by Lexi Blake
“The two of you were hell on your mother, weren’t you?” Everyone was staring at us with looks ranging from disbelief to anger at our disrespect. I gave the crowd a little salute. “Thanks for the cooperation, folks. Carry on.”
I walked out, already pulling out the next address. I glanced up and down the street but the cab was gone. I was never going to find another freaking cab in this part of town. The next address was only a block over, but then they started to spread out. Declan was just going to have to suck it up and get on a bus or walk his ass around town.
“Miss,” I heard a soft voice call from behind me.
I turned to see the woman from behind the counter trying to get my attention. She was slightly shorter than me and up close, she seemed extremely fragile. She was thin to the point of worry, and her eyes hadn’t seen sleep for many days. I immediately felt sympathy for her because it was so easy to see she was in pain.
“I apologize for disrupting your business.” It certainly wasn’t her fault something was out to get me. I was just some crazy white chick making an ass of herself. It was rude so I tried to make up for it. “I won’t bother you again. I promise.”
I began to go, but she caught my arm.
“You are looking for her?” There was hopeful expectation in her quiet voice, and I knew I had caught a break.
“I am hunting her,” I corrected.
“She came only weeks ago,” the woman explained in a haunted voice. “She opened a shop, and I went to welcome her. We are a small community here, and I was looking for news from home. I thought perhaps since we did the same work, we could be friends. She told me how beautiful my baby was…”
Her eyes were glassy with tears, and I understood why she had not slept.
“This creature took your infant?” Declan stood tall, his whole body becoming tense as though he’d finally found a reason to be serious. It hit me that he was responsible for his people’s welfare. Dev had been the priest but Declan was the warrior. He would be the king one day. It was a heavy mantle of responsibility to wear.
She looked at Declan and nodded. “The authorities said she died in her sleep, but I know that body I held was not my child. She took my baby and she…I know my child is gone. I know I will not hold her again, and I know beyond a shadow of doubt that she was responsible. There have been two more infants dead, and I know it was the creature. No one will believe me.”
What she had not said, what she could not say, was that her child had been a meal for the creature. It was too horrible to comprehend. “Do you know where she is?”
She didn’t answer, simply pointed. I followed the arm and saw a small, rundown shop with a hand-drawn sign in the window. Grime coated the storefront and the windows were dark. Everything inside me that had hunted or stolen before told me this was the right place. This was the creature’s home.
“Will you kill her?” the woman asked.
I stared down at her and hoped she felt the depth of my vow. This went beyond my own concerns. This was suddenly about more than just finding a creature that had tried to hurt me. This was about protection for people who wouldn’t find it from the police. This was about justice. “I promise you that she will take no more children. She will feed no more after this day.”
She smiled, though it was a sad one. There was a glimmer of tears in her brown eyes. “I thank you.”
I turned back to the small shop as she returned to her customers, steeling myself for the work ahead. I was going to kill her, but not until I had my questions answered. The neighborhood was quiet during the heat of the day, but I noticed even the few people out crossed the street to avoid the shop. Though they might not know what the creature was, these people instinctively knew to avoid her.
“You are a warrior,” Declan said, and I found him staring as though he was reconsidering me.
I started to walk down the street. I had to case the place before I went in. I might have considered a full-out assault if I had Lee with me, but I didn’t know how Declan would handle himself, so I had to be careful.
“I’m not really a warrior. I’m a thief by trade.” I didn’t mention that some in our world called me queen. That wasn’t a title I’d earned. It had come through marriage to Daniel.
“No,” Declan said thoughtfully. “You are truly a warrior. The woman knew this. She recognized one who would protect her.”
“Then she should have been looking at you,” I pointed out. “Didn’t you say you were a warrior of the sidhe?”
He nodded. “I am, but first I am a prince who will be a king. A king does not necessarily consider the needs of one person. A king protects a kingdom. It is a practical thing to be a king. It is more honorable to be a warrior.”
I smiled at him. “That’s nice, Declan. Does this mean you’re going to take me seriously and stop trying to see me naked?”
He grimaced as though trying to understand me. “I can take you seriously and still wish to see you naked.”
I rolled my eyes and prayed for patience. We reached the door of the shop. It appeared to be closed. There was a sign that stated the owner was out and would return at 4:00 pm. I checked my watch. We had about forty minutes. The shop was on a corner, and the side of the building curved into an alley. I glanced around and walked to the rear of the building. The back entrance was locked up tight. I cursed when I realized I hadn’t brought my lock-picking kit. I was really getting rusty if I’d forgotten something so basic.
“Let’s walk around a bit and see if she reopens when she says she will,” I said to Declan. He nodded his assent and followed me.
I was spared conversation by the sudden trill of my cell. I took a deep breath and considered not answering it because it could only be one of two people. Glancing down at the screen, I saw there was a nice picture of Dev. He was smiling and looking smoking hot in the picture. I also noticed that he’d called about ten times before. My phone had been at the bottom of my endless bag and I hadn’t noticed with all the noise going on around me.
I hit the green answer button and prepared for some screaming. “Hey, baby. How’s it going?”
“Where the fuck are you, Zoey?” he yelled into the phone. “I’m out on the farm trying to handle things when I get a call from Albert that both your bodyguards have been taken down and you’re missing. I had every single member of my staff searching for over an hour before we finally managed to get Lee up and on his feet. Zack is still asleep. I thought Lucas Halfer had you.”
Panic was plain in his voice. I know how I would have felt if I thought Dev was in trouble. “Halfer has nothing to do with this. I’m fine, Dev. I promise you I’m safe, and I’ll be home soon.”
“You’ll be home right fucking now, Zoey,” he snarled in my ear. “Tell me where you are. I noticed you turned off the locator service on your phone.”
Oh, I wasn’t stupid. I’d shut that off the minute I realized I was going on the run. If I told him where I was, I would likely find myself in not-fun bondage and being dragged back to the condo. “I wasn’t crazy or drunk last night. What happened was real, and I’m taking care of it.”
“Alone? You’re alone running around the city? Why not just make a date with Halfer? Just call him up and tell him you want to be murdered.”
“For your information, I am not alone,” I explained patiently. I hit the button to put it on speaker. “Say hello, Declan.”
Declan leaned toward the phone. “Hello, brother. I assure you I am taking care of your female. I will meet any needs she has. It will be my pleasure to ensure she is satisfied with my services.”
There was a long pause. “Declan? What the fuck are you doing here?”
I shrugged at the future king of Faery who was staring at the phone like it was a snake that might bite him. “You’ll have to excuse him. He gets a terrible potty mouth when he’s upset.”
“I have come to speak with you, Devinshea. It is time for you to return. I have decided to allow you to bring your female with you. She is extr
emely entertaining,” Declan offered. “And her body looks like it will be a joy to fornicate with.”
“I need this today,” Dev said and I could see him standing there with his head in his hands. He was quiet for a moment. “I will deal with you later, brother, after I have dealt with my mistress. I am going to ignore the fact that you have acted like a spoiled child today, Zoey. Give me your address, and I will pick you up myself.”
“Have you listened to anything I’ve said?” Frustration was starting to well. I wasn’t a child, but I’d let them treat me like one for far too long. “You were wrong about last night. Something really did try to kill me.”
“Then Daniel will handle it,” Dev said and I imagined that perfectly shaped jaw grinding in frustration.
“I’m done playing these games, Dev.” Albert was right. I had to punch through this or it was going to break us. “I’m safe. I’ll be home later.”
Over his vigorous protests, I hung up and switched off the ringer. I was going to pay for that later, but I needed to deal with the creature now.
“My brother spoke to you cruelly,” Declan said with no small amount of surprise in his voice.
“I pissed him off. What did you expect?”
He considered this for a moment. “I expected him to sweetly ask for your return. He does not speak with his females the way he just spoke to you. He does not get angry with them.”
“Never?”
“I suppose if he got angry with one he would gently end the relationship,” Declan reasoned.
I laughed, but there was no humor behind it. Spending the day with his brother had made me think Devinshea would tire of me. Perhaps he already had. “Well, he gets angry with me a lot lately, so maybe I should start packing.”
I would have gone on but I was suddenly caught by an odd sound. It was a weird, rhythmic thudding, like the sound of a locomotive moving at enormous speed. Fear flared and for a moment I wondered if I’d made a terrible mistake and Halfer had found me.
I backed off and heard Declan curse as we looked down the alley. I caught sight of a man running so fast, he was almost a blur. He had a strange looking gait, as if he wasn’t exactly on his feet. He was moving on all fours, his limbs in perfect harmony, making what should be awkward a veritable dance of grace and power. It was the hat that gave him away. Only one person in my life wore a trucker hat. Unless Halfer had given up his perfect suits, there was no question who was coming for me.
I heard Declan notch an arrow and pull back his bow, and I quickly moved my hand to stop him.
“Don’t. He won’t hurt me,” I said with more certainty than I really felt. He was probably pretty pissed off.
He barely slowed down as he hit me. Even with the full force of our bodies slamming together, he held me carefully, pulling me into his arms. As we tumbled to the concrete, he made sure he took the brunt of our fall. When we stopped tumbling, he glared down at me and his eyes were all wolf.
“Hey there, Lee,” I said with what I hoped was an ingratiating smile.
“You shot me,” he snarled. I’d never seen Lee’s wolf. He’d never changed in front of me before, and I found myself utterly fascinated with the way he looked. His canines were long, his eyes large in his head as though he could find a halfway between his human and wolf forms.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Sorry about that.”
Lee stared for a moment and then laughed. “No, you’re not, Zoey. Have you enjoyed yourself today?” He got off of me and gave me a hand getting up.
“It’s been a nice change,” I admitted.
The wolf crossed his arms over his chest, his face back to perfectly normal. “I was wondering when you were going to show up. Zack thinks you’re just some sweet piece of ass Donovan and Quinn pass between them, but I could see the crazy bitch hiding in there. You handled yourself well today. You certainly got the jump on my brother.”
“Hey, you went down, too,” I pointed out.
He shook his head. “Don’t try it again, Zoey. I wasn’t going to make the first move because I didn’t want to hurt you. I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ve decided you can probably handle a little pain. Now, have you found this thing you’re looking for?”
“You’re not here to haul me back to Ether?” I asked because I pretty much figured that was exactly what he was going to do.
Declan stepped forward, bow still in hand. “I will not allow him to take you.”
“Yeah? You’re going to stop me?” Lee was probably thinking that Declan was like his brother, and Lee wouldn’t consider Dev a threat. “You and what army?” He stopped and was suddenly still. Lee took a deep whiff of the air around him and his superior grin became a self-deprecating grimace. “Forgive me. That army, of course. How many are there? I think I count eight, but there are two I can’t identify.”
“There are ten,” Declan acknowledged. “Two are Unseelie, and I doubt you have ever come across any such as them. The wild hunt has been gone from this plane for many centuries, and they were a part of it. I am surprised you can sense them. Why did you not sense them before this?”
I’d been wondering the same thing. Lee answered with a shrug. “If I kept my senses wide open all the time, I’d go crazy. Your men are subtle. A lesser wolf would miss it entirely.”
I was beginning to get the idea that pretty much all the wolves I had met before were less than Lee. It was a little hard to believe he’d been able to track me. I was a long way from Ether and I’d taken both a bus and a cab. I’d never seen a wolf run like that without the change. Neil had been quick and strong but not nearly as fast as Lee.
“As to your question, Zoey, I was ordered to find you as quickly as possible.” Lee confirmed my fears. “Quinn is out of his mind upset, and your husband won’t be awake for several hours. Quinn panicked. He really thought you were dead somewhere. I’m supposed to track you, find you, and hold you until Quinn can collect you himself. I would expect a fight out of this, Zoey. I swear he was ready to beat you when he realized you’d run off.”
“My brother would never beat a woman,” Declan replied, obviously horrified at the thought. “My brother is a priest. He is not a man of violence.”
Lee and I both laughed at that.
“It’s been a long time since you saw Dev last.” I didn’t know what Dev had been like in the sithein, but in this world he didn’t shrink from violence. I turned my attention back to my bodyguard. “So you’re just going to throw me over your shoulder and haul me back to Ether like a recalcitrant child? Let me tell you something, Lee. I get the distinct feeling that Devinshea is about to wash his hands of me.” The thought made me sick to my stomach, but Declan had really gotten to me. Why would Dev stay here and deal with all my shit when he had six women back home willing to do anything he asked? I was betting he didn’t yell at them. Of course, they probably didn’t cause as much trouble as I did. I looked at Lee with my hands on my hips, hoping to keep my pride intact. “If he’s going to turn me out then at least let me finish what I came out here to do.”
The wolf considered this for a moment. When I saw his eyes soften, I knew I was in. “Fine, we’ll do this your way. You’re wrong about Quinn if you think he’s going to let you go. He might seem softer than the vampire, but he isn’t where you’re concerned. He’s just as obsessed and he doesn’t even need your blood to survive. He might lock you up, but he won’t ever let you go.”
“That does not sound like my brother, either.” Declan huffed a little. “I need to speak with him because I feel there is something wrong. Let us hunt this creature so that I may assure myself my brother has not been possessed. I do not like this plane. It is filled with dangerous creatures.”
One of those creatures was opening his senses. Lee became still as he allowed the world around him to settle into different sounds and smells. Neil had described this process to me once. He said it was a lot like sorting through the mail. You went through it once and then separated the important stuff from the junk. Aft
er a long moment, he walked straight to the building I’d identified as the aswang’s home and stopped. He put his hands on the bricks and then laid his head against it, listening.
When he spun back to me, his eyes were distinctly wolflike. “It’s in there and it’s not alone. There’s another creature, a bird perhaps? I smell death. There’s an enormous amount of death in this building.”
“She’s undead,” I confirmed.
“I believe she’s hurt as well. I smell something like blood,” Lee added.
Declan’s shoulders squared and he nodded briefly. “Yes. I shot the creature last night. I would have pursued it had I not been distracted by Zoey’s breasts. Her shirt was wet and her nipples puckered so sweetly, I forgot about the beast.”
“Donovan’s going to love him,” Lee said sarcastically. “Seriously, he’s not going to be happy there are two of him.”
I let that go for the moment. Daniel knew Dev had a twin, but I don’t think it really registered that he would be so like Dev when it came to his libido. “I need information from the creature, Lee. I have questions for her and I may have to get nasty to get my answers. If this disturbs you, I’ll understand if you choose to remain behind.”
“Yes,” Lee said, sarcasm dripping. “I can’t stand violence. Just point me to the kill, sister. My only regret is there won’t be flesh or blood. I’m hungry, damn it, but I like my meat living when I begin to eat it. The bird thing smells pretty tasty, to tell you the truth.”
“Okay, ewww,” I said with a grimace. “Good to know. How about you, Your Highness? Are you up for a bit of ultra-violence?”
Declan bowed, a courtly gesture. “I am at your service. I will assist you in extracting the information you need from the creature and then, if the violence places you in a state of sexual need, I will aid with that as well. I will fight the wolf for the privilege if that would please you.”
Lee rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m not interested in hitting that, so feel free.”
“Some bodyguard you are,” I groused.
