Page 4 of Poison's Kiss
That gives me little solace since she was taken right out from under them to begin with.
"Fine. Why doIhave to go to the party?"
"Because I'm not leaving you alone, and no one else is here to stay with you."
"Okay... So why do I have to go to the masquerade ball?"
"Because I need a date. That thing is going to be crawling with desperate women. In case you haven't noticed, I'm eye candy. I can't be fighting off girls while seeking out information."
His cocky release forces me to laugh, and he offers me a smile of triumph. He's worked incredibly hard these past few weeks to make me laugh. That's the best he's succeeded thus far.
"See? A party is a good thing. It'll cheer you up. This town is buzzing with too many entities. Let's hit these parties, and then let's hit the road."
I nod, though it's reluctant. I have drug out my stay too long. Why? I don't know.
I guess I just keep hoping this is all one bad dream. I keep expecting to wake up and find out my mom was never taken; Kane is really a sweet, untainted human; and I'm just the same naive, happy girl I once was.
"Why do you think this town is ahotspot?" I ask as I slip on my jacket.
"Beats me. There could be a number of things drawing our kind here. It's subtle, and whatever it is, it doesn't want us finding it. Let's not worry about that part. We've got too many irons in the fire as it is. Right now, let's party."
With the thudding music offeringonly vibrations instead of sound, it's obvious this home belongs to an immortal. I can feel the ground trying to cover its ears as the vibrations rattle it to the core.
"What exactly does a chanter do?" I ask absently, subtly eyeing the party with a wary gaze.
"Really? Did you learn anything at all when you were growing up?" Gage lightly gripes as we near the house exuding the tingling release.
"Yes, but not about some creatures. There're are a lot of different types of immortals, you know."
He laughs softly while taking my hand in his when a few guys start checking me out. This super-blond color only seems to be getting lighter, which draws in unwanted attention. I'm starting to turn into Wicca Barbie.
"Chanters are strong. They cast spells just as effectively as our own, but they don't have the hidden powers we all do. They've been known to swing for both sides - light and dark I mean - never aligning themselves with either. They have the best protection spells one can offer. I should have thought of that sooner when you were struggling... or when I thought you were struggling."
I wasn't struggling; I was just casting a spell to keep dark entities out of Kane's home when they werealldark. My spells were thought to be malfunctioning, when it was merely my messed up love life that was the problem.
Gage's vague explanation about chanters does answer some of my questions, but not all of them. I follow him in only to be nearly deafened by the music. For a centuries-old being, this chanter's taste in music is terribly obnoxious.
"What's the game plan?" I ask while clutching him a little tighter as a stray hand from one of the drunken fools lands on my ass.
He quickly draws me to him and eyes the guy who crossed the line. The guy backs down promptly, and turns away to rejoin his group of laughing friends who are amused by his silent scolding.
"Your magic is growing, and your aura is channeling all the wrong vibes. You're going to be fighting with all sorts of unwanted attention if you don't figure out a way to cap it off."
"Cap what off exactly? I'm angry, tired, frustrated... well, every form of calling me cranky to be exact. What can I possibly be putting off?"
He smirks, and then I see a blushing hue form in his perfectly defined cheekbones.
"You really don't know, do you?"
I narrow my eyes, not feeling like playing twenty questions tonight.
"Witches can't see their own auras, jackass. What am I putting off?"
He lets a laugh free and then shakes his head while pulling me away from the next groping idiot before he has a chance to make contact. My back is suddenly against Gage's front as he holds me to him, shielding me.
"Sexual energy," he says while leaning down to my ear, making me shiver.
My whole face burns, and I'm so frigging happy he's not in front of me right now. He pulls me closer as we stop in the doorway of a crowded room.
