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I LOOKED AROUND THE room for my pants and found them folded neatly on the chest of drawers closest to the door. When I touched them, I realized they’d been cleaned along with my shirt. I hadn’t requested laundry service and certainly no one had come into the room to get them the night before. At least no one I had seen. With a frown and shrug, I chalked it up the strange Hotel.
A little stymied about what to do with myself, my stomach answered the unasked question with a loud rumble. Food was the first thing on the agenda. I made my way to the lobby, then up the stairs to the restaurant, pondering the events of the last several days.
Vacations and downtime were not something I was used to. That was partly just my nature: angels didn’t take respites. But it also had something to do with Essie. Our romance was short, intense and like a vacation of a life time.
But that luxury had tempted me to let down my guard. The idea of being with Esperanza for the rest of my days had made me forget that her life was fragile. I’d frittered away my connection to heaven, and in return, they’d taken her from me.
That wasn’t fair. Essie’s death wasn’t intended to hurt me. It was just her time.
“How often did I say that to some poor grieving soul?”
But she was different. I could have saved her. I would have, if I’d been in possession of my powers.
A waitress brought my food, setting out several plates before me: scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes. When she was gone, and without thinking, I raised my elbows to the table and folded my hands as if to pray. My mouth turned dry, and I stared at my fingers, entwined in front of me. Closing my eyes, I shook my hands out, then reached for my fork and knife before I could think too much about what I’d been about to do.
My mind turned instead to Red. I’d been chased by many woman in my time on earth. They saw me as some sort of challenge. Sure, I’d partaken of the flesh on many occasions, but the when and where was my choosing. And the number one condition for choosing a person was that there were no strings attached.
Red had been a good bet in that area. Yes, she’d pursued me, but I had been convinced that was purely to get into bed with me, so to speak. So, what had changed? I had no idea. The only thing I was sure of was that I wanted to see her again.
And then she was there, as if in answer to some unspoken plea. Gone were the yoga pants and shirt she’d worn to leave my room. Her jeans were so tight. it was a wonder she’d been able to get into them. The dark top might have been modest if not for the corset she wore over it, the boned bustier cinching her waist and framing her perfect breasts.
Her heels made a solid clicking sound as she moved through the restaurant, listening with serious attention to a wiry man talking beside her. Several feet away, they both stopped and faced each other, Red saying something I couldn’t hear. Then they shook hands, and he exited the room through a door opposite me. I took the time to admire the swell of her very sexy backside.
After a moment Red turned, meeting my gaze. Her solemn expression was immediately replaced with a knowing smile. “Are you following me, Vicente?” she asked when she was close enough I could hear her.
I picked up my napkin and wiped my mouth, then leaned back in my chair to stare up at her, “And why would I do that?”
She picked up a cut piece of pancake with her bare fingers, tossing it into her mouth and then licking the syrup from the digits. After she’d swallowed, she winked. “Oh, I can think of a few reasons.” With a huge sigh, she added, “But, unfortunately, I’ve got a date. A date which requires me to make a quick change up first.”
“I’d like to watch.” I kept my face stoic as I waited for her response.
She put her hands behind her back, moving back and forth from the balls to the toes of her feet and fixed me with a suggestive stare. “I suspected you were a voyeur, you naughty angel, you.”
“Well?”
She shrugged, but her lips spread into a wide smile. “How could I deny you? Let’s get crackin’ before I get sick again and have the urge to hurl that yummy bit of pancake.”
I stood and tossed my napkin onto the table. “After you.”
I followed her back to her room, noticing that she slowed a bit down the last hallway and even stumbled once. She didn’t look back at me, and I figured she’d rather I didn’t mention it, so I kept silent.
Once inside, she left the door cracked and stepped into the center of the room to face me. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Could be a day or even a few.” She sounded a little worried, though she was trying admirably to hide it from her voice.
“I’m on vacation. I have nothing but time.”
Her head moved up and down in a nod, then she stood there and just looked at me for a few moments. “You should check out the pool. I highly recommend it.”
Without warning she rushed forward, hitting my chest with her hands and reaching up with her lips for mine. I grabbed her and kissed her hard, tongue sweeping wide and deep. I kissed her like it might be the last time.
Of course, that was silly. No matter how dangerous her assignment, she was a phoenix. Her lives, if not unlimited, were nearly so. Just as suddenly as she’d kissed me, she pulled away and crouched down low, pulling her entire body into a tight ball. Then her skin began to glow red hot and steam rose from underneath her. She opened her mouth to emit a wild shriek, and black smoke passed from her lips.
With a pop, her body burst into nothing but a fine ash of white that spread across the floor. I waited, hovering in place and unsure of what to do. I moved in closer, leaning over to reach out my hand to touch the powdery stuff, when suddenly the pieces that had been her coalesced into the form of a bird.
The fiery animal unfurled its wings and without pause flew out the open door. I rushed after her, watching the creature sail along the hallway until it turned out of sight. The few moments I’d been able to admire those red and golden wings weren’t nearly enough. She was a sight to behold, and I wondered if she could make that shift at any time or just when rising from the ashes.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, but eventually I reached out to close her door before I started off towards the lobby. Since I hadn’t brought any bags with me for this trip, I was wholly unprepared for a true vacation. But in my short time at the Hotel I’d learned one thing: the staff was here to serve.
At the front desk was the same quiet woman who had delivered Red’s note earlier. She offered a tremulous smile as I approached.
“Can I help you with anything, Mr. Prieto?”
“I was thinking of taking a swim, but I’m a bit unprepared. Is there a shop of some sort?”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir, but there isn’t. However, I believe we can accommodate you. I’ll have something sent up to your room immediately.”
My attention was diverted by the bartender Selena who was sailing through the lobby with the type of glamour reserved for a film noir classic. She tilted her head to give me a smile, then continued on into the bar. I followed.
“Ah, guapo. I’m surprised to see you so soon.”
I cocked one eyebrow upwards in a sardonic glare. “Really? It’s been two days. I believe that was the arrangement.”
It was too early for a drink, but she poured me one anyway and leaned against the bar, “Yes, that was the arrangement. I just thought maybe you’d find something here at the Hotel to keep you occupied.”
My lips twitched as I tried not to smile. If Red hadn’t had to leave for business, I might not have given Alexia another thought, at least not for a while. But as long as I was waiting, I might as well see what information I could gather from the second note. Maybe Red could even offer some help when she returned.
“I’m not thirsty.” I pushed the amber filled glass back towards her. “But I will take that second envelope.”
She stared with a knowing glint in her eyes, then reached under the bar for the letter, placing it beside the glass. With a single sweep of her hand, she pushed them both my way.
An uneasy feeling washed over me, but I turned my attention to opening the envelope.
Dear V – Please tell me it hasn’t only been two days. Seriously? Couldn’t you find some vivacious piece of womanhood to spend more than two nights with?
Okay, okay ... so I was working a man named Tabari. He was dealing in curses-the Egyptian kind. One of them went south and nearly wiped out a campsite full of scientists in Peru. Long story and not entirely apropos to the overall story here ... So Tabari made a deal with the Conclave. He claimed there was a danger even greater than the ones he wielded. Whatever he told the Conclave worried them, but he kept them just at arm’s length. I was sent to work with him, but he wasn’t at all happy about that. I’m supposed to meet with him in a few days at a bar in Ohio.
And that’s where my death vision takes place. From what I could tell from my premonition, a woman with red hair – and I mean, flaming red hair. The kind that makes a woman want to entwine her fingers ... but I digress. The woman confronts Tabari – I have no idea what she does to him or if it kills him. She sticks her entire hand into his chest with a strange power I’ve never seen or heard of before. I’ll make a move to stop her or to save him, I’m not sure what, but she’ll use magic to fling me backwards. After that, the world will go dark, and I’ll be gone.
That’s about all I can give you to go on. Be careful, my friend. Are you sure you don’t want to have a little more fun at the Hotel before you chase off after the redhead? No, I didn’t think so. One more thing ... I think maybe her name is Ben.
I crumpled the letter in my palm and reached out without seeing for the drink Selena had poured. Swallowing it all down in one gulp, I closed my eyes and flinched as the hot burn made its way to my stomach.
“Not Ben.” I spoke to no one. “Bennu. The bitch redhead is named Bennu.”