Vengeance

by Carrie Whitethorne

  Raising a brow, I asked, “There were elections recently?”

  “These are dangerous times, Sorrel,” Enzo countered, fully aware of my relationship with the new leader of the packs. “Especially for those with dual allegiances. A change of leadership was called for.”

  I took a steadying breath, determined not to speak to Garret, and queried, “Okay… What’s the status quo?”

  The elder vampire smiled, his eyes creasing a little in the corners. He really was an attractive guy. And Alva was eyeing him up.

  This was her dream come true. The father. The son. The were. But I wasn’t going there ever again. Especially not with the were. All that bastard was getting from me was a dagger in the eye.

  And four ways? Tried that. It wasn’t for me.

  With a little effort, I focused my attention on the task at hand and waited for his reply. He didn’t waste too much time.

  “The Assembly is seeking to overturn the treaty. They know we won’t agree to it amicably, so by revealing the truth of preternatural existence to the humans, they set off a chain reaction that will, ultimately, result in their total rule.”

  Alva’s tail had already begun flicking at my insides, telling me she was agitated. Having Garret in the room certainly didn’t help matters.

  Asshole.

  Wrangling Alva under control for the moment, I dropped my arms to my sides. “Why?” I demanded.

  Enzo raised both hands and shrugged. “Why not? They hold all the cards. We did warn against them all those years ago, if you recall—”

  I knew the history. Witches, vampires, weres, and everything in between ran rampant. The fae stepped in to keep the peace. At least, that was how they spun it.

  “And you took a step back and let them take over,” I interjected, as the pieces started slotting into place.

  “It was a different time, Sorrel,” Dario offered. “We were part of the problem.”

  At his son’s words, Enzo’s right hand curled into a fist, his nails elongating and slicing into his palm.

  His brows dipped in irritation as he inspected the damage before raising his uninjured hand, pulling a silk handkerchief from the breast of his expensive suit jacket, and wrapping it around his now bleeding palm. “That was not us.”

  “Maybe not,” I counter. “But a vamp is a vamp whichever way you dress him in their eyes. What about the halflings? They might not be seen, but everyone knows they exist. Their power makes them a prime target. What will the Assembly do with them?”

  Enzo looked down at the table, all his earlier bravado gone.

  “You have four halfling sons,” I continued, taking full advantage of his momentary weakness. “Dhampir are no better thought of than the weres or the baobhan si. They’ve already slaughtered most of the changelings.”

  “How do you know that?” Garret growled from my right.

  “I didn’t for sure until you just confirmed it, dickhead,” I snapped without so much as glancing his way. Instead, I pointed to Dario. “Every generation has their chosen few. He has the looks, you have the muscles, I have the brains. Let the brains handle the important stuff, there’s a good boy.”

  “And you must work together if we have a hope of breaking free of the Assembly’s control,” Enzo placated. “I was only made aware of the new developments last month. For a pack to join fae ranks is an act of war. That is why Garret is here, at my invitation, for us to discuss the next step.”

  “You can’t handle them on your own,” I surmised.

  “Are you offering to join us, sweetness?” Dario crooned, stepping closer. “Perhaps we could come to an arrangement regarding transfer of—”

  “Touch me and I’ll break your neck,” I threatened, raising my left hand in warning but not pulling my gaze away from Enzo. “I don’t need you to turn me, I can hold my own. What I need is numbers.”

  Enzo glanced at his son and tilted his head to the right, indicating for him to step away. “You intend to confront them?”

  I raised my brows. “I think we need to show a united front. It’ll take more than the loyal packs and your coven. That, in itself, is a massive undertaking, I know, but if we can pull enough representatives together, I think the fae will hear us out.”

  “We?” Garret echoed with no small amount of scorn. “You think you get to walk in here and start giving orders? Hate to break it to ya, honey, but you don’t have a role here. You’re not an influential member of any community. Hell, you don’t even belong to a community.”

  That was my limit. I’d tried, but I couldn’t hold my temper with the asshole any longer. I turned and took a step his way, not caring where I was or who was watching, and hissed, “Speaking of belonging, how’s your mate, Garret? Did you go back to her when I kicked you out of my bed, or did you move on to another?”

  A low blow? No. Not nearly low enough in my opinion, but the reality was that this was developing far faster than I’d imagined, and as unpalatable as it was, I needed him.

  Jaw clenched, he stared down at me for a moment. I met his steely gaze with one of my own.

  Of course he’d stepped up to lead his people. He was alpha. Everything about him was alpha. From his bulging muscles to his commanding voice, the guy was born to lead. To fight. He was perfect in every damned way. But it was his reluctance that had drawn me to him. He was like me then.

  “Can I trust you?”

  I might have been glaring daggers at Garret, but the question was for all of them to answer.

  “How long do you need?” Enzo asked from his desk.

  Winning the pissing fight with Garret for now, I pulled my eyes from his, and turned my head to look at Enzo. “I don’t know yet. I should probably tell you that I killed a fae a few days ago. And a number of dragonkin.”

  Garret laughed, pulling my attention his way.

  “What?”

  He shrugged a brawny shoulder. “I didn’t believe it, but seeing you today, hearing it from your mouth? I always knew you were badass.”

  “High praise from the American Werewolf Lord,” I replied, turning back to face the desk. “If they know you’re working with me, your heads will be as valuable to them as mine.”

  The elder vampire gave a single, solemn nod and answered, “It is only a matter of time before they come for us. Picking us off one species at a time may suit them, but it doesn’t sit well with me at all. We must take control. The last thing our enemy will expect is for us to unite.”

  My relief was palpable, but I worked hard not to show it.

  With an idea in mind, I commanded, “Dario, pass me the portrait next to you.”

  Enzo furrowed his brow but nodded to his son to proceed.

  It was only the size of a book, but the frame was heavy. I pointed to the desk, and when he laid it on the smooth surface, I reached out and flipped it over.

  “When I have news, I’ll send it through here,” I explained, opening my satchel and extracting a candle. “The portal will remain open for five minutes. Long enough for you to craft and post a response. If anything other than paper passes through, it’ll close. If organic matter is detected, it’ll dissolve before it can be retracted,” I expounded, as I drew the runes required. “If you cross me, you better hope it kills me, because I’m not taking prisoners here.”

  “Fuck, Sorrel,” Garret breathed.

  I glanced his way to see him place both hands behind his head. “Problem?”

  His arms dropped as his broad chest heaved with aggravation. “The fuck is this shit? Why would any of us want to kill you?”

  There was no hiding my mirth. It burst from me in a loud laugh as I pointed directly at Dario. “He’s been offering to turn me for a decade, and you…” I turned to the wolf. “You, Garret, you self-centered, lying prick… what reason do I have to trust you?”

  The vein in his neck throbbed. “We went over this.”

  “You went over it, Garret,” I corrected, trying to hold my temper. “Over and over as I opened a gate and shoved
you through. Back to your life partner. The mate you abandoned just days after your union ceremony. You are not trustworthy. If I’m wading in here and putting my life on the line, then I need assurances that you guys are going to have my back. Think you can, Mr. Alpha? Can your pack mentality stretch that far?”

  I expected a smart response. I expected a fit of rage or at least a display of temper.

  Instead, he stepped right up to me, took my chin gently, and raised it until I looked directly into his eyes.

  “You have my full support. I know you don’t believe me, and I know I don’t deserve your trust. Send instructions through Enzo. I’ll be where you need me and when with as many as I can gather at my back. If anyone can turn the tide here, it’s you.”

  Before I could respond, he stepped back, gave a pointed look to Enzo, then turned and strode from the room.

  I watched him go, reaching into his pocket before vanishing in a cloud of dust.

  Enzo muttered something in Italian, eliciting a small chuckle from Dario before he said, “I shall pass on this new development. I can say with confidence that you have the support of my coven and much of the high council. Send word when you have concluded your business.”

  Accepting my dismissal, I glanced at the upturned portrait before following in Garret’s footsteps, only there was no dust to transport me.

  I walked through the house unescorted and let myself out.

  So much to do, and so little time.

  Chapter 16

  Sorrel

  Sitting on the front porch, my bare feet cooled by the pine step, and a mug of steaming tea cradled in both hands, I took the time to quietly listen to the evening activities of the woods.

  Months of back and forth, playing cat and mouse with the various players in the ridiculous game I’d found myself a part of, were taking their toll. I was beyond exhausted.

  In response, I’d done nothing but stay at home for the last twenty-four hours, reading my mother’s grimoire and reflecting on my current position.

  Oddly, I didn’t feel quite as at ease as I previously had, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Assuming it was stress, I turned my attention back to my tea. Rose and peppermint. My mother used to call it a mug of calm before the coming storm.

  My visit to London had been productive, but that wasn’t where I ever planned to end up. And for Garret to be there?

  Our relationship had ended as suddenly as it began. Just thinking of him had me looking up, searching out the moon.

  It wasn’t hard to find. The waxing gibbous moon hung above the forest, its watery light filtering through the boughs of the old oak.

  “Shit,” I breathed as I took it in. It was getting late, almost eleven judging by its current position. If I missed my window, then I’d have to wait another day and I simply didn’t have that sort of time now.

  Abandoning my mug on the step beside me, I got to my feet and lifted my skirt so I could slip on my shoes.

  It was then, with my mind in several places at once, I felt it—a presence, almost as though someone was nearby. Not stalking me, but accompanying me, watching over my activities. Rather than ignore the phenomenon, I pulled in my brows and stated clearly, “I don’t expect you to understand, just don’t judge me too harshly.” Whether it was all in my mind or my Romani ally was somewhere close didn’t matter. I had one last item to collect; the name. and to get it, I had to cross over. To reach this particular destination, I had to open a very specific portal, and once I was there, I’d have to let Alva take the lead.

  I checked my pockets. I had the ceremonial dagger that belonged to my mum, two capsules sent by my cousin Hazel—they’d arrived while I was in London—and the stub of a candle.

  There was no margin for error. There was also the small matter of getting to the right place. If I overshot my calculations, I’d find myself in the wrong dwelling and that could get messy. There was only one demon for me tonight, and to be certain I reached him, I needed very specific reagents, all of which were readily available if you had the stomach to obtain them.

  Stepping off the porch, I walked around the cabin until I came to the hen house at the back. The hens were already locked down, sleeping in their nests, and barely stirred when I unlatched the door at the back of the coop and opened it.

  I didn’t choose any of them specifically, lifting the nearest and securing her plump body under my arm.

  She startled at being rudely awoken and clucked her annoyance.

  Running my fingers down her feathered chest, I kept my voice soothing. “Hello, sweetheart. I have one last favor to ask of you. It’ll be quick, I promise. And the cause is just. More just than it was to begin with anyway.”

  To an outsider, they might think I’d been cursed with too many bad spells to be talking to a hen as if she could understand me, but I was a gray witch, and I still had morals—much to Alva’s annoyance. It was just my own code, no other gray witches followed it. And given the morals and codes I stuck to, it meant thanking her. The hen had always laid for me, as I had always kept her safe and fed her, but this time my need was greater.

  Her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. With this visit, I would get what I needed, both for myself and the races under threat of the Assembly.

  When I reached the front porch again, I knelt on the top step and smoothed her ruffled feathers. I wasn’t big on ritual sacrifice, I could usually obtain the same results with slightly more effort, but this had to be perfect.

  She had no idea it was coming as the blade sliced through her throat. Body limp, her lifeblood spilling onto the pine beneath my feet, there was no panic, only the light twitches expected as her nervous system began to shut down.

  I was careful to lay her down gently, her blood slipping through my fingers, before taking the candle stub and drawing it through the pool before me.

  I knew the runes by heart, and the heat of the hen’s blood was enough to set the markings smoldering.

  It bubbled and smoked, soaking into the porch before bursting into a green flame.

  Alva stretched inside me, her barbed tail swishing, more than ready for a few hours of freedom and hopeful for the opportunity to feed. Of them all, he was her favorite. Not because of what he gave, there was no desire to be loved, but he was a kindred spirit, and during the time we spent with him she wasn’t the minority. With him, she was an equal.

  The sensation of allowing Alva to take form was almost orgasmic as horns, wings, and tail emerged, but I didn’t stand and revel in it. I didn’t even take the time to admire my talons before stepping into the portal and murmuring the words to close it behind me.

  There was no coming back. Not without everything I needed.

  My calculations had been perfect, as expected.

  The fire was burning in its ornate hearth, the bed was freshly made, its white sheets almost too crisp, and the music he’d chosen today was melodic and unobtrusive.

  He promised I always had first refusal. Every night, day, whichever, if I didn’t arrive by midnight, my time, he would look elsewhere for company. It was convenient for us both, and he never minded who he got. With Alva, there was considerably less conversation. With Sorrel, he got to take his time. Variety was the spice of life. Wings rustled behind me as I popped the capsule into my mouth before turning with a smile on my face.

  It wasn’t fair how these creatures were all so attractive. It was all part of their design. In vamps, it drew in their prey. No human could resist their looks. Coupled with the charm they exuded, they were ensnared long before any alarm bells could ring.

  For the incubi, the same was true. Yes, the horns and wings were frightening, but the handsome face, perfect physique, strong arms, and depthless eyes would draw them in, and with a single kiss they were undone.

  Men were easier, which was just as well since succubi had such voracious appetites. They could work their way through four or five a night with little effort, and their cohorts would willingly come back for more.

  He wast
ed no time, placing his hand possessively over my throat and leaning in close to murmur in my ear, “I wondered if you’d come back.”

  “I always come back, Devan, love,” I replied in my best sultry tone, as he moved my hair over my shoulder to kiss my neck. “Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?”

  The interruption had been his. A security alert had called him away, and I’d returned home with an entirely unsatisfied Alva the week before I’d taken the surveillance job from the Assembly.

  It would be so easy to get lost in him, to let Alva take what she needed, to sate her raging hunger—she’d been starved of attention for almost two months now—but it was still a question of time. I’d allowed myself to be drawn into someone else’s fight. It wasn’t about our needs anymore.

  Turning in his arms, I raised my hands above his head and ran my fingers through his thick auburn locks. “It’s been so long, I think we should start from the beginning. Unless you anticipate another emergency, that is. In which case…”

  I left it unsaid, arching into him as I traced his pulse point with my tongue. His audible groan ignited a fire in my chest, signaling to Alva it was time for her to step in. Just before handing her control, I bit the capsule concealed between my gums and second molars.

  It was the strangest feeling, handing over control to another part of you, but the surge of power in my veins as I let the demon take over was just as exhilarating as screwing a demon in my human form. I was watching through her eyes. Feeling through her skin.

  Every kiss against our throat was electric. A trail of heat followed his fingertips as he ran them down our chest, careful not to let his sharp talons cause any damage.

  That would come later.

  When he finally kissed along our jaw, bringing his lips to ours, I sucked in a sharp breath.

  It was there again. The presence. The feeling of not being alone.

  Devan clearly thought nothing of it as his lips teased ours apart. We willingly opened for him, our tongue flicking forward in search of his.