I waited, heart racing.
Then I saw Claire enter the hallway, clutching a boot. She saw me, panted openly, and then continued into the room, revealing that the boot was still attached to a groaning figure. One of them was still alive. I jogged over to her, staring down at the Templar. He was bleeding in a few places, but would probably be fine after a visit to the hospital and a week of bedrest.
I yanked his scarf off, but it wasn’t the same Templar I’d spoken with. I called upon a single silver butter-flay to land on the barrel of my pistol. I then carefully scooped up a pair of forgotten panties with the barrel of my other pistol, and dropped it on the butter-flay. Upon contact with the chrome cutie, the fabric sliced in half, fluttering to the man’s chest.
I very slowly straddled the Templar, being sure to grind my hips slightly as I held the pistol with the butter-flay before him, smiling. Then I blew a kiss, and the butter-flay drifted down to his nose, resting on the tip like a silver snowflake, wings flapping in slow, measured strokes.
His blue eyes widened in terror.
“Why are you here, little Templar?” I asked in a low, gentle, monotone. I wanted him to confirm my suspicion. That they had been chasing the woman I had seen.
Hypocrite… the Whispers purred in my ears. I let them, agreeing wholeheartedly.
“Chasing down a criminal,” he grunted very carefully, clearly pissed off, but knowing he had no other choice.
“You intended to storm a building for one person?”
“Whatever it takes,” he muttered.
“And what about Commander Olin Fuentes? His new… changes.”
The man looked hesitant. “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” he finally said.
I rolled my eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you people? Can’t you just leave us alone?”
“When the Lord’s work is finished, we will not be needed,” he recited.
“Your boss is a fucking werewolf, moron. Can you really not see the double-standard?”
“He was turned into an abomination doing the Lord’s work—”
“I know. I was there,” I said, smiling to twist the barb.
His eyes flashed with anger but he didn’t move. “He takes daily penance for his sins, to atone for his filthy blood, but the Lord sees the heart of a man.”
I arched a brow, nodding. “Exactly my point. The heart of a Freak isn’t inherently bad. You just admitted it. So… stop hunting innocent people in my town.”
He sniffed, obviously letting my words bounce off him, but his jaw worked as if he was gritting his teeth.
I glanced up to see Asterion staring down at us with folded arms. “Two of them got away. I picked these off the dead ones,” he said, holding out their scarves.
I growled, standing to my feet with a curse. “Take them with you and give them to Nate. They block magic. Do not—” I turned at a sudden sound from Claire, only to see her diving for me. I gasped right before she tackled me to the ground and I heard Asterion bellow a challenge.
Claire picked me up, sniffing me frantically with her big wet nose.
“Claire, I’m fine,” I assured her. “What happened?” I asked, confused.
Claire abruptly crushed me to her chest in a bear hug. “Someone took a shot at you,” Asterion growled, “but you stood up just in time, so the dart hit your coat.”
I shoved Claire back, turning to Asterion who was holding out a tiny dart with a black substance at the tip. The dart had a small crucifix carved into the side. My eyes shot to the Templar on the ground, but he hadn’t moved. I saw another dart sticking out of his chest and groaned.
There went any chance of getting answers, and now the Templars knew I wasn’t going to back down. “They’ll be back,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“I hear police sirens,” Asterion murmured, cocking his head.
I turned to Claire. “Time to go home. We don’t want to be here when they arrive.”
Claire nodded. “You have a date tonight,” she grumbled, and instantly began panting.
Asterion grunted. “A date?” he asked too-casually, but I knew a spy when I saw one. Nate would know the moment he got back from Fae.
Too tired to explain, I just nodded. “Yeah.”
Asterion held out a massive hand to conceal his strained reaction. “I should probably take your guns. You can pick them back up in St. Louis.” He studied the room thoughtfully. “But it might be best to just get rid of them. We can help you get replacements without serial numbers.”
I nodded, handing them over.
I opened a Gateway back to my apartment, motioning Claire to shuffle through. Then I glanced at Asterion, blushing. “I’m sorry. Do you want a Gateway home?”
He smiled at me, plucking two marbles from a pouch at his side. “I have Tiny Balls, too.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “Okay. Thanks, Asterion. We’ll meet again soon. Let me know if you need any help with the Hellfire Club.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I think Midas’ found a way to turn this bad situation into a golden opportunity. Now, he has them in his clutches. Their savior. And that was Dorian Gray, right?” he asked, as if curious whether he had heard correctly. Not wanting to lie to the person who had just helped me, I nodded. “Him and Temple together…” Asterion said with a shudder.
“I’d send him back sooner rather than later. The others, too. I appreciate you two saving them, but they aren’t captives. Tell Midas I said that.”
Asterion shrugged, grinning in amusement. “I’ll… quote you.”
I nodded back, waving farewell as he threw his Tiny Balls on the ground, opening a Gateway. Then I picked up my fluffy pink robe, deciding to dry clean it just in case, before stepping back into my apartment. I collapsed onto the couch mentally exhausted, dropping the robe as questions whirred through my mind like a butterfly exhibit.
Claire had shifted back, but was simply lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
I heard a rattling vibration and frowned down at the robe, realizing it was Claire’s phone. I’d forgotten she had tucked it into the pocket. Claire let out an annoyed sigh and crawled over to it, answering it on speaker.
“Claire?” Beckett asked eagerly. “I got your text, but I was in a meeting. I sent over a patrol car. Is everything okay?” he asked.
I shook my head adamantly. If Beckett stuck his nose into this, he was going to get killed.
“We’re fine,” Claire said, frowning at me uncertainly. “It was just a… false lead,” she replied, sounding tired. I nodded at her in relief.
He was quiet for a moment, as if sensing something was off about her tone. “Good. Well, not the false lead thing, but that you’re alright.”
“Yeah. Just tired,” she said. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Sure,” he said. “Keep me posted if you’re causing me any more problems in town,” he said drily. He sounded exhausted. From what Claire said, he’d been working hard lately. Trying to deal with the uptick in gang activity was wearying. He was a homicide detective, but more gang activity led to increased crime, and they’d all had to help pick up the slack.
Claire hung up, staring at me. “Why did I just lie to our only cop friend?” she asked.
I sighed. “I’ll tell you while I shower,” I said, climbing to my feet. “I have a date to get ready for, remember?” I muttered.
She clapped her hands excitedly, following me into the bathroom to sit on the counter while I cleaned up behind the shower curtain, telling her my thoughts.
Unfortunately, she seemed to agree with my assumptions. Not that it helped us much.
Chapter 28
I hissed as Claire tugged the brush through my hair, the merciless blow dryer drowning out my agonized squawks. “Easy! I’m not your childhood Rastafarian Barbie doll!”
She cocked her head at me in the mirror. “I can’t hear you!” she shouted, not bothering to turn off the blow dryer. Or to stop yanking the tangles out of my hair. I glare
d suspiciously, sensing a twinkle of amusement in her bright green eyes.
I suffered the rest of the torture in silence. It was easier to let her do my hair than it would have been to suffer her questions about my date for an extra hour while I tried to get ready by myself, leaving Claire with nothing to do but cross-examine me.
She finally finished, fidgeting a few loose strands with a satisfied smirk. “I’d do you.”
I rolled my eyes, snatching the blow dryer from her hands and pretending it was a gun as I mimed blowing my brains out. “No one is getting done tonight. I’m only taking a date because I’d rather not feel like the third wheel when I meet my dad’s girlfriend.”
She smiled knowingly. “I know. But you’re so fun to tease.”
“I like to look at my date as cannon fodder. A distraction to keep my dad busy while I get a good read on his girlfriend. To maintain even footing with her,” I admitted.
She studied me. “How very… Machiavellian of you,” she finally said. I shrugged. She glanced down at the folded paper in my hands, dry-washing her hands anxiously. “Any idea what it means?” she asked.
I shrugged, glancing down at it. Claire had gone to check my mailbox after our talk – letting me dry off in privacy, thank god – and had come back with the mysterious letter. It didn’t have a stamp or return address. “I have no idea,” I admitted. “The graffiti on the wall last night said Chancery, remember?” I reminded her, even though I recalled seeing it myself and didn’t need her confirmation. But maybe she had read something else on the wall that explained the word.
She snatched the letter out of my hands, reading it out loud again. I let her, turning back to the mirror and checking my makeup.
She cleared her throat, then began to speak in an overly official voice. “Thank you for your service. We will keep a better eye on our own in the future. Regards, the Chancery.” She sniffed it thoughtfully but shook her head. “Some kind of perfume concealing the scent,” she said, dropping it back on the table. “But who the fuck is the Chancery? And what are they thanking you for?”
I shrugged. “Who cares? They sound polite, which is better than most Freaks in town.”
Claire grunted, sounding more upset that she hadn’t also received a letter.
I pulled out my phone, glancing at the time. “I’m going to call Haven and give him an update. I meant to do it earlier, but lost track of time.”
“Callie?” I glanced up at her worried tone. “What if Beckett comes up against the Templars? If his awareness of the supernatural puts him in their crosshairs?”
I sighed. “We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. This is a pretty tenuous relationship we have with his official duties. It’s going to take some time getting used to.”
She sighed, nodding. “You’re right, but you should probably give him a call, Callie. He always asks about you.”
I nodded stiffly. “I will. Soon.”
“Chicken-shit,” she muttered, smiling as she turned away.
I threw a hairpin at her, hitting her in the back of the head. “Why don’t you do something useful like replacing my nice underwear you destroyed?”
Claire stopped, slowly turning. “I meant to ask you about that. How did you come to afford two-hundred-dollar panties when you don’t even have a job anymore?”
I smiled devilishly. “Vatican hush money. Biblery. It’s like bribery, but not as sinful.” At her stunned look, I shrugged. “Meatball made a pretty significant deposit into my checking account in exchange for me keeping my mouth shut about what really happened in Rome.” Basically, he’d asked me not to make the Shepherds look bad. Word would eventually get out, but he didn’t want me starting the gossip.
“Are you serious?” Claire hissed.
I nodded. “He even transferred ownership of my apartment to me. They needed to cut ties with me, but were smart enough to not try evicting me out of my apartment. We both win. I guess.”
Claire thought about that, still shaking her head. Then she frowned again. “And with all that money, why did you buy a brand-new pair of oh-so-expensive lingerie?” She didn’t bother hiding her suggestive grin as she folded her arms.
I scowled, pointedly punching Haven’s contact icon on my phone and lifting it to my ear. She shook her head, plopping down on the couch as she pulled her own phone out.
Haven picked up on the second ring. “Hello,” he said in a formal tone, even though he knew it was me from his caller ID. He wasn’t alone, then.
“Hello,” I said just as formally. “I had a few things to talk to you about if you’ve got a minute.”
There was a muffled conversation in the background and then I heard him lift the phone back to his ear. “You have my undivided attention, Miss Penrose.”
I caught him up to speed, then told him that he could probably expect news of a rogue vampire getting jumped in town. I didn’t offer the specific details, leaving it to his imagination. I hoped my delay in telling him wouldn’t cause future problems between us. Or between Haven and Roland, since he would be returning from Italy soon.
There was a long silence as if he was waiting to be sure I was finished. Or he was gearing up to threaten my life.
Then I heard a slow, dry chuckle, and instantly felt my body relax. I hadn’t wanted to add a pissed off Master Vampire to my plate. Maybe it was a sign that things were turning around. “I heard about that already. He will no longer wander the streets without a chaperone. He had the sudden inclination that he needs a family for protection. So, he’s undergoing our… new-hire program.”
I tried not to betray my relief. “He was that scared about our little confrontation?” I asked, smiling a little smugly.
Haven was silent for a breath too long. “Your confrontation?”
I frowned. Maybe he did need details. “Yeah. We had a disagreement. He and a few of his pals across supernatural families. Few shifters. Even a Fae…” I said carefully, not wanting to alarm him of the bigger conspiracy I believed was going on in town.
“That detail must have slipped his mind. He seemed more concerned about a gang of men.”
I scratched my chin, mildly ticked off that I hadn’t scared him as much as I thought. “Men. It’s always the men that get the credit. Claire and I whipped the shit out of them while they were breaking into some cars.”
“He just mentioned being jumped, and remembering a few men involved. He wouldn’t say who.” As I thought about it, it kind of made sense. The vampire had been taken out right at the beginning, and probably didn’t recall the details too clearly, and the last thing he had seen was probably the three men jumping over him, before a boot struck him in the head. “Maybe he was just trying to save face? Not wanting to admit that he was really jumped by two women?”
“Yeah. I guess.” Claire was pacing back and forth, muttering angrily under her breath, obviously eavesdropping. “Did he say who these guys were that scared him? He did have pretty bad luck. Maybe he ran into someone else that night…” I said, remembering how scared Faebio had been about the Templars. I needed to know if Haven knew anything about that. A test.
“I don’t know if it’s that important—”
“Haven…” I said in a warning tone.
He let out a breath. “Fine. He said they wear scarves—”
I didn’t hear the rest of what he said, anger suddenly making my ears pop. “The scarf had a red cross on it, right?” I growled over him. Claire had stopped pacing and was staring at me.
“Yes,” Haven said very slowly. “He was babbling about the Templars, but I’m pretty sure he’s just letting his fear of the bogeymen take over. Sees a cross and assumes the worst. They’re in Europe anyway.”
I was shaking my head. “No, Haven. They’re here. I’ve seen them, too. Different place. Ever heard of the Hellfire Club?” I asked, thinking back to the men I had seen chasing the woman. Had they been Templars? But none of them had worn scarves and they hadn’t worn similar clothing to the Templars at the H
ellfire Club.
Haven paused hesitantly before speaking. “Perhaps…”
I rolled my eyes. “Relax. I just saved their lives. Half a dozen Templars showed up to harm them – kill or capture, I don’t know. But they’re safe, now.”
“That was you?” he hissed in disbelief. “You saved the Hellfire Club? Where are they? No one can find them, but I’ve fielded half a dozen calls in the last hour about it.”
“They’re safe,” I replied carefully. “Don’t worry about them.”
He grunted in disappointment at me not giving him their location. “Callie Penrose saving the lowest of the low. Isn’t that kind of, I don’t know, out of character for you, church-mouse?” he said in a lighter tone.
“I’m not prejudiced like some of the zealots in town. If a group of Templars want to attack a bunch of Freaks just trying to get their rocks off in an innocent, consensual gangbang, they’re going to find me right in the thick of it.”
Claire gasped and Haven roared with laughter. I flushed deep red, my cheeks heating.
“That’s not what I—” I took a calming breath. “What I meant, was that I’m not going to let them have their way.” Haven laughed even harder, and Claire just stared at me, shaking her head. “Dorian was there,” I said loudly, trying to change the topic. “Apparently, he’s on their Board of Directors.”
Haven chuckled. “The world’s first playboy. Or biggest playboy. The most notorious lecher.”
“A friend,” I said firmly. “The other stuff, too, but he’s a friend. And he did us a solid not too long ago. Wasn’t about to let some asshole Templars take him out. Without his help tonight, the body count would have been a lot higher.”
Haven breathed heavily into the phone. “Callie, the Templars are… like a rumor. A legend. I’ve heard horrifying tales about them… Maybe you should just let them pass through town. Who knows what kind of casualties a war like that would cause. Haven’t we all had enough of that? Maybe they’ll get what they want and leave us the hell alone.”
Angel's Roar: Feathers and Fire Book 4 Page 13