by C. L. Bright
“It would probably be best if I ask the questions,” she stated. “I’m not about to risk my own safety by helping you attack those shapeshifters.”
“I don’t want to attack them,” I insisted. “Not all of them, anyway. I’m the daughter of the leader. My stepmother took my bracelet and left me in an Azurean trap so her son could be the next leader. I’m worried my father and those loyal to him will die if my stepmother isn’t stopped.”
Peony didn’t speak, and I wasn’t sure if she was waiting for me to say more.
“You should help her,” Sin announced.
I hadn’t realized she’d followed us until she spoke. We’d all agreed that it would be best if Sin stayed outside the settlement. Even she’d agreed that she should stay behind, and yet there she stood, possibly angering the demon who could help me get past the Ivorfalls.
Peony’s blue eyes narrowed as her gaze landed on Sin. “What are you doing here? More importantly, what did you tell them?”
Sin laughed off her anger. “Relax, Peony. I gave them a brief history but nothing they can use against you. Of course, I would never tell them your actual name. I know you’re going to want to help them, so I wouldn’t even consider threatening to reveal something so personal.”
That certainly sounded like a threat.
“Why are you with them?” Peony demanded. “You never cared enough to get involved with anyone else’s problems. You lorded your power over us and hid in your puppy form.”
“A lot has changed,” Sin replied with a sigh. “My life has been drudgery for centuries, but this warlock fascinates me.” She gestured to Dante. “It seemed like a delightful adventure, so here I am.”
Peony’s full attention shifted to Dante. “Who are you?”
“Dante Verdugo,” a warlock called out from behind us.
We all turned toward the warlock who’d spoken, and I gasped.
“Juliet Shadow Walker, it’s good to see you again.”
“Erik,” I began cautiously. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you,” he replied. “Various things I don’t want either the Azureans or Tulureans to know about.”
“Ah, so you know each other,” Peony said with a bright smile. “Erik is another fascinating warlock.”
“It seems he is,” Dante said under his breath.
Erik grinned. “I’m glad you’re okay. We were worried when we heard about what happened with Juliet. That took me by surprise. Juni tried pretending she wasn’t, but I could tell she was just as shocked.”
“So, you know I’m not Juliet Shadow Walker.”
“I know you’re a shapeshifter,” Erik confirmed. “That didn’t come as nearly as much of a shock as Dante’s part in helping you.”
“Enough chatter,” Peony snapped. “I’ve been asked to get Juliet and her shapeshifter companions past the Ivorfalls.”
“I need to pass with the spellcasters and Sin,” I added.
Peony let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, no. I already told you I’m not going to help you attack those shapeshifters. I can’t see any other reason for bringing the spellcasters with you.”
“I’m not trying to hurt my people, and neither are they,” I insisted.
“I don’t know,” she hedged.
Erik frowned. “Why do you want to go to the Heathergate Refuge?”
“Some silly nonsense,” Peony replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I think she feels loyal to her people. I don’t know what would possess her to think that bringing hunters there would be a good idea.”
“They’re no longer hunters,” I argued. “Serena was never a hunter.”
“That’s true,” Erik agreed. “Both Dante and Serena have been sentenced to death for helping Juliet.”
Peony looked perplexed. “But the Verdugos are merciless killers.”
“Are you claiming you aren’t a killer?” Sin asked.
Peony snorted. “You don’t know me anymore. What name do you go by now?”
“Sin.”
“That’s appropriate,” Peony said with a laugh before gesturing around her. “These are my people. They are my family, my children.”
“Do they know the truth?” Sin asked.
“We know,” Erik replied.
“What is your relationship to all of this, Erik?” Dante asked. “You live in Azuredale, and you’ve worked at the disposal center since before your voice changed.”
“It’s easier to slip away from there,” Erik replied. “I’d rather not go into details. If you get caught, I don’t want you letting anything slip that might get people I care about killed.”
“I understand,” Dante replied.
“Will you help me?” I asked. “I know I’m asking a lot, and you have no reason to trust me, but I promise I’m really trying to do what’s best for my people at the Heathergate Refuge.”
“And what will you give me in exchange for my help?” Peony asked as she regarded me with a calculating gleam in her eyes. Her attention then shifted to Dante. “Or you? Do you truly want to help this shapeshifter? Am I supposed to believe you don’t consider her a familiar for you to drain?”
Dante met her gaze. “I love Juliet, and I’d be willing to die for her.”
“No!” Sin shouted. “Did you not listen to anything I said on the way over here? Telling her you would die to keep Juliet safe is the same as making an offer.”
Peony laughed. “I promise I won’t consider that an offer. In my new life, I’ve learned to negotiate like a witch. I didn’t ask this to trick him, though I can see why you might suspect I would. This situation fascinates me. I’ve seen a spellcaster fall in love with a shapeshifter before, but it doesn’t happen often. I suppose it makes more sense in this case.”
“Why is this situation different?” I asked.
“Get them something to eat and find them all places to sleep tonight, Erik,” she commanded as she stood and hurried into one of the cabins without answering my question.
“Do you know why she thinks my situation is different?” I asked Erik.
He shrugged. “I don’t have a clue, but you likely won’t get an answer. She does that a lot.”
Sin laughed. “She’s mellowed.”
I let out a tired sigh. “Do you think she’ll help us?”
“Of course,” Sin replied. “She’s delaying so she can watch you longer. You really are fascinating creatures.”
“Yes, fascinating,” Erik said softly with the same shy smile he’d had when he’d first tried flirting with me. He cleared his throat and looked away. “We’d better get you fed and settled in for the night. I need to get back to Azuredale before my absence is noticed.”
“You aren’t going to tell them we’re here, are you?” Dante didn’t sound all that worried.
Erik shook his head. “That wouldn’t end well for any of us.”
“No, it certainly wouldn’t,” Dante agreed.
Chapter 33
Though I enjoyed having a comfortable bed for the night, I couldn’t get my mind to shut off. Dante and Serena had fallen asleep hours ago.
I wasn’t sure where Sin had gone or if she planned to share the cabin with us at some point. She’d disappeared shortly after our meeting with Peony.
Rather than pacing the small cabin and risking waking Dante or Serena, I slipped outside to go for a walk. After strolling a short distance, I took a seat on a log facing a large pond where the full moon was reflected on the water.
I was there for around ten minutes before I heard footsteps approaching.
“You should be sleeping,” Geori remarked from behind me.
I quirked an eyebrow as he sat beside me on the log. “Were you ordered to check on me?”
“There’s no one awake to order me. It’s my turn to stand guard, and I decided to see why you’re brooding instead of sleeping.”
“Brooding?” I asked. “I’m not brooding.”
“Then what are you doing?” he asked as he regarded me.
I shrugged. “I can’t sleep.”
“Because you don’t trust the demon?” he asked.
“Sin isn’t at the cabin,” I replied. “I’m not sure where she is.”
“I meant the other demon.”
I shrugged. “She hasn’t done anything to make me distrust her.”
“She hasn’t done anything to earn your trust either.”
“I’m at a point where I can’t always wait for people to earn my trust, but you are right about me not being certain I can trust her. It doesn’t help that Sin told us we can’t trust demons.”
“After all you’ve been through, it’s probably hard trusting anyone.”
“Since when are you an expert on me?” I asked.
“I don’t need to be an expert to know this about you,” he stated. “People you probably knew your entire life betrayed you, so why would you have any faith in those you just met? How were you able to trust Dante and Serena?”
“Why do you want to know?”
He shrugged. “I just want to understand you better.”
“Because you want to better understand your enemy?”
Enemy might be too strong of a word, but Geori didn’t seem fond of me.
He chuckled. “I don’t think of you as my enemy. You created many problems for my community, and I don’t like that, but I’m starting to like you. You aren’t a coward, and Serena feels you deserve her loyalty. Serena has a lot of reasons to distrust others, too, especially our kind. Do you think she could ever truly trust another shapeshifter after what happened?”
“She trusts me.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, she does. I meant a different kind of trust, more like what you share with your warlock.”
“Ah! Now, I understand what this is about. You like Serena, and you want to get on my good side so I’ll tell you more about her.”
I respected him more when he didn’t deny my accusation.
“I shouldn’t like her. My family would never approve, and she’s so unlike me. Alaric also has feelings for her, though he may never act on them. It’s a mistake to want anything with her. I should stay away from her.”
“Right,” I began in a clipped tone. “You sound like Alaric. It’s going to be hard, so why even try to make it work? That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it? You should both leave Serena alone because she’s a spellcaster and too much trouble.”
Geori put his hands up in surrender. “Whoa! I think you’re reading a lot more into what I said than you should.”
“You just said you can’t like her because your family would disapprove,” I argued.
He shook his head. “No, I said, I shouldn’t like her. You’re assuming that because my family wouldn’t approve that I would turn my back on Serena. I can see why you feel that way, considering how Alaric is behaving. I don’t get close to others, but I want to get to know her better. I feel like I should keep that to myself because I know she has feelings for Alaric, and she’s under enough stress already. I don’t want to add to that.”
Wow!
I would not have guessed Geori could be so sensitive.
“Sorry, I overreacted,” I replied. “Serena is amazing. Any male would be lucky to have her in his life.”
“I think she loves Alaric,” he said with a sad smile.
“No, she doesn’t love him, but she is drawn to him,” I replied with a frustrated sigh. “I know he’s one of your closest friends, but he’s such a jerk. It would help if he’d stop acting jealous and possessive around her.”
“He’s not acting,” Geori replied with a bark of laughter. “Alaric is jealous of any time I spend around her, even if he’s the one who told me to guard her. He feels very possessive when it comes to Serena.”
“That’s messed up. He’s the one who pushed her away.”
“I don’t want to talk about Alaric,” he told me. “He’s like a brother to me, and I owe him a lot. Even if I think he’s wrong where Serena is concerned, I’m not going to sit here and bad mouth him.”
“But you’re considering pursuing a relationship with Serena?”
“Someday, I’d like to,” he admitted. “Now isn’t the right time. The last thing I want is for Serena to have more stress. Alaric would also be a lot more distracted if I started showing any obvious interest in her.”
“I respect you more for thinking of these things,” I stated. “Don’t hurt Serena, or I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”
“I’ll do my best,” he replied. “Do you think I might have a chance with her? I’ve seen how she looks at Alaric.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Was checking on me a ruse to ask about Serena?”
He shook his head. “No, I really did want to check on you. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and you need to get some sleep.”
“But not you?” I asked.
“I only have a two-hour watch,” he replied.
“I can take over the rest of your watch,” I offered.
“Alaric would be angry if I let that happen,” he replied.
“Right, why trust me?”
“It’s not a matter of trusting or not trusting you. Alaric gets angry when any of us defy his orders.”
I let out a sigh as I stared out at the water again. “Then I guess I’ll try getting to sleep again.”
“Goodnight, Juliet,” he said as he stood and walked away.
I stood and stretched before heading back to the cabin.
Once inside, I laid beside Dante, and he murmured something sleepily as he pulled me close. I didn’t immediately drift off to sleep, but eventually, my eyes closed, and my breathing steadied.
Sadly, my sleep was not nearly as restful as I’d have liked.
Chapter 34
Despite my horrible night’s sleep, I felt well-rested when I awoke the next morning. I suspected it had a lot to do with having a comfortable bed and Dante by my side.
“Good morning,” Dante murmured from my side.
“Good morning. I love waking up with you by my side.”
“Me too,” he agreed. “Where is Serena?”
“I heard her leave about twenty minutes ago,” I replied. “Since I’d just woken up, I didn’t get a chance to ask her where she was going, but she probably went to get something to eat.”
“Then I have you all to myself for a little while,” he replied. “This is nice.”
“It is nice. I was so terrified I’d never see you again, terrified you were dead. Sorry, I know I keep saying the same thing.”
“It’s okay,” he assured me as he brushed my hair back from my face. “This is still bothering you.”
“What happened? Obviously, you didn’t get a slap on the wrist like you expected, or you wouldn’t be on the run.”
“Nicolas convinced the right people that I was plotting against the Azureans with rebel shapeshifters. That was enough to earn me a death sentence.”
“Nicolas is such a lying toad,” I grumbled.
“He had a lot to work with. I lied about who you were, and I helped Serena escape. I also used magic against my brother and helped Alaric escape. I was captured in the company of a rebel shapeshifter. In hindsight, I should have expected a harsh punishment.”
“I’m sorry you lost so much helping me, Dante.”
“Stop saying that. Before you opened my eyes to what was going on around me, I was nothing more than an executioner and a slave trader. That’s the life I lost. Yes, things are a mess for us right now, but they won’t be forever. We’ll find a place where we can be together—a place where we’re safe.”
“Safe,” I whispered. “Do you suppose we’ll ever truly feel that way again? It’s so hard trying to imagine a place where we can both be accepted.”
“I wish I could give you reassurances.”
“I don’t need reassurances,” I insisted. “Let’s start with finding a place where we’re safe and worry about being accepted later.”
“Good idea,” he agreed. “W
e should probably push Peony for some answers so we can get moving.”
“You’re right. I hate that we had to wait another day, even though it was probably a good idea to get some rest.”
“You’re such an impatient cat.”
“That’s one of my best qualities.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “You’re bragging about your impatience?”
“Of course,” I told him as I stood and stretched. “I get things done because I hate waiting for them to happen.”
“Good point,” he agreed. “Let’s track down Peony.”
“Where do you suppose Sin is?” I asked as I looked around. “I was surprised when she didn’t try sleeping in here last night. I mentioned she wasn’t with us when I saw Geori, but I don’t think he’s seen her either.”
“Geori?” he asked. “Did he stop by here?”
I shook my head. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”
“I’m surprised that didn’t wake me up,” he mused as he changed his shirt.
“Do you think Sin left?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think she’d leave without me.”
“She really likes you.”
“It seems that way,” he agreed. “Sometimes, she admits to it while to others she insists I’m just a curiosity.”
“Has she ever tried kissing you?”
I tried keeping my voice light, as if it didn’t matter to me one way or another, but I hated the idea of Sin trying to kiss Dante.
He slipped his arms around me and pulled me close until his lips brushed against mine in a feather-light kiss.
His arms remained around me as he looked down into my eyes. “You’re the only one I’m interested in kissing. You know that, right?”
“I believe you,” I assured him.
“Sin asked me to kiss her,” he began. “I want to tell you she understood my reasons for turning her down, but demons don’t see the world as we do. She didn’t understand my desire to commit to just you, but she has respected my choice.”
“I’m glad,” I said as I stood on tiptoes and grabbed his hair so I could pull him closer.
His lips lingered on mine, and I savored his kiss for that short time.