by Anya Breton
****
“I’m sorry but the only authorized visitor for Dr. Marino today is Kora Walsh.”
“But I am Kora Walsh!” I waved my driver’s license wildly at the guy blocking the road. “See?”
The security guard’s gaze followed the plastic card. His delivery was as calm as mine was frustrated. “Ma’am, that photograph shows a blue-haired woman with pale skin.”
“It’s cerulean, and of course it does.” I jerked, recognizing the issue. At the moment I had raven hair and dark skin. “Oh. Uh, I’m in disguise.”
The guard leveled a dubious look at me. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But I can’t let you into the community without authorization.”
“What’s the problem, Rick?”
I’d called on Water a half second before Desmond’s smooth cadence broke into the conversation. My attempt to fix my skin pigment fizzled in my distraction. And then all attempts at thought went with it when I faced him.
Never had I seen Desmond Marino in anything but a suit. The gray tank top taut around his torso was darkened at the armpits and a portion down the chest. Navy knit shorts hung to the middle of powerful thigh muscles. Sweat had broken out in a fine sheen all over his pale skin, and a warm flush had built in his cheeks. He’d been running. And Hera help me he looked good that way.
His gaze passed over me twice before settling on Rick the guard’s face with an expectant expression.
The guard stammered an explanation. “Dr. Marino, sir, this young lady claims you gave her authorization to visit your home.”
“I gave Kora Walsh authorization. She drives a sky blue Nissan Sentra.” His pointed glance at the minivan implied he was aware the Dodge was most certainly not a sky blue Nissan Sentra.
I stared at Desmond for a blank moment. He knew the exact color of my car? I couldn’t remember ever being in it around him.
“Um, s-sir.” Rick’s gaze flitted between us with obvious unease. “This young lady claims she is Kora Walsh.”
Desmond’s attention swiveled back to me. His dark eyebrows lowered into a perplexed V that lasted until he’d done an extensive visual sweep up and down my body, ending on my face.
“Good God,” he said, softly cursing. “Is that shoe polish?”
“No. Can you just let me inside, Marino?”
He visibly shook himself. “That’s Kora Walsh, Rick. Please let her inside.”
The security guard glanced to the ID photo in my hand and then back at me. “Uh, are you sure, Dr. Marino?”
“Unfortunately.” Desmond’s drawl barely finished before he’d set off at a jog toward his house.
I vaguely remembered the route, but it would be my luck to get lost where Marino could mock me. Having him jogging in those shorts in my rearview mirror would make it harder to concentrate. Kore’s seeds! The man was so gorgeous it was unreal.
“Who was that?” Veronika asked with her nose pressed to the window as we passed the Water priest.
“That’s Desmond Marino,” I said between tightly clenched teeth.
“Oh my God.” She pronounced each word with undue emphasis. “I’ve seen photographs of our commander-in-chief, but he was always in a suit. He’s even better in workout clothes. Aye chihuahua!”
Yeah, he was. And he’d be thrilled I was leaving a drop dead gorgeous, blonde Water witch with fabulous fashion sense on his doorstep. Maybe I could claim that was my favor to him and leave it at that.
Kaila let out a grating giggle. “Will I get to see Viho Hiamovi jogging around here, too?”
I ignored the question because it was hypothetical and I wasn’t in the mood for it. Five and a half hours in the car with these six had been aggravating. And I still had to hold a party for Nell’s friends in a few hours. I only wanted to sleep for half a day and avoid all contact with sentient beings.
I managed to find the driveway to Desmond’s place using Water sensing. Unsurprisingly Marino’s house had the largest water concentration in the area. I’d unlocked the trailer for the women when he jogged up the driveway. He sported a new coating of sweat but was only partially out of breath. I pretended not to notice him until he tugged at my arm, pulling me away from the ladies.
“What is going on, Ms. Walsh?”
His eyes hooded while he rested his palms atop his knees, catching his breath. His scent should have been rank, but instead he smelled more like a crisp mountain stream than ever. Was it typical of Water witches to have nice smelling sweat?
“I can’t explain it,” I whispered.
Desmond lifted his gaze to my face. A frown turned down his pretty lips. “You are incapable of it or unwilling?”
“A little of both.” I maneuvered us on to a more productive topic. “One of these women is a Water witch. You’re her high priest. She’s going to look to you for protection.”
He glanced over my shoulder in the direction of Veronika’s high-pitched complaint that Gemma had scuffed her luggage’s trim.
“I can’t do anything for them because I’m just a human with a crystal shop,” I said. “But I can tell you Water manipulation worked on him.”
Desmond got to his feet. He ducked his head a little closer to mine. “It worked on Nadir Khan?”
I nodded, ignoring the way his scent rose in my nose in a strangely pleasant way. “Yes. Otherwise I’d be enthralled in some Vegas hotel with Were dosing me with drugs to keep me docile.”
His hooded eyes narrowed. “He’s going to come looking for them. And you.”
Fear spiked through me. He was right. “But you didn’t recognize me.”
“I don’t have a vampire’s sense of smell.”
“Crap!”
Nadir would recognize me by my scent. There might be a moment where he’d think he was mistaken, but he’d soon realize what had happened, especially if he heard me speak.
I took two steps back because he’d lifted himself to his full height and was just a little too close for my comfort. “What do I need to do for the other five? I don’t know how to contact anyone but Alina and that’s through Nell.”
“I’ve already taken care of it,” he said with a soothing tone. “We’re meeting here at noon. They’d like you to be present.”
My jaw set because I suspected he was the one who wanted me to be present. “I don’t have any answers for them. The ladies can explain what happened better than I can. You don’t need me.”
He leaned in my direction. Frustration poured off him, brushing my consciousness with a light clenching sensation. “You can’t steal a vampire’s thralls and then wash your hands of them, Ms. Walsh!”
I lifted my chin. “What is a high priest’s job if not to see to the protection of his people?”
An angry vein twitched in Desmond’s forehead as his face reddened. His voice began low, growing harsher with each word he spoke. “Do you suppose I ought to kill this vampire to free these women and thus begin an international war with the undead? Because I can’t fathom how else I can help them.”
I knew little of the undead, but I did know enough to answer his question. “He needs to be within hearing distance to call them. Just don’t let him into Wipuk.”
“Just don’t let Nadir Kahn into Wipuk.” He shook his head and gave a bitter laugh. “How easy you make it sound. As if we can fortify our borders to keep him out when we couldn’t stop a human from invading.”
That was my cue. I turned on my heel, stalking back to the van and then spoke to the ladies. “This is Desmond Marino. He’s going to introduce you to the heads of your covens. If for some horrible reason they deny you assistance, call me with the number I gave you this morning. I’ll find some way to help you.”
Desmond called after me. “Ms. Walsh.”
“I’ve got to go drop the van off before they charge me extra.” It was a lie. I needed the excuse to leave. Besides, Desmond had probably never reduced himself to renting a car in his life. He wouldn’t know better.
“Ms. Walsh, unless you want your new Dark witch fri
end to become part of Eamonn Cary’s harem, you should take her with you.”
“Harem?” Jacqueline’s jaw dropped open. “I’m happily married! I need to get home to my husband!”
I shot a glare at Desmond. But I wasn’t certain he was wrong. That made me hesitate. “Can you persuade him to take responsibility for her without her being present?”
“I can do my best, Ms. Walsh.” He paused, rubbing his fingers along his knuckles. “Provided you owe me another favor.”
My teeth ground. “Fine. Jacqueline, you’ll need to put your luggage back in the car.”
I started down the driveway to help.
Desmond called out another disturbing statement. “That’s three favors now, Ms. Walsh.”
“Three? It’s two!”
He lifted a single finger. “One for calling the coalition together and providing a safe house for the ladies until their covens take responsibility for them.” Desmond lifted a second finger. “One for persuading Eamonn to take responsibility for Jacqueline despite her absence.” A third finger joined the other two. “And one for holding this afternoon’s meeting in spite of your absence.”
“You are such a dick,” I said as I slipped into the driver’s seat.
This would probably come back to haunt me three times as badly as normal. What choice did I have? I couldn’t answer any of the questions the coalition would ask. It was best if I weren’t present to hear them.
I’d have to owe the dick three favors.
Jacqueline’s petite body settled into the passenger seat beside me. I put the van in reverse, shooting one last glare at Desmond before backing out of the driveway and away from the mound of Veronika’s suitcases.
The blonde’s bright blue eyes were already fixed hungrily on him. My only consolation was that she’d nullify one of my favors.
Chapter Eight
Jacqueline was as exhausted as I was by the time we reached my apartment. Bringing the rental van back had taken a half hour I hadn’t wanted to give up. Perhaps that was why she was more than willing to stretch out on the futon in the living room. I got her fresh sheets, a pillow, and a blanket in my last minutes of lucidity. Then I dropped onto my bed. We both slept until my alarm went off at six in the evening.
I took a quick shower and readied in the bedroom while Jacqueline took hers. She’d leveled only one perplexed look at my cerulean hair and pale skin and then muttered, “weird ass white girl.”
While I waited for her to finish arranging her curled hair just so, I listened to my voicemail messages. I’d set the phone to silent this morning. Nothing would have been Earth-shattering enough to merit my waking to answer a call.
The first message had been from Nell demanding to know what had happened in Vegas and if I’d make it to the planned party tonight. I sent her a quick text message letting her know it was still on. However, the second recording waiting for me was as disturbing as it was irritating. Would it have been better to answer Desmond’s call so I could shout at him then or wait until I could do it in person?
He’d claimed there’d been an outcry among the coalition. It had something to my ability to tap Water magic. Veronika had spilled the beans when she’d explained how I’d gotten them away from Nadir.
The coalition now knew I had access to at least three schools of magic. In a disgustingly casual tone, Desmond had mentioned he’d had to take responsibility for me in order to calm the group. And that I now owed him four favors.
He’d taken away my right to choose who took responsibility for me. I was furious. That decision could have been made at a later date. But if I complained, he’d point out that I could have spoken for myself if I’d been present at the meeting.
The final message was another frantic call from Nell about the party. By the time I’d finished listening to it, I’d received a text message back from her with a frowning face and a demand I get my ass to the shop.
Jacqueline and I grabbed two cookies each out of the package atop my breakfast bar as a makeshift meal. My leather wristband told me they weren’t traps from the Underworld and thus were safe to eat—or at least as safe as processed cookies could be. We piled into my Nissan to make the short trip to my shop. Jacqueline remained quiet beside me as she had all day.
Nell’s Mazda was already in the lot when I pulled in. Beside it was a black BMW.
“Fuck me,” I said under my breath.
Jacqueline’s frame went stiff as a board. Her gaze darted around the lot. “What? Is he here?”
“No, but Desmond Marino is.”
I forced myself out of the car. And then gave into a minor tantrum by slamming the door and stomping toward the building. I could already see him and Veronika seated on folding chairs inside.
Nell beat me to the lock simply so she could glare at me. She snapped a question as soon as the glass was wide enough to allow it. “What is he doing here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“He claims he was invited,” Nell said. “I didn’t invite him.”
“I didn’t either.”
Desmond cleared his throat. “Alina invited me.”
I shot Nell a smug “Ah-hah!” look because Alina was her mother.
The Water priest settled back in his most arrogant of leans as if he owned the damn place. “I thought Veronika would like to meet people her own age during her unfortunate stay here.”
The pretty blonde jerked toward him and then focused on us. I couldn’t tell what her neutral expression meant without an empathic link. But Desmond’s statement implied he wasn’t her age. I supposed he was correct. He had to be in his mid thirties. Veronika couldn’t be any older than me.
I gestured at my guest. “This is Jacqueline Washington.” Waving at Nell for Jacqueline’s benefit, I went on. “This is Nell Kranz. She works with me here at the shop. And that’s Desmond Marino, the head of Neptune’s Fellowship.”
Desmond inclined his cropped head of blue-black hair. She nodded a greeting in return.
“Go ahead and have a seat. I need to get some things out of storage.” I didn’t wait for their permission before heading down the stairs.
Nell and I had created some gift bags and door prize packages using inexpensive items that had plenty of bang. Each bag had a special incense stick, a good luck charm, and a coupon for twenty percent off one item. Nell joined me up the stairs, I assumed so she could help haul them to shop floor. Her favorite CD already piped through the space.
I smelled pizza on my second trip up. My stomach growled like Cerberus during an invasion when I spotted the delivery witch heading out to her car with empty hands. Jacqueline and I dove into one of the large cheese pizzas to quiet our rumbling tummies.
Veronika refused a piece, citing that Dr. Marino had fed her a large dinner. My shoulders drooped. I’d been a horrible host for Jacqueline. But the reminder of the large dinner “Dr. Marino” had fed me a week ago sent me downstairs until the flush had faded from my cheeks. I took my time scaling the stairs.
“So wait,” Veronika said. “That chick with the blue hair is Becky?”
“Becky?” Nell’s sharp voice called across the shop. “Who in the shit is Becky?”
“Kora is,” Desmond said. “Becky would be a diminutive of Rebecca—her given name.”
“Her given name is Rebecca?” My employee asked. “Then why the hell does she go by Kora?”
“I would assume for the same reason you go by Nell.”
“Because the grandmother she was named after is a bitch?”
I popped onto the top floor. “No. Because I like my godmother more, so I use her nickname.” During my time in the Underworld, Persephone had been as big a champion for me as my own mother. I didn’t mind carrying a form of her nickname “Kore”.
Nell’s friend Terran the Earth witch pulled into the parking lot. I breezed to the door like a good host. With Terran was Avery—an Air witch. Would Logan the Water witch come later or not at all? They seemed to travel as a pack.
The two girls bounced to Nell for hugs. I settled on my stool behind the glass display case for a few moments while they introduced themselves to the others.
Though I’d slept a few hours, I was still keyed up with fear. The sun would soon set. I probably needed to warn Maximo of what had happened before a foreign vampire showed up on his turf. Too bad I didn’t have his phone number. I glanced back at the wall clock, noting I had a mere five minutes before the party would begin and at least an hour before I’d be able to leave. The timing on all of this left much to be desired.
I glanced at where Jacqueline huddled into her chair near the door. She looked as though she’d bolt at any moment. What was I supposed to do with her? I couldn’t keep her on my futon forever, especially not when I received visits from my mother. I dropped my head in my hands. How was I going to get out of this one?
Logan’s car pulled into the lot moments later. With her was a young male witch I hadn’t met. He murmured his name, Jeff, while shaking my hand. Jeff was handsome in the dark-haired, pale-skinned, Desmond Marino sort of way. They could have been brothers, but the stiff greeting they gave each other implied otherwise.
Nell faced me. “That’s everyone I invited who RSVP’d.” The emphasis on the noun was accusatory, as though she believed I’d invited others she didn’t know about. I didn’t remind her it had been Alina who had invited Desmond.
“Okay.” I nodded. “Let’s get started.”
Nell told everyone about the pizza, freshly baked cookies, snacks, and drinks on the table against the back wall as well as the restroom that was just inside the employee only entrance on the Sedona floor. Then she turned the volume down on the music so I could begin the presentation.
“Hi, everyone.” I fussed with my jagged hair and then made myself make eye contact. “Welcome to Rarities. It’s nice to see you all again and in street clothes. You look like normal people now.”
I winked at Terran because she’d been wearing a pink puffed monstrosity her mother had forced her into when we’d met at the solstice ball. The young woman grinned in return.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kora Walsh. I’m new to Wipuk. I’m a sorceress.” I fixed an eye on Desmond. “I don’t use weaves.” My attention switched to Avery. “I don’t sell weaves.” I moved my gaze over to Logan. “I’ve never even touched a weave.” I made sure my voice was level and the pace sedate. “I think they’re evil. The items we sell here are objects that have natural power—power that didn’t come from a witch’s sacrifice. Some of these items do miraculous things. Some just make life a little easier. But many of the objects require attunement with their owner. So tonight we’re going to play a few games. The winner of each game will win an object. To be fair, we’ll only allow one win per person.” I gestured to Nell. “But first, here is a small token of our appreciation for your attendance at our event.”
