“Mackenzie—” Alexander started, but Bash cut him off.
“Done,” he said. “We’ll get married the human way, too.”
In roughly twenty-four hours, my whole life got twisted upside down and I honestly didn’t know how to feel. There also wasn’t anyone I could really talk to about it. We agreed to keep the news of our mating a secret for now, but it was killing me not to tell Amy. She already knew I was keeping a secret, and she would respect me and not hound me about it for now. But soon she’d come for me, and there was only so long I could hold out.
Bash woke up early this morning to take Alexander and his guards to Cadwell Estate for a meeting, and I was very curious how that was going to go. Charles was a kiss ass, but at the same time was secretly plotting Alexander’s downfall. What a piece of shit. But this meeting provided me the freedom to go to work without any of them breathing down my neck.
I walked into the squad room and everyone was in their respective desks.
“Look who it is,” Finn said from across Cas’s desk. “Daddy let you out to play?”
“Suck a dick, Finn.” I flipped him the middle finger before dropping down at my desk across from Michaels. The others laughed.
“Take it easy, Finn,” Cas reprimanded, leaning back in his chair and interlocking his hands behind his head. “It can’t be easy being the King’s daughter.”
“Thank you, Cassidy.”
“Oh please, Grey.” Finn rolled his eyes. “You’re going to be Queen. You literally have the world at your fingertips.”
“It’s not always greener on the other side, Finn,” I said solemnly, thinking about all the politics and games that awaited me when I took the crown. I would never be able to rule without looking over my shoulder every day. “Anyway, where are we on the case, Cas?”
Cassidy sat up and pulled out a folder, flipping it open and looking through it. “Well, as you know, the Met was a complete and total bust. Whoever stole the ring, also stole the security footage to cover their tracks, so we’re not dealing with an amateur.” He flipped through some of the pages until he found what he was looking for. “I know we don’t want to believe Maximos’s outrageous story about it being the Draupnir, but I followed a hunch and asked a fae friend of mine to look up some history on this elusive ring of Odin’s.”
“Why fae?” I asked as I bit into the cap of my pen.
“If anyone is going to believe this Norse crap, it’ll be them,” Cas grunted. “Anyhoo, she confirmed the legend of the Draupnir and also told me about other Norse objects related to the ring.”
“Like what?” Michaels asked, leaning forward.
Cas looked down at a list of his notes. “Brísingamen, which is a necklace that belonged to the goddess Freyja. Gjöll, the rock to which Fenrir the wolf was bound. And the Skofnung stone, a stone that can heal any wound made by the sword Skofnung.”
“This is a joke, right?” I chuckled as I chewed on my pen cap.
“Not in the slightest. At least not to the fae,” Cas said as he closed his folder. “Maximos might not be as crazy as we think he is.”
I snorted. “Odin isn’t real.”
“Odin might not be,” Finn said. “But they’re still legends, and these objects are attached to them. They might be spelled by a witch or warlock and worth a lot.”
“Now that is a more reasonable hunch. I can get on board with that,” I said.
“Regardless,” Michaels interrupted, “whoever stole the ring is probably the same person stealing those other objects. We should follow every possible lead.”
I nodded. “Agreed. Cas, did your fae friend tell you who those objects belonged to?”
“Yeah, most of them live in the fae realm.”
I sighed. “Of course they do. That means we’ll need permission to get in. I’ll contact our liaison. Get ready to go.”
I grabbed my desk phone and checked my phone book for Malakai’s number. I dialed and the phone rang a couple times before he answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Mackenzie.”
“Freedom Princess! Long time no chat. I thought the vampires would have eaten you by now,” he laughed.
“Funny,” I deadpanned. “Can you meet?”
“Yeah, same place as always?”
“Sounds good.”
We ended the call and I hurried to grab my things, informing Cas I’d be back in an hour. Instead of meeting in Central Park, Malakai and I had made Battery Park our meeting spot since the Freedom War. The park was at the farthest tip of Manhattan, facing New York Harbor, so it took me a while to get there.
I found our bench and sat there to wait for Malakai, surveying the multitude of people strolling through the park as they walked their dogs or moms walked with their kids in strollers. It was cloudy today, so the heat wasn’t so bad.
I didn’t have to wait long for Malakai. He plopped himself down after ten minutes. “Freedom Princess,” he said by way of greeting. “Or should I call you Curse Breaker now?”
“I hate both names,” I grumbled. “Why do people have to put nicknames to people? Mackenzie works just fine.”
He chuckled. “You’re not just anyone. But you know that, don’t you? And that’s not why you asked to meet. So why don’t you spill why it is you pulled me away from what I was doing?
I looked at Malakai. He tucked a strand of his shoulder-length chestnut hair behind his ear, exposing the pointy tips. Every time I looked at him, I always got a Lord of the Rings vibe.
“I’m working a case and I need access to the fae realm. Can you grant me that?”
He nodded and raised a brow. “I can grant you entrance, but what will you do for me in exchange?”
“Really, Malakai?” I droned. “We’re going to negotiate? I thought we were friends!”
“Hardly, Freedom Princess. But let’s get close.” He scooted toward me.
I scooted away. “What are you talking about?”
“I want a spot on your council,” he said. “When you’re Queen.”
“What?” I exclaimed, darting up from the bench. “You want that in exchange for a measly trip to the fae realm? How is that even fair?”
Malakai was insane if he thought I would agree to this absurd deal. I learned my lesson with Bobby Wu. I may have gotten suckered once, but never again.
“Because I’m not just giving you access this one time. I’ll be granting you infinite access to the fae realm, whenever you like, without a guide or permission. No Lycan other than your father has ever had that.” Ever since the Freedom War, the fae put restrictions on who could enter the realm.
Well, then. That was definitely a game changer. If I had unlimited access to the fae entrances in New York City and Scotland, it would make me invaluable. Would I even need access to the fae realm so much? It had been quiet on that front ever since the war, when others in the supernatural community turned their backs on them.
“Trust me, Mackenzie.” When he said my name, it snapped me out of my thoughts. “You’re going to want access to our realm.”
“Why?”
“I can’t talk much about it, but things are happening.”
His vague answer made my stomach do flips. We couldn’t have issues with the fae again. If it was serious, Malakai would tell me. I had to trust it wasn’t at this point, that he had it handled.
“Okay, I’ll take your deal.”
It wasn’t a bad idea to have other species in the King’s Council, and with the way things were headed, I needed to seed the Council with people I trusted.
“Perfect.” He grinned. “Now tell me … where do you want your mark?”
Damnit. I was really getting tired of my body getting marked.
With a fresh tattoo on my shoulder blade in the shape of a fae rune, I now had unlimited access to the fae realm. But just as easily as I got it, it could be removed if I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. He didn’t have to tell me it wouldn’t be done gently.
The whole excha
nge took longer than an hour, and I hurriedly texted Cas to meet me in Central Park. Traffic was ridiculous that time of day, and by the time I reached the lake of Central Park, Cas was already waiting for me.
“What took you so long?” he asked as he met me halfway.
“Long story,” I said, pushing him back toward the lake. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Where’s Malakai? Don’t we need him to enter?”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. I have free access into the realm now.”
Cassidy dug in his heels and whirled around me. “Hold up. How the hell did that happen?”
I sighed heavily and pulled the neck of my shirt down to show him my back. “A little fae magic. Sort of like the tattoo on my hip.”
“What did you give him for it?” Cas asked shrewdly as he brushed his fingers over my skin.
“Don’t worry about it.” I adjusted my shirt. “Come on, let’s stop wasting time.” I started toward the lake, not bothering with his protests behind me. I didn’t plan to tell Cas about the deal I made with Malakai. That was our business, and our business only.
When we reached the edge of the lake, I placed my hand on top of the water and let it idle there until the surface started to tremble beneath me. In moments, the water parted down the middle and two walls about twenty feet tall on either side of us whooshed into the air. I remembered it from the last time I entered the fae realm with Ranulf. I grabbed Cas’s hand and dragged him behind me as I started to walk down the pathway. Once we got to the mid-way point, the water started to close along the trail we’d just left. Up ahead was a wall of water that shimmered before us; I could see the lush green lands of the fae realm through the glistening wall.
“We have to go through it,” I instructed Cas. I kept a firm hold on his hand and together, we stepped through the wall of water and were transported into the fae realm.
The sun was burning brightly, and I held up my free hand to cover my eyes and take in the picturesque landscape that made me think I’d walked into a fairy tale. The sky was so blue, the grass so green, and the air so crisp, it just seemed unreal.
“Wow,” Cassidy muttered as he took everything in.
“Welcome to the fae realm.”
8
“So, where are we going?” I asked as I released his hand.
Cassidy pulled a folded sheet of paper from his back pocket and unfolded it. “We’re going into town, and according to Malakai, it’s straight through the forest. We just need to follow the path.”
Last time I went into these woods, Ranulf and I walked in circles for hours. I was not looking forward to it. The fae realm liked to play a lot of tricks.
As we stepped closer to the entrance to the woods that stood in front of the opening to Central Park, the trees opened to let us through. As soon as we entered, they groaned as they closed behind us. We were enclosed in darkness as the trees covered the sunlight. A clear path zig zagged through the forest and we walked it for a while before I heard a buzzing sound. I tensed and my shoulders hitched up to my ears as I had a PTSD flashback.
“Oh, no,” I muttered as I grabbed onto Cas’s shirt.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped walking.
“Pixies!” I screamed and dropped to the ground, covering my head. Fucking Tinkerbells.
“Singular pixie, thank you very much,” a high-pitched voice said into my ear.
I shrieked and fell on my ass, then swatted my hand around my face to get it away from me. “Shoo!”
“I’m here to help you, just so you know, you ungrateful wolf!” she shrilled.
“How are you here to help us?” Cassidy asked as he gave me a hand to help me up.
“Malakai sent me,” the pixie sniffed indignantly as she buzzed around us. She looked like a tiny human with transparent wings. It was super weird. “The name’s Nyx. I’m here to make sure you don’t get lost in the woods.”
Malakai sent her? Why wouldn’t he tell me? Fuck, if only he knew these little things scared the living crap out of me. I nearly shit a brick.
“Nice to meet you, Nyx,” Cas greeted formally, giving me side eye. “Please lead the way.”
She crossed her little arms over her chest and stared at me, clearing her throat.
“What?” I said breathlessly.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me?” she said, tapping her foot as if she wasn’t floating in the air.
“Sorry,” I sighed, exasperated. “It’s nice to meet you too.” I tried very hard not to roll my eyes.
“Good!” She clapped her hands. “Now come and follow me!” She buzzed ahead and we followed. I glared at Cas and he offered a sympathetic look.
We kept on the trail behind Nyx, but for some reason I kept tripping on lifted tree roots that weren’t there when I was looking ahead. On the fifth time, I finally stopped walking, halting our movements.
“What’s up?” Cas stopped beside me.
“Do you not see me tripping over myself?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, but I just thought you were clumsy.”
“Funny, asshole. How come you’re not tripping? The roots are only rising for me.”
“What’s the hold up?” Nyx called out a couple feet ahead of us. She buzzed back and stopped near my face. A little too close.
“Why are the trees trying to make me fall?” I asked with a knowing look.
“Uh …” Nyx looked around the forest and blew out a breath, shrugging. “I don’t know. What a mystery,” she said dryly.
“Right,” I deadpanned. “You have no clue,” I said sarcastically.
“Maybe you’re just not very popular,” she said and buzzed away.
Right. I killed their queen. There must be some who still supported her and her rule.
“Don’t worry, Kenz. Just watch your step.” Cas grabbed my elbow gently and we followed the pixie.
We walked for another fifteen minutes and it was like I was playing a game of hopscotch as I dodged the lifted tree roots at the last minute. I could hear Nyx chuckling up ahead and knew deep down she had something to do with it. In my book, pixies were evil and I didn’t trust them.
Nyx flew around and landed on my shoulder, making me practically jump out of my skin.
“What exactly is the purpose of you being here?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“To make sure the forest doesn’t play any tricks on you,” she said as she took a seat on my shoulder.
“You’re not doing a very good job at that,” I grumbled.
“Oh, don’t be such a baby, Queen Slayer. You can’t expect everyone to bow at your feet. There are many who loved Drusilla—many who still do—and fae live long lives. They don’t forget.”
“Did you love Drusilla?” I asked out of curiosity.
“I loved her dearly,” Nyx said without skipping a beat. “I was loyal to her until the bitter end.”
I was definitely not comfortable with Nyx on my shoulder right at this moment.
“So why are you helping me?”
Nyx flew up and floated in front of my face, grinning. “I have my reasons. We’re here.”
“Huh?” I said just as the trees parted and we stepped out into the outskirts of a bustling town. I’d been so engrossed in my conversation with the pixie, I didn’t realize how much time had passed.
“I will meet you back here in an hour to escort you back through the forest,” Nyx said. With that, she flew away without a backwards glance.
The fae town reminded me a lot of Sheunta Village. Cobblestone streets, old-fashioned storefronts, and cottages for homes. It seemed like something straight out of a Gothic storybook, complete with pointy ears everywhere. Our round ears made us stand out like a sore thumb. It was painfully obvious we weren’t fae, and from Cassidy’s size, it was obvious he was Lycan. Relationships between the two species still weren’t the best, so we got plenty of looks as we walked the streets. And they weren’t all friendly.
“His house is just around this bend,” Cas s
aid as he followed the map we’d been given.
We turned the corner and saw a tidy row of cottages. The fae we were looking for lived in the third one down. A white picket fence surrounded the cottage, protecting a small grassy area in the front and a winding stone pathway that led to the front door. I unlatched the fence door and we entered, then walked along the path to the door.
I knocked three times and took a step back to wait for the door to open.
After a moment, the door swung open and an older man with a bald spot at the top of his head appeared. He was hunched over a little, age spots covering his hands, and his hair was the purest shade of white. And of course, he had pointy fae ears.
“Phineas Longsworth?” Cassidy asked.
“Yes?” The older man’s voice trembled a little.
“Hello, Mr. Longsworth.” Cas flashed his badge. “We’re with the Supernatural Investigative Unit, and we’re here regarding the theft of a necklace you had in your possession.”
Phineas closed the door slightly, leaving just a crack for us to see him and for him to speak through. “Brísingamen, yes, but this is not your jurisdiction. I did not call the SIU.”
“We know,” I said as I pushed the door wider, making him stumble back as I barged my way inside. “We’re following up on a case that happens to coincide with your theft.”
“Hey! I did not invite you in!” the old man sputtered.
“We’re just here for a friendly chat.” I gave him a sweet smile. Cas followed behind me and we walked further into the cottage.
We ambled down a short hallway and I turned into the living room, pleased to see it was empty. Across from the living room was the kitchen, which meant the other doorways in the hallway must lead to bedrooms and bathrooms. It was very important to scope the layout of a place in case of emergencies.
I sat down on the sofa and made myself comfortable just as Phineas hobbled his way over to the living room.
“I don’t know what it is you expect me to tell you,” he spat, his lower lip trembling as if it were a tick.
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