by Paige Orr
A soft blue glow engulfs his hand, and a few moments later the telltale sound of the lock clicking open reaches my ears. I don’t know why I haven’t employed someone with this skill to work with me before. It sure as hell makes things go quicker.
Morpheus opens the door, motioning for me to go ahead of him, and just in case I pull out justice, holding it up and at the ready. We slowly make our way inside, taking our time to look over each room or any nasty surprises. Just like the last house, there is a sense of wrongness to just how clean the house is and the items inside of the closets, making me remember that in my excitement to tell them about the sigil, I forgot to mention this little tidbit.
Once we have made our way through the whole house and found nothing that could jump out at us, we go into the living room. I explain to Morpheus what to expect when I activate my sight so he doesn’t get too worried
“Just to forewarn you, Grey said my eyes get all glowy when I switch to my sight, so don’t go freaking out, okay?”
“You got it kitten, I’ll just stand here like a good boy and do as I’m told.”
He sends me a teasing wink, causing a smile to crack through my seriousness. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on my sight, noticing that it is much easier to access this time, thankfully. I crack my eyes open, turning to the closest wall, and as I expected, the sigil is drawn on every free space. What I wasn’t expecting though is the faint trail of aura that I follow around the room as if the person who wrote the sigils left it behind.
I quickly spin around to face Morpheus with excitement filling me to tell him this new discovery, but when my eyes land on him I’m blinded by the bright aura that surrounds him, the same color that surrounds his hands when he uses his magic.
I close my eyes with a wince, holding my hand up to quiet Morpheus’s worried questions. Note to self, make sure to switch off sight before looking at a supernatural being if you don’t want to damage your retinas. I rub my hands gently across my eyes to wipe the tears forming away before carefully peeling my eyes open.
I let out a sigh of relief when I see everything is back to normal and my shoulders slump in relief. I turn back to Morpheus, seeing the worry for me in his gaze and give him a reassuring smile before clearing my throat and getting back on task.
"Sorry about that, it seems that your aura is too bright for my eyes, I just have to remember to turn my sight off before looking at you."
"As long as you're not in pain, then that's alright. What were you trying to tell me before my dazzling self half blinded you?"
I chuckle at his remark, glad that he's here with me right now. I've been so tense since I started Mr. Sullivan's case, that it's nice to have someone help me relax.
"Well, we were right about the sigil, it's all over the walls in here too. That's not the main thing though. It turns out the more I use my sight, the stronger it becomes. I can see an aura trail that I think belongs to whoever wrote the sigils."
"Shit, that's great news. Maybe you will be able to find a trail that we can follow to bring us closer to wherever they're hiding out."
"I was thinking the same thing. You will just have to make sure you walk behind me so that I'm not distracted with your aura."
I turn around again, putting my back to Morpheus before calling on my sight. This time the aura trail is more prominent, and a grin splits my face in half with how pleased I am with how quickly my sight is developing.
I carefully follow the trail until it leads me to the back door which is lying slightly ajar, making me wonder if the culprit was disturbed and had to make a hasty retreat. I let go of my sight, turning back to Morpheus, curious to find out what he thinks. If the aura trail is that strong, then it's possible that it was us that interrupted the perp, so I need some answers before jumping to conclusions.
"This house belongs to Aurora Rosemist. Is she Seelie or Unseelie?"
"She's one of ours, a Neuroscientist that's been working with sick children."
The grim expression on his face has me feeling like shit for having to ask him about this, especially because I can see the hurt in his eyes. I may not know many things about his people, but it's obvious that he and Zaphyr feel responsible for what's happening.
"When exactly did Aurora get taken?"
"She was the last one that went missing, her family only reported it the day before we came to you. Why, what are you thinking?"
"It's only a hunch, but look closely at everything. The door left opened, and the strong aura trail. What does that tell you?"
He seems to come to the same conclusion as I did, as he takes a closer look at the backdoor. If I'm right, then this could be our chance to catch at least one person connected to the disappearances. Hopefully, if we have just interrupted them, then that means they didn't have time to wipe their presence and Morpheus could track them.
"What this tells us, is that they were in a rush to get out of here."
"Exactly, and if they had to make a quick exit, then maybe there could be some way for you to track them."
His face splits into a predatory grin when he finally understands what I've been trying to say, and without another word, he prowls back into the living room. I follow closely behind him, stopping in the doorway so I don't get in his way, and I get a front row seat to what he does when tracking someone.
Firstly, he goes close to the wall where he knows the culprit had been standing, and I see the telltale signs of his magic at work while he stands with his eyes closed. I'm completely mesmerised with the power of his magic caressing my skin in waves, causing a shiver to work its way down my spine.
I can feel his excitement rolling off of him in waves when he finally seems to catch onto something after a few minutes. The feeling is contagious and I can feel my own grin copying his when he spins around to face me with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I've got them! We better not linger though, who knows how long we'll have before they manage to mask themselves again."
"Of course! Before we leave though, we should call the others and get someone to come watch the place so No one can mess with any evidence left behind."
He rushes across the room, grabbing my face in his hands and leaving a big sloppy kiss on my forehead. I can't hide my shock at his actions, which only causes him to chuckle as he lets go of my face, bopping my nose. I scrunch my nose at this, but all he does is give me a mischievous wink before pulling his phone from his pocket.
"You know kitten, we would be lost without you and that beautiful brain. I wouldn't have thought to have someone guard the place."
I just shrug my shoulders at him, quickly making my way to the front door so he doesn't see the blush spreading across my cheeks, and I hear him following behind me as he calls the others to fill them in.
I make my way towards the car, leaning against the passenger door to wait for Morpheus. When I turn around to see what's taking him so long though, I begin to panic when I see shadows converging behind him. Just as I'm about to shout for him to watch out, Zaphyr steps through the shadows and I let out a shaky breath of relief. How I managed to forget about his shadow manipulation, I'll never know.
That shit has to come in handy though, you would never be late for anything ever. I have to admit that the fact that I could wake up twenty minutes before having to be somewhere, which means extra sleep, sounds great too. Zaphyr notices me standing at the car and sends me a gentle smile before walking inside the house.
Morpheus makes his way towards me, and when he reaches the driver's side, he throws the keys over the roof to me. I reach up, catching them right before they hit my chest, making me huff at him while he laughs at me.
“Why are you giving me the keys?”
“Sorry, kitten. but Zaph’s going to come with you on this hunt. It seems he wants me to stay here and be the guard dog.”
The glint of silver catches my eyes as he reaches into his jacket, pulling two dragon daggers from a shoulder holster that I hadn’t noticed before. I look at him, shocked t
o see that he was armed this whole time, and I didn’t even know. He twirls the blades in his hands like they are an extension of his own arm, and I’m transfixed with the fluid movements. He looks up at me with a cocky expression before leaning on the roof of the car.
“Don’t tell me that all it took to make you fall for me was to show you my daggers kitten.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, I’m just surprised you didn’t cut yourself. You seem more of a lover, not a fighter.”
He gives me a carnal grin as he swaggers around the car until he’s standing in front of me, and with lightning fast movement, grabs me around the waist, spinning me until my back is against the door. I instinctively bring my hands up, placing them on his chest to steady myself as I look up into his triumphant gaze.
“Can’t I be good at both kitten. Maybe sometime you’ll let me show you that I’m as skilled a lover as I am a fighter.”
“Hmmm, in your dreams Don Juan. As tempting as your offer may be, I’m afraid my diary is fully booked.”
We are interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing behind us, and when I turn to see Zaphyr watching us curiously. Morpheus takes the opportunity to lean down and whisper in my ear.
“Maybe I can change your mind sometime beautiful, but for now, I better let our Prince whisk you away.”
He kisses my neck before strutting his way up to the house without a backwards glance, leaving me stunned with my mouth hanging open. I turn to Zaphyr, not expecting the glee in his eyes. Clearing my throat, I walk around the car to get in the driver's side, having to squeeze past an unmoving Zaphyr. Once I slide into the car, he takes his time walking around to the passenger seat, leaving me waiting. What am I going to do with these guys?
Chapter Twenty
Zaphyr
I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed seeing the heat in Melissa’s eyes as Morpheus crowded her against the car. I wouldn’t say that I’m a jealous guy, but when I’m interested in someone, I usually like being the only person they have eyes for. I watch Melissa’s face as she works through the emotions that Morpheus caused in her, and I have to admit to myself that every little nuance just draws me deeper into her orbit.
I’m not exactly surprised about that though, there’s just something different about how I feel when I’m around her. Even though she is an enthralling woman, she doesn’t seem to realize the hold she has over all four of us, which is rather refreshing after years of women throwing themselves at me for even a little of the prestige they would receive for being connected to my name.
It’s not easy to only be wanted because of what you are and not who you are as a person. It got to the stage where I closed myself off completely from women, only taking the occasional partner for the night who I could trust not to brag about bedding the Prince. I can see Melissa’s attraction for not only me, but the others too.
Even though humans are becoming more open to the different types of relationships that people can have, they are still far more judgy than Fae. we are taught that love doesn’t know gender or race, and that if we happen to have feelings for more than one person, then it’s completely natural. My mother would say that we have plenty of love to go around, and I would have to agree with her. So even if Melissa isn’t interested in a relationship, the fact that she doesn’t only want me, doesn’t bother me at all.
Not wanting to lose this fucker because I’m too busy day dreaming about the ravishing woman beside me, I turn in my seat towards the window. I open the window, wanting to make sure that I can catch the scent of the person we are following, and begin to give Melissa directions.
We follow on the trail of our mystery suspect for a good fifteen minutes before I have to get Melissa to pull over so that we can follow the trail on foot. The fucker must know that they are being followed because they have cut through a wooded area behind the row of houses on the street we were driving down.
Whoever it was is obviously smart, since the scents of nature are almost overwhelming, making it difficult to find the trail again. Luckily, I manage to find a small trace of their scent, and begin to guide Melissa along the right track. I hate the fact that we don’t know how far they could have gotten before we started following them, but I can’t waste any time dwelling on that now.
We walk on endlessly through the trees, making sure not to make too much noise, and eventually we come across a clearing where all traces of our culprit vanish. I curse under my breath, pacing back and forth where the trail disappears, feeling my frustration building to a whole new height.
I can feel the darkness calling my name, wanting for whoever has crossed us blood to spill, and it takes every bit of remaining strength I have to hold it at bay. This shit is not good. If I don’t find who is responsible soon, who knows what the darkness will cause me to become. I’ve never been denied a hunt for this long, and I hope in future that I’ll never have to wait this long before.
Just as I reach the edge of the clearing, a hand lands on my arm, startling a growl out of me as I spin around, grabbing the person and pinning them against the closest tree. My eyes widen in shock as I meet Melissa’s stunned gaze, and I curse myself for losing control like this around her. I let my vice like grip on her arms loosen, bracketing her body with them as I rest my head on her shoulder.
“Shit! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have blown up like that around you. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Her arms come up hesitantly before wrapping around me, and I feel some of the tension easing at her touch. She rubs gentle circles on my back, and I just enjoy the feeling of her embrace.It’s been such a long time since anyone has tried to comfort me, that I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do, so I just wrap my arms tighter around her.
“It’s alright Zaphyr, you didn’t hurt me, I was just surprised. I can understand your frustration though. I only approached you because I was worried when your eyes turned Black.”
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that, my magic has been riding me hard to find who is responsible for hurting my people, and it lashed out.
“These things happen, no harm done, so don’t beat yourself up about it.”
I lift my head from her shoulder, staring deep into her eyes, as I bring my hand up to cradle her cheek. I thought that my reaction would have frightened her, but instead she’s trying to put my mind at ease. This woman is a conundrum, but I can’t say that I mind.
“You really are an amazing person, little songbird. Thank you for not fearing me after my magic reacted that way.”
A heat blooms in my chest at the soft smile that graces her lips, and I know that I’ll never be able to let her go. Even if she never sees me the same way as I do her, she has a friend for life. She tilts her head to the side, looking at me curiously, a question on the tip of her tongue.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, why do you call me little songbird?”
A laugh rips its way free from me, and I feel the darkness receding a little more. I don’t know why I’m so surprised at how quick she switches between subjects, but I’m glad that she can so easily distract me from what’s going on in my head.
“Probably because from the minute I laid my eyes on you, I hoped to one day have you singing in pleasure below me.”
An endearing blush spread across her cheeks as she averts her gaze, shuffling on her feet. Her reactions to me are so refreshing, and they sure as hell will never grow old. She bites her bottom lip, drawing my eyes to them, and I bring my thumb to them, gently pulling her lip free. I don’t think she even realizes how entrancing she truly is.
“May I kiss you, little songbird?”
She shivers in my arms, her grip on me becoming tighter while I patiently wait on her answer. The last thing I want to do is make her feel pressured in any way. I’ve been alive for a long time, which has taught me patience. I can wait for as long as she needs. She seems to come to a decision as she squares her shoulders, looking at me with determination in her eyes, and nods her head at me in consent.
That’s all the permission I need, as I lean down, capturing her plump lips in a gentle kiss. I take my time to explore her mouth, not wanting to scare her away with being too intense. When I do slightly deepen the kiss though, getting lost in her essence, she lets out a low moan against my lips, causing me to smile into the kiss.
I’ve never been with a woman before who I could glady just enjoy a kiss with. Usually I avoid it at all costs, but Melissa makes me softer. Any other time I would be thinking about how to get away from the women as quickly as possible, but with her time seems to stand still. I break the kiss, both of us panting, and gently stroke the pad of my thumb across her glistening lips. I close my eyes, leaning my forehead against hers, as our hot breath mingles until Melissa breaks the easy silence between us by clearing her throat.
“I hate to break this up, since I’m rather enjoying myself, but we should probably update the others and head back to the house. Maybe Annika could help us locate these bastards.”
I know that she’s right, but I can’t help wanting to stay lost in this moment in our quiet little bubble. Especially since I know as soon as we walk out of this clearing, I have to be a leader once more. It was nice to take a few minutes away from all the chaos, I just wish it could have lasted longer.
I pull away from Melissa with a tired sigh, feeling the loss of her heat down to my bones.hopefully we will get to enjoy more moments like this in the future, because I can already tell that she will be like a drug to me, and I will never be able to have enough of her. I hold my hand out to her, entwining my fingers through hers when she takes it, and begin to guide her back to the car.
Chapter Twenty-One
Melissa
I can’t believe I let myself become so distracted, not that I didn’t enjoy every touch from Zaphyr, but people are relying on me to figure all this shit out. I don’t want to be the reason that we don’t find them on time, but everything about these men sets my blood on fire. I’m not exactly a nun, but no man has ever evoked such strong feelings in me before, and I’m not too scared to admit that it’s kind of frightening.