WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine Edition (14 page)

Dara caught a glimpse of her appearance in
the light reflecting off a puddle as she stepped around it and was
satisfied that her hair was still in place. It was long and golden,
and she felt it was her best feature. This was fortunate because
she could never change it. If she ever chopped it off it would grow
back overnight. She had to resort to ponytails or up-dos to change
her style.

Her eyes were two-toned, ice blue jewels with
a golden ring around the iris that seemed to sparkle with intense
emotions. Her lips were full and pouty. While she liked her eyes
and lips, she thought her good features were spoiled by her round
face and cheeks - the kind of face that made her an adorable child
but not a glamorous woman. Judging by the way Steve pulled her
closer as they approached her apartment complex, he didn’t seem to
mind.

One thing Dara genuinely loved was her
apartment. It overlooked the Willamette River’s swirling currents.
The rent was steep, but she refused all help from her family, which
would be given under the condition she someday join the family
trade. Fortunately, her new actuary position meant she finally had
the money to afford the apartment.

Reaching the door, she let go of Steve’s hand
long enough to reach into her purse for her keys and felt tingles
run down her spine as Steve leaned in to wrap his arms around her
and place a kiss at the nape of her neck. She quickly unlocked the
door and tugged Steve inside.

In a move that would make the fire marshal
cringe, she’d left dozens of votives burning in jewel colored
holders, leaving the air fragrant and creating an ambience she
hoped would set the right mood for the evening. She’d cast a minor
charm upon them to prolong their life in case their dinner was
long, but it hadn’t been necessary. Steve had been anxious to
finish dinner tonight, which was unusual. It was something she
hadn’t stopped to ponder until that moment.

Tuning out the warning bells that rang in her
head anytime a date behaved unusually, she reassured herself it was
just nerves making her question Steve’s behavior as she admired her
handiwork with the votives. It was dark enough to be romantic but
light enough to see what they were doing. She enjoyed using all her
senses, sight included.

Ready to get things started, she slipped her
shoes and coat off and watched Steve do the same. She sighed with
contentment when Steve returned to her and drew her into an embrace
before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Since getting this close to
someone was a rare occurrence, Dara intended to savor every moment.
Intimacy with Steve was more of a slow building fire than a raging
inferno, but she prided herself on her self control and her ability
to suppress her desires. Steve allowed her to maintain her precious
control.

She’d worn a clingy short black knit dress
with a wrap around top that accentuated her curves without drowning
her short frame in fabric. It also allowed for easy access. All she
had to do was slip it down her shoulders and shrug out of it. She
registered Steve’s intake of breath and was surprised to find him
blushing. When she moved to unbutton his dress shirt, he halted
her.

“Maybe we should go to the bedroom, it’s kind
of bright in here,” he stammered.

Dara considered telling him there were more
candles than the Vatican in her room, but in only a few short steps
he’d discovered it for himself. In the bedroom, she moved to
unbutton his dress shirt again but he quickly stepped away mumbling
that he had to use the restroom. Dara sat down on the edge of her
bed, dissatisfied with the way things were progressing, She knew
Steve was modest, but not this modest.

Dara waited as five, then ten minutes passed
and she heard the sounds of drawers opening and closing in the
bathroom. She finally walked to the bathroom and called through the
door, “is everything OK?”

“Just looking for a Band-Aid. Found one!”
came his quick reply.

Before Dara could move away from the bathroom
door, Steve flung it open. Dara had just a moment to register he
was now completely naked before she was pulled into his embrace. He
mumbled, “I love you,” a phrase they’d yet to use, before bringing
his lips to hers.

Dara was shocked by his sudden passion, and
her shock increased as he pressed her back against the wall and
began grinding himself on her and mumbling repeatedly that he loved
her. Her body was screaming at her to accept his sudden passion but
she couldn’t help herself from wondering how finding a Band-Aid
would have worked as an endorphin.

The warning bells in her head began to peal
in full force and everything fell into place. The Band-Aid.
Band-Aids cover wounds. Wounds can be caused by little darts.
Little darts come from meddling family members through open
restaurant windows. Using her supernatural strength, she yanked
Steve into her bedroom and flipped on the light switch, flooding
the room with light.

“What’s going on, baby?” asked Steve.

Dara realized that he’d never in his
right
mind call her baby. His eyes had taken on the
appearance of a sad puppy dog. More importantly, stuck on his chest
just above his heart, was a Scooby-Doo Band-Aid.

Wasting no time, Dara responded, “Come here,
loverboy. Let me kiss your boo boo,”

And look for the telltale mark
she
silently added.

Steve obliged all too easily and Dara bit
back a curse at the tiny raised purple welt he’d tried hide beneath
Scooby and Shaggy. Clenching her fists, she wondered how they’d
discovered him? Which of her family members was it?

Sensing her retreat, Steve began to babble,
“I love you” and tried to draw her in for another kiss.

Taking a step back, she flicked her wrist at
him and commanded
dormire,
causing him to collapse onto her
bed in a deep sleep.

She hated using magic on mortals but she had
no choice. There was a limited window to administer the antidote
and she couldn’t risk discovery. Once she’d administered it, she’d
also end their relationship (he’d no longer remember her anyways)
and leave Portland in order to confront her family. If Steve ever
laid eyes on her again, it could cause the memories to resurface
and she couldn’t risk it.

She cursed her family in a dozen different
languages and administered the antidote with a small syringe. She
was heading home and was going directly to Cupid himself. There had
to be a way to get him to keep her family from meddling.

Once she was certain the antidote had had
time to work she quickly dressed Steve and carried him across the
street to a bus stop, which held a deserted wooden bench protected
from the weather. Carefully checking her surroundings, she noted
that the street appeared deserted and she was relieved to have no
witnesses.

Wiping a tear from her cheek she whispered
obliviate Darling Amorus
, using her rarely used given name
and wiped all memories of her from his mind.

She then found a safe vantage point to keep
watch until he awakened. He’d have a wicked headache and wonder how
the heck he’d ended up asleep in a bus stop, but would otherwise be
unharmed.

Two.

Gabriel watched with satisfaction as Dara bid
farewell to poor Steve. Having observed Dara over the past few
days, he had gambled on the chance that if Steve was shot she would
administer the antidote and move on. She’d been gone far too long
and he missed the solemn little cherub. His gamble had paid off, he
thought with a large grin spreading across his face.

He felt no remorse. Any fool could see Steve
wasn’t right for her. He had no passion, and as much as Dara tried
to hide it, she was a passionate woman. Now, he only had to dispose
of the evidence: a small gun he’d borrowed from one of the
Guardians’ storage locker. It would be no good for a Guardian like
himself to be caught with a Cherub’s gun, let alone the fact that
he’d used it on poor old Steve. His job as a Guardian was to keep
law and order in their realm, not to make mischief.

Guardians were the descendents of the
Ophanim, or Thrones, heavenly enforcers, and they were born to
uphold order. There was definitely no love lost between the
Guardians and the Cherubs. The Cherubs were fond of mischief and
thrived on chaos when they weren’t partying and raising hell. The
Guardians protected and honored the law. The two generally didn’t
mix well, and it was common knowledge that the Cherubs openly
taunted the Guardians’ authority.

Dara, however, wasn’t a typical Cherub. Gabe
remembered the first time he met Dara. She was going by Darling
then, one of those silly, sweet names the Cherubs loved. Dara’s
family was a perfect example. She had a brother named Romeo and
sisters named Heart (Corazon) and Happiness (Felicity). Dara suited
her much better. Sure she was darling with her small and curvy
frame, spun gold curls and perfect pouty lips. But it was her
solemn and sweet nature and that had originally captured his
attention.

He had been monitoring a rare royal love
match, the kind the heavens shined upon and just the sort that some
Cherubs would love to meddle with. Sure enough, one of Dara’s
cousins, Dario, who had his eye on the bride for himself, attempted
to interfere.

To his surprise, Dara had been the one to
stop him, not Gabe. Unfortunately, her cousin had mouthed off to
Dara and Gabe had used what Dara considered “excessive force” in
response. He couldn’t handle anyone speaking to Dara that way. He
could still remember how she looked, the gold in her eyes shooting
sparks at him and pink flushing over the dimples in her cheeks.
Totally adorable. It was love at first sight.

He’d tried to approach her several times
since then on the rare occasions when they’d found themselves at
the same social events, but she’d given him the cold shoulder. When
he finally did have the opportunity to thank her for her help with
her cousin, she’d glared up at him and calmly stated “Bashing in
Dario’s face was a fine way to show your gratitude.” Ouch. He’d
poured on his normally irresistible charm and she’d resisted
it.

Gabe didn’t know what it was about that
little cherub that had him hooked, and now he’d resorted to
desperate means to get her. At 6’4” and muscled like a fine-tuned
machine, he had no problems finding women. Add to that a handsome
face with green eyes and silky black hair tied at the nape of his
neck in traditional Guardian style. He’d occasionally been compared
to Cupid himself. He was used to getting what he wanted and he
wouldn’t settle until Dara was his. Still unnoticed, he shadowed
her as she returned to her apartment and prepared to initiate the
second part of his plan.

• • •

Dara jumped at the loud rapping on her door;
clothing and other items were scattered across her apartment in
disarray as she quickly packed. Who could it be at this hour? Had
she messed up the spell with Steve? Had someone seen her?
Cautiously, she peeked through the peephole and was surprised to
see Gabe, the Guardian who’d roughed up her cousin in London,
standing outside. “What is he doing here?” she asked herself. She
was tempted to ignore his knocking, but given the night’s events
and the fact that ignoring a Guardian was the equivalent of
ignoring the police, she took a shaky breath and opened the
door.

She hated the way her heart skipped a beat
when she saw him. It had since the first time she met him, but
she’d chosen to ignore it. She didn’t believe in love at first
sight. He was gorgeous, but tall, dark and handsome was not her
type. She just had to convince her body of it and keep her distance
from Gabriel Santori. She needed a calm, sensible, average man –
someone like Steve, who was no longer an option.

“What do you want?” she asked sharply, not
caring that she was taking out her bad mood on an innocent
bystander.

“Is everything OK, Miss Amorus?” he responded
calmly, oozing charm as usual.

“It’s Ames here, not Amorus,” she snapped
back.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here,” he
continued, nonplussed at Dara’s lack of response. “There have been
reports of a rogue Cherub attacking humans in the area and
intelligence suggests they may be targeting your acquaintances.
Your grandfather sent me to accompany you home until the situation
has been resolved.” Dara bristled before sticking up her chin and
responding,

“I can take care of myself. I’ve done just
fine on my own.”

Her shoulders noticeably slumped however when
Gabe added, “I tracked him near your apartment this evening before
losing his trail, and I found evidence of several shots yesterday
near your office.” Picking up on the fact that she was visibly
shaken by the news he added in a softer voice, “your grandfather
has requested that I accompany you home. He’s worried about you and
you know as well as I do that nobody disobeys Cupid. Besides, it
looks like you’ve got a head start on packing” Gabe observed from a
partially filled suitcase in the living room.”

Dara was about to protest again – she hated
being told what to do - but she had the common sense to realize
that she was already packing to return home and with Gabe escorting
her; she’d have someone to carry her luggage. To her chagrin, part
of her also looked forward to sharing the trip with the good
looking Guardian.

If she wanted her Grandfather’s assistance in
keeping her family from interfering in her life, she certainly
couldn’t refuse his summons. Always curious, she asked Gabe for
more details on the rogue Cherub and was miffed at how little he
would divulge. She began her own internal search for clues and
without thinking she blurted out, “It must have been the same
cherub who shot…” before clasping her hands over her mouth.
Stupid!

Gabe looked at her expectantly and motioned
for her to continue.