Piper

 

“Thank you again, Angele,” I called as the car pulled away. She and Electra were waving from the car windows, Electra bouncing in the back seat and making faces.

I couldn’t help but think of them as family now and a surge of protectiveness went through me watching her stick her tongue out before the car turned the corner. If I had anything to say about it, the Kazan’s curse would not lead to the demise of that little girl.

Balt was also watching them go, his hand warm on the center of my back. For a moment, when we were finally alone, I let myself lean into him.

Inhaling his scent, savoring his warm skin and strong, solid body. His arm looped around my shoulders and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what Kyría had wanted with him, but I held back. The whole ride back he’d been withdrawn, shadows flickering in his eyes. Somehow, I knew he wasn’t about to tell me. At least, not yet.

“Piper, I need to take a walk,” Balt murmured in my ear, confirming this. “Clear my head,”

I turned and caught his arm. “You want company?”

He gave me a crooked grin. “Always, but I know you’re starving.”

Nodding, I squeezed his arm, wishing I didn’t feel so tongue-tied. “Okay. I’ll see you in a little while?” I asked, my hand gripping harder.

Balt laughed, his gaze clearing. “Hey, I’m not the one who pulls disappearing acts around here.” Making a face, I muttered under my breath about how it all worked out in the end. He merely laughed again and kissed me swiftly on the lips. “Be back soon.”

Inside, I went straight upstairs and was slightly out of breath by the time I reached Dez’s room. Knocking harder than I meant to, he opened the door a slit and then let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought you’d be back hours ago,” he said, stepping back as I prowled in.

“Sorry,” I said. “Kyría had other plans.”

“Who’s Kyría?” asked another voice, causing me to start. “Besides someone you obviously don’t like, Pi.”

I jumped again as a shadow swung itself into the room through the window and unfolded into a tall, grinning man with dancing gray eyes. Dez let out a soft yelp and backed up.

“Enele!” I snapped, rubbing my chest. I should have known he’d pop up out of nowhere when I called him yesterday. “You and Kai! Can’t you use doors like normal people?”

My younger cousin walked over with his arms wide and embraced me even as I tried to swat him away. “It’s nice to see you too, Piper. Especially since I shouldn’t be seeing you.”

I deflated and hugged him back. “I know. Thank you.”

“For Balt, anything,” Enele said seriously, stepping back and a worried look came over his handsome face. The epitome of cool, both under pressure and in name, Enele was a top Shifters of Anubis agent who’d hopped a plane to Greece yesterday at my request – all as I smashed more rules and protocols to bits. Looking at him, I couldn’t help but think of Kai and when the two of them used to be inseparable.

Then I shook my head and I waved over Dez. Dez, who looked baffled and gave me a funny look as he came over, outstretching his arm and saying, “Hi, Enele. You may not–”

“Desmond Devoy, yeah. We’ve met before – when I was home in LA and Balt took me out with you guys. It’s nice to see you again,” Enele responded with his easy grace.

“Hope you still feel that way in a minute,” Desmond said under his breath.

“Huh?” Enele asked, flicking his eyes between us. “Piper, what did you do?”

“I need you to take Dez to London to consult with Dr. Taylor and then come back here with whatever he finds out,” I said in a rush. “As soon as possible.”

Enele blinked. “Jeremy Taylor?” he asked this slowly and cautiously, as though concerned for my sanity. "He doesn't live in London any more – I think he's back in LA. Or Vancouver."

“Oh no,” I breathed, walking away and beginning to pace. “Shit, that’s too far.”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Please.” Enele said, appearing in front of me and grabbing my shoulders. “Piper, I will gladly go to the ends of the earth for you, but without the necessary information – how can I help or hope to prevent this from getting back to HQ?”

“HQ?” Dez asked. “Headquarters? What?”

“It’s not HQ I’m worried about,” I said, quickly as Dez’s eyebrows rose higher. Well, not really – especially since I probably don’t have a job with them anymore. “It’s the TLO. Frost and her cohorts – they’re here. In Greece.”

“Why? Because of the Kazans? Is this related to Kai’s girlfriend, Isla?” Enele asked, his gaze sharp and unwavering. “But you said this had to do with Balt…”

“You’re too smart,” I grumbled, throwing myself into a chair.

“You should tell him,” Dez volunteered, coming to sit across from me, while Enele remained standing. “I thought that was the plan. And maybe tell me about all these acronyms, please.”

“There wasn’t much of a plan,” I confessed.

“Oh, great,” Dez muttered. “Like stealing the damn thing wasn’t bad enough, now–”

He fell silent as I made a face at him and Enele started. “Theft? What did you – you, Piper?”

I scowled. “Why does everyone think I’m such a little angel? I’ve broken plenty of rules.”

“When it comes to the people you love, yes,” Enele said, glancing away.

Guilt jumped into my stomach, frazzling my nerves further. He was referring to Kai and how I’d kept his secret from him. “Enele, I’m sorry–”

“This isn’t the time,” my cousin said gently and I inwardly sighed. I knew one of these days I was going to have to have the same conversation I’d had with Soraya – the one about Kai – with the rest of my family. She’d taken it well, but she’d been quiet and there’d been hurt in her eyes.

Why couldn’t you trust me with this? she had asked. I don’t understand…

It hadn’t been a matter of trust – it had been one of fear. As it was now.

Nodding at Dez, I watched as he got up and went over to his bag. Coming back, he handed me an object wrapped in the layers of a neon t-shirt and a desire to laugh came over me. Plucking the cloth away, I raised my eyes to Enele as I proffered the Capitis Leonis of the Kazan family.

“What the hell is that?” my cousin asked, drawing back slightly.

Placing it down in my lap, I sat back and sighed. The object did have a far more sinister appearance outside of the Kazan estate. It seemed to draw too many shadows to it, while the sunlight reflected off the fangs, causing the snarl became hungrier and more twisted.

“Have you heard of the Kazan curse?” I asked in a soft voice, still staring down at it.

I sensed Enele’s hesitation before he answered. “Yes, but that’s all malicious rumors, isn’t it?” I looked up at him and his gray eyes went wide. “Isn’t it?” A moment of silence passed. “It’s not?”

Slowly, I began to summarize everything that had happened. Or as much as I could.

I told Enele about the mark on Balt’s arm – the same one shared by far too many members of his family. About the shadow that once had only fallen across the adult men, but was now claiming men, women, and children alike. About the entanglement of the Kazan and Frost families.

And how it was all coming to a head.

Literally.

“Let me get this straight. You had a professor steal a priceless, hundreds of years old artifact from an old shifter family – one of the oldest, the Kazans – and now you want me to bring it out of the country, illegally, mind you, so that a chemist can analyze the substance inside of it and come up with an antidote to whatever it is.” Enele walked over and sat down heavily. “Did I miss anything?” I gave my cousin a weak smile as he shook his head and muttered, “It’s like shifter Indiana Jones.”

“Am I Indiana Jones?” Dez piped up with a grin and Enele reluctantly laughed.

“Wait,” I said, wincing. “There’s more.”

Enele gave me a look that made me think of Soraya. A pained grimace that came with years of shared memories and DNA. A “now I’m in for it” kind of a look.

Sighing, I said in a low voice, “In less than a week I’m supposed to meet with Lilian Frost. For a cure or information on how to break the curse. If we can’t find someone to figure it out and in that time – and believe me I know it’s tight – I have to go see her.” Desmond and Enele made noises of protest and I shook my head, saying in a miserable whisper, “I cannot let Balt die. I will not.”

It was the first time I'd said those words out loud and a shudder went over me. Fingertips growing cold, I bleakly stared down at my shaking hands and balled them into fists.

“Well, of course not,” Enele said briskly. “Neither could I.”

“That’s why I’m here, too,” Dez said in a robust voice, reaching out to pat my knee.

“You’ll do it?” I asked, my heart leaping as I looked up.

“Of course,” Enele said. “But you need backup, cuz. You can’t do this all alone. Call Soraya, she’s not too far away. Or Kai, even. Anyone you trust not to rat you out to HQ.”

“No,” I said, standing up and shaking my head. Wiping at my face, I looked out the window and tried to gather my thoughts. “Enough people are in danger already. And I don’t need to get more family members in trouble – I know you can talk your way out of anything, En. Besides, we’ve got half the Kazan family after us and the TLO.”

Enele said nothing but when I turned back to them, he was making a face at the ceiling. Irked, I was about to say something to him that I’d probably regret when Dez interrupted.

“If you’re looking for a chemist, I think I know just the person, Piper,” he said. “Dr. Iyer. Not only is she a good friend of mine, but she’s a biochemist with degrees in psychology and neuroscience, too. And she’s dabbled in medicine, I think. I know she’d love to help us.”

“Kesari Iyer?” Enele shot at him and Dez nodded. Eyebrows shooting up, Enele looked at me. “Yeah, she was a child genius like you Pi. More degrees though.” I rolled my eyes and he grinned. “Works in Berlin, right?”

“Yes,” Dez said. “So, she’s not too far. What do you think, Piper?”

Biting my lip, I folded my arms and stared at the ceiling. My brain was whirling, but it felt mushy and like I couldn’t grasp at the threads of any of my thoughts.

“I don’t think we have any other options,” I said after a moment, rubbing my temples. “Dez, I trust you. So, if you trust her – then yes. Germany is only a two or three-hour flight, I think.”

Enele looked at Dez. “Are you packed?”

Dez shook his head. “No, but I can be in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, we’ll leave within the half-hour, then. I’ll get a cab and a plane,” Enele said, snapping into Shifters of Anubis mode. Pulling out his phone, he stepped away as he began to make calls.

I handed the Capitis Leonis back to Desmond. “Thank you so much, Dez.”

He gave me a sweet smile. “Piper, don’t worry about it. This is fun.” Glancing over at Enele, Dez whispered. “Your cousin – um, does he write, too? Seems more like a secret agent.” His eyes twinkled. “You guys pulling articles for HQ?”

At that moment, I realized I’d forgotten that Dez had no idea Shifters of Anubis existed. Smiling at Dez, I shrugged and began to help him pack, saying, “Oh, I think you’re letting that Indiana Jones comment go to your head, Dez.”

"But Indiana Jones was an archaeologist, not a spy," Dez said. “James Bond was a spy. Is he James Bond? Are you?”

“No,” I said, handing him a sweatshirt. “Like I said, don’t be silly.”

A half-hour later Dez and Enele were climbing into the back of a black SUV. Dez was giving me and Enele funny looks, but I’d already clued my cousin into keeping Dez in the dark if possible. If anyone could spin an elaborate yet believable story, it was Enele.

Yet another part of me wondered if Dez should be told. He was already in way over his head, just like I was. And the Capitis Leonis couldn’t have been stolen without him and Electra.

“Take care of yourself, Piper. We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Enele said.

“Thank you, thank you,” I said, stepping back as they pulled away.

After the SUV had vanished, I made my way back to the hotel and ordered room service. My head was spinning from a lack of food and too many plans. And the secrets.

I hated keeping Balt in the dark about all of this, but I knew he would have never agreed to such a risky plan. Never mind pulling in Enele and using Dez to steal his family’s heirloom. But I had to wait to tell him about the Decem’s information at the right moment – I had to find a cure for Electra, him, and the others…

I had to wonder at myself for concocting such convoluted schemes, though. So many things could go wrong… And HQ had to be wondering about our lack of progress. A runner could show up any day and order a report, order us elsewhere… I had to figure out a way to stall them…

Once the food came, I was so exhausted from the mental gymnastics, I wasn’t even hungry anymore. Picking at it, I wandered out to the balcony and tried to enjoy the waning afternoon.

But all I could do was wonder if I should have gone instead of Dez. Head falling forward, I raked my fingers through my damp curls and groaned.

Please, please let this work. Let everything be okay. Let Dez and Enele be safe.

And let Dr. Iyer find a cure…

Standing up, I shivered and walked over to the railing. “Mom,” I whispered. “Please, please help me through this.” Tears tracked down my face and I wondered at the amount of crying I’d done lately. It was so unlike me. But I felt turned inside out and utterly alone.

A buzzing sounded in my pocket and I pulled out my phone. Kai was calling me. Again.

With a sigh, I hit the silencer and shoved it away. No matter how much I wanted his help, I couldn’t drag Kai into this mess. It was bad enough Enele was now involved.

After a shower, a nap, and more food, I was feeling better. Once Balt returned, too, his usual smiling self, my heart overflowed with hope. This would work.

It had to work.

We decided to stay in and order pizza. It proved a perfect accompaniment to the wine that Balt brought back. Without meaning to, we’d stayed up past midnight, drinking too much, laughing, and forgetting about everything else.

Tomorrow’s troubles could wait.

At some point, we started playing strip poker and I wound up wearing nothing but Balt’s shirt and my underwear. It came down to mid-thigh and had a graffiti lion it. I was pretty sure Kai had bought in Maui for him.

After, we sat side by side, Balt in his shorts and me still in his shirt. It was almost two, yet neither of us moved. Instead, we talked, shoulders bumping and watching the ceiling fan. He handed me the bottle of wine and I brushed a kiss on his collarbone.

“Balt, I have to tell you something,” I said with a hiccup, taking a sip and then putting the bottle away. “It’s important.”

Turning to me, Balt said with a roguish smile, “You know you can tell me anything, Pipla.”

“Um,” I said. “I think I have a crush on you. It’s bad. Like baaad.”

Laughing, he brushed my hair out of my face. “You’re drunk.”

“No,” I said, slurring a little. “I don’t get drunk.”

“Piper, you are drunk.” Balt blinked at me. “Damn, how did that happen? Come on, let’s go to bed and lots of water. Up you go.”

“You’re not drunk?” I demanded, stopping him. “Drink more. You were drunken in London.”

“That was malt and scotch. This is wine. When’s the last time you drank?” he asked.

“You’re not letting me finish!” I said, poking his chest. “There’s more.”

Balt grabbed my hand and grinned. “Finish.”

“Um, so you like me, right? No matter what? Even when I’m demanding or selfish or I work too much and get into a tunnel of ideas?” I asked.

“Piper, of course.” Balt gave me a funny look. “And you’re not any of those things.”

“I’m not?” I asked. “I am. Maybe you are drunk.”

“Do you know what my favorite thing about you is, Piper?” Balt asked in a slow, happy voice, his knuckles drifting down my arm. “I bet you don’t.”

“What?” I asked, blinking as the tipsy feeling fell away and I shivered in happiness.

“When it comes to other people – you don’t hold back. You give your entire self. All of your heart and mind. Everything.” Balt’s voice was closer and his breath whispered across my skin.

I was looking down at our hands and snorted. “Kai wouldn’t agree. He thinks I’m incapable of human emotions, the little jerk.”

“No, he doesn’t. You had a rough patch for a while, there. Kai was mad at you and you were mad at yourself, but you pretended to be mad at him.” He paused. “Kai’s a goofball, but he doesn’t like pretense. And he knows you’re fire to his water. You both do – you know you are opposites in a lot of ways and that can be tricky – especially for siblings who have gone through as much as you two have. You have to stop thinking this way, Piper.”

“I don’t know if I follow that, Kazan,” I said, pulling back and looking at him.

“You have to let this guilt about Kai go, Piper,” Balt said. “He’s forgiven and forgotten.”

My eyes suddenly swam with tears and I blinked in surprise. “I missed it.”

“Missed what?” Balt asked, his gaze filling with worry and he cupped my cheek. “Pipla…”

“Kai becoming a man. Growing up.” I bit my lip and the tears spilled. “I told my Mom I’d look after him when he was born, but after she died – I didn’t – and then, you looked after us, Balt.”

Pulling me closer, Balt somehow got me into his lap and his arms around me. Time passed in strange spurts as I hung on and pressed my face into his chest.

“You’re exhausted, Piper,” Balt was whispering in my ear at some point. “Bed.”

“I have to brush my teeth,” I said, standing up and swaying a little. “Too much wine.”

After splashing water on my face and brushing my teeth, I looked at myself in the mirror and did a double take. Even though my hair was a wild mess of curls, cheeks flushed and in Balt’s too-big shirt, there was something arresting about me all the same.

I looked so happy I was terrified.

With a sigh, I walked out and watched Balt making the bed. A light knock came at the door and his head flew up, confusion crossing his face.

“It’s three a.m. Who the heck is that?” he asked. “Wait, Piper–”

I’d already stalked over and yanked it open, ready to give the person a piece of my mind. Instead, I stumbled back as I gripped the edge of the door so tightly, I thought I’d break it.

Kai was standing there, beaming. All of the air left my body as I stared at him.

My little brother was here.

And I was… Oh no.

“Are you up working, Piper? Honestly all work and no play…” Kai trailed off as he did a double take. “That’s Balt shirt. I bought him that shirt.” Eyes wide, he looked beyond me and let out a yelp of laughter. My face was burning. “Wow, Piper, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you turn that red before. Oh my God.” He sniffed the air and his grin became evil. “Are you drunk, too?”

With a gasp, I slammed the door and threw my arms out wide. I could hear Kai howling with laughter in the hallway and Balt gave me an incredulous look as he raced over.

“What are you doing?” he asked as I blocked the door “You can’t leave him out there, he’s going to wake up the whole hotel.”

“My brother is here, Balt,” I hissed, panicking. “My brother is here and he knows.”

“Move,” Balt said, trying to pry me away from the door, but I shook my head.

“Balt, what if my dad is here? I don't know what I'm going to tell him. Oh, my God. I'm going to throw up." My stomach roiled. “I am going to throw up.” Clapping a hand over my mouth, I ran to the bathroom, all while Kai’s mirth echoed down the hall.