My cell phone rang as I considered what to do about dinner; we couldn't just go to a local restaurant—could we?
"Rob?" I answered the call.
"We may have located a place to go," he said. "That will house all of us with more room if needed. It's a mansion built twenty years ago in the antebellum style, but with upgrades and better security. I hope the Chancellor can get his hands on half of twelve million quick or we won't get it."
"Twelve million?" I drew in a breath at the cost.
"Cliff and I are willing to pay half of the twelve million price tag. As long as we don't destroy the property, we can resell it later."
"Does he have something?" Parke was now standing beside me.
"Here," I handed the phone to him. "Rob says we need to pay half—that's six million."
"That's not a problem," Parke told Rob after putting the phone to his ear. "Will it work? Can you do your thing there?" He listened for a moment. "Good. I can have a cashier's check by tomorrow. Is it furnished? No problem—we can buy beds and equip the kitchen."
That told me the other furniture was included in the house. For twelve million, it should cook our meals for us, as far as I was concerned.
"We need possession when we hand over the check. Paperwork can be completed later," Parke said before listening to Rob again. "Yes, I can pull in more security. Of course I'll take any help I can get."
"Where is it?" I thought to ask.
"It's on the east bank of Lake Tuscaloosa," Parke covered the phone to answer. "It has plenty of wooded area around it, a private boathouse and a six-car garage."
"Well, it has to have a boathouse," I mumbled sarcastically when Parke went back to his conversation with Rob.
Daniel covered a snicker; Lance grinned and shook his head.
"We can put water demons in the boathouse," Parke's forehead wrinkled in a frown. He'd heard me. I raked a hand through my hair and walked away from him to peer through the blinds of Shelbie's front window.
* * *
Parke
I watched as Cassie's blue eyes darkened with concern at my stern words; she turned away from me while raking fingers through her silky, dark hair. Damn, she was beautiful. She barely considered that; I sighed as she walked away from me to peer through the blinds covering a tall window at the front of the house.
"We can meet with the seller tonight," Rob's voice sounded in my ear. Already, the sprite was proving to be an invaluable member of the small army I was gathering.
"Make it a private meeting in an out-of-the-way location," I instructed. "We don't want to be seen or heard if at all possible. Dinner would be nice, too, but also in a not-so-well-known location."
"I can arrange it," Rob said and ended the call.
"Cassie?" I strode toward her, holding out her phone. She turned toward me. She still looked pale, in my estimation. Perhaps it was due to her turning earlier, to burn the bodies in Cliff's barn.
Somehow, the sprite placed a shield around the rest of the barn so it wouldn't burn with the bodies. I'd waited nearby with Cassie's robe; she'd left it with me and walked naked toward the bodies on the concrete floor; Rob, Cliff, Daniel and I watched as she'd skipped her prelim completely to become full fire demon. She'd then scoured the floor of the two Shakkor Agdah that had stained it with their blood.
Only scorch marks remained when Cassie was done. She'd turned back to humanoid after that; I'd watched her shoulders slump as she surveyed her work. I went to my prelim to carry her robe forward and place it around her; being half rock demon at the time gave me some protection against the heat the floor still held.
"Baby," I said when Cassie took her phone and refused to look at me, "We need to talk."
* * *
Morton King
The motel Dad chose was on the west side of Tuscaloosa, not far from Coker. It wasn't the best available and I considered telling him that.
He had the MythStone, or said he did. Ross' attorney, the half-demon Claude Ullery, had gotten it from Ray shortly before Ray disappeared. Dad hadn't opened the envelope; I wondered what had possessed Ray to place such a dangerous thing inside an envelope. A steel box would have been more to my liking.
My cell phone rang; Pauline's number showed on the screen. She'd managed to bug the Chancellor's office; we were still getting information from her on his calls with others.
"Pauline, what do you have?" I barked at her.
"Pauline doesn't have anything anymore," a cold voice informed me. "The FBI would appreciate everything you have to say on the subject, Mr. King."
My cell phone was smashed to bits before I got my prelim under control. What the fucking hell did Pauline do to draw the attention of the fucking FBI?
* * *
Seattle
Kate Worth
"Ma'am, I'm Special Agent Trey Rivers with the FBI," the man introduced himself. He was a paranormal, I understood that almost immediately. Vampire, unless I missed my guess. He'd come to the house and was escorted in, once the night guards saw his badge.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Rivers?" I asked.
"I'd prefer to speak with Parke Worth, your son. I understand he's out of town?"
"That's right. I won't reveal his location until I know he's not in danger," I said.
"He isn't in danger from us," Agent Rivers said. "It's his involvement in a case that we need to speak with him about—in regard to national security, you understand."
"I see," I said. "Have you tried his number?"
"Yes, but he isn't answering."
"He's in a meeting, then," I said. "Where he is."
"We know he's in Alabama," Agent Rivers said. "Really, you have nothing to worry about from us; it's just imperative that we speak to him. We've learned that his office was bugged and private information may have been gathered by less than well-meaning individuals."
"What?" I breathed. That was a shocking revelation and one that would certainly upset Parke.
"Grammie Kate, what's going on?" Destiny walked into the kitchen.
"Sweetie, it's nothing," I waved off her apprehension. "This gentleman needs to talk to Parke."
"It's nothing to be concerned about," Agent Rivers offered Destiny a smile. I gave him points for that; he was attempting to make her comfortable, when most vampires would continue to scowl or keep a noncommittal expression in place.
"Here's my card," Agent Rivers handed a card to me. "I'd appreciate it if you'd tell him to call—if you hear from him. It's very important."
"I will," I said. If it involved national security, I'd call Cassie to see if she'd answer, then have her interrupt Parke if it were possible to do so.
"If there are problems or you don't feel safe, call me," Agent Rivers added before turning to leave.
My breath caught. Did he know something about the things Parke was investigating? I couldn't ask; those were questions Parke needed to answer. I nodded my assent and walked him to the door.
* * *
Cassie
"Kate?" I was surprised that she'd called. I left the table at the tiny restaurant outside Birmingham to answer; Parke, Cliff and Rob were still talking to the attorney representing the seller. They were making arrangements to bring cashier's checks the following morning, so we could take possession of the property by nightfall.
The sale wouldn't be official until all paperwork was done, but this was a cash sale and some things could be worked around.
"I really need to speak with Parke, and I know he's in the middle of something or his phone wouldn't be turned off," Kate said.
"It may be another half hour," I said.
"I know. Tell him this is extremely important and I have to talk to him the minute he's free."
"I'll make sure he calls," I said. "Is there something I can do in the meantime?"
"No, we're safe enough, I think."
Her words frightened me. "Are the guards not there to watch the house?" I asked.
"They're here. I'm just concerned about Park
e—and you. The uh, FBI dropped by earlier. Parke's office was bugged, did you know that?"
"He just heard recently that it was possible," I hedged. "Do we know for sure?"
"The FBI Agent says it was. I think he was vampire, Cassie. That means there may be paranormal involvement. They have a paranormal division, it's just that most people don't know about it. The Chancellor seldom hears anything from them, unless there's something they can't handle."
"And we're hearing from them now. He didn't say anything as to what this is about?"
"No. It's scaring me and I have my hands full, keeping this from Destiny."
"I'll make sure he calls the second this meeting is over," I promised. "Call me again if you need help with Destiny."
"It should be fine. She's just curious."
Kate and I didn't discuss the obvious; that it had been a stranger at the door who'd taken Destiny and killed those she'd been with in California. She'd been tied up, blindfolded, gagged and carried to Ross shortly after.
Destiny had nightmares about those things. A stranger at Kate's door probably terrified her, even if he were a well-meaning public servant-slash-vampire.
Kate and I said good-bye; I headed back to the table. The seller's attorney stood just before I reached my seat. Parke and the others stood, too. Parke shook hands with the man; I breathed a relieved sigh. Parke could call his mother back in the next few minutes.
I placed a hand on Parke's arm before he could sit again. "Your mother has an emergency," I said, holding my phone out.
"What is it?" Parke asked, taking the phone and tapping in his mother's number.
"Ask her—she knows more than I do."
* * *
Parke
"Mom? What's going on?" I asked immediately.
"I have a name and phone number of an FBI Special Agent," Mom said. "He came by tonight, said your office has been bugged and that sensitive information may have gone where it shouldn't."
I went still. Pauline was at the bottom of this. I wondered if the FBI knew about her. "Give me the information," I said. "I'll call him now." Jerking my phone from a pocket, I tapped the information into it that Mom read from the agent's card.
"Mom, don't worry, all right," I said. "I'll call him and get back to you. Make sure the guards are doing their jobs; I think this has more to do with human things rather than other things."
"I hope so, although that's bad enough," she said.
"Yeah. I know. I'll call you back."
"Agent Rivers." He answered on the first ring.
"Agent Rivers, this is Parke Worth."
"Mr. Worth, a government agency I can't name at the moment needs a private meeting with you concerning the software Frank Hillman's company created, which was then stolen by Fli-Bi-Net Enterprises."
"You know it was stolen?" I struggled to keep the surprise from my voice.
"We do, now. We also know that your client has improved on the original design, and those improvements are needed by the agency."
"The unnamed one?" I asked, forcing myself to remain calm. "What about the lawsuit?" I asked.
"I believe the lawsuit can be settled out of court, in a manner of speaking. Let me bring you up to speed on what we know."
"Please," I said.
"Pauline Higgs is a spy—for less than savory characters. One of those characters is your wife's father, although I understand they are estranged. Pauline was carefully placed in your firm by the same ones who backed Geoffrey Gruber. You may not realize this, Mr. Worth, but Fli-Bi-Net is in business with Morton King and his allies."
"Allies?"
"Something is stirring, Mr. Worth. I'm sure your mother reported that I was likely a vampire. She is correct. While the ancient ones of my race are generally content to sit back and watch the world fight with itself, what is growing now is a pestilence upon all, including the vampires. Some are more than old enough to recall the Black Death. Those old ones are now concerned."
"And they want the Chancellor to do something about it?"
"Some of them are willing to help, Chancellor. It is not a light burden, I hope you realize."
"I know." He didn't need to remind me of their history at this point. How his race had been hunted after their discovery, when they'd offered to help a Chancellor centuries in the past.
It had taken a concentrated effort and the limiting of the making of vampires to quell the fears and convince the masses that vampires and werewolves were nothing but a myth.
"When and where can we meet?" I asked, feeling weary.
"I can come to you, if you'd like."
"Fine." I gave him the address of the house we'd just bought. "If all goes well, we should be there tomorrow night."
"This place—is large enough to accommodate a small army, I hope."
"A small army, yes."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow evening, Chancellor."
* * *
"How did this happen?" I raked fingers through my hair for perhaps the tenth time as I paced. Daniel watched me from a chair in the corner of Shelbie's living room, his eyes hooded.
"I believe it probably sneaked up on everybody the last time, too," Daniel said softly.
"Do you think Ross and his horde wanted the Chancellor's office so it would be easier for a takeover?"
"In my opinion, yes."
"How could I be so blind?" I muttered.
"Parke, you were mourning your father. Like the rest of your family. That has a tendency to shut out rumors of external difficulties."
"Have you talked to Louise?"
"Yes. I sent two guards, too. Discreet ones, of course. We don't need more kidnappings."
"What about Destiny?"
"I hope she's safe enough. We can always arrange for homeschooling until this is over."
"She's making friends at her school. I don't want to destroy that," I said. "I've already destroyed Cassie's return to school. There's no way we can let her go back. They'll know where to find her easily enough."
"I agree. It will place students and faculty in danger if she goes back, in addition to announcing to the world what she is if she is forced to defend them."
"I know. So far, everything she's done as fire demon has been hidden well enough. Send her to a public place and that anonymity could be destroyed in a hurry."
"And it could panic humans, which is to be avoided at all costs."
"I hope that agent is in contact with the CDC, in case we have another outbreak."
"We'll discuss that with him tomorrow. Go to bed. It's late."
"I still have to tell Cassie why I can't go to bed with her."
"A male's fertility period is nothing to trifle with, Parke. In other circumstances, I'd say get her pregnant—as soon as you can. This isn't the time, and until your fertility period is over, you really shouldn't sleep with her."
"Trust fate to intervene like this—now, of all times," I growled.
"This is how half-demons are made—when a male, unaware that he is fertile, makes a human female pregnant. It isn't fair to the children that they are cheated by both races."
"Three months," I blinked unhappily at Daniel. "Three months, and Cassie's wondering whether I want her or not. That's bullshit," I snapped. I wanted to destroy the house, I was so angry.
"You're lucky it didn't happen until you changed Christmas night," Daniel observed. "It could have happened before and you'd have a child on the way. That would take Cassie out of the ranks, and let's face it, we need her."
"I hate this. I really, fucking hate this." Why was it the male demons who controlled the births of their children? Humans were the exact opposite. My other concern was this; after a male demon's fertility period, which generally lasted three months, it could be years before he became fertile again.
Cassie could leave me after our first five-year period was up, and we'd never have a child together.
Yes, I wanted that. I also didn't want to destroy her chance at the career of her choice and an equal part
nership in the firm. How was I going to explain this to her? I'd tried earlier, but Cliff had called to discuss the property before I could get Cassie alone to do so.
"I'll go find her," I mumbled and stalked out of the room.
* * *
Cassie
"Baby?" Parke knocked on the bedroom door. I'd left it half-open, hoping he'd show up eventually.
"Parke?" I'd been reading a textbook while waiting for him.
"I have to tell you something," he said. "What I wanted to tell you earlier, when Cliff called me back."
"Oh." I wasn't sure what to make of the fact that his hair looked as if a mowing machine had been run through it rather than his fingers, or that there was a concerned frown on his lips.
He walked toward the bed and sat on the edge of it. "Come here," he patted the sheet-covered mattress beside him. I set my book down and scooted over until I was leaning against him. He buried his nose in my hair for a moment before kissing the top of my head and leaning away to lock eyes with mine.
"I should have told you after Christmas. I didn't. I don't even know if anybody has explained the demon birds and bees to you properly."
"Huh?" I blinked at him in alarm.
"I'm in a fertile period," he sighed and turned his head away.
I went still. For elemental demons, the males had fertility periods instead of the females. They tended to last a few months and then not reappear again for years. It kept the demon population under control. It wasn't dependent on the female, like it was for humans.
"Oh, no," I mumbled and covered my face with both hands. Parke had a shot at getting a child. Our circumstances ruined it completely. We couldn't even have sex with a condom, because demon seed—well, it had a way of getting through just about anything to fertilize a waiting egg.
"Parke, I'm so sorry," I breathed after dropping my hands.
"I know. I thought we'd have plenty of time to have fun. Turns out, for the next three months at least, that won't be true. We don't need to be parents during a crisis. We have the race itself to consider. I know you thought I didn't want you, or was just ignoring you. That wasn't the case. Plus, I was worried about what you'd think if I had to order your father's death."
Your Money's Worth: Seattle Elementals, Book 1 Page 12
