Charisma

by Wendy Stone

  “Not for a while, he’s got some questions to answer first. About why he helped a murderer escape.” Angel grabbed Kadian and pushed him forward with a little more force than was absolutely necessary.

  “What murderer? I told you, I was up there looking for my sister.”

  “You don’t have a sister, asshole.”

  Carmella watched them take Kadian away, shaking her head. Digging into a pocket, she grabbed her cell phone and scrolled down through her contact’s list, searching for Artie’s phone number. She hit send and then started walking while it rang.

  “Hey, Artie, this is Carmella. Yeah, he’s down here again. Yeah, thanks,” she said, listening between each comment before hanging up. She felt kind of sorry for the poor little manager man. He put up with a lot from Kadian and would put up with more if the emotions she was feeling from Kadian were any indication. Trouble was right around the corner and getting a dragon pissed at you was not the way to stop it. She had to hope that Marcus would keep Angel in control. She didn’t want to wrangle with Kadian. Not now, not after he’d met this girl.

  Carmella could smell her on Kadian. That was a bad sign.

  * * * *

  Kadian glanced at the chains that bound his wrists to the ceiling. “What, no torture rack?”

  “Oh come on,” Angel said. “It’s the twenty first century. We gave up on the whole rack thing ages ago. Modern times call for modern torture, don’t you know.”

  “What, stun guns and pepper spray?” Kadian laughed, standing there casually as Angel came up and ran one sharply clawed finger over the seams on his shirt. It fell away with a whisper of a noise, like the sigh of a small girl. “Oh now this makes it ever more exciting,” he said.

  “Glad you’re having fun. She lifted the taser and hit the button, showing him the arc of electricity that went from one electrode to the other. Kadian shrugged.

  “Do your worst,” he offered, his broad shoulders and wide chest bare for her play. “I’ll tell you now, stunning doesn’t work on me and pepper spray is a walk in the spring flowers. You might want to dig out the big guns.”

  Kadian stood still as she pushed the electrodes against his arm and hit the trigger, holding it long enough that smoke began to rise from his skin, the smell horrendous. He shrugged. “Told you so,” he said when she pulled it away.

  The door was suddenly pushed opened behind them and Shadow entered the interrogation room. “What are you doing, Angel?” he asked. “Let this man down.”

  “He impeded an investigation, Shadow. You can’t just want me to let him go.”

  “That’s exactly what I want you to do, Angel. Marcus, get up and unchain him. Sir, we are sorry we detained you. If you’d like, we can put in a voucher for getting your shirt replaced?”

  “That’s not necessary.” Kadian stood still until Marcus finished unwrapping the chains. “If you could just show me out, I’ll be happy to leave you.”

  “You manager should be down here soon, sir.”

  “Great.” Kadian lifted his jacket, growling as he saw the soot stain that now marred the front of the leather. “Fucking great,” he snarled, sliding the jacket over his bare shoulder. He winced just a little when the material stuck on the burn left their by the taser.

  “He knows something about the girl,” Angel tried once more.

  “Angel, that’s more than enough. Apologize to Mr. James and then escort him to the waiting room.”

  “Apologize to that son of a bitch? I don’t…”

  “Angel!”

  She swallowed her anger. “Mr. James, I’m sorry that you’re such an asshole and that you refuse to answer simple questions when asked. I’m also sorry you couldn’t be forthcoming with information about a killer.” She turned and slammed out of the room, ignoring the command to escort her prisoner anywhere.

  “Come with me, Mr. James. I’ll take you to the waiting room.”

  “If you could just show me the way to the doors, I’ll get out of here instead.”

  Marcus did, his mind on Angel. He knew exactly where he would find her and as soon as he dropped Kadian at the main doors, he turned and headed there.

  She was fiddling with a stun stick, her eyes downcast and thoughtful.

  He grabbed one of his own and knocked it hard against hers, getting her attention as a quick arc of sparks flew up.

  “Don’t fuck with me, Wings. I’m not in the mood.”

  “Who’s fucking? I’m fighting, not fucking. God I thought I did it good enough that you’d be able to tell the difference.” He easily blocked her half-hearted swing.

  “Shut up, you big goof. Don’t make me have to hurt you.”

  “Oh come on, blondie,” he said purposefully. “Give it your best shot.”

  “You’re asking for it,” she growled.

  “Yeah, I am. So give it to me,” he ordered.

  With a quick flip, she brought her stun stick up, bashing the heavy base of the stick across his knuckles.

  Marcus roared his pain, closing his hand into a fist and shoving it between his thighs as he tried to cope with the blow. A quick glance down showed that one finger was broken and he raised it, grabbing hold and pulling hard. It took it out of the unusual position it was in, but also made him hiss with pain.

  “He really did put you in a foul mood, didn’t he?” Marcus growled, circling her slowly.

  “Get a little closer and I’ll show you how foul,” she threw back.

  Marcus stepped closer, using his stun stick like a sword and disarming her quickly. He pressed her back against the wall, throwing down his own stick and grabbing her face between his palms. Bending his head, he was about to kiss her when he heard her whisper.

  “Come on, try it, butterfly. I’ll knock you on your ass.”

  A smile crossed his lips and he pressed them firmly against hers, keeping his tongue in his own mouth so she wouldn’t decide to bite him. Even so, she grabbed his lip with her fangs, sinking them in his flesh. When he pulled back, she let go, her eyes focused on his blood.

  “Angel, I love you more than my life,” he whispered, bending to kiss her again and smearing her mouth with the potent taste of his god-like blood.

  She moaned, her arms wrapping around his neck, her legs around his waist. She clung to him, her tongue lapping at the corners of his mouth, finding the sweet taste of his blood. He could feel her heat through their suits and it sent his cock into instant erection. He needed to be inside of her.

  “How close is it to dawn?” he panted.

  “Close enough,” she answered, trying to pull his head down again.

  He pushed her roughly away, enough so that her eyes grew even more heated and she zeroed in on his neck. “Baby, you’re about to get the ride of your life.”

  “Don’t tease,” he growled, grabbing her hand and yanking her after him. They ran to the elevator, trying to act nonchalant when they saw that they weren’t the only ones in the car. As soon as the last occupant left, Marcus slapped the button for the crypts, pushing Angel back against the wall. His mouth devoured hers, his tongue exploring and rubbing, arousing her passions until she felt as if she were melting.

  The elevator jolted, dropping a good two feet before coming to a sudden stop. The lights turned off, leaving them in darkness. Marcus couldn’t help the small shout he gave, the memory of being trapped under tons of rubble after an earthquake as fresh in his mind as if it had just happened.

  “Marcus?” Angel called, her hands coming out to gather him to her. “It’s okay, baby. It’s just the elevator. We’re fine.”

  There was a rumbling sound, like a freight train tearing through the car, throwing Angel off of her feet as the car shook. She could feel Marcus’s terror and crawled over the jolting floor until she found him. He was curled into a ball in the corner, his eyes wide with fear, his arms above his head.

  “It’s the subway, sweetie. It’s nothing more than the subway. We’re okay. I’m going to get us out of here.” She held him close, feeli
ng the sweat on his skin, and the way the terror made his heart race. His heart felt as if it were trying to tear out of his chest. “Stay here,” she told him, starting to turn away.

  His huge hands reached out, wrapping around her and hauling her back to him. “No,” he whimpered. “Stay with me.” His fingers found the zipper in her uniform and tore it down, almost tearing it out of the heavy leather. He stripped her bare in seconds, leaving her clad in nothing more than a scrap of red silk. Pushing her down on the floor of the car, he tore that last barrier away.

  Angel was busy herself, pulling at his pants, ripping at the zipper and shoving them down. Her hands drew circles over his gorgeous butt before cupping the muscled flesh and pulling him to her. He slid inside, stretching her and making her purr her pleasure at his taking.

  He fucked her hard, using her body to try to forget what was happening around them. His mouth covered one small mound of her breasts, suckling on her nipple, using his teeth to give her a bit of pain, knowing it would drive her wild.

  Soon she was thrusting up to meet his every stroke, her hands frantic against his back. Her ankles were locked over his butt trying to pull him deeper. Her head rolled against the carpeted floor and whimpering moans of pleasure fell from between her lips.

  “Fuck me, Marcus,” she growled, using her nails against his back and leaving tiny red trails on his skin. “Make me come, baby.”

  He grunted, rolling with her so that she was on top. “Get off on me,” he whispered, his vision searching for her in the total darkness of the elevator car. The emergency lights hadn’t come on and he could barely see his hand in front of his eyes.

  But he could feel her. She was wet and welcoming around his cock, moving against him with purpose. Her legs squeezed against his hips, her skin soft and silky, even the unnatural chill of it didn’t detract from the pleasure he felt.

  Another subway train made the entire car shake and he grabbed for her, hauling her down so that he could feel her breasts against his chest. “Bite me,” he begged.

  A cry came from him as her teeth pierced his neck and he felt her begin to draw on his blood. His head swam with the pleasure he felt, he didn’t know if it was his or hers or a combination of the two. It doubled and then tripled until she licked at the wounds, closing them, leaving him trembling on the brink of an orgasm so intense he feared it might kill him.

  “More,” he growled, though his voice was weak. She rode him quickly, creating a friction that set his body afire. His hands rose, finding her breasts, pulling and twisting on the hard tips of her nipples until she was just as engrossed as he.

  “Oh Gods,” he roared. “Here it comes.”

  His hands grabbed her waist, yanking her down on him hard as his eyes rolled back into his head and he felt his body try to turn itself inside out.

  His roar was followed by her scream of release and she fell on top of his chest.

  They lay there in the darkness, holding each other.

  “You know,” Marcus said finally, his voice sounding far away, though he held her close. “We should move in together.”

  “Move in together?” Angel asked, her head coming up off his chest. She sat up, moving away from him and found her clothing, quickly putting it on.

  “Angel?” Marcus said, sitting up and staring around at the dark as if he could see her in it. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No,” she said, but the tone of her voice betrayed her.

  “I did, didn’t I?” He reached out, finding her in the dark by touch and pulling her to him. “I’m sorry, I’m no good at this relationship stuff. I thought since we spend so much time with each other, it might just save time, not to mention money, for us to move in together.” He was quiet for a moment and she was opening her mouth to give him hell when he started speaking again. “Besides, when I go home by myself and you aren’t there, it doesn’t feel right. It’s like I left half of myself somewhere and I need to go find it. I love you, Angel.”

  “Oh, did you just luck out boy,” Angel said, her emotions apparent in her voice.

  “Huh?” Marcus said, completely clueless about what she was saying. “What do you say? Will you?”

  Chapter Three

  Kadian hurried back to where he’d left the girl. She wasn’t there and neither were her things. She’d taken his advice and gotten out. She’d left the mattress, a pitiful thing that barely would pad her curves from the hardness of the floors.

  Kadian couldn’t get those curves out of his mind. She’d been too thin, her ribs too prominent, but the curves had been in all the right places anyway. She’d been on the streets for a while, that was obvious. The coat she wore was a man’s, scarred and worn in places, definitely second or third hand. But she’d been clean and had smelled good, like fresh air with the hint of rain in it. He had to find her again.

  Sinking down on her mattress, he crossed his legs and leaned against the wall behind him. Closing his eyes, he let himself sink into his chi, knowing that he needed balance and calmness to allow his mind to wander and find her again.

  “Music,” he whispered. “Find her music.”

  It happened painlessly, though it did make him a bit dizzy. One moment he was firmly housed in his body, the next he was speeding along with the clouds, high in the sky. A sense of vertigo always took him and he felt nauseated. “Okay,” he said to himself. “Now find her music.”

  The trail was obvious if anyone knew what to look for. Another dragon could do this as well, but he had a vested interest in this girl. He was going to find her before ASP could.

  Black musical notes streamed ahead of him, playing an endless tune in his mind. He followed that tune, singing back to her with his own, hoping she would respond. A duet from the voices of their souls would be spellbinding. He could feel it in every bit of himself.

  His spirit flew behind those notes, collecting them to savor later. The trail led to a tunnel in the subway and he hurried down, jumping the turnstile and going unerringly to the tracks she’d followed. He looked both ways down the tracks then jumped onto them himself, careful of the third rail, the one with the electricity coming from it.

  He couldn’t be killed from the electricity in this astral form, but it would send him speeding back into his own body, something he didn’t want to happen. Not yet, not until he found her.

  Ahead, he could see light coming from another tunnel and he hurried toward it, collecting the beautiful notes of her tune as he went. The tune flooded his mind, a haunting melody of sadness and hope. He hummed it to himself, learning her as he learned the notes.

  He passed the first of the small huts without really noticing. But then they grew thick, like a city beneath the city, housed inside the tunnels that kept them sheltered and safe. People were sitting outside the small shelters, some talking, some laughing, most of them looking tired and dirty and as if they’ve missed way too many meals. They didn’t react to his presence, their eyes incapable of detecting this part of him without its physical counterpart. There was a hopelessness here, an underlying anxiousness as if nothing would ever be right again. Kadian could feel it weighing on him and had to concentrate even harder on the music to stay the trail.

  Up ahead, he heard the sound of voices. It drew him forward. It was her, he’d found her. He moved closer, hearing her arguing with someone.

  “You can’t go out there again, Charisma. If Hood’s men find you, you’ll not only be swimming with the fishes, you’ll be fish food.”

  “I know that, Gerald. You know I know that. I don’t want to run into any more of his gang or any of those cops either. But we need money.”

  Kadian could see her now, her long red hair curling about her shoulders. It seemed dimmer, less fiery than before. Her eyes were dull, tired and he knew that she was feeling the strain of being chased.

  “Who are you?” she suddenly said, turning and looking at him, surprising him enough that he jerked, the connection that held him to his body snapping him backwards and into it.
It was the most jarring of the ways to come back and he sat with his eyes closed for a second, letting the sensations fade.

  “Charisma,” he said softly, the name sliding smoothly off his lips. “Well, at least I have a name for you now.” With that, he stood, brushing off his jeans. He was about to walk away when a flashlight lit up the darkness of the building, blinding him. He squinted, holding his hand up to protect his eyes. “Who is it?”

  “Mr. James, you didn’t think we’d let you leave ASP without having some way to keep tabs on you?” Shadow stepped forward, moving his hand so that the beam landed on Kadian’s chest and not on his face.

  “You bugged me?” Kadian growled, furiously.

  “Of course. Come on, do I look stupid? Kadian James is an unknown element in a case involving three dead mermen and a girl with unknown powers. Of course we’re going to keep an eye on you, one way or another.” Shadow smiled grimly, his blue eyes serious. “What is your role in what’s going on, Mr. James?”

  “I don’t have any clue about what you’re talking about,” Kadian said, going for the dumb hick routine that had worked for him before. “I’m just looking for my sister.”

  “You don’t have a sister, Mr. James. I’ve checked your file. You are registered as a Were-dragon, non-violent or aggressive. You’re the only son of Elspeth, spawned by the great Goro. You’re mother killed him when he tried to eat you as little more than a hatchling. Dragons aren’t known for liking other dragons.”

  “You mean male dragons,” Kadian said. “A male dragon conquers a territory as well as a whole harem of mates. If another male dragon is born to one of them or comes from another territory, we’ll kill him. If you’ve noticed, I’ve never conquered a territory of my own and I mind my own business when it comes to female were-dragons. I’m not interested in a harem. I have no need to mate. I’m here for my own reasons and they have nothing to do with any investigation you may be running.”

  “What do you know of my investigation, Mr. James?” Shadow asked softly, using a tone that was meant to put Kadian at ease. Instead it needled him, making him wary of how he would answer.