by Amy Sumida
Chapter Forty-Two
After dinner, we freshened up and went to check on the arrangements. Daxon hadn't said another word about our relationship since my little demonstration. He'd gone pensive and stared more than he spoke. But when it came to business, he was as sharp as ever; organizing things with a skill that seemed to come naturally to him.
Ainsley brought me a communication unit to contact the others with when I was ready, and I slid it down my cleavage. Other than that, I didn't have anything on me that would betray the fact that I wasn't Daxon's girlfriend but an undercover ambassador.
Daxon was hosting the auction in a room that had a stage. I didn't want to think about what the stage was normally used for. Dax oversaw the placement of the auction items on a table onstage and then directed his security team to positions around the room. I sat to the side, at a little round table, with Torquil and Ainsley standing behind me, and kept out of the way.
“We're ready,” Daxon said as he took a seat beside me. “They'll be joining us soon. I'll introduce you to Sokolov so that you'll know his face, and before they leave, you can discretely slip away and join your Guard for the pursuit.”
“That sounds good; thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Daxon smiled at me, then looked to my guards. “I need you two to ease back with my security team when the humans start arriving.”
My guards agreed reluctantly.
In a few minutes, some rough-looking humans began to enter the room. They came in groups, each consisting of a man who appeared to be in charge and a few others who looked like they helped to keep him in that position. Every group also had a big man carrying a briefcase. The groups eyed each other like hounds circling a bone, and Daxon took us right into the center of the potential dogfight.
Dax approached each group individually and spoke to the obvious leader, greeting him before seeing him to a table. Then Dax would wave a waitress over to take the man's drink order. I stood by his side quietly, merely nodding my head when he casually introduced me as his girlfriend. As soon as the title was given to me, every human eye made sure to look anywhere but at me. Finally, Dax introduced me to Ivan Sokolov.
“Mr. Sokolov, this is my girlfriend, Seren.” Daxon stroked my cheek like someone might do to a prized horse.
I shot him a nasty look, and he widened his eyes in warning. I sighed and leaned into his hand, softening my gaze. Daxon smiled wickedly. I rolled my eyes over to Sokolov.
The human was slim and tall, with a face that would have looked perfect on a rodent. His eyes, especially, were rat-like; darting around the room at his competitors like he was about to steal their cheese. He had faded tattoos on his hands that looked as if they'd been done in prison—Russian prison, if his thick accent was any indication. He nodded to me, then promptly looked away, as every other man had done.
“I don't think we need to worry about them noticing my behavior,” I whispered to Daxon as we headed back to our seats. “They won't even look at me.”
“They know I'm protective of my women.” Daxon shrugged.
“Protective?” I lifted a brow. “Why would that be an issue here?”
“There was an incident.” He grimaced. “One of the customers made a pass at my date. I took offense.”
“You must have taken great offense to make guys like this back off,” I noted.
“I may have overreacted.”
I stared at him.
“I gave him a taste of the trom-laighe,” he finally admitted.
“A taste?” I asked, remembering what my uncle had said about how powerful a fairy would have to be to dole out the trom-laighe in small amounts.
“Not enough to kill him, just...”
“Make him fear you? Cry like a baby?” I teased him to cover up my shock.
“When you deal with men like these, you must be very clear about how powerful you are. They will only be fair with people they consider to be their equal or better.”
“You are a fucking crime lord,” I whispered as I shook my head.
“It's 'king,' and I'm not a criminal,” he corrected me.
“Uh-huh.”
“Daxon, we're ready for you.” Desmond came up to stand at Daxon's elbow.
“Thank you, Desmond.” Daxon stood up and buttoned his jacket. He took my hand and kissed it before he headed to the stage.
“Your Majesty.” Desmond nodded to me. “I'll be right here if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said with some surprise.
Desmond gave me a wink and then stepped back beside Ainsley and Torquil.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Daxon said to the crowd. It was a small enough group that he didn't need a microphone. “As you know, I like to offer you items as soon as they become available, and we have many things that may interest you tonight. But I'm going to let someone far prettier than I handle the bidding.”
The humans chuckled as a baobhan-sith—otherwise known as a vampire fairy—stepped forward. Shit; he was Dracula.
“This is Alicia,” Daxon introduced the very pale, blonde woman. “She will take care of you. But see that you behave yourselves and treat her like a lady.”
The men chuckled even as they leaned forward eagerly. Here was a woman they could ogle without repercussion. Alicia nodded graciously to Daxon, and he left the stage. She immediately began the bidding on a set of bespelled knives; guaranteed to find their mark every time. I narrowed my eyes on the weapons. I had a feeling that most of what would be offered tonight would be pushing the limits of the truce. But then I saw Daxon's nervous expression. He knew that I wouldn't approve of this merchandise, and yet he was allowing me to be there so that I could find the missing people.
I sighed as Dax sat down. I couldn't take this information to the Councils; it would be a shitty thing to do after Daxon had trusted me. No, I could only note actual crimes, not possible future crimes—this wasn't Minority Report. Besides, the bombs were known to the Councils already; I didn't need to alert them of this type of back-alley magic. If they wanted to investigate Daxon later, that was their decision, but I wouldn't give them any fodder.
Daxon was watching me carefully. My internal struggle must have been evident on my face because as soon as I decided to let him slide, he began to smile.
“If the Councils pass a new law regarding such things”—Dax waved toward the stage—“I will abide by it; you have my word.”
“Yeah, okay.” I sighed, then I decided to press my luck. “Daxon, the bombs... do you add your magic at full strength?”
“That's an odd question.” He stared at me for a moment before answering. “No, I don't. It would make the bombs into a killing tool, and I don't want my magic killing people I don't even know.”
I blinked at him in shock. Power and honor; it was a heady combination.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Daxon asked with a frown.
“You've surprised me again,” I admitted. When I saw his worry, I added, “In a good way.”
That made him smile, and I was even more surprised to discover that I liked to make Daxon smile.
The auction went on; items bid on with speed and intensity. There were no jokes made, nor threats; just hands lifted to indicate a bid and focused stares like a bunch of lions watching a herd of antelopes. It wasn't very long before Alicia opened a black leather case and presented it to the crowd. Ten glass spheres were nestled in velvet lined depressions; blue mist sparking and swirling within them. The humans went silent, even more intent.
“Ten?” I whispered to Daxon.
“Any less and they wouldn't have come.”
“Fuck,” I growled. “If Sokolov doesn't buy them, I'll have to chase down two humans.”
“No, Seren,” Daxon leaned into me. “This is about those missing people, not the weapons. You don't get to chase my other customers.”
“I can't allow humans to have those bombs, Dax.”
“They are legal as of this moment, Ambass
ador,” he snapped.
“Fuck!” I hissed under my breath.
“I will keep a record,” he said reasonably. “If the Councils rule them to be illegal, you may have the names of the buyers.”
“But not their locations,” I said.
“I can't ask for that.” He shook his head. “They wouldn't give me real ones, even if I did.”
“Shit.”
“You have a foul mouth, Your Majesty,” Daxon chided affectionately.
“I was an extinguisher once,” I reminded him.
“What I wouldn't give to have seen you then,” he murmured.
“I would have extinguished you,” I said simply.
“No, you wouldn't have,” he scoffed. “Not my honorable Seren.”
“I wasn't all that honorable after my mother died,” I whispered.
Daxon's eyes shot to me in surprise, and I slid a guilty glance his way.
“Ewan and I, we were angry at the Fey for awhile,” I admitted. “We didn't understand why my mother had been killed. We thought it was simply a violent attack upon an extinguisher. Not that the truth was any better, but at the time, our fury was directed to the entire fairy race. We took every contract we could get our hands on, and even began conducting our own investigations, without Council approval. If we thought a fairy was guilty, we executed them. Our actions finally drew the Human Council's attention, and they sent us somewhere that fairies didn't act up so often. It was the extinguisher equivalent of a timeout.”
“The Human Council banished you for your ferocity?” Daxon's voice was filled with a mix of horror and fascination.
“As I said; I would have extinguished you, and I wouldn't have lost a minute's sleep over it.”
“Is it wrong that I'm rock-hard right now?”
I chuckled despite myself and shook my head. “You know, you act like you're a sadist, but I think you have masochistic tendencies.”
“Only with you, my sweet Seren,” Daxon vowed.
“Sold to Mr. Ivan Sokolov for two-million five-hundred-thousand dollars!” Alicia exclaimed.
There was no clapping, just a tense acceptance as Alicia closed the case. I looked at Daxon with wide eyes.
“Magic pays well.” Daxon shrugged.
“Please see Mr. Tromlaighe to pay for your goods, then you will be escorted to your vehicles by a few members of our security team. They will ensure that your items make it safely into your vehicles,” Alicia said in closing. “I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that any interference in this procedure will be met with extreme prejudice.”
The humans barely blinked at the polite threat, they just got to their feet and started heading for our table.
“This would be a good time for you to make your exit, my darling Ambassador,” Daxon whispered in my ear, then kissed my cheek.
“Thank you for this, Dax,” I said sincerely.
“Don't forget about me, Seren,” he said with the barest note of worry in his tone.
“I promise I won't leave LA without saying goodbye.”
“All right.” He smiled softly. “May the Goddess guide you and keep you safe, even though you are far from her world.”
“You too, Daxon,” I whispered before I hurried away.
Chapter Forty-Three
“Everyone be aware; Sokolov with be leaving the building shortly,” I said into my comm unit. “Dark hair—cropped short; skinny, tall motherfucker wearing a damn white suit. He's the only one in white, so it shouldn't be a problem to spot him.”
“Got it, Ambassador!” Clay said.
“We're in the SUV down the alley to the left of Enchantments,” Conri reported.
“Be there in five,” I said as I shoved the comm back in my cleavage and started running for Daxon's office.
“You know your way around here already?” Ainsley asked with a teasing tone.
“Not the time, Ainsley,” I growled.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
We rushed through Daxon's office and out into the corridor that led to the alley. I burst out of the security door and found our SUV parked in front of Daxon's limo. I hurried into the passenger seat and slammed the door as Ainsley and Torquil slid into the back seats.
“Any sign of him yet?” I asked as I fished the comm unit out of my bra and tossed it into the cup holder between Conri and me.
“Not yet,” Conri said. “As soon as the scouts tell us which direction he takes, we'll be on him.”
“Good.” I turned and motioned to Extinguisher Jared. “Pass me my clothes, will ya?”
“Sure thing, Ambassador.” Jared smirked and handed them over. “You don't want to chase bad guys looking like a trophy wife?”
“A trophy wife?” I huffed as I slid my jeans on beneath the dress. “You're gonna pay for that comment, Kavanaugh.”
“How about if I pass you your boots?” He asked.
“I might forgive you.” I chuckled as I held a hand out for them. “Thank you.”
I laced the boots then yanked off my dress and threw it in the back with Jared, Ainsley, and Torquil. No one dared to even glance at me as I pulled on my T-shirt. But this time it was out of respect for me, not Daxon.
Daxon. What the hell was I doing with that man? And telling him that I'd see him before I left LA? I never made those kind of promises. Mainly because I never knew where my investigations would lead me. I could end up chasing Sokolov back to Russia, for all I knew. But I had promised Daxon, and I don't even know why. I'd probably never return to LA after all this was over.
The twisting in my gut called me a liar.
“I've got him,” Gradh's voice burst out of the comm unit. “He'll be passing right in front of you in thirty seconds, Con. White sedan; plates Romeo-Uniform-Sierra-Hotel-India-November.”
Conri started the car and eased us to the end of the alley.
“Rushin?” I asked with a laugh. “His license plate says 'Rushin?'”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Gradh confirmed. “And he's rushin' past you right now.”
“Good one, babe,” Conri said as he pulled into traffic behind a white sedan with the dumbest vanity plates ever.
We followed it out of LA, making me break my promise to Daxon already, though I don't think it counted. The other groups joined us but stayed spaced out on the highway. I think a line of black SUVs would attract anyone's attention. After nearly an hour, we finally left the highway and pulled into Malibu.
“The Russian crime boss lives in Malibu?” Conri laughed.
“Evidently.” I reached for the comm. “Fall back everyone and find a spot to park. We'll follow them until we get the location, then we can rendezvous and discuss the plan.”
“Copy that!” The other two cars confirmed and turned off the road.
We followed Sokolov to a mansion on the beach, then drove past it as I recorded the address. A quick call to the others had us heading toward Jack in the Box. Yes, Malibu has a Jack in the Box; rich people like cheap burgers too. We pulled into the parking lot and went inside for some sustenance and strategizing. It was already after eleven, so we wouldn't have to wait long before we invaded Sokolov's home. I just wanted to give the criminals enough time to get settled before we broke in on them.
We decided to scout the place first. My Guard and I would go in under an invisibility glamour to check out how many guards were on the premises and if there was any sign of the humans. It was possible that Sokolov had purchased some of the missing people previously, but I didn't expect to find them all there. He hadn't been the only one coming to the island, after all. Still, this was one step closer to rescuing them.
When we got back to Sokolov's residence, it looked dark and quiet. There were only a few lights on in the gatehouse and one of the lower rooms. We went over the walls and snuck through the gardens; my Guard and I invisible while the extinguishers were camouflaged in black. Lance stayed with the SUVs. I wasn't surprised by that; he was a councilman, not an extinguisher; he simply didn't have the training for
this mission.
“Stay here unless you absolutely have to move,” I said to the extinguishers after we reached the main house.
“Got it,” Extinguisher Clay said, and the extinguishers moved into the shadows beside the building.
I headed inside with my Guard; a surprisingly easy accomplishment. The doors were locked but not wired, so no alarm went off. Or, if it did, it was silent. That gave me pause, but it wasn't like they'd find us even if they looked.
“Spread out and search,” I whispered to them. “Meet back where we left the extinguishers in ten minutes.”
The Star's Guard moved out, so silently that I wasn't sure if they'd left, at first. I focused my psychic ability to see auras and saw them moving around the house. Then I headed downstairs to the basement because that's where I'd keep slaves if I were an asshole crime lord.
I was wrong. There were no fairy-struck humans in the basement. There was a shit-load of guns and other assorted weapons, though, including a new set of shiny magic bombs. Also, there was a table full of mean-looking men. After tiptoeing around them, I made my way back upstairs and out to the garden. I trusted my Guard to search the rest of the house. Sure enough, they all reported back promptly.
“Sokolov is asleep in the master suite,” Ainsley reported. “There's a human woman with him. She's fairy-struck and naked.”
