by Helen Harper
“I have no idea why everyone else bothered to show up,” he said darkly, “but you can bet that you’re now going to tell me exactly why you did.”
And then he twisted my arm, and lifted my body in the air as if it was as light as a feather, and flipped me down onto the cold, hard ground. He bent over me as I groaned.
“I don’t like being used, kitten.”
I lashed out and caught him on the jaw, forcing him to reel backwards. ‘Then why did you let me come along in the first place?”
I jumped to my feet and faced him, trying to remember to relax my body in the same way that Thomas had during our last t’ai chi lesson.
“I mistakenly thought that it might be entertaining,” he growled. He stepped forward and grabbed my arm, spinning me round and pinning me against his body so that I could barely breathe.
I kicked backwards, connecting with his shin, then twisted away. I was tempted for a moment to pull out my concealed daggers. But that would have been against the unwritten rules, so instead I sucker punched him. He doubled over for half a beat, then straightened, but I could see that my shot had been effective.
“Aren’t you being entertained now?” I inquired.
“Having the time of my life,” he grunted.
He lunged forward, catching me round my waist and flipping me again. However, this time I was ready and twisted myself in the air so that I landed square behind him. I karate chopped the back of his neck, but he barely registered it. Damnit.
I was waiting for his next move, and grinning to myself behind his back, when his entire body tensed. I couldn’t read which way he was going to go.
“Don’t move, Mack.”
Hmm. I tried to think. Was that a ‘don’t move so I can beat you to a pulp’ comment, or a ‘don’t move so that then you do move and I still beat you to a pulp’ double bluff comment? I was still working it out when I realised he’d called me Mack.
“Corrigan?”
He snarled. My bloodfire leapt in response. This wasn’t the playfight of a cat any longer.
“I mean it, Mack, stay behind me.” His face twisted round and I realised that he was in mid shift already, black fur springing out on his cheekbones. He leapt up into the air, tuxedo bursting off and the gigantic shape of black panther taking hold.
Without thinking twice, I stuffed the clutch holding the Palladium down the back of my dress, hiked up the hem, and crossed my arms to pull out the daggers from the sheaths under my arms. If something out there had Corrigan worried, then it had me worried. I moved over to the side, and then I spotted it.
Hovering in the air, and looking more like shadow than substance, was a wraith. This seemed too much like coincidence. My purse, with the Ancile stuffed inside it, felt heavy against my back. I stared at the thing in front of us. There hadn’t seemed to have been a flicker of doubt in Alex’s story about the Palladium that the vamps had caught Tryyl and tortured him to death. And yet…
“Where isssssss it?” The shadow rasped.
Corrigan, now in pure were-form, snarled again and launched at it, lethal gleaming claws outstretched. He leapt through the thing’s entire body, as if it were as insubstantial as air, appearing behind the wraith looking slightly dazed and shaken. He shook his giant panther body, muscles rippling under the sleek black fur and bright emerald green eyes flashing, then lunged forward again, this time jaws ready to clamp onto the wraith’s leg. His teeth snapped together, a hiss of black mist streaking outwards from where his mouth connected, then clouding back in to re-form. The wraith reached out and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, flinging him to the side, and knocking the large cat against the body of a parked car.
Alrighty then. Just to be doubly sure, I twisted my wrist and let one of my daggers fly through the night air on a direct collision course with the wraith’s head. As suspected, it didn’t even slow upon contact; it just cut through the shadow form and landing with a clatter on the pavement opposite. The wraith didn’t even blink.
“Giiiiiive me it,” it hissed again.
I dropped the other dagger, appreciating that it would be useless now. It might have been more helpful if it had been pure silver, but it wasn’t and I couldn’t cry about it now. Corrigan was staggering to his paws, wavering a bit with a slight concussion. Bloodfire heat tickled at me from the bridge of my nose and behind my eyes.
“You’re going to need to tell us what it is you’re after,” I said calmly, although I had a pretty good idea of what it might be. “Otherwise how can I fetch it for you?”
The wraith quivered in the air. “You. You haaaave touched it. Where issssss it?”
I clenched my fists for a heartbeat then outstretched my palms, knowing without looking that the now familiar flicker of green fire was back. From behind me, I heard the door to the vamps’ house that we’d only just exited opening and the sound of running feet coming out to join us. I didn’t hesitate, however, and sent out a stream of flame right towards the looming shadow.
The wraith screamed and clutched its stomach where my fire had connected. Yahtzee. I shot out another and another. It fell down, half collapsing. I was about to combine both hands together to create a stream of double impact, when I was abruptly shoved out of the way by something cold. Blinking, I stared forward and saw that a vampire was hurtling himself forward. Unfortunately, the wraith was also starting to recover and threw out a dark arm, pulled on the vampire’s hair and ripped its head clean from its shoulders, then tossed it away with a sickening thump. I tried not to notice that the head bounced several times, with the now lifeless tongue of the vamp hanging out of its mouth.
Corrigan, still shaking his head slightly to rid himself of what was no doubt considerable fuzziness, returned to my side.
You know what it wants. His Voice was grim.
“Yeah,” I said aloud. “But before you say anything, I don’t have it. The vamps do.”
Because it wasn’t the more dangerous Ancile that was digging uncomfortably into my back that the wraith was after. It wanted the pointless and powerless Palladium that was now sitting snugly behind the glass of the vampires’ trophy room.
A figure joined us. “So, Initiate Smith,” the Arch-Mage stated calmly, “we find ourselves on the same side.”
“That we do, sir,” I agreed.
The Arch-Mage jetted out a snake of blue light. It circled round the wraith, binding it into one place. I flicked my own flame forward, this time catching it on the side of its face, and sending it recoiling backwards. The wraith screamed. Not in pain but in sheer unadulterated rage. I could feel Corrigan’s were-panther body tensing at my other side, preparing for another attack.
Don’t. You can’t win this one, my Lord.
He growled, but I ignored him, and flicked out another arc of green fire that rose high into the air then curved back down, landing squarely onto the wraith’s face.
“I’m starting to wonder whether it was such a good idea to host this party,” came the chill tones of Aubrey from somewhere behind me. “There seem to be far too many uninvited guests.”
“Hey,” I snapped irritably, “this one’s all on you.”
As if to illustrate my point further, the wraith shrieked again. “I waaaaaaaant it!”
“It’s after the Palladium.”
The vampire started. “How do you…?”
He didn’t manage to finish his sentence, however, because right at that point the Arch-Mage groaned. “It’s too strong,” he gasped.
I half-turned and realised that he was drenched in sweat and shaking. Shit. We didn’t have much time left. I twisted back towards the wraith again and sent out as much fire as I could potentially muster. But it was too late. The Arch-Mage’s binding light was wavering and the wraith grinned emptily then pushed against it. The blue circle snapped and the Arch-Mage collapsed to his knees. The wraith snapped itself away from my approaching flame and drew itself up towering over us. It pulled back one shadowy dark arm. I concentrated. Focus the fire, Mack,
I told myself. Focus the fire. If I could just muster up enough energy…
Corrigan barrelled into me, knocking me down as the wraith’s lethal swipe came whizzing over my head. Then it shot up into the air and vanished.
Chapter Eighteen
I picked myself up off the ground, aching all over, and turned angrily to meet the were-panther head on. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
Corrigan began to shift, black fur retreating against his skin and bones cracking as he re-formed back to human. He pulled himself up and bared his teeth at me. “For the same reason you told me not to attack.”
I cursed him, trying very hard to ignore the fact that he was stark naked, all tanned steel muscles set into an aggressive stance of flat out male perfection, and turned back to the Arch-Mage who was still on his knees.
“Are you alright?” I asked, helping him up.
“I’m good,” he gasped, although the pallor of his skin suggested otherwise.
I turned to look at Aubrey, whose gaze was on my fallen dagger that was gleaming against the grey tarmac of the road. He flicked his eyes up at me and I shot him a disarming smile and shrugged, as if to say that it wasn’t my fault that his bouncer hadn’t noticed it.
His red eyes flashed. “I hadn’t realised that were-hamsters were so aggressive.” He leaned forward, displaying his fangs, the corner of his tongue curling round to lick one, lapping at the sharp point. “Or that the pack was capable of using magic.”
Corrigan planted himself in front of me. I scowled. I didn’t need his sodding protection.
“Why don’t you tell us exactly what it was that thing was after,” he growled.
I couldn’t see Aubrey’s face any longer but I could picture the expression on it.
“Ask your girlfriend,” he spat. “Somehow she seems to know.” He began stalking back off to the house.
I side-stepped my way out from Corrigan, and called after him. “Hey!” He ignored me. “That was Tryyl, wasn’t it? You didn’t kill him, you just tortured him and then let him go. No wonder he’s pissed.”
The vampire spun round. “Idiot. You can’t kill wraiths, they’re already dead. And what do you know about it anyway, little girl?” His eyes fixed on the Arch-Mage. “All contracts are meant to be confidential.”
I started in surprise. Oops. I hadn’t known that.
The Arch-Mage coughed, still feeling the effects of the fight. “Not all mages work alone, Aubrey, you know that.”
“Yes, but since when did the wizards work with the beasts?”
Both the Arch-Mage and Corrigan visibly stiffened. I rolled my eyes. These guys really had to get over themselves.
Aubrey’s gaze switched back to me and he jabbed a finger in my direction. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
He twisted round again and continued for the safety of his lair.
“Yeah,” I shouted back. “And what about the Palladium? Obviously there’s more to that than meets the eye too!”
The door slammed shut in response. I exhaled a cloud of disgusted air and then pulled my dress back down over my thighs, feeling the sudden brush of the cold. I wondered what had happened to Solus and whether he’d run off at the first sign of action. Untrustworthy Fae. Irritated, I turned back to where the wraith had been hovering. There was something there, lingering. I took a few steps forward and realised with a sinking feeling what it actually was.
Corrigan joined me and knelt down, touching it, then raising his fingers to his nose and recoiling away in disgust.
“Fucking hell!” he swore. “What is that?”
I didn’t know what it was, but I knew where I’d seen it before. It was the inky dark gloop that I’d found on the wall of the academy. The wraith must have sensed the Palladium was there and had gone to find it. The wash of relief that flooded through me that we’d gotten the statue out of there before Tryyl had decided to attack was overwhelming.
I just shook my head slightly. “It doesn’t matter. It’s the vamps’ problem now. They created this situation in the first place anyway.”
Corrigan’s eyes narrowed. “How?”
I looked at the Arch-Mage for permission and he nodded so I filled Corrigan in on the details, leaving out, of course, that until about half an hour ago I’d been the one with the Palladium in my possession.
Once I’d finished, I checked with the Arch-Mage that I’d gotten the details right.
“Yes. Although Aubrey is right that all contracts are confidential. I assume that it was Mage Florides that told you about it.” His eyes were hard. “I will have words with him.”
I pursed my lips. If that was the worst thing that came out of all this – well, that and one dead vampire anyway – then things were not that bad. Alex was a big boy, I was pretty sure he could deal with one telling-off.
An engine started up nearby. The Arch-Mage glanced at me. “I can give you a lift back to the Ministry so you can transport back to the academy. Don’t you have shoes?”
I looked down at my bare feet. “Not any more.”
The mage shrugged and turned towards the car. I glanced over at the still disturbingly naked Lord Alpha. Didn’t he even feel the bloody cold?
“Is that okay with you?” I inquired, attempting to maintain a dignified front.
He growled. “What, you’re asking me for permission now?”
I shrugged. “We were on a date. It seems appropriate.”
“I thought you said that it wasn’t a date. And the bloodsucker is right. There is more to you than meets the eye, and somehow I can’t help thinking that you had more to do with the events of this evening and that thing than you are letting on.”
I blinked innocently up at him. “You always think the worst of me.”
“Perhaps I’m just copying your lead. You don’t tend think much of me either.”
I gave him a sad half-smile and turned to go. Corrigan’s hand snapped out and latched onto my arm, pulling me towards him. I let out a little squeak. His skin burned its way through the fabric of my dress as he pressed my body against his.
“You really did look lovely tonight, kitten,” he breathed. “And after all you put me through this evening, I think the least I deserve is a good night kiss.”
And he inclined his head towards mine. I squeaked again, but this time the sound was muffled as Corrigan’s lips hit mine. A squiggle of hot heat zipped through me all the way down to my toes. His hands cupped my face as the kiss deepened and everything else around us faded into obscurity. My arms reached up involuntarily round his neck and I leaned into him.
A car horn sounded, blaring into the now empty street. I jerked back, coming to my senses, and pulled away. Corrigan glinted down at me with the definite expression of the cat who’d got the cream.
“Are you feeling entertained now, kitten?”
My insides fluttering with annoying little flips of happiness, I glared at him. “Why the fuck can’t you just call me Mack?”
He laughed throatily, and I turned away and padded stormily down the street to where the Arch-Mage was waiting.
Corrigan called out after me. “You will tell me what you really are and what is really going on sooner or later.”
I shook my head as I walked away. No way, my Lord Furriness, no fucking way.
*
Once I was safe in the backseat of the car, the Arch-Mage beside me, I couldn’t get the memory of Corrigan’s kiss out of my head. I could still taste him on my lips. Damnit. With everything else that was going on, an entanglement with the Brethren Lord was the absolute last thing I needed. My life was complicated enough. I had a pretty good idea how it would go if things progressed any further. I’d jump into bed with him, we’d have utterly mind-blowing, earth-shattering great sex and then, with the chase over, he’d dump me and move onto the next thing. In the meantime the mages would hate me even more, and across the entire Otherworld my name would be mud. I’d be just another pretty thing that
had climbed into bed with the all powerful leader of the shifters. Just another conquest. I’d seen enough photos on the Othernet of Corrigan and various dates hanging off his arm to know what he was really like. Not only that but it was not beyond the realms of possibility that put into the vulnerable position of pillow talk, I’d blurt out to him exactly what I really was – not human, not a shifter, not a mage, but instead a Draco Wyr. There were already too many people who knew the truth about me. I was just lucky that so far I’d been able to trust all of them enough not to use it against me. The memory of Iabartu’s actions were still fresh in my memory. And besides, Corrigan was just intrigued by me because I kept saying no. Next time I’d just have to say no to myself as well.
I leaned back against the leather upholstered seat and felt my purse with the Ancile within it digging into my back again. Reaching behind, I pulled it out and stared unseeingly down at it.
“So,” the Arch-Mage began with a hint of iron clad steel in his voice, “tell me exactly what is going on.”
Looking up, I found his gaze fixing me into place. “I don’t know what you mean, sir,” I replied tiredly.
“First of all,” the Arch-Mage ticked off, “you know about the contract that Florides had with the vampires to retrieve the Palladium. Despite your prior relationship, I find it difficult to believe that he would reveal it to you without some kind of reason. Secondly, you left the academy in order to go to the gathering tonight with the Lord Alpha. I had not previously been under the impression that the two of you were romantically linked, regardless of the frisson in the air between you tonight. I can only deduce, therefore, that you had some other reason for attending. And,” he moved forward, “I expect you to tell me what that was.”
I sighed deeply. I was getting a bit tired of the same old stuck record. “I just needed to get out of the academy. It was becoming a bit stifling and I needed a break.”
I had no idea what Alex was planning to do with the Ancile now that we had it in our possession, and if he wanted to come clean with the Arch-Mage then that seemed like a good thing to me. But I wasn’t going to betray him, no matter what my personal opinion on the matter was.
