by J. C. Diem
If they were this affected now, I was almost afraid to see what their reaction would be when Kurt turned up in person.
₪₪₪
Chapter Five
I headed outside half an hour before Kurt Jorgen was scheduled to arrive. Zeus wasn’t about to be left behind and followed me through the door. He shoved a stick into my hand during our walk to the gate and we played fetch while we waited for our guest to appear.
Zeus’ ears perked when he heard a vehicle and he dropped the stick and trotted over to my side. I heard the car a few seconds later and turned to wait for the black SUV to finally appear at the gate. It was a standard PIA vehicle and was identical to the one that Reece had borrowed for his short trip away from our compound.
Keeping a safe distance from the crosses, I triggered the gate with the remote control device that I’d stashed in my pocket. Kurt flicked me a salute of thanks as the gate swung open. He drove up beside me and came to a stop. I didn’t particularly want to climb in with him, but it would be impolite not to accept the ride.
Zeus took one whiff of Kurt’s strange scent when I opened the door and stepped in front of me protectively. His hackles were raised again and his teeth were bared in a silent growl.
“How quaint,” Jorgen said with an indulgent smile that revealed his sharply pointed teeth. “I didn’t know werewolves kept pets.” His skin was so pale that it was almost translucent. As before, he wore a rumpled black suit and a white business shirt.
Shh, I thought to Zeus when he snarled at the bald Mind Sweeper. He glared at me reproachfully. He couldn’t explain what it was about Kurt that upset him. He believed the faery was dangerous and he was determined to protect me.
“We’ve only had Zeus for a short time,” I said apologetically as I climbed inside. “He doesn’t like strangers.”
Jorgen’s look was far too knowing for my liking. I had the feeling he knew Zeus was far more than a simple guard dog. I closed the door, but I didn’t bother to buckle myself in for the short trip to the building.
I sat on the edge of the seat with my skin crawling at being so close to the half-faery. The instant he pulled up outside the compound, my door was open and I was climbing out. Zeus had raced alongside us up the long driveway and he skidded to a stop beside me.
Kurt moved far more quickly than I’d expected and he caught my arm before I could open the door that led to the kitchen. “Before we join the others, there is the small matter of our bargain.”
The contact was too much for Zeus and his entire body tensed to leap at the small man. Kurt sensed the threat and glanced down at my companion. His eyes pulsed a deep, dark blue and spun around in a circle once. The fight immediately drained out of Zeus and he sat beside me with his tongue lolling happily.
“What did you just do to him?” I asked in alarm. I touched Zeus’ mind and he seemed happy enough. He could vaguely remember that he’d been trying to protect me but he couldn’t remember the reason why. He looked right at Kurt without seeing him. To him, the faery had disappeared.
“I simply convinced your pet that I am not worthy of attacking,” he said glibly.
I didn’t let on that I knew what he’d done. Mark had said the fae couldn’t lie outright, but I’d just witnessed him skillfully bending the truth to suit himself. “What is the bargain that you want to make with me?” I asked. Now that he was here, I found I just wanted him gone. I was already beginning to think that calling him had been a bad idea after all.
“I will question your rogue werewolf for you, but in return I will require one tiny favor.” His smile was innocent, but his pointed teeth spoiled the illusion. I was pretty sure he had no idea that I could see his real face. I didn’t know why, but his faery mojo didn’t work on me the same way it did on everyone else.
“How do you know about the rogue?”
He waved the question away. “The fae know many things, Agent Levine. It is one of our many talents to know what will occur before it has come to pass.”
“You knew we’d capture Gareth Carter and that we’d need your help?”
“Yes.” He gave me a crisp nod. “I saw a vision when I looked into your eyes. That is why I gave you my card.” He was slyly pleased with himself at his foresight. “I lifted my glamor enough for you to be able to remember me.”
“What is the favor that you’ll want from me?”
“I have not yet decided,” he shrugged. “I have a feeling that I will require your assistance sometime in the future. When my need arises, I will contact you.”
“I can’t agree without knowing what the favor will be,” I said suspiciously.
“I assure you that it will be a small thing. You will barely notice you have granted me your help.” His eyes met mine and I found it hard to look away. They changed from the palest of blue to a pretty shade of violet. “Do we have a bargain?”
He extended his hand and I moved to take it against my volition. “We have a deal,” I replied and we shook on it.
“Excellent!” Dropping my hand, he touched my elbow and guided me towards the door. “We should join the others before they come looking for us. Agent Steel’s cameras will no doubt have captured my arrival.”
My mind was strangely fuzzy when I stepped through the door into the kitchen. I suspected he’d used his powers on me because I was having trouble remembering what I’d just agreed to.
Mark hurried down the spiral staircase to meet us. “Lexi, I wasn’t aware you were expecting a guest.” The look he sent me was admonishing, but it disappeared once the faerie’s magic touched him.
“There is no reason for alarm, Agent Steel,” Jorgen said smoothly. “I am a Mind Sweeper and I’m here to assist you with questioning your rogue wolf. I guarantee that he will tell me everything you want to know.”
Kala and Flynn left the couch to join us. Flynn shook his head as he fought against the glamor that was clouding his mind.
“I would like you to accompany me when I question the subject,” Kurt said to me.
Mark was about to object, but nodded instead when the bald agent met his eyes. “Whatever you think is best.”
Neither Kala nor Flynn said a word. Kala would usually have made at least one inappropriate comment by now. Struggling to think through the fog in my mind, I saw that her tawny eyes were slightly glazed. Flynn also looked like he was half asleep.
“Come with me, my dear,” the faery said and took me by the hand. “I’m sure Agent Steel will prefer to watch the proceedings from the communications room.”
Mark automatically turned to the stairs and ascended them while I was led over to the door to the main hallway. When I glanced back over my shoulder, Kala and Flynn were still standing in the same spot.
“Where is your mate?” Kurt asked me casually when he came to a stop at the door that led down to the cells.
“Reece couldn’t stand to watch his little brother being tortured. He’s staying somewhere else tonight,” I said in a drugged sounding tone. A small part of me fought against the hold he had over my mind, but I wasn’t able to break free.
“Your mind is much harder to manipulate than most shifters,” he said with a small frown. “I wonder if the vampirism in your blood is to blame? Vampires are notoriously difficult to control. They have no souls, you see. Zombies are merely empty vessels when they are raised, but vampires retain their intelligence when the death magic resurrects them.”
Waving his hand over the scanner, the door clicked open and we took the stairs down to the basement. Using his magic again, he opened the door to Gareth’s cell.
A sly look came over the rogue’s face when he saw me. “It’s about time,” he said. “My bladder is about to burst. Care to help me out with that?” He glanced down at his groin suggestively then winked at me.
I tried to screw my face up in disgust at the thought of touching anything below his waist, but my face was frozen. He could pee his pants for all I cared. Unfortunately, my vocal cords were also immobile and I couldn’t
voice the sentiment.
He frowned when he didn’t receive any reaction from me. “Who are you?” he asked the diminutive man who was staring at him like he was an interesting lab specimen.
One quick meeting of their eyes was all it took for him to be ensnared by the faery’s spell. I caught a glimpse of Kurt’s eyes darkening and beginning to spin in dizzying circles. He didn’t bother with drugs or coins on chains this time, but used his magic instead. Gareth’s mouth went slack and his gaze grew distant. I tried to protest when Kurt waved his hand and the shackles clicked open, but my voice remained as frozen as my body. “Take care of your pressing needs,” he instructed the captive.
Moving woodenly, Gareth stood and shambled over to the toilet. He peed, flushed and washed his hands then placidly sat back down. With another wave of Jorgen’s hand, the shackles returned to his wrists and ankles. “What questions do you have for our young psychopath?” the agent queried.
“Why do you kill humans?” I asked, relieved that I could now speak.
“Because it’s fun and they taste good,” was the robotic answer.
“Does your mother know what you’ve been doing?”
“Yes.”
“Why doesn’t she stop you?” She wasn’t just his parent, she was also his alpha. Her instincts should have driven her to kill him long ago. He was mentally defective and would only bring danger to his pack.
“Because she wants revenge. Your boss killed my father and stole Garrett from her.” Even beneath the spell, he scowled. He truly hated his brother. “She knew Agent Steel would return here eventually once he learned about the deaths. She was hoping he’d bring Garrett with him so she could show her first born son his true family.”
“Why do you hate Reece so much?”
“Because he will be the next alpha. If he’d never been born, I would have ruled the pack!” He pouted like a petulant boy being denied his favorite toy.
I didn’t bother to hide my contempt. “You could never be an alpha. You’re not strong willed enough. Plus, you’re certifiably insane.”
A flash of rage crossed his face. “You will treat me with respect once you are mine,” he snarled.
“I’ll never be yours.” It came out even more coldly than I’d intended. “I belong to Reece and only to Reece.” I’d still belong to him even if he didn’t want me and if he rejected me utterly. My silent vow to him made sure of that.
“Why do you want Alexis to be your mate so badly?” Kurt asked mildly.
“Because she’s his. Once he returns to our pack, Garrett’s going to have everything that I want. My revenge will be to take the thing he loves the most away from him.” His eyes shone with sick lust that made my stomach rebel.
“You are seriously mentally disturbed,” the faery observed almost admiringly. “Did you have any further questions for him?” he asked me.
“Are you the only member of the pack who has been killing humans?” The wounds had all appeared to have been made by the same werewolf, but I had to be sure he’d acted alone.
Kurt repeated the question and Gareth nodded. “The kills were all mine.” He gave me an eerie smile. Even deeply beneath supernatural hypnosis, his enjoyment of the murders that he’d performed shone through.
Feeling more and more ill by the second, I turned to Kurt. “Can I please leave?”
He looked surprised by my plea. “Of course, my dear. You look quite unwell. Perhaps you should go straight to bed and forget I was even here. You’ll remember that a Mind Sweeper came and helped you to get the answers that you required, but you won’t remember anything else that occurred between us.”
“Yes. Of course,” I agreed woodenly.
Stumbling to the door, I retraced my route and entered the main area. Kala and Flynn still hadn’t moved. Zeus sat on the floor beside them, showing no concern at their unmoving, barely blinking states. Mark was sitting at the computer table when I took the stairs upwards. He didn’t turn to acknowledge me as I raced past him and entered my bedroom.
I made it to the bathroom just in time. Crashing to my knees in front of the toilet, I vomited until I felt like I was going to pass out.
When I finished emptying my stomach, I had enough energy to brush my teeth and drag myself to bed before I fell into a deep and enchanted sleep.
₪₪₪
Chapter Six
A finger insistently poking me in the arm woke me the next morning. I’d fallen face down on my bed and I apparently hadn’t changed position all night.
Rolling my head to the side, I saw a blurry form sitting beside me. “What?” I asked crankily when my vision cleared and Kala’s face came into view.
“It’s aliiiiive!” she said dramatically then grinned. “Are you feeling any better now?”
Cautiously rolling onto my back, I waited for my stomach to protest, but it remained calm. “Yes, thank God. I thought I was going to puke up my lungs at one stage.”
Her expression changed from mischievous to concerned. “Shifters don’t usually get sick like that. What do you think happened?”
“I think the spell the bald faery tried to cast on me didn’t sit with me very well.”
Kala looked completely blank. “What bald faery?”
“Kurt Jorgen,” I reminded her. “The short Mind Sweeper who arrived yesterday to help us question Gareth.”
Leaning over, she put a hand on my forehead, presumably to check for a fever. “Maybe you should stay in bed for the rest of the day. You aren’t making any sense. The Mind Sweeper was average height, had black hair and was human.”
Shifters ran hotter than humans and her palm felt warm to me. I knocked her hand away and rolled off the bed. It was useless to try to convince her that what she’d seen had been an illusion. “I must have gotten him mixed up with someone in a dream. I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll make coffee,” she offered and I gave her a smile of gratitude.
Once the door was closed behind her, my smile disappeared. I’d forgotten that the team wouldn’t be able to remember Kurt. It was surprising that his spell to make me forget him hadn’t worked. Apart from making me ill, it had had no effect on me at all. My memory of his visit remained intact and I doubted he’d be very happy to learn that.
I took my time to shower then blow dry my hair. It had always been long, but it was now almost down to my waist. I’d have to get it trimmed soon or it would become too unmanageable.
Dressing in a plain white tank top and jeans, I headed downstairs for breakfast. Mark, Kala and Flynn were huddled together at the table. They went quiet when I appeared at the top of the stairs.
Scrambling away from the table, Zeus sprinted over to the base of the stairs and slid to a stop on the bare concrete floor. His entire back half wagged in glee when I reached him. He slobbered all over my hands when I crouched down to pat him. He then licked my face from my chin to my hairline.
“Calm down,” I told him. “You’re acting like you haven’t seen me for a month.” I washed my face and hands in the sink then filled a bowl with cereal and took my usual seat beside Kala. Zeus must have already been fed, because he didn’t pester me for scraps.
“Flynn has a feeling that something very strange happened yesterday,” Mark said. “He thinks you might know what it was.”
I looked across the table at Flynn to see him pushing his cereal around with his spoon. “Why would you think that?” I asked him. He’d proven more than once that his senses tended to be more highly attuned than ours. It was interesting that he sensed that something had happened while Kala was utterly clueless.
He met my gaze and shrugged uneasily. “I don’t know. Something was off, but I’m not sure what. I had really weird dreams all night.”
“Were they about a bald half-faery?” I asked dryly.
His spoon clattered against the bowl when he dropped it. “How did you know that? Are you psychic?”
I paused with my spoon halfway to my mouth to see them all staring at me. “
Of course not!” They relaxed slightly at my instant reply. We’d had fairly stressful situations when dealing with people who possessed mind powers so far. “Before I try to explain, what do you think happened yesterday?”
Mark fielded that one. “Kala questioned Gareth, but he was highly resistant to pain. We could see we weren’t going to get anywhere with him so I called the Mind Sweepers for assistance and they sent us one of their agents. Once our prisoner was under hypnosis, he told us everything we wanted to know.”
“Oh boy,” I shook my head in wonder. “They don’t call him a Mind Sweeper for nothing.”
“What really happened then?” Flynn asked. He was as disturbed as the other two at having his memories altered.
“If I mention him by name or tell you anything about him, you won’t remember we even had this conversation,” I explained. “Let’s just say that the Mind Sweeper wasn’t human.”
“What was he?” Mark queried.
“I can’t answer that,” I replied with a helpless shrug.
Mark turned thoughtful. “What was I doing while our visitor was here?”
“You monitored the cell from the coms room. It’ll be interesting to see the footage of the question and answer session.”
“I’ve already watched it,” he said. “Both you and the Mind Sweeper questioned Gareth. He asked the prisoner a series of questions then you became ill and asked to leave the cell.”
Clearly, the footage had been altered by the faery.
Flynn frowned deeply. “I can still pick up his scent. I can tell our visitor was a male, but I can’t determine much more than that. His scent reminds me of flowers. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
I shook my head. “It sounds so weird when you say that.”
“Flowers?” Mark said with a thoughtful look. He’d just figured out what sort of being we were dealing with. “If this person wasn’t human then you shouldn’t be able to remember anything about your encounters with him.” He carefully avoided using the words fae or faery.
