“Any wedding of yours is bound to be a catastrophe,” she announced. “I hope you’ll serve popcorn.”
Painfully aware she was right, and what I had cost those closest to me, I gave the ceiling my full attention to prevent my eyes from overflowing.
“Grier is worth it.” Linus crossed to me, sank his fingers in my hair, and held on tight. “She always puts others first and never asks for anything in return.” Warmth suffused his features. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.”
“That’s because your blood is pooling in your lap.” Mary Alice snorted a laugh. “You think I can’t spot the resemblance between those doodles in your sketchbook and her? I’m old, but I’m not blind. The second I saw her with my own two eyes, I knew it was over. All I had to do was look at your face to tell you’d walk into traffic for her.” She flicked me a glance. “I’m glad she’s a goner too. Otherwise, we would be having a very different conversation. I wouldn’t allow just anyone to marry my protégé, you understand?”
Grateful I didn’t have to hear that talk given the course of this one, I asked, “We have your blessing?”
“I might as well give you my stamp of approval.” She mimed the action. “You’d marry him anyway.”
“I love him,” I ventured. “If that helps.”
“I can tell.” She shook her head. “That night he dragged you through here, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. He’s got a nice ass if you like pancakes, but it wasn’t butter you wanted to pat.”
Unable to look her in the eye, I dropped my face into my hands. “I need to use the little girls’ room.”
“Sheesh.” Mary Alice folded her arms across her chest. “You socialites are so fragile.”
“The bathroom is the second door on the right.” Linus released me with reluctance. “I’ll walk Mary Alice out.”
“Thanks for your hospitality,” I murmured, happy to make my escape.
On the way, he began quizzing her on what chatter had reached Atlanta and beyond about Savannah’s troubles, no doubt plotting ways to spin the news to our advantage.
Behind the closed bathroom door, I shut my eyes and counted to ten.
The knocks at my back came right on time.
“I died of embarrassment,” I called. “Invitations to my funeral will be delivered shortly.”
The soft laughter brushing against the other side of the door lured me out despite my stinging cheeks. I couldn’t resist Linus when all the masks fell away, and I saw the man I was going to spend the rest of my very long life with.
“You look good for a recently deceased.”
“Mary Alice doesn’t like me.” The whine in my voice annoyed me. I ought to be used to my outsider status by now. There was no point in trying to impress folks this late in the game. “She’s not thrilled we’re getting married.” I tapped his finger. “And she made fun of your ring.”
“You put that ring on my finger.” He looked at it, really looked at it, like he worried it might have been his imagination when I could have told him he never would have pictured an engagement ring like that one. “Nothing else matters.”
“You’re right.” A smile curled my lips. “You’re mine. That’s all that counts.”
But I was going to buy him a decent ring the first chance I got, even if it meant knocking him out with a sigil to pry this one off his finger.
A familiar ringtone interrupted my plotting, and I waited for Linus to answer.
“Midas,” he said for my benefit. “Lethe mentioned you would be joining us.”
A knock rang through the suite, and I frowned toward the entryway. “I’ll get it.”
No sooner had I opened the door than a muscular arm shot through the gap and made me gasp. I caught the thick wrist, twisting into a hold designed to take down larger opponents, before my brain registered the network of crosshatched scars. I slammed Midas face-first against the wall then yelped and jumped backward, tucking my hands under my armpits like they had minds of their own.
“What the heck?” I glowered at him. “I could have hurt you.”
The spun-gold hair that had given him his name fell into vibrant aquamarine eyes that showed amusement mingled with pride, a definite upgrade from the sorrow that crept into them when he thought no one was looking. “Just checking to see if you and Lethe do more than eat takeout and…well…eat takeout.”
“We train.” I anchored my hands at my hips. “She works me harder than you ever did.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Pocketing his phone, he invited himself in. “I came to tell you in person that I can’t go to Raleigh with you.”
“We’ll be fine on our own,” I assured him. “Lethe was being overprotective by asking you.”
“Grier, I know what’s happening in Savannah. I can’t keep secrets from my alpha, not ones that involve my sister. That means Mom knows too.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Until and unless Lethe returns to Atlanta, I’m the stand-in. With the true heir in Savannah, knee-deep in vampires, Mom won’t let me leave. She’s made it clear I’m to remain within the city limits, and I can’t break her commands. It’s not a matter of choosing her over you, I mean I physically can’t disobey a direct order.”
The Atlanta pack was a meld of fae gwyllgi and warg genes. Their Faerie origins were ancient history, meaning they had more warg DNA than fae, and their pack hierarchy borrowed heavily from that culture, but they definitely had their own unique quirks.
“We don’t want to put you in an awkward position.” I indicated a couch where he could sit. “Linus and I can go on alone. An escort to meet with your mom, however...”
“You can’t afford to appear weak in front of Mom if you expect her to offer you aid,” he said grimly. “If I escort you, it sends the message that you’re prey in need of protection.”
“Oh.” I had to restrain myself from smacking my forehead. “I should have thought of that.”
“Just because Mom doesn’t recognize our bond doesn’t make it any less tangible to me.” He dropped onto the sofa with a grimace. “You’re pack, Grier. I won’t let you face this alone. Lethe and Hood would kill me if I wimped out and tried.” Amusement surfaced when he glanced up at me. “That’s why I brought an old friend.”
“Your old friend or my old friend?” I eyed the door. “I didn’t see anyone else in the hall.”
Granted, the design punched you in the face each time you looked at it, so you had to wait for your double vision to clear before taking in any new details.
“See for yourself.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Go on.”
After squaring my shoulders, I approached the door and—almost took a boot to the face.
“Taz.” Luckily, instinct took over, and I ducked before kissing her tread hello. “You’re here.”
“I got you into this mess.” Her grin was just as crazed as I remembered. “I’m here to get you out of it.”
“I got you into this mess,” I corrected her, too afraid of what she might do to me if I risked hugging her. “The Marchands put a price on your head. You never would have crossed paths with them if not for me.”
“Evil Twin attempted to murder me.” A spark of anger flashed in her eyes. “I’m sorry Good Twin has her lace panties in a wad over it, but her sister deserved what she got and then some.”
Setting aside my excitement to see her, I had to give it to her straight. “You’re not going with us.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not. It’s dangerous enough for Linus and me, but it would be a suicide mission for you.”
“We’re having her glamoured,” Midas volunteered. “I have a distant relative who specializes in tailoring appearances. The disguise will hold until she releases it.”
“Glamoured.” A trick of the fae to alter a person, place, or thing’s appearance. “I see.”
Just how many distant relatives the Atlanta pack sheltered made me ner
vous. The only one I had met so far was Shane Doherty, and Lacroix killed him. One minute, an ancient power. The next, an empty shell. Society members in good standing weren’t supposed to intermingle with fae, but thanks to the Marchands, Taz was a dead woman walking. She could afford to bend the rules.
“Take a good look.” Taz framed her face with her hands. “This might be the last time you see this mug.”
A ripple of shock fluttered through me. “You would keep the disguise?”
“I’m tired of hiding. It’s not in my nature. This is a second chance at life. A new life. Free of baggage from the old one.” Lower, she confessed, “I would be a fool not to take it. Without Midas brokering the deal, I could never afford it.”
The sentiment mirrored Amelie’s so clearly, I was forced to admit I might have judged my old friend harshly. Taz was a soldier. She had done her duty, and it cost her. Amelie had brought misfortune on herself, but who was I to judge who got handed a second chance? Who was I to deem one person worthy over another? The very nature of a second chance dictated it should go to someone, not necessarily worthier, but more determined not to repeat past mistakes.
“I’ll cover the expense.” It was the least I could do. “Whatever it costs, I’ll pay.”
“No,” he said solemnly. “You won’t.” He stood before I could protest. “Fae have no use for cash. She won’t charge Taz a sum. She’ll ask for something only Taz can offer.” A frown wilted his full lips. “I wish there was another way, but big magic requires big sacrifice.”
“All right.” I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t fight him on that point. I had no clue what fae bargains entailed. All I knew was I didn’t know enough to make one. “I’ll wish you luck then.”
“I’ll bring her back to you in one piece,” he promised. “We better go.” He caught Taz’s eye, and she headed to the door where he hesitated. “I’m trusting you not to share this information with anyone. The pack is…” He flattened his lips. “Losing Shane hurt. We can’t risk any of our kin. There aren’t many of them left.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Inadequate, as always. No words held the power to soften death. “I didn’t know him well, but he was a fascinating man, and a kind one.”
Expression tight, Midas nodded then joined Taz in the hall and closed the door behind them.
“I don’t like this.” I cut Linus a look. “Not even a little.”
“Taz will do what Taz wants to do.” He crossed to me and rubbed my shoulders. “She’s a stubborn woman. That’s why you two understand each other so well.”
“Hmph.” I swatted his hands. “I’m not stubborn.”
The barest edges of his lips curled. “Of course not.”
“What’s next on the agenda? A trip to the mall? The corner pharmacy?”
We had hours left to burn, and I was too pumped to sit around and wait for them to crawl past.
“Our wardrobe should be arriving tonight via courier, coordinating luggage as well.” He absorbed my shock with amusement. “Neely handled the details. For both of us.”
“I didn’t realize he was already on the clock.” I massaged my forehead. “This is too bizarre.”
Human friends helping in necromancer business. The Grande Dame would have kittens when she found out that I had brought so many into my household, including one poached from her payroll.
“The best employees do their jobs without having been asked.” He kissed my temple. “He’s in his element.”
“He does love to shop.” And he had a great eye for fashion. “I don’t want to see the receipts, though.”
Initiating him into our world meant he was aware how deep my pockets reached these days. Neely had excellent, and therefore expensive, taste. Given cart blanche, I could only imagine the hurting he had put on my bank account, and I preferred to keep it there—in my imagination.
“His only complaint was not being able to accessorize you in person before you face the Marchands.”
“What about toiletries?”
“Those should come in separate orders as well. He sent cosmetics he deemed foolproof as well as our preferred shampoos and such.”
A frown gathered across my forehead. “I don’t have a preferred shampoo.”
“Apparently you do now.”
“I was fine stealing yours.”
“You’re Dame Woolworth.” His cool fingers skated across my cheek. “You need to look the part.”
“I’m not a fan of masks.”
“I know.” His expression shuttered. “But, with the Society, they’re necessary.”
“As long as we don’t wear them when we’re together, I can deal.” I tapped his chin until he looked at me. “The Society can see what it wants, as long as I get to see it all.”
“No,” he corrected me solemnly, “the Society can see what we choose to show them.”
Understanding creeped in, a warm flutter in my chest. “They don’t get to see us.”
The tentative smile hanging on his mouth told me, ring or not, he wasn’t convinced this was real. I worried that was why he didn’t want to show our true faces to our peers. He might fear what I felt for him wouldn’t stand up to their intense scrutiny. Rumors and speculation would chip away at him, at his confidence. Better to show them a united, if false, front so any cruel jabs would slide right off him.
Oh, Linus.
At this rate, I might have to commit to something as permanent as ink to show him how I felt. The proposal hadn’t done the job if he still doubted me. Us. Though, as everyone and their momma was quick to point out, that might be the fault of the ring. It proved the decision had been a spur-of-the-moment reaction, not what it should have been—a carefully planned occasion.
Hmm. He wasn’t the only one capable of making grand gestures. Maybe it was time I showed him his worth to me in a language he spoke fluently—currency. You can’t buy love, but perhaps his upbringing required me to take an uncomfortable step into debt to show him, in all ways, he was mine. Forever.
“It sounds like Neely has everything handled.” At this rate, I would owe him a bonus soon. “What’s left for us to do?”
Our rendezvous with Tisdale was at eight the following morning, since gwyllgi tended to keep a diurnal rather than nocturnal schedule.
“I have a meeting with my team.”
“Ah.” I scanned the room, already searching for something to do until he or Taz returned. “I should have anticipated that.”
“Would you like to come?” He ducked his head. “It can be tedious, but they would love to meet you.”
“I can go?” Excitement thrummed through me, and not just to have something to do. “That’s allowed?”
“I am the potentate, and you are my fiancée.” He took my hand. “Allowances can, and will, be made.”
Three
On the circuitous drive to meet the mysterious team who helped keep Atlanta free of supernatural crime, I kept turning over Taz’s reappearance in my head. “How did she end up with Midas?”
“The pack is hooked into an extensive network of gwyllgi across the country. They have the means to hide and protect individuals in the short term, and do, as part of their security work.” Diverting his attention from the road for a second, he flicked me a glance. “I didn’t know they were sheltering her, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I was wondering,” I admitted. “You’re in a position to make those types of connections happen, so I would have understood if you made the arrangements.”
“Boaz claimed responsibility for her safety. I’m guessing he clued in to the vastness of the gwyllgi network too and hoped that, as a favor to you, they would be willing to help for the right incentive.” He peered through the windshield, his expression more relaxed than it had been in days. “The Society is so insular, they wouldn’t have looked for her among the pack. They would have assumed she had gone underground alone or was holed up with other necromancers.”
“Just how much interaction have you had
with the Atlanta pack?”
“Not much. I met Hood, Lethe, and Midas through their work at the Faraday.” He canted his head to one side. “I met their mother through the course of my duties. She made it clear I could report gwyllgi crimes, even detain them, but I wasn’t to punish any of hers. She would do it herself, and I was welcome to watch.”
Having witnessed a gwyllgi trial in my front yard, I would rather take my chances with the potentate.
“We’re almost there.” Linus passed me his phone. “Text this code to this number.”
Thumbs at the ready, I waited as he rattled off both sets of digits. “Done and done.”
The screen lit up seconds later with a string of numbers I read back to him.
Back and forth, we traded texts and lines of code with the person or persons on the other end.
“This is all very cloak-and-dagger.” Not to mention it required a knack for memorization.
“We have to be careful.” He pulled into a parking deck and placed his hand on my thigh. “Keep your eyes open.”
The cool of his fingers raised chills up my leg. “Your meetings are dangerous?”
“We might have been followed. I’m careful, but I’m not perfect.”
I fluttered my lashes to do Neely proud. “Says you.”
A blush swirled over his cheeks, ripening them to apples, and I could have taken a bite.
How did he conceal this part of himself from the world? How did he partition his heart from his head?
There was so much he could teach me about how to blend in among our High Society peers, how to take my place in their ranks, but I resented his proficiency in social survival skills stemmed from his complex relationship with his mother.
Kids were down the line for us. Way down the line. Way, way down the line. But I couldn’t help but hope that we could raise them with clear eyes and open faces. I wanted them to know love came without price tags. That it cost nothing. It was given freely, and we had endless amounts to gift.
Kids.
Kids?
Exhaling through my teeth, I reached for Woolly on instinct. Of course she wasn’t there. Our connection was strong, but it wasn’t two hundred and fifty miles strong. Still, I would be giving her an earful when I got home. I was starting to suspect she was beaming images of infants and toddlers direct to my brain during the day while I was sleeping.
How to Wake an Undead City Page 4
