by Chloe Adler
Rhys and Caspian are wrestling. Rhys, only a year older, is at least a head taller than the young blond ruffian who has him in a headlock. Thorn and Dominic stand close by, the oldest of their clan. However, instead of being stoic guardians, they’re egging the younger boys on, sneering and hooting. Little Nolan stands alone, jumping from one foot to the other, and when he sees a break in the rough-housing, the tyke rushes in. Rhys, at the exact moment Nolan enters the fray, is reaching for Caspian and accidentally smacks his little brother, sending him flying. That crazy vampire strength and all. Nolan flies across the alley and hits the opposite wall, where he slides down and lies in a pile of trash, limbs askew, crying.
Rhys rushes over as soon as he sees what’s happened, the rest of the guys behind him, but Nolan scoots away.
“That’s what happens when you enter a fighting arena,” says Thorn. “You get hurt.”
Ouch. I get that he was trying to teach Nolan a lesson but a more loving approach would have worked better with the kid. But that’s not Thorn’s style. Nolan was hurt, scared and felt so left out. How could they not see that? Oh right, they were boys with no adult role models. The depth of Nolan’s pain hits me like a sandbag. Poor kid. He was completely misunderstood.
I reach for Nolan’s hand and he lets me take it. I rub the back of his knuckles with my thumb.
“I’m so sorry you never felt included in your family unit,” I say. Dom rustles in my lap, puffing out his feathers and then pulling them back in.
He peeks over at me. “Pretty obvious, huh?”
I hold my breath. As if he can’t guess my curse if I’m not breathing. But he looks away, sinking back into the cushion.
“I’ve always been the outcast of my family. The black sheep. My father never loved me. Hell, he never even cared enough to meet me.” He sniffs. “I never knew my mother. I murdered her just by being born. All I ever had was Rhys, and when he found his new family, I became nothing but a burden.”
Perturbed, Dom jumps from my lap to Nolan’s but Nolan can’t read minds so he merely looks down, startled.
“That’s Dominic’s way of telling you they never saw you as a burden.” I run my hands over my amulet, pressing it between my thumb and forefinger. “I want to give you my amulet for now.”
I’m pretty sure it will keep him from being controlled. It’s like the one I made him before, except souped-up with some powerful extras and made by the most powerful witch in our family. Not only will it break whatever hold the puppet master has on his mind, it’ll protect him from physical attacks as well. The silver filigree will protect the contents and hold its magic forever, thanks to Aurelia’s awesome powers. No more sending pawns to rip it off. Of course, if my mother finds out I gave it away, she’ll lose her mind.
No, it’s better not to take even a moment to contemplate this or I’ll turn back. This is his best option. I can make another one, and in the meantime, I’ll have the protection of the pack. My pack. His pack.
Caspian inches forward, low to the ground like an animal stalking prey. His huge teeth are bared in a snarl.
“Wait, Cas, please.” I motion to Nolan. “Just look at how much he’s suffering. Everyone deserves a second chance.” I omit the facts, the truth of my decision, because if I told any of these men, they’d stop me for sure.
Caspian halts, looking between us. When he takes another step forward, it’s more hesitant. I quiet my mind and reach out a tendril.
The lion is thinking, He’s the one making ghouls. He’s the one destroying our town. He’s the one who is after you. The only way to guarantee your safety and the safety of the others in the Edge is to lock him up. But the lion can think all he wants. If he doesn’t say it, I don’t have to listen to it.
Quickly, before anyone can do anything to stop me, I remove the amulet from my neck. The soft lamplight glints off its surface, the silver filigree pattern winking the glow back to me. Once I clasp it around Nolan’s neck, I can never use it again. No one can. A few years ago my sister Chrys and I gave our amulets away to two friends of mine who needed them. We thought we could get them back before our mother found out, but that was not the case. We learned the hard way that when you give your amulet to someone else, it has to remain with that person forever, or it’s rendered inert. Just another pretty but otherwise impotent pendant.
Nolan cocks his head at me and I give him a quick nod. “Bend down a little.” He does and I wrap my arms around his neck to fasten the chain.
Caspian
Dom squawks loudly and leaps back to Iphigenia. I growl low in my throat. Thorn puffs out a stream of smoke.
I have a really bad feeling about this. Something’s off. Iphi’s face is pinched as she hooks the chain around our cousin’s neck. Is she holding her breath?
“Look,” she pulls back, her face brightening, “Nolan’s changing already.”
She’s right. His features have softened. His color deepens, his hair appearing fuller, falling in waves around his face. His teeth are no longer stained and even from where I sit, I can tell his breath no longer reeks of death. An instant transformation.
I pace back and forth in front of the coffee table and jolt when Thorn flies off and lands on my back to pace with me.
“Nolan,” Iphi says softly, “I know you don’t want to have your strings pulled by a monster. I know you care about your brothers and the town. I know you’re a good person.”
He looks down at the amulet around his neck and then back up to her eyes.
I growl low in the back of my throat. Yes, Nolan is a good person, but he keeps getting possessed by a damn demon, and he is sitting way too close to her. I want to scream, to tell her that letting him run around free is putting everything we all love and care for in jeopardy.
Iphi turns back to me. “Please, sweetheart, give him another chance. If not for him, then for me.”
Everything inside screams no, but if I don’t let her at least try and fail, then what? She’ll dump me? No, she’s not fickle, and even though everyone has their limits, she’ll always err on the side of forgiveness. I don’t want to be another controlling influence in her life though, someone who withholds their love unless she acts in a certain way. My way. I bow my head. Thorn squawks but this isn’t his decision either.
“Thank you.” She beams at me.
She looks back at my cousin, who hasn’t moved. He remains as still as a man caught in one of my photos. He’s probably awaiting his verdict. “Let’s try.” She speaks to him softly, not looking at me. Dom rustles in her lap. “No more ghouls.”
“No more ghouls,” he repeats. “For you.” He looks around at each of us. “For all of you.”
She nods and looks at us in turn. “See, boys? He’s playing nice. It’s time you all do the same.”
I grumble, loudly, but it sounds more like a growl. I expect Iphi to wag her finger at me but she doesn’t. She smiles. There’s no way she could have read that sound as anything but contentious, is there?
“What are you going to do for protection?” Nolan asks.
Dominic shifts in her lap, pushing his feathered head under her hand. She pets him absently. Thorn and Dom have my girl petting them in their small shifts. Why didn’t I choose mine too? Oh yeah, because mine’s not as sexy as theirs, nor as helpful in this situation. You have the girl in the flesh in your human form, Cas, I remind myself.
“I’m going to craft a new amulet—maybe even a cure.”
“You can do that?” Nolan perks up, something approaching hope lighting his eyes for the first time tonight.
“If it’s even remotely possible, I’ll find a way. We have a protection spell over our city that doesn’t allow Trackers in. So there has to be something I can craft to prevent this demon from entering town, at the very least.”
I believe that. If she sets her mind to it, Iphigenia can do anything. And that’s not just my blind love talking.
“I just have to make sure the new amulet doesn’t fail like your last one.”
She tickles Dom under his chin. Lucky devil.
I stalk closer to Iphi, almost knocking over the coffee table in the process, and rest my head on the couch next to her. I give her my best puppy-dog-lion eyes. She coos and pets my head. Dom hoots. Too bad, buddy, get over it.
“You mean because a ghoul was able to tear off the other one I had?” Nolan perches on the edge of a stool, his eyes shining even brighter than before.
Suddenly I want to charge my cousin and tear it off his neck. Iphigenia should be wearing it, she’s the one this demon is after.
“Um. More or less.” She bites the inside of her cheek, obviously holding something back.
I emit a small roar to let the room know I’m disgruntled. To let Iphi know I’m unhappy. Dominic puffs out his feathers and Thorn hisses, eyes flashing red.
“Calm down, boys.” Iphi’s voice is tinged with mirth. “I can do this. It might not be easy, but . . .” Thorn hops up on the other side of Iphi and she looks at each of us in turn. “This time, I’ve got you guys to help.”
We won’t let her down. We can’t.
Chapter Nine
Dominic
If we were in human form, we’d probably throw our arms around her right now. Assure her that we do indeed have her back. In animal form we’re more about reactions, and our first line of defense is instinct. Our instinct is to protect what is ours. Logically, it may not make sense, since no one can own another human being. But Iphigenia is part of our pack now and Nolan hasn’t been for many years. At any cost we will protect her, even if it means turning against one of our own. I hope it never comes to that.
“Well, that’s settled.” Iphi scoops me off her lap and arranges me on the couch, propped up against a pillow. She gets up, stretches her arms overhead and walks to the galley kitchen. It looks smaller with her standing in it, as if the walls can’t contain her radiance. Her flaxen hair and pink skin glow in the overhead light. She starts the water kettle and there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in.” She busies herself, removing two teacups from the cabinet.
Burgundy, a stunning Latina vampire, flings the door open, the moon and stars outlining her dark hair draped over one shoulder. “Glad you had all the lights on. I didn’t know which cabin you were in.”
Nolan clears his throat and stands, crossing over to her with a hand out. “Hello. I’m Nolan Vidal.”
Weird. I’ve never seen him act so formal before. But then again, Burg is quite the looker. She’s wearing her usual red velvet and brocade, her cleavage on display for all to savor. I look away but I’m glad to see that Nolan noticed. That’s a great sign for his recovery, Band-Aid or no.
“Well hello, you,” Burgundy purrs and ignores his outstretched hand, instead putting a finger under his chin and tilting him closer.
Nolan beams back at her, dropping his hand and reddening, which is not the best look for his scarring, but it can’t be helped. Maybe after he’s completely free from subjugation, we can get him fixed up.
She drops her finger and Nolan’s body practically melts at the release of tension. Burgundy saunters across the room and sits opposite Iphi on a bar stool. “You need my help?”
“Thank you for coming.” The kettle switches off and Iphi pours tea for two. She turns and fills several bowls with cold water from the tap. A deep ceramic bowl for Caspian, a shallow glass one for Thorn and a tiny plastic cup for me. She hands the large one to Burgundy and juts her head toward Caspian. The vampire nods and deposits it in front of the lion, who laps at it with his sandpaper tongue.
Iphi takes the other two and puts one on the coffee table before sitting on the couch next to me and offering me the cup. I take small sips. She waits until I’ve had my fill and then puts the cup on the coffee table before scooping me up in her arms. “It’s Dominic.” She pets my head, being very careful not to torque my broken wing. “I don’t know how you can feed your blood to an animal though. Have you done this before?
“Nope, but I’ve always wanted to.” Burgundy flashes one of her fanged smiles, the same one that has every warm- and cool-blooded creature in the Edge piling bills into her G-string whenever she’s onstage at the V Club. There aren’t many single people or people in open relationships who can resist the all-night vampire club and bar with sex rooms in the back. It’s the sort of escape I used to send a few of my New York clients to—businessmen and women who keep themselves bottled up tight and cheating spouses I try to steer toward fidelity or divorce. I’ve even been there myself once, surveilling Iphigenia when she was meeting Burgundy and the vampire’s lovers for a nightcap.
Burgundy reaches out her hands and Iphi transfers me over, carefully. I shift my weight, leaning against the buxom woman’s chest, and wince in pain as my wing snags on her arm.
“Sorry, Dom,” Iphi whispers down at me.
Burgundy stands and carries me to the door, Iphi on her heels. “Is there another house we can use?” She places a handle on the doorknob, her bright red fingernails the color of blood. Quite a contrast against the brass. Shit, what have I agreed to?
“Can’t you do it here?” asks Iphi.
“Shifters crave privacy. Not only is shifting intimate and a vulnerable time for them, it’s not pretty, nor is it something you can unsee.”
That’s putting it mildly. We do not shift in front of anyone or anything unless we have no other choice.
Burgundy turns the knob and pulls the door open. It protests with a groan. My sentiments exactly.
“You can use Caspian’s house.” She points. “It’s that one.”
“You’re kidding me.” Burgundy snorts. “Would not have expected the King of the Jungle to live in a hobbit house.”
From inside the house, Caspian roars, but Burg bats away his censure with a careless wave of her free hand behind her ample thigh.
“We’ll see y’all later. Don’t wait up for us.” Burgundy descends the steps.
“You’re joking, right?” Iphi calls out.
Burgundy keeps walking, tossing her thick dark hair over her back. “Of course I am, darling. You’ll get your man back soon enough.”
We trod across the field to Caspian’s and I’m glad he and Thorn are staying with Iphi. There’s no way I would have left our unstable cousin in the house with her alone.
Burgundy reaches the house, climbs the porch steps and opens the round red door, reaching inside to flip on the light switch.
“Cute.” Her head swivels, taking it all in. Even the decor is hobbitesque. The walls are stacked stone with two rounded archways, one leading into the living room and the other into a back bedroom. The hearth’s mantelpiece glints with the patina of brass, and rustic wooden furniture stained in deep earth tones completes the space.
The Grove was originally built as an eclectic hotel and retreat. The witches who made Distant Edge thought that humans would flock here by the dozens as lookie-loos but that never really happened. Most are still afraid of us, fear of the unknown and all that. It didn’t help that two years ago, some crazed maniac was kidnapping humans off the street in a whacky bid to take over the Edge. Or that last year, the Trackers got in and wreaked havoc. I guess their fear’s not all that unfounded.
Burgundy places me down on the couch. “Might as well get this done. Are you ready?”
Iphigenia
As soon as they get into Caspian’s house, I announce that I’m going to Dominic’s to pick up his clothes and glasses.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Nolan asks. Caspian roars and Thorn flies to my shoulder.
“Thank you, Nolan, but it looks like Thorn’s got this.” He opens his leathery wings to their full width, batting me in the face.
“Hey, if you’re going to show off, I’ll leave you here.”
He blows some vapor through his nostrils and settles his wings against his back.
“Better. Be right back.”
I exit the house and trudge across the field to Dominic’s log cabin. The lights are off and I slip whi
le mounting the stairs, but Thorn holds tight to my shoulder and flaps his wings, keeping me from falling.
“Thanks, buddy.”
Once inside I turn on the lights, but instead of running to find some of his clothes, I just run out of fumes. Two late nights in a row filled with drama and violence, and I’m exhausted. Too exhausted to think straight, because now I’ve let my mouth run away with me and promised the impossible. It wasn’t all bravado, exactly. But I made the idea of getting more amulets and finding a cure sound a lot more likely than it really is. I collapse on one of Dom’s couches and cradle my head in my hands. Thorn jumps off my shoulder and the couch dips as he sits beside me.
“I know you can’t respond, but I need to tell you something. Can you just listen?” I drop one hand and tilt my head his way.
He nods, his beak touching the couch as he does.
“I might have omitted some pertinent facts to the others. But . . . oh Thorn, you of all people understand putting up a good front for them, don’t you?” I know I can confess to him because he can’t tell anyone, and I can’t keep all of this to myself.
The puff of smoke he sends up is eloquent in its suspicion.
“I didn’t make the amulet I gave Nolan. I was supposed to, but my mother was angry . . .” No use going into just how angry, even if Thorn is nonverbal at the moment. “She ended up making it for me. That’s why it’s so powerful. But there’s a drawback.”
I pause, trying to find the right words, but Thorn squawks at me to keep going.