by Nina Bangs
Cinn was so ready for this to be over. “That’s because it has ordinary things in it that ordinary people buy.”
Sparkle blinked. “Oh. That’s why I’ve never been here.” She glanced down at her designer everything and made a moue of disappointment. “And I thought I’d dressed down for this shopping trip.”
If she hadn’t been so exasperated, Cinn would’ve laughed. “Umm, no.”
And so it began, the shopping afternoon from hell. Sparkle complained up one aisle and down another. Things were too cheap, too ordinary, too this, too that, until Cinn wanted to wrap one of the pairs of too unsexy panties around Sparkle’s elitist neck and strangle her.
Cinn had given up trying to cajole Sparkle out of her bad mood in favor of looking at a few things she might buy herself. She didn’t realize she’d gotten separated from the reformed queen of all things stylish until she tripped. She would’ve gone splat in the undies aisle if someone hadn’t caught her.
Cinn looked down to see what had tripped her. Then she leaned over to get a closer look. A tree branch? Growing out of the floor? Uh-oh. She slowly straightened and turned to look at the person who’d kept her from falling.
The woman smiled at her. “You’re very hard to catch alone.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Actually, it’s very good fertilizer. Growing things waste nothing.” Airmid was tall and slender, with long flowing pale hair and an otherworldly beauty that even shoppers in a big-box store must be able to see.
Cinn glanced around. Of course, if there were no shoppers in this aisle, then no one would see anything. She swallowed hard. Where the hell was Sparkle?
“Relax, Cinn. I’m not here to rain hoes and sod down on your head. Yet. I thought we could have a little chat. Perhaps then you’d understand why I’m upset with you.” Her smile was lovely, but it didn’t hide the anger beneath it.
Okay, trying to relax here. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset. My plants don’t hurt anyone.”
“One of them bit the vampire.”
“Oh, you know about that.” How had Airmid found out about that?
“I know many things.”
If Cinn were really lucky, the goddess wouldn’t know about Wade. Suddenly, she remembered what almost happened to Vince. Now she was the one who was mad. “Why did you tell Asima to destroy Vince?”
Airmid raised a brow in surprise. “Because plants don’t think. Plants don’t feel. And plants never talk.”
“Why not? Other species have evolved.”
“Because I say so.” Suddenly she was no longer the pleasant woman of a moment ago. Her pale green eyes darkened and her hair whipped around her face as a mini tornado circled her head.
Cinn gulped and stepped back. Time to keep her mouth shut.
Airmid’s expression cleared and her hair once again lay in shining waves across her shoulders. “You’re special, Cinn. Your family has always honored me. They’ve nurtured plants throughout the centuries. But no one in your family has ever had any of my power.”
“Your power? I don’t understand.” Where was Sparkle? The longer she stood chatting with the goddess, the greater the chance she’d say something really dumb.
“I have no control over who in your family receives the gift. If it were up to me, I would have chosen your sister Ginger. But now that you realize how special you are, you have to abandon these disgraceful experiments and destroy the mutations you’ve already created.”
“No.” The word popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. It hung there in the air between the goddess and her. Cinn wished she could pluck it back and swallow it. Too late.
“You will do as I say.” The eyes and wind thing started up again. “I am the Celtic goddess of the growing green. I am the herbal healer to the Tuatha De Danann. How dare you say no to me?”
The healer to whom? What?
Suddenly Sparkle was there. She clutched a bunch of bags, so she must’ve already paid for her stuff. She took one look at the pissed-off goddess and yelled, “Run!”
Cinn didn’t need to be told twice. Wind roared down the aisles, panties and bras sailed past her, and she could hear display cases crashing to the floor. Screams filled the store as customers fled.
She and Sparkle were caught in the crush and carried out of the store on a wave of terrified customers. Even the greeters were hitting the exits. Once free of the mob, Cinn didn’t stop running until she reached Sparkle’s car. Sparkle was already inside with the engine running. Just as they peeled out of the parking lot and back out onto Seawall Boulevard, the roof of the store caved in.
Cinn was horrified. “What if there were people still in there? If anyone’s hurt, it’s my fault.” In the distance she could hear sirens.
“It is not your fault. It’s the fault of the ditzy goddess with anger issues.” Sparkle relaxed a little as they got closer to the castle. “It’s really too bad about the store. I suppose I won’t be able to buy any more cheap and serviceable clothes there for a while.” She didn’t seem overly upset by the thought.
Cinn was still thinking about the people in the store. “I should’ve let her think she’d won.”
Sparkle pulled into the employee parking lot near the hotel’s side entrance. She parked and then dragged all her bags out to lug them into the castle. It was only when they were in the elevator that Sparkle hit her with the questions. “What did she want from you? What did you say that made her so mad? Did she tell you who does her hair?”
Cinn couldn’t discuss any of it while she was frantic about the people caught in the store collapse. She had to know if anyone had died or been seriously hurt. “I’ll explain later.”
Sparkle nodded, but she didn’t look happy about having to wait for all the juicy details.
Cinn followed Sparkle into her suite. Ganymede sprawled on the couch, watching a movie. The only thing different from the last time Cinn had visited was this time he had an open cookie box by his side.
“Can I change the channel for a minute, Ganymede?” Something about the store would have to be on the news.
The cat looked as though she’d tried to steal his cookies. “Can’t do. I’m taping this. Don’t want to mess with the old DVR.”
Self-involved, piggy fur-ball. Cinn glared at him. He ignored her.
“See you did lots of shopping, babe. Glad you bought a bunch of clothes. Thought I’d help you while I was just hanging, so I called up some charity. They came by and took all your old stuff away. Now you won’t be tempted by those fancy shoes and sexy outfits.” He paused, waiting for a show of gratitude.
Sparkle dropped all the bags on the floor.
Cinn waited for her eyes to darken and her hair to do the supernatural wind thing. Sparkle was a little more prosaic than Airmid, though. She jerked a mirror from the wall and heaved it at him.
Cinn wasn’t about to get caught up in this seven-years-of-bad-luck event, so she ducked out of the room and hurried to…Where? She didn’t want to go to her room. She didn’t want to be alone. Airmid had been waiting to catch her alone.
Almost dark, and only one person she wanted to be with. Without thinking things to death, she ran all the way down the winding stairs to the floor where Dacian slept. She pounded on his door. Please, please, be awake.
And when he finally opened his door, she flung herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close. At last she felt safe.
He pulled her inside and closed the door. Only now did she notice that all he wore was a towel around his waist. “Sorry. I got you at the wrong time.”
His smile was a sensual slide of invitation. “No, you got me at exactly the right time.”
Chapter Nine
He’d lied. Dacian knew this was definitely not the best time for Cinn to show up. She was in danger. On many different levels.
He’d risen about fifteen minutes ago and immediately jumped into the shower so he could be ready as soon as the sun set to find Cinn and guard her through the night.
Yeah, okay, so he had other things he wanted to do with her through the night. Guarding her was only one in a long list. And that was where the danger came in.
Her hair was tousled and her face flushed from running down those stairs. Dacian knew she’d run because he’d heard her coming. His enhanced hearing was a blessing and a curse. Right now he could hear the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood through her body. Her blood sang to him, a siren’s song. It would be sweet and … He felt the slide of his fangs and cut off all thoughts of her blood.
Dacian concentrated on the outer package. Too bad her clothes got in the way of his full appreciation. Her skin would be smooth and soft as he slid his fingers the length of her body. She’d be warm and moist as he pushed her legs apart and put his mouth… His fangs made a return appearance.
And as much as he wanted to drag her to the floor, rip her clothes from her body, and bury himself deep inside her, he knew those fangs were going to be a problem. He wanted her too much, and his vampire nature was part and parcel of his whole sexual experience. Maybe if it hadn’t been so long, or his lust weren’t so overwhelming, he could make love to her without a show of fang. But he didn’t think his control was good enough right now.
“Airmid destroyed the store.”
He blinked, finally realizing how upset she was. “Airmid? Are you okay?” The hell with the store. He led her to the couch. Damned if he was going to let her isolate herself in a chair. Dacian drew her down beside him. “Tell me the whole story.”
She didn’t object when he tucked her against his side. He indulged himself in an almost-forgotten human reflex. He held the breath he no longer had while praying she wouldn’t suddenly remember what she was cozying up to and jerk away. Who knew he actually had a sensitive bone in his undead body?
“Sparkle and I went shopping. She wanted to buy some clothes that proved she wasn’t shallow. We got separated, and Airmid ambushed me. She wanted me to destroy my plants, I said no, and she lost it.”
Dacian closed his eyes. Cinn was such an innocent. She had no idea how dangerous a pissed-off goddess could be. He wanted to rage against his inability to guard her 24-7. He opened his eyes. “Next time, take Bain or Edge with you. They’re more reliable than Sparkle.” From what he’d seen, anyone would be more reliable than Sparkle. Yeah, so he was letting her name sway his opinion. He just couldn’t see a Sparkle Stardust as a dangerous, competent bodyguard.
“Everyone rushed to get out of the store, but I’m so afraid someone was hurt or killed. And it’s all my fault. If I’d stopped to think, I could’ve stalled her, said I’d think about it.”
He heard the guilt in her voice and wanted to find Airmid so he could stuff a few of Cinn’s plants down her throat. “Don’t blame yourself. You’re not the one who destroyed the store. Airmid could’ve chosen a different way to act out her temper tantrum.” He thought about calling Holgarth and asking him to check the news, but Cinn wouldn’t want him to shield her from the truth. “Look, I’ll turn on the TV and see if we can find out anything.” As he reached for the remote, he hoped no one had died. But if they had, he’d be there to help her through it.
The first local station he hit had a video of the wreckage. Wow, Airmid didn’t hold back when she got ticked. He glanced at Cinn to see her reaction. Her face looked calm, but she’d clenched her hands in her lap.
The reporter said the one thing Cinn needed to hear. “It was a miracle everyone got out. Officials reported only a few people with cuts and bruises. Amazingly, one part of the store remained untouched.”
The camera panned past the rest of the destroyed store to focus on the garden section. All of the plants stood in perfect rows surrounded by pots, rakes, plant food, and other stuff connected to them.
“Airmid takes care of her own.” Cinn sounded exhausted but relieved.
“Why don’t you rest for a while?” You can rest on my bed if you want. No, bad idea. He’d never survive, knowing she was in his bed, never get the sensual scent of her out of his head. She’d haunt his bed forever.
She shook her head. “I have to go to my plants. Bain is guarding them, but I want to be there if Airmid tries anything. Besides, I need to check on Vince.”
Dacian clenched his jaw, forcing his words back. He didn’t give a flip about the plants. Okay, so maybe he cared a little about Vince. But she’d angered a goddess. Didn’t she realize how much danger she was in? Hadn’t she learned anything from her little shopping trip?
She glanced at him and then smiled. “I can’t read minds, but I can sure read your expression. That vampire mask is slipping. Yes, I’m worried about me. I’d be stupid not to. But right now I don’t know what to do to change Airmid’s mind. The one thing she wants, I won’t do. I won’t kill my plants.”
He nodded. “From what you’ve said, it seems like Airmid didn’t want to involve Sparkle or the rest of us. She waited until she could get you alone. So you’ll make sure you’re never alone again until things get settled.”
“You’re a bossy man, did you know that?” Her smile took the sting out of her comment.
But all Dacian heard was the word “man.” She couldn’t be thinking of him as a bloodsucking horror and call him a man, could she?
Her smile faded as she continued, “Don’t forget that you have your own problems. I haven’t forgotten.”
His good feeling faded along with her smile. She was right. He might pose as much of a danger to her as Airmid. And what if Airmid struck at the same time Stephan launched one of his attacks? Fat lot of good he’d do her then. He pushed the nightmare away. He’d deal with the here and now for as long as he could.
He nodded. “Wait while I get some clothes on, and we’ll go to your greenhouse.”
She watched him as he grabbed some clothes from his closet and headed for the bathroom. The towel rode low on his hips and with every stride her breaths came a little faster. Drop the damn towel. It was like reading a book with the best pages missing. His wide shoulders tapered down to a strong smooth back and then… missing pages. Moving along, she could see the lower part of muscular thighs, and then his strong legs. But she couldn’t get past the missing pages. She could only imagine his firm round butt. And if he turned around…Well, she’d save that for a later time.
While he dressed, she pushed her thoughts past his delicious body and what she’d like to do with it to concentrate on Airmid. How could anyone fight a goddess?
But Cinn didn’t have a chance to come up with any solutions before Dacian emerged from the bath-room. Even wearing just jeans and a T-shirt, he was breathtaking.
At what point had his vampire status ceased to stand in the way of her full appreciation of him as a spectacular man? She didn’t know, but it had.
He took her hand as they left his room and climbed the stairs to the great hall, where Eric stood with Holgarth and Kyla. Cinn figured there was no way to avoid talking to them.
And yes, she saw Kyla as a threat, though she wasn’t sure why. Sure, Cinn wanted to make love with Dacian. For heaven’s sake, look at the guy. Any woman with a normal hormone level would feel the same way. But she didn’t for a minute think she had ownership rights. Didn’t want any. Talk about grabbing a tiger by its tail. That was what getting emotionally involved with Dacian would be like. How would you let go and survive?
As they joined the group, Cinn offered the other woman a wide smile. Hey, she could be a hypocrite with the best of them.
“Ah, our princess of perverted plants and the demented vampire have joined us. How absolutely thrilling.”
Cinn wanted to knock Holgarth’s stupid wizard’s hat off his head and stuff it into his sarcastic mouth. She offered him her most poisonous smile. “It’s nice to see you again, too. Interview any promising replacements today?”
The wizard pursed his thin lips as he studied her. “No one can replace me, Ms. Airmid. I promise you that. The best I can hope for is a pale reflection of my incomparable powers. The whole interv
iew process is exhausting.”
Eric laughed out loud. Nothing subtle about him. “The only incomparable part of you is your ego. It could swallow a midsize American city. But Cinn and Dacian don’t know you like I do. Underneath all that obnoxious snideness beats a kind and generous heart.”
“Kind and generous?” Holgarth looked horrified. “I can’t believe you hate me so much, Eric. What did I ever do to you? Fine, so I did do a few things that might be construed as spiteful. But why would you feel the need to lash out with such awful accusations?” He managed a hurt expression. “I’m devastated.” He turned and walked away, his robe whipping behind him.
Eric smiled at Cinn. “Remember this when he’s starting to get to you. He hates anyone to think he has a heart.”
“Got it.” She was talking to Eric, but her attention was on Kyla and Dacian. She couldn’t read anything into their expressions.
But jealousy was a master painter. In her mind’s eye, Kyla gazed up at Dacian with those big blue eyes that were the same shade as Eric’s. Must be a Mackenzie thing. Then Dacian ran his fingers through Kyla’s long dark hair before lowering his head to…Cinn took a deep breath. Okay, so the other woman was tall and beautiful. So what? Since she was making up her own scenario, she’d inject herself into it. She’d be the one kicking Kyla’s perfect butt out the castle door.
Dacian wasn’t even looking at the other woman. His attention was all for Eric. “Airmid lost her temper when Cinn refused to destroy her plants. She brought down the store. Everyone will have to keep their eyes open for the goddess.”
“What’s she look like?” Kyla spoke for the first time.
Cinn could answer that. “Beautiful. Tall, slender, long pale hair. I’m not sure of the color. Maybe a mixture of blonde and red. Light green eyes. She was wearing a long flowing gown, pale gold. The kind that would float in the breeze.” She thought for a moment. “Funny how everything about her was pale except for her temper. That was red-hot.”