Witch Upon a Star (A Midnight Magic Mystery) (26 page)

My molester insists on another dance. Then another. Come on
, you bastard. Bite. Just as the fourth is about to begin, Alain taps the Laird on the shoulder to cut in. “May I have the honor, Miss Asher?” My scowl deepens on the outside, but inside I want to hug him. I put up no resistance as he wraps his arm around my waist, takes my hand, and begins twirling me around the room.

“Always rescuing me,” I whisper.

“Word finally reached me of your marital tiff. Excellent work. You are the talk of the ball.”

“Anything on our friends? Was Augustus telling the truth?”

“Yes. He has no knowledge of Asher, and Christine has not been seen in society for almost a week. And no one has set eyes on either tonight.”

“He’s here,” I say with utter certainty. “I can all but smell him.”

“How … disturbing.” Alain pauses. “Well, at least you can reclaim your belle of the ball title tonight if nothing else.”

“No, someone else can have that honor, thank you very much. I never wanted it in the first place.”

“Oh, come on, Mrs. West. Part of you must miss the glamour and intrigue of your previous life whilst you fold underwear and wipe snotty noses in the life you now find yourself shackled to.”

“Shackled to? You make it sound as if Nathan keeps me locked in the house to act as his maid.”

“Then why him, out of your undoubtedly many suitors? Though we have only been acquainted a short time, I am under
the impression that despite his considerably impressive supernat
ural talent, he is rather … milquetoast. Was it simply because of the child?”

“What? No, that was a lie. I found out I was pregnant
after
we were married. And he is anything but milquetoast. I once watched him beat the hell out of a ghoul with its own arm. I married him because I fell in love with him. Because I wanted to build a life with him. He is the kindest, sweetest, funniest man I’ve ever met. He’s my best friend. My lover. My cheerleader. A loving, amazing father. He gave me the strength to beat back the darkness. He is my Valhalla. The best thing that ever happened to me. My gift from the universe.” I spot the man himself circling the room, still frowning at me, but for a moment, just a moment when I catch his eyes, the ire vanishes. A flash of a smile crosses both our lips in unison. I look away first before my hard-fought brick wall topples and my emotions spill out, knocking me out of this fight. “I have a favor to ask you.”

“Another? They are piling up, Mrs. West,” he chides.

“I know, just … look after Nathan. Please.”

“I beg pardon?”

“No matter what happens to me, however this ends, I want you to make sure Nathan returns home. He’s not to leave your sight tonight, not even for a moment. I don’t matter. Just … if it comes down to me or him …
him
. Always him. Please.” Alain stares down at me and after a second, a smile grows across his face. Confused, my eyes narrow. “What?”

“Nothing, just … the last time we spoke, your husband made me promise the same about you. You before him.”

I can’t help but chuckle. Great minds think alike. “Well … you
were my friend first, therefore I win. Besides, Asher wants
me
alive. At
least in the beginning.” I pause. “And if it comes to
that,
it would be better if everyone thinks I was dead. I know him. I know them both. Nathan won’t stop searching for me, and if he becomes a nuisance, Asher will not hesitate to eradicate him. He’s proved that once already.”

Alain stares at me again, though instead of amusement, his pretty face betrays his concern. I knew deep down he cared. “You intend to go with him.”

“If I have to,” I say without hesitation. “It’s simple math, really.
If he gets what he wants, my family factors out of the equation.”

“But what of you? Are you really willing to spend centuries with that man? You know what he is capable of.”

“There is
nothing
I wouldn’t do to keep my family safe,” I say with a hard edge. “Including never seeing them again. They shouldn’t pay for my sins. It may be the only way. So, if it comes to that, I’m trusting you to make sure my sacrifice isn’t in vain.”

“You trust me?” he asks, barely hiding his shock and pride.

“Yes. You are family after all.”

“Well, the Borgia’s have nothing on us, do they?” he asks with a grin.

The song ends, and Alain and I stroll over to my irate husband and his empty whiskey glass, but he rolls his eyes and takes off in the other direction toward the bar. I glance at Alain, who follows after him without a word. You can always count on family, right? I take this opportunity to sit down and rest my feet. I don’t care if it is uncouth, I kick off my shoes and rub my toes. Sure enough the woman across the table shakes her head. I narrow my eyes at the judgmental bitch. That’s enough to scare her away. I sigh. What—

Her
.

Across the dance floor. Long wavy brown hair, right height and weight, back of her purple dress plunging so far I can see her bum crack. When she glances to the side even her profile’s the same. I quickly slip on my shoes and leap up. The bitch’s mine. Finger at the ready, and the paralyzing hex on my lips, I stride through the dancing masses. She’s vanished when I reach the spot.
Merde!
I … there!

She’s halfway to a side door. I push and shove my way through the crowd this time. I’m not losing her again. The door opens onto a small, dimly lit hallway. My heart beats so fast and hard I feel the drumming in my ears. Christine still in sight, I quicken my pace. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for over a decade.
Just don’t kill her, Anna.
Not yet anyway. She’s about the step into the powder room when I shove my finger against her bare back. I’ve got you, you bitch. “
Placi
—”

The woman twists around, blue eyes wide in shock. Damn it! It’s not her. The resemblance isn’t as pronounced up close. This woman’s nose is thinner, and her eyes are set closer together. The doppelganger begins chastising me in Finnish, and I back away. “Sorry, sorry.” She scoffs before retreating into the bathroom away from the crazy woman. Damn it. Damn it! I take a few deep breaths to calm myself as my confused audience watches. I almost hexed an innocent woman. Paralyzed her without a second thought. Who—

“Excuse me?” I spin around to find a waiter, sans tray, standing behind me. “Mrs. West? Lord Augustus requests your immediate presence in his box.”

Great. “Thank you. Tell him I’ll be there in a mom—”

“
Immediately
, madam. He was most insistent on that point.”

Merde
. We really can’t afford to anger him further. “Could you please do me a favor? In the salon at the bar, there is a very tall and thin American man. Will you please tell him I’m going?”

“Of course, madam.”

I nod at the waiter before continuing down the hall to a staircase. This cannot be good. I don’t think I’m in physical danger. Augustus won’t assault me without provocation and certainly not in public, at least I don’t think he will. At worst he could officially order us to leave, and since I’m here as a consort, I’d have to obey. In that case I’ll beg, get down on my hands and knees if necessary, pride be damned. I’m not leaving.
I’m not.
Not without seeing Asher, speaking to him. I am not leaving.

The Lord’s loyal subjects have thinned, off enjoying the night, when I return to box. Only a handful remain, including Augustus who is too busy feeding on a nubile redhead to notice my approach. I clear my throat, yet it takes another several seconds for him to realize I’m in the room. His hand remains up her skirt, but the vampire removes his mouth from her bleeding neck to scowl at my intrusion. “What?” he snaps.

“You wished to see me?”

“
You
? Why would I want to see you?”

“You didn’t …” That damn knot twists inside me so tight it takes effort not to double over.
Merde
. I make it three steps back the way I came before I notice Alain striding toward the box. Alone. I quickly bridge the gap between us.

“He summoned you as well?” Alain asks.

“No. Where’s Nathan?”

“Searching the ballroom for you. Augustus insisted I—”

I take off as fast as my heels can carry me past him. Alain returns to my side when I reach the main staircase. “I am sure he is fine. He
can
take care of himself, can he not?”

Not in the bar. Not in the hallway I was in earlier either.
No, no, no, no, no
… When we reach the ballroom, I can barely breathe from the panic leaking through my crumpling walls. One quick glance, and I can tell he isn’t here. No one’s tall enough. “You go right, I’ll go left. We’ll meet back at the bar in five.”

Alain moves right as instructed while I veer the opposite way. Nathan’s face isn’t the only person’s I search for. I check every waiter’s face to locate my messenger. Alain’s right, Nathan can take care of himself. I’ve seen him take on werewolves, pyrokinetics, even three ghouls at once and come out victorious. He’s fine. He
has
to be fine. We will find him. He’s fine. He’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine …

When I end up right back where I started, a few agonizing moments later I notice my hands are trembling. I ball them into fists as I hustle toward the bar. Alain
waits at the entrance. “I did not—”

“Go check the men’s bathrooms. I’ll wait here.”

Alain nods before carrying out his task. I’ll stay here. Nathan’ll search here too. He’s probably as worried about me as I am him. We shouldn’t have split up. I should have come to the bar with him. Stupid. So stupid. He’s fine though. He’s fine. He’s—

“My, have you aged.”

My head jerks to the side where a waitress stands with tray in hand. It takes my addled brain a moment to place her. Thick black framed glasses, platinum blonde hair in a pixie cut, baggy pants and white coat, but that cruel smile affixed to those sensual lips cannot be disguised. I’ve waited for this moment, chased it over two continents, rehearsed my speech to this bitch for a decade, but now it’s here … stinging bile rises into my throat, stopping my powers of speech. “And not well.”

Instinct takes over and I begin to raise my finger for a hex, but Christine grabs my wrist, squeezing so tight I moan in pain.“Before
you attempt anything else idiotic,” Christine whispers, “you should
know I just delivered your husband to our Asher. If I fail to return within five minutes, you shall become a widow. And just between us girls, black has never been your shade. So are you going to be a good little girl?” she asks with a sickening saccharine smile. I have no choice but to nod yes. She studies my face, trying to catch my eyes, but they remain downcast. “Excellent. Now, I have been watching you all night. I know Alain aids you, but is he your sole ally? Your husband’s life depends on my believing the answer to this next question. Who else have you enlisted? The police? INTERPOL? Byron?”

“No one else. I swear on my children’s lives. It’s just us. If it wasn’t
, they’d be advancing on you right now. You are technically assaulting me,” I say, nodding to her hand.

Christine scans the room for potential bogies, but of course finds none. Just disinterested aristocracy lost in their own little worlds. “Fair point,” she concedes. “However, please note, I wish nothing more than to plunge my fangs deep into your carotid and shower in your blood as death takes you. If you are lying, then Asher would not blame me one iota.”

“Then why not kill me now? Lie to him?”

She leans in to whisper, “Because you do not deserve a quick death, little girl. Because I wish to watch as you lose all you love. To watch as your mind cracks while I slaughter your husband, your children, your little dog too before you finally meet with an unfortunate accident when
I
deem your punishment over. I owe you all that and more for what you have done to that magnificent man.” She twists my wrist, literally bringing me down to my knees. “But patience is a virtue, no? My only one.” She releases me, and I let out the breath I held in a pant. The grin of hers returns, fueled by my misery. “Now, let’s not dilly-dally a moment longer. Someone is not getting any younger. You do look dreadful by the way. Perhaps he will not want you anymore.”

“You wish,” I growl as I rise.

Her grin drops. “Time to go,
hausfrau
.” She wraps her arm in mine. “You have kept him waiting long enough.”

Christine leads me out of the salon arm in arm as if we were
girlfriends strolling down Fifth Avenue on a shopping trip. No one
gives us a second glance as we move through the ballroom. Christine maneuvers me into another hallway, then a more isolated, narrow corridor. Two more twists and there’s not a soul in sight. Judging from the racks of costumes and props lining the passages, we’re backstage, but I can’t be sure. It’s so dark I can only see a foot or two ahead.

“Your husband is quite handsome, at least up close. Nice eyes. A definite downgrade without a doubt, but I suppose you could have done worse. In my experience, tall men are often hung like elephants. Perhaps I can persuade Asher to spare him, at least until I satiate my curiosity. If memory serves, you always did enjoy a good foursome, or at least pretended to. Does hubby like strange too? He must. Sex with you would be intolerably dull otherwise. I speak from experience.”

“And still Asher risked imprisonment and death to find
me
and not you,” I point out. “Imagine th—”

Something hard smashes into my stomach with the force of a plane crash. I not only double over, but puke the bile from earlier all over the floor. Shock gives way to intense pain through my muscles, my organs, even back to my spine. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe or gasp or hell even blink for a few seconds. “Well,
that
shut you up,” says Christine. “I must say I like you far better when you know your place.” I manage to take a breath. Another. Fresh tears fall when I attempt to straighten. Too soon. “Oh, you better hurry, little girl,” Christine chides in a little girl voice. “Three minutes left and counting. You know the importance Asher places on promptness.”