by Alicia Wolfe
Sniffling a little, she nodded. “I don’t want you to have to live a lie, Jade. And I don’t want to have to be that lie.”
Her words ripped at me. My eyes started to prickle. Don’t, I thought. If you start, you won’t stop. But maybe I could use a good cry. Later, I promised myself. For now, just stick to business.
“Tell me you’ll help me keep this secret,” I said. “At least for now.”
The wind howled. Ruby banked to the right, then the left, and my belly flipped. At last, she sniffled again and said, “Okay. I’m with you, Jade. But don’t make me do this too long. Being a criminal is one thing. But a liar?” She tossed her head, her hair, no longer bound by a ponytail, flinging in the breeze.
“I know,” I said, and gave her another hug. “I know.”
We reached the apartment, and she tied off the broomstick to the fire escape like a cowboy would tie off a horse. We went inside and de-glammed for a bit, then reconnoitered in the kitchen, where the last of the wine was.
“So,” Ruby said slowly. “He said Mistress Angela was in Central Park.”
We shared a grim look.
“That’s pretty much the last place I want to go looking for him,” I agreed.
Central Park wasn’t the place it used to be before the Fae-rival. Then it had been a bright green spot in the center of a sea of concrete, steel, and plastic. Now it was a place of darkness and danger.
“It makes sense, though,” Ruby said. “I mean, of course that’s where Angela would be.”
“I don’t know. I figured she’d be in our world—I mean, the normal world. That she would pose under a different name and identity, then throw on the witch clothes at night and go raise hell. Literally. But if she’s in Central Park, that means she’s a full-time witch. That she has no other life.”
“Unlike me, you mean. Having to steal for a living.”
“You steal because that’s your calling. Our calling. We really do help people.” I longed for the last glass of wine, but I held myself back. “Anyway, I guess I’d better be off to inform Davril about what I learned.”
Ruby’s mouth quirked in barely concealed amusement. “Don’t sound too reluctant, sis.”
I flipped her the bird. She laughed.
“Actually, I am, kind of,” I said. “I mean, me and Davril didn’t exactly part on the best of terms, and I’m not sure how to tell him what I learned without revealing how I learned it.”
“You’ll figure something out. You’re a good liar.”
I studied her face to see if that was some sort of rebuke, then, with a shock, realized that it wasn’t. She’d said it in admiration. Damn it all, I thought. What sort of horrible older sister had I become that I would have steered my sweet, innocent little sister into such a twisted way of thinking? Then again, it made sense. I’d turned her into a thief when she’d really wanted to specialize in healing magic. And thieves are liars. She was a poor one still—I guessed I’d done that much right—but she knew enough to admire a good one.
“Prince Jereth got the better of me, though,” I said.
Ruby’s eyes took on a faraway glint. “He could get the better of me anytime.”
“Ruby!”
She giggled. After a moment, so did I.
“Just teasing,” she said. I hoped that wasn’t a lie. If so, I couldn’t tell. I wasn’t sure whether to be alarmed or reassured.
“Better be,” I said. “The last thing we need is another McClaren sister with a Fae fixation.” I snorted. “Fae fixation. I’m going to have to patent that.”
“It wasn’t that funny.”
“Says you. I thought it was hilarious.” I stared longingly at the wine bottle. “Seriously, how am I going to tell Davril about Central Park?”
“Just tell him that I told you about it. I overheard it on some job or something, then told you about it because I knew you were searching for Federico. He’ll buy that.”
I considered the idea. “Well, I guess he won’t be able to prove otherwise, anyway.” I stood up. “I’d better go.”
“So soon?”
“Federico’s in trouble, and when a demon imp’s in trouble, it’s a Fae Knight’s duty to save him. Or something. This demon imp, anyway. Really, you’d like him.”
“Still weird to think of you as a Fae Knight.”
“An honorary one only.”
She hitched her thumb toward the fire escape. “You taking an air cab or shall I give you a ride?”
We hadn’t made that much from selling the idol. Nor had we gotten rich off helping the Jordans. “Give me a ride,” I said.
Minutes later, we were flying back over nighttime New York. We left Gypsy Land and entered Manhattan. Knowing that Davril would be home this late at night, I steered Ruby toward Stormguard Keep. My heart leapt in my chest when its broad towers and walls came in sight. Would Davril still be pissed off at me? I was afraid to find out.
The guards admitted us, and Ruby landed at the same tower I’d taken the taxi from. She gave me a hug and a knowing smile, then said, “Good luck.”
I started to give her the finger again, then just nodded. “Thanks.”
She took off, and knights escorted me down from the tower and across the courtyard to the grand, gargoyle-encrusted keep itself. Lights blazed from the study windows on the second floor, and I figured that’s where Davril must be. The guards at the door hesitated to admit me, but I insisted and they showed me in. One stayed with me as we went up through the halls—I guess to make sure I didn’t loot the place. Assholes, I thought. They still thought of me as a thief.
And, damn it, I was.
I braced myself as we neared the study door. Seeing a mirror, I paused to primp a little. Ruby’s spells had protected me from the worst of the wind, but a few hairs had come out of place, and I hastily twitched them back. Then I gave myself a nod, as if assuring myself that I had it together, which was a total lie—Ruby would be proud—and allowed the guard to knock on the study door.
“My lord, Jade McClaren wishes to see you.”
There came a pause. Then: “Show her in.”
The guard opened the door and I stepped inside. The fireplace roared with light and heat, and Davril stood before it, staring into the flames.
Sheesh, I thought. Dramatic much? He must have known I was coming.
The door slammed behind me. I whirled. The guard had gone. Sucking down a breath, I returned my attention to Davril.
Slowly, he turned from staring into the flames to me.
“Hello, Jade.”
Was there a coldly knowing quality to his voice? What do you know? I thought, then quickly added to myself, Focus! He doesn’t know anything.
“Hello, Davril,” I said, putting an ironic sexy burr into my voice.
His brows lowered. Mission not accomplished.
“I’m glad you returned,” he said. “In your own time, that is.”
I winced. “Yeah. Sorry it took so long. I had to … decompress.”
He hadn’t invited me further into the room, but I couldn’t just stand there like a soldier at attention, although maybe that’s what I should have done. I was a soldier now, kind of, and he was my superior officer. Instead, I strode toward him … passed him, nearly brushing him as I went … and raised my palms so they faced the fire. The heat felt good after speeding through the winter air, and I shivered in release.
Davril smelled of sandalwood. His steel-blue eyes were regarding me sternly. I was all too aware of his broad shoulders and tapered waist, of his athletic legs and strong arms. I was all too aware of my traitorous body’s reaction to those things.
Slowly, too slowly, he said, “Have you kept your vows?”
I swallowed. I hope I’m as good a liar as Ruby thinks I am. I’ve got a rep to live up to, evidently.
“Of course,” I said.
He watched me. The firelight flickered off his eyes. “Why have you come to see me so late, Jade?”
“Damn, Dav, you’re so formal! Chill
out. Maybe we can have a drink.” Or play Twister. I wondered if he’d heard of Twister.
There was a warning in his voice: “Jade…”
I turned to face him, feeling the heat at my back. “It’s all good,” I said. “And I’ve finally gotten us a lead.”
For the first time, something other than harsh judgment and suspicion entered his face. “On what front?”
“Federico, of course!”
He stepped forward suddenly, looming over me, but it wasn’t an aggressive move but one of excitement. Finally, he was breaking out of his superior-officer-giving-a-dressing-down vibe. I had to admit I was glad to see it. He was seriously weirding me out. Even if I did deserve it.
“You know where he is?” Davril said.
“Yep.” I raised a hand to give him a high five, but he left me hanging. “That’s not nice,” I said, lowering my arm.
“Where is he?”
“Central Park. That’s where Mistress Angela’s keeping him.”
“I’d wondered about the park. But it’s too dangerous a place to mount a mission idly. We couldn’t have gone there on a fishing expedition.”
I heard the words we and going there, and part of me relaxed. He was buying it. We were still partners. Thank God. Trying not to appear as relieved as I felt, I smiled in what I hoped was a confident manner and said, “Great. When are we going?”
“First thing in the morning. At least that’s when we’ll give our report.” He studied me again. “Just how did you find out the information, Jade?” Distrust had returned to his face.
“Ruby, of course.” I tried not to think Liar liar pants on fire. “She overheard it on a job. Consorting with the criminal element, you know. I swear, she’s incorrigible. I can’t believe I was ever part of that life.”
Davril didn’t look convinced. Still, he didn’t name me an outright liar. Yet.
I yawned and stretched, watching him out of the corner of my eye. As if against his will, his gaze jerked down the length of my body, then back to my face. My cheeks warmed, and I felt not just relieved but downright happy. And I was starting to feel a little turned on, too.
When Davril spoke next, his voice was just a bit rough. I thrilled at hearing it. “You may stay here for the night.”
I blinked. “You mean … curled up by the fire?” I moved toward him, coyly placing a hand against his abs. They were hard as rocks.
His hand caught my wrist and pried my fingers away from him. Instantly, I felt bad. This wasn’t a joke, and I shouldn’t be teasing him. If he felt the same way for me that I did about him, then this was very serious. But I didn’t know how to get something started between us without turning it into a joke. It was just the way I was built, I guess. It was the only way I knew how to do it without opening myself up. Without being vulnerable.
Obviously, it was the wrong way to be. It wasn’t working for Davril, anyway, and I didn’t blame him.
Just the same, the hard look he gave me hurt, and I stepped back and cast my gaze at the floor. Why do I always have to step in it?
Fire crackled, and a log popped. Freezing wind ripped at the ancient panes of glass in the windows.
“Down the hall,” he said at last. “You can stay here, just down the hall. I sleep … I sleep at the other end.”
Feeling ashamed, I nodded. “So close and yet so far,” I said, but my voice didn’t sound light. It sounded sad and regretful.
He looked regretful, too.
“Come,” he said, and his voice was soft. “I’ll show you to your room. We’ll report to the Queen first thing in the morning, then, if she gives us permission, go rescue Federico from Angela. I only hope it’s not too late.”
Chapter 10
I woke rested and feeling fresh, with morning sunlight bathing me and sturdy stone walls surrounding me. The room Davril had given me was neat and clean, although small and without frills. I’d taken an overnight kit just in case, and I made myself ready, then trooped downstairs where I smelled coffee and breakfast.
“Coffee!” I said in delight, coming into the smaller dining room Davril used for breakfast. It overlooked a beautiful garden behind his keep. I didn’t think he tended to the garden himself, but rather that it was maintained by the Sisters of Elshe. I added, “I wasn’t sure Fae drank coffee.”
“We don’t in the Fae Lands.” He was already dressed in his street clothes, a brown leather jacket, tight blue T-shirt, and jeans. I could just make out the shape of his abs and pecs in the stretchy cotton. I wished it were white instead of blue. “But I’ve taken a liking to it.”
He sipped his drink, then poured me a cup from the thermos on the table. I added cream to it, then sat down near him. From the next room came kitchen noises and the aroma of breakfast. I watched him over the brim of my mug as I drank. I was ridiculously glad that he liked coffee. Like out of all proportion. It humanized him to me, made him less remote. I’d called him a Vulcan once, but Vulcans didn’t drink coffee.
He was sure as hell a lot more approachable this morning than he had been last night.
We made small talk as his servants brought us breakfast. It was kind of awkward at first, but then we found a rhythm and our conversation became smoother and less stilted. I learned that he did some of the gardening himself, and that sometimes he made his own breakfast. I wanted to say, Maybe someday you’ll bring me breakfast in bed, but held myself back. Still, I couldn’t help a girlish thrill at the thought. And I loved the idea of Davril naked in front of the kitchen counter, wearing only an apron that said KISS THE CHEF. At the thought, I actually giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Davril said, a forkful of omelet halfway to his lips.
I got myself under control. “Nothing.”
After breakfast, we flew in Lady Kay to the Palace. Along the way, I peered to the south where Central Park was. All I could see was the dark mist that perpetually wreathed it. That’s all anyone could see of it from the outside these days. It was a cloaking spell, we all knew. A very powerful one. Inside that cloud, of course, things would be different. Visible. And dangerous.
It was the last place I wanted to go.
Sensing my hesitation, Davril said, “Are you sure you want to come with me? I could always tell Her Majesty that you’re not ready yet. That you haven’t completed your training and she should assign me another partner.
“Don’t be silly,” I said. “I’m your partner, and it’s my duty.”
Besides, I needed to be the one to rescue Federico. Only then could I somehow turn him over to Prince Jereth. Just for a moment, though. I would insist on being there the whole time and would take Federico back to Davril and the Fae—the mainstream Fae, anyway, not the rebel faction Jereth represented—as soon as the prince was done. What did he want Federico for, anyway?
Whatever it was, I would probably have to stop that, too. When the time came. One crisis at a time, I told myself.
Davril and I arrived at the Palace and met with the Queen. She absorbed the intelligence in silence, then frowned thoughtfully. We were in her solar, with bright sunlight streaming all around us and fragrant flowering vines growing along ornate columns that held up the domed glass ceiling. It was a relatively small, beautiful chamber atop one of the palace’s towers, and every wall was of glass. From here, she commanded an amazing view of the city.
And of Central Park. As we spoke, our eyes had constantly swiveled to it, as if imagining what might be found there.
At last she said, “I’m reluctant to send you in, Davril.”
“I know.”
“No one has ever returned from there.”
Shock ran through me. “Excuse me?” I switched my gaze from Queen Calista to Davril. “You’ve sent people there before?”
“Of course,” she said, thankfully ignoring my impertinent tone. “When magical outlaws first fled there and established the cloaking spell, we tried to dissolve it. Much to our surprise, we couldn’t. Whatever enchantments power that spell, they’re stronger than we�
��d expected. Much stronger. We thought it possible that if we expended a great deal of our resources and power that we could pierce it and collapse the spell, but such an effort would weaken us, considerably. Maybe permanently.”
“And there would be no guarantee that the effort would work,” Davril said.
“Damn,” I said.
“Indeed,” Calista said. “So I sent several knights inside to find out what powered the enchantment. If we knew that we could better assess the situation. Possibly they could even deactivate it from within.” She let out a sad breath. “But we waited too long. The powers inside the Veil had grown too strong, the dangers within it too deadly. The knights never returned. I sent another, larger force inside, all armed with devastating weapons. But they too … never returned.” Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she swung her gaze from the park to me. “I’ve never tried again.”
“I lost many friends that day,” Davril said gravely, then shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m going in there. But we won’t be going to disable it this time. Hopefully that will make a difference. We won’t be a threat to the Park itself, the way it is now. We have a mission, and when that’s fulfilled we’ll simply leave. Hopefully the Park will sense that.”
Their words had shaken me. Feeling cold suddenly, I swallowed. I couldn’t find anything to say, and I knew my voice would be a squawk if I tried.
Surprisingly, one corner of Davril’s mouth quirked. “Still want to come with me, Jade?”
I cleared my throat. “Of course.”
“There’s still time to back out.”
I squared my shoulders. “I’m going in whether you like it or not. Hell, maybe having a human thief by your side, someone more in tune with the folks who originally fled to the Park, will even be helpful.”
“I’m inclined to agree,” Queen Calista said, studying me. “Otherwise I would insist on Davril choosing a more seasoned partner for this task. But I think if I only send in two Fae Knights on a mission of stealth and retrieval, one of them having a feel for the element that lives there, that things might go better than otherwise.” She fixed me with a harsh look. “Don’t make me regret that decision, Jade McClaren.”
