by Leah Silver
The king frowned. “A race of evil?”
“It would seem.”
He was silent for a moment before he turned his back to me, but he didn’t return to his throne. If he had legs, I’d imagine he was pacing, going back and forth between the steps to the throne and me as he thought. Each trip deepened the crevices in his forehead while he thought about the problem he faced. And he didn’t even have the whole of it. He didn’t know how many had already been killed by the creatures who’d been chasing us. He didn’t know their methods, or that they were working feverishly to expand to other races. Why not save those little gems for later?
“Fine. What do you need from us?” he finally asked, his forehead so furrowed I wasn’t sure he intended to help.
“We need safe passage back to our friend.”
He nodded. “Done. I will return you to two of your comrades.”
How did he know who my comrades were? Just what kind of magic did these mermaids have? “Two?” I asked. As far as I knew, Ike was alone. Was he sending us back to Levi? I supposed that would be better than here. My heart ached for Sara at the thought of seeing her again, but I had to stay focused.
He didn’t answer me as he turned his trident to face downward, stirring the water before him with the sharp green tips.
Apparently, it was sort of whirlpool to travel through. A portal. That was always a scream…said no one ever. I shifted uncomfortably, casting an uneasy glance at Oscar. He was too busy watching the churning water to notice.
Before my eyes, a green light grew out of the nothingness, small at first, but then growing brighter until it burned so fierce I had to look away from it. I shielded my eyes as the king worked, then suddenly the room grew dimmer.
When I peered out from behind my hand, I saw a green dagger, the same shade as their tridents. It almost glowed proudly in defiance of the enemy we faced. It floated above the king’s open palm, and he pushed it toward me. I watched it, unable to take my eyes off it. The handle was a darker shade of green, almost as if aged by years living underwater, even though I’d seen it created before my eyes. It was a beautiful blade. When it stopped right in front of me, I hesitated to take it.
The king’s expression was deadly serious. He nodded once, and that was the only encouragement I needed. I reached out and gently took the handle, expecting it to be rough to the touch, but it wasn’t. It felt smooth like well-worn leather beneath my palm. It was light, but strong and the perfect length for me. As if everything about it was made for me, and for this mission. I’d seen the tridents take out those snakes. Somehow, I knew this blade would find its mark against our common enemy.
I slashed it through the water a few times, pleased with how it felt. A smile formed on my face. Finally, I addressed the king. “Thank you.”
“Use it well. Should you succeed in saving our race, our debt to you is considered paid.” The king stared at me in such a way I dared not challenge him. He’d given me more than I ever expected.
“Of course. Thank you. All of you, for your help today.”
He inclined his head, and a door opened behind him. “Go. That passage will take you to your friends.” Before I could ask him how he knew who my friends were, he gestured behind him. My time was apparently up.
The door was on the other side of his throne. I wasn’t sure it was okay to be up there, but I also didn’t want to question that stern expression on his face. Keeping my head down, I walked past him. The queen watched me as I went. Was that fear in her eyes? I wouldn’t blame her. We should all be afraid.
I crossed through the door, Oscar hot on my heels. It slammed shut behind us, echoing in the darkened space. No light shone anywhere, and I started to panic. Had they tricked us? Were we prisoners now?
“Oscar?” I asked. He reached out, and I smacked into his hand with my frantic flailing. Feeling him grounded me, slowing my racing heart, and I closed my eyes searching for a calm.
“What now?” Oscar asked. Were we not underwater anymore since he could talk? The darkness was so absolute it was difficult to tell.
I opened my eyes, and they adjusted to the darkness. A tiny light appeared in the distance. “Well, I’d say our best bet is to head toward the light.”
“I hope you don’t mean that in a figurative way,” he said wryly.
“Well, I’m not planning on dying anytime soon if that’s what you mean,” I said, nudging him with my elbow.
We walked hand in hand toward the light as it grew in front of us. “What kind of magic is this?” I asked.
“An ancient one. Ed would know more about it. Those mercreatures were old. A forgotten race, I’m betting. We’re lucky in a lot of ways.”
“Lucky we found them,” I offered.
He grunted. “And lucky they let us go. They likely want to remain forgotten.”
“They won’t if we don’t kill the snakes.”
“Indeed,” he said. The light started to surround us, changing the space around us from black to grey to white. Soon, the scene started to appear. Vague at first, but then more solid. As we walked on, old oak trees appeared, dripping with Spanish moss. White picket fences lined everyone’s yards, hiding old southern homes set back from the street. I looked behind me and saw nothing but the New Orleans suburban neighborhood. Nothing but the green blade in my hand remained of the mercreatures.
“I need a home for this,” I said as I held it, debating what to do. I couldn’t very well get rid of one of the blades I already had. They all served a purpose. As if the king himself had heard my need, a green leather holster appeared at my waist on my right side, my fastest drawing hand. Perfect. I’d never worn a waist holster before, but I admitted I was willing to try it if it meant I didn’t have to abandon any of my other blades. It felt good to have it on my hip. A constant reminder I wasn’t helpless against this enemy.
Oscar took out his phone and checked for Ike’s last text message.
“Um, your phone still works after swimming through the bayou?”
“It’s not a regular cell. The council gave it to me. It’s waterproof, among other things.”
“The council is probably tracking it then, huh?” I asked. Not sure why that thought popped into my head. I’d never had a solid reason to distrust the council, but to be honest, I never fully trusted anyone, not until I’d met my coven at least. Well, and Sara of course.
The thought of Sara brought me back to what the king had said. That he would reunite us with our friends. Where was she? Why was she in this neighborhood?
“Oscar, where are we?”
He stopped right in front of one of the homes. It didn’t look special compared to any of the others, but for some reason, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I took in the white home with its old wraparound porch and the even older trees in the yard. A bit of the grass looked torn up, as if a scuffle had happened recently.
“Ike is here.”
“Ike? I thought he was taking us back to Levi…” Who else was here with him? That woman? The image of her smiling at Ike flashed in my mind and boiled my blood. She was no friend of mine.
“Focus,” Oscar commanded, as if he could sense my agitation. “We have a werewolf to save.”
There’s a reason why you don’t open Pandora’s box
“What is Ike doing here?” I asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. But one came, even if it wasn’t the answer I was looking for.
“I could ask you the same thing about yourself.” The voice was feminine, but not friendly. In fact, it was dripping with disdain. Before I even turned to see her slinking out from behind one of the old trees, I was prepared to meet her. A few others appeared from behind bushes, off the porch, and behind other trees in the yard. They approached menacingly while I tried to decide what to do. It was a whole pack of wolves just like Ike. Except they weren’t. They were scared. They had an air of fear that hovered over them, crushing what could’ve been their strength. They didn’t know confidence and true power cannot ex
ist where fear reigned.
Because of that, I wasn’t afraid. They were disorganized and unstable at best. At the first show of resistance, they would scatter. Most of them, anyway. The female who’d first approached us wouldn’t. She’d fight to the death. And boy, would I be happy to kill her. She thought she could take my man? I’d show her. I pulled out the two blades at my back and took a defensive stance as I stood behind the closed gate, ready to launch myself over it at any moment.
“Wait,” Oscar cautioned. “Something isn’t right here.”
“Oh yeah? What gave you that idea? The fact that Ike is nowhere to be seen? That they seem to be holding him hostage? Or the fact they don’t want us to know where he is?” With each question, I grew more and more agitated, ready to spring at the leader to end this farce.
Oscar’s eyes were not as hard as his tone. His voice commanded me, but his eyes pleaded with me. He was putting on a show. I’d let them think he was in charge. The woman might respond to his strength, and then I could swoop in and take her out. I shrugged. It didn’t matter. As long as I got to taste her blood.
Okay, that was dramatic, even for me. I didn’t care for werewolf blood. All demons for me. But the idea was there. She would pay for making a claim on my man, for holding him hostage.
Before Oscar could make a move, the front door of the house opened, creaking as it went. Of all the people who could have stood behind that door, free to move around as they pleased, Ike wasn’t who I expected to see.
“Merry,” he breathed, as if I were the last person he imagined his new pack would be greeting. Had I so misjudged this situation? Was he with them willingly?
Ignoring Oscar, I hopped over the small white gate and blew past their female leader, knocking her with my shoulder for good measure. She took two full steps back where I just kept my forward motion going. Point in my favor, the little twat.
“Ike Hamel, you’d better explain to me what is going on here right now, before I use your hide for a blanket.”
His eyes were swimming with tears. Rather than do what I said, he took me into the biggest hug I’d ever experienced. He picked me up and spun me around, forcing me to bury my face in his brown hair. His scent, earthy and slightly canine, filled my nose, tugging at my heart, but I pushed those feelings away. He’d betrayed me. Obviously. He stood there with another woman threatening me, and he hadn’t made any effort to defend me. Nope. Forgiveness would not be won so easily.
Or so I told myself. He pulled away from me, setting me back on my feet. I stared hard at him, giving him my most intimidating glare. I thought I heard Oscar snort in the background, but I didn’t dare glance over at him. My withering expression needed to stay trained on the offender.
But Ike still only regarded me with love. What was he playing at? Did he want these other wolves in our coven? Nope. That wasn’t how it worked. He was mine. My men were mine. Somehow, it was okay for them to share me, but I wasn’t sharing them. And that was final.
“Where were you? I got Oscar’s text and went looking for you, but the street was empty. I’ve been pacing around, not knowing what to do for hours.”
Huh. That was confusing, and it threatened to disarm my anger. But no. I held onto it fiercely, remembering that twat in the yard who thought she had a claim on him.
When he took my face in his hands, I stiffened. Before I could push him away, he slanted his mouth over mine in a desperate kiss. My world fell away in that moment. It was only him and me. His lips and mine. They were soft and warm, not like Oscar’s at all. Ike’s face scratched mine with his stubble, making it raw, much like my emotions.
My brain warred with me. I shouldn’t be kissing him. I should be slapping him. But his tongue coaxed my mouth open, and he was so gentle with his kiss. As if he sensed how on edge I was, he didn’t allow his hunger for me to take over. Although if I were honest, I hungered for a time when he would—if I let him kiss me again.
His hands went from my face, down over my shoulders, and across my back, crushing me to him. I was keenly aware of my breasts mashed against him. His questing hands made their way further down my back before he cupped my ass to lift me onto him.
The woman cleared her throat, but that only served to spur me on. That little C-U-Next-Tuesday needed to see who she was messing with. Clearly, Ike wasn’t satisfied with her, so I’d be taking him back now. If I let him back into my coven, I thought crossly.
I ground my hips into him for good measure, and he groaned into my mouth. His hot fingers pressed between my legs. I gasped when they found the right spot, and he massaged where I wanted him most.
“Ike,” I breathed into his mouth.
“By the Mother, I missed you.”
“Oh, did you now? Are you trying to tell me you didn’t have that other bitch to keep your bed warm?”
His face turned white in an instant, and it was obvious I’d caught him in the act. I knew it. I shot her a scathing look, but noticed Oscar standing just on the inside of the fence with a smirk on his face. What was he so pleased about?
“No, Merry. You’ve got this wrong.”
“What exactly have I got wrong? I saw her standing in your doorway, smiling possessively at you.” I wiggled free from his grasp, trying not to let my hurt show.
“You what?” Confusion crossed his face.
“Long story. And beside the point. I know.”
“What exactly do you think you know?” Ike asked. But he wasn’t rude or demanding about it. Just truth seeking. Or so it seemed. Who knew if his lady friend was holding the puppet strings? I shot her a scathing glare, and she stared at me with fury while her pack shifted uneasily around us.
“I know she has the hots for you. You’re free to move about this place, which tells me you’re not their prisoner like I originally thought. Which means you chose to stay here instead of returning to my side where you belong.”
“Well, that’s partly true. Yes.”
“You aren’t even going to deny it, Ike Hamel?” I yelled, punching him in the chest for good measure. He didn’t even have the decency to step back or let out a grunt as if I’d hurt him. He just seemed startled, clearly searching for the words to explain his betrayal.
“Merry, maybe cut him some slack. Remember what I saw when you found me? Perception of the situation isn’t always entirely accurate,” Oscar offered, making his way to us through the pack. They moved away from him, telling me even more just how weak they were. A strong pack would never let a prisoner or new member be approached that way. Since Ike was obviously the strongest, a thought occurred to me.
“Are you their new alpha?” I demanded, throwing it at him like one of my knives, hoping it would cut as deep. Had his betrayal gone that deep? Had he truly aligned himself with another pack?
“Why don’t you come inside? We’ll explain everything. Julie, want to lead the way?” He nodded to the other woman.
“Oh, the bitch has a name.” I glared as she gave a signal to the rest of the pack. They circled around behind her, falling into line. She was the alpha, and probably needed a mate. “She’s certainly picked a much stronger mate than herself. How could that benefit her? You could take the pack right out from under her if you wanted,” I said, refusing to budge from my spot.
The pack gathered at the base of the porch, nervously waiting for orders. Their energy made me jittery, and I barely resisted the urge to yell at them. Grow a pair, for Bael’s sake.
“I wouldn’t do that, and you know it,” Ike said, seemingly hurt by what I’d said, even though that wasn’t the insult I’d meant to harm him with.
“No. I don’t know it, Ike. I thought I knew you, but I clearly don’t. I thought you were the kind of man who’d stay loyal to me. To our coven. But I was mistaken. Obviously. I hope you are happy with your new pack.” I flounced around to leave, but Julie and her crew blocked my way. “I will gladly cut every one of you down if you do not move.”
The way parted, leaving a clear path back to Oscar, who st
ood shaking his head at me. Quickly, I stormed to him. “Let’s go. Ike doesn’t want to be with us anymore. He’s going his own way.”
Oscar took hold of my arm when I brushed past him, making me whirl around and face him. “Wait, Merry. Just let him explain.”
“Why? So I can hear how he didn’t really love me?” Even though the words were out there, something told me they didn’t ring true. He loved me. He did. The taste of his kiss lingered on my lips, and I licked them for good measure. Love was there, sweet tasting and making me yearn for more.
Ike trotted up behind me. “Merry, come on, baby. This pack needs our help.”
I whipped around, wishing I’d had longer hair that would’ve smacked him in the face.
“The entire supernatural community needs our help, Ike, but if you want to take on this little pet project, then go for it.” Possibly a bit bitchy of me to put so much emphasis on the word pet, seeing as how they were a pack of wolves, but I was past caring what he thought of me at that point.
“This isn’t a side project, Merry.” I didn’t miss how he chose to rename what I’d called it. “They’re involved with the super race. They’re caught by the short hairs, so to speak.”
“If they’re in league with them, shouldn’t we be burning them to the ground? Certainly not buddying up with them,” I thought of the gargoyles who’d aligned themselves with the snakes. And the slaves they had. Which role did this pack play? I groaned when I thought of how weak they were, knowing the answer to my own question.
“They’re slaves?” I asked, even though it was plain they were.
“In a way, yes. They’re being preyed upon.”
“Well, in your world, isn’t it eat or be eaten? Shouldn’t they learn to eat on their own, as it were?” I ventured, hoping he’d agree we had enough on our plate. And then, maybe he’d murmur, Now take off your clothes so I can ravish you.
I shook my head, trying to get the vision of that last part out. Stay focused. We needed to problem solve.
