Wolves and Roses

by Christina Bauer

  “Bye, sigh, pretty little cry, your wedding day is when you DIE.”

  “I’ll never marry Philpot. I told him today that I never wanted to see him again.”

  “You don’t mean that,” says Lauralei.

  I grit my teeth. For a second, I debate about telling them off. However, my logical side points out that facing down my aunties is a big deal. If I lay into them now, they’ll just crack out their magic and transport over here. Then, what will I do? Sure, they aren’t strong enough to transport into Elle’s condo itself, but they’ll hang out by the door all night. I’ll be stuck here listening to them while Elle sleeps.

  No, I need to do this in baby steps.

  And my first step is to just get them off the phone. This time, I won’t even use any games.

  “I don’t want to talk to you right now.” With that, I hit the End Call button and turn off my phone. Yes! I just shut down my aunties without even telling an elaborate lie. That’s awesome.

  For the time being, my aunties may be dealt with, but everything else comes into nasty focus. I mean, talking to Colonel Mallory only made things worse. I’m part werewolf? What a load. And Elle has mega-fairy powers that she’s been holding back from me? That bit seems true, considering Elle’s recent confession. It’s also totally depressing, though.

  I stare down at Elle. Colonel Mallory said he cast a harmless sleeping spell on her, but how am I to know what’s really at work? Maybe Alec can help. I start to search for Elle’s phone, since she’s the only one with his number. Of course, you can never find someone’s phone when you’re actually looking for it. I’m about to start tearing the condo apart when a knock sounds on the door.

  No doubt, that’s my aunties. Crap. Sure, I’ve never hung up on them before, but I thought it would take more than that to make them transport over here. It’s not like they have a ton of magic to toss around. My stomach twists with disgust. I’m sure they’re here to lecture me about my lack of respect.

  I check the clock. That was sure fast. They must have used magic to get over here. “I know it’s you, aunties. I’m not opening the door.”

  After that, the pounding continues for ten minutes solid. This is standard auntie procedure. Usually, I give in around the two-minute mark, but tonight? I do a really good job of ignoring it.

  “You can pound all you want. I won’t open up.”

  There, that’s telling them.

  Perfect silence follows. A thrill of excitement zings through my limbs. Did I really wait them out? Did I set a boundary, and they actually paid attention? I’m tempted to scan the hallway and find out for myself.

  I keep staring at the closed door. More silence ensues. They really are gone, and I need to see the evidence that they left.

  Hey, what’s the worst that can happen?

  I step up to the door, undo all the locks, and open it a crack. But the hallway is not empty. And it’s not my aunties who are out there, either. It’s not even Knox.

  Philpot is here.

  “Forget it, loser. We are broken up.” I start to close the door in his face, but he slides his shiny Cole Haan-covered foot right in the way. He moves so fast, his body is a blur. What’s up with that?

  Philpot peers over my shoulder. “I see you’re alone.”

  “Elle is here.”

  “She’s not the one I’m worried about.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Did he expect me to be here with Knox or Colonel Mallory? As soon as the question pops into my mind, I dismiss it. This is Philpot being Philpot, that’s all.

  “I can’t have you hanging around with other men, especially not a werewolf. It’s just too dangerous.”

  I shove on the door with my shoulder, trying to jam it shut. Philpot is way stronger than I thought he’d be.

  Why did I think it was a good idea to open the door?

  At some point, you’d think I’d just call it quits on making any decisions today because my luck is zero. “Go home, Philpot.”

  “Knox told you what you really are, didn’t he? You know you’re part werewolf.”

  His words freeze me as good as any spell. “What did you say?” In my mind, I repeat what’s now becoming my favorite mantra. I’m not a werewolf. I’m not a werewolf.

  “So you do know. Or at least, you suspect the truth. I’m sorry, Bryar Rose. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” With a burst of strength, Philpot forces his way inside.

  Now, I really wish that I had at least one of our phones handy. Instead, I can only glare at Philpot. “Get out. Now.”

  Philpot reaches into his pocket. “This room reeks of magic. What have you and Elle been up to?” He spies her on the couch. “Oh, my. You told the truth. Elle is here, after all. But your little friend appears to be under a sleeping spell. Uh-oh. She’s not doing well, either.”

  A weight of dread settles into my stomach. “How do you know that?”

  “To me, her skin appears to be sparkling with green light. Don’t you see it?”

  What? Green? That sounds like bad news.

  I rush over to Elle, quickly checking her exposed skin. “Nothing looks wrong. I don’t know what you’re talking ab—”

  Suddenly, a white handkerchief is jammed over my mouth. An acidic scent fills my lungs. The fabric is drugged. White splotches take over my vision while my legs turn watery beneath me. Two thoughts repeat through my mind as my consciousness fades.

  Philpot is knocking me out.

  Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Knox

  I follow the darkened sidewalk that leads to Elle’s condo. With every step, my mind whirs through what I’ll say to Bry. How do you convince someone that they’re a werewolf and need to shift immediately?

  Not easily.

  I’m still obsessing over that question when the familiar outline of Elle’s building appears on my right. The way it looks has changed, though. I stop. The main door hangs cockeyed and open on its frame.

  That’s wrong. Way wrong.

  No one leaves a door open in the city. Not unless they have a death wish. The residents in this building would have the thing Super Glued shut if they knew. Which means someone just broke in.

  My senses go on alert. Someone just broke into Elle’s building. My protective instincts go into overdrive. Whoever it was, they could still be here.

  My wolf paces inside me. “Danger. Mate.”

  “We don’t know that, buddy. People break into buildings all the time. This is New York. The crooks are probably long gone, and with someone else’s stuff.” Still, I speed inside and rush up the stairs to Elle’s place. My heartbeat pulses double-time in my chest.

  I pause at the hallway that leads to Elle’s condo. Her door is wide open. I take in a deep breath, looking for any familiar scents. There’s Bryar Rose’s scent of cinnamon, honey, and sunshine, along with that nasty cologne that Philpot wears.

  What’s that freak doing here?

  I rush inside Elle’s place. It isn’t huge, so it’s easy to see that Bry isn’t here. Elle is sacked out on the couch. There’s another scent in the air here. It’s acidic and sweet, all at once. I know I’ve come across this aroma before, but I just can’t place it.

  Well, whatever’s going on, I don’t like it.

  I grip Elle by the shoulders. “It’s me. Knox. Wake up.”

  She doesn’t flinch, let alone open her eyes.

  I’ve hung around Alec long enough to know when someone’s been knocked out with a spell. I whip out my cell and dial his number. Alec picks up on the first ring.

  “What’s up, man? I’m on level twelve of my new game, and so help me, if you make me lose a life, I will hunt you down.”

  “I’m at Elle’s place. The door was wide open. Bry isn’t here, and Elle’s knocked out on the couch. I think something’s wrong.”

  “So, make her some coffee. She’ll perk up.”

  Coffee? Clearly, Alec isn’t getting the sense of urge
ncy here. “I wouldn’t call you if that’s all it was. Elle’s under a major spell. I tried waking her up, but it’s no use, so poof your ass over here right now. Elle needs to tell us what happened to Bryar Rose.”

  “Got it. I’ll be right there.” I’m glad to hear that Alec has his future CEO voice on. It means he knows this is serious and will show up ASAP.

  Sure enough, a reddish haze appears by the door. Within a few seconds, the light solidifies into the shape of Alec. He raises his right hand, which still glows from whatever magical jewels are in there. Whoa. I’ve never seen Alec cast a transporter spell this quickly before.

  The moment Alec fully appears, he tosses the now-darkened diamonds into the pocket of his suit coat. Alec has a whole system for which pockets go with which magical jewels. All the blackened gems end up in his left pocket.

  He doesn’t waste any time with hellos. “Where’s Elle?”

  “On the couch.”

  Alec rushes over to her side. The guy looks totally freaked. His normally strategically messed-up hair just looks like a rat’s nest after the magical transport. He kneels beside Elle and reaches into an inside pocket of his suit jacket. When he pulls his hand out again, his fist holds emeralds. Some gemstones and crystals naturally soak up power, like a battery. Alec can pull that energy out and turn it into magic. Now, emeralds carry power for spell-breaking. I’ve only ever seen him use one or two small stones before. But this time, he’s pulled out three gems the size of golf balls. My buddy means business.

  Alec closes his eyes and raises his hand. The gemstones now glow red inside his palm. No matter what the stone, wizard magic always shines red.

  The stones keep glowing brighter, but that’s it. Nothing else happens.

  Alec opens his hand again and stares at the now-darkened stones. “What the hell? That should have broken the spell easy.”

  “Who can even cast a spell that strong?”

  “I don’t know.” Alec reaches into another pocket of his jacket and pulls out a huge blue sapphire.

  “You sure you want to use that?” Alec has been dragging that stone around for years. It’s a super-powerful, all-purpose gem, the kind you only use in case of major emergency. I finger the black opal claw that I wear on a chain around my neck. This gem is the same kind of super-powerful stone, only it’s to help me escape from wizards. Either way, these aren’t things that you use lightly.

  Alec closes his eyes once more. A flash of red light shows through the fingers on his closed fist. The illumination becomes brighter and brighter until the entire condo is bathed in crimson. An ear-piercing crack fills the air as the sapphire breaks inside Alec’s palm. It blackens and turns into soot. Bits of dust float through his fingers and onto the floor.

  Damn. Alec just used up all the power in that sapphire to cast his spell…and nothing happened. Elle is still asleep. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  Bile creeps up my throat. If someone was powerful enough to do this to Elle, what happened to Bry?

  Finally, Elle’s eyes flutter open. I exhale. At least, my friend’s magic is still working.

  “Alec?” she asks. “What are you doing here?”

  He scoops her up into his arms. “You scared me to death, Elle. Knox came by just like he promised. He found your door open, you asleep, and Bryar Rose gone, so—”

  Elle breaks free from his hold and stands. “Bry is gone?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. Instead, Elle stalks around the condo. She even quickly scales up the ladder to the loft. “Bry is gone. What happened to her?”

  I step forward. “We were hoping you could tell us.”

  “All I know is that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent came by.”

  My voice lowers to a growl. “The fairy who cursed her?”

  “He may have cast a curse on her, but I think he meant it to be helpful.”

  “Never trust a fairy.”

  Elle and Alec exchange a long look. There’s a whole conversation in that stare, and I think back to how cagey Alec has been about whatever the hell is going on with him and Elle. I take a deeper whiff of Elle’s scent.

  In a flash, I know at least part of the story. “You’re fae, aren’t you?”

  Elle nods. “I always told Bry I was human.” She sighs. “That’s why I could tell Colonel Mallory was speaking the truth. Call it a sixth sense for my people. We can mislead humans, but it’s harder between fairies.”

  “So where is Bry?”

  Elle shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

  I stalk around the small apartment. That scent of sickly-sweet acid hits my nostrils again. Suddenly, I remember what it is. “Someone used a knock-out drug on Bry.” My blood heats with rage. “My money is on Philpot. His stench is all over this place.” I round on Elle. “How did he get in here? You’re a fairy. Don’t you have protection spells on this place?”

  “I do, but if Bry opened the door for him, then they wouldn’t have worked.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Great. Just great.”

  Alec steps between us. “Look. This is getting us nowhere. Let me cast a tracer spell on Bry.” He focuses on Elle. “Do you have something of hers I can use?”

  “Sure.” Elle rushes up the ladder to her loft and comes down holding a scarf. “Bry left this here. Will this work?”

  Alec turns the silk over in his hands. “Yeah, this ought to do it.” While holding the scarf in his left, Alec reaches into yet another hidden pocket in his jacket and pulls out a small white crystal. He grips the stone in his right hand and closes his eyes. A small flash of light glows inside his palm. If you didn’t know to look for it, you might have missed the whole thing. Alec opens his eyes once more. “I have bad news.”

  I can’t help the angry edge in my voice. “Don’t tell me she’s hurt.”

  “Bryar Rose is fine. But Philpot took her to a conversion zone in the Adirondacks.”

  His words send my inner wolf into a frenzy. “Save mate! Save mate!” I’m not too far behind him either. Conversion zones are bad news.

  Elle frowns. “A conversion zone. What’s that?”

  “It’s where they take humans and turn them into Denarii,” explains Alec.

  “So, why do you both act like that’s a bad thing?” asks Elle. “The Denarii who run our group seem nice enough. Mostly.”

  I could go easy on Elle, but we don’t have time for that. “Let me put it to you plainly. Denarii—I mean, the real Denarii—are actually a cross between mummies and zombies. Bry will either get turned into a monster or eaten for lunch.”

  Elle rolls her eyes. “Mummies and zombies? No way. I con people for a living, and even I don’t believe that story.”

  Right. This is what happens any time we have to explain the true nature of Denarii. It’s also why Alec and I keep Reggie around. He saves us days of convincing and disbelief.

  I decide to try a different approach. “Look, how about I boil this down? Philpot has kidnapped Bry. The place where he’s got her is a magically guarded compound near the mountains. Alec and I have been trying to sneak in for years without success. Now, either you’ll help us, or you’ll get out of the way, because we are going after her.” I don’t need to ask Alec if he’s going along. That’s a given.

  Elle’s intelligent gaze flickers between Alec and me. “Fine. I’m convinced. And what about Philpot?”

  “I didn’t sense anything strange about him,” says Alec. “And I checked. I don’t like people making a scene in my family’s building. Either he’s a master wizard, or he’s a regular human.”

  I sniff. There’s no way Philpot is a master wizard. The guy is too big of a loser. “My guess is that Philpot is one of the human stooges the Denarii employ from time to time. You’d be amazed what people will do for money.”

  “Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.” Elle chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. “Who’s driving?”

  Alec stands behind her, points at her head, and mouths four words: I love this girl.

  I lift m
y brows. The reply is out there without my even needing to say it. You love this girl?

  Alec waves me off. “It’s a figure of speech.”

  Obviously, Elle hears that one. She turns around to scope out Alec. “Are you two having a conversation over my head without me?”

  I shrug. “Yeah. We do that kind of thing all the time.”

  “Well, you can do it in the car from now on, because we’re leaving.”

  Alec heads toward the door. “I have the perfect vehicle for this occasion, too.”

  “Cool. I’m calling shotgun.” Elle pulls up the couch cushions until she finds her phone. After that, she starts speed-typing on the thing. “I also have some friends in low places who owe me a few favors. I’m calling them in.”

  “Thanks, Elle.” Alec turns to me. “I have some special gems and spells I can bring along as well. What about you and werewolf friends?”

  “I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve.”

  I pull out my own phone and hit the number for Lucky’s. Ready or not, I’m talking to Azizi. I need his special brand of help right now.

  No matter what comes, I’ll free Bry. And after that, I will save her wolf. Anything else is simply unthinkable.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bryar Rose

  I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but it’s the gross taste in my mouth that wakes me up.

  Ugh. It’s like I gargled medicine and aftershave.

  I slowly blink my eyes open. Huh. I’m lying atop a double bed inside a round hotel room. Gray paint peels off the walls. A moth-eaten carpet covers the floor. The windows are all cracked and dirty, so I can’t see outside. That said, the light itself is bright, and insects are chirping away outside. It must be late afternoon.

  I moan and press my palms to my eyes. Late afternoon? That means I’ve been passed out all night, and it’s now Saturday. My birthday. I should not be in a crappy hotel room today. And how exactly did I get here, anyway? The last thing I remember, Philpot shoved a handkerchief over my mouth. He must have knocked me out and brought me…where? To a broken-down hotel room that’s somehow round?