Constant Cravings Read online

“Because you needed to know. After whatever it was you saw tonight, you needed to know what else is out there.” He paused. “And I wanted you to believe in me.” His laughter was soft and a little bit sad. “That’s strange. It’s never mattered to me before if someone thought I wore contacts.”

  I glanced around again at all of the strange-looking people. They were still recognizable as the crowd from before, only changed.

  “Will it go away?”

  “I’m afraid not. Lifting the veil is permanent. At least it is when a Shaman does it.

  Are you angry with me?”

  “No. I just don’t know how much more I can take tonight. So, if nothing happens by accident, then what should I do? Will you help me?”

  “Of course.”

  “Should I contact the police about Rachel?”

  He seemed to consider my question for a minute before answering, “I wouldn’t just yet. I can’t explain except that I’ve got a strange feeling.” I laughed. “You’ve got a strange feeling. Is it anything like having your whole world change in one night?”

  He smiled at my sarcasm. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “How would you suggest I do that?”

  “Come with me.”

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  Tracey H. Kitts

  Chapter Two

  On our drive across downtown Atlanta, I couldn’t help noticing the streets had changed. To be more precise, there were streets I’d never seen before. Even a few new buildings where there had been vacant lots. The rain had stopped and it felt as if the temperature had dropped five degrees.

  “What is all this?” I asked, gesturing to the city outside. “Has everything changed?”

  “No, it was always here.”

  “Yeah, I know. I just couldn’t see it.” And I’d had such high hopes when he drove a normal black sports car.

  He smelled amazing and the inside of his car carried the same scent. I wondered if it was his cologne or if fairies just smelled that good all the time. Well, half-fairies. He’d said his father was human.

  “You know, I don’t normally get into a car with someone I just met.” He reached over and patted my thigh. The gesture wasn’t sexual or strange, just comforting.

  “I know. I can tell that about you. But I’m not a rapist or a psychopath and hopefully, you can tell that about me.”

  I laughed. “I can.” I reached down and took his hand, gaining both warmth and strength from his touch. “Where are we going?”

  “To a club.”

  “I can’t believe I’m going with you to a club after what happened to Rachel. It still doesn’t seem real.”

  “I’m not taking you to this club to have a good time, though I hope you will.” I was confused. “Then why are you taking me?”

  We were at a stoplight and when he looked at me to reply, I noticed that his eyes glowed in the darkness of the car. I was both frightened and slightly aroused.

  “Because I want you to be comfortable with me. The best way to do that is to take you to a place full of others like myself. If I’m going to help you, you need to trust me.”

  “Why is that so important to you?”

  Liam turned his attention back to the road. “I’m not sure. I can tell more after I’ve seen what happened.”

  “How could you possibly see what happened?”

  “Fae Shaman, remember?”

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  When we pulled into the parking lot of Pixie Styx, my first reaction was that I’d been there before and there was nothing special about it. Then I remembered the veil had been lifted and wondered what I might see.

  Liam opened my door and as he reached for me I realized I didn’t remember him getting out.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “No.”

  He helped me to my feet. Even with heels, I only reached the middle of his chest.

  He had to be at least six-foot-four.

  “It will be,” he said softly.

  The kindness in his words tugged at my heart and I found my eyes misting over with tears again.

  “I can’t,” I whispered. “I know you’re trying to help, but I can’t be here without Rachel. She loved this place.”

  The night was cold and when Liam wrapped me in his arms, I ran my hands underneath his coat. My jacket had been lost somewhere in The Courtyard.

  His long fingers in my hair were a blissful respite from the turmoil inside.

  “Let me ease your heartache.” His deep voice so close to my ear made me wet with anticipation. Not even my grief could completely erase how much he turned me on. I wished so much that we’d met under different circumstances. So that I could enjoy this more, without guilt.

  “How could you do that?”

  He pulled back enough to look down at me and I watched as his eyes darkened with desire. They became almost black, though still glowing somehow like misplaced stars in the night. Whatever I felt, he was feeling some of it too.

  “With a kiss.”

  The wind chilled me, but I trembled for entirely different reasons.

  “A kiss?” I asked breathlessly.

  His smile was kind and by the time it reached his eyes I knew I was done for.

  “There is magic in fairy kisses. It was said long ago that if you kissed a fairy, your souls would touch. With that touch, I can take away your grief, drink it down as if it were my own.”

  A tear slid down my face, freezing cold against my skin. “Why would you do that?

  You just met me.”

  “Because from the moment I looked at you, I wanted to kiss you.” He leaned closer until his breath was a warm tease against my lips. “Let me ease your pain.” How could I refuse such an offer? If I’d kept my eyes open, I might have seen the spark I was certain passed between us. A deep and sinuous warmth spread throughout my body, starting where his lips touched mine.

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  At first all of my pain and loss was so raw that I nearly pulled away. His touch brought these feelings more and more to the surface. Then, just as he’d described, it began to fade. It was as if he were truly drinking my sorrow. He opened his mouth, urging my lips apart to deepen the kiss, and I let him. He ran his hand up through the back of my hair, cradling my body against his as I fell against him, weakened by his magic.

  Have you ever cried until you have no more tears? Until you’ve finally “gotten it all out”? That’s what it felt like when he pulled back from me. I still missed Rachel. Her memory and that of her death were still there. But my head was clear now and I could focus on the task at hand—finding out what happened to her.

  “Better?” he asked.

  “Thank you.”

  “What you saw isn’t very clear. I can’t be sure it’s a werewolf.”

  “Huh?”

  “When I took away some of your sorrow, I couldn’t help but receive some of your memories. At least, the ones that were causing you pain.”

  “Great, so you didn’t get the time I walked in on my grandma watching a porno.” His laughter was something I might never tire of hearing. And it would appear I’d found someone who appreciated my sarcasm. Humor is the way I often deal with stress.

  “You really saw my memories just now?”

  “I saw everything that happened tonight.”

  I shook my head for the umpteenth time that night, as if that would make my thoughts any clearer. “I’m a palm reader and this is far-fetched even for me. It’s pretty hard to swallow.”

  I was still pressed against him, held tightly in his arms. For the first time all night I felt truly safe.

  “We can talk about it later if you want. When you’re feeling better.”

  “I’d rather talk about it now and get it over with. Besides, what you did helped, it really did.”

  I wanted to say more and probably would have pulled him back for another kiss if not for the interruption.

  A man covered with glitter, so much so th
at some of it fell off as he passed, yelled,

  “Get a room!” He laughed as he trotted toward the entrance.

  Liam rolled his eyes. “Wannabes.”

  “That’s what I thought this place was full of,” I said. “Why would you bring me here if you want me to be comfortable with fairies?” 14

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  Liam smiled and offered me his arm. “Everything will be explained inside. Besides wanting you to be comfortable with fairies, there is someone here who might be able to help us.”

  When we turned toward the club I stopped suddenly and almost made Liam trip.

  Loud, rhythmically hypnotic techno music pumped into the parking lot. That wasn’t unusual. The strange part was I could actually see the notes floating through the air.

  Little bits of blue and green, drifting out into the night like fireflies.

  I reached to touch some of the notes and they swirled around my hand, passing through my fingers before flying away on the breeze.

  “There is magic in the music,” Liam explained.

  Normally there was a cover charge, but the bouncers seemed to know him. They were both big, but looked only average compared to Liam’s tall frame. They stepped aside with a nod and removed the velvet rope blocking the entrance before motioning us inside.

  Pixie Styx was a complete sensory overload. Magical notes danced in the air while humans dressed as fairies mingled unknowingly with the real thing. The music thumped so loudly I could feel it in my teeth and bodies brushed against us on our way across the floor. The air smelled sweeter as if it overflowed with perfume mixed with the smell of fresh flowers. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, there was just too much of it.

  Small, golden bottles were being passed among the crowd. I noticed that only the real fairies took these, not the humans dressed up with fake wings. It must have been some kind of fairy drug. Dark corners I hadn’t noticed on my previous visits to the club were now visible. In these corners could be seen any number of sex acts. Two men, one with wings, one without, groped each other on a red loveseat, while a man with purple skin went down on a nymph in a chair behind them.

  When I glanced up at Liam I was surprised to see him blushing. “I’m sorry.

  Sometimes things get out of hand when half the crowd can’t see the enchanted corners.”

  “I didn’t know they let the unseelie in here,” someone called from a table near the back.

  Unseelie? From what little I knew about fairies, I was pretty sure that was a bad thing. He wasn’t talking about Liam, was he?

  We turned in the direction of the voice and were greeted by a smile from a thin, blond man who was nearly as tall as Liam. He was so beautiful that I felt instantly insecure in his presence.

  “Luna, this is Nym.”

  As I shook his hand I asked, “Are you a fairy too?”

  “Gods forbid,” he laughed. “I’m an elf, darling. Learn to tell the difference.” He pulled back a lock of long blond hair, showing me the tip of his pointy ear.

  “I’ve got those too,” Liam said.

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  Holy shit, he did. His white hair had covered it up before, but as he pulled it back his pointed ears were plain to see.

  “Yes,” said Nym, “but mine are pointier and I don’t have unnaturally colored eyes.” I noticed he also had a tan.

  The lighting wasn’t the greatest, but when the strobes flickered in our direction I noticed Nym was wearing a gold suit. Did everyone in this place have horrible fashion sense? Was it required to get through the door? Don’t get me wrong, he looked great in it. It was just so gaudy.

  “You get to call my eyes unnatural when you stop dressing as if you escaped from a bad musical.”

  I wasn’t sure if it was okay to laugh or not, but Liam’s comeback was hilarious. The men looked at each other for a moment before laughing and embracing like old friends.

  We joined Nym at his table and while I sipped a martini, Liam explained the situation to him.

  “I was on my way to meet Nym here tonight when you called,” he said to me.

  “After what happened to you, I thought he might be able to help.”

  “Can he fight werewolves?” I asked.

  Nym waved off the comment with a laugh. “What did they put in your drink? I might be able to help because people tell me things.”

  “Because he sleeps with half the magical community,” Liam said dryly.

  I almost choked on my martini. “And you were on your way to meet him?” The elf laughed again. “Not for those purposes, my dear. Liam here is a bit uptight when it comes to accepting elf favors. He came to me for information.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “You see, rumor has it that someone wants to steal his magic.”

  “That’s enough,” Liam interrupted. To counter the harshness of his tone he smiled.

  “Besides, you know it has nothing to do with you being an elf. I just don’t like men.” I wasn’t used to having sexual matters discussed quite this frankly and could feel my cheeks burning. I was grateful for the dim lighting, which I’m sure hid a dark-red blush. Seeing the sexual displays in the dark corners of the room had not affected me as strongly as having Liam and sex mentioned in the same conversation.

  “I go both ways,” Nym volunteered, “and I can’t even get him interested in a three-way.”

  I fanned with a napkin to cool my burning face. Apparently Nym had been trying to get my shaman into his bed for quite some time. My shaman. Where did that come from?

  “Are you all right?” Liam asked.

  “No. I’ve got so many questions I’m going to need to make a list and I feel a little dizzy.”

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  Constant Cravings

  “I’ll get back with you,” he said to Nym. At the elf’s wicked grin he added, “About the information, not the three-way.”

  “Fine. I’ll see if I hear anything about a rogue werewolf.” The elf rose to bid us farewell. His hug was unexpected. He patted my back and said, “I’m sorry about your friend.” Humans were never this kind to someone they’d just met. Maybe I should hang around more elves.

  Before we left I went to the bathroom. While I washed my hands I noticed writing all over the walls. Most prominent was a note in pink letters, “For a good time call”. I laughed, wondering if the number listed was Nym’s.

  “What’s so funny?”

  I turned to the woman beside me. She was decked out in her finest fairy-impersonating outfit and was more than half-drunk.

  “Just that writing.”

  She looked where I pointed and her brow crinkled as she made a face. “Honey, there’s nothing there. I think you had too much to drink.”

  “Really? You don’t see that? Those huge pink letters?”

  “Pink, huh?” She squinted at the wall. “All I see is a little chipped paint.” Liam offered to drive me home. Since Rachel and I had taken a cab to Rave because we both wanted to drink, I accepted the offer. On the way to my apartment I asked him about the writing.

  “Just more magic that regular people can’t see.”

  “How is it that I saw these people before, but couldn’t see what they really looked like?”

  “It’s called a glamour spell. They made you see what they wanted. It’s how we’ve been able to co-exist for years without anyone knowing the difference. Lifting the veil nullified their ability to hide.”

  “But you didn’t change,” I said softly. “You look just the same as before.”

  “I have no desire to hide,” he said. The darkness and close space inside the car made the moment seem more intimate. His voice drifted to my ears like a warm summer breeze. “If people think I’m a weirdo who wears purple contacts, that’s fine by me. I’d rather have them see the truth and not understand, than to spend my life in hiding.”

  I was too stunned by all that had happened to say anything else during the drive.

  Instead we rode in silence with me vowing to make a li
st of all my questions just as soon as I could think straight.

  Once we arrived, Liam walked me to my door. I watched as he removed a small vial from inside his coat and offered it to me.

  “The last time you took a bottle out of your coat, I started seeing shit that wasn’t there before. Do I want to know what this is?” 17

  Tracey H. Kitts

  “It will help you sleep, keep you from having nightmares.”

  “You always carry around things like that?”

  He smiled. “No. After I spoke to you, I had a feeling you would need it. Even though you didn’t give any details, there was something in your voice.”

  “Oh.” Grief washed over me, making me feel even worse for having forgotten my pain for a few moments, thanks to his magic.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t take away all your grief with the kiss. I’ll be back with something for the pain, but it will take me a few days to make.”

  “I’m not—” I was about to say I wasn’t injured when I realized he meant something for my emotional pain. “That would be helpful, thank you.”

  “I’ll meditate on your memories, see if I can tell for sure what attacked your friend.” He put his hand on my shoulder and I almost invited him in. Not for sex, but just because I didn’t want to be alone. “Everything will be all right somehow,” he said. “I’ll help you.”

  He touched my face lightly and I knew it was more than loneliness that made me want him to stay. There was something about him that called out to me, made me want to keep him close.

  “Lock the door before I go,” he said. “So I know you’re safe.” I smiled. “No one’s ever asked me to do that besides my dad.” He took a step closer and I fought the urge to pull him inside, pushed back the desire to lose myself in his warm voice and soft touch.

  “I don’t instantly like a lot of people,” he explained, “fairy or otherwise. Until we know more about what’s going on, I’d feel better knowing that you’re locked safely inside your apartment.”

  Closing the door was difficult, but I managed. I watched through the peephole and when I turned the deadbolt saw him smile before walking away.

  After Liam had gone, I started crying again. Even though he had taken some of my grief on himself, seeing your best friend killed is a pretty terrible thing. I hugged my arms around my waist and curled into a ball beside the door. After several minutes, I got up and decided that a bath would help.