Mistyx Sonata (Mistyx Series Book 1)

by Paulette Miller

  Nikki grinned and said, “Thanks Devin. I never expected to consider a Vampire a close friend, but you’ve become that for me.”

  He kissed her forehead and said, “Get some sleep and I’ll join you later for my Pixie burrito wrap.” As he walked away, he vowed that someday he was going to find a way for Nikki to see her home again.

  Chapter 20:

  These Boots are Made for Walking

  Over the next few weeks, Devin helped Nikki perfect additional versions of her camouflage. Her new skills let the two of them sneak pass the many stalkers that were always waiting outside of the warehouse, attempting to get a glimpse of the Pixie. On many of their outings they would meet Jackie at various locations throughout the city. Although they played the happy couple quite convincingly, their repeated excuses for why they wouldn’t let Jackie stop by their apartment made Jackie’s concerns grow. At the end of one of their visits, Jackie pulled Nikki to the side and confronted the situation head on.

  Jackie asked, “Why won’t you let me come over to your apartment?”

  Nikki replied, “It’s not that we don’t want you over, but Devin likes his privacy.”

  “I’ve let it slide, allowing you private time to settle in with him, but now that time has passed. I’m growing concerned. Whenever I bring this topic up, I can tell in your voice that you’re hiding something from me. What aren’t you telling me about Devin? Whenever we’re together, although he’s very affectionate, he never lets you out of his sight. Is he one of those crazy guys that likes to keep his woman caged?”

  Nikki shook her head. “I’m not caged. We just enjoy being together.”

  Jackie stared into Nikki’s eyes and knew she was lying. She tried another angle and asked, “If not your apartment, what about meeting me at this mysterious tavern you work at?” When Nikki stuttered out an excuse, Jackie exclaimed, “That’s it! Either you let me into this secret world of yours or I’m going to come find you. I’ll give you one week to comply or I promise that I’ll be kicking down your door.”

  Although Nikki tried to laugh off the threat like it was a joke, she knew better than to underestimate Jackie’s resolve.

  On the drive home after Nikki warned Devin about Jackie’s threat, he said, “Even if by some miracle Jackie found Mistyx, she can’t get in no matter how much she kicks and screams. She’s Human and the protective shield won’t allow her to enter Mistyx or my warehouse.”

  “I know, but I can’t keep putting her off. She’s starting to think you’re a psycho that has me chained in the dark.”

  “The truth isn’t much better than her theory. I’m just not sure what we can do but continue to avoid the visit discussion.”

  “I’ll try, but she thinks that I need her as my protector and, if she thinks I’m really in danger, she’ll leave no stone unturned to rescue me. She may be Human, but she has her own form of magic that, when she chooses to wield it, is unstoppable.”

  Devin shrugged. Although he wasn’t concerned, Nikki knew she had one week to come up with a solution or Jackie would hunt her down.

  *~*~*~*

  Nikki continued to contact Jackie daily and, although she did everything in her power to make her believe that everything was fine, her efforts were futile. Jackie knew that whatever Nikki was hiding from her was serious enough that Jackie’s inner radar kept her up at night.

  When the week was up, Jackie took a few days off work. Piecing together all of the small facts that she had gathered about where Nikki was most likely hiding, she circled a section of town on the map. With the sun just cresting over the horizon, Jackie jumped into her car. She vowed to not return home until she found Nikki and solved the mystery.

  After driving up and down streets until the sky was dark and full of stars, Jackie pulled to the curb. She called into the night, “Okay world. You’re doing everything in your power to stop me, but I’m not giving up. I’m willing to fight for my friend.” She tossed her marked up map and said, “Time to use Jackie magic.” This time when she pulled back onto the road, she let her intuition lead her. When she turned a dark corner, she slammed on the breaks as she caught sight of Nikki’s Lady Bug.

  With a big grin, she said to herself, “I’ve got you now, Girlfriend. You can run, but you can’t hide.” She frantically scanned the area, trying to find her friend. Although she was nowhere in sight, she suddenly spotted a glowing sign that she swore wasn’t there seconds before.

  She read, “Mistyx. So, you do exist.” Seeing the extremely uninviting neighborhood, she shook her head in disgust and whispered to herself, “Why would Devin allow her to work here?”

  Although there were a few people walking about, this area was one that you raced away from, not toward. Every fiber of her being warned her that her friend was in the tavern and needed her. She quickly pulled over to the side of the road and, turning off the car, she took a moment to stare at the entrance. She found it as uninviting as the neighborhood. When she watched a few people quickly scurrying past the door with their hands cupped over their noses, she knew that it didn’t only look bad, it smelled bad as well.

  Jackie scowled and said, “No wonder Nikki didn’t want me looking for her. She knew that I’d drag her ass out of this place.” With her determination tightly locked in, she got out of the car, took in a deep breath, and headed toward the tavern.

  When she reached the entrance door, she gagged at the stink in the air and exclaimed, “Now that’s downright nasty!” Suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to run the other way. Instead of retreating as the others had, an inner strength kicked in and she glared angrily at the door. She declared, “If you think you can scare me away, think again. Nikki’s in there and I’m not leaving without her.” She defiantly grabbed the door handle.

  She was then hit with her next obstacle and gasped as her body filled with an unexplained terror. She wanted to run away as fast as she could but, when Nikki’s face appeared in her mind, she pushed back the frightening feeling and yanked on the handle.

  The door wouldn’t budge as if someone on the other side was holding it shut. She growled and continued her argument with the door. “You better open in the next three seconds. If not, I’m going to introduce you to the crowbar I have in my trunk.”

  The door remained shut but, when Jackie started to count and was about to say ‘Three’, the door cracked open. Jackie grinned and said, “Yeah, you better be afraid.” As if the barrier heard her snide comment, she was hit by her next challenge—a gust of wind so strong that it made her grab onto the door frame to prevent herself from being blown backwards. She stuck her head into the wind and, with a yell, forced her way forward. As if squeezing herself through hard, rubbery Jell-O, she suddenly popped out on the other side of the invisible barrier.

  Feeling triumphant, she spun around and let out a loud, “Ha!” She kicked the wooden door shut and asked, “So you thought you could keep me out, you big ugly hunk of kindling? Nice battle, but you should’ve known better than to mess with Jackie.” While fixing her hair, she exclaimed, “But damn it all! Did you have to mess up my hair?” After checking her hands, she sighed in relief and said, “Just be grateful that I didn’t break a nail.”

  Remembering why she was there, she turned around and looked out into the tavern. Her jaw dropped. “What the...” were the only words that would come out of her mouth as she stared at the tree-based outdoor tavern and the standing room only crowd—many what she thought were wearing costumes.

  *~*~*~*

  Nikki, surrounded by branch sentinels, was talking to Bee, Styx, and Grippin. Hearing the commotion and frantic whispers, the entire table turned to see who had made a grand entrance.

  Styx jumped to his feet and said, “Damn!”

  Nikki stared at her friend and asked, “How in the world did Jackie find me?”

  Bee looked toward the entrance and asked, “Who’s Jackie?”

  Nikki replied, “My best friend and she’s Human.”

  Although Bee, like Styx,
could sense Jackie’s true nature, she brushed it off as an impossibility, saying “She can’t be Human. Humans can’t get in here.”

  Nikki replied, “Oh, she’s a force of nature. She can do anything she sets her mind to.”

  *~*~*~*

  Jackie tried to make every time she entered a room a spectacle, so she was initially pleased by the crowd’s stunned reaction to her. Adjusting her skinny jeans and bright pink cashmere sweater to accentuate her abundant curves, she whispered to herself, “This outfit was more effective than I thought.” Since she had everyone’s undivided attention, she announced, “I’m looking for Nikki.” When everyone continued to stare back at her, unsure how to respond, she added, “She’s short, sweet, and attracts men like flies to flypaper.”

  The entire room snapped their heads over to Nikki’s table. Jackie followed their stares and, when she didn’t see the one she was looking for, she called, “Hey Nikki! You might as well come out of hiding. I know you’re here. I saw Lady Bug outside.”

  Styx whispered warningly to Nikki, “She can’t be in here.”

  As Styx moved toward Jackie, Nikki jumped to her feet and blocked his path. She said, “Wait. Let me talk to her.” She put on her Human camouflage, turned around, and made her way toward the door.

  When Jackie caught sight of Nikki approaching, she sighed in relief and said, “There you are.”

  Nikki asked her frantically, “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to save you from whatever mess you got yourself into. I never would’ve guessed that Mistyx was a theme bar that’s tucked in the middle of a terrible neighborhood.” Looking around, she added, “Although I can’t figure this place out, it’s amazing. It looks like Halloween night. Someone should have told me and I could’ve come in my Lady Gaga outfit. My girls look fabulous in it. And this tree...wow. I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks so real.”

  As she reached out and caressed the wood of a nearby branch, Nikki turned to Styx and asked, “May we use your office for a few minutes?” When he nodded, she turned to Jackie and said, “Come with me and I’ll explain everything.”

  Jackie followed Nikki while Grippin protected them from behind. Just as they reached the office door, Nikki stopped. She knew she couldn’t go in without her curse buddy, so she motioned for Devin to follow.

  Devin was sitting at his usual table with his fellow Vampires and stood when Nikki motioned to him. Blade grabbed his arm before he left and asked, “Isn’t that Nikki’s friend, Jackie?”

  Devin nodded and said, “Nikki was right. I underestimated the resolve of that Human.”

  Skye said, “But Jackie’s Human. How did she get in here?”

  Blade stared at the new arrival, shook his head in disbelief, and said, “First a Pixie and then that Human Barbie Doll. Jeez Devin. Is there any way you can make this curse harder on yourself? Pun completely intended.”

  Devin replied, “Any harder and it’ll kill me.” He left the table.

  Nikki waited at the door for Devin and, once he was at her side, she touched him to help calm them both. They then went into the office and shut the door. Grippin, once again, stood guard.

  After they were in the office, Nikki smiled at her friend and motioned her to sit on the couch. Once she was seated, Nikki said, “Jackie, I want you to meet Styx. He owns this tavern.” Jackie nodded in greeting and, once Nikki reclaimed her friend’s attention, she said, “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  Jackie replied, “I could tell by the sound of your voice that something was terribly wrong and that you were hiding things from me. I warned you that if you didn’t come clean, I would hunt you down.” She turned to look over at Devin and said, “Mr. Dimples. I have a bone to pick with you. Although this place is amazing, how could you let Nikki work in such a bad part of town? And what’s been going on in that apartment of yours that you won’t allow me in to see?”

  Before Devin could reply, Nikki turned to Styx and said pleadingly, “I need to explain to her.”

  Seeing the desperation in Nikki’s eyes, Styx nodded and then added, “But Devin will need to deal with this later.” Nikki knew that meant that Devin would have to influence Jackie’s mind to forget everything.

  Catching that there was more behind their words than what was said out loud, Jackie said to her friend, “Nikki, talk to me.”

  Nikki took in a deep breath and said, “What I’m about to tell you is a secret that no Human can know.”

  Jackie snickered and asked, “Humans can’t know? What do you mean by that? Have I walked into an episode of the Twilight Zone?”

  Nikki replied, “If you did then I’m trapped in the same episode with you.” After sitting down next to her friend, she said, “Up until now, you thought that magic only lived on the movie screen. Well, it’s very real and everyone at this tavern is a part of this hidden world.”

  Jackie laughed and said, “Right. You’re all not Human.”

  “I’m not.” Nikki called on her magic and slowly her camouflage disappeared, leaving a blue and purple haired, spotted Pixie.

  Jackie’s eyes opened wide in shock and she slid off the couch, landing on the floor on her backside. She wasn’t sure whether to scream or run so, with her mouth dropped open, she replied, “How did you do that? Are you a magician?”

  Nikki replied, “No, this is the real me.”

  Jackie asked in disbelief, “Are you trying to tell me that this fairy costume of yours is real?”

  Nikki nodded and said, “The Human me you know is the actual costume. I’m a Pixie, which is a cousin to the Fairies.” Seeing her continued doubt, Nikki started to flap her wings and gracefully lifted off the couch.

  Jackie’s curiosity overpowered her fear and she stood. She approached Nikki to examine her closer and, when she reached out to touch the fluttering silk, she asked, “Your wings are unbelievable, but how are you making them move?”

  “They’re just a part of who I am. They work much like your arms do.”

  Once Nikki’s feet were back on the ground, Jackie turned to Styx and asked, “Then what are you?”

  Styx replied calmly, “I’m an Inari. My race has a special connection with nature and it gives us the ability to request the landscape around us to do things.” He picked up a pencil lying on his desk and said, “Watch as I ask this pencil to reshape itself.” To Jackie’s amazement, the pencil melted away and reformed into a beautiful wooden rose. He handed it to her so that she could see that it was real.

  As Jackie felt the wood, she looked over at Devin. He gave her a big fang-filled smile and then disappeared. He reappeared instantly, leaning against the fireplace on the opposite side of the room.

  Nikki explained, “He’s Vampire.”

  Jackie swayed and said, “I can’t believe this. Does that mean that everyone on the other side of the door aren’t wearing costumes?”

  Styx shook his head. “No one needs to hide their true self when in my tavern.”

  After Jackie fell back onto the couch, she looked pointedly at Nikki and said, “I consider us dearest friends. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Nikki replied, “Because it’s very dangerous for you, or any Human, to know about our world. Imagine what they would do if they knew of our existence.” She motioned up and down her body and added, “Think about what they would do to someone like me.”

  Devin joined the discussion and said, “Humans are fearful creatures. They would hunt us down and many of us wouldn’t go quietly into the night.”

  Jackie shivered as Devin projected a cold chill that flowed through her body. She somehow instantly knew that, if Devin were to fight, many would die. “But this tavern...anyone could just walk in here and find you.”

  Styx replied, “No, they wouldn’t. This place is a haven for any magical creature and it’s protected by very strong magic to keep Humans out. You’re the first Human to enter through my doors… ever. Tell me, what did you feel when you came through the entrance tonight?”

&nb
sp; Jackie told him everything that happened and then said, “I’ll admit that your entrance puts up a good fight, but I’m wearing my shit-kickers.” When everyone stared at her not knowing what she meant, she lifted a leg and showed off six inch spike heels in dark leather. She said, “These are my ‘don’t mess with me’ boots. When I wear them, nothing can stop me. I guess not even your magic door.”

  Styx chuckled and said, “I think there’s a little more to this than those ordinary boots of yours.”

  Jackie gasped and she asked with a hint of anger, “Did you just call my boots ordinary? Sorry, but there’s nothing ordinary about them. They’re Italian leather.” She assumed her answer put to rest any thought that her footwear was anything but extraordinary.

  Styx couldn’t help snickering at Jackie’s reaction to an outfit accessory but, after a moment to ponder on their situation, a concerned look appeared on his face and he asked, “Would you mind if I test your resistance to our magic? I promise it won’t hurt you or your Italian boots a bit.”

  When Nikki encouraged her, Jackie said, “I appear to be at your mercy right now, so go ahead.”

  Styx motioned Devin to come over. Devin nodded and knelt in front of Jackie. At first she squirmed nervously, now knowing that he was a Vampire but, after staring into his familiar dark eyes, she relaxed a little. He took her hands in his and, as they continued to stare at each other, Devin’s expression became more and more stern. After several minutes, he released her, stood and said, “As with every time I’ve been with her, I can’t get completely in. It’s like she has an inner mental wall blocking me from going any deeper than the surface. I’ve never met a Human that could completely block me out.”

  Jackie stuck out her leg, pointed to her boot, and said, “I told you. I have my own brand of magic. But, if you want to try again, I’m willing to stare into those gorgeous eyes of yours some more.” She giggled drunkenly.