by Karen Lynch
“Teg is in his office,” I said, pulling her attention to me. “Will you be okay out here alone while I go talk to him?”
She frowned. “You don’t want me to go with you?”
“I think I can handle it. I’m just going to ask him if my parents came to see him the other night.”
“Okay.” She winked. “Don’t worry about me. I can think of something to keep me occupied.”
I shook my head. “Behave yourself while I’m gone.”
Violet looked toward the dais again. “Take your time.”
Leaving her to her fun, I strode with purpose to the back of the bar. A number of Court faeries looked my way with interest, but I ignored them. I was here for one reason only, and I had zero interest in hooking up with anyone.
I easily found Teg’s office and knocked sharply on the closed door. I waited thirty seconds and was about to knock again when it swung open.
Orend Teg’s pictures hadn’t done him justice. Up close, he was even more handsome. When a slow smile spread across his face, he exuded that potent sensuality that Court faeries were known for. Tennin had it, too, but I had a suspicion he’d been holding back because of who I was.
“You’re early, but I can’t say I’m put out about it. Jesper outdid himself this time.” He took my hand and lifted it to his lips to press a light kiss to the back of it.
A little thrill went through me at his touch. I tugged my hand out of his as I schooled my face into a polite expression. “I’m sorry. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m here on Agency business.”
Teg’s eyes widened a fraction, and then he let out a delighted laugh. “The Agency. I love it. The glasses are a nice touch, by the way. Where on earth did Jesper find you?”
“I don’t know any Jesper,” I said tightly, reaching for my mother’s card. I held it up for him to see as I’d done for the bartender. Except Teg wasn’t content with a brief glance. He caught my hand in his firm grip and studied the card – closely.
His whole countenance changed, and he dropped my hand to go sit behind his desk. Leaning back in his chair, he watched me with cool shrewdness that hadn’t been there before. It felt like his eyes could see right through me, and I had to stop myself from squirming.
“It’s a crime to impersonate an Agency employee, including bounty hunters,” he said in a voice that had gone hard. “I admit you look the part. You could pass for Caroline James if you were a little older.”
“You know my mother?” I blurted before I could stop myself. So much for being coolheaded.
“Your mother?” Teg stared at me, and recognition dawned in his eyes. “How did I not see it? You could be her –”
“Her clone. I know.” I took a step toward the desk. “My name is Jesse James. You know my parents?”
Teg gave me an are-you-kidding-me look. “Everyone knows Patrick and Caroline James, but I had no idea they had a daughter. Seeing you now, it’s clear why they kept you a secret.”
I ignored his comments about me and got straight to the point of my visit. “Did my parents come to see you two nights ago?”
He thought about it for a moment. “I haven’t seen them in at least a month. Why are you asking?”
Before I’d come here, I’d thought about how much to divulge to him. Even though I’d confided in Tennin, I didn’t think it was smart to let the whole world know my parents were missing. Instead of the truth, I gave him a cover story I’d concocted. “They’re testing me. I’m supposed to track them down while they work on a job.”
“Testing you for what?”
I held his gaze. “To see if I can work with them.”
At this, his eyebrows shot up. “You’re training to be a bounty hunter? How old are you?”
“Old enough.” My shoulders straightened.
His gaze swept over me again. “You don’t look old enough.”
“You didn’t think I was that young when you opened your door,” I retorted.
Teg smiled lazily. “What I have in mind is a lot less dangerous than hunting, and infinitely more pleasurable for both parties involved.”
“I’m…uh…sure it is.” Heat rose in my face.
He leaned forward to rest his arms on the desk. “Curious, Jesse?”
“No, I’m not, Mr. Teg.”
His smile widened. “I think I like you, Jesse James.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “You’re still not getting into my pants.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Okay, Miss James. Tell me why you think your parents paid me a visit?”
Feeling like I was back on solid ground, I said, “They’re hunting a goren dealer who has been seen here.”
“Someone dealing in my bar? I think not.”
“Do you know every person who comes into your bar?” I asked.
“I don’t need to,” he replied confidently. “My wards prevent anyone from entering with drugs or weapons.”
“That’s good to know.” I was glad that I’d decided not to come here armed.
“By any chance, did your parents tell you the name of this dealer?”
“No, just that he’s an elf. I don’t think they know his name.” I didn’t really care about the dealer’s identity. As much as I didn’t want someone peddling Fae drugs to humans, all I cared about was finding my parents. “Is it possible my parents were here and didn’t ask to see you?”
Teg shrugged. “It’s possible, but I can’t see them taking the time to come here without talking to me.”
My shoulders slumped. He was right. My parents were thorough in their job, and they never did anything halfway. But if they hadn’t come here after talking to Tennin, where had they gone? I’d hoped to find something at the bar to lead me to them, and I had no idea where to go from here.
A knock came at the door, and Teg called for them to come in.
The door opened, and a pretty, fuchsia-haired young woman entered. She wore jeans and a tight black T-shirt with the bar’s name across her chest, and she had piercings in her nose and eyebrow. She stared at me with open curiosity before she addressed her boss. “You have visitors.”
“Who is it?”
“Rand and his men.”
“Tell Rand I’ll see him in five minutes.” Teg rubbed his jaw, his good humor gone.
“If he’ll wait that long,” the woman muttered and left.
Teg gave me a look of regret. “I hate to end our little visit, but Cynthia is right. Lukas Rand is not someone you keep waiting.”
I nodded as if I knew who that was. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.”
“Anytime, Miss James. Happy hunting, and try to stay out of trouble. Although, something tells me the world of bounty hunting will never be the same.”
Dejected, I left his office and went to look for Violet. I had a feeling I’d find her on the dais, so I scanned that section as I walked toward the bar.
“Oof!” I uttered when I made contact with a hard body. I stumbled backward and might have fallen if a pair of hands hadn’t grabbed my arms to steady me.
The man released me, and I backed up a step to see who I’d plowed into. My breath caught when I looked up into cold, midnight-blue eyes beneath brows that were drawn down in a scowl. The man’s hard gaze held me like a deer in a car’s headlights, until a deep chuckle to my left startled me back to my senses. My eyes roamed over the face before me, taking in its perfect masculine lines and sensual mouth, and I knew immediately that this was no man at all.
“I can’t tell if she’s mesmerized by your pretty face or scared witless,” joked the male on my left.
Tearing my eyes from the faerie in front of me, I glared at his companion. The other faerie – also dark-haired and handsome but in a decidedly better mood – smirked at me in response.
My gaze swung back to the one I’d collided with. As with all Court faeries, he was well over six feet tall, but unlike most, he wore his hair short, and he had an air of power about him that made my s
tomach dip. It was dark and dangerous, and it told me this was one faerie I didn’t want to mess with. There was also something vaguely familiar about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I took another step back and saw three unsmiling blond faeries forming a semicircle behind him. Like him, they all had short hair, which made them stand out. The five of them made a formidable group, and I got the distinct impression they weren’t here for a drink.
“Excuse me,” I said, moving to go around them.
“Teg likes his girls young,” one of the faeries said scornfully, bringing me up short.
I scowled at them, unsure who had spoken. “Just because I’m in his bar doesn’t mean I’m one of his girls.”
A blond faerie with a crew cut and the greenest eyes I’d ever seen, curled his lip in a sneer. “Whatever you say.”
“You’re here, too,” I said sweetly and maybe a little recklessly. “I guess that makes you his boy.”
The faerie stiffened, and I heard a few gasps from nearby. I glanced around to see the faeries within hearing distance watching us with shocked expressions. Some even looked a little scared.
The joker in the group let out a laugh. “Damn, Faolin, you got served.” He slung an arm across my shoulders. “I think I’m in love.”
“Hey, hands off.” I ducked out from under his arm. Several strands had come loose from my ponytail, and I tucked them behind my ears, feeling disheveled and annoyed. I had too much on my mind to deal with a bunch of arrogant faeries lacking basic manners.
I looked up to find the faerie I’d run into watching me with cool curiosity. Even though he hadn’t spoken, his position at the center of the group told me he was their leader. I would have bet he was Lukas Rand, the one Teg had said didn’t like to be kept waiting.
“Well, this has been fun,” I said in a cheerful voice that dripped sarcasm. “Have a nice night, gentlemen.”
None of them spoke this time as I walked away. Putting them out of my mind, I searched the faces of the women on the dais, looking for Violet. I caught sight of her deep in conversation with two female faeries at a table toward the back, and I headed in her direction.
I reached the steps to the raised section, but before I could climb them, a blond Court faerie stepped in front of me, blocking my path. My first thought was that one of Lukas Rand’s group had followed me. Then I realized this one had long hair. His flirtatious smile and the interested gleam in his eyes told me he had more pleasurable pursuits in mind.
“I haven’t seen you around here before,” he said in a low, husky voice.
I smiled politely. “That’s because I’ve never been here before.”
His eyes widened in delight. “Is that so? Then you must let me buy you a drink in honor of your first visit to Teg’s.”
“Thank you, but I’m just going to get my friend so we can leave.” I craned my neck to look around him, but I couldn’t see Violet from this location.
He made a pouty face. “But the night has barely begun. Surely, you and your friend don’t want to leave so soon.”
“Maybe she needs the right enticement to stay, Korre,” said a male voice from behind me.
The faerie in front of me stared at someone over my head, his mouth tightening in displeasure.
I turned slightly to see a second blond faerie. The two of them looked so alike that it made me wonder, not for the first time, how small the Fae gene pool was. They all had a similar physique and perfect facial features. Even Lukas Rand and his companions, as fierce as they looked, could be easily identified as faeries.
The newcomer smiled at me. “I’m Daoine. May I ask your name, beautiful one?”
“Jesse.” I had to stifle a laugh because he was laying it on a little thick. But he seemed harmless enough, and everyone knew faeries were huge flirts.
Daoine took one of my hands and lifted it to his lips. “It’s a pleasure. Please, allow me to accompany you to your friend’s table. Perhaps I can convince you both to stay a little longer.”
I tugged my hand from his, but I couldn’t think of a way to refuse his request without seeming rude. What harm could it do to walk across the dais with him?
Korre raised an arm to block us when we turned to the steps. The glint of annoyance in his eyes conveyed his unhappiness with Daoine for moving in on his action. “Daoine, didn’t I just see you with the lovely Nicole? You should return to her, and I’ll take Jesse to her friend.”
Daoine chuckled. “Nice try.”
“I think Jesse can decide for herself who will accompany her,” Korre said, his pretty eyes meeting mine.
I shook my head. “Listen, I’m flattered by your interest, but –”
Beside me, Daoine sucked in a sharp breath. “What are you doing? That is forbidden.”
“What?” I jerked my head in his direction, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was staring at Korre, a mix of shock and reproach on his face.
“What are you talking about?” Korre asked a little too innocently.
“You tried to glamour her.”
Alarm shot through me. Glamouring a human violated at least three treaties and carried a punishment of banishment from our realm. The thought that he’d tried that on me made my hackles rise.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Korre said insolently. “Does she look glamoured to you?”
My hand automatically went to the bracelet on my wrist. Thank you, Mom.
“I felt your magic,” Daoine accused him before I could say anything.
Korre smirked. “Says you.”
Daoine placed himself between Korre and me and spoke to me over his shoulder. “Go to your friend, Jesse. I am sorry for this.”
I appreciated Daoine’s chivalry, but I wasn’t going to walk away from someone who had tried to glamour me against my will. I considered myself an easygoing person most of the time, but even I had my limits.
I pushed past Daoine and poked Korre in the chest. “You jerk. Are you that pathetic you have to use magic to get a woman?”
Korre laughed arrogantly. “Humans come to Teg’s for one reason, and that is to hook up with my kind. You can’t come in here looking like that and pretend to be offended when we take notice.”
Looking like what? I peered down at my outfit, which was anything but sexy, and then glowered at him again. “How any woman looks doesn’t give you the right to violate her. I’m sure the Agency will be more than happy to explain that to you.”
Korre’s humor fled, and he grabbed my arm. I reacted on instinct, hitting him with a palm strike beneath his chin. If he’d been a human, it would have hurt him, but Court faeries were stronger than we were, and all it did was make his hold tighten.
“Release her.” Daoine shoved Korre hard just as I brought my knee up between Korre’s legs. The dual attack knocked him off balance and forced him to let me go. Since I only wanted to get away from him, that was enough.
Until the ogres joined the fight.
Chapter 4
In my defense, I hadn’t meant to involve anyone else, especially a bunch of those bad-tempered brutes. But a girl can’t be blamed for protecting herself, can she?
I watched as Korre stumbled backward and crashed into a table of ogres. Drinks went flying, and angry bellows filled the room amid the sounds of breaking glass.
An ogre reached for Korre, who lay across their table, and grabbed the front of the blond faerie’s shirt in his large hand. In the next instant, Korre was sailing through the air into a group of trolls in the corner.
The trolls, who resembled hairy humans except for their fangs and huge underbites, jumped to their feet, snarling. One troll jumped on Korre, while his four buddies charged the ogres. In the middle of the melee, someone threw a chair that knocked out an elf, sending his companions into a rage. Before I knew it, every faerie in that section was embroiled in a huge brawl.
That would have been bad enough if Korre hadn’t started screaming bloody murder. Court faeries from the dais ran past me and jumped into t
he fray. Soon, the fight spilled toward us, and I had to step aside to avoid being struck by a flying chair.
“Jesse!” Violet yelled from behind me.
I looked back to see her on the dais, gesturing frantically for me to join her. But before I could move, I was surrounded by dozens of angry faeries doing their best to throttle each other. Dodging the brawlers at every turn, I tried to make my way toward the safety of the bar on the other side of the room.
A boot glanced off my thigh, and I swerved away from it. I collided with a tall, thin elf, sending him crashing to the floor beside me. The troll he’d been fighting fell on top of him, and the two of them continued punching each other.
Something squealed, and a small, white, furry body ran between my feet, desperately trying to escape being trampled to death. It was a hama, a Fae creature about the size of a kitten that resembled an earless rabbit. Hamas were gentle animals and popular pets among faeries and humans.
I bent and grabbed for the hama, my fingertips barely touching him before he darted forward out of my reach. I cringed when he narrowly avoided being squashed under a large ogre boot. The little guy was going to get pancaked if I didn’t help him.
I reached into my inner pocket and pulled out the pouch I’d put there before I left home. Loosening the string, I hurriedly poured a small amount of a fine gray powder onto my palm. It wouldn’t take much for what I had in mind. I lifted my hand to my mouth and blew hard on the powder in the direction the hama had gone.
Every lower faerie in my path who inhaled the powder slowed their movements until it looked like they were fighting in slow motion. It would have been comical to watch if I’d had time. But the effects of the powder wouldn’t last long.
The powder, called fey dust, was a blend of iron powder and some other secret elements. It could slow some faeries, but it didn’t harm them. It was made by a witch in New Orleans, and it was extremely difficult to acquire. I was pretty sure my parents got their supply through Maurice’s connections.
Hoping no one had witnessed my little stunt, I quickly tucked the pouch back into my pocket. I scanned the floor for the hama and spotted a bundle of white fur just beyond the feet of a slow-moving ogre.