by Jeff Hale
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Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me-eee…
I sulked, staring out at the dance floor of some club whose name I hadn’t paid attention to when we’d come into the building, idly stirring the straw around in my Mai Tai. I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday and no one had reminded me because I’d been so upset this morning before class, and again after class because of Aerick’s surprise appearance.
“Earth to Kat, hello Kat.” Kris poked me on the shoulder for the second time, hard, because I’d ignored the first time.
“Hmm?” I turned to give her a blank look, sucking down half the Mai Tai in one shot through the straw.
“I thought this would help you get in a better mood, make you feel better.” Kris gestured to the table in front of us, where a double layer cake made of the most decadent chocolate fudge sat, icing covered candles scattered on the table around it. Presents in brightly colored wrapping were on the table, presents that I hadn’t touched yet.
I glanced up to see four pairs of eyes looking at me hopefully.
“We,” and Kris gestured to herself, Alex, Celeste, and Warren, “are here for you, and we want you to lighten up.”
I wasn’t sure how she’d managed to get Celeste there without Travis, but I was glad of it. Why she had invited Warren I wasn’t entirely sure except maybe she was hoping that non-platonic male company would help as well. I had to give Warren credit, he’d been sweet and attentive ever since he’d shown up.
“Yeah, Kat, lighten up, I know it’s been a rough week, but you’ll get through it.” Celeste smiled at me, grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled him out of the booth, out onto the dance floor.
Get through it? What did Celeste know anyway? Her boyfriend was someone who needed to get his ass handed to him on plate, so she probably wouldn’t miss him too much if he were gone.
The three of us remaining in the booth watched the two of them dance for a few moments, then Warren said, “That friend of yours is a decent guy, right? I mean, I know he decked me, but he thought I was trying to rape you, so I can overlook it.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty sweet and harmless,” I told him, thinking that Alex and Celeste looked rather cute together.
Warren barked out a laugh. “I’m not so sure about the harmless part, my jaw hurt like a sonofabitch. I’m just thinking that maybe he’d be better for Celeste than Travis.”
I agreed with him. “But I thought you and Travis were friends?”
A look of distaste crossed his face. “Maybe once upon a time, but him and his prejudiced little set of friends are part of that damned Purity Movement, and he treats Celeste like crap even though she’s human. Way too militant if you ask me, so I wouldn’t trust them too far.”
“Don’t worry, we don’t,” I assured him.
“Much as I’d love to Travis bash, we’re supposed to be having fun. Go on, you two, I’ll cut the cake into pieces,” Kris said, making a shooing motion at me and Warren.
I sighed, letting Warren help me out of the booth and draw me into the gyrating throng. We danced for a while, Warren slowly testing the waters as to how far I would let him go with his hands. It had only been a couple days since I had broken it off with Darien and I was still hurting, but some perverse little devil in my head kept telling me, Go ahead, you’re not together, you think Warren is attractive, you’ve never had sex with an actual honest to god normal human before, plus, you don’t love him, so he can’t hurt you.
The voice of reason in my head was offended. What if Darien and I made up in the next couple days?
It would serve him right. Highhanded controlling bastard.
So I didn’t stop Warren when his hands roamed, and when he excused himself to use the men’s room, I bounced back over to the booth with my face all flushed. Celeste was sitting there by herself, smiling.
“Oh, Alex took Kris out fer a spin on the floor,” she said when she saw my questioning look, patting the booth seat for me to slide in next to her. “Looks like Warren has ya feelin’ a bit… better.” She winked.
“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed, knowing that I was just using him, using what I planned with him to help mask the pain. Who knew, maybe if I never sorted things out with Darien, or Aerick, maybe something would blossom for me in Warren’s direction. Doubtful, but you never knew.
“So, I wanted to talk ta ya after class today, but ya kinda took off in a hurry,” Celeste said. “I guess seein’ that other ex of yers musta been tough?”
“Yeah, a little,” I admitted. “Sorry I bailed on you guys earlier, it just kind of threw me having him show up in class like that.”
“That’s okay.”
“So what did you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Well, other than wantin’ ta wish ya a Happy Birthday, I guess I wanted ta ask ya if you’ve ever had strange dreams?” Celeste scooted in closer to me.
“We all have strange dreams, Cel.” I laughed a little.
“These are really strange, Kat. I keep dreaming’ about some guy… and it ain’t Travis.”
That caught my attention. “Really? What guy?”
She shook her head and sighed. “That’s just it. I cain’t see his face in the dreams, it’s all blurry, or always in shadow or somethin’.”
“Are they scary?”
“No, no.” She actually blushed a little.
“Oh, those kind of dreams.” I winked at her.
“Not exactly. But not exactly not, either,” she admitted. “But this guy in mah dreams… sometimes it feels like it’s more than a dream, ya know? You’ve had those, right?”
I knew what she was talking about. That drowning dream on the plane back from Greece had been like that. “Like it really happened.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I just wish I could see the guy’s face.” She looked down at the table for a moment, as though she was hiding something. “He’s all dark and mysterious.”
“Who’s all dark and mysterious?” Alex asked as he and Kris approached the table, both of them sweating a little. Warren was still gone, but as I looked around for him, I saw him through the crowd, weaving his way back over.
Celeste winked at me then batted her eyelashes Alex. “Why ya’ll are, Alex darlin’,” she simpered at him and I had to bite back a laugh.
A cube covered in balloon printed paper was pushed in front of me. “Open these,” Kris commanded in her best drill sergeant tone.
“Yes’m.” I tore through the wrapping, then followed through with the others, until I had a pile of gifts in front of me that included a new skirt and shirt, a plastic tray of assorted M&M’s from the M&M factory, a pair of sterling silver earrings from Warren that I ooo’d and ahh’d over and tried not to hold for too long, and a small crystal figurine of a cat playing with a ball of yarn.
I thanked everyone for the gifts, gave everyone hugs, then we all dug into the cake and spent the rest of the evening chatting and dancing. I got up to use the restroom at one point, not exactly sure where it was, and in my hunt someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned to see who it was, surprised to see Lucien standing there. I looked around the club again, not seeing anything familiar, then looked back at him.
“Are we at the Flame?” I asked, bewildered.
“Yes, my dear. I’ve done some remodeling recently. You didn’t know you were here?” He smiled at me and I felt that power radiate off of him, the one that let you know you were dealing with at least a demigod. He was looking dapper this evening in a bright yellow suit, black dress shirt and orange tie. His long silver hair was left loose around his face, shifting slightly as though from a light, nonexistent breeze.
I shook my head, gave him a sheepish grin. I should have known. Any other Club and I would have gotten carded for the drink. “I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“Today is your birthday, is it not?” He linked his arm through mine, gently steering me out of the crowd and into a nearby
alcove.
“Yes, how did you…?”
He bestowed a beatific look on me. “I am the Phoenix, I know many things. Besides, I also have an extremely accurate memory and you spent your nineteenth birthday here as well.” He winked at me. “You just don’t come around that often anymore.”
“No, I’m sorry, just too many memories here of…”
“Aerick?”
“Yes. If I’d known my friends were bringing me here, I’d have suggested someplace else, but I’ve been in such a down mood. It’s been a really crappy week.” I sighed and looked at him.
“I ascertained as much from your call the other night.”
I nodded sadly. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bother you but I needed to talk to someone else who knew Rick.”
“It wasn’t a bother, my dear. I know I didn’t tell you much, but this is something that you and Aerick must work through on your own.” Lucien gave me an almost paternal smile.
“Well, thanks for at least letting me whine about Rick. What I didn’t tell you was that I broke up with my boyfriend a couple days ago, and I found out that my own father sent an assassin after Aerick. He’s just as bad as Darien, thinking he knows what’s best for me, trying to make my decisions for me, keeping shit from me.” I crossed my arms on chest and made a harrumphing sound. “I mean, damn, I knew my da didn’t like Aerick, but to try and kill him? Makes no freakin’ sense.”
Lucien leaned against the wall, his own arms crossed gracefully across the front of his suit, and studied me carefully a moment. “Maybe your father had his reasons? Not that I agree with them. I was quite incensed to find out Lochlan had sent someone after Aerick, but maybe, in his own way, your father thought he was protecting you?”
I snorted. “Protecting me? From what? Other than the fact that I can damned well take care of myself, Aerick could trounce anything I couldn’t handle.”
Lucien regarded me with smoke dark eyes, tilting his head a bit to the side. “Maybe… maybe he thought he was protecting you from Aerick?”
“But we aren’t even together any more, for fuck’s sake! Haven’t been for a long time! Hell, I only just found out he was back in Vegas a couple weeks ago, and he’s been back for longer than that.” I kicked at the floor. “Besides, Aerick would never hurt me, at least I don’t think he would. Hate me yes, hurt me?” I shrugged.
“Not intentionally, no, I don’t believe Aerick would ever physically harm you, but your father, he knows what Aerick is, yes?” Lucien asked.
I nodded.
“Maybe he fears Aerick being near you,” Lucien suggested.
“But he’s not!” I protested.
“Isn’t he?”
“No!”
“Hmm.” He gave me a calculating look. “You know that there is more to you than you think.”
I almost choked on laughter. “Nothing I don’t already know. I almost electrocuted my boyfr—ex-boyfriend a couple weeks ago, so I already know I’m one of those rare shifters that’s also a shaman.”
There was immediate concern in Lucien’s eyes. “You did what? No, I heard you. Have you found a mentor yet?”
Mentor? He must have meant someone to train me. “Maybe. There’s this fire sorcerer who used to work for MAGE but she’s teaching at the university now. We’ve met a couple of times, but I need to set up another one.”
He nodded sagely. “Do so, soon. As for you being a shaman for your pack? Well, yes, I suppose you would be, but I don’t think that is the extent of your difference.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked him, curious and confused.
“Katie! There you are!” I heard Alex say from behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder as all four of them crowded behind me. “We’ve been looking for you… oh, sorry, no disrespect intended, Lucien.”
“None taken, Alexander.” Lucien pushed himself from the wall and gave me another smile. “Look to the sky for your answer, Katelyn, and Happy Birthday.” He gave us all a brief nod, then strolled away.
“You ready to go?” Warren asked me as I stared dumfounded after Lucien.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure.”
I had come to the club with Alex, but I let Warren take me home. I invited him into the apartment and he gave me a perplexed look when he saw Alex in the kitchen raiding a box of Twinkies.
“He lives here?” Warren asked.
“Yeah, my roommate.”
“Just roommate?”
“Yeah, c’mon.” I steered him toward my room, ignoring the reproachful look Alex threw my way.
Warren stared around the room after I shut the door behind him, obviously noting some of Darien’s things that were still out.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “He hasn’t come back to get his stuff yet. Is it going to bother you?”
He hesitated a moment, then looked at me and smiled. “No, not if it doesn’t bother you.”
It did, but I didn’t let Warren know that. Instead, I let him draw me into his arms, his lips meeting mine and sending pleasant tingles down into my stomach, even if it wasn’t the raging fires that both Aerick and Darien could ignite in me. He pulled me down onto the bed with him, fingers already working at my bra strap under my shirt, and I let him finish what he had started before Spring break.
TWENTY
DARIEN
I didn’t stick around the club when Kat had told me she wanted me out of the apartment. I didn’t want to say anything that I might not be able to take back.
As for the assassin that Aerick claimed Lochlan had sent after him, I had no clue, but neither did I have any reason to think the boy had been making it up. I knew the extent of Lochlan’s dislike for Aerick, for what Aerick was, more than Kat did, and sending someone to kill Aerick, or try to, to get him out of the way to ensure Kat’s safety wasn’t anything I would put past the rakshasa.
Lochlan had said he was working on something on his end in regards to the Aerick situation. Now I knew what it was. I could have kicked myself. I should have guessed.
I drove out to the desert, shifted to wolf and went hunting to let my anger cool. Kat’s accusations at me were unreasonable, at least in my mind. It seemed that she didn’t forgive breaches of trust that easily, and while I didn’t have a problem with that, I actually hadn’t hidden anything from her this time, had done nothing to deserve her decree.
She’d kicked me out. Not a big problem to someone who preferred to not be tied down, had in fact been going stir crazy in that small apartment. It was the unsaid implication behind it that hurt. She had broken up with me.
The only sense of relief I had was that it was not to go back to Aerick. I had seen the way he looked at her, seen the hate clouding his blue eyes. That boy wanted nothing to do with her, and while my heart ached for the pain that hate caused to Kat, for me it meant that I might be able to repair our relationship.
Once I calmed down, I drove back to the apartment complex with the full intent of trying to talk to her. I didn’t even have a chance to get out of the car before that damned ghostly familiar of hers materialized in the passenger seat.
“Whatcha doing?” he asked me, cocking his furry head to the side to pin me with those glowing eyes. For some reason I found myself unable to look away from him.
“I have to talk to Kat.”
“You’ve upset her again.” Those eyes narrowed in accusation at me, accusation and disappointment.
“It wasn’t my fault this time, she thinks I knew about something that I didn’t. I should have known, but I just didn’t figure it out.” I gripped the steering wheel tightly, still unable to draw my gaze away.
“So what’s the problem this time?”
“Her father sent an assassin after her ex-boyfriend and she thinks I knew about it.”
The wolf’s ears went straight up in alert. “Kat’s dad tried to have Aerick offed?” Then he laughed. “That should have been a riot. What lame trick did he try?”
“Aerick said something about another Sentinel. ‘U
nhinged’ was the word I think he used.”
Talon’s laugh turned into a bit of a choke. “Well. Fuck.”
“I hate to be rude, but I’d really like to try to patch things up with Kat if you don’t mind.”
“Actually, I do. She needs some time right now, some space, and you need to give it to her. Give her a few days, let her miss you. You go in there now and she’s still just angry, even if it isn’t justified.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
His eyes seemed to flare for a moment. “You will. You will give her some time, some space, for a few days at the least. Now, I have to go. Behave.” And he vanished.
How ironic for a ghostly wolf to tell me to behave. I tried to get out of the car, to go in to talk to Kat, but found myself unable to. I just could not get my body to respond to anything that suggested going into that apartment. I leaned my forehead on the steering wheel, despair briefly stabbing through me at being entirely unable to try and fix it now.
So I left. I found myself a hotel for the night, then proceeded to make a very angry phone call. Lochlan answered on the fourth ring and before he could even get more than a hello out, I let my anger boil over.
“You stupid son of a bitch!” I growled into the phone. “What the hell are you trying to do?”
“Darien? Ach, dinna take a tone like that wi’ me, lad! An’ what exactly are ye accusing me of?” Lochlan’s voice was cold with irritation. He might think of me as a son-in-law, but he didn’t take to disrespect well. At that moment, I didn’t particularly care.
“Are you trying to get Kat killed?”
“What? Wha’ happened? Is Caitlín all right?” His voice became concerned then, as it always did when anything involved either Kat or her mother.
“She’s fine, for the moment,” I said, angry warmth still in my voice. “But what the hell possessed you to send another Sentinel after Aerick?”
“Was the only way tae have a chance tae succeed in killing the lad. Anyway, it’s no matter anymore. I was… persuaded… tae let the matter go.”