Rogue

by Karen Lynch

  “Why the sour expression?”

  I spun to face Eldeorin who stood in the doorway to my bedroom. I should have been used to him sneaking up on me by now. “Thinking about New York.”

  He nodded and walked over to join me at the railing. “Ah, the incubus. That was a clean kill, Cousin. You should be proud of it.”

  I made a face. “Well, I didn’t feel very clean after. Please tell me we aren’t going after another one of those.”

  “Actually, I was thinking we would do something different today.” His blue eyes sparkled, and I wasn’t sure whether to be nervous or excited. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  He took my hand, and I felt the familiar void swallow us. When we arrived at our destination, I had to blink a few times to be sure what I was seeing was real. I turned slowly, taking in the sight of the pale yellow kitchen as my ears picked up the faint clang of a buoy out on the ocean. I ran to the window over the sink and stared at the snow-covered waterfront and the wide bay I’d thought about so many times since I’d left here all those months ago.

  “I overheard you talking to your uncle, and I thought you might like to visit this place for a little while.”

  A golf ball sized lump lodged in my throat. “Thank you.” I drank in the view outside the window for a few minutes before I turned away to walk through the apartment. Except for a few things that Tristan had collected for Nate like his computer and clothes, the downstairs looked just like we had left it. I stood in the doorway to Nate’s office, remembering him sitting behind his desk working on his books.

  My legs carried me up the stairs as if they had a will of their own, and I looked around the empty loft that used to be my bedroom. The floor creaked as I walked around the open space, my footsteps echoing in the silence.

  I sat on the old couch and sank back into the cushions. “Roland loved this old thing. When he used to sleep over, he never wanted to get up in the morning.”

  “You are very close to the werewolf,” Eldeorin said from where he stood at the top of the stairs.

  “He’s my best friend. I love him.” I stared at the floor as it hit me that I’d never actually told Roland how much I cared about him. I knew that he knew I cared, but I still should have said the words. If I’d learned anything in my eighteen years it was that happiness was fragile, and those you loved could be taken from you in a heartbeat. With everything we’d been through in the last six months and all the turmoil in our world now, I should have said something to him. Like I should have told Remy before it was too late, and Nate before I almost lost him. Like I should say something to Nikolas.

  “You look sad. I thought coming here would make you happy.”

  “I’m not sad. I’m thinking about how lucky I am to have so many people I care about.” I looked at Eldeorin. “Can I ask you something? Have you ever been in love?”

  “Many times.” His eyes sparkled with laughter. “Though not the kind of love you have for your warrior.”

  “Do faeries ever fall in love and settle down with one person?”

  “Not often, but it does happen. I have not met one person in my thousand years who enticed me to ‘settle down’, as you put it.”

  “I can’t imagine living alone that long.”

  He laughed. “You should know by now, Cousin, that I am rarely alone.”

  I shook my head. I’d heard more about his “relationships” than I ever cared to know. Faeries loved freely and frequently, and they also liked to share stories. So much for not kissing and telling. That concept did not exist in their world.

  Eldeorin walked to the center of the loft and looked around. “This is a very drab room. You liked living here?”

  I smiled, imagining how the place looked to a faerie who was used to every comfort. “In the summer you can open the windows and get a cool breeze right off the ocean. And in the winter when there’s a good storm, the whole building creaks and you can hear the wind howling down the chimney.”

  “Sounds absolutely dreadful.”

  “Not to me.”

  I headed downstairs again. Everywhere I looked brought up old memories, and I absorbed them all like a plant drinking in the sunlight. God only knew when – if ever – I’d see this place again, and I wanted to make the most of my time here.

  I was in the front hallway when I heard faint scratching, and I looked around to see where it could be coming from. It didn’t take long to figure out it was coming from the door. I started to ask Eldeorin what it could be when I heard a plaintive mewling.

  “Oscar?” I looked at Eldeorin, who nodded that it was safe, and then I ran to open the door. A skinny gray tabby slipped inside and immediately began to rub against my legs. I locked the door again and bent to scoop the cat into my arms. “Oh, Oscar, I missed you.”

  He’d lost weight, which was to be expected, but otherwise he looked and felt healthy. His ears and paws were cold, and he rubbed his head against my chin as his motorboat purr filled the room.

  I hugged him protectively. “I can’t leave him here.”

  Eldeorin let out a resigned sigh. “Demons and werewolves and now stray felines. My house will never be the same after this.”

  “I thought faeries were supposed to be in tune with nature and animals.”

  “I adore animals as long as they stay in nature.”

  I stroked Oscar’s neck as I walked around the apartment. “Not me. I want a house full of them someday.”

  Eldeorin made a face. “Then I pray you’ll wait until you have your own house.”

  “Are you sure? Hellhounds make awfully good guard dogs.”

  His horrified expression made me laugh.

  “Kidding.”

  The gleam that entered his eyes told me I was probably going to pay for my fun. I just hoped it wasn’t another incubus.

  “Are you ready to leave, Cousin?”

  I wasn’t, but I knew we couldn’t stay much longer. “Can I have a few more minutes?”

  “As you wish.”

  Setting Oscar on the floor, I wandered around the apartment one last time with him trailing close behind me as if he was afraid I’d leave him again. In the living room, I sat in the armchair near the cold fireplace and thought about the night I’d sat here with Nikolas. That was the first time I’d seen a side of him other than the warrior, and looking back it was easy to see how it had been a turning point in our relationship. I wondered how I would have behaved that night if I’d had any inkling where things would go between the two of us. When I’d offered him a truce, I’d had no idea that he would claim my heart as well.

  Oscar meowed to get my attention and I pushed up out of the chair. My gaze fell on a cardboard box on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. There was nothing special about the box other than the fact that my name was written on the top in Nate’s handwriting. Strange. I was sure I’d had all my things shipped to Westhorne last fall.

  I picked up the box, which didn’t weigh much, and laid it on the coffee table. Lifting the cover I peered at the contents. There were a few books, a photo album, some small framed pictures, ornaments, and a thin bundle of letters. None of it belonged to me. So why had Nate written my name on the box?

  The answer came when I lifted the photo album, opened it to the first page, and saw the sepia photography of a little blond girl and a smiling blond man I knew well. Tristan. Which meant the girl was... Madeline. These were Madeline’s things, the ones Nate had mentioned to me before Thanksgiving.

  I let the photo album fall back into the box and replaced the lid. I wanted nothing of Madeline’s, but Tristan might like to have her things. She was his daughter after all, even if she had hurt him by leaving the way she had. But then that was her M.O., wasn’t it?

  I was halfway across the room when I stopped and looked back at the box. As much as I disliked anything to do with Madeline, I was curious about what was in the box. Not because I wanted to get to know her, but because the more I l
earned about her, the more I’d understand her. In the game of hide and seek we were playing I needed every advantage to catch her.

  Grabbing the box under one arm, I bent and picked up Oscar with the other. “I’m ready.”

  * * *

  I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring so hard at the photograph in my hand that I was surprised I didn’t burn holes through it. It was a picture of two smiling young women with long blond hair, sitting in a powder blue convertible. Based on their clothes and the peace signs they were flashing at the camera, the picture was taken sometime in the seventies. But that wasn’t what had grabbed my attention, nor was it the fact that Madeline was one of the women. I was more interested in the identity of the other woman in the picture.

  I knew that damn succubus was lying her ass off. Adele had told me she’d met Madeline a few years ago, but according to this photo, they were friends long before Madeline had met my dad. And from the looks on their faces, the two women had been close.

  “What else did you lie about, Adele?”

  Oscar meowed and jumped up on the bed, making a beeline for my lap. He had settled in surprisingly fast since we’d gotten back three hours ago. It turned out that dwarves had a soft spot for animals, and Heb had immediately gone about getting supplies and food, and spoiling my cat. After everything the poor little guy had been through lately, he deserved a bit of coddling.

  I scratched his head as I studied the three other photographs of Madeline and Adele. I couldn’t tell where they’d been taken, just that it was summer and there was an ocean in the background of one. It struck me how happy and carefree and normal the two women looked. They could have been two human friends enjoying a summer day. I couldn’t help but wonder why Madeline had turned her back on her family and her people, and then befriended a succubus of all people.

  I felt Nikolas’s presence a few seconds before a knock came at my door. I was surprised he was here. For the last week, he’d been spending more and more time next door, and I usually got to see him at training or if I went to the command center. When he was here, he rarely came to my bedroom. Since the morning he had returned from Vancouver, he hadn’t paid me any nighttime visits either. Jordan said he was probably trying not to rush me with everything else that was going on around us. I wanted to believe her, but the more time that passed, the more I questioned his feelings for me.

  He entered the room and smiled at me sitting on the bed surrounded by books and papers. “Do you want to come next door with me instead of spending the evening here alone? Raoul is ordering from that Italian place you like.”

  “That sounds awesome.” This morning Jordan had gone on her first warrior mission. It wasn’t a dangerous one, just a recon job in San Francisco with Chris, but they weren’t due back until tomorrow. I didn’t relish the idea of spending the whole night here alone.

  Oscar meowed in protest when I went to move him, and Nikolas’s eyes went to the cat curled up in my lap. A frown creased his brow as he approached the bed. “Is that the cat you had back in Maine?”

  “Yes, his name is Oscar.”

  Nikolas stopped at the foot of my bed. “How did your cat get here?”

  I rubbed Oscar’s head, and he kneaded my leg with his front paws. “Eldeorin took me to the apartment today and I brought Oscar back with me.”

  I probably should have thought about what I was saying before I spoke. Nikolas’s face hardened and his eyes darkened to a steel gray. “He did what?”

  I rushed to reassure him. “It was safe, Nikolas. Eldeorin was with me and I didn’t go outside.”

  He was not appeased, and his next words came out almost as a growl. “What the hell is wrong with him? He knows New Hastings is not safe for you.”

  “Is any place safe for me?” I slid off the bed but didn’t approach him. “Other than here where I’m surrounded by Faerie wards, is there any place I can go and be safe? It’s a dangerous world for everyone now, not just me.”

  “Everyone else’s safety is not my concern.”

  “And everyone else doesn’t have built-in vampire radar or power like mine.” I took a slow breath. Since our talk the morning he’d gotten back from Vancouver, he’d tried not to be as overbearing, but he was as protective as ever. All I wanted was for him to see me as someone who could fight at his side and not hide behind him. “I’m not defenseless, Nikolas, far from it. I’ve killed more vampires than most trainees do before they become warriors.” Tell him. Do it now. “I’m not saying I’m invincible, just that I’m a lot stronger than you think I am.”

  “I know you’re strong, Sara. Khristu!” He ran a hand through his hair, and I could see his internal struggle in his eyes. “But we’re not talking about a few vampires looking for you. A Master wants you dead. Every time I think about that, it makes me want to forget my promise and take you far away from here.”

  I walked around the bed and laid my hands on his chest, feeling both of us relax a little from the physical contact. “There is always going to be some vampire or demon that wants us dead because of what we are. They’ve been trying for a while now, but we’re still here. I have no plans to go anywhere. Do you?”

  His hands came up to rest on my shoulders. “God, I wish it was that easy. Even with all the things you’ve seen, you still have no idea how much evil is out there and how bad it can get. And I don’t want you to ever have to see that.”

  This was it, the opening I had been waiting for. There was never going to be a good time to tell him the truth about my training with Eldeorin, so I had to just suck it up and get it over with. I took a deep breath. “About that. There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”

  His phone rang and I nearly cried at the rotten timing of whoever was calling. He stepped back to answer it. “Nikolas here.”

  Someone spoke on the other end, and I watched Nikolas switch back into warrior mode in the blink of an eye. “When? No, I’ll be there in five minutes. Tell Elijah to assemble his team.” He hung up and I saw worry in his eyes before he could conceal it. A cold knot of dread began to form in my stomach.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “One of our teams called in and said they ran into some trouble. I’m going to take another team to back them up. It’s nothing you have to worry about.”

  “What team?”

  “Sara, you don’t have to worry about it.”

  The knot became a lump of ice and I gripped his arm. “What team, Nikolas?”

  “Chris’s team.”

  “Oh, God.” I’d known what he was going to say, but the words still cut through my gut like a knife. “We have to help them.”

  “We will.” He took my chin in a firm yet gentle hold and forced me to look at him. “Chris knows what he’s doing and he’ll keep Jordan safe. Raoul said they are pinned down but no one is hurt. They’ll be okay.”

  I didn’t ask to go with him because I knew what his answer would be. But there was no way I was staying here while Jordan and Chris were in trouble.

  “Go. Do what you need to do.”

  He pressed a quick kiss against my mouth then strode to the door. “I’ll call you when I find them.”

  As soon as the door closed behind him, I picked up the phone and calmly called Heb who was always in the kitchen. “Heb, please find Eldeorin. It’s urgent.”

  By the time Eldeorin appeared twenty minutes later, I had almost worn a path in the floor of my room. “Let me guess, another rescue mission?” he said.

  “Thank God. I didn’t think Heb would find you.” I pulled on my black leather bomber jacket that already had my knives stowed away in the pockets. “It’s Chris and Jordan. They’re in San Francisco and Nikolas is on his way there with a team, but it’s over an hour away. Will you take me to them?”

  He smiled and held out a hand to me. “Of course. You know I love to watch you in action, Cousin.”

  I took his hand. “You know the drill.”

  The drill was one we’d been through at least half a
dozen times in the last few weeks. Eldeorin glamoured us so we couldn’t be detected, and then whisked us over to the command center to find out exactly where Chris’s team was. Nikolas had already left with Elijah’s team by the time we got there, and it didn’t take long to find what we were looking for.

  “Well, this should be fun,” Eldeorin muttered when we arrived outside a plain two-story building in the waterfront area of San Francisco. It was raining and windy so the street was pretty much deserted. Eldeorin used his magic to keep us dry and invisible.

  “Are we at the right place?” There were no sign of Chris’s team, and I couldn’t sense a single vampire nearby. I did sense demons, but it was impossible to tell how many or where they were. My demon radar was still developing, and it was nowhere as good as my vampire radar.

  “This is it. Your friends are inside and they are not alone.”

  “Okay, give me the rundown.”

  Eldeorin made a face like he had stepped in doggie do. “This place is called a wrakk, a demon gathering place. It is considered neutral territory among demons, and they can socialize and do business here without fear of being harmed. For the most part.”

  I studied the building, looking for the way in. “Kind of like a demon market?”

  “Exactly.”

  “What are Chris and Jordan doing in a place like this?”

  “I do not know, but I can tell you demons are very protective of their wrakks, and they do not care for outsiders.”

  “Gotcha. Anything else I should know before I go in?”

  Eldeorin grinned. “They really do not like faeries.”

  “What else is new?” I started walking around the building, looking for the entrance. “You coming with me this time?” He usually liked to stay back and let me have all the fun unless it was a bad situation like Vancouver.

  “I think I’d better observe this time. If I go in there, it’s going to send every demon in the place into a frenzy.”