But when he moved to deepen the kiss, I forced myself to step back.
I couldn’t look away from the fierce expression on his face. In a low, steady voice he said, “I walked away once. I believed the lies Jedren told me. I promised I wouldn’t do that again. I won’t walk away. Regardless of the bond you started with Jax, you are still my fated mate.”
He held up his left hand and opened his palm. A small tattoo sat in the center. No bigger than the size of a nickel, the tribal pattern reminded me of the ward marks I had collected.
“Do you recognize it?” he asked, voice tight.
I knew I should. My chest constricted as I stared, trying to find any spark of a memory in the recesses of my mind. But no luck. All I could remember now was his touch. The damage my father had done turned any memory of that symbol to a foggy mass of nothing.
“No. What is it?”
“Your mark.”
Oh, that didn’t sound good. “I made that? Like the wards?” The thought of branding someone freaked me out. Up until a week ago, violence of any kind had made me sick to my stomach. I thought I’d moved beyond that, but I felt nauseous now. And sick at heart.
MacLean nodded in confirmation.
“Why?” The second I asked, I wanted to call that single word back. I didn’t need to know, not now. My brain couldn’t sort through the memories fast enough. Any additional information would only serve to confuse my heart more.
Before I could say never mind, MacLean uttered words I didn’t want to hear. “We began our mate ceremony the night we ran from your father.”
Chapter Nine
I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or run screaming into the night when Teryl walked through the door. He had impeccable timing, so I should be thankful. Instead, I felt more confused with each passing moment. MacLean’s gaze held mine while I managed to call out a tepid greeting to Teryl. If MacLean had said I’d had his baby ten years ago, I couldn’t have been more shocked.
Scratch that. I’d be on the floor, out cold, if that were true. The mark was shocking enough.
“Don’t you remember anything of the week we tried to run away? Anything at all? I thought you got your memories back.”
“No, I don’t. Why would I remember so many things, but not running away with you?”
MacLean looked as frustrated as I felt. “It happened. I wouldn’t lie to you, especially not about that.”
“I believe you. But I don’t know why I can’t remember something so important.” Every time I tried, I drew a big, suspicious blank in my mind. It wasn’t making this easier.
Teryl stepped into the kitchen, dressed in a three-piece suit, and I jumped on the distraction he provided. “How’s it going?”
“Hey, guys.”
MacLean offered him a curt nod and an even curter, “Hi.”
Teryl picked up on the tension. He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll, uh, just wait out front until you’re done.”
“No, stay.” He was giving me a chance to breathe and think again. “That’s a nice suit. What’s the occasion?”
He straightened his lapel. “Dinner, remember? Maxim called me as I was leaving, to kindly inform me that the Council will be there. Stupid asshole planned it that way. Maxim two, us zero for the day. I came back early to go over the game plan.” Teryl frowned at my yoga pants. “We’ll start with your clothes. Definitely go for a dress. And pull back your hair.”
“In case you forgot, you’re a crappy fashion adviser. You made me look like a hooker in that leather cat suit.” Never again.
He gave me a pointed look. “This is dinner. That was a burglary. You’re meeting the Council, which you could compare to meeting high-ranking government officials. If you don’t have anything nice to wear, we’ll have to call Maxim. The jackass could hopefully manage to get you an evening gown. I doubt he’ll push his luck much further tonight.”
The jackass would probably put me in a hooker outfit to discredit me. I’d thought dinner with my father would be bad enough, but now I had to meet the people who’d put a price on my head, people I didn’t think I would have to face until my birthday party. Surprise.
“I have a dress I can wear. Nothing too fancy, but it should work.” I didn’t trust Maxim in the least, so I would make do. The Council concerned me more than my clothing. Would I have to worry about someone killing me while we ate lobster bisque? “Do I need a weapon?”
“No, everyone will play nice tonight.” Teryl smiled, and I felt my shoulders ease just a bit. “They’ll be too busy sizing you up to try anything.”
MacLean put his hands in his pockets, keeping his palm and its symbol out of sight, though not out of mind, for the moment. “Study the Council members,” he advised. “They will surely study you. You might find a few valuable allies.”
That sounded like something Jax would say. I met his gaze. “Before or after they try to kill me?”
A reluctant smile curved his lips, and I saw a hint of humor in his warm eyes. Too bad I wasn’t joking. “Before. They’ll want to see which side you’re on first. They’ve rescinded the order on your head, so I think you should be relatively safe tonight.”
Teryl turned to me. “You’ll be fine. Rumor has it that the Council hasn’t retrieved all of the souls. You’re still a suspect, but Jedren is covering for you. Our job is to figure out what they know and go from there.”
The souls of the most powerful members of the lines were preserved in power objects. I’d been stealing what I thought were expensive but harmless items from my father to pawn and pay for his victims’ medical and living expenses. With the jewelry I’d previously sold, I’d managed to set up most of them with enough money to last a full year, but I still had to figure out a permanent solution. Which was another issue weighing heavily on my mind. I didn’t know until two weeks ago that the remaining gemstones, antique books, and mirror all housed souls.
They had since been returned to the Council. At least I thought they had. I stared at MacLean in growing horror. “Didn’t you give the souls back to them?”
He had the grace to look chagrined. “I did. But more went missing last week, right after you returned to Seattle. I should have told you, but so many other things popped up, it was never the right time.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then another. When I thought I wouldn’t scream, I opened my eyes and pinned Teryl with a look. “What in the hell is going on? And how did I go from making lotions and soaps to being smack dab in the middle of a paranormal blood feud?”
He flashed a cheeky grin. “Guess you’re just lucky.”
I opened my mouth to rip him a new one, but he held up his hands. “Kidding! I’m kidding. Just trying to add a little humor. I honestly don’t know. Jedren’s up to something, which isn’t news. But that’s why it’s so important for us to pay attention when we meet with Maxim. I’m using my abilities to hunt for discrepancies. I found a few things today that worried me, but I haven’t fit all the pieces together.”
He must have seen the panic on my face, because he put an arm around me. “We’ll figure it out. Do you really think I’d feed you to the wolves?”
“I think because we’re surrounded by monsters, you wouldn’t have much say in who eats me.”
“You’re not powerless.” MacLean stepped forward. “You have abilities, too. Now you need to trust yourself to use them.”
Like a bucket of cold water, his words crashed into me, breaking through the fog of panic. Without being aware, I had reverted to the scared, helpless little girl I used to be.
I could shadow and manipulate minds. Sort of. I’m a ward thief with a grand total of four ward marks. Luna would hopefully teach me how to use them this week. And I could create fire in my palms, which might be beneficial if I ever needed work as an entertainer for birthday parties. I suppose the biggest weapon in my arsenal was my mother’s blood. Elleodora Fredricks, demigod. Hmm…
I’d have to work on a better tagline.
I nodded at MacLean. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just…” I rolled my shoulders, which didn’t ease much of the tension. “I’m just going to go get dressed. I need a minute.”
I turned on my heel and ran—at least I tried to run, but Falon’s workout had slowed me to a hobble—upstairs to change.
I stripped and kicked my clothes into a corner. I grabbed my one and only little black dress from its hanger. Plain but serviceable, it was the best I could do on short notice. The shoulder straps also covered the ward mark on my right shoulder blade, and the scars on the left. I didn’t need to worry about the marks just above both hips, though I still had to cover the one on the inside of my wrist. It was small enough to be mistaken for a mole or birthmark, but I wasn’t going to chance it. I rarely wore jewelry, but I’d grabbed a few pieces knowing my father would require appropriate accessories. Thankfully, one of them was a large silver cuff bracelet with a geometric pattern that would detract from my mark and meet his dress standards.
I couldn’t believe more souls were missing. What would someone do with them? And how did I get to be the prime suspect again?
“Luna, if you’re listening, I would dearly love some clarity for my birthday,” I whispered, feeling ridiculous for talking to myself. The dress slid on like a second skin, hugging my curves. I struggled to get up the zipper.
“Bad day, Buttercup?”
I yelped and clung to the gaping, half-zipped dress to prevent Luna from getting an eyeful. “Do you ever knock like a normal person?”
Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she walked in front of me. “You called. Besides, I’m not a normal person.”
I zipped the dress and straightened the fabric before saying, “That’s the first believable thing I’ve heard in hours. It’s been a day from hell, and it keeps getting worse.”
Luna shrugged. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, you’re talking to the wrong woman. I’m Tuatha De Danaan, not a therapist.”
You can add bitch to the list, too, I thought in irritation.
“No argument here,” she agreed cheerfully.
The muscles in my shoulders tensed more. I had to remember she could read my thoughts. God, I hated the lack of privacy. “Why are you here, then?”
“You called me.” The unspoken “duh” rang clear in her tone.
I walked into the bathroom, searching for the pearl earrings my mother had given me for my eighteenth birthday. “Never mind. I need answers, not smart aleck remarks.” I put in the studs and looked in the mirror. A simple chignon should do the trick.
As I twisted back my hair and pinned it in place, Luna leaned against the doorframe and watched me.
“You need to get a clue,” she said. “Otherwise, you’ll never understand any answers I can give you.”
I slammed my hands down on the counter and turned toward her, seething with fury. “Listen,” I hissed, “I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. A lot of my memories are gone, wiped clean without my permission. People want to kill me, or at the very least torture me. I have two mates, which I can’t figure out. My father is evil in ways I can’t comprehend, and it’s my job to stop him. In the meantime, I have to pretend to be his heir, schmooze with his people and the Council, and find the missing souls, all while dealing with you and Elion. And you have the nerve to tell me to get a clue?”
Luna started laughing so hard, she doubled over. Sparks danced along my skin as her energy trembled around the small space.
What was her problem? I didn’t see one damn thing to laugh about in this entire situation. I closed my eyes, suddenly, overwhelmingly tired. Too tired to cry, too tired to fight. I had to meet with the Council for dinner. The same group who, only a week ago, thought I had stolen souls and sent hunters to follow me to Scotland with the orders to bring me back, dead or alive. With Teryl’s news, I realized it was only a matter of time before the hunters came after me again. I’d better figure out how to use my abilities. Fast.
God, this was a joke. Or maybe I was the joke.
Luna stood and wiped tears of laughter from her cheeks. “No, that’s not it at all. I’m laughing because I wanted to see that backbone. Lesson number one is complete. You got your bitch up, Buttercup!”
“Say that again?”
“You got your bitch up. You know, your inner bitch.” She pulled back her shoulders and adopted a sassy pose. “Backbone, spirit, feisty attitude. That sort of thing. That’s the first lesson you needed to learn.”
“Um…right…” I could humor Luna until I found something to throw at her. Childish, yes. But something about her brought out my kid tendencies in a big way. I didn’t like the feeling.
“It’s that little spark of life inside you. That piece that’s strong enough to get you through the weeks ahead. You bury it; I come in and uncover it. It’s one of the perks of my job.” She tilted her head and I half expected her to wink at me.
Funny thing was, I understood what she meant. The hot spark of anger her words had conjured made me forget my fear. Her method sucked, but…she had a point. Now I needed to figure out how to maintain that and not get killed. All at the same time.
I took hold of my inner bitch and dared to ask, “So when are you going to help me use my abilities? You know, move on to lesson two? I’m going to a dinner tonight where over half the attendees want me dead and most think I stole souls.”
Her eyes flickered. “You should be more worried about finding the souls.”
“You want me to focus on finding the souls instead of staying alive? Wouldn’t my being dead sort of defeat the purpose?”
The dagger winked into view as she started tossing and catching it. “Not necessarily.” She snagged the blade in midflip and sheathed it. Turning away, she tossed cryptic words over her shoulder. “I’ll be back later and we’ll talk more. You want advice for tonight? Watch the old ones.”
Then she disappeared. Again.
I sagged against the counter as her energy rushed out of the room. A destructive tornado of power—that’s what she was. One of these days, I would get used to people popping in and out randomly. I hoped.
Jax walked in as I put the finishing touches on my makeup. I didn’t get a chance to say hi before he pulled me close. He wasn’t normally this forward, so I wondered if he sensed my confusion where he and MacLean were concerned. Heedless of the lipstick I’d painstakingly applied five seconds prior, suddenly his firm lips pressed mine open. One hand rested on my lower back and the other wrapped around my neck and held me close. My hands lay on his chest, where I felt the steady beat of his heart. Desire flickered at the edge of my awareness, but I gently pushed on his chest and leaned back.
His trademark scent teased my nose. An enticing blend of mint, vanilla, and ozone, I still wanted to create something similar and sell it. Part of me also wanted to keep every delicious aspect of him to myself.
But the memory of MacLean’s confession and kiss was too fresh, and I had too much to work out in my head. Though I welcomed the link I had to both men and knew they would keep me grounded and, dare I hope, sane in the coming days, I also knew I needed to make a decision. Soon.
Jax seemed to realize I wanted space because he let me go without protest. I touched my still-tingling lips and took an extra step back. What a hot mess.
He smiled and said, “I’d like to show you how much I’ve missed you, but it’s time to get you ready for dinner. If the guest list were different, I’d be happy to show up late.”
I gestured toward my dress. “This is as ready as I get. But I’d use almost any excuse to blow off this dinner.” I smiled in an effort to convince him, because I was only half joking.
Oh, who was I kidding? I wasn’t joking at all. His presence restored my mood and confused me like nothing else could.
His bright silver eyes did a slow perusal over my body. “If lives weren’t at stake, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
“Ugh, you just had to bring that up, didn’t you?” I moved past him and sat hea
vily on the bed. “I’m running blind, and it scares me. Teryl still hasn’t heard from Clio, and I’m terrified of what might happen to her. I’m worried about Teryl, too, for that matter. And you and MacLean…anyone I care for is a potential victim. My father wouldn’t hesitate to use any or all of you to get his way.”
“We’re aware of the risks. You forget that MacLean and I have known about his activities for years. We can take care of ourselves.”
“What about Clio? Can she? From what I’ve seen, oracles don’t have any abilities that help with protection. If he goes after her or Teryl, how do they fight back?”
“They don’t.”
“That’s why he’s been able to kill so many over the years, isn’t it?”
“Yes and no. They don’t have abilities that offer immediate protection like the flames of a phoenix or the stone form of a gargoyle. But that’s why the lines have formed alliances. They offer strength in numbers, and the strengths and weaknesses of each line balance each other. The oracles offer the abilities of their minds, and then ally themselves with lines capable of physical defense.”
“Yeah, that’s been so beneficial,” I added, rolling my eyes.
“Until recently, the need for protection hasn’t been as high. Until the souls started disappearing, life was relatively quiet. I wouldn’t go so far as to say things were wonderful, but there were no issues that warranted strong alliances, let alone protection. Most have been business transactions more than anything.”
“Like my father hiring oracles?” I countered. I understood what Jax was saying, but I couldn’t believe so many people hadn’t paid attention to my father until souls went missing. What about the living victims, the ones he’d left widowed or impoverished?
Jax sat next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’m here to help. I cannot tell you why all of the lines and families do what they do. Maybe they became lazy or didn’t want to see. I don’t know. What I do know is I will protect you with my life. Dinner will be a test of your fortitude and mine. I’ll be right there for all of it.”
Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two) Page 8