Surviving Plagues (Artemis University Book 3) Read online

  He held out his hand to me, half smiling when I took it. “I realized you might not know this, but there is a map of all the public portals and the channels to set it to.”

  I comprehended what he was trying to tell me and I squeezed his hand.

  “You are one of the last people I’d doubt to double-check or make sure he knew the right stuff. It’s just—I’m new to this and it’s still a bit daunting. I mean, I’ve never even been to Michigan before and now we’re just here.”

  “Yeah, that takes some getting used to for sure.”

  We only had to walk a couple of blocks to the restaurant. This time the portal was in a parking garage with a glamour around it so humans wouldn’t see it.

  They were all well hidden and careful, which I did appreciate even if it was a bit worrisome like… You didn’t know what was on the other side. I was used to bad guys and that was before I knew I was supe.

  Mel and everyone would be proud that their lectures that the bad guys were really bad now and I was always in danger as the last fairy sunk in.

  “You nervous?” he asked me as we reached the restaurant.

  I shook my head. “I can handle a lot of nachos.”

  He chuckled quietly and I realized that wasn’t what he meant. Duh. “Hi, table for two.”

  “Right this way,” the hostess told us, grabbing menus.

  Darby let me choose what chair I wanted and waited to sit until I did but I was glad he didn’t try to scoot me in. That always seemed too much and a way for a guy to watch the girl’s chest bounce around because few knew how to do it right.

  Not that I’d had any really try with me, but that was my impression from when I’d seen guys do it.

  “What are you getting?” I asked him when he didn’t open the menu.

  “The enchiladas. I love good enchiladas and the picture online looked fantastic,” he answered. “Do you want your lemonade again?”

  I shook my head. “Not with nachos. I’ll just get a Sprite or whatever they have like that. Are you getting a beer?”

  He shook his head. “I might try their margaritas but that’s rather rude since you can’t.”

  “It’s fine, really. I wouldn’t even if I could. I’ve only had a few drinks but they didn’t agree with me, like coffee except the other way.”

  I cleared my throat, realizing I maybe shouldn’t tell people one drink could get me knock-down drunk. I hadn’t seen anything on that but it seemed like a fairy thing if I hadn’t heard other supes say that.

  “Or it was what I had to drink but I don’t like that feeling.”

  Our server came before he could respond and introduced herself to us.

  “I called last week to make sure we could get two substitutions for the nacho challenge and the owner said it was fine. We want one of them but without beans and onions, that they would just add more of the other toppings.”

  “I’ll check but that should be fine,” she said, writing it down before looking at me. “And for you?”

  “He’ll have the enchiladas,” I answered, not even offended as normally it was guys who did food stunts, or stunts at all really. “But I’ll have a Sprite and water, please.”

  “Sierra Mist?” She smiled when I nodded, glancing at Darby. “Drink?”

  “I’ll have a Dr Pepper, thanks.” He handed the menus to her and adjusted his glasses, looking amused.

  I shrugged. “I’m not a jerk to be a jerk. She was nice and I get why she assumed it was you given you were ordering.” I moved my hand on the table instead of both holding the clutch on my lap. He took the cue and put his hand on the table as well, running his fingers over my skin. “So were there any dessert challenges on that list?”

  He snorted. “I found some, yes, but I believe you have your own dessert challenge at home with all that gelato.”

  “It’s good though, right?”

  “It is and I ate a lot already,” he chuckled. “Any advice on the type of challenges you want to do?”

  It was my turn to laugh. “I don’t have to do one every date, right?”

  “No, of course not, but it’s something fun and different and you seem to like it. I was just curious.”

  I didn’t answer right away, thinking about it. “I like the ones you’ve picked where it’s a lot of food but fun and you can enjoy it. Those ones that are like under fifteen minutes just to screw with people and try to make them vomit aren’t what I’d want to do.”

  “You want to taste the food as you eat it, not simply shovel it in,” he agreed, bobbing his head. “Yeah, those just look painful.”

  “You have friends who do them?”

  “Um, no.” He cleared his throat and glanced at the decorations on the wall behind me. “I found a YouTube channel that has hundreds of challenges and watched the videos of the ones I had listed to make sure they were feasible.”

  “You did that much research for a date?” That was so ridiculously sweet it really made up for his prickly side for sure.

  He gave a half shrug. “It was my idea to take you to the first one so it seemed like I might try to sabotage the date if I took you to a bad one next or something.”

  I shook my head after a moment. “I can’t see that being a game or crap you’d play. You’re too blunt and straightforward for that.”

  “I am,” he agreed. “So how do you feel the rest of the semester will shape up?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “You want to talk about school?”

  “Not particularly but I doubt either of us wants to talk about family and there are rules about what we’re allowed to discuss in public without certain measures. It’s not crowded enough where doing that wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

  Ahh, that made sense. As I was wracking my brain for topics, I burst out laughing. He raised an eyebrow at me and thanked the server when she brought our drinks but waited for me to tell him.

  I actually liked that about him. He didn’t push but always let me do things in my own way, my own time. It was nice.

  “I realized I’m a moron. I asked the Higgins family to help me with feeding the dogs and I have a much better option.”

  I almost told him about Jeremy Sims and the fact I owned half a cattle ranch but yeah, Darby didn’t know about all of that. I swallowed a flinch. That was going to make it hard to get to know someone better if I didn’t let them in more.

  Oh well, it was the way things had to be right then.

  “Let me text Mel before I forget,” I muttered, quickly pulling out my phone and sending it to her before sticking it back in my purse. “Sorry, I would have forgotten with all the crazy.”

  “I can’t even imagine,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I grew up wishing we had more money like my family used to but mostly because it seemed to make my family bitter and—money wouldn’t fix that though.

  “We were never rich but we had a more comfortable life as rare game hunters and it was fulfilling to them. I don’t know how I feel about it though and I think it’s on them they just never moved on.”

  “I think it’s fine as long as you eat the animal and don’t waste it,” I offered, not sure if it was the right thing to say then. “And if they’re not endangered. People who hunt tigers or elephants should get thrown in a Hunger Games situation with convicted psychos who hunt them then. But I think it’s crap when people bitch like in Japan where people are all upset they’re hunting whales.

  “Okay, fine, some whales are endangered and not acceptable to hunt anymore. But people are acting like they’re savages for eating whale. Who cares? It’s food and while the rest of the world is busy judging them and having a new save the whales campaign, they are overpopulated and eating all the fish that’s hurting the fish numbers. So I’m a fan of logic.”

  “Me too and there aren’t as many of us as I’d like,” he muttered.

  He leaned back and I realized it was because my nachos had arrived along with his food. He chuckled as I hurried to tuck a napkin in my dress as best as I could just in case
. I wasn’t generally a messy eater but I also didn’t tempt fate.

  “Good luck,” our server said as she set down a timer.

  “Thanks.”

  “To your bottomless pit,” Darby teased me, holding up his drink. I snickered and tapped my glass with his and started the timer.

  And dove into the nachos. They smelled so damn good that I couldn’t wait. I wasn’t shoveling it in like a competitive eater, remembering I was on a date, but I was a fast eater normally.

  “Shit, that chick is so fucking fine that I’d kill to take a bite out of her like that,” someone said from the bar. I was about to look around and see who they were talking about when his friend replied.

  “Yeah, but what a pig,” he drawled. “What girl eats that much and isn’t gross? How classless do you have to be to order a food challenge on a date? It’s probably some joke he’s playing on her and he’ll dump her for being a cow after.”

  It was like a punch to the gut and I set down what was in my hand, mortified in a way I wasn’t sure I’d ever been before. I didn’t care what people thought of me… But I was on a date.

  My first date and—no, Darby wouldn’t do that to me, right? This wasn’t a mean game. What would be the point if he did that?

  “You say one more thing about my date and you will not like the conversation we have,” Darby seethed.

  I glanced up and my eyes went wide as steam about came out of his ears as he focused on the two guys, looking ready to pound them.

  “How the fuck did he hear you?” the first guy asked, both giving Darby weird looks.

  Oh shit.

  Darby just rolled his eyes and pointed to the ceiling. “The acoustics in here make it so everything you say echoes right here like you’re sitting next to us. So shut your mouths before I do.”

  They both nodded, the guy apologizing to Darby when the bartender gave him a look not to start trouble.

  But my fun was ruined, willing to just pay for the nachos now that we had the eyes of the entire place and I felt ridiculous. I’d overdressed for the normal restaurant and then I was doing a nacho challenge.

  I kinda didn’t blame the guy for laughing at me. I really just wanted to melt into the floor.

  Darby startled me as he reached over and moved his hand to mine. “You’re not really going to let those duffers ruin our fun, right? That guy’s never seen a woman as beautiful as you in real life much less has a chance in hell of ever dating one. He knows it and instead of thinking to improve himself, he’ll tear you down to make it like he wouldn’t want you anyways.

  “Don’t let him. You’re better than that. He’s not on this date, we are. And I like that you enjoy food and have a healthy appetite. You work out hard enough to eat all the food in this place and screw him if he thinks only men get to eat. You didn’t get the beans or onions so I have no objections as I’ll be the one giving you a kiss goodnight, not him.”

  I snickered and it built into a full laugh, which I was pretty sure was his goal. I turned my hand in his so our palms were touching.

  “For the record, this is why I agreed to go out with you. You’re one of the only people when I get lost in my head that can snap me out of it and shove me in the right direction.”

  He gave me a quick wink. “You’re smart enough to listen to the right people who have your best interest in mind. Smart is sexy so be smart enough to ignore the ugly knuckle dragger you wouldn’t give a second glance at and get on those nachos. Soggy nachos suck.”

  “Soggy nachos do suck,” I agreed, taking my hand back and digging in. “Think I’ll scandalize the restaurant if I asked for more chips since there’s so much toppings?”

  He threw back his head and laughed so hard I thought he might fall off his chair. I’d only seen him give full laughs like that a couple of times and I was glad it was on our date. I really wanted to be there and I was glad he did too.

  I bit back a moan as I had another few of them, covering my mouth as I finished chewing so I could talk. “These are really fucking good.”

  “So are the enchiladas,” he replied.

  I easily crushed the nachos in the allotted time, muttering that I wasn’t as full as the burger, which tickled Darby from the way he was trying not to laugh.

  I winced when the place wanted a picture for their wall of fame whereas the last place just added my name to the few who had beat the challenge. I shrugged and made sure my hair was hiding me along with using the shadows rune to cloak me a bit.

  My meal was free but Darby still had to pay, assuring me it came out of the award money from the last challenge. He waited until we were outside to give me a curious look.

  “You didn’t tell them your real name. Why?”

  I shrugged. “Habit. I normally used Tammy Vee when had I to deal with the police or got attention. The hair stands out enough but I don’t like getting on the record for anything. I doubt their huge wall of pictures and people will matter.”

  “And the shadow rune you used incredibly well,” he praised.

  “I practiced,” I confessed. “That seemed the perfect time to use it so I practiced in the mirror to see the ranges and how it could just shade me with a weird glare look if someone took a picture.”

  “You get a lot of photos taken of you?” he teased me, blinking when I snorted as if thinking he insulted me. “Well, of course guys would—”

  “No, the hair,” I chuckled. “I have a lot of women asking so they could show their stylist the color they want or just because it’s really rare to have red hair like this naturally. Some haven’t been nice and muttering they wanted a picture of bad dye jobs and then I threaten to pound them for being rude as they’re trying to take my picture so that can backfire.”

  “Right, then they want to the picture to post you’re a bitch,” he drawled.

  “Basically.” I got nervous as we reached the portal. Was that the end of the evening? It was dinner and a movie, right? I didn’t think Mel would be cool with us gone that long without more protection and I had no idea what was playing.

  Plus, I had a sick new home theater better than going to the movies so it seemed silly.

  “Melody’s already texting me we don’t have long left before she comes to escort us,” Darby drawled.

  “It’s complicated,” I muttered, realizing he needed to know the threats were real even if Mel went overboard.

  “Yes, the rumor of you being a hybrid really took off,” he said. “Well, we have one quick stop left.” He pulled something out of his pocket as we reached the portal and I watched as he changed the runes and symbols before double-checking it.

  He nodded and I activated the portal. He took my hand and we walked out into a park? It looked like a public park.

  In Chicago? I was pretty sure I was looking at Buckingham Fountain when it came into view.

  Darby led me over there and then pulled out his phone. He tapped it a few times and music started playing. It sounded like an Irish group from the hint of almost bagpipes in the back. Whoever it was, the woman could sing and it was really pretty.

  “May I?” he asked, pulling me closer.

  I nodded, not getting what was going on until he moved his arm around me. Oh! He wanted to dance. He brought us here to the right scenery to have a dance.

  Shit, that was sexy and made me melt. For someone who hadn’t dated either, he was pretty damn good at it.

  Halfway through the song he leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “Can I take you to dinner again?”

  I nodded. “It was the dress, right?”

  His lips twitched. “That helped, yes, but it was the woman in the dress more.”

  “So next time I can come in sweats?”

  “I would do the same,” he threw right back.

  I eyed him over and sighed. “You win. No sweats.” I wouldn’t really do it but he looked hot in dark jeans and a fitted collared shirt that showed off his hidden muscles well.

  Plus, he just had the best jeans ass and wore th
em like a man, not a boy in skinny jeans or falling off his ass.

  “One more?” he asked when the song was over. He smiled when I nodded and we had another dance after I put on the sweater, the breeze off the lake coming in cold.

  “Thanks, Darby,” I murmured as we headed back to the portal. I didn’t just hold his hand, but sort of hugged his arm so I was leaning into him more.

  He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I might be a twit and prickly six days a week but even I can behave and take the right things seriously. You’ve been through too much to not have a first date to always remember fondly.”

  “You’re still not getting laid,” I teased him, smiling when he laughed again.

  No, but he did kiss me silly when we got back to the house. He couldn’t seem to stop when we arrived at the kitchen and he set me on the counter, bringing us each a pint of ice cream. He ran his chilled hand over my bare knees and thighs, fully knowing how titillating it was from the looks he was giving me.

  “If you want to play that game, I’ll take off the dress and still not let you in my bed,” I warned.

  “Totally fucking worth it,” he muttered, shooting me a heated look but then groaned his next bite. “Now I’m picturing how we met. You win.”

  I wasn’t shocked he pulled me into a hot kiss the next second.

  We finished our ice cream and he walked me to my room. There was a bit more kissing in the hallway where I let him cop a feel of my girls, but then he guided me towards my doorway and backed away.

  “Go, close the door before I beg and I doubt that would be pretty when you were clear on the lines,” he grumbled, leaning on the other closed door to my room.

  “I’m pretty sure I would find you begging hot.”

  He growled at me, his eyes flashing a different color but I couldn’t tell what in the dark hallway. “Then I will when we get there but I want to do this right too. Which means I go to my bed and not yours.”