by Ibanez, Dawn
Troy lowered his eyes to his daughter as a sigh left him. As much as he wanted to keep his children safe, he wanted to go after his wife more. “You’ll keep an eye on them?” he asked.
Belle smiled. “I’m pretty sure with all of the Pack coming by, we’ll all be fine.” She ran her hand through Troy’s hair and mused. “Now, give me the baby, and go eat.”
Chapter 7
Lily walked up to the front desk of the Majestic hotel. She risked a glance over her shoulder at Barry and smiled when she saw the curious look in his eyes. “You’ve been here before, right?” she asked lowly. The way he looked at her said it all. She turned to the concierge and waited for him to acknowledge her.
The lean Frenchman smiled when he saw Lily. “Good evening, Miss. Dallas, we didn’t receive word of your arrival. I’ll have to make....”
She shook her head and cut him off. “No, Pierre, I didn’t call.” Lily glanced at Barry and wrapped one of her arms around his. “There was an accident in my apartment building and I need someplace to stay for a few days. I just wanted you to meet Barry Maxwell. He’s going to be staying with me.”
Barry smiled as he reached his hand out. “You have a lovely hotel,” he said as Pierre shook his hand.
“Thank you, Mr. Maxwell. Just give me one moment while I put your name in our system. If either of you need anything, please feel free to call me.” Pierre nodded and quickly typed information into his computer. “If you want, I can have housekeeping prepare the penthouse while you dine in the courtyard.”
Lily smiled and leaned her head on Barry’s shoulder. “That would be lovely,” she said before stepping away with him. “Thank you, Pierre.” As they walked towards the dining room, Lily risked a glance at Barry. The good mood that was starting to surround her fell. “Pierre has been the concierge here for about ten years. He’s very good at his job, so the room should be ready by the time we’re done eating.”
“That’s fine,” Barry said easily. He stepped in front of her and opened the door to the restaurant. “But do you stay here often?” he asked.
The hostess looked at the couple and smiled. “A table for two?” she questioned.
Barry looked at the woman and returned her smile. “Yes.” It was easy to take the cues from the woman all in black. She picked up two menus and motioned for them to follow her to their table. Once they reached the table, Barry stepped in front of Lily and pulled her hair out for her. He caught the way Lily blushed and smiled at her. “What? You didn’t think that I’d listen to you?” he asked playfully.
Lily sat and allowed Barry to push her chair in. She accepted the menu the hostess gave her and started to scan the various dishes. “Honestly, no. I was just ranting, and whenever that happened before, Daddy or Cord would just wait a while and then act like I never said anything.” She glanced up and saw the frown that crossed his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to compare you to Cord.”
He shook his head. The idea of Lily spending so much time with her brother and foster father, and being ignored, rubbed him wrong. Barry took her hand into his and brushed his thumb lightly across her knuckles. “I don’t ever want you to think that you have to hide what you’re feeling from me,” he said honestly. “I’m not a mind reader, so I won’t really know if I do something that hurts your feelings unless you give me a clue.” His grin returned as he looked into her eyes. “And by giving me a clue, I don’t mean sending Sloane or Eric after me.”
She ducked her head to hide her blush. “I would never do that,” she said quickly. When his laughter reached her ears, she grinned. “Okay, I’d be tempted. But I doubt I’d do anything.” Lily smiled as the waitress stopped at their table and placed glasses of water in front of her and Barry.
The waitress looked at the couple and smiled. “Hello, my name is Diana and I will be your server this evening. May I get you any refreshments?”
Barry turned his attention away from Lily and took a slow breath. When he heard her voice, he knew it was familiar. But her red hair and soft blue eyes gave her away. Diana had been one of his... he didn’t even know what to call her. They never dated. He gave her a weak smile and cleared his throat. “Hi Diana, I’ll have Jack and Coke.”
Diana blinked when she looked at Barry. After a moment, an uneasy smile crossed her face as she looked from him to Lily. “Same as always?” she questioned. When he nodded, she turned to Lily. She smiled pleasantly at the way the other woman was looking at her. “Can I get you anything?”
Lily glanced between the pair. While she wanted to be the vindictive, jealous woman, she knew she couldn’t. She was a Succubus, and with Barry’s reputation, there were going to be times when they would run into former flings. “I’ll have whatever mixed drink is the special tonight,” she said with a sigh.
Diana smiled before glancing at Barry again. She then nodded and left the pair alone.
Barry took a deep slow breath. “That was awkward,” he mumbled.
“Yes, it was,” Lily agreed, “but it was bound to happen.” She turned her attention to the décor of the restaurant. The familiar sight of large potted plants surrounded by flowers that bloomed year round greeted her. Barry was the first person she ever brought with her to this hotel. She brushed her hair away from her face as she remembered his unanswered question. “I used to come here a lot. Especially when I was in college,” she confessed. “All of my classmates wanted to go to clubs and I didn’t want to fall into that scene. Besides, they only knew me as Lilavanti. It would have destroyed me to have them know what I had to do. So, I would come here and hide away. Sometimes for a night, sometimes for a weekend.” She smiled as she looked at Barry. “I was here one night and next thing I knew, Daddy and Luna come crashing through the door going at it like two teenagers on prom night.” She laughed at his expression. “He had her against the wall, ready to go for it, and there I was, on the sofa wearing my pajamas eating ice cream. Needless to say, the cat was kind of out of the bag then.”
Barry watched her as she laughed. It lightened something in his chest to see her smile. It also didn’t hurt that while Mathias was a sore subject for a lot of people, she seemed at ease with talking about him. Before he could reply, a waiter came over to their table and placed his drink in front of him. Barry frowned as a pink drink was placed in front of Lily. “Where did Diana go?” he questioned.
The waiter cleared his throat and offered them a weak smile. “Diana had a minor emergency to handle. I’m Cory, and I’ll be taking over as your server.” He looked between Lily and Barry. “If you would like, I can give you both some more time before you decide on your order.”
Barry looked at Lily who shrugged. He then glanced at the menu in front of him. “I’ll have the grilled prime beef tenderloin, medium-well.” His eyes scanned what came with his meal before falling on the price of the meal. He had to bite his tongue too hide his shock.
“I’ll have the lobster bouillabaisse.” Lily kept her smile on her face as Cory gathered their menus and made his way towards the kitchen. A muse escaped her as she looked at Barry. “I’m sorry. I completely forgot how expensive this place could be.”
It was his turn to laugh. “It’s no problem. I always go where a simple steak is $60,” he joked. When she smiled, he reached across the table and took her hand into his. “Really, it’s fine Lily.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Diana putting her coat on and making her way to the entrance. He looked at Lily and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll be right back, I swear,” he said as he stood.
He followed Diana out of the restaurant and into the lobby of the hotel. “Di,” he called. When she turned to him, he gave her an awkward smile. “You don’t have to leave,” he said with a shrug.
An indulgent smile crossed her face as she adjusted her scarf. “God, I forgot how self-centered you could be,” she mused. “I do have to leave. My son’s sitter called. He’s throwing up and starting to run a temp.”
Barry’s face started to pale. “You have a son?” he questi
oned.
Diana laughed at his expression. If she had been the woman she was when they were together, she would have made him suffer. Instead, she pulled out her keys and showed him the picture attached. “Russell just turned two.” She was silent as he looked at the small boy with bright red hair and grey eyes. Her eyebrow arched when Barry turned the keychain over to see a picture of her and her husband on their wedding day.
“You’re married,” Barry breathed.
A small smile crossed her face as she stepped closer to Barry. “I moved on,” she said simply. “Randy and I got together a little while after you stopped calling. And don’t stand here and say you’re sorry. You’re not.” She then laughed. “I’m not sorry either. I met a wonderful man and have a beautiful son. We’re happy.”
When Barry only continued to nod, she smiled. “Barry, I’d like to think we were friends, so I mean this from the bottom of my heart.” She leaned closer to him as she accepted her keys back. “Go back in there, and forget everything about your past. I know Lilavanti, and she’s a good woman. Don’t mess up what could be a really awesome thing because of what boils down to pure selfishness.”
He frowned at her. “I’m not being selfish,” he argued.
A red eyebrow arched. “Then why are you out here with me, instead of in there with her?” she questioned. She smiled at the confused expression on his face. “Good night, Barry. Maybe you’ll stop in the restaurant again,” she said before turning and walking off.
Barry frowned as he turned and made his way back to the table where Lily was sitting. She had been sitting, awkwardly waiting for him. A frown crossed his face as he took his seat. When he looked at her, he caught a glimpse of her tear filled eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said simply. As she blinked away her tears, he took her hand into his. “I don’t want to sit here and make excuses. I misread a situation, and I don’t want you to misread it either.”
Her hands were trembling as she shook her head. “You wanted to make sure she knew you were comfortable with her being here,” she said lowly.
“Yeah, but I was being selfish,” he said. Diana’s words had been straight to the heart of his problem, and it took Lily’s tear filled eyes to see that. “I’m on a date with my new girlfriend. I shouldn’t be going off to chase an ex, for whatever reason short of she just stole my wallet.”
An unexpected laugh escaped Lily. She watched Barry as he lifted her hand to his lips again. “You’re trying to charm me,” she said softly.
He smiled at her. Her eyes were clear of tears, and her good mood was returning. “It’s working.”
“No it isn’t,” she lied. When he chuckled, she took another sip of her drink. She leaned back in her chair and showed him the glass. “Cory said that this is in honor of the end of the Year of the Dragon. It’s called Dragon’s Elixir. But he doesn’t think the bartender will give me the recipe.”
Something echoed in Barry’s memory, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He shrugged as he saw Cory walking towards their table with a tray of food. “We could always Google it.”
“There’s something fun about getting it out of people though,” she admitted. When he looked at her, she smiled. “Plus, at one point in my life, I wanted a bar of my own. That was the only place I could think of where I could be a decorator, bartender, business woman and therapist all rolled into one.”
Cory smiled as he expertly served Lily and Barry their dishes. “And if you would like anything else, just let me know. I’ll be more than happy to get you anything you desire.” He then winked at Lily. “Martin said he’d write it down for you, Miss Dallas.”
“Thank you Cory,” Lily said with a smile of her own. When he left, she noticed Barry was frowning at his plate. “What? You don’t like it?”
Barry poked at the piece of meat that barely took up a quarter of the plate. “If you do open a bar, can you at least make the steak worth $60?” he asked plainly. “This is just wrong.”
Lily felt light hearted as she laughed at Barry.
* * * * *
Madison looked at the house in front of her. She needed an Oracle. Since the visions stopped coming to her, she found planning her next move rather tiresome. Plus Jimmy had nearly open access to the woman that lived in the small two-story house. It wouldn’t do for him to come after her. She wanted the world in ashes, and she wasn’t going to let any member of her family stop her.
When Madison approached the house, the woman she had been looking for stepped out onto the porch. “Are you going to make this hard, Himura?” she asked curiously.
Tsukiko leveled a handgun at Madison. “Yes, I am,” she said before firing. Her eyes were round as Madison fell to the ground. There was no way saving her daughter would be that easy. The other Necromancer had to be around somewhere. She started to make her way down to the front yard when she felt the pulse of magic in the air around her. Tsukiko’s eyes were wide as Madison’s body glowed brightly. She aimed her gun at Madison again, only to gasp when something tightened around her heart.
Madison’s eyes were bright red as she slowly stood. “That hurt,” she growled. She reached into the wound in her stomach and roughly pulled out the bullet. A small grin crossed her face as she approached Tsukiko. “You had pretty good aim too. Gut shots always hurt the most.” She grabbed Tsukiko by her throat and released the hold her magic had on the Oracle’s heart. “But you have to remember, go for the head,” she said as her magic started to drain Tsukiko’s life. “If you don’t go for that single hit kill, things can get back up and come after you.” Madison dropped the other woman to the ground and inspected her wound. As she expected, the shot was now closed and now healed. Her skin wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.
Tsukiko fell to the ground as she gulped in air. “Take your own advice,” she growled before rolling to her knees and slamming her fist into Madison’s stomach. When the Necromancer doubled over, she quickly pulled her hand back preparing for another blow. Her eyes went round when Madison’s own hand struck her throat. As Tsukiko started to gasp and choke, she saw Dori run and tackle Madison to the ground.
Madison quickly turned and pinned her attacker to the grass. Her eyes widened when she looked into a face that could have mirrored her own. The girl slid her hand between her body and Madison’s and tried to claw her breast. Madison quickly shifted her position and rolled the child onto her stomach. “Who taught you that?” Madison asked in a growl. There was only one person she knew of that would use that move. When the child looked at Tsukiko, who was still trying to get more air, Madison lifted her up and turned her away from the other woman. “Answer me.”
“My father did,” Dori shouted. She broke free from Madison’s hold and turned to look at the woman attacking her mother. Tears fell from her almond shaped eyes as she took another swing at Madison.
Barely dodging the girl’s hand, Madison felt something cut across her skin. She grabbed the child again and saw that she held a small blue dagger. Madison’s lips pressed together as she looked into the eyes of her niece. “Jimmy,” she said with a nod.
Dori tried to kick at Madison. Her eyes were blurry as she saw her mother fall over. Dori shifted her stance and turned. As she flipped Madison over her body, Dori ran to her mother’s side.
Madison slowly sat up and looked around the neighborhood. Too many people were started to come out of their homes to see what was going on with Himura and her daughter. Her magic pulsed out once more. A slow smile crossed her face as everyone started to drop. As she stood, Madison caught sight of a car quickly approaching the house. She smiled as she easily recognized Victor’s Porsche.
Dori screamed as her mother’s gasps stopped. She slowly turned and saw her aunt glowing in a red light. Her dagger was still in her hand as she slowly stood. Just as Dori was about to take a step, a ruby blade was at her throat.
Madison looked at the girl. She ignored the way the color seemed to drain out of the nature around them. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a gr
owl. “But I will if you keep fighting me.”
The tears in Dori’s eyes started to fall. “You killed her,” she said in a choked voice.
Madison stepped closer to Dori and took the sapphire dagger from her. She then removed the bracelet the girl wore. “I know. But she shot first,” she said wrapping her arm around Dori’s shoulders. “It didn’t have to come to this.”
For the first time, Dori looked around and noticed the neighborhood. “Did you do this?” she asked in a whisper.
Madison heard a soft hissing sound in her head. Her magic was going wild, and for once, it really didn’t bother her. “Yes. And I’ll do worse if you don’t come with me,” she said darkly.
Dori looked at the car pulling up to the curb and recognized James Maxwell. “He’s my grandfather,” she whispered.
Madison growled as her eyes focused on James. She could remember how cold he was after announcing that she was going to be sent to New York. He never had a word of kindness when she did something that would make any other parent proud. All he wanted was a way to control the beast.
Her magic quickly wrapped around his heart and started to squeeze. She growled as he fell to his knees and locked eyes with her. It would have been so simple to stop his heart.
Dori looked at her with wide eyes. “I’ll go with you,” she said quickly. “But don’t hurt him. Please, Aunt Madison,” she pleaded.
The familiar feeling of someone in her mind brought her attention around to Victor. She smiled at her foster father before wrapping her arms around her niece and vanished into the night.
James gasped as Madison’s magic released him. He fell completely to the ground and gasped for air. His eyes looked around for Madison and the girl that had been with her. Instead, he saw Victor standing nearly frozen with blood coming from his nose.
Victor pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose. “It seems that Madison has better mental shields than I realized,” he said before helping James to his feet. “Are you alright?”
