Keepers & Killers (The Alchemy Series)

by Augustine, Donna

  My eyes were watering to a dangerous level, if I wanted to try and die like a true bad ass. I tried to breathe through the pain and realized that breathing through stuff is crap. The only good thing it might accomplish is passing out from hyperventilation. I started sucking wind. In these kinds of situations, I guess you take whatever you can get.

  As the shimmering mist grew thicker around me, I saw Cormac break ranks as he tried to force his way in. It looked like he was trying to wade through hardening cement from where I watched. I was relieved, in one sense. I wasn't going to be able to hold it together much longer and the thick haze was starting to block out my vision of them and everything else around me, cocooning me in pain. At least I'd be dead when they saw me next and not writhing around in agony, begging for mercy.

  But man, I'd been alone my whole life. I didn't want to die alone. If somehow I made it, I didn't want to live alone anymore either. Not being able to remain standing under the crushing pain, I fell to my knees, knowing no one would see my final defeat. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the way the desert night sky looked when you got far away from the city lights. I should have told Cormac, I wanted to be buried out there somewhere.

  A cool tingle around my ankle, in contrast to the burning, startled me. At first, I thought it was going to begin a new type of pain. It didn't. I looked down to find the same silver mist ribbon I had seen the night Cormac and Vitor had broken the contract.

  And somehow, I sensed it wanted to help. I reached a few fingers out to it, not having the strength to lift my arm, and it grew in a long stream, slowly stretching and wrapping around them, similar to a toddler's grasp of your finger.

  "Help me." I didn't know if it could, but I had a strong feeling it wanted to.

  It weaved its way closer to my face and…nuzzled me? Yes, that was the only way it could be explained. It started to grow. I didn't know where the mass came from but it grew larger and larger as I watched, pushing back at the shimmering haze that was causing me so much pain. It pressed the haze back further and further. With each inch, the pain receded with it. Then it was gone. The shimmering haze, the white mist…both.

  Cormac was there by my side less than a second later. When Cormac went to lift me, I gave him a look. We were on shaky ground with most of these Fae. This wasn't the time to show weakness. He backed off, but not all the way. He'd honor my request…to a degree. His hand on my elbow took more of my weight than one would imagine.

  "What did you do?" Burrom asked.

  The Fae all looked on me warily. Did I think the Fae would turn on us? No, not really. Did they have ties with the wolves that would? One hundred percent. In this instance though, an exaggerated truth might serve better than a lie.

  "I called for help."

  "From who? There is no one here."

  "No one you can see. I don't know what name you have for them, but I call them…" what the hell do I call them? Holy shit, come up with something cool quick before you look like a total fraud. "Magic Tethers. They are the silver ribbon strands that attach magic to this Earthly plane." Damn, I wish I could pat myself on the back because I was good! I saw a glint of humor in Cormac's eyes but other than that slight crinkle, he was pure stone.

  "And how do you talk to them? How is that even possible?"

  "I have no explanation. For me, it as if I were talking to you. No difference." I scanned the Fae, all clumped together near Burrom now, and saw in their faces, I'd risen in their estimation. I'd just done… well, I didn't know exactly what, but it was pretty damn cool.

  "We've got to get back," Cormac said as he ushered me off the roof, not wanting to answer questions any more than I did about what just happened.

  "You okay?" he asked softly as we headed down the stairs alone. The Fae had opted to stay on the roof, I'm sure to gossip about yours truly.

  "I'm not dead," was all I said, all the relief I felt poured into those three words.

  Now that I wasn't about to die, the anger I felt from the wolves when we stepped into the main bar room was apparent and slightly overwhelming. It didn't seem to bother Cormac as he strode through the crowd with the arrogance of being untouchable, and no one tried to stop us as we left.

  When we stepped outside, I realized we weren't out of the woods yet when I saw the group of approximately thirty wolves, who stood between us and Cormac's car. Uggh, didn't these people realize I'd already filled my almost getting killed quota for the day? No more shit, at least not until I got a good nap in.

  I heard a rustle behind me and turned to see that all the wolves from inside had followed us out. No nap for me.

  "This is not the time," Cormac said in a voice that would make any sane being run for the hills.

  "This is exactly the time," the obvious leader of the group said. Nope, I guess not so sane. "I've heard some very disturbing things. Things that need to be answered."

  Cormac looked to me, trying to gauge what I had left in me. I was starting to understand how Cormac thought. Appease the wolves for my sake or take them on because it's what he really wanted to do. I shrugged, effectively telling him to have at it. He didn't look convinced I had that much left in the tank.

  "Answers you aren't going to get until I'm ready to give them. Now I'd step away from my car before I make you."

  "Really? You think you are that good?"

  "I know I am."

  And then they stared at each other like two men who didn't want to lose face but didn't want to fight either. Cormac wasn't scared of a fight. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd punched his mother's doctor on his way out of the womb. This other scraggly wolf guy? My senses told me he was bluffing. He was scared of Cormac. I couldn't even think poorly of him for it. If I were him, I'd be scared too.

  But none of this helped my situation or got me to a bed any sooner, so I decided to take things into my own hands. Not that I wanted to deprive Cormac his fun, but I was wiped.

  I stepped forward, and placed myself in front of Cormac, which he didn't care for one iota but I gave him my bitchiest I'm in charge right now stare before I turned back to the top dog in charge.

  "Listen buddy, I've had a really long day and you are standing in between me and my beauty sleep. All this doesn't just happen on its own." Normally that statement would've made sense since I was an attractive girl, but standing there as I looked now just recently back from the edge of death, I couldn't quite pull it off. "I usually look much better, but whatever, you can either agree to set something up later where you can discuss your concerns or I can make you kneel at my feet in agony."

  He decided to take a step in my direction. I had a feeling he was having an issue with backing down from a woman, especially in front of all the other wolves looking on.

  I was getting ready to go all super Alchemist ninja when a pair of hands around my waist moved me to the side.

  "Cormac, I'm telling you, I've got this!" I said as he moved in front of me.

  He ignored me as he took the lead wolf in his grip and dangled him a foot off the ground. I heard an inhuman growl and I didn't think it was coming from the wolf in his hands.

  There were still a healthy amount of them left. If he was going to pick through them one at a time, this could take a while.

  Knowing we hadn't opened a wormhole in a while, I figured it was safe to play around. I just prayed a bystander didn't pop his head in as I concentrated my energy on starting one not even five feet from us.

  "Excuse me," I said, to get the few heads that hadn't turned after it opened, to look. Play nice or that's your new home."

  Cormac dropped the wolf, who fell to his knees before he stood. I probably should have kept my eyes on the wormhole. I might have known why the guys all ran then, but hey, I was the queen of opening up portals. I didn't need to look.

  When their faces all dropped, I thought they were in awe of my wormhole skills. It wasn't until Cormac yelled to shut it that I realized something else was amiss. The biggest, ugliest creature I'd ever seen was walking
through the wormhole I'd just created. It was at least ten feet tall and had leathery skin that glistened. No eyes but various marble looking black orbs all over its head spaced a couple of inches apart.

  "Shut it," Cormac said again, and nudged me jolting me from my shock.

  I felt a twinge of guilt as I shut the portal, knowing I'd probably just killed whatever that was, but who could take the chance? Even with no visible mouth to be seen, I swear it had been sneering at us.

  I scanned the alley a few times to reassure myself it was indeed gone. "What the hell was that?"

  "No clue, but the wolves are gone," Cormac said as we stood in the alley.

  "You know, I had them on the ropes, even without the monster."

  "I swear you are going to be the death of me."

  Chapter Eleven

  "Are you going to tell me how you managed to survive last night?" Cormac asked as he handed me a latte as I sat up in bed. Thank God he didn't sit on the bed with me. I was still trying to process the kiss. Currently, we were both acting like it hadn't happened.

  "I told you what happened. I don't know how I did it any more than you do. Wish I did."

  Cormac leaned his shoulder against the wall, an intense look in his icy blue eyes.

  "Where's Lacey?" I asked, not ready to talk about the elephant in the room.

  "Lacey is safely away from here with her family."

  "Where?"

  "Are you sure you want to know? I wish I didn't, but Dodd told me before I could stop him."

  I thought about it for a minute and said no. If the senator had some sort of ability of mind control, like it seemed he did, it wasn't safe. Just because he hadn't controlled mine yet didn't mean he couldn't. The less people that knew, the better. I was relieved and saddened at the same time that Lacey was gone.

  "Does she and her family have enough to start over?"

  "More than enough." He took a sip of his own latte, the look still there but I guess he wasn't looking to rush into a conversation about us either. "The wolves called. They want a sit down."

  "And?"

  "I told them we'd meet them in an hour, neutral location."

  "We?"

  "We are partners, aren't we?" A small smile flashed across his face before he left.

  I stepped into the penthouse living room twenty minutes later, ready to go in what I considered my best business casual outfit of straight cut black slacks and a silky button down shirt. I wasn't sure if I should go for bad ass or corporate, but since the alley scene last night I figured maybe I should play up the brains aspect. This was my 'yes, I can kick your ass, but don't take it personally, it's just business' outfit.

  "Cormac said he'd be right back and that you should eat this before you go."

  "Hi Dark." I hadn't even noticed him at the table in the corner where a makeshift desk had been set up for him. His head was bent over, his concentration alternating between the book and the lap top. "How's it going? Anything?"

  "Yes, the dialect sucks. The guy that wrote this had to be more boring than watching grass grow and he was convinced that The Keepers were going to bring about our version of the apocalypse."

  "How far through the book are you?"

  "Only about a quarter."

  "You find anything else out about the monster yet?" Cormac asked as he walked in to the room and I took a quiet bite of the turkey club that had been waiting for me.

  "No. They have no idea how it was made, just that it was supposed to cure all human kind, werewolf and Fae of disease."

  "Do they explain how?" I asked.

  "Nope, that might have actually been interesting, They just write that The Keepers are touting this to all the other races. Then something goes wrong."

  "What?" I asked.

  "They don't know."

  "Keep reading," Cormac told Dark and then turned to me. "We've got to go,"

  "So where's this neutral location we are heading to?"

  "It's a diner, out on the highway, a few miles before the California border."

  "And it's safe?"

  "I'm not worried about a few wolves. As long as there are no snipers, we're good and I've already had the area swept."

  "Why are snipers so bad?"

  "Too many bullets, too swiftly, before we know they're coming; they take us down quicker than anything else. Always sweep an area for snipers. Always."

  We walked into the garage where all his cars were stored and I looked at the space my trailer had occupied. Didn't matter, I'd find it.

  "The Ferrari again?" I asked as he climbed into the silver sports car.

  He opened up the engine and let it roar in the garage. Then smiled at me. "If I can afford it, and I love it, why shouldn't I? There are certain perks to being able to create gold. Why not enjoy them?"

  I swear he drove quicker than normal as we headed out onto the open highway, just to show off, because I'd made a point of picking on his car.

  "As to the many perks of being an Alchemist, I'm really not going to age?"

  "No. For the same reason your breasts are a full C cup. Your brain decided what it thought was best and did it. Most male alchemists don't look older than thirty, the women seem to get stuck somewhere in between mid to late twenties."

  "I'm not a full C."

  "Just because you try to squeeze them into B's doesn't make it true."

  "How do you know?"

  "I know. Do you really want the details?"

  I dropped the matter.

  We pulled into the mostly empty parking lot. I felt a shudder in the ground as we stepped out of the car. "Was that an earthquake?"

  "Felt like a small one."

  "Weird timing." We'd had earthquakes before so it wasn't a big deal other than the fact that it was right before this meeting. "Who's here?"

  "Rogo. That's the name of the guy you made pee his pants last night with the alien in the portal."

  "I guess we're off to a good start."

  He walked in first, paused just inside the door and checked out the place. It was the little things, like that, that were slowly wearing down my resolve against him. I didn't need him to protect me, but it didn't make a difference. The girly side of me went to pure mush and then my mind wandered back to the kiss. What the hell were we anymore? Friends…kinda? I guess? Partners? It seemed that way. Dating? No, definitely not. But what was the kiss then? All I knew was that I wasn't going to ask. The guy had shot me, then flirted with my best friend, then stole my trailer and he funniest thing was that I couldn't decide which of those was the worse deed.

  When I stepped into the diner, Rogo was sitting in the corner booth with an attractive woman. How cute. It could be an interplanetary double date.

  Up close, the woman was striking. Black straight hair fell to her waist as they both stood and shook our hands. Her name was Carlene and Rogo slung an arm possessively around the back of her seat when they sat down. I thought I'd picked up a bit of a sexist vibe from some of the wolves but the fact that he brought a female with him to this meeting made me soften slightly. Or maybe 'not quite as repulsed' might have been a more fitting description.

  After the waitress brought us coffee and walked away, Rogo leaned forward. It wasn't exactly aggressive, but he was definitely trying to display dominance. Rogo could have beaten his chest like an ape and it wouldn't have made a difference. I guess that's the difference between people that are born to it or not.

  "The wolves have elected me to be in charge, since Tracker is no longer available to speak for us." A pointed look toward me made it more than clear who he thought was responsible for that absence. "We have two issues."

  "I'm listening." Cormac leaned back in a completely relaxed position. And was that his arm, slung on the back of my seat?

  "You stole from us."

  "I wouldn't describe it as stealing. It wasn't your history," I said. Cormac, on the other hand, said nothing. I knew it was a flimsy argument but I didn't have much to go on. Cormac's jaw was locked into place. If
I thought he didn't like the Fae, they were best buddies compared to his reaction to Rogo. I found his demeanor grating as well.

  Rogo sat there for a moment and fiddled with his silverware. I guessed he was debating whether or not he was going to take the straw I handed him and try to retain some pride, or if he was going to go to the mat with Cormac. Considering how I'd shamed him last night, it was a bitter pill. Finally, he nodded and looked like he was going to move on from it.

  "The bigger issue we have is the portal being shut down."

  Hmmm, nice touch. Downplay your failure with the book like it was the lesser issue. He might have made a decent politician. Maybe, when we killed the senator, we could nominate him for senate. It might be an improvement from the current political environment.

  "Non-negotiable at present," Cormac replied and I hoped he was going to continue on and throw him a bone. Another full out slight would force Rogo's hand and then I'd either be opening up a portal that would eat up the diner or I'd be picking pieces of Rogo off the floor.

  Just when I thought it was going to get ugly, Cormac handed him a salve for his pride. "But we can offer you extended visas while we are shut down."

  Huh? Of course they can stay. We can't send them back! I wondered if there was even a reason we came today.

  "That's reasonable," Rogo answered.

  The coffee I'd just taken a sip of almost went spewing across the table. I swallowed it, but barely as half when down the wrong pipe. I went into a mindless coughing fit and excused myself from the table as Cormac and Rogo talked over some mindless and inconsequential details. I pointed toward the door and waited outside.

  I watched as Cormac strode out of the diner. He didn't look as pleased as I thought he should've, since the meeting had gone better than anyone could've expected. I hopped off the hood and got back in the car. "What was the point of that whole thing, because I'm not getting this?" I said once we were back in the car.

  "Remember all those new faces at Burrom's?"

  "Of course."

  "He's getting them in."