Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1) (14 page)

Hunter is silent, then finally says, “I could investigate it a bit. From far away. On the computer or something.”

“If I were there, I’d be able to get a feel of them instinctually. People just love giving me what I want. I know you’ll probably find this surprising, but most people have a hard time saying no to me,” I say.

“I’m a telepath. I could do that if I was near them, but I’m not leaving you,” he counters.

“Shit, I forgot you’re a telepath! Why didn’t you use your super amazing royal dragon powers to find them already?” I say.

He looks vaguely uncomfortable, but I ignore it. He’s not the one with a throbbing headache from being drugged. “I can only get thoughts that are current, not past ones. So unless they’re thinking about what they’ve done, I can’t see it. These past few days I’ve focused more, for that very purpose.”

“We should go back. I can question them using my amazing powers of persuasion to make them listen and forget about the conversation, and if they don’t talk, you can read their minds and see what’s up!” I suggest.

He shakes his head. “I’m not taking you back there, and I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be leaving me alone if you took me back with you. Then you could still stay near me and keep me safe and shit,” I say.

Hunter shakes his head once again, making me growl. “It’s safest now that they think you’re out of the picture entirely. They won’t be planning to attack you if they don’t think you’re around. Bringing you back will just distract the girls.”

I have to admit, he’s got a point with that last one. As it is, they’re probably flipping shit that I’m apparently missing. They’ll work extra hard to try to find the criminal if they think the others have me. If I go back they’ll focus on me and being super pissed at Hunter instead of the problem at hand. Besides, I want to deal with Hunter on my own.

“Fine, fine, the girls will most likely get all distracted. Which will probably suck since, as much as I hate to admit it, Apate and Aergia are probably the biggest targets,” I say. “I can’t have anything happen to my baby Apate. I mean, Aergia too.”

He opens his mouth into what looks like a snarl, but I think is actually a dragon grin. “Yes, it would be bad if Apate were taken. With her mouth, she wouldn’t last too long, whether she can be killed or not.”

“Exactly, so we totally have to do something to help!” I say triumphantly.

“That’s not really what I meant,” he protests. “How about this, we can investigate them from afar? Look into their pasts.”

“Whose pasts?”

“The people at the convention whose species were scented in the stairway,” he says, like I’m not paying attention.

“Oh, them. I guess a background check isn’t the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, but I don’t think it’ll be that helpful either. I mean, I doubt there’s anything that says they murder, rape, and torture in their criminal records. Unless they all happened to take the same survey before coming to the convention, and circled yes, I am a sociopathic killer.” I’m pleased with how much sense I’m making, glad to see my head isn’t quite as foggy as before.

He snorts a bit of smoke and says, “I didn’t mean just their criminal records, though it’s a good start. I meant into where they work, if they have families, any large fund exchanges.”

“Man, that’s actually a good idea.” I can’t help but be surprised.

“Maybe you’re forgetting that there’s computers and stuff now. It’s the technological age,” he says with another little scowl-grin.

“I’m not used to having to rely on technology, as you obviously do. I don’t need computers and such for all of my information. I’m willing to work a little harder for it. If you’d just let me go back to the convention and question people, it would be much easier.”

“Compromise with me here! We can narrow down the list of people, then decide the next course of action, later,” he suggests.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You mean, we narrow down the list and do as much as we can from this side of things, then go in depth and interrogate them?”

“I’m not making any promises,” he protests. “I think it really depends on how you behave. No hurting me, trying to get away, or acting reckless. Then we can review how we stand on the issue. In a week?’

“I have to behave well and then I’ll be rewarded into being able to look for a murderer? God, that’s screwed up.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“What if I escape on my own from your lair of solitude?” I ask.

“I don’t think that’ll happen. In every cave or home that I own, I can put protective magic against intruders to protect my treasure. I hate to break it to you, but it seems like you’ve joined the collection,” Hunter says.

I’m not sure if it’s the sweetest or most insulting thing to have him call me part of his treasure collection.

“I’m completely stuck here.”

“If I say yes, will that stop you from actually trying to leave?” he asks hopefully.

I have to stop myself from smiling or laughing back at him.

“No, it won’t. Tell me now and save us both the trouble.”

“There’s no way for you to leave. Now behave as best you can and I’ll even let you have computer stalking privileges. I’ll have to hack into the convention account system to get a list of names, then the police station, then their information in general. It shouldn’t take too long, but I’d better just tell you when I have everything booted up.”

“Sounds good,” I agree, my head starting to feel cloudy again, suppressing a yawn.

He gives me an expert look before saying, “Since the venom wore off so quickly, you might have some side effects.”

“You can sure say that again, because I think I’m about to ride on round two of sleepy time. Do your computer work for me, and don’t do anything important until I’m awake again. I’ll just close my eyes for a minute or two,” I say in a drowsy voice.

I’m sure when I’m more with it again I’ll be even more pissed at him. I mean, the sheer gall of the man. Plus, I really don’t like being put into medicated sleeps. It just makes the body feel so janky. I hate when my head clouds up and I can’t keep my eyes open.

“Do whatever you think is best,” he says soothingly.

“I’m not going to easily forgive this one.”

“I know, I know. It’ll be night soon, so just get some rest.”

I peek at him and say, “I hope you don’t think you’re sleeping here tonight. I won’t like it if I find you in bed with me, and trust me, you won’t like it either.”

“I figured. Just come out of the room and you’ll be in the living room. If you need me for anything, whistle and I’ll come to you. Also, don’t poke around if you can help it. There’s some dangerous stuff lying around.”

“You keep dangerous things just lying around?”

“I’m a male dragon. Do you expect me to have all of my treasure and possessions color-coordinated and alphabetized?” he asks sarcastically. “Just watch your step, and don’t go looking around at all my stuff. Besides the fact that it’s rude.”

“The kidnapping and drugging dragon giving me etiquette advice, what has the world come to?”

Chapter 11

Hunter

Julian is so going to rip me a new asshole when he learns about this. I can’t say I’d blame him. For one thing, I’ve already tricked Peitho into handfasting with me. For another, she’s already said she doesn’t want a clingy guy. Nothing comes off clingier than drugging and abducting someone off to a secluded cave and not letting them go. Besides, Julian has often said I depict the characteristics of a serial killer. Or at least someone with poor social skills. This incident won’t help my case at all.

I can’t believe I’ve done this myself. What’s even worse is, despite my inner disgust, I’m still going to see my plan through. I fully intend on still keeping Peitho locked up here in my cave where I can keep one eye on her at all times. Or at least know where she is and that there’s no psycho murderer out to get her within these walls. Her safety is number one to me, despite the cost.

I’m regretful, but not so much that I’m going to change anything I’ve done. Or even that I’d change things if I were given a second chance. I suppose it kind of counts that I’m willing to let her help out her immortal friends from afar. Getting her to agree to allow me to hack and have her sift through information shouldn’t be a highlight of our conversation for me.

Considering how things went, it is.

“Well, shit face, when you gonna start typing?” Peitho asks me with impatience.

I did tell her we could look them up in the morning. Technically, four-thirty in the a.m. is morning. Not really the time I was referring to, but I kind of have to take what I can get at this point. The fact that she’s sitting next to me, hovering over the computer and my shoulder, in one of my white dress shirts, doesn’t help. I mean, she couldn’t look sexier. Or maybe it’s just the fact that my shirt kind of brands her. As mine.

I start to type before she gets particularly prickly. “Here’s the hotel’s registry of the guests, including species type, along with special notes like how high-maintenance they are. There seems to be a grading system of stars. One for someone who doesn’t need a lot of attention, five for ones who do. This includes cleaning.”

“How … organized?” she chokes out with something akin to disgust in her voice.

“All right, we’re looking into griffins, humans, werewolves, and tiger shifters,” I say out loud.

“Should we look into the victims so we know if there’s any connection or something that could help us narrow down the suspect pool?”

I shake my head. “Ana and Apate said the authorities told them there wasn’t a connection besides gender and being supernatural. This makes it more upsetting, since they can’t narrow down who will be targeted and who needs to be especially protected.”

“That makes sense.”

“So far, the authorities are assuming that the victims have no connection to the abductors and are being randomly selected, out of convenience.”

“Mhmm, humans first then.”

I click a few keys, then say, “There are only four. One for a vampire representative, and the other three came with weres. Two of those three are married to weres, and the other one seems to be close with one of the families.”

She nods and writes down the names before she says, “Griffins.”

“Two griffin siblings, one male the other female. Oh, the female is married to a tiger shifter,” I point out.

She writes down those names, saying, “Weird couple.”

I try to ignore the fact that we’re probably an odder one. “There are twenty-three tiger shifters. How about I just print out those names?”

“Good idea. I don’t know why so many showed up.”

“It’s a shifter convention,” I point out.

“Yeah, but usually only a few from each group actually come to it.”

“All right, for werewolves … shit, one hundred and fourteen.” I whistle.

“There’s always a good turnout for the mutts. Only a pack leader and his family or omega come to the convention, leaving the beta behind to run things. Still, they practically fuck like rabbits, so there’s a bunch of the damn things everywhere. Anywhere in the world, take ten steps, and you’ll run into a place where a werewolf has pissed,” she says wisely.

“Isn’t that … insightful. Let me just rule out the people who came to the convention late or aren’t old enough to have done it,” I say, and she dutifully crosses names from the lists for children and latecomers.

“We still have, like, a hundred names,” Peitho points out.

“We can also take away names using common sense. I doubt the hotel owner would choose now to begin a crime ring, and neither would the convention director.”

“Fine, we can take away a few more names,” she agrees as we analyze the list.

“All right, now to look into their criminal records.”

“Cha-ching!” she exclaims from over my shoulder.

“He was only arrested for petty theft.” I frown.

She ignores my protest, saying, “He’s got potential for crime.”

“Whatever, just put a little star by his name or something.” I continue going through more of the lists and letting her tally up the criminals.

“No major bad guys,” she complains in disappointment.

“So sad,” I say sarcastically. “We still got a few thieves and such. Even a few guys with active restraining orders against them. What’s the list to?”

“If we’re just looking at people who have been convicted of something, then we’re at twenty-seven. If we’re including people who haven’t been convicted, then we’re at seventy-two,” Peitho says, after quickly counting the names on her lists.

“Let’s start with the convicted criminals,” I say, before looking at the lists and starting to type out again.

Hours later Peitho comes bounding back into the room. I can easily tell she’s been bored out of her mind. For one thing, her hair is in a disarray of braids sticking out from her head, all tied off with bits of yarn and thread pulled off of my blankets and tapestries. My shirt that she stole and made into a dress now has a pelt that she’s made into a cape. There’s even a black belt that looks suspiciously like one of my few ties.

She sees me looking her up and down and pats her hair self-consciously. “I was bored!”

I nod wordlessly. To tell the truth, this rumpled look really has me hard as a rock. I mean, hair all over the place like she doesn’t have a care in the world and a fur pelt swinging around her shoulders like she’s a Viking princess? The effortless beauty of her is heart-stopping. No one should look this lovely with a smudged face, hair sticking out, and makeshift clothes. Then my eyes narrow around her neck.

“Peitho, is that a necklace?” I ask with a seemingly calm voice.

Peitho sniffs at me defensively. “I found it in your room, and it’s very glittery! Makes a good necklace!”

I can’t help the possessive grin that falls over my face. Tied around her neck with a bit of black thread is one of my scales. It’s about the size of her palm, so one of my smaller scales. It’s a bright green that’s my coloring in dragon form. It looks almost like a thin, smooth, shiny rock. Very beautiful against her lovely golden skin.

“That’s hardly fair. You have a piece of me as an engagement ring of sorts, and I have nothing to represent that I’m yours,” I say teasingly.

She just frowns at me. “After the stunts you’ve pulled, you can’t really expect that I’m wearing this because it’s yours, do you? I just think it’s pretty. No one is going to look at and say ‘that looks like a dragon scale. I bet she’s taken by one.’ You can take that lovely little idea and stick it up your lying, cheating ass.”

“I resent the cheating part of that statement.” I give her a little pout. It’s so fun to irritate her.

“Oh, don’t give me that look! You’ve totally cheated. I mean, stealing me away in the night isn’t playing by the rules!”

“It was daytime.” I sniff. “If you don’t want to give me anything to represent my commitment to you, so be it. For all it’s worth, you can keep my scale. Oh, and I have something else for you. I forgot to give it to you when you woke up.” I dig around in my back pocket until I find it, and then hand it to her.

Her eyes light up, just as I hoped they would. “Is that what I think it is?”

I’m not sure what she thinks it is, but it’s not too hard to figure it out. It’s a very nice ring. In fact, not one of my stolen treasures or anything, not that she needs to know that. It was passed down to me from my great-grandmother when my great-grandfather got her a new wedding ring. It’s a gold band, with a large, perfect princess-cut diamond set in the middle. There are diamonds forming a border around it, every other stone a shiny emerald.

“Here, let me,” I suggest, getting up and taking the ring back from her. I take her left hand before she can protest, and slip the ring onto her finger. “A perfect fit.”

Peitho takes her hand from my grasp and holds it away from her, turning it so she can admire the ring from all angles. I can’t help but think that the emeralds match the scale she has around her neck. I thought the green would complement her coloring, and I couldn’t have been more right.

She suddenly looks up at me with narrowed eyes. “If you think this is going to make me forgive you, then you have another thing coming! Not to say that I won’t be keeping the ring. I mean, it obviously likes me and needs a new home with someone loving to take care of it. I’m not doing it for you, of course.”

I smile. She’s just so insane! Plus, with her standing there with my scale around her neck, my ring around her finger, my shirt on her body, my tie around her waist, and a pelt from an animal that I hunted around her shoulders, it’s hard to be angry. Everything about her claims her as mine. Even the crazy braids sticking out every which way like Medusa.

“I didn’t think it would make you forgive me, but I thought it couldn’t hurt. Consider it a gift from our handfasting. I know you didn’t want it and it came as a surprise. I’m sorry I didn’t have anything to give you earlier,” I say.

“Now you’re making me feel bad!”

I just blink. “That wasn’t the intention.”

“Ugh, I have to give you something now you big, tricksy dragon! Probably all part of your plot.” She sighs, taking the scale from around her neck.

I’m about to protest, my heart nearly sputtering to a halt when she removes my scale. Then I become even more worried when she just raises it up near her head. I mean, what is this mad woman doing now? It becomes a bit clearer when she raises the scale like a blade and cuts a thin braid from her head. Though I’m not really sure what the point of it is.

Peitho hands the perfectly coiled bit of hair to me. “Here you go.”

“Um, thanks so much. I’ll treasure it always. I’ll go put it with the others—” I say, and start to walk from the room.

“It’s not for you to lock up in a chest and let rot, you big dummy.” She huffs with impatience before walking purposefully toward me. “Here,” Peitho says, taking the braid from me.

She captures my ring finger and twines the braid around it. I feel some spark of power as the braid closes and the extra bit of hair seems to fall away as if cut off. The ends of the braid on either side fuse together. Before my eyes, the hair darkens and hardens until it’s like metal. It’s a perfect fusion of gold, red, and deep, rich brown. Incomparably lovely.

“How did you do that?” I ask in a hushed voice, looking at the simple braided band resting on my finger.

Peitho gives a little shrug. “Magic, what else? The ring will always last, never break, and never become dirty. It can be used as a friendship ring or marriage. If you need me, twirl it, and I’ll know. It’ll actually feel like you’re pulling my hair.”

“You know this because you’ve given one before?” I ask, suddenly unable to breathe at the wave of possessiveness.

“Yeah, my mom had one. I confiscated it from her when it seemed like my hair was getting pulled at least twice a week for a ‘crisis’ of some sort. It was usually something dumb, like she didn’t know what to wear. Anyway, use it with care or I’ll take that one back too.”

“Is this a special power of yours?” I ask.

“No, all immortals can do it. You know we’re big on giving signs of favor. Stick around me for the next couple of months and you’ll likely learn even more little trinkets of information,” she says.

I can only hope so. It’s not enough that she’s wearing part of my dragon self around her neck, which is the most possessive part of my nature. No, now she’s given me part of herself to wear as a little ring. It doesn’t even look scary girly. Just a simple twined ring that looks as if it’s made of threads of copper, gold, and dyed silver. Of course, all have a richer color and better quality than such minerals. That, and much more meaning and value.

“Thank you.” I look into her amber eyes, meaning every word and so much more.

Peitho looks into my eyes for a moment before giving herself a little shake and waving away my thanks. “Yeah, no big deal. Don’t mention it. Like, literally, don’t mention it.”

I shake my head, wondering why she always pulls away from me. It’s true I don’t know what my feelings for her are, but I know I’m drawn to her energy and light. I like her much more than I probably should. Or what’s safe to like her, since I know nothing serious is waiting for us.