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5. Five

five

“Show our guests to the kitchen so they can help themselves to refreshments,” I said.

If the other three were anything like Caroline, they were probably starving. I hadn’t seen a car, besides the one Caroline just drove up in, out there. That meant they’d probably come by foot to track Baran’s scent.

“They are not guests,” Connor informed me.

I shoved his side. “Show them anyway.”

It might have only been an illusion given the hearing of everyone present, but I wanted privacy for the call I was about to make.

Reluctantly, Connor went, ushering the three werewolves before him. Caroline hung back, raising her eyebrows at me. I flapped a hand at her in dismissal.

She shook her head but went.

Alone again, I sat at the base of the stairs and brought up my contact list. Finding the name I was searching for, I hit the call button and lifted the phone to my ear.

Internally, I begged Jerry to pick up.

It was a long shot. Jerry was my former boss and a troll. Not figuratively. He was an actual troll. The exact species of troll was something I’d never asked.

As a Fae, I knew he spent a lot of his free time at the barrow. I was praying last night wasn’t one of those times.

“It’s a little early in the day for you, isn’t it?” Jerry rumbled.

I released the breath I was holding. “Thank God.”

There was another rumble in my ear. This time of laughter. “If you missed me that much, Aileen girl, all you needed to do was call.”

“Last night the barrow fell,” I announced.

Silence crackled down the line.

“The party responsible?” Jerry asked.

Despite the lack of emotion in the question, I could sense how hard Jerry was clinging to his control. He probably had friends in the barrow. Family maybe. It was even possible some of his employees had been there. He gave a lot of the weaker Fae jobs so they could stay in the mortal world.

“Not officially but I found a trio of Luigseach on my property last night. They were hunting one of the barrow lord’s twins.”

Jerry snarled. “Muiredach.”

I paused, the power in that name unmistakable even over the phone. “Is that his name?”

I didn’t need to specify who I meant. There was really only one person capable of engendering that much negative emotion in a Fae like Jerry. The High King of the Summer Lands. A ruler I knew only by reputation.

“Don’t you go repeating it either. Names in our world have power. I shouldn’t have spoken it.”

I made a noncommittal hum.

“I’ll have to warn my people to go underground,” Jerry continued. “If his agents are here, none of us are safe.”

“Before you do that, there’s something else you need to know.”

A warm chuckle sounded down the line. “I should have known this wasn’t just a courtesy call.”

I smiled. He really did know me. “The werewolves’ alpha was there last night as well.”

“He was enthralled.”

“Good guess.”

“It’s not a guess. That’s how he operates. He enslaves others to his will and forces them to do things that break their soul. His daughter, for all that she was much weaker, was just like him. If he has the alpha, he has the pack too.”

“Would he have to be present for his enthrallment to take effect?”

If so, we might have a very different sort of problem on our hands since his agents knew where I lived.

“Not necessarily. His Luigseach. They can act as conduits for him. Of course, the enthrallment isn’t as powerful as if he does it in person, but it doesn’t matter in most cases.” Jerry’s tone turned thoughtful. “I always thought the alpha too strong to fall for something like this. There must have been circumstances that made him mentally vulnerable.”

“Where would they take the pack?” I asked, choosing not to focus on that last statement. Some things were too awful to contemplate.

“You, in particular, shouldn’t involve yourself with this,” Jerry said very carefully.

Ah. That’s right. He was one of the few to put together that I was a magic breaker.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice. The Lucies were practically on my doorstep last night.”

I doubted they’d back off until they got what they wanted either.

A weary sigh came down the line. “I’m glad I fired you. You always were getting yourself into unnecessary trouble.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Vegas,” he said, giving in. “If they didn’t kill them immediately, they’d head to Vegas.”

“Why there?”

I didn’t have anything against the city, but it didn’t exactly scream Fae.

“It’s home to the closest barrow with a pathway to the Summer Lands. I’m guessing that’s where they’ll take the barrow lord for punishment. The wolves will likely be thrown into the arena as fodder for the fights they use to entertain guests.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Connor drift into the hallway, his expression intent as he listened.

“For old time’s sake, listen to your former boss, kid. Stay out of this. No good will come from bringing yourself to the attention of the high king or his agents.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning on doing anything stupid.”

“You never do,” Jerry said on another sigh before hanging up.

“He’s right, you know,” Connor murmured. “We got them the information. We could just send them on their way.”

“You think they have a chance alone?”

The look on his face was answer enough.

I nodded and stepped around him, heading toward my kitchen to deliver the news. Though I had a feeling I didn’t really need to.

Connor trailed behind me as I moved through the house. I didn’t get further than the living room where I found the wolves sprawled on the couch Ahrun and Deborah had sat on last night.

I gave Connor a sidelong look. “What happened to taking them to the kitchen?”

My brother gave an unperturbed shrug, gliding forward to take up a position against the wall. His expression made it clear he was there only as a favor to me and to keep an eye on things should the wolves decide to act up again.

Knowing it was useless to pursue this topic with him, I raised my eyebrows at Caroline and the rest. “I’m going to assume you caught most of that.”

A restless energy emanated from Sondra, her desire to get up and pace visible in the way one leg wouldn’t sit still, jiggling up and down as she glared at Caroline from her place in the crook of the sectional. “It’s your choice how to handle things. You’ve already proven you’re stronger than me. You’re alpha until we can save Brax and the others.”

Caroline’s face was stony as she met Sondra’s gaze. Her scent and heartbeat unchanging.

I knew from experience the amount of training required to effectively conceal your physiological response to stressors. Liam had pounded that lesson into my body over the course of several months. Discipline was a necessary ingredient and a sign of how far she’d come in the short time since her transition.

Of course, unlike me, she hadn’t spent years trying to bury her head in the sand and pretend nothing had changed.

The stockier of the two male wolves raised his hand. “How sure are we that this tip is correct? He’s Fae, right? He could be part of this.”

“Even if Jerry and his courier service didn’t have a long-standing reputation for their neutrality, I’d vouch for him. I was there when Naimh enslaved most of the city’s Fae. There’s no love lost between him and the Summer Lands. He would not help them,” I said.

Sondra nodded. “The owner of Hermes deals in information as much as he does packages. If he says Vegas is their destination, that’s where we need to go.”

I wasn’t surprised by her endorsement. Jerry provided intel and couriers and the wolves paid him a very handsome retainer. It was a relationship that went back decades from what I’d heard.

The chances of him stabbing them in the back were—while never zero—very low.

Caroline leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “The problem is getting there.”

“If they’re aware that any of the pack escaped, they’ll have some of their human slaves watching the airports,” Sondra agreed, her earlier antagonism toward Caroline forgotten in favor of solving the problem at hand.

“We can’t drive either. It’ll take days to reach Vegas even with taking turns at the wheel and only making stops to refuel,” Caroline added.

“Wouldn’t they have the same restrictions?” The taller of the two males darted his gaze between Caroline and Sondra. “I’m assuming with their hatred of iron and other human alloys they won’t fly.”

“They won’t have to. They’ll take one of the fairy roads, using magic and sunbeams to slip between worlds until they reach the next barrow,” Connor interjected from his place against the wall, his voice slow and lilting as if reciting from a poem.

Sondra’s restlessness grew more pronounced as muttered curses came from the two males. Caroline didn’t react, remaining still and closed off.

I looked over at Connor. “There’s Thomas’s private jet.”

Hope shone in the faces of all the wolves except Caroline’s.

“It’ll get us there fast and we won’t have to worry about being discovered by the Fae,” I added.

I doubted they’d be watching the part of the airport where the private jets boarded. With it, I also wouldn’t have to worry about crossing over into day and getting a third-degree sunburn.

“You’re forgetting one thing, dear sister.”

“What’s that?”

“Thomas is not going to be pleased that you’re once again involving yourself in the wolves’ problems.”

“And I care about this why?”

“Because it’s his jet you’ll be asking for. Also, you’ll need his help gaining permission to enter Vegas.”

I’d forgotten about that. Vampires were a possessive lot who tended to get a touch grumpy when strangers—or any supe with power—trespassed upon their territory. Just look at how I’d reacted to the High King’s Lucies last night.

I didn’t have the connections to negotiate passage.

“I’ll try Liam first,” I offered.

He was the more reasonable of the two and much more likely to help without asking too many questions.

Plus, Thomas never did anything for free.

Connor pushed off the wall. “Good luck with that.”

“Where are you going?” I called as he disappeared down the hall.

“To inform your companion of our travel plans and start preparing for our trip.”

“You just want to avoid talking to Thomas,” I grumbled, not too happy about it either.

“You don’t have to do this,” Caroline interjected.

“Yes, I do.”

And not just for the reasons she thought. If Vegas was where the Lucies were heading, logic dictated that was Baran and Inara’s destination too. Caroline had just handed me the perfect excuse to get involved.

I couldn’t have tied this into a more perfect bow if I’d tried.

I nodded at the kitchen. “Make yourselves comfortable while I get our travel arrangements sorted.”

Sondra climbed to her feet. “No need. Emmett, Hank and I have arrangements of our own to prepare. Let Caroline know the plan, and we’ll meet you at the air strip when it’s time.”

The three wolves filed past me with a few nods.

Caroline waited until they were gone before speaking. “You don’t have to do this. Sondra was right. This is pack business.”

“You say that, but from where I’m standing you don’t have much of a choice. It’ll take you days by land, and like she said, the airports are probably being watched. You won’t get anywhere close.”

Emotion tried to take over Caroline’s features before she beat it back. “After what you did last night, I have a better understanding of what you’re risking.”

“I was wondering if you’d figured it out.”

Although she worked for the library, my kind were rare. There wouldn’t be much reason for her to read up on us.

“A lot of people would wage war to get their hands on you,” Caroline said softly. “The High King of the Summer Lands would be first among them.”

“I’m aware of the risk.”

“I don’t think you are. There are histories written of those he’s taken. He squeezes everything he can from them before he discards them like yesterday’s trash.”

If that was true, he must have a way to contain our powers so we didn’t destroy any prison we found ourselves in.

“Brave man, forcing a being known for breaking magic into a land literally built out of it,” I mused.

Was he not afraid of them damaging his precious realm?

“There’s little risk of that. There hasn’t been a magic breaker strong enough to affect a realm in thousands of years. Long before he rose to the throne. Most can barely unravel basic spells.” Caroline’s expression was serious. “I haven’t read of anyone who could balance the taint in a demon wolf or affect the pack bonds the way you did.”

“I guess that means I’m unique.”

A faint note of amusement touched her features. “There was never any doubt of that.”

I gave her a crooked smile. “Just remember that for when the shit starts to hit the fan.”

“How can I forget when you never let me?”

We both looked up as an excited scream came from upstairs.

“Vegas! Yes! Here I come, Sin City!”

“Looks like someone is excited,” Caroline drawled.

“That makes one of us,” I murmured, withdrawing my phone and raising it to my ear as I moved toward the armchair sitting in front of the windows on the opposite side of the room.

I stared out over my property while the line rang through.

For a moment, there was a pang of yearning for the sunlit world. It wasn’t the same looking through darkened windows. There was something missing. It made me a little sad. I used to love summer and sunshine. Now it was the thing that made me feel like a prisoner in my own home.

It wasn’t all bad though. Night and its endless shadows carried its own form of beauty. One that I would sorely miss if I never got to see it again.

A second later, Liam’s phone picked up before immediately rolling over to voice mail.

I kept the message brief. “Liam, it’s Aileen. Call when you get this.”

It wasn’t strange for Liam to be out of reach. It wasn’t usual either. Though lately, he’d been more difficult to contact. His trips taking him to places where the communication was spotty.

It made me wonder what Thomas or Ahrun had him up to.

I scrolled through my contacts until I reached the one titled Sire then hit dial before I could talk myself out of it.

The phone rang.

A second later, Thomas’s warm voice flooded the line. “What a rare occurrence—my youngest calling me voluntarily. To what do I owe this pleasure? I assume you want something.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I know you, my dear. There’s no way you’d contact me if you didn’t.”

He always was a quick one.

“I could hang up if you’d prefer.”

“Nonsense. Make your request. It’ll give me a chance to act like your sire for once. An opportunity you so rarely afford me.”

“I do have something I was hoping you’d help me with,” I said cautiously.

I was going to have to word this very carefully.

“I’m all ears,” Thomas purred.

“A couple of friends and I were thinking of taking a girl’s trip,” I said, grateful we were doing this over the phone rather than in person where it would be easier for him to catch me in a lie.

“Sounds delightful. Would my son also be attending this trip?”

“You’re free to try and stop him,” I muttered.

His laugh was like a favorite blanket you just wanted to wrap yourself in when you needed comfort.

“Where would the destination of this trip be?” he asked when his laughter faded.

“Vegas.”

I winced at the silence that echoed down the line. Yeah, I’d been afraid that would be his reaction.

There was a careful control in Thomas’s voice when he spoke again. “That is quite unexpected. Why there?”

My mind raced as I tried to come up with a halfway believable explanation. “Who doesn’t want to spend a weekend in Vegas? There is everything you need. Drinks. Entertainment. Gambling.”

And a Fae barrow to infiltrate. Though I kept that last part to myself.

“Also, Caroline’s never been,” I threw in, prevaricating.

At that, Caroline’s head jerked up as she mouthed, “I have too.”

I shrugged at her. We knew that, but Thomas didn’t.

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s something you aren’t telling me?” Thomas purred.

There was a faint squeak from the leather chair he must have been sitting in as he shifted position. I knew the exact one. Could picture it in my mind’s eye behind the desk in his office.

“Alright, fine, I’ll tell you.” Out of the corner of my eye, Caroline started waving her hands and shaking her head. “If you must know, your sire dropped by last night.”

“Ahrun?”

For the first time in our conversation, Thomas sounded surprised. I guess that answered my question of whether he was behind Ahrun’s machinations.

“Unless you have another sire I don’t know about.”

I wouldn’t put it past him. Maybe not a sire, per se, but some important person who would seriously affect my life and freedom.

“What did my father want?”

“He seems to think he’ll be moving in.” I paused to force down the renewed rush of anger that admission brought me. “Tonight actually.”

This time I got the sense that I’d truly stunned Thomas.

“I see,” he finally said after several heartbeats.

“I’m really hoping you can talk some sense into him,” I burst out when it sounded like he’d lapse back into thought. “I don’t think I have to tell you how bad of an idea it would be to have Connor and your sire living under one roof.”

Time may heal all wounds, but not when it came to vampires. All was definitely not forgiven.

“I can take care of this for you,” Thomas said after some thought.

I fought the relief that tried to overwhelm me. I sensed a ‘but’ coming.

“It will cost you though.”

Of course, it would. He never missed an opportunity.

“What do you want?”

“Family dinners. I think Friday would suit.”

“No.”

Uh uh. Not happening.

“Then I guess you have a new roommate. It’s a good thing the house I chose is big enough to accommodate a few extra guests.”

This—

I broke off that thought, lowering my phone so I didn’t hurl it across the room.

Breathe, Aileen. You can’t murder your sire.

Lord knows I’d been tempted a time or two. But the only way I’d ever take Thomas down was by complete surprise and then only if he lowered his guard because of trust or something.

Thomas was a heavy hitter in our world. His power blazed like the sun in my other vision. Compared to him, I was little more than a gnat. An annoying, sarcastic gnat that tested his patience every chance it got.

“I was hoping you’d consider this a favor,” I said carefully.

“I could. But then I wouldn’t be lending you my jet. You choose which you’d prefer my help with. The jet or Ahrun.”

There was no choice.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. “The jet.”

“Then I’ll see you and Connor the first Friday after your return,” Thomas said jovially. “This has been a most pleasant conversation. I’m so glad you called.”

That made one of us.

“The jet will be fueled up and ready for your use by sundown.”

There was a click as the line went dead.

“Connor is going to kill me.”

And this time, I wasn’t sure I’d blame him.

The sun wasn’t fully down a few hours later when I trudged outside with my single bag, the sky a range of pinks and purples as the blue above deepened to a color so dark it was just one shade off black.

I lowered my sunglasses to protect my eyes which were smarting even from this limited exposure. My skin prickled, tiny dots of discomfort running up and down every inch that wasn’t fully covered. Not quite enough to breach the barrier to true pain. Just enough to remind me that day had not yet given sway to night.

Stupid sun.

Most vampires grew less vulnerable to its presence over time. Why, then, did it seem like I was growing more sensitive?

Shaking off the thought I headed toward where Deborah was already in the process of stuffing her luggage into the minivan Connor had purchased last night.

“How many bags did you bring?” I asked.

I counted one.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Four bags if I included the travel sized purse slung over her shoulder.

“Are you planning on staying there?”

Deborah tugged my bag from my shoulder, tossing it on top of her pile. “No one told me what kind of trip this was going to be. I wanted to be prepared.”

“You certainly are that,” I said, still a little shocked at the amount.

“As your companion, I can’t let others look down on me. The best way to do that is to dress for the occasion. I have outfits suitable for the high roller rooms and other sophisticated venues. Outfits for if we find ourselves in the desert needing to hike a little. Casual outfits for environments that aren’t so high class. Oh, and I brought a few swimsuits and cover ups in case we have to go to a pool.”

I gestured at myself. “You think I’m pool material?”

I could barely endure the light of the sun a few minutes before sunset. Sitting by a pool in full daylight might actually kill me.

Or at least make me wish I was dead.

Deborah flicked her hair over her shoulder. “That last one is mostly for me. Besides, you never know. I’ve heard most of the casino pools in Vegas are open late into the night. Plenty of time for even you to enjoy a little swim time.”

“Crazy,” I muttered, shaking my head as Deborah walked around the side of the van and climbed in the back.

My companion was crazy.

“She fits right in then,” Caroline quipped, coming up beside me and tossing the two pieces of luggage she’d gone back to her house to pack into the minivan with the rest.

“Did everyone pack more than me?” I asked.

My bag looked pitiful and lonely sitting next to the others.

“Not everyone is as allergic as you to dressing up.”

I scowled at Caroline. “I dress up.”

She smirked. “When other people don’t make you?”

Now that she said that, I realized I did have a habit of showing up and then being given clothes to change into.

In my defense, though, who kept elaborate gowns on hand for cocktail parties?

“I dress nice when I go on dates with Liam,” I said defensively.

“Leather jackets and jeans don’t count.”

“Why not?”

I thought I looked good in them. Liam certainly appreciated taking them off me.

Caroline shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips as Connor walked up and tossed his bag in beside mine. “It’s not a bad thing, Aileen. We just have different ideas of fancy. For you, that involves putting on makeup and doing something with your hair and maybe wearing a tight t-shirt. For Deborah and I, it’s just a little more elaborate.” She shot me a teasing wink. “In fact, I kind of like that part of you.”

I frowned as she sashayed around the side of the vehicle, climbing into the back after Deborah.

With a shake of my head, I glanced up at Connor. “You still mad at me?”

I’d been right that he hadn’t taken the news of our future Friday night plans well; I just hoped he wouldn’t stay mad until I could figure out a way to get out of them. A wall had slammed down and he’d refused to speak to me, just turned and stalked to his room to start packing.

“It is not you I am angry with,” Connor said in that overly controlled voice that I had a feeling he’d picked up from his father. It was always surprising how similar they were, despite the barrier between them. “It is the situation I despise. I do not enjoy having parameters placed around me that force my hand. He knows this.”

“Have you ever considered your insistence on avoiding him is why he does things like this?” I pointed out carefully.

As much as I understood what Connor was saying, I could also see things from Thomas’s perspective. He was a father trying to make amends with a son who could barely stand to be in the same space as him.

“The fact you stayed in the area after being freed from the stag’s form says a lot, but it’s hard to fix what’s broken if you never talk to each other.”

I thought Connor wanted to reconcile. Otherwise, he would have disappeared when I broke the enthrallment over him. He just didn’t know how. The wrongs and hurt feelings that had built up between he and Thomas over the centuries weren’t easily bridged. Both were too stubborn to give in.

Another thing they had in common.

“Like you did with your family?”

Low blow.

“Our circumstances were different. I stayed away so they didn’t get swept into this world. Then they got pulled into it anyway.”

Technically my dad had always been in it, unbeknownst to me, but that was a whole other thing.

I punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll see what I can do to fix it. If worse comes to worst, I’ll say he made the deal with me and you’re under no obligation to fulfill it.”

Connor trailed behind me as I headed toward the driver’s seat. “That will not work. I’m a member of your house. Any agreement you make applies to me as well. Others will judge you for not being able to control your members.”

“When have I ever cared what other vampires thought?”

“You may change your mind if other Houses come to view us as weak.”

I flashed him a grin. “That’s why I have you to show them differently.”

The impression he’d made by ripping out the hearts of two vampires who’d planned on challenging me was still vivid in the minds of those who’d been present that night. No one was going to be quick to challenge our House as long as he was by my side.

“Let’s not forget a certain realm guardian either,” I added.

Though I wasn’t certain about that second part, given Alches’s extended absence. I hadn’t seen him in almost as long as Liam had been gone.

For all I knew, the realm guardian had gone back to Noctessa.

Connor’s grunt didn’t sound like he entirely agreed with me but he didn’t argue.

“Is there a reason you’re following me?” I asked, noticing him still behind me when I stopped beside the driver’s side door.

“I’m waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

“For you to compliment my brilliance.” He nodded at the minivan. “I told you it would come in handy. And look, not even a day later, I was proven right.”

My mouth fell partially open as he brushed past me with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Even though this is my vehicle, I shall be magnanimous and allow you to drive,” he added, heaping injury upon injury.

“You’re a smart ass,” I told him.

Just like his uncle. And father.

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