Wicked Edge

by Nina Bangs

  He returned to the puzzle of what had happened when she touched him. It had felt as though she reached inside him and smoothed away the pounding in his brain, the knots cramping his muscles, and slowed his racing heart. All things she couldn’t possibly have done.

  It took two attempts for Edge to stand. Passion didn’t try to help him. Looking around, he saw that the talking woman had left. Dacian watched him warily from his seat on the floor, and Sparkle was staring at Ganymede’s back. She didn’t look happy.

  “Got it out of your system?” Ganymede clenched and unclenched his fists, his only concession to whatever was going on inside him.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Or as fine as he could be, knowing that his control could be overridden at any moment.

  Dacian stood. “Does anyone know what just happened?”

  “No.” Edge watched Passion as she moved toward the door. “We need to have a meeting, and I think you should be part of it, Passion. This can’t happen again. Why the hell were you even here?”

  “I go where I want to go. And I’m sorry if I invaded your private circle. It won’t happen again.”

  Edge didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. She’d misunderstood. But that was okay, because she didn’t need to know he’d been worried about her.

  Ganymede nodded. “We need to talk. Let’s take this over to Wicked Fantasy. I need a drink.”

  “I need to clean up this mess you made.” Sparkle’s expression said the mess included Ganymede.

  Yep, Sparkle was mad. Edge wondered what Ganymede had done.

  “I’ll take care of it. Later. You won’t be opening again tonight.” Ganymede sounded impatient.

  Edge winced. Sparkle’s stare looked as though it could tear bloody furrows in him. He expected her to scoop up one of the glass shards from her broken window and begin slicing.

  “You’re right.” She picked her way across the floor to retrieve her shoes. “Nothing will be happening here tonight.” Her narrowed eyes and thinned lips promised that Ganymede may as well change back into a cat, because the queen of sex and sin was leaving the house.

  No one spoke as they walked back to Wicked Fantasy, the small club Sparkle owned in the castle. A few minutes later, they were all seated around a table in a darkened corner. Bain and Holgarth had joined them. Edge spent a few minutes running through what he remembered.

  “Has anyone else had problems?” Passion had seated herself opposite Edge.

  “Yeah, I’ve had a few.” Ganymede sounded reluctant to talk.

  Edge knew Ganymede was never reluctant to talk, except when it might expose a weakness. Tough shit. At least Ganymede hadn’t misplaced his brain so far.

  “A couple of times in the last few weeks I might’ve wanted to blow something up.” Ganymede shrugged. “I handled it.”

  Edge smiled. Ganymede wasn’t going to mention the evaporating mountain in the Himalayas or the San Andreas Fault’s booty shaking.

  Sparkle spoke up. “Mede won’t say it because he wants everyone to think he’s all powerful, so I’ll say it for him.” She offered Ganymede a frosty stare. “The same thing that happened to Edge could happen to him.”

  Ganymede looked like he wanted to argue the point but after glancing into Sparkle’s eyes, he chugged his drink instead.

  “Coward.” Edge aimed the thought at Ganymede.

  Ganymede glared at him but didn’t say anything.

  Holgarth did say something. “I realize we have a massive collection of egos here, but someone needs to point out the obvious. Someone or something extremely powerful, with an agenda as yet to be revealed, is putting the whole island of Galveston in danger. He, she, or possibly it has to know what could happen, and they don’t care.” He held up his hand. “I realize it’s difficult for any cosmic troublemaker to admit, but someone out there is more powerful than either of you.”

  Dacian narrowed his gaze on Bain. “Well, I know it isn’t me. But we’ve never quite figured out how much power you have, demon.”

  Bain laughed. “If you’re lucky, you never will.” His laughter died. “If I wanted to kill you, I’d do it directly. Someone’s playing games. I wonder why.”

  Ganymede grunted. “Better hope I never find them. It’ll be game over in a permanent way.”

  “So who would have a grudge against you guys?” Passion glanced at Edge and then looked away.

  “Everyone.” Edge and Ganymede spoke at once.

  Edge elaborated. “Immortals are forever, and over the millennia we’ve pissed off lots of them. But if they’re powerful enough to take our minds, then why not just come out shooting?”

  “We’d better hope it’s someone already at the castle, because if the bastard is strong enough to reach us over a distance, we’re shit out of luck.” If he’d been in cat form, Ganymede’s ears would have been pinned and his tail would have been lashing back and forth.

  Sparkle looked thoughtful. “I’ll have Bill go over the people staying here. Since this has been happening for a few weeks, I’ll have him check for anyone who’s been here for a while.”

  Dacian said what Edge knew they all were thinking. “How do we keep Edge from going off on us again?”

  Edge couldn’t let that go. “What about Ganymede? Tonight I was the target. Maybe next time it’ll be him.” He glared at Ganymede. “And don’t give me any crap about you being stronger than me. What got into my head tonight was powerful enough to take you down too.” He grinned. “Of course, what challenge is there in possessing someone who only thinks about ice cream?”

  “He thinks about other things.” Sparkle’s smile was all sexual. Then she seemed to remember her mad and stopped smiling.

  Ganymede finished his drink in one swallow. “Enough. The point is, how do we keep everyone safe until we find the creep?”

  Bain offered his solution. “When Rabid was turning up the mindless rage in our friend here”—he nodded at Dacian—“you guys locked Dacian up in the dungeon. Would that work again?”

  “The dungeon sucked. Not a place to spend quality time.” Dacian cast Edge a sympathetic glance. “But it’s reinforced. It would hold you longer than any other place in the castle would. Besides, the dungeon is away from human guests. My apartment and a few rooms for visiting vampires are all you’d have to worry about.”

  Ganymede nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “I disagree.” Holgarth tapped a skinny finger on the table. “The dungeon is part of my fantasies. It would disrupt my schedule.” He seemed to think that was all that needed saying.

  “Too bad, wizard. Everyone’s safety comes first.”

  Bain must have a death wish. But enough of this. Edge was the only one who would control his immediate future. “Let’s take a look at the dungeon, and then I’ll decide.”

  With lots of grumbling from Ganymede and Holgarth, they all left the club and headed for the dungeon. Sparkle took her drink with her.

  Okay, so the dungeon was creepy. Passion shivered. Stone walls, a big heavy wooden door that creaked when Ganymede shoved it open, and a bunch of accessories meant to inflict pain. She reminded herself that they weren’t real.

  “This doesn’t look too homey.” Passion glanced at the wall sconces with their flickering lights meant to simulate a candle’s flame.

  Sparkle edged up beside her. “Oh, but think of the possibilities. See that table with the arm and leg restraints? Think about Edge stretched naked on it, open and helpless to anything you might want to do with his body.”

  Passion didn’t want to get a mental picture. She fought it. Hard. She lost. Worse yet, her picture became a video. And in it, she stroked her fingers the length of his sweat-sheened body, lingering as she touched—

  “How strong are the chains attached to that wall? If you can bring in a few creature comforts, I’ll go with it. I might hate living here, but it’ll make everyone in the castle safer.” Edge sounded reluctant to admit it.

  Holgarth sniffed. “Those chains were meant to withstand a
vampire’s strength. You’ll be able to free yourself, but it will take a few minutes.”

  Sparkle was in her element. “We’ll push the iron maiden and the other stuff against the wall. Then we’ll bring in a mattress, lamp, chair, and TV. Dacian’s apartment is next door, so you can use his bathroom.”

  “Cinn will love that.” Dacian sounded grouchy.

  Sparkle’s gaze turned thoughtful. She held her drink in one hand while she studied Passion. “Everyone’s been so busy trying to figure out who did this that we’ve forgotten the one who saved us. Who’s the woman who talked Edge down from the ledge while she made the rest of us feel calm about the whole thing?”

  Uh–oh. Passion had started to relax, thinking they’d forgotten about her. “That was my roommate, Hope. She’s…” Her talent for lying had reached its end, because she had no answer for what the other angel was.

  It seemed Edge didn’t intend to let her get away with that. “It wasn’t just Hope. When I was lying there, I still couldn’t think. I was blind with pain. But when Passion put her hand on me, I felt this warm rush of…something, and suddenly I felt normal.”

  Passion raised one brow. “As much as I’d like to don the Super Healer cape, I have to point out that it was just coincidence. I happened to touch you at the moment your body was ready to recover. No big deal.”

  Edge didn’t look convinced. “It was a big deal for me.”

  She almost slumped with relief when he looked away.

  “But we still have a problem.” Edge moved to the door and shoved hard. The door shook as though it were made of cardboard. “This room might slow me down, but it won’t stop me. All I have to do is snap the chains, blow away the door, and leave.”

  “Good point.” Ganymede turned his attention back to Passion.

  She didn’t like the gleam in his eyes. Damn. Too late to run.

  “This Hope that’s rooming with you must have some sort of power.” Ganymede looked as though he were thinking things out as he went.

  Passion shrugged as she backed toward the door. “I have to leave and—”

  “Once Hope calmed Edge down, then you healed the aftereffects.” Ganymede looked around as though the solution was obvious. “They have to stay here with Edge.”

  “No.” Edge and Passion said it at the same time.

  Strangely, Passion felt hurt that he agreed with her. And that didn’t make any sense at all. But then nothing made sense since she’d landed here.

  “Hope and I don’t have any special powers. You’re all just imagining things. We’re paying guests, and you don’t have the right to—”

  Ganymede heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I’m getting really tired of your denials. I’ll have to eat a quart of ice cream in front of the TV tonight to get rid of the annoying buzz.”

  “I don’t want them here with me.”

  Edge’s eyes were cold. No emotion, no hint that Passion was anything more than a pesky human. She tried not to take his rejection personally.

  “I think it’s a great idea.” Sparkle had finally found a cause to get behind. “Edge spends too much time alone. This will be good for him.” She narrowed her eyes to sly slits of anticipation.

  Passion might not know anything about Sparkle Stardust, but she knew that expression spelled bad news for her.

  “Here’s the deal, Angel.” Ganymede smiled at Passion. Not a nice smile. “Let’s assume for the moment that you do think you’re an angel. I’ve never experienced the feeling, but I assume angels have enhanced consciences.” He held his hand up to stop her denial. “If Edge goes off again, and there’s no one to stop him…”

  He let the thought linger, and Passion hated him for the guilt trip she saw coming.

  “Thousands of people would die during a battle between cosmic troublemakers with our power. Galveston Island would be a pile of rubble. Those that lived would be outta jobs. Hey, in this economy, it would be tough for them to survive. The government might even think it was an enemy attack and—”

  Crap, crap, crap. “Fine, I’ll stay. But I can’t speak for Hope.” Passion knew she’d just made the second biggest mistake of her life. The first had been her demand that the Almighty give her an audience because, well, everyone should at least know what their boss looked like. That demand had landed her down here.

  But she was an angel. Turning her back on all those people would be unforgivable. Not that Passion thought that she could do anything, but Hope might have powers that Passion never knew about.

  “Hope was terrified. I don’t think she’ll agree to this.” Please, please don’t agree, Hope.

  “Don’t I have anything to say about it?” Edge’s voice dripped ice.

  “Of course you do, sweetie.” Sparkle leaned over to run her fingers along his arm.

  Ganymede narrowed his eyes.

  “But it won’t be for that long. I’m sure we’ll find who’s doing this within a few days.” She slipped her hand into his.

  Passion narrowed her eyes.

  “Besides, you won’t be alone with them. Ganymede will be there too.” She slid Ganymede a gotcha grin.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Yes, you will.” Edge was all over this. “You think you’re safe from attack? Knowing you, you’d wipe out a few major cities before your brain engaged again.”

  Ganymede opened his mouth then shut it with a snap. His glare at Sparkle said she’d pay for this.

  “It’s going to be a little crowded. How will you squeeze four beds in here with all the torture stuff that’s…?” Passion’s voice trailed off as she saw Sparkle’s smile.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Passion stood. “I’ll go up and talk to Hope. All your plans won’t mean a thing if she says no. And since she’s a paying guest, you can’t make her.” There. That should hold them. She left the dungeon before anyone could say anything.

  She’d almost reached her room when Edge caught up with her. Passion tried to ignore him.

  “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. But as much as I hate to admit it, Ganymede’s right. I wouldn’t have believed anything could stop me when I was…out of control”—he winced as he said the last words—“but Hope somehow did it. I don’t want to think what would’ve happened if she hadn’t been there.”

  “You would’ve probably come out of it on your own. It was just a coincidence that Hope was talking at the time.” And she didn’t believe that for a moment. She remembered how everyone looked back in the store. Edge hadn’t been the only one affected.

  “I’ll help you convince Hope.”

  “You will not mess with her mind.”

  He shrugged. “It’s your call. Besides, if she’s like you, I wouldn’t be able to get into her head anyway.”

  Passion stopped in front of her door. “You shouldn’t do it because it isn’t right.”

  “I don’t let things like that stop me.” He leaned toward her, his amber eyes still cold. “We’re different, sweetheart. Remember that. I don’t have a conscience.”

  Did she believe him? She didn’t want to. But what did she know? Passion didn’t have the power to look into his heart. All she could go by was all the black swirling around him. That didn’t lie. Could the color change? Archangel Ted would say Edge couldn’t be redeemed, so don’t even try. She knew she was going to try, though. But first she had to survive this first day at the castle. Things didn’t look good so far.

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, she lifted her fist to knock. “By the way, I still need a new key.”

  For the first time since the candy-store horror, he smiled.

  Passion felt that smile as a warm breeze after the last winter freeze. It slid over her, and the night’s grim events seemed to recede a little.

  He reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and handed it to her. “Forgot to tell you. When I left your room, I found this in a corner. Guess it was too dark for you to see it. I stuck it in my pocket right before the…” He shrugged. “Before whatever it wa
s struck me.”

  Without commenting, she unlocked the door. Passion stepped inside and looked around. Hope sat on one of the beds, already in her pajamas. She’d clasped her arms around her bent legs, and her head rested on her knees. She raised her head to stare at Edge from wide, frightened eyes.

  Passion made soothing noises as she walked over and sat on the end of Hope’s bed. “It’s okay. He’s back to normal.” Whatever normal is for someone like him. She took a deep breath. “We need to talk about what you did.”

  Hope shook her head. “I didn’t do anything. I mean, I talked, but that’s what I do when I’m nervous. You know, it drove Archangel Ted crazy.”

  Passion heard Edge’s muffled laughter behind her. Who could laugh at a time like this? She turned her head to scowl at him. “What?”

  “Archangel Ted? You’re joking. Maybe I’m not up on the angelic hierarchy, but I never heard of a Ted.”

  Even though Passion had tested the patience of most of the authority figures among the heavenly host, she wouldn’t allow anyone else to criticize them. “We’re allowed to choose our own names. There’s nothing wrong with the name Ted. Humans don’t know the name of every…” She closed her eyes. No, no, no. Passion had just admitted what she’d spent the whole day denying. She was an angel.

  “So you chose your name?” Edge looked interested.

  At least he didn’t yell “gotcha.” And no, she didn’t want to explain anything to him. She quickly turned her attention back to Hope. “Maybe you’re right, Hope. Maybe you had nothing to do with what happened in the store.” Lying was becoming way too easy for Passion. “But the people who witnessed it believe you did.”

  Hope looked horrified. Even without any power, Passion knew what she was thinking. Hope had blown her angel cover.

  “Don’t worry, Hope. They didn’t talk about what they thought you were, they were just happy you were there to save everyone.” She smiled. “You’re a hero.”

  Hope brightened. “Really?”