by Melissa Haag
I looked at Oanen, wondering how he knew the woman.
“Hello, Nicolette,” he said.
“Darling! It’s been too long. How is my baby?”
“Baby?” I said, fighting the strong stirring of jealousy that wanted me to rip her pretty blonde hair from her head.
“She means Eliana,” Oanen said, wrapping an arm around me. “Megan, this is Nicolette Barchim, Eliana’s mother.”
I looked at the woman again, seeing the resemblance. In the hair, nose, and mouth. She didn’t look old enough to be Eliana’s mom, though. Older sister, maybe.
“Megan?” she said. “Eliana has told me so much about you. I’m happy you arrived in Uttira when you did and relieved you were able to help her make some progress. That girl’s issues are enough to make a mother cry, which would destroy my complexion for at least an hour. Tell me how she is. How does she look? Are her curves coming in? Is she feeding enough?”
“I’ll go wrap this for you,” the saleswoman said, walking behind the counter.
Nicolette’s gaze pinged back and forth between Oanen and me as she waited for a response.
“Eliana is well,” Oanen said.
“Yeah. She’s a good friend.”
Nicolette smiled.
“I’m so glad to hear that. I thought that girl would never have a friend. Any lovers yet?”
I glanced at Oanen, unsure what to say. Eliana had told me enough about her mom to know that the woman had completely different methods for childrearing than I’d experienced with my mother.
“No lovers yet,” Oanen said. “But as I’m sure Adira has already reported, she has fed off a grown man and has been wearing more provocative dresses and makeup.”
She waved her hand.
“Yes, yes. I know that. I was hoping, living with her, you might have inside information that the starchy Council does not.” She stepped closer to Oanen, and he released me, gently nudging me behind him. The protective gesture made me smile.
However, all humor fled the moment she reached out and trailed a finger down his chest.
“If my bedroom were next to yours, there would be no question about whether we were lovers. Off limits always tastes the best.”
Jealousy hit me hard right between the eyes and rage quickly followed. I stepped around Oanen and grabbed her wrist.
She yelped, and her eyes turned black.
“You’re burning me,” she said. “Back off, fledgling.”
Oanen moved to stand behind me, our roles reversed. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he nuzzled the back of my head.
“I’m yours,” he said softly. “Always.”
Nicolette jerked her hand free and stared at me with her wide, black eyes. I let my anger show in mine, and her face lit with a soft orange glow.
“Don’t ever touch him again,” I said, my voice carrying a hint of the fury echo.
“This is interesting,” she said, her cheeks flushing from the heat I knew I was putting off. “A griffin and a fury. Tell me, dear. Does your mother know?”
It pissed me off that she wasn’t even showing a hint of fear or concern.
“I doubt it. My mom has been out of the picture since she left me in Uttira.”
Nicolette tsked.
“It’s a shame when our kind abandons their young. I would have never done that to Eliana if she hadn’t fought so hard to be allowed to develop her skills on her own.”
“Go, Nicolette,” Oanen said from behind me. “Now.”
Nicolette set some money on the counter, without looking away from us, and accepted her wrapped package from the shopkeeper.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around, Fury,” she said with a nod of her head. “Delicious to see you again, Oanen. Maybe next time I’ll get a taste.”
His arms tightened around me, keeping me from flying at her.
Her sultry laugh followed her out the door. I turned my angry gaze on the saleswoman. I could feel her nervousness and a hint of something wicked that wasn’t there a few moments ago.
“Do all your customers wear cloaks?” I asked.
“Only the ones who want to keep their identities secret,” she said.
I pulled Oanen’s arms free of my waist and stepped up to the counter. The woman cringed when I leaned toward her.
“No more secrets. Start taking names or you’ll be confessing whatever it is I’m sensing. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Fury.”
Oanen said nothing as I turned and stormed out of the shop. The cool winter air caressed my cheeks as I stood on the sidewalk with my eyes closed for a few minutes.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Eliana’s mother is—”
“A succubus,” he said. “And Eliana will be grateful you didn’t hurt her.”
I opened my eyes and looked at him.
“Are you sure about that?”
He shrugged and laced his fingers through mine, a hint of humor making his lips twitch.
“You hungry?”
“I could eat.”
Forty minutes later, we were seated in a diner whose patrons made my skin crawl. Nothing overwhelming, individually, just a whole lot of messed up, collectively. Based on the tingle that had raced over my skin walking through the door of the café, I knew it was another Mantirum-only establishment, which explained the overall whisper of wickedness. Eating somewhere else might have been more pleasant, but at least here we could talk freely.
“How are we supposed to find out what’s happening when no one seems to know anything?” I asked, opening a menu.
Oanen wasn’t the least bit put off by my surly attitude.
“We’ll find something soon. Word will spread that we’re looking for information. Between the bar and Tabernam, someone will have something for us.
A waitress stopped at our table and set two glasses of water down.
“Griffins never could see what was right in front of their faces,” she said. “The victims were all males and all trolls. What do you think would leave a troll with a smile on his face? And, I hear there’s a pregnant one in the city. You know what that means.”
She winked at me. Clueless, I looked at Oanen for an explanation as the waitress moved off.
“She’s talking about a succubus,” he said.
“You don’t think—”
“Eliana’s mom is responsible? I don’t know, but we need to find out.”
Chapter Six
Oanen stood and held out his hand to me. I made a face, tossed down the menu, and joined him.
“I thought I’d be eating like a pig in New York. Instead, I’m going to starve,” I grumbled.
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and led me out to the street. On the sidewalk, he turned toward me and cupped my face.
“After this, it’ll be just you, me, and an extra-large pizza.”
“Don’t toy with me, bird boy. You better deliver.”
He tilted his head and studied my face for a moment.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m hungry, and we’re leaving the place that could have fixed that. What do you think?”
“I think it’s not food that’s upsetting you. Your eyes have just a hint of orange to them.”
His words brought my attention to the wickedness slowly coating my skin. I opened myself to the source.
“Who is it?” Oanen said softly.
The wickedness came from everywhere. From everyone to one degree or another.
“Crap,” I said under my breath. “I just can’t catch a break.” I grabbed Oanen’s hand again and hustled toward the car.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Let’s just hurry before I go after someone here on the street.”
“It’s more than one person?” he asked, opening my door.
“It’s everyone.”
He frowned at me as I got in but didn’t say anything more.
The need to jump out of the car grew stronger on the drive to the Tab
ernam, and I didn’t understand why. Well, I did. But given how I’d been fine the day before, I didn’t understand why people on the street and in passing cars were suddenly adding to the anger coating me with each passing second.
“I think I should take you home,” he said when we were only a block away.
“Why? We’re almost there.”
His hand covered my fist. I made a face and tried to relax my fingers. It wasn’t easy. The need to do something, to punish someone, rode me hard.
“I’ll be fine.”
However, once inside the Tabernam, my mind went back to how Eliana’s mom had hit on Oanen, and my anger only grew. Had the succubus still been there, I would have owed Eliana a sympathy card.
Oanen stopped my forward progress with an arm around my waist. Before I could tell him to let go, he turned me, grabbed my head and planted a kiss on me that made me forget the anger threading its way under my skin.
When he pulled back, the orange glow from my eyes reflected off his face. Only this time, it wasn’t anger.
“You are the most beautiful creature in this world,” he said softly. “And, it’s hard to think straight when your eyes glow like that.”
“Then maybe you should stop randomly kissing me,” I said.
“Never.”
I rolled my eyes at him, and his lips quirked at the corners.
“We’re here for a reason,” I reminded him.
“Hopefully it’s to purchase something.” The familiar voice killed the happy glow Oanen’s lips had created.
Clenching my fists, I turned toward the clerk.
“Creatures are dying. I’m skipping meals to chase down answers. And, I’m fighting the urge to throat punch someone. Do you seriously think we’re here to buy something?”
“Nicolette Barchim, the succubus,” Oanen said, setting his hands on my shoulders. “What did she buy?”
I could see the hesitation in the woman’s eyes.
“Do not make me pull out my Fury,” I warned.
The woman blanched and quickly answered.
“Herbs.”
“Not good enough. What herbs? What are they for?”
“They’re harmless. Just a boost to her energy while she’s pregnant.”
“Thank you,” Oanen said.
The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and on the way out of the shop.
“I can walk,” I said scowling up at him.
“And, I can carry you. It was my turn.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“No. I’m in a hurry. I promised you pizza, and you were looking ready for a fight.”
He set me down on the sidewalk and opened the car door for me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t feed you first.”
“You better be.”
I got in and buckled up. On the drive back, he asked me to message what we’d learned to his dad.
“Don’t you think you should let Eliana know first? I mean, it is her mom.”
“And if it’s her mom killing creatures because she’s trying to feed Eliana’s new sibling?”
Eliana already hated what she was. I couldn’t imagine how much it would freak her out if she learned her mom was killing creatures because she was pregnant.
“Point taken. I didn’t think their kind killed to feed.” Although, I did remember Eliana’s concern that she’d killed the guy in the alley.
“A succubus typically feeds off of sexual energy, not life energy. They can weaken their meal to the point of unconsciousness. Once unconscious, there’s no sexual energy.”
“These killings don’t sound like a succubus, then?”
“They don’t sound like anything we know.”
I typed out a brief message—Eliana’s mom is preggers—and hit send.
“Now, about this pizza.”
“Anything you want,” he said. “It’s New York. Just about everywhere delivers.”
“Pizza. Pepperoni is a must. Along with bacon, green olives, and onion.”
He glanced at me.
“That’s an unusual combination.”
“Am I a usual person?”
We talked about other food quirks on the way to his parents’ place. I tried to play it cool like his talk was distracting me but knew I’d failed when he covered my fist with his hand again. The anger, along with a familiar restlessness, was still building. If I were back home, I would go for a run. That wasn’t an option here, though.
As soon as he parked, I opened my door and hurried for the entrance.
His hand smoothed down my back the moment we were inside.
“It’ll be better in the condo. It’s protected.”
I hoped he was right. Using the stairs as an outlet, I sprinted upward, taking the steps two at a time.
“There’s a treadmill in the living room closet,” Oanen said as he reached around me to open the door. I liked that he always kept up with me.
“A treadmill in the closet?”
I looked at the double doors on the opposite wall.
“You’re not the only person to get restless.”
He closed the door then crossed the room to pull out the treadmill. As soon as he had the track down, he started it and motioned me forward.
“I’ll order the pizza while you run.”
“Thank you.”
I cranked the speed up, testing myself and the machine as I went all out. I wasn’t winded by the time I finished but managed to work up a bit of a sweat and purge some of the restlessness.
“Better?” Oanen asked when I shut the machine off.
“Much. How long until the pizza gets here?”
“Another fifteen minutes.”
“Perfect.”
I took a quick shower and put on last night’s pajamas. Since there was still time before dinner arrived, I used it to call Eliana. She answered on the first ring.
“Any sign of the brownie or goblin yet?” I asked.
“Not yet.” She didn't sound like herself.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you trying to lie to me?”
“Yes. Because I want you to focus on getting the job done so you can get home sooner.”
“Talk, succubus.”
Eliana sighed.
“I didn't know how lonely I was until I made a friend and she left. And then, I find out someone is trying to kill her and my only friend might not come back.”
“I miss you, too. And that burger wasn’t meant for me. Oanen overreacted because of the whole bird bond thing. As for the smiling dead trolls, we have a few leads. It shouldn't be too much longer. I’m coming back. I promise. How did it go at the academy today?”
“Good. Eugene is loving classes and asking a ton of questions. It rubbed a few people wrong, but by the end of the day, I think they were catching on that Eugene is impressed and curious and not a threat. Oh, a siren almost got him into the pool at lunch, but Ashlyn was there to block him. And, Fenris was being pretty good about keeping an eye on the humans, too.”
“Oh? So you and Fenris were hanging out?”
She snorted.
“No way. He keeps texting me annoying updates. I think he misses you.”
“Then, I think you should be a friend and keep him company.”
“Not me,” she said, sounding completely panicked. “I think the new girls are stirring his wolfie hormones or something because he's getting worse.”
“Worse? You mean he’s flirting?”
“No. He hasn’t changed at all in that way. It’s his lust. I can barely be in the same room with him. When I spot him now, I just go the other way.”
I felt bad for Fenris and wondered what kind of miracle it was going to take for Eliana to figure out that all Fenris’ lust had everything to do with her. I could only imagine how desperate he was starting to feel if Eliana thought his lust was worse than before.
“How’s your succubus training going? Adira still dressing you?”
“She set ou
t clothes for me this morning. I got creative with them while still following the rules. I wish everyone around here would just leave me alone. I might be a little on the small side, but I don’t think I'm unhealthy. Nothing to warrant this much unwanted attention.”
In the living room, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and waved to Oanen as he left to get the pizza.
“So how is it staying in New York? Are you missing your backpack with all the wicked you’re running into? Did you kill anyone yet?” Eliana asked.
“Not yet. It’s weird here. Most of the time, it’s not as provoking as I thought it would be. People I would have thought I’d want to beat the hell out of, like Elbner, don’t bug me. Yet today, regular people were starting to get under my skin. I’m just glad it’s not like it was the night I came here with Adira. That would have been hell. As it is, I think New York would be more fun if we weren't having to deal with dying trolls.”
“I heard Adira and the Quills talking. While you're checking out the deaths in New York, the council near Flagstaff is investigating the deaths of three Nemean lions.”
“What's a Nemean lion and did they die with smiles, too?”
She laughed.
“No. Nemean lions are a lot like regular lions. They're animals but a lot harder to kill. Their coats are impenetrable by mortal blades. Since they're a protected species by our laws, the word is going out, asking for information about their deaths.”
“I'm not sure how this is supposed to make me feel better about dealing with troll deaths.”
“It's not. I told you so you'd know the Council isn’t giving Oanen all the poopy jobs. An enforcer has to look into any death that's questionable.”
“Poopy?” I said with a laugh. “Adira should forget the succubus clothes and work on your language skills.”
“Swearing isn’t a language skill.”
“Says the person who doesn’t know how.”
“I know how, I just choose not to.”
I snorted at her as the door opened and Oanen strode in carrying the pizza. The smell of it hit me hard and made my stomach growl.
“I better go. Oanen just walked in with our pizza, and I'm starving.”
“Tell him I said hi. Talk to you tomorrow.”
I hung up and hurried to the pizza. Oanen’s lips twitched as I hungrily watched him open the box.
