“Why do I need to stay?” He shivered at the excited expression on Mona’s face.
He’d rather not have to spend time alone with her. “As your mate and the protector in this relationship, I order you to let me accompany you.”
“No one orders me to do anything, buster. Besides, Mona’ll burn the house down if left unsupervised.” She lifted her gaze to his. “Please don’t argue. I’ll be able to talk with Sterling better if I’m alone. Once I get some preliminary information, I’ll come back and we can discuss our next move.” Without another word, she marched upstairs.
Xavier didn’t miss a beat as he followed her. “Sophia, wait.” He trailed into a bedroom and caught her hand.
“What?” She sidled closer to the closet door.
“When did you decide to help my cause?” It had been too easy to win her assistance. He squeezed her hand. “Sophia?”
She looked over the tops of her glasses before shoving them back in their customary place. “Does it matter?”
“Humor me.” Xavier stroked his goatee. He dropped his gaze to her mouth. “When did you decide?” As if taunting him, she licked her lips, leaving them wet, glossy, and ready to kiss. He stifled a groan.
Her hand hovered over the doorknob. “I made up my mind when I left your home this morning, shortly after I spoke with Hannah. Just so you know, I don’t care for her.” She wrenched open the closet door then turned back to him, confusion reflected on her face. “What matters is I’m helping you. Not because we might be destined for each other, not because I feel sorry for your situation. Only because I know what it’s like to be trapped.”
“Thank you. I apologize for Hannah. She and I have a unique relationship.”
How could he explain Hannah’s intrusion into his life without appearing ungrateful for her help? After all, it was because of Hannah that he even knew Sophia. “She’s got this silly notion to find me a—”
“Whatever, I don’t want to hear about your sordid past.” Her blue eyes filled with doubt, and then she shrugged. “No worries.”
“Thank you just the same.” Unable to resist, he tugged on her hand and pulled her close, brushing his lips against hers. “I understand the sacrifice you’re making on my behalf.” If his voice shook, Xavier ignored it as well as the tingle of surprise that shot through his gut.
“I…you…you’re welcome.” A rosy blush stained her cheeks to transform her girl-next-door features into those of an angel. “Don’t let Mona use the kitchen, don’t let the imps out of the liquor cabinet, and don’t turn into a wolf while you’re in the house.”
“You have my word.” He cocked an eyebrow, wondering if Fate played a horrible trick on him by thrusting him into her gravitational pull. “The Portal is hidden in your bedroom closet?” He could see nothing within but clothes on padded hangers.
Sophia shrugged and stepped inside. “It’s a guest bedroom, but doesn’t everyone know the Portal is here?”
“I guess not.” He blinked when she closed the door. Curious, he opened it but only the clothes remained.
Chapter Five
Being a member of the paranormal community was most enjoyable when Sophia had the opportunity to travel through the Portal itself, free to mix and commune with others of her ilk. While she loved her job at Nann’s, every time she made a visit to the Elias Realm, she felt as if she really belonged there. This was odd in itself since she spent a good portion of her time denying her supernatural persona.
Elias Realm, named for the man who first stumbled upon that particular Portal long ago, was a large and bustling metropolis. Businesses thrived there. Every element of society represented the city with the obvious difference being everyone in the Realm was a paranormal creature. A few intrepid humans resided there, of course. For whatever reason, they found living in a parallel world more exciting and fulfilling than their own.
Upon exiting the Portal, Sophia faced a tunnel that was comparable to a subway passage, but held no train or tracks. Interspersed throughout the tunnel itself were glass-enclosed cubicles reminiscent of cash machines, only these computer consoles offered many more choices. To the left, ran a set of stone stairs. These would eventually emerge onto a street that teemed with life and energy.
Since it was just after the lunch hour, creatures of all sorts scurried around, ducking and dodging each other in a bizarre dance of colors and textures. High-rise office buildings lined the thoroughfares, their mirrored facades reflecting the dual suns in the sky—but they weren’t her destination. After stepping into one of the cubes, she jabbed at a blue button and not so patiently waited as elevator doors opened.
“Good afternoon, Cam.” Sophia greeted the doorman and kept her gaze on the illuminated panel of buttons. She always needed a few moments to fix her composure before she looked at the man.
“Where to, Miss Raines?”
Sophia put a hand to her nose and tried not to breathe in the rotten odor that emanated from the attendant. “Immortal Court offices, please.” Cam was an ogre. It was unfortunate such an ugly frame hid his sunny personality. She’d met him several years before when he was terrorizing children on Halloween. So, she had hauled him before Sterling. Apparently, Cam didn’t possess anything Sterling coveted since the Portal Master sent him into a rehabilitation center to learn a trade.
He’d opted for a piece of the hospitality industry and ended up in elevator transportation.
“You been Summoned again?” Cam punched in a combination of numbers with a beefy green finger then peered at her.
“Not exactly. I need to ask Sterling a question.” No matter how much she liked the ogre, she couldn’t acclimate herself to look into his one bloodshot eye. If only he would bathe more frequently… Sophia concentrated on breathing through her mouth.
Grunting, he pulled a lever and the car descended. “Mr. Abbignon is in a foul mood today. Seems some big game he was after slipped through his fingers again. He was so mad he almost killed the Gatekeeper who disappointed him.”
“Great.” Apprehension clenched her stomach into a tight ball. She was one of twenty-four Gatekeepers in the mortal world. Each one was responsible for a different area or region of the globe with responsibilities to patrol the areas and bring offenders to a Portal Master’s court for Judgment. If Sterling and the other judges decided the paranormal showed signs of redemption or rehabilitation, the Court sent the offender back to the Mortal Realm. If the paranormal was questionable then they were sent to parallel universes such as Elias Realm. There were eight different worlds in total, but Sophia had only visited this one. “Keep your fingers crossed for me, Cam. I’d hate to enrage him further.”
“Will do, Miss Raines.” He released the lever and the elevator car stopped. “I’ll be waiting for you. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Sophia exited the elevator into a long dark hallway.
Black walls, floor, and ceiling made of quartz added to the gloomy atmosphere but it did have one pre-possessing feature she always found pleasant and unexpected.
When she relaxed her eyes and glanced at the walls, tiny galaxies came into view, complete with super novas, shooting stars, and asteroids. Why would Sterling keep something so awe-inspiring since he wasn’t a “how cool is that?” kind of guy? Another pitch of her stomach reminded her why she was there. She could never forget the Portal Master was essentially two steps away from becoming an Under Lord, and therefore deadly.
Fastening the buttons on her red corduroy blazer, she hastened her steps until the dark corridor opened into a vast chamber full of desks and bustling clerks. This was where she worked when on Sterling’s time. She waved to a few friends before scurrying to a desk manned by an elderly woman with a blue beehive hairdo. “Astral, is Sterling in his office?”
“Yes, and if he knows what’s good for him he’ll stay there for a while.”
Sophia stifled a laugh. Astral was Sterling’s secretary. She supervised the work floor, as well as conducted the ballet of the clerks. “That bad, h
uh?”
She shrugged. “Par for the course.” She glanced over the tops of her reading glasses. “Been Summoned?”
A wave of nausea raced up her throat. “No, just need to get a question answered.”
“Good luck, honey. Not many of you people come into the office if you haven’t been Summoned or are on the schedule for work.”
“Thanks.” She took the stairs two at a time and stood at the frosted glass door bearing the Portal Master’s name. Taking a deep breath, she rapped on the door then entered Sterling’s inner sanctum.
“Why are you here, Sophia? We’re not scheduled to have a meeting for another month.” He kept his head bent over the papers spread open before him, affording her a look at the part line that ran through his raven black hair.
Shrugging, she focused her gaze on a clock set into the wall behind his chair. The numbers that ran along the perimeter kept time for Elias Realm, with numbers running in a circle in the middle of the clock face for the Mortal Realm. “I need some information.” Sophia slipped into a black leather chair opposite his desk and clutched her hands in her lap to prevent them from shaking.
Sterling Abbignon was the epitome of evil, or at least the evil she’d encountered to this point. A dark angel, banished from the very throne of God, Sterling lucked into the job of Portal Master shortly after being disgraced. Never satisfied to be one of four demi-gods in Elias Realm, he spent considerable time campaigning for election to the post of an Immortal. So far, the democratic progress had passed him over twice.
“That’s why the Internet was invented, Miss Raines, so you won’t have to bother me with your inane questions.”
“You haven’t lost your rapier wit, I see.” She crossed her legs and glared at her boss. “As far as I know, you’re the only one I can ask.” He shoved a stack of contracts into a folder then crammed the folder into a drawer in his filing cabinet. “I heard about your little disagreement with the other Gatekeeper.” What would he do if he knew what she harbored in her small apartment? As a Gatekeeper, one of her jobs was to prevent the Portals from being used as a free-for-all interstate between worlds, especially for those without clearance. There had to be a constant balance between Realms, which was why the post of Portal Master existed.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I told Selma to bring me the vampire she tailed. Somehow, she lost the paranormal. Gave me an empty excuse as to why such an error occurred.” He broke a wooden pencil with one hand then tossed the pieces to the floor with a negligent shrug. “I looked forward to interviewing the vampire. They are extremely hard to come by these days.”
Sophia’s birthmark flared to life under her sleeve. “Not as hard as you’d think.”
She mumbled the words as she recalled the strange man at Xavier’s dinner party. “You just have to know where to look.”
“Selma will pay. I’ll have her replaced eventually.” Sterling pinned her with a dark gaze. “You half-mortals are easy to swap.” He rolled up his black shirtsleeves and flexed his fingers, causing the tattoo of a cobra to twitch and dance across his forearm. “Is there a point to your intrusive presence or would you rather stick around and collect the same punishment as Selma?”
“Well, seeing as how we’ve never excelled at small talk, I’ll come right out with what I need.” Curls of alarm and dread twisted her gut with invisible hands.
Gatekeepers reported directly to Sterling or to his equivalent in each specific realm. Each demi-god of Sterling’s rank also had a handful of other demi-beings—half mortals—in his employ and there was a constant turnover, especially in Sterling’s court.
It amazed her at how long she’d managed to keep her job, but suspected it had something to do with her dependence on the medication he dispensed on a regular basis.
“I’m waiting.” His black eyebrows knit together as annoyance tinged his deep voice.
“Uh…” As much as she wanted to fumble in her bag for an antacid, Sophia forced her hands to remain steady. “How would a person go about freeing a gypsy-cursed werewolf?” She gritted her teeth, steeled for his wrath.
Sterling’s eyes glowed red with interest before returning to their usual black color. “Do you know the whereabouts of a werewolf, Miss Raines?” He leaned back in his chair, his lean body sliding against the leather as he propped his booted feet on the desktop. “I feel I must remind you that withholding a paranormal being from me could result in a steep penalty.”
“Of course not!” She forced down the panic that threatened to choke her then pasted on a smile, willing her face into a blank mask. “Haven’t I shown you complete and utter loyalty over the years?” She mentally counted to ten.
“Yes, your fidelity to me has been tried time and again.” He took up a metal letter opener, twirled it between his thumb and forefinger. “But I’m interested to know why you ask such a question of me when that knowledge could surely be obtained elsewhere.”
“No reason.” Sophia shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance, hoping Sterling hadn’t adopted the ability to read minds. “I happened to come across an old book at a garage sale the other day about curses and well, you know me. Always curious.”
Uncomfortable in Sterling’s utilitarian office of chrome and black leather, she suspected he kept the furnishings simple so he could appear the focal point.
A black eyebrow crawled up in surprise. “You’re perhaps the least curious person I know. If you weren’t so efficient at your job, you’d be stripped of your title tomorrow and placed under suspicion of treason.”
“But, I—” Sophia almost puked into her purse as fear kept her in a stranglehold.
“Although it would give me great pleasure to replace you with someone possessing more of a personality and a killer instinct, it seems I have a use for you at the present time.” He tapped the tip of the letter opener against his lips. Lamplight glinted wickedly off the blade that resembled a tiny sword. “Are you hiding someone in your home?” He leaned forward slightly; his jaw set in a hard line, his eyes flat and lifeless, and his voice a silken purr. “I will find out if you are lying to me.”
Taking a deep breath, Sophia met his gaze without blinking. “I’m telling you the truth. The only paranormal being I have at my home is Mona, and you already know about her.” When he nodded, she expelled a held breath in relief. “I did come across a renegade pixie, but because she’s so obnoxious, I haven’t brought her in.”
Sterling nodded again. “I refuse to waste my time trying the likes of an insignificant pixie. Do with her what you will. If you bring her into my court, I’ll sentence her to work the Mines in Arkadva Realm.” In a flourish of movement, he slammed his feet to the ground then came around his desk to loom over her. “To lift a gypsy curse of any kind, a member of the original family must be procured. Only a true family member can revoke the curse.”
“And that’s the only way?” Her palms started sweat. He leaned so close she could discern every piece of stubble on his cheeks. “Again, I’m asking in the interest of science.”
“Of course, I could lift the curse if I were to find the subject worthy. I have the power to override curses, hexes, spells made out of spite, and a myriad of other petty annoyances.”
When he patted her cheek and retreated to his desk, Sophia’s heart beat frantically. “That’s good to know.” She always had a healthy respect for Sterling, but now, since she attempted to withhold evidence from the man that respect grew into cold terror at an alarming pace. “I wouldn’t want to get involved in a curse.”
“A wise decision.” He twirled the letter opener in his hand again. “If you betray me, I will be forced to withhold your medication.” The smile that crept across his lips was far from pleasant. “And then where would you be?”
“No need to remind me.” She glared then scrambled to her feet. “I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my own humanity.” Sophia barely gained the door when a flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. The silver letter open
er, buried halfway to the hilt in the dark wood of the doorframe, quivered directly above her head.
“You’re the most trustworthy person I have on staff, Sophia, so if you did betray me I’d take it as a personal insult. I couldn’t be responsible for my actions of retaliation.” This time his smile was full of mockery. “I might be enticed to sell you to the trolls of the Demon Realm along with the pixie and perhaps Mona. You’d fetch a pretty sum, I’m sure—that is if you managed to keep your human form.”
“I won’t betray you.” Panic bubbled within her until she thought she’d gag on it. “I must go.”
“Have a nice day Miss Raines.”
*****
Sophia made it as far as the galaxy-corridor before one of the cloying memories of her past caught up to her.
She’d met Sterling at her father’s funeral. Her parent died during her early twenties from a heart attack brought on by the stress of being a Gatekeeper. They’d no sooner lowered the casket into the ground before Sterling had approached, clad meticulously in a black suit, shirt and shoes, the epitome of dark fashion.
Other family members drew her mother away, leaving Sophia alone with the black-hearted being.
“Who are you?” Never before had she met any of her father’s business acquaintances, probably because her dad wished to protect her as long as he could.
“Sterling Abbignon. Your father worked for me until he so ungratefully decided to die in order to cut his contract short.” He bowed from the waist, but the old-fashioned gesture didn’t soften the aura of evil emanating from the man.
It wasn’t the words that made her mad, it was the way he said them, as if her father had inconvenienced him. “People die. Get over it.” Tears sprang to her eyes and fought with the anger seething in her chest. She couldn’t believe this man would sully the already sad day.
“Ah, I wish I could, except your father’s demise has left a hole in my personnel file.” His black eyes bore into hers. “Since he mentioned at one time that you were also a Gargoyle, I find it wonderfully fateful you’ll take his place.”
Charmed by the Werewolf Page 6
