15. Chapter Fifteen

"How close?" Heath asked in a whisper that barely carried to my ears, and my hearing was sharp. His dark hair was falling over his eyes, and his eyes glowed with the ice blue of his wolf.

"Outside, in the forest, surrounding the house." I circled slowly, stopping for a second in each direction I knew a fae would be. They didn't perfectly match the four cardinal directions, but they had certainly covered their bases.

Heath hummed, thoughtful and worried. "This is either a coordinated attack with the attack on Brion in the Market, or—"

"Brion was attacked?" Fiona asked, her volume too loud for comfort. I hissed in her direction.

"Quiet," I growled into her head. "We'll talk about it later. There was no reason to worry you. You have your own survival to worry about."

I had been close to Carey the moment I had met her, but I didn't have the same feelings for Fiona, maybe because of the blackmail. Maybe it was the shock and surprise. Maybe it was because Fiona was an adult, and Carey had been a vulnerable child. Either way, I didn't feel like playing nice with Fiona and softening anything nearly as much as I had with Carey. I would die for this woman because that was what I had to do, but I wouldn't do it because I genuinely cared for her or felt she deserved it.

She chose to marry a fae king, knowing the risks that could bring to her and her sons. Just like Heath and I know the risks. She should have considered that.

I felt bad for Rian, though, and his brothers, who I barely remembered and had only had a glimpse of. They hadn't chosen this. They were born into the circumstances their parents gave them and were now dealing with the consequences. On the flip side, they'd reached adulthood and knew who their father was. They could have walked away.

It took me a minute to realize that was a bit heartless, and guilt hit, but it was also reality. Brion had blackmailed Heath and me, and they all allowed it. Fiona hadn't spoken up until she wanted to make it "fair." She did nothing to actually stop her husband.

The signatures of the fae slowly came closer. They probably knew they had revealed themselves to me, which made their approach more cautious. If they were experienced fae assassins, they would know the risk they took coming for me and those under my protection. Young werewolves had tried to kill me to get Carey, but I had a feeling Brion's enemies weren't going to be as foolish as those werewolves had been.

I took a step closer to my front door as someone entered the yard just in the front. I could feel this one, the closest of all the others.

"Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan. Please come out. We would like to speak to you." Female, or female-presenting. Since I couldn't smell and see to confirm, the voice could have been easily faked.

"I can hear you just fine from in here,"I called out mentally, wondering if it hit the mind of the fae I couldn't see. I knew I could reach people when they weren't in my sight, and my magic worked on fae, but I still wondered if it would work. That was only one of my worries. "You can say your piece, then leave my territory."

"We are allies of the Tribunal and loyal servants of the true king," the fae said, but I glanced at Fiona, who shrugged. Rian was shaking his head.

"Father was telling us last night that our allies would announce their names first, then look for one of his sons, not you or our mother," Rian whispered. "Fae respect fae, and all the other species are just tools we can use or to earn money. Or people who can betray us."

"You better not think that way," Fiona hissed.

"Of course not," Rian said, his eyes wide. "Mom…" His fear he would disappoint them was stronger than the fear he felt for those outside. It was stronger than the distaste his mother had at Brion's words for his sons.

Did she never really understand who she married?

"I have it on good faith you are not an ally of King Brion," I called back to the one outside as I tracked the slow movements of the others, who were slowly creeping to my house.

"Come outside and let's talk," she continued sweetly.

"No, and you are not welcome in my territory," I replied to the fae outside.

"We're not welcome? Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan, you don't want to step before the king of the fae and tell his loyal followers no." There was now a cutting edge to her words. "You have too much to lose."

"I have nothing to lose more important than the honor of my vow to protect a human,"I answered. "Which will harm my father and our people more thoroughly than you ever could. But if you feel you want to make threats, then come to my door and try to enter my home. We'll see who limps away from this."

I waited for a reply, but none came. A fae moved closer to the one I was speaking to until they were side by side. I took three slow, quiet steps closer to the door. My paws were soft, meant to stalk prey in silence, my floors didn't creak, and my breathing was even, scenting no new magic in the air. I knew they wouldn't know I moved.

"How is she speaking into our minds?" the one I had spoken to asked in a snappy, impatient way. "I wasn't told she had telepathy like the werewolves."

"From our intel, it was a gift of magic given to her by Brion," the new one whispered, trying to keep his voice down.

I don't know what happened from there, but one of them came close to the house at the back door.

"Heath, behind you," I snapped into his head. "Hold until the door opens."

He turned, pulling his rifle up in a fluid movement at the same time, and took aim at the backdoor.

Another crept up to the glass windows.

"Rian, you can make portals?"I asked, not breaking my eyes from the front door. "Now would be a good time for you to try."

"But—"

"We need to avoid fights," I said sharply, not caring who in the room heard my words. "There are four fae out there, but there's a chance there's more. They're currently checking for weaknesses to get in. They've decided they're done trying to negotiate. Four fae of unknown abilities against the four of us? I don't like the odds. What do you need?"

"Your father always told you to follow your instincts," Fiona said softly, touching her son's shoulder. "Just pick a door and see what happens. Anywhere is better than here right now."

He stood slowly and crept to a closet. I watched him frown deeply, but I didn't get a chance to know if it worked.

Glass shattered behind and through my curtains. Fiona's scream pierced my ears, and I started running for her, ignoring the front door to guard her with my body.

"Upstairs!" Heath yelled.

I slammed my body into a fae as I reached Fiona before the intruder could touch her. She scrambled to her feet and started running as I faced off against the one who had dared to try to touch a human who belonged to me.

"Hand her over, and you don't have to die," the fae said, his feet shifting to a combat stance. He lifted his sword, and even from a distance, I knew it was silver—painful and deadly silver. I could smell it in the air, and it felt as if it was going to burn my nostrils. "We are loyal to the true king, and we will not shirk from our duties if we have to kill you to complete them." His black hair was long, but it didn't hide the pointed ears. It was bone straight and only accented the slightly inhuman bone structure of the man's face. His eyes were glowing blue with power, but I could smell no magic coming from him. He wore chainmail, but it looked to weigh nothing on his light frame. He wasn't hindered by it at all. Everything else—his black pants and undershirt—screamed assassin.

"Find someone else,"I snarled in his head, baring my teeth as my chest rumbled with fury. "This human is under my protection."

Someone else jumped into my living room through the broken window. The woman had two daggers and glared at me malevolently. Her hair was an earthy green and brown mix. I didn't know if it was originally brown with green accents or vice versa. Or maybe it was her natural color because she was fae. She wore the same outfit, had the same pointed ears, but this time, I realized neither of them had the same exaggerated point Brion's did. His ears had gone for six to seven inches. Theirs were more human in size, with a smaller, less sharp point.

"Where did the human go?" she asked her compatriot.

"Upstairs," he answered.

She took one step, and I lunged, swiping her legs out from under her, then jumping back, putting my body between her and the stairs. She struggled to get to her feet under the weight of my glare as blood poured from the four long, gaping slices I left on her lower leg. The way she favored it made me think I broke it, but she was a competent assassin and didn't let it stop her from standing and facing me down. I could certainly smell her fury, knowing it was rooted in frustration and pain.

She was, no matter how angry, not stupid enough to try to go through me again.

"Fucking werecats," she spat. "Dirty, filthy, witch-made creatures. Someone needs to exterminate your damn kind. Fucking animals. You and the damn dogs."

"Let's try to do this right," said a detached voice, the one that had been trying to bargain with me. That much I recognized.

As I waited for the next attack or word from Heath upstairs, the remaining two fae walked into the room. Another pair, a man and woman, jumped through my shattered window and landed in my living room. They were a matching set, with white hair and light pink eyes. They were beautiful—long, lean runway models who could claim hearts and break them just as easily. They wore the same assassin garb, but they walked as if they were in formal wear, more appropriate for a ballroom than invading someone's home to capture and kill people, but there was a note of cruelty in their eyes that made me cautious. The man carried a bow, something that looked like it was taken out of Tolkien, while the woman was unarmed.

"Just give her to us, Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan," the white-haired woman said softly, holding out a hand. She had been the one talking to me and was certainly in charge. She had that air about her. "Or we'll kill everyone here and take her, anyway."

I could smell magic, but I didn't know who it was from. The magic drifted across my mind, and something started feeling strange, like a brain fog I couldn't lift.

"Give her to us," the fae whispered again, now looking me directly in the eye. "We don't need to hurt anyone. This is for her own good. The king wants to keep her safe from this conflict. You are a daughter of a king. You should know how protective they are of those who belong to them. Wouldn't you want someone to give you to Hasan if it was needed? If you were vulnerable and scared? We're just here to help."

I shook my head, trying to get it away, whatever it was.

I should just listen. She seems nice.

No. No, I was called to Duty. I have to protect Heath, too. Protect everything we've built.

She can protect Fiona. She's loyal to the king.

"We're from the Tribunal. The Tribunal who allowed you to live, that your father serves on. You know we're the good guys. We're the ones who uphold the Law."

Her words kept weeding their way into my mind—a persuasive argument.

Yes. The Tribunal. I'm loyal to the Tribunal. My father is on it. I can't go against the Tribunal. He would be so disappointed in me.

"That's right," the fae continued. "You don't want to disappoint your father."

No. I want to be a good daughter to Hasan. Like Zuri and Mischa. I should listen.

"Exactly. You don't want to keep being the troublemaker."

No, I don't.

A shot rang out, and one of the people in the room screamed. I turned and snarled at whoever this new enemy was, shooting the fae I was speaking with. Then a second shot rang out, and I felt a burning over my shoulder, and the pain made my head clear. I looked up to see Heath on the stairs, glaring behind me.

He just shot me.

"Follow me, Jacky. Now," he ordered, and I felt the weight of that order in a way I never had before, making my feet move. I broke out into a run, trying to reach him.

Behind me, the fae chased, and silver cut across my back leg as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Heath fired again, and my attacker fell back. The noise made me think a body stopped the others. I was halfway up the stairs before someone jumped on my back. I slammed into the wall, ignoring the fiery pain that shot through me from the gunshot Heath had given me. He and I were going to have a long talk about that. Before I could shake the fae loose, a silver blade found its way into my side. I gave a feline scream and slammed the fae against the wall again as I ran up the stairs. Heath was running to stay ahead of me. I could see a door to a beautiful field, with Fiona standing on the other side. Heath stepped in my way, lifted his rifle, and took another shot, knocking the fae off my back permanently. He jumped through the door, where I saw Rian grab him and throw him out of my sight.

With a snarl, I ran, ignoring when an arrow sank into my back leg.

"Stop them!" someone screamed.

I didn't stop. I burst through the door, ignoring that I knocked Heath to the ground. When I turned, Rian was pulling the door closed, but not before an arrow slipped through, skimming him, and nearly hitting me again.

Once it was closed, the doorway disappeared entirely.

"Where are we?" Heath asked as he pushed to his feet.

"Somewhere in the fae realms," Rian answered, looking around as he panted from exhaustion. There was sweat on his forehead, dripping down slowly over his nose and brow. Making the doorway had clearly taken a lot out of him. "But I don't know where."