Destined for Time Page 8

  Claire and Serafina were very similar in appearance which was funny when I thought about it since one woman was Dragon’s wife and the other was his mother. Prior to the night of the bombing they’d both had long, dark curly hair but Serafina’s had a hint of red making it mahogany instead of brunette. Serafina lost most of her hair in the fire that night but it was slowly growing back in. They were each about five-foot-six with fit bodies and generous curves. Claire appeared to be in her early thirties and preferred to dress like a fortune teller in frilly skirts and peasant blouses while Serafina looked a few years younger and usually wore jeans and casual shirts when she wasn’t working as a dancer here at the resort.

  “Well hello Rook, it’s so nice to see you today,” Claire greeted me as I sat down.

  “Good morning Claire,” I responded eyeing her suspiciously. She just looked back at me serenely which meant she was definitely up to something.

  Claire frequently saw visions of the future, sometimes centuries before the actual events would take place. She kept most of what she saw to herself and doled out just enough information to keep the rest of us on the paths she thought would turn out for the best. Her methods didn’t usually frustrate me because I understood what could happen to a timeline if someone made the slightest change in their behavior. But in this case I knew she’d seen something about me and it was driving me crazy not knowing what it was.

  With no hope that Claire would drop the cryptic act anytime soon I turned to Serafina. “Good morning Serafina and thank you for meeting me.”

  “Oh it’s no problem Rook, I’ve been wondering how you’re doing anyway so this will give us a chance to catch up. Solomon asked me to fill in as his assistant while Renee is out of town and there’s so much to do with The Gateway under reconstruction that I haven’t had much time for anything else,” Serafina said with a tired shake of her head. She was a few weeks pregnant with her and Dragon’s first child and keeping up with Renee’s responsibilities seemed to be taking a toll on her.

  “Renee was only supposed to be in Europe for two weeks while she filled in for Katerina as club manager at Supernova. Why didn’t she come home once Katerina returned from her vacation?” To my knowledge Renee and Solomon hadn’t been separated for this long since he met her and turned her into a vampire about thirty years ago. They weren’t romantically involved, but the two of them usually spent a lot of time together.

  Serafina shook her head. “I don’t know Rook. I asked Solomon about it but he wouldn’t give me a straight answer. Honestly I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Most of the time he seems fine but then I’ll find him in his office and he just seems so... distraught for lack of a better word.”

  My brows drew together in concern. “Have you spoken to Dragon about this?”

  “Yes, and when he asked Solomon what was going on he only said that he didn’t know when Renee was coming back and he was just having trouble adjusting to his fox being released after so long. I know some of the other nightshifters are still struggling with the return of their beasts, hell I’m still learning how to control my dragon, but Solomon wasn’t having any problems right after the spell broke so I don’t believe that’s what is going on.”

  Claire broke into the conversation at this point with, “Solomon has a long road ahead of him and I’m afraid his mental state will get worse before it gets better. Unfortunately, what ails him is not something any of us can help him cure. When the time comes, he will know what he must do to help himself.”

  Serafina rolled her eyes and laughed. “You know Claire; I’m starting to agree with Dragon. It is very frustrating when you say things like that without explaining them.”

  “You’ll get used to it dear,” Claire said with a motherly smile then her eyes moved to something over my left shoulder.

  When I glanced back I groaned and suddenly understood why Claire was here. Angela approached our table hesitantly, obviously not expecting me to be there and I turned to glare accusingly at the women already seated with me. Serafina mouthed an apology and Claire gave me her serene smile again. Now I was starting to agree with Dragon.

  Psychics!

  “Why don’t you have a seat dear, we were just about to order,” Claire greeted Angela who sat down beside me in the only empty chair.

  “Um, thank you for inviting me, but I had expected to meet with you and Serafina,” Angela said with a nervous glance at me from the corner of her eye.

  “Spending time with Claire will teach you to expect nothing except the unexpected,” I told Angela honestly with a hard look at Claire. I guess I didn’t need to ask for advice about how to proceed with Angela. I was going to get help whether I wanted it or not.

  Serafina cleared her throat. “Rook called me when he woke up a little while ago and asked if I would meet him for breakfast. Since we were already meeting you here I didn’t see the harm in meeting with him as well.”

  “Breakfast?” Angela asked incredulously. “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon.”

  “Most of us here are night dwelling creatures dear,” Claire reminded Angela kindly. “That’s why this restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner no matter what time of the day or night it is.”

  Angela glanced around the table. “Oh. I guess I hadn’t really thought about that.”

  “It’s fine dear and that’s why we asked you here today. You’ve been introduced to our world but you still don’t really understand it. We thought you might like to finally have some of your questions answered,” Claire explained.

  “Sometimes I’m not sure if I really want to know any more than I already do, like maybe I’d be better off pretending the night of the bombing never happened,” Angela said and it felt like I’d been sucker punched. Her eyes flicked to mine for a second then she looked down at her lap where her hands were wringing together. “But deep down I know I wouldn’t be able to live with that decision. I need to know more because I’ll never be able to just walk away and forget.”

  I couldn’t stop myself. I reached out and brushed my knuckles down the side of her face. The first contact startled her then she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. “Angela...”

  She shook her head with her eyes still closed. “Please Rook, not now, not yet. Just give me a little more time.”

  I took a moment letting my eyes travel over her beautiful features then I pulled back and gave her the room she needed. “How about we all decide what we’re going to order now because I for one am starving.”

  Angela opened her eyes and gave me a grateful smile before going over her menu. Once we’d all ordered and the waitress delivered our drinks Claire said, “Rook, why don’t you explain to Angela why we opened Myths and Legends.”

  I was still trying to figure out what Claire was up to but decided I may as well play along. Looking at Angela I started with, “First you should understand that supernaturals in general are predatory beings. Demons, vampires, shapeshifters, most of them live to hunt, just to different degrees. The big difference is where they draw the line on what they’re willing to hunt.

  Unfortunately, being unwilling to hunt humans is often seen as a weakness that leads to you becoming the hunted. That’s one of the reasons Dragon opened Myths and Legends along with several other resorts and clubs around the world. We offer safe havens to supernaturals that are tired of being preyed upon because they want to be a little more human and a lot less monster. If it weren’t for these places most of the people we employ would’ve been slaughtered years ago. Dragon offers them protection in return for their loyalty. Of course there are blood oaths involved to help fight against infiltration by spies for groups like the one Travali runs in New Orleans.”

  “Blood oaths?” Angela asked. “Is that what Dragon meant when he said you were bound to him by blood and magic?”

  “Yes, but the oaths I have sworn to protect Dragon and his mate are more extreme than the typical blood oaths used to bind allies or swear fealty. My oaths to Dragon are unbreakable and they
compel me to protect him and Serafina at all costs. But I’d do it without the oaths because Dragon has proven time after time to be worthy of my loyalty.”

  The waitress arrived and served our orders making sure we had everything we needed before she left us to enjoy our meals.

  “So what’s another reason for opening this resort? I mean, you said safety was only one reason,” Angela asked as she salted her fries and added extra ketchup to her cheeseburger.

  I shrugged, “The theme of this resort lets us hide all the supernatural strangeness that goes on around here without actually having to hide it. Then there are always the feeding possibilities.”

  Angela raised her eyebrows at me while she chewed her food.

  “Vampires need to drink blood, sex demons need to absorb lust, empathy demons feed off emotions; about half of all the supernatural races need some kind of sustenance that humans can provide. If they all take a sip here and there none of their donors are harmed. Having a constantly changing supply of humans ensures no one donates too often,” I explained before digging into my fiesta omelet.

  “That sounds a lot like all of you are preying on unsuspecting humans,” Angela commented, her voice edged with disapproval. “Just because they’re still alive when it’s over doesn’t make it right.”

  Serafina chuckled as she finished her milk and set the glass on the table. “Take it from someone who was recently one of them, the humans get a lot out of the arrangement too.”

  Angela narrowed her eyes. “How so?”

  Serafina pursed her lips for a second. “Well, it’s a little personal, but when vampires feed they feel intense lust and they can share those feelings with their donors.”

  I laughed, “Why don’t you just be honest with her Serafina. Vampires can give you the best, most mind-blowing orgasms you’ll ever experience without ever touching you sexually.”

  Serafina laughed. “Well that’s one way of putting it. Then of course there’s Mystique.”

  I smiled at Angela with her wide eyes and red cheeks, and asked, “Have you ever been in Mystique?” Her cheeks reddened further and I took that as a yes. “Do you know why you felt that amazing rush of desire when you walked into that dance club?”

  She swallowed hard and shook her head.

  “Most of the dancers in Mystique are sex demons and the pheromones they emit act like an aphrodisiac that works particularly well on humans. That’s why at any given time there are at least two couples having sex right on the dance floor and the private party rooms lining the walls have waiting lists. We try to watch out for the newbies but there are plenty of regulars who keep coming back for more. And while all the humans are fucking their brains out the sex demons are getting their fill of lust in the air.”

  Angela shivered and leaned back in her chair. “I walked in that place one time and walked right back out. I’d heard rumors about it and I thought it all sounded highly illegal, but once I felt that sexual pull I decided someone else could take care of any arrests that needed to be made.” She eyed me speculatively. “Do you go to Mystique often?”

  The thought of taking Angela to Mystique was enough to make me hard and my voice was deeper when I responded. “I don’t go there often, but I do on occasion. The effects of the pheromones aren’t as strong on supernaturals though. I mean we feel it, but we can normally still think rationally if we need to. The same can’t always be said for humans.” I paused to sip my orange juice then added, “Maybe someday you and I could go there together.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and I knew she was thinking about what that would be like. Her heart beat a little faster and I smelled her arousal in the air.

  Claire cleared her throat as she stirred her tea. “Perhaps the two of you should visit Lilith’s Lounge sometime with Serafina and Donovan. It’s a nice place with good music and the New Orleans atmosphere is a lot less overwhelming than the sexual frenzy in Mystique.”

  “Perhaps someday,” Angela replied, with a nervous glance in my direction. Then she said, “You know, even with all the weird complaints about this place I’ve investigated over the years, I never imagined any of those stories could be real.”

  “I know exactly how you feel. I spent hours reading the myths and legends displayed all over the walls of this resort when I first arrived here. When I found out all those stories were true it was a bit overwhelming. Just imagine waking up with this on your body after one night of really spectacular sex with a man you barely know,” Serafina said with a laugh.

  She held out her arms to show Angela what appeared to be claw mark tattoos spiraling up her arms revealing red and black dragon scales under her flesh. The colors were so vibrant they seemed to glow.

  Angela’ eyes widened and Serafina continued, “It’s a mating mark, not a tattoo. The first time shapeshifters have sex with their mates the mating mark appears on both their bodies. There’s more claw marks on my back with a dragon’s eye peeking out from under them.”

  “What did you do?” Angela asked.

  “I freaked out of course,” Serafina smiled and shook her head. “I asked Dragon for some time and space but it didn’t take me long to realize my place was by his side even if I did feel like I was suddenly living in an alternate dimension.”

  Angela glanced at me then and seemed to really consider what Serafina had to say while she ate her food. I’d been upset with Claire when Angela showed up and it felt like I’d been ambushed, but the more I watched Angela relax I was thankful for Claire’s intervention. Maybe learning about my world would make it easier for Angela to join me in it.

  We finished our meals while the women talked and laughed. I mostly stayed quiet listening to their conversation and watching Angela become more confident by the minute. She was normally so sure of herself, dominant and commanding when she needed to be, but I’d seen her softer side as well, and on rare occasions she’d shown me vulnerability. It was only since the bombing that I’d seen her nervous and insecure. It didn’t suite her and I was happy to see her strength and confidence returning.

  When the last dish was cleared Serafina asked Angela if she was ready to head over to the spa.

  “Oh yes, I’m looking forward to that massage you suggested.” Angela replied brightly.

  I glanced at Claire and didn’t like the gleam in her eyes one bit.

  “Angela, if you don’t mind I’d like to have Rook escort you to the spa and introduce you to Camila,” Claire said with her most serene smile. “With The Gateway still under construction we’ve set up a stage on the beach and I’m planning a few shows during spring break. I’d like to go over some ideas with Serafina and Solomon if we can catch him in his office.”

  I held my breath waiting for her answer. On one hand I feared Angela might think my sessions with Camila were a bit obsessive. On the other hand I thought Camila’s magic was just what Angela needed right about now.

  Angela looked between me and Claire then shrugged. “I don’t mind if it’s okay with him.”

  I let out the breath I’d been holding and smiled as I rose from my chair. “I would love to introduce you to Camila.”

  Angela eyed me curiously but stood and said goodbye to the other women. When Angela wasn’t looking I mouthed a thank you to Claire and she winked in return. Serafina wished us well then we headed over to the spa.

  Along the way Angela asked, “What was all that about back there?”

  “That was Claire being Claire. If you spend enough time around her you’ll get used to it.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “That doesn’t really explain anything.”

  We were in front of the spa and I smiled at her. “No, it doesn’t, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” She started to say something else but I put my finger over her lips until she was quiet. “Trust me, nothing here will hurt you.”

  She stood there for a moment biting the inside of her lip then said, “I trust you Rook.”

  I wanted to kiss her so badly but it wasn’t time
for that yet. “Thank you Angela, that means a lot to me,” I told her honestly. Then I opened the door and prayed to the Goddess that this turned out the way I hoped it would.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Rook held the glass door open so I could enter the waiting area for the spa then he followed me inside. The room was dimly lit with comfortable armchairs and a hostess serving drinks and light snacks. I heard the soothing sound of running water and glanced around until I found a large rock formation in the corner with water running down its sides. Rook led me to the front desk and told the woman behind it that I was here for my massage.

  While the receptionist spoke to someone on the phone to confirm they were ready for me Rook asked, “Do you have plans for after your massage?”

  “I have to go back to work. I’m only here now because Claire called and told my lieutenant that she’s been having visions that might help us catch the Red Light Vampire.” I rolled my eyes and Rook chuckled. “Lieutenant Taggert doesn’t believe in psychic visions but she thought maybe Claire was ready to turn on the rest of you. I’ve always thought the lieutenant was a bit overzealous in her search for evidence against you and everyone else here, but lately she’s acting just like those religious nuts who like to protest in front of the resort.”

  Rook leaned back against the wall with one ankle crossed over the other. “I have to admit, I was surprised you accepted an invitation for lunch from anyone here at the resort, but even more so that you agreed to get a massage here.”

  “The lieutenant wanted me to find out what Claire had to say and Claire wanted me to have lunch and a massage.” With a shrug of my shoulders I said, “I figured, what the hell? I may as well get something out of this trip to the resort.”