She tries to protest again, and his face softens, “I have no ulterior motives here. There are no expectations attached to my offer. You two have traveled here in search of something, and what kind of person would I be if I didn’t help?”
“Noulterior motives?” I deadpan, knowing him better than he apparently knows himself.
“WellobviouslyI’d love to fuck you both, but that has no bearing on me showing you basic kindness, Cas.” He rolls his eyes, “You should know better than that. May I see your phone, Bel?”
She unlocks it and hands it to him. Taking ten seconds from his impatient audience, he taps away before giving it back. “There. I have just texted myself. I can call you when I’m finished here tonight, and you two can let me know where you’d like to meet so we can discuss whatever it is that you need. If staying in my suite makes you uncomfortable, Norman can arrange for your own personal rooms, no problem.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. It seems as though that would be much more work for your… assistant,” I tell him.
“Okay then, that’s settled. Go get your stuff, have a fun evening and I’ll be in touch. Ta ta,” then he redirects all of his attention to his table of clamoring mortals.
As we walk away, I tuck Bel under my arm and ask, “What did he whisper to you, Little Dove?”
She blushes, looking up at me and saying, “Oh, that. Nothing,” she waves her hand around as if she could brush away the pink staining her cheeks, “it’s like you said. He’s just a big flirt.”
“You’re attracted to him?” I ask, doing my best to hide the excitement it brings me. She tentatively nods, so I tease, “He wasveryinterested in you.”
She stifles a giggle, and I continue, assuring her, “It’s not a bad thing, my Dove. Far from it,” I lower my voice to ensure she knows exactly where my thoughts have gone, “I think it could be great fun.”
Her jaw drops, and I drag her along, off to waste some time before we meet back up with my oldest friend.
Old Friends and New Enemies
Caspian
After Norman escorted us to the suite and showed us the spare rooms, he departed. Bel picked the one with the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the setting sun, leaving me one that will be full of early light due to its eastern windows. That’ll work much better for me, seeing as Bel will want to sleep far longer into the day than I will.
Both rooms have unnecessarily large four-poster beds, covered in smooth silk and fur throw blankets, with fluffy pillows piled high in coordinating colors. Each room has a small couch at the foot of the bed, positioned to whether in bed or sitting, you’ll have an incredible view of the desert and cityscape.
Having received a set of keys from Norman, along with a permit for Bel’s car, we head to the parking structure where we left it. She drives us to our new parking lot, and as she pulls into the spot, she whistles, “How did someone who is just a card dealer pull all these strings?” After a moment, she clarifies, “Someone with that job at a casino is relatively low on the food chain. Why would he have the authority to have an assistant, a full three-bedroom suite, and access to all these extra amenities?”
I think about how best to phrase this without scaring her, “His abilities do not always make sense to me. Feeding on others energy gives him the power to influence them. Not directly, but people will notice they feel better or worse around him, depending on what he wants them to do. If he makes everyone around him feel good, they are likely to give him whatever he wants.”
As she grabs her bags from the trunk, she pauses, “Oh. That seems…”
I grab everything she’s trying to carry and throw it over my shoulder, “Dishonest? Manipulative? It can be. But he’s a good person. I knew him for a long time and never once saw him hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. When he uses his power for his benefit, it’s material things. He would never use his abilities to take advantage of people, or harm them.” I explain.
“How can you be so sure?” she asks, “He’s a demon.”
“As am I. And you have seen already that we are not all you’ve been told we are, yes?” At this, she nods her head, so I proceed, “He will answer our questions, then we can be on our way in the morning if you wish. We do not have to stay the entire planned duration of our trip.”
Putting a hand on my arm, she quietly says, “Thank you.” Then she uses a little plastic card to let us into the suite once again.
After I set her things on the bed in her chosen room, I wrap both hands around the tops of her arms and face her to me, “Belissenda. I will follow your lead every step and will not let any harm come to you. Nor will I allow a single soul to make you uncomfortable without them facing the most painful death imaginable. I promise.”
Instantly, she blesses me with another crushing hug. I don’t think anyone has just hugged me before. I want more of these pure, affectionate embraces. I will spend forever earning them from her.
“Can we have a code word?” She pops out suddenly.
“A code word?” I ask in confusion.
“Yeah,” she nods, “A word just the two of us know that basically means,I’m done. Fuck this. I’m out.”
“So if I’m understanding, thecode wordis your signal that you are feeling uncomfortable or unsafe and I need to stop the situation,” I clarify.
“Exactly!” she snaps.
“Is that not just a safe word?” Her eyes get so large I fear they may pop out of her head, “What?”
