Wicked Edge

by Nina Bangs

  “That means the guests weren’t…”

  “Not even a little.” Cinn smoothed her finger over one of the plant’s bright green leaves. “Sweetie Pie was devastated.”

  Uh–oh. Passion saw where this was leading.

  “And now, look at her. She’s all perky and bright. She loved you and Edge. I hate to ask a favor of you, but would you keep her for the rest of the time you’re here?”

  “Sure.” One thing she had to know. “She can’t see, can she?”

  Cinn laughed. “No, nothing like that. She just absorbs all those delicious sexual vibrations.”

  Passion sighed. “Afraid there won’t be much of that around here.”

  “Anything you want to share?”

  Passion didn’t, but before she could send the message to her mouth, it was off and running. She told Cinn everything that had happened.

  “Let me get this straight. Edge was mad because he thought you didn’t trust him not to go ballistic on Murmur. Which he did. Then you pointed out what total opposites you were. Not a smart move. And Bourne doesn’t trust you. Did I miss anything?”

  “I think that’s enough.”

  “Hmm.”

  Passion thought that said it all. She couldn’t think of anything that would mend the tear in the tenuous strands she and Edge had begun to weave between them.

  “Tough case. Edge always wears this iron shell around himself, so it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside sometimes.”

  “You think?” But Passion had seen cracks in that shell.

  “Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve gotten the feeling he doesn’t love his job that much. Don’t get me wrong, he does it, but there’s no real enthusiasm there.” Cinn smiled. “Thank God.”

  “Edge thinks if he stops killing, he’ll cease to exist.”

  “Who’s going to make him go away? Bourne?”

  Passion nodded. “Most likely.”

  Cinn looked thoughtful. “I’ll have to see what I can do to change the Big Boss’s mind.”

  “You’d help Edge?” A spark of hope turned the blackness to at least a dull gray. No matter what happened between them, she wanted Edge to have a choice in his life.

  “Why not? He’s family. The Castle of Dark Dreams takes care of its own.” She seemed to already be thinking. “I’ll get back to you. Meanwhile, I’ll leave Sweetie Pie here.” She stood.

  Once Cinn had left, Passion climbed into bed. Her bed. If Edge and she weren’t meant to be, then she’d better get used to sleeping here. She didn’t think Hope would appreciate sharing her bed once she got back.

  Just before turning off her light, she looked at Sweetie Pie. “Sorry, girl, but you’ll have to go to bed without supper tonight. Get used to it.”

  She dreamed—of a tawny-haired man with magic hands who made love to her in every single one of the park’s attractions. She lived the fantasy right up until the moment Bourne showed up dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West. On that bit of silliness, she woke…

  To the sound of Archangel Ted’s voice in her head. She shivered in the suddenly icy room.

  “Something happened last night. I felt it. Explain.” He didn’t even pretend to care if she’d saved any souls.

  Not that she’d saved even one since she’d been here. She couldn’t be an angel, because an angel would’ve been prostrate with guilt. But then, she was beginning to doubt Ted’s identity too. “Umm, I guess Sparkle got a little carried away and—”

  “I know about that. I mean, what happened close to dawn?” He sounded impatient.

  “Wait. How do you know about Sparkle?”

  “Hope told me.”

  “Hope wasn’t here when it happened.”

  “But a friend of the man she’s sleeping with was.”

  The most shocking part of his response? He didn’t seem horrified with what Hope was doing. Passion glanced at Hope’s bed. Still neatly made, but some of Hope’s clothes were flung across it. So she’d come back to the room and then left again while Passion slept. No one would accuse Passion of being a light sleeper.

  What lie to tell him that wouldn’t sound like a lie and wouldn’t have him running for the avenging angels? She opted for a version of the truth. “I heard the demon Murmur talking about leading his demons into battle. I mentioned it to Edge, and he went to confront Murmur. Nothing big happened.”

  Ted was silent. Did he know she was only telling part of the truth?

  “I’m glad you’re keeping your ears open. But don’t carry anything you hear to Edge or any of them from now on. Remember, they’re irredeemable.” And then he was gone.

  What was that about? He couldn’t wait to get away from her. She didn’t question her good luck, though, as she got ready to leave the room. She’d find Holgarth and tell him about Zane, and then get something to eat in the restaurant.

  Passion glanced at the clock. Wow, two o’clock. Sunlight was streaming through the narrow window, so the world hadn’t ended while she slept.

  Sweetie Pie still sat on the floor beneath the window. She looked a little droopy. One leaf had fallen off. That one leaf made Passion feel guilty. How stupid was that? “Forget it, Sweetie Pie. I am not bringing home random strangers just so you won’t lose leaves. Suck it up.” Just like I’m doing.

  Passion found Holgarth in the great hall talking to Edge. Her first thought was that she had to get control of her heart. It did this funny hop and pause before racing like mad whenever she saw Edge. Her second thought was that maybe she should eat first and then come back to speak with Holgarth. When he was alone.

  You are a giant squishy wuss. Just because things hadn’t ended well last night—okay, so they’d been a big pile of poop—didn’t mean she couldn’t walk right up and talk to Holgarth.

  Flying high on false courage, she sailed across the room and planted herself in front of them. They stopped talking to stare at her. Her courage melted and trickled down her back, leaving a shivery trail of sensual need behind. She clenched her hands into fists. She would not allow Edge to affect her this way.

  Holgarth coughed. Even his cough was supercilious.

  “Feel free to interrupt. I was just explaining to Edge the importance of making sure his apocalypse lasts no longer than an hour. The fantasy schedule will be destroyed if it lasts longer.”

  Passion wasn’t sure how to respond. Was he kidding? He had to be. But then, maybe not. “Holgarth, I need to talk to you.” She refused to look at Edge.

  “Talk away.” The wizard glanced at Edge. “You stay here. I’m not finished with you.”

  Edge wore a pained expression, but he didn’t leave.

  “I have to talk to you alone.” She really didn’t, but if it got rid of Edge, she’d go for it.

  “Nonsense. What could you possibly have to say—after all, you’re not exactly a font of fascinating information—that would warrant Edge’s exclusion?” He’d drawn his lips into a thin line, indicating that this was payback for interrupting his conversation.

  She huffed her annoyance. “Fine. I spoke with Zane last night. He asked what I knew about you.”

  “He knows I’m a wizard. What else is there to know? If this is all you had to tell me, then I fear you’ve wasted my valuable time.”

  Now Passion was getting ticked. “Not quite. He’s got a lot of anger bottled up inside. If that anger is aimed at you, then maybe you need to take notice.” What she was about to say next was petty and small, but it would make her feel so good. “After all, from what I’ve heard, your talent doesn’t match up very well against his.”

  His expression turned thunderous.

  She smiled as she started to turn away. “Oh, and he said he was waiting for…”

  Zane was striding toward them. A woman walked beside him. Edge’s soft “wow” said it for both of them.

  She was tall, almost six feet. Slim, elegant, and gorgeous didn’t begin to describe her. Long black hair, straight and shining, flowed down her back. Her large, dark eyes were outline
d in black that emphasized the power glowing in them. She wore a long gold gown that clung to her curves and shimmered as she almost glided beside Zane.

  Not human. Definitely and positively.

  She stopped when she reached them. She said nothing, only glared at Holgarth.

  Holgarth was the first to speak, and Passion almost didn’t recognize his voice.

  “Isis.”

  15

  “You have aged, wizard.” Her voice was cold, angry, and as beautiful as the rest of her. With a casual wave of her hand, the hall emptied except for their small group.

  “The centuries weigh on me, goddess. You, on the other hand, look exactly as you did the last time I saw you.”

  Holgarth might sound calm, but his eyes told a different story. Edge watched emotion flood them—disbelief, sorrow, pain, and…fear.

  “Wait. Goddess? Goddess?” Edge tensed as he drew his power to him. “Friend or enemy, wizard?”

  “I’d say she’s not happy with me. I suppose I’d have to discover the exact degree of not happy in order to answer your question.”

  “You’re the goddess Isis?” Passion looked puzzled. “Someone fill me in. Ted never said much about the ancient deities.”

  “She’s the Egyptian goddess of magic, among other things.” Zane sounded proud of her.

  Edge frowned. “What’s your connection to the goddess, Zane?” This had bad written all over it. Had Isis decided to take a shot at being the next Big Boss? Didn’t seem likely, but he’d better err on the side of caution. He put out a mental call to Bourne and Sparkle. Ganymede had blocked him. Probably tied up with Top Chef and a bowl of popcorn.

  Zane was looking at Holgarth when he answered. “She’s my mother.”

  Holgarth shook his head. “No, you can’t be. You’re not Horus, and Isis had only one child.”

  Isis’s laughter was ice shattering. “How little you know of me, wizard. Zane is mine.”

  She pointed at Holgarth, and light radiated from her. Edge had to cover his eyes to protect them from the glare.

  “And yours.”

  Edge dropped his hand from his eyes. Holy hell. He didn’t know what shocked him more: that Holgarth had actually fathered a child, or that Holgarth had fathered a child with a woman who looked liked Isis.

  Holgarth swayed, his eyes wide and disbelieving. “No. It can’t be. I would have known.”

  This was a Holgarth Edge had never seen, stripped of his self-importance, his sarcasm.

  “How could you know? You surrounded yourself with magic to keep me from finding you. If you didn’t want me, then why would I believe you wanted our son?”

  “I didn’t know. I didn’t realize…” Holgarth’s gaze went to Zane. “I never suspected. You don’t look like…” He seemed unable to finish a thought.

  Zane’s smile was filled with malice as his face subtly changed. His blue eyes became gray, the exact shade of Holgarth’s. His facial structure and mouth shifted until his resemblance to his mother was obvious. “You never saw past my glamour.”

  “I thought he was human.” Passion sounded offended that she hadn’t realized what Zane was.

  Zane’s expression softened as he looked at Passion. “We all hide behind something.”

  Edge felt as bemused as Passion looked. He stared at Isis, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “So you and Holgarth…?” It seemed he couldn’t finish a sentence either.

  Some of the anger faded from her eyes as she smiled at Edge. “I always had a weakness for short men with big egos and attitudes. Genghis Khan was merely five feet one, but he was a giant in so many other ways and a magnificent lover.” She looked back at Holgarth, and the cold returned to her eyes. “I met the wizard when he was Napoleon’s advisor. He was not then what he is now, shriveled and bitter.”

  Holgarth finally seemed to find his voice. “If I’d known…” He never took his gaze from Zane. “The pride you so admired, Isis, caused me to run, to hide myself. I knew what I was, what you were, and that there could be no lasting relationship between us. Osiris was your only love.” He tried to shrug but didn’t quite carry it off. “I wanted more than you could give.”

  “You presumed much, wizard. How could you possibly know what I was willing to give? And because of your cowardice, your son grew to manhood never knowing his father.”

  Edge felt Bourne’s presence behind him a moment before his leader spoke.

  “You sided with Dacian’s maker and the rogue cosmic troublemaker Rabid in the last battle here, Zane. Now you’ve shown up again. Is this just about your father or something more?”

  Exactly what Edge would expect Bourne to ask. He only cared about rooting out his enemy, and all the emotional crap be damned. Before Passion, Edge would’ve agreed with Bourne’s approach. But now? He felt bad for Holgarth.

  Zane turned to Bourne. “Once I found my father, I wanted to hurt him.” He shrugged. “Fighting against him was a way to do that. But in the end, I couldn’t kill. I bailed.” He looked uneasy. “I don’t know why I came back. I had no intention of revealing my identity. But then Mom found out and insisted on confronting him. So here we are.”

  Isis’s smile was coldly pleased. “You have a former guest to thank for my visit. I sat next to Asima, the messenger of the goddess Bast, at a recent theater performance. She told all.”

  “I always knew Asima was a bitch.” That from Sparkle, who had quietly joined the group.

  Bourne didn’t seem interested in Asima. He was focused on Zane. “And this time, Zane? Will you fight against him this time?” His voice was at its softest, its most dangerous.

  Isis evidently recognized the threat. “Zane is done with this place. There is nothing or no one he cares about here.”

  “Zane?” Holgarth looked at his son from stricken eyes.

  Edge could hear all of Holgarth’s agony in that one word.

  Zane didn’t meet his father’s gaze. “I’ve paid my money, so I’ll stay. I kind of want to see how everything shakes out with your Big Boss.” He turned and, without a backward glance, walked away.

  Isis studied Holgarth. “Perhaps all is not lost between you and our son.” For the first time, something other than anger touched her eyes. “But you might have to disrupt your precious schedule to make the effort.”

  Holgarth didn’t question how she knew about his obsession with schedules. Edge figured Zane or Asima had filled in the details.

  Isis’s expression softened. “And you were probably right, wizard. Osiris was my only love after all.” And then she was gone.

  Shock held everyone still.

  Tears slid down Holgarth’s face, but he made no attempt to wipe them away. “I…I believe someone else will have to run the fantasies tonight.” He looked like a tired old man.

  Sparkle stepped forward. She put her arm across Holgarth’s thin shoulders. “Come with me. We’ll go to your apartment, and I’ll make you a cup of your favorite tea.” She shook her head. “Forget the freaking tea. I’ll have Mede bring down the strong stuff. We’ll wallow, and cry, and then we’ll make plans to win back your son.” She matched his slow steps as they left the hall.

  In that moment, Edge realized what Ganymede must have always known. All the surface stuff—the shoes, the nails, the sex—didn’t mean squat, because Sparkle Stardust was at heart a kind lady no matter what her job demanded.

  “All that pain because Holgarth ran from the woman he loved.”

  Edge could hear the tears in Passion’s voice.

  Message received. “Have you eaten?”

  She shook her head.

  “Let’s go to my apartment, and I’ll order room service.” Edge waited tensely to see if she’d go for eating alone with him.

  Bourne never gave her a chance to answer. “Before you eat I have to talk to you.” He fell into step beside them. “Both of you. We’ll go to my room.”

  Edge didn’t bother to argue. He glanced at Passion, and she nodded. They followed Bourne up to the top
tower suite. No one spoke until Bourne closed the door behind them.

  “Wow. I’m impressed.” The suite had to take up the entire floor. Passion scanned the huge room—period pieces in rich dark wood, Oriental rugs on hardwood floors, a dining area set with gleaming crystal, an honest-to-goodness window instead of an arrow slit that looked out over the Gulf, and a short flight of stairs that led up to the bedroom and bath. “It must be nice being you.”

  Bourne shrugged. “Name recognition has its perks.” He motioned them to sit down.

  Passion sat on the couch and Edge joined her. She knew she should put some space between them because…Passion tried to dredge up her former anger, all the reasons they shouldn’t be together. Only she couldn’t think when he was this close. All she could do was allow the rising tide of her senses to roll over her and hope she didn’t drown before he moved away.

  “Here’s what’s happening. I shut down Ganymede’s TV and put him out on the street to check up on our suspects. I’m pretty sure we can cross Murmur and Zane off our list. Kemp is still a maybe.” He glanced at Passion. “Ganymede convinced a few angels to talk to him. None of them had ever heard of an Archangel Ted.”

  Passion should have felt shock. She didn’t. She’d pretty much admitted to herself that she’d never been an angel. But knowledge didn’t make the giant empty space inside her go away. “Who am I then? What am I? And who is Ted?”

  Bourne didn’t answer immediately. And when he did, it wasn’t comforting. “I don’t know.”

  “Okay, so Ted is a phony. The bastard lied to Passion. She isn’t responsible for his scam.”

  She resisted the urge to lean into Edge. He’d defended her. No matter how lousy she felt about everything else, he’d defended her.

  Bourne nodded. “I think you’re right. Then if that’s true, we have to ask why he lied to her? How many fake angels does he control, and does he have an ultimate plan for them other than ‘doing good’?”

  “Why didn’t I know? Why didn’t I ever question my existence? I just sat in my cubicle and did what Ted asked.” Shame filled her. How could she have been so dumb? “None of us ever asked Ted questions.”