Stolen Relics

by Karina Espinosa

  “This is a good spot,” I said and started to lift my shirt.

  “Whoa! Kenz!” Ollie turned away from me quickly and covered his eyes.

  I started to laugh. Right, this would be awkward for him. I was so used to it by now that I’d forgotten he’d probably feel uncomfortable.

  “Sorry.” I pulled my shirt down again. “How about we shift in different areas? Are you capable of shifting on your own?”

  He peeked over his shoulder, and then fully turned around when he saw I was still dressed. “I don’t know,” he admitted as he ran a hand through his hair.

  “I’ll go with him,” Ranulf offered. “We won’t be far, and I’ll still be able to hear ye if anything is near.”

  “Thank you,” I replied with relief. I didn’t want to send Ollie to shift by himself, but I knew he’d be uncomfortable seeing me naked, even though I saw him during his first shift. Those were different circumstances, though.

  They walked deeper into the woods, and with my acute hearing I heard them settle just beyond a couple nearby bushes. Ranulf wasn’t lying, he really didn’t intend to stray far from me. He wasn’t taking any chances that I’d sneak off.

  I pulled my shirt over my head and neatly folded it, placing it on the ground. I was starting to take off my bra when I heard a rustle behind me. My head snapped in that direction and I waited for whatever was coming toward me to show itself. If it was a human, it was going to get real awkward, real quick.

  The bushes rustled and then spread apart and someone stepped through. I saw a mop of dark hair, and when he lifted his head, I relaxed.

  “Úlfur,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, knowing Ranulf was listening. I tapped my ear and pointed in the guard’s direction to let Úlfur know we weren’t alone.

  “Twice in one day, little wolf. This must be a record,” he whispered back with a grin. I’d just seen him this morning. “I was following the Skofnung stone. It’s here.”

  My eyes widened. “I thought it was in the fae realm?”

  “It was in the fae realm. Now it’s here. It’s on the move, and your human is close to retrieving it.”

  That wasn’t possible. How the hell could a human be so damn powerful and capable of acquiring all those relics? If I didn’t stop him and fast, no one would be able to.

  “How was Cardona able to get the stone?”

  “It was sold on the black market. Once all the objects started being stolen, I guess the owner thought better of it and decided to sell instead of getting killed for it.” Úlfur scanned the clearing. “The trade is happening now. We have to act fast, little wolf.”

  I couldn’t ditch Ranulf—not so soon, at least. I also needed to alert the SIU. This was our best chance of capturing Billie Cardona. If we caught him in the act of illegally purchasing the Skofnung stone, we’d have a case against him. Other than that, we had nothing. We couldn’t search his place without a warrant, and we wouldn’t be able to get one without showing probable cause. And let’s be real – no judge in the city would sign that warrant, not against the Commissioner.

  “Where is the deal going down?” I looked back in the direction Ranulf and Ollie had gone.

  “The rose garden.”

  I quirked a brow. The rose garden was a part of Prospect Park that had fallen into disarray and hadn’t grown a rose in years. It was under renovation. What was it with the Commissioner and places of restoration?

  “I have a bodyguard here with me; I can’t ditch him. He’s with my brother,” I said, biting my lower lip.

  Úlfur tilted his head. “You have a brother? Interesting.”

  I stiffened. I shouldn’t have told him that. Why did I open my damn mouth? “Stay the hell away from him,” I growled.

  Úlfur smirked and lifted his hands placatingly. “I mean you no harm, little wolf. Let me handle your people. Go ahead to the rose garden; I’ll meet you there.”

  I frowned. “I don’t trust you not to hurt them.”

  “I won’t,” he said. “I promise.”

  “Your promise means nothing to me.” I looked behind me once more and then at Úlfur. “If you hurt them, I’ll kill you.” Even I knew that was an empty threat.

  He gave me his trademark mischievous smirk. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Without overthinking it further, I hurried out of the clearing and toward the rose garden. It was on the northeast corner of the park, which meant I’d have to hurry. I snatched up my shirt and put it on as I ran.

  The rest of the park was eerily devoid of humans, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the trade that was about to happen. I pumped my arms harder as I hustled to get to the other side of the park in record time. I didn’t know how Úlfur intended to handle my people, but he was something else.

  Sweat rolled down my spine. The heat was unbearable, even though the sun was setting. When I approached the perimeter of the rose garden, I stayed within the bushes, not wanting to make myself known until I had to. I visualized the layout of the rose garden: a sunken, concrete circle in the center that dipped two feet, surrounded by rose bushes. I strained my wolf hearing for voices or the entrance of Úlfur, but couldn’t hear anything yet.

  I squatted on the ground and made a hole in the branches to see what was going on, but there was no one there. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Cassidy.

  The stone is being traded. The rose garden—Prospect Park. Stay hidden.

  I hit send and switched my phone to silent so no one with sensitive hearing would hear it ring or vibrate. Slipping it in my back pocket, I surveyed the area for anything unusual, however the only thing unusual was how quiet it was. Then again, the rose garden was situated in a more secluded part of the park. It used to be filled with roses, but now there wasn’t a single one. It had been pretty much abandoned, and now the city was trying to restore it to its former glory.

  Suddenly, the wind picked up and leaves started to blow everywhere. In the center of the concrete circle, a shimmering, golden yellow swirl appeared. What began as a circle the size of a quarter grew until it was large enough to accommodate several people.

  It was a portal. Holy shit!

  Three fae emerged from the portal. Instead of closing behind them, the portal stayed open. I knew automatically what kind of creatures they were by their pointy ears, but fae also maintained an otherworldly look that always gave them away, almost as if they wore a filter. It was weird. The fae in the middle was holding a brown wooden box with golden latches.

  They stood around for a minute before the Commissioner sauntered through the entrance to the rose garden and stepped down into the concrete circle. Not surprisingly, he didn’t arrive alone; he was flanked by four others. I didn’t know what they were, but they surrounded the circle without entering, standing sentinel at the edges.

  “Did you bring it?” Cardona asked greedily.

  “Of course,” the fae in the center responded. He had long, silky white hair that flowed to the middle of his back. “Did you bring what we asked for?”

  “Of course,” Cardona mimicked. With a snap of his fingers, hands suddenly gripped my arms and lifted me off the ground.

  “Hey!” I whisper-yelled, but it was no use. My captors pushed their way through the bushes and brought me out into the rose garden.

  “Ah, here she is, as you requested,” Cardona said to the fae. The Commissioner looked at me. “Did you really think we were meeting here by coincidence? I’ve had a tracking spell placed on you for days.”

  I cursed, belatedly realizing it would certainly have been strange for the trade to take place where I was shifting. The world was a small place, but it wasn’t that small. Nothing was ever that convenient.

  Now the big question was, what the hell did the fae want with me? Did they really hate me that much for killing Drusilla?

  “Don’t give him that stone!” I yelled at the fae. “I’ll come to you willingly if you refuse him!”

  Cardona snorted. �
��I have you. If they want you, they’ll give me what I want. There are no side negotiations here, Mackenzie.”

  I flailed against the two guys who held me, but they were strong as hell. Were they Lycan?

  The trade was about to take place, and I couldn’t let that happen. Without thinking it through, I went into a half shift, emitting a loud growl that vibrated through my chest. I did a back flip and twisted their arms, forcing them to release me. Once they did, I dug my claws deep into their abdomens. They caved into themselves and gasped as I pulled out their entrails.

  I raced for the box, jumping down into the circle and snatching it out of the fae’s hand before it could be transferred to Cardona.

  “Bitch!” the Commissioner shouted. “Give that to me now!”

  I gripped it tightly to my side with bloody hands. “You’re not getting dick!” I scanned the surrounding area and watched as his bodyguards moved to surround me, the fae watching with a detached air. I didn’t have an exit strategy. I could try to go through their portal, but who knew where it would take me? I couldn’t take that risk.

  “Get her! And get me my stone,” Cardona snarled, spurring his guards into action.

  I didn’t have a way out, and with the box firmly in my grasp, I was now fighting with one hand. I refused to let it go.

  The first one who approached me was a warlock. I ducked and swerved to avoid his magic … and stepped right into the next one who wrapped his arms around me. Head-butting him with the back of my head, he loosened his hold on me and I stomped my foot on his and kicked his shin with all my might. He released me immediately. Not willing to take the risk of him regrouping, I swiped my claw across his throat and ripped it out. Before he fell, I held him up and used him as a shield as more magic was lobbed my way.

  His body was heavy, and with only one arm to support him, I could only hold him up for so long. I edged around the circle with him until I couldn’t anymore and dropped him, just missing another magic ball that arced over my head.

  I was about to hop out of the circle when a growling wolf flew over my head and attacked the warlock, going straight for the jugular. It was a wolf I recognized. A dark brown coat with highlights and glowing yellow eyes—Ollie. He was savage as he tore into the warlock.

  Ranulf bolted into the garden in a half-shift and attacked the last guard left standing. I didn’t know where the fourth one was, which concerned me.

  “You’re outnumbered, Cardona,” I yelled as I held on to the box. “Turn yourself in.”

  He laughed. “Outnumbered? Turn myself in? Dear, my people are scattered throughout this park. You’re the one who’s outmatched.”

  The Commissioner stepped toward the portal and looked over his shoulder at me. “I’ll be coming for the stone.” Then he disappeared into the portal.

  Two of the fae followed, leaving the white-haired one. He turned to me, his eyes a beautiful lavender color. “Mackenzie MacCoinnich.”

  “What do you want?” I said unkindly.

  “We mean you no harm.”

  “That’s not what it looked like. You bargained for my life!”

  He shook his head slightly. “Only to keep you safe. There is a bounty on your head, but we want you alive. You are set to be Queen, no?”

  I frowned. This was confusing. “Yes?” I said it more like a question than a statement.

  “The fae have helped Lycan royalty in the past. We wish to bestow upon you great power—”

  “No,” Ranulf interrupted. “A deal with the fae is a deal with the devil.”

  I’d already been bestowed with great power from the fae because of the magic they’d blessed our bloodline with. I was born a hybrid – a Lycan and an Oracle. Not many people knew my secret, and we kept it that way for reasons of safety, mainly for the Oracles. Whatever the fae were up to, it wasn’t anything good. I certainly didn’t need them to bestow anything else upon me. They’d given me enough.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I politely decline,” I said. “And I’m keeping the stone.”

  He bowed. “As you wish, Mackenzie MacCoinnich.”

  I didn’t correct him. I just appreciated that he didn’t call me Queen Slayer. I had so many nicknames, I needed a damn directory at this point. But I watched as he stepped through the portal and the portal closed behind him. The angry wind disappeared, as if a vacuum was shut off.

  “Well, that was weird.” I turned to Ranulf and Ollie.

  “Mackenzie,” Ranulf growled, “how many times have I told ye to stop running off?”

  “In my defense, I knew you’d follow me, so was I really running off?” I shrugged and held up my hands, pleading my case.

  Ranulf looked like he was going to blow a gasket. His face turned bright red and his nostrils flared, and I could practically see steam blowing out of those ears.

  I kneeled in front of Ollie and scratched behind his ear. “You did amazing, big bro.” I grinned. “Way to have my back.”

  He licked his canines in response and nodded. I hugged him and he nuzzled in my arms. I was taking a huge risk being this close with him, especially after a kill, but he was doing so good. He was a natural.

  “Let’s get him back to his clothes,” Ranulf grunted.

  I stood and we took a shadowy pathway back to the other side of the park to the clearing where we had started. I kept my ears open and clutched the box that contained the stone, waiting to hear any sign of Úlfur. But he was gone. He never showed.

  15

  After a much-needed shower to remove all the blood and grime from the park, Ranulf and I headed straight to the SIU with the Skofnung stone. Cas never made it to Prospect Park, so I messaged him and told him to meet me at the station.

  We took side streets and stuck to the shadows in case we were being followed. When we made it to SIU’s front desk, I waited impatiently while Ranulf showed them his passport so they could give him a visitor’s pass, and then stepped into the elevator on our way to the squad room.

  “Grey!” Michaels shouted as soon as he spotted me. It was apparent they were waiting on me, huddled as they were in the space between their desks.

  “Hey!” I answered brightly as I approached, Ranulf stopping by the door to stand guard. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. It’s been a crazy day.”

  “So we heard,” Finn said. “You got the stone?”

  “I stole it,” I snorted. “Cardona was trying to buy it from the fae. Guess what their price was?”

  Everyone shrugged and stared at me, waiting for the answer.

  “Me.”

  “The fae wanted you in exchange for the stone?” Cas exclaimed.

  I nodded. “They said they didn’t want to hurt me, but I take everything they say with a grain of salt. Anyway, I snagged the stone and Cardona disappeared through a portal, but he said he’d be coming for it.”

  Michaels rubbed a hand across his mouth, pensive. “Can’t we go after him for this? This should be enough for probable cause.”

  “He’s the Commissioner,” Briggs’s voice bellowed in the somewhat empty squad room. We all turned to see him at the entryway of his office. “We’re going to need much more to convict him.”

  “Can’t we get Captain Voight involved?” I asked as a last-ditch effort. He was the Captain of the SIU and a well-respected warlock from Long Island. He was one of us.

  Briggs gave me a sour look. “I’ve talked to Voight. He can’t get involved—”

  “Why not?” Finn yelled, aggravation clear in his voice.

  “Because the rumors of corruption in the SIU are not just rumors!” Briggs shouted. He took deep, calming breaths and ran a hand over his bald head. “They have Voight by the proverbial balls. No point in asking Chief Brown, either.”

  My mouth hung slightly open and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, although I wasn’t that surprised, either. We’d been hearing rumors for quite some time, and whenever we got calls to The Third Eye, everything just magically went away. We could never get to the p
uppet masters. Now we knew Maximos was a player, but who was controlling him? Was it the Commissioner? It just sounded completely absurd that a human could wield that much power over supernaturals.

  “Then we don’t ask them for shit,” I said. “We have the stone and we know Cardona is coming for it, so we use it as bait to capture him. He said he’s had a tracking spell on me for days, so we use it to our advantage. Let’s think of a plan; a good one, because we’ll only get one shot. Let’s get this son of a bitch.”

  My three partners nodded their heads in agreement. Briggs, on the other hand, needed some convincing.

  “It won’t be that easy, Grey,” he said in his gruff voice. “Cardona’s not stupid. He won’t fall for the bait that easily. Hell, he might not even be the one to come after you. He’ll probably send someone else to do his dirty work.”

  “Which is why we’ll also be looking for the other two objects he stole while he’s busy searching for the stone. Deflection.” I tapped a finger on the side of my head. “He won’t expect us to come for him from the front and the back.”

  “It’ll be difficult to search all the properties he owns,” Finn said, “and he’ll be able to track our progress by the warrants we pull to search.”

  “Not necessarily.” Cas furrowed his brows. “Cardona is the gloating type. He’d want his spoils near him at all times. We just need to follow him. We can get some wolves he won’t recognize to track him. That way, we won’t need to search the system for him.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” Michaels asked.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Cas shrugged. “But I’m almost positive I’m right.”

  I nodded. It was true – Cardona was the cocky type. I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with the objects. “Can your Pack spare any wolves?”