Once I stashed Isaac in the cab with Abram and Enzo, I joined Zed, Job and Moore in the bed of the truck.
Tiberius pressed his forehead to Leandra’s, and the pair murmured too softly for my ears to catch the words. He kissed her hard one last time then joined us without protest. He really did love her to sacrifice his freedom in exchange for hers.
The sliding window at the rear of the cab opened, and Moore leaned forward. “We’re going the long way around to avoid the fences. It’s rough out here, so everybody hang on. Holler if we need to stop.”
The truck bumped forward as Enzo circled back the way he had come. Give the witch a Ferrari and a stretch of flat highway, and the drive would be as smooth as glass. Behind the wheel of a pickup, driving through a pasture, the experience was more like one of those simulator cars at an amusement park. The kind that bumped you along, jerking and wheeling to dodge animatronic aliens or dinosaurs or whatever.
I don’t get carsick. Most wargs don’t. But I was clutching the edge of the bed and wishing for a peppermint to settle my stomach when a peculiar screeching sound raised the hairs along the back of my neck.
Impact knocked me forward, and my forehead slammed into Zed’s gut. He started coughing as I shoved up onto all fours and swung my gaze toward Job, waiting on him to fill me in on what the heck had just happened. He bared his teeth in a snarl, eyes rolled skyward. I looked up as a midnight blur swooped down and clocked me in the head a second time.
Moore jumped, snapping his teeth shut over air and almost landing on top of Zed, who shoved the bulky wolf into the corner near the tailgate and ordered him to sit.
Growling as I pushed upright, I caught my balance as the familiar scent of pennies filled my nose. I noticed a flattened area in the grass stained crimson and recognized the area. This was where the standoff had ended, where Abram had picked up on a weird vibe. Guess he was right about the woods being unfriendly.
“What the hell is that thing?” It moved too fast for my eyes to track.
The sky, which had been rosy fading to bruised purple with the oncoming night, turned black as pitch and growled with the ferocity I associated with tornadoes. Lightning forked across the sky, and winds kicked up, flinging stinging rain at us.
“It’s Beatrix.” Tiberius searched the sky with a tight frown. “She’s a thunderbird.”
“Those are real?” The books I had borrowed from Cam mentioned them, but not as children of Faerie. I had assumed if any more existed, they were native supernaturals like wargs and vampires. “Is she one of your kids?”
“They’re very real, and very rare.” He scooted toward the cab and stood, gripping one of the bars mounted to the top of the truck to keep his balance. “Bea was taken from this world when she was an egg and hatched in a nursery in Faerie. She was given to me as a hunting companion.” A scowl slanted his mouth. “I ordered her to keep out of this. She’s too precious to be lost.”
I followed his example in the hopes I wouldn’t get creamed for a third time. “Can you call off your attack bird?”
“No.” His slight smile hinted at pride. “She’s fiercely protective of me.”
A blue-black missile launched itself straight toward me, and I dove aside at the last moment. The massive hawklike bird slammed into the rear window, shattering the glass. The men inside shouted with surprise. Before I could apologize, the bird whirled on me. Thick talons raked down my arms and scratched my chest. The feathery brat was going for my eyes, but I punched her in the beak before she got that far. The thunderbird hit the bed of the truck with a thump, and Tiberius sank beside her, scooping the bird against his chest.
The creature’s hold on the weather broke, and the skies cleared as if the storm had never been brewing overhead.
Well, the mystery was unsolved no more. I should have put it together sooner. Of course an alkonost would have a pet who shared his affinity for weather.
“Sorry,” I called to the guys in the cab. “Are y’all okay?”
“Fine,” Enzo and Isaac said in unison before turning an unfriendly stare on one another.
“Glass and scratches.” Abram cupped the back of his neck, which was bleeding. “I’ll heal.”
I reached through the broken window and patted his shoulder. “Physician, heal thyself.”
He snorted. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I sat as far away as I could from Bea, but she didn’t rouse before we reached Watauga Lake. The prince appeared to take comfort from her presence, so I didn’t suggest out loud that we could deep-fry her and feast like kings tonight. Though I was thinking it. Hard.
With five hours to spare, I hopped to the ground and waited on Tiberius to join me. Moore and Job took cover in the trees while Abram, Enzo and Isaac lowered the tailgate and sat down to wait. Enzo picked glass from Abram’s nape to pass the time while Isaac fiddled with a tablet of some kind and appeared to be snapping reference photos.
Minutes stretched into an hour, and cool suspicion had me wondering if this had been a setup all along, if the fae had left us with no means of contacting them on purpose so that they could claim we had broken faith with them while still getting free labor out of us.
One hour morphed into two and then three. That’s when I got fed up and started walking the edge of the lake screaming, “We upheld our end of the deal. Come and get your prince. We don’t have all night.”
As we spoke, Haden was leading the Stoners into their first battle. His adrenaline-laced tension radiated through the pack bond, as clear as a gunshot fired at the start of a race. I should have been there for that, and I was missing out because the fae were poking the wound between our worlds and wasting our time when theirs was eternal. Or near enough compared to a human lifespan.
“Ah.” Rilla appeared on a gust of lilac-scented wind. “I thought I heard howling.”
The woman at her elbow tittered but choked off the noise when she noticed my expression.
“Prince Tiberius.” Tanet bowed as low as physics allowed, considering he had wings and hung in midair. “I am pleased to see you’re unharmed. I regret the necessity of retrieving you from your holiday, but Faerie needs you. Your House needs you.”
Tiberius stood at my elbow, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off his aunt. “Rilla.” He cocked his head in a very birdlike manner. “You were not who I expected to come fetch me.”
“I vowed to return for you one day, did I not?” A predatory smile stretched her lips. “That day has come.”
The prince glanced at me, and all the promises I had made him stood between us. “Protect her.”
As was the warg way, I gripped his shoulder, hoping he took some comfort from my touch. “We’ll take good care of her, of all of them.”
“Do you come to us of your own free will?” Rilla hovered, and I imagined her as more of a vulture than an eagle. How had I ever mistaken her for an angel?
Glamour. That was the only way of hiding her multitude of sins.
“I do.” His glamour wavered, and his golden feathers revealed themselves. “I will cause you no trouble, so long as you swear you will never harm Torquatus lands by intent, action or inaction.”
One by one the others gave him their vows, charging the air with the magic of unbreakable promises.
“I hope no harm comes to you for your kindness.” He stretched his wings. “I will do my best to keep those of my House from your door.”
“What are the Torquatus lands?” I didn’t expect an answer, but I did wonder why he had placed importance on that location above the one where Leandra resided. “Why not ask them to keep their grubby mitts off your woman instead?”
“I am Tiberius Torquatus. Those lands, that fortress, are my home. My greatest treasure lies within those walls.”
I read his meaning between the lines, and my breath hitched. His greatest treasure was Leandra. His presence here proved that. As a bean-tighe, she had deep roots. But where? Her anchor, the construct her life was bound to, must be his childhood home. H
ow else had a prince fallen in love with a kitchen maid? The pair no doubt grew up together, sharing a roof that shielded a private world, their innocent friendship blossoming into a deeper connection.
Poor Tiberius. No wonder he had agreed to Rilla’s terms with so little fanfare. Had he refused to return with his aunt, she had only to strike a match to gutter his soul.
“I understand,” I said, and it was too little acknowledgment for what he had lost.
He launched into the clouds, Bea trailing after him, a bruised-sky smudge against his golden beauty.
Rejoining the guys at the truck, I crossed my arms over my chest, and together we watched the rest of the alkonosts soar in the general direction of the rift until they vanished from sight.
“Did you get the feeling the three of you were each having a different conversation?” Zed scratched the stubble on his chin.
“I did.” I leaned against his side. “But it’s over now. There’s nothing left to do but make a few phone calls and tie off some loose ends.”
Isaac was staring at me.
“What?” I glanced left then right, but the woods seemed peaceful enough.
“All three of them wore identical glamours.” He scratched at a grass stain on his knee with his thumbnail. “The robes, the wings, none of it was real.”
A furrow creased his brow, and I imagined the gears of his mind churning over the whys of their presentation. Why appear in the guise of angels instead of in their natural state? Playing on local religions? They had thought we were savages. Maybe they had hoped to protect themselves from tooth and claw long enough to declare themselves? Or maybe it was ego, and they hoped we would throw ourselves at their feet to worship. Who knew?
“The man and the woman on the left were both…a different breed,” he continued. “Avian, but not alkonosts like Tiberius and Rilla. Sirens maybe.”
“Is that a bad thing?” All fae had allies, and alkonosts and sirens were cousins. It made sense that fae of a feather would flock together. “Maybe they thought appearing as a united front might lend them an air of solidarity?”
He gazed off in the distance. “Maybe.”
“It’s too late to turn back now.” I joined him in staring at the choppy waters. “What’s done is done.”
The finality of that lingered in the pit of my stomach, making my gut churn with a cocktail of remorse and pity for the separated lovebirds.
“All aboard,” Abram called. “We need to get these two back to the exam room so I can clear them.”
Dragging myself into the bed of the truck took more effort than it should have for an adult warg. Limp noodle arms hung at my sides. Legs a fraction stiffer, al dente, stretched out in front of me. I propped my back against the cab of the truck and poked Zed in the hip with my toe until he growled and swatted at me.
Isaac eased down beside me and leaned his head against the portion of remaining window. A golden feather twirled between his fingers, and he offered it to me.
“You shouldn’t have.” I accepted it, picking at the flecks of blood on the shaft. “Tiberius?”
Leandra would appreciate the token. I held on, careful not to crush the vanes.
“Mine.”
“Oh.” My fingers pinched a fraction tighter.
Mirroring Isaac’s position, I leaned back until my head rested on the cool glass and braced my left palm on the bed liner while the right protected the feather. The engine turned over, and we bumped over the uneven ground until leveling out on the road leading home. Home. Not Stone’s Throw. Not the RV park. Home. When had that happened?
The hesitant brush of Isaac’s pinky caressed the outside of mine. Comforting warmth spread from his touch through my body, soothing me to the bone quicker than a phone call from Cam, and I had my answer.
Home was the man who sat beside me.
And didn’t that just suck?
Chapter 23
The prickling wards danced over my skin as we rolled into the parking lot, and I rubbed my arms to rid them of the tickling sensation. An exhale pursed my lips, so deep and long I wondered if I hadn’t been holding my breath all night waiting to learn the outcome.
Crisis averted. Pop the corks on the champagne. Or, in our case, the tabs on the beer. The world was safe for one more night, and we all got to sleep the sleep of the righteous.
Hopping over the side of the truck, I touched minds with Haden. “Report.”
“Two fae down, three to go. Weird-looking things. Like a troll had babies with a frog.”
The mention of babies spun my mind toward the stone house and the children there.
That was enough to sear that righteous feeling right out of me.
I cast my memory back to A Field Guide to Fae Folk. “They’re probably trows.”
“Doesn’t make no matter to me.” The high of the hunt rode his voice. “Oh. We did have one incident. That guy that smiles all the time got put in the time-out corner.”
Why did that not surprise me? The overeager ones always caused the most trouble. “What did he do?”
“He snapped Jameson’s left foreleg in half.” Haden whistled a note that managed to come off both sympathetic and impressed. “Guy’s got a killer bite.”
“Is he going to be a problem?” I felt a headache threatening.
“Jameson kept sticking his cold nose under Smiley’s tail like he had treasure hidden there.” Amusement saturated his voice. “The guy had it coming. Besides, we’ve got more than enough bodies to cover for them. I stashed Jameson in some brush with Smiley to watch his back, since it was his fault we’re down two guys. Now he gets to watch the hunt while he thinks about what he’s done.”
“I’ll let Abram know he’s got another patient incoming.” He would be thrilled to hear his auctions had to wait. Not.
“We’ll be home at dawn unless you need us sooner.”
“We’ve got things handled here.” I turned as Moore scooped up Zed and carried him off in the direction of the exam room. “Keep your eyes peeled around the lake. Let me know if you spot any fae buzzing around.”
“Will do.”
The connection ended, and I startled to notice Enzo had sneaked up behind me.
“I’m going to see if Abram needs more hands.” He wiggled his fingers. “How do you plan on handling the return of Mr. O’Malley and Ms. Zhuang?”
“The Return of Mr. O’Malley and Ms. Zhuang. That sounds like a cheesy B-movie title.” I rubbed my forehead with my fingertips. “We’ll return them to their families tomorrow. Abram needs to cook up something to break the enchantment on them before we turn them loose.”
Hopefully that would muddle her enough we didn’t have to resort to memory enchantments to conceal what she had truly endured. That would also give Zed time to recover. I got the feeling he wouldn’t mind playing white knight to Joann by escorting her aunt home. That would also free me up to return Mr. O’Malley and collect my pay from Flo, which I expected to range between a pretty rock she found on her way home from school and a handmade friendship bracelet.
A grimace twisted Enzo’s lips. “I screwed up, huh?”
“Nah.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “We all overreach sometimes. It happens. You’ve helped out a lot since you got here, and there’s still more for you to do once you’ve recovered. You’re earning your keep. Don’t sweat it.”
He ducked his chin and headed inside after sparing Isaac a lingering glance.
“What’s that about?” Job bumped elbows with me. “I leave for a few days and come back to a witch versus fae pissing match over the beta?”
“It’s not like that.”
Backing away, he laughed at my expression. “Let me know if you want me to calculate those odds.”
“Wait.” I called him back. “Use the key under my mat to let yourself into my place and—”
His eyebrows vanished into his hairline. “Fourth wheeling is not my style. Plus, I have a girlfriend.”
“Let me finish?” I thumped him on the chin.
“Grab the stack of paperwork and the debit card off my kitchen counter.” Which doubled as a nightstand since it butted up against the bed. “I need you to look it over and get back to me.”
“Any hints?” The mention of paperwork and number-crunching perked him up faster than a hit of espresso.
Mmm, espresso.
I yanked myself out of a dream sequence where I swam through a vat of Death Wish, the world’s strongest coffee. “No.” I focused on Job. “Trust me. You’ll want to see it for yourself.”
Those numbers ought to give him heart palpitations, too, if for a different reason.
“I’ll lock up when I’m done.” He started backing away. “Hey, when did you start locking your door anyway?”
When Isaac moved in next door…
“It’s a recent thing.” I flicked my fingers in the direction of my RV. “Go forth and calculate.”
I didn’t have to tell him twice.
This time when I heard footsteps, I didn’t have to glance over my shoulder to know Isaac was approaching. I stood there, waiting to see what he would do.
“I need to call Mom and check in, and you know she can hear a lie a mile away. I won’t be able to dance around what happened here without risking her showing up on our doorstep ready to box my ears.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to call Cam with updates first? You know how fast word travels down the grapevine in my family.”
“She definitely doesn’t need to hear about Tiberius secondhand.” I rolled my head on my neck. “I need to peek in on Zed, then I’ll use Cord’s office to make the call. Maybe I’ll have better luck contacting them this time.”
“Do you want company?” He aimed the question at the moon instead of me.
“It depends.” I twirled his feather between my fingers. “Will you scowl at the amount of coffee I’m about to drink or the number of stale cupcakes I’m about to eat?”
“You have my word.” He lifted two fingers like the Boy Scout he wasn’t. “I’ll call a truce on my war against caffeine. For tonight only.” He hesitated, but the words still popped out. “Though you really shouldn’t drink coffee this late, not after the day you’ve had. You need your rest.”
Dog Eat Dog World: Limited Edition Bundle (Black Dog) Page 194