Dark Surrender (13 page)

But Min and Andy always tried to read the customer’s aura first before selling the dolls. And the dark texts were secure behind the magic curtain. But as a sort of backup plan, they put a moratorium on their sale until two weeks after the big day. Better safe than…well, having hexed and cursed people running around with chaos and havoc strapped to their backs.

As Min pulled her stiff and sleep deprived body out of her nice warm bed, she groaned and cursed louder than she would have liked. That’s when Andy’s face dropped.

“
Oh my freaking god! What the hell happened to you?”

Min had been so distracted by the Sci-Fi convention bad news that she’d forgotten that she had a bandage on her head. “Um…it’s just a scratch, really.”

Andy looked pale, staring at her sister with horror. She gulped. “There’s blood seeping through the…the bandage...” She was pointing at her own head and looking paler by the moment. “And all those b-b-bruises.”

Min saw she was trembling and looking woozy, so she got up and ushered her little sister into a chair before she fell down or passed out. Andy wouldn’t take her eyes off her sister’s forehead. Min snapped her fingers to try to get her to stop, to look her in the eye, but she had eyes only for the damage. When Min stood up straight again, the room spun—but just the once—so she trudged over to her vanity table and took a look at herself in the mirror.

Yee gads…and holy Hell!!!

She looked like she’d been in a car wreck. The bandage at her temple had soaked through with blood, but it was dried. When she gently pulled it off she saw the wound was sealed with a descent scab. She would just have to shower and forgo washing her hair. She’d pull it back in a bun, or a ponytail, or have Andy braid it. She saw there were bruises down the side of her neck, and down her sore arm. She’d have to wear a turtleneck to cover that, and go heavy on the concealer to cover what was on her face.

Andy shot up out of the chair, her face florid with rage. “Who is he?” She barked, coming toward Min.

“
Who’s who?” Min felt confusion mix with the dizziness and nausea.

“
The guy. The guy from last week. He’s the one that did this to you, isn’t he?”

Dear Goddess, she thinks it was a man…

“
Andy, honey, it’s not—”

“
I’ll kill that fucking son of a bitch!”

Min was shocked. Her sister never cursed. She was also as violent as Mini Mouse. But the look in her sister’s eyes was scary. There was murder there, and a sudden dark intelligence. She may not be much of a practitioner of the craft, and casting had never seemed very important to her, but she was still Katarina’s daughter, and she knew more than her share of potent magicks.

Also, those dark blue eyes of hers were lightening, turning an eerie, icy blue.

“
Andy, sweetie, calm down.”

“
Are you going to tell me where Mr. Goodbar is hiding his coward’s ass, or do I have to scribe for him?”

“
Whoa! Stop! No man did this to me…okay?”

Confusion flickered over Andy’s face, breaking up the anger that was so horrifying to see there. “Then what did?”

Min took a long, deep breath and held it. She hadn’t wanted to tell her sister any of it. How she thought she would be able to keep it from her she didn’t know, but she felt such a compulsion to keep Andy safe, she almost tried to tell her a lie anyhow. But just looking into those naïve eyes of hers, she just couldn’t do it.

“
I tried to…to cure mom last night.”

Andy’s face turned questioning, and then her big blue eyes got round as saucers and she turned her head toward the door. Min could tell she was looking for their mother, and it broke her heart to see such desperation in Andy’s eyes. Those eyes had welled up with tears, but Andy choked them back, blinking them away, and turned from the door. “It didn’t work.” It wasn’t a question.

“
You’re killing me, kid.” Min said, now beside her sister, gently putting her hands on the other woman’s shoulders.

Andy shrugged away her touch and paced over toward the window. “I’m not a kid! And why the hell didn’t you tell me you were doing this?”

“
It was dangerous”—
obviously, look again upon my face
—“and you’re—”

“
Not powerful enough? Not tough enough? Right?”

Min tried to say something to comfort her, but Andy started talking again…well, it was more like yelling.

“
Don’t want to get stupid little Andy all upset, she might cry all over herself!”

“
It’s not like that.”

“
Really?” Andy said accusingly. “Mom always said that.”

“
She did not.” Or at least Min hoped she never had. But there was a nagging little doubt in her mind.

“
No, she’d never have said that.” Andy conceded. “But she
did
it anyways. Did you ever think that’s why I don’t have the power you two have? Maybe if you two would stop protection me I wouldn’t be so useless to you.”

“
You’re not useless…you—”

“
I help run the shop, and I’m really gangbusters at tracking down old books for you.” She turned and stalked to the bedroom door. “Yeah, I’m
freaking indispensible
.”

Min couldn’t say anything to that. Katarina and she were both guilty of being powerfully overprotective of Andy. And yes, that over protectiveness had stunted her metaphysical growth. It was all true.

Andy stopped at the door, her fingers gripping the blue glass knob. “I could’ve helped you last night.”

“
Look at me. It didn’t go well.”

“
But if I were there—”

“
If you were there you would’ve—” Min stopped. She was about to say something very, very stupid. But it was too late.

“
I would’ve gotten us both killed.” Andy just stared at where her hand gripped the door knob. “That’s what you were about to say.”

Min sat back down on the bed, so tired, so hurting, and now feeling so very guilty. “You’re right.”

A few beats of silence spread out between them, and Andy took a few shallow breaths. “I’m not up to momentous mystical battles. But if you two had ever let me try the hard stuff, then maybe I wouldn’t be the liability I am.”

Min wanted to be able to say something to make it better, but there wasn’t anything to say. Andy was right, but she didn’t regret that she’d kept her safe all this time, she just didn’t.

“
Go shower,” Andy said as she walked out of Min’s bedroom. “I’ll do your makeup when you’re dressed. I can—you’ll look like a freaking drag queen if you do it. Hells bells, you still use liquid concealer!” And she was gone.

Min sat on her bed, closing her eyes on her own horrific reflection in the vanity mirror. Why did hurting Andy feel worse than any of her bruises?

After the shower Min managed to get her pain riddled arm into a turtle neck sweater. Andy came in with her brushes and little jars of mineral makeup. But first some Neosporin and a small flesh colored band aide, then she made quick work of brushing and then braiding her sister’s frizzy rat’s nest of hair until it was a nice loose style that accented her cheekbones and made her eyes look impossibly big.

When she started in with her brushes and mineral powders it only took a couple minutes, some mascara, some lip blush and gloss, and she declared Min “Rocky-chic!”

Min rolled her eyes then turned to the mirror again. Besides the little band-aid, she had never looked better. Min couldn’t see even a shadow of the bruising, and her skin really looked flawless. The hair style and the expert application of mascara and eye shadow really made her eyes pop. “Remind me to have you do my make up for my next date.”

“
And when would that be? I haven’t seen that blissfully happy look on your face since that first time.”

Min shook her head. Maybe she would’ve had that “blissfully happy look” if she hadn’t had so much to think about. “You ready to go?

“
Just one more thing.”

“
What?” Min sounded so tired, even to herself. She took a double take at the intense look in her sister’s eyes.

“
So the thing…whatever did that to mom…it was here last night?”

You can’t tell her…but god, the look on her face…

“
In a way, yes.”

“
And it’s tough?”

“
Kicked my ass but good.” Min tried to smile.

Andy got a scared look on her face that melted almost immediately to determination. “Are we going to be able to beat it?”

Min was about to say, “
I’ll
beat it. You’re not going anywhere near it.” But she saw the look on her sister’s face. Andy needed more than anything right then to feel like she would be able to help. “We’re Boccherini women, aren’t we? We’ll beat the shit out of it in the end. We always do.” Min was surprised at how certain she sounded, for she certainly didn’t feel it.

*****

Chapter 15

Exhausted from the sale, and the relentless conventioneers, Min came home and crashed on the couch. Her head aching, her body stiff—both demanding Motrin…and to never move again. It hadn’t been a completely unpleasant experience. Some old friends stopped by the sale, witches and practitioners of the craft she hadn’t seen in years, even a minor deity that usually only bothers to venture out of his lair once ever ten years, and only on all Hollows Eve.

She was shocked to see him, and he bought some lavender bath salts…and funny enough, a small pewter likeness of himself. He thought it was cute. She had to agree. She’d always thought Ptah, the Egyptian god of craftsmen had been extremely good looking.

Finally she had to ask why he was out and about, and he gave her the most salacious look.

“
Because something big is coming.” He smiled wickedly as he leaned down and looked into Min’s eyes. It was only when he wanted you to that you realized he was not only a god, but mightily intimidating. Nearly seven feet tall, broader shouldered than two men, and brimming with supernatural strength. His eyes flashed silvery as he gazed deeply into her. Not a soul gaze, not merely a trick where it seems someone is looking into you, but the real thing. He was looking right into the core of who she was.

The Egyptians called it your secret name, to be able to see everything that you had been and were. A secret name was a very powerful and a very dangerous thing—especially in the hands of as wily a heavy hitter as an ancient Egyptian God.

“
But you know all about that, don’t you?” He stood there, staring into Min’s eyes for maybe another ten seconds, laughed as he straightened to his usual height. “Just remember Min, daughter of Katarina of the Boccherini Clan, there are things in this very store that can help you in most any task. All you have to do is use the right one.” And then he turned and majestically swept from the magic shop, his form fading into nothingness before he reached the front door.

Okay, that had been majorly creepy.

Min closed her eyes now, too tired to move or to get the Motrin she so desperately wanted. She’d use magic to summon the bottle of Motrin, but that would more probably lead to a worse headache.

She listened to the wind outside, and to the stillness of the house. But she felt him. Luca was standing right beside her. It should have scared her. It should have at least made her flinch. But she sighed with relief as she reached out and touched his face an instant before her eyes opened.

“
You’re hurting worse than yesterday.” He hadn’t made it a question.

“
That happens.” Min replied. “Get your butt kicked, feel even worse the next day.”

Luca’s eyes looked so worried
. Jeeze, another one! Who’d have thought I’d see the same look in both my sister’s eyes and my vampire’s.
She knew she couldn’t think like that, that he was her anything. But she did think that. Not that he was he lover, but her vampire, and that thought infused her immediately with such cool comfort.

Luca moved closer and very gently picked her up in his arms. He took her up stairs to her bedroom, helped her off with her clothes, and somehow just his touch took most of the pain out of her injured arm and shoulder. He took his shirt off too, and holding her bare flesh against his own cold, smooth skin made her muscles loosen, made the riot of pain in her head fade. He placed her in bed, enfolding her in his arms, planting chaste kisses on her face and over her shoulders as he held her.

Min finally drifted off to sleep.
Not smart
, she thought as he gently undid the braid of her hair with his nimble fingers, caressing away the pain as she faded into nothingness.

*****

The dream had been strange and irritating—about five ninja hamsters and their Siamese Sinsei. When he wasn’t trying to eat them, he taught them assassination martial arts style. When Min awoke she was calm and if anything, relieved to be out of her dream. To her surprise her shoulder was only marginally stiff, and all her other pains were just gone. She trudged, still rather tired, into the shower. She washed her hair, and then stood there under the spray of water until the hot water ran out. She wrapped herself up in a big fluffy towel and headed back into her bedroom. There she looked into the mirror and the gash in her head was now only a healing scratch, and the bruises are all but gone. They were only a shadow of what they should’ve been.