by Helen Harper
I forced my way back into the conversation. ‘She’s a werehamster,’ I said, amazed at how easily the lie came. It was probably because I’d heard it so many damn times, of course.
‘Fascinating,’ Aubrey drawled. ‘I’ve never come across one of those before.’
‘Aubrey, do you know where the bathroom is?’ She asked.
He pointed down the corridor. I was tempted to tighten my grip on her arm and refuse to let her go again but she slipped out easily and almost sprinted off. Aubrey gave me a strange look.
‘There’s no way she’s a werehamster.’
I simply shrugged and tried to steer away the conversation from her. ‘Did you call that monster here for entertainment?’
‘It wasn’t a monster,’ he told me. ‘It was just a wendigo. And no, we did not conjure it up. Perhaps it was one of your people.’
‘I can assure you,’ I said stiffly, ‘it was not.’
‘Then it was the Fae or the wizards. Either way we have been insulted. I demand retribution.’
‘Of what sort?’
His eyes gleamed. ‘Of the Albus seal sort, of course.’ He patted my arm. It took everything I had not to recoil.
‘The seal belongs to the Tower now. We’ve been through this.’
‘I don’t care,’ he hissed. ‘We want it.’
‘Tough.’
Aubrey bared his teeth, his long white fangs elongating over his bright red lips. ‘Sooner or later, you will get it for us.’
‘Look,’ I said annoyed enough by now to tell him the truth, ‘I know you think it will give you power over us, but it’s only symbolic. It doesn’t do a thing.’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Oh, you’re so very young, Corrigan. Don’t worry though. One of these days you’ll learn.’ He walked away, still chuckling in amusement, leaving me staring after him.
CHAPTER NINE
Tom came up and stood by my shoulder. ‘Most of the shifters have left,’ he informed me. ‘They needed new clothes and it seemed better that they left instead of affronting the mages’ delicate sensibilities.’
I looked down at his own attire. He appeared to be wearing a table cloth. ‘Sound reasoning,’ I told him. ‘You should leave yourself.’
He nodded. ‘Will do. Mark and Mike were out the back and didn’t get the chance to shift so they’re good. They’ll wait around for you in case there’s any more trouble. That first monster appeared out of nowhere.’
I had the sneaking suspicion that if any more trouble was going to occur, it would be as a result of either the vampires or Mack, not a wendigo. I smiled in reassurance anyway though and watched him leave. The two werewolves, Mark and Mike, wandered out of the first room and stood obediently ahead. The pair of them seemed upset that they hadn’t joined the initial fray so I smiled at them too. Then I leaned against the wall and reached out telepathically for Mack, all my grinning coming to an abrupt halt. You’re a fucking idiot.
What do you mean? She immediately answered, her returning Voice calm and measured. I was simply a bit scared of that incredibly loud roaring sound from outside, and needed to hide somewhere in case its owner came into the house.
I gritted my teeth. Vampires like Aubrey were more dangerous than she realised. And she apparently thought I was born yesterday. Funnily enough, I drawled, I know enough about you to know that you are not the type to run away from a fight. You’re far more likely to run headlong into one and get yourself killed.
She was suddenly concerned. Did anyone get killed?
No. The thing vanished into thin air before anyone could do anything.
Well, I guess it’s just lucky that all you big, strong shifters were around to keep everyone safe.
I ignored her obvious jibe. I still wanted to get to the bottom of what she’d really been up to. Mackenzie, have you done something that I need to know about? Something that is going to cause problems with the vampires?
Nope.
I’m not sure that Aubrey bought that story about the werehamster, I cautioned, wishing for once that she would trust me enough to tell me the truth.
I appreciate you doing that. Sticking up for me, I mean. I know it might have potentially made things difficult between you and him.
I was taken aback. Her words actually seemed genuine. Warmth spread through me. You’re welcome. I reminded myself that she was still hiding something and I pushed the feeling away. Now get the fuck out of there so that we can leave.
I’m actually a little bit busy.
Now, kitten. I didn’t want to hang around here any longer.
I turned towards the door. I wouldn’t put it past Aubrey to make every damn Otherworlder stick around until it suited him. Any hopes of a successful meeting between us were long shattered, however. Fortunately, the way out seemed clear. For now.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and glanced back to see Mack. I blinked rapidly. Her face, which had been carefully covered in make-up that had done little more than hide her real beauty, was now smeared with black smudges. It was an improvement on the thick mascara and caked on eyeshadow even if it did give her the appearance of a grubby urchin.
She grinned. ‘Hello gorgeous.’
I frowned. This whole evening had turned into a complete waste of time and now she was cracking jokes. You are not funny.
Suit yourself, my Lord.
You look better without that stuff anyway.
I gestured towards the two werewolves waiting for us up ahead. They peeled themselves away from the wall and fell in behind us.
‘Where are the rest of your obedient servants?’ Mack sniped.
‘Strangely enough,’ I said, eyeing her carefully, ‘there was a rather large, angry, bellowing creature outside that conveniently appeared out of nowhere. They felt the need to shift so they could attack it and protect the likes of you. Now they’re a bit too naked for this crowd.’
‘Thanks for the reminder,’ she said lightly. ‘Although you’d think that you lot would learn to come better prepared and bring a change of clothes.’
Her flippancy annoyed me. This gathering was supposed to be a serious affair. It might have already descended into chaotic arguments by the time the wendigo showed up, but that wasn’t the principle. ‘You’d think that us lot could attend a party without being attacked by a monster suddenly materialising.’
I stalked forward, passing the Fae, Solus, who ignored me completely in favour of doffing an imaginary hat to Mack. I hadn’t realised he was here too and the sudden knowledge pissed me off even more. I growled. ‘He’s a fairy. I’ve seen him before.’ Several times in fact. He was always annoying but on the one occasion that I’d seen him with Mack, he’d provided his utmost in irritation. ‘In my bedroom.’ Mack didn’t respond although I did note two high spots of colour on her cheeks. ‘Why is he here?’
She sighed. ‘It’s a party, Corrigan. Why is anyone here?’
I didn’t bother immediately answering. I was afraid of what I’d say if I did. I was angry at Solus for showing up, angry at Aubrey for his constant harping on about the seal, angry at the meeting that had been nothing more than a farce and, most of all, angry at Mack for more things than I cared to even think about. I’d been hoping for so much more out of this night. When we walked outside and she sighed happily to herself, her naked toes squirming in delight against the cool tarmac, something inside me snapped.
Leave us, I said to Mark and Mike.
They bowed their heads and turned to walk away. I stopped dead and looked at her. ‘I have no idea why everyone else bothered to show up, but you can bet that you’re now going to tell me exactly why you did.’
I grabbed her arm, twisting it and lifting her up in the air. She weighed next to nothing and I was angry at that too. I flipped her down onto the road, spinning her slightly so that she didn’t hurt herself too badly. ‘I don’t like being used, kitten.’
Mack thrust out one closed fist, catching me on the jaw. For someone so light, she certainly packed a po
werful punch. ‘Then why did you let me come along in the first place?’ she snarled back, jumping to her feet.
‘I mistakenly thought that it might be entertaining,’ I said, lunging for her again and twisting her round. I pulled her body against mine and tried to hold her there, enjoying the flare of heat emanating from her skin for a brief moment, before she kicked backwards and forced me to release her.
A spark of fun lit up her eyes and she punched me again. This time, however, it was in the stomach. A shock of pain rippled through me and I doubled over. It took considerable effort to stand up again and pretend like it had barely winded me.
She quirked up an eyebrow. ‘Aren’t you being entertained now?’
I actually was. It was about time. ‘Having the time of my life,’ I grunted, a tiny smile playing around my lips. This was definitely one way to work out my anger.
I thrust forward, snaking an arm round Mack’s waist and flipping her again. It was a move I shouldn’t have repeated, however, because she was already expecting it. She somersaulted over me then snapped a blow to the back of my neck. I grinned to myself. She’d have to hit me harder than that. I wondered if it would be worth throwing the fight completely. I rather enjoyed the idea of submitting to her. That was until a dark shape materialised in front of me. It wasn’t a wendigo this time though. It was something far, far more dangerous. A wraith.
‘Don’t move, Mack,’ I instructed suddenly, my entire body tensing.
‘Corrigan?’ she asked doubtfully.
I roared. The wraith hovering a few metres away didn’t so much as flinch. ‘I mean it, Mack, stay behind me.’ I twisted my neck and gave her a warning glance before immediately shifting, my clothes exploding off as my werepanther form took shape.
‘Where isssssss it?’ the wraith spat.
I snarled and launched myself at it, my front paws outstretched for the most lethal swipe I could manage. Instead of causing any actual harm, however, I spun through its damn body as if it were nothing more than air. When I turned back round to face it again, I realised with a sickening lurch that Mack was preparing to attack it too. She wasn’t a shifter though. As strong as she was, the thing would make mincemeat out of her in a heartbeat.
I snapped forward, jaws wide, and attempted to bite the wraith’s leg. Again I failed completely, my teeth clacking together through the black shadow which streaked out into the air then twisted back again. Before I could react, it reached down and grabbed my neck. I felt myself being lifted up by a force I was powerless to stop. Then I was flying through the night and smashing painfully against the side of a parked car.
‘Giiiiiive me it,’ it rasped again.
I staggered to my feet, realising it was actually talking to Mack. I shook my head, my vision swimming. Mack, however, stood facing the wraith, her legs apart and her stance challenging.
‘You’re going to need to tell us what it is you’re after,’ she said with a casual tone that sent a thrill of admiration rippling through me, ‘otherwise how can I fetch it for you?’
The wraith quivered. ‘You. You haaaave touched it. Where issssss it?’
I took a step forward and half stumbled. I blinked, dimly registering the flicker of green fire licking at Mack’s fingertips. Distant shouts sounded from behind as people poured out from the vampires’ lair to help. Mack didn’t seem to need it. She jerked her wrists forward, flicking out a stream of green flame towards the dark wraith. The second her fire hit, it screamed. It was an unholy sound, renting the air. She didn’t stop though. She simply kept throwing out flame after flame after flame.
The wraith collapsed in a dark shadowy huddle. I was only just starting to regain all my senses and watch Mack finish the bloody thing off when, out of nowhere, a vampire collided with her. She stumbled to the side, her green fire losing its momentum. The wraith reached out for the running vamp, snatching up a hank of its hair. It yanked so hard, the vampire’s head broke clean away. I swallowed in dismay. I’d thought Mack had this under control. Now I wasn’t so sure.
With three large strides, I returned to her side. It was going to take a combined effort to defeat this thing. You know what it wants, I said grimly.
‘Yeah,’ she answered, without using her own Voice in return. ‘But before you say anything, I don’t have it. The vamps do.’
I had no idea how she knew this. It had to have something to do with her desperate desire to come to the gathering tonight – along with her fleeting disappearance when the wendigo had appeared. Just what in the hell had she gotten herself mixed up with this time?
The Arch-Mage strolled up, facing the wraith with us. ‘So, Initiate Smith, we find ourselves on the same side.’
‘That we do, Sir.’
I tried not to take offence at the polite note in Mack’s voice when she answered him. He sent out a jet of blue light which encircled the wraith and seemed to bind it into place. Mack found her own fire again, hitting the thing smack back on its cheek. It jerked backwards and screamed horribly once again. I had no idea whether I was capable of doing anything to hurt the thing. I had to try though. I couldn’t let Mack and the Arch-Mage do all the work.
Don’t. Mack suddenly sent out, reading my mind. You can’t win this one, my Lord.
I growled in response as Mack’s fire hit the wraith yet again. I didn’t want to do anything stupid like get in her way. But I hated standing back like this.
‘I’m starting to wonder whether it was such a good idea to host this party,’ Aubrey drawled behind us, seemingly unconcerned at the fight to the death taking place right outside his own goddamn house. ‘There seem to be far too many uninvited guests.’
Mack snapped. ‘Hey, this one’s all on you.’
The wraith shrieked again. ‘I waaaaaaaant it!’
‘It’s after the Palladium,’ she told the vampire.
I frowned in confusion. I wasn’t the only one. Aubrey gaped at her. ‘How do you...?’
‘It’s too strong,’ the Arch-Mage gasped before the vampire could finish his sentence.
I realised in alarm that whatever spell he’d used to keep the wraith in place was falling apart. It gave us a terrifying grin as the circle of blue wavered and vanished. Then its eyes turned to Mack and I knew exactly what it was planning to do.
I only just managed it in time, throwing myself at her and knocking her down to the ground and away from the wraith’s lethal attack. I kept my paws on either side of her body, doing whatever I could to protect her. Her eyes flicked past me, pure fury reflected out of them. There was only one thing that could make her so mad. I twisted my head round and glanced upwards. I was right. The bloody wraith had gone.
CHAPTER TEN
It was achingly tempting to wander over to a quiet corner of the street and groom myself in satisfaction that no-one I cared about had been hurt. Yes, the wraith had gotten away and, yes, there was a dead vampire to deal with, but Mack was safe and my shifters were unhurt. We lived to fight another day and – in the end – that was all that really mattered. Rather than give in to my more primal instincts, however, I shifted back. No doubt I’d have an explosion from Mack to deal with for knocking her down and preventing her from being unceremoniously killed.
‘What the fuck did you do that for?’
Sometimes my little kitten was so very predictable. I stood up, resisting the urge to flex my muscles and grinned. ‘For the same reason you told me not to attack.’
Mack cursed. She was keeping her eyes fixedly on my face, as if she were afraid to let them drop any lower. There was something about her skittishness that appealed to me. She would be more than used to nudity after growing up with her pack in Cornwall. It was just my nudity that she struggled with. Interesting.
She turned to the Arch-Mage and helped him up while I shot a warning look at Aubrey who seemed keen to grab Mack’s fallen dagger. No doubt he was wondering how on earth she’d gotten it past his security. Despite his blood-sucking nature, he obviously knew little about the power-sapp
ing nature of tampons.
‘Are you alright?’ Mack inquired of the wizard.
‘I’m good,’ he gasped.
She nodded, apparently satisfied, and looked at the vampire. When he gave her a suspicious look, pulling his eyes away from the weapon, she beamed at him, her entire face lighting up. Well, I thought grumpily, that was one way to avoid antagonising him – dazzle him with her beauty instead. I’d have to ask her to try the same strategy with me. Then I considered it some more. A fight I could handle. Mack’s smile would disarm me completely. Maybe I’d just keep my mouth shut.
‘I hadn’t realised that werehamsters were so aggressive,’ Aubrey drawled. ‘Or that the pack was capable of using magic.’
That was quite enough of that. I stepped in front of Mack and confronted him. This was his goddamned street so I was going to blame him for what had happened here – I didn’t know what this Palladium thing was but I trusted Mack when she said that the vampires had it. My face twisted into a snarl. ‘Why don’t you tell us exactly what it was that thing was after?’
Aubrey gave me a look of mock outrage. His hand rose to his heart as if he were mortally wounded that I’d accused him. A second later, when he apparently realised that wasn’t going to wash with me, he dropped all semblance of pretense. ‘Ask your girlfriend,’ he spat. ‘Somehow she seems to know.’ He began stalking back off to the house.
Mack ducked out from behind me. ‘Hey! That was Tryyl, wasn’t it? You didn’t kill him, you just tortured him and then let him go. No wonder he’s pissed.’
The vampire spun round. ‘Idiot. You can’t kill wraiths, they’re already dead,’ he sneered. ‘And what do you know about it anyway, little girl?’ His eyes found the Arch-Mage, rage spluttering forth from amongst their blood red depths. ‘All contracts are meant to be confidential.’
The Arch-Mage coughed weakly. ‘Not all mages work alone, Aubrey, you know that.’
‘Yes, but since when did the wizards work with the beasts?’
I stiffened. Beasts? As far as I was concerned there was only one damn beast around here.