by E. A. Copen
I released him and took a step back. Creven rubbed the red spot on his skinny little neck. “What kind of exchange? Who was Crux talking to?”
“I don’t know for sure.”
“Then give me your best guess.”
The elf paced past me and retrieved his staff from inside the bathroom, leaning on it as he looked over the holes in the wall, the blood and the broken furniture. “It’s the reason they’re comin’ here,” he said quietly. “All the low fae. They’re like beetles before a forest fire, fleeing while they still can.” He turned around, lifted his staff and planted it against a patch of ice on the floor. The ice cracked and groaned. “War is comin’ and one person’s driving it.”
“You’re talking about the instability in Faerie,” I said and then shook my head. “But what does Mara have to do with that? And why would that bring one of the giants here?”
Creven was quiet for a moment, examining a dent in the wall. “I heard the old werewolf describing the division in Faerie to you. You know the giants are unbound, free to support whoever they want.” He frowned, looked around and righted and overturned chair to sit in. “I didn’t say anything before, being too busy dying and all, but I think your ice giant is an agent of the Unseelie.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The magick for one. Unseelie magick has a particular feeling. Dark, slippery, as enticing as the dark on a cool night on the eve of summer. The giant wore it draped over him like a shroud. It’s the reason he reacted so strongly to the magick I was throwin’ at him.”
“You’re Seelie fae?” I asked. This was getting complicated. Pretty soon, I was going to lose track of who sided with whom and I wasn’t even involved in whatever was going on in Faerie.
But Creven shook his head. “Like repels like, lass. I know the source of his power intimately and so I was able to subvert it.”
I swallowed. “You’re Unseelie.”
“I’m neither,” Creven answered quickly, his eyes shifting so he could stare beyond me and into some dark memory. “Not anymore. It’s why I came here. America’s the land of second chances, right?”
The elf cracked a smile but it did nothing to settle the uneasiness in my stomach. Like Chanter had said, magick isn’t either good or bad and that was primarily what divided the two fae courts. There could be good Unseelie, I told myself, but it also meant Creven could do a hell of a lot more than throw up barriers and defensive spells. He had Unseelie magick at his disposal.
“If you’re Unseelie—or were—why…”
He cut me off, swiping his staff. “I don’t play with that magick anymore. I’m reformed. As I said, I don’t have a side. But your friend, Mara, doesn’t mean she’s undecided.”
“Mara’s not fae,” I said shaking my head.
“Mara’s a Speaker, able to speak to the dead. D’ya know how valuable she’d be to the Unseelie? There’s those among them that can control the dead, lass, and would raise an army of them. An Unseelie agent could come here looking for her. She’s a weapon. If this is who I think it is, he would pay any price, strike any bargain to get his hands on her. Anything that increases his power. Mara would do that if she’s a Speaker.”
“Humans can’t go to Faerie.”
“Aye, but they can. It’s just your kind’s not welcome there, not unless you can be useful. And I’m under orders to look into any allies they are gathering here, which is what brought me here. I think your case and mine have unintentionally collided.” He shifted forward, resting the staff across his lap.
I narrowed my eyes. “Under orders? From who? Kim?”
Creven batted the question away with his staff and changed the subject. “I’ve seen these undead things before, the ones with the black veins under their skin. That’s Unseelie Magick. Necromancy.”
“Where?” I asked. “Where have you seen it before? Who can do this?”
Creven turned his gaze to a particularly big, crumbling hole in the drywall. “The fae I’m hunting can do it,” he said quietly. “But he wouldn’t hurt Mara. She’d be of no use to him dead.” He lifted something small, pointed, bloody and white.
“What the hell is that?”
“Half a vampire fang,” Creven announced. “There’s some connection between the Unseelie magick the giant’s wielding and the vampire, Crux. What I can’t see is how the two of them are related. The necromancer I’m hunting may be the one trying to strike a deal with Crux. But Crux thinks Mara’s responsible for Harry’s death.”
“You don’t think she is?”
Creven shrugged. “Can’t say I care. But I do know Mara’s not the one who opened the door for the giant. She doesn’t have the right power. Besides, judging by the fight, I’d guess the giant was actually opposing Crux.” He pointed to the bloody smear on the wall I’d first noticed when I came in. “That’s too high to have been aimed at your friend but it stands just about right to have been tossed at Crux. Crux is also the only link I still see between Harry and Kim.”
“If Crux is trying to make a deal with the necromancer using Mara as collateral and the giant is on the same side as the necromancer, why would it attack Crux?”
“Don’t know. Neither do any of my sources. I already asked.”
I narrowed my eyes and flipped the safety back on my gun, sliding it back into its holster. “Which reminds me, who is your employer? And don’t say Kim. I know she’s not in on this.”
Creven pulled his lips into a tight, thin line.
I wanted to push him further, to make him tell me, but it wasn’t an immediate concern. Finding and saving Mara was.
“If Crux took Mara, where would he keep her?”
Creven shrugged. “Hard to say. But, by the looks of things, the giant objected to her being taken. That symbol on the wall in blood? Mara disabled the wards. She let it in.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know, lass. I don’t have all the pieces. I do know he’ll take another turn at Kim, you can be sure of that. Giants are honor bound to keep their word and he swore he’d kill her. He won’t just quit.”
“Maybe there’s something on this that will help,” I said, pulling out Mara’s phone. “Something that would at least tell me why she was so desperate for money that she’d rather be a stripper than ask for a loan.”
I started typing in numbers, trying to guess the passcode. Creven watched me with mild interest. “Your friend, Mara, how old is she?”
“Nineteen. Why?”
“No parents to speak of?”
“They’re dead.” I glanced up from the phone. “Why?”
Creven shrugged. “Just a thought. I remember being a young lad, striking out on my own for the first time. Me da…Let’s just say he didn’t want to let me go. The more he pushed me to stick around and stay in contact, the more I wanted my independence. I thought I could do it all on my own and I would have done anything to prove it. Could be this is the same. Pride might have driven her to earn the money instead of askin’ for a loan.”
I turned back to the phone. The fact she needed money wasn’t the only thing Mara had kept from me. She hadn’t told me about Ed. I’d been pushing Mara so hard I’d gotten too involved. I did everything for her or with her, from taking her grocery shopping to helping her with her laundry. She’d been through so much; I just didn’t want her to ever feel like she was alone again. I couldn’t believe she’d hidden so much from me. It was like she had a whole second life, one that didn’t even include me. Like with Hunter, it had been time to let her go a long time ago. But I’d been so worried about fixing her, I forgot to let her go.
I pocketed the phone. “You’re right. This giant may be protecting Mara,” I said. “But I still can’t see the link between him and Harry and Kim’s deal. And this necromancer you’re talking about, I need to find him, bring him in, see how he’s involved.”
“You’d sooner catch the wind,” said Creven
, shaking his head. “If all the knights in the Faerie Queen’s court couldn’t bring him down, what are you going to do? No, lass, he’s beyond us. He’s already raising an army. Why do you think everyone’s fleeing here? They don’t want to be in Faerie when he deposes the queen and fashions the place how he likes.”
“If he’s so unbeatable, then why are you looking into him?”
“I didn’t say he was unbeatable, lass. I said he was beyond us.”
“Can you at least give me a name, Creven?”
Creven stood, cringing as he unfolded himself completely. “There’s power in names. You of all people should know that. Speaking his name could draw his attention. He’s got eyes and ears everywhere. You sure that’s what you want?”
“You’re going to tell me sooner or later.”
“Let’s make it later, lass. For now, you’ll need to find a way to draw Crux out and stop this giant before he goes on another killing spree. If you’re lucky, one of them will lead you back to Mara.”
How am I supposed to do that? I thought. And then it came to me in a flash of realization. I had everything I needed to get the giant to show up. Kim wasn’t going to like my plan, and neither was Abe, but I really needed the extra set of hands. When it had been just me and Creven against the giant, we hadn’t fared so well. Abe’s shotgun and bad attitude could tip the scales in our favor.
“Creven, I’ve got a plan.”
“Oh?” His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“But I need your help. And Kim’s.”
I told him my plan.
Afterward, the elf shook his head and mused, “She’s not going to like that. I don’t like it.”
“But will it work?”
He tapped a long, lean finger against his chin. “What I know of giants could fit in a teacup, lass. It’s stories. But I do know some things about Crux and this necromancer. I know he’s taking from Faerie with one hand and giving with the other. The necromancer is not going to be pleased if he finds out. He may be a heartless bastard of the highest order, but he won’t stand by while Crux abuses his access to fae magick, taking fae and draining them of their life blood for profit.”
“How displeased do you think he’ll be?”
“Displeased enough to perhaps make an appearance,” answered Creven with a shrug. “Especially if seeds were planted to make him appear weak to the Seelie court. He’d have to move or else risk damage to his reputation.”
“Can you make that happen?” I asked.
“Dangerous…But yes.”
“Get your end set up,” I told him. “We’ll meet at Aisling later tonight. Seven-thirty. Don’t be late.”
“Where are you going?” he asked as I made for the door.
I took out the phone and showed it to him. “To see what kind of trouble Mara was in before this.”
I trudged back out to my car after doing my best to close Mara’s back door. Sitting in my car, I tried to talk myself out of driving straight to Ed, Shauna and Daphne’s place. They had a two-bedroom trailer just a few blocks away. I could drop in, get Ed to unlock the phone and find something useful. Even if he did recognize it as Mara’s phone, I could tell him…Dammit, I’d have to tell him. Ed was too damn smart for his own good.
I put the car in gear and drove the four blocks to their trailer. It was in slightly better shape than Sal’s with some pretty cacti out front and colored tiles leading up to the stairs. A hummingbird wind chime sang in the gentle breeze. I stopped on a welcome mat that said wipe your paws and rang the doorbell. As I waited, I looked around. The Prius was nowhere in sight. No one’s here, I thought. The lump in my throat relaxed.
I was about to leave when Ed opened the door.
“Judah?” he said, rubbing a sleepy eye. He was wearing a white tank top and a pair of Thundercats boxers. “What’s up?”
I pulled Mara’s phone out of my pocket and showed it to him.
Ed blinked and reached for it, taking it in his hand. “This is Mara’s…But there’s no Mara attached.” His eyes widened as he looked to me.
“I need to find her, Ed.”
“She’s not here,” he offered quickly. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday. I…I don’t know where she is.”
“I was hoping you could help me hack into the phone.”
“There’s no need,” Ed said, swiping his finger across the screen. “I know her passcode. But before I hand this back to you, you’ve got to be straight with me. Is she okay? What’s going on?”
I sighed. “Ed, you’ll want to sit down for this.”
He stepped aside and made a sweeping gesture. “Come in, then.”
I stepped up into a living room with cream colored carpet, powder blue curtains, and a seafoam green sofa. Anywhere else, it would have looked terrible but, somehow, it looked decent in there. Ed sat down in a rocking chair so I took the rose colored armchair next to him. He cradled the phone in his hands, leaned forward and asked again, “So, what’s going on?”
“Ed, how long have you and Mara been together?”
“Three months,” he answered proudly. “I know it doesn’t sound like very long but man, you know when you connect…”
Three months. I almost cringed. “So you’d tell me if she was acting…weird?”
Ed shrugged. “Nothing’s been weird. I mean, she’s a medium and I’m a werewolf. Things don’t get much weirder than that. And what’s it got to do with the phone?”
“Ed…”
His hand closed around the phone tightly. “If Mara is in trouble, you need to tell me.”
I hesitated, trying to avoid Ed’s eyes, but he wasn’t going to let me. “Mara’s missing,” I said after waiting as long as I could. “I’m going to find her. Anything you can tell me about what you know will speed things up.”
Ed looked down at the phone. “Here’s what I know. I know you’ll find her and you’ll call me as soon as you know something. And, if she’s in trouble, you’ll call me so I can come help you kick some ass again.”
I smiled. Last time Ed and I teamed up, he’d gotten both of his legs broken and spent more time passed out in a wheelbarrow than actually kicking ass. Still, he had guts. I knew he’d come if I called, even if the trouble was way out of his league.
That’s why I lied. “Sure, Ed. You know it.”
He nodded, put in the passcode and handed me the phone. “Twenty-five, forty-five. That’s the unlock code.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
“More than one,” Ed said with a chuckle and then leaned over. “Anything good?”
I leaned away from Ed and started by going through her texts. Most of the recent ones were to and from Ed but there were a few in there from Annie. So, she did know her, I thought, scrolling through the conversation. It didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary until I came to a text mentioning me.
I’m going to be late again, Mara wrote. The text was dated just days before Annie was killed.
What’s wrong? Annie replied.
Nothing. Just the director again. He won’t leave me alone. Starting to freak me out.
Holy shit! Call the cops, Mara!
Can’t. I have a fed as a babysitter, remember? She’d butt in all desperate to save the day and shit.
Tell your boyfriend at least.
I don’t want him to worry.
I thought he was a werewolf?
More like a big puppy dog.
Annie replied with several emojis and then added in a separate text. Watch your back. I’ll get Robbie to handle it.
Thanks, Annie. You’re the best. See you at work.
I searched back through her older texts and found some from a blocked number that set off alarm bells in my head:
I can’t stop thinking about you.
Missed you today so much I looked up where you live. Can I come pick you up?
Did those biker assholes from last night scare you? Call me. I’ll make it up to y
ou. I’m better today.
I can’t even feed without you. All I can think about is what you taste like.
I shivered when I read the last one. There it was, the irrefutable proof Mara had been working for Robbie and someone had been stalking her. She’d been in danger this whole time and hadn’t even brought it up. The boyfriend and the money problems were one thing, but this was real danger. Didn’t she trust me?
Why would she? I realized. You killed her parents right in front of her. All you do is lecture at her. She didn’t even tell you she had a boyfriend. Why would she tell you she had a job as a stripper? As much as I tried, I would never be anything but an over-glorified babysitter to her.
My face must have betrayed my realization. Ed leaned in. “What? What is it? What’d you find?”
Holy hell, what was I supposed to tell Ed? That his girlfriend was a stripper? How could I tell him she was being held hostage by a vampire?
I pushed a button, shutting the phone off and pocketing it. “Thanks for your help,” I said briskly to Ed as I stood.
Ed shot up. “Hold on. Tell me what you found. I know that look.”
“Nothing,” I lied. “I just realized others are also looking for her, is all.”
Ed frowned at me. Given the fierce look he was wearing, I could tell he didn’t buy my story. It didn’t matter. Whatever story he could conjure up in his head wouldn’t be as bad as the truth. He’d lose his shit and go to the pack if he thought Crux had Mara. That would be another mess, more lives to juggle keeping safe.
“I guess,” he offered. I went for the door and Ed followed. Leaning on it, he added, “You do know I’m going to look for her too, right?”
“Stay out of it, Ed,” I warned. “Let me do my job. Please.”
“If it were someone you loved, could you?”
My throat closed. I couldn’t say anything. I went back to my car and ended the trip much as I began it, sitting behind the wheel, worrying about Mara.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Abe’s beat up old pickup truck was already parked at the station when I arrived. Inside, the police presence was especially heavy. As soon as I made it through the front doors of the station, Quincy called my name and jogged up to me, red-faced and sweating.
