Demons are a Ghoul's Best Friend: Afterglow, Book 2 (13 page)

“So it seems.” She reached for her beer. “Thanks. For everything.”

“Don’t mention it.”

That got a wry chuckle out of her. “Oh sure. I’ll just skip over the bit where you agreed to take a look at an odd puppy and now you’ve suddenly found yourself with an unexpected houseguest, and a weekend that seems full of everything from mysterious private forensics labs to old women to fires.” She sipped. “Not what you expected, I’m thinking.”

He shrugged. “I roll with the flow. And I kinda like it when life’s interesting. Otherwise, what would I be doing? Mowing the lawn? Surfing the net for porn? Wasting all my downtime on pursuits that really don’t
suit
me. If that makes sense.”

“Well, anyway, thanks.” She saluted him with her beer bottle. “So tell me what you got from our little jaunt this afternoon. Before I finish this damn beer and nod off over your table.”

“Here’s the deal. You stay awake and listen to what I have to say and then you answer a couple of questions.”

She paused. Thoughts juggled themselves haphazardly in her mind. But she knew, beneath her confusion, that she owed him. Big time. Her native sense of what was right won out and she acquiesced, since more kissing was not an option. “Okay. But I reserve the option to defer any questions I think inappropriate.”

His lips curved into a wry grin. “Agreed, Counselor.”

She smiled too. “Sorry. Some things go deep.”

“Well, here’s something for you to chew over while I tidy up. I think your pup and your fire may be connected.”

Pandora’s jaw dropped as he crushed empty pizza boxes, put them into the trash and wiped off the table. She watched him fetch two more beers from the fridge, knowing it was all an attempt to distract her. She didn’t really need distracting, though, since her brain had screamed to a halt and backtracked up a new road paved with the proposition he’d just calmly thrown out.

“Shit.” She sucked in air. “Of
course
.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her. “You think it’s possible?”

“It makes sense. A fire would destroy any evidence. DNA can’t survive high temperatures. And if whoever set it didn’t know the creature was dead…”

“Yep. That’s pretty much where Buck and I ended up when we discussed it.”

“Logical.”

“We are, sometimes.”

Another thought popped into her head. “You know, Saturdays I usually spend a few hours in the morning on my deck.”

“Always?”

“Pretty much, yeah. Even if the weather’s bad I go out there and shelter under the awning. I like the air.”

“So if it was arson, the point of origin will tell us a lot. Whether you were intended to be part of the crispy-critter scenario or whether it was just an attempt to get rid of something someone didn’t want revealed.”

She glanced at him. “And that’s why you were so adamant I stay here. And why you made sure Rusty and Lucy were tucked away with Roz.”

He met her look squarely. “Yes.”

She ran her finger up and down the frosty glass of the beer bottle, turning the possibilities over in her mind. “But why? Why go to all this trouble? If whoever it was had just left it all alone, the whole thing probably would have died a natural death.”

“That, my dear Pandora, is the big question.” He tugged her up from the table and led her into his living room, settling beside her on the couch and sticking his feet up on the coffee table. “It’s up to us to find the answer.”

Idly she stroked her fingers over the wooden dragon she’d unwrapped and set on the table beside her. The touch of the smooth surface helped her organize her thoughts. It was comforting. “And you think that woman, Victoria Larson, may be a part of it?”

“
That
I can’t say yet.” He took a drink from his beer and looked at her. “What did you get from our brief visit?”

“She’s not your typical little old lady. The grey hair’s there, the general appearance of a senior citizen. But…” Pandora focused on her memory and pulled Victoria’s image back into her head. “She’s a great deal more vibrant, if that’s the right word. Her voice is strong. No quaver at all. She stands pretty straight for someone her age. Her clothing was clean and looked tailored to me. Definitely not off the rack. There’s money there and she’s not afraid to use it to keep herself up. And I wouldn’t underestimate her for a second.” One eyebrow lifted in amusement. “I wouldn’t play poker with her either. She could well be a damned shark.”

He was nodding. “Pretty much matches with my impressions too.”

“I didn’t sense anything—
off
, if you know what I mean?”

“Me neither.” He looked thoughtful. “One time I wish Buck had been with us. He’s the one who can pick up on that stuff.”

She sighed. “Maybe your little scientist friend at that lab can shed a bit of light on this. At least tell us what we’re dealing with.”

“I hope so. And I’m thinking I might do a bit more digging into Ms. Larson’s past. She’s showing on the regular information sources as clean as a whistle. Not even a parking ticket in her entire life.” He frowned. “And that, in and of itself, is unusual. Nobody lives that long without a slip here or there.”

“Except, apparently, her.”

“Exactly.”

Pandora shrugged, rotating her shoulders to ease some of the tension. “I guess you have some better sources?”

His smile was delightfully innocent. “Of course. None that I’m planning on telling you about, but if there’s anything out there, I’ll find it.”

“I don’t want to know.” She laughed and held up a hand. “Some things are better left to the imagination.”

“Speaking of imagination…” He turned toward her a little and stretched a long arm along the back of the couch. “My turn to ask questions.”

She gritted her teeth. “Okay. A deal’s a deal. Ask away.”

“What is it with you and sex?”

“What?” The direct question took her by surprise. “There’s nothing with me and sex.”

“Bullshit. We were milliseconds away from getting naked and happy. Then you froze up on me.”

“The phone rang.”

“That’s crap and you know it.” He tugged an errant lock of her hair. “It’s honesty time here. Spill it. Is it
me
?”

“Hell no.” The answer tumbled out far too quickly for her liking, but apparently Cheney didn’t mind since it brought a wicked smile to his lips.

“Good. So what is it then?”

She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she considered how best to answer his question. She didn’t discuss this matter—with anyone. And hadn’t for more years than she could remember. But she knew there was a really strong attraction between them, and if anyone might be able to understand some of it, it would be the man sprawling next to her, looking at her with warmth in his eyes and toying with her hair.

He deserved the truth before it went any further than a hotly passionate kiss. If indeed it was destined to go any further.

He might simply turn tail and run when she told him the truth. A part of her wished that might be the case. That she could continue to live her relatively uncomplicated life and devote herself to law.

But another part, a place he’d awakened with his sensual skills, that part wanted him so very badly she ached with it.

She took a breath and turned toward him, folding one leg beneath the other on the couch and glancing briefly at the wooden dragon, the only piece of wood she had left of her own right now. It seemed to smile encouragingly at her.

“Have you ever heard of a dryad?”

Chapter Eleven

Cheney was held fast in his position, the strands of fiery softness twined around his fingers and the look in her eyes doing the job better than any physical restraints.

“Aren’t they tree fairies or something? Nymphs?” He dredged through his memory to find some reference to dryads, wishing he’d paid more attention to his classical mythology lectures.

“Close.” Pandora swallowed. “Turns out that’s what I am. A dryad.”

“Ah. Okay…”

She shifted her position a little, resting a hand on her thigh. “I suppose I should start at the beginning, then you’ll understand.” She looked away. “I was an only child and the first AG in the family.”

“Your parents were blands?”

“Yes. And I think I was rather a surprise to them.” She grinned. “They weren’t expecting to have a Fae, just a kid. It’s a small family too. No big groups of people at the holidays, only one aunt on my mother’s side.”

“So it might be safe to infer they didn’t quite know what to do with you?”

“I guess.” A wry smile crossed her lips. “They loved me, without a doubt. But once I hit puberty and the whole Fae thing started to manifest—well, they were at a bit of a loss.” She closed her eyes for a second or two. “I never fit in with the school Fae. You know the types…all about the wings and the dresses. That wasn’t me. I was—
odd Fae out
, if that makes sense. At that time, I didn’t know why.”

“When did you realize you were a dryad?”

She opened her eyes and thought for a moment. “I guess it was sophomore year. I’d been to a party and there’d been some drinking.”

“My goodness.” He looked astounded.

“Yeah. Terrible, huh?”

“The sad state of the morals of our youth.” He chuckled. “Sorry. Go on.”

“I got home, a bit buzzed, and I didn’t want to go indoors. It was one of those perfect nights, warm air, moonlight—I’d danced with a boy I had a serious crush on and he’d kissed me. First real kiss. I was a couple of feet off the ground for a variety of reasons. Girl stuff.” She threw him an apologetic glance. “You probably don’t get all this, but you did ask.”

“I may not have the same equipment, but I get the general idea.”

“Well, anyway…” she continued, “I walked into our back garden. I could sense something special, something different. I just stood there, and it was like a door opened in my head. The trees were talking to me, saying wonderful things, encouraging me to throw my arms wide open, to let them into my soul.” She winced. “This sounds a bit dramatic, doesn’t it?”

He shook his head but remained silent.

“Long story short, my wings manifested. But they weren’t Fae wings. They were branches, living branches, heavy with leaves. I felt rooted, felt my toes digging into the earth. I wasn’t flying like a Fae, I was growing like a tree.” She chuckled ruefully. “It was quite a shock. Not just to me, but to Mom and Dad who happened to look out the window at that moment.”

“I can see their faces now.” He grinned. “You probably still can.”

She couldn’t help smiling at him. This was easier than she’d imagined it would be. “You have no idea.”

“So what then?”

“Then? I sort of suppressed it, I guess. Mom and Dad never told me to, it’s just that they were at a loss, you know? They bought the books, read all the right literature—they were both teachers, so they knew the resources. But there was hardly anything on dryads. And none of us were interested in going through test after test. It was easier to just not mention it, pretend it didn’t really exist.”

“Easier for them. But not for you.”

“Probably. It didn’t seem too hard though. And God knows I’d have really hated being poked and prodded by those DNA registrars.”

Cheney shifted closer, letting his hand drift to the hair tumbling over her ears. She rather liked it.

“That I can believe. Any new mutation gets put through a wringer, no question about it.”

“Yeah. I probably wasn’t
that
new, but I didn’t want the notoriety either. I was a teenager. That’s bad enough. Plus I was taller than everyone else—God, I so hated sticking out. Always standing in the back row, red hair blazing…” She shuddered. “Wouldn’t go back to that for any amount of money.”

“Been there, tried to slump through that.”

“Yes, I guess you would have.” She laughed. “Moving on…I dealt with it. Kept it all under wraps. Stayed away from moonlight gardens. Didn’t drink very much at all. I guess I was pretty dull, all things considered, but I sure got good grades, graduating top of the class, acing pre-law in college.”

“And headed for law school?”

“Yes.”

“You dated, I take it?” A casually simple question.

“Yes.” No simple answer though. “I dated. I even had sex. It was okay, nothing to write home about.” She paused. “I suppose I never really got into it very much. Then I made the mistake of falling real hard for a guy. Senior year. I was convinced he was
the one
.”

“Ah.”

“We dated for a few weeks, then we got to finals. He was pre-med and I was pre-law. Heavy duty studying. When we were done, we planned a night of riotous celebration.”

“Ending up in bed, I assume.”

“I hoped so. We hadn’t had time to go there, so this was going to be a major thing. Especially for me. I was crazy about him in one of those horribly sheltered-life, almost-obsessive kind of ways. I was already seeing wedding gowns and hearing church bells.”

“And?”

“It was a total disaster.” As if distancing herself from her past, Pandora got up from the couch and walked across the room, staring out the window into the darkness. “I let the passion take over. I lost any and all control of myself. We were actually doing it when I started to change.” Even now, years after it happened, she could still experience a pang of emotional agony. “The wing branches emerged. My toes grew. God knows what else…”

“I’m guessing the guy freaked on you.”

“Freaked being the operative word. Not only did he grab his pants and put ’em on running, he kept running. Only stopped to pass the word that I was abnormal. I think he actually used the word
freak
, now I come to think about it.” She rotated her shoulders, trying to ease the tension that had crept through her spine. “Fortunately we were days away from the end of the semester and right on top of graduation. I was able to walk away from there with most of my reputation intact. And when I hit law school, I found I could drown myself in law and enjoy every minute of it.”

“You telling me you haven’t had sex since then?” Cheney’s eyes were wide.

“Not at all.” She turned back to him, keeping her expression blank. “I’ve had some quite nice sexual experiences.”

“That sounds appallingly frightening.”