“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Sweet like lilacs.” He caressed my breasts, my nipples. I trembled, ensnared by Johnny’s touch, his scent, and his voice. A decadent heat engulfed me. This wasn’t like the enflamed yearning Menessos could incite with his voice. This was a more deliberate reaction, triggered by certainty. The pleasure Johnny could give me—had given me repeatedly—was flawless.
“Get behind me,” I said, twisting onto all fours. Growling in approval, he joined me on the bed and stroked me with his fingers, pressing them slowly inside me. I moaned softly and rolled my hips. “Please.”
His cock pressed at my opening, but didn’t thrust inside.
He knew me, he knew I was greedy for him and wanted all of him deep within me. He grasped my hips and held me firmly while he rubbed just the tip in and out. In and out. Over and over, until I was desperate for all of him, yearning for gratifying release, and shaking with the need of it.
I pushed against his grip; he was strong and maintained the distance. Only the tip. “All of it, Johnny,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
“All?”
“Now. Please.”
“As you wish.”
I was so wet, when he shoved his length into me, there was no resistance. A whimper of pleasure passed from my lips and I tossed my head, throwing my hair across my naked back.
Johnny took a handful of my hair and twisted it around his hand until his grip was at the nape of my neck. He held me there with my head raised. It was aggressive and controlling. It was dominant. I liked it.
I liked the power play. The idea that he claimed a position of control excited me. But I was not without power. My back arched, knees flexed, almost drawing me off him. Then, with his other hand’s fingers pressed on my hip bone, he urged me back. I thrust myself onto him again.
We had a rhythm, a balance of control and consent. Still, I swiveled my hips every so often just to remind him his control wasn’t absolute; I could veer from the rhythm.
An incredible orgasm was ready to overtake me—
Then I felt Menessos clinging to life despite the rising sun. I could feel him kindling my flesh, burning under my sternum, heating deep in my core. It was so good, so powerful I lost myself in it, moving faster and more forcefully. I was almost there.
—Menessos died.
The kindling warmth disappeared. I was alone with Johnny again.
But none of the urgency faded. None of the desire dwindled. Somehow, knowing this was mine, all mine and mine alone, made it better.
Johnny was building up to his own orgasm. All he needed was a squeeze from me. That squeeze. He was waiting for me, in full control of himself, and now that Menessos had succumbed to his curse, I gave Johnny full control. I let go. I obeyed his rhythm precisely.
The orgasm hit me like free-falling, a glorious sensation rippling across my body, my heart pounding, my breath racing.
My elbows gave and I thrust my face into a pillow as I cried out. Johnny maintained his grip in my hair, but stretched his arm to allow me distance.
When the angle changed, my sensitivity to his movements redoubled and the climax was revived. My fingers clawed into the sheets until my body was overloaded, until the low growls from Johnny’s chest had stopped, until we collapsed onto the bed, twisting to lie side-by-side until we caught our breath.
While Johnny showered, I lounged in the bed. His return was quick, and he wore only his jeans. His wet hair was in a towel-dried but adorable mess. I left my warm bed and inspected his chest because I couldn’t not touch him. “You took the stitches out.”
“Yeah. Oh, look, it’s a tit bit nippy in here,” he said, performing his own inspection on me.
“I’ll crank the heat up if you like.”
“I do like it when you crank up the heat … but don’t touch the thermostat. More fun for me.”
I felt very grateful that his mood and his libido were elevated again. He’d laid out another button-down shirt and as I passed it to him, he volunteered to make breakfast and Beverley’s lunch while I showered. I accepted the offer.
The aroma of coffee and bacon lured me down the stairs. Though I had been a vegetarian for several years, as Menessos had warned me, my connections to Johnny were making the savory scents of meat more scrumptious to me with each passing day. I joined the rest of them in the kitchen where I discovered Johnny’s cooking had won over the sentinels. Outside, the night was fading. It was light enough that Johnny could see the dark shadows of the barns. “It’s like in the cartoons: ACME barns. Just add a drop of water and poof.”
Beverley thought that was hilarious.
Maxine and Zhan were in suits of navy blue and pale gray this morning. They donned their suit jackets to make a round outside before the Beholders showed up.
Johnny passed a plate into my hands. Though two greasy slices of bacon lay beside the eggs and toast, I accepted it eagerly.
Soon Beverley put her empty plate in the sink and left to brush her teeth. She hadn’t spoken a syllable to me.
“Enjoy your coffee,” Nana said. “Since we have spies in minivans, I’ll take her to the bus stop from now on.”
“Spies in minivans?” Johnny echoed.
“One of the objecting parents recognized me picking up Beverley yesterday.” For a few minutes, the three of us brainstormed about how we could get this party on track. Johnny pitched his disguise idea to Nana. She gave it her approval.
Beverley strolled slowly into the room. “If I get an A on the math test today, can I see the unicorns again?” she asked, studying the floor where the broken glass had been. With the very last word, her eyes lifted to meet mine.
She was blank; I hadn’t a clue about what she was feeling. But I conceded, “That would be a fitting reward.”
Nana drove her to the bus stop—after Johnny assured me he’d remembered to stick a joke in her lunchbox—and I began gathering my supplies for the ritual.
I packed white taper candles. Green, yellow, red, and blue votive candles. My incense holder and incense. Two bowls. A bottle of crystal water and a pouch of sea salt. I had hematites, aventurines, bloodstones, and coral. I tucked all of these into my overnight bag, added my wand, and had my broom ready. It was not the ritual broom that had been used in the previous version of this spell, but I felt that having my flying broom from the lucusi couldn’t hurt.
Hearing the LeBaron sputtering outside, I zipped up the bag and headed downstairs with the Codex copy in hand.
In the kitchen, Maxine and Zhan had completed their rounds and were having a discussion. Curious, I stepped down the hallway. From the muffled growling sounds, I guessed Johnny was rough-housing with Ares in the garage.
Nana shuffled through the front door and immediately joined us. She had brought down her notebook with translations of the Trivium Codex this morning, and she dumped her coat on the back of her chair then sat. “You take the Codex copy?”
“Yes.” I handed it to her.
On cue, Johnny strode in. After planting a quick kiss on my cheek, he claimed the last pieces of bacon.
“We should go with them,” Maxine said to Zhan.
“I believe one of us should stay,” Zhan countered, “to make certain that no one enters the house.”
Maxine said, “We were told to protect her, not her house or her grandmother.”
“Is it not implied?” the Asian woman asked. Maxine did not respond. “It would be negligent not to have considered all the implications,” Zhan added.
“But she will be surrounded by wærewolves.”
“Hey, Red won’t be in any danger there,” Johnny said.
“You don’t know that,” Maxine pressed.
His shoulders squared at her challenge. “Yes, I do.” His tone was more authoritative than I’d ever heard. The voice of the Domn Lup made Maxine swallow whatever retort she might have considered. From the garage, Ares barked. Guess he heard it, too.
“However,” Johnny added in a more conversational tone as he
let the puppy into the house, “if you’d like to let me take the Audi, I won’t object to that.”
Maxine crossed her arms. She wisely did not say a word, but let her body language speak for her—although she lost some of the affect with Ares sniffing her ankles. I scolded him and he trotted off through the dining room. I was just glad he was past his growling dislike of these particular Offerlings.
“C’mon,” I chimed in. “The Domn Lup can’t keep showing up in a rusty Chrysler LeBaron.”
“I heard that,” Nana grouched, lifting her head from the notebook.
Maxine said to Zhan, “You stay.” She pulled the keys from her pocket, studied them for a moment, then tossed them to Johnny. “You drive.”
His adorable little-boy grin spread.
After I claimed the necessary pages from the Codex copy and tucked them into the overnight bag, I asked Johnny, “When do you want to leave?”
He checked the clock. “We have some time, but I can’t wait to do the test drive.”
While shaking my head at his glee, I hugged Nana good-bye then rehefted the bag onto my shoulder and headed for the hallway. “Then let’s go. You can take the long way.”
We passed the doorway to the living room. Ares was on the couch, paws on the back, tail wagging vigorously. I was about to scold him again, when the low growl in his throat made me stop. Beyond him, I saw a dark Chevy Impala in the driveway. A shadow appeared on the glass of the door, and someone knocked.
“Let me,” Maxine said.
“I can still answer my own door.” Without waiting for her I jerked the door open.
Two men stood on my porch.
One was broad-shouldered with a near-ebony complexion. His head was shaved but he had a trim goatee surrounding unsmiling lips. I was willing to bet even this guy’s baby pictures were stern. Combine his facial expression, and the methodical assessment in his dark eyes, with the serious black suit, and I knew he wasn’t here on a whim.
The other man was pallid, and was decidedly not broad-shouldered. He had pale weasel-like eyes that remained fixed on me. Ivory’s no-nonsense suit screamed “government official” just as much as Ebony’s.
I didn’t open the screen door. Instead, I pointed to the front window. “The building permits are posted.”
Ebony reached into his pocket and produced a badge and an ID. “I’m Special Agent Damian Brent, this is Special Agent Clive Napier. I have some questions for you, Ms. Alcmedi, if you have a moment.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Special Agent Damian Brent pointed at my overnight bag. “Going somewhere?”
“I was going across town for a few hours.”
His gaze shifted to focus past me. “Do you have a permit for that gun?”
“I do,” Maxine said.
I’d jerked the door open and, as usual, she had her gun out. I could have at least checked before opening the door, or waited until she’d retreated out of sight.
“Concealed carry?” Agent Brent asked.
“Yes. May I see your identification?”
I stepped out of the way so she could move forward. Her gun was lowered but still available as she drew closer to the screen door to make her inspection of his credentials. A moment later she said, “I’ve never heard of the S-S-T-I-X.” She spelled it out, letter by letter. “What’s it stand for?”
“I’m not surprised you haven’t heard. SSTIX”—he pronounced it like the famed river Styx of Greek myth—“is a newer and little-known task force.”
We all waited; he didn’t go on. “And the acronym stands for what?” Maxine pressed.
“Specialized Squadron for Tactical Investigation of Xenocrime.”
“Xenocrime?”
“As in crimes committed by those members of society deemed … strange.”
“Nonsters,” Clive added with a twisted smile.
It had been only a matter of time until nonhumans had a task force devoted to their crimes. This should have been a good thing, as law enforcement officers increasingly had refused to investigate crimes involving vampires and wærewolves for years. Insurance companies and governmental agencies had lost numerous lawsuits brought by families of slain or disabled police officers whose attorneys had cited circumstances “far superior to normal risk.” Based on Agent Brent’s vibe, I was betting the federal government had found a solution … and that it might not be all good.
Maxine removed the cell phone from her pocket. She still hadn’t holstered her weapon. “With so many freaks able to make realistic documents, you’ll of course understand if we verify your credentials before talking to you?”
“Of course, but it’ll take you longer to make that verification than it will for Ms. Alcmedi to answer a few simple questions.”
“The number?” Maxine insisted. She dialed as Agent Brent rattled off a series of numbers.
I stepped forward. “What do you want?”
“I have questions about the death of Xerxadrea Veilleux and the break-in at the Botanical Gardens.”
A pang of loss resonated in my chest at the mention of her name. Keeping my expression blank, I said, “Xerxadrea was a friend. I mourn her loss. Someone told me the authorities thought she lost control of her broom and crashed.”
“May we come in?”
“Not until she verifies you.”
He took a small notepad from his pocket and flipped it open. “The alarms went off at the Botanical Gardens at eleven-twenty-six P.M.” He tapped the notebook. “Local television stations broadcast live coverage of you from eight-twelve P.M. until eight-thirty-eight P.M. A ceremony of some kind, and you wore a red hooded cape.”
He took a breath, so I said, “I’m not sure of the exact times, but I have to assume you’ve done your homework and that you are correct.” Nothing about my installation as Menessos’s court witch was criminal. Although I would arrest Menessos for making me wear those boots if I could.
“I also have sources that say at approximately nine P.M. you were seen leaving the area of the vampires’ haven with a man on a motorcycle. The motorcyclist drove on the sidewalk for a short distance.”
That was illegal. At least for the “motorcyclist,” Johnny. My mouth stayed shut.
“So where did you go when you left in such haste, Ms. Alcmedi?”
“To see me,” Maxine said, shutting the phone and tucking it away.
“And you are?”
“Maxine Simmons.”
He asked for her address and wrote in the little book as she answered. “May we come in now?”
“No,” Maxine said firmly.
“How long did you two ladies stay together?”
Maxine shrugged as if unsure. “I don’t remember. Do you?”
In truth, I’d gone with Johnny to The Dirty Dog, then flew on the broom to the gardens. After the encounter with the fairies that left Xerxadrea dead, I left with Menessos. We revisited The Dirty Dog, then continued on to the haven. Security cameras might have picked up the cab arriving at the haven downtown, so I didn’t dare lie about that. “Until Menessos came for me. We arrived back at the haven at …” Menessos had given me the satellite phone then. I was afraid to call Nana because it was after one in the morning. “It was just after one A.M., I believe.”
“Nine until one.” As he wrote that down, Agent Brent asked, “So what were you doing during those four hours, Ms. Alcmedi?”
“Playing cards with me,” Maxine said. “Uno. And staying clear of vampires. If you’ve seen the TV footage then you’ll recall there was an attempted murder at the ceremony.”
Agent Brent pursed his lips, a sign that he wasn’t convinced.
“We weren’t certain who the target was, but the Regional Lord thought it best she be elsewhere,” Maxine replied. “What’s any of this got to do with the Eldrenne’s death?”
I made a mental note to remember that Maxine was a convincing liar.
Agent Brent continued. “Eyewitness police reports say that at approximately eleven-forty P.M., someone w
earing a red hooded cape was observed flying away from the Botanical Gardens on a broom.” His bland tone supported the disgust he was conveying to me. “You were there, Ms. Alcmedi. I want to know why the deceased lost control of her broom.”
It was Menessos’s second-in-command, Goliath, the police had seen. I had given Goliath my cape to wear in hopes it would draw off the fairies that were after us. Menessos told him to wait until the last moment to leave, to buy us time to make our escape on foot.
“Enough of this,” Johnny stepped up. “Do you have a warrant?”
“I do not. Do you have a motorcycle?” He quickly assessed Johnny.
“If you don’t have a warrant, then you’re done here.”
Johnny’s voice exuded an unmistakable threat. The agents, after glaring briefly through the screen door, left. Johnny shut the door when they had exited the porch.
“They’re likely calling to get access to all the city’s traffic cameras right now,” Maxine said. “Where did you two go?”
“We took Superior into Cleveland Heights to The Dirty Dog.” I watched the two men stride to their very plain, government-tagged Impala.
“East.” She paced a few steps, took out her phone again, and made a call. She told someone to get a couple tech geeks to the Blood Culture, pull video surveillance, and doctor in an arrival and departure of two women who could pass for the two of us, with me in the ceremonial outfit. She gave them times and the proper date. When she shut the phone, she grinned. “Now we’ll have corroborating evidence if he needs it.”
“It can’t be that easy.”
“For the tech geeks it is.”
“Women who could pass for you and me?”
“The Boss knows a lot of women, my lady. A lot of size sixes. Me in shades, you with the hood up. Easy.”
Nana and Zhan had been listening, and joined us in the living room. Though apprehension radiated from her, Nana didn’t speak.
“You said we were together and gave him your address,” I said to Maxine.
“I said you came to see me. I didn’t say where. He asked for my address because he assumed that’s where we were.”
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