Defy Me Read online

  A shiver that she enjoyed a little too much snuck across the fine hairs on the back of her neck.

  Or maybe that was the touch of snow beginning to fall.

  Must be the snow.

  The other wallet had only a couple of euros, but it had a Eurail pass that would sure come in handy. After a good night sleep and something to eat... mmm pastries and wiessbier, she was getting the hell out of here. This town was done for her and she hadn't found any clues or answers anyway. Calling themselves the luck town was like false advertising. It was just plain dumb to stick around any longer.

  Now to find a place to stay tonight. She walked a little faster putting more distance between her and the bar brawl. The crisp night air felt good whipping through her hair, like she was running in a wide open field. Not that she spent a lot of time running. Well, not the jogging kind anyway. Only the away and hiding kind of running. She shouldn't be out in the open like this right now anyway. She’d had that sickening feeling of being watched for far too long to ignore it.

  "Hey - you. Come back here you little thief."

  She didn't wait to see if it was the two men she'd been running from already or the man she'd kissed. Either party was going to be pissed. Time to go. Again.

  She bolted off the main square and down a maze of cobbled streets. She couldn't run for long before she'd run out of steam so she needed to find a place to duck into and hide in the next twenty seconds. She headed toward an area advertising hostels and gasthauses. Since it wasn't tourist season, most of them should have a private room vacant for her. She passed two hostels that looked a bit too run down for her to feel secure staying there and then spotted one she didn't remember seeing before. It had one of those old-school wooden signs swinging above the doorway. A big dragon was carved into the wood and painted with at least twenty brilliant colors.

  A quick glance over her shoulder and she didn't see her pursuer anywhere. Good, she was already holding her side and gulping in air. A dark shadow blipped through the corner of her peripheral vision. But not on the street or by one of the buildings. It had been up on the rooftop. Must be some kind of a bird, although a big one. An owl or a bat.

  Her shoulders involuntarily shook. Whatever it was, it gave her the creeps. She needed to get inside immediately if not sooner.

  "Well, don't stand out there all night, sugar. Come in and get warm. I've got gluhwein on the stove." The most beautiful woman Yvaine had ever seen smiled and held open the door to the little inn and waved her inside.

  Hmm. The woman was too friendly by half. More than the normal business hawker. Why? What did she want from Yvaine besides her money? Everyone out here in the real world always wanted something from her.

  This small inn did feel safer than any other place to stay on the block. She wasn't sure why. She trusted her instincts and so far they had kept her from being taken advantage of. But she was getting really mixed signals here. Safety, weirdness, calm vibes, but also the sense of someone who was ready for a fight. Which was extra strange, because this woman was soft and curvy with long mother-nature with flowing hair and a soft smile. Not exactly the warrior type.

  A tall, very handsome man, who reminded her of Jason Momoa, but with a prosthetic arm stuck his head out the door and over the woman's shoulder. "Ooh, you found her."

  Yvaine took a big ole step back. Uh-oh. She'd gotten really good at hiding these past few months. She did not want to be found by anyone. Who were these people? Who was looking for her? She narrowed her eyes at the couple and opened her mouth to tell them thanks but no thanks.

  Instead of words coming out, she burped. Holy hell. There was that beer she'd downed back to haunt her. It wasn't just that though. A gurgle sounded from her belly and nausea roiled.

  The woman rolled her eyes and waved the guy off. "Don't mind my mate. He means I found a paying customer. It's been a slow week."

  Mate? She must mean husband. Right? Yvaine's vision went a little fuzzy and she couldn't quite think straight. Husband. That was a weird word. Huzz. Band.

  The woman wrapped her arm around Yvaine's shoulder and guided her toward the front door.

  "I have a very nice room all ready for you. Big comfy bed, plenty of space, and black out curtains so no one will be able to see in. " She winked. "And we'll get you fed too. Soak up some of that beer.”

  Yvaine had a super weird vibe from these two, but not uncomfortable. That sent a four-alarm fire worth of warnings off in her head. Something was wrong. Trust no one.

  A shot of adrenaline hit her right in the heart, pumping through her veins like a cold shower, clearing her head. She still felt unsteady on her feet and that doorway was looking very enticing, if only to lean on.

  Holy hell. She'd been drugged. The inn keepers hadn't even touched her. It couldn't be them.

  The beer.

  But Mr. McBroodypants hadn't known she was coming or that she'd pick up his drink and down it. Which meant someone had been trying to drug him. That didn't seem plausible either. She couldn't imagine what anyone would do with a big muscle-y passed-out dude like him. So she was back to the couple looking at her expectantly from the shelter of their doorway. Yvaine wavered on her feet again.

  The flash of darkness flew over head again and even the woman lifted her eyes to the sky. "Come on, dear. It's getting dark out."

  Uh. It was nine o'clock at night. In the winter. It had been dark for hours. One more reason she should keep on running. Except for that very distinct feeling she was being watched. Hunted. By something malevolent. Her head wasn't on straight and if she did look for another place to take shelter, she couldn't even guarantee she would make it another block down the street.

  Either she went inside and hoped for the best that these people weren't responsible for her current state of weirdness, or she risked being seen by the watcher, or worse captured by her pickpocket victims, or the thing that was definitely not a bat.

  Two, or was it three, sucky choices. What was new?

  Her body decided for her, because she lost her footing and pitched forward. Her vision tunneled, but she refused to lose consciousness. The man caught her and swooped his prosthetic arm under her knees, lifting her up, and carried her inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

  The room was warm and comforting and the cold that had seeped into her lifted a smidge. It would be so easy to just close her eyes and fall asleep right here in these big strong arms. Strong arms that could protect her, keep her safe.

  Yvaine shook her head. No no no. She was the only one who could keep herself safe. "I'm okay. You can put me down now."

  To her surprise, he did, holding his hands out on either side of her like she was a toddler just learning to walk. "You all right there, kiddo?"

  "Yeah. Fine. Thanks. Just tired." She was hella tired and still woozy. She'd feel better after she ate. "Do you have room service by any chance?"

  "No need for that. Your dinner is all ready." The woman indicated to a coffee table in front of a fireplace. On a tray in the middle was what looked like a veggie burger, fries, a huge green salad, a plateful of pastries, and a bubbling glass of weissbeir. Yum.

  She plopped down into the nearest chair and tucked right in. Mmm. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had fresh veggies like this, and the burger must be some secret blend of twelve herbs and spices because it was like crack cocaine it was so delicious.

  "I think you over spelled her, heart of my heart. She nearly passed out."

  "Desperate times. He was circling. We couldn't let him get to her."

  That sure sounded like they were talking about her. "Crphrn't frnt whew?”

  "Don't talk with your mouth full, dearest."

  Grr. She hated being told what to do. Fine. She chewed, swallowed and took another bite. This one slightly smaller so she could be understood while talking with her mouth full. "Couldn't." Chew. "Let." Chew chew. "Who?"

  "You aren't supposed to be able to hear us talking about you. That's strange." The woman looke
d at her husband and frowned. "Did you do something to her?"

  Yeah. Did he?

  He shook his head. "Nope. That's all her, babe. I told you she was special."

  Yvaine narrowed her eyes and popped a couple of fries into her mouth watching the interaction between them. She wasn't entirely sure why she wasn't getting up and Houdini-ing her way out of here. The things they were saying... she should be afraid, very afraid. She wasn't even a little bit. Possibly for the first time in her entire life.

  Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was that she was exhausted from being on the run and not finding the answers she'd been looking for and with no end in sight.

  Probably that one.

  The woman folded her arms unconvinced, and glanced at Yvaine. She waved her hands at the pile of french fries that were almost gone. More appeared. Literally bottomless fries. Rock on.

  "I can see that she is. But are you sure she's the one?" The woman looked Yvaine up and down, like she was trying to figure out who - or what - she was.

  Just an orphan looking for answers. Nothing else. Nothing to see here. Yvaine ate another fry. "The one what?"

  The woman frowned. "Stop doing that."

  The man got a big ole grin and Yvaine had the feeling he didn't get the one up on his wife very often. "Yes. She's the only one. Give it to her."

  Whatever it was, Yvaine wanted it. Badly. Why? Jiminy Cricket, this whole situation was like a dream. She stood up and extended her hand, waiting for the woman to give her the it.

  "Fine." The woman wrinkled her nose and lifted a super shiny and sparkly necklace from under the neckline of her dress. She dangled the chain in the air and then laid it over Yvaine's head. It sparked like it was electric and a bright white light filled the room for the blink of an eye.

  "Whoa. What did you give me?" Yvaine lifted the charm from her chest and stared down at it. It was a shiny black dragon with a bright pink and green thistle wrapped around it. Pretty.

  "I'm still not sure this is a good idea, but sometimes we do things we don't want to for the ones we love." The woman sighed and the man wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the top of the head.

  "Thank you, love. You'll see, it will work out. He's got good in him even if you don't believe it yet. He must."

  Yvaine yawned. The crazy day, a full belly, and weird people had taken their toll. She was going to sleep like a rock for the first time in ages. "I guess I should check in and pay you for the room and the dinner."

  The woman shook her head. "You scoot on upstairs. We'll take care of the rest in the morning."

  "'Kay." She trudged up the stairs and walked into the first open room she found. She laid her bag on the floor next to a big fluffy bed that was totally calling her name. Wait, when had she gotten her bag? She'd left it in a locker at the bus station where she'd slept the last two nights.

  Seriously. She must already be asleep because this night was too weird not to be made up by her subconscious. She longed for a safe place and her mind must have created one. She'd think about that tomorrow. For a little while longer she wanted to bask in the warmth of magical unending french fries and feeling protected.

  The voices of the couples drifted into her room as she was crawling into bed.

  "He stole a shard, Kur. Messed up a whole lot of well laid plans. Besides, I don't have to do anything for him, he's not mine. I don't even have to like him and you can't make me." She sounded pretty mad.

  "Sweetness," The man crooned. "He's my blood."

  "He's your bastard."

  Ooh - somebody was in trouble. But they actually seemed like a pretty solidly in love couple.

  "He's the key."

  The key. The key. The word rolled around in Yvaine's mind like a song stuck in there. When she closed her eyes and drifted off the key was flying, like a bird through the sky. No, not a bird. A dragon. A beautiful black gleaming dragon that breathed fire. She ran and ran and ran, trying to catch it. That was her key. Her dragon.

  Yvaine awoke with a start. Something scratching at her window had startled her out of her sleep. She crept over to the dark curtains and pushed them open the tiniest of cracks. Early morning light poured in. She opened them further and saw only a few people making their way to wherever they were going. Nothing that would have made that sound. Especially not up on the second floor.

  She'd slept through the night. A quick glance around the room found it still secure, her bag on the floor, her clothes except for her t-shirt in a heap beside it. She grabbed up her jeans and pulled the wad of bills out of her pocket. It was all still there along with the Eurail pass. Something had gone right for a change.

  Please let that little bit of good luck continue. She quickly dressed and headed downstairs, ready to pay for her room and get out as fast as she could. Gone was the coffee table where she'd sat and eaten last night, and there wasn't even a fireplace. No beautiful woman or good looking man stood behind the desk either. A young woman in a World Cup t-shirt sat on a stool, snapping her gum and reading a magazine.

  Well, she couldn't expect that the couple worked all hours. Maybe this was their daughter, or just some hired help. Yvaine went to the desk to pay.

  "Hi, I owe for one night in a private room."

  "We don't have private rooms. What's your name? I'll look you up. You're lucky if you didn't have to share with anyone last night. We were almost full up."

  "Oh. Uh. Look under van den Hoogenbond. Amy."

  "Naw. We definitely don't have anyone registered under that name."

  "Can you look again?" Of course the girl wasn't going to find anything. But she clacked away on the computer and Yvaine slid a hundred Euro note out of the folds and slipped it onto the counter. Before the girl looked up from her search, Yvaine was already out the door and headed toward the train station.

  She stopped by a food cart to grab a cup of something hot and some breakfast. She wished she'd grabbed one of the pastries from the dinner plate last night and saved if for this morning. If there had even been a dinner. She wasn't convinced.

  "Ein cafe und diese...uh, pastries." Her German was pretty crap, but the guy got the gist when she pointed to some chocolate croissants.

  A deep voice that send shivers down her spine said from behind her, "Make that two coffees and add in some of those sausage rolls. The lady is buying."

  Yvaine spun around and was face to face with the large muscle-bound chest of Mr. McBroodypants himself.

  Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

  It hadn't taken him more than a few minutes to extricate himself from the brawl at the pub, but by the time he got out to the street, his little thief was gone. Disappeared into the night. That was okay, because Jett was the night.

  He slipped into the shadow of a building and let the darkness envelope him, show him its secrets. The demon inside stretched and revelled in the cool night air. This was a part of himself he kept buried, unused, unacknowledged. He hated how its base instincts tried to control him.

  It couldn't any longer. Jett knew better now. Tonight he'd let the animal out of its cage to help him hunt the girl.

  He sniffed the air and caught a whiff of sulfur first. A minion of hell was nearby. The scent faded under a waft of something much more potent. Sunshine. At midnight dark thirty. The demon recoiled at the scent. It took a long time to train himself to be out in the light of day. He still preferred the dark. Even more when he was in search of prey.

  Delicious, mouth-watering prey. That he was going to devour. Eat her right up. Until she screamed his name.

  A heartbeat thrummed nearby, and another. The musk of lust wafted to him a moment before a couple walking hand in hand turned the corner. They didn't see him, but likely sensed his presence because they hurried on their way faster than before.

  Or maybe they were just anxious to get home and into each other's pants.

  He scented the air again, searching for the bit of sunshine that his thief smelled of. The unique flavor of her was part of what made
him want her so much.

  The demon was drawn to several more hearts pushing blood through the weak little bodies of the humans. It couldn't help but want a snack. Jett kept it satisfied with very rare steak. Tonight he ignored it. He wanted something entirely different. An ache he hadn't allowed himself to feel for a hundred years mawed open in his chest.

  Only she could fill it.

  Jett shook his head. What the fuck kind of thinking was that? He had never needed anything or anyone. Ever. This was a passing fancy. A wild goose chase, a lark. Something to entertain him for a few hours while he awaited news from the the magic dealer. The fucking really well paid man who had so far come up with nothing but fairy tales.

  He couldn't save his brethren with rainbows and unicorn kisses.

  Unicorn blood on the other hand...

  Jett let himself sink into the shadow and his form dissolve. He shifted into his demon dragon form, his senses reaching out and touching every bit of life in the area. He could feel the blood rushing through everything from the sleeping tourists in the buildings around him to the tiniest cockroach under their beds.

  She had to be here somewhere. His dragon sight took over and he jumped onto the rooftops. He would be able to better track her from up here. There, over in an alleyway, he could taste her in the shadows. He followed the scent up and down the narrow spaces between buildings. She was here, but she wasn't.

  He hadn't thought she was a witch. She was something, but magic like that had a particular flavor about it. He'd met several witches, both powerful and not. None of them had the deliciousness of his thief. Now, where could she be.

  Jett set his nose to the rooftop tiles and followed any hint of her scent. She was here, he knew it. He peaked in windows and saw plenty of beautiful women in various states of undress. He couldn't care less. None of them were the one he sought. None of them were her.

  Obsessed much? His search was bordering on it. This was more than a mere distraction now. He couldn't do anything but sit around and drink beer until he got the next clue in his quest to kill the Black Dragon and break the curse.