by Claire Marta
“It’s good,” she admitted before slicing off another piece.
Eric looked pleased at her words.
“Almost as good as my cooking, isn’t it muffin?” Fergus boasted as he forked another stack onto his own.
“How long have you two been together?” Eric enquired as he sank onto the seat opposite them.
“Not long,” Jasmine replied, staring anywhere but his ripped naked chest. Did he have to leave his shirt unbuttoned like that?
“Yeah, it was a friends to lovers thing.” The wolf jumped in with a grin. “We were on a stake out one evening. Things got hot and heavy, quite literally, that evening. Staring into Jaz’s slime covered face after we took down some nasty arse trolls, I realised we had something more between us.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. Did he really need to overdo this? Eric would never believe it if they made the lie too unbelievable.
Across the table, the male in question gave nothing away in his expression. “That sounds intriguing. You must tell me more.”
“We’re supposed to be working, not gossiping,” she snapped, interrupting her friend before he could embellish further. Stabbing another piece of fluffy perfection with her own fork, she shoved it into her mouth and began to chew. The less they spoke of personal stuff to the calculating vamp the better.
“Jaz’s right. Mark will blow a gasket if he sees us sitting around when there’s work to do,” Fergus agreed before starting on the rest of his breakfast.
“Perhaps later, then,” Eric murmured. Across the table, he was watching her with a fathomless stare. It made Jasmine uncomfortable.
“Breakfast, just what I need.” Sweeping into the room, Caroline O’Hara gracefully took a place at the head of the table. The short red satin night dress she wore was way above the knee. It left plenty of tanned skin exposed. “Coffee black,” she ordered as she adjusted the short spaghetti strap that had dropped from her shoulder.
Fergus’s gaze was glued to the cleavage that the woman had barely concealed. Beneath the material, her nipples were taut and puckered. Licking his lips, the wolf continued to ogle. He seemed to have forgotten the others in the room. His focus was now entirely on the new female.
Raising a dark eyebrow, Eric shot Jasmine a look of mock sympathy. Then without a word, he poured their hostess her drink.
“Thank you.” Caroline’s grateful smile trembled on her lips as she noticed Eric’s naked torso. “Ellen should be down shortly with Tabitha, my daughter, and she can take over these duties.” Her eyes danced over his body with interest. Just with one look, Jasmine could see the other woman was already under his spell. Lust was something she was accustomed to seeing. It was one feeling she knew well.
Appetite gone, Jasmine abandoned her fork. If they were going to start flirting, she wasn’t going to hang around. Fergus’s play acting at her boyfriend was now taking a nose dive. It was time to leave.
“I should go get changed,” she babbled, needing to escape. Not waiting for their reply, she leapt up from her chair and scurried towards the door.
“Jasmine,” Eric’s commanding tone gained her immediate attention.
Spinning around, she found him right behind her. His familiar form towered over her, those intense blue eyes intent on her face.
“I was wondering if you would care to have dinner with me, this evening?” Voice deep and calm his question put her straight on alert.
“No,” she shot back shaking her head. Unwanted memories of their dinner in Paris surfaced, but she pushed them aside.
“Jasmine...this thing between us is not over.”
Hands on hips, Jasmine scowled up at him as her buried anger seeped through the cracks of the composed facade she was wearing. “There’s nothing between us, Eric. I told you before I won’t be your bought Mistress. I’m not the same woman you were a dick to in Prague. I’ve grown up a lot over the last few months. Found myself.”
With one sweep of his frosty stare, he sent the blood singing through her veins. “I can clearly see the experience you have gained. The confidence you wield also suits you, my lovely. You have truly blossomed.”
Taking a step back, Jasmine moved for the stairs. “What I’m trying to say is I don’t need you in my life, so I don’t know why you bothered smooth talking your way back in, and I don’t want to.” Not waiting for his reply, she jogged up the steps two at a time.
“You’re fucking a vampire, but it’s obvious not the one you want to be shagging,” Gemma announced shrewdly as Jasmine entered the bedroom. She perched on the end of her bed. From the expression on her perfect features she’d heard their exchange.
Expression shocked, Jasmine closed the door behind her with a bang. “Gemma!”
“Jaz, I can see it when you look at him,” Her friend continued as she turned to finish sorting through some clothes and place them into her suit case. “You light up every time Eric comes into the room even if you’re not aware of it. Yes, you might be angry with him but don’t try denying that you’re not still in love with him.”
“I’m with Asier now...” Moving to her own bag, Jasmine threw open the lid.
“You’re having sex with Asier; that doesn’t officially make you a couple,” Gemma pointed out. Slipping a band off her wrist, she scraped her frizzy curls back and fastened them into a ponytail.
“I think he wants to be.”
“But you don’t love him, do you?”
Jasmine paused at Gemma’s words. Raising her chin, she regarded the other woman with a hint of wariness. “I have feelings for him.”
It was true. The Italian had become more than a friend to her. Beneath the bossy, dominant exterior, he could be sometimes sweet and caring.
Gemma smiled. It was the knowing kind shared by close friends. “But it’s not the same is it? And you’re not even sure what you feel for him is real, do you? His power makes you horny all the time, whether you want to be or not. You’re being influenced by his voodoo penis powers.”
Jasmine shook her head. “No, Asier helps me forget, and I feel like I’m starting to fall for him...”
“No, you’re not,” Gemma cut her off with certainty. Sympathy was shining in her big doe-brown eyes. “Why are you lying to yourself?”
Gemma was right. She didn’t love Asier. At least not in the way she loved Eric. And the feelings were still there, even if she did deny it to herself. Somehow, he was buried in her heart like a thorn, and no matter what she did, he wouldn’t come out. The love was still there. A treacherous poison that had merely been ignored with distractions. A burden she could not let go.
Closing her eyes, Jasmine felt despair well up inside her. Why was the blue-eyed vamp the only one who stole her breath away? Why couldn’t he have stayed out of her life?
“I can’t trust Eric, whatever I feel for him,” she whispered, voice uneven with the truth. “I don’t know why he’s really here, but it’s certainly not because he just happened to be in the country. Whatever he says will just be a lie.”
“Oh, I agree with you there. He’s definitely got some ulterior motive. What are you going to do?”
“Ignore him as best I can until this job is done then get the hell back to London and forget him.” Dragging out a pretty summer dress, Jasmine shook it out. Whatever game the vamp was playing, she wouldn’t let him win. Not this time.
“I’ll find Fergus. He’s probably still stuffing his face with breakfast,” Gemma told Jasmine as they reached the bottom of the staircase. “You find Mark and see where he wants us to start this morning.”
Jasmine nodded. Now comfortable in a yellow cotton dress, she felt a little cooler with the summer heat. It looked like it was going to be another scorcher. With no air conditioning in the Museum, they were going to suffer badly.
Turning, she made her way down the hallway. The musty smell of forgotten memories and old things lingered in the air. There was no sign of Caroline, her daughter, or the nanny. Even the housekeeper, it seemed, had yet to return from the m
arket. Apart from the ticking of the clocks, the place was peacefully still. Too quiet.
Then, just as she began to relax, Jasmine’s skin began to tingle. The sensation set her on edge. The further she progressed, the more it grew, stealing the brief serenity. Magic drifted among the oddities in the Musee Grotesque. Bobbing waves of over lapping sensation interwoven yet slumbering. Remnants of enchantments that had been crafted and hidden among the other curiosities. Jasmine’s ability to amplify magic that wasn’t her own had begun to grow as her Grandfather had foretold. The problem was it didn’t always work. So far, she needed to garner some connection with the source of what she was trying to increase. Twitch’s spells we’re something that came naturally. Most likely because they were related. Mastering other magic was still something she had to learn.
Her unique sixth sense began to chime a warning, softly at first, like the tinkle of bells. It was a feeling she was accustomed to. One she now trusted. With no windows, the corridor was steeped in dim shadows, a place she knew not only blackness could lurk. The only havens of light came as bright beams from the few rooms that branched off further along her route.
She continued to walk as silently as she could. Jasmine could see a shape among the gloom at the end of the passage. It was darker, defined, tall and thin. Whether it was female or male was something she couldn’t tell. What she could only guess was a head was cocked to the side as two flames of white that had to be its eyes stared at her with evil intent. Was that the ghost from the phone call the evening before? Or was it whatever had possessed the medium? She’d never seen one before. The things she was sensing were something she’d felt a few times before since she’d developed her gifts. It was a fleeting awareness that she’d never really had time to analyze. It’d never been this strong, though. Releasing a breath between her teeth, she stared at the shadow. She couldn’t let a ghost get to her. All it could do was stand there and glare. Jasmine reached across to clasp the cool metal of the bracelet she was wearing, it’s solid weight reassuring. A reminder to be strong.
“Hey, you okay?”
Mark’s worried voice made her jump. Spinning on her heels, Jasmine discovered him watching her from the sitting room door. His wire-rimmed glasses were perched on the end of his nose, and he peered over them with his dark caramel-brown eyes.
“I can see something down there...a ghost, spirit, whatever you call it.” Darting a look over her shoulder, she confirmed it was still there.
“I don’t see anything,” he replied, following her gaze. “Hmm and it’s freaking you out?”
The darkness at the end of the corridor thickened. They continued to watch as the creature slunk into a corner and melted away, as if it had never been there at all. Jasmine could sense it wasn’t completely gone. Mark’s sudden appearance seemed to have disturbed it. Why though, she wasn’t sure. He couldn’t see it, after all.
“That’s putting it mildly. I think it knows I can feel it watching me. Last night, it was on the phone...” Jasmine shuddered and hugged her arms around her chest. It was an experience she hoped never to repeat.
“Eric told me this morning what happened,” her boss cut in before she could finish. “Jasmine, they can’t hurt you remember that.” Taking her arm, he gently led her into the safety of the sitting room. The sunlight flooding in through the windows chased away her fears. Jasmine felt herself begin to relax, again, as its warmth touched her skin.
“I know; I know.”
Asier had taught her to fight against physical assailants. Body-less ones were way out of her league. How did you protect yourself from something you couldn’t touch?
“Maybe I can help.”
Jasmine glanced up at her boss in surprise. “You can? How?”
Moving to one of the comfortable leather chairs, he gestured her to sit before seating himself beside her. “Being a sensitive leaves you open to these things. You do have some defence though. You can build a shield in your head to keep them out if they bother you too much,” he explained.
This was something he’d never mentioned before. As there were only a small number of humans with sensitivity like her own, it made Jasmine wonder how he knew. Yet, Mark always seemed to know more than anyone else.
“Like a wall?”
Checking over his shoulder, he glanced towards the door. “Yes, in a way. You think of something you can hold onto. Something clear and focused,” he told her with a satisfied expression, which Jasmine guessed was because they weren’t being overheard.
“Are we going all Harry Potter?” She joked, curious why he didn’t want the others to hear their chat.
Mark chuckled, his boyish features lightening from the severity they always wore as he smiled. “In a way, I guess, but it’s not your happy place we’re looking for. It’s a quiet place inside that you block out everything else, kind of like your own white noise. The more you start practising, the easier it’ll become until it’s second nature. I suggest you do that while we’re here. You won’t be any good to me if you let fear overtake you.”
His last sentence had Jasmine straightening in her chair. She wasn’t about to let her boss or team down. “Teach me.”
Approval curled Mark’s lips at the corners. “I just want you to know I’m proud of the agent and the woman you’ve become, Jasmine. Now, close your eyes.”
The fuzzy warm feeling of pride, which had been buzzing through her, evaporated as she pulled a face. “This is so weird hearing you say those words.” Jasmine couldn’t help giggle.
“I’m sure it’s more enjoyable when Asier does it,” Mark responded dryly.
“Well, yes...” Jasmine admitted without thought. Those situations usually lead to hours lost in bed with the vampire fucking her senseless. Catching Mark’s knowing look, Jasmine felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment.
“I’m delighted you’ve found some happiness, Jaz, but just be careful with the Italian. I’m sure he’s only showing you one side of who he is. I’ve known Asier a very long time, and he’s not as innocent as he looks.”
Jasmine knew her boss and the Italian vampire had a past of some sort. What exactly it entailed was a mystery. It made her curious. Mark was so straight laced. He lived and breathed the job. A true detective with such a strong sense of fair play and honesty, you couldn’t get away with anything and not feel guilty while he was around. Asier, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He encouraged her to be bad. To take what she wanted without the slightest thought of remorse.
“You’re not the first person to warn me, Mark. I know the vamp isn’t as angelic as he appears,” Jasmine assured him. She was also sure he wouldn’t be the last. Asier was a force of nature. One that not all her friends liked.
For a moment, Mark’s eyes lingered on the scene outside the window. A pair of pure white doves was sitting on a rough wooden bench in the narrow courtyard. Someone had lovingly added a border of flowers to bring some colour to the greyness of the space. “Just remember, even angels can walk with one wing tip dipped in blood,” Mark murmured softly before his tone turned business-like. “Right, close your eyes, and let’s get this started. I want you to clear your mind. I know that can be difficult for you, sometimes, but try your best.” Turning his attention back to her, he gave her an expectant look.
Jasmine poked out her tongue at him childishly before obediently letting her eyelids flutter shut. Reclining, she let the supple leather of the seat cradle her more securely.
“Try to centre yourself. Let the silence sweep through your being.”
“It’s not silent with the clocks ticking,” she countered as she heard him shift in his seat. With her other senses heightened, she was more aware of the sounds around her.
“Use them. The sound can be soothing.”
Releasing a long sigh, Jasmine focused harder. Tick, tick, tick, the clocks continued their ceaseless beat. It became hypnotic. She fell into the synchronized rhythm, letting her shoulders sag. For one brief second, everything became suspended w
ithin her head.
Jasmine.
The voices spoke in unison, whispers in the dark recesses of her mind. Fear sliced up through her sedative state, like a knife blade, shattering her peace. It was so overwhelming it sent Jasmine’s breathing into rapid pants.
“Don’t hold onto the fear,” Mark comforted. Warm firm fingers curled around hers. “Focus on an emotion just as strong. A positive feeling. Don’t let them in.”
“It’s too difficult,” she whined, her eyes still firmly closed. Whatever she’d connected with was still there. Jasmine could feel it at the edge of her consciousness. A darkness waiting to overwhelm.
“No, it just takes patience and practise. I know you’re capable of this.” His hand squeezed hers gently. It was the tether keeping her firmly on the ground.
Eyes snapping open, Jasmine gave him a nervous look. “You really think so?”
Mark nodded, staring at her with a renewed look of pride “Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to do it automatically while doing other things. I have a suspicion Asier’s training will help, but you need to practise regularly.”
“How do you know how do to it?”
Shifting in his chair, he released his hold. “Sometimes it’s a necessity to block out the sounds of the world when you need to think clearly for a while, especially with hard decisions that aren’t always easy to make...we should find the others.” He rose quickly not waiting for her to reply.
Jasmine was used to her boss’s swift changes. Mark was always a stickler for rules and professionalism, but he had a soft side for his staff. It was the reason they all loved him so much. He continuously had their backs, constantly there when they needed him.
“The last time I saw them, they were in the kitchen,” she told him as she clambered from her seat.
“Right, well, let’s round them up and get to work. At some point, I want you to make a list of every magical artefact in this building.”
