by Cynthia Eden
“What do you think?”
“I don’t think she did.” He saw Holly’s firm nod. “I think she told her evil brother to stuff it.”
“Hmmm. Did I tell you that this kingdom was full of magic?”
Harrison’s shoulders stiffened.
“I love magic.” Holly seemed fascinated. Considering her night, Harrison thought she should’ve been horrified.
“The princess controlled a great deal of magic, and she could strike her enemies down…” Elise snapped her fingers. “Just like that.”
“She is so cool.”
“The brother didn’t think so. He had powers, too, and those powers were supposed to become even stronger once he ascended to the throne. The ascension was coming, and that was the problem, you see.”
“I, um, I don’t see.”
“He wasn’t really the firstborn.” Elise confided this in a quick rush. “Everyone had lied to the princess. She was the one who was born first. She was the one who should rule.”
Holly gasped.
“Her brother started to grow afraid. In this land of magic, the crown will only sit on the head of the rightful ruler, you see, and he feared that if the crown was put on his head—while his sister lived—the truth of his birth would be shown to everyone.”
“I don’t get it. Why did everyone think the brother was older? I mean, why’d they all believe that?”
“They all believed the story because that’s what the father of the twins told everyone. He was there for the birth, so he swore the son was the firstborn.”
“He is so bad.”
“Yes, yes, he was. Quite bad. But it’s not like folks realized that. The truly evil often hide what they are. You hear what I’m telling you? This is important. You can’t always see evil. Look beneath the surface, got me?”
“I got you.”
“Good. Back to my story. Their father wasn’t the ruler, the queen was. He was her consort and when she died in childbirth, he took over. Like I told you, he was evil. Straight to his core. He groomed his son to take his place. He ignored the daughter. He was a real shit.”
Harrison’s lips parted.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to say that word to me,” Holly mumbled.
“No? Why not?”
“It’s bad.”
“Huh. Didn’t realize that. Should I apologize?”
A negative shake of Holly’s head. “What happened to the dad?”
“Oh, the princess killed him. They had a fight about something or other and whoosh…the dad was gone. Remember, I told you she had a great deal of power within her. So one day…” Elise snapped her fingers.
Holy hell.
Holly tried to snap her own fingers.
“Anyway, the evil father is gone, and it’s just the brother and his sister.” Elise brushed back a lock of her hair. “It’s sad because the princess actually thought that her brother cared about her. In his own way, of course. But then the ascension grew close and any pretense of caring fell away.”
Silence.
“What does pretense mean?”
“It means he was only pretending to care. That it was make believe.”
“Oh. I don’t like that.”
“I don’t like it either.”
Harrison’s hands flexed and clenched into fists.
Elise released a low breath. “Her brother stripped her of her magic. He attacked the princess while she was at her weakest. He banished her from her home so that she’d be alone and helpless.”
“No!”
“Yes. He sent her far away, and then he made sure that every wicked creature would hunt for her. He wanted her dead, but he didn’t have the balls to do the deed with his own hands.”
“That’s…I think that’s something else you shouldn’t say.”
“What?”
“Balls?”
“That’s bad, too?”
“Yes.”
Elise gave yet another sigh. “I’m just going to stop this story—”
The floor creaked behind Harrison. He turned and saw Cassie. He’d known she was behind him. He’d caught her scent. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, and a frown pulled at her eyebrows.
She’d obviously caught the “balls” part of Elise’s story. She started to push past him.
Harrison put a hand on her shoulder. He needed to hear what happened next.
“Don’t stop. Please.” Holly’s voice trembled. “I want to hear a happy ending.”
“A happy ending?” Elise seemed confused. “Is that required in these stories?”
“I… I want one.”
“Fine. I suppose, after your night, that you deserve one. Fair enough…well, let’s see…”
“Did you forget where you were again?”
“Maybe.”
Holly laughed. It was a sweet sound. “The princess had the bad guys closing in…”
“They were closing in, yes,” Elise picked up the story. “She was weak and scared and they thought she’d be easy prey. But guess what?”
“What?”
“They were wrong.”
Cassie slipped a little closer to the bedroom door. Probably so she could hear better.
“They were wrong because the princess was clever, and though she didn’t have her magic, she had her mind. She came up with a plan. She was going to make herself an army. The strongest fighting force ever, and she was going to use that army to destroy her brother.”
Silence.
“What?” Elise demanded, sounding a bit put out. “Why are you frowning like that at me, child? I’m trying to give you a happy ending here.”
“Well, I don’t understand where the princess is gonna get her army. I mean, how many people is she really gonna—”
“Sometimes, you just need an army of one. A very, very strong one. The princess knew where a beast of legend waited. A being who was stronger than any other force on this world or any other. He was sleeping, you see, and he needed the princess to come and wake him up.”
“Like I was sleeping earlier before daddy woke me up?” Holly asked and he saw the bed give a little happy bounce.
“I suppose you could think of it that way.” Elise rose and moved closer to the child. She leaned over and stroked back the girl’s hair. “Someone had played a cruel trick on this beast. The princess decided she would help him. She would wake him up.”
“That’s nice of her.”
Her hand dropped, and Elise straightened her spine. “I’m afraid she’s not terribly nice. I warned you about that earlier.”
“But, I think—”
“She’s going to use this beast. Once she wakes him up, she’ll get him to do her bidding. She’ll get him to stand at her side. She’ll get him to fight her enemies. She’ll claim her crown, and they will burn everyone who gets in their way.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped.
Harrison winced. Right. That probably wasn’t the bedtime story she wanted her daughter to hear after being abducted by monsters.
But little Holly said, “She’s going to be the beast’s best friend.”
“What?” Elise seemed to strangle. “No, I think you are missing the point of my story. My princess is going to bind this beast to her. He will be forced to do her evil bidding and—”
“She’s going to wake him up. Sounds like the way the prince woke up Snow White.”
“Who the hell is Snow White?” Elise demanded. “And why is she in my story?”
“She was asleep. Everyone thought she was dead.”
“Was she asleep or dead? You need to pick one because she can’t be both.”
Holly laughed. Laughed after what she’d been through that night. “They thought she was dead. But the prince kissed her, and she woke up.”
“Okay, sweetness, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but if the man is going around kissing would-be dead women, he’s got a whole lot of issues, and I think your Snow White needs to stay far away from him.”
More laug
hter. Giggles.
Cassie smiled. Some of the shadows left her eyes.
“Is your princess going to kiss her beast?” Holly wanted to know.
“Oh, she already has,” Elise replied breezily. “She discovered that the beast can kiss like no one’s business.”
More giggles erupted from the girl.
A tear slid down Cassie’s cheek.
“So she woke him up?” Holly pressed when she managed to stop her giggles.
“Not yet. The story is still in progress. She will wake him up. He’ll go to her side, he’ll fight her enemies with her, and then they will—”
“Be best friends forever!” Holly called out, excited.
“Ah, yes, again, I think you’re misunderstanding my story.”
“I don’t think I am. I think the beast is going to be her best friend, and she’ll be his, and they will rule that land of magic together forever. The end.”
“The end? That’s your ending for me?”
“Yes. It’s a happy ending.” Holly reached for Elise’s hand. “I like you.”
“Well, okay, I suppose you should. I did help to save you tonight. I was willing to sacrifice myself which is a very big deal.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Elise turned away from the bed and when she looked up, her eyes met Harrison’s. She paled and her body seemed to tremble.
Behind her, the little girl sank beneath the covers. “What kind?”
Elise glanced back at her. “What kind—what?”
“What kind of beast was the princess’s best friend?”
“A dragon.”
“Oooh…” Absolute delight. “So what did he do to her enemies?”
Elise opened her lips to reply, but Cassie burst inside the bedroom. A good thing because Harrison had a general idea of how Elise’s story would have ended. He could almost hear her say, in that easy and smooth voice of hers…He turned them all to ash.
Or, hell, maybe she would have said the dragon ate her enemies. Either way, the little girl had probably heard enough of that particular story for the night.
Elise headed for the door.
Cassie caught her wrist. “Thank you.”
Elise’s head turned as she stared at the other woman.
“You saved my little girl. I will be forever grateful to you.”
Elise blinked. “I don’t want or need your gratitude.”
“You have it anyway.” Cassie let her go.
Elise stood there. She shifted forward a bit, then stopped. She bit her lower lip and peered back at the little girl.
Holly smiled at her.
“Monsters can’t hurt you,” Elise suddenly said. “You don’t need to worry about them coming back. If any try, tell them you’re under the princess’s protection.”
Holly’s smile stretched.
“The princess always protects what is hers.” Elise gave a nod and hurried toward Harrison. Her body brushed against his.
Her scent slid around him. Sweet, sensual. His arm curled around her waist. When she’d been at the cemetery, surrounded by those bastards, he’d found himself admiring her strength. She’d been so brave, absolutely fearless, and he’d wanted to kill everyone who’d threatened her.
He bent his head and pressed a kiss against her cheek. She seemed to soften against him.
He liked having her against him. He…liked her.
Even though he knew she’d been lying her ass off to him.
Unfortunate.
“We should go,” Elise said. “If I stay, I’m worried I’ll draw more paranormals in. They just can’t seem to get enough of me.”
“Neither can I.” The words were pulled from him.
She looked up and it seemed like she wanted to say something so very badly, but instead, her lips pressed together.
I’m going to learn all those secrets, sweetheart. “Come on. My motorcycle is waiting outside. Let’s go.”
“Back to the honeymoon suite? Because I liked that—”
Razor appeared at the end of the hallway. He didn’t look happy. Then again, he never did. He was big and tattooed and his bald head gleamed. His eyes swept over them, and he noted Harrison’s arm around Elise’s waist. He stiffened and his glower grew worse.
Harrison narrowed his eyes on the guy. He didn’t like Razor’s posture and angry expression, but the hunter’s speakeasy had been obliterated to the ground, so he’d give the man a pass on the attitude, for now. Harrison inclined his head and said, “Thanks for keeping an eye on Cassie.” Razor had stayed with Cassie while Harrison and Gray went to the cemetery with Elise.
“Hunters stick together.” Razor’s gaze narrowed on Elise. “You come after one of us, you come after us all.”
Elise nodded. “Wonderful to know.”
Harrison kept his arm around her and urged her forward. He wanted to get her away from there, and he needed to get away from Gray before Harrison decided to punch the jerk again, just on principle.
Razor backed up so they could pass, but when Harrison and Elise headed outside, Razor followed. Gray was still there, lingering near the motorcycle with his shoulders hunched. And…
Ward was waiting out there, too.
Harrison tensed.
Ward and Krista. They were standing near Gray.
“Huh.” Harrison pulled Elise closer to him because he did not like where this might be going. “The gang’s all here.” Wasn’t that convenient?
“Like I said,” Razor rumbled in that deep, gravel-rough voice of his, “hunters stick together. I called Ward and Krista when I learned the score and had them come over.”
Elise pointed at Krista. “Shouldn’t you still be in the hospital?”
Krista’s body swayed a little, but she said, “I’m a fast healer.” A pause. “You must be, too, since I hear you’ve already healed from your bullet wound.”
“Bullet wound?” Elise’s voice rose to make her words into a question. “What bullet wound?”
“The bullet I saw you take to the shoulder when you were saving my ass.”
Elise laughed. “There was a whole lot going on in that speakeasy. It would have been simple for you to get confused and imagine things happening.”
No one else laughed.
In fact, they all seemed to close in.
Harrison pulled Elise behind him.
Razor shook his head. “Now why are you doing that? Why are you acting like you’re going to protect her from us?”
“Because I am.” A flat response. “You’re closing in like you’re hunting prey, and that shit needs to stop. Elise has helped us, she risked her life for Gray’s kid, and you’re all damn well gonna back off.”
Razor’s bushy eyebrows climbed. “Helped? Really? That what you think she did?”
“Don’t try my fucking patience tonight. You got something to say, spit it out.”
Elise pressed her fingers against Harrison’s waist. “Let’s not hear what he has to say. Let’s just leave.”
“I’m sure you’d like that, bitch. But it’s not going to happen.”
Harrison stiffened. “What in the hell did you just say, Razor?”
“I said I’m sure she’d like that—”
Harrison drove his fist into Razor’s jaw. So hard the hunter flew back and landed on his ass.
“Here we go,” Elise mumbled.
Harrison stood over the man he’d considered to be a mentor, both of his hands clenched as he fought not to pound the guy again. “Don’t call her a bitch. Not ever again, understand me? And don’t you pull out some hunter circle around her.” He looked up, his angry gaze flying over the people who should have been on his side. “She dragged your ass out of that nightmare, Krista. You survived because of her.” His gaze whipped to an uncomfortable-looking Ward. “And you…when I found you and Elise, the world was turning to hell around you and she was still fighting to get you out. She could’ve saved herself and left you to die. She didn’t. Elise helped you.”
Razor spat out blood. “Or that’s what she wanted you to think.”
“What she wanted…?” He could only shake his head in confusion. “What is wrong with you? That’s what I saw. I saw it with my own eyes. It’s what happened.”
Razor rose to his feet. His hand gingerly pulled his jaw to the left and the right. “Her kind do that. They deceive. They trick. She shows you only what she wants you to see. She controls what you think and what you do.”
“Uh, her kind?”
Gray stepped forward. “She saved my daughter tonight. I’m not going along with this plan, Razor. I’m not.” He marched to stand beside Harrison. Harrison and Gray were now in front of Elise, shielding her from the others.
Elise wasn’t speaking behind them, but Harrison could practically feel her fear vibrating in the air around them.
He didn’t like for Elise to be afraid. Didn’t like it one damn bit. A snarl wanted to tear from his lips.
Disgust flashed on Razor’s face. “She’s the one who put your daughter in danger, Gray. Those wraiths who came for her only took Holly because they wanted Harrison’s new pet.”
“Pet?” Elise gasped. “Oh, the hell, no, you didn’t say that to me.” She tried to hurtle past Harrison and Gray.
Harrison caught her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his body. “Baby, settle down.”
Razor’s eyes bulged. “Baby?”
“Fuck off.”
Razor took a quick lunge forward. “You fucked her.”
“I’m about to fuck you up,” Harrison promised.
“Look, just settle down. Give her up and we can—”
Harrison saw red. Actually felt his vision bleed to red as fury overwhelmed him. “I will not give her up.”
Razor gaped at him. “You’d fight me for someone like her?”
Had the guy missed the fist to the jaw? But it wasn’t just about fighting. “I’d kill to keep her safe.” He gave the others who faced him a cold glare. “Want to test me and find out if I’m telling the truth? Come at me. Try to take her.” His smile felt evil. “And I will wreck you.”
Chapter Twelve
Oh, no. Had Harrison just threatened to kill the other hunters? If he went all dark and started offing hunters, that sure wasn’t going to earn Elise any brownie points.
Time to take control of the situation. “Ahem. I think we should all just take a breath."