by Deanna Chase
David’s arms relaxed but he didn’t let go. The debilitating pain lessened just enough for me to regain my balance.
“You don’t have anything on me, witch,” he said, his voice hard. “Back off. I came here to deliver a message.”
“You’re threatening a faery, vampire,” Phoebe shot back. “I don’t need anything else to take you down. This is your last warning. Step away from Willow. Now.”
The tension grew as the two held their ground and glared at each other. This would not end well. David and Phoebe hadn’t really gotten along when David had been human. And vampire David wasn’t scoring himself any points.
A howl rippled through the air, fueling the tension. I lost my cool. “Would you two stop it?” I snapped. “David, let me go.”
He didn’t move.
“David? Can you step back?” I softened my tone, narrowing my eyes at Phoebe in warning. Threatening him right now wouldn’t help. He could crush me in two.
“You need to hear this first,” he whispered so quietly I could barely hear him.
“I’m listening,” I said. His arms fell from mine. But the fire from his touch still burned. It took every ounce of willpower to not wrap my arms around myself in defense. I would not appear weak in front of a vampire. It was too dangerous.
“She said step back.” Phoebe advanced, her agate held high.
David ignored her and tilted his head down until I felt his hot breath on my ear. “You’re in danger. The Cryrique sent me to—”
“Insolate!” Phoebe’s voice drowned out the last of David’s words. Light blinded me, making my eyes water. The vampire energy vanished as David fell. Instantly, my wings kicked in, relief flooding me as only a small amount of pain registered in my left wing. Damn him for bruising my wing. It would take forever to heal.
“Really, Phoebs, was that necessary?” I asked.
“Uh, yes, and a thank you would be nice.” Whipping out her iPhone, she stalked over to where David lay unconscious.
“Who are you calling?”
“The cleanup crew.”
“Oh my God. Is he dead?” I landed and crouched down, placing my hand on his cold chest. No burn. No pain. Nothing. It was like I was touching a piece of marble. “You killed him! Shit, Phoebs. He said the Cryrique sent him and he had to warn me about something.”
“Calm down. He’s not dead. Just knocked out.” Phoebe started talking rapidly into her phone. Another howl drifted from the street.
Link. I took flight, descending to the street and landing at his side. “It’s okay, bud. I’m fine.”
He licked my hand in acceptance, his yellow wolf eyes watching me.
“Come on.” He followed me to Phoebe’s car and climbed in. He’d be safe from animal control while I spoke with her.
A second later, I rejoined her on the roof. “What will the cleanup crew do with him?” I gestured to David, trying not to look at his stone-pale face. A face of death.
“Take him in for questioning and lock him up if they can.” Phoebe peered over the edge of the roof, keeping a lookout for the backup team.
“But he didn’t do anything.” I sat, exhausted. “It’s not his fault vampires affect me the way they do. He doesn’t even know what he did to me. How could he?”
“You’re telling me he didn’t notice the agony he was putting you through?” The expression on her face resembled the one my mom had perfected during my teenage years.
“I don’t think he was focused on my well-being, considering you were threatening him with sunlight.”
“It doesn’t matter. He hurt you.”
I wondered if she was referring to the night’s activity or the emotional turmoil I’d suffered after the breakup.
Phoebe turned with hardened eyes. “And he’s wanted for questioning on another case.”
“What case?” I snapped my head up as my mind whirled. “Wait. You knew David had been turned?”
Phoebe nodded, glancing away.
“When?” I breathed.
“I don’t know. His profile came up early this week as a vampire of interest.” She took my hand and squeezed softly. “Sorry. I was going to tell you. I didn’t get a chance.”
“Do you think…? I mean, he must have been turned against his will, right?” I couldn’t imagine he’d asked for such a thing. He wasn’t the type.
“We’ll find out.” She pulled me to my feet, then handed me the car keys. “Take Link and go on home. I’ve got it from here.”
I fluttered, more than ready to take flight. “You sure?”
Phoebe nodded as sirens filled the air, signaling the arrival of the cleanup crew.
“Okay, but don’t forget to get to the bottom of whatever he was trying to tell me, all right?”
“You got it.”
***
Link, back in his Shih Tzu form, bolted through the door of the Greek Revival townhouse Phoebe and I shared. The instant my feet hit the glossy, wide-planked, oak-wood floors, every tense muscle began to relax.
Home. Finally.
I tugged my suitcase up the narrow flight of stairs as Link yelped from the edge of the landing. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Hold on.”
He spun in circles, unable to contain himself as I pushed my bedroom door open. The pungent odor of stale old house mixed with the fresh, woody scent from the enchanted oak tree. I took a deep breath, reveling in it. My room took up half the entire second floor, and by the state of things, Phoebe hadn’t even cracked a window while I’d been gone.
Too exhausted to care about the dead leaves on the floor, I disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later I reemerged, fluttering up to the bed tucked between the limbs of the old oak. The makeshift elevator designed for Link sprang to life, the old-fashioned pulley system creaking and groaning with his weight. I’d oil it tomorrow, along with the other million things I needed to get caught up on. The bed shifted as Link curled up into a ball next to me. I rested my hand on his soft coat and closed my eyes.
Sleep. I longed for the blissful oblivion. The airplane alone had been enough to take the life out of me. But running into David and then finding out he’d turned vamp was too much.
My eyes filled and hot tears leaked between my closed lids, soaking my pillow. The door I’d slammed shut on our broken relationship had swung wide open, and the pain I hadn’t let myself experience after he’d broken things off came out in the form of gut-wrenching sobs as I mourned for what had been and what never would be again.
David was a vampire. Any hope I’d had about reconciliation—no matter how unrealistic—had been shattered. The realization left a gaping hole in the middle of my heart.
Link burrowed closer and placed a sympathetic paw on my forearm. I wrapped an arm around his tiny body and let the tears lull me into a fitful sleep.
***
Wood splintered, sending me bolting upright from a sound sleep as my door crashed against the wall. Heavy footsteps echoed through the room and Link suddenly shifted, crushing me under one hundred and fifty pounds of wolf weight. He snarled, hackles raised.
“Enough, Link!” Phoebe growled. “And damn it, Willow. Where the fuck is your phone?”
I squinted through the brilliant sunlight, groaning at the ache in my arms and back. Every inch of where David had held me must’ve been bruised. “Good morning to you, too.”
Phoebe snorted, pulling the dead phone out of my purse. “It would have been better if you’d managed to answer one of my phone calls.” She jammed the charger in the outlet, connecting the cell to the end of it. “Get up. You’ve been summoned.”
“Why?” I stretched, giggling when the heavy wolf shifted once again into Shih Tzu form and leaped up to lick my face.
Phoebe frowned, her face pinched in worry. “It’s about David.”
Dread curled in my stomach. “What about him? Is he all right?” I picked up Link, fluttered my wings, and landed softly in front of Phoebe.
She let out a short bark of laughter. “Yeah, he’s fi
ne. Better than fine. The bastard cut himself one hell of a deal. Hurry, they’re waiting for us.” She spun and stalked out.
“What deal?” I cried.
Phoebe yelled back something incoherent, and a second later the front door slammed.
I stared at Link. “This is not how I planned to start my day.”
Chapter Three
“For the last time, tell me what kind of deal David made,” I demanded.
Phoebe pulled into the narrow garage of the seemingly abandoned brick warehouse and parked. The Arcane kept their headquarters hidden. If anyone went looking for them, they’d never expect the most powerful branch of the government to be housed in the deteriorating structure one block from the Mississippi in the Irish Channel.
“No.” Phoebe shook her head. “If Maude finds out I bugged him, the shit’s gonna fly. Better it comes from her.”
I climbed out of the car. Link yelped, barely escaping without losing a paw as I slammed the door in frustration. He glared at me with accusing eyes.
“Sorry, buddy,” I cooed and picked him up, running a hand over his silky fur. He closed his mouth, his bottom teeth protruding. Clearly, I wasn’t forgiven.
I kissed the top of his head, set him down, and then fell in step with Phoebe. “How did you get the bug past security?”
She grinned. “I’ve been experimenting with a few charms while you’ve been gone.”
“You’re going to piss off the wrong person one of these days.”
“I’m not worried. Just wait until you see what I’ve worked up.”
I snorted. “You’re an awfully cocky witch. I wouldn’t underestimate Maude if I were you. Our power may be more subtle, but faeries generally rank higher on the magic scale than witches do.”
Phoebe’s mahogany eyes gleamed. “I know. That’s what I’m counting on.”
Frowning, I waited while Phoebe passed through security. What kind of crazy plan had she cooked up?
Once Phoebe was cleared, the security scanner flashed green, ready for its next victim. I took a deep breath, tensed, and forced myself into the glass booth, Link by my side. Tension engulfed me, slowly squeezing the air from my lungs. The familiar panic set in, making me struggle to not gasp.
I willed myself to calm down. It’s not like I hadn’t done this dozens of times before. Everything was going to be fine.
Right, because electrodes stripping away my layers of magic was the perfect way to start the day.
Please don’t let this machine short-circuit my brain. I was going to need some form of intelligence, because despite Phoebe’s incessant pestering, I had yet to make it to a single defense class. Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow.
The security scan heightened and sucked away the last dregs of my magic. The sense of loss and vulnerability left me hollow, uncomfortable in my own skin. Why the hell did I put up with this nonsense? I didn’t need to work for the Arcane. I ran a successful bakery, a place where my magic could truly shine. I was good at it, damn it. And Maude didn’t have any control over me there. Mostly.
The glass doors opened, and I stumbled out. Link followed in a clumsy daze. The security scan had temporarily neutralized his wolf-shifting abilities. The pair of us joined Phoebe, her face white from her own trip through security.
“Let’s get this over with.” I took off, marching to the director’s office. The sooner I got out of there, the better.
The receptionist’s desk was unoccupied, and the usually closed door was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a second, then gave one sharp rap before entering.
Maude Jenkins, the director of the Void branch, glanced up, her sharp, angular features set in a scowl. Her mood matched the severe bun coiled tightly on her head and the gloomy gray pantsuit. “Agent Rhoswen, you’re late. I do not enjoy being kept waiting.”
I stiffened, hiding a scowl of my own. I’d signed on to work for the Arcane under a different director. If I’d known my spiteful aunt was in line to take over, I never would have signed the paperwork. And I sure as shit wouldn’t have committed to five years.
Two years, eleven months, and twelve days, I reminded myself. Unless I got lucky and dear old Auntie was promoted again. Or better yet, offed by one of her many enemies.
A pang for my mother rippled through me. Maude hadn’t always been a first-class bitch. She and my mom had grown up the best of friends. When Beau and I were young, she’d visited often, winning Beau’s affection after she’d brought him a fae chemistry set, complete with beginning water spells. Then, shortly after he’d died, she’d changed. Become obsessed with the Void and turned into someone none of us recognized.
I carefully arranged my expression to match my bored tone. “I wasn’t aware I had an appointment.”
Maude’s inky black wings flared in irritation, a stark contrast to my own pale, ice-blue ones. Her eyes hardened. “Do not act as if you’re doing us a favor, agent. You are paid very well for minimal service. If I require your presence, you will make yourself available. Your contract sees to that.”
I swallowed the snarky reply poised on my tongue. That damned contract. Stupidly, I hadn’t realized I’d magically bound myself to the Arcane when I’d signed it. Phoebe’s voice rang in my head. You don’t walk away from the Arcane, Willow. Think carefully before you commit.
One couldn’t break a magically bound contract. Not without dying first.
“Of course, Director.” I kept my face blank.
“Take care to remember that.” She cut her gaze to Phoebe. “Close the door, Agent Kilsen.”
Phoebe did as she was told and sat, nodding to me to settle in the adjoining chair. I hesitated, loath to show submission. The director’s eyes seared through me, the force of her will almost pressing me into the chair.
Damned fae! I despised the use of magical persuasion, a gift especially strong in female faeries. I fought the magic just long enough to prove I could. Then, with a pointed stare, I took my seat next to Phoebe. “What can I do for you this morning, Director?”
Maude stretched her wings wider and then slowly retracted them as she eased back into her chair.
I did a mental eye roll at the display of dominance. My aunt already had the advantage. High-ranking Arcane officials weren’t subject to magical paralysis in their home offices.
The director leveled her gaze. “Effective immediately, you are suspended from agent Kilsen’s service.”
“But—”
“Recent events have rendered you a liability. Instead, you will work with a double agent, gathering intel on Cryrique.”
My limbs went ice-cold with shock, but I kept my face impassive. I didn’t want to give Maude any indication the mob-like vampire corporation terrified me. The company unofficially controlled almost everything in New Orleans… except the Void. Was my aunt insane? I most definitely hadn’t been trained for the spy business.
Did Phoebe know about this? Her cool expression implied she did. Would it have been so hard to warn me? Freakin’ Phoebe. What was she up to?
I focused on Maude. “A liability? Does this have to do with the cemetery? Because that had everything to do with spending the day in an airplane. You, of all people, should know what being enclosed in metal can do to an earth faery.”
“Do not insult me, Rhoswen. While your actions highlighted your pathetic lack of training, I’d hardly waste energy rearranging your life because of it.”
Anger bubbled in my throat. Swallowing, I choked it down. What did I ever do to deserve this disdain? Just because I’d joined the Void without going through the proper channels didn’t mean I wasn’t good at my job. It was no secret Maude resented shortcuts. Never mind I possessed a skill so rare no one believed it possible.
My record stood for itself. How many agents would’ve been killed had I not been there to warn them? My talent made the Void safer, kept Phoebe safe, and I’d be damned if I lost someone else I loved when I could do something about it. Spending three years at the academy was out of the question. I hadn’t w
anted to devote my entire life to the Void. I had a shop I loved, but I couldn’t ignore my ability either. We’d struck a deal. I’d go on runs, warn the agents of nearby vamps, and then stay the heck out of the way. No academy training needed.
“What about Phoebe?” I asked. “You can’t leave her without backup.”
“That is not your concern.” Maude didn’t bother to hide her disgust. “A seasoned agent would be more concerned about her new assignment.”
“I imagine I’ll be given my new orders before I leave,” I said reasonably. “I’m just looking out for my partner.”
Maude raised one brow as she smirked. “At least you’re loyal. To put you at ease, her new partner will be in place by the end of the week.” She passed a packet across her desk. “Here are the details of your new assignment. Be here at sunset to pick up your shadow agent. I expect an update every forty-eight hours until I say otherwise.”
Staring at the packet as though it was tainted with flesh-eating bacteria, I kept my hands clenched in my lap.
Maude pressed a button on her intercom. “I’m ready for my next appointment.” She didn’t even look up when she addressed us again. “You’re excused.”
What exactly was a shadow agent? The finality of Maude’s tone, mixed with her obvious contempt, kept my mouth clamped shut. I’d rather have my wings plucked out than admit my cluelessness. I grabbed the envelope and shoved it in my purse.
Phoebe and I left without another word, Link at my heels.
“What just happened?” I asked Phoebe once we made it back to the lobby. The two guards ignored us, both standing straight with their hands clamped behind their backs.
“You just got into a pissing match with our boss. Our boss who is a spiteful, dangerous faery.”
Faeries had a bad reputation for holding grudges. “Please. She doesn’t scare me.”
Phoebe stopped, turning to face me. “She should. Do you think she became a director by kissing babies or baking cupcakes for a living?”
