Unchained tdf-3

by Sharon Ashwood

  Miru-kai tasted the Scotch. It touched his tongue like fire, whispering of wild places, starlit nights, music he could almost hear. Food was different for the fey; it affected all the senses.

  He set the glass back on the desk, wanting to make the drink last. “What I have to say is plain enough. I know you assume I am your enemy, but I am not. War does not serve the interests of the dark fey.”

  Mac raised an eyebrow. “You surprise me. I never took you for a peacemaker.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, demon. We are opportunists. We survive by stealing the choice cow or the best ale—but without cattle or a keg in sight, we starve. Prosperity is in our best interest. You look like you might offer that.”

  Mac took a sip of his Scotch. “Then you’re on my side?”

  “Surviving in this Castle is like playing a dozen chess games at once. I’ve spent centuries ensuring there was no true winner.”

  “Why not?”

  The prince smiled. “Whom among the warlords would you choose to rule?”

  Thoughts chased across Mac’s face. “Good point. Are you going to see to it that I lose, too?”

  “You offer a novel outcome: peace and integration with the outside world. That interests me. After this long, anything that piques my interest is worth a great deal.” Miru-kai took another taste of the Scotch.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “When I arrived, Jerusalem had just been taken by the Christians.”

  “That was what, around nine hundred years ago?”

  “Perhaps?” Miru-kai felt a strange sensation. Wonderment. Fear. Most of all, a need to burst out of this prison. As it came back to life, he grew more restless. Besides, there was no reason to stay anymore. The pattern had changed. He’d just buried his emotional ties to the place. “Simeon was with me the whole time.”

  “How does a mortal get to be part of a dark fey’s court?” Mac asked.

  “He was a poor knight. My father invited him to join our court in exchange for teaching me the ways of the sword. My father failed to mention that there was no release from his vow. If he set foot on his own land, he would turn to dust, because a hundred years had passed without anyone realizing it. So Simeon stayed on. For all that time, he was a steadfast friend and my second father.”

  Mac was sitting back in his chair, watching him, catching every nuance. “Did you do that a lot? Take mortals?”

  Miru-kai tolerated the questions, hoping to trade information for a spoonful of trust. “We need humans around us. They provide much that we lack. Humans, especially their children, love more easily.”

  “You took children?”

  “Don’t you read fairy tales, demon? My own grandfather was a mortal, taken as a babe.”

  “That’s sick.”

  “We raise those children as our own. Protect them as well as or better than their human parents ever did. Occasionally, as with my grandfather, we wed them. The ability to connect emotionally is a mortal trait we treasure. I would give much to live among humans again.”

  There, he had hinted at his true reason for this so-civilized conversation.

  Mac gave him a shrewd look. “I don’t think the outside world is ready for a prince of the dark fey.”

  Miru-kai gave a mournful smile, careful not to show his fangs. “You won’t set me free?”

  Mac laughed. “You’ve been fighting the guardsmen here for close to a thousand years, and you’re damned good at it. You’re the prince of a dark power. Plus, you’re a tricky bastard. I’m not that much of a fool.”

  Disappointing, but no surprise. “And yet you let Reynard go. Don’t you know every guardsman who leaves the Castle for more than a day or two inevitably goes mad? Did you never hear the sad story of Guardsman Killion and his murder spree? That was only a handful of years ago.”

  Mac didn’t even blink. “Reynard is no madman.”

  “How do you know? The guardsmen have quite a history. Don’t forget you had to kill half their number when you took over the reins of power.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Sacrificial lambs, every one of them. Their fates were sealed by their forefathers thousands of years ago. The Order is the type of gruesome business only humans can dream up. Worse than anything I’ve ever been mixed up in.”

  “Interesting, but I’m still not letting you go.”

  “There is nothing I can offer you in exchange for my freedom?”

  “No.”

  “You let the hellhounds leave the Castle.”

  “Bad example. We rescued them from slavery to warlords like you.”

  Miru-kai rose, picked up his own flask, and slid it into the pocket of his tunic. It was time to change tactics. “Don’t say that I didn’t ask nicely.”

  Mac set down his glass, stood up. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I’ve stayed a prisoner long enough. It’s time to leave this place.”

  The gun was suddenly in Mac’s hand again. “Not happening. Not until I know there’s a snowball’s chance you’ll behave. What you just said about kidnapping doesn’t help.”

  “You could win me as an ally. Think what that would mean.”

  “I would guess a big fat headache. You’re a trickster by nature. You can’t help yourself.”

  Unexpected anger sliced through Miru-kai. Odd, but he had wanted the demon’s friendship. That surprised him. “Then know what it is to cross the dark fey!”

  He saw a flicker of something on the demon’s face that might have been fear. Good.

  “Making threats only digs you in deeper,” Mac growled.

  It was like teasing a bad-tempered dog—amusing and scary at once. “I will leave this place.”

  Mac’s face flushed, fire flickering in his dark eyes. “And how do you think you’re going to do that?”

  Time to go. The prince turned on his heel, pausing with one hand on the door handle. He looked back. “It’s a chess game, remember? You’ll have to see my moves as I make them.”

  “This isn’t a game. You can’t win. You can’t escape.”

  “I have the means. . . .” Miru-kai grinned, this time showing his fangs. “And I’m sure I can do at least as well as a rabbit. You can’t even keep a bunny behind bars.”

  He opened the door. Oh.

  A handful of guards stood there, chains of cold iron ready to fetter the prince.

  No fey could escape cold iron.

  By Oberon’s balls!

  “For future reference,” said Mac, “just because you don’t see security, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. This office has surveillance cameras and a silent alarm.”

  Miru-kai wheeled as one of the guards grabbed his wrists, snapping metal cuffs around them. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  Mac folded his arms. “I don’t like chess.”

  Chapter 12

  Saturday, April 4, 11:00 a.m.

  101.5 FM

  “This is Oscar Ottwell with your CSUP news. Our top story is yesterday’s attack by an out-of-town vampire at the North Central Branch of the public library. Leaders of the supernatural community anticipate repercussions following this unprovoked and very public incident. We’d like to remind our listeners that if you have any knowledge of strange vampires in your area, please call CSUP immediately. We’ll notify the proper authorities on your behalf.”

  “Of course we’ll look after Eden,” Holly said. “Honestly, we’ve got it covered. Us and the four hellhounds in the front yard. When Alessandro found out about the vamp attack, he went nuts with the security.”

  Ashe looked at her sister, who was standing in the doorway of the Carver family home. Holly was small and dark-haired like their mother, more of a sprite than an Amazon. She stepped back, letting them inside.

  Ashe felt the house welcome her as she ushered Eden in, Reynard on her heels. Witch-built houses were sentient and self-repairing, living off the magical energy that hummed around a healthy family of spell casters. The birth of a new baby had m
ade the place almost jolly. She could feel it in the air, crackling with the same vibrant energy as a Solstice tree heaped with presents.

  “Hey, there,” Holly said, looking Reynard up and down. “I have to say the twenty-first century suits you.”

  He gave a graceful bow. “And, if I may be so bold, motherhood becomes you.”

  “Why, thank you, Captain.” In truth, Holly looked like she needed a good night’s sleep.

  “Hi, Aunt Holly,” Eden said. “Mom says I have to stay here today.”

  “Howdy, sport.” Holly wrapped an arm around Eden’s shoulders. “We torture you because we love you.”

  Eden looked disgusted and pleased at once. “Why did I have to bring homework?”

  “Because adults are cruel and perverse,” Ashe said, shooing Eden through the door. “C’mon. I have to pick up the stuff for the ghostbusting job.”

  Holly led them into the living room, which was filled with brass lamps and bookcases. Exactly the same as Ashe remembered it from childhood, except for the addition of Caravelli’s expensive sound system. They sat grouped around a coffee table made of glossy mahogany and littered with baby toys.

  “I really appreciate this, Hol,” Ashe said. “I know how busy you are.”

  “Family comes first,” Holly replied. “And anything I can do to help you kick the bad guys out of Fairview, consider it done.”

  Eden thumped her schoolbag to the floor and sank onto the couch, folding her arms in a mild sulk. Her dark curls fell around her face, hiding her expression. Ashe left her alone to ponder her woe.

  Through the window, she could see the hellhounds patrolling the grounds. Two had shifted to their animal forms—big black dogs with red eyes and pointed ears. Holly’s big tabby cat was sitting on the porch, nervously swishing his tail.

  “Under the circumstances, I can cancel this ghostbusting job,” Holly said, casting an anxious glance at Reynard. “You’ve got more pressing problems.”

  “Nonsense,” he said. “It should be quick, and these days I don’t have many opportunities to perform a service to a lady. Allow me the pleasure of assisting your sister. It will do me good.”

  Holly colored a little. “If you’re sure.”

  “Completely.”

  Beneath the pretty words, Ashe heard a real yearning. Reynard was free, however briefly. As he had said to Ashe, helping was one of the few choices he could make for himself. Well, she’d let him help this time, but then it would be all urn search, all the time. He might be okay with gambling with his life this way, but she wasn’t.

  Holly picked up a tiny stuffed whale from the coffee table, squishing it between her fingers. “Alessandro filled me in last night after your phone call. He spent the rest of the night talking to the other vampires in town, but none of the locals seem to know about out-of-towners or anyone who might hire a sniper.”

  “That’s pretty much what I expected,” Ashe replied.

  “Alessandro’s put in a call to Queen Omara, just to give her a heads-up. He kind of had to.” Holly grimaced. “I really hope she doesn’t decide to pay a visit. Once she’s involved, the two vampire courts will be at war.”

  Ashe could see the strain on Holly’s face. War meant casualties, and Alessandro would be in the thick of it. “Who are these vamps? Are they all with the King of the East?”

  “And how did this collector find a thief inside the Castle?” Reynard put in. “There are connections here we do not see quite yet.”

  “There are collector demons,” Holly offered tentatively. “Gathering stuff is a sickness with them, kind of like hoarders with superpowers. They’re notorious for double-crossing whomever they’re working with if they’re offered the right trinket.”

  “Who would hire someone like that?” Ashe countered. “Wouldn’t they check references?”

  “And forgive me for saying this, Captain, but would someone want a vessel containing your life essence?” Holly’s forehead furrowed with concern.

  Reynard leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He had that closed look again. “I don’t really know. I assume for some work of the dark arts. Magic stole my life to bind me to my Castle duties. It stands to reason the same magic could install it elsewhere.”

  “It’s not the Castle itself that binds you?”

  “No.” His voice was heavy. “No more than any of the other inhabitants. The guardsmen’s power itself has a separate origin. One that chains us much more firmly.”

  “So if the changes in the Castle’s magic haven’t affected the old guards, do you feel any different when you leave its domain? Do you get hungry or thirsty?” Holly asked.

  “It happens more slowly with us than for the other residents. If there is too great a separation between body and soul, the spells that keep the guardsmen alive begin to weaken. That’s when we begin to feel ordinary appetites.”

  What did that make those exquisite kisses in the gym? Ashe wondered. Most likely a really bad sign.

  Holly tapped her chin with the stuffed whale. “So how did the guardsmen get started?”

  “I’m afraid that was far before my time. I think they’ve been there as long as the Castle.”

  Eden tugged Ashe’s sleeve, finished sulking and clearly bored by the adult conversation. She looked up, her hot-chocolate gaze at its most appealing. “Where’s Robin? Can I see her?”

  The interruption scattered Ashe’s thoughts. She’d been on the cusp of making a connection, but it was gone now. She looked at her sister. “Is that okay?”

  “Robin’s in the downstairs nursery, asleep. Eden, can you be very, very quiet?” Holly asked.

  “Sure,” Eden replied, as if that was a completely unnecessary question.

  Ashe stood, glad of the excuse to take a quick peek at her niece. “Come on, kiddo.”

  The room was down a short hall decorated with wainscoting and an old-fashioned striped wallpaper. Eden followed Ashe, her hands in her pockets. “I hate the idea of the hellhounds outside. The kids around here already think I’m a terrorist spy. If they find out my aunt’s got a dog army guarding her house, my life is over.”

  Ashe tried to digest that, but failed. “Y’know, they turn into hot guys in leather at least half the time. That’s pretty cool.”

  “Human is cool, Mom. Everyone knows that.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since forever. They used to burn witches, you know.”

  Ashe stopped and took her daughter by the shoulders. She was actually shocked. “Don’t you ever turn your back on your family or what they are.”

  Eden’s face turned serious. “The kids at school . . .”

  “Are complete idiots.” Ashe let her go. “You know that, right?”

  “I don’t want to go there. I want to go back to Saint Flo’s.” Eden gave her hostile eyes. “I bet I could hitchhike.”

  “The ocean would be a problem.” Ashe bit her tongue, wanting to say more, but Eden was only a child.

  “Yeah, but I have to go to this school that hates me, so what am I supposed to do?” Eden was close to shouting, the anger sharp and real.

  “We’ll figure something out. I promise.”

  “When?”

  Ashe made a decision. Her daughter was on the verge of getting her magic. Life was going to be hard enough for Eden, getting used to all that, and she’d run away once already. “You and I will have a talk before next weekend. Maybe there’s a different school we can try.”

  The girl’s face melted with relief.

  Bingo. Ashe put her arm around her daughter, and they walked into the downstairs nursery. It used to be Grandma’s room when she had lived in the house, and her Victorian tastes showed in the flowered wallpaper and pink Chinese carpet. Holly had made it into a second room for the baby, closer than the nursery two floors above.

  “This room feels different,” Eden said softly, remembering not to wake the baby. “Super quiet.”

  “It’s the house watching over Robin. It will keep away anyone
who means harm to one of us.”

  “One of us?”

  “One of the family.”

  “Cool.”

  “You bet it is.” Ashe kissed the top of Eden’s curly head. “Here you’ve got the house, the hellhounds, Aunt Holly, and Uncle Alessandro to look after you. This is the safest place in Fairview.”

  “Did my grandma and grandpa live here?” Eden asked.

  Ashe’s stomach tightened; she felt the ghosts of her past circling around. “This used to be their house. Holly and I grew up here.”

  Eden looked up at Ashe. “Are there any pictures of them?”

  “Aunt Holly would know where they are. Now, let’s look at Robin.”

  Ashe crossed to where the baby’s crib stood in the middle of the room. Robin had been born healthy but a little too soon, and was still tiny. A pink fuzzy sleeper engulfed her limbs, making her the same shape as a gingerbread cookie. Her hair was wheat blond like her father’s, but there wasn’t much of it yet. A single downy tuft crowned the top of her head like the curl on an ice-cream cone.

  “She’s so funny-looking!” Eden whispered.

  “Shh. Don’t say that in front of Aunt Holly.” Ashe felt her heart lighten. “All babies look like that.”

  Robin was going to be beautiful. Ashe thought she could see something of both parents in Robin: the bow of Holly’s mouth, Caravelli’s straight nose. It would be fascinating to see who this miracle child turned out to be, what powers she would wield.

  Ashe gripped the crib rail, aching to reach down and touch the baby’s petal-soft skin, but afraid to wake her. She had wanted more kids. At least now there was another child around. Being an auntie had its perks.

  Eden gave an eager smile. “I bet I get to hold her later.”

  “If you’re really lucky, you can change her diaper.”

  Eden made a face at that.

  Reynard and Holly came in. Despite his graceful movements, the captain seemed too large for the feminine room. He looked down into the crib and his face went soft. “Hello, darling girl.”

  The way he said it, with that accent, had Ashe melting where she stood. “Have babies changed much?”