Forbidden War (The Intern Diaries Book 3)

by D. C. Gomez

  It was a blessing that by the time I got back to Reapers the loft was empty. I grabbed a glass of milk and headed to my room. I admired Katrina for not drinking milk. That girl had a huge amount of willpower. I would probably die if I went vegan. With Bartholomew having a gluten intolerance and me not eating meat, our meals consisted of everything covered in cheese. Veganism would make my life style very difficult.

  I woke up before five and I felt incredible. My body rhythm was still off from all the jumping around, but after seven full hours of sleep in my own bed, I felt like I could conquer the world. I got dressed and went out for a short run. I missed the feel of the wind in my face. Plus, I just loved fall in Texas. You could still wear shorts and not freeze to death when you stopped running.

  I made it back to Reapers before six feeling pretty good about myself. I walked into the main floor and found Katrina beating up the punching-bags like they were terrorists. I was afraid to ask what crime the poor bag had committed. To avoid her wrath, I strolled towards her, making as much noise as possible. I wanted to make sure Katrina heard me coming and I wasn’t sneaking up on her. Last thing I needed was Wonder Woman unleashing her powers on me. I was afraid Katrina would shoot first and ask questions later.

  “Is it dead yet?” I asked her as I approached.

  “Almost,” she replied without looking.

  Katrina gave the poor thing a round house that was impressive. I made a mental note never to get in a kickboxing match with her. She was lethal.

  “Now it’s dead.” She snickered.

  “How high can you kick?” I asked her, keeping my distance.

  “About this high,” Katrina said as she demonstrated. It was not fair. She could deliver a perfect kick to face level without struggling.

  “You are dangerous,” I told her.

  “Not enough if my boss thinks I need a squad of Rangers for back-up.” She started punching the bag again.

  “Are you sure that’s it?” I asked her before I walked around her and took a seat on the weight bench.

  “What else could it be?” Katrina asked without looking at me.

  “Did you tell War that Noah was in Haven and that I’m in charge of it?” I asked her casually.

  “Yeah, I gave him the details in my daily report…” Katrina trailed off and met my eyes. “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “You know as well as I do that the Horsemen have a very weird relationship, almost competitive.” I started telling her. “Isn’t it convenient that War wants to send more of his troops here once he finds out his top General has permission to enter their only restricted area? Think about it, Katrina. How would it look if War is the one to stop this mess in Death’s territory? That’s bragging rights forever. He won’t let her forget the Dark Ages.” I stretched my shoulder as I spoke. Being next to Katrina was making me feel lazy.

  “That is twisted but so like him.” Katrina took a deep breath and came over to me, then she took a seat on the ground and faced me. “Am I over reacting?” Katrina asked me.

  “Yes, and I understand,” I told her. “I’m sure he is still upset with you, but he is not going to send you to hell. He would have done that already. He is trying to maximize this situation. Trust me, Pestilence does it all the time with Eugene.”

  “We are just their pawns,” Katrina told me.

  “It’s not personal, just the job description of an Intern. Why do you think we get paid so well?” I replied, and we both laughed.

  Our celebration was cut short when Eric came rushing through the pedestrian doors. He was so focused he didn’t even see us as he ran up the stairs. I gave Katrina a quick look.

  “That’s not a good sign. Let’s go,” I told her, and we both ran after Eric.

  By the time we reached the loft, Eric was pacing back and forth. I was surprised to find the boys up already. Granted, they all still wore their pajamas, but at least they were awake.

  “Eric, slow down and repeat everything you just said,” Constantine told Eric as we walked in. Constantine stood on the kitchen table watching Eric. “Some of us don’t ‘habla crazy.’”

  From what I could tell, Constantine was the only one that looked fully awake and he was still couldn’t follow Eric. Not a good sign.

  Bob and Bartholomew were in the kitchen. As we went in, he handed Katrina a large mug of coffee, then he gave Bartholomew and me cups of hot chocolate. I did a double take to make sure Bartholomew was actually wearing a Onesie. Yes, he was, and he was rocking that thing. It even had the footie-sock-thing.

  When I looked back, Eric was taking some quick breaths, probably to calm down. He turned in our direction and his mouth dropped when he saw Katrina. After spending the last few days with her, I was used to boys drooling over her. Katrina was awesome. She gave poor Eric her best Farrah Fawcett wave and the poor boy almost swooned.

  “Eric, today. Focus boy,” Constantine yelled at him.

  I grinned. For some reason, I loved watching Constantine yell at others. Probably because he was always yelling at me and it was nice to have a break.

  “I’m sorry,” Eric said, his eyes still on Katrina.

  “Hi, I’m Katrina. I’m War’s Intern and I’m old enough to be your mother.” Katrina knew how to crush a man’s dream.

  Bartholomew and I worked hard not to laugh.

  “Really?” Eric asked, confused.

  Katrina just nodded and smiled. I had no idea which part he was asking confirmation for.

  “Now that we settled that, get to the point Eric,” Constantine growled.

  “Sorry,” Eric said as he ran his hands through his hair. “We got problems. A group of vampires checked in to the hotel at the convention center last night. They have taken the entire top floor.” Eric had his hands on his hips when he finished. He was doing his Peter Pan pose.

  “Which convention center?” Bob asked.

  “The one on the Arkansas side,” Eric replied.

  “How many convention centers do you have?” Katrina asked us.

  “Two. One on the Texas side and one of the Arkansas side,” Bartholomew added. “Don’t ask why. We are still confused about that.” Katrina smiled at Bartholomew when he finished. He really did look adorable in his onesie.

  “That’s the other problem,” Eric continued.

  “We have more problems?” I asked him. Eric sure knew how to ruin a morning.

  “An elf delegation checked in to the other hotel at the other convention center.” Eric started pacing the room again.

  “That took them a while,” Constantine told us. “I was expecting them yesterday.”

  “Why yesterday?” Katrina asked before I could.

  “We figured out both groups were tracking the jet,” Bartholomew told us. “As soon as you made it to hell, Constantine told the pilots to head home. So, the only logical location for them to pick up your trail again was here,” Bartholomew finished with a grin.

  “Why wouldn’t they follow the plane?” Katrina asked.

  “Our pilots and the jet are stationed at Miami,” Constantine added. “Most influential people in the supernatural community know that information. As soon as the plane headed back to Florida, they probably stopped tracking it.” Constantine took his favorite Sphinx pose.

  “Do you think this means they know we are here?” I asked Constantine.

  “It is hard to tell,” he answered. “If they just got here, they are probably getting their spies in place to search their area.” By his tone, I could tell Constantine was not happy.

  “It sounds like we should save them the trouble,” I told the group. “It’s time to remind our guests this is Haven and they better behave.” I gave Constantine a wicked grin.

  “It’s about time we go on the offense. Just try not to turn every vampire into dust,” Constantine told me. “It doesn’t foster good will if you kill them all.”

  Constantine made a great point. Which meant I needed to do something to control my third eye.

  “O
kay what am I missing here?” Eric asked, looking lost.

  “Isis is only able to see the vampires’ true forms,” Katrina told him. “From what I gathered, it’s horrible and she goes straight into fight mode. Last one that got near her she cut to pieces and he evaporated into a cloud of ash.”

  Did she need to give him that much detail?

  “Ouch. Vicious,” Eric told me.

  “You have no idea how hideous and evil they look,” I said, trying to defend myself.

  “True,” Constantine added. “The younger they are, the more monster-like they are. The older ones almost look human, though, so be careful,” he said the last part almost like a threat.

  “Random question number fifty-five,” Katrina said, raising her hand. At least she knew how to get the attention of a group. “Aren’t people going to notice all these weird strangers in town?” Katrina asked us.

  That was a good point, and one I hadn’t even thought about.

  “I doubt it,” Eric replied. All eyes went to him as we waited for him to continue. “Thanks to Constantine’s Halloween parade, the city is packed with all sorts of weird, freaky people. They will fit right in.” Eric narrowed his eyes at Constantine.

  “No need to give me that look,” Constantine said, as sweet as pie. “The new coven in town wanted to make a Halloween celebration and asked about the parade. Now that we have close ties to the Order, I figured it would be a great peace offering,” Constantine finished.

  “Is that the only reason?” I asked Constantine, not believing this noble gesture of his.

  “And they have a giant float of him,” Bartholomew added under his breath.

  “Now I believe that part,” I told him.

  “How could I punish them for having great taste?” he asked. “You should see the float. It’s almost identical to me. I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, unless I look in the mirror, that is.” He started purring like a mad cat.

  “Well, that’s my cue to leave,” I told the boys. “Katrina, would you like to join me in welcoming our new guests to Haven?” I figured Katrina had enough anger inside that she could hurt anyone.

  “It would be my pleasure,” Katrina replied with an evil smile.

  I was glad she was on my side.

  “Eric, please keep us posted if you find anything else on Noah,” I told him.

  “I will,” Eric told me. “Isis, be careful. These are powerful beings.” Eric frowned.

  I just smiled back at him. No sense in him worrying. I was worried enough for the both of us already.

  “Now that we settled that, we’ll run and take a shower before making our house call,” I told the boys.

  Katrina and I headed towards the bedrooms. I stopped in the middle of the hallway, feeling like an idiot.

  “Katrina, I’m so sorry. I should have offered earlier. I have a closet full of clothes you can pick from,” I told her, trying not to sound creepy.

  “Thanks Isis, but it’s all good,” Katrina told me as she headed towards Constantine’s room. “Bartholomew contacted my team when we went to hell. They mailed him my clothes and other gear. He thinks of everything,” Katrina said, more than impressed.

  “He is good like that,” I told her. “Okay. See you in a few.” I entered my room and got ready for the day.

  Katrina and I took Ladybug to the convention center on the Texas-side. The Hilton Garden Inn Hotel was attached to the convention center and from what I’d heard, the chef in the restaurant was world class. I wondered why the vampires didn’t pick this one instead.

  When we went inside, Katrina used her gorgeous looks to get the whereabouts of the elves from the front desk boy. I felt bad for him. He didn’t have a chance at resisting her. It was almost painful to watch.

  According to Katrina’s new fan, a group of elves was hanging out by the pool outside. We made our way towards the pool, admiring the décor of the place. It was a lovely place as far as hotels went. By the time we reached the pool, we found Iason chilling beside the water, sitting with an elder version of himself.

  “They take their sunbathing seriously,” I joked with Katrina.

  “Tell me about it,” Katrina replied. “Looking at them makes me want to go on a diet,” she added.

  She had a point. The pool was surrounded by beautiful people. Counting Iason, the other guy in the chair next to him, and the bodyguards, there were at least seven elves in the pool area and they all looked amazing. I also noticed we had more trees around this part of town. That reminded me, I needed to check the area around Reapers for our trees. I was hoping they were back as well.

  “By the way. I have been meaning to ask, where are their pointed ears?” I whispered.

  “You will only see it with your third eye, but I don’t recommend it,” Katrina replied in a low tone. “Their true forms can be as overwhelming as the vampires, but not for the same reason.”

  I made a mental note not to look at them with my third eye. I wasn’t ready for more overwhelming visions.

  “What a surprise to find you all here in town,” I told the group in my loudest voice as we walked up to them. The five elves standing around all tensed up. It made me curious to see what kind of weapons they were carrying under those fancy jackets.

  “We are enjoying the Texas climate,” Iason said with a smile. At least he wasn’t in full glamour mode. “We were told it’s fabulous this time of year. What do you think, Father?” Iason asked the man sitting next to him.

  I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. The elven king was gorgeous, and way younger than I imagined. I was expecting some old, crippled guy who could barely move. This king looked like he had just stepped off of a runway and graced us with his presence. No wonder humans fell prey to these beings. They play with our emotions. Who could resist them?

  “Not bad at all for almost November,” the king replied with a sexy voice that made you think of Elvis Presley. That was too weird and definitely not fair. “How could we help you ladies?” he asked us.

  “Oh, we don’t need anything, sir. We were in the neighborhood and decided to come over and personally welcome you to Haven,” I said in my sweetest voice. “We weren’t expecting you,” I added, just in case they missed the sarcasm in my voice. I didn’t want them to think I was glad to see them.

  “You hadn’t checked in, so we decided to visit,” the king said in a condescending tone.

  “I wasn’t aware I was supposed to check in,” I told him, putting my hands on my hips. I could play sassy with the best of people. “Did you get that message Katrina?” I asked her in my calmest voice.

  “Not at all,” Katrina replied, not bothering to look at the elves. “I was under the impression we had three days. Last time I checked, we still have the rest of today.” The last part Katrina directed at the elves.

  “We are talking about the safety of my daughter. I will not leave that in the hands of children,” the elf king told us. I felt like he was staring down at us. How was that possible when he was sitting down?

  “That’s funny. Last time we spoke you didn’t think your daughter was in any danger,” I told the king. He could play concerned dad with someone else.

  “The safety of my daughter was the reason we started all this,” the king said to me. “I recommend you find her quickly. If the vampires get their claws in her, we will destroy everything in our path to get her back.” His eyes were wide and crazy, and he rolled his hands into fists.

  “Let me remind you, sir, that you are now in Haven and not in your own territory,” I told the king, putting as much strength into my words as I could muster. “I recommend you follow the rules of Haven and stay on your best behavior. I will do everything in my power to protect the citizens of this city. Don’t force my hand or I will make you an example of what Death’s wrath is like.” I had no clue if I could carry that threat out, so I was hoping they wouldn’t try me.

  “Young lady, those are some bold words,” the king told me. “Are you p
lanning to enforce the same rules with everyone?” He angled his head up towards me and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Trust me. Your buddies down the road will be getting the same speech shortly.” I was pretty sure he knew the vampires were in town.

  “As long as the rules apply to all, it will be our honor to follow them,” the king said, bowing his head. “Now, I recommend you hurry and find my daughter.” He turned his face to take in the sun again.

  Iason gave us a little wave and winked at me. He almost looked proud of me. Elves were strange beings. I gave Katrina a look and we left the pool area. Based on the king’s behavior, we had been dismissed.

  Katrina and I headed back towards Ladybug, neither of us saying a word. I wasn’t sure how many people were reporting back to the king and I didn’t want to take any chances. We made it back to Ladybug in time to see Shorty pulling up next to us.

  “Boss-lady, big Bob said I would find you here.” He jumped out of the truck.

  “Why didn’t you just call me?” I asked him.

  “And miss seeing your lovely face this morning? Never,” he replied, but he wasn’t really talking to me. No, he stared hard at Katrina.

  I shook my head. “Well Shorty, here I am,” I told him, waving a hand in front of his face to get his attention. “What do you need?”

  “Right.” He shook himself and turned my way. “We found our guy,” I wondered when poor Noah became public enemy number one to the underground.

  “Are you sure? Where?” I asked Shorty. We never found people this quickly. I was amazed. I gave Katrina a surprised look.

  “We added extra people around the downtown area, now that the gates of hell have relocated there,” Shorty told us like it was a natural thing to have an elevator to hell in his neighborhood. “A couple of the ladies saw a guy that matches his description entering the lofts downtown.” He beamed, tucking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans.

  “Which lofts, Shorty? Downtown is exploding with those things now.” I wondered if lofts were the new rental term. Nobody called the housing downtown an apartment anymore. They were lofts, plain and simple.

  “The City Hall ones,” he replied. “We can’t guarantee if he is still there, but he went in last night.”