by Helen Scott
“Um, yeah, just give me two seconds.”
As he watched, the younger man downed the majority of the beer in two big gulps and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the counter.
“Been here long?” Alec asked, nodding at the twenty.
“Nah, just like to tip my friends well. I work here a few nights a week, so it’s good to keep everyone happy.” The younger man tipped his head and shrugged, his hair seeming to bounce along with his shoulders and falling out of place. As Ben pushed it back, Alec could tell that if he’d let his hair grow out, it would probably be curly.
He reevaluated the man he was going to be working with until this whole thing blew over. His dark-brown eyes had creases at the sides that spoke of a life full of laughter, and yet as his face turned more serious, Alec could tell that he’d seen enough to be considered a warrior.
While Ben might be quick to smile, that didn’t mean he had never experienced hardships. That being said, Alec wouldn’t object if the other man decided to start dressing a little better, but he was still young and interested in fashion, as evidenced by the impractical tight dark jeans and the rich forest-green of his hooded sweater. Alec had long ago given up on following trends. Instead, he only wore timeless and expertly tailored pieces.
As though he could tell Alec was assessing him, Ben stood a little straighter and squared his shoulders. Ben’s voice, when he spoke, was low, and he made sure it didn’t carry. “I was your last choice, wasn’t I?”
“Don’t take it personally,” Alec said as he leveled his gaze at Ben. “I just don’t know you is all.”
“Why do you think I’ve been hanging around so much? Cin is my sister, and when we’re in the Underworld, it’s not exactly a great time for a chat, so that leaves me with coming to your island. I hope you didn’t think I was hung up on Aster, or something like that. She’s pretty, yeah, but I’m smart enough to know I’m beat, and Dem demolished me. It would only be a fair fight if I went fury, and I haven’t died yet, so I can’t go full fury.”
That little nugget was something Alec didn’t know. “So what can you do?” he asked as they walked out of the bar.
“Enough. I just don’t have wings or the black eyes, that kind of stuff. I assume I’ll get even stronger and faster, as well, since Cin can beat me at most things, but I won’t know for sure until after I die and Hades kicks my soul out.”
Alec had never heard someone talk so calmly about their death before. It was a little eerie, especially from someone so young.
“I have the location. You ready to jump?” Alec asked, rounding the corner to the back of the bar.
Most people didn’t pay much attention to the backs of buildings. It always showed things they didn’t want to see—trash, employees taking breaks, dirty back doors, delivery trucks, beaten-up cars, all things society deemed imperfect—which was exactly what would allow Alec and Ben to wander back there and teleport out. No one looked or paid attention because they didn’t want to see. All they wanted was the manicured, perfectly clean front of the store, or in their case, bar.
Ben nodded, and Alec pulled out his phone, showing him where they were jumping to. “There’s a parking garage just here, so we can jump to the roof there or to the alley behind the restaurant where we are meeting my contact.”
“I vote alley. Parking garages can be strangely popular, especially since it’s past dinner there.”
“Alley it is.”
Alec reached out with his power and tugged the filaments of the universe around him as he moved almost instantly to the alley in a northern suburb of Chicago. As the darkness cleared, he waited a moment, and Ben appeared next to him, the other man’s face immediately curling into one of disgust at the smell of the garbage that permeated the air.
As they looked around, the red-brick facade of a building faced them at the end of the alley, while the building that contained their meeting place towered above them in a dreary gray concrete. They moved out of the alley and walked down to the street to the restaurant entrance. They passed a burger place and a small French restaurant that had closed without another tenant to replace it, before they found their destination—The Celtic Cross.
It was a traditional-looking pub, with hunter-green awnings that hung over the entrance and the tiny patio that consisted of chairs stacked on top of one another and tables flipped so one rested on the other, all of which was contained by a thick chain. Nobody would want to sit outside in December, anyway, especially not in the Midwest.
Above the door, Irish and American flags waved in the slight but bitterly cold breeze. The area around the door was decorated with different awards, the menu, and other paraphernalia for people who were more local, while the main window had cutout Christmas trees and snowmen taped to it, along with a neon sign for an Irish ale.
The door swung open, and the smells of the bar wafted into Alec’s nose. His mouth watered as images of fried food and burgers danced through his head. It usually wasn’t his thing, but every once in a while, he indulged, and something about the scent of the food at The Celtic Cross had him wanting to indulge. A merry Irish tune played over the speakers while the sounds of laughter and conversation spilled out into the street.
By the time they were at the bar, Alec’s stomach was almost growling.
“Fellas, what can I get you?” the bartender asked as he wiped down the bar before placing napkins in front of each of them.
“Menus would be great,” Alec said, not bothering to wait for Ben’s answer.
“Can do. Any drinks?”
They both ordered beers and perused the provided menus. When the bartender returned, Alec placed his order, earning wide eyes from Ben at the amount of food. When they were alone once more, he said, “Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Ben nodded while he tried not to smile. The lack of poker face worried Alec a little, but he was hopeful that when shit got serious, so would Ben.
“So, who are we looking for?”
“A woman. Her text with the address was signed ‘V,’ and that’s all I know.”
“We’re asking someone for help, and you don’t even know their name? Yet you give me the side eye before bringing me along. I see how it is,” Ben said in a hurt tone. Fortunately the slight smile let Alec know he wasn’t serious.
Alec chuckled and sipped his beer. The dark, almost-black liquid slid out from under the creamy foam to coat his tongue with its rich coffee and bitter chocolate flavor. He sighed deeply as he appreciated one of his favorite stouts. When the food arrived, Alec realized that they needed to move to a table; otherwise, his order was going to take over most of the bar around them.
Turning to see if there were any available spots, he locked eyes with a younger woman. Dark liner and a smoky gray shadow surrounded her rich-brown orbs measuring him up. The slightly parted plump lips were a pale pink, which was only highlighted by the rich waves of dark espresso-brown hair.
“Hey, man, you already have a lady waiting for you at home. Leave some for the rest of us, hum?” Ben’s voice was a low whisper as he saw the woman Alec was watching.
Her eyes slid over to his young companion, and she stood, a clingy black dress highlighting her curves. His new friend groaned and turned back to his beer, as though she was just too much for him to look at. He turned back around on his bar stool.
“If it helps, I’m not in the least bit interested,” Alec said so quietly that there was no chance of anyone but Ben hearing him.
“Alec?” A woman’s smoky voice sounded behind them.
“Who’s asking?”
“Valentina. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said as she held out her hand.
Alec shook it and felt no reaction whatsoever. In the past, before Ellie, his body would have shot electricity through him at the touch of a beautiful woman, but now the only person who was able to produce that reaction was his soulmate.
“Valentina, this is Ben, my associate.”
“Pleasure,” she said as she nodded at
Ben. “Would you both like to join me at our table?”
Alec didn’t miss the nod between the brunette and the bartender as they moved all the food over to the tables Valentina had pushed together. A few more women and a couple men took up residence either at the table with them or at two tables around them. It was almost like they were forming a wall, giving them privacy from the other patrons.
“So, Aiden said you have a good tracker.”
“We do. Unfortunately, she isn’t here right now. The band she plays in has a gig tonight, which we’ll be going to as soon as you finish your food.”
“Is that necessary? This is urgent. I have a suspicion of who took the fae, and if I’m right, then they are probably either being tortured or experimented on right now.”
Valentina had the bearing of a queen as she looked down her nose at him, daring him to challenge her in her territory. “It is necessary. I’m not going to disrupt her schedule for the whims of someone we don’t know, especially someone asking a favor of us. You know nothing of her and how hard she has worked to come this far. Imogen is . . . still discovering her strength, and nothing is worth taking that away. Now, eat before it gets cold.”
“As you wish,” Alec acquiesced. He didn’t know what kind of shifter Valentina was, but she was clearly in control, and he was guessing the people sitting around them were her pack. “So, are you going to introduce us?”
“This is Liana and Kinsley,” she said, gesturing to the two women on her right, each of whom waved when their names were spoken. “Behind you are Asher and Liam.”
Alec looked over his shoulder, and both the men, who appeared to be on guard duty, briefly nodded at him.
“And you’re Ben?” Valentina asked, looking Ben over once more.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Interesting pack you’ve got here. I don’t often see a woman in control, let alone the women outnumbering the men,” Alec said, taking a monstrous bite of his burger as his curiosity got the better of him. He didn’t want to step on her toes, but he was also dying to know what their animals were.
“We are unique, that’s for sure,” Liana said, with a nod of agreement from Valentina and Kinsley.
Alec watched the women talk about something that made no sense to him, while he and Ben ate. They all seemed nice enough, not overly friendly, which he appreciated.
Liana was probably the brashest of the three women, wearing an expression whenever she looked over at him and Ben that told them she took shit from no one. Her caramel-colored hair and thick dark eyebrows made her blue eyes and bright red lipstick pop in the lighting of the pub.
Kinsley was the most reserved of the women, with her dark auburn hair and long bangs that she had pinned to the side, as though she were trying to grow them out. Her hazel eyes were lined with dark makeup, while her lips were a pale pink.
He had always found it fascinating to see women dressed up over the years, the way the fashions changed from century to century and sometimes decade to decade. It was hard to keep track of, but being with Ellie had made him more conscious of it. Watching her get ready was one of his favorite things, not that he’d ever tell her that, because she’d get self-conscious about it. Especially as she slid her leggings over her creamy skin and wrapped herself in her favorite T-shirt and sweater, or slipped into a dress in summer, it all made his heart sing for her. Never mind when she did her hair and put on makeup. When that happened, he was just done for, since she was a complete knockout.
The burger and fries were gone, as was the beef and mushroom pasty and the spinach cheese bites. When he looked up, Alec found Valentina watching him, with Kinsley munching on one of their plates of fries while Ben happily chatted with Liana. These women were all beautiful in their own ways, and Ben was clearly trying to make the most of the situation, but none of them held a candle to his Ellie. He wiped his mouth and felt like his thoughts were laid bare before him by the way Valentina looked at him. Not that he cared. He’d shout his love from the rooftops, if given the opportunity. He just hadn’t expected her to be so observant.
“Ready?” Valentina asked, her eyes glancing down at his spotless plate.
“Whenever you are.”
“Then get ready for a show, boys, because Forsaking Midnight will rock your socks off.” She smiled and stood, pulling a thick coat on and wrapping it around herself as they headed back out into the bitter Chicago winter.
Chapter 7
Ellie couldn’t believe what she was seeing at first. Her grandfather, the man who had raised her since she was a small child, had tried to summon his wife’s ghost. Were ghosts even real? She had no idea. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility, but she shuddered to think about the implications. She pinched the corner of the page between her fingers, staring at it in disbelief.
All his talk of being careful with magic, and he’d been doing this kind of thing? She studied the page, gripping it tightly, as though she could squeeze the answers out of it, only to find it stuck to her hand when she tried to turn it. Her papercut had bled, after all, and she’d been reading the page for so long that it had started to fuse to her wet fingertip.
As she pulled it away, a thin film of paper came away, as well, like a tissue splitting its layers. She had to push and roll at the paper on her finger to get it to come off, and when it did, the blood began seeping out of the cut all over again. Not wanting to get up and leave the book challenging everything she knew about her grandfather, she popped her finger into her mouth and sucked, trying to staunch the blood flow. The coppery tang of blood on her tongue was unpleasant, and she wished she had something sweet to take the taste away. When her brain finally registered what was written at the top of the next page, her heart stopped and her finger fell from her lips.
Resurrection.
There was no way he would have tried that, would he? The question flitted through her mind before she realized how idiotic it was. Of course he’d tried it. He’d tried everything else, so why not that?
As she read on, she discovered that he’d been able to bring animals back to life, starting with a dragonfly that he’d found and moving all the way up to a stray dog. The page next to it featured a symbol similar to the one on the corner of the page, and when she moved her fingers to compare the two, she realized that the original symbol she’d recognized had become covered in the blood from her reopened papercut. She’d been so distracted by the idea that her grandfather had been trying to raise her grandmother from the dead that she’d completely forgotten to be careful about where she put her hand. There was nothing she could do about it now, so she went back to studying the new symbol.
They were similar in that they both featured triangles set in circles, but the one that took up most of the page in front of her was much more complex. Instead of just one triangle inside a circle with some other small circles and squiggles around it, this new symbol was like looking at the family tree of the original. It was triangles inside of circles inside of triangles, going on and on.
Around the outer edge of the largest circle were symbols that made her think of math class. She could swear that one of them was pi. The symbols weren’t just Greek, though. Other types were mixed in, like the rune she had tattooed on her back, along with a bunch of stuff she didn’t recognize. Punctuating the main circle and the symbols surrounding it were three other medium-sized circles, each containing a symbol. One looked like fire, and another looked like a seven-pointed star, while the final one looked like little circles all joined together. Maybe Granddad had lost his mind and just started doodling?
When she went to turn the page once more, everything froze. A sickening sense of déjà vu pooled inside her. It didn’t feel the same, but it reminded her all too much of being poisoned by Circe. This time, she wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, though. She was in a city and surrounded by electricity. Ellie reached out and drew all the electricity she could find toward herself. She didn’t care if she caused a city-wide blackout. This time, she was not going t
o be defenseless. The energy came freely, flowing toward her like a giant river, and she absorbed it all. A brief flash of worry passed through her. They’d never tested how much energy she could hold. What happened if she took too much?
Flames sprang into existence around her, floating like little torches in the air as the room went dark, and soon they were all she could see. She tried to flash sparks between her fingertips, but the light seemed to be absorbed by the darkness that surrounded her. When it cleared, she’d moved, and not just from the couch to standing, or something like that—oh, no.
She was in a forest.
Her heart thundered in her chest as she looked around. Her hand went to her pocket to pull out her phone, only to remember she’d left it on the side table at the store. She wanted to kick herself. There was no way to reach Alec or call in backup, so she needed to figure out where the hell she was. The small amount of light that was able to weave its way through the branches of the trees was a milky color, like the sun was just about to rise, which made it hard to see anything. Trees surrounded her, with no visible path coming to or from the clearing she’d found herself in.
She stood in the clearing, and that was being generous, for what felt like a long time, but with no sense of direction or way to track the passage of time, it could have only been five minutes or it could have been hours. The sunlight never seemed to change, although she’d been there long enough to start to feel hungry.
No one would know to look for her since no one knew she was missing. The only person who might figure it out was Cin, but that could take over a day. The brothers frequently teased her about falling asleep at the store when she’d first changed locations, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Cin wouldn’t look for her for a day or so, especially if Alec stayed out of town with Ben, trying to hunt down any clues on the missing fae. Ellie was well and truly on her own.
The trees seemed to creak in a wind she couldn’t feel. It was unnerving. Paranoia slithered down her spine, making her twitchy and ready to attack anyone who came near her. Was she being watched? It certainly felt like it.