“Why, sigh, try, sky…why does the pretty girl ask me why?”
“No playing around,” orders Knox. “Tell her how you ended up here.”
“I’m a little unbalanced. My fellow Denarii decided to put me out of my misery.” He cups his hand by his mouth and speaks in a fake whisper. “They wanted to kill me.”
Knox rubs his thumb in calming arcs on my neck. “I run a sort of sideline killing evil Denarii. I ran across Reggie in Africa. He was slated to be killed, so we made a deal.”
“I receive these fine accommodations,” says Reggie. “In exchange, I’m delivered regular meals of raw animal organs. I also provide information and demonstrations when they are required. As they are right now.”
I force out my next question. “What happens if you don’t eat?”
“Then I’ll look like the typical mummies you see in movies. But that’s rare. My kind are very good at finding sustenance.”
Gross.
“And you don’t remember anything about how you were changed?”
Reggie starts dressing himself, which I totally appreciate. “I wasn’t exactly a willing part of the process, originally. Someone batted me over the head, and when I woke up? Immortality. If you truly wish the answer to that question, you’ll need to find the Book of Magic and read it yourself.”
“And why are you called the Denarii?”
“We follow Julius Caesar, and his face is on the Denarii coin. Although he goes by the name of Jules these days.”
“Jules.” My mouth falls open. The coin part I somewhat expected, but the fact that the man himself is still running around? Not so much. “He’s alive.” I can’t seem to wrap my head around this fact. “Julius Caesar is alive.” I look to Knox. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve been hunting the guy for years. Never seen him, but he’s out there. The man is hard to pin down.”
I’m still stuck on my history lessons from forever ago. “I thought they stabbed him to death.”
Reggie resets his fedora. “Oh, they most certainly did. After that, Jules ate some brains, and all was well again. The Senate did him a favor, actually. Our lifestyle requires a public death every fifty years or so.”
“How many of you are there?”
“That, I wouldn’t know. Jules makes as many Denarii as he wants. And he’s the only one who can. The Book of Magic was the sole place that held the information. After Jules learned the tricks of the trade, as it were, he burned the book. Jules, tools, pretty little fools.” Reggie races forward until his body slams into the bars of the cell. It makes me jump.
“Cut it out, Reggie. You’re scaring her.”
But Reggie keeps right on going. His eyes seem to bug out of their sockets, he stares at me so hard. “Bye, sigh, pretty little cry, your wedding day is when you DIE.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. According to my life template, I’m supposed to get married by sundown on my birthday. That’s Saturday, which is a little over 24 hours from now. “I’m not marrying anyone.”
Knox’s voice lowers to a menacing growl. “That’s enough, Reggie. Say one more thing, and you won’t eat for a week.”
Reggie tilts his head back and lets out a laugh that can only be described as maniacal. “I don’t speak. Jules does.” He flaps his arms up and down. “We’re all little puppets on his strings.”
“That’s it, Reggie. No food for a week. Want to suffer longer? Keep it up.”
Knox says other things to Reggie, but all I can focus on is the name he just shared. “Jules. Julius Caesar.” The concrete walls start to press in on me. My chest tightens. Silver pulses flash on the periphery of my vision. It’s there again… That damned locked-down container inside the deepest part of my being. The magical box of Colonel Mallory’s curse.
I’m going to have another episode.
I reach for my bag. There’s nothing there. I left my purse behind. I grip Knox’s shoulder. “Need my bag…at desk…episode…inhaler…”
After that, the world turns hazy. I’m vaguely aware of Knox’s arms around me as I fight to stay awake.
Chapter Thirteen
Knox
Damn that Reggie. What a sick creep.
I want to open up his cell, race inside, and beat that Denarii’s face in. How dare he frighten Bryar Rose? There’s no time to worry about Reggie, though—I have bigger problems. Bryar Rose’s eyes are starting to roll back into her head. She grips my black T-shirt, curling her fists into the fabric. Only a few minutes ago, she did the same thing as she kissed me. Now, she’s having one of her episodes. Her scent turns acrid with panic.
At that smell, my wolf loses his freaking mind. He howls inside my brain. “Mate hurt! Help!”
“Don’t worry. I got this.”
Leaning over, I scoop Bryar Rose into my arms and pull her tight against my chest.
Reggie keeps smiling, the freak. “Eyes and lies, that one’s Jules’ special prize. Watch it now, or soon she dies.”
I’m so concerned about Bryar Rose that I don’t hear half of what Reggie’s babbling about. Not that it matters. He’s always going on about his “special connection to Jules.” Right now, I don’t need to get distracted by his crazy. “Shut the hell up, Reggie. She’s fine.” I just have to get her to her medicine.
Bryar moans against my chest. She forces her eyes to open a crack. “My bag.”
“I’ll get you there.” I stride away from the cell. Within seconds, I reach the elevator, kick the gate open, and step inside.
“Inhaler…” Bry’s trying hard to stay awake, but she’s losing the fight.
“We’ll get it. I know what you need.” I run my nose down the length of hers. “But first, I have to set you down so I can flip the elevator lever. Can you stand up for me?”
For a moment, I think about the pendant that Alec gave me. It’s an all-purpose “get out of jail” spell that I can use just once, either to fight a wizard or to cast one of their spells. Right now, I could activate it and cast a transport spell to reach Bry’s inhaler. The onyx pendant presses heavily against my chest. I’m tempted to reach for the thing when Bry starts to move.
“Don’t worry. I can stand.” Bry curls forward, trying to stand on her own. She doesn’t have enough control over her own body, though. Instead of staying upright, she tumbles forward in a jerking motion. I gasp as she hurtles toward the floor. Good thing we shifters have strong reflexes. Right before Bry hits the ground, I pull her back onto her feet, careful to keep my arm firmly clasped around her shoulders. “Not much longer.” I yank down the lever that sets the elevator in motion. With a lurch, we start to move.
I lift Bry back into my arms once more. Damn, this elevator takes forever.
My wolf starts in again. “Mate hurt.”
“I get it, buddy. But she’s not really hurt. She’s just falling asleep.”
“HURT!”
I know what he’s feeling because I have the same emotion, too. Everything about this situation is setting my shifter instincts on fire. Not only does she give off a smell of fear, but her natural scent has never been stronger. Honey, cinnamon, and sunshine. My need to protect her sends adrenaline racing through me.
At last, the elevator stops with a jolt. I boot the stupid gate open again with such force it snaps in two. Still, that’s nothing compared to what I do to the broom closet door. I kick the thing down and tear out part of the wall with it. After that, I sprint my way back to her office, and yeah, that door gets crushed in as well. Fine with me. In my opinion, this is one of the benefits of being a shifter. Doors don’t stop you.
I rush into the room and over to her desk. Bry’s black bag sits on her chair. Crouching down, I set Bry into my lap. My left hand holds her firmly against me while my right rifles through the bag. Damn, she has a lot of crap in here. I start throwing stuff out until I find a small plastic inhaler. I slip off the cover and set it by her lips.
“Are you with me, Bryar?”
Her head lolls against my shoulder.
“Mmmm?”
“I got your inhaler. Now open your mouth and take a breath.”
Bryar keeps her eyes shut, but opens her mouth. The moment her mouth opens, I set the inhaler on her lips. I’ve never used one of these before, but there’s an arrow and a button, so it doesn’t seem too complex. I push down, and mist goes onto Bry’s tongue. She breathes it in and instantly seems to perk up.
Thank heaven.
That’s when the scent hits me. It’s a subtle, almost unnoticeable smell, but then again, I’m a werewolf. This close, I can catch the scent, no problem. It’s sickly-sweet, like rotten berries. And it can only be one thing: a fairy spell called Predator’s Bane, which is incredibly illegal. It’s also a spell that only works on werewolves. That’s why I know the scent. I’ve had others try to gas me with it before. It forces werewolves to instantly change back into their human form, even in the middle of a shift. The Denarii tried it on me once. I turned human and naked in the middle of a huge battle. If Alec hadn’t shown up and cast a ton of kill spells, I’d be dead right now.
But why give Bry doses of Predator’s Bane? She’s human. It doesn’t affect her…or does it? Bry insists the stuff helps to her “wake up,” as she calls it.
My wolf starts freaking out. “Medicine bad.” He’s clawing inside me, trying to break free. “Protect mate. Medicine bad!”
Bry moans in my arms. I curl her closer to my chest. My mind races through every kind of magic that could be related to Predator’s Bane.
That’s when I remember it: the Slumber Beast spell.
It’s a curse that Az told me about. Centuries ago, the Shifter Council would give it to criminals as punishment. The Slumber Beast spell makes your animal fall asleep every time you start to shift. But with magic draining away, no one could cast the spell any more, so the Council moved on to other punishments.
And Bry isn’t a criminal, so what’s happening here?
The answer appears in a flash. Suppose some fairy cast a Slumber Beast spell on Bry. If that’s true, she’d freeze whenever she started shifting into her werewolf form. But if she took some Predator’s Bane, then she’d instantly become human again. No more shifting, no more Slumber Beast spell. Bry would wake up.
I shake my head. It’s all too extreme to be real. Only a handful of folks even know about the Slumber Beast spell. And I’d never even heard about Predator’s Bane before the Denarii sprayed some on me.
Bry opens her eyes to the barest of slivers. With shaky movements, she goes to take the inhaler from my hand. It’s some kind of reflex, but I hold it away from her. She frowns. “Knox, I need more medicine.”
At this point, I’ve got two choices. First, I can give Bry the medicine and pretend nothing happened. Second, I can ask to see her irises. If her eyes are glowing with a golden light right now, then she is a werewolf. The difference between the two options is this: how much do I want to know if Bry is a were?
The moment the question enters my mind, the answer is clear. If Bry really is a werewolf, then I absolutely must know the truth. I lean in closer. “Look at me, Bry.”
Her eyebrows raise, but nothing else. “I’m trying.”
“No, I need to see your eyes.” Nervous energy twists through me. “Please.”
Little by little, Bry forces her eyes to open fully. What I see knocks my world over. Her irises are golden.
Bry really is a werewolf.
A line of memories falls into place. Back at the cabin, Bry wore a tank top and shorts in freezing weather without so much as a shiver. Werewolves always run warm. Plus, she’s always sniffing and tilting her head, which are total wolf moves. And when Bryar Rose began to pass out, my wolf went nuts inside me. Her animal must have been fighting to get free, and mine could sense it.
Speaking of my wolf, he’s none too happy. “Mate has wolf.” I feel him clawing inside me, wanting to blab everything. “Tell her now.”
Great. My wolf wants me to announce to Bryar Rose that she’s a shifter only seconds after she almost passed out. “Give me a minute, buddy. She still thinks she’s a Sleeping Beauty life template. This isn’t going to be easy.”
Bry nuzzles into my shoulder. Her eyes are at half-mast now, but they are definitely still golden. I can’t believe it. She’s really a werewolf.
“Tell mate now.”
“Bud, I’ve got to take this slowly, or we’ll scare the hell out of her.”
A long moment passes. Finally, my wolf grunts his agreement. That’s as good as I’ll get at this point. When I talk to Bry again, I take care to make my voice really gentle. It isn’t easy, especially because my wolf isn’t the only one who’s worked up at this point.
Bry moves to take the inhaler from my hand. “I need more medicine, Knox.”
“Not yet, I need to take a look at the inhaler. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” She curls into my lap and rests her head against my shoulder. “I shouldn’t take more than three or four puffs a day anyway. I took a ton before we left for LeCharme this morning, just to be safe. Something about you…” She yawns. “It brings out the worst in me.”
I angle the device for a better look. It’s got one of those pharmacy labels on it. “They call this Narconium. Never heard of it. You know what it is?”
“It’s a fake label for humans. The medicine is something my aunties make for me out of fairy dust. It’s the only thing that helps with my episodes. Otherwise, I’d freeze.”
“Your aunties.” Rage boils up my spine. Those crazy fairies have been in on whatever scam is being pulled on Bry. It’s an effort to keep my voice level. “Your aunties give this to you.”
“Sure. They don’t have a lot of magic. It’s nice of them to cast it for me. It’s one of the few times they ever use magic at all.”
“You know anything about Predator’s Bane?”
“No.”
“How about fae attack spells on shifters? Ever hear how those work?”
“Why would I?”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Everyone knows the spells that fairies use when they attack. Then I think of those scheming aunties and the brochure in her bag. If Bry is in a Magicorum Teen Therapy Group, that means she was home tutored. Maybe those aunties of hers controlled her social life too. Bry wouldn’t learn anything that could be really useful. My blood runs hot, and my body aches to shift.
I force myself to stay calm. “How much do you know about other magical races?”
She opens her eyes again. Still gold. “Why are you asking me all this?” She reaches for the inhaler. “I should keep taking the medicine until I’m wide awake. It could be dangerous.”
“You’ll be all right.” I brush some strands of hair from her cheek. “Just tell me how much you know about other magical races.”
“Not much. Most of my tutoring is about manners, history of human society, that kind of thing.”
“So you can marry that Philpot.”
“I’m not getting married.” She gives me a sleepy smile. “Are you jealous, Knox?”
I shouldn’t get flirty, but with Bry, I can’t help it. “Maybe. I mean, I’ve kissed you and all. My wolf thinks you’re my girl.”
She yawns again. “That was a great first kiss, even if it was in a creepy elevator.”
Those words take my breath away. I’m her first kiss? Bry’s aunties have basically hidden her away. Sure, she’s not stuck out in a cottage in the woods like it says in the Sleeping Beauty story, but she might as well have been. Bry’s certainly stuck to the whole “growing up isolated” part of the tale. Where do I even begin to explain all this?
My wolf is a step ahead of me. “Help mate.”
The second his words ring through my mind, I know what he means. I need to settle her wolf, and without that damn Predator’s Bane.
“Look, Bryar. I can help you wake up without the medicine. Can we give it a try?”
“Will it hurt?”
I run my nose along hers. “No. It won’t hurt.”
�
�Okay.”
“Give me your eyes again.”
We lock gazes once more. As a warden, I’m an alpha wolf. That means I could lead a pack if I wanted to…but I haven’t wanted to. Still, I have the alpha’s power to connect to other wolves. So far, it hasn’t had a ton of uses. But right now? I’m thrilled I have this skill. Keeping my gaze locked with Bry’s, I picture my energy flowing around and through her. Suddenly, I can sense her wolf’s heart beating a mile a minute inside her. Her animal is beautiful and strong. A fighter. My chest aches with longing to call her animal forth into physical form. I hold back, though.
First things first, and what I need to do right now is calm Bry’s wolf. I speak to her in my mind. “Calm. Peace. You’re safe.” After those words, I give the order to Bry’s wolf to retreat. Her animal is cautious, but it obeys.
Bry tilts her head. It’s such a wolfy movement. I can’t believe I didn’t suspect she was a were right away. “I’m safe.”
“That’s right.”
Bry’s eyes lose their golden glow. She’s all human again. “How did you do that?”
I set her on her feet. If I keep touching Bry, I’ll be tempted to call her wolf again. “That’s a tough question to answer.”
“Tougher than the Denarii? Come on, that was pretty terrible.”
I step back and take a few seconds to calm my head. This is one of the worst things I have to tell anyone. Not only is Bry a werewolf, but she’s about to lose her animal. Unless she shifts by the time the sun sets on her eighteenth birthday, her inner wolf dies.
Her eighteenth birthday is tomorrow. Damn.
There’s so much I need to tell her, but I have to give it to her slowly. “I’m so sorry.”
“About what? Answering my question? Honestly, what could be worse than Reggie?”
“What I have to tell you? Yeah, I think it might be worse.”
“Look, you don’t have to worry about me and my episodes. Once I turn eighteen, they’ll be over. That’s when the spell from Colonel Mallory the Magnificent will end.”
Wolves and Roses Page 13
