Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

"Then you shouldn't have trusted me with your phone. I need to learn what I can about them. Why does Kane think we want a shot at Castine?"

Or is that just the jerk's way of fucking with my head all the more?

He shivers at the mention of her name. I swear her name gives him more pause than my father's. That's obviously a little disconcerting.

"Kane figured out who I was the night of the trap. He saw me with you as Little Red, and then he saw you bleeding at the trap. At the time, I didn't know he was the lead in the rescue expedition. I'm still not sure what that was about. I can only assume it was because of some beef he had with Isolis. To cut to the point, he knows I hunt and trap his kind. He's claiming to think this was all part of a ruse to lure Castine out of hiding. There's a massive bounty on her head. Most everyone wants her dead for their own set of reasons. No one wants her dead as badly as he does, and he doesn't want me to take away his opportunity. He planned to use you to make that possible, but he too is saying he feels used. I read that in Sierra's diary."

"Stop calling them diaries. That seems so... invasive and wrong. Call them... journals or something," I huff, discreetly trying to shift the subject.

He laughs a little, and then he stands up while pulling me with him.

"Come on. We have to get to that party. Then we've got that horrid Halloween masquerade ball to attend in two days."

I roll my eyes, and then I glance out at the setting sun.

"I hate parties. Why do we have to go to either?"

"Because that's where all the good tips and gossip are. The party tonight is hosted by one of the most notorious chanters in the immortal world. I told you this place is a hotspot for immortals. If we can get him talking, he might be able to give us a lead on who took your mother. We need to find out what they wanted. Is she still refusing to talk?"

I nod as tears sting my eyes, and his whole stance softens as he tilts my chin up.

"We'll find them. She's safe now. They can't touch her, and the light may have their faults, but they won't let someone waltz in and take her again."

That gives me little solace since she was taken right out from under them to begin with.

"Fine. Why do I have to go to the party?"

"Because I'm not leaving you alone, and no one else is here to stay with you."

"Okay... So why do I have to go

to the masquerade ball?"

"Because I need a date. That thing is going to be crawling with desperate women. In case you haven't noticed, I'm eye candy. I can't be fighting off girls while seeking out information."

His cocky release forces me to laugh, and he offers me a smile of triumph. He's worked incredibly hard these past few weeks to make me laugh. That's the best he's succeeded thus far.

"See? A party is a good thing. It'll cheer you up. This town is buzzing with too many entities. Let's hit these parties, and then let's hit the road."

I nod, though it's reluctant. I have drug out my stay too long. Why? I don't know.

I guess I just keep hoping this is all one bad dream. I keep expecting to wake up and find out my mom was never taken; Kane is really a sweet, untainted human; and I'm just the same naive, happy girl I once was.

"Why do you think this town is a hotspot?" I ask as I slip on my jacket.

"Beats me. There could be a number of things drawing our kind here. It's subtle, and whatever it is, it doesn't want us finding it. Let's not worry about that part. We've got too many irons in the fire as it is. Right now, let's party."

With the thudding music offering only vibrations instead of sound, it's obvious this home belongs to an immortal. I can feel the ground trying to cover its ears as the vibrations rattle it to the core.

"What exactly does a chanter do?" I ask absently, subtly eyeing the party with a wary gaze.

"Really? Did you learn anything at all when you were growing up?" Gage lightly gripes as we near the house exuding the tingling release.

"Yes, but not about some creatures. There're are a lot of different types of immortals, you know."

He laughs softly while taking my hand in his when a few guys start checking me out. This super-blond color only seems to be getting lighter, which draws in unwanted attention. I'm starting to turn into Wicca Barbie.

"Chanters are strong. They cast spells just as effectively as our own, but they don't have the hidden powers we all do. They've been known to swing for both sides - light and dark I mean - never aligning themselves with either. They have the best protection spells one can offer. I should have thought of that sooner when you were struggling... or when I thought you were struggling."