Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (23 page)

“It’s preparing for you. Its flesh to yours. It seeks you now that it’s seen you’re a woman…no longer the girl you once were.”

“No, this cannot be happening. Léopold, please tell her. Tell her she’s wrong,” Laryssa pleaded.

“I wish I could but I tend to agree with Ilsbeth. I saw what it did last night. We must find the Tecpatl and kill it.” Léopold wrapped an arm around Laryssa, who fell against his chest. “I swear, I’ll protect you.”

“We need to find it,” she agreed in defeat. In all her life, Laryssa hadn’t ever killed anything. Sure, she’d fished, but that was the extent of her great hunting ability. And now she was expected to kill a demon in hand to hand combat? It seemed an impossible feat. Yet she had no choice. Do or die. She’d choose do. She’d kill the beast.

“Your sisters before you and those who remain with us have hidden their keys and secrets away from the rest of us. I do believe that naiads would be stronger as a whole if you’d gather strength together as one. But because naiads are often unaware of their past, they’re afraid to come out in the open. Fear can be very motivating. Despite all of this, your sisters have documented what you need in books.” Ilsbeth paced the room and picked up a silver candle snuffer off the mantle. “ιστορίες του νερού. Tales of the Water.”

“A book? What? Are we supposed to go to the library to find it? Or do you happen to have a copy?” Dimitri asked.

“Not that I was talking to you…because I wasn’t,” Ilsbeth sneered. “But there are several copies that have been written and rewritten over the years, going back to ancient Greece. To answer the question, a copy of the book always finds its way to a naiad.”

“Not me. I think I’d know, right?” Laryssa remarked.

“You own an antique store. Perhaps it’s found its way into your hands that way? Is it possible that the book’s in your collection and you don’t recall it?”

“I guess anything’s possible, but I know that I’ve never seen it. That being said, Mason takes care of most of the smaller items. Books aren’t my specialty. I guess I could ask him.”

“Within its pages, you will find the key. If you’re tied to this demon, then you’re linked to its artifact in some way. Only the book will tell you how to find it.”

“I can’t believe this.” Laryssa fell forward and placed her head in her hands. Terrified as she was, she refused to cry. Léopold’s hand, rubbing her back, erased some of her tension. When she finally looked up, everyone in the room was looking at her. “What?”

“Laryssa, what lies ahead is not already written one way or another. We shall fight this together. I will not leave you,” Léopold promised.

“The vampire is correct. Your destiny is now allied with the men in this room. I’m certain of this fact.” One by one, Ilsbeth began to extinguish the flames. “I’m afraid that is all I can tell you for now. Given your extraordinary gift, I will meditate to see if there is any other way I can assist you with your dilemma. Now, if you all would excuse me, I need to speak to Léopold. Alone.”

“I think I should stay with her,” Léopold began.

“Alone,” Ilsbeth repeated, sliding open the hidden doors.

“I’m fine. Really, Leo. You go. I’ll stay with Dimitri and Jake. I want to say goodbye to Avery.”

“Don’t worry, man. I’ve got her. Come here, cher,” Dimitri encouraged, opening his arms.

“Really, you guys. I’m fine. Sure, I got a bit of bad news, but I can handle it,” she joked lamely.

“Come on, now. You know you want a piece of the wolf,” Dimitri teased, hoping to lighten the mood. Despite Ilsbeth’s glower, he suspected she knew that he was only trying to cajole Laryssa.

“I’ll wait for you out here,” Laryssa reassured Léopold, whose face was drawn tight in concern. She walked over to Dimitri and hugged him. Together they walked out of the room.

“We need to have but a brief chat, old friend,” Ilsbeth stated, sealing the room so that she could speak privately.

“Although the mystery is killing me, I do believe we’ve had enough excitement for one day. Get on with it, then. Say your piece.” Léopold crossed the room, staring out the windows into the courtyard.

“The naiad. She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Oui, she is. Somehow I don’t think you wanted to speak to me about Laryssa’s appearance.” He spun around, resting his hands on the back of a chair.

“We’ve known each other a long time.”

“Oui.”

“I would not exactly call what we have a friendship but more of a mutual respect, would you agree?”

“I believe that accurately describes our arrangement. At times, we’ve been soldiers for a cause. Warriors in arms, I suppose. Luckily, we’ve never been on opposing sides.”

“The naiad is very special. She does not realize the implications of her powers, a neophyte in a dangerous world. Although she’s lethal in her own right, she’s vulnerable.” Ilsbeth spoke with her back to Léopold as she busily organized her ingredients and cleaned the athame. “She’ll need your guidance. The security of your experience. She must be able to trust you in all ways.”

“Agreed.” Léopold grew weary of the ambiguous conversation. There was much work to be done to find the book. “What is it, Ilsbeth? The day is short. Tell me your concern.”

“I see the way she looks at you. And,” she turned to face Léopold, catching his eyes, “the way you look at her. You’re not yourself. You may fool her and perhaps, even the wolf, but you do not fool me.”

“Stop with the cryptic words. What is it that you wish to tell me?”

“You care for her. And she for you. The seeds of love have been planted in that cold dark cavity inside of your chest where you used to house a heart.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not possible,” he asserted. “Besides, if you’ve been paying such close attention to me the past several hundred years, you’d know full well that I don’t have mistresses or girlfriends. What you suggest is preposterous.”

“Deny it all you want, vampire, but I do know you. And I know what I just saw. Frankly I don’t care if you ever fall in love. But actions do not lie. A caress. A look.”

“This is ridiculous. Is this really why you wanted to talk to me?”

“Do not hurt the naiad,” Ilsbeth warned. “You are a bastard, Léopold Devereoux. A trustworthy one, but I still stand by my statement. This woman, she cares for you already, despite not knowing you very long. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I can feel it in her energy, and I can damn well see it in her eyes when she speaks to you. Now, if you want to sit there and tell me with a straight face that you feel absolutely nothing for her, that’s your business, but I’m warning you not to play with her emotions. She needs you to survive this quagmire. And above all else, she must be able to trust you. If you plan on hurting her, you might as well slay her yourself, because the demon will have her and her soul.”

“You do know that there’s part of me that wants to take you by your broomstick and send you off? You’re altogether maddening.” Léopold blew out a breath, frustrated by the witch’s insight. He shook his head, unwilling to make eye contact with Ilsbeth.

“Yes and yes,” she laughed. “But I’m right.”

“I will not concede your point, but I promise not to hurt Laryssa. This’ll have to be enough for now. I fear that is all I’m capable of doing.”

“It’s not that bad, you know.”

“What?”

“Opening your heart. Caring again. Loving someone. You may not think you deserve this gift, but you do. We all do.”

“Are we finished?” Léopold smiled, refusing to engage her further. More than anything, he’d love to give in to his desires and believe what Ilsbeth was saying. But at the end of the day, it couldn’t be. Because the witch was wrong about one thing; he didn’t deserve Laryssa. And she didn’t deserve the death and despair he’d bring to her life.

“Be well, Léopold.”

“Be well, Ilsbeth.” Léopold slid open the doors to find Laryssa laughing with the young witch, Avery.

Oblivious to him, she brimmed with a resilience and confidence that he hadn’t expected to see, given the challenges that lay ahead. He gave her a quick smile as she hugged her friend goodbye. Praying he could keep his promise to Ilsbeth, he resolved to protect her from not only the demon who sought her death, but the beast within himself, who yearned to take her for his own.

“Mason,” Laryssa called as she entered her store. Bells rang, alerting her manager that someone had entered the building. “We have a room full of books in the back that we’ve been working on cataloguing. Got them in an estate sale a few months back. Trying to determine which are worth anything. Most of them we’ll end up donating to libraries and schools. The ones we’ve already determined we’ll sell are here in this display. As you can see, there’s only a couple hundred.”

“Just a couple of hundred,” Jake joked. “There’s nothing better than spending time going through some dusty old books.”

“Good stuff, right?” Dimitri laughed.

“You said the others were in the back?” Léopold asked.

“Yeah, but let me ask Mason first if he knows about it.”

A tall handsome man wearing an apron pressed through the swinging doors, polishing a silver ashtray.

“‘Bout time you got in. Whatcha been doing, girl? Can’t you see how busy we are around here? You’re gonna get your ass fired.”

“Stop it, Mase.” Laryssa slapped his arm. “I, uh, need to talk to you…in the back.”

Mason let his eyes wander over the men before raising both his eyebrows at Laryssa. She tugged on his arm, dragging him back behind the doors.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she said.

“Like what? I didn’t say a word. Not one word.” He pushed the shutter open an inch to peek out at them. “Really, Lyss. Didn’t know you were so kinky? Three men at once? Or did you save one for me?”

“Mase, I need you to focus. But in the interest of time,” she quietly pointed to each of them through the small crack and whispered, “that one there is Dimitri. Beta of Acadian Wolves….as in ‘do not mess with him’. I haven’t seen it yet but he told me that he strips down and turns into a big bad wolf. So hands off.”

“Did you say strip? Oh baby.” Mason whistled, and Dimitri turned his head toward the door.

“Stop it. They can hear you,” she shushed. “That one there. Also wolf. Military wolf, I think. Again, he falls into the danger category.”

“Nice too. Did he show you his gun, girl?”

“No. No he hasn’t. Would you knock it off?” She sighed and bit the end of her thumb, looking to Léopold, who’d begun actively looking through the books. “And that one…”

“You mean mister tall, dark and mysterious. Sexy beast,” Mason growled. “Sharp dresser. Love the suit. I can see that one’s got expensive tastes.”

“Yeah, he does.” She glanced at Léopold and then snapped back to her conversation. “He’s off limits. Vampire. One with very sharp fangs. Extremely dangerous. As in approach with caution.”

“He’s totally hot.”

“Yeah, I know. They all are, but Léopold’s…he’s really just…I don’t know… like no one I’ve ever been with.”

“Oh my God. You didn’t!” he exclaimed with a broad smile.

“Would you be quiet? They’ll hear you…as in freaky supernatural hearing. Probably have heard every single word we’ve said.” She blew out a breath, leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes for a minute.

“Hmm…hmm…hmm…you’ve got it bad, don’t you? Not that I can’t see why. He is yummy.”

“Please. Don’t say anything else, okay? I’m an idiot. And yes, before you even ask…yes…I did what you’re thinking. But it can’t happen again, okay?”

“Why not? What’s wrong with him? No motion in the ocean? Hey, what about that bite? I’ve heard that’s a surefire way to…” Mason studied her neck for marks.

“He didn’t bite me.”

“Let me get this straight. Bed but no bite?”

She nodded.

“What kind of a vampire doesn’t suck blood?”

“One that’s into one night stands, that’s who.” She shrugged, bending her head from side to side, trying to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. “It’s complicated.”

“I just bet it is.”

“Listen, there’s something I need to talk to you about…I’m in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“The kind of trouble that can get a girl killed.”

“What are you talking about? If you’re in danger, you need to call the police, Lyss, not waste time chattin’ it up with me.”

“No, what I need is for you to run things for me for a few days…a week tops. Please. I promise to give you a raise if you can just keep the wheels turning while I’m gone.” In a week, she’d be dead or have killed the demon. Mason shook his head in refusal but she knew he’d help her. He was a long time trusted employee and friend and could easily keep things afloat in her absence. “And I need your help with one more thing. I’m looking for a book. A rare book. Something that may have come into the shop during one of our estate runs.”

“That, I can help you with. Got your back on the shop, too, but I’m tellin’ ya for the record that getting involved with vamps and wolves isn’t the best idea you’ve had in a while, no matter how good-lookin’ they are.”

“Yeah, not much choice. I need them. They’re helping me…stay alive that is. Come on, I’ll introduce you. I want them to hear what you’ve got on the book…if anything.” Laryssa pushed through the doors, not waiting for his agreement.

“They’re helping you? Is that what you call it? Helping you my ass,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Hey,” Laryssa called to get their attention. “This is Mason. He’s my assistant manager. Handles all small store items. Silver. China. Clothing. Books. Mase, this is Dimitri, Jake and Leo.”

The men exchanged nods but Léopold never took his eyes off Laryssa. She’d known that he’d be able to hear her conversation, but she didn’t care. All of what she’d told Mason was true.

“So I hear ya’ll need a book,” Mason began. “We’ve got all kinds here. A whole room full of them in the back as a matter of fact.”

“I promise to help sort them all when I get back,” she offered, knowing she wouldn’t. They each had their own jobs and worked well to stay out of each other’s hair. “The title of this book is, ‘Tales of the Water’ or ‘Stories of the Water’…something like that.”