Moment of Truth

by Edwards, Hailey

  The dream of sneaking in and claiming a biscuit before I got recognized died a quick and butterless death.

  Pivoting on my heel, I found myself face-to-face with Ares. “Hey. Yeah. Sure.”

  Midas touched my forearm. “Are you okay with this?”

  “I’m good.” I patted his hand. “Just give us a minute.”

  “I won’t hurt her,” Ares told him, her gaze on his feet. “I swear it.”

  With a polite nod, Midas retreated a short distance to give us privacy.

  “So…” I began when she didn’t speak. “How can I help you?”

  And, yeah. That was my customer service voice, not a friendly voice. Ugh. This was hard.

  “I wanted to apologize.”

  For kidnapping Boaz? Addie? My mother?

  Okay, so I didn’t mind the last one. Except for the part where I got her back.

  “Tisdale explained some of it to us,” I said haltingly. “She told us you weren’t in control of yourself.”

  “That’s what she told me too.” Ares shifted her weight. “The thing is, I don’t know if it’s true.”

  Doubt, fear, and misery twisted her expression, filled her voice, and made my heart hurt.

  Having hit rock bottom, I was familiar with the view from where she stood, and I couldn’t turn away.

  Even if her presence brought with it the remembered tidal wave of anxiety and fear for Boaz and Addie I couldn’t quite shake whenever I thought of Liz, or her.

  “I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.” I touched her arm. “You were a good friend to me.”

  “Until I wasn’t.” She retreated a step, shucking my hand. “I can’t apologize enough for what I’ve done.”

  “I’ve been there.” I rubbed a chill from my arms. “I climbed out of the hole I dug for myself. So can you.” I reached deep for the words Linus had given me at my lowest. “I’ll help you.”

  “I’m leaving,” she blurted. “I can’t stay here.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I’ve lost everything,” she whispered. “I want to make amends, and I started tonight, but I can’t stay.”

  “I’m sorry too.” I tried to hug her, but she couldn’t bear it. “You didn’t deserve this.”

  “Or maybe I deserved worse.” She wiped a hand across her cheek. “Tell Midas I said bye, okay?”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him?” I glanced his way. “He’s right over…”

  When I looked back, Ares was gone, the click-clack of her claws as she ran the only sound left.

  I understood better than most that a fresh city, a fresh name, a fresh life was sometimes the only cure for what ailed you. I hoped she would come back one day, but I would rather she put herself first until she made peace with her actions.

  Midas crossed the street, his nostrils flaring in the direction Ares had gone, but he said nothing.

  “I forgave her.” I searched his face. “I want you to know that.”

  “I’m struggling,” he admitted. “What she did cut you deep, whether she meant it to or not.”

  “She regrets her part in it.” I recognized genuine remorse when I saw it. “That’s why I’m letting it go.”

  There wasn’t a tangible switch from not friend back to friend, but I would work on flipping it in my head.

  “Then I’ll follow your example.” He laughed at my doubtful squint. “I’ll try to let it go.”

  “Lady Alpha,” a rumbling voice called. “I have done your bidding and returned to you triumphant.”

  “We appreciate your help.” I stuck out my hand. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  After a brief hesitation, Richter shook with me. “We enjoyed ourselves.”

  Murder and mayhem, blood and betrayal, I bet he had the time of his life. Or century. Whatever.

  “Can you get home?” I performed my duty as unwitting hostess. “Or do you need assistance crossing over?”

  “I have a friend who can help.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “The cost is high, but the price is worth it. It was good to hunt mortals again. It has been too long.”

  “Yeaaah.” I rubbed the base of my neck. “I know what you mean.”

  The worst part was, I did vibe with what he was saying. Ambrose and I hadn’t hunted mortals, but we had made immortals our prey. At the end of the day, they weren’t so different.

  Silken laughter poured onto the street as Vasco strolled out of the shadows. “You little liar.”

  “I’m not little.” I drew myself up to my full height. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m his ride home.” Vasco smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I owe you a debt for the boon he will grant me.”

  Ride home? More like a round trip. I bet he was responsible for the pack’s miraculous appearance too.

  “I don’t want it,” I rushed out, having learned my lesson too late about bargaining with fae.

  “I could remove the sight.” He swaggered forward. “From you and your mate.”

  “You heard her.” Midas linked our fingers. “We don’t want it.”

  “Are you sure?” Vasco smoothed his hand down Midas’s chest. “I might not feel so generous next time.”

  “I’m not afraid.” Midas tightened his grip on me. “I would always rather see ugly truths than pretty lies.”

  “Hmm.” Vasco retreated a step. “There we must disagree.”

  “Back off.” Bishop came up on my other side. “Go peddle your wares elsewhere.”

  “You smell of winter,” Vasco purred. “Of blood and death and ice and sorrow.”

  “You smell like you took a bath in body spray.”

  “You are so beautiful like this,” Vasco said, and I could tell he meant it. “I miss this light in your eyes.”

  Red swept across Bishop’s cheekbones, which made Vasco chuckle with husky delight.

  “Oh.” Vasco lowered his gaze. “Did you bring me a present?”

  The bottom dropped out of my stomach as Bishop lifted his arm.

  Oh lord.

  Here we go.

  “I have a confession to make.” I spun toward Midas. “I might have, um, slightly killed Ferro.”

  The truth was, he might not have died from the injury I dealt him, but Bishop could give me the credit. It had nothing to do with shifting the blame. It was to make the line of succession in the Faerie pack direct.

  “Here.” Bishop chucked the head to Midas. “Don’t say I never got you anything.”

  On reflex, Midas caught the grisly trophy, and his eyes shot to mine. “You did this?”

  Doing my best to appear innocent and adorable, I stared up at him. “Well…”

  “Proof,” Bishop said, loud enough for Richter and the others to hear. “Ferro attacked Hadley in the archive. She was forced to defend herself. I took his head so there would be no question of his having survived the challenge.”

  The Faerie pack gaped at Ferro’s head, and even Richter appeared too stunned for words.

  “I don’t want your pack,” I told them flat out, no sugarcoating. “I don’t want your pack here either.”

  Richter blinked away his surprise and focused on me. “Suppose I want to challenge you.”

  “Then hurry up with it.” Summoning Ambrose, I withdrew my swords. “I want to shower, eat, and nap.”

  “Natisha sleeps.” Midas found his voice. “Ferro is dead.” He lifted his arm. “Haven’t you lost enough?”

  Without waiting for an answer, Midas tossed the head to Richter, who caught it without flinching.

  “Go home.” I threw my weight behind the order. “Host your challenges there. Atlanta has bled enough.”

  “All right,” Richter said slowly. “We will go, but if you ever enter Faerie again, I will avenge my friend.”

  “I have no plans on ever visiting Faerie again, so deal.” I saluted him. “Safe travels.”

  Richter turned to go, and the rest of the pack followed him, leaving us alone w
ith Vasco.

  “Come with me.” Vasco trailed his fingers across Bishop’s jaw. “Choose to be mine, and I will be yours.”

  “No still means no.” Bishop angled his face away from him. “I don’t want this.”

  “One day, my darling.” Vasco cupped his cheek, forcing his gaze back to him. “You will succumb.”

  “Maybe.” A smile twitched the corner of his lips. “Maybe not.”

  Withdrawing, Vasco joined Richter, who lagged behind, and trailed his fingers down Richter’s arm.

  “Let us go,” Vasco murmured, “before the city wakes.”

  From the corner of my eye, I noticed how Bishop’s hands turned to fists at his sides at Vasco’s flirting.

  Richter noticed too, and his fae sense of mischief got the better of him. He fisted the silky hair at Vasco’s nape and hauled him in for a scorching kiss that left me flushed and in need of a glass of ice water.

  Bishop blurred into motion, Richter yelped, and Vasco chuckled knowingly, his fingers pressed to his lips.

  “Um.” I wasn’t running on all cylinders, and fae move fast when they want. “What did I miss?”

  “Bishop broke the hand Richter used to touch Vasco,” Midas explained, “then he shattered his jaw.”

  “All that for a kiss?”

  “For your kiss?” Midas’s eyes sparked crimson. “I would do worse.”

  “You’re so cute when you’re murder-y.” I leaned against him. “Clearly, Vasco thinks Bishop is too.”

  It was also clear as day Bishop was conflicted about how Vasco made him feel, but he felt something.

  Something was a whole lot better than the nothing his other dates and one-night stands inspired in him.

  The transactional nature of his relationship with Vasco concerned me, for Bishop’s sake, but I had been blind. There was genuine emotion beneath their taunts, bargains, and insults.

  “Next time,” Bishop warned Richter, “ask permission.”

  “His?” Richter smirked, undaunted. “Or yours?”

  Arms folded across his chest, Vasco waited, his eyes fever bright. “That is a very good question.”

  “Don’t you have a bargain to fulfill?” Bishop snapped at him. “Ricky here is ready to go home.”

  Vasco angled his chin toward Richter. “He adores me.”

  A laugh threatened to wedge itself in my craw, but I swallowed it down before Bishop caught me.

  “Oh…” the gwyllgi chuckled, still amused despite his injury, “…I can tell.”

  Rooted to the spot where Vasco last stood, Bishop watched until the gloom concealed him.

  “Safe travels,” I called to their retreating backs. “Forget to write.”

  Expression tight, Bishop caught my eye then retreated to watch from the shadows.

  “Hey,” I called to him. “Any word on Milo?”

  Reece and Anca never ventured into the field. Only Milo, Lisbeth, and I patrolled the streets.

  As of my last check-in with HQ, Milo was the only OPA member unaccounted for after the battle.

  “You just missed him.”

  “What?” I spun around, but there was no one near us. “Are you serious?”

  “He was close, so he came to update me in person.”

  The anonymous nature of the OPA meant I wouldn’t have recognized him, which sucked, but it was safer for him that way.

  That didn’t mean my brain wasn’t flipping through every person I had spotted in our vicinity, attempting to match them to his personality. I couldn’t help myself. It was like being told don’t think about pink elephants. Once it was out there, all you could do was think about frakking pink elephants.

  “Get your game face on.” Midas escorted me back to the others. “You have more hands to shake and babies to kiss before this is over.”

  As much as I wanted to groan and moan about it, I owed these people a debt of gratitude. This city was, in some ways, more theirs than mine. They all had deeper roots here than I did, but I was doing my best to grow my own. Tonight marked a turning point where the factions paused in their petty rivalries and put their neighbors before old grudges or perceived slights.

  I had no magical bond with Atlanta, yet, but I sensed pride, happiness, and contentment in the air.

  An idea had been niggling at the back of my mind for some time, but I hadn’t been able to frame it. There on the street, with dawn on the horizon, the idea crystalized into a pitch I decided to make on the spot so all this goodwill and adrenaline wouldn’t go to waste.

  “Speech,” Remy shouted. “Speech.”

  The others picked up the chant, all smiles, everyone high on our success.

  “In six months, goddess willing, I will become the Potentate of Atlanta.”

  Cheers and whistles pierced the air.

  “All political offices are flawed, but I like to think the Office of the Potentate has done all it can to protect every citizen of Atlanta, regardless of species.”

  Feet stomped the pavement in agreement.

  “But it’s not enough.”

  The gathering traded glances with one another.

  “We lose too many people in the cracks.” I thought of the Mendelsohn pack, how the coven had infected Deric, their alpha. He slaughtered his pack at their command with the exception of a few children saved by their parents’ forethought, not by any mercy he was capable of showing while under their control. “We can do better.”

  An uncertain silence fell.

  “I propose an alliance. The Atlanta Alliance. Each faction can elect a representative to give them a voice. All voices will be equal. All issues brought before them will be resolved to the best of their collective abilities. All members will be required to pay dues that they will put toward their unified efforts.”

  Thoughtful murmurs began to circulate.

  “And, to keep egos out of it, I believe we should elect representatives who are not potentates or alphas. We should give this power to our people. We need ambassadors who will champion their fellows and not abuse the power we entrust to them.”

  Eyebrows winged up at that, but a few nods peppered the crowd too.

  “What we accomplished today was unprecedented. How much more can we do if we continue working together for the betterment of this city? Of our peoples?”

  From the crush, Tisdale strode forward with her guards at her flank. “I agree.”

  “As do I.” Ayla Clairmont joined her. “We stand with you.”

  “We would be at cross-purposes,” Garou said, his Loups jittery around him. “I must decline your offer.”

  Running a criminal enterprise, I could see why he wouldn’t want to pick up arms in a justice crusade.

  “We’re with you.” Gray ruffled Aubrey’s hair. “I have just the ambassador in mind too.”

  The teen flushed with pleasure and ducked his head as the pride seconded Gray’s appointment.

  “Garou,” I called. “We’ll keep a spot at the table open for you if you ever change your mind.”

  “Of course.” He bestowed an indulgent smile on me. “I never doubted it.”

  A portion of the crowd split off as Garou led his people away from my do-gooder brigade.

  “I’m not volunteering for ambassador duty,” Bishop grumbled beside me. “I already have my hands full.”

  I jerked at his unexpected closeness, but he had reapplied his usual glamour and drew no attention.

  “I was thinking of Lisbeth, actually.” I mulled it over. “She’s the only other member of the OPA who has come out to the public. She’s smart, thinks fast on her feet, and has the city’s best interests at heart.”

  To put a cherry on top, she was human.

  Lisbeth could be their voice. I saw no other way to appoint one to the board, and they deserved representation. Atlanta was their home too. The population at large might not be ready for paranormals to step out of the shadows, but I didn’t want to rob them of their seat at the table.

  “I was thinking of putting Ford’s n
ame forward.” Midas grinned at his mother. “What do you think?”

  “As Ford has personally benefited most from Hadley’s efforts,” she said, “I take no issue with that choice.”

  Plus, it gave Lisbeth a protector. Her charms might fool people into believing she was a witch, but she didn’t have the power to back up her ruse. She would be much safer with her gwyllgi boyfriend around to knock heads together if anyone tried to take advantage.

  “I’ll handle this.”

  Heart leaping into my throat, I pivoted to find Remy at my elbow with a note app on her cell. “You will?”

  “I’m basically the Assistant to the Apprentice Potentate already, so yeah. I would rather pitch in and establish a system that works now than spend the next six months unraveling the knots in your plan.” She snorted. “If you even have one.”

  “You could have just said yes.”

  Remy claimed my spot and began organizing the group. She took over, just as she had my business, and got the ball rolling. Pretty sure if she wanted to take over the world, we couldn’t stop her. Good thing she was content with running my life.

  “Ready to go home?” Midas rested his warm palm between my shoulders. “Remy can take it from here.”

  “Home,” I whimpered. “Yes, please.”

  With her ambassador already chosen, Tisdale joined us. “Would you mind if I walk back with you?”

  “Not at all,” I answered, when it became clear Midas was leaving the call up to me.

  The three of us, plus her guards, began the short walk to the Faraday.

  “I’m proud of you.” She slid her arm through mine, and her scent enveloped me in the next best thing to a hug. Growing things and sprinkle cookies. I would always associate those smells with her. “You’ve accomplished so much.”

  “I can’t take the credit,” I said for the fifty billionth time. “I had help.”

  “You did indeed,” she mused. “So, the Atlanta Alliance.”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s a good idea.”

  “Thanks.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “Ares left town.”

  “I regret her choice, but I understand it.”

  “Me too.” I exhaled. “What about the ankle monitor?”

  “I removed it.” Her smile was soft, regretful. “Hard to start a new life chained to the past.”

  “Yeah.” I had to agree with her there. “What does that mean for Liz?”