“I see you’ve brought back-up this time,” he said.
I held back a grimace. Of course, Nia’s presence on this level had not escaped his attention.
“I’ve come to make you an offer,” I stated, winging it.
He remained solid, unmoving, but his dark eyebrows quirked upward.
I crossed my arms to match him. “Does your contract end the moment the Ball is over?”
“I cannot disclose the terms of my contract.”
Grr. “Fine. I would like to hire you the moment your contract with him ends, whenever that may be.”
Now he cocked his head. “I’m not sure you can afford me, selkie.”
This was a game I could play. “I assure you I can.”
Without moving a muscle, his eyes lifted and searched the area around us as if scanning for any potential danger. “And what services, exactly, are you seeking?”
“Protection for myself and my pelt along with the pelts of my kin-women, which will soon be in my possession.”
He studied me. “Let me make this very clear, sea woman. If I were to stand by and watch as something was stolen from this client—”
“Something your client does not own—”
“I would lose an eye.”
Oh. I cleared my throat. “That would be a shame. Such nice eyes.”
He narrowed said dark eyes at me, and it sent a thrill through my core. I pushed down my nerves and stepped closer to him, my gaze flicking toward the pod to be sure it was still closed.
“I’m wondering, Henrique the Necromancer…”
He raised his brows but made no move away from me as I reached out and gently touched his chest, feeling the hard and lean muscle beneath my fingers. My heart danced with a wicked, fearful excitement.
“Is there anything in these contracts of yours that would prevent you from intimacy with your clients?”
His lips quirked up ever so slightly, giving him a mean edge. “The magpie is not my type.”
“Funny,” I said drily.
“Are you in such desperate need of a male?”
My hackles went up, and I dropped my hand. “I have no trouble getting men.”
“Human men, no doubt.” This time he stepped closer, bringing his hips to my belly and making me suck in a breath at the sensual touch. “Have you been with a supernatural male? A being with any sort of power?” A deep, mysterious, electric sort of energy rolled off him. Oh, gods.
My heartbeat rapped inside my ears, mixing with the music and making me dizzy. Being with him would be unlike any experience I’d ever had. A raze of heat danced across my skin at the idea.
“As I thought.” He chuckled and resumed the inches of space between us. I took a fluttering breath. I hated that he’d pegged me so easily.
“Fine,” I breathed. “You’re right. You would be my first.”
I watched the meanness leave his eyes, replaced by a sort of frozen hunger, and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed. Knowing he was possibly thinking that very second about taking me made my blood heat and pump through me faster. My body turned to molten sensuality as he spoke in a low voice.
“A third party is required to bind a contract. A witch or warlock.”
Boom.
As the words left his mouth, a switch seemed to occur between us like he’d just handed me invisible reins. For the first time since I’d encountered the necromancer, I felt a hint of power over him, which emboldened me to give him a sultry look. “It will be done.” I walked away without looking back, knowing that my pelt swayed fluidly with my hips.
I waited at the bottom of the stairs until Nia came bounding down with wide eyes.
“Well?” she asked. “It certainly looked like it went well, I mean with him pressing up against you like that.” She lifted her hands like little paws in front of her and made yipping sounds, shaking her butt.
I let out an unsure laugh. “What are you doing?”
“Horny tree squirrel?”
I shook my head, laughing harder, and she stood straight again, swishing back her hair with a flourish. “Oh. Must be a wood nymph thing. Hey, did you know there’s a fortune teller up there in the pink pod? I’ve always wanted to get my fortune told. But not now, of course. I’m having way too much fun helping you.”
I took her arm and led her to the side as she rambled. “Can you introduce me to your druid friend? If he’s willing, I need a favor.”
Nia smiled. “Now we’re talking.”
Chapter Five
For one moment, as I stood near the bar waiting for Nia to return, I was temporarily mesmerized watching the bartender do his thing. Everyone smiled and laughed, drawn to the golden blond male with scales tattooed up his arm. As I neared, scents of singed sugar wafted off him, making me feel a little melty inside. Especially when he handed a fae her drink with a smile and then turned completely to me, green eyes taking me in. My stomach flipped under the weight of his attention.
“You definitely need a drink,” he said.
“I—no.” I blushed like a pup. “I shouldn’t.”
“Just one. I’m not sure what you’re up to, but you’re far too tense. It will help. Trust me.”
“Okay.” I might have batted my eyelashes. I mean…did anyone say ‘no’ to this guy?
He grinned and began pouring ingredients with a flare. “I’m Dec.”
“Ada,” I said.
He eyed me as he tossed a handful of marshmallows on top of the spicy chocolate concoction. And then he lifted the glass to his lips and blew, keeping his eyes on me as he did it. My jaw dropped as I watched his breath literally brown the tops of the marshmallows. He handed it to me with a grin.
“Dragon’s Breath,” he said.
I think I let out a breathy giggle as I took it. “Thank you.” As I turned to go, he stopped me.
“You know, Ada. I once saw a seal open its mouth to show its teeth and it was a terrifying thing.”
I stiffened, meeting his meaningful eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean,” he said, leaning against the bar on his forearms. “You’re not without power.”
With a bounce of his eyebrows he turned to help another customer and I stood there pondering. Clearly, he sensed I was up against something, and I must have been giving off an aura that lacked confidence. I didn’t want to be scared, and I definitely didn’t want to come off as helpless, but it was hard. I absently picked a marshmallow off and ate it.
“Mm.” For a moment, my mind cleared, and I looked down at the boozy hot chocolate in my hand then took a sip. Stars and sea, that was amazing. I took another drink before focusing on the task at hand again.
A quick glance at the clock made me nervous, realizing time was not on my side. The Ball would be over soon, and all I had so far was a flimsy plan to procure a guard for after I’d gotten the pelts. I still had no clue how I would get them, and it soured the creamy drink in my stomach. Finally, I caught sight of the welcome face of my twinsie bounding through the crowd, tugging a male behind her.
“Ada,” Nia said, closing in with a smile. “This is Davlin McPhearson, Druid from Inverness. That’s near where you’re from, isn’t it?”
A blond male, who looked to be an ancient warrior in modern clothing, stepped forward with a half grin, holding out his hand as he looked me over admiringly. I shook his hand, and he held mine with firm warmth as he spoke.
“Indeed, we live near, and yet I’ve only had glimpses of selkies in my life. Elusive supes.”
“You’ve never met creatures more paranoid and protective than selkies. But for good reason.” I let go of his hand, and he nodded.
“Ada, it’s a pleasure. How can I help you?”
“The pleasure is all mine. And I’m wondering if you do binding agreements?” I bit my lip as he thought about it.
“I’ve seen it done but have never done one myself. When do you need this?”
“Tonight. As soon as possible.” Please, please, pleas
e…
He sucked air through his teeth as if hesitating, and Nia tilted her face up at him.
“Oh, come on, Davy. I’m sure you can do it.” She looked at me. “He’s always so cautious. Maybe if you tell him what’s at stake?”
Davlin was right about selkies being highly private, especially when it came to speaking of our vulnerabilities, but I had to loosen up tonight if I wanted to achieve my goal. So, I told him everything. His eyes roamed my pelt as I spoke, and to my relief I saw compassion there.
“All right then,” he said when I’d finished. “I need a half hour to be sure I’ve got the chants correct so I don’t bung it up.”
I held back a cringe at the thought of waiting thirty minutes, but I nodded and thanked him before he rushed off.
Nia beamed and squeezed my hand. “This is happening! Now, about those pelts…oh, shit.” Her eyes widened as she peered over my shoulder, and she yanked me into the huddle at the bar. Through the squeeze of bodies, I saw the magpie lurching past.
He stopped abruptly, and so did my heart. I watched his long nose lift into the air and sniff, his neck stretching like a bird’s, the bony tendons showing. I held my breath. The pelts were so close. If I reached out…
And then, I felt his eyes on me.
Not the magpie’s, thank Gaia. The Necromancer’s. I let out a shaky breath as his dark eyes met mine, and he shook his head minutely. My free hand clenched into a fist as I looked back at the magpie and slunk lower into the crush of bodies, feeling Nia’s nails digging into my forearm.
The creature sniffed once more and lurched forward again, the pelts swishing behind him. I wanted to cry seeing them up close. I could make out each one of them for whose it was. Mum’s shiny pelt, black like velvet, just like mine. Aunt Claire’s was a deep brown, and Auntie Morag’s was lighter brown with cream speckles.
How dare he? I gritted my teeth and pushed myself out of the crowd. Nia’s strong hold was the only thing keeping me from charging forward without caution. And the look of warning Henrique shot me over his shoulder before they disappeared into the bodies.
I let out a quivering breath, and Nia stood before me, smoothing back my hair.
“It’s okay,” she said, but her voice was shaking too. “Do me a favor and stay right here. I’m going to do a little recon.”
I was too flustered to do anything but nod stiffly, my feet frozen to the ground. A glance toward the bar found Dec, the bartender, staring at me with an eyebrow up as if asking if I were okay. I gave him a reassuring nod although I felt anything but okay. I looked down at the drink in my hand. Some had spilled across my hand, and I hadn’t even realized. All of the marshmallows had melted. I lifted the glass to my lips and tipped the whole thing back, the tequila, cayenne and sugar making a pleasantly warm path through my body.
An immediate calm came over me and I was grateful. Two more of those drinks and I’d be a goner, but one was perfect. I set it on the bar and gave Dec a smile, which he returned.
Nia reappeared moments later, practically bouncing with energy, her bark undertones pulsing in the flashes of lights.
“He’s at that table over there, playing poker,” she said. “Gah, he’s creepier than a termite nest.” And then she gave a violent shiver.
I agreed. “I wonder how long he’ll play poker.” I hadn’t been expecting him to stay out in the open. I thought he’d prowl for another poor female and go back to a pod. How was I supposed to make a binding with the Necromancer now?
The next span of time felt like a century as we waited for Davlin to return. We rejected countless offers of drinks and dancing, which made me feel bad for Nia.
“I don’t want to ruin your night at the Ball. Please dance! Or get yourself a drink. I’ll be fine here.”
“No way!” She looked at me like I was crazy. “I’m way too invested in this. Plus, I kind of have a man at home. You should see his thighs—like deciduous trunks. Ung.” She groaned and smiled lasciviously, making me giggle. “You can be my dance partner.”
She raised her arms up and I followed suit, allowing myself to enjoy the moment while we waited. When I let myself relax a fraction, it was easy to be swept away by the amazing beat of the music and the overall feeling of lowered inhibitions and excitement in the air.
“You dance like you’re moving through water!” Nia shouted. “So graceful!”
I smiled as we moved together, Nia like a sapling bending and weaving in a gale. I was so caught up in the moment of fun that I startled when Davlin burst between us, breaking the moment.
“Right,” he said. “I think I’ve got it. Take me to the lad before I forget it all.”
Nia and I gave one another a panicked look.
“Erm…” She bit her lip and peered toward the area where the impromptu poker game was taking place. “A slight distraction might be in order, Ada.”
My stomach plummeted. What could possibly distract the magpie from the game of greed he was playing and to keep his eyes off his guard long enough? There was only one answer, and it sickened me.
My pelt. I grasped the edges in my hands and took several cleansing breaths as Nia watched me with understanding in her eyes.
And then, I took it off and gingerly pressed it into Nia’s arms. Immediate loss overcame me. She held it protectively to her chest, watching me as I gave a shiver. I felt naked and forced myself to tamp down a sensation of panic. Nia lifted my pelt to her nose and sniffed. I felt the tickle of her nose and breath down my spine.
“Did you just smell me?”
“Um.” Her eyes darted back and forth. “I couldn’t help myself. I just…mammals smell so nice. And you’ve got a hot-chocolate thing going on.”
“It’s the drink.” We both looked toward the bar where Dec was breathing on some other lucky supe’s marshmallows.
“Well, burn my bark,” Nia whispered before clearing her throat and focusing on me again.
“We need a plan,” I said. “Let him catch the scent of my pelt, and then hurry upstairs.” As I hashed the plan, the words were like dry ash on my tongue. “If you can get in the pink pod where that witch is doing fortunes, he won’t be able to get to you. I’ll come the moment the binding agreement is finished.”
“I won’t let him touch it,” she told me. “I swear to you.” I could see in her determined eyes and the tight grip of her hands that she had every intention of keeping that promise. But I knew what the magpie was capable of, and I knew there was a chance I’d lose part of my essence this night. It was a chance I had to take.
All I could do was nod. We had less than an hour before the Ball would end. So much could go wrong in that time. I had to trust and hope.
“Okay,” I said to Nia, nodding for her to don my pelt. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter Six
Watching Nia clasp my pelt over her shoulders and walk away from me, toward the poker area, was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I held back the overpowering urge to scream for her to return. My bare shoulders felt icy cold despite the comfortable warmth of the room.
With every minute that passed, I felt the pressure bearing down on me. Davlin and I moved through the crowd until we could spy the poker table with its six players. The magpie’s curved back was to us, the Necromancer standing nearby, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, eyes scanning. He looked menacing and alert—the sight of him sent a shiver through me.
Davlin and I tracked Nia’s movements around the perimeter of the poker game. Henrique saw her first. He did a double take at my twinsie in my pelt and his eyes narrowed then searched and widened when he found me. His already soldier-like stance became even more rigid when he watched the magpie’s nose go up in the air.
Oh, gods, I was going to be ill. He’d caught my scent. Nia sensed it; I could tell by the way her face became more serious, her movements stiffening as she walked past. When the birdman set down his cards, bowing out of the game, she quickened her pace into the crowd. I grabbed Davlin.
; “Let’s go. He can’t be out of his guard’s sight, so we have to move fast before they get to those stairs.”
“No pressure or anything, right?” Davlin let out a dry, nervous laugh.
We got to Henrique, and I pressed Davlin forward. “This is him. Quickly!”
Henrique gave a shake of his head in disbelief but stuck out his arm, and I took it, our hands locking onto one another’s wrists. “You must have gone mad, little seal.”
“I definitely have,” I admitted then gave Davlin a nod.
He grasped our joined wrists and began to chant. My heart pounded as Henrique and I met eyes, his blazing with dark intensity as he peered between me and the crowd, watching the magpie prowl through the bodies, still in our sights.
When Davlin finished chanting he said, “Henrique the Necromancer, your duties for Ada the Selkie will begin immediately upon completion of your current binding agreement. For forty-eight hours you will guard Ada and her belongings. In return, she will pay the agreed sum. Do you both agree?”
“I do,” we both stated.
Davlin said one last ancient phrase with a flourish and released us, looking expectant and proud. Henrique and I stood there, still grasping arms. I didn’t feel anything. Was I supposed to? Henrique eyed Davlin before dropping my arm.
“Remember I am bound to stop anyone from causing the magpie injury or stealing from him,” Henrique said. “So, whatever you’re planning, be clever about it.” And then he moved quickly away from us, a wisp of black clothing, disappearing into the crowd. Clever. Right.
“Thank you!” I told Davlin before pushing into the sea of bodies.
My heart felt ready to explode as I rushed to follow Henrique, who followed the magpie, who followed Nia. Please get to the pink pod in time!
Ahead of me, Henrique took the stairs two at a time, and I hung back as far as I could. When I got to the next floor I covered my mouth against a relieved laugh. The magpie stood outside of the pink pod, pacing and sniffing around the door. She made it! Henrique stopped and moved against the wall, arms crossed, watching him. Across the way, our eyes met, and I could tell from the set of his jaw he wasn’t happy about this plan.
The Monster Ball Year 2 Page 46