Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(53)

“Did you ascertain what magic she had?” Lycus asked, stamping his back hoof again. He wasn’t great at hiding his impatience.

“As of now, unknown.” Technically, it was true. Roger didn’t have any proof, only a suspicion. “She smelled spicy sweet, but her magic only functioned in spits and gushes. She had no real handle on it.”

“And how did you know she was magical?”

Roger hid his uncertainty behind a stone mask. This was a time to tread lightly and speak in half-truths without getting caught.

“I guessed,” he said, keeping body movement to a minimum. “She was able to escape a house full of vampires without becoming one. I suspected there was something more to her. Teamed with her not-quite-human smell, I decided to chance a crossing into the Realm. We were monitoring her closely in case she didn’t have the magic. She was in no permanent danger.”

“And you said she had magical ancestry. This was also a guess?” Lycus asked, clearly seeing the cracks in Roger’s explanations.

“She claimed both her parents were non-magical humans. It’s clear she has magical ancestry, but she knew nothing of magic or the Realm. I had no way of knowing whether one of her parents intentionally hid their magic.” And he still didn’t. That was the million-dollar question. “Given that she had not intentionally interfered with my duty, that’s where it ended. She was released back to the Brink to get on with her life.”

“I see,” Lycus said, frown lines etching into his dark face. “Yet she had enough magic to get into the Realm.”

“Yes.”

“And thwart the charge of a minotaur without raising a weapon.”

Roger hesitated. “I had two of my wolves with her. One had changed, and the other was ready to. Bain was probably trying to save face by saying it was the girl. He wasn’t drunk at the time. I’m sure sobriety changed his perception of acceptable risk.”

A hoof stamped again. “I see.” Lycus stared for a moment. Roger met the centaur’s eyes easily. Pleasantly. There was no sense in riling anyone up. “Bain’s report was not the only one we received.”

“Oh?” Roger asked. “And what else have you heard?”

Lycus’s expression closed down. “That is classified. When do you expect her back?”

“I don’t, unfortunately.” Roger spread his hands. “Her absence the other night was noticed by loved ones. Brink police were informed. She agreed to give us a pass, since we pulled her out of a dangerous situation, but kidnapping her will get us chased from the Brink. Without us, the vampires will be let off their leash. That would work out badly for everyone.”

“I do not care about what goes on in the Brink. Let them handle their own affairs. I would like to question the girl.”

The way he said it, with tense shoulders and a hard glint in his eye, meant bad things. Roger suspected Lycus’s interest in this matter was a symptom of a larger issue. The elves were worked up in a way that suggested danger was afoot. Roger wondered if this had anything to do with the whispers he’d heard about Lucifer’s planned visit. Lucifer hadn’t walked the golden halls in…decades. Only something major would bring him here now. Roger doubted this was solely about the demons’ failure to stay put.

Roger let condescension slip into his tone. “You realize, of course, that the Brink is a vampire’s breeding ground. If they were allowed to grow their numbers without hindrance, they would be unstoppable should they decide to expand their presence in the Realm. Or don’t you read history scrolls?”

Silence descended between them. Roger increased the menace in his stare.

Lycus dropped his hands. “If she returns, let me know.”

“Just so we’re by the book—on whose authority?”

“The Relations branch sent me. Officially.”

“Noted.” Roger took a step back and then nodded as Lycus trotted out of the gate.

Relations was the faction of the elves who kept their friends close and their enemies under constant threat. They wouldn’t have sent someone as high-caliber as Lycus if it were a simple question of unchecked power. Something was brewing, all right, and Charity had sparked the elves’ watchful eye.

A shiver coated Roger’s skin, something that hadn’t happened in years. One thing was imminently clear: for the time being, they had to keep Charity out of the Realm at all costs.





Chapter Twenty-Four





Dread consumed Charity, turning into acid and rising up the back of her throat. She stood with Devon, Yasmine, and Macy in a quiet, grassy outcropping on the college campus.

“Okay, Charity, you ready?” Devon bent to catch Charity’s eye.

She picked at the frayed material outlining the sleeve of her worn hoodie. If she didn’t answer, did that mean she could skip the class where she might see a creature who used to be Donnie?

“Charity?” Devon asked.

“Yes, Devon. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She brushed a stray piece of hair away from her cheek.

He straightened and took a step toward Yasmine, who would be shadowing him tonight. He held up his phone. “You have my number?”

She nodded and placed her hand on her rear jeans pocket, feeling the sleek new smartphone trapped there. Normal people would’ve taken pleasure in surprising her with something as exciting as a girl’s first cell phone. Instead, Devon had walked into the kitchen in his boxers, adjusted his junk like a Neanderthal, and tossed the package at her.