by Kimbra Swain
We walked back into the ballroom, and it was all dwindling down. We walked up to grandfather. He turned to us both.
“Impressive dancing, Mr. Duarte.”
“Thank you, sir. I believe we are going to be retiring for the evening. Thank you very much for the party, and your acceptance of me.”
“You are welcome, son. I apologize for earlier tonight. I completely overreacted.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” I said. Tadeas squeezed my hand, and I shut up.
“Goodnight, sir.”
“Goodnight.”
As we turned to walk out of the ballroom a slow ballad started playing. The orchestra had turned music duties over to a DJ earlier in the evening.
“One last dance?” Tadeas asked.
“Sure, why not?” I obliged, because for tonight I belonged to him. It had been a very long time since I was deeply connected to someone. It felt good, and I knew dawn loomed just around the corner. No waltzing stances or frames. He just pulled me close to him, and I put my head on his shoulder. We swayed to the slow song. I looked around the room to see the remaining guests. Some danced. Most were at tables laughing and drunk. One thing for sure was grandfather knew how to throw a party. I saw Lukas in a corner by himself. He watched us intently. I missed the man he used to be. He was the only reason I survived after Lincoln died. He wore his hair as he always did, sandy brown locks long enough to cover his face and his stunning blue eyes. I had placed him in Los Angeles as proxy because of his looks. He fit in with that crowd, but when he was human, he had a heart and that made him standout among the glittering celebrities of that town. Los Angeles was always hard to place a proxy, and get good results. Lukas turned out to be the best proxy we ever had, that’s why he is regent now even though they turned him. We have never been able to track down who turned him. We did not think it was possible, but someone did it. And they did it because of me. Because I loved him. It tore us apart. As I leaned on Tadeas, it was a stark reminder of why I cannot fall in love ever again.
The song ended, and Lukas made eye contact with me once for just a moment. He claimed many times before that his change in desires never changed the love he had for me, but I would not tolerate his extracurricular activities which were essential to his life now. I split with him. He had to survive.
“Thank you, for tonight,” Tadeas’ voice in my head brought me back.
“I broke the spell; how did you do that?”
“I don’t know. I just concentrated on you and spoke,” he said. “You heard me the night the shadow man was here, too.”
“Of course, in the mad rush of things, I had forgotten that. I’m tired,” I said and he led me out of the room to the elevators.
The doors opened, and to my relief no one was there. I let them close, and I leaned over and put my head on his chest. Once we reached the floor with my apartment, the doors opened again. I held his hand, and I went to my door. He stopped as I went in. I still had his hand, and pulled him inside with me. “Bulla,” I said putting a privacy bubble around us.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. His instincts were on point.
“I had to shut everything out for a bit. I’ve got to work on some mind exercises. Centering myself. My brain is in overdrive lately, and it’s not going to help either of us.” He reached up and started pulling off the tie, and he took off his jacket and laid them on the arm of the chair. He took a seat on the couch.
“What are you thinking about now? In general, I don’t need to know all the dirty thoughts you were having about Castille,” he winked at me.
“No dirty thoughts about Lukas. I promise. I’ve just been devising a plan to lure these earthquake makers out into the open. I’m going to need your help though, and I need to know that we are okay. It will be officially dawn in a few hours, and until then we are still connected. I’m not going to be mad at you, but there are things we need to be clear about,” I explained.
“Then come over here and sit with me, and we can reach clarity together,” he said.
“Damn,” I said as my body forcefully moved me over to the couch and I sat down.
“Oh crap, Abby I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It will be over soon. It’s not like you asked me to perform a lewd act.”
“If I told you to do something like that, you would have to do it right?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Hypothetically, of course.”
“No comment,” I replied. He got a good laugh out of that one. “May I have permission to go take these shoes off and this dress?” He had ordered me to sit. I couldn’t move until he let me.
“Yes, of course, this bond thing really is stupid,” he said.
“Oh please, you love it.” I got up and headed to the bedroom. As I shut the door behind me, he got in the last word.
“Just let me know if you need any help getting out of that dress,” he teased.
“You are pushing your luck, Jag,” I replied. I pulled the shoes off. I almost didn’t get the dress unzipped. Ashley helped me put it on. I didn’t realize how awkward the zipper was until I tried to take it off. Thankfully, I didn’t have to ask for help. I slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I grabbed a throw blanket from the top of the closet and went back into the main room.
“Are you really going to call me that?” he asked as if I hadn’t been gone from the room for ten minutes.
“Would you like a water?” I said ignoring him and going to the fridge.
“Yes, please,” he said.
I walked back and handed him one, “If you don’t want me to, you have your chance to order me not to do it.” He just sat there grinning at me.
“That’s what I thought, you like it,” I said.
“I do not, but I’m not going to order to do anything on purpose. Are you going to tell me your plan?” he asked. I sat down on the couch with the blanket.
“You know that room is the extra room, and it’s full of your stuff,” I said.
“Not my stuff, just stuff you got for me,” he said. “And no, I didn't know that.”
“Technically Ashley does the leg work on all of it. It is all yours, Tadeas,” I said. “There are clothes if you want to get out of that suit.” He did not hesitate. He jumped up and started unbuttoning his shirt before he even got to the door. “Let me know if you need help getting out of it.”
It only took him a couple of minutes. I was always jealous of men. They could change clothes in just a couple of minutes. As women, it takes much longer. He walked in and clicked off the lights.
“What are you doing?”
“Light some candles, please,” he said.
“Ignacio” I said without thinking, fucking bond.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because we've been in a dark room all night, and being in here with all these lights bothers my eyes. You have to remember that my eyes aren’t just human eyes. I have a lot of abilities to see in many ways. And adjusting from the darkness to the light can be taxing. There really isn’t any reason to have all the lights on,” he explained.
“I’m sorry. You are right. I’ve never thought of it that way,” I thought about his abilities and how I still didn’t fully understand what he was capable of doing.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I didn’t intend on seducing you tonight,” he teased.
“Okay, that’s one of the things we have to talk about,” I said as he sat down on the couch with me.
“Abby, I was just teasing.”
“I know you were, but to be honest, I do care about you very much. The bond between us, even after the deal evaporates, is still pretty strong. I believe that is because of what we are, wielder and shifter. We just have to make sure we don’t mistake that bond for something it isn’t. I don't know how to explain it without being harsh. I, we, can’t have a relationship like that.”
“I get that. You have said that, and even though I have no intentions for that, explain to me why it is that we
can’t?” he asked
I paused. Everything that I thought of to say sounded self-deprecating or like a lie to me. I did not know how to explain it to him.
He looked me in the eye. “Don’t hate me,” he said.
“Hate you for what?”
“Tell me why, Abby. Tell me the truth.” His words rippled over my skin like stepping out into a blizzard. I felt anger well up inside me. “No, you have a terrible tendency not to fully explain yourself. And for once, for this once, I want you to be truthful to me.”
I tried holding my words back. I fought them, as they tried to explode out of me. I got up from the couch. If I could make it to the circle in the floor of my room, maybe I could cut myself off from the influence of the bond. I made it to the door of my bedroom and sunk to my knees. “Damn you, Duarte,” I said through gritted teeth. He got up, lifted me off the floor and carried me back to the couch. My body was repulsed by him. He sat down close to me, and wrapped his arms around me. I wanted to shove him off, but he was warm. It felt good. What a mix of emotions, I thought to myself.
“Abby, I know why, but you need to say it out loud,” he explained. “You are more stubborn than any woman I have ever known. You hide things from me, because you think you are helping me or protecting yourself. If we are truly going to be partners, you’ve got to stop holding back.”
At this point my body shook as I fought the command, “Because every person I care about gets hurt or dies.” The command released, and I was back in control. He didn’t let go. I wanted to swing at him. But he was right. If we were going to be partners, I needed to learn that I could tell him anything. Up until now I was always afraid he would leave if I really spoke my mind. And he might still, but I couldn’t try to protect either of us anymore.
“You aren’t going to hit me?” he asked.
“No, but I want to,” I said.
“I was willing to take the risk to get you to let go,” he said.
“I had no choice.”
“I know. Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest time to push you on it.”
“You think?” I said quickly, “Tadeas, please, I don’t want to fight you anymore.”
“Then don’t. I have a few more hours of you being mine. I’m going to enjoy it.”
I turned and looked at him. “What?”
He leaned back on the couch and put his feet up on it. Just about pushing me off. He put his hands behind his head and said, “My dear, if you would please get me another water. It seems I’ve finished this one.”
I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen. I brought him back the water. When I handed it to him, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to the couch with him. It was awkward to say the least. “What are you doing?”
“Now lay here with me and tell me your plan,” he smiled.
I shook my head, but my body obeyed. I curled up next to him and rested my head on his chest. He didn’t even drink the damn water. I started to tell him about my plan. We discussed options and how to handle the trap. He liked it, and agreed it was a good plan.
“I guess we are going to Paris,” I said.
“Seems so,” he replied and yawned.
“Do you have class in a few hours?” I asked.
“No, your grandfather called downstairs and cancelled all classes for tomorrow. I thought we might go visit the tavern I told you about,” he suggested.
“Sounds good,” as his yawn made me yawn. We were quiet for a long time. I started drifting off to sleep. I could tell he was, too. I didn’t get up. I didn’t want to leave his side.
After a long silence he said, “It was a good kiss though.”
I sighed. “Yes, it was,” I said as we both fell asleep on the couch.
“He marked her!” I shouted excitedly into the phone.
“Yes, I don’t know if she let him do it, or if he’s more devious than I expected,” she said.
“Oh, my dear, that’s wonderful news. I know the mark won’t last past dawn, but that mean she trusts him. Now if someone in Boulder, like one of our operatives, could convince him to do it again, perhaps for her own benefit, we could take them both. She would be under his control and not free to act. Depending, of course, on how strong the bond is between them. So many possibilities,” I was giddy with the prospect of ruining that little bitch. She had been in this world for far too long. It was time to put her down.
“Perhaps you can get in good with him, use your womanly wiles,” I suggested to her.
“I am pretty sure that isn’t going to work,” she said.
“Why, you are gorgeous dear! Do it. I’ll let you practice on me,” I suggested.
“You do not count, V. You would fuck anything,” she accused.
“I would not! Well, maybe I would,” I said. “Well, let me go dear, keep me informed and get your fine ass back to Philly as soon as possible. I do miss you,” I said. I really did miss her. One of the few women in this world I truly got along with, but partially because I wanted to make her mine. “I’m off to Paris on Saturday. Got business there. Bye, sexy.”
“Bye, V.”
She was really slipping, there was no way in hell she would have ever let anyone including Lincoln put a bond oath on her. This jaguar must have quite a bit of power over her. I walked around the condo naked, and packed for Paris. Sweet Miss Cassidy would be here soon. She had agreed to be my assistant for the trip. I was excited. Mwenye has spent very little time in the condo over the last few days. I got the impression he’d found a new toy. Last night before he left he got pretty rough with me. I love rough sex, but this was different. I did not enjoy it at all. I could just dump him. Once I start to consume souls, I won’t need him anymore. The ultimate would be to consume him. Oh, the power, that would be. I’m not naive enough to think I could defeat him, but it was a wonderful day dream.
Progress continued at the office on the earthquake project. They were selecting sites, and acquiring the materials and personnel needed to set each of the sites up. I was also working on a side project. I hoped to acquire some of the materials for myself. I just hadn’t had a chance to do it. My friend in Boulder would help me. I wanted to make a statement. One the rest of these weasels are too afraid to make. Oh, yes, they talked big about dropping the coastline into the sea, but they won’t do the dirty work. That’s why I am here.
The doorbell rang. I opened the door, and Edgar Donovan stood there with Cassidy. “Oh hell,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting you Mr. Donovan. I just got out of the shower. I thought it was just Cass. You both come in and I’ll grab some clothes.”
Good grief, I really hated that man. I would be glad to take Cassidy away from his domineering presence. I hoped to have her before she went back west to spend time with her mother. I had no idea who her mother was, but it didn’t matter. If she was the kind of woman that Donovan would fuck, then she must be a bitch, or Fae. I threw on a light dress and I heard them talking softly.
“Dad, I’m not a child. I want to go to Paris. I’ve never been. Please, daddy,” she purred. That’s my girl, wrap him up.
“Child, this woman is dangerous,” he said, as I walked into the room.
“Pish, posh, Edgar Donovan, I would not hurt a hair on her head,” I said.
“I am not concerned about you hurting her, Vanessa. I don’t want you seducing my daughter,” he said frankly. I liked a direct man. I found it to be extremely sexy.
“Eddie, please, I would never. She is your child. And I know what you would do to me if I did anything inappropriate to her,” I lied. He couldn’t touch me. Mwenye would fry him alive.
“Do not call me that,” he said forcefully. There was a little magic behind it, and it made me sway in place.
“Now, now, Donovan, no need for that,” I smiled and winked at him. The angrier he got, the more turned on I became.
“Swear that you will return her to me as she is right this moment,” he said.
That put a damper on things. It might push my timeline back a bit, but I did wa
nt her to go with me. I’d just have to swear it and get in her good graces. That way, she would willingly do the things I wanted her to do. “I swear on my power that I will return her to you as she is right this moment,” I turned and winked at her.
“See Daddy, she swore. I told you she would,” she said.
He growled. “Alright.”
She jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m going downstairs to get my bags. I’ll be right back.”
“Cass, sweetie, the doorman will help you get them. His name is Dixon. Tell him I will pay him for his services later,” I instructed her.
“Okay, thanks, Vanessa,” she giggled in glee and went out the door.
I sauntered over to Donovan and got in his face. “You make me so hot when you get angry.”
He grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall. “Shut your whore mouth. You may have sworn, but I assure you, I will cut out your pretty tongue if you harm her.”
I wrapped my leg around his and moaned, “Oh yes, choke me, Eddie.”
He clamped harder and got in my face, “Don’t call me Eddie.”
He was close enough. I latched onto his lips with mine, and he squeezed harder. I rolled my hips against him and he responded. My eyes flashed open to his, and I saw hunger there. Oh yes, Edgar Donovan would know my power. He pressed his whole body against me, and returned the kiss. It was lustful and hot. He pulled away, released my neck and slapped me across the face extremely hard that I hit the floor. He stood over me and said, “You are nothing more than a filthy whore. That’s all you will ever get from me. Good try, sweetheart, but I’ve been in this game far longer than you. I could break you with a single breath. You remember that, as my daughter travels with you. She’s an adult woman, and capable of making her own choices. I will not hinder her, but I swear to you that there is nothing Mwenye could do to stop me if I chose to put you down like the bitch you are.”
He turned his back to me and headed to the door.
“Oh baby, talk dirty to me,” I laughed as I laid on the floor. The hit hurt. He put something besides just his hand behind it. He had never frightened me before, but I could see the darkness welling up inside him as he talked about his daughter. Perhaps I should rethink my plans for sweet little Cassidy.