Stunned – but only a bit – the husk turned to look at me, looking ready to continue the fight. I lashed out with my foot and swept his legs out from under him, putting him on his ass. One of the benefits of being more than three centuries old was that I'd had time to master many disciplines in the martial arts. It was something I thought should be required of any Warden, but I wasn't the one making those decisions.
Though keenly aware I could be killed at any moment, I was also not afraid of death – and knew that my training made me pretty tough to kill.
The husk was starting to rise again, so I kicked it in the face, knocking it back down flat on its back – and then kicked the dagger out of its hand. It went spinning off into the darkness of the warehouse with a clatter. Standing over him, I rested the point of my blade on its chest, applying a small amount of pressure – just enough to get its attention.
“I have some questions for you,” I said.
“I've got nothin' for you, Warden,” it sneered.
“No?”
With a flick of my wrist, I sliced open the creature's cheek. Blood flowed and there was the distinctive sound and smell of burning flesh. The Shongtal had no tolerance for silver whatsoever. The creature screamed and writhed in agony beneath me.
“Nothing?” I asked. “Come on now, it's a few harmless questions. And after that, I'll let you go.”
The creature wearing the man's face shot me a look of pure, intense hatred. “I know you, Warden,” it said. “You've got quite the reputation. I already know you're not gonna let me go, so why should I tell you anything?”
I smirked at him. “Never believe half of what you hear,” I said. “Goodness, you Shongtal are all gossip and rumors, aren't you? A regular sewing circle.”
“Screw you.”
“Look, I only need a couple of questions answered,” I said. “You do that, and on my honor as a Warden, I will let you go.”
Honestly, letting him go wouldn't impact me very much. My reputation was true – I never left any Shongtal I came across alive. And they feared me because of it. It was in my best interest to continue building on that hard-earned reputation. But at the same time, letting one go wasn't going to cost me anything at all. Plus, if he gave me some information I could use, it would actually be to my benefit.
The creature looked at me skeptically, his eyes narrowed, his gaze baleful. The Shongtal were all about selfishness and self-preservation. They didn't want to die anymore than anybody else did. Which gave me the upper hand.
“What do you want to know?” the creature hissed at me.
“Who is the woman you were talking about earlier?” I asked. “What is she the key to?”
The creature laughed. “You really think I'm going to tell you that?”
I shrugged. “Thought I'd ask. Seems a shame for you to die when you can give me a little something and live.”
“I give you something and I end up dead anyway,” it said. “Does it matter whether it's by your hand or that of my King?”
I shrugged. “That's your decision to make,” I said. “But I have a feeling you'd stand a better chance with your own kind than you do with me.”
“You don't know the King,” it said.
“Not personally, no,” I said. “But I hope to make its acquaintance one day. Because when I do, I'm planning on killing it.”
The creature laughed, a dry, raspy sound. “So arrogant,” it said. “So cocky. Did it ever occur to you that you are the one who is going to die?”
“I wake up every day and think it could be my last,” I said. “And if it is, so be it. But I'm not going to live my life fearing it. So, who's the girl?”
“Nobody you know.”
“Probably not,” I said. “Humor me anyway.”
The creature stared at me but remained silent. I pressed the point of my sword down a little harder, encouraging him to speak. The creature grimaced and grunted in pain as the silver began to burn its flesh.
“Who's the girl?” I asked.
“I don't know who she is,” it shouted, its voice echoing around the warehouse. “I just happened to run into her.”
The creature was breathing heavily and looking at me with wild eyes. The silver was having the desired effect, causing it an inordinate amount of pain – which only made me smile.
“And where did you just happen to run into her?”
“On the street!” it shouted. “I already said that. Are you stupid?”
I smirked at him. “Which street, moron?”
The creature grimaced again, groaning in pain. “Fluker,” it hissed through gritted teeth. “Fluker Street.”
I thought about it for a second and recalled that Fluker was in an older neighborhood. It had had a lot of small shops and artsy stores – sort of a hipster paradise.
“Was she just passing through?” I asked. “Did she work there?”
“I don't know, man!” the creature shouted. “I just saw her on the street. She wasn't carryin' any bags or nothin'. Now, get that sword out of my chest!”
“One more question,” I said and the creature moaned in agony as the silver continued to burn its skin. “What did she look like?”
Its eyes were wild with pain and it looked so stressed out that if it had been human anymore, I might have feared it having a heart attack or a stroke. But it wasn't, so I didn't let up on the pressure on my blade.
“Red hair,” it hissed. “Short. White skin. Curvy.”
Not much to go on, but I doubted that the creature had much more to give. I was pretty experienced when it came to interrogation and could tell reasonably well when somebody was more or less tapped out. It wasn't much, but at least it was something.
I took a step back and picked up my sword, keeping it handy – just in case.
“Go,” I said. “I appreciate the cooperation.”
Rubbing its chest with one hand and holding its wounded cheek with the other, the creature slowly got to its feet, keeping a wary eye on me.
“Y – you're letting me go?” it asked.
“I gave you my word on my honor as a Warden,” I said. “See, unlike you lot, I'm a man of my word. So, go. Just know that the next time I run into you, I'm going to kill you. Unless, that is, you have some more juicy little bits of information for me.”
Having informants was always useful. It was rare that I could flip one of the Shongtal, but it wasn't unheard of. I'd had a few Shongtal informants before – not that they ever lasted very long. Once they were compromised – and discovered – they died pretty terrible deaths at the hands of their brethren. But if I could land another one, all the better for me.
The creature looked at me, visibly surprised that I was holding true to my word. Honesty among the Shongtal was a rare commodity indeed.
“This is how trust is built,” I said. “We can have a mutually beneficial relationship. You feed me information, you keep breathing. I'd say that's a win-win, wouldn't you?”
Without answering me, the creature turned and ran off into the darkness of the warehouse. The door banging open and hitting the wall echoed all around me, announcing its departure. I shrugged. I knew I'd run into it again and when I did, it would either feed me information or it would die. Over the years, I'd found that it got a little easier for them each time they gave me a little intel.
I'd just have to wait and see whether or not, this one would come back to me. Until then, I had a mysterious redhead on Fluker Street to ferret out.
Chapter Five
Astrid
“This dress is too tight,” I complained. “And the skirt is way too short.”
I sat in the passenger seat of Piper's BMW, trying to pull the hem of the skirt down while also trying to pull the top up to cover more of my breasts. She'd brought along a couple of outfits, hair products, and enough makeup to paint up every woman in a brothel.
When she was done, I'd looked at myself in the mirror and felt like the world's biggest fraud. Of course, the phrase that had immediat
ely come to mind was “putting lipstick on a pig.” But I didn't say that in front of Piper – mainly because I didn't want to have to endure another of her self-help pep talks. I loved her to death, but that was definitely something I could have lived without.
“Please,” Piper said. “You look smokin' hot, Astrid.”
Smokin' hot was about the last thing I felt like in that moment. I wasn't stick thin like Piper. I wasn't the typical blonde, blue eyed, Southern California beach bunny that we were famous for. I was short, had full breast and hips, brown eyes, and pale skin. About my best – and only – asset was my long, red hair. Men seemed to like that well enough.
“Do you really think I'd take you out to a posh, trendy place like Heat if you weren't looking tip-top?” Piper asked. “I mean, I do have a reputation to uphold and all.”
She laughed, but I knew there was a little bit of truth behind her words. Not to say that she was shallow, but ever since she started working for a high-profile defense firm, Piper had become a little more image conscious than she used to be.
Not that I blamed her. She was often in the public eye and had to uphold a certain standard. Which meant that if I wanted to hang out with her – at least in public – I too, had to uphold that standard. Which was why I didn't often go out on the town with her. She was a lot better at looking hot and presentable than I was.
I remembered though, our days in college. All those nights spent in sweat pants and t-shirts, eating ice cream in front of the TV or at the coffee house. Unlike Piper, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. She was focused and determined – she was going to be a lawyer. And to her credit, she powered through school and had done just that. And was apparently doing quite well.
I, on the other hand, was more or less directionless. Just sort of ambling by. I'd gotten my degree in Library Sciences and figured that with my love of books, it was just sort of a natural progression. But after a few years of working in a library, I realized that I was bored.
So, I'd used the inheritance my parents had left me to open my bookstore. And I had to admit, though stressful at times, I was enjoying it a lot more. I finally felt like things were right in my life. That the puzzle pieces had finally fallen into place and that I was where I needed to be.
I looked over at Piper and was struck, as always, how beautiful and confident she was. I was about the exact opposite of her, and it made our friendship all the more remarkable to me. We'd been thrown together in a dorm room and were more or less opposites in every way. We had few things in common, but I admired her for her dedication and laser-like focus to her education. In a lot of ways, that part of her rubbed off on me.
What had never rubbed off on me though, was her nature as a social butterfly. She was never short of men chasing after her and there were more than a few times I'd had to pretend to be asleep while she and her flavor of the evening screwed away in our dorm room.
But somehow, despite all our differences, we'd forged an ironclad friendship. We got each other in way nobody else did and we'd found that those differences actually complemented one another.
As we liked to say, she was the peanut butter to my jelly and I was the cheese to her macaroni.
“So, what is this place, anyway?” I asked. “Heat, was it?”
She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Or was just an uncultured heathen – which, I admittedly was.
“Heat is only the trendiest, hottest spot in town,” she said. “It's where the A-List goes to be seen.”
“Well – is it like a restaurant?” I asked. “A night club?”
“Both,” she said. “It's one of LA's premier restaurants and it also has an accessible nightclub called Fire.”
“Heat and Fire,” I said. “I'm sensing a theme here.”
Piper laughed and shook her head. “We really need to get you out more often,” she said. “Show you that there is more to the world than just – books.”
“Hey, I happen to like my books,” I said. “Books never let me down. Never break my heart. The written word is magic.”
“Okay, that was a really nice way of me saying that I really need to get you laid,” she said. “And laid well.”
I laughed and shook my head. Piper was an uninhibited woman, and although I admired her for it, I knew that it wasn't the way I wanted to be. Or at least, the way I thought I could be. I just wasn't anywhere near as outgoing as she was.
We pulled up to a restaurant that looked – incredible. When I imagined places the LA elite went, this probably covered it. We pulled to the valet stand and our doors were opened for us. A long red carpet led from the curb to the front of the restaurant. Though the lighting outside was dim, there were torches on the columns that lined the walkway to the front door. Dense foliage stood behind the columns, giving it an almost jungle feel to the exterior of the place.
The doors were opened for us and we stepped inside. The interior of the restaurant was somewhat dark and foreboding. I knew they were there because there was an ambient glow about the place, but I didn't see a single light fixture anywhere. Instead, torches hung on all of the walls, there were multiple fire pits inside the restaurant, giving off more light than heat.
Black and a deep shade of red were the dominant colors in the restaurant, and there were several tall glass cases filled with lush, jungle-like foliage scattered throughout the dining area. The interior was a little warmer than I would have liked, but overall, it was pretty pleasant inside.
I had to admit, it was gorgeous. It felt like an edgy, hip, place. And as I scanned the faces of the other patrons – not easy to do with how dim the lighting was, I saw several faces I recognized. Actors. People I'd seen in television shows or movies. I was floored by the Hollywood royalty I saw having dinner.
I pointed to a man in a dark suit. “Is that –?”
“Yes,” Piper said, grabbing my hand and putting it back down at my side. “It is. Don't point and stare.”
I was a little stung by her tone. She'd obviously forgotten that this was her world and I was just passing through it. I didn't operate in this space and wasn't used to the rules and niceties it entailed. But I could understand her not wanting me to embarrass her – or make some celebrity uncomfortable – by freaking out when I saw them.
Still, she could have been a little less sharp and grabby with me.
We were taken to our table and as we wound our way through the dining room, I couldn't help but notice the number of celebrities that were having dinner. Nor could I help but notice that a few of the men in the restaurant were eyeing me up and down as I walked by their table. The scrutiny I was getting made me feel keenly uncomfortable. The shortness of the skirt and the fact that my breasts felt like they were about to explode out of my top only deepened that feeling of discomfort.
This was most definitely not my world.
We were seated at the table and Piper leaned forward conspiratorially, a gleam in her eye. “Did you see how many guys were checking you out when we walked through?”
“I think they were checking you out, Pip.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, I caught two or three looking at your ass,” she grinned. “And one of them just so happened to be somebody I know you had the hots for back in college. Or at least, you said you did after that one movie.”
I giggled and felt my cheeks flaring with heat. “Shut up.”
She shrugged. “It's true,” she said. “I saw it. You could have just about any man in this restaurant take you home tonight.”
“I'm going home with you, Pip.”
She grinned again. “That's fine, but I'm not putting out.”
I reached across the table and smacked her hand playfully. Honestly, it felt good to be with Piper, laughing and having a good time. It was a little bit flattering to think that some of the men in the restaurant had been checking me out.
I'd buried it in a deep, dark place a long time ago, but that want to be desired was still within me. I wanted to feel sexy. Wanted t
o be somebody's object of longing and lust. I pretended that I didn't and preferred my own company. And for the most part I did. But truth be told, there was a small sliver inside of me that wanted to be wanted. I'd just managed to lie to myself about it for so long that even I believed it.
I looked at the menu and was completely lost. And when I looked at the prices, I thought I was going to throw up. Business at the bookstore was good, but it wasn't that good. Piper snatched my menu out of my hand.
“My treat,” she said. “And worry not, I'll order us something good.”
“My life is in your hands,” I said.
The waitress came by and Piper ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer with a fancy sounding name I'd never heard of to start. When the waitress came back, she opened a bottle of white wine, let Piper taste it, and when she nodded, poured us both a glass.
“I'll be back in a moment with your appetizer,” she said before turning and disappearing.
I raised my glass and looked at my friend. “Congratulations to you, Pip,” I said. “I'm so proud of you and know that your star is only going to shine brighter. I love you.”
She smiled at me and her eyes shone with tears. It melted my heart because Piper was usually so controlled with her emotions. She held herself tightly in check and rarely cried. Frankly, I couldn't think of the last time I'd seen her in tears.
She clinked her glass against mine. “I love you too, Astrid,” she said. “I've never had a better friend and I never will. And I just love you so damn much.”
The waitress returned and set a plate down that had some sort of food concoction sitting in the middle of it. The only thing recognizable to me though, were the shrimp.
“Let's dig in,” Piper said.
I was a little hesitant about trying it – I tended to stick with things I liked and knew were good. Change had never been my friend. But when I did, my mouth exploded with flavor. I chewed and felt my eyes roll back into my head as I savored it. It truly was one of the best things I'd ever tasted before in my life. It might have even been close to Pete's sub in terms of sheer gastrointestinal bliss.
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 114
