by Nina Bangs
As Daria gazed at Declan’s spread-eagled body, her only comfort was that he was so out of it, his mind probably wasn’t processing many details.
Sparkle looked sympathetic, but Daria was too upset to judge how genuine her expression was.
“Mede and I will take care of him for now, Daria. Go to your room and get dressed. Then check on the guests. Katie served the meal a few minutes ago.” She checked her nails to make sure all nine were still perfect. Handcuffing someone was hell on a manicure. “Get something to eat and by the time you’ve finished I’ll have something to report.” Sparkle’s smile was all sweet understanding.
“But I—”
“You’re the manager, and you should be there for our guests.” Sparkle kept smiling, but some of her steel was showing.
Daria had no way to counter that argument. She couldn’t very well say, “I’m a tough, heartless, harpy bitch, but his pain has turned me into a big, squishy marshmallow.” No, harpies didn’t beg. Turning, she left the room.
Ganymede stared up at Sparkle. “You could’ve let her stay. It’ll only take me a few minutes to get rid of his pain. I could do it faster if it was an ordinary headache, but Fenrir complicates things. I’m betting the wolf drops the compulsion once he realizes the bloodsucker isn’t gonna show. It’s tough to maintain when the vic has Declan’s kind of power.”
Sparkle abandoned her I’m-okay and it’s-business-as-usual mask as soon as Daria closed the door. Beneath her Sparkle persona she felt old, dry, and brittle. Mede had done this to her.
“We need to talk about the Big Boss, Mede.” She walked over to the window and stared into the darkness. No way did she want to see his expression. Was she cowardly? You bet. Just add that to her selfish, vain, and fixated-on-sex list of faults. “I’ve always known immortals like us don’t stay together forever. It’s tough to maintain a relationship for thousands of years. But we’ve made it work by giving each other space.” No comment from behind her.
“Sure, I’m ticked at you for choosing immortality over me. But I get it.” He didn’t love her. The sex was great, and they’d shared lots of incredible adventures together. But it wasn’t love.
What she was about to suggest scared her witless. “What if I told the Big Boss I didn’t want to be a cosmic troublemaker anymore?” If they were both human, with a human’s finite life span, would he want to spend those few years with her?
“Don’t go there, babe.”
That was it, then. It wasn’t love. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to look at him. “Don’t know what made me say that.” She shrugged. “I wanted Daria out of the room because I have a few modifications in mind for Declan’s compulsion.” She studied her nails rather than meet his inscrutable-cat gaze. “What’s his status right now?”
“His pain is gone and the compulsion is weakening. The pain was keeping him from fighting it.” Mede’s expression gave nothing away.
Sometimes she wished cats had more facial muscles so they could express emotion. She needed some emotion now. “I know what kind of power you have, so I want you to replace Fenrir’s compulsion with one you create.”
“A sexual one.” He didn’t have to make it a question. Mede knew her that well.
“What else? Make the compulsion specific to Daria. When Fenrir tries his trick again, I want it to act as a trigger for your compulsion. His won’t have any effect once yours kicks in.”
“Why should I do this?”
“Because you owe me.” It was a small, greedy, cheap answer, but that’s all he deserved from her. “Oh, and could you leave Declan in kind of a loopy frame of mind?”
Not waiting for his response, she headed for the door. “I’ll go get Daria.” By the time Daria reached the room, Mede would be gone.
———
“Why didn’t you follow me tonight, Kal? I could’ve used your help. You haven’t even asked what happened.” It was tough carrying on a conversation when all Daria’s thoughts were focused on Declan.
Kal finished drinking his coffee. He shrugged. “You were running off to help the vampire instead of ignoring him and focusing on your test. Maybe I didn’t want to be a part of that.”
“You’re mad.”
“I’m worried. This is what you’ve worked for your entire life, and I don’t want you to blow it. The judge can see what I see. Eris is out there busting her butt trying to snatch someone.”
“Yeah, and she has lots of butt to bust.” When had that become a bad thing? In the harpy world, Eris’s big butt was a source of pride. Daria was thinking like a human.
A smile tugged at Kal’s lips. “Well, she’s making it work for her. She tried to snatch a werelion earlier tonight. When she couldn’t get a grip on his mane, she sat on him.” His smile widened. “The lion bit her on the ass. Guess she’ll be looking for other prey.”
For the first time in what seemed like forever, Daria laughed. “I hope the judge got a front-row seat for the show.” She scanned the dining room. Everyone was busy eating or talking except… She narrowed her gaze. Mel was staring at her. When she returned his stare, he looked away. “Kal, about the judge, what are the chances he might be a were?”
Kal followed her gaze. “Mel? What makes you suspect him?”
“I don’t know. It just seems every time I turn around, he’s there. I mean, he’s the kind of judge the harpies would love—vicious, vindictive, and a bully.”
Kal nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“So, where’s this wereleopard you’ve picked out for me?” She wondered how Declan was doing. Was he still hurting? Daria controlled her urge to push back her chair and rush to Sparkle’s room. She pressed her lips together. Her job. If she didn’t do it, she’d lose it. “I’ll take a look at her and then I have some paperwork to do.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” He glanced away. “The wereleopard isn’t good enough for you. If Eris is targeting a were, you have to go for something better. We’ll try to isolate one of the Night Feeders. They don’t have Declan’s power. A vampire will be more impressive than whatever Eris drags to Tartarus.” She blinked. “But you—”
When he looked at her, she saw anger in his eyes. Why? Kal never got mad at her,
“Let me set it up, okay?” He pushed his cup away from him. “It’s not like you’re helping anyway. You’d think I was the one being tested.” With that parting shot, he got up and left.
She knew she’d let distractions sort of mess with her focus, but this was only her second night here, for crying out loud. She’d get it together before the end of her two weeks. Of course, the universe would end before that if someone didn’t stop Fenrir.
Well, the paperwork wouldn’t do itself. Rising, she left the dining room. But instead of turning toward the registration desk, her feet took her to the small guest bathroom. Call it an impulse move. She didn’t want to go up to her room, but she needed a few minutes alone to process what was happening.
Once inside, she locked the door and sat on the closed toilet lid. A perfect meditation throne. But before she could think one meaningful thought, the toilet started flushing and a familiar rap came from the mirror.
Sighing, Daria looked up to find the same message in big red capital letters on the mirror. LET ME OUT!
“Stop the flushing, for crying out loud.” Who got mad at a mirror?
Surprisingly, the flushing stopped. Maybe no one had bothered to talk to whatever was behind the glass. “I feel your pain. Look at me, sitting in a bathroom so I can get my head straight. You’re not the only one with problems.”
Oh. Normal-sized letters.
“I’m having an identity crisis.” She held her palms up as though balancing two destinies. “Am I Daria, successful harpy or Daria, desirable woman? I’m like an immortal yo-yo.”
Bummer. Letters slanting downward to indicate depression.
“Yeah.” She propped her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hands. “I keep telling myself I want to pass the test,
but I don’t do one thing to make it happen. I say I want to be ugly and gross, but I let Sparkle sex me up. If I were a dedicated harpy, I would’ve said to hell with the bet and not allowed Sparkle to touch me.”
Sometimes we sacrifice our tomorrows for today. Smaller letters so they could all fit on the mirror.
Daria nodded. “You’re right. And sometimes we sacrifice our future on the off chance a man we’ve only known for a few nights might be important to us. Is that dumb or what?” There, she’d finally admitted the truth. To a mirror. Hey, it was a start.
Our subconscious sometimes recognizes truths before we do. It was a big message to squeeze onto a small mirror.
Daria glanced at her watch. She had to get out of here in case Sparkle came looking for her with news of Declan. She stood. “Thanks for listening.”
You’re welcome.
But she didn’t move. Who was she kidding? Not only wasn’t she trying too hard to be ugly, but she wasn’t doing much to build her rep as queen of the cold and callous. She’d never been cruel, so what made her think she could turn on the mean machine now?
She looked at the mirror. “Do you really want out of there?”
Yes. Really tiny letters signifying hopelessness. Daria glanced around the bathroom. She opened the cabinet door beneath the sink and found a small plunger. Grasping it like a sword, she slammed the wooden handle into the mirror. Daria flung her hand across her eyes as broken glass sprayed the room.
When she finally let her hand drop, it was to find a glowing red orb hovering in front of her.
“Thank you. I won’t forget”
The voice in Daria’s mind was young, excited, and happy. Then the orb winked out.
She stepped over the glass and left the bathroom. Well, that had been an eventful little bathroom break. Sparkle was waiting at the registration desk.
Sparkle smiled her beautiful, deceitful smile. “You showed up just in time. Sit down.” She pointed at the chair.
“How is he?” Daria didn’t feel like sitting.
“Not so good.” Sparkle sighed. “I think he’s still in pain. Mede did everything he could, but Fenrir is too powerful for him.”
Daria’s thoughts chased each, other in ever-expanding circles. There must be something they could do for Declan.
“There might be one solution.” Sparkle stared at Kal as he headed for the stairs. “Interesting. Your brother is looking better each time I see him.”
“Forget Kal. What about Declan?” Daria wanted to pick Sparkle up and shake her like a castanet.
“Oh, sure. A vampire’s most powerful impulses are connected to blood and sex. It’s why I’ve always had an affinity for the glorious creatures.” She slid a calculating glance at Daria. “I wonder how far you’d go to help him.”
“Get to the point.” Maybe she’d sic Eris on Sparkle. If she weren’t so worried about Declan, the mental image of Eris sitting on Sparkle would cheer her up a lot.
“Okay, here’s the deal. Declan is already hot for you. Mede said that someone has to trigger Declan’s vampire lusts. Once he becomes vampire, his pain will disappear along with the compulsion.”
Daria frowned. “Ganymede said that?”
“Absolutely.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Do a sexy strip in front of Declan and then let the good times roll. Oh, and don’t worry about the bet. We’ve already settled up for tonight.” She smiled brightly at Daria.
“Let the good times roll?”
“Use your imagination, Daria. I know it’s in there somewhere. Rusty, but still functional.”
“And what happens when Fenrir does the same thing again tomorrow night?” Daria might be slow, but she could follow a bread trail.
Sparkle shrugged. “I guess it all depends on how much you want to help Declan. It’s your call.” Her gaze drifted to where Kal had disappeared. “I think I’ll make sure all the guests are comfortable while you come to a decision. Don’t worry about the paperwork. Declan is more important.” And for just a moment she almost looked sincere. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for the universe to end.”
Daria nodded. “By the way, I broke the mirror in the guest bathroom. My bad. Send me the bill.” She walked away before Sparkle could say anything.
Strip for Declan? That was crazy. But Sparkle’s reasoning made a weird kind of sense. He’d be stronger as vampire. But why hadn’t he changed when he first felt the compulsion coming on? A question only he could answer. Sparkle was wrong. There wasn’t a decision to make. Declan needed help, and she’d help him. Daria felt a momentary twinge of guilt at leaving the paperwork for the day guy.
Guilt? Caring? Her engine was off the track before it even began to move. She’d spent a lifetime working toward bitch-goddess status; all it had taken was a few nights to destroy years of preparation.
Daria took a deep breath. She didn’t have to make any final decisions right now. In the end, she’d be judged on the prey she brought back to Tartarus. A happy Hades was her ticket to a passing grade.
With that thought in mind, she started toward Sparkle’s room.
“Excuse me. Could you help us?” The voice was young, perky, and cheerful.
No, no, no. Not now. Gritting her teeth, Daria turned. A couple stood behind her. The woman immediately snagged her attention. She had a strange kind of beauty that inexplicably gave Daria chills. Daria couldn’t describe her eyes because she was so riveted by the woman’s hair. Parted in the middle, her long hair was an instant attention grabber. One side was black, the other white. In her twenties, she wore jeans and a T-shirt that said Texas Tech. Her smile was wide and engaging.
“Hi. I’m Kiki and this is my brother Chris.” She smiled up at the man next to her.
Under different circumstances, Daria would have given Chris a second look. Tall, slim, with longish blond hair and amazing black eyes, he was worth it. But she didn’t have time now.
“So what can I do for you?” Daria managed to keep the impatience out of her voice.
“Oh, we’re looking for someone. He’s a friend of a friend. We know he’s here, but we haven’t seen him yet.” Kiki looked at her expectantly. “Could you tell us what room he’s in?”
Daria smothered a sigh. “I’m not allowed to give out room numbers, but I can let him know you’re looking for him. What’s his name?”
“Declan Mackenzie.” Chris smiled at her. “He doesn’t know us, but we’re looking forward to meeting him.”
“Um, I think Mr. Mackenzie went out for the night. He didn’t say when he’d be back. But I’m sure you can catch up with him tomorrow night.” Daria thought frantically as she lied through her teeth. Who were these people, and what was their connection with Declan?
Kiki made a moue of disappointment. “Bummer. Well, we’ll make sure to hunt him down tomorrow. Thanks for your help.” She glanced up at Chris, and they wandered away.
Daria focused on their retreating backs. Not human. But she didn’t have a clue what they were. Certainly nothing she’d come across before. These must be the two Kal had mentioned.
Pushing thoughts of Kiki and Chris away for the moment, she hurried to Sparkle’s room. Taking a deep breath for courage, she opened the door.
Chapter Eleven
What the hell had happened? Declan peered at the room through slitted eyes. Red velvet furniture. Red silk drapes. Erotic paintings. He glanced down. And he was freaking naked.
Where was he? Wherever it was, he felt pretty damn happy about it. There should be something he remembered, but right now all he could think about was how nice it would be to bury himself deep inside… someone whose name dangled just out of reach.
He knew his smile must look kinda goofy, because that’s how he was feeling. Now, who was the cute little thing…? Declan frowned. No, cute little thing was wrong. Sweet little thing wasn’t right either. She wasn’t cute and she wasn’t sweet. She was—
The door swung open. A woman stepped into the
room and shut the door behind her.
Yes! She was this woman. Old what’s-her-name. He felt like hooting in triumph. Somewhere lost in the cotton candy stuffing his brain, he knew he wasn’t a hooting kind of guy. So he didn’t.
Whoever she was, she didn’t look too sure of herself. She looked like she wanted to turn around and run back out the door. No. He didn’t want her to leave. What did he want? Oh yeah, he wanted to bury himself inside her.
He felt the slide of his fangs.
And then he wanted to tap into all that hot life force pulsing just beneath the smooth skin of her throat.
Hunting instincts kicked in. He might not know much, but he knew he was a predator. So he’d just lie real still and wait for the right moment to pounce.
Lie real still? A little of the fuzz in his brain cleared. Enough for him to realize he wouldn’t be doing a lot of pouncing any time soon. He couldn’t move his hands or feet.
There wasn’t much reasoning going on in his mind, so primal rage jumped into the vacuum. He fought whatever held him on the bed, but he fought it silently. Screams of rage would just alert other predators. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. Arching his body, he yanked at whatever held him. Then he twisted his body before flinging it back onto the bed. The bed shook and groaned, but held firm.
Now he was pissed. He glared at the woman.
“Calm down, Declan. I know it hurts, but if you’ll concentrate on me, I can make it go away.” She walked to the side of the bed and offered him a tentative smile.
Hurts? He didn’t know what she was talking about. But when he tried to tell her so, the words floated away from him.
“When you’re back to being you, you’d better appreciate what I’m doing for you.” She sounded almost mad. “I mean, sure I’m naked when I become harpy, but that’s completely different from this.”
Naked? He recognized that word. It sort of restored his good humor. If she’d slip out of her sexy clothes, he might get downright happy again.
She scanned the room. “Sparkle didn’t expect me to do this without music, did she?” Wandering over to something in the corner that he couldn’t see from his position on the bed, she made satisfied noises. “Okay, here we go.” Music drifted through the room. If only the stuff clogging his brain would go away, he’d probably know what it was. But he couldn’t focus on the music. Not when the woman had returned to the side of the bed.
