“Evil comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. That is the beauty of it. Because it is dark, you do not see it coming. It remains quiet until it has snuck right up behind you. It is often appealing, so you do not even realize that it is evil until it has caught you in its web and you cannot move. It is the manifestation of the worst parts of us and like calls to like. So as your evil rises to the surface because of wrongs and pain that you can’t let go of, I will find you and latch onto you. Together our evil will devour any good left in each of you.” ~Reyaz
Alston, highest member of the council of the fae, paced the room restlessly. He had summoned the other council members to discuss the treachery of Lorelle, one of their own and Perizada’s sister. They didn’t know where she had gone after the witch had been destroyed. Alston had sent out his best trackers to find her so they could bring her to justice, but they hadn’t heard even a whisper of her whereabouts. When he had asked Peri for her help, her response had been quite candid. “If I find her, I will cast her to the pits of hell where she belongs, and that is after I gut her with a spoon.” He would like to say that Peri was bluffing, but Peri never bluffed so he was sure she would follow through on her threat.
“What is so urgent?” Gwen asked as she entered the council room followed immediately by Disir, Nissa, and Dain.
Alston stopped his pacing and faced the council members. “We agreed to make our presence known in the human realm. We gave our word to Perizada that we would no longer sit back and watch as evil overtook them. A new evil resides in the forest near the Warlock King’s stronghold.”
“We know this,” Dain answered. “But he has made no move yet. How are we to fight him if we can’t find him?”
Alston nodded. “I completely agree with your sentiment. However, Peri dropped in to let me know that Vasile was having a meeting with Cypher tomorrow and thought it might be a good idea for me to make an appearance. She says that they are deciding not to wait for Cypher’s brother to make a move, but to act on the offensive instead.”
“Do you think this wise?” Nissa asked.
“It does not matter what I think. It only matters that whatever we do, we do it as a united front.”
“Do you want us to accompany you?” Dain asked.
“No, I would like for two of you to go investigate the forest yourselves. Find out if the disturbance there is indeed Reyaz.”
“And if it is?”
“Do not engage him. You are simply there to observe. Stay as long as you can without detection.”
“What if he discovers us?” Nissa’s voice would, at one time, have trembled over such a question. Now she had been battled tested and it would take more to rattle her nerves.
“Do not get caught.”
“Easier said than done Alston,” Disir grumbled.
“If, in all these centuries, Perizada has kept her nosy, trouble-seeking self from being captured, then I assure you it can be done.”
“Mother of pearl and father of wine, it is good to be home,” Jacque groaned as she fell back on the couch in her mother’s house. She couldn’t help but take comfort in the familiar cushions, the way they sunk down from years of use, and the smells that unlocked memories of a childhood filled with love. For just a few minutes as she absorbed the familiarity and normalcy of the moment, she pushed away her worries. She pushed away her worries about Fane, her fear for Jen’s unborn child, the anxiousness caused by the strife between Jen and Decebel, and the pain that her mother was feeling. She was choosing to live in the now, because all too soon, the past and future would come crashing down on her.
“Bloody hell,” Jen yelped. “I just realized something; I’m going to have to see my parents. And though they might not always be the sharpest tools in the shed, there is no way they could miss this,” she said as she rubbed her growing stomach.
And just like that, Jacque was pulled from her brief vacation back into the chaos that had become her life.
“That means I’m going to have to see my parents as well,” Sally nearly whispered as her eyes widened, “They don’t know I’m married, or mated or…,”
“Relax Sally, it’s not like you have ex-virgin tattooed on your forehead. You don’t have to tell them you’re married; there’s no harm in it. You still look as innocent as you did the second before you and your man did the…,”
“Do not finish that sentence,” Jacque growled.
“Fine, but you get my drift.”
After the luggage had been drug into the foyer, each of the women went to the living room and collapsed on whatever surface was available. A haze of exhaustion permeated the air and even Alina seemed caught in its web. But it wasn’t long until the necessity of food roused them.
“I’ll order pizza,” Lilly told them as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “There is no food in the house and if there is I would advise against eating it. Unless it’s a nonperishable,” she added.
By the time the pizza arrived, bathroom times had been established, sleeping arrangements had been made, and threats of bodily harm declared by the not-so morning people. Through all of this, they had somehow managed to keep from talking about anything that had happened. It was almost as if they thought that by not talking about it, then it couldn’t possibly be real. But they couldn’t ignore it forever, and if they had been planning on trying, Cynthia squashed that idea.
“Jacque, Sally, have either of you heard from you mates?” Cynthia asked just as she held a piece of pizza up to her mouth. It was covered in layers of cheese but a little sparse on the pepperoni she noticed with a small frown.
Both girls shook their heads but said nothing.
“Has anyone heard anything from any of your mates?” Cynthia had abandoned her pizza as she waited to hear their answers. Just when she was about to get worried, Crina spoke up.
“Adam says everyone’s alive.”
“Sorin concurs with Adam,” Elle offered.
They all looked at Jen expectantly and waited to hear what her mate had said.
Jen reached out to Dec but found that not only was their bond shut tight, it was also weaker than it had ever been. He had a wall up blocking her from even the smallest hint of his emotions. Her wolf felt panicky at the loss of the connection but Jen refused to allow hysteria to rule.
“I got nothing,” Jen finally said.
Her words seemed to bounce off the walls and reverberate in the small living room. Nobody moved and most of them were doing their best not to even breathe. The silence was broken by the chirp of a cell phone. Without a word they all fished for their phones, trying to identify the culprit. Suddenly a burst of laughter rang out through the room, but there was no humor or joy in it.
“Sit on a brick!” Jen snarled as her laughter died down. “He sent me a text! My freaking mate sent me a text!” Ok, so maybe she was going to let hysteria reign. Hell, it could have a freaking field day for all she cared. Jen read the text for the tenth time.
Dec: U made it
A part of her wanted to smile at the memory of the first and only time they had ever texted before. It was at the Gathering, but the other part of her wanted to reach through the phone and beat the living crap out of him. She knew she should wait until she calmed down before responding, but global warming will have finally melted the ice caps and everyone would be flailing around in life boats trying to survive by the time that happened, so she decided against waiting.
Jen: R u telling me or asking me?
She hated the feeling of anticipation that stirred in her stomach as she waited for his response. Hated that he had so much power over her, and at one time she thought that they were on equal ground, that she too had the power to drive him crazy. Now she wasn’t so sure. The chirp of her phone drew her attention back.
Dec: Just want confirmation.
Jen growled. Way to make me feel like a piece of luggage that you are making sure made it to your next connection B, she thought to herself.
“What does the text say?” Sally asked.
Jen looked up and found herself staring at eight sets of eyes. Her attention had been so focused on her phone that she had forgotten there were other people in the room.
“You made it,” Jen said dryly.
“Is he asking or telling?” Crina asked.
“Exactly what I said.”
“So what did you tell him?”
“I told him if he was referring to the poopy I did on the plane, then yes, I indeed made it.” Jen couldn’t hold back the grin as she watched her friends choke on their pizza and drinks because of her outlandish statement. It was a much needed comic relief. But it didn’t take away the hurt of having her own mate text her when they had a bond that gave him direct access to her mind. Her phone chirped again as the laughter began to subside.
Dec: U r there
Jen realized that she had never responded to his earlier text and as she read his latest text she let out a cackle of laughter worthy of a witch.
“Shut the front door!” Jen guffawed.
“What?” Jacque’s smile dropped as she watched her friend. The others gathered closer around her.
“This text says you are there. Where else would I be? I mean can he be any more Tarzan-like with the monosyllabic words?” Jen grumbled as she replied.
Jen: I don’t know y u insist on telling me things I already know.
Dec: I just wanted 2 know u arrived safely.
Jen: U didn’t have 2 text me 2 find that out.
Dec: I love u baby.
Jen’s breath caught at his latest text message, and she had to bite her lip to hold back her tears. She didn’t doubt his love. She knew to the very core of her being that Decebel loved her completely. What she did doubt was his truthfulness with her. Since the day she had met Decebel, he had always been very up front about his feelings. He was painfully honest and hilariously blunt and those were things she adored about him. Now he was nearly the complete opposite and she was at a loss as to how to get him to open up to her, to trust her, and it was killing her.
Jen: Good 2 know. Any other headlines u want to share?
Dec: About 2 go n meeting with Vasile, Cypher and the other males. So I will b out of touch 4 a little while.
Jen: Whatev
As soon as the message was sent Jen hit the power button on her phone and watched with sick satisfaction as the screen went black. She tossed it onto the coffee table and let out a deep breath.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I need a drink.” Jen started to stand but Sally pulled her back down to the couch.
“Jen, you don’t drink, and you’re pregnant,” Jacque reminded her.
“Well, my sweet wolf-princess, in the words of the profound band Little Texas, there’s a first time for everything.”
“How about instead of drowning our problems, we talk about them?” Cynthia piped.
“Bloody hell, you aren’t trying an intervention are you?” Jen’s eyes narrowed.
“Jen, I think she’s just trying to help take some of the pressure off. You haven’t exactly been discreet about things between you and Decebel. We love you and hate to see you hurting, either of you.”
“It is an intervention,” she whined and slumped back into the couch, “of all the things I could possibly have needed an intervention for, it had to be Werewolves Anonymous.”
“I take it that you have no loyalties.” Reyaz walked leisurely around the forest that surrounded his lair. He had decided to take a much needed break from spying on his brother, but on his way home, he was interrupted.
“I am loyal to myself,” Lorelle told him boldly, though she felt anything but bold. She hadn’t planned on approaching him this way, but the opportunity presented itself and she had to take it while it was there. Reyaz was not an easy man to find.
“How do I know you will not betray me?”
“I have no reason to betray you. I simply want my sister out of the picture. I can’t kill her. If I did, I would be banished from my realm forever. But in your line of work, and specifically your latest endeavor, you will more than likely run into her. I was just hoping you could give her a little zap.”
Reyaz’s brow rose and his mouth twitched as if to smile. “A little zap?”
Lorelle nodded. “Like you did to Vasile.”
He laughed at this and she tried not to cringe at the sound. The air coming out of him sounded as if it was grating against lungs that had not been used for this purpose in a very long time. Like the creaking and moaning of an old wooden staircase that had not been walked on in years. His raspy laughter assaulted her ears.
“You are calling that a little zap?” he asked as his skin crawling laughter died.
Lorelle decided that it was a rhetorical question and did not answer.
“What do I gain if I give your sister this little zap you are asking for?”
She had known that he would ask for some sort of payment. It’s not like evil people do anything for free. There was no such thing as evil charity. Lorelle had wracked her brain endlessly trying to come up with something that he would consider valuable. But she had come up empty-handed.
“I can grant you a request to redeem at your liking.” She had finally decided on the granting of a favor. Though she hated to give him such power over her, there was nothing that she could give Reyaz that he couldn’t simply take for himself.
He didn’t respond right away. She watched as he took slow measured steps, his feet crunching on the dead leaves that littered the ground. He was considering it, no doubt thinking of all the possibilities such a payment would give him.
“Any request?” he qualified.
“Yes.”
“I accept. And I already know what you must do,” he finally told her.
Lorelle gave a short nod and tried not to look as nervous as she felt.
“What will it be?”
“You are going to deliver a message for me, but not from me,” he told her. “It seems that my brother has finally realized that the trolls need to pay for their part in the death of one of his females. He has attempted to keep the peace with them, but he has come to see that in order for justice to be served and real peace to reign, then they must pay. So you will take Thead, the Troll King, a declaration of war on behalf of the King of the Warlocks.”
Lorelle’s mouth dropped open and she knew her eyes were as wide as saucers. She couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“Why? Why would you do this if all you want is your brother’s woman?” she stumbled over her words as she spoke. “You want to destroy two races over the life of your mate?”
“They won’t destroy each other,” he scoffe. “The trolls don’t stand a chance against my brother. As much as I hate to admit it, he is extremely powerful.”
“Do you honestly believe that the wolves will just stand by and let the trolls be slaughtered?”
“What do you care, Lorelle, faithless and one without loyalty?” He snarled at her.
“One person is very different from an entire species!” She felt nauseous as she thought about the part she would play in this, but there was no getting around it. She had cast her role in his game and she would have to play her part or it would be her life on the line instead of her sisters.
“Fine,” she said and the word tasted like bile in her mouth. “I’ll do it.”
“I had no doubt that you would,” Reyaz told her smugly.
“Some free advice, woman,” she heard his voice just as she started to go, “if you betray me, I will kill you in the same manner that I take your sister, only much slower and much more painfully.”
He was gone before she could even swallow down the lump in her throat. She had come to him wanting his
help in destroying her sister, the one thorn in her side who wouldn’t go away. Now she would help him
destroy at least one entire species, and quite possibly even more.