Chapter 18 – I Can Barely Handle One
8:30 pm - The Dal
" So no new leads on the Qarinah's case huh?" Bo asked Dyson as she downed her drink at the bar.
" Well, we've managed to ID her. She was on an expired student visa. We combed through all her known contacts, but nothing popped up. If we find anything, we'll let you know." Dyson said.
" Cool." Bo nodded. Then she watched the wolf walking to the pool table. Tamsin was already there, kicking ass. Then she raised her head and her eyes met with Bo's. She winked at Bo while no one was watching. Bo smiled and turned back to her drink.
" I see you resolved the blonde problem." A voice came from behind.
Bo frowned. She recognized that voice. " Shingo, what brings you here?" Bo said to the Satori, staring at him.
"I have a job for you." Shingo said, " If you want to work, because I can read your upset feelings right now."
" Gee, thanks for pointing that out." Bo murmured.
" Who is the master?" Shingo frowned.
" Stop reading my mind!" Bo shot a stare at him.
" Couldn't if I tried. It just seems that you are concerned about this master."
" Yeah long story. Maybe I'll tell you later. What is this job?"
" A friend of mine has this friend, and he's missing. Do you think you can look into it?"
" Sure, no problem. I need a case to work now anyway." Bo said, " Any information on him?"
" Sent his profile to your cell phone already." Shingo said, " He was last seen in a hiking area in the mountains. Oh, one more thing."
Bo raised her eyebrows as she sipped her drink from her glass.
" Take the Valkyrie with you."
" If this is how you do match making, I really don't need it."
" No. Men or human probably won't work that well on this case."
" Why not?"
" I did some digging. I think it's likely to be a Samodiva. They allure both men and women, but men are much more vulnerable to their glamour, and humans are very weak on resisting any glamour powers, so it's probably better for you to go with the Valkyrie. You can charm people, and she can intimidate people. Both are some sort of mind control power, which give you two a higher resistance to the same kind of Fae power."
" Ok, fine, I'll go with her then." Bo rolled her eyes.
" You are rolling your eyes, but you are actually happy that you can be with her alone." Shingo said as he smiled.
Bo rolled her eyes at him again. She moved away from the bar and joined Dyson and Tamsin at the pool table.
3:20 pm - In the Mountains
" I still don't understand why I have to be here with you on a case on my day off." Tamsin said as she drove her truck up towards the hiking area.
" You don't want to be with me?" Bo put on her puppy eye look and stared at Tamsin.
" Maybe not." Tamsin smirked at her.
" What is a Samodiva?" Bo asked, " I did some reading, but there are so many versions of them."
" Forest bitches, very territorial. They glamour people and suck them dry." Tamsin said. Then she tilted her head and looked at Bo. " Wait, why does it sound so familiar?" She teased Bo.
" So how do we know whether it's a Samodiva or not?" Bo ignored her comment.
" We examine the body, see if it fits the feeding signature of a Samodiva." Tamsin said, " " That is, if we find the body. The dude could be just lost or something."
" Well, either way I get to spend the entire day with you right?" Bo grinned at the Valkyrie.
" Whatever." Tamsin said, " Let's go talk to the park rangers first. Maybe they have seen or heard something."
5:20 pm - Park Ranger's Office
" Yeah, I definitely saw him, a few days ago. He came here asking about the weather." One of the rangers told Bo and Tamsin as he was looking at the photo of the man.
" Do you know which trail he took?" Bo asked.
" Actually I do." The ranger said, " He was heading to the trail of Grand Vista, but my colleague Ralph suggested him to go for Pearl Fall Trail."
" Why did he suggest that?"
" Oh, he didn't have the right footgear and stuff for Grand Vista."
Tamsin was checking the information board in the office while Bo was talking to the ranger. She noticed a few photos sticking on the board, buried under a bunch of weather notices and ads. " Who are these people?" Tamsin asked as she pointed at those photos.
" Missing hikers, I think. Sadly none of them were ever found."
" Hmm...interesting..." Tamsin murmured as she took a picture of those photos with her cell phone.
5:50 pm - Pearl Fall Trail
" You notice anything on these photos?" Tamsin showed Bo the picture she took from the office on her phone as they walked along the trail.
" Emmm...they are all men, well, you could say all of them are kind of cute." Bo said.
" Fits the profile of a Samodiva's feeding signature..." Tamsin said, " Missing persons in the wood, all attractive males..."
" So you think it's a Samodiva too?" Bo asked.
" Can't say for sure until we find the body, or the Samodiva." Tamsin said. Knowing that Bo fell behind, she stopped to wait for her.
" I...hate...hiking..." Bo stopped, gasping for air.
Tamsin shook her head, but with a smile on her face. She pulled Bo closer and laid a kiss on her lips. " Want me to juice you?" She asked.
" I will never turn down that offer..." Bo kissed her back.
Tamsin pulled herself back after a few seconds. " Come on, we have miles of trail ahead of us." She said as she held Bo's hand in hers.
Bo was a little bit startled by Tamsin's move. She never thought before that one day the Valkyrie would slow down for her and hold her hand, walking by her side. If it was not for the missing persons case, it would almost feel like they were on a vacation.
Bo intertwined her fingers with the blonde's. The blonde paused for a second or two, before she held Bo's hand tighter.
6:55 pm – Pearl Fall Trail
" Hey, look, another ranger's office." Bo pointed at several cabins on the side of the road, " Maybe they've seen some of the missing persons."
" Well, let's go and ask." Tamsin said.
This ranger's office was shabbier than the one on the foot of the mountain. There was only one park ranger in the office, with a very old computer. The information board had the same missing person's photos as the other one, with a box of free maps of the trail. There was also a small counter with post cards and t-dshirt on sale.
" May I help you?" The ranger asked as he stared at Bo and Tamsin.
" Yeah...we are looking for a friend..." Bo took her phone out and showed him the photo, " Have you seen him before?"
" Yeah...I think so... a couple days ago maybe."
" Did you notice anything unusual? Was he with someone else?"
" Nope, just himself." The ranger shook his head. He waited for a few seconds, and then he turned back to his computer again.
" These missing persons..." Tamsin pointed at the photos on the board, " Have you seen any of them before?"
" I don't know...a lot of people come by this trail, I mean, I really can't remember all of them." The ranger answered with his eyes glued on the computer.
" Then why did you remember the man on the photo I just showed you?" Bo asked.
" He came by the office, asking for directions. He was total amateur to hiking, didn't even wear the right shoes for this trail, I mean, can you believe that?" The ranger huffed out a laugh and started to mumble things about what gear to use for different trails.
Bo frowned. Something was bothering her about this conversation, but, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Bo watched Tamsin pick up a map of the trail, and then followed her as she went out from the office.
7:30 pm – Pearl Fall Trail: Camping Site
" We need to rest here tonight." Tamsin said, " It's too dark to track anything anyway."
" I have no problem with that." Bo sat down beside a tree, and watched Tamsin light a fire in the fire pit. then she looked around at the camping area. There were a couple of tents, and they were really far away from them.
Tamsin sat down beside Bo, and took a small bottle of vodka out from her pocket.
" Wow, you should marry vodka..." Bo watched her taking a sip from the bottle.
Tamsin rolled her eyes at the brunette. " Want some?" She handed the bottle to Bo.
Bo took a sip from the bottle. " Now we are practically kissing." She teased the blonde.
" Well, I think we are way passed that stage already..." Tamsin leaned over and pressed her lips on Bo's.
Bo took a deep breath before their lips met. The scent of the blonde filled her nose, and her mind. The lips of the blonde's felt extremely warm and soft in the cold breeze of the night. She had to grab the Valkyrie's shoulder in order not to fall.
" Are you cold?" Tamsin asked Bo as she pulled back a little. She noticed that the brunette was shivering.
" A little." Bo nodded.
Tamsin sighed. She pressed her back against the tree and hugged Bo from behind. " You can't walk two miles without taking a break. You shiver in the night wind. You become extra weak if not juiced properly. How the hell did you ever survive alone?"
" Well, I've got my charms." Bo said as she caressed the blonde's hands slowly.
" I guess I'll have to agree on that." Tamsin said. She buried her face in the brunette's hair and let out a deep breath. The tickling sensation on the back of Bo's neck almost made her moan.
6:30 am - Pearl Fall Trail: Camping Site
" Rise and shine!" Tamsin tapped Bo's face to wake her up. The succubus opened her eyes and realized she was on top of Tamsin. She kissed the blonde and said, " I like that the first thing I see in the morning is you..."
" Why don't we both get up and get this shit done? We are not here for vacation, ok?" Tamsin smirked.
" Ok."
8:00 am – Pearl Fall Trail
" Well this is weird." Tamsin said as she stopped in front of a road sign.
" What's weird?" Bo asked her.
" According to the sign, we should go left, but according to the map, this trail goes to the right side..." Tamsin checked the map for a few times to make sure she hadn't made a mistake.
" Maybe the sign went loose and they didn't fix it or something."
" No, no, look at this." Tamsin leaned close to the road sign and showed it to Bo, " See the nail holes at the center, and the new nails were hammered in right next to them? Someone took it off and put it to a totally different direction on purpose..."
" You think the Samodiva did this? So the hikers would have gone in the wrong direction and she just jumped onto them?"
Tamsin didn't say anything. She frowned, staring at the road sign. " A Samodiva doesn't need to do this. She can glamour any man if she wants to. Plus, since when do those bitches do manual labor...?"
" Well, let's find out." Bo turned left and started walking.
10:00 am – Unknown Trail
" Wow, this trail is even harder to walk on..." Bo said. After a little more than one hour's walk, they were very far from the road sign intersection, and they had not seen any hikers since.
" This trail must have been abandoned for a long time." Tamsin said, " No maintenance work has been done over here for years." She looked around. All she could see was rocks, trees, and long grass. All she could hear was bugs buzzing, the wind and a distant creek somewhere.
" Well, perfect hunting ground." Bo said, " I bet there's no one around for miles to hear screams for help."
" If in fact, our missing guy, or the other missing persons, took this trail instead of the real trail, there has to be something we can find here." Tamsin said.
12:30 pm – Unknown Trail
" This trail is fucking endless..." Bo said. They had been walking for hours, yet the road still extended in front of them.
" You want to take a break?" Tamsin asked.
" Can I get juiced?" Bo grabbed Tamsin's waist and pulled her close.
Tamsin sighed. " You know, sometimes you are really clingy." She said.
" Well, only clingy around you..." Bo pressed her lips on the blonde's.
12:40 pm- Unknown Trail
" Ok, if we can't find anything in another hour, we should head back and figure out something else." Tamsin said.
" Maybe not..." Bo suddenly stopped and bent over. She picked up something from the grass. " Look, a dog tag." She said.
" Wait a minute... I've seen this before..." Tamsin said as she took her phone out from her pocket. " I've seen on one of the missing persons' photo..." She browsed through the pictures she took while at the ranger's office.
" Yeah, it's the same." Bo said as she compared it with the dog tag on a man's neck in one of the missing persons' photo.
" So he did go through here..." Tamsin said, frowning, " I guess we should keep going then."
3:00 pm – Unknown Trail
After a couple hours of walking, they found a hiking water bottle left in the grass.
" Well, it has the name of our guy on it. I guess he did go through here too..." Bo said.
Tamsin nodded.
They walked for a few more minutes, suddenly an open field appeared in front of them.
" Oh, shit. Looks like we're dealing with a Samodiva after all." Tamsin said as she pointed at the center of the field. " See that?"
Bo walked closer, and saw a ring of white mushrooms grow in the center.
" That's a fairy ring. The bitch will come out at night and dance in the middle."
" So we just wait till nightfall?"
" Yep."
8:30 pm – Open Field
" Wow, I feel like I'm living in most men's dreams right now. She's really hot..." Bo whispered to Tamsin while they were hiding behind a rock not too far away from the mushroom ring.
" No kidding, if we were in a strip club I would have already spent all my money by now..." Tamsin whispered back. They were both staring at the lady who was dancing in the middle of the ring. She was completely naked, but her long, blonde hair covered most of her body. Under the moonlight, she looked so stunning and so beautiful, that both Bo and Tamsin had to catch their breath.
" Is she glamouring us right now?" Bo asked.
" No, a Samodiva glamours you when she gazes into your eyes, and her eyes will glitter."
" So no eye contact when her eyes glitter?"
Tamsin nodded. She pulled her gun out and cocked it. " I guess the show has to end now." She said as she slowly stood up from the back of the rock. She knew she shouldn't look at the Samodiva's eyes, so she looked aside when she dashed to her and tackled her on the ground.
The Samodiva was shocked at first, but she started to struggle after a few seconds. By then Tamsin had already cuffed her.
" What the fuck!" The Samodiva cursed, " Who the hell are you?"
" Cop, bitch." Tamsin showed her the badge.
" What the fuck did I do, officer?" The lady frowned at her, with a pissed off look on her face.
" Do you recognized any of these people?" Bo showed her the photos of the missing persons.
The Samodiva looked through the photos. " Yeah..." She murmured, " Actually I do..."
" I think we just got our confession." Tamsin smirked, " Now where are they?"
" Wait, where are whom?" The Samodiva looked confused.
" These people?"
" How the hell would I know? I sent them away after fed off them, every single one."
" You mean you sent away their bodies?"
" Wow, who said anything about bodies. They were alive when they left."
" What?" Tamsin frowned, " Did you say they were alive when they left?"
" Of course they were alive! I don't kill my prey! Do you know how hard it would be for me to live here if dead bodies started showing up in this area? I would either starved to death because they'd shut down this place, or I'd get hunted down by the police or those hunters."
Tamsin and Bo looked at each other, confused. " How do we know you are telling the truth?" Bo asked.
" You don't, but I am telling the truth." The Samodiva shrugged.
" Shit!" Tamsin cursed, " If you didn't suck them dry, where are they now?"
" I directed them to the road downhill after the feeding...every time." The Samodiva said, " Why? Are they dead?"
" We don't know yet. They are missing." Tamsin said, " Which way did they go?"
" That way." The Samodiva pointed at a road on the right side of the open field, " I'll lead."
" Wait, you are coming with us?" Bo asked.
" Oh, honey, if anyone is hunting on my territory, I need to know." She said.
9:20 pm – Road Downhill
" Wow, now we are following her. How weird is that?" Bo whispered to Tamsin as they followed the lady on the road. The Samodiva was walking in front of them. She was walking on bare foot, like walking on the clouds. If Bo didn't see her feet on the ground, she would have thought that she was flying in the air.
" I so envy you." The Samodiva said to Bo as they stopped for a break. " I wish I had a regular..."
" Huh?" Bo was confused.
" That Valkyrie of yours! If I had a regular like that, I wouldn't have to feed on strangers like this anymore."
" How do you..."
" Oh please! You don't think I can sense the spikes of the sexual tension between you two every time you look at each other?" The Samodiva waved her hand in the air. She paused there for a while, then continued in whisper, " How does she taste like?"
" Wow, just when I thought this conversation couldn't get any weirder..." Bo said as she stared at the woman, " We are not exactly in a diner right now...Plus, why do you even want to know?"
The Samodiva looked at Bo for a while. Then she smiled as if she had found something very interesting. " Oh my God, she is not just a feed for you, is she? You actually have feelings for her! How cute is that!"
" How the hell does everyone else figure that out so easily!" Bo exclaimed.
" I am a sex demon too." The Samodiva winked at her. She looked around and lowered her voice, " So, on the scale of one to ten, how does she taste like?"
" I would say a hundred, ok?" Bo rolled her eyes at her. She was just so not comfortable discussing her sex life with someone she barely knew.
" You are so lucky..." The Samodiva murmured. She sat down on a fallen tree, her legs swinging in the air, " I wish I had someone like that."
Bo wanted to say something to comfort the lonely Samodiva, but before she could, Tamsin walked out from behind a tree. " Hey, you two need to see this." The Valkyrie said with a serious look on her face.
9:30 pm – Road Downhill
Three of them were looking at several bodies lying in front of them in a cave on the side of the road. The entrance of the cave was covered by bushes and long grass so it was hard to see the inside.
" I'd have missed it if I hadn't felt the death when we walked by." Tamsin said. She checked the bodies, and they matched the missing persons they saw in the photos. " They all died... from a shot gun wound."
" What?" Bo was surprised to hear that, and so was the Samodiva.
" I guess you are off the hook, since you definitely don't use shot guns." Tamsin said as she looked at the Samodiva.
" I told you they were alive when they left." The Samodiva shrugged.
" Then who killed them...?" Bo frowned.
" Did you or did you not change the road sign at the intersection of your trail and the Pearl Fall Trail?" Tamsin asked the Samodiva.
" Sure wasn't me. Since when have you ever heard of Samodivas doing something like that?"
" Then someone else must have done that. But why?"
" To lure them here maybe?"
" So it's all just a coincidence that the killer lured them to a Samodiva's feeding ground on the way out of the woods?" Tamsin frowned.
Bo frowned too. The Samodiva watched them for a while, then she sat down on the side of the cave, bored. Bo couldn't help but look at her feet. She couldn't find a spot of mud or dirt on them. Then suddenly something occurred to her.
" Footgear." She said, " Remember the ranger in the first office told us that our guy planned to go for another trail, but his colleague suggested he go on the Pearl Fall trail because his footgear was not good enough for the other one? Then the ranger from the second office told us our guy didn't have the right shoes for Pearl Fall either. Why would the other ranger suggest Pearl Fall if he didn't have the right shoes in the first place? There are other easier trails to hike here. Unless..."
" He deliberately did that because he's the one who lured them here." Tamsin said, " Think about it, shot gun wound, cave in the middle of nowhere. If you were walking alone at night on this road, and a park ranger approached you, you probably would follow him without hesitation."
" What was the ranger's name?" Bo asked.
" I think it starts with an R. Ralph?" Tamsin said.
" That's right." A voice came from the entrance of the cave. They all turned around. A man was holding a shotgun and it was pointing at them. He was wearing the park ranger's uniform. " Drop you gun." He said to Tamsin.
" Oh, dude, pointing a gun at a cop? you are in big trouble..." Tamsin said, but she had to drop her gun, because Bo was beside her, and she didn't want to risk it.
" So what? You think anyone will find any of you if I kill you right here right now?" Ralph pumped his shotgun. The moment he fired his gun, Bo threw herself onto Tamsin and they both fell on the ground. The loud gunshot sound echoed in the cave, making a humming sound in their ears.
Ralph was about to fire another shot, but the Samodiva stood up in front of him. She stared at him, with a smile on her face. Bo wasn't sure if it was the reflection of the moonlight in her eyes, or it was the glitter coming from her eyes, but the woman's eyes were shimmering. Bo turned away, because she could feel herself being pulling in to those emerald eyes.
Then Bo heard the shot gun dropping on the ground. The ranger kneeled down slowly, smiling at the Samodiva, as if he suddenly had found the true love of his life.
" Oh...you are beautiful...you are so beautiful..." He said, " The moment I saw you dancing at night a few months ago, I fell love with you...but you never looked at me, you just never looked at me."
" I am looking at you right now." The Samodiva smiled seductively at him, whispering, " Was it you who lured those guys to my feeding ground?"
" Yes...I know you needed them...I just want to make you happy...my love..."
" Oh my god!" Tamsin whispered to Bo, " He's obsessed with her..."
" Good boy..." The Samodiva whispered to him while she walked towards him. She laid a finger on his face, and it made him smile even more. " Tell me, why did you kill them?"
" Because they touched the love of my life...they touched you...I brought them to you, but you never looked at me, not even once...so...I killed them, one by one...I hate them...I hate them..."
Bo rolled her eyes, and so did Tamsin.
The Samodiva smiled to the ranger again, and moved closer to him. The ranger was totally glamoured by her. He couldn't move, or talk. He just watched her approaching. She acted like she was about to kiss him, but instead she punched him on his chin and knocked him out.
" Fucking dumbass!" The Samodiva cursed.
" Wow, he looks faithful. Why didn't you take him?" Tamsin said as she stood up.
" Can't a girl at least have some taste on the food she has?" The Samodiva rolled her eyes at Tamsin. Then she turned to Bo and asked, " Look at him. Would you feed on him even when you are starving?"
" Not...in a million years." Bo shook her head.
" Well, at least he got what he wanted. You looked at him." Tamsin smirked.
The Samodiva kicked the unconscious guy on his stomach. Then she turned to Tamsin and said, " All yours."
11:50 pm – Road Downhill
The police came after they called in. They started to process the crime scene and took away the unconscious ranger. The Samodiva gave her statement. Then she was ready to leave.
"Thanks for your help." Bo told her before she left.
The Samodiva didn't answer her. She walked to Tamsin. She kissed the Valkyrie before the Valkyrie could even react. Tamsin was just too startled that she went completely stiff. The Samodiva pulled back after a few seconds. " Wow, you do taste amazing! No wonder the succubus likes you." She whispered to the blonde. Then she turned around and kissed Bo, who was also frozen there. " Woo...very sweet...hmm...and a hint of jealousy..." She said. Then she leaned close and whispered to Bo, " If you two ever need someone to play with...you know where to find me..."
Tamsin stared at Bo, while Bo stared at the Samodiva. The woman just winked at them both and said, " I've had a lot of fun tonight. Oh and by the way, my name is Kveta." She then walked into the woods and disappeared.
1:20 am – Tamsin's Apartment
" That Kveta chick seemed to like you, a lot." Bo said to Tamsin as they walked into her apartment.
" So?" Tamsin looked at Bo. She sat down on the couch and leaned back.
" And she was apparently interested in a threesome..." Bo stood between Tamsin's legs. She thumbed the Valkyrie's lips.
" Hell no! Two fucking sex demons? I can barely handle one!" Tamsin exclaimed as she licked Bo's thumb playfully.
" Good." Bo leaned close and said, " 'Cause I don't feel like sharing you with anyone."
" Well...she's a really hot blonde...totally your type...You sure you don't wanna..." Tamsin said before when Bo kissed her on her lips.
" I can barely handle one hot blonde..." Bo murmured, " I think I really need a healing kiss..."
" Why?"
" The bullet grazed my shoulder... and it's bleeding..." Bo said during their kiss.
" Sounds serious... maybe you need more than just a healing kiss..." Tamsin pulled back, looking at Bo, with her hand tucking under Bo's tank top.
" I guess I really do..." Bo chuckled, and watched the blonde topping her on the couch.
A/N: I made a lot changes for Samodiva in this chapter. The original descriptions for them in the legends are quite different. I'm not sure how they feed, but since they are sex demons like Bo, I just made it like they feed off their preys like Bo, drawing Chi out during the kiss.
Thanks for all the reviewers/readers!
