Sebastian (Bowen Boys, #5)(42)

“I’m Wanera, lord of the Ninth Realm of the Pits, master to thirty beings that serve me and counter of the dead.” The man stood up and put out his hand. “You are offering me your hand?”

“It’s a form of acquaintances. You shake my hand as I do yours. It’s the beginning of a friendship.” Finally, the man reached over and put his hand into his and showed him how it was done. “See, no harm done. And my name is Sebastian Jay Bowen, Panther and King of the Faeries.”

Wanera staggered back. He was king? That wasn’t possible, that wasn’t…then his mate was the queen. He moved back further and stared at him. It wasn’t until Sebastian shoved him into a chair and pressed his head between his knees that he felt that he might not pass out. He spoke to him as he was being held down.

“I didn’t know. I had no idea that she was…none. I swear it, I never knew.” Sebastian told him to shut up. “You have to believe me.”

“I do now. Shut up and take deep breaths.” He told him he didn’t breathe. “Yes, you do. You wouldn’t have nearly fainted if you didn’t. Now do it.”

He realized he was breathing and wondered about that. Maybe it was because he was in the human realm. He didn’t know, but he sort of liked it. As he was feeling better, Sebastian let him up. He watched as the man paced.

“That strange human that works for you? She stole money from you today. I would think she’s done it a great deal, because she seemed to have it down to a science. She took five thousand of your human money from you.” Sebastian looked as if he didn’t believe him. “First, you must know that no one can lie to you. Secondly, I have serial numbers of some of the currency. You should know that she cannot lie to you either.”

He pulled out a ring of keys and put one in the drawer, as the woman had, and then took out the box. He counted the money much faster than she had, then looked at him. Wanera was afraid he was going to blame him for it.

“There was nearly twenty thousand dollars in here last week. Now there is less than five thousand. I’d say you were right.” He put the money back. “Where did she put it, do you know?”

“Her purse. She stuffed it in the front pocket. She’s taken a great deal from you then?” Sebastian nodded and Wanera put a sheet of paper in front of him with the numbers on it. “I am sorry. If I had known earlier, I would have told you.”

“I have to call someone. And now before she leaves, but I want to finish talking to you. I’ve talked to my mate and she said she wants to help you. She said that you need help and we have to help you. Besides, she liked Bill.” Wanera nodded and stood when Sebastian picked up the phone. “Wait. Please just give me one moment.”

Wanera paced the room as he spoke to someone named Caitlynne. Whoever this person was, they were coming down now. Sebastian told her to hurry. Wanera turned back to him when he said his name.

“I need a way to contact you. How do I do that?” Wanera had thought this might happen, that the man would want to see him again if he didn’t kill him. He took a deep breath and marveled at how good it felt.

“I can give you something that I’ve never shared with anyone before, except my beings…my friends. It will give you access to my realm that no one else has ever had before. What I do for you will get me killed. You must know that.” Sebastian nodded. “The last time I was here you drew my blood. Do you have a mark on your hand, the one that held me up?”

Both he and Sebastian looked at his hands very closely and there was no mark. Wanera took Sebastian’s hand and held it in his own, both palms up. He looked at him once more, hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake.

“You can trust me. I swear to you that you can trust me.”

Wanera nodded and pulled a blade from the air. “I give you my mark, not as ownership, but as friendship. You will share this with the one true love of your life and no other.” The blade cut deeply into his palm and blood oozed from it. “Take it freely.”

“I take it freely.” Wanera didn’t know why he wasn’t surprised by the fact that Sebastian knew the right words and when to say them. He poured his blood into Sebastian’s palm and watched as it absorbed into his hand. The mark it left there was small in comparison to the amount of blood. And when he closed his hand, Wanera looked up at him.

“If I am killed, the blood will pour from your hand as if you’re wounded and the mark will disappear. All you need to do is think of me when you look at it. It is a way for you to summon me. My death will be the only thing that will keep me from answering.” Wanera took a step back and was startled when Sebastian grabbed him and hugged him. He tightened his arms around him and hugged back. It was the first time he’d ever been hugged in his entire life. Then before he could say anything more, he willed himself back to his own realm.

~~~

Sebastian watched as Debby squirmed in the chair. He liked watching Caitlynne work. It was fun to see her in action. Debby kept looking at him as if she expected him to help her. Well, kiddo, he wanted to tell her, you’re on your own.

“Did you take the money?” Debby shook her head at Caitlynne again. “Then what if I told you that we have you on camera that you did? And a list of the serial numbers on file? Would your answer be different if I asked you that again?”

“You don’t have those things. I work here, remember?” Caitlynne nodded at him, and he handed her the sheet of paper. “What’s that? If you think to use a blank sheet of paper to scare me into saying something that will make me look guilty, you’re as stupid as he is.”