“I have people that come over who are willing to offer assistance in keeping the place clean in exchange for other services.”
Nikki had a good idea what those services were and even found herself looking at the bedpost to see if it actually had notches cut into the wood. With the lights now on, she took a moment to examine the mahogany bed that she could only previously see in shadow. Each of the four posts towered up toward the ceiling with elaborately carved swirl patterns. When she looked down, she saw the four massive blocks that were more than capable of carrying the posts’ weight. The posts led her eyes not to the typical square frame suspended above the bed. Instead they were connected in an ‘X’ pattern by arched antique brass beams that, in the center where they met, swirled up into an intricate wooden crown. Sitting at the head of this bed was a massive, deep leather headboard that towered half way up the wall. Its quilted pattern was surrounded by the same wood swirl carving that were on the posts.
With Nikki’s jaw dropped, she said, “Your bed is amazing and I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s quite intimidating…almost like a royal throne.”
Devin chuckled and said, “That’s a perfect description. My father had it specially made as a gift for my mother to celebrate the night they committed themselves to each other for life. This apartment was theirs and, when they left, I promised her that I would take good care of the apartment and this bed while they’re away. Although I think it could single-handedly hold up this entire warehouse, it’s quite comfortable and just the right firmness for a wide variety of activities.” He patted the mattress beside him and said, “You’re welcome to join me and give it a try any time you want.”
She ignored his suggestion and quickly changed the subject by saying, “I never did thank you for this morning—the fire and blankets. I really appreciated it.” When she smiled, her wings instinctively fluttered.
The movement caught his attention and, as he lounged on his side, he continued to admire her form. His eyes followed the trail of her beautiful spots that disappeared under the oversized shirt she was wearing. His visual journey was interrupted when he suddenly felt an odd sensation. He asked inquisitively, “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, why?”
“I’m trying to interpret these odd sensations that I keep feeling.”
“The curse did say that you would feel my pain. I didn’t know that meant that you would feel everything, but how do you know it’s what I’m feeling and not your own?”
“I can push mine back, but if I ignore yours, they just seem to grow stronger. Last night they beat inside my head like a drum until I came to get you. The sensation stopped once I tucked you in. By the way, did you know that you make bird sounds in your sleep? Between the heat from the fireplace, Grippin’s breathing, your bird calls, and your cat’s purring, I felt like I was sleeping in a jungle.” With a chuckle he added, “I don’t know how you and that cat of yours sleep because you never stop wiggling.”
Nikki wished that she could deny the charges, but she was more than aware of all of the odd sounds and movements she made unconsciously when she was awake, as well as asleep. She sighed and tried to explain her actions. “It’s the Pixie side of me and I can’t seem to control it. If it helps any, I only do it when I’m feeling content or happy. It’s been a really long time since I got to sleep next to a warm fire…even a fake one.”
“I survived the night. I guess living alone I’ve become accustomed to this place being dead quiet while I sleep and my Vampire senses aren’t used to such a work out.”
“Hopefully the curse will break today and I’ll be out of your hair.” After a brief pause, she added, “I’ve never heard of a curse quite like this one. Your godmother is quite a formidable witch.”
Devin laughed and said, “You have no idea. Actually I’ve known her all my life. Although witches and Vampires usually won’t willingly share the same space, for some strange reason, she and my mother were very close friends. My father and her... ahhh, not so much. So, what are the plans for today?”
“I thought we could first test the strength of the curse and, if I end up being stuck here another night, I would like to go to my apartment so I can gather a few of my own things. I need something to wear other than Styx’s t-shirt.”
He said, “I vote for going back to just your Hello Kitty pajamas. But there’s another option for you to consider. I could turn up the heat in the apartment and you could leave your clothes off all together.” When she scowled at him, he snickered and said, “Just thought I would offer. Since going naked isn’t an option, I guess I’ll just get up so that we can face the first full day of this curse together.”
Seeing the continued lust in his eyes, Nikki added quickly, “…and hopefully the last day.”
Devin nodded, but he wasn’t really in any rush to let his little blue Pixie prize go—at least not until after she succumbed to his charms. As Devin walked to the bathroom, he paused and asked, “Would you like to join me?”
Nikki scowled again and asked, “You don’t give up easily, do you?”
“I just thought that since you were a nature lover, you might want to conserve our natural resources.” Seeing her resolve strengthen, he added, “In case you change your mind, I’ll leave the door open.”
She watched his every muscle flex as he walked into the bathroom. She knew that he was Vampire, but she had to admit that he was male and quite attractive. After she heard the water turn on and found herself tempted to peek in, her inner voice warned, “He’s trouble. Keep as far away from him as possible.” She quickly went downstairs and, after calling Cassandra, she decided to push the bounds of the curse connection.
Nikki floated to the front door, opened it, and stepped out. Her excitement grew as she crossed the threshold and had no reaction, but the scene changed instantly when the door closed behind her. As the now familiar panic set in, she grabbed the door handle to race back into the bounds for the curse but, when she found the door locked, her pulse doubled and her body started to shake.
Before she even had a chance to yell for her savior, the door whipped open and very wet hands pulled her back into the apartment. Their arms instantly wrapped around each other and remained in a tight embrace until their accelerated pulses slowed in synchronization. Once they were back in their normal minds again, Nikki found Cupcake staring at them from on top of the counter. When the cat tilted her head as if seeing something interesting, Nikki looked down and found that she was wrapped around a very soapy, naked Vampire.
She released him and quickly averted her eyes. As her pale spots turned a deeper shade of blue, she said, “I’m so sorry. I was testing the curse. It’s still in play, by the way.”
“I kind of figured that out on my own.” Looking down at himself and seeing his lack of attire, he sensed the reason for her suddenly glowing spots. He added with a grin without trying to cover himself, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish my shower.”
When he walked away, Nikki said to herself, “Don’t look,” but her eyes had other plans. As she sneaked a peek, she stared at his backside and had the overwhelming urge to bite one of his firm, muscular cheeks. As her mind wandered, her spots went another shade deeper and grew even brighter.
Devin said casually as he continued up the stairs, “By the way, the feeling you’re projecting right now isn’t one of panic.” At the top of the stairs, he hesitated and thought to himself, “I wonder what it would take to make those spots get even brighter?” In an unexpected move, he turned completely around and found Nikki staring back at him with her spots glowing like a neon sign. He laughed and said, “Maybe this curse won’t be so bad after all.”
As he returned to his shower, Nikki heard Cupcake making a sound resembling a laugh. Nikki said, “I know. It was a moment of weakness.” Her ten years of forced celibacy left her with other itches that desperately wanted to be scratched. To distract the images of Devin’s naked body from her mind, she said to her snickering cat, “Let’s g
o see what kind of food we can find in the kitchen.”
By the time Devin rejoined his guests, he found them both eating leftover pizza while making purring noises. Spicy toppings that they had picked off were piled in the center of the counter. They both looked up when Devin entered the room and, although Devin’s chest was still bare, Nikki was a bit disappointed that he was now wearing pants.
To distract herself, Nikki asked, “Did you know that you don’t have anything green in this kitchen or anything that grows on a vine or in a tree?”
“Yes, I do,” he corrected her. Nikki watched Devin work and, moments later, he stood in front of her with his version of a vegetable in his hand.
Seeing a deep red liquid and hot sauce as the main ingredients, she said, “I don’t think blood is equivalent to tomato juice. Regardless, a very spicy Bloody Mary isn’t a vegetable.” After he downed a big swallow from his drink, she shivered, stood, and said, “Enjoy drinking your version of veggies. I’m going to take my shower now. Then we can start trying to find ways to break the curse and get me out of here. By the way, I’ve already called Cassandra.” Although Devin was behaving better than anyone could’ve expected, she quickly added, “…and she’ll be here any minute.”
As she walked away, he offered, “My clothes won’t fit any better than Styx’s, but grab whatever you need from my closet.” Nikki nodded and, as she gracefully flew up the stairs, Devin sat back and enjoyed the view as the t-shirt billowed up around her, showing off her legs. He called, “Let me know if your spots need a scrub buddy.” He gave her a playful growl.
Nikki ignored his comment and, as she walked into the bathroom, Cupcake took her position as guard at the top of the stairs. Nikki flipped on the dim lights and gasped. The entire bathroom was made from translucent glass block and the lights were embedded within the walls so that the blocks appeared to glow. With the many strips of mirrors between the blocks, it made the room look endless in all directions.
She left the bathroom door ajar to appease the curse and walked over to a double sink. As she caressed the smooth black marble surface and shiny silver faucet, she had to admit that the room was a work of art. She continued her visual journey and couldn’t find the shower. As she walked around, she entered a glass tunnel and, to her surprise, it spiraled into a round shower that she thought could hold just about everyone that lived in the building. Stripping off her clothes, Nikki searched the walls. Although she found at least a dozen shower heads, she couldn’t find the knob to turn on the water. In frustration, she started to tap, pull, and twist everything she could reach.
As Nikki’s frustration grew, she heard a hiss from outside the room and then someone yell, “Ouch!”
Nikki quickly wrapped a towel around herself and pulled open the door to find Devin standing on the top step, rubbing a wound on his ankle. With Cupcake blocking his path, he said, “If I’m guessing your mood correctly, you were getting angry. I was going to offer my assistance, but Rambo here won’t let me pass.”
“I can’t seem to figure out how to make your shower work.”
“You have to use the keypad on the wall. If you let me in, I can show you.”
After a pause to ponder on her situation, Nikki replied, “Cupcake, let him pass. I would need a PhD to figure it out on my own.”
Cupcake gave him one last hiss and faked a swipe. When Devin jumped back a step, Cupcake smirked approvingly and stepped to the side.
Devin hesitantly walked past Nikki’s guard and his stare didn’t leave the cat until he was safely in the bathroom. He then looked to Nikki and asked, “Where the hell did you find that cat? I’m putting her on my fear list just below sunlight.”
The cat purred at the thought, while Nikki snickered. “She was a gift from someone very special to me. She’s a bit protective of me but, if it wasn’t for her, I would never have survived on my own. She taught me that size means nothing.”
“A lesson I’m quickly learning as well.”
After showing Nikki how to use the shower, Cupcake caught Devin continuing to stare at Nikki inappropriately. The cat dug her teeth into his pant leg and dragged him out of the room.
Once alone again, Nikki stepped back into the shower. She found the water a little jarring at first but, as she adjusted, it became extremely relaxing. When she found herself instinctively starting to dance in the hot streams and making sounds of enjoyment, she rolled her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t like to dance, it was that her body did it without her permission, leaving her feeling completely out of control of her own body movements.
When Nikki finally turned off the water, she found another wonderful feature of the shower. It was large enough that she could spread her wings and let them stretch to shake off the water. After wrapping herself in a towel, she ventured into Devin’s closet. It was as large as a standard bedroom and crammed full of clothes. She picked out a pair of shorts that tied at the waist and a button down shirt. After getting dressed, she scowled at the ill-fitting clothes she was now wearing and then flew downstairs. She landed gracefully in front of Devin, Styx, Grippin, and Cassandra who were all sitting in the living room, waiting for her. Everyone chuckled at her outfit, which were so big on her it looked comical.
Nikki looked between Devin and Styx and said, “Sorry, I now owe both of you a new shirt.”
Devin felt an unexpected warmth in his chest seeing her in his clothes and, as he glanced over at her, he said sweetly, “As I suggested earlier, you could’ve gone naked. I wouldn’t have minded.” He then gave her his sparkling smile and wielded his weapon.
Nikki glared at Devin. His magic she could fight, but he was playing to her natural attraction, which left her feeling exposed and defenseless. In anger, more at herself, she exclaimed, “Put that dimple away, right now!” She then took in a deep breath to calm herself and added, “I knew you were trouble the second that you walked into the tavern. Others might succumb to your charms and fall hard, but you and I will never be. I may be in your sights and temporarily trapped alone with you, but another notch in your bedpost is all I’d ever be. And if you keep it up, you’ll find Cupcake’s claws in parts you really don’t want her to touch.” As an idea came to her mind, her expression softened and she pondered out loud, “Hmmm, then again, that particular part you do seem to cherish most in life and it would cause you great pain to lose.” She looked down at Cupcake and suggested with a serious expression, “We could give it a try and see if it breaks the curse.”
As Cupcake gave Devin a toothy grin, Devin exclaimed while crossing his legs, “Back off, She-Devil!”
Nikki replied, “It just shows that you can’t underestimate the potential power hidden under a pretty cover. Don’t forget that your kind may be masters of the dark, but every night has its dawn, whose warm light forces you to cower back into the shadows.”
Cassandra sat up proudly at the exchange, relieved that Nikki seemed to be able to hold her own with her godson.
Nikki focused back on the group and asked pleadingly, “Have any of you found a way to break the curse?”
Cassandra shook her head. “Sorry, not yet. Since you’re still here, I’m assuming that you haven’t been able to break it either?”
Devin shook his head and answered, “Nikki tried to leave the apartment shortly before you arrived and was forced back in.”
Nikki was grateful that he left out the part of her gawking at his naked body. To offer a small thank you for his omission, she said, “Last night, Devin did an act of kindness and it did relax the curse enough that I can now be in a different room than him, but neither of us can go past the apartment door.”
Cassandra asked, “What act of kindness did he do?”
Devin answered for Nikki, “I tucked us up warm and cozy in the loft and we slept together watching the fire.”
Nikki corrected the innuendo by saying, “I slept on the love seat alone with Grippin on the floor in front of me. I tried sleeping down here on the couch and it was unbearable for me. He
felt my discomfort and brought me up to his room. Once I was settled in next to the fire, we both noticed the ache subside.”
Cassandra nodded and said, “That makes sense. The curse revolves around Devin feeling and addressing the pain of the woman he claimed. Obviously to solve this curse, we need to figure out what pain of Nikki’s is the key to unlocking the magic.”
Similar to the night before at Mistyx, everyone stared at Nikki as if waiting for her to announce the answer. She replied in frustration, “But I still have no idea what pain the curse is referring to. The only discomfort I’m feeling at this moment is the need for some clothes that fit me and some real food.”
Cassandra replied, “I doubt that either of those are strong enough to break the curse. We’ll just have to keep digging deeper.” After a long silent pause, she added, “By the way, I’ve set-up the apartment downstairs. If need be, I can call it home.”
Nikki’s face fell as she let out a sigh and said, “I hate that you had to do that.”
Devin added under his breath while grimacing, “So am I.”
While ignoring Devin’s expression, Styx handed Nikki a piece of paper and said, “Here are all of our cell numbers. Bee insisted that I add hers to the list as well. If you need anything, we’re all just a phone call away.” When Grippin thumped his chest, Styx added, “Although Grippin will come over to watch you at night, you can call or text him any time. He can’t respond verbally to a call, but he can listen.”
After Nikki thanked her new friends, Styx looked pointedly at Devin and asked, “Have you figured out how you’ll handle your need to feed? I know that she’s rather irresistible to your kind and I don’t want to see a bite mark anywhere on her body.”
Devin replied seriously, “I’m actually working on that. I’ll need to feed more often and bottled blood won’t be enough to overpower her draw. The best source to cut my cravings would be Human blood straight from the vein.”
Mistyx Sonata (Mistyx Series Book 1) Page 9