by Melissa Haag
I stepped toward Fenris, who was unaware of Aubrey closing in behind him.
His arms wrapped around me. Aubrey’s eyes widened. Deciding this a better punishment, I wrapped my arms around Fenris in return and ran my fingers through the hair on the back of his head. Chest to chest, I looked up into his amused gaze.
“Get rid of your dead weight, and we’ll dance with you all night long,” I said.
“Bitch!” Aubrey screeched.
I laughed, and Fenris made a sound that fell somewhere between a groan and a sigh.
“Troublemaker,” he said softly before releasing me.
He turned to Aubrey, his hands up in a placating manner. She didn’t even spare him a glance. She flew at me, knocking him to the side.
I grinned widely and widened my stance, ready for her. Her curled fingers, now tipped with vicious claws, swiped through the air at my face. I leaned back, avoiding the strike, and swung hard, connecting with Aubrey’s left cheek. She snarled and snapped her teeth at me. Dancing out of the way, I waited for my next opening then planted my fist in her ribs. Instead of my anger being alleviated, it burned brighter.
“Come on, Aubrey, tell me your sins,” I said softly. “Tell me what wicked things you have planned.”
She growled and tried coming at me again. This time Fenris wrapped his arms around her and pulled her off her feet. Slim arms encircled me. I sighed and didn’t try to struggle like Aubrey did. I didn’t want to hurt Eliana or lose the meager coverage of my dress.
A shrill whistle pierced the air. I turned my head and looked at Trammer, who was glaring at all of us.
“Break it up or take your animalistic hides outside where you belong.”
“Come on,” Eliana said in my ear, tugging me toward the rear of the building.
While Trammer gave Aubrey’s still struggling form a final disgusted glare, Eliana and I took a seat at the table near Ashlyn. The moment Eliana released my hand a flood of anger robbed me of breath. I froze in the act of sitting and looked up at Trammer, who moved toward us. No, not us, but Ashlyn. I tensed, liking that he would never see me coming.
Eliana gripped me with more strength than I thought she possessed and dragged me down beside her. We’d barely settled into our seats when Oanen strode through the crowd, straight toward us. My stomach dipped at the sight of him even as the sound of Trammer’s voice needled at my insides. Eliana kept her arm wrapped around my bare shoulders, muting the shit storm of rage that wanted to break its way in.
“Five minutes alone and you managed to fight,” Oanen said, looking down at me.
I shrugged like it was no big deal, which it wasn’t. The move drew his gaze to my bare shoulders. The look in his eyes changed, and I recalled the time that I’d thought that look was a detached study of me. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
He held out his hand, and my pulse jumped.
“Come.”
I glanced at Trammer, who was waiting for his niece to gather her things, then shook my head at Oanen.
“I can’t leave Eliana right now.”
He cocked his head at me, and his hand slowly returned to his side. He stood there in silence as Trammer and Ashlyn moved toward the front door. As soon as it closed, he offered his hand again.
Eliana released me and gave me a shove.
“Go. I’ll be fine alone for a bit. Good practice,” she said.
I hesitated a moment then lifted my hand to Oanen’s. The first touch of his warm fingers against mine made me shiver. He saw it but didn’t comment as he helped me stand. Holding my hand in his, he turned and led the way toward the dancers. I really didn’t want to dance.
He didn’t stop in their midst but pushed his way toward the stairs to the second floor. The whole way up the stairs, I could barely concentrate on each step because his thumb kept moving over my knuckles. If he didn’t quit it, I’d trip soon.
Passing the bar, he moved to a door at the far end. Cool night air brushed my face as soon as he pushed it open. We stepped out on a metal landing then went up the stairs that led to the roof. Gravel crunched under my heels, and I looked over at the neon sign for the Roost.
Oanen stopped walking and turned toward me.
“I was getting dressed right here. Even with the loud music and a layer of tar and gravel, I could hear your voice when you told Fenris to get rid of Aubrey.” He swallowed and looked down at my hand, which he still held.
“Do you care for him?” he asked quietly.
“Fenris?”
“Yes.”
With my insides going wild, I studied Oanen’s tense face.
“Fenris is just a friend. Friends are all I can do.”
He looked up, his intense gaze pinning me.
“Why? You’ve learned a lot this past week. You’re no longer in the dark about who you are.”
“Exactly. And that’s why friends are all I can do. Because of what I am. What I’ve learned this last week has only made things clearer for me. Getting close to anyone is dangerous. Except for maybe Eliana.”
“You’re afraid of hurting someone.”
“I’m afraid of hurting someone I like.” More importantly, I was afraid of someone I liked hurting me.
“Maybe the person you like just needs to understand the rules and not do anything wrong.”
His words made my chest ache worse. His thumb brushed over my knuckles again, and I realized he was only doing it to my right hand. The one I’d used to hit Aubrey. The soothing gesture swayed me further. Dangerous territory.
I turned my head away and looked at the building’s sign, trying to gain some mental distance from my distracting physical reaction to Oanen.
“Would you be willing to fly me to Trammer’s house?” I asked.
“Now?”
I took a long, slow breath and let go of my regret.
“Yeah. I think now would be best. Since the moment I arrived in Uttira, that man has pissed me off for no explainable reason. I need to find out why.”
“Okay.” Oanen released my hand and turned toward a low set of lockers just behind the sign. He opened one and took off his shirt, throwing it inside.
I took a moment to stare shamelessly at his muscled torso. Was I being stupid for saying no to that? Probably. But it was safer this way.
Turning my back to him, I listened to the soft rustle of clothing as he stripped for flight. At the soft scratch of his claws on the gravel, I faced him once more. He dipped his shoulder to me, an elegant gesture that drew me closer. At the last minute, I kicked off my heels.
“Eyes forward. My dress is way too short for this.”
He made a quiet noise then turned his head toward the sign. I lifted my leg over his broad back and settled in behind his wings, his downy feathers caressing my thighs.
“All set,” I said.
He turned his head and bumped my leg with his beak before beating his powerful wings. Within seconds, we were in the air, circling over the buildings.
It didn't take Oanen long to find Trammer’s house. He set down not far from the driveway. I quickly climbed off and stepped back, but Oanen didn’t return to his human form. Tucking his wings, he walked beside me as I crept up the driveway.
Like at the siren’s house, I peeked through windows until I found the pair. Ashlyn sat in the living room, reading a book. Trammer moved around in the kitchen, preparing an obviously late dinner.
“What are you hungry for, Hun?” he asked, his muffled voice barely reaching me through the window.
“I'm not really hungry,” she said absently and without looking up.
“Ashlyn, you need to eat.”
“I did eat. I had fish sticks today.”
He stopped moving around in the kitchen and ran a hand through his greying hair.
“That's not enough. You need to eat dinner, too.”
“I know Uncle Tram. I will.”
He came into the living room and sat across from her.
“I'm worried about you,” he said
gently.
She closed her book and looked up at him.
“Why? I’m fine.”
He shook his head.
“I want you to stay away from Megan and Eliana. They're trouble.”
She gave him a doubtful look.
“I like Eliana. She's nice.”
“How can you say that after what those monsters did to your father?” Trammer asked, not unkindly.
“I thought that was an accident,” I whispered to Oanen.
He bumped me lightly with his head, likely a warning to be quiet.
“You need to let go of your anger,” Ashlyn said from inside. “I did. It was an accident. Human or other, we all make mistakes.”
Again, Ashlyn struck me as a truly nice person. Like Eliana.
Trammer stood, his face flushed. He didn’t yell at her, though. He patted her shoulder and went back to the kitchen. She watched him go with a sad look in her eyes then picked up her book once more.
I didn't understand how someone, who obviously cared so much for another person, could be making me so angry. Seeing that they were settling in for the night, I backed away from the window and turned toward Oanen.
He dipped his shoulder, an invitation to take flight again. I barely paid attention to the houses passing beneath us. My mind dwelled on the puzzle of Trammer until Oanen landed on the Roost’s roof.
I quickly slid off Oanen’s back, and feathers abruptly vanished as he shifted to his human form. I squeaked, and turned around again, his soft chuckle teasing me.
“What were you hoping to see back there?” he asked.
“I'm not sure. Something wicked? There has to be a reason Trammer makes me so angry,” I said as I picked up my shoes. “I mean, sure he’s carrying a grudge for anything non-human because of Ashlyn’s father’s death, but that doesn’t scream wicked killer. If anything, it screams just the opposite because the people dying are human.”
The muted thump of the music didn’t cover up the sound of Oanen dressing again.
“I don’t know, either,” he said. “His dislike for us is why he made a good candidate for human liaison. He’s less likely to be corrupted by any of us.”
“How long ago did Ashlyn’s father die?”
“About a year.”
The music suddenly grew louder as the main entrance to the Roost opened below. A long, catcall-whistle pierced the air.
“You are looking fine tonight,” a male voice said.
“Of course I am.” Heels clicked on the sidewalk. “I’m surprised you haven’t been run out of here already. You must be sneakier than most.”
Oanen frowned and moved toward the edge of the building. I followed, and we stared down at a man dressed in jeans and a leather jacket who spoke to a girl wearing skintight black pants, hooker heels, and a revealing top. My temper flared looking at both of them.
As we watched, the man reached into his pocket and produced a small baggie.
“Since you’re looking so fine tonight, how about I give you a free sample?” he asked.
“I have a better idea.” She started singing about how he wanted to give her all his money then go slam a car door on his pecker. Oanen stepped back from the ledge as the guy began to hand over his money.
“I need to go tell my parents there’s another drug dealer here. There’s something about Uttira that seems to attract them.”
A car door slammed, and Oanen flinched at the sound of the man’s hoarse yell.
“Have Eliana take you home,” he said a moment before he shifted, ripping his clothes right off.
Unable to help myself, I looked over the side of the building once more. The sobbing man clung to the side of the car, his pants loose around his waist.
The siren had done Uttira a favor, but I still wanted to punish her for stealing from the guy. How messed up was that?
Twenty-Two
The music pulsed loudly and the lights flashed annoyingly when I went back inside the Roost.
Moving to the second-floor railing, I looked down at the dancers. They were all having a great time, completely ignorant of the man screaming outside. Or maybe they had great hearing, like Oanen, but didn’t care. Probably the latter. And that made life seem just a little too messed up, even for a seventeen-year-old fury. Granted, my life had never been “normal,” but I longed to know what “normal” felt like now more than I ever had in the past.
My gaze locked on Fenris and his group of girls, who danced in the middle of the crowded floor. He looked bored and completely miserable. Maybe normal, or at least our version of normal, wasn’t that great anyway. His would improve, though, if he would just walk away from his groupies.
Shaking off my reverie, I made my way down the stairs and skirted around the dancers. A few people nodded to me, but I didn't slow. I wanted to get outside and check for that siren.
Eliana waited for me at the back table right where I'd left her and stood as soon as she saw me.
“About time,” she said. “What happened?
“We'll talk about it outside.”
She slipped her hand into mine, and we both moved toward the door.
Fenris called my name, and I stopped to look back at him. He motioned for us to come join them. His gaze pleaded with me. I shook my head and nodded toward the front door. He gave a playful frown but waved us off. Behind him, Aubrey gave us her usual evil glare.
Ignoring her, I tugged Eliana out the door. The man who had tried giving drugs to the siren still leaned against the car, his face pressed to the roof as quiet sobs shook his shoulders. Eliana gave him a puzzled look.
I released her hand, letting my emotions flood me again, and motioned for her to stay there. The knowledge of the man’s damage to himself didn’t reduce the incredible amount of anger I felt for him. However, it did allow a very human amount of pity.
I walked toward the man, my bare feet not making a sound on the pavement.
“Do you want me to open the door for you?”
The sound of my voice made him jump, which made him groan and gasp while frantically nodding his head. I reached between him and the car and pulled on the handle. He cried out as he fell to the sidewalk, clutching at his groin.
Having freed him, I no longer felt pity, only disgust. I turned and walked back to Eliana.
“What the hell was that about?” she asked, still staring at the man.
“That was a drug deal gone wrong. A siren took his money and made him slam his dick in the car door.”
Eliana winced.
“Yeah, that's what I thought. The guy's an asshole, but the punishment seemed a bit cruel. Ready?”
“Shouldn’t we tell someone about him?”
“Oanen flew to tell his parents. I’m sure someone’s on their way, and that guy’s not going anywhere.”
She tore her pitying gaze from him and nodded at me. But, before we made it more than a step, a shimmering hole appeared before us. Adira stepped through and gave us both a warm smile.
“I'm very proud of you, Eliana. I think you dressed beautifully tonight. Any luck?” she asked.
“Luck?” Eliana said. Then a flush covered her cheeks. “Not really. I wasn't trying for that. Baby steps, right? I have a very succubus style dress on.”
Adira reached out and gave Eliana’s arm a gentle squeeze.
“You’ve done very well. Progress is good; just make sure to keep moving forward.”
“What are you going to do to him?” I asked, tilting my head toward the man behind us.
She looked down at the man, and her expression hardened.
“He is going to have his memory wiped and be removed from Uttira. There are other human towns he can terrorize instead of ours.”
“Do you need help with him?” I asked.
“No, you two are free to continue your evening. I will see you on Monday, Megan. We can talk about your report regarding your week-long break in town.”
I nodded, hiding my disappointment. At the end of each day this week, I’
d fulfilled her request and had sent an email with names and conjectured reasons about why those people might have ticked me off. Each email had ended with a request to do the same thing the next day. Adira hadn’t answered today’s email, and I’d already guessed she wanted me back in class before she’d just confirmed it.
Adira stepped past us, and Eliana and I quickly moved to her car. I got in with a sigh of relief.
“Well?” Eliana said as she started the car. “What happened? Why were you gone so long?”
“Adira’s been telling me to evaluate why someone is making me angry, right? There are two people in this town who have made me angry since day one. The first is Aubrey. She's a bitch, and she's underage. So, she is obviously not the killer. The other person is Trammer.
“Oanen flew me to Trammer’s house so I could try to get a sense of why I might be so angry with him, like Adira keeps suggesting I do. Only, we get there, and Trammer’s super sweet to Ashlyn and making dinner and all concerned about her. Doesn't seem like someone who's wicked, does it?”
“Not really,” she agrees.
“And not only is he super sweet to his niece, he's got a grudge against anyone not human, which according to Oanen makes Trammer a perfect liaison. Now, if the bodies that keep showing up were creatures like us, I could totally see Trammer as a suspect. But, they're human. Trammer has no reason to kill humans.”
“Well, maybe Jesse but not Camil,” Eliana said.
“What do you mean?”
“Jessie was a human trafficker, right? Human. But, he didn't know we weren't human.”
“So you think Trammer would want to kill Jesse because of human trafficking?”
The light in the car dimmed as we left town.
“If you were a human adult trying to protect a human niece, wouldn't you?”
I frowned.
“You're right. Jesse’s death makes more sense than Camil’s. But, why kill Jesse if his mind was wiped, and Trammer had orders to remove him? Removing him from Uttira would have removed the threat from his niece.”
“True.”
Yeah. True, but something about Trammer still pissed me off. And, until I knew what, could I afford to make any assumptions of innocence when my anger was telling me otherwise?