Well, alrighty, then. Perhaps Grant is even better for Sage than I’d originally thought. Bravery, even the forced kind, will be good for her. I glance at Keller one last time. I trust you to have my back. If shit goes south, do whatever you have to do.
This emits a smile on my grumpy vampire’s face. Is it the trust thing or the promise of violence? Probably better not to analyze this one.
The dirt releases its tight hold on my boots. I wiggle my toes.
Sage and I ignore the chickens skewered on a spit over one of the smaller fires, although I see her crinkle her nose. Normally, the chickens wouldn’t bother me, but I see they’re saving the feet—they have them hung with clothespins on a laundry line strung between two wagons—and I have to wonder what spell they’re for. A lot of what we think we know about witches is false. An equal amount of it has more truth in it than I care to think about. It’s better for both of us that way. Still, the curious part of me wants to know what’s bubbling in the cauldron I can’t see.
My stomach grumbles. The scent of baking chicken has reminded my body that it hasn’t been fed in way too long. I really need to get on a more regular schedule. Maybe I can grab a leg for the road when we’re done here.
I don’t have to turn around to know the witches are closing in around us and cutting Sage and I off from the men. It’s exactly what I would do. Keller’s low growl confirms my suspicions. Sage walks next to me. Her body is so stiff it’s a wonder she doesn’t crack like a crumbling Greek statue. She has more strength than every one of these witches. She’s afraid to use it and that makes all the difference. Mental note: Get Sage in the gym and teach this girl how to fight. “Want one of my blades?”
She shakes her head.
Probably wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. She’d probably stab herself. Besides, it’s too late. If I handed Sage a weapon now, Melissa would take it as a threat. I can’t afford to piss her off. I need to remember that and start dripping sugar. “Hello, Melissa,” I say in my saccharine-laced voice. “Thank you for seeing us.” Being a good huntress requires me to be a master of masks. Every situation requires a different face.
Cassy stands to Melissa’s left. Her bland expression gives away nothing.
“Tell me what you know about this Pixie Dust.”
So much for pleasantries. Even though I’m taller, I feel as if Melissa is looking down at me. Her green eyes carry specks of gold. Her hair is the color of milk chocolate and frames a sun-kissed face with a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. “I know that it’s killing people. According to Cassy, P.D. has killed one of your own.”
Melissa remains stoic, but Cassy flinches. I take a breath and smooth out my tone. This entire situation ticks me off. Remaining calm isn’t easy for me. “Pixie Dust is being manufactured by the pixies at Cross’s request,” I continue. “They are being paid very well for the task.”
Melissa tilts her head, and I realize this petite witch could turn into a pit bull at the drop of a hat. “Cross. The ancient?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“I’d heard he was no longer residing in Nashville.”
“He isn’t.”
“Yet, you claim this is his doing?”
“No doubt about that. He’s stirring up trouble and getting people killed. None of that matters to him. He only cares about making an impact and acquiring more wealth.” I conveniently leave off the fact that he’s out to get me.
“Go on,” Melissa says.
“I saw a shifter dealing it on the streets. He’s not the only one. Cross has several members of the occult working for him and the people of Nashville are paying the price.”
Melissa’s cheeks hollow as if she’s sucking on her tongue. Her eyes remain clear, but I have no doubt she’s mulling this over.
“Pixie Dust is incredibly hallucinogenic and highly addictive. What starts out as euphoric quickly turns into a nightmare. Trust me. I’ve been there. I don’t ever want to go back.” Ah. Now I’m getting somewhere. Melissa balls her hands into fists at her side. I decide it’s time to go for my kill move.
“I have proof that the pixies are fraternizing with the humans, luring them into their home and showing who they truly are.” I let my words dangle in the air for several seconds. “They’ve broken the vow. When the humans are no longer under the influence of drugs, fear will be their leader. They’ll hunt us all.”
Cassy goes pale. The witches have a history of being not only hunted, but hung. Sage mumbles something intangible under her breath. Melissa and I have a stare off.
She finally says, “Tell me what you need.”
I smile politely. Before I tell her the plan, I say, “I know you require payment.”
“Not this time, huntress.”
I nod. Whoever died must have been someone very close to Melissa. It’s widely known that witches always require payment in the form of a gift for their services. “Appreciated. Still, I’d like you to accept a gift as a token of my gratitude. We can’t do this without you.” Not exactly true, but whatever. Her eyes sparkle. She won’t turn me down. Not when I’ve dangled the promise of a shiny new toy in front of her face.
“I’ll accept.”
I jog back to Keller. He’s heard every word and has the jar resting on his outstretched palm. I wink, grab Esmeralda, and return to Melissa. Those gold-flecked eyes widen at the sight of my hostage. Esmeralda is wide awake and trembling. The fire reflects off her iridescent wings, making her even shinier than usual. Bonus. I should feel bad for turning her over to the witches. I don’t. Maybe I’m less human than Esmeralda thinks.
“She’s too much,” Melissa says, her voice as breathless as a debutante after the dance.
Yeah. She kind of is. I hold out my hand. “I insist.”
“In that case.” Melissa quickly takes the jar from me as though I might rescind my offer. She cradles Esmeralda’s new home against her chest like a child who’s found her long-lost teddy bear. Or a woman who just received a ten-carat diamond. “I’ll owe you for this.”
I almost tell her she won’t. Instead, I nod. Eventually, I’m going to need a favor. Might as well hold this card.
“Please,” Melissa says and waves a hand in the air signaling someone. “Join us for a meal.”
We don’t have a lot of time. I should decline. I open my mouth just as a witch with ass-length blonde hair, and eyes so blue they could be pools of summer sea, brings over a mouth-watering tray of chicken and biscuits. I love biscuits. I lick my lips. My stomach rumbles louder. I’m too hungry to be ashamed. What to do? What to do?
“We need to go,” Sage whispers.
Right. The Team over chicken. I almost forgot.
“Thank you for the invitation,” I force past my drooling lips. “But I have several vampires with me and we really have to start getting back.”
Melissa nods her head. “Yes, I understand. Allow me to send you with some dinner for the road.”
Fist pump. Move over, Sage. The Hawk’s got a new bestie. “That would be great.”
The blonde leaves to pack my to-go bag while I quickly tell Melissa what I’ll need from the witches. She assures me everything will be ready in time. Cassy, Sage and I head back to Keller and the others. I’ve got two bags of chicken and a dozen biscuits. I am a very happy girl. As we step into the woods, Esmeralda screams her head off.
“Don’t leave me, Josie. Don’t leave me!”
I turn. “Remember when you said I wasn’t needed?” I wait for Esmeralda to nod. She does, the movement so slow and shallow it’s almost undetectable. “You’re on your own.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Two miles from downtown, sirens wail, and the typically quiet Matthew swears.
“What is it?” Keller asks. The hand that had been resting on my thigh is now squeezing my knee so hard I can almost feel the bruise forming.
Ease up. You’re hurting me. I take a bite of chicken and wipe the grease off my lips with the half-eaten biscuit I’m holding in my other hand.<
br />
He releases my leg immediately, leans over and kisses my forehead. Sorry.
“Cops,” Matthew says, and drops another f-bomb. “We’re being pulled over.”
“For what?” I ask, searching for a place to hide my weapons. There’s nowhere. Other than us, the Beast is nothing but an empty metal box. “I didn’t know driving under the speed limit was a crime.” I drop my chicken leg into the bag for later and set it to the side. I shove the remainder of the biscuit in my mouth. I’d hide my blades in the bags if I didn’t think they’d be coated in chicken slobber later. As much as I love food, I love my blades more.
Matthew slows and eases to the shoulder. “I wasn’t driving under the limit, Josie.”
“You were,” Sage chimes in.
“Whatever. Next time someone else can drive.”
I wish the Beast had back windows. As it is, I can’t see a thing and have to rely on Matthew and Luc for updates.
“Two cops.”
“Pretty sure they were in the bar the other night.”
Great. That tells me a lot. There were over a dozen officers in Wolfie’s the night Katie died. The night I’ll never forget. If we don’t hurry, more are going to die on my watch.
The city lights are so close I can almost touch them. So freakin’ close.
“Are we getting arrested?”
Sage tries to contain it, but I hear the fear in her question. She’s worried about dawn. I am too. It’s fast approaching. We have about five minutes to wrap up whatever problem this is and get the vampires inside. If it weren’t for the fact that the Beast hadn’t wanted to start back up after our meeting with the witches, and the unfortunate flat tire about ten minutes into our drive, we’d already be safely inside. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Fate was seriously trying to fuck up my night.
Dual beams light up Luc and Matthew’s faces, one coming from each side of the van. Matthew’s jaw is tight, while Luc’s expression portrays boredom. I know he’s anything but. If the cops had known they were about to pull over a van full of vamps running from the rising sun, they’d have turned tail and headed the other way.
“Step out of the vehicle, please.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Bruce is one of the cops. I’ve got this.
“Do it slowly.”
Fuck me. That’s Baldy’s voice. I wedge my body between the two seats. “Hey, Bruce.” I wave.
“That you, Josie?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem?” Why do people always ask that? Obviously there’s a problem or we wouldn’t have been pulled over in the first place.
“Someone called in a suspicious van trolling their neighborhood about two blocks over. This one meets the description.”
Interesting. Something stinks and it ain’t the sewer. “Wasn’t us.”
Baldy taps on the side of the van. Dude must be trigger-happy because he’s got his Glock out and ready. Set up, anyone?
“Says you. Step out of the van. All of you.” Baldy aims his gun at Luc.
Now that’s a really bad idea. I don’t endorse killing innocents, but Baldy has just put a neon target on his forehead. I turn back to Bruce. “Is this really necessary? It’s been a long night. We’re tired.” I fake an exaggerated yawn and remain calm. Inside, I’m about to go a little cray-cray.
Bruce’s gaze bounces from Baldy to me and back to Baldy again. I’m guessing he’s a little confused.
I try again. “The guys here had a gig outside of town and we’re all just trying to get home.” Please don’t look in the back. The Beast isn’t carrying any instruments tonight, and he’d know I was lying and wouldn’t have a choice but to investigate. Me loaded with blades from head to toe might cause a wee bit of suspicion. While Bruce mulls it over and Baldy inches his gun closer to Luc, I glance at the skyline. Black is giving way to navy.
“We need to hurry,” Cassy whispers from my right.
Baldy wrenches the door open. “Out. All of you.”
Luc slides out of the van, and I know he is one second away from tearing into Baldy’s jugular. Matthew doesn’t move, but his grip tightens on the steering wheel so hard, the plastic cracks.
I hear Sage crying. I hate when she cries. Might as well stick a blade in my gut and filet me wide open. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Time to end this and get the fuck out of Dodge. Keller?
He doesn’t respond. I turn around. The back door is wide open. Keller and Grant are gone. Alex places a finger against his lips. Cassy rolls her eyes. I can’t blame her. Alex kind of did just state the obvious.
Sage’s panic-filled eyes flick from me to the horizon. “It will be okay.” Keller will make it okay. We wait in silence, and several excruciating heartbeats of time pass. Patience is not my strength. In fact, I’m pretty sure I don’t contain an ounce of it. I realize I’m palming two blades. My foot is tapping the let’s-do-this dance and I’m crouched in the ready position. I creep past Cassy and Alex, pat Sage’s knee twice, and keep moving toward the back doors.
Fragments of a conversation make its way to me. I focus on Keller’s voice.
“There’s been a mistake…never saw us…in your car…go north.”
Something hits the ground with a clatter.
I sense movement on my left and on my right. I hop out of the van, ready. Bruce and Baldy pass me without so much as a glance, climb into their patrol car, turn and head the other direction. Vampires. They take all the fun out of everything. If I had the power of persuasion like Keller, my job would be hella easy. If Sage weren’t so scared of the sun, she’d have realized that her brother would get them out of this.
Keller and Grant round the van just as I jump back in. Grant slides Baldy’s gun into his waistband. Luc slips back into the passenger seat, silently fuming, according to the set of his jaw. We’re not out of the woods yet.
“We’re all going to the factory,” Matthew announces. “I don’t have time to drop anyone anywhere else.”
He’ll get no argument from me. This time, Beast roars to life as if he too knows how dire the situation is. I picture a rotting van full of ash and my heart slams against my ribs. Before Matthew can take off, I yell, “Wait!”
“No time, Josie,” Keller warns.
“Exactly.” The claws of dawn have passed the horizon. “Matthew and Luc, get in the back. Cassy and I will take your place. It’s the only way.”
We switch positions faster than a bobsled team at the Olympic finals. I throw the truck in gear, push the gas pedal to the floor, and take the corner on two wheels.
“Shit,” Alex curses. “The sun won’t matter if Hawk kills us first.”
“Remember that.” It’s good for peeps to fear me. Thankfully, the streets are quiet at this time of the morning and I don’t have much traffic to contend with. Most of the lights are flashing yellow. Call me color blind because they all look green from where I’m sitting. “How’re you holding up, Sage?”
Sage doesn’t make a sound. Maybe she’s in shock.
“We’ve got her covered.” This from Grant.
Good. I hope spending another day together will seal the deal for these two lovebird wannabes.
“Someone throw Cassy the keys to the factory,” I holler over my shoulder. I don’t know who does it and I don’t care, but I hear a jangle as Cassy catches them in her left hand. “I’ll back the van up to the door, Cassy will unlock it and then y’all better run like your asses are on fire.” Technically, I’m not far off.
A bright-eyed Cassy nods and bounces in her seat. “I’m ready. This has been one exciting night.”
“Hardly,” Alex mumbles.
“Don’t be a douche,” Cassy retorts.
Keller could teleport, and I almost ask him to. But I know he won’t leave the others. We’re close now anyway, and I think I can get them there in time. Actually, I don’t really know that, but I’m not even the least bit embarrassed to admit I’m kind of getting off on this. I feel like I’m in a high-speed chase. I whip around another cor
ner. The tires squeal. I glance in the mirror and see I’ve left my mark. Hell, yeah. Who knew I had such mad driving skills? Note to self: Get some badass wheels.
Far too soon and not nearly soon enough, I see the old tire factory coming up on the left.
“Ready?”
Cassy’s fingers have a death grip on the door handle. “Ready.”
I sneak a glance in the back of the van. Keller catches my eye and smiles. He loves the excitement as much as I do.
Nice driving, Josephine.
Why, thank you, Irish. We should do this again sometime.
He shakes his head and laughs to himself as I slam on the brakes. Cassy jumps out and I yank the gear stick into reverse. Beast groans his resistance but does my bidding. I hit the brakes again to a masculine chorus of curse words. Music to my ears. Lucian kicks the back door open. Before Sage can move, Grant throws her over his shoulder, jumps out the back door, and runs into the safety of the lair. I don’t know who she’s going to hate more, Grant or me. At this point, all I care about is everyone’s safety.
Five seconds later, Keller and I are the only ones still in the van. “Go in. I’ll park this piece of junk masquerading as a vehicle and be right behind you.”
“Don’t insult the Beast. He’s sensitive.”
I roll my eyes.
“You’re right behind me?”
“And you say I have trust issues?”
“Make it fast,” Keller says. “I don’t want you out here alone.”
Keller jumps from the van just as the sun crests. I lean against the steering wheel, blow out a long breath, and watch its slow ascent. A familiar heat washes over my face. I soak it in. Today is going to be a pretty day. The clouds from last night have been pushed away by an abundance of blue. Another indigo dawn. The time of day I like to call the thinking hour. In these moments, I rehash my life in painstaking detail, filtering the good from the bad and compartmentalizing accordingly. The mornings belong to me and me alone. It’s a blip in time when I can be completely by myself. The only one who needs me is my mind. On a good day, my mind is my best friend. Together, we figure out the tangled problems and create a plan to solve them. On a bad day—there are too many of those—my mind hates me. ‘Nuf said.
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