by Ciara Graves
“You don’t act like it. None of you do. You’re all too busy treating me like I’m a burden, instead of an ally.” I shoved him hard, and he staggered back a step. “All this time, you’ve watched over me to keep me safe. News flash. That shit didn’t exactly pan out, now did it?”
He bared his fangs at me.
I crossed my arms, arching my brow. “You can snarl and hiss all you want, but you know I’m right. I can handle myself, but suddenly I’m too fragile? Can’t let Mercy go with us because she’ll kill a few bad guys? Have our backs?” I threw my arms up as I stalked away. “You’re the only family I have,” I ranted, then spun around. “You get that, right? This right here? This is all I have. I’m not going to put any of you at risk.”
Bowen’s laughter was harsh against my ears. “Really? You are the most reckless, impulsive person I know. You never think things through, not anymore,” he yelled. “You just run in and hope for the best.”
“I do plan. My plans just never work out the way I want them to.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m not doing this. Shuval is after you, and until she’s not, you are not going to be involved in anything we do. I won’t have it.”
“That is not your call to make.”
“If Damian were here—”
“But he’s not,” I cut him off sharply. “He’s not. He could be dead for all we know, and if that’s the case, you can’t just tuck me away somewhere. Wesley’s right, the fight has to go on. With or without Damian.” I swallowed hard against the pain of possibly losing Damian. “I couldn’t fight back then, I was too young. And all these years, you, all of you, kept me in the dark. I could’ve been helping, and instead, you let me believe I was safe. Well, safer,” I amended quietly. “Shuval is after me, which is why I have to be able to fight. Don’t you see that?”
“You’re too impulsive,” he repeated.
“How can I not be?” I shook my head as I walked around the bar slowly. “Sitting still? Waiting? All that does is give Shuval more time to move the pieces around the board. We’re out of time, Bowen. We’ve been quiet too long. Too damned long.”
He had his hands on his hips but glared heatedly at the floor. Not at me, at least.
“I don’t want to die,” I assured him. “But I can’t lose anyone else. I am fragile. We all are. We’ve lost too much. We lose anymore, and we’ll break. You have to let me share this burden.” I closed the distance between us and held out my hand. “No more keeping me in the dark.”
He hesitated, then finally took my hand.
“No more keeping you in the dark,” he agreed. “But Mercy, you have to stop running headfirst into danger.” When he glanced over my shoulder, I knew he was looking at Rafael. “We have to try and form some sort of plan. Otherwise, there is going to be trouble.”
“What do you mean?” I released his hand.
He was still looking at Rafael.
“Alright.” I sighed. “What don’t I know?”
The bar fell silent.
I ground my teeth as I took one slow step at a time back to Rafael.
“What haven’t you told me?” I asked him quietly.
Rafael let out a heavy breath, and I saw the need to lie in his eyes for a second, then it was gone, and his face turned serious. “Hunters.”
“Wait, here?”
“Not yet, but there’s word they’re coming this way. It’s possible Shuval dropped a rumor there were dragonborn here, in order to stir up trouble. Bowen’s right. You can’t be as reckless as you have been in the past. Don’t argue with me,” he growled when I started to do just that. “I know you’ve been good this last week, but your record speaks for itself. No more random bar fights. No more tracking down individuals on your own. You’ll always have someone with you, and as much as you’re going to hate it, if we tell you to stay behind, then you must listen to us. That does not mean,” he went on, talking over my cursing, “that we’re going to keep you out of the loop.”
“Better not,” I muttered. I did want to argue more, but Hunters coming here would really throw a dent in my current lifestyle. A bigger dent, actually since the nefaries had already been coming after me. If the Hunters found out what I was, I’d be hunted down until they caught me. “What do we do?”
“Nothing for now. We focus on tracking down more artifacts. And Franklin Monroe,” Bowen told me. “Figuring out a way to attack the reapers would be ideal, but our small fighting force isn’t enough to bring them down. A plan is a start. There’s nothing else we can do for the moment.”
“And no new leads on Monroe?”
“None,” Rufus said as he took a seat at the bar. “Not for lack of trying though. Something will pop up, ugly. Just give it time.”
Time. That was a luxury we ran out of ages ago. There was no time. Despite my urge to dart out the door and start hunting for Monroe myself, I found a seat at the bar and was more than ready to enjoy a drink. Or several.
“Alright, now that you’ve made up, time to go.” Rafael held his hand out for mine.
“Where are we going now?”
“I promised you a night out, and as much as I enjoy hanging around everyone, we’ll be seeing plenty of them in the days to come. Let’s go.”
Bowen gave me a small smile, and I returned it.
I sensed there would be more arguing in the days ahead, but for now, we were back on the same page.
I slipped my hand into Rafael’s, and he guided me out of the Underground, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me in close as we walked.
I paid little attention to where we were going. Both of us were on guard, in case anyone tried to kill me.
Rafael led me down another street, and I spotted the nightclub. This was not what I had in mind.
The bouncer at the door waved us in without question and music slammed into us as soon as we were inside. I never would have pictured Rafael spending an evening here. I waited for him to take us to the bar.
Instead, he continued to pull me along until we were in the center of the dance floor. The heavy bass vibrated the floor and the stiff demon Fed I first met what seemed like so long ago fell away.
Rafael planted his hands firmly on my hips, and we danced.
The rest of the room fell away, and it was only us, moving like one person.
For tonight, I wasn’t going to worry about Damian or Nor. I wasn’t going to let myself think of the war Shuval was bringing our way.
I was going to be with Rafael and have a good time.
For all I knew, it might be my last chance to do so.
No way in hell was I going to let anyone ruin it.
Chapter 6
Rafael
Mercy screamed.
I jerked awake, blinking in the dim lighting of the bedroom. My hand was on the knife under my pillow as I glanced around, but there was no one and nothing there.
“Mercy?”
She sat up beside me, holding her face in her hands, shaking.
I pulled her close. The shaking didn’t stop for a long time as we sat there, not saying anything. She didn’t have to.
It was the same nightmare every time. She was back in that cage fighting for her life against vampires and shifters. Then Envy would be there, and I’d run in to try and save her.
Only I was killed by Envy before I could reach Mercy, then she too was slaughtered.
Every time was the same. I was killed, and then she was. Nothing seemed to make it go away.
She told me it wasn’t something I should worry about, but that was hard to do when she woke up in this state. She clung to me and then her lips found mine.
“I’m here,” I whispered against hers. “I’m right here.”
“Just checking.” She pressed her cheek to my chest then winced and drew back, holding her scarred cheek. “Damn it.”
“The scar hurts?”
“Burns,” she muttered, then cursed again.
I reached over to turn on the lamp. “Mercy. Shit.”
The whole side of her face was inflamed.
I held my fingers toward it and heat radiated from her skin. “Grabbing you an ice pack. Hold on. Don’t touch it. It might make it worse.”
I climbed out of bed and hurried to the kitchen, snagged an ice pack.
When I came back, Mercy was in the bathroom, tilting her face to get a better look in the mirror.
I stood behind her, trying hard not to let my concern show. From the raised brow look she gave me, I’d failed.
“What? This is the first time it’s been this bad,” I reminded her as I handed over the ice pack.
She grimaced as she pressed it to her cheek. “I know, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“And if we’re wrong?”
She pulled the pack away again. The redness had gone down slightly, but the scar looked fresh. She leaned back into me as I held her shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it. How’s that sound?”
“Bad. I think it’s time we talk to Gigi about these nightmares of yours.”
“Remember the last time she gave me something to help me sleep? I’d prefer not to deal with those blue worms again.”
“I’m sure she has something else that could help. Or we could visit the witch who helped me.”
She sighed, pressing the ice pack harder to her cheek. “Or we could let this go because it’s nothing. Just really shitty nightmares.”
“Why do you always have to be so stubborn?”
“Right, because you’re never stubborn. Ever. About anything.”
I beamed at her in the mirror. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I kissed the top of her head as she grumbled. “Want to try and go back to sleep?”
“What’s the point?”
She was right. Anytime she woke up like this, if she tried to go back to sleep, she’d have the nightmare all over again. We left the bathroom and I went to start a pot of coffee. Last night had been the most fun out we’d had in a while. I’d wanted her to wake up this morning feeling refreshed and energized. Not like she’d been kicked in the gut again.
Mercy and Bowen being on speaking terms made the situation slightly better, but not much.
We were on the couch, reading through the morning news on my laptop. We’d found nothing that hinted at the Hunters or Shuval.
“I should check in with Gigi,” she told me after she finished her first cup of coffee. “See if she’s doing any better.”
“I’m sure she’ll enjoy the company.”
“You need to check in with the office?”
I shrugged. “I did tell Iris I would call Jeremy.”
“Give him a call. Leave in a half hour or so?”
I waved her off to get dressed and picked up my cell, dialing Jeremy and going to the window to watch as the sun heralded what would be a warm day in May.
“Agent Dawson here,” Jeremy answered his phone as cheerful as always.
I“Yeah, Jeremy. It’s Rafael.”
“Ah, Rafael, good morning. I trust all is well with you?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I just wanted to call and check in to see if any information cropped up about Franklin Monroe yet? Or if Chief Nor checked in to say when he’d be back?”
“I’m afraid the team has had no luck tracing the name,” he informed me. “Iris is doing her best, but if this man exists, he’s making it very difficult to find any proof of it.” Some papers rustled and a chair squeaked. When Jeremy came back on the line, he was whispering. “I do have some news about Chief Nor, however.”
I gripped the phone hard, not ready to believe it after so long. “Is he back? Has he called you?”
“That’s just it. There’s no word at all on him, and the higher-ups are starting to show their concern. It would appear a team is being put together to track him down. He told everyone he was with his family, or something, right?”
“Yes,” I replied slowly.
“Turns out he has no family,” Jeremy’s voice was. urgent. “He’s on his own. They have no idea where he went or with who. Or why for that matter. It’s all very mysterious.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing this already. “If they hear anything, you’ll tell me?”
“Yes, of course. He cares for you a great deal. If anything turns up, you’ll be the first person I call. And you’re certain all is good on your end? Nothing I can help you with? I’m afraid things are a bit dull around the office. Aside from this whole Chief Nor absence thing.”
Trusting him with my actual activities was out of the question. He worked for the Feds and was a by-the-book kind, for the most part. With the Hunters on the move, any mention of dragons might set him going down a path I wouldn’t be able to bring him back from.
“I’m afraid not. A bit boring on my end, too.”
“That is a shame. If that changes, you’ll let me know? I am curious to know what else Chief Nor put you up to before he disappeared. So strange. Well, I’ll be going then.”
We both said our goodbyes and hung up.
Mercy footsteps came from behind me.
I turned around to find her in dark jeans, red tank, and her hair put up in a twisted bun. “How long have you been standing there?”
She grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Anything on Nor?”
“Nothing. Nothing on Monroe either, but we’re not worrying about that now. We’re going to see Gigi, remember?” Carefully, I held her cheek in my hand. “Your skin’s not burning anymore. Still hurt?”
“Stings, but, at least I don’t feel like I’m on fire.”
There was so much I could say, but it’d only annoy her. I kissed her forehead, then went to get dressed.
She might not bring up the nightmares or her scar at Gigi’s, but nothing said I couldn’t talk to Gigi about them.
"Nightmares?” Gigi exclaimed, and Mercy spun around to nail me with a glare.
“Traitor,” Mercy snapped, setting down the crystal she’d been tossing from one hand to the other. “You’re going to get it later.”
Gigi caught the crystal Mercy had been messing with and set it aside. “Why didn’t you just tell me yourself?” She examined Mercy’s scarred cheek. “Stop giving him shit. This looks like it hurts.”
I crossed my arms and waited for Mercy to answer. She’d been downplaying it before we left. If she lied to Gigi, she’d pester her until she came clean and told her the truth. “Yeah, hurts like a bitch,” Mercy muttered. “Happy?”
“No, why would I be?”
“Not you, him.”
I frowned. “No, I’m not happy. I’m not happy you wake up almost every night from this nightmare. And this morning, you were in so much pain, you could hardly stand it. They’re getting worse, and you know it. I can’t do anything to help you, not with this. Gigi can. So, let her.”
“Yeah, what he said.”
Mercy glowered at me but stopped arguing.
Gigi leaned in closer, whispering under her breath. She touched the scar and Mercy sucked in a breath, flinching.
I grunted.
She rolled her eyes at me. “Stop it.”
“Stop what? Getting annoyed when you lie about how much pain you’re in?”
“I told you it’s fine—ow!” she yelped when Gigi pressed her palm onto her cheek. “What the hell was that for?”
“You don’t have to act tough all the time, not around us. Get over it,” she said as she closed her eyes, not removing her hand from Mercy’s face. “There’s no magic. At least, not recent magic. The residual is there, like always, but Envy didn’t leave any fresh traces.” She removed her hand.
Mercy let out the breath.
“Then why is it doing that to her?” I asked as Mercy worked her jaw, turning her back to us.
“The nightmares she’s having could be caused by an outside force of some kind.” Gigi returned to the chair at the small table in the center of the room. “I can give you some charms to hang around your apartment. It’ll help block out any ill-intended mag
ic.”
“Bastard.” Mercy shook her head as she turned back around. “Envy can’t simply leave me alone. Sending dark fae to take me isn’t enough. Now he has to find a way to amp up the crazy.”
“We’ll get him,” I assured her, but she scoffed. “Mercy.”
“What? You’re right. We’ll get him after he’s had more time to drive me insane.” She rubbed her face, the bags under her eyes more prominent than they’d been in a while. She turned to Gigi. “Sorry, I meant to come here to check on you.”
Gigi waved at her as she settled back in her chair. “My wounds have healed. I keep seeing that damned cage every time I close my eyes, but I thankfully, I never had to fight like the others.”
A car horn blared outside. Gigi jumped with a curse.
Mercy hurried to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Sorry, I—uh, still a bit jumpy though. Thought about moving out of this place a week ago.”
“If you need help, just ask,” I told her. “No reason for you to stay somewhere you don’t feel safe.”
“Trust me. This place is damned safe now. Close your eyes. You’ll feel it.”
I did as she said and held out my hand. The current of magic was strong but subtle. She’d warded the shit out of her home. Being kidnapped was not something you simply got over.
I’d offered to have a Fed stand watch outside her place when we first came back, but she’d turned me down. Said they’d gotten the drop on her once. She wasn’t about to let it happen again. That no dark coven was kicking her out of her own home.
“And it’s not like I’m alone,” Gigi went on as I opened my eyes. “Val’s a very enthusiastic learner. I’m glad she’s here. Helps me out around the shop. It’s nice being able to teach someone. That girl is tougher than she looks.”
“She’s not having a hard time getting over what she went through?” Mercy asked quietly.
“She is, but she has a very positive outlook. She’s terrified of vampires and shifters now, but I’m sure she’ll get over it.” Gigi folded her hands on the table, her smile falling. “It’s not Val who worries me now.”