by Tami Lund
“She wasted away,” Ketu finished for her. Eulalie had basically stopped eating at the end. And she kept increasing her doses, taking them closer together, trying to stay high, because coming down was so damn hard. The official cause of death was heart attack, but Ketu knew the drug had caused it. Her body hadn’t been able to handle the amount she’d ingested that last time.
He squeezed the steering wheel and glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see Antoinette swipe tears from her cheeks. He wanted to pull the vehicle over and climb into the backseat and hold her in his arms. Damn it, this should have been a moment between just the two of them.
“Hey, man, I’m really sorry,” Rahu said, all teasing stripped from his voice.
“That’s why you moved to Detroit,” Noah’s voice broke across the line. “You were running away from your demons.”
Noah had lost his mom at a young age, and his family had basically fallen apart afterward. So yeah, he understood.
“Pretty much,” Ketu said. Weird that it actually felt good to admit it. Cleansing, in a way.
“And I took a completely different path,” Antoinette said. “I stayed here and tried to fight Darius. First by telling the colony that he’d killed Eulalie. Except nobody believed me.”
“Or, more likely, they were afraid of repercussions if they admitted they did,” Ketu said.
“Maybe,” Antoinette said. “When nothing else worked to get the reeve’s attention, I started taking down the dragon’s blood dealers, one at a time.”
“When you say ‘taking down,’ what does that mean?” Talia asked.
“Like, you kill them?” Rahu suggested.
“If other means don’t work. Although that’s a last resort.”
“Damn, girl,” Rahu said, awe in his voice.
Ketu shook his head.
“In the meantime, no one has seen our reeve in all this time. The last colony meeting I went to, about five years ago, he wasn’t even there.”
“Your colony held a meeting without the reeve? Is that even allowed?” Gabe asked.
Antoinette shrugged. “I guess. I mean, there wasn’t any real business on the schedule, so why even bother having it?”
“To set precedence,” Talia said. “Make the colony comfortable with holding meetings without him. Who was speaking on his behalf? Darius, I’m guessing?”
“Yes,” Antoinette said.
“He was establishing control. And a routine. I’ll bet, after all this time, few in the colony even question the fact that they are holding meetings without their leader,” Talia said.
“Like I said, I haven’t been in forever, but yes, I believe you’re right.”
“So where is he? The reeve, I mean?” Talia asked.
Antoinette met Ketu’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “We think he’s dead.”
There were a variety of exclamations from both their vehicle and over the phone.
“And if he is, we believe Darius killed him,” Antoinette added.
“His own father?” Rahu said.
“Not just that,” Argyle said, speaking for the first time since he’d arrived with the other dragons, “but the leader of his colony. In any culture, that is treason. In mine, and undoubtedly in yours, that is punishable by death.”
“Yes,” Antoinette said. “Which is why he’s hiding it. Darius can’t become reeve if he killed the previous one, but in the current scenario, he basically is the reeve.”
“That is some fucked up shit,” Rahu said.
Ketu couldn’t agree more. He pulled the vehicle to the curb in front of his parents’ house and shut off the engine. “And now, in order to both end the dragon’s blood trade and ensure he isn’t running the colony anymore, we agreed to help Delilah become reeve.”
“Also some fucked up shit,” Rahu said.
“Tell me about it,” Ketu muttered, and he climbed out of the SUV as Gabe ended the call.
Once everyone was gathered in the driveway, Ketu said, “Listen, Henri is asleep, so you have to be quiet, okay?”
“Who’s Henri?” Rahu asked.
“My”—Ketu glanced at Antoinette—“her son.”
“I’ll be quiet,” Rahu said. “Because I’ll be stuffing my face.”
Ketu shook his head again and then led his friends into the house through the carport door. As soon as they walked into the kitchen, Mamá said, “I whipped up a batch of crawfish fritters. They’re almost ready.”
“Yes!” Rahu shouted and fist pumped. “Ketu’s bragged about your fritters since I’ve known him. I can’t wait to try them.”
So much for being quiet.
Noah, who was a chef, and of course Rahu, hovered around Mamá, who was in her element as she explained her cooking process, while Ketu and Antoinette introduced the rest of the crew to his dad.
“Pleased to meet you,” Simėon said to Gabe. “It’s nice to meet a reeve I can actually respect.”
Talia snickered and Gabe shot her a scowl.
Soon, the platter of fritters on the table had been refilled three times, and everybody had a bowl of gumbo in hand while Mamá sliced crusty French bread and piled it into a towel-lined basket she placed next to the fritters.
A pajama-clad Henri came wandering down the hallway, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “What’s going on, Manman?” he asked.
Before Antoinette could reach him, Ketu scooped the child into his arms. “We brought a few friends over to meet Granmé and Papa.”
Henri glanced around, taking in the group, and then his eyes widened. “What is he?” He pointed at Argyle.
“He’s a gargoyle,” Ketu said.
“Cool.”
The group laughed. Gabe stepped up and offered to shake the little boy’s hand. “Who’s he?” Henri asked, looking to Ketu for the answer.
“This is Gabe, my reeve.”
His eyes widened again. “You live where it snows?”
Gabe chuckled. “Yep, sure do.”
“Are you a good reeve?”
“I’m certainly trying to be.”
“We don’t have a good reeve. I wish you were our reeve.”
Gabe patted his head. “Thanks, but unfortunately, I don’t think I can handle running two colonies on opposite ends of the country. But we’re going to try to help you out, see if we can find you a better reeve, okay?”
“Okay.”
“All right,” Ketu said, “say good night to your mom and I’ll put you back to bed.”
“I’ll come with you,” Antoinette said. After they’d tucked Henri back into bed, she grabbed Ketu’s arm.
“This is going to sound weird, but…I’m sorry I was so angry at you for leaving after Eulalie died.”
“You’re right, that does sound weird. I didn’t even know you were angry.”
“That’s because you were gone. Which is exactly why I was so mad. I thought you’d abandoned me.”
He gave in to the overwhelming urge that hadn’t died down since they were in the car earlier, and he pulled her into his arms. “I won’t ever abandon you again. I swear.”
It was going to be interesting to see how he’d be able to keep that particular promise.
Chapter 14
Antoinette tried to step out of the discussions and let the various members of Ketu’s colony work out how they planned to move forward, but Gabe wasn’t inclined to let her be a passive bystander.
“You are part of this plan,” he said, pulling her back into the conversation each time she tried to bow out. “Besides the fact that you have the most knowledge of this colony, you’re Ketu’s mate.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like she needed the reminder. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, hadn’t since the moment it dawned on her.
And it annoyed the hell out of her that her dragon was so damn happy about it. You’re easy, she told the infuriating animal. You just like him because he’s good in bed.
He’s good in bed because you two are so compatible. Because you’re meant to be together.
Ugh. Since when were dragons so damn reasonable?
She and Ketu still had so much to work out. They still hadn’t told his parents or Henri, and most important of all, they hadn’t talked about what would happen after this dragon’s blood business was concluded. If they were truly going to make a go at being mates, they should probably live in the same state, but where?
After much grumbling from Gabe, who clearly did not like his mother—not that Antoinette could blame the guy—they finally contacted Delilah and met her at the abandoned antiques store where she used to distribute dragon’s blood.
When she spotted Argyle, she thrust out her hip and arched her brow. “How’d you talk the gargoyle into helping? I thought he only helped those who were worthy?” She created air quotes with her fingers.
Gabe rolled his eyes. “You asked for help. This is what you’ve got.”
“We could probably use a few more gargoyles,” she said.
“If I determine it is necessary, I will call upon my brethren,” Argyle stated.
This time, Delilah rolled her eyes.
And then they talked, well into the night. Suggesting and dismissing plan after plan. Gabe asked for everyone’s input, and if someone wasn’t speaking up frequently enough—such as Antoinette—he called on her like a teacher did a student, forcing her to admit whether she approved or agreed with whatever latest recommendation had been laid before the group.
She was beginning to see why Ketu liked his colony so much. It wasn’t just because he’d been able to escape the constant reminders of his sister’s death. It was because he belonged; he was an important participant in this colony. She suspected most if not all the dragons under Gabe’s rule felt that way.
She wanted her colony to be like that.
“This is the one then?” Delilah asked after Gabe took a final vote on the latest recommended plan.
“I think so,” he replied.
“Excellent.” Delilah patted him on the shoulder. “Guess we know where your reeve instincts came from, huh?”
He scowled and brushed her hand away.
“Well, anyway,” she said, clapping her hands. “All right, let’s go. Everyone who’s with me, chop, chop.”
Gabe’s crew would be the distraction, which would hopefully pull the majority of Darius’s supporters away from the reeve’s home, so Delilah, Antoinette, Ketu, and Rahu could get into the mansion and snoop around to find proof that the reeve was, in fact, dead.
“How much longer?” Rahu asked when they were crouched together behind an overgrown holly bush two houses down from where the reeve lived.
Delilah looked down her nose at him. “You know, with your energy, I was intrigued at first. But now I’m guessing you are one of those hurry up and get it over with kind of guys.”
Rahu snorted. “You want me to prove you wrong?”
Delilah gave him an assessing look, like she was seriously considering his offer. Ketu grasped Rahu’s bicep and gave it a squeeze. “Trust me, man, you do not want to go there.”
“She’s questioning my sexual prowess,” Rahu protested.
“Do you seriously give a shit what she thinks? After tonight, you will never see her again.”
“Are you implying I won’t come down here to visit you? Because, you know, I’ve always wanted to check out Mardi Gras, and if you’re moving here…”
“What makes you think I’m moving back to New Orleans?” Ketu snapped, a little too quickly. Like he didn’t really want to. Like his decision was made.
Mate or not, he was heading home to Detroit just as fast as his wings would carry him. Antoinette knew damn well she would go with him, of course, but couldn’t he at least act like it was a difficult decision? Although she supposed it wasn’t for him. Still, she was going to walk away from the only home she’d ever known to be with him. A little sympathy for her situation would be nice.
Boom! The explosion, which came from the direction of the warehouses Antoinette believed housed Darius’s drug manufacturing facility, shook the ground a moment before a group of men burst from the reeve’s house and took off running down the sidewalk.
“There they go,” Delilah said.
One by one, the men shifted into dragon form and flew away, getting swallowed by the darkness and wispy clouds drifting across the inky sky.
Ketu pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “The distraction has begun,” he confirmed.
Another handful of dragons rushed from the house and then all was quiet. Rahu stood and Ketu grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to his knees. “We wait,” Ketu snarled.
Long minutes passed. Rahu tapped his thumb against his thigh. Ketu’s leg shook. Antoinette clenched and unclenched her fist. Delilah kept sighing, over and over.
Finally, Ketu said, “Okay, let’s go.”
Rahu leaped up like his ass was on fire, while the others straightened and stretched like normal dragons.
Ketu slapped Rahu’s chest. “Quiet. Careful. Pay attention to your surroundings.”
“I hope you’re talking to all of us,” Rahu replied.
“Oh, stop it,” Delilah snapped, and she strode toward the mansion like she owned the damn place. Which, of course, she fully expected to. Soon.
While Delilah headed for the front door, Ketu grabbed both Antoinette and Rahu’s arms and guided them toward the backyard. They stepped around a perfectly symmetrical herb garden. Antoinette was no expert, but she recognized valerian, passion flower, and lavender, as well as cilantro, parsley, and garlic.
Rahu grabbed a fistful of lavender leaves and breathed deeply. “My mom used to put this in my bath when I was a kid. She said it helped calm me down, made it easier to put me to bed.”
Ketu snorted. “Short of Benadryl, I can’t imagine anything calmed you down until you made up your mind to crash.”
They climbed the back porch steps, silent as cats, all but hidden in the darkness thanks to a new moon.
The house was quiet. The kind of eerie silence that was common for the middle of the night.
When Rahu reached for the knob on the door, Ketu grabbed his arm. “Check for wires first. There’s probably an alarm,” he whispered.
Rahu did as he was told, and after a few moments, shook his head and tried the knob. When it didn’t open, he pulled something out of his back pocket, fiddled with the lock for a minute, and then the door popped open.
No alarm sounded.
Antoinette glanced at Ketu, who was looking at her. No alarm at a reeve’s home felt…off.
“Maybe our distraction worked better than we hoped,” Ketu whispered. “Maybe they took off without taking the time to set the alarm.”
Hopefully, he was right.
They stepped into a starkly white living area with glossy hardwood floors that gleamed despite the lack of light. White couches formed a seating area around a massive stone fireplace that was probably rarely used. Beyond that was an oak dining room table that could comfortably seat at least twelve, and an open-air kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Ketu led them through the main level to a staircase that was tucked between the kitchen counter and a pantry that was big enough to house enough food for the entire damn colony.
They crept up to the bedroom level, pausing every time they heard a sound: the scrape of a branch against a window or somebody snuffling in their sleep or what sounded like someone moving along the floorboards. But that last sound stopped and didn’t start up again, so Ketu eventually motioned for them to keep following him as he made his way closer to what they were guessing was the reeve’s bedroom, which they’d determined was the most logical first place to check for clues.
After finding a floor plan online, they’d ruled out anything on the first floor as too easy to access in the event of an attack. They’d made an assumption that his hoard was kept in the crawl space beneath the main level, and no dragon slept in the same place as his hoard, no matter how tempting it may be.
Which left the upper level.
The first door revealed a pretty bland guest room. The second led to a bathroom, which connected to that first room as well as another. Across the hall was another room that, while decorated nicely enough, smelled stale, like the door hadn’t been opened in a long time.
And so it went, all the way down the hall, until they reached the final door. Ketu twisted the knob and opened it.
The smell that hit Antoinette was strong and it wasn’t of disuse. More like a powerfully scented candle, like the occupant was a fan of Bath & Body Works. Otherwise, it was an elegantly appointed room, with cherrywood furniture and a gorgeous four-poster bed with thick wooden pillars at each corner linked by a carved gold canopy. The bedcovers were red and gold damask.
And there was a figure lying underneath the spread.
Antoinette jerked her head up and caught Ketu’s eye. “He’s not dead,” she whispered, staring at the man who appeared to be sleeping in the bed. He was on his back, the blanket tucked around his chest, his arms lying at his sides. His salt and pepper hair was long and wavy. He had a full beard that reached his breastbone, at least.
“Of course he’s not. Did you honestly think I’d kill my own father?” Darius stepped out of the shadows, struggling with another person as he did so.
Delilah.
“Guess going through the front door wasn’t the smartest option,” Rahu remarked under his breath.
After a few moments, Darius managed to get his arm around Delilah’s neck and pressed his forearm against her windpipe. She stopped attempting to get out of his grasp.
“Yeah, we did,” Ketu said. “The guy’s been MIA for over five years.”
Darius nodded at the bed. “As you can see, he’s alive and well.”
“I don’t know about the well part,” Rahu said.
Antoinette had to agree with him. If the reeve was alive, he was barely breathing. She studied the bedcovers and couldn’t see them moving.
“Go ahead,” Darius said. “Check for a pulse. You know you want to.”
Ketu nodded, and Antoinette moved closer to the bed. The scent of herbs was more cloying here than even down in the garden. An insulated cup with a plastic lid and a straw sat on the small table next to the bed, and a low light cast a pale blue glow over the person lying on his back, his mouth partially open, his eyes closed. Antoinette jerked away when he smacked his lips and let out a sleepy sigh.