Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel #1) - Linsey Hall Page 0,41
place was even more dangerous than London.
“You’re telling me.” A cloud crossed Eve’s face. “But what can I help you with? And keep the details to a minimum. I don’t want the Devil getting your info out of me.”
“Okay…” He knew what I was going to try to do, but it’d be best to play by her rules anyway. “Do you have anything that will force people to do what I want them to do?”
“You want a power like the Devil’s, huh?”
“Wouldn’t be bad.”
“True enough, it wouldn’t.” She went to a shelf and got down a small vial. “This is a powder that will make someone perform a small task for you. Nothing too intense, of course. You couldn’t compel someone to kill, for instance.”
My brows popped up. “Whoa, wasn’t thinking of that as an option, actually.”
“Okay, good. Well, it should work pretty well at getting someone to do something small, then. But they’ll pass out immediately after.”
“It won’t hurt them, right?”
“No, it will exhaust them.”
“That’s fine. What about another freezing potion?” Mac asked. “That would be handy.”
“You can have two. What else?”
Mac’s eyes widened. “Wow, you really feel guilty, huh?”
“Yeah. Way guilty. He…he has his eye on her in a big way, and I don’t know why.”
“It’s fine.” I wanted to reassure her. “I can handle it.”
“Against the Devil himself?” Eve looked skeptical.
“Against anything.”
She grinned. “I like you. We should get a drink when this is all over, whatever this is.”
“Yeah.” Two friends? How could I get so lucky?
She gave us a couple more assorted potions that Mac seemed pleased with. We made sure that we were immune to the freezing potions, and then we split, heading back toward the gate.
The town was bustling by now, the sun setting once again. The old iron streetlamps and shop windows glowed with golden light, and the streets were full of supernaturals going about their business. A few people flew overhead, their wings carrying them through the air.
“I can’t believe this place,” I murmured.
“Well, get used to it. These are your people now.”
I spotted two inebriated men brawling, horns protruding from their heads and drunken eyes rolling as they tried unsuccessfully to land a punch.
“Uhhh…” I said.
“Not those old goats. They’re not your people.” She pointed to some laughing women who looked mostly normal as they sat at an outdoor cafe drinking wine. “They are. Or maybe the old dudes playing cribbage over there.” She laughed.
“You know, I’m not bad at cribbage.”
“Maybe you can give old Larry and Watson a run for their money one day.”
“I’d like to try.”
As we passed through the main city gate and walked down the darkened tunnel to the other side, I felt a prickle of attention that made my heart race.
The Devil was watching. I could feel it in my soul, in the way the gaze felt like a caress over my skin.
“Can the Devil see inside here?” I asked.
“It’s safe to assume he can see almost anywhere,” Mac said. “Either through magic or through a secret hiding place. That man has eyes everywhere.”
I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably. “Cool, cool, cool.”
We reached the other side, and when we stepped out into the light, the ether pulled me in and spun me through space. A moment later, we appeared in the empty, darkened hallway of the Haunted Hound.
Quinn, the handsome bartender, stood near the shelves of liquor, adding another bottle. He looked at us, and his brows rose. “Come to cover your shift, Mac?”
“Ah, no. Can you?”
His eyebrows lowered, but his glower did nothing to obscure his handsome face.
“I’m helping Carrow,” Mac said.
Quinn’s face cleared again, and he seemed to be considering. “I could help Carrow. Be delighted to.”
“You don’t know what we’re doing. She’d be better off with me.”
“I’m not so sure of that.”
“We’re going to get our hair done.”
He scowled. “Liar. But I’ll still cover for you.”
“Thanks a million,” Mac said. “You’re a hero.”
“Seriously,” I added. “Thank you. I could really use the help.”
“Need a second person?” Quinn asked.
“We’ve got it,” Mac said with a grin. “You’ll have to flirt with her later.”
“I’ll count down the hours,” he replied, charming as hell.
Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. Sure, he was hot and nice, but he was no scary vampire with mind control. Which seemed to be the only guy I was interested in right now, which was insane, because I was also freaking scared of him.
“Actually,” Mac said. “We could maybe use some bailout help later.”