Binding Curse: Dark Fae Hollow 4 (Dark Fae Hollows)

by T. F. Walsh

  Vassily nodded and rubbed his chin as he sat against his desk. “The council knows things we don’t, and maybe this Axel guy you brought in will help. Take it as a job well done. Now head out and assist with the riots because the officers damn well need it.”

  I halted my pacing. “Axel is my only potential lead in finding out who’s culling humans. And now he’s council property? This is my case.”

  Vassily’s shoulders squared. The fae birthmark swirl on his neck scrunched up from his double chin. He rounded behind his desk and flopped on the seat. “Luna, stop. The council has jurisdiction anywhere they want. Forget the suspect.” He shifted and pulled out a folder from the desk drawer.

  “This isn’t fair.” I stormed closer. “Why don’t we get a chance to find out what’s going on?”

  He grumbled and slammed a fist on his desk. “Enough. Fuck off and do your job.”

  Ah, the pleasantries that fell from his mouth.

  “Any more on this, and you’ll be on suspension. Maybe promoting you to senior lieutenant was a mistake. I don’t need your pestering today. Not everything follows the rules to a T. I’ve told you before. Let it go.”

  I shook with rage, desperate to throttle him into stopping the council rep from steamrolling over us. But, of course, Vassily would cover for Eduard. The two were buddies. After all, they had high-five sex. I cringed on the inside.

  Vassily scratched his inner wrist over the binding insignia—a replica of the rings from our flag. Everyone received them during the binding ritual as babies. Anyone without one was forced into a binding with another unmarked. Mine peeked out from beneath my jacket sleeve. As a child, I used to believe the ink gave me the enchanted ability that linked me to Princess Kutia. Now I just wanted her to join us and make everything right again. My sister, Nyx, had worshipped the idea of the princess and couldn’t wait for her rising. But she’d lost the chance to ever experience the moment.

  Refocusing on my boss, I figured that if I intended to find out more about Eduard and Axel, I’d have to suck up to my boss despite my loathing for brown-nosing. “So, how’d your son’s binding go?” I forced a smile. Just play nice.

  Vassily’s posture sagged. “I can still hear Jone crying, poor little man, and only three weeks old so he was terrified. But it’s done.”

  “Pass on my congratulations to your wife.” Yeah, the guy was a hypocrite, but who was I to judge him if he was having an affair.

  Regardless of what he did with his family, his sexual life had zero to do with me. Sure, he’d lost massive respect points from me, but considering he usually had my back, I couldn’t completely dismiss him.

  When he lowered his gaze to the folder in his hands, I walked away.

  Once outside the office, I stared at the interview room at the end of the hallway. No matter what Vassily had said, I just couldn’t get myself to return to work, not until I discovered why a council rep took the case away from me. And what was so special about Axel?

  Chapter 5

  My gut churned with a deadening sickness, and I stared at the interrogation room at the end of the corridor. Axel had told the truth; my innate deception radar insisted. Eduard lied. So throwing his weight around by taking Axel under his authority was horseshit. And why had Vassily allowed Eduard to take our only lead? I was a PPD militia, meaning I upheld fairness and safety and didn’t rely on my laurels to complete the job. I got my hands dirty. The three honor medals on my wall at home were a joke if I did nothing now.

  I stormed toward the room, determined to uncover the truth.

  At the same time, Eduard emerged and pushed the door behind him. He cut me a leery glare and marched into my boss’s office, his arms swinging wildly. A strange fluttering told me something was wrong, so I retraced my steps to Vassily’s room and stood near the ajar door. Yeah, not my finest moment of spying.

  “I’m calling for backup to transport the suspect to the council compound,” Eduard commanded. I could just imagine him standing tall with his chest puffed out.

  My muscles tensed. Eduard wouldn’t even know where the council leaders’ compound was, no one did, because that was where they kept Princess Kutia. So he lied… again. The buzz humming down my arms confirmed it. Why wasn’t the police chief saying anything?

  “Who is this guy?” Vassily asked. “Why’s he so important? Luna is one of my best, and she could squeeze information out of a stone. Let her speak with him first.”

  “No! This is my business. I need you to give me access to all precinct records before I leave. Where can I do that?”

  Alarm bells might as well have been clanging in my ears. My body tingled with the deception each time Eduard spoke. So if he lied, then where would he take Axel? Was Eduard involved with the faes in the woods trying to kill Axel?

  “I’ll pull the database for you now.” Vassily’s voice softened.

  Okay, what now? The only way I’d uncover more information was to go to the source, and if I didn’t make a move, I’d lose the chance. So I sprinted down the corridor and straight into the interview room, expecting Axel sitting there bored with arms folded across his chest.

  Instead, he spun toward me and wiped his busted lip, red streaking the back of his hand. He continued pacing across the empty, ten by ten foot space.

  “Did you attack Eduard?”

  Axel quit marching and stood several feet away, his brow a muddle of twisted lines. “Something’s wrong with that fae.” He pointed to his lip. “Bastard charged me the moment we were alone, then licked the blood off his fist. Just like the fae in the woods. And he was freaky strong, too—pinned me to the wall.”

  Shivers crawled up my arms as I dreaded what came next. Okay, bizarre. Fae blood gave people a high if consumed, turning them into addicts. But Eduard was a fae. Were faes now drinking human blood as a new fad? Did that make them powerful? But considering my radar was going off, something else was happening. And I just couldn’t work it out.

  “Why does everyone seem to want you dead? Have you murdered anyone?”

  “Look, Luna, if you want to help, get me the hell out of here before that dick returns. Otherwise, count me dead. Then you can wear that on your conscience.”

  I squared my shoulders, pushing against the rush of ugly words at the forefront of my mind. I’d lived with my sister’s death for nine years. Her human match had perished, and at the funeral I’d promised to help others.

  “Just tell me why everyone wants you.”

  He huffed. “Told you. I don’t know.” The pitch of his voice climbed.

  The way he paced across the room reminded me of a caged animal ready to strike. I stepped toward the exit. With a click of my watch to the security panel, the door unlocked, and I pulled it open. Sticking my head out revealed an empty hall.

  “Can’t believe I’m even contemplating this.”

  Axel’s warmth smothered my back as he leaned close.

  I twisted to face him, and his warm exhale washed over my cheeks. “I can lose my job for this. Or get thrown into prison.”

  “I could die. Let’s move.”

  His forward attitude should have irked me. Instead, Axel left me burning up as if someone had cranked up the heaters. “Listen, do everything I say and don’t run or I’ll haul your ass back here quicker than you can say boo.”

  “I give you my word.” He wasn’t even staring at me but over my shoulder.

  I lifted my chin to make myself appear taller and waited for my insides to buzz with his lie, but nothing came. He was likely the only honest person in his mess, yet he was the criminal.

  “Good.” With my cuffs in hand, I snapped one on his wrist and the other on mine.

  His eyebrows pinched together. “You have trust issues.”

  “Yep, that’s me. We need to make this look real in case anyone sees us. Move.” Finding an empty corridor, I pulled him out behind me. The fire escape at the rear of the building was my target.

  As we crossed the hallway, muffled words came from my bo
ss’s office.

  Several fast-steps deeper into the corridor, we burst into the main office area where I’d spent hours typing reports earlier that day. Rushing around a corner, I crashed into Santasha.

  She recoiled, stumbling on her feet.

  “Shit, Luna. Watch—” Her gaze landed on Axel, then on the cuffs and me. “Where are you taking him?”

  For me, lying was up there with killing and animal torturing, especially to a friend. “Listen, there’s another suspect in the waiting room. Been there hours. Can you check on him, please?” Yep, a distraction. Good idea.

  Voices sounded in the distance… Eduard and Vassily.

  My adrenaline spiked, and Axel nudged my back.

  I curved around Santasha who studied me with a raised brow.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her tone deepening. “Are you in trouble?”

  “Got to go. I’m questioning him.” With Axel still behind me, I hurried toward the glowing exit sign. I hated myself. Santasha and I had made a promise never to lie to each other. And she’d kept her end of the bargain so far, but I hadn’t.

  “No, you’re not. Don’t hold out on me, Luna.”

  I turned to face Santasha. The one who insisted I stay at her place every year on the anniversary of my sister’s death. She was my best friend and it killed me to draw her into my mess. “Santasha, please. I’ll contact you later.”

  We stared at each other for the longest moment while I prayed she would leave this alone and not get involved. When she finally nodded, I sprinted away.

  “He’s escaped! Sound the alarm!” yelled Vassily.

  “Hell.”

  Shoving open the door, I hurried into the fire escape corridor. “Run.”

  Axel and I darted, our shoulders brushing each other’s. When the sirens pealed overhead, I tripped on an empty glass bottle, but Axel grabbed my arm and steadied me.

  “Shit, shit, shit. Can’t believe I’m doing this.” If we returned now, I’d say it was a mistake. Video surveillance would show me kidnapping the victim and aiding him to escape. What was I thinking? This was why I never rushed into decisions because they always ended up with me making stupid mistakes.

  When I cut a glance at Axel, his expression appeared pained. Even without words, he pleaded for help.

  Images of my sister filtered through my mind, her smile, her laughter. Echoes of her voice. If I could prevent anyone from losing a loved one, I’d do what it took.

  Pushing forward, we reached the rear entrance, and I rattled the handle, but it didn’t budge. “Crap!”

  I glanced behind us, expecting Eduard to burst through the other door. Stealing a known felon from the council would land me in prison for life.

  Axel kicked the door. It groaned.

  I slammed my comm toward the security panel, but no response. When the alarm had gone off, everything went into lockdown. How were we going to escape now? Think, think…

  “Is there another way out?” Axel booted the door, this time a loud cracking noise and the metal buckled in the center.

  “There’s a freight elevator, but it means backtracking toward the detention room. We’ll get caught.” I also threw a heel into the barrier. “It’s an old building, maybe we can break through.”

  Several attempts later and my leg was cramped up.

  A rasp echoed at the other end of the corridor. Someone followed us.

  I jerked around, every inch of me trembling. No one there.

  Axel kept slamming into the door until it finally swung open. A cold wind blew against my face as we rushed into the night.

  Outside the council building, patrol cars were parked in three rows, each usable by the universal key in my pocket. All PPD staff had one. I checked left and right. No one else around. It still didn’t help my raging pulse.

  “This way.” We hurried across the parking lot, targeting the vehicle closest to the exit. “Jump in.”

  “Would be easier if I wasn’t cuffed.”

  With a click on my comm, Axel’s cuffs unlatched, and he rounded to the passenger’s side. Once inside, I roared the engine to life and hit the gas pedal. My hands shook, and my knuckles had turned white on the steering wheel. We swerved straight for the entrance gate. I’d broken enough rules today, so what was another one added to the growing list.

  “Buckle up,” I said, pulling at my own seatbelt.

  I checked the rearview mirror and shuddered.

  In the doorway stood Eduard, staring our way, the night obscuring his features.

  “I’m so fucked.”

  Chapter 6

  I had helped a known criminal escape. It was the stupidest mistake of the century because I’d never broken a rule before, but clearly when I decided to go that way, I didn’t mess around. Yep, I’d involved the council, murderous faes, along with demolishing my future with the PPD. Great job, Luna!

  Gripping the patrol car steering wheel—adding grand theft auto to my growing list of offenses—I floored the gas pedal. No guards were posted since everyone was out in the city helping corral the protesters.

  “Hold onto your seat!” I called out above the grunt of the engine and the roaring pulse thumping in my ears.

  “Gun it. Can’t this thing go faster?” Axel shifted in his seat, grasping the door handle, his words racing.

  “The pedal’s all the way down.”

  The car rammed into the lowered boom gate, and the top half crashed into the windshield and snapped in half. I was thrown against the seatbelt, an involuntary gasp escaping. Wooden splinters exploded in every direction from the barrier, and a crack snaked across the glass.

  I spun the wheel, skidding left. Streetlights lit our path. I couldn’t stop my knees from bouncing. I shut down the hissing radio receiver on the dashboard. Damn noise was hurting my head.

  A flashing pulse of lights filled my review mirror. “Hell.” I zoomed onward, zigzagging along back roads. With lights off, I used the occasional illumination from houses and my knowledge of the city to see where we were going.

  “Thank you.” Axel’s composed voice was distant as he watched passing stores and apartments. “I owe you.”

  “Shit yeah, you owe me.” My response gushed out as I kept glancing over my shoulder. A PPD car darted across the entrance to the side street we were on. I pulled to the side and eased on the brakes, hoping to avoid detection.

  When another patrol vehicle careened in our direction, my pulse spiked and I turned sharply to the left, followed by a quick right, past a bakery I frequented.

  Angling around another corner, I bulleted into a quiet section of the city. The river lay calm on one side. Shadows of homes towered on the other. In the peaceful setting, I started thinking like a PPD officer instead of a fugitive. Time to dump the car because the GPS tracker would lead them to us. My own tracker, too. I switched the comm on my wrist off, untied it, and tossed the device toward the water; the night swallowed where it landed. Strange that I hadn’t given a second thought at getting rid of my comm, but what else had I forgotten? My breathing slowed for those few moments, stars dancing in my vision. The voice of reason screamed to turn around, admit a lapse of judgment, but I couldn’t hand over Axel without knowing the truth. Silent panic clawed at my chest. My thoughts were detonating bombs. What had I done? I struggled to keep the car going straight.

  “Calm down and take slow breaths.” Axel’s touch on my thigh sent a surge of heat up my leg. I couldn’t help but notice how large his hand was and the muscles in his forearm.

  “I’m okay. Just…” I wasn’t sure what came next. Never in my life had I pictured myself on the run. All I had to go by were past actions of other prisoners—keep to the shadows and lay low. So where would we hide? Reality hit. “I’ll end up in prison, and they’ll probably kill you.”

  The last PPD officer to get locked up died of multiple stab wounds while he ate porridge in his cell. A shudder shook me to the core.

  Maybe we ought to turn back. I could say Axel forced us t
o leave… Yeah, right. I’d earn the world’s biggest liar title.

  Taking another turn into a dark alley, I veered the car behind a huge dumpster. I killed the ignition and waited, praying we weren’t spotted. When no one had followed us, I climbed out. The sound of the shutting door echoed in the alleyway, making me cringe.

  “We’ve got to ditch the car and hoof it from here,” I said.

  Axel nodded, and together we trudged deeper into the darkness, discarded rubbish swirling around with the air current.

  “If it makes you feel any better,” he said in panted breath, “you’ve saved my life.”

  Had I? What if I’d jumped to conclusions and Eduard had a real reason for wanting to take Axel off-site? But why had he tasted Axel’s blood? Scare tactic, perhaps?

  A heavy, oppressive sensation engulfed me.

  The wail of sirens filled the night—could be from the riots. Lights hit us from behind, illuminating the narrow passage ahead flanked by warehouses.

  I shuddered and grabbed Axel’s arm, leading him down another quiet street. A fusion of Chinese and Russian cuisine had been trending lately, and several new restaurants littered the area. Even after hours, the smell of goulash flavored spring rolls permeated the air.

  “You know where you’re going, right?” Axel’s voice grated on my nerves.

  “Damn right! When we reach my place—”

  “Not a smart move.” His words were labored.

  “Yes, but I have two cats in the house. If I don’t let them out, they’ll starve and die. It’ll take two seconds.” Everyone on my block cared for the stray animals, but it seemed last week the cats had adopted me and refused to leave the house, so I left them locked inside. My last roomie would care for the animals when I worked long shifts, but she’d been transferred to Saint Petersburg. I hadn’t gotten around to advertising for a new roommate.