I gave them the few scraps of meat Indigo had left on her plate and invited them up on the bed. Samson was perfectly content in his plush doggie bed in the corner near the window, but Delilah and Hercules chose to spread out with me. It was a large king and without Garrett there, it was nice to have other warm bodies nearby, even if their fur got on almost every item of clothing I possessed.
To me, dogs were worth every inconvenience, especially rescued mutts
The next morning Liam arrived very early to make breakfast for the team. He loved to cook and rarely used magic to do it. Last night had been an exception.
Sinlae also greeted me in the kitchen, her face red and her hands fisted.
Oh boy.
“The overgrown garden pest consumed half our ginger root! As if that were not a large enough insult to you as her host, she stepped into the begonia beds along the north side of the path, flattening so many my males and I will have to replant immediately. When I attempted to explain that she must back away very carefully, she trod off, ignoring me and knocking into our newly planted peach tree with her fat, ugly tail!”
Sinlae’s iridescent wings beat at hummingbird speed as she hovered only inches from my face. Her miniature family worked 24/7 to keep the two gardens in pristine condition, so I understood her anger. Sinlae had been with me for more than twenty years and had created a spectacularly beautiful refuge I took advantage of as often as possible. There were practical areas too, with vegetables, fruit trees, fruit bearing shrubs, and many herbs, all of it useful. We packed up and donated our extra produce to the local family shelter and the town soup kitchen, so nothing ever went to waste.
Her growing family of over a hundred demi-fey also worked in the vamp villa garden and the large garden attached to the school. The students liked to help during their off hours. Several shifter families in town had asked if they could borrow a few. If after Sinlae interviewed the homeowners she was amenable, either Garrett or I would check out the shifter family, their neighborhood and their ability to keep our tiny friends safe in that environment.
Feral cats and a large number of nesting birds could be a serious safety hazard for tiny creatures no larger than hummingbirds. Sometimes we’d put up magical wards, but we’d have to take them down again when the work was done. The cats and birds should be allowed to reclaim their territory.
Sometimes a neighbor showed up in our yard with a dying plant. They’d leave it outside our wards and Sinlae’s family would bring it back to life if they could. A few days later, the neighbor would reclaim it and leave a piece of rich, sturdy cloth or a chunk of tasty cheese or even a single small jewel. Bartering was the only way the demi-fey accepted payment.
“Indigo should at least apologize. I’ll speak to her about keeping out of the garden.”
“Yes, lady. She is indeed a clumsy floozie.” She tilted her head with a wary expression. “Is the fire breather to be a guest for a lengthy time period? If so, I may be forced to retire. She may cough or sneeze and set the woods behind our small homes on fire. Or the homes themselves. Or the garden!”
“Our team and Indigo will be leaving this morning. Indigo will have no reason to return when our mission is accomplished.”
“Thank the stars. Her behavior is a gross misdeed according to the ancient laws of guest and host and is punishable by the Court of Overseeing.”
Whatever that was sounded pretty serious. I’d have to ask Sinlae about the Court of Overseeing when I had a chance. Must be a demi-fey organization.
Sinlae folded her arms and hissed at the dragon who’d just entered the kitchen through the back patio doors. Indigo was in demon form and naked.
I looked away. “Clothes?”
“Oh. I do apologize. I am not used to this form. A place to wash perhaps?”
Pointing to the bathroom, I explained where she could find towels, shampoo and body wash.
“Thank you.” A moment later: “Ah. The throne is most practical.”
Okay, it was just too hard not to laugh. She had a sense of humor buried somewhere under all that arrogance. It would make working the job a lot easier.
Fifteen minutes later she returned to the kitchen clothed in leather warrior gear similar to what Farrell wore on assignment. No weapon was visible. Maybe dragons didn’t use them, or maybe she’d conjure one when needed. She hadn’t taken the clothes into the room with her, so it looked like she was a first-class conjurer.
Sinlae, who’d hung around so she could get in the last word, flew right up to her face, her delicate wings beating faster than human eyes could see. “You consumed most of our ginger root! Jacqueline is your host. You should ask for her forgiveness before she has you punished for your theft.”
Indigo ignored Sinlae and spoke to me. “Ginger helps with digestion. I am currently carrying eggs and sustaining my robust body and formidable energy level requires that I eat a large amount of food. Sometimes when I shift, my smaller digestive tract protests.” She blinked twice. “I have returned the exact amount I ate. Ask this tiny fly to see for herself if she does not believe me.”
“You will stay away from my family and my garden!” She poked at the dragon’s prominent nose.
Indigo waved her hand to shoo Sinlae away, then looked the demi-fey over again. “Your family is safe. The Drakenas do not eat bugs.”
Sinlae’s face turned purple, a very, very bad sign. Our breakfast would not be a peaceful one.
“Please apologize to Lady Sinlae for taking the ginger, stepping on the flowers, knocking into the peach tree and calling her a bug.”
“Truly? You apologize to mosquitos in this realm?”
“Lady Sinlae is fae, and therefore protected by the King of Faerie. She is a representative of the Fae Court and we are honored she has chosen to live and work near our home and help us with our garden. She has received commendations from King Finvarra himself.”
Indigo picked at her teeth with the slender claw that grew from her index finger. “Is the morning meal ready? My stomach is growling.”
“No food until you promise.”
“And you call yourself a host? As you wish.” Indigo straightened her body, then bowed before the furious female. “I apologize profusely for accidentally destroying a section of your glorious garden, for ingesting a large amount of delicious and perfectly grown ginger to calm my shifter sized stomach, and for mistaking you for the most beautiful insect I have ever encountered. In my realm, diminutive creatures with wings bite us, leaving itchy spots that are most annoying. I am pleased to hear that fae citizens have lovely females such as yourself to care for their gardens and win praise from their king.”
She slid me a sideways glance before bowing again. What a load.
“Thank you, fire breather. You have wonderful manners in this form at least. Please be careful in the future. And blessings of the Balance to your future hatchlings.” Sinlae flit away, a smile on her lips and a slight blush on her cheeks.
Indigo grinned, reminding me of the way Isaiah looked when he thought he’d gotten one over on me. “Food?”
“That sort of ploy won’t work with me or Kaera.”
“I would never assume such a thing. Her brain is the size of—”
“Sit!” I pointed to a chair next to my regular spot at the table. The others would be showing up soon and I preferred having the loose cannon where I could stop her from insulting someone else.
If this was common behavior for female dragon shifters, what must males be like?
Indigo moved the enormous chair Liam created to the other end of the table, Garrett’s place during team meetings. I grit my teeth and forced thoughts into my head of how a dragon’s presence would help enormously with today’s mission. And anyway, this would be Indigo’s very last meal at our house. Never again would the team have to work with her.
I shook my head and walked to the kitchen counter, trying to remember how many times I’d thought never again only to have the unwanted experience repeated. At least the arro
gant lizard was on our side in the coming war.
My thoughts flashed to Garrett and what he might be going through today. Charlie too. I sent love and hope and courage through the lines to both of them then did what I could to shake off my fear. The team had work to do.
As the rest of my friends began to drift in and the noises of meal preparation and sleepy, friendly chatter filled the space, I took in a long, deep breath. A glorious aroma wafted around my sleep-numbed senses, raising my mood and blanketing my earlier anxiety.
Coffee was ready and so was the team.
15
Garrett
They’d taken us to a room without windows or furniture, then shoved a human servant in with us, thinking we wouldn’t hesitate to kill the poor girl after passing her around to feed. In the outside world two hungry vampires might have drained her to the point of death.
“We’re not going to hurt you.” I spoke at a soft volume with a mellow tone. I wanted information and if she was frightened she’d never talk.
The only blood I indulged in was given freely by my lovely mate, and those experiences were private and brought both of us extreme pleasure. The rest of the time I was able to get the nutrition I needed by taking energy from shifter donors I’d used for years – part of my cheetah bloodline that came in handy. It was a gentle way to feed and the financial help I gave these widowed females put their kids through college, paid off mortgages and repairs on their homes. My donors never asked for a penny, but in our area, it was common to see a family living in a car or huddled on the street under a cardboard roof. California might seem like a land where you lived your dreams, but like so many other places these days, if you didn’t have enough regular money coming in, you ended up having to make the kind of hard choices born of nightmares.
Sasha and Heinrich relied on blood donors.
She waited. We waited. “If one of you doesn’t feed from me, they’ll toss me into the common area and I’ll be dead in fifteen minutes.” The female wasn’t shaking in terror, as I might have expected. Instead she looked resigned to her fate.
“Don’t they use volunteer donors?” Rick asked.
“When they’re available. But the higher-ups like to watch their victims struggle. Like the sound of screams. They say it’s punishment for some infraction that never actually happened.”
“How long have you worked at NAVA?”
“Two months. I’m a maid here. Not by choice. They took me from my New Hampshire pack as payment for a debt.”
“A shifter alpha paid a debt to a vampire with a member of his own pack?”
She nodded. “The alpha turned over five of us. I’m the last one with at least some amount of freedom. Two died right away from blood loss. My twin sisters are bound to Dane. Slaves, really. Kept in cages or sent to his bed. Gregory has a dormitory full of shifters from various species. He’s testing our blood to see which breed is the most satisfying.” She rubbed her arms. Rick gave her his jacket.
“Was it a financial debt?” I asked.
“More a territorial dispute.”
“Why didn’t your pack alpha turn to the New England Shifter Council for help?”
“That board is made up of leopards, lions and cougars. We’re bobcats. Treated like shit by the other shifters. Look, can we just get this over with?”
“Give me your name and the name of your alpha and I’ll contact your family when we leave.”
“I wouldn’t count on leaving anytime soon. Gregory buried the last group of NAVA bigwigs alive on level B4. Rumors are flying around that he meets with a demon who’s teaching him mind control techniques.” She pulled down her collar. “She tattooed my neck with these symbols, but it doesn’t work all that well on shifters. At least I don’t have to wear one of those weird necklaces.”
Sash, Rick and I exchanged shocked glances. Looks like Naberia has infiltrated NAVA HQ. “My name is Garrett Cuvier. This is my second, Sasha. The big guy is Heinrich. Will you tell us your name?”
“I’m Nola.” Her shoulders lowered as she relaxed.
“How is your hunger?” I asked my team.
“We can manage without,” Sash sent
“I need you at your strongest. We’re going to have to fight our way out of here.” Hopefully, François got the message and would arrive with the cavalry soon.
“Would you agree to Sasha and Rick taking a very small amount of your blood? Fang marks will convince Gregory we made use of your blood.”
Sash and Rick used volunteer blood donors as I’d required them to do from the moment I inherited Eleanor’s nest. A vampire out of control put everyone at risk, not just his unlucky victim. Sash and Rick treated their regular donors with respect, many of them ending up as friends.
“Are they gonna want sex?” She eyed Rick warily.
“Sasha has a mate he would never disrespect and Rick is a gentleman, so no.”
“I do not force females into my bed, Liebchen.” His smile was warm and reassuring. Rick was a favorite with his donors.
“What about you?” Nola eyed me suspiciously.
“I can take energy by simply touching your hand. I’m a shifter as well as a vampire.” I kept my voice soft.
Her jaw dropped. “You’re… You’re the cheetah-vampire? Mated to Jacqueline, the cheetah-demon?”
Sasha laughed. “Busted, boss.”
“I’ve heard your territory is the safest for all breeds of shifters.” Nola smiled for the first time. “Is there a bobcat pack in your area?” She turned her face away. “I mean, if we ever get out of here.”
“Yes. The pack in Half Moon Bay would welcome you and you twin sisters.” I took her hand. “You may fall asleep when we’re done, but we will not hurt you. I swear.”
“Thank you.” Nola brushed her hair away from her neck.
“Your wrist will be fine.” Rick moved closer and licked her pulse to numb his bite. She watched as he sank his fangs into her wrist, but he pulled away in less than a minute.
We were all done in five.
She slept for a time on Rick’s leather jacket, while we rested fitfully.
When Nola woke, we banged on the door until our guards came to remove her.
“If we are still here tomorrow, we wish to use Nola again. Make sure nothing happens to her.”
The guards shrugged. One of the led Nola away and the other two took up positions in the hallway outside our door. As I lowered my body to the floor and leaned against the wall, Sash began to pace. Back and forth for what may have been an hour.
Finally he stopped and faced me, his complexion pale despite the blood. “Garrett.” My name was a plea. A demand. A question.
“I know. I’m sure Elle and Jackie are fine. They’re with Liam. Try not to worry.” I made an attempt at smiling. Epic fail, as Charlie would say. The prospect of spending months away from the females we’d pledged to protect was counter to our instincts. I touched my cheek where Jackie’s hand had rested only hours ago.
“You’re as worried as I am,” Sash said, sitting beside me on the floor.
“There’s no reason to believe Naberia will send someone to attack our homes. Or Liam’s. I’m more worried about you two lugs getting home.”
“We’re not leaving without you.”
“You’ll do what I tell you to do. I’m your master.” Rick snorted his laugh. Sasha’s was softer.
After an interminable amount of time, Manuel brought us to the same room where we’d first spoken to Gregory. He frowned when he saw us looking so bedraggled. “What has caused this?”
I didn’t hide my sarcasm or anger. “I apologize for our appearance, but we were kept in an empty room without shower facilities, a change of clothes, or even a blanket.”
Gregory turned on Manuel. “Where did you place Garrett and his nest?”
“Level B3.”
“See to the luggage and assign them a suite immediately.”
Manuel bowed. “Yes, master.”
Gregory winced as if in pain,
then swept his hand toward the couches. “Please sit. I shall return in a few moments.”
“What’s up with him?” Sasha sent the question using our nest’s mind link. “His voice sounds different.”
“He’s probably just distracted. But I’d be willing to bet he gave the order to put us in that empty room. He most likely wants us to feel grateful that he’s going to make us more comfortable. Not exactly subtle.” Moving toward the large fireplace, I stretched out my hands. The empty room had been damp and cold and the heat felt good on my skin.
My team followed me. “He thinks we will relax and talk.” Rick shook his head in disgust.
“What do you think Gregory wants to know?” Sash asked.
“Probably what every supernatural creature who’s heard about the coming war wants to know. Where is Charlie? Is Naberia’s offer to keep the peace sincere? Are the fae turning against him? Will my son sacrifice himself?”
Sash placed a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, boss. You know we’re with you no matter what. Even if the odds are bad, we’re with you and your family.”
“The last time I doubted your loyalty was when you moved into my basement and flirted outrageously with my mate.”
“Yeah, but she kicked my ass, didn’t she?”
Gregory returned, bringing only two guards with him. “Do you mindspeak with your nest when it is not vital?” He walked to the sideboard and stared at the carafes of wine, as if trying to decide if he needed a drink. He kept his back to us, unconcerned by the danger we represented. Three against three was great odds, but the guards were heavily armed.
“We mindspeak often.”
Gregory turned for a moment, his mouth curling down. “I would never allow any creature to have access to any part of my mind.”
Another strange statement. All vampires spoke mind to mind with their nests.
“We keep our shields in place so our privacy is intact, but I trust Sasha and Heinrich with my life. I would not hesitate to open my mind fully to either one of them if it were necessary.” I laughed softly. “They know me almost as well as Jackie. We’ve lived through the worst of times together.”
At Risk Page 17