I assume that first meeting had made him feel ashamed about his feeding, because he still wouldn’t tell me he was going to feed.
“No.”
“What? Where are you going?”
“Now that Gabriel and his gang know where we are, we need a new place to stay. I am meeting up with an old friend whom I believe will lend us one of his houses as a temporary HQ.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll come with you.”
“No.”
“Why? I can help you. What if you run into trouble?”
“No.”
“Don’t turn into Ian the Dictator again. I can help you.”
“Goldie, they are scouring the area for you as we speak. You are to stay in this house until we are sure of our move.” He spoke gently, though his pupils constricting to half their size gave away his frustration.
“Okay, but hurry because you know I can’t sit still for long.”
“Yes, well, your waffle is burning.”
Chapter Three
“Dammit!” I removed the blackened and smoking waffle and threw it into the sink.
“Talking to yourself?”
I turned to see Seth leaning against the island.
“No, just burning my breakfast. Ian just left.”
Before Seth could reply, Bryce entered the kitchen.
“Mornin’ you two. Coffee?” He held the coffeepot up to the light while frowning at its emptiness.
“Good morning, Bryce. I haven’t made any yet, but I am making peanut butter waffles.”
“Oh, what a treat! I’ll get the coffee ready.”
He began to whistle a cheerful tune as he readied the coffee machine.
“What did you mean when you said Ian left?” Seth asked.
“I meant he left. He said he was meeting an old friend to see if we can use their house as a temporary HQ.”
“Makes sense,” said Bryce at the same time Seth muttered, “Old friend?”
“It may make sense, but I don’t like that he went alone. Not after last night.”
“Qadira, as I have said many times, Ian can take care of himself. Do not worry.” Bryce was watching the coffee brew. From the vibration in the air, he was using his powers to speed up the brewing.
“Easier said than done. Seth, you okay?” He was staring at the counter with a pained expression.
“Uh… Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Did Ian say who he was meeting?”
“Nope, he just said an old friend.”
“Huh…”
I took the waffle off the iron and added more batter. While it cooked, I grabbed two plates for Bryce and me.
“Grab three,” Seth said. I turned to him in shock. “I want to try one.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Banshees can eat food. We just never have the need. Besides Bryce seems excited to have them and they smell fantastic.”
“Well I’ll be… learn something new every day.”
“Qadira, I am sure I told you this.”
“Nope, and I have seen no one in the clan do more than drink water or the tea you make.”
“Huh, I swear I’ve mentioned it. Oh well, let’s eat!”
I gave Seth the first serving and watched as he took his first bite and moaned.
“Is all food this good?” I shook my head and smiled. “You may just have to make these every day.”
“That’s not gonna happen, but I’m glad you like them. So, tell me more about banshees being able to eat. If they can, why don’t they?”
“Banshee children eat regular food to supplement their diet. We grow so quickly that we need more nourishment than mortal essence can provide.”
Fairies and banshees make up the Fey. They have similar life expectancies. They’re basically immortal. Fairies age at around the same rate as mortals, while banshees grow at a rate about three times that of mortals. Both stop aging around twenty-five. Though, too much faeritonium poisoning can age a banshee, if it doesn’t kill them first.
“So, you’ve eaten food? You must know what a waffle is.” I just found it odd that both Ian and Seth had never seen a waffle.
“Yes, I’ve eaten, but it was a long time ago. Banshees stick to the basics, the staples. You know protein, vegetables, and fruits. We don’t venture out enough to try something this delicious. Once we stop growing, we no longer need the extra nutrients, so we stop eating.”
After we finished breakfast Bryce went off to his books and Seth helped me clean up even though he’d only eaten half of a waffle. I could only imagine how his stomach must feel after not eating for decades.
Unable to do much else but wait, we moved to the den. I chose a book while he played solitaire. It didn’t take long for me to become restless.
“I can’t take this anymore!”
“Dammit, Kadi, look what you made me do.” The cards had scattered across the table and onto the floor.
“Sorry, but I need to get out of here. I need to move!” Bryce had strengthened the wards on the house. I could barely walk by a door without getting zapped, let alone walk out of one.
“Damn girl calm down. Go grab a run on the treadmill.”
I frowned for a second before huffing out a sigh in defeat. “I hate that damn hamster-wheel.” It was treadmill or nothing.
Seth joined me in the training room, and we ran for about an hour. When Seth went to shower, I moved to the mats to do a little yoga.
I was making my way up the stairs to take my shower when Sheryl came barreling into the house yelling for Ian.
“He’s not here, Sheryl.”
“What do you mean he’s not here? He was supposed to meet me, and he never showed. I figured he’d be here.”
The color drained from my face as my imagination began to run wild. I ran to the weapons cabinet.
“No, Qadira—”
“No, Bryce, no way will I sit here waiting while you guys go looking for Ian. I am a proficient Hunter.”
“Qadira, do not make rash decisions based on your emotions. That never turns out well. If, and it’s a big if, they took him, they are most likely using him as bait to lure you out. I promise Ian will be okay.”
“How do you know he’ll be okay? You can’t know that. He was alone. They could have taken him to get to me. I can’t have the people I love risking their lives for me! You’re crazy if you think I will allow that, and you’re crazier still if you think I’m staying here again while Ian may need help!”
“Dammit, Qadira! You don’t know where he is. You want to go after him, fine, but you will calm down and think rationally before you do.”
I’d never seen him angry, but it didn’t matter. Ian was out there alone and could be in trouble.
The commotion had brought Seth back downstairs. He moved toward me with a soothing look that said it was his turn to try to “reason” with me.
“Kadi, please think about this. It’s you they want. If they took Ian, he could already be dead, and you’d be running right into a trap.”
His words were like a knife to my heart. I know he was not trying to hurt me, but the hurt still came.
“How can you say that? Ian is too smart to let those worms kill him. He. Is. Not. Dead! I will do whatever it takes to make sure he gets back here alive. Even if I have to do it alone. That’s a promise.”
Seth grabbed my arm to keep me still. “Hold on just a damn minute. We never said we won’t help you, all we’re saying is you need to calm down and think before you act. You are very young. You haven’t been doing this as long as we have. We are only asking you to trust us.”
I looked around, Sheryl nodded at me, and Bryce gave me a gentle smile.
“You trust us, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do, but if something happens to him, I won’t be able to live with myself knowing I didn’t even try to help him. Can you understand that?”
“I can, yes. I am pretty sure I know who he went to meet. He has a friend, Peder, who owns a house in the keys. It’s near one of th
e Gabriel’s rumored hideouts. It must be where he planned to move us. We should contact him. He should be willing to help us out.”
“Was this the friend who put that look on your face earlier?”
“No. I was only trying to figure out who he would meet.”
“And you landed on the one who doesn’t hurt to think about…”
“Yea — Wait! I wasn’t upset. Just drop it, Kadi.”
“You know how to reach this Peder?”
“Yes.” He sent a text and slid the phone into his pocket. “Now we wait.”
“Oh good, more waiting.” I began to pace the room.
Chapter Four
A few hours later there was a knock at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” I called from the dining room, where I was polishing my knives. I ran to the door and as soon as I touched the knob Bryce’s ward jolted me. “Dammit, Bryce! Remove the frigging wards!”
“Sorry, my pip.”
The man at the door was dark, short, and stalky. The power emanating from him was substantial. This is an old banshee.
Normally, banshees conceal their power. That I could sense his strength was rare… and bizarre.
“Hello, you must be Ian’s friend Peder.” I held my hand out to him and jumped back as a bolt of power ran up my arm when our hands met. “What the fuck?”
“Oh, sorry about that, darlin’, I seem to have forgotten my manners.” His voice was soft for such a burly man. “It’s sure nice to meet you. Ian has told me a lot about you.”
He studied me for a moment before saying, “Oh darlin’, don’t you worry so much. Ian will be just fine.”
“I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of my head.”
“I wasn’t reading your mind. I don’t have to. Your face shows everything you’re thinking.”
“Well, it still stands. Do not pry into my head. I don’t care who you are to Ian, no one reads my mind.”
Seth let out a surprised laugh, but my uncle was not amused.
“Qadira, that was rude. Apologize.”
“Bryce, I am not a child. I meant what I said, though I am sorry if my behavior has embarrassed you.”
“You’re just as Ian described. We will get along swimmingly, darlin’.”
“Well, darlin’, Ian’s never mentioned you, so I don’t trust you just yet.”
“Understood. For what it’s worth, you have my word that I will do anything and everything in my power to find Ian. If something has happened to him, I will destroy whoever did it.”
“It seems we may get along just fine. Have you heard from him?”
“Yes, he asked to borrow my beach house to use as a temporary base. He was to come get the keys this morning. He never arrived.”
“And you didn’t think to look for him?”
“No, Ian is a big boy. He can take care of himself. If it helps any, when Seth contacted me, I reached out to more of the clan and they will search for him. We will find him.” He sounded so sure that it helped ease my mind a little.
Not all clan members lived together on Fey lands as they did in the old days. So, our clanmates lived throughout the state. So, we had an extensive search party.
“Ok, so what’s the plan?”
“We go to the Keys,” Peder answered.
“Um—”
“Don’t worry. If he returns and finds you are gone, Ian will head to my house in the Keys.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t want to leave HQ, but with Gabriel’s henchmen searching for me, we needed to get somewhere safe and plan our next move. Seth, Bryce, and Sheryl went to load the vehicle with our weapons and other supplies. I readied some snacks and drinks for those of us who needed, or wanted, to eat.
“So, where exactly is this house of yours?”
“Oh, it’s not on any mortal-known key. It is Sidhe, Fey-land. My private island. It has been in my family for millennia. Though, it is close to Key West.”
That meant it was an over three-hour drive. There was the possibility of a boat ride, too.
Peder leaned in close to me and I stepped away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He chuckled. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, darlin’. You are not my type.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I was only trying to comfort you. I am sorry if I crossed a line. I am an affectionate sort.”
“Okay, well, I can be affectionate, but only after I know and trust someone. I just met you.”
He replied with a slight nod.
“I’m not your type. Well, what is? You prefer busty blonds, right?”
“Honestly, I don’t much like blonds and I definitely don’t prefer busty.”
“Got it. Is there a special someone back at the beach house?”
He stayed silent for a few moments.
“I’d rather not discuss this.”
“Okay…”
“We ready?” Seth asked as he entered, saving Peder and I from the awkward moment.
“Yes.”
Bryce entered dragging his trunk behind him. I knew that trunk well, and I knew it was full of his encyclopedias, along with his Fey cookbooks that contained their ancient recipes for just about anything from that nasty tea to dark Fey potions. They were also the size of encyclopedias, so that trunk had to weigh a ton.
“What’s the hold up in here?” Bryce asked.
“Nothing, let’s go,” Seth replied. Groaning, he grabbed the other end of the trunk.
They secured the trunk to the roof, with an added touch of security from Bryce and we piled in the car. I sat in the back between Seth and Sheryl. Bryce rode shotgun while Peder drove.
********
Seth nudged me awake when we arrived at the house. It was gorgeous. The sun was setting so the purples, pinks, and oranges of the sky reflected off the many windows of the house, so it resembled an opal. They had tinting so you couldn’t see through them from the outside, no curtains necessary. The front doors were stained glass portraying a forest under a full moon. A huge wolf in the center of the clearing, head lifted in mid-howl. The doors opened to reveal a spacious living room with a huge fireplace on the back wall. To the left was a wall made up of sliding glass doors leading to a large wooden deck before the beach.
The decor was modern, not my style, but it suited the space. White furniture filled the room. Splashes of color - lime green, bright orange, sunny yellow - came from throw pillows, area rugs, and contemporary art pieces on the shelves and walls. The kitchen was on the right with a huge breakfast bar of white marble and brushed chrome stools with cushions in the same accent colors. The appliances were stainless steel and bright green plates and stemware peeked through frosted glass cabinet doors.
“Peder, this place is amazing!”
“Come, I’ll show you around while they unload the car.” He held his arm out and I linked mine with his. “You’ll find a hot tub out on the deck. I will ask your uncle to extend his ward to cover the entire deck to allow you to enjoy the view and sounds of the ocean. As powerful as he is, I do not think he can extend them further than the deck.”
I was disappointed hearing I couldn’t go on the beach, but he squeezed my hand.
“No worries, darlin’, once this is over, you may borrow this place any time you want.”
I gave him a smile, but the mention of Ian killed my enthusiasm. I fell silent as he showed me a half bath, the master bedroom, and the enormous den he’d turned into a home theater. We headed upstairs to see the rest of the house.
We entered a single door on the right. “I put you in here, the second master. I figured you’d want your privacy.”
When I just stared blankly at the room and didn’t respond he led me to a couch in front of a fireplace.
“I know you’re worried about Ian, but he’ll be fine. He has to be.”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Well, that’s d
ifficult to answer.”
“Try.”
“I have known Ian for a long time. We have been through unspeakable situations together and I care for him. I know there has never been a chance at being more than friends and clan-mates, but a part of me always hoped for more. The aura wants what it wants.”
I hugged him. He returned the hug for a moment before stepping out of the embrace.
“Come, I’ve saved the best for last.”
He led me to a room across the hall. Inside was an impressive home gym, with everything anyone could ever need.
“You may not be able to go outside, but you can at least enjoy the view while you work out.” The back wall of windows overlooked the beach.
I wrapped my arms around him and rose onto my toes to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for thinking of me, before you even knew me.”
“Of course, darlin’, any friend of Ian’s is a friend of mine.”
“Kadi?”
“In here, Seth.”
“Hey… Oh, you’re not alone.” He looked at Peder and back to me.
“I’ll give you two some privacy. Please make yourselves at home.” Peder made a hasty retreat out of the room.
“Well, you scared him off.”
“Trust me, I do not scare that man. No one does.”
“Maybe not, but you bother him in some way.”
“We had a weird night years back and since then he’s been standoffish every time I see him.”
“A weird night?”
“He had been out drafting, so he was out of sorts that night.”
Mortal drugs and alcohol won’t intoxicate a banshee. Instead, they feed off the mentally ill or medically altered. It circled back to the mortal being detached from reality; their detachment passes onto the banshee and gets them high. I had only seen one banshee after drafting and he acted like a drunk mortal.
“So, he was messed up?”
“Quite. I was still awake when he got back to the house. He told me how he feels about…”
“I know he’s in love with Ian.”
“Yes, well, he told me, and I comforted him. He was so far gone that he tried to kiss me. When I explained I wasn’t interested, he got embarrassed and left. The next day he wouldn’t speak to me. Wouldn’t even stay in the same room as me. I tried talking to him, but the more I tried the angrier he became, and he left the house. I haven’t seen him again until today.”
Becoming Banshee Page 3