by Lexi Blake
I could lose one of my loves to the other. It would be a little like one side of my soul killing the other.
“Could we get back to the primal?” Casey asked.
“What are you doing in here?” Gray ignored him for a moment as he rolled his sleeve back down. “I thought you would be helping Liv get ready for her spell.”
“I am,” Casey replied. “I’m looking up the best place to find a couple of the herbs she needs. They want to use local sources. Apparently beyond being super hipster, locally sourced is a witch thing. The spell was created in this part of the country. The counteraction should come from here, too, so I’m looking for alternative sources for a couple of the ingredients. The good news is, Liv tells us that if we’re looking for Fen’s dad, Fen’s DNA should work, and god knows we’ve got plenty of that.”
Did I mention the shedding?
“Should we be worried that Fen’s dad is going to get killed by the primal?” Casey asked.
Meredith stared at him for a moment. “I believe what they’re trying to tell us is that Fen’s father is the primal. Liv is attempting to get rid of the spell that was hiding him from the king. Though I would assume the spell was meant to hide the family from Lupus Solum, who they’d fled from. It would have the unpredicted effect of hiding his turn from the senses of the king. It’s quite tragic when you think about it.”
They’d been trying to have a life and it had killed a whole family. Like poor Racha had survived all those years only to be eaten by wolves.
That’s what bugged me. She hadn’t been eaten and there hadn’t been a ton of blood. It was a lot like the others except Racha hadn’t been drained. Had Fen scared the wolves off? He seemed to have excellent control of them. He hadn’t been able to control the werewolves when he was in his human form, though according to Trent he likely would one day. I didn’t see Fen allowing the natural wolves to kill the brownie, but it certainly could have happened.
But he’d seemed surprised when he’d stood over her body. And there had been no blood on him.
“According to Fen, his father rose, killed his mother and somehow managed to tell him to run,” I explained. I’d gone over it with Liv and she’d agreed. We were planning on keeping the knowledge within our small group. Lord Sloane didn’t need to know a Lupus Rex was currently eating a shit ton of mint chocolate chip a couple of rooms away from him. Lord Sloane tended to view anyone and everything as a possible chess piece for him to move around. “Hester had called her mother after the accident that killed her husband. She panicked and had no idea what to do. I think she might have been afraid of involving human authorities. It was all over by the time Lupus Solum got there, but they put the pieces together, and that’s why they erased Fen.”
“The idea of Fenrir would have frightened them,” Meredith agreed. “We have no idea how his powers are going to work. Is it even possible that he’s not only a werewolf but a latent vampire? Would his werewolf powers survive the transition?”
“I watched him control about a hundred werewolves,” Gray admitted, looking much better now. Henri’s meds worked fast. “That’s a vampiric power. I don’t know of any alphas who can mentally control their packs. They rule from a place of physical strength.”
“The king should be able to tell.” At least I hoped he would. That much power in such a young child could be dangerous. Then there would be people who might try to force a turn.
It would be up to us—to me and Trent and Gray—to protect him. The good news was Trent had a long history of dealing with supernatural kiddos.
“Perhaps,” Meredith said, closing her laptop. “Once the spell is gone, he’ll be able to see Fen’s latency. Or perhaps one of Fen’s powers is to be invisible to the King of all Vampire. I’ve studied the prophecies and if he is who you think he is, he would be the Unbinder. King Daniel can call wolves to do his will when the wolf has taken king’s blood. It will be interesting to see if Fen can break that bond. I also think it could be interesting to see how the king handles that. You know I’ve always thought that King Daniel is only magnanimous because his power is indisputable.”
I hadn’t thought of that at all. How would Daniel handle a wolf who might threaten his authority? But I knew the man. “I can’t see Daniel having a problem with Fen. When you think about it, bringing him back with us is the best way to solve what doesn’t have to be a problem.”
“You don’t think all those wolves will rally around a king of their own?” Meredith asked. “Once it gets out what Fen can do, the wolves will want him raised with a strong pack.”
“He’ll have a strong pack.” I didn’t like the thought of giving him up to a wolf pack. They wouldn’t allow him to be a child, not if they thought he was some kind of savior from potential vampire rule. Fen had been through so much. He should have a childhood. He should run and play and grow up with a gang of kids who would have his back. He should go to school and learn things, but not merely about how to potentially kill the vampires.
“Trent isn’t really a wolf,” Meredith said with a wave of her hand. “He’s the king’s lackey. Everyone knows that. The same way you’re an employee. You’ll do what the king tells you to do in the end, and if that means putting Fen down to secure the king’s own power, then you’ll do it.”
“No, I won’t. I thought we had this discussion. I make the decisions when it comes to my own soul. I will never harm that child. The king won’t either,” I argued.
She moved to the small body on the tray and pulled a sheet over it. “I hope your faith is well placed. I think with the wizard advising him, the king might find a bit of his more savage side.”
I hadn’t thought about that, but I had to believe in the king’s better nature. And honestly, I trusted in my own ability to protect Fen. “I’d like to see the report on the brownie when you have a chance. Something’s off with her body.”
Meredith crossed her arms over her chest. “Her body is dead and it was killed in the manner I explained. I will certainly get you a copy of the report, but if it wasn’t the same thing that killed the witches, then it must have been one of the wolves.”
“How do you account for the lack of blood?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you know anything about brownies, Kelsey? Have you studied their physiologies? Because if you would like to take over my job, I can go home tonight.”
How was I supposed to argue with that? I would talk to Henri when we got home, but for now, I needed to back down. We were close to finishing the job and then we would face a new fresh hell, but at least Trent would be home with us. Gray seemed stable for now. I had to call it a win.
“Peace,” I said. “Casey, I need you to watch over the boys tonight. The king is going to show up at some point.”
“Seriously?” Casey stood up next to Meredith. His arm went around her shoulders. “The king is coming? I’m not good at dealing with him. He’s intimidating. The queen’s way easier. Can’t she come instead?”
I hadn’t noticed how big Casey’s irises had gotten. They were huge, drowning out the normal color of his eyes.
“What’s going on? I thought you and Liv were…” I began.
He shrugged. “Liv is stubborn.” He seemed to realize his arm was around Meredith and he started, pulling away. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s the companion thing.”
“But I have…” Casey shut his mouth quick. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch you like that. I…I’m going to go to my room for a minute.”
He hurried out to the hall.
Meredith stared after him. “I don’t know what his problem is. I’ll check the blood we’ve got for him. From what I understand Liv fed him for a few months and he’s been on bagged blood ever since. Not having a physical connection can harm a vampire.”
Because vamps fed off of sex as much as they did blood. They needed the energy that came from sex in order to be balanced. There’s a whole brothel in North Dallas wher
e unattached vamps can go for sex and blood. The fact that Casey was using bagged blood made me wonder what was really going on.
Gray stood up and stretched. “I’m going to go have a sit-down with my father before dinner. I’m feeling up to it now. Thank you, Meredith.”
She bowed her head and I got the subtle message. At least someone appreciated her contribution. “You’re always welcome, Grayson.”
He leaned over and kissed me. “I don’t even want to murder Trent right now.” He sighed, putting his forehead against mine. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll work this out when we get home and our wolf is with us.”
The fact that he’d used the word our warmed me. “We will.”
“And we’ll take care of Fen,” he vowed before walking out.
Meredith watched him leave. “I’m worried about Eddie. You know I’ve been storing a lot of the ingredients for the tonic in the kitchens. A couple of them require refrigeration. I asked for a cold storage unit in here, but he said he couldn’t do it.”
That didn’t sound right. Eddie could do practically anything. “How could he screw with the ingredients? Couldn’t you tell?”
One shoulder shrugged. “I’ve got human senses. There are some herbs I use that could potentially be tampered with. I don’t know why he would do it, but if he wanted to, he could. I wouldn’t be able to smell it if he soaked the herbs in something that might change how they work. It just worries me that Gray started behaving strangely as the responsibility was handed over to me. No one would dare try something on Henri.”
Because he had vampire senses. Still, I couldn’t understand why Eddie would want to screw with…
Unless he was working for the man who desperately wanted his son on the Hell plane, the man who needed to prove his worth to Lucifer.
He might screw with Casey’s blood to take out one of my helpful team members.
“I’ll handle it,” I told Meredith.
She stared at me. “Handle it? Kelsey, I don’t know that anything’s actually happening. Let me test the tonic when we get back to Dallas and then we’ll know.”
But I was more direct than that. “Hey, you do your job and I’ll do mine. See you at dinner.”
Which I might not eat because I wasn’t about to give anyone a chance to potentially poison me. She called out my name again, but I’m a “rip the bandage off” chick. Especially if I’m not ripping it off me.
It didn’t take me long to find Eddie. His office was right outside the kitchens and his door was open. I was surprised he wasn’t in the kitchens, as I could smell dinner cooking, but I guessed his management style was more overlord-like than I’d thought.
“Yes, that’s what I said. I need as many pairs of jeans in a size six as you have. And at least ten T-shirts. He seems to prefer the softer cotton ones. I know children grow and most don’t need that many pairs, but most children don’t explode into large wolves and destroy all their clothing.” He sighed. “I am not insane. Yes, I will pay to have someone put the purchase together. I can be there in an hour. Thank you.”
He looked up and for a second I saw how weary he was. Then he noticed me and his shoulders straightened, his lips curling up. “I am sorry you had to hear that, mistress. I was rude with the salesperson, but she was arguing with me. I should not have mentioned the real problem.”
“Somehow I don’t think whoever was on the other end of the line believed you.”
He stood up, his head coming to the middle of my chest. “Well, I will transport to the store after dinner service and return before bedtime.”
I couldn’t let him go even though I was grateful someone was handling Fen’s need to ruin every pair of jeans I managed to wrestle him into. “Why did you refuse to get Meredith a refrigerator?”
He shook his head, confusion plain in his eyes. “I would never do that. I specifically asked what she required for her laboratory, mistress. I have the requisition form right here.”
He shuffled through some papers on his desk and came back with a thick, stapled form.
“She never asked you for one? She was very specific that you turned her down.”
He offered me the form. I remembered filling it out and mostly paying attention to the kinds of food I wanted. All of them. Except the vegetables. “Mistress, I endeavor to bring good service. I would never refuse a request. I would move heaven and earth and perhaps the Hell plane to ensure one of my charges got what they require.”
I didn’t need to see the form. The very fact that Meredith had tried to convince me not to talk to Eddie had gotten my spidey senses tingling. The question was why would Meredith lie. “Are you storing the ingredients for the tonic in the kitchen refrigerator?”
“What exactly is this about?” He gasped and took a step back. “I am sorry, mistress. It’s been a long day. My staff...” He had to take a long breath. “Racha’s passing is difficult on them.”
Oh, and it was difficult on him. If he was acting he was spectacularly good at it. I didn’t get the feeling he was. “I’m sorry. I know things are happening very quickly.”
“It was my fault, mistress,” he said. “The spell I placed on the domicile didn’t go far enough. I sent her out that morning. She wasn’t feeling well. She said her head was fuzzy. Sometimes Fae creatures are affected by artifice. Being in the pocket world, out of touch with nature, can make them feel unwell. I thought fishing and being outdoors would help her feel better. I should have sent someone with her. I should never have allowed her outside of the protective spell.”
“The wolves wouldn’t have set off the spell,” I pointed out. “Meredith says she was likely killed by one of the natural wolves.”
“Racha was highly skilled with weapons,” Eddie explained. “I haven’t been able to get the others to take the training. Brownies are gentle souls, but Racha knew how dangerous the world can be. She had a modified pistol with her. I wonder what happened to it.”
I did, too. “How was she sick?”
“She’d worked the night before and she wasn’t scheduled to be on shift until tonight’s dinner service,” he explained. “She’d cut herself, but it was already healing.”
“She cut herself on glass from my bedroom.” Things were falling into place. We’d been thinking Lupus Solum was the real threat, but I should have remembered that the real threat always comes from within. “I broke the glass that night.”
“It was not your fault, mistress,” Eddie began.
It was absolutely not my fault. “I didn’t drink the medication Meredith gave me that night. I smashed it on the floor and Racha snuck in later on to clean it up. She cut herself on the glass. The glass would likely have still been coated with whatever had been inside it. Or it could have gotten into her bloodstream when she wiped it up.”
Eddie’s eyes had become the slightest bit red. “Are you saying what I think you are saying, mistress?”
His horns had elongated. They were normally cute little spikes on his bald head, but now they thrust up and looked far more dangerous then I’d seen.
Eddie might be small but he had some sharp edges. I appreciated that. “I think Gray got worse when Meredith took over his medication. I think something’s up with Casey and I wonder if there’s not a little something something in that blood bag of his. I think Meredith was the one who tried to give me the anti-nausea tonic that ended up on the floor and caused Racha to feel ill.”
Meredith had a whole lot of explanations for what was going on with my team. Of course, I supposed doctors were supposed to have explanations.
There was an excellent reason for a lack of blood at the site of the brownie’s slaughter that Meredith wasn’t considering, and I had to wonder why.
Dead things don’t bleed the way the living do.
“Casey looked drugged when I saw him a few minutes ago. Do you have any idea when he last fed?” I didn’t like the way things were stacking up.
“He came in not more than an hour ago.” Eddie was lisping now, talking ar
ound his fangs. “The doctor has been in several times today. She could easily have poisoned Master Casey’s blood and no one would notice. I train my staff to be deferential. I gave her the secondary refrigeration unit for her medicines. She told me Casey’s blood should be stored there. What should we do?”
“Well, we should prep Casey for detox because if it’s what I think it is, he’s going to be hurting soon.” Meredith would have access to a drug that would make Casey easy for her to influence—her own blood. I wondered how long she’d been slipping drops of it into Casey’s supply. He’d been staying close to her even as he looked longingly at Liv. As plays for another woman’s guy went, it was a solid one. Getting a dude addicted to your blood was a good way to keep him in line.
So why poison Gray’s tonic and with what? There were two possibilities with Casey—she either wanted him for herself or she needed him more easily influenced by her. But the tonic simply seemed to make Gray less effective as a prophet, as anything really. He was too angry to get much done besides act like a jealous douchebag around a man he’d been sharing a woman with for months.
And what had she been planning for me?
I didn’t like the way this was panning out. I didn’t like it at all. “I’m going to take a look at that fridge, Eddie. I think Fen’s clothes are going to have to wait.”
His hooves clicked across the marble. “Of course. I think it would be best if you allowed me to transport you and the others back to Council headquarters. I can take two at a time, and Albert can come back with me. We can take everyone to safety in a matter of ten minutes or so.”
I was fighting the queen over him. Eddie was getting his own household and it would be mine. “You are a problem solver, my friend. I’m going to grab the evidence, and we need to do this on the downlow. I want the boys out of here first. I still have to deal with Lord Sloane, but that’s my problem. When you get to Dallas, have someone inform the king of what’s going on. I want him here pronto. I don’t care how closed that door of his meeting is. Fight your way in if you have to.”