Bad Blood

“I don’t follow.”

She tipped her head to the other side. “You set me free when you burned down her house.” She blinked slowly. “What is your name?”

“Creek.”

“I am Yahla.”

But he’d known that since he was eight.

Tucking her hands beneath her thighs, Chrysabelle forced herself to be still in the small sitting room on the second floor of Loudreux’s house. She leaned back against the sofa, tried to relax. It had taken the other members of the elektos half an hour to arrive after being summoned; now Khell’s swearing in dragged on in the office below. It had to come to an end soon. She checked a small crystal clock on the coffee table. Only nine minutes had passed since Khell and the elektos had entered the office and locked the door behind them, but each tick of the second hand stretched like an hour, and since she was unfamiliar with the ceremony, she had no way of judging how soon it would end.

Mortalis stood beside Mal with his back to the sitting room door. She glanced at him, then sighed. Mal raised a brow at her, his lanky form braced against the wall. The threat of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. She exhaled a short, quick breath out her nose and returned her attention to the clock.

So glad her impatience amused Mal. He had to understand how desperately she wanted that ring in her hands and to return home. It would be midnight in a little under three hours. She wasn’t sure what that meant for Paradise City, but if the magic had been leaking through before sunset, things could only be getting worse.

Mal closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “Watching that clock isn’t going to make it go faster.”

“I know,” she said, tapping her fingers on the sofa’s arm. “Can’t you hear anything?”

“In a fae house?” Mortalis asked. “They have spells in place for that.”

Mal looked at her. “Are you impatient to be home? Or are you anxious about getting the ring back?”

Her fingers stilled. “Why? You think Loudreux is going to try something else?” If he didn’t give the ring back after all this…

“No,” Mal said. “He wouldn’t dare. I’ll make sure of that.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” Mortalis corrected. “Being fae doesn’t mean I’m on his side.”

“You’ve proven that,” she told him. After all, he knew that Mal’s persuasion worked on fae and hadn’t said anything.

Voices filled the foyer below. “They’re done,” she whispered. “At last.”

Mal stayed where he was. “I’m sure Loudreux will be up to get us soon.”

Mortalis snorted. “You mean Fellows will be. Loudreux doesn’t do any of his own work if he can help it.” He cracked the door and peered out, then shut it again. “Almost gone. Shouldn’t be long now.”

She stood, too antsy to sit any longer, and paced to one of the side windows. She moved the lace curtain out of the way. The lights were on in the first floor of the house next door. A mortal family sat around their dining room table, laughing and talking and eating their dessert. Her stomach growled, but her hunger wasn’t for food. She turned away, the desire to know such a life almost too painful to bear, the need to find her brother redoubled. “How much longer will it take him to retrieve the ring?”

“Not long.” Mortalis gave her a curious look. “We’re going home immediately?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll call Amery, tell him to check out.”

She shook her head. “He can stay if he wants. Tonight is paid for.”

Mortalis cracked a thin smile. “He’d probably eat that up.”

“He’s a good kid. Eager.”

“Yes, he is. You need him, he’d probably come work for you.”

She scrunched her brow. “I thought he worked for Loudreux.”

Mortalis shook his head. “He’s my cousin. I hired him for this trip.”

“Good to know you have at least one family member who’s still on speaking terms with you.” He scowled, but she ignored it. “I don’t know what I’d need him for, but I’ll file the info.”

“Security,” Mal said.

“I can protect myself.” How many times in her life was she destined to repeat that sentence to him? Would he ever get it?

“I know, but you shouldn’t be your own first line of defense. You said you hated always being on guard, always waiting for the next attack. You need bodies on the ground, not just cameras and sensors.”

Mortalis nodded. “He’s got a point.”

“I’ll think about it. Right now I’ve got two comarré living in my guesthouse, a driver in the quarters above the detached garage, and Velimai in the main house. I’m not a hotel. That house is big, but it still has its limits.” She crossed her arms. “Not to mention I’d rather live alone. But that’s not going to happen any time soon thanks to Tatiana.”

Someone knocked on the door. Mortalis moved enough to open it. As predicted, Fellows stood there, nose in the air. “Master Loudreux will see you downstairs now.”

When they entered the parlor, Loudreux stood waiting, Blu at his side. He held his hand out. On his palm sat the ring of sorrows. Chrysabelle hesitated, expecting one last trick, but he only lifted his palm a little higher. Maybe Loudreux had no idea what the ring was capable of. Or maybe he didn’t care now that he’d gotten what he wanted. Either way, she wasn’t risking him changing his mind. She marched over and snatched it, then turned away without saying a word to him. She caught Mal’s gaze. “Let’s go.”