by Patti Larsen
I hugged him abruptly, kissing his cheek. Sass clung to me, the same old scent of fur and delicious cat smell clinging to him yet.
“It’s not permanent, is it?” He didn’t sound disappointed. Quite to the contrary. When he pulled away, the gold flecks in his eyes sparked with delight.
“No,” I said. “I don’t know how to make it last. But you should get a few hours out of it before you revert to cat again.” I paused, wiping at the tears on my cheeks. Damn it, what was I thinking? I’d offered him something he might not be able to keep. The elusive mortal form he’d given up to save Dad, to save all of us. “I’m sorry,” I said.
Sass laughed. “I’m not.” He flexed his hands, letting me go, bending his knees to test his balance. Charlotte arched an eyebrow at him, grinning.
“It suits you,” she said.
“It should.” He ran both hands down the front of his chest with a satisfied sigh. “It’s my body. But human.” Sass met my eyes again. “I feel the cat in me, still.”
I nodded, too tired to explain it. “You’ll always be that Persian,” I said, hoping the sadness in my voice didn’t hurt him.
Sass just grinned. “It might only be temporary now,” he said, “but if you show me how you did that, there’s a chance you and I could arrange something more flexible.”
I choked on my eager reply, nodded. “Of course.” So, I hadn’t failed him.
One slim victory was better than none.
“We don’t have much time.” I turned to Charlotte. “Two hours, max, and Sass reverts to the pudgy Persian we adore.” He wrinkled his nose at me, patting his flat belly.
Charlotte gestured at the air next to her. The empty house didn’t seem quite so awful anymore, the connection between me, Sass and Charlotte burning bright. Especially with my power still humming around and inside the demon cat. Boy. Whatever. My pessimism and fresh hurt faded at the thought of making progress with two of the people I loved most in the world at my side. I even managed a smile when Charlotte opened the veil and held out her hand.
And let her take the lead. It was always odd to travel with others, to give up control of direction and timing inside the veil. It tugged at me regardless, whispering to me to take over, to cross out of the lip we rode and into the vastness beyond, to the web of connecting planes out there, making up our Universe.
We exited the calm, enticing quiet of the dark veil into humid afternoon air most of a continent away, the scent of rotting food wafting toward us from the dumpster Charlotte chose for cover. I rolled my eyes at her, grinning.
“Nice choice,” I said. “Try a garbage heap next time.”
She flashed her teeth at me. “No respect for the sneaking. Fine, you drive.”
“Now, ladies.” Sass offered one arm to me, the other to Charlotte, a beaming smile on his face and a wicked sparkle in his eyes. “We’re in Vegas. Your petty squabbles can wait. Time to party.”
I hooked my arm through his while, clearly amused by his attitude, Charlotte did the same on the other side. “We’re working, Sass,” I said.
“Of course we are,” he said, leading us down the alley to the street at the end. Traffic hurtled by, bustling pedestrians filling the space. I felt my stomach contract with nerves at the sight of so many people, but Sass wasn’t slowing. With precision he inserted us quickly and smoothly into the moving crowd, behind a pair of older ladies wearing what looked like 80’s style deedlebopper glitter stars on their heads and in front of a line of matching young women in miniskirts staring down at smartphone screens. “Doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, Syd.” He winked at me. “You lose sight of the fun, you might as well go home.”
Charlotte and I exchanged an “oh dear” look before she pointed up to the front of a casino and hotel on our left. “In here,” she said.
***
Chapter Six
Again, Sass maneuvered us with exact momentum and timing, out of the crowd and in through the spinning glass doors. I breathed in the air conditioning as I passed from the loud street, to the soft thump thump thump of the turning door to the chatter and music of the interior of the casino. Varying temperatures didn’t bother me the way they used to, but even I picked up on the shift from hot to cold as I joined my friends in the giant, opulent lobby of the casino.
Charlotte led the way, Sass close behind her. I kept an eye on her shoulders up ahead inside her red leather jacket, fingers linked with the young man Sassafras. It wasn’t until we reached the entry to the casino I realized my mistake.
“ID.” The giant bouncer had no idea who I was, who Charlotte and Sass were. How he was in the way of something I really wanted and that was a terrible idea. No, the human in the suit with the buzz cut and the dead, gray eyes had not a clue.
Laws were laws. I was not allowed to lean on him with magic, him being a normal and all. But, I’d spent enough years as a Hayle, thank you very much, I wouldn’t need it against someone like this.
As I opened my mouth to tear him a new sense of respect, Sass shrugged and grinned at me.
“Nice try, sis,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the room.”
My jaw dropped open, huge argument dead in my throat. What?
Don’t worry, he sent. You’re not the only one who has something new to try. Gold glittered in his happy eyes. I’ll see you in there. He waved with a jaunty salute for the bouncer and strode off with his hands in his pockets, the vision of a teenager looking for trouble.
I glared at the suited man who shrugged and gestured. Was even more pissed off he didn’t ID me. What, was I an old woman now or something? Twenty-nine was still young, the arrogant jackass—
Charlotte jerked on my arm, led me past him, down the wide, red carpeted stairs into the noisy—and smoke filled—casino. I coughed, waving one hand in front of my face, forming a belated bubble of magical air around my lips and nose so I wouldn’t die of asphyxiation.
“Tell me you weren’t going to get us kicked out of here before we could talk to Iosif?” Charlotte’s sharp wit wasn’t lost on me, nor was the glint of humor hiding behind her cold gaze.
“Let him try,” I said, glaring back over my shoulder at the big brute.
Charlotte coughed a laugh and led me deeper into the press of people. A headache began to form between my eyes from the constant sound of slot machines chattering and ringing on the right, banks and banks of them chugging their way through people’s money, the occasional chime of a winner enough, I guess, to keep the others gambling.
The main floor was filled with tables, the carpet under my feet sticky in places from spilled drinks, though the tiny waitresses in their Roman themed outfits seemed excellent at making their way through the throngs of people without dropping a single glass.
I was almost to the middle of the room, feeling crushed and rather depressed from the press of high running emotion slamming me from all sides, when someone caught my free hand. I turned, power at the ready, to find Sass grinning at me.
“Might have pushed the spell holding me in shape to the limit,” he said, faint worry in his gaze, though he seemed as carefree and joyful as he had been from the moment I altered him. I felt around his edges, confirmed he’d cut his time in half, the pressure of being two people at once just beyond his capabilities. For now. “But the invisibility wall I built was so worth it.” He chuckled. “Normals are so much fun to mess with. Wait until that bully finds out I tied his shoe laces together.” Someone shouted from the front of the room, and Sass laughed.
He didn’t. The bratski.
Charlotte turned her back on the crowd, head down, eyes intense. “Behind me,” she said. Sass and I both glanced over her shoulders at the roulette table. At least, my Hollywood educated brain guessed roulette, with its spinning wheel and green felted inset table covered in numbers and card suits. I scanned the full complement of gamblers, almost missed who I was looking for, though when he looked up and caught my eyes, his fear gave him away.
Iosif had shaved his mustache, lost about
fifty pounds and no longer favored the mobster suit he’d worn the last time I saw him. Now decked out in the finest prep attire of a pinstripe button up and sweater draped over his shoulders—reminding me of an old man trying to fit into a hip world—he sat up abruptly in his seat, one hand knocking over his drink to the dismay of the woman beside him.
“He’s spotted me,” I said. Charlotte spun and moved immediately, circling the table. By the time I looked again, Iosif was already up and gone.
Slippery little bugger.
I’ll go left, Sass sent. You follow Charlotte. I did as I was told, finding it funny even after I started moving without thinking about it, he was one of the only people in any of the planes who could tell me what to do and I’d just do it.
As long as he didn’t know that, we’d be fine.
I trailed after the werewoman out of the casino and into the back hall, slipping past security with a touch of magic, Sass joining me. Technically it was against the law, but as long as no one was hurt—or found out we were here—I’d consider it as harmless as a white lie and move on.
The kitchen in the back was about ten times noisier than the casino floor. Charlotte was long gone, hunting. Her favorite. I simply let my power hook on to hers and followed at a more leisurely pace, helping myself to half a sandwich on tray I passed, Sass snagging the other half. We tapped bread before munching and, I had to admit as we emerged from the kitchen into the dark hall on the other side, I was actually having a good time.
Sass was right. If it wasn’t fun, I might as well just go home.
“This way.” Sass held open a door with a red “EXIT” sign over it, the smell of laundry soap and chemicals wafting upward from a set of stairs on the other side. I stepped out into the humid air, concrete beneath my sneakers, overhead fluorescents casting more shadows than light over the lines and lines of parked cars.
An underground garage. It reminded me of the post-apocalyptic world I’d visited, where Belaisle stole the most recently uncovered piece of Creator from me. Where Gabriel’s compassion led him to—completely by accident—cause the deaths of the residents of that world. They’d been squatting in what appeared to be a garage of this type and the parallel pushed the air from my lungs and made my stolen half sandwich sit unhappily in my stomach.
Sass had no idea what I was thinking, continuing on with his fingers woven through mine. His forward motion got me moving again, thudding down the steps to the floor, past a row of luxury cars toward the far end.
Where a woman in a red leather jacket had our missing Mafia friend cornered.
“Iosif!” I shook off my memory in favor of the present moment, keeping my tone perky and grating. “There you are.”
He winced, waved me off, looking around as though someone might leap from the darkness and attack him. “Johnny,” he said. “Johnny Neville.” All-American, right. If only for the Russian accent and Eastern European features and the fact he carried himself like a hit man. Sure, okay then, if it made him happy. Johnny it was.
“Why did you run away from us?” I beamed a smile at him, draping an arm over Sass’s shoulder.
“I just needed a change of scenery.” The cliché sounded odd coming from his mouth, face crumpling in anxiety. “Please, I just want to hide out here and be Johnny Neville and enjoy my life.”
“That’s a shame, Iosif,” Charlotte said, soft and threatening in a way only my werefriend could. “Because we need your help.”
His resistance was instant. “I can’t,” he almost wailed, hands shaking. “I can’t go back. They’ll kill me, Sharlotta.” He swallowed. “Charlotte.” Her Americanized name sounded odd from his lips. “You want me dead?”
Obviously he required some serious counter fear production to change his mind.
“I don’t suppose telling you I’ll protect you will make you feel better?” Iosif met my eyes, his calculating under all that nervousness. The ass. He’d been waiting for the offer. Play me, will he?
We’d see about that.
Sass’s body twitched next to me, the magic holding him in shape weaker than I thought. I could have bolstered it maybe, kept it together a bit longer, but I had a better idea. Mind helping me out with some positive reinforcement?
Sass laughed in my head. Some quick change action to scare the crap out of our little friend? He sighed, though contentedly, not with sorrow. Go for it.
We’ll do this again, I sent with a giant hug of magic. And grinned at Iosif.
“See, I’m not really asking.” I stepped away from Sass who trembled, a ripple of magic passing over him. “I’m telling.” He moaned theatrically, tossing me a wink so my instant panic he was in real pain vanished in a flash of irritation. “You help me out, I take care of you. If not…” I looked away as Sass burst into white flame, my vampire having fun of her own, while the ground barely shuddered under our feet and demon fire licked out, making Iosif dance backward with a cry.
He stared, eyes massive, bulging, a meep escaping his lips, at the shining, silver Persian sitting with his tail folded neatly around his front paws, pointed ears perked forward.
“Meow,” Sass said at his most sarcastic.
Iosif’s eyes rolled up into his head as he passed out.
“I think he got the message,” Charlotte said.
Bad Syd. Stop grinning.
***
Chapter Seven
It took Charlotte a few minutes to rouse Iosif from his faint, minutes I spent stroking Sass’s fur and feeling rather proud of myself. The silver Persian seemed to agree with my assessment of results, purring heavily in my arms, amber eyes half lidded as he gazed with his detached arrogance at the pale man lying on the ground.
A sharp slap from the werewoman finally jerked the retired mobster out of his slumber and into the real world.
“Wakey wakey,” I said, smiling sweetly at him, showing teeth so he’d know I meant him harm. “Time for rest is over, sunshine. Up and at ‘em and all those morning clichés involving bacon.”
Iosif staggered to his feet, Charlotte’s hand supporting him, still pale and grim, a sheen of sweat on his face. But he seemed at least partially cooperative as he nodded and swallowed visibly.
“How can I help?”
“That’s more like it.” I nuzzled the top of Sass’s head while he continued to purr. “Charlotte?”
“I’ll explain things to him,” she said. “We’ll come to an arrangement.” I daresay she was enjoying herself. Imagine.
Alas, my part in the following plot wasn’t meant to be. The touch of a powerful mind on mine sobered me from the amusement I was feeling and brought me into sharp focus.
Sydlynn. Max’s massive magic was gentle, as always, the crushing weight of it barely touching me, but existed there, hovering in the background. So much of it I often wondered, if it came to a real fight between us, if I’d stand a chance. Considering I’d lost the first time I tried to make him do anything—the day Liam died—I doubted it.
Max. I nodded to Charlotte before stepping away, inhaling the humid, gasoline laced air of the dark parking garage. Sass went silent, his mind peeking in. Sorry, on my way. We’d made arrangements to meet and I’d forgotten in all the excitement.
I’ll be waiting.
Was that irritation in his mental voice? Usually the drach leader was calm, composed, unflappable. I’d rarely seen him express any kind of anger, least of all toward me, though he was good at roaring when in drach form.
I turned back to Charlotte, suddenly annoyed myself. I wasn’t Max’s assistant or yes girl. I hated that I felt like I had to run at his call. Jaw clenching against my sudden rise of emotion, I met the werewoman’s eyes.
“Find out what you can,” I said. “Keep me posted.”
She nodded, serious herself. Iosif gulped. I had a feeling he preferred us joking.
So did I.
The basement of my house in Wilding Springs was a huge change from the hot, moist air of the parking garage, the cool damp making even me s
hiver. At least the air smelled better here. I set Sassafras down on the floor, facing off with Max who stood in the center of the family pentagram, hands folded in front of him over his gray robe. Diamond eyes glittered in the light of the single bulb over his head, faint scales showing on his bare scalp, skin grayed in the low light. I’d never really felt afraid of the huge drach leader, or of his power for that matter. Max’s energy wasn’t threatening or overpowering, just present and quiet, as though it didn’t need a large show or to be noticed.
But something was different with him and I only just noticed now. His magic seemed disturbed, less relaxed and watchful and more restless, spinning softly around him. Invisible to the naked eye but apparent to me as I stood there and processed what I was seeing.
I didn’t like it one bit.
“You are late,” he said.
Oh no, he did not. “Don’t ever presume I’m at your beck and call.”
Max’s eyes widened. “We had an appointed meeting time, Sydlynn.”
“And crap happens.” What the hell was this? Max had never been so petty. I spotted movement to his right, behind him, the peeking, watchful gaze of Jiao observing us.
Observing me. And, in that instant, I connected the change in him with his acquisition of his new apprentice. I trusted the vampire Empress Moa’s former lackey about as much as Belaisle. A Chinese dragon, or lóng, as Max called her, she’d been in the employ of Moa when we first met. Max accepted her as an apprentice when she’d asked, assuring me he’d severed Jiao’s bond to the ancient vampire at the same time. And yet, there was something sneaky and all together wrong about Jiao that put me on edge and made me decidedly cranky.
Case in point. If having her around was somehow altering Max’s personality I’d make sure she met with a permanent accident no one would ever find out about.