by Nina Bangs
If she didn’t know him better, she would swear she heard a note of sympathy in his voice.
“I can try.” She’d fight the Big Boss for Mede’s life even though it would probably be a losing battle, because she couldn’t imagine a world without Mede in it.
Mistral didn’t argue with her. At least he remembered some things from those hundreds of years ago.
“Then here’s what we have to do. I can feel him right now. That connection will last until we have to stop tonight. But by tomorrow it’ll start to fade. Once that happens, tracking him will get harder. It’ll help if you can get another response from him so I can renew the connection.”
“Fine.” She reached for the spiral notebook she always kept near her while she was driving just in case she got a delicious idea for spreading sexual chaos. Then she got down to some serious planning. This was about more than just trying to capture the attention of the sexually inept and sensually clueless. She made a list of subjects guaranteed to enrage Mede, enough to last for at least three days: how to manipulate your man, men will do anything for sex, and her personal favorite, research has shown that men who sit in front of the TV eating ice cream and chips have lower testosterone levels.
Then she sat back and closed her eyes. Please, please let me find him before the Big Boss does. When she did find him? She would worry about that later.
“Can you sense him?” Sparkle squinted. She was having problems focusing on the Victorian mansion across the street.
“No.”
“No?” She raised her brow, her signature expression for, “You had one job, doofus.”
Mistral raked his fingers through that spectacular hair, and at least ten women on the beach sucked in their breaths. “He’s not there. The only person I sense is his traveling companion. Give me a minute to figure this out.”
Sparkle made a disgusted sound as she stripped off her sandals. They were way too awesome to be touched by mere sand. She wasn’t a sand-and-surf kind of woman. “Maybe the spell threw you off.” She didn’t want to toss Mistral a ready-made excuse, but to be fair, it had confused her for a moment too.
“It’s a do-not-notice spell. Powerful. It might keep people’s attention away from the house, but it wouldn’t stop me from knowing who was inside. Hand me your phone. I need something fresh to help me track him.”
Sparkle bent to scoop her phone from the blanket spread on the sand. Distracted, she barely noticed the growing congregation of men. Their stares didn’t bother her. After all, she was the queen of sex and more sex. Adoration was to be expected. She pulled up her Facebook page then handed the phone to Mistral.
She refused to look at it. Sparkle had read every one of his snarky posts while they followed him across the country. They made her mad at him all over again even though she was the one who had instigated his remarks.
`Beside her, Mistral chuckled. “I hate this guy, but you have to give it to him, he’s funny.”
“Right. Ha, ha.” She couldn’t wait for this to be over so she wouldn’t have to see Mistral for another five hundred years.
“I love these. The guy’s a riot. ‘Ice cream and chips don’t climb into bed still wearing four inch ball-busters because they can’t stand being separated from their new shoes. They don’t wake me up in the middle of the night because they dreamed that all their nails broke.’ ” He scrolled down. “Okay, here’s today’s comment. ‘Men aren’t the only ones who’ll do anything for sex. Did your Viking show you his snow cone before you jumped into bed with him?’ ” Mistral laughed. “That’s just mean.” He touched the screen for a moment and then handed the phone back to her.
Now she was furious. So furious she hardly noticed that her number of likes had doubled since her online fight with Mede had started. “Jerk.”
“Sure, but I sort of have to give him props for style and content.”
“Oh, shut up.” She huffed her annoyance. “So where is he?”
“He’s in the air heading out over the ocean.”
She just stared at him.
Mistral closed his eyes. “He’s on a plane.”
Oh, for the love of… “Can you follow him?”
“Yes.” He opened his eyes. “But it’s a little more problematic if I have to drag you along. We’d have to find out where he’s landing and then book a flight to the same airport. That’ll take time.”
“Go by yourself. I’ll stay here.” She hated doing this, but time was important. Mistral could become one with the jet stream and trail Mede’s plane. He couldn’t take Sparkle with him, though.
He nodded. “I’ll drive you to a hotel and—”
“No, I meant I’ll stay here, in that truly beautiful house, the painted lady. With Mede’s ‘traveling companion.’” She put all the evil she could muster into her smile. “We’ll have a nice cozy chat once I’ve seen you off.”
“Painted lady?” Mistral put on his shirt. Then he retrieved their blanket at the same time he offered his female audience a smile guaranteed to reduce every one of them to a puddle that would quickly evaporate in the Jersey shore heat.
Sparkle took grim satisfaction at the thought of all of those empty female heads returning to their water-vapory origins. After all, any woman dumb enough not to see past Mistral’s spectacular looks to the wickedness that lay beneath deserved her fate.
“Gorgeous Victorian houses painted in three or more colors and decorated with lots of gingerbread trim.” She smiled. “I bet Mede felt all his manliness seeping out through the cracks the minute he walked into it. He’s not a pink-house-with-white-and-green-trim kind of guy. Personally, I think the green is a bit much.” Sparkle thought about the house. “Wonder why he bought it, dumped his companion, and then took off again?” At least she knew he intended to come back to it.
“I have no idea, but I have to admit the Big Boss would never look for him in that place. At least he got a good deal on it. The real-estate agent couldn’t wait to unload it. Not much call for a haunted house that people can’t find.” Mistral offered her a sly grin. “By the way, great job of getting all that info from the agent.”
Sparkle shrugged. “I’m good at manipulating. It’s what I do.” What she had always done. Then why did the thought of trying to manipulate Mede leave her feeling slimy? Could she make him listen to her without using her power? She didn’t know.
“I always liked that about you.” He turned to glance back at the ocean. “Too bad we had to stop at the agency, though. We just missed catching him here. I can’t believe he’s really thinking of starting some kind of school for ‘exceptional’ teens. What the hell is that about?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. Mede was never a kid person.” It was one of the things they had in common. She had no patience with the young and impulsive. The old and foolish were more susceptible to the games she played.
He looked at her. “Do you think barging into the place is wise? The companion might not want to share the house.”
Sparkle didn’t for a minute think whoever waited for her inside would prove a danger. Her powers might not be as spectacular as Mede’s, but she could kick butt with the best. “Just make sure you get here first to warn me once Mede’s on his way back.” What if he changes his mind and decides not to return? He had connections in Scotland. Maybe he’d decide to hide out in the Highlands. Or in the past. Time and space meant nothing to Mede. No, he had a house to come back to. And a travel companion waiting for his return? She wouldn’t think about that. But if the worst happened, she’d just find him again. She would always find him.
Mistral met her gaze. “I won’t interfere if the Big Boss shows up.”
She tried not to flinch. “I wouldn’t expect you to.” Mistral didn’t put his perfect ass in danger for anyone. “Now help me get into that house and then go.”
“Place feels weird enough to be haunted. Do ghosts scare you?” He looked hopeful as they waited to cross the street.
Sparkle pretended to think about
it. “Only if they’re wearing flip-flops with their Dior gowns.”
“Of course.” He glanced at her as he strode toward the house. “By the way, that’s an awesome bathing suit. Ostentatious, but still kickass. Won’t the salt water damage all those sparkly things at the top?”
“Water? Why would I go into the water? And those ‘sparkly things’ are called diamonds.”
“Right.” He didn’t try to hide that he was laughing at her. “Let’s see what Ganymede’s left for us.”
Sparkle pulled on her cover-up, which really didn’t cover up much of anything, and slipped into her sandals before following him down the driveway and up the front steps to the wraparound front porch. He stopped before knocking.
“Ganymede’s put some sort of protective crap across the door. Probably goes all around the house. Jeez, can you believe this place? A three-story frosted pink cake.” Mistral stretched out his hand as though feeling for something. “Strange. Whatever kind of warding he’s done isn’t very powerful. Not even close to as strong as the do-not-notice spell. It might stop humans, but not us. In fact, it seems geared more towards keeping whatever’s inside from getting out.” He looked intrigued.
Sparkle shrugged. “Mede’s not a wizard. Wards aren’t his strength. From what the agent said, the do-not-notice spell was already here when Mede bought the house.” She stood still for a moment, concentrating. “I hear someone inside, right behind the door.”
“If I remember, Ganymede deals in extremes. So we’re either going to find a gorgeous woman or a mutated grizzly.”
“For his future health and wellbeing, it’d better be the grizzly.” She knew her glare could probably burn a hole in the door.
Mistral placed both palms flat against the invisible barrier Mede had created. “Step back just in case.”
Sparkle punched his shoulder. “Hey, cosmic troublemaker here, too. We face whatever’s inside together.” Mistral had always treated her like a delicate piece of crystal. He forgot that a crystal shard could slit his throat as easily as a sword. “Take down the ward.”
There was a flash of light followed by a muffled boom and then the door blew open.
Sparkle and Mistral stood staring at a wide-eyed teenage boy wearing a sleeveless gray T-shirt, droopy khaki shorts, and no shoes. Sparkle didn’t even notice what he looked like. She was too busy absorbing the complete horror of his wardrobe choices. The silence lasted for a dozen heartbeats. Sparkle recovered first.
“Who are you?”
The boy stared blankly.
“Name?” Maybe he didn’t speak English.
The boy shrugged. He shifted his attention to Mistral and growled.
Mistral looked pleased. “See, the kid knows who the badass is.” He glanced at her. “And it’s not you.”
He didn’t get a chance to say anything else before the boy launched himself at Mistral. They went down in a tangle of arms and legs.
She sighed. Boys and their testosterone. Sparkle swept her fingers through her hair, dislodging a sandy waterfall. Ugh.
She was kind of enjoying their wrestling match until Mistral ended it by becoming a ticked-off lion. Sparkle quickly looked around before relaxing. She offered up a silent thank you to whoever had created the do-not-notice spell.
The boy disengaged and scrambled to his feet. He backed up, his eyes wild and confused.
“At least those of us without badass cred don’t end up getting the crap beat out of us.” She knew this child couldn’t hurt Mistral, but Sparkle loved poking at his monstrous ego.
The lion roared at her.
“Yes, yes, I know you were trying not to hurt him.” She studied the boy. Now that she was really paying attention, everything fell into place. “I can feel his power. It’s contained right now—Mede’s work no doubt—but he’s one of us.”
The lion roared again.
“I agree. Sedona, the vortices, it all makes sense.” Or not. “Mede must’ve been there when this newbie hatched from one of the power spots. He’s taken the boy under his wing.” Something didn’t feel right. What business did Mede have at a vortex? She couldn’t imagine his sole purpose was to capture a newbie. Mede didn’t have any warm and fuzzy feelings for his own kind.
“Hey, in case you didn’t notice, we have a problem here.”
Mistral was back in human form, and the boy looked ready to attack him again.
“Leave. He obviously sees you as a threat. Find Mede for me.”
He nodded. At least he didn’t insult her by asking if she’d be okay. “I’ll drive the car up to the house.” Then moving slowly so he didn’t startle the boy, Mistral backed out the door.
It would have been the perfect exit if he hadn’t paused for a last word.
“See you soon, sis.”
3
Sparkle watched Mistral close the door quietly behind him before she turned to speak to the boy. “He’s not really my brother.” She struggled with that thought for a moment. “Fine, so maybe he is, but only in one way. We were born from the same energy vortex at the same moment. I don’t know why that happened. But we don’t share any other link.” You’re such a liar. No matter how much time and space stretched between them, she had always been able to touch Mistral’s mind almost instantly no matter where he was. Mede had been the only other one who shared that kind of closeness with her, until he’d cut her out of his life. “Not that any of that matters.” It mattered. Her connection to Mistral had always bothered her because she didn’t understand it. Besides, she would never choose to touch his mind if she didn’t have to. His thoughts were too dense, too cynical, too far from the light. She shook the thought off and concentrated on the kid.
The boy just stared at her. She couldn’t miss the uncertainty and near panic in his eyes.
She sighed. “You don’t understand a thing I’m saying, do you?”
More staring.
“Can you say anything?”
He seemed to think about her words. “Jimmy Fallon,” he said tentatively. “Myyy PRECIOUSSS!” he said with more certainty.
“Well, thank heaven Mede exposed you to the best in the English language—late night talk shows and Lord of the Rings.” Sarcasm didn’t satisfy when her target couldn’t hear it. She tried to look nonthreatening as she walked around the boy to head into the interior of the house. Sparkle expected him to make a break for the door, but he surprised her by tagging along behind.
“Sparkle?”
Startled, she turned to stare at him. “What did you say?”
“Sparkle.” He studied her. “Ganymede…talks about you.”
His speech was still hesitant, but it was getting there. In another week or so, no one would believe he was a newborn. Accelerated language assimilation, one of the perks of being a cosmic troublemaker.
“What does he say about me?” Not that she cared. But for all of her not caring, Sparkle held her breath waiting for his answer.
“Damn woman.”
She smiled. “I guess that sums it up.” She hadn’t expected anything else, but still…
“Miss her.” His voice softened.
Sparkle blinked back sudden tears. Wow, talk about out-of-control emotions. “I miss him, too.”
He smiled for the first time, and her professional interest stirred. His abysmal choice of clothes had blinded her to his possibilities. Tossing him into a regular high school would be a crime against humanity. Teen girls would riot in the hallways. He was a beautiful buffet of toned young body, tousled blond hair, and gorgeous amber eyes. The boy was safe from her, though. Sparkle might be the cosmic troublemaker in charge of sexual chaos, but she thrived on challenges. Teens were too easy, cauldrons of bubbling hormones screaming “Do me, do me.”
Not that this child was a human teen or anything else approximating it, no matter what he looked like. He might lack knowledge about how this world worked, but he still would have the instinct to create chaos. All cosmic troublemakers did. “I get that Mede must’ve switched your po
wer off until he could teach you control, but exactly what can you do?”
He seemed to be processing her question. Then he nodded. “I…move earth.” He frowned. “Ganymede let me do some little…” He looked frustrated as he searched for the word. “Booms.” He smiled again. “I liked the booms.”
“I bet you did.” So Mede had allowed the boy to decompress before he left. Not enough to register on the Richter scale, but enough to keep him sane and alive. Good. “Want to walk with me while I look at the house?”
He glanced past her. “Eat first?”
Of course, he’d be starving all the time for a few weeks as his body adapted. “Sure. Where’s the kitchen?”
The boy didn’t seem to have any problem translating this time. She’d bet “kitchen” was one of the first words he learned. Mede and he would have that in common.
He led her through rooms boasting tall windows hung with lace curtains and framed by heavy drapes, elaborate crown molding, beautiful rugs, ornate chandeliers, and all the opulent furniture that went with the period. The kitchen breathed Victorian, but did at least have modern appliances. A bank of windows looked out onto a pool surrounded by an incredible garden, one that even the most talented green thumb couldn’t create. Sparkle thought about the powerful do-not-notice spell. Hmm.
A big wooden table took up the middle of the room. “Sit down while I see what Mede left us.” She went to explore the food situation.
A short while later she sat across from the boy while he inhaled more sandwiches than Sparkle thought any human or nonhuman body could manage without exploding. Good thing Mede had prepared by stocking the fridge and pantry with enough food to feed an army for at least a month. “So Mede didn’t give you a name?”
He paused in his chewing for a moment. “Ben.” The boy looked down at the remains of his sandwich. “Don’t like name. Want bigger one.”
Sparkle was horrified for him. “Of course you do. Ben? Really? No cosmic troublemaker should be named Ben. We need larger-than-life names, ones that will awe ordinary people.”