by KB Anne
He pulls me back in. “After I killed you and had to beg the Goddess to bring you back.”
“No harm, no foul—or should I say wolf?”
Scott breaks us up again. “I’m not going to tear out your spine because I don’t want to upset my sister, but if you mess with her, if you harm her in any way again, you are dead.” His inner god flares with power.
Alaric backs away from him. Not because he’s scared—he is the son of the Original Werewolf—but because he wants to earn Scott’s trust. “I promise that I will protect her and guard her with my life.”
Scott softens. “The only reason I’m letting you live is because Gigi says you’ve sacrificed your life for her before.”
Alaric turns to me. “You told him.”
“She tells me everything.”
“Well, not everything.” I air-smooch to Alaric. “I will see you later.”
“If you need me, you know where to find me,” he says, kissing my forehead.
“Now I do.” I open my door and back into my room, because with Scott’s inner god flashing, there won’t be any intense romantic interludes tonight. Or heavy petting. Not even a tempting teeth grazing across the throat. “Good night.”
Caer slips into the room, careful to avoid Scott. I don’t care what they say. They are adorable.
Scott reaches for the door. “Sis, glad to be back.”
“Bro, I’m glad to have you back.”
We share a shiny brother-sister moment before his attention returns to Caer. “Good night,” he whispers. “Sleep well.”
She blushes and ducks her head. “You too.”
He reluctantly closes the door, leaving the two of us staring awkwardly at each other, both wishing we were with someone else. I settle onto my bed in a cross-legged position then pat the other end with my hand. “Let’s have a quick chat.”
She hesitates, not knowing what I have in mind.
“Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” I offer as a consolation. I almost add “unless you want me to,” but that’s not going to lessen her anxiety, and with her being from another realm, a faerie princess, and a reincarnated goddess, aside from being a ferocious, powerful warrior, my smart retort would be lost on her.
Her nostrils flare as she decides whether to join me or not. She knows I can read minds, but I try to act like I can’t so she doesn’t get any more nervous or annoyed and threaten to slice my throat. I pat the bed again, suddenly needing a friend since my former bestie is outside with a major werewolf hangover. Finally, she climbs up on the bed and crosses her legs to mirror mine.
I smile at her. “I haven’t had a heart-to-heart like this for a long time.”
Her forehead bunches. “Heart-to-heart? I don’t understand.”
I have to keep reminding myself she’s not Lizzie. She doesn’t just know things.
“We talk about what’s on our minds and share our deepest thoughts.”
“And why would we do that?”
“Because we’re friends.”
“Friends,” she repeats. “I’ve never had one before.”
“I haven’t had many either. Believe it or not, I never really fit in at school.”
Her eyes brighten. “School? I know what that is. Gallean would not have been a teacher at one of your schools.”
I chuckle. “No, he wouldn’t have. It feels weird not to have the old guy telling me what to do.”
She nods her head enthusiastically because she grasped the meaning of a new word, but then she remembers Gallean’s sacrifice. “It does feel weird, and sad.”
I reach for her hand. She startles but then lets me take it. I never realized I had such a need to touch people, to give them energy to get through a difficult time. I took from so many people for so many years as I searched for what was within me all along. I’m thankful I can finally give back. My gods, if there was a license for black-twisted hearts, mine would be revoked.
“Caer, thank you for opening the portal for me.”
“Your brother was not happy with me. He ignored me for many days and often lashed out.”
“He’s not mad at you anymore.”
Her cheeks warm. “No, he’s not.”
“When did that change?”
Her eyes meet mine. You know.
“Is it that obvious?”
She smiles again. “Not right now. You’re doing very well pretending you can’t see inside my head.”
“I can’t read your entire mind. I can only read what you’re thinking in the moment.”
“Good to know.”
“Were you surprised that he turned into a swan?”
“Yes and no. I’d heard the legend, but I assumed it was false. How can someone suddenly shift into another form just because they want to?”
I temple my fingers and rest my chin on them. “Caer, you make a very good point. Scott would be able to bypass rules of humanity because he’s a reincarnated god, but how were Maddie and Alaric able to semi-shift when it wasn’t a full moon? And how was Lizzie?”
She mirrors my position and breathes in and out. “Alaric’s father is Clayone, the Original Werewolf.”
The pieces begin to fall together. “I found out that Clayone is also Lizzie’s father.”
No reason to go into the bitter details about that discovery.
“Keturah mentioned Naisha, the faerie who disappeared from our realm a long time ago.”
“And we realized Naisha could be Nancy, as in Lizzie’s mom. So the combination of the Original Werewolf and Fae blood . . .”
Caer’s eyes perk up. “Is she still alive? Can we question her?”
I breathe in and out, mulling over strategy. “There’s a portal between Kildare and Vernal Falls for anyone from Brigit’s line.”
“Well, let’s go,” she says, climbing off the bed.
“Scott will kill us.”
She folds her arms.
“I know you’re not the least bit intimated by him, but aren’t you worried you’ll piss him off?”
She shrugs. “He forgave me for shoving you through the portal.”
“You didn’t shove me.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Yes, I did.”
“‘Shove’ sounds so . . . aggressive.”
“Would you like ‘assist’ better?”
I pat her arm. “I’m really beginning to like you.”
“I’m beginning to like you too.” She pats the top of my head, which is below her chin. It reminds me of Scott giving me a noogie. Until now I hadn’t realized how freakishly tall she is, or how freakishly short I am.
“All right, let’s do it. I’ve been in need of some female companionship. Speaking of which, what should I do about Lizzie and Ryan?”
“Alaric said they’d be passed out for a while. We could leave a note and ask them to give them some food in case we don’t get back in time from questioning Naisha,” she says, cracking her knuckles.
“How intense are you counting on this interrogation to be?”
She shrugs. “A sword to the throat is not out of the question.”
Flashes of what Lizzie put Alaric through rush through me. Lizzie chaining him to a table. Each time he called my name, even in a whisper, she’d crank a handle and he’d scream in pain. After weeks of torture, it was his silence that scared me the most, and it was only when I “died” that he returned to me.
“No, I guess it’s not.”
“Well, let’s go,” she says, taking off toward the bedroom door.
I rush over before she opens it. “Wait.”
“Wait?”
I bite my lower lip. “I don’t know exactly where Brigit’s portal is.”
“Then we can open one.”
“No, I don’t think we should. We’ve both used a tremendous amount of energy already. We don’t want any surprises when we find Naisha.”
She rolls her eyes. I warm to her even more. She might have even less patience than I do. “Well, how do we find it?”
I stop an
d think. Clarissa’s gone. I’m sure Granda knows, but I’m not going to wake him to ask him. He probably wouldn’t tell me right now anyway and insist I get some sleep. Where could I find out . . . ?
Caer puffs out in annoyance next to me.
“You’re not making this any easier,” I whisper. “Just let me think.”
“Is there a map, or did someone write it down?”
I punch her. “That’s it!”
She crouches into a lunge, thinking I’m going to attack her.
“My dad’s journal. He mentions it.”
She throws out her arms. Well, go get it.
“Stay here,” I whisper and quietly open the door.
I listen and feel for any noises or brain waves of anyone awake and find nothing. I creep down the hall to the table by the sofa. There, beneath a pile of books, is Dad’s brown leather journal. Of course it’s at the bottom.
I glance over at Maddie’s figure. His chest rises and falls with sleep. I slowly move each book, with the realization that I am really pressing my luck. If Scott and Alaric had their own heart-to-heart session in Scott’s room, they may have only just fallen asleep. Scott could be hit over the head with a log and still not wake up once he’s out, but Alaric’s enhanced wolf senses could be problematic.
As I reach for the book with the initials M.P.O, hands wrap around my waist.
Busted.
6
Caught Red Eyed
Alaric lifts me up and carries me out the front door, moving with such stealth he’d make a burglar envious. Smaug would never catch him. I always prided myself on my ability to sneak around without making a sound, but compared to Alaric, I’m a clumsy beast. He gently sets me on a garden bench, then tucks himself in beside me.
“What are you doing awake?” he whispers, dipping his head to peek at the journal in my hand.
I slip it under my thigh. I don’t want to lie to him, but there’s no way I’m telling him what I was really doing. “I couldn’t sleep. I figured I’d do some light reading.”
He lifts his eyebrows as he reaches across me to grab the journal. “Light reading, hmmm?” His finger traces the initials. “M.P.O.”
“My dad’s journal.”
Without opening it, he returns it to me. “What were you hoping to find?”
I roll my eyes, frustrated with what I’m about to admit to him. When did I become such a softie? I used to be able to lie, cheat, and steal without an ounce of regret, without a tinge of remorse. Hells bells, I thrived on it. Now, even the notion of lying to Alaric makes me nauseous. “Fine. I was searching for a map that would tell me where the portal is to get to Vernal Falls.”
He sucks in a breath. “Gi, my nan opened the portal for me. I doubt she’d open it for you or even that she’d be able to open it while in Maria’s form.”
He confirms what I long suspected. Carman can create portals—at least sometimes.
“There’s another one. One only accessible to those from Brigit’s line.”
“And why did you need to find it when the rest of us were sleeping?”
Time for the lie. Prepare for esophagus burn.
“To take a trip down memory lane.”
He kneels in front of me, his gold-rimmed green eyes studying me. “Gi, what aren’t you telling me?”
I look away from him. “Nothing.”
He puts his hands around my face and turns me back to him. “Gi, tell me.”
“Caer and I wanted to question Nancy.”
He falls back onto his heels. “The woman who could be our mother?” His eyes fall on Lizzie sleeping in her cell.
“Yes,” I say in a small voice.
“And you were going to go without me?”
“Yes,” I whisper in an even smaller voice.
His eyes settle back on mine. “Gi, after all we’ve been through, after our time apart, you were going to leave me?”
“Not forever. For a quick trip.”
He sighs. “We both know all too well that nothing is simple anymore.”
“No, I guess it’s not.”
He sits back down on the bench next to me. “Well, let’s see what you can find.”
I let Dad’s journal fall open. “Here goes,” I whisper and start reading:
Total involvement in this world is the most powerful tool anybody will ever possess.
I smile to myself. Dad’s statement proves he wanted me to be an active participant in this life. He didn’t want me standing idly by, watching the world destroy itself. He’d want me to fix what’s broken.
“What are you smiling about?” He peeks around my shoulder to see. “Your dad was a smart man.”
“Yes, he was.”
I notice a hastily written note in the margin. “Hmm, what’s this?” I lift it closer. Lycanthropes: Demons of Derg.
I drop it like it burns my hands. I shudder.
“What’s it say?”
“Nothing. Nothing.”
I hurry to close it, but his werewolf reflexes are faster than mine.
His eyes find mine after he reads it. Tears fill the corners of them. “He’s right. We are demons of Derg. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be with you.”
He stands to leave, taking one last look at me.
“Alaric, wait,” I beg, reaching for him.
He turns to go. My heart starts to break. I can’t even . . .
“Please, please stay,” I cry.
He hesitates.
“Please don’t go. Don’t leave me,” I plead.
He’s conflicted. He doesn’t want to hurt me, but my dad’s words cause him to question our relationship.
“Your dad wouldn’t want us to be together.”
I hurry over and wrap my arms around him. “He’d want me to be happy. He knew that the universe works in mysterious ways.”
He tries to break away, but he doesn’t put much effort into it.
“The fact that we keep finding each other proves that we’re destined to be together. The universe wants us together. You’re everything to me.”
He pulls me into his chest. “And you are everything to me, but what about your dad?”
“He didn’t know you and—wait a second . . .” I glance back at the journal I left on the bench, but it’s too far away and I’m not about to let go of Alaric. With one arm still wrapped around him, I shuffle back over to it with him in tow. I bend down and pick it up. I don’t want to hurt the spine by holding it with one hand. I peek up at him. “A little help?”
He pulls in his lips but grabs the back cover. With the journal firmly in our hands, I squint at the writing.
“I don’t think that’s even my dad’s writing.”
He doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m making it up to make him feel better. “Then whose is it?”
I look even closer. “It’s definitely not his. Hold on.” I flip through a few pages and find one of Calliope’s entries. “It’s not Calliope’s either.” I turn back to the warning. I’d only seen a couple samples of Granda’s writing, but it doesn’t resemble his either. Then it hits me.
“There was one person who could have written it . . .”
One person who switched out the silver bullets. One person who had access to Granda’s cottage when he came over for dinner. One person capable of pulling an equally sneaky move to cause me to doubt my love to Alaric.
“Breas,” we say together.
“That bastard,” he growls.
“I couldn’t agree more. I love how your mind works, and it proves that my dad would approve of my choice in men. He’s always liked my furry pets,” I say with a smirk.
His eyes take on a dangerous glint. “I will be whatever you want me to be.”
“Submissive. I like it.” I pull him back onto the bench with me. “Now, let’s find the map.”
I close my eyes and ask the journal to reveal the portal location to me. I flip it open and peek down. “That was easy.”
“You found it?”
�
�Ask and you shall receive, or at least I can ask and receive. Magic does have its perks.”
I study the hand-drawn map. The portal isn’t far. If the map is accurate, it’s about halfway between here and Clarissa’s. No real landmarks, but I have a feeling that I’ll find it. Goddessy senses and all.
Alaric kisses my forehead, but before he goes any farther, he suddenly stills. His gaze falls on Ryan and Lizzie.
“Have you made any progress with her?”
“No, I haven’t. I was so preoccupied with finding you, I haven’t had time to try.”
He scowls at me, pretending to be mad. “Yet, you were going to leave on a whim.”
I purse my lips at him before returning my gaze to my sleeping werewolf besties. Lizzie wakes up. Her eyes flash red.
“Why are they still red?” he whispers. “She’s through with her phasing.”
“I don’t know.”
“Should I try talking to her?”
“If you want to.”
Lizzie stands up and crouches before launching herself at the invisible cell wall. She crashes to the ground, stands up, and tries it again and again.
“The power of the moon is still with her,” he whispers. He glances up at the sky. “More sunlight will help weaken her.”
“It works like that?”
He reaches for my hand to pull me up from the bench. “It should. Let’s go visit Mom first.”
Lizzie crashes against the wall again, yelling “No!” Or at least that’s what it looks like she says. We can’t hear her, but her reaction is obvious.
“Can she hear us?” Alaric asks.
“No, but I think she read your lips. Apparently she really doesn’t want us to go.”
“Well then we must be on our way to uncovering the truth.” He tugs me along, leaving Lizzie to battle her inner demons.
* * *
Alaric’s absolute disregard of his sister’s pleas are kind of endearing. He’s the rebellious badass I’ve always been attracted to, but he’s all good underneath. Birds of a feather stick together—wait that’s Scott and Caer’s line. Throw me to the son of the Original Werewolf, and I’ll be happy as hell.
The perimeter boundary of Granda’s cottage shimmers in front of us in a hazy wave. It’s meant to keep everyone out, and since Lizzie and Ryan couldn’t escape from the boundary, it seems that it also keeps everyone in. But the spells protecting the cottage are attached to me, so we shouldn’t have a problem penetrating it either coming or going. I clutch his hand. “Hold on,” I whisper as if the spells might overhear my intention.