Blown Away (Rogues Shifter Series Book 4)

by Gayle Parness

  "You're even more beautiful than I remembered. Did you know that I almost stole you for myself on my thirteenth birthday? You must remember that day. We’d had a party in the backyard and you and Gabe were on the swinging chair on the porch holding hands and laughing about something. I came through the gate in the rear with blood on my hands.

  You asked me if I was hurt. But I lied and said I was with an older wolf who’d gone hunting and that I'd tagged along. Actually, I’d just tortured and killed the neighbor’s dog and had tried to twist a spell to bind you to me, but it hadn’t worked." He scowled and shrugged. "That was when I realized that I needed to use human blood. A few weeks later, before I’d killed my first whore, you changed into your lovely snow leopard and so that was that. I couldn’t convince Father to let you stay no matter how I pleaded.” He laughed. "Gabe thought that I was trying to help him get you back."

  Sinc was trembling a little so Gabe put his arm around her. “Ah, so it looks like you might win the princess after all, brother.”

  He turned his attention to me. “Jacqueline Crawford Cuvier. What a surprise you turned out to be. A healer cheetah, so rare. And then there’s that other little gift. I know quite a lot about demons, as I’ve called upon several to help me out here and there.” His voice got deeper and he leaned forward. “It’s such a pity you don’t yet know how to use those powers, because when they summon you, and believe me, now that the higher levels know you exist they will summon you to their realm, you’ll wish you had something up your sleeve a little more powerful than what you’ve used so far.

  They’ll probably want to examine you, especially now that you’re pregnant with a half fae. You’ll be a fascinating morsel for one of the archdemons to taste, as will your baby son. I wish I could be there but, alas, I’m afraid that I’m scheduled for my own barbeque.”

  Garrett sent to me, “They can’t summon you, my love.” Unfortunately, I knew that if I’d been assigned a summoning name and my grandmother got hold of it, I could be summoned, just like Karl said. I snuggled a little closer to Garrett, feeling shaky and needing the comfort.

  Karl sneered at Kaera and Brina. “You’ll have your temporary revenge, bitches, but this isn't the end."

  He looked at the row of judges. “I confess to it all. I’m guilty of killing human whores and human children, no great loss to the world as far as I’m concerned, but if you feel it’s a crime then sentence me as you will. Death is just another swinging door. I'll be returning shortly."

  Aaron asked. "Who else knew about the children and the spells? Who set the bomb?"

  “My father and Jake were complicit in the bombing but had no power to stop the kidnappings or the blood magic spells, short of turning me over to the council. Of course if they'd done that, people they loved would have died. My mother is innocent of everything except loving a morally weak alpha and a natural son who inherited her gift, but twisted it in a much more interesting way. I have nothing else to say.” He sat on the stand calmly as if he’d just pleaded guilty to shoplifting and not torture, kidnapping, and murder.

  Karl was returned to his cell and Quentin was brought in. He sat at the defendant’s table and looked down at his hands the entire time, too ashamed and cowardly, I thought, to look anyone in the eye. Gabriel testified against his father the way he had Karl and we could see that it was very difficult for him. Quentin was also sentenced to death, because it was proved that he knew about the kidnappings and Karl’s use of blood magic and yet didn’t come to the WPC with the information. He was also instrumental in the decision to set off the bomb.

  His death would be the usual one for an alpha. He would fight Aaron who would end up ripping out his throat. There was no doubt that Aaron would win against him, but at least this death was an honorable one for an alpha wolf.

  Jake was found guilty of attempted murder and for assisting Karl with the kidnappings and turning a blind eye to the use of blood magic. He was sentenced to meet his death the same way as Quentin, only he would fight against Franklin. He hugged Sharon before he was led away, but he never looked at his daughter.

  Katrina was found guilty of not calling the WPC when she suspected her son might be involved in something criminal. Because she had no concrete proof and was threatened with physical injury when she asked questions, she was only sentenced to a lifetime of community service. She would be required to use her powers as a witch to help various packs assigned to her by the council. Aaron told her that she would be able to live with her son, Gabriel, in whatever pack he was assigned to as long as she continued to fulfill the requirements of her sentence. She cried as she thanked the judges for their mercy.

  Quentin’s and Jake’s executions took place that evening, and the results were as expected. A representative of each Greenway Pack family was there to witness the executions of a powerful alpha and his second, who both chose to ignore the law. Aaron explained to me that he required them to attend so that they'd understand that no one was above the laws that were in place to protect the group. No one cheered or placed bets on the outcomes of these battles. It was a somber affair, both skirmishes ending in a flash of fangs and a wash of blood.

  Karl was sentenced to die as Aaron had said he would be, the sentence to be carried out in a clearing far from the main population of wolves at 2:00 AM. No one was required to be there except for the judges, their betas, Gabriel and Katrina. Kaera, Brina and Lord Argon, who'd joined his daughters as the fire was being lit, represented the fae and Garrett stood next to them, representing our team. I stayed at the house with Sinc. I had no desire to see another man burned to death, even if he’d been responsible for murdering legions.

  The next morning Catherine spent a couple of hours with me, lending me books on caring for a newborn and talking about what a wonderful transformation occurs when you bring a child into your family. She let me feed Sammy, change his diaper, hold him and play with him until I felt comfortable and not so awkward. The reality of the situation was finally starting to sink in. This was a forever decision that Garrett and I had made.

  I was afraid. “What if I’m a rotten mom? Maybe I don’t have what it takes.” I whispered my biggest fear. “Maybe he’ll look like Kennet and I won’t be able to love him.”

  “If he looks like Kennet, then he'll also look like Liam and Aedus and Lord Caelen. He’ll look like a fae, and some of them are your close friends, aren’t they? He'll look like a mixture of amazing races and he'll be his own unique, perfect self."

  I felt better. “Thanks, Catherine.”

  “Call me Cathy. You can pay me back by babysitting once in a while when Aaron and I go to San Francisco for a long weekend. Your house is on the way.”

  She said it with a straight face, but I had to laugh at her chutzpah. “Sure. We can do that.”

  We left through the lines that evening after dinner. Sinc decided to stay on a few more days, and since Aaron offered to have Franklin drive her back whenever she wanted to leave, we didn't see why she shouldn't. She said she wanted to work things out with her mom, but I knew that spending time with Gabe was also part of the equation. If Sinc and Gabe hooked up in a permanent way, Aaron's plans for him might fall apart. I was pretty sure that packs weren't led by alphas with shapeshifter mates. Although I wasn't too thrilled with Gabriel and what he'd done, I was happy to see Sinc smiling again. It meant she'd be recovering a lot faster and that was really all that mattered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Philladre was a breathtakingly beautiful goddess standing beside Aedus, her long golden hair moving in a gentle breeze under a perfect blue sky in Faerie. It occurred to me that I'd never seen a dark cloud, a flash of lightning or felt an uncomfortably humid wind while visiting here. The weather was always perfect in Faerie, although I did vaguely remember the kiss of a warm rain that lasted only long enough to water the flower beds. Nice. Crescent City could use a little fae weather.

  Back to the wedding. Her gown was iridescently glorious, with all the vibrant colors
of her perfect world swirling around in lovely patterns. Flowers of every imaginable shade surrounded the pair where they stood together on their grassy mound. Her eyes were locked only on her love, Aedus, who looked even more handsome than usual, if that was even possible, dressed in silver and blue, his dark hair loose and stirring in the same light breeze. Hauntingly beautiful music played from some hidden location, music that stirred the soul and made you feel hopeful about the future.

  It was all so perfect and romantic, even though I couldn't understand a single damn word of what they were saying to each other.

  Garrett, did his best to translate, but some of it was too quick even for him.

  "Basically, they pledge to honor their binding, to cherish each other for all time and to cultivate The Balance within Faerie and throughout the outside world wherever possible. They are considered to be a couple blessed beyond most others because of the coming birth of little Jacqueline, so their binding is more powerful and believed to be a sign of the rebirth of Faerie's future prosperity."

  I looked around at the perfect setting and the richly dressed attendees, who looked almost as good as our friends on the mound. "This is what Faerie is like during hard times? " He heard the obvious note of sarcasm, his mouth twitching slightly.

  "It's all keyed in to the birth rate, which is vital to the overall balance of life, my love."

  "But they live so long."

  "A life without the chance to pass on your love, your knowledge or your traditions can be empty, no matter how long it lasts. Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren make their long lives much more meaningful. All the fae in Cascade will raise baby Jacqueline, and so all will share in the blessing of her birth."

  "I suppose they're like shifters in that way."

  I'd had a chance to speak to Bridgett before the ceremony about what our grandmother had told us regarding our parents. She seemed to take it well, and agreed that maybe I should be the one to make first contact with our father, since she had impulse control problems. We didn't want to scare him off without having a chance to get to know him. And anyway, with all that was going on, I probably wouldn't be calling him anytime soon.

  At the end of the ceremony, the Elders and their families presented the glowingly happy couple with gifts. Brina gave Aedus an incredible breastplate infused with magic and decorated with magical runes. Kaera presented Philladre with a wicked-looking short sword which seemed to fit her hand perfectly. It was slightly strange to see her trying it out in her wedding gown, but I got it. Fae females were encouraged to be warriors and were considered to be as magically powerful as their male counterparts when they took that path. Aedus' eyes glowed with pride as he watched his warrior bride trying out her gift.

  Some of the other gifts were fun. Farrell and Kellaine, siblings who enjoyed trips to the mortal world, gave the couple mp3 players downloaded with music along with tablets to teasingly coax the pair into the modern world. Lady Jorrenn shook her head good naturedly, probably thinking that her two mischievous children could have given more appropriate gifts.

  Ashlyn, Philladre's sister, gave the couple an amazing piece of sculpture that she'd created herself. It was of the two of them holding hands, caught in a candid moment, laughing, with love in their eyes. It was carved out of a stone I'd never seen and shimmered with magic, the blue and greens of their houses, twisting around each other to bind them in love and tradition. Looking at it made you want to smile and cry at the same time. Who would have imagined that the evil warrior who'd tortured Gabe with her gruesome descriptions could create something so exquisite.

  Finally, Liam handed Aedus a small velvet pouch. "This is to be opened later, when you're alone." To Philladre he handed another pouch that contained an amazing necklace that looked like it was made of stars and pixie dust and rainbows: all things magical. The incredible protective power that flowed around the piece was evident to everyone there. I heard a fae behind me whisper something so I turned to Garrett in curiosity.

  "It's an amulet of protective magic that has been lost to the fae for many centuries. They wonder how he came to find it."

  Liam asked if he could place it on her neck and she nodded, so he did and then moved to take her hand. "Welcome, sister, to our family. We are honored to share our present and our future with you." It sounded like part of the ritual, but we could see that Liam was sincere. Ashlyn stepped up, took Aedus' hand and repeated the same words, only substituting the word brother rather than sister.

  The ceremony ended and everyone present spent time greeting the couple and the other guests.

  I felt a tiny weight on my right shoulder and wasn't surprised at all to see Sinlae perched there when I turned my head to look. She sighed deeply. "So lovely is it not, Jah-kee? Lord Aedus and Lady Philladre are perfect and Lord Liam is so handsome in his royal tunic. I would kill six trolls to have him give me a gift. Of course he never even looks Sinlae's way. Lord Liam's dreamy looks are all for that ugly witch, Kellaine."

  I had to cover my mouth to stop the laugh from erupting. Sinlae's wings were beating so fast they reminded me of a hummingbird's and her tiny hands were fisted in frustration. "Aren't there any pixiekin males that interest you, Sinlae?"

  She narrowed her eyes at me. "I have several males of my kind who serve me, but I should also have a royal." I watched her peek around my neck to catch a glimpse of Garrett, who'd wandered over to talk to Farrell. "Your Garrett Vampirelord is dreamy too. Will you share with sweet Sinlae?"

  I must have looked a little shocked, but I tried to cover it by explaining, "Our magic has bonded us for life." I showed her the mark I carried on my wrist. Francois, Garrett's grandsire, had carved a cheetah's eye and tear stripe as the third part of our own binding and our unique magic had turned mine emerald green and Garrett's sapphire blue like our eyes.

  "Oh, well I suppose Sinlae understands, but I would not take much. I am a demi-fey, not a great beast like Kellaine."

  "Take much?" I was getting more confused by the minute, wondering if I really wanted to know what it was she was talking about.

  She looked at me curiously and then laughed. "Not that, Jah-kee. Sinlae has many lovers, more than enough. I want to share his blood." She said the word as if it were a sacred thing. "Blood shared with the pixiekin provides protection."

  "Protection from what? And who is protected?"

  "If Garrett Vampirelord shared blood with me, he would be protected from all new magical attacks for one cycle of the moon."

  "And you would get what in return?"

  "To taste the nectar of his life, would give me rank over others of my kin. I would be protected from physical hurt."

  "Is she trying to get you to give her blood? Don't do it." Brina appeared next to me, peering at Sinlae with disapproval.

  "Actually, she wants Garrett's blood."

  "You are a mudsnake and a wormturd, Brina slugkin!"

  Brina laughed and batted at the pixie as if she were an annoying insect. Sinlae had no trouble avoiding the half-hearted strike, and was back on my shoulder a moment later. "A powerful male's blood will protect her from being beaten. Her kin are not fans of her inflated ego. They have practically disowned her. But if she shows up glowing with power, they will keep their distance."

  "Liar. They love me and treat me with great respect." She lifted her chin and put her hands on her hips.

  "Do you see how her eyes shimmer with pink when she speaks? That's how you can tell that she is not telling the truth. Watch out for this one. She'll dig her fangs into you and won't let go." Brina nodded at me and then left to speak to a handsome fae male I didn't recognize.

  Sinlae slumped against my neck. "It is true they do not love me."

  "Do they hurt you?"

  She shrugged. " We heal as quickly as all other Seelie fae." She brushed a hand through her thick red hair, looking dejected.

  I looked up and smiled, pleased to see that Liam himself was headed toward me with Kellaine on his arm. Sinlae jumped up but
didn't fly off. Instead she stood completely transfixed by her idol's closeness. I thought that maybe I could give her a little gift of my own.

  After we greeted each other with the usual nods, I said, "The ceremony was lovely, Liam "

  "We're all very happy for them."

  "And how do you feel, Jacqueline? You look to be in very good health." Kellaine was a down to earth, practical fae, with lovely dark red hair and a warm smile.

  "Life has been crazy, but I'm feeling very well." I automatically placed a hand on my belly.

  " In honor of your child, Ashlyn and I are making a sculpture for you and Garrett to put in your garden, if you'd honor us in that way. Liam seems to feel that you would like it."

  "We'd treasure it, thank you." I glanced again at Sinlae, whose mouth was open in astonishment. "Liam, Kellaine, have you met Sinlae pixiekin?" I sent to them privately, "She has a huge crush on Liam. Maybe you could give her a little thrill." They both smiled and nodded.

  Liam looked directly at her and she started to tremble just a bit. "I have met Sinlae. She is perhaps the most beautiful of the pixiekin." He extended his index finger toward her. "Would you honor me, Sinlae, on the day of my brother's binding?"

  She squealed, bowed deeply at the waist and then bit viciously into Liam's finger, gulping down four or five drops of his blood, before she pulled away looking sated and wired. Blood was smeared on her face and had even dripped onto her lovely Grecian-style dress, giving her a creepy, horror-movie look, but she didn't seem to mind at all. She quickly unsheathed a tiny dagger, slashed her own palm and pressed her bleeding wound to his. "You honor me greatly, Liam, Faelord of Cascade, and Sinlae will never forget Lord Liam's gift. Nor yours, Lady Jah-kee Shifterkin Healer and Demonspawn." She bowed again and sporting a huge grin, flew away, managing to ignore Kellaine completely. As she disappeared into the distance she began to glow.

  "Oops. I didn't know she could hear our private conversation so I didn't block her out."