All of our phones chimed at the same time. There was a brief message from Jeremy and then a video appeared. Rand watched over my shoulder instead of pulling out his own phone. Sam and Tess watched from their phones. Zara padded over across the counter and I held my phone out so that she could see the screen without compromising Rand’s view. Clyde, Dutch, and Gloria should be getting this, too. We watched as Harris got into a car outside a ratty looking apartment complex in an area of town I wasn’t familiar with—which wasn’t saying much, since I’d barely been past the main drag or Jeremy’s since my arrival. The day I’d cast protection spells on all those properties was little more than a blur to me, so I didn’t exactly count that as sightseeing. Whoever was recording this followed in another car, at a distance. Luckily, traffic was light and Harris must have been oblivious to his tail, since he was followed straight to a marina much smaller than the one at Jeremy’s place.
I glanced up as the others came in through the terrace entrance from the dining room. The guys had their phones out and Gloria was watching Dutch’s phone. Nobody said anything. Clyde fiddled with his phone and suddenly there was sound to go with the video. Rand held out his hand for mine and I handed it to him, knowing he could figure it out faster than I could. Seconds later, he handed it back to me and I heard the voice of the person recording.
“—Seven-oh-five p.m. Subject is sitting in his car at the marina. He’s on his phone . . . just a sec. I’ve got his car bugged and I should be able to patch this through.” There was a pause, then we all heard Harris’s tinny voice, sounding as if it was coming through a tunnel.
“I’m here.” Another pause, probably as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. “That pirate crew says they need something stronger than the weak crap I took ‘em last time. Two of the brats won’t stop crying and the other one keeps getting out of the cage. The little monster hasn’t made it to the water yet, but he did some damage to a couple of the crew members who had to wrangle him back into the cage. They’re demanding a stronger sedative. Can’t your buyers get us more of that stuff we used when we grabbed them? That kept them out of it for hours.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, anger burning through me. Here was the proof that Margo and Harris were involved with the disappearance of the children. Rand laid a comforting hand on my arm as I continued listening.
“No, they’re still refusing to eat.” Pause. “So long as they don’t kick it until after the buyers take possession, what does it matter if it makes them sick? They’re stinking animals.” Whatever the response on the other end was, it must not have been what Harris wanted to hear. “Fine,” he spat. “Those pirates are going to demand more money for damages and it better not come out of my cut.”
Clyde growled. Literally. When I glanced up at him, his hand was fisted and he looked like he was ready to crush something. Or someone. “He’s going to kill them if he’s giving them any kind of sedative. Their systems are different from a human’s or even a shifter’s. Who knows what kind of damage has already been done?”
Movement drew me back to the small phone screen as Harris got out of the car, stuffing the phone into the pocket of his windbreaker. He was still wearing the ball cap he’d had on earlier. Part of the view from the camera disappeared as the person recording hunched down when Harris looked warily around the parking lot before heading to the docks.
“You want me to follow him, boss?” the voice asked. “There’s not many places to hide on the docks and not enough boats here to take refuge in.” Pause. “I’ll stay here and report back when he returns, then.”
The view abruptly changed and I realized it must have switched to a different camera. A camera really high up. It showed Harris boarding a boat less than half the size of mine. He untied the dock line, pushed off the dock, and started the engine. Minutes later, he was maneuvering the boat out of the marina and heading through the channel toward the ocean. The view plummeted straight down toward the water, then suddenly swung back up and leveled off. My stomach nearly hit the roof of my mouth. What the heck?
“Huh,” Clyde said. We all looked up at him. “I think Jeremy must have one of those action cameras attached to a bird shifter. Smart.”
Rand tilted his head, watching the camera feed. “You’re right. Look at the movement.” The motion of the view moved in a steady rhythm, like the flapping of wings. Listening, I could hear it, too, along with the calls of sea birds in the distance and the rumble of the boat’s motor below. The shifter recording stayed back just far enough to hopefully avoid the notice of the man driving the boat. I squinted, trying to see as far out as the camera angle allowed, looking for Harris’s destination, but the evening’s light was almost gone. I couldn’t see the reflection of the sun setting on the water, so they must have been heading east and south.
I nearly jumped out of my skin as my phone rang. Fumbling, I answered it. “Hello?”
“Ms. Roxanne, dis Jeremy. You sees dat video?”
“Yes, we all saw it. Where is that?”
“One dem channels off Lake Borgne. Jeremy’s peoples gots eyes on him, dey do, don’ worries.”
I wasn’t worried—well, okay, I was worried. I wanted to go after him and get those children before they drugged them again and killed them. Before they gave them over to whoever their buyers were. Were the buyers people from the Paragons? Should we get ready to go now? I looked at Rand, then at the rest of the people in the room, who all looked back at me.
“I can call the girls and they’ll be there before we are, Rox,” Sam said, reading either my mind or my face.
“Jeremy, we have to go after him tonight. You heard what he said, didn’t you? They’ve been drugging those kids. Who knows what that will do to their systems?” And, as Clyde had said, what it might have already done.
There was silence on the other end of the line. Then, he said, “Jeremy tells Cappy to get da boat. Ever’tins be ready when you gets here.”
I turned. Sam was already on the phone, rallying everyone. Zara sprang down, heading from the room. “Where are you going?”
Sebastian and Danai will be accompanying you. Those children may need Danai’s help. Use the bracelet to call Astra. It wouldn’t hurt to take a few pixies along.
Good idea. I started to reach for my bracelet, then looked at Rand, who was standing way too close. I moved several feet away. He gave me a quizzical look. “Sorry. Zara thinks I should call the pixies. With this.” I held up my wrist. “I’m not taking any chances on putting you out of commission.”
He smirked, but stayed where he was. “I thought we were past that.”
“Better safe than sorry.” Closing my eyes, I ‘reached’ for Astra and felt the bracelet warm. Hopefully, she didn’t mind being called in for this.
“Hey, did I hear him right? Pirates? As in Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow pirates?” Tess asked. Oddly enough, she looked more excited than afraid.
“That’s what I heard him say,” Sam replied. “Don’t get your hopes up, I doubt any of them look like Johnny Depp.”
“You always have to rain on my parade, don’t you? We should probably change into more suitable clothes,” Tess suggested.
Sam wrinkled her nose at her. “What do any of us own that’s suitable for a fight out on the water?”
Tess put her hands on her hips. “You know what I mean.”
“Oh, really?” Their voices faded as they left the room, bantering as they went. What they’d said reminded me of something, though. I headed for the hall and turned left, moving quickly past Gloria’s living quarters.
“Hey, where are you going?” Rand’s voice followed me. Along with the rest of him.
“I’ve got to grab a few things from downstairs. Will you watch for the pixies? I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for an answer, I placed my hand on the door, willed it to open to the lab, and hurried down the stairs. In the workshop, I pulled the project box I’d started from the cupboard I’d tucked it away in. Crap. I needed
something to carry this stuff in. A bag that looked suspiciously like the one I kept my yarn and knitting supplies in appeared next to the box.
It is. Don’t worry, I put the contents in your closet. Were you ever going to finish that second blanket? Zara’s voice was amused.
I’ve been a little busy lately.
I dumped the contents out on the counter and began sorting through them. Finally, I shoved everything in the bag. I had no idea what we’d need or if any of this stuff would even work the way it was supposed to, but it was worth a try. Looping the bag over my arm, I rushed back up the stairs, then went to my room to change. Tess was right. I didn’t want to be out on the water in these clothes.
The pixies are here.
Thanks. I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.
If you end up in the water, those jeans will weigh you down.
If I end up in the water, it’s probably too late anyway. I shuddered. Weren’t there sharks in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne? Maybe we wouldn’t even be out on the water long. They could be holding the kids on an island or somewhere along the coast. On land.
She didn’t answer me, but I felt her unease along our connection.
I’ll be fine, Zara. We’ve got the coven, Rand, Jeremy, hopefully pixies, and don’t forget Sebastian. I’m going to let Arella and Dorn know we might have found the missing children. There’s no way they’ll stay behind. Heck, they’d probably send out half the colony.
Of course. Her words were stiff, but I felt her relax a little.
I grabbed a lightweight windbreaker and was shutting my door just as Tess and Sam stepped into the hall. “The pixies are here. Has anyone let Danai know what’s going on?”
Tess opened her mouth, then shut it, her face flushing. “I totally forgot.”
She knows and will meet you out front.
Tess blew out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Zara!” she called out.
How many times do I have to tell you, you don’t need to yell?
“Sorry,” she called out again. “Oops. I mean, sorry,” she said in a much quieter voice.
Sam sighed, shaking her head, and gave Tess a push toward the stairs. “We’ll meet you out front.”
“Thanks.” We went in opposite directions at the bottom of the stairs. When I reached the terrace, I was surprised to see a whole flight of pixies in full armour in the soft light cast by the lighting, Rasta at the forefront. It’s too bad there wasn’t a way to actually communicate the nature of the emergency or details through the bracelet.
Who says there isn’t? You need only ask, you know.
I slid to a stop. The whispered voice in my head was not Zara’s. Um, Zara, did you hear that?
I did. I couldn’t decipher the feelings I was getting through the connection now. Jealousy? Unease? A little fear? All of the above, Roxanne. Except fear. And definitely not jealousy.
You do realize what all of the above actually means, right?
She didn’t bother to answer that. Just be careful. For all of our sakes.
Her not-so-subtle reminder that there were more than just our two lives at stake wasn’t lost on me. The future of familiars and witches depended on me not getting myself killed before the kits were ready to bond with their witches.
She will be safe, Guardian. I looked down at the softly glowing sapphire. The pixies were all watching me during this silent exchange. Rand raised a brow, as if silently asking me if everything was okay. I nodded and forced my shoulders to relax.
Rasta bowed. “Madame Witch. We answer your call.” She looked around with a sharp eye. Then her gaze fell to my bracelet, which was still glowing. “Is the battle over?”
“There isn’t a battle. Well, not yet. I, uh, called you to ask for your help. We may have located the missing children of the water fae and are going to try to rescue them. We don’t know what we’re up against yet, so it might be dangerous. In fact, it probably will be. If you aren’t able to help, I completely understand, but I’d prefer to have you at my side.”
Rasta’s chin went up, her eyes flashing with determination and more than a little bloodlust. “Of course we will help. The water fae have long been our allies and all fae children are precious. Your battle is our battle.” The flight hovering behind her cheered, raising their swords. After having seen the tiny warriors in battle more than once, I was glad they were on our side.
“Do all of you want to go?” They wouldn’t take up much room on the boat, but I worried about getting to the boat without anyone seeing them.
Rasta looked over her shoulder at the warriors, considering them. “I will need to send someone back to my mother, to inform her of these events. You,” she pointed at one of the bucks at the rear. “Report first to Queen Astra, then inform the new mound of our mission.” The buck saluted, then turned to go, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Wait.” She turned back to me. “How long before we leave?”
“Oh, maybe fifteen minutes? I still have to inform the water fae.”
Rand leaned toward me. “Gloria and the guys are already talking to them.”
“Okay, less than fifteen,” I amended.
Rasta gave a curt nod and addressed the waiting buck. “You heard her. If you can make it to the mound to let Queen Astra know what’s going on quickly, you may appoint another to go to my mound. Should you make it back here before we leave, you’ll go with us.” The young buck flew off almost before she’d finished speaking, his body barely more than a blur as he raced for the trees.
“Thank you.” I knew we’d need all the help we could get, but how were we going to hide them? Shaking my head, I held back a sigh. We’d figure it out.
Movement on the stairs caught our attention. The Draftmans, Gloria, Dorn, and three other water fae I hadn’t seen before stepped past the shadows cast by the terrace lamps. Dorn pushed forward to address me.
“The children, you know where they are?” he demanded.
Rand quickly moved between us, effectively blocking Dorn from reaching me. The water fae glowered down at him. Stepping to the side, I held up a hand, hoping to calm both men down. “We’re going after them. We don’t have an exact location yet, but we will soon, that’s all we’re waiting on. We found one of the people involved and he will lead us to them.” Inside, I prayed this was true.
The anger and tension rolling off all of the water fae was palpable. Dorn’s dark eyes took in the pixies behind us, then came back to me. “I will prepare our warriors. How will you send word to us?”
“Oh, um . . .” Faltering, I scrambled for an answer. Zara? A little help here?
Sebastian should be able to communicate everything to him if he lowers his mental shields.
Eyeing him, I wondered what the chances of that would be. “One of the familiars will be accompanying us. He can keep you informed if you’ll, um, lower your . . .” I tapped my head.
Dorn cocked his head, then nodded. His gaze narrowed and he looked around the area again. “Where is your own familiar? Will she not be by your side?”
I opened my mouth to respond, then snapped it shut as Zara ran from the house and leapt into my arms. I have no idea how I managed to catch her as deftly as I did, but I hoped the move looked as smooth as it felt.
It is not for you to question a Devraux Witch! Zara’s green eyes blazed with indignation. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gloria hurry toward the house, probably heading for the kittens.
Dorn took an involuntary step back, his gaze averted. “My apologies to you both.”
Trying to keep my best poker face in place, I said, “Zara is needed here, Dorn. I can’t tell you any more than that, but we’ll have Sebastian and Danai with us. With the pixies, your own warriors, and the others we’re assembling, we’ll get your children back.”
Zara calmed in my arms and I relaxed a little. Dorn peered up from beneath his lashes and his shoulders lost some of the tension they’d held. “I did not mean to question you, Madame Witch. I am only anxious for the safe return
of the children. The longer they are away from our colony . . .” He let his words trail off, but I understood.
“About that. We have reason to believe they’re being kept sedated and are to be sold to a group who hunts paranormals and fae. They call themselves Paragons. Have you heard of them?”
Both Rasta and Dorn gasped.
“They used to hunt my kind, even before your kind began to Turn,” Rasta said softly, her hand going to her throat.
“They have hunted all faekind through the centuries, Madame Witch. There have been no reports of them for several hundred years. We hoped they had died out.”
“Apparently, they’ve resurfaced, alive and well.” Rand’s words drew everyone’s gaze. “Or it could just be a group based off of the original; we don’t have all the information, yet. Did you find any more tracking devices?”
Dorn pulled a small metal flask from his belt and shook it, the loud rattling sound harsh. “Several. I finally had the king call for all items ordered in the last year and we moved them to a location far out in the ocean. Everything is in an underwater cave that would be extremely difficult for any to get to, even if they were properly outfitted for it.”
“Rasta? What about your people? Did you find anything?”
She shook her head. “We found nothing in the brief search, but the queen ordered everything burned, just in case.”
Even Rand blinked at that. Seeing our reactions, she shrugged. “Most of the stuff was little more than trinkets and fluff. Until this is resolved, our people won’t be ordering anything else. Especially knowing who might be involved. Queen Astra will want to know of this.” She looked back at the rest of the flight. I saw them stiffen, none of them wanting to miss out on the opportunity for a battle and the possible glory it would bring them.
I can inform Finn and he can take the information to the queen, Zara offered. The pixies all looked to their leader, their eyes hopeful.
“That will suffice. She will want to meet as soon as this is over.”
I’d figured as much. Clyde had left us at some point. When I heard the rumble of the Hummer’s engine, I knew why.
MAKING MAGICKAL ALLIANCES: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel Page 14
