by Nikki Frank
“She’s awful. I can’t let her have Emmett. I don’t care about her birth rank. Emmett’s worth a hundred of her. Hell, even you’re better than her.” I took an impatient backward glance. “What’s taking so long?”
His hands squeezed my waist, gently. “They have to return the room key and such.” He pulled me toward him, but I resisted. Instead he leaned forward until his chest ran along my back. “You’re hurting,” he observed. “Is Emmett really so important to you?”
I slumped against Talon. “Yes.” The tears started. “I love him. He’s my very best friend. The only friend that really matters.”
He nodded against my back. “He really has a place of honor in an imp’s heart.”
“I don’t want him romantically. If Elita were a nice person I could handle them being together. Even be happy for him . . . but . . .” I choked off on a sob.
Talon put his arms around me and hugged. “I’m sorry.” He climbed off the bike and pushed me gently back. “I’ll drive. If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
I’d hardly got my arms around him when the others drove past, and Talon joined them. He kept a watchful distance behind their car. Two of us staring at the same spot on the road wouldn’t be any extra help, so I let myself go slack. I leaned my head against his back and the tears rolled. I tried to cry silently but every so often a sob escaped and my chest would jerk against his back. Talon remained suspiciously silent. Would I have to pay for this kindness? The Talon I knew couldn’t wait to twist this and taunt me.
Chapter 7
Much like the drive from California with my parents, the vehicles slid across the countryside at an alarming pace. At least the magic was in control. In a couple hours we crossed the state lines into Texas. Omri must be taking us to the gulf and a boat. Sailing would certainly be quicker than going all the way by land.
The sky had turned periwinkle, halfway to dark, when Elita’s car pulled into a hotel driveway. We stopped in Dallas and she had chosen what had to be one of the most expensive hotels in the city. But hey, her family would be footing the bill for this. In which case, I intended on ordering lots of room service and putting all the toiletries in my bag when we left.
In general, I try not to mope or sulk, so when I pulled off the helmet I gave Talon the brightest smile I could muster. “Thanks.”
I assumed we’d have to argue to get a room near Elita, seeing as how we might contaminate her with peasant germs, but she’d gotten us a two-room suite. Elita immediately claimed the only bedroom and told the rest of us to use the pull-out couch. I grit my teeth so hard they might chip when she invited “Elliot” to stay in the room with her. Evidently, he’d had enough of his fiancée because he declined and sat next to me on the couch.
Elita pranced over and perched on his lap. “I need magic,” she purred at him.
Emmett shrugged. “Can’t. Sorry. My magic is sitting in the parking lot in the form of a motorcycle. It’ll be a day or two probably. I don’t seem to get reserves very fast yet.”
“Well, what good is that?” Elita pouted. “You’re supposed to make enough for me.” She rounded on Talon and I. “The peasants can go get enough for the rest of us.” She pulled out a jar and shoved it into my hands. “Hurry up. I get cranky when I don’t eat.”
No need to ask how long she’d gone without “eating”. With as bitchy as she came across, she’d probably never eaten.
“Mistress.” Omri had stepped forward. “It’s not advisable to send out two of the bodyguards. Let me go with Miss Olivia.”
“Fine. But hurry up.”
I followed Omri out the door and down the hall. I had to work to keep up with his long strides. Once the elevator doors slid closed he held his hand out for the jar.
“You have my apologies, Miss Olivia. I can see my mistress distresses you.”
“You think? How do you ever put up with her attitude?”
“I’m a sphinx. By nature, I guard that which I have been asked to guard.”
“Holy crap.” My eyes bugged out. “You’re a sphinx for real? You’re elite on your own. Now I’m even more confused as to why you’re working for someone as unpleasant as Elita.”
Omri shrugged. “My family has served the line of the Lord High Governor for countless generations. It is what it is. But we have no need to discuss my motives in life. I am sorry she’s asked you to perform duties you are incapable of. I can gather magic from natural geysers, a simple task for a sphinx. Would you prefer to hunt, or would you like me to gather yours, as well? I assume you used a bit too much on your motorcycle stunt.”
“Maybe.” I blushed. “I’ll let you get my magic if it’s truly not too much trouble.”
“Not at all.” He smiled, and his crystalline aqua eyes twinkled at me. “May I ask a few personal questions?”
“What? You didn’t get all the info from the Synod already?”
He ignored my rude tone. “You and Emmett are seventeen?”
“Yes.”
“You have been friends for how long?”
“Almost nine years. How old are you?”
I got another of those sculpturesque smiles. If his ears weren’t so prominent he’d be stunning. But I already liked his personality, his ears might be overlookable.
“I’m twenty-two. You are an imp?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “You dated Emmett?”
“No. He’s too important.”
Omri continued nodding but said nothing further. We walked into the city in silence. Him following a trail of magic I couldn’t sense, me tagging along behind wondering why he’d taken me. He obviously didn’t need my help gathering the magic, nor would a sphinx need a bodyguard.
The geyser turned out to be a fire hydrant of all things. He held one hand over the hydrant and one on the jar. I waited for something amazing to happen, but nothing did. However, Omri screwed the lid back on and held a hand out to me.
“Would you like to drink from the geyser?”
I nodded, and he took my hand. Just like holding the jar, he held mine and put his other back over the hydrant.
“Careful. The magic is quite concentrated like this.”
His warning came too late. The raw power had already started filling my body and unlike a ration, the geyser offered nearly endless reserves. I opened myself up and let the power fill every nook and cranny of my being. The flood of magic hit my system like a drug, swift and potent. I felt capable of busting through a brick wall. Something close by issued a growling purr. Strangely the noise came from me.
“I think you’ve had enough.” Omri broke my link to the magic.
“No. Don’t stop. The magic’s awesome.” Were my words really slurred? They’d barely sounded English. I giggled and a tugging sensation at my back made me turn my head. “Hey, lookee. I’ve gotta tail.” I tried to step forward but ended up going sideways.
Omri sighed and put a strong arm around my waist. He pulled me off into an alley. “Olivia, you need to center yourself. You look very inhuman right now. We can’t walk back with you looking this way.”
I giggled and put a hand on his chest. “You actually sound like you care.” I sighed and plucked at his shirt. “Talon doesn’t. He just likes pissing me off. And that bitch you work for hates me and she’s taking Emmett from me.” I gave a very gross sob/hiccup. “I’m risking my life and the only one who would miss me isn’t going to be allowed to. You tell me Elita-Rita’s gonna let me stay friends with Emmett.”
I pulled Omri’s face closer. “Would you miss me?”
He patted my head. “Of course, I would. I don’t think you’re giving―”
Shoving him sideways, I launched a dagger at the figure in the shadows. I staggered over to the blubbering man on the ground with my dagger in his thigh.
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I wanted to see if I could have you when he finished. I’ve never seen a cosplay hooker with a tail before. You’re my kind of kinky.”
Omri stood stiffly beside me. His face had grown cold, deadly, and sinister. “You lie,” he hissed. Without warning Omri had sprouted a set of wings. “Filth. You will plague this city no more.”
With a flick of his wings Omri sent razor sharp feathers into the body of the man until he bristled like a pin cushion. He turned his back on the man before the agonized groans stopped and held an arm out to me.
“Come. We’re going back the easy way.”
I let him hold me and we lifted off. “You killed a human.”
“He harbored more evil than most of us classified as malevolent. Power is given to the sphinx to see and judge the heart. He wasn’t worthy, either of life or mercy. I gave him only a fraction of what he deserved.”
“I’m curious as to why.” I still slurred a bit but the wind in my face helped.
Omri shook his head. “You don’t want to know. But I will say he intended on killing me. And you, well, eventually he’d kill you.” He left the words hang heavy.
“I can handle myself,” I protested. Then something occurred to me. “Oh, wait. I thought you said two of the bodyguards shouldn’t go together.”
“I’m not a bodyguard. Yumiko is a kamaitachi, and quite ruthless. I wouldn’t underestimate her.”
Yumiko’s breed perked my interest immediately. Unlike Buraee, Yumiko wouldn’t be very flashy. Kamaitachi were essentially humanoid weasels. But they were renowned for their skill with blades.
“Is she really? I would never underestimate her, but now I’d really love to see her work.”
He gave a chuckle. “After seeing you work in your completely inebriated state I wouldn’t underestimate you either. I can only imagine what you are capable of when sober.”
We landed on the roof of the hotel and he went straight toward an access door. Suddenly, he stopped and took my face in his hands, tipping it up.
“By nature, you will be hit hard by the events which are taking place. Please ask me if you need space to center yourself. As a fairy, my mistress is greedy and selfish, however her father wields more power than you can imagine. Do not get on the wrong side of her family.”
I caught his sleeve. “Wait. Will . . . will she treat Emmett well?”
Omri sighed and took my hand, patting it. “As long as he provides the promised power and doesn’t rock the boat. She’ll probably treat him like a beloved pet. When she gets displeased she tends to act childish. Irritating, yes. But will she hurt him, no.”
“There’s more than one way to hurt a person. He’s being doomed to a loveless life. Why does she even want him for his magic if she has you? You can get it from any geyser.”
“She’s worried I’m leaving.”
“Are you?”
Omri shrugged. “They had a fortune teller at a party about a month ago. Her services were supposed to be offered in good fun. However, she read my fortune as finding a true and undying love soon, and this teller has an impeccable reading record. Elita took this to mean she’d lose me, even if it’s only my attention. She heard about Emmett and decided she wanted someone who could never leave her.”
“But Talon said the source doesn’t have to marry.”
“We tried arguing logically with her, but she refused to see reason. From her father’s point of view, bonding them gets rid of the headache of an unpartnered source, so he issued the orders for her.”
“Have you fallen in love?” I asked Omri. “All this seems stupid for her . . . I mean, she could marry you and keep you, right?”
“No. I haven’t fallen in love. I suppose I could ask to pair-bond with her, but she wouldn’t believe any offer on my part. We’ve been together too long. I don’t claim she knows me well. But she knows everything about everyone if the information pertains to her. Though I serve her loyally she would know I don’t love her in the manner she desires. Besides, her father wouldn’t allow a union between us with my being a sphinx. If you want lessons in choosing appropriate mates according to Borderland tradition, we can go over options another time.” He reached out and ruffled my hair. “Your tail is gone. Are you in a state to handle business?”
I nodded. “Thank you. For understanding.”
~ ~ ~
We walked in on Elita, mid-tantrum, trying to destroy the room. Yumiko and Talon played a bizarre game of catch, keeping the things she sent flying from smashing into anything else. Emmett stared blankly at the TV, ignoring the ruckus, or trying to. I went over to the couch and sat next to him.
“How are you holding up?” I whispered.
“I’m not. She’s so shallow and self-absorbed. Don’t bother guarding me. I don’t care who takes me now because I don’t see how anyone could get much worse.”
I took his hand and patted it. “I asked Omri about the reality of life with Elita for you. He promised she’s never been cruel. Just childish.”
Emmett rolled his eyes. “He’s her man. Why believe him?”
“I feel we can believe him. I trust my gut and my gut trusts him.”
He gave a grim nod. “Talon already agreed to this. You and I are sneaking off for a bit. Wait for our cue.”
The next lamp Elita threw Talon dodged, and it exploded on the wall, busting a huge mirror. In the ensuing chaos Emmett pulled me out the front door and ran for the staircase. We stopped on the seventeenth floor and made our way behind some palms in the pool atrium. Omri would be quick enough to figure things out and cover for me. With Talon backing us up too, we could be sure of some privacy.
“There’s some things . . . I wanted to say them, you know, before I can’t anymore.” He blushed and looked at the floor.” I wanted you to know you’re my best friend.”
“I know and you’re mine, too.”
“Stop. Just listen for a minute. Everything I want to say I’m sure you already know. But I don’t want to assume you do since I’m getting hauled off as some evil princess’s boytoy never to see you again.”
He expounded on our friendship and thanked me for little things I’d forgotten I’d even done for him. The tears came easy. Though by the end I wanted to cover my ears and run. I wasn’t ready to hear “goodbye” from him.
“Have you said what needs to be said?”
I looked up through my tears. Omri stood on the other side of the palms. I shook my head and he turned without a word, taking a few steps away. I gave Emmett a huge hug.
“I love you,” I told him. “I would do anything for you. I wish I could do better for you this time. No matter where you go or who keeps us apart, you’ll always be family to me.” Letting go, I walked quickly to Omri’s side. I received a gentle pat on the head.
Emmett and I were guided back to the suite but the closer we got the harder I cried. Omri steered me beside the door and pressed me against the wall.
“Stay here,” he whispered.
He led Emmett back inside, eyes dry but otherwise looking completely miserable. I slumped against the wall and put my face on my knees. Goodbye had been said and I needed tonight to process this. Tomorrow I would be ready to work.
The door clicked, and soft hands pulled me away from the wall. I caught the blue smear of Talon’s hair through my tears. He wiped one cheek then the other.
“You scare me, you know? Toyol aren’t so different from imps. If this is the state opening your heart leaves you in . . .” He sat down in front of me. “Just so you know, I suck at stuff like this.”
“Then feel free to go away.” I sniffled.
“I can’t. I tried to ignore you, but you sounded so freakin’ pathetic. I mean, what kind of assassin sobs in the hallway? I―”
I swung at his face. What the hell
? Did he really need to make my misery worse? I would never understand how his twisted mind worked. He caught my arm and held it, but I didn’t have the will to fight.
“Geez, O . . . liv . . . i . . . a. You’re even punching weak. How are you―”
I tackled him, landing on his chest and threw another punch. He slid sideways taking the blow on the shoulder. We repeated the sequence on the other side. He wasn’t even fighting back. And he accused me of being weak?
I threw another at his face out of frustration and he caught my arm, pulling on it until we were nose to nose. He’d made me lay on him in the middle of the hall. Who knew you could be so embarrassed and livid at the same time.
“At least you’ve stopped crying,” he said in a soft voice.
“Huh?”
“Letting you fight instead of cry. I meant to distract you. Like I said, I’m bad at talking and touchy-feely stuff.”
Why was his face so close still? I tried to sit up, but he held me there. Confusion tangled his words in my brain.
“You were distracting me?”
“You looked so miserable. I had to do something.”
“So, you decided to piss me off?”
“I know I could probably find a better way.” He was turning red. “I suck at these things . . . you know, with girls.” He was redder still. “But . . .” He closed the distance between our faces and I stared wide-eyed at him as he kissed me. “Anything seemed better than tears. Please don’t be so sad.”
“You kissed me.”
“You said you didn’t like me pissing you off.”
“You kissed me.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.”
I fell off the side of him. I tried to scramble away but he caught and held me.
“Stop it. Stop teasing. This isn’t funny. Not even remotely.”