I gave her a long hug. “I’m so happy for both you and DJ. Tell him I’m cheering him on, will you?” I paused. “Is the school still in Washington state?”
She nodded. “Yes, actually. It’s not too far from where Cooper lives, so DJ won’t have to board out. Cooper said the closer DJ gets to puberty, the more important it is that he spends time with the family pack. And DJ’s integrated into their family, so they truly are his pack.” She let out a sigh. “I’m happy for him, but it still feels like every day he moves a little farther from me. I’m afraid one day we’ll be strangers. But if this is going to help him as much as Cooper and the school think it will, then I have to let go.”
“DJ will always remember he has a sister, Angel.” I slid my arm around her waist as we walked up the stairs. “Never fear that. You’ll always be his sister, no matter what.”
The next morning I took extra care with my clothes and makeup. Today was the parley and I wasn’t about to walk into a room with two women who thought I was a pathetic piece of trash dressed to give them more ammo. I said I didn’t care what they thought of me, but I didn’t want them taking any more potshots at me than they already did.
I chose a pair of black jeans that were so new they were still stiff, then paired them with a teal corset top. The back was already laced. All I had to do was zip up the front. I put on a strapless bra, then the corset, and then wrapped a silver belt around my waist. My hair was looking good. Raven black, it coiled in long, looping waves down to my mid-back. I gathered it up into a high ponytail, smoothing it as I wrapped a silver band around the base. Then, after applying my makeup—heavy eyeliner and a smoky lid that brought out the green of my eyes—I zipped up a pair of stiletto ankle boots. I had more practical ones at the office, but I wanted those two Fae bitches to stare. Morgana’s crow necklace hung around my neck, as it always did, and I added large silver hoop earrings. As I stood back, I realized I looked hot. I seldom thought of myself that way, but today I was smokin’.
As I descended the steps, the smell of bacon wafting up from the kitchen made my stomach rumble. I entered the kitchen to find Angel making bacon and eggs and toast, and she had already pulled me a quad-shot latte.
“Morning, sunshine,” I said. “What do you think? Will Saílle and Névé find me acceptable?”
She grinned. “You look good enough to eat. Just make sure neither one gets any ideas and tries to nibble on you.”
I snorted. “Not likely. I’m still a tralaeth in their eyes and I always will be. But I want to make their jaws drop.” I held out my arms and twirled, almost twisting my ankle. “Fucking shoes. I swear, how do women wear these on a daily basis?”
“You wear platform boots and you wear heels when we go clubbing.” Angel handed me a plate and my mug.
I carried them over to the table. “I know, but I usually don’t go over three inches for dance shoes, and platforms and chunky heels are a lot easier to walk in.”
She laughed. “Well, you could go change instead of bellyaching.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. “Fine, I’ll quit whining.”
We finished breakfast and headed for my car. I drove Angel to the garage where she picked up her car—fixed and ready to go—and we drove the rest of the way separately.
The morning was hazy, with a thin line of clouds trailing across the sky, but it was sixty degrees already and promised to be another warm day. While waiting at a light, I asked my phone what the forecast was. The weather was shaping up to be sunny for the next three days, then a streak of rain was coming in with slightly cooler temperatures.
The warm weather had brought people out in droves, and there were bicyclists on the road. I carefully wove around them, cursing at a couple who decided they could ignore the traffic rules. But both Angel and I made it to work without hitting anybody, so I chalked it up as good enough.
The parking garage was almost full, but we lucked out and found two spaces near the front. I hated walking through the dark garage in the evenings. Even though I could easily handle a number of attackers, someone with a gun could shut me down pretty fast.
Angel and I met up at the door and headed across the street and down half a block. During inclement weather, that half a block was a long, wet, run, but today it was beautiful and lovely, and made for a nice stroll. We passed Pain, who was jiving to a beat that his buddies were playing. He was breaking a hip-hop rhythm to the upbeat blues song, and he was really quite good. We stopped to watch as he finished.
He doffed his hat and with a flourish, bowed to us. “Ladies, how you doin’?”
“We’re good,” I said, pulling a couple dollars out of my purse and dropping them in the open guitar case. “How’s Shayla?” I looked around, but didn’t see her.
“Shayla contacted Rayan’s House for Women like you said and they took her in. I can’t thank you enough, Ember. Shayla needs someplace safe for now. I can’t know where she is, but we’re texting and talking and I hope to have a place for her soon.”
I paused, wondering whether to say what was running through my mind. Finally, I decided to just go ahead. “She and the baby are going to need a stable place after the child’s born. Pain, what are you guys going to do? The baby can’t live out here on the street, or in a flophouse.”
He ducked his head, staring at his feet. Then, with a sigh, he shrugged. “I know. I’m lookin’ for work. I’ve got a lead on a couple retail jobs. It would help if I had a reference.” He gave me a winsome look, grinning.
I groaned, but pulled out my card. “Here. Use me as a reference. But don’t you give that number around, you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” he said with a laugh. “Thanks, seriously. When me and Shayla have a place and are settled, I’m going to pay you back for the help you gave me the other day. I promise.”
“No. Pay it forward. When you’re settled and doing better, help some other kid on the street. I’d rather you do that. Okay?” I paused, then held out my hand.
He took it, shaking slowly before he let go. “Yeah, I get it. Thanks, Ember. Really.”
“We’ve got to get to work now. You let me know when you get that job, all right?”
He waved, going back to his dancing as we dashed up the stairs to the door. I glanced back. The chances weren’t great for them, but I had the feeling Pain would do what he could to ensure that Shayla and the baby were taken care of. I just hoped that fate would be kind to them.
We walked into the break room a couple moments late and all eyes fastened on me. Herne slowly set his coffee cup on the table and straightened. I recognized the gleam in his eye and blew him a kiss. He very deliberately licked his lips and winked.
“You…look great,” Talia said with a faint grin. “Spiffing yourself up for the Fae Queens?”
I struck a pose. “What do you think? Will they hate me less because I’m bee-yoo-tee-ful?”
Yutani snorted. “Somehow I doubt the only way they’d like you any better is if you appeared naked with a collar around your neck.”
I choked, sputtering. “Well, that’s not going to happen.”
“Keep your fantasies to yourself,” Herne muttered, but he was smiling. “You make good eye candy, love. Now get yourself some coffee and plant your butt in the chair.”
Angel and I settled in with our notes, and coffee for me, and tea for her.
Herne started the meeting. “Viktor and Ember, what did you learn yesterday in your interviews?”
We filled them in on everything that had happened with Mendin’s landlady and with Isolde.
“I was thinking that maybe if we asked Raven to visit Mendin’s house, she might be able to pick up on something. I sensed some spirit activity there, but couldn’t tell what was going on.” I added, “Do you think that some disgruntled guild owner might be lashing out at members of the magic-born who refused to join one of the guilds? Even though Mendin was a tiger shifter, he worked with magic and the dead.”
“That’s an idea,” Herne said. �
�Write it down. We can’t afford to overlook anything. Did you and Viktor have time to trace Chaya’s jogging route after your interview with Isolde?”
Viktor shook his head. “Only a cursory look. I thought Yutani could do that today while we’re over at parley.”
“I’m game,” Yutani said. “Just give me the directions. Talia can come with me.”
Herne paused, then said, “No, take Angel.”
“What? Me?” Angel jerked around, staring at him, her eyes wide.
“Your empathic abilities may come in handy for this, and it’s a safe-enough assignment. Talia can watch the front desk and still do her research at the same time.”
“That’s fine with me,” Talia said. “I’m ferreting out background info on the murder victims and I’d rather not interrupt the process. I get in a rhythm and don’t like to let it drop.”
“Then that’s set. Angel and Yutani, head out after the meeting. The streets should be less crowded before lunch.”
Herne paused. “This is a good time to bring up another subject. I’ve decided we should have an assistant office manager, for times just like today. Angel, you do a great job, but as you progress in your magical training, we may be calling on you more. And we can always use someone to run errands and so forth. I’ve decided to offer Rafé the job. If that won’t bother you,” he said, looking directly at her. “I know it can be a strain to work with someone you’re involved with.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I appreciate that.”
“I did not mean you and you know it, so quit giving me grief, woman,” Herne said, giving me the side-eye.
“Just checking.” I pretended to study my nails, trying not to laugh.
Angel bit her lip. “Can you give me a day to think it over? I know he could use the job and it would be a good one for him, but we’re just getting back on an even track. Though I suppose he might be so busy that it wouldn’t matter.”
“Take your time. Don’t feel pressed to say yes. I truly want your input.” Herne went back to his notes. “Viktor, can you contact your friend Erica and see if she can field us a list of any missing-persons reports starting from last week? If we go through them and spot any likely candidates that match our list of victims, it might help both us and the cops. I’d call Maria over at the mayor’s office, but it would involve a lot more red tape than just going through our normal channels.”
“Will do.” Viktor made a note on his tablet. Erica was a cop in the Seattle PD, and she had been an informant for the Wild Hunt for quite a while. She and Viktor had never dated, but they were good buddies.
Herne turned to me. “How did things go with Morgana last night?”
I looked up from my notes, catching his gaze. “Well, it was informative, to say the least. By the way, I got scolded for whining about going to parley. Thanks for telling on me.”
Herne snorted. “I didn’t say a word. You have to know my mother keeps an eye on you since you’re pledged to her.”
“Gee, how lucky am I?” I said, then gave up. “Fine,” I said with a laugh. “She’s looking over my shoulder, then. Anyway, part of it, I’ll tell you later. But we talked about Typhon and his return and there’s more that I think you all should know. Unless you already know and I was just slow on the uptake.”
“What?” Herne’s smile faded and he straightened in his chair.
“Apparently, Typhon’s return spells the return of the dragons. He holds the key to unlock the door for them, so to speak. So not only will we be dealing with the dead, but also a bunch of dragons returning. I also found out that dragons can shift into human form, so we may not necessarily know when we’re talking to one.”
“Crap, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Herne said. “I love that my mother waited so long to tell us.”
“Dragons once ruled the world, long ago—or rather, they ruled parts of the world,” Talia said. “They were driven out with Typhon, good and bad alike. Hopefully, the good eggs won’t hold a grudge and will be willing to help us against some of their more aggressive kin.”
“What are dragons like?” Angel asked. “Are there differing kinds?”
Herne frowned, tapping his pen on the table. “I hadn’t even considered that the children of Typhon might return, but it makes sense. Their mother was Echidna and she was extraordinarily fond of humans, which is why some of their children and descendants like humanity and tend to be benevolent. Others, not so much. It’s rumored that Typhon destroyed her before he was driven into stasis, but no one knows for sure.”
“Morgana also said some of the gods are on his side,” I said.
“Unfortunately, that’s true.” Herne shrugged. “They’ll be working to undermine our attempts to drive him back. I don’t think this battle’s going to be wrapped up any time soon, and we—the Wild Hunt—will be dealing with the fallout for a long time to come. The gods are powerful, and we have weapons in our arsenal, but we aren’t omnipotent, any of us, and we can’t wave our hands and just make him go away.”
Talia frowned. “I almost wish I had gotten my powers back from Lazerous. Any resources we can find to help us would be valuable.”
Angel shifted in her chair. “Ask Rafé to work here. I’ll focus on my training. The more I can learn, the better I can help the team.” She raised her head, looking resolute.
“Are you certain?” Herne asked. “I want you to be sure.”
“I’m sure. In for a penny, in for a pound.” She winced. “Speaking of, I have a chiropractor appointment that I need to go to first, before Yutani and I look over Chaya’s route.”
“What time is your appointment?” Yutani asked.
“Eleven.” She rubbed her neck. “I screwed myself over last night.”
“We can stop at your chiropractor’s office on the way, if that works for you.”
She nodded. “That’s fine.”
Talia slipped out of her chair and opened the freezer over the fridge. She brought out a silicone ice pack. “Until then, try this.”
Angel gratefully draped the cold pack around her neck. “Thanks. I totally didn’t even think of using ice.” She winced as the pack touched her skin, but then let out a soft sigh. “That feels good, actually.”
“So we not only have Typhon to cope with, but his kids,” Viktor said. “I’m wondering, should we talk to the United Coalition about this? They’re going to notice the rise in events concerning the dead before long.”
“Let me talk to Morgana and Cernunnos about that.” Herne pushed his tablet back. “All right, we need to leave now if we’re going to make the parley appointment. Everybody get to work. We’ve got a lot of long days ahead of us, I fear.”
As the others headed out of the break room, Herne caught me by the arm and, when we were alone, he shut the door and pushed me against the wall.
“You look so hot,” he whispered. “You always do but right now, I wish we had the time for me to fuck your brains out.” He pressed against me, his eyes luminous. I could feel his hunger and it roused my own need.
“Well, hang onto your hat, lover, because I’ve got a lot to talk to you about regarding that. But save it for tonight. Your mother and I had quite the discussion.” I draped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him deeply, my tongue gently sliding between his lips.
He grasped my wrists, pressing my arms over my head, holding them against the wall. I could feel him through his jeans, hard against my leg, and I moaned into his mouth.
Maybe Morgana was right, I thought as I felt my mother’s blood stir. Or rather, I thought, my blood. Maybe it was time I let my wild side out of the cage I kept her in.
Chapter Eight
The drive over to the Eastside went smoothly. The traffic was light, even on the 520 floating bridge, and we made good enough time that we arrived at Ginty’s a little early. As we stepped out of Herne’s Expedition, I shaded my eyes as a ray of sunlight hit my face.
Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill rested on the
outskirts of Woodinville, a bedroom community of Seattle. Woodinville blended into Kirkland, which blended into Redmond, and so on. The greater Seattle metropolitan area was big, almost as large as the city of Seattle itself, and together, the area housed over three and a half million people, about half the state’s population.
Ginty’s was exactly halfway between TirNaNog and Navane, and there was good reason for that. While the bar was a Waystation for all races, it was primarily used when the Dark and the Light Fae Courts needed to convene talks. Waystations were also Sanctuary Houses for any member of the SubCult seeking safe haven until they could escape the city or receive a fair trial. If they were guilty of a heinous crime, they weren’t eligible for protection, but if there were questions, or if they were on the run because of a bounty or something of that kind, all they had to do was ask at one of the Waystations and they would be taken in.
It was too dangerous for Saílle and Névé to meet without the rules of parley and everybody knew it, so Ginty’s provided a safe haven for those meetings, and woe be to anyone who disrespected or ignored the rules. Cernunnos and Morgana made certain that the most lenient punishment for disregarding the rules of parley was still harsh, and the worst punishment was indentured servitude or death, if the infraction warranted it.
Ginty’s was at the end of Way Station Lane, off Paradise Lake Road and near Bear Creek. Looking rustic and single story on the outside, with a parking lot large enough to hold a small army of cars, the bar was surrounded by empty lots filled with wildflowers, Scotch broom, and the steady drone of bees as they danced from flower to flower.
As we headed toward the door, I made sure my dagger was peace bound, as did Herne and Viktor. Without the bindings, we wouldn’t be allowed in.
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