Chapter 1
Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
A burn hit the back of my throat as I almost snorted my vanilla latte through my nose when I caught a glimpse of Olivia’s T-shirt. Instead I choked and coughed as the PI firm’s door slid shut behind my partner with a soft whoosh over the doormat.
“You okay?” Olivia’s dark eyes looked more amused than concerned as she tugged off her blue New York Mets sweat jacket. She bypassed the two chairs in front of her desk and tossed her jacket next to her computer monitor. Her Sig Sauer was firmly in her shoulder holster.
The dark waves of her hair were swept up in a clip as usual, the style accentuating her high cheekbones and her beauty. A few strands had escaped from cool New York September breeze and she brushed them out of her eyes.
“You’d better be okay,” she said. “I’d hate to lose my partner and go back to working for Captain Leiferman, the NYPD’s finest jerkwad.”
“You’d just miss being around the Vamps.” I drummed my fingers on my polished desk made from beautiful wood a Dryad would eventually make me pay dearly for. “I saw you with that bloodsucker, Seth, at the Pit Saturday night.”
Worn blue jeans and the red T-shirt tightened against Olivia’s full curves as she plopped in her black leather chair behind her desk. She put her feet up on her desk and crossed her legs at her ankles, her Keds red to match today’s T-shirt.
Olivia leaned back in her chair and raised her arms, her skin like dark golden silk. She stretched her five foot two frame and tilted her head back before looking at me with eyes so dark brown they were almost black. With my enhanced Drow senses I caught her freesia perfume.
“Seth and I were only talking while we had a few drinks.” Her expression was one of total innocence when she added, “We’re not having sex until next Saturday night.”
This time I almost spit out my latte, only it would have spackled my cream Dior blouse. “Olivia—”
“I’m kidding.” She grinned as she settled herself in front of her wide-screen monitor and gel pad. “Sort of.”
“Sort of, my ass.”
Even though she was unassuming and down to earth, Olivia kept me guessing what she’d do next. She had a wit as sharp as a Drow blade and a bit of mischievousness that had gotten us both into trouble on a couple of occasions. Actually, mischievousness was too mild of a word.
Olivia’s mother was Kenyan, her father from Puerto Rico, and Olivia could speak several languages. Over the past year and a half since she’d become my partner, she’d even picked up quite a bit of Drow, especially the curse words that I used when I exploded over one thing or another.
She refused to wear anything designer and prided herself on hitting the sales racks at just the right time. She was jeans and cotton from bargain stores and the shirts usually had amusing sayings like the one she was wearing. Today’s was perfect considering all of the paranormal dangers that existed without most norms having a clue.
The T-shirt that worried me was one she wore once to the Pit—
There's too much blood in my alcohol system.
Those damn Vamps.
Where Olivia was sales rack, I was Neiman Marcus and designer all the way from my Hermes silk scarf to my Fendi crepe jacket and even my leather holster specially crafted by the Dark Elves that held my 9mm Kahr. A girl’s got to spoil herself when she can. And I don’t mind admitting it, being who I am, I was pretty spoiled already.
I brushed my fingers over my neckband that I wore as a concession to my father, so that any Drow male would know I’m a Princess. Which meant off-limits without the King’s permission, or off with the warrior’s head.
Like some kind of morbid fairytale.
And it wasn’t a bluff. One Drow male found out the hard way. Not that he was around anymore to complain about it.
I drew my slim XPhone from my favorite Dolce and Gabbana handbag that matched today’s outfit. “You’re human and you should be with some great-looking norm,” I said. “There are plenty of decent guys out there.” I made a sweeping gesture with one arm as if encompassing all of Manhattan before I pointed my finger at her. “But if you’re going to go for a paranorm, why not a nice Doppelganger? Preferably one without fangs and claws when he shifts. An Doppelganger beagle would be perfect.”
“Ha.” Olivia snorted. “Serving Purina Dog Chow for dinner isn’t in this girl’s future. Besides, Vamps are so hot,” she said with a totally serious expression even though I knew she was working to get a rise out of me. She so liked to give me a hard time.
The XPhone screen felt like cool gel beneath my index finger as I touched the screen and it lit up. I wrinkled my nose when I looked back up at her. “Vamps are actually pasty, creepy bloodsuckers. You just can’t see them hiding behind handsome glamours because you’re a norm.”
“We can’t all have gorgeous Elvin bosses we can screw just because we feel like it.” Olivia obviously enjoyed the sudden rush of red behind the heat in my cheeks. “So how is Rodán these days?”
“I’m not seeing him in that way anymore.” I cleared my throat. “He’s just my mentor and friend.”
“Ah.” Olivia nodded like she knew the exact reason. And of course she nailed it. “Detective Adam Boyd. You’ve had the hots for him since you met him. So why haven’t you done anything about it?”
The warmth in my face blossomed to my chest. “He’s human. Not so sure he’d be crazy about me if he saw me after dark.”
“Eh.” Olivia waved me off with a dismissive gesture. “Purple and blue are cool colors. He’ll be all over you once you give him a chance.”
“Amethyst, not purple.” I bit the inside of my cheek. If I let Adam see me change . . .
Somehow I knew he’d accept me for who I am, but there was still a part of me that couldn’t get over the reaction of the norm in my first serious relationship
My heart clenched for a moment. With Stan it hadn’t been worth the chance at all. I should never have—
Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. What difference did it make now?
The wheels of my office chair rattled over the ceramic tiled floor as I shifted so that I could set my XPhone on a clear space on my desk—which wasn’t easy considering the stacks of files, sticky notes, and pens littering it. Sometimes—make that often—I was too lazy to put the notes into my XPhone until later, so I had to scrounge.
“Tell me, what were you doing with Rodán last night?” Olivia casually examined her fingernails. “If you weren’t humping him.”
The only way to get Olivia off a subject she was enjoying was to change it with something more important.
“Rodán, the other Trackers, and I have been working on finding ways to get rid of these underling Demons before they kill anymore paranorms,” I said.
“Underling Demons?” Olivia swung her feet onto the floor, her expression intense. “You’re telling me there are worse Demons than the ones you’ve been facing?”
I sighed and nodded. “Rodán has it directly from the Great Guardian herself that this is only the beginning.”
“Just great.” Olivia scowled. “I imagine your all-powerful Guardian isn’t going to deign to help the Trackers.”
The way Olivia often spoke about the Great Guardian, she was lucky the GG didn’t bother with humans.
I, on the other hand, should have been worried considering I was just as bad if not worse than Olivia when it came to my frequent irreverent attitude toward the GG.
My partner settled herself and opened a file folder on her equally loaded desk. “Developments?”
The ache in my jaws when I clenched my teeth was great enough to shoot sharp pain to my forehead. Strands of my long, straight black hair slid over my silk blouse and against my cheek as I bent my head to rub my temples with my thumb and forefinger. “A group of Demons murdered—and ate—at least a dozen paranorms in Manhattan last night.”
“Oh, shit.” All traces of amusement left Olivia’s voice.
“Those weren’t the words I used.” No, I’d sworn in Drow, and if I hadn’t fought to keep control I would have created a maelstrom in Rodán’s conference chamber by releasing every one of my elemental powers at once.
Olivia folded her arms on her desk. “This is getting worse every day.”
“Yeah.” I leaned back in my chair and stared at the Drow weapons and warrior breastplates I’d mounted on the walls, reminders of home. “All of the Trackers met with Rodán early this morning after the night patrol of our territories.” I let my gaze drift from the weapons to meet Olivia’s dark eyes as I continued. “Rodán asked me to contact all of the local human liaisons and let them know what’s going on. And to see if they’ve had anything unusual pop up.”
“Like human-looking flesh-eating Demons.” Olivia touched the long gel keyboard in front of her that brought up files on her computer screen. “I’m sure the Demons have no problem fitting in with this big melting pot of a city.”
“At least they only come out around midnight.” Almost absently, I brushed my fingers again over the smooth lines of my choker with its runes that were invisible to humans. The choker had been crafted when I was a child, made from an alloy the Dark Elves mined. The alloy was imbued with elemental magic and more precious than human platinum.
Olivia continued frowning but had a distant look to her eyes. No doubt she was mulling over everything I had shared. Her sharp mind had helped us solve countless cases.
I let my thoughts drift to eliminating each Demon and focused again on the wall in front of my desk. Fine diamond-headed arrows in their quivers and bows fashioned from precious Dryad wood were braced on the wall. I could have used Drow arrows or a long-sword like any of the ones on my wall, but I preferred my weapons of choice which were better for close combat. The three feet long, two inch wide Drow-made dragon-claw daggers that had been designed just for me were perfect.
I drew my stylus from the slot at the side of the XPhone, my fingers pale against the navy blue of the device. “The Demons seem to have a taste for paranorms instead of humans. Like they want to eradicate the lot of us.”
Before I would head out, I’d use my stylus to scribble a few thoughts on my XPhone. It was easier for me to keep organized that way since I wrote in a Drow form of shorthand and had to translate. My friend Manny, the computer whiz, was working on a program to make that part of organizing my work easier by translating Drow into English.
“It’s time I helped you on the Demon thing.” Olivia’s gaze was clear when I met her gaze again. “Stop shielding me.”
“This case is too dangerous. We’ve never faced Demons before.” I’d never deliberately kept Olivia off a case before, but this one—I just couldn’t let her out there. I looked up at the ornate crown molding on the ceiling before meeting her gaze again. “It’s almost impossible to kill them.”
“Almost. That’s an important word.” Olivia frowned at me. “You keeping me out of this case is starting to piss me off, Nyx.”
“I’m serious.” I rubbed my temples again. “This is really bad. To get rid of a single Demon, a Tracker has to strike and pierce a small sack of blue fluid at the hollow of the Demon’s neck.”
I continued without giving her a chance to speak. “Even though they look human, it’s impossible to behead or injure any part a Demon’s body. They’re even fire-proof.” Which made my fire element power useless against them. “Only piercing that one vulnerable spot can kill these Demons.”
“You know I’m a perfect shot with my Sig.” Olivia touched her shoulder holster, just above her weapon. “I can nail them right where it hurts.”
“Guns aren’t good for close combat,” I said.
“I’ve got blades on me,” she said, “which are perfect for close encounters of the third kind.”
I wanted to yank my hair out in frustration. I didn’t want Olivia hurt. “This is not something like tracking down a missing Sprite, a Metamorph taking over a human, a rogue Were, or a Vamp gone bad.”
“Don’t patronize me.” Olivia’s eyes flashed and I knew I had a battle on my hands.
I sighed. “You know I’m not. I just worry.”
“Don’t.”
“I’ll talk with Rodán.” This was something I wasn’t going to win, but I could stall for time if I was lucky. “He’s the ‘word’ on these things.”
“You can get him to agree to anything.” Her expression lightened a little. “Just fuck it out of him.”
My cheeks went hot.
Since I’d started to get to know Adam, I had strayed away from sex with my lover and mentor, Rodán. He understood. He always understood me.
I avoided Olivia’s eyes as I retrieved my XPhone. “For now I’ve got to get a hold of the norm liaisons.”
“I’m not giving in on this,” she said.
“I know.”
Her voice turned teasing in an instant. “Bet I know which human liaison you’ll be calling first.” The glint was back in Olivia’s eyes when I looked up at her. “I’m sure Detective Boyd will be very happy to hear from you.”
Memories flashed through my mind of Stan, the human male I’d cared about before he learned my true nature. Months of a close relationship—during the day. Then all it took was one night, and he was gone.
I didn’t know if I could put my heart through pain like that again.
Chapter 2
A couple of hours later I was about to say to hell with speculation and phone calls for now when I looked at Olivia. She had her head cocked and was staring at the window of our entrance. “I really think our business sign needs a little more jazz.”
“Shhh.” I leaned back in my office chair and looked around like there might be a spy. “Nancy will spell your mouth shut if she hears you say that. Although that might not be such a bad idea.”
Olivia crumpled up a piece of paper on her desk and threw it at me. She would have nailed me in the forehead if I didn’t have such fast Drow reflexes.
I caught it, threw it back at her, and hit her in the chest. “Ha.”
A fellow Tracker, Nancy, had put a glamour on the entrance to the PI office and on our front window so humans wouldn’t notice our business. Pixies can be bitchy but are excellent with glamours.
In iridescent amethyst and sapphire, we had:
Nyx Ciar
Olivia DeSantos
Paranormal Crimes
Private Investigators
By appointment only
Ciar was in deference to my father whom I loved very much. Like Fae and Light Elves and just about any other being in Otherworld, Dark Elves don’t have last names—only the usual “Zan, son of Barth” kind of thing.
“What’s it been?” Olivia adjusted her bra strap that helped contain her melon-sized breasts. “Two years since you moved into this place and she put up the sign?”
“August, the day after my twenty fifth birthday.” When he’d recruited me, Rodán helped purchased the office space and the apartment above for me. I hadn’t had a clue what norms did for things like property, but my human mother had prepared me as much as she could before I left the Drow realm.
I got right to work when I was set up and ready to roll. Being the fast learner that I am, in no time I’d accumulated a lot of the knowledge and the tricks of the trade of being a PI.
I tried not to smile as I continued, “And after I was settled in, I had the misfortune of meeting you six months later.”
Olivia snapped her bra straps in place. “This place was a mess before you had the privilege of me coming to work as your partner.”
“Ha.” I looked down at my breasts which were small in comparison to Olivia’s. I hadn’t known they grew them as big as hers until I moved here from the Drow Realm. Elves and Fae—peaches in comparison. I looked back at her. “That Sprite would have had you singing Broadway show tunes if I hadn’t arrived. Before he fed you to his buddy, the Were.”
“I’ll let you have your delusions.” Olivia twisted a wisp of her dark hair that had escaped her clip. “I would have had them if you hadn’t interfered.”
Considering Olivia had a black belt in Karate, had been on NYPD’s SWAT team, and was kickass all the way, the Sprite hadn’t had a chance with her. The Were, though—that would have been tough, but Olivia was also a dead shot with her Sig.
My XPhone vibrated on the top of my desk and belted out “Walk this Way,” an old classic tune by Aerosmith, my current ringtone.
“Unknown” came up on the caller screen. “Nyx,” I answered.
“Are you going to be at the Pit tonight, chica?” Caprice said, one of my closest friends. “I am so hungry for one of Hector’s burgers.”
“I could really go for a martini right now. Extra dry.” I leaned back in my chair and imagined relaxing with my favorite drink. “Yeah, after the past twenty-four hours that’s just what I need.”
“Nadia’s going, too.” I could picture Caprice’s pretty hazel eyes and warm smile as she spoke. “We’ll meet up with you there.”
I looked at Olivia who nodded before I took my life in my own hands. “Olivia can’t stay away, so I’m sure she’ll be trying to pick up some paranorm.” Olivia grabbed a rubber band off of her desktop, made a slingshot, loaded it with an eraser, and aimed it at me. With a grin, I held up my hand to ward off Olivia’s revenge attack. “See you,”
After I pushed the off button on my XPhone, Olivia set the eraser and rubber band on her desktop. She always had a weapon and ammunition on hand, no matter the circumstances.
“Did you get a hold of Boyd?” she asked instead of pinging an eraser off my forehead. Or trying to.
I shook my head. Too bad Adam hadn’t answered his cell phone when I’d tried to reach him. “I left a message, but haven’t heard back.”
“I’m telling you, Nyx, the guy wants to jump your bones.” Olivia took a pencil from her holder and jotted down something on a sticky note in front of her instead of putting it in her XPhone. “Stop wasting time.”
“We’ll see.”
The door whooshed open and both Olivia and I looked up.
Detective Adam Boyd.
A combination of warmth and pleasure whirled in my belly. I smiled, trying not to let a silly grin cross my face. Adam was one of the few humans allowed to see Olivia’s and my PI office. To almost all other humans our office was invisible.
“Hey.” Adam shoved his hands in his well-worn brown bomber jacket and looked both glad to be here and kind of shy as his eyes met mine.
Damn, he was cute.
“Whoo-hoo,” Olivia said waving her hand in an “earth to Adam” kind of motion. “I’m here, too.”
I’m not sure, but I thought his cheeks might have flushed a little under his tan. “Hey, Olivia.”
She had one of her evil-mischievous looks on her face.
Uh-oh.
“You got my message?” I rushed to say before Olivia could open her Big Fat Mouth.
“Yeah.” There must have been a strong breeze outside which had tousled his sable hair adorably and he ran his hand over the short strands. His eyes, the color of dark brown alder wood, focused on me as he moved forward and took one of the chairs in front of my desk. He was a model of masculine grace and strength. “What’s up?” For a big guy, he had the cutest little smile when our eyes met and he had a dimple in his left cheek.
Insert schoolgirl sigh.
Did I mention he was gorgeous? In a typical guy way of sitting, he slouched his six-two frame in the chair, knees wide, feet planted on the floor. He was just as delicious as he was gorgeous—like a football quarterback.
I’d developed a taste for human football and I especially liked the shape and form of quarterbacks. Not too muscular, but toned and fit, intelligent and with a power all their own. And great asses.
Adam sure had a nice ass.
“Nyx?” Olivia said in a dangerously evil tone.
“Um, yeah.” I fidgeted with the stylus for my XPhone. “I wanted to know if you’ve seen anything strange.”
He raised one eyebrow. “As in paranormal strange?”
Olivia sniggered.
Of course Adam would have contacted me if he had. What an idiot I was.
“I meant—” What did I mean? I glanced at Olivia who, by the look on her face, must have been cooking up something devious in her mind. “We wanted to make sure you’re aware of what’s going on.”
“Pretty bad, huh?” He still had his hands stuffed in his bomber jacket. I liked his hands. Long fingered, a little callused, and strong.
I wet my lips. His gaze followed my tongue.
Dear Goddess.
What I’d like to do with Adam using my tongue . . .
Olivia interrupted my sudden fantasies and my face grew hot again. “Miss Tongue-tied here is trying to tell you about Demons that are killing paranorms.”
“Christ,” Adam said as his expression turned to cop-mode. “What are these Demons?”
She gave him the short version before she added, “We’ve had a hell of a day fielding calls from paranorms needing help finding family members,” she added. “We’ve never had so many missing persons calls.”
“It’s not easy telling the families about the Demons,” I said, “and the possibility the person they’re calling about might have encountered one. Or a few.” But we had to and we warned them to keep the rest of their families safe.
Adam shook his head. “I don’t handle missing persons cases, but I’ll check in the database at the precinct to see if they’ve had an increase and go from there.”
“That would be a big help.” I tried not to be distracted by the energy I felt between myself and Adam. “Olivia and I have taken down every person’s information and filed it electronically for now.” I rubbed my temples. “Goddess, there were so many calls today.”
“Have you been able to get the word out on a broader scope?” Adam asked. “Last I remember the paranorm communications system isn’t exactly up to date.”
“Considering most of the paranorm racial issues are even worse than norms,” Olivia said, “it’s a problem. Weres can’t stand Vamps who can’t stand Fae . . .” She looked at me. “Who don’t like Dark—”
I cut her off as fast as I could. Adam didn’t know what I am. “Rodán’s doing his best,” I hurried to say. “But some paranorms can’t come out during the day, so it’s asking a lot to tell them not to leave their homes at night, too.”
I’m lucky because my human half allows me to be in the sunshine unlike my Drow half. Dark Elves can’t tolerate daylight. I have the best of both worlds.
My skin started to tingle. Speaking of my Drow half. Damn.
“I’m sorry, Adam. I’ve got to run.” I scrambled to throw my XPhone into my purse and tug on my light Fendi jacket to hide my holstered 9mm Kahr.
Olivia smirked. “Time for presto-chango,” she said and I cut her a quick glare.
Adam was already standing but looked confused and I wanted to kill Olivia.
The tingling grew stronger. Crap. “I’m sorry, Adam. I’ve got an appointment I forgot about and I’m so late.” Really late.
I had to hold myself from a dead run as Adam hurried to catch up with me after he gave Olivia a quick “bye.”
Damn, damn, damn. Crap, crap, crap. I was going to “change” right in front of him. I could feel my hair prickling at the roots. Was my hair already turning blue? What about the color of my skin?
I charged out of the office and into the cool September evening and the breeze lifted my hair from my shoulders. “I’ve got to run up to my apartment real quick before I go,” I said to Adam. Bye.” I almost bolted for the stairs in my high-heeled Bergamots.
His “See you later,” sounded hesitant.
No blue hair. No blue hair. No blue hair. Please.
This was the closest I’d come to blowing everything and shifting into my Drow form in front of a human. A human I really, really liked and didn’t want to scare off.
Although I knew Adam wasn’t like that. He’d already seen his fair share of the things that went bump in the night. Still I didn’t want him to ever look at me any differently and if that meant not showing him my other side despite Olivia’s encouragement that’s what it would have to be for now.
I bolted past Mrs. Taylor on the stairs. She lived in the apartment below mine, along with her yappy Chihuahua, Terror. I didn’t pause to say “hi.” What if she saw me with blue hair?
I barely had time to get inside, slam my door, and strip before I started the transformation. My skin prickled even more as I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to relax and slow the pounding of my heart.
I’d made it. But I’d had to leave a confused Adam behind.
No, I couldn’t worry about him for now. I had other things to attend to now that darkness was almost here.
Fully naked, I stretched up on my toes, stretching taller than my five-eight height. Then I lowered myself and began to move like a cat in slow, sinuous movements. I loved the transformation of my body, my skin, and my hair into my Drow appearance.
My muscles grew tighter, stronger. My straight black hair shimmered into a luxurious cobalt blue that parted at my now pointed ears. The tone of my now softer and more sensitive skin eased into a shade that was like pale amethyst marble.
I shook out my slender but strong and sculpted Drow arms. My short incisors lowered and I touched one of the sharp points and cut my finger. When I pulled back, the dark red fluid stood out against the pale amethyst of my skin.
Every time I made the change, whether from human to Drow or Drow to human, I felt complete as if everything was as it was meant to be.
But it had been too much for Stan. Me. The real me.
Air brushed my bare flesh as I moved into my bedroom and then my walk-in closet where I slipped into a form fitting pair of Drow-made leather pants. I grabbed one of my black leather corsets off of a shelf and tugged the supple material on.
Stan and I had gotten so close and I’d cared for him so much that my heart still hurt to think about him. I clenched my fingers into a fist as I stared into the closet, not seeing anything but Stan in that moment. Blond, hazel eyes, a nice package all the way around, Stan had seemed like such a great guy.
I’d almost thought I was in love with him.
The black leather of my Night Tracker outfit was soft and sensual against my skin. I pulled some of my hair out of the corset’s straps then pushed all of my straight hair back, which fell past my shoulders.
I held several strands of my long, blue hair and stared at them. My eyes unfocused as I thought again about Stan. One night, after we’d been together for over six months, I’d finally decided he was ready for the truth. I’d told him and showed him. Showed him all of me.
That had been the beginning of the end. Stan had freaked out. Every word he’d said had been like a knife slicing my flesh.
Even now I flinched as the words cut into my thoughts.
“Lying bitch . . .
Blue haired freak . . .
Purple whore . . .”
He’d said so many things that I tried for a long time to push out of my mind and never quite could.
Immediately I’d used my air powers to try and erase thoughts of me from his mind, but we’d become too close, been together too long. I’d had to use my Drow strength to pin him down and keep him in his apartment while I called Rodán on my XPhone. It had taken Rodán’s powers to erase the human’s—Stan’s—mind so that he would forget everything about me.
Everything.
We couldn’t have Stan running around New York raving about purple women. Not that anyone would have believed him. But still, for his sanity and mine, taking his memories of me away had been our only choice. Rodán had planted another woman who looked like me in Stan’s mind, a woman who had just broken up with him and left. Then his other memories and emotions could remain intact.
When Rodán had finished erasing and replacing Stan’s memories, Rodán had found me curled in a corner by the front entryway. I’d been shivering, wanting to let out sobs that would never come. But the pain was there. Pain so great I didn’t know if I’d ever get past it.
But I had. Eventually. For the most part.
A very demanding growl came from the direction of the kitchen and I blinked. I was still staring at strands of my hair that I clenched with my fingers. Amethyst skinned fingers.
An extremely annoying yowl this time.
“Coming, your highness,” I said as I tugged on my feather light black knee-high Elvin boots. “Can’t make Kali wait, now can we?” I muttered to myself.
Because I’m Elvin, my boots didn’t make a whisper of a sound as I walked over the hardwood floor through the immaculate white and cobalt blue designer living room. I walked through the arched entryway into the spacious kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances, cherry wood cabinets, and brown marble countertops.
I’d hired an interior decorator who had made over every room in my apartment when I first came from the Drow Realm to work for Rodán. Since then I had a Shifter maid who kept my apartment spotless.
How could I afford all of this in New York City? I’m a Drow Princess and Dark Elves mine precious gems. I was loaded.
My blue Persian was sitting next to her food bowl with an imperious look on her features. Kali had been a gift from Rodán when she was a kitten. I think he found it amusing giving a blue-haired female a blue cat.
I used my best Italian mobster accent as I put my hand on my hip. “So I forgot to give you your Fancy Feast before I got dressed. Sue me.”
Kali glared and I knew my underwear drawer was in serious danger.
She had no sense of humor.
I grabbed a can of Kali’s favorite cat food out of the walk-in pantry and served it to her highness in her Waterford crystal Lismore champagne saucer. “You might think you own me,” I said to the cat, “but it’s the other way around.”
Sure it was.
Why did I ever name her after Shiva’s fierce and destructive Hindu wife? I must have been out of my mind. Kali had no problem living up to her name.
It was still early and there was no hurry to get to the Pit. I took a bottle of green tea out of the fridge and used my air element to create a glamour to disguise my appearance. I headed through a set of French doors and I stepped out of my living room onto my corner terrace, one of my favorite places. I lived on 104th and Central Park West and the views of the sunrises and sunsets from my terrace were spectacular. My place was in what had become a quirky, idiosyncratic neighborhood and artists’ community.
The tea bottle chilled my palm as I stared out in the near darkness and the glittering lights of Manhattan. What would it be like to be a norm with no fear of Demons or other paranorms that had to be kept in line?
“Dull.” I tipped back the bottle of green tea and swallowed the rest of it. My fangs clinked on the glass as the cold tea hit my belly and my stomach growled. “Who’d want to be a full norm, anyway?”
Inside my apartment, I strapped on my weapons belt and sheathing my dragon-claw daggers—Lightning and Thunder—and my double bladed oval buckler, Storm. I made sure the terrace doors and all of the windows in my apartment were locked and protected with my air element.
I almost forgot my XPhone, but remembered it when I took my 9mm out of my day holster. After I set my XPhone on vibrate, I put it in its clip on my weapons belt and holstered the Kahr close to the XPhone, near my daggers.
I left a treat for Kali in her dish in the kitchen, hoping to appease her. “Goodbye, your highness.”
Kali, as usual, gave me “the look” that told me how much she didn’t appreciate being left alone.
“Could you at least leave me a week’s worth of bras and thongs?” I said as I grabbed the doorknob. “I really don’t have time to go to Victoria’s this week.”
She responded by tilting her chin and looking away from me.
“I’m going to have to buy a safe just for my underwear,” I said with a grumble. Although she might find a way—I wondered sometimes if Rodán had given me a cat with magic. It would be like him to do that and not tell me.
I plunged into the night that still had the faintest lift to the darkness.
Immediately a horrible sensation churned in my belly and acid rose in my throat at the same time my heart started pounding. I clenched one arm to my abdomen and tried to shake off the feeling until I finally pulled myself together.
In those seconds I knew. I knew with everything I had that something was going to happen tonight. Something bad.
Chapter 3
Wind blew my hair into my face and eyes as I drove my black Corvette with the top down. The power of the sensation I’d had as I left my apartment wouldn’t leave me as I drove the few minutes to the Pit.
I’ve always been able to sense things happening in the moment, but I’d never had a precognition. Had I actually sensed the future and something really bad was going to happen tonight? Was there anything I could do about it?
Frustration encased me, as if I was one of the Demons and I was in their armor-like skin. The answer was easy. All I could do was be extra alert tonight. How could I warn the others when it was just a feeling and I wasn’t a Seer like the Magi?
I moved along with traffic until I neared the “haunted” Dakota building on 72nd Street and Central Park West. The Pit’s location was shielded with Rodán’s magic and New Yorkers and tourists never gave the entrance a second glance.
Like most supposedly haunted locations, the Dakota Building was just another place where centuries-old Brownies had their version of “fun” by scaring humans. The kids purported to haunt the building? Brownies at their best.
After I parked in the garage beneath the pit, I smoothed my windblown hair. I pushed the loose strands over my shoulders before getting out of my car and locking it. The closer I walked toward the Pit, the more relaxed I felt. The nightclub was a “safe place” for paranorms to gather. Nothing could touch any being in the Pit—paranorms or the few norms allowed. Rodán had the place well guarded inside and out. Between magic and muscle, it was covered.
If you pissed off Rodán, you’d never find the Pit again and you wouldn’t remember what part of the city it was in. If someone made him angry enough it was possible that person wouldn’t even remember his own name.
On the street level, I bypassed every being that was standing in line and made my way to the entrance. Hey, there are perks to being a Peacekeeper.
I reached the Animagi bouncer and smiled as Fred grinned at me. “Decide to take me up on dinner yet?”
No, I just couldn’t. To me he’d always be that sweet Golden Retriever I’d first met and played Frisbee with in Central Park. But when he’d shifted into human form, whoo-ha. Almost seven feet of solid muscle and killer good looks.
“I’ll call James and Derek and we’ll make a date for the Great Lawn in Central Park,” I said. “I’ll come with a basket of goodies and some milk bones,” I added with a wink him.
Fred laughed and waved me through the doorway. “Get your cute ass in there.”
Neon signs glowed from the walls in the darkened nightclub, reflecting off the beer glasses on tables around the bar. Soft black leather couches and chairs were arranged in corners and other strategic places that weren’t occupied by round high-tops or regular tables. Flashing colored lights on the dance floor were the only sources of illumination other than the neon signs.
Pipe smoke burned my eyes. The Pit, with all of its noise, the heat from so many bodies, and the myriad of smells, swallowed me. Music pounded through me like it was traveling from my toes to my scalp
