“What about that vampire you live with?” the troll asked. He angled his head toward my stomach. “That his?”

  “Oh, no. This baby isn’t the vampire’s. The father is an angel.”

  The troll pulled a face. “So you live with a vampire, but the father of your child is an angel? Lady, I gotta hand it to you. You’ve made some interesting life choices.”

  I fidgeted, not only because I was nervous, but because my bladder was about to explode. “Would you mind ever so much pointing me in the direction of Katerina Groome because I really need the restroom.” In an effort to retain my dignity, I stopped just short of doing a jig.

  “Yeah, sure. If you take this door behind me and go all the way to the end of the hall, you’ll come to a blue door. There’ll be a sign on it that tells you to keep out. Ignore that. You just keep going and you’ll find the bathroom as well as Katerina.”

  I gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mr. Troll. I really appreciate your help.”

  He smiled, revealing a set of perfectly square albeit yellow teeth. “The name’s Newton,” he said. “And if things don’t work out with the vampire or the angel, you feel free to give me a shout, okay? I like a woman with extra meat on her bones.”

  “It isn’t extra meat, Newton. It’s a baby.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.”

  I hurried past him before he decided on a taste test. Sure enough, I reached the sign instructed me to keep out. I pushed open the door and was immediately plunged into darkness. My feet found the step and I made my way carefully downstairs to a dimly lit room where another troll stood guard.

  “I’m looking for Katerina,” I said. “Newton said I could find her here.”

  The troll looked me up and down. “Are you on something?”

  “On what?”

  “You’re very jittery,” he said.

  “I need the bathroom.”

  “Okay, I’ll hurry up. How much?”

  My brow creased. “How much what?”

  “Money,” he said, giving me a funny look. “Aren’t you here to gamble?”

  “No, I already told you. I’m looking for Katerina.”

  The troll shrugged. “I thought that was your code word.”

  I rifled through my purse. “I don’t have much on me. I don’t tend to carry cash. How about five?”

  He gave me an appraising look. “Five thousand?”

  I slapped a note on the table in front of him. “Five dollars.”

  He snorted. “You really are here for Katerina, aren’t you?” He tilted his head backward. “You’ll find her at the table in the corner. That’s her preferred spot.”

  “Thank you.” I tucked the money back into my purse and rushed into the gambling den. The room was much livelier than I expected. As I searched for the bathroom, I nearly tripped over a couple of elves playing dice on the floor.

  “Hey, watch it,” one of them snarled.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “It’s hard to see over my stomach.”

  The other elf regarded me with disdain. “What are you even doing down here? This is no place for a pregnant lady.”

  “That’s for me to decide,” I said.

  The elf tossed the dice in the air. “There’s smoking, drinking, gambling, and brawling. Which one of those activities do you think best suits you as a pregnant woman?”

  I coughed in response, a puff of smoke wafting over to me. I realized it was coming from the table in the corner of the room. Katerina’s table. Thankfully, I spotted the sign for the restroom between here and there. I made a beeline for the nearest toilet and emptied my bladder.

  As I emerged from the bathroom, I immediately set eyes on Katerina. She was difficult to miss. Even in a group of eight, she was a standout. Cropped hair in variegated colors of a glorious sunset. Porcelain skin that looked as though it had never been touched by UV rays. Her eyes were her most striking feature, though. Wide-set and almond-shaped, they reminded me of an anime character.

  Katerina must have sensed me watching her because she glanced up from her hand of cards and met my gaze. Here was my chance.

  “Ms. Groome?” I asked, approaching the table.

  I had her full attention now. “Who’s asking?”

  “My name’s Emma Hart.”

  “I hate to break the news to you,” said the goblin next to her, “but she’s not the father.”

  I plastered on a smile. “I’m well aware of that, thank you.” I shifted my focus back to the vampire.

  “Let me finish my hand,” Katerina said. “It’s bad luck to stop in the middle.” Her lips curved seductively. “Of anything, really.”

  “No problem,” I said.

  “Katerina wins again,” someone declared and the group groaned in unison.

  The vampire rose from the table with sleek movements and crooked a finger for me to follow. I shuffled my way across the room, maneuvering past another card game and a roulette wheel. The Shamrock Casino would be less than thrilled to know that there was an underground gambling ring cutting into their profits. I got the impression it would only be here during the World Market, though. A pop-up casino.

  We arrived in the room with the second troll and I was relieved not to be alone with him.

  “So, my mysterious visitor,” Katerina said, her voice silky. She extended a hand. “Katerina Groome. Lovely to meet you.”

  Her hand was as smooth and soft as her voice. “Same. I’m looking into the murder of Claire Cronk and I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”

  Katerina's expression remained inscrutable. “Such a tragedy. Her poor husband. I can’t imagine what he must be going through.”

  My gaze flicked to the guard. “Is there somewhere we can talk more privately?”

  The troll took the hint. “I’m more than happy to go play a hand. I’m feeling optimistic tonight.” He hitched up his trousers. “Wearing my lucky underpants.”

  “The hearts or the cherries?” Katerina asked.

  “If you’re lucky, I’ll show you later.” The troll practically drooled as he left the room.

  “I only know because he dries them on his balcony and my room is next door.” Katerina wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t touch him if he were the last vein on earth.”

  “I wasn’t judging,” I said.

  “What do you want to know, sweetheart?”

  “I’ve been asking around about Claire and your name came up, but the details are sketchy. Care to tell me why?”

  Katerina studied me. “Are you some kind of undercover cop?”

  “No, I’m a lawyer.”

  Concern flashed in her eyes. “You shouldn’t be down here.”

  “I’m interested in Claire Cronk’s murder. Nothing more.”

  Katerina perched on the edge of the table. “I imagine my name came up because Claire and I know each other. She was an avid gambler.”

  “Claire?”

  “That’s right. If there was money involved, she was more than happy to play. Seems she owed money to the World Market organizers and she decided to try to pay it off by winning.”

  “How’d that work out for her?”

  “Not so great. She had a habit of sitting at my table.” Katerina’s fangs slid down. “And I always win.”

  “So she owed you money?”

  “Oh, yeah. She wasn’t happy about it either.”

  “Did her husband ever accompany her?” I asked.

  Katarina shook her head. “No, I got the sense that she was hiding it from him. That she was trying to deal with their financial issues on her own.”

  “Did she ever tell you that?”

  Katerina examined a blue fingernail. “She didn’t have to. I’m a vampire. I’m pretty good at reading paranormals. It’s why I win so often down here.”

  “Did you see Claire the morning of her death?”

  “Morning?” Katerina scoffed. “Do I look like I do mornings? I don’t roll out of bed until sunset.”

  That explained why I had a hard time tracking her down.

  Katerina slid back to her feet. “I know what you’re asking and I’ll save you the trouble. I didn’t kill Claire. Why would I? She owed me money. Now that she’d dead, I’ll never see a single coin.”

  “You could get it from her husband.”

  “Ha! Fat chance. This is an illegal gambling den, sweetheart. I can’t exactly file a lawsuit. Besides, why would I use a poison potion to kill her? I’m a vampire. I’d bleed her dry.”

  “That’s exactly why. To throw the sheriff off the trail.”

  “I saw your sheriff nosing around the market the other day. I don’t think it would take much.”

  I bristled. “Astrid is a fantastic sheriff. Ask anybody in Spellbound.”

  “You know who I won’t ask? Claire Cronk.”

  “Astrid’s not a psychic,” I said. “She can’t prevent crimes before they happen.”

  “Every paranormal town worth its salt has a psychic on payroll,” Katerina said.

  It was an interesting idea. “But they can’t possibly foresee every crime. They’d have to know where to focus their energy and that’s impossible.”

  “True, prevention can be tough, but apprehending the guilty party is so much quicker and more effective.” She smiled, showing her fangs again. “They don’t have innocent paranormals like you stumbling into dangerous places and asking the wrong questions. Maybe witnessing something she shouldn’t.”

  I caught her meaning. “You don’t have to threaten me. I’m not going to tell anyone about the gambling ring. Like I said, I’m only interested in Claire’s murder.”

  Katerina ran her tongue over her upper lip. “I think all of us are interested in that. We do these markets together all the time. If there’s a murderer among us, then we want them rooted out, same as you.”

  “You don’t think Louisa did it then?”

  Katerina barked a short laugh. “Louisa? Did they seriously arrest her? I thought that was a joke.”

  “It’s not a joke. She’s the reason I’m here. I’m trying to get evidence to free her.”

  “Well, she’s not completely innocent of wrongdoing, but she’s certainly no killer.”

  I hesitated. “You know about her?”

  “Like I said, I’ve known a lot of psychics,” Katerina replied smoothly. “Louisa isn’t one of them. I figured it out pretty quickly when she tried to read my fortune in one of her potions. It was when she first started and I guess she hadn’t perfected her technique. She told me I would suffer a health crisis soon.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  She lifted a thinly sculpted eyebrow. “I’m a vampire. What kind of health crisis can I possibly suffer?”

  I groped for an example. “A…broken fang?”

  “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The point is I called her out on it and I even offered her some tips. Flourishes to add to her performance.”

  “Why have a fake fortune teller when there are plenty of authentic ones? Isn’t that bad for the market?”

  Katerina paced in front of the table with the grace of a cat. “I don’t run the market, only my stall. And Bubbling Blood is doing great, so I can’t complain. Though I know Magnificent Myrtle has filed a couple of complaints with the organizers.”

  “You mean Daniel?”

  Katerina perked up. “Is that the hot angel?”

  “No, that’s my husband.”

  “Maybe you should go inside and play a game or two, you lucky thing,” she purred. “I’m not talking about the local organizer, though. I’m talking about the umbrella company. They pitch the market to tourist boards, that kind of thing.”

  “And Myrtle complained to them about Louisa?”

  “Twice that I know of. Myrtle knew that Louisa was a fake, but Louisa was still pulling in more business and Myrtle was steamed. I told her to head over to the cosmetics section and that might give her a boost, but she was more interested in blaming Louisa than improving herself. I couldn’t even persuade her to ditch that hideous headscarf.”

  “You think she doesn’t garner as much business because she’s not as pretty as Louisa?” Since when was beauty a requirement to be a fortune teller?

  “Please. Being attractive always helps.” She gave me a lingering look. “You should know. Do you really think you would have caught the eye of a hot angel if you weren’t?” She ran a hand down the length of my arm. “Do yourself a favor, sweetheart, and lose those extra pounds as soon as possible. You don’t want your man to rethink his choices.”

  “Daniel’s not like that,” I said.

  She laughed. “Oh, honey. All men are like that. When you live as long as I have, it’s one lesson you learn over and over again until you finally just accept it.”

  “You may be lucky at cards, but you clearly haven’t been lucky in love,” I said. “Maybe use that immortal life of yours to find someone special instead of treating men like chew toys.”

  Katerina’s eyes blazed with anger. “I’m going to let that comment go because of your delicate condition, but don’t show your face down here again or I might not be so generous next time.”

  “Is that why you killed Claire? You threatened her to pay and she didn’t?”

  Katerina’s fangs flashed again. “I already told you. Murdering Claire would serve no purpose. Whoever killed her didn’t do me any favors. If anything, it pissed me off.” Her expression darkened. “Kind of like you are right now.”

  That was my cue to leave. “Don’t worry. I’m going home now. Gamble to your heart’s content. Your secret is safe with me.” I spun on my heel and headed back the way I came before Katerina got any ideas. Her secret might have been safe with me, but, as my heartbeat thundered in my ears, I was reminded that I definitely wasn’t safe with her.

  Chapter Twelve

  That night, I crawled into bed beside Daniel, feeling unsettled thanks to my evening with Katerina.

  “Hey, there you are,” he murmured, half asleep. “I was going to send Sedgwick out looking for you.”

  “I was with friends,” I said, which was partially true.

  He snaked an arm across my stomach. “Glad you’re home.”

  “Daniel, do you think I’m attractive?”

  His eyes fluttered open to look at me. “Of course. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Why else do you think I married you?”

  I promptly burst into tears.

  He bolted upright. “What’d I say?” I heard the note of panic in his voice.

  “That you only love me for how I look.”

  He dragged a hand through his blond hair. “No, no. That’s not what I meant.”

  “What if I never go back to the way I looked before the pregnancy?” I asked. “If you only fell in love with me because of my appearance, will you stop loving me if I end up looking different?” Daniel was an immortal angel. He didn’t have to worry about the effects of aging or stretch marks from pregnancy.

  Daniel pressed his hands to my cheeks. “Emma, it’s your beauty on the inside that shines through. Always. That’s what makes you the most beautiful woman in the world. Not because your boobs are pert and perfect or your hair is so dark and glossy or your lips…” He cleared his throat. “Okay, I’m getting carried away, but you hear what I’m saying, don’t you?”

  I glanced down at my expanded chest. “You really think my boobs are pert and perfect? Even now? They’re not like two sacks of sugar that were left out in the rain?”

  He laughed. “I happen to love sugar.”

  “Same. Where do you think these sixty pounds came from?”

  Daniel snuggled as close as he could. “I love you, Emma. Even if you end up body swapping with Octavia Minor, I would still love you because Emma Hart would reside in that frightening harpy body.”

  I observed him. “That’s very specific.”

  “I might have had a nightmare that involved a similar scenario. Anyway, the point is I woke up and realized that it wouldn’t matter to me. We’d pluck those pesky chin hairs and be the same happy couple as always.”

  I kissed him firmly on the lips. “You make everything better, you know that?”

  “How do you think I earned this?” He tapped his halo. “Now close your eyes and get some rest. We’ll be sleep deprived soon enough.”

  Whatever he said after that was lost on me because I was already sound asleep.

  I ambled into the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. Gareth hovered in front of the oven, wearing a black beret and talking to himself.

  “Nice hat,” I said.

  “Thank you. Granola today or are you ready for a smoothie?”

  “Granola is good.” I watched as he managed to move the bowl to the bag and pour the granola. His skills grew stronger every day. “How’s the poetry coming along?”

  “I’ve been composing nonstop. I decided to work in chronological order, from the time I became a vampire to the day of my untimely demise.”

  “That’s…a lot to work with.”

  “Aye. I’m wondering whether I should craft multiple submissions.”

  I waved my hands. “Whoa. I’m not reciting multiple poems up there. I’ll be lucky to get through one without a major meltdown.”

  He slapped a banana next to my bowl. “You need potassium.”

  “Fine.” I peeled the banana and used a spoon to slice the pieces into the bowl. “How are you wearing a beret anyway?”

  He touched the front. “A little trick Lyra Grey showed me. It took a lot of practice, but it’s been a huge help in channeling my emotions into the spoken word.”

  “Because your emotions are French?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Aren’t everyone’s?”

  Daniel wandered into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower. “I’m starving.”

  “He’s always hungry,” Gareth complained. “He’s like a hippo but with a better body and wings. It isn’t fair.”

  The sound of wind chimes signaled an arrival at the door.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” Daniel asked.

  “No.” I moved to get up, but Daniel stopped me.

  “I’ll get it.”

 

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