Tattered Thorns: A Wild Hunt Adventure
Date: 2022-06-07 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Urban Fantasy; Fae; Paranormal; Romance; Fantasy
Description: I'm Lyrical, and I was born to the Leannan Sidhe. But then, the King of the Kelpies kidnapped me (yeah, I know, a lot of "K's), and all hell broke loose. My mother begged Morgana, goddess of the Sea and the Fae, to save me. But my parents decided that I'm used goods, so I'm a princess without a kingdom. I now work for the newly revamped Wild Hunt Agency--a PI firm, and boy are my colleagues quirky. For one thing, it's run by a wild demi-god named Yutani, who is as chaotic as his father, the Great Coyote. I find him too attractive, and a little dangerous. And now, life suddenly becomes a roller
Publisher: Nightqueen Enterprises LLC
Rights: Copyright 2023 Yasmine Galenorn. All rights reserved.

SHATTERED SPELLS

A Night Queen Novel, Book 2

YASMINE GALENORN

A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

Published by Yasmine Galenorn

PO Box 2037, Kirkland WA 98083-2037

SHATTERED SPELLS

A Night Queen Novel

Copyright © 2023 by Yasmine Galenorn

First Electronic Printing: 2023 Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

First Print Edition: 2023 Nightqueen Enterprises

Cover Art & Design: Ravven

Art Copyright: Yasmine Galenorn

Editor: Elizabeth Flynn

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any format, be it print or electronic or audio, without permission. Please prevent piracy by purchasing only authorized versions of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, or places is entirely coincidental and not to be construed as representative or an endorsement of any living/ existing group, person, place, or business.

A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

Published in the United States of America

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Welcome to Shattered Spells

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Cast of Characters

Playlist

Biography

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Welcome to the world of Lyrical, the Night Queen, Leannan Sidhe princess turned Wild Hunt agent.

Thanks to my usual crew: Samwise, my husband, Andria and Jennifer—without their help, I’d be swamped. To the women who have helped me find my way in indie, you’re all great, and thank you to everyone. To my wonderful cover artist, Ravven, for the beautiful work she’s done.

Also, my love to my furbles, who keep me happy. My most reverent devotion to Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, Rauni, and Brighid, my spiritual guardians and guides. My love and reverence to Herne, and Cernunnos, and to the Fae, who still rule the wild places of this world. And a nod to the Wild Hunt, which runs deep in my magick, as well as in my fiction.

You can find me through my website at Galenorn.com and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep updated on all my latest releases! You can find my advice on writing, discussions about the books, and general ramblings on my YouTube channel. If you liked this book, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review—it helps more than you can think.

Brightest Blessings,

~The Painted Panther~

~Yasmine Galenorn~

WELCOME TO SHATTERED SPELLS

In the aftermath of the dragons’ retreat from our world, the only ones left behind are the ones who hate the humans, and those who love them. So, things are still tense with the Dragonni who have stayed in our realm.

But right now, I have far worse worries than this. Kilnakarn, the Kelpie King who abducted me and kept me as one of his enslaved concubines for two years, has tracked me down. He and his cronies are out to exact revenge, furious that the goddess Morgana saved me. Yutani, Talia, Wendy, and Wager are doing everything they can to help keep me safe, but sooner or later I'm going to have to face my worst nightmare, and either destroy him, or be destroyed.

Reading Order for the Night Queen Series:

- Book 1: Tattered Thorns
- Book 2: Shattered Spells
- Book 3: Fractured Flowers (forthcoming)

CHAPTER ONE

I slapped the report down on Yutani’s desk. “Here it is, signed, sealed, and delivered. Chambo won’t be cozying up to any more lonely, gullible women. Apparently Saílle values her status in the community more than she values the freedom of one perv. He’s preyed on his last mark.”

Yutani stared at the file. “How long’s the sentence?”

“I don’t know, but the way Saílle’s rep was talking, I doubt if he’ll be out in time to see the turn of the next century.” I dropped into the chair next to his desk and stretched my legs out, crossing them at the ankles. I had on a new pair of stiletto ankle boots—purple leather, studded with silver spikes. “I find it interesting that he knew we were onto him and yet, he didn’t run.”

Yutani pulled his long brown hair out of his ponytail and shook it loose, letting the silky mane fall down his back. Darkly charismatic, he was the son of the Great Coyote, and it showed more and more as the weeks went on.

“Maybe he has more of a conscience than he wanted to admit and sabotaged himself in order to get caught. Either that or he was too cocky. Arrogance creates overconfidence, and that leads to mistakes. I’m betting on the latter because of how many women he worked his way through.” He glanced at me. “Another case down.”

“And the first one in the new office!” I said, unaccountably happy now that we had moved into the new building. Yutani’s office was spacious, with plenty of natural light. As were all of our offices. Herne hadn’t stinted when it came to making our new digs comfortable. “Okay, are we done for the day?”

Yutani shrugged. “I suppose we can knock off early. What have you got planned for tonight?”

“Girls’ night with Raven.” I jumped up. “We’re going to hang out at the Burlesque A Go-Go and bother Vixen.” Ever since I’d met Raven, she and I had hit it off. I’d never had a best friend before, not even during the years before Kilnakarn captured me, but Raven…she and I clicked.

“So that’s why Kipa asked if I wanted to come over to their house and watch a movie.”

Yutani stood and stretched. I eyed him hungrily. He was muscled, yet lean—lanky in the way all coyote shifters were. But he smoldered. Beneath that smoking-hot body and face, his personality was equally intense. Yutani was more than most people could handle, but I gravitated toward him like the proverbial moth to the flame.

Over the past two months since I’d first joined the Wild Hunt Agency, we’d become more than roommates. We quickly became friends, and he had offered to feed me when my chi was low. He could handle the drain, given he was a demigod. It had taken all we had to keep that arrangement from sliding into a romantic one. Both of us were aware that we would probably self-combust if we went in that direction. But it was getting harder to ignore the attraction between us.

“Yeah. He won’t admit it, but Raven’s got that man by the balls. And he loves it.” I grinned, arching my back. “All right, I’ll be in late.”

“When you move out, I’m going to miss you, you know.” Yutani frowned. “I know you need to find a house of your own, but…”

“I know,” I said. “I’ll miss you, too. But we’re too much alike, and you know it. We’d be at each other’s throats eventually. There’s not much room here, for one thing. And…” I decided to finally name the elephant in the room. “You need a woman who can kneel, and I need a partner who wants me to stand tall.” I grinned. “I’m down for kink but…”

“But you were forced to grovel. It wasn’t a choice. I get it. I do, but I’m still going to miss you.” He smiled, a certain hesitation behind it. “No worries. I can still feed you chi whenever you need.”

I walked around the desk and, after glancing at the door to make sure it was closed, I leaned in, drawing my nose along his chest. “You smell damned good, though. I am a little hungry…”

“Top off for the evening?” He pulled me close and fastened his lips on mine.

Flames burning from my head to my pussy, I began to devour his energy, drawing it deep within my lungs. Gasping, buoyed by the sudden rush of life force, I swallowed it as it spread through my body. Wanting to continue but not wanting to be greedy, I forced myself to break away.

“Thank you. I mean it—your chi intoxicates me.” I could sense his own hunger, and that urge—his desire to ravish and plunder—set me on edge. But Yutani kept it in check. And until he found a new partner, I decided to help him by easing his need. I dropped to my knees and unzipped his pants, bringing out his cock. He was hard, pulsing with desire, as I took him in my mouth. I sucked hard, tightening my lips around him as I formed a firm suction. His cock pulsed in my mouth and he moaned as he braced his hands on my shoulders.

I wrapped my hand around his trunk, clenching tightly as I relentlessly worked him. I knew exactly how to bring a man to pleasure, and since we were in a hurry, I drove forward at a nonstop pace. Within moments, he stiffened, coming hard. I swallowed, as yet another rush of chi washed through me.

Empowered, I rocked back on my heels, feeling even stronger. He handed me a tissue and I wiped my mouth as he wiped himself off with another. Then he zipped as I stood.

“That was…” He stopped, holding me with his words and his gaze.

“Yeah, it was,” I said. I swung my purse over my shoulder and, with yet another wink, headed toward the door. “See you later, my dude.”

“Lyrical?”

I stopped, glancing over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Have a good time.” His eyes twinkled.

“Oh, I plan to, don’t worry about that.” And with that, I headed out for the night.

* * *

So, I’m Lyrical, and I’m one of the Leannan Sidhe—basically a faerie vampire. Unlike vampires who only drink blood, or succubi who only feed on chi, I feed on both. I prefer chi—drinking blood gives me the creeps. But either will suit when I need to satisfy my hunger. And like succubi, I also feed off the sexual energy of others.

I’m a princess without a kingdom, cast out by my family after a Kelpie prince captured me and kept me as his sex slave for two years.

I learned all too much about humiliation during that time. I did what I needed to in order to survive. And that was a problem for my parents. My great-great-grandmother is the Queen of the Limerick Leannan Sidhe, and my grandmother and mother are in line for the throne, as am I. My great-grandmother’s dead. We’re part of the Light Fae. But since my captor Kilnakarn is one of the Dark Fae, my family would rather I had died than lived to escape. From the moment Morgana, a goddess of Fae, saved me, I became pariah—outcast.

Morgana took me home, where my mother turned her back on me. So the goddess brought me here to Seattle and—after a rocky few weeks—she set me up at the Wild Hunt and introduced me to her daughter-in-law, Ember, yet another goddess of the Fae. I’m now nominally pledged to Ember, but it’s not formal yet.

So, I’m a princess without a kingdom, but at least here I can be my funky-assed self, and Yutani, son of the Great Coyote, feeds my hunger, allowing me to avoid preying on others.

Oh, the desire for the hunt is always there, but now I limit it to sex instead of draining others. I manage just fine most of the time, but deep in my heart, I know that one day I’ll have to face the torture Kilnakarn put me through.

I looked as forward to that as much as I would toward bathing in a river full of piranha. I’m plagued with nightmares, and some things—like Jason Momoa’s role as Aquaman—trigger me to the point of paralysis, but hey, we all have issues. It’s part of life. And I’ll deal with my memories when I can face them. Until then, I do my job and focus on my freedom. Because you never know what it’s like to lose it until it’s gone.

* * *

I was going to stop at home to change into my clubbing clothes before heading to Raven’s. It still was so surreal. Four months ago I had been chained, naked, to Kilnakarn’s bed in Ireland, wishing I was dead. Now, I was free. I lived near Seattle and owned a car and I had an exciting job that was on the dangerous side. I actually had friends who supported me. Given everything I’d come through, I gave thanks every morning I woke up.

I tossed my jacket in the passenger seat, then adjusted the mirror and eased out of the parking garage below the building, heading for the I-520 bridge. Seattle was getting back to normal after the dragons had bombed the hell out of it. Everywhere, signs of the damage remained, but a new renaissance was emerging from the rubble. New buildings were going up right and left, funded with the gold seized from several dragon lairs, and a tangible feeling of relief ran through the city.

I’d heard rumors that the vampires were returning to the catacombs—the underground part of Seattle they inhabited. When the dragons had been in control, they had gone into hiding, given the possibility that shadow dragons could exert control over them. It wasn’t a far-fetched fear. Shadow dragons could control the dead.

And the dragons? Now stripped of their immortality, they were no longer lording it over humans and Otherkin. In fact, the ones who had been friendly to us had retreated to leave us in peace. Those who had intended on using mortals as a private cattle ranch were still a threat, but if they were still around, they had gone undercover, given they could be shot on sight if spotted in the bigger cities.

I swung onto the bridge, grateful that work had let out early. It meant that I didn’t have to fight traffic. Luckily, the bridge had escaped damage when the dragons had risen to battle each other. At almost a mile and a half long, it was the longest, widest floating pontoon bridge in the world. It was relatively new, built less than a decade before to replace the older one that had been a disaster waiting to happen.

The waves on Lake Washington churned in the wind. I held the steering wheel steady as they crashed up and over the bridge, sending spray across the cars heading over to the Eastside. While Gaia had stripped the dragons of their immortality, she had also thrown a fit about the state of the planet and had tweaked the weather, trying to bring the warming of the Earth to a screeching halt. No one was sure what the changes would bring, but storms had already grown stronger and more frequent everywhere.

I swung a left after turning off the bridge, heading onto I-405 heading north to Kirkland. Raven lived near there, in the UnderLake district. One of the most haunted areas in the region, it was filled with ghosts of the past, but it also happened to be where Yutani lived and, by default, me.

When I got home, I stopped at the aquarium in which Dodo lived—Yutani’s iguana. She was a pretty thing. I tapped on the glass to say hello, then headed for my room. It wasn’t my décor at all, but he had outfitted it for his aunt Celia who came to visit a couple times a year, and since I was planning on getting my own place, I didn’t want to change it out to match my tastes. It was colorful, in shades of pink and dusty rose, and not at all what I’d pick.

I stripped off my jeans and tossed them in the hamper, then my tank top. For clubbing, my preferred costume was a pair of leather pants. I slid into them, zipping them up. Next came a pair of black platform boots.

“Boots first, then corset,” I said out loud, laughing. The opposite presented difficulties.

After my boots were on, I chose one of my leather corsets—a snug overbust black affair with steel blue skulls on it and matching lace around the bodice. The back was already laced. Since it zipped in front, I could slip right into it. The acrylic bones made it good for dancing, and with four rows of scalloped chains on each side and plenty of grommets, it made me feel both tough and sexy.

My makeup was still good, but I decided to emphasize the eyeliner and add a deep blackberry lip lacquer. I shook my hair out of the ponytail I’d started wearing to work. The long strands were a deep brown with a red tint, but I’d had sections lightened and streaked with a deep magenta. My hair fell down to mid-back, wild and wavy.

I fastened a silver belt around my waist—over the corset—and then pulled on lace elbow-length fingerless gloves. Finally, making sure my tarot-card necklace that Ember had given me was firmly around my neck, I added massive hoop earrings, and a four-fingered ring that made it look like I was wearing jeweled brass knuckles.

“I think I’m ready,” I said, standing back. “Yeah, I’m good.”

I looked hot and I knew it. The Leannan Sidhe were known for glamour and charisma, and I reveled in that power. Like any other trait—intelligence, kindness, strength—it could be used or abused. Whether it was used for good or ill was up to the owner.

Ready, I stopped in the kitchen to slap together a roast beef sandwich. I was hungry and though the club offered food, it usually took at least an hour to get your order, given how popular the Burlesque A Go-Go was.

Thus fortifying myself, I grabbed my keys and dashed back out to my car. As I backed out of the driveway, I flipped on my MP3 player and brought up my Let’s-Go playlist, and headed down the road to the throbbing strains of the Kills.

* * *

Raven was waiting for me. As I pulled into her driveway, she came dashing out to the car. I blinked. Instead of the emo-looking goth Lolita look that was her usual, Raven was wearing a platinum blond wig, a tight pink sequined dress that hugged every voluptuous curve she had, and a pair of spiked sandals.

“So, do blondes really have more fun?” I asked, laughing as she climbed into the passenger seat. “What’s with the dye job?” Raven had dark black hair with purple streaks—her natural color—and she usually wore emo Lolita skirts and corsets, along with platform boots.

“Oh shuddup,” she said, laughing. Raven was one of the Ante-Fae, a bone witch, and she was even more impetuous than I was. Together we made a dangerous pair.

“It’s a bad wig. I can’t be seen in Vixen’s club,” she explained. “The queen of the Ante-Fae has declared me persona non grata and Vixen was put on notice that I’d better not show up at their club. Even now, after returning from Wildemoone with Trinity and Apollo, Vixen still has to be cautious. Luckily, they love me as much as I love them. So when I go to the Burlesque A Go-Go, I wear a disguise.”

“Granted, you don’t look anything like yourself, but does that fool anybody who might be checking up on you?”

She shrugged, noncommittally.

I swung to the southeast, heading onto I-405 till we hit the turnoff to the club. As we eased into the parking lot, looking for an open spot among the dozens of cars that were already there, I noticed one car in particular. It looked like one of the old-fashioned sparkling blue Cadillacs with fins and torpedo-shaped tail lights. Even though I knew it was a replica, I still caught my breath every time I saw it. The ride was gorgeous.

“Rake’s here!” I clapped my hands.

“You two have been seeing a lot of each other,” Raven said.

“Yeah, but we’re not exclusive. For one thing, it would be hard for me to focus on one person. My hunger’s too deep and I’d break hearts if anybody got too attached to me,” I said. “And Rake’s not the domestic type. In my culture, in my kingdom—what was my kingdom—the men work to make the lives of the women better. Rake’s not a beta type.”

“And you want a beta type?” Raven asked.

I shook my head as I stepped out of the car. “No. But I don’t think I’d work well with an alpha, either. I think, after spending two years locked away, I want to breathe for a while. I don’t like being tied to one person. It makes you vulnerable.”

“Yeah, it does,” she said, following me toward the door. “I was terrified when I realized I was falling for Kipa. But…I couldn’t help myself. He’s gorgeous, and he’s a bad boy gone…kind of good. He had quite a reputation until he and I got together. In fact, he and Herne were almost at each other’s throats.”

“Oh?” That intrigued me. We stopped by the bouncer, who recognized both of us and motioned for us to go on in.

As unimposing as the club was on the outside, the inside of Burlesque A Go-Go was lush and opulent. The walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling velvet red curtains, and the dance floor was big enough for at least fifty to sixty dancers, with a raised stage in the center. The lighting shimmered like a modernized disco ball, in shades of purple, red, and gold. Tables lined the edge of the dance floor, with a massive bar at the entrance end of the bar, and behind the bar was the entrance to the kitchen.

A hostess led us to one of the tables near the bar, where Vixen was sitting. Vixen was a gender-fluid snake shifter who could literally change gender depending on their mood. They were a dangerous enemy to have, and an equally helpful friend. Raven and Vixen were tight, even though the decree banning Raven from most of the Ante-Fae establishments was still in effect. We settled down at Vixen’s table, the music practically vibrating through the floor.

I winked at Vixen. “How goes it?”

“It goes, it goes. So, how goes it for my friend Lyrical and her little Lolita friend?” Vixen winked at Raven.

“As you said, it goes,” I said, leaning back in the chair. “We wrapped up a case today, and that’s a good thing.”

“You’re in the new building, right?” Raven asked. She didn’t chance mentioning Kipa’s name here, since he was associated with her.

I studied the drink menu. “Yeah, we are. It’s nice. I gather the old building didn’t have a parking garage of its own, and was four stories high with other businesses sharing the space. This one’s two stories and all ours, and has a parking garage built beneath it. Talia said it’s super helpful, given no more running through the rain to get to and from work.”

“Didn’t the original building include an urgent care clinic?” Vixen motioned for the waitress. “What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll try a Reptilian Firestarter,” I said.

“I’ll take a Skeleton Key,” Raven said.

When we’d placed our order, along with an order for a big plate of fries, I turned back to Vixen. “Yeah, there was an urgent care clinic, but after the dragons destroyed the building, they moved elsewhere. There was also a daycare, I think…and something else but I don’t know what. They all moved to other buildings. Now the building belongs to the Wild Hunt, and it’s twice as much space as they had before. Everybody has an office, we have an armory, and a couple conference rooms.” I stopped, looking around. “So, is Rake here? I saw his car outside.”

Vixen grinned. “Not bad, took you ten minutes before asking about him. Yes, he’s here and he’ll be out soon. He’s in the back, moving around some boxes for the cook.” They were dressed ambiguously tonight, in a black satin pair of harem pants, with a colorful diamond-patterned patchwork silk bed jacket over the top. Vixen’s hair was sleeked back—they’d recently had it cut into a 1920s flapper-style cut, and around their neck they wore at least a dozen thin bead necklaces. All in all, Vixen was a flamboyant, eccentric figure.

Raven glanced at Vixen. “I still feel like a rat for coming here—”

“Oh, piddle. The queen has other things on her mind beyond what you’re up to. I haven’t seen one of her officers in here in months, and believe me, darling, I can smell them a mile away. I appreciate the disguise, but seriously, I think everybody’s over her old-school ways. The Exosan are numerous, and we aren’t going to put up with this bullshit much longer. Besides which, I’ve heard that she’s retreating to her home in a different dimension. I think she’s about ready to let it go.”

I blinked. Back home, that statement would have ended up with Vixen’s head on the chopping block, if they had been a member of our community. My great-great-grandmother was grim, and as hard as ice, and my grandmother and mother took after her.

As Vixen and Raven chatted, I looked around the club. There was something in the air tonight that made me uneasy. I couldn’t see anybody or anything that should have set off my alarms, but the fact was, they were ringing. I had learned the hard way to pay attention when they went off.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” I stood and began threading my way through the crowd, trying to follow the trail, but there were too many people to differentiate between emotions.

The Leannan Sidhe were good with precognition, and we were skilled at sensing emotions—most likely the result of being Water Fae, but too many people cluttered the energy here. Finally, still slightly unnerved, I gave up and went to the bathroom.

There, I stared hard in the mirror. The woman staring back made me smile. I was harder than before, capable of taking care of myself. I could put up a good fight, although I wasn’t an expert at any one discipline. But most of all, I had survived an ordeal that I thought, at first, was going to break me.

I locked myself in a stall and peed, then washed my hands, touched up my makeup, and—my spidey senses still tingling—I headed back to the dance floor.

CHAPTER TWO

By the time I returned to the table, Rake had arrived. He was gorgeous, in a hunky boy-toy surfer-dude wrestler sort of way. Medium height—around five-ten—he had hair that fell smoothly to the middle of his back. It was a gorgeous lavender color, and it was all natural. One of the Ante-Fae, he was muscled and trim, with silver eyes ringed with black. He saw me and jumped up, holding out one arm. I walked into his embrace and he kissed me. His tongue ended in a sharp fork, and he could do amazing things with it. Just thinking about what his tongue could do sent me into hunger overload.

“Hey, gorgeous,” I said, kissing him a second time. “What’s the news?”

“Sadly, the news is that I’m not free tonight,” he said, dashing my hopes for a night of debauchery. He was one of the most skilled lovers I’d ever slept with.

“Well, aren’t you full of happy happy, joy joy.” I rolled my eyes, but laughed and patted the seat beside me.

“Ren and Stimpy? Isn’t that a little dated?” He settled in, motioning to the waitress. While Vixen’s table always got the best service, given they paid the waitstaff’s wages, Rake could summon waitresses anywhere he went. All he had to do was raise his hand and some horny chick would be hanging on his every word.

“Ranochek vodka, with ice.”

“Yes, sir.” The waitress took off before I could ask for a fresh drink.

“Well, I guess I’m chopped liver. And yes, I did use a Ren and Stimpy reference. I recently discovered Adult Swim and I’m binge-watching several shows on there.”

Vixen did a spit-take. “You watch that crap?”

“Yeah,” I said, giving them a long look. “Listen, I don’t know how long I can play this card, but after the hell I went through the past couple of years, surely you don’t expect me to watch the latest Victim-of-the-Week movie, ripped from the headlines, do you?”

Vixen sighed. “Oh, all right, I’ll give you a break on that. Unfortunately, that’s a strong card you have and it’s likely to hold for quite a while.” They motioned to the waitress. “Refills for me, Lyrical, and…Lolita, here.” Snorting at Raven, Vixen added, “And food. Fries, calamari…you want anything?” they asked us.

“I want a double-patty cheeseburger, with extra tomato. No mayo, no mustard, but plenty of ketchup.” I had developed an aversion to mayonnaise and mustard after eating some bad potato salad a few weeks before.

Raven ordered a turkey club sandwich. She did look a lot like an underaged teenager, but I attributed that to the blond wig and Muffy get-up.

We watched the show for awhile, until our food arrived. As the waitress handed us our orders, Raven said, “So, I talked to Väinämöinen and he’ll come over for visits every month to see how my magic’s coming along. I’ve learned a lot from him and I don’t want to slack off.”

“Is he still bent on roping you into the Force Majeure?” Vixen asked.

Raven twisted her lip, a little less enthusiastically than I expected.

The Force Majeure was made up of twenty-one incredibly powerful witches, wizards, and sorcerers. I wasn’t sure what the difference in magical systems was, but apparently, there were definitive borders that divided the factions. They were practically immortal, although they could die, and there were never more than twenty-one of them at any one time. If one should die or, for whatever reason, resign, the organization voted on who to bring in. I didn’t know who all of them were, but I was aware that the member roster included Väinämöinen, the greatest Finnish sorcerer to ever live—who was Raven’s teacher; Taliesin—the first Celtic bard; Rasputin; the Merlin, and I didn’t know who else.

I was about to ask Raven how marrying Kipa would change matters when a headache, swift and sudden, pierced my thoughts. My first thought was that another gollywypper had come out of the woodwork. I’d fought one shortly after joining the Wild Hunt and it had been frightening how quickly they could drain energy and life force.

“Are you all right?” Rake asked, taking my hand.

“I don’t know. A headache just hit me, so strong it felt targeted.” I looked around. “I wonder if anybody’s here focusing magic on me.”

Rake stood. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to have a go-around the dance floor and see who’s out there.” Before I could stop him, he took off.

While he was gone, the waitress brought our food and drinks.

“Do you want to leave?” Raven asked.

I picked up my burger and shook my head. “Probably some asshole incel who has the ability to project energy. That sort of mindset isn’t limited to humans, you know. We just took down a Dark Fae predator. He preyed on women for their money and everything else he could con out of them before they caught on. Saílle is making an example of him.”

“Speaking of,” Raven said. “Have you been subjected to meeting the Fae Queens yet?”

“No, but it won’t be long. Yutani told me that Herne wanted me to meet them sooner than later, especially since things are getting back to normal. He suspects they won’t be cozying up to each other now that the dragons are vulnerable.” The last thing I wanted to do was to meet Saílle and Névé. Névé knew of my great-great-grandmother, although Névé was on far greater footing. And whatever impression Névé formed about me would no doubt find its way back to my family’s ears.

“They’re cray-cray,” Raven said. “Fun to watch, but they make me glad I’m Ante-Fae. They don’t like to acknowledge that the Ante-Fae even exist. We’re stronger than they are, and we don’t take direction well. That we’re the predecessors of the Fae has never sat well with the queens—those here, or their more powerful colleagues back in Annwn.”

I squinted, half-listening. The pain in my head was starting to fade. It wasn’t long before Rake returned. “Did you find anything?”

He shook his head. “The usual rabble.”

“That’s not a polite term for the good people who keep me solvent,” Vixen said.

“But more often than not, it’s true,” Rake countered. “Okay, I’ve got work to do. I wish I could stay and play,” he said, lifting my chin with one finger, “but I promised to help Vixen’s staff rearrange the freezer and pantry contents.” He kissed me, his serpent’s tongue reminding me why I was ready to jump his bones. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he whispered, smoothing my hair back out of my face.

“Do that,” I whispered back, my hunger flaring. Unfortunately, in full-blood Leannan Sidhe, our hunger for chi was tied to our sexuality, and when we got hungry, we got horny. And sometimes, vice versa. I grumbled as he left.

“You need to get your freak on, girl?” Vixen asked.

“Yeah. I’m hungry, in multiple ways. I’ll have to see if Yutani’s willing for me to feed off of him tonight. I don’t know what I’d do without his help,” I added.

“You’d go hunting. That’s what your kind do,” Vixen said. “You’re a predator and you prey on others. It’s not a bad thing, as long as you don’t abuse them in the act.”

“You make me sound like…well, you’re right. I am like a vampire. Only I prefer energy to blood.” I rubbed my head. “Okay, this is ridiculous. My head’s pounding. I wonder if I developed an allergy to perfume or smoke or something.”

Vixen had a back room for those who liked to smoke weed or other more exotic substances, but sometimes the smoke would leak out into the main dance area.

I turned to Raven. “Do you mind if we leave? I’m sorry to shut down the evening, but my inner sensors are screaming bloody murder.”

“Oh honey, the show’s about to start. Are you sure you want to leave?” Vixen leaned across the table. “Did the food help at all?”

I tried to assess how I felt. “It helped my stomach, but not my head. Raven, can you catch a ride home with someone if you want to stay?”

“Yeah, but I’ll go with you. I don’t like to think of you driving alone.” She picked up her purse. “You have everything?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Vixen. I had a lovely time and it was good to see you again.” I started weaving my way through the crowd, toward the door, with Raven following. The headache grew steadily worse, and I was beginning to think I was going to have to ask Raven to drive. But once we made it out into the open air, I took a deep breath and the fog began to lift.

“Damn it, this is what happened with that damned gollywypper. I know there might have been more, but I thought we were done with them.” I rubbed my temples.

“Those creatures really do a number of you, don’t they?”

“They do, but only when they latch on. To be honest, I’ve been very conscientious about keeping myself warded and clearing out my chakras. I’m surprised that it could wiggle its crummy little antennae in—well, its psychic antennae.”

“Maybe it’s something else. Maybe you just need more sleep?” Raven looped her arm through mine as we headed for the car. “What does it feel like?”

I wrapped my arm around her waist. “Well, it started out like…an alarm. And now it’s clanging in my head. I guess it’s not like the gollywypper in that sense. It’s like a fire alarm is ringing in my head and won’t stop. With the gollywypper, it was brain fog as he burrowed his way in.”

“And you have no idea what the alarm’s about? Have you had any dreams lately that seemed too real?”

I thought about it. “The only dream I had that felt real on that level was a good one. I dreamed that I found an otter and it wanted to stay with me and be my pet.” I waited for her to laugh, but she didn’t.

“That sounds lovely. Otters are cool. Have you ever wanted a pet?” She took my keys from me and beeped the locks. “Get in, I’ll drive you home. Kipa can pick me up.”

We got in the car and, after fastening the seat belt, I closed my eyes for a moment. “Thank you. I don’t think I could focus to drive through this infernal noise.”

“I thought so.” She inserted the key in the ignition and then paused, pulling her wig off to let her own locks flow down. She had brunette hair with faint streaks of purple scattered through them. Like Rake, her color was natural. “Let’s go.”

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I looked over my shoulder, out the back window. I still felt like I had a target on my back. At first, I saw nothing, but then another car left the lot and began to follow us. Though it was a ways back, I knew that whoever was in there was on our tail for a reason—it wasn’t coincidence.

“Car following us,” I said.

Raven pressed her lips together. She swerved into the left lane and made an abrupt, illegal left turn onto the side street. Just as abruptly, she made another turn—this time right. I took a deep breath. The woman drove like a bat out of hell. As if to mimic my thoughts, Raven pushed on the gas and we jolted forward. I made certain my seat belt was fastened and then started to glance over my shoulder again.

“Don’t bother. They’re still with us. Who the fuck is it? Do you recognize the car at all?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I don’t pay attention to the make of cars. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Camaro and a Camry.”

“You should start. And don’t ever pick up a hitchhiker. I made that mistake once, and I’ll never make it again,” she said. “I have the scars to show for it.”

I peeked in my side mirror. They were still behind us. Whoever it was, was driving a souped-up sportscar. And by the way they were taking the turns, as sharply as we were, they were on our tail, all right.

“We can’t lead them back to Yutani’s house. Or to yours,” I said.

“Well, do you want to try and take them on? I’ve got plenty of fire magic—I haven’t had the chance to use it for a couple months now.” She pointed up ahead. “There’s an empty lot up there next to Markin’s Thrift Store. We can park there. Why don’t you send Yutani a text and ask him to come out here. Tell him to bring Kipa.”

I was tired of the headache and I had the feeling whoever was in that car was behind it.

“All right. Let’s go.” I unbuckled my seat belt and turned around, climbing between the seats to get into the back seat as she raced down the road. Once there, I flipped forward the seat next to me. Beneath it was an opening into the trunk. I retrieved the bag I kept there and pulled out a long dagger. I fastened the sheath to the belt around my waist.

“You want a dagger?” I asked. “I’ve got a spare.”

“Yeah, I left Venom at home. Hold tight.”

As she swung the car into the empty lot, I fastened a boot knife to my boot, then found a dagger for Raven. I tossed it to her as she brought the car to a stop, and she caught it with her right hand.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Ready,” she said as we hustled out of the car and took our places behind it. No use getting shot up, if they had guns.

As the other car eased in, stopping some ten yards away, I strained my eyes trying to see who it was. My heart sank when I saw two tall, lean men step out of it. I recognized them all too well. They were coyote shifters who ran a krystaleth lab, making hardcore drugs and pushing them on children. I had “borrowed” some of their money in early March and they had chased me down. Yutani and the rest of the Wild Hunt crew saved me, spurred on by Morgana, and the rest was history.

“Listen, these guys are trouble. Big trouble. Let’s get back in the car and make a run for it, or we—” I had barely spoken when Raven held out her hands and began murmuring an incantation. Oh crap, she had decided we were going to take a stand. It was too late to talk her into running away, so I readied my dagger. My powers as a Leannan Sidhe required close contact, and I was pretty sure these guys weren’t going to let me drape my arms around their neck and drain them dry.

The next moment, a wall of flame sprang up, encircling both the car and us. Raven let out a happy sigh and unsheathed the dagger that I’d given her.

“Holy fuck, that’s…”

“A curtain of flame. My work with Väinämöinen’s been going well. That’s no ordinary flame, either. It’s going to hurt like a mofo if they try to come through it. You might want to call for backup now. I see another car entering the lot and I don’t recognize it.” She pointed to where a low rider was pulling in.

“Crap, you’re right.” I punched the number for Yutani’s cell and waited. He came on the line almost immediately.

“Hey—”

“Get your ass over here to the lot next to Markin’s Thrift Store. Those coyote shifters found me and we’re in a standoff.” I wasn’t sure how long that Raven’s curtain of flame would last, but I wasn’t betting on it holding much longer.

“Fuck. Kipa and I’ll be there as soon as we can. Do what you can to stay alive.”

I shoved my phone back in my pocket. “Yutani and Kipa are on their way.”

“Thank gods for that,” Raven said, shaking her head. “I don’t know how long my flame will hold out. It looks like your shifters summoned their gang buddies.”

The other car stopped and four more shifters piled out of it. They were in it to win it.

“What about getting back in the car and peeling out the minute the flames go down? Will they hurt the car if we drive through them?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried to drive through them before. I suppose there’s a first time for everything but for all I know, they might make the gas tank explode.” Raven frowned. “I’m not sure I’m willing to chance it.”

“Good point. Magical flames can be tricky. All right, then get ready to fight. They’re fast, and they’re dexterous. Don’t let your guard down. They fight dirty and they fight to win.”

“I’ve fought some of the worst.” Raven’s eyes sparkled.

The Ante-Fae could be scary as fuck, and Raven—the Daughter of Bones—was a good example. She had first contacted the Wild Hunt when her fiancé had vanished, and she was there when they found the serial killer who had killed him. She hadn’t hesitated to take him out, in a most disconcerting way, from what I’d heard. Apparently, explosions were involved.

“Okay, so we’re doing this. I’m glad I didn’t drink much.” My headache was echoing now, but since I didn’t have a choice, I did my best to push it out of the way and focus.

The other coyote shifters spread out around the flames, three of them moving over to our exposed side, waiting outside the ring of fire. In the light of the flames, they looked mean, and they looked hungry.

“You might as well take the flames down, doll,” one of them called out. “We can wait you out, so why don’t we get right to it?”

My stomach lurched. I thought about telling them we had backup on the way, but that wouldn’t frighten them. These guys played hard and fast, and they liked to rumble.

“How much longer will your spell last?” I whispered to Raven.

“It’s going to die out soon. I can’t cast another like it for a while, since that’s a powerful spell and it took a lot of my magical reserves.” She shifted, leaning down to strip off her sandals. “I knew I should have worn my boots.”

“Stay behind me, if you want. I know physical melee isn’t your thing.”

“No, but I can give them a fight.” She froze as the flames began to sputter. “Okay, this is it. Stay alive till the guys get here. Six against two isn’t the best of odds.”

And then, as swiftly as it had appeared, the flames fell and we were left in the dark. The only light came from the headlights of their cars and the diffused light from the streetlights. As soon as the flames vanished, the shifters moved in, three in front of us, and three on the other side of our car.

A noise startled me. One of them had taken a running leap and was on the roof of my car, crouching, staring down at us with a blade in his hand.

“Well, hello, pretties,” he said, and I knew right then he was the leader of the group. He wasn’t one I remembered—he had to have come in the second car.

“Get in the car, Raven. Go through the passenger side. I’ll hold them off.” I didn’t want her hurt on account of me.

But she laughed. “I don’t think so. Come on, boys, let’s see what you’ve got for us.”

One of the shifters closest to Raven made a lunge toward her as the leader leapt off the car and landed in front of me. I dodged him and thrust with my blade. The dagger was razor sharp and I managed to clip his jacket, slashing it with a long gash. I couldn’t tell if I’d hit flesh beneath the material, because I didn’t have time to look.

As I passed by him, I spun, trying to see how Raven was. I couldn’t see her blade anywhere but as the coyote shifter loomed over her, she brought it up from the folds of her skirt and plunged it into his lower abdomen. He shrieked as she yanked the blade out and darted out from beneath him. As he stumbled forward, I turned to face my own attacker.

He was chasing me as I tried to lead him away from the car. Mid-sprint, I turned again and pulled out my boot knife, sending it whistling through the air toward him. He froze as the blade hit center on his chest, lodging in his heart. He looked down, a look of bewilderment still clouding his face, as he toppled forward. I’d managed to land the blade directly in his heart.

Two down, but there was no time to rest. The other four were closing in, and they were being more cautious now that they knew we would fight back.

I darted over to Raven. “Back to back. That way we can keep them in sight.”

She shook her head. “We won’t be able to keep all four of them off us using just daggers. I’m trying to assess what energy I have left and what spell I can manage. Maybe we do need to make for the car. I can blind them temporarily.”

“Then do it. We need to—” I stopped as a car pulled in to the lot. “Reinforcements are here. I just hope they’re ours.”

CHAPTER THREE

Behind me, Raven tensed. We waited as three figures stepped out of the car. Relieved, I saw Yutani, Kipa, and Wager. They headed toward us at a dead run.

One of the shifters took that moment to lunge at me, probably banking on me being distracted, but I brought my foot up, kicking him square in the balls. As he yelped, leaning over, I brought my dagger down on his back, stabbing him between his shoulder blades. Raven thrust her palms forward toward the other three and a brilliant light—a lot like a camera flash—blinded them. They stopped in confusion as the guys descended.

Yutani went into a front flip over the head of one of them, and landed directly in front of him. He punched him in the gut and then body-slammed the shifter to the ground. Wager, wielding a stun gun, caught another shifter on the shoulder, sending the coyote to the ground. Four wolves appeared, flanking Kipa. Members of his elite guard, the wolves surrounded the last shifter, who raised his hands, fear filling his eyes.

“Don’t kill me, fucking hell…” The shifter went down on his knees, arms toward the sky. Kipa’s wolves snarled at him. Wager brought out handcuffs, enough for the three who were still alive. Yutani and Kipa cuffed them, shoving them roughly to one side.

As the wolves surrounded them, the guys walked over to us.

“Are you okay?” Kipa asked Raven.

She nodded. “Yeah, I think we’re just… We didn’t expect to be fighting tonight.”

“Who are they?” Kipa asked. “Do you know?”

“Enemies after Lyrical. She put a crimp in their krystaleth production a while back and made off with some of their proceeds,” Yutani said dryly. “She’s managed to get herself on their shit list.” He frowned. “I didn’t realize they were actively out to get you, though. We’ll need to interrogate them and figure out how to put a stop to their organization.” He paused, staring at us. “You two look dressed to kill. How was the club?”

“Good,” I said. “But I think the coyote shifters were there. I felt watched all evening and ended up with a horrible headache. I suppose they were there, waiting for us to leave, and I sensed them.”

“Well, there are three fewer of them to worry about after tonight. Let me call Akron.” Yutani pulled out his phone.

Akron was a raven shifter who ran a clean-up crew for precisely times like these, when the Wild Hunt threw it down and needed someone other than the regular medical examiner. Though, given the coyote shifters were a problem for the cops as well, we should probably inform them.

“How many are in this gang of fucknuts?” Wager asked. Half–Dark Fae, half magic-born, Wager had been a private investigator who worked down in the catacombs until the vampires had ventured into the depths and shut down underground Seattle for non-vampires. Now he worked for the Wild Hunt. I wondered, when the vampires reopened the catacombs, would he stick around or go back.

“I don’t know,” I said. “They had a pretty sophisticated operation, and they trolled the flophouses for their victims.”

In Seattle, the poverty level was grueling, and it was far worse since the dragons had arrived. There were a lot of houses in the grittier parts of the city that were used as flophouses. Slumlords would rent beds for cheap, by the day or night. The addicted would rent one out to sleep off a crash from coming down, or sleep off a hangover. Runaways rented them to have a place to stay for the night, and so did the sex workers who didn’t have a stable to return to. They weren’t safe, but then again, sleeping outside under the overpasses wasn’t safe either.

“They also hang out at playgrounds, hoping to hook the kids, especially those they can encourage to run away from home. My guess is that this band of coyote shifters also have their fingers into the sex slave industry.” Yutani’s eyes narrowed.

There had been a point in his life where he had been homeless, close to being an alcoholic. Herne had saved his ass. Yutani had a real thorn in his side about how the city ignored the problems of the mentally ill and those who needed a helping hand to clean up and find a job. Seattle was a gorgeous city on the surface, but the underbelly had a lot of problems that—so far—didn’t seem to matter to the powers that be.

I walked over to the men, patting the heads of the wolves. They leaned into my fingers, and I knelt, hugging one of them. “Thank you,” I said. Then, I turned to the thugs, cautiously out of their reach. They might be handcuffed, but I didn’t trust them.

“So, who sent you after me tonight? I recognize the dead leatherneck back there—one of your leaders—from our sordid history. But why the fuck are you bothering with me?”

One of the men snorted. “Why should we talk to you, bitch?”

I waited for a moment, but they clammed up and wouldn’t look at me. Finally, I motioned for Yutani to come over. “I want answers. Can you separate that one and hold him down?”

He dragged the coyote shifter out of the group and the wolves closed around the other two. I knelt beside the man on the ground and reached out, stroking his face with my fingers.

“You really, really want to talk to me, don’t you?”

I could feel his heart begin to race, pulsing under my fingers.

“You like me, don’t you?” I held his gaze with mine, my hunger rising. It had been on edge after Rake, anyway, and now I stoked it. “Come on, you want me, don’t you?” I kept my voice low, sultry, and the hunger hit full force as I let my glamour loose.

He shifted, his insolence turning to fear. “Don’t…I know what you can do…” His breath came heavy as he struggled against Yutani’s grasp.

I straddled his lap as Yutani braced his back. “Don’t resist—I can make the experience ecstatic, or I can make it hurt like hell. It’s your choice.”

Yutani stiffened. I couldn’t tell if he was wary or aroused.

The coyote shifter closed his eyes. “What do you want to know?”

“Why were you after me? Was it because I stole from you and killed one of your buddies a few months ago?” I pressed my lips to his, inhaling a touch of his chi. I struggled to control my hunger to feed. Not yet, not yet…wait for his answer.

“No,” he said, shivering. He was hard, his cock pressing against the material of his pants, fear and lust coursing through his veins.

“Then why were you after me? Tell me, and I’ll give you a reward.” I ground against him a little with my crotch. He moaned. I wanted to feed on him, I wanted to draw every breath out of his body, to drain him dry and watch him wither away.

“Someone paid us to catch you. We were told not to kill you. We were supposed to capture you and take you to him.” The words rolled out of his mouth as if they were being ripped from his core. Secrets always took the most effort—but he would give them up for me.

“Who? Who paid you?” I reached around and yanked his hair, pulling his head back as I forced him to look me in the eyes.

“I don’t know—honest. I don’t know who paid us or why. I was following orders.”

Barely able to restrain myself, I glanced up at Yutani. He shook his head and shrugged. I turned my attention back to our prisoner. “How many kids have you personally abused?”

He let out a strangled cry as I stroked his face again. He was going to come any minute. “I don’t know—I lost count!”

And with that, I let my hunger off the chain. I slammed him to the ground as Yutani jumped out of the way, latching my lips onto his, drawing his chi deep into my lungs, making it hurt as much as I could, ripping the life force out of him rather than gently coaxing it. I refused to allow him to scream, keeping my lips fastened on his. As the chi filled my lungs, I continued to drain him dry. He immediately lost his erection, struggling but unable to move. I had ensnared him with my glamour—a web of pain wrapping around him. I tightened it, squeezing every drop of chi out of every corner of his body and soul.

Heady with energy, I broke free, laughing as I watched him convulse below me. He was still alive, though he wouldn’t be much longer if I had my way.

“How do you like it? How do you like being abused by someone stronger than you? Knowing you’re somebody’s toy? You like it, boy? Answer me!”

Yutani touched me on the shoulder, and I jerked around, staring up at him. He silently held out his hand and, my chest heaving, I took it, allowing him to pull me off the coyote shifter. I staggered back, staring at the man on the ground.

“He’s a blot on society. He should be out of the gene pool!” I began to shake. “I want… I want…”

“Breathe. Take a deep breath. He’ll go to Cernunnos’s dungeon. He’ll never see the light of day again, and he’ll wish to hell you finished him off,” Yutani said, pulling me into his arms. I pressed my arms against his chest, holding onto his shoulders as I tried to control myself.

I did as he said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. I was so agitated that I couldn’t even cry. And in the depths of my mind, all I could see was the floor as I knelt on it, my face pressed against the marble as Kilnakarn rained blows on my back with his belt.

“Come back,” Yutani whispered. “Come back. You’re free, you’re here with us.”

I swallowed hard, reining myself in. As I sniffled, Raven came over and Yutani gently transferred me to her arms. She was soft and warm, and she brushed my hair back from my face.

“Come on. Let’s sit in the car till Akron gets here.” She led me over to the car, gently helping me into the front seat. She closed the door once I was in, then walked around to take the driver’s seat. After a few minutes of silence, during which I managed to collect myself, Raven turned to me.

“I get your anger. I’ve been there. After what Pandora did to me, I was out of control. Rafé, a dear friend, went through the same thing…well, similar. He and I both went to counseling and it helped. I can call Sejun and request an appointment for you. I know you may not want to hear this, but before you accidentally hurt one of your friends, you need to talk to him.”

I stared at the dashboard. “I thought I could walk away from this. I thought I could put it behind me…”

“That’s what I thought. But it’s not true. You can’t bottle something up and not expect it to explode.” She gently reached out and I took her hand, holding tightly.

“I don’t know if I want to put it behind me. I can’t forgive him—and I can’t forgive anybody who pulls crap like he did!” Torn, I wanted peace but I couldn’t face letting him get away with his abuse and torture.

Raven snorted. “You think I forgive Pandora? You think Rafé forgave his torturers? Oh no, sweetie. No way. I still hate Pandora and I wish to hell she was mortal. That way, we could wipe her out. But it’s one thing to go up against your abusers and put a stop to what they do, and another to let them trigger you. Because the moment that trigger kicks in, you no longer have control. They’re still controlling your actions.”

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. I guess I understand your reasoning. It makes sense to me. Everybody always blathers on about forgiving your abusers, and I can’t deal with that. To me, forgiveness means you condone what they do—you ‘wipe the slate clean’ and give them carte blanche. Or that they are so repentant that they’ll spend the rest of their lives trying to atone for what they did.”

“Exactly. Forgiveness happens when the other person truly regrets what they did—at least in my opinion,” Raven said. “You can leave something behind, you can set it down and move on without the triggers hitting you. But the truth is, you’ll never be free of memories. That is one unfortunate truth. However, Sejun was able to help me let go of the triggers. He helped me regain my control and my power. I’m still scared that Pandora will show up to get revenge on me, but I don’t go into panic mode now.”

I paused, then asked, “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. But what did Pandora do to you?”

Raven paused, then brushed her hand across her eyes. “She captured me. She ripped off my fingernails with pliers, and pulled out some of my teeth. She kept me in iron chains, which burned my wrists and ankles, and…she seriously bruised me up. I was a mess when Ember and Herne rescued me. Actually, a dragon did the heavy lifting part in rescuing me. Ashera. I need to get in touch with her, find out if she stayed around. She’s a water dragon.”

Her words were flat, heavy with memory but not with pain. She had made it through her dark night.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry that happened.”

“Pandora’s bumfuck cray-cray. She aligned herself with the Luminous Warriors, and I’m not sure what the hell’s going on with her now. I didn’t know she was a goddess when I met her. She befriended me, and then…” Raven shrugged. “Nobody ever said life is easy.”

“No, but you’d think we’d get an instruction book when we’re born,” I said, a brief smile breaking through my thoughts. “All right. Can you put me in touch with Sejun? I guess it’s time to face the past and walk through the fire.”

Raven gave me a bright smile. “For me it was the darkness…but regardless of what form our personal demons take, it’s a journey. I’ll talk to him and get back to you.”

I worried my lip. Nothing would ever change the fact that I was a predator, but even I could see how deeply scarred I’d become, and how that might—at some time—backfire and land on my friends. And since my friends might as well be my family, that was the last thing I wanted to happen. It was time to face the shadows, whether or not I thought I was ready.

CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning, I was so full of chi from the coyote shifter that I woke up early, bounced out of bed, and hopped right in the shower. But the downside was that draining chi was so connected with my sexuality that I was also horny as hell. I’d thought about Yutani when we got home, but that was a can of worms we were cautious about. With his need to dominate, and my fears of being held captive, it always seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. And I couldn’t even use the excuse of being hungry for chi, because I’d practically drained the coyote shifter.

Akron had arrived, and while he cleaned up the corpses, Kipa and his elite guards had taken the surviving shifters over to Annwn, to dump them in Cernunnos’s dungeon where they’d live out the rest of their lives in the dark and the dank. The gods didn’t play when it came to punishment.

With no other option, I dug out my waterproof vibrator, sitting back on the shower seat as I held it tight against my clit, trying to keep my moans quiet as I squeezed my nipples with my other hand. I had no problem polishing myself off when necessary, though it was usually more fun with a willing partner. But I was on edge, and before I could even fire up a fantasy in my mind, my body outstripped me. I came, quick and hard, then I came again, and a third time. The waves of orgasm eased the cramps out of my abdomen.

Satisfied, though still craving touch, I washed up, then dried my hair and applied my makeup. I loved the ritual of getting ready for work. Back when I was home, before I’d ever heard of Kilnakarn, my days had been full but not fulfilling.

As I looked back at the life I had led, I realized that although I was a princess, I wasn’t cut out for royal life. I had passed my days with a tutor when younger, learning to govern in case the rule should someday fall to me. But mostly, I was left alone. I spent my days reading, walking the grounds of the courts, in silence rather than take part in the endless, boring gatherings where the talk mostly ran to choosing husbands and lovers.

Feeling satisfied and satiated, I slid into a pair of black jeans and then put on my boots. I chose one of my acrylic-boned corsets. This one had a print that was black with white swords and red roses, zipping up the front and then cinching it with a black sparkly belt. I pulled my hair back with a sparkling crimson headband. As I observed myself in the mirror, I realized that, even with all my baggage, I was happy.

“You ready?” Yutani called from the living room.

I slung my tote over my shoulder, then headed out, shutting the bedroom door behind me. “Ready,” I said.

“You look good,” he said, staring at me. Yutani was blunt, not very good at acknowledging the social niceties. But I didn’t mind that. At least I knew where I stood with him.

“Thanks. Hey, I’m taking my car today.” We rode together about half the time. “I thought…Raven’s going to set up a meeting for me with Sejun,” I blurted out. “After last night, I think I need to talk to someone.”

Yutani’s intense stare mellowed. “I think you’re making a wise decision. I was hoping you’d come around about talking to a therapist, and Sejun is one of the best. Elves make excellent therapists, regardless of the fact that they always seem to have a stick up their butt. Sejun helped both Raven and Rafé. You never met him—he died during a mission. It was…bad.”

“What was he like?” I asked as we headed for the door.

“Rafé was the brother of Raven’s late fiancé. He came to work for us. He was Dark Fae, but he was the black sheep of his family. Rafé was a good person. He ended up on the wrong end of the Tuathan Brotherhood—an underground domestic terrorist movement that was active then. He went in undercover for us, and they found out he wasn’t who he said he was.”

I shivered. “That must have been…”

“Yeah, it was. By the time we rescued him, he was broken and battered. He was on a downward spiral, until Herne got him in to see Sejun. It took time, but he managed to come back to us, only to be murdered shortly afterward. It wasn’t an easy death, either.” Yutani shook his head. “We all blame ourselves for that, including Raven.”

I was about to ask why, but then decided I didn’t want to stir up bad memories. They had obviously cared about Rafé, and equally obviously, they missed him.

“I’m sorry,” I said, heading for my car. “I’ll see you there!”

“Drive safe!” Yutani called back, sliding into his Subaru.

As I turned the ignition and eased out of the driveway, I thought about the Wild Hunt. Herne had created a family with the agency, not simply a group of employees. And I now belonged to that family. They felt responsibility for each other, and they mourned each loss, and rejoiced with each victory. That alone made me determined to keep my word and talk to Sejun. I didn’t want my issues to put another member of the Wild Hunt in danger, and I knew without a doubt that would happen if I didn’t face and overcome my demons.

* * *

The clouds were threatening rain. May was still considered part of the rainy season, which, for Seattle, ran from September through June. I actually loved the weather. The constant drizzle and the proximity to the ocean gave me strength. I loved watching the elementals play in the water, and sometimes I wished I’d been born a selkie so I could swim out in seal form and explore the depths of the lakes and ocean.

I swung off the 520 bridge as the freeway curved to the left, the 520 merging onto I-5. It was a harrowing merge, given the gridlock that was ever present at this time of day. Two lanes split into four, not including turn lanes. All were packed, and I felt like I was playing Russian roulette every time I sped up to make the transition. I’d hold my breath and whisper a prayer to Ember. Given she’d driven these streets like I had, I figured I stood a better chance with her than Morgana watching over me as I drove. Though I also felt ridiculous. The prayer couldn’t change anything. Ember couldn’t interfere, since she was home in Annwn, pregnant with triplets. Having met the gods made me so much more aware of their limitations, as well as the scope of their power.

But Morgana did rescue you, so the gods can save lives, came a little whisper from the back of my mind. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to get into an argument with myself.

As I took the exit for James Street, I noticed the construction bustling around the area. Downtown Seattle, right near where the Wild Hunt building was located, had been hit worst in the dragon fracas. But the rubble was being cleared away, new buildings were going up, old buildings that had been damaged but were salvageable were being repaired, and it seemed like a boom time in the city.

James merged into Yesler Way, and I hung a left onto First Avenue and slowed as I approached the Wild Hunt. I turned into the parking garage below the building. It was small, but could conveniently fit all our cars and clients’ vehicles as well. There was both a stairwell and an elevator going up, both of which were locked at night.

I grabbed my purse, then headed toward the stairs and jogged up to the main floor to push through the door. Bulletproof windows, floor to ceiling, lined the main entrance. Opening the door, I swung inside.

There, Talia sat at her desk, waiting to greet people. Yutani wanted to hire a real receptionist so that Talia could go back to being a full-time investigator. Herne had okayed the idea, but we had to wait till we found the right person, because we couldn’t recruit just anybody off the street. Even when we did find someone capable of doing the job, and capable of being loyal, they would have to agree to all the specifics, basically pledging their life to the Wild Hunt.

Talia waved at me. She looked like a fit and sturdy woman in her mid-sixties who had let her hair go silver, but in reality, she was a harpy. Her powers had been drained by a liche centuries ago, and Herne had saved her life. Morgana had given her the choice of assuming a glamour so that her appearance didn’t frighten others, since Talia was doomed to live among humans and Otherkin. Talia had chosen an unassuming appearance so she could pass easily, neither gorgeous nor butt-ugly.

“Morning,” she said, glancing up at me. “Meeting at nine. Herne’s here.”

I blinked. “I wonder what’s up.”

“I don’t know, but he looks fit to be tied. I think something’s gone down because he barely grumbled a good-morning to me, and he’s never rude.” She raised her eyebrows.

“Great, that’s just what we need, a grumpy god on our hands.” I snickered. “I’m headed to my office to drop off my purse and get my tablet—”

“Hurry. You don’t want to piss him off this morning.”

I took her cue and darted to my office, which was nice and spacious. When Herne had ordered the building rebuilt, he had spared no expense. From what I heard, the old building was cramped and everybody was squeezed onto one floor, but now we had the entire building, two floors, and it was all ours, which meant good-sized offices for everybody, a real armory that wasn’t in a supply closet, two full bathrooms complete with showers, a locker room so everybody could store extra clothes should a case leave us dirty and muddy, and Herne had even asked the contractor to build a small private gym with weights, machines, and a training area for martial arts. We still went outside to practice our bows and arrows because it wasn’t smart to do so in an enclosed room, but most everything else we could do in the gym.

I had a window overlooking the alley. It was in the same basic location that Ember’s office had been, but at least twice as large, and far more comfortable. I dropped my purse off at my desk, grabbed my tablet, and headed for the break room.

Herne was there, as were Wager and Wendy. Wendy was the brawn of our group, though she was also smart as a whip. She was an Amazon who had been exiled from Themiscyra, and she had originally gone to work at Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill. When the Waystation closed down for a while during the whole mess with the dragons, she had come to work for the newly re-formed Wild Hunt. She was striking. Six foot two, with rich black skin and silver hair that she kept in a mohawk, she was strong as an ox and as formidable as a bear.

I slid into a chair next to her. “Hey.”

“What’s shakin’?” she asked.

“Got into a rumble last night with the coyote shifters who I pissed off a few months back,” I said, feeling a little conspicuous. I snuck a peek at Herne, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. He was focused on a file folder, flipping through the pages as he shook his head.

Wager raised his eyebrows. “Well, I’m glad we could be there. I wasn’t surprised to see you and Raven took out a couple by the time we got there.”

I caught his gaze. He’d witnessed my little meltdown. “Yeah, I’m kind of surprised that any of them survived.”

He went back to reading the news on his tablet. Moments later Talia and Yutani entered the room, followed by Kipa. As soon as they sat down, Herne leaned forward, a cross look on his face. He was usually in good spirits, so I was surprised to see the irritation.

“Thank you all for being prompt,” he said. “We have an issue, and my mother asked me to bring it to you. We’re back to dealing with the bullshit between Saílle and Névé.”

Yutani groaned. “Lovely.”

“I know,” Herne said. “I was hoping that working together during the dragon scare might influence them for the better, but it’s so engrained that the animosity’s never going to end.”

“It’s inborn,” Talia said. “The Fae are born to fight. Both courts will forever seek dominance. Neither side understands balance, and while they logically know that they need each other to survive, logic loses when it comes to this deep of a grudge. The elements constantly battle, and so do the Fae.”

“Talia’s right,” I said. “I was brought up to loathe the Dark Fae.”

“Lovely,” Wager said.

“Please don’t take offense. You’re part Fae. You know about the war.”

“True enough,” he said with a grin.

“Obviously, I’ve learned to rise above that, but my years under Kilnakarn’s subjugation didn’t help matters any.” Out of curiosity, I asked, “How did Ember cope with being part Light and part Dark?”

“By walking away from both sides, until she came to work here. Then she had to face the fact that she belonged to both courts, even though neither court wanted her.” Herne frowned. “I know it’s inborn, but I wish that Saílle and Névé could put a lid on it. I suppose you can’t breed that natural animosity out of them, either.”

“What’s going on?” Yutani asked.

“My parents suspect that Névé has her court mages working on weather spells, a direct violation of the United Coalition’s rulings about weather magic. Since it affects the entire planet it becomes a federal crime when you mess with the weather. Sovereign nations like the Fae Courts are not considered free from this constraint. They don’t have the authority to supersede the law in this case.”

He slapped the file on the table. “I’m not sure what the hell to do. If we approach her, you know she’s going to hide what they’re doing. Ember can’t go in, even though she offered. Triplets aren’t the same as one baby, and Ferosyn has already told her he’ll confine her to bed if she doesn’t chill out. You know if she confronts Névé, there will be hell to pay.”

“Lyrical is a princess,” Yutani said.

“Yeah, but would they welcome me? I wonder if they’ve heard I was ostracized from my family and cast out? Is there some way we can find out?” While the minor queens and kings of the Fae Courts weren’t generally known outside of their regions, if Névé had heard of me, she sure as hell wouldn’t welcome me with open arms.

“Hmm,” Herne said, staring at me. “I wonder. Let me ask Morgana what she thinks. If we can send you in as visiting royalty, you might be able to ferret out what Névé’s up to.” He jumped up and headed toward the door. His phone rang and he glanced at it. “I have to take this call.”

I had to admit, he was a handsome man…god. He was tall with long wheat-colored hair that fell to his upper back, and he was nicely muscled under those jeans and V-neck sweater. He and Ember made a good pair. It occurred to me that, broken as I felt, Ember had been broken in a different way and she still came out on top. Maybe I could too.

As Herne walked out the door, talking on the phone, I turned to the others.

“What’s the likelihood that Névé would even grant me an audience, if she doesn’t know that I’m out of favor?” I asked.

Yutani shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest. Both she and Saílle had a grudge against Ember, because she was a tralaeth. But you’re full-blooded Light Fae. If she believes you’re a princess in good standing, she might well make you welcome. I wonder… I thought of something,” he added.

“What?” Talia asked.

“My guess is that the Fae queens here don’t talk much to those back in Annwn—there’s so much rivalry that goes on in the courts. What if we said you’re royalty from Annwn, wanting to pay your respects? You’ve been working for us a couple of months, and chances are with the mess the dragons left behind, she won’t have paid much attention to us in the meantime.”

“You make a good point,” Talia said. “Suggest that to Herne when he returns.”

But when Herne opened the door again, his expression didn’t invite conversation.

“We have a more immediate problem than dealing with Névé. Gyell’s been spotted in the city.” He dropped into his chair. “We have to find out if he’s actually here.”

“Crap,” Yutani said.

Kipa paled. “Crap is right.”

“Who’s Gyell?” I asked. I seemed to be the only one who didn’t know.

“He’s a shadow dragon,” Talia said. “One of the Luminous Warriors who was high up in Typhon’s army. Cruel doesn’t begin to describe him.”

“He also worked with Pandora,” Kipa said. “Raven’s going to freak if she finds out. I know she’s better, but Gyell and Pandora were like this.” He held up crossed fingers. “Have there been any sightings of the bitch queen around?”

Herne shrugged. “That I do not know. But yes, we’re going to have to find him and—now that we can—dispose of him. As long as he lives, he’s a threat.”

“Do you have his last known whereabouts?” Wendy asked.

“Yeah. It was down near the docks. He was seen heading toward the Viaduct Market.”

“Why would he be going—” Wager stopped. “The catacombs. Could the dragons still be hiding out using the catacombs? After all, the vampires haven’t returned yet. Though they will be soon enough and won’t that be a lovely showdown.”

The thought of the dragons going up against the vampires was terrifying. For one thing, we still didn’t know if the shadow dragons could control the undead, since they were connected to the Netherworld. But dragons were no longer immortal, and the thought of a war between the two factions sounded brutal and bloody.

“We’d better do some reconnaissance work first,” Herne said. “And we have to tread lightly. Even though we can kill them, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy.” He sighed as Yutani raised his hand. “Yes?”

“I need to speak to you in private,” Yutani said. “You know what it’s about.”

For a moment, I was paranoid they were going to discuss me, but then, once I tuned into the energy in the room, I realized it wasn’t directed at me at all.

Herne closed his eyes, looking pained. “Your office.”

As soon as they left the room, I turned to Talia. “What’s up?”

“Yutani’s reached the end of his tether.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Haven’t you noticed how tightly he’s been wound?” Wendy asked.

I shrugged. “Not really, but then I’ve only known all of you for a couple months.”

“Yutani’s acting more chaotic lately. I think his father’s powers are coming out in him and he doesn’t know how to handle them,” Talia said. “The Great Coyote is a trickster—he’s a chaotic force, and Yutani’s starting to grow into his blood.”

I worried my lip. “He’s intense, but I thought he was always that way.”

“To a degree, yes, but it’s gotten worse over the past few months. I don’t think he’s handling command here very well.” Talia stood and stretched. “Anybody hungry? I brought in doughnuts.” She opened the large box on the counter as Wager made a fresh pot of coffee.

Everybody I met seemed broken in a different way. As I stared at my tablet, a notification appeared telling me that Raven had emailed me. I opened her note.

Lyrical, I talked to Sejun. He’s more than willing to help you deal with what Kilnakarn did to you. Here’s his email address. He has an appointment open tomorrow at three p.m., so if you can get away, I’d be happy to escort you over to Annwn to visit with him. He’s living in Herne’s castle now. Maybe we can stop by and say hi to Ember.—Raven

Since I was in the process of becoming Ember’s first priestess, dropping in to visit unannounced seemed like it might be awkward. But she had done the same to Morgana, so maybe it wasn’t unprecedented. I was so used to a certain protocol from my days spent in my family’s court that, even though I balked at the restrictions, I obeyed them.

I emailed back:

I’ll ask if I can have the time off. I’m ready to face these damned demons and put them to rest, at least as best as I can. I don’t know if I can ever see someone like Jason Momoa and not shudder—the resemblance is so uncanny—but I’d like to be able to stop running away if he pops up on the TV.

I thought about adding the news about Gyell, but I didn’t know if that was private. Raven didn’t actually work for the Wild Hunt and, while Kipa would probably tell her, that was up to him and not me. I had no more pressed send when Herne and Yutani came back in the room, both looking somber.

Talia poured them both coffee and brought the plate of doughnuts over to the table.

Herne took a sip from his mug. “Well, Yutani and I’ve had a talk, and I called Ember and Morgana and Cernunnos. It looks like I’ll be coming back here to work for a while, and Yutani will be going back to attending to the IT work for the agency full time. So, I guess I’d better get situated. Wager, take Wendy and Lyrical and head into the catacombs this afternoon to see what you can find out.”

And just like that, Herne was back with the agency.

CHAPTER FIVE

I approached Herne after the meeting broke up. He was changing out offices with Yutani, who was moving into the empty one next to me. I waited till he was alone and then closed the door.

“Hey, Lyrical, how can I help you?” He settled into the chair behind the desk, looking right at home. “It’s so odd to be here again, especially with Ember back home in Annwn.”

“I imagine it feels strange,” I said. “Speaking of Annwn, I was wondering if I could take some time off tomorrow afternoon.” I hesitated, then added, “I’m going to talk to Sejun about…about Kilnakarn. I think it’s time I get hold of my reactions. Last night…”

“Yutani told me,” Herne said. “Your reaction was understandable, but yeah, we need to be able to rely on you not to wig out when we’re in a fight. When’s your appointment?”

“Three. Raven said she’d take me through to Annwn.” I sank into the chair opposite him.

“Take the afternoon off. You can leave at lunch time. Traffic’s a bitch. Have Raven meet you here and you can take the portal up at my place. I’m glad I kept it. I guess I’ll need it now.”

“What happened to Ember’s house?” I asked. “I know that she and Angel owned one.” Then, feeling awkward, I added, “Should I be calling her ‘Lady Ember’? I don’t know how any of this works with the gods, especially since my boss is a demigod—or rather, now…you—a god.” I stumbled to a halt, tongue-tied.

“ ‘Ember’ is fine. I think that as you grow into being her priestess, you’ll find she doesn’t stand on ceremony. She’s one of the most unconventional goddesses you’ll ever meet. My mother was like that for a long time, I gather, but she grew into her stature over the centuries.” He paused, then asked, “How’s Yutani been? I know you’re still living with him.”

“I’m looking to find my own place. I have nothing against living with him, but we’re both… We don’t want to cramp each other’s styles, if you know what I mean. And there’s a lot…” I wasn’t sure whether to tell Herne about the attraction that had formed, nor that I drank chi off Yutani on a regular basis. I had no idea how he’d take that.

Herne held my gaze. “You two seem very much alike in many ways. I’ve been wondering.”

After a pause, he said, “Never mind. That’s not an avenue I want to explore right now. Anyway, if you’re looking for a place to live, Ember’s house is still available, and now that Raven and Kipa are back in her house, it’s open. If you take care of it, I’m sure you can live there. Might as well make use of it.”

“What kind of rent are you asking? Shouldn’t you ask Ember first, if it’s her house?” The question slipped out before I remembered I was talking to a god. “Oh, I’m—”

“What?” Herne rested his elbows on the desk. “Don’t sweat it, girl. Yes, I’m a god, and yes, Yutani’s a demigod, but neither of us are going to strike you down for being inquisitive. Not unless you’re hurting someone or causing havoc. We don’t work that way. Some of the gods do, but not the younger generation, for the most part.”

“Like the Exosan?” I asked.

The younger members of the Ante-Fae were known as Exosan, and they were kind of like the hippies of the human race, rebelling against old standards and practices. It struck me that Herne was right. The younger gods were like that, standing on less ceremony and creating new standards of what was considered acceptable and what wasn’t.

“The Age of Aquarius, I guess?” Herne laughed. “Yes, I suppose we are like the Exosan. And you’re right. It is Ember’s house. I’ll ask her what she thinks about you moving in, if you’re interested.”

“I’d be interested, yes. I don’t relish trying to find a new place. I wish I had a roommate, though I doubt that Kipa would appreciate me moving in with him and Raven, and I don’t know anybody else well enough to live with them, except Yutani.” I glanced at the clock. “If I’m going to head down to the catacombs with Wager and Wendy, I’d better get ready.”

“Good idea. By the way, I see Talia gave you the Wild Hunt tattoo. Good job.”

Everyone who worked for the Wild Hunt had to agree to getting a tattoo on their left forearm—or elsewhere, if they already had ink there—of an exquisite dagger with green vines winding around it. Talia had been thorough and the ink was beautiful, though it felt odd to be marked. At least it wasn’t a brand. I’d shown no one yet, but I had a small brand on my inner left thigh, high up, marking me as belonging to Kilnakarn.

Every time I saw it, it made me cringe, and made me remember both the pain and the shame when I’d been given it. The branding iron had been white hot, and the pain searing. Kilnakarn had watched while his guards held me down, legs spread apart, fully naked. The jokes had flown between him and his guards, and all the while I was screaming from pain, Kilnakarn had laughed and threatened to fuck me with the branding iron. He hadn’t, but given the sadist he was, I had believed him when he said he was going to.

Shaking out of the memory, I returned to my office to prepare for the catacombs. I brushed my hair back into a braid, then made sure my boots were firmly laced. Ankle boots, they laced up the front through O-rings, held on by grommeted leather strips. The boots had four-inch platform soles but I could run in them. I stuck my keys and wallet in the inner pocket of my jacket, along with my phone, then headed toward the break room.

Wager and Wendy were already there. Wendy was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black turtleneck, and she was wearing Doc Martens. Wager was wearing jeans and a leather jacket over a tank top. Both were armed with daggers, and Wager had a stun gun. I made certain my dagger was firmly strapped to my thigh, and that my boot knife was strapped around my ankle.

“Ready?” Wendy asked, holding up her keys. “We’ll take my Jeep.”

We headed down to the parking garage. Wendy had a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. It was a gunmetal gray, with dark gray top and trim. I rode shotgun, while Wager sat in the back.

Wendy started the engine and we went bouncing out of the parking garage. She was a damned good driver. She’d been a test driver for some big car company before quitting after a colleague spun out and was killed in a gruesome death. Then she’d gone on to work as a mechanic for a while before making her way to Ginty’s. She knew how to handle a car, and how to fix them too.

We headed down toward the Viaduct Market. It wasn’t far from the office but it was better to drive in case we had to get out of there fast. Many years ago, it had been called Pike Place Market. But the market was still a network of various vendors selling handcrafted items, food, and various shadow services like tattoo shops and fetish brothels.

The catacombs ran beneath the market, accessible via several ways. There were secret entrances through certain businesses, and the ones that weren’t quite as secret were heavily guarded. For a while, the public had been able to visit the underground, but as the vampires took over the catacombs, the tours had been halted and the living had been warned against wandering around down there.

Wager had conducted his PI business from the catacombs, and while he now worked for the Wild Hunt, he had clued in certain clients how to still find him. After Wendy parked in the parking lot across the street, we followed him over to the entrance of the market. Business was booming. Since the dragons had been routed, people were beginning to come back out of their shells.

Some areas of the market had been damaged during the fight between Echidna, the Mother of Dragons, who had been on our side, and Typhon, the Father of Dragons, who wanted to enslave all of us. Much of the downtown core of Seattle had resembled a war zone by the time they finished, but months later, a good percentage of the rubble had been cleared away and businesses were rebuilding, using some of the treasure stashes a few of the dragons had left behind when they fled to fund those who took heavy damage.

As we followed Wager through the winding hallways, I looked around. I’d never been to the market and it seemed like a patchwork of brightly colored shops and scents. We stopped in front of a shop that was locked up and dark, but Wager pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the door.

“There used to be an art studio here, but unfortunately, the owner was one of the casualties in the war. She was taken out by a dragon strafing the area. But I have a key because this…well, you’ll see. I’ve taken over paying the rent so I can keep easy access to the catacombs.”

He opened the door and let us in, then locked it behind us. He led us through the dimly lit room to a curtained entrance leading to a door that opened into a stairwell. Next to it was an elevator. He motioned for us to join him in the elevator, to which he also held a key.

As we entered the car, Wager turned on an overhead light. “We’re headed down into the catacombs. There shouldn’t be any vampires, but if there are, let me take care of things and whatever you do, don’t try to stare them down. We’ll need to be quiet—if the dragons are gathering down there, we don’t want to bring any attention to ourselves.”

The buttons were labeled “S1” all the way to “S5.”

“What’s that stand for?”

“ ‘Sub-Level.’ And each level is divided into sectors.”

“I can’t imagine going up against a dragon down here. Hell, if they turned back into their dragon shape, it could bring down the streets overhead,” Wendy said.

“Yeah, and can you imagine trying to get away from a burst of flame in the narrow hallways?” Wager said.

I was growing nervous as the elevator descended. My claustrophobia extended beyond simply being underground. Tight spaces where I felt confined freaked me out, too. But I was able to hold it together and a moment later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Wager peeked out, then slipped out and motioned for us to follow him. We did so, quietly.

Never having been in the catacombs I didn’t know what to expect, but as I looked around at the spacious halls and high ceilings, I realized this was truly a city beneath a city. The shops were all dark and it seemed like we were walking through someone’s well-preserved memory.

“Did vampires run all of these shops?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

Wager nodded. “Most of them, yes. The vamps helped me get my start. I owe them big, and I miss a few of them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m wary of them—I’ll never fully trust them, but I owe my life to a couple of them.”

He looked around, pointing to the floor. “Dust.”

The dim lights illuminating the hallways showed a layer of dust that had built up over the months, and I realized we were going to leave footprints if we stepped in it. But we would also be able to see whether anyone had been through the area recently.

“This way,” Wager said, turning to the left. He started out at a good clip and we followed, keeping close to the wall. The hallways seemed to be circular, and every now and then, there were signs that read “Sector” and then a number, as Wager had said.

“It reminds me of a labyrinth,” I said.

“It’s easy to get lost down here, so don’t get separated. Cell phones don’t work well down here so it’s not so easy to keep track of each other. Most of the vamps had landlines for their shops.”

It felt like we were walking through a tomb, in a way, with the dust and the abandoned shops. A ghost town, of sorts. I tried to remember if I’d ever met a vampire, but I had no clue. I doubted if they were populous in Ireland. Though with all the old castles, who knew?

“What are vampires like?”

Wendy let out a low breath. “Scary as fuck.”

“She’s right,” Wager said. “They have the ability to glamour—”

“So do I,” I said.

“Yeah, but are you going to drain someone’s blood—” He stopped, glancing at me.

“I can,” I said quietly. “And I can drain their chi, as well. You know my kind are often called faerie vampires, right?”

He blushed. “I forgot, to be honest. But you wouldn’t prey on…” Again, he stopped.

“Oh, my kind can—and do—prey on others. You know very little of my earlier life. I’ve played the muse before, in exchange for chi. It’s part of our training. The women, that is. Males of our kind stay home and take care of the children and the household while we go out into the world.” I paused as we rounded a corner. “Look,” I whispered, pointing to the floor ahead.

There, in the dust, were footprints that looked as though they’d been made by a large boot, in front of another elevator. They led away from us and it looked like some dust had settled into them already, but it was impossible to tell how old they were.

Wager motioned for Wendy and me to hang back as he slowly inched forward, glancing at the shops that lined the hall. None of them seemed lit, and all the doors were closed with barred gates across them. He knelt, examining the prints. After a moment, he returned to us.

“Whoever made them is wearing a pair of boots that are fairly large. Okay, we’ll follow, but be quiet and cautious. It’s impossible to tell how old the prints are.”

We kept close to the wall, slowly following the prints. I realized I was barely breathing and made a conscious effort to continue on normally. As we rounded another corner, Wager waved for us to move back. Then he snuck around the corner again, crouching as he went.

I wanted to ask Wendy what she thought he was doing, but instead, I waited, worrying my lip, one hand on my dagger.

Wendy had stopped, and she looked like a statue. I knew I was wavering and crouched down, so that I was steady on my heels. It crossed my mind to ask her later how she managed to remain so still.

After a moment, Wager returned. He motioned for us to go back the way we came. We went beyond the elevator before he stopped us. We leaned into a huddle.

“They’re meeting in a restaurant. I know what Gyell looks like, and he was in there, with a couple of others. I got the name of the place. But they’re going to see our footprints when they return toward the elevator.” He shook his head. “We can’t possibly take on three dragons. We should get the hell out of here before they see the signs that we’ve been here.”

“Let’s go,” Wendy said. “We need to get this information back to Herne.”

We turned and hurried back to our elevator. As we exited the car, Wager locked the doors and motioned for us to follow him out into the shop. Once there, we joined the main thoroughfare. In the bustle of shoppers, we left the market.

“You know, if we took a couple of elephant guns down there, we could take care of them,” Wendy said.

“One, we don’t have elephant guns. Two, we’d have to surprise them. And I think that’s easier said than done. But at least we know that Herne’s intel is correct, and that the dragons are still meeting in secret, inside the city. So, at the least, they’re breaking the laws binding them to outside city limits.” He shook his head. “While an elephant gun might take them down in their human forms, I doubt it would kill them in dragon form. We need allentar arrows. I know that Herne has some, so we can plan accordingly.”

“I wonder what they want,” I said.

“I’m not sure, but you know they’re scheming.” Wager shook his head. “I didn’t see any sign of Pandora, so that’s a good thing.”

“Kipa will be relieved to hear that,” Wendy said. “But we can’t assume she’s not involved.”

“What’s her damage, anyway? Why is she hanging out with a bunch of dragons?” I wondered what a goddess could hope to gain.

“She’s chaos incarnate. Totally off her shit. And she’s a sadist. Luminous Warriors don’t shy away from torturing humans. They excel at it, so Pandora has a lot in common with them,” Wendy said, sobering. “A lot of people lost their lives to the Luminous Warriors. I don’t know if we’ll ever know the extent of the casualties because a number of people went missing during the past months and whether they’ll ever be found, well…it’s hard to tell.”

We were quiet on our drive back to the office, and all the way I kept thinking of the catacombs, and how eerie it was down there, like a hidden tomb without any bodies.

CHAPTER SIX

Back at the office, Herne was sorting out the chaos of Yutani’s files. He was mumbling under his breath as Yutani tried to find things for him.

“I know it’s here somewhere,” Yutani said, scrambling through the file cabinet. “See, this is why I’m not suited for this job and why I wanted you back!”

Herne snorted. “I don’t understand how you can be so meticulous when it comes to the IT stuff and then…”

“Like a hurricane?” Yutani asked, glancing over at him.

“Something like that,” Herne said. “Whatever the case, sort it all out for me the best you can. Maybe I’ll ask Angel to come over and help out. She’s nearing her journey through the Gadawnoin, but I’m pretty sure she’d hold off for another week or two in order to help me out. It’s a wonder Talia didn’t tan your hide, dude.”

“She did, a few times.” Yutani shrugged, looking both irritated and relieved. “I hate paperwork. I’m no good when it comes to management. The only reason I agreed to take the helm is to help you out, but you see what that caused.”

They both looked up as the three of us stood there, staring at them. A pile of papers covered the floor and Yutani was on his knees going through them.

“Having fun?” I couldn’t help it. I had to tease them.

“Shuddup, woman,” Yutani said, but he winked at me. His aura felt much lighter than earlier in the day, as though a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Herne tossed the pile of file folders on his desk. “So, did you find anything?”

Wager sighed. “Yeah, we did. Gyell is down there, along with a couple of others that look like dragon shifters. I made a note of the shop name they’re hiding out in. We found footprints in the dust and followed them.”

“That means they’ll know someone saw them.” Herne frowned. “I wonder if they have any tracking spells.”

“Maybe. Anyway, we know they’re down there. I didn’t see any sign of the vampires returning, though.” Wager picked up several of the file folders at his feet and piled them on an end table nearby. “What’s our next move?”

“I don’t know, though—” Herne paused as Talia poked her head in the office.

“Lyrical, there’s a package for you up front. It looks like flowers.”

“Flowers, for me? Who…oh, it must be Rake!”

I followed her to her desk. Sure enough, a bouquet of blue roses and white baby’s breath sat there, with a few fern fronds thrown in for good measure. There was a card with them. I opened them, expecting to see a booty call request, but instead the card had two words on it: never forget.

“That’s odd,” I said, showing it to Talia. “That doesn’t sound like Rake. And who else would send me flowers?”

“You have a birthday recently?”

I shook my head. “No, and even if I did, wouldn’t the card read ‘Happy birthday’ instead? I’m going to call Rake and see if he sent these. He texted me that he found his phone again. Today’s felt so odd. I’m still bothered by those damned coyote shifters and how they found me, but I guess I’m not that hard to trace.” I headed back to my office and put in a call to Rake.

“Hey, Songbird, what’s cooking?” Rake was pretty bad with lines but he was good at finding his way around a woman’s body, and that was all that mattered. He didn’t need to be a scintillating conversationalist or a genius because I wasn’t interested in him any other way than in bed and a fun companion to hang out with.

“Did you send me flowers today? Blue roses?”

He paused, then said, “No, I’ve been at the gym all day. In fact, I found my phone there—apparently I left it yesterday. Why?”

I frowned. “No reason. Will I see you tonight?”

“I thought I might drop over, if you’re in the mood.”

“When am I not in the mood? All right, I’ll see you around seven?”

“Seven’s heaven,” he said.

At least he enjoyed life. I couldn’t take hanging around some emo punk. I had enough angst for a dozen people, let alone putting up with it from anybody else.

As I slid my phone back in my pocket and carried the flowers to the break room before going back my office, I puzzled over who could have sent them. Maybe Raven, given what had happened the night before, though even as I texted her, something told me she hadn’t. But I left a message for her, then went back to writing up my report of what I noticed in the catacombs.

Herne required reports from everyone on a mission, unlike Yutani. Finally, at five, Herne called for a brief meeting before we left for the day. We gathered in the break room.

“I put in a call to Dormant Reins. I wanted to apprise him of the situation with the dragons. He’s not going to like them mucking around in the catacombs. That’s his territory,” Herne said.

“Who’s Dormant Reins?” I asked.

“He’s the regent of the Vampire Nation, Pacific Northwest Division. He’s extremely old, and extremely dangerous, but he keeps order among the vamps and that’s what matters.” Herne turned to Yutani. “By the way, has anybody heard from Charlie lately?”

Yutani held up his hand. “I did. He managed to get an email to me a few weeks ago. He’s okay, but he misses his life outside of the catacombs.”

“Not to sound like a broken record, but who is Charlie?”

Herne answered. “Charlie was one of our employees. He’s a vampire, and he was going to school to become an accountant and then would have taken over our accounting. But then the dragons came. If the vampires are truly coming back, then I’d like to talk to him again, to see if he wants to come back to work. The man was a genius with numbers.”

“There’s a lot I don’t know about the agency,” I said. “Was there anybody else who used to work here?”

“Yeah, Viktor. He is half-ogre. But he and his wife are settled now in Annwn and they’re happy there. Viktor works as the head of my guard there, and they’ve made the transition successfully. I don’t want to disrupt them again.” Herne stood. “All right. Done for the day. See you tomorrow morning at eight. By then I hope to have an answer from Dormant.”

I started to take the flowers home, but then stopped. Instead, I left them in the break room, oddly uneasy.

* * *

Yutani and I arrived home around the same time. I volunteered to make dinner if he’d wash the dishes. We switched off from time to time as I learned how to cook.

“What are we having?” he asked.

“Mac and cheese.” Macaroni and cheese had become one of my favorite foods. Cheese. Pasta. What wasn’t to like? Yutani didn’t mind. He ate whatever fueled him, though he was partial to meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

“Sounds fine to me,” he said. “Did you say Rake’s coming over tonight?”

“He’s supposed to be here around seven. I’m not sure if we’re going out or staying in. Did you have plans tonight? We can always go out if you want.” I pulled the container of noodles out of the cupboard and set a pan of water to boil. Then, retrieving the cheddar, the gouda, and the parmesan from the refrigerator, I began to grate.

“Need any help?” Yutani asked.

I shook my head. “No, but you could keep me company while I cook.”

He sat down on one of the high kitchen stools. “Do you think I’m lame to give up the job to Herne?”

“No,” I said, after thinking it over a moment. “You don’t like being in charge—at least not of other people. You’re not exactly a follower either. You’re more of a loner.”

“Exactly. I can work with others, but the only place I want to run the show is in the bedroom. Plus, I haven’t told many people this, but my father’s powers are starting to emerge and I’m having trouble figuring out how to control them. It’s like when I hit puberty—all these new sensations and no way to express them. Except now, they involve magical powers, and I’m not sure how to use them.”

“Why doesn’t your father help you? He needs to teach you. That’s his responsibility,” I said, scraping all the cheese off the cutting board into a bowl.

“My father comes and goes. He’s chaos personified, though he’s not like Loki—he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He does teach people lessons if they don’t listen, but he isn’t out to make anybody miserable. However, that chaos means he vanishes for months at a time. I’ve only known he was my father for a little over two years. It was a shock when I learned about it, and I didn’t handle the news well.” He pinched a few shreds of cheese out of the bowl and popped them in his mouth.

“Have you ever asked him to help you?” I stirred the noodles into the boiling water and then found a skillet to start a roux for the cheese sauce. As I melted the butter and then scattered flour over it, stirring with a whisk, it occurred to me that Yutani’s father was an asshole for leaving his son to deal with all of the aftermath.

“Kind of, but I guess I wasn’t clear. I hate asking for help.”

“I know,” I said. “But sometimes we have to. Ask him. Take a few weeks’ leave from the agency and stay with him. I’ll watch Dodo for you.”

He shrugged. “I suppose I could. He owes me that much, at least.”

“Say, I talked to Herne today and he’s going to talk to Ember. I may move into her old house. They still own it and it’s standing empty.” I paused. “That way, you could have your home back.”

“You’re not a bother,” Yutani said. “I like living with you, but this house doesn’t have a lot of space.” He looked around. “I suppose it can seem cramped.”

“I wish I had a roommate. I like my space, but I’m not sure about living on my own. It’s not that I can’t do it, but I just…” I paused to preheat the oven, then added, “Do you own this house or rent it? I was thinking, Ember’s house sounds fairly large and…”

“And would I want to move in as your roommate?” Yutani grinned.

“It’s a bad idea and we both know it, but…”

“But…sometimes bad ideas turn out with happy endings? I’ll think about it. I’m renting this place, but my lease ends in a couple of months. It wouldn’t take much to get out of it early.” He paused. “But I need a bedroom for my aunt Celia when she comes to visit.”

“I think the house has three bedrooms. We could set one up as a guest room and she’d be able to stay there.” I poured cream into the roux, whisking briskly, then added the cheese, stirring constantly as it melted. “Can you drain the noodles, if they’re ready?”

He tested the macaroni with a fork, then carried the pan over to the sink and drained the noodles, returning them to the pan afterward. “I won’t rinse them. We want the cheese sauce to stick. What else can I do?”

“Spray the casserole dish and get out the bread crumbs, please. Melt some butter in the microwave—a couple tablespoons for each cup of crumbs.”

I stirred the cheese sauce into the noodles and then, after he sprayed the casserole dish, poured the mixture into the Pyrex pan. I poured the butter over the bread crumbs, mixed them well along with some parsley and lemon pepper, and spread them over the top.

I slid the pan in the oven and set a timer for thirty minutes. It was six-thirty. “Rake should be here around seven. There’s enough for him to join us, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind. He’s a good-enough fellow,” Yutani said. “I don’t think you should pin your hopes on him as husband material, but…”

Snorting, I rolled my eyes. “I’m not pinning any hopes on anybody for husband material. I’m not cut out for that. I don’t know how Ember manages it with Herne. I mean, he’s sexy enough, but our kind…we aren’t exactly the monogamous types.”

“She’s half Leannan Sidhe, remember? She’s also half Autumn’s Bane, and they do tend to pair up.” Yutani set the table for three, arranging the plates and silverware precisely. We usually ate in front of the television, but he also knew how to present a table for guests.

While he fed Dodo—he chopped green leaf lettuce, a slice of bell pepper, and a strawberry for her salad—I went in my bedroom to change. I slipped on a cobalt blue sundress and added a silver belt. I unbraided my hair and shook it out, brushing it so that it fell fully around my shoulders. Finally, I touched up my lipstick. When I came out of my room, it was nearly seven.

“I wonder where Rake is,” I said. “He’s usually punctual to a fault.” I brought out my phone and texted him. are you on the way?

There was no answer for a few minutes, and then, look outside.

Frowning, I asked Yutani to take the casserole out of the oven, while I went to the front door and opened it. And there, sprawled on the front steps, was Rake.

* * *

“What the hell? Yutani!” I scrambled down the steps and sat beside him. “Rake? Rake? Are you all right—” My words dropped away as I saw the knife firmly planted in his chest. His face bore a look of surprise, and his lovely purple hair was stained with blood spatter. The blood spread across his chest, staining the T-shirt he was wearing.

“Rake? Are you…” I hesitated. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing. “Rake?” But I knew he was dead. His eyes were blank and his chest remained still.

Yutani peeked out the front door. “Are you—” He froze, then immediately crouched beside me. “What the fuck? Who stabbed him?”

“I don’t know. And then he texted me a couple seconds ago, he couldn’t…he can’t be dead!” I scooted away. “How can he be dead?”

“Let me call Herne.” Yutani put in a quick phone call to Herne, then made another call. “I’ve also called Akron and Raven. My alarms are going off big-time.” He jumped up, ran back inside, and returned with a sheet. “We don’t want anybody passing by gawking.”

I stared at the covered body, bewilderment coursing through me. “I don’t know what happened. He texted me a little while ago. How could he have had a life-ending altercation in a couple of minutes, on the front porch? If there had been a fight, we would have heard it!”

Yutani shook his head, then he grabbed my hand and pulled me away. “Walk around the yard—it will help.”

I obeyed, but halfway to the old oak in the front yard, I dropped to the ground. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t do either. All I could do was blankly stare at Rake’s body beneath the sheet, and run potential scenarios through my mind. I leaned forward, resting on my elbows and knees, trying to sort out what the hell had happened. It wasn’t like he’d had a heart attack. He’d been murdered and it had happened on our doorstep.

A few minutes later, Raven and Kipa arrived—they lived the closest. Raven took one look at the covered form, then draped her arm around my shoulders and walked me back into the house, carefully skirting Rake’s body. She sat me down on the sofa and went in the kitchen to make some herbal tea. By the time she pressed a mug of honey lemon chamomile tea in my hand, Herne had arrived, along with Akron.

“Yutani said that you were expecting Rake for dinner?” Herne asked, sitting beside me.

I nodded, unable to comprehend what had just happened. “Not exactly for dinner, but he was supposed to get here right about when it was ready. He always had a good appetite so I made more than I thought we could eat so Rake could join us.” The tea had helped brace me, and though I was still in shock, I had calmed down some. “Why would anybody do this?”

“We need to find out if he had any enemies. Maybe they followed him and decided this would be the right time to take him out. After all, he’s one of the Ante-Fae.”

“So?” Raven said, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

“So, you know that a lot of the Ante-Fae are good at making enemies.” Turning back to me, Herne asked, “What do you know about Rake? What have you learned about him?”

I worried my lip. “To be honest, not that much. We were mainly fuckbuddies. I liked him—he was fun and caring and good-natured. I know he volunteered at the nearby game park because he had a way with animals. And he was the type of man who brings you soup when you’re sick. If he had enemies, I don’t know who they are. Vixen might. They knew Rake better than I did.”

“Let me call Vixen and ask,” Raven said. She patted me on the shoulder and moved off to one side, pulling out her phone.

Akron entered the house and walked over to face Herne. “Well, the blade itself didn’t kill him. In fact, it missed his heart. While it did do serious damage, we think—”

A scream from outside alerted us and Akron raced for the door, Herne right behind him. I jumped up to follow.

CHAPTER SEVEN

One of Akron’s workers was on the ground, sprawled out on his back, glassy eyes staring at the sky. The other members of the team had gathered around him, leaving Rake’s corpse half-examined. The dead team member was holding the dagger that had been in Rake’s chest. A finger of his glove was torn, and some of Rake’s blood—at least it looked like his blood—was on the man’s hand.

“What the hell?” Akron stared down at the man, then cautiously knelt beside him. “What happened to Gerry?”

One of the other workers, a woman who looked Dark Fae, sobbed as she dropped to her knees beside Akron. “He was pulling the dagger out of the victim’s body when…he screamed and went into convulsions and…less than a minute later, he…died.”

“All right. I have no idea what happened to him, but we’re declaring this a hazmat area until we know why both Rake and Gerry died.” He pulled out his phone and punched a number, and then spoke softly into it. His officers, meanwhile, began taping off the yard. They motioned for Yutani, Herne, and me to go inside. After we entered the house, Akron slammed the door behind us.

“What’s happening?” Raven asked, trying to peek out the window.

“They’re declaring this a hazardous area. One of the techs was extracting the dagger from Rake’s chest when he—the tech—went into seizures and then died. He was holding the dagger.” Herne crossed his arms, watching out the front window. “I wonder…”

“We can’t stay here. I left Raj alone,” Raven said.

“If you have to stay, is there someone you can call to take care of him?” I asked. Raj was her adorable but massive gargoyle. The creature was sweet, but a little scary, and seemed to think he was an intelligent dog. He loved TV and Cheetos and being a couch potato.

“Yeah, I can call Apollo. He’d do it, even though he’s not supposed to be talking to me.” Raven pulled out her phone. She held it to her ear. “Hey, Apollo? Can you go check on Raj and stay with him for a little bit? I’m held up over at Yutani’s right now and can’t get home for a little while… Right, he hasn’t had dinner. Two cans of his favorite cat food, and one small bowl of chips for TV. I hope to be home before bedtime, but I’ll call as soon as I can to let you know… Thanks, dude.”

“He can do it?” Kipa asked, sliding his arm around her waist. They made a striking couple, all right. Kipa was swarthy and built, and Raven was goth-gorgeous and curvy.

“Yeah, he can. So that’s taken care of.”

“That reminds me. I’m hungry,” I said, feeling hollow. I still couldn’t believe that Rake was dead and somehow, it felt like a massively bad joke someone was playing on me. “We have a casserole if anyone else needs food.”

Herne, Raven, and Kipa declined. I fixed a couple plates for Yutani and me. As we sat down on the sofa to eat, we could hear Akron’s crew moving around outside on the porch. Outside the window, they were erecting a massive plastic tarp. They were tenting the house?

“What are they doing?” I asked.

“In case there’s some pathogen in the air, they’re trying to contain it until they figure out what killed Gerry.” Herne rolled his eyes. “I understand why they have to, but I did not plan on being stuck here for any length of time. Not that the company isn’t great but…”

“But we have work to do,” I said.

“Exactly.” He shrugged, then headed into the kitchen, returning with a plate of the mac and cheese. “Who is this guy, again? Rake?”

“My date,” I said. “He works with Vixen, and is…was…one of the Ante-Fae. We weren’t serious or anything like that—more playmates—but he was a good guy. I can’t for the life of me think of any reason why someone would want to kill him.”

“People have hidden lives we know nothing about, but why whoever murdered him would take him out on Yutani’s doorstep is a mystery.” Herne sat down near us, forking into the food.

“How’s Ember?” Raven said, turning away from the window.

“Very pregnant and very bossy. I wasn’t around when my daughter Danielle was born. I didn’t even know I was a father till a few years ago. But I want to be there when Ember has our children. Three daughters…I’m outnumbered for sure!” His eyes gleamed. It was easy to see how pleased he was. “Danielle’s going to take a leave of absence from Themiscyra for a month and come over to Annwn. She wants to meet her little sisters and see our home.”

“You have an older daughter?” I asked.

“Danielle, yes. Long ago I was dating an Amazon, and she got pregnant and didn’t tell me. I found out a few years back about her. Danielle’s living on Themiscyra now, training with the Amazons, and her mother’s washed her hands of both of us. I’m her sole parental figure now, though the leader of her division on the island stands in as a mother figure.” Herne polished off his dinner. “This is delicious. Who made it?”

It felt so odd, talking about family and food while my date was lying on the front steps, dead. But it was better than silence.

“Yutani and I both did. How does Ember feel about Danielle?” It was none of my business, but it seemed like something that might cause some dissension.

“They get along well. Now. When they first met it wasn’t good, I have to admit.” Herne rolled his eyes. “When you talk about extended families, you only have to look as far as the gods. Also…dysfunctional. And extremes rule. That’s one reason Ember and I are discussing where to raise our girls. We have the castle, but where will give them the best chance to grow up with the responsibility and ethics we have chosen for our family? We have yet to decide.”

I yawned. I was suddenly exhausted. “I think I need a nap,” I said, standing. “If you’ll all excuse me…”

“Go ahead. We’ll wake you if Akron makes any important discoveries.” Raven waved me off.

I retreated to my bedroom. I was tired, but I also had a headache from hell, and I was starting to feel claustrophobic. Too many people, too much chaos, and we were being cocooned within the house. There was too much hammering at my brain. I wasn’t sure what was bringing on the headache, but it reminded me of long ago, when I’d approached the Cruharach. I’d managed to go through the rite-of-passage ordeal with flying colors, but the days leading up to it had almost blindsided me in terms of headaches and psychic clutter.

Shutting the door to my room, I breathed a sign of relief and dropped to my bed. I stripped off my corset and jeans, sliding into a short sleepshirt that came down to my thighs. I washed off my makeup and then stretched out on my bed, turning on an ambient light that was a pale yellow, and I practiced the breathing exercises that kept me calm when I was starting to approach a panic attack. Images of Rake, lying there dead, crowded my mind so I decided to focus on therapy to block them out.

What would Sejun be like, I wondered. What would therapy be like? I wasn’t looking forward to sessions where I embraced my “inner child”—none of that set well with me. My inner child was fine. My mother and father had treated me well, if sternly, and I’d grown up loved, if not understood. Being kidnapped by Kilnakarn had happened when I was fully adult, and so my inner child felt no trauma. It was my adult-assed self that had been traumatized and tortured.

After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, I padded over to my window and looked outside to see plastic coating my windows. Great, so I couldn’t even open the window. They’d better figure out what we were dealing with before I went a little nuts and ripped a hole in the plastic shroud.

Once again, needing a calm night, I found the packet of herbal sleep aids I’d bought off of a street vendor and popped one in my mouth. I didn’t take them often, but when I needed them, they helped me slide into dreamless slumber.

As the sedative began to take effect, I slid under the comforter on my bed. Life was all too unpredictable, but then again, so was I.

* * *

“Lyrical? Wake up. Lyrical, come on, wake up.” As I opened my eyes, Raven was sitting on the bed, shaking my shoulder. “It’s important.”

“What—what happened? What’s going on?” I rubbed my eyes, squinting to see the clock. I had bought a blue alarm clock that glowed in the dark and was shaped like a frog. It was cute and it worked wonders even in dim light. It was four-thirty in the morning. I’d been out since eight p.m.

“Akron found out what killed Rake and Gerry, and you’re going to want to hear this.” She handed me my robe as I slipped out of bed and I shrugged into it, still groggy. That was the one thing wrong with the sedative. It left me hungover for a while after I woke up.

Rubbing my eyes, I followed her into the living room. Everybody was still there, including Akron. He and Herne were talking in hushed whispers. I trudged over to the sofa and sat down, crossing my legs beneath me and pulling a throw over my knees.

“I’m glad you slept. You looked out of it,” Yutani said.

“I was.” I yawned. “So, tell me, what’s going down?” I yawned again, covering my mouth. I regretted taking the sedative because it left me so cloudy.

“Akron got the toxicology results,” Herne said.

“Toxicology? Was Rake poisoned?”

“Not exactly,” Akron said. “He and Gerry died due to a venomous paste made from the irukandji jellyfish. It’s the deadliest jellyfish in the world that we know of, and somebody concentrated the venom from its tentacles and made a paste out of it, which they spread on the dagger used to kill Rake. It looks like when Gerry pulled the dagger out of the body, he got some of the paste on his arm. It was enough to kill him.”

I stared at him. Jellyfish venom? Who the hell would use jellyfish venom as a poison? And then, I read the room. “No…you don’t think…”

“The dagger bears a crest. We checked it out,” Herne said, his face grave. “Kilnakarn’s crest.”

It was as though a dagger pierced my own heart. I let out a little cry and jumped up. “No, it can’t be. He can’t be here. It has to be a mistake. Please, tell me that it’s a mistake!” I held his gaze, pleading for a reprieve.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But it’s either Kilnakarn, or someone trying to frighten you. Can you think of anybody who might play a cruel joke on you?”

I thought for a moment, reaching for answers. “What about the coyote shifters? They came after me the other night. They said they were paid by somebody.” If it was them, then I was safe. I could handle coyote shifters. If it was Kilnakarn, I was screwed.

Yutani shook his head. “Coyote shifters are greedy. They’d take a bribe any time.”

“How the hell did he find me? Why is he here and not back in Ireland?” I burst into a frenzied panic, trying to figure out what to do next. “I have to get away—I have to escape before he finds me. I can’t let him catch me again.”

“He won’t,” Yutani said, immediately putting his arms around my shoulders and walking me to the sofa. “We won’t let that happen.”

“Yutani’s right,” Herne said. “We’re more than a match for a mere Kelpie, and I’m not about to let that perverted piece of trash get his hands on you. So, calm your fears. But we need to find him and take him out so this can’t happen again.”

“Won’t that start a war between you and the Light Fae?” I asked. Most Water Fae like the Leannan Sidhe were Light Fae. The Kelpies were an exception. The terms “Light” and “Dark” didn’t signify “good” and “evil.”

“My wife is a goddess of the Fae, remember. And so is my mother. I think between the two of them they can put a stop to any protests.” His expression was grim, set in stone, and I began to understand just what it was like to work for this man. He wasn’t ruthless, exactly, but Herne got what Herne wanted and he was used to people coming around to his way of thinking.

I stood in the center of the room with everybody staring at me. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say,” I said, shivering. “I’m freezing.”

“Come on, you need more sleep,” Raven said, taking me by the shoulders. “You sleep and I’ll sit beside you for a while. You don’t have to worry at all. Okay?”

I shrugged, feeling helpless, like I was falling down a dark hole, and at the bottom waited the worst enemy I could imagine. I wasn’t sure if the bungee cord attached to my ankle would hold. But Raven turned me in the direction of my bedroom and I let her steer me back to bed. She crawled in beside me and curled up next to me, a comforting presence.

Still drowsy from the effects of the sedative, I yawned and closed my eyes, praying that I wouldn’t have nightmares of my captivity. And luckily for me, Raven’s presence kept the bad dreams at bay.

* * *

When I woke, it was already nine-thirty and light was shining through the window. I was alone in bed, but Raven was sitting in the chair, reading. She put down her e-reader and smiled as I sat up and yawned.

“I’m glad to see you slept well,” she said.

“I can’t believe I got back to sleep,” I said, the reality of the night before crashing in. “I’m late for work,” I added, glancing at the clock.

“Don’t worry about that. Yutani’s downstairs, waiting for you. He wanted to follow you in to the office today. Kipa and I’ll drive you over to the portal so you can make your appointment with Sejun this afternoon.” She handed me a towel. “You want a shower?”

It occurred to me that they had already taken my life under control.

On one hand, it irked me. I didn’t like anybody controlling what I did. But on the other hand, logically, I knew I needed help. I wouldn’t be able to defeat Kilnakarn alone—if I could even find him before he found me. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could take him on myself. And if I kept imagining him behind every post, behind the wheel of every car, hiding in the closet of every house or building I walked into, then I’d end up paranoid and probably hurt myself in the process.

“Yeah, thanks,” I said, taking the towel and tucking my hair into a shower cap. “Can you find me jeans and a tank top? I’ll need a bra and panties, too.” I often went commando, but now, the idea of extra layers between my vaj and anybody nearby felt comforting. The brand on my inner thigh seemed all too vivid as I stood in the shower.

I lathered up and rinsed off, and the water washed away some of my grogginess. As I padded back into the bedroom naked, Raven was sitting on the bed with my clothes.

She stared at me for a moment, then quietly asked, “What’s that scar on your thigh?”

I closed my eyes. Eventually someone was going to notice and ask about it, and I might as well get over my humiliation. “Kilnakarn branded me.”

Raven blanched, but calmly handed me my underwear. “I think the Elves can remove that.”

I continued to dress. “How long did it take you to get over what Pandora did to you?”

“Ask me again in a decade,” she said. “I haven’t gotten over it. Sejun explained to me that I’ll always carry those memories. But as I said before, he helped remove the emotional triggers that played into them. When I think about all those events now, I don’t tense up. I don’t panic anymore, or act out. They’re…like I’m watching from a great distance. I know they happened to me and they’ll forever be a part of my experience, and sometimes I still cry about it, but they no longer inform my actions.”

“That sounds good, actually. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I don’t want to wipe my mind of what happened. You don’t learn that way. But I’d like for the memories to not trip me up. I’d like to be able to let go of the panic.” I finished dressing and put on my makeup, then braided my hair back. “If Kilnakarn is here, then he must really hate me. Nobody ever truly escapes from him, and I did. With help, yes, but I escaped. That must be eating him alive.”

Even though I dreaded facing him, the thought that I had triggered him so badly felt good. And people who let their triggers rule their lives made mistakes, especially when they were angry.

Raven handed me my purse. “You have everything?”

“Yeah.” I poked through the tote, making sure I had what I needed. “Let’s go.”

She slipped her arm through mine as we headed downstairs. “I’m glad we met. I miss Ember and Angel, but they were best buddies. I’ve never had a best friend—not a woman, at least. Guys? Kind of. The Ante-Fae are more insular. We tend to stick to ourselves.”

“Maybe we can be that for each other,” I said. “I’ve never had many women friends before, either.”

As we entered the kitchen, Yutani and Kipa were waiting for us. I noticed the plastic had been taken off the house. At least we weren’t trapped for biohazards. Although the jellyfish paste compound was a pretty frightening poison, it wasn’t airborne.

Yutani handed me a peanut butter and banana sandwich, a combo I’d grown to love. I winked at him. “Thanks, roomie.”

“We’ll stop for coffee on the way to work,” he said. As Kipa and Raven headed toward the door, he lowered his voice. “Seriously, how are you holding up?”

“I’ll admit that I’m scared,” I said. “But I’m ready. If I’m ever to heal from what he did to me, I need to take Kilnakarn out. And I mean out for good.” I paused, then—even knowing it was a mistake—I kissed him on the lips. “Thank you for being so good to me, coyote boy,” I whispered.

He held my gaze for a moment, those dark sloe eyes melting my heart, and then he stroked my cheek. “Any time, Faerie.” Without further ado, he slung his messenger bag across his shoulder, picked up his keys, and motioned to the door. “Let’s head out for work.”

As we stepped into the cool morning sun, I sucked in a deep breath. I was afraid, but I had friends, and this time, Kilnakarn wouldn’t come out on top.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Once we were at work, triple-shot lattes in hand, it was time for our morning staff meeting. Yutani had skipped the ritual a good share of the time, but Herne had immediately reinstated it. We gathered around the break room table as Wager set out a box of lemon bars and a plate of cookies. Everyday, someone brought something in, though it wasn’t a requirement.

“So,” Herne said. “I filled Wager, Wendy, and Talia in on what went down last night.”

“Thanks,” I said, grimacing. “I wish we could forget about it, but he’s not going to rest.”

“Roger on that one,” Wendy said. “I looked him up and he’s one hell of a bad beast, and I mean that in the worst sense of the word. He’s fucking brutal.”

“I know,” I said, staring at the table. So many things were running through my head—fear, flashbacks, and anger all jumbled together.

“So, on the agenda we have Kilnakarn, we have Gyell and the dragons, and longer term, Névé attempting to come up with forbidden weather magic. Which means our plates are full and we have no time for individual cases until we wrap these three up. Most important right now, find Kilnakarn and take him down. I talked to Cernunnos this morning and he agreed with me. We have to flush the bastard out.” Herne leaned back. “Any ideas? Lyrical, I know this is a difficult subject to talk about, but we need to know everything about Kilnakarn that you can tell us.”

I cleared my throat and stiffened. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I can. Don’t mind me if I sound a little bit…”

“Not to worry. Tell us his strengths, his vulnerabilities, whatever you can think of.” Herne paused, then added, “Take your time. If you need a break, say so.”

I took a deep breath and licked my lips. Every cell of my body seemed to be vibrating, every atom of my breath held in suspension. Finally, I managed to open my mouth and the words began to come out, as if from a distance.

“Kilnakarn’s strong. He’s a Kelpie, so he can turn into a horse, but in the water, he can also shift into Mer form. Meaning fishtail. He can literally swim like a fish when he wants. He’s extraordinarily strong. Not god-strong, but easily shifter-strong. He does need air, but he can go for up to an hour without surfacing for breath.” Facts were an easy place to start. They didn’t require emotion.

“He looks a lot like Jason Momoa except replace the twinkle in the eye with a violent, dangerous gleam. And he has scars instead of tattoos. Battle wounds.” Again, facts were easier, but describing him meant bringing his likeness to mind and that was one step closer to the full-blown memories. “When he’s in Mer form, in the water, the scales on his tail glitter blue-green, with gold.”

“All right,” Herne said, taking notes. “Does he have any vulnerabilities?”

And there, we entered dangerous territory. I focused my gaze on the pastries. Just think about the lemon bars on the table and how much I like them, and I’ll get through this.

“Kilnakarn…he’s strong. He’s so strong.”

The feeling of his body weighing me down, his hands bruising my wrists, his fists landing blows on my back, his feet kicking me as I groveled on the floor…

“He’s easily angered, that could be a weakness. He’s got a razor-thin temper and it echoes in his voice. It also throws him off. He gets chaotic when he’s angry.”

Crawling behind the single chair in my cell when I said something he didn’t like. He turned from congenial to wild-eyed, throwing anything he could reach at me. The cuts and bruises that appeared when a servant girl angered him and he went from calm to whipping the belt off his pants and beating her shoulders when she was too slow in bringing him his dinner.

“He takes offense at everything, so one comment can send him off. He’s more than willing to kill the messenger.”

His cousin, bringing him a message that his uncle died and left him nothing in the will…Kilnakarn released one of his pet crocodiles and shoved his cousin in the pool with it—then watched as the water turned red.

“If you can unsettle him, he’s less likely to focus on what he’s doing. I almost escaped once, before Morgana came to save me. He’d received news that his bid on a large parcel of land was rejected. He stormed out so upset that he left the door unlocked. I could have run, but I was afraid they’d catch me before I got free. But the chance was there.”

I hung my head, embarrassed. “I’ll never forgive myself for not grabbing that chance. I’ll never forgive myself for letting fear paralyze me.”

“You chose the route that seemed safest to you. So, he’s chaotic. If we unnerve him, he gets sloppy,” Yutani said.

“Yeah, that’s a good way to put it,” I said. “He’s like a teenager having a tantrum. When things don’t go his way, he takes it out on whoever’s around. And…there is one other thing.” I had almost forgotten, but now the memory came back, slipping out of the dark hole in which I hid all my memories of Kilnakarn.

“Oh?” Herne asked, as Talia quietly brought me a cup of tea and some cookies.

“He has a weak left shoulder. He injured it so badly one time, in a battle, that it dislocates easily. He favors it, and you’ll notice if he uses a shield, he hides his left side behind it. I accidentally injured him once. He was…we were…I was on top and braced myself against his hands like he told me to, but I pushed too hard and his left shoulder slipped out.”

And the next moment, I went flying across the room as he flew out of bed with a shriek, using his right arm as a battering ram. I landed against the base of the wall, and before I knew what he was doing, he was kicking me until I curled in a little ball, trying to protect myself from the blows raining on my head. I finally managed to roll away, then quickly scrambled to my feet, begging him to stop. By the time he regained control, I had a black eye, a bloody nose, and was black and blue on my shins and arms.

Shuddering, I heard his voice echoing around me.

“Bitch, cunt, whore—you’d better run. Get the fuck out of my sight or I’ll kill you! You did that on purpose—you meant to hurt me. Well, girl, I’ll show you what it means to hurt.”

And then he chased after me, left arm dangling, and—breaking a chair—used the chair leg to beat me senseless. I’d woken up with a broken nose, two broken ribs, and covered with bruises. One of the other concubines had summoned help once Kilnakarn tossed me back in the general harem quarters.

“I accidentally dislocated his arm once. It didn’t take much force,” was all I said.

Yutani caught my gaze and held it. I didn’t want him to see the look in my eyes, but I couldn’t turn away. After a moment, he gave me a slight nod, then looked away.

Herne seemed to sense the shift in mood. “Okay, anything else? Any other vulnerabilities besides his temper and left shoulder?”

I took a long sip of my coffee, let out my breath, and steadied myself. Raven was sitting beside me and she slid her hand into mine and squeezed. I drew on her strength, and then turned back to Herne.

“He’s not very bright. He doesn’t plan things. He charges in without thinking about what he’s going to do afterward. It’s part of his chaos. Oh, I almost forgot. He can wield magic. I’d call it on par with being able to charm, but he can put people to sleep, he can paralyze them—that sort of magic. I don’t know the full extent of it.”

“He sounds too powerful to be simply Kelpie blood,” Herne said, frowning. “Do you know anything about his line? His parentage?”

I shook my head. “He never discussed anything like that with his concubines. I replaced an old one—she wasn’t old, but she had angered him.”

And we had watched, forced by his guards, as he tortured her, in ways I couldn’t bear remembering. But he had done things to her that had terrified every single woman and young man in his entourage. Kilnakarn had a taste for both sexes, but at least with the women he would sometimes laugh and joke with.

The young men, he summoned when he was furious, and they never returned to the stable. We weren’t sure what happened to them, and we did our best to comfort those who were left with a fairy tale that Kilnakarn probably let the boys go. We also sheltered the young girls as much as we could.

“I think that’s it,” I said. “He tortures his enemies, rather than killing them outright. So don’t let him catch you.”

And then, I looked directly at Herne and I stopped shielding my emotions. I sent them out, a wave of fury and shame, anger and pain, and he stiffened as though the tidal wave of emotion rolled him under. But he said nothing, just gave me a nod.

“I still have informants all through the city. And I’ll talk to the police and ask them to put out an APB on him. Where do you think he might stay? A dive, to hide out?”

I shook my head. “Not likely. He could, he’s tough enough, but he’s also decadent. If he’s here in Seattle, he’ll either be renting a house, or staying in a luxury hotel or something similar to that. Given his paranoia—which goes with his arrogance—my guess would be a hotel with good security. Although…” Another thought struck me. “You might want to check the docks for boats. I doubt if he flew—my best guess is he used natural portals on the water to travel here in his boat. He was able to phase in and out on the water when he caught me. Maybe check the marinas. His boat could easily slip into a busy marina and not look all that out of place.”

“Do you remember anything about his boat?” Talia asked.

I thought back. There weren’t many things about that time that I had been able to forget. “Yeah, I do. It was green and beige, and it had a flag on it that was…I’d call it a light umber with a green horse rearing on its hindlegs stenciled on it. I don’t think he ever mans that boat without the flag. There are cabins below deck, though I don’t remember much about them. I was unconscious most of the trip back to his palace.”

“That gives us a place to start. Wager, why don’t you take a trip to Portage Bay and start there, see if you can find anything.” Herne motioned to Yutani. “You go with him. There are a lot of small marinas along the docks, so two of you can make quicker work. Do not engage if you see a boat that fits the description. Take a picture of it, note where it is, and call me.”

“What should I do?” I asked.

“Finish inputting data on these reports,” he said, handing me a stack of files. “Then, come noon, you can leave for Annwn for your appointment. I’m asking Kipa to go along with you and Raven. I want muscle with you, just in case.” He turned to Talia. “See what you can dig up on the net about Kilnakarn. If you can’t find anything, Yutani can check later on the dark web. Wendy, go through the armory and make sure everything’s in working order.”

Given our marching orders, we left the meeting, snacks in hand. As I headed toward my desk, I wondered what—if anything—they would find.

* * *

Two hours later, Herne called me into his office. “Wager’s on the line. You need to hear this,” he said, turning on the speakerphone.

“We found a boat with not a flag, but a painting on the side that looks a lot like what Lyrical was talking about. I’m shooting you a picture of it.” A few seconds later, a text came through.

Herne opened it and stared at the picture for a moment, then handed it to me. “What do you think?”

As I stared at the painting of a green horse rearing up against a beige background, my chest tightened and I white-knuckled the phone. “That’s Kilnakarn. I’ll never forget his standard.” I shook the phone at Herne. “Take it. I don’t want to look at it.”

He quickly took the phone from me. “That’s affirmative. Question: Is there anybody near the boat?”

“Negative. We’ve been watching it for over an hour and nobody’s come out of it or gone into it. You want us to slap a GPS and a bug on it? We have the supplies.”

“Only if you aren’t being in danger of being seen.” Herne was careful about his people, that I had already ascertained. “We don’t want him onto us.”

“There’s a boat in the slip next to it. We can use it as a cover. I’ll call you when we’re done.” Wager signed off.

Herne sat down his phone. “Well, let’s hope they make it without being caught.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Kilnakarn won’t stop to discuss the weather if he finds them prowling around on his boat. He’s not shy about putting a stop to anything that seems like suspicious activity.” I glanced at the clock. It was already eleven.

Heading back to my office, I stared at the stack of notes that I still needed to input into the system, wishing I had something else to keep my mind off both the fact that Kilnakarn was in Seattle, and that at three o’clock, I’d be opening up to a stranger about the darkest period in my life. I opened up the template for our case notes and began to key in the information.

Ten minutes later, Herne peeked in my office. “Good news. They managed to slip a bug onto Kilnakarn’s boat. They’re waiting in the parking lot now, hoping to do the same to the Kelpie’s car once he returns.”

I held Herne’s gaze, trying to keep calm. “I hope they’re cautious. Kilnakarn has no regard for anyone’s life but his own. He won’t hesitate to strike out if he feels he’s being cornered.”

“I know what he’s like. My mother gave me the rundown on him. By the way, Ember sends her best. She says she’ll be in touch as soon as she has the girls. Pregnancy hasn’t been easy on her, especially with triplets, but she didn’t want you to think she forgot about you.” He hesitated a moment, then came into my office and sat down in the chair next to my desk. “We’ll get him, Lyrical. We’ll make sure he won’t ever hurt you or anybody else again.”

I didn’t want to point out the obvious, but felt somebody had to. “He’s the King of the Colkerny Kelpie Pod. Won’t taking him out cause ramifications?”

“And I’m a god. God overpowers king. I don’t give a damn if they set up a protest outside the doors. He’s in our territory, and he’s committed crimes against my employee, as well as how many others he may have murdered. That’s enough to take him down and make an example of him.” Herne’s eyes were usually soft and gentle, but his gaze hardened and I caught sight of how much power he actually had.

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that you are one of the gods, no disrespect intended. You don’t act like it. Then, with a simple sentence, it’s blatantly clear again.” I let out a slow breath. “I’m not used to dealing with divinity. I forget that Yutani’s a demigod, as well.”

“That’s all well and good, until somebody steps on our toes. Most of the elder gods don’t have much truck with the mortal communities, though my mother and father are exceptions. But the younger gods, we like to dip our hands in mortal affairs. I’m very grateful that I did—that’s how I met my wife, and I worship the ground she walks on.” He grinned at me. “We’ll watch out for you. My people are important to me. And you’re one of my people now.”

With that, he jumped up and headed for the door. “By the way, I think it’s a good idea that you’re going to see Sejun. I’m pretty sure he’s the reason that Raven managed to keep her wits about her. She’s a firecracker, and she went nuclear after Pandora got to her.”

As he left, I thought about what he said for a moment. To hear him say that I was one of “his people” felt good. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I truly belonged somewhere. I had lost my old home, thanks to Kilnakarn, but I had found a new one, complete with friends. And hopefully, I’d shake off the past like Raven had, before the flashbacks ended up hurting someone. Otherwise, I knew that, one day, they’d interrupt at a crucial time, and either I or someone near me would be hurt because I couldn’t push through the pain. Shaking off my thoughts, I turned back to my work, diving in until it was time to visit Annwn.

CHAPTER NINE

At noon, Raven and Kipa were waiting for me near the front desk. I steeled myself, dreading the upcoming visit. And yet, with Kilnakarn on the hunt for me, I had to play with a full deck. I couldn’t afford to freeze if I saw him. I couldn’t afford to be paralyzed with fear, or spin out of control. Neither extreme was acceptable.

“Are you ready?” Raven asked.

I sighed. “I suppose.”

We drove to the house Herne lived in when he was in town, which was on 119th Street, on the edge of Carkeek Park. The house was beautiful, and it looked like Herne had opened it up again. Behind the house, a gate opened onto a trail leading into the park. The trail inclined, leading up a moderate slope. We walked for less than ten minutes before we came to two oak trees. There was a blue vortex spinning between them, and as we stood there, a woman approached, wearing a long blue cloak with Herne’s insignia emblazoned on it. She was hooded, so we couldn’t see her face, and she eyed Kipa closely, then bent her knee to him.

“How may I serve you, Lord of the Wolves?”

“We need to journey to Herne’s castle in Annwn,” Kipa said. “We’ll be returning within a few hours.”

“One moment,” she said. She rose and turned to the nearest of the oaks. She pressed her hand to the trunk and a series of lights appeared, looking very much like a holographic numeric pad, with a series of abstract symbols to one side. She began to swiftly press the illuminated keys, her fingers flying so fast that I wondered how much information she kept in her head. After a moment, she turned back to us. “The portal is ready. You may enter.”

And just like that, Kipa gave her a solemn nod as Raven said “Thank you” and they headed into the portal, motioning for me to follow.

I’d been through several portals in my life so I was aware of what to expect. As I entered the vortex, the icy blue lights shifted and popped, and I closed my eyes as everything began to whirl around me. My body dissolved, spread over a thousand miles of emptiness, and then atom by atom, I began to come together again, my body vibrating as I stumbled out of the portal on the other side. I quickly looked around, trying to get my bearings.

We were standing in a courtyard, near an oak and a holly tree, staring up at a castle that soared into the sky. It had to be Caer Briar Shore. Herne and Ember’s castle. Overlooking a massive sea—Muir Leathan—the castle was at least four stories tall, and as broad as a mall. As we approached the pedestrian entrance, the Elves who seemed to make up most of the population that I could see dropped to one knee or curtseyed. Kipa flashed them a solemn smile, though he didn’t stop to speak, and waved as a group of guards quickly approached us and saluted.

“Your Lordship, forgive us. We didn’t realize you were coming through the portal today,” one of them said, looking flustered. “Let me send ahead to have your quarters prepared.”

“No worries. We’re here for a meeting and then we’ll be leaving again. But if you could bring us refreshments and let Lady Ember know we’re here. And if you’d notify Sejun that Lyrical is here?” Kipa motioned for me to follow Raven and him. “We’ll be in Lord Herne’s first-floor quarters.”

I followed them through the castle to a private suite. The guards opened the door for us immediately and we entered. The inside of the suite was painted a pale blue, and the furniture was dark walnut.

“This is pretty,” I said. “Is this where they live?”

Raven shook her head. “No, they have private quarters on every level of the castle. This is…like a secondary parlor. Come in and have a seat. Sejun will come to you, since you’re one of us.” She motioned to one of the serving girls who was scurrying over. “Luncheon, please. Cold meats, bread, cheese, fruit, and pastries will do fine. Also, coffee.”

The girl ducked into a deep curtsey. “Yes, Mistress Raven.” She was gone in the blink of an eye. It felt like old times, given I’d grown up very much in a place like this. Only the servants I’d known weren’t Elves, and the castle I’d lived in hadn’t been so fashionable.

I dropped into one of the chairs at the long walnut table, breathing slowly. “Everything’s so surreal. I’m not sure what to think anymore. Most of my life was spent in a castle as a princess, and then in a fortress as a slave, and then—for the past few months in a house in the middle of a busy city, and now, I’m back in a castle. But nothing’s the same. Everything changes, I guess.”

“Everything changes,” Raven said.

“If it stayed the same, you’d wither. Nothing can ever remain stationary without stagnating,” Kipa said. “As a god, I see things change constantly. Through thousands of years, I’ve watched as the world shifts and turns and moves. And yet, within that change, there are constants. The drive of men for power—men and gods, the will to harm, the will to love—all those factor in on a daily basis as the eons shift and move. After a while, the years themselves become meaningless, but small things continue to matter. A butterfly landing on your nose, the taste of a warm soup on a cold evening, your lover’s hand in yours. All that takes on an importance larger than war, larger than life itself.”

As he spoke, Kipa stoked the fire, waving away one of the serving boys. “Go rest. I’ll build up the fire, son.”

The boy gave him a grateful smile and scurried off.

“That was nice,” I said.

“That was easier than waiting for him to do it, and—” Kipa paused as two servants entered the room, carrying trays of food. They spread it out on the table, along with plates and silverware and goblets, and once again vanished quietly as he thanked them and shooed them out. “Well, feast away. There’s enough here for an army.”

Grateful, I cut open a baguette and spread butter on it. I added sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and then piled it high with roast beef and cheddar. Slapping the top on it, I cut the sub in half and took a large bite, closing my eyes as the flavors burst into my mouth.

Raven and Kipa both made sandwiches, and we sat around the table, eating. I finished my sandwich, then began to eat the berries and a danish. Raven and Kipa both decided to go for seconds, and I watched as they built their new sandwiches.

“I don’t know why I don’t make a second one,” I said, almost to myself. “I’m always ready for more.”

Raven snickered. “I’ll say. You always seem hungry.”

Sticking my tongue out at her, I chose another pastry with a cream cheese frosting and added some more berry compote to my plate. “What time is it?”

“It’s one-thirty. You have about an hour and a half. Would you like to take a nap, or maybe go for a walk?” Raven asked.

“I’d get lost if I went out on my own. I think maybe I want to sit quietly and meditate.”

I finished my meal and Raven asked one of the serving girls show me to a small, private room that seemed perfectly suited to meditation. There was a green cushion in the center, on a raised dais, and there appeared to be the frame of a pyramid over the cushion. The girl bade me to take a seat, so I carefully crawled inside the structure and sat down on the cushion.

From this vantage point, I could see lines of crystals affixed to the frame, and as I closed my eyes, the energy magnified in the already super-charged room. I folded my legs into the lotus pose, and rested my hands on my knees, my palms facing up. The servant closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

At first, all I could hear was the beating of my own heart, but then a soft whistling noise began to echo around me. It sounded like trickling water, which then became a roar, and the water began to call to my blood, beckoning me to join it. It was like music to my ears.

Though I had grown up in a castle, the spirit of water was in my blood and when I heard it, it sang to me—a song of freedom. Even among my own people, among my own birth family, I didn’t feel like I belonged as much as I did when I was wandering beside the ocean. I dropped my head back and let the energy rush over me, soothing my heart.

The next thing I knew, there was a tap on the door that brought me back, and when I called out “Come in,” Raven opened it and escorted a man inside. He was tall, like most Elves, with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were pale hazel, and he was lithe and trim.

“Lyrical, meet Sejun. Sejun—this is Lyrical. I’ll leave you to talk.” Before either of us could say anything, she withdrew, closing the door behind her. I unfolded my legs and slid out from the pyramid.

“Hello,” I said, holding out my hand. I felt incredibly awkward, but at least we were on neutral territory. This was neither his office nor my home.

“I’m pleased to meet you. Why don’t we sit down?” He motioned to a pair of leather chairs in the opposite corner of the room.

I followed him and took the chair where I could see the door. I hated being in rooms where my back was to the door. I wasn’t sure what to say next, so I waited.

He seemed to be in no hurry, but before the silence grew uncomfortable, he said, “Raven’s told me a little about why you wanted to see me. You were kidnapped and held captive, correct?” The tone in his voice told me Raven had told him more than just that, but he was letting me take my time around it.

I fastened my gaze on the wall behind him. “Yeah, and now he’s in town—over in Seattle—looking for me. He killed someone I know as a calling card.” My stomach flipped again as I thought of Rake. “Kilnakarn is a Kelpie king, one of the most cruel, vicious monsters you’ll ever meet. I’m terrified that he might catch me again, and I have to be able to react—I can’t freeze or panic if I end up having to face him again.”

Sejun crossed his hands over his middle. “Why don’t you start at the beginning. Take your time, and if you need a break, say so—or if you can’t speak, raise your hand.” His words were gentle, weaving a soft shroud of protection around me.

“I went out for a walk one day. My betrothed and I were on a picnic, and we got into an argument. He was angry that I wanted to wait on our marriage. So I told him to stay with the food while I went for a walk to the Shannon Estuary. The estuary was always a place of comfort for me, comfort and solitude, where I could get away to think.” The memory picked up and I found myself holding my breath.

“Did you want to marry him?” Sejun asked.

I thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. I thought I did. I would have—it was expected that I marry and produce heirs. I had to have daughters. The marriage was arranged but my family would have found a way to change it if I didn’t like him. So…yeah, I was willing to marry him and provide for him and the children.”

When I thought about what my life would have been, it seemed so long ago. Everything I had grown up with existed down at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel. And I had ventured outside and could never return. It would have been like trying to climb inside a movie that was over and done with.

“Go on,” he said.

I ducked my head. “I was walking along the shore, on the edge of the mudflats, when I saw a boat… No, not at first. I was letting the wind clear through my frustration and it was whipping by. But there was an energy among the elementals—something was clearly amiss. That’s when I saw the boat. I had no clue where it came from, or who was on it. But when it came close enough for me to see its flag, I knew I needed to get out of there. It was a green horse on a whitish background and I knew in my heart it was a Kelpie boat.”

Sejun said nothing, simply listened. I found myself opening up to him. He was a safe haven, a pillar of strength, and in the turmoil, I wanted to get it all off my chest, to finally vomit out the words and clear them out of my system.

“I tried to run. I tried to get away before they saw me. But they must have been watching for a while, because the next thing I knew, a mud golem rose up to block my way. It kept me from the shore. I heard someone behind me and looked back. There was a man as tall as he was handsome, but his smile was so cold, so aloof, and I knew that I couldn’t let him touch me. I ran and ran until I was ragged, but he chased me. I tried to put the golem between us, but he controlled it, and it herded me toward him. I tried to maneuver out of range, but every time I came near to escaping, something else sprang up to stop me. And then—I don’t remember exactly how—he had hold of me.”

“How’s your anxiety telling me this?” Sejun let me rest for a few seconds. “On a scale where zero is fine, and ten is panic mode.”

I was trying to control my breathing, but truth was, I was on my way to being fully immersed in the memories, and that small part of me who managed to reason and function my way through the day was screaming. “Not good. Eight going on nine. I’m having trouble breathing, and my anxiety is sky high.”

He leaned forward. “May I touch your wrist?”

I held out my arm. “All right.”

As he gently wrapped his hand around my wrist, an instantaneous rush of calming energy spread through me. It was as though I’d taken a toke of good weed. My chest loosened.

“What was that?”

“It’s a technique I learned that helps you detach from the energy,” he said. “Can you continue?”

I paused, checking myself. “Yeah, I can. I think.” I took another deep breath. I expected tears, but though they still seemed to be there, they weren’t as thick or as overwhelming.

“Kilnakarn and his men dragged me back to the boat. He cast a glamour on me so that I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t scream, couldn’t cry out. They carried me aboard their boat and made sail again while the fog cloaked their passage. That was the last free day I saw for over two years.”

“What do you remember? What physical movement triggers you from the experience?”

I forced myself to return to the scene. “The boat rocking. I was in a bunk, in a cabin, unable to move, cry, or speak. But I remember the boat creaking and rocking on the current, and I remember the smell of the blankets beneath me. They were musty, clouded with smoke. And I remember the smell of Kilnakarn, though I didn’t know it was him yet.”

“How long did the trip last?” Sejun asked.

“I don’t know…days, maybe? I truly don’t remember much. I think he drugged me, or cast some sort of spell on me so that he wouldn’t have any trouble out of me. I don’t know how long it was, but I spent a lot of that time trying to will myself to pass out so I wouldn’t think about what waited for me. I thought that I’d be held for ransom. I expected him to extort my family. I didn’t realize at that point that his wealth was far beyond ours. He didn’t need our money.”

Sejun waited, then said, “Something in your voice tells me that there’s more to that topic than you’ve mentioned.”

I stared at my hands. Finally, I whispered, “I think I was oddly grateful that he didn’t demand a ransom because there’s part of me that knows my family wouldn’t have paid it. My people hate the Dark Fae so much that they would have written me off as a lost cause even before they did. Even when she prevailed on Morgana, my mother didn’t know it was the Dark Fae who had captured me. So when I realized that I was Kilnakarn’s toy, I was oddly comforted. I didn’t have to face my family turning their backs on me. And I didn’t. At least, not until Morgana saved me, and they proved my hunch right.”

“How did that make you feel?”

Still under the effect of his calming touch, I gave him a half-hearted shrug. “What can I say? Once Morgana told them where I’d been, they did turn their backs on me. If they had known Kilnakarn had hold of me, they would have left me to rot in his clutches. When my mother begged Morgana to save me, she wanted me back until she found out what happened. Then she was done with me because I was tainted. The only person in that fucking family who gives a damn about me is my sister, Teralyn. And she’s been designated as the one who’s allowed to talk to me. Do I sound bitter?”

Sejun chuckled. “Bitter? Yes. But you have reason. I think that’s enough to start with. We have a lot to unpack, and we can’t do it too quickly. Here’s how this will work.” He held out a vial of pills. “You take these at night. They won’t dope you up, but they’ll let you rest easy. They’ll prevent nightmares from feeling too real.”

I took them, staring at the bottle. “Are they safe?”

“As safe as life itself, which means yes, as long as you’re not allergic to anything in them, they shouldn’t affect you badly. But over the coming weeks, you’re going to have flashbacks, and your instinct may to be to retreat into sleep, because it will be a safe place. I need you to resist that urge. I want you to keep a journal, and write down everything you remember. Find a safe space to scream. Work out, hard. Since you’re Leannan Sidhe, find a partner you can be rough with—sex for your kind is healing. Find someone safe to feed on. I want to see you twice a week for the first month, and then we’ll move to once a week.”

“Twice a week?” That seemed a lot. “Raven said that you saw her once a week, I think.”

“I saw her twice a week for a while, then once a week, and finally once a month. But be aware, since you were held captive for two years, we’re going to have a lot to process. However, for the current time, I can help to prevent panic attacks in case you see him or find yourself in a trigger situation. Did Raven explain how I work?”

I shook my head. “She kind of did but I’d rather hear it directly from you.”

“I draw the energetic component of the trauma off of you. It transfers through my body and is released to be cleansed by the universe. It will leave you with memories, but not the gut-wrenching reactions. I cannot—and will not—destroy your memories. I believe we need them, even the bad ones, to be complete.”

“But without the traumatic energy, they’re more like pictures in a book, right?” I began to understand how the healer worked. He seemed trustworthy and—in the core of my gut—I felt that I could trust him.

“Yes, they become like pictures and your cords to them no longer exist.” He motioned for me to hold out my hands. “I’m going to hold your hands, and I’m going to start the process, if you agree. You’ll notice a definite difference, though it won’t be anywhere near what it will be by the time we finish.”

I straightened my shoulders and held out my hands. “Heal me,” I whispered.

As he took my hands, energy began to circulate through my body like a river of silver fire. I wasn’t sure what it was doing, but I quit trying to figure it out and simply bathed in its light. After a while, it began to withdraw, streaming back into his hands. He sat back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I could almost swear he was about ready to cry, but then the creases vanished and the clouds lifted as he let go of my hands.

I tried to assess exactly how I felt, but somehow my shoulders felt lighter, as though I was carrying less of a burden.

“I… Something’s changed.”

“Don’t try to analyze it,” he said. “Let it be. Let it set. I’ll text you a time to next meet, and I’ll come to you.”

As he stood, I reached out and caught his hand again. “Sejun, tell me the truth. Do you think I’ll ever be whole again?”

He squeezed my fingers and gave me a sad smile. “I think you’ll be as whole as any of us who have walked through the fire. You’ll be stronger, you’ll be wiser, and you’ll understand yourself better. And in this world? That’s not a bad thing.”

As he escorted me out, back to where Raven and Kipa were waiting, all I could think of was that I’d be damned if I’d let Kilnakarn win. And the day I had to face him, I’d gut him like a fish out of water.

CHAPTER TEN

As I entered the living area of the suite, followed by Sejun, I got another surprise. Sitting there with Raven and Kipa was Ember. The goddess was obviously pregnant and by the look on her face, I could tell she was barely containing her frustration, but when she saw me, a smile spread across her face.

“Lyrical, I’m glad to see you. How did your appointment go?” She started to stand, but Raven grabbed her arm.

“Stay.”

Ember rolled her eyes, but quit trying to stand up. “Pardon me, but I’m not as limber as I was when I first met you. My mother-in-law sends her best, by the way.”

I wasn’t sure whether to curtsey or bow, and in my flustered state, tried to do both and almost faceplanted right in front of her. Like an idiot, I staggered to my feet again. “I’m sorry—”

But Ember was laughing. “That’s exactly like something I would have done. Sit down, please. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

I slid onto the sofa next to Raven, still feeling terribly conspicuous. “Thank you, Lady.”

“How did it go?” Raven asked, turning to me.

“It was…not what I expected.”

Sejun was standing near the door. “I have to go—I have another appointment waiting for me. I’ll see you on Monday at four p.m. at your office,” he said. “Remember to take those pills. One at night, right before bedtime. They act quickly, so it’s better if you’re ready to go to sleep.”

“I’ll remember. Thank you.” I waved as he slipped out the door. As it closed, I turned back to Raven. “He’s… It’s so different than what I thought.”

She gazed into my eyes. “I can already see the effect. He drew off some of the pain, didn’t he?”

I wasn’t sure if that’s what had actually happened, but it felt like that. “His touch—how did he learn to do that? Do all Elves have the ability?”

Ember spoke up. “No, not all. Sejun was born into a family of healers—everyone he’s related to has the ability to transfer trauma. It’s a complicated ability, and can’t be used willy-nilly, but when applied correctly it’s incredibly powerful.”

“I would think so,” I said. “Is he in great demand?”

“Yes, but he’s on our personal payroll, so to speak. He’s bound to Cernunnos, and by default, to Herne. For generations his family has worked on breeding the ability to stronger and stronger levels. They never marry out of their va’twan, and they are dedicated to their healing arts above all else.”

“What’s that?” I asked. I had never heard the term before.

“Va’twan? It translates roughly to…family unit, only it refers to a clan, rather than just one bloodline. Elves who are among the elite of their people live in…you’d call it a group, I suppose. They breed for abilities. In Sejun’s va’twan, their abilities are all aimed toward emotional healing. He feeds on pain, but not in the way a sadist does. He draws pain off others, and it strengthens him each time he does.” Ember shrugged. “It’s a mutation in the Elvish race, but it’s a helpful one.”

I wasn’t sure what to think about that. “Then…he’s like a helpful parasite?”

Ember snorted and Raven burst out laughing. Kipa was doing his best to keep a straight face.

“I suppose you could put it like that, but don’t let my BFF hear you. She and Sejun are an item.” She paused, then added. “She’s headed into the Gadawnoin soon, to elevate to goddesshood like me.”

That surprised me. “Do they let anybody do that?” Then, realizing how it had sounded, I blushed. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know you didn’t, and it’s actually a good question,” Ember said. “No, the gods are very picky about who joins them. But it was a given from the start that if I became a goddess, I was dragging her along with me. She’s finally ready.”

“I’d like to meet her sometime,” I said, realizing that also sounded pushy. “I’m sorry—again. I just… I don’t know how to talk to the gods.”

“With Herne and me, and even Morgana, be respectful but pretty much talk the way you normally do. I was mortal, and so was Morgana. Herne, of course, is a full god, but he’s younger and more impetuous than the old guard.” Ember yawned. “I’m sorry. Now I’m the one who’s apologizing. I never dreamed pregnancy would be so tiring. Never again, I tell you that. Once these three are out, that’s it. The baby factory is closed.” She grinned at me. “I’m not exactly mother material, but thank gods there are excellent nannies around.”

I returned her smile. “I hear you. If I had remained with my family and married, my husband would have been the caregiver.”

“That’s right, you’re full-blooded Leannan Sidhe. I never grew up around any of my people, except my parents, until they were killed. But I was never comfortable in my skin, given the situation. I’m glad you’re able to accept who you are.” She paused, then added, “After I pop these little lumps out, we’ll formally induct you into my service. I think it will be a learning experience for us both.” Then, with a quick but heartfelt goodbye, she allowed her guards to escort her out into the hall.

Raven turned to me. “Are you ready to go home?”

My stomach rumbled. “I’m starved, actually. For both chi and for food.” And I knew exactly who to turn to for the former. That is, if he was willing.

We made our way back to the portal. Raven and Kipa were discussing their plans for the weekend, but I was deep in my thoughts. The appointment with Sejun had been eye-opening, and finding out that he fed on the pain he extracted from his patients felt like an added layer of weird. But for the first time in a long time, I had hope.

* * *

Raven and Kipa drove me down to the office, and then followed me until I made it home. As I entered the house, Yutani was coming out of the bathroom. He was freshly showered; I could smell the scent of his musk from where I stood. He was in jeans, bare chested, his hair hanging loose and freshly washed and dried. I looked at him, and I licked my lips. I was hungry, so hungry that I could barely think.

I shut the door behind me, unable to pull my gaze away. He must have sensed my need because he tossed his towel over the back of the nearest chair and started toward me, his eyes dark and glittering. He paused by the sound system he had wired up and flipped a switch.

“Playlist 5.” As the music began, he hooked his thumbs through the loops on his jeans and took another step toward me. “Come here, Faerie.”

I let out a deep breath. “Are you up to it? I need it rough,” I said. “I need everything tonight, and if you can’t handle it, tell me now, so I can find someone who can.”

“Oh, I can handle you,” he said. “Try me.”

I circled him. The only sounds I could hear was the pounding in my heart and the heavy techno beat of Lady Gaga. My breasts rose and fell with the rhythm of the song. I slid into the cadence of the music as it flowed through my veins, as powerful as the blood that flowed through my veins. Music intoxicated me, more than alcohol, and a song could make or break my mood. And right now, the playlist Yutani had created made me ache for his touch.

I circled him and he followed my lead. Like two planets, we danced around each other, orbiting like twin stars. I reached down and unzipped my pants, my hands brushing over the smooth surface of the leather.

He watched, his eyes gleaming with a magical fire. “Touch yourself.”

Locking his gaze with my own, I slid my fingers down the open front of my pants and began to stroke myself. As my blood flared, I licked my lips with a throaty moan.

“What are you going to do to me?” I brought my fingers up to my mouth and slowly licked them. “I taste sweet, hot… Jealous?”

Yutani leaped forward, landing in front of me. He grabbed my wrist and brought my fingers to his mouth, where he deliberately sucked each of my fingers, one at a time, then pulled me tight against him, his arm roughly circling my waist.

I stiffened, waging war with him for control. It was a silent battle, one that we fought every time we came together for me to feed, only now it felt so much more serious. Two alphas matching pace, neither willing to budge. But as he pressed against me, hard and thick, he broke through my struggle to remain dominant.

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he caught my butt up, pressing me hard against the wall. Fastening my lips to his, I began to siphon chi off of him. The exhilarating rush of life force roiled through my blood, a wave of power and strength. Yutani’s life force spread through my body, buoying me up on a cloud of sex and strength. I gasped as he carried me over to the sofa as I continued to feed.

Yutani kicked aside the coffee table to give us room, then dropped to his knees on the floor, pulling me tighter onto his lap. I broke out of the kiss, panting.

“You drive me beyond control,” he whispered. He rose up, his chest firm and taut, his muscles gleaming in the early evening light as a light sheen of sweat beaded on his chest. I scrambled onto my own knees and leaned forward, running my tongue lightly down his torso, the taste of salt tingling on my tongue. He braced himself against a wingback chair, giving me the room to act.

I could barely think, my mind clouded by the sex haze, and all I knew was that I wanted him. I needed him, his chi, his cock, his body, his soul. I unbuckled his belt and slid it out of the loops on his jeans, tossing it to the side. As I unzipped him, his shaft rose up, thick, veins pulsing with desire. I wrapped my fist around him, sliding my lips over the head of his penis, forming a tight suction as I lowered myself onto him. As I bobbed up and down, sliding him deep into my throat, he began to run his hand through my hair, gently pulling as he stroked my head.

The mood shifted again as he reached beneath my arms and lifted me to stare in his eyes. He kept me transfixed as he began to unzip my corset. I silently raised my arms as he slid it off and tossed it to the side. The room seemed to be holding its breath as I shoved my pants down and leaned back, stretching out my legs. Still holding my attention, he pulled them off, one leg at a time, along with my thong.

I had been naked in front of him before, but not like this. My chest rose and fell, and I realized I was standing on the edge of a precipice, and one step in any direction would lead to a long fall into unknown territory.

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered, his body so tense he was trembling.

“This was a bad idea,” I whispered back. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. We’re on a slippery slope, you and I.”

“I live on the edge, and so do you,” he said, still never letting go of my gaze. “We live in a tightwire world, where there are no guarantees.” He reached out to stroke my face. “I will play by your wishes. But know that I want you. Head to toe. Body and spirit, Faerie.”

And then, I saw Kilnakarn’s face rising up in my head. “If I take you now, it will be in fury and anger. And I don’t want to do that to you.”

“I told you, I can handle it. My father is the Great Coyote. There’s nothing you can do to me that will permanently wound me. You can injure me, but you can’t kill me.” He reached out a hand to me. “Do what you need to. I’m here for you.”

Everything in my heart was screaming this was a bad idea, but my anger rose like a wave, fueled by the desire for vengeance. Unable to shake off the memories, I lunged toward Yutani, knocking him to the floor.

“Feed me,” I whispered, straddling him. I plunged down onto his cock as I pressed my breasts to his chest and fastened my lips on his. As I rode him hard, driving myself down on him again and again, I sucked his chi, letting my hunger take over. A moment later, I broke my lips away and reared up, fucking him as hard as I could. He rose up to meet me, wrapping his arms around my waist as I continued to grind against him. I encircled him with my arms, nails raking down his back, drawing blood.

As the blood trickled out of the scratches, I brought my fingers to my lips and sucked the droplets off of them, wanting him to see me at my worst, at my darkest.

“I’m no submissive sweetheart,” I said. “If you want me, this is who I am. No one owns me, regardless of the brand on my thigh. No one rules me. No one makes me kneel.”

Yutani rolled me over so he was on top of me, thrusting hard. “I don’t want you submissive,” he said in a throaty voice. “I’ve never met anyone who could match me, power for power, like this. Be who you are. Be who you need to be.” He gasped, his long hair trailing down to tickle my shoulders. “I’ll never own you, but give yourself to me, on whatever terms you decide.”

As he picked up the pace, his shaft sliding deep into my core, the anger began to recede as I started to come. I didn’t want to let go of control, but I had no choice. I couldn’t stave off the orgasm so I closed my eyes and let it wash over me, carrying me on the waves of the ocean as I began to whimper.

“Scream if you want,” he whispered. “Let it out.”

One more second and I let go, screaming his name, screaming my anger, screaming my need for the power that sex gave me. Yutani pressed his lips to mine and, once again, I accepted his chi as I came hard, shuddering again and again. And then, I was floating in a dark space, alone, weightless and all my cares streamed away. The next moment, I opened my eyes to find Yutani staring at me, still inside me.

He brushed his fingers over my face, his eyes luminous and on fire. Without a word, he kissed me—gently—and I kissed him back, tears streaming down my face. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. And even if this peace lasted only for the time it took us to uncouple, I cherished it.

“Thank you—” I started to say, but he pressed a finger to my lips.

“Thank you,” he said. “For trusting me.” After another moment he asked, “Are you hungry? For food?”

“Yeah, I’m starved,” I said, laughing. “But I need a shower first.”

“So do I. Together or separate?”

I thought about it for a moment. I needed some time to collect myself. “Separate, if you don’t mind.”

“Whatever you like,” he said, slowly rolling away. He extended a hand to me, and hauled me to my feet. As he held my fingers in his, I knew that our relationship had forever changed. I didn’t know how yet, but something had shifted at the core. I held his hand for a moment longer, then broke away and padded to my bathroom.

As I showered, lathering up and washing myself head to toe, I tried to keep my thoughts from the chaotic coyote shifter who was worming his way into my life. But his dark eyes that flared with fire loomed large in my mind, and I wondered what we had set in motion, and where it would lead us.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Next morning, as I woke up, I noticed a coyote sleeping at the foot of my bed. My first thought was that the coyote shifters were back. I leaped out of bed and grabbed my dagger off the nightstand.

“Don’t move!” I started backing toward the door, but the coyote woke, looking startled, then rolled on his back, showing his belly. “What the hell—”

The next moment, he shifted, blurring as I watched, and there was Yutani crouched in front of me, naked and fully awake. As I watched, he saluted me with full attention.

“Do you mind putting down the knife?” he asked, grinning. “I’d rather not have any chance of accidents.”

I set down my dagger and hopped back on my bed, cross-legged against the headboard. “What were you doing there?”

He shrugged, joining me, sitting on his knees. His body was smooth, long and lanky but also muscled in all the right ways. Every time I got close to him, his natural scent sent me reeling. Something about him made me want to crawl into his arms, to fuck him, to drink from him. As chaotic as he was, his presence made me feel. He would kill for me, if I needed him to.

“I wanted to make sure nothing came through your window.” He shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Oddly, I didn’t mind. Normally, waking up to find someone in my bedroom would have freaked me out—at least now. When I was still living at home, I was used to servants coming and going, but life with Kilnakarn had ended that peace of mind.

Yawning, I shook my head. “No, actually. I’m grateful you cared enough to watch over me. So, time to get ready for work?”

“Yeah. But…” He paused, leaning forward onto his hands and knees. He looked like a tightly wound spring. “Your call,” he challenged me.

Every inch of my body screamed for him. I was full up on chi, but I still craved his touch. I couldn’t say no.

“I’m on top,” I said, my lips dangerously close to his. Silently, I dared him to make the first move, to roll me over and pin me down. He held me in thrall, like I was bewitched. And yet…I knew I wasn’t. Something about him lured me in, promising dark, sultry nights in a rose garden filled with thorns.

“Not this time,” he countered. “This time, I’m the top, and you learn what it means to be with a gentle master, with someone who will kiss away your tears. I can teach you to top from below, if that’s what you want.”

We poised, lips almost touching, gazes locked in a battle of wills. But then, the heat between us was too strong and we lunged at the same time, a tangle of arms and legs, and he pressed me up against the headboard, propped on the pillows as he slid inside me.

“You’re so slick,” he whispered. “Squeeze me tight.”

I tightened my muscles, squeezing firmly around his girth, holding him tightly inside me. He moaned and rolled backward into a sitting position, bringing me with him. Impaled on his shaft, I straddled his lap, my boobs staring him in the face. He began to suck my nipple, working his mouth around my breast. I dropped my head back, moaning as the hunger rose in me. I was full of chi, but I wanted more. As I cupped his chin and brought his gaze up to meet mine, I latched onto his lips, inhaling the fragrant life energy that flowed around him like a cloak of mist.

As I rocked back and forth on his lap, a lazy, melancholy mood surrounded me and I wrapped my arms around Yutani’s neck. The drink became a kiss, and before I knew what was happening, he had me down in bed, beneath him, hips pivoting as he thrust as deep as he could, filling me to the core. I arched against him, trying to catch my breath, but as he pinned me down, driving himself into me, I grasped the covers tight in my fists as I cried out, giving into the orgasm as it ripped through me. The next moment, he came, arching back, then collapsed, resting against my chest. We were both sweaty, and he looked as surprised as I felt.

“Well,” I whispered. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he said, rolling over. “I can’t get enough of you.”

That worried me. My kind could be addictive—we were like opiates to men, and to some women. A virus in their blood. The glamour of the Leannan Sidhe was hard for anybody to resist. It was more than the fact that we were Fae. We bewitched by our very nature.

“You know I’m Leannan Sidhe,” I said, pushing myself back so I was sitting up against the headboard again.

“I know. And I know all about the glamour—I remember once when Ember tried to lure me into her web. She was spurred on by Kelpies who were trying to use her Leannan Sidhe side. She would have killed me.” He cupped my chin in his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not caught in your spell. I do get fixated—it’s my nature. But you’re not to blame.”

There it was again. “I do get fixated…” I wondered if he could control it. Most men could, but Yutani was beginning to grow into his heritage, and his hormones were on full alert. But I wasn’t much better right now. I found him intoxicating. The more I swallowed his chi, the more I wanted. This hadn’t happened with the artists I had played muse to. I had always had control, and it had almost been a game with me, playing with them like favorite pets. But this was different.

Yutani was brilliant, and that was one tick in the check box. He was gorgeous—yet another tick. And he was intense, yet a third.

Even Colin, my betrothed back before Kilnakarn caught hold of me, hadn’t been able to keep me enthralled. It was to be a marriage of economics. Colin would have made a suitable husband. He would have played his role with grace, tended to the children, been the perfect host, and would have made my paramours welcome. But though I had been fond of him—even loved him, to the best I could—I had never felt he was my match.

A thought struck me, but I decided to wait and ask Talia about it. “We should get ready for work,” I said.

Yutani extended a hand to me. “Quick shower?”

“Yes, but separately. We don’t have time for another flier now.”

And so, we rinsed off, got dressed, and headed down to the office. But all the way, I was wondering what the hell I’d been thinking. Only I knew that I hadn’t been thinking, at least not with my head. And thinking with my clit wasn’t likely the wisest course of action.

* * *

At the office, we walked into chaos. Herne was yelling on the phone and Talia was glued to the computer, while Wager and Wendy were arguing over a pair of crossbows.

“I don’t care what you think. This is going to lead to a meltdown, and if you think that’s not going to spill out into the city, think again.” Herne paused, then disconnected and shoved his phone into his pocket. “Everybody, in the break room. We have damage control to attend to. Now.”

I gulped. Something had gone down, all right. I glanced over my shoulder at Yutani, who was right behind me. He shook his head and motioned to the break room. I kept my mouth shut, and hustled toward the door.

Once we were all gathered around the table and the break room, Herne joined us, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He spooned five spoons of sugar in it, a sure sign that something was wrong. From what I gathered he was normally a black coffee sort of guy.

“For those of us who joined us late,” he said, looking pointedly at Yutani and me, “that was the mayor’s office. The vampires are definitely heading back into the catacombs, and because we warned them about the dragons, they’ve put a bounty on any dragon’s head. They’re offering $100,000 per dead dragon. Now, granted dragons aren’t supposed to be in the city limits and the police have authorization to attack on sight, this is going to cause havoc.”

“What do you expect to happen?” Kipa asked.

“First, the conspiracy theorists are at it again. They believe that the government orchestrated the whole dragons-taking-over event to divert our attention from the government’s misdeeds. So they’re going to latch onto this as further evidence.”

“Okay, what else?” Yutani asked.

Exasperated, Herne threw a file folder jampacked with paper onto the table. “This file is a list of people who have been killed by the dragons since they first arrived. And that means directly killed. Not incidental or collateral damage. Even facing a file this thick, those wingnuts refused to accept that dragons are dangerous. And now, some idiot group who calls themselves Dragons Reborn is planning a massive protest near the catacombs next week.”

“And that’s a problem how?” Wager asked.

“That’s a problem because it will provide Gyell and his cronies information that we’re onto them. It will also attract wannabe dragon hunters. And if the vamps are back by that point, given they haven’t seen humans in quite a while, the proximity to the crowd could set off their hunger. While most are good at observing the rules, I’m thinking about the rogues hiding in the group. They’ve been down in the underground so long that I’m afraid some may have lost their civilized natures. All in all, this is a host of trouble that we don’t need or want.”

“And the problem with the mayor’s office is…?” I asked.

“They refuse to tell the vampires to back away from the bounty. So not only will we have a bunch of fools running around trying to protect the dragons, but we’ll have wannabe bounty hunters shooting up the area and probably catching innocent bystanders in the crossfire. I asked the mayor to institute a curfew for the next couple weeks, but people are so worn down by the whole Dragonni saga, she doesn’t want to agitate the public any more that they already are. I’m trying to point out that our problems with the dragons—while definitely less than they were—are not over yet.”

Herne looked fit to be tied. It must be hard, I thought, to be one of the gods and watch mortals putting themselves into harm’s way because they didn’t want to listen to reason.

“Is there anybody else who can talk to the mayor and try to convince them?” Yutani asked. “Maybe Saílle and Névé? They have no love for the dragons, either.”

“Now that the dragons are mortal, the Fae Queens seem to be right back at their old tricks and I doubt if they’ll care that much. This sort of impaired, insular thinking needs to be discouraged. If nothing else, dealing with the dragons should have taught us that we need to stand together.” Herne looked ready to throw his phone across the room.

“I hate to ask this in the middle of a crisis, but is there any more word on Kilnakarn?” While it was mostly germane to my own life, the fact was that Kilnakarn could make anyone miserable. If he decided to kidnap several women from the area, the locals would be up in arms.

“Yes, but I’ll get to that in a moment. This whole mess with Mayor Serenades has sort of pushed itself to the front. When Maria was the deputy mayor, she was always helpful. But now that she took over the post of mayor, she seems to be following in Neskan’s footsteps. I had thought once Serenades managed to depose Brenda from office and take over, things would get better. But it looks like the same old, same old. Remind me never to support local politicians again.” Herne shook his head.

“Do you think the power went to her head?” Wager asked.

“No. I think the position itself is fraught with landmines. When she was deputy mayor, Serenades could afford to lean more to our side of things. Now that she’s the actual mayor, she needs to please all those people who helped her buy her way into office. Because we know that’s what happened. And she only managed that because Neskan was a public supporter of the dragons, a decision that will haunt her forever.”

“What about talking to Dormant Reins? If he could be made to understand the danger of putting out a bounty on dragons, he might be willing to withdraw the offer.” Yutani snagged a doughnut off of the plate in the center of the table.

“That’s an idea,” Herne said. “In fact, I have an appointment with him at three to discuss the whole situation. Lyrical, I want you and Wager to accompany me.”

I was surprised Yutani wasn’t on the list to go. But instead of looking upset, Yutani tossed back the rest of his coffee.

“What’s Talia looking for?” Yutani asked.

It was then that I noticed that Talia hadn’t joined the rest of us.

“She’s looking up records for a case from a little over three years ago. We’re being sued by a family member of a doctor we took out. He was Dark Fae, ousted from the courts because he decided to experiment on some of his patients. He was in cahoots with a terrorist group called the Tuathan Brotherhood, and we ended up killing him during an interrogation. He had a cousin who is now on the outs with Saílle, and his cousin’s home and possessions were confiscated by the Saílle’s court. I suppose that he—Zina Nalcops—has decided this is the only way to make back the money that Saílle stripped away from them.”

Herne rolled his eyes. “Talia is looking for all the documentation we have on that case. There’s very little chance that it will ever make it to court of law, but we want to be prepared in case.”

Yutani looked like he was about to spit nails. “Let me get this straight. Nalcops’s cousin is suing us for killing him, who was aiding and abetting a domestic terrorist organization run by a crazed would-be god? Okay then. That’s just what we need.”

“I don’t think it will come to that,” Herne said. “For one thing, I was conducting the investigation under the authority of the United Coalition. Therefore, I held the law of the land behind me. Second, the courts don’t usually take a friendly stance toward cray-cray.

“All right, Lyrical, you and Wager meet me in my office to discuss our meeting with Dormant Reins. Yutani, you help Talia. The files in our original office were destroyed during the dragon attacks. We’ve had to try to piece as much as we could together again from the electronic files that survived. I’m pretty sure that there are some massive gaps in our history.”

As we stood to go, I grabbed a couple of the doughnuts off the platter on the center of the table. I looked up to see Herne watching me, almost as though he was trying to get a read on something. Following both him and Wager, I steeled myself for the meeting with the vampires this afternoon. I had never met a vampire in my life and I wasn’t sure how to prepare myself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Wager held the door for me. He was ever the gentleman. Kipa treated him oddly, and I wondered what the story was there, but then again, Kipa kept an even closer watch on Yutani, so I had the feeling the issue might have a common root.

We sat in the chairs opposite Herne’s desk. Within less than twenty-four hours, the room had made a remarkable change and I could see Herne’s touches everywhere. From the swordfish on the wall behind the desk, to the antlers lining the walls, the office had taken on a life it never had when Yutani manned it.

Herne wasted no time. “All right, Lyrical, have you ever dealt with vampires?”

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. What do I need to know?”

“Can you be affected by glamour?”

“Depends on who’s behind it.” Most of the Fae couldn’t touch me when it came to glamour. On the other hand, there were all types of magical creatures, including the magic-born, who could use various charm spells.

“I’m talking vampiric glamour. I know it could affect Ember, so I assume it can affect you as well?” Herne frowned, as though he had tasted something bad.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest. I’ve never met a vampire.”

“Are we meeting with anybody else besides Dormant?” Wager asked.

Herne shook his head. “Only Eldris will be there as well. He’s firmly in Dormant’s pocket. Or perhaps it’s the other way around.”

“Eldris owns a nightclub called Fire and Fang. It’s also a brothel, for those with…peculiar tastes,” Wager explained to me. “One warning—Eldris is as attractive as Dormant is frightening. And he knows how to use his power.”

“How do I shield against them? I’ve never had to ward against a vampire before and I have no clue on how to do so.” I knew myself well enough. Put me near a gorgeous, charismatic man—or woman—and I’d respond, even if I never did anything about it. But one with the power to mesmerize? I was a sitting duck.

Wager rubbed his chin. “It’s difficult, even for someone like me who’s been around vampires most of my life. There isn’t much that you can do against it, but pain can shake you out of it, so I often wear a large pewter ring—never silver. Never, ever wear silver around a vampire you’re trying to befriend. It’s an insult. I turn the ring around so the lion is inside my palm and I squeeze my hand over it. The discomfort helps me keep focused.”

“Then it’s pretty much self-discipline or willpower?” I reached up to my necklace—the one Ember had given me. It was silver. “I suppose I’d better take this off?”

Herne nodded. “I’ll put it in my desk for safekeeping. Ember will understand.”

The pendant was shaped like the High Priestess tarot card, made of silver and crystal. Ember had given it to me when I first met her, as a signal that I belonged to her. I hadn’t removed it since that day and I realized now that I’d feel naked without it. I unfastened it and reluctantly handed it to Herne.

“I feel like I just did something wrong,” I said.

“That’s because you’re bound to her, even though you haven’t been through the formal ceremony yet. It’s a good sign. But I guarantee you, she’ll understand why you aren’t wearing it.” He tucked it into his desk drawer. “Something to know about Dormant Reins. He doesn’t pay attention to women much, which means you can watch for nuances that I might miss when I’m talking to him. He doesn’t like dealing with women in business, but he will when there’s no other option. He’s what you call a man’s man. Old money, country club, cigar-smoking godfather type. Chrome and glass, dark heavy wood…designer suits.”

I knew the type. “I hear you. Old school. I’ll try to behave.”

Wager chuckled. “That’s what Ember said, I believe. Somehow, I think you’re even harder to corral than she was.”

Meeting his gaze, I couldn’t help but grin. “Herding cats.”

“Yeah,” Herne said. “Well, defer to me, even if it chafes. As far as Eldris is concerned, he likes women. Too much,” he added, an edge to his voice. “My guess is one look at you and he’s going to outdo himself in trying to get you between the sheets.”

I sputtered. “I make the—”

“Be aware, he may try to glamour you. But Wager and I will be there. Don’t go off on your own. If you need to use the restroom, ask one of us to accompany you to stand outside the door. I know this seems like overkill, but the vampires rule the finances of the world, and they have fingers into every single pie on the planet. Every government, every town, has some sort of vampire influence. We have to stay on their good side, for the sake of the entire city.”

“They sound like some sort of covert organization—shadow figures in control of puppets.”

“In a way, they are. They stay out of most affairs unless it directly interferes with their interests or if they think it will affect their future. But given the agreements they have with the government regarding vampire attacks, I’d say humanity is getting off fairly easy. Vampires are among the top line of predators—and if they chose, they could ravage society.” Herne shrugged. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And never mistake vampires for friends. Even Charlie. Even now, he wields more power than anybody here but me. He’s an easy acquaintance, but I wouldn’t hesitate to stake him if he went rogue.”

Wager snorted. “I’m probably closer to the vampires than anyone in this agency, and even I walk gently around them. They saved my ass, so I owe them. But I’m very careful about how and what I promise them.”

“Some caveats,” Herne said. “Dormant will search us. No daggers, nothing that even resembles a stake. We go in unarmed, which isn’t comfortable, but it is what it is. No silver. If a vampire’s angry, or hunting, their eyes turn crimson. Their fangs aren’t always visible—they can withdraw. When they’re comfortable and fed, you can’t necessarily tell if someone’s a vampire by their teeth. And of course, they can’t walk into the sunlight. Fire can also hurt them.”

“They’re strong, right?”

Wager answered. “Oh, their strength supersedes most everyone, except for the gods and the dragons. Don’t ever think you can fight against one and win, unless you’re carrying silver or a stake.”

I was beginning to get the creeps. It sounded like we were gearing up for a war, learning everything about our enemies that we could. “What do they think of mortals?”

Herne paused, then said, “Some actually like humans and Otherkin. Others barely tolerate anyone they consider inferior. It’s all up to the individual vamp. I guess that’s about as much as we can prepare you. So much with them is nuance. But you might want to cover your neck.”

I was wearing jeans and an acrylic-boned overbust corset. My neck and shoulders were bare. “Too much of a temptation?”

“Yeah,” Wager said. “That smooth neck of yours? It’s an open invitation. Wear a light sweater or something over your top and you’ll be fine.”

“I should get a spiked collar,” I muttered. “I hate covering up because of someone else’s issues.”

“I hear you,” Wager said. “But remember, this isn’t some slimy incel. We’re talking about vampires—a totally different breed. They live by their own rules, and to them, you and I are a can of soda. Regardless of how polite they can be, we are the potato chips of their world—hard to eat just one.” He stood. “I’ll get everything ready that we need for the meeting.”

I started to stand but Herne stopped me. “I need to talk to you alone for a moment,” he said.

I waited until Wager left the office, shutting the door behind him. “Did I do something wrong?”

Herne shook his head. “No, but I need to discuss a delicate subject with you.” He locked his gaze on me and I suddenly felt the age and power behind those eyes. “You know what I’m talking about.”

My stomach lurched. “Yutani?”

“I wouldn’t pry if I didn’t think this could affect the office, but what’s the nature of your relationship with him? Something’s changed. It’s easy enough to see.”

“Well…” I wasn’t sure what to say. Finally, I said, “We’ve become lovers. It started out with him letting me feed on his chi when we first moved in together. I reciprocated by—and he didn’t push for this, I offered—occasionally giving him a BJ or a hand job, to help him relieve the tension that built up around us.”

“But now that’s shifted?” Herne asked.

“Yeah, the energy between us exploded. We’ve become full lovers. Friends with benefits?” I didn’t want to admit how deep our connection seemed to go, because even I didn’t understand it.

“That would be fine, but this is more than that. I’ve seen Yutani obsessed with one other woman, and it lasted long after she found a lover and became engaged to him.”

“Raven?” I guessed.

“He became obsessed with her to the point of where we had to call him on it. She actually had to ask for our help because, even though she liked him, she wasn’t interested in him. So in that case, he was hot and heavy for someone who wouldn’t respond. But now…you and he are actually lovers. And I know him well enough to know that’s going to mean more to him than he’ll ever admit.” Herne propped his elbows on the desk. “Yutani’s…an odd duck.”

“He’s chaotic,” I said. “You think he’s going to obsess over me?” I thought about the warning signs I thought I’d noticed. Maybe they were more than just my imagination.

“I think that may end up the case. I think that his heritage plays into this somehow—the fact that the Great Coyote is his father. While it’s not necessarily in the Trickster’s nature to fixate, I think that Yutani’s brain is wired that way. I guess what I’m saying is, are you prepared to have him shadowing you for as long as it takes to break the fascination?”

“What broke his obsession with Raven?” I asked.

“You, I think. Even though he left her alone, he never quite got over his bitterness that she chose Kipa over him.” Herne sighed. “Don’t get me wrong—I love the guy. He’s my right-hand man and we go way back. But I’ve watched him spin off the rails more than once and he’s reckless when that happens.”

I tried to process what Herne was saying. “Are you implying I could be in danger if I decide to break out of the relationship?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think Yutani’s the type to hurt a woman who walks away from him. I’d place a bet on that, in fact, but…once he latches on, he doesn’t let go. I’m saying you need to ask yourself how far in with him do you want to be. Because once you’ve got him hooked, you may be stuck with the fish for a long, long time.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Hmm. Thing is, and this may be TMI for you, but when we’re together, our chemistry explodes. He drives me crazy, Herne. And not in a bad way. He takes my breath away and no one in my life has ever been able to do that. I don’t know if I could ever fall in love with him—I’m not monogamous. The Leannan Sidhe, by our very nature, aren’t satisfied with one man. But he stirs me. He’s intoxicating.”

Herne straightened and began organizing the papers on his desk. “Well, I can’t—and won’t—tell you to stop seeing him. But I’m convinced that the two of you are trouble. As long as you’re aware of what could happen, that’s the best I can do.”

I stood. “Lecture over? No—” I held up my hand. “I know you’re trying to help. And I thank you,” I said. “Trust me, I know Yutani and I aren’t the best match, but maybe this is some karmic connection that has to play out. Whatever the case, I’ll try to be cautious.” I paused, then asked, “You said you had more information about Kilnakarn?”

“His boat’s moored in the same place. We’ll talk about what to do with him tomorrow. I’m afraid that the meeting today has to take precedence.” He motioned to dismiss me. “We’ll head out at around two-thirty, if you’d tell Wager.”

I told Wager. As I headed back to my desk, I decided to ask Talia about Yutani. I stopped at the front desk, which was a large U-shaped desk. Talia was frowning, staring at some article she was reading on the computer.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I asked, leaning against the desk.

Her eyes twinkling, she invited me to sit down. “Of course. Sit down on this side, it’s closer to the damned printer. I hate doing this work,” she added. “I miss researching. I’m not great with coordinating all the details. Thank gods that Herne’s given me permission to look for another receptionist. I wish Angel could come back. She was good at all of this.”

“So,” I said, settling into the chair on the other side of the desk. I lowered my voice. “What was the thing with Yutani and Raven?”

Talia paused, then cleared her throat. “Why?”

“Because I just had an interesting discussion with Herne in which he gave me a couple of veiled warnings.” I paused, glancing away. I realized that I’d have to tell Talia about Yutani and me if I wanted her input.

But she was a step ahead of me. “Oh…I see. I thought something felt different between the two of you when you came in.” She glanced around, checking to see that nobody else was around. “Listen, he went overboard. I’m not going to say he was stalking her, but she had to ask us to get him to back off. He never quite got over the rejection, though he did cool his jets.” She paused, then understanding filled her eyes. “Herne’s afraid that Yutani will become obsessed with you, too?”

“I didn’t realize how much he fixates. Even after just a couple days, I’m beginning to think this might not have been the brightest idea. Trouble is, we spark. At least on a physical level. We have chemistry. I do like him, and he likes me. We get along well together. We make good roommates, but we’ve blurred the boundaries now. If I had known he was…” I trailed off.

“But would you really have backed off?” Talia asked. “I know we’ve only been acquainted a couple of months, but Lyrical, you’re as hot-headed and chaotic as he is. I think you spent so much time in a situation where all you could do was react that you’re rebeling now. You’re ignoring the warning signs. Can you honestly say you didn’t know about Yutani’s nature until now? We’ve all known him for a lot longer, but it didn’t take long for me to understand that he lives in a very kinky world. Trickster gods are always a bit off beam.”

She stopped as the door to Yutani’s office opened and he emerged. Taking hold of my forearm, she examined the tattoo she had given me that was a symbol that I belonged to the Wild Hunt. “So, anyway, the tattoo is looking good. All healed up. You said you were considering a new one?” she asked as Yutani headed over to the desk.

I caught her drift. “Yeah, I’m thinking of a tarot card. Maybe after I formally pledge myself to Ember.”

Yutani paused, glancing from Talia to me. “You thinking of more ink?”

I licked my lips awkwardly. “Yeah, actually, I am.”

“Well, Talia’s good at it—she’s never made a mistake on any of us.” With that, he tossed a couple files on her desk. “I finished taking care of those. I’m going to contact a few of our informants and set one to tailing Kilnakarn.” He paused, then added, “Be cautious down in the catacombs. If you’ve never dealt with vamps before, they can be creepy as fuck. But you’ll be fine, as long as Herne’s there.”

“Thanks,” I said, watching as he headed back into his office. Even though he hadn’t said a word about our relationship, I had felt the pull. I knew that he was waiting for me to follow him, that he was in there, counting the seconds that passed.

“Are you all right?” Talia asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I honestly don’t know.” Even though I knew he wanted me to join him, I turned away and headed back to my own office. I never caved to men, and while I liked Yutani, I realized how rash I had been, but I had no idea how things were going to play out. Maybe they’d be fine. Yutani and I did mesh. But I had an odd niggling that things were going to get more complicated before they became clear.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Wager, Herne, and I headed out to meet Dormant Reins and Eldris. As much as they had tried to prepare me for meeting the vampires, I was nervous. The legends and lore that had built up around bloodsuckers was legion, and most of it was frightening, to say the least. Oh, we all knew that vampires existed, except for a handful of religious zealots, and they didn’t count since they didn’t believe in much of anything other than their own skewed version of the universe.

It still amazed me how in the current era, there were still people who believe the Earth was flat, that Otherkin didn’t exist, that white, human, and male were the finest specimens on the planet. For a minority, they were extremely vocal and hate groups abounded. Luckily, the United Coalition had enacted numerous laws against hate crimes, and they were swiftly punished. It didn’t stop the smaller factions from causing havoc, but it ensured that when they were caught, they were treated as they should be.

As we approached the Viaduct Market, Wager seemed to sense my tension, because he looked over his shoulder into the back seat at me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I suppose. I’m just a little nervous. As I told you before, I’ve never met a vampire face-to-face, and I’m not sure what to expect. I guess until you actually encounter one, the image of Dracula looms heavy in your mind. At least it does for me.”

“There are reasons for the stereotypes,” Herne said. “Until the last hundred years or so, vampires truly did present a dangerous problem. And they still do, when you are talking about the rogues. But once Dormant Reins and his partners realized exactly how the modern era was going to go, they decided on an approach that made far more financial sense. Given the rise of technology, it became much easier for them to become entrenched in society and create a space where they were not only accepted, but necessary. Nobody understands why vampires have such good financial instincts, but they seem to all have a cunning for coin. And they put it to good use.”

“Are there banks that aren’t run by the vampires?” I asked. I wasn’t that familiar with human banking systems.

“A few, and a number of credit unions that are shifter specific, magic-born specific, human specific. But even they have to deal with the Vampire National Banking System. I’m not sure if that’s the actual name for it, but you get the drift. Essentially, if you have anything to do with modern money or credit, you’re going to be dealing with the vampires.”

“But what happened when the dragons arrived? With them all deep underground, why didn’t the banking system collapse?”

“They had that all sewn up,” Wager said. “They have so many contingencies in place for emergencies that all they had to do was set into motion one of their plans. Everything’s been running like clockwork, so they obviously have a good dose of long vision.”

I thought about it for a moment. It would make sense, given how long-lived they were. A vampire who avoided being staked, shoved into a fire, or walking into the sun could theoretically live forever. Or at least as long as the planet held out. I wasn’t sure how their mental state would be by then, but it did make me wonder how old the oldest vampires in the world were.

As we approached the Viaduct Market, Herne pulled into one of the refurbished parking lots. The concrete had that newish look to it that said it had been recently poured. And that got me to thinking along another direction.

“How much of Seattle was destroyed during the dragon fight?” I asked. “And was Echidna truly on our side?” It actually astonished me that even some of the dragons had been on the side of mortals.

“Yes, she was, and now she’s trapped with Typhon in that interdimensional prison. I dread to think what he’ll do to her in there, although he was so weakened that she may be able to finish him off for good.” Herne cleared his throat. “A large portion of the downtown Seattle area was destroyed, along with random spots around the greater metropolitan area. We weren’t the only business destroyed. They strafed the entire area between the docks and Third Street.”

He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the ignition. “We’re going in through a different entrance than you and Wager and Wendy did. Wager has a key for this spot, too.”

As he hopped out of the car, I opened the back door and jumped out, slamming the door behind me. But instead of heading into the market, Wager led us out of the parking garage, into an open lot next door.

The rubble of whatever building had been on the lot had been removed, with the exception of a spare brick here and there. Weeds and grass were growing through the cracks in the pavement, already proving that life always found a way. On the back end of the lot, a small metal shack had been set up. Perhaps it’d been there before—it was weathered, with dents here and there. I wasn’t sure, nor was I sure who owned the lot or what the building was for.

Wager led us over to the shed, but he didn’t stop at the door in front. The padlock looked secure, beyond the scope of bolt cutters. Instead, Wager led us around to the side, near the edge of the lot, which buttressed against a retaining wall. Overhead, an overpass from one of the city streets loomed. It, too, had been damaged during the dragon’s attack, and there was still a pie-shaped slice taken out of it, which eliminated any possibility of road traffic.

I pointed up toward the road. “Are they going to fix that? It looks like it could topple onto the parking lot at any minute.”

Herne shook his head. “I remember reading about that. That’s the Elliott Avenue viaduct and it was built a few years ago to connect Elliott Avenue with Alaskan Way. They’re planning on fixing it, because while that section did collapse, inspection showed the rest of it is fairly intact. But there are so many other damaged streets that it’s lower on the priority list. For all the damage the dragons did, I will say that the local government is doing a good job of working through the projects.”

“That must have been traumatizing for anybody who was caught in it,” I said.

“It was, and while there were a lot of casualties, I’m surprised there weren’t more. All right, lead on,” Herne said.

Wager was around back of the building now, where no one could see us. We had the retaining wall in back of us. There was nobody overhead as far as I could tell, and other people in the parking lot weren’t paying much attention. He ran his hand over the smooth metal wall, stopping at one of the rivets. Then with his other hand, he reached up to touch another one of the rivets.

He pressed both simultaneously, and a small panel opened in the side of the wall. There was a keypad on it, and Wager tapped in a numeric code. The next moment, the keypad disappeared back inside the wall as a pocket door slid open.

“Wow, I would never have known the door was there,” I said.

Wager stepped inside, motioning for us to follow him. We did, finding ourselves in a small square space. Wager pressed an illuminated button on the wall and the door closed behind us. He pressed a second button, and the room started to rumble as we began to descend. It was then that I realized we were in an elevator.

“Who the hell thought of this?” I asked.

“The vampires,” Herne said. “They have a number of secret entrances into the catacombs, and this is one of them.”

As we descended, I strained my ears, trying to hear anything that might be coming from the outside. But it was silent except for the rumble of the elevator car. It came to a stop and the door slid open. Wager stepped out, glancing both ways, then motioned for us to follow him.

We were in a dimly lit corridor, in a hallway that ran both left and right, as well as straight ahead. I didn’t know what level of the catacombs we were in, but once again we were deep beneath Seattle.

* * *

Wager looked around for a moment. Then, without a word, he crooked his finger and headed to the left. Herne and I followed, our footsteps echoing in the dust as we strode along the corridor. We might as well be carrying a sign that said “We’re on the way,” I thought. It felt like we were in a fairytale, hunting through hidden lands for a secret entrance through which to rescue the princess. Except that I was the princess here, and I’d already been rescued.

Finally, we came to a wide door. Over the door was a neon sign that read “Fire & Fang.”

Wager turned around. “Remember, address the Regent as ‘Regent Reins.’ Allow him to speak first, never threaten him, make no sudden moves, and don’t ask favors unless you are willing to pay a steep price.”

Herne motioned. “Lead on.”

Wager pushed open the door of the nightclub, and in we went.

Fire & Fang was an impressive club. I couldn’t even count how many booths lined the walls, and each one seemed to have some sort of privacy shade near it. The silence in the club echoed as though it were some supernatural visitor, and I found myself holding my breath, not wanting to make a sound. To one side, a spiral staircase led up to a door on what appeared to be a second floor of the club. The bar was made of heavy wood, and the counter looked like polished marble, looking very old world and expensive. Bar stools lined the counter, fully cushioned and covered in a red velvet print. A dim light illuminated the bar, and I noticed that one of the booths appeared to be occupied. The next moment, a man appeared out of almost nowhere, startling me.

He had long hair, almost platinum and smooth as silk. His eyes were as blue as early morning sky, and he was trim, yet muscled enough to be attractive. The man was wearing a pair of leather pants and he had on a leather jacket but no shirt beneath it. Gold chains encircled his neck, and his features were so fine that I’d describe him as beautiful. My knees grew weak as he surveyed the three of us, a sly smile creeping over his face.

“Well, it’s been a while, Herne. Lord of the Hunt. I recognize Wager, but who is this lovely piece of flesh?”

I bristled, but I still found myself getting wet as he spoke. His voice was as sensuous as his looks, and my nipples hardened beneath my corset. I forced myself to stay in place and play the Ice Queen. As I looked away from his insistent gaze, I tried to keep my thoughts from wondering what he looked like naked, and I kept reminding myself that this man was dead. Well, undead. I had never been into necrophilia and I wasn’t going to start now, even though that wasn’t technically the accurate term for fucking a vampire.

As if sensing my arousal, Wager reached out and rested his hand on my back, and I recognize that he was using his Dark Fae powers to try and ground me. I ignored the urge to shake him off and reminded myself that I no longer lived a life in which the Dark Fae were automatically enemies.

“I will thank you to address my employees with more respect,” Herne said. His voice was gruff, filled with authority, and I was surprised to see Eldris actually flinch. “This is one of my agents. Princess Lyrical Muirín.”

“So you’ve bagged yourself royalty, now? What happened to Ember? Is she yesterday’s news?” Eldris snickered.

Herne stiffened. “In case you haven’t heard, Ember is my wife now and she belongs to the gods. She’s a goddess in her own right, so you will give her respect when you talk about her.” His voice was so low that it was almost a whisper and yet, the threat was loud and clear.

I waited, curious to see how Eldris would respond.

Eldris held Herne’s gaze for a moment, then simply inclined his head and said, “Of course. As you wish. My congratulations to the both of you.” It was obvious that he meant anything but congratulations, but there was no way to call him on it.

It felt like a standoff for a moment, but then Eldris gestured, turning to lead us toward the booth. “The Regent is waiting for you. Please, follow with me.”

As he led us along the row of booths to the one that I had pegged for having someone in it, Herne caught my gaze and gave me a brief shake of the head. I read it as meaning, Don’t say anything unless I give you permission. And although I might be impulsive, I wasn’t stupid enough to stir up a hornet’s nest around a bunch of vampires. I scooted closer to him, grateful that he was here. If it had just been Wager, I wasn’t sure exactly how safe I would have felt.

* * *

When we reached the booth, I saw three very large men there, along with a fourth whom I was positive was the Regent. Two of the men slid out of the U-shaped booth, and stood to either side, arms crossed.

“They’re going to search you,” Eldris said. He sounded positively delighted, which made me feel both sleazy and nervous at the same time.

Herne held out his arms, staring at one of the vampires. The bodyguard began to fidget, looking nervous, but he very quickly patted Herne down and then stood back, motioning for him to slide into the booth. But Herne waited, standing to the side, his own arms crossed in front of his chest.

The second man approached me, then—giving Herne a long look—made quick work of searching me. He was very professional, taking care to avoid touching between my thighs. He also avoided my boobs, and I joined Herne. After they patted Wager down, the three of us slid into the opposite side of the booth, followed by Eldris. I was grateful that it was Wager sitting next to the nightclub owner and not me.

“So, Lord of the Hunt, we meet again.” Dormant sounded amused. “My, how times have changed, haven’t they?”

Herne nodded. “Times have definitely changed, Regent Reins. I have several things of importance to discuss with you. And I am permitted to speak for the mayor. First, we’d like to know if the rumors are true. Are the vampires returning to the catacombs?”

Dormant paused, then very slowly, he nodded. “Yes, we are. In fact, we hope to be fully back within the next few weeks.”

“Have you heard about the dragons?” Wager asked.

“You mean have I heard that the Dragonni are using our catacombs for subversive meetings? Yes, we have heard rumors. Do you know if there’s any truth to it?” Dormant’s eyes glittered and it made me wonder if he already knew and wanted to see if we’d verify it, or if he truly was unaware.

“Yes, we actually saw them yesterday. One of them—probably the leader—is Gyell, a shadow dragon. They’re not supposed to be in the city, let alone running around the catacombs, so I’m not certain what they’re up to. It’s not going to be any good, you know that,” Herne said. He paused. “But you know that, because you’ve offered a bounty on their heads, haven’t you?”

Dormant leaned back in his seat, eyeing Herne. “Well, we had to put a stop to their presence, didn’t we? They’re not allowed in the big cities, so why not offer a bounty?” He sounded eager, which gave me the creeps. But it also told me he wasn’t one to sit back and let things roll over him.

“Because people are going to get hurt. Have you thought this out? The ramifications are dangerous and far less for the dragons than for those who will go hunting them.” Herne regarded him cautiously. “Even though the Dragonni are no longer immortal, they’re still dangerous—”

“But they are mortal now. They can be killed.”

“Then why not send your own militias out? I know you have them. It won’t look good for your people if you get a lot of innocent, desperate people killed.” Herne leaned forward. “The city is experiencing a renaissance. Imagine what will happen if the officials recommend all of your services.”

Bingo, I thought. Appeal to the Regent’s ego and his greed.

Dormant remained silent for a few seconds. Finally, the vampire said, “True enough. Have you ever seen my people hunt in a pack?” Now he sounded downright fiendish.

I had a vision of a gang of vampires swarming a dragon and drinking it down to death. The picture in my head wasn’t pretty.

Wager thought for a moment. “A pack of vampires could take down a dragon, possibly better than 95 percent of mortals.” There was a bleakness in his voice that moved me and I wondered what had happened to make him so certain.

Dormant turned to him. “Thank you.”

“I never forget an example. Or a debt,” Wager added.

“You’ve been a loyal ward,” Dormant said.

As I watched the interplay, I decided to find out what had gone down between the two men. Wager seemed like an upright man, but he also seemed deep in the vampires’ pockets.

At that moment, a landline rang. Eldris moved to answer and then turned to Herne. “It’s Talia. She needs to speak to you.”

As Herne went to take the receiver, Wager told me, “The reception down here for cell phones varies widely, so you can never rely on it. Hence, most of the vampires in the catacombs use landlines.” He shrugged. “You’d think technology would catch up, eventually.”

“It probably will,” I said, glancing around the club. “This is a beautiful nightclub.”

Eldris actually smiled at me—a genuine smile that seemed to have no ulterior motive behind it. “Thank you. I decorated it with care. I want my clients to be comfortable.”

I was about to ask him more when Herne returned, his face ashen. “We have to get back to the office. I’ve had an informant watching Kilnakarn’s movements, and one of his men was seen fiddling with the underside of your car. I told my man to follow him, and I’ve already called the police in case they planted a bomb.”

My stomach lurched. “Crap. I’m dead meat if he gets hold of me.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Herne said. He turned to Dormant. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse us. We have a pressing problem and we need to eradicate him as soon as possible.”

Dormant stood. “Understood. I’ll revoke the bounty on the dragons and notify you when we’re back in the catacombs, but don’t expect it to be more than a few days. Also, it occurs to me that if this Gyell gets wind that we’re on the move, that may put a stop to him and his friends hiding out down here. But we’ll set out on a hunting trip, anyway.”

“We’ll work it out. I’ll call you later, if you’re amenable,” Herne said, surprising me. I hadn’t expected him to defer to the vampires so much, but then again, keeping on their good side was important in today’s world.

As we headed back toward the elevator, we were silent. I wasn’t sure what Wager and Herne were thinking about, but my mind was fully on Kilnakarn, and what he had planned for me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

By the time we arrived back at the office, the informant had texted Herne that he was following Kilnakarn’s man back to the marina. The police had arrived with a bomb squad—just in case—and they were waiting for us as we pulled into the parking garage. Herne called Talia and told her to evacuate the building, and he made all of us go wait in one of the bakeries across the street. Luckily, the shop was big enough to have several tables and we ordered a snack while we waited. Or rather, the others ordered food. I stood by the window, staring across the street, wondering what the hell he had done to my car.

We waited about fifteen minutes before Herne called me on my cell phone. “Come on over,” he said. “It’s safe.”

As we trooped across the street, I wondered what they had found. The bomb squad was packing up and getting out of their suits. Herne motioned me over to his side. Someone in uniform was standing next to him.

“This is Captain Delacrom,” Herne said, introducing me to the Dark Fae officer. “We found a tracking device under your car. I’m surprised they didn’t put it there sooner, but who knows what’s running through Kilnakarn’s mind.”

“We’ve done a background check. There’s not much we can do because he claims Fae Sovereignty and, like most ambassadors from other countries, he’s exempt to most of our laws. It’s not fair, and it’s a holdover from older laws, but the fact remains that they can get away with a lot more than the average person.” Delacrom shrugged.

“That stinks,” I said. “Why should they have special exclusions?”

“It’s an agreement that the US made years ago with other countries, and when the United Coalition took over, they kept it across the board and even extended it to the sovereign Otherkin nations. Like the Black Forest Shifter Nation over in Germany, and the Fae Courts here.” Captain Delacrom shrugged. “I don’t make the laws, I just enforce them.”

It wasn’t a satisfactory answer, but it was probably the best he had, given how the laws and court system worked.

I paled. “So they were going to track me, which probably means they were planning on following me. What now? They’ll know we found it when my car doesn’t show up on their system as moving.”

“Not necessarily. We have the tracker intact and it’s pretty simple. It won’t know whether it’s attached to your car or someone else’s, so we’re going to lead them a merry chase this evening,” Herne said. The look on his face said, Don’t mess with me.

“I like that idea,” I said. “As much as it makes me nervous, I’d like in on it.”

“You need to know what happens to him.” Yutani stood behind me, his hand barely touching my back.

“If I don’t, I’ll be jumping at shadows the rest of my life.” In my gut, I knew that Kilnakarn wanted to make me pay for humiliating him.

On the way back upstairs, Herne turned to me. “Lyrical, when you look beyond the immediate fear, does your instinct tell you that Kilnakarn is out to kidnap you again, or…”

“Kill me? Both. He’s into torture, especially when one of his servants displeases him. He’ll make me pay for escaping, and then at the end, he’ll torture me to death. That’s his standard MO. You fuck him over, he makes you beg for death and when you can’t beg any longer, he kills you painfully.” My heart clenched. I wanted to go down to the water, to let the spray from the waves mist over me, to hear the roar of the ocean and let her cleanse me through. But I knew that I didn’t dare go anywhere alone.

“I miss the cases we went out on before the Tuathan Brotherhood and the dragons got in the mix,” Talia said. “Everything seemed so much simpler then.” As we entered the main reception area, she made a beeline for her desk.

“Our cases may have seemed simple, but the truth is, nothing in life is simple. Even a flower. It’s a complex world, and getting more complicated every day. But whether we’re going after a kuveo demonic fox or a serial killer, the fact remains we’ll always be facing something. For us, life doesn’t come easily. When you fight against the evils in this world, you’re always going to be facing an uphill battle.” Herne hooked his thumbs in his pockets, leaning against the wall. “We need to plan for tonight. We usually close in about an hour and we don’t want to disrupt the schedule or Kilnakarn might get suspicious.”

“Do you think they’ll check to make sure Lyrical’s car is out of the garage?” Wendy asked. “I would, if I were paranoid. And I kind of think this Kilnakarn dude is paranoid.”

“Oh, big time,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Tyrants usually are. They know they’re hated and they fear vengeance.”

“I wish we had a cloaking spell,” Herne said. “We could cast it on your car before we leave.”

“We don’t have a cloaking spell, but we do have the storage vault,” Yutani said. “It’s empty because we still haven’t gotten around to filling it up with our old equipment. Her car would fit in there.”

“Where’s the storage vault?” I asked.

“In the corner of the garage. It’s concrete, and it has a locking system that’s damned near impossible to break. We were going to bring in a boat and other camping equipment that we might need on future cases. But since it’s empty at the moment, Yutani’s right, your car would fit in there.”

“But what if they wait to watch me pull out of the garage?”

“I doubt they’ll be that obvious. If they put a GPS tracker on your car, my guess is they’ll be hanging back so there’s no chance you’d notice them. Kilnakarn isn’t a genius, but I imagine he has a couple advisors who are bright enough to figure things like this out. They may be trying to establish your route so they can plan for a future ambush. Or…we could give them the chance tonight.” Herne glanced at Wendy. “You willing to work overtime?”

She inclined her head. “Of course. What are you thinking?”

“Since Yutani and Lyrical live on the Eastside, we could take a trip over to the deserted lot near Ginty’s. It’s big enough and remote enough so that if we do get into a rumble, it shouldn’t be dangerous for anybody else who happens to be around.”

“Given they sent coyote shifters after Raven and me, they’ll be waiting for another chance. But won’t they recognize your car? They know what I drive.”

“Good point,” Wendy said. “These men are pigheaded, but they aren’t idiots. Chances are Kilnakarn has some semblance of brains.”

Herne shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you driving. What if we get separated?”

I shook my head. “If we don’t want to tip them off, we take several cars, including mine. Yutani, put the tracker back into my car. I can have Wendy in the back seat, lying down so she won’t be seen. You, Wager, and Yutani can follow. I’m telling you, Herne, if they follow us to a lot and see your SUV, that’s going to raise their alarms. The Kelpies are brutes, but like Wendy says, they aren’t stupid. Their downfall isn’t a lack of intelligence, it’s overconfidence and arrogance.”

“All right, all right,” Herne said. He didn’t look pleased, but he sent Yutani to replace the tracker in my car. “Okay, it’s almost quitting time.”

“I’ll get my things,” I said.

“I’ll get weapons,” Wendy said, heading for the armory. “Who needs what?”

Wager called for a set of shurikens, a pair of nunchakus, and a couple of throwing daggers. Herne asked her to bring him his short sword and dagger. And I already had my dagger.

“What does Yutani want?” she called as she headed for the elevator.

“Probably his whip. That puppy is dangerous. It has ilithiniam threads woven into it and his father gave it to him.” Herne grinned. “I’ve asked to try it out a couple of times, and I will tell you this: it doesn’t like being used by anybody but Yutani. The Great Coyote wove it specifically for him.”

Wendy headed off as Talia began to shut down the computer. “Herne, may I please advertise for someone to run the front desk?”

“Yeah, go ahead. But we have to be cautious. We can’t afford to take on someone who won’t be able to handle the work, and who won’t be able to sort everything into order. We also need someone who can potentially fight, if pushed into a corner. Why don’t you start on a list of what responsibilities go with the job and we’ll get on it next week.”

Talia gave him a grateful nod. “My talents are being wasted in this position.”

“I know they are. Things are going to take time. We can’t expect to have everything up and running the way it was before, not when so much has happened.”

Talia frowned. “I seem to remember Angel saying she was going to make a backup. If you could send a request to Ember to find out if she did, that would be helpful. Of course, the backup could easily have been destroyed during the dragons’ attack, but it’s worth a shot.”

Yutani appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened as Wendy returned, holding the weapon with ease, and immediately handed him the whip. “I gather we’re going to do this?”

The whip was a work of art. The strands were black—darker than dark, with blue strands woven through the jet ones. I could see a faint blue aura rising from it, and the energy surrounding the whip felt chaotic and wild.

“That’s incredible,” I said, drawn to it.

“The metallic blue threads are ilithiniam. The Great Coyote embedded them into the leather strips before he braided the whip,” Yutani said, sounding oddly shy. “It’s the one thing I have that my father gave me.”

Right then, I could tell that there was a little boy inside Yutani, desperately seeking approval from his father, and I felt sad for him. I doubted that the Great Coyote would ever win a father-of-the-year award and I wagered that Yutani knew he was a low priority in the god’s eyes.

“It’s lovely. He must care a lot about you to have made that for you,” I said, desperately hoping it wasn’t the wrong thing to say.

Yutani’s eyes clouded for a moment and I thought he was going to bark out some rebuttal, but instead he took the whip, examined it, then hung it from his belt.

Before we were ready to head out, Wendy motioned me over to the side. She handed me a square of wood that was one inch by one inch by about a quarter-inch thick. The wooden square sported a razor-sharp obsidian blade that extended a half inch out of the wood, and with it, a leather pouch.

“Keep this where nobody will find it. It can’t be detected by a metal detector and you never know when you’ll want it.” Her voice was low. “I have a hunch.”

Not liking the idea of the premonition but knowing that we had to get this over with, I took the leather-clad blade and tucked it inside a hidden inner pocket in my pants.

Once we were all armed, we proceeded to the parking garage, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Herne and Wager climbed into Herne’s SUV, while Wendy snuck into the back seat of my car. She lay down, covering herself with a blanket.

“Well, I suppose we’d better head out,” I said. Now that it was time, I was reluctant, but it was my fear, not my instinct talking. The fight with the coyote shifters in the lot next to Markin’s had been bad enough. Now, we could easily be facing several of Kilnakarn’s actual guards and they were far more dangerous than the shifters. Their ability with water magic made them almost as dangerous as Herne.

“Are you ready for this?” Yutani asked, holding me by the shoulders as he stared into my eyes.

“I have no choice. I have to do something.”

Apparently, he didn’t care about what anybody thought, because he kissed me on the forehead, then on the lips. Without another word, he headed over to Herne’s Expedition. I slid into the driver’s seat and, glancing back to make certain Wendy was settled, I pulled out of the parking garage and set my GPS for Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill.

* * *

Ginty was a dwarf who owned a Waystation. The Waystations were considered sanctuary spots for Otherkin and humans who had dealings with Otherkin. They were considered sovereign patches, and nobody who claimed sanctuary there could be apprehended or harmed without intervention. There was an interdimensional space on the upper floors in which sanctuary seekers could stay until they were safely escorted away.

Located on the Eastside, Ginty’s was smack in the middle between TirNaNog and Navane. The great Fae cities mirrored their namesakes from Annwn, but they were smaller here, and their queens were far less powerful than those over in Annwn.

The Eastside was a mix of rural wooded thickets and urban sprawl that wound together like a web of houses and trees. Ginty’s was in a rural area—the neighborhoods thinned out on the way to TirNaNog and Navane, and there were a number of suburban farms out in that direction.

As we passed Ginty’s—we were headed for the empty lot beyond it—I glanced at the rustic-looking bar. I had never been there, but I decided that sometime I’d give it a try. Wendy had worked there until Ginty had fled back to Wildemoone during the dragon siege, but he and his family had returned after the Dwarven King set a price on his head. The king had gone fucknut crazypants, and Ginty had mistakenly tried to intervene.

Wendy had told me all sorts of adventures she’d had at the Waystation, and though everybody seemed concerned she’d want to go back to her job there, she said she wouldn’t.

We passed the bar and pulled into the next lot. Once again, I found myself in an abandoned lot, waiting for trouble. This time, Raven wasn’t with me, but Herne and the others weren’t far behind, and Wendy could take on almost anybody.

“You ready?” I asked, parking the car and making certain my weapons were ready.

“I’m ready. I’ve got your back,” Wendy said from beneath the covers. Yutani had also checked my car out for bugs and it was clean, so nobody should know that Wendy was hiding beneath the blanket in the back seat.

“I want him dead, you know? I want Kilnakarn dead and gone so I can’t ever be afraid of him again.” I stared out the front windshield, hands on the wheel. “I suppose I should get out and do something that might seem like a good reason for pulling into an abandoned lot. I don’t want them getting suspicious why I came here.”

“Go out, lean against the hood of your car, and pretend to make a phone call. Act like you’re having an argument with somebody. That would make sense—not wanting to drive and scream at the same time.”

I laughed. “That’s better than anything I was coming up with. All I could think of was to take a piss, but I’m sure as hell not pulling down my pants in public.” I took my phone and stepped out of the car. As I settled against the hood, I raised it to my ear and began talking to the air. I felt silly, but nobody passing by would know that I wasn’t actually holding a conversation.

I railed on a few minutes, taking quite a few breaks as I kept a side-eye on the road, and was finally about to get back in the car when a van slowed. It started to pass the lot, then abruptly swerved in, blocking my path.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and stood, bracing my feet against the ground.

It wasn’t Kilnakarn who jumped out of the van, but I could tell the man was a Kelpie. Crap. This is getting real.

I stiffened, reaching for my dagger as he approached. Two more men appeared from the belly of the van. I strained to see beyond them, wondering where Herne and the others were. But they were nowhere to be seen, so I brought out my dagger and braced myself.

“Stop right there. What do you want? I know Kilnakarn sent you.” If nothing else, we wanted to draw some information out of these guys so we could get a better idea of what was going on.

The men paused, sick grins spreading across their faces.

“If it isn’t the faerie princess. Don’t get your knickers in a wad, chickie. Kilnakarn wants to have a little chat with you. Come along quietly and we’ll be gentle on you.” The one who was speaking brought out a stun gun, which surprised me because Kilnakarn—like many of the old-school royalty among the Subcult—tended to eschew technology in favor of less effective ways of doing things.

“Kilnakarn can suck his own dick. What does he want? Tell me now, and I’ll decide if I have time to talk to His Sleaziness.” I didn’t move, didn’t waver, trying to show no fear.

One of them gave me a bone-chilling look. Right then, I knew he was the more dangerous of the three. The others looked nervous, but this one—he had nerves of steel.

I glanced up at the sky, trying to sense if there was any moisture nearby. I could feel it on the wind—the smell of rain in the distance—but I wasn’t sure if it was close enough to call. The Leannan Sidhe could call the rains if there were clouds somewhere nearby, and once in a while we could call down the lightning. But that required a tremendous amount of power and I wasn’t sure I had the ability. I watched the Kelpies as they began to approach the car—and me.

And then I caught it—the smell of ozone, enough to tell me that we were within range of a potential thunderstorm. My grandmother could call up the storms. I wasn’t sure about my mother, but it was in my heritage. I turned back to face the men.

Herne and the others still weren’t here, and Wendy was biding her time. Once she made an appearance, they’d know it was a setup and we wanted to get them cornered before they realized what was going down.

The ground was hard—in need of a good soaking. As the clouds began to gather, with one leap I jumped to land on the hood of the car. I jumped again, landing square center on the top.

“Well, boys. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a standoff. Tell me what Kilnakarn wants. I’m no fool. You know that I escaped his palace. What’s he got planned for me? Hmm?” I leaned forward, taunting them. One thing I knew about Kelpies—push them hard enough and they’d fall face flat trying to push back.

They swaggered up to my car, and the middle one slammed his hands on the hood, making the whole car shake. “Come down from there, little whore, and we’ll be gentle.”

“Oh, I trust you implicitly,” I said, pushing as much bravado into my voice as I could muster. “You all look like such fine gentlemen. I’m sure Kilnakarn told you not to leave marks. He wants to do that himself, right?”

Big Dog, as I nicknamed the talkative one, snorted. “You’re making it harder for yourself, princess. Come down off the roof.”

I laughed, not really feeling it, but the last thing I wanted them to know was how frightened I was. I tossed my dagger from one hand to the other, slapping it back and forth. “You do know I have no hesitation using my blade? You try to get me and I’ll stick you like the pigs you are.”

Two of them split off, each taking a side of my car. They were going to surround me. All the while, I kept wondering where the hell Herne and the others were. Praying they hadn’t hit gridlock, I started turning, watching cautiously as the three men formed a triangle around my car. If the guys didn’t get here soon, I’d need Wendy to come to my rescue.

As the lead Kelpie leaped on the hood of my car, inching toward me, two things happened simultaneously. I could feel the ozone crackling around me and I reached out, latching hold of it. I raised my blade to the sky and static electricity began to gather around it.

At the same time, Wendy slammed open the door, rolling out and coming up with her crossbow aimed at the nearest Kelpie she could see. She looked fucking scary. Amazons were already intimidating because of their size and muscularity, but she was wearing black leather, and with her silver mohawk and the handheld crossbow she was carrying, she was ready for action. She held the Kelpie on the right side of the bumper in the crosshatch of her scope.

I called for the lightning, my hair raising around me with the static that surrounded my aura. A huge flash lit up the sky as a bolt of lightning hit the ground near their car, illuminating the lot.

The men staggered back, both away from Wendy and away from me. Wendy let loose and hit the nearest Kelpie straight on. The arrow lodged in his chest and he screamed as he grabbed the hilt and staggered forward. He opened his mouth and a froth of blood and foam spilled out of his mouth as he staggered forward, then fell to his knees.

“Boys, you need to know that when we come to play, we come to win,” she said, then lifted her bow and turned it on the lead Kelpie. “You want to join your friend?”

“No—no—” He turned to run and she let fly with another arrow, landing it directly in his back. The force of the impact launched him forward and he went sprawling to the ground, then he rose on his elbows and tried to drag himself toward the van.

I took the opportunity to flip off the car, landing on my feet, and as I raced over to that Kelpie, Wendy turned to the third one. I reached the side of the wounded Kelpie and stood over him, blood rage clouding my sight. These men worked for Kilnakarn. They had intended on dragging me back to that hellhole. Without a second thought, I brought my dagger down beside the arrow to penetrate through his body and pin him to the ground like a butterfly on a board.

The next moment, I heard another noise and looked up to see three more Kelpies appear from the van. I froze for a moment, wondering where the hell they’d come from. Behind me, Wendy shouted something and the thunk of an arrow hit somebody else—probably the third man.

But before she could nock another arrow and shoot again, the three new men reached my side. I was on my feet by then, trying to pull the tip of my blade both out of the ground and out of my enemy when one of them grabbed me by one arm.

“Leave me alone!” I screamed, beginning to panic. I lost hold of the storm as I fought back. The second man had reached my other side and he grabbed hold of my other arm. I was struggling like crazy.

“Wendy! Help me!” I twisted, trying to jerk away from them, but they held tight, using me as a shield. The third man motioned them into the van and, with Wendy on the run toward me, they dragged me inside.

Right at that moment, I caught a glimpse of a car coming down the road—it looked like Herne, and he was driving as fast as he could. But the men jumped in and slammed the van door shut before Wendy could reach me. There must have been yet another person inside because the van started to move immediately, and before I knew what was happening, someone pressed a rag over my face, and a familiar smell rose from it. I fought to hold consciousness as long as possible, but I couldn’t manage, and before I could stop myself, I blacked out.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I woke up to a horrible déjà vu. I was in the belly of a boat, tied up and in a bunk. The cabin was small, but lit by an LED lantern, so I could see. I was still dressed, but my dagger was nowhere to be seen. I started to panic but then forced myself to get hold of my nerves. This wasn’t the same as the first time Kilnakarn had captured me.

Wendy knew what happened. They all knew where Kilnakarn’s boat was. And most important, I knew who my enemy was and I knew what he was capable of. Knowledge of your enemy could make the difference between life and death. I’d have no hesitation in throwing everything I could against him.

My hands were tied in back of me, but given my flexibility, I was able to bring my knees to my chest and slip my arms in front of me. I sat up, keeping as silent as possible, and examined the ropes. They weren’t Elven, at least, so they could be cut. They weren’t thick, either. In fact, as I examined the knots by the light of the cabin, the rope appeared to be cheap, bought from some cut-rate home improvement center.

Then I remembered Wendy’s gift. I brought my hands up, managing to slide them into my pants pocket. It took some navigation, but I was able to slide the obsidian blade out of my pants. Thank gods the simpletons hadn’t done a thorough job—they must have been in a hurry to get me out of there, given we’d killed half their party.

I fumbled the leather sheath off of the blade and managed to saw away at the ropes binding my wrists together. Whoever had tied me up had bound the ropes three times around my hands. As the minutes wore away, I severed one part of the ropes, right above the knots. Taking care not to slit my wrists, I went to work on another of the loops, and then finally, as I severed the third, the rope fell away and I was able to slide it off my wrists. I slid the little blade back into its sheath and then into my pocket.

Next, I eased myself off the bunk and patted myself down, hoping they had left me my phone. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found on my person.

I began to ransack the cabin, looking for anything I might be able to use as a weapon. If worse came to worse, I could break one of the two chairs sitting by a table in the corner and use the wooden leg as a club, but I wanted something more substantial than that.

The cabin had several built-in drawers and cabinets, and as I opened the first drawer, I breathed a sigh of thanks. There was my phone and my dagger.

Frowning—either Kilnakarn was getting careless or his arrogance was tripping him up again—I fastened the dagger sheath onto the back of my belt and then unlocked my phone. It still had juice, so I quickly texted Herne, Yutani, Wager, Talia, and Wendy in a group text. Might as well tag them all at once in case Herne didn’t have his phone handy.

i’m in kilnakarn’s boat, i think. i was tied up but managed to get loose. are you guys anywhere nearby? i don’t know if we’re moving or not, but we might be. there’s no window here for me to look out of.

Before Herne—or anybody—could answer, it occurred to me to silence my phone so I turned the sound off. I continued to search through the cupboards and drawers, but nothing looked vaguely interesting except for a package of cookies. I was hesitant to eat anything of theirs, however. Kelpies weren’t above poisoning their enemies.

we’re following your phone’s gps through the find-a-friend app. you aren’t out in puget sound yet, but on a boat on lake washington headed for the marina. so i don’t think kilnakarn’s aboard. yutani and wager are headed to the marina, and wendy and i are in a boat following yours. we see you, but don’t want to board until we get to kilnakarn’s boat so we can capture him as well. can you play dead, so to speak, for now? we should be there at any moment.

I stared at the text. The last thing I wanted to do was pretend I was out of commission, but I texted back that yes, I could, and stuffed my phone in my pants pocket, then loosely wrapped the ropes back around my wrists and lay back down on the bed. My impulse was pushing me to rush out and kill whoever was driving this boat, but that was the last thing I needed to do.

I waited, straining my ears to detect any noise that might indicate they were coming through the door. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Herne again.

how soon?

A moment later he texted back: about ten minutes. be ready because yutani and wager reported in that, from where they’re hiding, it looks like kilnakarn is on the deck of his boat, watching the water. he’s waiting.

I steeled myself, going over everything in my mind. We were almost to the marina where Kilnakarn was waiting to transfer me to his ship. He was able to ride the waves between the worlds, which wasn’t something most Fae could do, but those of us who were Water Fae could make use of the water elementals.

A thought occurred to me that I should begin making friends with some of the elementals around the area. They could be daunting, but they were helpful. Unless they were enslaved, that is. It would be like Kilnakarn to subjugate a few of them, though it was a difficult process unless you possessed a spell to entrap them. And even then, once they broke free, it was best to be out of the area, given how angry they grew at their masters. Nobody liked being a slave, and the elementals of the world had the force to go up against those who tricked them, and usually they won. But the Fae who worked with the water were often able to strike bargains with them, and even befriend them.

I wondered if it worked that way for the members of the Fae who were bound to the air, or earth—or even fire. I didn’t know many of the latter, since they mostly connected with Faerie Fire, which was connected to the flame of the phoenix.

Realizing my mind was running in circles to avoid thinking of the coming fight, I drew my attention back to the present. I wasn’t about to let Kilnakarn get away. I intended to take him down for good. It would make me an enemy of his people, but I’d rather have the Kelpies of his pod hate me than know he was still in the world.

At that moment, I noticed something different. The boat was rocking far less. We must be at the marina. I began to hyperventilate, but once again, reminded myself that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t going to have to face him by myself. Counting to ten, I slowed my breath until I was eerily calm. I readied myself and waited.

Another moment went by, and then the sound of steps echoed outside the door. Luckily, the bunk was parallel to the door, so they wouldn’t be able to see me when first opening the door. I made certain the ropes were laid so I could easily shake them off, and then—as the door opened—I held my breath.

“She’s in here,” one of the men said. I recognized his voice as the one who had dragged me toward the van.

“Good. How fitting that we reenact our first meeting.”

As prepared as I thought I was, the sound of Kilnakarn’s voice made me break out in a cold sweat. It took all my courage not to shriek and leap out of the bunk to try to escape. I forced myself to wait.

“Well, well, we meet again.”

I looked up at Kilnakarn as he leaned against the top bunk with one arm. He did, in fact, look a lot like Jason Momoa, but there was a violent sneer on his face that I doubted the actor could ever muster, and Kilnakarn’s eyes glowed in a fashion that no human’s eyes could. He looked at me, hunger and anger and anticipation all mingled together in his expression.

I stared at him, waiting for the right moment. “Kilnakarn. I’m surprised you came half a world away just for a visit,” I said, channeling Princess Leia when Darth Vader began to interrogate her.

“I’d journey far longer for the return of my property. Even a goddess can’t keep you safe from me. If I can’t take out my displeasure on her, you know that you’re going to feel the brunt.” He might be soft-spoken, but the threat behind his words was very real and very deadly. “Morgana might have taken away one of my toys, but I’ll do whatever I need to in order to ensure its return.”

I coiled my energy as he bent to stare in my face.

“You’ll never leave my side again, and every day, I’ll make sure you’ll long for the short freedom you’ve had.”

At that moment, a loud clamor erupted topside. Kilnakarn turned his head and I used that moment to throw off the ropes and bring my knees to my chest, then slam my feet into his stomach, knocking him back on his ass. I leaped out of the bunk and reached around, grabbing my dagger from the back of my pants.

“Oh no, you fuckhead. You’re the one who’s going to regret every moment of your life,” I said, gathering my balance as the boat rocked and swayed. I wasn’t sure if the wind had come up or what, but the currents didn’t seem so calm.

“What the—” He staggered to his feet, wincing.

Shouts rang out from the door of the cabin, but I ignored them, focusing on Kilnakarn. He was strong and I knew better than to underestimate him, but I longed to run him through right here, right now. However, I also knew enough about his resilience to know that one stab wouldn’t do much, unless it hit him directly in the heart.

He immediately backed up, reaching for his belt. He brought out what looked like a stun gun. So he’d graduated to modern weaponry. Having been on the wrong end of a stun gun several times, I knew to put enough distance between us so he couldn’t touch me with it. At least it wasn’t a Taser, which could knock someone down from fifteen feet away.

I held up my dagger. “You’re not taking me back this time. You hear that scuffle out there? That noise is coming from my friends, who are going to make certain you never leave this shore. You might as well give up.”

“They can’t stop me from leaving. I’m an ambassador, from my kingdom,” he said with a sneer. “I’m sure Saílle would back me up.”

“Don’t bet on it,” I mumbled, trying to assess an opening to where I could jump him. Truth was, if this did go to the Fae Courts, Saílle might very well take his side, given the fact that he was Dark Fae. And I couldn’t let that happen.

But the next moment, Herne and Yutani burst into the room. Herne trained his crossbow on Kilnakarn. Yutani was carrying his whip, coiled like a deadly snake.

“Drop it,” Herne said. “You’re not going anywhere except to my father’s palace.”

Kilnakarn’s eyes glittered. “Your father would do well to look the other way. I can make a lot of trouble for him, if I so choose. As well as for my little slut here, whom you’ve obviously decided to keep as a concubine. Your whore of a mother interfered—”

But Kilnakarn got no further. In the blink of an eye, Yutani unfurled his whip and cracked it soundly, the tongue encircling Kilnakarn’s torso, binding his arms to his waist. Kilnakarn screamed and stiffened. Yutani’s eyes gleamed with a feral light as he yanked the whip back, knocking Kilnakarn off his feet.

Herne lunged forward, grabbing the stun gun away from him as Yutani roughly handcuffed Kilnakarn’s arms behind his back. He was using iron cuffs and Kilnakarn bellowed out a shout of pain.

Herne leaned over him, his eyes glowing. “That was a mistake to speak about my mother and my employee in those terms. I suggest you apologize to Lyrical. Now.” He dragged Kilnakarn to his feet, shaking him soundly.

Kilnakarn turned his gaze to me, and the old cliché If looks could kill had never fit so much as now. “Bitch.”

“Give me two minutes with him,” I muttered, wanting nothing more than to wipe that look off his face forever.

But Herne shook his head. “My father insists on him being brought in alive. So that’s what we’ll do. Him and all of his men. Saílle must never know what’s happened to him, or she might actually pitch a fit.”

“How do you intend to keep this from the Dark Queen?” Kilnakarn sputtered.

Herne stared at him. “Yutani, gag him. I’m tired of hearing his voice.”

And so, Yutani opened his bag and brought out a ball gag. I knew it wasn’t something the office kept on hand, but decided to say nothing about the fact that it had come from his private stash of toys. Herne gave him a quick look, but said nothing either.

I followed them on deck, out into the breezy day. The wind had picked up and was whipping the waves into a frothy foam. I jumped off the boat—which was moored next to Kilnakarn’s bigger boat—onto the dock, then walked along the pier to an open slot in the marina. Kneeling, I stared into the water, then placed my hand in it as I closed my eyes. Immediately, I sensed an elemental hanging out near the docks.

It swam over to me, touching my hand, and I was overwhelmed by a series of emotions and thoughts—not in words, but in concepts and pictures. I sensed a hesitant Hello and then, behind it, a question. The image of Kilnakarn rose in my mind, yet the picture of him was surrounded by a thick haze of hatred. The elemental loathed the Kelpie king.

What did he do to you? I whispered in my mind, forcing the words into a sensation that the elemental could understand.

A long moment passed, and then I caught the image of another elemental, gentle and graceful. And then the elemental vanished as though it had never been there, shattered by some spell that broke it into shards so small that it would never again be able to fuse itself together.

What the hell?

I glanced back at Kilnakarn and his men, all bound and chained together. Herne, Wager, and Wendy were leading them away to the parking lot. Yutani waited for me, watching me closely. I turned back to the water, and sought for the elemental’s presence again.

As we connected once more, a wave of sadness spread over me, and I understood then—the elemental was mourning for its mate. Even elementals could bond together, forming new ones, though in no sense of the word did they mate like mammals, or even fish. And Kilnakarn had destroyed this elemental’s partner.

Tears sprang to my eyes, the sense of loss so great and so painful. I looked over my shoulder at the Kelpie king, being herded away. Once again, I felt a drive to race over, to stab him from behind. But the elemental’s energy washed over me again. It wasn’t forgiveness, but the reality that even if I killed Kilnakarn, it would do nothing to ease the ache of loss.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my hand immersed within the elemental’s essence. “I’m so sorry.”

The water engulfed my fingers like a glove, holding onto me as though we were holding hands. I bit my lip, bowing my head as the grief crested through me like a wave. There was nothing I could do to take the pain away, but I did what I could, infusing as much comfort as I could into the watery creature’s soul. I envisioned a warm, enveloping hug, holding the core of the elemental to my heart, trying to soothe the ache.

With a grateful shudder, the elemental let go and then merged with the water, heading out into the locks, where it could join with the waters of Puget Sound.

I picked myself off the dock and headed over to join Yutani.

“What happened? You’re crying,” he said, tipping my chin up as he kissed the tears on my cheek.

“I want Kilnakarn dead. He’s caused so much suffering and so much pain, and he’ll never stop. Even if he’s rotting in the deepest dungeon, he’ll find a way to make someone’s life miserable. He’s crafty, Yutani. He’s smart. He’ll escape.”

“Then we have to plead your case to Cernunnos. It is true, there have been successful escapes from his dungeons before. One of his guards fell in love with a member of the Ante-Fae a few years back and helped the freak escape. We had to clean up the resulting mess. Ember was almost killed in the process.” He wrapped his arm around my waist as we headed for the parking lot. “Don’t worry. Cernunnos isn’t soft—he’ll listen to you. I can’t predict what his response will be, but he will listen.”

As we walked along the pier, back to the parking lot, he asked, “Did they hurt you? When they captured you?”

I shook my head. “Not really. But I’m glad Wendy and I left a few of them dead on the ground. Some evils in this world need to be dispatched from the gene pool. Kilnakarn and his men are one set of them.”

Yutani said nothing as we returned to the parking lot. Herne had rented a small bus, and Kilnakarn and all his men from the boats were aboard. Just then, the sound of a loud crash echoed behind us and I turned in time to see Kilnakarn’s boat break in half and sink. The water elemental had its revenge, after all, and as the sounds of the sinking ship echoed along the light breeze, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. At least he was out his magical boat, and that was icing on the cake.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“I’ve only been to Annwn once. I’m not sure what to expect.” All I really knew was that Annwn was the Celtic “otherworld” and that Herne and Ember had their castle there, along with most of the other Celtic gods and goddesses. Including Morgana.

“Well, it’s beautiful,” Yutani said. “It’s wild and feral and far too uncivilized for me. In a technological way. It’s not savage, but neither would I want to be caught out in the woods there without protection. There’s not a lot to do if you’re a techie. I had the option of staying there, before the hold of the Dragonni was broken, but I knew that I’d always come back here—home.”

“I understand.” While I’d grown up in almost a fairytale setting, given I was a Fae princess, we still relied on a lot of modern technology and I would be lost without it. Especially now that I was living out in the world instead of the protected bosom of my family.

“What should I wear?” I was standing naked in my room in front of my closet, trying to figure out what to wear to a tribunal.

“Whatever you like,” Yutani said. “Be neat and clean and tidy. I doubt if Ember would care if you showed up in sweats, but Cernunnos and Morgana would.”

We were headed over for Kilnakarn’s sentencing. He would be brought before Cernunnos, and I was hoping for an execution. I wasn’t exactly expecting it, but one could always hope.

“Is everybody going?” I asked, trying to choose between leather pants or a dress. Jeans didn’t seem right, but leather pants seemed a little more military, and therefore, more appropriate. I paired them with a blue corset, a leather jacket, and platform boots.

“No, Wager and Wendy are staying here. Talia and I are going.” He paused, giving me an odd look. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I rubbed my head. “Now that you mention it, I’m a little light-headed.” I paused, then realized that I was starving. Not for food, but for chi. “My reserves are low. I need…” I paused, not wanting to treat Yutani like a gas pump.

“You need to top off your energy?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m kind of creepy, aren’t I? Continually asking to drink from you.”

“Didn’t you ask from those you played muse to?” Yutani sidled up to me, taking the pants out of my hands and tossing them onto the bed.

“No, I never asked. But I never fucked them, either. And…I didn’t…” I didn’t want to admit to the growing feelings I had for him, but even I couldn’t avoid noticing that I truly cared about the coyote shifter and whether he was happy.

He slid his arms around my waist. “Top yourself off, babe,” he whispered. “And me, too.”

I reached down, grasping his belt buckle. As I unbuckled it, sliding his belt out of the loops, he grasped my ass in his hands, holding firmly. I unzipped him, sliding his jeans down over his bare feet. He kicked them off, his eyes growing dark and feral. I paused for a moment, long enough to open the condom and roll it over his cock, then—my hands on his shoulders—pushed him back on my bed. As I landed atop him, my blood began to run wild, my nipples stiffening. I was growing slick as my hunger grew, pounding in my head.

“Fuck me, you wanton witch,” Yutani growled. “Fuck me hard.”

I straddled his hips, hovering over his cock. Every inch of me writhed, desperate for his touch, hungry for his chi. I began to swivel my hips, lightly brushing his stiff dick, sliding across it with my pussy. Grabbing the remote on my bed, I hit #1 on the preprogrammed keyboard and the music started, filling the air with the sultry, slow beat of St. Vincent. Letting the music dictate my movements, I made figure-8s over his groin, running my hands over my breasts. I squeezed them as he watched from below, and I lost myself in the music that echoed off the walls of my room.

Yutani slid one hand between my legs, thrusting three fingers inside of me as his thumb began to massage the nub of my clit. Moaning, I draped my head back, caught up in the energy of the passion that raced between us like a wave—a Möbius strip of water, cycling between us, each cycle spurring me on even higher.

His thumb pressed against me, hard, and I began to move against it, rocking as he began to breathe raggedly, his cock so hard as he tried to find his way into my sheath.

“You’re so wet,” he whispered. “I want inside.”

“Wait for it,” I ordered, leaning forward. “Suck my boobs.”

He began to greedily suck my nipples, pulling and tugging them with his teeth to the point where it almost hurt. I positioned myself so that the tip of his cock was inside my cunt, barely penetrating. Yutani began to thrust but I stopped him, bearing down on his shoulders with my breasts.

“Not yet,” I said. “Not quite yet.” I nestled his face between my boobs, and he moaned until I pulled away, far enough so that he couldn’t quite reach my vaj.

“Don’t tease me,” he said, a dark tone in his voice.

“Let me feed from you,” I said, pressing my lips against his. I began to suck the chi out of his lungs, the smoke rings of energy settling in my mouth as I sucked them down, holding them in my lungs before swallowing them whole. As the chi began to hit, my eyes narrowed and I began to growl, another hunger driving me now. I hovered over his cock again, then drove myself down, clenching so that the friction made me cry out.

“Oh gods,” he said, arching his neck as he let out a bark of pleasure. As I began to bob up and down on his penis, he held my waist so tight that I couldn’t free myself if I wanted to. I ground against him, driving against his lap as he thrust so deeply that there was nowhere to go.

As I sucked in more chi, he rolled, flipping me over. He began to ride me, thrusting with slow, hard movements, withdrawing till he was almost out and then plunging deeply again, so hard and fast I began to writhe beneath him. And then, as I drained the chi out of him, he picked up the pace, holding me down by my wrists. I wrapped my legs around his waist, lifting my ass off the ground until I was in the bridge position as he pounded into me.

Topped off, I wanted more—more sex, more passion. I wanted to possess him, and I wanted to be possessed. He seemed to feel my need and slowly pulled out, running his finger down through my snatch as he landed it on my ass.

“Let me fuck you here,” he whispered.

I gasped as he touched me, every nerve aflame.

“Wait.” I held up my hand and leaned over the side of my bed, opening the bottom drawer of my nightstand. I pulled out a huge dildo, almost two inches around, which was affixed in a harness to hold it inside. I handed it to him, along with a bottle of lube. “Only if you fill me up both ways.”

Then I turned over onto my hands and knees and began to rub my clit, moaning as the sensations spread throughout my body. I was close to coming, but not quite there.

He changed condoms, then slathered his cock in lube, along with the dildo, and then with one hard thrust, shoved the dildo into my vaj, snapping shut the lacing that kept it in place. I moaned as the girthy rod stretched me wide. It had a vibrator inside of it, and he flicked the switch so the dildo began to pulse, throbbing away, pulsating as it kneaded against me. Already on an overload of sensation, I gasped as he growled behind me, then felt the tip of his cock at the ring of my ass. I shivered, waiting, the rhythmic pulsing of the dildo working its magic on me.

“You’re mine,” Yutani said, his voice low and savage, but he didn’t scare me. Right now, I was his, all his, his toy, his partner, his favorite. He held my hips as he began to inch inward, the head of his rock-hard cock slowly easing into my ass. I was used to it hurting, but this—this was a delicious warmth that spread through me in circles as he slowly worked his way in, keeping a steady, even pressure as he inched in until he was up to the hilt.

He began to move—slow and easy, growling with each thrust. I reached between my legs and rubbed my clit, furiously circling the nub, driving myself into a fury. And then, my fingers, the dildo, his cock, all combined to kick me over the edge. I hovered on the edge for a few seconds, then unable to keep control, I shrieked as I came. Yutani thrust hard—one final plunge, deep as he could without hurting me, and his voice mingled with mine as he milked his all into me. Spent, he collapsed on my back, kissing my spine before gently withdrawing. As he pulled out, he unsnapped the still-pulsating dildo and slid it out of me, turning it off before tossing it on the bed.

I toppled over on my side, thoroughly fucked, exhausted and exhilarated. Every part of my nether regions felt swollen and engorged, yet oddly depleted. I felt raw and hyper-sensual, and yet more fulfilled than I ever had.

“Are you all right?” Yutani asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m just…every fear over seeing Kilnakarn seems to have exorcised itself from my body. I’m oddly calm.”

He grunted and, with a laugh, said, “Are you calling my cock a priest?”

“Kind of,” I said, rolling up onto my elbows. “And you fucked me into an exorcism. You fucked away the demons.”

“Not possible. We just have them on the run. Now, get into the shower, woman. We’re both so sweaty we’d better rinse off before meeting Herne. We’re late as it is.” Yutani slapped my ass as I bounced off the bed and headed for the shower. “You want to shower alone?”

“Join me,” I said.

Without a word, he padded behind me, into the bathroom.

* * *

We were clean, dressed, and half an hour late as we pulled in to the driveway at Herne’s old house. I had texted ahead that we’d been caught in traffic—it seemed the most expedient excuse—and Herne, Wendy, and Wager were there, waiting. Along with them, several of Herne’s guards from Annwn had portaled over to help manage the prisoners, who were already waiting in Annwn, in the dungeons of Cernunnos.

“I’m sorry we’re late,” I said, bouncing out of Yutani’s car. “We hit a lot of—”

“Save it. By the look on your face, I can tell you weren’t caught in traffic,” Herne said, rolling his eyes. “But you’re here now. Let’s get moving.”

We followed Herne through the portal to Annwn, ending up near a magnificent tree palace. By the number of Elves around and the majesty of the palace, my guess was that we were at the heart of Cernunnos’s realm. The early evening dusk was broken by balls of light that floated around. They reminded me of will-o’-the-wisps but I knew they were lightning flits, jagged shards of lightning embodied in small globes, created by the Lord of the Forest.

As we approached the palace, a band of Cernunnos’s guards joined us, flanking Herne’s guards. They escorted us to a tree elevator, hoisting us up floor after floor until we came out on a wide ledge surrounded by a sturdy railing. Steps spiraled around the tree from top to bottom, circling the mighty oak, but to reach the upper levels took time.

Most of the Elves went about their business, silent as they moved, or speaking softly in pairs. I turned to look over the railing, out at the expansive lands and forests ruled by Cernunnos.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said, glancing over at Herne, who was watching me. “You grew up here?”

“I spent most of my time divided between my mother’s palace by the sea, and here, yes.”

“So, Morgana lived away from here?” I wasn’t sure about Herne’s parents—they seemed fairly unified to me, but looks could be deceiving.

“Immortality is a long, long time. After centuries, my mother found she missed being by the water, so she built a palace by the sea and spends a lot of her time there. She and my father are still in love, they still act as a couple, but they don’t need to be together every moment when they have an eternity to spend as husband and wife. If they choose to remain married. A lot of the gods eventually break up, you know. And sometimes they come back together.”

“Immortality is a long time,” I said, thinking about it. “I can’t imagine spending my entire life with one person, like some humans or Otherkin.”

Yutani’s gaze was even. “It does present challenges.”

Herne paused, then said, “You have to have a deep connection to make that promise, mortal or immortal. Ember and I clicked—we clicked in every way. I’m surprised my cousin Kipa made that connection, though. You know, he and Raven are engaged.”

“I didn’t realize he was your cousin,” I said. “Isn’t he from the Finnish realm?”

“Yes, but we’re cousins in a roundabout way—we’re connected by nature, not so much by blood. All of the forest gods are connected in a way very much like family, and the same with all the goddesses of Fae and all of the gods of war—there are two kinds of families on the divine level. One is by blood, the other by traits and nature.” Herne jerked his head. “Come, we mustn’t keep my father waiting or he’ll grumble.”

We followed him into the depths of the massive tree palace. The inside décor was far less wild than the outer, and the lights were low and soothing as we made our way through the hallways. It felt like we could be in any regular building. In fact, if I had never seen the outside, and you told me I was inside a tree palace, I wouldn’t have believed it.

We followed the guards through the hallways, to a large conference room. As one of them opened the door and announced us, Herne stepped in, followed by the rest of us. At the head of the table, Cernunnos held council. He was a massive specimen of a man, a giant, with a bare chest that gleamed, and skin the color of bark. His hair was long, sweeping across his back in a flurry of braids and dreads, held back by a jeweled hairclip on either side. He had on blue jeans that barely contained his thighs that were the size of hewn tree trunks, and a green cloak that fastened round his neck with a silver brooch.

As we entered the room, he stood, giving Herne a slow nod. He motioned to the chairs around the table and bade us to sit with him. The table was laden with plates containing fruits and cheese, breads and sliced meats. The smell of yeast and cheese woke up my tastebuds and I stared hungrily at the repast.

“Well, go ahead and eat, girl. You look like you’re starving,” Cernunnos rumbled.

I jerked my head up to find him staring at me. Suddenly shy, I blushed and stammered out, “Oh, I’m sorry—it just…smells…”

“Eat. No guest in my palace ever goes hungry or my servants will hear about it. There are plates on the sideboard, along with serving utensils and napkins.” He motioned to the heavy console tables lining the back of the room, where a stack of dishes, napkins, goblets, and silverware sat.

Actually hungry enough to ignore decorum, I made my way to the back of the room. “Anybody else want plates?”

“They can get their own, girl. Sit down and eat.” Cernunnos turned to Herne. “How is my daughter-in-law? I miss seeing her here.”

“She’s so pregnant she’s not leaving home again till she gives birth. Ferosyn has put her on bedrest. Triplets aren’t a walk in the park, even for a goddess.” Herne shrugged. “I thought I’d pop back home for a visit before going back to the other side.”

I assumed “other side” meant Earth, but I was too hungry to ask. I carried my plate and silverware back to my place and began loading up on roast beef, rolls, cheddar, grapes, and strawberries. Everything looked fresh and smelled so good I couldn’t wait to dive in.

“So, you have captured Kilnakarn?” Cernunnos asked, even though he fully knew the answer.

My appetite abruptly vanishing, I pushed my plate back.

“Yes, he was trying to carry off Lyrical again. He’s got a bug up his butt about Mother saving her, and frankly, I’d like to see him roast for some of the things he said about her.” Herne’s eyes flashed with a dark light.

Cernunnos grumbled. “We have to walk cautiously with this one. The Kelpies are a vocal people and they’re also retaliatory. Do you know for certain that you got every one of his men off those boats?”

Herne nodded. “Yes, we checked the roster and those who aren’t dead are in the dungeons. And Kilnakarn’s main boat was busted up by an elemental this afternoon and dragged below the water. Before we left, I called in a crew to make certain there’s nothing left of it.”

I stiffened. “You did?”

“Yes, and his other boat too—the one they used to bring you over from the Eastside. They’ll be gone and we’ve fed the rumor mill that Kilnakarn set out in the water today, so if people notice the boat not coming back, they’ll assume he either sailed for home, or that something happened out in the waterways.” Herne glanced at his father. “When do we get this shitshow started? I want them put away, for good.”

Cernunnos paused, then said, “I’ll meet you in the throne room. Lyrical, please wait with me for a moment.”

Wondering what he wanted, I waited as the rest of them filed out. I wondered what Cernunnos had in mind. Judging from the way he was looking at me, it was serious. I took a big bite of my makeshift sandwich and chewed quickly.

Once the room cleared, with Wendy shutting the door behind her, I turned to the massive god. He was gorgeous and I found myself attracted to him, but I instantly squashed that thought.

His wife had saved my life and I didn’t go in for homewrecking—even if I could possibly compete against a goddess like Morgana. Cernunnos was Herne’s father and that was far more problematic than fucking Herne’s friend. And even though I had a libido that wouldn’t quit, trying to match a god like him would lead to sore thighs and a sore everything else.

He sat on the edge of the heavy wooden table, watching me, his arms crossed across his chest. Every muscle in his chest shimmered, and I forced my eyes up to meet his. I waited.

After a moment, he spoke—his velveteen baritone echoing in the empty room. “So, what do you want me to do?”

I froze, unsure of what he was asking. For a moment, I thought he’d been reading my mind. “I’m—I think you’re gorgeous but…”

His lips curved into a lazy smile. “I’m flattered, but I was asking about Kilnakarn.” His molten eyes twinkled.

I stammered, trying to dig myself out of that hole. “Oh, of course that’s what you meant! I knew that…” I paused, gathering my wits about me. “I thought you might be coming on to me. And I had no clue how to answer. I’m relieved you’re not.”

He snorted. “You’re an attractive woman, and my Lady and I are open to other trysts, but we both have to agree, and never with one of my or her priestesses. No foul, no harm. What I want to know is whether you want Kilnakarn executed. You’re the one he wronged, and if I’m not mistaken, you’re merely one among many. If you like I’ll send him to the executioner, on one condition. You must be there to stand watch.”

I stared at him, all thoughts of sex gone. “You’re offering me his head.”

“On a platter, if you like. Morgana told me what he did to you. So I offer you the option: I will either keep him in the depths of my dungeons—alone, in the dark, in solitary confinement until the end of his life. Or I will end his life now, and you will stand witness.”

All I had wanted in the years Kilnakarn had kept me captive was to see him dead. And now, his fate was in my hands, as my fate had been in his. I stared at Cernunnos, a million thoughts racing through my head.

“I need to think,” I said.

“Then think, but make it quick. I have a number of pressing tasks to attend to.” He stood, towering over me. As he pointed toward the door, I silently turned, my thoughts churning. But as I passed him, he reached out and took me by the wrist. “Be cautious of the coyote. Be sure you’re ready to take on that energy because once you hook him, he’s yours.”

And then, without another word, Cernunnos opened the door and escorted me out, as we headed toward the throne room.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My nerves were jangling as we approached the throne room. Cernunnos’s fingers on my wrist had set me ablaze with a flame brighter than the sun and I understood the difference in power between a demigod like Yutani and the strength of one of the elder gods. Intermingled with the effects of being in Cernunnos’s presence was the thought that I was going to be the one pronouncing sentence on Kilnakarn.

I could spare his life, unlike what he had done to hundreds—maybe thousands—over the years. I could spare him for a horrendous, isolated existence. But what if he didn’t care? What if he took it in stride? What if life—any life—was better to him than the thought of death? Because when it came down to it, I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to know fear. I wanted…and then I knew what I wanted. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes as he realized that his fate was in my hands.

* * *

As we entered the throne room, I stopped in my tracks. The room extended so far and wide that I could barely see the ceiling. The walls were a labyrinth of boughs and branches and tree roots, all lignified till they looked petrified.

Marble benches lined the room, gleaming white and black, with tables here and there that were covered with trays of fruit and flowers. The room was illuminated from several sources—and as my eyes adjusted, I noticed the stalactites jutting down from the ceiling, glowing with quartz crystals. The lights jumped from crystal to crystal, growing stronger as crystal after crystal picked up the spark.

Herne and the others were sitting on benches in front of a massive throne that emerged from the center of the floor. Like the walls, the throne was formed from a mass of roots and branches, entwining to form Cernunnos’s seat. Crystals glimmered from nooks and crannies hiding all over the giant chair. As I sat beside Herne, Cernunnos approached the throne and lightly ascended the steps leading up to it, turning with a flourish to settle himself in the seat. He looked perfectly at home and I once again found my heart—and other body parts—doing flipflops as I stared at him.

As we waited, Herne whispered, “My father making you hot?”

I blushed, jerking around to face him. But Herne was grinning, and he winked at me.

“He has that effect on most women,” he said. “What did he want to talk to you about?”

“Not sex, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I blurted out.

“I wasn’t, but good to know.” He paused, then—his smile slipping away—he said, “I think I know. He gave you a choice, didn’t he?”

I worried my lip. “Yeah, he did. I get to decide Kilnakarn’s fate. Tell me, is it a test? Or do you think your father is serious?”

Herne paused again, then turned to face me full on. He took my hands in his. “Lyrical, my father was perfectly serious. Whatever you decide, he’ll do—except for freeing him. Know this about Cernunnos: the Lord of the Forest is often compassionate, but never merciful to those he deems have crossed the lines. And he hates those who abuse others. He’s a harsh master, but fair, and while his servants fear him because of who he is, they never fear that he’ll treat them unfairly. But he has no compunctions when it comes to delivering justice. My father has a deep love for humanity, and it shows. My mother was magic-born, before she ascended to goddesshood.”

I felt every word that Herne said. And every word he said rang true. I murmured a thank-you and then turned back to stare at the god on the throne. Oddly, I felt more in common with Cernunnos than the others, though I couldn’t pinpoint how. There was a wildness in him that spoke to my own nature. An untamed streak that had seen too much reality, that allowed him to be harsh when he needed to be.

“Kingdom or not, I am still a princess,” I whispered. I would have ruled at some point in the future, perhaps long years ahead, but I would have been expected to make hard decisions that were often unpopular.

“What?” Herne asked, glancing at me.

I shook my head. “Just thinking.”

Yutani turned in time to meet my gaze and my blood began to burn. He was dangerous, a forest fire waiting to explode, but that made him all the more attractive and I suddenly understood that I needed that fire—that rush—to meet and match my own energy. It wasn’t that Yutani couldn’t be tamed that attracted me, it was my untamable nature that needed a match.

I raised my fingers to my lips and then held up my palm to him, and his eyes glowed—the deep chocolate blending with golden topaz.

Next to him, Wendy and Wager whispered so softly that I couldn’t catch what they were saying. As I was about to lean past Herne to say something to them both, Cernunnos motioned to one of his servants, who hit a large gong with a mallet that was as tall as he was. The reverberation echoed through the chamber, ricocheting off the walls.

We quieted down, waiting as a group of guards escorted in the prisoners. There were eight men altogether—eight left alive—and each man was watched over by three guards, except Kilnakarn, who was in the middle of six guards flanking him in all directions. Behind them followed a drummer, beating out a strong percussive beat, echoing their footsteps against the floor of the throne room.

Cernunnos waited till they reached the throne. The guards forced the captives down on their knees, and then stood back. Cernunnos stood, holding his staff beside him, his cloak thrown back to reveal the muscles that almost flexed on their own.

One of the guards stepped forward and turned to face the prisoners. “Kilnakarn, you and your guards are hereby charged with kidnapping, forced slavery, sexual slavery, and torture in the case of Princess Lyrical Muirín. You are charged with the murders of the Ante-Fae Rake, and the murder of Gerry Smith, a raven shifter. Stand and answer the charges against you.”

Kilnakarn slowly rose to his feet. I wanted to dive for cover, to avoid his gaze. I fought the panic down. He was chained, his hands and feet shackled. He couldn’t escape, not from here. Not today.

My heart plunged as I dove down in the deep. I turned to face Kilnakarn—to look him in the eyes. So many memories raced through my thoughts—images and screams and waves of pain that had echoed through my body from Kilnakarn’s attentions.

As I held his gaze, I saw the insolence that had preceded every time he raped me, every beating, every whipping…instead of leather, he had used jellyfish tentacles, leaving excruciating needles of pain to ripple through my muscles and nervous system. When I had defied him, he ordered his men to use me, and they had thought of games to play with me that I’d never reveal to a living soul.

Instead of cowering, though, now I straightened. He was the one in chains. He was the one was facing punishment now. And I was no longer the princess, but the queen here. Cernunnos had offered me back my power, and I knew exactly what I was going to ask for.

Kilnakarn, who had never once looked frightened in all the time I had spent in his presence, flinched, and I saw a flicker of doubt linger in his gaze. I stared at him harder, my lips curving with a cold smile, and he began to shift, glancing from me to Cernunnos.

“I am King of the Colkerny Kelpie Pod. You cannot hold me prisoner. I have sovereign rights,” he said, turning to Cernunnos. “I demand satisfaction.” But his voice was uncertain, and I wondered if he finally realized that he was facing an actual god.

“And I am Cernunnos, Lord of the Forest, consort to Morgana, Queen of Fae,” Cernunnos said, his arms still crossed. “You are in Annwn, in my realm, and I have sole authority here.”

“Then do what you plan on doing—but know this, my people will seek revenge against you and your bitch wife and all who follow you.” Kilnakarn knew he was fucked. I wondered why he wasn’t trying any of his magical tricks. Maybe he couldn’t.

“Your people will mourn your loss at sea, and while another may come to power as vile as you, that’s for another day. Your men shall live out their days in the deep dungeons of my palace, until their deaths. As for you…” Cernunnos turned to me. “I have elected to allow one of your victims to choose your fate.” He motioned for me to come forward.

I sucked in a deep breath and stepped toward the throne.

“Princess Lyrical Willow Muirín of the Limerick Leannan Sidhe, stand forth. I hereby give you the power to sentence King Kilnakarn, as so you will, save for freedom. Choose his punishment wisely. Be certain of what you can live with, and choose that which will set you free.” Cernunnos tapped his staff on the floor three times and a resounding vibration rippled through the room with each tap.

I bowed to him, then turned to Kilnakarn. I’d dreamt of this day for so long, but had never imagined I’d ever truly be granted my wish. And now…now that it had actually come true, what was I going to do?

Kilnakarn met my gaze with the same contempt he had turned on me before. So many times. I had longed for this—the chance to exact vengeance. Killing him outright seemed too easy, though it also seemed the smartest route to take. But I wanted him to suffer.

I turned back to Cernunnos. “Can you promise me he’ll never again see the light of day?”

Cernunnos nodded. “I’ve upgraded security. I promise on my oath that he will never walk under the open sky again. He’ll never see the outer world again, if you chose to imprison him.”

I thought over my options a while longer, and no one urged me to hurry. Kilnakarn was too strong. He was too healthy, too robust. I wanted him to know what it felt like to be vulnerable and weak, to be at the mercy of his captors.

“May I speak to you in private?” I asked.

Cernunnos motioned for me to ascend the steps of the throne and for his guards to move Kilnakarn to where he couldn’t hear. After we were settled, he gave me the go-ahead.

“What do you need?”

“I want to drain him of his chi—down to where he’s weak. Is there a way to make certain he doesn’t regain his strength, but lives as a pale shadow of himself? And is there a way to prevent him from returning to this world again? From reincarnating?” I wasn’t sure if it was within Cernunnos’s realm to grant that, but it was worth asking.

He regarded me somberly, then said, “There is a way.” He motioned to one of his servants. “Summon Nuometar to the throne room.” Then he motioned to the guards. “Take the prisoners over to the corner and wait.”

I started to descend the steps, but Cernunnos stopped me. “Wait. It won’t take long.”

Herne and the others looked at me expectantly, but I was too deep in my thoughts to answer. A few minutes later, the door to the throne room opened and a tall Elf, with skin the color of silver and eyes the color of ice, entered the room. The temperature dropped as he strode over to the throne, his ass-length silver hair as icy as the rest of him.

Cernunnos beckoned Nuometar to join us. “Tell Nuometar what you want to do.”

I blinked. Without context, my request was bound to sound ruthless, but I didn’t care. “I want to remove someone from the Wheel when they die. And until then, I want to drain their powers as well as their chi—permanently. I want them to know what it’s like to be weak, at the mercy of everyone around them.”

Nuometar shot a look at Cernunnos. “It can be done. I can formulate two potions, one for each action, that your victim will drink.”

“He’s no victim,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

“Pardon my wording,” Nuometar said. “I will return with the potions within the hour.”

As he silently took his leave, I watched him go. “Who is that?”

“He’s a priest of Cerridwen, a high priest. He stays here for…reasons of his own. You will have your wish. After you drain him, Kilnakarn will live out his days in my dungeons in a weakened and vulnerable state. And when he dies, the Eternal Return will not sweep him up in the Wheel. His energy will be transformed and returned to the core, and his spirit will vanish into the realms of history.” Cernunnos paused, then added, “You have chosen a harsh sentence.”

“He’s a harsh and merciless being. He’s destroyed more lives than you can count, in unthinkable fashions. Kilnakarn keeps alligators and crocodiles as pets. I’ve watched him abuse young men, and then feed them to the crocs alive while he and his men bet on how long it would take, on how much screaming there would be…on how much would be left.”

Cernunnos said nothing, merely held my gaze.

I drew my hand across my eyes as tears welled up. “I’ve seen too much. I wonder if Sejun can ever save me from my memories.” The part of me I kept rigidly locked away was threatening to break free. “I don’t want to think,” I whispered. “I hate silence, because then I think. And when I think, I feel like I’m walking on a tightrope over a lake of roiling waves. Sometimes it would be easier to let go and drop, to let the waves take me under.”

The god slowly reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. “War wounds. These are war wounds, Lyrical. Many carry dark memories from their personal battles. I’ve called for Sejun to visit today. When this is over, he’ll be waiting for you.”

I held onto that thin rope. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Look at me,” Cernunnos said.

I looked into his eyes, and fell into the deep molten chocolate that welcomed me in.

“You can survive this. Sejun will help you. You are broken now, but he will help you learn to rise out of being a victim and you will be strong and resilient. These wounds will make you more compassionate, and yet they will also give you the strength to do what you know you must. The strongest warriors aren’t those who have never been struck in battle. They’re the ones who have been wounded to the core and returned. Because they understand how deep pain can cut, and they can make better decisions about which battles to fight, and which to walk away from.” He patted my arm. “No one can change the past, but we can learn to live with it and make it work for us, instead of holding us captive.”

At that moment, Nuometar appeared again, with two bottles. He joined us.

“Here, these are for you,” he said, handing the potions to me.

“You mean these are for Kilnakarn, right?”

He shook his head. “No, they’re for you to drink, to give you the powers to do what you seek to do.”

I stared at them for a moment, wondering if this could be a test. Was he telling the truth? Would this be a placebo, or was it real? Or was it poison? Was I causing trouble? Paranoia ran hand in hand with fear and sprang from dark memories.

But then, I looked over at Kilnakarn and I knew… I knew this was absolutely the path I had to take. I shrugged off the fears and upended them both, one after another, drinking deep. The heady nectar stung on my tongue, like a fine but vintage alcohol, and then the concoctions began to flood my senses, and I felt like I was growing—taller and stronger and the whole world began to sparkle.

Cernunnos had called back his guards and the prisoners. He took a long look at me then said, “Whenever you choose, Lyrical. But act soon, while the potions are effective.”

Somehow, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I stepped down the stairs and walked over to Kilnakarn. “I sentence you to a life in the deepest caves of the world, shut away from all that is life and joy, shut away from all that is light and new. I sentence you to a life lived in a feeble body, waiting for death to claim you, in solitude with no one but your reflection to talk to. And once you die, I sentence you to obliteration. I remove you from the Wheel, never to turn again, never to cycle back to the world in a new form. I sentence you to the end of all things. May the gods have mercy on your soul, because I won’t.”

Kilnakarn gasped and this time, the fear was real. “You’re taking me out of the Wheel?”

“I’m taking you out of the Wheel. It will never again turn for you, never again spin for you. There will be no future. No past. No present. You will die and be forgotten. You will die and go into the shadows of the void, and never again emerge. You will be nothing.” I felt like a soothsayer, and my voice soared in the throne room, echoing from wall to wall.

Herne and the others stared at me, and I met their gaze, feeling terrifying and beautiful, as though I was touching the edge of the divine.

I walked over to Kilnakarn and the guards pushed him onto his knees, on a velvet-covered bench. I knelt beside him as he stammered, pleading with his eyes.

“Don’t do this—please,” and this time the fear was raw.

“How many times did I plead those same words to you? How many times did I beg for you to stop hurting me? How many times did I crawl on my knees, screaming for you to stop hurting those children? How many times did you laugh in my face?” I wanted to slap him, to spit at him, to kick him like he had kicked me. And when he was down, I wanted to kick him again. But I refrained. I was the Ice Queen, and I would not yield to base crudeness.

“I’m sorry, please—I didn’t mean—”

But I cut him off. “Oh please, you all say you’re sorry when you’re caught. If you had gotten away with me today, you’d already be torturing me. And you’d laugh with your men while you burned me with your cigar butts and joked about what you could do to me to make me beg for death. Be a man and admit what you are.”

He froze, then slowly straightened and by the light in his eyes, I could see he was back. “I am King Kilnakarn, Lord of the Colkerny Kelpies. I will meet my death as I have lived my life—with the fierceness of my race, with the dignity of my station. Bring it on, Princess. Give me your best shot.”

I stepped up to him and—with the guards holding him tight—I fastened my lips on his. I began to draw out his chi, making it hurt. Every second became a year, and I dragged out the process, making every whisper of life force that I stole an agony. Kilnakarn shuddered, but the guards held him fast and I drew more and more chi as it flooded my body, buoying me up. I rejoiced over every drop, and with each breath I soared, high on the power.

And then—I sensed he was on the end of his lifeline and I broke away, shaking my head. “I won’t kill you, but you’ll live in this weakened state the rest of your days. All the while knowing you’re facing oblivion. May you feast on your misery, and may you rejoice knowing the world will forget you.”

Kilnakarn dropped over the bench, so weak he couldn’t move. But he gave me one last look, and from the bleak depths of his stare, he whispered, “I suppose, in the end, you win this one. I’d do it all again, though, if given the choice. For this is who I am.”

I took one last look at him before the guards carried him away, taking his men with him. And then I turned back to the others. Yutani stepped forward and opened his arms. Shaking, unable to stop, unable to speak, I stumbled forward and he gathered me into his embrace. I dropped my head back and, as the sheer trauma of the day took over, I collapsed, and blessed darkness embraced me.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As my eyes opened, I found myself in a bed. I sat up to find Yutani sitting beside me. He was watching me, and I wondered how long I’d been out.

“What time is it?”

“Morning. You were out all night. Sejun was here, and he did some work with you while you were unconscious. I stayed here, don’t worry. But you should feel a bit better. I hope.” He looked uncertain. “I’m not sure what to say. I have no context for what just happened.”

I pushed myself up to sit against the headboard. “I can’t even begin to explain what happened yesterday. I had no clue Cernunnos was going to give me the choice of what to do about Kilnakarn.” I felt different. Lighter, in some ways, but odd. “I’m not sure what happened to me during…when I drained Kilnakarn of his energy.”

“Sejun told me your aura seems…changed. I asked Herne to talk to Nuometar about those potions.” Yutani gnawed on his bottom lip. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but you need to know.”

“Need to know what?” Worried, I leaned forward. “What went on during that exchange?”

“Um…the potion didn’t just allow you to drain him of his chi permanently.” Yutani looked like he’d eaten something that disagreed with him.

I stiffened. “What the hell are you talking about? The fact that he won’t be able to reincarnate?”

“Um, no. Not exactly, though that’s a given, too.” He tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. It had the logo of a band on it, one I’d never heard of—A Pale Horse Named Death.

“Then what are you talking about?” I hated it when people danced around a topic. I always preferred tackling something head-on.

“Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Here’s the thing. As a Kelpie, Kilnakarn had a few innate abilities. It seems the potion drained some of those away and transferred them permanently to you.” The words rushed out like a river over a broken dam.

I sat there, trying to absorb what he was telling me. “So, you’re saying I transferred some of Kilnakarn’s powers into me?” The thought made me want to puke. “Holy fuck, does that mean I’m going to become like him?” My voice began to spiral as a wave of panic swept through me.

“No, no! It doesn’t mean anything of the sort!” Yutani jumped up as I scrambled to get out of the bed. He grabbed me by the shoulders. “It doesn’t mean that—you aren’t going to become his clone or anything like that. I promise you.”

I shivered. “But part of him is inside me now—inside my soul.”

“I think you should talk to Sejun. He can explain it better than I’m doing. Please, don’t panic. That’s not at all what it means. Let me get Sejun?” He pushed me back on the bed. “Stay here, promise me? Don’t go anywhere till I bring Sejun.”

I struggled to stay where I was sitting. The thought of having any part of Kilnakarn connected to me made me want to vomit, but I did my best. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my forehead on them.

“I promise. But hurry.”

Yutani rushed out of the room and I rocked back and forth, trying to sooth myself. Maybe I wasn’t understanding him right—maybe I was misinterpreting what he had said. I continued to rock as the minutes passed, wanting to outrun my feelings.

But before I made a break for it, the door opened and Yutani returned, followed by Sejun. Yutani hung back as Sejun sat down beside me.

“So, Yutani tells me you’re having a panic attack?”

I was fighting tears. “I don’t want anything to do with Kilnakarn but now you’re telling me that I stole some of his powers and they’re a part of me now?”

Sejun licked his lips. “That’s not the best way of putting it. Listen to me, okay?”

I wiped my eyes, sniffling as I raised my head. “Okay, I’m listening.” I trusted Sejun in a way I didn’t trust anybody else.

“There are powers innate to the Water Fae. Some belong to the Kelpie, some to the Leannan Sidhe, still others to the undines and naiads and others of your kind, right?” He held out his hand and I took it. He began to tap on my wrist, a gentle, soft beat.

I nodded. “Right, that’s true.”

“They aren’t connected to one member of the race, correct? Like…most Leannan Sidhe can glamour and play the muse, true?”

“True,” I said, calming down as the tapping continued. I yawned, and when I exhaled, I found the panic beginning to unwind. “That’s true.”

“So there were several abilities that Kilnakarn had because he’s a Kelpie—that have nothing to do with him as an individual. A couple of those transferred to you when you drank his chi. They have no trace of his persona attached. They’re simply abilities.”

I let out another breath. “And they don’t have any of his memories or—”

“No memories, no taint. But you now have possession of those abilities and they’re gone from him forever.” Sejun cleared his throat. “The potion was more powerful than Cernunnos realized. Not even Nuometar knew this was going to happen. But you now have the powers of the Kelpie to stay beneath the water for up to an hour at a time.”

I began to breathe easier again. “Okay…so longer time underwater. That’s not a bad thing.” Then I asked, “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Well, yes, actually. The other power you drained from him is the ability to shapeshift. You can take the shape of a mermaid beneath the water. And Kilnakarn will never again shapeshift.”

I stared at Sejun. “I can take the shape of a mermaid?” For some reason, that made me smile. The Mer people were dangerous but beautiful. They were connected with sirens, but—unlike the sirens, who were female—there were both male and female of the race. Sirens mated with human men. If the child was female, she lived and was fully siren like her mother. The boys were abandoned to the waves by their mothers and died quickly.

Sejun seemed to sense my mood and he smiled. “Yes, but for one hour only—the same time that you can breathe below the waves. Then you have to shift back. It will take you a few hours before you’ll be able to shift form again.”

I paused. That wasn’t so bad—breathing underwater and growing a gorgeous fish tail for an hour at a time. “Okay…well, if Kilnakarn isn’t connected to it, then I guess…I’m okay with this. I kind of like the idea. It’s like a new toy.”

“Yes, it is, though I suggest you ask a selkie to help you out by spotting you in the water the first few times you try shapeshifting.” He patted my hand. “Better?”

I nodded. “I actually feel incredibly strong.”

“You drank a lot of chi yesterday. But we need to talk later, after you’ve eaten food. This is going to trigger right into the memories and we have a lot to unpack. I trust you can do this, Lyrical. You’re strong and determined.”

I rested myself against the headboard again. “I guess I am. Thank you. I’m not sure when we’ll be leaving, but I’ll check in with you before then.”

Sejun stood, then—after taking his leave—exited the room.

Yutani crossed to the bed and sat down beside me. “How are you? Really?”

“The truth? I don’t know. But not as bad as I was before I talked to him. Thank you for bringing him in.” I paused, then took Yutani’s hands, making a spontaneous decision. “Yutani, I don’t know what it is that we have together, but I want to explore it. I can’t promise monogamy—it’s not my nature, but I promise to be honest with you, and to have your back.”

Yutani ducked his head. “I can’t promise monogamy either, but I also want to explore what’s growing between us. There’s a chemistry that we can’t ignore.” He paused, then added, “What’s your ideal living arrangement?”

“I do enjoy having you as a roommate. If Ember’s willing, let’s take her house? There’s more room there than in your house.”

“I’m good with that,” he said. Then, he crawled into bed with me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “We’re a pair, aren’t we? Both broken, but both strong.”

“Sometimes, scar tissue is stronger than unmarred skin. And now, I’m free from Kilnakarn. But we have to keep what happened to him quiet. None of us can ever breathe a word, because if his people found out, there would be war.” I didn’t say that I would have welcomed a chance to wipe out his entire kingdom. The Kelpies were rotten, most all of them, and he had poisoned his people with his twisted ways.

“That’s not difficult,” Yutani said. “So, are you hungry?”

I turned to him. My stomach was rumbling a little, but so was every other part of my body. “Yeah, I am, but food can wait.”

And there, beneath the canopy of Cernunnos’s palace, I fucked my coyote until we both were dripping with sweat.

* * *

Herne excused everyone from work till the following Monday, and by the time we gathered again around the break room table, I’d had three intensive sessions with Sejun and was beginning to understand my triggers. He was helping me to unwind some of the emotional components.

“So, what do we do this week, boss?” Yutani asked.

Herne grinned. “Well, glad you asked. Now that we’ve settled the matter with Kilnakarn, it’s time to face the vampires moving back and all the crap that’s bringing with it, including the Dragon Reborn group. And, of course, we have to confront Névé and her weather magic.” He paused, glancing up from his tablet at all of us. “I guess it’s back to business as usual.”

As we began to talk strategy, I found my thoughts drifting back to Annwn and Kilnakarn. He was no longer a threat in my world, and for the first time since he had captured me, I felt like I could walk down the street without glancing over my shoulder. Whatever might come my way next, the fact was that I was free from a part of my past that never should have happened. And that freedom was worth fighting for, regardless of what it required.

I looked around the table at everyone, grateful for new friends, and most of all—for the passion that Yutani had sparked in me. Whatever came between us, I had never touched a passion as fierce as the one I had with him. It brought light into the darkness of my world. I reached under the table and took his hand. Yes, the future was unknown, the past gone…but for now, the present was right where I wanted to be.

* * *

Night Queen Series: If you enjoyed Shattered Spells, then you can preorder Fractured Flowers now. If you haven’t read the first book, then begin with Tattered Thorns. And if you want to read the original Wild Hunt Series, where the Wild Hunt began, start with The Silver Stag.

Moonshadow Bay Series: If you like ooo-spooky fiction with an older female lead, check out Starlight Web. January Jaxson returns to the quirky town of Moonshadow Bay after her husband dumps her and steals their business, and within days she’s working for Conjure Ink, a paranormal investigations agency, and exploring the potential of her hot new neighbor. Eight books are currently available and you can preorder Cursed Web and Solstice Web now!

For all of my work, both published and upcoming releases, see the Bibliography at the end of this book, or check out my Where Should I Start page at my website. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to receive news about all my new releases AND the first three Wild Hunt books for free. You’re welcome to join my YouTube Channel, and check out my Patreon, too.

QUALITY CONTROL: This work has been professionally edited and proofread. If you encounter any typos or formatting issues ONLY, please contact me through my website so they may be corrected. Otherwise, know that this book is in my style and voice and editorial suggestions will not be entertained. Thank you.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

The Wild Hunt & Family:

- Lyrical Willow Muirín: Light Fae, and one of the Leannan Sidhe, Lyrical was a princess in Ireland until she was abducted by a Kelpie. Rescued by Morgana, shunned by her family, she now lives in Seattle and works with the Wild Hunt Agency.

- Talia: A harpy who long ago lost her powers, Talia is a top-notch researcher for the Wild Hunt Agency, and a longtime friend of Herne’s.

- Wager Chance: Half–Dark Fae, half-human PI, he previously owned his own firm and now works for the Wild Hunt. He has connections with the vampires.

- Wendy Fierce-Womyn: An Amazon who formerly worked at Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill, Wendy is now a member of the Wild Hunt Agency.

- Yutani: A coyote shifter whose father is the Great Coyote, Yutani was driven out of his village over two hundred years before. He walks in the shadow of the Trickster, and now runs the Wild Hunt Agency.

- Members Emeritus:

- Angel Jackson: Ember’s best friend, a human empath, Angel is a whiz in both the office and the kitchen, and loyal to the core. Angel is an integral part of Ember’s life.

- Charlie Darren: A vampire who was turned at nineteen. Math major, baker, and all-around gofer.

- Rafé Forrester: Brother to Ulstair, Raven’s late fiancé; Angel’s boyfriend. Was an actor/fast-food worker, then worked as a clerk for the Wild Hunt. Dark Fae. Deceased.

- Viktor: Viktor is half-ogre, half-human. Rejected by his father’s people (the ogres), he came to work for Herne some decades back and now works in Annwn as head of the guard for Herne.

Friends, Family, & Enemies:

- Aoife: A priestess of Morgana who guards the Seattle portal to the goddess’s realm.

- Celia: Yutani’s aunt.

- Danielle: Herne’s daughter, born to an Amazon named Myrna.

- DJ Jackson: Angel’s little half-brother, DJ is half Wulfine—wolf shifter. He now lives with a foster family for his own protection and they all live in Annwn.

- Erica: A Dark Fae police officer, friend of Viktor’s.

- Elatha: Fomorian King; enemy of the Fae race.

- George Shipman: Puma shifter. Member of the White Peak Puma Pride.

- Ginty McClintlock: A dwarf. Owner of Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill.

- Gunnar: One of Kipa’s SuVahta Elitvartijat—elite guards.

- Jordan Roberts: Tiger shifter. Llewellyn’s husband. Owns A Taste of Latte coffee shop.

- Llewellyn Roberts: One of the magic-born, owns the Sun & Moon Apothecary.

- Louhia: Witch of Pohjola.

- Marilee: A priestess of Morgana, Ember’s mentor. Possibly human—unknown.

- Meadow O’Ceallaigh: Member of the magic-born; member of LOCK. Twin sister of Trefoil.

- Moira Ness: Human. Was one of Raven’s regular clients for readings.

- Myrna: An Amazon who had a fling with Herne many years back, which resulted in their daughter Danielle.

- Neil Johansson: One of the magic-born. A priest of Thor.

- Sheila: Viktor’s wife. A kitchen witch and one of the magic-born, she now lives in Annwn.

- Trefoil O’Ceallaigh: Member of the magic-born; member of LOCK. Twin brother of Meadow.

- Unkai: Leader of the Orhanakai clan in the forest of Y’Bain. Dark Fae—Autumn’s Bane.

Raven & the Ante-Fae:

The Ante-Fae are creatures predating the Fae. They are the wellspring from which all Fae descended, unique beings who rule their own realms. All Ante-Fae are dangerous, but some are more deadly than others.

- Apollo: The Golden Boy. Vixen’s boytoy. Weaver of Wings. Dancer.

- Arachana: The Spider Queen. She has almost transformed into one of the Luo’henkah.

- Blackthorn, the King of Thorns: Ruler of the blackthorn trees and all thorn-bearing plants. Cunning and wily, he feeds on pain and desire.

- Curikan, the Black Dog of Hanging Hills: Raven’s father, one of the infamous Black Dogs. The first time someone meets him, they find good fortune. If they should ever see him again, they meet tragedy.

- Elise, Gordon, and Templeton: Raven’s ferret-bound spirit friends she rescued years ago and now protects until she can find out the secret to breaking the curse on them.

- Phasmoria: Queen of the Bean Sidhe. Raven’s mother.

- Raj: Gargoyle companion of Raven. Wing-clipped, he’s been with Raven for a number of years.

- Raven, the Daughter of Bones: (also: Raven BoneTalker) A bone witch, Raven is young, as far as the Ante-Fae go, and she works with the dead. She’s also a fortune-teller, and a necromancer.

- Straff: Blackthorn’s son, who suffers from a wasting disease requiring him to feed off others’ life energies and blood.

- Trinity: The Keeper of Keys. The Lord of Persuasion. One of the Ante-Fae, and part incubus. Mysterious and unknown agent of chaos. His mother was Deeantha, the Rainbow Runner, and his soul father was Maximus, a minor lord of the incubi.

- Vixen: The Mistress/Master of Mayhem. Gender-fluid Ante-Fae who owns the Burlesque A Go-Go nightclub.

- The Vulture Sisters: Triplet sisters, predatory.

The Gods, the Luo’henkah, the Elemental Spirits, & Their Courts:

- Arawn: Lord of the Dead. Lord of the Underworld.

- Arianrhod: The Goddess of the Silver Wheel; Lady of Reincarnation and the Stars

- Brighid: Goddess of Healing, Inspiration, and Smithery. The Lady of the Fiery Arrows, “Exalted One.”

- The Cailleach: One of the Luo’henkah, the heart and spirit of winter.

- Cerridwen: Goddess of the Cauldron of Rebirth. Dark harvest mother goddess.

- Cernunnos: Lord of the Hunt, god of the Forest and King Stag of the Woods. Together with Morgana, Cernunnos originated the Wild Hunt Agency and negotiated the covenant treaty with both the Light and the Dark Fae. Herne’s father.

- Corra: Ancient Scottish serpent goddess. Oracle to the gods.

- Coyote, also: Great Coyote: Native American trickster spirit/god.

- Danu: Mother of the Pantheon. Leader of the Tuatha de Dannan.

- Ember (Kearney): Caught between the world of Light and Dark Fae, Ember is now a goddess of the Fae and the Sea.

- Ferosyn: Chief healer in Cernunnos’s Court.

- Herne the Hunter: Herne is the son of the Lord of the Hunt, Cernunnos, and Morgana, goddess of the Fae and the Sea. A demigod—given his mother’s mortal beginnings—he’s a lusty, protective god and one hell of a good boss. Owner of the Wild Hunt Agency.

- Isella: One of the Luo’henkah. The Daughter of Ice (daughter of the Cailleach).

- Kuippana (also: Kipa): Lord of the Wolves. Elemental forest spirit; Herne’s distant cousin. A trickster. Leader of the SuVahta, a group of divine elemental wolf shifters.

- Lugh the Long Handed: Celtic Lord of the Sun.

- Mielikki: Lady of Tapiola. Finnish goddess of the Hunt and the Fae. Mother of the Bear, Mother of Bees, Queen of the Forest.

- Morgana: Goddess of the Fae and the Sea, she was originally human but Cernunnos lifted her to deityhood. She agreed to watch over the Fae who did not return across the Great Sea. Torn by her loyalty to her people and her loyalty to Cernunnos, she at times finds herself conflicted about the Wild Hunt. Herne’s mother.

- The Morrígan: Goddess of Death and Phantoms. Goddess of the battlefield.

- Pandora: Daughter of Zeus, Emissary of Typhon, the Father of Dragons.

- Sejun: A counselor in Cernunnos’s employ. Raven’s therapist. Elven.

- Tapio: Lord of Tapiola. Mielikki’s Consort. Lord of the Woodlands. Master of Game.

The Fae Courts:

- Navane: The court of the Light Fae, both across the Great Sea and on the east side of Seattle, the latter ruled by Névé.

- TirNaNog: The court of the Dark Fae, both across the Great Sea and on the east side of Seattle, the latter ruled by Saílle.

The Force Majeure:

A group of legendary magicians, sorcerers, and witches. They are not human, but magic-born. There are twenty-one at any given time and the only way into the group is to be hand chosen, and the only exit from the group is death.

- Merlin, The: Morgana’s father. Magician of ancient Celtic fame.

- Taliesin: The first Celtic bard. Son of Cerridwen, originally a servant who underwent magical transformation and finally was reborn through Cerridwen as the first bard.

- Ranna: Powerful sorceress. Elatha’s mistress.

- Rasputin: The Russian sorcerer and mystic.

- Väinämöinen: The most famous Finnish bard.

The Dragonni—the Dragon Shifters:

- The Celestial Wanders (Blue, Silver, and Gold Dragons)

- The Mountain Dreamers (Green and Black Dragons)

- The Luminous Warriors (White, Red, and Shadow Dragons)

- Ashera: A blue dragon.

- Aso: White dragon, bound to Pandora, twin of Variance

- Echidna: The Mother of Dragons (born of the Titans Gaia and Tartarus)

- Gyell: Shadow dragon, working with Aso and Variance to bring chaos to Seattle

- Typhon: The Father of Dragons (born of the Titans Gaia and Tartarus)

- Variance: White dragon, bound to Pandora, twin of Aso

PLAYLIST

I often write to music, and Shattered Spells was no exception. Here’s the playlist I used for this book.

A.J. Roach: Devil May Dance

Air: Napalm Love; Playground Love

Alanis Morissette: You Oughta Know; Eight Easy Steps; Uninvited

Alice in Chains: Man in the Box; Sunshine
Android Lust: Here and Now; Saint Over
Animotion: Obsession

Annelise Collette: Drifting Away; Left in the Dark; Out of This World

Arch Leaves: Nowhere to Go
Audrey Ryan: Arm Yourself; So Afraid
AWOLNATION: Sail
Band of Skulls: I Know What I Am
Billy Idol: White Wedding; Rebel Yell

The Black Angels: Don’t Play with Guns; Always Maybe

Black Mountain: Queens Will Play
Boom! Bap! Pow!: Suit
The Bravery: Believe
Broken Bells: The Ghost Inside
Camouflage Nights: (It Could Be) Love
Celtic Woman: Newgrange
Cobra Verde: Play with Fire

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River; Fortunate Son; Run Through the Jungle; Born on the Bayou

Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain

David Bowie: Fame; Golden Years; I’m Afraid of Americans

Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Possess Your Heart

Devon Cole: Hey Cowboy; W.I.T.C.H.

Dizzi: Dizzi Jig; Dance of the Unicorns

Don Henley: Dirty Laundry; Sunset Grill; The Garden of Allah; Everybody Knows

Eastern Sun: Beautiful Being (Original Edit)
Eels: Souljacker Part 1
Elektrisk Gonner: Uknowhatiwant
FC Kahuna: Hayling
Finger Eleven: Paralyzer

Fleetwood Mac: Gold Dust Woman; The Chain; Tusk

Fluke: Absurd

Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks

Garbage: Queer; Only Happy When It Rains; #1 Crush; Push It

Gary Numan: I Assassin; The Gift; Saints and Liars: My Shadow in Vain; Soul Protection; My World Storm; Outland; Icehouse; Down in the Park; My Breathing; The Sleeproom

Gorillaz: Kids with Guns; Every Planet We Reach Is Dead; Dare; Demon Days; Hongkongaton; Rockit; Clint Eastwood; Stylo; Tranz

Guess Who: No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
Halsey: Castle; Colors; Haunting
Hanni El Khatib: Come Alive
Harvey Danger: Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo
House of Pain: Jump Around
Imagine Dragons: Natural

In Strict Confidence: Silver Bullets; Snow White; Tiefer

John Fogerty: The Old Man Down the Road

Julian Cope: Charlotte Anne

Just Kait: Goodbye Go Go; Crash and Burn; Gonna Rock

Justin Timberlake: SexyBack

The Kills: No Wow; Sour Cherry; Nail in My Coffin

Lady Gaga: 911; Paparazzi; Poker Face; The Fame; I Like It Rough; Teeth

Larry Tee & Princess Superstar: Licky
Lord of the Lost: Sex on Legs
Lorde: Yellow Flicker Beat; Royals
Low: Witches; Plastic Cup; Half Light
Mai Lan: Pumper
Marilyn Manson: Personal Jesus; Tainted Love
Masked Wolf: Astronaut in the Ocean
Matt Corby: Breathe
MIA: Bad Girls
Nik Ammar & Marla Altschuler: Hollywood
Nine Inch Nails: Closer; Sin

Nirvana: Heart Shaped Box; Come As You Are; Lake of Fire; Lithium; You Know You’re Right

The Offspring: The Kids Aren’t Alright; Come Out and Play; Self Esteem

Oingo Boingo: Dead Man’s Party; Elevator Man
Orgy: Social Enemies; Blue Monday
Pati Yang: All That Is Thirst
People in Planes: Vampire
The Pierces: Secret

The Police: Roxanne; Don’t Stand So Close; King of Pain

Puddle of Mudd: Psycho

The Pussycat Dolls: Buttons; When I Grow Up; Don’t Cha

Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl; Never Gonna Stop

Robin Schulz: Sugar

Screaming Trees: Where the Twain Shall Meet; All I Know

Seth Glier: The Next Right Thing

Simple Minds: Don’t You

Vincent: Pay Your Way in Pain; Down; Down and Out Downtown; Los Ageless; Sugarboy

Tamaryn: While You’re Sleeping, I’m Dreaming; Violet’s in a Pool

Thompson Twins: The Gap
Toadies: Possum Kingdom
Tom Petty: Mary Jane’s Last Dance

Tori Amos: Blood Roses; Professional Widow; Caught a Lite Sneeze; Muhammad My Friend

Transplants: Diamonds and Guns
Trills: Speak Loud
Valen: Cold Blood
The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony
Yoko Kanno: Lithium Flower
Zayde Wolf: Gladiator; Strike A Match
Zero Seven: In the Waiting Line

BIOGRAPHY

New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over eighty books, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, the Indigo Court Series, and the Otherworld Series, among others. She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at Galenorn.com. You can find all her links at her LinkTree.

Indie Releases Currently Available:

Moonshadow Bay Series:

Starlight Web

Midnight Web

Conjure Web

Harvest Web

Shadow Web

Weaver’s Web

Crystal Web

Witch’s Web

Cursed Web

Solstice Web

Magic Happens Series:

Shadow Magic

Charmed to Death

Night Queen Series:

Tattered Thorns

Shattered Spells

Fractured Flowers

Hedge Dragon Series:

The Poisoned Forest

The Tangled Sky

The Wild Hunt Series:

The Silver Stag

Oak & Thorns

Iron Bones

A Shadow of Crows

The Hallowed Hunt

The Silver Mist

Witching Hour

Witching Bones

A Sacred Magic

The Eternal Return

Sun Broken

Witching Moon

Autumn’s Bane

Witching Time

Hunter’s Moon

Witching Fire

Veil of Stars

Antlered Crown

Lily Bound Series

Soul jacker

Chintz ‘n China Series:

Ghost of a Chance

Legend of the Jade Dragon

Murder Under a Mystic Moon

A Harvest of Bones

One Hex of a Wedding

Holiday Spirits

Well of Secrets

Chintz ‘n China Books, 1 – 3: Ghost of a Chance, Legend of the Jade Dragon, Murder Under A Mystic Moon

Chintz ‘n China Books, 4-6: A Harvest of Bones, One Hex of a Wedding, Holiday Spirits

Whisper Hollow Series:

Autumn Thorns

Shadow Silence

The Phantom Queen

Bewitching Bedlam Series:

Bewitching Bedlam

Maudlin’s Mayhem

Siren’s Song

Witches Wild

Casting Curses

Demon’s Delight

Bedlam Calling: A Bewitching Bedlam Anthology

Wish Factor (a prequel short story)

Blood Music (a prequel novella)

Blood Vengeance (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)

Tiger Tails (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)

Fury Unbound Series:

Fury Rising

Fury’s Magic

Fury Awakened

Fury Calling

Fury’s Mantle

Indigo Court Series:

Night Myst

Night Veil

Night Seeker

Night Vision

Night’s End

Night Shivers

Indigo Court Books, 1-3: Night Myst, Night Veil, Night Seeker (Boxed Set)

Indigo Court Books, 4-6: Night Vision, Night’s End, Night Shivers (Boxed Set)

Otherworld Series:

Moon Shimmers

Harvest Song

Blood Bonds

Otherworld Tales: Volume 1

Otherworld Tales: Volume 2

For the rest of the Otherworld Series, see website at Galenorn.com.

Bath and Body Series (originally under the name India Ink):

Scent to Her Grave

A Blush With Death

Glossed and Found

Misc. Short Stories/Anthologies:

The Longest Night (A Pagan Romance Novella)

Magickal Nonfiction: A Witch’s Guide Series.

Embracing the Moon

Tarot Journeys

Totem Magick