Magaestra: Loyalties: An urban fantasy series

by Katherine Kim

  Matthias looked up at him with eyes like dinner plates, shock written in every tense line of his body.

  "What?" Aldric raised a brow.

  "Nothing, sir," Matthias' eyes snapped back down to the table.

  "I don't think it's nothing," Detective Lincoln pressed gently after a moment. "Do you have an issue with inter-species dating?"

  Aldric was impressed that the detective said that with a straight face, since he himself certainly seemed to have a problem with it.

  "No! No, sir," Matthias trembled now.

  "Matthias," Marc spoke up. His alpha authority was in his voice, though he kept it soft. "Nobody here is going to hurt you for your opinions. You're welcome to your own thoughts and feelings on any subject that comes up. All we ask for is your honesty and cooperation. We will defend ourselves if attacked, but otherwise you have no need to fear us."

  A wild tremor shook Matthias, and he glanced wildly up at Marc's knees again before bowing his head so low it almost touched the top of the soda can he still clutched in his hands.

  "Matthias? Talk to us, son. We can try to help if you're in trouble," Lincoln said gently, again surprising Aldric.

  Matthias sobbed. "You can't help. There's no point. I was born in the Goldfang Stalkers and nothing can ever change that. I'm stuck. Alpha Molin won't let me go." He sobbed again and Aldric felt Marc's authority start filling the room, seeking to calm the hysterical young man. "I'm not allowed to leave the pack."

  "You are not a slave to your pack or to any Alpha," Marc said. He stepped away from the doorway and crouched close to Matthias' side, trying to catch his eyes. "If you don't want to stay with the Goldfangs, you don't have to. Others have left the pack, and if that is what you want to do, you can too." Marc reached out and gripped the back of Matthias' neck, and the younger wolf calmed at the touch.

  "But Alpha Molin says--"

  "Alpha Molin does not have the final say on your life," Marc said firmly.

  "And it isn't as if you're going back to them any time soon," Aldric pointed out.

  "That's true," Marc agreed with a smirk. "You're staying right here with us, and Molin can go cry about it if he doesn't like it."

  Matthias' eyes grew huge again, and he looked at Marc, then at Aldric with undisguised astonishment.

  "Now, then. Is it inter-species dating you have issues with, or what?" Lincoln asked, gently. "Because you seemed extremely shocked that Miss Latham showed affection to Mr. Donnelly.”

  The conversation after that was enlightening. The vampires that Matthias had been exposed to thus far were little more than holier-than-thou thugs and wannabe aristocrats. Aldric got increasingly sick to his stomach listening to Matthias talk about the coven that was helping the Goldfangs.

  His uncle seemed to be justified in his worries about who was leading them. Reyher Cherro had always been a dangerous man, and while much younger, apparently, his new second in command sounded like a bigoted, self-serving vampire with ambitions far higher than Molin's simple pack takeover.

  Sandalio Conti was actively recruiting new vampires into Cherro's coven after taking his own coven to be absorbed by Cherro’s. His coven member of choice were young vampires who had an inflated sense of importance, it seemed. Easily riled up, easily led, and just as easily discarded when they were killed.

  As far as the Goldfang Stalkers went, it seemed that Alpha Molin saw himself as some sort of legendary werewolf of the 'strong rule the weak' variety. He surrounded himself with what he considered to be strong wolves and made sure that the smaller, weaker wolves in his pack 'knew their place' according to Matthias.

  Molin wanted the Frostwalker's territory for two reasons: first it was a prosperous area and Molin needed cash. He planned to force the wolves in the area to pay tithes, and the humans to pay some sort of protection money, as if he was a mafia boss from a mediocre movie. The second was simply that he wanted to live in a 'cushy spread' and decided that the Frostwalker's territory and clan house were just his style.

  "And what about this prisoner we heard about? Who is this person?" Detective Lincoln asked. Aldric held his breath, hoping that Crissy was close and that he could tell Faith that they had found her sister.

  "It's some guy they brought in last week," Matthias said. "Alpha Molin said that he was accidentally useful, and wanted to find out everything the guy knew about something. The vampires wanted to know, too, but I don't know what they were looking for. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the cage they were keeping him, so I don't know anything else. Not even his name. They always used horrible words to refer to him, never his name, like he didn't even deserve that much dignity. I just saw him once, and he was in his wolf form and whimpering a lot cause they kept kicking him and stuff."

  Marc glanced over at Aldric, sympathy and frustration in his gaze, and Aldric knew his friend was also disappointed to hear that it wasn't Crissy.

  "Do you know why they brought this guy in? What they want with him?” Lincoln asked.

  Matthias shook his head. There were a few more questions, but they didn’t keep him much longer. Aldric took note of where he said the camp was, and other logistical details so they could plan a raid, however, and felt a bit of satisfaction. Leo was undoubtedly already finding maps and other details on the area.

  He and Marc both agreed that sending Matthias back to the cells would put him in danger, so they sent Kenya to equip a room on the third floor with locks and bars, and had Ori hang out in the makeshift interrogation room until the new accommodations were ready.

  They took their own conversation to Marc’s office where Aldric eased himself down into the comfortable chair.

  “So, they have a camp nearby here, within our borders, where they are keeping a prisoner. And Alpha Molin himself is holed up somewhere close, but outside the borders somewhere, Matthias doesn’t know where,” Marc summed up once they were all settled. "Likely with Reyher gods damned Cherro of all people."

  “And the camp here has someone held prisoner, but it is not Crissy,” Aldric added, nodding. “Who else would they kidnap like that?”

  “It’s the other Honeyford,” Lincoln growled. "The younger brother."

  “How do you figure?” Marc asked.

  Lincoln shrugged. “It fits. He is the one who set Jesse Honeyford onto little Kaylee which is what started all this. Then Jesse disappears in a big fight, so they want to know what his brother knows about you all. Greg was close to Kaylee, and presumably to Crissy as a result. If the Goldfang Pack doesn’t know that the vampires have Crissy, then it’s reasonable to go for the next best target who might have information, and if they do, then maybe they think that the younger brother knows how to lure Faith and Kaylee out.”

  Marc nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “So, what are you planning to do about all this?” Detective Lincoln glared at Marc, then at Aldric. “I suppose it would be too much to expect you to allow the police to handle it.”

  “Can the police handle it?” Aldric asked. “It is a camp full of aggressive werewolves and vampires, intent on violence. Is that something the police here can manage?”

  “So, we call in a SWAT team from somewhere,” Lincoln growled. “It’s a police matter.”

  “It’s a pack war,” Aldric said. He couldn’t understand why Lincoln cared so much about bringing the police into this, nor why he was so insistent on keeping the Frostwalkers out of it.

  “It’s a kidnapping, at the very least,” Lincoln snarled. “And at least the cops won’t go in and slaughter everyone just to bathe in their blood.”

  “Neither will we. Anyone willing to surrender is welcome to do so,” Aldric argued, his volume rising. “As evidenced by the prisoners in our cells right now.”

  Lincoln leapt to his feet and stabbed a finger at Aldric. “And what exactly do you plan to do with your prisoners once they’re not useful anymore? Hmm? Feast on them?”

  “I do not ‘feast’ on anyone!” Aldric roared. His stitches tugged sharply as he surged t
o his feet. “How often must I say that? I. Do. Not. Feed. From. People!”

  “You’re a fucking vampire!” Lincoln snarled back, stepping right into Aldric’s space. “Everyone knows–”

  “Enough!” Marc slammed his hand down on his desk and making the things on the surface jump, but his voice was quiet, crackling with his Alpha authority. “Sit down, Detective. Aldric doesn’t drink directly from hominids. Period. None of the vampires in my clan do. They do, occasionally, go hunting for wild game but mostly they drink bagged blood from the supplies that Madeline keeps at the clinic, much of which is donated by other clan members who are fully aware of where it is likely to wind up. Which, I might add, is something you know perfectly damned well. And you, Aldric,” Marc turned to him with disappointed eyes. “I know you're in pain and cranky, but stop letting Detective Lincoln goad you. You know better than that.”

  Aldric grumbled but nodded. He had no idea why the detective insisted on being as abrasive as he could. Perhaps his uncle was correct. Perhaps Aldric was a touch jealous that Faith was choosing to spend time with the irritating man. Thinking about her be so friendly to him while he insults and bad mouths the Frostwalkers in general and Aldric himself specifically... Aldric wanted to snarl at Lincoln again, but Marc was watching him closely.

  “I apologize, Chief,” he said quietly. “And Detective Lincoln, I apologize to you for raising my voice. The past few days have been extremely stressful, and I am in a fair amount of pain still, but that is no excuse for my behavior.”

  Lincoln just grunted, but he did sit as Marc ordered.

  “Now, as for your question about the prisoners, that’s something we need to address,” Marc said. “I have offered several of the wolves we have captured over the past few weeks the option to earn a place in my clan, and more than a few have taken that option. They seemed quite eager to get away from the Goldfangs. I suspect that Alpha Molin has been maintaining his pack’s numbers via threats and intimidation rather than through any sense of loyalty.”

  “I agree,” Aldric said with a nod.

  “And the ones like Honeyford? What do you plan to do with him?” Lincoln asked. He glared at Aldric.

  “Likely turn him over to the police as having been caught trespassing. Or something. As I said, it’s a good question that we need to answer.” Marc grimaced and shrugged. “Frankly, that’s a slightly lower priority for me at the moment than keeping my people safe and finding Crissy. We have to end this war soon. There's been enough blood already.”

  Lincoln nodded, still scowling. At least on that score, they could all agree.

  13

  Faith sat at the kitchen table nursing her cup of coffee. The kids were playing with Ori in the den, keeping them inside and safe and out of the way of the basement door. She had no idea what was going on downstairs, but just about every muscle in her body was tight, straining to do something. Waiting sucked.

  "You get wound any tighter, Sugar, you're gonna pop a spring," Tamika teased. The woman strode over to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup, then leaned a hip on the counter and eyed Faith.

  "You're limping," Faith said. She wasn't sure she was ready for a long chat. It seemed likely that once she started, her brain wouldn't let her stop until it was empty, and that seemed unwise right at the moment.

  "One of the Goldfangs got a good bite in during the fight. Nothing that won't heal quick enough," Tamika tipped her head to the side, beaded braids clacking softly. "What's got you so tied up now?"

  Faith ground her teeth together and shook her head. Tamika simply cocked an eyebrow at her and waited, sipping the dark brew.

  "They have some kind of prisoner at the main camp. What if it's Crissy?" The words burst out of her without any permission.

  "Then we will go get her," Tamika said with a shrug.

  Faith stared at her. "That simple, huh?"

  "That simple." Tamika grinned, somehow looking both friendly and feral at the same time. "I know you still don't understand a lot about us as a clan yet, and you're still learning about us as individuals, but I'm going to ask you something. Do you really think that we would leave your sister in the hands of some thugs if we knew where she was?"

  Faith frowned and chewed her lip for a moment before shaking her head slowly.

  "Do you think that Marc or Aldric or Kenya and Ori or any of us would knowingly let someone-- anyone-- be held captive like that? Especially since we know that your sister is in more danger than an average human, or even another paranormal?"

  Faith shuddered.

  "No," Faith said. She stared at her almost empty coffee cup.

  Soft footsteps and the quiet clack of beads heralded Tamika's movement to the table. She sat and reached a hand out to Faith's arm.

  "Aldric especially. I think he'd do just about anything for you, you know that? I've never seen that boy blush before you showed up, did you know that?" There was a definite grin in Tamika's voice now. "If he finds out where Crissy is, he'll find a way to get her back for you and for Miss Kaylee. And Marc and the other Enforcers will be right beside him."

  "I don't really know why. Why does he even care? I still don’t understand. “

  Tamika laughed. "Sometimes two people just click. You make each other laugh. You help each other be strong. I've never seen that boy play so much as he had since Kaylee started dragging him into the den to get on that racing game they play. He's doing that cause she's important to you, but I can't tell you how much good it's done him." Tamika tipped a look at Faith. "How're you feeling about it?"

  She grinned for a second. "He makes me laugh."

  Tamika chuckled.

  "He makes me feel safe. Not like he'll protect me all the time safe, but... Like I have someone I know will back me up and be there. I love that he has a soft squidgy romantic side that he thinks we don't all know about."

  "Isn't that the truth!" Tamika cackled. "See? Doesn't always need to be deep and complicated, Faith. You make each other happy. And you get the bonus that Aldric will cheerfully slice a path through anyone stupid enough to get between you and your sister, and he'll be doing it with a whole clan of us with him."

  Faith managed a small smile and looked up to meet Tamika's warm brown eyes. "Thanks."

  "Anytime, sugar." Tamika squeezed her arm, then sat back and sipped at her coffee. "Now, then. Tell me about this detective that's stressing our boys out so much. He helping you?"

  Faith nodded. "I think so, yeah. It's good to have someone around that can answer my questions, at any rate."

  Tamika nodded. "That's good. It's always helpful to have folks around to bounce thoughts off."

  "It is," Faith agreed. "We just went over some basic stuff today, sort of reviewing what I already know and filling in any gaps. Ken seems to think that I've got the foundations down reasonably well. And we talked about wards. It's not a whole lot different than my shield, really. At least it didn't feel much different. But it's much more flexible and I can anchor a ward to something else instead of holding it up with my own energy."

  Tamika's brows shot up. "That sounds very handy."

  Faith nodded. "I was thinking that after I get some more practice, I could ward the Clan House and add another layer of protection. I want to be helpful, not a burden, you know?"

  "Honey, nobody thinks you're a burden," Tamika clucked at her.

  Faith grunted and stared at her mug.

  "Okay, that's it," Tamika lifted her mug to her lips and drained the contents in one long gulp, her braids clacking softly with the motion. "Let's go. You said you wanted to learn some defensive moves and now's as good a time as any. You are not going to sit around here moping over things that aren't based in reality."

  She grabbed Faith's arm and tugged, pulling her upstairs to change into workout clothes and telling several people she passed that she was holding an impromptu self-defense class on the back lawn. Within ten minutes Faith stood on the grass with a dozen or so others, waiting for Tamika to get started.

&
nbsp; "We're not late, are we, Aunt Faith?"

  The voice made Faith startle and she looked down to see Kaylee and Jake standing there in shorts and old t-shirts that looked too small for them– probably some of Jake's old clothes.

  “Rod said that old clothes we don't care about staining or messing up were what we should wear, so I borrowed Jake's shirt. His shorts didn't fit me though, but my frog catching shorts are okay, right? I get them muddy all the time!"

  "What are you doing out here, sweet pea?" Faith blinked. She couldn't quite seem to catch up.

  "Tamika's gonna teach everyone how to beat up the bad guys, right? We need to know that," Jake said. He was scowling as fiercely as his father did, and his eyes flashed slightly amber with his inner wolf's agreement. That was definitely far too adult a look for a child about to start kindergarten. "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt Kaylee or you, or Miss Tamika or anyone again, and Dad says that my wolf isn't big enough yet."

  Faith didn't know what to say, but her heart was breaking. These kids shouldn't have to be considering this sort of thing. The day those Goldfangs ran over Tamika and the other guard and kidnapped both kids was the day their innocence truly died, and Faith's chest squeezed with the knowledge that she had brought this on them.

  "That's what I'm talking about, kiddo!" Rod’s voice broke into her thoughts and he ruffled Jake's hair. The bald giant of a man smiled down when Jake ducked away from his hand and scowled.

  "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a bodyguard!" Jake insisted, still scowling.

  "Of course, you're a kid," Rod laughed. "And that's one of your biggest advantages, both of you. Nobody expects a kid to be able to defend themselves. Come on, Tamika's ready to start and I’m going to help. Come be in my group, you two, I want to have all the cool people with me."