this. First, they kept it a secret. Then, years later, he emerged somewhere, and they discovered his real identity.”
“But, he’d be about 150 years old by now!”
“So?” Renwick gave a dismissive half-shrug. “You know vampires, witches and warlocks can live much longer than that.”
Izabella knew this, but she never actually met anyone who was older than 100. Brandon had told her of a few guys who were born two centuries ago but she always thought that was a bit exaggerated. Now, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Trust me, you’ll find everything you need in this baby,” he tapped the book in her hands, then smiled. “I guess I’d better leave you to it then.”
“Um, listen…” she started, before he got the chance to disappear.
“Yes?”
His eyes were deep, piercing right through her. It was like he was trying to see behind the mask she was wearing and guess who she really was. For a second, she was frightened that he would actually manage to do it.
“Thanks,” she muttered, barely audibly.
“What?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure if he really didn’t hear her or he just pretended. The grin on his face could mean either.
“Thanks,” she repeated, a little louder this time. She really meant it.
“For?”
Now, he was pushing it, but he was cute. Too cute. She could totally see why Morgan would like him.
“For your help.”
“Well, it’s no apology, but I’ll take it,” he grinned even wider. “I’ll be heading back then.”
But, before he went, he picked up the books that he’d just put on the desk when they got there.
“What are you doing?” she asked, surprised.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
She was still looking at what he was doing.
“Oh, the books?” he replied.
“I thought you were supposed to bring them here,” she wondered, confused.
“Ah, that,” he shrugged his shoulders, with a wicked gleam in his eye. “No. It was just an excuse to come here with you.”
“Really?”
She tried not to smile, but the feeling was overwhelming. He was just too darn cute for her to be upset with him.
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“I don’t know what Morgan would say to this,” she suddenly remembered the reason for her initial hostility.
“Why?” he asked.
“Isn’t she your girlfriend?”
Izabella had a weird sensation that she’d already had this conversation with Raphael.
Only the roles were different.
“She’d like to be, sure,” he nodded, a little more cock-sure than she would have liked him to be but it suited him so well.
She was only now realizing that there were two sides to this guy. He could be all
honey sweet and helpful but he could also be a tease, dark and mysterious. She loved this combo in a guy, especially when there was such a perfect ratio of the two sides.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Exactly what I said. She’s been bugging me since last year, not leaving me alone. I can’t breathe, it’s a fucking nightmare!”
He grabbed himself by the throat and pretended to be choking. She laughed. He was even cuter when he was like that.
“Seriously,” he assured her. “I can’t shake her off. I’ve told her so many times to just leave me alone but I can’t get it into her thick head that nothing’s ever gonna happen between us. She just doesn’t get it.”
“She already threatened me to stay away from you and I didn’t even know you. Can you imagine?”
“She did what!?” he almost shouted.
She could see that this pissed him off seriously. She didn’t expect that but, deep down, she was glad.
“She and her sister cornered me in the bathroom and warned me to stay away from you and Raphael.”
“What are you, a succubus and we need protection from you?” he asked and they both laughed.
“Never considered myself one but I guess I’ve got that vibe,” she shrugged her shoulders indifferently. “Better warn me before I try to do anything, right?”
“So, you like Raphael then?” he wondered suddenly.
It was like he wasn’t even asking but just thinking out loud and she happened to overhear it.
“That jerk? Hell no!” she shook her head, disgusted by the mere thought.
“Yeah,” he looked down, scratching his head, “I know he’s a bit crude, but…”
“A bit?” Izabella corrected him. “You mean very crude, right?”
“I mean, he has this bully-ish front, and is an asshole sometimes, I’ll give you that, but we’ve been friends for years and, trust me, there is more to it than just this persona that he is showing everyone.”