Poor Tiberius. No wonder he had agreed to Rilla’s terms with so little fanfare. Had he refused to return with his aunt, she had only to strike a match to gutter his soul.
“I understand,” I said, and it was too little acknowledgment for what he had lost.
He launched into the clouds, Bea trailing after him, a bruised-sky smudge against his golden beauty.
Rejoining the guys at the truck, I crossed my arms over my chest, and together we watched the rest of the alkonosts soar in the general direction of the rift until they vanished from sight.
“Did you get the feeling the three of you were each having a different conversation?” Zed scratched the stubble on his chin.
“I did.” I leaned against his side. “But it’s over now. There’s nothing left to do but make a few phone calls and tie off some loose ends.”
Isaac was staring at me.
“What?” I glanced left then right, but the woods seemed peaceful enough.
“All three of them wore identical glamours.” He scratched at a grass stain on his knee with his thumbnail. “The robes, the wings, none of it was real.”
A furrow creased his brow, and I imagined the gears of his mind churning over the whys of their presentation. Why appear in the guise of angels instead of in their natural state? Playing on local religions? They had thought we were savages. Maybe they had hoped to protect themselves from tooth and claw long enough to declare themselves? Or maybe it was ego, and they hoped we would throw ourselves at their feet to worship. Who knew?
“The man and the woman on the left were both…a different breed,” he continued. “Avian, but not alkonosts like Tiberius and Rilla. Sirens maybe.”
“Is that a bad thing?” All fae had allies, and alkonosts and sirens were cousins. It made sense that fae of a feather would flock together. “Maybe they thought appearing as a united front might lend them an air of solidarity?”
He gazed off in the distance. “Maybe.”
“It’s too late to turn back now.” I joined him in staring at the choppy waters. “What’s done is done.”
The finality of that lingered in the pit of my stomach, making my gut churn with a cocktail of remorse and pity for the separated lovebirds.
“All aboard,” Abram called. “We need to get these two back to the exam room so I can clear them.”
Dragging myself into the bed of the truck took more effort than it should have for an adult warg. Limp noodle arms hung at my sides. Legs a fraction stiffer, al dente, stretched out in front of me. I propped my back against the cab of the truck and poked Zed in the hip with my toe until he growled and swatted at me.
Isaac eased down beside me and leaned his head against the portion of remaining window. A golden feather twirled between his fingers, and he offered it to me.
“You shouldn’t have.” I accepted it, picking at the flecks of blood on the shaft. “Tiberius?”
Leandra would appreciate the token. I held on, careful not to crush the vanes.
“Mine.”
“Oh.” My fingers pinched a fraction tighter.
Mirroring Isaac’s position, I leaned back until my head rested on the cool glass and braced my left palm on the bed liner while the right protected the feather. The engine turned over, and we bumped over the uneven ground until leveling out on the road leading home. Home. Not Stone’s Throw. Not the RV park. Home. When had that happened?
The hesitant brush of Isaac’s pinky caressed the outside of mine. Comforting warmth spread from his touch through my body, soothing me to the bone quicker than a phone call from Cam, and I had my answer.
Home was the man who sat beside me.
And didn’t that just suck?
Chapter 23
The prickling wards danced over my skin as we rolled into the parking lot, and I rubbed my arms to rid them of the tickling sensation. An exhale pursed my lips, so deep and long I wondered if I hadn’t been holding my breath all night waiting to learn the outcome.
Crisis averted. Pop the corks on the champagne. Or, in our case, the tabs on the beer. The world was safe for one more night, and we all got to sleep the sleep of the righteous.
Hopping over the side of the truck, I touched minds with Haden. “Report.”
“Two fae down, three to go. Weird-looking things. Like a troll had babies with a frog.”
The mention of babies spun my mind toward the stone house and the children there.
That was enough to sear that righteous feeling right out of me.
I cast my memory back to A Field Guide to Fae Folk. “They’re probably trows.”
“Doesn’t make no matter to me.” The high of the hunt rode his voice. “Oh. We did have one incident. That guy that smiles all the time got put in the time-out corner.”
Why did that not surprise me? The overeager ones always caused the most trouble. “What did he do?”
“He snapped Jameson’s left foreleg in half.” Haden whistled a note that managed to come off both sympathetic and impressed. “Guy’s got a killer bite.”
“Is he going to be a problem?” I felt a headache threatening.
“Jameson kept sticking his cold nose under Smiley’s tail like he had treasure hidden there.” Amusement saturated his voice. “The guy had it coming. Besides, we’ve got more than enough bodies to cover for them. I stashed Jameson in some brush with Smiley to watch his back, since it was his fault we’re down two guys. Now he gets to watch the hunt while he thinks about what he’s done.”
“I’ll let Abram know he’s got another patient incoming.” He would be thrilled to hear his auctions had to wait. Not.
“We’ll be home at dawn unless you need us sooner.”
“We’ve got things handled here.” I turned as Moore scooped up Zed and carried him off in the direction of the exam room. “Keep your eyes peeled around the lake. Let me know if you spot any fae buzzing around.”
“Will do.”
The connection ended, and I startled to notice Enzo had sneaked up behind me.
“I’m going to see if Abram needs more hands.” He wiggled his fingers. “How do you plan on handling the return of Mr. O’Malley and Ms. Zhuang?”
“The Return of Mr. O’Malley and Ms. Zhuang. That sounds like a cheesy B-movie title.” I rubbed my forehead with my fingertips. “We’ll return them to their families tomorrow. Abram needs to cook up something to break the enchantment on them before we turn them loose.”
Hopefully that would muddle her enough we didn’t have to resort to memory enchantments to conceal what she had truly endured. That would also give Zed time to recover. I got the feeling he wouldn’t mind playing white knight to Joann by escorting her aunt home. That would also free me up to return Mr. O’Malley and collect my pay from Flo, which I expected to range between a pretty rock she found on her way home from school and a handmade friendship bracelet.
A grimace twisted Enzo’s lips. “I screwed up, huh?”
“Nah.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “We all overreach sometimes. It happens. You’ve helped out a lot since you got here, and there’s still more for you to do once you’ve recovered. You’re earning your keep. Don’t sweat it.”
He ducked his chin and headed inside after sparing Isaac a lingering glance.
“What’s that about?” Job bumped elbows with me. “I leave for a few days and come back to a witch versus fae pissing match over the beta?”
“It’s not like that.”
Backing away, he laughed at my expression. “Let me know if you want me to calculate those odds.”
“Wait.” I called him back. “Use the key under my mat to let yourself into my place and—”
His eyebrows vanished into his hairline. “Fourth wheeling is not my style. Plus, I have a girlfriend.”
“Let me finish?” I thumped him on the chin. “Grab the stack of paperwork and the debit card off my kitchen counter.” Which doubled as a nightstand since it butted up against the bed. “I need you to look it over and get back to me.”
“Any hints?” The mention of paperwork and number-crunching perked him up faster than a hit of espresso.
Mmm, espresso.
I yanked myself out of a dream sequence where I swam through a vat of Death Wish, the world’s strongest coffee. “No.” I focused on Job. “Trust me. You’ll want to see it for yourself.”
Those numbers ought to give him heart palpitations, too, if for a different reason.
“I’ll lock up when I’m done.” He started backing away. “Hey, when did you start locking your door anyway?”
When Isaac moved in next door…
“It’s a recent thing.” I flicked my fingers in the direction of my RV. “Go forth and calculate.”
I didn’t have to tell him twice.
This time when I heard footsteps, I didn’t have to glance over my shoulder to know Isaac was approaching. I stood there, waiting to see what he would do.
“I need to call Mom and check in, and you know she can hear a lie a mile away. I won’t be able to dance around what happened here without risking her showing up on our doorstep ready to box my ears.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to call Cam with updates first? You know how fast word travels down the grapevine in my family.”
“She definitely doesn’t need to hear about Tiberius secondhand.” I rolled my head on my neck. “I need to peek in on Zed, then I’ll use Cord’s office to make the call. Maybe I’ll have better luck contacting them this time.”
“Do you want company?” He aimed the question at the moon instead of me.
“It depends.” I twirled his feather between my fingers. “Will you scowl at the amount of coffee I’m about to drink or the number of stale cupcakes I’m about to eat?”
“You have my word.” He lifted two fingers like the Boy Scout he wasn’t. “I’ll call a truce on my war against caffeine. For tonight only.” He hesitated, but the words still popped out. “Though you really shouldn’t drink coffee this late, not after the day you’ve had. You need your rest.”
“Are you done?” I tapped my foot. “Can we get to the binging now?”
He mimed zipping his lips.
We entered the office, and I ducked my head into the exam room. Enzo held Zed’s left arm out, flexing it at the elbow while Abram nodded in agreement with whatever he’d said. They gestured Moore closer, and I popped back into the hall. I got the feeling that bone had healed wrong, and they were about to break and reset it. Zed almost ruptured my spleen the last time I played orthopedic nurse. Tonight those guys could take the beating. That way, once it was over, I could sweep in with a few days’ old cupcake, play the BFF card and kick them to the curb.
I went to start the coffee then unlocked Cord’s office door and led Isaac into the alpha’s inner sanctum. I took the chair behind the desk while he sank into the one opposite me. The phone sat on the blotter where I had left it, and the cupcakes sat beside it. I flipped open the box and counted the remains before setting one aside for Zed. The rest could wait for coffee. Coffee forgave a multitude of sins, including staleness.
“Let’s hope I don’t get punted to voicemail again.” I punched in the digits then settled in to wait. A light flickered on the answering machine, but I couldn’t play the messages while the line was in use. “Looks like she might have called back. We must have missed each other.”
Cam answered on the first ring. “Ellis.”
“Hey.” I picked at the frosting on one of the pastries. “I tried you earlier but—”
“Dell,” she breathed. “Thank the gods.”
The rush of her voice didn’t override the sense of foreboding slithering across the line. “What’s wrong?”
Across from me, Isaac sat up straighter.
“Listen to me. You’ve got to—”
The blistering cry of the wards around the RV park rose in a painful crescendo. I strained to hear what Cam was saying, but the noise blotted out her words.
“Stay by the phone,” I yelled into the receiver. “I’ll call you right back.”
Isaac had clamped his hands over his ears, and I did the same once I hung up on Cam. We passed Abram, Enzo and Moore in the hall. The witch noticed Isaac and gestured him closer.
“Take my blood,” he called out. “Use my magic to silence the alarm.”
Eager to make the racket stop, Isaac unsheathed his spur and pierced Enzo’s palm. Seconds later, a sheen of magic glistened on his fingers, and he flicked that power in the air while murmuring an incantation in a language unfamiliar to me.
Blessed silence fell around us, and I stuck my fingers in my ears and wiggled them. “Enzo, was that for the lake or the RV park?”
“The higher frequency is specific to the park.” He closed his eyes then grimaced, opening them to wipe a smear of blood from under his nose. “Isaac, follow the thread of my magic. Tap into the wards and see if you can sense where the intruders are.”
As confident as Haden had sounded, it appeared one of his trows had broken free of the pack and circled back to us.
Isaac did as he was instructed, his eyes glazing over as his arm outstretched toward the south. “There.”
“Moore, Isaac, you’re with me.” I indicated the office. “Abram, we can handle this. You go back in to sit with Zed.” I gripped Enzo by the arm and shoved him toward the doctor. “And take that one with you before his brain springs a leak.”
Moore and I followed Isaac to the rear of the property where a small gathering milled outside the wards. I counted seven fae total. Five were alkonosts in their natural, feathered state. The other two appeared to be human, even as their otherworldly scents raised my hackles.
The man, who smelled of bergamot and patchouli, wore a fitted T-shirt over jeans and work boots. Mahogany curls swept across his forehead, and his copper eyes gleamed in the moonlight. A gold badge identifying him as a marshal with the Southwestern Conclave hooked onto his belt. Beside him stood a more familiar figure. The presence of an ally ought to have comforted me, but Thierry’s blood-and-death fragrance flattened my inner wolf’s ears against her skull.
“Hey, Thierry.” I waved to the others. “Hello, other people.” I frowned at the gathering. “It’s late for visitors.”
“This isn’t a social call, Dell.” She glanced at the man beside her—her partner maybe? This close I noted their scents mingled. Mates. She had brought her mate with her. “Prince Tiberius of House Seelie was kidnapped tonight.”
“No, he wasn’t.” I heaved a sigh of relief. “I returned him to his aunt a few hours ago.”
The fine-boned woman in the center of the flock of alkonosts pointed a hooked fingernail at me and screeched, “She admits her treason.”
“What treason?” Bewildered, I looked to Thierry for an explanation.
“Tiberius was granted a sort of temporary visa, the kind visiting dignitaries are issued. He came here with his mother, Galina—” she indicated the still-pointing bird-woman, “—his father, Paavo—” who required no introduction as the only other male present, “—and his guards. Except…Tiberius sneaked out of his room and vanished his first night here. House Seelie has been searching for him for weeks.”
Meaning he got here without using the rift. The only way Tiberius had ended up so close to it was if he had bailed on his parents, ducked back into Faerie to pick up Leandra, and then settled on the edge of Lorimar territory.
“Rilla showed up with her entourage earlier today and demanded we find him and return him or else.” I found myself bracketed by men, Isaac stepping up to my left and Moore to my right. “We did as they asked. We located him in a house outside town and convinced him to return home. He went with his aunt of his own free will.”
“No.” Galina blanched. “I won’t believe a word she says. He would never— No. He is a prince, and he would not bow to her demands.” She jutted out her chin. “I want this mongrel arrested. I want her brought to justice.”
At the mention of justice, those creepy runes covering Thierry’s skin
ignited. She rubbed her other hand down her arm, but the pulsating emerald light cast shadows around us.
“I’m not fae,” I protested. “You can’t have me arrested.”
“Your alphas signed a treaty before entering the Gathering that holds all parties equally responsible for their actions for and against the other allied members. Your pack is now punishable under fae law.” Her eyes glinted, chips of black ice. “You are paid contractors, hardly better than slavering beasts, and you can be brought to justice should you break the laws you are sworn to uphold.”
The way she phrased it made us sound deputized. Was that what Cam had been trying to tell us?
“Sworn to—? No. There was no swearing.” I hesitated a beat. “Except to my alphas.”
“Speaking of your alphas—” Galina began.
“No.” Thierry pointed a rune-covered finger at the alkonost. “The alphas were both involved in tonight’s debate. They have had no contact with the outside world for twenty-four hours. Nothing that transpired tonight can be laid at their doorstep.”
“As you say, daughter of the Black Dog.” The woman dipped her head in a slight bow as if accepting a ruling. “However, I will see this one punished, or I will withdraw my support from the Gathering.”
“Thierry?” I croaked.
“I’m sorry, Dell.” Her earlier rubbing had escalated to scratching her arm. “Tiberius was granted protection under conclave law when he was given permission to enter this world. Under the Gaian Treaty, which both your alphas signed, your actions tonight are punishable by…me.”
Head spinning with grim possibilities, I let the guys prop me upright with pressure from their shoulders. “What does this all mean?”
“It means…” Thierry stepped as close to the wards as she dared. “Dell Preston, the conclave bids you come with me of your own free will to stand trial for aiding in the abduction of Prince Tiberius of House Seelie.”
Promise the Moon (Lorimar Pack Book 1) Page 26
