by Karen Lynch
I tossed her a grin over my shoulder before I started down the stairs. “You’ll see.”
At the bottom, Rick crossed the basement and entered a combination to unlock a heavy door at the other end. He flipped a switch just inside the door and waved us in.
“Wha –?” Jordan’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew round. She whirled to face me. “Is... this for real?”
I couldn’t contain my laughter. “Enjoy.”
She flung herself at me, almost knocking me over. “You are the most amazing friend in the whole fucking world!”
“Uh, Jordan, you’re crushing my ribs,” I wheezed.
“Sorry.” She stepped back, and I could have sworn I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes before she turned away. The happiness on her face was worth the extra diamond I’d given Garrett for access to the contents of this room. Jordan had been such a great friend to me at Westhorne, and then coming with me on this journey to God only knew where. She’d earned this.
I let my gaze roam over the large array of weapons covering every bit of wall space in the room. One whole wall held nothing but guns, from handguns to semi-automatic weapons and even a grenade launcher. Seriously? Who the heck needed a grenade launcher in Los Angeles?
I followed Jordan past the guns to the interesting stuff. Garrett had not been exaggerating when he’d told me about his supply of weapons. I saw swords of every shape and size, daggers, staffs, whips, axes, throwing knives and stars, and things I had no name for. There were half a dozen crossbows of different sizes, flamethrowers, and enough ammo to arm a platoon.
Rick followed us into the room, talking on his cell phone. He hung up and gave me a smile. “Mr. Garrett says you’re all paid up and to take what you agreed on.”
Jordan stared at us. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “Within reason. And no guns.”
She let out a squeal and headed straight for the swords, just as I knew she would. Jordan was a purist when it came to weapons. In her mind, nothing but a finely-crafted sword was good enough for a warrior. I watched her lift a beautiful katana from the wall and heft it in both hands, getting a feel for it. Her movements were practiced and smooth as she sliced the blade through the air.
“Perfect!”
“Don’t you think you should get something smaller? That thing will be kind of conspicuous if you carry it around.”
“Can’t I get two? Pretty please. I have to have this sword, Sara. It was made for me.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Fine. Go crazy.”
Leaving Jordan in a blissful haze, I went to pick out some weapons for myself. I avoided the swords because I’d be more likely to cut my own head off than someone else’s. I already had my silver dagger, but it never hurt to have an extra. I chose two smaller ones that I could tuck inside a boot or under my clothes. My power was my real weapon, but it wasn’t strong enough yet to kill a vampire. I could incapacitate them for a minute, but I still needed a blade to finish them off.
It had struck me as odd that I hadn’t sensed a single vampire since we got to LA, but I knew they were here somewhere. A city this size was bound to have a lot of them, and with my track record, I’d be meeting some sooner or later.
A small black crossbow caught my eye and I picked it up. It was light and tiny compared to the other crossbows on the wall, and it felt good in my hands. “How do you use this thing?”
Jordan came over and showed me the basic workings of the weapon. She inserted a small arrow, cocked it, and fired at a target hanging on the far wall. The arrow hit the target a few inches off center. She cocked the crossbow again and gave it back to me. “Give it a try.”
I lined up the small scope with the target and pulled the trigger. The arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself an inch from the bullseye.
“Not bad.” Jordan loaded another arrow into the crossbow. “Take another shot.”
My second arrow nicked the bullseye. My third one hit dead center. My fourth one bounced off the center one and skidded across the floor.
“Damn, you have crazy aim.” She took the bow and hefted it in one hand. “It’s small and light. If we had some silver-tipped arrows, this would be a great weapon for you.”
“It’s too big to conceal.”
She pointed at the sword she had been admiring. “So is that, but I’m getting it.”
Rick interrupted us. “I believe there are silver-tipped arrows in the ammo chest.”
Jordan grinned and nudged my shoulder with hers. “Every girl needs a few accessories to go with her new outfits.”
Forty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of our new hotel where we’d left the boys earlier. Between the two of us we managed to lug the shopping bags and a large black duffle bag full of weapons to our room. Jordan dropped her bags on the floor and flopped down on her bed while I knocked on the door of the adjoining room to let the boys know we were back. Roland raised an eyebrow when he saw all the shopping bags, but he soon forgot them when I showed him and Peter the contents of the duffle bag.
He held up a belt of small throwing knives. “What are you going to do with all of this?”
Jordan sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “A girl can never have enough weapons.”
“I really hope we don’t need to use any of this,” said Peter as he poked around in the bag.
I picked up one of the small silver daggers I’d gotten for myself. “So do I.” But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
* * *
Blue Nyx wasn’t like any of the other nightclubs we’d driven past on our way here. There was no flashy sign to attract clubbers and no lineup outside the door. It was a nondescript brick building with a plain steel door bearing no decoration. In fact, if it wasn’t for the small blue letters painted above the door, we would not have known we were at the right place. We couldn’t even hear music until we stood in front of the door, and even then it was very faint.
Jordan tried the handle and found it locked. She rapped on the steel door and took a hasty step back as the heavy door swung outward. I think we all gasped as the biggest man I’d ever seen towered over us. He must have been seven feet tall with a blond buzz cut and dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched across his massive chest and arms. With his flat nose, wide forehead, and small dark eyes, he reminded me of a picture of an ogre I’d seen in a book at Westhorne. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did have ogre in his blood.
“Holy crap, you could bench press a bus,” I blurted.
His thin lips twitched, and his gaze settled on me before sweeping over my friends. I wasn’t sure what he was checking for, but he looked satisfied by whatever he did or didn’t see. He stepped back, still holding the door open with one hand, and waved us in. We had to walk under his arm, and he was so tall none of us had to duck. That seemed to amuse the bouncer because he chuckled. I looked up and caught a flash of fang. Definitely ogre.
We walked down a short hallway where another bouncer, almost as big as the first one, stood in front of a second door. “Talk about security,” I muttered to Jordan, who nodded.
At first glance, Blue Nyx was like the nightclubs I’d seen in movies. There was a crowded dance floor and a long bar where three bartenders rushed to fill orders. Waitresses in tiny black dresses maneuvered through the tables and couches that surrounded the dance floor, carrying trays of colorful drinks. In one corner a DJ sat on a raised platform surrounded by equipment while loud music pumped through the club’s sound system in synch with the colored strobe lights. A staircase curved upward to the second floor where people milled near the railing, talking and watching the gyrating bodies below.
Even before my eyes had time to adjust to the lights, I knew this place was nothing like those other clubs. My senses were assailed by the different kinds of magic that permeated the air, filling my nose and raising gooseflesh on my arms. Magic pulsed with the music like a living thing and made me want to move with it. It was a heady sensation.
My
power twitched, wanting to break free, and not just because of the other magic. There were demons here.
But not just demons. Scanning the dance floor, I could barely keep my jaw up at the sight of the diverse group of people. Tall, slender elven women with long blond hair and pointed ears rubbed against faerie males. A nymph in an almost transparent dress did a slow sensual dance, surrounded by five men who could only be dwarves. A werewolf couple was engaged in a heavy make-out session, oblivious to the people moving around them. At least, I suspected they were weres based on the hair I saw sprouting along their arms. Four gray-skinned mox demons danced in a small group at the edge of the dance floor, and a vrell demon who reminded me of Kelvan danced with a blue-haired girl who raised her hands in the air and shot blue sparks from her fingertips. There were other people who I suspected were demons and a number of humans too, and they all moved together in a mass of sweaty, undulating bodies.
My face grew warm just watching the dancers, and I didn’t even want to imagine what was happening on the couches in the darker corners of the club. I looked at my friends to gauge their reactions and found Roland and Peter gawking at the nymph while Jordan looked the faerie males up and down. I shook my head. “Roland, if your tongue hangs any lower it’ll be on the floor.”
He gave me a goofy grin. “Why don’t we have clubs like this back home?”
“Or men who look like that?” Jordan said with a gusty sigh, still staring at the faeries.
I followed her gaze, but when I looked directly at the faeries, their outlines blurred for several seconds. One second they were muscled with blond hair and handsome faces, and in the next they were slender and blue-skinned with long black hair and pointed ears. Once I focused all I saw were the blue bodies. It hit me what I was seeing and I let out a laugh. “Um, Jordan, you know that thing where I can see through glamours? Trust me, those guys aren’t your type.”
She slanted a look at me. “You’re kidding.”
“Not unless you like your men blue and pointy-eared.”
“Pixies? Shit. That is so wrong.”
“You can’t trust a faerie.” I smirked at her. “Trust me.”
She punched my arm. “All right, smartass, let’s go find this Adele chick.”
I had to nudge Roland and Peter twice to drag their eyes away from the dance floor. “Men,” I muttered, even though I was beginning to suspect the magic I sensed in the room might be partly responsible for the promiscuous behavior of the people there.
Roland showed off the dimples that had charmed many girls back home. “Come on, Sara. Live a little.” He looked over his shoulder at the nymph. “Try something new.”
“No, thanks.” All I was interested in was talking to Adele and finding out if she knew where Madeline was. The club scene was not my thing, even if the people in this one were fascinating. I just wanted to get what I came for and leave.
We made our way to the bar, and I waved down one of the bartenders who, surprisingly, turned out to be human. I asked him if Adele was here, and he said she usually got in around eleven, which wasn’t for another forty-five minutes. Jordan and I ordered sodas and the boys got beers to sip while we waited. A few people approached us for dances, but we decided to stick together. The place didn’t look dangerous, but trouble had a way of finding us.
Before long I noticed a tall, well-built, blond faerie with dark blue eyes and finely chiseled features watching us. I squinted to see beneath his glamour, and I was surprised to find there wasn’t one. Our eyes met, and he smiled and started toward us. I suppressed a groan. Aine was the only faerie I’d met and she was very good to me. But it was common knowledge that faeries in general were nothing but trouble. They were bored immortals always looking for amusement, and they had rather unbridled appetites for fun and pleasure.
“I did not expect to find such fresh young beauties at Adele’s tonight,” the faerie said when he reached us.
My eyebrow rose. “Does that line really work?”
Instead of being offended, he laughed huskily. “Most of the time.”
I couldn’t help it, I smiled back. Stupid faerie charm.
“I am Eldeorin.” He extended a hand, and I took it automatically.
“Sara.” I studied his face. His voice sounded vaguely familiar to me even though I was sure we had never met. “Excuse me; do I know you from somewhere?”
Eldeorin’s grip was firm and he covered my hand with his other one. “We haven’t formally met, but I’d know you anywhere, little Cousin. I tended you when you were in Faerie.”
“You healed me?” Memories surfaced of soothing faceless voices I thought I had dreamed. “I remember hearing your voice...”
His smile widened. “I stayed with you until you were through the worst of it. I have never seen anyone fight to live as hard as you did. And here you are.” His gaze moved past me to my friends, who were oddly quiet. “You keep unusual company, but I can see why. Your friends are quite fetching.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to introduce him to the others. Roland and Peter stared at him with a mix of fascination and wariness. Eldeorin turned his dazzling smile on them, and I saw a glazed look enter Roland’s eyes.
“Hey!” I smacked Eldeorin on the arm. “None of that faerie mojo on my friends.”
“I apologize. I got carried away.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Is he...?”
“No.”
Eldeorin sighed. “Pity.”
I made the introductions. Roland and Peter nodded, and I had a feeling that neither of them realized how close they had been to falling under a faerie’s charm. I’d have to watch Eldeorin and make sure he didn’t try it again. Cousin or not, faeries had their reputation for a reason.
Eldeorin turned his attention to Jordan, who took a step back. I stared at her pained expression in confusion for several seconds before it dawned on me that her Mori probably wasn’t too happy to be close to a full-blooded faerie.
“My apologies, Mohiri,” Eldeorin said to her. She merely nodded in reply.
Just then a group of faerie males paused behind Roland and Peter. Eldeorin gave them a small shake of his head. One of the faeries gave me a disappointed smile before they moved on.
“Hey!” Roland spun around to stare after the departing faeries. “Someone just grabbed my ass.”
I bit back a smile. “Roland, no one here wants to grab your butt.”
“I would. It is a very nice one,” Eldeorin said.
“What?” Roland croaked. The look on his face was priceless.
“Well, you did say we should live a little,” I said. “Maybe try something new.”
Panic filled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant!”
Laughter burst from me, and it took me a full minute to be able to speak. “We’re just messing with you, Roland.”
He did not look convinced.
Peter glanced around warily. “It’s five after eleven. Shouldn’t that woman be here by now?”
“What woman?” Eldeorin asked.
“Adele. We came here to talk to her.” I looked for the bartender I’d spoken to earlier.
Eldeorin’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Now why would you young people want to see Adele?”
“It’s business,” Jordan stated coolly, not bothering to hide her dislike for the faerie.
Eldeorin’s rich laugh drew the attention of several human women nearby and they smiled appreciatively at him. “I know what kind of business Adele deals in, and I doubt the four of you would want any part of it.”
I shrugged. “I need to talk to her; that’s all.”
“Then allow me.” He waved toward the stairs. “Adele and I are old friends, and I’d be happy to take you to her.”
I hesitated. “Why do you want to help us?”
His smile dimmed. “I am helping you, little Cousin, because you are too innocent for your own good. I could not permit you to face someone like Adele on your own. She has sweet little things like you for
lunch.”
A cold tingle ran up the back of my neck. “I really hope you are speaking figuratively and not literally.”
“It is all a matter of perspective. You need not worry. She will behave herself if I accompany you.” He pointed to the stairs again. “Shall we?”
Chapter 5
The four of us followed him up the winding stairs to the second floor. At the top, he turned right and walked up to the door of a room with a large, darkened window that overlooked the entire club. Outside the door stood a huge man who resembled the two bouncers, and he scowled at us as we approached.
“Evening, Bruce,” Eldeorin said, apparently unfazed by the brute’s unwelcome stare. “Is she in? My cousin and I would like to see her.”
Bruce’s small dark eyes moved over me. He grunted and stepped aside, but held up a hand when all of us made to follow Eldeorin. “Only the faeries,” he said in a deep rumbling voice.
A volley of protests came from my friends. “No way,” Roland and Peter uttered.
Jordan moved to stand beside me. “We go where she goes.”
Bruce crossed his huge arms. “Only her.”
“It’s okay, guys,” I said, ignoring the knot in my stomach. “I’ll be fine.”
“No harm will come to her. I promise you,” Eldeorin told them.
Jordan gave him a hard stare, and he met it with a smile. “Stop scowling, warrior. We faeries take care of our own.”
“Let’s go,” I said to him. I just wanted to get this over with so we could get out of this place.
Eldeorin opened the door and ushered me inside ahead of him. My eyes went immediately to the blond woman lounging on a couch in front of the window. She looked to be in her early twenties with flawless porcelain skin, generous red lips, and eyes the most striking shade of violet. She wore a long silver dress that hugged her curves, and she held a wine glass in her hand.
Adele was exquisitely beautiful. She was also a demon. I couldn’t tell what kind of demon she was, but the way my power pressed to get out, she was a strong one. It was no wonder Eldeorin had insisted on accompanying me. I couldn’t help but wonder how a faerie had come to be friends with a demon.