A Spartan's Kiss (24 page)

But he is a god!

Ah, but obviously he coveted something reserved only for our kind.

Our kind?

Well, perhaps not humans, but for those of us gifted with immortality, we were given bonds, our other half, to aid us through the centuries.

Ah, okay, so…

Just keep her safe, find a better place and step away before the fireworks scorch you. A true bond cannot deny the other, so it is said. Perhaps it is true for them.

The laughter this time was edged with sadness. Tabithia doubted her aunt realised how much bitterness had leached into their connection.

And until then? I babysit? Full-time?

Full-time. Find a new place for her, Tabithia. Until then, walk the path and stay safe.

Aye, walk safe, Sorcha.

Sorcha ended the connection. The disconnect was sharp and fast, leaving Tabithia feeling even more alone and insignificant.

Holy Bridget, give her patience. She was so not good at this babysitting thing.

Chapter Fifteen

“Okay, this is the best I could come up with.” Tab pulled her helmet off and turned her head to see Dare’s pale face behind her. The witch had a death grip on her waist. Maybe Tab shouldn’t have driven quite so fast, but some small part of her enjoyed the ancient’s obvious fear. Hell, the witch had disrupted Tab’s peaceful, boring existence, so why not give the woman a mini-dose of feeling out of her depth?

As soon as Tab thought it, she felt bad. Yeah, she understood Dare—to a point. The loving Ares part? Not so much, but hell, who was she to judge?

“Sorry, kinda hit that last turn a bit too sharply, huh?”

Dare managed to loosen her grip on Tab’s bruised ribs enough to scoot back and off the bike. She stumbled and clutched her middle, but took her helmet off with steady hands.

Club music blared into the street, disrupting whatever scathing remark Dare was working up to. Tab grinned and swung off the bike, hitching her helmet on the handlebars and unzipping her leather jacket before turning back to Dare.

The other witch had herself under control by then, meaning she looked scared, worried and too cute for her own good—all wrapped up into one tightly strung witch.

“Look, this is the best place to hide you. Evie is desperate. She needs singers and you, baby, can sing. Ares will never look here, and he won’t be able to sense you either. The club is in between worlds, so you’re safe. Safe. Got it? Even after I make your demands, he won’t be able to come here. This place gives you time. That’s what you needed, and this place will give it to you.”

“But I’ll have to sing.”

It wasn’t a question, but Tab nodded. “Yep, and I’ve heard you singing with my iPod. You are going to rock the house.” In fact, Dare was going to have males lining up to do much more than listen to her sing.

Evie’s was an immortal burlesque club, but in reality, Evie’s offered anything and everything.

Tab brushed her hair off her face and squinted at the two huge guards outside the club’s double doors. They both gave her a grin and a two-finger salute.

Yeah, the men were badasses, but she knew them both. Sometimes the immortal world was way too small. She’d been to Evie’s before. She didn’t hook up, and she didn’t pay for sex since she’d never had sex, but the parties here were legendary. She’d spent nights drinking alcohol mixed with spells that promised to take her mind off her troubles. They had, too—for a while.

Dare moved closer to her side, clearly still pissed off, but now worried, too. Tab felt a bit sorry for her, but she wasn’t going to back down. In the immortal world, Dare needed to know she had to be tough. She had to be able to stand on her own because she could never know when she
would
be on her own.

“Listen, just stay silent until I give you the signal.”

That earned her an immediate frown. “The signal?” Dare glanced at the men at the door, then met her gaze again.

“Yeah, remember? When Evie turns hardass and tries to toss us out, you need to walk up on the stage and bust out with something hot.” They’d discussed this already—more than once. Evie didn’t like to owe favours. She liked people to owe her favours. She collected, too. Rumour held that most of her singers, heck, all of the immortals who worked inside the club, did so because they had once crossed Evie and were now paying for whatever favours she’d given. Evie would not like to owe Dare. But Tab was betting on her being desperate enough to take the witch on for an even trade. Sing for protection. At least that was the plan back in New England. Now, as they stood outside Evie’s club, ready to walk into the lioness’s den, the idea seemed a bit lame.

“Fuck it. We have to do this. I told you, Sorcha said only a few days. We need you safe, right? Or would you rather be back in the chalice, watching Ares doing whatever he does?”

Dare swallowed loudly and shook her head.

“Fine, then come on.” Tab took off at a brisk walk, sure that Dare was glaring at her back, but it was time to up the witch’s involvement in this deal.

“Tabithia, I just can’t—”

“Yes, actually, you can.” Tab spun and dragged Dare closer by her slinky tube top. “Look, I saved your ass. I’m willing to help you, but you gotta help yourself. I’m not risking the wrath of a god for a wuss. So, grow a set and step up to the plate, little girl. It’s time to play ball.” She pulled Dare just that little bit closer so they were nose to nose and she could smell Dare’s pink, bubble-gum lipgloss. “Now, when I throw my hands up and turn to stalk away from the woman, you will sing.”

Dare blinked, pursed her lips into a pout and narrowed her green eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Yeah, you know what? I knew you would.” Tab released Dare’s bright pink and white tube top and adjusted the front so it was just a bit lower over her bosom before stepping back. Dare had fought her on the outfit, but the woman rocked in the top with the sexy little ultra-miniskirt and beat-up cowboy boots. With bare legs, bare arms and burgundy hair long enough to cover her eyes and touch her jaw, the witch looked hot in an innocent, oh-am-I-sexy way.

“Just why couldn’t I wear what you have on?”

Tab groaned and fisted her hands. Yeah, she rocked. She’d picked out a pair of red and white leather low-rise pants and a matching top that was basically a bra made of leather. Her red leather jacket matched the blood colour of the pants. Her tattoo glittered along her torso, the red drops of blood along the thorns standing out against her pale skin. She’d donned her jade and silver belly button ring and looped a silver chain connected to the loop in the ring around her waist. Silver beads hung from her red hair, clinking when she turned her head. Two small blue swirls adorned her neck beneath her jaw, the swirls disappearing down her collarbone. The added protection beefed up her own magic and made walking into the club less intimidating. Basically, she dressed for success at Evie’s.

“Because I am not on display. You are.”

Dare blinked rapidly and grinned. “You aren’t? You look hot.”

She did? She snapped her attention back on Dare’s stalling techniques.

“Focus on the plan, Dare. The plan.”

Dare nodded quickly.

“Great. So, just keep your revenge in mind. I mean, you hafta have a lot of pent-up pissed-offness going on. You said Ares had women over—use that. Swing those hips and make the males in the joint salivate, ‘kay?”

Dare visibly shuddered and looked miserable, but nodded.

Tabithia threw her hands up. “And for fuck’s sake, look happier will you?”

“Tabithia!”

Tab ignored Dare’s gasp and headed to the door. Both men gave her a nod. One opened the door while the other bent to unhook the velvet cord.

“Tabithia, it’s nice to see you back.”

“Yeah, missed me, did ya?” She tossed her hair and smiled up at him.

The bigger of the two mountains grinned and winked. “Always. Evie is expecting you.”

So much for her hope that there was some privacy as to why she was here. This might not be good. If Evie was already up for the bargain, then Tab might be walking into a trap. Along with the rumours of debt-dealing, Evie was known for playing the game with such skill no one could out-bargain her.
Shit.

“Thanks.”

The bigger guy tipped his head to Dare. “She the one you want to sing?”

Tab tossed the guy a killer smile and watched his dark eyes dip to the tops of her breasts and snag there before reaching her eyes again. Aeros did that. He seemed to like her breasts. She’d never noticed men doing that before. She liked Aeros doing it much more than this guy.

She narrowed her eyes up at him. “Yep.”

His partner whistled low.

“Damn.”

“Yep, she’s hot, sweet, and melts on the tongue, boys.”

Dare’s eyes about popped out of her sockets when the guys both laughed.

“Nice. Good luck, hot cheeks.”

“Hot cheeks?” Dare hissed, almost running into Tab when she slowed down inside the entryway.

“Watch it. Yeah, hot cheeks. Get used to it. Until you hit that stage, the hired help will give you shit.”

“Hired help? I hope you don’t mean me, Tabbie-cat.”

Reesie. Tab laughed and turned back to face the star of Evie’s. Dressed in a silky, plum-coloured dress that would have made the Pussy Cat Dolls die with envy, Reesie was the picture of sex goddess and porn star all rolled up into one powerful little package. If she sneezed, the thing would no doubt slink down to her tiny, perfectly high-heeled feet.

“Reesie Cup, how’s it hanging?”

Reesie tossed her long, perfectly smooth and straight, auburn hair over her shoulder and narrowed her porn-star eyes at Dare, then zeroed back in on Tab.

Tab smiled at the other woman. Standing behind what was basically the check-in desk, Reesie was putting in her time—a demotion of sorts for some sort of fallout between her and Evie.

“Lost, are you? I think the bar fights are down the street.”

“Hey, don’t take out your bad luck on me, chica. I just got here. Is Evie around?”

Reesie’s eyes flickered to Dare, then down at a clipboard she held. She clicked her long, purple nails on the desk, checked the list and muttered something. Her gaze met Tab’s again. Yep, they were in. Tab kept her glee to a minimum.

“Ah, yes, so we’re in, huh? Can you give Evie a call or should we go in and mingle a bit?”

“Go in, mingle. She’ll find you, no doubt.” Reesie put a whole lot of bite into the sentence, no doubt not happy they could so easily enter the sacred stomping grounds of singers like her.

Tab resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she grinned.

“Cheers, sounds like fun. Try not to get too bored out here.”

“Tabithia, I doubt you’ll like it when your little rock-star self ends up flat on her ass.”

“Oh, I seriously doubt you could pull that off, Reesie Cup, but you go ahead and give it a whirl.”

Reesie had some skill, but no way was she in the same power grid as Tabithia, and they both knew it.

A door opened. Behind them, she heard male voices. Tab used the distraction to salute Reesie and head into the club.

“Guess you have some time to put in, huh, peanut?”

“Yes, Tabbie, we all do.”

The bite in the tone made Tabithia hesitate for only a moment. Whatever. Tab had already put in her time. She grabbed Dare by the arm and barrelled on. This job needed to be done, and, until she secured Dare, she couldn’t get on with her plan. Her plan. Yeah, Aeros. She’d heard from friends that he’d been looking for her—all over. Yet her phone hadn’t rung. Not once. What the hell didn’t even come close. Was he simply looking for her because he knew he needed Dare back? Was he disgusted by her now? A man as powerful as Aeros had never had to make the choice between doing the honourable thing and doing the right thing, had he? Or choosing which honourable thing to do? She had led them to the chalice. It had been there, Aeros
could
have snagged it. No one had said anything about making sure whatever was in the chalice stayed in the chalice.

Ah, god, she was splitting hairs. But what else could she do?

The inside of Evie’s whooshed over them in a blast of cooler air and deep, methodical bass tingling the eardrums, soaking under the skin to rush along the bones. The music threaded through the dimness and the strobe lights dodging through the immortals in the club. Three women occupied the stage with two men, the stage glamorous to the extreme. Everything and everyone you wanted could be found within Evie’s realm. Each room, each doorway led to another area of the club that sated different needs. Tab had only been in this main room and hadn’t ventured deeper. She might’ve been a wicked partier, might not pass up a dare, but she knew her limits. Evie’s was a dare she wasn’t willing to take.

Above their heads, small one-person gilded cages holding painted dancers hung from the cathedral ceilings. The silver, gold and bright jewel colours caught the eye, and the women and men dancing in the cages snagged the attention.

The place was packed—full to the brim—and didn’t look the worse for lacking singers. Why had she thought it would? Obviously, the singers were important, but the other offerings were still available, still as strong a lure as ever, she imagined. Shit. Had she misjudged the need for a singer? Could she hide Dare here?

Tab doubted Aeros had ever shadowed the doorway of this establishment. Would he think to look here? How could he? And, if he did look here, she’d know. She’d been careful. Hunter, a coven pal, had her back. If Aeros was on her tail, Hunter would let her know.

At least that was the idea. And much like her plan to hide Dare here, she worried over that as well.

The song on the stage took on a very sexy tone, the vibe so hot that the patrons in the room were barely touching their drinks. Instead there was some major petting going on. What would it be like to have sex in public? Let the dark of the club hide them as they enjoyed each other to the intoxicating beat of the music?

Had she just thought that?