Wicked

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  "Hanging in there?" asked Ren.

  I nodded like an idiot at first. "Yeah. I actually . . . I really like this."

  "You should be on the back when I get this thing out in the open and really crank up the speed." As he coasted to an idling stop at a light, he reached down and squeezed my joined hands. "It's like flying."

  My heart took a tumble. I couldn't find the words to respond as we started moving again, crossing Canal. I knew we had to be heading into the business district, down where we'd seen the ancient that had been masquerading as a developer.

  "I've been keeping an eye on our friend," Ren explained as we idled in traffic. "Around seven every night, sometimes at eight, he leaves the hotel and heads to a club called Flux a couple of streets down. Heard of it?"

  Sounded like a place Val would hang out. "No. It could be new, but I don't go to a lot of the clubs in town."

  "And here I thought you were a regular party animal," he said, tone light and teasing.

  "What about you?"

  "I did the whole drinking and partying thing before I turned twenty-one." He reached down, patting my bent knee. "Drove my parents crazy. Looking back, I was a fucking brat. They were off risking their lives and dealing with me coming home drunk off my ass. Surprised they didn't murder me in my sleep." He laughed, mostly to himself. "But you know how it was. We went to public school but always had to come home straight afterward."

  "To train." I cringed, recalling my high school years. Kids had thought I was weird because I never got involved in any afterschool stuff, didn't go to games, and only hung out with other kids whose parents were in the Order—other kids like me. All and all, it wasn't that bad for me.

  "We really didn't have much of a life. So I acted out." His shoulders rose. "At least I got it out of my system. I still like a beer or a drink, but getting shitfaced isn't a priority. What about you?"

  "It had its rough moments, but it was okay. I had . . ." I didn't let myself finish. I'd been lucky because I had Shaun, first as a friend and then as more. "I don't drink that much now. Don't really like the taste."

  He was quiet, and it was just the idling of the engine. "Your parents still alive?" I asked.

  "Yeah. And yes, they're still a part of the Elite." There was a pause. "What about you?"

  I bit my lip. "No. Both are dead. My real parents were killed when I was just a baby, and then Holly and Adrian adopted me. They couldn't have kids of their own, so they raised me."

  "And they're gone too?"

  A familiar burn infiltrated my chest. "They're gone too."

  "Damn," he said. "Sorry to hear that you've known such loss."

  I really didn't know how to respond to that, but I murmured thank you and wished I hadn't gone that far with the conversation. Sharing things like this bonded you to people, and that made things so much harder when you . . . when you lost them. I didn't know how many times I warned myself not to get close, but I hadn't listened when it came to Val. Not even with grouchy old Jerome or even David.

  And now I was doing it with Ren.

  Some of the fun was sucked out of the bike ride after that, but that was good. I needed to focus. This wasn't playtime. I wasn't here to get to know Ren and become friends with him, and despite what he believed, it wasn't just because I wasn't willing to admit that I liked him.

  I just wasn't willing to go there with anyone.

  Ren seemed to sense that I was done with the chatting because he was uncharacteristically quiet. We'd passed the hotel twice before finding a spot down the street to park. There wouldn't be a lot of time for us to wait, but we didn't have to worry about it. From our vantage point, we saw the black sedan pull up in front of the hotel. No more than three minutes later, the ancient came out dressed like he was last week when I saw him. He climbed into the back of the sedan, and then they were off, driving past us.

  "Hold on," Ren ordered.

  Tightening my grip around his waist, I held on as he made a sharp turn, cutting expertly between an SUV and a convertible. My heart still ended up in my throat. The SUV laid on its horn, but Ren veered to the right, passing the convertible. I peered over his shoulder, spying the sedan four cars ahead. He glided the bike back into traffic, trailing the sedan from a safe distance.

  Streetlamps were flipping on as the sun faded into the horizon, the glare lessening as dusk settled around us. The sedan came to a stop in front of a club I'd never seen. Remodeled in one of the older warehouses, Flux was obviously newer, and it looked upscale—the large front windows were tinted out, the sign above was in elegant cursive, and a valet was waiting by the bronze double doors. The building itself was several stories high, and as I looked up, I could see white canopies rolling in the breeze. There was a crowd outside the club, the men dressed nicely and the women in short, slinky dresses.

  Ren continued down the street, parking about half a block away as I twisted in my seat, watching the sedan. The ancient—Marlon— got out of the car, and I tensed as I saw another ancient step out from under the black awning.

  "It's him," I said into the helmet. "The one who shot me. He's here meeting Marlon."

  As Ren killed the engine on the bike, I watched the ancient grip Marlon's hand. A one-armed embrace followed, and it looked like Marlon was speaking to the other ancient. Seeing the two of them together unnerved me. Part of me wanted to hop off the bike and dash across the street, catching them off-guard. But I didn't have the weapons necessary to do any damage. The two ancients strolled inside the club, their heads bent together. Mortals followed after them.

  Shifting to the side, Ren hit the kickstand on the bike. I started to take my helmet off, but he caught my hand. "Hold on for a sec." He nodded down the street. The sedan was pulling away from the curb, easing past us. "He's had a mortal driving him. I saw him yesterday. He didn't look as if Marlon was feeding off of him, and it's possible the guy has no idea who he's working for, but let's not take that chance."

  Once the sedan turned the corner a block down, Ren let go of my hand and we took our helmets off. He scrunched his fingers through his hair. His waves were going everywhere. "This is the first time I've seen another ancient meet him here. I figured that's what they were doing. This just confirms it."

  It was no big surprise that the ancients were hanging out together. All fae stuck close to one another. Rumor had it that they even established communities in some cities, but none of the sects had been able to get an exact location on any of the places.

  "There are a lot of people coming in and out of the club." I watched the entrance and then looked at him. "It reminds me of a bar in the Quarter. We thought there might be a fae bartender in there because some of the fae came out of there appearing drunk."

  "Must be serving nightshade. Interesting. Let's check it out."

  Glad to be off the bike and have some space between us, I tucked the helmet under my arm and started forward.

  "Wait," Ren said, moving to my side.

  He surprised me by smoothing his hand along the side of my head, tucking back springy curls that had come loose from the knot. "There you go. They were distracting. I wanted to tug on each of them, and really, I can't afford my ADD to be tempted by your curls right now."

  A laugh burst out of me. "Your ADD?"

  He grinned. "It comes and goes. It's like my ADD has ADD. Actually, I think my ADD has ADHD."

  "Oh my." Grinning, I hurried across the busy street beside him. "Sounds problematic."

  "Can be." He stopped on the curb, his helmet dangling from his fingers. "See that alley right there? You think it runs behind the club?"

  "Probably. Most alleys in the city connect to another roadway eventually. There may be a loading area back there. Want to check it out?"

  He nodded. Keeping alert, we headed down the narrow alley. With the sun almost completely set, the lack of any artificial lighting gave the alley a creepy vibe. Potted plants, large and bushy, were placed every couple of feet. There were benches but no one in sight. Weird.
It was such a pretty place, rather calming for being in such an industrial part of the city. Our footsteps echoed, and the further we traveled, the sounds of the street faded into the background. Toward the end of the alley, I noticed a door painted the same pale blue as Merle's. Before I could really give that much thought, Ren had reached the end of the buildings and drawn up short.

  "Well, hello," he muttered under his breath.

  I looked around him and saw two fae standing near a fancy car—a white Benz. These were normal fae by the looks of their silvery skin and pointy ears. They held a human male between them, one that looked like he wouldn't be able to stand if it wasn't for the arm around his chest. Familiar adrenaline surged at the sight of them.

  But that wasn't the most shocking part. Standing beside the fae were two uniformed police officers that appeared to be human. One was too short and his stomach too round to be an ancient. The other officer, who looked like he was in his late forties or fifties, laughed at something the brown haired fae said.

  The round cop shuffled forward and gripped the jowls of the human male the fae held, turning his head from one side to the next. Words too low to overhear were said, and then the cops left, walking to the third door down from where the Benz sat. They went inside the back entrance of the club.

  Holy crap.

  Ren and I exchanged looks. Those cops didn't look like they were out of it or unaware of what they were doing. They weren't being fed on, and I had a sinking suspicion they knew exactly what the fae were. This wasn't good.

  "Stay back," Ren ordered, and then walked forward before I could respond. The fae watched him curiously. He was halfway to them when he cheerfully said, "Hey."

  And then threw his helmet at the fae with brown hair.

  The fae caught it, bewilderment flashing across his expression, and then cold, deadly fury as he stepped toward Ren. "The Order," he sneered, "must be getting desperate."

  Ren laughed.

  The fae threw the helmet back, turning it into a missile, but Ren easily snatched it out of the air and then carefully, almost casually, placed it on the ground. He straightened, reaching to his side and pulling out a dagger.

  "Take him out," the other fae said, dragging the human male toward the back of the Benz. "We don't have time for this."

  Neither did we.

  Instead of staying back as I'd been ordered, I placed my helmet on the retaining wall surrounding a flower box and then slipped the dagger out of my boot, stepping into the open area. The second the other fae realized I'd joined the party, he dropped the human male, letting him slump to the ground, completely out of it.

  The brown haired fae threw a punch, and Ren ducked, springing up behind him. Spinning around, he planted his boot in the back of the fae. The creature stumbled forward and then turned. Ren spun out of his grasp, moving fast.

  Damn. Boy could move.

  My gaze zeroed in on the fae heading in my direction. He was tall with icy blond hair. Sometimes the fae liked to fight hand to hand. Other times, they used their abilities. This one belonged to the latter.

  Raising his hand, I felt the charge. Like a jolt of electricity, tiny hairs on my arms stood up. Metal scraped over cement. The bench to my right shuddered and flew into the air.

  "Really?" I muttered.

  Darting to the side, in front of the Benz, I avoided getting smacked upside the head. The bench crashed into the trunk of a nearby palm, the legs breaking off. The fae raised his hand again, his eyes narrowing. The legs from the bench rose, flipping around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light. Ren had taken the other fae out. Behind him, the legs were flying straight for him.

  I had to act fast. Cocking my arm back, I threw the dagger. It spun through the air, hitting the fae in the chest, sinking deep. A startled look crossed the fae's face, and then he too disappeared in a flash of light. The legs dropped to the ground, inches from impaling Ren.

  He stared at them for a moment and then turned to me. His head cocked to the side. A sudden burst of bright yellow light lit up the darkened alley.

  "In the car!" Ren shouted.

  Oh crap. Two headlights blinded me for a moment. The engine roared to life and the Benz lurched forward. My heart lodged in my throat as I launched myself to the side. I hit the ground and rolled, the motion uneven with my backpack. I hoped to God my poor rose was okay. I kind of wanted to keep it.

  The Benz came so close I could feel the heat blowing off of it. The brakes squealed and burnt rubber filled the air. Leaping to my feet, I threw my head back as Ren ran up behind the Benz. He jumped, landing on the trunk. The car shook, and the driver's door flew open. The fae stepped out, raising his hand.

  A trashcan to my left rattled, lifting off the ground and flying straight for me. I dove for the ground, but the trashcan changed course, slamming into my side. It hit the spot where I'd been shot, and a sharp pain flared. Gritting my teeth, I kicked the can off of me and pushed up.

  Ren slid across the roof of the Benz, grabbing the fae. Yanking his head back by the mane of black hair, Ren shoved the stake into the back of the fae, right between his shoulder blades.

  Light pulsed and then Ren wasn't holding on to anything other than a stake that looked as if it had been dipped in blue ink.

  Rocking back onto my heels, I drew in a deep breath as Ren straightened on top of the Benz. "Well, that was fun."

  He wiped the stake on his dark jeans and secured it under his shirt. Then he leveled an intense, angry stare on me. "I thought I told you I had this handled."

  "You can take out two fae with a third in a car? All by yourself?" I snorted. "You may be all kinds of special, but come on."

  He jumped from the Benz, landing in a nimble crouch he immediately rose from. "I had it. I planned on keeping at least one of them alive to, you know, question it."

  "Then maybe you shouldn't have taken out the one in the car then, huh?" I snapped.

  "You were supposed to stay back. Last time I checked, you were not to engage until David clears you."

  I rolled my eyes. "He's cleared me for Wednesday. That's less than two days from now. I'm fine."

  "I don't care if it's tomorrow. If you were told not to risk it, then—"

  "Oh, shut up. Geez. I'm okay." I stood up and pain flickered through my side. "Let's—whoa."

  Ren was suddenly right in front of me. "I saw that."

  "Saw what?"

  "You flinched when you stood. You hurt yourself." He grabbed a hold of the hem of my shirt and started pulling it up. "Let me—"

  "I'm fine." I grabbed my shirt.

  His jaw was set in a firm line as he flicked his gaze to mine. "Let me see, Ivy."

  "Jesus!" I all but shouted as I wrestled with the edge of my shirt. "How would you like it if I just went around and started pulling up your shirt?"

  He paused, raising both brows. "I'd fucking love it."

  "Ugh!" I wanted to stomp my foot.

  Chuckling lightly, he almost had my shirt up to where the bullet had hit when his brows pinched in concentration. Without saying a word, he reached out and ran the tips of his fingers along my lower stomach. Gasping, I jerked back, but didn't get very far because he still had a hold of my shirt.

  "Your mark," he whispered, and I shivered as his fingers made another pass.

  My jeans had slipped low during the fight, exposing just the top of the interlocking circles. The muscles in my belly and much lower tensed, and a heady, pulse-quickening sense of yearning rose. The air around us charged as if a storm was about to move in.

  "Stop," I said.

  He removed his hand, and I didn't understand the strange sense of disappointment. His gaze was locked with mine, and what felt like an infinite amount of seconds passed while neither of us spoke. I didn't know what he was thinking. I didn't even know what I was thinking, but a sweet heaviness poured into my chest and slipped down, way down.

  My phone beeped, breaking up our epic stare down, and then Ren's also dinged. My stomach cle
nched for a different reason, and a real sense of foreboding rose. He let go of my shirt and I stepped back, pulling my phone out of the back of my jeans. I clicked on the screen, and my breath caught when I saw the text.

  Code Red.

  "Oh no," I whispered, looking up at Ren. A somber, hard expression had seeped into his features.

  Code red could mean only one thing. A member of the Order had been killed.

  Chapter Eleven