Reborn

by Nancy Corrigan

  “Can’t? Or won’t?”

  “Does it matter? The result is the same. If you wish to uncover my goddess’s secret, you’ll have to pry the knowledge from her.”

  “Minerva is no longer the goddess of love.”

  Alana shrugged. “Title or not, she is still my goddess. I am bound to her for eternity, and I will carry out the vow I took when I agreed to act as her maiden, with or without her guidance.”

  Stubbornness was stamped on the female’s face. Rowan understood the emotion well. It was what had kept her functioning all these years. “What task do you have yet to complete?”

  Alana raised a brow. “Why do you care? It has to do with love, not seeking retribution for the wronged.”

  “Then tell me about this neighborhood. I’m looking for the man who’s been attacking women. I have reason to believe he’s a redcap.”

  The color drained from Alana’s face. “A redcap, huh? What does he look like?”

  “Built. Tall. Dark hair and eyes. Nice-looking, I guess. Dar prefers pretty men to join his court.” Rowan grinned. “But he’s got a nasty scar on his face from a Hunter’s blade. That’s the one feature his latest victims have described.”

  “Haven’t seen him.” Alana stepped around Rowan and headed toward the main street. She walked through the hazy barrier, shattering the veil.

  “Wait.” Rowan grabbed Alana’s arm. “Where are you going?”

  “Back to work. I’ve got a job to do and bills to pay.”

  “I still have questions for you.”

  “Unless you want to talk about love, I can’t help you. I told you everything I know.”

  “Then let me show you the file we have on this man. He might cloak himself in one of the visages he’s used in the past. According to my sources, he’s predictable and enjoys toying with the authorities.”

  “He’s demented then, huh?” Alana snorted. “Great.”

  Rowan lowered her voice. “All redcaps are. They did choose to tie themselves to Dar for eternity.”

  “Then visit me another night. If I don’t get in there, I’m going to be fired.”

  “You’ll be here tomorrow?”

  “Yes, I’ll be here. I work every night except Tuesday.” Alana yanked her arm free. “Come if you want, but I really need to go.”

  Alana jogged down the street without waiting for Rowan’s answer, said something to the bouncer, and slipped inside the bar.

  Rowan waited a few moments, then continued on. Despite the unexpected encounter, she had a goal for coming out tonight. Craig needed to be found and killed. He was a threat to the humans, including Alana.

  The maiden couldn’t fall victim to the redcap. Alana had a task to complete. Rowan didn’t need to know what kind or who it involved. It had to do with love. Although Rowan wouldn’t experience the emotion again, she remembered how wonderful it had been. If keeping Alana alive long enough helped another person experience it, then Rowan would do everything in her power to make that happen.

  Chapter Five

  The sound of giggling women grated on Trevor’s nerves. He waited until the two redheads who’d just given them their numbers were swallowed up by the crowd before facing Zeph. The Huntsman was as tall as Trevor but carried more muscle. Not the same way a bodybuilder did. Zeph was fit. Sculpted might be a better term. If the attention Zeph drew was any indicator, he was good-looking too. Maybe hot, or whatever term women used for attractive guys.

  It was probably Zeph’s white-blond hair that caught their eye. Or maybe his unique lavender eyes. No matter the reason, the sheer number of women who’d swarmed them since they’d entered the bar was absurd. Even Ian didn’t have the same effect on females, and he was an incubus. Trevor was sick of it. Trying to get a lead on Craig when Zeph kept getting offers to dance or other more blatant propositions was impossible.

  “You need to wear a damn bag over your head or something. This is getting ridiculous.”

  Zeph shrugged. “Just ignore them. I haven’t lived here long enough to build a reputation. Once they realize I don’t date, they’ll back off just like those here tonight have given up on capturing my attention. Look. There’s nobody close now, and those girls were the last group to approach.”

  “This isn’t some village where people live out their lives in one spot. People come and go all the time. A stranger isn’t going to know your reputation.”

  “Then I’ll limit my time in public places. It’s not a big deal.” Zeph took a drink of his beer. “Besides, I’m only here tonight because of you. If I didn’t agree to come out, you would’ve left alone.”

  Trevor crumpled the piece of paper with the girl’s number. “I don’t need a babysitter. I have my blade. I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m not arguing that. Calan gave an order, though. You’re not supposed to hunt alone.”

  “Calan can stick—”

  “Do you want to join us or not?”

  Trevor clenched his hands until white knuckles showed, frustration riding him hard. “You know I do. I haven’t exactly made it a secret.”

  “Then you need to prove that you can follow orders. That’s what a Teulu does.”

  “But—”

  “No.” Zeph glared at Trevor. “No buts. This isn’t optional. We work, hunt, and fight as one unit, whether we’re together or not. Calan, as our leader, is the center of us, the one who links us and directs us. If we can’t trust that each member is going to follow his orders, then we are vulnerable. Failure becomes a real possibility, and with lives on the line, that can’t happen. So if obeying Calan isn’t something you can do, you’re wasting everyone’s time.”

  Jaw clenched, Trevor nodded. Zeph made a good point. It didn’t mean Trevor had to like it, especially when he couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter what he did, he’d get left behind when the real fighting began. “I have followed the rules. Calan never specifically said I couldn’t go out.”

  Zeph leaned forward, his elbows on the black laminate tabletop, and lowered his voice. “That’s because he never thought you’d be foolish enough to do so. Twice you’ve been in a redcap’s grasp. Calan thought those experiences with Raul and Craig would’ve been enough to convince you of the danger.”

  Trevor didn’t need the reminders. The memories angered him, not for what had been done to him but over the pain he’d caused. Because of him, Harley had suffered at Raul’s hands, and Ian had gotten trapped in the fairy realm for close to a month. Both Raul and his brother Craig deserved every hellish torture they’d endure for eternity for their sins. All redcaps did.

  “I do understand the danger.”

  “Good. Then you’ll shut up and accept my company, or go back to the house until Ian and Tegan can investigate with you.”

  Trevor finished his soda, then shoved the glass across the booth’s top. “Waiting is only putting innocents at risk. Craig needs to be stopped before he tires of playing with his victims and kills someone.”

  “By you, right? That’s what this comes down to. You want revenge.”

  Damn right he did. Admitting that after Zeph’s little talk about following the rules wouldn’t go over well. No doubt Calan would stop Trevor from making the kill, but he wanted it. No. He needed to make Craig suffer for the lives he’d taken, the pain he’d caused Allie, and the tears he’d made Rowan shed.

  Trevor had heard her sobs as he’d drifted in and out of consciousness those first few hours in the hospital. Hearing her anguish and knowing he’d been the cause of it had freaking destroyed him. He’d wanted to comfort her. Hold her. Tell her he wasn’t worth it. He’d ended up pretending he hadn’t known. The tough female Hunter who gave him grief on a daily basis wouldn’t have wanted him to know she’d cried. For him.

  “What answer do you want, Zeph? If I admit to wanting revenge, you’ll give me some lecture about how it doesn’t matter who strikes the blow as long as Craig’s taken out. If I say no, I’m not going after him for personal reasons, you’ll call me a lia
r.”

  Zeph opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything. He grinned and motioned to the door with a tip of his chin. “We’ve been found.”

  Trevor glanced over his shoulder and nearly groaned, not over the knowledge that his living shadow had sought him out but at the sight of Rowan wearing a short plaid skirt and white polo shirt. She looked like a naughty Catholic schoolgirl, with her hair in pigtails and those black flats with the strap and silver buckle he was sure had some special name. He couldn’t drag the knowledge from his brain. Lust fried it.

  “Why the hell can’t she dress like a normal person? She looks ready to star in some guy’s sexual fantasy.”

  Zeph chuckled. “That’s the point. She’s shopping.”

  Trevor whipped his head around to glare at the other man. “A lover? That’s what she’s looking for?”

  Zeph’s grin faded, and a considering expression spread over his face. “Why do you care?”

  Trevor hadn’t wanted to talk about his conflicting feelings for Rowan with Ian, his best friend. No way was he discussing them with Rowan’s brother. “Because she should be out hunting, not looking for some loser to pass the time with.”

  “You shouldn’t be so quick to assume she’s looking for a lover. Calan ordered everyone capable out on the streets, and since this city has had an increase in crime, searching here is an obvious choice.”

  “She’s using her hounds, the same as you are right now. While they’re prowling the back alleys, you’re sitting here giving me shit. She’s just passing the time differently.”

  The hounds belonged to all the Huntsmen, but when they rode or hunted, the dogs were connected to only one of them. It was necessary in battle to avoid confusion, or so the other riders had explained. The hounds acted as an extension of their handler.

  “I don’t doubt that. Rowan is an excellent Hunter. She also knows how to use men to get what she wants. That’s part of her arsenal.” Zeph motioned toward her with the mouth of his beer bottle. “Look.”

  Trevor didn’t want to. Whatever she was doing would infuriate him. She was not a piece of meat to dangle in front of predators. “She’s just going to act slutty to irritate me. I swear she enjoys pissing me off.”

  Zeph smirked. “You’re probably right, but she hasn’t noticed us yet. This is genuine Rowan at her best.”

  “What do you mean she hasn’t noticed us? You’re demigods. Doesn’t that give you enhanced hearing and stuff?”

  “Sure, when we allow the power of the Hunt to consume us, but otherwise, our senses aren’t much better than yours. Don’t forget, we were born to human mothers.”

  That explained why Rowan’s muscles had tensed the night before as he’d approached her. She hadn’t known he was that close. Did that mean she really had been playing? What other aspects of her personality were hidden to the world?

  He glanced over his shoulder. She stood on her tiptoes at the bar and was waving down the haggard waitress. Although Rowan wasn’t short, the additional inches the pose offered were necessary. The group of guys on the stools in front of her were tall. And wide. Probably football players from the local college. They all wore some fraternity’s symbol on their T-shirts.

  The redheaded kid on the right turned and said something to her that brought a sultry smile to her face. She leaned closer to him and rested her hand against his bicep. After a moment, lust slid into her expression. She dragged her fingertips over the kid’s muscled arm and laughed. He slid his beer to her. She took it from him, caressing the bottle’s neck as if it were the guy’s dick before drinking.

  Trevor dragged in a slow breath and tamped down his annoyance. Whether she knew he was here or not didn’t matter. “What she’s doing is demeaning. How can she do that to herself?”

  “She’s doing what she must to save lives. We’ve all done similar things. Whatever gets the job done.”

  Trevor faced Zeph. “You’re going to tell me you’ve whored yourself out to get information?”

  Zeph’s mouth pressed into a hard line. “I’ve done so many times. You see how women react to me. If sleeping with a girl is going to get me the information I need, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Why would you have needed to do so? It’s only since Raul stole Harley’s blood that you’re in a position of needing information.”

  It was Trevor’s fault the redcap had gotten his hands on Harley’s blood. Raul had then given the vials he’d collected, along with cloths soaked in Harley’s Seelie blood, to Craig and his other two brothers, thereby breaking their tie to Dar, the leader of the Unseelie Court, and partially binding them to Harley. Unfortunately, she couldn’t control Craig or his brothers. She’d never taken their blood, completing the redcap bond.

  What was worse, though, was the ambiguity the redcaps benefited from by belonging to Harley. The power of the Wild Hunt couldn’t sense them because she was mated to Calan. It made finding them harder. But not impossible. Trevor refused to give up. He’d track them the same way he had over the years since Ian’s human surrogate family had been targeted by the Unseelie Fairy Court.

  “Redcaps and sluaghs are not the only evils in this world. Many humans fit into the same category. We can’t save everyone, but we do what we can to seek retribution for the wronged, no matter who or what caused it. We also try to prevent tragedy if we see a situation that we can alter.” Zeph motioned toward Rowan. “No doubt that’s what Rowan’s doing.”

  Trevor studied the young guys who were drooling over Rowan. They looked like cocky little shits to Trevor. Probably caused trouble at their school—drinking, fighting, cheating.

  “They don’t remind me of criminals. Maybe pricks, but that’s not something that should require a Hunter’s intervention.” If they did that, the Huntsmen would be getting themselves involved in too many humans’ lives. They’d never have time to hunt.

  “Looks are deceiving. Did you notice when she touched the human?”

  More like stroked him. “I saw.”

  “We can see a person’s fate.” Zeph tapped his chest, the spot where all Huntsmen bore the mark of the Hunt. Zeph’s black T-shirt covered his, but Trevor had seen the dual-faced horse and hound symbol that linked the Hunters to Arawn. “If a human has committed a sin that will lead them to Hell after death, we will know it.”

  Intrigued, Trevor propped his elbows on the tabletop. “How? Do you actually see what they’ve done?”

  Zeph smirked. “No, we don’t see their crime, per se. We can tell what level of the Underworld they’re going to and can make an educated guess. We’ve spent time in each level and know exactly what those damned souls have done. Arawn is the one who experiences every single sin. The pain, the shame, the helplessness. He feels everything their victims had.”

  Being a human, Trevor had never entered Hell or met Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld. Ian had talked about his biological mother’s mate, however. Well, Ian had described the black-skinned, winged monster Arawn could turn into. The god was strong and powerful, maybe even ruthless. “Why would he want to relive people’s deaths or their agony?”

  “To judge the sinners who commit those crimes worthy of damnation. How else would he know what their punishment should be? Or if they’re worthy of redemption?”

  Unease skipped through Trevor. He’d never committed a crime, unless speeding counted, but he wasn’t a saint. He’d also made mistakes. First letting Raul capture him, then allowing Craig to toss him into the fairy realm being the ones that haunted Trevor the most. “Do you have to consciously open yourself to those you touch? Or do you get flashes or something?”

  Zeph grinned. “If you’re asking if we’ve seen anything from you, the answer is no. It’s our horses that can see, but they will only act if they deem the person a threat to the living. We just have to touch the person to know.”

  “What do you mean—deem the person a threat to the living? Aren’t all murderers threats?”

  “It depends. Our horses can see the futur
e, but they don’t share their knowledge unless doing so will save another human from dying.”

  “Not even when silence will hurt its rider?” Calan and Tegan would’ve benefited from their horses’ knowledge. Especially Ian’s mate. A millennium ago, Tegan had been involved with a piece of shit who’d found his way into Hell. She would’ve appreciated learning the truth earlier than she had.

  “We aren’t human.” Zeph drummed his fingers against his beer bottle. “And if you’re thinking about Tegan, that’s why her horse never clued her in on Bjorn’s sins. He was going to die before getting the opportunity to hurt another human.”

  “And it didn’t care that Bjorn was cheating on her? Or hurting her?”

  “Humans didn’t die or suffer as a result of his infidelity.” Zeph shrugged. “To our horses, nothing else matters.”

  “Okay, but why don’t you just kill them, then? Why show the damned their fate?”

  “Free will and our vow to the living. There’s always a chance for redemption. We can’t take that away.” The grin spreading over Zeph’s face offered a peek of the vicious Hunter he could become. “Unless killing the bastard is the only way to save a human. We’re allowed to intervene. Just not act proactively.”

  Rowan’s laughter yanked Trevor’s attention back to her before he could respond. She had her elbows on the bar and her chin resting on the heels of her palms while she talked with another guy. The one she’d touched moments ago had his gaze glued to her ass. He licked his lips while Rowan flirted with his friend.

  Every muscle in Trevor’s body tensed. “I doubt that kid knows anything about Craig. She’s wasting her time.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” Zeph set his bottle down with a clunk. “Let’s leave her alone and go check out another bar. There’s a dance club around the corner. We haven’t been there yet.”

  Had Zeph suggested that a few minutes ago, Trevor would’ve agreed. They hadn’t gotten anything useful here. “Maybe we should stay a little longer. Rowan might need help.”