Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The fire and smoke didn't really bother him, but Wade held his breath anyway as he entered the burning home. Flames licked at him as he skidded to a halt in what had once been the living room. The stairs were on fire and charred all the way through. There was no chance they'd hold his weight if he tried to take them up to the second floor. Neither could he say the second floor would hold his weight, judging by the smoke billowing down the stairwell.

All of the fire smelled like magic. Not hellfire, thankfully—Wade knew that would've been bad —but it clearly wasn't set with regular accelerant. Whatever had started it was magical in nature, and no amount of water was likely to put it all out. The fire was going to eat through everything in the house, and Wade knew one of the best ways to disrupt magic was to use fire.

If Riordan and Donal had put their skins in the trunk in Riordan's bedroom for safekeeping and transport and they weren't able to get up there after the attack, then their selkie skins were at risk of being destroyed or stolen.

Wade squinted, shifting mass so that he could see through choking smoke and bright fire. His vision changed, and he could see the crumbling steps better, some of them completely gone. The distance between the first floor and the second was seemingly impassable if one tried to walk it.

He could jump it.

"Hey!" a firefighter barked from behind him. "Are you stupid ? We need to get you out of here!"

Wade ignored the firefighter, dug his heels in hard to the floor that had lost its carpeting, and used his supernatural strength to fling himself up to the second-floor landing. He ignored the firefighter's shout of surprise, landing with a thump just past the top step. He coughed, blowing smoke out of his lungs, his breathing fine when it wouldn't be for anyone else. Fire licked close but didn't touch him. Even in human form, Wade's body wasn't affected by fire or heat. The clothes he wore might get a little singed the longer he stayed in the house, but they'd last for what he needed to do.

He hurried to Riordan's bedroom, eyes on the burning floor, wincing at the creaking, snapping, and popping coming from smoldering wood all around him. With his enhanced hearing, he could hear firefighters shouting on the street and the cascade of water that sprayed out of a hose into the floor below. The fire had reached the second floor, burning its way to the roof with a speed that was clearly not normal.

Wade shouldered his way into Riordan's bedroom in the back, the space free of flames so far. His gaze went unerringly to the trunk at the foot of the bed, all its wards lit up like neon—and the pack of goddamn bitey pixies trying to pick the lock.

"Oh, don't even think about it," Wade growled. He exhaled a searing burst of dragon flame that skimmed over the top of the trunk, sending some pixies scattering while catching others dead-on. They burned to ash in a flash, and the surviving ones shrieked furiously at him as they dive-bombed his head.

Wade spat out smaller bursts of flame as he approached the trunk, picking off pixies that were worse than mosquitos. One of the last ones flying came directly at his face. Wade went cross-eyed trying to track it, but instead of immediately burning the pixie, he snatched it out of the air with one hand, holding it in a grip that was just a shade up from crushing the tiny fae.

Wade brought it up to eye level as he knelt in front of the trunk. "Did Niall send you?"

The pixie said something in a tiny voice, and Wade's brain squeezed out the meaning after a second. "This isn't mortal business!"

Wade snorted. "Do I look like a mortal to you?"

The pixie's impossibly tiny eyes glared back at him, and Wade let his eyes change color, vision altering a little as his pupils became shaped like a reptile's. The pixie gasped, tiny little feet kicking beneath his fist, shrieking fiercely. Well, he couldn't let them go and report back to Niall. And really, they were the enemy. So he didn't feel too bad about spitting fire at the pixie and shaking the ash off his hand.

With the pixies taken care of, Wade turned his attention to the spelled trunk. All the wards on it and beneath it that kept it anchored to the ground were furiously reacting to the threat of the burning house. While he thought the selkies must have a fireproofing spell on it, he wasn't willing to bet on it.

He gripped the lock in one hand, fingers curled around it, and shifted more mass to bring up his talons. The floor creaked beneath him as a little more mass than he wanted seeped through. He hastily shoved that sense of self back. Magic swirled around the trunk in brilliant colors, the spells on it lashing out. The magic tickled when it hit harmlessly against him, all its power useless in the face of the intrinsic nature of a dragon.

Wade sliced his talons through the lock, wrenching it free of the wood. He winced as the spells went haywire, but there was nothing to be done for it. He yanked the lid open and peered down into the trunk. The wards inside were still activated, a net of magic tangled over a pair of soft brown sealskins. Wade reached for them, hands easily passing through the magic, and he gripped both to pull them out.

"Oh," he said, staring at the sealskin. "They're warm."

He knew immediately which one was Donal's and which one was Riordan's just by smell, even through the smoke. As much as he wanted to bury his nose in Riordan's sealskin, right now wasn't the time. Wade folded them up small and hugged them to his chest with one arm. He looked over his shoulder at the smoke-filled hallway and figured the front of the building was probably not the best way to leave. He stood, eyeing the window that looked out on a small backyard.

Wade hurried over to it, picking up the nightstand by the bed along the way with his free hand. He tossed the nightstand through the window, shattering the glass, and followed after it into open air. He didn't shift mass, just let himself fall to the ground, landing with an "Oof!"

He nearly face-planted, catching himself with his free hand on the grassy ground. Shaking his head, Wade coughed out a plume of smoke before scrambling to his feet. No firefighters had made it to the backyard yet, so he raced for the nearest fence and vaulted over it, clearing it by inches. He did it a couple of more times until he was several houses down the street, hopefully near where the others were waiting.

Cutting down the alley between two homes, he undid the latch on a wooden gate and stepped onto the sidewalk. The street was still cordoned off and full of first responders. He scanned the area, finally getting eyes on Riordan and the others. They'd been moved across the street closer to the corner. He jogged over to meet them, waving his free hand to catch their attention.

"Wade!" Riordan called out, hurrying to meet him halfway.

"I found them!" Wade said.

Riordan didn't reach for his sealskin though. Instead, Wade got pulled in close by his hips and was soundly kissed, right in the middle of the street. He closed his eyes, parting his lips on a soft gasp before Riordan took advantage, and Wade was all for it. He leaned into the kiss, drinking in the taste of the other man. Ever since that moment on the Harborwalk when he'd received what he'd tell his therapist was his first real kiss, Wade had been wanting more of them.

Riordan broke the kiss, holding Wade at arm's length, gaze flicking over his face and down his body worriedly. "Are you all right?"

Wade smiled at him. "Fire doesn't bother me."

Riordan snorted out a disbelieving laugh and shook his head. "I can see that."

Donal and Saoirse hurried over, and Wade juggled the sealskins in his arms until he shook out Donal's. He handed it to the other man, who took it with an odd look. "Here you go. I had to break into the trunk to get them, and I think that ruined the spells. Some pixies got there first, though, and were trying to get inside it."

He couldn't help but look past Donal at Lady Caith, who stared back at him unafraid. "The pixies who serve me would never trespass in such a way."

"Somehow, I don't believe that." Wade shook out Riordan's sealskin and passed it over to him. "This is yours."

Riordan opened his mouth, then quickly snapped it shut. He took the sealskin with both hands and held it rather than turn it into a jacket to put it on. "I—thank you."

"I'm sorry about your house."

Riordan managed a tight little smile and finally shook his skin out into the familiar leather jacket he'd been wearing since Wade had met him. He shrugged it on, gaze moving past Wade to the still-burning house, a mournful expression crossing his face. "We're all safe. That's what matters."

"What happened? Was it Niall?"

"Most likely. We didn't see who threw the bomb."

"Were you hurt?" Wade had the sudden urge to strip Riordan so he could make sure the other man was okay, but that would probably result in both of them being arrested for attempted indecent exposure.

"We all got tossed around a bit, but we're fine."

"I came to talk about an alliance with the kin. We were interrupted before we could finish," Lady Caith said as she approached. She looked a little worse for wear, with her fashionable clothes smoke-stained and torn in places, as if she'd been thrown through something that had broken before she did. The guards with her didn't look much better, though they'd managed to keep ahold of their weapons. Wade figured their glamour hid all the sharp blades and the guns that he could see perfectly well. Otherwise, he thought the police would be taking more of an interest in all of them.

"Uh-huh. Funny how you come around, then a bomb goes off," Wade said.

Lady Caith's lips twitched into a slight, condescending smile. "You are not very trusting."

"I have good reason not to be."

"I speak the truth with my intent."

Wade rolled his eyes at her. "Right. You better keep doing that, or I'm complaining to Gerard about you."

"I do not know a Gerard."

"Sure you do. He's Gerard to us mortals. He's Cú Chulainn to you fae."

It was always funny to watch people's faces when they realized Wade was friends with a god. Not like he went around boasting about it, but Sage always said hints were fine in certain circumstances to protect their asses, and an outright statement should only be used like a sucker punch.

Lady Caith went so still she could've doubled as a statue in a museum. She blinked after a moment, letting her arms fall to her sides. Her guards edged a little closer, as if invoking Gerard's formal name could summon him. "If you are an acquaintance of Cú Chulainn?—"

"Not if," Donal interrupted with a hard little smile. "Wade was personally invited to Cú Chulainn's wedding, along with his god pack, as special guests."

"Yeah, I met Riordan at the dessert table," Wade said.

Lady Caith pressed her lips together and stared at them all as if she was weighing their worth and getting it right for once. "Very well. An alliance, then, to keep Niall from all our borders. We should not discuss it here. If you are amenable, we can continue our conversation at my home, where your sister will be safe."

"Amenable," Wade muttered under his breath, knowing full well everyone could hear him. "Fae and lawyer speak."

He didn't answer her because it wasn't his right. He looked at Riordan instead, who stared at Lady Caith with narrowed eyes. "You know Niall has her skin. He called last night and gave me until today to either hand Saoirse over or I go in her stead."

Lady Caith nodded. "I can keep your sister from feeling the pull of it in his hands while we think up a plan. But she will need to stay with me."

"If your intent is true for an equal alliance, we'll come to the table. If you mean harm to my sister or any of my clan, I'll hold that against you until I'm satisfied payment has been met for a broken bargain."

"Which would be never," Wade said.

Lady Caith made a delicate gesture with one hand. "My word is true. We will satisfy it between us. There is no need to call down others."

She certainly smelled like truth, at least to Wade's nose. Funny how the threat of a god could get intractable groups to work together.

"Then we'll sit at your table," Riordan said.

"Hopefully not the one I broke," Wade said. At Riordan's glance, Wade smiled at him. "Come on. If you want that talk, let's get out of here before the police claim first dibs."

It took some finagling to leave the scene anyway. The police did want some statements, Wade hid from the battalion chief on the scene, who wanted to read him the riot act for entering a burning building, and the EMS really wanted to send everyone to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation.

Lady Caith proved to have some pull with the people of Boston. The highest-ranked officer on the scene seemed to be aware of her station, and so they managed to leave before the hour was up.

"I parked around the corner. I can drive you all to Beacon Hill," Wade said to the selkies. Lady Caith and her guards veered off from them, presumably heading to their own cars.

"Thanks. The easement is still blocked, so we can't get to our cars, and I have a feeling some of them might be burned," Saoirse said.

Luckily, in all the excitement happening on the street, no one had called in Wade's terrible parking job. They climbed into his rental, and he pulled into the street. Traffic was being rerouted, so it was easy enough to do a U-turn in the intersection and head north. Riordan was already typing Lady Caith's address into his phone's GPS app, which was nice of him.

"Were you able to find anything?" Riordan asked.

Wade drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "Kind of? I never made it to Niall's house in Beacon Hill. Lucien was scoping the area and said he had information on Harper and Casey. I had to pay him for it, but I found out where they were keeping Harper."

Saoirse leaned forward between the front seats. "Where? Was she alive?"

"His hotel on the waterfront."

"Really? It's supposed to open in a couple of weeks for the summer tourist season."

"Niall is going to have to deal with water damage first. When I left with Harper, all the sprinklers were going off."

Saoirse reached out and ruffled his hair. "Good on you. How was Harper?"

Wade's smugness at property damage faded at her question. "Not that great. Niall was using her and Casey to keep each other in line. Casey wasn't with her, and I'm pretty sure he's being kept on an island in the harbor."

"If he's being kept in the harbor, maybe whatever is in the deep is his jailor," Riordan said slowly.

"We'll get some boats and find out. Ella says her pack is coming with us when we do."

"They can't swim."

"They're better on land than you would be."

Riordan tipped his head. "Fair point. Our alliance with them should still hold, even with Harper back."

"Ella won't go back on her word." She'd gone out of her way to fight a geas in order to save her alphas, but Wade didn't consider that breaking a promise. She'd done it to keep her god pack safe from Niall, and she'd already promised to help them fight to bring Casey home.

"Let's head to Lady Caith's and get Saoirse behind that threshold. If Niall comes looking for her, she'll be safer there than at our condo."

"And if Niall comes looking for you, boyo?" Donal asked.

Wade had to be careful about not breaking the steering wheel with his grip. "He'll have to go through me first."

It was lucky he was braking for a stop sign because Riordan leaned over the console, turned his head to the side, and kissed him so fiercely that Saoirse wolf whistled from the back seat.

"Thanks," Riordan said roughly when he broke the kiss. "For helping us."

Wade cleared his throat, tongue touching the back of his teeth. "You don't owe me anything."

"We'd all be a lot worse off if Ella hadn't brought you here. So thank you all the same."

"Guess I'll keep you, then."

His words put a smile on Riordan's face that didn't fade for the entire drive to Lady Caith's.

This time, when they finally made it to Lady Caith's door, hospitality went quicker. The same fae from before was much more polite, even if he wasn't deferential. That was fine by Wade because the fruit bowl had something that was shaped like an orange but with a deep maroon color to it. The fae was cutting out slices from it, and when Wade shoved his piece into his mouth, he was pleased by the taste. "Reminds me of mango mixed with strawberry. Can I have another?"

The fae sighed but dutifully cut him another piece. Wade munched on it and drank the wine offered to them. With formalities out of the way, they followed the fae to a comfortable room in the rear of the building that overlooked the backyard. Lady Caith waited for them there, drinking out of an intricately designed glass that looked like a stemmed rose. The liquid in its cup was a brilliant honey gold. He assumed it was from some personal store that she wasn't willing to share because no other glasses were waiting for them on the coffee table.

"I am pleased you are willing to meet me at the table," Lady Caith said.

"I do so for my clan," Riordan said.

The cadence of their speech was far too formal, which told him the words probably meant more than just the surface tone. Ritual, maybe, knowing the fae. Wade sat on a chair and got comfortable, ignoring the odd look Donal gave him when he pulled one of the fruits from the fruit bowl out of his pocket. Wade bit into it, the crunch sounding like celery but tasting like apple if it was shaped like a banana. Riordan glanced at him, but Lady Caith was doing her best to ignore him. Wade took another bite, hoping to see her twitch.

He wasn't the best at bargains—though he'd argue he was better than Patrick—but he knew when words were off. Sage was a good teacher, and Wade had spent the last couple of years learning how to help manage the packs under their protection. He'd mediated his fair share of arguments, knocked a few heads together when needed, and in general, figured out what was fair and what wasn't. From what he could tell as Riordan and Lady Caith got into a deep discussion, they weren't asking a whole lot from each other, and the timeframe wasn't open-ended. It was actually kind of hot to watch Riordan get all political with her.

Never thought I'd find border territory politics interesting.

Or really, the man involved in them. Wade chewed his next bite slowly, studying Riordan. He hadn't ever thought he'd find someone he wanted to keep close, not like how Patrick and Jono had each other or how Sage and Marek were together. His therapist had said that was okay, that he'd know when he was comfortable and ready to start a relationship.

But Riordan encompassed everything he found safe in a person—strong-willed, big-hearted, and willing to protect those he cared about—and Wade didn't want to let him go. Which meant he couldn't let Niall take Riordan or keep Saoirse's skin.

"What do you think, Wade?" Lady Caith asked.

Wade blinked, turning to look at her, having only been half listening to their negotiations. He knew better than to completely ignore what was being said. "It's not my place to say. The terms are between your court and Riordan's clan."

"We have a common enemy."

"Yeah, and first chance I get, I'll eat the bastard, but that doesn't mean you need my blessing for this."

Before Lady Caith could respond, Riordan's phone rang. Wade watched him pull it out of his pocket with a frown that flattened into something angry and worried when he looked at the screen. "It's Niall."

Wade couldn't help the way his teeth got sharp. "Put it on speaker."

Riordan answered the call and put the phone on the coffee table. "Niall."

"I don't appreciate your interference," Niall said, voice flat and hard. Wade dialed up his hearing, trying to see who else might be with Niall on his side of the line. Heartbeats thrummed at the edge of his hearing, all of them slow and precise. He doubted any of them were Casey.

"I don't appreciate you bombing my home ."

"And I don't appreciate you ruining my hotel to get out of our bargain."

"I had nothing to do with your hotel."

"And I never did what you are accusing me of."

"You ordered it," Donal snapped.

"Ah, the siblings are with you. Are you saying your goodbyes?"

Wade had to lift his fingers off the armrest of his chair so he didn't gouge a hole in it. He bit his tongue so he didn't give away his presence. Niall could probably hear the angry beat of his heart, but he wouldn't know it was Wade.

"What do you want?" Riordan asked in a low voice.

"You know exactly what I want. You give me yourself and your clan, or I take your sister."

Riordan closed his eyes, grief twisting across his face. Wade reached between their chairs and took Riordan's hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze. Lady Caith leaned forward, her hair falling over one shoulder. "If you take the selkies in any capacity, I will fight you."

The pause that settled on the line lasted only a few seconds before Niall rallied at her interruption. "Lady Caith."

"Niall Noígíallach."

Names, Wade knew, were important to the fae. He wondered if anyone even knew what Lady Caith's true name was.

"Have you allied yourself with the kin?"

Lady Caith didn't bother responding to that. "You have been playing fast and loose with your words when it comes to bargains."

"You know it's rude to interfere with one that doesn't concern you."

"This concerns me. I know you went after Abhartach and now have two master vampires after you. Congratulations. You have affronted the daywalker."

Wade snorted at that. Lucien never got affronted; he got even. If Niall didn't know that, he'd learn it soon enough.

"The bargain was made, and the selkies must abide by its terms."

"You forced it on them."

"If they weren't meant to be owned, then their skin would never be able to leave their bodies."

"Oh, I'm definitely going to eat you," Wade said, unable to stay silent any longer.

"Ah, the human from the bar. I wondered who sat with you."

"He's not your concern," Riordan said.

"Perhaps I'll find him and take him as well. It would keep you tractable if I did."

"You won't ever touch him." Riordan's words were said fiercely, with a rage that Wade could almost taste. It warmed him, knowing that Riordan was willing to stand between him and Niall's wannabe god ambitions. Wade wouldn't let him, of course. He was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Perhaps. But I can touch someone else that you love."

Saoirse jerked as if she'd been electrocuted, falling off the couch with an ear-piercing scream. Riordan and Donal both lunged for her, catching her before she hit the coffee table or the floor. Saoirse clawed at her bare arms so badly she drew bright red scratches down her forearms. Her brothers caught her hands, trying to hold her so she wouldn't hurt herself, all while she kept screaming.

Lady Caith picked up Riordan's phone before it could be knocked off the table. Wade threw himself out of the chair and clambered onto the couch the others had vacated. He ripped the gold ring with its fire opal off his finger and stuck his hand into the melee, searching for Saoirse's. "Give me her hand!"

It took both Donal and Riordan to pin Saoirse down and unclench her fingers for Wade to slip the ring Orlaith had given him onto her finger. Magic instantly erupted from the fire opal, wrapping ribbons of ethereal light over her body. It sank into her skin, and Saoirse let out a lung-rattling gasp before going limp in her brothers' arms. Riordan's gaze snapped to Wade, his brown eyes wide. "What the hell?"

"That was the Summer Lady's magic," Lady Caith said, staring at the ring on Saoirse's finger.

Wade saw she'd ended the call with Niall. "Yeah, it was a gift from órlaith on her wedding day. Doesn't work on me, but it'll work for anyone I give it to. It's spelled to give whoever wears it what they need in the moment."

For Harper, it had shielded her from bullets and magic. He didn't know what it had done for Saoirse.

Lady Caith pursed her lips and tilted her head. "Intent is a powerful thing with our people, and none more strong than those who descend from Brigid. The Summer Lady must find you exceptional to part with such power."

"She likes me."

"So it seems."

Wade leaned back so Riordan and Donal could help Saoirse sit up. She was breathing hard, chest heaving from the need to get air into her lungs, but color was coming back into her face. Donal lifted her up and set her back down on the couch next to Wade, holding her upright until she gave him a tight little nod. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not, a dheirfiúr ," Donal said.

"Did Niall hurt your skin?" Riordan asked.

Saoirse scrubbed a hand over her face, wiping away her tears. "Yes. It echoed."

"Echoed?" Wade asked.

Riordan grimaced. "When we're forcibly separated from our sealskin, the holder can do harm to it, and we'll feel it in human form."

"The Summer Lady's magic cut the connection of pain, I assume?" Lady Caith asked.

Saoirse nodded slowly. "I can still feel my sealskin, but not whatever Niall is doing to it."

The haunted look in her eyes made Wade want to murder Niall. "No pain is great, but fuck Niall."

Saoirse stared down at the ring on her finger and made an aborted motion to take it off. "I can give it back?"

Wade reached out to pat her on the head. "Nah. Keep it for now. You need it more than me."

Her shoulders slumped in relief, and she sank down onto the couch.

"What now?" Donal asked.

"I believe it is prudent we figure out a plan of attack. You may stay in my home tonight, and we will hope the vampires cause Niall to be too busy to come skulking around," Lady Caith said.

Wade was all for figuring out a way to get rid of Niall, but he wasn't going to spend the night in territory that wasn't his. "Whatever we decide, we'll need to let the Boston god pack know."

"Then let's call them," Riordan said, reaching for his phone.

Wade sighed and went to claim his seat again. It was going to be a long afternoon of discussions, and he always found those excruciatingly boring. "Do you have any snacks?"