Color Me Wicked

by Nina Bangs

  Blending wasn’t the problem, though. Heaven didn’t generate much emotion, nothing even close to what she’d felt as she stared at the demon. She’d better get a handle on her feelings fast. Ted always said that logic was what made angels superior beings, and that humans were beneath them because they were slaves to their emotions. So, no more out-of-control emotions.

  Passion scanned the courtyard. People who must be arriving for the next fantasy stepped around her to reach the door. She moved out of their way. She was sure if she went back into the great hall she could find a door leading to the hotel lobby. Did she want to do that? And take the chance of locking eyes with the demon again?

  She walked around the outside of the castle. And as she walked, she worked on her story. No luggage because the airline had lost it all. Passion was glad that at least the Council had given her a credit card and some cash. She’d have to go shopping tomorrow. Maybe buy some clothes in brighter colors. Not that she was letting the fake wizard get to her. What she looked like didn’t matter as long as she did her job.

  She thought again about the demon with his amber eyes and his lust and . . . Maybe she’d buy herself a few sexy things. She had to fit in here, not draw attention to herself. And she couldn’t change evil if she couldn’t get near it. Those who embraced all that was wicked would be more willing to accept her message if she dressed like them. Not that she’d enjoy dressing like a slut. Hello, your conscience here. Run that thought past me again. Okay, so maybe she’d enjoy it a little. There were times when Passion despaired of ever living up to heavenly standards.

  Edge went up in flames for about the five hundredth time this year, or at least it felt that way. As the fake flames rose around him, he thought about the woman.

  He’d felt her stare, different from the others in the hall—tentative, intrigued, with no sexual response at all. Amazing. Edge had no illusions about his effect on women. They might not know what he was, but they all reacted to the power they sensed. They always claimed his face or body or—God forbid—his mind attracted them, but it went beyond that. No matter what humans wanted to believe about themselves, the promise of violence drew them. Just look at the top-rated TV shows. Lots of blood and death. Not that he was complaining.

  The women never stayed long, though. Eventually their primal instincts kicked in, the ones that recognized him as a predator. And they ran. Smart ladies.

  The flames roared around him, hiding him from the celebrating queen, virgin, and assorted other idiots. With a casual flick of power, he dematerialized.

  He reappeared in the dressing room. Stripping off his cape and hood, he returned to thinking about the woman. Colorless, but with the promise of beauty if someone took the time to nurture it—tall and slender with long, pale blond hair that would flow over his body like cool spring water. And she’d gazed at him from light green eyes that hid nothing. Those incredible eyes said that he was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. How could any man resist that message?

  She wasn’t taking part in a fantasy. Was she staying at the hotel? He hoped she wasn’t just making the rounds of the park’s attractions and then going home. Time to talk with Holgarth.

  Edge found the wizard being his usual snarky self with customers waiting for the next fantasy to begin. “Have a minute, Holgarth?”

  The wizard turned to glare at him. Edge didn’t miss the customers’ relieved expressions.

  “Why wouldn’t I have a minute? I have nothing to do but make sure the lifeblood of this castle, its fantasies, keeps running like the well-oiled machine I’ve made it after years of endless toil, sacrifice, and—”

  “Oh, shit.” Edge started to turn away.

  “But I suppose a minute won’t disturb my schedule too much. What do you need?”

  Edge thought about the giant squid, even now peeking over the edge of his consciousness. Nah. If he offed the wizard, they’d try to kick him out of the castle, and he wasn’t ready to leave. Bad stuff would happen.

  “There was a woman watching the fantasy. Tall, long blond hair—”

  “I offered her the part of the lowly maiden, but she wasn’t interested.” Holgarth’s expression turned sly. “It was too far beneath her, I think. She’s more than she appears.”

  “Explain.” Edge never underestimated the wizard’s shrewdness.

  “Just a feeling.” He shrugged. “She seemed confused by everything that was going on, but I sensed a purpose in her. I don’t think she was a casual visitor to the castle.” Holgarth looked thoughtful. “There was something about the way she looked at you, as though she’d never seen anything like you in her life.” The tiny twitch of his lips was his version of a wide grin. “And of course she hadn’t.”

  “Did she say where she was going?”

  “No.” Holgarth was already turning back to his cowed customers. “You’ve had your minute. I now have to choose the shining hero who will slay the dragon in the next fantasy.” He swept his possible hero candidates with a contemptuous stare. “Where is St. George, or even Harry Potter, when you need him?”

  Edge snorted his disgust at Holgarth’s lack of helpful information and headed for the door leading to the hotel lobby. Once in the lobby, he glanced around. She wasn’t there, so he walked to the registration desk.

  “Who checked in today?” This was a long shot. If she was a guest, she could’ve checked in days ago. The only thing he had going for him was the size of the hotel. The castle didn’t have as many rooms as a normal hotel, so there wouldn’t be that many guests arriving on any given day. But she might not even be staying in the hotel, in which case he was screwed.

  And when did she become so important? Not important, just an interesting side trip. He needed something to break up his routine, and women didn’t usually catch his interest. It had been so many years . . . He shook the thought away to concentrate on Bill’s answer.

  “Only a few new guests. A middle-aged couple, a guy here for the fishing tournament, and a woman who checked in a little while ago.”

  “The woman. How old?”

  “Twenties, long blond hair—”

  “What room?” The hunter in him stirred.

  “One-ten. No luggage. She said the airline lost her bags.”

  “Name?”

  The clerk grinned. “Passion McBride.”

  Edge returned his grin before moving away. More and more fascinating. Who named their kid Passion? No luggage. He checked his watch. Still early enough for her to be up. He stopped in the lobby store that carried clothing and bought a few things. Then he headed for the elevator, faster but not as authentic as the winding stone staircase in the great hall.

  Once in front of her door, he knocked and waited.

  She opened the door and began speaking before she even looked at him. “I didn’t call for . . .” Then she saw him.

  Edge watched her eyes widen and her lips part as she stared. Shock became her. She looked beautiful, vulnerable, and tempting all at once. If he leaned forward and put his mouth over those full lips, she’d really have something to be stunned about.

  He controlled himself. First he’d slip into her mind to see if there was anything he needed to know. But as he reached for her thoughts, he slammed into a solid wall of no. What the . . . ? Humans couldn’t deny him, even when they tried. And she was human.

  Edge narrowed his gaze on her face. Nothing in her expression hinted she was actively trying to keep him out. Strange.

  “You’re . . .” She spoke the word on a soft exhalation of wonder and maybe a little fear.

  “Not a demon.” I’m much, much worse. He smiled his most reassuring smile.

  She didn’t look reassured. “I know that.” Her gaze dropped to the bag he held.

  “I’m Edge. I help manage the Castle of Dark Dreams when I’m not bringing death and destruction to the locals.” Truer than she’d ever know.

  “Oh.” She looked surprised.

  “When I checked in at the registration desk, Bill told m
e you’d lost your luggage. We always want our guests to have a comfortable stay, so I picked up a few things you might need tonight.” He held out the bag.

  “Thank you.” She smiled as she accepted his offering.

  There were smiles, and then there were smiles. Edge had seen some of the best over thousands of years—sexy, innocent, calculating, and his very favorite, the you’ll-die-happy ones. Passion McBride’s smile was the best. It was innocence wedded to knowing, sensuality wrapped in unlimited possibilities.

  He wanted everything that went with that smile. Just for a night. Because that’s how long his interest usually lasted. Besides, the few times he had hung around for more than a night, things had ended badly. He’d learned his lesson.

  She glanced into the bag. “A nightgown, robe, slippers, and toiletries. You’re a lifesaver.”

  When she looked up, her smile had warmed and some of the shock had left her eyes. But not all of it.

  “I have about an hour before I do my second fantasy. I’m hungry. Bet you are too. Let’s go down to the restaurant, and I’ll buy us dinner.” He tried to look nonthreatening, which was a lot tougher than looking demonic.

  Now would be when she’d say she was married, or that she didn’t go anywhere with men who scared her witless. Because he was frightening her. He could see the fear resting right beneath the shock. Interesting. Women never sensed his threat until further into a relationship. Not that a marriage or her terror meant anything to him. Nothing much had mattered to him for a very long time.

  “Why?” Her question was straightforward.

  He studied her before answering. No guile in her eyes. She wasn’t fishing for a compliment. Edge thought about lying, but for whatever reason told her the truth. “You interested me when I saw you watching the fantasy. There was something different about you. I like different.”

  She looked horrified. “No, I’m not different. I’m just like everyone else. Do you really think I look different?”

  Okay, this was weird. “Hey, if you say you’re ordinary, then you’re ordinary. I’d still like to buy you dinner.”

  She seemed to relax a little. “I guess I could eat something.” She nodded. “I’m Passion. You can tell me about your job at the castle over dinner.”

  He’d rather impress her with his real job, but he had a feeling her “ordinary” human mind would explode from that particular disclosure. He didn’t want to lose her that quickly.

  A few minutes later, they were seated in the restaurant. He waited impatiently while the waitress took their orders before asking his first question. “So what brings you to Galveston and the Castle of Dark Dreams?”

  She glanced past him out the window with its view of the Gulf of Mexico. “I’ve had lots of stress in my life lately. I wanted to spend a few weeks relaxing someplace with a water view. And castles fascinate me. So this is perfect.” She offered him a quick smile before looking away again.

  A lie. She really needed to work on her technique. Avoiding eye contact was a dead giveaway. He was immediately intrigued again. Why would she want to keep her real reason for being here secret? Cheating on her husband? Somehow he didn’t think so.

  As though she knew what he was thinking, she looked directly at him. “My turn to ask a question. Why have you allowed darkness to take you?”