My Wicked Vampire

by Nina Bangs

  Sparkle sighed as though Holgarth was heading down a well-worn path. “You just won’t let it go. Get this through your head: Ike wasn’t your fault. This was a hurricane so huge it almost filled the Gulf of Mexico. Even you can’t stop a force of nature that massive. You did what you could.”

  “That’s precisely the point. I couldn’t do enough. I saved the castle, but I couldn’t help Bolivar Peninsula.” Holgarth closed his eyes as if in pain. “I couldn’t save the Balinese Room. All wiped away.” He shook his head. “I heard Frank Sinatra sing at the Balinese Room.” His hat slid to the side, but he didn’t straighten it. “It was my pride. I thought I could do it all. I should have called in Ganymede to help. I’m too old, too weak to carry on my duties as the castle’s wizard.”

  Okay, this was officially too far out there even for Cinn. This guy wasn’t joking. He thought he was a real wizard. She wondered about the contract she’d signed. Maybe she should’ve read it a little more closely. Was there an escape clause?

  Sparkle reached across the table to put her hand over his. “Of course you’re not too old. The castle would be so much less…dynamic without you.”

  From the little she’d seen, Cinn thought the castle would do a happy dance if Holgarth left. But that was just her.

  Holgarth opened his eyes. “No, you’re not changing my mind. Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin interviewing possible replacements—a nearly impossible task—for my job.” Pushing his chair back, he stood, wrapped his robe more tightly around him, and swept from the room.

  Sparkle turned troubled eyes Cinn’s way. “Hurricane Ike devastated him as well as Galveston Island. Before the storm he was so secure in his power.” She sounded like she actually believed all the wizardry talk. “Now he’s just a shadow of his former self. Would you believe that you’re the first person he’s worked up the energy to insult since the storm?”

  “Yay for me.” Cinn didn’t know if Sparkle heard her muttered sarcasm, because her boss was already standing to leave.

  “Well, the intros didn’t go exactly as planned.” She guided Cinn out to the hotel lobby and toward the door that would lead to the castle’s great hall. Sparkle held the door open for her.

  Cinn marveled at how guests could step back in time just by passing through this door. Behind it was an authentic-looking great hall complete with a massive fireplace, a long banquet table set on a dais, and stone walls covered with tapestries and ancient weapons, among other things. Customers could really get into their fantasies here. She knew from the brochure left in her room that several other areas of the castle were also reserved for fantasy sessions. Cinn hadn’t been here long enough to explore anything but her room, the castle’s restaurant, and Sparkle’s Wicked Fantasy club.

  But as exciting as everything around her was, Cinn’s common sense was telling her there was something really weird going on. She needed to find somewhere else to work with her plants. “You know, now that I’ve had time to think, I’ve decided that maybe this job might not be the perfect fit for me.”

  Sparkle didn’t seem surprised. “Look, I know the guys didn’t make a great first impression, but I want you to meet one last manager. Then if you want out of your contract, you can give me the usual two-weeks’ notice.”

  “Two weeks?” Not good. “I can still send you my plants no matter where I go, so why can’t I just leave? I know you spent money on the greenhouse, but I can pay for that.” Eventually. With many, many monthly payments.

  “I’ve already put you on the castle’s list of attractions. I’ll need time to replace you.” Sparkle attempted to look aggrieved while casting Cinn a sideways glance. “By the way, a good stylist could do wonders with your hair, and a few sexy outfits would…” Her voice faded away and she stood staring at nothing for a moment. Then she smiled as she returned her attention to Cinn. “I’m in control again. It’s tough to break the habit of centu—, uh, years.”

  The mystery of what the hell Sparkle was talking about followed Cinn across the great hall to a dark doorway and down winding stone steps—lit only by wall sconces—that ended in a shadowy hallway. “Why wasn’t this manager at the meeting?” Not that Cinn cared. She was counting on Sparkle releasing her from her contract before the two weeks were up. Then she’d get on the phone and beg for her old job back. Her family would be thrilled if she were once again close enough to harass daily.

  “He has a few emotional issues right now, so he’s pretty much keeping to himself.” Her gaze skipped away from Cinn’s. She stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. “This is the dungeon. We use it in our fantasies, but it’s off limits until Dacian feels able to cope.” She pulled out an old-fashioned key and shoved it into the keyhole.

  This didn’t sound promising. Emotional issues? Cope? Cinn noted the click of the lock. To keep Dacian in or others out? “Umm, maybe I should wait to meet him until he’s feeling better.”

  “No, now is the right time.”

  Shadows played across Sparkle’s face as she pushed open the door and stepped aside for Cinn to enter. Cinn barely registered Sparkle following her in, relocking the door, and then coming to stand beside her, because shock had frozen her in place.

  A man was chained spread-eagled to the stone wall. No, not a man. Nothing human had fangs like that or eyes completely black with no white showing. Whatever he was, he was tall and muscular with long matted hair and wore nothing but what looked like a black silk scarf around his hips. A light sheen of sweat threw every straining muscle into relief, highlighting the scars criss-crossing his chest and stomach. Not bullet wounds. These had been slashing wounds. She shuddered.

  He lifted his lips away from his fangs in a silent snarl. No need for him to make scary noises. He was already the star of her next fright fantasy.

  “He’s a big man.” Sparkle slid her gaze the length of his body, lingering where the black scarf slowly slipped lower, inch by torturous inch. “And oh so dangerous. Dangerous men are sexy.” She glanced at Cinn. “Don’t you find that’s true?”

  Cinn’s heart began beating again with a solid thunk. She turned to face Sparkle. “Okay, you got me. I bought into the reality for a moment. But if I were going to fantasize about a vampire, I’d make damn sure he looked better than that.” She refused to turn to look at “that” again.

  Something in Sparkle’s smile made Cinn swallow hard.

  “You’re right. Most vampires are gorgeous, but I guess there’s always the exception to the rule. Although who knows what he really looks like under all that hair, dirt, and scars? Mede brought him here directly from his grave.” She moved closer to the “vampire.” “He’s a little crazy right now. I hope he comes out of it soon.” Sparkle sighed. “I hope he comes out of it at all. He has a brother, Taurin, who’s searched for him a long time. In fact, Taurin and his wife have just finished running down another false lead.”

  Behind her, the fake vampire hissed, and Cinn controlled the urge to bolt. Things were getting a little too bizarre for her.

  “Mede got a tip on Dacian’s location three days ago and went to check it out. He showed up at the castle with Dacian a few hours ago. We’re not quite sure where Taurin is right now, so we can’t give him the news. Considering Dacian’s condition, maybe it’s better this way. Taurin and his wife will be back at the castle in a few days.”

  “Uh…” No words came. Sparkle wasn’t joking. She was freaking serious.

  “Then Mede and I will have to make a decision.” Sparkle’s expression said it wasn’t a decision she looked forward to. “If we can get Dacian coherent and cleaned up, we’ll reunite him with his brother.”

  “And if not?” Cinn didn’t know why she was whispering. A quick glance at the guy—she would not accept that he was anything else—didn’t show any awareness gleaming in those scary black eyes.

  “We’ll destroy him.” Cold and emotionless, this was a new face of Sparkle Stardust. “Right now he’s a danger to himself and anyone near him. It would devastate Taurin to see hi
s brother like this.” She shrugged. “It would be kinder to allow him to keep searching and to never find Dacian.”

  Cinn felt like Sparkle’s words had sucked every bit of air from her lungs. Her boss was calmly discussing murder. “You can’t kill him.” She edged toward the door. If she escaped, she wouldn’t stop running until she got to the police station.

  Sparkle looked puzzled. “Of course I can’t. He’s already dead. I can destroy him, though. If nothing’s left of his mind, it would be a kindness to Taurin and to him.” She watched Cinn’s slow creep to the door. “I wouldn’t bother if I were you. The door’s locked, and I have the key.”

  Cinn ignored her in favor of yanking on the door. Right. Locked. She pounded on the wood and shouted, “Help! I’m locked in here with a maniac. Someone get me out!”

  “The wood’s a foot thick and the room is sound-proofed. No one will hear you,” Sparkle offered helpfully.

  Cinn abandoned the door. She pulled her cell phone from her pants pocket and blessed the habit that never allowed her to go anywhere without it. Frantically, she hit 911.

  Sparkle had a patient expression pasted on her face. “You won’t get a signal down here.”

  Cinn shoved the useless phone back into her pocket. She eyed Sparkle. The woman was taller than her, but Cinn was in good shape from digging, planting, and toting bags of fertilizer.

  Sparkle smiled. “Don’t even think about it, sister. You along with all your friends and family couldn’t take me down. But hey, if you want to try, knock yourself out.”

  Cinn wanted to try. She flung herself at Sparkle. About a foot from her goal, she smacked into an invisible wall. She couldn’t see it, but it was damn well there. After pounding her fists on it and delivering a few kicks that only served to hurt her toe, she backed away from Sparkle.

  “Good. Now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, we can get down to business.” Sparkle hopped onto a table with a bunch of ominous-looking straps. Crossing her legs, she motioned for Cinn to join her.

  Cinn shook her head. “I’ll stand.” She tried to quiet her frenzied thoughts so she could think. But her mind refused to stop circling the invisible wall. “Say what you have to say so I can get out of here.” She wouldn’t think about the possibility that Sparkle might not intend to release her. But just in case, she scanned the area for a weapon. Whips, chains, and a bunch of other torture implements. Hmm. She could do some damage with that small ax.

  Sparkle laughed. “Give it up, Cinn. The only real things in here are the chains keeping Dacian from trying to suck us dry.”

  Cinn slanted a quick glance at Dacian. Who knew that eyes so black could look like they were burning? She swore she could almost see the flames behind his enraged glare.

  “So here’s the deal. Yes, vampires do exist, along with lots of other nonhumans. Edge and I are cosmic troublemakers. My specialty is creating sexual chaos throughout the universe. Edge is the cosmic troublemaker in charge of death. You can guess what he does. Bain is a demon, and yes, Holgarth is a real wizard.” She held up her hand to stop Cinn from interrupting. “Let me finish.”

  Cinn had no intention of interrupting. No way could she talk with her jaw dragging on the floor.

  “I sense a kindred spirit in you.” Sparkle dangled one lethal-looking stiletto from her toe as she swung her leg back and forth.

  “I don’t think so.” Somehow Cinn had ended up between Sparkle the psycho and Dacian the undead. At least Dacian was in chains, so she took a step back toward him.

  “Cinn, Cinn.” Sparkle shook her head. “Self-deception is always sad.” She leaned forward.

  Cinn took another step back. She thought about the weird things that Edge, Bain, and Holgarth had said. Now Sparkle seemed just as crazy. Mass delusions? Uh, remember the invisible wall? Felt sort of real. Nope, couldn’t be real. She slammed shut the door in her mind that might be open to possibilities and folded her arms under her breasts to keep her pounding heart from leaping out of her chest and bouncing around the dungeon. How the hell was she going to get out of here?

  Sparkle laughed, a soft husky sound that right now seemed pretty threatening to Cinn.

  “Calm down. All I want you to do is to hear me out and then think about what I said. I intended to do the big reveal gradually so I wouldn’t scare you to death, but now that you want to quit I don’t have a choice. When I’m finished with what I have to say, you can leave the room.”

  Sparkle tried to look harmless, but Cinn figured Sparkle never had a harmless minute in her life. “Fine. Spit it out and then I’m out of here.” Right now her pushy family was looking good.

  As Cinn waited for Sparkle to spout more lunacy, she felt a tentative fluttering in her mind. It was questioning and unsure, but it was a definite presence. Vince? Was it possible? Had he sensed her fear over the distance between the dungeon and the greenhouse? Had her fear finally driven him to reach out?

  “I’ll try to say this in a way that won’t terrify you.” Sparkle pursed her full lips, making the act of thinking into an erotic invitation. “But there are some things that just have to be said with no sugarcoating.”

  There it was again. Stronger this time. Cinn held her breath as the fluttering became a careful probing. Vince was trying to analyze her emotions. She was sure of it. She forced herself to relax, to send peaceful thoughts his way. And after a few seconds the presence receded and was gone.

  “You, Cinn Airmid, have supernatural powers given to you by your family’s namesake, the Celtic goddess Airmid.” Sparkle held up both hands. “Now don’t start crying and going hysterical on me. Let me explain …” She frowned. “Why are you smiling? You’re supposed to be overcome with panic and disbelief.”

  Cinn shook her head, bemused by the wonder of what had just happened. “I’ll be overcome with panic and disbelief in a moment. Something incredible just happened.”

  Sparkle didn’t look happy. Evidently she’d been hoping for a lot more frenzy and fear.

  “Vince just connected with me mentally.” Cinn knew she must have a silly grin pasted on her face. “He sensed my emotional turmoil.”

  “Vince? Is he an assistant? I don’t remember agreeing to pay an assistant.” She looked outraged at the thought.

  Cinn’s breath caught at the wonder of it all. “Vince is my vinca minor.”

  Sparkle looked blank.

  “A periwinkle, Sparkle. He’s one of my plants.”

  Chapter Two

  The routine was always the same. Dacian struggled free of the madness even as he silently cursed his maker. After the cursing came the questions. How long had the rage lasted this time? Had he killed anyone along the way? He seemed to remember reaching Big Bend National Park before Stephan had mentally hit him with the usual demand: Come back to me. Yeah, like that was going to happen.

  And then when Dacian had refused, Stephan took his mind and twisted it into uncontrollable patterns of anger until his head felt ready to explode with his need to kill. That was where Dacian’s memories stopped until he emerged from the long dark tunnel of his insane fury.

  Careful not to give any hint of returning awareness, Dacian took stock. Chained to a freaking wall. No windows. Big-ass door. Probably locked. Two women. Unarmed.

  For the first time, he felt like smiling. He didn’t have a clue where he was or why two unarmed women were in the room with him, but if he could break the chains, the unarmed part would give him a huge advantage.

  “Wait. You said I have supernatural powers from Airmid?” The woman facing away from him took a step backward. “That’s crazy. In fact, all this paranormal stuff you and the rest of your people have spouted tonight is crazy.”

  He sensed a silent, “You’re crazy,” in there somewhere.

  “Come on, Cinn, stop fooling yourself.”

  The woman facing him had long red hair and strange amber eyes. Perched on a table decorated with enough restraints to hold down King Kong, she practically oozed sexual power. Nonhuman. Amazing t
hat this Cinn woman couldn’t sense it.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I do a little experimenting with plants. So what? People blame lots of things that happen on the supernatural. Then scientists find a perfectly logical explanation.” Cinn sounded as though she was trying to convince herself. She took another careful step backward.

  He controlled his urge to lick his lips. When she got close enough, he’d throw everything he had into one effort to escape his chains. Then he’d grab the little plant experimenter and heave her at the red-haired bitch. While they were trying to untangle themselves, he’d rip the door from its hinges and deal with what was on the other side. He had to get out of here fast so he could find Taurin.

  “Let’s get things straight, sister.” The redhead sounded pissed. “You supply plants that feed on sexual energy to the Castle of Dark Dreams. A plant in your greenhouse just stuck its vine into your mind. That is not normal. And there isn’t any damn scientific explanation for what you do. So stop thinking there is. No amount of splicing and fertilizing could produce the babies you have out in that greenhouse. Wake up and smell the supernatural.”

  The Castle of Dark Dreams? How the hell had that happened? Not a coincidence. He didn’t believe in them. But he wasn’t going to question fate. This was where he was supposed to be. Now all he had to do was get free, find Taurin, and haul his ass to somewhere safe, somewhere Stephan couldn’t reach him.

  Not as easy as he made it sound. From the chains, he’d guess there were nonhumans—because humans alone couldn’t have done this—who didn’t want him to leave. He hoped they didn’t work for Stephan. No way did he want to be delivered to his maker wrapped up like some preholiday present.

  Cinn took another step back. “Why are you doing this, Sparkle? As long as I deliver the plants you want, why does it matter how I feel about my work?”

  Sparkle? He stopped himself from snorting. The woman with the great ass and warm brown hair—that was all he could see of Cinn from this angle—sounded almost scared. Not that it mattered to him. All he wanted from her were a few more steps back.