Cursed By Destiny
Page 26

I waved them off, although I could already hear them runway-strutting the length of the dilapidated hall. Emme rushed to my side. “Oh, my goodness, Celia. Your face is cut open.”
I rubbed my face. My tigress made my hide and limbs extra sturdy, but we had our limits. Everything hurt so much it was difficult to tell the extent of my injuries. Edith tried to help. She grabbed my face in her hands and took a lick. “No, that’s from a wereraccoon. Hmm . . . or maybe it’s werepossum. Let me have another taste.”
I had to physically restrain her. “Will you cut it out? I didn’t like you licking me the first time.”
Edith had the nerve to act insulted. She tossed her hair and scowled. “I’ve never had any complaints before.”
“Just go and find someone nice to nibble on.” She smacked her gums and took off. That was my favorite thing about Edith: all it took was something shiny or the offer of food to distract her.
I winced and squirmed as Emme’s healing light surrounded me. The moment she released me I bolted into the shower, eager to rid my body of whatever was making my hair stick to my flesh like glue. I’d survived my latest assignment and picked up a few new admirers along the way. I hated that I’d become so popular among the supercreepy. I’d accepted I’d eventually be well known, but why so soon? Could someone be informing the bad guys of my presence? I tried not to be so paranoid, but my sisters reinforced my fears on our way back to the plane.
Old rusted streetlamps lit our path, the low wattage barely enough to cut through the darkness. “The Tribe ass**les keep calling you by name, Ceel,” Taran said. She leaned into me. I helped her walk—hell, I helped her stand. The magic-born sunlight had wiped her out. “It’s like the whole lot of them want you dead. Even those gruesome newborns.”
“I’ve noticed,” I answered her over the hoots and hollers. People lined the cobblestone streets, dancing and celebrating despite the arrival of the midnight hour. The dread surrounding the village had lifted, permitting the crisp pure air to fill the night. Hope tickled and enlivened my skin. I suspected the villagers sensed it, too. They didn’t need supernatural perception to realize the monsters were gone. At least for the moment.
“Son of a bitch. Is that all you have to say?” Taran muttered.
“There’s not much to say. The Tribe’s put a hit on me, but so what?”
Taran swore again. “What do you mean ‘so what’? This shit isn’t funny, Ceel!”
“I’m not laughing, Taran. Do you think I like being stalked? Bottom line, this doesn’t change anything. It’s not the first time something terrifying has come after me.” I sighed. “And it’s likely not going to be the last. The difference is that if it is just the Tribe, at least this time I know my enemy and I can prepare myself to fight.”
Shayna jerked her head toward me. “You think it could be someone else?”
I tried to sound indifferent—a nearly impossible task considering the subject. “It just seems strange to hear my name called. It’s like they know something about me I don’t, or someone has sent them after me.”
Emme nodded, her soft voice trembling slightly. “I can see that, but who? Those you’ve faced are all dead . . . aren’t they?”
I shuddered involuntarily, thinking back to the line of psychos I’d fought and supposedly conquered. “I hope so, Emme.”
We walked down another block to where Edith planned to meet us. A crowd of men hurrying toward us separated and rushed into the street when they sensed my predatory side. My beast remained on high alert, ignoring the celebration and seeking out those who dwelled in the shadows.
“I wish you could come home, Ceel,” Shayna added quietly. “At least we’re there to watch over you.”
I shook my head. “All that would do is bring the danger to you. Look, the Tribe has obviously targeted me, and maybe something else has, too. But at least it’s only me, and not any of you. If we’re lucky, it will stay that way.” Or so I hoped. If my sisters didn’t have their wolves, Misha would be housing three more Wird girls.
A jeep skidded to a halt next to us. Two sexy males stumbled out in their tighty-whities. Their dark skin glistened with perspiration despite the cool night air and they panted like they’d run with the bulls. Edith pulled the emergency brake, crawled across the front seat, and yanked each to her. She kissed them as if her diamond earrings had fallen down their throats and only her tongue could retrieve them. The men staggered back when she released them. “Adios, Edeeth,” they both chimed.
Edith waved to her fans. “Addy ose!” She adjusted her thong beneath her tiny plaid skirt, snapping the back against her butt cheeks. “You freaks coming?” She asked without bothering to look up.
This was the vamp assigned to keep me safe from death. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yup. We’re coming.”
By the time we reached the plane, most of the injured vampires’ limbs had reattached or regenerated. I shuddered. They must have taken a lot of blood to heal that quickly. Tim rolled his eyes. “Celia, our dinners are partying and having a good time. I swear on our master they’re alive and well”—he grinned—“and very, very satisfied. I have to tell you, your people are flexible.”
“My people?” I held my hand up before he could make another asinine remark. “Good to know, Tim. Let’s get back to the States.”
We piled onto the plane and collapsed into sleep. I remember waking up briefly in Texas when we stopped to refuel, but then quickly dozed off again. The entire flight was about seven hours. Shayna nudged me awake when the plane began its descent into Tahoe.
“I didn’t wake up screaming,” she whispered excitedly. “That’s a good sign, don’t you think?”
I rubbed my eyes and tried to slap myself awake. “It sure is. Maybe getting some revenge was what you needed after all.” Rain splattered against the windows. “What time is it?”
Shayna nibbled on her bottom lip. “Almost noon.”
The gray sky made me believe it was closer to twilight. I peered out the window as we landed smoothly on the runway. The plane glided to a halt, veering ever so slightly where a row of cars waited. I stiffened when I caught a pack of angry wolves emerging from the cars. Koda, Liam, and Gemini stalked to where the plane had taxied. My sisters cringed.