by Ciara Graves
Mercy dropped her head to my arm. “Thanks.”
“Any time.”
“Rafael.” She sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled. “About Envy and everything else you missed… I need time, alright?”
“Time to come up with a better lie?”
She glared at me then rose and stormed off, leaving me behind. “Piss off.”
“Mercy, hold on a second.” I managed to grab her arm and stop her from exiting the apartment. “Why can’t you talk to me? What happened?”
She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but standing in front of me. “It’s not what happened. It’s with who. As I said, it’s complicated. So please, give me some time? I want to tell you. I do. But there’s so much at stake. The moment you find out everything, there’s no going back.”
“I trust you.”
“You say that now.”
“Mercy,” I tried.
She held up her hand. “It’s fine. You’ll understand once you know it all.”
“And if I remember first?”
She squeezed my hand hard. “Then I hope you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“Mercy, what did you do?”
“Rafael? Mercy?” Nor and Iris appeared in the doorway, guns drawn, eyes searching. “You two alright?”
“Just peachy.” Mercy pulled away from me the moment they arrived. “Gargoyle attacked.”
“Damn, so the witnesses are right?”
“I would say so. Now then, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to turn in. Tomorrow I’ll poke around my contacts, see if anyone in the Underground has any info on these gargoyles. Call me if you need me.” Mercy nodded to Nor and Iris, gave me a weighted look that begged me to be patient, then left.
“Something I need to know?” Nor holstered his gun as he took in the damage.
“Nothing I can’t handle. We need to figure out whose apartment this is, see if there’s any reason the gargoyles would target it, or if it was random.” I frowned, turning around slowly as I replayed the fight in my head.
“Rafael?”
“Sorry, just thinking is all,” I told Nor. “Mercy wounded one of them.”
“Bad enough to kill it?”
“Doubt it. It flew off without a problem. But during the fight, it’s like it didn’t care about me. It was focused on her.” I moved backward through the space, remembering each time I attacked the gargoyle, trying to get its attention. But all it cared about was Mercy.
“You think it was drawn to her? Maybe because of her magic?”
“Yeah, maybe.” I didn’t want to say what I thought because that would only complicate matters more. The way the gargoyle reacted was like it wanted Mercy. Had to be her magic. No other way anyone would know she would be here.
The techs came up behind us and swept the place. We found contact information on the owner and I took it with me. First thing in the morning, I’d be contacting Greg Sherwood and asking him why gargoyles would want to attack his place.
Nor told me to beat it after another hour of hanging around and I did, gladly. If I had to deal with Iris looking at me any longer, I’d start yelling at her.
Back home, I flipped on the lights inside my place and looked around. It felt so empty without Mercy. As I wandered into the kitchen to get some water, dizziness hit me, and I grabbed hold of the countertop. Images flashed before my eyes. Not of my kitchen, but of another.
“Mercy.”
It was her place, and we were holding each other close and laughing. Something about not having coffee mugs? The memory unfolded bit by bit, and when it was fully revealed to me, I couldn’t help but grin. I’d promised to buy her more coffee mugs. Then I’d held her, and she’d been so reluctant to leave.
After tonight, would we have a chance to be like that again? Now with my mind clear, I hoped there’d be a chance. But she was hiding things from me.
As much as I wanted to believe they weren’t that serious, everything with Mercy turned out to be life or death.
Chapter 2
Mercy
I checked my cell and groaned. It was approaching four in the morning. I should go back home and try to get some sleep, but the fight with the gargoyle left me wired. I hurried back to my place, hopped on my bike, and drove to the Underground.
Bowen would be at the Wailing Siren for his shift. As old as he was, there was a chance he’d know about gargoyles. Slim chance. I needed Wesley, but sadly, the gryphon was missing, probably dead. Remembering the bit of claw in my coat pocket, I texted Gigi too.
I stomped through the tunnel. When I was outside the bar, I muttered a curse and tugged my cell free. I figured I best call Damian and catch him up before he saw my face on the news in a few hours. With all the cameras that had been in the street, I was sure at least one of them caught my ass hanging off the edge of that building.
“Don’t you look like you’re having a great night.” Bowen crossed his arms as I approached. “What trouble are you into this time?”
“You know me, can’t have a boring day. We need to chat.”
His eyes darted left and right, up the drag. “Rufus?”
“No, nothing about that. Well, mostly not. Can we talk in Wesley’s room? Don’t want anyone overhearing.”
He motioned me inside. “I’ll be in shortly.”
“Gigi and Damian should be on their way.”
His lips thinned, but he bobbed his head.
I ducked inside, ordered a beer at the bar.
Shep gave me an odd look as he glanced over his shoulder at the clock. “Bit late for a drink.”
“Can we not do this shit tonight?”
Something in my tone made him give in, and he slid one across the counter. I grabbed it and hurried back to Wesley’s old rooms. I walked slowly around the place, shaking my head at the old tube TV and patchy couch the gryphon had occupied every time I came to talk to him. I hadn’t admitted he was dead. Not quite yet. The gryphon was valuable. If Shuval was behind the kidnapping, she would want him alive. I finally sank onto the flat cushions and sipped my beer until the door opened a while later.
Gigi arrived first, rushing to give me a one-armed hug, then she sat down beside me.
“Your text was horribly cryptic. What’s going on?”
“Wait until Damian gets here. I hate retelling stories.”
“Fine. Be a party pooper.” She sighed dramatically, then grinned. “You could always catch me up on what’s going on with you and Rafael?”
“Can’t you ask me anything easy?”
“That is easy. Come on, spill. What’s going on with you two?”
I drained half my beer then set the bottle on the dinged-up coffee table. “A lot. Not that it’s going to matter soon.” Shit. Hadn’t meant to say that last bit. Gigi was in the dark as far as what I was working on with Bowen and Rufus. And Todd, the freaking ghost. He was still content to hang around. Said he wouldn’t move on until Envy was dead.
“Why not? You planning on sabotaging yourself again?”
“When did I sabotage myself before?”
“Let’s see. There was the fae you dated.”
“He couldn’t handle my sarcastic attitude,” I pointed out.
“And then there was the warlock.”
I nodded. “He laughed like a hyena. Even you complained about him.”
Her face scrunched. “Right, forgot about that. What about the shifter?”
I shrugged, hoping she’d lay off and stop rehashing my failed relationships.
“Don’t give me that look. You pushed him away.”
“I’m not pushing Rafael away. Sadly, I think we’ve made a breakthrough.”
“Why is that sadly? If you like him, then what’s the problem?”
There was a long ass list of why that was a problem. The largest of which was the second Rafael remembered what I was, he’d be torn about whether to keep my secret or arrest me. And if he remembered Rufus being set free, and that we worked with him, I wasn’t sure what he
would do. Rafael was a by-the-book type of Fed. Or he had been until he started hanging out with me. I was bringing him down to my level, and I wasn’t sure I liked the notion of his turning into a cold-hearted killer.
“It’s nothing,” I told her. “Besides, we have bigger issues at the moment.”
“And what would that be?” Damian stepped through the door. “Care to share why you’re holding court in the back of this dingy place at half past four in the morning?”
Bowen followed him in.
I sighed. “I just came from a crime scene with Rafael.”
“And?” Damian stayed by the door, but Bowen took a seat on a stool nearby.
“And we were attacked. By a gargoyle.”
Bowen grunted.
Gigi burst out laughing as “Ha, very funny.”
Damian looked right back at me as I held his gaze. “A gargoyle?”
“Three, to be exact.”
“Wait. You’re serious?” Bowen’s eyes flared red in the dim lighting of the backroom. “They’re extinct.”
“I would have agreed with you if one hadn’t attempted to kill me and Rafael.”
“Where was this attack?”
I told Damian about the apartment building and what we found there. Or what we didn’t find. No one was dead. The only injuries were because of falling debris. His face went blank, but I knew him too well. The gears turned in his mind.
“You think this has anything to do with Shuval?” I asked him.
“Shuval?” Gigi sat up straighter as she looked from me to Damian then Bowen. “Who’s Shuval?”
Great, I really put my foot in it now. “No one you need to worry about.”
“Mercy, I’ve known you for a long time. That look on your face right now? I’ve never seen it before. Whoever this person is, she’s bad news. What’s going on that you three aren’t telling me?”
“You want to tell her, or should I?”
Damian rubbed his hands down his face as the tension rose in the room. “What do you want her to know?”
“How about everything that you all have been hiding from me?” Gigi demanded. The air crackled with her magic. “Now, Mercy, I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but you always come to me with your problems. Why is this one different?”
“You might want a drink first.”
“I don’t drink.”
Bowen was already at the door as I told her, “You’re going to start after you hear this.”
Bowen was yawning hard, switching from the stool to the armchair as his eyes closed. I was surprised he was still awake.
Damian and I had fallen silent a few minutes ago, leaving Gigi to process what we’d been telling her for the last hour and a half. Or longer. I hadn’t checked the clock yet. She held an empty glass in her hands, and there was a bottle of whiskey on the table, courtesy of Bowen.
“Gigi?”
“Hmm?”
“You going to be alright?” I reached for the bottle to refill her glass.
She covered it with her hand, then uncovered it, and I poured her a bit more.
“Yeah, you know, some crazy dragon lady is after you, and there’s a possible war brewing, and a lot of people are going to die. Yeah, I’m great.” She emptied her glass, smacked her lips, then smacked me on the shoulder so hard I gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this? You are awful. You know that? Just awful. You put me through all this shit, and none of it means anything compared to what you just said.”
I rubbed the sore spot on my shoulder. “I was trying to protect you. And to be fair, I only found out most of this a few weeks ago.”
“Few weeks is a long time.”
“Gigi, you can’t tell anyone else what you know,” Damian instructed. “And I mean anyone.”
“Do I look like a blabbermouth?” She huffed.
He growled.
She scowled at him. “Don’t even start with me, Damian. All this time you knew who she was as a kid, who her family was, and you kept it from her. I hope she chewed your ass out for it.”
He ground his teeth. “She did.”
I gave him an apologetic cringe behind her back.
“Good. So, what are we doing to stop her?”
I shot a look at Bowen, but his face remained perfectly passive.
“Mercy is not doing anything,” Damian answered for me. “Right now, all I’m doing is keeping tabs on Shuval’s movements the best I can. Getting in touch with old contacts. And until there is a need for her to get involved, she’ll stay out of it. As will you.”
“You can’t order me around,” Gigi warned him. “You’re not my guardian.”
“Gigi.”
“Don’t even start with me. I’m one of the best witches in this sector, and you know it. I can help.”
“How about you help Mercy with her current gargoyle problem,” he suggested.
“Then you don’t think they have anything to do with Shuval?”
He craned his neck at my question, those eyes of his calculating again. “She never used them before, not that we knew of. Her thing was goblins, not bringing races back from the dead.”
I almost argued with him but caught myself in time and covered my words with a harsh cough. Gigi helpfully pounded me on the back, and I nodded in thanks. As far as we could tell, Shuval was going to attempt to do just that with the dragons, but I wasn’t supposed to know that. Or anything about the ley lines or the artifacts.
“Right, guess I’ll poke around and see what I can find out,” I said instead.
“I’ll talk to the witches and warlocks,” Gigi added as she stood, a bit wobbly. “Let you know if I hear anything useful.”
“Speaking of that.” I dug around in my coat and pulled out the bit of claw.
“Leave it to you to end up with a claw from the damned thing.” Gigi held it in her palm then turned it over and ran her fingers along the edges. “I might be able to track it with this, but no guarantees.”
“Do your magic but stay safe.”
Gigi put the claw in her pocket. “You’re telling me to be careful? Really? Do you expect me to be careful, what with all the shit you’ve been doing lately? Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” She managed to get to the door on her own and when I tried to follow, waved me off. “Get some sleep. Pretty sure you’re going to need it.”
I stood as she left the room. “Bowen, you going to stay here?”
He yawned. “I’ve slept in worse places.” He shut his eyes and was out in a few seconds.
“Damian?”
“Why is it you always find yourself dragged into one dangerous situation after another?”
“It’s a gift,” I muttered, and he frowned. “Not like I meant to get attacked by gargoyles tonight. Or nearly fall off another building and die.”
He stiffened at my words. “You conveniently left that out earlier.”
“Don’t want you worrying any more than you already are.”
“Never going to happen. It’s my job to keep you safe. One of these days, you’ll remember that and be more of careful with your life and those looking out for you.”
I sat back down and waved at him. “Let’s have it then. If you’re going to give me another lecture, get it out now. I’m tired, and I want to go to sleep.”
He pushed off the wall and joined me on the couch. “No lecture, not this time.”
“You feeling alright?”
“It’s not a joke, Mercy. Gargoyles are fierce creatures. Deadlier than any you’ve faced in the past. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of them. I don’t care if you said you’d help Rafael,” he added when I protested, “do it from a distance, alright? I would like to sleep through the night again.”
I laid my hand on his. “Promise, I’ll watch my back. But I can’t let Rafael deal with them alone. We’re sort of at a good place, and I might have the Feds on my side, at the moment. I’d like to keep them there.”
“As long as he doesn’t find out who you are.”
&
nbsp; “He won’t.” Bowen shifted in the chair. Damned vampire was listening after all. “What do you know of gargoyles?”
“Not much. Turn to stone during the day if in direct sunlight. Strong, can fly for hours without tiring. Their bite is venomous. Most of this is only rumor, of course, since no one’s seen them for centuries.”
“Well, they’re back now. I’ll pass all that along to Rafael.”
“And you’re sure you’re good? No more going off the rails? Getting into fights?”
Aside from Envy? I swallowed the mad laughter that attempted to break free and coughed again. “I’m good. I promise. Back on track.”
He looked at me long and hard, then finally stood. “Keep me posted on this new case of yours.”
“I will.”
He didn’t seem convinced but gave Bowen one more look then left. I counted down the minutes. When I reached five, I got up and peeked out the door, but the bar was empty except for Shep, who was sweeping the floor.
“He’s gone.”
“Bout time.” Bowen blurred to my side. “I’m assuming you’re not going home yet?”
“What do you think?”
“I think we’ve got some time until sunup.”
I exited the room and once outside, Bowen and I made the long trek through the Underground to Rufus’s hideaway. I planned to swing by today, anyway. I’d just be getting there a bit sooner. I knocked once, and the door swung inward, allowing us entry.
“Don’t you two look fantastic.” Todd grinned from across the room. “Bad night?”
“You could say that. We have gargoyles.”
“What?” His jaw dropped.
I found the image of a shocked ghost extremely entertaining after the long night I had. As I laughed, Bowen rolled his eyes and gave Rufus the brief rundown on what had happened.
Rufus gave me the side-eye. “And, of course, our ugly has to get wrapped up in it.”
I slammed my hand on the table. “Not like I was trying to run into a gargoyle tonight, asshole. Where are we on finding any more artifacts? Blood Moon is only eight months away.”
“I have the locations of several.” Rufus pointed to a page of notes. “With any luck, we’ll be able to make our move on these soon enough and start to turn the tide against the dragon bitch.”