Blue Moon Rising (The Patroness) (15 page)

A powerful, magical object? She had to be talking about Cutter. It was th
e first time I heard that story
so I began to listen very closely.

She paused and took a deep breath. “In the end he became my toughest adversary because I wasn’t able to kill him. In our world it’s kill or get killed, you all know that. I knew it, too, but I just couldn’t get myself to do it – though I had the opportunity.” Viviane shook her head, “It was the first and the last time that that ever happened.”

“So what became of him? Is he still alive, I mean undead, whatever?” Pauline wanted to know.

Viviane smiled mischievously. “Well, I know he’s still around. Since I didn’t have the heart to kill him, I needed to do something else. And after I found out he wanted to kill all magical leaders asserting a claim on Paris with the famous, unknown, magical object, I went to Lilith, telling her to keep an eye on him. You know the saying ‘keep your friend close, and your enemy even closer’.”

“So he didn’t get what he was looking for? This mysterious object?” Kylian asked.

Viviane snickered.
“Damn right, he didn’t. Instead he spends the rest of his life as one of Lilith’s lapdogs. Ah, the vicissitudes of life!” She looked up, at the horizon. “Well, look at that. Isn’t it beautiful?”

A red sun had begun her slowly setting, a little to the right of the Eiffel Tower, illuminating Paris in a soft, golden pink glow. There were some clouds high in the sky, now painted a bright orange against an otherwise clear blue sky. It was one of those moments were you just held your breath, feeling naturally small in this marvelous work, this magnum opus called world. In comfortable silence we followed the course of the sun with our eyes, every one of us lost in own thoughts. 
Quietly
watching
the color of the sky
chang
e,
and finally th
e setting of the blood-red star
until only some pink little spots on the clouds were its last reminder.

Knowing Viviane all my life, it was obvious to me that she was trying to distract the others from her anecdote and the powerful object she’d mentioned. That was fine with me, but I couldn’t stop wondering why she’d told the story in the first place. Was it meant as a warning? Telling us that appearances were deceiving and that even those we held dear could turn on us?

It wasn’t long before darkness would settle and so I stood up and began to lighten the torches, soon plunging the terrace in a soft golden light. Viviane stood, too, a bright smile on her fac
e, and tugging Pauline with her
she came towards me, her hips swinging to the music playing in the background.

She beamed
.
“Now girls we have to dance, so the sun knows she has to come back in the morning. Jean, turn the music up a bit, will you? I just love that song!”

Chastel obeyed the Lady of the Lake, a wise decision. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

Needing one last moment of oblivion
,
I took their hands and danced in a little circle with them as we sang along at the top of our voices. Just like that, on a
rooftop in the middle of Paris
we went crazy and wild, enjoying life. Pauline’s wings were flapping happily, reflecting the light of the flames. The music changed to “Sugar, sugar” and we continued ou
r dancing
while Pauline brought her hand to her mouth and taking a deep breath she blew on it so that a cloud of fairy dust exploded into the air. The dust rose up, swirling and glittering around us, like golden snowflakes. We laughed as if we were high on it, when I heard a cell phone ringing. It was Kylian’s. He looked at its display then at me and mouthed
Grandpa
. I nodded and saw him jogging downstairs, seeking a little silence and privacy.

The song changed again and all of a sudden I found myself spun around and into a pair of muscular arms, Chastel’s. That revelation was followed by a little unexpected pang of disappointment. Holding a rose, which he must have plugged from one of my bushes - that bastard - clenched between his teeth, he winked at me and carried me away into a quick and hot lambada. Even though we both weren’t great dancers, the bold rhythm alone just made you want to move. Besides, Chastel’s playing the incorrigible macho with lots of
wiggling eyebrows and posturing
made me laugh so hard it became impossible to even think of steps. As the song drew to an end my stomach and cheeks hurt from laughing and I noticed that Viviane and Pauline fared not much different.

As I finally was able to stand up straight again something or rather someone caught my gaze. Kylian was standing at the top of the spiral staircase and he took my breath away. Outside that bubble of soft light created by the torches he looked dark and deadly. Feeling like a deer caught in headlights my mind struggled between fight or flight. Since I wanted neither, I only stood there. Feet planted on the ground, slightly apart. Ready for battle, just in case. Kylian came towards me with that lethal swing of his. Eyes glowing blue
and
raking over me, his nostrils flared in anger.

I s
wallowed
but didn’t drop my gaze. I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but let him be mad. I wasn’t one of his subordinates; he didn’t own me and had to understand that. I was an equal.

Music had filled the air again, the passionate rhythm of a rumba, a perfect mirror of the tangible tension and emotion swirling between us. Instead of the little fighting I kinda had expected though, he shocked me as he pulled me into his strong arms and began to lead the dance.

He didn’t come far, since I stood my ground, not moving an inch.

“Dance with me!” Not a request.

I didn’t budge. “Uh, what a charmer you are. I’m getting weak in my knees. Not.”

He growled.

Okay, that might have been not such a wise move. “Maybe, if you asked nicely.”

I looked into his clear and bright blue eyes, and gasped when they were a soft brown again in the next instant. Had I blinked? One moment he’d been mad, his animal near the surface and about to explode, the next he pulled on calm like a jacket. That was kinda scary. Really.

“May I have the pleasure of this dance?”

“Okay”, I managed to get out. Not bad
Maiwenn
, at least it was a word. Kind of.

And so we danced. While he held me in a close embrace, our hips connecting, I followed his lead. Everything drowned out, nothing else existed except for him and the irresistible rhythm we both were prisoners of. Guided by our feelings and instincts. All of it making this moment even more intimate than a kiss. Spellbound, I couldn’t do anything else but to glide with him over the rooftop, to stare into those stunning eyes, which now held little happy blue sparks dancing in their depths. I felt like I’d drown in them, getting lost I almost forgot where I was, who I was. Faint alarm bells went off in my head.

Then I noticed golden snowflakes getting caught in Kylian’s hair and his long, dark lashes. My mind had a little trou
ble to put one and one together
but I finally managed. Faery Dust, Pauline’s work. We looked up and saw a glittering cloud swirling above our heads. We’d stopped dancing, just stood there holding each other. Kylian returned his eyes to me and it was as if he looked right into my soul. Understanding and seeing me like no one ever had before, just with a look.

Suddenly I heard the cheering of the others, who’d watched us dance. I pulled free from Kylian’s embrace and the spell we were under, a little embarrassed I’d forgotten about the little crowd. As I moved to the table to sit down for a while and get my bearings back, I found Viviane looking at me, her expression unreadable.

“The night is full of surprises, it seems.”

I shrugged, hoping to play it down, and sat in a chair beside her, sipping on a glass of wine. “It was just a dance.”

Her laughter rang in the night. “If that’s just a dance, then what’s foreplay to you?”

The wine came nearly back out of my nose.

Still laughing, she said, “It’s late, I’ll go downstairs.” She stood, wi
shing good-night to the others
and when she passed me Viviane softly patted my shoulder. “Be careful out there.”

Putting my hand on top of hers, I nodded. “Will do. T’inquiete pas!”

Vi
viane smiled faintly down at me.
“You know I always worry.” She
squeezed my hand one last time
and then she was gone.

The others were still dancing and chatting on the improvised dance floor. It’d been a really nice evening, reminding me of life and what it was worth – but all things had to come to an end and Viviane had been right, it was getting late.

Kylian cau
ght my gaze and came towards me.
“My grandpa identified our vics. A
ll went missing during the last week. He informed and spoke to the relatives, all of them had different times of disappearance, and nothing common pops out, so far.”

Grateful for talking shop, a safe and not arousing subject, I wondered, “So they randomly and haphazardly snatched five shapeshifters off the streets? Highly unlikely if you ask me. There must be something they all have in common.”

“Every victim was
supposedly
alone. But other than that, nothing. Some went missing during day, others during night.”

“Any lead as to where they disappeared?”

“Not so far. But grandpa’ll keep us posted.”

I nodded, stood up and called out to Chastel and Pauline, “Hey guys, sorry for i
nterrupting, reality is calling. W
e have to check out the second furry hang out.”

They joined us at the table and together we began to clear it. Two trays and a wicker basket were lying beside one of the chairs, so we loaded and filled them with the dirty plates and the leftovers of our feast, and headed downstairs for the kitchen.

Pauline was walking beside me, although her flapping, violet wings and light gait gave the impression that she was rather floating above the ground.

“So where’s that hang out? What’s the plan?”

“It’s a karaoke bar on Rue de la Roquette. We want to see or rather Kylian wants to smell whether the rogue has been visiting lately.”

“A karaoke bar? Can I come?”

Before I could say ‘no’ Chastel cut in from behind us, “Actually I think it’s not that bad an idea.” When I frowned at him, he explained, “It would be less suspicious, t
hat’s all. Two couples, friends
whatever
,
enjoying embarrassing moments are less likely to draw someone’s attention than a tough female with two bad-ass males at her side.”

He had a point there. Dammit. But I wanted to keep my friend. In one piece. I liked Pauline and although I’d told her about the risks and dangers that living with me involved and promised her to keep all of that away from her as much as possible, I knew she’d like quite the contrary. She was an adventurous type. The fact that Pauline would follow a nearly complete stranger, even if he’d been he
r lover, into a foreign country,
kin
d of gave it away. She had guts, that wa
s for sure. And I had Kylian and Chastel with me to keep an eye on her in case things went wrong.

“Okay. Under one condition, after we checked out the bar
,
you will go straight back home.”

“Yes, I promise.” Promises still meant something in the magical community, so I believed her to do exactly as I said.

In the kitchen we stowed everything away and after loading the dishwasher, Pauline suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into my room, closing the door behind the two of us.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

She beamed at me.
“We’re going to be undercover”

Oh, for crying out loud.

She saw the look on my face and corrected, “Kind of. I know that we’re only going to play two couples having fun in a karaoke bar. Nevertheless, we should actually dress like two girls on a night out to make it credible.”

She turned around to open my closet and took a good, long look inside. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.” Pauline held up a mini-skirt.

I shook my head, “No.”

“Why? I bet you’ve got great legs hidden under your pants.”

Still shaking my head, I explained, “I know you’ve got a point about dressing up. But this skirt isn’t practical. I need to be able to move. Remember, this isn’t a date for me, but my job. I’ll still be out patrolling afterwards.”

She nodded.
“Right. Okay, okay.”

Smiling to myself, I joined her and together we rummaged through my closet. Soon it looked like a bomb had gone off
in
there, but I didn’t care. I enjoyed Pauline judging my outfits. Faeries had an innate talent for those things, so I just listened and nodded and grinned. In the end we settled on a dark blue, linen pants and a white, tight top that left half of my back bare. I went into the bathroom, where I showered and dressed. I had just finished blow drying my hair when a knock sounded. Pauline announced herself, so I went to open it and let her in.