"How can she leave him like this? He's in horrible pain."
"Healers are rare in our realm."
"Then she should release him. Let him go. This is torturing him."
"She cannot, but neither does she wish to. My mother holds him solid in this way and uses him as leverage to keep Bridgett in line."
"I have to do something."
"Lessen his pain, but don't make it apparent to Bridgett. I doubt that my mother bothers with his mind. She has other skins to peel. I'll shield you." He pulled me closer and blocked both Will and myself from the eyes of the nearby crowd with his large body, adding a spell that repelled onlookers.
I placed my shaking hand on William's chest as his gaze rose to meet mine. "Will, I'll try to help. Relax if you can." My energy spun with green and orange, soaking into his body and his mind. His aura slowly began to clear, as did his eyes. His skin pinked up and his temperature rose. When his lips curled slightly, his pale hand slid up to cover mine as it rested on his chest. I pulled back from his mind. That was all I dared to do.
"Thank you, Salina." He whispered, smiling for the first time.
"Get your hands off my man." The entire room quieted, all eyes and ears turning toward the little scene about to play out between the four of us.
I immediately looked at the floor, dropping my hand, afraid that Bridgett could somehow tell it was me. At the same time, Isaiah released the spell and took hold of my hand in support. I curtseyed and spoke softly, eyes still downcast in mock respect. "Please forgive me, Commander. I tripped and almost fell. Your mate was kind enough to steady me."
Submissive wasn't really my thing, but it seemed to work. "Isaiah, who's this?" I kept looking at my shoes, pretending to be scared. Well, it wasn't all pretend, since I was scared shitless of my grandmother and Bridgett was her new hit man.
"Number Two, I expect better manners from you."
"Stop calling me that."
"Are you going to complain to my mother?" There was a wave of light laughter in the hall. "She's never pleased with whiners."
"The archdemon isn't too fond of you right now."
"We have our good decades and our bad. That's the way it is with family."
I peeked up through my lashes and saw her scowl. "Whatever." She took hold of Will's hand and looked closer at me. "What's your name?"
I couldn't avoid eye contact any longer, so I took a close look at the sister who'd disappeared five years ago. She seemed the same: petite, light brown hair, her green eyes and mouth very much like mine. However, she didn't look healthy. A cloudy aura accented her exhausted eyes and tense body.
"I'm Salina."
"Salina? Salina what?"
"Salina Hernandez."
"You're a wolf. Where's your pack?"
"Chicago."
Then she asked me another question, only this time it was in Spanish. Bridgett was a quick study when it came to learning languages. Holy Shit. Now what? Stick with the truth, I guess. "I'm sorry, Commander, but I only speak English."
"Your name sounds Spanish." Her gaze had grown more intense as she pried.
"I was raised by the O' Brien wolf pack and they didn't speak Spanish. I didn't know my parents."
"But you kept your last name? That's weird. What's your pack leader's first name?"
Okay, now I was getting annoyed. "He's dead." My voice had gotten louder.
Isaiah stepped in. "Number Two, Salina is my date for this evening and I'd like to dance with her."
"Where did you meet this...?"
"I acquired her when I killed her mate."
"There's something off..." An attack of mental energy pushed against my shields. Little sister had come a long way, but not nearly far enough. I had no trouble keeping her out of my head. The only problem with that was...
"How can a wolf have shields that strong?" She made a beckoning motion toward one of the larger servants. He scurried over. "Grandmother will want to talk to her."
Isaiah's eyes had gone solid orange and I watched several of the onlookers take a few steps back as if the room might explode at any minute. Not that I could blame them. His fangs were poking out as were his claws and he looked like he was ready to rip out someone's throat.
"She has strong shields because I'm shielding her, you annoying little shit. Now get out of my way before I blast through your meager shields and make you wet yourself in front of everyone."
Bridgett clenched her fists and took a step toward me, but Isaiah put out his hand and allowed his claws to fully sprout; long, black and sharp. She lifted her chin defiantly but made no further move toward me.
"What's mine is off limits, even to Mother. And especially to you." I noticed Kobe step behind Bridgett, probably to show he supported her, but it didn't faze Isaiah. Like a hero from a Jane Austin book, he turned his back on the rabble and led me out onto the dance floor. He bowed with a flourish, I curtseyed as gracefully as I could, the music began to play and we danced.
He sent, grinning handsomely, "Now would be a good time to avoid stepping on my feet. Everyone is watching us, as they should be."
I smiled as we moved, trying to look relaxed even though my heart was beating at twice its normal rate. "At this moment I feel inclined to obey you in all things. My sister's a peculiar shade of purple because of you and I think I hear laughter directed her way." I sighed contentedly. "That was awesome."
He laughed and spun me around until I had to beg him to stop. "I wish your mother could see you. You look spectacular, and it's not because of my disguise. Your inner demon is making you glow. I have to damp it down so no one else can see it."
The music ended, but Isaiah didn't release me. Instead, he whispered, "For the benefit of the audience," then leaned in and kissed me one last time. When we broke apart a few seconds later, I turned to look at Bridgett and William. She was watching us intently, trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture. Meanwhile Will was gesturing to his head, pretending to smooth down his thick red hair. I connected to him. "Marie," he sent.
There'd been a smattering of dancers on the floor, but most of the other guest's attentions had been on us. Isaiah pulled me closer, hip to hip.
"Hand. Off. Ass. Now." I growled into his mind.
He winked in a boyish way. "I think we've learned all we can for tonight. Let's return home." And just like that, we disappeared.
A few minutes later, I was in his kitchen, my boots off, soaking my sore feet in a basin of hot water. "Ow."
"You're a healer. Do your thing." He was eating again.
"But..."
"You have the thread of magic inside you. Try it."
"I'll try." I closed my eyes. A few seconds later my sore feet were only a memory.
I must have looked shocked because he explained. "It's because they're finally working together. Your demon fuels your healer."
I frowned at Isaiah as he scooped more food onto his plate. "You're going to get fat the way you eat." He gave me one of those are-you-an-idiot looks and I shrugged. "Okay, okay. Knock yourself out. Eat till you barf for all I care."
"My metabolism goes into overdrive when I'm outside of my protected environment. You were speaking to the Roidux family. What did you learn?"
"The Roidux family?"
"Yeah, the nasty female who's got a thing for me and the three skructs."
"Skructs?"
"Stop repeating what I say."
"Okay, but what's a skruct?"
"Roughly it translates to a male who can't perform. They're cousins of mine. I have over one hundred and fifty cousins. All of them idiots. Except maybe—no, never mind. She's an idiot too, albeit a hot one."
He'd finished his late night meal and pushed the plate aside, then poured himself yet another goblet of wine. Good thing he couldn't get drunk because I'd hate to see Isaiah out of control. His boots came off and his stockinged feet were hauled up to rest on the spot his plate had vacated. He sighed and leaned precariously back in the chair, balancing on the
two back legs. "Talk."
"They know you're training Charlie."
The front legs of the chair crashed down with a bang. "They know I'm training him?"
"They said, 'The half-fae child is already being trained'."
"They could be referring to your fae friends training him—which they are—in their faerie way." He flapped his arms.
I flattened my mouth. "Charlie idolizes Liam and Farrell. He calls them his knights." Isaiah laughed out loud, then drained his cup and poured himself another. "Anyway, I don't think that was what the guy meant, but I could be wrong."
"Who said it?"
"The tall black-haired one."
"Praster. I'll have to invite him over for a meal. Should be interesting. He might even be tasty." He snorted.
I rolled my eyes at the joke. At least I hoped it was a joke. "You said he's a cousin. Your mother has a lot of siblings?"
"Seven. The one female is weaker than my mother, but she still works to overthrow her. The others prefer to remain male, as I do. Most of them are eccentric twits, not at all interested in power or politics. They are rather good at making babies, however."
"I guess demons aren't like the fae when it comes to reproducing."
"We're quite fertile. The problem is that most of our progeny are imbeciles. The fae have a rare child, but that child grows up to be Aedus or Philladre or Kaera." I was shocked to hear the tone of respect in his voice.
"Kind of balances things out doesn't it?" He made a rude noise. "If females are more powerful, why not stay female?" Demons chose their own gender.
He twisted his mouth in thought."Three reasons. The foremost being that Mother would have killed me centuries ago. Besides that, females are only more powerful magically because most males are too lazy to put in the work. My mother has always desired to learn more, to test her limits, growing stronger with each passing century. Make no mistake, she is ancient and patient, more powerful than the Fae Queen. A magical tsunami." He relaxed back in the chair. "I take after her."
"Very humble."
"I speak the truth." He shrugged. "I also remain male because females are rarely summoned, their summoning names being much more difficult to uncover. As much as I hate the process, when I'm in your world, I learn much."
"If your mom is older than the queen, are you as old as Caelen?"
"A century older."
"And you don't look a day over five hundred."
"I exfoliate." We both giggled.
A sudden thought had me frowning again. "Who knows my summoning name?"
His smile was slow and smug. "I know it."
I huffed in exasperation. "Obviously, but who else?"
"No one else. The records were mysteriously destroyed."
He'd removed the records to protect me. "Thank you."
"No one knows how it happened. It's still being investigated." He looked away, then continued. "In our universe there is magic and there is the Magick of the Arcane, usable only by the most ancient of beings. Most of my kind can't be bothered to learn the skills. Mother is a practitioner. She doesn't know that I also study the Art."
"Does Lord Caelen...?"
"Yes, and I think, perhaps, his sons. The blade that Liam wears could only have been acquired through the use of Magick. Your bloodline allowed you to wield it. Most could not."
"My demon?"
"Perhaps, but also your cheetah line. They are the most ancient of shapeshifters, the very first humans to shift became cheetahs. The ancient Egyptians wrote of them on the walls of their tombs. Arcane Magick is not Fae or Demon, human or shifter. It obeys whomever has the skill to use it correctly and destroys those who try and fail.
"The queen can stop time. Is that an Arcane spell?"
"Yes and a dangerous one. She's still a foolish child in many ways."
"Why doesn't Grandmother have my summoning name? She summoned me..."
"I summoned you to that first meeting, because I was the one to find it in the records. If I'd argued or refused to summon you, she would have insisted I turn your name over to her. Since then, the name has vanished from the archives. It only exists here." He tapped his head.
"She doesn't see you as a threat?" I found this hard to believe. Everyone at the party had deferred to Isaiah. More so than Bridgett, even though she was the new favorite.
"Because I've chosen to remain male, she doesn't think me powerful enough to threaten her. It's a weakness of hers, although I've helped it along. In Mother's presence, I know how to act the entertaining fool."
I laughed and he looked at me curiously. "In my world, many males underestimate the females."
"One would be a simpleton to underestimate you, Jacqueline."
I smiled at the compliment. "What will you do? After you take her down?"
"I have no desire to take her down." He held up his hands, palms facing me.
"Oh?" My eyes widened as I processed what he'd said. "Not Charlie..."
"I think it highly unlikely, although I don't have the gift to see the future." He leaned forward and took hold of my hand, orange sparkling in his eyes. "This conversation is not for Caelen's ears."
"You can trust me. But what if..."
"Let your mind rest, Jacqueline. You did well. Your son is safe, so dream in peace tonight. I'm sending you home."
"Already?"
"I have work which can't be accomplished with you here. You'll owe me a day." The last thing I remembered as I faded into the lines was that I'd never asked him what he'd learned at the party.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I woke up alone, in my own bed. This was unheard of. Garrett was always there when I woke up, unless it was after 3 o'clock in the afternoon, which was just ridiculous, because I never...
"Are you sick, Mommy?" I jumped, because the room was still as black as ink and I hadn't sensed anyone else nearby. I rolled over to face my not-so-mysterious visitor. The weight on the bed shifted as he sat next to me."You came home faster and now you won't wake up. You missed breakfast and lunch and it's almost dinner. You're gonna starve."
Leave it to a male shifter to keep track of time by missed meals. "I'm fine, honey. Why don't you push the button to open the blinds?"
"Okay." I heard soft footsteps moving to the wall, then the purring sound of the metal blinds lifting to reveal the woods outside my window lit only by the late afternoon sun.
He whispered. "Daddy said I shouldn't bother you. He checked on you a couple of times but I was worried."
"I'm glad you checked, but I'm fine."
"Isaiah let you come home early?"
"Yes. He didn't need me anymore, but I still owe him a day this month."
"What did you do this time?" He sat next to me on the bed again, curling his legs into a pretzel and facing me.
"I went to a party."
"Did you see another slumpy guy?"
"No, but I did talk to an unseelie fae with ten fingers on each hand. He was a musician named Vikal. The extra fingers came in very handy because his piano had a much longer keyboard." I stroked his hair and smiled as I took in his scent. As usual, the two days away from my males had felt like forever.
"Wow." He wiggled his meager ten. "I could use some extra for my guitar."
Before I could respond, Garrett appeared in the doorway looking relieved. "I need to speak to Daddy for a few minutes. I'll tell you all about it during dinner. I promise."
"Okay. Jay's here. Everyone's eating with us, so you better get up soon." He jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, his dad mussing his hair as he ran by.
Garrett sat in the spot Charlie had already warmed, leaning over to kiss me sweetly on the forehead. His expression was amused. "Did you rest well? You must have appeared sometime during the morning, because I woke unexpectedly, tucked you under the covers next to me and then closed my eyes again. When I rose this afternoon, you were still sound asleep. Do you feel alright, love?"
"Perfect, now." I wrapped my arms around his waist and sighed w
ith my head against his chest. "But there's something I have to tell you."
"Coming from you, those words always make me nervous," he only half-teased. "I'm listening." He kissed my hair and sat quietly while I spoke. I began with the party, the retelling only taking a few minutes.
"William was there?" His body had tensed beneath mine.
"As a solid shade. Nothing more." To spare Garrett's feelings, I didn't mention William's miserable mental state, mostly because Garrett still felt guilty about not being able to prevent Will's death. Will had been a member of Garrett's nest and my mate took his responsibility to the vampires in his charge seriously. I'd have to go into more detail later when everyone was here, but I could avoid the worst parts for now.
"And he asked for Marie?" I nodded, squeezing his arm in support. "What reason could Will have to see Marie?"
"I'm not sure. Tomorrow I'll contact her and we'll see what she says."
His expression remained grim. I knelt behind him on the bed, kissed his neck and then massaged his shoulders and back, listening to the satisfied sounds he made as I worked on knotted muscles.
"I miss you and Charlie so much when I'm there. Thank you for taking such good care of him while I'm gone."
"He's my son and I love him almost as much as his mother." He took my hand off of his shoulder and pulled me into his lap. He kissed the top of my head, then moved his kisses down the side of my face to the corner of my mouth. "Isaiah treated you well?"
I sighed and snuggled closer. then thought about the sexy disguise and Isaiah's kisses, deciding that now wasn't the time to come clean. "Yes. He's protecting me from Grandmother. I'd like to meet with Lord Caelen if that's possible."
"I'm sure he'll be interested in any information you've brought back from enemy territory."
"Charlie said everyone is eating dinner with us. Who's everyone?"
"The team. We have another job." He wrinkled his brow the way he did when he was communicating mentally, then smiled. "Caelen and Aedus are coming too."
"Good. I'll jump in the shower."
"I'll tell the others that you've finally risen."
I rolled my eyes at him. "They're here already?"
rogue shifter 06 - torn apart Page 20