Jowendrhan (4 page)

Leaning back, folding arms across his chest, he smirks, “I left her a card explaining how to call me. If she wants me, I'll be hearing from her. If not, I'll keep looking.”

“
And what about the Sibitti? From what Darise says her friends were here last night, looking for her, and they were pretty attached to Hel's Angels.”

“
Which is why I'm hoping she calls. Darise said they made plans to meet up here again tonight. There's no fucking way I'm letting her come without a chaperone,” he says.

It's good to see him being territorial.

Propping my feet up on the counter, I look around the family club, enjoying a breakfast goblet of the Pravus Potion, “You're sounding insecure, Jo. I didn't think you cared so much about mortals.”

“
Mortals in mortal danger are my business. Any woman who can handle my vipers
and
my glowing eyes, and who still wants to see me again, has me at her beck and call. She didn't flip out.”

“
She didn't have time to flip out. I gather that was your plan?” I say, arching a sarcastic eyebrow.

He gives me a naughty smirk, shrugging as if to say, 'busted'.

*

Sherry:

Rolling over, light pouring in the window makes me wince, my head pounding a drum at me.

“
Ugh,” I roll back, away, realizing the darn phone is ringing.

Fumbling across the bunched up sheets, I snatch the thing before it axes my head in half, “What?!”

“
Sherry, oh my gosh girl, ya'll not gonna believe what happened last night. You shoulda come! Pravus was wild! We met these awesome boys in a biker gang! Linda went home with a man so fabulous he shoulda been a god!”

The 'biker gang' makes me open my eyes again, screwing them up and pushing myself into a half slump against the headboard.

My bed is covered in petals and there's a card on my pillow.

I'm not even listenin' to Mary-Beth now, opening the little white square.

Any time you need a wheel changed, just give me a call.

Jowendrhan.

“
... And Sven is so tall, and blond like Thor! Blonder even!..”

Looking at my bedroom, I'm noticing arrows made out of petals.

“
Just hang on Mary-Beth,” I manage ta grumble, dropping the phone, stumbling out of bed, ache chasing up the inside of my thighs, but I manage to make it ta the door on wobbly jello legs.

Standing there is a pyramid of champagne and a box of chocolates.

There's another card.

Jumping up, squeezing onto tippy tiptoes, I manage to hook it off the champagne bottle on the top, opening it up.

For the sweetest girl who showed me the delights of bubbly Southern hospitality, thank you for an unforgettable evening.

Always

Seithe.

Oh my gosh! It all happened? It wasn't a dream?

Clutching the cards tight to my chest, a warm glow fizzing through me, I slump back on my bed, lifting the phone. “Okay, I'm here.”

“
They were twins! Shar and Erra are twins! Sherry, next time you have ta come with us ta Pravus. You won't believe how awesome those boys are! It's stud city.”

“
Twins? What did they look like?” I ask her suspiciously.

“
Ta die for! Chin long black hair, eyes so deep they look like they slide to the ends of the galaxy, and shoulders wider than Mt Vesuvius.”

“
Did they have vipers?”

She drawls all excited, “Vipers? That's a car ain't it? Oh hell, I dunno. Most of them were on bikes, I told ya. But enough about me, what did ya'll do last night?”

“
Nuthin.”

“
Nuthin? What happened ta ya?”

“
I got a flat on the way home and I had ta wait for a hero ta come past ta save me, cos I couldn't even get the nuts off.”

Smiling, I wanna laugh so hard! If memory serves me well at all, I think I got plenty of nuts off last night.

“
You poor thang! Ya'll should'a called! We'd have sent one of them sweethearts ta come and get ya. You missed one helluva night girl...”

That's what you think.

“
...And oddly Dez thought she saw ya, but then couldn't find ya when she went lookin'. Next time ya
have
ta come.”

Nodding, staring at the cards, I wanna say so bad,
Oh I came alright.

But I'm not sharin' this, but I will share my champagne. “How about we get together later and have a champagne brunch or summin?”

“
Oh hell no! Girl, my head is killing me. I dunno what's in that Pravus Potion but it is lethal!”

No kidding. As are the vipers serving them.

“
So when are you going again?” I ask her.

“
Tonight!”

I wonder if they'll be there? “Count me in. This time someone needs to pick me up and drive me home.”

“
Oh you'll be getting picked up alright. You can count on it.”

Sliding my hand under my pillow, getting cozy, I feel another hard corner. Snatching it out, it says written in black script:

You don't need a signal for your phone now, just say my name and you're calling home. Sherry, home is where the heart is...

J

Staring out at the gorjuss day, I tell her, “Call me later with a time, I gotta go.”

Hanging up, looking at the petals, I close my eyes and make a wish. “Jo.”

Peeking, nothing happens.

Checking the first card, I say his full name, “Jowendrhan.”

Inside a moment a tall man with midnight hair and matching black leather is leaning against my bedroom wall, his foot propped up against it, smiling wicked delight at me.

“
I wondered how long it would take,” he winks.

“
As long as you want,” I smile. “This is like a dream. I didn't think it would work.”

Shoving off the wall, he takes a long legged strut toward me, “Angels never sleep. I told ya baby, we're angels, and we answer when a damsel in distress calls.”

“
Now yer juss teasin',” I mumble, getting shy at the way he's looking me over, his eyes heating and melting into blue silver.

“
Teasing you say?” he laughs, sitting down next to me, planting a hand either side of my hips. “I can show you teasing.”

It makes me laugh, blushing furiously under my untidy hair.

When he leans in and kisses my neck, memories flood back, ceasing my ability ta breathe and slipping my sanity into the back of the logic drawer.

“
May I whet your appetite?” he drawls, deep and gravel gruff into my ear, hot breath giving me a lifetime supply of shivers.

“
You've wet it already,” I mumble, loving the way he slides his hand into mine, running a dominant thumb over my heart line.

He curls a finger under my chin, forcing me to stare into his eyes, smiling so wide his vipers are sticking out. Kissing me with such tenderness it feels like he just punched my heart out the back of my chest, he then lifts my hand, running the tip of his tongue across my palm.

Holding it over his heart, he looks dead serious when he says, “The heart line, it's the only true connection to a good time.”

~The End~

This is a stand alone short story, written just for the heck of it. If you'd like to learn more about Erra and the Sibitti, please pick up a copy of The Gods and Thurs series (Erra, Erra More, and Shar).

The characters in this short story belong to the Pravus Series (Seithe, Venix, Zauran).