“Me too. Now away with ye. The man can only pace the back lane for so long before one of yer neighbors calls the coppers and reports him. I’d bet he’ll want to right his wrongs and he’s kickin’ himself for upsettin’ ye so.”
I dry my tears and hug him again. “You’re a good guy, Sloan Mackenzie.”
“It’s nice of ye to notice. Now go.”
Sloan’s right, as usual. I jog downstairs, hop off the back steps, and hustle past the grove to the back lane. Liam looks like he’s fit to blow. “You’re an idiot, you know?” I unlatch the fence and head out between the cars to the back lane. “You don’t get to insult me and think that I’ll throw away twenty-three years of loving you.”
Liam meets me at the bumper of my car, and his eyes are far too glassy for my liking. “I am an idiot. No question.”
“No question. But you’re a damn fine idiot, and you make a mean cocktail.”
He chuckles. “Tricks of the trade.”
I squeeze his hand and fill my lungs. “I’m figuring things out as I go. I know I’m not a god, but I’m still me. I’d never knowingly put anyone in harm’s way.”
He pulls me in for a hug. “I know that Fi, but the stakes in your lives have been raised. You’re reacting to your world crashing around you, and it scares the piss out of me.”
“Hey, if it makes you feel better, it scares the piss out of me too.”
His laughter vibrates against my chest as he pulls back. “No, actually, that doesn’t make me feel better at all. I’d like the person with the magic to have a solid hold on the reins.”
“Sorry. Should I fake it until I make it?”
“Nah. That’s not your style.” He steps back, and his smile drains away. “Be careful, Fi. The things that go bump in the night are scary and better left undisturbed.”
“Agreed. I have no intention of stirring up trouble.”
“No intention maybe…but you realize you were born a stir stick, right?”
“Har har, funny guy.”
I say goodnight to Liam and stand in the back lane while he drives away. When his taillights turn, and he heads up Wellesley, I turn back to go inside the gate.
My shield fires to life, my early-warning system going off a split second before strong hands secure me from behind. Warm breath washes the side of my neck, and despite all efforts, I can’t break free of the hold. ”Loverboy is right about the things that go bump in the night, you know? You should’ve left us undisturbed.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I’ve portaled with Sloan enough times to understand the momentary disorientation that comes with being plucked out of one reality and deposited into another in the span of a racing heartbeat. Still, the wave of nausea and spinning head is new, and I’m not a fan.
I search for a point in the room to focus on while the squirrels in my stomach settle down. My eyes lock on the translucent glass wall at the other end of the large, rectangular room. It’s backlit and illuminates the moving hands of a massive clock face.
Are we in a city clocktower?
A heritage building with a clock face?
I check out the modern chrome and black and white marble décor, and I’ve got nothing. Movement on the sidewall draws my gaze, and I see a man standing behind a well-stocked bar.
“Lady Druid.” He holds the bottle tipped for a long pour. He’s a burly, good-looking Jason Momoa kinda guy with nipple-length ebony hair, amethyst purple eyes, and enough sculpture in his abs and pecs to make the tailored black dress shirt work for him. He raises his glass to me, then takes a few deep swallows. “Thank you for accepting our invitation.”
I pull at my captor’s vice-grip hold banding my upper arm and get nowhere. Damn. This guy is ridiculously strong.
Bruin flutters within my chest. Do you need me, Red? What’s happened?
Not yet. I’ve been kidnapped before. Let me see what this is about. No need to tip our hand.
I may be unable to gain my freedom, but there’s no need to appear weak. Straightening, I lift my chin and meet the man’s gaze with no fear. “Sorry, I missed the invite part of this get-together. It was more of a snatch-and-grab from my perspective.”
My host smiles. I feel the pull of his charm as tangibly as the fingers banding my arms. I look down at the fingers gripping my dragon tattoo and wonder if manhandling assholes get transported into the Wyrm Queen’s lair.
This guy would make a meaty snack for Her Scariness.
“Is there something wrong?” I say to my host, who is now staring at me with a screwed-up expression.
“What are you doing?”
“Me? Nothing.” I return his assessing stare. “Why? What are you doing?”
He steps closer and chucks a finger under my chin. He’s got a solid foot and a half on me, and an easy hundred and fifty pounds, but isn’t trying to use his size to intimidate me. His expression holds genuine curiosity. “Why aren’t you succumbing to my charms?”
I laugh. “My mistake. Is this you being charming? Sorry, I didn’t realize it. Does the kidnapping and manhandling approach usually win you the favor of the ladies? If that’s what you’re expecting, you’ll be disappointed. I’m more of a dinner and a walk by the lake girl myself.”
He barks a laugh and steps back. “Well, the reports on you are certainly true. You are a mystery.”
“You too. Could we solve that one together? Who are you and why am I here?”
“I am Garnet Grant, Alpha of the Toronto Moon Called and Grand Governor of the Lakeshore Guild.”
“Uh-huh. Guild of what?”
He frowns. “Do you expect me to believe you haven’t heard of us?”
I bite my lip and make a face. “Sorry. Is that a faux pas in kidnapping circles? I admit I’m new to the scene. I don’t know all the social cues yet and haven’t heard of much. Consider this a teaching opportunity. You are Garnet Grant, Grand Governor of the Lakeshore Guild of…artists, gamers, quilters? My next-door neighbor Janine belongs to the quilter’s guild. Maybe you know her?”
“Empowered Ones.” He scowls. “The Lakeshore Guild is a coalition that unites the most powerful species of empowered people under one ruling council.”
“Oh, cool. I’m a huge fan of organized policing. You should know there is some crazy stuff going on in the city. I’ve been playing catch-up but would love to talk to you about it. I’m glad to meet you, Garnet.”
His scowl deepens, and he grunts at me.
“Is that wrong? Shouldn’t I be glad to meet you?”
He takes a step back and runs his fingers over his scalp, raking through his hair. “I wouldn’t think so, no. Are you the one who drained all the magic from the city?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. A total accident, I assure you. I’ve taken steps to rectify that, and you should see the results very soon.”
“Steps,” he repeats and meets the curious glances of six newcomers. The large, black door to the room closes, and a grouchy-looking group joins us. They all have the same muscular physicality as Garnet, and something in me recognizes them all as Weres.
Oh, Moon Called. I get it.
Garnet swallows. “My people are having a hard time fighting the pull of their beasts, and it’s getting worse, not better. The full moon is in three nights, and without our powers, there’s no amount of steps that can save us all from the inevitable bloodbath that will ensue.”
Well, crap. “Again, I am super sorry. Honestly, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. My brothers and I have been working non-stop for two days to rectify the siphoning of power.”
“But you and your brothers are the cause of the siphoning of power. I’m thinking the best way to rectify that is to eliminate you.”
The guy squeezing my arms shifts his hold, and I frown. “Ow, dude. You seriously need to let go of my arm. And if I were you, I’d stay the hell away from my infinity dragon armband there…unless you’re curious about visiting the treasure trove of a dragon queen.”
I see the curiosity in his gaze a
moment before he vanishes. Shaking out my shoulders, I run a hand up and down my arms as blood returns and pins and needles tingle in my hands. “Sorry about your guy.”
The newcomers rush forward, but I put up my hand. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’ve been polite up until now, and would prefer to keep things friendly.”
“Where is my man?” Garnet growls.
“I told you. He’s visiting the treasure trove of a dragon queen. This armband is a portal.”
“How does he get back?”
“He doesn’t. I guarantee you that the she-dragon has eaten him by now and is feeding him to her babies.”
The room echoes with the low rumble of growls.
I meet Garnet’s gaze. “Hey. I warned him about not grabbing me there, and now he’s dead. Let me go one further and warn the rest of your muscle—back the hell off me, or things will become a lot less cordial here.”
Garnet raises his glass and takes another long sip of his drink. “More than a pretty face. You surprise me, Lady Druid. It’s been a long time since someone surprised me, especially a beautiful female.”
I dip my chin and accept the compliment. “I’m much more than my packaging suggests. I can be an ally or an enemy. I would much prefer to be an ally. I love the idea of a ruling council. My family comes from a long line of law enforcement. I’m game to learn how it all works.”
“Fuck that,” a man shouts in the row of newcomers.
I turn in time to see him launch into the air. His clothes explode into tattered confetti as he flies at me, claws extended.
I release Bruin, and my bear roars out of me. He guts the attacking wolf mid-air. The beast falls to the polished marble floor as his blood splatters the other five men.
I call Birga to my hand and Whirlwind for effect. With my spear in my hand, I spin the weapon in my palm, and my hair flies around my face like I’m a badass supermodel. Bruin paces between me and the five, his canines exposed, his bloody claws clicking on the marble floor.
“It doesn’t need to go this way, Garnet. Call off your dogs or they all die.”
Garnet’s smile grows, and he holds up his hand to halt the all-out attack of his remaining men. “You are a force, Lady Druid, and I am truly impressed.”
“This isn’t a show to impress you. I don’t take life lightly, but I won’t risk mine either. I am a woman of my word and have been straight with you. If your men attack me, my battle beast will eviscerate them. If they come against me directly, I am more than capable of defending myself.”
“I believe you.” Garnet finishes his drink and steps over to the wolf whining like a pitiful dog on the floor. He kneels, lifts the wolf’s head, and twists. The snap of his neck ends the beast’s suffering, and he points at two of the five men left.
“You two, take Jonas’s body to the temple. You two clean this mess up. Trent, notify the Governors that I am escorting Miss Cumhaill home. They are to stand down on any further action unless I give the order.”
“Alpha, you can’t go out there alone. It could be a trap.”
Garnet looks at me with a scrutinizing gaze. “Have you any intentions of destroying me or unseating the Lakeshore Guild, Lady Druid?”
I shake my head. “Nope. I’m happy to chat more if no one’s trying to kill me or mine.”
“Fair enough. If you would gather your beast, I shall take you home.”
I nod at Bruin, and he dissolves into the air and returns to his place within me.
A moment later, Garnet and I are standing in the back lane, surrounded by a frantic and irate group of druids.
Garnet holds his ground, and I give him credit. In the face of six protective and angry druids, and after seeing what Bruin and I can do, he doesn’t bat an eye. I guess that’s an Alpha thing. Show no weakness.
I hold up my palms and step forward to act as a shield between my well-meaning protectors and our guest. Well, I don’t suppose he’s so much of a guest as a repentant kidnapper, but for the sake of turning over a new leaf, I’ll go with guest for now.
“Stand down, you guys. I’m fine.” I gesture at Garnet and commence with the introductions. “Everyone, this is—”
“Garnet Grant,” Da snaps, his voice clipped. “I shoulda guessed ye weren’t human by the number of times ye’ve walked out of police stations with yer goons and gotten off scot-free. So, what are ye then?”
I hold up my finger. “Let me see if I can get this right. He’s the Alpha of the Toronto Moon Called and Grand Governor of the Lakeshore Guild of Empowered Ones.” I check with him, and when he nods, I smile and explain that to my brothers. “It’s a local Justice League for gifted folks.”
“So, yer a Were,” Da says. “A wolf, bear, dragon?”
“Lion, actually.” He flashes that goofy smile he tried on me when he first introduced himself. I feel Garnet’s magic take hold. It tingles on my skin and makes my back itch.
Da and the others relax, and the tension in the back lane dissolves almost completely from one moment to the next.
“Stop that.” I peg him with a glare. “You don’t get to influence my family.”
Garnet chuckles. “I influence everyone, Lady Druid. The question is, why don’t my charms work on you?”
Sloan snorts. “Fiona views the world in a different light than most. She also sees through illusions better than most.”
Garnet chuffs. “She tells me that you have all been working to restore the levels of magic you altered. Is that true?”
I don’t want my trippy family to get into the fact that we can release unlimited amounts of fae magic. I don’t know Garnet well enough to trust him with that info.
What if bad guys across the country take it upon themselves to start blowing up the Canadian Shield?
To cut my guys off from blabbing everything, I interrupt. “I told Garnet that we’ve worked day and night for the past two days to rectify the power drain we caused and that the city’s ambient energy should return to previous levels very soon.”
“And is that the entire truth?” Garnet asks expectantly.
“Not entirely,” Da says. “We’re optimistic the levels will be improved. The city’s natural magic isn’t enough to feed the cells. If our efforts are fruitful, that situation should improve.”
I let out a huge sigh of relief and bat my eyelashes at the Alpha Were. “Happy?”
“I’m satisfied that you’re making an effort to restore the magic. I won’t be happy until I know that eight hundred Moon Called predators aren’t going to stalk the city’s innocents in a feeding frenzy in three nights’ time.”
I press my finger on my nose and nod. “I’m one hundy percent behind you on not wanting that to happen. We’ll keep on it from our end, I promise. In the meantime, you gotta give us room to work.”
“You have my word.”
“Cool. And hey, if in three nights there’s not enough magic for your people to control their urges, I have no doubt you’ll set them on us first. Fair is fair.”
“I’m glad we understand one another, Lady Druid. Until then.” Garnet raises his fingers as if to tip an imaginary hat, then disappears.
Awesomesauce.
“He seemed nice,” Emmet says, his eyes dreamy.
“Sexy as fuck,” Calum adds.
The guys are all still smiling like lovestruck idiots, and I roll my eyes. “Okay, Sloan, do you have anything in your spellbook that counteracts an Alpha Were’s power to influence? I think we might need that going forward.”
After the third day of hiking, standing in icy streams, and drilling through stone to create passageways for the magic of the ley lines to reach the surface, I can’t even think about it anymore. I suggest that those brothers of mine who aren’t working the streets join me, Sloan, and Da for a night at Shenanigans for some let-loose recreation.
I’m on my third Redbreast when one of my favorite songs comes on, and I wriggle my butt in the booth while pointing at the dancefloor.
“But yer food just got
here,” Sloan says.
I laugh. “Food can be reheated, but Shenanigans prides itself on never repeating a song in a night’s playlist. It’s now or never, Mackenzie.”
Emmet abandons the end spot in the booth, and Calum moves his chair back from the end. The moment I’m free, I check to see if anyone is joining me. No? I head to the dancefloor on my own. Fine. Sucks to be them.
I merge in with the regulars, happy to take advantage of my whiskey buzz and be among friends. As the tempo fills my ears, I close my eyes and let some of the stress from the past three days drain away.
A solid hand presses against the small of my back and I’m spun in place to face the cocky smile of one of the Weres I had the unfortunate pleasure to meet this afternoon.
I push back from his hold, but there’s no getting free without causing a scene in front of a lot of innocent people I care about.
“Trent, wasn’t it? If you wanted to dance, you could’ve asked. Like your friend learned this afternoon, manhandling me doesn’t end well.”
His grin widens as his grip grows bruisingly painful. “For you, maybe.”
“Garnet won’t like this. He and I are on good terms. You’re supposed to leave us alone to correct our mistake.”
“Why should I care what a fucking feline says? That male has forgotten what it means to be an Alpha. He’s more interested in fancy titles and expensive wines than what it truly means to be a Moon Called warrior.”
Crap. Hostile and disgruntled. That can’t be good. “Have you forgotten about my ursine protector? If you get out of line, my spirit bear will rip you to shreds.”
“But you can’t launch your killer bear in here, can you, sweet cheeks? When you’re in public, you’re only a mundane girlie out for a night on the town, ain’t that right?”
“Wrong again, asswipe.” I give Bruin quick directions and release him. “You feel that breeze tugging at the nape of your neck? That’s him. He doesn’t have to take physical form to kill you. He can enter your body and stop your heart. No one would think anything weird about a guy having a heart attack on the dance floor. Sucks to be you.”
A Sacred Grove (Chronicles of an Urban Druid Book 2) Page 20