Entasy (Prophecies of The Nine) (10 page)
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The sound of Layne’s heels clicking on the marble floors was music to my ears. "Tell me you have good news, my pet." She dropped two overstuffed garment bags over the back of the couch before she walked towards the bar.
"How much do you adore me, Liam?" She turned to give me a flirtatious grin.
"More than my Renoir painting. Now, what news do you have for me, my dear?"
"I found your treasure, Liam. I finished the job Gavin failed to do. However, I regret to inform you that Aerric ashed him and a few of your fledglings just as I faded into the alley."
"Aerric?" I walked to the bar to stand next to Layne as she handed me a glass filled with Bushmill’s whiskey. "This is an interesting development."
"What's so interesting about Aerric killing Gavin? He was a moron."
"Because, my pet, if Aerric is here, then maybe we are closer than I thought to retrieving my Aednat. Did you happen to spot anyone else?"
Her wicked grin matched the glint in her eyes. "Well, after Gavin became dust in the wind, I picked up the ring left in the alley and took it to her."
"You encountered her?"
Layne ran her hand down the front of my chest. "I did better than encounter her." She swayed her hips and walked over to the couch to pick up the two garment bags. "I got us an invite to the party she will be attending tonight." She shook the bags and then set them back down.
"And pray tell, how did you manage that?" I grinned as I continued to sip my drink, trying to act as if this wasn’t the best news I had heard in two decades.
Layne plopped down on the couch and put her feet up on my coffee table. Normally I would be punishing her for such insolence, but due to her discovery, I gave her a pass this time. "I met up with her in the park and we had a lovely chat. Her name is Kylah, her and her brothers own Keenan’s Irish Pub, and she was reading the book you have been seeking."
Faster than the eye could perceive, I was in front of Layne. I pulled her face close to mine. "If you are lying to me, my sweet, I will flay your skin from your bones and feed you to the changelings. Are we clear?"
She raised one eyebrow and spoke with venom in her voice. "I did as you asked. I succeeded where Gavin failed. Do not threaten me, Liam, or I will remind you why I am your most feared assassin." She maneuvered out of my grip and again grabbed the gold bags, unzipping them.
"We will need to be dressed appropriately. It’s All Hallows Eve, and everyone attending will be dressed in their finest." She pulled out what looked like a Victorian Fop costume. "I took the liberty of picking out matching outfits because I told Kylah I would be bringing a date."
"You must be joking if you think I will dress in such a manner."
Her arrogant grin was unnerving. "You will dress like this or you will not be able to get close enough to your precious female." She dropped the bag over the couch and turned to exit with her bag in tow. "I will be back in a bit to do the makeup that goes with the costume."
My growl shook the walls. "I will do no such thing."
Layne flashed before me, her eyes beginning to change colors at a rapid rate, unable to settle on her natural blue-green. "You will, or you will be walking into an ambush. Unlike that ignorant jackass Gavin, I know for a fact that this is the female you seek. When I left the ring in her apartment, I sensed the magic flowing. If my hunch is correct, the Nine are here and they will never let you close enough to smell her, much less take her." As her temper flared, her eyes snapped to jet-black. "So you will wear this outfit and you will use the makeup to disguise your true self."
I shook with anger but knew she was right. In order to get her back, I would need to do what Layne said, but that did not mean I would like it. "I agree on one condition. You get me close enough to touch her, and I will do the rest."
Layne jerked her shoulders out of my grip. "I will not die for your obsession, but I will get you close enough to know the truth…that your beloved Aednat is alive and well and living here in New York. Beyond that, you are on your own. If the history lesson is correct, the Naio are not easily bested. Kylah is a goddess and her brothers will stop at nothing to protect her. Of that I am certain. So unless you have a way to kill a god, let’s just keep to my plan. A young couple in love and dressed as dead Victorians. Can you do that? "
"You may have the upper hand and something I want, but watch your tone, Layne."
Her eyes teetered between red, black, and blue before she turned and walked out. "Be ready when I return, Liam, we have much to do." The clicking of her heels ceased and I knew she had flashed out to wherever it was she lived. Layne was very private about where she rested her head, and while I had often wondered the answer to that question, the reality was that the only thing I really cared about was her talent for killing. I walked back over to the bar and refilled my glass, taking great care as I poured.
Tonight I will take back what is mine.
Roan entered the room. "Sire, is there anything I can take care of for you?"
"Yes. Take that ridiculous outfit to my room and make sure that I am not disturbed until Layne returns."
"Yes, Sire." The heavy wooden doors to the study closed with a thud as Roan left the room. Once I was alone, I allowed myself a moment to remember the night I used the one thing capable of killing a god, and the one thing that would ensure tonight’s success. Nothing would keep me from bringing her home…nothing.
I woke to the sound of AC/DC’s
Back in Black
thumping the walls. I stumbled out of bed, realizing that sometimes naps were a good thing, and at other times they left you feeling even more exhausted. A shower should wake my ass up. I tossed my hair up in a makeshift bun and hopped into a cold shower. The cool droplets began to revive me almost instantly.
I needed this cold shower for more than one reason: the sexy male from my dream this morning returned during my little siesta. His sultry baritone was still fresh in my mind as I waited for the water to heat up. My Gaelic may have been a bit rusty, but from what I could understand, he had planned quite the erotic encounter under a sacred willow tree. I wasn’t sure I understood the reason for the tree, but he was quite adamant about it. Hey–tree or no tree, when he spoke and kissed my neck, I would have found a way to steal the Eiffel Tower if he had asked.
The water began to turn from cold to hot along with my libido. The kiss that followed his words was beyond intoxicating, and I found myself imagining his hands washing my body, his touch lingering as he reached my inner thigh. Oh, good lord, if I ever met this man in person, I was certain I would have an orgasm on the spot. The water wasn’t going to allow me the few more minutes I wanted…hell, needed, because it once again turned cold. I turned off the faucet and heard a sound in my bedroom.
"Knock-knock! Sorry to interrupt you, Ky, but I need to borrow your curling iron." Vivi laughed as she walked into the bathroom. "Because let’s face it, no 80s prom queen look is complete without big curly hair frozen with a ton of Aqua Net."
"No worries, Vivi. It’s in the bottom drawer next to the sink, and I think there may be a can of Aqua Net in the cabinet from last year’s Halloween costume."
I wrapped the towel around me before I stepped out of the shower, grateful that the water had turned cold when it did. Vivi and I were close, but had she came in a minute sooner, things could have been a bit awkward.
"I’ll get this back to you as soon as I’m done."
"No need, I’m putting all this red under a wig tonight, so I won’t need anything but that wig cap over there."
Vivi smiled. "I cannot wait to see what you are gonna be. I bet you will be stunning." She held up the hairspray and the curling iron as she headed for the door. "Thanks again…see you in a bit."
Vivi had been in our lives for so long now that I didn’t look at her as my sister-in-law but as my sister. With the boys as my "caretakers," it was nice to have her to talk to–nice for someone to have my back when my brothers got into one of their we-are-doing-this-to-protect-you campaigns. I couldn’t love Vivi any more than I did. I would give my life to protect her if need be. I slipped on a tank and some yoga pants, and added the first phase of makeup…moisturizer and under eye concealer. As I stared into the mirror, I was surprised at how tired I looked, but quickly dismissed it because that was what theatrical makeup was for. I let my hair down as I headed to open the curtains again; now I needed the late day sun to fill the room.
Ty must have turned the stereo up again when
Highway to Hell
came on. It was his favorite song. There were two things you needed when you got ready for a night on the town: loud music, and it was evident Ty had that covered. Number two was a cold beverage, something I was lacking at the moment, so I headed to the kitchen to remedy that. I opened up the fridge and grabbed one of the craft beers from the shelf.
"Hey, can I have one of those?" I smiled when I heard Dillon come up behind me.
"But of course." I grabbed a second beer and pulled the opener from the drawer, popping the top and passing it to Dillon. "I feel like it’s been forever since I have seen you, young man." Dillon grinned as he took a sip of his Harpoon.
He walked over to the stereo and turned the music down to a manageable level. "So I hear your costume is gonna knock my socks off?"
"Yeah, well I wasn’t really going for knock your socks off, I was actually shooting for a different reaction." I flashed a smile that hopefully displayed confidence and not insecurity.
"I’m sure it will be great, Kylah, and thank you for not bucking my choice to have Syd watch over you today. There’s been a lot going on, and I just need to make sure you are safe." He took another sip of his beer and tipped the end at me. "By the way, I got a text from Evan today. It seems he decided to follow Tynan and Vivi back here to New York. He’s coming to the party tonight. He told me to tell you he can’t wait to see you."
"Oh great, another set of eyes to keep track of me." I smiled as I said that because my cousin Evan was a lot like my brothers: built like a friggin oak tree and Irish to the core. It ran in our family for all the men to be fiercely over protective and very family oriented. Evan always put family above anything else. Growing up, Evan and Dillon were really close; they only separated when our parents left Ireland and moved here to the states. These days, they didn’t get to see each other that often, but they talked on the phone all the time.
"I am excited to see him too, Dillon. Maybe he can help take some of the pressure off you tonight."
"I told him if he was coming, I was gonna put his ass to work, so yeah, it will be a help."
"Hey! Who turned down the music?" Tynan came into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. "What…I go out of town for a week and now I don’t get offered a beer during Keenan happy hour?"
Dillon laughed. "It has been awhile since we stood in this kitchen sharing a beer."
I slid an open bottle over the counter to Tynan, watching as he caught it before it headed over the edge. "Nice catch."
"I’ve got skills, Kylah, what can I say?"
I shook my head and walked past my brothers on my way out of the kitchen. "I will catch you two later. I really need to go get my makeup on, or I am never gonna be ready when Syd arrives."
"See, Dillon’s plan was actually a decent one. You are actually looking forward to Syd picking you up for your date." Ty chuckled.
"DATE! What the hell are you talking about? I sent him to watch over her not to date her."
The look on Dillon’s face was classic, and certainly one I had seen many times before. "Oh, that wasn’t your plan, Dillon? Well shit, I’ll have to change my whole seduction plan for tonight and wear underwear after all," I teased. "I am a woman you know…with needs."