by T. F. Walsh
Talan got to his feet. “That’s not a smart move, Luna. You can’t do this on your own. I can help.” He was telling the truth, and as much as I noticed the desperation in his eyes to make it up to me, this wasn’t happening.
“Thanks, but I’m fine on my own.” What I needed was time out to let everything process so I could work out my next steps. I’d gained valuable information even though my mind kept swinging to finding the council compound and handing over Axel for protection. I had to believe they hadn’t been infiltrated or I’d lose all hope of survival. Except, such a mission was beyond impossible. Nobody knew where they were hidden. Not even council reps like Eduard. Thank goodness.
“I heard from an insider yesterday,” Talan began, “about a human who claims to hold power to find someone’s binding match. He calls himself the broker.”
I huffed. “Bullshit. Such claims are a dime a dozen. These scams take desperate people’s money.”
Talan shrugged. “Agreed, but this guy was adamant, and I’ve known him for years. As an insider working for PPD, he insisted this broker was the real deal. His ability involved enchantment and you know how rare that is.”
I studied Talan, not sensing a thread of trickery. He believed what he said, but it didn’t make it true. “Why are you telling me this?” Then again, if the guy used magic, a lost art among faes since the bindings, what if it was real? The means to control enchantment had become close to extinct. That was why I told very few people about my ability. If word got out I had such power, I’d become a prime target for criminals. That was if the council reps didn’t lock me into their labs for experimentation to harness my energy.
“Let me take you to the broker.” Talan straightened his posture, eagerness pressing behind his words.
“No,” I responded. “But I’ll accept the address.” What was the harm in asking the guy to see whose Axel’s binding partner was? It might be the key to keep the princess protected. If it was a scam, I’d kick his ass. Not as if we had any other leads. And this broker could tell me who mine was. Ever since the vulsine said Axel and I were the keys, the implication hammered at the back of my mind that I was more involved than I wanted to admit.
“Please, Luna. I want to help and show you I’m not the bastard you think I am,” Talan said.
I shook my head, chewing on my inner cheek. “If you want to assist, tell me where to find the broker.”
Talan stared at me for several long moments before ambling to the kitchen counter and writing on a piece of paper. He returned and placed it into my hand. “I hope one day you’ll forgive me.”
“Maybe, when—”
The wooden panels on the floor above us creaked as if someone was walking around upstairs.
Talan’s brow creased.
Betrayal buckled me. His newest conquest was probably just waking up from his bed. Fuck. Talan had shattered me, and the pieces still hadn’t reattached. I hated him for hurting me, making me trust our love had been real.
I ripped my hand free from his, scrunching the address in my fist and headed to the glass door.
“Luna—”
I raised my palm to cut him off. “Look, thanks, Talan. But you’ve got someone to attend to, and I’ve got my life.” Without a glance back, I closed the door behind me and darted toward the driveway. Something crunched underfoot, and I lifted my boot to find another smooshed cockroach. Of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without getting bug guts on my shoes.
Knowing Talan had someone in his house stabbed at my chest. We’d broken up six months ago, but hell, it still ached. Screw him.
Chapter 18
I expected Talan to follow me from his house—he had that pleading look in his eyes. But he didn’t. What stayed with me all these months was his unfaithfulness. He’d left me feeling as if I was worthless and our relationship had been a delusion. The dickhead tricked me into believing we had a future, and that stung.
Rushing down the side of the townhouse and passing an oversized hedge flanking the driveway, I whispered, “Axel?” I poked into the bushes and scanned the street. Where was he?
I never should have left him alone, trusted him, or thought his kiss meant anything but me lowering my guard. I tensed and marched away, glancing up and down the neighborhood for any sign of him. Yep, the biggest idiot award goes to Luna!
So what now? After the insight I’d gained from Talan, our situation was screwed. With Princess Kutia in a trance and not waking, she was a sitting target for the vulsines. Sure, the council leaders would guarantee high security, but what if Axel was the binding partner of a council member? Letting the vulsines get hold of him would mean they could use his blood to track down the leaders. And the leaders were the only ones with the ability to resurrect the princess. Otherwise, both faes and humans were headed for mass extinction. Yeah, nothing like having the world on my shoulders. But it meant we didn’t have time to waste.
Maybe I should accept Talan’s help to find Axel.
When I spun toward the townhouse, someone walked into my path. I jerked backward only to find Axel chuckling. The sun lit up his blue eyes, and damn he was sexy when he smiled.
“Ha, you thought I ditched you.”
I punched him in the arm though a bucket load of relief flooded me. “Don’t pull that shit again, understand?”
Axel nudged me. “Shall we get moving, or you want to continue sulking?”
“Okay, let me catch you up on a few things. And promise not to freak.”
He cut me a skeptical stare. Once we left behind the residential streets and re-entered the forest, I summarized my conversation with Talan.
Axel stopped near a closed corner store, drawing me beneath an awning, his eyes wide, crammed with terror. “You’re mistaken.”
“Maybe, but there’s only one way to find out. What other leads do we have?” I took the scrunched-up piece of paper from my pocket and unfolded the note with the broker’s address. Under normal circumstances, I’d laugh off Talan’s lead on the human who identified someone’s match. But considering vulsines had appeared in our world, I wasn’t so quick to dismiss possibilities.
“Anything that sounds too good to be true usually ends up trying to kill me,” Axel said.
“What if the PPD have information we don’t?” I smirked, not sure I believed the broker had such an ability, but something in my gut told me to follow this plan. “Anyway, what’s the harm in asking the guy for help? And if for once, the universe goes in our favor, and he is the real deal, we’ll see if he can detect the council compound with your blood.”
He was shaking his head. “What if Talan gave us a fictional address? I somehow doubt anyone would do this for free.”
I huffed because, yeah, he could be right; but in all honesty, we’d run out of options. And the sincerity in Talan’s eyes and my deception ability told me he wasn’t lying. “What have we got to lose? Do you want to risk everything by doing nothing?”
His brow furrowed, but he stepped away, staring out into the distance at the line of apartments.
“I see no other option.”
Axel didn’t move or speak at first but turned his head toward me, his skin white as chalk. “You really think a council leader is my binding partner?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know. If it’s true, you’ll become a hot commodity once word spreads. So, we need to plan how we approach the broker.”
“Shit, I just want a normal life.”
I refrained from answering or giving him a philosophical response about the universe and situations getting better. For one, I didn’t believe it myself; and two, neither of us were dumb enough to assume our lives would ever return to any kind of normality. I brushed aside my worries.
“Do you recognize where this address is?” I handed him the paper.
He clutched the note and stared at the hand-scribbled words. “It’s not far from the city.” He pushed into a walk, and I chased after him. “Not sure I want the responsibility of being a council leader’s
partner.”
When I thought about it, Axel was right. The enormity swept over me. I’d always wondered who my human partner was. Were they considerate and loving? Had they gained my deception abilities? Perhaps it was a mother with lots of kids. Ha, knowing my luck, it would be a fae-blood addict. Yeah, that wasn’t even funny.
Leaving the city proved easier than getting inside, but rushing through the tunnels once again had me sweating, and salty drops trickled into my eyes. Axel wore a glossy shine himself.
A family approached from the opposite side of the tunnel, and I flicked my hair over my tattoo. It became second nature to hide my fae side. The father nodded while his wife and two young boys rushed past. My heart hurt seeing families risk their lives using these tunnels to avoid gangs. These passages weren’t safe, but I guessed desperation meant taking chances to feed your kids or get them medication.
Half an hour later of tracking underground and starving for fresh air, we reached a rusty, metal ladder in the wall.
Axel faced me. “Turn your PPD jacket inside out. This is a residential town, and I don’t want to draw unwanted attention. A gang lives here too, so we’d better keep a low profile.”
I kept all this information locked up in my mind for later. We’d been trying to track down gangs but never uncovered their lair. Maybe it was delusional of me to believe the PPD would welcome me back, except I wasn’t walking away until I cleared my name.
Once we emerged out of the hole, I stretched my arms, cracking my back and inhaling the cooling air. Hell, I hoped that was our last time in the suffocating tunnels.
About fifty feet ahead stood hundreds of tents and huts, reminding me of a refugee camp, except this one was immense. Several kids chased each other at the edge of the town, no shoes, but they were laughing. Smoke from multiple fires twirled upward; the hum of voices was a constant buzz.
I turned to Axel who strolled toward a man in his thirties who sported a shaved head. He strutted our way. A machete hung off his belt, and two of his weapon-bearing buddies weren’t far behind.
Worry looped around in my brain, and I combed my hair with a hand, guiding it across my neck. If they suspected I was a fae and PPD officer, they’d chop me into a thousand pieces. I doubted Axel had the strength to defeat all the gang members.
“Axel, ty che, blyad?” The man told Axel he wasn’t expecting him for another week.
Axel hugged him, and the men patted each other’s backs. “I’m visiting a friend,” Axel replied in Russian.
“Need a fix?” the guy whispered to Axel in Russian.
I stiffened, my ears pricked.
Axel shook his head.
The guy met my gaze and winked. He slapped Axel’s shoulder. “You’ve done well for yourself.”
Anxious under scrutiny, I tightened the jacket around my waist and approached Axel. “We heading off?”
“Yeah.” Something behind Axel’s eyes shifted. Was he nervous or worried the gang would find out my identity?
“Okay, see you later, Mack.” Axel hurried away, studying me intently, his fear clear. No one called out after us. Once we were out of earshot, I whispered, “What was he talking about?”
“Nothing.” Axel traveled down a road flanked by large tents and more men with machetes. He had said a gang lived here, so my guess was security was a necessity so the poor could pay for it, whether they wanted it or not.
Three young girls ran across our path, giggling. Dust coated their faces and dirt streaked their clothes. One of the girls had huge, crystal blue eyes. The innocence behind them reminded me how much was at stake if we let the vulsines succeed.
Axel wove between two tents, and I trailed behind him, passing rows of makeshift homes, children everywhere. The waft of stews permeated the air. How long had these people lived this way? We ducked under a clothesline. Ahead lay an empty land stretching outward. A wave of mountains lined the horizon. The mid-morning sun beat on my head, and I looked back to see a small group of kids following us. When I waved to them, they laughed and dispersed in several directions. Too cute. Next time I visited this place, I’d bring them a bag of hard-boiled candy.
Hurrying to catch up to Axel, I asked, “How much farther?”
“It’s located where the old town used to be before it got burned down, now only one building remains, and the broker took residence.”
How did Axel know so much about this guy? I stared out onto the horizon and spotted a lone house surrounded by the shimmering illusion of the heat. Everyone else lived in shacks, so whoever lived there had to be someone important. “So the broker is the gang leader, isn’t he? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never take no for an answer. Besides, I had no idea he could find someone’s binding partner.”
Well, nothing to argue there, though that wasn’t the point. We kept going.
“So who’s the guy you visited back in the city?” Axel asked, his voice darkening. Was he jealous?
“An old friend.”
“I see. He seemed interested in seeing you again.”
I grabbed his arm, drawing him to a halt. “Were you spying on us?”
“Couldn’t hear what you were saying, but I noticed the way the man gawked at you. I’d say he was more than an old friend.”
“And so what if he was?” I should have suspected Axel wouldn’t just hide. He’d watch me, and I hated that he saw me argue with Talan for the simple reason that I didn’t want him to know what a fool I’d been. Thank goodness, he couldn’t hear us.
Axel shrugged and continued strolling. “Just asking, that’s all. You’ve seen where I lived, discovered more about my past than I wanted anyone to know, yet you’ve kept a tight lid on your history.”
Fine, the guy had a point, but what was there to say? “I work for PPD, go to bars with my friend, make casseroles with my neighbor, and I was planning to put an ad out for a new roomie to share my place. Boring.”
“Who’s Nyx?”
“None of your business.” Just hearing my sister’s name out loud squeezed my heart, and that was why I didn’t talk about myself.
“Just noticed the name engraved on both your blades. If only one knife were marked, I’d guess it was your weapon’s label, but to be on both means it’s someone special.”
Every inch of me tensed. “And your argument is?”
He closed the distance between us, standing inches from me. “That all of us have vulnerabilities. If we’re stuck in this together, we should be familiar with each other, what drives us, our weaknesses, so I can determine your reaction when you are in danger.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Axel continued. “We’re about to meet a gangster who does nothing without getting paid first. And he has a photographic memory, remembering everyone he’s ever met. He’ll work out you’re PPD in an instant from your posture, the way you talk, even your boots give you away. Your average thug might miss the clues, but this guy notices everything.”
I stared at my dusty shoes. “What sort of payment? We tell him this is a life and death situation. We would save his ass, too.”
Axel laughed, forced and all for show. “These guys are the bugs of the world who always survive a disaster and will be there making a profit out of it. So, we need to work as a team, not against each other. And who knows what he’ll want as a fee.”
“Well then, I’ll enjoy kicking his butt,” I said.
Axel stormed away. Sure, make me feel guilty. But what if he had a point? I had glimpsed part of his life, his neighbors, and his loss. Then again, he’d seen mine too. But he was risking his life as well; we were stuck together, in a hell of a situation. We did have to rely on each other for survival.
Striding alongside him, I kicked a rock, sending it hopping along the ground. “Nyx was my younger sister. She was incredible with fixing broken things… genius before her time. I swore when she grew up, she’d solve our resource issues. She was only fourteen years old.” I released a half laugh and choked
because I was forcing the ocean of grief back inside. Instead, it pushed free, engulfing me, tangling my brain.
“I’m sorry she’s gone.” He tucked an arm around my shoulders, and I welcomed his comfort. “When I lost my parents, I swore I’d die. I had no one and was alone. The pain still sits in my chest like a black hole.” His eyes hooded and he lowered his head.
We kept marching forward, but I caught the glistening in his eyes. Yeah, fine pair we made. Our pasts were destroying us from the inside out.
As we approached the house, I noticed two guys on the veranda, and another on the roof. Wait… I squinted. Were they wearing shiny silver slacks? The house was a one-story ranch style building, stretching outward with windows on each side.
I headed for the veranda, but Axel jutted an arm across my stomach, so I guess we were waiting and studying the guards who wouldn’t even look our way. Assholes. Ten minutes later, a sentry dragged himself toward us. He had a wicked scar that ran from his temple down his face and over his jawline. Still, my sight fell to his silvery pants with two black lines. Were they going for a gang style or planning to break into a dance? “Како́го ху́я ты ещё тут стои́шь?”
“Here to see the broker,” Axel responded.
“Is he expecting you?” the man asked, sizing me up. Did he notice my fae marking? Sweat rolled down my spine, and I lowered my gaze.
“Last minute meeting. We have a favor to ask,” Axel continued.
“Well,” Scar guy said. “It’s your lucky day. He’s got a spot free on his calendar.” The two exchanged glances and laughed.
Okay, was this a joke? Or a trap? Luring in gullible fools, promising to find their binding partners.
“This way.” We followed him, while the other man stayed behind us.
Once inside the house, the smell of a savory stew blanketed the air. Furniture adorned the main room—leather couches in a U-shape, a coffee table in the center. Yellowing sponge poked out of tears in the furnishings, but they were in decent condition considering where we were and that such things were no longer being manufactured. Sunlight peeked through the lace-covered window.
