by Renée Jaggér
“I’m talking about professional assassins, Sam. This isn’t something I would trust Campus Security to handle. You need to be somewhere safe.”
“Like where?”
I considered it, tapping my fingers on the counter. They couldn’t just move out. Moving took time and money, and Sam was just an art student living off of scholarship money. Affordable apartments weren’t abundant in the safe areas of Columbus. Sam had other friends they could crash with, I supposed, but the vampires might find them there too. Ronan’s house was a fortress, and he had more than enough room. Maybe he’d be okay with me bringing Sam there, just until things calmed down. We’d have to think of a long-term solution later.
“Let me talk to Ronan,” I offered. “We’ll see if he can help.”
Sam’s eyes doubled in size, and a smile sprouted on their face. “Do you think I could go stay there? I looked his house up online, and the pictures I saw were gorgeous. Callie, you’ve got to convince him to let me stay there!”
“I’ll do my best. I feel bad, Sam. My work shouldn’t be spilling over into your life like this. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Are you kidding?” Sam squealed with big eyes and an even bigger smile. “This is the most excitement I’ve ever had. It’ll be super-inspirational when I get back to painting. I’ve already decided what I’m doing for my next series: Securely Insecure. It’ll be a piece illustrating your point about most security being a myth.”
I sighed. Of course, that was where Sam’s head was. I should’ve known better than to expect them to take a threat against their life seriously. Sam lived with their head in the clouds, barely in touch with how scary the world was on a good day. Sure, I’d told them about the Kloud9 thing, but they probably hadn’t thought the incident would follow me home.
Sam’s smile faded, and they lowered their hands. “Oh, I should be more worried, shouldn’t I?”
I raised an eyebrow. “About highly trained assassins possibly ending your life? Yeah, probably. This isn’t a game. I’ve almost died a few times already. I’d appreciate it if you’d take this more seriously, Sam.”
“I’m sorry.” Sam threw their arms around me and squeezed the air out of my lungs. “It’s my fault all this has happened to you. I’m the one who told you to take the job. You could always go back to the boring world of corporate security, you know. I wouldn’t blame you. No one would.” They stepped back, their expression somber.
I forced a smile. “And give up my fat paycheck? No way.”
I couldn’t ever go back now, and not just because of the money. Don’t get me wrong, the money and the benefits were nice, but now that I knew I was part-fae, I couldn’t just walk away. Ronan was my only connection to that world. I needed to know more about who I was and where I’d come from. For the first time since I’d left Iraq, I finally felt like I had a place where I belonged and a job where I was making a real difference. I felt like I mattered, and my life had value. That was something no amount of money could buy.
My phone suddenly buzzed, and the noise made me nearly jump out of my skin. I pulled out my personal cell first, realized I’d let it die days ago, and tossed it on the counter. It took me a few minutes to dig my work cell out of my pockets. When I did, Ronan’s name and number danced across the screen. “It’s Ronan.”
“Let it go to voicemail.” Sam crossed their arms. “You’ve barely had any time off since you started working for him, and after what you just went through? Girl, you need to take some time to pamper yourself.”
I wished I could. Aside from my bruised knuckles, the rest of me ached with the need to sleep, and my stomach was still sore from my stint in the hospital. Answering Ronan’s call, however, was a matter of life and death. I couldn’t ignore it, even if I wanted to.
I slid my thumb over the screen. “What’s up, boss?”
He hesitated. I don’t think he expected me to answer so informally, but I was too tired to play the good employee.
“Callie, I need you to come back to the house. Bring whatever you need to get through a few days, maybe longer. I’m not sure how long this is going to take.”
“Slow down for a minute, Ronan.” I turned my back to Sam, although it wouldn’t buy me any privacy. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said, irritation creeping into his tone, “despite what my mother thinks. After she heard about what happened in LA, she’s demanded that I come back to court because it’s unsafe here. Normally, I’d tell her where she could stuff her orders, but after what happened to you, I’m starting to think maybe it’s time we consolidated our people and our knowledge. Maybe we’d both be safer at court until this blows over. And who knows? Maybe you can talk some sense into her. I certainly can’t.”
I glanced at Sam, who was waiting impatiently for me to tell Ronan off, arms crossed. Just because Mab had called him back to court didn’t mean he had to drag me along. Sam was right; I could use a few hours to pull myself together. “Are you sure you need me to go with you?”
“Of course? Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, you just said it’s safer than here.”
“You’re the only person in the world I know I can trust right now. I certainly can’t trust the people at court. I barely know them after so many years away, and my return will be seen as a threat to some of them who have climbed into the higher echelons of power. I need someone there who has my back. Can I count on you?”
I winced. The way he phrased it, there was no way I could say no without sounding like a complete bitch. He trusted me. That had to mean something.
Ronan sighed. “If you’re worried about pay, I’ll throw in hazard pay.”
“It’s not the money. It’s my roommate, Sam. With everything that’s going on, I’m worried Sam’s not safe. Jax knows where I live, Ronan.”
“Jax?” Sam whispered and swung around in front of me. “Jax is the one trying to kill you? Your old Army buddy with the big arms and the bad attitude? That’s who’s after you? Holy shit, Callie! That’s kinda bad.”
He was silent for a beat. I was sure he was going to tell me Sam was on their own. It wasn’t his problem that I’d gotten my roommate involved; that much was true. We certainly couldn’t haul Sam to Mab’s court with us. They had no business there, and not a drop of fae blood. Who knew what Mab would do to a mortal human? Especially after the way she’d treated me.
I held my breath, waiting.
“Do they know?” Ronan asked at length. “About what’s going on? Have you told them?”
“Some,” I admitted. “None of the more…sensitive topics, though. Sam’s okay, Ronan.”
Sam folded their hands in a begging gesture. “Please, please, please, with a cherry and whipped cream on top? I promise I won’t be a bother.”
“Bring Sam along,” Ronan said loudly since he’d heard Sam’s pleading.
They did a quick celebratory dance.
“They can’t come with us to court,” Ronan continued, “but I need someone to stay and mind the house since I sent Thomas and Jeanie away for a few days. It’s enough of a fortress that your friend should be safe if anyone invades. We’ll just have to make sure they know how to trigger the panic room.”
“I can teach them.” I nodded, even though Ronan couldn’t see me through the phone. “Give me an hour to pack and change. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Pack?” asked Sam once I turned around. “How much should I bring? Where are you going?”
“I can’t tell you. Enough for a few days. And Sam, you might wind up missing class.”
“Pfft.” Sam waved a hand and made a sound reserved for children and horses. “Class, schmass. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Sam and I went into our respective rooms to pack. I didn’t know what the dress code for a fae court was, so I threw a mix of everything into the bag. Everything, that is, except for a pair of heels. I’d learned my lesson the first time. Whatever I had to do for Ronan, I�
�d do it in flats.
After a change of clothes and a quick splash of water on my face, I grabbed my bag and met Sam in the living room.
“You ready?” Sam asked.
I took a long look around at the familiar furniture before nodding. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sam looked at Ronan with the exaggerated fangirl expression I’d seen on those Japanese cartoons they liked so much.
Ronan took it like a champ and shook hands with them as if he were used to being fawned over. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Sam. Callie has told me a lot about you.”
“Really?” Sam blinked, and the glassy expression faded. “I’ve barely heard anything about you. Of course, she’s been at work so much lately that I’ve hardly seen her. You should give her more time off.”
I slapped my forehead and groaned.
Ronan laughed. “Callie makes her own schedule for the most part. It’s just that these last few days have been difficult. I’m sure she’ll give herself plenty of time off once this is all over.”
“I don’t know about that. Have you met Callie? She’s kind of a workaholic.”
“This way, Sam,” I said through clenched teeth as I pushed them toward the stairs. “I need to give you the grand tour.”
Ronan smiled and waved. “Have fun, you two. Play nice, Callie.”
I showed Sam the controls to trigger the protective shielding and how to open the panic room. They wanted to push the button to try it out, but activating the panic button would summon the police and the fire department. I didn’t want to deal with that, so I covered the button and guided Sam safely away from it.
“What’s that?” They pointed at the pile of logbooks on my desk.
“Security logs. Everyone who has a shift has to leave a summary of their shift before they clock out. It helps keep the rest of the staff up to speed. For you, it’d make for boring reading.” I punched the code into the gun safe and opened it. “The code to the gun safe is on a sticky note over there, but you probably shouldn’t go in unless it’s an emergency. You’ll be better off sticking to hitting the panic button and hiding until someone comes to get you.”
“Cool.” Sam wandered away while I was eying one of the new scopes Ronan had purchased. “What’s this?”
I turned and found Sam rifling through a stack of USB drives on a chain. “Old security footage. Hours and hours of watching absolutely nothing happen. Shouldn’t be of any interest to you.” I swung the safe closed. “Ronan gave the butler and the cook a few days off. Leave some lights on at all times so they can be seen through the windows,” I instructed as I led them through the top floor. “We don’t want anyone to think the house is empty. Don’t answer the door or the phone if it rings, though.”
“What if it’s a package delivery? Or what if I want to order a pizza?” They tilted their head to ogle a skylight.
“No pizza delivery, and Ronan doesn’t order packages as often as you do. Any shopping you want to do will have to wait until we get back.”
Sam stopped in the middle of the hall suddenly. “What if it takes weeks? Or what if you never come back?” They frowned and wrung their hands in worry.
I went back to them, gripped their shoulders, and stared them straight in the eyes. “We’re coming back. I wouldn’t leave you alone, Sam. Don’t you trust me?”
Sam nodded.
“Then believe me when I say we’ll be back. I promise.”
They let out a heavy sigh and nodded again. We continued down the hall, slightly more relaxed than before.
As we reached the stairs, the strains of Ronan’s violin floated up to meet us. The song he was playing sounded familiar, but I couldn’t put a name to it. I swore I’d heard it before, although it was a far cry from the classical piece I’d heard him playing the first day I reported to work. This was something way more upbeat.
Sam tilted their head, listened to a few bars, let out an excited noise, and rushed down the stairs ahead of me. I called for them to wait, but it was no use. When Sam got it in their head to do something, there was no stopping them.
I didn’t catch Sam until I made it to the music room. They were busy clapping and singing the lyrics to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. So that was where I’d heard the song before. I hadn’t recognized it on the violin.
He ended the song a verse early, much to Sam’s disappointment. They clapped, more excited than anyone I’d ever seen over a violin song. “Callie, you didn’t tell me he was a musician.”
“Actually, I did.”
“No, you said he was artsy. That’s hardly the same thing.” Sam turned to Ronan and did a little hop. “You’re amazing.”
Ronan smiled and shrugged. “I’m decent. Not great by any means. Unfortunately, I’ll have to leave these behind. My mother doesn’t appreciate decent music.”
“I thought you said your mother insisted you learn?” I pointed out.
“True. She made me learn, but her idea of music begins and ends in the eighteenth century, as with most things, since that was her favorite century.” He placed the violin back on the stand. “Callie tells me you’re an artist. What sort of art?”
“Mostly abstract. Oh, and portraits. That sort of thing.” Sam beamed.
I rolled my eyes and stepped farther into the room. “You’re stalling, Ronan. The sooner we get this over with, the better off you’ll be. Spend too long, and she’ll come looking for you again.”
“I know,” he said with a sigh and a look around the room. “I just worry. You saw that she could be a bit…possessive. She’s overreacting, but there’s no talking any sense into a mother with her heart set on something. You’re right, of course. We should go. The house is in good hands.” He flashed Sam a smile as he collected his coat and a single duffel bag from the floor near the door.
We went to the door, and I paused. “Remember, Sam. If you need any of the house codes—”
“I know, I know. They’re all upstairs in the security room in that big, ugly logbook.” They rushed to give me another rib-crushing hug. “Be safe out there, will you?”
“Same to you, Sam. And don’t forget, the part-timer security guards will be on a rotating schedule.”
“If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask them,” Ronan added.
I stepped out the door to scan for obvious problems.
Sam leaned forward to peer out into the driveway with a frown. “Don’t you want someone to call you a taxi or an Uber or something?”
Ronan smiled, and when I gestured for him to come out, he did so. “No, we’ll be fine. I’ve made arrangements for special travel. Close the door, Sam, and make sure you lock it. Anyone who needs to get in will have a key.”
Sam nodded, and with one more worried glance at me, stepped back into the house and shut the door behind them.
I followed Ronan around the side of the house, wheeling my suitcase behind me.
His pleasant demeanor had faded as soon as the front door shut, and he was stomping along with a scowl fixed on his face. “When I find whoever told her what happened in Los Angeles, I’m going to make them regret it.”
I shifted my grip on the suitcase handle. “If you don’t want to go, why are you?”
“Because she’s more than my mother,” he explained, slightly exasperated. “She’s my queen, and I’m beholden to her court. If she gives me a direct order, I have to obey.”
“What happens if you don’t?”
He stopped walking. We were a stone’s throw from the tree line, and I had no idea how far he intended to walk or to where. “If I don’t show up, she’ll send her knight to come fetch me, and that would be unpleasant. The knight is authorized to use any means necessary to fulfill her slightest whim.” He started for the trees again, and I followed. “The only person in the whole court I hate more than Mab is her knight. Once they take their oaths, they lose all free will. All personality. They’re nothing but…”
“Mannequins?”
�
��You have no idea how apt that description is. I’m sure you’ll meet him while we’re there. Don’t challenge Mab’s knight, Callie. You’re clever, strong, and resourceful, but he’s relentless, devious, and brutal. He’d do things you couldn’t even conceive of to carry out his orders.”
He sounded evil, but I was dealing with a society that was totally different from anything I’d ever experienced. In the right context, people saw soldiers in much the same light, I supposed. I’d met more than one person in my time who demonized the men and women who went overseas as murderers or characterized us all as headcases. Not everyone who served came back broken.
I suspected even Jax would have turned out fine if the civilian world hadn’t mistreated him when he got back. It wasn’t any one thing that’d broken him. It was the way his family, his government, his friends had all let him down over time. I’d let him down too. I should’ve paid more attention to Jax and the way he was acting when we got back, but I thought the best thing for him at the time was the space to work it out on his own.
Ronan stopped so suddenly I almost bumped into him. We’d reached the clearing where he was hitting targets the other day. Rather than throw more spells at targets, however, he dropped his bag on the ground and pulled a ring from his pocket. The stone in the silver ring had to be one of the biggest, brightest blue topazes I’d ever seen, not that I’d seen that many. It’d been designed to look like a rosebud, with the ring bearing several leaves. Ronan slid it on, wincing like it hurt. I didn’t see why until he lifted his hand palm-up and several drops of blood hit the ground.
Magic swirled up like a storm cloud in front of him, an icy wind tossing aside the leaves covering the forest floor. Lightning flashed, but not above us; it was in the clearing with us. The electric current made our hair stand on end. Ronan made a subtle motion with his hands and the electrical energy sped to a point on the other side of the clearing, where it exploded in a flash of light.