“The question is, are we going to tell the ones investigating?” Apate asks.
I frown at that. Why wouldn’t they give the authorities the information?
“Doesn’t Harold already know, since he scented the hallway for you?” Peitho asks.
“No, I told him it was over a possible theft,” Aergia explains. “It was partially true.”
“We’ll have to vote on it. Right now, if we tell the others, they’ll investigate the supernatural species I mentioned. Hopefully they’ll find the individuals responsible and take them into custody,” Nemesis says. “If we don’t tell them, we’ll have to investigate the individuals instead and find the ones who attacked Aergia. Then we can either hand the criminals over to the police or punish them as we see fit.”
“Kill them! I want to taste their blood!” Enyo says, angrily banging her fist on the wall. “You do not attack us like common mortal immortals and get away with it!”
“Those in favor of telling the shifter authorities?” Nemesis asks. The only hand that rises is mine. Her face hardens. “Dragon, you have no voice here. Those in favor of looking for the people responsible for the incident ourselves?” Everyone’s hand goes up. “Handing them over to the police?” Ana, Peitho, Aergia, and Nemesis raise their hands. “As the tie breaker, I don’t need to ask who wants to punish the people ourselves. We will hand them over to the authorities once found.”
“How could you vote that way?” Lyssa asks Aergia with disbelief.
“Disposing of them ourselves sounds like way too much work. I hate having to clean up blood. Plus, it stains everything. I don’t know, just easier to give them over to the shifters.”
Lyssa sniffs in disgust.
“Are there any questions?” Nemesis asks the room.
“Who will be in charge of the investigation?” Dysnomia asks.
Nemesis says, “I will assign jobs to everyone in the morning. I will be in charge of the investigation, and all information or actions will go through me first. We don’t need to make this more complicated than it is. Anything else?”
“Nope.” Apate shrugs.
“Then meeting adjourned,” Nemesis says.
I’m left sitting there in blatant shock. How is that all that needs to be said? Aergia was so reckless as to sleep out in the open when that’s also her most vulnerable state. Nothing is going to be said about keeping safe and careful? The buddy system? Hell, even keeping more weapons on them? No, instead, she’s just going to tell them which of the group gets to look at which people to see if they’re psychotic murderers. How is that keeping safe?
“That went well.” Apate smiles at us. “Though I wish more people voted to take the sick fuck out ourselves than give them to the authorities. How sucky is it that criminals get to go to jail where they get three meals a day, a place to sleep, and programs after committing horrible crimes? Oh, the justice system.”
“Whatever, I’m going to go catch up on my sleepy time.” Aergia gets up and leaves the room. Hopefully she’ll stay in the suite, preferably in an actual bedroom.
“Lunch is starting!” Ana announces before leaving the room with Dysnomia, who’s talking about the chocolate cake dessert shortly to come. How can they all be so blasé about what just happened? About what will be happening?
“Yum, you coming, Peitho?” Apate asks, smacking her lips.
Peitho sends me a little glance before saying, “Sure, just give me a minute and I’ll be right down.”
“Righteous.” She nods, leaving with the others to go get food.
“You okay with the meeting and everything? Remember, you’re not allowed to tell anyone anything that went on here, even if you want to. No going to the authorities and telling them we have a possible lead,” Peitho says.
I sigh. “As much as I disagree with the ruling, I understand.”
“Super-duper, let’s go eat, then.” Peitho grins.
“I wanted to talk to you a bit first, if that’s all right,” I say.
Her eyes zero in on me, but her voice remains light as she says, “Sure thing, star shine, what’s up? Something about what just happened?”
“Kind of,” I agree. “I noticed you’re not too worried about protection, even though one of you was just attacked. In fact, none of you seem too scared of the possibility of it happening again, or taking precautions against it if it does.”
“That’s because we can take care of ourselves,” she says.
“That’s not necessarily true, as Aergia only woke up when she was dropped down a flight of stairs. That doesn’t make me feel any better. They obviously want a goddess too, not just mortal immortals. Each of you must have a time when you’re vulnerable, like Aergia. I think you should be especially careful since you, Aergia, and Apate will probably be the first ones targeted,” I say.
Her eyes narrow at me. “Why would you say that?”
“To be blunt, you’re the physically weakest of the other goddesses. None of you have defensive powers to help you against an attack, except hardening your skin. I don’t really think that will help if they’re trying to abduct you, not actually harm you at this point,” I say.
“The weakest,” I hear her mutter.
“I don’t mean it in a bad way; it’s just me being practical. I’d like it if you made sure you are with me or one of your friends, at all times. There’s power in numbers, and I’m sure no one will attack you if you’re with me or maybe Enyo? Lyssa? You could stick around Nemesis?” I suggest.
“Yes, because you, Enyo, Lyssa, and Nemesis are the only ones who could possibly take care of little ole weak me.” Her eyes flash angrily. “I don’t need to stay attached with someone like a child. I know how to take care of myself and handle a weapon. That’s all I feel like hearing on the matter,” she says stonily.
“Fine, we can be done talking about that for the time being, but there’s another thing. I don’t want you to help investigate the griffins, werewolves, weretigers, or humans here. You don’t need to put yourself in such obvious danger like that,” I say.
Peitho frowns at me. “But it’s all right if I let my friends put themselves in danger? Oh, wait, I forgot, all of my friends are stronger than me. How silly I am!”
It’s my turn to frown at her. “Can you please take this seriously? I don’t want you so close to possible murderers, and I don’t think I should be teased because of it. I also want you to consider leaving the hotel. Not the entire convention, just not staying at the hotel, since it seems that’s where people are being taken from. In fact, I have a cave that’s not too far from here, and I would be quite happy to let you stay there with me for the time being. We could make trips back and forth from here to there.”
She looks at me with her mouth gaping open a bit. “Let me get this straight. You want me to stick around Enyo, Lyssa, Nemesis, and yourself so I’ll be protected in a fight. You don’t want me to investigate the people who attacked my dear friend, and now you want me to retreat to your little hole in the ground and only come back during the day, where I’ll be surrounded by others?”
I really think she’s focusing on the wrong issues here.
“You know I don’t mean it like you’re saying it. It all sounds wrong when you say it in that tone of voice! I just want you to stay safe,” I say.
Peitho points a finger at my chest, getting up in my face. “How long have you known me, exactly? Four, five days? You can forget about bossing me around like some controlling boyfriend. I’m not going to deal with that shit. I’ll do what I please like I always have, and you’ll shut the fuck up about it. What does it matter to you if I get hurt or not? You don’t even know me!”
Really, comments like that just don’t help anything.
“I don’t need to know someone for years to know that I don’t want to see them brutally murdered and tortured by freaks!” I say.
She glowers at me. “I’m not the weakest goddess just because I don’t have additional fighting abilities. I can still take a human,
mortal immortal, even you down without breaking a sweat! I don’t need to stand around and be judged by someone who knows nothing about me or the others. You can march your tailed and plated ass right out of here!”
“I really think we should talk more about this!” I protest.
“There’s nothing more to talk about. You’ve said quite enough, and more than I cared to hear. I think it’s time you leave, so neither of us says anything more that we’ll regret,” she says firmly. “Assuming, of course, that you’ll come to regret your painfully ridiculous words.”
As I watch, Peitho’s skin brightens to brilliant gold for the second time in my presence. She seems to glow from the inside out, making everything in the world dimmer and making me almost want to shield my eyes. I doubt anyone who’s ever looked at her has done so. It’s hard enough to remember your own name, let along tear your eyes away from her, when she’s like this.
Peitho steps up to me. “I could make you so mesmerized, so full of want, so completely mine that you would do anything for me. You forget I’m also persuasion. The record number of people I was able to completely control at once was one hundred and three. That was centuries ago. I wonder how much of a punch I pack now, especially targeted on one person.”
I listen to that sultry voice as if in a lull, then shake my head and snap, “Don’t try to use your tricks on me.”
“Oh, baby, I haven’t even begun to try,” she hisses, the flash of anger she shows making it easier for me to focus. “I don’t have time for this or for a silly mortal immortal who underestimates me.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll wait to talk to you until you’re in a more reasonable mood. I really don’t see what the problem is! All I’ve asked you to do is to be more careful since there’s a crazy murderer loose out there. Damn if that’s asking too much!” I say angrily.
Peitho glowers at me, reddish eyes flashing brightly from her golden face. “Hunter, how on Earth do you think you’re helping yourself by saying these things to me? Do you think saying that is going to make me swoon and say ‘yes, baby, take me to your dank cave of wonder where nothing evil can ever reach me’? If so, you’re full of shit.”
“No need to be sarcastic,” I tell her as calmly as I can.
“No need to suggest I follow you to your love shack of solitude,” she counters.
I growl in frustration. “It was just an idea, and I still don’t think it was a bad one! You’d be completely safe there, and I’d be with you to make sure no one attacks.”
“Yes, you are the factor that would stop evildoers. Maybe they’d see us both and decide it’s a two for one special on a goddess and a dragon!” Peitho says.
“They’ve only taken women so far,” I point out.
“First time for anything,” she says.
“You don’t have to sound so hopeful!”
“Don’t tell me the inflection I can use on my words!” she screeches back.
“Fine, I’m going to go, but I want you to remember to be careful,” I say, and begin to stalk toward the door.
“Just for your highly offensive comments, I’m going to go everywhere on my own. I’m also going to call a re-vote and change mine to destroying the murderers on our own! I’ll ask to look after and question the tiger shifters or werewolves on my own and be able to kill any murderer I find! So there, how’s my sickening weakness for you now?” Peitho says to my retreating back.
I stop right where I am. I look at the aluminum bottle in my hand, still half-full of cranberry and vodka. I quickly move aside the lid and spit into the liquid, without even thinking about it. Then I move the lid back in place and turn around to face the cretin that’s taken the place of my Goldie.
“Here, take your drink, and anything else of yours back,” I growl, walking back to hand her the bottle. “I’m through with you. If you don’t care about yourself, then don’t expect me to.”
She looks from me to the drink, then takes a big gulp, smacks her lips and says, “Vodka, the drink of champions!”
I just keep watching her until the effects of the sedative released from my fangs, meant for prey, begins to take effect. I see her eyes droop, and when her body starts to fall, I’m right there, ready to catch her. If the sedative works on her like normal, she should be out for about twelve hours. More than enough time to get her to my lair and keep her perfectly safe.
I look down at her and can’t help but say, “I’m so going to hell for this woman.”
Chapter 10
I wake up sore all over, like I’ve been in a particularly brutal fight and then passed out on the street for some much-needed resting time. My head even feels kind of fuzzy, like I have a hangover or something. I don’t remember drinking, really, just that cranberry and vodka that stupid Hunter gave me. Ah, that. I snap my eyes open and look around.
Of course. I’m in a damn cave. I guess things could be slightly worse, since the place at least seems clean. The walls may be stone, but elaborate silks and tapestries have been hung. There’s a series of rugs on the ground so my feet won’t be cold when I walk around … to the exit. Lights hang down from the ceiling, as well as lamps on side tables. I myself am lying in an opulent bed with plush mix-matched pillows and blankets, the bed itself round.
It makes me wonder how there’s electricity in here. Then I think that that’s a dumbass thing to focus on, given the situation. I should be thinking of how I’ll get out of this mess and escape his love shack. Or better yet, how I’ll kill him when it feels like I can’t even move. I hear a bit of scraping and pounding from nearby, and it makes my head throb.
“You weren’t supposed to wake up for hours,” Hunter says, though his voice sounds a bit funny.
I turn my head to the entrance of the room and stop to gape. Of course he sounded funny; he’s in his fucking dragon form. I don’t know how I’ve managed to never see a dragon in actual dragon form, but I haven’t. Seeing a big dragon with green scales the color of his eyes, leathery wings folded behind his back, big talons, and a snout is a bit alarming. He pretty much looks like a dragon should look, only I can still see his human form within his eyes. At least, until he gives an irritated little snort and smoke comes out of his nose.
“You’re huge. Maybe you should go on a diet or something,” I suggest weakly. “I’m sure you can find a plastic surgeon willing to help with that.”
He blinks his too-big eyes at me. To be truthful, he is big, but I’d expect if from a dragon. He must be a good twelve feet tall, seventeen long, including his ridged tail, and who knows what the man’s wingspan is. The entire look is more than a little alarming, especially since I’ve slept with this … creature.
“Oh, don’t give me that look. It’s just my other form. It’s not like you don’t have any,” Hunter says strongly, though I hear a bit of doubt in his voice. “Me in dragon form is just as much who I am as my human form. I just happen to use the human one more.”
What he says is true. All daimons have certain powers, and one of them is each of us being gifted with shape shifting. This means we can change to animal forms, not to other human ones. We also can’t change to other supernatural forms like griffins, dragons, or phoenixes. If we do then we’ll be unable to change to any other form after that.
“Who told you that?” I ask.
“Eve and Addy did.” He shrugs his big scaled shoulders at me. “They thought it was interesting that you daimons have more powers just as a side treat than actual shape shifters.”
“Not really. It takes a lot out of us to change shape, and we can’t stay in it overly long,” I say.
“Well, this is my dragon form. You surprised me, otherwise I would have been in human form for you. I just didn’t expect you to wake up so quickly. Must have a fast metabolism.”
“That reminds me—you fucking drugged me! Are you the one who’s been taking shifter women in the dark of the night to have your wicked, wicked way with them?” I ask angrily, promising myself to never take food or drink from this man again.
“It’s just so inappropriate to drug cranberry and vodka.”
“No, of course I’m not the abductor or murderer. How can you even ask that after everything we’ve shared?” Hunter asks in shock.
“Sorry if I don’t feel like I know you particularly well. You think you know someone until you wake up and realize they’ve drugged you and stolen you away to their lair. Not to mention the fact that this has happened to me twice with you,” I say with narrowed eyes.
He rolls his big dragon eyes at me in shock. “I don’t think you can really compare the first time to this one. It was completely different.”
“So you claim,” I hiss. “However, the first time was no better. I still woke up with little to no memory of what happened or how I was stuck with you. Now where’s Apate? You drugged her too, didn’t you? If I have to be here in this dark and dank cave of doom, I at least want to be in good company.”
“Apate isn’t here, so it looks like you’re just stuck with me. I only drugged your drink. I did it before I handed it to you. My fangs have a sedative venom that’s supposed to be for prey,” Hunter says.
I look at him for a moment then ask, “Do you realize what you just said?”
He just blinks his dopey dragon eyes at me.
“Let’s rewind here and talk about this for a moment. First, of course I’m going to ask if you’re the abductor since you just drugged and abducted me! I hardly think you should be able to get all pissy with me asking that. Second, it doesn’t make me feel any more confident on your stand of not being the criminal after you just admitted that you drugged me with venom meant for prey,” I say heatedly.
Hunter blinks at me before saying, “I think you’re being overly sensitive. You know I’m not the one abducting and murdering people. I only took you away to keep you safe after you threatened to practically beg the real criminals to take you! That’s wasn’t well done, by the way. You left me no choice if I wanted to keep you safe. This is my right as your mate.”
Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1) Page 14