Zombies Sold Separately

THREE



Tuesday, December 21


Adam would love the red silky panties and bra I slipped into—lingerie that Kali hadn’t a chance to shred. Over the lingerie, I pulled on a pair of black jeans and a red cashmere sweater, followed by my black Elvin-made boots. Adam would be here soon and I couldn’t wait to see him.

It was a beautiful snowy Tuesday afternoon, two days after the incident, and Adam and I were going out to admire the holiday decorations and enjoy some hot chocolate.

Preparing for Adam improved my mood considerably. This morning I’d woken terrified, shivering, my head filled with more images that were like hollow specters, no substance at all.

I’d felt some relief that I didn’t cause another hurricane in my bedroom. It had taken me all day Sunday just to clean up the mess since my maid, a Shifter named Dahlia, was off for the weekend.

New lamps were parked on the nightstands on either side of my bed, the lamps carved wood and painted white to match my blue and white bedroom. Far more sturdy than glass. I’d slipped the photograph of Adam and me into a new white latticed wood frame and put it next to the lamp on the side of the bed where I slept.

Not a lot had had survived the storm so my room was pretty bare. Paintings had to be reframed, the vanity chair leg fixed, and the glass in my vanity mirror replaced.

Could have been worse. My entire apartment could have suffered rather than just my bedroom.

I glanced in the mirror and figured I looked all right. After I pulled my hair back and knotted it, I grabbed one of my red Dolce & Gabbana purses out of the closet and picked out a black leather Burberry jacket.

A familiar knock at my door made me smile and I walked out of my bedroom and went to open it.

When I reached the door, I hesitated only a moment as I thought about the Metamorph who had briefly fooled me into thinking he was Adam and whom I had kissed. The memory made me shudder. I shook off the creepy feeling and opened the door.

Any other thought vanished when I saw Adam standing before me, one hand braced on the doorframe. He wore his brown leather bomber jacket, opened just enough for me to see a forest green T-shirt that hugged his quarterback build and was tucked into a pair of faded blue jeans.

The corner of his mouth turned up in an adorable smile and his brown eyes glittered. His brown hair looked even more tousled than usual and I caught his leather and coffee scent from where I stood.

Adam grasped me around my waist and swung me into the apartment. “Hey, honey.”

“Hey, you.” I dropped my purse and jacket. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laughed as he whirled me around.

The door shut behind us, leaving us in the total and complete privacy of my apartment.

Adam’s mouth was warm on mine and I sighed as he kissed me. Flashes came to me of my big comfy bed and Adam in it with me, but I wanted to spend time outside with him while it was still daylight. Before I shifted.

I slipped my fingers into his silky hair and he groaned as he pressed me flush against him. It was really, really hard not to imagine taking him into my bedroom and having my way with him.

A giggle escaped me just as he raised his head and I bit my lip to stifle another girlie laugh. I had never giggled before dating and falling in love with Detective Adam Boyd.

I was a Drow warrior, a Tracker, a PI.

Drow warriors, Trackers, and PI’s don’t giggle.

Well, Drow warriors definitely don’t.

Except for me when I was with Adam.

I felt young and silly, like I was in my tween years again, having a crush on one of my father’s younger warriors. Even then I hadn’t giggled, though. A couple of times I’d been a little dopey over a warrior but I couldn’t show it.

In a male-dominated society, where females are subservient to males, I had to fight to be respected as a warrior. Unfortunately I never saw that respect because any warrior I’d bested was humiliated at being beaten by a female.

So much for young love. It wasn’t until I came to New York City that I’d had my first relationship and I’d fallen for a human. It ended in disaster when I finally let Stan see the Drow half of my heritage.

Stan had broken my heart with all of the horrible things he’d said. The injury was doubled when my mentor, Rodán, had to wipe memories of me from my boyfriend’s mind. I would always remember Stan … but after Rodán took care of him, it was as if I’d never existed to him and we never had a relationship. All I was left with was the pain.

“Nyx.” Adam grasped my shoulder and brought me fully back to him from the flashes of memory I’d just had. “You checked out on me.”

I snuggled against him and drew in a deep breath of his masculine scent. “Was just thinking about how much I love you.”

“Good.” His lips were firm as he kissed the top of my head. “’Cause that’s just what I was thinking, too.”

I tipped my head back and smiled before he kissed me again.

He gave me his boyish grin as he glanced at the bedroom, then winked at me as he took my hand. “You ready to go?”

For a moment I wondered if he meant my bedroom, then realized he was teasing me. He released me to scoop up my jacket, then helped me into it before he grabbed my purse and handed it to me.

We held hands as we walked down the stairs. Mrs. Taylor’s rat of a Chihuahua, Terror, yapped at us as we passed the open door of the apartment below mine.

Mrs. Taylor stood just inside her doorway. Her face was heavily lined and I was afraid if she ever tried to smile her face would crack.

I gave the grumpy-faced woman a smile. “Hi, Mrs. Taylor.”

She slid one hand into a pocket of the apron that she wore over her powder blue granny dress, jerked her head in a short acknowledgment, and then she shut the door of her apartment, blocking out the outside world from her and Terror.

After wading through the seven inches of newly fallen snow, Adam and I reached the street. By then we were laughing and Adam had a firm grip on my hand.

Chill air stung my nose and cheeks. I glanced at Adam. “A little different than Belize.”

He grinned. “We can always go back.”

“Mmmm.” I rested my head against his shoulder. “I’d love to. Next time we get a break, I say let’s do it.”

He squeezed me to him and I sighed, a feeling of happiness welling up inside me.

I took in the sparkle and glitter of the holidays in the city. “The decorations are beautiful.” My words came out in frost-laced puffs of air. “There’s nothing like this in Otherworld.”

Adam looked down at me. “You don’t celebrate holidays where you come from?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Some races of Fae in their parts of Otherworld might, but Elves don’t. Especially Dark Elves … They’ve got that belowground thing going on.”

“Hard to imagine that you come from anywhere other than here,” he said and I met his gaze. “You’re a city girl through and through.”

I grinned. “Even when my hair is blue?”

Adam laughed. “I guess then you belong to the night.” He squeezed me tighter. “But no matter what time of day, you belong to me.”

I sighed again.

“Ready for some hot chocolate?” he said and I nodded.

When we reached Broadway and neared the closest Starbucks, the strong smell of dark roast hit me even before the door to the coffee shop opened.

As usual, the place was jammed. Some human-looking paranorms, but mostly norms. “Excuse me,” we said to at least fifteen people as we made our way to the end of the order line.

Still holding Adam’s hand, I dodged one woman in time to slam into a man’s chest. The man’s body wasn’t hard or soft, just in between, about average.

“Sorry,” I said as Adam steadied me by my shoulders and I looked at the person I’d almost run down.

In a quick glance I saw that the male was balding, probably late forties, and someone needed to teach him how to dress. Plaid wool pants would get someone killed on the streets of this city.

But the moment I met the man’s gaze I froze. He was staring back at me.

A horrible feeling, like worms wiggling across my flesh, caused goose bumps to rise on my arms.

My heart thudded against my ribs. I stumbled back and stepped on someone’s foot.

Sounds of coffee cups hitting the table and floor, and liquid splashing. My chest hurt as I tried to breathe. I glanced behind me, unconcerned about the spilled coffee, and focused on finding a path through the crowd.

Immediately I looked back at the man.

He was gone.

As if I had imagined him.

The thump of my heart was strong when I held my free hand to my chest as I looked around to see if the man was still in the coffee shop. I’d had that creeped-out feeling before. And it had been recent.

“Watch where you’re stepping,” a man was saying behind me but I couldn’t move.

“She doesn’t even have the courtesy to apologize,” a woman said.

I barely heard them over the rush of blood in my ears. When I shook my head it didn’t clear away the web of my racing thoughts. Why those eyes had bothered me so much, I didn’t know.

“Nyx.” Adam’s voice, close to my ear. “What’s wrong?”

My words stuck in my throat and my insides shuddered. “I think I just saw a Vampire.”