by Brenda Trim
“Mainly because you can’t control your fire,” Violet teased me. It was good to see she was still in there. I know this situation was killing her. She’d been the mother and father to her kids for years since her ex-husband left her for a younger woman. He was a Disneyland dad, taking the kids to do fun stuff every few weekends. But he was never there for the important events. And, never backed her up with discipline.
Sebastian nudged my shoulder. “Butterfly’s magic might be chaotic, but it packs a punch. We’re lucky to have her on our team. I wasn’t so sure at first, but she proved my assumption wrong.”
Argiess smiled. “Bas wrong? The realms must have collided and I’m in a coma from the resulting explosion. This is all a dream isn’t it?”
Bas growled while Aislinn laughed. “That’s a good one. I never imagined I’d hear those words come out of his mouth. But, let’s not tempt fate with world ending jokes.”
Violet shook her head and pointed to the opposite side of the street. “There’s a café here. Let’s grab a table while we watch the comings and goings, so we can get to the saving already.”
“Great idea. Do they take dollars?” I scanned the plate glass window and door but didn’t see any indication.
“I’ve got the bill. Where is your car?” Sebastian asked as he scanned the area.
“That’s over by St. James park. We were headed to the market there and ran into a witch that I shut up, then some imps crawled through some portal and we took off running.” I started to walk to the café and everyone followed.
Bas was growling again. “How the hell did someone travel in this dimension? And, how is it that you attract so many Fae to you?”
I held up my hands and paused outside the door. “It’s not my fault. They crawled out of some kind of portal and that one at St. Paul’s Cathedral grabbed me, so I killed him.”
“And then you had to purge black bile from inhaling his dark magic.”
Bas had opened the door and glanced back at me with wide eyes. A couple left the restaurant and moved around us. We remained quiet while we went inside and were seated at a table in the far corner, right next to the window.
A waiter took our drink order and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. Bas didn’t even pick his up. “You inhaled his essence? Do you have a death wish? Or are you eager to jump sides?”
My ire was up now. “You need to watch your tone. First, I did nothing to take his energy inside me. I fought it every second of the way. My stomach still hurts from throwing up that black goo. If there is a way to keep that from happening, I’d appreciate being told. I haven’t had time to read as much as I would have. It’s been non-stop bullshit for over a week now.”
Sebastian looked at me with narrowed eyes. “That charm should have protected you.”
I pulled it out from under my shirt. “I think it broke when I was pulled through the portal.”
“Fuck. I’ll do another spell when we return home. The gem needs to be restored or it will dissipate.” Bas had never offered to give me anything before and it left me speechless.
The waiter came and took our order. The Shepherd’s pie was calling my name. Light flashed outside and I gasped when I noticed a green light emanating from the townhouse on the end.
“What is that?” I wondered if one of the kids tried to escape and activated it.
“I think it’s an alarm of sorts,” Argiess interjected. “I saw movement in the lower left-hand window right before it lit up.”
Several men came running down the block. I also, noticed movement on the upper floors, as well. “Are those shifters or elves? I can’t see their ears.”
“Likely both. They’re Dark Fae. You see how black their auras are?” Bas ran a hand over his jaw as he watched the commotion.
The light went out the second they entered the house. There was a split second while the door was open when I got a glimpse of some imps and a big black dog inside the house.
“Did anyone see what rune they used when they deactivated the alarm?” Bas directed his question to the entire table and didn’t bother keeping his voice down. I guess he didn’t really say anything that would cause attention.
“It was a common disarming rune,” Argiess interjected. “They have backup nearby, so we will have to keep one of us at the front door.”
I shook my head. “We should stay together. It’s never good to separate when you go into a situation like this.”
Sebastian placed his hand over mine. “You’re right about that. You three will remain together. Ever since you formed your coven and shared power you are all stronger when you have each other. Argiess and I can handle ourselves.”
Argiess bobbed his head in agreement. Men! I scowled at them both. “There’s no need to be cavemen. We will head downstairs as a group. We can face anything that attacks as a unit.”
“Splitting their focus will give us an advantage. You never allow them to have all of their power players in the same place at the same time. Argiess and I will throw some spells that display our power and get them to divide their forces.”
Argiess took a drink then set his cup down. “Can you arrange to have your car taken home? It’ll be easier if we all leave in Sebastian’s truck. The more time we spend here the more likely someone will capture one of us.”
Violet sat forward. “We have to go now. I think they’re hurting one of the kids.”
We all lowered our gaze. “Are you sure? We will be taking a chance one or more of us will be killed. There are easily a couple dozen in there now.” I hated that I didn’t jump up and race across the street, but I had to be smart about this. More than Ben and Bailey depended on us being successful here.
Violet turned red rimmed eyes my way. “I feel her pain. What if they kill her? It’s tearing me up inside. I won’t survive losing them.”
I clasped her hands in mine. “I promise you we will not let that happen. I think we wait until the ones that just arrived leave. It’s our best option. Can you send them any messages? If they know we are here, they will do everything they need to survive.”
“Do you think they can sense you, too? Maybe that’s why they set off that alarm. They might want to alert you or try to escape and find you.” Aislinn had a point. Those kids loved their mother. It seemed highly likely that they knew she was close.
Violet wiped a tear from her cheek. “You’re right. The connection goes both ways. I bet Bailey knows I’m here for sure.”
“That’s great. Let her know we will be in there soon. What wall did you see them chained to?”
Violet closed her eyes and muttered the melding spell under her breath. “They’re on the outside wall I think.”
“Before we go in, we need a plan to cast a protective bubble around that area. I don’t want any of the assholes in there to try and take them out while we infiltrate their location. If we do it from outside will it cover the right area?”
Bas looked over at Argiess who nodded. “I’m going to take care of that right now. I can go in unseen and push a rune through the wall to them. That way they won’t be hurt anymore.”
Aislinn laid her hand over his and squeezed. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait. My heart is going to give out with how fast it’s beating.”
“Mine, too,” I agreed.
Violet sniffed and wiped her eyes again. “You’re a good dragon, Argiess. Thank you.”
He inclined his head and got up from the table. We watched him walk out the door. I didn’t see where he went, but I had my eyes trained on that side of the house and saw blue light flash then disappear. My heart didn’t slow down at all, but my gut unknotted.
The waitress delivered our food then and I took a couple bites while we waited for the latest guards to leave. If they didn’t exit soon, I was heading over anyway. The twins were protected and we needed to get them the hell out of there.
Chapter 15
“They know we’re here. They felt the protection slip around them. But
it could have alerted the guards about us, as well. I’m not getting many clear images, but I saw one of them strike out at Ben as he was in between Bailey and an asshole with grey skin and too many eyes that were looking at her in ways that made me want to vomit,” Violet croaked out as she held a hand over her stomach.
“At least the dragon did something right.” Bas had his usual scowl as he paid the bill. We declined boxes to take the mostly uneaten food with us. I was acutely aware of Sebastian’s presence since he kept his hand at the small of my back while we left the restaurant.
Out on the sidewalk he guided us in the opposite direction. “We need to wait for the new arrivals to leave. It would be foolish to attack while they’re on high alert.” Bas placed his hands on my shoulders.
“For once I agree with Sebastian,” Argiess said as he approached us from the opposite side of the street. I had no idea how he moved so fast. “They sensed something after I cast the spell and immediately jumped into action like a hive of bees.”
Violet cried out and covered her mouth before darting her gaze to the house in question then back at us. “We shouldn’t have taken the chance. Now they won’t stop until they kill them.”
I grabbed hold of her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Stop that. They’re protected and we will get in there before they do anything to harm them.” Pedestrians strolled along the streets, chatting happily. Their contentment tried to lull me into a sense of calm at the same time adrenaline was racing through my system in preparation for battle.
Aislinn nodded and squeezed Violet’s hand. “Besides I’d bet those idiots assumed it was the kids that cast the spell. They aren’t the smartest bunch and if they suspected we were outside they would have rushed out in search of Argiess.”
That was a good point. Argiess managed to sneak right up to the building without alerting anyone to his presence outside. It was surprising they didn’t have some kind of perimeter spell. Then again, it was located in a high traffic area. I could only hope they got a lot of false alarms for the same reasons. That would make their response time slower.
I dropped my hands from Violet and turned to Argiess. “Did you see anything else we should be prepared for when you got close to the house?”
Argiess pursed his lips. “The windows are blocked by magic so no one can see inside. I couldn’t confirm how many are inside, but I sensed more energy from the main and upper floors.”
Bas twined our hands together and tugged me down the street. Once again, we were moving away from the house. “You three will join me and we will go in the back door while Argiess kicks in the front. The distraction should give you three the perfect window to head downstairs.”
We stopped in front of a coffee shop and Aislinn snagged Argiess’s forearm. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s grab a drink so we don’t raise suspicion.”
I glanced up and made note of the cute storefront. There was a bay window with the name of the place painted in gold over it. The store front and trim were all black. I inhaled the heavenly scent of roasted coffee beans the second the door opened. It had been months since I’d gone into a place that primarily sold coffee. It brought back nostalgia as I recalled all my visits before shifts at the hospital.
I didn’t order anything. I was too nervous, but Argiess looked to me. “I believe you mentioned something about caffeinated beverages while you were complaining about what we had to offer to in Eidothea, so what do you recommend.”
I chuckled and bobbed my head. “You have got to try a white mocha latte. And, if you’re here next month when everything pumpkin spice comes out you should try a pumpkin spice latte. I personally can’t stand the seasonal flavor. I’m a chocolate girl through and through.”
Aislinn gasped. “I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. I wish I’d known sooner.”
I smacked her shoulder. “Good thing I love you for who you are and don’t hold your love of pumpkin spice against you.”
Violet, who had been smiling with us, lost her amusement and walked to the front window. “They’re leaving.”
The barista called out our order at that moment. Aislinn and I hurried to the counter and grabbed the cups. Violet held hers close to her chest while Argiess sipped his. We were halfway out the door when the dragon shifter moaned rather loudly.
I shot him wide eyes embarrassed that the sound had my body reacting as if I was a teenager again. Aislinn groaned and moved closer to him. Even Violet shuddered. When a hand landed on my lower hip, I glanced over and met Bas’s gaze. It was clear he was upset, but he always was, so I had no idea why he seemed angrier at the moment.
I liked to think it was because he was jealous and wanted me for himself. Delusional much? He hasn’t yet laid eyes on your mom bod. The heat in his eyes did a good job of helping me shove aside all of the doubt I still harbored.
It had been over two decades since I was with a man other than my husband. I haven’t had guilt about being with someone else. I’ve had enough time since Tim died to understand I am not cheating on him, but I am not dead either. What I hadn’t given much thought to until the last few months was how I look.
My body carried my story in all its imperfect glory. My stomach and breasts show evidence of how far my skin stretched to accommodate my babies. My hips too, for that matter. No one had seen the dimpled wonderland below my saggy ass.
Before I could move back to the important matters, Bas grabbed me and planted a quick kiss on my mouth. The kiss set my panties on fire and had me salivating for more. He felt the same way. According to the erection pressing against my stomach anyway.
Shaking my head, I forced my eyes away from his heated ones. I hoped we would explore that more later. After we were all home safe. The kids needed us. As I focused down the street, my heart took off like a shot. Ten guards had left the house and were turning the corner and out of our line of sight.
My body was bristling with unfulfilled desire, so I started down the street with the rest behind me. Aislinn teased Bas as we walked. “You know biting her would leave a visible mark no one could ignore. Then you wouldn’t have random guys flirting with her.”
I held up my hand. “Don’t even think about it. I will geld you if you try it. I decide who bites me and where.”
“It’s just a matter of time before you beg me to place my mark on you,” Sebastian promised.
When we reached the row of houses, Argiess squeezed Aislinn’s hand before we separated, and he disappeared in the shadows. How the hell did he do that? He wasn’t using magic. I didn’t feel any fluctuations around us. Question one million for another time.
Sebastian was a looming figure that I was sure the neighbors were going to see out their back windows. I regretted the jeans the second we reached the wood fence separating the small yards.
Aislinn was up and over while Violet and I shared a look. “Perhaps..ahhh!” The shout left me when Bas lifted me and practically tossed me over to the other side. I twisted and grabbed the top, so I didn’t fall and break something. It wasn’t far to the ground and I let myself drop right as Violet was being placed over it, as well.
Within seconds Sebastian was standing beside me and Violet was dropping down. The flowers in the pots filling this yard scented heavily in the air. We were all up and into the yard of the house in question a couple minutes later. None of the residents going about their evening heard us or came out to investigate.
When I landed on the grass, I found Aislinn fighting one of the creatures that had tentacles. She kicked and threw punches while dodging balls of light. I raced to help her and got hit in the left shoulder by a spell before I managed to do anything. The loud crack of energy should have alerted someone around us, but I didn’t hear anyone responding. The smell of ozone followed a second later making me wonder if it was the magic or something else.
Sebastian snuck up beside us silent as the night and snapped the thing’s neck. I gaped at him and watched as he dropped the body and continued to the back door. He traced a rune
above the lock and pushed the door open. His next movements were fast as lightning.
Violet, Aislinn and I raced through next and found ourselves in the kitchen of the townhome. The smell of rotting trees hit me next slammed into like a fist. It was enough to almost knock me on my ass. The space was small, and the attached dining room was empty. There was nothing on the walls except green blood. At least it looked better than red.
A scan of the nearby living room revealed no furniture either. We needed to find the basement. There were two doors on the other side of the refrigerator. The first one revealed a pantry and the second one revealed a set of stairs. I paused before going down to make sure no one needed our help.
Sebastian was at the open pass through that lead to the other section of the house fighting four creatures. I hear shouting from the front door but couldn’t see Argiess. They could handle themselves. My friends were heading into the unknown and would need me.
The staircase was a death trap, narrow and steep. Violet and Aislinn were throwing spells when I reached the bottom. There were two Fae between the kids and us. “You get around them while Aislinn and I keep them busy,” I told Violet as I added a fire ball. The crackle of flames in my palm was almost as satisfying the loud snap when it hit the wall. The Fae in front of me had managed to jump away. Thankfully, it created an opening for Violet to get by.
She took off and I called up another ball of flames. The first one had ended up hitting the shield around Ben and Bailey and falling to the floor. If that had been a wood floor or had the usual debris you’d find in a basement, I would have started a fire. Thankfully, we were surrounded by stone. Still, I’d need to be careful. Not my strong suit when it came to my magic.
I replayed all the spells I’d learned and tossed out spells to bludgeon the Fae. I was getting used to feeling the power build in my body and exit through my fingertips. I tossed one high, making his head snap back while the other hand threw one low, making his knee buckle.
