Taunt (Ava Delaney #2)

by Claire Farrell

  He waved the air as if to brush over the fact. “That’s not how it happened. We planned on handing you over, remember? Paying off a debt was just a handy bonus.”

  I looked at him in disgust. “Is that an apology? Christ.” I leaned my head on my hands. I had no idea what to do next. If Eddie was my best bet, then I was screwed.

  “Alright,” I said, swallowing back an insistent wave of panic. “Tell me.”

  Eddie looked confused. “Tell you what?”

  “Everything. The Council, their rules, how their trials work. Everything you should have told me before that might have kept me out of this mess. Right now, I need facts. I need to know what I’m going to do. I need to know what my chances are.”

  “You’re right,” Eddie said. “I should have told you more. I honestly didn’t expect them to entertain Gideon.”

  Peter slammed his cup down. “You knew about him?”

  “I knew he was up to something, but I thought Ava could handle it.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Peter’s expression said I couldn’t handle anything.

  Eddie took a step closer to me. “Maybe you should give her a bit of credit.”

  I was about to open my mouth to tell them both to shut up, but Carl beat me to it. It was amusing to see how startled they were; they had gotten used to him falling asleep and being incapable of taking part in conversations.

  “Give it a rest. This isn’t helping Ava. Let’s figure this out, okay?”

  I rested my hands on the counter, needing to get the conversation back on track. “Eddie, what’s going to happen? After the trial, how do they make their decision?”

  “It depends on Gideon, and how big a case he makes against you. If you could discredit him, then the attention would turn from you. The biggest problem is what you are, but if we can distract them from that, it could go in your favour.”

  “So, let’s do it,” Peter said.

  “Do what?” Carl asked.

  “Discredit Gideon. We know he’s involved in illegal human testing, so we need to get our hands on some of the formula and pass it on to the Council. Plus, we can always try and come up with an actual defence for the other stuff.” Peter’s excitement grew with every word; it was as though he relished the whole thing.

  “How on earth are we going to get our hands on that formula?” I asked, incredulous that he thought it was a viable idea.

  “Becca.”

  I made a face. Becca was a pain in the arse. “Well,” I said. “You get right on that, and good luck. But, maybe in the meantime we should figure out a defence. What rules have I broken?”

  Eddie cocked his head. “Technically, you could have gotten away with it, but Gideon is claiming you have ulterior motives for all your actions. He’s saying you didn’t fight in self-defence, but rather to instigate a civil war amongst vampires.”

  I made a disgusted noise. “They were on the brink of that already.”

  “Peter told me you think that maybe this is a distraction,” Carl said. “Using the trial to get everyone focused on you, so Gideon can get away with the human testing.”

  “That’s a good possibility,” Eddie agreed. “But we won’t know what his final move is until the trial. We might be able to use the rules against him, if we’re imaginative. Besides, the Council has never been keen on the vampires. That’s why the quota is enforced. If we can persuade them you’re more human than vampire, they might feel obliged to protect you. Or at the very least, that it isn’t their place to judge you.”

  “What about Carl?” I asked.

  “What about him?”

  “I was only trying to help him, and I got both covens on my back, then they kidnapped my grandmother,” I said. “Surely that has to count for something.”

  “I could be a witness,” Carl said.

  Eddie seemed to think about that.

  “Besides,” I continued. “They’ve taunted and provoked me, practically forced me into a fight this time. Daimhín knew, I know she did, and she did nothing to help me. They can’t seriously get away with all of that, can they?”

  Nobody seemed to want to answer that one. Finally, Eddie spoke in a gentle voice. “We’ll do our best to make sure that won’t happen.”

  “Why are you helping me?” I asked, more abrupt than I intended.

  “I’ve told you before, it’s in my best interests to make sure you’re relatively safe. I don’t want Gideon to win and, as a consultant to the Council, I have the authority to help you.”

  “Alright, tell me about the Council members then, and the others, the consultants. One seemed human,” I said, changing the subject.

  “Yes,” he said, nodding. “She’s a witch, but quite human. The other consultants include a shapeshifter, a vampire, and an outer-level demon.”

  I glanced at Peter, but he seemed unruffled. I wasn’t. “Wait a second, a demon?”

  “Working together, at least on a surface level, avoids wars.” Eddie carried on as if I hadn’t spoken. “The four members of the Council are Gabe, Erossi, Koda, and Fionnuala. You already know Gabe,” he said before I could ask a question. “Erossi is an immortal; he represents many immortal creatures, particularly those like him and those from the sea.”

  “So, what, is he a God?” Carl asked.

  Eddie snorted. “He wishes. He merely lives forever. He’s the only immortal who was interested in taking the job. He isn’t anything special.” I tried to hide a smile; Eddie sounded pretty jealous.

  “Next is Koda, the eldest member of the Council. He is an ancient Dryad, the last of his kind in this country, although he represents a vast range of species. His time on this earth is coming to a close, that much is clear. He’s more sympathetic than the others, although Gabe is particularly vested in the outcome.” He hurried on, possibly seeing me want to question him further. “That leaves Fionnuala, an old fae. She’s the head of the Council and likes the sound of her own voice, but she’s very powerful, as are most of the fae. She’s one of the few fae controlled enough to be on the Council.”

  “You need to win her over,” Peter warned me.

  “I don’t know how easy that will be,” I said, doubtful.

  “Twist the rules enough to make her get on your side,” Eddie advised. “She would respect that.”

  “I shouldn’t have to twist the rules. The rules should be protecting us, not vampires.”

  They all stared at me. “What?” I said. “I’m not a vampire, so don’t go looking at me like that, okay?”

  “We know you’re not like them, Ava,” Carl said. “But maybe if you were more like them, then their rules would protect you too.”

  “I don’t know,” I said, feeling more frustrated than ever. “What did I even do wrong?”

  “Okay,” Eddie said. “They’re saying you tried to start a war and that because you’re a different… species, you’re a danger to the balance. One species openly attacking another is not acceptable.”

  “But I’ve avoided all of them my whole life. Why would I want to instigate any problems?”

  “Exactly,” Eddie said. “They won’t have proof to back up the claim.”

  “Maybe Nancy could give evidence, too,” Carl suggested.

  “We could ask,” Eddie said, concentrating with his eyes closed for a few minutes.

  “So, wait,” I interrupted. “Let’s skip ahead a bit for a minute. What exactly happens at the end of the trial? Who decides what happens to me?”

  “The Council hear from the consultants. They each give an opinion, and then the Council takes some time alone together to discuss their final decisions. They take into account what would be best for the greater good. Therefore, even if they found you innocent of Gideon’s accusations, they could potentially find you to be a threat. I am almost certain this is what Gideon is really going for here,” Eddie said, shaking his head.

  “And if Daimhín gets some of the blame attached to her along the way, all the better,” Carl added, anger flaring in his eyes. />
  It was a lot to take in. I didn’t have many options. Yet again, I was between a rock and a hard place, but this time I had no way of sliding away unscathed while the others knocked themselves out.

  “I’m screwed, right?” I looked at all three men and knew they thought the same.

  “No,” Peter insisted. “We’ll figure something out. They can’t get away with the things they did. You only killed Maximus on Daimhín’s orders, and you were pretty much provoked into fighting this time around. The maddening thing is why the Council is willing to take this seriously.”

  “Doesn’t really matter. Besides, I’ll always be something different, no matter how well we prettify things,” I reminded. “Someone was bound to get snippy about me eventually, right?”

  I tried to smile, but the atmosphere in the room kept me mired in disillusion. I knew they had to be thinking the same things I was. I was doomed, no matter what we did. The cold presence made itself known, as if it knew I needed comfort. Even though the sensation was cool against my skin, I felt warmth drift through my body. My optimism grew, and I decided I wasn’t going down without a fight. It wasn’t over yet.

  “Look,” I said. “I know this is a tight spot, but I’m not giving up. Not after everything. There has to be a way to fix this.”

  Peter suddenly grinned, looking years younger. “Of course there is. Koda gave me that look, like he’s very interested in what Gideon’s getting up to. If we can do anything to implicate Gideon further, then he’s going to be on your side, maybe even persuade the others to throw out the charges.”

  Eddie shook his head. I shivered, unsure why. “That’s not a good idea,” he said.

  “What’s not a good idea?” Peter asked, baffled.

  “Going after Gideon. There’s no point. They were prepared to skip the trial for this. The real problem here is Ava’s heritage. The other stuff doesn’t matter, not in the long run.”

  “You give up then,” I snapped. “Not like it’s your life we’re talking about, is it?”

  Needing air, space, something, I stormed out of the bookshop. Mostly, I wanted to forget about everything. I stood outside leaning against a wall and watching my breath frost the air.

  Peter followed me out. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Nah, it won’t. Not really. Like Eddie said, I can’t change who I am.” I shook my head, trying to shake the melancholy that kept trying to swallow me. “I need time to think.”

  “Know what I need?” he said.

  “What?”

  “A drink. Want one?”

  I grinned. “Aren’t I under house arrest or something? Besides, alcohol doesn’t affect me so much.”

  He pushed against my shoulder. “Well, if you’re under the eye of one of the Council, then you can’t get into too much trouble. And maybe he can come up with a drink that has an effect on you.”

  “Eye of the Council? You mean Gabe? Are you mad?”

  “Why not?”

  I was already in trouble, and maybe I would figure out some semblance of a plan if I had some time away from the intensity of Eddie’s place.

  “What about Eddie?” I asked.

  “I’ll text Carl, get him to follow us over without letting Eddie know where we are. It’ll be fine.”

  I giggled, the tension making me giddy. “I feel like a teenager sneaking out of the window or something.”

  “Did you ever do that?” he asked as we headed for Gabe’s bar. I knew he was trying his best to cheer me up, and I appreciated it.

  “Me? Nah, I was too much of a wimp. Don’t tell me, you did it all the time.”

  He gave me a cheeky wink. “I never hid it, just walked out the door. My dad was pretty laidback about that sort of stuff.”

  “What about your mother?” I couldn’t help being curious about his past.

  “She died when I was a kid. I can barely remember her. Probably best she didn’t see what I grew up to become.” The smile dropped from his face.

  “Where’s your dad now?”

  “He moved to Spain with his girlfriend when I became a father myself. Said I didn’t need looking after, and he deserved a bit of sun. We talk sometimes, but we were never close. My girlfriend’s parents were more like parents to me than my own.”

  “That’s so sad,” I blurted. “Sorry,” I added, seeing Peter’s expression.

  “It’s alright. I’m just surprised you can call anyone else’s life sad; I mean, you didn’t have it easy, right?”

  “Let’s not go there. Although I seem to have a knack of attracting particularly messed up crap.”

  He smiled again. “That you do. I was thinking, maybe Gabe might give us a hint at how things will go during the trial.”

  “Maybe. What is Gabe, anyway?”

  “Angel,” Peter muttered under his breath.

  “Excuse me?” No freaking way.

  “Yeah, I know,” Peter said, but he didn’t look happy.

  “Hold on. Angels are real?”

  “Why is that harder to believe than vampires?” he asked.

  I was still in a little bewildered world of my own. “And Gabe is one?”

  “Yes, Ava.” He walked faster.

  “But… but, he’s an arsehole!”

  Peter laughed, his sudden sombre mood forgotten. “Yeah, well, like anything, the myths get things a little wrong sometimes.”

  “Wow,” I said, still shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s screwed up.”

  “You’re part vampire. I thought you would have taken this better.”

  “I never really considered good things being real.”

  “Who says they’re good?” was Peter’s glib reply. “Come on, it’s cold; hurry up.”

  “Don’t forget to text Carl,” I reminded, speeding up. But all I could think about were angels and my own wonder.

  We walked mostly in silence after that, Peter giving me time to let things sink in. I vowed to learn more about the world I’d spent my life avoiding—if I managed to survive the Council’s judgement.

  Still early, Gabe’s bar was full. We had to queue up, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. Usually it was because I wasn’t human enough, but this time it was because I wasn’t supernatural enough. I could smell the difference in the air; it made a burst of adrenalin ride through my body, keeping me on edge. We weren’t in danger; my senses just seemed to be excited by the thrill of otherness in the air. I didn’t know what anyone was or what they could do, if anything, but Peter’s humanity stood out like a sore thumb.

  The bouncers at the door regarded me for a couple of seconds before letting us in. One seemed about to protest, but the other held up a hand and then waved us through. The bar was different than before with an electric atmosphere.

  “It’s kind of cool here,” I said.

  “Yeah, the angel’s hideout is always the coolest place in town.”

  “What’s your deal?” I asked, as quite a few customers sent wary glances Peter’s way. Even more gave him a wide berth.

  “I get away with more than I should.” He grinned. “I’ll tell you about it sometime. Now, let’s get a drink down us and think of how we’re going to work Becca.”

  He sounded light-hearted enough, but he had to be thinking about the last time we had paid Becca a visit. I wanted to talk about it, but he was already calling over the bartender, the one with the moving tattoo.

  “What is he?” I whispered.

  “Fae,” he replied. “He’s okay, for a faery.”

  “Hey,” the bartender said, noticing me. “What’s up, Red? Nobody trading you today? Aren’t you supposed to be in jail or something?”

  “Leave it, Finn,” Peter said, but his tone was friendly.

  “What can I get you?” Finn asked.

  “Usual for me,” Peter said. “But how about something a little… special for Ava here?”

  Finn smiled knowingly. “Wonder if I have anything special enough. Let me guess, can drink all night without slurring her words?”

>   I tapped my fingernails on the bar in agitation. I hated when people talked over me like I wasn’t there. “I really doubt you have anything special enough.”

  Finn laughed and walked away, calling over his shoulder, “We’ll see, little lady, we’ll see.”

  Peter looked around. “You see Gabe anywhere?”

  “Nah, I think I’d smell him. I’ll let you know if that happens.”

  “That’s sick.”

  “Whatever, it comes in handy when—” I doubled over and dry-retched

  “Jesus, Ava. You haven’t even had a drink yet.”

  Bile burned my throat. There was something in the air, something dark and malicious, something that made me want to run. Something familiar.

  I quickly scanned the room, looking for the malevolence I could almost taste on my tongue. The air was clammy, as if something hovered over us in a sticky mist.

  “What’s wrong?” Peter touched my arm, but then I saw what I had sensed.

  A pretty woman stood across the bar talking to the object of my attention. Chocolate-skinned and black-haired, she laughed merrily at something he said, but an object gleamed in her companion’s hand. Anger, confusion, and fear, his emotions were so strong, they sent a rush of adrenalin shuddering through my body.

  He moved his hand backward, gaining traction even as I leapt to my feet and ran over to them. He swung his hand toward her. The whole bar went silent as if time stood still, but they all watched me run. Before I had taken a second to think, I jerked his arm backward. Too late, he’d already grazed her, but I couldn’t stop to ponder the implications of that. I struggled to get him to the ground; he was strong and enraged. The scent of blood filling the air was distracting, almost human, but not quite. I did my best to ignore it, determined to stop the man from doing any real damage.

  He fought, struggling to throw me off, but he was weak enough that I was able to wrestle him to the ground. His long brown hair stuck to his face with sweat. I could hear screams and shouting in the background, but nothing prepared me for the bright light that suddenly filled the room. Wincing, I rolled away from the man and covered my eyes. After a second, I tried opening them. Gabe stood over us with streams of white light surging from his body.