by JD Monroe
“No, but business has been slow these last few months,” Silvi said.
Erevan tilted his head. “Really?”
Silvi’s lip curled. “Seems there is another game in town. I have been told on several occasions now that my prices are too high, and my results are too slow.” She scowled.
“Is there another Marashti healer in town?”
“A what?” Natalie asked.
Silvi gave her an incredulous look. “No, they are not Marashti. Almost all of my Edra clients have left for this competitor.” She sighed and threw her hands up in frustration. “What can you do?”
“What kind of healer? Are they Edra?” Erevan asked. He glanced at Natalie before she could ask. “Other shapeshifters.”
Natalie’s adult life had been difficult. She hadn’t even finished college when Mom was first diagnosed, when the cancer ate away normalcy and spread aggressively into Natalie’s life. It had given her a tough lesson in the grim reality of the world, but it had also left her feeling capable of handling herself, like she understood how to play the ruthless game of life. But with each moment in Erevan’s world, each casual mention of magic and shapeshifters and other worlds, she felt more and more like a naïve child. She was clinging to each word and trying to fit it into her worldview before the next bombshell dropped.
Silvi shrugged. “The Edra have modest herb magic if you can even call it that. I don’t know what this is, but if you can find out, I’d certainly be interested to know who has come to town to devastate my business.” She sighed again. “I apologize. My pride takes over. I should be pleased that those who are ill and injured are getting aid. But I fear what they may be doing.”
“Why do you say that?” Erevan asked.
“I hear rumors,” Silvi said. “Back in Ascavar, there are other ways of healing. My order uses the natural power of the earth and that which flows within us to heal. It is pure and does no harm. But it is not the only way. There are those, like the Edra, who use herbs and brew potions to heal, but those methods are much less effective. There are others still, more powerful but less palatable.”
“You think someone’s using black magic?” Natalie asked.
Silvi frowned. “This notion of black and white magic is something of your kind’s creation, not ours.” Her disdainful tone made Natalie’s face heat with humiliation. “But there are practices that have been outlawed in the civilized Kadirai nations.” She spread her hands and said something else to Erevan in Kadirai.
He shook his head and continued in English. “Can you put me in touch with the other healer?”
Silvi sighed. “I have been trying to get more information, but they have eluded me so far. As far as some are concerned, a Marashti healer is a puppet of the queen. That discourages many from speaking to me.”
“Damn,” Erevan said. “If the Edra are working with this other healer, Thosrin will know.”
Silvi tilted her head. “The Crow Queen?” She snorted a derisive laugh. “Good luck getting it out of her.”
“I have a source,” Erevan replied. He spoke to her again in Kadirai.
Silvi extended her hand to Natalie. Her fingers were long and slender. “May I touch your hand?”
“She’s going to try to figure out why I can’t influence you,” Erevan said. “She won’t hurt you.”
Natalie reluctantly placed her hand in Silvi’s. There was a sensation like water rushing over her, as if she stood in a waterfall that came from all directions at once. Instinctively, she closed her eyes. With her other hand, Silvi cupped Natalie’s cheek in an intimate gesture. A crackling heat ignited in Natalie’s chest, swelling with a pressure that verged on painful. The burning tension felt like she’d held her breath as long as she could stand, then kept holding it. She pulled away, but Silvi’s grasp remained tight on her wrist. Natalie opened her eyes to see Silvi’s eyes glowing pale, as if a white light glowed behind the dark irises.
The healer’s eyes snapped shut. When she opened them, they’d returned to their normal dark gray hue, and she gave Erevan a strange look as she began to speak rapidly in their native tongue. She didn’t understand it, but Natalie knew an argument when she heard one. Finally, she interrupted. “Excuse me. I can only assume you’re talking about me, so I’d appreciate it if you did it in English.”
They paused to look at her, then Erevan continued on.
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “You both speak English. Come on.”
“I don’t know what the issue is. Perhaps you’re impotent,” Silvi said.
Apparently unfazed by the barb, he arched one eyebrow and shrugged. “Let’s get moving. Silvi, thank you for your time.”
Silvi responded by turning her back and walking to the window. Well, that was a dismissal if she’d ever seen one.
“You’re really not going to tell me what you were just talking about?” Natalie asked as she followed Erevan back down the hall.
“A lot of technical talk about healing magic.” Erevan didn’t meet her eyes. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t have to be able to hear his heartbeat to know he was lying. Once they were back in the car, she turned to stare at him. It took him several seconds to notice before he said, “What?”
“What did you really talk about?”
“I told you. A bunch of stuff about healing magic.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s fine.” God, he was infuriating. Most people would have been angry at the accusation of lying and try to explain themselves. He was unflappable, always certain that he was right. “I need to make a call.”
“To the Crow Queen?” His eyebrows arched in surprise. She liked catching him off guard. He needed the occasional reminder that being human didn’t make her inferior to him. “I pay attention.”
“Yes. Dragons aren’t the only shapeshifters in this world. The others are called Edra. Thosrin is the leader of the local shapeshifter clan. If anyone will know where Edra are going for healing, she will.” He held up his fingers. His expression softened as he put on another mask, this one open and genuine. “Yes, this is Erevan Skyblaze of Queen Valella’s Skywatch,” he said in a formal voice. “Yes. I request a meeting with Lady Thosrin today. Yes, it is very important. It does concern an issue of the law, and her assistance is most appreciated. Yes. Thank you.” After hanging up, he turned back to Natalie. “We have a meeting in thirty minutes. Here we go.”
As Natalie drove back into the city, Erevan berated himself for not requesting more time before meeting with Thosrin. He’d shaved and dressed normally, but he felt too casual for a meeting with a queen.
The Crow Queen of the Asheville Edra, Thosrin al-Nadi, owned and lived in Loft 19, an elegant boutique hotel. The hotel sat across from the wedge-shaped Flatiron Building in the heart of downtown. Though it was a legitimate business, it was also a palace for Thosrin and her court. Erevan’s pulse quickened as Natalie pulled up to the curb. If he was involving the Crow Queen, he was at the point he needed to contact Rosak. No question about it.
And he would after this meeting, but it had to wait. The reluctance wasn’t entirely his ego. Rosak would never get through Thosrin’s door, leaving the case dead in the water. Once Erevan had some answers, he would take the intel to the Tempest. Even though it would pain him to seek out the other man’s help, handing him a file with prime intel from Thosrin would still show that he was capable.
A valet in a sharp black suit bent down to greet them. Before Natalie rolled down the window, Erevan touched her hand lightly. “I want you to stay in the car. Go drive around the block and wait on me.”
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
Still watching him, she opened the passenger window. “Welcome to Loft 19,” the valet said politely. “May I take your car?”
“Natalie—"
“That would be lovely,” she said. She grabbed her purse and jumped out of the car. Stubborn as the mountain stone. Dammit.
“Are you checking in for the e
vening?” the valet asked.
“We have a meeting with Miss Knox. Erevan Skyblaze,” he said, stepping past Natalie and shooting her a glare.
The valet touched his clear earpiece. He spoke quietly, then nodded. “Please wait in the lobby, and Miss Knox will send for you when she’s ready.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Tinted glass doors slid open, revealing a stark black and white minimalist interior. Pops of red broke the monochromatic décor, like drops of blood on snow. A ring of white leather couches surrounded a large indoor garden in the lobby. Several women in tailored white suits scurried around, speaking quietly to guests and updating information on tablets. The air smelled of Edra, with a subtle hint of dragon. While the Kadirai smelled like smoke, the Edra smelled earthy, like petrichor and sage mixed together. It was a strange, but pleasant scent.
One of Thosrin’s clubs, Hideaway, occupied the top floor, and was frequented by mostly non-human clientele. Erevan had been there yesterday after Lilya’s report of two Wanderers drinking too much and smashing into the bar.
Erevan sat on a couch, keeping his eyes on the front door. Natalie sat next to him. He leaned in, putting his lips to her ear. His nose filled with the clean scent of her hair, and his pulse accelerated. Not the time. “You’re going to protest if I ask you to wait down here, aren’t you?” he asked. She nodded. He was tempted to leave her anyway. If she wanted to make a scene, it would get her thrown out of the hotel. But if she could keep quiet, there was no harm in allowing her to accompany him. “You’re going to meet a very powerful shifter. Her real name is Thosrin al-Nadi, but she’s publicly known as Thora Knox.”
“Seriously?”
“You know her?”
“She made a huge donation to the gym when we first opened,” Natalie whispered. “I think Thea knows her.”
Even better. Maybe Thosrin would be more motivated to help if Thea was a friend. “She is a powerful ally. Do not ask her questions about what she is or what she can do. It’s extremely rude in Edra society. Let me lead, and only speak if she asks you a question.”
They sat in quiet for less than a minute before Natalie leaned over again. Another wave of her clean, fresh scent assaulted him. Why did she have to smell so good? It was distracting. “What did Silvi tell you about me?”
His stomach lurched as he focused on controlling his face. “That she doesn’t know why my ability doesn’t work on you. But she’ll look into it. She said you had a very pleasant energy around you.”
Natalie’s eyes searched him, like she could smell the bullshit and was looking for the crack to wedge her logic into and pry apart his lie. She was too sharp for his liking. “I guess that doesn’t change much.”
He shrugged. “Agreed.”
Silvi had not said Natalie had a pleasant energy around her. With her innate sense of the inner workings of the body, both dragon and human, Silvi was adamant that Natalie was shak-velan, which meant ‘half child’. Hybrids weren’t rare, especially in this area. The first Exiles had arrived here over a hundred years ago, and while they mostly stuck to their own kind, there was no prohibition against mingling with humans or the Edra.
There were increasing numbers of hybrids among their people, creating another complex layer of their society as hybrids attempted to fit in while not really belonging to either of the worlds that had produced them. What was unusual was for a hybrid to be unaware of their lineage, which was why he was inclined to doubt Silvi’s proclamation.
But didn’t it make sense? He’d suspected it from the beginning, though he’d conceded that it could have been from living with Thea and absorbing her scent. But it was the first thing Silvi noticed when they walked in. Before they’d even gotten to the topic of the wounded culprit, Silvi asked if he was aware Natalie was part Kadirai. Thankfully the woman was shrewd enough not to ask it in English.
But how could she not know? And how was he supposed to tell her? If she had questions now, she was going to have a thousand times as many once he told her.
As soon as Erevan’s watch clicked over to 12:30, their scheduled meeting time, a slender man with almond-shaped eyes walked toward them. His black suit looked tailored and expensive, fitting for one of Thosrin’s men. A knife-sharp purple pocket square peeked from his breast pocket. “Mr. Skyblaze,” he said politely. His eyebrows lifted. “And…”
“Miss Thomas,” Erevan said. “If it’s not a problem for Her Eminence.”
“Not at all. We’ve not met. My name is Aktil. Her Eminence is busy at the moment. I’ll be meeting with you.”
“I had hoped to meet with Her Eminence.”
Aktil’s bland smile didn’t falter. “As I said, she is very busy today. I’ve notified her that you’re in the building, and she will attempt to see you. If not, I’ll be sure to pass along your requests.”
The man led them to the elevator, heading to the fifth floor. Loft 19’s signature bistro, L’Ouiseaux, was always on the local “Best of” list for its brunch. The price tag put it way out of Erevan’s budget, so he was always happy when she wanted to meet over food.
As they rode up on the elevator, Erevan discreetly took out his phone to text Lilya. He’d contacted her to set up the meeting with Thosrin today. In older times, she might have been referred to as an advisor, or maybe even a handmaiden to Thosrin. Lilya was usually at the Crow Queen’s side, making calls and relaying information as needed. And she could be counted on to make room in the queen’s schedule, especially for Erevan. More than a secretary, she seemed to be a trusted confidante to the queen.
We’re here but Aktil says the queen can’t see me. Anything you can do?
Lilya didn’t answer right away, but he knew she’d do what she could. If she couldn’t make it happen, he wouldn’t jeopardize her by pushing it.
A few minutes later, they were seated at a table in an isolated section, with a bottle of wine and half-filled glasses. Erevan handed Natalie a glass of dark red wine. Her eyes widened as she took it, and her cheeks flushed. Remembering his explanation of vrisadan earlier, he smirked. “You’re not signing up for anything.” Though he couldn’t deny that if he’d seen her through the crowd at a festival celebration, he would have been watching her with great interest. And if she’d brought him a glass of wine…he wouldn’t say no.
She laughed nervously and accepted it. “Thanks.”
“How may I be of service, Mr. Skyblaze?” Aktil asked.
“Erevan is fine,” he said. “I’m looking for information on Edra healers.”
Aktil tilted his head. “Whatever for?”
“I need to find out where a wounded man might have gone.”
“A hospital?”
“Dragon.”
“Don’t you have your own healers?” Aktil asked.
Erevan took a tentative sip. “We do. He didn’t use them. That’s why I’m here.”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you where an injured dragon would go, Mr. Skyblaze.”
“Where would you go?” Erevan asked.
Aktil gave him a bland smile. “Was there something else you needed? This seems the sort of conversation we could have had over the phone.” He had to be a weasel with the way he evaded questions so easily. Relations between the Kadirai and Edra were strained. Erevan’s relationship with Lilya, and by association, Thosrin, was an exception to the rule. Aktil clearly didn’t share their openness.
Erevan set his glass down and stared at the red liquid. Anger and impatience ignited a dangerous spark in his chest. “Answer the question.”
“I’ll inform Her Eminence that you send your regards,” Aktil said, pushing his chair back.
“I come on behalf of Queen Valella.” Erevan leaned across the table. Natalie’s eyes were wide as they flitted back and forth between the two men. He wasn’t one to resort to brute force often, but it was all he could do not to reach across the table and grab Aktil by the throat.
“Your queen. Not mine.”
Erevan had six inches and at le
ast eighty pounds on Aktil, not to mention a spark of living flame in his chest. But the wiry shapeshifter didn’t flinch. His calm smile had evaporated, leaving a stony stare in its place. “You live under the law of Skyward Rest.”
“Not twenty-four hours ago, I was dealing with over ten thousand dollars in damages to one of Her Eminence’s properties thanks to some of your Wanderers, who felt that destroying my queen’s property was part and parcel of their precious journey of self-discovery.” Aktil’s lip curled. That was the call he’d received from Lilya. He’d assured Thosrin the Wanderers would be dealt with and secured approval from the Queen’s treasury to pay for the repairs Thosrin’s insurance didn’t cover. Clearly, that hadn’t earned him any goodwill with Aktil. “Now you have the nerve to come in here demanding answers for Kadirai problems. Bring me an official summons from Valella, and I’ll process it as it warrants.”
As they stared each other down, a familiar laugh rang out. The husky, rich voice belonged to Thosrin, the Crow Queen. Befitting her title, Thosrin wore a black dress that hugged her sensuous curves. Her jet-black hair was styled into a neat twist with silver earrings glittering against her pale skin. Lilya walked next to her, her lips curving into a smile when she met Erevan’s eyes. Tall and slender, she had bronze-streaked brown hair reminiscent of the gold-tinged feathers of her hawk form.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Lilya said as they approached. She winked at him. “We were just stopping in to check on the evening’s menu.”
“Your Eminence,” Erevan said, jumping up from his chair and bowing at the waist. He waited for Thosrin to approach and bent lower so she could kiss his cheek with a feathery touch. Her heavy floral perfume enveloped him in a cloud. Natalie had also risen, though she looked nervous at the approach. “I have a friend with me.” Lilya raised an eyebrow at friend, though she looked more amused than jealous.
“A pleasure,” Thosrin said. “Miss…”
“Natalie.” She bowed slightly, imitating Erevan’s gesture. “Natalie Thomas.”
“May I call you Natalie?” Thosrin asked.
