Persephone Alcmedi 00 - Wicked Circle

to go to The Dirty Dog. I need to put in an appearance.” Johnny slid away from me. “It’ll be three o’clock before I get there now anyway.”
    I stretched to slough off the sleep trying to claim me and sat up. “I haven’t told you why I’m back in Cleveland.”
    “You aren’t here just to see me?” he teased. Two paces from the bed he circled back. “Uh-oh.”
    “Yeah.” I hadn’t meant to take this long getting to the haven, though I wasn’t eager to get there, either. Since Heldridge had made it to the Excelsior, Menessos’s second-in-command and sometimes assassin, Goliath, would have been called back to the haven as well. Goliath had overheard his dead brother’s voice emanating from my protrepticus—a magical device that, in my case, happened to be housed in a cell phone. He was none too happy thinking I had his brother’s spirit trapped.
    I must have been frowning at that thought because Johnny cocked his head as he asked, “What? Is Menessos in more trouble than your mother?”
    “Heldridge had his audience with the Excelsior.”
    Johnny sat. “What’s the plan?”
    “Dunno. Menessos said I needed to get back to Cleveland.” I touched his chest, played with the little bit of hair he had there. “But I wanted to see you first.” My gaze didn’t lift to his; he’d genuinely scared me.
    I could hope that it was only different because we were at the den and he’d just been confirmed as the Domn Lup. But there was a niggling little thought in the back of my mind: What if he isn’t ready to control the amount of power we unleashed within him?
    I was sooo glad he couldn’t read my mind. I didn’t want him to know I had even a small doubt in him.
    Fifteen minutes later, Johnny backed me into the corner of the elevator and we made out as we rode it down to the parking garage. He was as gentle and sweet as he’d always been before. I felt a twinge of guilt over having even a mild doubt. When we emerged at the second-floor level, where there were no outer elevator doors, the cold night air rushed around us, chilling me even through my layered shirts and jacket.
    Johnny wore only a black tee with his jeans. I’d been gripping his arms the whole time because I didn’t trust the erratic elevator, and his skin was hot over the cords of tense muscle. Still, I asked, “Aren’t you cold?”
    “It’s refreshing,” he whispered into my ear. “I could do you all night.”
    I held his face. “You’d break me.”
    He showed me his lopsided grin, clearly accustomed to the shakes and wobbles of the machine. “That’s what magic’s for.”
    I laughed, but my mirth ended immediately when the elevator lurched to a halt. Johnny leaned in and whispered into my ear, “I can protect you, Red. From evil elevators and from whatever trouble the vamp is stirring up this time.”
    I squeezed him tighter.
    He pulled back and gave me the most earnest countenance. “I’m . . . not like I was before, Red. The vamp couldn’t kick my ass now.”
    I nodded, hoping he didn’t decide to test that theory. “You needed to be his equal,” I whispered. “And I’ve needed you to have this too—but I need you to not duke it out with fists or with magic. Okay?”
    “Speaking of magic,” Johnny said as he opened the rotting wooden doors, “the men are eager for the forced change spell.”
    I noticed he hadn’t answered me.
    “It could be done here Monday night,” he said. “I’ll check the moon position, but with roof access you should have a good view for hours.”
    “Depending on how things go with Heldridge and the Excelsior, I may not be able to do the spell Monday.” That was four days away.
    “It’ll be okay.” He captured my hand as we entered the now empty parking area. It stretched before us, unlit and spooky. Johnny led me to the “rock and roll” parking around the corner.
    “What about Zhan?”
    “I’m sure Kirk escorted her to The Dirty Dog. We show our faces for a drink or two and then the three of us can head to the haven, okay?”
    “Sure.” I didn’t actually want to go to The Dirty Dog. My last visit hadn’t gone well . . . although Cammi wasn’t here and no one else seemed too upset about my arrival. Cammi was jealous of my relationship with Johnny. Gregor had given her orders to never speak to Johnny again, so I hoped that she’d stay away and maybe I’d have a more pleasant visit to the bar tonight.
    I wondered if Zhan’s Offerling status was impeding her