Faye

 

The last time I’d seen Dez, he’d been a bloody and pale mess. Now he exuded calm, his broad shoulders blocking the light and his smile gentle. The glasses were gone and there was a fine, patient strength in his dark, handsome face. Not to mention contentment and love.

Oh, Soraya, I’m so happy for you, I thought, a small smile on my face.

“Come on in! Hey Zima.” Dez gave Andrei a one-armed hug, their fists clasping and I was happy to see Andrei hug him back pretty hard. “Who’s this?” Dez gave me his friendliest grin and I nodded, face still hidden. “No worries, you’re welcome here. More the merrier.”

Footsteps came down the hall and I shrank behind Andrei, while Dez closed the door behind us. Soraya came around the corner and I let out a soft sound.

Her hair was unbraided, cut shorter so that it poofed around her face and she placed her hands on her hips as she came forward. She was wearing a Boston University sweatshirt and leggings, with no makeup. And my best friend had never looked more beautiful.

Rolling her silvery eyes at Andrei as she got closer, she said, “Zima, you better have a damn good reason for interrupting our night! I haven’t had Dez to myself all week.”

Dez scooted around us and stood next to Soraya, laying a pacifying hand on her shoulder. “Raya. Come on, it’s fine. And you know Andrei wouldn’t ask unless it was important.”

“Hmph, fine,” she said, but she glanced up at Dez with a smile I’d never seen on her face before. “You know I would never let him in here unless you asked.”

But as she looked back at us, I also saw the same look I’d seen in Roy’s eyes. A grief weighing her down. She was thinner than I remembered and there was a fragility to her gray irises.

In spite of that, though, Soraya held herself with absolute confidence and grace.

Confusion crossed her face as she spotted me. Her eyes flicked between me and Andrei.

“Housewarming gift?” Soraya asked sarcastically.

Andrei chuckled. “Yes, you’re welcome.” His hand suddenly reached behind me, propelling me forward and I felt the hood slip off my hair. “Sorry, it took so long.”

Soraya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at me, and she stumbled backward into Dez. He was staring at me in shock, hands on her shoulders.

“Soraya, I’m so sorry,” I said, tears welling up. “I…”

“Oh! Oh my God, Faye,” Soraya threw herself at me, hugging me and crying into my shoulder. “You’re alive. You’re okay. Oh, sweetie, oh my God. Please tell me this isn’t a dream.”

“I’m alive,” I said, crying too and hugging her back.

“You have dreams about me?” Andrei asked slyly. “What would Dez say?”

“Dreams about kicking your ass, I’m sure,” Dez replied dryly, his voice shaking. Soraya and I were still weeping in each other’s arms. “How is this possible? Where did you find her, Drei?”

“Yes, exactly!” Soraya pulled back and stared at me. “Look at you, you’re so thin! What happened to you? How are you here? Where have you been?”

“One question at a time,” Andrei interrupted. “Maybe you two should breathe for a minute.”

Soraya slowly let me go and looked up at Andrei. “You found her? Is this because of Roy?” Her eyes darted back to me and suddenly her fingertips were at my throat.

“What are you doing?” I asked, laughing. “Checking my pulse? I’m okay, Soraya. I’m here.”

“Just makin’ sure,” Soraya said, her eyes welling up again. “Oh my God, Faye.” She hugged me again, then when she stepped back, she turned to Andrei and threw her arms around him. Dez and I both made surprised sounds, but that was nothing to the shock on Andrei’s face.

“Thank you, Andrei,” Soraya blubbered. “Thank you so much. I will never ever say a bad thing about you again. And I owe you, forever.”

“Easy there, Cloud,” Andrei said, looking amused. “But I will remember that. Forever.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine,” Soraya said, patting his shoulder as she stepped back. “You’re a good man. Maybe if I have a son, I’ll name him after you.”

I looked over at Dez, who was still staring at me and shaking his head. “You okay, Dez?”

“Am I okay?” He opened his arms and hugged me. “I’m more than okay. Especially now.”

When he let me go, Soraya was still blubbering on Andrei and he was signaling Dez for help. Dez walked over and gently pried Soraya off of him, leading us into a comfortable living room. Airy and warm, it was gorgeously furnished with bright art and old-fashioned touches.

“Wow, this place is beautiful,” I murmured. Lights sparkled off the water in the distance and the bridge. “Did you move out of LA?”

“Yes.” Soraya pulled me down on the couch next to her and turned to Dez. “Babe, do you mind getting these two something to eat? Lots of snacks, please. Faye’s dead on her feet.”

Dez nodded, leaning down to kiss her cheek and then he gestured to Andrei. “Come on, buddy, you look like you could use a drink.”

The two men vanished into the kitchen and Soraya turned back to me. I wanted to cry all over again, but I also wanted to talk. I was bursting with questions.

“When did that happen?” I asked in an excited whisper, nodding after Dez.

“I haven’t seen you in months and the first thing you ask is about me?” Soraya asked. “My love life?” I nodded eagerly and she laughed. “Oh, hon, it’s a long story.” She paused, staring at me.

“Soraya?”

She blinked and pinched herself. “I’m still a little dazed here, forgive me.”

“I’m in the same boat,” I sighed, leaning my head on the couch. But the familiar scent of Soraya’s perfume, the colors, and exquisite taste, it was all soothing and familiar to me.

Reaching forward with her neon nails, Soraya brushed my hair back off my neck and gave me a look. To that, I raised an eyebrow, watching as Soraya glanced at the kitchen. We could hear Dez and Andrei talking and a smile spread across her face, as she looked back at me.

“Hm. When did that happen?” Soraya asked. “Please tell me that’s not why you vanished.”

“How do you know about–?” I asked, jaw on the floor. Soraya was always a little borderline psychic, but this was absolutely on another level. “Am I so obvious?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s also the massive hickey on your neck,” Soraya said, grinning wickedly as I gasped and my hand flew to it. “Zimas are biters, huh?”

“Soraya!” I said, elbowing her and she laughed.

“Faye!” She hugged me again. “Oh, girl, I missed you. Do you know how many times I went to call you…?” Her throat worked as she pulled away. “Tell me what happened.”

I groaned and my head fell into my hands. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Alright, well…” She ruminated. “How did Andrei find you? Did he know you were alive?”

I looked up and glanced to the side. “I guess he had a hunch, but no proof,” I said slowly. “And when he showed up in Tahiti with orders to kill me–”

“Orders to what?” Soraya half-snarled, half-shrieked. She launched herself off the couch and stormed into the kitchen, I sprinted after her, grabbing her arm as she prodded a finger in Andrei’s chest. “I take back what I said! You sick bastard! Who the hell gave you orders to kill her? Who?”

“Soraya, listen to me – he didn’t know,” I said, pulling her away.

“Well, our friendship lasted longer than I thought it would,” Andrei said and I shot him a look. “Calm down Soraya, I haven’t harmed a hair on her head.”

“Couldn’t say the same about her neck,” Soraya shot at him.

“What?” Andrei said, glancing at me and I tossed my hair forward.

“Later,” I whispered at him. “Soraya, look at me,” I said in a soothing voice. “I get it – you’re freaking out right now and we just showed up on your doorstep. So much has happened and I want to be perfectly clear… But this isn’t an easy thing to explain.”

“Sure it is,” Andrei said in a bitter voice. “Mirois is a traitor. Has been for years.”

Soraya went very still and I saw her look at Dez. Neither of them said anything.

Stepping back, I looked between them. “You don’t seem all that surprised…”

There was silence for a few more moments, then Dez clapped his hands and we all jumped. “Everyone go sit down. I’ll bring in wine and food. And Soraya, leave Andrei alone. Breathe, babe.”

Soraya stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend as she went into the living room, while Andrei and I followed her. She eyed us, then sighed and pointed to the couch across from her. “Sit there, you two.” Shaking her head, she muttered, “Of course my best friend winds up with Andrei Zima.”

“Christ, you told her that already?” Andrei asked. “Wait, you knew we’re together, Cloud, and you still came after me? Harsh.”

Soraya bared her teeth in something between a snarl and a smile. “Best friend privilege. And no, I figured it out. You left a coupla clues, Zima. And the way you look at her…”

As I sat down, Andrei swept my hair from my neck and made a noise. “Oh, I did get you.” I flushed and elbowed him. “What? Soraya can talk about it and I can’t? I gave you the damn hickey.”

Dez came in at that moment and he gave us all a strange look. “I’m not sure whether to recommend going easy or hard on the wine,” he said and that made us laugh.

Once I had a plate of food and had eaten something, I was feeling better. Soraya was curled up next to Dez, frowning into her wine glass and he was rubbing her arm. It made me happy beyond words to see Dez and Soraya together. Over the years, I’d sometimes worried her ferocious independence would prevent her from ever leaning on anyone except me and Piper. And that it would scare off most guys.

Hm, I did have a feeling Dez didn’t scare easily. Maybe that’s why Piper set them up.

“What are you grinning at?” Andrei asked me.

“Nothing,” I said, popping a cucumber in my mouth.

“It was Dez who pointed it out to me,” Soraya suddenly said. She took a sip of wine. “I’d commented on how odd Mirois had acted after his hearing.”

“Hearing?” I asked, glancing at Andrei, who gave me an apologetic look.

“I got arrested for vigilantism in Boston,” Dez said and I gave him a horrified look. I’d forgotten Andrei told me about that. “No big deal. I’m off the hook, now. But afterward, Soraya and I went back through everything…”

“Dez asked me how the Valspars could have gotten out – to look at it from every possible angle. At first, I said multiple traitors.” Soraya’s voice was grim. “But then I realized what he meant.”

“Strategically placed traitors,” Andrei said and she nodded.

“It had to be a Head,” Dez added. “Who else could pull those strings and get away with it? It’s unheard of to someone raised by the legendary Shifters of Anubis, but I’m a new recruit.”

I choked on my water. “They recruited you?” I demanded and glared at Andrei again.

“What?” Andrei asked. “A lot has been going on. I’m sorry I didn’t give you the entire rundown of what’s happened while everyone thought you were dead.”

“So, you did fake your own death, Faye,” Soraya said quietly and I looked over at her. “Why? What the hell happened in Bear Valley?”

Slowly, I began to speak, telling my story for the third time. Oddly, this time, I found it easier. The details were less like shards of glass in my soul. It seemed their edges dulled with every telling. I could hear the strength in my voice and the sureness of my decisions.

When I finished, winding up with what had happened yesterday, almost two hours had passed. Soraya was gripping Dez’s hand so tightly her knuckles were white. They were both gazing at me with the same kind of disbelief that had greeted me on their doorstep.

Soraya sat up straighter. “What do you need us to do?” My heart gave a great bound as she looked between us. “Whatever it is, I will do it.”

“We’ll do it,” Dez added grimly. “Anything at all for you, Faye Knight.”