by Maribel Fox
“I am not local,” I say, waving for Rue to pour me another. All around me, the bar is decorated for Christmas — a holiday I haven’t celebrated in countless decades. After the Revolution, it was banned, and by the time the government reintroduced the traditions, I was living in the woods with my pack, hiding from witches.
No time to celebrate.
I wonder if I can be gone before the holiday. Where would you go?
I can’t leave. We hoped the faerie queen could lift our curse, but she is still learning her powers. She seemed legitimately remorseful when she told us, but that doesn’t help.
I’m stuck with him still.
“No, I suppose not,” she says, frowning.
Rue hands me the drink, and Callie looks around the bar as I take it.
“Go on, you gotta,” I hear from the back table, someone snickering as another groans.
“Seems like a nice place though. Worse places to be stuck if you can’t be home, right?”
I shrug. “Maybe. I have no choice. I never have choice,” I growl, tightening my fingers on the glass. I don’t know what Ocho wants to do, but I expect Lili to invite him to her harem. Of course, where Ocho goes, I must as well — whether I like it or not.
I don’t, for the record.
I don’t appreciate the idea of being the stray they let hang around for scraps.
I’m sure they’d rather me not be there too. Dragon superiority is notorious, and a wolf among them? Unthinkable. I know how they really are.
Callie sighs, her shoulders sagging a little. “Yeah, I know what you mean. My boss… Well, you don’t need to hear about my work troubles. It seems like you’ve got troubles enough of your own.”
“Da,” I grunt, a humorless laugh coming with it.
Rue pours me another drink, and Callie looks over her shoulder again.
“Come on, man, we’re counting on you!” one of the guys from the back table cheers.
I swivel in my seat, seeing the other three focused on the Irishman who’s half-hunched over the table looking at a shot of whiskey like it cheated on him.
“Nah… I can’t,” he says, setting the drink down.
“Dude!”
“I didn’t think I’d see the day…” the devil says, shaking his head.
Seamus crawls over the lap of one of the other guys and stumbles out of the booth, heading straight for the bar on unsteady legs.
“Ye got me mate, bloody well done,” he slurs, the hand he’s holding out for me to shake swaying with the movement of his whole body.
I don’t know what is happening.
I scowl at his hand, but he waves it again, more insistent.
“What—”
“I think you won the drinking contest,” Callie says with a smirk.
I look up to the table of the other guys, all staring at me with the same semi-awed look.
I think she might be right.
I didn’t even know I was in contest.
I shake his hand firmly, and the others all cheer and lift their glasses to me in toast.
“’S quite a feat to out-drink a Clurichaun,” Seamus says, and Callie’s eyes narrow at the unfamiliar word. They’re not exactly discreet around here considering the humans they have staying on site.
“Welcome, mate,” he adds, clapping me on the shoulder before tottering away.
I nod to Callie and to Rue, pushing back from the barstool.
“Nice to meet you,” I say to Callie, before heading out of The Shamrock.
A wolf can’t even drown his sorrows in this place without it becoming a sport for someone. I know they mean no harm by it. Still, no one likes being the butt of a joke.
The night outside is cold, frost not quite forming, but trying its damnedest. The fog rolling in off the water, over the cliffs moves in like tiny daggers of ice, but this is still better than being inside, surrounded by Christmas and joy.
I head off into the woods, not shifting, but still comforted by it. It feels so much like Russia, like the woods I called home for so many years. Strange how it can be so much the same on the other side of globe. Before I know it, I’m in the clearing where we first all met each other in Lili’s happy place.
And just like then, she’s here now, only this time she’s alone, sitting on top of the table with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, her dark hair cascading around her in sensuous waves.
She’s gorgeous.
And troubled.
The next step I take makes enough noise for Lili’s head to snap up, eyes trained on me in an instant. She visibly relaxes, tension fading from her shoulders.
“Hello Dima,” she says, resting her chin back on top of her knees.
“I don’t mean to disturb,” I say, starting to retreat. Lili turns her head and frowns before waving me over.
“You don’t need to run off,” she says, patting the table beside her. “I could use your thoughts on something.”
“My thoughts?” I ask, hesitantly joining her, my wolf wide awake at the scent of her natural perfume.
She nods. “I don’t know if you noticed, but Ava didn’t seem… pleased with our gift of the Hellpup. Iseul failed to mention that she didn’t okay the acquisition, and now I’m worried I may have sown some ill will with my brother’s mate.”
“I see,” I answer, even though I’m not sure where she wants my thoughts to enter.
“Do you think I should get her some other kind of gift? A tribute to the court? I don’t know how these things operate, but I don’t want to burn bridges that may be useful in the future, you know?”
“Da,” I say, nodding. “Why ask me? I don’t know either…”
Lili shrugs, makes a face.
“I know if I asked the other guys, they’d be all ‘your presence is enough of a gift and honor, my queen’ or some dumb dragon-y bullshit. But I know you’ll be straight with me. You’ll tell it like it is. I need that right now.”
She’s close enough to me that it wouldn’t take much for us to be touching, but I still don’t know what she is saying.
Does she not think less of me for being wolf?
“So?” she asks, biting her lip as her eyes search mine.
I think for a moment, not having the first clue about what to offer a fae queen as tribute.
Then again, from what I have seen, her court is not traditional. I doubt a tribute is expected. And with the reception of the Hellpup…
“Maybe no gift is best gift, all things considered.”
Lili snorts. “Gee, thanks. Real vote of confidence.”
I smile back. “You want me to tell like it is.”
She smiles too, bumping her arm into mine before she leans into me completely. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe it’s something to revisit when things aren’t so crazy.”
“Good idea,” I say, arm itching to go around her.
Finally, I can’t stop myself. I hold my breath and put my hand on the table on the opposite side of her, behind her, so she’s cradled by my arm. She leans in, her body molded to mine, keeping each other warm against the chill in the air.
“This place isn’t as bad as I thought,” she admits with a sigh. “I wanted to hate it, but I don’t… I think there’s a reason this is my ‘happy place.’”
“Does this upset you?” I can’t tell by her voice if she is merely surprised by the thoughts, or bothered by them.
She shrugs, turning in my arms to face me.
“I don’t know. Hell’s my home, you know? They’ve screwed me over a lot, yeah, but I’ve got unfinished business there. I can’t just forget about it. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Da.”
“See… The others don’t get it. They all want this dragon lair harem thing too much to see my side of things. I’m glad you’re different.” Her eyes flicker back and forth across mine, and she leans in, licking her lips, pulling me closer to her with every shallow breath.
I kiss her. To hell with it. I take her lips, r
ough and hard, and when she moans into my mouth, I slip my fingers in through her hair, holding her to me, pressing deeper with my tongue, dragging her tighter against me with my hands until I realize how fierce I’m being and snap back, searching her expression for proof that I went too far.
“Thanks for everything,” she says with a coy little half smile before she hops off the table and leaves the clearing, hips swaying, my heart thundering against my ribcage, wolf baying for release.
Underneath it all, there’s something else, though. Something different. Something foreign and unfamiliar.
I think it’s hope?
30
Ku
Iseul’s dragon training is going much better with Ocho’s help, I must admit. I failed to realized how much he struggles with standard instructional practices. But as Ocho said: he’s a fox. They’re quick and feisty, not known for sitting still for long times and pondering things.
His Koul transformation is fascinating, though. I’ve been carefully notating every development and obstacle we’ve come across for posterity, and I’m reviewing my notes in my room late at night when there’s a knock on my door.
Who could that be?
Brigid’s B&B is full to bursting with all of the new arrivals from Hell, and it could be any one of them — or a member of the Court — but the timing is odd. The moon is beginning to set out over the silvery waters of the bay; I would have thought everyone else was asleep by now.
Slowly, I stand from the desk in my room and cross the room, opening the door a crack. My eyes widen, and I pull it open all the way.
“Lili, I wasn’t expecting you,” I say, eyes roving along the sensual curves of her body, the way her tunic dress clings to every part of her just so.
Seeing her in the flesh is leaps and bounds better than seeing her only on the psychic plane. The connection between us is stronger, though there’s still hesitation from both of us, I think.
“I’m sorry to come by so late…” she says, looking me over, seeing I’m still completely dressed — obviously not roused from bed to answer her call.
“Don’t be, come in,” I say, stepping back from the door with a sweeping gesture. She slinks by me, hips swaying, the movement of her body a language I didn’t know I was so familiar with.
In the middle of the room, she turns to face me, hugging herself subtly as she worries on her bottom lip.
“I was wondering if you’d discovered anything about the collars? Removing them?” she asks.
I swallow, guilt crashing through me. I’ve been so preoccupied with Iseul’s transformation and training that I’d forgotten to give Lili’s problem the attention it deserves. I don’t want her to know that though. I don’t want her to think I’m not dedicated to finding a solution.
I’m just… distractible when excited about new findings. Books talking about Iseul’s kind are rare and vague. I have a real opportunity to contribute something to supernatural academia.
That doesn’t make it okay that I let Lili down.
I clear my throat and look over at the bookshelf, stuffed with tomes borrowed — or outright purchased in some cases — from Alistair.
“I still have some reading to do,” I admit.
Lili frowns. “What about Ava? I thought you said…” Her brows furrow, eyes hardening at me.
“Ava is a new queen, still learning how to harness her powers. Her magic should be able to do the trick, but she’ll likely need time to grow it first. In the meantime, I can try to find another way to remove them.”
She sighs. “Could you like… Make a copy key?”
“I’d have to study the collars in depth quite a bit more before I could hope to reverse-engineer a spell to unlock them—”
“How long will that take?” she asks.
I ponder it for a moment. “I can’t say. Weeks? Months? It depends on how sophisticated the spell originally was.”
Her eyes go wide, face paling slightly.
“But Lili, I think I’ve found something you should see,” I say, thinking about the large house up on the mountain that seems like the perfect fit for a lair.
“About the collars?” she asks.
“About Lupine Bay,” I say, not wanting to spoil the surprise. Is thinks I’m crazy for getting this place for her and wanting to set it up properly, but that’s what she needs. She’s a queen, she needs a place to rule.
“Oh,” she says, looking down, face tight with concentration. Finally, she takes a deep breath and sighs, looking up at me with a strange look in her caramel eyes.
“Thank you for all your help, Ku,” she says, hugging me tight when she does. She pulls back from the hug, stares at me a moment longer, then leans in for a sweet, soft kiss that I feel deep in my core. It’s a kiss that feels oddly final despite being our first, and it leaves me feeling a little uneasy, despite the rush of pleasure I get from it. I could kiss her all day.
“I’m happy to do what I can,” I say. It hasn’t been often in my life that people appreciated my love of book-learning and desire to share all my knowledge. Having someone that does is a whole new experience for me.
Lili slips from my arms and from my room without another word, only sending a lingering glance over her shoulder as she walks out.
For hours after that, the only thing I can think of is poring over my books to see if there’s anything about magical restraints and how to remove them.
I’m slumped over my desk, half-asleep on a stack of books when I hear the commotion outside my room. It jostles me fully awake, and I strain to hear.
There are too many voices to make out what’s happening, and curiosity gets the better of me, so I leave my room, heading downstairs toward the yelling.
“What’s going on?” I ask with a yawn as I stagger into the living room downstairs. Iseul gives me a grim look.
“Lili’s gone.”
“What?” I freeze.
Her brother holds up the sheet of paper.
“She left a note saying she was going to get the collar key,” Raj growls, glaring at all of us.
“Why would she do that?” Ocho asks.
“Why would she go alone?” Maal adds.
Dima growls. “Because she’s protecting you.”
“She thinks she is, maybe,” Iseul says bitterly.
I hesitate to say anything.
“Why now though?” Ocho asks. “We’ve hardly been here long enough to know if there’s another way or not.”
“Well,” I say cautiously, all eyes drawing to me in an instant. “I might have something to do with that… I may have inadvertently led her to believe the original key was the only way to remove them in a timely manner.”
“You what?” Raj roars. “Do you have any idea how… She’s so reckless!”
“Clearly I wasn’t thinking,” I admit bitterly, not sure if I’m more upset with him for the admonishment or myself for deserving it.
“We have to go after her,” Dmitry says, hands tight at his sides.
“What? No, we just got out of Hell, remember?” Ocho says. “You want to go charging back in there?”
“That’s suicide,” Raj says. “That you’ve managed to survive this long is amazing, but you’d be tempting fate to try again.”
“You say that about your sister?” Dmitry scowls. “What other option is there? We wait? We let her fight alone? Nyet. We go. Now.”
“Even if we did want to go charging after her, Hell’s a big place. We’re never going to find her,” Ocho argues. “We have no idea where she is.”
“Storming into Hell without a plan is beyond stupid,” Raj sneers.
“Well, where would she go?” Iseul asks, brushing his hair off his forehead.
“She’s after the key, which means she’s going after Valephar,” Maal says, scratching his scruff thoughtfully. “Problem is, he’s probably expecting her. He’ll likely be holed up somewhere hard to get to… There’s a few places I can think of, but there’s no way we could have time to check the othe
rs if we’re wrong on the first pick.”
“There has to be a way,” I mutter. Some kind of way to track her — I’m sure telepathy would do the trick if she were willing to cooperate, but she clearly doesn’t want us following her, so I don’t think that’s going to be the case — some way to find the answer to where she’s going.
The answer…
“What? What did you just think of?” Iseul asks, looking at me dubiously. Probably because I’m looking at him, remembering a specific part of the Kumiho legend I read.
“Your fox-marble,” I say. “It can give us the true answer to any one question.”
Is makes a face and takes a step back from me, shaking his head, arms wrapping around himself.
“Oh, no. I’m not… I don’t even know how that works, but no one’s going to—”
“Anyone wishing to seek an answer must be willing to brave a kiss and defeat a mental challenge.”
“Ku, no. I’m not going to be that… thing again,” Is says, jaw set firm.
“What thing?” Maal asks. “You’ve been a lot of things, man, but Lili needs us right now, even if she doesn’t realize it.”
Iseul is looking at me, silently pleading. “There’s nothing else?” he asks, sounding defeated and broken down.
I shake my head. “This is the best I can think of,” I assure him.
“Fuck.”
“What can it hurt to try?” I ask, hoping to reassure him. Is just looks like he wants to melt through the floor and disappear, but finally, after looking around at everyone gathered in the room, he sighs and shakes his head.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you…” he grumbles, before letting the transformation take him over.
31
Ocho
Ku explains this weird ‘fox-marble’ thing, and even though Izzy’s making faces about it the whole time, Ku convinces him to transform.
When we were fighting in the library, he was shifting through all kinds of shapes and forms so fast I didn’t see them individually. This though…
This is interesting.
He’s somewhat taller, a fox-man, with glowing red eyes, sharp fangs and claws, a menacing thing to be sure.
