by Reus, Katie
Feeling mildly powerful, she stared in awe. “You should probably leave now,” she said with a lot more confidence than she felt. Because who knew how long this necklace would hold up against…well, whatever.
Lindsey screamed this time, the sound of rage ricocheting off the dilapidated buildings as she raced straight for her, fangs out.
Two feet from Avery, she flew backward through the air again.
“You really are dumb.” Avery was feeling way more confident than she should. Because if whatever was happening failed, Lindsey was going to tear her apart piece by piece and relish it.
“What the hell?” Lindsey muttered, anger and confusion competing for dominance on her face.
At a grunting sound, Avery turned to see Sergei punching straight through the falling-down fence. That was a bear shifter for you. Why bother to climb over it when you could just hulk-smash it?
Lindsey looked at the two shifters hurrying toward them, then at Avery. “This isn’t over,” she snarled, then turned and raced down the quiet street.
As she did, Avery thought she scented burning flesh. Maybe Lindsey could only be in the sun for so long?
“There was a fight across the street we got distracted by… What the hell happened?” Sergei demanded even as Olga raced after Lindsey.
“I don’t actually know. She’s a vampire. She tried to attack me but she bounced back as if… Well, as if I have a protective bubble around me.”
The big shifter with dark hair and dark eyes stared at her, blinking. “Come again?”
“I think it has something to do with this.” She pulled the necklace out of her shirt and showed it to him. The chain was a pretty rose gold and the little charm encased in a triangle was teardrop-shaped. “It was a gift from the Magic Man. He said it should protect me.” Apparently he’d meant that in a very literal way.
“We need to go see King or one of his lieutenants right now. Because she tried to kill you in broad daylight. Or at the very least kidnap you. He’s going to need to figure out what coven she’s from and a bunch of other things above my pay grade.”
Olga raced back up then, barely breathing harder than normal. But the tall shifter frowned, and rubbed an annoyed hand over her long, blonde braid. “I lost her. It’s like she just disappeared.” Then she let out a colorful curse that made Avery’s eyes widen.
“Come on.” Sergei motioned to Avery, not taking his eyes off the street, searching for any sign of Lindsey.
* * *
Avery stepped into the factory Sergei had brought her to and looked around, unable to contain her awe. Olga had remained behind at the empty lot to finish measuring for Avery. “What is this place?”
People in lab coats milled about, going in and out of different rooms. She could see into some of them because of the glass windows. This wasn’t like any factory she’d ever seen. Behind some of the windows were labs and behind others were…what looked like different types of robotics.
“Witches and human scientists—and some witch scientists—are working on some stuff here.” She wondered what “some stuff” referred to and clearly her curiosity was obvious because the bear continued. “I think it has to do with different medicines. Witches are infusing certain things into, ah, something to do with chemistry…and that’s pretty much all my tiny bear brain knows,” he said, laughing.
She laughed lightly herself—because Sergei was incredibly smart—and some of the tension inside her eased. “So, like, stuff for diabetes or depression or whatever?”
“Yes, but they’re also going to be working on prosthetics and things like that. I have a cousin who lost his leg and his prosthetic was created by a witch who also has a lot of degrees, including one in robotics engineering. This was from before The Fall. His prosthetic basically bonded to his body, becoming part of it. But if it needs to be removed or replaced, it can be. It’s absolutely amazing. It’s…technology and magic rolled into one. I don’t understand how it works, but it’s incredible.”
She stared at him in shock. “I don’t know why I’m surprised to find out that witches and scientists were already working together. That’s amazing.”
“Yeah, and now they can work together out in the open. They can all share their findings with the rest of the world. This is a game changer for everyone.”
This was going to have incredible repercussions for the world. She stowed those thoughts, however, as Ace, one of King’s lieutenants, strode across the factory floor.
His eyes were a dark chocolate, the color complementing his bronze skin, and he was tall, but lean in the way some wolves could be. His hair was cropped close to his head and…there was a little heart shaved into his barely-there cropped hair.
Ace nodded politely at Avery then he and Sergei clapped hands, doing that handshake that all males seemed to know. “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking between them.
Avery quickly relayed what had happened, including her painful history with Lindsey. As she was talking, Mikael appeared like a ghost, slipping up beside her.
She jumped, unable to contain her surprise—and relief—and stopped midsentence. “How did you get here?”
“I flew.” His expression was obnoxiously neutral.
She frowned at him and Ace cleared his throat. “I texted him. Continue, please. Do you know what this female wanted with you?” he asked Avery.
“No. I know nothing about her current life. Until recently I hadn’t seen her in six years. I didn’t even know she was a vampire until the other night.”
“How did you repel her?”
She touched the pendant hanging around her neck. “The Magic Man gave me a gift. He said it would help ward off evil, basically. And he wasn’t kidding.”
Next to her Mikael stirred slightly. “I’ll be her guard until further notice.” He said it almost like a challenge, but she could see his dragon right beneath the surface, his rage and fear barely contained.
Ace gave Avery a thoughtful look, then nodded once. “Mikael will be your escort everywhere you go. It’s not up for discussion,” he added as if he thought she might argue. “You live in the same house so it is a simple enough arrangement. If the vampire contacts you in any way again, obviously I don’t need to tell you to let me or King know. If you see her again, don’t approach her. I have a team who will be hunting her down.”
“If I see her, she won’t be walking away.” Mikael’s words came out a low, deadly growl.
Ace lifted a shoulder as if to say, “That works.”
There was so much she wanted to say to that but she simply nodded. Ace more or less dismissed her, telling Sergei he needed to talk to him.
If Ace wanted her to stick to Mikael, then she had no choice. Not that it was exactly horrible. Just…maybe awkward right now. It was pretty clear Mikael wasn’t giving her a choice either. She had no idea who he’d been challenging before, her or Ace, about being her guard.
Once they stepped outside, Mikael turned to look at her, running his hands over her shoulders and up and down her arms in a gentle fashion. “Are you okay?” There was so much concern in his eyes, it warmed her from the inside out.
“I’m fine. Okay, I’m shaken up,” she corrected, because it was the truth. “And mystified. It was literally like she hit a brick wall and bounced back when she tried to attack me.”
His expression darkened with her every word and Avery figured that Lindsey was lucky she wasn’t anywhere near Mikael right now.
“Hey,” Ace said, jogging out of the side door. “Come see King tonight. Both of you.” He gave them the address, then headed back inside.
Once they were alone again, Mikael said, “Let’s go see this Magic Man now.”
“Why?”
“I want to find out how sturdy his warding spell is. You might need something more. And if he had a vision, I want to know exactly what it was.” Mikael clearly had heard most of what she’d told Ace if he knew about the vision.
“Okay.” She didn’t understand why
Lindsey had come after her. The risk didn’t seem worth the reward. Sure, Lindsey could kill her but…what on earth did she get out of that? She would have to know that she would be hunted down and killed.
Avery didn’t understand everything about supernatural rules, but she knew that a vampire killing an unarmed civilian human—one who was doing a lot of work for the city and was friendly with the Alpha—was beyond stupid.
Lindsey was a lot of things—conniving and manipulative, yes—but she was not stupid. She’d married Avery’s father for his money and played him for a fool, all while convincing him that she truly loved him. She’d also managed to convince Avery that they were truly friends as well, when in reality she only looked out for herself. She was a very good liar.
Avery kept her thoughts to herself as they got on one of the working streetcars. During The Fall, a couple lines had been damaged, but fixing them had been one of the first things King’s pack had done.
Today it was busy, packed with people, humans and shifters alike. The only rule for the streetcar was that you could not be in shifted forms to ride them because shifters in animal form tended to take up more space. Still, she could guess at the identity of a few of the overly large or tall shifters.
Mikael wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. There was almost no room on the streetcar, everyone squeezed together, so she nestled up against him, pressing her nose against his chest. She didn’t care that she was smelling him so obviously because he smelled delicious. Who could blame her?
After being almost attacked, she was emotionally exhausted, her brain working overtime. And screw it, Mikael’s arms were strong and secure.
He rubbed a hand up and down her back gently, and even though he didn’t say anything his very presence and embrace was a pure comfort. And she wanted him way more than she could admit to him. She was so afraid of admitting how much she cared for him, how much she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
Because what happened when he realized she was just some normal human? Not special at all? He’d end up with a fantastic, badass dragon female and she’d end up with her heart broken.
At least for now, this moment, she was able to pretend that he was hers. And she was his.
Chapter 19
“Can you smile a little?” Avery asked as they stepped up to the two intricately carved, oversized wooden doors of the home of the Magic Man. She’d been here before, knew that he not only lived in this place in the Quarter downtown, but also ran his shop out of here too. She pressed the buzzer.
Mikael looked startled by her request. “Smile?”
He was so tense right now, his shoulders bunched tight, and he had an expression that said Make one wrong move and I’ll burn you to a crisp. “Ah…I don’t know… Maybe just not look so scary?”
He actually grinned at that, which sent ribbons of awareness spooling through her. “You wish me to change my face?”
Despite the tight ball of tension curled in her belly, she laughed lightly. “Never mind. I don’t want you to change or anything. I guess you’re just intimidating and there’s nothing that will change that.” He looked a little startled by her words but could that really be a surprise to him? The male looked terrifying most of the time. Not to her or anything, but he was huge and did not hide the fact that he was a dragon. It could be a little off-putting to humans who were just learning about supernaturals. Dragons in particular.
The door opened before she could get tangled up in her own thoughts, and Malcolm, one of the Magic Man’s nephews, opened the door. “Avery, lovely to see you.” He smiled brightly at her, grasping her hands as she stepped inside. Malcolm kissed her on both cheeks, then politely greeted Mikael, who at least managed to look civil. Mostly.
“As you might guess, we’re here to see Thurman, if he’s free.”
“He’s always free for you.”
Mikael made a sort of grunting sound so she nudged him slightly as they followed Malcolm into an open courtyard filled with lush greenery and colorful flowers.
“He’ll be right out,” Malcolm said and guided them to a seat where two glasses of cucumber water were already waiting.
Because Thurman, aka the Magic Man, had very likely known they were coming. He was eerie like that. Which was a part of the reason she wore the necklace he’d given her. He’d known she needed it.
“So what do you know of this Magic Man?” Mikael’s expression was grim as he glanced around at all the pretty plants and flowers, looking for potential enemies lurking.
“We’ve been friendly for a few years. If anyone lived in New Orleans for any amount of time and knew about the supernatural world, they most likely have met Thurman. He runs a shop connected to this place.” She pointed at one of the doors that led to a shop that operated on a parallel street. “Where he sells different types of spells. They used to be for supernaturals only. At least the spell part. He inherited his place, and his gift, from his father.” She didn’t think the shop was actually open, at least not in the sense it used to be when they all had currency.
She stopped talking when Thurman strode out from the side door in gray slacks, a button-down shirt and a gray vest with a purple pocket square peeking out of the pocket. It didn’t matter that the world had devolved into chaos, he was always immaculately dressed.
She felt kind of like a scrub, wearing her jeans, work boots and flannel shirt, but there was no way she was ever going to pull off elegance the way Thurman did. Not even on her best day.
Smiling, she stood as he approached the table. “I’m kind of dusty so I won’t hug you.”
“Nonsense,” he said, taking her hands in his in the same way his nephew had, before kissing her on both cheeks. “It is always a pleasure to see you. Unfortunately I think I know why you’re here.” His gaze flicked down to the pendant around her neck. Then he smiled politely at Mikael and held out a hand. “I’m Thurman. Pleased to meet you.”
“Mikael.” It came out kind of like a growl but it was better than nothing. Because Mikael was strung tight, all his muscles pulled taut as he glanced around the courtyard again—as if expecting an ambush at any moment.
“Please sit. And relax,” Thurman added to Mikael. “This entire building is spelled. No one will bother us here and no one can overhear us. I’m very particular about my privacy.”
Well that was interesting, but Avery shouldn’t be surprised, considering his gifts. Of course he’d spelled this place.
“So you’re another dragon living in the city,” Thurman said as he sat down and crossed his legs.
Mikael paused before fully sitting next to Avery. He scooted his chair closer to hers. “Are you a seer or did you just guess what I am?”
“I’m a seer. So, something happened, I take it?” He looked at Avery now, jumping right into the matter at hand.
She appreciated it. “A woman from my past, who is now a vampire, tried to attack me. She bounced back as if I had a protective bubble around me.”
Thurman’s mouth curved up ever so slightly. “Because you do.”
“How strong is the necklace? Or the spell?” Mikael cut in.
“Incredibly strong. It will take serious dark magic to penetrate it. Blood magic. Even then…” He lifted a shoulder again. “It might or might not penetrate the protective bubble around her. I used very strong magic for this. Family magic.”
Mikael seemed to settle back in his seat, some of that tension fading from his shoulders like the ocean rolling back out to sea.
“So you knew something was going to happen?” Avery asked, then inwardly cursed herself. Duh. Of course he’d known.
“Yes and no. I saw you surrounded by darkness. And I saw blood. It was very clearly an omen for death, or at least pain, so…” He lifted one elegant shoulder. “I figured better safe than sorry.”
“Why…would you do this for me?” They were friendly, if not friends exactly. But this was an invaluable gift, one he’d given for no apparent reason.
“Why w
ouldn’t I?”
That wasn’t an answer but she wasn’t going to push. “I don’t know how to thank you.” She had no doubt she would be dead right now if not for him. “If there’s anything I can do to return this kindness, please let me know.”
He made a scoffing sound. “You will do no such thing. You’re helping rebuild the city. My city. My family’s city. And I’m taking a page from King’s playbook. I give this to you because it is the right thing to do.”
Ah, so that was why. She blinked quickly, dashing away the tears that wanted to come. Kindness for the sake of kindness was something she could get on board with.
“Well now a dragon owes you a favor,” Mikael said, putting his fist over his chest. “Thank you for protecting her.”
Avery was stunned by Mikael’s words. A dragon giving someone a favor was…huge.
She cleared her throat, feeling awkward and nervous as she looked back at Thurman. “Sincerely, thank you again. Is there anything else you can tell me about what you saw?”
“Unfortunately no. That’s not how my gift works. Some days it feels more like a curse. I can tell you that you’re still in danger. The darkness hovers on the horizon, just out of reach. That much I can see. Keep the necklace on you at all times. It will keep you safe.” He flicked a glance at Mikael, his mouth curving up ever so slightly. “So will he.”
Chapter 20
King looked around the round table where the shifters, vampires and human he had invited all sat. Ingrid of the Cheval vampire coven, Claudine of the Bonavich coven, Santiago representing the bears, and Reaper and Prima representing dragons. Thurman was here as he was a human and a seer and everyone trusted him. King had also invited Justus, even though he was not part of any vampire coven. He’d sworn allegiance to his half-vampire half-demon mate and King respected his power level. The male had been a Roman warrior long ago.
He’d also invited three witches, but all of them had been unable to make it—for reasons he could understand. He’d kept his own pack at bay for this, not wanting to overwhelm everyone, and to make it clear that this meeting was for their leaders only. He did wish Dallas was here, representing witches, but she was questioning whether she was strong enough to represent witches. King knew without a doubt that she was, she just needed to come to that realization on her own.
