“Are you sure you can make me sexy? You don’t have much to work with.” Nerves knotted her stomach as she began to doubt her ability to pull this off. Did she honestly think she could do this? Was she being delusional?
Dawn gave an elegant snort and gracefully tossed her thick black hair over her shoulder. “You have a wonderful bone structure, a gorgeous body and beautiful hair. We just need to entice that beauty out. If you didn’t try to hide it under a boring hairstyle, lackluster clothes and no makeup, you'd go from cute to sexy. Which I'll prove to you with my skills and talent.”
Dawn dragged her over to the ensuite bigger than most living rooms. All her hair styling tools laid in neat rows on the counter along with more makeup than Julia had seen in her entire life. She gave a low whistle of appreciation.
“Wow, you’re taking this seriously, aren’t you? Okay, so what are we starting on first?”
The next several hours flew by while Dawn dyed and curled hair, plucked and shaped eyebrows, applied makeup, and gave Julia a manicure and pedicure. She had never felt so pampered. One thing marred the experience, total and utter lockdown of the mirror. Dawn refused any peeking and had all the mirrors covered. Dying to sneak a quick look, she refrained from spoiling the surprise and kept her impatient sighing to a minimum.
Finally, it was time to try on the dress. Quite giddy at this point, she hoped she wouldn’t trip or otherwise embarrass herself while putting on the dress. Clad in a strapless black bra with matching panties, thigh high silk stockings and garter belt, she waited while Dawn removed the dress from the box. They both ooh’ed and ahh’ed over it.
Julia slipped into the dress and waited as Dawn zipped it up. It fit beautifully, molding to her upper body. It stopped above her knees in the front then cascaded down to her ankles in the back. Layer upon layer of gauzy material formed the skirt, seductive and sexy.
She caught the open-mouthed shock on Dawn’s face and laughed. “Am I really that different? Wait, that isn’t a ‘holy shit, what I have I done, you look terrible’ look, is it?”
Her immortal friend at a loss for words was rare and her own confidence slowly eroded the longer she stayed silent.
Still without saying anything, Dawn walked over to a covered mirror and removed the sheet. Julia stared. No way in hell was that pretty woman her. Subtle makeup made her eyes appear larger and brought out the gold flecks within the brown of her irises. Full, pouty red lips curved into a smile as she brought a hand up to touch her wavy, sun-kissed brown hair. Dawn had added red and gold highlights which shone in the light. Even though she had been able to see her fingernails, the dark, almost black, purple nail polish appeared different to her eyes now that she saw the entire finished product. Throw in the stunning black dress and Julia was unrecognizable.
“Oh my goodness, Dawn. You’re a miracle worker. I didn’t believe this was possible. Okay, you need to take a picture of me because I’ll never look this good again.” She gave her friend an overjoyed grin and waited while Dawn grabbed her camera. After a few poses, which got sillier after the first few, they noticed the time.
“You better get ready. We have to leave in less than an hour. I’m going to sit here and admire myself in the mirror.” Julia spoke the truth as she twirled in front of the mirror to watch the skirt flare out.
“Did you want to talk about why I’m here?” She asked Dawn. They had spent the time catching up and bypassed the reason why she’d disappeared.
A slight shake of her head as Dawn replied “I already know why you’re here. You wanted to give me the full dish on that sexy new boyfriend of yours. What a hottie. Blake’s his name, right?”
A raised eyebrow from her had Julia agreeing. Interesting. Dawn thought it wasn’t safe to discuss this and didn’t want to mention Jackson by name. As she thought over their conversation since she had shown up, she realized not once did either of them say his name. Was Dawn’s bedroom bugged? It made no sense. She seemed sweet and nice, but underneath that veneer was a frightening vampire, one who wouldn’t stand for a violation of her home. What in the nine hells was going on?
Making sure to show lovesick happiness, she rambled on about Jackson while referring to him as Blake. Some of it was pure nonsense. As she suspected, Dawn hardly paid attention while she got ready. Dawn finished in depressingly less time than it took to make Julia presentable. She was even more stunning than usual in a strapless red dress. The colour highlighted her rich brown skin and her thick black hair pinned up with several tendrils framing her face. Thankfully, the euphoria of feeling gorgeous herself hadn’t worn off. There wasn’t a hint of envy in sight, not even the ones she ignored as petty and useless.
“Well, shall we?” Dawn asked as she offered her arm to Julia. Smiling, she took it and started towards the door. Instead Dawn lead her into the bathroom. Eyes narrowed in confusion. Then again, several things about this night hadn’t added up, so what was one more? Holding her tongue, she followed.
And almost wrecked her mini-vow of silence when Dawn swung open the full length mirror hanging on the wall. How did she not know about this? A secret passage? How cool! She always wanted to explore a secret passage. When she tried to close the “door” herself, she realized why it stayed a secret.
Only a vampire could move it, or a mage with a powerful strength spell. The back of the mirror was slate and sat on industrial hinges, both to keep the hinges from snapping and to cut down on any possible noise.
They walked down the hidden staircase free of dust and cobweb. For a brief, insane moment she wondered if Sarah cleaned back here. Nearly laughing at that image, she held on to her amusement, ignoring the urge to freak out. Her guide to this crazy night maintained her silent, so she took it as a sign to do the same.
The stairs ended at the entrance of a tunnel with a dirt floor. The tunnel itself appeared sturdy with concrete supports. She looked over to Dawn and raised a questioning eyebrow.
Dawn took the hint and replied “Yes, we can speak now. No one, except you now, knows about this. I had it made when I first bought the house. All the workers had their memories wiped once they completed this. No sense in killing such skilled men.”
“What in the nine hells is going on? Why do you think your place is bugged?”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t want you involved in this at all. This is my battle and I will be the victor.” A snarl transformed Dawn’s sweet face, showing her vampire side. Her canines had elongated and for a second, fear skittered along Julia's spine. The watchful, instinctual part of her brain demanded she stay still. Don't give the predator an excuse to chase.
Dawn outlived many of her compatriots for a reason.
“Oh pet, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” And just like that, her sweet Dawn was back. “But I meant what I said. This has nothing to do with you and you will not involve yourself in this. I’m not sure what’s going on yet, just that I’m a target. This time, I’m not running. They will soon learn I’m a better hunter than prey.
“What I want to speak to you about is why you disappeared. What’s going on with you? How can I help?”
They stayed at the entrance to the tunnel as Julia filled her in, explaining how Jackson saved her life by pulling her into Fay and someone framed him for the demon summoning, but they lacked concrete proof. By the time she poured out the story, mental exhaustion nagged at her. So much to deal with.
Dawn kept quiet until the end. “Involve the Coterie, or at least someone you trust. Both of you can’t do this alone. You need help. I’ll do what I can, see what information I can gather for you. Just remember, you’re not allowed getting hurt. I wasn’t kidding when I said you’re my favourite pet. I will destroy any who hurt you.”
Her words carried the weight of Dawn’s considerable years and her lack of human conscience.
“I’m getting Markus involved. I trust him and he’ll help once I tell him everything thing. At least I think he’ll help.” She honestly wasn’t too sure if he would assist
them. Perhaps their years together would sway him.
She sighed and pushed the self-defeating thoughts from her mind. No sense in worry about possibilities.
A glance at her watch confirmed her suspicions. Time for them to catch their taxi. In silence, she followed Dawn through the tunnel, their heels clicking on the cement floor, echoing in the dimness. Bare bulbs hung from the ceiling, swaying from the air they stirred. Shadows grew and shrank around them, lending a creepy vibe to the exposed dirt.
A relieved exhale escaped Julia as they reached the end. Stairs led them upwards, the light stationary. Dawn pushed against the ceiling, revealing the way out. Once they both stood next to the gaping hole, Dawn lowered the huge slab of slate into place.
Hidden within the garden shed floor, the trapdoor lay flush with the fake wooden floorboards. Finding this again would be almost impossible. No handholds or rings betrayed its existence.
Dawn gave her a dazzling smile, looped their arms together and said “Let’s go take the art world by storm. Or, you know, look sexy and mysterious for a few hours.”
Chapter Eighteen
THE ART GALLERY of Ontario was lit up, the glass walls giving a sneak peek to some of the art on display. As one of the most prestigious galleries in Canada, being featured here was a huge feather in Dawn’s cap. A few other artists were also on display for this large opening, however, Dawn was the main event.
“I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe you finally have a show at AGO. So how are you feeling, nervous, excited, bored?” Giddy excitement bubbled in Julia's veins. Her words rushed over each other.
Keep this up and you'll be dancing around like a child. She thought in disgust. Her role as a bodyguard wouldn't fool anyone if she didn't act like a professional.
Behaving like a schoolgirl at her first dance was unacceptable. As an Enforcer, she’d been to many highbrow functions, met dignitaries from different countries as well as other races, and spent time guarding high-profile people.
This was different though. This was her friend. Dawn had spent considerable time and effort trying to impress the AGO.
As they stepped out of the taxi, Dawn whispered to her, “I’m so excited. The butterflies in my stomach have turned into ravenous beasts, ready to tear out of me. I hope I don’t embarrass myself, like feeding on the director. Don’t let me feed on anyone, okay? You know how I get when I’m nervous. Some people chew on their nails. I chew on people.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll do great. Everyone will love you and your paintings.” It wasn’t a role she took often with Dawn, becoming the rock to steady her friend, but it was one she did gladly. She slipped her hand into Dawn’s to give it a quick squeeze, lending her support. She received a dazzling smile in return and the faint tension leeched out of Dawn.
They both waded through the milling crowd, making their way up the front stairs. Julia silently whistled, impressed with the towering glass walls and as they entered, she quietly gasped at the sculptural staircase.
She reminded herself to close her gaping mouth as it made her appear touristy. Her, a native Torontonian, looking like a tourist, she scoffed to herself. She recalled reading about the changes made to the gallery a few years back, but this was her first time seeing the transformation.
A perfect place to showcase Dawn’s paintings.
Security gave them a quick once over, not paying attention to the spell energy clinging to Julia, as it did to all mages. Sure enough, their human essence washed over her. It appeared no one warned them about supernatural guests.
Or, other precautions were in place for her kind.
At least no one searched her purse or frisked her. They would have found the spell components and a blade strapped to her outer thigh. An accessory no woman should be without.
Jackson had taken great pleasure in fashioning a sheath for her and buckling it into place. What a sweet man. Most gave flowers, but he gave her a way to hide a lethal weapon. What more could a woman want?
“I need to speak to the director, make sure everything is hung correctly. Don’t worry, pet, the butterflies are no longer hungry.” A serene smile followed by a swift hug before Dawn slipped into the crowd.
Julia decided now was a good time as any to check out security and opened herself to the wards. She touched the threads of each spell with care and identified several of them. “Pacifism” to reduce aggression, “detection” to pinpoint intruders, “glue” on the artwork to keep them in their place and “camouflage” to hide the mages themselves.
“I can smell him on you.” A voice behind her said.
Astonished, she whirled around to see a gorgeous redheaded woman in a skin-tight black dress. The lace on the top played peek-a-boo with the creamy swell of her breasts and a light dusting of freckles spread along her shoulders.
“Um, I’m sorry?” She asked, positive she'd misheard. An odd statement, one she never expected from another person, let alone a complete stranger.
“I said, I can smell him on you.” The other woman gave her a friendly smile, not at all uncomfortable with the situation.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. And I gotta say, that’s kinda creepy. Do I know you?” Julia sensed her werewolf aura, a faint intangible feeling of otherness.
Under normal circumstances, Julia had few dealings with werewolves.
Excluding them trying to kill her.
This better not be another assassination attempt. While she didn’t want to alert the humans she was here, she wouldn't lie down and expose her belly. The other mages, she didn’t worry about. They would have sensed her essence, recognized her as a mage. She counted on them assuming her role was that of a hired bodyguard.
“I’m Sylvia.” She paused, expecting her to recognize the name. It took a few moments, but recognition dawned on her face and Sylvia smiled wider. Jackson’s werewolf friend, the Enforcer.
“Yes, that’s me. And no other names, please.”
“Well, he never told me how attractive you are.” Julia said, sizing her up.
Physically, there was no comparison between the two women. She was rather commonplace even with Dawn’s help to create a sexy image- short, with plain brown hair and boring brown eyes. She had curves and muscle tone, but her appearance was not nearly as striking as the woman before her. Sylvia was tall, almost topping six feet with thick auburn hair and arresting blue eyes. She exuded confidence and sexual prowess. The only thing Julia ever exuded was calm competency.
Sylvia laughed with delight. “Oh sweetie, you have no worries. An urge neither of us had. He’s a friend and that’s it. Not even a drunken night shadowing our past. Plus, I’ve been crushing on someone else for years. He’s never felt the same way about me though.”
A hint of sadness shadowed her eyes, a deep pain haunting her.
Curious to hear more, Julia started to ask when Sylvia covered her emotions with a bright smile and continued in a cheery voice, “Oh, the stories I could tell you about our mutual friend. One time, he decided he wanted to run with the pack. He figured shapeshifting shouldn’t be too difficult. Just use a spell, right?”
She broke off in laughter, a genuinely happy sound as she recalled the situation.
“He got stuck halfway through. Couldn’t wrap his mind around being an animal, so he was part wolf, part man. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Random fur all over his body. He grew the ears. Opposite foot and hand changed into paws. And best of all, he had a tail. The look on his face was priceless. He was so worried he’d be stuck like that forever. We had to call in one of your senior Enforcers to dispel him, Markus.” Sylvia giggled over the memory.
Markus’ name caught Julia off guard. She’d never heard about this. She and Jackson were close in age, so this would’ve happened after her partnership with Markus. Why didn’t he mention this to her?
Sylvia continued, “After that, he decided he didn’t need to run with the pack that badly. From what he told me, him and Markus became pretty good friends. Hurt him to find Mar
kus hunting him, but he understands it’s part of the job.”
Julia barely managed to stop her jaw from dropping. Friends?
Not once had Markus mentioned Jackson to her, let alone having a friendship. She wasn’t jealous. Of course Markus had a life outside of them working together, but why keep important information like this from her? And for that matter, why didn’t Jackson mention anything to her? He knew Markus was her mentor and Enforcer partner.
Not realizing the turmoil she caused in Julia, Sylvia said “Let me show you around. I can tell you who the big players are.”
The other woman linked her arm through Julia’s, startling her with the familiarity. Werewolves were a touchy bunch, but only with their pack. Did she consider Julia pack due to her relationship with Jackson?
Before she asked the question, Sylvia pulled her through the crowd, parting the crush of bodies. A playful smile accompanied Sylvia’s words as she pointed out the all the rich and powerful people who made up a large portion of the gallery’s clientele. Many smiled back and a few tried to catch her attention, but she politely dismissed them with a glance.
“That one,” Sylvia said gesturing to a middle-aged, balding man. “is sleeping with his secretary. Oops, sorry, administrative assistant.”
She discreetly pointed to the sweet, young woman a few feet away from him.
“And that is his wife. His pissed off, in-the-know wife.” Her last gesture took in a portly, middle-aged woman near the cheating husband.
When Julia looked at her quizzically, she tapped her nose and explained, “Werewolves can smell these things. His scent is all over the secretary and he’s exuding a territorial scent towards her. The wife smells of anger and hurt. That’s why werewolves don’t cheat. We can sniff it out and we can be pretty damn mean when we’re ticked off. Also it’s why I knew you were his. He has his distinct marking on you.”
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