Getting Lucky
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Copyright ©2008 by Viola Grace
First published in extasybooks.com, 2008
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The glow was back. For the last two weeks the girls of Camp Silverwood had gathered near the lake to watch a flickering glow dance over the water, the almost inaudible murmuring didn't jar them from their reverie. They stood silent and still for hours, simply watching the light show of unknown origin until it dissipated near dawn. Sleepy and disoriented they stumbled back to their cabins to rest.
When they left the Camp at the end of the summer, they would never be the same.
Ten years later...
"So, the secret is out? Someone knows about them?” Artemis Whynot let out a frustrated sigh. All those years of preparation, for nothing.
"Yes. It had to be an inside job. No one else knows about Silverwood, let alone has the list of the girls who were trained.” Daniel Rollock ran a hand over his shaved scalp. He had the bearing and haircut of a military man, but there were no ranks at the Society. Well, at least none that mattered. His ears were not pointed as modern folk tales said they should have been, but as one of the Wild Hunt, he had adapted well to the twenty first century.
Artemis had founded the Society to explain the lights of a decade ago. In theory, it was a paranormal research facility, but in reality it was a training ground for the other members of the Hunt. If their opponents were indeed the Lios Alfar, they needed to get the women paired with their guardians before they could spirit them away. The last thing this world needed was for the newly sparked magic to disappear. Fortunately, for them, Artemis was watching. “Are they ready?"
Rolluck blushed to the top of his eyebrows, “Uh, yes. And very eager. It isn't every day that a man can be matched with his perfect woman. How do you do it anyway?"
She tented her fingers in front of her and smiled “We all have our talents, Daniel. Now send them out."
"You trust them to bring the women in? Once they have them, they might not decide to follow the plan."
"I trust that they will try.” Her smile grew. “The women are their own masters. We will see what happens and tailor our plan to match."
"Fine. They will go today. I hope you know what you are doing.” His last sentence was said in a mutter as he left to head to the men's barracks.
Artemis's smile slowly faded as she hoped that she was right. Her matchmaking was a raw skill, one that had been given to her at the council when it was decided that her Hunt would be the guardians of the new magic. She almost wished that she could compel love, but that was beyond her skills. The matches that she had made for the women were solid. Good elves who had the strength of character to keep the women safe and to bring them home. Back to Silverwood.
Running. Why did she always end up running? Lucky asked herself that and a thousand other questions as she tried to throw off her pursuers. Her blood thundered in her ears as she pounded the pavement in an effort to get far enough ahead of the pack to hide from them. Just a regular Friday night.
The evening had started quietly enough, the gang members that she joined at the poker table had been happy to have her there. Of course, a low-cut top almost guaranteed an open invitation. It was only when her freakish winning streak began to show that the first murmurings of irritation reached her ears.
By the time she had taken the entire pot, the murmurs had turned to cursing and the next thing she knew the word
cheat
was shouted, so she was grabbing the money and running for her life. The shots that had been fired had missed her, luckily. She had made her way out of the back alleys and into the streets in an effort to deter the shots. No glass near her had exploded in the last half a mile so they must be strictly on a foot pursuit.
She began to slow her steps, smiling at her stamina as she listened to her shoes clicking on the pavement. Lucky had gained her running abilities through practice. Hard and brutal practice on the city streets. A shiver ran down her spine and she leaned left as a car window to her right exploded in a brilliant shower. She didn't even have time to scream as a hand grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby alley.
"Shh. Stay still and they will not see you."
The voice was masculine, as was the body she was plastered against. He did not restrain her in any way so she did as he said. He wasn't making any threatening moves, unlike the gun-toting lowlifes looking for her in the street. She could feel the heat of his body, smell his musk and, for some reason, could feel an energy around him. Before she knew it, it had flowed around her and wrapped her in its protection.
Protection it was, as two of the gang members entered the mouth of the alley and looked directly at them. Shaking their heads, they moved out of the alley and down the street. Lucky's knees almost gave way. The two warm and gentle hands supporting her under her elbows brought her to the unavoidable conclusion that someone had just saved her life. “Is it safe?” She kept her voice to a whisper as she tried to leave his loose grip. Two steps and she was free.
"It is. May I have the honour of an introduction?"
His low and gravely voice was harsh and yet controlled. She had an inkling that the politeness did not come naturally to him and was for her benefit. The scar bisecting the left side of his face and nearly hitting his eye was her clue. Polite people did not usually get knifed in the face. “I suppose that it is the least I could do. My name is Westa Lucidine.” A blush heated her skin and she confessed, “People call me Lucky."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lucky. My name is Henry Inlough. Henry."
His bow was courtly and it was when she felt lips upon her hand that she suddenly felt the absurdity of the situation. “Henry, this has been very nice and all, but I need to get out of here. I have no idea when those goons will find me again and I need to get somewhere safe.” That they would keep looking for her was an inescapable conclusion. They always looked for her after a winning streak. Just not right away. It usually took days for them to realize that something had been a little off in her playing style.
That something was their cards changing in their hands. Hers always remained the same, but her opponent's hands devolved to give her the winning hand. Thanks to the prevalence of digital surveillance in poker games in general, she was always found out, but usually not at the table. It had been a golden god that had muttered
cheat
. If she ever saw him again, she was going to kick him in the nuts.
"If I may offer my assistance, I would be happy to act as your guardian until you are safe.” He straightened.
Given his grace and physique, he could quite aptly fulfill his offer. He was a rarity in today's day and age, a warrior. “Henry, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to impose."
"The imposition would be for me to have to follow you without your consent. It would be awkward for both of us I think."
His smile lit his features and her heart melted. Whoa. Her heart melted? Maybe her brain melted. Even the searing looks from the golden god hadn't had this effect on her and he had been trying to actively seduce her since the moment he sat down at the table. She had better get her barriers up or she would be in serious trouble. “Fine, I accept your offer, with thanks.” It was most natural to incline her head gracefully and his smile resurfaced as he watched.
"Then please, my lady, let us be on our way."
With another old-world gesture, he offered his arm to lead her out of the garbage-strewn alley. How romantic.
"So where do you need to go, Lucky?"
His solicitous tone had her smiling. “I need to get to my car, then go home. If they haven't trashed my car already."
"How would they know which car was yours?"
"It has a
Get Lucky
sticker on the back window and I parked it on the street near where the card game was held.” She shook her head at her own stupidity. “It's probably the only one left."
"Then they will be expecting you to return to it?"
Their leisurely stroll took them past several gang members that she recognized. She held her breath but they didn't even look their way. It was as if they were shadows on the sidewalk, insubstantial and uninteresting. The gentle nudge at her elbow prompted her attention back to the conversation she was having. She blinked and listened to his question as he rephrased what he wanted to know.
"Are you sure you need your vehicle this evening?"
"Well, I also left some items that could be used to identify or track me in it. Like my proof of insurance.” Again, she was embarrassed to look up. “I know. It was stupid, but this has never happened before."
He steered her effortlessly around a few couples. “When I have made sure you are safe will you explain what did happen this evening?"
"If you buy me a cup of coffee I'll consider it."
"You have a deal."
The words were incongruous to his earlier manner and she cracked a smile. It was almost funny, here they were strolling through one of the worst areas of town and no one was even giving them more than one glance. A surreptitious peek at her escort and she could understand why. In the harsh light of the streetlamps and passing vehicles his features were fearsome, all harsh angles and that brutal scar. His eyes, however, were a soft blue, a lovely compliment to the lips that were full and sensual.
In a second, her mind imagined those lips on her body and her body reacted. A slight bit of moisture slicked the skin between her thighs and her nipples peaked under her low-cut top. This was turning into a weird night, and for her, that was saying something. She had learned early in life that her experiences were slightly outside the norm.
As they rounded yet another corner, she noticed at once that her car had indeed, borne the brunt, of the fury held by her pursuers. “Well, it's about what I expected. Let me just check something and call a tow truck. I don't want to leave it here any longer than I have to.” Brushing aside the shattered glass on the driver's seat, she triggered the trunk lock of her sensible sedan. “Well, at least they didn't get into the trunk.” She walked calmly to the back of her battered car and smiled in relief as the trunk opened easily despite the gouges around the lock. “I guess my luck is holding."
"Of course it would. May I suggest that I call your tow? I have a friend who specializes in vehicle security. It would relieve me to know that your car was safe."
His voice was nothing if not reasonable so she agreed. “Only if the storage cost isn't too high. I don't get paid until Friday.” She finished her excavation of her hidden storage area and smiled. “I know. It's so pedestrian of me to live from cheque to cheque, but there it is.” He looked at her speculatively and only widened his eyes slightly as she opened one of the courier envelopes that she had retrieved and started to stuff it with the money she had hidden in her bodice and purse.