Wicked Fantasy

by Nina Bangs

  Now she knew what had happened to those of the sisterhood who’d never returned from the forest. “So the Tree expects us to trot on down the left path with no guarantees except what it offers. My common sense is alive and well and says this sounds like a gigantic scam.” She spun in a circle. “Tree, could you elaborate a little on what’s at the end of the road? It’s tough to see around that bend.”

  The forest remained eerily silent.

  Frustrated, she stared at Conall. “The Tree evidently talked to you at length. What’s down the left road?”

  He smiled. “Definitely not at length. I don’t know any more than what I told you, but the Tree wants us to go.”

  “I don’t trust trees with unknown agendas.” “The Road Not Taken.” A poem she remembered from her past. Something about taking the road less traveled and it making all the difference. Satona shook her head. Where had that thought come from?

  Releasing her, Conall turned toward the left road. “Come with me.”

  “Are you crazy?” Horrified, she watched him start to walk away. Her common sense was free and making up for lost time. “We don’t know where it goes. We don’t have any clothes.” He kept walking. “I can make you come with me.”

  His laughter echoed back to her. “Only in your world, Satona. This is the Tree’s world.” He was disappearing around that blasted bend in the road.

  She teetered on the edge of all her tomorrows. Reason couldn’t explain what was happening.

  Suddenly she was running. As she rounded the curve in the road, she found him waiting for her.

  She stopped, breathing hard. “You knew.”

  He shook his head. “No, but I hoped.”

  “I love you.” She took his hand, and they walked into the future.

  What had they seen as they traveled that road? Where had they sought shelter to escape the dawn? These things should be clear in her mind. She pondered why they weren’t as she lay with eyes still closed.

  “Gerry. It’s over.”

  Conall’s voice. But who was Gerry, and what was over?

  “Open your eyes.”

  Something in his voice made her nervous. But nothing bad had happened in the forest. She’d remember, wouldn’t she?

  “We’re back.”

  Back from where? And was that regret she heard in his voice?

  “Satona is gone, Gerry.” His voice was gentler than she’d ever heard it before.

  Gerry. Working on the theory that what she didn’t see couldn’t affect her, she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. It didn’t work, though, because she remembered who Gerry was.

  Opening her eyes, Gerry turned her head to look at Conall. “We never saw what was at the end of the road.” And damn it, she had tears in her eyes. She blinked as fast as she could to hold back the flood.

  “That’s not the way it was supposed to happen.” He looked troubled.

  “How was it supposed to happen? I thought Eric said it could go in any direction we wanted it to go.” She was back in the real world now . . . Funny, but Satona felt more real than Gerry right now.

  Conall rubbed his hand across his bare chest, and she followed the motion. His chest was the world’s eighth wonder in any reality. “Wait, we’re naked.” The tangled sheet told its own tale.

  He grinned. “That part was real.”

  She frowned. Her back felt irritated. “What’s wrong with my back?” Gerry rolled over so he could look.

  “It’s red and scraped in a few spots.” He touched one of the scraped places.

  “Bark burn.” She swallowed hard.

  “I think Eric is scarier than I ever imagined.” His quiet voice said a lot about his respect for his friend’s power.

  “So explain what you thought would happen.” It couldn’t possibly be any better than what they’d experienced.

  “It was supposed to be pretty straight up. You chase me, you get me, you seduce me, and then you take me back to be your pleasure mate.”

  “You were going to let me have the control Eric and you thought I wanted.” The control she had wanted. But something had sent the fantasy spiraling off in a different direction.

  He nodded. “Suddenly there were all those unexpected layers. We were supposed to make love against the outside of the tree. End of fantasy.” Conall looked thoughtful. “And you weren’t supposed to remember my name.”

  “You didn’t recognize me.” Fine, so she was a little hurt by that.

  “Not your name, but I remembered you.” He glanced away. “I think I said something about you staying with me.”

  Okay, now she felt better. Gerry smiled, because she remembered exactly what he’d said. Stay with me, Sister of the Night. Forever.

  She felt energized as she climbed from the bed. They’d kick some demon butt and then come back here to analyze the fantasy. Conall would hate it, but she liked analyzing things, especially when Conall O’Rourke was involved.

  Gerry was humming happily in the shower when she remembered.

  Ohmigod. The warm water spilling over her didn’t even begin to touch the cold shock of realization.

  Satona’s last words to Conall.

  “I love you.”

  19

  Gerry had said she loved him. Him. Conall. Not some anonymous forest male. His surge of happiness warmed a part of him frozen and alone for 800 years. This was his personal tipping point.

  In a matter of moments, he’d shed his love-will-never-work attitude and replaced it with I’ll-make-it-happen. He’d chosen not to share her shower and all the accompanying pleasure because, as he’d done before every battle he’d ever fought, he needed to plan.

  While he thought things out, he put the clothes back on that he’d flung off during the fantasy. Funny he didn’t remember shucking his clothes. Then he sat on the couch and waited for Gerry.

  When she finally emerged, one look at her face told him she’d remembered. So he stood and got right to the point. “Do you love me?”

  Conall didn’t know what he’d expected, maybe a little eye-contact avoidance. What he hadn’t planned for was an in-your-face attack.

  “I don’t believe you. Of course I love you. I’ve tossed out so many clues it’s amazing you didn’t trip over them.” She tied her robe shut with angry jerks. “And I said so during the fantasy.”

  He held up his hands. “Okay, just making sure.”

  Her anger slid into uncertainty. “So, how do you feel about me?” She glanced away. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot, and I’ll understand if you don’t want to—”

  “Stop. Don’t say another word until I get this out.”

  Gerry looked startled, but she stopped talking.

  “I love you, Gerry Kavanagh.” The ease of the words surprised him. The truth behind them didn’t surprise him at all.

  Other than emotion flooding her eyes, she didn’t react. He didn’t blame her. Hell, a few days ago he’d hated all things Kavanagh. Now? His need for her was so raw and intense it felt like something was ripping him apart inside. You didn’t have to be a shifter to own a beast, because his was roaring and clawing its way to the surface at even the thought of anyone but him touching Gerry.

  “And you’ve said these words how many times before?” She raised one sexy brow, but hope lived in her eyes.

  One part of him resented that she’d question his love, while the other part of him applauded her caution. He tried for a thoughtful expression. “Once.”

  “Oh?” Her smile looked forced.

  “To my horse. I told him I loved him after he got me through a tough battle.” There’d been so many battles, and so many times he’d thought about the relief of resting forever. But it had never happened. And now he was glad.

  She didn’t fling herself at him but moved quietly into his embrace. “I want you forever, Conall O’Rourke, even if you told your horse you loved him.”

  He covered her mouth in a deep, drugging kiss. When he finally raised his head, she asked the question h
e’d known was coming.

  “If you have descendants, then I guess you were married. I’d like to know about that time in your life.” Left unsaid was, “Didn’t you say the words to her?”

  “There was caring and children, but not love. It was a time when marriage didn’t require love. Marriages were built around expediency. In my case, it was the need to bind two families for the good of both. Two armies can protect a lot better than one.”

  She nodded. “I don’t need details. Whether they were good or bad memories, don’t feel you have to revisit them for me. I understand that some things should stay personal.”

  “Thanks.” He appreciated her gift, because he could see curiosity burning in her eyes.

  Conall returned to the couch and pulled her down beside him. Tucking her into his side, he told her his plan. “I don’t think I can get Morrigan to release me from the curse, but I might be able to get a concession from her. She has to agree to let us make love.”

  “Damn straight.” Gerry looked militant. “We’re not going to spend the rest of our days making love while we listen for the flapping of wings.”

  “That’s why we have to talk to Asima as soon as I take my shower.”

  “Asima?” Gerry rose to walk over to the bed, where she began picking up her clothes from the floor. She glanced at Houston. “Hey, look at our boy. Leaves sprouting all over the place.”

  He sensed her nervousness. The last of the fantasy’s euphoria had drained away leaving only the solid facts of their coming battle with both Morrigan and the demon.

  “Asima represents Bast. For whatever reason, Bast wants me kept safe. So we’re going to pressure Asima to hurry Bast’s arrival. Maybe Bast can do a little arm-twisting—or in this case wing-twisting—to make Morrigan ease up on her lovemaking ban.” He hated doing this, because asking for help rubbed his face in his own inability to help himself.

  Clothes in hand, she walked over and stopped in front of him. “I recognize that expression, O’Rourke, because I’ve worn it myself. If I was only a few centuries older, I could do some of the cool things Eric can do. If I only had a little more experience, I could take on bigger cases. If my fangs were only a little longer, I could be the biggest badass in Texas.”

  He couldn’t help it, he grinned. She made him feel good. And she was right. He’d work with what he had. “Call Eric while I’m in the shower. He has to remove the shield. Then we’ll talk to Asima.”

  If Gerry had been in there with him, his shower would’ve emptied the castle’s hot water supply. She wasn’t, so he made it quick. He pulled on jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt. His battle gear was a lot different from the old days. Only his sword stayed the same.

  When he came out of the bathroom, Eric was standing in the open doorway. But his friend was simply a blur on the edge of Conall’s field of vision. Gerry took his breath away. “Wow, you heat up that outfit. Lady, you make it hard to concentrate on business.”

  Her love for him was there in her smile. “Beaded camisole, Sparkle. Really short black skirt, Sparkle. Nose-bleed stilettos, Sparkle. My happiness, you.”

  Eric coughed. “I guess the fantasy worked for you guys.”

  Gerry flung her arms around Eric and hugged him. “It was life-altering. Thank you.”

  “What you can do with your mind blows everyone else out of the water, Eric. I’ll pass on the hug, though.”

  Eric grinned and then glanced at his watch. “It’s almost time. We’ve closed the great hall to everyone except the vampires, us, and hopefully, Dell. Gerry, we’ve set up cameras outside of all the entrances to the great hall. We’ve moved the long banquet table to the side so the path to the hearth is clear. You’ll be standing in front of the fireplace. I want you to keep your eye on the monitors we’ve set up behind the table. When you see Dell approaching one of the doors, signal me so I can catch him before he enters the hall.”

  “What if he’s disguised? He won’t want Gerry spotting him before he reaches her.” Conall wasn’t smiling now. The reality of her danger landed squarely on his shoulders. He almost buckled under its weight.

  “I’ll recognize him.” Her grim expression must mirror his. “I told you he looks a little like Uncle Ray.”

  Suddenly, it was there, an emotional punch in the gut. Conall finally made the connection he’d sensed when she’d first mentioned Dell’s resemblance to her uncle. He rubbed a hand across his forehead. It couldn’t be, but it was. No one needed to know, though. The knowing didn’t change anything. This was his battle.

  “Ganymede and Edge are already in place. Ganymede’s hitting the buffet table and Edge is hitting the brandy. Both seem happy for now. Oh, and I took the shield from Jinx’s door. I use some of my power to maintain his shield, and I’ll need every bit of power I can get tonight. I just hope he’s too scared of you to steal anything right away.” Eric turned to leave. “Here comes Asima. I think she was glad to get some downtime.”

  Conall walked to the door. “Thanks for everything, Eric. I owe you.” He watched Eric leave as he waited for Asima to reach him. “We need to talk for a few minutes, Asima.”

  “I know about your plan to fight the demon. I’m exhausted from listening at your door to get all the details. And I absolutely forbid it. Bast wouldn’t want me to allow you to do this.” Asima padded into the dungeon, tail waving elegantly in the air.

  Gerry moved to Conall’s side as she narrowed her gaze on the cat. “This has to happen, Asima. If you really want to help Conall, you can contact Bast and tell her he needs her in exactly . . .” She looked at the clock. “One hour.”

  For the first time, Asima looked unsure of herself. “I don’t understand. I can remove Conall from harm’s way if he’s in danger. Bast is a busy goddess. I don’t know if she’s free tonight.”

  Gerry was losing her patience. Fast. “Look, you already said Bast would be here. Eventually. Well, tell her to move her schedule up a little.”

  Asima looked scandalized. “No one tells Bast to—”

  Argh! No more nice vampire. Gerry crouched down until she was eye to eye with Asima. She showed a little fang to let the cat know she was seriously ticked off. “Conall and I love each other.” She held up her hand to stop any comments. “Deal with it.”

  Asima hissed her unwillingness to “deal with it.”

  Gerry ignored Asima’s opinion. “But Morrigan won’t let us make love. I know you don’t care about me, so let’s just say this makes Conall really unhappy. Now, I think your employer wants him to be happy. So if she gets here in one hour, she can catch Morrigan in the great hall and discuss the situation.”

  Asima looked at her from those big blue eyes, and Gerry wished she knew what was going on inside the cat’s head.

  “I’ll contact the goddess.” She turned and left, her tail waving a little less elegantly.

  Conall looked worried. “If Asima listened at the door, Dell could, too. He might know the whole plan.”

  “I don’t think so. There’ve been too many powerful entities in and out of here for him to take a chance at our door. Besides, Asima has been outside for most of the time. If someone spotted him, he couldn’t disappear, and he wouldn’t want to get trapped in this hallway. He hasn’t had much luck killing me, so I bet he’s being a little more careful now.”

  Conall reached out and pulled her to him. “There’re too many what-ifs in this plan, but we have to take the chance.” He stroked his finger along her jaw. “But know this, vampire lady, nothing or no one will hurt you. I promise.”

  And she believed him. He wouldn’t want her going all teary-eyed over him, so she smiled brightly as she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I’ll have your back, too, partner.”

  A short time later as they climbed the stairs to the great hall, she made a silent vow that no dirtbag demon would get in the way of the love they’d just found.

  Gerry shifted from foot to foot, trying to ease the pain of Sparkle’s sexy shoes. Sparkle had stopped by to chat for a minute s
o things would look natural.

  “Great outfit choice for your big night. I mean, if you have to get staked, go out with good hair and killer clothes. You have a chipped nail. If I knew the shade, I could take care of it for you.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll live with it.” Gerry hoped. “I haven’t seen Morrigan lately. If she doesn’t show up on time, our plan is dead.” Dead. Not a good word choice.

  “I think she went to Happening Hair this afternoon. Haven’t seen her since.” Sparkle’s smile was all wicked anticipation. “She’ll come out a changed bird. Well, at least her feathers will.”

  Sparkle wandered away, leaving Gerry staring at the buffet table. Which was dumb because she couldn’t eat anything on it. She couldn’t drink whatever was in the glass she was holding, either. But she had to keep her attention on the monitors tucked behind the table so she wouldn’t miss Dell if he made an appearance.

  On a positive note, she felt great since making love with Conall. Before that, she’d been thinking about searching out a dinner donor. She smiled. Not now. He was a human energy bar.

  “Don’t look at me.”

  Startled at Eric’s voice in her head, she resisted the urge to turn around.

  “Remember, if you see Dell, don’t say anything out loud and don’t look toward any of the doors. I’m in your mind, so I’ll see what you see. Then I’ll take it from there. Make sure you face the hearth so he thinks he’s sneaking up on you. Just as he’s about to strike, I’ll release the minds of everyone else so I can use all my power to shift his perspective about two feet to your right.”

  Gerry swallowed hard. Two feet, twenty-four inches. Didn’t sound like much room for error.

  Eric’s laughter calmed her. “Don’t worry. I’m good. When Morrigan comes in, she’ll see the you Dell’s seeing. Yeah, I know she’s in on the plot, but it’ll help her act natural if she has a body to look at.”