She smacked Loki on the arm, and he straightened up. His lips parted. For a second, he froze, but he didn’t launch into his prepared spiel. He tugged on her arm, pulling her after him as he ran away.
Armand shouted something she didn’t catch. Noomi made the mistake of glancing back as the hulking bodyguard put his head down to charge like a bull.
“Run!” They darted into the side lanes created by the crates, but their feet pounded on the concrete, the racket giving away their location.
Wood broke as their pursuer batted some of those massive crates aside, chasing them down like vermin.
“Why didn’t you throw a spell vial or try another glamour?” she panted as they careened around another blind corner.
“Armand is not a goblin. He’s some kind of high fae. I can feel it. He can see through any glamour.”
“What?” How could a highborn fae be here? Most of the upper caste was so severely allergic to iron they couldn’t even be in the same room as a gun, and this room was full of them.
If a high fae could tolerate being here, then he was warded-up beyond reason.
Wood splintered by their heads, and hands reached through a broken crate. Noomi screamed as the hand grabbed Loki, jerking him off his feet. He flew back as he was hauled bodily through the air.
She tried to follow, but the spill of guns and packing material blocked her way.
Crying, Noomi climbed over the weapons, praying they weren’t loaded. Half-jumping, half-running, she managed to clear the spilled pile.
The man had Loki pinned against another crate. The monster was choking the life from him.
A broken cry escaped her throat. Noomi jumped on the man’s back, trying to surprise him into letting go, but it was like tackling a brick wall. He didn’t react at all, not even to bat her away.
Baffled, she hung on before gritting her teeth and climbing him like a tree.
Loki whimpered, his face going from white to beet red. His hands scrabbled at the bull’s, trying to pry the beefy fingers away from his neck.
The vials.
Noomi clung to the beast with one hand, dumping out the contents of the little bottles directly over his mouth.
Nothing happened. She knew some of the liquid had entered the man’s mouth, but he kept going, refusing to drop her friend.
How was that possible? The sleeping spell was strong enough to take down a war elephant.
Tears stung at her eyes as helplessness swamped her. Desperate, she fished out her small knife and plunged it into the back of the man’s neck.
The short blade pierced the flesh, sinking in several inches…but the monster didn’t react.
Loki was losing consciousness, his lashes fluttering as his eyes closed, maybe for the last time.
“Allow me,” a woman’s voice said.
Noomi jerked her head away as a spike with a wickedly sharp tip emerged from the monster’s forehead. Gasping, she let go, falling to the floor with a crash right next to a raggedly breathing Loki.
“Serin?”
Noomi wanted to weep in relief. The Water Elemental had ridden to the rescue, her human mate at her side.
Serin had made good use of the Sai she’d recovered recently. It was running straight through the back of the man’s head, the sharp point poking through his forehead. It was without a doubt the world’s most terrible unicorn.
A corner of Serin’s mouth pulled up, but it wasn’t a smile. “Didn’t you notice the mark on his forehead?” she asked Noomi.
“What mark?” She scrambled to her feet.
Daniel nodded at her, kneeling to check on Loki.
“How did you find us?” Loki asked, rubbing his neck. His voice was hoarse, but he still managed to sound disappointed.
“Alec had Diana send word out through the aether. He told us about the books Noomi had borrowed from the archive and what he suspected you were up to. Tracking you became a priority.”
Serin hopped up, bracing herself against the man’s buttocks. She pried her blade out of the corpse’s head before jumping back down. The giant fell backward like a sequoia felled by a storm.
“If you’re going to insist on going out in the field, you have to pay closer attention to the details,” the Water Elemental scolded, pointing at the hulk’s forehead.
There was a subtle tracing, a word that had been interrupted by the wound.
“It’s a g-golem!” Noomi stammered.
The word Serin had punctured was in ancient Mesopotamian. When carved into a clay automaton, it could animate them—provided the complicated ritual was done correctly. Other variations of the spell included writing the holy words on a parchment and sealing them in the mouth of the golem, but either way, Noomi had never expected to see one in real life.
Golem were nearly invincible unless their sacred words were destroyed.
Noomi knelt, fascinated despite herself. “How in the world is he so lifelike?”
All the golems she’d read about were roughly hewn clay or mud creatures. This one had skin and hair. Every detail had been rendered with exquisite detail. The verisimilitude was astounding. Even the marking on the forehead was subtle. More like a brand than a tattoo, it could have been confused for a scar. Only close inspection would have revealed that it was a word.
“Someone has been making refinements to the original ritual,” Serin said with a little shrug. Her lack of alarm made Noomi think she’d seen a lifelike golem before.
She shuddered delicately, but Serin had moved on. The Water Elemental turned to Daniel. “Did you see where the other one went?”
He nodded. “Out the back. I’ll lead the way.”
“Wait!” Noomi cried. “The other one is high fae.”
Serin lifted a brow, but Daniel just raised his gun. “Then a plain old bullet should be all I need,” he replied.
They all stared at him in surprise. He shrugged. “I’ve been reading.”
“That’s true,” Serin said. “But high fae—especially ones who move out in the world—are far too tricky for a simple bullet. I’ll come with you.”
She nodded at Noomi, gesturing at Loki. “Do you have him?”
Loki answered for her. “Yes, she does. But I’m all right. Let’s go get him.”
The fae struggled to his feet. Serin tapped her foot. “I’d tell you to stay put, but I know it won’t do any good.”
Loki beamed, grabbing Noomi’s arm.
Serin glowered at him. “Keep your heads down till Armand is secure.”
Noomi hung back as the others filed out of the rear entrance, the cowardly tail in a string of brave warriors.
They exited, fanning out with almost military precision.
The warehouse was part of a series of others just like it. A narrow asphalt road separated it from the identical building next door.
Noomi was ready to run, searching for the high fae, but he hadn’t gotten far. The arms dealer was running toward them, his mouth open as he screamed.
Genuine terror was etched across Armand’s face. She understood the reason seconds later.
A massive black wolf was running toward them. It had silver paws and jaws so wide she was reminded of the massive sharks that liked to breed off the waters of T’Kaieri.
When Armand saw them, he turned left, trying to escape down the alley, but the wind whipped up. Logan appeared, blocking his path. Armand turned right instead, running straight into Daniel’s waiting fist. The fae sank to the ground, insensible.
Noomi came to an abrupt halt, panting from the exertion. There wasn’t much call to run in the archives.
“Hey,” Logan said as she struggled to calm her breathing. The Air Elemental waved cheerily at the rest of the group.
Smiling, Serin threw an arm up at her sister. “What are you doing here?”
Logan shrugged as her mate shifted. Connell appeared at her side, tugging on a pair of pants he’d gotten from the Mother only knew where. “We heard Noomi was out of the basement, and we figured this was
an all-hands-on-deck situation,” she replied with a grin.
Blushing, Noomi ducked her head.
“Not a bad idea actually,” Serin said, touching Noomi’s shoulder comfortingly. “We’re going to need Diana. This entire warehouse needs to burn down to the foundation, with every gun and bullet inside.”
Logan nodded. “She’s not far. I’ll go get her.”
Noomi noticed Daniel hadn’t moved. He was staring down at the unconscious man.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He glanced up, his eyes darker than their normal hazel. “I know this man.”
“Who is he?”
Daniel passed a hand over his face. “I know him as Dallas Munroe. In Washington D.C., he’s a hotshot DEA agent. If I’d gone to work there as planned, he would have been one of my bosses.”
Connell whistled. “I smell a conspiracy.”
Serin picked the fae up. He didn’t wake. “Well, if there is one, his part in it is over.”
“He’s still glamoured, even in this state,” Noomi said, examining him closely. She could feel the disguise like an overlay over his core being. “He must be reinforcing it with a potion or physical charm.”
Daniel clenched his fist, slight disgust on his face. “Do you think he was replaced, or has he been fae the whole time?”
“We may never know,” Serin said. “But at least we have an idea of where to search for the artifacts.”
Loki gestured to the warehouse with his thumb. “Back in there?”
“Yes, and whatever office he’s been using as part of his DEA persona.”
“I’m on it, chief,” Logan said with a small salute. “I’ll pop into his office in D.C. after bringing Diana here.”
After taking Connell’s hand, she disappeared with a gust of wind.
“I’ll help Noomi start the search,” Loki said after watching her go. “We have a big ass warehouse to search before Diana torches this place.”
Daniel was still frowning at Armand. Serin put a hand on his shoulder. Noomi tugged at Loki’s hand. The human needed a moment to come to terms with this latest discovery.
It was going to take her a lot longer…
Equal parts vindication and disappointment flowed through him. Loki wanted to celebrate his first successful superhero mission with Noomi, but he understood her pressing need to take the artifacts they’d found in the warehouse back to the archive. T’Kaieri’s underground chambers possessed potent natural wards that muted their power.
Even the amulet had given off a ghastly vibe, and all it did according to Noomi was create a squirrel flash mob.
“More like a rabid squirrel army,” Serin corrected.
He’d immediately wanted to see that, but Noomi had taken the pieces away before he could put them together. That was probably for the best.
Whatever else was true, Loki had a newfound respect for librarians. Not only had Noomi kept a whole museum of evil artifacts from cross-reacting and destroying the world, but with a little push from him, she’d also jumped into the fray to kick some golem ass.
Damn. He should have asked Serin if he could tag along to T’Kaieri. She would have let him if he’d asked nicely. But Loki was a tiny bit ashamed at needing the last-minute save, so when the Elemental had rushed off and offered to drop the librarian off, he hadn’t complained.
He’d take Noomi out for a celebration soon enough. She would love Dionysia.
Loki rounded the corner of the warehouse, intent on finding a car to hotwire.
The blow caught him on the back of the head. He groaned, stunned, but he managed to cover his head and spin around. The edges of his vision growing dark, he recognized Mayon, the personal bodyguard and occasional consort to the Queen of Air and Darkness.
Loki passed out with Mayon’s name on his lips.
When he came to, he was in an iron cell. Despite never having seen it in person, Loki recognized his prison instantly. This hellhole was legendary among his kind. Fae from every caste knew what it looked like.
He was in the Seelie Court’s dungeon.
“This is my worst nightmare.” He clutched his aching head. Hell, this was every fae’s worst nightmare.
Mayon smirked at him from the other side of the bars. But Loki knew something was off. The fire fae’s smell was unmistakable. This guy reeked of the wildness of the forest, not fire and ash. The queen’s favorite guard was a fire fae. This guy wasn’t Mayon.
“Give it up. I know you’re not him. You can’t fool a Loki with that weak-ass glamour.”
The imposter scowled. His face rippled, the striking features melting away to reveal a harsh and wild visage.
Fuck me. It was Thracian. The forest smell made sense now. The man in front of him was the head of the Great Hunt.
“I’d start preparing for my trial now,” Thracian said, sneering down at him.
“Trial?” Loki was mystified. “What trial?”
It was true the Seelie Court had no love for Elementals, but they wouldn’t actually punish him for consorting with one. Hell, Serin was his closest friend. If anything, they’d give him a pass to avoid pissing her off.
But if that were true, then why the hell was the head huntsman holding him prisoner? Had something changed?
“Are you here keeping that rabid mob you call the Great Hunt in check?” he asked.
Thracian sneered. “Don’t worry about them. You’ll be seeing them soon enough.”
Loki did not want to know what the other fae meant by that. He got to his feet, holding his aching head gingerly so it wouldn’t fall off his shoulders. The lightbulb finally went off. He swore. “You were in league with Armand. You wanted to buy his guns. Who were you going to shoot with them?”
Thracian laughed. “Me? I caught you trafficking in human arms.”
Loki wanted to roll his eyes, but his head hurt too much. “I helped destroy the cache.”
Thracian dropped the pretense. He squatted close to the bars, being careful not to touch them. “And in doing so, you ruined a year’s worth of work. Those weapons were going to liberate us.”
“Are you mad?” Loki scoffed. “You’d never be able to smuggle one of those guns into the court. There are way too many safeguards in place for such a simpleminded plan.”
Thracian face darkened, his flat grey eyes promising death. “I assure you there was nothing simple about our plan.”
“Our plan? So there are more conspirators?” Loki leaned back on his hands. “Don’t you think it’s a bit stupid to give me so many details?” The real Mayon would be very interested in learning he had a cabal intent on bringing down the monarchy right under his nose.
Thracian put his hands on his hips. “Why? I doubt anybody will bother to ask you anything. It’s been a while since we had a good old-fashioned treason trial. But we’ve both been around long enough to know it’s a formality. In fact, by the time they get around to the proceedings, I doubt you’ll be able to walk, let alone speak.”
Loki clenched his fists. “You know this won’t work. I’m going to beat this if it’s the last thing I do.”
The hunter laughed. “It would have to be. The penalty for treason is death.”
33
A week later
The desert air was so dry it was sucking the moisture from Daniel’s eyeballs. Every time he opened his mouth, he tasted sand, but he didn’t dare spit it out. He needed what moisture was left in his body.
Their investigation had led them to a small but luxurious palace in the desert outskirts of Dubai. The arid atmosphere didn’t seem to bother Serin at all, but her powers were bound to be affected.
This location made perfect sense. If Jordan wanted to hide from an all-powerful Water-wielding Elemental, where would the cowardly little traitor go? A seaside villa was out of the question. Just ask the Reaper how well that had turned out for him…
The palace had been built by a sheik in the sixties as a private retreat where he could indulge in his love of Western vices. He’d
invited Hollywood movie stars and showgirls to entertain him, throwing lavish pool parties and decadent balls worthy of the Great Gatsby.
Today, the pools were empty. None of the fountains were operational and the elaborate gardens were bone dry. There were still splashes of color here and there—plants protected from the wind kept their blooms, but they were desiccated, almost as if they’d been pressed between the pages of a massive book.
Every time the Santa-Anna-like winds blew, he felt like the flowers were crumbling only to blow straight into his face.
Serin was busy doing the magical equivalent of reconnaissance. Water content let her count the number of people with ease, but she wanted a bit of recon in case there were booby traps she needed to deactivate.
The full moon lit the gardens better than a spotlight. Nighttime was also better for Serin. She drifted close to the ground like a fog. The vapor circled the building, listening. The image stirred a memory. Just before he’d noticed her at the farmhouse, he’d seen Serin rising out of the mist. At the time, he’d assumed it was mist from the rain, but he knew now that small intermediary step was part of her power—Water but a little bit of Air, too.
There had been that moment where she’d wielded Fire as well, helping Diana ignite the curse tentacles on T’Kaieri. Though Water was her primary gift, it must have taken ages to learn to control all three elements. She might be able to do Earth magic, too, for all he knew. Her skills would only grow over time.
Fuck retiring in ten years. If Serin wanted to keep working, Daniel was going to make sure no one stood in her way.
His heart swelled with pride, but he pushed it down, refocusing on his surroundings. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. No matter what went down, tonight was going to be brutal.
Which was why despite all her gifts, Serin needed him. Whether she realizes it or not.
She materialized next to him as if he’d summoned her from a lamp. The look on her face reminded him of a Djinn as well, not the happy-jokey cartoon kind, but the dark and deadly interpretations that had started to grace the small screen in the last few years.
He gestured at the house. The lights were on. Loud music was playing. “Is he there?”
Water: The Elementals Book Three Page 24