by Schulte, Liz
Half-vampire turned baker Maggie was always a hopeless romantic—until years of being beaten down by love made her finally give up. Now she has been recruited to mend the relationship of a couple destined to be together but who are falling apart. If she’s going to succeed, she’ll have to truly discover what matters most.
Psyche Souffle
Copyright © 2016 by Liz Schulte
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Check out more books by Liz
About the Author
Chapter 1
“We need a signature Valentine’s Day dessert.” Izzy entered my kitchen, tapping a pen against the notepad in her hand.
I glanced up. “Good morning.”
“Morning. I already have the I Love You A Lattes planned, but we need something sweet to go with them.” Now Izzy was tapping the pen against her chin.
I thought she might want to sit this Valentine’s Day out since she had recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend, but apparently not. If anything she’d gone into overdrive. My bakery was filled with hearts and flowers and cupids, but she seemed happy. Busy, but mostly happy.
“I’m thinking a decadent, delicious chocolate soufflé for two. It could be heart-shaped and we could call it romance.” She said the word with jazz hands.
“Huh.”
“You don’t like it?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t like it so much as I had never made a soufflé before. I didn’t know how this Valentine’s Day extravaganza was going to go. The last thing I wanted was to be on the hook for making something I wasn’t comfortable with. I had taken a step back and was letting her handle all the store’s promotions and they seemed to be going well. We were busier than ever. “How about a cupcake for two?”
She rolled her eyes. “What I marketed and sold was a Valentine’s Day package. Don’t you remember? I showed it to you. Customers will have a choice of three desserts. A cupcake, while boring, can be one of those, but we need something they can’t get any other time in the café.”
I had a vague memory of what she was talking about, but I honestly hadn’t paid a lot of attention. I had things on my mind. Like the fact that my life was once again in upheaval. It had been a couple weeks since I’d seen Boone. It wasn’t easy to bounce back from the whole girlfriend being kidnapped thing. I was trying to give him space and ignore the fact that I missed him for more reasons than I cared to count. Sure, maybe I had a little crush on him, but that hardly had anything to do with it. More than anything I missed my friend who understood what it was like to be different from everyone else. I became a half vampire around the same time Boone discovered he had psychic abilities. As life changing discoveries went, mine was so much worse, but at least he understood and knew about the Abyss, unlike Izzy who had no idea vampires existed let alone that I was part one.
And then there was Phoenix, the regional commander of the jinn. I still didn’t have any idea what I felt about him, if anything. Jinn dealt in the manipulation of emotions the way I dealt in sugar. You may not always see it, but you can bank on its presence in everything that comes out of my kitchen. That made him hard to read. I couldn’t tell when he was lying or manipulating me, so mostly I assumed he was doing both all the time. But that didn’t keep me from wanting him. My mind and body were determined to be at odds where he was concerned. So like Boone avoided me, I was avoiding Phoenix.
Anyway, I didn’t remember what her Valentine’s Day package consisted of. “What’s in the package again?”
“There’ll be live music, and guests have their choice from three desserts built for two, plus a bottle of wine.”
Wine. Holy crap. I really dropped the ball on this one. I hadn’t applied for the liquor license at all. “We don’t have a license.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? You were supposed to take care of it. You said you would.”She pushed her hand through her hair. “It’s too late now. We’re going to have to refund everything. It’s less than a week until Valentine’s Day.”
Crap, crap, crap, crap. I had to think. There had to be a way to get what we needed—and there was. Just not a way I wanted to pursue. “Couldn’t we do coffee?”
She shook her head. “No one wants coffee. They want wine. I already have it ordered.” Izzy looked close to tears.
I sighed. “There might be something I can do. Don’t panic yet.”
She didn’t look at all convinced. “What?”
“I have to go to Phoenix. He knows people and might be able to pull some strings.” More than likely he would bribe who needed to be bribed, and if that didn’t work, he’d use a little of his jinni magic to make the obstacles go away. Convenient, yes—but also a terrible abuse of power, one that I had hoped to avoid in my life.
“Really?” Her face completely changed. “Good. Go now.” She all but pushed me out of the door. “I can handle the store.” I untied my apron and put on my parka. “Hey, Maggie, please make this happen. That man looks at you with stars in his eyes. Use that.”
I wrinkled my nose. From the one time she met Phoenix, Izzy had it in her mind that he was not-so-secretly in love with me. Fat chance of that! He wanted me like I wanted him. It was completely physical and the fact that I wouldn’t give into him kept him coming around. That was it.
It was early enough in the morning that the streets of Chicago weren’t crowded. The wind whipped along the pavement, cutting right through me and blowing snow in my face. I loved this city, but damn I hated the cold.
Partly because of the cold and partly because of my inhuman speed, I made it to Phoenix’s apartment in record time. It was a bizarre building, especially for a jinni— a former church that had been divided into unique dwellings. I buzzed his apartment repeatedly, smiling a little because I knew I’d be waking him up. Probably not the best start to asking for a favor, but torturing him was one of the ways I got back at him for the many, many times he lied to me.
Phoenix ran a nightclub and jinn front named Xavier’s. While I came into work about three a.m. every day, he didn’t even make it home by then, which put me at the perfect time to disturb his sleep. I held down the buzzer. When I finally released it, the door clicked open.
His apartment door was open as I stepped onto the landing. “Did I wake you? Can’t say I’m sorry,” I said walking through.
“I was awake.”
It took a moment to find him. The only windows in his apartment were stained glass that didn’t let in a huge amount of light. All of the walls were painted black and not one light was bright enough, making it seem a lot like a cave with super high ceilings. I blinked at the sight of him. He was standing in the kitchen eating a yogurt—and not wearing a speck of clothing.
I probably should’ve looked away, but I didn’t. His black hair was wet and slicked back from his face like he had just gotten out of the shower. His many tattoos darkened his too pale skin, which was taut over tightly corded, lean muscles. My eyes trailed down to his stomach. I bit my lip and snuck a peek a little bit lower—
“My eyes are up here.” His voice was low and velvety.
I looked up, pressing my lips together to keep from smiling. Not bad. Not bad at all. Focus, Maggie, the rational inner voice reminded me. This was why I had been avoiding him. He was a temptation to a much darker more complicated life than I was prepared to accept. “Maybe you should put on some clothes.”
One side of his mouth curled. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
Before I could stop them, my eyes gave him another once over and now his grin was full-fledged. I forced myself to look away. “Yep, I’m good.”
He sat the container of yogurt down and came around the counter toward me. The air in the room was suddenly very warm and it crackled with energy against my skin. He didn’t stop until he was entirely too close to me, reminding me that it had been a while since I last fed. Dark souls weren’t always easy to come by and I’d been busily avoiding life. He lightly tugged the zipper of my parka all the way down. “It’s been a while.”
My brain went blank. What had been? He couldn’t be talking about—
“Since I saw you.” He spoke slowly.
Right. Of course. The hunger raged inside of me. Most dark souls I fed on just required a handshake or some light touch of skin. Feeding from Phoenix, however, always ended with us making out, which only confused how I felt about him more.
I focused on his collarbone, much safer than other body parts, as I collected my thoughts. Then I studied his tattoo of a skull with some sort of nuclear destruction in its eye sockets. It was creepy, but incredibly detailed and well done. Why would he want that on his body for the rest of eternity?
“Maggie.” His magnetic voice slipped into my thoughts and his hands ran down my arms, pushing my coat off of my shoulders. It fell to the floor with a soft thrrpt.
“Uh huh.” I refused to look at him. If I did, he’d kiss me then I would start feeding and God help me I really enjoyed that. All that exposed skin…my tongue ran over my lips.
He leaned in, his lips nearly touching my ear. “Why are you here?”
That was an excellent question. One I probably had the answer to somewhere in the clouds of hunger—and desire.
“Did you need me?”
So much. It had been so long since I had been with someone. With the whole vampire thing, I still didn’t know how my control would be. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Phoenix was resilient. He could heal—or he could if I didn’t drain his soul, which frankly I didn’t have a good track record with.
That was the bucket of cold water I needed. I shook off the fog he had encased me in and took a step back. “I need a liquor license by Valentine’s Day.”
He chuckled softly, folding his arms over his chest. “You are always a challenge.”
That was probably true in more than one area of my life. For some reason, I never seemed to be able to just do things the easy way. Once I started overthinking (my favorite pastime) all hope of anything ever being simple was lost. “Is it possible?”
“Anything is possible.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“For a price.”
I expected as much. Phoenix wanted me to work for him. Being a jinni he dealt with plenty of bad people. People that he sometimes had to kill. Meanwhile, here I was, a convenient bottomless pit where evil souls could disappear without a trace. “What’s your price?”
He picked up a towel from the stool next to the counter, wrapped it around his waist, then sat down. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
“I haven’t—”
“Lie,” he said, his dark eyes drilling into me. “Women don’t usually ignore me.”
I shrugged. “Maybe you should get used to it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Saying things like that only makes me want you more. I have tried no fewer than three times to get in touch with you. I could have just come to your house or bakery, but I wanted it to be your decision.”
I ran my hand down my face, hard. “Here I am.”
He shook his head. “You came because you wanted something. That isn’t the same thing. I want you to come here because you want me.”
My face scrunched. This was the last thing I wanted. Phoenix and I had proven many times that we couldn’t get along. Like not at all. When we weren’t about to tear each other’s clothes off, we usually fought.
“So I ask you again, why have you been avoiding me?”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “Is answering this part of your price?”
A smile spread across his face. “Let’s say yes for shits and giggles.”
I shook my head. “Because you make it hard to remember what I want.”
He took a deep breath, studying me like he could see so much more than what was on the outside. Finally he nodded. “I’ll help you, if you help me.”
Here it was. Back to the deal. I didn’t want to be an assassin. It was bad enough I had to hurt people to keep from going insane, even if they were bad people. I certainly didn’t want to do it as a job. “I don’t want your deals. Maybe that’s why I avoid you. Every time I let you into my life you manipulate me. I can find my own demons to feed on. Please don’t make me do this.”
“This has nothing to do with that, but the offer stands, as it always will. We’d make great partners. But this is a little bit different. It needs a softer touch. You wouldn’t be working for me. You’d simply be helping me out on one case.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s it? I help you solve this one problem and we’re square? What is it?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. It’s something you have to see for yourself. Come to the club tonight. I’ll have your license ready and then you can decide whether or not you’ll help.”
Chapter 2
There wasn’t any problem I could imagine Phoenix having that he couldn’t sort out on his own, and the idea that this was just an excuse to get me to Xavier’s plagued me. As a nightclub completely run by jinn, it was a mecca for debauchery and darkness. Going there in my current state of hunger (which had been so much worse since seeing Phoenix) was a terrible plan, but I didn’t have time to find a better solution. I’d just have to deal with it.
I changed my outfit four times before I settled on a 1950’s style black and white striped dress over black tights with a pink cardigan and a fun statement necklace. .
The moment I stepped outside I realized my first mistake. I wasn’t dressed nearly warm enough. I’d have to take a cab. An hour later I paid the cabbie and climbed out in front of Xavier’s. The line of freezing people stretched down the block.
The huge bouncer, who was almost as wide as I was tall, eyed me while I looked between the door and the line, not sure if I should just call Phoenix. “Ms. Edwards, right this way.” He undid the rope.
To the best of my recollection, I had never seen this man in my life. “How do you know who I am?”
He didn’t even look at me. “He said you were cute and owned a bakery.”
“Yeah…” What was I wearing, a sign? Did I have icing on my nose?
The bouncer finally gave me a disinterested glance. “Look at the line, then look at yourself. You’re the only person here that ‘cute’ and ‘baker’ could possibly describe.”
I glanced down the line full of
women who would be frozen to death by the time they got inside. They were all impossibly thin and wore tiny skirts and dresses with plunging necklines and hems that barely covered their asses and bare legs. Compared to them, my outfit was almost nun-like—and I looked positively plump. Most of them had probably never had a cupcake. In a flood of sympathy for those poor souls, I was tempted to hand out my business cards. My phone chirped with a text.
It was from Phoenix. “I’m upstairs.”
I straightened my shoulders and looked at the bouncer. “Point taken. Hey, if I bring you cupcakes, would you feed these people?”
He finally smiled. “Ma’am,” he said with a nod toward the door.
I grinned back, then went inside. The corridor was so dark I could barely see. The music thrumming through the speakers made the hallway feel like it was vibrating. I pushed my way through the crowd of people until the hall opened up into a big room. I glanced around, not immediately seeing a staircase. There was another door on the other side of the bar though. I started toward it.
“Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry. Oops, sorry,” became my chant as I tried to make it across the room to the other door. Finally there, I opened the door and stumbled through. Another bouncer, sitting on a stool against the wall, sized me up and shook his head. “You’re in the wrong place. Possibly the wrong club.”
This was getting insulting. My outfit was cute. “I’m looking for Phoenix.”
He held up a finger and pulled out a walkie-talkie. “I have a girl down here to see you.”
“Is it Maggie?” Phoenix’s voice came through the line broken and scratchy.
The bouncer raised a wooly eyebrow at me and I nodded. “It’s her.”
“Keep her there,” Phoenix said.
The door opened and two more people appeared: a woman about six feet tall in a slinky red dress with board straight red hair halfway down her back, and a somewhat hideous looking man with a busted up nose and a bulldog-like face sitting on a stocky frame. I pressed up against the wall to give them room to pass as the bouncer nodded them through. The woman brushed against me, and my hunger perked up. She hadn’t even touched my skin, but I still knew what she was. Without a single doubt. A demon.