by D. N. Hoxa
Neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity.
I cleared my throat. “Don’t look so shocked. They’re not going to hurt you, and you can’t hurt them, either. They’re just baby hellbeasts.” I went straight for the kitchen. Though I was hungry, I couldn’t even stand the thought of food. But my throat was dry and I needed water. I’d seen where Carter had taken the glass the night before, so I went straight for it.
When I turned around, the girls were right next to me, and so was Carter. He couldn’t stop looking at the hellbeasts hanging onto my clothes.
“They’re not going to make a mess,” I promised him, which was a lie, but still. It needed to be said. “But they’re probably going to eat all the food you have in this place.”
Carter opened his mouth but found nothing to say.
“Right. So, have you heard anything new from the Guild or anything?” Malin asked him.
He blinked at her, as if he’d just realized that she was there.
“Um…yeah, they’ve…um…just a second—what’s he doing?” He pointed his finger at my hip, where Milky was hanging by my belt loops and messing with the leather of my belt.
“Nothing. He’s just trying to poke a new hole. Go on.”
He let out a sigh and finally looked at me, grinning. “They’ve questioned everybody. We’ve managed to get the two werewolves they caught out. They didn’t say anything, only that they were walking when they saw the fight, and they were attacked so they fought back. We don’t know what they have so far from the other people they’ve questioned, but we’re waiting for a phone call.”
“I’m going to call Robbie, just to see if he can find something out,” Malin said and took off for the doorway.
“Mal, wait!” She didn’t even turn to look at me.
“Do you have any alcohol in this place? I need a drink,” Jamie said. “It’s going to be a long day.”
“You don’t have to stay, Jamie,” I reminded her, but she pretended she didn’t hear me.
“Where’s the booze, man?”
Carter’s grin only grew. “Right this way.” He took her to the other side of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my glass of water. Chris and the other two werewolves couldn’t stop staring at me.
“Okay, guys. Time to eat. Go eat,” I told the little ones, and maybe they didn’t understand me, but Kit did, and they understood him. Two seconds later, I felt at least five pounds lighter when they started going through the cabinets. I didn’t even feel sorry for Chris.
I went to the living area, and the others finally stopped staring at me like I was an alien—except Chris.
“They’re—”
“They’re not going to do anything, but they need to eat. Don’t worry about them,” I reminded him. “Who do you have on the inside? How trustworthy is the information you’re getting out of them?” I sat down on the couch across from him. I still felt tired, even after sleeping like the dead for seven hours.
“Very trustworthy. This isn’t your house. You know that, don’t you?” he reminded me.
“Yes. And Carter brought me here anyway. If you have a problem with my being here, talk to him. But I’m leaving by nightfall, in case you didn’t hear.”
He had heard. I was sure they’d been listening to my conversation with the girls.
“Where are you going to go?” Chris said, slowly coming to sit next to me on the couch.
“I don’t know yet.” And even if I did, I wasn’t going to tell anyone. It would be safer that way.
“That’s a stupid move, sorceress.” Chris grinned, but his grin was nothing like Carter’s. His was filled with malice. I didn’t like this guy very much. “There’s no place you can be as protected as you are here.”
I almost rolled my eyes. “I don’t need to be protected.”
“The Guild is coming after you.”
“And I’ll handle it.” Just like I’d done a terrific job last night handling the Uprising.
“It’s safer here.” Across from me, on the other side of the room, Tanya watched me like a hawk, while the guy just stared at the floor.
“All I’ll bring you is trouble. Trust me, you’re better off.” I knew why Chris wanted me here. The same reason why he’d tried to hire me—he needed a powerful sorceress for…God only knew what. I didn’t even want to know.
“You guys drink, right?” Jamie said as she came toward us, two pink-colored drinks in hand, and gave one to me and one to Chris. Behind her, Carter was holding his own. “There’s more on the counter,” Jamie said to Tanya and her friend, and they immediately went to the kitchen.
“What the hell is this? It’s pink,” Chris said, like he was offended by the color.
“It’s the best rosé vodka you’ll ever taste,” Jamie said, and to my surprise, she didn’t even use fuck or damn once. The way she was looking at Chris, and keeping her distance, I realized she felt his power just fine. He was the Alpha. I felt his power, too, but I was too angry to care.
Malin came back, holding her phone in her hands. “He’ll let us know soon.” She meant Robbie. I hated to bring her—and him—into this, but maybe he could give us some useful information. If she trusted him, so did I. “What’s that?”
“Energy boost. Go get one,” Jamie said, pointing her thumb at the kitchen.
“This is good,” Chris said, after taking a sip. “Really good.”
“She’s the best barmaid in the Shade,” Carter said, and Jamie all but burst with pride.
“Hear that?” she said to me with a grin. I shook my head, smiling.
“You should try to talk some sense into her. You’re her friends, right?” Chris said to Jamie and Malin when she came back with a glass of her own. I kept mine on my lap. My stomach couldn’t handle any alcohol right now, but maybe a bit later.
“Have you met her?” Jamie said. “She’s not going to listen to anyone.”
“She’s better off getting away. The Guild can’t catch her,” Malin said, and to her credit, she didn’t bat an eyelash when she met Chris’s eyes.
“The Guild can’t touch her here,” he insisted.
Yeah, and then he’d have me do all sorts of spells and things for him. I looked at Carter and found him with his eyes on me. Had he told the truth to Chris? About who I was, what I could do? I was going to have to ask him.
“What are they even doing?” Tanya called from the kitchen, slowly backing away from the cabinets, drink in hand. I tried to see what the little ones were doing, but I couldn’t see shit—I just heard the noise.
“I like ‘em,” the werewolf guy said, unfazed by the rumbling as he drank his cocktail. Good for you.
“Sin isn’t going anywhere right now. Once we know for sure what the Guild has, she can decide. Until then, let’s just relax. We’re going to need it for later,” Carter said.
He was right. I wasn’t leaving until nightfall because I needed the darkness to hide me, but that didn’t mean my nerves were going to give me a break. Right now, I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to try to figure out where I was going. I’d leave it to chance—whichever bus took off first, that’s where I’d go. And then I’d decide after that.
“I have a question,” I said to Chris.
“Yeah?”
“Can I play the drums?” I’d always wanted to play the drums and they were sitting right there. I needed to let out some energy and I had the feeling that would do it.
Chris and the girls looked at me like they were convinced I had a screw or three loose in my head, but Carter grinned. “Hell, yeah.”
So I got up and beat the drums like a maniac until I could no longer feel my arms.
Chapter Ten
By five p.m., Jamie was drunk. Malin was more nervous than I’d ever seen her before. Carter was in a great mood, which beat me but okay. Chris was…just as angry, actually. Not much had changed about him. And Kit and his family had eaten two large pizzas by themselves within four minutes. Now that’s impressive.
&n
bsp; Me? I was feeling a tiny bit better about myself, even though my arms still ached from the drums. I no longer wanted to throw up every time I thought. I even had a semi-decent plan of action, too. I was going to rent a car in Jamie’s name, and I was going to drive it until there were no more roads left to drive. Or, you know, until I reached a border.
Then, I’d hide out in the real world, mingle with humans, start a new life with a new identity, far away from the Guild. No more Shades for me, unfortunately. I would live.
When someone knocked on the door, I all but dropped the drink from my hand. I was drinking now, after I’d eaten two slices of pizza—one for Jamie and one for Malin—before they let me breathe in peace. The alcohol was nice and all, but it still didn’t take the edge off when I heard that sound. I could almost picture the Guild soldiers outside, in their cars, weapons raised, magic ready. The entire scenario played itself in my mind in perfect detail.
All four of the werewolves stood up, took a second, then relaxed. “It’s our people,” Chris said, and he and Carter disappeared out the doorway. I waited with my heart in my throat, hoping to hear what they were saying, but they were too far away. Even Malin and Jamie held perfectly still until we heard the footsteps, and Carter came into the room. I stood up at the sight of his face. He was not grinning, not even smiling a little bit. He looked about ready to beat on some drums.
“What?”
“He’s here,” he said, and by the way he said it…
“Who?” Jamie asked.
“Damian Reed,” said Carter, never looking away from me.
My knees shook. Damn it, why did his name have that effect on me? It was ridiculous.
I walked out of the room, with Kit and his family running after me. They’d been all over the kitchen just a second ago, but by the time I made it to the front door, they were all on my person—except Dalia, who stuck to the floor.
Chris was talking to some guy, who was saying something and waving behind him. It was still not dark outside when I stepped out the door and looked at the street. A few werewolves were there, walking really slowly as they looked at us. At me.
“Why does he think it’s okay to come to my territory?” Chris said through gritted teeth.
“I’ll talk to him. Don’t attack, Chris,” I warned and waited, my breath held, hands in fists by my sides. Why the hell had he even come? It would only make this harder for me. And how the hell had he even known how to find me?
All those thoughts left me when I caught a figure moving from the left. It occurred to me that the sun was still up, hiding behind very dark clouds, just as he stopped in the street, right in front of the house.
I swallowed hard. He looked like he’d just been through hell and somehow had made it back. I was pretty sure I looked the same. He took a quick peek at the hellbeasts hanging onto me, then met my eyes again. Then, he started walking toward the house.
Chris stepped forward, too, but I put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t. I need to talk to him, Chris. He’s not a threat.”
By then, Damian was right in front of us. The werewolf who’d come to give us the news of his arrival stepped aside. Chris looked like he wanted to burst out of his skin already. Damian looked like he could breathe.
“She’s right,” he said, and the sound of his voice danced on my skin like a caress. “I’m not a threat to you or your people. I’m only here to talk to Sinea.” Then he held out a hand to Chris. I thought he wouldn’t even shake it, but he did. “Damian Reed.”
“Chris Conti. We don’t allow vampires in our territory,” Chris said, his voice as menacing as could be.
“I’ll remember it,” Damian said with a nod, then turned to me again. His eyes were made of live colors, like I was staring straight into outer space. I looked away. My heart raced—they could all hear it. Hopefully they thought it was the fear.
“What are you doing here, Damian?” I asked in half a voice.
“I need to talk to you,” he said, like he wasn’t bothered at all. Which was probably the truth. I nodded and turned around.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
Everybody was there by the door and I almost bumped into Carter when I turned. He’d been standing right behind me and I hadn’t even noticed. The girls widened their eyes at me like they wanted to tell me something, but what else could I do? I couldn’t turn him away and I couldn’t let him get into a fight with Chris and Carter. I hadn’t wanted to talk to him at all, but maybe it was for the best. Closure and all that stuff.
The little ones still hanging onto me were very silent, and Dalia practically hopped on my sneaker as she looked up at Damian, walking beside me. I went upstairs and to the third door on the left—the guest room where I’d slept. My things were there—all the money and the clothes, just like I’d packed them. The werewolves would probably hear the entire thing, but it’s not like I was leaving the house. For another hour anyway. We still had no news from the Guild, but I had already decided not to wait. At nightfall, I was leaving.
By the time we entered the room and Damian closed the door behind him, I felt like a completely different person because I’d sobered up. I’d only drunk two of Jamie’s cocktails, but they’d gotten to my head, apparently. I wanted to ask Damian to sit, but I knew he’d prefer to stand. We both did.
“Who are they?” he asked, nodding his head at the hellbeasts all over my torso.
“That’s Dalia, Kit’s mate. These guys are Mustache, Milky, Hungry, Bear, and DaVinci, Kit’s little ones,” I said in a rush, than mentally face-palmed myself. I don’t know what it was about him that made me want to tell him everything as soon as he asked, but it hadn’t faded away. I wasn’t even looking at him. “What are you doing here, Damian?”
“I heard about what happened last night. I searched for you the whole day,” he said, but there was no judgment in his voice. It only made it worse. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Good. The Guild has your magic signature. They’ve tied it to your name. So far, they don’t know more, but they will soon.”
Goose bumps on my arms. “Maybe they won’t. Maybe they don’t know.”
“They already suspected. They will know, possibly by tomorrow morning, after the tests are completed.” What the hell? They already suspected? “It’s going to be fine, though. You don’t need to worry.”
I laughed. I actually laughed. “I’m leaving at nightfall.”
“No, you’re not.” Again, not an ounce of hesitation.
“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” I reminded him. Kit squeaked, and at the same time, all the little ones let out screeching cries, too. For whatever reason, Damian smiled at that, which wasn’t doing me any favors. He looked good, which I supposed shouldn’t have surprised me at this point. Except every time I saw him it felt like the first time. I could still be in awe at the sight of his dark hair, pointing in every direction, at his flawless skin, at his wide shoulders and the way his clothes hung on his frame, like every designer in the world strived to make them for him. It was ridiculous, but I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.
“I’ve got a plan and I’m going to carry it out. And then you can decide what you want to do.”
“I already know what I want to do, Damian. I’ve prepared for this my whole life. I knew this day would come. I’ve got money, clothes, and I’m going to disappear, and I am not going to let them catch me.” Not for any reason at all.
“Nobody’s going to catch you. This is the best place for you to be right now.” Oh, no. Him, too?
“I’ll only bring the Guild to their door. I’m not dragging them into this mess with me.”
“They already are in a mess. They were identified in the Square, too. The Guild will be asking them to go in for questioning soon, but they won’t come here unless they explicitly refuse their orders. This is a Pack. It’s one of the biggest in New York, and the safest place for you, little thief. Be reasonable.” He said it like h
e was begging me.
I shook my head and actually looked at him. “I can’t do this with you right now.” I wasn’t going to let him change my mind, damn it. “I’m leaving, and if something happens, I’ll just come back.” I didn’t want to put anyone in danger. The Pack, my friends, my brother—it was better for everyone if I left.
He took a step closer to me and it was a miracle I didn’t step back. “Nothing’s going to happen to you, little thief. Trust me.”
I wanted to believe him so badly. For a second there, I just wanted to hug him and hold him, maybe even cry a little, I don’t know. But I got my shit together real quick.
“See, I would, but then again, I’m pretty sure you’ll up and disappear the first second it’s convenient for you. So, thanks. I’ll pass.”
He flinched as if he really cared about what I said. “I’m not going to disappear, but I am going to make this right.”
“It’s not your wrong to right.”
“It is. If it wasn’t for me, a lot of things wouldn’t have happened to you. You wouldn’t have touched that amulet, for one. You wouldn’t be a target of the Uprising right now— or for the man who runs the entire operation.”
I raised my brows. “You know who that is?” The sari fae had told us back in Estird that there was another man, a wizard, who ran the Uprising, but we’d had no idea who it was.
Damian nodded, which surprised the hell out of me. “Alexander Adams. I sent the Guild after him a few days ago, and now he’s in town. He runs the Uprising and he’s got strong connections to the Guild. It’s how last night was even possible. Those kids they captured weren’t even questioned properly because it was all planned.” Shit. Chris had been absolutely right. “But it will all be over as soon as I kill Adams.”
“What about the Guild?” I’d planned to kill Amina last night, too, and then the Guild had been there, at their call, apparently. The guilt nearly suffocated me as my mind worked.
