Garden of Dreams and Desires

by Kristen Painter

  Harlow swallowed, trying to find her voice. Her hand went to the gris gris bag hidden beneath her tunic. “That makes two of us. C’mon, let’s go see what we can find out.”

  Fenton drove like a madman, getting them to the hospital in fewer minutes than Harlow thought possible. He dropped Harlow and Lally off at the doors. “You two go inside, I’ll park.”

  She and Lally raced in. The hospital was busier than she expected but then it was almost 7 a.m. Lally went to speak to someone at the information desk while Harlow waited but when Lally returned, she was shaking her head.

  “Visiting hours don’t start till nine and they ain’t gonna let us in. She said they might make an exception for me being family, but not you. Not until nine o’clock.”

  Queen Jewelia came in from the parking lot with Fenton a few steps behind her. The two women embraced.

  Lally sighed and gave the woman behind the desk the stink-eye. “They’re not letting us in, Jewelia.”

  “That so?” Jewelia marched over to have a talk with the receptionist herself.

  “I overheard.” Fenton looked at his watch. “We can’t wait that long to find out if Grantham knows anything about Augustine.”

  “Agreed.” Harlow was already antsy. She flexed her fingers. “Can’t you pull some strings?”

  He frowned. “This is a human hospital first and foremost. My pull here is not great.”

  “What about Dr. Carlson? He’s one of us.”

  Fenton nodded as he pulled out his LMD. “It’s worth a shot. If you’ll just excuse me.” He walked to a quiet corner to make the call, coming back a minute later. “All right, some good news. Dr. Carlson is sending word down that we’re to be allowed up. They’re only going to let us up for fifteen minutes and only two at a time, however.” He nodded at Jewelia and Lally. “Despite the urgency, you two should go first. The first faces he sees should be family.”

  Jewelia’s expression grew a little less anxious and she smiled. “You’re a good man, Mr. Welch.”

  “Yes.” Harlow nodded. “He is.”

  The pair went back to the information desk, got Grantham’s room number and into the elevator they went.

  Fenton’s brows lifted slightly. “I hate feeling useless.”

  “You’re not useless. But I know what you mean.” She took a deep breath, wishing there was a simple way to make this all right.

  He shifted once, his eyes scanning the room. He nodded toward a vending machine. “Would you like some coffee? I’m sure it’s terrible, but—”

  “No, that would be great.” Harlow found a couple of seats in the waiting area away from the rest.

  Fenton returned carrying two small cups of coffee. He grimaced as he handed one to her. “I don’t have much hope it’s drinkable.”

  She took her cup and smiled. “That’s okay. It’s hot and caffeinated. Two out of three ain’t bad.” She wrapped her hands around it while he sat beside her. They stared straight ahead, but she had the feeling all he could see was the same thing as her—Augustine’s face. She sipped the oily black liquid. “Ugh. You’re right. That’s horrible.”

  He set his cup on the arm of the chair. “I’m rarely wrong.”

  She took a long breath. “Then what’s your best guess as to where Augustine is?”

  He bent his head, his gaze on his hands, which were now folded in his lap. “I’m afraid my best guess is not good news.”

  She put her cup on the floor. “The senator?”

  He nodded slowly. “And my intel on her is fairly limited due to the heavy security that always surrounds her. I don’t know where she’s staying—not that she’d be foolish enough to hold Augustine there.”

  “Maybe I can help with that.” She wiggled her fingers. “With my computer skills, I mean.”

  He nodded. “You might.”

  “What do you think she wants with him?”

  He glanced at her, a brief, apologetic smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. “Most likely to make an example of him.”

  “To show the world just how bad the fae really are?”

  The apologetic smile returned. “Yes.”

  Lally and Jewelia were headed toward them. Lally pointed at the elevators. “Go on, you two. Get up there and find out what you can.” She shook her head. “He’s in an awful lot of pain.”

  “He’s in room 315,” Jewelia added. “I’ll carry Lally home. I’m sure you all are going to have more work to do after you leave here.”

  “I’m sure we are, too, so that would be great, thank you. Get some sleep, Lally,” Harlow said as she and Fenton got up and headed toward the elevator bank. Lally gave a little wave.

  In a few minutes they were walking into Grantham’s room. A nurse was taking his pulse. She finished up, then gave them a stern look. “No more than fifteen minutes. I will kick you out.”

  “They’re all right,” Grantham mumbled.

  Fenton nodded at her. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Harlow bit her tongue and focused on Grantham instead. His lids were at half-mast. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I just fought Ramon Rivera all over again.” Grantham frowned. “I’ve got a chest full of cracked ribs and a bruise that feels like there’s an elephant sitting on my lungs.” He managed a half smile. “But I’m alive.”

  Harlow smiled. “We’re all really glad about that.”

  “Me, too.” He rested his fingers on a small device affixed to the bed rail. “Self-dispensing pain meds.”

  She stood at the side of his bed, the soft beeping of a monitor a reminder the accident could have gone differently. “Which you’re going to get to use in a few minutes. I don’t want this to take long, so forgive me for getting right to it, but do you have any idea what happened to Augustine?”

  He nodded. “Pellimento’s men took him.”

  “How many total?”

  “Nine.” He paused. “Yeah, nine. They’re mercenaries led by a man named Sutter. Probably took Robelais to the same place we met them, especially if they think I’m dead. A warehouse near the CBD. Talk to someone at the station, they can log into my GPS, get the address.”

  “Is it registered in your name?” Harlow asked.

  “Yes.” He coughed and his face contorted in agony, his hand slipping off the medication button. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help.”

  “No, you’ve been a lot of help,” Fenton said. He lifted Grantham’s hand back onto the pain dispenser. “Now go ahead and push that button.”

  But Grantham hesitated. “These are trained mercenaries. They had serious firepower on them. Enough bullets and even a fae stops breathing. Be careful.”

  Fenton dipped his head. “Thank you.”

  Grantham nodded, pushed the button and a few seconds later, his lids drifted closed. Fenton and Harlow made their way out. She waited until they were in the car to speak. “I can hack into his GPS and check that address faster than waiting on the police to get it for us.”

  He pulled the car into the street. “I thought you might. Can you use the system at the Pelcrum or do you need me to take you home?

  “Is it fairly current?”

  Fenton made a funny smile. “State-of-the-art. That contact lens you used at the Exemplar Ball, the one that had the facial recognition software embedded into it? That was built in the Pelcrum’s computer lab.”

  “Then I’m sure it’s more than adequate. Let’s go straight there.”

  “Wonderful. While you do that, I can assemble what’s left of the team at the Pelcrum. I have a few favors and friends I can call in to bulk up our numbers.”

  She sat back. “Sounds like a plan.”

  He glanced at her. “You know it’s highly unlikely the senator will be wherever they’re holding Augustine, right? Just her men?”

  Harlow let out a long, slow breath. “All I care about right now is Augustine.”

  Finally, the witch was awake. Ava Mae couldn’t wait to be rid of her. The more time she spent in the witch’s body,
the more she realized that she had to be back inside Harlow. And by telling the witch they needed to sacrifice her sister to the tree, Ava Mae had a plan in place to make it happen.

  Then she would finally be complete.

  Now all she had to do was live long enough to get to that point. Since the witch had gotten rid of the leaves, Ava Mae had begun to weaken. Her only chance was to get the witch in the house, close to the tree. That should give her enough power to take control again. If not, she had another idea about how to make it happen.

  Either way, she wanted back in her sister’s body. It was the only place she would be able to comfortably inhabit for the rest of her days.

  Get up, Ava Mae urged Giselle. We have work to do.

  And I have coffee to drink. I’ve only had a few hours of sleep. Calm down.

  The longer we wait, the more advantage Augustine and Harlow will have. They’ll be prepared for us. We should have gone to the house immediately, while they were still asleep.

  Giselle sighed. I may be a witch, but I’m also human. I have to have sleep.

  Ava Mae was aware of just how human her new host was. We should go now. Augustine usually leaves the house right after breakfast. Chances are good he won’t be home for a few hours.

  “Ian, my love.” Giselle shook his shoulder gently.

  Ava Mae wanted to throttle her. Are you paying attention to me? We need to go now.

  Ian turned to face Giselle, blinking. He stretched and the sheet fell away to reveal his naked torso. For a moment, Ava Mae considered staying in bed awhile longer. He yawned. “It’s too soon to be awake.”

  “I agree, but my parasite wants me up.”

  Don’t call me that.

  “She’s insisting I go to Augustine’s house and take possession of the tree now.”

  He pushed up to his elbows. “I’m not sure I’m ready for a confrontation with two fae.”

  Giselle sighed. “She says Augustine won’t be home right now.”

  He shrugged. “Can I at least get some coffee first?”

  We don’t need him. This is something you and I must do alone.

  Giselle hesitated.

  Ava Mae pushed harder. Do you want him to know all the secrets of the tree that I’m about to reveal to you?

  She leaned in and kissed Ian on the cheek. “I’m just letting you know I’m going out. It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  He gave her a strange look. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Giselle smiled. “If I’m not back by twilight, come look for me.”

  “That’s a long time.”

  Some of the rituals I’m going to show you take time. The power ceremony cannot be rushed. Ava Mae was making stuff up as she went along, but Giselle seemed to be buying it.

  Giselle shrugged. “It’s just one of those things. It takes some time.” She slipped out of bed, showered and got dressed.

  What’s with the white all the time? It’s so boring and dull.

  It’s not boring and dull. It’s sophisticated and it sets me apart.

  You sound just like someone else I know. Ava Mae sighed. Hurry up.

  I’m walking out of the house. I can’t go faster than that. Giselle missed the click of her heels on the cobblestones but for breaking into a house, flats were more appropriate. She unlocked her car and slid behind the wheel.

  Nice car.

  “Thank you.” Giselle preferred speaking out loud to her parasite. All that conversation in her head was making her queasy. “It was my father’s.”

  The one you killed?

  Giselle stiffened. “I did what I had to for the good of the—”

  Hey, I get it. I killed my father, too. I guess we’re more alike than I originally thought. Dead fathers, sisters that betrayed us, the desire for power… But the witch was still human and living inside her still felt like a slow death. Now let’s get to Augustine’s so we can get things under way.

  Giselle sped away from the house.

  Ava Mae kept quiet until they were close, more to conserve her energy than to give the witch a break. As the neighborhood vegetation turned green and leafy and the houses grew palatial, Ava Mae relaxed. Almost there. Park a couple blocks away.

  “I know,” Giselle snapped. “I’m not an idiot.”

  No, you’re not. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered with all this. Your cunning and intelligence is the reason I think a great partnership lies ahead for us.

  Ava Mae could feel Giselle calm at the lies she’d just been told. Humans were so gullible.

  Giselle parked the car. “I may have some trouble getting to the house. It’s warded against anyone intending harm.”

  How did you get in to get the leaves?

  “With a spell that forced me to believe I was there to see Augustine about a business matter.”

  Interesting. You won’t need to do that this time. My presence should negate the ward.

  “We’ll see.” Giselle got out and started walking. The house came into view with a block left to go.

  If Ava Mae could have inhaled, she would have, sure that she would have been able to detect the soft, smoky scent of the tree that had given her life. Already her energy was kicking back up.

  You were right, Giselle said. I can see the house no problem. Last time it wavered and disappeared when I started thinking devious thoughts. She opened the side gate and walked right through.

  Of course I was right. New life coursed through Ava Mae as Giselle’s feet made contact with the grass surrounding the house. Beneath that layer of green coiled the roots of the lightning tree. Ava Mae was home. Now get inside, find Harlow and let’s get to that tree.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Four minutes, thirty-two seconds.” Harlow dropped the scrap of paper onto the table in front of Fenton. “Not bad, huh?” She pointed at the address scrawled on it when his brows knit together. “That’s how long it took me to pinpoint the warehouse in the CBD that Grantham and Augustine went to.”

  “Nice work.” Dulcinea had arrived at the Pelcrum a few minutes ago.

  “Yes.” Fenton nodded. “Very impressive. We’ve never had a lieutenant with your set of skills. We could have used you a long time ago.”

  “Thanks.” Harlow sat at the round table in the war room, the satisfaction of being useful and appreciated warming her. She preferred the computer lab with its slight scent of ozone and the subtle hum of the equipment, but the war room was a close second. There was so much history in this room; it hung in the air like a comforting presence. She looked at Fenton expectantly. “What’s next?”

  “Sydra should be here shortly and at some point, we may see Cylo. Dr. Carlson said he’s releasing Cylo early because our ethos fae isn’t exactly being the easiest of patients.”

  “I’m here.” Sydra walked in, her flaming red hair braided into a tight plait in sharp contrast to her deep green leathers. She looked like a wild forest elf. The thought made Harlow smile as Sydra jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “And look who’s with me.”

  Behind her, the enormous ethos fae lumbered in. Cy grinned. “Dr. Carlson said I was the worst patient he’s ever had.”

  Harlow laughed, mostly because Cy seemed so proud of that designation. She jumped up and hugged him. “I’m so happy to see you.”

  He hugged her back. “Me, too, you.” The joy left his face. “I’m really sorry about Augustine. You know we’ll find him.”

  She nodded. “I know.” She looked at Fenton. “Are we all here?”

  He shook his head. “Nekai will be joining us at some point and I’ve got two more coming, goblin fae associates of mine. They’re strong as oxen and built for this kind of assault.” He looked at the time on his LMD. “They should be here soon.”

  Harlow remained standing at Cy’s side. “My house isn’t far from here, right?”

  “No.” He seemed puzzled by her question. “Have you changed your mind about going with us?”

  “Hell no. I just
want to run home and get Augustine’s sword.”

  “Ah.” Fenton’s mouth pulled at the corners. “I appreciate your bloodthirstiness, but that sword will only work for the Guardian. In your hands it will be more of an anchor than a weapon.”

  “I don’t want to use it. I want to bring it to him.” She shrugged. “I thought I’d give Lally a quick update, too.”

  He smiled. “In that case, it’s a marvelous idea. On both counts. By the time you get there and back, I’ll have everyone up to speed, Guz and Rat will be here and we’ll be ready to go.”

  She started for the door, then stopped. “Hey, I can’t get back in here by myself since I don’t have the fleur-de-lis brand, right?”

  “Yes, we must rectify that.” He tipped his head toward the hall. “You’ve seen me turn the sconce to open the door. Just repeat that. It won’t work, but it will set off a small alarm.” He smiled. “Close enough to a doorbell.”

  “Okay, got it. See you in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Harlow?” Fenton’s voice stopped her a second time.

  “Yes?”

  “Any reason you don’t just go by mirror?”

  “Hmm. Only because I hadn’t thought about it. It’s not quite part of my thinking process yet. I mean, I know that’s how I go visit my mother, but to just go places… I’m not thinking that way yet.”

  “Understandable. But the more you do it, the more comfortable with it you’ll be.”

  “Totally agree.” She held out empty hands. “Except that I don’t have a mirror.”

  He smiled as he stood and went to a nearby cabinet. “I can remedy that right now. Which reminds me I haven’t done my duty as the Guardian liaison and outfitted you with the things I typically give each lieutenant.”

  Harlow lifted one shoulder nonchalantly. “I’m not actually a lieutenant yet, so don’t worry about it.”

  “You are a lieutenant for all intents and purposes, you merely lack the official seal, as it were.” He slid out a drawer and took something from it, then offered it to her. “Standard issue for all lieutenants.”