by Sadie Moss
After we’d eaten our fill of the freshly cooked meat, I walked Margie slowly back through the camp to our tent. Along the way, she recited her favorite passages from books she’d read; plain words that, when put into just the right order, transformed into something beyond simple speech. I added each quote to the little library in my head. Someday, I’d read all the books she talked about. I could only hope they made me one-tenth as wise and intelligent as she was.
Inside the tent, I helped Margie to bed then kissed her forehead. She sighed in contentment, rolling onto her side.
Taking the blanket from my pallet, I slipped out of the tent and met Corin by the fire. The blaze was dying as I approached, and a few other inhabitants of the settlement had ventured out to sit by its warmth. Corin stood facing the flames, his broad shoulders and slim hips silhouetted against the orange glow. As if he sensed me watching him, he turned to face me. His brilliant smile was visible even in the darkness. I laced my fingers with his, drawing him into the shadows to slip away from camp.
We didn’t go far; I didn’t want Edgar to sense a change in the tracking charm and come after me. But I found a quiet spot on the far side of a gentle hill to the north of the encampment. Only the stars and owls and maybe a pervy prairie dog or two could see us here.
I spread the blanket out and sat before drawing Corin down beside me.
Our lips met—unhurried, exploring. His calloused hands framed my face as he leaned over me, eclipsing my view and blocking out the light of the moon.
Was it possible to memorize the taste and feel of someone? The sounds they made?
As our kisses changed from sweet to sinful, our desperate breaths mixed with the wind gusting across the plain, I tried to catalogue every single thing about him and store it in a corner of my heart that time could never touch.
Chapter 7
The soft sound of Margie’s snores filled the tent as Corin’s chest rose and fell steadily beneath my head.
The two of us hadn’t returned home until a few hours ago. Corin had fallen asleep as soon as we crawled onto our pallet, exhausted by the day’s—and night’s—activities. Weariness pulled at my eyelids too, but I shoved it back. There was no way in hell I’d waste the last few hours I had with Corin by sleeping through them.
When the thick darkness inside the tent morphed into shadowy gray shapes with the rising of the sun, I dragged myself up from the pallet. Corin shifted restlessly, grumbling in his sleep at the loss of my body beside him. Unable to resist, I leaned down and kissed him one last time. I felt his smile against my lips before he turned over, slipping deeper into sleep once more.
Moving quickly and quietly, I pulled out the same dark clothes I’d worn to break into Edgar’s tent and slipped them on. I left all my other clothing in the basket but ran a finger over my necklace and ring to reassure myself I still wore both. Then I crept toward the front flap of the tent.
I stopped with my hand on the canvas, a war raging inside my heart. I knew I shouldn’t look back, but my head swiveled against my will to glance at Corin and Margie. They were nothing but lumpy shadows in the darkness, yet the sight of them still made tears rush to my eyes.
My hands clenched into fists. The sharp sting of my nails digging into my palms helped force the tears back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, so softly the words couldn’t cross the distance between us.
Turning away, I pushed the flap aside and stepped out into the chill morning air.
The camp was still asleep, and I saw no movement until I neared the south edge of the settlement where Edgar had set up his imposing tents. The sky was brightening, so I didn’t have to strain my eyes to catch sight of his two flunkies loading trunks and boxes into the back of a large black SUV.
Garin had applied two thin butterfly bandages over the cut below his eye. They stood out starkly against his gray skin, making him look like more of a cry-baby wuss than the injury itself did, if you asked me. Rolf winced every time he lifted something heavy, and I hoped the cut on his chest hurt like hell.
I blew out a breath.
I really hope Edgar was serious about not making me work with these jackasses.
As if summoned by my thoughts, Edgar pushed open the flap of his tent, rubbing his large hands together as he stepped out. He caught sight of me, and one thick brow shot up.
“Ms. Crow. I see I can add punctuality to the list of your redeeming qualities.” He ran an assessing gaze up and down my body. “You look… different.”
“You got a problem with how I’m dressed?” I snapped, not caring if I antagonized him. Maybe if I pissed him off enough, he’d kill me quick and get this whole miserable ordeal over with. I couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter which of Edgar’s proffered ‘options’ I took, going to Denver would ultimately be a death sentence.
“Not at all,” he answered smoothly, snapping his fingers at Rolf. The bear shifter unzipped a leather case; as if summoned, the smaller tent collapsed and began to fold itself neatly into the open case. Glancing back at me, Edgar added, “On the contrary, I’m pleased. I assume you’re dressed like this because you’ve decided to take me up on my generous offer.”
I nodded stiffly. “Yes. On one condition.”
Edgar chuckled, reaching up to scratch his nose. “I hardly think you’re in a position to make demands here, Ms. Crow.”
My skin crawled with irritation every time he addressed me as, ‘Ms. Crow.’ It was something rich people did to those they considered beneath them, and though the words themselves might sound respectful, the tone was anything but. Then again, Edgar could have called me anything from ‘Lana’ to ‘Her Royal Majesty Queen Lana of the Great Plains,’ and I still would’ve despised him for it.
I gritted my teeth, but continued, “I’ll go with you and work for you, but you have to promise you’ll never come back to this settlement.”
Edgar cocked his head, considering. “I don’t like to set a precedent of letting an underling think they can negotiate terms. But, I suppose there isn’t any harm in telling you I have no plans to return here anyway. Father Elias is… an unreliable host and a bad trading partner. My time is better spent elsewhere.”
My shoulders relaxed, the knot of muscles in my back unclenching. I hadn’t won any great victory, but it was a relief to know that Edgar would never return to the encampment. If he did, Corin would either try to kill him or follow him, and that could only end in tragedy.
“Okay. Then I’m in.”
Edgar smiled. “I’m delighted to hear it. Now pick up that crate and load it in the car.” My gaze flicked to his in surprise, and he bared his teeth at me. “I’m sorry. Were you expecting to sit in the front seat eating bon-bons the entire trip? You work for me now. So work.”
Swallowing down a hundred different curses—he was lucky I wasn’t one of the Gifted, or I’d curse him for real—I bent and hefted the heavy crate into my arms. I had to crane my neck to see around it as I tottered off toward the car, Edgar’s chuckle resounding in the quiet morning air behind me. I already hated the way he found every damn thing so amusing.
When I reached the SUV, I had to rest the crate on the lip of the bumper, adjusting my grip so I could lift it over the other items shoved into the back of the car. Garin came up beside me, hefting his load easily and bumping my shoulder so hard I almost dropped mine.
“Hey! Watch it!” I yelped.
“You’re not doing it right,” he shot back, glaring at me. “There’s a system.”
“Oh, is there? There’s a system for putting boxes inside a car? Wow. Please, explain this incredible, magical system to me. Or better yet, do it yourself.”
I let go of the crate I’d been balancing and walked away, leaving Garin scrambling to catch it before it fell. He grabbed it just before it toppled over, swearing under his breath.
“You’re a fucking bitch, you know that?” he called after me, but I didn’t slow my stride.
“Better a bitch than your bitch,” I muttered.
> I looked up to find Edgar watching me, but instead of scowling, his face held a pleased expression.
My stomach twisted. I could practically see the gears turning in the Gifted man’s head as he thought of all the ways he could employ me.
Avoiding his eyes, I walked up to him, wiping my hands off on my pants.
“Was that the last of it?”
Behind him, Rolf zipped up another carrier holding the second, larger tent. This end of the camp felt strangely empty without the two black tents squatting like dark sentinels nearby. But it was a good kind of empty—the kind that brought peace.
“It was.” Edgar jerked his head toward the big vehicle. “Get in.”
Twisting my ring anxiously around my middle finger, I headed back to the car and hopped into the back seat on the right side. Rolf followed, carrying the case with the final tent, and a moment later, Garin slammed the trunk shut. They climbed into the front seats, the gray demon behind the wheel and the shifter in the passenger seat. That was probably for the best. If Garin sat in front of me, I’d be tempted to spend the entire drive kicking the back of his chair like a bratty five-year-old.
The SUV shifted as Edgar opened his door and slid his considerable girth onto the seat across from me.
“Go,” he ordered. Garin started the car, pulling out onto the dusty, weather beaten road that led to the camp. As we drove away, the sun peeked over the horizon, casting blinding rays of orange light over the rows of mismatched tents in the Blighted settlement.
I pressed my face to the window, twisting my neck almost painfully to keep the encampment in view as long as possible. When it slipped out of sight, I turned to face the front, biting my lip and drawing in even breaths through my nose until the wave of nausea passed. Edgar watched me with open interest, like I was a fascinating animal he’d picked up on the plains to keep as a pet. But I ignored him.
Was Corin awake yet? Or was he still sleeping peacefully, unaware that I was gone?
I hoped he was sleeping.
Please, let him have another hour before his heart breaks.
Would he hate me? When he went to our tree and discovered the hastily dug hole with no ruby resting inside, would he think I’d betrayed him? Taken the prize for myself and run?
I’m sorry, Corin. I’m so sorry.
Last night, I’d lain awake running through every possible scenario in my mind. And this was the only one that led Edgar away from the people I loved and kept him away.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely registered the scenery outside as we drove. There wasn’t much to see anyway. It was flat and barren, with small copses of trees popping up from time to time. Several hours later, we stopped at a tiny Blighted village. The gas station was run down, with only one working pump, and the woman behind the counter refused to meet my eyes when I went inside to use the bathroom.
When I returned to the car, Rolf threw a soggy sandwich wrapped in plastic at me. I caught it reflexively but couldn’t bring myself to eat anything, so I just held onto it as I rested my head against the seatback behind me. After a while, the dull roar of the engine and the gentle rocking motion of the car teased out my exhaustion, and I slipped into a fitful sleep.
“Fucking finally.”
My eyes snapped open, and I jerked my head up with a gasp.
Three sets of eyes turned to me, and I bristled, annoyed that I’d let these men see me in a moment of vulnerability.
It’d been Rolf who had spoken, but it wasn’t his voice that had woken me. It was the change in our speed. We were no longer racing down the two-lane highway we’d been on for miles. Instead, we drove down a small street lined with rusty cars and derelict buildings.
Mountains rose high in the distance, piercing the sky. They had an almost blue tinge, and pale white capped the tallest peaks. Their incredible beauty only made the dirty streets we drove through look even more squalid and pathetic.
This was Denver? The capital? Home to the most powerful Gifted and Touched beings in the country?
I held back a snort. All this time, I’d thought the Gifted lived like gods. Turned out, they were hardly better off than the people in the Great Plains settlement. And at least there, we had space. There was room to get away from your neighbors, to forage and hunt. Here, the buildings were shoved so close together some of the less sturdy ones actually touched.
A few people slouched down the street, glancing up as the black SUV rolled by before quickly looking away.
I was about to turn to Edgar and gloat when Garin cranked the wheel, rounding a turn and stopping in front of a tall stone wall that stretched away in both directions. A large wooden gate broke the wall where the road passed through, and after a brief pause, its huge double panels swung open.
Garin pressed the gas, taking us through the gate.
My breath caught.
Beautiful, perfectly smooth gray stones cobbled the road in front of us. Green grass and trimmed hedges lined the street, and beyond them, houses bigger than any I’d ever seen. In front of one, magically suspended water floated in a thin sheet above a large marble fountain, tiny droplets falling into the fountain in a mesmerizing pattern. Another house was built in three tiers, entirely of white, with windows so big they took up almost the entire wall of each level.
Speechless, I gaped at the opulence passing by as Garin wended his way down the wide streets. The houses seemed to get more and more elaborate as we went on, until finally, he pulled up to another gate in front of a large estate. This one opened like the last had, and I expected him to pull the car through. But instead, he turned back to face me.
“End of the line, sweetheart.” He bared his teeth in a grin.
My gaze darted between Garin and Edgar. “What—?”
Edgar reached into his pocket for a small leather wallet. He opened it and withdrew several bills, holding them out between two fingers. I stared at the cash, frozen.
“This ought to cover a month’s rent for a small place in the Outskirts. Consider it a retainer for your services.” Edgar waved the money under my nose until I gathered my wits enough to snatch it from his hand.
“But I—”
I was still having a hard time processing what was happening.
“What? You thought you were gonna live here, doll?” Garin laughed. “She thought she was gonna live here!”
“Garin!” Edgar said sharply, and the demon’s laughter died. His smirk stayed glued on his face though.
Garin pressed a button, and the passenger door lock next to me clicked up. Numbly, I reached for the door handle, pushing it open. The sweet, cloying scent of flowers I didn’t recognize hit my nostrils, making my nose itch. I stepped onto the smooth pavement of the sidewalk and turned back to face the car.
Edgar ducked his head to peer out at me from across the SUV. “Welcome to your new life, Ms. Crow. I’ll be in touch.”
My mind raced, and I shook my head. I never would’ve thought I’d be eager to keep Edgar and his Touched cronies around, but I had so many questions. “Wait! How will—”
“I’ll reach out to you via your brand. When it burns, that means I want something. And don’t worry, the tracking charm in it is still active. So I’ll know if you go beyond the Outskirts.”
I swallowed. “I won’t, but I—”
Garin revved the engine, cutting off my words. The SUV lurched forward, disappearing up the drive toward the huge house. As the gate swung shut, Garin’s mocking voice floated back. “Home, sweet home!”
Then the gate closed with a dull thunk.
I looked around the quiet, perfect street feeling more uneasy than I ever had in the wild landscape of Wyoming. It might look peaceful here, but my gut told me to run like hell from this place.
Too bad that wasn’t an option.
Stuffing the money Edgar had given me into my pocket, I turned to re-trace the route Garin had driven, heading back toward the Outskirts.
Home, sweet home, indeed.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
* * *
Lana Crow’s adventure will continue in the reverse harem urban fantasy series, Magic Awakened, coming this fall! You can preorder it on Amazon HERE.
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, thank you to my incredible husband and my sweet puppy for putting up with all of my mad ramblings about this book.
Thank you, Jacqueline Sweet, for the amazing cover! You really brought Lana to life.
To my amazing beta readers: thank you, thank you, thank you!
About the Author
Sadie Moss is obsessed with books, craft beer, and the supernatural. She has often been accused of living in a world of her own imagination, so she decided to put those worlds into books.
When Sadie isn't working on her next novel, she loves spending spending time with her adorable puppy, binge-watching comedies on Hulu, and hanging out with her family.