by Vella Day
As much as Zulema wanted to study the man, she feared he might sense her staring. That was crazy, but stranger things had happened.
Bevon slipped onto a stool, and the bartender came over to greet him. From the way he smiled, he and Bevon were acquaintances. A woman sat down next to Bevon, but he didn’t turn his head. From that response, they weren’t together. Zulema wasn’t sure why that pleased her, other than the fact there would be one less person to mourn him when he died.
Not wanting people to notice her watching Bevon, she waved to her server for her check. Once she paid, she waited until Bevon was deep in conversation with the bartender before leaving.
Sad to say, her heart didn’t stop pounding until she’d returned to the hotel. Zulema was rather disgusted with herself for her reaction to the man. She was a warrior, trained not to react to the presence of the enemy. But this Bevon Forrester altered something inside her, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit.
The moment Bevon entered Wings Bar, he sensed something was different. The bar was…more electric than usual. Highly sensual. And very stirring. He immediately looked around to find the source.
The moment he set eyes on the raven-haired beauty, his pulse soared, and his cock hardened. Not wanting to stare and catch her attention, he memorized her face and then turned to Finn McKinnon, the man mated to Tory’s twin sister.
That must be the mysterious Zulema that Fay had warned him about. The woman couldn’t have known he’d be there tonight. In fact, had his brother been free, Bevon would be enjoying a drink with him at Kenton’s mate’s house right now.
Bevon slid onto a bar stool, trying to look unaffected by the sexy siren. She was what Fay was worried about? She was but a slip of a thing.
“Bevon,” Finn said. “What can I get you?”
“A beer.” He leaned forward. “See that woman in the third booth on your left?”
“The pretty siren with the jet black hair?”
“Yes. My sister met her today and claims she is trouble.”
Finn laughed. “Any woman around you gets into trouble.”
Bevon smiled. “That’s true. Keep an eye on her, will ya? I don’t want to be caught staring.”
His brows rose, clearly not understanding the reason for the request. “Can do.”
Finn retrieved his beer and slid it in front of Bevon just as another woman took the seat next to him—a woman whose perfume was overpowering. No thank you. He had his pick of women, and right now, Bevon really wanted to learn more about this fascinating witch-shifter newcomer.
Before he even finished his beer, the object of his interest slipped out the front door. That was quick. Had she identified him somehow? If so, it gave credence to his sister’s concern. That meant it was time to do a little reconnaissance.
“Later.” Bevon tossed down some Denlars and didn’t bother waiting for his change.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to follow her?” Finn asked.
“At a distance.” And only after cloaking himself.
Once outside, Bevon inhaled. The mystery woman was heading east. He teleported a few blocks down the main road and then surveyed the foot traffic, waiting for her to appear. It was possible she’d teleport to the hotel, but he hoped she wouldn’t.
Ah, there she was. He liked how she constantly swiveled her head, clearly looking for danger. She held herself like a huntress, indicating she was trained—just like Tory and the rest of the dragon shifting Guardians.
Once she passed him, he stepped into a side alley and uncloaked himself. If she spotted him, perhaps they could strike up a conversation. If not, he’d gather as much intel about her as he could. Was he stalking her? In a way he was, but Bevon never would have considered it if his sister hadn’t given him the warning.
Zulema entered the Edendale Hotel. Wanting to give her time to reach her room, Bevon waited a minute before going in after her. The clerk at the desk was wearing headphones, seemingly oblivious to the customers. If this man worked for his family, he’d be fired, but in this case, Bevon believed he could use it to his advantage.
The clerk looked up. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so. Some chick told me to meet her here. Her name is Zulema. About this tall with long, black hair. She’s quite exotic looking.”
“Yes, you must mean Zulema Garcia. She just went up to her room. I can give her a call if you wish.”
Now wasn’t the time to confront her. “On second thought, I’m sure I’ll run into her tomorrow at the bar. Thanks anyway.”
Bevon strolled out of there, happy that he’d learned her last name. Tomorrow, he’d ask one of Tory’s cousins for help. Logan Caspian was a genius when it came to research. While Zulema Garcia might be a common name, he bet Logan could find her, especially if he could get a hold of her photo.
While Bevon didn’t think this woman was any kind of real threat, he was curious what her story was. Was she out to harm him, or had his sister’s sixth sense gone haywire? He certainly would have remembered if he’d met her before, so it wasn’t a case of a scorned lover.
It didn’t matter. It would be fun to find out who she really was.
Chapter Four
For the next few hours, Zulema tried to come up with a foolproof plan that would give her easy access once in Feyrion, but seeing Bevon Forrester tonight at the bar had unnerved her to the point where she couldn’t think straight. And that was unacceptable.
To help center herself, she pulled out an old photo of her family to remind her of why she was doing this. Killing was never easy, even when her life was on the line, but to kill in cold blood was wrong. Given her circumstances though, she had to put her principles aside if she wanted to keep her mom and Maylora safe.
Zulema might not have been an expert at reading people, but it was hard to believe that Bevon was a murderer. He smiled. A lot. And he laughed. If he’d been a creep, he would have tried to pick up the woman who’d sat next to him at the bar, but Bevon seemed more focused on the bartender. She didn’t want to think what that meant.
On the other hand, Bevon could indeed be a sociopath, convincing others to trust him so he could kill them. If the dossier was to be believed, Bevon Forrester was a womanizer, which might imply sociopath, but what did she know? The fact he didn’t show any interest in the attractive woman sitting next to him put a pinprick of doubt into the legitimacy of the information.
Before she drew any firm conclusions, she needed to make sure she’d missed nothing else in the dossier. Only then would she make a trip to Feyrion. To ensure she was being thorough, Zulema pulled out her tablet and created a backstory for how she and Tamarella had met and why Zulema was going to Feyrion in the first place. This had to include how she came into possession of the medallion that created the portal. The most plausible explanation was that Tamarella had contacted her—through Derrick Valoric—and asked Zulema to visit. She would feign ignorance that her best friend had died, saying she’d been out of town and had only just returned.
It wasn’t as if there was any way to communicate between realms other than by visiting, right? Or could these Feys telepath—like mates could?
There was the issue of explaining why no one in Feyrion had ever heard of Zulema. That meant she’d have to pretend to be Anna DeLeon, Tamarella’s best friend, who hailed from a small town on the outskirts of Avonbelle Province.
According to the report, on one of Tamarella’s visits to Valoric, she’d met Anna, who was a history teacher, as well as an amateur jewelry maker. According to what Derrick noted, Tamarella had been fascinated by the woman’s passion and dedication, and the two had become fast friends. Valoric had written that their connection wasn’t surprising since Tamarella never worked, yet she’d yearned for a life of service.
One good note was that Anna had never been to Feyrion, which made assuming her identity all the easier. Zulema could only hope the information was accurate, and that Tamarella hadn’t displayed any photos of her and Anna during one of her visits
.
If a photo didn’t exist, Zulema believed it was possible that Tamarella had mentioned her friendship to someone close to her—her handmaiden, Betina Liliana, perhaps? Valoric said that Tamarella rarely told anyone when she was visiting Tarradon since her parents forbade it, saying it was too dangerous, but it wouldn’t surprise Zulema if Tamarella told the handmaiden what Tarradon was like and who she’d met. Not many were able to experience two different realms.
The dossier said it was rumored that Bevon had actually been to Earth as well. She’d never met or heard of anyone who’d visited all three realms. Were murderers usually explorers? At the moment, she was beginning to doubt a lot of things.
But one step at a time. Zulema was quite happy with her plan to impersonate Anna DeLeon. At first, she thought she’d have an issue with money since Feyrion did not use Denlars, but the ever-thorough Derrick Valoric had included some Feyrion money in the folder. Not that Zulema planned to stay there for more than a few hours, but it might be necessary to bribe someone to show her where the treniam was grown.
The last thing to consider was where to create the portal. The dossier said it needed to be outside in a large space where no one would be watching. The real Anna DeLeon would probably visit Tamarella around noon, rather than late at night, which meant Zulema had to be extra careful when traveling in the daytime. Even though Zulema could cloak herself, it took a lot of effort.
One thing that Derrick omitted was a description of Feyrion, implying he might never have visited his mate on her home world. That was okay. She didn’t need anyone questioning her about what Mr. Valoric looked like.
While Zulema had no intention of returning to the eternal flame, she’d spotted land on the outskirts of the forest where she could open a portal without any prying eyes.
With that last piece of the puzzle solved, Zulema showered and readied for bed. Tomorrow would be a historic day for her.
“Fay claims this mystery woman is out to harm you?” Kenton asked.
Bevon wasn’t sure why he was so fixated on her, but from the moment he laid eyes on Zulema, his body had betrayed him. “So she says.”
Tory leaned forward. Bevon had stopped over at their condo, located not far from Wings, before heading home for the night. “What did the woman say to give Fay that idea?” Tory asked.
“Nothing. Fay sensed the woman was troubled.” He explained about her reaction to the Forrester name.
Tory shook her head. “Being troubled doesn’t mean she plans to harm anyone. Besides, why you? Why not my mate? He is about to rule over a realm. Not that I wish that on him.” Tory reached out and rubbed his brother’s arm.
“I wish I knew. There’s something going on, though. Zulema was already there when I arrived at the bar. Nothing more. She didn’t even try to make contact.”
“Meaning she didn’t know it was you,” Kenton said.
“Possibly, but I’m telling you, I instantly felt my whole body come alive.”
Kenton chuckled. “You’re like that with all hot women.”
Bevon appreciated women, but this sensation was different. “It wasn’t the same. My heart raced, and then there was this pressure on my chest.”
Kenton’s brows raised. “Don’t tell me the universe has stopped rotating long enough for you to find your mate?”
Bevon laughed. “Hardly. I enjoy people too much to settle down with just one woman.”
Kenton shook his head. “I never thought I’d find my mate either, but the moment I spotted Tory’s black with yellow scales flying overhead, I was a goner.” He skimmed a knuckle down her cheek and smiled. “She was all I could think about. Hell, I gave her a piece of my soul to save her.”
Bevon looked over at Tory and Kenton. The love in their eyes was unmistakable. “It’s not like that with Zulema,” Bevon said, even though he wasn’t sure if he believed it.
“Fine, then forget this Zulema woman.”
“I will. Thanks for the brotherly advice.”
After they chatted about everything but the raven-haired beauty, Bevon teleported back to the cabin in the woods—the cabin that was invisible to all but fellow Feys. After downing a few beers, he was no more able to forget Zulema than he could stop breathing. He doubted she’d managed to put a curse on him since they were in the same establishment for less than five minutes. Even he didn’t know he’d be at Wings until the last minute.
Zulema couldn’t have followed him there since he’d arrived after she did. He also teleported to Wings from the woods, which would have left no trace of his presence. He told himself that it was his sister’s eerie warning that had him on edge, but he wasn’t completely convinced. The only way to solve this problem was to follow Zulema tomorrow. If she was up to something, it wouldn’t be hard to find out what.
The next morning, Bevon rose early, determined to get to the bottom of this Zulema issue. He teleported to Edendale and landed behind the hotel. When he was certain no one was about, he uncloaked himself. Even as he did, he worried that the good citizens of Avonbelle Province would freak seeing someone appear out of nowhere. Only Feys—and apparently some witches—could teleport. The ordinary citizen could not.
As much as Bevon wanted to go inside the hotel and wait for Zulema to come down through the lobby, he had the sense she’d remember him from the bar last night assuming she spotted him. She might even ask why he seemed to be following her. For that, he’d have no answer—other than to say his sister was worried about her.
“Are you following me?” said the silkiest voice he’d ever heard.
What? How had she snuck up on him without his knowledge? Something must have short-circuited his abilities. Bevon felt it in his bones who had said those words even before he turned around. He faced her and smiled. “Excuse me?”
“The front desk clerk told me that a man matching your description came in last night asking about me. Was that you?”
He wasn’t good at lying. “Yes.”
Zulema pulled back her shoulders, and he almost laughed. She looked like she was ready to go head-to-head in a battle with him. “Why did you want to speak with me?” she asked.
“I saw you at Wings last night.” He held out his hand. “I’m Bevon Forrester. You met my sister, Fay, yesterday at the eternal flame.”
“I did.” Reluctantly, she shook his hand. She was cautious. Good.
He waited for her to continue, but she merely stared, almost daring him to tell her something important. “She’s worried about you.” That sounded lame.
“Fay doesn’t even know me. We only spoke for a minute or two before she…disappeared.”
Fay’s changing from her human form to that of a Fairy would be disconcerting the first time anyone saw her do it. “She told me that your mother is sick.”
Zulema’s beautiful eyes hardened. That seemed to be a taboo subject. “She is, but it is none of her concern—nor yours for that matter.”
Ouch. Pain radiated off this woman—a woman he wanted to get to know better. Normally, it would be to seduce her, but this time he wanted to know why she was holding in her emotions so fiercely, and why she was so full of despair. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” he asked.
“No, but thank you. I have an appointment.”
Bevon never pushed. “Be safe.”
Her smile was brief and appeared forced. Zulema spun around and took off. He knew women. If he attempted to follow her in the usual manner, she’d not be pleased.
Once Zulema was out of view, he cloaked himself and followed, hoping she couldn’t sense his presence like he could hers.
She walked down the back alley for a block and then cut through to the main street. Bevon did the same, only when he stepped onto the sidewalk, she was nowhere to be seen. Either she’d teleported somewhere, or she’d entered a shop.
Bevon didn’t want to be one of those stalker creeps, but he wanted to make sure she wasn’t in any danger—from whom, he couldn’t guess. So what if Zulema seemed to be able to take care
of herself? He needed to see her to be certain.
He teleported around town, hoping to get a glimpse of the mystery woman, but she’d disappeared. That meant it was time for him to return to the forest and watch over the portal to Feyrion—after he had a little talk with Logan Caspian. The more information Bevon had on this mystery woman, the better.
Chapter Five
Seeing Bevon again troubled Zulema more than she wanted to admit. She had teleported from her hotel room to the back alley with the intention of grabbing a coffee before heading to the forest, but after seeing him, she’d changed her mind. Zulema needed to get as far away from Bevon Forrester as quickly as possible—or chance losing her nerve to kill him.
She would take his life if need be, but only after she was convinced he was the one who had murdered his cousin.
Perhaps she was naive, but did killers invite a woman out for coffee? It didn’t matter. Most likely her indecision stemmed from the fact she didn’t want to kill anyone. Even if Bevon Forrester was evil and mean, she might have a hard time shooting an arrow through his heart.
With her medallion firmly in her grasp, she teleported to the edge of the forest. Because there were fields along the edge, she was still a bit exposed. She had thought this would be a good choice, but dragons could fly overhead and spot her. Even if they did though, what could they do?
Nothing.
Decision made. This would be where she would create her first portal. Holding the medallion in the palm of her hand, she swung her arm three times to the right and then twice to the left. She honestly didn’t have a lot of faith this would work, but when massive swirls of air appeared in front of her, Zulema’s heart nearly gave out. She’d done it!
Not wanting the portal to disappear before she had the chance to enter, she stepped through it. This being her first portal trip, she had no idea what to expect.
She had to say it was rather uneventful. One second she was on the edge of a forest in Tarradon, and the next she was standing on top of a mountain range overlooking a lake. That being said, the view was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Not only were all of the trees thick and rich with color, the lake below was of the deepest blue. Every color in fact appeared to be super saturated, almost as if she was wearing a pair of glasses that intensified everything.
