by Rhys Rowlyn
Shaking my head, I roll my eyes. My goodness, I’ve only known the man a day and I’ve already imagined us at happily ever after. I need to get out more.
We catch an Uber and ride to the corner of Esplanade and Decatur, then walk the couple of blocks on Frenchman Street to Sammy’s Bar and Grill. A friend of ours is playing with his jazz band, and he’s been after us to come listen to him. Chi Chi works for Giselle and is the reason I met her.
It’s early when we get to the bar, so it’s not too busy and we find a table easily. I want to be in a corner where we can have some privacy and will be able to talk. Chi Chi sees us as we walk by and he grins, nodding in our direction. He’s playing his saxophone, which sounds amazing. He finishes his set and comes to join us at our table.
“Well, well, ladies, it’s good to see you.” Kissing both my cheeks, he gives my upper arms a squeeze.
“We’re out on a double date and thought it’d be a good time to hear you play.” I sit back, grinning at him.
Chi narrows his eyes, wagging his finger at me. “It only took you two years.”
“How in the world do you have time to do this and work at Shadows?” Jenny shakes her head, looking around the bar.
“I play here until ten and then take the late shift at Shadows—but only on the weekends. I’m off during the week. Who are you looking for?” Chi waves a hand in front of Jenny’s face, bringing her attention back to us.
“Oh sorry, I’m looking for my man. He should be here shortly.” She grins at Chi, wrinkling her nose. “Urgh, I don’t see how you stand the music in there.”
“You too, Jenny, and I thought you were the hip one. Letting Fleur’s old-lady ways influence you? Besides, you tune it out after a while, and you want to know a secret?” He waggles his brows and looks around to see if anyone else is listening.
“You know it,” I say, as we both lean in.
“I wear earplugs and have learned to read lips.” Chi giggles, shoving my shoulder.
I grunt at him but break out in a smile when André appears behind Chi.
Chi glances over his shoulder and puckers his lips, batting his eyelashes. “Oh my, you didn’t tell me you were meeting André. Hi, honey.”
“Hello, Chi Chi, now stop your flirting. I’m here to meet Fleur’s friend and go on my first official date with Fleur.” André shoves Chi to the side, takes my hand in a gentle grasp, and kisses the inside of my wrist.
My cheeks heat as tingles of awareness travel through my arm. I squirm in my chair, smiling softly at him when I hear a “uhm mm” from Jenny.
“Jenny Hayes, I’d like you to meet André Dubois.”
“Nice to meet you. So you’re Phillipe’s cousin?”
“Yes, we are second cousins and don’t really favor. Our great grandfather started Nightfall Shipping, and we are lucky to inherit it.”
“Very lucky, it’s quite the operation. Oh, excuse me, my date is here.” Jenny leaves the table to greet a tall dark-haired man, and I notice Chi and André have both tensed.
“Do you know him?” I ask André.
André glances at Chi and gives his head a slight shake. “No, I don’t know him. I thought he looked familiar, but I don’t know him.”
“Look, guys, if he’s bad news, then let me know. I don’t want to see Jenny get hurt. Although, as much as she likes him, I doubt she’ll listen to me.”
Jenny walks up, and the guy with her pales slightly. My friend doesn’t notice and introduces him to the group. “Everyone, this is Devin Paffran. Devin, I would like you to meet my best friend, Fleur, her date André, and one of our high school friends, Chi Chi.”
“Nice to meet you all.” He takes out his phone, looks down at it, and waves it in the air. “Oh look, Jenny, I have to take this call. I’ll be right back.”
André gives Chi a look. “I need to go to the restroom.”
“Me too,” Chi replies, and they leave in the direction Devin took.
“What’s all that about?” Jenny’s brows draw together as her gaze follows the men out of the room.
“I have no idea.” I shake my head, wondering what they’re up to, and wave a waitress over so we can order drinks. I have a feeling I’m going to need some alcohol for this night.
André
Following Chi out of the club, we round the corner and find the man pacing along the side of the building. The wolves had called me today when Fleur had gone to her friend’s and told me there was an odd scent lurking around the building. Now I know what it was.
Chi steps into Devin’s path, poking him in the chest with his finger. “What are you doing with Jenny?”
Devin turns toward me, puffing his chest out. “What are you doing with Fleur?”
“She’s my mate. Can you say the same?” Narrowing my eyes, I glare at him.
He waves his hands in front of him, shaking his head. “Heaven’s be, no. I mean, I like Jenny and we’re having a great time together, but she’s not my godsend.”
“Do fallen angels get godsends?” Raising a brow, Chi’s mouth forms a straight line, and his shoulders tense.
Devin smirks, rolling his eyes. “Of course you don’t think angels do. They’re too high and mighty for sex or mating for that matter.”
Chi pushes Devin’s chest with both hands, shoving the angel back a few steps. “Well, you need to leave her alone. You’re going to leave her devastated, and when her someone comes along, he’ll never be able to compare to you.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, and I don’t know why you’re so mad at me. She’s playing around just as much.” Devin leans against the building, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Hey, don’t talk about my friend that way. She’s a good girl.” Clenching his fists, Chi straightens to his full height, which is several inches shorter than the angel.
With a tilt of his head, Devin glances from me to Chi. “You don’t know what she is, do you?” Crossing his arms over his chest, Devin shakes his head at Chi. “Maybe you’ve denied your powers too long.”
“What do you mean?” I tense, wondering if I need to rush back into the bar and protect Fleur.
“Yeah, what do you mean? I recognized you, and besides, I’ve been meeting with my grandmother lately. Since finding out there are vampires, I’ve decided I needed to up my game.” Chi crosses his arms over his chest too, sticking his chin out. “Now tell us what’s going on.”
“She’s a succubus.” Devin’s gaze continues to dart from Chi to me, and his brow furrows.
Chi backs up a step, waving his hands in the air. “Noooo, uh-uh. There’s no way. I’ve known Jenny since she was a child.”
“She’s not full-blooded and is half human but definitely succubus. I know she’s only using me for the orgasms and will eventually stop wanting me, but damn the sex is really something to behold. I figure, why not enjoy it while I can?” Devin holds his fist up in front of us, and I look at it, not knowing what I’m supposed to do. He grunts, dropping his hand.
Chi makes a gagging noise, clutching his throat. “Dude, come on. She’s like a sister. Stop, just stop.”
“Sorry.” Devin mumbles, having the decency to blush. “I wonder if she realizes what she is. I met her parents, and they’re both human. She had to be adopted.”
“Poor thing doesn’t know.” Chi’s eyes widen, and he presses his hand to his chest.
Throwing my arm over his shoulder, I grin at him. “Chi, that’s a good job for you.”
He raises his brows, looking up at me with wide eyes. “What is?”
“Telling her what she is and educating her on how to handle it. She needs to know, or she could hurt someone.” I wave my hand, motioning toward Devin. “She won’t hurt angel boy here, but if she got a hold of a human, she could kill him.”
“Why me? Why don’t you tell her?” Chi points his finger at me, shaking his head. “I mean, I’d hate to tell my lifelong friend, ‘oh, by the way, you’re a sex monster.’ Besides, I’m only just now getting in
to my training and don’t know everything she’ll need to know.”
Devin releases a deep breath of frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. “They’re not sex monsters, geez. Look, maybe I should talk to her.”
Chi nods, moving to stand next to Devin. “I like that idea, but look, don’t be cruel. I’ve heard stories about what assholes you angels can be.”
“No more than you witches being bitches.” Devin curls his lip at Chi, revealing perfectly white teeth.
I step between them before they can go off on another tangent. “Gentlemen, focus. So, Devin, you’re going to take care of telling Jenny?”
He nods his agreement, and I ask the question I’ve been wondering about since meeting him.
“Why are there so many supernaturals in New Orleans?”
“I think it has to do with the ley lines. A number of powerful ones converge here.” Chi twirls a finger in the air.
“I thought it was closer to Houston?” Devin asks, narrowing his eyes.
“That’s what we allow people to believe, but they’re actually here. The witches don’t want the world to know how powerful the area is. Although why, I don’t know. It’s not like supernaturals can’t sense the power. Many come here, following the lines, but somehow the well is cloaked so they can’t find the source. And before you ask I have no idea where it is. I only know what I do from eavesdropping.” Chi explains.
Devin taps his chin with his finger, puckering his lips. “Makes sense.”
Chi grabs Devin’s arm and swings the angel to face him, pointing his finger in his face. “When are you going to give Jenny the news? Don’t string this out and don’t break her heart.”
Devin vigorously shakes his head in denial. “I won’t, and as far as breaking her heart, not going to happen. Succubi only feel true love when they find their other half.”
“What about fallen angels?” Chi questions.
Devin shrugs his shoulders, shaking off Chi’s grip. “Guess it’s the same for all of us.”
We head back into the club, and I stop Devin before he enters. “Why the name Devin Paffran?”
“I liked the name Devin, and it’s one letter away from being Devil. I served Samax, the ruler of the air, on Tuesdays for the last few centuries. So now that I’ve gone, Tuesdays are all amok. Thought it would be a good nose tweak to the asshole. You called me a jerk? That guy wrote the book on being an ass.” Devin growled as he left me standing there, his face breaking out in a smile as he approaches the women.
Hmm, so the angel wasn’t happy with his job and decided to take a leap. I’ve often wondered why angels fell. I may need to question him further and really get details. He seems like a decent fellow, and for now he’s helping with Jenny, so that’s all that matters.
Fleur is digging around in her purse when she pulls out a small bag, wrinkling her nose. “What is this? It looks like a baggy full of gross potpourri.”
Jenny and Devin both back away, holding their noses and Jenny even gags. “Throw it away. It smells awful.”
I’m wearing the antidote, so the repellent doesn’t affect me, but it obviously is not only a vampire repellent.
“What are you doing with a vampire repellent?” Chi grabs it and holds it up to examine it.
“Seriously, Chi, get rid of it. It smells awful.” Jenny puts a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widen, and she rushes to the bathroom.
“I don’t know where that came from, unless my mother slipped it in my bag before I left today.” She looks over her shoulder, trying to find her friend. “I better go check on her.”
I watch her rush after her friend, confused by Jenny’s reaction to the smell.
Chi cocks a brow, smirking at me. “Okay, why aren’t you bent over, gagging?”
“I have the antidote.” I waggle the baggy from my pocket. “We followed Alice to a witch’s house last night and convinced her to give us the antidote. Alice is antivampire.”
“Chi, please get rid of it, or I’m going to be following Jenny to the bathroom.” Holding a handkerchief over his nose, Devin backs farther away from the table and baggy.
“Fine, I’ll go get rid of it… pussy.” Chi takes the baggy and walks away, rolling his eyes.
Devin waves his hand in the air to clear it, his eyes watering. “Damn, you better be glad you had the antidote. That was rank. First off, how does her mother even know about you, and why is she so against you being with her daughter? I mean, vamps aren’t so bad unless they go… you know, feral.”
“Her ancestor was one of the ones who cursed us. Rosaline hated my guts and was a petty, bitter woman. She passed down a bunch of lies and misconceptions to her descendants, who have in turn passed it to theirs.” I smile as Fleur makes it back to the table, with Jenny following closely behind.
Devin takes Jenny’s elbow and helps her to her chair. “Are you feeling better?”
Jenny leans her head on Devin’s shoulder, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Not much. Would you be terribly disappointed if we went home early? My stomach is still rolling.”
“Not at all. If you will excuse us?” Devin frowns, feeling her forehead like an old mother hen.
“Of course. Jenny, I’m sorry about the satchel. I don’t know what’s gotten into my mother.” Fleur bites her lower lip, her cheeks turning pink.
Jenny waves off Fleur’s concern, standing and grasping Devin’s arm. “Fleur, I told you it was all right, and I don’t think that’s what did it. I must have eaten something this afternoon that didn’t agree with me.”
Chi passes the couple as they are leaving. He points two fingers at his eyes, then points them at Devin. Devin shakes his head, chuckling as he leads Jenny out of the bar.
Fleur watches the exchange with narrowed eyes. “Why is Chi acting weird about Devin? He seems like a nice guy.”
“Who knows. He was friendly enough when we talked outside.” Taking the chair next to Fleur, I take her hand in mine, remembering how she felt earlier in our dream. I shift in my seat. My pants are becoming tighter, so I try to think of something else. “Why is Chi here?”
“Oh, he plays with the band, and it looks as if he’s about to go on again.” Fleur points at the stage, looking forward and not meeting my eyes. Her heart is racing, and she’s breathing faster. I smile, wondering if she’s having the same problem I am.
“He’s never mentioned playing in a band. I wonder if Giselle knows about this.” I take out my phone and record Chi playing a strange-looking horn.
He’s exceptionally good. After a few minutes, I send the video to Phillipe, quite proud of myself for figuring out how to do it. Technology has been a challenge, but I’m beginning to pick up the basics.
We listen to Chi play for a while and decide to go for a walk through the city. Fleur thinks I need a tour. Waving at Chi, we leave the bar, then make our way down Frenchman and she hails a cab.
“It’s quite the hike to Jackson Square, and I’m wearing heels, so a cab it is.” She hops in and slides the door closed, telling the driver to take us to the square.
I’ve never ridden in an automobile, and if my heart beat, it would be pounding. I grip the seat and try to act calm so Fleur doesn’t know how tense I am. The cab takes off, and I almost yelp but bite my lower lip to keep all sound in. She’s looking out the window and pointing out landmarks, not realizing I’m having a silent meltdown and not hearing a word she’s saying.
I try taking deep breaths and relaxing my muscles, but the driver slams on his brakes, and I’m back to square one. Thank heavens we’re in a larger automobile with separate seats.
The driver finally pulls along the sidewalk in front of the park, and I throw some money at him and get out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. Once my feet are on solid ground, my body relaxes. I turn my head from side to side, cracking the bones, and shake my arms to loosen them.
She takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Are you all right? I know cabs can be nerve-racking at times, but that was a rather calm ri
de.”
“I’m fine. Driving here is different. I’ll eventually be good with it.” It’s not technically a lie. When I rode anywhere, it was in a carriage, which was much different.
“Let’s walk over to the Riverwalk. I love it at night. It’s dangerous but looks so peaceful.” She pulls my hand and leads me across traffic toward the river.
We walk past Café du Monde, and it’s packed. I smell the sweet scent of powdered sugar and beignets and the poignant scent of strong coffee. My mouth waters even though I know if I ate either, I would become violently ill. Sometimes I long for food. Being French, I always enjoyed a good meal.
“Hmm, maybe we could grab a beignet on the way back,” Fleur suggests, giving the cafe a look of longing.
“If you wish.” I stare at my mate, the wind slightly lifting her hair, exposing her neck. My mouth waters for another reason, and I quickly look away. The desire to taste her blood is almost overwhelming, and I clench my fist, bringing it to my mouth.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling all right? I hope Jenny wasn’t contagious.” Fleur stops, feeling my forehead with the back of her hand.
I latch on to her suggestion, knowing that unless I wish to expose who and what I am at this moment, I need to get away from her. The desire for her blood is becoming almost more than I can bear.
“I don’t feel myself and fear I may be getting sick. Is your home far from here?” My gaze scans the area, avoiding meeting hers.
“Oh dear, do you need to sit? How about I call a cab and we take you home?” She tries to pull me toward a bench but I resist, needing to move away from her.
I shake my head, standing firmly in place. “No, I’m fine. Let me walk you home, and I’ll go to the club.”
She nods, leading me back the way we came and down a side street. “The shop isn’t too far and I’ll just go there, especially with Jenny feeling ill and now you. I really wish you would let me help you get home. You look pale.”
