Yvette informed Morthisal that she would be unable to stay for much longer, as her flight was in a few hours. They walked together along Sunset Strip for another fifteen minutes, discussing little things. She seemed to be covering up her confusion over Morthisal's display of power. Outside of the single smile she'd granted him, she had remained silent.

  Around them, the busy city continued to unfold as they walked. Buses puttered by. Cars raced to the lights, slammed on brakes, and some laid on horns for who knew what reason. Everything from a Kia sedan with one spare tire on the back, faded blue paint, and cardboard for a window, followed the street, while a bright red sports car, polished to a sheen, sat next to it. Morthisal squinted and read the back. "Lamborghini."

  "That's the car you get when you have either ‘fuck you money’, or you don't care about living in a shack with a screen door as long as you drive that."

  "I see," Morthisal said.

  "You do not wish to discuss what you saw today?"

  "I do, but I'm cautious, Vince." Yvette lowered her voice and walked closer to him. "The demonstration goes against everything I know about the world. I'm fairly grounded, you know? I like it when things make sense and are logical. I like things to have an explanation. There is nothing that can explain your power. It's like something out of a science fiction movie. Are you a meta-human or something? Are you from another planet? How can this possibly make sense?"

  Morthisal choked and coughed when she asked about being from another planet.

  "You okay?"

  Morthisal nodded. "Something in the air, I'm sure. No, I am not a meta—what did you call it?"

  "Meta human. It's from comic books and comic book movies. You don't watch them?"

  "I confess I have not."

  "Some of them are good, some are crap. It can be a crap shoot. You should definitely watch them if you want to work in this town. You never know when a minor role in a billion-dollar movie franchise will put you in front of a lot of people. It's good for your cred."

  "Perhaps we could watch one together, and you can point out the intricacies of the roles."

  Yvette smiled. "We'll see what happens. How did this ability come to you after you fell?"

  Morthisal stopped in his tracks. "I am not certain. After the accident, it manifested itself. Once I was aware, developing the ability took some practice."

  "How did you practice? Tell me the truth."

  Morthisal scratched his chin as he collected his thoughts. "You wish to know how I used them around you. Do you remember the night at The Red Door?"

  "How can I forget that? It was a debacle." Yvette quickly shook her head with a little frown. "Not you and I. The date was wonderful. It was the photographer. Wait…"

  "Yes. I set that up. Jack took the photo, and I, shall we say, convinced him to come in and tell the others at the board meeting that it was a fake. That is how I have used my ability."

  "What else?"

  "That same night, do you remember how we were seated so quickly?"

  Yvette nodded, and a small smile brushed her lips.

  "Ah." Morthisal put his hands behind his back, and they set out on their walk again. "A pair of ruffians tried to rob me at an ATM. I convinced them to stop. Then I made them go and seek help for their addictions. The last time I checked, they were both doing well."

  Yvette chuckled. "That is extraordinary."

  "I pitied the men," Morthisal admitted, which tasted strange on his tongue.

  "You are an enigma, Vince."

  "Shall we talk of other things, Yvette?" Mothisal asked as they continued on their stroll.

  "No."

  Morthisal snorted.

  "Fine. How's the movie going?"

  "I have an early call time in the morning. Reshoots."

  Yvette continued as if she had not heard him.

  Morthisal kept talking anyway and told her a little more about the people at the Hollywood Hacienda. He mentioned the strange relationship between Kenadee and Kristol, avoiding the fact that he'd been violently ill on a run with the male half of that strange duo.

  His speculation finally got a smile from Yvette, but after she said, "I need to get going," Yvette glanced at her watch. "My flight leaves in a few hours."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Understandable. The Los Angeles airport is a nightmare of far too many people."

  Yvette nodded as she pulled out her phone and dialed her driver. They paused on the busy sidewalk while cars streamed past in both directions. The late-afternoon sun beat down on the road, creating heat waves that rolled off the asphalt.

  "We're at the corner of Sunset and Vine," Yvette read off the street signs to her driver. "Pick us up."

  While they waited, she turned to Morthisal. "You know, I have access to private research facilities. We can work together to better understand what happened to you and how this all works. How would you feel about being studied? Nothing dangerous. Just some tests to figure out what happened to you."

  "That will not be possible," Morthisal stated firmly. There was no way anyone was going to study him. If his past were somehow revealed, he would be committed to a government facility and would never see the light of day again. He knew this from watching several episodes of a fascinating television show called The X-Files.

  Yvette's shoulders relaxed. "I understand. It was a long shot, but I had to try. The scientist in me wants to figure this out."

  "There is a scientist within you? Are they seeking escape?" Morthisal quipped, bringing laughter from Yvette, which in turn made him smile back.

  "There is not much to investigate. The ability is inside my head, and there is a limit. I cannot use the ability for an extended duration, after which it takes time to build up again." Morthisal wanted to be honest, but he didn't mention that he needed electricity to literally recharge.

  She studied his face for a moment. "You claim this power manifested after you fell and hit your head."

  "My memory from before that incident is vague," Morthisal said carefully. "But I do not believe I possessed these abilities previously."

  A black SUV pulled up to the curb. The same driver who had brought them here stepped out and opened the rear door. The glass divider was up between them and the driver, allowing them to talk freely.

  "I'll drop you off at your motel before I head to the airport," Yvette said as they settled into the leather seats. "This has been an interesting day. I thought I would come here, meet with you, get some bullshit story, and I would use it for closure."

  Morthisal met her eyes. She held the gaze. "You did not run. I thank you for your kind consideration of my words and demonstration. It means a great deal to me, Yvette."

  The vehicle pulled into traffic and headed back toward Hollywood. Palm trees lined the streets, their fronds rustling in the warm breeze. Billboards advertising movies and television shows towered overhead.

  Halfway through the drive, Yvette reached across the seat and took his hand in hers.

  "I'm sorry about the way I blew up in Seattle."

  "I should have told you about my abilities, but I feared you would not believe me."

  "I wouldn't have. The proof was shocking enough. When you turned away that crazed fan in Seattle, I didn't know what to think. But thank you for using the ability during the board meeting. I would have lost my seat."

  Morthisal squeezed her fingers. Her skin felt warm and soft against his palm. He had missed this simple contact more than he cared to admit.

  The drive passed quickly through the congested streets. Soon they pulled up in front of the Hollywood Hacienda. The motel's faded sign letters flickered as the neon bulb's power flickered. A few residents sat around the kidney-shaped pool, their voices carrying across the courtyard. A booming laugh echoed, and Morthisal recognized it as Big Eddie’s.

  "I'll call you later or text if I'm not able to," Yvette said, looking down. "I'm, um. I'm going to keep an open mind. I've missed you, Vince. I'm not going to lie, but you have to understand. I still have this fear that you have used this ability on me."

  "I promise you, Yvette. I cannot use it on you. More importantly, I would not use it on you."

  "But you tried. You said you tested it and could not get through. What would you have had me do, Vince, had you been able to control me?"

  Morthisal swallowed uncomfortably.

  "Well?"

  His face suddenly flushed. Morthisal looked away and gave the question some thought before answering. "Well, Yvette. You have caught me off guard."

  "I bet."

  He tried to compose his thoughts, then discarded that idea. "I will tell you honestly that I do not know what I would have done had I been able to accomplish this ability on you."

  "But you have to have some idea. Would you have used me against my will? Sexually?"

  Morthisal coughed. "Absolutely not, Yvette. I assure you. Think about it. Our relationship developed quickly, but there was no coercion involved." He didn't mention how distasteful he found the thought of using someone in that manner. As a former dark lord he might have done some heinous things, but that was not among his misdeeds.

  She looked away. "How do I know you haven't used this on anyone else?"

  Morthisal took her hand again and gave a gentle tug. Yvette turned to face him. "I have no interest in such behavior. It is abhorrent. There is also the matter of you."

  "Oh?"

  Morthisal nodded. "There is no one else, Yvette. I have never encountered anyone like you." And I have lived lifetimes. "You are singular. I say this with complete honesty—you are the only one I wish to be with."

  Yvette's eyebrows shot up, and her face flushed.

  "You mean that, don't you?"

  Morthisal's eyes locked with hers. "I do."

  Did a soft smile play across her lips? It was hard for Morthisal to say as she quickly looked away.

  Her hand once again crept into his, and she squeezed tight.

  The SUV arrived, and Morthisal composed himself. Admitting such things had been hard and against his nature. The Morthisal of a year ago would have scoffed at his current incarnation.

  "I hope we can talk later," Morthisal said.

  Yvette leaned over and gave him a quick hug. Nothing more, but the brief contact sent warmth through his chest.

  "We will. I have to rush, talk to you later."

  "I look forward to it."

  She waved once as he stepped out of the SUV onto the hot pavement. The door closed. With the heavily darkened windows, it was impossible to see Yvette. Morthisal walked around the vehicle toward the entrance to the Hollywood Hacienda.

  He walked back to his room, hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. The evening air carried the scent of chlorine and car exhaust. Distant music drifted from one of the rooms.

  A suspicion formed in his mind about Yvette. She would try to use him for his powers in future dealings or negotiations, he was certain of it. The thought should have disturbed him, but instead it brought a smile to his face.

  REBORN AS A DARK LORD, the companion novel to this series, has been released - which was exciting!