My Wicked Vampire (10 page)

“I’m very evil.” He grinned at her, as gorgeous a smile as a man could produce.

“Not the right answer,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

“But since I know Ganymede will kick my ass if I indulge myself, I suppose you’re safe for now.” His tone said not to count out any time in the future.

“Thank you.”
I think.

Wade looked torn, but finally he moved away from
the door. He offered Bain one more glare before finally walking toward the courtyard.

Cinn waited until Wade was out of sight before turning on Bain. “You weren’t much help.”

He shrugged. “You wanted the truth.”

“Do you think you can guard the greenhouse from outside?” Exhaustion was making her sway on her feet.

“Nope. I can handle some direct sunlight, but I burn easily.” He put a hand over his heart, thought a minute, and then moved the hand to the other side of his chest. “Demon physiology is a little different from a human’s.”

Cinn didn’t have the energy to fight with him. She’d just have to believe that no harm would come to her in the few hours she had to sleep. When she woke she’d have to think about Wade. And what would she do with Eva, her pretty little rosebush with the passionate punch? Cinn staggered into the greenhouse and fell onto the cot.

She woke to someone clasping her shoulder and shaking her.

“Time to go shopping. And don’t think you can escape by pretending to be asleep.” Sparkle sounded nothing if not determined. “I refuse to suffer alone. Drat. I broke another nail trying to wake you up. Luckily for you I’m not the same shallow person I once was or I might be really upset.”

Cinn groaned. She had a feeling that putting her hands over her ears wouldn’t do any good. She opened her eyes and blinked.

Sparkle leaned over her. When she saw Cinn open her eyes, she smiled. “Good. Get up, run up to your room, and change. I brought coffee you can drink on the way.”

“Why do I have to change?” If she hadn’t still been half asleep, she wouldn’t have asked that question.

“Even if we
are
going to a big-box store”—Sparkle seemed to be suggesting that they were traveling into the bowels of the earth, where they’d encounter prehistoric creatures with exotic names like tyranno-cheap-flats, or bronto-made-in-China-purses—“I refuse to be seen with someone wearing fuzzy slippers.”

Cinn looked down.
Oh, yeah.

With Sparkle urging her on, Cinn finally got dressed and stuffed herself into the car.

Sparkle sat clenching the steering wheel with determined ferocity. “Fine, now where’s a discount store?”

Cinn gaped at her. “How would I know? I don’t know anything about Galveston.”

“Well, I’ve never been to a discount store. Where do you think we’ll find one?”

Cinn swallowed all the sarcastic comments that came to mind. “Seawall Boulevard seems to be a busy road. Maybe if we start driving we’ll run into one. If that fails, we’ll stop and ask.”

Sparkle nodded and they started driving. They finally spotted the big store—huge sign, best-known chain in the country—and Sparkle looked surprised. “I never knew this was here. It looks…ordinary.”

Cinn was so ready for this to be over. “That’s because it has
ordinary
things in it that
ordinary
people buy.”

Sparkle blinked. “Oh. That’s why I’ve never been here.” She glanced down at her designer everything and made a moue of disappointment. “And I thought I’d dressed down for this shopping trip.”

If she hadn’t been so exasperated, Cinn would’ve laughed. “Umm, no.”

And so it began, the shopping afternoon from hell. Sparkle complained up one aisle and down another.
Things were too cheap, too ordinary, too this, too that, until Cinn wanted to wrap one of the pairs of too unsexy panties around Sparkle’s elitist neck and strangle her.

Cinn had given up trying to cajole Sparkle out of her bad mood in favor of looking at a few things she might buy herself. She didn’t realize she’d gotten separated from the reformed queen of all things stylish until she tripped. She would’ve gone splat in the undies aisle if someone hadn’t caught her.

Cinn looked down to see what had tripped her. Then she leaned over to get a closer look. A tree branch? Growing out of the floor? Uh-oh. She slowly straightened and turned to look at the person who’d kept her from falling.

The woman smiled at her. “You’re very hard to catch alone.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Actually, it’s very good fertilizer. Growing things waste nothing.” Airmid was tall and slender, with long flowing pale hair and an otherworldly beauty that even shoppers in a big-box store must be able to see.

Cinn glanced around. Of course, if there were no shoppers in this aisle, then no one would see anything. She swallowed hard. Where the hell was Sparkle?

“Relax, Cinn. I’m not here to rain hoes and sod down on your head. Yet. I thought we could have a little chat. Perhaps then you’d understand why I’m upset with you.” Her smile was lovely, but it didn’t hide the anger beneath it.

Okay, trying to relax here.
“I don’t understand why you’re so upset. My plants don’t hurt anyone.”

“One of them bit the vampire.”

“Oh, you know about that.”
How
had Airmid found out about that?

“I know many things.”

If Cinn were really lucky, the goddess
wouldn’t
know about Wade. Suddenly, she remembered what almost happened to Vince. Now
she
was the one who was mad. “Why did you tell Asima to destroy Vince?”

Airmid raised a brow in surprise. “Because plants don’t think. Plants don’t feel. And plants
never
talk.”

“Why not? Other species have evolved.”

“Because
I
say so.” Suddenly she was no longer the pleasant woman of a moment ago. Her pale green eyes darkened and her hair whipped around her face as a mini tornado circled her head.

Cinn gulped and stepped back. Time to keep her mouth shut.

Airmid’s expression cleared and her hair once again lay in shining waves across her shoulders. “You’re special, Cinn. Your family has always honored me. They’ve nurtured plants throughout the centuries. But no one in your family has ever had any of my power.”

“Your
power
? I don’t understand.” Where was Sparkle? The longer she stood chatting with the goddess, the greater the chance she’d say something really dumb.

“I have no control over who in your family receives the gift. If it were up to me, I would have chosen your sister Ginger. But now that you realize how special you are, you have to abandon these disgraceful experiments and destroy the mutations you’ve already created.”

“No.” The word popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. It hung there in the air between the goddess and her. Cinn wished she could pluck it back and swallow it. Too late.

“You
will
do as I say.” The eyes and wind thing started up again. “I am the Celtic goddess of the growing green. I am the herbal healer to the Tuatha De Danann. How
dare
you say no to me?”

The healer to whom? What?

Suddenly Sparkle was there. She clutched a bunch of bags, so she must’ve already paid for her stuff. She took one look at the pissed-off goddess and yelled, “Run!”

Cinn didn’t need to be told twice. Wind roared down the aisles, panties and bras sailed past her, and she could hear display cases crashing to the floor. Screams filled the store as customers fled.

She and Sparkle were caught in the crush and carried out of the store on a wave of terrified customers. Even the greeters were hitting the exits. Once free of the mob, Cinn didn’t stop running until she reached Sparkle’s car. Sparkle was already inside with the engine running. Just as they peeled out of the parking lot and back out onto Seawall Boulevard, the roof of the store caved in.

Cinn was horrified. “What if there were people still in there? If anyone’s hurt, it’s my fault.” In the distance she could hear sirens.

“It is
not
your fault. It’s the fault of the ditzy goddess with anger issues.” Sparkle relaxed a little as they got closer to the castle. “It’s really too bad about the store. I suppose I won’t be able to buy any more cheap and serviceable clothes there for a while.” She didn’t seem overly upset by the thought.

Cinn was still thinking about the people in the store. “I should’ve let her think she’d won.”

Sparkle pulled into the employee parking lot near the hotel’s side entrance. She parked and then dragged all her bags out to lug them into the castle. It was only when they were in the elevator that Sparkle hit her with the questions. “What did she want from you? What did you say that made her so mad? Did she tell you who does her hair?”

Cinn couldn’t discuss any of it while she was frantic
about the people caught in the store collapse. She had to know if anyone had died or been seriously hurt. “I’ll explain later.”

Sparkle nodded, but she didn’t look happy about having to wait for all the juicy details.

Cinn followed Sparkle into her suite. Ganymede sprawled on the couch, watching a movie. The only thing different from the last time Cinn had visited was this time he had an open cookie box by his side.

“Can I change the channel for a minute, Ganymede?” Something about the store would have to be on the news.

The cat looked as though she’d tried to steal his cookies. “
Can’t do. I’m taping this. Don’t want to mess with the old DVR.
”

Self-involved, piggy fur-ball.
Cinn glared at him. He ignored her.

“
See you did lots of shopping, babe. Glad you bought a bunch of clothes. Thought I’d help you while I was just hanging, so I called up some charity. They came by and took all your old stuff away. Now you won’t be tempted by those fancy shoes and sexy outfits.
” He paused, waiting for a show of gratitude.

Sparkle dropped all the bags on the floor.

Cinn waited for her eyes to darken and her hair to do the supernatural wind thing. Sparkle was a little more prosaic than Airmid, though. She jerked a mirror from the wall and heaved it at him.

Cinn wasn’t about to get caught up in this seven-years-of-bad-luck event, so she ducked out of the room and hurried to…Where? She didn’t want to go to her room. She didn’t want to be alone. Airmid had been waiting to catch her alone.

Almost dark, and only one person she wanted to be
with. Without thinking things to death, she ran all the way down the winding stairs to the floor where Dacian slept. She pounded on his door.
Please, please, be awake.

And when he finally opened his door, she flung herself into his arms. He caught her and held her close. At last she felt safe.

He pulled her inside and closed the door. Only now did she notice that all he wore was a towel around his waist. “Sorry. I got you at the wrong time.”

His smile was a sensual slide of invitation. “No, you got me at exactly the right time.”

He’d lied. Dacian knew this was definitely
not
the best time for Cinn to show up. She was in danger. On many different levels.

He’d risen about fifteen minutes ago and immediately jumped into the shower so he could be ready as soon as the sun set to find Cinn and guard her through the night.

Yeah, okay, so he had other things he wanted to do with her through the night. Guarding her was only one in a long list. And that was where the danger came in.

Her hair was tousled and her face flushed from running down those stairs. Dacian knew she’d run because he’d heard her coming. His enhanced hearing was a blessing and a curse. Right now he could hear the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood through her body. Her blood sang to him, a siren’s song. It would be sweet and … He felt the slide of his fangs and cut off all thoughts of her blood.

Dacian concentrated on the outer package. Too bad her clothes got in the way of his full appreciation. Her skin would be smooth and soft as he slid his fingers the length of her body. She’d be warm and moist as he pushed her legs apart and put his mouth… His fangs made a return appearance.

And as much as he wanted to drag her to the floor, rip her clothes from her body, and bury himself deep inside her, he knew those fangs were going to be a problem.
He wanted her too much, and his vampire nature was part and parcel of his whole sexual experience. Maybe if it hadn’t been so long, or his lust weren’t so overwhelming, he could make love to her without a show of fang. But he didn’t think his control was good enough right now.

“Airmid destroyed the store.”

He blinked, finally realizing how upset she was. “Airmid? Are you okay?” The hell with the store. He led her to the couch. Damned if he was going to let her isolate herself in a chair. Dacian drew her down beside him. “Tell me the whole story.”

She didn’t object when he tucked her against his side. He indulged himself in an almost-forgotten human reflex. He held the breath he no longer had while praying she wouldn’t suddenly remember what she was cozying up to and jerk away. Who knew he actually had a sensitive bone in his undead body?

“Sparkle and I went shopping. She wanted to buy some clothes that proved she wasn’t shallow. We got separated, and Airmid ambushed me. She wanted me to destroy my plants, I said no, and she lost it.”

Dacian closed his eyes. Cinn was such an innocent. She had no idea how dangerous a pissed-off goddess could be. He wanted to rage against his inability to guard her 24-7. He opened his eyes. “Next time, take Bain or Edge with you. They’re more reliable than Sparkle.” From what he’d seen, anyone would be more reliable than Sparkle. Yeah, so he was letting her name sway his opinion. He just couldn’t see a Sparkle Stardust as a dangerous, competent bodyguard.

“Everyone rushed to get out of the store, but I’m so afraid someone was hurt or killed. And it’s all my fault. If I’d stopped to think, I could’ve stalled her, said I’d think about it.”

He heard the guilt in her voice and wanted to find Airmid so he could stuff a few of Cinn’s plants down her throat. “Don’t blame yourself. You’re not the one who destroyed the store. Airmid could’ve chosen a different way to act out her temper tantrum.” He thought about calling Holgarth and asking him to check the news, but Cinn wouldn’t want him to shield her from the truth. “Look, I’ll turn on the TV and see if we can find out anything.” As he reached for the remote, he hoped no one had died. But if they had, he’d be there to help her through it.

The first local station he hit had a video of the wreckage. Wow, Airmid didn’t hold back when she got ticked. He glanced at Cinn to see her reaction. Her face looked calm, but she’d clenched her hands in her lap.

The reporter said the one thing Cinn needed to hear. “It was a miracle everyone got out. Officials reported only a few people with cuts and bruises. Amazingly, one part of the store remained untouched.”

The camera panned past the rest of the destroyed store to focus on the garden section. All of the plants stood in perfect rows surrounded by pots, rakes, plant food, and other stuff connected to them.

“Airmid takes care of her own.” Cinn sounded exhausted but relieved.

“Why don’t you rest for a while?”
You can rest on my bed if you want.
No, bad idea. He’d never survive, knowing she was in his bed, never get the sensual scent of her out of his head. She’d haunt his bed forever.

She shook her head. “I have to go to my plants. Bain is guarding them, but I want to be there if Airmid tries anything. Besides, I need to check on Vince.”

Dacian clenched his jaw, forcing his words back. He didn’t give a flip about the plants. Okay, so maybe he
cared a little about Vince. But she’d angered a goddess. Didn’t she realize how much danger she was in? Hadn’t she learned anything from her little shopping trip?

She glanced at him and then smiled. “I can’t read minds, but I can sure read your expression. That vampire mask is slipping. Yes, I’m worried about me. I’d be stupid not to. But right now I don’t know what to do to change Airmid’s mind. The one thing she wants, I won’t do. I won’t kill my plants.”

He nodded. “From what you’ve said, it seems like Airmid didn’t want to involve Sparkle or the rest of us. She waited until she could get you alone. So you’ll make sure you’re never alone again until things get settled.”

“You’re a bossy man, did you know that?” Her smile took the sting out of her comment.

But all Dacian heard was the word “man.” She couldn’t be thinking of him as a bloodsucking horror and call him a man, could she?

Her smile faded as she continued, “Don’t forget that you have your own problems. I haven’t forgotten.”

His good feeling faded along with her smile. She was right. He might pose as much of a danger to her as Airmid. And what if Airmid struck at the same time Stephan launched one of his attacks? Fat lot of good he’d do her then. He pushed the nightmare away. He’d deal with the here and now for as long as he could.

He nodded. “Wait while I get some clothes on, and we’ll go to your greenhouse.”

She watched him as he grabbed some clothes from his closet and headed for the bathroom. The towel rode low on his hips and with every stride her breaths came a little faster.
Drop the damn towel.
It was like reading a book with the best pages missing. His wide shoulders tapered down to a strong smooth back and then…
missing pages. Moving along, she could see the lower part of muscular thighs, and then his strong legs. But she couldn’t get past the missing pages. She could only imagine his firm round butt. And if he turned around…Well, she’d save that for a later time.

While he dressed, she pushed her thoughts past his delicious body and what she’d like to do with it to concentrate on Airmid. How could anyone fight a goddess?

But Cinn didn’t have a chance to come up with any solutions before Dacian emerged from the bath-room. Even wearing just jeans and a T-shirt, he was breathtaking.

At what point had his vampire status ceased to stand in the way of her full appreciation of him as a spectacular man? She didn’t know, but it had.

He took her hand as they left his room and climbed the stairs to the great hall, where Eric stood with Holgarth and Kyla. Cinn figured there was no way to avoid talking to them.

And yes, she saw Kyla as a threat, though she wasn’t sure why. Sure, Cinn wanted to make love with Dacian. For heaven’s sake, look at the guy. Any woman with a normal hormone level would feel the same way. But she didn’t for a minute think she had ownership rights. Didn’t want any. Talk about grabbing a tiger by its tail. That was what getting emotionally involved with Dacian would be like. How would you let go and survive?

As they joined the group, Cinn offered the other woman a wide smile. Hey, she could be a hypocrite with the best of them.

“Ah, our princess of perverted plants and the demented vampire have joined us. How absolutely thrilling.”

Cinn wanted to knock Holgarth’s stupid wizard’s hat
off his head and stuff it into his sarcastic mouth. She offered him her most poisonous smile. “It’s nice to see you again, too. Interview any promising replacements today?”

The wizard pursed his thin lips as he studied her. “No one can
replace
me, Ms. Airmid. I promise you that. The best I can hope for is a pale reflection of my incomparable powers. The whole interview process is exhausting.”

Eric laughed out loud. Nothing subtle about him. “The only incomparable part of you is your ego. It could swallow a midsize American city. But Cinn and Dacian don’t know you like I do. Underneath all that obnoxious snideness beats a kind and generous heart.”

“Kind and generous?” Holgarth looked horrified. “I can’t believe you hate me so much, Eric. What did I ever do to you? Fine, so I did do a few things that might be construed as spiteful. But why would you feel the need to lash out with such awful accusations?” He managed a hurt expression. “I’m devastated.” He turned and walked away, his robe whipping behind him.

Eric smiled at Cinn. “Remember this when he’s starting to get to you. He hates anyone to think he has a heart.”

“Got it.” She was talking to Eric, but her attention was on Kyla and Dacian. She couldn’t read anything into their expressions.

But jealousy was a master painter. In her mind’s eye, Kyla gazed up at Dacian with those big blue eyes that were the same shade as Eric’s. Must be a Mackenzie thing. Then Dacian ran his fingers through Kyla’s long dark hair before lowering his head to…Cinn took a deep breath. Okay, so the other woman was tall and beautiful. So what? Since she was making up her own
scenario, she’d inject herself into it. She’d be the one kicking Kyla’s perfect butt out the castle door.

Dacian wasn’t even looking at the other woman. His attention was all for Eric. “Airmid lost her temper when Cinn refused to destroy her plants. She brought down the store. Everyone will have to keep their eyes open for the goddess.”

“What’s she look like?” Kyla spoke for the first time.

Cinn could answer that. “Beautiful. Tall, slender, long pale hair. I’m not sure of the color. Maybe a mixture of blonde and red. Light green eyes. She was wearing a long flowing gown, pale gold. The kind that would float in the breeze.” She thought for a moment. “Funny how everything about her was pale except for her temper. That was red-hot.”

Eric nodded. “I’ll pass the description on, although she might not take the same form next time.” He frowned. “I’ve been thinking about this Stephan. If he wants you to fight by his side, why the hell does he keep on punishing you? He has to know that will just piss you off. Even if he forces you to help him, he could never trust you.”

Dacian looked grim. “Stephan believes the only way to be a strong ruler is through fear. He…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Since we’re into descriptions, they need to know what Stephan looks like.” Cinn wanted to know what Dacian had been about to say. Why had he decided not to tell them? She realized she felt a driving need to know everything about him.
Danger: emotional minefield ahead.

Dacian shrugged. “About five foot ten. Long blond hair. But that was centuries ago. Maybe it’s short now. Blue eyes. Sort of thin. He always thought brains trumped brawn every time. Probably right. Oh, and he
had a mustache. He was proud of that damn mustache, so maybe he still has it.”

“That description could fit almost anyone.” Kyla stated the obvious. She glanced at her watch. “Gotta go. I’m taking in a movie. See you later. Oh, and we’ll have to set up a date to talk over old times, Dacian.”

Some unidentifiable emotion flashed in her eyes for a moment and then was gone. Cinn tried not to build that emotion into something big, like an undying devotion to Dacian. She was only partially successful.

Kyla waved as she headed toward the door.

Eric didn’t even glance her way as she left. He seemed deep in thought. “There’s something fishy about this Stephan deal. Think about it. An informant tells your guy that Stephan knows where Taurin is and plans to kill him. What does your maker gain by that? Nothing. You’ll still never join him and—”

“I’d find someone who could destroy him.” Dacian’s hands were curved into claws at his side.

“Right. So doesn’t it make more sense to capture Taurin and threaten to kill him if you don’t fight by Stephan’s side? That’s what I’d do.” Eric frowned. “And if he’s so hot to kill Taurin, why isn’t he here already? A smart vampire doesn’t take a chance on the enemy beating him to the prize.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Dacian nodded. “You have a point. I don’t have a clue what Stephan’s thinking.”

Cinn put in her two cents. “Do you think he knew Taurin was away from the castle?”

Dacian shrugged. “Who knows? I’ll just have to make sure I’m ready for Stephan if he shows up.”

Eric nodded. “I’ll fill Ganymede in on what’s happening. He probably doesn’t know where Taurin is right
now, but he can be ready to warn Taurin if he contacts anyone at the castle before he gets here.”

Dacian looked uncomfortable. “Thanks for coming, Eric. And double thanks for staying.” He didn’t wait for Eric’s response as he turned and strode toward the kitchen.

Cinn had to run to keep up. She drew even with him as they entered the kitchen. When they reached the greenhouse, he didn’t bother to knock, but simply used his key. As they entered, Cinn could see Bain standing at the open door leading into the courtyard. He was talking to a bunch of people.

“Thanks for dropping by, folks. Spread the word about Cinn Airmid’s amazing plants. We’re open for tours from ten till seven every day.”

Tours?
Damn. Cinn had forgotten all about what Sparkle had said.

A woman in the back of the crowd shouted out, “You sure she’s not selling any of these plants? I could use that dieffenbachia in my bedroom. Perk up my old man’s sex drive.”

Sex drive?
The first tendrils of suspicion touched Cinn.

Bain shook his head as he laughed. “Sorry. These are all experimental plants. Maybe sometime in the future.”

Bain watched the crowd wander away before closing the door and turning to face Cinn and Dacian. “Wow, that was pretty cool. I thought this plant-guarding would be boring, but the crowds kept me busy.”