So I opened my mouth wider, and my tongue met his. Then, I went on the offensive. Nibbling on his lips. Skimming his teeth. Probing with my tongue. He pulled me closer until I thought we would melt into each other. I certainly felt like I was on fire in more ways than one.
His fingers skimmed my neck and traced down to the tops of my breasts. He slid his hand inside the scooped neckline and stroked my chest. My nipples sprang to attention. His other hand went through the slit in the side of my dress and moved up my leg with quick, sure purpose. Damn, he didn’t waste any time. Smooth, sexy, and bold. I loved it. Absolutely loved it.
A warm, pleasant tingling started between my thighs and spread throughout my body. My stomach quivered the tiniest bit, and my breath came in soft gasps. My hormones had already kicked into overdrive. If he kept this up much longer, I’d have to throw him onto the couch instead of through the wall. Or on the floor. Or maybe on the pool table. It looked sturdy enough—
“Ahem.”
A cool, feminine voice dampened the liquid fire burning inside me.
“Ahem.”
The man sighed in disappointment against my mouth. He pressed his lips to mine once more, withdrew his hands, and stepped back. I tried not to stagger. I felt like I was drunk. And I never got drunk.
“Hello, Bella,” the man said. Regret tinged his deep voice, and his hot green gaze burned into me.
The intensity of his stare made me shiver, a rare thing for me.
I turned my head. Bella Bulluci hovered just inside the door. A forest-green dress of her own design clung to her curvy body, while a simple silver necklace accentuated her graceful neck. A small pair of angel wings dangled from the end of the chain. Bella’s foot tapped out a rapid pattern, smacking onto the wooden floor.
“Fiona.”
“Bella.”
I not-so-discreetly yanked the bodice of my dress back into its proper place. It didn’t have far to go, really.
Bella’s hazel eyes flicked to the man beside me. “Well, I see you’ve met Johnny.”
“Johnny?” So that’s what his name was.
“Johnny Bulluci. My older brother.”
“Your brother?”
“Guilty as charged, I’m afraid.” Johnny strolled over to his sister and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.
My eyes zipped back and forth between them. Side by side, the resemblance was obvious. Same tawny hair, same golden skin, same killer cheekbones. The only difference was their eyes. Bella’s were a soft hazel while Johnny’s were as green as polished jade. Johnny also had almost a foot on his sister. Bella was a bit on the short side.
Bella looked at me, then her brother. She shook her head and looped an arm around his waist. “Seducing another unsuspecting bridesmaid, brother dear?” she asked in a teasing tone.
“Make a habit of it, do you, Johnny?” I asked, smoothing down my skirt.
“Only with the exceptionally beautiful ones.” He winked.
I crossed my arms over my still-tingling chest. His sister had just caught us making out like a couple of sex-starved teenagers, and the man still had the nerve to wink at me. Johnny Bulluci had no shame. I rather liked that about him.
“Johnny’s moved back home from Greece,” Bella explained. “He’s been looking after our business interests overseas.”
So that’s why I hadn’t seen him around Bigtime before. It explained the accent too.
“He arrived in town several weeks ago, and I thought the wedding would be a perfect opportunity for him to meet and mingle. I didn’t know he was going to disappear. I should warn you, Fiona, my brother is a notorious playboy. Always has been.” Bella’s voice was light, but there was a hint of disapproval to it. Her foot kept up its annoyed, tapping pattern.
“No harm done,” I said in a cool voice and flipped my hair over my shoulder. “Johnny and I were just getting better acquainted.”
“Indeed,” Johnny said, his eyes catching mine again. “Indeed—”
Frantic screams slashed through the air. A bright white light flashed outside, followed by a crack of thunder. The ground trembled as though it were going to split open beneath our feet.
We stood there, stunned.
“Grandfather!” Bella shouted.
She ran out the door. Johnny gave me another quick, regretful look and rushed after her.
I stuck my head out into the hall to make sure that they weren’t going to double back and drag me with them, but the pair had already disappeared from sight. Damn, Bella could scoot in those heels. Carmen could definitely learn a thing or two from her.
I locked the door to the game room, ran to the pool table, and twisted a knob hidden underneath one of the corners. The green felt top slid back with a whisper, revealing a row of neatly folded costumes, masks, and shoes. The pool table was one of many objects throughout the manor that held more than just a good time.
It took me about thirty seconds to ditch the bridesmaid dress, stilettos, and earrings and shimmy into my costume. The orange-red spandex molded to my body like plastic wrap, familiar and comfortable as always. I shoved my feet into my chunky, steel-toed, kick-ass boots and slapped on my flame-shaped mask. Then, I stuffed my dress and heels into the pool table and twisted the knob. The hidden compartment disappeared from sight.
The screams had quieted down, but cracks of thunder ripped through the air like gunfire. My hands curled into fists. Sparks flared to life in my hair. Flames licked at my fingers.
Unless I missed my guess, it was time for Fiera to go kick some ubervillain ass.
Goody.
*
I ran through the halls until I reached the doors that led outside, zoomed down the white carpet that had served as the aisle, and sprinted to the edge of the garden. A row of thick holly bushes separated the lush, flowering plants from the smooth lawn. I slid to a halt and peeked through one of the small gaps in the glossy greenery.
Bigtime’s finest stood on the lawn, blank looks on their faces. They seemed not to notice the overturned tables, broken dishes, spilled food, and general chaos that surrounded them. Acrid smoke snaked up from an oak tree that had been split in two. Smoldering, snapped branches and shredded leaves littered the singed grass.
A woman dressed in a neon blue suit stood in the middle of the dance floor. Siren. She had a tangle of black curls and an hourglass figure that would make even a blind monk look twice at her. The silver zipper on her suit was open almost to her navel, showing off enough buoyant cleavage to raise the Titanic. A mask in the shape of a zigzagged lightning bolt covered her bright blue eyes.
But she wasn’t alone. A woman in a shiny silver suit hovered next to Siren in a floating chair. Intelligal. Thick, black goggles highlighted her dark eyes, making them seem as big and round as quarters. A silver cowl clung to her egg-shaped head, hiding her hair from sight, and her suit was zipped up to her neck. It was a good thing too. Intelligal didn’t have the body to pull off the evil sexpot look. She had about as many curves as a board.
So, our new neighborhood ubervillains had decided to crash the wedding. I wasn’t terribly surprised. Siren and Intelligal had come to town about six months ago, right after the members of the Terrible Triad had disappeared. The two had been raising hell ever since. Breaking into computer companies, stealing electronic and media equipment, robbing anyone and everyone they could get their hands on.
But even worse than the general mayhem the pair caused were their powers. It was bad enough that Siren could create powerful lightning bolts and energy balls with her bare hands. But her real weapon was her voice. One throaty whisper from Siren was all it took to turn most people into mindless, willing slaves. Her power especially seemed to work on men. Naturally. Of course, her looks didn’t hurt either when it came to turning men into helpless puppets.
Intelligal didn’t seem to have any superpowers of her own, but she really didn’t need them. Her Intellichair did the work for her. The device was a flying, open-topped tank that wrapped around the ubervilla
in’s legs and torso. Equipped with heat-seeking missiles, machine-gun turrets, and a force field, the chair was like something out of a James Bond movie. Only better. The Intellichair was also scratch-proof, fireproof, and virtually indestructible. Most things made out of solidium were. I knew. I’d been trying to melt and smash the chair to pieces for months with no success. I hadn’t even been able to put so much as a dent in the dull gray metal.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m terribly sorry if I frightened you, but I’m afraid my invitation to the wedding got lost in the mail,” Siren cooed into the microphone she’d taken from the band leader. “And I just couldn’t miss the social event of the season.”
Her voice was low and husky and throaty. To the men, it whispered of sexual fantasies come to life. To the women, it was the conspiratorial tone of a trusted friend and confidant. Just about everyone in the crowd nodded their heads, accepting Siren’s explanation for her little lightning storm.
Siren’s dulcet tones curled through the air, seeking out everyone within hearing distance. I felt the humming melody in her voice coiling around me like a boa constrictor, trying to squeeze my will into hers. Trying to make me one of her mindless lackeys. But I was too strong-willed and too temperamental to be manipulated by the likes of Siren. I grabbed on to the roaring fire inside me and concentrated on the heat. The coils burned away, and my head cleared.
So was Carmen. The blushing bride eyed the busty ubervillain with open hatred. Soot streaked her white dress, and her auburn hair had tumbled out of its elegant updo. Carmen’s fingers twitched, and I knew she wanted to tap into Siren’s powers and give the ubervillain a taste of her own medicine. But she couldn’t. Not without blowing her cover as Karma Girl and ruining what was left of her wedding.
I looked for the other members of the Fearless Five. Sam and Henry both wore slightly vacant, dazed expressions. Sam’s tie had come undone, and Henry’s glasses dangled on the end of his nose. They’d been getting better at resisting Siren’s call, but her hypnotic voice still affected them. I snorted. Men. Please. They really were the weaker sex, in every sense of the word. The first time we’d gone up against her, Siren had convinced Sam aka Striker to attack me. It had taken one of my fireballs to the chest to bring him back to his senses. But since Striker regenerated, the only thing my fireball had really hurt was his pride.
My father looked bemused and a bit pained by the whole thing. Siren purred into the microphone again, and the chief massaged his temples. With his psychic powers, he was well beyond Siren’s call, although her voice always left him with one hell of a headache.
Lulu sat next to the chief and gazed at Intelligal’s chair. A calculating expression filled her smooth face, and her fingers tapped against the arm of her wheelchair like it was a keyboard. The computer hacker was probably wondering how she could get Henry aka Hermit to make her a similar contraption. I didn’t blame her. Although I had little use for gadgets, given my natural superpowers, even I had to admit the Intellichair was a cool, deadly gizmo. Especially since it had been kicking our asses for the last six months.
“I do hope you all will forgive my rude outburst,” Siren continued. “I really want to make a good impression on everyone, being so new in town. I’ve heard such lovely, lovely things about Bigtime and all of you. I just want to fit in.”
I rolled my eyes. Good grief, she was simpering now. Did the woman have no pride? She was giving ubervillains everywhere a bad name. As much as I hated evildoers like Malefica, the Wallflower, and Hydra, at least I had some respect for them. They would never have lowered themselves to play to a crowd of civilians.
“Oh, get on with it, Siren. Quit showing off,” Intelligal snapped and crossed her arms over her flat chest. The geeky ubervillain had little use for her partner’s sexy antics. That was two of us.
“You always spoil my fun.” Siren stuck her lip out and pouted.
“I’ll kill her for you, Siren!” one of the wealthy businessmen volunteered.
“Me too!”
“And me!”
“No, let me do it!”
Siren smiled, and several of the older men in the crowd clutched their chests, ready to have coronary episodes if she so much as crooked her pinky. “Thank you, darlings, but that won’t be necessary.”
I thought she muttered the word yet, but I couldn’t be sure. The two ubervillains might work together, but they definitely were not the best of friends. Too bad they wouldn’t take each other out and save me the trouble.
“Intelligal is going to come over to you now. If you’ll be so kind as to put your necklaces, watches, rings, and other valuables into her bag, we would greatly appreciate it.”
Siren’s husky voice wrapped around me again, and I burned away the tight, grasping tendrils. Intelligal zoomed into the glassy-eyed crowd. She hit a button, and the side of her chair opened up. A mechanical arm holding a soft, cloth bag stretched out.
The ubervillain floated through the crowd, robbing Bigtime’s richest, while Siren cooed into the microphone and kept them in line. Although I wanted to lob a fireball or three her way, I couldn’t risk it. There were too many people around. Frying civilians was not good for my image. Or for sales of my action figures, calendars, and other officially licensed merchandise.
Intelligal motored round and round, collecting millions in jewels, watches, and other baubles. Of course, there were a few willful holdouts who weren’t under Siren’s spell and didn’t want to give up their precious shinies. Joanne James was among them. Intelligal had to threaten to shoot Berkley with the machine guns mounted on her chair before Joanne parted with her pearls and enormous engagement ring. Even then, it took her a while to decide between imminent, bloody death and going without her status symbols.
To my surprise, Johnny Bulluci was also among the people who resisted Siren’s throaty call. Unlike the others, he didn’t have a blank look on his face. He and Bella hovered protectively over an old man in a navy tuxedo. That must be the grandfather they’d rushed out to save. What was his name? Something with an R. Reed, Reynolds, Richards, Roger, Rob, Roberto! That was it. Roberto Bulluci. Bobby for short.
Intelligal drifted their way, and Johnny’s eyes narrowed to slits. He shifted his stance, and his jacket opened up, exposing his white shirt. I remembered the solid feel of his chest next to mine. His lips on mine. His hands on my body. I could still smell his spicy scent. My temperature roared up a few hundred degrees. The man was sexy, there was no doubt about that. None whatsoever. Even now, I was thinking about how we could pick up where we’d left off earlier. But I pushed that thought aside. My duty as a superhero came first—pummeling ubervillains whenever possible.
Intelligal stopped in front of the Bullucis. Johnny stepped forward to shield his family from the ubervillain. His hands clenched and unclenched into fists, and Johnny looked like he wanted to leap onto Intelligal’s chair and punch her over and over again. The old man put a wrinkled, restraining hand on Johnny’s arm and shook his head. Johnny shot his grandfather an annoyed look, but he relaxed just a bit. To my surprise, Bella’s lips tightened into a thin line, and her hazel eyes glittered with rage. Bella? Angry? The mild-mannered designer never got angry, not even when she lost out on the Bigtime Fashion Designer of the Year Award to me. Despite his age, Bobby was just as worked up as his grandchildren. Even he shot the ubervillain a look of disgust and loathing.
Johnny handed over a thick watch and his engraved cufflinks. Bella took off her silver chain and charm and threw them into the bag, while Bobby passed over a diamond pinky ring. Intelligal moved on to her next victims, but all three of the Bullucis kept their eyes on her, wishing that looks could kill.
After about twenty minutes, Intelligal finished her mission. The mechanical arm clamped down on the bag, securing it and the goodies inside. She floated back to the dance floor, where Siren waited.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s been a real pleasure. But I’m afraid it’s time for us to leave.”
“Siren,
don’t go!”
“Please stay!”
“We’ll do anything you want!”
Men and a few women called out to the ubervillain, pleading with her to stay.
Siren smiled. “I know you will, darlings, but I really must go before the Fearless Five show up. Now, why don’t you all do me a favor and talk quietly among yourselves for, say, ten minutes? That would make me so happy. And you want to make me happy, don’t you?”
Just about everyone in the crowd immediately turned to each other and began chatting about the weather, the wedding, and how fabulous Siren looked. Siren tossed the microphone back to the befuddled bandleader and hopped onto the arm of Intelligal’s chair. The two of them zoomed up off the dance floor.
Ah, my cue at last.
I grabbed the fire pulsing through me, and my body exploded into flames.
Chapter Four
I plowed through the prickly holly bushes and pointed my finger. Flames arced outward, and a line of fire roared up between the ubervillains and the crowd. A few people snapped out of their trances, but most just stared at the flames. I pointed my other finger. Another line of fire sprang up, cutting off the ubervillains’ escape route. I sprinted forward through the flames toward the evildoers.
Siren and Intelligal froze. The chair hovered in midair, and their heads snapped around to me.
“You!” Siren screamed.
Her voice morphed from sultry and simpering to sharp and jagged in an instant. It felt like cold razors slicing into my brain. I clapped my hands to my head, trying to block out the horrible sound.
A bluish energy ball popped into her hand, and Siren reared back to throw it at me. But a streak of lightning cut through the air and slammed into Siren’s back. Shocked, the ubervillain flew off the arm of Intelligal’s chair and hit the ground. Behind her, Carmen waved at me and smiled.
“Get her, Intelligal!” Siren shrieked through a mouthful of dirt. The harsh tone in her voice cut through me again.