by Dannika Dark
Christian chuckled. “Wyatt’s on drugs, and if you’ve ever seen him on those mushrooms, he won’t be coming out of his chamber for a good while. He’s not allowed to record anything anyhow. Besides, the case is over, we’re all tired, and no one gives a shite.”
Aside from the cameras, I liked the privacy the garage gave us. “Maybe we should cover them next time.”
He arched a brow, clearly titillated by the idea that I’d suggest doing this again. “Perhaps a can of shaving cream?”
“You haven’t shaved in a century.” I picked my keys up from the floor and grabbed the jacket. “Where did you toss my shoes? The floor is cold.”
Christian wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me high off the ground so that I was looking down at him. I planted a soft kiss on his forehead and pinched his dark beard.
“Someday we’ll have a real date,” I said. “And maybe romantic sex.”
“Romantic? Are you not dazzled by the smell of motor oil? Besides, have you forgotten our rooftop date with burgers?”
I placed my mouth by his ear. “Of course not. I’m just joking.”
He walked toward the ramp. “Something I’ve learned in my long life, Raven, is that women never joke. What you consider a joke is really a veiled threat.”
“Is that so? What you know about me could fill a thimble.”
Christian tickled my waist and made me wiggle in his arms. “Don’t be using my words against me.”
These were the moments when everything about us felt normal.
“So how did you save Blue?” I asked.
“I gave her about four pints of my blood.”
There went normal.
Chapter 30
The kids threw our schedule into disarray. Sometimes they ate in the courtyard and other times the dining room. Due to the circumstances, Viktor allowed us to eat where and when we wanted until our guests left. I stayed in my room the next morning. After reading a magazine, I admired the trinkets I’d collected from previous cases, including Harper’s cigarette case. Maybe someday she’d want it back. Or not. It made me wonder what I’d hold on to if Christian died. Definitely his ring, but what else? An unwashed shirt? A candy dish? His motorcycle? Maybe it would be too painful to keep my necklace, a constant reminder of his devotion.
Around noon, I put on a tank top and my favorite jeans with all the holes and headed to the dining room, where I heard children chattering.
“Anyone seen Blue?”
Wyatt grabbed a leftover pink donut from a serving table to my right and moseyed back to his booth. “Maybe she had to go flap her wings. If you want a donut, you better hurry and eat the last one before I do. They’re still fresh, just cold. Ow!” He lifted his foot and plucked something off his sock. “Son of a ghost. Who lost a tooth?”
Shepherd launched out of his seat. “Give it to me!”
“I’ll give it to you all right.” Wyatt held up his hand as if making a hoop shot. The tiny tooth made an arc, struck the edge of Shepherd’s glass, and skittered across the table. “Blast!”
Some of the kids squealed, and one went flying into the gathering room.
Wyatt shuddered as he sat down. “I think I lost my appetite.”
Gem leaned back in her chair and snagged my attention. “I saw Blue in the courtyard earlier.”
“Thanks.”
I made my way down the hall and behind the stairs to the main door that led to the courtyard. Blue was lying against a statue of a winged man. I wasn’t sure why she liked such a depressing image. The kneeling man covered his face with one hand as if he’d lost everything. We hadn’t mowed in a while, so the grass came above her feet. Her tan cargo pants were rolled up, which wasn’t her usual style, but the white tank top caught my attention. Since her attack, Blue had stopped wearing tank tops and chose more conservative shirts. But now the gashes that sliced from her shoulder down her chest were visible, and she didn’t seem to care.
I took a seat, watching her spin a wildflower between two fingers. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. Alive.”
I leaned back on one hand and tugged at a few blades of grass. “I heard you had drinks with Christian last night.”
The yellow flower fell onto her chest, and she gave me a remorseful look. “I suppose that’s why I’ve never felt better. I came out here before dawn and couldn’t believe how bright the stars were. Christian said because of how much I drank, it might have that effect, but it was like seeing the world for the first time.”
“You don’t regret it? I know how you feel about Vamps.”
She sighed and picked up the flower again. “Maybe there’s a reason I’m supposed to be alive. Trust me, it wasn’t an easy choice. And he wanted to do it the old-fashioned way.”
I laughed.
Her eyebrows drew together. “You aren’t jealous?”
“Of course not. The way Christian is about his blood, it was probably more of a nightmare for him than it was for you.”
“I doubt it. I mean, his blood tasted strangely pleasant, but it was still blood. Every time I thought about it, I wanted to vomit.”
“Good thing you didn’t. He doesn’t like seeing things go to waste.”
Blue rolled to her side and propped her head in her hand. “What happened with Graham? I asked Viktor, but he said I should hear it from you. Did you kill him?”
I bent one knee and played with the hole in my jeans. “Not exactly. He tried to throw himself in front of a train.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. He jumped at the far end, so the conductor was able to stop in time.”
“Buffoon.”
“Yeah. It might have been easier that way, but he didn’t deserve to choose his death. None of his victims got that luxury. Why should he?”
She tucked her hair behind one ear when it caught in the wind. “So what did you do?”
“I took him to Sambah’s.”
Blue sat up. “You didn’t.”
I grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I did. But I don’t know what happened. I told Sambah about his son, about the case, and he understands the secrecy. I don’t think a man of his position is going to tell our secrets.”
“No. He wouldn’t want the law getting involved in his affairs. Men like him handle their own business, and that’s the way the Councils prefer it.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason to tell the other families what happened. It would cause more pain than it’s worth. Graham’s gone now, and we’d also have to admit that we lied to them. They’d be looking for someone to blame and hiring bounty hunters to find Graham.”
Blue stared at the grass. “Yeah. Some of them probably just got over the loss. They need to move on.”
“Do you ever really get over losing someone you love? A son? A father?”
She stood and brushed off her hands. “No. You just reach a point when you stop crying at the drop of a hat. When you can wake up and they’re not the first thing that comes to mind. And that fills you with a lot of guilt, but it’s how we move on.”
I hopped up and squinted from the bright sun. “Why do you think Viktor doesn’t let the kids swim in the pool?”
She strolled toward the house. “I suppose he doesn’t want them drowning. Imagine fifteen kids in the water all at once.”
The thought made me laugh out loud. Poor Switch and Kira would have a heart attack. “Do you feel like doing anything today? I was thinking I might pop over to my dad’s house and see how he’s getting on with that dog.”
“No, I’ve got something important to do. You should come along.”
“Where?”
“Sambah’s.”
I stopped in my tracks. “What for?”
Blue turned and put her hands in her pockets. “Wyatt said that before King went into the light, he asked us to take the children to his father’s house. He wants Sambah to care for them. Wyatt ran a check on his pride and found nothing. In fact, Sambah has high praise in the com
munity and donates to several charities. He’s a regular saint. King loved his father, so how could I deny a son his last wish?” Blue stopped near a rosebush. “They won’t all fit in the van, and we returned the rental, so I need another driver. Wyatt and Claude drive small cars, so that leaves Shepherd.”
“I’ve got a pickup truck. Sambah doesn’t live all that far, and if we take the back roads, I can drive slowly. I’m heading out anyhow.”
“Aren’t there laws about children in trucks?”
“Are you serious? That’s how I grew up. Bouncing around in the back of a pickup truck and on my father’s bike. That’s how you learn that when things get dangerous, you gotta hold on tight.”
“You’re the strangest former human I’ve ever met. So many of them follow the rules.”
“Those are the chosen ones,” I said facetiously, making air quotes. “I live for danger.”
“Yes, the Mageri certainly like an obedient Mage. I guess that’s how they make sure they don’t wind up with a thousand anarchists.”
“One is probably enough.” I watched a bee hovering near one of the pink roses. “So Sambah didn’t have reservations about adopting fifteen kids?”
She cleared her throat. “I haven’t asked him yet. We’re paying him a surprise visit.”
“You’re kidding. He won’t agree.”
“Is that so? Do you think he’ll say no to his dead son’s final request?” She plucked a pink petal from the flower and strolled toward the doors. “You already buttered him up by handing over his enemy.”
“Maybe you should call him first before landing on his doorstep with fifteen mouths to feed.”
“Are you serious? Those sweet faces are my backup plan in case he says no.”
“You’re cutthroat.”
Once inside, we ran into Viktor in the foyer.
“I guess I’m ready if they’re done eating lunch,” Blue said, slipping on a pair of shoes near the door. “If Sambah has plans for Graham, it won’t be until nightfall. Unless he took care of business already.”
“Perhaps we should keep the children one more night,” Viktor suggested. “Until such violent delights are complete.”
Blue shook her head. “They would never let the children watch. Besides, if that is going to be their new home, they’re going to have to get used to a new way of life. It’s not a wolf pack.”
Viktor stroked his beard. “I only wish we could have placed them all with wolves. But so many children.” He turned away and clapped his hands. “Come, little ones. It is time to go.”
The children came barreling out of the dining room, some still holding their sandwiches.
“Grab your dollies,” Viktor went on. “I have a special treat for each of you on your way out.”
They trampled each other to get to their rooms down the back hall.
Christian descended the stairs. “Are we ready?”
I glared up at him. “Why are you always the first to know, and I’m the last?”
He gave me a crooked grin. “I’m not the one who overslept.”
Switch and Kira looked exhausted, but I saw a wistful look in Switch’s eyes. He was used to teaching a pack, and I knew he’d miss them. Gem opened the front door and peered out before swinging the door wide. The van was already waiting.
“I’ll get the Jeep,” Christian said.
I tucked my hands in my pockets. “Let’s give Shepherd a break and take my truck instead. Besides, I think the Jeep has engine trouble, and I don’t want it breaking down.”
Christian turned on his heel and headed out the door. We kept spare keys in the garage, making it easy if someone needed to borrow a vehicle.
“Don’t you dare change the radio station!” I shouted through the open door.
When the kids finally dawdled back into the room, they were clutching stuffed animals, dolls, and the rolled-up clothes they’d arrived in.
Viktor called Kira with the crook of his finger. She handed him a basket filled with wrapped caramels—the fancy kind. He gave each child one piece and a gentle pat on the head before Claude and Gem took turns escorting them outside.
When it came to the last girl, Hunter bounded toward Viktor and snatched the only candy left, clutching it to his chest with his gloved hands.
“Hunter, you need to give that back,” Shepherd said sternly.
Hunter walked over to the front door and sulked. The little red-haired girl met up with him.
“I like your shoes,” she said, pointing to the butterflies on the side.
Poor kid, I thought. Just when he’d finally made some friends his own age.
He held out his hand to give her the candy, and when she took it, she gave him a quick hug, a kiss on the cheek, and flew out the door.
Shepherd looked flummoxed. “He’s only six,” he growled at Switch, who simply chuckled.
Hunter darted back to the dining room, and Switch followed, calling out, “Time for your lessons, kiddo.”
I walked up to Shepherd and clapped him on the shoulder. “Looks like you’re going to have a heartbreaker when he gets older.”
“Older?” Shepherd put a cigarette in his mouth, hands shaking as he struck a match. “One minute his teeth are falling out, the next he’s kissing a girl.”
“Jesus. They’re only six. It’s just a crush. You know, he doesn’t have to be friendless. I think it might be nice if he goes to visit them.”
Shepherd blew out a breath, calmer now. “If it’s all the same to you, I think he needs to make new friends.”
“Oh, you mean boys? Then you’ll have to worry about him lighting firecrackers in the house and setting trash on fire. Take your pick.”
Shepherd shook his head and walked off. “Nobody’s got time for that.”
I looked at Viktor. “Thanks for giving me this case. I know it was a mess.”
“You were very fortunate,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if it was a flippant remark or he was chastising me. Probably the latter, because Viktor held us to high standards. “Now you realize why you cannot choose which cases we accept. I carefully review each request, and I turn away many.”
“You don’t feel guilty about that?”
“Keystone is not their last resort. It is their first. That is the reputation we have built. What we turn away, someone else will take. Not every inquiry is worth pursuing. I am not Colombo.”
My eyes brightened. “Aha! So you do watch television. Do you hide one in your private chamber, or maybe you sneak in Wyatt’s room in the wee hours of the morning to watch Baywatch?”
He fidgeted with the empty basket he was holding. “I heard this name used before. I know nothing of this show.”
I patted his arm before strolling out the door. “Sure. I believe you.”
Viktor was probably telling the truth. He was an astute listener when it came to pop culture references used in conversation, but it still made me laugh to see how flustered he got.
When I looked up, I saw Christian scowling at me from the driver’s seat of my truck. Four girls were bouncing around in the bed, and one sat next to him with her bare feet up on the dash. I don’t know why, but I found that visual endearing.
It was a slow drive, and twice I had to stick my head out the window and tell the girls to sit down. They were older and knew better. Blue took the younger ones, and she was driving way below the speed limit since she had a baby and two toddlers on board. The mattress was still in the back, so that was likely where the little ones were since we didn’t have car seats lying around. Christian shouted profanities at two cars that zoomed around us, and it was clear he was nervous. Like me, he kept checking on the kids in the back even though the little girl in pigtails between us wanted to tell him all about why Elmo is better than the Cookie Monster.
When we finally arrived, members of the Freeman pride were out front, planting pink flowers by the house. One spotted us and went inside.
“Keep the kids quiet,” I said, opening the door. “Don’t let the
m run off.”
Christian opened his door, and when he started to get out, the little girl held his hand. He looked at her for a second before lifting her up and setting her in the back of the truck with the others.
I strode up to meet Blue, who was waiting at the door. “Wow. This place is gorgeous in the daytime. Look at all those windows. And you don’t see many white mansions in the woods. Usually they’re log cabins or—”
The door opened abruptly, and Sambah greeted us with a frown.
Not a good sign.
He studied Blue carefully. “You don’t look dead to me.”
“I’m… I’m not.”
Sambah swung a heated gaze my way. “What is this? Were you lying to me?”
Blue hijacked the conversation. “No, she wasn’t. The Relic poisoned me, and I won’t bore you with the details on how I was cured.”
“Please, bore me. Because I would like to know what could have saved my son.”
Blue gave me a sideways glance before giving him a sheepish look. “I drank Vampire blood.”
Sambah grimaced as if someone had offered him a glass of urine and he’d caught the smell. “Are you not a woman of integrity?”
“Apparently not.”
“To what do I owe this honor? I hope you did not change your mind about the Relic, because he is no longer with us.”
Blue clasped her hands together. “King had a message for you.”
Sambah shut the door behind him and gave us privacy.
“He said you were a kind and fair man,” she went on. “Children in your pride are raised with values and love. That you protect them with your life.”
“No one harms our children. What is your point?”
Christian was keeping the kids in the truck preoccupied, so Sambah clearly couldn’t see any of them. Knowing him, he was probably passing out candy from his pocket.
Blue pinched her bottom lip. “We have children we need to place. I can’t tell you the reason or else it implicates us in something criminal. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Go on.”
She turned and motioned for him to walk with her. “These kids are special, and they need to stay together. We think some of them are siblings, but we’re not sure, and there’s no way for us to find out now.”
