by Bianca D'Arc
“I don’t owe you any courtesy. Your kind gave up all rights to dictate my actions when you banished my family.” She hadn’t meant to get worked up but felt an odd sense of relief once the words were said.
“So you’re not just a loner. You’re one of the forgotten?” Kevin frowned. “This complicates matters. No wonder you’ve taken up with a bloodletter and a…uh…what are you? Mage?” he asked Duncan, clearly stumped.
“Half-fey.” Duncan inclined his head regally. “I put out the fire when more mundane means did not suffice.”
“Which brings us back to the problem at hand. Someone has it in for one or all of you.”
Dante sat forward, clearly interested. “How do you know?”
“One of my pack likes to pretend she’s a stray so she can keep an eye on some of the more vulnerable homeless who frequent the park across the way. She saw someone lob a Molotov cocktail into your window. She called me right before the alarm came in from your system.”
“Did she see the person?”
“Shiny blonde with a bob haircut, she said. Female. Drove away in a black Porsche.”
“Son of a…” Megan swore. “Her again.”
“Who is she?” the fireman asked.
“We don’t know,” Dante replied. “She lobbed a few fireballs at me outside a nightclub the night Megan and I met.” He dropped his hand from the back of the couch around her shoulders, squeezing once, bringing her closer to his side. “Megan took a hit meant for me, and I brought her here to recover.”
“We can only assume Dante’s the target since hellfire is impossible to stop by normal means and fire is one of the few things that can kill his kind,” Duncan added. “Plus the timing would have made it next to impossible for Dante to escape a house fire. It’s still several hours ’til sunset.”
“Hellfire, you say?” Kevin’s blue gaze turned thoughtful.
“No doubt about it. I’ve seen it before, a long time ago. It’s not good to see it in use again. It tells me a larger game is afoot.” Duncan’s tone sounded ominous.
“How so?” Kevin wanted to know.
“For some time now, we’ve had an idea that the Venifucus are back in operation. Or perhaps they never really left. Regardless, they’re now ramping up their efforts to return dark magic to this realm. Hellfire is one of the tools they used in ancient days, and it hasn’t been seen on this Earth for many generations. To see it now only confirms my worst fears. This, taken in conjunction with the attacks on the werelords and their new mate, which Dante and I witnessed firsthand, is very bad news indeed.”
“You’re that Dante?” Kevin asked, blinking in surprise. “We got a safe passage dispatch about you and your friend from the Lords not too long ago. Surprised the heck out of us when we saw a bloodletter had friends in the highest possible places, but I figured our paths would never cross.”
Dante raised his glass in salute. “Never say never.”
“So what did you do to get on the Lords’ good side?” Kevin asked with only a hint of suspicion.
“Betrayed them, switched sides when I figured out what was going on, then helped save their lives and that of their mate.” Dante shrugged as he ticked off the list of events.
“Don’t forget how you helped catch the mage responsible,” Duncan added helpfully.
“Indeed.” Dante grinned at his friend then turned to Kevin. “You know, the usual.”
The big werewolf actually smiled. “I suspect it’s a long story for another time. Right now, I’d like to know how you ended up playing host to one of the forgotten.” His expression grew serious, almost apologetic, when he looked at Megan again. “And perhaps more importantly, what did your family do to merit such a terrible sanction. As a rule, our society rarely issues such harsh punishments.”
“Having never been part of were society, I’m sure I wouldn’t know.” Megan bristled under Kevin’s scrutiny. She didn’t have anything to prove to him.
Dante took her hand, squeezing it gently in comfort. “Megan’s grandfathers sanctioned the murder of an innocent human firemage named Erik. He was a good friend of mine.” Dante paused, and she squeezed his hand this time. “His death sparked the Great Chicago Fire.” He paused as Kevin whistled through his teeth. “For their transgressions, they were banished. They passed the burden of redemption to Megan’s mother, and thence to her. We’ve only just discovered the connection ourselves.”
“Quite a coincidence, her showing up on your doorstep,” Kevin commented.
“It wasn’t a coincidence,” Duncan stepped in. “She was sent to spy on Dante by someone I believe to be a Venifucus mole in the Altor Custodis operation.”
“I was briefed on the recent trouble with the mage who claimed to be Venifucus. The Lords impressed it upon all of the major pack leaders in our last teleconference that the threat was real. Honestly I never expected to see anything in my neck of the woods. At least not so soon.”
“Probably my fault, for deciding to visit my place in New York,” Dante admitted. “But Duncan’s been gone a long time, and he wanted to see the Big Apple again. It was as good a destination as any after our adventure in Montana.”
“I tend to believe the Lady guides all our paths. Perhaps She meant for you to be here, in this place, at this time.” Kevin surprised Megan with the depth of his faith. She wouldn’t have expected such an imposing man to believe so strongly.
“There may be some merit to what you say,” Duncan put in. “I don’t really believe in coincidence.” He looked at Megan with one eyebrow raised. “Someone sent her here to spy on the very man her family had wronged so grievously all those years ago. I’m willing to bet her keeper is based somewhere nearby, though she’s been placed under a very strong compulsion not to divulge any information that could help us identify him.”
“What makes you think he’s nearby?” Kevin leaned forward.
“Timing,” Dante said absently, clearly thinking through his answer as he gave it. “We only just got here a few days ago. Even with modern modes of transportation, Megan had to have been pretty close to intercept us when she did.”
He looked at her, and she nodded in confirmation even though the compulsion not to answer caused a throbbing pain behind her eyes. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to control it to no avail. Then a gentle touch on her forehead eased the pain. She opened her eyes to find Duncan leaning over her, a sad smile on his face.
“You see how it hurts her. The bastard who did this to her—” Duncan resumed his seat as he spoke to the fire chief, “—also poisoned her blood. She nearly killed Heathclif Dean last night.”
“Son of a bitch!” Kevin seemed all too aware of the potential problems that could have caused. If a werewolf had managed to take down the man who was essentially Master of the New York vampires in everything but name, all weres could have potentially paid the price.
“He forgave her, and we’re keeping this on a need to know basis for now. Considering your position, I believe you need to know.” Duncan nodded toward the astonished Alpha. “If the Venifucus mole posing as an Altor Custodis leader can do this to a were as resistant to magic as she is, none of you is safe.”
Kevin seemed to take that in for a moment before he asked another question. “What makes her more resistant than others? You’ll excuse me, but she doesn’t look all that powerful to me.”
“I’m only half were,” she said belligerently. Who was this man to look down his nose at her? She’d never needed were society, and she certainly didn’t care to start now.
“And one quarter human,” Duncan interjected, surprising her. “And one quarter fey.”
“What?” she gasped. Even Dante looked surprised, but Duncan only smiled.
“I noticed it last night and have been mulling over who might have been your sire. You definitely have fey blood somewhere in your line. It had to have been your father, since your mother was a werewolf. Of course, her mother was a priestess, since twin Lords always mate priestesses of the Lady
, so there is that to consider as well. It might be more accurate to say you’re partly fey and not put a numerical value on how much. A little is all it takes, after all.”
“How in the world did you arrive at the conclusion that my sire—whoever he is—is part fey?” Megan was truly puzzled.
“When I questioned you, your fey blood responded to my magic. I recognized it then but waited to speak of my suspicions until I’d had time to think this through. I believe your father is a half-fey warrior named Nolan. He always favored the realm where his human family lived and visited them often in centuries past. He watched over them like some kind of benevolent uncle, even after many generations had passed and they’d forgotten his origins entirely.”
“If he was so concerned about family ties, then why didn’t I know him? I think you’re wrong, Duncan. Thanks all the same.”
“Ah, but you don’t have the entire story yet. About thirty years ago by your reckoning in this realm, he was imprisoned like I was, banished Underhill until such time as his sentence was served.”
“What did he do? Why banish him?” Dante wanted to know.
“First you need to know that full fey get very upset when one of their number decides to mate with a non-fey. It’s a crime, in fact. Otherwise there would be many more halflings like me running around.” Duncan smiled and waggled his eyebrows. “As it is, once the deed is done, the fey will take no action against an innocent child. Of course, the fey boy who couldn’t keep it in his pants is another matter. Most of the time it’s a male who breaks the rules and gets caught. It’s very difficult for a fey female to conceive, so even if they do sleep around outside their species, they’re relatively safe unless they get caught in the act somehow.”
“So you think this Nolan guy was her mother’s lover and got caught when she turned up pregnant?” Kevin asked.
“I’m nearly certain of it. His punishment fits. He was banished to a timeless realm to think about his so-called crime all the while knowing that time was passing in the mortal world, and he would never see his lover again.”
“That’s so sad.” Kevin surprised her with the soft note in his voice. It seemed the big bad Alpha had a tender side as well.
For her part, Megan was having a hard time accepting Duncan’s explanation. She didn’t want to think her mother had died knowing she’d never see her lover again, knowing they’d been torn apart by his race’s prejudice. Then again, perhaps it was better to know he hadn’t just been some random stranger who’d forgotten her mother the moment the deed was done.
Megan began to feel compassion for the man she’d never met and had often wondered about. All her life she’d assumed she was the result of a one-night stand or something equally tragic. The real story—if Duncan was right—was much worse. Much more heartbreaking for all concerned.
“Family was always important to Nolan.” Duncan sat forward and took one of her hands in his. “If there’d been a way for him to be with you and your mother, he would have done anything in his power to take it. I can only surmise they captured him unawares and banished him before he could even plead his case. Full fey can be somewhat…unfeeling when it comes to human relationships.”
Oddly enough, Megan felt tears gathering behind her eyes. She hadn’t expected anything like this when she’d set out on this path. She frankly never expected to discover who her father was. She’d given up on him a long time ago. Still, it hurt to find out the truth. She felt pain for him as well as for herself and anger at the powerful beings who had interfered and messed up all their lives.
“For what it’s worth, Megan—” Duncan looked deep into her eyes, “—I’m sorry.”
She tried to keep her composure. “Not your fault, Duncan. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and without you, I wouldn’t even know this much. Thank you.”
“I wish I could do more.” He released her hand but not her gaze. “But I’ve only just escaped my own banishment.”
“What did you do?” Megan asked before she could censor herself.
Duncan only smiled. “Pissed off Queen Mab. That’s a frequent pastime for me.”
“That sounds like another story,” Kevin said as he stood. “But I have to be getting back. I’d like to compare notes with you all again if you permit. Perhaps you could join me and my pack for drinks one night this week? I’d like my lieutenants to meet you. If there’s going to be any action on our turf, I’d like them to know the players on our team.”
Dante stood and shook the fire chief’s hand. “That sounds like a good idea, and I thank you for the offer.”
“You know Night Shift?” He named one of the hottest trendy downtown clubs.
“Who doesn’t?” Megan muttered, surprised he’d want such a public meeting place.
“That one of yours?” Dante sent Kevin a speculative look.
Kevin shrugged nonchalantly. “Keeps the younger ones employed and mostly out of trouble. It also provides good revenue for the pack. We own the whole block. There’s a little bar around the corner from the club. It’s called Howlies. The entrance is below ground level, down a flight of stairs. We like to keep a low profile. I’ll let the bouncers know you’re welcome. Someone will show you to the private room. We can talk there. Day after tomorrow, around eleven p.m. all right?”
“Sounds good,” Dante agreed, shaking the fireman’s hand before he left.
Megan was stunned by recent events. Before she knew it, the fireman was gone and she was alone with Dante and Duncan. Thankfully, they gave her the space she needed.
“I cleaned up the glass in the front sitting room and called a glazier to come tomorrow,” Duncan said as they came back into the room after seeing the fireman out. “For now, I taped some cardboard in the window. Luckily, the break is in a small pane that doesn’t pose much temptation to would-be burglars. Just in case, I put a little spell of protection on it as well.”
“Thanks, Duncan. It’s good to have a mage around sometimes.” Dante laughed as he poured three glasses of wine, giving one to Duncan, keeping one for himself and placing one in her cold hands.
“So, Megan, where are you from?” Duncan asked unexpectedly as they were all seated.
“I was raised mostly on Long Island, out in Suffolk County. I have a small house in Ronkonkoma that my mother left me.”
Duncan sent Dante a triumphant look that she didn’t understand until he explained.
“It seems you can’t tell us about your keeper, but you can tell us about yourself. I have to surmise that if you’re from Long Island, he’s somewhere close by—probably in the metro area.”
“I knew I kept you around for a reason.” Dante toasted his friend.
Chapter Nine
“The way I see it, we have two problems.” Dante kept himself awake by sheer force of will. He’d have to seek his bed again soon or he’d be a mess tonight. There were things that had to be discussed before he could leave Megan to her own devices. Things he had to discuss with Duncan as well. Dante had joined them in the living room after he’d made a few quick calls and put out some feelers.
“Just two?” Duncan’s amusement hid the very real impatience they all felt.
“The more immediate threat is the blonde. We need to figure out who she is and why she’s targeting me.”
“Then what?” Duncan challenged him. He didn’t want to have to speak his deadly intentions in front of Megan, but it couldn’t be helped. They were all adults. She had to know he’d killed before and would do so again if it meant keeping himself and those he cared for safe.
“Then we eliminate the threat,” he answered succinctly. “I’d also be curious to see if she’s somehow connected with Megan’s Altor Custodis contact. Somehow I get the feeling there could be linkage there. For one thing, the hellfire and the overall level of her magic. She’s using stuff not from this realm. Right, Duncan?”
“Yes, you’re right,” he agreed. “And the Venifucus always had linkage to the darker realms through their patroness, Elspeth
. Both the hellfire and the poison in Megan’s blood were created using that kind of magic. I strongly suspect they both the blonde and Megan’s keeper are in league with the Venifucus. I’m not convinced they’re acting in concert, yet they both seem to be working toward the same ultimate goals.”
“Which brings me to our second problem—Megan’s keeper.” Dante sighed, hating to bring Megan any more pain. Still, she had a right to know what they were up against. “The blonde is out there in the open, lobbing fireballs and Molotov cocktails. The keeper is working quietly behind the scenes, doing sneaky things like poisoning Megan’s blood without her knowledge and putting compulsions on her to hide his identity. Two very different ways of working. To my mind, they are separate entities. I doubt the keeper would let the blonde run amok the way she has been. He’s too controlled, too subtle for that. Which leads me to believe they are working independently of each other, though both are, as Duncan said, most likely Venifucus followers.”
“Good points,” Duncan agreed. “So we need to work on each problem separately, yet be aware that they may have common threads.”
“Precisely.” Dante was about to say more when his cell phone rang. He checked the display and recognized the fire chief’s number. They’d exchanged cards when he’d seen the man out. They’d also agreed to keep each other updated should there be any developments, but he hadn’t expected contact with the wolf Alpha so soon.
Dante took the call.
“Does the name Siobhan Vabian mean anything to you?” Kevin asked with no preliminaries.
“Vabian?” The surname sent a jolt through Dante’s system. “The mage who attacked your Lords and their mate was named Patrick Vabian.”
“Looks like he had a sister or maybe a cousin. I spoke to my packmate, and she was able to give me a good description of the black Porsche the blonde was driving as well as a partial license plate. I asked one of my men to track it down, and he came up with the name Siobhan Vabian. Looks like she’s the one trying to kill you.”
