Wild Cards

by Katalina Leon

  “Are you sure? I can wait.”

  “It sounded urgent. We need to catch this freak.” An endless night had started early. The high heels were already hurting her; switching to sensible flats was essential if she was to have any hope of staying on her feet. “Get moving. I’m five minutes behind you.”

  He took a step toward the door, hesitated, and gave her a sad puppy look.

  She longed to tangle her limbs around him and go back to kissing, but that would be unprofessional. “Go!”

  His only answer was a terse nod. He turned and left the penthouse. The towering ivory door shut and locked behind him.

  Seductive music played for an audience of one. The imprint of his lips still warmed her skin. A killer bottle of tequila sat ignored on a countertop. Now what?

  She glanced around and walked down a hallway. Opening a door, she found a small windowless room with a neatly made bed. There were no work clothes laid out, so she kept going.

  A stately double door at the end of the hallway beckoned. Turning the knob, she entered. The panoramic view made Sin City look like a glittering jewel box. A hot tub situated on a narrow glass patio offered the illusion that it floated on air. Shades of cream, gold, and ocean blues accented the décor.

  A raised platform featured a king-sized bed with a richly colored satin comforter as calming to gaze at as a tide pool. The massive carved headboard was embellished with seahorses and shells. Hidden oh-so-subtly inside the curled tails of the seahorses were sturdy D rings suitable for restraint. The thought of Kai tying her spread-eagled to the beautiful bed and teasing every inch of her flesh with his expert mouth and hands plunged her into a wishful fantasy.

  A folded stack of women’s clothing complete with her gel-cushioned shoes was set on the edge of the nightstand. Following on the tail of the beautiful aqua dress, the polyester croupier’s uniform was even less appealing than before. She pushed it aside and sat on the bed.

  Maybe she was done being an empath and croupier? If so, what came next?

  She stroked the necklace’s crystal heart. What would happen when the Fae enchantment ran its course? Would the heady certainty that she and Kai made sense as lovers fade? Soon, would she look in his eyes and see the fire had gone out and the ride of a lifetime was over? The thought made her stomach ache.

  “That is too goddamned sad to even think about.”

  With her arms sprawled wide, she flopped onto the bed and stared at the ivory ceiling and elegant cornices. “Kai, what are we going to do?” she muttered.

  Beneath the satin comforter, something bumped against her arm and kept moving. The sinuous motion traveled the length of the bed. Alarmed, she leaped to standing and yanked the covers away.

  A thick-bodied snake with a diamondback pattern on its skin drew itself into a coil. The creature’s forked blue tongue flicked the air as it shook its tail. The panic-inducing tones of the dry rattle sent her fleeing into the hallway with an eardrum-shattering scream.

  A heavy fist pounded on the front door. Bam! Bam! Bam!

  “Who is it?” Her voice was ragged.

  “Adara!” Kai boomed. “Let me in!”

  She ran to the front of the penthouse in a terrified daze. Twisting the latch, she flung the door open and froze.

  It wasn’t Kai. A petite figure cloaked in gray with a ski mask pulled over their face confronted her. Just as she collected her wits to slam the door shut, her attacker pushed against the door, thrusting a foot inside.

  She kicked at them but they didn’t back down. This person, whoever they were, had incredible strength for their size and was seemingly immune to having their shins battered. For once in her life, she wished she were a fully functioning firebrand so she could torch the creep. Like half-answered prayers, a few sizzling sparks shot from her fingertips; without affecting her assailant, they landed harmlessly on the marble floor.

  Her rage mounted. “Fuck off!”

  The attacker shoved the door open, knocking her aside then blew a handful of gritty dust into her face.

  Gasping from the acrid substance, she staggered backward and collapsed. Her eyes stung as she buckled forward, coughing and flailing her hands at the noxious powder. Wiping her eyes proved useless; she remained blinded. “Holy shit!”

  The elevator pinged. The doors opened. “Adara!” Kai’s voice cracked. “What’s happened?” He rushed toward her, wrapping his arms around her.

  She tried to push him away. “Be careful. I’ll be okay. Catch them first!”

  He grasped her shoulders and steered her inside the penthouse, allowing the door to lock behind them. “Catch who? There’s no one here.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks; everything around her was a colorful blur. “The little gray ninja skinwalker! Grab them but watch out, the corpse dust burns like a sonofabitch.”

  “Corpse dust?” Rage resonated in his voice. “Fuck no!” He picked her up and ran down the hall with her cradled against his chest.

  “Kai. What are you doing?”

  He kicked a door open. “Getting you under running water ASAP. Hopefully, I can neutralize the spell.”

  Unable to see a thing, she whimpered, “Don’t go in the master suite!”

  “Too late, sweetie, we’re already there.”

  Coughing made her voice tremble. “Kai, there’s a rattlesnake loose in the room.”

  “Oh, shit! Where?”

  “Coiled on the bed.”

  He raced into the bathroom and shut the door with his boot. “Good God, I’ve seen smaller bathrooms in sports stadiums. How many toilets do they really need? Who brings three friends with them to pee?”

  She pried an eye open and squinted at the room. “Two of those are bidets.”

  “Still.” He set her down with care, reached into the shower, and turned the faucet on high. A roar of water rushed out.

  She slipped her shoes off. “Why is it so loud?”

  “It’s one of those nine-nozzle water-massage deals.”

  “Wow, too bad we’re only using this to wash corpse dust down the drain.”

  He yanked his boots off and took hold of her wrist. “Hurry.” With a gentle tug, he pulled her into the shower with him.

  She gasped as the lukewarm water struck her skin with pins-and-needles force.

  In a flash, Kai cupped his hands to splash the water over her face. “Don’t open your eyes,” he soothed. “Let me do this.”

  A low hum rose in his throat. He chanted soft syllables she did not connect to English words.

  “What are you doing?”

  Kai’s voice was breathy. “Trying like hell to be a worthy kahuna and remember a few sacred words to cleanse this evil crap off you.” He muttered a vowel-rich string of Polynesian words.

  The shower jets roared from all sides. She didn’t know where to turn. “What are you doing?”

  “Giving you a blessing. It’s not enough to rinse the corpse dust away. Hopefully, any negative enchantment carried in the dust will be washed clean.”

  Steam rose. She managed to open her eyes enough to see that he was cupping his hands, allowing them to fill, then pouring the water over her head while chanting. Worry had etched harsh lines on his handsome face. The drenched shirt and trousers clung to his skin, clearly displaying his powerful build.

  Then something unexpected happened. Kai closed his eyes. The quiet words rolling off his tongue became a song. His baritone voice was deep as a gravel pit but soothing to hear. The water spewing from the showerheads shimmered with rainbow iridescence and inexplicably floated upward instead of sinking. The droplets of spray coalesced and took the vague outline of elegant sea birds with long, tapering wings. The water birds circled above her head then dipped low to brush their wings against her. The moment the wings touched, a beautiful sensation of peace flooded over her.

  The moment was so sweet she almost cried. “Ah!”

  The birds dissolved into droplets and trickled down the drain. A glittering pod of dolphins formed and took the
ir place. The dolphins leaped playfully around the shower before bathing her face and washing away. A school of zippy fish came next. They swirled around her like a mini tornado before falling to the tile like rain. All they left behind was a sense of joy.

  Overwhelmed, she looked at Kai in awe. His eyes were now open and burned with conflicted emotion. He seemed as startled as she was. “I had no idea you could do something like this… That anyone could do something like this. It’s amazing! It feels so good too.”

  He stroked the side of her cheek. “I don’t even know how I did it. I didn’t even think. It just happened.”

  “You’ve had no practice? The water animals were perfect. I have to say, being on the receiving end of the blessing was lovely. I feel good, really good.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “The thought of a skinwalker taking control or harming you drove me mad. I couldn’t allow it.”

  They held each other in silence.

  Hearing him say those beautiful words made her heart swell. “You saved me. It could have been horrible. Thank you.” She glanced down at their soggy eveningwear. “We’re soaked. I hope this dress wasn’t dry clean only.”

  He laughed. “Would you have taken this dress to a dry cleaner and asked to have the corpse dust taken out?”

  “Yes. Just to see their faces.” Her laughter cracked as she turned the shower off. “Do I have mascara rings around my eyes?”

  “No.” He gazed at her. “Your beautiful eyes are mesmerizing me.” He opened the shower door. “I saw two bathrobes hanging by the sink.”

  “Which sink?” She tossed a towel on the floor and stood on it. The dress made a squishy sound. “I feel like a drowned Cinderella.”

  Kai plucked an ivory bathrobe off a hook and stepped toward the door. “I’ll leave you alone to get out of those wet clothes.”

  “Wait!” She raised her palm in warning. “There’s a big fat rattlesnake out there.”

  His face fell. “Oh, shit. I forgot about that.”

  She unplugged a hairdryer from the wall and held it like a pistol. “Maybe we can use this to scare it into a corner.”

  “How? By offering it a blowout?”

  “We could throw it and run.”

  “Hold on.” He peered out the bathroom door, holding the bathrobe like a whip. “I’ll find the scaly beast and put it inside something.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know, a drawer?”

  “You’re really going to try to pick it up and wrestle it into a drawer? Snakes are all muscle. What if it pushes the drawer open and slithers away?”

  “I’ll deal with it.” Twisting the bathrobe into a thick rope, he headed into the sprawling master bedroom. “Where did you last see it?”

  “In the bed, under the covers.”

  “Fuck.” He crept toward the bed. “This room has been ruined for me.”

  “No kidding. I’m not sleeping here. No way.”

  Stealthily he took hold of the comforter then yanked it away with force. The swath of satiny fabric snapped in the air.

  She squealed and dodged behind the door.

  “It’s okay,” he called. “It’s not in the bed.”

  “Look under the bed.” Her voice quaked.

  “I was afraid you’d say that.” He squatted low and peered under the bed.

  The sounds of a soft hiss and the hideous dry rattle, like loose teeth jangling inside a plastic bottle, resonated near the nightstand.

  Leaping onto the mattress, he poised to strike the snake with the robe.

  “It’s over there!” She pointed beside the bed. “To your right.”

  He glanced around. “I don’t see anything.”

  “It’s as thick as your forearm. You can’t miss it.”

  Kai craned his neck. “I have a clear view behind the nightstand and around it. There’s nothing there.”

  Rattle, rattle, rattle.

  She peered from behind the semi-open door. “Now it sounds like it’s near the window.”

  Turning in a half circle, he made a fierce face. “I don’t see it. You would think it would show against sand-colored carpeting.”

  Hiss, rattle, rattle, rattle.

  She froze—the sound echoed from the shower stall. “It’s behind me!” Sprinting, she dashed toward the bed and jumped onto the mattress.

  He grabbed hold of her just as she slammed into his chest, nearly toppling them both over the edge.

  Clutching him, she hid in the crook of his arm. “I’m not afraid of many things, but God help me, I hate snakes.”

  He gently untangled himself from her grip and pointed through the open bathroom door. “Look.”

  “No.” She nuzzled against his damp shirt, teeth chattering. “Don’t make me look.”

  “Adara, there’s nothing in the shower.”

  “Nope.” She shook her head. “I heard it directly behind me, clear as a bell.”

  Rattle, rattle, rattle.

  “It’s back.” She gripped his shirt. “It’s near the window again. How can it move so fast? God, I hope there’s not more than one.”

  He turned, his expression the portrait of wary concern. “I’m looking at the window area and the empty shower. Cross my heart, there’s nothing there.”

  “Kai, I swear I saw a rattlesnake in this bed.”

  “I believe you.” He kissed her cheek. “I heard it too. Something is up. This could be a skinwalker’s trick. Didn’t your grandfather’s book mention they used rattlesnakes?”

  “Yes. It mentioned skinwalkers use snakes as charms. Believe me, I didn’t find it charming. The snake was a mean-looking, dead-eyed diamondback. How come you can’t see it?”

  Stomping on the mattress, he tossed the sheets aside. “Tweak that question. How come you can’t see the snake now? You saw it clearly before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He grazed his fingertips along the side of her throat. “The bone bead. I think it’s a problem.”

  She gasped. “No. Don’t say that. It didn’t even break the skin.”

  “Maybe it doesn’t need to. Adara, what if the bead made you more susceptible to suggestion or control?”

  A shudder trickled down her spine. “You’re scaring me.”

  “We were supposed to be scared.” He stepped to the floor. “I suspect there’s no snake here, and there never was.” Taking hold of the nightstand, he shoved it aside. “Nothing.” A chair was moved and a dresser pulled away from the wall. “No snake.” An unconvincing smile twisted his lips. “I think it was an illusion to panic us.”

  “It worked!”

  “Did it work? We were supposed to see or hear the snake or snakes and react a certain way. Somebody expected us to do something.”

  “Crap our pants? They almost got their wish!”

  “No.” He paused and looked around the room with a steely gaze. “I was wrong. It’s not we. It’s you. They lured me away so they could get you alone. I didn’t have a chance to tell you that Sam wasn’t waiting for me in the lobby. No one was.”

  Her world spun. “Oh, shit. After I saw the rattlesnake, I screamed and ran to the door. I was desperate to escape. Someone was already waiting there.”

  His eyes flashed fire. “Why did you open the door for them?”

  “They used your voice, or sounded just like you. That’s the only reason.”

  “Then they blew corpse dust in your face?”

  “Yes. You arrived soon after. How can a skinwalker move so quickly?”

  He motioned for her to follow him. “Grab your clothes and a bathrobe. Let’s go in another room and take a second look at that book. I don’t like how things are adding up.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  A grim expression weighed heavy on his brow. “You’re special, Adara. I’m thinking you were the skinwalker’s main target all along.”

  Chapter Eight

  “What the hell?” When Kai said the dreaded words, she recoiled. “Why m
e? I’m nothing special.”

  “That’s not true.” He touched her face. “You’re a powerhouse of untapped potential. I think somebody at the occult arts convention wanted to recruit or control you. The earlier killings were simply culling the competition. It makes sense. Someone is thinking big. Imagine what an unethical person could accomplish with your skills. A true empath is rare and could be exploited as a spy. Being a fire elemental has advantages too. Think commercial espionage paired with industrial-strength arson.”

  It did make sense, but part of her refused to believe it. “You think someone out there knows I’m an empath, my dad is a firebrand, and I’m deathly afraid of snakes? That’s a lot of specific information.”

  He picked his shoes and socks off the floor. “It’s possible. Someone who knows what to look for might have been watching you.”

  Gathering her clothing into her arms, she plodded across the room. “I’m a little brown mouse at work. I doubt anyone would suspect me.”

  “Maybe they’ve met your parents?”

  She groaned. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “It’s pretty obvious something’s up with them. Your father’s jealous glare nearly set the corridor on fire, for Christ’s sake.”

  Her gut ached. “You’re right.”

  Kai led them out of the master suite. He peeked into the guest bathroom. “It’s clear. Go first. I’ll get undressed out here.”

  She entered the so-called guest bathroom, which was half the size of her tiny rental cottage, and reached back to unzip the wet dress. Her fingers were clumsy. She shivered under the air conditioning and was ready to be free of the damp clothing. After a moment’s struggle, the zipper came down and she shed the dress. It made her sad to see the prettiest thing she’d ever worn dripping on the edge of the sink. The fancy bra and panty set were soggy as well, so they joined their companion on the countertop.

  She studied her expression in the mirror. True to his words, she was free of raccoon circles. Leave it to the Fae to use genuine magic mascara. Smoothing her damp hair away from her face, she tried to imagine what Kai might see in her.