Part 7 (1/2)

”React?”

”Yeah, here I'll show you.” He took my hand and put it over the shape of the moon. I felt like I knew him, really knew him, but I'd only just met him. Yet, somehow touching him felt so very comforting. His body was a heck of a lot warmer than Giovanni's, but I got the point. It was just a tattoo. ”Now, think something wicked or evil while you touch it, be sure to pull your magik up when you do it.”

I gave Mikhail a funny look. He tightened his grip on my hand. I couldn't come up with anything. ”Sorry ....”

”Think about Fritz.”

That worked. I felt myself getting agitated with the thought of him acting like a jerk every time he was around me. He thought he had a right to call me whatever he wanted and to continue to insult me. I wanted to drag him by his flock-of-omni hairdo and drown him in the pool. I thought about how good it felt to throw power at him and felt my fingers tingle with my magik.

Mikhail's tattoo heated. He drew his lips in. I knew it must be painful so I yanked my hand away.

”What happened?”

It took him a minute to compose himself. He looked down and touched his tattoo. His hand came away quick. I felt like a giant b.o.o.b for causing him pain.

”I'm sorry, Mikhail ... I ....”

”No, it's all right. It's good to know it still works.”

”What do you mean?”

He glanced at the stable, put the blade of gra.s.s in his mouth and used his tongue to roll it around his lips. I never wanted to be a piece of vegetation so bad in my life. He looked like the poster boy for cowboys incorporated lying there. If I wasn't neck deep in men with issues I'd have made a move on him. He did have a steady pulse and that was a plus. Turning into a monster puppy dog on a monthly basis was an issue.

”Your dad's the King of the Dark Realm right?” he asked.

I nodded.

”Right and well we all know he can be a son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h when he wants to be and since you're his daughter you ....”

I knew what he was getting at. As much as I didn't want to admit it, it was there. ”I'm the King's daughter and he heads what humans think of as the underworld. He can be a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I get that and since I'm of his blood I'm one, too.”

Mikhail sat up and shook his head. ”No, Gwen, you have the potential for evil, we all do, but you've got a weird situation. For thousands of years your bloodline has kept the creatures of the night in order. It takes a certain type of person to do that and well, you're next in line for the throne, so you do the math. I'm not saying you're evil, if anything, Gwen ... you fight your dark side and keep it beat down. I think you're attracted to Pallo and Giovanni because they represent everything you don't allow yourself to be. They're the darkness to your light.”

”That's great and I know you're right, but what does that have to do with your tattoo heating up?” I was suddenly very uncomfortable talking about my ability to scare the c.r.a.p out of demons. Being feared by all wasn't something I strived for. Most of the time I was happy when I shooed a spider and it left my area willingly.

”Sorry, I needed to explain that to you before I just blurted out the fact the tattoo is to ward off or warn of dark magik.”

Dark magik? I possessed dark magik? I was happy he'd gone into the family tree spiel prior to dumping that on me. I don't think I'd have taken his tattoo reacting to my anger so well if he hadn't warned me.

”But, why do you and Giovanni have them-the tattoos?”

Mikhail leaned back on his elbow and tried to avoid looking at me. ”Not just Giovanni and me, Caradoc and James do, too.”

I pulled my feet in and sat with my legs crossed in front of him. I pushed my black skirt down to avoid giving a peep show and pushed my hair behind my ears. I liked to do that when I was trying to soak things in, as if it would help. It was amazing I hadn't been doing it non-stop lately.

Mikhail continued, ”I've known Giovanni as long as you have. Your father gave me to him as a pet.”

I blinked several times, sure I'd heard Mikhail wrong. When he made no move to amend what he'd said, my jaw dropped open.

”My father treated you like a dog?” I couldn't hide the disgust in my voice. I wanted to smack my father. The very thought of him behaving that way sickened me.

”Well, in hindsight, I deserved it. I was newly made and having problems controlling myself. I... I killed innocent people more than once and your father gave me to Giovanni for punishment.”

s.h.i.+fting positions, I tried my best to keep my legs from falling asleep. Mikhail smiled at me. I was enthralled and he knew it. ”Well, Giovanni taught me a lesson and I knocked off the killing of innocents. It only takes one night at the mercy of Giovanni to get a point across.” He shuddered as if remembering exactly what that night had been like.

”I didn't hold it against Giovanni. I was thankful he'd broken my urge to hurt innocent people. He was... is... considered my master, but now more than anything he's my friend.” He rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head. ”James and Caradoc used to be Giovanni's, too, and well ... we sort of had a problem with dark magik affecting some of us and when it was done we vowed to never let it happen again, so ... we found help from a powerful white magik faerie and here we are today, marked and all the better for it.”

I had so many questions for him. I wanted to know about the dark magik they'd encountered. How long Caradoc and James had been with Giovanni and so many other questions. The one that popped out my mouth surprised even me. ”So, if you've known Giovanni since before me, then did you know me?”

”Yep.”

”I don't remember you.” My body tensed. ”No, that's not true. I sort of know you, but something is different now.”

He pushed himself up off the ground and extended his hand down to me. ”We were all close friends for many years, you and I had a different bond for many, many years until ... let's just say our bond was our downfall.”

I had opened my mouth to ask him to clarify that when I heard Malita's voice. ”Mikhail ... oh, I didn't realize you were busy.” She sounded like she wanted to be throwing fireb.a.l.l.s at us. If I had thought she had a bit of faerie in her I would've been scared.

”What's up?” he asked obviously annoyed by her presence.

She stepped towards us and her gaze fell on me. I was losing my urge to smack her upside her blonde head every time I saw her. I was impressed with myself.

”Giovanni said to get packed. We're leaving in the morning and heading back with Gwen.”

Chapter Twelve.

I sat at the dinner table and stared down at Giovanni. He knew I was p.i.s.sed at him, and he was avoiding making eye contact with me. He sat down there sipping his blood and listening to something Candy was saying to him. I could see the effort in his jaw as he tried to avoid screaming from sheer boredom. I pushed my carrot parfait around my plate. It was as disgusting as it sounded. The lamb Ester had made was good, but I wasn't hungry.

Glancing down at Giovanni, I excused myself. Mikhail stared up at me as I walked out. I felt bad for being a b.i.t.c.h in front of him, but there was no way that I was riding in a plane for close to seven hours with them. Mikhail I could stomach, but the other four I couldn't take in confined quarters that long.

I stormed upstairs and made sure to slam my door hard. I wanted the world to know I was p.i.s.sed. Heading straight for the bathroom, I took the box of scented bath salts out and dumped them in the tub. I turned the k.n.o.bs and let the water run, undressing as the large old petal stool style tub filled.

Someone knocked softly on the door. I turned around and peeked out. Giovanni was standing there with a tiny half-smile on his face. He batted his long black lashes at me and I felt the corners of my mouth give into a smile. I opened the door all the way and turned to get in the tub.

The water was hotter than I'd been aiming for, but it'd do. I climbed in and sank down. Giovanni moved to the edge and sat. He had to push the white shower curtain back out of the way. I giggled as he fought with it. He was smooth in so many ways and human in so many others.

”Are you going to tell me why you are upset with me? Or will you leave without me knowing?”

”No part of me wants to sit on a plane with those people. Don't get me wrong, Mikhail is fine, but the rest? Come on, Giovanni, you can't be serious.”

”Oh, Bella, I am serious. Have you forgotten about the attack? I do not wish to send you home alone. Once you are safe and Pallo and his people are looking over you, then the omnis can go.”

He leaned over and picked up the bar of honey-scented soap. He dipped it in and got a rich lather going on his hands. Brus.h.i.+ng my hair aside, he washed my shoulders and back. I forced my body to relax. As his fingers moved lower, I turned and looked at him.

He was wearing, shock of all shockers, a dress s.h.i.+rt. This one was white and I'm sure hundreds of dollars. I put my hand on his wrist.

”You keep getting your clothes soaked and you're going to regret having me here. I won't be allowed back on the grounds that your dry cleaning bill went through the roof while I was with you.”