Devin scowled at her attempt at persuasion and Blade said, “Even if we agree, this really isn’t up to us. She’s Human and can’t get past the strong magic that protects this place.”
Nikki looked at Blade and said, “That’s what Devin said about Mistyx, right up until Jackie barged through the door. What if we let her try? If she can get past the magical barrier, then she can come visit me.” She turned back to Devin and said, “If it doesn’t work, I’ll stop nagging you.” Seeing his resistance beginning to waver, Nikki’s face lit up and her wings started to flutter excitedly.
The sight caused any resistance Devin had left to crumble completely away and he said, “You win again, but I want it on record that I don’t think this is a very good idea. We don’t have the best track record when it comes to luck.”
“I know, but I want to try and Jackie isn’t afraid.”
Blade let out a laugh and said, “Given what I saw at Mistyx and what Devin has told me, I doubt that woman is afraid of anything.”
Nikki smiled and said, “I promise, you won’t even know that she’s here.”
Devin doubted that, since he already knew that Jackie commanded everyone’s attention no matter what room she was in. He waved her off and said, “Give her a call and make the arrangements.”
Nikki squealed, gave him a quick kiss on his mouth, and flew herself up to the loft with her cell phone already at her ear.
As the Vampires watched her fly away, Blade asked, “Is it even possible to say no to that little blueberry?”
While licking the taste of Pixie dust from his lips, Devin replied, “I’ve lived in this apartment for many years and I haven’t changed a single thing since the day that my parents moved out. But look around at the changes she’s starting to make. There’s a bright green, flower covered blanket with ruffled edges on my recliner.”
Blade snickered and said while pointing at the couch, “Don’t forget the cute matching pillows.”
Devin rolled his eyes and said, “Those alone will tell you that ‘No’ is not in my vocabulary. I’m completely helpless when she bats those purple eyes at me and those flittering wings...they drive me crazy.” He brushed Pixie dust off his shirt from her hug and said, “When Nikki first arrived, I couldn’t wait until she was out of my life. Now, I don’t know.” Seeing the telltale sparkle covering much of the apartment, he chuckled and said, “I can’t imagine what this place will be like without a Pixie flittering about.” That included her sharing his bed. Although sex was out of the equation, they had been sleeping side by side and he was quickly becoming accustomed to her touch as he slept.
They looked up when Nikki yelled from the loft, “We’re going to give it a try on Friday.” She disappeared for moment, but then raced back to the rail and added, “Since she doesn’t work Saturday, she’s going to spend the night.” As an afterthought she quickly added, “That’s okay with you, right?”
Devin rolled his eyes, not surprised by her added request. He called in return, “Of course.” He looked at Blade and added at a whisper, “Why go half way when we can just jump directly into the fire.”
She then called again, “Would you take me to see her tomorrow night so that we can work out our plan?”
“Just tell me when and where and I’ll get you there.”
Blade snickered and whispered, “That Pixie has you whipped.”
Devin couldn’t deny it and said, “After what I’ve put her through, you better believe it.”
The next evening, they met Jackie for dinner at a fast food restaurant. After Nikki convinced Devin to step away for a few minutes to refill their drinks, Nikki quickly shoved a piece of paper into Jackie’s hand and said, “Hide this and read it when you get home. There are a few items I need you to bring when you come over and I don’t want Devin or anyone else to know. I’ve explained it all in the letter.”
Jackie nodded and quickly shoved it into her bag just before Devin returned. Although Jackie was extremely curious about what Nikki had written for her, she kept her questions to herself.
The three decided that they would meet outside of Mistyx and then escort Jackie to the warehouse. As a peace offering to Devin, Jackie insisted that she was to be blindfolded so that the location of the warehouse remained a secret. With the plan set, Nikki gave her friend a big hug and said, “I guess we’ll see you at Mistyx in a few days.”
Jackie replied excitedly, “Can’t wait.” She then turned to Devin and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Dimples. I’ll get in. I’m strong, invincible, and all woman. And...” She raised her foot and finished her thought, “…I’m packing stiletto heels. There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Devin said with less enthusiasm, “Let’s just hope luck is on our side for once and you don’t end up regretting this.”
She waved off his concerns and said, “No worries. We’ll have a great time together. You’ll see.”
Several days later, while Nikki and Devin waited outside Mistyx for Jackie to arrive, Grippin happily tossed Pixie fans into the tavern to keep them back. After Jackie pulled up and gracefully got out of her car, Nikki stared to laugh. Jackie was runway ready in her favorite white jeans and a bright blue silk blouse, but that wasn’t what made Nikki laugh. Jackie had her blonde hair in tight curls that were highlighted in shades of deep blue and purple.
When she approached Nikki she shook her head, making her ringlets bounce, and said, “I thought it would be fun if I looked more like you—like sisters.” She lifted a leg and added, “And I wore my magic shit-kickers, so I’m guaranteed to waltz through any magic barrier.” She looked at the crowd around them and said, “You have your own paparazzi. This must be what it’s like to be around someone famous.” She tossed her head back to get their attention and said, “I like it.”
Nikki grumbled under her breath, “Take them. They’re all yours.”
Jackie turned to Devin and said, “Although I like being the center of attention, I’m all yours, Vamp Boy. Get the blindfold ready, but I warn you. I spent hours on my hair and I will not be pleased if you mess it up.”
Devin replied, “No blindfold. I’m going to trust you to keep your head down and eyes shut.” He then pointed to Grippin and said, “Grippin is going to drive you to my place. Odds are, with you in the car, the barrier won’t let him enter the parking area. He’ll need to drop you off at the sidewalk outside the entrance and you’ll have to walk in from there.”
Jackie straightened her shoulders and said, “I’m ready.” As she watched Grippin load her luggage into his car, she marveled at his muscles that bulged as he worked. When he was finished, she walked over to him and took his arm. After taking a moment to feel his massive muscles, she snuggled against the large man and said in her sultry voice, “Strong and silent...just the way I like them. On the way, you and I can get to know each other better.” She started talking while pulling him to the passenger door where she stood and waited. When he didn’t open her door for her, she cleared her throat and nodded toward the door handle.
As soon as Grippin realized what she wanted, he jumped and quickly opened the door for her. She purred at him as he helped her into her seat. Once she was safely tucked in, Grippin turned to Devin with a ‘you owe me’ expression.
As he crammed his large body into the driver’s side, Devin called, “Don’t worry. She doesn’t bite, that I’m aware of.”
After a short drive, Devin pulled into the parking garage, where his fellow warehouse dwellers had cleared the streets of unwanted attention. Nikki and Devin got out and stood at the open entrance to wait with Bo at their side. Moments later, Grippin pulled up and let Jackie out before he pulled in.
Jackie stared at the warehouse entrance, already feeling the overwhelming urge to run away. Not from a stink, like at the bar. This time it was a feeling of dread that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as if she was in a scary movie and the music warned her that something bad was about to happen. To help motivate Jackie, Nikki shivered off her Hum
an camouflage. While staring straight at the blue Pixie, Jackie forced her legs to walk and her need to run away intensified with each step.
Suddenly Jackie’s mind filled with a voice that commanded, “Run away, now!”
The intensity made her stumble. She put her hands on her ears and yelled, “Stop it!
Seeing Jackie’s body shaking, Nikki said, “I’m calling this off. It’s too much for you.”
Jackie stood tall again and yelled back, “No! I can do this.” She started to move forward again and, just before she made it to the entrance, the air became so thick that she started to choke.
Nikki got an idea. She stood right in front of her friend and whispered sweetly, “You can do this.” She then blew a cloud of Pixie dust into her face. As soon as Jackie inhaled the sparkle, the voice in her head was gagged, her lungs filled with air, and she sighed in relief as if someone wrapped a warm blanket around her. Nikki then stared intently into her friend’s tear filled eyes and commanded, “Now use those shit-kickers and get your ass in the building!”
Nikki’s voice penetrated through the fog in Jackie’s mind and it gave her a newfound strength. Bo bounded outside and, with a push from his massive head from behind, Jackie exclaimed, “I am woman, hear me roar!” She let out a loud cry and forced her way through the door. Once free of the barrier, she fell into Nikki’s waiting arms.
Nikki helped Jackie to the floor and, while letting her recover for a moment, announced, “Welcome to Castle Vampire.”
Jackie let out a sad laugh and exclaimed with her voice shaking, “That entrance is evil! Whose sadistic mind did that magic come from?”
Devin answered, “That would be my godmother, Cassandra.”
When Bo approached her, Jackie scrambled away and said, “I’m through the barrier. Why am I still seeing my nightmare’s hellhound that tried to bite my ass as I came through the door?”
Nikki scratched Bo behind an ear and said, “This isn’t a hellhound. This is Bo and he didn’t try to bite you. He helped push you through the door. He lives with Blade—the other Vampire I told you about. They both help guard this place.”
Seeing the sheer size of the animal, Jackie said, “So he’s real? He’s the size of your car.”
Nikki kissed Bo’s nose and added, “And most of that is his wonderful heart.” Bo gave Jackie a huge grin that he thought was friendly, but his exposed sharp teeth made Jackie cower.
After Nikki helped Bo and Jackie get to know each other a little better, Nikki asked, “Do you think that you can walk now?”
Jackie glanced over at Grippin, who was now standing nearby with her luggage in hand, and said, “I’m still a bit weak. Maybe Grippin could carry me to the apartment.” She gave him a sultry smile.
The massive man cowered as if intimidated by the overly bold woman. Unsure what to do, he looked to Devin for guidance.
Devin said, “Go ahead. I’ll carry her bags.”
After Grippin handed the luggage to Devin, he turned and looked down at Jackie, who had her arms stretched out to him with a brilliant smile on her face. He scooped her up and held her so gingerly it was as if she was made of delicate glass. Jackie swooned at his display of strength and, much to his dismay, she snuggled against him and pressed her cheek on his large, muscular chest. When she let out a sound similar to a purr, Nikki had to look away to hide her snicker.
The entire trip up the elevator, Jackie’s free hand caressed Grippin’s chest while she shared her admiration for his strength and physique. When they entered the apartment, Nikki came to Grippin’s rescue and said, “Thanks Grippin. Put her down and we’ll take care of her from here. I know you need to get back to Mistyx.”
Although Jackie continued to hold on, not ready to let her knight go, Grippin quickly put her feet back on the floor. Nikki helped Jackie release her hold and the large man quickly backed away, making his escape.
Jackie called as Grippin headed out the door, “Feel free to stop by again. I’ll be here until tomorrow.” Once the door was closed, she added, “Wow. That’s one large specimen of a man. He can come to my rescue any day.”
As Devin left to fix himself a drink, Nikki got Jackie’s attention back by asking, “Jackie, do you want a tour of where I live?”
Jackie turned to her friend and jumped as if she had forgotten where she was. She said, “I would love to see the love nest. Lead the way.”
Nikki took the remote and, once she clicked on all of the lights, Jackie screeched and ran into the center of the room. As she turned and admired the atmosphere, Cupcake came racing across the room like a rocket and leapt into Jackie’s arms. When the cat gave her a large toothy grin like Bo did, Jackie asked, “Nikki, I’m assuming Cupcake is magical as well? It would explain many of the impossible things that I‘ve seen her do.”
Nikki nodded and said, “She’s from my Pixie village.”
After Jackie spent several minutes cooing and scratching her favorite cat, she turned to Devin and asked, “This place is really nice, but where’s your coffin?” She gave him a teasing smirk.
He shook his head and muttered, “Humans.”
Nikki leaned over to Jackie and said, “I asked him the same thing the first night I was here. I’ll show you our bed later. It’s huge and intimidating.”
Jackie’s eyes opened wide and she asked, “Our bed? Hold on, Girlfriend. You just said ‘our’ bed? I think I need to get up to speed on the current sleeping arrangements in this fake relationship.”
Nikki took Jackie’s hand and, while pulling her on to continue the tour, replied, “We have all night to talk.”
Chapter 24:
Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
For the next few hours, Nikki played tour guide and Jackie insisted that Nikki float next to her so that she could watch and feel the magic. Throughout the tour, the two giggled like school girls. When they finally made their way up to their last stop—the bedroom, Jackie looked at the large ornate bed and said, “Wow! That’s one hefty bed. Devin has unique tastes.”
“It’s actually Devin’s mother’s. This apartment was once hers and, when she left town, she asked Devin to take care of it. He said it was a mating gift from his father and it means the world to her.”
“What you said earlier is right. It’s a bit intimidating but, on the bright side, when there’s an earthquake, the safest place would be lying in that.” She giggled at the image of the warehouse being destroyed and the bed sitting on top of the rubble, completely intact. Suddenly she jumped and said, “Ohhh, I almost forgot to ask. Earlier you said ‘our’ when referring to the bed. Unless there’s a secret door in this place that I didn’t see, I’ve confirmed that there’s only one bed in this apartment. I’m assuming you don’t sleep like a bird up in that small skybox. You and Devin share this love nest.”
Nikki answered, “When I first arrived, I used to sleep on the love seat over there but, since Devin and I have different sleeping patterns that only cross part of the time, we now share the same bed.”
“When you say that they cross only part of the time, does that mean that there are times that you both are in this magnificent bed together?”
Nikki replied hesitantly, knowing the interrogation that would follow, “Yes.”
Jackie replied with a smirk, “You seem to have left the sleeping together tidbit out of our conversations.” She then raised her eyebrows and asked, “Does he sleep naked?”
Nikki knew that she couldn’t lie to Jackie, so she replied honestly, “Well… sometimes. He does it just to embarrass me, because it makes my spots glow.” She quickly added, “It’s not what you think. We aren’t having sex.”
Jackie gasped and exclaimed, “Why the heck not?”
“As I tried to explain to you at Mistyx, it isn’t safe for me.”
“I’m assuming that you aren’t referring to the need for using birth control.” Seeing an expression full of guilt and sadness appear on Nikki’s face, Jackie plopped herself on the bed. She then patted the quilt ne
xt to her. After Cupcake joined her on the bed, Jackie said to Nikki, “Come here and spill it.” Nikki flew herself across the loft and onto the bed, landing gracefully next to her. Jackie beamed and, staring intently at Nikki’s wings, said, “I could live to be a thousand years old and never get tired of seeing you in action.”
When Nikki saw the look of childlike curiosity in Jackie’s eyes, she said, “Pixie’s don’t let just anyone touch their wings but, if you would like to touch them, I wouldn’t mind.”
As Nikki rolled onto her stomach so Jackie could examine her wings closer, Jackie said, “Thank you for giving me this honor, but I won’t let you distract me away from the topic at hand. I came through hell, literally, to get into this building, so start talking. And don’t you dare leave anything out. You know I have my own magic and I’ll know if you lie or leave out critical, need-to-know facts.”
While Jackie and the cat both played with a wing that played back, Nikki started with a happy tale about burrito nights, as well as getting drunk and playing with Devin. Jackie’s pulse doubled when she shared intimate details about her attempted seduction in the shower. Then the mood took a dramatic turn when Nikki shared how Devin lost control and the resulting rescue effort. She ended her story with, “It was so embarrassing. An apartment full of Vampires had to rescue my wet, naked butt from being chased through the rafters. I was so stupid. I was raised to hate and fear Vampires, but Devin and his friends are nothing like I expected. Over the months, I’ve watched him giving other women Vampire kisses countless times and my curiosity took control of me… that and the liquor. If you could only have seen the looks in those women’s eyes. I wanted so badly to feel what they felt. I just forgot how much different my blood is than theirs. By the time I came back to my senses, it was too late. I had brought out the animal inside him. If it wasn’t for Cupcake calling in the Vampire Calvary to come rescue me again, I’m not sure what would have happened. I’m attracted to him, but can no longer act on those urges without repeating a rescue call. And since that night, Devin keeps his distance and he’s been sleeping on the floor, refusing to get too close to me. I know sex is out of the question, but I loved having someone beside me when I sleep.” With her voice breaking, she added, “I want my burrito back.”
Mistyx Sonata (Mistyx Series Book 1) Page 28
