Wicked by Any Other Name (22 page)

He was even more certain he'd die when she lifted her head.

“You're trying to kill me, aren't you?”

She smiled and shook her head. She stood up in one fluid motion and slowly took off her clothes until she stood in a copper colored silk and lace bra and matching thong.

“You are so beautiful.” Trev wanted to say much more, say everything that was deep within him, but the simple phrase was all he could come up with. The look of light and delight on her face told him it was enough because he meant it.

“And you are my sex slave for the night.” She planted her hands against his chest and pushed him backwards until he fell on the bed. He obliged her by scooting backwards until he lay on the covers. “You will do everything I say.” She peeled off her bra and thong with the teasing style of a stripper and tossed them onto a nearby chair. She pressed one knee on the bed between his spread legs and crawled forward. Her eyes glowed with her power that started sparking around the room.

Trev couldn't take his gaze off her face. He even forgot about the red hearts that turned into a heart-shaped wreath as she settled on his upper thighs while blithely ignoring his bobbing cock.

“Someone's looking for some more serious attention,” he said.

She leaned over, her belly brushing against his erection as she reached up for a deep kiss. When she drew back, Trev tasted himself on her mouth. He swore his lips tingled and said so.

“Cinnamon lip gloss,” she murmured, feathering light kisses around his jaw. “With a little extra punch, so to speak. Like it?”

“Love it. Buy more of the stuff. A few hundred cases might do it.” He slid his hands over her sides, enjoying the feel of her smooth flesh. He hadn't remembered seeing the faint tan lines the last time they made love, but he had been pretty much caught up in lust at the time. He reveled in the rose-pink color of her nipples and the way they deepened in color as she grew more aroused, and the spicy scent that wafted off her skin.

Not that he could keep his attention focused when she was rubbing up against him in such a way that he was positive he'd be a puddle of ooze soon. But then wizards had a few tricks up their sleeves, too.

“Lady of night. Lady my love. Lady hold tight.” With a quick flip of his hips, he had her pinned to the bed and he settled in between her thighs.

Before Stasi could voice a protest, Trev was kissing her deeply and had thrust forward until he was fully buried inside her silken heat. He reached down and found her clit, pinching it lightly between his fingertips. She bucked upward, almost unseating him as she screamed inside his mouth, but she still held back that tiny part of her.

“Let go, love,” he whispered. “Show me what that witchy body of yours has. Show me what you truly feel.” He retreated, then thrust in even deeper and pinched her clit again, this time harder, and had her gasping and pulsing around his cock. “Give me everything you have.”

At that moment, Stasi came apart in his arms as a shower of red lights rained down around them. If the couple had bothered to look, they would have realized the lights were heart-shaped, and even the candle flames leaped up in the shape of glowing hearts. But they were too involved in what their bodies shared.

Stasi had barely recovered when Trev started moving his hips in a steady motion that shot her upward again, and this time, he flew with her until the room was lit up with the red hearts that ringed the bed.

Stasi stared at the hearts in amazement. “
Hic!
”

Trev laughed as the iridescent bubble drifted upward. “Again?”

“
Hic!
” She clapped her hands over her mouth, but not soon enough, as another bubble joined the first one. “Look around us,” she said in a hoarse voice.

Trev looked at the headboard that now displayed another set of red gleaming hearts, then over his shoulder, where more hearts danced on the footboard.

“Cupid can be pushy, can't he?” He idly stroked her from her shoulder along her sides to her hips, then back up again. Her skin was damp, as was his. He wondered if her bathroom had a shower that could hold two.

“Cupid doesn't like it that I do my part in the line of romance.” She gave him a gentle push then rolled over onto her side. He did the same so he could face her. Even then he couldn't keep his hands off her and enjoyed the feel of her skin under his hands. Considering the look on her face, she felt the same way.

“And only two hiccups,” he teased.

Stasi scrunched up her nose as she noted the bubbles floating near the ceiling. “Nervous habit. I've done it since I was a child.”

“A cute habit.”

“Says the wizard who
doesn't
hiccup at odd times.” She did some touching of her own.

Trev groaned as pleasure-pain rippled through him. “I'm not so sure I'm all that ready to go again.”

“Then I guess we'll just have to find something else to do.” She moved in closer. “I like my guests to feel comfortable.”

He didn't want to think she had made other men as “comfortable” as he was feeling. But then, they both had been around for centuries. And what was important was that he was the one in her bed now, and he intended to be the last man who knew her bedroom, and her, on an intimate basis.

Trev reached down and pulled a baby blue knit throw over them, wrapped his arms around her, and settled back against the pillows with Stasi's head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such contentment. It also helped that the red hearts surrounding them were fading.

“This is nice. You like to cuddle.” Her voice was drowsy.

“With you, I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “You feel very right in my arms.” He could feel her smile against his skin.

“Hey!” Pounding sounded from the other side of the room. “When do I get out of here? Hello! I'm suffocating here! Do you really want my death on your head?” The pounding stopped for a second then intensified. “This is gargoyle abuse! I'll report you to the SPCG, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Gargoyles!”

Stasi looked at Trev. Trev looked at Stasi.

“He can't hear or see a thing?” he asked.

Her lips curved upward as she nodded her confirmation.

“Silence for me. Silence for she. Give us peace and quiet until morn by allowing noisy gargoyles to sleep.” He threw out his hand and covered her dresser with his power. Silence fell the second the wave hit the wood.

“Ooh, you're good.”

Trev chuckled as he realized he wasn't as tired as he thought he was. He wasted no time rolling her over underneath him.

“Let me show you just what good is all about.”

Stasi looked out the kitchen window but she saw only darkness. “October 31st. Samhain,” she murmured. “Somehow this isn't what I expected for this day.”

“None of us expected a morning like this. So, anyone have ideas on what to do next?” Blair asked as she stacked pancakes on a serving platter and set them in the middle of the table while Stasi forked up bacon. “Other than what everyone around here except me seems to have been doing lately,” she grumbled. She gave Stasi a bump with her hip. “Stop grinning like an idiot.” She pivoted and pointed her spatula at Trev. “You too.”

Stasi cocked her head to one side, listening to the shower running in the guest bathroom. She was grateful they had a gas stove and water heater. Because the day was weirdly as dark as night, they had lit candles scattered throughout the kitchen. The warmth of the stove had taken the chill out of the air, and the kitchen felt cozy, a haven from the threatening forces that were gathering outside in the gloom. Bogie was occupied with a bowl of kibble, while Fluff and Puff had been appeased with a pancake each. At the moment, she felt happy—a light-as-air sensation that she couldn't remember feeling for a long time, and she knew it was due to the wizard seated at her table. They'd barely slept, but it hadn't mattered because they were too lost in each other.

“Don't complain. You had your chance. All you had to do was drag him into your bedroom and have your way with him. For once he even looked willing.” She carried the plate of bacon over to the table, pausing long enough to thrust enough energy into a pitcher of pancake syrup to warm it up, then drop a kiss on Trev's mouth. She felt so happy that she didn't care who knew how she felt about him.

“Um, cinnamon.” His blue eyes danced with delight as he licked his lips. “Very tasty.”

“Cinnamon syrup's one of my favorites,” she murmured.

“Same here.” His gaze centered on her mouth that glistened with lip gloss.

“Good morning.” A freshly showered Jake walked in. His black hair was still damp and he was barefoot. Blair looked at him as if he was the main course. He took a chair across from Trev and spun it around to rest his arms on the back. “Any coffee?” He looked hopefully at Blair.

“Over there.” She gestured toward the pot on the counter. “If you want table service, head to Ginny's.”

Jake got up and snagged a coffee cup, filling it to the brim.

“Wow, everyone's up.” Jazz stumbled in, wearing flannel pajamas decorated with chocolate bonbons. She got coffee and sat at the table. Her sleepy gaze perked up when she saw the food. “Oooh, Blair's pancakes.” Once she had a plate filled and sat down, she looked at the others. “So what's the plan, Scoobies?”

“We are starting to be like them, aren't we?” Stasi replied. “But are we Scoobies as in Velma and Shaggy, or Buffy's Scoobies?”

“I vote for Buffy's Scoobies. That would make all of us Willow,” Blair pointed out.

“Krebs isn't here, but I name him Xander. Although, I can't see Letiticia as Darla. I'll be Oz,” Jake suggested.

“I don't know.” Blair eyed him closely. “Well, I guess so.”

“Then it's a given I'm Angel.” Nick walked in and retrieved coffee, then leaned against the counter. “Now that we have that settled, what do we do next?”

Stasi rested her face on her crossed arms on the table. “The Library didn't give us one hint other than we're screwed.” Her words were muffled along with a hint of a whine. “I'm whining, aren't I?”

“Maybe a little bit.” Jazz leaned over and rubbed her back. “You and Blair put up with me whining when I was mortal for those two days. And you're not even close to the shape I'd been in.”

“Why don't we eat while the food's hot?” Blair suggested. “Maybe things will seem clearer then.”

Stasi lifted her head and looked at the window. The glass had a crackled look from the frost and nothing could be seen but darkness.

“Everything looks pretty shitty right now,” she mumbled, but she picked up her fork and started in on her pancakes. After a few bites she put her fork down.

“Eat,” Trev urged.

“I will.” She looked lost in thought. “I think you need to leave here, Trev. You need to find a way to either leave town or at least stay at the B&B. Once Carrie finds out you're here—and she will find out because Ginny saw you last night—she will make matters worse for you. She knew enough to find you to file the lawsuit.”

“All because of that damn sachet,” Blair mumbled.

Stasi's cheeks turned a dark pink. “Her boys were with her and pawing the displays with their grubby hands. She was moaning about what a jerk her husband was to leave her and yet there she was in my shop picking up over $500 worth of lingerie in hopes of luring him back, at the same time she's bitching the child support checks are late. Her priorities were so screwed up it wasn't funny. She's a disgrace to the very idea of romance. And I thought of her husband, who's a very nice man who got caught up by the idea of having the perfect family life, when instead he got Carrie and her kids, who act like nasty little gremlins more often than not. What if she had really succeeded in luring him back? He'd finally gotten away from her. I just wanted to make sure he didn't go back to that living hell.”

“Kevin is a nice guy,” Jake agreed. “Some of us tried to tell him he wouldn't be happy with her. Carrie's previous marriages were proof of that, but he wouldn't listen.”

“When Carrie wants to, she can come across as Mother of the Year,” Blair said, munching on bacon. “But if life doesn't go her way, she turns into Bitch of the Year.” She cast an apologetic look at Jazz since it was known the B word wasn't one of Jazz's favorites.

Jazz waved it off. “Sometimes you have to use what fits. Although I know there are more explicit words out there that would also work, I am a lady.” She glared at Nick who had snorted in his coffee. He murmured a quick “sorry.”

Stasi's gaze returned to the window. She idly ate as she studied the frosted glass. She dreaded to think what the lake looked like now.

“So much is shifting. It's as if someone's manipulating the forces around us,” she mused.

“We have it narrowed down to forest Fae,” Jazz said. “But it doesn't explain everything, and it's still not specific enough.”

“It will be.” Knowing she would need all her strength, Stasi soon finished her hearty breakfast.

Once everyone had polished off their breakfasts, Blair picked up the dishes and coerced Jake into helping her clean up.

“Be useful for once,” she told him.

He grinned. “If you only knew.”

Stasi left the kitchen for a few moments and returned with her hiking boots on. She walked over to the coat rack and pulled off her coat and scarf. “I'm going to take a walk.”

“Not without me.” Trev was by her side in seconds.

She opened her mouth to argue with him, but she knew it would only delay her plans. She nodded and waited while he got his jacket.

Even in her warm clothing, Stasi shivered when they stepped outside. Trev quickly pulled the door closed behind them. The yellowish glow of candlelight was a bare glimmer through the window over the sink and the window in the door.

“It's even colder than last night.” She pulled her cream-colored fleece cap on and tucked her hair up under it, so it could cover her ears, then slipped on matching gloves. Trev did the same with a navy wool cap and sheepskin-lined leather gloves he pulled out of his jacket pocket.

Stasi looked up, noticing the charcoal colored sky with ash-colored clouds dotted here and there. While the snow had stopped falling sometime during the night, the warning of more snow was in the air.

“I want to see the lake before we do anything else.” She started to step down then halted when she noticed the ice on the treads. “Ice to water. Water to steam. Release to air and not be seen, if you please.” The coating of ice on the wooden steps immediately melted then rose up in spirals of steam. In seconds the stairs were completely dry.

“I have to admit, I haven't spent a lot of time around witches, but you three are showing me what I've missed,” Trev said, following her down the stairs. “And you have some nifty spells.”

“They come in handy.” She walked carefully across the frozen ground, hearing the crunch beneath her hiking boots. Trev moved up beside her and took her hand in his, tugging her behind him so she could walk in his footsteps. She smiled at his back, feeling warmed by his thoughtfulness, and while she knew either of them could have used their gifts to warm the ground, because she chose not to Trev did likewise.

“Why do you feel the need to see the lake? Do you think something else has happened?” He held back low hanging tree branches that would have smacked them both in the face.

“It's just a sense I have.” She touched his jacket, stopping him. “While Blair and I aren't water witches, we've always felt a connection to the lake. When we had to leave the area, we always made sure that the lake was protected,” she explained. “Especially when a ski resort was built up here in 1930. Blair and I were afraid that someone would buy the land and the lake would be available for guest use only. We already owned the building, and we purchased the land around the lake. This way we knew the land wouldn't ever be sold.”

Trev assessed his surroundings. “You two would be very wealthy.”

She shook her head. “Money isn't important to us. Yes, we're typical females. We love nice things and we have our splurges, but it doesn't cost much to live up here and our shops give us a very nice living.”

“You are one in a million,” he said softly, stepping forward to take her in his arms. He lowered his head to kiss her, but she ducked away.

“In air this cold we'd be frozen together,” she warned him.

“I can't think of a nicer way to go. Cinnamon ice, yum!”

She laughed and stepped back. “Come on, Wizard Barnes, we have things to do.” She turned him around and gave him a little push.

Stasi felt the odd shifts the moment she stepped into the open area surrounding the lake. The barrier was once again invisible, but she could still sense its presence. On the other side of the lake, a series of green glowing balls floated in the air. The lake's surface was now unruffled, the surface serene and a silvery color.

“It's calmed down, but it's completely frozen over.” She bent down and picked up a small stone, tossing it toward the lake. The minute it hit something unseen it disintegrated into dust that fell to the ground.

Trev pursed his lips in a low whistle. “Nothing like adding a little extra oomph to its protection. I don't know about you, but I'd like to keep our bodies in one piece.”

Stasi stood up and dusted off her hands. “I agree.”

“You said it normally doesn't freeze?”

“Only a few times, and it's cold enough now for it to happen. If someone came out here and saw the frozen surface, they might think it was good for ice-skating. Luckily, with all the trees and rocky surface, snowboarding or even sledding isn't advised.” She frowned as something colorful appeared on the other side of the lake. “There's something over there.” She pulled on Trev's sleeve and hurried around the worn path circling the lake.

By the time they reached about halfway to the other side, Stasi could hear the faint whimpering of a child.

“Carrie's son,” she whispered, picking up the pace.

“Stasi, wait!”

But she ignored Trev and ran, skidding a few times on frozen ground but managing to keep her balance. By the time she reached the other side she was out of breath as the cold air squeezed her lungs.

A small boy dressed in a red down jacket and heavy pants sat on the snowy ground. His tears had frozen on his cheeks and while he didn't appear to be harmed, he was scared and cold.

“Danny?” Stasi asked, dropping to her knees beside him. She dug through her pockets but found them empty. Before she could conjure up a handkerchief, Trev handed her one.

“I'm Kenny,” he whispered, identifying himself as the other twin. “I want my mommy.”

She put her arms around him, alarmed at the cold feel of his skin. “Where have you been?”

He shrugged. “I don't know. I went to bed and woke up out here.”

Stasi noticed his lips were blue and his skin bright pink and chapped, but didn't see any signs of anything more serious.

“Here, big guy.” Trev stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around the boy before he swung him up into his arms. “Let's get you home where you can get some warm food.”

“Mommy will be mad, but I didn't run way,” he whimpered, hiding his face against his shoulder. “Honest.”

“We know that, sweetheart.” Stasi rubbed his back. She looked up at the expression on Trev's face. “What's wrong?”

“Maybe it's best that just I take him back,” he said. “Tension's high enough as it is and…”

“And Carrie hates my guts,” she admitted with a sigh. The realization hurt. She didn't like the woman. Never had. But that didn't stop the pain from rippling through her. She stepped back. “All right. Do you know where her house is?”

He shook his head.

“It's 405 Fremont Lane. It's a winding road behind Grady's BBQ Pit. It's the fourth house on the left.”

“I'll be back soon,” he promised, kissing her quickly then striding off.

Stasi remained in place and watched them walk. She could hear snatches of their conversation as Kenny lamented how his mom was going to be really mad at him.

Once they were out of sight, she looked back at the lake and the green glimmering globes. She took a deep breath and held up her hand.

“I seek knowledge. I seek information. I seek a way to repair the trouble in my land.” She smiled when the tiny gold light hovered over her palm. “Please lead me.”