Rouen Chronicles Box Set

by Raven Steele

  “Don’t you ever want to stand up to your mother?”

  She puffed air past her lips, lifting her bangs. “Of course I want to, but it just never happens.” She stopped moving with downcast eyes. “Except when I was with Ryder.”

  I winced, feeling a stabbing pain in my chest. I couldn’t bring Ryder back, but I could do this one thing for her. She’d stood up for me, and now I was going to do the same. “Let’s do it together. We’ll tell that bitch she can’t control you anymore. And afterwards, we’ll go celebrate at the club.”

  She closed her eyes and smiled too. “That sounds nice.”

  “So let’s do it! I’ll make a deal with Cassandra, and you tell her how you really feel. Two birds for one bitch.”

  A brief honk sounded outside.

  “Roma’s here. Come on!” Before I could give her a chance to change her mind, I tugged her along. She giggled and stumbled drunkenly after me.

  “Hi, chicka,” I said when I slid into the back of Roma’s car. Lynx jumped in next to me.

  Roma eyed me in the rearview mirror, a twinkle in her eye. “Where are you ladies going tonight? Hopefully, somewhere were you aren’t going to get even more plowed.”

  “Surprisingly, I’m not drunk this time.” I pointed at Lynx. “Just this one.”

  Roma’s eyes widened. “What? The sweet one? What did you do to her, Briar?”

  “She did it all on her own.” I glanced at Lynx. Her head rested on the window and with her finger, she traced circles on the glass.

  Roma laughed and pulled away from the curb. “Okay then. Where you headed?”

  “To the Morgan residence.”

  Roma slammed on her breaks. Both Lynx and I jerked forward, almost slamming our heads into the back of the front seats.

  “What the hell?” I cried.

  “Sorry,” Roma said, “but I thought I heard you just say the Morgan house.”

  Lynx burped. “Yup. We’re going to tell my mother where to stick her fancy face.”

  “Well, you are,” I clarified, “but I’m going to make a deal with the wicked witch bitch of the west.”

  Roma pulled back onto the road. “This is a bad idea, Briar.”

  Lynx leaned into me. “It really is.”

  I looked down at her face resting on my shoulder. “It might be, but there’s no way I can let her ship you off to the Ministry.”

  She reached up and patted my cheek. “You’re a good friend.”

  Lynx closed her eyes, and in a matter of minutes fell asleep.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Roma spoke quietly, eyeing me in the rearview mirror.

  I didn’t answer her. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I did know I had to protect Lynx, just like she protected me. Plus, it felt good to be doing something instead of waiting around for someone to grab me. If I didn’t have much time left, I might as well do something good while I could.

  Twenty minutes later, Roma turned past two giant white pillars onto a long lane lined with old, knotty oak trees.

  “Have you been here before?” I asked. I repositioned Lynx’s head so she’d stop snoring.

  “Once. I swore I’d never go back.”

  “What happened?”

  “This isn’t the time or place for that story.”

  Roma followed the path around a great circled driveway. In the center, a fountain rivaled the state capital’s, spraying water ten feet into the air while colored lights illuminated the millions of droplets. The home itself was an antiqued mansion, a dignified upgrade to where I lived. I could practically smell the gloss from where I sat.

  Roma parked, leaving the car idling, and peered out the window. “It’s in the middle of the night. Why can’t you wait until daylight?”

  “Because I might not have much time.” Before she could ask me what I meant, I shook Lynx. “Time to wake up, drunky-head.”

  She groaned and opened her eyes. “Briar?” She looked around. “Where are we?” She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

  “We’re at your mom’s house. Remember? You’re going to stick it to the bitch?”

  She looked out the window, her face paling. “We can’t go in there! Don’t you know what tonight is?”

  “Wednesday?”

  “It’s a full moon!”

  “Of course it is. So what?”

  “Shit,” Roma muttered, shaking her head.

  “It means all of my family will be here. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Every month they get together to practice magic. This is literally the worst time we could come.”

  “Well, it’s the best time for me. Full moons are my specialty. Feel free to stay in the car.” I threw open the door. All I had to do was make a deal. Shouldn’t be too difficult. Everyone wanted something.

  I walked toward the mansion. Behind me, I heard, “Stop!”

  Lynx hurried after me.

  I held up my hands to stop her. “It’s okay, really. I didn’t mean to force this on you. I just thought it would be good for you to finally stand up to your mother.”

  “And it would be, if it was another time.”

  “I get it. Go back to the car.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  I shrugged. “Okay, but let me do the talking.”

  “I’m coming too,” Roma said as she walked toward us.

  “Really? Why?”

  “Because I’m worried about you two yahoos. These are powerful people, and one of you is drunk and the other one is an idiot.”

  “Hey!” I said, though I wasn’t sure I could disagree.

  “I’m stone-cold sober now,” Lynx said while she stared at the huge house.

  I took my time walking up the stairs, thinking of anything I could offer Cassandra. The best one I could come up with was offering to be her bodyguard for a time now that she’s on the Ministry. If what Dominic told me was true, then there would be people always trying to kill Cassandra to take her place. Having me as a bodyguard would greatly reduce those chances. I hoped it worked.

  I swallowed hard and proceeded up the steps. “Let’s go then.”

  Roma and Lynx walked along side me, each of us staring up at the towering house with trepidation. I wiped the sweat on my palms across my jeans.

  When we reached the front door, I asked Lynx, “Do I knock and wait for a butler or do we just walk in?”

  “Come on,” she whispered as if someone were listening. She opened the door slowly and peeked inside. “It’s clear.”

  She opened the door wider and let us in. I stepped into a great room with polished wooden floors and Italian rugs. A statue of a Roman goddess stood in the center. It reflected into a large mirror running along the side wall.

  “They’re probably in the study.” Lynx tiptoed across the shiny floor. “This way.”

  The lights on the chandelier above us had been turned low, casting eerie shadows all around us. I swore I even saw some of them move. “This place is creepy.”

  Roma followed behind us. “This place is so nice I’m afraid my breath will stain the walls.”

  “Stop.” A loud, commanding voice filled the room. The chandelier above us suddenly jumped from dim to incandescent, bathing us in bright light. All of us froze.

  “Well, look who it is,” a familiar voice said.

  I slowly turned around. Standing at the top of a sweeping staircase was Lilith wearing a short black dress and high-heeled shoes. She held what looked like a blue snow cone in a tall, skinny glass. I cringed. I’d hoped to avoid her.

  “Hi, Lilith,” Lynx said, trying to make her voice strong but failing at it miserably.

  Lilith gracefully strolled down a few steps. “What do you think you’re doing here with my lover’s killer and a hobo?”

  “Hobo?” Roma said, rearing back. “Who you calling a hobo?”

  Lilith turned her nose down at her. “Have you looked in the mirror lately? You look like you crawled out my cat’s asshole.”

  “How about I shove your head up said asshole?�
� Roma lunged to go after her, but I held her back.

  “What’s going on?” a voice said from the balcony above us.

  I glanced up. Maera was leaning over, her long blond, almost white hair, falling to each side of her face. When she spotted us, me specifically, she groaned. “Lynx, you shouldn’t have brought her here.”

  “She didn’t bring me here,” I said. “I came on my own, but Lynx followed me.”

  “And the homeless person?” Maera asked.

  “I’m not homeless!” Roma said.

  Lilith slowly walked down the stairs. “Now that you’re here, Briar, in my home, with no pack to protect you, I think I’ll finish what I started.”

  Without warning, invisible pressure slammed into my head, dropping me to my knees. I clutched at the continuous pain and ground my teeth together.

  “Stop it,” Lynx cried. She knelt next to me, her hand on my back. It was warm, and the pain softened.

  “You asked for it,” Roma said. She lifted her hand in a claw-like motion.

  Lilith’s body began to tighten, while the pain in my head subsided.

  “What are you doing to me?” Lilith cried. She attempted to move, but it was as if her whole body had become encased in concrete.

  “Winter!” Maera cried over her shoulder before hurrying down the stairs to her sister.

  “Listen,” I said, trying to diffuse the situation quickly. The last thing I wanted was all of Lynx’s family, including extending family, to show up. “I just want to talk to Cassandra.”

  “Not until you pay,” Lilith growled.

  “What do you want me to do with her?” Roma asked. Her hand had begun to shake.

  I glanced back at Lilith and Maera. “Have you had enough?”

  All of a sudden, a woman appeared next to the sisters. Just materialized out of thin air. She had hair the same color and shared the same vibrant blue eyes. This must be Winter, the third sister. By the looks of her t-shirt, sweats, and messy hair, she had just woken up.

  “What the hell is going on?” She looked around at each of us, taking in the scene.

  “The hobo won’t let me go!” Lilith complained, grunting through the force that held her in place.

  Winter didn’t say a word. She simply disappeared.

  I lowered into a defensive position. “Where’d she go?”

  “She could be anywhere,” Lynx whispered.

  “This seems like a good time to leave,” Roma said and slowly began to back up while maintaining her hold on Lilith.

  Winter appeared behind her holding an empty bottle of wine. “You’re not going anywhere.” She slammed the bottle into the side of Roma’s head. Roma fell over, unconscious.

  I growled and leapt at Winter, but by the time I reached her, she was gone again. Shit. I bent over to check on Roma. She had a head wound, but it didn’t look serious.

  Lilith laughed and walked the rest of the way down the stairs with Maera. Winter appeared next to them.

  “Who’s going to protect you now, wolf?” Lilith said.

  “I am.” Lynx stepped in front of me.

  “Stay out of this, cuz,” Moira said. “We don’t want to hurt you, too.”

  “For the love of God,” I said, “I just want to talk to Cassandra!” I looked all around, hoping I could make a run toward wherever Lynx’s mother was, but I couldn’t hear anything else in this huge house. Where was everyone?

  Pain blasted me again. I tried to stay on two feet, but the amount of pressure squeezing my brain was too much. I was half-tempted to call upon my Komira powers, but this was the last family I needed knowing my secret.

  “I warned you.” Lynx stepped in front of me, her eyes blazing.

  Winter laughed. “What are you going to do? Turn us into a flower?”

  Lynx shoved her hands forward. An invisible force knocked all three of them onto their backs. Winter disappeared.

  Free from the pain, I jumped to my feet and moved to Lynx’s side. Then everything just stopped.

  But then it started again. Lynx was in front of me when she hadn’t been a second before. “We have to hurry.”

  I glanced to the stairs. Maera and Lilith were on the ground, their legs half up and hair scattered in the air but frozen in place. “You stopped time.”

  “I did. Find Winter.”

  I turned around. Winter, or a semi-translucent version of Winter, crouched behind me frozen with a small knife in her hand. I jumped away. “Holy shit!”

  Careful not to touch her, Lynx yanked the knife from her hand and tossed it across the room. “We need to knock her out.”

  I drew back my fist and punched forward. Her body fully materialized and fell over in an awkward, stiff position.

  I glanced at Lynx, utterly impressed. “I take it all back. You’re the baddest of asses and should always fight with me and Samira.”

  “Thank you?” She glanced around frantically. “I can’t hold it anymore!”

  Time sped up.

  I sped to the remaining twins. Maera and Lilith continued their fall backwards. They looked up, jumping when they saw how close I suddenly was. I growled, feeling my shifter powers close to the surface. “Are you finished?”

  Before they could answer, I heard, “What is this?”

  I whipped around. Cassandra stood beneath an archway, her hands on her narrow hips and a look in her eye that made me think she wanted to finish the job Winter started.

  Chapter 22

  “I asked you a question, Lynx,” Cassandra said again. She wore a gray pantsuit that most would probably call a power suit, but I just called it stupid.

  Lilith pointed at me from her position on the floor. “She broke into our house!”

  “She’s with me,” Lynx clarified.

  Cassandra’s eyes lowered to Roma. “And what’s with the drifter?”

  Lynx lifted her chin. “She’s our friend.” Her voice was much stronger.

  Cassandra shook her head. “You are my daughter, and yet, I don’t know you at all.”

  “Likewise, Mother.”

  She gave her an icy glare. “Why are you here? Especially tonight. You know we have company.”

  I stepped forward. “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”

  She eyed me up and down. “Come with me. I’ll give you five minutes.”

  “What about her?” I motioned to Roma.

  “Get her out of my house, Lynx,” Cassandra said. “And check her pockets to make sure she didn’t steal anything.”

  “Wait!” Lilith cried. “I want my revenge.”

  “Shut up,” Cassandra snapped. “Briar did us a favor when she killed Dominic, and you know it. Go find another geriatric patient to screw.”

  Lilith frowned and picked herself up off the floor. Maera was already to her feet and checking on Winter.

  “This way,” Cassandra said.

  She led me down a wide hallway, past a massive kitchen and a formal dining room, and finally stopped in a room surrounded by windows. Behind one of them, a large fire burned in the distance. Dozens of people in white dresses and suits danced around it. Filling the spaces between the windows, large portraits with gold gilded frames displayed what looked like deceased relatives, if eerie blue eyes and shock blonde hair were family traits. Lynx’s red hair and green eyes were a vast improvement to the family line.

  Cassandra shut the door behind her and turned around. “Start talking.”

  “You’ve changed a lot.”

  She arched an eyebrow at me. “Excuse me?”

  “Last time you were at my house, you were as sweet as Georgia peaches. After giving you my seat on the Ministry,” my voice lowered to almost a growl, “you’d think you’d be a lot nicer to me.”

  Her lips tightened, and she crossed the room to stare out at the celebration. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to release Lynx from the deal she made with you.”

  “We’ve made many deals. Can you be more specific?”

  “The one wh
ere she said she’d train with the Principes Noctis in exchange for your saving me from Dominic.”

  Cassandra nodded slowly. “So she told you.”

  “Yes, and I want you to release her from it.”

  She spun around. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

  “What if I offer you something else instead?”

  I expected her to fully reject me first, but, instead, she narrowed her eyes. “Like what?”

  “My services. Now that you are on the Ministry, your life is constantly in jeopardy, but with me by your side,” I quickly swallowed the vomit coming up my throat, “no one will get to you.”

  She lifted her eyebrows and burst out laughing, a shrill sound that struck my nerves like a plucked guitar string. That pissed me off.

  “Did I say something funny?”

  “Oh my, yes.” She held her stomach. “Don’t you think I’ve prepared for this moment? I have so many protection spells placed on me, some of which have been building for over ten years, that it would take God himself to take me out.”

  “Okay, then. How about you owe me for the way you manipulated me into getting you on the council.”

  “You have no proof of that.”

  “We both know what you did.” She maintained eye contact, as if challenging me to do something about it. I curled my fingers into my hands. “What do you want?”

  Her smile disappeared. She lowered onto a desk behind her and swirled her finger in a small glass container of paperclips. “Have you ever wondered why so many supernaturals flock to Rouen?”

  The question startled me. I had never thought about it, but now that she mentioned it, I had encountered a lot. Especially more recently; they seemed to fill Sinsual more and more every night.

  “There is power in this city, an ancient energy that plagues the earth beneath it.” She lifted her hand. Several paperclips followed the motion into the air unaided. “Supernaturals come here and most of the time, they have no idea why. It’s as if this place calls to them.”

  She looked up at me. “Did you feel called here?”

  “What?”

  She dropped her mental hold on the paperclips. They fell back into the container. “There is a rumor spreading among supernaturals. An ancient and powerful blood has come to Rouen.”