by Knight
“Yes, dragon, it is done,” Mercy says, her voice strained.
I nod and hand over the rest of the payment and turn to leave, but their voices stop me. “It does not mean whoever is hunting you will stop, I have never felt such power before. It was...” Mercy trails off.
“Different,” Chloe adds.
“Mixed,” Loxley confirms.
Looking at them over my shoulder, I frown. “Mixed, how?”
They share a look before all speaking. “It was not just a witch, it was many different types of magic mixed together.”
“Th-they are stronger than you could ever imagine,” Mercy declares.
“Tread lightly, dragon. Your mate is what they seek,” Loxley advised.
I nod my thanks and quickly get out of there, their words haunting me across the walkway and to my car. The people who are hunting me are after my mate? What does mixed mean, how can the power of a witch be harnessed by others?
One thing is for sure, she is going to need me now more than ever, enemies are closing in on every side. It’s time to find Dawn.
“I have to leave!” I argue, pacing around the confines of the sitting room.
Bayard sighs and leans forward, placing his hands on his knees. We have been talking for hours and it is getting us nowhere, not to mention the longer I spend here the longer Dawn is in danger. I have to warn her, I have to get to her, not discuss politics and untruths.
“Cernunnos—” I growl and he corrects himself. “Nos—”
Turning to him, I narrow my eyes. “My mate is out there, in danger right now. Do not mince your words, Your Highness. Tell me what we need to know so we can make a plan or I shall leave.”
“Father, please,” Isla begs, throwing him a withering look.
He waves his hand, before sitting back like a sulking child and she smiles. “Here is what we know. Twenty fae nobles, ten from each court, have been taken. All women, all powerful. There were no breaches of our glamour or border, and our guards were...investigated, and no errors were found,” she explains. What a nice way to say they were tortured…
“You have said supernatural women are being sold, is it possible more are being taken from other clans and races, and we just don’t know because we are all too spread out and do not speak?” she muses, and I incline my head at her logic. “So now, more than ever, we must stick together. We need to find out who is taking them and why, then we can exact our revenge and save our people if we must.”
Sighing, I sit down again now that we are getting somewhere. “The council will need to hear of this as well, if they are not already aware. What are your plans to make sure it does not happen again?” I ask, needing to know they will be okay while I leave and find Dawn.
Bayard looks at his daughter and inquires, “What do you think we should do?”
She sucks in a breath, and even I raise my eyebrow at that. He is a very confident king and he is asking her opinion? “We should increase security, rework our defenses and glamour. We should implement a curfew, but father, what we need most is an alliance with the Night Court.” He goes red and she interrupts before he can explode. “Yes, I know we don’t get along, but their people are missing too, so it’s obviously not them behind this.”
“Unless that’s what they want you to think,” Ashera mumbles but she ignores him.
“That means someone is targeting the supernaturals, especially with all the information Nos has supplied. We need to call a truce and work together to defend our people, they are what come first, after all. Nos, you will find your mate and attend this meeting. You work in your world and see what you can find, we shall work in ours. You have the full disposal of our people, and I assume we have you?” she implores, and I smile at her, beyond proud. A true leader.
“Of course, and the council will condone this,” I add, and she nods.
“We will meet again in a week to discuss our findings, we also need to start reaching out to other species, see if they have the same problem,” she lists, her eyes downcast as she thinks through everything that needs to be done.
“I shall try, I have connections,” I assure her.
“Okay, and we will talk to the Night Court. Father, we could use them now more than ever. With our magic combined, we might be able to see something that we couldn’t before. Now is time for unity, together we will survive, alone we will die.” She sits taller in her seat, looking like the queen she will be.
“And who, exactly, is going to go to the Night Court to suggest this? I cannot, it is forbidden!” he shouts, with fury on his face but also consideration. He is a smart man, he knows what must be done. All of us in this room can see what will happen next.
“Me,” Isla answers simply. “I will go.”
Ashera steps forward then, his eyes on his king. “If she goes, I go.” Isla’s eyes widen, as do Bayard’s, at the fae warrior having such strong feelings and actually speaking to his king like that.
“Fine, take two more with you. Your best, any more warriors than that, then that bitch will think it is a war party. I will send word of a diplomatic mission. Nos, you will return, yes?” he asks, already standing.
I stand as well. “Of course.”
“Good, bring your mate next time,” he orders, and sweeps from the room. Isla and Ashera all take a breath and relax.
“I must leave,” I say, and Isla frowns but stands, running over and embracing me.
“Be careful, please Uncle Nos?” she begs and I grin at her.
“You know what they say, Izzy? You can’t kill a god.” I wink and she laughs. I turn to my old friend to see him looking at her. “I must leave, brother, see me to the barrier?”
He looks over at me and leaves the room. I look back at Isla. “Be gentle on him, Izzy, for someone so smart he is blind to the ways of his heart,” I warn, before leaning down and kissing her forehead.
“I will,” she promises, and I give her one last look before following Ashera.
The fae and I walk in silence back to the bridge, and what I have just found out sits heavily on my shoulders. There is no denying it anymore, someone is hunting us, I just wish I knew who and why.
When we reach the halfway point of the bridge, Ashera stops and I mirror him. “If someone is strong enough to get in and out without us noticing. They are powerful, really powerful,” he concludes.
“They are, that makes them dangerous, but one thing I have learned in my life, brother, is that powerful people are the first to fall.” We both stare out into the forest lost in our own thoughts.
“Your mate, how did you know?” he finally asks.
“I felt complete, like a piece of me that was missing finally came home. Looking into her eyes didn’t make me want to give her the world, it made me want to walk across it by her side. Love is easy, a fleeting thing. There are different types, the one you fight, the one that hurts, and the one that is forever. She is the forever kind.” I shrug.
He doesn’t say anything, but I see the confusion on his face and clasp his shoulder. “Brother, may I give you some frank advice?”
He nods, turning his eyes to me. “Don’t fight it, I saw the way you two looked at each other and I know you well. If it was a fling, you would ignore it, but this goes deeper. You love her. As we are finding out, we are not as immortal as we thought we were, do not waste that time. Love deep and love hard.”
He nods. “I’m scared,” he admits, and that in itself nearly staggers me.
“Good, that means it’s real. Fear means you are alive. The strongest warriors use that fear, they do not let it control them. Even a warrior has a heart, Ashera—make her yours.” I pull away, leaving him to his thoughts as I head to the barrier.
“Be safe, brother,” he calls.
“And you,” I reply, before I step over the magic and back into my own forest.
As soon as my bare feet hit the soil, I am running. The sky is almost dark—I am too late. I can feel it.
Little Monster, I am coming. Hold o
n.
Once I’m dressed and my hair is dry, I head downstairs. When I don’t spot Griffin anywhere, I open the door to the basement to check down there. When I reach the bottom, I spot him preparing a bag of weapons. Ray is still tied in the corner, with his eyes open and wide as he watches Griffin. I raise my eyebrows at the gag tied over Ray’s mouth and walk over to Griffin.
He ignores me, even when I hop up on the gun range table next to him. “Why is he gagged?” I ask curiously.
He grunts but ignores me. “Griffin, why is he gagged?” I repeat, my voice harder.
He sighs, drops the gun he was playing with and looks over at me. “Because he wouldn’t shut up and it was either that or cut his tongue out.”
“Okay.” I shrug and he looks at me in confusion.
“Okay?” he echoes and I nod, swinging my legs back and forth. “Why okay?” he asks slowly, like it might be a trap.
“Well, he’s going to die anyway, I don’t care what you do to him.” I shrug again and I hear Ray struggling in the corner, screaming behind his gag. “Shut up, Ray Ray or I will cut off your balls one at a time and make you eat them,” I threaten, before turning back and smiling at Griffin.
“Let’s do this, shall we?” I inquire and he nods, watching me intently, and when I jump down he actually jolts.
He follows behind me, throwing me looks every now and again when he thinks I can’t see. Kneeling before Ray, I wag my finger. “If I take out the gag, you aren’t going to scream, are you?”
He shakes his head, his eyes filled with fear, but I can almost taste the lie, making me tut. “If you do, I will let Griffin cut out your tongue,” I say sweetly, and he stops moving, his eyes swinging to Griffin before he swallows and nods his understanding.
Pulling the material from his mouth, I let it drop to his neck. He swallows and licks at his lips as he watches me.
“Now, Ray. I’m going to need to borrow something from you,” I tell him kindly, moving closer.
He pulls back, plastering himself against the wall, but his eyes are for Griffin, obviously thinking he will be the one to kill him.
“What?” he asks, his voice rough and wobbly.
“Your skin,” I purr.
He turns to me sharply and his mouth opens when I dart in. Holding his head hard, I seal my lips to his. Surely, there has to be a better way than this, but that’s a problem for another time.
He starts to struggle against me, his legs kicking out, but I hold his head tighter, pulling his energy from him. This time I don’t stop. He’s evil and he deserves to die. He was never going to live, not once we had his name—it seems apt that his death is at the hands of a woman they tried to sell.
He stops fighting soon enough and I pull my mouth away. His skin is sunken, his mouth stretched wide, and his eyes are almost popping from his skull. A noise leaves his mouth and I grin. “What was that?” I coo and he whines again, his eyes rolling around.
I feel the change rolling through me and I know what to expect this time, so I fall back to my ass and let it come. It moves over my body, and now that I’m not fighting it as much, it seems easier. There is still pain, and the horrible sensation of skin moving and your body changing, but it’s over quicker—quicker than ever before, until I sit in front of Ray as a carbon copy of him.
“Hi, sugar.” I laugh, my voice deep like his.
A whine comes from his mouth and his feet are twitching, but I get bored of playing with him. Leaning close I drop a kiss on his forehead. “Have fun in hell.” Grabbing him on either side of the head again, I rip.
It’s easier than I figured it would be, and I stand with Ray’s head held in my hand. Blood drips to the floor as his legs twitch next to me.
Looking down at myself, I frown. “I’m going to need some clothes.”
Watching Dawn, Ray, whatever the hell I call her, slip into my boxers and clothes is the weirdest thing I have ever seen, especially when she looks over and winks at me.
Turning away, I grab my bags and get ready. When I turn back she’s dressed and ready to go. “Come on,” I murmur, shaking my head when she blows me a kiss and stomps back down the stairs and waits for me at the front door.
Leading her to the garage attached to the house, I roll up the door and flick on the light. She whistles when she sees my sports car and I can’t help the grin that lights up my face.
“Figured we couldn’t fit three people on my bike,” I mutter before sliding in. She slips into the passenger seat, having to cramp the big guy’s body in.
“I’ll never get used to having a cock,” she mutters, and I can’t help the laugh that falls out.
“And I’ll never get used to you having one,” I tease, grinning over at her.
She winks, running her hand down her body. “Want to try some butt stuff? I love it, personally.”
I cringe, throwing her a narrow-eyed look. “I’ll stick to your ‘butt stuff,’” I warn, before turning on the ignition and pulling from the garage, pressing the button inside the car to make the door roll down.
She laughs as we shoot down the street with the sun setting in my rearview mirror. We are quiet for the rest of the drive, the meeting weighing heavily on us. Gripping the wheel tighter, I watch the road. “Speak as little as possible, less likely for them to catch you out. As soon as you have information, you signal. Tap your chest three times. If you feel in danger, tap your chest five times. We are in and out,” I warn.
“Why, Griffin, it sounds like you care,” she teases.
Swerving around some cars going too slow for my liking, I ignore her comment. “Dawn,” I growl.
She sighs, leaning back in the seat with a frown. “Yes, I understand. It’s not like I can die twice, right?” she jokes, but it only makes me growl harder.
“Griffin, I’ll be okay, plus you have my back,” she says softly, well, as soft as she can when she’s a man.
Pulling up into the parking lot next to the strip club the sheep I am trusting owns, I wait for the girl he told me would help me out. Turning to face Dawn, I open my mouth, to respond when there is a bang on my window.
I have my knife out in a second and Dawn growls, her eyes going black. When I spot the woman waiting with a bored look on her face, I roll down the window, keeping the blade in my hand just in case. “Crystal?” I ask bluntly.
She nods. “You going to let me in darlin’? It’s fucking cold out here.”
I unlock the doors and wind up my window as she slips into the back. I turn to face her. “You know your job?” I growl, scrunching my nose up at the fresh scent of cum and sex.
“Yes.” She grins. “Play stupid, act helpless, and listen to hottie there.” She nods at Dawn and I grin.
“You should see her without her skin,” I joke and Dawn laughs, looking over at the girl.
“You’re too clean,” she murmurs, and the woman laughs.
“Darlin’, I’ve never been clean.”
Dawn sighs, shaking her head and looking at me. “She looks too clean for the way they were selling the girls.”
Looking back over the woman, I nod my understanding. Although her clothes aren’t brand new, they are well cared for—tight blue jeans with holes, a corset top, and leather jacket. She doesn’t exactly look like a prisoner.
Dawn leans over the seat, meeting the girl’s eyes again. “You mind if I undress you?”
I have to hold in a laugh at the excitement on the woman’s face. I’m pretty sure she thinks Dawn, or Ray, is coming on to her.
“Go for it, darlin’,” she whispers.
Dawn grins, climbing over the seat and putting her butt in my face, and joins the woman in the back. I watch through the mirror as she makes the woman giggle while she half undoes the corset and actually takes the woman’s jeans off. Sitting back, she nods, looking at me for confirmation.
“Better,” I add, she does look like a slave now.
Dawn pats the woman’s head, who pouts, as Dawn climbs back over the center console and int
o the passenger seat. The sex worker leans forward and places her hand on my shoulder, making me look at it in disgust.
“What about you hottie, you want to undress me too?” she asks.
Looking at her over my shoulder, I let her see my cold, uninterested gaze. “No,” I growl, before gripping her hand and removing it from my shoulder. She sits back in her seat with a weird smile on her face.
Turning back to the wheel, I start the car and head to the meeting point, listing all the possible ways this could go wrong in my head.
Twenty-five, if you were wondering.
By the time we get to the meeting place at the docks, we only have five minutes to go.
“Better hide your car and yourself,” I murmur to him, as I grab the handle and slide out. He leans across the seat, stopping me as I’m closing the door.
“I will be watching the whole time, remember, tap your heart three times,” he orders. Leaning in closer to him, I grin.
“Such a worrier,” I tease, before shutting the door in his face. I open the back door for the woman Griffin picked up and she follows me out, shivering in the cold, which I can barely feel.
When I shut the door, Griffin speeds away, but I know he will be watching from somewhere. Grabbing the girl’s arm to make it look real, I pull her over to the barriers. The water shines on the other side, deep and dark, and the moon reflects off of it. She wraps her arms around her and I sigh.
“This shouldn’t take long, try not to talk too much okay?” She nods and I push her to the ground. “Huddle at my feet like you’re scared, it might keep you warmer.”
She curls into a ball and we wait.
Headlights flash across the empty pier, stopping in the parking lot meters away. I watch from my position, the lights nearly blinding me, as they seem to take ages to get out. For a moment I think I’ve forgotten something, or they somehow know it’s not me, but when they get out I breathe a sigh of relief. I’m betting they are just cautious, and rightly so.
I don’t look around for Griffin, not wanting to draw their attention to him. Instead, I wait with the woman at my feet as they shut off their lights and head my way. I count ten of them in total. It looks like nine bodyguards, from the way they are scanning the area and surrounding the man in the middle.