“Oh, don’t try and play it off. You’re Kate’s boyfriend.” That certainly explained her lack of checking out other guys. Who would, with a hot elf at her beck and call?
He shrugged and dropped the attempted innocent act. “I’d appreciate you not sharing that information.”
“I won’t.” Not for him, but for Kate, and mostly because Percy didn’t seem to mind. Her familiar would’ve let everyone know about it, if he’d disapproved of the relationship. “You didn’t answer my first question.”
“Which…oh, yes. I gave you an infusion of shifter blood. The benefits don’t last more than a few hours, but that was enough to speed the healing process once I’d finished repairing what I could.”
I had to think about that for a minute. “Are there going to be any side effects?”
“None. Well, no physical side effects. Sharing blood’s a rather serious matter for shifters.” He raised an eyebrow and anticipated my next question. “Your bodyguard donated since he’s a universal donor, which led to an unpleasant altercation with your extremely bad-tempered wolf after he arrived. I believe he blames the other for your injury.”
My bodyguard? Who…oh, I remembered. Logan had told Alleryn he was my bodyguard, after the fight at the club the demons had attacked.
“It required Lord Whitehaven’s stepping in to end it.” The elf cocked his head. “Do you want to know who appeared to be winning before he did?”
“Gah.” Men. I closed my eyes. “No. How come your glamour’s not working on me anymore?”
“The combination of pain and lack of control of your abilities, I imagine. Now that you’ve broken it, you’ll probably always be able to see through mine.” He walked around the bed and began unsnapping the buttons on the sleeve of my hospital gown. “I’m going to take a quick peek. Who do you want to see first?”
Talk about a loaded question. “Who’s out there?”
“Detective Schumacher, Lord Whitehaven, your bodyguard, the White Queen, two wolves, one of them yours, the young woman, a Deputy Martin, and your mother,” he paused, flashing a smile. “I quite like her.”
“Leave my mother alone.” I gave him the fiercest glare I could manage, and winced when he touched a finger my shoulder. Pain slid down my arm to my fingers, which twitched. “Ouch.”
“I’m not fool enough to harm your mother, even if I wanted to. I said I liked her. I do. She’s an interesting person to converse with.” Alleryn replaced the bandages and began snapping the sleeve’s buttons. “The wound’s sealed, and I don’t think it’ll leave much of a scar.”
I didn’t care if the injury left a big, ugly scar. That was way better than losing an arm. “Thank you.”
The elf stepped back two paces and bowed. “You’re quite welcome.” He straightened. “Now, who shall I send in first?”
***
Mom bustled through the door, Schumacher on her heels. She dropped a paper bag beside the bed. “My poor baby.”
“I’m okay.” I’d talked Alleryn into raising the head of the bed so that I wouldn’t be flat on my back. Mom kissed my cheek, smoothed my hair back, and began digging around in her purse. She pulled out a brush. I let her go to town on my hair and gave the detective my attention. “What’s going on?”
Schumacher dropped into a chair and rubbed a hand over his face. There were dark circles under his eyes and his clothes looked as though he’d slept in them. “Captain’s pissed. The mayor’s pissed. Damian and me, we’re the ones getting pissed on.”
“I’m sorry. I kind of lost it last night, after seeing,” I swallowed, remembering the little torn bodies. “I couldn’t let them kill any more dogs.”
He waved a hand at me, but I could feel the frustration and worry spilling from him. “I like dogs, Jones, and you going ballistic did some good. They picked up nearly two dozen men. Someone will talk, and there weren’t any suicides last night. At least, none we’ve discovered yet.”
“Where’s Damian?”
Schumacher’s expression smoothed even as his worry surged. “On break.”
Mom glanced at my face, put the final touches on my hair, and we both looked at him. His gaze flicked from her to me and back. “What?”
“Why are you worried about him? What’s going on?”
His lips firmed. “Are you poking around in my head?”
“No, you’re worried about him and it’s punching me right in the brain. I’m his friend too.”
That declaration earned a loud huff of expelled air from him. “Yeah, I know. Look, he’s stressed out. Has some personal stuff going on.”
“Oh.” Damian’s girlfriend, Serena, hadn’t come to the last group dinner we’d had a few weeks before. “She broke up with him?”
Schumacher propped his elbow on the chair’s arm and rested his chin in his hand. “It’s going that way. Or maybe has. He’s been gone for about an hour.”
“Damn. That sucks.” Nothing I could do to help in that area, other than be there if Damian wanted to talk about it. Except figure out how to clean up the Dalsarin mess so he wouldn’t have that hanging over him too.
“It didn’t help that he couldn’t offer any information about the symbols we found. Someone was doing something magical out there, not too far from where the dog fights were held.” Schumacher raised his eyebrows. “Can you tell me anything?”
“Our bad guy’s a dark elf, and he’s one freaky looking, scary dude.” The door of my hospital room swung open, and Alleryn stepped inside, staring at me.
“What did you say?”
“Eavesdropping is a bad habit.”
The elf waved my comment aside. “I was guarding the door. A dark elf?”
“Tall, yellow eyes, looks like a corpsicle. His name is Dalsarin.”
Alleryn yanked a cell phone out of his pocket. I lifted my hand, using my TK to pull it from his. It landed in my lap. “Who do you think you’re calling?”
“My prince. You people are in over your heads. We’ll handle the matter from here.” He strode over to grab the phone. I slapped my hand down over it.
Mom and Schumacher were looking from him to me and back. She spoke first. “Dr. Allan, what do you mean, ‘my prince’?”
I grinned. “Blew your cover.”
I deduced he dropped his glamour from their synchronized gasps. “Prince Thorandryll, my liege and commander. I’m going to call him if your daughter will release my phone.”
When I looked at Schumacher, he nodded. “Let him have it. His prince can talk to the captain and the mayor.”
Picking up the phone, I offered to it Alleryn but my mom grabbed it. “This Dal-whatever turned my daughter into a dog, shot her, nearly killed her little brother, and has killed a lot of people. Can your prince really do anything about him?”
“He will. It’s likely his fault Dalsarin came here.” With that, the elf plucked the phone from her hand and left the room.
We stared after him until Schumacher grunted. “Life used to be a lot simpler.”
“Tell me about it.” I only hoped it wouldn’t get more complicated, but had the feeling that hope was doomed.
TWENTY-EIGHT
It was. Right after Schumacher left, Mom gathered my good hand in both of hers. “I have something to tell you.”
“One of the dogs came up missing.”
She blinked. “How did you know that?”
“Because the dog is who saved Logan and me from getting roasted.” I squeezed her fingers. “He wasn’t really a dog. I’m not sure what he is, but it looks like he’s on our side.”
“Oh. All right. Um, the three new little dogs, are they dogs?”
“As far as I know. You took them?” At her nod, I smiled. “Thanks. I’m sorry you’re getting saddled with taking care of them.”
Mom shrugged. “It’s all right. Besides, I won’t be taking care of them alone. There’s a girl out there, Logan said you two found her out where the trouble was.”
“Tonya, yeah.”
“Yes. I�
�ve talked to her a little bit. She’s only seventeen and has been living in her car for the past two months. I’m going to take her home for a while.”
I almost asked her if she’d gone nuts, wanting to take a stranger home, but thought better of it before anything slipped out. The girl had risked her life against shifters in order to get her dog back, and it sounded like she probably needed some help. I couldn’t think of anyone better than my mom to help her. “Okay.”
We exchanged a smile and she said, “Nick would like to see you, if you’re not too tired.”
“Okay.” She kissed my cheek, gathered her purse, and left. Nick came in less than fifteen seconds later, anger preceding him in a solid wave.
He shut the door before coming over to the bed, and didn’t reach for my hand. He didn’t try to touch me at all. “How’s your shoulder?”
“Doc says it’ll be good as new in a week.” I hesitated. “You’re mad.”
Nick’s lips tightened. “You think? Tell me why I shouldn’t be mad. I’m sure there’s a reason.”
“Maybe because I was on the job, and not alone? It’s not like…”
“Yeah, having Logan as backup worked out real well, didn’t it?” Nick stabbed a finger in the air, pointing at my shoulder. “He should’ve taken that arrow. Not you. I would’ve.”
“It wasn’t his fault I got shot.” No, that had been my own fault since I’d let anger take over. “He jumped a dark elf trying to save me because I lost my temper and made a stupid decision.”
Nick’s lips parted, his eyebrows rising slightly. “I can’t believe I just heard you say that.”
“What? That I did something stupid?”
“Yeah.” His brows dropped and drew together as his eyes narrowed. “You’ve never admitted anything you’ve done was stupid before. I start bitching about Logan not doing his job, and out it comes.”
I took a deep breath. “It’s not about Logan, okay? I did do something stupid last night. I make bad decisions sometimes, but what you’re always on me about is not running away every single time things get a little hot.”
Nick threw his hands in the air. “Because you end up hurt, Cordi. You think the answer is always ‘Charge!’ and that’s what you do. Charge right into danger without thinking.”
“I do too think.” I amended that immediately. “Most of the time. But I can’t see the future.” I had to amend that too. “I mean, not usually.”
“You’re a psychic, not a superhero. You should use your abilities and let me take care of the physical stuff.” He jabbed a thumb at his chest. “That’s what Mr. Whitehaven hired me for: To handle the physical stuff and keep you safe.”
“You weren’t available.”
Nick’s head jerked as though I’d slapped him. “You could’ve called.”
“Yeah, and what? Sat there and waited an hour for you to get there while those sick jerks were making dogs kill each other?” I shook my head. “No. It can’t work that way, Nick. I have to do my job, whether you’re there to back me up or not. I did it before you were hired, and somehow kept myself breathing.”
He unsuccessfully fought a sneer, his hands becoming fists. “You’ve been lucky, but luck always runs out.”
My good hand had clenched into a fist of its own. I forced it open. “Which is it you think I am, helpless or stupid?”
Sneer fading, he shook his head. “I don’t think you’re either. But you’re not like us, Cordi. You’re fragile, easily hurt, even with your abilities. You’re new to our world, and you don’t know how much contempt some species have for humans.”
“I don’t? Funny, because I’ve damn sure seen enough of it from vampires, demons, and now you.” His mouth fell open, but I kept going. “I watched my best friend get played by a vamp, and turned into a party favor. I’ve been attacked more than once by contemptuous supes who think I’m fragile, and I’m still here, still trying to do my damn job. And I’m going to keep doing it, Nick, until you and every other supe who thinks we’re weak, helpless victims gets the attitude adjustment they have coming.”
I threw back the covers and used my good arm to lever myself up while swinging my legs off the bed. Nick stepped back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to see this mess through.” I managed not to fall on my rear when the room spun. I’d stood up too fast. “That’s what I’m doing.”
“You’re hurt. You need to stay in bed.” He edged forward, reaching for my arm and paused, realizing he’d have to grab the injured one. “Please get back in bed.”
“No.” My foot touched something and I looked down to find the bag Mom had dropped. The open top offered a glimpse of clothing. Trust Mom to think about my needing some. I bent down, trying not to move my injured arm, and grabbed the bag. “I’m getting dressed. Go make sure no one comes in.”
Nick crossed his arms and shook his head. “No. Get back in bed.”
I snarled, tossing the bag on the bed. “Fine, don’t help. Leglin.”
The hound appeared between Nick and the door. His tail whacked the wall before he crossed the few feet to me. “Mistress?”
Goody, I could still understand him. I patted his head. “I’m going to get dressed and don’t want anyone coming in here until I’m finished. Would you mind guarding the door?”
“She’s hurt. She needs to get back in bed.” Nick pointed to my shoulder. “Not running around after a dark elf.”
Leglin growled. “There’s a dark one here, in this city?”
“Yeah. He shot me with a freakin’ arrow. Alleryn’s calling Thorandryll, and I want to be in on what happens.” I turned and began pulling clothes out of the bag. Mom had thought of everything, including loaning me one of her loose-fitting, button up blouses. The hound went to the door, and made sure no one would come in by sitting with his shoulder against it.
I glanced at Nick. “Sorry, he’s on my side. Would you untie me?”
“You’re going to get yourself killed.”
You’ll be fine this time. I hoped Sal had meant more than my shoulder. “Not this time.”
His shoulders slumped, and Nick moved close to untie the hospital gown. He even found the sling Alleryn had left, and helped me adjust it.
***
Tense didn’t begin to describe the scene in the hospital meeting room the mayor had commandeered. No one was using the seats around the long conference table, except Nick and me.
“Citizens of this city have been killed by this Dalsarin.” Mayor Wells held Thorandryll’s gaze a lot better than I’d ever managed to. If his Snooty Highness was impressed, he didn’t show it. The mayor slapped his hand down on the table. “He needs to be brought to justice. Public justice, in a court of law.”
“It took the combined might of all our clans to end the threat his people posed over three hundred years ago, and many of us died in the effort.” Thorandryll half smiled. He stood at the opposite end of the table from the mayor, Alleryn at his shoulder. “We took no prisoners, because they can’t be held. The only way to stop him is death, and death is our sentence for those who use dark magic.”
“This is my city, and I,” Wells began, but I interrupted.
“Our city. It’s our city, and he’s telling you this guy is super bad news. Which,” I rolled my eyes at Thorandryll when he looked at me. “We kind of figured out ourselves. People dying equals huge clue.”
Though mad at me, Nick chuckled.
“Be that as it may, the fact remains that none of you can do much against Dalsarin, and it’s best if we take over the matter from here.” Thorandryll glanced at my shoulder. “I’m impressed you survived facing him, Miss Jones.”
“Surviving’s what I do. But,” I smiled back as sweetly as I could. “I’m going with, if only to watch the corpsicle crumple.”
“If she goes, I’m going.” Nick crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.
“Logan’s going too,” Terra said from the corner, where she stood with Logan. “I’ll be Queen
of this city, and should have a representative present.”
Nick growled. “Why, so he can let Cordi get shot again?”
Logan stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides. “I went after her as soon…”
I lifted the heavy conference table two feet with my TK and let it drop back into place. The loud thump closed their mouths. “We really don’t have time for squabbling, people. About anything. If the Cursing Corpsicle isn’t taken care of soon, the city’s his.”
Behind Thorandryll, Alleryn gave the slightest shake of his head while his Prince focused on me. “Who told you that?”
“I figured it out all by my little self.” My response caused a grin to flicker across Alleryn’s lips. He just might be friend material. “I’m right, aren’t I? He’s doing something magical, and not just sacrificing to a god for more power.”
Mayor Wells had recovered. “What the hell do you mean, the city’s his?”
I didn’t answer because I didn’t really know what it meant, other than bad. No one else bothered to answer. Thorandryll’s icy blue eyes had narrowed while he stared. I batted my eyelashes. “Nod for yes, shake for no. Keep standing there looking bugged if you don’t know what’s going on.”
Thorandryll’s expression smoothed to bland. “I believe he’s trapping the souls of those he’s cursed, and intends to use them...”
The door of the conference room swung open, and in came Ronnie with her ferret familiar, Saki, on her shoulder and a leather-bound book nearly as big as her torso hugged in her arms. “To cut off Santo Trueno from the rest of world.”
Wow, talk about an answer I wasn’t expecting. “Why would he do that? Can he do that?”
She nodded, nearly shaking Saki loose. The ferret chittered irritably, grabbing another pawful of her dark brown hair. “That’s not the worst of it. Once he’s cut us off, he has a captive pool of sacrifices at hand. Thousands of them, and with the power he’ll gain, he could quite literally take over the entire North American continent.”
Ronnie crossed to the table to put the book down, and flipped it open to a page marked with a indigo bookmark advertising the Blue Orb. David gave them out with each book purchase. “Kate borrowed this from someone, and it details the war between the elves.”
Something to Curse About (Discord Jones) Page 19