by Tessa Cole
Sebastian’s lips quirked.
“He’s what—” My brain kicked in, clearing my sleepy thoughts. My head was in Sebastian’s lap, right beside—
Heat rushed across my face — not just with embarrassment — and I quickly sat up. Hawk might have inside knowledge of my desires, but no one else needed to know them. I could only pray that once the spring fae could no longer track him, he’d go on his merry way.
It was bad enough Sebastian kept teasing me. I didn’t want to have to deal with two of them. And I doubted propositioning Hawk and arranging for something later would get him to stop.
“How are you feeling?” Cassius asked, now sitting at the edge of the cave-in where we’d entered, his breath shallow, likely to ease the pain of his broken ribs and possibly the nasty burns on his torso.
I closed my eyes and focused on my magic. It welled in my palms, hot and warm and thick. Almost at three quarters of what it should be, which was a little more than I anticipated I’d recover with six hours of sleep.
“I’m good. Unless any of you’ve lied to me, I should be able to heal everyone and have a little to spare.” If, of course, I was smart about how I used it. And I was going to be smart because I had no idea when I’d need to heal them again.
I dropped my gaze to Sebastian’s thigh. He was the closest. Might as well heal him first. He’d bled through the makeshift dressing and bandage, but the blood that had pooled on the floor beside him had dried, which meant he hadn’t lost much more while I was asleep.
Blood oozed from the wound when I untied the bandage and I quickly pressed my hands against it. Even though I had enough magic to push my power through clothing, directly connecting with the injury was always the best.
My magic swelled into my palms, warm and strong, and, while concentrating on controlling its flow, I pushed it into the wound. It slid between his cells, thick and viscous, tugging them together and mending muscle and flesh before a thread split off toward the next most serious wound, a cut in the back of his shoulder. My magic split again and again and soon every injury was sealed shut and I pulled my power out of him.
“The wounds will still be pink and a little sore,” I said, sitting back on my heels, “but I’d rather hold back as much magic as possible just in case.”
“Just means you’ll have to come back to finish the job.” Sebastian flashed me his wicked smile, making my body heat, and I rolled my eyes at him, trying to hide the fact that his proposition excited me more than bothered me.
I really had reached my breaking point, and it was getting harder to care about the fact that I wanted to throw years of restraint out the window. I wanted more of the sensations I’d gotten from Hawk, but I also wanted to be touched and kissed and held more. So much more it was getting harder to remember that I needed to be careful and not get too close to anyone who could be a potential soul mate.
I got up, and sat beside Cassius, who tensed when I placed my hands on his bare skin, probably anticipating the pain of a quick healing.
“I’ll go slow. There’s no need to do this quickly,” I said. “We’ve already spent six hours here, what’s a few more minutes?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice gruff, and he drew in a shallow, shuddering breath that did little to relax him.
Without waiting for another breath — I didn’t need him to relax and I doubted he would — I pushed a gentle thread of magic into him. It flowed straight to his broken ribs, enveloping the bones and knitting them back together.
Again, I concentrated on slowing the flow of magic, and withdrew my magic once all of his ribs were mended but before completely healing his burns. Now they looked like they’d been painful a month ago instead of only a few minutes, and if I didn’t finish healing him, he’d have thick ugly scars marring his stunning body, but he wasn’t going to be leaving a blood trail, which was the point of the exercise.
I moved to Titus next, who kept his gaze locked on the ground by his feet, refusing to look at me. He also tensed when I touched him to confirm he wasn’t bleeding, but I didn’t press either issue. As much as he’d held me after the pain of the failed attempt to break the leash spell, we didn’t know each other. He didn’t owe me or anyone eye contact let alone anything else. And while I didn’t know exactly what he was feeling, I suspected he was still dealing with a mess of confusing emotions from his captivity and recent escape.
With everyone healed, we found concrete stairs at the back of the room that led up to what once was an opulent foyer of a fancy hotel, and walked out onto an abandoned street.
Less than half of the buildings still stood and there wasn’t a soul in sight. And thank goodness for that because two of the guys were shirtless and everyone was covered in blood making us stand out.
The sun was well past noon, the day hot and humid, and it continued to sink as we made our way back through the ruined and deserted streets to Sebastian’s car. No one wanted to call a taxi — if one would even drive into the neighborhood — and no one wanted to call a friend.
I was filled in about our situation, about how more fae were after us and would be after anyone we had contact with. Cassius had sent a text to Chris telling him not to dig too deeply into the mess at Left of Lincoln and that he and I had to go dark for an undetermined amount of time.
I couldn’t imagine how hard that had to have been since that meant Cassius was abandoning his job again. We were clearly breaking the rules, and we’d surely get written up again or fired this time, especially since he hadn’t given Chris an explanation.
The idea of disobeying protocol made my insides churn, but not nearly as much as endangering someone just because I talked with them.
Hawk and Sebastian had both cleared their schedules, and Sebastian had told Nova to leave town, which was why we were walking back to the sedan. They, like Cassius, had destroyed their phones and scattered the pieces as we went, leaving us without a way to communicate but also safe from being tracked that way.
I tried not to think about how I was even more trapped than I was before or about the reckless plan to go after Faerie’s Heart. Except that meant thinking about my aching need, which wasn’t any better, or my throbbing brand, which was even worse.
It took us an hour to get back to the car, and we piled into the oven-on-wheels with me in the back with Hawk and Cassius — thankfully with Cassius in the middle and me cramped against the door so I wouldn’t have to sit beside Hawk.
It didn’t take us long to drive back to the Quarter. But instead of returning to Sebastian’s underground garage, we parked at the end of an alley in the middle of Squatter’s Row.
The Row was a neighborhood on the far side of the Quarter that, because the supers’ population was still relatively small, had yet to be redeveloped. Most of the buildings were in good shape, having survived the war like the rest of the Quarter, but had no electricity, gas, or running water and weren’t supposed to have tenants. However, those who didn’t care about the lack of utilities, or had no other choice, had taken up residence in many of the buildings.
For the most part the JP ignored the area, letting the individual species police their own and saving their resources for more powerful and dangerous criminals. But that meant most businesses in the Row offered less than legal services, and I was pretty sure we’d arrived at one such business, since we needed illegal concealment charms.
Sebastian shut off the engine and turned to Cassius. “Don’t be a dick and arrest Mavis once this mess has blown over.”
“I managed to get in and out of the market without arresting anyone,” Cassius huffed.
Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. “How much of that was because we ended up running for our lives?”
“I gave my word. I give it now.” Cassius nudged me, and I opened the door and got out.
“And an angel’s word is everything,” Hawk said with mock innocence.
“It is.” The light in Cassius’s eyes flared. “So trust me when I say if you use your magic on Amiah aga
in without her consent I will lock you up for assault.”
Hawk snorted and slid out of the car with a grace that made me shiver with need. Only an incubus could make something so mundane look so sexy. “That would require you having access to a jail.”
“Would you rather I just burn you?” Cassius got out and slammed the door, smoke curling around his hands.
Oh yeah, agreeing to all work together to get Faerie’s Heart was a great plan.
“So now you’re judge, jury, and executioner,” Hawk said. “Didn’t know that was the law.”
“Extenuating circumstance,” Cassius growled back.
“So we’re all agreed,” Sebastian said, heading down the alley. “You want to get it on with Amiah, you need Cassius’s permission.”
He did not just say that!
“There will be no getting it on with Amiah,” Cassius insisted.
Oh, my God. And neither did he!
“There’ll be whatever I want,” I snapped. Jeez. Even with Hawk’s seductive magic tempting me, I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself… or rather in my current situation asking someone to take care of me. “You don’t get a say in who I do and do not have intercourse with. None of you do.”
I jerked my head indicating they should follow Sebastian. Cassius stared at me, shocked, clearly thinking — and rightly so — that I was keeping open the possibility of having sex with Hawk, while Hawk’s gaze turned hungry, clearly coming to the same conclusion. Titus still wouldn’t look at me, and with a growl, he strode after Sebastian.
Heat seeped across my cheeks and I squared my shoulders. If I wanted to sleep with someone, I would. If I wanted to take a page out of Essie’s book and take multiple lovers, I would… just as soon as I was free of my mating brand and the risk of being permanently bound to someone was gone. Oh, and we were no longer being hunted by all of Faerie.
Chapter 17
Amiah
I hurried to catch up with Sebastian and Titus as they reached a plain metal security door that opened into a long hall. A low light coming from everywhere and yet nowhere filled the hall along with a purple haze with a cloyingly sweet smell. Cool air that could only have been chilled by magic swept over my skin, drawing goose bumps, and a heavy sense of dread settled in my chest.
“Cut the theatrics, Mavis,” Sebastian said. “You know it’s me.”
“And you’re not welcome,” a raspy alto replied as a woman with dark skin and wild dark hair barely contained by a gold multi-strand chain headpiece stepped into the hall.
She wore a billowy yellow blouse cinched at the waist by a black corset that drew the eye immediately to her ample cleavage, and a full gauzy skirt, also yellow, that, when she shifted, turned partially see-through, giving a teasing glimpse of her legs.
“No more referrals. No more angels and pretty boys and whatever the hell you are.” She jabbed her finger at Titus, making the numerous gold and silver chains around her neck and bracelets around her wrists tinkle and catch the dim light.
“I can pay,” Sebastian said.
“You don’t have enough money to pay me, after sending the JP here to make me cast illegal concealment charms.”
The sense of dread grew, twisting in my chest, and I took an involuntary step back, bumping into Cassius.
Hawk shifted past me and a whisper of his seductive magic caressed my skin. “We’d be grateful on top of paying,” he said, his tone clear that grateful meant he’d sleep with her. “We really need your services.”
“Of course you do. You all look like you’ve lost a fight. Let me guess.” She propped her hands on her hips. “You all need concealment charms.”
“And a glamour for the big guy,” Sebastian said.
Her gaze flickered back to Hawk as if she was seriously considering his offer. “No.”
“It’s a matter of life and death,” Cassius said.
“With an angel it always is,” she huffed.
“Mavis.” Sebastian drew closer to her and her gaze slowly slid down his body as if she couldn’t help herself from appreciating his fine physique and the tattoos swirling over it. “Do I need to remind you who holds the cards here? The wrong word to the wrong person…” He shrugged and the pale light emanating from his body rippled over him. “Take my money.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I want the incubus, too.”
“You’ve already turned him down,” Sebastian replied before Hawk could. “Take fair payment for the job and be done with it.”
She glared at him and Sebastian cocked an eyebrow.
“Fine. Whatever.” The sense of dread vanished, and she jerked around and stormed into a large room lit by dozens of thick candles.
Dark wood bookcases crammed with boxes and books and other magical paraphernalia lined the walls, and to the right sat a short length of stainless-steel counter, sink, and stove that looked like they belonged in a commercial kitchen. The counter was cluttered with jars, pots, and bowls, the sink full with dirty dishes, and a large pot sat on the stove. The element on the stove was off, but I had no doubt even though the building didn’t have power, the element worked, powered by magic like her air conditioning.
In the middle of the room was an intricately carved wooden table and a matching high-backed chair. Mavis took a metal box with a complicated glyph carved on the lid from one of the shelves and sat. With a resigned sigh, she flipped open the box. Inside, on a bed of red silk, lay a thin knife, a small jar with dark ink, a thin paintbrush, and a handful of coins with another complicated glyph etched on them. Everything she needed to cast an illegal concealment spell.
“Who’s first?” She pointed to a stool across the table from her.
“Titus, with a concealment and a glamour, then Amiah. Just concealment,” Sebastian said. “They’re leashed, so you’re going to need extra juice.”
Mavis’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ll need to use external magic to set the spells.” She flicked her finger and another metal box floated from the shelf behind her and landed on the table. “You’re lucky I have a full orb. It’s double for the two of them and I expect you to refill the orb.”
“Agreed, but I can’t refill it today.”
“Of course you can’t.” She rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention to Titus. “You’re up, big man.”
“The glamour doesn’t have to be significant,” Sebastian said. “Just a shift in his facial structure, eye color, hair color, and a change of his essence. A wolf or bear would probably be easiest.”
“Want to lean over my shoulder and watch me do it, too?” she asked as Titus settled on the stool across from her. “Give me your wrist.”
Titus, his whole body so tense it broke my heart, set his hand on the table. Mavis flipped it over so the inside of his wrist faced up, dipped the paintbrush in the ink, and drew a simple glyph on his skin. Then she picked up the knife.
“Cassius should probably sterilize that,” I said before she cut Titus. Given the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, I wasn’t going to assume the blade was clean.
Mavis rolled her eyes. “Angels are a pain in the ass.”
Yeah well, better a pain than have to deal with gangrene. I bit the inside of my cheek. She was going to cast a spell on me next. It was best not to upset her.
She handed the knife to Cassius who wrapped the blade with fire for a moment then handed it back to her. With another eye roll, Mavis made an incision through the glyph the diameter of the coin, hissed a sharp word, and set the coin in the blood oozing out of Titus’s wrist.
“You might want to sit,” Sebastian said, drawing up beside me and grabbing my elbow.
“Sit?” I didn’t like the sound of that. I looked around for a chair or another stool, but didn’t see any.
Mavis opened the other box and pulled out a glowing marble filled with magical power. She clenched it in her fist, the light bleeding out between her fingers, hissed a long string of words, and the weight of the leash spell slammed into my chest.
Oh, m
y goodness!
My knees gave out and Sebastian caught me. He swept me into his arms, cradling me against his chest, and I fought against the spell’s weight to regain my breath.
“You could have mentioned this earlier,” I gasped. At least the air was still around me… although it felt thin. Or perhaps that was just because each shallow breath was a painful struggle.
“I should have,” he said. He squeezed his eyes shut and the muscles in his jaw flexed. “Just concentrating on a lot of things right now.”
“Are you all right?” Cassius asked, drawing close, the light in his eyes blazing.
I didn’t know how to answer that. I was being crushed from the inside by a spell that every fiber of my being screamed I had to be free of.
Mavis hissed a few more words. The magic in her fist flared, blindingly bright making my eyes water, and the coin sunk into Titus’s skin. The pressure increased, shooting agony through me, and I clenched my teeth against a groan.
Titus also tensed, and his breath grew ragged.
“Amiah?” Cassius asked.
“I’ll be okay,” I forced out. “It’ll be over soon.” Please let it be over soon.
Sweat beaded on the back of Titus’s neck, his fingers extended into claws, and he dug the ones on his free hand into Mavis’s table. The air around him wavered, like heat radiating off hot asphalt on a summer’s day, and the pressure grew.
Dark specks crept at the edge of my vision, and my breath grew shallower.
Mavis hissed another word, and Titus’s hair darkened to a warm brown and his essence shifted, now clearly saying he was a wolf.
Please be over. Please. I wasn’t going to be able to take much more.
Another hissed word, and the pressure, along with most of the blazing glow from the marble, vanished. One minute I was being crushed to death, the next nothing. It made the world jerk, the sudden change jarring.
Mavis sat back with a gasp as I drew in desperate quick breaths, trying to clear my vision and steady myself.
