by Nina Bangs
Passion widened her eyes. Wow, if Sparkle wanted to jump-start the apocalypse, she was doing a great job. She waited for Ganymede to blow out the walls of the castle.
But all he did was jump off the bed and head for the door. The door swung open with such violence that it bounced off the wall. “I’m going next door to shower this crap off me. I’ll get Bain to stay with me today. Let me know when you’re over whatever it is that’s pissed you off.” He was muttering about one-hinge-short–of–a–nuthouse-door women as he slammed the door shut behind him.
Sparkle strolled back to the table, hoisted herself onto it, and crossed her long legs. Her short black dress rode up her smooth thighs. “I probably should’ve controlled my temper.” Her smile was all wicked enjoyment. “But that felt so good.”
Passion dropped onto a chair. Talk about relieved. The door might be still vibrating, but the walls stood firm.
“You thought Mede was going to go ballistic on me, didn’t you?” Sparkle looked amused.
“Yes.” Passion decided not to elaborate on the black swirling around him and her expectations based on what that black meant. “Why didn’t he?”
“He loves me.” Sparkle uncrossed her legs and leaned forward to open her rolling suitcase.
Passion mustn’t have done a good job of hiding her reaction, because Sparkle laughed. “Just because he’s a hard-ass doesn’t mean he can’t love. I spread sexual chaos wherever I can, but I love him.”
“But you—”
Sparkle waved away whatever Hope had been about to say. “The good don’t own love.” She unzipped her case and dragged out trays of makeup and nail color. “Tell me the truth, have either of you ever done anything bad?”
Passion shook her head. Sure, there were her fantasies, but they were in her mind. That didn’t count as doing anything bad. She sat on her conscience to keep it quiet.
Hope looked horrified that Sparkle would even ask the question. “I’ve always followed Archangel Ted’s rules.”
“Not your Supreme Being’s rules, but Ted’s rules?” Sparkle looked at both Passion and Hope. “Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with that?”
Hope looked confused. “Well, Ted gets the rules from the Supreme Being.”
Sparkle sighed. “This could be my greatest challenge.” She crooked her finger at them. “Come here, ladies, and find out what it’s like to be a beautiful and sexy woman.”
“I don’t think so. Archangel Ted said only natural beauty is worthy.” Hope gathered up her clothes and headed for the door and Dacian’s shower.
“Archangel Ted is an ass.”
Hope was already closing the door and didn’t hear Sparkle’s mutter, but Passion heard it. And as wrong as she knew it was, she believed Sparkle.
Sparkle turned to Passion. “How about you?”
Since she’d started the day with impure thoughts about Edge, her goodness rating was already shot, so she may as well go for it. She took her coffee over to the table. “Sure.”
While Sparkle worked on her, Passion asked a few questions. “What exactly are your duties as a cosmic troublemaker?”
Sparkle smoothed a cleansing pad over Passion’s face and neck. “I foment sexual chaos. That means I encourage people to have sex.” Her gaze turned distant, and a small smile tugged at her lips. “I get particular pleasure when I bring together two people who’re all wrong for each other, they have crazy sex, and then I’m able to tear them apart.” She sighed. “The emotional trauma is absolutely wonderful.”
“But that’s not right. People’s misery shouldn’t make you happy.” Passion drew back a little.
Sparkle sighed. “If it’s any comfort, lately my track record sucks. I’ve brought together people who lust after each other but have nothing else in common. The odds should be against any lasting relationship.”
Passion wanted to slap her silly. Violence is wrong. Right, no violence. Arrgh! “That’s not the point. Your intent is evil.”
“Hello, I’m a cosmic troublemaker. It’s what I do.” Sparkle brightened. “But good does come from it in the end. Once the woman gets over wanting to either kill the guy or crawl to him begging that he take her back, she realizes she’s better for the experience. Now she has good hair, great makeup, and a hot wardrobe. She can aim higher next time.”
“What about the poor guy?”
Sparkle shrugged. “I’d offer makeup and hair tips, but only a few men are secure enough in their masculinity to take advantage of my advice. They usually resort to drink.”
Passion subsided. Turning Sparkle to the light would be tough.
Two hours later, Sparkle was finished. And so was Passion. Sparkle had labored over Passion’s face, hair, and nails. Then she’d chosen an outfit and shoes for her and shooed her next door to Dacian’s bathroom to change.
Passion couldn’t have sat still for another minute. Nothing was worth this. She muttered her opinion of all things Sparkle related as she dressed and slipped her feet into shoes with heels she just knew were evil instruments of torture.
There. Finished. Then she glanced into the mirror for the first time. Oh. My. God. And knew that Sparkle had corrupted her for all time. No longer was she bland and boring. Her hair was a tangled golden glory around her face. Her lips, eyes, and…everything were…Pride is wrong. Passion’s conscience was doing lots of finger wagging, but she couldn’t help feeling a swell of excitement.
What would Edge think? She froze on that thought. He shouldn’t be on her mind at all. She turned from the mirror and rushed from the bathroom.
She’d just gotten back to the dungeon when someone knocked.
“I’ll get it.” Anything to keep Sparkle from seeing her face, because Passion was sure the name Edge was blazoned across her forehead.
Hope had also returned, and Sparkle was busy trying to break down her resistance. Sparkle didn’t look over at Passion.
Passion didn’t bother to ask who was there, because honestly, she didn’t care. She pulled open the door.
Edge was turned toward Holgarth who stood behind him. “Forget killing Ganymede. I’m coming after you next time.”
Holgarth sniffed. “I was not aware that I couldn’t have an opinion on your suite. It’s dreadful. Dull, dreary, and unfit for human or nonhuman habitation. I only made a few suggestions to drag it from the pit of deadly boring into which it has sunk.”
Edge made a rude noise. “I’m finding someone else to follow me around.” He turned to face the open door. He froze.
And then he smiled, a smile that flattened all her preconceived ideas of evil’s power. No, not evil’s power, but her ability to resist it.
Wickedness didn’t come with fire and brimstone. It attacked with a sensuality so powerful she could actually feel something hot and needy inside spreading, melting away her almighty conscience until all she wanted was to wrap herself around his naked body and do what she’d never thought she’d do. And she wanted to do it many, many times.
Archangel Ted would be horrified.
“You can go back to single-handedly running the castle, Holgarth. I’ve found someone else to stay with today.”
7
Edge had been around long enough to know that a beautiful exterior didn’t say a thing about what lived inside that body. But there were some exteriors that just had to be acknowledged. He’d thought she was incredible before Sparkle did her thing, but now…Sparkle had underlined and highlighted Passion’s beauty in case he’d missed any details.
The red dress wasn’t as short as Sparkle’s, but it still showed off her long legs. It showed off other things too. Edge thought it was kind of strange that the Supreme Being had showered her with so many gifts meant to seduce a man when she wasn’t supposed to be about temptation. An oversight on His part, no doubt.
Maybe Edge should say something instead of just staring. “If I have to spend a whole day with the wizard here, I’ll need a straitjacket. Maybe you can take his place.” He tried to make his next
words sound casual with no hot panting involved. “You look great. Sparkle knows her stuff.”
Passion just stared.
Okay, not cool. He needed to add an addendum to that comment. “Not that you didn’t look great before, but Sparkle just made everything…better.” Edge winced. Lame. His usual flow of sensually charged compliments guaranteed to put a smile on a woman’s face and her body in his bed had dried up. Maybe because this time he was trying to be sincere. Edge and sincerity were distant cousins at best.
“Of course I know my stuff.” Sparkle abandoned Hope—who wore a mulish expression—to join Passion at the door. “Holgarth, you really need to work on your social skills.”
Holgarth looked offended. “My social skills need no improving, madam. Can I help it if no one seems able to accept helpful criticism?” He turned away. “Since my services are not needed here, I’ll return to supervising the running of the castle.”
Edge controlled his urge to hurl an insult at the wizard’s pointed head as he walked away. Instead, he turned his attention back to Passion. “So will you hang with me today?” He tried not to look as though her answer was particularly important to him.
“I guess I could.” She didn’t seem too enthusiastic.
Sparkle jumped in. “I have a wonderful idea.”
Edge felt an uh–oh moment coming.
“Passion is here to help the wicked find their way back to goodness, although personally I find the wicked much more fun to be around than the righteous. That’s just me, of course.” She smiled at Passion, probably to lessen the sting. “And you, Edge, need to find the person responsible for your loss of control.”
Sparkle waited for one of them to state the obvious. No one did. Her expression said, “Do I have to make all the decisions around here?”
“You both have to canvass the castle, so you may as well work together. You, Passion, can make your pitch for goodness and light.” She frowned. “Don’t make it too obvious, though. We don’t want any guests complaining that holy nuts are harassing them in their rooms.”
“Holy nuts?” Passion looked as though she wanted to comment on that, but Sparkle didn’t give her a chance.
“Edge, you can just stand behind Passion and see if you get any kind of vibes from the guests. If you do, don’t make a move. We’re dealing with a powerful entity, and we’ll have to attack it together.”
“Umm, excuse me, but I’m part of this team too.” Hope had joined them. “You said I was the one who calmed Edge, so wouldn’t it make sense for me to go along in case he gets hit with another compulsion?”
Sparkle didn’t look happy. Edge knew how she worked and what she was up to now. Sparkle wanted to give Passion and him time alone. They were her newest project. Read victims. He could go along with her plans if this was just about sex, because he couldn’t deny that he wanted sex with Passion. Anything deeper wasn’t happening.
Passion touched Hope’s arm. “Sure you are. Change to one of the outfits Sparkle brought, and come with us.”
Hope turned to look at Sparkle’s choices. “I think I’ll just wear the stuff I brought. It’s more appropriate for an angel.” Her tone dared Sparkle to deny that truth.
“Do you mean boring?” Sparkle shrugged. “I guess we are what we want to be. Your loss.”
Edge could feel Sparkle’s anger. Not a good thing for Hope. Sparkle was ticked off that Hope was messing with her plans. And it didn’t help that Hope had turned up her nose at Sparkle’s clothes. Sparkle watched with narrow-eyed intensity as Hope carefully folded her nightgown and robe, then laid them on her bed.
Passion followed Hope back into the room. “Let me get a few things, and I’ll be ready.”
Edge lowered his voice. “Stop scheming, Sparkle.”
“It’s what I do, beautiful. You and Passion are all wrong for each other, but I can almost taste your hunger for her. And I’d bet her thoughts are nowhere close to angelic right now. A few more nights naked in her bed should do it.”
And as much as Edge wanted to tell Sparkle to butt out, he didn’t. Because he wanted the same thing she did.
“I wish Hope wasn’t going, but I guess it’s better that you have her near in case the urge to kill Mede hits you. Again.” She thought about that. “Funny, but I’ve had the same urge since last night. Do you think the compulsion is catching?”
Edge laughed. “What did he do? I need to fill in the big blank space where my memories should be.”
Sparkle avoided his gaze. “I begged him to walk away from a fight with you. He could’ve dematerialized and that would’ve been the end of it. He ignored me. He. Ignored. Me. Selfish bastard. Nothing comes before his almighty ego.” There was real hurt in her voice.
Edge wasn’t sure what to say. “He’ll apologize eventually. He always does.”
She sighed. “Maybe you need to point out to him where he went wrong. Right now, he’s clueless. And that’s just pathetic.”
He didn’t tell her, but no way was he involving himself in this. He might survive one of them, but both? Let’s say he’d have a long recovery period. Luckily, Passion and Hope joined him, and Sparkle left.
A few minutes later, Edge was talking to Bill at the registration desk while Passion and Hope waited for him to finish. When they left, they had a list of the guests who’d been at the castle for several weeks. There weren’t too many.
The first two were routine—two guys in town for fishing, and a couple on their honeymoon. All human and not much evil in the bunch. Passion looked relieved, but Hope seemed a little disappointed. Edge hadn’t expected a hit on the first two. He figured their guy would be by himself.
Things got interesting after that. The third door swung open and…Oh, shit. It was the old woman who’d tried to help him in the hall last night.
She smiled at Hope, before looking past her to him. The old woman’s eyes grew wide and she screamed. Then she slammed the door in their faces. Hope and Passion turned to stare at him.
“Human. She’s not the one.” When Hope still looked puzzled, he elaborated. “She saw the compulsion take me last night. When she tried to help, I scared her.” An understatement. She’d seen the monster inside him.
Hope nodded and they walked to the next door. After the last response, she seemed a little more cautious when she knocked.
The man who answered was big, probably as tall as Ganymede. Edge only had time to notice his long black robe—not the expected outfit for late morning—before his gaze reached the man’s eyes. Pale blue, cold, hard. He knew those eyes.
Edge tensed as he gathered his power to him. The air grew heavy with that still, charged feeling it got right before lightning struck. “What’re you doing here?”
“I enjoyed my first visit so much I decided to swing by here again.” His smile mocked Edge.
“You registered as Kurt Marsh. Not the name you gave last time, sorcerer.” Edge was tempted to reach for Ganymede’s mind, but he knew how the cat would react. He didn’t want violence until he was sure this was his guy.
“Names are tools. I don’t attach myself to a particular one. But if Zane makes you feel more comfortable, feel free to use it.” His gaze shifted to Passion and Hope.
“Well, well, what have we here? Not humans. I love beautiful and mysterious women.” His smile warmed.
Edge’s surge of anger had nothing to do with last night’s compulsion. He wanted to wipe that smile off the bastard’s face, preferably with his fists. “You won’t be here long enough to make friends. Do you have any idea what Ganymede and Dacian will do to you?”
Passion spoke up. “Don’t mean to intrude, but what the hell is going on?” She felt violence creeping closer and rushed to head it off if she could.
Hope began, “Hell is a—”
“I know what it is. Now keep quiet unless you have any ideas about how to stop these two from tearing up the castle.” Jeez, could Hope be more oblivious?
Passion immediately felt guilty. This wasn’t about t
he castle at all. This was about Edge. Everything that Archangel Ted had taught her—patience, kindness, charity—disappeared the moment she thought Edge was in danger.
Thankfully, surprise at Passion’s outburst silenced Hope for the moment.
“Zane here showed up about a year ago with Dacian’s maker and Rabid, the cosmic troublemaker in charge of anger. He’d hired himself out to help kill Dacian.”
Passion couldn’t hide her shock. She put out feelers. Human?
Zane raised one brow. “If you remember, I walked away without harming anyone.”
“Yeah, that was only because Dacian’s brother killed your boss, and you wouldn’t work without a paycheck.”
“Paychecks are important.”
Zane sounded so reasonable that it was tough for Passion to connect him to the horror Edge was describing. She checked out his colors. Dark red. Rage, deep and violent. Not someone to mess with.
Zane looked at her. “I felt your touch, mystery woman. I wonder what you found. More to the point, I wonder what you are.” He sounded intrigued.
His answer sucked the air from her lungs. No one could feel what she did. “I didn’t touch you. And I’m human. What else would I be?”
“You could be many things.” He narrowed his eyes. “Not vampire or shifter. Not demon or one of the fey.” His smile looked almost hungry. “I will find out.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s nothing to find out.” Because he’d shaken her, she probably sounded a little too dismissive.
His stare reached into her, searching. “Knowing is power. Never underestimate the unknown.”
“What’s to keep me from killing you right now?” Edge’s expression said there wasn’t much.
“No killing.” Passion glanced at Hope to see if she was ready to jump into action. Hope nodded.
“Let me list the reasons.” Zane didn’t sound intimidated. “First, I’m powerful enough to make you exert yourself. Your precious castle would be flattened by the time you destroyed me.” He slid his glance to Passion and Hope. “Others would be hurt or killed. Second, you have bigger fish to fry.”
