Wicked Whispers

by Nina Bangs

  Sparkle paused and then nodded. “I want you to spy on Mede. I need to keep an eye on him. He doesn’t handle rejection well. If Mede thinks he’s lost me…” She shrugged. “He’s the cosmic chaos bringer. Earth could end in a flash of light and a big boom.”

  Ivy did a few mental eye rolls. “I know he cares for you. Once he calms down, I’m sure he’ll regret what he did.” Or not. Who could tell with a cat? “But I don’t think you have to worry about the earth.” No one was that powerful.

  “You are so young and naive.” Sparkle looked sympathetic. “You haven’t even begun to understand the power some of the beings in this castle wield. If you’re lucky, you never will.”

  “She’s telling the truth.”

  Ivy could feel Murmur’s deep voice vibrating through her because, at some point, without her permission, her body had tipped back and was now snuggled into his. He was a magnetic force to be reckoned with.

  “You want me to spy on Ganymede?” She couldn’t believe what Sparkle was asking. “I thought you hired me to be your assistant.” Normal personal assistants scheduled meetings, screened calls, set appointments, stuff like that. But when had anything about Sparkle been normal?

  Sparkle smiled as though Ivy had finally gotten it. “Exactly. So assist me.” Her expression said that everything was solved.

  Ivy didn’t know how to answer that kind of logic.

  Murmur stepped into the conversational vacuum. “Feeling let down, Braeden? I bet you expected more from the queen of sex and sin?”

  Braeden nodded. “I thought everything would be perfect. We’re both sensual creatures. Equals.” He thought about that. “No, I don’t want to start our relationship off with a lie. No one is my sensual equal. But she’s close.”

  Sparkle growled low in her throat. “Shut up, Braeden. And mind your own business, demon.” She curled and uncurled her fingers, a cat flexing its claws before striking.

  “That’s the problem.” Murmur walked over to Braeden and leaned against the counter beside him. “Sparkle is the cosmic troublemaker in charge of sexual chaos. No one can touch her when it comes to matching people who’re completely wrong for each other. Did I say ‘completely wrong’? Scratch that. They’re incompatible except for the sexual attraction. The sex is always great for them.”

  He glanced at Ivy, and she had the feeling he was sending her a message. But the only words that registered were “sexual attraction.”

  Braeden looked intrigued. Sparkle just looked mad.

  “But Sparkle’s job isn’t done just because she’s identified her victims and gotten them together. She has to live up to her troublemaker reputation. So she manipulates them until they’re in a sexual frenzy.”

  Braeden smiled. He seemed to think the words “sexual frenzy” were pretty special.

  “When her victims are so crazy for each other that they’re attached at the…” Murmur raised one brow. “Well, you can guess where they’re attached. Once she has them where she wants them, she rips them apart.” He cast Sparkle a glance filled with deep admiration.

  Ivy knew she looked horrified. “She breaks their hearts? Destroys their lives?” Takes away the great sex? A few weeks ago she wouldn’t have thought that was any big deal. A woman was better off without the drama of loving and losing, or at least finding out that the shiny veneer had started chipping off her man as soon as she fell for him. Too bad love didn’t come with a long-term warranty.

  Braeden smiled at Sparkle, and Ivy felt the power of that faery heat and beauty all the way across the room. But when Murmur returned to her, slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her close, all she felt came from him.

  Murmur whispered against her ear. “He won’t touch you.” Implied was: But I will.

  And Ivy believed him. When had she begun to trust a demon? Not only was she starting to find it hard to stay grounded, but she could almost feel herself floating away.

  Braeden uncurled from his seat on the counter, dropped to the floor, and walked toward Sparkle. “We’re alike, you and I. We both understand the power of sex, and we both care nothing for the emotionally weak who don’t understand that we’re not offering love. When you have no conscience, life is glorious.”

  “You’ve got it, Braeden. That’s exactly why you’re wrong for each other.”

  The dark faery turned to look at Murmur. “What?”

  Suddenly, Ivy could hear soft music in her head. Murmur. The music should’ve felt soothing, but there was something about it… Each note seemed to prick her as it flowed through her mind. She winced at each tiny poke. The music irritated her, made her feel uneasy and annoyed with everyone here. She didn’t want to be around them. Ivy shifted restlessly.

  “You and Sparkle are too much alike. Her whole existence has been built around matching opposites, so it stands to reason she’d choose a man who was unlike her in every way. Where’s the challenge if there’s nothing about your mate that needs correcting?” Murmur glanced at Sparkle. “As much as I respect your talent, I think you bit off too much with Ganymede.”

  Sparkle seemed to realize what Murmur was doing at the same time Ivy did.

  “Get your music out of my head, demon.” Sparkle stood and walked around the end of the counter. “Did Ganymede send you?”

  Ivy looked up at Murmur. His smile was slow and incredibly wicked. And the music kept playing.

  “He might’ve mentioned that you could use some relationship advice.”

  Murmur sounded unworried, but Ivy could feel him tense.

  Sparkle’s eyes were amber slits. “Annoy me much longer, Murmur, and you’ll be humming ‘If I Die Young’ on your way out the door.”

  Ivy couldn’t believe she was trying to choke back laughter. Who would even think about laughing in the face of Sparkle’s death glare? You would, when you’re with Murmur. He made her feel safe, as if nothing bad could happen when he was near. Demon, remember? He’s the most dangerous thing in your personal universe.

  Braeden brightened. “Wait, I’d like to hear what the demon has to say. I haven’t been this entertained outside of a woman’s bed in centuries.”

  Strange. Braeden didn’t seem to hear the music, or at least it wasn’t affecting him. On the other hand, Ivy wanted to walk out the door, get away from all of them. Except for Murmur. She didn’t want to leave him.

  Murmur nodded as he stared at Sparkle. “You’re fixated on manipulating the sexual lives of others, and Ganymede only cares about his personal comforts.”

  “We both enjoy using our powers.” Sparkle’s smile was simply a baring of her teeth. “For example, I’d get a huge rush from forcing you and Ivy onto the floor for sex hot enough to melt every chocolate in my store.” She shrugged. “I won’t do that here, though. I hate having to restock.”

  Murmur’s expression said, You can try. He also didn’t look as though he thought it would be a bad thing if he lost.

  Ivy couldn’t keep quiet. “You could do that, Sparkle?” She knew she must look all wide-eyed and… naive. She sighed. What did she really know about the nonhumans in the castle?

  “Of course I could.” Sparkle never took her attention from Murmur.

  “You’re only interested in how you look. Ganymede doesn’t give a damn about his appearance.”

  Murmur tried to push Ivy behind him as Sparkle’s anger exploded. “I have to look good. It’s part of who I am. The queen of sex and sin can’t look like”—she glanced at Ivy—“her. To do my job, I have to live the part. Mede can look like a slob and still destroy the world.”

  Can’t look like her? What did that mean? Ivy caught a reflection of herself in the glass counter. There was nothing wrong with the way she looked. Then she stared at Sparkle. Okay, so no one would notice she was even in the room when Sparkle was around. She glanced at Murmur. His gaze was still fixed on Sparkle.

  Murmur shrugged. “Just saying.”

  Sparkle took another step toward them. She seemed to be getting angrier by the moment. Ivy
suspected the music was doing its thing on her too.

  “What do you know about anything? You go around looking all hot and playing your damn music. You have nothing at stake, no one you could lose.”

  Ivy felt Murmur stiffen, but he didn’t say anything. Still, she knew that Sparkle had scored. She didn’t have a clue why, though.

  “I almost lost Mede once. The Big Boss ordered Mede to give me up if he wanted to continue being a cosmic troublemaker.”

  Sparkle grew more agitated. Her hair was doing the floating thing again. Ivy backed up without Murmur’s urging.

  “Why would the Big Boss do that?” Ivy thought the Big Boss sounded like a petty tyrant.

  “He said I was too shallow, that I wasn’t good for Mede.” Sparkle’s voice was rising.

  Ivy sensed power flowing from Sparkle. Suddenly, Ivy felt the first touch of lust. It was heat and need, a slide of phantom fingers stroking her body, heaviness building low in her stomach. She gasped and automatically looked at Murmur. His breathing had quickened. How could Sparkle do that?

  “But he chose you, didn’t he, Sparkle?” Murmur’s voice was low, hypnotic.

  “Yes.” Her answer was a hiss of combined fury and satisfaction. “The Big Boss was just playing with him.”

  Murmur actually smiled in the face of all that anger. “He would always choose you. Never doubt it.”

  “I think we lost the point of this conversation somewhere along the way.” Ivy was having a tough time concentrating. The music urged her to get away from everyone. They were annoying her, and if she could just be alone, everything would be fine. Meanwhile, lust was making demands. Do something. Correction. Do someone. And the someone was never in doubt. She clenched her hands into fists so she wouldn’t grab some part of Murmur.

  Murmur glanced at Ivy. “My point was that Sparkle is happiest when she’s with someone who’s the polar opposite of her. That would be Ganymede.”

  Sparkle tipped her head back and screamed. “Get out! All of you. Now!”

  Ivy didn’t wait for a second invitation. She fled the store with Murmur and Braeden right behind her. Once on the sidewalk, they stopped.

  Murmur looked at Braeden. “You’re good. I’d never know the music was getting to you.”

  The faery shrugged. “I have my pride.”

  “What was that all about in there?” Ivy didn’t have a clue. At least the music was gone. The lust? Not so much.

  “It was about getting me away from Sparkle, and weakening her defenses so Ganymede could creep back into her good graces.” Braeden smiled. “I was impressed, demon.”

  “You’re not leaving, are you?” Murmur looked resigned.

  “Not a chance. Before I came here, I was bored with my existence. Everything was so easy. Sparkle has energized me. She’s magnificent, someone I finally have to exert myself to win.”

  His smile wiped away the coldness Ivy had associated with faeries. Of course, she only had Tirron to compare him with. Ivy could understand why Braeden drew women.

  “I could make you leave.” Murmur sounded as though the thought intrigued him.

  Braeden kept smiling. “Eventually. But you saw how I resisted your music. I’m very old and very strong. Would it really be worth the effort? Besides, once Sparkle and I have satisfied each other, I’ll move on and she can go back to Ganymede.”

  “He could destroy you.” Murmur moved closer to Ivy and clasped her hand in his.

  Braeden’s expression turned sly. “And alienate Sparkle forever? I don’t think so.”

  Murmur nodded. “I guess that’s all there is to say, then.” He turned and walked toward the castle, pulling Ivy with him.

  The prickly music might be gone, but the lust had found a home. Ivy suspected it wasn’t Sparkle driven. It had taken on a life of its own. She’d never known this kind of wanting before. It filled her, made her feel as though she’d burst with it. Could desire hurt? She’d never thought so. But she was rethinking a lot of things lately.

  “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

  Murmur made it sound like a casual question, but Ivy wondered. What if she said, “I have to sort a pile of complaints, and make love with you until we both collapse from exhaustion.” What would he say? Did she have the guts to try? The old Ivy wouldn’t, but the new and improved Ivy might just take the chance.

  “I guess I have to spy on Ganymede.” Why don’t you just say that you want him for the rest of the day? She was such a wuss. “You know, if you told him what Sparkle asked me to do, my cover would be blown and Sparkle would have to pull me off the case.” And she’d be free, free, free.

  “Why would I want to do that?” He looked puzzled. “Watching you watch Ganymede will entertain me for hours. You may as well come with me while I make my report. It’ll give you a chance to begin stalking him. He’s probably in the kitchen now watching the chef and hoping for a handout.”

  She frowned. “By the way, why did you look at me when you were talking to Sparkle about her job?” They’d entered the castle by the side entrance that led past the kitchen.

  “Because you and I are her job. You have to know she’s been trying to get us together.” He looked weary. “She wants us to have sex, and then she’ll find a way to make you hate me.”

  Ivy pulled him to a stop in the dim hallway. “She can’t do that if I won’t let her.”

  “Oh, yes, she can. She’ll dredge up something from my past that’ll horrify you and you’ll run.” He looked away. “They always run.”

  Ivy felt as though someone had punched her. They always run. Vulnerability? From Murmur? She almost forgot to breathe. Had he shown her the first crack in that hard, I-don’t-give-a-damn shell surrounding him?

  She had to choose her words carefully. No denial or sympathy. He’d never accept pity from her. She opened her mouth to reply.

  “You’re not making this easy for either of us, Murmur.”

  Startled, Ivy stared at the man standing in a shadowed curve of the hallway. Where had he come from?

  “Not now, Klepoth.” Murmur put his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

  “Now is the best time, old friend.” The man’s gaze touched Ivy. “When you have someone to share your experience with.”

  Ivy felt Murmur’s anger, his fear. She looked closer at the man who could make Murmur afraid. He stepped out of the shadows, and she gasped.

  He looked like a teenager—blue spiked hair, ratty T-shirt, ripped jeans, and lots of piercings. But his bright red eyes said he was something much more, something totally frightening. She shrank against Murmur.

  “Klepoth is the demon of illusions, Ivy.” Murmur’s voice was tight.

  Klepoth bowed to Ivy. “You’re lovely, Ivy. And you must be very special to capture Murmur’s interest.”

  “Leave her alone.”

  “Or?” Klepoth looked interested.

  “Or I can promise your death will not be an illusion.”

  Klepoth widened his eyes in mock shock. “Threats, after all we’ve shared? I’m hurt.” He smiled. “She’ll be safe. But I do think she’d enjoy sharing an adventure with you.”

  “Don’t.”

  Murmur’s voice took on an urgency that scared Ivy. Something was about to happen, but she couldn’t defend herself against what she didn’t understand. Frantically, she swept the hallway, looking for someone to help or at least a weapon to use. Nothing.

  Ivy didn’t hear what brought Klepoth to his knees, his palms clamped over his ears, his face twisted in agony. But she could guess.

  Murmur pushed her ahead of him. “Run. Don’t look back. I can’t hold him for long.”

  And leave him here to battle the other demon alone? Ivy might not have the physical or magical strength to help Murmur, but she had a scream that could shatter eardrums. She opened her mouth and let loose. “Help!”

  Several things happened at once. Ganymede emerged from the kitchen with the chef right behind him brandishing a spatu
la. When the cat saw what was happening, he stopped, and the chef tripped over him… and plowed into her. Everyone went down in a tangle of arms, legs, and paws.

  That was the moment that Murmur caught up. “Get up. Klepoth will have his head together in a moment.”

  “Actually, it’s together right now. And every aching inch of it is pissed.” Klepoth stalked toward them. “Look at the mess you’ve created, Murmur. Oh, what the hell, I’ll take all of you.”

  That was her last thought before the hallway disappeared.

  10

  Murmur drew in a deep breath. Ah, the sweet smell of home—dirt, dust, and despair. He’d forgotten the joy of gazing across the vast… nothingness. Gray, rocky ground as far as the eye could see under a solid gray sky. He couldn’t even spot where the horizon line was because sky and earth were the same color. Wow, how had he stayed away from this for so many centuries?

  Damn, it was still as cold as Lucifer’s ass here. He controlled his urge to shiver. Never show weakness. A lesson his master had physically hammered into him shortly after his creation.

  He turned off Asima’s music and whipped up something of his own, a sizzling song that crackled and popped in his mind, heating the air around him. He shared it with Ivy. She glanced up at him, surprised. He’d never told her that he could manipulate the environment with his music. Now she knew.

  “Where are we?” Ivy moved close to him, her warmth reminding him of why he wanted to remain on the mortal plane.

  “The Underworld. Klepoth’s illusions are nothing if not accurate.” Murmur glanced to where the other demon had found a boulder to sit on. Bastard.

  Ganymede leaped up beside Klepoth. “Crap. You mean this is hell? Where’s the fire and brimstone? Where’re the red guys with horns, tails, and pitchforks? Where’s the big cheese?”

  “This is it, cat. I’d rather spend eternity in your version.” Murmur didn’t even turn to look at Ganymede. He stared into the distance—hating, remembering. “You might do lots of hurting in your hell, but you’d never be alone. This”—he swept his arm to encompass the vastness of it all—“is true torture. Aloneness—cold and complete—forever.”