“I will. Are you off in a cloud of mystery to do more Fae business?”
“Don’t forget I’m half human too. I desperately need a cup of coffee and a late lunch. Lock the door after you leave.” Gisele turned.
“Wait! How do you know Roy?” she called out with a slight crack in her voice.
Gisele glanced over her shoulder. “You do know that’s not his real name, right? It’s just a public title to disguise his origins. The name Roy means king, and that’s all I’m going to say.”
Her thoughts spun. “King of what?”
In pantomime, Gisele zipped her lips. With silent footsteps, she left the dressing room.
The door shut and she was alone. Adara stared at the clothing in her arms then darted behind a dressing screen. If she thought about this too long she’d lose her nerve and the wonderful sense of rising excitement. In haste, she removed her polyester uniform, folded everything, and set it on a chair.
Putting on the bustier was easier than expected—just three hooks in back and some strategic heaving to get it all in place. The nude panties were surprisingly comfortable and smoothing. She stepped into the dress and tugged it over her hips. For a heartbeat, she thought it might not fit, but it slid into position, hugging her in a silky embrace. Even the zipper was manageable. With reluctance, the sandals came last. She’d never been one to wear anything more than a modest heel.
She strolled from behind the screen and looked in the mirror. A curvaceous woman with smoky eyes and a sparkling dress the color of Caribbean surf gazed back.
The sight brought her to a halt. For a moment, she worried Gisele had cast an unsustainable fairy spell that would fade with exposure to sunlight. Then she stepped closer to the mirror. Her ankles wobbled in the high heels, but she caught her balance. This was no illusion. It was all her, but in a way she’d never seen herself before.
“Wow.” By magic or design, Gisele had transformed her. With a light touch, she brushed her bangs aside. She looked coppery, sun-kissed, and the sultry kohl liner that winged to the sides of her eyes was just a bit naughty. The sight was a revelation. All her life, she’d dreaded and successfully avoided public comparisons to her mother. The last time she’d worn a dress, if ever, had been long forgotten. Being an introvert and socially compromised person, she’d skipped the prom and winter formals. No outfit from her past could hold a candle to this slinky number that made her look like a soft hourglass.
The crystal heart around her neck caught her eye. Was the boon too good to be true? Could she simply whisper her deepest desire and have it granted? She stroked the smooth stone. A flurry of requests swirled in her thoughts and made her pulse race. Her chest tightened and it became hard to breathe. Something she’d always wanted surfaced again and again, shouting above the fray for her attention. “I want to fall in love just like everybody else,” she blurted.
Immediately, she covered her mouth with her hand as if she could take the hastily spoken words back, but it was too late. The mere act of finally saying the long-coveted wish aloud was too powerful. Her knees shook and her skin pebbled. She knew better, so why had she said it? In no way was she prepared to fall in love and be subjected to the many pains and trials love demanded. What had she done?
Breathless, she waited for a sign her petition had been heard or dismissed by some higher authority, but nothing happened. The room remained quiet. Only the trace of essence of Fae hung in the air as a reminder anything otherworldly had transpired.
Her pulse slowed. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. No doubt Gisele and Roy had a personal history and they were having a bit of fun at her expense. Hopefully, this was part of a silly joke.
She fished her phone from the pocket of her uniform and dialed her mother. The phone rang. Grace picked up. “Mom?”
“Hi, Dary. What is it? I’m sort of busy at the moment. I’m helping Aldan pack the RV.”
“Say hi to Dad for me.”
“Say it yourself.” Grace teased. “I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Hey, Sparky!” The sound of her dad’s deep voice was filled with affection. Of course, firebrands tended to be passionate. He’d called her Sparky since she was a baby and the first golden red strands of hair had sprouted from her scalp. “We’re heading your way. I want to drop by the casino and catch up.”
She gasped. “Now is not a good time.”
“It never seems to be a good time,” he grumbled.
“Dad,” she stalled. “We have a tense situation going on in the hotel. An emergency. Can I talk to Mom in private for a minute?”
“You don’t want to see your old man?”
Aldan was a great dad and she loved him, but on top of murder, this just wasn’t a good time for a hotel fire. “You know that’s not it.”
“You’re right.” He sounded resolute. “Here’s your mother.”
“What is it, honey?” Grace took the phone off speaker.
More worry than she intended crept into her voice. “Do you know a Fae named Gisele?”
“I sure do! I once did her a favor, but that was long ago.”
“What kind of favor?”
“The only kind of favor a nymph of Venus can do. You know, she had a rather complicated love life and needed assistance.”
“Would you say she’s trustworthy?”
“Trustworthy? Oh, yes. Stable? No. She’s a bit hard to pin down. The word flighty describes her in a nutshell. Lives like a gypsy and divides her time between Paris, New York, and Vegas. We lost track of each other a while back. Why do you ask?”
“I met her today. She said she was my fairy godmother and that she wanted to grant me a boon.”
“How sweet of her!” Grace cooed. “I hope you accepted. But whatever you do, don’t say thank you. The Fae are sort of touchy about it.”
“That already came up. So it’s safe to take the boon? It’s not some sort of nasty trick, you know, a lousy Pandora’s box situation?”
“Watch your mouth, young lady. Your father had family trapped inside Pandora’s box.”
“Sorry, I forgot about that.”
“You don’t need to worry about Gisele. She’s a pussycat. Now, if the boon had been offered by her fickle twin sister, Ophelia, it would be a whole other matter. I’d tell you to drop it as fast as a slippery fish and run for your life!”
“Uh-oh.” She gulped.
“I’m sure everything’s fine. What did you ask for?”
Oops. No way could she say it. Her mother would be crushed. Grace had been working overtime to make romance enter her life, to no avail. If a high-level nymph with long-standing historical ties to the goddess of love couldn’t get any traction, what made her believe a theatrical Fae could do better? “It was nothing. I doubt anything will come of this. Speaking of the contents of Pandora’s box, I have a question for Dad.”
“Aldan just walked off. He’s busy with something.”
“Can you ask him what he knows about skinwalkers and have him call me back?”
The intake of Grace’s breath was followed by a morbid silence that filled the connection. “Skinwalkers? Honey, are you okay? What is this about?”
“There’ve been two murders in the hotel today. Vicious acts. We have reason to believe skinwalkers are involved.”
Grace gasped. “Dary, leave now! You don’t want to be anywhere near a skinwalker.”
“You know I’m part of the security team. The victims were human. I can’t turn my back on a casino full of innocent people who have no idea what’s sneaking up on them while they play slots.”
“As your mother, I’m only worried about you. Promise me you’ll be careful. A skinwalker could do more harm to a vulnerable virgin elemental like you than you can imagine.”
“I’m not a—” A loud rap on the door startled her. “Mom, I’ve got to go.”
She clicked the phone off and turned. “Gisele, is that you?”
Chapter Five
“It’s Kai.” His rich voice filtered toward her.
> Adara opened the door, and a breathtaking sight greeted her. Kai wore an elegant indigo-blue suit with a slight iridescent sharkskin shimmer. His thick black hair had been brushed away from his face and allowed to fall into waves at his nape. A half smile added allure to his handsome face. If Armani were looking for their next ad campaign, this would be it.
“You look good.” Hell, that was an understatement. Kai always looked good, but at the moment his attractiveness had exploded like a supernova. She leaned close. The fresh scent of citrus and spice wafted her way. “And smell nice too.”
“The Fae spritzed me up with some sort of Trade Winds cologne.” His gaze traveled over her. Approval beamed from his half-smile. “It made me think of home. I actually got a little emotional when I smelled it.” He whistled. “I hope this doesn’t sound unprofessional, but you’re freaking gorgeous! This dress is killer on you. Man, oh, man. Who knew?” A hazy, faraway look softened his expression. “For certain you’re going to attract attention inside the convention.”
Stunned by his overwhelming response, she forgot to breathe, think, or respond in a polite manner. “Which Fae assistant did you work with? I had no idea there were so many Fae in Vegas. Did you?”
“I’ve only been here a few months. Gisele is the first Fae I’ve ever met. Nice lady.”
“She did an amazing job, didn’t she? What was her assistant’s name?”
He shook his head. “What assistant? Gisele went with me. She chose this suit and gave me quite a bossy lecture about my personal life too.”
“That’s not possible. Gisele was in here helping me.”
A big grin did little to mask his confusion. “I don’t think so. Gisele took me into the hotel’s premier boutique and helped me pick out this suit. Sorry we were gone so long, but we had the suit altered on the spot. Then we made a trip to the jewelry store. We spent almost forty-five minutes there.” He tugged his sleeves down and revealed a pair of glittering sapphire cufflinks. “Nice, aren’t they?”
“No way! I’ve been here for thirty minutes tops. Gisele did my makeup in a rush, handed me the dress, and left.”
“I’m digging the dress.” His sensuous eyes fell to half-mast. “You look like a pinup.”
The part of her that was used to being the invisible woman who roamed the gaming pit peeking at other people’s thoughts felt genuinely exposed for the first time in her life. She wasn’t sure how to react. A quick glance at her phone confirmed her suspicions. “It’s almost five! The occult arts convention officially opens in ten minutes. We haven’t even done any recon. I haven’t reviewed a list of attendees. I’m totally unprepared. Roy is probably hysterical by now. I wonder how many more people have died during our missing-time incident.”
“Calm down. I’ve checked in with Roy a couple times. We’re good. Nothing new has happened.”
Her heart raced. “Okay, but there’s something else. I called my mother to ask if she knew a Fae named Gisele. She did, but also mentioned Gisele had a twin sister.”
He raised his hands. “Well, there you go. Mystery solved.”
She struggled to collect her thoughts, but it wasn’t easy with Kai staring at her like she was a decadent chocolate sundae with a cherry on top. “What about the missing time?”
“Time is relative. To be honest, I was enjoying myself.”
“But wait, there’s more. One of the twin Fae, Ophelia, is a troublemaker and probably shouldn’t be trusted.”
Turning in a slow circle, he made an appeal to an imaginary audience. “Check out this rockin’ suit! Eight grand off the rack. They just handed it to me, no questions asked. Same thing at the jewelry store. I’m pretty sure I got the good twin.”
“Stop modeling the merchandise and let’s get some intel from Roy before we walk into the convention cold.”
“Unnecessary.” Kai withdrew a slender portfolio from the lining of his jacket and opened it. “Roy threw this together. Everything we need is here. VIP passes to get into the convention. That means premium booze on the house. Too bad we can’t drink on the job. We have fake IDs.” He squinted at a laminated card and frowned. “Well, lookie here. I’m Jason Bourne.”
“No way!” She tried to grab the card from his hand, but he held it beyond reach.
“I’m joking.” He cleared his throat. “The name’s Bond. Jason Bond.”
“Not very convincing.” She giggled. “Who am I?”
Kai smiled like a big, sweet-natured kid. “Pussy Galore.”
“It’s not!”
“How about Curvy Swervy? Bunny Booty? Busty McYum?”
Laughter bubbled out of her. “Roy wouldn’t do that to me.”
“No, he wouldn’t.” He showed Adara her ID card. “Susan Smith.”
“Uh. How dull. He couldn’t even give Smith a y and an e?”
“Smith’s just a placeholder.” Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He handed it to her. “This is a loan from the jewelry store.”
She opened the box. A delicate gold band with a vibrant square-cut aquamarine glittered inside. The moment she saw it, her heart leaped. “It’s beautiful! I get to wear this?”
He plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto her ring finger. “Our cover is we came to Vegas for the convention as a team. Roy has something planned. I’m not clear on the details, but the general idea is we’re going to deliberately draw attention and provoke jealousy. So we need to act like a couple.”
“Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot.”
“I didn’t.” The way he looked at her was so intense she had a hard time returning his gaze. He rummaged through the portfolio and pulled out two golden key cards. “It gets even better. Roy booked us into Poseidon’s penthouse suite. The big one.”
She was giddy. “No!”
“Yes.” A faint smile shimmered on his lips as he handed her a card. “It’s ours, all three thousand square feet of it. I’ll admit I wasn’t crazy about the idea at first, but I’ll assume Roy knows what he’s doing. We’re supposed to be a successful power couple, and this is part of our profile.” He pulled a glittering silver clutch the shape of a tiny seashell from the interior of his jacket. “Empty the pockets of your uniform and put everything inside this.” He handed her the purse.
“I love it!” She turned it over. “It can’t hold much more than a lipstick and a phone.”
“And a key card.”
“That’s right. I almost forgot I’m not going home to my little rental guesthouse tonight.” She gazed at him with admiration. Damn, the man looked like sex in a suit. “Gisele did a great job dressing you, us. I was afraid we were going to be handed floor-length black dusters and a gnarled staff with a cobra head carved on the tip, and pointed into Ballroom C. The Fae got it right. I love all of it. The purse, ring—”
His chin dipped. A flirty looked crossed his face. “Gisele chose the purse. I chose the ring.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I enjoyed doing it, which sort of came as a surprise. Shopping’s usually not my thing. It took a long time to narrow it down. I wanted to get it right.”
“You could have chosen anything. We’re just pretending to be a couple.”
“I still wanted to see you smile.”
Adara glanced at her hand. The stone sparkled like warm tide lapping on the beach. “You did great. I’ll be honest, I feel like Cinderella. When the clock strikes midnight, it’s going to be pretty hard to give all the goodies back.”
He motioned toward her uniform and handed her a large Mylar envelope. “Bag it. Burt will drop by and pick it up. He’s working on the inside with us. Make sure your real ID is inside. Don’t take it into the convention. Is your phone fully charged?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We’re not going to risk wearing a wire. Roy’s got mics and a bird’s-eye view of every angle of the ballroom.” He looped the VIP pass around her neck and brushed a strand of fiery hair from her bare shoulder. His gentle touch lingered a heartbeat to
o long then traced down the side of her bare arm. “Ready?”
“No.” She sighed. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
The glowing lights on the vanity were reflected in his eyes. “Neither do I. We’ll just have to improvise and play the part. You and I will go up there and start meeting and greeting and see if we can’t figure out what this weird gathering of wizards, sorcerers, and shit is all about. With luck, we’ll stop the killer and help put the right perp behind bars. Does that sound like a plan?”
She straightened her hem. “Let’s go before my nerves get the better of me.”
With a flourish, he offered his crooked arm. “Come along, Susan. It’s time to get into character.”
* * * *
They arrived outside Ballroom C. The doors were shut and a sign-in table draped in black crepe dominated the entrance. An eccentrically dressed crowd had gathered. A large innocuous plaque devoid of any hint of arcane associations was placed on an easel near the entrance: WELCOME OAC MEMBERS.
Arm in arm, they strolled past the mob and waited in front of the door, apart from the others. Kai enjoyed having Adara at his side. It surprised him how comfortable it was to be in her company. She was smart and funny, which was a good thing since they were going to have to pawn themselves off as a couple until Roy said stop.
She looked gorgeous too, everything he loved in a woman rolled into one package. He’d always thought she was cute, but hot damn, the aqua dress was going to test his moral resolve to the max. Thank God she couldn’t read his thoughts because he was wishing they could skip the convention altogether and head straight to the penthouse to break a headboard and mess up the sheets.
He allowed his hand to settle on the small of her back and noticed she was trembling. The desire to shield her surged to the surface. He questioned Roy’s judgment in exposing her to so many metaphysical landmines. What if a jealous wizard or sorceress decided to turn on her and rip her heart out? In all likelihood, he could do nothing to prevent it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “How are you feeling, Susan?”
“Antsy, Jason. Very antsy,” she mumbled. “Especially after what we saw earlier today. Somebody in this crowd is capable of committing some nasty shit. I’m still flying blind too. I can’t read any of these people.”
Wild Cards Page 7