Tegan's Magic (The Ultimate Power Series #3) by L.H. Cosway Read Free Book Online

penthouse. Nothing less for the Governor of North Tribane, and all that. I stand in between Finn and a silent Ira as we make the journey all the way up.
    When we reach our final destination, Pamphrock opens the door to us. He's dressed all casual in jeans and a sweat shirt. These must be his “at home dad” clothes. He welcomes us inside, giving Finn a firm handshake, Ira a respectable nod and me a full bodied hug. Well, it's certainly nice to have someone be so pleased to see me after all the quiet vampire condemnation.
    He leads us through the impeccably furnished penthouse to a large living area with a view out over the entire city. I almost feel dizzy looking down at it all. Being up so high kind of makes you feel bigger than when you're down below among the masses.
    Sitting on a carpet in the middle of the room surrounded by toys and dolls is Rebecca. She looks like a little doll herself, all dressed up in a dainty ensemble that would put Shirley Temple to shame. It's a little anachronistic, actually. These days people don't normally fancy up their kids so much. Then again, Pamphrock does hail from another era; an era where little girls of a certain class always had to look like little princesses.
    I feel that same hum of recognition as I near her, my blood sensing her sameness. I go and sit down on the couch a little away from her. When she lifts her head to see who's there, her big brown eyes light up.
    “Tegan! Daddy said you were coming. I've been so excited.”
    She gets up and gives me a small, squeezy hug. I sort of freeze, since I'm not really used to being around kids. Finn and Pamphrock step out onto the large balcony, deep in chat.
    Ira sits down beside me on the couch. It gives me a little fright, because normally he wouldn't come so close of his own accord. Rebecca looks at him with wide eyes, in the way kids do when they see someone who seems different. Or in Ira's case, big and scary.
    Ira stares at her and then looks to me. I wonder if he can sense that Rebecca and I are the same.
    Rebecca twists a lock of her blond hair around her finger and asks, “Who are you?”
    Ira tilts his head at her, but says nothing in reply.
    “His name's Ira,” I answer for him. “He doesn't talk.”
    Rebecca gasps and seems to become excited at this piece of information. “Why not? Did he lose his voice? Did a bad person steal it like Ursula stole Ariel's voice in The Little Mermaid ?”
    I laugh and Ira continues to stare at Rebecca as though he's studying her.
    “I don't think so. I'm not sure why he doesn't speak. I think that maybe he just doesn't want to.”
    I turn to look at Ira just as his eyes land on me. For some reason I turn away and blush. I still can't get my head around the fact that this man and the dog I once cuddled and slept with are one and the same.
    “That's strange,” says Rebecca, shaking her head and picking up a comb to brush her doll's hair.
    “It is. How have you been since coming home?” I ask. I'm not really sure how to talk to a ten year old, so I decide to simply address her as I would an adult. I hate it when people speak all weird and babyish around kids anyway.
    Rebecca smiles. “It's better now. I get to see Daddy every day.”
    “You didn't before?”
    “No. He was always busy. He told me he's gonna be spending a lot more time with me from now on.”
    Well, I suppose if there's one good thing that came out of Rebecca's kidnapping it's that it got Pamphrock to make an effort as a parent. I pick up a fawn coloured teddy bear and sit him on my lap.
    “I like this guy,” I tell Rebecca. “He's got nice fur. What's his name?”
    “That's Harold. I sleep with him every night. Aside from Daddy, I missed Harold the most when I was away.”
    I momentarily wonder how isolated Pamphrock keeps her if the person she missed the most wasn't even a person at all, but an inanimate object.
    “What about your mother?” I ask, without really thinking.
    “She's with the angels,”