"May I suggest locking him in one of the guest rooms?"Hedwig said from the doorway.His expression was blank."It wouldn't do to hurt him before we understand why he's here or what he's done with his…magic."
I sighed.This all sounded way too complicated for me.I just wanted to paint my nails.And climb the two man-mountains currently escorting my prisoner to his new digs.A dull headache started behind my eyes.Something wasn’t right here.
I shook the feeling off with ease.Probably not important.
The nerdy guy had stopped fighting, but he threw a dark glare over his shoulder at me as I followed along behind them.
"I'm here to help you!"he ground out."So help me, Mare.I'mnevergoing to let you forget this!"
I grimaced."Stop calling me that.It's…icky.My name is Mary Sue."
He turned back around, but I swear I heard him whisper, "You alwayshatedthat name."
After this nut was locked up, I was so going to take a hot bubble bath and eat some chocolate.That would definitely take care of the weird, anxious feeling I'd had for a minute there.Everyone knew girls thrived on bubble baths and chocolate.
I glanced down at the nail polish bottle I still held in my hand, and everything suddenly felt less weird.Perfect Petal Pink.Everything would be fine.I hummed to myself as I watched Hedwig shut the guest room door.Cass took up a position outside the door, like an obedient guard.See.Everything was fine.
Chapter 3
Melvintossedhisduffelbag on the stupid bed and paced around the perimeter of the over-the-top guest room.Everything was fucked!He narrowed his eyes at the flower-print wallpaper and the overabundance ofmauvethat covered every frilly surface.“What in the name of fucked up fuckery is goingonaround here?”he muttered.
Power tools buzzed as the morons outside his room installed a lock they could secure from the outside.Fine.Let them lock him in here.It wasn’t like he wanted toleave.Although, seeing the complete lack of recognition on everyone’s faces did kind of make him want to vacate the premises.
He turned around to complete his current circuit of the room, flexing his fingers to ease the buzz of irritated magic that crawled over his skin.If only he’d been strong enough to protect them all…but no.It was no use going down that road.No sorcerer in theworldcould have warded four people at the same time when they were all in different places.Just breathe.You’ll get them back, or your name isn’t Melvin the Magnificent!He snorted a dry laugh.
Melvin stopped to kick off his sandals and wiggle his tube sock covered toes into the thick pink carpet.The door opened.Mare—no,Mary Sue—stood there looking at him with her arms crossed over her chest.Her hulking bovine boys flanked her on either side, trying to look all menacing and alpha.
Melvin rolled his eyes.If Cassius could see himself now, he’d throw the biggest diva hissy fit the world had ever known.But the piercing blue eyes that glared at Melvin from the doorway held no hint of recognition.
This was worse than he’d expected.It kinda hit him right in the gut.But he’d just have to make do, somehow.He was their only hope.And really, this was a fate worse thandeath.
“Happy now?”Melvin said, waving a hand.“I’m all locked up.Though I’m not sure what it is you think I’m going to do to you.”
Mary Sue huffed.“You crawled in my window to try to steal from my new mansion!And…you’re wearing that awful Hawaiian shirt!”Her tone implied it was obvious how evil Melvin was by the clothes he wore, and her gaze landed somewhere in the vicinity of his mole—the oneMarehad once referred to as a “beauty mark”—as if to prove her point.
Melvin arched an eyebrow at her, wondering just how stupid this girl was.“So, why didn’t you call the police?”
She shrugged.Melvin didn’t bother telling her he’d borrowed the damned oversized Hawaiian shirt from Draven just yesterday, when his own t-shirt was saturated with pig’s blood.If one little Hawaiian shirt was so upsetting, boy was she in for a rude awakening, when he finally fixed whatever was wrong with her brain and she saw how her perfect beefcakes dressed on the regular.
Draygrowled at him.“Don’t mouth off.Weird shit is going on here, and we’re gonna get to the bottom of it.”He flexed his massive chest like that might help him figure stuff out.Maybe he kept his brain somewhere in those pecs….Melvin tried to hold back his irritation.
“I’ve got important…stuff…to do,” Mary said, her voice distinctly distracted as she ogled the flexing Adonis by her side.
Melvin groaned.“Really?”
They ignored him completely, caught up in some gross, pheromone-soaked staring contest.Dray licked his lips.“Yeah.Important stuff.To do.”
Cass slipped his arm around Mary Sue’s waist and pulled her close as he spoke, dwarfing her silly little female form with his gladiator body—which was an exact replica of Dray’s, like they’d been cut from the same piece of cardboard.“I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m willing to serve you in whatever way you need,my queen.”
Melvin swallowed the vomit that wanted to rise up.“What is this, some cheesy romance novel?”
They all continued to ignore him as they turned and headed down the hall.The weird butler, Hedwig, gave Melvin a strange look, pursed his lips together, shook his head, then shut and locked the door.
Melvin seriously hoped he didn’t have to listen to their grunting and moaning while he tried to figure this shit out.The last thing he needed was to picture their sweaty, muscly,vanillasex scene while he was trying to work.Pacing to the window again, he whispered a few Latin words and let the magic in his fingertips arc out to touch the panes of glass.
Pain lanced through his hand, shooting up his arm like he’d just touched a hot electric fence.
He shook the pins and needles burn out of his arm and glared.Damn it.This was going to be such a pain in the ass.
