Chronicles of Arcana (The complete collection books 1-4)

by Debbie Cassidy

  Who knew that even dried-up, uber-old sewer systems that had been flushed out before being sealed would reek like the inside of a Karnworm’s anus. We began to trudge through the network.

  It had taken almost a week to heal from the injuries Balen had inflicted. Precious time we couldn’t afford to waste, but there had been no choice but to wait. One of the guys had needed to be with me at all times for fear that Elora would send more Shedim to kill me. Noir hadn’t been able to ward against the use of transponders, and so my home was vulnerable. And that was another thing Noir was looking into—how Elora had gotten her mitts on the tech in the first place.

  This was the second day of our search, and I’d switched Tay for Noir. For some reason, being underground made Tay super antsy and growly. It was as if being surrounded by all the earth teased at his troll, bringing it to the surface. An hour down here and all I’d managed to get from him were grunts. Then our flashlights had died. Thank God for Tay’s super sight or we’d have been stuck down here forever. Okay, maybe not forever, because Noir was only a phone call away and there was enough reception to make a call. But still, things had felt a little hairy.

  But Noir was on Wila watch today. He’d cleared his calendar and everything. Between the two of them, Tay and Noir had made sure I was never left alone. They’d taken rooms at Casa de Bastion, and everywhere I stepped there was evidence of Tay or Noir. I’d have protested, except I wasn’t dumb. Elora had Azren and Valance, but I was still free. I knew her secret, and the longer she left me alive, the better chance of me doing something with it.

  Noir had been unsuccessful in finding out anything about Valance’s fate, and Elora had upped her border security. Getting into Draconi territory was not going to be easy, but if we managed to get The Collective on our side, then maybe we could find an official way in. But the only way to do that was to convince them that Elora was a direct threat, which brought us to our sewer search. We needed to make contact with the rogue Shedim. We needed to find out the truth.

  The light bobbed up ahead of us as we navigated in silence.

  “How many more areas are left on the map?” Noir asked, keeping his voice low.

  “Just the tunnels under the Turnaround Forest, but guess where the entrance to those is?”

  “The Petting Zoo?”

  “Yep, and I doubt Lex Hunter will be accommodating enough to give us access.”

  “You never know.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, well, we won’t have a choice but to try if we get no joy here.”

  Yep, I was not looking forward to that conversation. Tay was on standby to take me to the next event at the Petting Zoo in two days’ time, where hopefully I’d be able to charm the pants off Lex, figuratively speaking of course. Although, if it meant ultimately saving Azren and Valance, maybe I’d even go the whole hog and do it literally.

  We turned a corner and then another. My eyes scanned the map, checking off the route as we went, looking for doors, hidden passageways, anything that might lead to a secret lair. But as the minutes ticked by, my heart sank.

  And then we came upon a dead end.

  “Fuck.” I folded up the map. “Let’s retrace our steps, then take another route.”

  Noir followed me back the way we’d come, but the futility of this exercise was a bitter taste on my tongue. The Shedim weren’t down here amongst the stench of shit. We were wasting our time, and meanwhile Elora had my guys. A week. She’d had them a week, and every minute, every hour that she kept them was a fresh shard burrowing under my nails. My fingers prickled as if in response, and a cursory inspection revealed the damn talons again. Stupid things—always showed up when not needed. I’d have to report to Gil once we got back. He’d been keeping note of my new abilities. Trying to figure out what the heck was happening to me. I hoped to God that whatever it was, was kickass enough to rip Elora’s smug face off.

  “We’ll get them back, Wila. I promise,” Noir said. “We have the gala tomorrow, and between us, we’ll get the information we need.”

  Ah, the gala, a chance to dress up and mingle with the elite, but also the perfect opportunity to meet the new Draconi ambassador. The perfect chance to discover what the heck had happened to Valance.

  I linked arms with Noir. “Come on, let’s get this over with. If we stay down here any longer than necessary, I swear the stink is gonna get into my skin.”

  With a chuckle, he picked up the pace.

  ***

  Wet footprints led out of my bathroom and vanished into the hallway carpet. Seriously? Again? I’d let it go the first time, but Noir really needed to stick to the fourth floor and his own bathroom ... Azren’s bathroom. I’d have to have words with him about this. My bathroom was my fluffy pink haven. It smelled of ... my raspberry body wash! Urgh. What the heck? Now that was going too far. Okay, calm down, Bastion… The bottle cost a bomb, but making Noir feel really bad about using it might mean a brand-new bottle. Funny how the thought of new stuff always succeeded in making me feel better. Locking the door, I switched on the hot water and stepped under the spray.

  Time to wash away the icky stench.

  A half hour later, dressed in a casual knee-length skirt and camisole top, I found Noir lounging in the ... lounge, nursing a cup of tea. Gilbert had prepared a tray, and it sat on the coffee table in front of Noir. There were even scones—warm, buttery, ready-to-be-slathered-with-jam-and-cream scones. Mmmm. The television was on low, some chat show with people shouting at each other.

  Noir set down his cup when I entered, his gaze widening slightly as he took in my attire.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, it’s a skirt. Yes, I do have legs, and no, I don’t show them off enough.” I gave him a twirl.

  He bit back a smile and poured some tea into my special cup. “Skirts suit you. You have nice legs.”

  “Nice? Heck, I have epic legs.” I sniffed. Did he think a compliment would let him off the hook for using my shower? He was going to have to do better than that. I crossed my arms under my breasts. “You have your own shower, you know.”

  He balked. “Um, yes.” His expression cleared, and he raised an arm to sniff his pit. “Do I still smell?”

  “What? No. I mean why are you using mine?”

  “Using your what?”

  Oh, look at him and his poker face. “My shower.”

  He frowned, looking sincerely confused. “Wila, I did not use your shower.”

  “Oh, really? Tell that to the wet footprints and the raspberry haze.” A thought occurred to me. “In fact ...” I bounded onto the sofa and stuck my nose into the crook of his neck before inhaling deeply. A fresh, zesty tang filled my head, and my stomach contracted then flipped hard. Oh, God. He smelled good. Too good.

  “Wila?”

  His voice sounded strange, strangled, and then I realized where my hand was—high up on his thigh, right by his ... “Whoa!” I backed up, hands in the air. “Shit, Noir. I’m sorry.”

  He took a moment, swallowed and licked his lips. “Would you mind explaining what you were doing? Because it seemed to me that you were sniffing me?”

  I winced. “I thought you’d smell of raspberries.”

  He frowned in confusion. “And why in the world would you think that?”

  “Someone’s been using my bathroom. Since the only people living here who’d use a shower are you, me, and Tay, and Tay isn’t here, I thought it was you.”

  He canted his head. “No. Definitely not me.” He made an ‘o’ with his mouth. “Wait, Trevor said Tay swung by earlier. Maybe he took a shower then?”

  “Yeah. That explains it.”

  “Are you going to sniff him too?” Noir asked with a small smile.

  Sniffing Tay meant getting close, which was a bad, bad idea. “It’s cool. I’ll just have words. I know it seems petty, but that’s my space, you know?”

  “I get it. I get this must be hard for you, having Tay and me invade your home like this.”

  Wait, did he think I didn’t like hav
ing them here? “God, no! I love you guys being here. You have no idea how grateful I am for the protection. I just like my privacy is all.”

  Now I just felt petty. So what if they’d used my shower. They were giving up their time to be here for me. Man, I needed to deal with my issues.

  Noir nodded. “I understand. I’m the same.”

  “You are?”

  He gave me a lopsided smile that turned his intense face boyish. My heart squeezed slightly, and I reached out to ruffle his damp hair.

  His pupils dilated. “What was that for?”

  My throat was suddenly thick with a new emotion. “Nothing.”

  He reached across and brushed a thumb down my cheek, skimming the corner of my mouth. “You are a funny thing, Bastion.”

  “You’re one to talk, accidental boob groper.”

  Color bloomed high on his cheekbones. “Yes, well ...” He tucked in his chin.

  Ha, he was flustered. I loved it when he was flustered. I ducked my head to look into his face. “Was it good? Eh? Was it good for you, Noir?”

  He raised his head and our gazes met with a zing. My breath caught and pinched my throat. His phone rang with authority from the coffee table, and we both jerked away from each other.

  Noir stared at the mobile phone as it alternated between vibrate and ring but made no move to answer it.

  I nudged him with my elbow. “Ha. Yeah. You better grab that.”

  “It will be work.”

  Which would mean he’d have to leave. So much for clearing his calendar. “You need to work, Noir. Answer it.”

  He took a shuddering breath and then picked up the phone. “Noir.” His voice was clipped, annoyed yet professional. It conveyed his irritation at being disturbed on his day off but left room for the caller to petition him with whatever issue they were calling about. “Yes. No. I already explained that. No, don’t.” A deep sigh. “I’ll be right over.” He hung up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  I shrugged. “You have to go.”

  “I have to go.”

  I grinned. “Well, it looks like I’ll get to start the next season without you.”

  “Like hell.” He grabbed the remote off the table. “I’m taking this with me. We’ll watch it when I get back.”

  I cocked my head, looking up at him coquettishly. “Which will be ... when?”

  He sighed. “As soon as I can.” His gaze softened and my stomach did that slow flip again.

  An outsider would be forgiven for thinking we were a couple. Heck, we’d fallen so easily into living together it was scary, but we weren’t a couple. We were friends.

  I broke eye contact. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

  “Na-uh.” He made a get up motion with his fingers.

  “What?”

  “You’re not staying here alone.”

  “I won’t be alone. I have Trevor and Gilbert.”

  He arched a skeptical brow. “I’m sure Gilbert will agree that you need to come with me.”

  “I certainly do,” Gilbert said from the doorway, making me jump.

  I hadn’t even sensed him this time.

  “If Hound were here, then I’d be less concerned,” Gil continued. “But I haven’t seen him all day.”

  “I didn’t see him yesterday either,” Noir added.

  Yeah, Hound was AWOL, and it was bugging me. He’d only been a member of the team for a short while, but he’d quickly become part of the furniture. “What if a client comes in? I need to be here.”

  “Trevor will take the details, and we’ll call you,” Gilbert said firmly.

  It looked like they had an answer for everything. I stood up. “Fine. Where are we going?”

  He smiled. “Oh, I’m dropping you off with Tay, and then I’m headed to the office.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “Let me change and grab my coat.” I offered him a twinkling smile. “My new, beautiful, extra-enchanted leather dustkicker.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re welcome, Bastion, and keep the skirt on. It looks good.”

  Leaving him chatting to Gil, I headed out of the room to suit up and grab K, because there was no way I was going anywhere without my bolt shooter until Elora was dead.

  Chapter 2

  We materialized outside the Hunter and Prey. Noir didn’t release me straight away. Instead, he scanned the car park. It was pretty empty this time of day. Early afternoon was when the oldies came in, and after five p.m. was when it got busy.

  I made no move to step out of Noir’s embrace. Here was safe. Here was controlled. Here there were boundaries, but inside the Hunter and Prey was Tay, and Tay was temptation, but Tay now had a girlfriend.

  “He might be out.” I plucked at Noir’s shirt button.

  “Nope, I spoke to Mack. Tay is definitely here.” A beat of heavy silence. “Wila?”

  I looked up. “Hmmmm.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  I gnawed on my bottom lip. “Tay has a girlfriend.”

  Noir smiled conspiratorially. “Well that’s certainly going to last.” His tone was blatantly sarcastic.

  “I want him to be happy.”

  “Then go inside and be a friend.”

  I blew out a breath. “You’re right.”

  He tucked my hair behind my ear and gave me a lopsided, dimpled smile. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, and you’re making the popcorn this time.”

  He walked me to the door and waited until I slipped inside before doing his vanishing act. Taking a deep breath, I made my way past the few patrons seated in their booths and wooden chairs to the bar where Mack was filling up the peanut bowls.

  “Hey, Wila bomb.” He poured me an orange juice and slid it across the bar.

  Mack was the slender version of Tay, just as tall but more athletic than muscular. His hair was shorter with more of a curl, whereas Tay had the longer, must-run-my-fingers-through-it hair. They weren’t identical twins, but they had the same thick lashes and tawny eyes. Mack’s were fixed on me now, filled with questions he wanted to ask and answers he probably didn’t want to give.

  I hopped up onto a stool. “Tay about?”

  Mack’s expression was studiously blank. “He’s in the apartment with Tonya.”

  A dagger stabbed at my heart.

  “You okay?” Mack asked.

  I rubbed my chest. “Fucking indigestion. Chuck me a bag of crisps, babe.”

  Mack ripped open a bag of salted crisps and placed them in front of me. “On the house.”

  I sniggered. “Have I ever actually paid you for a drink?”

  Mack tapped his chin in faux thought. “Come to think of it, no.”

  “I can’t believe I’m in a bar at”—I glanced at the clock on my phone—“one-thirty p.m. drinking orange juice and eating crisps rather than at home scouting for cases because a fucking crazy Draconi wants me dead.”

  “Wila ...”

  “I hate this, Mack. I just want to get Azren and Valance back. I just want to be free of her shadow.”

  “How did the search go?”

  “Shit. Literally.”

  It was his turn to snigger. He leaned across the bar and sniffed. “You smell good, though. Like raspberries.”

  I grinned up at him. “Thanks, babe.”

  He set to polishing glasses. Mack took his barman duties very seriously. “So, what’s next?”

  “Noir and I have the gala tomorrow night and, after that, the event at the Petting Zoo.”

  “Tay’s taking you, right?” Mack asked. There was a question beneath the question.

  “What is it, Mack? Spit it out.”

  “How are things between you two? I know he’s been sleeping at your place and ...”

  “We’re not fucking, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Wila, I didn’t ...” He tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling, as if searching for inspiration. “I just don’t want you guys getting confused again.”

  I sipped my orange juice. “Th
ere is no confusion, Mack.” I looked him straight in the eye. “I’m head over heels in love with your brother, but the problem is, I’m also Azren’s kindred, and I think Valance and I have a connection too. So, no confusion, just a big fucking mess.”

  Mack set down the glass he was polishing. His lips turned down. “That’s why you told Tay not to cut himself off from the knell? You want to protect him.”

  “Why else would I ... Oh, you thought I didn’t care about him in that way?”

  Mack’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry, Wila. It’s just hard for us to get it, the being able to love more than one person romantically thing.”

  It wasn’t how they were wired. They were one-woman guys. And they were fucking territorial as shit. They were incapable of romantically loving more than one person at a time.

  It seemed I had the opposite problem. “I can’t do that to him. I can’t ask him to give up who he is just to be with me, not when I can’t give him the whole of my heart.”

  Mack pressed his lips together, as if holding back words.

  “Mack? What is it that you’re not telling me?”

  He shook his head and then looked over my shoulder. “And here comes big brother.”

  Okay, time to face the couple. Fixing a smile on my face, I swiveled on my stool to face Tay and Tonya. “Hey, guys. How are you doing?”

  Tay’s eyes lit up at the sight of me and his gaze ran over me, snagging on the skirt and sliding down my legs. It sent a delicious medley of electricity and heat through me.

  Tonya didn’t even bother to quirk her lips. “Wila.” Her tone was flat.

  Tay’s brow crinkled in a slight frown.

  God, this was awkward.

  Tonya hung off Tay’s arm like a pretty decoration; her heart-shaped face, huge doe eyes, and pixie haircut gave her a fragile, ethereal look. But she was a troll blood and could probably bench press me.

  “So, what brings you here at this time?” She flashed her teeth, probably more for Tay’s benefit than mine. And, yeah, it looked more grimace than smile.

  Tay patted Tonya’s arm. “Wila and I have some stuff to do, so I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  She frowned and looked up at him. “Seriously? I thought we were going to grab a bite to eat, and then she shows up out of the blue and suddenly you have stuff you need to do?”