Chapter 18

Club High Jinx swelled with human energy . I pushed through warm bodies pungent with the smell of sweat, perfume, and desire. The dance floor was energetic, and I could feel the pulse as if I were in a room of live wires. It was surreal to be among humans and know that I was no longer one of them.

Simon sported a leather coat and a tattered dark shirt, but tonight his jeans were replaced by tight leather pants. I had never actually seen a man wearing leather pants and I didn’t have a single complaint. They were snug with a prominent zipper that ran up the front. I poked fun that all he was missing was a leash, given he was wearing a leather collar. His reply was more of a question of who would be holding the leash.

Justus, quite oppositely, had an ensemble that was sophisticated and put together. Given we were going to a club where nearly everyone was half-naked, I found this amusing. I felt a little like I was walking in with an angel on one arm and a devil on the other.

I wore a pair of knee-high black boots with a pleated skirt and a vibrant green, button-up top that matched my eyes perfectly. My black hair cascaded over my shoulders in soft, dark waves and a few wispy strands flew about my face.

“Can you feel that?” Simon shouted in my ear. “A human club is the best place to learn control.”

We moved to a table that was off to the side with high stools, and I ordered something on the drink menu called an Absolut Pleasure, named after the vodka.

Simon continued once the waitress left. “You see, just being in a public place isn’t going to provoke the same reaction as a club. The vibes here are more intense; energy levels are through the roof because of their emotional state.”

He watched two women snake their way to the dance floor. They began to sway and move with the music, trying to tease the men around them by grinding on each other. I rolled my eyes but before I turned away, I noticed that something caught their attention, as it did many of the women. They began looking around as if they smelled something delicious in the air but couldn’t place what it was or where it was coming from.

A cookie named Justus.

“Is this intense enough for you?” he asked, turning back to me.

“Well, I certainly see it must be for you,” I replied.

The waitress returned with the chilled beers. “Yours will be out in a minute, honey.” I sighed; why did waitresses always have to call you honey and sweetie? It was particularly worse when they were younger than you and barely of drinking age.

She batted her lashes at Justus and rolled that tongue across those pink lips. Here we go .

“Soooo… what do you do for a living?” I asked Simon.

The answer I got was a short laugh as he leaned over the table. “You haven’t told her of the Mageri positions, have you?” Simon shrugged out of his jacket and threw it over the back of the chair.

I looked up at Justus.

“Later, Learner. School is out tonight, so have some fun.” His hand ran over his tatted bicep in a slow, methodical manner, which signaled the ladies at the nearby table to come over and admire it.

“Hey, nice tat,” one of them purred as her finger crawled over his arm, inching up his sleeve. Justus perked up like a flower in the sunshine coming to life, reminding me of the man I first met in that Memphis bar. He literally ate up the attention while his eyes licked every square inch of that woman. He was a cat named Ego being stroked, and I stewed at the women as if they were the ones that caused it. I didn’t like it when Justus behaved that way; I preferred his stoic seriousness far more than the smug sex panther.

The platinum-blond waitress quickly swung back around with my drink and placed it on a napkin. She possessively leaned toward Justus as the nearness to his charm began to work its magic. If Love Potion #9 had an extract, it would be Justus. I mentally snickered at the thought.

“Can I get you something stronger; is everything to your satisfaction?”

It was like a PBS special on Wild Kingdom .

I reached down and bottomed out my drink. Within a minute or two, I felt the alcohol tingling in my body like a warm suggestion.

A redhead curled herself around Justus, running her fingers out of sight when I heard her muttering something about him being a very bad boy. His eyebrows danced in an is that so? expression.

Simon draped his arm on the back of my chair and turned his head as if he were looking behind me. “Pony up.”

I smelled defeat—I was just refusing to admit it this early on. “The night is still young.”

“And so are they,” he noted as the girls were feeding on the nectar of the god that was Justus. Simon was gloating, clearly pleased that he was going to win his bet.

“Okay, boys, you two be good—I’m dancing.” Inhibitions be damned, I was feelin’ the flow after having been cooped up in that house for way too long. I didn’t know these people, so what did it matter if I went out there and had a good time?

“Watch my purse.” I slammed it in front of Mr. Leather Pants so it was clear he was not invited. Sore loser?

You bet.

Besides, I wanted to go out there and do a little fishing. I hadn’t really test-driven this body.

The thrumming beat was driving the dancers wild as a current of energy was literally melting off them in a fine mist that engulfed me. The lights flickered and I worked my hips intentionally slower than the beat. I was delighted to see a few glances fall my way. I ran my hands through my hair and just let myself go as the swell of bodies moved like an ocean tide.

Just four feet away, bedroom eyes were poring all over me. A hot guy with short, spiked hair moved up without saying a word and began to dance. He lifted my arm to his shoulder, inviting me to join him, and with every move of our hips to the beat, he inched closer and closer. He had beautifully tanned skin already glowing with sweat. Steady hands smoothed down my side until they met with the bare skin above my waistline.

The feel of his skin was sinful. I didn’t know who he was, and I didn’t care.

I had been missing out on something all those months—and that was physical contact. The only contact I had received was fists, elbows, and heels knocking me down on a mat. Justus never hugged or touched me unless he was healing me; he was very peculiar about that. I wasn’t a person who necessarily craved touch, but when you’ve been deprived of it for so long the first time simply ignites you in the most unexpected way.

“I’m Paul,” he yelled out.

His fingers noticed my belly button was exposed as they brushed over my skin, sending a shiver through my body.

“You’re fucking hot,” he mouthed. His bottom lip was swollen from biting on it and his eyes were hooded. The man was already having mental sex with me.

He inched closer until our bodies joined, and pleasurable warmth spread through me as I looked into his eyes. His fingers clawed at my hips and I felt the raw need in them. Whatever his intentions were, he was priming me up, and I began to have flashes of this man stripping me down and running his tongue all over my body.

When his lips grazed my neck, I exhaled suddenly. The music felt good, he felt good, and those hands continued to move and explore the contours of my body. Energy was culminating within me and my arms dropped to my sides as my hair spilled across my face.

Paul stopped moving, took my wrist, and urged me forward. “Let’s go somewhere private.”

“Sod off, you manky bastard. She’s taken.”

I raised my head as the contact broke. It was then that I looked up and locked on Simon’s softened eyes. The look behind them was amused and intrigued. He smelled good—like cinnamon—and I wanted to bury my nose in his hair.

“Careful, love, you’re charged. Rein it back in, you need to level down,” he whispered into my ear, pulling me close.

Only, I had no idea what the hell he was saying, nor did I really care. I only knew it was further arousing me.

“Why don’t you help me level down,” I said in a husky voice.

Simon managed a groan.

“You’re a very bad girl, Learner.”

Simon’s hips moved with mine and we fell into a comfortable rhythm as I imagined his moves off the dance floor and in the bedroom.

Such sultry, sexual moves. He was the kind of guy you could imagine taking his time, savoring every moment and not hurried at all with his seduction. I spied a hole at the side of his shirt and pushed my hand inside of it, feeling the searing heat of his skin. His eyes melted down my body, torturing me with their secrets.

When he held me at arm’s length with a scowl, I broke away and scanned the crowd, looking for the other guy. Simon had no interest in finishing this dance and was no better than Justus at merely teaching me lessons. I spun around and began to walk away when he grabbed my arms and pulled me back against him. The room churned around us as we stood like statues. I felt every inch of his body against my back. Arms snaked around my waist and across my chest, caging me in.

“Pull back; we can’t do this here, love. Level down before you give them a free light show, will you?”

I turned to face him and snapped out of it. I was losing control, the sexual energy in the room leaked out and filled me like a drug and I was allowing it to take control of me and pull my energy. If I didn’t level it out, the night would end early with me passed out. A deep breath later, I was myself.

I smirked. “You’re a good dancer.”

“You aren’t too shabby yourself.” Simon gave me a twirl and we returned to the table.

I couldn’t assess the look on Justus. While he had two girls pawing on him, he appeared to be oblivious to everything except me and Simon walking off that dance floor.

***

Several hours and drinks later, flirtatious dancing had escalated into more serious matters for some couples. Seduction was a heavy perfume penetrating the club. Once you stripped away civilized behavior, humans were no less primitive than animals when it came down to it.

Justus was in a more private area of the room, led away by the women who became greedy, wanting him all to themselves. Simon kept me company the entire evening with interesting stories and plenty of laughs; our moment on the dance floor was likely nothing more than misdirected energy.

I popped the last mozzarella stick in my mouth, savoring that delicious deep-fried goodness that always tastes better when you’ve been drinking. I licked the tip of my finger, watching a woman run her fingers through the silky strands of her straight black hair, a visual request that Justus could not ignore.

“Women haven’t a prayer, you know.” Simon leaned forward and knocked back another shot of tequila. He grimaced and the glass tapped on the smooth tabletop that was littered with empty glasses, straws, cherry stems, and crumbs.

“For what?” I asked.

“Your Ghuardian over there,” he shouted over the music before leaning in closer. “He’s a Charmer, that one. That’s why they’re drawn to him.”

“Like a bee charmer?” I threw my head back, laughing.

“You could definitely say that, love. It’s one of his gifts, one a Mage cannot easily hide and not many have. He releases a certain kind of vibe that is seductive and irresistible, a magnet that draws in sexual energy. He can’t turn it off, either.”

“You’re telling me he’s a sex magnet?”

I laughed so loud it drew attention from a nearby table. “That explains a whole lot. Okay, so if that’s true, then how come the men aren’t all over him too?” I thought my question was justified—since when does energy discriminate?

Simon smirked, running his thumb over his bottom lip. “I don’t know his magic, of course that isn’t to say that he hasn’t had the occasional bloke or two wander over, depends on which team they’re batting for, I suppose,” he said winking. “Chemistry, protons, electrons, voodoo…” He shrugged.

I tucked my chin neatly in my palm. “Well, I’m immune. Even when we first met I was the only girl there that wasn’t having an illicit mental affair with him.” My grin widened. “I think that really pissed him off too. He’s got a certain lure about him, he’s handsome, but I guess I’m not feeling whatever vibe he’s sending out.”

There was a sexual frenzy unraveling near Justus. One of the girls was stroking his stomach as if she might get a wish. Meanwhile, he continued talking like he was telling the most interesting story.

“Yes, that is quite the curiosity. I’ve noticed that about you two,” Simon said to himself as he circled his finger around the rim of a short glass. “You realize that’s why he doesn’t know how to behave properly with you? He’s a cad because he can’t trust women; they’re too drawn to him sexually for him to know if it’s genuine. That bloke has a wall around him with a moat, and yet there he is, talking up a storm as if they even cared what came out of his mouth. I feel a bit sorry for him.”

“So that’s why he acts like a manwhore?”

Simon laughed into his glass, spitting out some of his drink. “I’ll tell him you said so.”

“Please do.”

“What I mean is, it’s not unlike being rich; most women like you for your money, but how do you really know when they like you ? His charm is his curse; he’s never had a real friendship with a woman, so he doesn’t know how to treat them. He’s got his hands full with you, that one—I bet you have him shaking in his boots.” He looked thoughtfully in Justus’s direction and began to mutter to himself, “Maybe this will do him some good, having a female Learner immune to those charms of his.”

“Maybe it only works on his type, which I am not.” I pointed my head at the newly formed harem of big-breasted vixens before I rolled my eyes back.

“You’re everyone’s type. You’ve got a charm of your own,” he said, letting his voice slide to a seductive purr.

“You don’t know me very well then.”

“Let’s remedy that, shall we?”

The dimple in his cheek winked as he gave a playful grin.

Suddenly, the lights went dark and a blue laser flashed. I started to buzz and needed to remove myself from this predicament before I ended up electrocuting half the city, watching Simon’s pierced tongue run over his teeth. Too much alcohol would only lead to regretted mistakes.

“I’ll be back.” I popped up out of my chair and tried to focus on the path to the bathroom. It was packed tight with only seven stalls, so there was a bit of a wait in line. Girls stood in front of the mirror in their tightest skirts and Band-Aid tops, leaning forward to plump up their lips and apply more perfume. Nothing like a nasal assault in a sweaty club to get the guys going. Eventually, I made it to the finish line and squirmed through a sea of silicone to head back.

I pushed against the crowd in the hall that had grown exponentially in just the past few hours. I awkwardly bumped into a couple making out and they hardly noticed.

Shit.

Simon and Justus were nowhere to be found. I scanned the crowd with my blurred vision and decided they must have headed out to the car.

My boots stomped erratically on the cement as I emerged and nearly stumbled down the steps. The frigid air splashed against my feverish skin and felt delicious. I thought about the dance with Simon and a tingle of energy rippled through me.

“Stop it, Zoë. Getting all worked up over nothing.” My shoes scraped the gravel noisily as I fumbled with my tangled hair.

“You got a light?”

I followed the sound of the voice—sizing up a brawny man leaning against a car who could have been a bouncer for the club, probably on his smoke break. His hands were tucked beneath his biceps, which were completely covered all the way down with tattoos like he was wearing an ink shirt.

“Sorry, I don’t smoke.”

I kept moving and scoped the lot for the car. My eyes were useless at this point; squinting was only allowing me to get a closer look of my eyelashes.

“So you don’t have a light, huh?”

“No.” Jesus, was he deaf?

A gust of wind swirled my hair around and when I looked up, I was suddenly facing the man. He was intimidating, unmoving, and watching me in a way that made my skin crawl.

He yanked my arm when I tried to step around him.

“I didn’t ask if you smoked, I asked if you have a light. And my guess is… you do.”

Justus had taught me that we were not permitted to use any of our gifts around humans. I twisted my arm, breaking his hold, and stepped to the side. Just as quickly as I could move, he corralled me against a car with his humongous arms spread wide and low. He flashed a grin, lips pressed tightly together.

“Look, my friends are right behind me and they’re big guys,” I lied. Well, Justus was sizeable, but Simon didn’t have a prayer against this guy. “They’d be pretty pissed to find someone out here manhandling me, so let me go.” It was as if he didn’t hear me, as if he were appraising me. “I’m warning you, I can scream loud and if you don’t step off right now—”

“Shut the fuck up, bitch, you talk too much.”

Adrenaline knocked at the door and asked if it could come in, so I let it.

I swept under the open gap but he snatched a handful of my hair and jerked me back. I was able to knock his legs enough to throw off his balance and when he lost his grip, I backed away slowly, eyes fixed on him. I learned to never turn my attention from the enemy, even when retreating.

“You’re a new one.” His tongue came out of his mouth, making an obscene gesture. “I can’t wait to taste you, Learner.”

He knew what I was .

He was a Mage, and I was in deep shit. My heart hammered against my chest as my eyes darted around for help. No one was near, no one who could help. Was I ready to fight a Mage?

“That’s right, I know what you are.” He studied me a moment. “You are new.”

When his right foot inched forward, I flashed to the side.

“It’s fucking rare to come across an unclaimed female, a definite two-for-one. I don’t know whether I want to juice you or fuck you first. Maybe both, but your ass is mine.” His laughter was chilling. “What’s the matter, you scared? Can’t play with the big boys?” His eyes lowered straight to my skirt and his tongue traced the corner of his mouth as he stepped toward me. I took a step back and thought about making a run for it. “That’s okay, I’ll be real fucking gentle, seeing how it’s your first—”

I didn’t hear anything in that second. One minute I was looking at this junkyard dog about to tear me up and the next all I saw were two bodies blocking my view.

Justus and Simon became a shield standing before me. Simon gripped my forearm as if I might fall off the earth.

“I would advise against moving another inch, juicer,” Simon warned.

“You have concealed from us,” Justus accused. “Introductions are no longer needed.”

“Something tells me that neither one of you is her maker, which makes her…” He pointed. “… fair game.”

Fingers were just a hair tighter on my arm.

“I am her Ghuardian, so be watchful of your threats!” Justus roared.

I heard a low chuckle. “Everyone knows a Ghuardian doesn’t have the same rights to a Learner. You know as well as I do I can take her if I want. Guess what? I fucking want, and what I want… I take.”

Simon replied with exquisite restraint. “Why don’t you walk away while you still have your balls intact?” Simon had a tongue on him and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to threaten or provoke.

Boots scraped on hard cement, but I couldn’t see anything.

“Back. That. Shit. Up. You fucked with the wrong Mage!” the juicer shouted.

The reaction was explosive.

Justus flashed and his vacant spot was filled with Simon moving to the side to guard me. The man with tats spun around in a blur as he lunged at Justus just a few feet ahead.

I heard the occasional bone-crunching punches before Justus perched himself on top of a car. The juicer lunged with a growl to grab his ankle. Justus spun completely horizontal before vanishing.

He didn’t just flash, Justus literally vanished!

In a few quick motions, I lost sight of the both of them. Simon’s hand slid down my arm and I looked at him nervously. His head cocked to the left as if he heard something and he flashed away.

In the blink of an eye, I saw that Justus had been thrown against a car and his head was slammed violently against the door until he fell limp.

My heart froze, stricken with fear, as blood ran down his face and soaked his shirt.

“Ghuardian!” I screamed.

Simon reared up from behind and punched the man in the side, below the ribs.

Their bodies moved so heartstoppingly fast that the occasional stillness of movement was eerie. The slicing sound of a knife made me think of my training with Justus, and here I was standing like a deer in the headlights.

“Hey!” I yelled, walking toward the tattooed man, who held the knife in his right hand. If I could distract him long enough for Simon to heal Justus, we would have a chance. I couldn’t risk doing the healing because I had never given my light and I could do more damage than good.

Simon’s gaze was punishment enough. “I have this, love,” he said in a low, angry voice through clenched teeth.

Fuck him and his male bravado .

I brushed my hair aside, letting him know he could shove that bravado right up his ass.

“Isn’t it me you want?” I asked, coaxing the juicer with a crooked finger.

Distracted eyes traveled down to my legs before turning his focus back on Simon with the blade aimed at his heart.

“If I tell him to back off, he will. He has no claim on me. I go where I want.”

“Then tell him to back off.”

“Simon, this isn’t your fight. Take Justus home. You’re over your head on this one—it’s not worth it.” Simon’s mouth opened and snapped back shut.

Simon you idiot, swallow that pride and go heal Justus .

“The thing is—you’ve got to catch me, if you can.” I gave a lazy smile and flashed back several feet. The dare incited the hunter out of him and he gave chase.

While I wouldn’t entirely recommend flashing while you’re drunk, in my relaxed state of mind I had to admit I wasn’t overly thinking my moves. My thoughts were fluid—feeling, and reacting.

He moved and I moved, and the dance began. There were moments I thought he would catch me, but I had enough defense tactics to slip free. I never continually flashed in any of my training sessions; Justus wanted me to learn maneuvers and not rely on my abilities. I was beginning to realize why as it was draining my energy. Still, we continued for what seemed like minutes as I continued to slip out of his grasp.

Suddenly a high-pitched laugh broke my attention. I couldn’t help but wonder if the boys were sitting on the sidelines watching the whole thing with a bag of popcorn. I stewed on that thought and stopped to look.

Big mistake.

In a tenth of a second I was caught, and the juicer pulled me hard against his chest, squeezing the breath out of my lungs.

“Gotcha.”

I struggled, but his arms were cement, and my feet lost sense of the ground as he lifted me up. Without fear, I looked him in the eye. I had one option, so I flung my neck back and slammed my head into his face.

My temple exploded in pain.

The sound he made was animalistic as blood poured from his nose. His arms relaxed and all hell broke loose.

From out of nowhere Justus appeared, pulling me off and ramming him so hard they both fell to the ground.

“Get her out of here!” Justus shouted.