Authors: Quinn Loftis
She reasoned that she needed to consider what it meant that not only was Peri alive, but she was also seeking out the very same
gypsy healer. Did that mean that Peri knew about all the healers? And if she did, was she going to be taking them to the wolves?
“Dammit,”
Lorelle huffed into the silent forest. “Why couldn’t she just stay dead? Is that too much to ask after you’ve killed your sibling? I don’t think it’s unreasonable of me to expect her to do me the courtesy of keeping her too perfect self in the damn ground!” Lorelle let out a slow breath as she composed herself after her brief, but much needed rant. She still had a job to do if she wanted to break free of Volcan.
She closed her eyes and felt his magic moving inside of her, pulling on her will to go in the direction that it demanded. She fought the urge to cringe away and instead let it lead her to her next target. She flashed, letting Volcan’s spell direct her path. When she felt herself become still, she waited several heart beats before she opened her eyes.
“Okay,” she said slowly as she looked around. “This is not what I was expecting.”
She stood on a sidewalk at the edge of a lawn that looked as though it hadn’t seen a lawn mower since before Lorelle was born. The house beyond the jungle of a yard was dilapidated and Lorelle wondered how a stiff wind didn’t just blow the shack right over. She looked left and then right and saw that the houses on either side where in the same sad shape as the one before her. The entire neighborhood was like a forgotten ghost town. The only signs of life were the cars that littered the street and driveways and the slight noises she could hear coming from inside some of the pathetic dwellings.
Letting out a loud sigh, s
he made sure to cloak herself as she crept up the walkway. Dry weeds burst through the cracked cement like bony hands reaching from the grave. She couldn’t imagine a healer living in these conditions, but then she couldn’t really imagine anyone living in these conditions. Lorelle’s own life had always been a one of privilege and ease. How quickly things change when you decide to off your sister and join forces with evil.
She didn’t bother to knock, she wasn’t going to do things politely this time, not if there was a chance that Peri could show up at any moment. The door flew open with a loud bang as she held her hand out pushing her magic forward. As she stepped across the thre
shold she was surprised to find, in stark contrast to the crumbling mess outside, a clean, though sparsely filled, living area. “Huh, learn something new every day,” she muttered to herself.
“Can I help you?” A sharp voice had
Lorelle nearly jumping in the air, not because she was afraid of a little human, but because said human shouldn’t be able to see her.
Lorelle
turned to look at the owner of the voice and her eyes widened. The girl was younger than the first one she had visited, but not by much. But that wasn’t what surprised the fae. The shocking thing about the youth was her sheer beauty, as if she’d been hand chiseled by the Great Luna herself. In a place so very ugly, this girl stood out like a diamond in the rough.
It was a shame that Volcan was going to get his grubby hands on this one,
Lorelle thought. But then she also thought,
better her than me
.
“Actually, yes, yes you can,”
Lorelle smiled wickedly. She made a motion with her hand at the wall in front of her, smiling at the little gift she knew her sister would eventually find, then she leapt across the room and grabbed the girl’s arm flashing as she did so, instantly transporting her far from her hovel, away from her life, and away from any future she ever thought she might have.
Lorelle
thought for an instant as she dropped the girl off in the dark forest that she might have felt something akin to guilt, but she knew it was impossible for her to feel guilt, not after the things she had already done. She chalked it up as indigestion, ignoring the fact that she’d never so much as had a stomach ache in all her centuries alive. Indigestion was better than guilt any day of the week in her book.
∞
Volcan felt Lorelle’s presence in his forest, felt her fear, her shock and anger. She had been there for several hours and he cursed his limited form that he couldn’t go to her and force her to do his will. He didn’t have time for her to deal with the fact that her sister, whom she so proudly declared dead by her own hand, was indeed alive. He had known that Perizada was alive, but who was he to burst the fae’s bubble? All that mattered at this point was that she get him the healers. He needed their magic if he ever wanted to be more than a spirit again. He had been patient long enough. For so long he had existed trapped in this castle that once had been a place of power. Now it was a prison.
Lorelle
had wandered into his home seeking refuge from her own sins, and now thanks to her need of sanctuary he had his tool. If he could just be patient a little longer he would be free, and then they would pay. All those who thought they could destroy him, they would see what true power was.
He finally felt
Lorelle leave and when she arrived back he felt another presence. It was pure, light, goodness and though he wanted to touch that with a fifty foot pole, he smiled because it was a healer. The very thing that could destroy him for good, could also restore him. So it was with all light, it could give warmth, and cause growth or if exposed to it for too long or in too high a quantity it could reduce the world to ash. It was a risk worth taking. He was tired of simply existing. His time was coming and soon he would remind the fae council of what true power really was.
“The words leftover, relic, remnant and the like at one time held a negative connotation. Now, knowing that I am a member of the remnant of gypsy healers in this world, I see those words in a whole new connotation. Because no matter how big or small the remainder is, I am a part of something good and pure. I am not alone, I have a purpose.” ~Anna
“Do you know where we’re going next?” Peri asked Sally as they all gathered in the living area of the home in Farie.
Sally sat in Costin’s lap looking as tired as Peri felt.
Sally nodded. “I called Rachel just to check my information. From what I could get from the girl
’s mind it would be best if we went in small. She’s going to be skittish.”
“What leads you to this conclusion?”
Lucian asked.
“She doesn’t come from the best circumstances,” Sally explained. “Some of the things she’
s seen are downright disturbing. She’s poor, and from what I can tell she doesn’t trust anyone because of the things she’s seen.”
“Am I right in saying that you don’t think any males should accompany us?” Peri asked.
“Yes. I think it would definitely be best if just females went,” Sally agreed.
“Peri,”
Lucian started.
Peri held up her hand to stop him. “I know you don’t like the idea of us going without male protection and while I appreciate your concern you have to remember who I am and what I’m capable of. Now that
Lorelle has entered the picture, time is of the essence and we have to get these healers to safety. We’ve dallied long enough as it is.”
“
I am very aware of who you are and what you are capable of, if you remember your illustration of your power to me just a short time ago.” Lucian’s words had Peri’s skin flushed a delightful shade of red. He continued even as he enjoyed her reaction. “Though I know these things I am still your mate, your protector, your shelter and there is nothing you can do or say that will keep me from following you into any amount of danger no matter how great or small.” His eyes held her steady gaze making it perfectly clear that he would not be swayed. He was going with her and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop him.
“Fine,” she finally said after several tense seconds. “You,
and you” she snapped at Costin and Sorin, “are going to have to trust me to take care of your mates. One huge male we might be able to hide, but not three so you both will stay here.” She didn’t give Costin or Sorin time to argue before she moved on to give orders to the others. “Sally, Elle, myself and Lucian will go retrieve this next healer. The rest of you will get some rest.”
“
I can’t let you go without me,” Costin murmured against Sally’s ear as she hugged him. “Every word Lucian spoke is true of me as well. You are mine. I will not risk you, not even for another healer.”
Sally pulled back to look up into his eyes and it pained her to see the fear for her safety
. She knew exactly how he felt because she too could not imagine letting him leave her behind as he ran headlong into danger. But she also knew that sometimes you had to do things you didn’t want to do because it was the right thing, not the easy thing, but the right thing. And frankly it just sucked. “You have to know that I understand how you feel and your feelings are valid to me. But you also know that I am a healer and with that comes sacrifices that we have to be willing to endure. We have to get this girl out of harm’s way so that she can live the life she is supposed to. What of her mate Costin, shouldn’t he get the chance to be with her? If it is difficult for her to be around men then let’s not start out her experience with our world by terrifying her with three huge, intimating males. Trust me to be careful, trust Peri to protect us, please.”
Costin stared into the eyes of his pleading mate and knew that she was right. He would concede
. He wouldn’t like it or pretend to be okay with it, but he would do what he knew he must.
“You will come back to me in the exact condition you are leaving in. If there is so much as a scratch on you I will never let you leave my side again.”
Costin took her face in his hands and almost violently smashed his lips against hers. He kissed her with a passion that would help her remember why she should be careful, why she should desire to return to him as quickly as possible. When he finally released her the look on her face was one he had seen many times, but only behind the closed doors of their bedroom. “I love you,” he whispered to her.
“I’ve no doubt of that and just as you have no doubt that I return that love.” Sally turned away from her mate
’s intense stare, thoroughly shaken from his kiss. The sooner she left, the sooner she would be back in his arms.
Elle too was in a heated argument with Sorin, but in the end he
too accepted the inevitable and released his mate to go. He shook with the need to snatch her back and shackle her to his side. Instead of acting on his impulse he stood watching her every move, willing her to be safe and to return to him whole and untouched.
Sally
took Elle’s hand as she stepped away from a rigid Sorin, and looked up at Peri. “Her name is Stella, and we’re going to start with a place that seems to preoccupy her mind. I looked it up on my phone; it’s in New York City, in the Bronx. It’s a club she works at called The Core.”
Peri nodded. “Okay, El
le, be sure to be cloaking when we flash. Let’s make this quick and painless.”
They flashed leaving the others to wait
anxiously for their return.
“Did my mate seriously just head to a club in the
Bronx without me?” Costin asked, his anger still evident in his sharp tone.
“
We didn’t even think to ask them of their destination before we let them talk us into staying behind,” Sorin growled, obviously not any happier about it than Costin.
“In your defense
, Costin, Peri would have bound you to keep you here if she had to,” Adam told him as he pulled Crina closer to him, silently thanking the Great Luna that his mate had not gone into such a situation without him.
Costin growled. “I’ve already experienced that once and don’t care to repeat the
event.”
“She could have kept him here?” Anna asked from where she sat on the floor, legs folded in front of her. She looked skeptical at the idea of little Peri being able to keep powerful looking Costin from doing anything.
Costin’s smile stretched wide across his face revealing white teeth, but there was no mirth in it. “I suppose I could enlighten you of some things. It might distract me from killing something because of my Sally traipsing around one of the most dangerous cities in the world without me. Sorin, Crina,” he motioned for them to sit and then looked at Adam with a tilt of his head, “if you all will please have a seat and join me in regaling our new healer with our recent history. I wish Wadim was here. He’s the Romanian pack historian and has a penchant for storytelling.”
“Where should we begin?” Adam asked.
“She would probably like to hear Jacque and Fane’s story,” Crina offered.
Sorin smiled and cleared his throat as he nodded. “It was a clear, summer night when I pulled the limo up to the curb in Coldspring Texas,” he began remembering back to that night
over a year ago.
∞
“Can I just say that New York in the summer smells about as good as a well-used port-a-potty,” Sally grumbled as she rubbed the stench from her nose. Peri and Elle had flashed them to an alley which was apparently home to several dumpsters, one overweight homeless man, two mangy tabby cats and something that might have once been a dog…maybe.
“Well the quicker we find this club, then the quicker we find the girl
and you get the idea,” Peri said with a wave of her hand. She headed for the opening of the alley obviously expecting the others to follow.
Night had fallen over the city but even without the sun shining down the
summer heat permeated the air. The blacktop from the street and the concrete beneath their shoes seemed to release the heat it had soaked up throughout the day. As they emerged onto the sidewalk Peri didn’t miss a beat as she grabbed the arm of the first person walking past.
“I’m looking for the club called The Core,” she told the guy who was staring at her in awe.
He tried to speak but nothing he said made any sense. She let go of him with a huff. “Remind me to only ask questions to females.”
“Peri
, I have the address on my phone,” Sally pointed out, “You don’t have to ask directions.”
“You could have mentioned that back there in the alley and before I was nearly drooled on by the human male,” Peri snapped.
“You are worried,”
Lucian’s voice invaded her mind. He had stepped away from their group and blended into the shadows. Peri was impressed with his ability to take in new things with such composure; she was sure she would have been gawking like an idiot at the tall building and boxes with wheels on them.
“Is it that obvious?”
She asked back.
“Try not to take it out on your allies.”
“Can I take it out on you?”
“I have told you, I will be whatever it is you need me to be.”
As his words echoed in her mind Peri fought the need to go to him and beg him to wrap her in his arms and make all the bad things in the world go away. She had accepted that Lucian was her mate, that he had the other half of her soul, but what she wasn’t accepting as well was that the half of her soul that he possessed seemed to be a pansy ass girl.
“No, she is simply someone who knows it’s okay to let her burdens be carried by the one who
was born for that very purpose,”
Lucian rumbled.
“Okay we need to head that direction.” Sally’s voice
interrupted before Peri could respond. She turned to see the healer pointing away from the bright lights and deeper into the belly of the city.
“Lead the way Sally. Elle you and I will cloak us, I don’t feel like dealing w
ith any stupid humans; it’s bad enough I have to deal with stupid supernaturals.”
“
We love you too, Peri fairy,” Sally laughed.
They walked quickly down the sidewalk, completely unnoticed by those around th
em. Lucian trailed them closely, and the only reason Peri knew he was there was because she could feel him. She imagined that living in the Dark Forest for all those centuries taught him a thing or two about blending in.
After several blocks, which grew darker with every step, Peri was beginning to think that Sally’s phone was leading them into the depths of hell and not to a club.
When they finally came upon the neon sign, sporting burnt out letters causing it to read “Th ore” instead of “The Core,” she knew she was right. The phone was indeed leading them into a
version
of hell.
Half-clad bodies trickled through the
dilapidated door and each time it opened they could hear the rumble of music and smell the stench of sweat, lust, and alcohol.
“You’re going in there?”
Lucian asked as he materialized from the darkness around them.
“Believe me, this is not my idea of a good time,” Peri told him.
“We totally should have brought Jen,” Sally spoke up with a smile.
Elle nodded. “She would have definitely enjoyed this.”
“What are they wearing?” Lucian’s appalled voice had all of the women turning to look at the door as two women dressed in halter dresses that left little to the imagination giggled their way into the club.
“I told you to prepare yourself,” Peri warned. “It’s not my fault your imagination could not fathom the depths to which the human depravity has plunged.”
“Hey,” Sally snapped, “We aren’t all depraved.”
“Sally
, you’re a gypsy healer and therefore uncharacteristically wholesome, you don’t count.”
“Isn’t the one we are going after a healer?”
Lucian questioned.
Peri nodded. “And I bet you
r furry little butt that her innocence will shine like the sun in this dark hole.”
“We aren’t dressed for this, do you think they will let us in?” Sally asked watching another group of scantily clad women go into the club.
Peri looked them over and then nodded. “Oh, I can handle that.” She mumbled something under her breath and then snapped her fingers.
“Sweet!” Sally grinned as she looked down at the knee high boots, black skirt, and fish net top with a red halter style bra underneath. She looked at Elle who was wearing the same outfit but with a hot pink bra that matched her hair, and then to Peri who again wore the same outfit but with a silver, metallic bra. “Um Peri, are we supposed to look like triplets?”
“We go in, we get the girl, we come out. I’m not real concerned with how original our outfits are,” she said sharply.
“That’s an awful lot of flesh showing
, mate,”
Lucian’s deep growl rumbled through the night as his voice bounced off the walls of her mind.