Owl and the City of Angels (52 page)

Artemis didn’t make any move to stop me, and still no glowing eyes. I pushed the door open just a crack.

There was a woman dressed in a purple dress reminiscent of the one Violet wore the night of the incense party. She turned, slowly.

Shit.

“Charity, right? See, I told you I’d get to stay here forever,” she said in a dry imitation of Violet’s happy-go-lucky voice.

What had been Violet—or was left of her—was now a wraithlike, dehydrated husk of herself, still wearing her bright makeup, her dress and hair hanging off her like clothing stuck on a Halloween skeleton . . .

I took a step back, shaking my head. “Violet, I am so . . . so . . .” What, sorry? Terrified? A mixture of the two? I took another step back into a broad chest, Artemis’s burnt sandalwood and amber musk hitting me.

“Boo,” he said in my ear.

I spun around. He loomed in the doorway over me, raising his bottle and pointing at Violet. “I suppose you’ll be wanting an explanation,” he said.

I wasn’t sure which way to turn—Artemis or Violet. Captain wasn’t sure either and settled on backing into my legs.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Owl. I’ve been very,
very
bad.”

21

Skeletons in the Closet

12:00 p.m., Artemis’s house of horrors

“Rynn wouldn’t approve,” Artemis said, leaning in closer.

I ducked under his arm, and Captain and I retreated back into the ballroom. Captain, not sure what to make of Artemis and Violet, gave a confused bleat and hugged my legs.

Artemis’s eyes blazed green—brighter than I’d ever seen Rynn’s—but the pupils had corrupted to a shade of red.

Shit. I looked at the ground—had to avoid his eyes . . .
Come on, Owl. You can handle an incubus
. . . a manic, sociopathic incubus who now collects . . . well . . . whatever I was supposed to call Violet.

Unfazed, Artemis closed the door on what had been Violet and slowly prowled after me, his head lowered. “I warned you to step out, Alix. Never good to get too mixed up with our kind,” he said.

“What the hell did you do to her?” I checked over my shoulder for a window, door—anywhere to run away from Artemis.

He shrugged. “A legend when I was a child, bedtime stories about bad incubi and succubi who drained humans of their life. Wraiths is what you’d call them, I believe,” he said, dodging around the table.

I picked up a bar chair and threw it at him. He danced out of its way.

“Rynn said incubi couldn’t do any harm,” I tried, searching for something to put between us.

“
Choose
not to is more accurate. And that?” he said, pointing back at where Violet had been. “That is something else entirely. Believe me, it was a surprise for me as well. I didn’t believe him when he said he could give me this.”

Yet another supernatural that had been tempted with something he couldn’t refuse. I swallowed, pushing a bar table over as I fled Artemis’s advance. “No offense, but your standards in women have really dropped.”

He seemed to consider my statement before picking up the table with one hand, as if it weighed nothing at all. It was a copper-top number with a metal base—I’d had to work to push it over. It sure as hell wasn’t something I’d ever seen Rynn do before.

From the expression on his face, it seemed to surprise Artemis too. “Hunh, what do you know? Wraith strength bonus. The wonders of my new benefactor never cease.” And with that, he launched the table at me.

I dodged out of the way, dragging Captain with me by his harness.

“Depends what you’re looking for, now, doesn’t it?” He curled his lip. “And I’ve decided Violet does more for me this way than as a decoration.”

I ducked around another bar table—I was fast running out of things to hide behind. Captain wound his way around my ankles, still trying to decide what to make of Artemis. “Captain, if there was a time to go ballistic and attack something, now is it,” I whispered. It was no use, though. It was as if Artemis had short-circuited something in Captain’s brain.

“Tell you what, let me and the cat go and I won’t tell Rynn about Violet of the living dead.”

He smiled, but it wasn’t meant to reassure me. “How stupid do I look?”

“Seriously? Dude, no offense, but pretty stupid if you think Violet is a healthy expression of affection.”

I caught the twitch in his mouth and flash of green before he lunged at me.
Shit, Owl, back up faster
 . . . I knocked over another barstool to see if I could trip him up, then ducked around the last table left. I might as well have thrown pillows in his way for all the good it did.

“You know, Alix, I’m not one for cat and mouse. Comes from being a rock star for so long. You get used to getting exactly what you want when you want it.”

“I thought you said you were on your cousin’s side,” I said. I’d run out of bar, but there was a TV area a few feet away. I bolted for it and scrambled over the couch, Captain jumping after me. Artemis didn’t bother picking up the pace, continuing his prowl as if he had all the time in the world.

I checked over my shoulder. Artemis was blocking the main exit, but if I remembered correctly, there was a spiral staircase leading upstairs . . .

There was. All I had to do was reach it ahead of Artemis . . . a fall from the second floor wouldn’t kill me, would it? Considering my choices were that or whatever Artemis had planned, I was going with fall.

“Now, look at it from my point of view,” Artemis said, sounding closer than he should have been . . . like right by my ear.

I gasped as Artemis closed his hand over my mouth. In the moment I’d taken to eye escape routes, he’d closed the distance.

“That disaster a few months ago in Las Vegas did more damage than Rynn and the dragon are letting on,” Artemis continued. “Other powerful supernaturals plan on taking advantage of the situation. I’m not one to jump sides at random, but they offered me something I couldn’t refuse—” His eyes blared green again, and I turned away. “I think we both know I’m not one to resist temptation.”

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look in his eyes. I shut mine tight.

“Rynn’s taken an awful lot of things away from me over the years. Let’s see how he likes me taking his toys away, shall we?” he said.

I did the only thing that came to mind: slammed my forehead right into his nose. Pain shot through my forehead, but the satisfying crunch of cartilage and yell from Artemis were worth it.

I kicked him off and dove under the glass coffee table, scrambling out as he jumped on top, cracking the glass.

“There’s no escape,” he called out. “It’ll be easier if you just stop running and accept it.”

Screw that. I kept running—the stairs weren’t that far away.

“I mean it, Alix. I’m too used to instant gratification to give chase.”

I hit the stairs running as a beer glass shattered across the banister. Another shattered a framed Kaliope concert poster. Captain bolted past me, taking three at a time.

I made it to the top; Artemis, for all his bluster, wasn’t willing to break a sweat and took the steps in his own time. He was reckless and an ass, but he wasn’t a total idiot . . .

“Come on,” he said, “give in to temptation, just this once.”

“Yeah, not tempted,” I yelled down. Incubi were harmless, my ass. I was going to give Rynn a piece of my mind on what constituted harmless.

I took off down the hall. Now, to find a second-story window . . . I reached the first door and tried it. Locked.

“Come on now, think of it this way; how will you know you don’t like it unless you try? Violet hasn’t had any complaints.”

Keep him talking, Alix, so you can gauge how far behind you he is.
“What kind of idiot do I look like?”

“You
are
dating my cousin.”

He must be at the top of the stairs now. I tried the second door. No, that one wouldn’t work either.

“Here’s the thing. They found me something I wanted more than staying in Rynn’s good graces. I’m weak, Owl. Instant gratification is what I live for . . .”

No shit . . . Third door, and no escape there either. I was running out of doors.

“Oh come on now, I know you have a thing for incubi. How the hell else could you stomach Rynn for more than a week—Mr. Fucking Responsible?”

The fourth door opened. Captain darted in ahead of me. “Bing-Oh sweet Jesus, my luck can’t be this bad.”

The room in front of me was large—more living room than bedroom, with two large curtained windows on the other side. Nothing between them and me except a collection of ten wraiths still dressed in their nightclubbing outfits . . . with maybe a stripper or three tossed in the mix.

As one, their attention shifted away from each other and the window and fixed on me and Captain.

Captain crept forward, sniffing a hand one of the wraiths stretched out to pet him with.

“Captain,” I whispered, and made a grab for his harness. He danced out of my way. I swore and tried again. “Back away from the harem of wraiths, cat.” As soon as I had him, I’d follow my own advice . . .

“I wouldn’t be so hard on him. They have the same effect on me.”

Shit. I turned into Artemis’s chest. He grabbed hold of me—painfully, I might add—and half dragged, half towed me towards the nearest wraith, one dressed in a short gold dress eerily similar to the one I’d been wearing my first night here. Captain was still creeping around the wraiths, examining them with his nose, but never getting close enough for them to touch him.

Artemis stroked the wraith’s cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned in, in a twisted caricature of affection from the both of them.

I cringed and tried to shake his grip. “She looks like a corpse,” I said.

He glanced down at me. “I figure I’ve broken a number of rules this time,” he said offhandedly. “Though I’ve been promised Rynn won’t be a problem this time. Not until we’re done.” His eyes glowed green. “Then he can see what it feels like to lose something.”

I kicked him in the shin—hard—but it was no use. He only tightened his grip. I stopped struggling. At this rate I’d never get free. I needed time—either for Rynn and Lady Siyu to get their asses over here, or to get me and Captain some serious running room.

“What the hell did you do to them?” I said.

He trailed his thumb down the side of the wraith’s cheek until he reached what was left of her lip. “I’d think that was obvious, dear,” he said, green eyes back on me. “I’ve made them completely and utterly
mine
.”

I swallowed and focused on the side of his face. “Somehow I don’t think that’s what they signed up for.”

He tsked. “They don’t know any different—lost in ecstasy.” He breathed in deep, as if the air itself was intoxicating. “And the rush—there’s nothing like it, and I’ve been around a long time.” He turned his green eyes back on me before sweeping my legs out from underneath me. I landed hard on the floor, the wind knocked out of me. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?” he said, straddling my chest.

I turned my eyes away fast before the incubus bullshit could take effect.
Come on, rein in that flight instinct that keeps you alive
 . . . “Why? I mean
look
at them,” I said. Bottles, bottles—there had to be an empty bottle or two around here somewhere. This was Artemis, for Christ’s sake!

He breathed in deep again. “Rynn was right; I can’t help myself from pushing the boundaries,” he said, more to himself. “Look, Alix, I’m not a complete monster, but it’s Rynn’s turn to lose something he cares about.”

“What the hell could he possibly have ever done to you?” If I could keep him talking and avoid looking straight in his eyes, maybe he’d give me another opening.

Artemis laughed. “Don’t let Rynn fool you with the sympathetic incubus act. Deep down he’s just as bad as the rest of us, and believe me, he’s not above ripping the odd human throat out to prove a point. Hell, he’s done it right in front of me.” Artemis growled the last part as I tried to buck him off. It didn’t work.

“I’ll even give you a choice, which is a far sight more than he ever did for any human I knew. Either become one of my thralls, or die.”

The girls started to gather around me, touching my hair and my jacket with their clawlike fingers. “Is this the new friend you brought us? I don’t like her dress,” one of them said.

“Not as pretty as the rest of us,” the one who was touching my hair said.

OK, looks insulted by wraiths—new rock bottom for me.

“Now be nice, girls,” Artemis added.

I spotted a bottle by the bed . . . “You want to know what I choose, Artemis?” I said, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close, careful to avoid the eyes. With my foot I rolled the bottle towards me.

He smiled. “Dying to know.”

“I’d rather die than join your fan club.” As fast as I could, I reached down for the bottle and slammed it into his face. He yelped—whether from surprise or pain, I didn’t really care. It had the desired effect. He let the hell go.

“Come on, Captain,” I said, sliding out from under him and bolting for the window. The wraiths got out of the way, and for once the cat listened.

I threw back the curtains. The windows were barred.

“We’re in Hollywood, dear, what did you expect?” Artemis laughed, still recovering on the carpet from the blow to his head.

I tried to run around the wraiths, but I tripped and landed flat on my face. I glanced down at my feet. They were tied together with panty hose. The wraiths had tied my feet up with damn panty hose while I’d been pinned by Artemis . . .

“Told you they had their uses,” Artemis said, pushing me over and pinning my chest with his knee. His eyes glowed green again. I cranked my head to the side, but too late. I felt the euphoria start to spread through me . . . It wouldn’t be so bad to look at him? Would it?

Captain’s distressed meow broke the hold Artemis was gaining over my mind. I tried to slide out, but Artemis just pinned me harder, forcing my face back where I couldn’t help but look at him. For the second time I shut my eyes.

“Open them,” he growled.