The Babet & Prosper Collection II: Beware the Bogeyman, Celt Secrets, The Trouble With Voodoo, and A Friend in Need (The Babet & Prosper Collections Book 2)

by Judith Post

  With a shrug, he followed her to the kitchen table and blinked at his surroundings. "Great appliances. Small space."

  She wasn't in the mood. She had a six-burner stove and double ovens, a deep, farmer's sink, and a round, pine table. So what?

  Prosper frowned, looking even less friendly. He scanned the tall, lanky vampire, and Babet knew he'd noticed every detail—part of his job. "So what brings you here?"

  The vampire spread his hands. Vittorio had more tattoos than Hatchet, but of course, that was his business. He ran a tattoo parlor in the artsy section of River City. "When I helped you fight the witches that the necromancer brought back, you told me that if I ever needed anything to let you know. Leam helped me that night—the only vampire who came when I called. I don't know if you remember him?"

  Babet nodded. Almost as tall as Vittorio and Prosper, but with dark coloring instead of the sandy-colored, shoulder-length hair and pale-gray eyes Vittorio had. "He risked his life to fight alongside us."

  "He's in trouble," Vittorio said. "A succubus wants him. They met at a bar, and he was happy to let her sip from him in exchange for a fun night, but she breathed part of herself into him. Sort of like a drug. Now when she calls, he can't resist. She inhales his energy and replaces it with her own. Soon, they'll be evenly matched, and he'll never be able to free himself."

  "He doesn't want this bond?" Prosper asked.

  Vittorio shook his head. "He came to stay with me tonight, so that I could help him. When she called to him, he braced himself in one of my chairs, gritted his fangs, and tried to ride it out. Sweat broke out on his forehead…. Vampires don't sweat. Finally, he couldn't resist, and he went to her. When he returned, he was exhausted."

  Prosper crossed his arms. "It's against supernatural laws to ensnare a man with magic."

  "She obviously doesn't care." Babet motioned for Vittorio to follow them into the living room.

  When she reached to turn on a lamp, Vittorio said, "I'd rather not be seen, if you don't mind."

  Enough light spilled in from the street for Babet to see. She sank onto the couch beside Prosper, leaving the easy chair for the vampire. "Did Leam tell you where this succubus lives?"

  "He doesn't know. He meets her at hotel rooms. He always returns before morning. Depleted."

  Babet needed a minute to think. She glanced out her front window at the busy street and sidewalk, only a few feet from her front door. Tourists jostled one another as they strode toward nearby clubs and restaurants. A girl in high heels and a teeny skirt walked a small dog. Babet fretted the dog would get trampled in the crowd, but when someone got too close, it nipped at a man's ankles. No worries there. She frowned, bringing her thoughts back to Leam. "Does the succubus mean to drink him dry?"

  "No, I'm sure of that." Vittorio shrugged. "I've been around a while. I've met a succubus or two. If she wants to drain a man, she can. It's harder to drain a vampire, since our energy replenishes itself, but it can be done. My guess is, Leam's a drug for her, too. There's something about his life force that she craves."

  Babet worded her question carefully. She knew Vittorio's inclinations. "Is Leam…special to you?"

  "Only as a friend, a good one. He prefers women."

  "If you exchanged bites…." She sighed. "I've heard that strengthens vampire bonds. I honestly don't know if that's true or not."

  Vittorio's smile was condescending. "My kind is much more liberal than most. We're fairly promiscuous. Bites and nibbles are common. It would take a lot more than a nip between friends for me to influence him."

  Babet felt herself blush, and Vittorio, with his night vision, chuckled. She made her tone more businesslike. "Could you follow Leam?"

  He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "He's as old as I am. We can transport from one place to another. He's gone before he's out the door."

  Prosper scraped a hand through his hair. "I don't know how to help your friend. Let me ask around. Maybe Hatchet will know something." He gave Babet a long look. "It might help to talk to another succubus. Lillith might have some suggestions."

  Babet squirmed. Lillith had volunteered to teach her how to use more of her father's gifts. Babet no longer feared her succubus powers, but she still didn't feel comfortable with them. She hadn't taken Lillith up on her offer yet.

  Vittorio's gaze turned to her, too. "I've heard about your father. That's why I came to you. For Leam?" he asked.

  Babet sighed. "I'll visit her tomorrow. We'll try to have answers for you if you come back tomorrow night."

  "About that…." Vittorio's gaze settled on Prosper. "My kind doesn't appreciate rules and laws as much as some. If I'm seen coming here…."

  Babet raised a hand. "I get it. We'll come to you."

  Vittorio rose to his feet. He made it look graceful. Vampires had a knack for quickness and style. "Thank you."

  Prosper rubbed a hand over his face. "If I'm going to be of any use to anybody, I need some sleep."

  Vittorio went to the back, kitchen door, away from prying eyes. "I'm just waking up. Have a good night." And he disappeared into the shadows.

  * * *

  Morgana watched Babet stare at her reflection in the mirror. The snake's tongue flicked in and out, unhappy that Babet was primping to leave shortly after she drove her home, but Babet had promised to visit Lillith, and the sooner she did it, the better.

  "I'll leave the kitchen door open," Babet said. "It's a beautiful day. You can sun on the back patio."

  There were no worries about leaving the house unlocked. No enemy could slip through her protection spells, and only a fool would risk passing a poisonous boa.

  Mollified, Morgana lowered her head and slithered toward the door to the walled-in courtyard. She loved lying on the warm cement or hunting in corners, behind potted plants. Before following her, Babet glanced at her reflection one last time. She was extra careful with her appearance whenever she went to visit Lillith. River City's most powerful madam expected only the best.

  Babet grimaced at her attempt at a Gibson girl's high, loose bun. Her hair was supposed to have loose strands escaping here and there, but as usual, her unruly curls kept trying to tug free from every pin. She examined her slim fitting, tan pants. They showed off her figure while still looking classy. Her crisp, white, wrap-around top accentuated her small waistline and full breasts. Yup, Lillith should approve. After all, the succubus earned her living by offering up gorgeous vampires, succubi, and supernaturals for sensual pleasures.

  Babet cracked the kitchen door for Morgana, crossed the patio, and disappeared out the side gate that led to their driveway. In this part of the city, houses touched one another, sharing walls—a blessing in disguise. It made the back courtyards private. The only way to reach them was from the alley.

  Babet decided against driving. It was an easy walk to the business district and beyond that, to Lillith's lilac, Victorian-style house with rose trim. It was the last day of March, and River City gloried in its good weather. Tourists bustled from one sight-seeing spot to the next. Some headed to shops that lined the river to sample hurricanes and beignets. Others gripped printed pamphlets for the "do-it-yourself" ghost walks and graveyard tours. The aromas of crab cakes, po'boys, and etouffe drifted from the many restaurants that lined the streets.

  Babet inhaled deeply. River City had its own heady scent of mortal and magic pleasures. She was heading away from Magic Street with its window displays of Tarot and fortune-telling, its voodoo shops, and magic elixirs, but those magicks mingled with the gumbo of river aromas and gastronomical delights, unique to this area. No other city smelled like this one.

  She finally came to the tall, quaint Victorian that offered hospitality and sex to some of the most powerful men and women she knew. Supernaturals and mortals alike walked through Lillith's door or hired her girls. No cars were parked at the curb or in the discreet parking lot behind the building. She climbed the steps to the wide, front porch and stepped through the unlocked door
into the brothel's foyer.

  Colleen glanced up from the front desk. "Hatchet told me you were coming. Lillith's expecting you."

  Babet could feel her shoulders relax at Colleen's greeting. The vampire with the fiery-red hair and emerald-green eyes was not only Hatchet's mate, but she was one of Lillith's favorites. Babet smiled. "I heard that you still work here."

  "Only during the day, as a receptionist. Old clients still stop by to visit, but everyone knows that I'm bonded to Hatchet now. No one wants to make an enemy of him."

  As Babet followed Colleen up the stairs to Lillith's private chambers, she had to agree. She wouldn't want Hatchet angry with her.

  Colleen knocked quickly at Lillith's door before they entered the luxurious suite.

  Gilt mirrors and crystal chandeliers accented velvet settees and graceful side tables.

  Lillith rose and began pacing. Her carefully arranged, honey-blond hair looked mussed, and her sky-blue eyes appeared clouded with questions. No sign of her usual, leisurely confidence. "You should have come to study with me sooner. I'm not sure you should be involved in these problems." When Colleen turned to leave, Lillith motioned for her to stay. "You can report back to Hatchet, so that he knows the troubles River City might be facing."

  Babet blinked. "Vittorio only came to visit me last night. He's worried about a friend."

  "Yes—Leam. I've heard." She stopped and narrowed her eyes at Babet. "I don't suppose you could convince this honorable vampire to visit me, to allow me to take a tiny sip of his energy so that I can determine what Malea is stealing from him?"

  "Malea? Is this personal?"

  "Malea's nearly as old as I am."

  "Since the Garden of Eden?" Babet asked.

  "Maybe closer to the Tower of Babel. She's loathed me since an early lover spurned her to take me to his bed." Lillith shrugged. "It's happened on occasion."

  "You replaced her more than once?"

  Lillith stopped pacing and crossed her arms. "Can I help it that I was created the first woman? Female perfection? That males find me irresistible?"

  "Not Adam, he grumbled about you." At least, those were the myths Babet had heard.

  "Adam was an idiot. He wanted a doormat with allure. What happened when he met Eve? He bit into the apple."

  Babet knew better than to argue. Instead, she asked, "So Malea hates you and followed you here?"

  "A foolish decision, but I'd regret having friends harmed in our volleys."

  But Malea had decided to snack on Leam first. Why? Babet glanced at Colleen. She'd bonded with Hatchet—a Druid—mixing her magic with his. She herself had just bonded with a shifter. "What happens when a succubus and a vampire mate?"

  Lillith wrinkled her nose. "Nothing good. Both are sensual creatures with lusty appetites, but it's been done. Sometimes successfully."

  "So there must be something more, something different that draws her. You think Leam's energy is more than just vampire." Babet frowned, picturing Leam when he helped them battle the necromancer. He'd joined them in a sense of duty, to help Vittorio save a newly sired fledgling. "I'm meeting Vittorio tonight. I'll try to convince Leam to visit you."

  Lillith nodded, then her brows furrowed into a frown. "You…." She raised a finger at Babet. "….need to learn your father's gifts. You've used them, I know, but you're a beginner, no match for Malea."

  Babet shrugged. "How could I be? She's Old Testament."

  Lillith waved that argument aside. "I mean this only as a help, but from now on, don't swallow. Breathe unwanted energy out through your nose and let it dissolve."

  What the hell? Babet's jaw dropped, and then she realized what Lillith was telling her. She stifled a laugh. Colleen couldn't help it. She slapped a hand over her mouth and sniggered. Lillith stared at them a moment before she got the joke. "I'm not talking about that. I know this is a brothel, but I was referring to a succubus inhaling a victim's life energy."

  Babet nodded. "Don't swallow," she repeated.

  Lillith raised a brow in warning. "Just go. Leave me. I'll teach you at a later time when matters aren't so pressing."

  Colleen rose with Babet to walk her to the door. As they descended the stairs, Colleen said, "Lillith's more nervous than she admits. This Malea must be dangerous, and I'm guessing she wouldn't have come here if she didn't think she could win."

  Babet nodded. There must be something about Leam that was special, an energy that Malea needed. She meant to do everything in her power to convince him to let Lillith discover what it was.

  * * *

  At sundown, Babet drove to Granite Boulevard to meet Vittorio. Both Prosper and Morgana had wanted to come with her, but Vittorio had made it clear that cops and vampires didn't mix, and boas tended to attract too much attention.

  Vittorio's tattoo parlor was in the popular, art district of River City. His two-story, brick building nestled between a headshop, displaying smoking paraphernalia in its windows, and an art gallery. Typical River City. Babet drove down the back alley to park in the tiny lot behind the building.

  When Vittorio glanced up and saw her on the stoop, he motioned her inside. "I'm finishing with a client right now. I'll be free in a few minutes."

  Babet took a seat on a leather sofa and reached for a magazine. Vittorio was bent over a mid-thirties woman who ogled him while he worked. Babet couldn't blame her. Most vampires epitomized sensuality. Shirtless, Vittorio generated heat. His low-riding jeans showed off more than enough of his long, lanky frame. His rock-hard abs glistened in the overhead light. A tattooed dragon blew fire on his right arm. Inked black, barbed wire spikes circled his neck, and a phallic symbol started at his navel and descended below his denim. Babet didn't want to know where it ended.

  When Vittorio finished a Celtic knot near the woman's breast, he kissed her creamy skin. "May this tattoo bring you orgasms and luck."

  The woman bit her bottom lip. "Later, I could come back for a new tattoo?"

  Vittorio smiled and wagged a finger. "Let's hope your husband likes this one."

  She sighed and reluctantly left the shop. Vittorio went to the door and locked it behind her. He turned the sign to Closed and pulled the blinds. Then, he went to the staircase that led to his second floor apartment and called, "Leam, it's safe to come down now."

  Leam descended the stairs cautiously. Most vampires were walking lust, and he was no exception. He had pale skin, pitch-black hair, and dark eyes...and was wearing worn jeans. Nothing else. What was it with vampires that they only half-dressed? He narrowed his eyes at Babet. "Vittorio said that Lillith wants to see me, that you're taking me to her."

  He looked like he might transport at any second. Babet tried to reassure him. "Lillith knows about Malea. She thinks she's drawn to you for a reason, that you have more than just vampire energy."

  "She plans to sip me to discover the truth?" Leam's fangs sprang over his bottom lip.

  Babet hurried to explain. "She thinks you must have an energy that Malea wants."

  "From my blood parents or my sire?"

  "Your sire would be just vampire energy, right?" Or did vampires carry recessive genes? Babet had never thought about it before. "Was there something special about him?"

  "He was a masochistic prick," Leam snarled. "I couldn't wait to get free of him."

  There was a lot of that going around in the vampire world, but then there were the good sires, like Vittorio. Babet frowned. Did he sire anyone, or just help young vampires? She really didn't know. Her gaze turned to him, and Vittorio shook his head.

  "I never had the desire to make my own clan. I've never created a new vampire."

  "And you?" She turned to Leam.

  "I had enough trouble sidestepping the dominant types. I didn't need any more complications."

  "What about your parents then? Did they have special powers?" she asked.

  Leam reached for a T-shirt, tossed carelessly over the stair railing, and pulled it over his head. "Nothing to brag about."

  No
t exactly an answer. Babet hesitated, and Vittorio reached for a shirt, too. They were dressed a bit informally for Lillith, but this wasn't a social visit. The succubus would be happy they just showed up. Babet sighed. Maybe Lillith could figure out the rest. "Malea wants your energy. There has to be a reason why."

  "Then let's get this thing done." Vittorio placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "What can it hurt?"

  Before Leam could list all of his worries, Babet said, "Vittorio and I will stay with you. My bond mate is a detective for supernaturals in River City. Lillith knows better than to drink too much."

  Reassured, Leam followed Vittorio to Babet's car. The vampires settled in her back seat. Babet didn't know why that made her so nervous, since they were friends, but their power pulsed around her. She drove to Lillith's Victorian and couldn't find a place to park. They had to walk a few blocks to the brothel.

  Before they could knock, Lillith opened the back door that led to her private parlor. Laughter filled the front lobby. A mortal, dressed in a short, black dress with a white apron, carried a tray of appetizers down the hallway for the guests. A cork popped. People went up and down the front staircase.

  Lillith inhaled Leam's scent, then motioned for them to follow her up the back stairs to her chambers. Once there, she sniffed more deeply. "Your scent's different, unique." She turned to Vittorio, and her gaze roamed from his face to his body. She licked her lips.

  Vittorio shook his head. "You're no temptation to me. I have other inclinations."

  "Such a shame." She returned her gaze to Leam. "And you? What are you?"

  Leam shrugged. "My grandparents were American Indian. My father married a Swede. And my sire was European."

  Lillith looked surprised. "You're part Indian? May I?"

  At Leam's nervous nod, Lillith pursed her lips and gently sucked his energy. A wisp of mist left his lips, and she tasted it on her tongue. "I taste magic."

  Leam held his hands wide, bewildered. "Vampire magic?"

  "No." Lillith licked her teeth. "Old magic. Shaman. Was your grandmother a healer or your grandfather a medicine man?"