Immortals After Dark 09 - Pleasure of a Dark Prince

cute, with a ruinous crush on Carrow. “When will you learn better?”
    “Oh, I’ve learned better,” she said, strutting to the bars. He swallowed to see how short her black leather skirt was. “I just choose not to use what I’ve learned in real world applications.”
    “Huh?” Martin scratched his head. “What’d you do this time?”
    “Beat up a cop, stole his horse, and rode it into Pat O’s.” Before he could ask, she answered, “I needed an accessory.”
    At that, her repeat roommates, sex workers from the Quarter, cheered,
whoop whoop whoop!
    She curtsied for them, then turned back to Martin. Through the cell bars, she tickled him under his chin with her print-stained fingertips, sending him in raptures. “So, did you bring me and the girls some chow?” He often brought Popeye’s to Carrow and the roommates. In a throaty voice, she asked, “Maybe some
diiiirty
rice?”
    He swallowed hard. “N-no, ma’am. Came to tell you that you made bail.”
    “Really? No way!” She held out her flat palm behind her and someone gave her a low five in celebration. The sun had just set—Carrow would have the entire night for mayhem! “Who divvied the cash?”
    “Dunno, ma’am,” Martin said, sliding open the cell door.
    She frowned. The House of Witches had vowed never to bail her out again. And Carrow hadn’t even called Mariketa, not wanting to bother her best friend again. Twice in one week was too much for even the most committed bail buddy.
    Carrow had actually been considering using her powers to liberate herself. Which was a big, freaking, honking
no-no
.
    With a shrug, she turned to say farewell. “See ya, Moll, Candy Cane, Lexxxie, Chastity. And Exstacey, chin up, your ex is not going to bother you any more. I promise.” Carrow made a mental note to cast a spell on that asshole, making him fall in love with clumping cat litter.
Used
clumping litter.
    Once Carrow had collected her belongings, she donned her jewelry and light jacket, then strung her numerous plastic beads around her neck. Few outside the Big Easy could grasp what a hard-earned and valuable currency those beads were.
    Martin gazed on longingly. “You want me to look up who posted you?”
    “Hey, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Night, Martin.” She winked and blew him a kiss. “See you soon.”
    But as she sauntered to the front doors, she thought about that ole gift-horse saying. She’d lied to Martin— Carrow was
exactly
the kind of person who would look in its mouth.
    She grew cautious, building energy in her palms to shoot an enemy if she had to. Mariketa had been teaching her tons of new spells and funneling power to her— since she was on the bench for five decades. Carrow was quite the badass, when she could concentrate.
    Stepping outside onto the street, she gazed around warily. No one was out here.
    Ah, but the city was just waking for another night. With sirens and food scents and throbbing music, it roused like a beast from slumber. She could sense all the emotions, the excitement suffusing her. Like a vampire, she wanted to drink from it. Wanted to be amidst the chaos,
provoking
it—
    A frying surge of electricity hit her in the face, blasting her through the air. She shrieked until she landed on her back a block away. Her beads had melted all over her, sizzling plastic searing her skin, smoking.
    Dazed, nearly sightless from the assault and the smoke, she drew energy in her palms once more. What the hell happened? Males nearing?
Can’t see… can’t see to fire on them.
They looked like shadows. She shot from her palm, might have hit one.
Can’t see…
    She tried to rise, to blindly run, but only made it to her knees. No choice but to gasp out the reaper spell, hoping no bystanders were near:
“Ooth sbell nooth latoret—”
    “Gag her!” a deep voice interrupted.
    “Ooth sbell—”
    The shadowy hands seized her, shoving duct tape over her mouth. Though she resisted with all the strength in her body, they bound her wrists behind her. She flailed, defenseless, more terrified than she’d ever been.
    Carrow’s sight was just returning when she heard that same voice order, “Bag her.”
    “No, no!”
she screamed behind the tape. They stalked closer with a black sack, rolling it up like hose to force over her head.
    And her world went dark once more….