by Nina Bangs
The werelion frowned. “I drag the jerk out of his car and eat him.”
There was a small gasp from the few humans in the room. Most of the nonhumans nodded their heads in agreement.
The werelion looked uncertain as his wife jabbed him with her elbow. “I guess that wouldn’t be too sensitive, huh?”
Sparkle shook her head. “The correct way to handle the situation would be to patiently explain to the other driver that you saw the parking spot first. He’ll respond as a sensitive person should by moving his car.”
“What if he doesn’t?” The werelion was determined to cover all his bases.
“Then you eat him.”
One of the werewolves waved his hand in the air. “Talking about eating, has anyone seen any little, helpless animals running around in the woods?”
Harvey the werechicken winced.
Sparkle looked a little ticked. “You just ate. How about showing a little sensitivity for Katie. She can’t hang around all night cooking for you.”
Suitably chastened, the werewolf subsided.
Declan had heard enough. He leaned close to Daria and whispered, “We can come up with another idea to stop Fenrir.” He knew she didn’t want to listen to what he was saying, but it needed saying anyway. “I don’t want you hurt.”
Something seemed to soften in her eyes, but it could’ve just been a trick of the dim lighting. “If your dad gets his way, we’ll all do a lot of hurting. This is the only idea we have, so until someone suggests a better one, I say go for it.”
He controlled his frustration. “If you belonged to the Mackenzie council, I’d know how to handle this. I’d…” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Okay, so I’d let a member of the council do it. But you’re different, you’re…” Words failed him, as they seemed to do more and more when she was around.
She smoothed her fingers over his arm. “I understand. If everything were reversed, I’d be arguing every step of the way.”
“You’re confusing my life, lady.” Declan knew his smile said this was a good thing.
“Your boring life. Harpies are action addicts. We live for excitement. Whether this works or not, let’s enjoy the ride, Mackenzie.”
She squeezed his hand and he wrapped his fingers around hers. “If Fenrir gives you a hard time, he’ll find out a pissed-off Mackenzie isn’t someone to mess with.”
Vampires weren’t good at conversations loaded with emotional undertones. They were solitary creatures who usually talked to their meals as little as possible. So now that he really wanted to steer the conversation toward light and cheerful, Declan found that all he knew was dark and deadly. Luckily, Daria was better than he was at small talk.
“Where do you live?” She kept her gaze fixed on their clasped hands.
“Florida. I like the warm weather and the great beaches. Nothing like a moonlit swim. A lot different from life in the Highlands. How about you?”
She shrugged. “I’ve done most of my training in Montana. It has lots of wide-open spaces where no one notices me practicing picking up cows. I almost feel like Montana is where I belong, but my real harpy home is on a small Greek island.”
He couldn’t help it, he laughed. “You practice by picking up cows?”
The corners of her mouth turned up. “Doesn’t everyone practice? What about you? Didn’t you practice pouncing on people?”
Declan tried to look offended. “The Mackenzies never pounce. We work our sensual magic on women, and when the moment comes to feed, we make sure it’s an erotic masterpiece.” He frowned. “Of course, then we have to erase their memories, but I’ve always hoped that on some level the women remembered.”
Daria wasn’t smiling anymore. “And I guess you’ve had a blast over the centuries working all that ‘sensual magic.’ How about men? Don’t you ever feed from them?”
“Not often. The centuries have pretty much deadened my emotions.” Until you. “So the only thing that makes life worth the effort is my senses. Sexual pleasure allows me to use them all.” He touched the tip of his finger to her lips, letting the soft warmth of them seep through his fingertips and along his nerve endings.
“Oh.” Daria sounded like she didn’t know whether to be outraged at his story or aroused by the possibilities.
Satisfied, he sat back. There was jealousy in that one word. He was glad. Should he be ashamed of his emotion? He smiled. Not when it felt so good.
“I’ll forgive you for ignoring my awesome sensitivity session if you tell me you were whispering about sex.” Sparkle spoke right next to his ear.
Startled, Declan turned to where Sparkle crouched beside him. “We were making plans to attack Fenrir.”
“Of course. I could tell by your expressions that you were deep into a conversation that was totally not sexual.” Sparkle shifted her attention to Daria. “You know, this plan to snatch Fenrir is the best thing that could happen to you. If you pull it off, your test score will be off the charts.”
“Test score?” What the hell was she talking about?
Daria shot Sparkle an angry glare. “What Sparkle is trying to hint about in her own subtle way is that I came to the Woo Woo Inn to snatch someone as part of my harpy test.”
“Test?” Why hadn’t she said something sooner?
She stared at him.
“Okay, I get it. You really were thinking about flying off with me.”
Daria jerked her hand from his. “Yes.”
“And Eris is here for the same thing? This test?” Why was he so mad? He’d suspected from the beginning she was here to snatch someone. Harpies didn’t show up at places like the Woo Woo Inn just for a little R & R.
“Right. Now I need to get some air.” Without giving him a chance to object, she walked away.
“Hmm. Did I say the wrong thing?” Sparkle’s expression said it had been exactly the right thing.
“As a matchmaker, you stink.” He started to follow Daria.
Sparkle put her hand on his arm. “She would’ve told you eventually. I just got full disclosure out of the way so you guys could get on with the sex. You live life while you have it, Declan.”
He stared at her and then nodded. She dropped her hand. Declan watched her walk away.
“Take me for a run, please, please, please?” Trouble stopped beside Declan and leaned against his leg. “That werebunny watches me all the time. Then when I go outside, he chases me.”
Declan glanced around in time to see Mel sneaking from the room. He frowned. Yes, the way the wererabbit left definitely qualified as sneaking. What was he doing here in Sparkle’s sensitivity group? He didn’t strike Declan as someone who gave a damn about other people’s feelings.
Mel was heading for the porch as Declan looked for the three werewolves. They were slowly making their way from the room. He smiled at Trouble. “Let’s take care of your werebunny for the night.”
He stopped the men before they got to the door. “Hey, guys, I know you’re looking for some good hunting.”
All three pairs of eyes brightened. “We need something we can sink our teeth into.” The tallest one grinned at his own joke.
Declan nodded toward the door. “Did you see the guy with the blue shirt and khaki pants?”
All three heads nodded.
“He’s a wererabbit. Not your usual nervous bunny, but a fluffy-tailed fighting machine. He’ll give you a good workout if you hurry. I bet he’ll change as soon as he gets past the tree line.”
“Wererabbit?” The three glanced at each other, and then they were gone.
Declan smiled as he looked down at Trouble. “Go ahead and take your run. I don’t think the werebunny will be paying much attention to you tonight.”
Trouble sat beside him smiling a doggy grin while his tail thumped a tattoo on the floor. “You helped me. Someday I’ll help you.”
“You’re a cosmic troublemaker, kid, and I bet if you ever decide to stand up to Mel, you’ll find you have all the power you need to take him out
. Just something to think about.”
Trouble nodded, but he looked doubtful.
Declan forgot about Trouble as he headed for the porch and Daria. He found her staring into the darkened woods. “I just sicced the werewolves on your friend Mel.”
“It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I’m almost certain he’s my judge.” She didn’t even glance at him.
“We need to talk.”
“I was going to tell you about the test. Eventually.” She sounded a little defensive.
He shrugged. “We haven’t known each other long enough for me to expect you to tell all your secrets.” Sure he did.
“My mother, Celaeno, is one of the big three in the harpy world. As far back as I can remember, the only thing I wanted was to be like Mom. This test is my first step. I have to snatch someone evil and powerful, someone who’ll impress Hades.” She smiled but didn’t meet his gaze. “At first I thought you might be the one.”
“And now?”
“Not so much.”
“Why not?” When you go fishing, you don’t always catch a trophy fish. She might not give him the answer he wanted.
She finally made eye contact. “You’re a friend. I don’t hunt people I like. That shouldn’t make any difference to a harpy, but I guess it does to me.”
Not a bad answer, but not quite what he was looking for either. He didn’t want her lumping him in with other people. And what was with the words friend and Wee? Pretty tame. He’d prefer ones like lover and… Yeah, he supposed like was an okay word for the moment.
“Be honest, Daria. You don’t think you can take me. That’s the real reason you didn’t try.”
Her anger flared, and she opened her mouth to blast him. Then she must’ve seen the laughter in his eyes. She relaxed and smiled. “If I wanted you, vampire, you wouldn’t have a chance.”
In the silence of the night something tenuous moved between them.
“Hello, Declan, we’ve been looking for you.” A woman’s voice shattered the moment.
He turned.
She was beautiful in a way that screamed nonhuman. You could add strange to the description. Her long hair was parted in the middle. Half of it was black, the other half white.
Declan shifted his attention to the man standing beside her, tall and slim—there was something scary about him. Declan met the man’s gaze. It was his eyes, a weird shiny black that creeped him out. Not a reaction he’d felt often in the last nine hundred years.
Daria tensed beside him. She felt it too. A sense of danger he could almost touch.
Declan smiled, showing lots of fang. “Do I know you?”
The woman returned his smile, and Declan swore the air around them dropped ten degrees. “I’m disappointed, Declan. I hoped you’d recognize the family resemblance.”
The man spoke, his voice a sibilant hiss. “This is your aunt Hel, and I’m your uncle Midgard.”
Chapter Fourteen
Daria moved closer to Declan.
Midgard grinned, and the snake lived in his smile. “Please don’t run away. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Go inside, Daria.” Declan never took his gaze from his newfound relatives.
There he went again, telling her what to do. He wanted her to run inside and hide while he faced the two of them by himself. Wait, there were some powerful entities inside the inn. All she had to do was scream at the top of her lungs.
“You’re getting ready to scream. I can tell from the look in your eyes.” Hel shook her head, and her hair rippled around her shoulders. “All we want to do is talk to Declan. We’re reasonable beings.”
Declan’s laughter was harsh. “You know, I somehow can’t work up a lot of reasonableness when it comes to dying. Oh, and there’s that little matter of your brother killing two of the Mackenzie council members.”
Midgard shrugged. “Your father did what he had to. Their deaths were the only things that would draw you back here in time for the summer solstice. Since he didn’t have the strength to come to you, he made sure you would come to him.”
“A phone call would’ve done the same thing.” Daria’s opinion.
“Reception is poor a mile down.” Hel taking Daria way too seriously.
Midgard went on as though no one had spoken. “Fenrir has a great deal of pride, so he forbade us to interfere until now.” What went unsaid was that Fenrir had called in his brother and sister because time was running short. Midgard seemed relaxed as he sat down on the porch step.
Daria wasn’t fooled. A snake might look benign as it lay curled in the grass, but it was always ready to strike. “You can’t expect Declan to walk quietly to his death.” Midgard could count on her not staying quiet if they tried to take him.
Hel seemed surprised as she looked at Declan. “Of course we do. It’s a great honor to be the one who insures your grandfather’s triumph over the other gods. Besides, you won’t die right away. You’ll live to see the gathered forces of Loki. Your sacrifice will take place right before the battle.”
“Wow, what a relief.” Daria hoped they got sarcasm.
“Call me clueless, but I could’ve sworn you guys were trying to kill Ganymede and me back at the church.” Declan didn’t seemed moved by thoughts of the honor Fenrir was trying to bestow on him.
Hel sighed. “If I’d wanted to kill you, you’d be dead. We only wanted to distract you from your attack on your father. I would love to get rid of Ganymede, but he has certain skills that make killing him difficult.”
Since neither Hel nor Midgard had made any threatening moves, Daria chanced another question. “It seems like a coincidence that Fenrir just happened to be bound here in New Jersey and that Declan just happened to visit the Woo Woo Inn last year. What were the chances? I mean, this is a long way from the land of the Vikings.”
“There are no coincidences.”
Midgard paused to let his dramatic statement sink in.
Daria wondered if he was an actor when he wasn’t slithering through the woods in giant snake form.
“Loki has the power to view what the gods do even though he’s imprisoned in a cave. He saw them bind Fenrir beneath the earth in a place where they thought none would find him, in a place far from his home.” Midgard scanned the inn’s lawn as if searching for the ice and snow of his homeland. “They didn’t know he was able to link with us. We waited centuries for this summer solstice to draw near and our brother to begin gaining power.”
Hel picked up the narrative. “I’m the Queen of Death and as such have some ability to manipulate the future. I knew the name of the woman who was destined to marry Thrain Mackenzie. When I found out she was looking for property to buy, I used my power to point her in this direction.” She stared up at the inn. “It’s worked out well for her. And once the Mackenzie was here, you were within our reach.”
Daria frowned. “Seems like a convoluted way to go about things. I think I’d be a little more direct.”
“You don’t understand, everything has to go according to the prophecy. Oh, if you’re thinking of telling the Norse gods about our plans, forget it. The prophecy says they’ll turn a deaf ear to all warnings.” Midgard looked impatient. “Only two things remain for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Fenrir must escape his binding and Declan must be sacrificed before the battle. You can’t stop what will be.”
“Wanna bet?” Daria was committed to carnage if they made a move toward Declan.
There were lines of tension around Declan’s mouth. “Have you seen the battle?”
Hel looked away. “No. It’s hidden from me. That is a concern.” The air seemed to shimmer with power as she returned her gaze to Declan. “Will you go with us to your father?”
Here it comes. Daria knew Declan was about to give them a big fat no. She got ready to become harpy.
“So you can complete the final step in your plan to destroy the universe?” Declan took Daria’s arm and backed toward the door. “Count me out.”
Hel smiled. “I hate resort
ing to threats, but if you take another step toward that door I’ll bring the place down before you can get inside. Lots of people will die.”
Declan didn’t have to look at Daria. She dropped the mental shields between them.
“Damn, I left my sword inside “
Daria winced. Instant guilt. He’d come out to the porch because of her.
“I’m going to lead them away from the inn while I instant message Ganymede about what’s happening. It’ll give him time to try to shield the inn from my loving relatives. I hope he has enough power. While they’re concentrating on me, you get the hell out of here. They want me alive, but you’re expendable!” His expression said her death would bother him. A lot.
And even with doom and destruction barreling down on them, she felt good about that. Daria nodded as she focused on keeping her mind blank. He’d go all alpha if he knew she had no intention of obeying him.
Daria was ready when Declan made his break. He moved with that dizzying speed vampires could produce. Zigzagging across the lawn, he disappeared into the woods.
At the same time, Daria became harpy. Sparkle could kiss another outfit good-bye. She rose into the air and followed him.
Glancing back, she was in time to see Midgard change into his snake form and slither toward the trees. She hoped no humans were looking out the windows.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Declan’s fury rattled around in her head.
“Helping you, partner “ Worry poked at her. Midgard moved fast for all his size. And Daria didn’t have a clue where Hel was. “What’s your plan?”
He was silent for a few angry beats. “Would it do any good to tell you to get your butt back to the inn?”
“Nope!”
“There’s an old ruined mansion out here somewhere “ Resignation sounded in his voice. “I’ll try to lead Midgard into it. He’s too big to move fast once I have him inside”
“Have you let Ganymede know what’s happening?”
“Yeah. He’s setting up some kind of protection for the inn”
“What should I do?”
“Watch for Hel. “
Daria saw the old mansion looming dark among the trees and swooped down.
