Nothing happened.
The moment dragged on, weighing down both their shoulders. Pia rubbed her forehead, and her mouth shook again. “It didn’t work.”
“Well, now we know,” he said. He slapped the bandage back into place over the wound. “So now we’ve got to think about alternatives. Let’s go talk to Tatiana. I want to know how this outbreak happened, why the fuck they didn’t warn us, and what measures they’re taking to contain it. Maybe they’re close to finding some kind of effective antidote.”
Straightening, she nodded. “While you were showering, Tatiana’s captain arrived and went inside.”
“Let’s go see what they have to say for themselves.”
They pushed their way out of the plastic-draped chamber and walked to the front lawn again, where Quentin, Aryal and Eva, along with the Light Fae, were waiting.
The other Wyr joined them, questions in their eyes. Aryal’s gaze dropped to the bandage Dragos still wore, and she swore, while Eva’s face tightened and Quentin blew out a breath.
Together, the group of Wyr strode toward the front entrance of the house, where several guards stood. As they drew near, the guards swung around to stand in formation, and all of them had their guns trained on Dragos.
Bailey was with them. She stepped forward, her expression regretful. “I’m so sorry, Dragos,” she said. “But we can’t let you in the house.”
“That’s preposterous.” Pia gestured angrily. “Look at him—he’s in perfect control of himself.”
“Yes, he is, for now,” Bailey agreed. The Light Fae woman gave them an apologetic glance. “But that could change quickly, and if it does, we won’t be able to reason with him. And even without his ability to shapeshift, your husband is still very powerful. He could do a lot of damage, and infect a lot of people, before we could stop him.” She turned her attention to Quentin, Aryal and Eva. “None of us want to hurt any of you, but we may not have any choice. You may not have a choice either, and you all need to be prepared to face that fact.”
Pia whitened, while Aryal rubbed her face and swore.
“She’s right,” Dragos said, interrupting whatever Pia might have said next. He asked Bailey, “Where are we going to meet?”
“My mother is willing to let you into the back garden,” Bailey told them. “Shane will be there, and she’ll be surrounded by guards, but it’s a compromise of sorts, and it would allow us to discuss possible next steps.”
“Fine. Let’s go,” Dragos said. As they strode around the house to the back, he asked, “What about the neighbors? These houses and yards are large, but that’s no real protection, either for them, or for any sensitive discussions we might have.”
“That’s not an issue,” Bailey told them. “Bel Air has already been evacuated.”
Unexpected anger burned, hot and bright. He demanded, “Since when?”
“We evacuated for several blocks around 10 P.M. last evening,” Bailey replied, giving him a hassled glance. “We thought at the time we were just erring on the safe side, but as it turns out, it’s good we did.”
“This morning, you brought my wife, and my people into this mess,” he snarled. “You got me involved in this.”
“Look, in the last forty-eight hours, this outbreak has grown exponentially,” Bailey shot back, her eyes sparkling with quick anger. “As soon as my mother got the first hint that something might be wrong, she sent for me and tried to cancel Pia’s visit, but you guys insisted. This morning we tried to remove Pia to a safe location in Malibu. And you aren’t supposed to be anywhere near here, Lord Cuelebre, let alone wandering around and sticking your nose into things, so let’s try to stop with blame throwing and work on finding some solutions, all right?”
As she spoke, she opened a gate in a stuccoed wall and strode through.
Dragos met Pia’s burning gaze. Behind them, Aryal whispered, “If I start slapping people, I might not be able to stop.”
“Everybody’s stressed right now,” Quentin muttered. “Rein it in, harpy. Don’t add to it.”
“Much as it pains me to say this,” Dragos growled, “Bailey is right again. Arguing about what happened and who might be to blame is useless. In any case, this is no longer just a Light Fae problem, because it sure as hell has become a problem for the Wyr.” He looked at Pia and said more quietly, “Come on.”
At that, he reached out to put a hand at the small of her back, but then he caught himself up.
Reaction glittered overbright in Pia’s eyes. Tightening her mouth, she stepped through the open gate, and he followed.
* * *
Pia’s nerves were jumping all over her body. She felt as if she might leap out of her own skin like a scalded cat, if given the slightest provocation.
Avoid stress, the doctor had said. Eat lots of good food and enjoy this little mysterious bun cooking in the oven. Ha!
Dragos stalked by her side, a dark lowering shadow, his hard face cut with severe lines. Even in his human form, he moved with a lethal fluidity that spoke of the fact that he was an apex predator. He was faster and stronger than anybody she knew. It was no wonder the Light Fae were still terrified of him, despite the fact that he couldn’t shapeshift into the dragon.
From the short time he had disappeared to shower, his eyes had grown darker, and the dark lines shooting from the bite wound was one of the most terrifying things she had ever seen. He never got sick, never. It was as if germs vaporized whenever he became exposed to them. The fact that he wasn’t healing from the bite might force her to consider a terrible choice—her mate or her child.
No. Her mind went into a frenzy, and she tore that idea to shreds. There had to be other alternatives, ways to think outside of this box that they didn’t know about yet. If the Light Fae were writing off others who had been infected as a lost cause, it might be in part because they had turned so quickly. Dragos hadn’t, yet. They needed to gather as much information as fast as they possibly could.
“Fight it,” she said to him a low voice. “Fight as hard as you can.”
Just as low, he replied, “I am.”
Bailey had paused to lock the gate behind them, and as they rounded the rear corner of the house, she took the opportunity to send Dr. Medina a quick text. Urgent – How long can I safely go without taking the protocol?
When Pia had collapsed in D.C., they had put the doctor on retainer. The doctor would continue to see other patients only for minor things during the length of Pia’s pregnancy, so that meant she was able to answer almost immediately. Don’t tell me you lost your dose?
Not relevant, Pia replied. Too busy to explain. How long can I hold off taking the protocol without endangering the baby?
Dragos had moved close to read over her shoulder. As she glanced up at him, he gave her an approving nod.
“They’re waiting for us,” Bailey said.
Dragos gave her a sharp look from under lowered brows. “We’ll be there in a moment. This is urgent.”
Bailey’s baffled expression clearly indicated she couldn’t imagine what could be more urgent than their current situation, but she subsided, while Quentin and Aryal exchanged a frowning glance. Things were too complicated to give them a quick, telepathic explanation, so Pia took the short route.
She said in Eva’s head, Please fill Quentin and Aryal in about the pregnancy and drug protocol. The protocol is suppressing my healing abilities, which we think might be why it didn’t work when I tried to heal Dragos. We’re trying to find out how long I can go off the protocol, without endangering the baby.
Oh shit, Eva muttered. The glance she gave Pia brimmed with compassion. Then her expression changed. She looked like she did when she was thinking fast and hard. Pia, what about Liam? He has some of your healing ability, right? Do you think he might be able to help Dragos?
She recoiled, and her response came straight from her gut. No! We would never bring him into something dangerous like this. Honestly, the thought never occurred to either of us.
&
nbsp; Okay, honey. It was just a thought. Eva gave her a troubled glance. Then she turned to the sentinels.
Dr. Medina’s reply to Pia’s question was slower in coming. Pia could almost see the doctor’s cautious, thoughtful expression. As short an answer as I can give—I don’t know. There are lots of factors to take into consideration. Any delay will cause a risk, and the risk will escalate the longer you go without. I wouldn’t want to see you go more than two days at most, and only that long if you have no other choice. Right now, your doses overlap. As the last one wears off, you’re taking the next, because the protocol takes at least eight hours to work through your system. Let me know when you’re able to talk. I’ll be on standby.
After typing out a quick thanks, she met Dragos’s gaze. Two days, and from the sound of it, Dr. Medina didn’t feel good about pushing it that far.
And that was assuming that Dragos could even hold strong against the contagion for that long. They still didn’t have enough answers yet.
All Pia knew was that she wasn’t letting go of anybody—not Dragos, and not the baby either. They needed to see what they could do to increase their odds.
She gave him a nod, and he said to Bailey, “We’re ready now.”
As they continued around the rear corner of the house, Eva slid up to Pia’s side and dropped a hand onto her shoulder. Grateful for the support, she reached up to squeeze the other woman’s fingers. Then Eva’s hand fell away, and they reached the verandah.
The Light Fae had not been idle. Tatiana and Shane were bent over maps that had been spread out on the wrought iron table. Several watchful guards were stationed around them.
Roughly ten feet in front of the verandah, a long line had been created with masking tape on the lawn. Shane and Tatiana straightened as Bailey and the Wyr drew near the line.
“Stop,” Shane said.
Pia had met Shane for the first time at the summit in Washington. His reputation tended to precede him, as he was known as one of the Elder Races’ most Powerful magic users. The Queen’s captain was a tall, handsome man, with a square jaw and a ready smile, and the athletic build of a football player or a jouster. He wore his curly hair trimmed short, and carried an aura of deep, old Power that she had found appealing in D.C.
Now, that Power was roused and pointed at them like a sharpened sword.
Watching him warily, along with the several guns that the other guards pointed at them, the Wyr came to a halt. Bailey, Pia noted, stayed with them. It was a reassurance, of sorts.
Dragos put his hands on his hips. “I have to tell you, Shane. The guns are getting old. Note that my sentinels are not pointing weapons at you.”
“I’m sorry,” Shane said. “But none of my people are infected, either. This is very unfortunate. Right now, your people are in a hell of a lot more danger from you than they are from us.”
Tatiana spoke up. “You must understand. This isn’t personal, Dragos. We are taking a significant risk by allowing you to come this close. All your people are welcome to join us.” The Queen looked around the group. “In fact, we strongly urge them to. Please, come up onto the verandah. He’ll slaughter all of you if and when he turns.”
“We’ll stay right here,” Aryal said. The harpy stood with her arms crossed.
“Have it your way,” Shane said briefly. “Just know you’re welcome. Dragos, we need to come to an agreement. As long as you stay on the other side of that line, I’ll know you’re still lucid. If you cross that line, it means you no longer remember what I’ve just said, and I’ll have no choice but to take you down. Anybody who remains on the other side of that line is going to be collateral damage.”
“Understood.” Dragos turned to Pia. “Go.”
Did he feel the contagion growing stronger? Dread made her stomach bottom out. Fighting back panic, she said in quiet, anguished protest, “No.”
He raised one hand toward her then let it fall back to his side. His darkened gaze was intent, and his hard expression had gentled. “Listen to me,” he said quietly. “They’re right. If I turn, then I might kill you all before they stop me. Those things I came across—they were incredibly fast. You need to get some distance from me while you can.”
“Is it worse?” she whispered, searching his gaze. “Can you tell?”
His expression turned inward. “Not yet. And I am fighting it as hard as I can. But if we separate, you can keep searching for a cure even after I’ve turned. If you stay by my side, it might doom us both.”
“That’s right.” She whirled back to face Tatiana and Shane. “He might turn, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be lost to us if he does. We need more than a line made of masking tape. We need chains, and something to anchor them to.”
Shane’s eyebrows rose. He asked Dragos, “You will allow us to chain you?”
“I’ll put the chain on myself,” Dragos said.
Tatiana and Shane looked at each other. Shane said, “So far, I’ve had to destroy every infected one that I’ve found—they’ve been too dangerous and frenzied to capture. Dragos might be our best opportunity to find a cure for everybody.”
“Get an SUV back here, and the heaviest chains you can find,” Tatiana rapped out. With an assessing glance at Dragos, she added, “You’d better make it two SUVs.”
“Ma’am,” said one of the guards. “The gate to the back isn’t wide enough for vehicles that big to fit through.”
“I don’t give a shit,” she snapped. “Knock down a wall, if you have to. Move fast!”
They leaped to obey. Within short order, Pia heard an engine gunned, and a Hummer slammed through the gate opening, tearing down a good chunk of the wall with it. Roaring around the corner, it stopped between the house and the swimming pool. It was joined immediately by another Hummer.
A few minutes later, a couple of guards brought thick ropes of chains. Pia didn’t want to think about where they might have had the chains stored, or for what purpose. Working quickly, and with Dragos’s active cooperation, they soon had him chained to both vehicles, a Hummer on either side of him.
Watching him test the give on one of the chains, Pia rubbed her arms and shivered. Even though it was for everybody’s protection, and it might possibly save his life, the sight of him trapped between the two vehicles was terrible.
Tatiana walked up beside her, watching Dragos with a calculating expression. The Queen asked, “Do you think it will hold him if he turns?”
If Dragos had been able to shapeshift, she would have snorted a derisive laugh. As it was, she shook her head and answered honestly, “I don’t know.”
Tatiana sighed. “Well, we had to try. At the very least, it might slow him down.”
Shane had helped with chaining Dragos, and now he moved up beside the two women. “We need to move on to business.”
Dragos shook his arms to settle the chains into place. “Tell us everything you know.”
Shane crossed his arms, watching him. “When we got word of the first sightings, two nights ago, we moved in fast and hard, and I thought we had eradicated the problem, but then more infected people popped up just north of here. Until you, we thought this was a purely Light Fae affliction—virtually every infected person we found was Light Fae.”
“No humans?” Pia asked.
He shook his head. “Not at first. Not until today. A few hours ago, we discovered a couple of magic users who lived at the edge of a Light Fae community had turned. Most humans appear to be unaffected.”
“The contagion might be sorcerous in nature,” Dragos said. “I can feel it attacking my Power.”
Shane paused, studying him. “That would make sense. And if it’s true, most humans won’t be affected at all, but all of the Elder Races, along with any humans that have sensitivity to magic, will be susceptible to it.”
The other Wyr stood nearby, listening intently. Quentin interrupted. “What do you mean, that makes sense? What makes sense about it?”
Shane sighed. He looked at Tatiana. “I
haven’t had the chance to tell you this bit yet. When you called me in, we had just finished engaging in a skirmish with several of Isabeau’s Hounds.”
Who was Isabeau, and why had they killed her dogs?
As Pia looked questioningly at Tatiana, the Queen said in brief aside to her, “My twin sister. The Hounds are her attack force.”
Ah. The twin sister who was also a demesne ruler, the Light Fae Queen with the Seelie Court in Great Britain, from whom Tatiana and her followers had fled in the fifteenth century. What kind of history lay between the two sisters that was so bad that, centuries later, Isabeau would send an attack force to Tatiana’s demesne? Or perhaps the attack force was in response to some new antagonism?
Glancing at Dragos, she gave Tatiana a silent nod of acknowledgment as she chewed on a thumbnail.
Shane continued, “We killed several of them, but a few escaped.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Tatiana, I think one of them was Morgan. I didn’t get a good look at him, so I can’t say for sure. If it was Morgan, he was one of the ones who got away.”
For the first time since Pia had arrived, Tatiana showed a visible reaction at the news. She flinched, and the skin around her mouth whitened, while fear flashed across Bailey’s face. Quentin pursed his lips and somehow managed to look both intrigued and pained at once.
Dragos asked, “Who’s Morgan?”
Yeah, good question, Pia thought.
Then, in the next moment, she realized it wasn’t a good question at all, as both Shane and Tatiana turned to stare at Dragos.
“What do you mean, ‘Who’s Morgan’?” Tatiana asked. “Isabeau’s Chief Hound. He’s been in her Seelie Court for centuries, remember?”
Dragos’s expression tightened and briefly he closed his eyes, which was when Pia realized what a major misstep he had just made.
Slowly, his gaze as sharp as swords, Shane added, “You must have met him several times before, Dragos. You did frequent the Seelie Court decades before the rift between Tatiana and Isabeau occurred, and Morgan wasn’t with her then, but at the very least you must have heard of him. Morgan of the Fae is one of the oldest, most famous sorcerers in the British Isles. Surely, you haven’t forgotten—or have you?”
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