by Claire Marta
“Aye,” Killian agreed, remembering how he’d had to sweet-talk his corned beef recipe from the woman who’d made it.
“Killy, will you teach me to make corned beef?” Willow asked.
He didn’t miss the look of hurt on Raven’s face. “I have a better idea,” he told her. “Next time I make it, yer Mummy can bring her recipe and I can give her mine and we can compare the two. Who knows? Put them together and we might come up with something that we like even better. That’s the joy of cooking, eh? Taking what’s been done and making it yer own.”
Her mother nodded in agreement.
“That’s how I did yer label,” he told her, pointing to the bottle in her hand. “I use originals as examples but what comes out is a blend of both. My style inspired by the source material.”
Willow touched the decorative label that he’d made. “Pretty!” she gushed, clapping her little hands with glee. “Can you teach me to do it, Killy? Please?”
He looked at her mother for permission before answering. “I can,” he answered. “And when ye’re older, maybe Cayden can teach ye how to blow glass. I drew the label but he made the bottle. If ye’re a good lass, help with Prince, and mind yer mother, we can probably talk him into making some marbles.”
“Like mine?” she asked, reaching for her pocket.
Killian and Cayden looked at each other, wondering how they were going to explain things to her mother without sending the woman packing.
Raven watched Willow pull the velvet pouch from her pocket and open it wide, pouring the five precious orbs into the palm of her little hand.
Her mother’s lips pulled down. Her brow furrowed with thought. Reaching, she paused with her hand above Willow’s, feeling the energy radiating from the stones.
Raven stopped breathing and went deathly still when she realized their worth. “Sweetheart,” she said slowly, “where did you get those?”
She was careful to keep her voice calm but Killian could feel the fear clawing at her mind.
“Calodin gave them to me for my birthday,” she chirped, oblivious to her mother’s inner turmoil. “He says now that I’m old enough, I’ll get one every year! Cayden, can you make me some marbles, please? Just this size!”
Raven slashed them a look. Clad in metal, it would have slain them. “And who is Calodin?” she asked, her voice tighter than before.
“He’s a prince!” Willow told her. “He promised to bring me a falcon to scare away the black birds. He doesn’t like them, either. His falcon can sit on the castle with the dragon when it’s done!” With that, she flounced off, the puppy scampering after her.
Raven set down the bottle in the center of the table between them and balled her hands in her lap. “Talk,” she grated. “What the feck was that all about? Who the hell is Calodin? Prince or no prince, why would anyone give a child a gift like that? Jaysus! They looked like—”
“Black coral, fire opal, blue amber, rose gold, and celestite,” Killian told her. Cayden might be more familiar with anatomy but this mason knew his stones. “Worth a fortune with the opal and the gold. Calodin’s the Fae prince we told ye about.”
“You warned me about,” she snapped. “I left my daughter with Morgan. I trusted that she’d be safe here. I understand what it’s like to need a nap, but where the feck were the rest of you when Morgan was sleeping and this… this… Calodin managed to meet Willow and give her that bag?”
“Cayden was teaching the dog to fetch, and Zana and I were with Willow in the garden,” Killian recounted, not wanting her to blame Cayden for something that wasn’t his fault. “She darted through the bushes and took off running. We caught up with her in the old powder magazine. She was inside, talking to him but he disappeared back into the hillside when he heard us coming in the door. He’d brought her a birthday present, she said. We don’t know why he’s got his sights set on Willow, but he does. From the sounds of it, he’s been watching her since she was born. We learned of him from Theo. You might want to talk to the Greek and see if he can pick up anything. We’ve already spoken to Tobias. Fae folk have always been about, being as close as we are to MacArthur Park, but we’ve never had to find a way to keep them out.”
Raven threw up her hand to stop him from saying more. “Did you say MacArthur Park? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“The park is riddled with Fae,” Killian informed her. “From the tor down is thick with them and otherworldly creatures. Every hillock is a portal to their realm, but the big one—the tor—is the main entrance.”
She put a hand to her throat. Her fingers were trembling. “That’s where Willow begs to play,” she whispered. “From the time she was old enough to talk, that’s where she’s wanted to go. Are you… are you telling me all the creatures I thought were her imagination are real? That she’s been interacting with them?”
“Aye,” Killian confirmed, wishing there was a way to sugarcoat it. “Your daughter is gifted. It’s natural to be drawn to them as they are drawn to her.”
A look of alarm made Raven’s brown eyes grow huge as saucers. “The wee folk… they steal children. My Nanna told me stories. Myths and legends. Willow—”
“Has a prince of his kind who’s pledged to keep her safe. If he’d wanted to steal her, he’d have done it before now and left a changeling in her place. But he hasn’t. He didn’t. Today, he brought her a gift and promised her another—a falcon to clear out the unwanted birds and keep them from bothering or scaring her again. We’ve no wish to see her fall, and she’s still talking to the squirrels.”
Emotions swirled in Raven’s eyes. “I think it’s time to call it a night. If Willow’s been playing outside, she’ll need a bath before bed. Checked for ticks and bites and…” Her voice trailed, wordless, but her mind was filled with worry for her child.
Irish folklore warned what the Fae could be like. Killian prayed that Calodin was Seelie Court. As gifted as Willow was, surely she could sense if he was Unseelie and up to no good. To know for certain, they’d have to catch him and chances of that happening were slim to none. Their best hope might lie in getting a message to him. Perhaps if they could find his falcon and speak to it, the prince would know that they only have Willow’s best interests at heart.
If Calodin was truly her fated mate, surely he’d want to stay on the good side of her mother and the men who intended to marry her?
That is, as soon as they could get the woman to open her heart and let them in. A challenging task that the oils might help with…
Except she’d left them here.
Raven was proving to be as stubborn as Casey.
Heaven help them all.
Chapter Fourteen
Raven’s mind was in turmoil over what she had learned tonight. She was operating on autopilot when she gave Willow a bath, remembering the fantastic stories that she’d spun, the imaginary creatures she’d described in such vivid detail. Everything her daughter had told her was true. It was frightening. These things existed. The Fae wanted her child. Her baby girl.
“Calodin? That’s the name of the Fae Prince?” she questioned lightly.
Willow was out of her bath and putting on her pajamas. Popping her head through the neckline of her top and tugging it down, her daughter pulled out her blond curls and nodded. “That’s what he told me. He has a nice voice. I heard him calling my name and he said he had a present for me.”
Raven kept her expression neutral, echoes of what had happened in the zoo playing through her thoughts. “And what else did he say to you?”
“That he hoped I liked the pretty marbles. He lives in a big castle and one day I’ll be his princess.”
“You know that’s something you don’t have to do if you don’t want to,” Raven told her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Picking up the detangling comb that she’d laid out, she guided Willow to stand before her so she could work through her long, wet curls.
The child made a soft humming sound in her throat. “I haven’t decided yet. It
might not be as nice as the castle Killy and Cay are going to make me. Would you come too, Mummy? And Prince?”
Raven paused in her combing. “I don’t know if I’d be allowed. I’m not special like you.”
Glancing over her shoulder, Willow frowned. “But you are special, Mummy. Very special. Even more special now. If you can’t go, then I won’t go. I’ll stay with you and all the babies.”
Jaysus.
She’d called her very special. Raven wondered wildly if Willow somehow knew she was in flux. Knew that Killian and Cayden had triggered her transformation. Was her daughter sensing what had happened—and what did she mean, declaring that she was special before and even more special now? Willow was only five. Even with these powers, she wouldn’t yet fully understand everything. She’d have to grow and mature before she did.
Hugging her tightly, she kissed the crown of her head. “I love you, button.”
“I love you, too, Mummy,” her daughter whispered back, squeezing just as hard in return.
“You and Prince can sleep with me tonight,” she told her, working to tame her wild mop of curls. “Would you like that?”
Face lighting up, Willow grinned. “Can we watch Brave?”
“Of course, you can, sweetheart. Would you like me to make you some popcorn for the movie?”
The kitchenette was well-stocked with food. Upon their arrival, she’d found snacks in a basket on the counter, an assortment of dry goods in the cabinets, and milk, juice, fruit, vegetables, and cheeses in the refrigerator.
Willow clapped her hands. “Popcorn! Yes, please!”
Raven got the DVD started and went into the kitchen. She found the package of microwave popcorn easily. A bowl to put it in took a little more effort. Eventually, she’d know where everything was. Right now, she was still learning the place.
Most of the communal rooms were on the ground floor of the four-story building. Above that were apartments for the cadre members. Morgan lived on the second floor with Zac and Aiden. Casey lived on the third floor with Malik and Iosefa. Their superior Tobias’s apartment was down the hall from the guest suite on the fourth floor. Having him close by gave her some peace of mind. He had revealed himself to save her daughter. He’d endangered himself and all of them when he’d shared their secret with her. What would he do if he knew her secret, that she was being forced to betray the trust that they’d placed in her? That she and her daughter had been threatened with harm? The uneasiness she felt about a Fae prince setting his sights on her daughter was nothing compared to the fear of what her blackmailer would do if she disobeyed his orders.
Raven started the popcorn and stood close by, using the time to gather herself and clear her mind. Sensitive child that she was, Willow would know that something wasn’t right.
She ripped open the microwave bag and emptied the popped kernels into two bowls. She poured apple juice for Willow, filled her glass with water, and took everything into the living room, getting her daughter situated before sitting down with her tablet, intending to dive back into the book that she’d been reading.
But when she opened her tablet, the screen had flipped to the home page. Grrr. Tapping on her library, she scrolled through her bookshelf, found the title she wanted, and opened Bound by the Pirate King (Plundered by Pirates Book 1). She’d left the pirate king, Giorgio, oiled up for anal and ready to take Mirabella where she stood while his first mate, Paolo, watched from the shadows, fisting himself.
Raven expected to find their freshly-flogged prisoner hanging from an overhead beam in the captain’s cabin. Instead, it opened to the next chapter, with Giorgio and Paulo giving Mirabella aftercare.
What. The. Feck?
Raven looked at her daughter and felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. Willow could read a bit. She’d never deliberately shared her password but she had shown Willow how to play Solitaire and the child was smart as a whip. Surely she hadn’t tried to read Mummy’s book...?
“Willow,” she began, her voice half an octave above normal. “Did you use my tablet to play games today?”
Willow shook her head, sending her wild curls swinging. “No,” she chirped. “I used my tablet and gave Cayden yours to see if your books made him smile, too.”
Oh, no.
No.
Raven felt her breath seize in her chest. She didn’t want to hear it but she had to know. “And did they?” she asked her innocent daughter.
“Ooh, yes,” she beamed, pleased with herself. “Cay really likes your books, Mummy. He thanked me and said he couldn’t wait to tell Killian about them.”
They knew. Christ almighty. They knew…
They knew she read kink. If Cayden had scrolled through her titles, he’d have seen row after row of BDSM and dark romance titles. Mirabella, Giorgio, and Paulo’s story was just one of the hundreds she had on her tablet.
There were several thousand more in her cloud library.
Too anxious to relax, she turned off her tablet and set it aside. Aware that her inability to focus would make it impossible to read, she put the bowl of popcorn in her lap and settled in to watch Brave for the umpteenth time.
Her daughter never tired of her favorite films. She could watch the same movie twice in a row and be happy doing it.
That’s exactly what happened tonight, except Willow gave out midway through the second showing. Gathering her sleepyhead in her arms, she carried her to bed and tucked her in, aware of the velvet bag of gemstones that she’d placed beneath her pillow to keep them safe, she’d said.
Raven smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, princess,” she whispered, struck by her new reality, that at some point in the nebulous future, Willow might be a true princess bride, living with her Fae prince in Calodin’s castle.
Raven spent a restless night, tossing and turning, dreaming of Fae princes and falcons, Willow, and Michael. She was still angry over his death, angry that he’d left her with a fatherless infant to raise.
Prince didn’t help. The blasted dog awakened her with a kiss while Willow stood close by, egging him on.
Throwing on some clothes, Raven snapped a leash on Prince’s collar and had Willow put on her shoes while she found a plastic bag. She’d need it at some point today. With her daughter in pajamas and the puppy in hand, she took her little family outside so the dog could do his business. Black, beady eyes watched their progress, the plague of ravens still upon them.
Calodin’s falcon couldn’t get here soon enough to suit her.
Raven bit back a smile and shook her head. Who would believe what she’d been told? Gargoyles. Vampires. Fairy princes and falcon protectors.
Who was going to protect her from Cayden and Killian?
Correction. Who was going to protect her from herself where Cayden and Killian were concerned?
The truth was, she was inexplicably and undeniably drawn to them. Maybe it was the transformation. Maybe it was Killian’s cooking. Quite possibly it was Gael’s lemon pie or the oils that they’d had Elijah make for her. She could still smell the lemon scent of verbena that he’d added.
She regretted leaving the bottle.
They’d gone to so much trouble to give her a taste of home, knowing how much she would enjoy it. Unlike with Colin, who’d grudgingly given what he must, last night they’d done something for her because they wanted to, not because they had to. As much as she wanted to be angry with them, she couldn’t deny that they’d made her feel valued. Cherished. Wanted.
And today… today, she’d be forced to betray them.
Somehow, someway, she needed to get into the garage and take pictures of all their vehicles and license plates. Maybe after breakfast, she could leave Willow with Morgan on the pretense of taking Prince for a run. The way things were done here, chances were good that the garage was open and accessible. She didn’t know if any of the cadre members locked their apartment doors. They trusted each other implicitly. The Order of the Phoenix was a true brotherhood.
Thei
r chef Gael was strict on his rules. No dogs in the dining hall or kitchen. Taking the puppy back upstairs, they left him with a bowl of food.
Raven and Willow made their way down to the community’s dining hall where some of the others had already seated themselves. Iosefa and Malik were absent, probably having breakfast with Casey in their apartment.
The tabletops were filled with fruits, toast, cereal, scrambled eggs, rashers of bacon, croissants, and savory pastries. It smelled divine.
Killian and Cayden waved them over. Voices rose in greeting as they found two vacant chairs. Raven took one across from the men. Willow wanted to sit between them with her unicorn.
“Juice?” Killian asked her daughter.
“Orange juice, please,” she replied politely, settling into her seat.
Raven offered them both a smile when they looked her way, aware of their appreciative glances. Taking the place across from her daughter, she filled the child’s plate with eggs, strawberries, and a piece of buttered toast. She started to fill her own plate but caught herself. The cadre was at breakfast. There’d never be a better time to sneak outside and take her pictures. With luck, she’d be back before anyone missed her, but she needed an excuse.
“Are ye off today or working?” Cayden asked casually.
Raven shook her head. “Technically, I’m off. I have some paperwork to catch up on and some check-in calls to make...” She let her voice trail off for the desired effect, appearing to be focused on her clients’ needs when she was driven by her blackmailer’s demands. “Actually, I need to get my phone charger from my car.”
“Surely it can wait,” Killian frowned. “The food’s hot, and the espresso bar’s always open if ye fancy something other than the standard roast the Frenchy uses.”
“How about a dark chocolate mocha espresso?” Cayden tempted.
Feck, that sounded good. “Make it with a twist of lemon, please,” she requested, pushing away from the table. “It should be cool enough to drink when I come back. Would you two watch Willow for me, please? This shouldn’t take long.”