Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series (18 page)

A woman’s laughter flowed down the hall and to my ears. Grumbling, I headed to the bedroom where I first woke up and stuffed my dirty clothes into my duffel bag. Given the choice between having an awkward conversation with Dorian’s flavor of the night and dealing with rogues, I’d choose rogues.

I slipped out of the bedroom and walked the short distance to the opening of the living room. Craning my head forward, I spotted Dorian and a dark haired woman sitting at the breakfast bar. At least she was dressed this time. Dorian leaned on the counter, a smile on his face and his sunglasses back in place. I wondered if the woman had an inkling of what Dorian was.

“Gwen,” he said, blowing my eavesdropping out of the water. I was embarrassed, not at getting caught, but from acting like an immature child. Dorian was free to do and see anyone he wanted. The jealousy snaking its way through my entire body was irrelevant.

“Hi.” I stepped out into the room. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Dorian smiled, telling me he didn’t believe what I said. I walked over to the wall and picked up the phone cradled there. “I need to make some calls and I forgot my cell at home. I’ll just get out of your guys’ way.” I smiled to myself that I had come up with a good excuse as to why I couldn’t sit and get to know
her
, but Dorian stopped my brilliant exit.
Jerk.

“Don’t be rude, Gwen.”

I spun around, shooting a glare toward Dorian before the woman turned on the barstool to smile at me. Of course she had reason to smile; she spent last night in Dorian’s bed.

“Sorry, I wasn’t intentionally being rude.” I smiled back at the woman, walking over to where she sat. “I’m Gwen Sparks. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah,
the
Gwen Sparks?” She looked at Dorian with a knowing smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you. The big guy hasn’t stopped talking about you since he met you.”

I could feel my eyebrows crawling up my forehead with my confusion. Who was this chick?

“Pardon me,” she said, still smiling. “My name is Amara. I’m a friend of Dorian’s. He helped me with a pesky poltergeist a couple years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

I crossed my arms, shooting a look at Dorian. “I thought you didn’t do friendships?”

Amara’s mouth popped open and she teasingly slapped Dorian’s arm. “You’re still pulling that bad-boy crap?” She looked to me, the smile still holding strong. “He’s all talk, ya know?”

I nodded, a small laugh bubbling up my throat. “Yeah, I’m learning that. So what has the bad-boy been saying about me?” For all intents and purposes, Amara seemed like a nice person, but did that mean I wanted Dorian telling her about my business? No.

“Didn’t you have some phone calls to make?” Dorian finally said.

I pursed my lips and shook my head, hiding the phone as I crossed my arms. “I’d much rather talk to Amara.” I sat in the empty barstool next to her. Her face was ethereally beautiful and made me wonder what type of supernatural she was. Her long chocolate hair spilled halfway down her back while her large green, almost-shaped eyes lit up.

“Sorry for my rudeness, but are you a fae?”

She tipped her chin down as if embarrassed by my question.

“Amara is one of the Fates, Gwen. She’s who I visited to find out answers.”

I couldn’t do anything but stare. I had always been a fan of Greek Mythology, but I assumed it was just stories, legends. My eyes slid to Amara, then back to Dorian’s face.

“Are you
actually
Hades?” I breathed. “Is there really an Underworld and a river Styx?”

“More or less,” he shrugged. “But not the Underworld you’re thinking of. It’s the realm of the dead.”

“Wow. I mean I know your name is Dorian Hade, but I assumed you were trying to be clever.” My smile fell away as I thought about something. “You said you were an angel, but Hades is a Greek God…and…I mean you’re not the Devil, right? Because Hades is also another name for hell.” The time from when I stopped talking and from when Dorian answered was mere seconds but seemed like lifetimes. If I was attracted to and kissed the Devil that would truly be the lowest point in my life. In no way did I want anything to do with that sort of man.

Amara laughed, causing Dorian to smile and me to blush. I knew right then that I had interpreted it all wrong. The strain in my chest eased.

“I am an angel, Gwen. I handle the dead, so in some ways I’m like Hades, but not the son of Cronus and Rhea. I am the neutral middle-man, collecting souls and directing them to the hereafter. Whoever takes care of them after that is a mystery, even to me. Most of the Greek gods have either been imprisoned or killed. The remaining few like to keep a low profile.”

I nodded with a smile on my face. This was the most Dorian had talked about who he was and what he did. And the idea of Greek gods existing was the cherry on top.

“So as one of the Fates, Amara, you know why Dorian cannot see my death?”

“I do,” she grinned.

“Why then?”

She looked up at Dorian and then back to me. “Perhaps this is a conversation better left between the two of you.”

I looked to Dorian expectantly. “Now would be a good time to make those phone calls.”

I could tell Dorian didn’t want to discuss it, either at all or with an audience so I nodded and headed out to the rooftop patio. Walking over to the wall, I leaned against it and punched in Fiona’s number.

“Hello?” She sounded confused.

“It’s Gwen.”

“Where are you calling from? I don’t recognize the area code.”

“I’m in New Orleans with Dorian. Flora was getting a little crowded.” Understatement of the year.

“What does that mean?” Fiona asked. I could hear people talking in the background and wondered if Ethan was sitting next to her eavesdropping and rolling his eyes. That man did not like me. The feeling was mutual.

“Never mind,” I told her. She didn’t need to know rogues had invaded our hometown. My drama was the reason she stayed in Moon. “I’m calling because I have reason to believe the council members restored the protection spell.”

“Just a minute,” she whispered. I heard her say something to someone and then her footsteps as she walked away. “What have you gotten yourself into, Gwen?”

My face scrunched in confusion. “I haven’t done anything. Why? What have you heard?”

“Everyone is gossiping about you, saying that you’re going through with it.” Fiona’s voice was a hiss as she tried to keep her voice down and still coat her words with the severity of what she was saying.

“Going through with what?” The people of Moon gossiping about me really wasn’t that big of news. I hadn’t made a lot of friends there when I chose to continue seeing Aiden while they were all gearing up to take the vampires down. They saw me as some kind of traitor. Now that I knew the truth about Aiden, I was claiming stupidity instead.

“Going hybrid,” Fiona whispered harshly. “Don’t do it, Gwen. You know supernatural blood cannot coexist in the same body. Everyone thinks you’re either suicidal or up to something.”

I rubbed my forehead in hopes to ease the confusion out of my brain. “Why in the world would they think I was going to try and become a hybrid?” Just the thought of becoming half vampire and drinking blood made me cringe. I had my hands full with being a spirit walker; I didn’t need to add to the burden.

“I don’t know, but it’s all everyone is talking about.”

“Well tell them you heard it from the source that it’s not true. I swear everyone in Moon is worse than a group of teenagers.” I swallowed my growing frustration. “Have they restored the protection spell?” I knew the answer before Fiona spoke.

“Yes, they were successful like two days ago. I…never mind. I don’t think I should say anything.”

“Spill it, Fiona.”

“It just…Holly has been spotted around the castle acting like everything’s peachy.”

My frustration quickly grew into anger. Why the hell hadn’t Charles called me to let me know the spell was back in place? And why wasn’t Holly held up in a dirty cell?

“I knew they wouldn’t believe me about that night. Holly is going to get off scott free,” I bit out. “Is Charles at the castle now?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him today.”

The line went silent for a moment. “Sorry for the rant. How are you? How’s the spell casting going?”

“Moon is okay, but it’s not home. I miss Flora and you. Ethan and I are good and I’ve learned a lot of cool new spells.”

I could hear the smile in her voice and it made me smile in return.

“That’s good. Moon may not be home but it’s the safest place for you right now. You wouldn’t want to be drawn into the drama I’m facing,” I laughed but it sounded fake to my ears.

“Gwen, is everything alright? You said Flora was invaded? By what?”

“I’m over reacting as usual,” I laughed and this time it sounded sincere. I could tell Fiona about the rogues and the bond with Aiden but I didn’t want to worry her when she was thousands of miles away and unable to do anything but work herself up.

“Okay, but if something else is going on you better tell me. Just because I’m studying in Moon doesn’t mean that I’m not still your best friend. And if I find out you’re lying to me I won’t hesitate to use one of my new spells on you.”

I smiled wide. “Consider me scared.”

After we hung up I stared at the phone for a few minutes as I contemplated whether I should call Charles. If the council was allowing Holly to roam around the castle, then maybe they were part of her scheme. And if everyone in Moon believed I was going through with the hybrid thing then I definitely didn’t have any fans there. It looked like I was on my own and would have to take care of Holly myself.

“It was so nice to meet you, Gwen.” Amara embraced me. I couldn’t help but notice her hair smelled like lotus blossoms and when she touched me my entire body relaxed against hers.

“I hope you’re not leaving because of me.” I still wasn’t sure if there was something going on between her and Dorian but that didn’t matter; I liked her. And I was supposed to be taking a break from relationships so if she was involved with Dorian then it would give me a good reason to stop thinking about him.

“Of course not,” Amara said. “I’m just passing through. On my way to Maine.” At my confusion she said, “I don’t like staying in one place for too long. The world is too vast to stand still.” She eyed Dorian across the room and then turned me slightly, motioning for me to follow her down the stairs. When we were standing in front of the door she leaned in really close, her face almost touching mine.

“Don’t be so hard on him. He’s not as shallow as he seems. A vast life of solitude with nothing more than the dead to keep him company has hardened his heart. That is, until he met you.” She stepped back, winking as she opened the door.

“Goodbye,” she called loud enough for Dorian to hear.

“Good travels, Amara,” Dorian said from the top of the stairs.

When the door closed I turned to stare up at him, taking one step at a time as I slowly ascended to the top floor. Dorian had his hands braced on either side of the short wall surrounding the staircase, blocking my path.

“What’s the plan?”

Dorian reached his hand out and I took it, stepping up to the landing. I tried, and failed, to ignore how small my hand looked in his. Everything about him made me feel safe. I knew without a doubt that whatever threat was thrown my way, Dorian would shield me from it. I had learned he was more than his attitude when he first saved my life.

“The only thing you have to do today is be a tourist.” He shook my hand gently. “Hi, I’m Dorian and I’ll be your guide to all the wonders that is New Orleans.”

* * *

We walked all up and down Bourbon Street, my eyes wide while Dorian pointed things out. It was unusually warm for a February day or maybe that was one of the perks of living in the South. The world still went on with its business while my mind was plagued with thoughts of rogues, vampires and scheming council members. Tipping my eyes up, I stared at the fluffy white clouds against a bright blue sky. Walking next to Dorian, I could pretend everything would be all right, if only for a day.

The scent of food from the multiple restaurants lining the street permeated the air and made my stomach grumble.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

Dorian laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tugging me into the nearest restaurant. The sign had a grinning alligator welcoming guests. A woman with short, red hair smiled at us.

“How many?”

“Two,” Dorian responded.

She grabbed two menus and we followed her through the restaurant and outside to a bricked courtyard. Colorful plants rested in various sized pots while a fountain trickled water toward the back. A bar sat off to the side and wrought-iron tables sat in rows.

“Your waitress will be with you in a moment,” the hostess said. Dorian and I sat, picking up our menus. I smiled with excitement at seeing alligator and jambalaya listed.

“What’s a boudain ball?”

“They’re a mixture of rice and sausage. Very good, but spicy.”