“If it has to do with my powers of mesmerization, I might not be as helpful as you think.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t mesmerize Claudia. Was it something you did in the protection spell? Maybe by protecting her from Ruxandra, you made her immune to my powers too?”
“I don’t think so…at least not on purpose. I used a piece of Ruxandra’s hair to represent any and all malevolent forces, but maybe one of yours wound up in the circle too. We did it in your office, after all.”
Anthony nodded absently. “Maybe. Or maybe it means I’m evil too.”
Kurt laughed. “You? Evil? You won’t even kill to live. How’s that chicken-blood diet, by the way?”
“Meh. But getting back to Claudia, is there any way you can fix what’s happening—or rather, not happening?”
“Other than removing the spell and doing it all over again?”
“Yes.”
“Then, no.”
“Shit. I don’t think your wizardry includes the power to erase memories, or does it? Otherwise you wouldn’t have needed a vampire when all hell broke loose at the bar last year, and you wouldn’t need me now.”
“Correct,” Kurt said. “I could freeze everyone in their tracks…at least all the humans. Then I need a vampire to wipe their minds.”
“Who did you use last year? Some day-walker?”
“Yeah. Nick knew him. Do you think he might be able to help?”
“Possibly. If I’m losing my touch, maybe he knows why.”
Suddenly a female voice he didn’t recognize came from around the corner near the upstairs landing. “Yes. Get in touch with him. You should have a competent vampire handy who can erase minds, seeing as how you’ve become useless.”
Anthony’s jaw dropped as a strange woman gracefully descended the stairs. She had long white hair and wore a full-length, filmy ivory robe belted in front with vines.
“I—I’ll call you back.” He dropped his cell phone into his jacket pocket without taking his eyes off the mysterious woman.
She paused one step above him. “Do you know who I am?”
He cleared his throat. “Mother Nature, I presume.”
“Good. You’ve heard of me. It gets so tedious having to explain that, yes, I really do exist. I am to be called Gaia or Goddess. I watch what’s happening on the earthly plain—when I feel like it,” she muttered. “Yada, yada, yada…”
“What are you doing here? I mean, why are you interested in me?”
She smirked. “I’ve been watching you for some time. Ever since you opened your little watering hole for paranormals.”
Anthony sucked in a breath. She’s been watching me for five years?
“Yes. I’ve been aware of your experiment,” she said as if she could read his mind. Now he was really unnerved.
Anthony stood his ground. “It’s helped diffuse the tensions between many shifters and vampires. I’d like to continue—”
“Hush. I’m not here to talk about your tea shop. It seems harmless enough. At least tea isn’t a fire accelerant.” She crossed her arms. “Is there somewhere more private where we can talk?”
“Hmmm…” He didn’t want to take her to his lair. It was bad enough that she knew where he worked.
At that moment, Claudia’s door opened and she stood there holding her coat and purse.
“Hey. You were supposed to wake me up.”
“Sorry. I got sidetracked.” He cast a quick glance toward Mother Nature. Suddenly she was wearing a sky-blue dress. Weird.
The goddess folded her arms. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
“Uh… This is Claudia. My…uh…” How can I protect Claudia from a deity’s interest and keep her off Gaia’s radar? Call her my tenant? My friend?
Claudia sighed deeply. “His girlfriend. Who’s this, Anthony? Another ex?”
“No. Nothing like that. This is…uh…”
Mother Nature rolled her eyes. “His business partner. I saw you at the tea room, but I didn’t know you were Anthony’s girlfriend.”
Anthony slipped his arm around Claudia’s waist. “We’ve been keeping things on the down-low. You know, since she’s dating the boss and everything.”
A light of recognition entered Claudia’s eyes. “Oh, I remember now. You were one of our first customers at our grand opening. Beautiful hat, by the way.”
“Thank you.”
An awkward moment ticked by. Anthony hoped that Mother Nature didn’t spill the beans about his being a vampire or that she was a goddess or that paranormals were frequenting the tea room. He’d have to tell Claudia at some point, but he’d hoped to wait until she had more sobriety under her belt. If anything could trigger the craving for a drink…
At last, Claudia shrugged. “Well, I’ve got to get going, or I’ll be late.” She shook Mother Nature’s hand, then kissed Anthony’s cheek and said, “G’night.”
“Wait. I want to go with you,” Anthony said.
Gaia jammed her hands on her hips. “You’re busy. You’ll see her later.”
Bloody hell. There wasn’t much he could do. Defying a goddess was probably a bad move. He’d just have to trust Kurt’s word that Claudia was protected by his spell.
Claudia turned, gave them both a confused look, then shook her head and left.
“Nice girl. So, where can we have that heart-to-heart?” Gaia asked.
Crap. If I’m in trouble with the powers that be, I might as well get it over with. “How about the office downstairs? I can get you a nice cup of tea.”
“Darjeeling,” she said. “No sugar. Light on the milk.” Then she passed him and descended the remaining stairs.
I must be nuts. I know Ruxandra is hot as hell, but do I really want that psycho babe transferring her obsession from Anthony to me?
Kurt looked at his watch, which wasn’t a watch at all. He had changed the analog dial to act as a homing device. Soon he’d be zeroing in on Ruxandra—and dusk would be descending on Boston.
Anthony had said that if anyone could “handle” Ruxandra, it would be Kurt. Now he wondered why the challenge had seemed so irresistible. What was he trying to prove?
Suddenly his watch hands pulled together and pointed in the same direction. He was close. The second hand was slightly off, pointing toward the eleven, so he adjusted his direction accordingly. At last, all three hands lined up. He gazed directly in front of him and faced a brick building in the Beacon Flats. Here?
How could a vampire afford to live in this part of Boston? Real estate in the Flats cost less than on the Hill, but it was still pricey for a woman who had no job. Or did she?
Kurt decided to hang back and observe. The streetlamp wove shadows with a few trees and nearby bushes, affording a spot where he couldn’t be seen, but that didn’t mean he was safe. Ruxandra could smell him. He tested the wind and found the best place to stand where her scent would travel toward him, not the other way around. Fortunately, she wore the same perfume all the time, and he’d know it anywhere. Not that he knew the name, but the fragrance was heavy with oriental spices.
A door leading to the building’s basement creaked and opened slightly. Kurt flattened himself next to the tree trunk and peered over his shoulder. A male voice said, “Thank you, mistress. Will there be anything else?”
The man came stumbling into view with Ruxandra right behind him, arm extended. It looked as if she had just pushed him toward the brick sidewalk.
“One more thing, whatever-your-name-is…”
“It’s Louis.”