by Jill Myles
“Have you played the girl card?”
I frowned and looked up at her. “Girl card?”
She took a dainty bite out of the rice cake and looked over my list, then handed it back to me. “Yeah. You know.” She paused for a moment, then broke out into a large, theatrical sob. “Oh baby,” she wailed. “I’m so scared. Please come help me.”
Taken aback, I stared at her. It had sounded so realistic. “I’m a terrible liar. He’d see right through that in a heartbeat.”
“Yeah, well,” she said, and pointed at my list. “It beats number six here—‘Tell him Noah has abandoned me and I need to have sex.’ That’s just stupid. If that was important to him, he wouldn’t have left you in the first place.”
I scowled at her and jerked the notepad back across the table to me. “I know that. That’s why I scratched it off.” Even I knew a lost cause.
“Tears. That’s your ticket,” Delilah said as she stood up again. I have seven hundred years of experience under my belt, and tears have never failed me once.”
“Well, sure,” I said, disgruntled. “You look like you’re in high school.”
“I was eighteen when I died,” she shot back at me, irritated. “So don’t even start.”
As she stalked out of the room, I muttered, “Jailbait.”
“Heard that!” she said. “And the sun’s coming up soon, so you’d better hurry.”
I headed into the foyer and picked up the phone. It was now or never. Bracing myself, I dialed Zane’s cell number.
The phone rang once, twice. When it clicked over to voicemail, my heart plummeted. Was he screening his calls?
It wasn’t hard to fake tears for the message. Hell, I didn’t fake them at all. When the phone beeped, I began to speak, my voice husky and full of tears. “Zane? Please, pick up the phone. I’m in New Orleans at Delilah’s and I’m . . . I’m scared. Someone’s following me and I don’t know what to do. I’m scared he’s going to hurt me. I need you.” My voice broke and I sobbed into the receiver. “Please, Zane. Please come find me. I’m so scared . . . I’m at Delilah’s. I . . .” I hung up after that. What else could I say? I love you? Miss you? Come see me, you double-crossing, cursing bastard, you?
Wiping my eyes, I headed back into the kitchen. Suddenly exhausted, I sat and buried my face in my hands. It had been such a long week, and it got longer by the minute. Noah would be up in an hour or so. Nothing to do now but wait and see if Zane got my message.
The phone in the foyer rang. I leapt out of my seat and slammed over to it. The caller ID on the screen showed Zane’s name. Torn, I wrung my hands. What should I say to him when I picked up? More tears? Lie to him? Tell him the truth?
The phone stopped ringing. Eagerly, I watched the machine to see if the voicemail light would flick on.
Nothing.
“Was that him?” Delilah hovered nearby, arms crossed over her chest.
I nodded, not wanting her to see how disappointed I was. “He didn’t leave a message. I don’t know if he’ll come or not.”
She lifted her shoulders in a gentle shrug. “Hard to say. Vampires are tough to read.”
“Very,” I agreed softly. After all, Zane had me fooled for weeks now.
The phone rang again.
Delilah and I looked at each other, and she came to my side. The red light on the machine flickered like mad when the phone rang again, and Delilah smiled.
“Should we answer it?” I said, a bundle of nerves. I frayed more with every unanswered ring.
“Nope,” she said, smiling. “He’s checking to see if it’s really my number or not. Let him leave a message. It’ll make him wonder.”
After six rings, the answering machine picked up. “This is Delilah LaFleur,” a youthful, bouncy voice said. “Leave a message after the beep. Thanks!”
“Delilah!” Zane’s voice nearly screamed into the receiver, startling me. “I know you’re there, you little bitch. Put Jackie on the phone.”
A faint smile curled her mouth. “I see he remembers me.”
My heart broke at the panic in his voice, and I itched to reach over and grab the receiver. I took a step forward, but Delilah shook her head at me. “If you want him to come after you, let him worry. Best thing for it.”
She was right, but it didn’t make my heart any easier. I wrapped my arms around myself and listened as Zane screamed into the answering machine.
“Delilah! You put her on the phone right now. Right now! Right fucking now!” Zane panted for breath for a moment. “If I get there and you’ve let one fucking hair on her head get hurt I’m going to make you regret it,” he said in a low, terrible voice. “Don’t you let them hurt her. Do you hear me? Do you hear me—”
The phone beeped, and the message cut off.
“Oh my,” Delilah said with a drawl, fluttering her hand over her heart. “Sounds like he’s got it bad for you.” She gave me a saucy wink. “Looks like we’ll be seeing him, after all.”
That should have made me feel better. Instead, I only felt worse. Zane had been so worried and distraught. It made me wonder if he’d truly been the one to curse me, or if Delilah was playing me for a fool.
But Delilah’s magic didn’t lie. Did it?
“I think I’m going to go lie down for a bit,” I said hoarsely.
Delilah gave me an odd look. “Sure.” We both knew that succubi didn’t sleep, but she didn’t ask, and I didn’t explain.
As I headed up the stairs, she cleared her throat, and I could hear her shoes on the wooden floors. “Jackie, wait.”
I turned around and glanced down at her. Delilah’s youthful face was frowning up at me, and she crossed her arms over her chest, troubled. “How did . . . how did you talk Noah into turning you?”
I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be offensive or flattering. “I didn’t talk him into anything. We had sex after Zane bit me, and boom—next thing I knew, I was a succubus. It was a bizarre coincidence.”
“Some coincidence,” she said in a dry voice. “I was just wondering.” She looked as if she wanted to say more but hesitated.
“What is it?” A gnawing filled my stomach. “What do you know?’
Delilah shrugged, her curly blond hair flowing down over her shoulders. “I thought it was outlawed to make new succubi. It’s been a Serim rule for a hundred years now. But maybe they repealed it.”
“Maybe,” I echoed, disturbed by the thought. Was Noah in trouble over me? Delilah didn’t seem willing to part with more information, so I trudged up the stairs. Inside the guest room, I flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. All I could think about was Zane’s terrified voice on the phone, and how guilty it made me feel.
Soft, rapid panting hit my ears, and I opened my eyes and rolled over. The closet door was open and Remy crouched near the shoes, her long black hair a mess over her face. Red eyes stared out at me, inhuman. Her mouth was open as she panted, and drool hung from her lower lip. As she caught me looking at her, she smiled, and the drool-string wobbled.
Well, now that was pleasant.
Looking at Remy would only cause me to tense more and I left so I wouldn’t have to stare at the living embodiment of things I’d ruined. And I wondered, briefly, if there was something that Noah wasn’t telling me.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was a long, excruciating day.
The girls had left Delilah’s house by the time I emerged from my quiet room, plagued by bad thoughts. I smelled coffee, and coffee sounded wonderful.
I met Delilah in the kitchen as she counted out stacks of money on the table and made notes in a day planner. She gave me a faint smile and turned back to her work. “Coffee’s fresh if you want some.”
“Thanks.” I headed over and poured myself a cup. There was no sugar or creamer on the counter, so I opened the cabinet overhead. Several canning jars of more suspicious white powder were shelved there. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that this is sugar?”
“I don’t
keep sugar,” Delilah said, not looking up.
Figured. Black coffee, coming right up. I needed a caffeine rush to take away the pounding in my head. I returned to the table, pulling up one of her bar stools. “That your money from last night?”
She nodded. “The girls pay me a fee to give them a nice place to set up and to keep them safe. It works out well.”
It worked out very well, judging from the amount of money on the table. “Am I the only succubus that isn’t in a sex-related line of work?”
She only smiled. “You’re an archaeologist, right? Noah told me about that. He likes smart girls, you know. He’s very proud of you and your job.” Her mouth had a wistful curve to it.
Huh. I wondered what else Noah had told her about me. “Do tell.”
But she changed the conversation. Delilah reached into her pocket and pulled out something hidden in her fist. “Here—these are for you.”
I held out my hand and she dropped a pair of necklaces on it. One was a heavy, ornate silver cross on a chain. It looked very old and very expensive. The other was a small bag that smelled musty and had lumps sticking out of it.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” I said, looping the cross over my head. “I get that the cross is for protection from vampires. What’s this other thing?”
“More hoodoo magic,” she said. “It’s called a gris-gris.”
I pulled open the knot around the top of the bag and stared inside. An old penny, some dirt, some herbs, and some other crap I didn’t recognize. “It looks like trash.”
She frowned at my distaste. “It’s powerful magic, so don’t knock it. That will keep you safe from any supernatural thing that wishes you ill. Well, except for a succubus.” Delilah continued to stack the money, her hands busy. “I had to handle it, after all. Couldn’t very well ward it against myself.”
“As long as you don’t start frothing at the mouth and try to bite my neck, we’ll be fine.” I slipped the bag over my neck. It looked hideous.
“Ha ha,” she said, then glanced up. “Hello, Noah.” Her voice changed to a sweet, sing-songy tone that put my nerves back on edge.
“Good morning, Dee,” Noah said from behind me.
Dee? When the heck did she become Dee to him?
I was mollified when he pressed a kiss to the top of my head and sat next to me, rubbing his eyes. I wished for a moment that we were alone, so I could ask him about the disturbing conversation I’d had with Delilah, but she didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Figured. I pushed my nasty black coffee toward Noah. “Here. Looks like you need this more than me.”
Noah bent his head over the coffee cup, sniffed it, and handed it back to me. “Pass. So what were you two talking about? How to fix Remy’s situation?”
Guilt shot through me. “More like hookers and money,” I said, glancing over at Delilah. “I don’t know how we’ll fix Remy’s situation, frankly.”
“Wait him out.” Delilah picked up a stack of bills and rubber-banded it in half.
I frowned at her. “You’re kidding, right?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed, looking startlingly young for a moment. “No, I mean it. Wait him out. Demons hate to be trapped. Give it a few hours and he’ll let her go.”
“Remember the whole halo thing? He wasn’t a demon—he was an angel. Once.” Something niggled at the back of my mind. Something I was supposed to do. The word demon kept tripping through my brain . . .
Oh, right. I’d nearly forgotten the promise I’d made to Mae. “Which reminds me,” I said, trying to recall her message. “There’s something I nearly forgot to pass along.”
“Oh?” Delilah picked up another stack of money, her voice bored. “And what’s that?”
“Do you know a demon named Mae? I made a deal with her to find out about my curse.” Delilah’s hands slowed and her head shot up. “I’m supposed to tell you that she’s invited—”
“Jackie, no!” Delilah grabbed my arm just as I reached for my coffee.
The hot liquid slopped over the edge of the cup, burning my hand and splattering on the countertop. “Ow,” I yelped, trying to jerk my hand away from hers.
“What have you done?” Delilah cried, her nails digging into my arm.
A loud boom shook the house. The windows shattered and glass rained in on us from every direction. I dove under the breakfast bar. My head smacked against the tile floor, jarring my brains, and for a moment I thought I’d died in a bomb explosion. The thick, noxious scent of sulfur filled the room, and heat radiated. I opened my eyes and sat up, terrified that I’d been caught in a fire.
No fire. Just one big, scary-looking demon in the middle of the kitchen. Mae wore another power business suit—this one bright pink—and stilettos. Silvery-white curls framed her face in angelic halos, nearly masking the red gleaming from her eyes.
“Aw,” she said at the sight of me, a wicked smile curving her face as she cocked her head. “And here I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to go all the way through with it, sweetie. My apologies for underestimating you.”
Beside me, Noah struggled to his feet, blown off balance by the force of Mae’s entrance. Glass tinkled to the floor as he moved. It caught the demon’s attention and she glanced over at him. With a quick flick of her wrist, he flew against the wall and crashed with a groan.
“A Serim? Here?” Mae tsked and looked down at De-lilah, who lay on the floor, staring up at the demon with hate. “Your taste in friends is sorely lacking, my dear. You know you’ll get a nasty reputation if you hang out with his kind.”
I scrambled to my feet and rushed to Noah’s side. He leaned against the wall limply, his head lolling to one side, and my hands swiftly ran over him. There were a dozen cuts and blood everywhere, but he seemed to be fine otherwise. Dazed and half out of it, but fine. “Jackie,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Shh,” I said, putting a finger to his lips to silence him and moving to stand in front of him and shield him.
As luck would have it, Mae was watching me with avid red eyes as I turned. “Interesting,” she said with a soft purr in her throat. “Your sire, I assume?”
I leaned back against Noah as Mae stepped over the glass shards in her delicate, strappy pink heels and crossed the floor to us. My body jammed up against Noah’s, I squeezed my eyes shut when Mae got in my face, waiting for the worst.
Her chuckle blasted sulfuric breath in my face. “Don’t worry, little one. You did me a favor, and I don’t forget those sorts of things easily,” she said with a sultry tone.
I stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“I’m quite impressed,” Mae said in a blithe tone, studying me for a moment longer before moving back toward Delilah in an unhurried, long-legged stroll. “Most of your kind don’t keep their word to demons. But I like you, Jackie. You kept your word. I’ll be sure and put in a good word for you downstairs.”
Just what I needed. A demon’s word of recommendation.
“How?” Delilah coughed, grabbing a hold of the edge of the counter to pull herself up. “You can’t be here. This isn’t unhallowed ground.”
“It is now,” Mae said, smirking. She strolled over to Delilah and slammed her fist down on her fingers. De-lilah shrieked and fell back to the floor, rolling in pain. “Your little friend saw to that.”
Delilah shot me a look of hate from across the kitchen floor. “What did you do?”
“Nothing!” I protested. “All I did was deliver the message.”
I should have guessed. A demon bargain was never without strings attached.
“Delivered the message,” Mae agreed. “Then you spilled your coffee. Inviting a demon into your home and making an offering of food or drink is enough to change any ground to unhallowed.” A smile touched her lips, quirking her mouth. “No upside-down crosses or unholy prayers needed.”
This was very bad news.
“Now, speaking of unfulfilled promises,” Mae said, her sights turning to Delilah once more. “I think there is the smal
l issue of a certain succubus who promised to destroy an angel or two on my behalf three centuries ago . . . and then didn’t pay up.”
“I’m not killing anyone for you,” Delilah said, struggling to get up from the floor. From the way she flailed, something unseen was holding her down.
“I know you won’t, precious,” Mae cooed, standing over her. “That’s why I’ll have to take matters into my own hands and take over your body.”
I had to do something, this was my fault. “Wait,” I said, stepping forward. Noah groaned, but didn’t follow me. I glanced behind and saw him pinned to the wall in the same fashion that Delilah was pinned to the floor. Not good.
Red eyes focused on me, narrowed. “Is there a problem?”
The way she said that made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to take another step forward, scanning the kitchen for anything that would help me take down a very angry demon. “Don’t touch her,” I said, a warble in my voice. “I need her to help me.”
“Sweetcakes, I don’t care about you,” Mae said, turning away from me again. She loomed over Delilah for a moment, then planted one shoe over the girl’s hand and slowly ground her heel over it.
Delilah screamed in pain.
I darted forward, not thinking, and tried to shove Mae off of Delilah. The demon’s flesh burned against mine when I touched her, like touching lava itself. My hand blistered and I screamed, jerking back away from her.
Mae jerked backward as well, baring her long, sharp teeth in a hiss. “Idiot.” She rubbed her arm where I had touched her, as if my touch had hurt as well.
“The gris-gris,” Delilah said from on the floor. “She can’t hurt you.”
Gee, I guess a blistered palm was just a nice howdy then.
“You shut your mouth, whore.” She reached down and hauled Delilah up by her long hair. Dee’s eyes were wild with fear, and she writhed in the demon’s grasp. “I can see you’re obviously not going to stay on my good side, darling Jackie. A shame. You’ll regret that later.”
With one last ugly look at me, Mae turned to Delilah and planted her mouth on her.
Delilah’s knees buckled and she sagged against the demon. The smell of sizzling flesh filled the room and Delilah’s cheeks glowed orange, as if lit by a fire within. The demon stilled, pressing the girl’s body against her, locked in a smoking embrace. As I stood there her body began to pale and dissipate, and Delilah’s grew brighter with intensity.