by JL Madore
“It’s an eyesore, for sure. I’m Nash, by the by.” He held out his hand, and I accepted his greeting. The crescent moon tattoo encircling his eye crinkled with his smile. “You’ll want to wear one of these while you’re on site.”
He stepped under the shelter of a temporary lean-to and came back with a white domed hat. “Bruin’s orders. All the lovely ladies get a hardhat. I guess the men are thick-skulled enough not to bother.”
He handed it to me and waited expectantly. As I placed it on my head, I realized this was another new experience. I’d never worn a hat before. Never seen one made out of . . . whatever this was. I shook my head a little, and the weight shifted. I wasn’t fond of the sensation but, trying not to hurt his feelings for the thoughtfulness of wanting to keep me safe, I thanked him regardless.
“Listen,” he said. “Since you’re one of us now, you’ll need clothes and things of your own. I’m the go-to guy for the Talon and guests of Reign and the family. Let me know if there’s anything I can get for you. You know, to help you settle in.”
Settle in? “As much as I appreciate your intentions, I’m sure we won’t need to bother about that. Castian is working to have my exile reversed. Once he sorts things out, I’ll return home and resume my station.”
“Oh? I hadn’t heard that. Well, that’s great news. You must be excited to get back to your life.”
“I am, yes.” Was I? Wasn’t I? Well, I wanted to resume at least parts of my life. I missed tending to the tapestries. The Palace was where I grew up. No, the Palace was just a building. What made it a home was my mom, Castian, and Abbey.
“Honestly, Nash, I hadn’t given it much thought, but I see your point. I might not be a guest of Haven much longer, but I also can’t keep wearing Mika’s clothes. Thank you, yes. I suppose a few things of my own would be nice.”
We talked a bit about the shops in the marketplace and how I could shop there and tell them Nash would settle things up for me at a later time, but truly I lost focus.
Who would I be if stranded in this realm for eternity?
“Nash, getcha ass over here with the chainsaw,” someone yelled from across the clearing.
“That’s my cue. Gotta jet. Stay safe, Zophia.”
Surprised he knew my name, I watched him trot off to help with a fallen pillar buried beneath the trunk of a tree.
A buzzing whine of a machine rent the air, followed by the crack of splitting wood. I covered my ears to baffle the din and strode in the opposite direction to gain some distance.
Closer to the forest, on the opposite end of the clearing, I scanned the progress of construction. Timber frames outlined a labyrinth floorplan I couldn’t decipher as bare-chested Weres lifted, sawed, drilled, and leveled. Tanned and gorgeous, every muscle honed to perfection, they glimmered with sweat under the glow of the morning sun.
“Was I right about the view?” Bree said, her coyote letting off a low growl of approval.
She handed me a bottle of soda, and I sipped at the chestnut- colored liquid. Sweaty and physically perfect, the men before us all moved with the same confident, sexual lope that Kobi possessed. Images of us in the back of that truck replayed in an exotic memory reel in my mind. I’d been trying not to think about him all morning and was failing miserably. “How long are Talon soldiers on duty in the field each day?”
Bree inhaled, and her gaze narrowed. “The demon, eh? You two are an unexpected pair.”
“We’re hardly a pair, I’ve known the man three days. But to my surprise, we have more in common than you might think.”
She stared at her bottle, chasing condensation with her thumb. “Be careful, Zo. I’ve known Kobi for years and he’s not a we guy, he’s a me guy. He’s a seducer by design, and you’re off balance as it is. It’s tough to deny the animal inside.”
I swallowed another drink and screwed the cap back on. I’d seen Kodi’s demon several times while tending the tapestries. His animal saved Lia from possession and came out when situations seemed most dire. I had no problem with him.
Bree’s animal, however, I took great issue with. Her coyote refused to accept Aust, and I found myself offended on his behalf. “Can I ask a personal question?” When she nodded, I continued. “When you shift, are you the coyote or are the coyote and you sharing space?”
“Both . . . sort of.”
Bruin sauntered beneath the shelter and kissed his mate.
Cowboy sidled up beside us, his ripped jeans hanging low, a hammer in his hand. “What’s the girl talk? Anything juicy we menfolk should know?”
Bree tossed her empty bottle at Cowboy’s head and laughed when he ducked. “Zo was asking about the relationship between a Were host and base animal.”
“Oh”—Bruin laughed—“so, a light conversation.”
Cowboy scooped the plastic bottle from the ground and tilted it in deference. “A lot of people think we’re two separate entities sharing one body. It’s more interwoven than that. It’s like one entity with two distinct personalities. One based on logic and emotion, the other based on instinct and emotion.”
“There’s lots of emotion,” Bruin said. “Most often stubborn and aggressive.”
“And sexual,” Cowboy added.
The two bumped knuckles.
“Aust, my man.” Cowboy met Aust chest to chest as they greeted one another.
Aust kissed Bree and Mika on the cheek before coming over to greet me as well. “Sweeting, what is it that has you looking so alarmed. Are you well?”
“I am,” I said. “I thought you were spending the day with my mother. Has something happened?”
“Fash not. Castian came to call while Shalana and Dandy were napping in the hammock. He sent me to help with the construction, as he was going to fix your mother lunch and then take her to view a new section of rock terrain he added. He brought her some new goats.”
“Goats,” I said, tears welling.
“Have I said something to upset you?” he asked. “Should I have stayed? Should I return?”
I shook my head and laughed at his panicked expression. “I’m fine. Exploring new biomes is something the three of us usually do together. I hate missing things with her.”
“Everything all right?” Bruin asked, joining us. “Hey, what’s doin’, Zo?”
“She missed the unveiling of the goats,” Cowboy said, slinging a tool belt around his hips.
“Goats?” Bruin looked confused.
Cowboy shrugged. “That’s what she said.”
“So, this section,” Mika said, shoving them toward the work area, “is where the main entrance will be. Two-storey glass facing east to greet the dawn of each new day and on the west side, the same to greet the rising moon.”
“The glass will be bulletproof and shatterproof, of course,” Bree added.
“Twelve-gauge glass-clad polycarbonate,” Cowboy called over his shoulder. “Nothing but the best.”
Mika snorted. “With Bruin and Julian in charge, who would expect anything less than a fortress.”
Bree smiled, waving me over to the wooden table under the shelter. “What do you like for décor, Zo? We were thinking slate floors and pine finishes, maybe in a darker stain.”
“Are you asking my opinion?”
Mika nodded. “Yeah, what do you like?”
It struck me that no one had ever asked my thoughts about something so mundane before. And though the outcome didn’t affect lives, I found I very much enjoyed being included in the discussion. “Who will be staying here?”
“Nine Were Primes and any mates attending the summit. We want a grandeur fitting their stations, yet textiles and finishes respectful of the setting and the Were affection for natural materials, annnnd it has to be built within three weeks.”
I glanced back at the skeletal framework rising from the decimated grounds. “Oh, my.”
“Yep,” Bree said. “That pretty much covers it.”
With that in mind, I set to work, sorting through what they had gathe
red for consideration. “This stone would be lovely for the hearth of the fireplaces. You have fireplaces planned, yes?”
After spending the better part of the morning with Bree and Mika in the clearing, they returned to the Dens with Aust, Bruin, and Cowboy to get some lunch. I decided to explore the marketplace and find something to eat there.
The Haven marketplace started at the Hearthstone and outlined a treed courtyard square with a dozen glass-fronted shops and produce carts. It became painfully apparent, as citizens of the mountain bustled and busied themselves, that each person living in this mountain refuge led lives of purpose. The contributions of the many building a better life for the collective whole.
My duties as Keeper of Lives had always left me feeling proud to serve the realm. I missed that. I missed learning about the struggles and triumphs of these amazing people and recording them. Even if I were to return to my life tomorrow, it would take me weeks to catch up with what I’d missed already.
“Zophia . . . Zophiiiia?” Lia tilted her head into my line of vision. Her Highborne blue eyes twinkled as her silver locks blew back from rosy cheeks, exposing the gentle points of her ears. “Merry meet, my friend, what in the realms are you doing wandering around the Haven Marketplace? Are you well?”
I blinked, surprised at how absorbed I’d been in my mental musings. “No. In truth, everything is a horrid mess.”
In a rush, I recounted the past few days, my worries about my mother’s safety, my loss of purpose in a world I felt disconnected with, and how I was torn between wanting to go home and the prospect of creating a life of my choosing rather than of obligatory duty.
“Well, if there is anyone else who knows more about being thrown away by a beloved community to find herself lost in the bustle of the Realm of the Fair, I would be surprised. I know exactly how your heart aches.”
Lia looked me over and then chuckled, glancing down at herself. Gone were the floor-length gowns and formality the two of us had always worn. Pants and blouses reflected our new reality. Lia touched my hair where it fell in a shaggy line around my shoulders. “Striking. Did Lexi have a hand in it?”
I nodded. “Only after I hacked off my braid with her knife.”
She laughed. “It’s a wonder she let you touch one of her knives. She’s quite possessive of her weapons. She and Bree cut and styled my hair too, when I reinvented myself.”
I linked my arm in hers, and we walked the cobbled sidewalk outside the shops. “Speaking of the new Lia, how was your first week as Queen of the Realm?”
Lia rolled her eyes. “Not all that different from life before. Strong-willed men tell me what I must needs do and still seem surprised when I have thoughts of my own.”
“Not Samuel, surely?”
She broke into a smile far too telling. “No. Samuel is ever supportive and feeds my heart with more love and confidence than one female deserves.”
I squeezed her arm. “I’m glad. After what the two of you went through the past year, you both earned a little bliss.”
“Bliss the lady says?” Samuel stepped off a shop’s stoop beside us and kissed his bride on the cheek. Tall and lean, in black slacks and a crisp, white shirt, Lia’s wizard husband was the picture of chic contentment. “Is that how my beautiful bride describes her life these days?”
Lia wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him in step with us as we continued toward the Hearthstone.
“Have I gotten a few things right then, Luv?”
Lia looked up and offered him an adoring smile. “A few. Mayhap a few more than a few.”
Samuel winked and shifted his attention to me. “We owe our happiness to you, Zophia. All of it. If ye hadn’t convinced yer sisters to let us be, we’d be living a verra different reality. I want ye to know, if ye ever need anything—ever—all ye need do is speak the words.”
Lia nodded. “I have a wonderful idea. You should come live with us. I would love having you as my confidant and advisor. Gods know I have much to learn about the realm and its members. I would value your insights. Who knows, we might even be able to beat back some of the dominant male ideals if we work together.”
I shrugged. “Castian is working to get me home. I’m sure I’ll be back at my loom and avoiding my sisters very soon.”
“And what if yer dismissal stands? What will ye do?”
Lia turned to Samuel and scowled. “You knew about this?”
He tapped her nose. “Only just, Luv. I ran into Julian in the shop. But aye, Lia’s right, Zo. Ye should come to stay with us ’till ye get yerself sorted.”
“Thank you both, but I’m sure I’ll be returning to the Veil any day.” I held my hands up. “I am a Fate, by blood and by destiny. Who am I, if not the Keeper of Lives?”
“A powerful woman, and with unwavering compassion and selfless loyalty to justice. Ye’ll find this realm has need of such qualities. If things dinnae work out as expected, ye’ll find yer place soon enough, I have no doubt.”
I wished, not for the first time since this all began, that I could talk things through with my mother. Shalana was known for her strength and wisdom. Her counsel had always guided me through the toughest moments of my life. Now, the role of mother and child had reversed, and I found myself wondering what she would have me do.
“Besides,” Samuel said, drawing me from my thoughts, “Lia and I know too well the sting of a father’s betrayal. Dinnae let the man define ye. Though it hurts to yer depths, it’s best to know who ye can count on. Focus on the ones who deserve yer love and—Hey, Julian, what is it?”
Julian slid his phone into his pants pocket, his warm mocha complexion drained. “It’s Jade. Elora found her unconscious on the kitchen floor. Something’s wrong.”
CHAPTER TEN
Jade’s home had always emitted an energy all its own. The air circulated, filled with the scents of Elora’s cooking, leather, and expensive aftershave, giving it a homey feel. The warriors who lived there faced death each day and as a result, lived each moment to its fullest. And while the atmosphere might be a little rough around the edges, it boasted a sense of camaraderie, belonging, and oneness.
Rushing into the foyer, the utter silence of the space struck me as wrong. Everything hung still—as if the mansion itself was holding its breath.
Elora rushed from the kitchen corridor, headed toward the main staircase. Lia raced to join her, and the two went up together. Samuel took the stairs two at a time behind them, and they were gone.
The clash of billiards balls made me jump.
“Come on,” Julian said. “Let’s see what we can find out.”
Following Julian’s lead, we headed into the living room. A leather-clad warrior leaned over the farthest felt table, lining up his shot. By the tattoos on his arms, and the close, military cut of his hair, it could only be one person.
“Sav,” Julian said, jogging over and bumping knuckles. “Hey, Princess, what the hell happened?”
Lexi chalked her cue, her wings fluttering idly with the flex of her muscles. “Elora found Jade collapsed in the kitchen an hour ago. It looks like she went for a snack and got zapped with an electrical shock off something. The energy surge jolted her powers from the Fate’s binding spell. Castian and Rowan are doing what they can to settle things, but the shit is hitting.”
Savage finished his next shot and leaned against the table. With his hip propped against the edge of the table, the sheer mass of the man made me want to retreat. He wore the same angry scowl as usual, but the open hatred he’d shown me before seemed to have subsided—at least a little.
Instead, an edge of worry creased his brow.
You could help, Savage said, projecting his thoughts. You’re no longer bound to sit on the sidelines. Make yourself useful.
I ignored the tone, recognizing the frustration I felt every time my mother was suffering, and there was nothing I could do about it. No doubt, if he could stab someone or invade someplace to make things better, he would. “My affinity is wind
. It’s Zora who controls electrical fields.”
Then go ask her.
“Of course, though I’ll need someone to Flash me Behind the Veil. My ability to access the Pantheon—wait, did you say Castian was upstairs with Jade?”
“Yeah, Jade’s his daughter. He came the second Reign called him. Why? What’s the look for?”
“Did Elora see a loose wire or anything that might have caused the shock in the kitchen?”
“Not that I know of.”
The shock came from a woman, not an appliance.
I spun to the entranceway. An Elven male stood tall and proud. If it weren’t for him passing through the sofa as he made his way closer, I might not have realized he was a ghost. His features had been passed so closely to his son, there was no doubt in my mind who stood before us.
“How do you know?” I asked Aust’s father.
I was in the kitchen waiting for Elora when Jade came in to feed her young. Your Faery friend is mistaken. There was no electrical shock. It was a magical jolt from a blue-skinned girl that caused this.
“Blue skin? Are you certain?”
She was standing as close as you are to me now. She peered into the kitchen from the window, raised a hand, and then, a moment later, Jade collapsed.
I glanced at Lexi, the blood draining from my head. “Tell Samuel it’s a spell, not a shock. Maybe he can help.”
“A spell? Who cast it?”
“A blue-skinned woman peering in the kitchen window.”
“Fucking Shavandra,” Lexi said, running toward the corridor. “Find her, Julian.”
“Who’s Shavandra?” I asked.
Julian pulled his phone out of his pocket and was tapping his screen. “Abaddon’s sorcerous bitch.”
The room started to spin.
“Abaddon drew Castian down here on purpose. He needed to get rid of him to go after my mother. Rheagan is going to try to take her, I know it. I need to get home.”
Julian cursed. “We need to be damn sure before I order a Talon force to surge Behind the Veil.”
I’ll take you to check it out, Savage said.