Wyrd Calling (Wyrd Bound Book 1)

by Shen Hart

  I nodded and Dan confirmed. "Anyone have any ideas?"

  Nik said, "I've heard the term. He's a creepy being which lives up to his name. He somehow manages to slip into the core of your energies and plants a barb or something like that. He then uses that to take control of you, so he uses you like a puppet. It’s really creepy shit, but I thought it was only told to cubs to keep them in line.”

  Ryan said, "Oooh! I remember those stories now! I had no clue that he could be an actual being, I figured he was just some scary story and nothing more. Damn. I hope he isn’t, I don't want to run into him."

  Alex looked between them and thought over things. "What are the chances that this is a real being and she's not screwing with you?"

  "I'd give it a fifty-fifty. Pixies are known for screwing with people, but they rarely outright lie in this way. So there is certainly something to it, it's just a case of us figuring out exactly what that is."

  "It's odd that we've been around as long as we have and haven't run into him, but that doesn't mean we can rule him out yet."

  We needed to do something. I wasn't going to sit around and wait for the killer to fall into our laps. The ‘Puppet Master’ thing was far from ideal, but it was something, a starting place. We sat down and went over all of the stories we knew and collected up the information and details that remained the same through each of them. It was definitely a male, his appearance changed, but there was a distinct lack of open energy about him. Every being usually has an energy to them. It changes and shifts depending on mood and the species, but it's present. He, however, seemed to lack that. I wasn't sure how that was possible, given the energy is a part of our life force. No energy means no life.

  That then led us to wonder if perhaps he was linked in to death, but we hit a dead end then. He was clearly linked to death because he was killing the sirens; every murderer is linked to death. I paced around the room and tried to think of new leads, fresh places to look, but nothing came to mind. We'd been through all of the contacts on the black market. Dan had spoken to everyone he knew, and we’d been out around all of the markets that we could find. The fae had told us all they were going to and the hellhounds knew nothing. Demons were far more trouble than they were worth. The complete silence and removal of all energetic trace suggested something closer to the very energy-based species, such as the pixies and fae.

  Alex placed his hand on my elbow and stopped me from pacing around the living room. "Pacing isn't going to help, Baby Girl."

  The growl had finally left his tone, and the worried look had returned to his ice-blue eyes. I shrugged. "I have to do something. We're clearly missing something."

  Dan looked at me with his eyes half closed. "What about the shadows?"

  I cocked my head and looked at him. "How do you mean?"

  He gave me that cheeky little smirk that I'd come to know him for. "Well, you're a shadow walker, right?"

  I preferred the term shadow dancer, but I wasn't going to argue. "What makes you think that?"

  I couldn't help being suspicious. There were precious few who dealt with the shadows. Those who knew shadow dancers existed at all treated us with fear or hunted us. They felt we were abominations that needed to be removed from the world. Paranoia had kept me alive that long. I saw no reason to drop it then.

  He closed his eyes entirely and held the palm of his hand open. His energies cooled and his face tightened. A small wisp of pale darkness appeared over his palm. It hovered and danced for a moment before it vanished again. A small bead of sweat formed on his forehead before he opened his eyes and let out the breath. He gave me a proud grin and waited eagerly for my response. I chose to keep myself closed from him. Pack or not, I was not willing to allow such information out. "Very good. I've not seen many who could pull the light from fire quite so thoroughly."

  His face fell, but he fought to drag his smirk back to his lips. The dullness in his eyes gave him away though. "What makes you think that it’s not real shadow? Why would you assume that it’s fire rather than the real thing? I don’t see how you could tell."

  I smiled at him. "I've been around a very long time, and fire is my element. I know it three miles off with ease."

  I crossed my arms and watched his reaction. Alex should have known if we had an Ila Peurta scum in our midst, but I couldn't be too sure. Alex had moved slightly closer to him and was watching him just as intently.

  Dan leaned back in his seat trying to keep up the pretence of being calm and at ease with the entire situation while his muscles tightened. He bowed his head and frowned.

  "I'm sorry. There’s something about shadow that I love, and I hope that if I keep trying, then I’ll be able to master it. I know that it’s like other elements and you’re supposed to be born with it, but I keep trying. That’s the best I’ve managed so far, though."

  I glanced to Alex who gave me a brief nod. Ryan and Nik had moved closer so that we surrounded Dan, who now shrank down in his seat. I had felt his energies, I'd spent time with him and felt no suspicion, and yet I had to be sure.

  His shirt sleeves revealed his lower arms and I passed a touch of fire energy through them with an impish smile on my face. He closed his eyes briefly and used his own energies to stroke the fire and corral it back down to his hands. It left him distracted enough for me to push just a little more energy into the forearm closest to me, Alex matched my move with the other forearm. Had Dan have been Ila Peurta, a small, pitch-black sigil would have appeared. Nothing changed. Dan smiled with pride as he formed the small flames in his hand, twisting them into a whirlwind that paced around his palm.

  I breathed deeply and relaxed, Nik and Ryan glanced at me and moved away slightly. Just enough to give Dan a little more room. He looked up at Alex and I. We grinned at him and Alex moved around to pat him on the shoulder.

  "I'm air, myself, but I'm sure Thalia will enjoy having another fire bug around."

  I laughed quietly. "Nothing wrong with setting stuff on fire."

  We changed the topic over to our plans for the coming days and how best to proceed. Pacing around the apartment wasn't helping anything, so we opted to head out into the city to get some fresh air with the hopes that a new setting would help in some way.

  I found myself wandering off with Alex while the boys were deep in a conversation about varying types of blades, their uses and flaws. I hooked my thumbs into the back pockets of my shorts and refused to look at him. His words from the night before still stung. He ran his hand down my arm and tried to guide me off to some quiet corner. I smiled sweetly and instead walked in the opposite direction. I was not going to be pushed around and corralled.

  He chuckled to himself. "I suppose you haven't changed that much."

  I looked up at him with an eyebrow cocked. "Nor have you."

  He smiled and placed his hands on my arms twisting me to face him and stopping my movement. "I'm sorry. I was too harsh last night. I was worried about you both."

  I snarled at him, "As you should be. We have both changed. We both made mistakes as you damn well know."

  He looked away from me for a second. "I do. We're going to continue making mistakes. Just bear with me, please."

  I gritted my teeth and said, "And you me."

  The corner of his mouth twitched with a smile and he released me from his soft hold. "I did check all of them thoroughly before they were considered pack, you know. I didn't take the Sisters on their word; they've screwed us before."

  I nodded, "I know. You checked him again with me present, though."

  "I could have missed it; I needed to be sure. I won't allow anything to happen to you."

  We continued on in an amiable silence while I ran the information through my mind.

  I wondered if Kit might know something about the Puppet Master. He leapt into my mind. I'd almost forgotten he existed, but the happy memories of the night with the phoenix feather stepped back into my mind. I should have known. It was odd for my thoughts to derail like that. I muttered
thanks that at least they and he had had the decency to make this happen in a quiet corner of the city. We were sitting on a bench by the road with trees overhead when he approached us. The slight swagger to his step with his beautifully tailored pale blue shirt and jeans that sat tightly in all the right places held my attention. Alex sat up a little taller as he caught sight of him.

  I stood up and opened my arms to greet him with a hug. Kit wrapped his arms around me and kissed both of my cheeks, allowing his lips to linger on that touch longer than was necessary. He looked to Alex, who was tense and fighting to keep his coyote aspect under control. Kit, being the fae that he was, made the most of Alex's reaction.

  He slipped his arm around my waist and said, "I have missed your company."

  Kit practically purred the words. Alex, however, went a touch paler and held out his hand as he growled. "I'm Alex, and you are?"

  Kit smirked at him. Alex's head wasn't much below Kit's own, but it was enough to give Kit the superior position. "I'm Kit. I met Thalia a little while ago. We had a fantastic night together."

  Alex took a deep breath, but refused to take his eyes off Kit. "And what brings you here today?"

  Kit held me a little closer. I enjoyed being close to him again, and riling Alex was a little more fun than it should have been. Kit looked down at Alex's hand just as he was pulling it back and shook it firmly while refusing to release the strong eye-contact.

  I kept myself out of it. No good ever came from trying to get between two strong-willed men, particularly when one was a fae. Kit openly played his fingers up and down my ribs and I leaned into him a little. I knew I shouldn't, but I couldn't help myself. I was still pissed at Alex, at what he'd done to me. I was a free woman, and he had no control over me. It was none of his business whom I chose to do what with. Kit pursed his lips and spoke to me, ignoring Alex entirely. His voice dripped with charm.

  "I'm so glad I found you again. I'd been rather hoping for another night of fun." He looked to Alex. "She's a very good dancer, isn't she?"

  Alex's eyes darkened. "She is. I didn't catch why you were here."

  Kit smirked and brushed his lips over my jawline, which brought up goose bumps down my arms. I tried not to purr at the divine sensations while the shivers ran down my spine. I hadn't realised how badly I craved the intimate contact with him, or perhaps more accurately, with anyone.

  Kit looked back at Alex. "I have some news about your killer."

  Alex's face softened a little, and he leaned back, stretching his muscular arms out along the back of the bench. He waited while Kit ran his fingers over my stomach, his eyes never straying from Alex's face. At that point I was growing weary. It was fun at first, but being used as nothing more than an object was not something I took lightly. I dug my fingers into Kit's hair and hooked my finger under his chin, bringing him to face me.

  I bit his bottom lip and said clearly and firmly, "Don't be a tease. What do you have for me?"

  Kit's eyes flashed and his hands wandered down over my lower back, but he kept his eyes on me. "I know his hunting territory. I also have a face for you."

  A thrill went through me at the prospect of hunting. I tried to maintain an air of casual interest. "You have a face? I suppose that's quite useful to us."

  He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. "It's more than quite useful."

  I smirked. "Oh, really?"

  "Mhm. Combined with the knowledge of his territory, you can hunt him. You can end this."

  I looked away from him and pursed my lips. "We don't have enough information. He leaves no energetic trace for us to track."

  Kit leaned in and nibbled my ear. "I'll give you everything you need. For a fair price."

  I stroked a finger down his throat while tightening my grip on his hair and allowing my jaguar forward. This was a predator's game. I wasn't threatening him, merely pushing him.

  "How do I know you have everything I need? I don't see how you can have such information for us."

  His lips parted into a predatory grin. "I have his home address, and it seems he's a creature of habit. I know the important parts of his routine."

  Alex shifted and went to say something, but had the good sense to stay quiet. I ran my tongue over Kit’s jawline, which brought him to lean into me and shiver slightly. "And how did you manage to accumulate such information?"

  He took his chance and kissed me fiercely, his lips pressed to mine in an aggressive move that pressed our bodies tight together. I held back a growl. He was pushing and trying to regain control over this. I had no intentions of allowing that.

  I released his hair and stepped back, casually brushing imaginary dust off my cami top and shorts. I looked up and said, "I don't believe you have such information. We've been doing everything we can and come up with nothing, and then you appear with everything?"

  He sighed and bared his teeth a little while dragging his fingers through his hair. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and looked back at me. He tilted his head a little and his entire visage softened. He smiled, a genuine, beautiful smile. It always amused me how quickly the fae flipped through emotions. You just had to know which buttons to press. They were incredibly dangerous, but so much fun. I loved them.

  He stepped in close to me, softly placing his hands on my hips. "I'll give you the information in return for a kiss."

  His eyes sparked and twinkled like the exotic seas in the summer sun. I pursed my lips and trailed my fingers along the top of his jeans before slipping my fingers into his back pockets where I ran my hands down his tight little ass. A thin slip of paper was hiding in one, as I had hoped. I gave a small nod and brushed my lips over his while allowing a sliver of my energies to trickle onto them. He licked his lips slowly, a smile spreading across them.

  "Information first."

  He looked away and then back at me. "Payment first."

  I carefully twisted my fingers so as to grip the paper without moving my hands too much.

  I kissed him hard, aggressively, and pressed my tongue into his mouth, controlling the situation. Slowly I brought the slip of paper up while adding a touch of fire to my tongue, adding a pleasant, warming pain to the experience. He wrapped his arms around me, keeping me pinned against his body while he returned the kiss with equal ferocity as Alex quickly took the slip of paper from me. I clawed up Kit's back so as to keep him firmly distracted before breaking from the kiss.

  Alex had resumed the position he was in when we started the kiss, and he'd painted a pained, aggressive expression on his face. His coyote was fighting to be forward and no doubt rip Kit's throat out, but it'd have to wait for another day. Kit smiled like the cat that got the cream and pulled a folded piece of cream paper from somewhere. Fae had a knack for creating facades and hiding things. I didn't give it too much thought.

  He bowed low and handed me the paper before saying, "Until next time."

  He flashed me that cocky smile and proceeded to strut off back down the street as though nothing had happened. I slumped down on the bench trying to process the entire experience. The jaguar was torn between wanting to bite him for being an insolent, disrespectful fool and wanting to rip his clothes off. I ignored both compulsions and focused on the task. I had to put an end to the murders.

  I sighed and tucked the paper away somewhere safe. "I supposed this means we're heading back to the apartment."

  Alex patted my knee before standing. "Good work, Baby Girl."

  A shred of pain lanced through his words, but they seemed genuine enough. I took them for their surface value and smiled while my mind concocted all sorted of wonderfully carnal scenarios with Kit.

  26

  We didn't tell the boys about our progress, we let them wander the city and enjoy being out and about for a little while. That was what I told myself anyway. In truth I was enjoying have a bit of quiet time with just Alex. I needed to try and get my head straight with him. He infuriated me, I despised him, but I needed and had to work with him. I pushed it
all out of my mind and we re-read the two pieces of paper from Kit for the third time. The paper he'd given us contained a sketch of a man who appeared to be in his early forties, at a guess. He didn't look remarkable on paper, but then, serial killers tended to blend in. That was how they managed to do the ‘serial’ part.

  The other bit of paper didn't seem to be of any actual use. It was a phone number with a lipstick-stained kiss on it. It had been worth a try, fae weren't known for their upfront nature or honesty. They loved their tricks. If the information we'd been given was to be believed, then our man, the killer, was a human. One who had become aware of the reality of the world he lived in, which wasn't entirely remarkable given the number of non-humans around the place. That didn't explain his ability to completely wipe the energies of the place, though, and that bothered me.

  Alex, however, jumped on the opportunity to be done with the ordeal and said, "We have to chase every lead we have. No, it doesn't work with the energies, but do we really want another siren to die while we try and figure out the puzzle?"

  I looked at him with my lips pursed and my eyebrow raised. He laughed good-naturedly. "The correct answer was ‘No Alex, we don't, and we're not going to poison them, either.’"

  I smirked at him and took a long drink of my tea. I wished it was vodka, but given everything that had happened as of late, it really didn't seem like a great idea.

  The boys barged into the room, all laughing and talking loudly. They looked at us and went quiet, each bowing their heads and muttering a quiet sorry. I smiled. They were learning. Alex told them the kettle was freshly boiled if they wanted to argue over the last cup's worth of hot water for a tea or coffee. Dan slipped past Ryan and Nik as they argued over it and poured a cup of tea for himself. He looked particularly smug when he settled into the armchair opposite us and watched Nik and Ryan look particularly put out. It was the little things.

  They quickly settled down and listened eagerly as we filled them in on the information we had. Ryan was all for diving in, raiding his home and killing him immediately. Nik, however, was far more calm about the entire thing. He proposed that we needed to watch his home and see if the guy in the sketch showed up. Alex and I had already agreed on that point, but it was nice to make the cubs feel good about themselves. We agreed with Nik and moved forwards.