by Karen Lynch
Half a minute later, I frowned when no one exited the van. What were they waiting for?
Movement drew my eyes to the rearview mirror where I saw a second identical van approaching. My heart began to race when the van slowed as if to pull in behind me, and my mind screamed a single word.
Run!
Chapter 7
I had my seat belt off and was over the console into the passenger seat before I had made the conscious decision to move. Throwing the door open, I jumped from the Jeep and took off down the sidewalk without looking back. Male shouts and the sound of running feet behind me told me all I needed to know.
I reached the end of the block and tore around the corner of the last building. Another street stretched before me with more of the same brick buildings and not a person in sight. Where were the paparazzi who dogged me day and night? I spent my days trying to avoid them, and now when I could have used them, there wasn’t a single one around.
I sped around another corner and came up short at the sight of two men running toward me. They were too far away to make out their features, but their build and clothing screamed “hired guns,” and they were headed straight for me.
I looked around frantically, but there was no avenue of escape. If I crossed the street, the men coming at me from both directions would cut me off. I was trapped.
My desperate gaze fell on a metal fire escape across the street, and I looked up at the building beside me. There was a similar fire escape directly above me, but the bottom landing was a good twelve feet off the ground. The sliding ladder that hung down was still at least four feet out of reach unless you were a pro basketball star.
Or a faerie.
Feet pounded the pavement behind me too close for comfort. I shoved my phone into my pocket and bent my knees. Don’t fail me now, I begged my body. My Fae strength and speed kicked in at random times, and this was the first time I prayed for it.
I leaped straight up into the air and nearly sobbed when my fingers closed around cold metal. Instead of sliding down as I’d expected it to, the ladder stayed in place with me dangling from it. I looked toward the running men. The glint of metal in the hands of one had me grappling for the ladder rung with my other hand.
I didn’t know if it was adrenaline or a burst of Fae strength, but I pulled myself up to grab the second rung. I reached for the third one. Almost there.
I jerked at a sharp sting in my left thigh, but I didn’t stop to look down. I grasped the next ladder rung and dragged my upper body onto the metal grate of the fire escape.
“Are you sure she’s a faerie?” One of the men asked as I swung my legs up onto the landing.
My left leg dragged a little, and I found out why when I noticed the dart protruding from my thigh. I yanked it out and saw a bead of gray liquid at the tip. Iron, probably mixed with a sedative like the one used on Conlan. If not for my goddess stone, I’d be out cold.
“Lift me up,” a man barked.
I looked down and found four men below me. Two of them bent and grabbed a third by the legs, preparing to help him reach the ladder. Davian’s backup plan, no doubt. He didn’t like to take no for an answer.
Leaning out, I threw the dart at the men. It struck one of the lifters at the corner of his eye, making him yell in pain and let go of his friend. The two of them landed on the sidewalk, and the other two rushed to help them up.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” I yelled down at them, and I was met with angry glares.
I stood and tested my leg. It was a tiny bit numb where the dart had struck me, but I could climb with it, and that was all that mattered. Ignoring the men’s shouts, I ran up the stairs. The building was six stories high, and I didn’t stop until I reached the top. Metal clanged below, and my stomach plummeted to the ground when one of the men pulled himself onto the bottom landing.
I tilted my head back to look at the roof. The fire escape didn’t go that far, and there was nothing for me to grab onto if I managed to jump and reach it. The roof of the next building was lower, but I couldn’t jump to it from here. That left me with only one option.
“I should have stayed in bed,” I mumbled as I climbed over the rail and stepped onto the eight-inch ledge that lined up with the adjoining building. I immediately flattened my back against the bricks and kept one hand on the rail, refusing to look down.
Sucking in a breath, I let go of the rail and shuffled carefully along the ledge. Shouts came from the men on the ground, but I ignored them and the man racing up the fire escape. I was barely three feet from the landing when he reached it and lunged for me. His fingers brushed my coat, but I took another step before he could latch on.
I turned my head to meet his furious eyes. He didn’t speak, but the determination on his hard face told me he wouldn’t give up that easily. I wondered why he didn’t reach for the gun that was visible in a side holster beneath his coat until I remembered that Davian wanted me alive.
Noise below alerted me to the fact that a second man was being lifted onto the ladder. Time to get the hell out of here.
I inched toward the end of the ledge until I was able to reach out and grab the edge of the roof next door. I turned quickly and grasped it in both hands, throwing myself onto the roof. I didn’t take a moment to catch my breath before I was on my feet and running.
I jumped to the connecting building and had to climb onto a utility box to reach the slightly higher roof after that one. I pulled myself over the top and glanced back the way I’d come in time to see the man who’d grabbed for me pull himself onto the first roof.
I took off. Most of the remaining buildings on the block were the same height, which made running easier. It also meant my pursuers would have less trouble chasing me.
Some roofs had metal access doors, but every door I tried was locked. I tried kicking a few, but they wouldn’t budge. Thinking I could jump down to the fire escape, I went to the edge of one building, only to see two of the men on the street following my progress.
My phone rang. It was most likely Lukas returning my call, but there was no time to answer it. There wasn’t much he could do for me. Even if I knew what street I was on, he couldn’t portal to me in time. I was on my own for this one.
I was two buildings away from the end of the block when I skidded to a stop at the sight of two men climbing onto the last roof. I spun the other way and saw the first two men four buildings away and gaining on me.
I ran to the back of my roof and faced the rear of another row of buildings. Below was a green area with some trees and benches and not much else. I stared at the opposite buildings and judged the distance to be at least thirty feet – impossible to jump even with a running start.
Think, Jesse.
I looked around. The building I’d just crossed jutted out in a stunted T-shape, closing the gap by half. A Court faerie could make that jump so I should be able to…maybe.
Blood pounded in my ears as I hopped over the ledge to the next roof, very aware of the men closing in on both sides. There was no time to second-guess or give myself more than a dozen feet to take off from. I sprinted toward the rear of the building, passing so close to two of the men that I heard their grunting breaths and felt the shift in the air when they grabbed for me. Their curses fell behind me as I reached the edge of the roof and leaped.
The world seemed to slow, and in that time, I pictured myself falling, crashing into the ground below. Would my pursuers leave my broken body there for someone to find or take me away to be another object in Davian Wood’s Fae collection? My family would never know what had happened to me. I’d never see them or Violet or Lukas again.
My feet made contact with the ledge, and I windmilled for several terrifying seconds before I pitched forward onto my hands and knees. It wasn’t one of my more graceful moves, but I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I couldn’t believe I’d done it.
Standing on slightly rubbery legs, I turned toward the other building where the four men stared at me in surprise and fru
stration. We all knew the only reason I’d made that jump was because I was Fae, and none of them was stupid enough to attempt it.
One of them spoke into a radio. I swore softly. It wouldn’t take long for their accomplices on the street to run around the block to this side. Hell, for all I knew, there could be a dozen more of them down there.
A little giddy from my escape, I couldn’t resist giving them a cheeky wave before I ran to the other side of my building. Ten feet below me was the top landing of the fire escape, and I wasted no time lowering myself down to it.
I started down the stairs at a run. I reached the third floor of the building and was about to keep going when music drifted from a window that was cracked open a few inches. I didn’t hesitate and knocked on the window.
Seconds later, a teenage girl, who looked no older than fifteen, appeared on the other side of the window. She stared at me with trepidation that quickly changed to shock.
“OMGEEE!” she squealed, opening the window all the way. “You’re Jesse James!”
I nodded. “Can I come in?”
“Are you kidding?” She stepped aside, dancing on the spot as I climbed into her apartment. “What are you doing here? My friends will never believe this! Can I get a picture with you?”
I straightened and closed the window before I faced her. “I need to make a quick call to a friend for a ride, and then we can take a picture.”
Her squeal pierced my newly sensitive eardrums. I winced and pulled out my phone, glad I hadn’t lost it with all the running and jumping. I had a missed call and a voice mail from Lukas. I hit dial without listening to his message.
He picked up on the first ring. “Why didn’t you answer my call? Are you okay?”
“I’ll explain later,” I said, aware of the girl listening to my every word. “Can you come pick me up?”
“Did you break down?”
“Not exactly. More like the Jeep is boxed in by a friend’s vans, and I had to leave it.” I couldn’t think of any other way of saying I needed help without coming right out and speaking the words.
“A friend’s vans? What friend?”
“Our friend Davian. You know what a joker he is.”
Lukas said something in Fae that I was glad I didn’t understand. His next words came out as a growl. “Where?”
“One sec.” I asked the girl for her address and relayed it to him.
“Stay in the apartment. We’re on the way.”
I hung up and smiled at the girl, who had her own phone out and pointed at me. I tugged the phone from her hands.
“No posts until after I go.” I gave her a conspiratorial look. “Can’t have the paparazzi finding me.”
Her eyes went impossibly round. “Are you hiding from them? Are they outside?” She went to the window I’d entered through and started to open it.
I stopped her before she could lean out and give my location away. “How about those pictures? What’s your name?”
“It’s Avery.” She squealed again. I used to tease Violet for doing that, but she had nothing on this girl. We took some photos with her phone, and she asked me a bunch of questions I evaded by asking about her instead.
Less than five minutes after my call to Lukas, I got a text from him. We’re here. It was followed by a sharp rap on the door. I checked the peephole and opened the door to admit Lukas, Faolin, and Faris. Normally, it was Faolin who wore the stony expression, but today, Lukas looked downright scary.
I’d told Avery Lukas was coming, and she knew who he was from our interview. But the sight of all three of them was too much for her. She let out a small squeak and swayed on her feet. She would have fallen if I hadn’t been close enough to catch her.
“Is she ill?” Faris asked.
I smirked at him. “You guys just have that effect on us girls.”
Faolin gave a surly shake of his head and stepped back into the hall. “I will wait out here.”
I snapped my fingers in front of Avery’s face, and she blinked before she turned bright pink and stammered, “I…uh…hi.”
I introduced her to Lukas and Faris, and Lukas gave her a smile that nearly sent her into a full swoon. He thanked her for helping me out and graciously submitted to several photos with her and me, which were taken by a grinning Faris.
“Thank you, Jesse, for making my whole year!” she said when we opened the door to leave. “My friends will go insane when I post these pics.”
I gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for helping me out.”
The door had barely closed behind us when Lukas said, “What happened?”
I quickly told them about the call from Davian Woods and running from the men. As soon as I finished, Lukas exchanged a look with Faris and Faolin, and the brothers headed for the stairwell.
“Where are they going?” I asked.
“To look for the men and get your Jeep.” Lukas raised his hands to create a portal. The set of his mouth told me he was keeping his anger in check, so I decided not to speak again until we got home. Only we didn’t go to my apartment.
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked as he tossed his phone on the kitchen island at his place. “And how were we able to bring our phones through the portal? I didn’t think you could bring stuff like that to Faerie.”
“I shielded them with my magic.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Tell me exactly what Davian said to you.”
The conversation was still fresh in my mind, so I was able to recall it word for word. When I was done, he made me give him a play-by-play of what had happen from the moment the men showed up to when he had arrived at Avery’s apartment. Back in Avery’s building, I hadn’t mentioned the dart the men had shot me with, and I could practically see the thundercloud forming above Lukas when I brought it up now.
“They shot you?” he ground out.
I raised my hands to placate him. “It didn’t work, and I got away.”
Lukas gripped the edge of the island. “You could have died. Your strength is still too unpredictable, and you could have missed that jump.”
I went over and laid a hand on his arm, which was so tense it felt like granite. “I didn’t, and thinking about what-ifs doesn’t help.”
He placed one of his warm hands over mine, and the heat spread through me. I was almost overwhelmed by the need to be held by him. I missed the closeness and intimacy we’d shared during the times we’d kissed. I wished he would kiss me and tell me he wanted me as much as I did him.
“This changes everything.” He let out a harsh breath. “I thought Davian Woods was no longer a threat, but I underestimated him. That won’t happen again.”
“We all thought that. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“That’s not enough.” He straightened to fix me with a determined stare. “You’re staying here.”
I took a step back. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” He crossed his arms. “I allowed you to stay at your apartment after the story broke because of your mother’s health, but Davian is too dangerous for you to continue living there.”
“You allowed me?” I sputtered. “News flash, Lukas. You don’t have any say in where I live or what I do.”
“Actually, he does,” Faolin said, causing me to jump. I turned to see him stepping out of a portal.
I sputtered. “Since when?”
“Since you became Fae. You’re Unseelie, and Lukas is your crown prince. He can command you to do whatever he wishes.”
I waited for him to smirk or say something to tell me he was pulling my leg. He didn’t.
“You’re joking, right?”
Faolin shook his head.
“What?” I whirled on Lukas. “No one told me this! I’m not going to spend the rest of my life being ordered around like I have no mind of my own. And if you think I’m going to bow down to you because you’re going to be king someday, you have another thing coming.”
“Females don’t bow. They curtsy,” Faolin said, and there was no
mistaking the humor in his voice. Jerk.
Lukas came around the island and sat on one of the bar stools facing me. Most of the anger had left his eyes, but his tone was still firm. “No one is going to order you around, but there will be times when I’ll make decisions you won’t agree with. I refuse to take risks with your safety.”
“But the ward –”
“The ward only protects you while you are inside your building,” he reminded me. “Do you plan to stay at home for however long it takes us or the authorities to locate Davian? And what of your parents? Do you think Davian won’t try to use them to get to you?”
Fear lanced through me. Since Davian’s call, I hadn’t had time to consider that he might go after Mom and Dad, but it was exactly what he would do.
I fumbled for my phone. “I need to call and warn them. Those men could be headed there now.”
“Faolin?” Lukas said evenly. How was he so calm when my family could be in danger?
“Iian and Kerr are already there,” Faolin replied, walking into the kitchen. “I called them after you left. No sign of trouble, but we travel faster than the humans.”
I relaxed my tense muscles, but not by much. “They didn’t tell my parents what happened to me, did they?”
Faolin opened the refrigerator. “No. Kerr told them it was a routine check-in to see if they needed anything.”
I looked at Lukas. “I need to be the one to tell them.”
He nodded. “I’ll take you home to pack some clothes and whatever else you want to bring with you. You can fill them in while we’re there.”
“But –”
“You staying here is not up for debate.” Standing, he walked into the living room and created the portal. He looked back at me. “Are you coming?”
I went to stand beside him. “We are not done discussing this.”
“I expected nothing less,” he replied wryly. Then he took my arm, and we stepped through the portal.