Their Mating Illusion [Paranormal Protection Unit 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

Maya Griffon double-checked all of the rigging on the stage. Everything had to be absolutely perfect for her show. It all had to go off without a hitch. Smiling to herself, she shook her head. It was amazing how easily she was able to pull off the tricks, illusions that boggled the mind. What was even more amazing was the fact that from time to time she had critics who tried to “debunk” her magic, critics that she paid a healthy sum to for them to do just that. No, sometimes in the art of illusion hiding in plain sight was the best thing to do, in all ways.

When she was certain that the smoke, mirrors, and lines were in place, she smiled. Stepping back, she looked at her masterpiece and knew that on this cruise she was going to gain even more notoriety, which was only a small part of why she was here. The bigger part, however, well, that was a whole different kettle of fish. The real reason why Maya was there was a rescue mission for a man that Maya had called friend, a man that her family had called friend. Maya was there to save Felicity van Hemptyn, a woman that Maya had grown up playing dolls with, a woman who was her friend and was now a lost soul.

For a moment Maya paused to think about Felicity. The poor girl had always been someone who loved attention, from her family, friends, anyone who would give it to her. It wasn’t just the good attention that she craved either, but any type of it. Shaking her head, Maya pulled herself out of those thoughts, pulling the bill of her cap down over her forehead once again and then grabbing the old worn rucksack she carried everywhere with her.

Reaching in, she grabbed a handful of the gummy worms she always had on hand, and as she walked along munching on one, her mind and thoughts went to the call she had received two days earlier.

* * * *

Two days previously

“Maya, it’s Franco van Hemptyn,” came the voice on the other end of the line, a voice that Maya hadn’t heard since she had buried her parents three years earlier.

“Uncle Franco?” she asked in shock and moved into her dressing room at the MGM Grand. “Is everything all right?” The man had been “uncle” for as long as she could recall. He was fully human, but he knew very good and well just what she and her father had been able to do. He had kept their secrets, protected her father and her, as well, for as long as she could recall.

“Well, not really.” Franco was a man that would always cut to the chase, no matter what. “It’s Felicity.”

“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Maya asked as she focused on not letting nervous energy go awry and leach out of her. Tonight was Copperfield’s night, the hack, and she couldn’t ruin his fake sham of a show because of her emotions.

“She’s gotten in with some really bad men,” Franco murmured softly. “You know I try really hard to stay out of her life but this time I have to intervene. I hate to ask this of you, My, because I know what it does to you, but…” He cleared his throat and Maya knew what was coming before he asked.

“Just tell me where she will be. I will do whatever I need to in order to bring her home. Do you think that it’s…” She hesitated and then said, “Do you think that there is some trickery going on to make her be with this seedy side?” Magic in other words.

“Yeah, My, I really do,” Franco said with a sigh. “I wouldn’t have known what to look for if not for what happened with your momma.” Bea Griffon had been an amazing woman, but she had been only human married to a Warlock. A Warlock of the ruling family, to be more precise. She had been glamoured to do atrocious things, terrible things. Things that ultimately ended both her life and her bond-mate, her husband’s life.

Maya couldn’t think about that though. She had to shake that off. “Do you have someone that can help? I can do a lot of things but I’m just not strong enough yet to work over someone else’s magic. If they are lesser than I, more than likely I can unravel what’s been done, but it would take time.”

“Yes, actually I have your brother who’s willing to help,” Franco admitted.

“Shit,” Maya grumbled. Well that was just fucking hunky-goddamn-dory now, wasn’t it? A brother she hadn’t spoken to in two years. A brother who would rather forget that she existed simply because she was next in line after him for something she didn’t want. Great. Wonderful. Fan-motherfucking-goddamn-tastic!

“Just get her here. Michael will do the rest.”

“You have it. Send me the information that I need, Uncle Franco.” Maya would do anything for those she considered family, and Franco and Felicity were two of those that she considered to be just that.

* * * *

Now

Pulling on the chestnut wig over her flaming-red curls, Maya had to tuck the curls for several minutes. “Stupid hair.” She should just cut it. Really she should, but she found she couldn’t. Her hair reminded her of her grandmother, her father’s mother, the woman who had been Queen of the Mage for a very long time, a woman who was amazing in and of herself. Married to the King of them all, she had ruled at his side with wisdom and strength. “I miss you so much sometimes, Nanna,” she whispered softly after getting the wig just right.

Next came the brown contacts, used to hide the odd silver color of her eyes. After she had that part of her costume put together she added on the padded costume that she wore that gave her far larger breasts than she truly had, ones that were far less generous than DD. It flared her hips even more and made her look bigger than she truly was. Zipping on the platform boots next she then started with her makeup.

Finally finished with the disguise that she wore, she was completely transformed from Maya Griffon to Bella Donna, the Illusionist. No longer was she the five-foot-even redhead with silver eyes, but she was now a towering five-foot-nine-inch brunette with deep-chocolate eyes, huge tits and ass…all the better to make the idiot men in the audience to look the other way during the illusions. Ah yes, sometimes sex was exactly what was needed to make a mark look the other way.

Adjusting the sequined dress once again so that her hoochie was covered, she stalked out of the dressing room and onto the side stage, looking out into the sea of faces with a grin and landing on her friend, Felicity. That’s when she saw it. The look of the woman was off. It was as if she were shimmering from the spell that had been cast on her. Sighing, she shook her head and knew that she was doing just the right thing.

When the MC announced her name, Maya pasted a smile on her lips and stalked onto the stage, the place where she felt completely at home, and started her “show.”

“Target acquired.”

“Confirmed, target is moving up the hall toward the room. Too many non-combatants here. We need a distraction for a couple seconds.”

That was his cue. “In three, two, one,” he whispered and cast a faint spell. It would dissipate quickly but it would give the large Dragons the time they needed. Keeping an eye on everyone, since spells didn’t always go as they should around him or the bloody fire snotters, he was relieved to see them tranq the man and carry on as if he were drunk.

No ill effects anywhere to be seen, a huge relief for him at least. “Target secured,” he reported to those listening both back at HQ and out on the little craft that was their shadow. They’d decided to drop their man overboard for the craft to pick up. There was no safe enough locale for him to open a Vortex, unless he wanted countless lives lost on his conscience.

Grabbing up his bag, Quincy put his cap on and wandered up the hall, just another of the mindless vacationers wandering about. Holding up his cell like he was on a call, he said, “Moving to drop zone with package.”

“Ten minutes,” grunted one of the oafs ahead of him. “Make that eleven. Motherfucker went and got himself caught on something.”

Yeah, ’cause the drugged-out drug smuggler was at fault for where the molten-lava-for-brains buffoons dragged him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Skittles prayed for some patience. He had no idea what he’d done to deserve such punishment, but seriously? “You do realize,” he murmured, “the quicker you get him to the DZ the sooner you can go and watch the chick in the flashy dress strut around pretending to do tricks on stage while flashing you her breasts, right?”

“He’s got a point.” Skittles wasn’t sure which of the twins said that but it was amazing just how much incentive that gave them. Of course the fact they were now not exactly inconspicuous with DeMarco draped over his shoulder as he pushed through the humans was a minor detail.

“I swear, I’m going to have a damn aneurysm,” he muttered off comms as he followed at a more sedate pace.

* * * *

Bella Donna looked across the sea of faces and smiled again. Lifting her hands, she brought out a small ring of flowers, letting them dance around the stage. She laughed. She loved this part of the show. It was so easy and it tied her so much closer to nature, which only made her stronger. As the flowers danced they began to bud, blooming from simple Gerber daisies to perfect white roses.

She let the flowers continue their dance and said, “For the next part I need a volunteer.” She looked over the floor and groaned internally at all of the men whose hands shot up without even a second thought. Mentally she cast her gaze and landed on Felicity.

“You there.” She pointed her finger, the floodlight following until Felicity was illuminated. “Come on up here. You are just what I need,” she said with a smile. Thankfully, thank you, Gaia, Felicity had never seen Maya’s show, never knew her alter identity, so when her “friends” all but pushed her toward the stage, there was no hint of recognition in her blank gaze.

Maya felt it then. She felt a pulse of power. No, there were no other Warlocks or Mage on the ship. She knew. She had spent every moment since she boarded meeting people and knew that there wasn’t another of her kind there, but there was! Son of a bitch! Well this was going to get very, very tricky.
Damn
.

Taking a deep breath, she realized that once she ported Felicity out, the sheer volume of power that she would use would all but tap the other Magic User on the shoulder and punch them, but it had to be done. Thus far, Maya had barely used any juice at all in the show, ensuring that she didn’t alert anyone who might have a nose for true magic as to what she was doing.

As she internalized, she spoke to Felicity and the crowd. “What’s your name, beautiful?” she teased the woman, her voice even on a modulated level during her shows so that no one could connect Bella Donna and Maya Griffon together.

“Felicity,” the young brunette said with that same glazed look on her face.

“Felicity. Ah, beautiful name.” Maya’s voice tinkled like music in the room as she sat her on a stool. “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” she stated and grabbed the hoop that was covered with a curtain. “For my final act, I’m going to make young Felicity here disappear.”

“And will I reappear?” Felicity asked from the stool.

“Absolutely. How about in your quarters?” she answered with a smile. “So close your eyes and think of your cabin,” she told the woman even though she had no intention of sending her there. No, Maya was planning on sending her to the clean room at her father’s home.

“All right, I have it,” Felicity stammered nervously, her hands twitching in her lap.

“And one.” Maya raised the hoop so that the curtain covered Felicity completely. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the small travel slipstream, much smaller than a Vortex and made only for one person, and poured power into it, praying as she did that whoever the Magic User was didn’t detect her. Yeah, like someone wouldn’t detect the Statue of fucking Liberty landing on their heads. “And two,” she called out, smiling all the same. “Three!” she yelled and jerked the curtain away, white doves flying from the seat where Felicity had been settled.

“That’s all folks! See you all tomorrow.” She smiled and added, “Maybe you will be next to be sent to your room,” she teased huskily at the roar of applause and ducked behind the curtains quickly. Grabbing the ever-present gummy worms that her stage hand offered her, she began to shove three into her mouth, needing the sugar buzz that would keep her going long enough to arrange for the van Hemptyn helicopter to come get her. Then, and only then, could she crash.

* * * *

Stumbling, Quincy slammed a hand to the wall to keep himself upright. “What the fuck!” His head was spinning, his gut churning, and his antenna quivering hard. There was a Magic User on board, someone with a lot of oomph.

Pressing his back to the wall, he put his hands on his knees and let his head drop as he breathed slow and deep. He hadn’t been expecting that at all. There shouldn’t have been another on the ship. Activating his comms, he kept sucking air. “Boss, we have a problem.” He breathed in and out, working through the headache, his gut clenching. “There’s a Mage or Warlock on board. Someone just pulled something huge and well, I feel like I’ve been sideswiped by a Mack truck.”

“Who is it?” Bulldog’s voice came back calm but tight. He did not like surprises on missions, especially ones that were all but finished.

“Not a fucking clue,” Skittles said, rubbing at his temples.

“We might have a clue for you, oh great one.” Oh goodie, the snarky twins were still on comms. “The illusionist just pulled a disappearing act on a guest. About the right timing I’d say.”

“Detain her,” Bulldog ordered, sounding much more relaxed again. “If it’s not her we’ll figure it out, but if it is, we need to know just what the hell she did and why.”

“She sent a guest off to her room,” the other twin put in, or at least Skittles thought it was the other one. They seriously had to start saying their names before doing anything on comms. Mac and Sully were easy to tell apart on comms, but these two rocks-for-brains not so much. “Funny thing though, the guest was DeMarco’s girlfriend, Felicity.”

“Grab her and use whatever means necessary.” Grim-sounding Bulldog again. “We’ll pick you up in a half hour. We’re just finished off-loading our drug dealer so we’ll be able to get back in range by then. Back deck, thirty minutes, you’ll be going off the side into the water so make sure your flippers are in place, boys.”