“Make me.” He chuckled. His hand went still and my breath hitched in frustration. If I’d wanted to, I could push him away, say no, but the hunger was too sharp, too bright, to ignore. Cursing him, I gripped and spread my thighs and slipped my own hand beneath the waistband of my jeans and panties. Our fingers intertwined, and then the muscles in his arms were bunching as he took my hand, showing me precisely what he’d like to do to me with other, thicker, things. My eyes drifted shut, and in that moment, under his ministrations, it was easy to forget everything and simply let my mind drift away on a wave of bliss.
* * * *
Despite everything we’d learned, and everything we still had left to do, I went into Style and Flair that next morning with a light heart. I wasn’t sure if it was because we had the start of a plan now or because of the raunchy sex we’d had in Clarabell’s waiting room before Flo had kicked us out of the house. Either way, I was feeling good and ready to take on the world. I’d done most of my training the day before and focused mainly on remembering how to run the POS system that LaRue had installed in the store.
The excitement with LaRue’s last sales girl had made the news. No one really knew what to make of it, but this was the south. We were used to strange happenings. If anything, word of what had happened had actually brought in more shoppers than usual. I knew this because I spent as much time gossiping as I did ringing people up. We were busy enough that I didn’t have much time to think about everything I’d learned the night before. At the same time, I also had little time to worry.
Which was nice.
What wasn’t so nice was the fact that I was pretty much running the place by myself until the night manager came in to relieve me from my shift. LaRue hadn’t shown up for work that morning and the only thing that had saved me was when I’d called one of the other sales girls so that she could walk me through the opening routine.
The bell over the front door rang and I glanced up in time to see several teenage girls enter the shop. As they moved through the racks of clothes, I didn’t bother paying much attention to them at first. But then something they’d said caught my attention.
“—Hungry Kitty burnt down.”
“Oh my god.
“Is Kaleigh all right?”
I looked at the group of girl’s from the corner of my eye. They were looking through a rack of clothes but were obviously more invested in the conversation than they were in clearance dresses.
“I don’t know.” One girl shrugged in answer to her friend’s question. She looked haggard, dark circles beneath her eyes and her complexion pale beneath her heavy make-up. “The doctors say she’ll need skin grafts.”
“What happened?” One of them whispered. The tired looking girl frowned now and shook her head in disbelief.
“It’s weird. Some drunk knocked over one of the servers and when one of the drinks spilt on her she started…melting. Kaleigh says she was screaming and stumbling around and when she stumbled into some of the electrical wires a fire broke out.”
“Holy shit.” One of them breathed and I echoed the sentiment.
“I know.”
“What the hell was in those cups? Acid?”
The first girl looked sick. “Water. It was just water.”
The phone next to my elbow rang and I jumped guiltily. I angled away from the girls so it wouldn’t be so obvious that I’d been eavesdropping and answered the call on the second ring.
“Style and Flair, this is Alex speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hello, this is Mara Westfield, I’m calling on behalf of my employer.”
“Oh.” I said. Mara sounded more professional than I was qualified to handle and I began glancing about in hopes of spotting LaRue. “I’m sorry. Hold on just a sec and I’ll go get Madam LaRue.”
“That isn’t necessary dear.” Mara told me brightly. “I actually called to speak to you.”
Uhh.
“Uhh.” It was always a pleasure to be reminded of just how socially awkward I could be. “Who do you work for again?”
“Mr. Zaran asked me to invite you and your fiancé’ to his upcoming gala.”
Zaran.
Shit.
I could feel my lips pursing and my eyes narrowed on their own accord.
“Zaran is inviting me to a party?” I asked, somehow unsurprised
“It would seem so.”
“What for?”
She affected an air of surprise.
“Why to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials.” I was in the midst of rolling my eyes when she added. “And to wish you the best with your pregnancy of course.”
My mouth went bone dry and I almost dropped the receiver.
“How did you—?”
“Mr. Zaran had become quite invested in you and your future husband Miss Greyson. From what I understand he’s been keeping an eye on the two of you for some time now.”
I felt a shiver. In all honesty, I had nothing against Maximillian Zaran. Our encounter had been brief but memorable. There was no reason why I shouldn’t accept his invitation. Especially since he knew much more than he should. I not only wanted to know what he knew, I wanted to know how he knew it. Most importantly, why he should care.
But I still hesitated.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course. We will of course need an answer by the end of the week since the party is this Saturday.”
“How do I get in contact with you?”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.” Mara told me. “We’ll come for you when the time is right.”
“Uh…how about no.”
I realized she’d already hung up and that I was now speaking to a dial tone. I hung up the phone in disgust. Only to jump when it rang a second time. I snatched up the phone.
“What?” I snapped, nerves beginning to fray at the edges.
The person on the other end of the call hesitated.
“Am I in trouble?” Sam asked cautiously.
“Should you be?” I asked rather than let him off the hook right away.
Another hesitation. This one longer than the last and with an air of nervousness about it.
“No?”
I bit back a smile and leaned my elbows against the counter.
“Uh huh.”
He made a helpless noise before finally admitting. “I’m in Lafayette.”
“Say what now?” Lafayette was about an hour away. “Why are you way down there? Will you make it back in time to pick up the bike?”
He sucked his teeth and if anything sounded even guiltier than before.
“Let me try this again.” He murmured. “I’m in Lafayette.”
The way he stressed his words made me ask.
“Georgia?”
“Kind of.” He said with false innocence. “Louisiana.”
I closed my eyes, rubbing my temple with my free hand and striving for patience.
“Why the hell are you in Louisiana?” I said softly.
“First off, you should really start answering your cell.”
“I can’t have my cellphone on the sales floor.” I hissed. “Now stop trying to change the subject and tell me what’s going on.”
“I want you to know that this isn’t my fault.”
“Noted.” I said shortly.
He sighed. “It’s the Clutch.”
Worry overrode irritation almost immediately.
“What’s happened?”
“Diedric’s son, Paiden, has issued a challenge.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Sam had told me more than once that he no longer had any wish to rule the dragons any longer. “Can’t you just, you know, lose or something and get it over with?”
“It’s more complicated than that. He has to prove he’s strong enough to take over. The clutch won’t recognize his rule unless he earns it.”
Shit. I’d forgotten about that. It had been the same problem he’d had with Diedric. The reason why he couldn’t
just abdicate and hand the title over to someone else.
“But why are you in Louisiana?”
“The combat will be in dragon form. We can’t have it in the human world so I’ll need to go back home to answer the challenge. I can’t use any of the portals in Georgia because they don’t lead to dragon territory. The closest one that’ll take us where we need to go is in Lafayette.”
I felt flustered, helpless. “But why’d you have to leave so soon?” I knew I sounded whiny but I was worried and scared and couldn’t help myself. “You couldn’t have told me?”
“I tried darlin’.” He said softly, regret in every word. “But you didn’t answer your phone and I have to cross over by noon. You know the rules.” Right. The damn twixt and twain nonsense that most magical beings seemed to live and breathe by. “I can’t be late for this.” He continued. “It would be an automatic forfeit. Which gives the clutch the right to hunt me down. You, too, for that matter.”
Sam must have read my continued silence correctly because his next words were soothing.
“It’ll be all right.” He told me. “I love you, you know that right?”
I nodded, realized he couldn’t see the motion, and spoke past the tightness in my throat.
“Love you too.”
“I gotta go now.” He hesitated as if searching for something more to add, but there was really nothing else to be said.
“Bye.” I told him, trying to make things a little easier for him. “Good luck old man.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. I’ll need it.”
My stomach dropped and I hoped like hell he was joking. Before I could call him on it though, he ended the call. I was getting real sick of people hanging up on me. Whatever happened to common courtesy? To ‘Hello, how are you’ and ‘Goodbye’?
“‘Scuse me?”
I looked over to see the teenagers who had come in earlier standing in front of the counter. Meeting the eye of the girl who’d seemed the most worried about Kayleigh, I struggled to smile. I’d forgotten to tell Sam about Zaran’s invitation. Glancing at the clock on the bottom screen of the register I noted that it was already 11:59. He would have crossed over by now so there was no time to call him back and tell him about it. I don’t think Verizon’s service extended to other dimensions.
“Were you ready to check out?” I asked finally, ignoring my inner turmoil in favor of good customer service. The girl studied me for a second and then nodded. I liked to think that she could look at me and tell that she wasn’t alone in worrying about someone she loved. I’m not sure if the message got across or not because she ducked her head and shoved a pile of dresses across the counter in my direction.
“Yeah.” She said without much inflection.
I rang her up as she spoke to her friends and later as I watched her leave the shop, I found myself hoping that Kayleigh would be all right. No matter whether the girl was her sister or a friend, I hoped that no one else had to lose someone thanks to magic. Or in our case, backfiring magic. The world was screwed enough without adding broken wands, crazy genies, and power hungry stepmothers into the mix. Despite my well wishes for the future, I couldn’t help but feel an air of menace swimming about me. Breathing down the back of my neck. A constant threat I couldn’t escape. It made me shiver and I spent the rest of the day trying not to glance over my shoulder.
I left Style and Flair feeling both emotionally and physically drained. I’d tried calling Rachel and Chris to see if either of them could pick me up, but since no one had answered I resolved myself to walking home. The walk wasn’t a long one, but it was growing dark and I was uncomfortable being out on the streets by myself once the sun went down. Especially with Sam out of my immediate reach.
I was halfway home when I heard a strange honking noise from behind me. When I looked over my shoulder I didn’t see anything but other pedestrians milling about. I hesitated, trying to see deeper into the shadows surrounding the nearby buildings. Eventually, I turned and began walking again. More quickly this time. When the honking came again I whipped around so fast that I nearly stumbled. A flash of white from the corner of my eye as something darted into the mouth of an alley.
Common sense dictated that I leave it alone and get home as quickly as possible. But there was something strangely familiar about what I’d just seen. Walking back to the alley where I’d last seen whatever it was, I stepped forward cautiously. There was an explosion of feathers and an angry caw and with a muffled scream I fell back. The Swan stepped out from the darkness and onto the sidewalk where the streetlamps could make her white feathers glimmer and shine.
The Swan made another angry bird noise at me while I clutched at my chest and tried to remember how to breathe again. Snapping its beak, the Swan shuffled in a circle before settling back on its haunches. I caught a flash of color and squinting, I angled my head to examine it a little closer. The headlights of a passing car lit up the Swan and I was able to see the source of the color.
It was a necklace.
A red gemstone necklace.
I’d only ever seen that piece of jewelry on one person and my jaw dropped in horror.
“Madam LaRue?” I squeaked helplessly and she ruffled her feathers and eyed me acidly from one solid black eye. Could this night get much worse?
Wait.
Scratch that.
Of course it could.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t take LaRue back to my apartment. Instead I hightailed it over to Rachel’s. I couldn’t deal with this by myself. My boss had been turned into a swan. Or maybe a goose. What the hell was the difference between the two anyway? I see a big white bird, and I automatically assume that it’s a swan. The sad thing was that the most interesting part of my night wasn’t finding LaRue but taking her on the bus with me. When the bus driver slid the door open, he glared at first the bird and then at me. Then he shook his head.
“No.” he told me.
The bus doors started to slide closed but I threw myself forward and blocked them until he was forced to open them again.
“I’ll pay you double.” I wasn’t even sure if I could afford the regular fare, but I was keeping my fingers crossed that I could find enough change in the bottom of my purse.
“I don’t care.” He said, jowls darkening with outrage. “I’m not cleaning up birdshit.”
Ignoring the stares of the other passengers I climbed the step, the goose/swan giant bird supervisor thing following loyally behind.
“We both know damn well that isn’t your job.” I hissed. “All you have to do is get us to Buckhead and you never have to see me, my bird, or her birdshit, again.”
We glared at one another and I admit I wrapped my will with a little magic to give me an edge. Sure enough, he finally growled in discontent before waving me on. I hurried up and paid so that I could sit down before he changed his mind.
Other than the looks, the ride to Rachel’s went smoothly and LaRue and I managed to get off the bus with our heads held high since she didn’t leave a trail of bird crap anywhere. The bus hadn’t taken us to Rachel’s doorstep so it was about a fifteen minute walk to her neighborhood and then up to her front door. I knocked, but after everyone had been ignoring my calls, I didn’t expect an answer.
Sure enough, rather than be disappointed when I didn’t get one, I simply wandered around to the side of the building and starting investigating windows. As my best friend, Rachel shouldn’t mind if I broke into her house every now and again. It was just one of the many privileges I’d earned over the years. I knew Rachel liked to look out the window when she was thinking or upset and sure enough I found one that was unlocked just a few seconds into my search.
LaRue squawked at me and waddled backwards, but her bird feet tripped her up. She couldn’t do much but peck at me and squirm as I shoved her plump little body through the opening. I heard her hit the ground with a thump and only moved to pull myself in after her when the sound of her feet striking the hardwood floor reached my ears.
The thing about breaking into a house, especially if you were shimmying in through the window, is that there was very little time to stop yourself once you got in halfway and gravity took over. The only thing that saved me from face planting against the living room floor was the fact that I hadn’t been able to raise the window very high and now my ass had met up with the barrier. I squirmed, trying to get loose and LaRue pecked at my face in retaliation of my earlier rough treatment.
That was how Chris found me a few seconds later.
“Hey Alex.” He said, crouching on the balls of his feet and eyeing me curiously.
“Hey Chris.” I swatted at LaRue and spread her wings like a goddamned Valkyrie and sent out a high pitched war cry, presumably to call in avian backup for my upcoming murder. “Can you do something about her?” I asked, my voice higher pitched than I liked.
Chris shook his head and I realized that he’d gone pale.
“I don’t do well…with…you know. Birds.”
“You’re scared of birds?” I asked, deadpan and he rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.
“It’s a valid fear, Alex.” He snapped and I held up my hands in surrender.
“Of course it is.” I soothed. No point in pissing off my would-be savior. “But I’m going to need you to get the hell over it. Pretty sure this ledge is pushing my uterus up into my ribcage.” He winced but I couldn’t tell if it was in sympathy or because he had to listen to me talk about my uterus. Maybe a little bit of both. I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when I started using ‘placenta’ and ‘birthing sack’ in everyday conversation. This whole pregnancy thing had more benefits to it than I’d originally anticipated.
“Fine.” He sighed, shoulders slumping and head drooping in obvious depression. He was like a human version of Eeyore. It was adorable. “I’ll be right back.” He groaned and shuffled off.
I saluted his back.
“Take your time.” I said generously. Then amended it with a panicked, “But not really.” as the Madam began eyeing me with her beady little bird eyes. Staring down at LaRue it was easy to see why Chris didn’t like birds. Though granted, LaRue may have had a reason for being such a foul bitch.
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