The Last Warrior: Shifters Unbound Book 13

by Ashley Jennifer

  “Doing well. Expecting.”

  Lily’s foreboding disappeared and she flashed a smile. “That’s awesome. Tell her congratulations. And to call me. She and I need to talk.”

  “I’ll relay your message,” Ben said.

  “Now, I don’t usually ask for details—don’t need to—but who are you? What are you?”

  Ben shrugged. “Let’s just say we’re not from around here.”

  “That’s for sure. You liking New Orleans?” Lily turned her interest to Rhianne.

  “So far. I have discovered I enjoy shrimp.”

  “Wish I could. I’m allergic. Can you imagine living in New Orleans and being allergic to shellfish? It sucks. But I know a great bakery just around the block—bread and pastry to die for. The guy who runs it is Honduran and one hell of a baker.” Her dire predictions had vanished on the wind.

  “If we’re in so much danger, we’d better skip the bakery,” Ben said.

  Lily shook her head. “You’re not in danger today. What I’m seeing is to come. Might as well enjoy yourself now. So much to do in New Orleans.”

  “This is what I mean about being specific,” Ben said. “When will all this shit go down? I’d like to be prepared.”

  “I’d have to do more research. What I see for you today is …” Her eyes lost focus, then her smile returned. “Fun stuff. Enjoy yourselves.”

  “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die?” Ben quoted.

  “Something like that. Be home by midnight so you don’t turn into a pumpkin.” Lily faltered. “Wow, I hope that doesn’t happen for real. Now, that’s twenty-five dollars for the reading. I took five dollars off because we never got around to the cards.” To Ben’s frown, Lily shrugged. “If riches were in my near future, I wouldn’t worry about it, but they’re not. A psychic’s got to make a living.”

  * * *

  Rhianne followed Ben, who carried the bags of the things they purchased, into the sunny street. Her heart thumped in apprehension, and she couldn’t help scanning the road for danger.

  “Should we go back to the house?” she asked.

  “You heard what Lily said,” Ben answered easily. “Today is free and clear, and she sounds like she knows what she’s talking about. I say we forget our problems for now and have some fun.”

  “But …” Rhianne drew closer to him. “She’s only a human. How can you be certain?”

  “I can’t. But hell, I’ve been facing danger for centuries. I know that when there’s a window to party in, you do it.”

  Rhianne wondered how anyone partied in a window without falling out of it, but she hurried her steps to keep up with him.

  “I have to tell you something.” Rhianne’s braid slapped her back as she jogged, her new shoes clicking on the pavement. “When Tiger took me aside to speak to me, he told me I should look after you. As though he also knows danger is coming.”

  Ben halted, bags swinging. Rhianne bounced into him then planted her feet to stay upright.

  “Tiger said that? Shit.” Ben gazed pensively across the street, studying a small park encircled by railings. “Tiger’s another person who can’t be specific. He senses things and gives you cryptic-ass warnings.” Ben sighed. “But he’s never wrong.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Right now?” Ben flashed her a smile. “We keep on having a good time.”

  Rhianne wanted to protest, but Ben strode swiftly away, and Rhianne quickened her steps to join him.

  She saw the wisdom in this approach of enjoying themselves while they had the chance once he’d swept her across the street, through the park, and to the bakery Lily had mentioned. The warm smell of baking bread, chocolate, and sugar floated out from the open door, inviting them inside.

  The shop was narrow and tiny, with glass cases filled with cakes, sweet biscuits, and pastries, many of which Rhianne couldn’t identify. She saw beignets similar to those they’d had at the restaurant and many loaves of round, crusty breads.

  There was also a line of people, several of them chatting as though they were old friends, but as Rhianne listened to their conversations, she realized they didn’t know each other at all. Strangers were laughing and talking, asking questions, answering without reserve. Such a contrast to the Tuil Erdannan society, where few trusted anyone else, and definitely no one spoke with casual friendliness to strangers.

  When it was their turn, Ben ordered what he called cookies and some of the beignets, paying again with his plastic card. He led Rhianne out of the shop to a table on the sidewalk, plunking everything down before he sat.

  “We need to eat these right away,” he said, pulling out the beignets. “They’ll get soggy if we wait.”

  He’d purchased a dozen. Rhianne ate two, still full from their luncheon, and Ben downed the rest, licking icing sugar from his fingers.

  There was something in what he and Lily had said, to enjoy themselves for the moment. If there was no danger now, make the most of the time. Better than hiding behind walls and brooding.

  Rhianne admitted to herself that it was simple to enjoy the day with Ben. He had mastered the art of relaxation. Soon she was conversing easily with him, the worry of the future forgotten for a while.

  Yes, it was easy to be with Ben. Too easy. Rhianne let down her guard and told him all kinds of things about herself before realizing it, including her regret that she had far less power than her mother. She didn’t mind so much for herself, but she feared she disappointed Lady Aisling. She’d also worried that her lack of power might have begun the wedge between her father and mother.

  “Nah,” Ben said. “Lots of kids think their parents’ breakup is their fault, but they’re wrong. When a couple is that unhappy, it’s about a hell of a lot more than what the children were doing.”

  “I know that intellectually.” Rhianne tapped her temple, then touched her chest. “But in here, I’m still the child who saw their incredulity when I couldn’t perform the smallest of magical tasks without effort.”

  “Again, not your fault. Magical ability is born into you. They should blame their own genetics, not you.”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  “It is true. Now, no more depressing talk. Cookie?” Ben held up a biscuit studded with bits of chocolate.

  Rhianne smiled and accepted.

  * * *

  It seemed as though no time had passed before twilight fell. Ben and Rhianne had walked everywhere, listening to street musicians, buying more trinkets, stopping for coffee and then a beer. After the ale, Ben took Rhianne to another restaurant, this one dark and elegant. He knew the person at the door here too, a man this time, and they were brought to a candle-lit table in the back.

  After more incredible food, Ben led her to another shop, but instead of going inside, he took the stairs to the floor above it, balancing the bags.

  “I rented a storage room up here.” He pulled keys from his front pocket. “I want to stash our stuff before we go dancing. We’ll pick it up again after.”

  “Go dancing?”

  “You know. At a club. Not a Shifter one, though. I can’t imagine what would happen if I brought in a Tuil Erdannan. They’d scent Faerie on you before you got in the door and all hell would break loose. I mean, all Shifters would break loose. Best not to risk it.”

  Ben ushered her into a basic room with four walls and a high window. Shelves lined the walls, holding opaque boxes with colorful lids.

  “What is all this?” Rhianne asked in curiosity.

  Ben set the packages of things they’d bought in a vacant space and opened the nearest box to show her. “Things I’ve collected over the years. Should probably get rid of most of it.”

  He pulled out a smaller box and removed the lid. Inside lay a string of diamonds surrounding a glittering, blood-red stone that had to be a ruby.

  Rhianne stared in astonishment and brushed the necklace with a shaking finger. The stones were cold, belying the fire they held.

  “Where on earth
did you find this?”

  Ben shrugged. “Russia. The empress gave it to me, oh, two hundred fifty years ago? Catherine, her name was.”

  Rhianne had no idea where Russia was or who its empress had been, but she did know that this necklace must be worth much. “You keep this, in here, in a box?” She glanced at the worn room and the door that had only one small lock.

  “Why not?” Ben tucked the necklace away and the room lost color. “Who would look for something like that in here? Besides, no one crosses the threshold that I don’t want to.”

  “You’ve warded it?” Rhianne scanned the walls but saw no sign of magic sigils, visible or hidden.

  “Not really. There’s a ley line under the shop downstairs I tap into to cast a glam. Humans ignore this place. So do Shifters, come to think of it. Not that they’d invade my privacy. Shifters respect other people’s stuff.”

  Rhianne regarded the boxes with new respect as Ben opened another one.

  “Here we go.” He lifted out a string of tiny sapphires that flashed in the wan light. “Wear this tonight.”

  Rhianne blinked. The stones were a deep blue that would go perfectly with her tunic. “Are you sure?”

  “Why not?” Ben turned her around and draped the necklace across her chest, his fingers warm as he fastened the catch. He turned her around again, studying her with flattering intensity. “Perfect.”

  Rhianne tried not to wilt in too much pleasure—at the gift, his touch, his admiring gaze. She kept her knees from bending and managed to thank him with dignity.

  Ben waved her thanks aside and led her out. He snapped off the light and shut the door, locking it with a small key.

  By the time they emerged it was fully dark, but the streets were bright, the city more alive than it had been during the day. Bands played on almost every corner, and flashing lights enticed attention. Rhianne glanced into one open door they passed to see a human woman in very little clothing dancing on a raised platform in the middle of the room. The patrons at tables were eating and drinking as though this was nothing extraordinary.

  Ben caught her hand. “Not far now.”

  Rhianne pulled her attention from the dancer and hurried beside him. “Are all human cities like this?”

  Ben laughed. “No, sweetheart. New Orleans is unique. Probably a good thing.”

  He guided her around a few more corners and halted before a brick building from which people spilled into the street. The large man at the door hailed them as they approached.

  “Ben! How you doing? Thought you’d gone forever.” He caught Ben’s hand in a clasp and thumped his shoulder.

  Ben returned the handgrip enthusiastically. “Work. You know how it is. Can you squeeze us in?”

  “You? Of course. Come on in. Good evening, miss.” He gave Rhianne a cordial nod, his gaze swiveling back to Ben, brows rising.

  Another person who assumed she and Ben were in a relationship. That should bother Rhianne, but for some reason, she didn’t mind.

  Loud, thumping music met her ears as they stepped inside the building. The bass notes throbbed through her body, an entity of sound. She’d never heard the like.

  Ben took her hand and steered her around tables to an empty one. A wave of his fingers brought a waitress to them, and a moments later, she cheerfully deliver two chilled bottles of ale.

  “You want something else?” Ben asked Rhianne over the music. “Wine, whiskey, martini?”

  Rhianne lifted the bottle. “Thank you, but no. I like the ale.” They sipped, Rhianne appreciating the cool liquid after their walk.

  The music was compelling. Men and women gyrated with each other, but young women also danced together, and young men danced by themselves, showing off like cocks in a barnyard. Rhianne laughed as she watched them, her feet tapping. She loved to dance.

  “Want to?” Ben gestured at the floor.

  “Indeed.”

  Rhianne rose eagerly, and soon they were in the midst of the bouncing, pulsating humans enjoying the hell out of the night.

  Rhianne had no idea how humans danced. She had been trained in the stately art of grand pavanes and the brisker galliards, but she’d also learned folk dancing from the staff in her mother’s house when she’d been a girl. She and the staff had kept this a secret from Lady Aisling.

  The music seemed to suit the folk dancing. There was no room for high kicks, but the beat was fast enough for jumping footwork and twirls. Ben wouldn’t know these dances, but in them, the man often acted as an anchor for the lady’s antics.

  Rhianne began the so-familiar movements: heel and toe, rapid switch to the other foot, heel and toe, jump, her feet flashing as they crossed back and forth. Ben started to laugh.

  He swung her around in a circle, then he began footwork that was just as boisterous and complex. The music wrapped Rhianne, filling her with its vibrations and repetitive sounds. It urged her to make the folk dance’s steps jerkier, integrating pauses and stops. The sapphire necklace bounced against her chest, glittering like stars under the club’s lights.

  A young woman near her jumped and gyrated in a crazed way, her arms going in and out, her rhythm perfect. Rhianne imitated her, weaving the moves into the Tuil Erdannan dance.

  Ben ceased being the easygoing, laidback man who’d wandered the streets with her today and transformed into a dancer. He rolled arms and shoulders, spun in place, and undulated like a snake. His moves were charged with sensuality, smoldering the air.

  Rhianne’s heart beat faster, and not simply from the energetic dance. Ben kept his allure dampened, but all day Rhianne had felt a pull toward him. Had since he’d lifted her from the horrible cell.

  Maybe she was becoming infatuated with him because he’d rescued her. And showed her his world, showering her with gifts and wonderful food, hovering protectively near her.

  Could be.

  At the moment, reasons didn’t matter. She tossed off her usual caution and reticence to enjoy dancing with a gorgeous man who had the strength of a dozen.

  Ben caught her gaze, his eyes warm, his hands in hers solid. The heat of him flowed all the way inside her, winding around her heart.

  * * *

  As Rhianne’s body flowed and wove in the patterns of her impromptu dance, Ben was enchanted. The haughty Tuil Erdannan would never look twice at his kind, yet here and now, that didn’t matter. They weren’t goblin and Tuil Erdannan but Ben and Rhianne, far from anyplace that cared about such things.

  Ben took her hand and spun her, space on the dance floor opening for them. She swung back into Ben’s arms, where they swayed together, Rhianne naturally graceful.

  Their otherworldly dancing attracted attention. Soon Ben and Rhianne were in the midst of an appreciative crowd who punched the air to indicate their approval. Some couples tried to imitate their moves, with mixed success.

  Ben and Rhianne got separated, she cut off from him by the wild dancers. Before Ben could reach her, a curvy woman with hair a mixture of blond and brown with golden-brown eyes gyrated next to Rhianne.

  “Hey, I have pants just like those.” She pointed to Rhianne’s leg-hugging leather with the pink rhinestone-studded seams. “Wait a minute. Those are my pants.” Jaycee Bordeaux growled, her eyes slitting to those of her leopard. “What the hell are you doing in my clothes?” She sniffed, and rage changed her fingers to claws. “Fae.”

  Chapter Eight

  Ben broke through the dancers between him and Rhianne, reaching for Jaycee’s paw as it went for Rhianne’s face. Before he could reach her, Rhianne gripped Jaycee’s wrist with a swiftness that stunned him.

  “Are you Jaycee?” Rhianne shouted to her.

  Jaycee caught sight of Ben as he landed next to Rhianne. “Shit.” Ben watched her deliberately calm the leopard, her hands and eyes returning to human shape. “You’re her?”

  Rhianne carefully let her go. “I’m—”

  Ben stopped her words with his fingers on her lips. Couldn’t be too careful with info in here. Many hum
ans worked for the hoch alfar, rogue Shifters, and who knew who else.

  Jaycee’s face was red under the dance floor’s flashing lights. “Sorry,” she said. “Sometimes I strike before I think.”

  Ben gently removed his fingers from Rhianne’s soft, warm mouth, and Rhianne gave Jaycee a gracious nod.

  “Quite all right,” Rhianne said. “I’d be incensed if I saw an unknown woman in my clothing.”

  “Incensed?” Jaycee’s smile flashed. “That’s a good word.”

  “Where’s your other half?” Ben asked her.

  Jaycee rolled her eyes. “Charming people at the bar. Or he thinks he’s charming them.”

  Rhianne’s gaze went to Jaycee’s throat, which did not bear the Collar that Dylan and Liam had worn, or even a fake one like Tiger’s. Ben saw her curiosity, but this was not the place to discuss such things.

  “Should we go somewhere quieter to talk?” he suggested to Jaycee.

  Jaycee sent him an incredulous look. “Right now? When your dance moves are so hot? I say we party a little longer. You with me?” She transferred her attention to Rhianne, her instinctive fury forgotten.

  Rhianne shot a quick glance at Ben, as though soliciting his opinion.

  “Why not?” Ben said. The psychic Lily had told them they had nothing to fear tonight, and Ben believed her.

  Rhianne nodded her acceptance, and Jaycee spun to put herself next to Rhianne.

  “Sweet. Teach me some of that, will you?”

  Rhianne began to dance again, hesitant at first. But Jaycee, though she could be a deadly enemy, was also a fast friend and protector. She was a tracker, which meant she guarded her Shiftertown leader and his family, doing whatever it took to defend their group. She could fight better than many male Shifters Ben knew, and her skills had only sharpened after she and Dimitri had their cub, a cute little guy called Lucas.

  Jaycee studied Rhianne’s flurried footwork and began to copy it. She was a great dancer—her leopard had swiftness and grace—and soon she was hopping from foot to foot in exact time with Rhianne.