My fingers stilled. “No big deal?”
Right. While I was enjoying sexy outside time with Alexander back at the clinic, my two manipulative uncles marked my boys. Now they were tied to my fate. And no one knew how the marks would affect them, if they would provide any protection at all. Color me downright disgruntled by this problematic turn of events.
My sullen stare sliced at his bandaged wrist.
“It doesn’t hurt all that much,” he offered.
“That’s the Vicodin talking,” I huffed.
“Where you go, we go.” Faith’s velvet voice attempted to tame my tension. “Please don’t be mad.” Watery eyes blinked at me.
Damn. My anger hurt her and that, more than my hot toddy headache and extreme fatigue, convinced me to shelve the subject.
I patted Kai’s bandaged wrist. “Okay. We’re good. Where I’m going now is to the land of sleep. I hope. Feel free to follow.”
Faith and Kai settled against the pillows, blankets pulled to chins. They fell asleep within minutes. I eased away, willing my brain to stop obsessing over the whole vampires-marked-my-friends deal, to just get over it and move on already. My friends would keep following me down this new and dangerous supernatural path no matter how hard I tried to steer them away.
But I didn’t want them to die because of me. Mark and Ren came so close at Dixon’s hands. Guarding me against potential human threats was one thing, but this...Frustration tightened my jaw. I couldn’t stop the inevitable, but I could still kvetch about it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be me.
Me. Interesting thought. Who am I now? Or better question, what?
Mostly Human. Nexus. Little Star. Mega Tired Club Owner. Alexander’s Girlfriend.
I half-yawned, half-grinned at that last thought and burrowed the back of my head into my feather pillow. Sheet clutched to chest, I pictured Alexander leaning against his car, dressed all urban hipster, his hungry, bedroom eyes locked on me. Lust took a stab at revving me up, but exhaustion pulled me under.
~ * ~
“The key,” called a familiar male voice.
A black door materialized. No handle. No keyhole. Palms on wood, I pushed it open. A burst of stage light illuminated a grand piano and a man.
Alexander.
He extended a hand and I glided to him, let him pull me into darkness. Beneath my feet, the ground slid, smooth, cold and wet.
Unease twisted my spine. “Slow down. Don’t want to fall.”
He sped up, hand crushing mine. A wall sconce flared to life. I ground to a halt. Alexander was gone. In his place...
Dixon leered at me, fangs impossibly long in his zombie-pale face. “Hello, luv. Miss me?”
My mouth opened on a silent scream.
“What’s that luv? Can’t hear you.” he mocked. “Where were you headed, luv? With your little key?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His gleaming silver eyes riveted me, consumed me. Lost in a blizzard. Lost...
He shook me. “Oy! Stay with me, kitty.” I blinked. “Nice outfit, by the way,” he leered. “Pink is your color.”
I looked down at myself. Short pink nightie, low cut silk, spaghetti straps.
Wait.
I was barefoot and almost naked and talking to Dixon in what looked like a subterranean hallway of a castle. This was impossible, ergo this was a dream. A messed up, horrible dream but still, I was safe and secure in my bed with Faith and Kai.
Thank you, brain.
“You can’t be here. You’re in the Deep Freeze. This is just a twisted fairy tale dream.”
Dixon sneered. “You sure, luv? Come, let us see what is next.”
“No, this is my dream, my turf. So, sod off, you undead wanker.”
He chuckled. “My, my, little kitty, you speak my language. The Warden teach you?”
“You have no power here, Dixon.” My hands fisted on my hips.
His laughter ceased. “We have more power than you can imagine, pet.”
Thick black smoke seeped out of the walls, oozing snake-like in my direction.
I took one step back and another. The smoke followed, rose, and took on the shape of a man. Glittering amber eyes gazed at me. “We know who you are,” its triplicate voice hissed. “Surrender. Let us devour you.”
“No.” I scurried down the hall.
Dixon’s taunting voice echoed after me. “No escape for you, luv.”
Blood puddled under my feet. I slipped and fell. The smoke man loomed over me. Dixon snared a handful of my hair and yanked me to my knees. “Such a pity, little kitty. No more play time for you.”
His mouth widened. Fangs grazed my neck. But his smoke friend roared and exploded in a torrent of black rain. Dixon released me, snarling and backing into the shadows.
Strong arms gathered me up, embraced me. A cloud of ringleted ebony hair cascaded over me and a familiar voice commanded, “Wake up, my child. Use your Key. Then come to me. Vieni da me.”
We burst into flames.
I screamed and struggled against my savior’s arms. He collapsed on top of me. Was he dead? I needed to get out of here.
I shoved my feet into his stomach and pushed him off. Things unseen clattered and broke and a voice cursed in Mandarin. Okay, not dead. Alive and speaking Chinese now instead of Italian. Confusing. My eyes searched for him but saw only electric blue flames.
Another body pressed against me, small and light. “Rina, wake up. Stop fighting us.”
I threw off this second person with little effort.
“Ow,” Faith squeaked, striking the floor.
Faith?
My bedroom door burst open and my sanity returned. I was awake, the nightmare over, and contrary to my recent opinion, I was not, in fact, burning alive in a forest of sizzling blue flames.
Two of Lorenzo’s guards, Paolo and Greg, entered the room. Guns drawn, they scanned for a target. Paolo was as tall as Lorenzo but built like a body builder, with broad shoulders and beefy legs trying to explode out of his clothes, very Hulk-like. He wore his brown hair military short and sported a perpetual grimace on his tan, craggy face. His silent, sour mood was usually directed at me. As it was right now.
Greg was shorter and leaner. No bulky muscle stuffed into his suit, but he was an ex-cop and as dangerous as Paolo if provoked. Neither enjoyed shadowing me so I usually avoided pushing their buttons. Not today.
“Stand down. I had a nightmare. No bad guys here so get out.” My voice oozed irritation. The dream spooked me.
Both men glowered at me, took a long look around the bedroom and bathroom, then beat a slow, meant-to-annoy-me retreat, brushing past Brigid who hovered in the doorway. Why was she here?
Enemy.
Had she caused my nightmare? Brought the darkness here to possess me? Instinct coiled and hissed inside me like an angry snake. I knew it was the same evil entity that had attempted to shanghai Faith earlier. And how convenient Brigid was present. Again.
I didn’t buy the solicitous look on her face. “Get out of my house.” I vaulted from the bed ready to kick her butt for sure this time.
Groans to my right stopped me. Kai, on the floor in front of my closet. I switched gears and rushed to help him stand.
“You’re crazy strong now.” He massaged his neck and winced.
“Sorry, I was still asleep. Sort of. Wow, did I really throw you this far?” Impressive and embarrassing.
“Yep.”
Brigid helped Faith to her feet. I’d catapulted my friend from the bed, too. I made a beeline for the two women, addressing Faith. “You okay?” She nodded and I rounded on the witch. “Why are you in my house?”
Faith wedged herself between us. “Calm down, Rina. I let her in. It’s okay.”
Anger seared my brain. “The hell it is. Out of my way.”
“No. Please calm down.”
I leaned around her, staked the witch with a lethal glare. “Either you leave now or I make you leave.”
Brigid presented me
with a face devoid of emotion. A blank slate. Didn’t fool me. I knew she was bad news, I knew she—
Wait, how do I know that? Déjà vu pierced my brain and skittered down my spine. Was she from my past? I skirted my friend and crowded the witch. Tangible tension crackled in the air between us.
“Have we met, witch?”
Her eye twitched. “Last night.”
Lies. “Before then. I know you, I—” White-hot pain blazed in my head. My palms snared my temples. “She’s using magic. Get her out of here.”
Faith ushered me to the bed. “It’s a hangover headache. Brigid is here to help. Me, specifically.”
I massaged my temples and gave my friend the dubious look she deserved. I wanted to believe this was a wicked after-party headache from those three—or had it been four—liquor-laden cups of tea, but my gut didn’t buy it.
Faith, however, believed in the witch’s good intentions. “Trust me. She came to help me with my new abilities.”
Plausible. Brigid did work for my family and Faith did indeed have new super powers to master. Still, I didn’t trust the witch.
“Paolo and Greg? How did they end up in the house?” I never let them inside.
“They drove Brigid and your brother demanded they stay. He wasn’t happy when he found out about the restaurant.”
I crossed my arms. “Well, aren’t you the font of info this morning. You were busy while I was having the mother of all nightmares.”
Faith gave me a considering look. “That was no ordinary nightmare.”
“Indeed not,” Brigid confirmed with a grave nod of her blonde head.
“What do you mean?” I didn’t like how both women scrutinized me like my skin was transparent and my guts on display.
“A visitation,” Brigid replied.
“And attempted possession,” Faith added.
“Or outright murder,” continued Brigid.
Goosebumps danced over my skin. “You’re creeping me out.”
Brigid addressed Faith. “There is no lingering maleficent presence. She was saved by a familial power. It lingers, there.” She pointed at my heart. “Do you see?”
“No,” I snipped.
“Yes.” Faith’s brown eyes glowed. “I see blue. Blue fire in the auric field.”
“Powerful protection. Fading now.” Brigid’s eyes met mine. “We must alert the Warden at once.”
“What? Why? He was there. He saved me, so what’s the point?” As soon as I said it I knew I was wrong. That fall of dark hair, the strong arms, the familiar voice whispering, ‘come to me.’ No, my fire-startin’ savior was someone else.
A long buried memory arose.
Running down the long hallway, flashing past paintings and statues, dodging a laughing maid, dropping my doll. Because he called to me.
“Come to me, cara mia, come.”
I sped up. He was gone so long this time, and I’d missed him terribly but he was finally here. My Zi, at the bottom of the stairs, arms wide and welcoming, lips curled upward in that smile he reserved for me.
I dashed down the grand staircase. He met me half way and I jumped into his arms—
“Rina?”
The memory shattered at the sound of Faith’s worried voice.
Kai handed me a glass of orange fizzy water. Hangover Helper—B-complex and loads of C—our usual post-clubbing fix-me-up.
I took a sip. “It wasn’t Thomas. It was my uncle Zi. He saved me from Dixon and the evil shadow dude.”
I left out the summons. He wanted me to come to him, but where was he? Would Thomas and Jonas cough up an answer? That hint of him in my dream awakened an intense need, a longing I’d forgotten. To see him, be with him...
“You must call the Warden,” Brigid urged.
I frowned. “Why don’t you?”
“You have the quicker means.”
I cocked my head, puzzled by her words. “What? Oh, you mean call him, in my head.”
She nodded.
“Well, no, I don’t think so. You’re his minion. You do it.” I emphasized minion, reminding her she was an employee and in no way my equal. I wanted her claws to come out so I’d have an excuse to beat her senseless.
No such luck. She stuck to her good girl act. “As you wish.”
I rose from the bed, looming over the puny witch. “That’s right. I do wish.” Poke, poke, poke the rattlesnake. Show your true self so I can pummel you, already.
Her face remained blank, eyes a calm blue sea. Bummer. With violence off the menu, it was time to run in the hood. I didn’t want to hang around and watch my friend and the wicked bitch bond over magic lessons.
I downed the rest of my hangover remedy and handed Kai the glass. “Goin’ for a run, now. Alone.” My tone deterred them from objecting.
Kai cleared his throat. “Before you go, can anyone explain how you’re strong enough to throw me all the way across the room? Because that was painful, but wickedly awesome!” Leave it to Kai to find the fun and funny side of any situation.
I flicked a hand at Brigid. “Well? I bet you know.” How I hated she knew something I didn’t. Mostly human, my inner voice whispered.
She bowed her head. “Yes.”
“And?”
“It is not my place to say.”
I stepped into her. “How about I make it your place?”
Faith intervened. “It’s the marks, Rina. I’m sure of it.”
My brow arched. “How so?”
“Thomas said they can enhance who you are, and you’ve been marked twice now, so...”
“You think I’m some ninja goddess on supernatural steroids?”
Kai laughed. Brigid remained silent.
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Faith supplied.
I snorted. “Okay, you win. I’m a superhero. Now I’m going for a run.”
“But—”
I raised my hand. “No, I’m hitting the pavement now so I don’t hit something else.”
Translation—so I don’t beat up a certain blonde witch.
~ * ~
Near Dolores Park, the urge to maim Brigid finally left me. I jogged up the lush, green slope, weaving through the sea of happy, minimally dressed sun worshipers lounging on blankets, knocking back beers, tossing Frisbees, chasing after dogs and kids, and settled on a picnic table near the playground.
It was a typical San Francisco Saturday afternoon in the park and everyone looked happy and relaxed. Not me. A good run usually gave me a great high, but not today.
Low blood sugar?
The requisite hippie selling pot brownies and sage bundles out of a wicker basket strolled by and gave me a questioning glance. I shook my head then spotted a young guy in a chef’s hat making crème brûlé with a mini blowtorch at a nearby food cart. I would’ve opted for that, but a cheery little bell rang and an old man with sun-darkened, leathery skin stopped his ice cream cart at my table. Perfect.
Several bites into my frozen pineapple fruit bar, my mood still hadn’t improved.
Because my problem involved more than a little hypoglycemia.
I huffed and bit off more cold sugar on a stick. My life had taken a turn into crazy town, my life with monsters in the family and monsters out to get me. Hard to ignore the fact I was different. Mostly human. “Shut up, brain,” I muttered, polishing off my food.
A burst of laughter caught my attention. A few feet away, two women cuddled on a blanket, limbs tangled, hands stroking, lips meshed.
I want to snuggle like that with Alexander.
Meeting him was the one good thing about my reintroduction to the wacky world of vampires. But we’d never hang out and smooch, never share a crème brûlé or a pineapple fruit bar while the sun shone hot and bright in a daytime sky. We’d never be normal.
Who cares? He’s mine.
I wanted to believe it, but sitting here with the heat of the late afternoon sun baking my skin, doubt assailed me. Sure, Alexander was hot, but there was more to a relationship than physical a
ttraction. Lust didn’t usually make my brain take a complete vacation from logic like it tended to do every time he was near.
Unless...Oh, crap. Was I under some kind of spell? Were my feelings just a magical lie? My gut churned. “Porco dio.” Panic.
I slipped my phone and its earpiece from the inner pocket of my jogging pants and called the one person on the planet I trusted to give me honest feedback on the subject.
“Hey babe, what’s up?” Adrian’s voice was slurred with sleep.
My mouth opened. Nothing came out. I closed it, biting my lip.
“Rina? You there? You okay?” Worry threaded his voice.
“I’m here.”
“What’s wrong?” Another male voice sounded in the background. Likely Jonas. “What’s happening? Are you in danger?”
That wasn’t an Adrian question. “Tell Jonas he can—” I broke off before I said something scathing. I hadn’t called to fight. “No. No danger lurking here. All is well.”
“Where is here, precisely?”
“Dolores Park.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah. Lorenzo sent Paolo and Greg to guard me, but I ditched them. Those two bug me.”
“Foolish girl.” That from Jonas.
“Tell Jonas I’m totally trackable via my cell so I’m sure Paolo and Greg have caught up with me. Besides, the only danger I’m in right now is from being offered a beer, a crème brûlé, or a pot brownie. Seriously, I’m surrounded by sweaty, happy park people. Just your garden-variety San Francisco humans here. Totally normal.”
C’mon Jonas, I added in my head, unsure he’d hear me since I didn’t understand how mind chatting worked. Let me talk to my friend. I’m fine.
Foolish and reckless, Jonas replied.
“So, you called because?” Adrian prompted.
I hesitated. Did I want to talk about it after all?
I shifted my attention from the mass of people in the main park to the gaggle of kids cavorting on the playground.
“What am I doing, Adrian?” I hugged my knees to my chest.
“What do you mean?”
I stumbled over the words. “You know I don’t do guys I don’t know.”
“Ah. That.”
“Yeah, it’s the whole sober-light-of-day thing, I guess. But this isn’t me, Adrian. What’s wrong with me?”
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