Though no longer sporting her horns and wings, Brynn’s size alone draws attention. My guess is that most of these folks aren’t used to encountering someone who looks like she belongs both walking a runway and smashing heads in the octagon.
One little girl with pigtails and wearing a Wonder Woman t-shirt “whispers” to her mom about the lady in the corner being a superhero. I don’t even attempt to cover up a laugh. Even Brynn smiles. She winks at the kid, who immediately giggles.
“I bet you get that a lot,” I say, fiddling with the coffee sleeve.
“Sometimes.” Brynn squeezes honey into her tea. “Other times kids are terrified.”
I run a finger along my lower lip. “That happens to Hank too. Which works well for bartending and bouncing, but kind of sucks otherwise.”
“Assumptions,” Max says, spinning the water bottle cap on the table, his words slurring. “People are good at those. They’re easier ...”
I lift my brows, waiting for the end of that sentence. If he’d planned to finish it, however, he doesn’t get the chance before Hank pulls into the parking spot closest to our group. The gargoyle climbs out of his tiny car with a most stern look on his face.
It’s shockingly similar to the expression the grumpy cat on his t-shirt is making.
Smirking, Brynn stands, fists on her hips. “Afternoon, Hank. Still on your perch at Guidry’s?”
Hank crosses his arms so grumpy cat’s face is warped. “Brynn. Still haven’t settled on one yet?”
“The world is my perch.” Brynn winks, then jerks her head in my direction. “Is what this one says true? You’re helping her clear Max’s name?”
“If we can,” Hank says.
Brynn narrows her eyes, not necessarily a suspicious look, but not a friendly one either. Her gaze cuts to me. I dig my nails into my palms. If for some reason she decides not to trust Hank, he can definitely defend us, but the last thing we need is a scene. Plus, one good hit from her could potentially break my spine. I so do not have time for that.
Keeping perfectly still, I glance around, marking out a retreat. I’m close enough to Max to grab him. He’s weak, but he still might be able to travel us far enough to not have to fight. And, if all else fails, I think I have enough energy to carry him in my talons. Hank will understand.
“Good enough for me,” Brynn finally says.
My shoulders relax. “Thank the fates. Does that mean you’re going to help us make contact with Aline?”
Brynn huffs. “Give me a little time. I’ll see what I can do.”
Hank sits with Max and me as Brynn steps away to make her call. As the afternoon wears on, the coffee crowd thins out. Only a young woman with massive headphones and a stack of textbooks now sits outside, and she pays us absolutely no attention. Based on the fact that I can hear faint strains of her music, she probably can’t hear us at all.
Unless it’s a witch charm meant to hide her more paranormal parts.
I’ll have to keep an eye on her, and our conversation quiet. Resting my elbows on the black, metal table, I lean in toward Hank. Too many questions crowd my brain. Anxiety forces every thought to rush by far too quickly. I need to lay it all out for him so he can see it from top to bottom and give me advice. But we don’t have time. I’ll have to wait for things to settle, for a moment of quiet.
Instead, I narrow my focus, and ask, “Any update on Camp?”
Hank strokes his beard. “Mostly just confirmation that the bounty price has been made public and raised so every hunter close by is coming after it. I put the fear of the gargoyles into Camp, then sent him on his way. It might be enough, but some hunters will risk anything for a big enough payout.”
I tap my fingers against my chin. “Especially if a member of the Tribunal is behind it.”
“Isn’t that kind of thing frowned on?” Max asks. “Going after somebody else’s mark?”
“Frowned on, but not technically against our code,” I say. “It’s also more acceptable if the bounty’s been made public. Which is probably what happened with your mom since she’s been so hard to find.”
Max spins his water bottle cap. “So, we have a crap ton of highly trained magic users and paranormal creatures after us. And we ran from the drop. Cool, cool, cool.”
Tension hardens into a ball in my throat, but I fake a grin. “Is that all? I thought things were going to get complicated and dangerous.” I click my tongue and pull out my pack of cigarettes. “You didn’t bring any tequila did you, Hank?”
Hank laughs. “Already out, huh?”
“Hey.” I light up and then point at his face. “I was broken for about twenty-four hours. I needed something a little stronger than an OTC. Especially when a stubborn water spirit wouldn’t shoot me so I could reset.”
Max crosses his arms. “Oh yes, I’m a horrible person for not wanting to murder you.”
Eyes darkening as his brows lower, Hank slides his chair in, and drops his voice almost to a whisper. “That’s a good thing considering what I told you a few days ago.”
Nauseous, I rub an aching spot on my forehead with a knuckle as Max’s smile drops. “What’s he talking about, Fee?”
I take a deep drag, refusing to meet Max’s eyes when I answer. “You were right. My number of deaths is limited.”
Shadows bleed across Max’s face as the muscles harden. “And you didn’t think that piece of information would be good for me to know?”
“What does it have to do with you?” I snap.
Max rocks back like I punched him. “What does it have to do with me? Oh nothing. It’s not like I care about you or anything.”
Shock hits me so hard it obliterates my response. I gap at him, absolutely positive I look a bit like a fish gasping for water. After all he’s done for me, all of his kindness, I should know this statement is true. Hearing it out loud though? It’s hard to process. So, I say the first stupid thing that comes to mind.
“Seriously, Hank, I really could use some tequila right now.”
Brynn chooses that moment to march back up to the table. “It took some convincing, but Aline agreed to meet. Though she does have some conditions.”
I gather my scattered thoughts back together, back to the task at hand, and glance at Max. Hands in the pockets of his jeans, the water spirit bounces his knee, his expression suddenly a mask of nonchalance, but the tension on his jaw giving him away.
He pulls in a slow breath. “Anything to cover her butt.” Max clears his throat. “Hit us with the fine print.”
“We’re to head to Shreveport,” Brynn says.
I resist a triumphant smirk.
“When we’re nearby,” she continues, “Aline will designate a specific meeting place where she’s going to set up a neutralizing spell so none of us will be able to use magic against her.”
My skin crawls. We conduct our guild meetings inside a neutralizing spell, and the strange stillness it creates leaves me restless, nervous, distracted. Her request makes sense, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. Aline must be an incredibly strong magic user to cast it. No wonder none of the hunters have been able to find her.
“I know it’s not ideal,” Brynn says. “But she won’t agree to meet otherwise.”
Eyeing the young woman with the headphones again — who still doesn’t appear to have any interest in us — I wave my own smoke out of my face, then pull out my cell. “It’s better than her refusing to see us at all. Now, I’m going to find us the nearest rental place. Unless you happen to drive something bigger than Hank’s toy car.”
Brynn snickers, elbows Hank, then stands. “We can all fit into mine. It’s not far from the motel.”
“Great.” I click my tongue. “The sooner we get there the better.”
Brynn’s vehicle is as big as Hank’s is tiny. The white fifteen passenger van looks more like it belongs in front of a youth center rather than a backwater motel close to the swamp. Unless, of course, said youth were on some kind of altruistic mission to pick up l
itter on the side of the highway.
Stifling a laugh, I climb into the far back, Max right behind me as Hank takes the front passenger seat. The smell of tea tree permeates the interior and triggers memories of the essential oil concoctions our maid used to clean the counters.
Brynn revs the engine, and we’re off.
Fastening my seatbelt and dropping my backpack onto the floor, I draw in a deep breath, and let out a very slow sigh. “I love this smell way more than is socially acceptable.”
Max wrinkles his nose with a slight laugh. “It’s better than bleach, not to mention far less terrifying.”
I cackle. “Though equally as effective. At least according to my family’s maid. Kelith was the only one in the house I could ever ride with.”
“A little nicer than the cook was, huh?” Max asks. “Never chased you with a cast iron skillet?”
I twist around to look at him, the back of my head against the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch the road. Though the girl with the headphones didn’t appear to follow us, if she is using a charm, she might be able to disguise her movements. Freaking witches.
“Thank the Fates, no,” I say, still half looking out the window and half looking at Max. “She swore like a troll, could out drink our entire security team, and didn’t care at all whether anyone approved of her or not. Kelith also got me in contact with Hank when I left the fae realm.”
“Sounds like she took good care of you.”
“Better than my own parents.” Swallowing, I zero in on the road behind us, forcing myself to say what needs to be said no matter how fast my heart races. “Two things. One, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I’d found out I had a limit. And two... that was some kiss back there.”
At first, Max doesn’t respond. The thrum of my pulse fills my ears as warmth flashes across my skin. Anxious, I fiddle with my seatbelt, every thought bloated with suspicion rising up to meet me. He did it out of pity, possibly to stop me from yelling at him, not out of affection. And it’s better that way. More professional.
“It was for good karma,” Max says finally. “Which either did, or didn’t, work depending on how you look at Brynn’s attack.”
I swat his knee.
Max laughs. “I’m kidding,” he says, then scoots a little closer, and reaches out for my hand.
Head swimming, I slide my fingers through his. The cool of his skin calms the embarrassed heat in my own. The memory of his lips on mine scatters a shiver through my muscles and I find myself thankful Hank and Brynn are up front. Otherwise, I might maul Max right here in this back seat.
Max traces my knuckles with his thumb, a pleasant, steadying rhythm. “In all seriousness, I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he says quietly. “Even before you decided to help me.”
Shifting my gaze to the two gargoyles, then out the window again, I tilt toward him. “Be honest, you just wanted me to shut up, didn’t you?”
I giggle and, when Max leans in, I meet his lips in another gentle kiss. Desire blazes through me and only the presence of Hank and Brynn keeps me from tackling him. With this thought dousing the fire a little, I rock back, and lift an eyebrow at Max.
“If you’re using your magic on me—”
Max flicks my nose, and again I burst into giggles. He opens his mouth, probably gearing up for a snarky comeback, but a violent jolt cuts him off as something rams the back of Brynn’s car. It throws both of us sideways. Our seat belts keep us in place, but turned as I am, my neck cranks at a funny angle.
Sharp pain splinters down my already aching spine. Before I can right myself again, a second impact slams into us. My head collides with something hard, ripping consciousness out of my hands, and tossing me into burning darkness.
17.
WHEN I BURST TO LIFE again, I tumble over the seat in front of us, leaving a blaze of flame behind me. Brynn curses and the van veers left. Scrambling to my knees, I fight to regain my bearings. I must have hit my head in just the right spot. Dread crawls up my throat. One more life down.
Still in the very back, Max gapes for a moment at the small fire, then grabs my backpack out of the floor and water bamfs up next to me.
As much as I’d love to not do this car chase thing naked, I need both hands to hang on as Brynn takes a sharp turn off the highway and onto a sideroad. Clinging to the headrest, I glare out the back window at the massive black truck intent on crushing us like a Coke can. Possibly rival bounty hunters. Then again, why would they risk hurting Max?
Whatever the reasoning behind the assault, I’m not going to let that happen.
Gritting my teeth, I hit the button to roll down the window, then shift into phoenix form and bolt outside. Wind tosses me sideways. I spread my wings, fanning out my feathers to right myself. Regaining control, I hover low to the asphalt, swooping toward the truck behind us.
I aim for the tires. Though strong, my beak isn’t tough enough to puncture them, but my fire and talons might do some damage to the rubber. With a screech, I tilt sideways as I pass the truck. Flames spread out from the tips of my feathers to lick the undercarriage and wheels.
The car swerves away from me as a wave of magic blasts out one of the open windows. I swoop under it, soaring into the sky behind them, then dive back for a second assault. An invisible force tugs at my feathers. I race ahead of it, spinning to claw at the tires before curving up around the front end of the truck.
A man in the passenger seat pops up onto a knee. He throws a hand out the window, and again I have to dip under his attack. I use the momentum to make a pass by their as yet undamaged tires on the other side, torching these as well.
A satisfying pop resounds from the bottom of the truck. Again, they swerve, almost crushing me against the guardrail. I barely make it up and over it before I’m smeared across the metal. With another battle screech, I arc around the car once more, wrapping them in a flurry of fire, then shoot into the sky to survey the damage.
Smoke and flame surround the vehicle as it skids to a stop. As I loop a circle above them, shapes pore out of the doors and onto the street. One of them — a girl with oversized headphones around her neck — gestures toward me, shouting something I can’t hear.
Mentally, I curse. As gratifying as it is to have been right about our fellow coffee shop customer, I should’ve been paying more attention to her when we left, watched to see if she followed us. Now I’ve wasted another life. One I apparently don’t have to spare.
The magic connecting Max and me tugs at my body. Keeping high, hoping to stay out of range for any of our pursuer’s spells, I swoop back toward Brynn’s van. She slows as I near the window, punching it the second I’m inside. Max gapes as I shift back into human form and dig straight into the backpack for my change of clothes.
Quickly, I get decent, lifting my brows at him. “What?”
“That was hot.”
I smack his knee. “Shut up.”
“What?” Max grins, holding up his hands. “It’s true, mama. Not just a pun.”
“You okay back there, kiddo?” Hank asks from the front.
“Nothing a little phoenix fire couldn’t handle,” I say, putting my seat belt back on, and craning to watch out the rear window. “I couldn’t tell who they were, but one of them was at the coffee shop for sure.”
“The one with the headphones?” Brynn asks.
I click my tongue. “You got it.”
Brynn growls something in a language I don’t understand. “I should’ve been paying more attention. Good job knocking them out.”
Pretending to brush off my shoulders, I throw her a wink. “It was better than just sitting here naked and waiting for them to crush us. I’m a little surprised your van couldn’t handle it.” I laugh when she glares at me in the rearview mirror. “I’m just saying, you should invest in something a little more sturdy. Like a hummer.”
A small grin breaks past her stoic expression. “Not a bad idea. I’ll take it under advisement. Though all things considere
d, old girl held up pretty well.” She pats her dashboard. “A lot better than that tiny car of Hank’s would’ve.”
Hank rubs his massive triceps. “Everybody hates on the bug, but she hides better than this monstrosity.” Brynn punches him in the leg, and he chuckles. “And on the subject of hiding, do you think you could charm the van against tracking, Fee?”
Tracing the cuff tattoo on my wrist, I lift my shoulders, then let them drop. “I’ll give it a try, but she’s pretty big, so no promises.”
Shutting my eyes to concentrate, I press one hand into the roof, and the other into the door frame. As my mind settles, my senses reach out for the vibrations. Slowly they connect. Like a gentle shiver, they roll into my magical grasp.
I lose my balance as the van bounces over a rough patch in the road. My grip slips and I grunt with frustration. Sweat dampens my hairline. This would be a lot easier if I hadn’t just expended so much energy on slowing down our pursuers.
A cool hand on my back steadies me. Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at Max. A faint smile plays on my lips. He winks. Smooth move, but also a helpful one. This added support makes it far easier to focus while in this precarious position. I let a breath slide slowly out through my nose as I gather the van’s vibrations into a singular, concentrated ball of energy, then shift them ever so slightly.
The space around me tilts and I grin. Now just off center, the charm will essentially discourage anyone from looking directly at us. It’s not a perfect cover, but we’re not going for perfect here, functional will work just fine.
I spin back around, and flop into my seat, arms crossed, heels on the back of the row in front of us. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“I stand in awe,” Max says.
“Don’t patronize me.” Snickering, I elbow him.
“I wouldn’t dare. Way too risky.”
My cheeks warm and my lips tingle. To distract myself, I dig around in my backpack for a bag of nuts I bought at the coffee shop. Though we’ve already made out essentially in front of Hank and Brynn, I don’t especially want a repeat with an audience. Not with this heady desire raging through me. If I start kissing him now, things are going to get deliciously out of control fast.
Cursed: Out of Ash and Flame Page 15