by Vella Day
“That is a good question. Maybe he figured you’d be able to find the treniam. It is almost impossible to kill me without it. Only if he saw you rub it on my arm would he send in the second attacker to insure I was truly dead.” He worked at a smile. “You know us pesky Fey. We’re tough to kill.”
“That’s a good thing.” Zulema looked up at his sisters and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I should have anticipated Valoric’s move, that he’d want to ensure Bevon had died.”
He clasped her hand. “You couldn’t have known. But don’t worry, I’ll be good as new soon.”
Her smile came out weak. “I know. What now?”
“As much as I’d like you with me, you need to return home. If Derrick contacts you, let me know right away using the bracelet.”
Zulema let out a long sigh. “I will.”
His mate was fiercely independent. “Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Do not try to save your sister and your friend by yourself—or at all for that matter.”
Not that she knew where they were. Zulema glanced downward at her hands. “Now that you’re dead, why not? I can teleport in and save them.”
“I know, but who’s to say Valoric won’t retaliate? We want him to think you trust him. You completed your assignment and believe he’ll return your sister and friend. Give him a chance to do so.”
“Maybe you’re right. What will you be doing?” she asked.
“Recuperating while my family tells everyone I died. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
She gritted her teeth at him. “There you go with your plans again. Are you going to let me in on this one?”
“Soon. Now go.” He wanted to kiss her, but then he’d desire her even more, and right now, he wasn’t fit enough for that.
Zulema teleported home, happy she’d seen for herself that Bevon was okay. She paced her living room, trying to figure out why Derrick had sent a second assassin. It might not matter. As long as Derrick believed Bevon was dead, he’d return her friend and sister and leave her alone. Or was she being naïve?
She fixed herself a sandwich, but it didn’t satisfy her in the least. Being left out of the loop was totally frustrating. The problem was that she had no idea when Bevon would tell her she was free to visit him on Feyrion. While she could go on her own, using the medallion would be stupid. Derrick could follow her—or hire someone to.
Had this been a real mission, what would she do next? That was easy. She’d look for another job. Ugh. Being a bodyguard required vigilance, and right now, she’d be looking over her shoulder for someone to take her down, instead of worrying about who might want to harm the person she was paid to protect.
Often, she would take a few days off between jobs to mentally regroup. That might be her best move now. While returning to Edendale would be a pleasant diversion, it might signal to Derrick that she had connected with Bevon after his death.
“Damn you, Derrick Valoric.”
Aislin, her friend, had uncovered a few things about the man. Since Zulema needed to do something until Bevon gave her the all clear, she located the information her friend had sent her to see if there was anything that could be done to bring down this man—from a distance of course.
For the next few hours, she studied the file and was even able to add some information of her own. She had to hand it to Valoric and his employers. They’d covered their tracks well. When her research was done, Zulema considered taking some time to explore parts of Tarradon she’d never had the chance to see before. Since she’d have no need of the medallion, Derrick wouldn’t expect her to carry it with her. Despite that, she had the sense the Zon might use other methods to keep track of her.
The problem was that sightseeing didn’t appeal to her at the moment. Her only choice was to find Derrick. Then she’d demand he return her sister and friend. She could only hope he wouldn’t require her to do more of his bidding. If he did that, she’d have to kill him.
Three days!! Zulema wasn’t sure who she was angrier with—Bevon or Derrick Valoric. Her sister and Aislin should have been freed by now. Even though she’d followed the instructions both Camden and Derrick had given her regarding contacting Valoric, he never responded. Asshole.
As for Bevon? Her bracelet didn’t seem to be working either. She assumed that he would communicate with her telepathically at some point to let her know it was okay to go to Feyrion. But apparently, she was wrong. She tried to initiate the contact, but he must have turned off the device, though she had no idea how or why.
Considering his family was in charge of the portal, one of them should return at some point to guard it. She’d hoped one of his family members would contact her to let her know what was going on, but they never did. It was possible the funeral took longer than on Tarradon, since it might involve more preparation. After all, Bevon was a prince. Not that it mattered in the big scheme, but were invitations sent, or did the royal family telepath the details to everyone?
The more time she spent thinking about his family, the more questions she had.
If Bevon had contacted her, he’d tell her to wait it out, but standing around was terribly frustrating. Zulema was a warrior, and as such, had to do something. Using the medallion to get into Feyrion would be risky, but maybe she should chance it. Just as she picked up the device, Fay appeared.
“Zulema, what are you doing?”
Shit. Caught. Did they have cameras in her house to watch her? That would be creepier than the Zon. “Checking to see if Derrick sent a message. He hasn’t, and I’m losing my patience.”
“We’ll deal with him shortly.”
“Is Bevon okay? It’s been days.”
She smiled. “Yes. He’s good as new. Now that the funeral is over, he’d like you to come to Feyrion.”
Her pulse soared. “Finally!”
“Not that Bevon can’t supply you with what you need, but you might feel better if you packed a few things.”
“Thank you. Give me a sec.”
“While you do that, I will check on your sister and your friend.”
Zulema wanted to say she’d like to tag along, but she had the sense Fay would not allow that. “Thank you.”
Fay disappeared, and Zulema rushed to pack. Knowing that Bevon could provide most of what she needed, she only tossed in a few essentials. When she returned to the living room, Fay was there.
Zulema rushed up to her. “How are they?”
“They are both in a rather nice room with a guard standing watch. I tried to find out the agenda, but I didn’t see anything to indicate when they might be released.”
Zulema touched Fay’s arm. “Thank you. That helps a lot knowing they aren’t being tortured.”
She nodded. “Ready to return to Feyrion?”
“I am.”
“Maybe you should put the medallion in a more secure spot than on top of your desk.”
Zulema wasn’t sure why. “Do you think the Zon will try to steal it while I’m gone?” She had assumed Derrick had two medallions, but maybe this was the only one.
Fay shrugged. “Anything is possible.”
The perfect place would be in a box that she kept in the back of her closet. It would take someone weeks to unearth it. She teleported to her room, stashed it securely, and returned. “Let’s go.”
Fay hooked arms with her and teleported them to the forest where they went through a portal to Feyrion. Zulema expected to be escorted to the main castle. Instead, they arrived in front of a rather modest home at the edge of a large pond surrounded by trees. “What are we doing here?” Zulema asked.
“Bevon is here. We don’t want him running around the castle when he is supposed to be dead.”
Zulema clamped a hand over her mouth. “The servants don’t know the truth?” She hadn’t thought of that.
“Not yet. When this is all over, we will reveal everything to them.”
It was still terrible. Even though Bevon didn’t visit Feyrion often, he wa
s their prince, and as such, would be revered. “I see.”
“Come on.”
They walked the last few feet to the door instead of teleporting inside. Fay knocked, which Zulema found to be odd. Zulema shifted on her feet, anxiously needing to see a healthy Bevon.
A man about the same height as Bevon, with short, dark brown hair answered. He was wearing black glasses and had on a rather strange outfit that looked like harem pants and a matching shirt.
“Well, what do you think?” the man asked.
“Ah, think about what?”
“My new look.”
Zulema had no idea who this man was. She looked over at Fay, but she was gone. What was up with that? Well, crap. “I’m looking for Bevon.”
He laughed, and the sound altered something inside her, which was impossible. “You’ve found him, princess.”
Chapter Sixteen
Zulema didn’t understand. No one called her princess but Bevon, and she didn’t like it one bit that this man thought he could. “What have you done with him?”
The man smiled and opened his arms. “I’m right here.”
She looked behind this annoying person. “I don’t see him.”
He lowered his arms. “I see you’ll need some convincing. Please come in. While this isn’t as nice as the castle, it’s a bit better than my cabin in the woods—not that I’m complaining.”
He led her over to a sofa that faced a large picture window overlooking a lake. The view was spectacular. “It’s really pretty here,” she said a bit begrudgingly.
“I’m glad you like it. I have a feeling we’ll be here a while.”
She wasn’t staying with him if that is what he thought. “Why is that?”
“Because we have to find who killed Tamarella.”
“We?”
He blew out a breath. “I need to explain what happened after my supposed death.”
This stranger acted as if he was Bevon, but how could that be? “I’m confused.”
Two beers magically appeared in his hands, and he handed her one. “Let me start from the beginning. I am Bevon, only I look different. That was my grand plan.”
“Did you have plastic surgery or something?” It wasn’t possible to change a person in three days.
“No. As you have seen first-hand, my mother is very powerful.” He held up a hand. “And yes, we’ll sneak a quick visit with your mother in a bit. She is recovering quite well.”
Zulema’s pulse shot up just hearing her mother was improving. It was something she never imagined would ever happen. “Thank you.”
No one but Bevon could have known all of this. Maybe he was Bevon. “Please continue with your story.”
“It’s hardly a story. We wanted the staff to believe I had died. A closed casket was necessary because my face was severely marred—or so the story went.”
It was a bit comforting to know that funerals on Feyrion were similar to those on Tarradon—or at the least the idea that they used caskets. “Then what?”
“My mother put a spell on me that changed my appearance. I assure you no scalpel was used in the process. As this new man, I plan to claim we came here to investigate Tamarella’s death.”
She sucked in a breath. “I like that idea.” Assuming he was really Bevon, and this wasn’t some trick. “I could still be Anna DeLeon, and I’ve returned with an investigator.”
His eyes widened. “I like it. Who shall I be?”
“Someone from Tarradon, I suspect.”
He smiled. “I’ll tell everyone that I’m Derrick Valoric.”
She laughed. “That could work unless he’s visited here before, and people recognize him.”
“Oh, but he has. It’s how my mother knew how to change my face, so that I now look like him.”
Zulema scooted away from him. “You look like Derrick? Why him?”
“Asking questions about who killed his fated mate makes sense. People, especially Tristan, won’t question it.”
“It’s still wrong. Can you have her change you back again?”
“What? Don’t you find me handsome?” Bevon grinned.
“No!”
He scooted over, pulled Zulema close and kissed her. While waves of pleasure shot through her, when she opened her eyes, her lust diminished. Zulema pushed him away. “I can’t.”
Bevon groaned. “I understand. I was worried this might happen. You’re infatuated with my looks. I knew it.” He raised his eyes and sighed.
Now that was typical Bevon, and Zulema couldn’t help but punch him. “I do find the old Bevon good looking, but I’m not shallow.”
“Tell me more.”
“And feed your ego? Ah…no.”
He snapped his fingers. “All right then. I have a suggestion.”
She wasn’t sure she was going to like this any better than him changing his face to fool everyone. While Zulema now understood the need, she was finding it very hard to even kiss him. “What is it?”
“Do you remember the bartender at Wings?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?” Did his mother alter his brain along with his face?
“Hear me out. His name is Finn, and he’s mated to Tory’s twin sister.”
So that was why he was so chatty with the man. It made sense now. “I didn’t know.”
“You wouldn’t. Anyway, he used to live on Earth when he had dreams of a beautiful woman.”
She had no idea what any of this had to do with their current situation. “A lot of people have dreams.”
He held up a hand. “But his dreams were real, as in Tory’s twin sister, Kaleena, was able to dream walk with him. When she was captured by the Royals in Avonbelle, she needed Finn’s help.”
“From Earth?”
“That was the tricky part.” He explained how he was shown a portal and then introduced to the Four Sisters of Fate. “They are four very powerful women—kind of like my mother. Since Finn needed to sneak into the castle undercover, they temporarily created a fake face for him.”
“Like your mother did for you.”
“Yes. I think they can help us now.”
“Even if they can, why not just ask you mother to do it? Not that I mind the trip to Tarradon.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to meet these special ladies.”
She had no objections. “Are you going to ask them to change you back?” she asked.
“No, but it will be almost as good. I’d tell you the details, but I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
She was highly skeptical, but this man did act like Bevon, even if he looked different. And Fay would never mislead her. “Why would they help?”
“They know Tory and her family.” Bevon ran a hand down Zulema’s arm. “I’ll ask her to come with us and make the introductions.”
Being a witch, Zulema was all for using magic when needed. She just wished she had the ability to help. “I’m game.”
He lowered his chin and shifted his gaze to the side. When he nodded, she figured he was communicating with either his mother or his sisters. Possibly, he was talking to his brother and his mate on Tarradon.
Bevon stood and held out his hand. “Ready?”
“What if the Zon are watching, and they see me with Derrick Valoric?” she asked as she placed her hand in his.
He smiled. “You are working for him. I don’t think they will question it, unless they talk to him directly. But don’t worry, I asked Tory to meet me at their pottery shop. We’ll go there, ask for some help, and return. As long as you left the medallion at your house, you should be safe.”
She had to trust him. “I did.”
They stepped outside where he created a portal. When they stepped through to Tarradon, they ended up in front of a pottery shop—just like he said. Before they took another step, a tall, beautiful blonde woman appeared and turned to face them.
Tory smiled. “Nice to see you again, Zulema. As much as we need to catch up, we need to d
o something about Bevon’s awful face.”
Zulema huffed out a laugh. “You don’t like it either?”
“No. He told me he looks like the man who kidnapped you. That would give me the creeps.”
She didn’t want to mislead anyone. “I never saw Derrick’s face, but I prefer the original version of Bevon better.”
He grinned. Of course. “Shall we, ladies?”
The inside of the store was a total delight. The store was filled with plates, mugs, vases, and a wide assortment of artwork. Tory said everything was produced on site by four very talented women. Two were manning the store. One of the women, the one with almost white hair, came over.
“Tory, this is a nice surprise.”
Tory faced her and Bevon. “Poppy, this is my mate’s brother, and this is his…ah, friend from another part of Avonbelle.”
The slight hesitation implied Tory was going to say mate. While Zulema believed it true, she and Bevon needed to have that conversation soon. They all shook hands.
“What can I do for you?” Poppy asked.
“May we speak in private?” Bevon asked.
While only one other shopper was in the store, Zulema was glad he didn’t want to chance that somehow the woman was a member of the Zon. Farfetched for sure but still possible.
“Of course.” She led them to a room that contained a four-seater table as well as a kiln along with rows and rows of unglazed pottery. Once they were seated, Poppy asked what they needed.
Bevon gave a brief rundown of how he came to have his face change. “The problem is that Zulema can’t get over the fact that I look like her abductor.”
Poppy’s eyes widened. “I can see why. What would you like me to do?”
“Can you put a spell on me—or maybe it will be on Zulema—that allows her to see the real me? As soon as the ass who is responsible for all the trouble has been taken care of, I’ll have my mother change me back.”
“She’s the queen of Feyrion, is she not?”
“She is.”
Poppy pushed back her chair. “Let me get my sister, Magnolia. Together, we should be able to solve your problem.”