Carnal (Her Dark Desires #1) (7 page)

“Monique,”
I gritted out, trying to lift the suitcase once she was done. “This weighs like
fifty pounds.”

“Well,
at least you’ll get buff. Now strip out of those clothes. And let me know if
you want me to help.” She winked at me as she sauntered to her closet, and I
rolled my eyes.

Not
this again. The last time she’d tried dressing me, I’d ended up looking like
I’d just got done working the corner.

After
much arguing over attire, we settled on black tights, tall black boots with
modest heels, and a dark teal tunic top that hung off one shoulder. It was
pretty and feminine. But most importantly, I felt hot. I wondered what Hector
would think. My heart picked up speed at the thought of running into him again,
no matter how unlikely the odds.

When
I started tying up my hair, she said, “Nuh uh. Your hair has to be down for an
ensemble like this. Now, let’s do your makeup.”

I
groaned. “It’s a three hour bus ride to Elysian. Plus, it’s six thirty in the
morning. Do you think I care about my makeup right now?”

“I
care enough for both of us,” she said, whipping out her industrial-sized makeup
kit. “Now smile for me.”

It
made me sad to think this was the last time I’d see Monique for a while. “You
know the only reason I’m letting you get away with this is because it’s our
last morning together,” I said.

I
swore she started to tear up. Monique blinked several times and looked away.

Fifteen
minutes later, my face felt about five pounds heavier. One look in the mirror
revealed why. Dark rouge, bright red lipstick, dramatic eye shadow, and enough
concealer and foundation to cover my entire face.

I
hated it. Light makeup was the way I liked to roll.

But
for Monique’s sake, I said I loved it. Near tears, I hugged her one last time
before she kicked Raoul awake long enough to say goodbye to me. “Write to us,
sugar,” he said, still half asleep.

“I
will,” I promised. “Love you both.”

Monique
gave me one last hug. “Be safe,” she said.

“I
will. You too.”

Giving
her a goodbye smile, I locked the door behind me on my way out. It felt so
final, standing outside the door to my apartment and knowing I wouldn’t see my
best friends for a long time. Sentencing at Elysian largely depended upon
progress. If I rapidly improved, the quicker I could come back to the life I
was used to.

So
quit crying and go kick some ass
, my inner diva said.

I
nodded, taking a deep breath and drying my tears with my sleeve.

Feeling
renewed, I took off down the stairs and focused on not letting my nerves trip
me up.

The
bus that was picking us up was arriving at the Penn Street and 72nd bus station
at approximately seven a.m. No one ever used this station except paranormals.
Thanks to some crafty witches, the place was enchanted so mere mortals couldn’t
see it. They passed on by, mistaking it for an abandoned warehouse.

I
got there just as the bus was pulling in. After paying the cab fare, I got on
the bus and took a seat. My roommates would have taken me, but I didn’t want to
be a bother. Plus, it would make the separation that much harder.

The
bus’s interior was pretty nice, and it definitely wasn’t crowded. Only a
scrawny guy mumbling to himself sat in the back, and a group of girls who
apparently knew each other sat up front. One whiff of their paranormal
signatures revealed the man to be a were and the girls to be witches. I
wondered what they’d done to earn a trip to Elysian.

Not
exactly a vacation spot, Elysian was where all naughty or struggling
paranormals got sent so they could get their magical asses whipped into shape.
It was literally in the middle of nowhere, way out in the countryside and
hidden from the mortal world by more enchantments and shields.

I
don’t know what it was about sitting down for a car ride, but the moment my
butt hit the seat I got sleepy. Breaking out a yawn, I fluffed up my travel
pillow and checked out for the ride.

My
dreams were anything but pleasant. I was running through darkness thick as fog,
with a murky red light shining on me from an unknown source above. When I
called out, my voice echoed in the lonely silence.

There
it was, the sultry voice whispering my name, followed by footsteps drawing
closer and closer. The moment the figure, all sharp teeth and glowing red eyes,
grabbed me, I scared myself awake with a yelp.

The
witches snickered. My face heated when I heard them talking about me, and I
sank lower in my seat in an attempt to disappear.

It’s
just moving-away jitters, Sally. Or some dream symbolism mumbo jumbo. Nothing’s
trying to get you.

Not
to mention I couldn’t stop worrying about Damien and whether he would harm my
roommates. Shaken and unable to sleep, I pulled out a book and read for the
remainder of the trip.

I
had to admit, Elysian was a lot prettier than I thought it was going to be.
Part of its enchantments were that it didn’t appear in photographs, so I had no
clue what to expect. I pictured a rotting prison or a crumbling house similar
to Dracula’s castle, but what I found was more like Mr. Darcy’s mansion. Lush
greenery covered every inch of landscape and a bigass fountain spewed pure,
blue water out front.

I
stood there for a few moments when we got off the bus, taking in the sights.
The air smelled like roses, probably because they were literally everywhere. It
didn’t smell like the city. It smelled fresher. Someone finally got my
attention, and I followed the others inside. The floor was made of polished
marble, with expensive-looking rugs carpeting the walkways. Sculptures,
paintings as big as the massive walls, and antique rugs decorated the place.
Paranormal signatures tingled along my senses, thanks to the multitude of sups
clustered together in here. But my attention was too focused on the antiques
and paintings.

Classy
, I thought as
we were ushered to the registration office.

Once
I’d checked in, I was given a badge and a key for my room, along with a welcome
packet. I felt more like I was going away at a summer camp and not for
reformation.

A
lithe, uniformed man dressed in khakis and a red polo greeted us and led us to
the auditorium. All the staff wore those colors, distinguishing them from the
rest of us delinquents.

The
auditorium was more like being in the Paris Opera House, it was that grand.
Guilt was everywhere; on the railings, the walls, the bannisters. A gold,
velvet curtain was suspended above the stage far below, right above the
orchestra pit.

While
the room was incredible, it felt like high school all over again. Groups of
paranormals grouped together, chatting excitedly. Then there were the strays,
like me, the people who didn’t know anybody else. Feeling like making new
friends, I sat down beside a brunette witch who looked as nervous as I felt.
“Hey,” I said, smiling. “My name’s Sally Sanders. Succubus.”

The
girl smiled back, looking relieved. “Angela Black. Nephilim slash White Witch.”

White
was for life and light. It made sense a half-angel would have an affinity for
that house of magic.

“Nice
to meet you,” I said, shaking her hand. “So what’s someone like you doing in a
place like this? I mean, you’re holy.”

A
wicked glint flashed through her baby-blue eyes. “Only halfway.”

I
grinned. Now here’s someone I could get along with.

Just
then, a microphone hissed to life, and a voice welcomed us over the intercom
system. A handsome, older man with sandy-colored hair stood on stage, wearing
khakis, a navy jacket, and a crimson tie.

“Welcome
to Elysian,” he said grandly, “where we’ll mold you and shape you into the best
paranormal you can be.”

Oh,
so that explained the absence of melancholy and despair. This was one of those
inspirational
whip-your-ass-in-shape camps.

The
older man introduced himself as Dean Prescott, a reformed warlock who liked
helping others find their balance. Apparently, he was one of the first
graduates from Elysian. I didn’t even want to think about how old that made
him, considering Elysian was over five hundred years old.

He
went on about rules and regulations, the layout of the grounds, dorm rules,
blah, blah, blah. “Now, we want you to feel welcome and safe here, so there are
a few things you need to know. You’ll notice throughout the grounds there are
charm buckets. If you’re in immediate need of assistance, just grab a charm and
snap it in half. That will activate the tracking spell and alert the guards and
your mentor on where to find you. Speaking of mentors,” he grinned, “since we
want to bring out the absolute best in each of you and ensure a quicker
turnaround, you’ll each be assigned a mentor. Mentors, will you join me on the
stage, please.

I
was wrong in my original assumption that the people around me were entirely
here because their Masters had sent them. The crowd was made up of about half students
and half mentors, the latter of which filed out of the rows to join Dean
Prescott.

The
moment Hector stepped out on the floor - wearing black leather pants, of all
things - the female population went wild.

Angela
leaned in. “I envy the lucky girl who gets him for a mentor.”

Ditto
.

I
pouted, knowing with my luck, hell would have to freeze over before we’d ever
be paired up.

It
took Dean Prescott a full five minutes to get the crowd to die down, and that
was after the floor was littered with the bras and panties his fans had pitched
at him. The man was a fucking rock star, and you could tell by that sexy grin
on his face he reveled in the attention.

Dean
Prescott started assigning mentors, and the whole place held its breath when
they got to Hector.

I
swore Dean Prescott took a little bit longer to read the student’s name out. My
heart was beating super-fast. I don’t know why I was so nervous. It wasn’t like
Hector freakin’ Aurelius and I were actually going to-

“Sally
Sanders.”

Angela’s
jaw dropped. I’m pretty sure my heart stopped, or my brain checked out, because
all I said was, “Oh.”

Girls
looked around with angry glares. I had the feeling they’d stab me in the back
first chance they got.

Bitches
.

I
sank lower in my seat. Angela, still facing forward, discreetly leaned over.
“Nice.”

“Sssh!”
I hissed back.

But
I couldn’t stop smiling.

When
all the pairs were made and it came time to go down to meet up with our mentors
for our meet-and-greet, I nearly passed out.

I
didn’t think my legs would carry me down the stairs.
Oh my God, oh my God,
I’m actually going to spend some one-on-one time with Hector! Monique would be
seething with jealousy!

A
large smile came over Hector’s face as I approached. “Damsel. I don’t believe
it.”

“Damsel?”

“Yeah,
you know. Like in a fairy tale. Back at the diner, you looked like a princess
waiting to be rescued by a handsome knight.”

The
thought of him in armor only stoked the fire burning deep within. God, those
pants didn’t leave much to the imagination. I wondered just how big he was, if
I would stretch enough to hold him…

Snap
out of it! He’s here to tutor you, not shag you.

“You
can rescue me any day,” I said. I blinked. Where had that witty little gem come
from?

He
laughed. “So you do have some lines. Nice. But I wonder…” He got a devilish
look to him that nearly had me panting. “How’s your dirty talk?”

I
gulped, my throat dry. “It’s, um, all right.”

Those
deep brown eyes of his twinkled, like he was amused. “I’ll make a note for us
to start there and practice.” He reached into his back pocket and handed me a
card. I expected it to read “Sex God” or something to that effect, but to my
surprise it was a very simple business card with his basic info.

“Room
431, that’s where you’ll find me. Second floor, last door to your right when
you get off the elevator. I like to start right away, so why don’t we head to
my office, and I can give you your first assignment?”

I
suspected he had all sorts of things to teach me, and I was more than willing
to learn.

“Um,
sure. Of course. Yeah, sounds good.”

Smooth,
Sally.

He
smiled, looking almost wistful. “Excellent. Right this way.”

I
let him walk ahead of me, admiring the way the leather hugged his ass. Damn,
that man knew how to rock a pair of leather pants.

I
also became aware several sets of very hostile eyes were staring at me. Uh, oh.
Looks like I’d made a few new enemies by association of Hotness Incarnate.
Well, they could eat their hearts out, because this incubus was all mine.