As You Wish Read online

  I’d come to Vegas frequently with my college buddies. We were loaded, arrogant, and ready to party. The city seemed chaotic to me then, too, but in a much different way. It fueled me then instead of draining me like now.

  Maybe I’d granted too many wishes. Maybe I’d grown up while being frozen at twenty-two, thanks to my gig as a genie. Whatever the reason, this city wasn’t as awesome as it used to be. Not to me.

  With a sigh, I made a right outside the entrance to the casino and started walking. I wouldn’t go far. Hell, I couldn’t. I wasn’t allowed to roam freely. I was always within a certain distance of my Charge when free of my lamp. Besides, the instant he thought about me, I’d feel that awful tugging sensation again and blink to be standing in front of him once more.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets as I strolled down the sidewalk, walking past drunken fools I envied and hookers who talked their game, trying to get me to stop and strike a deal. It was the suit. It called to them like a moth to a flame. Money, that’s what it represented to them. They probably didn’t even see my handsome face. My gaze drifted to the night sky as I ignored the next cluster of hookers. No stars. That was one of the many things I hated about this city. The lights were so bright you couldn’t see the damn stars. Not a single one. However, the moon was still visible, and tonight it was full. My feet faltered as I continued to stare. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d noticed a full moon.

  Were they always so luminous? Did they always look so low?

  I couldn’t pull my eyes away from it. There was something hypnotic about it, something that called to me. A beam of light streaming from it caught my attention. My brows pinched together as I continued to stare. Someone bumped into me from behind, jostling me just enough to pull my gaze from the moon. A girl had darted from the place behind me to the curb. She hunched over and puked the entire contents of her stomach onto the street. I shook my head and continued further down the sidewalk. Some people just couldn’t hold their alcohol.

  When I knew I was about to hit my limit on how far I could go from Hardy, I leaned against the nearest building and closed my eyes, soaking in the sounds of the city and the feeling of space.

  The undeniable sensation someone was staring at me rippled across my skin. I opened my eyes to find the source. It was a brunette woman standing a few feet away. There were two others with her. They all showed so much skin they might as well be in their bathing suits and some heels. While I didn’t mind the sight, especially of the brunette, unfortunately lust was not the Sin Demon who ruled over me.

  Although, my life would be a hell of a lot more fun if that were the case…

  The brunette licked her lips and then took another drag from her cigarette. I allowed my eyes to trail over the length of her, soaking in every piece of skin visible because I knew that’s what she wanted. Hookers craved attention. Their bodies were how they made money, after all. Why not put it on display for all to see? At least you were seeing what you were buying.

  “Why don’t you come on over here and take a closer look?” She called out to me. Her voice was sweet, like honey. Areas of me that had been long since neglected by the feel of a woman sprang to life. “Come on, sugar.” She crooked her finger at me. “I can grant your every wish.”

  “Doubtful.” I laughed, before turning to head back to the casino and see if my Charge was ready to make his second wish yet.

  “Asshole!” She shouted after me.

  Her enthusiasm behind the word only made me smile wider. I’d been called worse by women before. There were many hearts I’d broken in my human days. Hell, even my mother had called me worse names than that when she was three glasses into her latest bottle of red and high as a kite off Xanax.

  Even though it was sad to think of it this way, I often thought of those days—even the ones with my mom—as the good old days. My gaze drifted back to the moon while I walked. A bright light strayed from it, grabbing hold of my attention and causing my feet to falter. Something looked as though it floated in the light beam. Whatever it was, it was small. A scrap of paper, maybe? It drifted through the air, falling toward me. I held out my hand, and the silvery slip landed in my palm. Words were written across it.

  The Monster Ball

  My lips quirked into a smile. Monster Ball? What the hell was a monster ball? There was more writing on the back when I flipped the piece of paper over.

  Just as the moon has brought me to you, so shall the moon bring you to the ball.

  All Hallows Eve. The witching hour.

  Well, this was interesting. A Halloween party for monsters? Wait. Was it even close to Halloween? I’d never been able to keep up with the calendar year while inside my lamp. What was the point anyway? It wasn’t like I could take holidays off.

  I glanced around, searching for signs of Halloween. They were everywhere—on advertisements and in the windows of stores. My eyes fell to the piece of paper again, and I read it for a second time. “Monster Ball by moonlight, I wish…” I scoffed before cramming the paper into my pocket and heading inside to find Hardy.

  Chapter Three

  Hardy was at a blackjack table when I found him again. His face was redder than before, but I didn’t think it was because of the heat or his size, I thought it was from the alcohol swimming in his veins. There was a nearly empty glass beside him. I was positive the amber liquid inside was scotch. The same redhead from the picture I had of him was at his side. Was she someone he knew personally, or was she part of the game this place had running to keep guys like him spending their money?

  When I stepped closer to him, I heard him let out an annoyed huff under his breath. He was pissed. Was it because he was losing?

  “What’s the matter? Not having any luck?” I asked as I slid into the open chair beside him. His pissed-off expression melted at the sight of me. I arched a brow. Was he about to make his second wish? One that involved gaining some luck, perhaps? I’d stepped inside at the right time, if so. “We could change that.”

  Hardy exhaled a slow breath and then flashed me a crooked smile. I could feel his wish coming. It was on the tip of his tongue. “I wish I could win every game I played.”

  I tried not to wince. That was a horrible wish. One that would get you in trouble in a place like this. They’d think he was scamming them somehow.

  There was nothing I could do now that he’d said the words, though. I had to grant him his wish.

  “As you wish,” I said. Hardy grinned as he stopped one of the cocktail servers walking by. “Darlin’, let me get a round of drinks for everyone at the table.”

  She didn’t question him. Instead, she looked to see what everyone was drinking.

  “And, don’t forget my friend here,” Hardy said while slapping me on the back. “He deserves a drink too.”

  I shook my head. “It’s okay. I don’t drink.”

  It wasn’t that I didn’t drink; it was that there was no point. While I was on an assignment, I couldn’t get drunk even if I tried—and believe me, in the beginning, I’d tried often—so what was the point?

  “You don’t drink?” Hardy flashed me a look that told me he called bullshit. “Nonsense, boy.” He shifted his gaze to the server. “Give him the same as me, scotch on the rocks. Top shelf.”

  “Thanks,” I said to Hardy as the server walked away with everyone’s order. What else could I say? After all, he had the money to blow.

  “You’re welcome. Even if you don’t want to think of it as a thank you for what you’ve done for me tonight,” he whispered, leaning in to me. “Think of it as a way to kick off Halloween right.”

  His last words jarred me. Wait. Tonight was Halloween? I’d assumed it was close but had no idea it was tonight.

  Hardy had the dealer toss him some new cards. I watched as he won the next round of blackjack. He glanced at me and winked. The drinks came then. I accepted mine and took a sip. It tasted good, but I knew there wouldn’t be any effect to go along with it. Hardy lifted his glass and said s
omething about him feeling like the luckiest man alive. I crammed my hand in my pocket, my fingers brushing against the slip of paper I’d tucked away earlier. My mind filled with the words written on it.

  “What time is it?” I asked Hardy, feeling like a fool because this monster ball thing couldn’t possibly be real. Could it?

  “Almost midnight,” Hardy said. “Now drink up.”

  His words looped through my mind, causing a sudden urge to step outside and glance up at the moon to rush through me. I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t disperse. Instead, the urge became harder to ignore. I set my glass on the table beside Hardy.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said before making my way to the exit.

  Foolish didn’t even describe how I felt about myself, but I needed to know. Slips of paper didn’t fall from the moon into my hand every damn day. Especially not ones that were an invitation to a ball for monsters. And, after everything I’d learned about the supernatural world over the last few years, it would probably be in my best interest not to dismiss this as nothing. Instead, I should think of it as an opportunity. If it was real, then I might have a little fun tonight myself.

  I headed outside, making my way to the alley between the casino and the place beside it. There, I had a perfect view of the moon. While I had no clue how much longer it was until midnight, I didn’t care. There was energy buzzing through the air that let me know something was about to happen.

  I could feel it.

  The moon brightened, drawing my attention to it. Another glowing beam of light flickered and flashed until it was too bright to look at. My eyes squinted shut on instinct, and when I opened them, I was no longer in the alley beside the casino. Instead, I was some place new. It was still an alley, but it wasn’t familiar. I had no idea where the hell I’d landed.

  “This is interesting.” The words slipped from my mouth in a hushed whisper.

  I adjusted my suit jacket and started toward the end of the alley. It was pitch black, but that didn’t stop me. There was something there. Something enticing me to head that way.

  And why not? I doubted there would be anything more evil waiting in the shadows than the Sin Demon I was currently bound to.

  A red door was the first thing to come into view. It was followed by the brick building it was attached to. While there was nothing spectacular about the building or the door, there was one thing that captured my attention—the gigantic gargoyles perched along either side of the tall red door.

  Was it me, or were their eyes following me?

  When I was a few feet away, the gargoyles morphed into something more real and less statue-like. I paused and stared, waiting to see what they would do. They flew down on massive black marble wings to flank either side of the door as though they were bouncers to the place. They both looked buff enough for the job, that was for sure. When they looked my way, one of them motioned for me to step forward. I did, noticing the two were the mirror image of each other. Twin gargoyles. That wasn’t something I saw every day. It was also pretty badass.

  “Ticket, please,” the one on the right said. He had an accent, one I placed as New York or somewhere around it.

  I reached into my pocket for the slip of paper that came to me by moonlight. Which was the same way I’d traveled here, I guess? Who the hell hosted this thing? A witch? “Ticket. Right. I have one.” I handed him the scrap of paper, hoping it was what he was asking for. “Here you go.”

  The instant he took it, the giant red door swung open, and his twin motioned for me to step inside. I ran a hand through my dark hair and then took a step forward into the unknown. At one point in my life, I might have been scared shitless to step through the door, but not tonight. Not now. Defying Dickhead and having a little fun—a taste of freedom for the night—was too much of a draw for me to care what waited beyond the door.

  As soon as I stepped through, the door slammed shut behind me. A long decrepit hallway was before me. Dim lights flickered above my head, but they didn’t give off enough light for me to see much of anything.

  And then they went off, and I was plunged into darkness.

  I frowned. “Well, this is fun.”

  What was I supposed to do now, continue forward in the dark?

  I placed one foot in front of the other, deciding that was exactly what I’d do. There was no way in hell I wouldn’t see this thing through. There had to be something I was missing. After all, the ticket had said it was The Monster Ball.

  After three or four steps forward, there was a change in the air. I kept walking. When thumping music found its way to my ears, a smirk spread across my face.

  “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” I muttered.

  A rainbow of lights became visible in the distance, and I took a step forward, feeling the pulsing music pull me. When I came to the entrance of a large rectangular room lit by fiber optic lights resembling a giant cloud, my smile widened. This was going to be one hell of a party. The lights in the cloud changed color to the tempo of the beat. Fog hovered in a thin layer over the concrete floor as I moved further inside the room.

  Whatever kind of magic lighting this place up was badass.

  A dance floor filled up most of the room, and from what I could tell, all types of supernaturals had been invited to this party. There were people dancing, there was a bar nearby, and since this place was magical, I had no doubt that alcohol would be something I could actually feel the effects of.

  To my right, I spotted a bar. It was crowded, but there was an open stool at the end as a couple dressed in black leather left for the dance floor.

  I headed that way.

  The bar looked industrial in style from a distance, but when I was closer, I could see that the top was made of cement marbled with glowing crystals. Each pulsed in sync with the music like the large cloud overhead. Even the blue shelves behind the bartenders flashed with the beat.

  This place was insane.

  I leaned against the counter and eyed the selection before sitting. Not all of the bottles were filled with alcohol. Some were filled with blood. I’m not sure why this surprised me as much as it did. This was The Monster Ball, after all, and vampires could be lumped in that category easily. A beautiful woman with golden blond hair that swept down her back and green eyes shifted on the stool beside me to wave at the male bartender before she slipped off her stool, nearly bumping me. I tried not to stare at her breasts, but her dress left nothing to the imagination with its plunging neckline. She was incredibly tall—six feet at least—but I’d never let a woman’s height scare me away before. I flashed her a smile, but she didn’t notice. She was focused on making her way through the crowd.

  My gaze drifted. Three beautiful women near the bar caught my eye next. They were each dressed to kill in skimpy outfits and heels. The one in a deep purple dress eyed me and licked her lips. She was cute, but there was something a little too wild glittering in her eyes. She was the type of woman who would chew me up and then spit me out. Still, I held eye contact with her as she and her friends started up a set of rainbow stairs. My gaze followed the stairs to a loft suspended above the gigantic room I was in. Green panties flew over the balcony, catching my eye. A grin twisted at my lips.

  This place was amazing.

  “What can I get you to drink?” a female voice asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the bartender standing in front of me. She had long pink hair, stunning brown eyes, and freckles. I’d always been a sucker for freckles. I flashed her the smile that used to get me laid more than any other back in my non-genie days, but it didn’t have quite the effect I’d hoped for on her. She narrowed her eyes instead of returning my smile. Energy that felt earthy and mysterious pulsed in the air surrounding her. Was she a witch? “Look, playboy, I’m here to work, not be mind-fucked.”

  Ouch. Beautiful, and she had a mouth.

  “Noted.” I leaned against the bar and shifted my gaze back to the wall of bottles behind her. “Let me get a…”

&n
bsp; “Since you seem indecisive, how about I make you my specialty?” Freckles asked.

  I locked eyes with her again. “And, what would that be?”

  “It’s called Witchy Woman.”

  Of course it was. I’d been right about this one. She was a witch. A sense of satisfaction worked its way through my system—I was better at telling what type of supernatural someone was than I’d thought. “All right, um.” I glanced at her chest, searching for a nametag and not finding one.

  “Eyes up here, buddy.” She teased. “And, my name is Onyx.”

  “Ryan.” I flashed her another smile, and this time, she returned it.

  “So, how about that drink? Care to try a Witchy Woman?” She arched a brow.

  “What’s in it?” I asked. If it was something fruity, I might have to say no.

  “Do you really care?” She asked, calling me out. She was definitely the type who could see right through to someone’s soul.

  “Not really, no,” I chuckled. It was the truth. As long as I could feel something—even a tiny something—by the bottom of the glass, I was cool. “Let’s have it.”

  Onyx grabbed a cup and went to work. I planned on watching which bottles she grabbed for so I’d know how much of a buzz the drink would give me, but she didn’t reach for anything. Not with her hands, at least. She used magic. And not every bottle she poured into my drink came from a shelf. One came from the male bartender standing at the opposite end of the bar. He had long brown dreads and wore a charcoal-colored tank. At first, he looked annoyed by her magical move, but when she flashed him her beautiful smile, he simmered down real quick.

  “And, here you go.” She held the drink out to me. “A Witchy Woman on the rocks.”