“Stop, please. And don’t defend Leo.”
Lannan snorted. “Girl, if Geoffrey gives him what he wants, your cousin better lock her doors at night, because he’ll be coming for her. I know his type.”
“If he hurts her, I’ll never forgive him.” If Leo came after Rhiannon, I’d stake him myself.
Tipping my chin up with his index finger, Lannan shook his head. “My sweet Cicely…if Geoffrey turns him, Leo won’t bother asking for forgiveness. Vampires have neither need nor desire for atonement. I am what I am. I’m a predator. I’m your master. And I have no remorse for any of the things I’ve done in my life. Save, perhaps, for leaving Regina behind. The thought of my beautiful sister in that house with Geoffrey…I fear for her safety, even though she’s the Emissary to the Crimson Court.”
I pulled away and kicked at the rubble. There was nothing else of value here. “You had to. You didn’t have a choice.”
“Now you come to my defense? You’re a confusing one, Cicely. Perhaps you’re right, perhaps not. But we should go, if you are done. Here come your father and Kaylin.” And once again, he was all business.
We carried what bags and boxes we’d found out to the car and eased out of the driveway to head back to the warehouse that had become our temporary home. All the way there, Lannan leaned over the backseat, resting a hand on my shoulder.
I knew Wrath and Kaylin were watching, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. Lannan was an ally we needed, and if I protested, he’d only find another way to screw with my head. And another mind-fuck was the last thing I needed right now.
Chapter 2
By the time we got back to the warehouse, I’d managed to regain some of my composure. We made sure we hadn’t been followed as we pulled into the parking lot and drove around the back, parking behind an old school bus that had long ago seen better days.
I cut the engine and leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. As much as I longed for the Veil House, this was more familiar to me—living on the run, hiding in abandoned buildings, keeping one eye open as I slept. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for a normal life. Maybe I was destined for life on the wing.
As we carried our loot to the back entrance that Kaylin had cleverly hidden with a tangle of loose boards, a stack of old tires, and several abandoned vehicles, Peyton opened the door. She’d been on the watch for us and she took one of the bags from me, carrying it into the living quarters we’d quickly pulled together for ourselves.
The building had been a warehouse in better days, and the stark industrial walls were gunmetal gray, with beams and poles and odd little cubbyholes lining the inner chambers. Kaylin had been living here for a while before he’d invited us in, so we had jury-rigged electricity. He hadn’t wanted to draw attention by using too much, though, so for heat we were using a burn barrel. The warehouse was big enough, the ceilings high enough, and several windows were cracked and broken, so the smoke wasn’t much of a bother and it dissipated by the time it reached the outdoors. But it was cold and chilly and grim.
While we were gone, the rest of our little band—Peyton, Rhiannon, Luna, Chatter, and Grieve—had lined up several tables and now, we spread out the contents of our goods on them. Grieve moved over to my side and slid his arm around me. I caught my breath, this time in a good way.
“I was worried about you. I sensed…” He let his words drift off, but his gaze flickered to Lannan. “Are you all right?”
Nodding, I ducked my head. “I’m fine. There were a few tense moments, but everything’s okay.” I leaned in, feeling Lannan watching every move I made, and rested my mouth against Grieve’s soft lips. He pulled me to him and I lost myself in his touch, in his kiss. Grieve was my love, and no matter how my body responded to Lannan, my heart would forever belong to the Fae Prince with the shining stars in his eyes.
A slow warmth rose in my belly, his body felt right against my own, and I inhaled deeply, filling myself full with his scent. He smelled like autumn leaves and rain showers and danger and safety all rolled into one. His heart beat fast against my touch as I laid my hand on his chest. Grieve was alive, and he loved me.
“I want you,” I whispered, hungering to sneak off, to drive away the cold and the snow with his touch. But we couldn’t—not just yet. “I feel safe with you.”
“Later. I promise.” His words were so low that I was the only one who could hear him, but his touch pledged so much more than those words could express.
I nodded, not trusting myself to say more, and gently moved away. Everyone was looking at us, especially Lannan with his cold, dark stare, but I didn’t care. I cleared my throat and searched for what to say. Rhiannon gave me a pleading look and I nodded, knowing what she desperately wanted to hear. Time to get down to business.
“First—some good news. The Veil House isn’t nearly as far gone as we feared.”
Rhiannon let out a little cry and her fingers flew to her mouth. Chatter—Grieve’s friend and another of the Cambyra Fae—moved to rest his arm gently around her waist. I noticed the quick smile she flashed him. As I had thought. Leo had been her way of settling. She’d loved Chatter all along.
“Does it really still stand?” She leaned forward, breathless. “You aren’t joking?”
“I’d never joke about something like that. Oh, it’s definitely taken some heavy damage. The kitchen and basement will have to be rebuilt, but with work, we can restore it. However, that idea is on hold until we destroy Myst. We killed two of her Shadow Hunters while we were there.”
“I have another surprise.” Grieve held up his hand and dashed into a side room, returning after a few seconds with his arms full. “While you were gone, I scouted around this rambling monster of a building and found two space heaters. They’re good-sized.”
“Heat! Glorious heat!” Luna rubbed her hands together as Kaylin took them from him and plugged them in.
Grieve frowned. “I hope they still work. The burn barrel helps, but it doesn’t do much good over here by the table.”
Kaylin flipped the switch and bingo, a draft of air began to blow toward the table. The space heaters must have been used during power outages, because they were big enough to heat a small room. As the elements heated up, warm air began to take the edge off the biting chill. I smiled, and so did the others. There was nothing like heat to lift the spirits when the wind was howling at the door.
“Good job, man.” Kaylin clapped Grieve on the back. “I’ve lived here for quite a while and didn’t know about them.”
“I’ve a knack for finding things.” Grieve smiled then, and laughed. “I wish I could have gone with you today.”
“Yes, but the Veil House is so close to the Golden Wood, it would be too easy for Myst to latch onto you again. And this helps us so much more—we needed the heat.” I leaned in and kissed him soundly. My stomach rumbled. “First heat and now, I hope…food?” I looked at Luna. “Is there anything to eat?”
She nodded, and while Kaylin and Wrath sorted through what we’d brought back with us, Rhiannon and Luna set out a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, and a large packet of beef jerky. Rhiannon added a two-liter bottle of Coke, while Luna carried a large pot of chicken noodle soup over to the table. Peyton brought the mugs and plates.
I stared at the meal. Good. I could eat everything. I knew the soup was safe, and that was the only thing potentially a danger. I was deathly allergic to fish and carried an EpiPen wherever I went.
Luna shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry it’s not anything fancy, but…”
“Hey, it’s food. I ate out of Dumpsters when I was a kid, so this is a feast in comparison to some of the meals I’ve had. I’m not turning up my nose at anything on this table.”
The soda was cold and I chugged down two glasses before moving on to the bread and peanut butter. Grieve stared at the food, finally accepting a hank of the beef jerky and a plain piece of bread. My father sniffed the peanut butter and opted for the jerky and bread, too. Chatter decided to be adventurous and bit into a p.b. sandwich, his face taking on the look of a confused cat with peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth.
The soup was like those Lipton soups—mainly just noodles and broth—but it was hot and salty and filled that need for something warm in my belly.
After the gnaw of hunger faded, we began to sort through the bags, able to take off our jackets thanks to Grieve’s space heaters. I held up Heather’s journal. “I found this. We might be able to use it.”
Kaylin handed me a small bag and I stared at it, knowing exactly what was in there. “You found my magical tools.”
“I checked upstairs. It wasn’t all that dangerous. The steps were in no hurry to collapse under me. I think they’re still structurally sound. Anyway, yes—I found your magical tools. I also packed a bag with clothes for all four of you girls. I brought whatever seemed appropriate for our situation.” His dark eyes flashed with a glimmer of a smile and I found myself grateful he was on our side.
Peyton let out a delighted cry. “My cards—you found my tarot deck!”
Lannan chuckled. “I’ve seen gamblers less thrilled to see a deck of cards. Yes, I found your deck and thought you might be able to use it.” For a brief second, he sounded almost pleasant.
“We also have a bag full of herbs, along with some of the charms I made. I managed to grab a big bag of cat food, too, by the way. So somebody should go feed the cats. They’ll be glad for something other than the tuna we’ve been giving them.” Kaylin had laid in a large store of tuna, and out of deference to me, he’d moved it into the room we set up for the cats. I was willing to scoop the litter boxes, but I wasn’t about to take over feeding duties with fish on hand.
“Don’t bet on it,” Luna said. She rolled her eyes. “But that means…well…there’s tuna for those of us who can eat it. But we’ll save it for a last resort and I’ll warn you well in advance,” she added, turning to me. “I’ll make certain we keep your food away from anything that might have fish in it.”
That wasn’t terribly reassuring, given our circumstances, but I knew that if push came to shove, they’d need to eat whatever they could find.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I glanced through the rest of the bags. “Good, somebody brought The Rise of the Indigo Court and The History of the Vampire Nation.” The words popped out before I realized that Lannan was standing right there. I jerked up my head. He was standing, arms crossed, head cocked to the side, one booted foot propped up on a chair. His leather pants shimmered in the dim light hanging over the table.
“So…you have a copy of our history. You know, not a terribly wise idea of you to advertise so in front of me.” He slowly lowered his foot to the ground and slid his hands in his pockets and sauntered toward me.
“I wouldn’t have, if I’d thought about it first.” My mouth had gotten me in trouble more than once.
Lannan backed me up to the wall, lifting the book out of my hands. He flipped through it, occasionally glancing at me. I had no idea how vampires read, considering their eyes were jet with no white, no gleam other than the sparkle that made them look like obsidian orbs. But read they did. And Lannan Altos was actually a professor at the New Forest Conservatory. I had the feeling he’d abused his authority far more than once.
Grieve let out a low growl and shifted into a wolf, shoving himself between the vampire and me. Peyton and Luna gasped. Wrath stiffened as Kaylin stepped forward. Lannan just stared at the beast with unblinking eyes.
I caught my breath. Grieve was really pissed. Anger wasn’t the only reason he took wolf form, but Lannan had pushed his buttons—his territorial instincts had been invaded. He stood his ground, forcing Lannan away from me, his gaze never leaving the vampire. I poised, ready to throw myself between the two. But then Wrath came to my rescue.
“Altos, put down the book. Leave it for now. Grieve—back away. The vampire will not hurt our Cicely tonight.” It was a command, not a question.
Lannan turned to my father, locking his gaze. After a moment, he shrugged and deliberately dropped the book on the floor at my feet. “No matter if you have it. We are not terribly vulnerable to your kind, so feel free to read it. If nothing else, perhaps you’ll learn why you should pay proper respect.”
He sauntered past Grieve, refusing to acknowledge him. Grieve shifted back, but I could feel my wolf tattoo still snuffling. Chatter reached out, touched Grieve on the arm and gave him a warning shake of the head. Grieve glowered and shook him off but did nothing.
Cambyra Fae were known as the shifting Fae. My father—Wrath—was an owl shifter, as was I, even though I was only a half-breed. Grieve could shift into wolf form, and Chatter could turn into a pillar of flame, I’d found out.
From the very beginning, when Krystal had dragged me away from the Veil House, I’d dreamed of a wolf following me, watching over me. When I was fourteen, I began to see him in the shadows, watching me, and I thought he might be a guardian of some sort. I still hadn’t known at that time that Grieve could take wolf form. A year later, Dane—my mother’s boyfriend of the month—and I got high one night while she was out turning tricks, and he tattooed my vision onto my stomach.
Dane had already given me three other tattoos. On my left breast, a feral Fae girl peeked through the leaves of a deadly nightshade plant. Both upper arms were banded with identical blackwork tats—a pair of owls flying over a silver moon, with a dagger piercing through it. And then he tattooed my wolf for me.