Three of Hearts

by Lillian Lark

  Hester sighs again and I think she must roll her eyes because it’s a different sound. “You have been foolish, my son.”

  Shock holds me immobile. My son. I haven’t been anyone’s son in a long time. While Hester had embraced Gregory, I hadn’t thought she liked me much. I am the part of the group that one is required to acknowledge before pulling Gregory into a hug.

  Hester’s laugh is raspy when she sees my face. “Ignorant as well if you haven’t realized that you are a part of our family now. Try as you might to keep yourself separate.”

  “I haven’t tried to keep myself separate.” Had I?

  Hester, of the air of violence and reckoning, puts an arm around me and pulls me into a sideways hug. One would think that the soft gesture would be unsuited to this woman, but it fits her. It’s a motherly gesture that breaks me. I hide my face in her neck and let her cradle me. It’s been so long since I’ve experienced anything so familial. She rubs my back and I recognize one of the soothing gestures that I usually use.

  Her throat hums when she speaks. “You are family now so I’m going to give you advice as I would with any of my clutch because you are in terrible need of it.”

  Family. Mace has been the only family I’ve known since my dam had cast me out to make my way in the world, as demons born on this plane do. Now, within a few weeks, I’ve suddenly gained a full family unit. It’s disorienting.

  “You probably don’t know anything about Zeph’s grandmother. She disowned me when I married Lucas and refused to meet my children, calling them poison fruit.” Hester’s voice is level as she speaks, but anger sparks in me on her behalf.

  She must have noticed it because she squeezes my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter now because she died shortly after the girls were born. But I think it would help you to know her story. Shahrzad was once a young and fierce harpy. Things were changing at the time. The modern world was starting. Harpies weren’t practicing many of the old ways anymore. More of them were finding mates and creating family units.”

  “I thought harpies didn’t mate?” I interject.

  “Don’t jump ahead. Our community has always been small, and it became even more dispersed as mates tend to bring the focus away from extended family to the immediate family. Anyway, it was a brand-new world and the harpies were starting to adapt.” Hester’s voice started to take on the cadence of a tale. It’s as if the woman she speaks of isn’t related to her. “Shahrzad thought to do the same and fell in love. I think it was with a young general, he was possibly English if the gossip was to be believed; this was long before my time.”

  I assume this meant that this man hadn’t been Hester’s father.

  “They were married by her customs but he ultimately left her without warning. Shahrzad tracked him down to where he had come from to find that he had already had a wife and the love that she felt had all been a lie.”

  A tale of betrayal, as old as time.

  “Lore says that she killed him in front of his wife, but I don’t know if that is what really happened.” Hester seems lost in her own thoughts. “What is fact is that Shahrzad became a strong proponent for dredging up the old traditions and holding to them. She let the betrayal she experienced embitter her to the world and moved to change the world to reflect what she thought would keep our kind safe.

  “Many of our kind banded with her, for she was not the only one to be betrayed by men, and Shahrzad’s influence grew. Those who did not believe in the ideology dwindled and distanced themselves from the harpy community. It is thought that they were targeted by slavers because no harpies are known to live separate from this community.” Sadness tinges Hester’s words but she continues the story.

  “Many of the sentiments held by harpies now are the result of Shahrzad. One vengeful woman changed the way of life for generations of harpies to come. I don’t consider it a positive thing but I’m in the minority and am considered biased.”

  Hester meets my eyes; we’ve come to the part of the story that pertains to my predicament. “Shahrzad was not a happy person. Decades after that initial betrayal she still seethed. She trusted no one. Not even her clutch when she chose to have one. She tried to raise my sisters and me to be hard like her. As you can see, it didn’t stick.”

  Hester is right. As matriarch she may be intimidating and fierce, but she isn’t hard. Her heart beats for her family.

  Hester looks away and frowns. “I think the distrust and bitterness contributed to her early death.” She stops for a moment and takes a measured breath; I think there is a well of emotion when it comes to matters concerning Shahrzad.

  “Asa, you can’t be happy in your mating if you can’t trust others. I don’t know the specifics, but I suspect that if your heart hadn’t been broken the way it was then you wouldn’t have the opportunity of having this triad with my daughter.”

  “You’re okay with two men being with your daughter?”

  “That is Zeph’s choice and she is confident about it. Your proposal was spectacular in its poor timing because she just had an impressive confrontation with my sisters. You have my daughter’s heart, Asa King. You are one of the fathers of her clutch. She has been so happy with you and Greg. I do not think my daughter will let anyone stand in the way of her happiness. Not even you.”

  Maybe I have a chance to make amends for my misstep. I have to at least try.

  “But you need to keep in mind that you undermined Zeph. She is going to need more than just an apology.” Hester lifts an eyebrow at me.

  That might be the truth or it’s what Hester wants for Zephyrine. I’ll err on the side of caution.

  “I think I need to go talk to my mates. Start making my amends.”

  “Asa, you can receive all the forgiveness in the world but if you don’t let yourself trust, this mating is dead in the water.” Hester’s tone is grave, and I’m stunned into inaction for a moment.

  Hester gives me a nod that spurs my heart again and I leave her. She’s right. I will fix this. Urgency beats in my veins now. If I had Mace’s ability to portal it would cut out the time it would take to drive. I am pretty sure my mates are at Greg’s bakery.

  I hurry through the house and give a confident smile at the side-eyes I’m being given. Even though Zephyrine had left, it looks like the party is still in full swing. I get out to my vehicle but something out of the corner of my eye makes the hair on the back of my neck rise.

  “Hey Mr. Fuck-up, what are you looking for?” Sophia comes up behind me, her own keys in hand.

  “Zephyrine’s car is still here but she said she was going to Greg... Maybe she was given a ride?” I look over at Sophia in time to see all the color drain from her face and she races over to Zephyrine’s car. I see the car keys and the purse on the ground then. The tingle of wrongness against my skin swells with fear, a suffocating fear that moves to smother my small glow of hope.

  “I-I’m sure there is a good reason for this,” I say.

  Sophia looks back to me and the terror on her face tells me I’ve missed something crucial. “Shit, they didn’t tell you that Henderson was on the loose.”

  Henderson? ... No.

  “You can’t be talking about Wyatt Henderson.”

  Sophia’s anxiety flashes to consternation. “How does everyone know about this guy except me?”

  “Probably because you don’t associate in the circles of slavers.” My tone sounds harsh, but panic has me dialing Greg. When he doesn’t pick up, I curse and dial Mace who picks up instantly. I start in without giving him the opportunity to speak.

  “Zephyrine is gone. Sophia says it’s Henderson.” My soul aches. Things from my past are coming full circle and I hadn’t even been the target.

  Chapter 16

  Zephyrine

  I come to with pain painting the inside of my skull in different shades. My mouth is dry. Unlike the last time I woke, there is no Asa to play nursemaid. Instead of cool luxury sheets, dusty, stale hay surrounds me.

  Fear is a delayed
reaction; the first sensation is the overwhelming pain of foreign magic touching me. It’s probably a combination of whatever they had used to knock me out and the magic restraining collar around my throat. The skin of my neck pulses in irritation, and nausea makes my vision blur.

  I push myself into a sitting position, the hay makes a rustling noise and my skin crawls at the instinct that there is more alive in it than just me. My vision sharpens. I’m in a cage. It looks like it’s been upcycled from a circus show; there is a wooden border adhered to the outside of the bars that probably tells of the vicious beast inside. It still smells like cat.

  I discreetly scope it out and see the charms written on the bars. Charms that make using any abilities I have impossible. Not that I have much power. I am a young harpy.

  Fear rises to the forefront now. My memories of being taken. The catastrophic proposal. How I left the party to find Greg. No one will know I’m in danger. No one is looking for me.

  It’s dark in the area where I’m being kept. The only light comes from cracked windows from high above. I am in an abandoned building of some sort with more brick than modern drywall. As I’m scanning the area past my bars, a shadow moves and panic freezes me.

  There’s a big man leaning against the wall in the shadows. He wears a trench coat and I have to squint in the dim light to make out any details. A guard? The guard’s face is mean-looking and covered in scars. The air around him holds a charge that tickles my skin. He must be the magic user that spelled the bars. Light glints off the brass knuckles on the man’s hands, and symbols are carved into them.

  Think, Zeph. Henderson is a slaver. It’s why I’m here. Since no one is looking for me, it’s up to me to get out of this. There is no getting past the spells on the bars without some outside assistance. I steel my spine and try to wet my mouth enough to speak.

  “Where am I?”

  The guard stays silent. I try again.

  “How long have I been out?”

  My heartbeat sounds loud in my ears.

  “I can pay you twice whatever Henderson is.”

  The man stays impassive and I clench my teeth. Frustration bites into my panic. My body tries to summon my talons instinctually to the anger and I almost fall face-first into the hay from the pain of the collar around my throat.

  My anger leaves me and the cold fear returns.

  “Can you remove the collar at least? It’s making me sick. Won’t you lose out if the merchandise dies?”

  The guard just tilts his head and my eyes start to water. I can’t talk my way out of this if the guard won’t engage. Rage has me snarling.

  “You know what, fuck you. You’d rather work for the likes of Henderson than make a better deal elsewhere. My mates are coming for me and you’ll wish you’d have helped me then.”

  A small part of me has to believe that or I’ll lose my mind to worry. Asa and Greg will come somehow. In the meantime, I need a plan. There has to be some way out of this, even without help.

  Gregory

  Terror roars inside me when Mace and I portal to Asa. Asa’s eyes are wide, and I want to rush to him to reassure him, for him to reassure me, but we don’t have time for that. Zeph is in danger. Zeph was taken and I hadn’t been here to protect her.

  “Why weren’t you watching her?” My voice is desperate. I regret casting blame when Asa’s face stiffens in guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” My own guilt is choking. Our mate. Our young.

  “No, you were right. If I’d known that Henderson was involved in this, I would have been more careful.” Asa’s voice is brittle, he’s strung tighter than I’ve ever seen him.

  Mace clears his throat. “We were going to let you know but a lot went down at once. We only just found out before…”

  If anything, Asa looks more guilty, closing his eyes, pained.

  “But we don’t have time for that now. How long has Henderson had her?” Mace asks as he strides around Zephyrine’s car.

  “Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes,” Asa says.

  Hope lights in me. We have a chance, maybe he didn’t get far. The way Asa and Mace behave seems almost professional. Mace sniffs the air and straightens.

  “He used a portal.”

  Asa makes a tortured sound in the back of his throat and I feel a sob catch in mine. How are we going to find our mate? Mace comes toward both of us, putting a hand on my shoulder and Asa’s.

  “We will find her.” Mace’s voice is absolute confidence as he looks Asa in the eye. “It will be just like old times, yes?”

  Asa looks down but nods his head. Old times? I had a lot of questions for my mate after this … If he stays my mate. No. Now is not the time for that.

  We have to find Zeph.

  Zephyrine

  There are no clocks in captivity. Time passes and I have no concept of whether it’s hours or minutes. If I measure it by my fear, it’s hours. If I measure it by the speed of my planning, it’s minutes.

  I ignore the guard and search my cage during the hours/minutes. I come up with nothing other than gross straw and mouse droppings. I don’t have enough illumination to see if there are bugs, so I choose to believe that they don’t exist. I believe this even as I smack at my skin when the sensation of crawling gets to me.

  There is nothing left to do but wait and visualize stabbing the silent guard. It’s better than breaking down crying.

  I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll need to wait until I’m moved from the cage. It’s a shitty conclusion but I have nothing to work with. Everything has been nulled. I can’t reach the outside world with my limited powers being void from the spells and I can’t use brute force for the same reason. I have to wait until I see an opportunity.

  Every time my mind wanders to whether the magic collar is affecting my clutch, I have to force my thoughts away. I can’t add the worry for my clutch to the equation. I cannot let myself hesitate.

  Wyatt Henderson strolls into the space with a wide grin on his face.

  I take a small amount of satisfaction that Wyatt Henderson looks worse for wear. His slick handsomeness is marred by a fading black eye and scruff.

  Running from authorities doesn’t seem to be going well for the slaver. He can’t just go back to his heavily warded bar with his arrest and charges going public. He would have to scurry around like the rat he is, constantly moving to avoid Council enforcement.

  “Oh good! you’re awake. We have some time to get acquainted before your buyer shows up.” Henderson’s voice sounds cheerful but there is an underlying note of rage. “Congratulations on the conception of your first clutch! I understand it’s an important time in a harpy’s life.”

  Terror douses me. Nothing good can come from him knowing about the babies.

  “You can imagine I was thrilled when I heard. It quadruples how much money I can get for you. I’m sure you can’t fathom just how perfectly this has worked out for me, so I’ll tell you.” Henderson makes a hand gesture. “Since we have the time.”

  Obviously, the man wants to gloat, and I am a literally captive audience.

  “I escaped penniless; all my contacts turned on me because they don’t want to take on any heat with the authorities. So, I’m left alone to fend for myself.”

  “Sounds like you have good friends,” I can’t help but say.

  “I wouldn’t say friends per se. More like acquaintances. It works better that way. Doesn’t it, Jamie?” Henderson asks the silent guard, who looks annoyed. If there is ever a discordant name to how someone looks it is the Jamie in front of me.

  “So, what is a disgraced seller of goods to do except remember the very tempting bait that had been what had lured me into capture to begin with.” The gleam of avarice in Henderson’s eyes makes me shiver.

  “But that isn’t the most beautiful part of the arrangement. Not only is my planned target breeding, but she is also the mate of the troublesome Asa King. The demon who has been a thorn in the side of many of these types of operations for decades.”


  What? Asa has something to do with slavers? And apparently has such a reputation that Henderson is elated at the opportunity to get back at him. My mate has been keeping secrets.

  Henderson holds out fingers to count off. “I get a good payday, I get revenge on you for luring me out, and I get to strike back at the meddlesome demon who has lost my acquaintances and I so much merchandise that this profession is barely profitable.”

  If I ever see Asa again, I’m interrogating him about his whole life. I don’t disapprove, but I am at a disadvantage if I don’t know the enemies he has. Does Greg also have enemies? I don’t think so but might as well be on the safe side and interrogate them both.

  Henderson takes in my silence with a sick grin. “Before you start making escape plans, let me explain to you how this is going to happen. You are so much more valuable because you’re pregnant, buuuuut the buyers really only need one baby. The other two are just a bonus.”

  He can’t mean ... My heart freezes in my chest. My ears are ringing, and I feel like I need to vomit.

  “Try and escape, give me any reason to think you’re even considering it, and you’ll no longer be having triplets.” Henderson smiles at my evident distress.

  “Th-that’s impossible,” I stammer.

  “I assure you, it isn’t.” Henderson’s eyes flash with deadly intention. “Unlike you, this is not my first rodeo. So, make good choices and don’t make me lose out on the bonus pay.”

  Chapter 17

  Asa

  One hour. Zephyrine has been in danger for sixty minutes and we still have no leads. Mace continues to text and make calls furiously. I’ve run out of connections to call. I haven’t been in the business of retrievals for years.

  Wyatt fucking Henderson has my mate. When I considered the possibility of my past coming back to haunt me, I never thought it would hurt my loved ones. How naïve of me.

  Gregory is doing admirably well. He asked what he could do and made calls to his brother and the Evergreen pack. Now that he’s also run out of connections, he’s starting to look worse. We stay in front of the house. I assume the inside is hectic with Zephyrine’s family. People have left at intervals. Some offer words of reassurance. Some walk past quickly.