“Everything with you is complicated,” Michaels sighed. “You should really go and shift. You need to heal before someone see’s you—before your dad sees you.”
I shook my head. “It’s too painful. I can’t.”
“And your condition isn’t? C’mon Grey, get it together. It has to stop—you’re like a walking punching bag.”
I chuckled. “Sounds about right.”
“This is serious,” he said as he squatted beside me. I was laid up on my couch trying not to move. “You’re on a fast track to getting dead and I won’t stick around for it.”
15
With the hood firmly in place over my head, I zipped up my leather jacket and made my way through the throng of people coming and going. Chinatown was loud and packed with street vendors; I didn’t expect this kind of action during the day time. After last night, I couldn’t give up on her. Now more than ever, I needed to find that damn cure.
Hunched over and with my arms crossed over my chest, I shouldered my way to The Fortune Cookie where I knew I’d find Bobby Wu. I burst through the door, the small bell ringing overhead, and I walked into an empty dining room.
“Restaurant my ass…” I muttered as I pulled off my hood, revealing my black eye and scabbed over cuts from my fight with Amy.
“This should be interesting,” Bobby said as he came out of the kitchen. I met him halfway into the room and tried to get my thoughts together. “Whoa, you’re definitely not looking your best,” he grimaced at my black-and-blue eye, and busted lip. “What can I do for you, Freedom Princess?”
“You can start by not calling me that,” I said, scoping out the place to make sure we were alone.
“And secondly?”
I gulped. “You said you could help me. Does the offer still stand?” I was going to cross a line, and if I crossed it, there was no going back.
His mouth stretched into a sinister grin. “At your service,” he said as he bowed.
After seeing Amy and what she was capable of, it was all the motivation I needed to keep finding a cure for her.
“Do you know what I need?” I asked. It was hard to say aloud.
“I’m not making any promises,” Bobby said. “What you want done is next to impossible…unless you delve into some dark magic,” he smirked.
The pit of my stomach echoed with dread, as my mind kept telling me to run, to get the hell out of dodge. But damn it, if he could make the impossible possible, I didn’t care what he had to do.
“Do you already know what you need to make the cure?”
He shook his head. “There were rumors a few centuries ago about a warlock who cured himself and became human.”
“He became human? Aren’t you already human, just with some hocus pocus?”
“You have a lot to learn, Mackenzie. No one in our world is human, no matter how normal—and I use that word loosely—we look. All of us are made of magic.”
“Fine. So this magic dude cured himself and got rid of his juju?”
“Precisely.”
I furrowed my brows. “Why? Couldn’t he have just stopped practicing magic?”
Bobby chuckled as if dealing with a child. Talk about a blow to my ego, when a known criminal can’t have an intellectual conversation with me.
“One does not simply stop practicing. It’s like what blood is to vampires—we crave the magic, we feed from it. If we stop, we die. The need to use will drive us mad.”
“That sucks…” I murmured. I couldn’t compare his plight with mine, it would be unfair, but I understood the urge. “How did he cure himself?”
Bobby shrugged. “I don’t know, but I have a friend who can find out for me.”
I nodded. “Good. I don’t need to tell you that this is private, so no more rumors about what we’re doing. If you hear it, squash it. Understood?”
He saluted me. “Aye, aye, captain.”
My gaze traveled around the restaurant as I built up the courage to ask for another favor.
“One more thing,” I said and pointed to my face. “Any way you can heal me and make the evidence disappear?”
“Shifting is eas—,” he started and then smirked. “I see.”
“Can you?” I urged.
“Yes I can.”
My body relaxed and I let out a long exhale. I’d been wracking my mind all night trying to come up with an excuse for Alexander. The fight with Amy wasn’t the issue, the healing was. Admitting to Alex I was moon-bound was out of the question.
“First,” Bobby cut through my thoughts. “Let’s talk about payment.”
“How much are you asking for?” I said as I started digging through my pockets. I went to the bank and withdrew a couple hundred dollars in anticipation.
“No money,” he shook his head. “I want a favor.”
“A favor?” my face fell.
“Not now, but for a later date—when I’m in need,” he winked.
This was why I should have never gone to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil. The strings attached would hang me in the end.
“What kind of favor are we talking about, because I’m no two-dollar hooker if you catch my drift,” I said.
Booby rolled his eyes. “You’re so jaded.”
“No. I’m precautious.”
“Well it’s nothing of that nature, more like if I ever need your wolf services,” he smirked. “So do we have a deal?” Bobby extended his hand.
I stared at it, knowing that if I went through with this, I would be indebted to a criminal warlock. Was Amy worth it? Damn right she was.
“Deal.”
I didn’t know what kind of juju Bobby was packing. Not a single blemish marred my face from the incident between Amy and I.
I’d been dodging Cassidy for the last two days, but I couldn’t any longer. Funny enough, he threatened to tell Alexander if I didn’t let him do his job as my babysitter. It was annoying, but had it been the other way around, I would have been on Cas like white on rice.
He picked me up from my apartment and we headed into work together.
“Where were you?” Cas asked.
I shrugged. “Around.”
Before we got on the elevator at the SIU, Cassidy put his arm across the door. “What is going on, Kenz? The King is going to ask where we’ve been—I was supposed to be watching you and you gave me the slip.”
“Someone was slacking at their job…”
“Mackenzie,” he growled.
“Alright, alright, just tell him we were hanging at my place. I needed to rest.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that why you look brand new, and not like the snot has been kicked out of you last week?”
“Netflix and chill does the body good,” I laughed.
Cassidy moved his arm and pressed the button for the elevator door. “I’m sure it did.”
We walked into the squad room and it was pure chaos. People screamed across the room, officers yelled into phones, and papers flew everywhere. I couldn’t spot Michaels or Finn, so I dragged Cas over to Briggs office.
“What the hell is going on?” I said as we barged in. Sure enough, everyone was crammed in there. Alexander and Ranulf in attendance as well.
“There’s been another murder,” Briggs said. “Another body drained of blood.”
“That can’t be,” I shook my head and looked at their grim faces. “Does it follow the pattern?”
Michaels shook his head. “It wasn’t on a Sunday, and it was a supernatural. Had the pattern been followed, it should have been a human.”
“It followed the Star of David outline,” Finn said. “The body was found at an old crime scene.”
None of it made sense. The Fae realm busted wide open, there shouldn't be anymore sacrifices.
“If I'm the one linked to the gates, why is there another killing?” I asked as Amara entered the squad room. She was carrying at least five books as thick as shoe boxes in her arms. I grabbed a few off the top and helped her bring them into the off
ice.
Ranulf was laying out the map of Manhattan where we had pinned down the pattern of killings.
“I hadn't been sure, but now I'm certain,” Amara huffed as she dropped the textbooks with a loud thud. “Mackenzie is linked to the realm, but she's not enough to sustain herself and the gates. A sacrifice needs to be offered to keep them both running.”
“I’m nae following,” Alexander said. I knew exactly what she was saying.
“The druid is working off of very old magic, the kind that runs on a life source. While Mackenzie is linked to the gate and they're keeping each other alive, she isn't the life source. More sacrifices will need to be made to keep both the realm and Mackenzie alive,” Amara said.
The room went quiet except for the drowned out noise of the squad room. The Fae were smart, they covered all of their bases.
“Why me?” I blurted. “What I don't understand is why am I linked to it?”
Amara's look of pity was my undoing. I didn't want her to feel sorry for me, I wanted solutions. I needed her to fix this.
“Alexander closed the realms with his blood,” she started, “only his blood line can reopen it.”
My gaze went straight to the King. I wasn't angry with him, it wasn't his fault, but I didn't know how to feel. Being his heir made me a target and its going to be my death sentence.
“I will fix this, lass,” he said with such conviction. “Drusilla will nae get away with this. I promise ye.”
“Who was killed?” Finn asked. “If I can, I'll go collect their soul.”
“A witch,” Amara said. “She was a witch from my coven.”
My stomach twisted in knots. I should have apologized to Amara, offered her my condolences—it was my fault in some weird way.
“I’ll go now,” Finn said and within seconds he vanished. Reapers had the ability to travel around like smoke. It was pretty badass, but not fun when he takes you with him. The first and only time I traveled with Finn, I ended up with frizzy hair and an upset stomach. No thank you.
“How can we unlink Mackenzie?” Ranulf asked the witch.
She shook her head. “I don't know yet. There aren't many druids left and many of their practices were orally passed down through generations. Nothing was written.”
“In other words, we're screwed,” I said as I looked at everyone in the room. “You know what needs to be done. It doesn't take rocket science to figure this out.”
“That isn't funny, Kenz,” Cas said.
“I’m not trying to be, but the solution is simple: I die, the murders stop and the gates close. Are you all willing to risk the lives of the many for one?”
“You’re not thinking clearly,” Michaels grunted.
I laughed. “I haven't seen this clear in a very long time. I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't live with myself if I let more innocent people die in my place.”
Alexander slammed his hands on Briggs’ desk; breaking it in half. “No!” he yelled. “I will nae let ye! If I have to throw ye in the dungeons I will, but I will nae let ye commit suicide!” His breathing increased and I heard his heart pound wildly. Claws outstretched and canines appeared, shifting Alexander into half man, half beast. It was the first time I'd ever seen him shift.
“Its not suicide, its a sacrifice. It's time I paid my dues.”
The room erupted. Alexander let out a roar that shattered the glass windows, tossing everyone back a few feet and out of the office. I fell in the fetal position, covering my head when I peered up and saw Cassidy shielding me as more glass rained over us. I clutched the front of his t-shirt as drops of blood slid around his neck.
“Shit, Cas,” I muttered.
“I’m fine.”
He helped me up and I scanned the room to make sure everyone was okay. The squad room was silent as they looked in on us.
Alexander stood firm, his chest puffing in and out at an accelerated pace, his silver eyes never leaving mine.
They put me on suicide watch.
Once Alexander got his tighty-whiteys out of a bunch, Ranulf sent me and Cassidy out of the squad room to be quarantined in my apartment until further notice. In other words, until he got the King under control. It wasn’t like I wanted to kick the bucket, but it seemed like our only solution, and it would probably be for the best.
“Hungry?” I called out to Cas as he set up Netflix on the TV.
“Beer?” He asked.
I smirked. I wasn’t a drinker, but I kept some in the fridge for when Michaels came over. I grabbed a bottle and uncapped it. Opening my medicine cabinet, I took out a container filled with powder. When I started having my nightmares, a witch I had solicited for the cure, had given me a concoction to put in my drink that would knock me out cold. It worked. Unfortunately, it made me too sluggish in the mornings so I stopped taking it.
It would be perfect for Cassidy. I had things to do and he would be standing in my way.
After dumping a ton of the powder in his beer, it fizzled and I handed it to him.
“I must have shaken it by accident,” I said when it spilled over a bit.
“No worries,” he said. “Wanna order pizza?”
I nodded and went to grab my cell phone.
“It tastes funny,” Cas smacked his lips. “How old is this beer?”
I scrunched my brows. “I just bought it this weekend.”
Cas took another gulp and his face twisted in disgust. “Ugh, Kenzzz,” he slurred. “Some…something doesn’t…uh…feel,” he managed to say before slumping sideways on the couch.
I tip-toed over to him and peered over the sofa. He was out cold. Perfect.
16
“I know how to fix everything,” I sat on the edge of my seat, facing Dr. Jones. Before I joined the Suicide Squad, I went to see the doc. The first stop on my death tour.
“You’re anxious,” she observed. “What do you need to do?”
“I can’t tell you without revealing classified information about the case I’m working on, but know that I’ve figured shit out,” I bit my lip. “Now that I’m okay, you can clear me for duty.”
Dr. Jones tilted her head to the side. “I’m concerned for you, Ms. Grey. Something is off.”
“I feel at peace.”
“That’s not it,” she shook her head. “Let’s continue our last conversation. We spoke about Los Angeles, and the Chicago Pack. What happened afterward?”
I debated on whether to push for my clearance or indulge her. Before I went out with a bang, I needed to be one hundred percent back on the case. If Dr. Jones cleared me, maybe I could ditch the babysitter too.
“Everything happened kind of fast after that,” I said.
“How so?”
“I was leaving for Scotland soon after to stand trial for killing Logan and starting a Luna rebellion.”
“The massacre, correct?”
My stomach plummeted. Blu was still a sore subject for me. She didn’t want to join the rebellion, but she did it anyway—for me.
“Yes.”
“That was sorrow, Ms. Grey. Is it because of Blu?”
“I don’t want to talk about her.”
“Does she remind you of your friend Amy?”
My gaze snapped to hers. “Shut up.”
Dr. Jones leaned back in her seat. “In our first session, you told me you destroy everything you touch. In your eyes, you believe you destroyed these young women—”
“I did.”
“No. You didn’t. You’re punishing yourself for something that was out of your control, Ms. Grey. You don’t need to fix anything.”
I stood from the sofa and ran a hand through my hair. “Just clear me for duty. I don’t need to talk about this anymore.”
“I cannot sign off on your mental state, Ms. Grey. You need—”
“You don’t know what I need,” I gritted as I ran out of her office. Briggs was wrong. Seeing this hack was pointless. I knew what I needed to do.
I sped-walked to Dumbo, Brooklyn. Dr. J
ones didn’t understand—I had to fix things. It’s what I was meant to do. I already said my peace with Amy and now I had to make things right with Bash. He didn’t deserve how I’ve treated him—I didn’t deserve him. Without him saying a thing, I knew what he wanted or expected from me. Sebastian was a man of few words. It worked for me. It was one of the driving forces that brought us together, but he wanted forever and at this point in life, I was way too screwed up.
I stood in front of the Brooklyn Pack warehouse, building up the nerve to go in. To avoid a dramatic entrance, I went through the alleyway and down the stairs that led to the door to the basement. It was locked, but with a little extra strength, the bolt gave way and I slithered inside. I’d never gone in through the basement entrance, but it wasn’t hard to figure my way around.
Sebastian’s office door was ajar and I could hear the voices of the Pack upstairs. From the smell of things, they were having dinner. I knocked on his office door before going in and found him sitting at his desk. I’d caught him off guard.
“Mackenzie,” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here, how did you get inside?”
I grinned. “Through the basement door.”
He raised a brow before rolling his eyes. “Of course you did. Why are you here?”
I blew out a breath and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind me. “I—I don’t know. I wanted to stop by. See how you were.” I had no idea what to say. Telling him I was going to sacrifice myself for everyone sounded a bit melodramatic.
His crystal blue eyes roamed over me and I could feel them on my skin. It gave me goosebumps and he knew it. Even after so many years, I didn’t understand what attracted me to Bash. Of course he was built like a god, but it wasn’t the physical stuff. It was something inside of him that pulled me like a magnet.
“Its been a year, Mackenzie, and now you want to see how I’m doing? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just,” I stalled. Biting my lower lip, my eyes looked everywhere but at him, trying to figure out what to say. “I wanted to say sorry. I’m sorry I left you.”
Ugh, I wanted to bang my head on the nearest wall. I don’t apologize. This was so out of character for me. I never thought about what red flags I might be throwing.
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