Iron (The Warding Book 1)

by Robin L. Cole

  She stopped me with a gentle hand on the second floor landing, nodding her head in the direction of the closest door, open just a crack to reveal a warm, golden light from within. “Wait here for just a minute, please.” She slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

  I stood there, feeling lost. I looked around, admiring the dark wood and ivory stucco around me. There were few personal touches in this hall. It was just a long corridor of closed doors and a runner of deep chocolate brown that matched the carpet in the living room below. At the end of the hall, beneath a high-set window, was a small, round table. Calla lilies filled a long, fluted vase on its surface. They looked real from the distance I was standing at. For some odd reason, the sight of fresh flowers comforted me. It made the people I was throwing my lot in with seem more relatable to me. More human.

  Of course that was probably just a stupid excuse my alcohol-soaked brain made up to keep me from bolting. I wavered and reached out to steady myself against the wall before I could do something stupid, like topple backwards down the stairs. The longer I was on my feet, the more my body reminded me that it was approaching 3 a.m. and I was no longer a spring chicken. Thankfully only a moment or two passed before Seana slipped back out into the hall, leaving the door cracked behind her. I couldn’t read her expression, but I wanted to believe I saw something like concern in her eyes. “He will see you now.”

  Wow; they were making this a proper audience weren’t they? Not trusting myself to open my mouth without something smart-alecky coming out—and I didn’t really want to sass the only one of them who had treated me with any sort of understanding—I settled for a nod. As I went to step past her, she stopped me with a hand on my arm. Her lips were so close to my ear I could feel her breath as she whispered, “Be careful. Remember: your words are your bond.”

  I wanted to ask her what the hell that meant, but she headed down the stairs without another glance. It happened so fast I wondered later if my weary brain had made the whole thing up. I took a deep, centering breath and steeled myself for the worst. I stepped into Kaine’s office and closed the door behind me.

  Chapter Eight

  I stepped into Kaine’s study and was greeted by the most normal, cozy looking office I had ever seen in my life. It was something straight out of an HGTV special. The whole thing radiated masculine warmth, from to the deep green carpets to the honey-colored wainscoting. To my right lay a dormant fireplace; in front of me, a large mahogany desk. The wall behind the desk was lined with bookshelves. They were overflowing with everything from neatly tucked sheaves of paperwork to ancient looking leather-bound books.

  The desk itself was the focal point of the room. Two plush looking armchairs faced it from my side, their upholstery matching the carpet. Kaine was seated on the far side in his own throne of a chair, head bent. There was a piece of paper centered on the blotter before him, which he was writing on with—I shit you not—an honest-to-God quill. Fluffy white plumage, graceful golden nib; the whole shebang.

  I took in the sights, thinking yet again that I would kill to have their accountant cook my books, and waited. Something about the deference Seana showed him told me this was a “don’t speak until you’re spoken to” sort of situation. That level of patience wasn’t normally my forte, but I had the feeling it would be a struggle to get this partnership get off on the right foot as it was. I didn’t need to further stack the deck against me.

  Besides, I was nosy. I scanned the bookshelves and picked out what titles I could. It seemed that my host had a taste for Greek philosophers and Irish poets. Not exactly my cup of tea (I preferred losing myself in a brain-numbing bodice-ripper any day), but I admired his spirit.

  I was musing over one title whose foreign string of letters baffled my brain when he finally set his “pen” aside. He folded his hands on the blotter and looked up at me. I was struck again by how arresting his gaze was. It was like staring into a bottomless pool of some sort; deep and calm yet subtly unsettling. They were unnaturally bright, like turquoise come to life. There was an inhuman sort of beauty about him, a rugged edge to perfect Calvin Klein model features that spoke of something wild and, well, fae. I let my eyes drop to my feet. It was disgusting how poetic I got whenever I laid eyes upon him.

  “Seana says you have changed your mind about aiding us.”

  Sweet baby Jesus, I was mortified by how deeply this man affected me. Something in his deep baritone resonated with me, setting all my nerves buzzing. No one had ever been able to send my thoughts spinning to unabashed lust with such innocuous words before. Yummy or not, there was no excuse for how flushed that single sentence made me. Resisting the urge to try and cross my traitorous legs, which would look pretty ridiculous while standing, I cleared my throat and tried to sound a lot more confident than I felt. “Perhaps. I think I understand what it is you’re asking me to do, but I have some requests of my own before I agree to anything.”

  It might have been my imagination—I was busy feeling pretty proud of myself for sounding so calm despite my quivering insides—but I thought I saw the corners of his lips rise in the faintest of smirks. He swept out a hand out and gestured to the chairs set before the desk. “Of course. By all means, sit. Let us discuss the venture before us.”

  Well, there was certainly nothing sexy about that statement. Good. Talk of business kept my panties from dampening any further. I took the chair to the right. Once seated, I did cross my legs. I gave my libido a stern reminder that this was a very serious enterprise we were entering in to and not the time to be fantasizing about how silky Kaine’s thick hair would likely feel running through my fingers. We compromised: I promised it free reign to muse over such things once we got home, if it left me alone while I was trying to appear composed. I threw in the extra incentive of a hot bubble bath, because I’m just generous like that.

  When I was seated, he asked, “What are your terms?”

  I tripped over my tongue for a moment, surprised by the lack of preamble. Watching so many documentaries on the History Channel over the years had made me expect some sort of long, drawn out pomp and circumstance before we got down to the nitty-gritty. Lack of social puffery aside, he sat there behind his grand desk and watched me with the calm, expectant gaze of a man holding court to his lessers. His face was all but unreadable—and, really, I couldn’t meet his eyes without some very unsettling tremors in my lady bits—but I could tell he already thought of me as just another vassal looking to join his merry band of minions.

  Lucky for me, I had also watched a lot of Law and Order in my day. I cleared my throat again and said, “First, I would like you to explain to me just how you expect me to help you.”

  “As Seana has told you, the Lynx’s glamour keeps him hidden from us. He resides here, in Riverview, and we have ears listening for any hint of where he might next turn up. We will use your immunity to that glamour to help us locate him. One of us will accompany you when searching for his whereabouts.” His stone-cold expression went grim. I thought I saw him heave a small sigh. “There will, regrettably, likely be some trial-and-error to this course of action. While we are yet unclear as to how successful it will be, it is our best—and last—hope.”

  Grim indeed. High stakes rode on one in a million odds, and Kaine knew it. I said, “I hope you don’t expect me to be trolling around the city night and day, looking for the invisible man.”

  He sat statue still, not even a tremor of a smile crossing his lips. Perhaps my brand of smart-assery was foreign to him. He said, “No. Most of the leg-work will be done by Mairi, Gannon or myself. You will be free to live your life as normal, until we have need of you. When we have an idea of when and where he may make an appearance, we will call you.”

  Yeah; no. That was not a pit I was falling into. I sat forward in my seat, imitating his ramrod straight posture, hands crossed over one knee. “That’s one thing we need to clear up before we go any further. I do have to keep living a normal life, as you yourself just said. That means I can
’t drop everything and come running every time you think you’ve got a bead on this guy, especially during my everyday 9 to 5. If I agree help you find this Lynx, I will do so to the best of my ability. But if I can’t make it, I need you to respect that.”

  That did not earn me a happy face. Steel entered his voice. “This is a matter of utmost importance, Ms. Moore. We need the Lynx found as soon as possible.”

  “Upending my life will not motivate me to find him any quicker. My world has been jacked upside down as is, with trolls and Shades and satyrs frolicking in and out of it. I need some assurance that my life isn’t going to become one long, fucked up fairytale.”

  Those turquoise eyes glittered with disgust. “I assure you that this is no fairytale, nor am I Prince Charming.”

  “That’s just fine by me. I’m not Snow White.” I had to grit my teeth to hold back further snark. I took a few slow, deep breaths, and said, “Kaine, I will work with you but I don’t want that mistaken as me working for you. I will aide you when I am able, and you will respect the boundaries of my schedule. Is that clear?”

  His gaze continued to bore into me. I had overstepped my boundaries and the Lord of the Manor was not pleased. He was clearly not used to someone talking to him straight. Especially if their brand of “straight” bordered on rude, with a side of defiant. Though my insides were quivering in a whole new (and much more unpleasant) fashion, I stood my metaphorical ground. I kept my chin high.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to my aching neck, he nodded once. His mouth had compressed to a thin line, but his tone remained unchanged. “Agreed. We will give you as much notice as possible when we require your assistance, and we will do our best to remain respectful of the schedule you must keep to maintain the life you currently live. In return, you will make yourself as open and available to our needs as humanly possible.”

  If that hadn’t been said with such frostiness, I might have slid out of my chair. Seana’s warning echoed in my mind, so I pushed for fine print. “Until the Lynx is found.”

  This time, I thought I saw another one of those ghost-smirks. “Yes; until the Lynx is found.”

  “Agreed, then.” Kaine wasn’t happy, but his feathers didn’t seem quite as ruffled as they had been a moment ago. I warmed a little inside at that. I had stood up to the Grand Poobah and lived to tell the tale. More importantly, I proved I had a backbone, for all the good it might actually do me. Time to roll those dice and use that new spine. “In return for my help, I will need a few things. First, I will need you to teach me about the fae.” His raised eyebrow made me stutter. “Well, maybe not you, per say. One of your entourage or something. I need to know what’s going on here. If you want me at my best, I need to be forewarned. I can’t keep bumbling around in the dark, running into these things with no idea of what they are or how to handle them.”

  He nodded. “A fair request. Of course, it would be impossible for you to learn all there is to know about my kind and our ways, even should you live two lifetimes.”

  His tone made me feel like a pet who had just done a particularly clever trick but I let it slide—as much as I could, anyhow. There was no keeping all of the tartness from my reply. “Because the fae are vast and varied. I get it. I don’t need to know everything. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass who ruled your kingdom five hundred years ago or what fork I would need to use for the cheese course. I want to know what’s here, in Riverview; roaming the streets and preying on my people. I have the feeling that I’m going to see more than my fair share of crazy over the next few months and I want to know what to do when I do.”

  This time, he cracked a faint smile, however quickly it was smothered. I got the feeling that there were very few people who dared use such colorful sarcasm in front of him. He inclined his head. “Understood. Between Seana and Mairi, I believe we can bring you up to speed fairly quickly. Is there anything else you require?”

  My mind raced. This was it. I was throwing myself in with this lot of crazies, for better or for worse. If the gravity both he and Seana gave this yet unwritten pact meant anything, this was serious business I was getting into. Seana’s warning continued to haunt me. If my word was my bond, so was his. If I wanted something else from him, be it a flush weekly stipend or a goddamned ham sandwich, I had to say so then and there.

  “Teach me to defend myself.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before they registered with my brain, but they made sense. I was sick to death of feeling like I had no choice in the course of my future. If I was going to play Lynx Detector, I wanted something out of it, consequences be damned. I thought I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes, the slightest break in that stoic condescension, but wishful thinking was not out of the realm of possibility. I don’t think he had expected me to agree to this deal in the first place, let alone make demands of my own. I was proving to be something of an anomaly in the eyes of the rigidly structured fae—and that was a point in my book. I sat up a little straighter. “Teach me to defend myself against those things and I’ll help you find your Lynx.”

  An unbearably long minute ticked by before he said, in the most deadpan voice I had heard from him yet, “That is your price? You will locate the Lynx, but only if we teach you to kill our kin.”

  When I heard it put like that, it certainly sounded a little off color. Backtracking would be a sign of weakness, however, and that was certainly not the foot I wanted to start off on in this relationship. I nodded and hoped my face was as calm as I was aiming for. “Yes. If they’re going to feed on us, I see them as fair game. I want to protect myself and those I love from those slimy creeps when all of this is all said and done.”

  “I suppose that is a reasonable request.” He looked me up and down, brow furrowed. I was aware I didn’t look much like the fighting type, big talk aside. “Do you have any foundation to build upon?”

  “No, not really. My daddy took me to the range a couple times and I’ve been to a couple turkey shoots but that’s about it.” I swallowed hard and refused to let his blasé gaze of incomprehension shake me. I clarified, “I’ve used a gun a few times, but I’m no expert.”

  He sneered and waved a dismissive hand. “Modern machinery is often foiled by those skilled in magic, the fae especially. Cold iron is a vastly superior weapon. You will need to learn swordplay and physical combat skills if you truly want to protect yourself.”

  “Then teach me that. Whatever it takes.” For me to walk down the street at night again, I added silently.

  “I cannot guarantee you will learn all that you wish,” he warned. “As I have stated, time is of the essence. Should you find the Lynx as quickly as we hope, this may prove an unfair bargain.”

  “I’ll take that risk. I’m a fast learner when properly motivated.”

  He nodded, lips pursed. He sat back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin; the image of deep consideration. Sweat beaded on my lip as I waited out his silence, itching to beg, to plead. Two more seconds and I would have screamed in frustration. But, when he finally responded, I was blindsided. “Agreed. Your requests are sound, however crudely they may have been put forth. Yet, I find it odd that you have made no mention of the troll that played such a key role in the crossing of our paths.”

  Well, shit.

  I realized my jaw had dropped and shut my mouth with an audible click of my teeth. How in the hell had I forgotten Goliath? He had seen me—but worse, he knew that I had seen him. Shades and satyrs were all well and good, but he was the biggest threat to my safety. Kaine could train me to be a super solider, a one-woman fairy-killing death squad, and that wouldn’t make one lick of difference if Goliath went home and told all his buddies (and their crazy king) about my nifty little Gift. No skill in the world could protect me from the onslaught that would bring crashing down on my doorstep.

  It was too late to hide my surprise, but I tried to play it cool. “I need your help with him as well, yes.”

  A slow smirk spread across his face. His eyes po
sitively twinkled. “Define: help.”

  I swallowed down the fury that bubbled up in my throat and tried not to sound like I was choking on my carefully worded request. “He can’t let the High King know about me. I want you to hunt him down and make sure he can never tell the High King about my Gift.”

  “And by that you mean…?”

  “Dead. I want the troll dead.” Anger blazed inside me like a wild, demonic thing. All the fear, all the confusion, all the god-damned helplessness that I had been feeling all week long exploded. “I will never be safe so long as that monster walks this earth and I want you to help me kill him.”

  Kaine sat back in his chair, looking relaxed and human for the first time all evening. “Is this your final request?”

  “Yes,” I ground out, teeth clenched.

  “I will take you under my wing and my retainers will teach you as much as they are able about faekind and how to defend yourself against my bestial brethren. We will do all in our power to hunt down the troll and make sure he can never tell the High King about you gift, agree to dispatch of him once and for all when he is found. This is my solemn oath to you. In return, you agree to remain bound to me until you have helped us locate the Lynx and learn the means with which to break Tiernan’s banishment. Do we have an agreement?”

  “Yes.”

  Kaine stood and gestured for me to do the same. He took an ornate dagger out of the top drawer of his desk. Without so much as a blink, he slashed his right palm on its razor sharp blade. He flipped the knife over in a one-handed movement that defied logic and offered it to me hilt first with his uninjured hand. I must have been gaping like a carp again, because he said, “All fae pacts are sealed with blood.”