I grinned. "I could say the same thing about you. You bat your eyes, and men get all weak-kneed and tonguetied. Women too. Crook your finger at them, and half of them keel over from shock and awe. "
Roslyn smiled at my compliment, but she shook her head. "Maybe, but I don't use it like Salina did. She knew how beautiful she was, and she used it to get exactly what she wanted exactly when she wanted it. But on the rare occasions that didn't happen, she became . . . cruel. I remember seeing her out in the gardens at the Dubois estate one time. The gardener had been pruning the roses, and he accidentally cut one branch too many. Salina saw him, of course, and she went over to talk to him. She never raised her voice, and she never said anything that was unkind - on the surface, anyway - but by the time she was done, the poor man was in tears. He apologized to her over and over again, like it was all his fault that she was so disappointed in him. And all because he hadn't trimmed the roses back exactly the w
ay she'd wanted. Like I said, just . . . cruel. "
Cruel. It was such a simple word, but I thought it described Salina perfectly, given what I'd seen her do to Antonio. Elemental magic was never a fun way to die, but having all the water pulled out of your body and your eyes popped out of your skull for an extra thrill, well, that was a little extreme - even by Ashland standards, where elemental duels were common.
"Cruel," I said. "Got it. "
Roslyn opened her mouth to say something else, but the bell over the front door chimed, indicating that I had a new customer.
And just like that, Salina Dubois herself strolled into the Pork Pit.
Chapter 18
Salina stood in the doorway, surveying my gin joint. And once again, I was struck by how lovely she was, but her beauty didn't inspire quite the same awe in me as it had before, especially since Roslyn was here.
Where Roslyn's beauty was soft, warm, and inviting, Salina's was hard, cold, and distant. The planes of her face were perfectly proportioned, but the angles were sharp, as though her porcelain skin had been chiseled from marble. Her lips were full and covered with a slick pink gloss, while her eyes were that shifting color somewhere between blue and green. But even they were cold, so cold they reminded me of the glass eyes I'd seen in some dolls not too long ago. Flat, empty, and completely emotionless.
Salina wore a power suit in a bright aquamarine that brought out the beauty of her sun-kissed skin. Matching stilettos covered her dainty feet, and I could see the gleam of her pink pedicure all the way across the restaurant. Her silverstone cuff bracelet - the one with her mermaid rune etched into it - adorned her right wrist. But the expensive clothes and flash of jewelry almost made her seem a little too polished, a little too perfect, like she was made of wax and would melt if you so much as touched her.
The only thing soft about Salina was her hair, which cascaded down her back in rippling blond waves, reminding me of the water she could so easily control. I'd never been one for long hair myself. Too much trouble to take care of and, in my line of work, too much chance of it getting pulled out during a fight to the death.
"Stay right where you are. Act casual, but whatever you do, don't turn around," I told Roslyn in a soft voice.
The vampire stiffened. "Salina just walked into the restaurant, didn't she?"
I nodded. "And since it seems like she's going around Ashland killing former associates, or at least trying to, I don't want her to see you and remember you used to visit her father. Okay?"
Roslyn nodded and kept facing the back wall, although she pulled a compact out of her purse, as though she needed to powder her nose. She angled the mirror so she could see behind her.
"Yep," she murmured. "That's Salina all right. "
The vamp snapped her compact shut and stuck it back into her purse. "So now what are you going to do?"
I picked up a menu and a glass of water, and gave her a wink. "Why, I'm going to go see what she wants, of course. You know how much I pride myself on my stellar customer service. "
Salina didn't wait for me or one of the waitstaff to seat her. Instead, she looked around the restaurant a second longer before walking over and sliding into an empty booth by the storefront windows. Then she turned her head in my direction and smiled, a clear invitation for me to come on over.
I looked over my shoulder at Sophia. Roslyn had leaned forward and was talking to the Goth dwarf, quietly filling her in on the situation. Sophia turned in my direction, a clear question in her black eyes, but I shook my head, telling her to stay put. Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't kill Salina in the middle of the Pork Pit. My customers and staff might have thought I was the Spider, but it wasn't like I wanted to palm my knives and give them a demonstration of my deadly skills.
Sophia nodded at me and said something to Roslyn. The vampire slid off her stool and followed her to the back of the restaurant, probably so she could leave through the alley. Once Roslyn and Sophia were out of sight, I plastered my best, easiest, most unconcerned smile on my face and sidled up to Salina's booth. I put the glass of water down on the table, along with the menu.
"What can I getcha, sugar?"
"Sit down, Gin," Salina said, a clear command in her voice. "You don't have to keep up the charade for me. I find charades to be rather tiresome, don't you?"
I arched an eyebrow at her boldness, but if that was the way she wanted to play things, then that was fine by me. I'd never much liked making nice with or feeding my enemies, even when they were paying for the privilege.
So I slid into the opposite side of the booth from Salina. Up close, she was even more stunning, with a dazzling beauty you just couldn't look away from. I could see why Owen had been so drawn to her. Hell, I could see why any man would be. The fact that she'd been Owen's fiancee cut a little deep.
Salina's eyes flicked over my long-sleeved T-shirt and the blue work apron I always wore whenever I cooked at the Pit. Her pink lips curled up into a faint sneer.
"So you're Gin Blanco, the assassin known as the Spider," Salina finally said. "How . . . disappointing. "
I leaned back in my booth, my easy smile still on my face. "And you're Salina Dubois, the woman who likes to use her water magic to pop people's eyes out of their skulls. I'd say the disappointment is mutual. "
Bria was right - she was smooth. Salina didn't bat an eyelash at my words. Didn't blink, didn't suck in an indignant breath, didn't pucker her lips in displeasure or denial. It was like I hadn't even spoken for all the reaction she showed. Instead, she reached for the glass I'd put in front of her, took a delicate sip of the liquid, and then wrinkled her nose, as if it left a foul taste in her mouth.