by Rhys Rowlyn
“I couldn’t stay away from you two for that long.” He winks, grinning. “Nah, Bram called and said Nyla and Jean Pierre were in the area, something about some increased activity. I thought I might stick around for a bit until we know things are calm.”
Giles’s, Kane’s, and my phones all go off at the same time. We glance at each other, and I pull mine out. It is an alert, saying someone was seen attacking a person a couple of streets over.
“Go and I’ll let Zeke know to be on alert.” I shove Giles toward the door as I make way toward her.
I find her at the end of the bar and pull her to the side. “There’s been an attack. Stay here with Zeke and call your father and tell him to stay in the apartment.”
“Where are you going?” She grabs my hand, stopping me from leaving.
“I have to go see if I can help and possibly catch Minerva.” I take her face between my palms and touch her forehead with mine. “Please promise me you will stay in here and keep safe.” I hold her face between my hands and lift it to gently kiss her lips.
“I promise. Please be careful,” she whispers and kisses me gently.
“I will.” I meet Zeke’s gaze and nod. “Zeke, keep her safe. We have an alert.”
He waves me off, and I run out the door and race down the street to find the men holding a young half-breed who was badly injured. Nyla and Jean Pierre are sweeping the area and looking for any signs of other ferals or Minerva.
I approach them but scan the area also. I see nothing that may indicate she’s near. “Was it her?”
“No, it was a feral, and he was one of the missing men. I killed him.” Nyla points at a pile of dust. “Such a waste. She’s creating these poor bastards so they can die.”
“Why did he attack?” I squat next to a pair of footprints near the opening of the alley. They are large and belong to a man. “I wonder if she ordered it or if he acted on his own.”
“If she ordered it, then she’s got to be somewhere close. She can’t control them if she’s too far away.” Jean Pierre squats beside me.
“Do you think she’s testing the strength of the half-breeds?” I whisper to Jean Pierre, not wanting anyone else to hear. “I hope she’s not planning on making them a target.”
“Nyla and I will explore the area. If she’s close, hopefully we’ll find her or at least scare her off.” He stands, nodding at Nyla, and they leave the alley.
“He needs a healer. His wounds are too much for his natural abilities to handle.” The man holding the wounded one looks around frantically.
“Maybe I can be of assistance.” Shane, Zoey’s dad, kneels next to the young man. He has a medical bag and takes out some gauze.
The man’s gaze darts from me to Shane as he shakes his head. “Sir, I appreciate your offer, but this is going to take more than a dressing.”
I move next to Shane, gripping his shoulder in support. “Let him do his thing, at least cover the wound.”
Shane nods for me to hold the wounded man, and he wraps his neck with gauze, but I see his hands beginning to glow. The smell of fresh blood goes away, and I know he’s not actively bleeding anymore. The man’s eyes open, and he looks around, confused.
“What happened?” he asks in a hoarse voice.
“You were attacked, but you’re going to be all right now. Go home and rest.” Shane stands and turns toward the man who was holding the boy at first. “Are you his family?”
He nods. “Yes, I’m his uncle.”
“Take him home and make sure he rests. He needs to drink plenty of liquids to counter the blood loss. He should be fine.” Shane gathers his things and puts them back in his bag before rising.
“Thanks,” the wounded guy says.
My phone goes off. It’s a message from Chloe, one of the bartenders who works with Zoey: Zeke said get back now.
I look up at Giles and Shane. “Zoey’s in trouble.” Not waiting for a response, I race to the bar and hear fighting in the alley out back. I round the corner and find Zeke tearing the head off a feral vampire and Zoey lying on the ground with a torn-open neck and blood everywhere.
I slide next to her on my knees. Without thinking, I rip my wrist open and hold it to her mouth. “No. No, love. You have to drink.” Gently, I place my hand behind her head and lifting it slightly.
Her heartbeat is faint and slow. I let my blood drain into her mouth but only feel relief when she begins to suck on my arm.
“That’s it, angel. Take what you need.”
Zeke kneels beside me, holding her wound together. “I don’t know what happened. She went to the storage room to get more whiskey, and I heard her scream. He had attacked her before I could stop him.”
“No! What have you done?” Shane runs up to us and kneels beside Zeke, covering her wound with his hand. The wound begins to heal, but Zoey continues to take my blood.
Zeke pulls on Shane’s shoulders, helping the man rise. “Shane, he had to. She was about to die.”
Shane pushes Zeke away and paces in the alley. “But we don’t know what it’ll do to her.”
“Shane, I’m sorry. I acted on instinct.” I pull my wrist away from her mouth. Her heartbeat is stronger, and she appears to be resting peacefully. “She was nearly dead and wasn’t healing. I couldn’t allow her to die.” I hope he understands. I didn’t know what else to do.
“We need answers. We’ll have to use the book.” Shane runs his hands through his hair, meeting my gaze with a nod.
Lifting Zoey off the ground, I cradle her to my chest. “Then we need to go somewhere we can be protected.”
“We’ll take her to the plantation. It’s isolated, and we should be able to keep her safe,” Giles says.
“I’m not going to pretend to know what y’all are talking about, but do what you have to for Zoey. Kane and I will take care of the neighborhood.” Zeke straightens his spine, bowing out his chest.
“For sure, take care of Zoey. We got this.” Kane slaps Zeke’s back, nodding his agreement.
“I’ll go get the car. Shane, go pack what you need. We don’t know how she’s going to react to Tristan’s blood, and we need to get there fast.” Giles leaves the alley, and with a nod, Shane runs into his building.
“Zeke, thanks for all you did.” Hiking Zoey up a bit, I hold out my hand for him to shake.
He grips my forearm in a show of solidarity. “Zoey is like a sister to me. I would protect her no matter what. Just take care of her and let me know when she wakes up. I want to know she’s safe.”
Tristan
“Have you ever used this book?” Giles stares with narrowed eyes at the old tome, glancing from me to Shane.
Shane sets the book on the table, wrinkling his brow as he stares at it. “Yes, right after my wife left and shortly after a witch showed up at my door. We were living north of town, and she wasn’t very powerful but thought she was slick, trying to say my house needed a cleansing or some bullshit. I packed up Zoey, and we moved to the building we live in now. Zoey then told me the rules of using the book that her mother had given her.”
“Why didn’t you already know this?” I find it hard to believe his wife would have left such a powerful object in the hands of a child and not explained everything to him. It makes no sense.
“For some reason, Willow only told Zoey.” He rubs the back of his neck, sighing deeply. “Maybe she thought she’d have more time, and I was gone when they came for her. I wish I knew the answer, but I don’t.”
“Helloooo…” a female voice calls from the foyer, and all three of us look around with wide eyes.
“Who is that?” Shane whisper-yells as he covers the book with a cloth, hugging it to his chest.
“Hide in here with the book.” I open the door to a closet in the room and shove Shane inside. “It’s the sisters.”
“The witches?” Shane pokes his head out, scowling. “Why are they here?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” I push him back into the closet and sh
ut the door. I nod at Giles, and we go to greet the witches.
Smiling, I hold my arms wide. “Ladies, what are you doing here?”
Cara pushes past me, moving to the back of the house. “Tristan dear, we’re here to provide protection for your mate and her father.”
“How did you know about me having a mate?” I call at her retreating back, quickly following as she enters the room where Shane is.
“I had a vision, and she’s very special.” Circe pats my arm, placing a bag on the table, and begins unloading its contents. “You are also about to use a very powerful magical item that if not protected is going to draw the wrong sort of attention. We are here to offer our assistance.”
Shane comes out of the closet, but the book is missing. “How do we know we can trust you?”
“Ah, the mate.” Ciara takes Shane’s face between her palms, and with tears in her eyes, she kisses his cheek. “I’m so sorry for your loss. We understand your distrust of our kind, but we believe we may share a common ancestor with Zoey. We are descended from the fae.”
“I knew it.” Giles snaps his fingers, and I give him a quelling look, shaking my head.
“Who’s to say you aren’t here to take the book?”
“We would never. It’s an heirloom passed down from Willow to her daughter.” Cara turns him to face her, meeting his gaze directly. “We only want to put up a block and keep the power from being sensed by others.”
Shane glances at me, then back at Cara. “I wish Zoey were here to read them. I can’t do that.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ll vouch for the sisters.” Giles runs his hands through his hair, nodding at the women. “They have helped us in some tight situations and practice light magic, not dark.”
“I really don’t see where we have a choice.” I shrug, hoping we’re making the right decision. I don’t know the sisters as well as Giles or even the rest of my famille, but I do know they trust them.
Shane scrubs his face with his hands. “I know, but if something happens, Zoey will never forgive me.”
“Shane, I wish I could reassure you more, but all I can do is give you my word. We will do everything in our power to protect you and your daughter.” Cara takes Shane’s hand in hers. “I understand where your mistrust comes from, but witches are much like people. There are good ones and there are bad ones. We strive to be some of the good ones.”
He sighs deeply, shrugging his shoulders. “It’ll have to do.”
“Great, don’t use the book until we get a perimeter set up. We need to get wards in place, and also blocks to keep the magic contained.” Cara nods at her sisters, and they all pick up their bags and leave us.
“Man, I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass.” Shane rubs his neck, shaking his head.
“You and me both.” I grip his shoulder.
Shane retrieves the book from the closet and sets it up on the table. It looks like any old book, but I know it’s much more than that.
The sisters return and draw runes on the walls in the room. I can feel the power emitting from the symbols.
Cara dusts her hands off, smiling at us. “All set. Nothing should even know we’re here.”
Shane nods, stepping up to the table, and opens the book to a blank page. “What happens when a vampire gives a fae his blood?”
We all lean forward as writing appears on the page, and Shane breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness it answered. I worried it wouldn’t respond to me.”
Giles nods toward the book, furrowing his brow. “Well, read what it says. We want to know what we have to look forward to.”
Shane’s face turns red, and he stares back at the page. “When a fae takes vampire blood, it enhances their abilities and increases their strength and speed. Eventually, the magic in the blood wears off, and the fae goes back to being normal. If a fae/human hybrid takes vampire blood, the blood changes their human side to vampire, thus making them require blood but not as often as a full vampire. They may also go into the sun. They will have increased speed and strength, and it will enhance their powers. If a vampire and fae mate, then the vampire will take on some of the fae magic and will be able to go into the sun again. They will also develop different fae abilities. Vampire and fae mates are highly desirable for both parties.”
Giles slaps my back, grinning. “Damn, mate, you hit the jackpot. Sounds like it’s a win-win situation.”
Relief floods me, knowing Zoey is safe. “It was win-win no matter if there was an advantage or not. I’m just happy it won’t hurt her. I reacted without thinking, and it was killing my soul to think I could have harmed her.” I honestly don’t know what I would have done if it had gone the other way.
“I’m sorry I overreacted, but I was afraid.” Shane offers his hand and I take it, gripping it firmly. “It is such a relief to know everything is going to be all right.”
Cara approaches us with her eyes downcast. “Shane, we are ecstatic Zoey is going to be safe, but may we please ask the book a question?” She lifts her chin, meeting his gaze. “Our ancestor didn’t leave us a book of knowledge, but she taught her daughters how to wield magic and carry on as witches. We would like to know if we have to worry about the fae realm becoming a danger for us. Our ancestor was taken back much the same as your mate. We always bound our fae side and only use the witch magic, but with the threats we have coming, we worry we may need to tap into our fae side.”
Shane takes her hands in his, smiling. “I appreciate all you’ve done to help us. If all you ask for in return is a question, I don’t see the harm of it.”
We all turn back toward the book, and Shane flips to a blank page.
Cara takes a deep breath, glancing around nervously. “Will the fae sense our use of their magic, and will they be a danger to us?”
“Oh look, it’s answering.” Circe points at the page as it fills with writing.
“Read it. We all want to know.” Giles waves his hand, encouraging Cara to read.
“The fae cannot sense the use of magic outside their realm. Although, if any fae are in this realm, they will, and whether they are a danger or not will depend upon the fae.” Cara bites her bottom lip, furrowing her brow.
“Cryptic but in a way reassuring,” Ciara quips but hugs herself tightly at the waist.
“This is probably why no one has ever come for Zoey. We both use our magic, and I’ll be honest, I never thought of them finding us that way. I guess I’ve been a fool not to think of it.” Shane pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.
Circe rubs his arm. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You come from a human background, and that can’t prepare you for dealing with supernatural beings.”
“So when do you think Zoey will wake up?” Giles asks, and we all shrug, looking around. “She hasn’t cried out in pain like the others, or even moaned. All she’s done is sleep.”
“She’ll awaken soon, and everything will be fine.” Cara nods. “Have you heard how things are going in town?” She gives Giles and me a questioning look.
“Nyla and Jean Pierre are now staying in the apartment Giles and I were at. They’re watching the neighborhood but haven’t seen any sign of Minerva. She’s gone underground since we killed the ferals.” It makes me nervous because we don’t know what she’s up to. We really need to get a handle on this crazy bitch.
“I also heard Phillipe and Giselle struck out again and are coming home. Alastair has vanished into thin air.” Giles rubs his chin, shaking his head.
“Who is Alastair?” Shane asks.
“He’s the creator of my creator, and we only recently learned he’s a natural-born vampire. He’s also Minerva’s creator and the only vampire who can kill her without going feral.” I haven’t been around Alastair very often, but from what I know of him, he cared for Gabriel and Bram. I have to believe if he knew they needed him, he would be here.
“So he’s your granddaddy?” Shane pushes my shoulder, laughing.
R
olling my eyes, I shake my head and turn to leave with a wave. “It’s late. I’m going to sit with Zoey. See you tonight.”
Zoey
I feel as if I’m floating. There is light all around me, and I can see a woman in the distance. She looks like me, only older. Is it my mother? I run toward her.
“Mother?” I stop about a foot from her, squinting my eyes against the bright light.
She reaches out and touches my cheek, smiling kindly. “No, child, I am not your mother, but I am one of your ancestors from long ago.”
I look around, but all I see are clouds and bright light. “Where am I?”
“You were injured gravely, but your mate saved you. You will be different when you awaken, but it will be good. I think you will like the changes.” She smiles, turns, and walks away. When I don’t follow, she motions with her hand for me to come.
I easily catch up and walk beside her, holding my hands behind my back “How do you know this?”
“I am one of your guardians. I watch over you. You are still in danger, but trust in your mate, and he will keep you safe. Also, trust the one who comes. He loved your mother, and he will love you. Please tell him his place is no longer in the land of the fae but here.” She leans heavily on a walking stick that I know wasn’t there before.
“Someone is coming from there? Are they coming for me?” My heartbeat is pounding. The thought of soldiers coming for me as they did my mother is terrifying.
She smooths my hair away from my face, and I calm down. “Not him. He will help you. You were never to be a part of that world. Remember this, and don’t fear what is to come. Now find your mate. He is looking for you here.”
She fades away, and I’m left with more questions than before she showed up. What’s with things like that? Why can’t they just tell you it straight?
Looking around, I find I’m in the forest where I first dream-walked with Tristan. I run down the path toward the lake, hoping to find him.
My heart jumps when I see him sitting on the small beach, gazing out over the water. I sneak up behind him and throw my arms around his shoulders, kissing his cheek. He grabs me and pulls me down onto his lap, and I giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck.
