by Susan Illene
“You have enough if you follow my instructions closely, but you have to be committed for this to work.”
He swallowed. No matter what it took, he’d make it happen for Cori. “Just tell me.”
“Then here’s what you’re going to do…”
Bartol listened closely, surprised the psychologist’s idea sounded plausible.
Chapter 18
Cori
She poured over her account books, trying to get them in order before she left. It was early morning, and the shop wasn’t officially open yet. Ginny stood next to her at the counter. Since the pixie had a knack for numbers, she was going to be in charge of keeping the business side of things going during Cori’s absence.
“I promise I’ve got this,” Ginny said, closing the ledger. “That baby is due in less than four weeks, and you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. You should be resting right now.”
Cori rubbed her face. “Sleep isn’t coming easy these days.”
“Something tells me the baby is only part of that.”
It had certainly become difficult to get comfortable in bed, and she had to get up at least three times a night to go to the bathroom, but her friend was right. The baby only made it more difficult to rest. It was her blowout fight with Bartol four days before that had made things even worse. She hadn’t seen him since, but he’d been having flowers delivered that came with short notes each day. The latest had said, “You are the love of my life. Please be patient with me.” She appreciated the gesture, but he’d gone too far and she wasn’t ready to forgive him.
“I just want to make sure things go smoothly while I’m gone,” Cori said, smoothing her hand over the account book.
Ginny took it from her and put it under the counter. “This isn’t the first time I’ve handled this sort of thing. Don’t worry.”
“But every business is different.”
“Not by so much that I can’t figure it out or call if I have a question,” she argued.
Cori knew she needed to trust her employee. It just wasn’t easy these days when she couldn’t even depend on her mate to do the right thing. He’d left for California again the day before, only sending her a text message that he was leaving. She didn’t bother to respond. He was going to miss yet another doctor appointment while he was out hunting demons, and she just knew he wouldn’t try taking time off to be there. The man wasn’t going to win her over with little messages when what she truly wanted was his solid presence in her life.
The bell on the shop door chimed. She glanced up to spot Melena heading straight toward her with a purpose. The sensor must have been on her way to work since she had on a black pantsuit and light blue blouse. Her long, auburn hair was pulled back in a neat bun.
Cori stiffened. Please don’t let there be anything wrong. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah, I just came to bring you something.” Melena dug through her purse and pulled out a white envelope with a golden seal. “Bartol, his father, and the nerou should finish getting rid of the demons in L.A. sometime in the next couple of days. They’re holding the graduation shortly after that, and you’re invited.”
Cori took the envelope and opened it to find beautiful engraved writing on the card inside. “I don’t know if I should go.”
“Of course, you should!”
She shook her head. “Bartol will be there, and I’m trying to avoid him right now.”
“Girl, that man is hopeless.” Ginny put her hand over Cori’s. “You don’t have to talk to him, but you should still go. Some of those nerou are your friends.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Melena smiled. “Don’t think—just go. This isn’t something you’re gonna get a chance to see again.”
She had a point there, though Cori still wasn’t convinced. “Will Tormod be graduating, too?”
“It’s conditional on a few things.” Melena worried her lip. “He’s been participating in the training exercises enough that he’s not far behind, but he has a few tests to pass first, and even if he gets to graduate, he’ll be on probation for at least six months. They’re going to assign a nephilim to work with him until he’s proven himself.”
“Not Bartol, right?” The last thing Cori needed was her mate sent somewhere else for a long stay. She might be angry with him, but a small part of her still held hope their relationship would eventually work.
“They haven’t said yet, but since Jeriel will send Tormod to Anchorage if he graduates, at least he won’t go far,” Melena replied.
Ginny nodded. “It’s good they’re keeping him close.”
She was still getting to know the supernaturals around Fairbanks and hadn’t met Tormod in person, but she knew most of what was going on within their circle. Cori had Ginny and her daughters over for dinner at least once a week. She fit right in with their group of friends and got along well with Kerbasi. And by that, she meant that the pixie could give the guardian a hard time along with the best of them.
“Tormod definitely needs a lot of supervision, and Anchorage will be a good place for him to work out his issues,” Cori said, feeling sorry for the boy and the extra steps he had to take if he wanted to be given a chance.
At least the city where he’d be assigned was full of elitist vampires who didn’t like other supernatural races. If Tormod killed a few of them, they’d hardly be missed.
“Just promise you’ll come to the graduation,” Melena said, giving Cori a pleading look. “I’ll even pick you up so you don’t have to drive.”
The woman was relentless. “Fine, but no lingering afterward. I want to make a quick getaway once it’s over.”
Melena smiled triumphantly. “Great, we can certainly do that. Oh, and there’s Emily’s graduation as well. You got the invitation in the mail, right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Cori smacked herself in the forehead. “I got that weeks ago and forgot all about it.”
Dang pregnancy brain. The teenager had only been talking about it non-stop for months, so how could she have forgotten? With some pressing from Melena and Lucas, Emily had agreed to stay in Fairbanks for college for the first two years before transferring elsewhere—the future university to be determined once she chose a major. She was excited and planning to stay in the dorms on campus since she wanted some independence from her family.
“When is it again?” Cori asked.
“On the 17th.”
That was two weeks away and somewhat close to her baby’s due date. “I’ll try to make it.” She rubbed her belly. “Barring any complications from this one.”
Melena smiled. “That is the one excuse we’ll totally understand.”
The teenager in question came bursting through the shop door. She wore a pair of denim skinny jeans, a purple t-shirt, and black boots. The girl had far too much make-up on with her eyes lined especially dark, but that was her latest look. At least she left her shoulder-length brown hair simple and hanging free. “Oh, good, Mel. You’re here!”
“What’s wrong?” The sensor turned to her adopted daughter, suspicion in her gaze. “Why aren’t you in school?”
Emily’s cheeks were flushed and eyes filled with anger. “Some of the kids and parents started a protest. It’s getting ugly.”
“Over what?” Cori and Melena asked at the same time.
“They don’t want supernatural kids going to my school anymore.”
Ginny stiffened. “What about the elementary school? Is there a problem there, too?”
“That’s why I came here first.” She turned toward the pixie. “You might want to go get your girls right now. There isn’t anything going on at their elementary school yet, but the protests are spreading across the district.”
“Sorry, I gotta go.” Ginny grabbed her purse and rushed out of the shop.
Cori shook her head, sorry for the pixie having to go through this again after fleeing it in Oklahoma. “Why are they starting this now?”
“The demons,” Melena replied. “All
the stunts they’re pulling across the country are getting worse, and we’re still not allowed to tell people who the real culprits are, so everyone thinks sups are doing it.”
“Do you think it would matter if they knew?” Cori asked.
The sensor shrugged. “They might appreciate us more if they were aware we can at least fight back against the demons to protect people.”
“I swear this is never going to end,” Cori muttered.
“You probably shouldn’t open today.” Melena glanced toward the shop door. “Once these sort of things start, they tend to spread.”
Normally, Cori would be defiant and keep her place open, but pregnancy had changed the way she operated. Plus, Ginny would be gone the rest of the day, and Asher was off work until next week to spend time with his new baby. His girlfriend had given birth to their little boy at the end of April. No way could Cori run this place alone, especially since the baby’s kicks had grown so hard that she didn’t do much tattoo work anymore. The only exception was her vampire project, but she’d just failed the third attempt yesterday with another one burning in the sun. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with the design. It was just tough working on vamps who deserved to die anyway for hurting humans, so her heart wasn’t in it.
“Okay, yeah. I’ll close up the shop,” she said.
Melena got on her cell phone to call work. “I’m going to be a little late coming in, but I’ll be there soon.”
Cori overheard the sensor’s boss argue they had a lot to do with the protests going around town. “I’ve got a pregnant friend who needs an escort home. Everything else can wait.”
He started to argue that someone else could do it, but Melena hung up on him.
Cori laughed—the first time she’d done that in days. “It’s amazing he puts up with you.”
“He doesn’t have a choice.” The sensor grinned. “No one can handle the job better than me, and he knows it.”
Most people who worked for the Department of Homeland Security’s supernatural branch were human. While they’d learned a lot since forming a couple of years ago, Melena was a true asset for them since she’d had her whole life to gain experience and make contacts. Plus, her sensor skills came in handy more often than not.
Cori hurried to get her stuff and lock up the shop. As she pulled the keys from the door, she turned to her friend. “Follow me? I don’t want to leave my car.”
“Yeah, that works,” Melena said.
They were on their way a few minutes later. Their vehicles passed by one of the schools on the way out of Fairbanks, and it was chaos. Hundreds of people stood on the lawn with signs, protesting that supernaturals and humans shouldn’t attend classes together. She caught a glimpse of a fight between several men at the edge of the crowd, noting one of them had the brown aura of a werewolf.
He was facing two human men at once. They kept punching him, but she noted he only used defensive moves and tried not to hurt his attackers. Cori gripped the wheel hard. Under any other circumstances, she might have pulled over and stepped into the fray, but she couldn’t now. She could only hope the werewolf got out of there without getting too badly injured. He was blocking punches as best he could, but it wasn’t easy against two big men. His nose was bloody and his lip busted already.
Someday, her child would have to go to school, and Cori didn’t want to be worrying about him or her being accepted there just because they were different. Why couldn’t adults keep their bickering amongst each other and leave the kids out of it? Except at the beginning when sups first came out, there had been few problems between them and humans in their town. Those incidents that did happen were minor fights that were easily resolved. She prayed the protests didn’t get worse or spread to the businesses. Fairbanks had been her home for most of her life, and she just wanted to live there in peace.
Chapter 19
Bartol
It was mid-afternoon and the grocery store parking lot was mostly empty. Bartol found it the perfect time to go on a shopping trip—with Tormod. They both had problems getting out in public with strangers, and it provided them an opportunity to work on that issue. Tormod needed to prove he was ready to graduate training, and Bartol needed to get himself together if he was ever going to make things work with Cori.
He hadn’t seen her in a week. Eli had suggested Bartol keep his distance at first and slowly warm Cori up with small gestures such as the flowers and cards he’d been sending. Since he’d had to go back and fight more demons, it was best not to come to her until he’d rested and recuperated from the darkness that filled him every time he executed one. Part of him had wanted to stop her from leaving that night, but the other part recognized their time away from each other was an opportunity. Bartol needed to get himself together. She might think he didn’t want her, but she was wrong. He wanted her more than anything in this world, as well as their child. He just needed time to work through his issues so he could be a good mate and father. Soon, she would see he was serious about her.
“Is this seriously necessary?” Tormod asked, disturbing Bartol’s thoughts. The nerou had driven since he was also improving his driving skills in anticipation of living on his own—albeit with some supervision. He tapped the steering wheel and gave Bartol a sour look. “I thought I did fine in public when we were in Los Angeles.”
“You were fine…when you were fighting demons,” Bartol replied, taking off his seat belt. Just because one was immortal didn’t mean one wanted to fly through the windshield in an accident. “But when we were at Disneyland, you scared those children half to death.”
“I can’t help it if my eyes glow when I’m angry,” Tormod replied, scowling.
They’d just returned from California the night before. It took them nearly a week to rid the area of the demons who’d come through the portal and to be certain no stragglers remained. During one of the first days there, they’d gone to the amusement park because they’d heard several rides were mysteriously malfunctioning.
As it turned out, a few of the operators had become possessed and took great delight in stalling passengers on roller coasters at the top of loops and rises. Just before they arrived, some of the employees had tried to put a stop to it, and the situation had turned deadly. Security officers were killed as well as some of the visitors who got caught in the fray. Bartol, his father, and the nerou had stepped right into the middle of a battle. People had been running and screaming with nearly a dozen innocents killed before their group put a stop to it. It had not been easy to cover that incident up.
Tormod had done a fine job capturing and holding one of the demons that day all by himself. The thing had been killing humans like a wild tiger who’d gotten loose from the zoo, but he’d managed to keep it contained until Raguel could execute it. His tracking skills were unmatched since he was part-demon himself, and he could put up quite a good fight, but the thrill of battle had put him into a different psychological state. He’d looked half possessed himself afterward when they’d freed the trapped people on the roller coaster. His crazed, evil smile sent a group of young children running and screaming.
Bartol glared at him. “Your eyes glow violet nearly every time you get close to people, during a battle or not. It has to stop.”
“But shopping for food.” The nerou gestured toward the store. “Really?”
“Sometimes it’s best to start simple. Now let’s go.”
The young man hesitated for a full minute before getting out of the training compound SUV, muttering curse words. Finally, he joined Bartol in the parking lot, and they began walking toward the store. An older man with a cane in one hand and grocery bag in the other was coming out and caught sight of them as they crossed paths.
Tormod tensed.
“Breathe and stay calm,” Bartol whispered.
The young nerou kept his pace slow and ducked his head down to hide his eyes. “This is ridiculous.”
“If you want to eat once you’re on your own, you will need to go
buy food,” Bartol said in a low tone. “Think about it.”
The old man’s cane tapped rhythmically against the asphalt as he passed them. Tormod made a hissing noise like a snake. Bartol grabbed his arm, pulling him along more quickly.
“Let go of me,” the nerou growled.
The older man turned his head and gave them a startled look.
Bartol caught the human’s gaze. “All is fine. Continue to your car and forget you saw us.”
“Yes, okay,” the man replied in a monotone voice. He continued on toward an old blue Buick about a dozen paces away.
“He’s weak,” Tormod said after the man was out of earshot.
“The man is human, and it will be your job to protect him and others like him.” Bartol let go of Tormod’s arm. “If you want to live in this world freely, you must remember that.”
“I feel like a wolf and the humans are sheep.” Tormod’s expression hardened. “I don’t know how I’m going to protect them when they look like prey.”
“There was a time when you wanted to do it,” Bartol replied. “Remember the woman you healed and her husband who you compelled to never hurt her again?” It had been Cori’s former in-laws they’d gone to question when they were trying to track down their son, Griff.
“I was different then.”
So very different. The young man had been compassionate once, but the demon Haagenti had nearly ruined him. “You must find that part of you again, or the angels will not let you live.”
They reached the doors. They slid open, and Tormod went through first. “I hate the angels.”
“We all do.” Bartol couldn’t argue there, except for his father. “But we don’t have a choice. Now grab a basket.”
“Fine.”
The nerou grabbed a small one he could carry in one hand while Bartol got a large shopping cart. Tormod was only going to buy a few snacks for himself, but Bartol needed to get quite a few things to fill the cupboards of his cabin so he and his father would have something to eat. They were suffering without Cori’s cooking.