Not Quite Whole

by Kaye Draper

  “Look, Ada,” I said, seriously. “I’ll do what I can to keep Theo safe. I’ve tried talking him out of his nonsense, but he’s dead set on changing the fucking world. He doesn’t want me as a mate. But I’ll do everything else I can to support him as a...friend. Okay?”

  She took a deep breath and I just knew she was never going to let me off the damned phone. I was about to hang up on her again when an ear-splitting wail pierced my eardrum from her end of the phone. “I’m sorry. I’ve gotta go,” she said hurriedly. “I don’t have the ten years it would take to figure out why you’re so damned stupid. The baby needs feeding.”

  I closed my eyes at her easy shift from politician, to concerned family member, to mother. My heart clenched for a second there, at the sound of her shushing her offspring. There were some things I’d just never be. But at least I was good at what I was. “Anyone comes near him, and they’re dead, Ada,” I said softly. “I promise.”

  “Thanks, Sam,” she said, voice a little too loud so I could hear her over her crying spawn. “Don’t you end up dead either, okay? Promise?”

  I huffed. “Of course not.”

  I hung up the phone and sat there staring at Jules’s stuffy notes and his fancy letter opener, wondering if I could keep my promises this time.

  Chapter 5

  I had to give it to Theo, he was definitely good at what he did for a living. Somehow, he always managed to come across to the public as both soft and harmless and unwilling to put up with any shit. There was always this quiet assurance about him under that people-pleasing smile. Some people probably missed that and thought him weak. But they learned their lesson the hard way in conference rooms and phone calls. He was kind, but he was also clever, and he was usually about three steps ahead of everyone else plotting around him.

  His voice didn’t waver as he delivered his speech. I scanned the crowd constantly from my position behind and slightly to the right of Theo on the small portable stage. A temporary gathering area had been set up in the front lawn of the sovereign’s mansion. After a lengthy discussion with Theo’s guards and security people, we decided it was probably safer to let a few select people onto the grounds than to try to set up something in a public space, where just anyone could come and go.

  My eyes drifted over Theo’s two beefy personal bodyguards, Thor and Loki, who were stationed on the ground at the front of the stage, then swept the perimeter again. Everything looked okay, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax until this whole shit show was over and Theo was back safely behind the mansion walls. Theo insisted Carlyle wouldn’t guess he was about to expose himself, because Carlyle was a coward, and he wouldn’t understand how Theo could go through with it. Theo was convinced that if Carlyle got wind of the press conference being held today, he would just assume Theo was either preparing for his departure from Westhold or making some desperate effort to get people to like him, to ensure he still had allies when Carlyle revealed that the sovereign was a fiend. But I was still afraid the crazy cousin would figure out what this little shin-dig was all about and find a way to sabotage it.

  Angel’s magic floated in the air around me like an imagined caress as he used his subtle powers to send out a wave of soothing and calm through the small crowd that was gathered before us. Reporters and politicians sat in folding chairs, hanging on Theo’s words with rapt attention, wondering what their new ruler was up to now. What new, radical idea was he going to reveal? He was already shaking things up by improving cur rights and acknowledging Ahura’s heroic act and subsequent murder. What now?

  “...and despite our rocky past, it is more and more evident to anyone who takes the time to see. Curs and the fiends who can pass as human just want the same thing the human citizens of this town do. They want to live in peace and comfort. Westhold will thrive,” Theo’s voice was even, calm and confident, “precisely because we can see what others are still blind to. By utilizing the strengths of all our citizens, we will become the envy of every other major city in the U.S. We can grow and change. But only if we are willing to be open-minded moving forward. It has taken a long time for society to begin to acknowledge that those of mixed blood—curs—can be contributing members of our world.” He squared his shoulders and looked directly at a reporter who was seated dead center of the gathering. “But I ask you all to consider one more truth today. One that was already proven when our city lost a fiend who was brave enough to save a human child at the cost of her own life. Nothing is universally evil. Not even full fiends.” He paused and pinned another reporter with his intense blue gaze. “Some fiends can live among humans undetected, quietly blending in to avoid persecution and violence.” He shrugged and gave the audience a wry smile as he dropped his bomb. “Some of us want to be able to co-exist and make this tattered world a better place for everyone.”

  He gave them all a minute to catch up and let his wording sink in. “Some of us,” he had said. Counting himself among those rare fiends who were hiding in plain sight.

  Cameras were raised and hands flew up as people started muttering and jostling to ask questions. Theo held up a hand to silence them all. He removed his bracelet full of charms and handed it to Angel for safekeeping. Then he turned back to the assembled crowd, letting go of his tight grip on his magic, revealing the yellow and red feathers among his chestnut curls, and the hot, blue-violet flames dancing in his eyes. “I promise you,” he said in that same calm, even voice, even as the word “monster” clearly drifted from somewhere in the crowd before us. “I only have the best interests of Westhold and its citizens at heart. I have kept my true identity a secret because I was afraid it would prevent me from realizing these goals of unity and acceptance. But I wish to share myself with the city as we move forward bravely into the future.”

  I flicked a glance outward, past the gathered mass of shocked people to where Fin and Emerson stood by the front gate. Fin had a gun to cover Emerson, who was holding a sensor he’d designed to sniff out magic. They both seemed calm. No sound crackled over my earpiece. Carlyle hadn’t succeeded in planting a magical trap or something annoying like that.

  “I promise, I will answer all your questions at length,” Theo said to the yammering crowd. “But that will have to wait until our next press conference in a few days’ time. For now, I want to show you who I am. I give you my permission to take photos and share what you see—but only with truth and integrity, please. I will not tolerate fearmongering in any form.”

  Then the sovereign of Westhold made his way off the stage and down to an area in the driveway that had been cleared of anything flammable and roped off for just this purpose. I followed him at a distance, not wanting to get roasted, but also not trusting the crowd, many of whom were now looking at me with suspicion and hatred. Yeah, Theo hiring a bunch of curs hadn’t exactly been lost on people. And I was pretty sure they were going to bitch extra loud about it now.

  I halted and met Theo’s glowing blue eyes. Heat was radiating off him as he let his encroaching shift well up. His jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. I had never asked him about his shift—whether it hurt to burst into flames. But I didn’t think that was pain I saw in his eyes. I was pretty sure it was fear. I pressed my lips together and gave him a short nod. “We’ll be right here, sovereign.” I said, low enough that he was probably the only one who heard.

  He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, fire sparking up and dancing along his skin and clothes, curling tongues of flame writhing in his hair. I heard the big bodyguards and the security people rounding up the small crowd of politicians, city employees, and reporters, herding them back to a safe distance. Then...Theo exploded.

  I squinted my eyes mostly closed against the painfully bright flare of white-hot magic, bracing my feet as scorching air slammed into me. Gravel and debris stung my skin, all of it sharp and superheated.

  When the heat started to fade, I opened my eyes fully, immediately looking for threats.

  All I saw was one gigantic, fire-colored dino-peac
ock and a bunch of shocked humans. Stepping in close, I put my back to the phoenix and gestured toward the mansion with my gun. “Okay...fun times. Inside now, your majesty.”

  I wasn’t sure how much he understood. The first time I’d seen Theo bird out, it was during an assassination attempt and at a time when he’d been holding back his swelling magic for too long. That time, he’d made a crater in the back yard and it took him several days to fully understand human language, and a little over a week to actually change back to his usual form. But he said things were easier if he planned his shift and took control of it before he was overwhelmed.

  He hadn’t blown up the driveway, so I was hoping he had enough of a human brain left in there to follow directions. I eyed his wicked beak and those fucking intimidating talons and hoped like hell I didn’t have to wrestle him into the house alone. I could do it, probably. Maybe. But it wouldn’t be a fucking walk in the park for either of us.

  I glanced at Jules and Angel, who were both standing nearby. Nothing like water magic to subdue a firebird, right? Surely, they could help if the asshole started trying to eat reporters or something.

  Theo raised his feathered crest and let out an ear-splitting trill. Then he spread his tail, raking a big, taloned foot through the dirt and lifting his head in an arrogant way, posing for his photo shoot. I rolled my eyes. Sure, a peacock tail made of flames and dripping sparks was impressive, I guess. But I needed him safe now. My cat side was getting growly. I didn’t like him exposed to all these people. “Theo,” I said, stepping in between him and the reporters. “Let’s go.”

  He stared me down with his flaming eyes, the bird plenty tall enough to meet my eyes. Then he clucked at me and spread his wings.

  “No,” I said in warning. “Don’t even fucking think about it.”

  He turned away and shook out his long, elegant feathers made of liquid flame, then he crouched, preparing to launch into the air.

  “We don’t have protections set up for flying, you asshole!” I said, hurrying after the bird-brain. Anyone could pick him off once he was up in the air, and none of his security team could help him. It wouldn’t even have to be magic. Emerson had shown me the drones he was drooling over just yesterday—ones that could carry ammunition and fly in complete silence. “Theo, you flaming asshat, do not leave the ground!”

  But like I’d told Ada, he never listened to me.

  The backdraft from his giant wings whipped my hair around my face in a stinging slap as the phoenix launched into the air. He was weirdly graceful for such a big, scary-looking dino-bird. He circled overhead, showboating for the reporters, trailing long streams of fire and sparks. Then he glided off over the mansion and hopefully toward the warded garden where he usually spent his shift. I hoped like hell none of those sparks caught the roof on fire. Though it would serve him damned right for being an idiot.

  “Viceroy? Viceroy!”

  I tensed, my shoulders rising up to meet my ears. Oh, for fuck’s sake.

  Since the sovereign was gone, I was his fucking voice. That asshole had just left me to deal with people. I was going to shoot him point-blank in his birdy face when I finally got out of here.

  I turned to face the horde of rabid story seekers. “Like the man said, he’ll answer all your questions at the next press conference.”

  Angel sidled up to stand next to me, and I had never been happier to be the victim of siren magic. My shoulders dropped and I took in an actual breath, bracing my feet and resting my gun against my leather-clad thigh. I lifted my chin a notch and glared at the reporters in front of me.

  “Did you know what he was when you were hired, Viceroy Forest?” a chubby lady with tight brown ringlets and bright red lipstick asked, a notepad clutched in her hand.

  I tried to channel some of Theo’s fake calm and keep the growl out of my voice. “No,” I said evenly. “I thought he was human, just like everyone else. But it doesn’t matter. Human or fiend, he’s the best thing to happen to this city in a long damned time.”

  She swallowed convulsively, nodding, and seemed to have trouble tearing her eyes away from me as she scribbled. Weirdo.

  “Viceroy? Do you know what the soverign’s plans are for the humans in this city?” a tall, skinny man with glasses asked. He held what looked like an old-fashioned recording device in one bony hand.

  I arched a brow at him. “What the hell kind of question is that? Don’t be trying to start shit. His plans are the same as they’ve always been—to get everyone to live together without murdering each other.”

  “Viceroy?” a short, blonde girl with fake eyelashes asked, clicking her pen like a maniac. “Is it true that the sovereign plans to replace all the city officials with fiends and curs?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her and slapped my gun against my thigh. “Is it true you don’t have a single brain cell in that ditzy head of yours?”

  I held up a hand to stall the next question before it got started. And before I actually shot someone for stupidity. “Look. You’ve all been warned. You can report on this all you want, but don’t go trying to stir the pot. You go making up sensational articles and people are going to get riled up. And if that happens, people are going to die.” I shared a glare between all of them. “And if that happens, I will hold each and every one of you responsible. You’ll have to deal with me. Do you understand? Theo might be understanding and nice to a fault. I’m not.”

  Apparently, that little spark of alpha that lived inside me was effective on humans too. I got a whole lot of bowed heads, averted eyes, and fervent nods of agreement. Then Jules was bustling everyone off the grounds with the help of the guards, a smirk flitting at the edges of his mouth.

  Angel touched the small of my back, the tips of his fingers pressing in, there and gone again in an instant, supportive, but trying not to get his arm ripped off for being mushy. “Shall we?”

  I sighed and shoved my gun back into its holster at my hip. “I swear to fuck, I’m gonna shoot someone one of these days just for talking.”

  “Welcome to politics, Sam.” He chuckled. “You should feel a sort of kinship with reporters, I’d think.”

  I glanced at him as we made our way up the front steps. “Me?”

  He grinned. “Sure. They also speak without any sort of verbal filter and absolutely no regard for anyone else’s feelings. It’s like you’re...twinsies.”

  I punched him in the shoulder so hard he staggered. “Asshole.”

  He just laughed harder. “Come on. Let’s go see how our little songbird is faring.”

  I snorted. Songbird. Right. More like weird-assed dinosaur bird. But whatever.

  I was still stuck on the word “our.”

  Chapter 6

  I leaned back and kicked my feet up onto Theo’s big, shiny desk, wiggling my ass to get more comfortable in his plush leather office chair. The phone receiver was cradled between my ear and shoulder, while I held the rest of the phone in my lap and fiddled with the twisted cord. Theo had cell phones and cordless devices around here too, but corded landlines were way more reliable. I wasn’t going to fuck around with making multiple calls because I lost service or an ancient battery decided now was the time to fail. Talking to people was bad enough when it was short and sweet.

  Cora’s voice was filled with dry amusement on the other end of the line. “You know how they are. It’s slow as erosion and I have to knock heads together every few minutes...but I’m making progress, Viceroy.”

  I heaved a sigh. Something thumped onto the thick rug, then clattered across the shiny marble floor and I narrowed my eyes at Theo. The massive flaming monster was precariously perched on the edge of a built-in bookshelf, attempting to pull down a thick book and knocking every single fucking other book and knickknack down in the process.

  He followed me or Angel everywhere. It was hilarious the first day of his shift, seeing all the staff react to the presence of the monster bird in the sovereign’s mansion. During all his other cycles, he’d hidden out in the
garden under a special ward so he wouldn’t be seen. But now that his secret was out, there was no reason he couldn’t come inside. Big, powerful phoenix my ass. He was a constant nuisance, and half the time he acted like a giant puppy.

  He gave up on the book and hopped down, flapping his wings once to slow his fall. His talons clacked against the floor as he came over to me and stood staring at me with eyes that were too human for an animal.

  “Yeah,” I told Cora, trying to focus on the conversation. When we killed the stupid, rabid alpha of my old pack, there had been a mad scramble to replace him. Normally, one of his sadistic cronies would have filled the position, but Theo insisted on change. Alpha Baghinder had nearly brought down exile or extermination on the pack. So, no one bitched too loudly when the sovereign of Westhold insisted they nominate an alpha who would be more progressive when it came to existing alongside humans and curs.

  I had almost choked when Cora put herself forward for the position. Females didn’t have positions of power in the forest shifter pack. They were just possessions or serving maids. But Cora was a bitch on wheels, so if anyone could whip the assholes into submission, it would be her.

  She’d been selected—after Theo strongly encouraged the pack to choose her—and so far, it was working out. Cora had been born here, in this dimension, and she didn’t cling to the old ways like her elders. She was also smart enough to know that cooperating with Theo’s rules and demands would mean a lot more freedom and privilege for her pack—especially the females.

  Unfortunately, everyone decided I was to be the fucking go-between in all this, even before Theo went off on his bird-cation and left me with all his headaches.

  I ended the check-in call and raised a brow at Theo, who was still standing by my chair, staring. “What?”

  He clucked at me, then gently nipped a bit of my sleeve in his giant beak and tugged.