“It was an oversight, don't worry about it.”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss me. “You are too kind.”
“Well, ain't this interesting?” Porter grumbled. “I leave you here for a few weeks and already you're making gooey faces at each other.”
William could barely refrain from rolling his eyes as he shot me a subdued smirk. “Porter, always a pleasure. You have a lycan pelt I presume?”
“I wish.” He huffed. “Come on, time's ticking.”
We entered the parlour, Porter settling back to where he had obviously made himself comfortable while waiting for us. William held my hand like we were love sick teenagers, sitting on the lounge opposite Porter.
“Okay, so here's what's happening and the issues. We found Cameron, he was being hidden by the family. They were getting rather animated about him being marked for death, stating that because she survived, he didn't deserve it. Which technically, they are correct. In fact they actually threatened to start involving the lawyers because she approached him, claiming that she started the fight. Whispers have been getting around, apparently there's a half cast fae walking the land, heard anything about it perchance?”
William chuckled, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. “Such a funny fellow. Go on, please enlighten us as to the whispers.”
“Laugh hard funny man.” Porter narrowed his eyes. “The fae are coming. They want to determine if she is indeed part fae. When the lycans got word of their imminent arrival, suddenly things changed. The threats of lawyers stopped and they offered an alternative. All lycans will steer clear of Mary in return we leave Cameron alone in regards to what he did to her.”
I frowned at them, turning from Porter to William. “I don't understand, why the sudden change?”
“He attacked you Mary. Even if you have an eighth of fae in you, you are still considered to be one of them in the eyes of the judicial system. Attacking a light being is punishable by their own kind. If the leader of the fae wanted, he could wipe out an entire species and no one would dare question it.” William turned on the seat slightly, facing me a little more. “They are not by any means a violent race but they will always protect their own. If they were to come here and decide that you are worthy to be called fae then they could seek justice for the crime against you. The lycans could plead the case that you survived with nothing more than a few scratch marks that would fade with time but it would fall on deaf ears.”
“Why aren't the dark beings like this?”
He grinned darkly as an eyebrow raised slightly. “Who says we aren't? In fact, I'd say we are worse. We are a complicated group of races. Some of us exact justice as an eye for eye basis, others ignore it and go about their lives and others go straight for the kill.”
William turned back on the seat to face Porter, he looked tired and probably in dire need of a vacation.
“So the fae are definitely on their way?”
“I may have heard whispers of a full battalion that might be marching their way here in preparation for a forceful negotiation.”
“Whispers of truth or idle gossip?”
Porter removed his glasses and rubbed his weary eyes. He looked more tired than the last time I saw him. I'm thinking a vacation is definitely needed.
“Surveillance of this house has indicated that a scout has been seen in the area, during the daylight hours.”
He put the glasses on and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a manilla folder. William picked it up and opened it to dozens of photos of a rather distinct man. To me it seemed rather cliché, but I thought that the fae should be thin willowy bodies with lustrous long blonde hair. But not this guy, this was a guy that was almost as tall as the lycan when he stood upright, broad shoulders and looked like walking doom. His hair was long strands of black hair that fell perfectly straight down his back. Without knowing it, I could see he was different just by the clothes he wore. Sure it had been cold here, but the long thick jacket was rather extreme for this weather. And a sword glinted in one picture, he was lucky the cops didn't pick him up, they would have had a field day with that piece of weaponry.
“This is definitely a fae scout.” William mumbled. “When was this?”
The folder was dumped back onto the table in front of us, William settled back into the lounge. His demeanour had shifted, he was no longer relaxed which I found thoroughly nauseating. If he was worried then I should be freaking out.
“He was first seen two days ago at the alley then the store where she worked. If he was asking questions I don't know but I figure that he would try and keep a low profile. By the end of the day he was seen at the apartment, we had set cameras up to see if any of Cameron's family showed up. They hadn't but this guy was certainly sniffing around. This morning he was seen at the edge of the property. You've got protections in place?”
William nodded.
“Fae specific?”
He huffed and nodded again.
“Nice work genius.” Porter scoffed. “Well guess who is going to be knocking on your door real soon?”
“Shut up.” He hissed. “Nicolas!” William boomed.
Spud appeared at the doorway, pretending that he wasn't listening to everything that was being said. I didn't know why they weren't in here anyway. It seemed like they were going to be hanging around for a while, maybe even permanently. Surely if they lived here then what went on would be their business too?
“Send word to the elders please. Tell them of our impending guests.”
Nick nodded and scurried away.
“I don't need a war break out on my turf Lancaster.”
“There won't be one unless they try to end her life. The elders have agreed that we will protect Mary and it is something that can not be retracted easily. So long as they agree to peaceful negotiations and do not harm her then there will be no issue. The vampires do not wish to incite a war detective, they just wish to stay true to their ideals. Whilst she might be half fae, she is also half human and it was agreed long ago that the vampires would do their damnedest to protect their primary food source.”
The fire that was low and barely made a crackle suddenly flicked a large flame into the air, catching our attention. William's body visibly tightened as his head slowly turned to it. His eyes were mesmerised by the flame as it lowered down to what it was previously. He smiled as he returned to Porter.
“I'm sure that the fae won't agree with us but one human life is valuable and as such we will endeavour to protect Mary. If you have issues with that then I will gladly advise your grievances at the next elders meeting which is a month away if you are wondering.”
“Just don't let any humans see it, smart arse.” Porters attention turned to me as he began to pack his bag. “I assume you want to stay now?”
I nodded with a giddy grin.
“Just so that you know, funding gets cut once the matter is dealt with. If you two survive the fae nonsense I will return to talk about the future.” He stood from the seat. “Keep me posted.”
“Of course.” William grinned. “Wouldn't want to have the police left in the dark.”
The gates closed behind Porters car, the darkness of the night taking him away far too swiftly. I closed the curtain and saw William looking rather anxious.
“Are you alright?”
He stopped pacing and looked at me, I could see something was wrong.
“I have to go... the master of the after life called for me.”
Nick appeared at the doorway, huffing slightly.
“All have been notified. They said they will try and head them off at the pass to try and stop them from coming here but I don't know.” He shook his head. “I think they will expect that.”
“Agreed. For now stay here with Mary. I have to go, hopefully I shouldn't be too long.”
His hand pressed against the fire place pushing it open. “Something is wrong.” He muttered looking lost. “My wife...”
William flinched as his eyes darted to me.
It felt like I was swallowing needles as I gulped watching his impassive gaze drag over me. “I have to go.” He whispered and fled into the darkness behind the fire place.
A tear trickled out as the door swung shut, the clunk echoed through the room.
“She calls and he goes running.”
My eyes darted to Nick who looked like he wished he could run away. “I'm a fool, aren't I?”
“No.” He smiled sympathetically. “It may not be her calling him, it's probably just a bit of paperwork.”
I huffed and flopped onto the lounge. “The after life has paperwork? Try again spud, that lie didn't work.”
“She's been banished Mary.” He strolled over, sitting beside me. “I haven't heard of anyone that has ever made it out of the underworld. It's impossible.”
He wrapped his arm around me and dragged me in for a hug as more tears trickled out. My life was a mess.
Chapter Twenty-eight
My eyes had grown heavy by midnight, even though I was used to the nocturnal lifestyle now, I still had a growing need to sleep. I settled onto the chesterfield to wait for William to return, sleep taking me quickly. Sometime later I felt the cool soft touch of a hand on my arm, gently waking me. Marty smiled at me cautiously, helping me to sit up.
“It's five pm and no he's not back.”
Wearily I nodded taking the offered glass of water. I was grateful that the pipes in the kitchen were working better now that they were being used regularly. This was my life now, living here with William until we find something more suitable to me or rather, us. Which, now that I thought about it, it did sound kind of selfish. It wasn't just for me, it was for the both of us. Starting fresh in our new life together. Getting him away from the past. I didn't like this house for several reasons, the first being that it freaked me out. Most of the magic in this place was of William's doing. He had witches curses and spells to protect him but it was freaky. I knew that any house we had would have these things and I didn't like it at all. The second reason I didn't like this house was that William had lived in it with his wife. It was another tie that had to be cut in order for him to be free of her completely. Then I remembered that this was his family home, that it probably meant a lot to him and it would hurt him to be rid of it. But all I could think of was that no matter what house we lived in, he would always go running back to her.
“Spud has gone out soon to get your dinner, we are going to take shifts rather than leave you alone. It's what William would want.”
“Sure.”
Marty sat on the lounge beside me, I could feel the anxiety dripping off her. “About the... you know.” Her eyes flicked up to me, filled with desperation. “Please don't think that I'm trying to move in on him. It kind of just got carried away.”
Her hand tugged at a stray piece of hair, pulling it behind her ear. “It should have just been a normal feed, William said he wasn't going out and I offered but I never thought that it would end like that. He's not my type and uh I wouldn't have offered if I thought it would hurt you.”
“It's okay.” I smiled softly. “William said that he wasn't your type.”
Marty's pretty green eyes widened as she looked at me, a little vein of shock rippled through her. “He did?”
I nodded. “But we agreed to feeding terms for members to avoid further situations.”
“Good idea.” She gushed.
“So uh, what do you want to do while Spud's gone?”
Marty's eyes widened with wicked delight. “I have a great idea.”
She rushed off across the entry and into the study, returning a minute or so later with a small box. Marty grinned as she sat to the table in front of the chairs and opened the box. The cards flicked from one hand to the other, slowly shuffling them as I settled in front of the coffee table.
“Ever played poker before?”
“Once or twice, I don't think I'm any good though.”
Marty nodded as she tossed a red chip into the centre, waiting for me to make my token bet. She stifled the smirk and flicked the cards out, I casually dragged mine up and looked at them. As I looked at the cards, all I could think was that Marty hadn't shuffled them too well. Spud walked in with a large bag of what smelled like delicious Chinese takeaway.
“Aww you didn't wait for me?”
“You can have mine, we only just started.”
Nick grinned as he passed over the bag and took the cards, frowning at them. “Was this what you were dealt?”
I nodded as I opened the fried rice. He cleared his throat and said nothing. Picking through the container my eyes darted to the fire place, wondering when William was going to return. My heart was telling me to be patient, that even though it sounded like he was fretting for his wife, all would be fine when he returned. Problem was, my mind was telling me that my heart was a fool. He was in the depths of the underworld chasing his dead wife. Maybe she might have wanted to see him, to plead for her return and then poor old Mary will be out the door before the next setting of the sun. I watched with a grin as Nick splayed out his cards, declaring that the win was his. He was carrying on like a fool, ensuring Marty knew he had well and truly kicked her arse. I laughed and reached for the fortune cookie, cracking it open to reveal the fortune. You will make a change for the better. Withholding the snort of laughter, I quickly slipped it into the bag and continued to eat my meal.
Two days had passed without a peep from William. What bugged me the most was the dragon that represented William's emotions was doing exactly what it was doing when he was not really misbehaving with Marty. I knew what it meant. He was feeding and he was enjoying it. I held back the emotions, not wanting to cause any issues because I knew that I was being watched. If it wasn't Marty, it was Nick. Always one of them, always casting a casual glance to the dragon and then to my sad eyes. I didn't want to think the worst, he had to feed, it was imperative. But the emotions that were tied to it shouldn't be like this. When he had been out feeding previously, the dragon was quiet and didn't venture far from the shield.
The sun was slowly rising, warming the land and saying goodnight to the vampires in the house. I however was on the lounge with a pen and paper, looking at that stupid fortune from the cookie. It was right, I will make a change for the better but I wasn't so sure it was the right thing to do. I had analysed the moments before he had walked into the cavity behind the fire place over and over again, I could not draw any other conclusions. He didn't truly love me enough to give up his wife. He was still obsessed by her, even after banishing her, he still went running to her. I couldn't compete with that, I didn't want to. It wasn't fair on me and in the end it would only ruin any relationship that we might have. This was for the best. That's what I wrote in the letter to him, telling him that I was leaving because I didn't want to watch my life slip by while he kept running after her. I didn't want to sit in this house alone, waiting for him to return from the underworld where he had gone to her yet again. There was also a note for Marty and Spud, it didn't really say much. Just thanking them for keeping me occupied and being good company. I didn't know what else to say. I left the letters on the coffee table with the fortune and picked up the bag I had packed.
As I stood at the front door, I wiped the tears.
“Be brave.” I whispered. “It's only the outside, you've been there before.”
My hand grabbed the door knob, shaking as I stretched out to it.
“Nothing scary any more. Just the fae army. Surely a bunch of fairies can't do much harm.”
I took a deep breath and turned the knob, pulling the door open. The cool of the morning hit me, a soft gale whipped past me as I looked out onto the land. It was still a powdery white though a few patches of the land were exposed now. Trees rocked back and forth in the gentle wind and the place was still as lifeless as the day I arrived.
“Right, time to get on with it.” I whispered. “One step forward, not a problem.”
But there was a problem, me. I couldn't take that step, I
feared the outside. That wasn't my only problem, I hadn't actually thought this through. Where would I go? It was guaranteed that I had lost the apartment by now, not that I could afford it now that I wasn't working and of course there was the fact that my boss almost killed me. Sure, he had a secret to keep and he knew I had one as well, but could we be in the same room as each other? Would that be permitted under the offer of keeping their distance from me? I thought about my boss for a few moments. If we could come to some agreement, surely we could probably be in the same room as each other provided of course that the lycans and vampires didn't freak out about it. But what if that altered their offer? What if by coming in contact with him of my own free will, I inadvertently showed the rest of them that it's okay?
I stared at the land, suddenly feeling sick. My chest started to rise rapidly as my breathing accelerated. It seemed that the world was closing in on me. That it was hiding the beasts that were waiting to jump me as soon as I stepped past the door. All the while the fae army would laugh as they watched me finally succumb to the lycans. I could hear my heart booming it's beat, painfully echoing through my mind. Stepping back I hit something firm, shrieking I turned around to see William standing behind me. His face was cold and unforgiving as tears streamed down my face, his eyes darted to the bag in my hand.
“Where are you going Mary?”
I shook my head, stepping back my shoe caught the lip of the door frame causing me to trip. William grabbed my hand and pulled me back, his stoic face never flinched nor panicked. He pulled me close but not embracing me, his face lowered to mine.
Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1) Page 18
