Again, he reminded me of a deer in headlights. “I simply made an observation about churches in general. I never trust them. I didn’t mention a specific church. And definitely not a specific person. Hell, I could have been talking about your church. The Vatican and whatnot. Because this looks a hell of a lot like retaliation to me. You dig into the murders, and the Vatican gets bombed.” He shrugged. “Seems like something Amira would do. To cover her bases, at least. It’s why I’ve been reluctant to talk to you. She’s fucking psychotic.”
I decided to go for my original plan. Parts of it would still work, but I had hoped for more help from Dorian. “What about Yuri? A local bear.”
Dorian grunted. “What about him? He was kicked out of his Cave for something, and spent a few days telling everyone he met that he would soon be the new Kansas City Alpha. But he’s not been seen for a while, now.”
I was doubly glad that I had warned Claire. Because if Yuri wanted to be the new alpha, things were going to get worse.
“Can you contact him?” I asked. I had the outlines of a plan, and the more I focused on it, the more it began to take shape. Beckett was studying me thoughtfully.
“Sure.” Dorian shrugged. I slowly turned to face him, a terrible smile stretching my cheeks.
I let a slow, menacing grin creep over my face. “You want to get even?”
He nodded cautiously. “Depending on the next words out of your mouth…”
As I told him, the look of shock and disbelief began to fade, and he began to look very intense, as if he were planning every detail of a party. In a way, he was.
“That’s… positively devious,” Dorian said wonderingly.
I leaned in closer. “But know this, Mr. Gray. If one single hair on Beckett’s head is harmed. If he trips over a sidewalk into oncoming traffic. I’m coming for you. And I will keep you in agony until the end of my days…”
He grimaced, a sickly expression on his face. “Understood.”
“You’ve got work to do, and so do we. We’ll see ourselves out.”
Chapter 42
I took Beckett to Darling and Dear. Instead of just walking in unannounced, I knocked.
They answered almost immediately, smiling excitedly at me, and dipping their heads politely at Beckett. He returned the gesture, not sure what we were doing here. I felt these two needed to be experienced firsthand, not explained secondhand. They were an enigma, to put it mildly.
They locked up behind them and then led us deeper into the store, talking over their shoulders. “We were just going to visit you, but you were in a despicable place, uninvited,” Dear said over her shoulder. “We didn’t want to bother you. Then you were suddenly outside, so we just waited. We have someone we would like you to meet.”
I tensed uncertainly, and Beckett must have noticed it. I felt his posture grow more alert beside me, but to anyone else it might have gone unnoticed.
They were just going to visit me? What did that mean? And who was waiting for me here?
We passed an area full of coats, and I found myself staring at one curiously, but Dear and Darling quickly moved past it, motioning for us to follow. I sighed, realizing that I could spend hours in this place thumbing through the racks. I shook my head, focusing. Dorian was in play, but I needed one more wildcard. Something to muddy the water… Darling and Dear rounded a corner ahead of me, and I realized I had been dragging my feet, lost in my thoughts. I quickened my pace and saw them turn into what looked like a side room. How big was this place?
I stepped through the doorway behind them to find a large, cozy room with two leather-backed couches and a fireplace. A man was sprawled lazily on one of the couches, smoking a cigar. He wore custom Darling and Dear boots, judging by the looks of them. I wondered if they were as comfortable as mine.
“Cain…” I growled.
Dear and Darling cleared their throats. “You two got off on the wrong foot. Although a mercenary, killer, and all around terrible person, one thing is pretty sacrosanct to him. His word.”
Cain grunted dismissively. “Except when it ain’t,” he grinned.
I studied him thoughtfully. “You remind me of an asshole I once met.”
“That’s probably because we’ve met before, Callie,” he chuckled.
I shook my head, not rising to the bait. “No, a guy named Nate Temple.”
Cain stiffened, boots thumping to the floor and eyes dancing with fire. “Oh, I met that smug bastard once. I wanted to have a chat with him. But he went and got all juiced up on me.”
I smirked. “Scared?”
“Smart,” he corrected, visibly relaxing. “I’m not saying we won’t meet in a dark alley one day… But I will say I’m no longer actively searching for that alley,” he said carefully.
I decided to try a different tact, aware of Dear and Darling watching us. “He is… a handful. Quite infuriating at times, to be honest. But I think he means well.”
Cain guffawed. “Don’t we all…”
I nodded. “So…”
He tapped out his cigar, studying the cherry for a few seconds. “You’re being followed. Daily. I caught onto it by accident and decided to go to that coffee shop you frequent. Been hanging around ever since. It didn’t seem right to be stalking a young girl such as yourself, but then I saw you take care of a problem or two, and decided you probably didn’t need my help.” He tapped some ash into the ashtray. “Then folks started dying. Using my detective skills, I thought they might be connected. I was keeping a lookout when you stumbled onto me.” He met my eyes, as if trying to stare into my soul. “Someday I would very much like to know how you did that…”
I shrugged innocently. “Woman’s intuition.”
He grunted. “My ass.”
I thought about his story, putting it in the back of my mind as I considered how to best use it to my advantage. “You’re really Cain? The Cain?”
He nodded with a resigned sigh. “Yes. First killer, blah, blah, blah.”
I held up a hand. “No, I wasn’t judging you. I was actually curious. Maybe we can trade stories sometime…”
He squinted at me, assessing me. Then gave a brief nod. “That might be fun.”
I nodded back, thinking on what I needed to set this house of cards on fire. I tapped my lips thoughtfully. “I need to draw everyone out of the dark. Bring them together.”
“I know you’re a nun and everything, but I don’t think a prayer circle is going to fix this.”
I laughed, replaying my words in my head. I turned, flashing him a delighted smile. “I like you, Cain. You’re fun.”
He hesitated, staring back at me curiously.
“I want to bring everyone together… for a bloodbath. With a demon. You interested?”
He sputtered on his cigar, coughing violently. Then he just stared at me for a time, his eyes ageless and calculating. Then a deep, rolling laugh bubbled up from his belly, and I saw that his eyes were actually moist with tears. “I think I like you, too, Callie…” He slapped his knees, hooting uproariously as he thanked Dear and Darling for the meeting. They positively beamed, but had looked concerned at my words. Cain fidgeted excitedly, waiting.
“So, what’s next?” Beckett asked.
I played along with Beckett’s act. Cain had never been part of the plan, but his help could push the needle just enough to make a difference, and with Darling and Dear vouching for him, I decided to extend some trust. Beckett had already volunteered, knowing that either way he was going to be in danger, and wanting to make the most of his aid. But we had to play to the crowd, let them see what we wanted them to see. I finally found a part for Cain to play.
“I think I want to go for a jog. Get warmed up for the wrestling match tonight.”
Cain watched me, eyes calculating. “You want to lure out the stalker. You want me to kill him or something? I’ve been trying. This son of a bitch is savvy. And I think there might be more than one of them…”
I shrugged. “I doubt you could stop
them. Nothing against you. I think they’re more aware of what’s going on in this city than anyone thinks, and more aware of the residents, too…”
Cain leaned forward. “You already know who they are?” he asked in disbelief.
I shook my head and smiled. “I have no idea.”
Beckett cleared his throat. “I’m going to let them catch me.”
Cain leaned back with a grunt. Speechless.
Dear spoke up. “That… doesn’t sound beneficial.”
But Cain looked very thoughtful all of a sudden. “That… holy shit. That’s bloody certifiable.” Then he turned to Beckett. “And you officially have the biggest balls God ever created.”
Beckett shrugged unconcernedly. “I’m going to be used as a hostage anyway. Why not let them think they’ve won the first hand?” And a mischievous grin split his cheeks.
Cain grunted. “You realize that this can all go tits up at any moment, and that you’re sacrificing early in hopes for the right layout at the end…”
I shrugged. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice some pawns to take the Queen…”
Cain nodded. “Mind if I have a few words with Mr. Big Stones?” he asked. I glanced at Beckett who shrugged. I motioned them away, watching thoughtfully as they walked closer to the fire, Cain speaking in low tones, likely giving him tips on what to do with various monsters.
If anyone knew how to keep Beckett alive, it was Cain. He had killed things for centuries. Millennia. I felt eyes on me and turned to see Darling and Dear studying me.
“It really is the only way…” I offered in a soft tone. “Pretending to play by her rules is the only way to enter the game. This is my ante.”
They nodded sadly, and then motioned for me to sit on the empty couch. I did, preparing to defend my plan. “You need to learn how to use your boots, honey,” Dear said.
I blinked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Those are Darling and Dears,” Darling growled. Then he wiggled his fingers in the air dramatically. “They do things.” At my blank look, he sat down beside me and tapped me on the temple. “Think about heels.”
The sudden jab to my temple startled me into obeying.
And I gasped as my shoes quivered, leather whipping about wildly as if eating my foot. Before I could shout, it stopped, and I stared down to see that I was wearing a sexy pair of black heels. A pair I had seen in a magazine a few days ago.
Dear clapped delightedly. “We could do this all day, but we know you’re in a rush. The shoes can change from boots, to heels, to moccasins, to sandals. As long as you have an idea in mind, the shoes will do the rest.” She leaned forward as if preparing to nibble my ear. “In any color, fashion, or style…”
I shook my head in wonder, imagining them back into the brown boots from earlier. In a blink, they were back. I felt like crying. And shopping the rest of the store, Amira be damned.
As if sensing my thoughts, Darling cleared his throat. “They also sense demons. You’ll feel a slight pinch in the toes of the shoe, indicating what direction they are in relation to you.”
I felt like crying. I didn’t really think that part was necessary, seeing as how I was confronting Amira soon, and would be staring right at her, but if I survived the night? That ability could prove very useful.
“I don’t know what to say…” I whispered.
“Your face already said it, sweetie,” Dear said, grinning.
Cain finally returned with Beckett under his massive arm. I cleared my throat and wiped my eyes, which instantly made the men uncomfortable, realizing they had walked into an estrogen zone. Once composed, he spoke uncertainly. “You want me to watch, and let him be kidnapped… Anyone could do that. Why do you need me?”
I flashed him a wicked grin. “Oh, no. That’s what I want the stalker to see. To see the mighty Cain, lose. But here’s what you’ll do right after that…”
Beckett was very calm, not an ounce of fear on his face. I hoped he wasn’t lying to appease me, and that he really was open to this. After all, this part had been his idea.
Chapter 43
I stared down at the asphalt, focusing on my feet. They instantly shifted from kinky boots to authentic moccasins – the kind that could take a long hike in the woods without issue, not the slipper kind. I stared at them in wonder, shaking my head. Darling and Dear were leather Gods.
Beckett stared down at his own shoes, looking disappointed.
“Remember the plan,” I said under my breath, pretending to stretch out my hamstrings.
Cain grunted in response, and although we couldn’t see him, I felt him leave – a vacant space remaining where I had sensed him only a second ago.
I locked eyes with Beckett. “You sure you’re okay with this?” I asked, beginning to walk.
He nodded. “Cain gave me some pointers. And like I said, it really is inevitable. It’s what I would do if I was her. So why not capitalize on it?”
I sighed. My plan wasn’t foolproof. None ever were. In fact, it was about the wildest, most unpredictable plan I could think of. Enough to make me doubt it, but Cain seemed to see a sliver of a chance in it, and Beckett was confident enough to nominate himself as the bait. So at least two people believed in it. As did Dorian, if that counted for anything. But since he had lived a life avoiding confrontation, I wasn’t sure if that was a plus or a minus in my favor. But the addition of Cain to our plan would make his job more palatable.
We rounded the corner and saw the church in the center of the block, the opposite direction from where we were going. But we both paused to openly stare at the crowd of rioters outside. Bigger, louder, and more explosive than last time. As I stared at them, shaking my head, I felt a dark presence looming unseen, followed by a pinch in my toes. I jumped instinctively, staring down. Then I remembered.
The shoes could sense demons.
I shook off the feeling and looked back to the church. Now was the scary part. I took a deep breath, and reached through the cracked door in my mind – which was slightly wider after my visit to Chateau Demon. Silver instantly washed over the streets like a tide, bathing everything in chrome, but the church remained dark. Chrome struggled to gain purchase there, as if something was blocking my vision, but it wasn’t impenetrable, because flickers of silver would appear, be consumed, and then reappear in several places across the structure.
Which made me feel that the church wasn’t entirely corrupt, but that some dark presence was pumping the bellows, encouraging the hate – Amira. And I wanted her to see me pressing against her stronghold, out in the open. Poke the bear.
I studied the crowd more intently and saw a lot of people that hadn’t been there before. Rougher, wilder, more passionate men and women – the type who were usually drawn to violence disguised by the name of peaceful protest. I saw the Abominable Three – the churchwomen from the coffee shop, faces red with passion as they punched their fists into the air. “Death to the idols! Kill the Freaks. God is coming!”
They were shouting the loudest.
Maybe they were the problem – actively working with Amira, but disguised as peaceful old ladies. Regardless, all that mattered to my plan was that someone in the church was not who they said they were. I’d already tried the top of the food chain, and they were mouth-breathing, limp cucumbers. But as long as I knew someone in the church was dirty, my plan was still a go.
I glanced over at Beckett, directing us away from the church, confident we had spent enough time in view. “You better keep your ass safe, Beckett.”
“That’s always my top priority,” he said, smiling crookedly. Then he began to jog, eyes scanning the streets warily, as if searching for something. I followed, catching up to him and also scanning the streets, muttering incoherently under my breath as if passing on information to Beckett. He jabbered back, maintaining the ruse.
Then he glanced down at his watch sharply, a smart device, and suddenly poured on the speed. “This way!” he snapped urgently, having seen something on his
screen that prompted him to enter a dark alley.
I missed the alley, cursing loudly as I spun around to follow him, now a dozen paces behind him. “Wait, Beckett!” I hissed.
“We don’t have time to wait, Callie!” he snapped, racing faster.
“We don’t even know if—” but he had rounded a corner, out of sight.
I pounded asphalt, trying to catch up to him, panting loudly as I stumbled. “These shoes aren’t made for this shit!” I cursed.
I rounded the corner to find him now at least two dozen paces away. Between one moment and the next, a hazy figure was suddenly there. I felt no pinch in the toe of my shoes.
I gasped, flung out my hand, and sent one of my energy sticks hurtling through the air to defend Beckett. I stumbled, and skidded to the ground loudly, landing in a greasy puddle. I groaned, clutching my ankle, and slowly made my way to my feet, limping after Beckett.
My trip had caused my magic projectile to fly wide, missing the stalker by a wide margin.
I heard a shout, and then a blur flew down from a rooftop and tackled the hazy stalker, but the stalker had anticipated it somewhat, because he spun, and the blur hit him, bounced off, and slammed into a trio of trashcans.
Cain appeared in full view, cursing angrily as he climbed to his feet. He glanced from the stalker, to Beckett, to me, and slowly stepped between me and the stalker, leaving Beckett all alone.
“Get him! He has—”
“No way, Callie. We can’t let him have you!” Cain growled.
Beckett slashed out with his butterfly knives, and the stalker was suddenly moving. The vague form slapped the knives free and grappled with Beckett. He struggled, landing a few good blows, but was ultimately outmatched. The stalker held him in a rear choke, and then disappeared right as Cain threw a freaking hatchet at him.
I screamed.
The weapon sailed through empty air, hitting a dumpster behind where the two men had been.
I walked up to Cain, and slapped him with the full strength of my arm across the face. He flew into the dumpster, and I stared down at him panting. He stared at me and whispered under his breath. “That wasn’t the one I’ve seen following you.”
Feathers and Fire Series Box Set 1 Page 49
