CHAPTER 5

 

 

 

 

 

She’d never know how her life might have been if peer pressure hadn’t sent her into the occult store all those years ago. Poor Ben. He’d done everything he could beforehand. Afterward, when she’d shut herself off from the rest of her class, when she hardly got out of bed, he was the only one who still called.

She should have listened to him when he told her not to be stupid. Definitely should have listened when he tried to warn her against opening the spell book. High school was hard enough without the added stress of supernatural burdens.

It didn’t help that, for the moment, she was stuck in a minimum-wage position trying to keep up pretenses.

Lavinia was lost in thought, carefully stacking boxes of index cards on the back shelf.

“Weren’t you supposed to be off at four today?” a voice asked.

Her whole body jerked at the sound and the box she was about to set down flew into the air. Her coworker Brenda stood a few feet away, close enough to touch. Lavinia hadn’t even heard the other woman walk up. Boy, was she out of it.

“I was supposed to be,” she answered. “Unfortunately, I had nowhere else to go so I decided to stay. Don’t even tell me how sad it is. I know.”

Crouching down, Brenda helped her retrieve the shower of index cards now spread across the floor in cheerful rainbow colors. Following a brief smile to acknowledge the help, Lavinia turned her gaze to the work.

“I’m not going to say it’s sad,” Brenda replied. “You already know. You keep telling me no when I offer to have a girl’s night. In a few choice words, I might add.”

Brenda was the closest thing Lavinia had to a friend. A human friend. A human friend whom she specifically kept at arms’ length for fear of discovery. Which meant that interactions were limited to work and little else.

“I’m sorry, okay? You know what I’m dealing with at home. It doesn’t exactly put me in a good position to relax.”

“So what do you do?”

“To relax? I come to work.”

Brenda shot her a skeptical look. “All you ever do is work. For once I’d like to hear that you’re out enjoying yourself.”

“You don’t find this enjoyable?” Lavinia gestured toward the cards.

“Not by a mile. I’d rather be eaten by a great white shark than continue to work here.”

“Aw, I thought you loved it.”

“I love eating. I love being able to afford to go to the laundromat and wash my clothes. You know. The kind of things that make life worth living.”

“Ramen noodles?”

She nodded. “You get me.”

“Ladies!”

Lavinia turned and glanced over her shoulder at the person who had called out. Her boss. He stood in front of a mountain of boxes labeled LEMON FRESH, holding his arms out wide and tapping his foot in rhythm to the music in his head. The man thought he owned his staff, and believed they should all be grateful for the opportunity to work for him.

“Back to work.”

It was the same thing every day, Lavinia thought as she walked the block and a half to her apartment. It had been the same thing since she’d managed to graduate high school and life inserted her into the repetitive cycle. Work, home, sleep. It would be her eternity.

It was safe at the Home and Gift Store. It was a menial job working for a crap boss, and it was the same kind of job Lavinia had had from the time she turned sixteen and her mother told her to earn her money the old-fashioned way. Or else. It was a way to maintain her ordinariness in a world where she felt like she couldn’t keep up.

Here she was, eight years deep into her new life, and she could feel the world conspiring against her. Hellacious beings out there lurking and ready to make a mess. She had to do something, because the way she saw it, there were two choices: (A) She would continue to be attacked by anything and everything. On the other hand, (B) she would die of boredom trying to pretend. Trying to recapture an eventuality that had been lost to her.

It gave a girl a lot to think about.

She turned a corner and took a key ring out of her pocket. Once upon a time, she’d lived in a small town just outside of Asheville, her house several miles beyond town limits and nestled deep in the gloom of a pine forest. Their old family home was a neatly restored colonial with two-color stories dating back to the early 1900s. Her mother had wanted it painted orange, the color of the sun setting over the hills. Too much for the entire house, though, so in the end, they’d settled on her mother’s orange for the lower story and a creamy yellow for the upper. It worked.

Lavinia missed that house like crazy.

Keeping an eye out over her shoulder for any strange activity, she quickly unlocked the apartment building entrance door and hustled inside. Made sure to check the hallway and the street level again before locking the door behind her. One could never be too careful.

She hurried up the short flight of stairs to the second floor and paused outside her apartment door, key at the ready. Alert for any suspicious sound, Lavinia hastily dispatched the three deadbolts. Another quick glance around before dashing inside and firmly closing the door, making sure all the locks were again engaged. Only then could she let out a breath and relax.

“Mom, I’m home.” It was an unnecessary greeting. Her mother no longer cared. Or understood. The woman didn’t remember her own name.

For a split second, staring across the living room at the chair she’d positioned beneath the window—to see the trees better—it was as if Lavinia didn’t really live here. She felt like a stranger coming into someone else’s time and space. Her mother looked at her that way, too. Like a stranger. Like they didn’t belong in the same room and hadn’t spent the last twenty-six years together.

It had fallen on Lavinia’s shoulders to take responsibility. Her father was gone, off in some other state with another woman who could “give him what he wanted.” Her brother had passed away fighting monsters in Iraq—the flesh and blood kind that didn’t need glamour to appear average. Sometimes she wondered what he would have said if he saw her like this. Living like a cockroach in a hole and doing her best to survive.

The problem was, she wasn’t average. She wasn’t ordinary. She was something extraordinary that no one had ever seen before. So why couldn’t she pull herself up? What good were magic or visions if she couldn’t use them to help someone she cared about?

“Momma,” Lavinia greeted again. “How are you feeling today?”

No answer.

It was the same every day. It had been the same since her mother developed dementia in the last decade. Worse since dementia developed into full-blown Alzheimer’s disease.

She didn’t expect to be recognized. She didn’t expect a conversation or questions about her job, her friends, her personal life. She was lucky if she got a blink in reaction.

Lavinia sighed and set her purse down. “Let me tell you about the week I’ve had.”

 

**

 

“Tell me you love me.”

Pike grinned. Hopefully, she believed him when he said those three paltry words. It was his number one priority, to make sure she believed him. “Oh, love. You know how I feel about you.”

“But I want to hear you say it.”

His Monday and Saturday bird might have thought herself cute. She gave him a pout designed to get her way. Accompanied by a small bite on her lower lip, and he should have been putty in her hands. With long reddish-brown hair, round eyes, and just enough cleavage to tip his interest, she was attractive. A delicious feast.

He never let the situation get away from him. Poor thing. The deeper she fell for him, the less he gave. And had no qualms about taking whatever he could get. It was in his nature.

“I know you do. I know.”

His lips descended for a kiss on the top of her head. His reward? A purr in the back of the throat before she stood. Stretching in just such a way as to give him an unimpeded view of her breasts. It was chilly inside the house and he appreciated her body’s reaction.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, pointing over her shoulder. “I got a bottle of champagne in the fridge.”

“Champagne? For me?”

“Anything you want, Pikey-Poo.”

He turned the grimace into a grin at the nickname. “I’ll have a bit. Sure.”

He knew the answer would please her. His Monday and Saturday bird shot him a megawatt smile before swiveling around on her legs-for-days. She was a nice enough person and fulfilling in many ways. Eager to please. Perhaps he would keep her around a little longer.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. With the bird distracted in the other room, Pike spared a glance at his screen. And cringed.

 

U owe $. Pay now. Or elz. Last text.

 

Rat shifters weren’t exactly known for their spelling abilities. Yes, he owed them money. Too much money. Valedictorians they weren’t, but great with cash? Absolutely.

He’d borrowed a bit last August on a spur of the moment trip to the nearest casino with his Tuesday/Sunday girl. He thought she’d be lucky. The woman was an accountant, after all, and won more on scratch-offs than anyone he knew. However, it seemed her luck extended only to scratch-offs. Slot machines and blackjack tables were her undoing.

Now Pike was in the hole with the shifters.

God, they were nasty buggers. Sneaky plonkers. More than that, they were dangerous. They’d slit your throat before you ever heard—or smelled—them coming. If they said this was his last warning, then it was time to get off his ass and fix the problem before they decided to come after him. He’d lose his golden geese, which he’d worked too hard to acquire. Left to their devices, the rats would whittle their way into his affairs and he’d be left with no one. Save Lavinia.

His mind immediately shifted to a more desirable topic. He’d pushed the deadline long enough to know the shifters were serious. If he didn’t take care of the money tonight, there would be hell to pay. This would be a perfect opportunity to teach Lavinia another aspect of their world.

Oh, he would pay extra to see her strangle Herb, the literal rat in charge. God. Herb. He was a nasty piece of work, that one.

Pike glanced up from staring at his phone. His bird was still in the kitchen, humming something sweet under her breath. The champagne cork popped and he heard the bubbles exploding through the neck of the bottle.

“Sweeting,” he called out. “I’m so sorry to do this, but I have to run.”

Her head popped around the corner. This time, her pout was genuine. “Are you serious? I hardly get to see you and now you’re going? We had a date tonight.”

He rose and dusted off the seat of his pants before fixing her with a smile. The sort of crooked grin designed to make her heart beat faster and leap in response. He heard it, a reward for his less-than-hard work. “I’m going to make it up to you. I promise.”

“You always say that.”

“Come here.” He crooked a finger that had her stepping forward without hesitation. “You know I’m good for it.”

“I know,” she murmured.

“I might be back later. With a surprise.” He took hold of her palms and brought them up, kissing the insides of her wrists one after the other. “Okay?”

Her answer was slow. “Okay.”

It took another ten minutes for him to exit the house amidst a flurry of kisses. Pike took a deep breath and the cool night air shot down into his lungs. He placed a call, and after another thirty minutes, Lavinia stood in front of him.

It was very different from the cozy situation he’d just left behind. The wind lashed around him and settled a chill in his bones. Lavinia choked on her hair when a gust took it from behind her ear straight into her mouth. For the first time, Pike wondered why. Why he’d had such a pressing need to leave good conversation and good food to pay a bill. With an entirely different woman by his side. And why he’d decided to bring Lavinia along with him in the first place.

“You want to tell me what’s so important you got me out of bed?” she asked.

The energy radiating from her voice, her body, was better than any drug. Pike wanted to draw it into him and keep it there. Ah, yes. That certainly helped. “You were in bed?” He glanced at his watch: a little after nine pm. “At this hour?”

She shrugged, keeping her arms crossed. “So what? I like to be asleep by nine.”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other then ushered her down the street. “Listen, I have nothing against beauty rest, but you don’t need any.”

“You are so full of it.” She squinted at him and seemed to anticipate his grin.

“That I am.”

“Tell me where we’re going. And why you made me wear cargo pants.”

“It gets dirty in the sewers.”

Her eyes popped out of her head. Not literally, but close enough. “We’re going where?”

The answer soured on his tongue as he stared down at the storm grate next to the sidewalk he knew to be the entrance to the rats’ lair. He raked his fingers through his hair. “Didn’t I tell you on the phone? I owe some people some money. It’s time to pay up.”

“You brought me because of my fabulous people skills and ability to stay level-headed if the situation worsens? Or because you wanted to see me up to my knees in literal shit? Which one is it?”

“These guys are crapbags,” he said. “You need to learn.”

Instead of showing fear and apprehension the way he’d thought she would, Lavinia nodded. She made a show of cracking her knuckles one hand at a time. She was damn adorable, topping five-foot-four in chunky boots and hardly strong enough to strangle a bunny. “Sure, okay. You need me to kick a little ass for you. I got the memo. I’m totally prepared.”

A nameless flicker of unease ran down his spine when he looked again at the grate. “Exactly.” He used his toe to kick the grate to the side. “Ladies first.”

“It’s always ladies first when something disgusting is involved. Guarantee if we went to a nice place, I’d be the one holding the door open for you.” Still cringing, she got down on her knees to inspect the gate.

“At least you would look good doing it!” he countered.

Sewer gas burst through the opening in an acrid gust of warm air. It ruffled her hair and caused her eyes to water. Pike wondered if she knew how gorgeous she looked, even surrounded by garbage.

“This grate is heavy, love.” He kicked the metal further away from the opening and listened to it clang. “Shall we hurry?”

With another nasty glance in his direction, letting him know he was worse than the smell of the gas, Lavinia let her body slip through the hole, disappearing into the darkness.

He took a deep breath before following her down. Rat shifters weren’t pleasant to deal with when they were in their human form, and human form usually meant they were above ground during any contact. Now he was approaching them on their home turf. Which meant slimy tails, crusty fur, and of course shit water. Why they couldn’t find a nice warehouse or something to use as a base of operation he would never understand.

Lavinia reached the landing first, her fingers slipping on the ladder rung and her boots flopping down with a squelch in a puddle of god-knew-what. “Is it too late to face the succubus again?” She held up a knee to show him the muck slicking along her pants. “This is ridiculous.”

“I thought you wanted to learn,” he joked.

“I thought that meant, you know, sitting at a desk. Taking a test with multiple-choice questions or something like that. Not sloshing through the sewer because you owe money. At least tell me you brought the cash.”

“’I’ve got the cash. And you.”

“What, like I’m your trump card?”

“You’re my ace if things go wrong. They won’t be able to resist your scent.”

“I highly doubt they’ll be able to smell me down here.”

“Here.” Pike dug around in his pocket and brought out a slim silver chain. “Wear this and don’t take it off until I say so.”

“Why?” She eyed the piece skeptically. “What is this for?”

“It’s going to mask your smell.”

Her eyes lit when he placed the necklace around her head. “A masking spell.”

“It wears off after an hour,” he warned. “This isn’t a permanent fix.”

She sighed. “I know it isn’t.”

“Just follow me.”

He moved past her and took them down a tunnel to the left, making sure to keep a close watch on Lavinia. Physical contact if necessary. Yes, physical contact, he thought as he took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. The sewers were a labyrinth. If she got lost or took one wrong turn, then it would take a miracle to find her again.

“So how much do you owe these guys?” she asked.

“Late payment and compounded interest? More than your rent.”

“More than my rent,” she repeated. Almost like she didn’t believe it. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought you had enough money to buy my apartment ten times over.”

“Well, I might have exaggerated just a bit. Needless to say,” he ducked his head through a small opening and gave her hand a tug, “payment is due.”

It took them another fifteen minutes of twists and turns to find the den. It was a circular open room with damp walls. Live rats that had nothing to do with their shifter counterparts scurried around the walls with twitching whiskers. Disgusting creatures. The air echoed with the sounds of scrabbling claws.

“Radclyffe? Is that you?”

Lavinia froze at the sound of the trembling alto. Pike drew her closer and kept his hand on hers, squeezing. Four figures stood in the dim light with legs half bent in an unnatural direction. Though they were in human form, long naked tails curved out of their pants and around their legs.

Pike spared a glance at the shaking woman at his side. This was the first time she’d seen a shifter on their turf. None made quite the impression of the rats, with their beady black eyes. Their claw-like hands.

He struggled to control his own rapidly beating heart among the hissing laughs. “Herb. Gentlemen. Oh, and lady. Let’s not forget the lady.”

“What is this you’ve brought?” The speaker stepped forward and stared up at them. The hair on his head twitched, the color of grayish-brown fur. Herb strode past his comrades and held out a hand. Stopping a couple of feet away from them. “Bring her to me.”

Lavinia swallowed loud enough for him to hear. “I’d rather not.”

“She smells delicious.” Herb leaned back his head and sniffed the air. “Is that a masking spell? Pike, what are you trying to hide?”

“None of your business. She’s not here for you. Just a casual observer. I’m ready to pay up.” He went for his wallet. “In full.”

The shifter stroked a hand through his hair and gestured with his chin. “Grab it.”

Two men moved toward them through the mire. The one on the left squealed. Lavinia nearly leaped through her skin.

“It’s okay,” Pike soothed. “Nothing to fear.”

“Oh, she has plenty to fear. All it would take is a little scratch to have her on the floor, bones snapping.” Herb seemed to delight in the image. “She’d make a grade-A shifter. And so beautiful.”

When Pike spoke again, his tone was sharp. “That’s enough.” Lavinia pressed closer, as if she could sink into him and disappear.

The nearest shifter crept close enough to take the outstretched wad of cash. Pike wondered if Lavinia could see the intelligence in their eyes. The humanity despite their appearance. Sure, these guys were the scourge of the were world, but they weren’t animals, if one ignored the four-inch-long yellow incisors with razor edges and lips pulled back in a half snarl, half smile. They had decent characters as well, as long as you were on the right side of a deal.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” Pike bent at the waist in a curt bow. “It’s all there.”

Herb glanced his way when the cash fell into his palm. “This isn’t a trust situation, Radclyffe. This is business.”

“You have no reason not to trust me. I’ve been a loyal patron for years. Decades.”

“Decades it may be. However, we’ve survived this long by being smart. Counting a payment is a smart practice.”

“So suspicious.” He ignored the wide-eyed look Lavinia shot in his direction, the questions written across her face. She only knew what little he’d told her about his past. This amounted to nothing in the grand scheme. Here was proof of his life, outside witnesses with insight she didn’t have. She wanted answers he wasn’t ready to give.

“How about you throw her in tonight?” Herb swung his chin in Lavinia’s direction. “I’ll hand half of this back to you right now if you give her to me.”

Pike stiffened. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ll hand this entire wad of cash back to you, then. One-time deal. Hand me the woman.” Herb drew in a deep breath and motioned to one of his henchmen. “The necklace.”

The closest shifter was behind her in seconds. A single swipe of a pointed yellow nail had her necklace tumbling to the ground. Lavinia gasped, her hand rising to her neck.

“Psychic,” Herb said, “but not just psychic. Immortal. How interesting! We could have fun.”

“I’ll pass, thanks anyway. Despite your pleasantries,” Lavinia said. Sure, her voice trembled. Her body wasn’t much steadier. Still, she stood up for herself. “I’ve seen your party space and I’m not impressed.”

Part of him wanted to applaud her indisputable courage.

The leader froze. Dammit, Pike thought. Provocation might be his normal cup of tea, but not when it came to the rats.

“We’ll be taking our leave. Keep the cash. We’re done here.”

A heckling laugh drew his attention. “Not so fast, Pike. I think we can make a deal. Sit. Stay for a while. Let me teach your friend some manners.”