"Hey, beautiful." A pair of large hands landed on my waist from behind, and I spun around, ready to show the impertinent jerk some manners. “Mind if I join you?"
"Rylan!" I exclaimed, looking up as Sunaya's jaguar shifter cousin towered over me. Shoulder-length black hair loosely framed his square-jawed face, and the crooked smile he gave me made my heart beat a little faster. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Looking to blow off some steam, same as you." His yellow eyes glinted as he looked down at me, his gaze briefly settling on my cleavage before moving back to my face. "You look hot tonight," he said in that growly voice shifters use when they’re horny.
A hot shiver raced down my spine, scattering goosebumps along my bare arms. "Flatterer." I punched him lightly on the arm, trying to dispel the sexual tension running between us. "Why don't you grab a drink with me so we can catch up? The owner is trying to seduce me, so I get free booze all night."
Rylan laughed. "So she gets to seduce you and I don't?" he joked good-naturedly as he followed me to the bar.
I could feel his gaze on my ass as I walked, but it didn't linger, and I let out a little sigh of relief. I had a very strict no-fucking policy when it came to friends and co-workers—when I decided to sleep with someone, which was rare, I preferred men who I could kick out when I was finished, and who I wouldn't have to see again the next day. Romantic entanglements were not my thing.
"What did you do to deserve special treatment?"
"Participate in Sunaya's wedding, apparently." I ordered a beer for myself and a shot of teca for Rylan—one of the only drinks that could get shifters buzzed, since they had ridiculously fast metabolisms. "Or so she implied, anyway. I can't tell if she's trouble or not."
"I expect you'll find out soon enough." Rylan picked up the glass and tossed it back, his toned arms rippling with the motion. Tonight he wore black jeans and a tight red T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and chest. With his molten yellow eyes, wickedly handsome face, and tanned, smooth skin poured over a lean, muscular body, he was an absolute lady-killer, and he knew it. And this close, the musky cinnamon scent that seemed to be his natural fragrance was producing some outrageously dirty thoughts in my alcohol-addled brain.
Maybe this drink wasn't such a good idea.
"He's not bad, you know," Garalina said, her tone blatantly suggestive. "I've never been with a shifter, but I imagine they have fantastic stamina."
"Knock it off," I muttered.
"Knock what off?" Rylan asked.
I shook my head. "Sorry, just talking to myself." His nostrils flared, and panic raced through my blood as I wondered if he could smell my interest in him. "Have you heard from Nalan or Arala lately?" I blurted out, referring to the Tua siblings who had crossed over to our realm with Broghan.
"In a way," he said, his handsome features scrunching into a pained expression. "They left some packages that reek of magic at my apartment today. I don't know what's in them, and no way in hell was I going to tamper with them, so I dropped them off at the palace for Sunaya to deal with." He pinched the bridge of his nose.
I shook my head, hoping they hadn't stolen the items from somewhere. Though Nalan and Arala were a bit more sensible than Broghan—they were older and wiser, and took human form, unlike him—they still thought very little of human laws and conventions. "Did you see Sunaya while you were there?" I asked.
"I did." He grinned. "She's grumpy as hell and eating twice as much as usual, if you can believe it. But then again, my mom was like that when she was pregnant with my younger sister."
I laughed. Sunaya had been in heat when she and Iannis had gone off on their honeymoon, and, unsurprisingly, had announced to everyone that she was expecting when they returned. "You excited to be an uncle?" I teased.
"Ridiculously so," he said, and the way his eyes shone at the prospect told me he was sincere. "I can't wait until Rylan Junior comes into the world."
I snickered. "You know Sunaya's never going to name her kid after you, right? Besides, how do you know it's a boy?"
He shrugged. "I'm an accommodating guy. We'll just change it to Ryla."
I shook my head, laughing. Much as I wanted to keep Rylan at arm’s length, I had to admit he was great company. "You're not the only one who got a Tua visit today," I said, and then told him about Broghan.
"Ugh." Rylan wrinkled his nose. "Landlords are a pain in the ass. I want to save up and buy my own place so I don't have to deal with mine anymore, but finding steady work has been tough. I'd love to join the Enforcer's Guild, but they won't take me since I'm an ex-con."
I winced. "Yeah. Even Iannis can't sweep that one under the rug for you." Rylan used to be part of the Resistance, the same anti-mage terrorist group my sister Noria had joined. He'd been one of their mid-ranking officers but had turned after learning that the Resistance planned to kill off the shifter population once they'd defeated the mages and no longer had any use for their animalistic comrades. Iannis had pardoned him for his crimes as thanks for everything he'd done to help the Federation bring down the Resistance, but that pardon didn't erase what Rylan had done.
Still, I felt a little sorry for him. Rylan was a good guy, and he'd only been trying to fight against the injustice perpetrated by mages against humans and shifters.
"I guess going back to work for the family business is out of the question?" I asked, only half-joking.
Rylan shuddered. "That's not even a little funny. I love my mother, but if I have to take orders from her again one of us is going to kill the other."
"I know the feeling." Though my mother and I had largely patched things up since I'd helped Noria flee the country, our relationship was still a bit strained. I couldn't imagine working for her. But then again, that wasn't a problem; my mother hadn't worked a day in her life. My father had left her a sizable inheritance when he'd passed, and since she had a good head for finances, she was able to live quite comfortably. "I wish I could help you out, but my hands are tied."
He winked. "Don't worry about me. I'll figure something out. In fact, I'm thinking of opening up a private investigations business."
"You? A private detective?" I turned in my chair to face him. "Why?"
"Why not?" he challenged, a little affronted at my tone. "I've got the experience and the skills. Besides, there's plenty of people who need a guy like that, someone who can investigate and take care of issues they don’t want to report to the Enforcer's Guild."
"You mean criminals," I said flatly.
He shrugged. "Could be, but I don't mean only criminals. The magic-user community tends to handle things in-house, too, on account of their delicate situation. They rely on PI's, and there aren't all that many in this town."
I frowned. The magic-user community was made up largely of immigrants who had settled in Solantha from other countries. Though they were not officially mages, they obtained special licenses to live in the country so long as they practiced their magic with restrictions. The Federation had a long-standing law that forbade people born outside of mage families to practice magic. Any children who tested positive for magic were forcibly stripped of their powers, mostly because they didn't want to take responsibility for them and make sure they were properly educated. But since the immigrants were already trained, the Federation allowed them to exist.
Of course, many of these magic users—witches, psychics, sorcerers, and others—secretly used illegal magic anyway. There was an entire black market downtown run by these people, and an underground trade of spells and hexes that humans who were not afraid of magic could purchase for much cheaper rates than a licensed mage would charge. Sunaya was working on cleaning up this dangerous, seedy underbelly of the city by legalizing magic outside the mage community, but it was a slow process.
"All right," I said. "I admit it's not a bad idea."
"It's a genius idea," Rylan said with a grin. "Of course, I could always use a business partner to help me with the nitty-gritty aspects of the business.
Maybe a leggy redhead who carries a sword and wears ass-kicking boots."
I smirked. "I don't see any of those around here," I said, and it wasn't a lie. I'd left the shit-kickers and the sword at home. I reached for my half-empty beer bottle, but Rylan caught my wrist gently.
"We could be good together, you know," he said in that growly voice. Long, battle-roughened fingers skimmed the inside of my wrist, and my breath quickened.
"I'm a lone wolf," I said, and even I could tell that I didn't sound convincing. "I don't play well with others, Rylan."
"That's just because you haven't found the right partner yet." His nostrils flared again, eyes flashing in the dark, and this time I knew he could scent my arousal.
"We're not talking about the business anymore, are we?" I asked quietly.
Rylan leaned in, tempting me with that musky cinnamon scent of his. "Say it to my face, Annia," he whispered, his warm breath ghosting along the shell of my ear. "Tell me you're not interested."
I swallowed hard against the pulse pounding in my throat. My blood was on fire, my thighs quivering, and damn if I wasn't tempted in more ways than one.
"Good night, Rylan," I said, pushing past him and heading for the door. Fuck, I really needed to get laid if Rylan was able to get past my defenses so easily. And definitely, definitely not by him.
3
"You know, you wouldn't be so grumpy if you'd brought that handsome shifter home with you last night," Garalina said the next morning as I scrubbed my skin clean in the shower.
"I don't want to hear about it," I snapped, raising my voice to be heard over the shower spray. "It's your fault that I'm grumpy. You cock-blocked me three times."
"You mean when you went to that other bar and threw yourself at the first available men?" Garalina sneered. "Please, I was doing you a favor. In the morning, you would have regretted sleeping with them."
"Singing loudly in my head so I can't concentrate on what someone else is saying isn't my idea of a favor." Fuming, I stepped out of the shower, yanked a towel from the hook on the wall, and vigorously began to dry myself off. "And you don't know that I’d have regretted any of them in the morning." In fact, each one was exactly the kind of guy I preferred to blow off some steam with: strong, handsome, and utterly forgettable. Not the kind of guy who could make your pulse jump with a glance and your blood turn to fire by stroking your wrist. "Besides, who are you to lecture me about my taste in men? The last guy you slept with slit your throat and tried to steal your magic."
The temperature in the bathroom plunged, and I sucked in a breath as ice crystals skittered across my mirror. "That was a low blow," Garalina said in a frigid voice. "A low blow indeed."
Though her expression was thunderous, the pain in her golden eyes was very raw and real.
I winced. "I'm so—"
"Save it. If this is how you're going to behave, I'll make myself scarce. I can tell when I'm not wanted."
She disappeared, and the temperature in the room returned to normal. Sighing, I leaned my head against the wall, which was still cold, and closed my eyes as I waited for my temper to cool.
"Shit. I fucked up this time, didn't I?" I muttered. But if Garalina was listening, she didn't answer. Yes, she was a bit of a pain in the ass at times, but I owed her my life. While it was true she’d fallen for a guy who'd only been using her to get her magic, he'd also been a powerful, charismatic shaman who had used his abilities to wrap men and women alike around his finger. How could I fault her for falling into his trap when I could barely keep myself from jumping into bed with Rylan?
Shaking my head, I finished dressing, then grabbed some breakfast and headed out. I needed to get my mind off sex and do some work. Sure, I'd made enough money to pay the rent this month, but rent wasn't my only expense, and besides, I needed to start building up my savings account. All that talk about rent and housing had made an impression on me, and I wanted to buy a place of my own one of these days.
I went straight to the Enforcer's Guild, then scoured the bulletin board for more juicy bounties. Unfortunately, two of the ones I'd seen yesterday were missing, but a new one had popped up: a rich industrialist who was offering an extraordinary sum in exchange for the capture of the rapist who'd defiled his daughter. My temper, which was already on edge, fired right up again, and I scribbled down the case number. Rapists were some of the worst scum of the earth, and I was more than willing to put all this pent-up anger to good use.
"Sorry, Melcott," the file clerk said when I handed him the case number. "That file's already been checked out. You'll have to wait until it's been returned."
"By who?" I said, with more indignation than was appropriate. After all, any enforcer was welcome to check out a file.
"By me," Terpan said smugly as he approached the counter.
My gaze went straight to the folder clutched in his giant hand, but instead of handing it back to the file clerk, he held it just out of my reach. "You know, technically I have access to this file for twenty-four hours," he said. "I don't have to return it yet."
Crossing my arms over my chest, I hid my anger with a condescending smirk. "What, you're afraid one little lone enforcer girl is going to beat your big bad crew, even though you've already studied the file and have a head start? Wow, you must not think very highly of yourself."
Terpan's ice-blue eyes flashed with rage. "Of course I'm not worried about that," he snarled. "I just don't think a cheater like you deserves to be working cases and stealing bounties from those of us who do honest work."
"See?" Garalina hissed, popping back into my head. "He's a hypocritical cabron! Look at him, standing there with his magically enhanced muscles. How dare he disparage your honor!"
I hid a laugh at the outrage in Garalina's voice. Clearly, she wasn't angry enough at me to stay away when Terpan was around. "How about this," I said silkily. "Let's make a bet and see who can solve this case first. If I win, you have to pay me twenty gold coins and promise never to disparage me again."
Terpan's nostrils flared. "And if I win?"
I squared my shoulders. "I'll defer the largest bounty of the day to your crew."
He grinned, flashing his fangs at me. "Done."
We shook on it, Terpan squeezing hard enough to crush bone, but thanks to the strength amulet I gave as good as I got.
"Good luck," he sneered, and dumped the file at my feet, papers scattering everywhere.
"Hey!" the file clerk shouted as Terpan walked off. "That is unacceptable behavior!"
Ignoring the clerk, I scooped up the file, then rushed out the door.
"This is wonderful!" Garalina cried. "We're finally going to use magic to solve a case?"
"What?" I said as I raced to the bus stop to catch a steambus heading across town. "No, I never said we’d use magic. Are you determined to get me killed?"
"If you don't use magic, then how can you hope to beat Terpan?" Garalina cried. The steambus screeched to a stop in front of me, puffing clouds of black smoke into the sky. The foul odor reminded me of a magitech invention Noria and Elnos, her ex-boyfriend mage, had been working on that would filter out the smog, and a pang of grief hit me. "You said it yourself: he has more men, and a good head start!"
"He does," I allowed. "But I'm smarter than him, and I've got better friends, too.” I boarded the bus, distracted by my impromptu trip down memory lane. Had they ever finished the project? I’d have to go check on Elnos one of these days—I heard he’d opened up a shop.
I got off on Victor Avenue, which was only a few blocks away from the Shiftertown border, and entered an apartment complex on the corner. I trotted up to the third floor and banged on the door at the end of the hallway loud enough to rouse the entire floor. Rylan and I had exchanged addresses when Sunaya had assigned us both to watch over the Tua, just in case we ever needed to reach each other.
"Rylan!" I shouted. "Open up!"
He opened the door and glared at me out of sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes. "What?" He was dressed in a r
umpled button-down and jeans. His square jaw was dotted with stubble, his dyed black hair tousled as if he'd been taking a nap. Which was probably true; shifters were night owls and liked to sleep in. "It's not even 10:00 a.m., dammit."
"I need your help."
His eyebrows flew up. "I thought you were a lone wolf? That you didn't play well with others?" The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.
The jabs hit their mark, but I merely rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, well, here's your chance to prove me wrong. I've got a bet with Terpan, the Acting Foreman of Third Squad, that I can catch a rapist before he can, but he's got a lead on me. He's been harassing me ever since I got back, and I need your help to beat him so he'll back off and leave me alone."
"Well, why the hell didn't you lead with that, then?" he stepped back and waved me inside. "Come on. Let's get a look at that file of yours."
I stepped inside, briefly scanning the entryway. Like me, Rylan had sprung for an upscale apartment, with hardwood floors and a nice view, though his was of the city skyline rather than the bay. His furnishings were more masculine—mahogany furniture, midnight blue rugs and curtains, a few art pieces gracing otherwise bare walls. I took a deeper inhale, savoring his cinnamon scent, which was everywhere. Beyond the living room, the door to his bedroom was cracked open, and I caught a glimpse of pale pink, lacy panties discarded on the floor.
An unexpected flash of jealousy raced through me, and I quickly tamped down on it. So what if Rylan had sex with someone last night? I'd rejected his advances; of course he’d found another woman. I didn't have the right to get worked up about it.
"Here's what we got," I said, laying out the contents of the case file on Rylan's coffee table. "The victim is Alia Turner, the daughter of Carsias Turner, who owns Turner Industries. According to her statement, she was drugged and then raped in the bathroom at a party last night, but thanks to the combo of drugs and alcohol in her system she doesn't remember who the assailant was."
Tempted by Magic: Mischief and Magic: Book One Page 3
