Fallen

Fallen

By

M.J. Spickett

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Fallen Copyright © 2007 M. J. Spickett ISBN: 1-55410-982-5 Cover art and design by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.extasybooks.com

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To Dave and Brie who were the first to read the manuscript and fall in love with my story. Shy and Bo, for teaching me the tricks of editing. And to mom and the kids for turning their lives upside down to help me get this done.

Prologue

I

sat huddled on my haunches before the large fireplace, the roaring fire within it and tugged the heavy wool blanket tighter around my naked body. My damp hair still dripped red from the blood I was unable to wash out of it, no matter how much I scrubbed. The battle exhausted me and the harsh cold winter air blew through the broken window to chill my wet body to the core. I shivered. This was not where I wanted to spend the night, but until my clothes dried, I had no other option. At least they had comfortable beds and warm blankets. “You’re shivering.” I looked up, thankful to see Cleotro’s large form enter the small room with a stack of logs cradled in his arms. He was a mix of ebony and silver, his armor the only color on him. He knelt next to me and stoked the fire. I hugged the blanket a little tighter and huddled under it. “It’s cold in here. Did you bury all the bodies?” “Yes,” he answered, his voice flat and emotionless. “Did you find out what they wanted with the family?” I shook my head. “They ran when we took on the soldiers.” “They abandoned their home?” 1

M. J. Spickett I nodded and shrugged. Since Germany invaded it three years ago, houses stood deserted like this throughout most of Eastern France. The faeries were not supposed to interfere with human affairs, but I couldn’t help it, not when they raped and tortured an innocent. I could still see the girl’s terrified eyes as I tore the soldier off her and crushed his skull. In that moment, she was more terrified of me than what the man intended to do to her. Her parents grabbed her and that was the last I saw of them. They abandoned their home. For the night, it would serve as ours. Cleotro stripped out of his armor and dumped it next to mine. “Oh well. Is there any warm water?” I shook my head. “You bathed in ice cold water? Serenity, I know you’re upset but that’s no reason to punish yourself.” He knelt next to me, took my chin in his forefinger and thumb, and gently raised my face until we looked into each other’s eyes. “It’s not your fault. Had you not intervened when you did that girl would have died.” I said nothing and leaned my head against his broad shoulder. His ebony body glistened in the flicker of the flames. How he could sit there, naked and without a blanket was beyond me. He must be cold, yet he said nothing. Tilting my chin a little higher, he brushed his lips over mine in a brief, tantalizing kiss. I opened my mouth to him, seeking warmth and comfort from his touch. The blanket fell from my shoulders as his fingers deftly caressed my skin. He lowered me to the floor and laid me over the crumbled blanket. “Maybe I can warm your chilled skin,” he purred. His hand moved along my thigh to my flat belly as his long 2

Fallen black hair fell over us like a silken sheet to mix with my sidhe red hair on the floor. “Perhaps.” I grinned, biting my lower lip as his hand slid up to my breasts. He kissed my throat and I arched my back beneath him. Our lovemaking slow, sensual and unimaginably good, my body soon warmed up. The cold no longer bothered me. I lay in his arms afterward, exhausted and happily sleepy. He stroked my hair as I snuggled against him and drifted to sleep. “I love you,” he whispered against my hair. “I will always love you, no matter what happens.” “I love you, too,” I returned, my mind muddy with sleep. Snuggled in his warm embrace, I slept happy and content, his warm body curled around me. His warmth kept the chill at bay until morning. When I awoke, the room was cool and I was alone. For a moment, I huddled under the blanket and listened to the sounds of the house. The fire crackled merrily and warmed one side of my body while the wind howled on my other side. But no sound of Cleo. Poking my head out from under the covers, I looked around. Fresh wood filled the fireplace. Cleo must have stoked it only a half hour ago, if that. Where was he? His armor was gone. This wasn’t the first time I awoke alone, but it was certainly annoying. “Cleotro?” I called as I got up and hugged the blanket to me. “Cleo?” The house was empty. Cleotro was gone. I sighed. Perhaps he is out gathering wood. Somehow, I doubted that, he disappeared a lot on me lately and wouldn’t reappear 3

M. J. Spickett for many hours. I didn’t like this, not for a moment. Dressing quickly, I sheathed my sword and started looking for him with my senses. No one knew him like I did. He’d been my partner for countless centuries and I knew his aura well. It was as familiar as my own. I stretched my senses and detected him only a mile from the house. What is he doing all the way out there? I hope he is getting food. The house was pretty much empty of anything but stale bread. I ate a loaf as I began my search for Cleotro. Not far from the house was a small villa. Keeping to the shadows, out of sight of everyone, I followed his aura to a small building in the center of town. I should have used glammer to make myself look like one of the town’s women, but I felt annoyed by Cleotro’s disappearance and in no mood to play games. As the building came into sight, I saw that German soldiers guarded the front entrance. Keeping to the shadows, I slipped into a tiny alley at the side of the building. I kept my metaphysical shields high as an uneasy feeling filled me. Why was Cleotro here? Did the Germans capture him? It seemed unlikely. Cleotro was one of the most powerful faeries I know. No way could a human capture him. I shuddered at a sudden thought. With their new weapons, if it were pure, their iron could have injured and poisoned him. Oh Goddess, what if he’s dying? Gazing up to a third story window, I found him. He was up there. Summoning my dragonfly wings, I hovered up to the window and glanced inside. A thick layer of grime covered the glass but I could make out Cleo’s large form among the much shorter humans. I could hear them talking and I closed my eyes to concentrate. My faery 4

Fallen hearing allowed me to pick up their words, but something still muffled what they said, a spell of some sort. That surprised me. I knew the Nazis were a cult led by Hitler. Most of the soldiers had no magick, but those of his inner circle were powerful. I didn’t want to think what the Nazi could do with someone as powerful as Cleotro. I had to get him out of there. The officer grumbled something under his breath about having finished the modifications to the bullets and they now contained large amounts of pure iron—coated with a thin layer of lead. Tucking my wings close to my body, I crashed through the window, rolled across the hardwood floor came to my feet, enchanted broadsword in hand, and threw two spell balls at once before anyone could react. The soldiers yelled in panic as they trained their rifles at me. I spun and slashed through two of them before they could fire. “Stop!” Cleo’s deep voice commanded. The soldiers froze, unsure what to do. They looked to their leader—a thin older man who was obviously in command—then to Cleotro and back to me. The officer made a gesture and the soldiers lowered their weapons. I kept my sword raised, ready for battle until Cleotro’s hands took my elbows and gently made me lower it. “Calm down, Serenity,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m here of my own free will.” “What?” I turned on him, angry and confused. “You came here? Why?” “You know this woman?” the officer questioned as he eyed my attire, as if he had never seen a female faery warrior. Then again, he probably hadn’t. “She’s my partner,” Cleotro answered. “May we have 5

M. J. Spickett some privacy, please?” The officer grumbled then left with his entourage, obviously frightened of Cleotro and the blood that clung to his armor, but I wasn’t. I shoved the dark fey back in anger. A sense of betrayal filled me. What is he doing here with these humans after all they’ve done? “Iron? Pure iron? What the hell are you thinking?” I yelled and shoved him harder this time. “Last night we kill a whole battalion of them and now you’re here conspiring with them? Have you lost your mind?” He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. “Listen to me, Serenity. These weapons are fascinating. They can help us against the Seelie Court.” “No!” He grabbed my arm as I turned away. “Don’t be stupid, Serenity. These guns mean power. We can take on the Queen of Air and Darkness herself and rule the Unseelie Court together. No amount of magick can stop us. Think! We can stop the Seelies. No more war, no more chaos. We’d be free.” “That’s treason!” I uttered in shock. He never talked like this before. I shook my head. “Cleo, don’t do this. Don’t make me arrest you.” What he did took me completely by surprise. He backhanded me so hard I hit the wall then fell to the ground in shock. My vision swam and for a moment, I thought I might pass out. I pushed myself to my knees and held my bruised cheek, too surprised to do anything but stare at him. Cleotro never hit me. He knelt before me, his teal eyes large and worried as he regarded my bruised cheek and cut lip. “I’m sorry, my love.”. He reached out to touch me, but I pushed my 6

Fallen back against the wall to evade him. “Traitor!” I snapped and swatted his hand away as I reached for my dagger. His eyes narrowed. He caught my wrist and twisted it until I screamed in agony. “I can’t let you interfere,” he growled as he wrapped his free hand around my throat and lifted me off my feet. “Maybe you’ll see things better after a nap.” I struggled and kicked as he slowly began to crush my windpipe. Very little killed the fey, so I would heal although it hurt like hell. He was too powerful for me to break his hold so I resorted to magick. My body tingled with power until my flesh felt on fire. It raced up my arms and into Cleo. Trying to battle it with his own power, he dropped me and fell back when it consumed him in utter agony. Laying on the floor, relearning how to breathe for a moment as I summoned my power, I knew I had to stop him. My wrist was broken. I couldn’t use my sword, so I grabbed my dagger in my left hand and limped toward Cleotro’s fallen body. “I arrest you in the name of the Queen of Air and Darkness,” I proclaimed. A fire spell blazed around the length of my dagger, directed right at his heart. He glared at me in defiance. The binding spell was on my lips when the door burst open. Soldiers rushed in, weapons trained on me as they fired. I threw the dagger at the closest one and it sliced through him as if he were putty. As he fell, another took his place. I cursed and ducked from the barrage of bullets. Great, Cleo had to tell them about the effects of pure iron on faeries. As the bullets cut through the air, just missing me, I could smell the deadly 7

M. J. Spickett substance mixed into the lead. Rolling behind the desk, I found a small stash of pistols. I’d never used one before but after fighting soldiers for the last year, I was pretty sure how they worked. Grabbing the first one I saw, I returned fire. Surprised by its lightness and accuracy, I found I could use it along with my magick and soon had dispatched the soldiers and secured the room. The soldiers’ bodies littered the floor. When I stood, my legs felt wobbly and weak, and I was unsure of my footing. Although it was not as nice as my crossbow, I clung to the pistol as if it were some sort of lifeline. Silver blood seeped from my shoulder where a stray bullet grazed me. Already, I felt sick from the shard of iron that pierced my flesh. Before I got more than a few feet, a spell ball slammed me into the wall, causing me to cry out as it tore into my shoulder. Cleotro stood over me, his eyes bright with anger. “It didn’t need to come to this, Serenity. We could’ve ruled together. You could’ve been my queen.” My fingers tightened around the pistol at my side. “What can I say, Cleo? I’m not queen material.” I rolled out of the way, as his enchanted sword came down toward me. It cut deeply into the wall mere inches from my head. Twisting around, I fired the last two rounds in the pistol as I moved, hitting him in the knee and upper chest. He fell in a cry of agony as the iron burned him from the inside out. Dropping the gun in sudden horror, I hobbled to his fallen form. What had I done? Tears streamed down my cheeks as I cast the binding spell over him. “Tau danar ver kqa,” I whispered. “You are under arrest in the name of the Queen of Air and 8

Fallen Darkness, Cleotro.” He glared at me but said nothing as I opened a portal to Daan’tema and the punishment that awaited him for his treachery.

9

M. J. Spickett

Chapter One

E

xhausted and worn, I flopped onto our large queen size bed, wishing I could sleep or at least have a shower before the big coven meeting tonight. Hell, I was too tired even to attend, but I had to as Eli so firmly reminded me the moment I came home. A small headache developed in the back of my skull and I needed to take a nap before the meeting but I forced my weariness aside. While my lover paced about our room, the ancient Book of Shadows opened in his hands as he read the incantation repeatedly, I rolled onto my back to stare up at him. His long black hair cascaded down his back in a loose ponytail. My gaze roamed over his broad shoulders and muscled back to his narrow hips and tight butt clad in slim-fitting jeans. I bit my lip as I watched the slight sway of his hips as he moved, the way his hair swished with each step and the way he chewed his lower lip in thought. Goddess, he is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, right down to his stocking feet. The sight of him was almost enough to wake me up—almost. Pulling a double shift was never good for me, especially not on coven nights, and definitely not when Eli was in this sort of mood. Complicated shape-shifting spells were meant for those awake enough to stop young magicians from 10

Fallen making crucial mistakes and I was not up for it tonight. “Selena?” Distracted from my musings, I glanced up at the young man before me. His tri-blue eyes, so like Anthony’s, stared into my brown-red ones with concern. I must have lost focus in what he had been saying. Something I seem to be doing a lot, since he told me of his plans. I held back a sigh, and wished he would simply forget the spell and find something else to focus on. However, that wasn’t likely to happen. The twenty-year-old was as animate now as he was when he was seven and discovered a new spell. Don’t get me wrong, he was cute, damn cute when he acted this way, just the subject matter got to me after awhile. He held the Book of Shadows aloft with a small pout. He must have closed the book when he noticed I wasn’t paying attention. Not a good sign. The youth had a tendency to get over emotional, sometimes with no warning or reason. His emotional state was always in question, especially when he practiced magick. Some days I wondered, how he managed to keep his sanity after all that happened to him throughout his childhood. I know I questioned mine. “Sorry Eli, I was just thinking,” I apologized. His arms fell to his sides with a small sigh and he sat on the bed next to me. No, this isn’t where we practiced magick, this was where we hide from Cleotro. If we got into another argument, at least the blasted cat wouldn’t hear us if we used a dampening spell inside the large room. A small nervous smile lit Eli’s handsome face, reminding me of how Anthony would smile at me before he told me about a new spell he created. “I thought we’ve 11

M. J. Spickett been through this. That was decades ago. Cleo’s changed.” “I know,” I sighed, a knot of guilt building in the pit of my stomach. “You trust him with my life, right? Having his fey form back would help all of us. Think. Some of the shit that happened when I was kid may have been prevented if he were better equipped to help you, like when the Rusalki attacked when we first moved to Ravenwood. Had he been able to switch to his true form, he could have protected me better. Or when Porter kidnapped him and me…he could have stopped both him and Henry from…” His voice trailed off as the memory of the tortures and rapes he suffered as both men assaulted him. His eyes became distant and haunted. Goddess, I hated it when he was right. As a panther, Cleotro was powerful and could hurt or kill to protect Eli, but he could not cast any serious spells. As a fey, he had all the power he once held many years ago. I was not willing to risk Eli to the possibility that he would betray us again. No matter how powerful Eli was, Cleo was far older and extremely more cunning. I only hoped Cleo’s love for his young master was enough to keep him in line. Years ago, during World War II, Cleotro vanished on me, near the end of the war. Normally I wouldn’t have cared but for a sinking feeling that began to plague me whenever he was gone. My curiosity ended the war and perhaps saved countless lives, or so the Elders kept telling me. Cleotro betrayed us, plain and simple right? No, he conspired with the Nazi coven, not for power or worship or even wealth as so many Old Ones had. His only 12

Fallen interests were in technology and the weapons that would allow him to overthrow our court. For the first time ever, I took the lives of more than two dozen soldiers, and fought my closest friend. Our battle ended in a blood bath that still haunts me to this day. I made the official arrest of Cleotro and handed his beaten and bloodied form to the Queen of Air and Darkness herself. As for my loyalty and efforts, our queen betrayed me. Cleotro was not the only one punished. As his partner, it was my responsibility to keep a constant eye on him and report any strange behavior. I should have reported his disappearances. As punishment, she ordered Cleo turned into a black panther and forced to become the Familiar of a young magician. Me? I was to become the magician’s Guardian. Yet for some reason my punishment was different from other Guardians or perhaps because the young mage was part fey. Anthony Sinclair, Eli’s past incarnation, or at least one of them. “Perhaps,” I admitted. “Gods only know how much of a handful you were as a kid. Cute, but a real lil’ hellion.” He gave that heart stopping grin of his. My heart fluttered at the mere sight of it. Rare even in reincarnation, he was Anthony’s double in every way but height. He was beautiful. Men were not supposed to be this beautiful. The thin fabric of his black t-shirt, accented his broad shoulders beautifully. Corded arms fell from his shoulders, further proof he was anything but a child now. He was most definitely a grown man, and undeniably sexy. “According to Anthony, you were a real handful too.” 13

M. J. Spickett “Hmm … well Anthony always exaggerated,” I teased. I regretted the fact that the youth retained all his previous life’s memories - all but the one I wanted. Guardians, a faery group designed to watch over human magick users, raised Anthony. By rights he should have inherited a Guardian from his family. However, he wanted something else. I never really understood what, not even to this day. Most Guardians went to their masters with a basic orientation of what their duties were. Anthony came to the sithen, the home of Faerie. He was a tall, handsome Brit with kind tri-blue eyes—something few humans had—and the sweetest smile I ever saw. Never before had a Guardian been forced to bed a potential master before entering servitude but I had no complaints. His body and magic called to me in ways I’d never felt. My parents taught me that there was no such thing as love at first sight, lust yes, but never love. Anthony was unlike anything I dealt with before. From the moment I met him, I loved him and still do even now. I still wore the bracelet he bought me the day I became his Guardian, treasuring it above all he ever gave me. Unlike most magicians or even sorcerers, they granted Anthony four Guardians, of which two were Familiars. Such things were unheard of in the magic realm—until we discovered he was the future Oracle, making our duty to protect him all the more important. Maybe it was predestined. Perhaps the Fates knew his future and somehow, some way, informed the monarchs of Faerie. For thirteen years, we lived as one big family, developing a trust that only a close family could, protecting each other against rival magick users and mystical creatures 14

Fallen alike. However, not even the most skilled warrior could change fate. I should have known that the night Anthony told me the vision that had begun haunting his dreams. When he sent Nathaniel and me away, I should have known that something was seriously wrong. It was too late when we realized it. No matter how much he objected as he died in our arms, we failed him. Poisoned in magickal battle against a rival magick user, Anthony died a most painful and slow death a month later. We should have died alongside him like most Guardians were forced to do. Instead, they spared us that fate to protect not simply the future generation—o, Anthony had a grander plan than that—we were to protect his reincarnations. Reincarnation is a tricky concept to begin with, but even harder to accept when the soul reincarnates twice in one lifetime. That’s what happened to Anthony. Whether by design or accident, no one knew but it was enough to boggle my mind when it happened. First reincarnation was a beautiful auburn haired Daniel. For his protection, Nathaniel took him to another land. No one, not even I knew where. He reincarnated the second time, thirty years later, as my ward and now lover, Elijah Hawke. For years, we feared that someone had killed Daniel, so we went into hiding with Eli. Rival magick users battled for Anthony’s powers long before he died. To take claim of his reincarnation as a child and tap into such untrained magick was the dream of many. His power seemed unfathomable and unlimited, unlike so many other selfacclaimed “Master Magicians”. With Cleotro at my side, I protected the child with my life. Oddly enough, Daniel was still alive, still holding 15

M. J. Spickett Anthony’s magick and memories. Daniel had a near-death experience, which resulted in Eli inheriting almost all Anthony’s memories and power, a concept that left many of us scratching our heads. Luckily for us, he came to our aid when we thought we might lose Eli to the power growing within him. It’s become an odd world for me since then, but I now understand Anthony’s reasoning for four Guardians. While Anthony himself may not have known it at the time he made it clear that two Guardians, Nathaniel and Sif, were to protect Daniel and his family while Cleotro and I protected Eli, who had grown into a near replica of Anthony. Perhaps that was to be my undoing. I loved Eli, how could I not? Only six months ago, I discovered he was in love with me, too. His love had nothing to do with Anthony’s memories, for which I was endlessly grateful. Past life memories could be a bitch, especially when they haunt your every waking moment. Eli lived with it since the day of his birth. I simply couldn’t imagine life without him. From the day he was born, I loved him. It didn’t help that he even looked like the mage. Nevertheless, he took it in stride now that he was grown. I was in love with every inch of him. Even if he had never been Anthony, I was certain I would have fallen in love with him. My heart pounded at the very sight of him, and stomach knotted whenever I thought he might be in danger. As I watched him pace before me, it started turning flips. I wonder if I get up and pull down his pants if he’ll stop long enough to fuck me. Goddess, I want him. I want to dig my nails into his tight ass as he rides me. Eli stood with a mock-horrified expression. His hands 16

Fallen went to his hips. His muscles flexed admirably as he glared at me. “Exaggerate? I’ll have you know that a Sinclair never exaggerates.” I held back a chuckle and stood. Standing we were nearly the same height, his only greater than mine by three inches. His height was the reason I wore heels. I never liked looking up at men, especially those who were under my care. “I have known the Sinclairs far longer than you, child.” He raised an elegant brow. “Child?” he scoffed. His hands grasped my rear, and pulled me firmly against the length of his body. The bulge between his legs pushed against me as it grew hard and warm. Instinctively, I cupped it only to have it get rock hard in my hand. His lips hovered less than an inch from mine, the sweet herbal scent of his breath filled my nostrils. “I’ll show you a ‘child’.” As I found myself thrown onto the queen size bed, I inhaled sharply. I barely had enough time to catch my breath before Eli pounced on me, and straddled my hips. For a moment, we just stared at one another. His blue eyes glowed softly with the power of the fey, making the three separate blues bleed into an ocean of color. He may only be one quarter fey but his power sang to mine. I knew without looking in a mirror that my own eyes bled into a fiery red. I licked my lips as my gaze moved along the fine lines of his face. His square jaw and broad shoulders were powerful and held a sensuality that would make any woman putty in his hands. My heart raced, my clit swelled and throbbed at the mere thought of him out of his shirt. 17

M. J. Spickett Goddess, he was gorgeous. I lay back and put on my best innocent face then blinked wide eyes at him. “You were saying?” I bit my lip a moment later at the sudden hungry look in his eyes. He slid one leg between mine and rubbed it against my groin. “I’m warning you, sweetheart. Keep pushing me and I might forget I’m a gentleman.” “Oh, I’m so scared.” I threw back my head as a sudden wave of magick shot through my groin right up to my breasts. The heat pulled at me, making my skin tingle. My breasts rose in sudden desire and I knew I was wet before he had even truly touched me. This was the effect Eli always had on me since he matured into a man. I don’t think he even knew how much magick he held over me. He slipped between my legs, his whole body covered mine and allowed me to feel his hardness. Normally we’d be undressed by now, but with a coven meeting in less than half an hour, we simply didn’t have time for sex tonight. That didn’t mean tormenting one another was out. “Goddess!” I cried as I buried my hands in his long hair and pulled his lips to mine. It felt as if he had his length buried deep inside me, pounding into my flesh, trying to make us one. Magick had a funny way of joining us into one mind even with the simplest sexual thought. Sex magick, though just recently added to our rituals, ran into our daily affairs now. Eli unbuttoned my blouse as the waves of magick rippled through my body. I wondered just how much the magick affected him or if in some strange way he directed it. He ripped that thought from my mind as his warm hand cupped one bare breast and gently twisted the 18

Fallen nipple with his long fingers. Writhing beneath him, I cried out his name and begged for more. Never in my life did I beg for anything, until the day we first made love, not even with Anthony. His mouth quickly replaced his fingers and I knew I was lost. Sucking hard as his hand worked on its twin, he sent a rush of power through my body until I screamed in ecstasy. My body rocked with orgasm after orgasm, even after he pushed himself up to his elbows to gaze down at me with his bright blue eyes. For a while, I simply lay on our bed relearning how to breathe. I was never so happy to be fey than when Eli’s magick rode me so hard. Sex was good, but sex and magick together was mind-blowing. It left me breathless and only my fey blood kept me from hyperventilating. I don’t know how Eli could simply smile at me as if the extra magick had not affected him at all. Maybe it did but I could never be sure, the magick was his power, not mine. He lay next to me, idly playing with my breasts as he smiled smugly at me. I glared back at him, or tried to at least. It turned into a playful grin. After such an amazing experience, how could I possibly be angry with him? “Cheater,” I murmured as I snuggled next to him. He tweaked a nipple. “Well, I had to make you see my point somehow,” he teased, unfastening my belt buckle. His hand slid into my jeans to stroke my pussy. “I still don’t agree,” I murmured, but I found it difficult to think as a finger stroked my folds. My back arched in need. Goddess, help me, but I wanted his flesh pounding into me. “I told him you wouldn’t,” Cleotro’s deep voice growled from the doorway. 19

M. J. Spickett Gasping, I practically jumped away from Eli, but he held me close. I lost focus and the shield calm down. Uttering a cursed I sighed. Bloody hell, I hated when that happened. Eli had a way of making me lose focus at all the wrong times. I gave him an angry glare only to receive that lopsided smile of his as another finger slid into me. A cry escaped me at the sensation. The panther jumped up on the bed and glared down at me as I tried to prop myself on my elbows. One large paw covered the breast Eli was no longer playing with and pushed me flat on my back. When I tried to shove his paw off, his claws extracted, just enough to let me feel them without hurting me. He got that look he often got when he saw me nude, as if he would fuck me until we both hurt, if only he was a man once more. My body shivered with the thought. I could almost feel his fey form plunging into me. If I let him, I knew he would take me in his animal form, but I was definitely not into that. “The Queen will have us hunted down and slaughtered if we even attempted it,” I countered, ignoring where his paw was. “We’re no longer Guardians,” Cleo continued, as if I had said nothing. “Eli released us of that duty. Her Highness has to accept his decree.” “No, she doesn’t.” I winced as his claws dug into my flesh. “Cleo, retract the claws before I rip them out.” He gave me one long blink before staring at his paw. He pulled it away with a mumbled apology. Four punctures mired my pale flesh, spilling silvery blood. Normally I healed within moments, unless attacked by a shapeshifter or iron. Cleo was pretty close to being a shifter so his claws could wound me more than a normal 20

Fallen Familiar. A little catch twenty-two the Elders so kindly neglected to inform me. How considerate of them. His rough tongue lapped up the spilt blood, raising goose-bumps along my flesh. I shuddered at the feel, my mind picturing his fey form, all that darkness wrapped around me. Knowing part of the problem was the spell he was silently chanting, I shoved him away. He was always doing that to me, as if, one day, I would let my defenses down enough for him to take me. Like I had the last time we returned to faerie, the last time he had been in his fey form. “He won’t hurt you, you know that,” Eli said playfully. “I doubt it,” I mumbled and glared at Cleo. “Well, let’s see if I can find something better for you to think of.” Eli tugged off my pants and drew my attention away from Cleo. He threw them over his shoulder and a moment later, my panties followed. I was nude and I barely remembered going from arguing to making love. Eli pulled me off the bed, away from Cleo who gave a disgruntled growl and into his strong arms. His lips crushed mine in a powerful kiss that left me breathless. He’d become bolder in the months we’ve been together and always tried to prove he could dominate. I certainly didn’t mind. His hands grasped my thighs and picked me up as if I weighed nothing at all. My legs went around his waist where I felt his hard length strain against his jeans. Desperate to touch his firm abs, my hands tugged at his tshirt. The sight of his pale skin only sped up my pulse with desire. A fine trail of black hair went down his belly to vanish in the waist band of his pants. I threw the t-shirt on the bed, conveniently covering Cleo’s head. The 21

M. J. Spickett mighty panther cursed but I paid him no mind. Eli made short work of his pants. As they fell to his ankles, he held me tightly and kicked them away. His hard cock poked my rear and I moaned in pleasure. He was long and hard as a rock, his cock’s velvety head sought entrance to my wet cunt. “Please, Eli…please, take me,” I begged. Coven meeting be damned, I want him in every way—now. He chuckled, that deep masculine laugh that always makes my heart flutter and my cunt wet with a desperate need, a purely male sound that held a magick all its own. “Say that again,” he said softly, nibbling my ear. “Goddess! Eli, now…take me now,” I pleaded. I gasped as he set me down only to be spun around to face the dresser and its full length mirror. He stood behind me as his hands grasped my hips. Pushing my hair to one side so I had a perfect view of his face, he kissed my left ear lobe. One hand snaked down my front once again to tease my folds. Two fingers slid in and stroked my clit, pausing only to thrust them in and out. I thrust against him, desperate for him to enter me. He only chuckled in my ear as he worked me into frenzy. “You’re so wet,” he teased, licking my ear lobe. “I can drink from you and live forever.” “Eli…” “Hmm…it you insist.” I screamed as he buried that hard length deep into me in one hard thrust. Wanting and demanding more, I slammed back into him. We moved in a rhythm all our own and thrust against one another with a burning passion that could drive one insane. His fingers continued to stroke our joining, driving me out of my mind with 22

Fallen need. Squeezing my breast in his other hand with every thrust, he gently caressed me. The scent of sweat and sex filled my senses as our bodies slapped together. The scene we made was breathtaking. His raven black hair spilled into my fiery sidhe red hair. Our bodies glowed with the power of our passion, our magicks mixed, so powerful I could see it through my closed eyelids. An orgasm overwhelmed me. There was no fighting it. I screamed as wave upon wave of unimaginable pleasure crashed upon me. Eli screamed behind me, his fingers dug into my flesh as he drove madly into me as he came, filling me with his cum until both our juices spilled down my thighs. We slumped as one against the dresser. The only thing that held me up was Eli’s weight as my legs gave out. I sighed and leaned on my elbows, surprised to see Cleo stare at our naked bodies. Something stirred in my stomach. Memories of our past together filled me for a moment before I could shove it away. Good Goddess, what is wrong with me?

23

M. J. Spickett

Chapter Two

W

e held the coven meetings in a New Age store owned and operated by my fellow Guardian, Nathaniel Hastings. Nathaniel ran the store when he wasn’t teaching at the local university. He was the first Guardian in history to take on a human job and career and I was second. Our coven wasn’t quite like others, especially for Eli, Cleo, and me. We came from a traditional British coven from England. The move to Canada was a big change for us, but not as big as constructing one of the few covens, that existed in Ravenwood. Most magick users in Ravenwood were solitary, kept to themselves or visited the sanctuary downtown. But those like the Dions and us needed something more structured. Sinclair coven back home insisted we start our coven. As the oldest and most practiced magick user in the group, they asked me to lead the coven until we choose a proper leader, which made me the present High Priestess. I hated the job, but what could I do? A novice magick user was far more dangerous than a homicidal warlock. Trust me, I know, I’m a Paranormal Investigator and cop, I deal with the nasty side of magick almost on a daily basis. Our little coven was basically a boot camp to magick. Many of our 24

Fallen practitioners were born with magick but not trained to use it. My job was to train them. Not an easy task. Tonight all thirteen members were in attendance, a nice change after a month or two of our youngest members being in Spain. They were also part of a powerful coven there, which meant they were not staying here for long. A bummer really, I had grown to love the two young adults. Miao Syffern was the leader of the Syffern Clan, and Alexis Dion was his fiancée. Their duty was now to the Clan, but they managed to return to Ravenwood once a month, if only for a week or so. The pure joy in Daniel’s face every time his Alexis came home was enough to make each trip worthwhile. Daniel sat at one of the many tables with his new wife Aaliyah, a human-banshee hybrid, and their young son, Aaron in a playpen next to them as they talked with the Miao and Alexis. The meeting was really a “welcome back” party for the two, as had become customary since their big move to Spain. Almost every time they returned, we held a big get together, it just happened today was on a coven meeting day. What was worse was rather than spending a whole week as usual, they were only here for a few short days. That was the reason Eli wanted to discuss his plan to return Cleo to his fey form with them now. If the coven agreed then Cleo would have their protection should the Unseelie come after him. It wasn’t the Unseelie that worried me, however the Sluagh did. The nightmares of faerie were deadly bounty-hunters that stopped at nothing to catch—and kill—their prey. “I admit, Cleo was a great help in his true form the few times we’ve been able to change him,” Aaliyah said as she eyed Eli with her cat green eyes. They were the wise 25

M. J. Spickett eyes of a Watcher, who guarded over mages. Once upon a time, that was exactly her duty to Eli, but that was a long time ago. Now she was his aunt and friend, but that one look still made him straighten up with respect and awe. “However, the fey have made it clear all Familiar fey are to stay in their animal form until the Queen deemed them worthy of warrior status.” Eli frowned. His gaze swept over the coven members. “He was freed of the blood oath to me. There is no need for him to remain as a panther.” “Or house cat,” Cleo murmured from his perch on the shelf behind me. He was in his second form, a small black cat. Of both his forms, he hated this one the most. “Shh…” I whispered, tempted to pick him up and stroke his fur. He hated when I did that, always yelling that he wasn’t a cat. When we had non-magick guests and he had to play the part, he was much worse. Eli gave him a sympathetic gaze. “Look. Few Guardians have gone through what Anthony’s has. They’ve suffered in uncountable ways. If Sif wished to be fey again I’m sure we would all agree.” Sif sighed from his cozy corner on the floor. The great husky peered over his paws at the young mage. “There’s a difference, Eli. I’m a Pooka, I choose to stay in an animal form. That was better than the alternative. “But I’ve never seen your true form,” Eli whispered, more to himself than Sif. He looked hurt, a little shocked even, but definitely upset. “Eli, sweetheart, he hasn’t been in his fey form in almost a century,” I interjected. He glanced at me, those hurt eyes pleading for some sort of explanation. Eli’s emotional state was always 26

Fallen unpredictable. Cleo and I were his rock. We kept him grounded and safe. I don’t think changing any part of that was a good idea. “You knew?” he asked, then glanced at the other Guardians in the room. Six in total. Two of which were guests from Spain. I knew they didn’t count in the questioning but they looked just as guilty. Elita and Keira stood in the shadows. The two Gargoyles were still shy around the mass of humans and half-breeds. Eli didn’t even seem to notice them. “You all knew?” “We’ve talked about it a few times,” Nathaniel said as he placed his hand on the taller man’s shoulder. They looked like a contrast of each other. Eli’s hair and skin were far darker than Nathaniel’s almost albino appearance. His silver hair, tied back in a loose pony tail, hung to his waist. He was still dressed for work, his pants nicely creased, pressed cotton shirt still tucked in, and shoes polished, something he only wore when the occult and paranormal science’s department had a meeting. He and Dan were kissing up for more funding again, something the university desperately needed. “I’ve known Sif for centuries,” Nathaniel continued. “He’s always preferred being a canine.” “Oh.” “So that still leaves us with Cleo,” Dan added. He sat back in his seat. The news of what Sif really was didn’t seem to faze him quite as much as it had his nephew. He glanced at his wife. “I honestly don’t believe the fey were justified in imprisoning minor criminals in animal forms.” I paced the floor between the two tables. “No,” I stated firmly. “The trade of weapons or dark sorcery is viewed as a threat to the sithen and all fey.” I glanced at 27

M. J. Spickett Cleo, but kept my eyes hard as the memory replayed itself in my mind as it had the past few months since Eli first mentioned the possibility of restoring Cleo to his true form permanently. “The balance between the Seelie and Unseelie is delicate at best. If one side gained the power to destroy the other, that balance is obliterated. Light will block out Darkness or Darkness the Light.” “What do you mean?” this from Alexis, who had turned in her chair to watch me. As much as I liked black, and I wore it quite often, she had gone way too far with the Goth look. She looked almost as pale as Nathaniel. Her shaggy short black hair continued to fall in front of her eyes. I stopped pacing and stared at her. With the black dye job, she looked almost identical to Eli. There was no doubt they were cousins. “The fey were considered Gods and still are by many cultures.” I glanced at Nathaniel. “They viewed the Seelie as the Gods of Light, good beyond a fault, with unfathomable beauty. The Unseelie they viewed as the Gods of Darkness, grotesque, monstrous, evil, the virtual nightmares of the human race.” I looked around at everyone before continuing, “While most of the fey don’t want war, there are many who would do anything for power. If war broke out between the fey, it would only be a matter of days before the humans were at war. War among the fey would mean war among the humans. These days, it would make World War Two look like a school yard brawl. Nothing and no one would survive. For a long time, there was only silence. The idea of a possible World War Three was enough to shake any of them. Cleo glared at me in sudden hatred. No one liked 28

Fallen being told the truth. They hate it even more when you tell everyone else. Too bad for him. The coven needed to know the extent of what they were about to decide. “But that was a life time ago!” Eli objected. He shrugged off Nathaniel’s hand. “He would never do something like that now. I know him. He’s my best friend and I trust him.” His eyelids flicked to me. “Don’t you trust him? Me?” “Of course I trust you. We all do, but Cleo…” I went to him, unable to handle that haunted, hurt look anymore. It reminded me of all the times I had been unable to protect him, of the number of times he almost died because I wasn’t there to save him. But Cleo had. He was always attached to Eli and was always there to save the day. Countless times since we became Guardians, he had saved my life, too. It made me wonder if maybe we could trust him again. After all his treason is well over sixty years ago in a time of war and…no, I wasn’t going to let my mind wander there. “We just need more time to consider this.” “He would never do it,” Eli insisted, a promise he could never keep. I knew that even if he didn’t. I held him close, happy I wore my heels so we were the same height. Since we became lovers, he didn’t mind hugs in public, but we still kept such things limited. We both had enemies and we tried to protect each other by not letting everyone know about our relationship. Friends surround us here, and there are no judgmental sorcerers around. As I stroked his hair, I turned my gaze to where Cleo lounged. He’d taken off. I sighed in Eli’s hair. This was not going to be easy. Dan placed his hands on Eli’s shoulders and kissed the back of his head very fatherly. “Don’t worry son, we’ll 29

M. J. Spickett figure this all out. Perhaps it would be best if you plead your case to your grandfather. Merle seems more reasonable than the Queen. I’m sure he can help you.” I bit my lip. The last person I wanted Eli to talk with was Merle. The elder fey may be the Queen’s consort but in a strange way he was the cause of all this. He was the one who had convinced the Queen of Air and Darkness to allow Cleo his true form within the sithen—the faery mound—otherwise Eli would never have known he had one. As far as Eli ever knew, Cleo was a mystical winged panther, his Familiar and Guardian, able to change forms in order to protect him, not an actual fey. Merle was as treacherous as a goblin and far less charming, despite what he may say. However, given the choice between him or the Queen, he was the lesser of two evils. Not by much though. “I’ll talk to him,” I said firmly. I left no room for Eli to argue. “That way he can’t try any of his mind games on you.” At Eli’s angry glare, I mustered a weak smile that could not hide my hatred of the Queen’s current consort. “You’re powerful Eli, but Merle is thousands of years old. His magick is still far stronger than yours.” “You can use the mirror in the master bedroom,” Nathaniel offered. He leaned against the bookshelf next to his lover, Scott Dion. They looked like ying and yang together. Scott was tall and dark with well-defined muscles while Nathaniel was thin and short—at least by sidhe standards—with long silvery white hair. One look and you knew he was Seelie. “Thanks.” I gave Eli a peck on the cheek before I ran up the back stairs of the store to the loft above. 30

Fallen Let’s face it. I hated this idea. Not so much Cleo becoming fey again, I could handle that if I had to. Involving Merle concerned me. Merle was a tyrant, power hungry and insane. None of which Eli or Daniel knew. Hell, not even half the Guardians knew the truth about Merle. If they did, there would be a revolt unlike any in history. He forced those who knew to secrecy or death. Death didn’t sound like much fun to me. That was the only reason I kept my mouth shut. Fact was that despite serving the Unseelie court for the last century, Merle was Seelie, and not just any member of the Light court, he had once been their king. Of course he still would be had he not decided to betray all fey by restarting an age old war. The Seelie rebelled and dethroned him. As further punishment, they gave him to the Queen of Air and Darkness, which pleased Queen Celeste greatly. She enjoyed having a new toy to torture. For the first several years, she locked Merle up in the Will O’ Wisp where the Queen whipped and raped him endlessly and left him in the dark. Sensory deprivation is one of the worse forms of punishment for a fey to suffer. It drove a person to the brink of insanity. He was locked in a small room with absolutely no light, no sound or scent, his magick stripped away, and in most cases he was not fed for days on end. All he knew for certain was the pain from daily beatings. I should know, I suffered that fate for a month before I became a Guardian. Rightfully, Queen Celeste should have forced Merle into Guardian duty, however, his royal status allowed him to weasel his way out of it by becoming the Queen’s consort, which allowed him to continue to meddle in court affairs. But that wasn’t why I hated him so much. 31

M. J. Spickett Of course, Merle wasn’t his real name. We once knew him as Finvarra. He took the name Merle after joining the Unseelie, for his own protection. Finvarra was a womanizer. Not only did he bed the Seelie and Unseelie women, but humans as well. The fey had outlawed this almost four centuries ago due to the sudden rise in the half-breed population. Not that anyone cared, the Queen of Air and Darkness played with humans as well. Normally such things didn’t concern me, not until it involved one of the Sinclair women. Just turned eighteen, the girl was barely a woman. Merle found her gathering herbs. He seduced her, bedded her and fathered a set of twins, Daniel and Ian. Imagine the Queen’s rage when I reported what her consort had done and her sudden delight when she discovered that Dan was the reincarnation of Anthony. Things just went downhill from there. The twins were separated and hidden after that—for all the good it did. Ian died when Eli was only six, and Dan was hidden in the “New World”, so the Queen set her sights on Eli in hopes of somehow gaining Anthony’s powers through him. As I stood in front of the large dresser mirror in Nathaniel and Scott’s lush bedroom, I wanted nothing more than to slam my fist into the glass. I hated Merle, more than I did the Queen. He hurt my family, not only Eli and his family, but my parents, whom I have not seen in centuries. My father vanished, not a trace left of him and my mother slowly died of a broken heart or so the official report read. However, I knew she was murdered, I just couldn’t prove it. I knew Merle had something to do with it. He hounded my mother until the day she died. And this is who I had to turn to for help on a situation I 32

Fallen rather the fey not know about. My actions were automatic as my fingers danced over the cool glass and inscribed the runes necessary to activate the portal of communication directly to Merle. I only hoped he answered rather than one of the Queen’s mages. For a long time, the mirror remained blank. It only reflected my image and the room around me. Perhaps I did something wrong, or maybe he wasn’t near any reflective surfaces. A part of me was happy for that. I’d tell Eli I tried but was unable to get through. He would be upset but that was to be expected. “Hello Beautiful,” a deep husky voice called. A shudder of revulsion ran the length of my body as I raised my eyes to the mirror. It had gone black with only the image of a man in his mid thirties - one of the perks of immortality, the ability to appear any age we wished stood in the center. Elegant garbs adorned every inch of him, and although no crown sat upon his golden brown hair, I knew Merle in one glance. His warrior build and stance was unmistakable. His gaze raked over my body with obvious lust. That look always made me feel sick. I pushed back the urge to vomit and stared at him evenly as I stood back. “Lord Merle, Blessed Be,” I greeted with a polite nod. How I hate politics.

33

M. J. Spickett

Chapter Three erle sat back on his throne with a satisfied smirk. He knew I hated him, I found it hard not to, I didn’t have a good poker face, politics were not my thing but Eli needed his advice. Hell, my cop face still needed working on and I’ve been with the Ravenwood Paranormal Investigation Division, otherwise known as the PID, and Crime Scene Investigator for almost two years. Crime scenes I understood, politics I didn’t, and that was exactly what this was. But Goddess help me, I wanted to reach through that mirror and knock that selfrighteous smirk right off his pathetic face. He must have sensed my hostility. His grin broadened and he reclined farther in his seat. “My, this is a surprise. The renowned Selena Hawke—or does the Queen still call you Serenity—calling upon me. Whatever have I done to deserve such an honor?” “Don’t get cute, Merle. I’m calling on business,” I growled, took a seat on Nathaniel and Scott’s queen size bed. “I don’t have time for your games.” “Games?” He had the gall to look confused and a little surprised. It quickly turned to annoyance. “We’re feeling self-important today, aren’t we?”

M

34

Fallen “Don’t you always?” He growled at that. I smiled innocently at him and batted my eye lids as if I had said nothing offensive. It worked with most male fey warriors who tend to think like human males trapped in medieval times. Merle may be sexist but he wasn’t stupid. “State your business, witch. Or should I find another Guardian to care for my grandson?” “Oh, come off it, Merle,” I countered. I relaxed against the heavy comforter with a happy smile. This was an argument I had been preparing for months. “Everyone knows I’m no longer Eli’s Guardian, and he refuses to take a new one. On top of all that,” My grin grew. Merle was not going to like this part. “he asked me to marry him. I’ve accepted.” His mouth began to move almost fish like, but no sound came forth. I reclined farther on the bed, giving him a good look at my lithe body. With a flip my hair, I got it to cascade over my shoulder. I wasn’t as beautiful as most of the sidhe women. As a warrior, I don’t always have time to put on makeup let alone pamper myself. Usually I had to go out somewhere important even to consider the use of lipstick, and even then, Aaliyah pushed me into it. She was the one to teach me how to put it on. I didn’t wear any today but I knew how to flip my hair just right to look sexy to Merle, reminding him of what he couldn’t have. “Of course our wedding isn’t for another few months. We were thinking the Autumn Equinox. I’ll send an invitation as soon as we’re sure.” “This is why you called me?” Merle demanded when he found his voice. He was angry and I couldn’t help but 35

M. J. Spickett giggle. Upsetting him was not necessarily a good idea, especially when in need of his advice, but it certainly was fun and more entertaining than watching him become all self-important simply because I asked a question. I mustn’t be too nasty to the former royalty as he was deranged enough to do so either way. “No,” I stated simply as I sat up and returned to the business at hand. “In fact I’m calling on Guardian business.” “Oh?” He regained a certain amount of calm at the word business. “As you know Cleo is also free of his bond to Eli,” I began. “Yes?” I frowned and prayed he would shut up long enough for me to finish. Doubtful, at best. “He wishes to return to his true form. Eli, of course, thinks it’s a good idea.” “And you don’t.” A statement, not a question. It frightened me how well he had come to know me. Goddess, I hate him. I closed my eyes and sighed as I rubbed an eye with the heel of my hand. Damn, I am more tired than I want to admit. Pulling a double shift at the lab didn’t helped much, nor did having sex right before the meeting. I really should talk to Lt. Kayla O’Kqua about some time off before I burn myself out. It’s been weeks since I had some time off and I haven’t taken a vacation in nearly a year. “No,” I admitted as I folded my hands in my lap. “I’m worried. As much as I love him, I don’t know if I can trust him. What if...” “He betrays you?” Merle focused his gaze on mine. 36

Fallen Just a hint of a smile in his tri-blue eyes, so much like Eli’s. I hated those eyes on him. Compared to Eli’s, they were so cold. “He betrays the Unseelie again.” He chuckled and I felt my anger rise again. “Perhaps you fear he will take Eli from you. Pity both men in your life are bi, they would make an interesting pair. My hands balled into fists. It took physical force not the smash my fist through the mirror. Nathaniel would understand. He once served under Finvarra centuries ago. There was no love-loss between them. In fact, he would give almost anything to see the man executed for his past crimes, but then we wouldn’t have Eli or Dan and his family. For that, alone we controlled our rage toward him. I managed to steady my hands just as the door flew open. “And what concern is that of yours, Finvarra—son of Tyron, former King of the Seelie?” Eli demanded. He stormed into the room with an air of authority and power that could match the Queen of Air and Darkness. He glared at his grandfather as he approached me. The look showed the power that still grew within him, the power to destroy entire nations. My chest tightened with admiration and my clit throbbed with sudden need. It scared me sometimes, just how much power his body could harness and yet at the same time it roused me. I was surprised at how much he trusted me with it and with him. With three long strides, he was in front of me. His strong arms pulled me into a possessive embrace. Allowing me to feel every inch of his length, his fine toned stomach and hard swimmer legs, he pressed his body firmly against mine. He had an athletic build 37

M. J. Spickett without having to do all the hard work. Another blessing of being part fey. My breath caught in my throat as his lips claimed mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body to his. My breasts flattened against his chest. The kiss deepened to become a war of tongues and lips, one trying to dominate the other, but Eli—Eli had mastered me long ago. He held my body, my heart, my soul, and so, so much more. I moaned happily, as his lips traveled to my throat. His hands gripped my ass and pushed me against the rising erection in his pants. He was definitely happy to have me there. “Stop taunting me,” Merle commanded, obviously not happy with us. He could never handle the thought that someone else could have what he could not. In this case, me. Eli pulled me away from him. His tri-blue eyes drowned in a sudden glow of power as they always did when aroused or extremely mad, his faery side showing not only in his skin but eyes as well. I wasn’t quite sure which he was. “You call that taunting?” he asked and slipped a hand down the back of my jeans. Teasing fingers stroked my ass, and teased a surprised gasp from me. “I thought I was proving a point.” “A damn good one, too,” I murmured against the side of his throat. He knew exactly how to turn me on, and so soon after making love. It was impressive, and I more than a little horny due to it. I simply melted at his touch. “And what point is that, grandson? That the wench has become a slut?” Merle fumed. Funny how men start name calling when they learn there’s no chance in hell you’ll ever sleep with them. I’ve been called many names over the centuries. They always 38

Fallen hurt, but at some point, you begin to ignore them. Or maybe that was just me. It seemed to hurt Eli far more than me though. Magick crackled in the air around us. The small hairs on the back of my neck rose at the tension building within it. No, this wasn’t good. If Eli didn’t calm down, he could do some serious damage without realizing it until too late. The last thing either of us wanted was to send Nathaniel and Scott’s stuff flying about the room. Neither of them would appreciate finding anything broken simply because Eli lost his cool. I brought my lips to his temple and whispered reassurances and sentiments of love. It took time but slowly Eli began to relax, if only long enough to face his grandfather. “What bothers you more, grandfather? The fact that I am human with fey blood or that I hold more magick than you?” He smiled then and planted another kiss on my lips. “Or are you simply jealous that I have something you have always desired?” The fey noble bristled at the accusation. I grinned and turned enough in Eli’s arms to see the fallen king. His eyes blazed red with hatred. Merle’s fury was a lovely sight, although it didn’t help our cause any. If anything, it made matters worse. Oh well, there’s not much we can do about it now. Eli pulled me onto his lap as he sat on the edge of the bed in a show of ownership, which I was going to slap him for later. I didn’t mind when we played but not when we communed with the fey. They tend to take any such public gesture as saying I belonged to him and only him. I didn’t mind too much usually, I just found it a little embarrassing. Okay, so I still have dating issues. 39

M. J. Spickett Eli kissed my collarbone. It made me forget my discomfort for a moment. “Now, as my fiancé was asking, how many problems will we have if we returned Cleo to his fey form?” If the hate in Merle’s eyes could kill, I was certain we would be dead. Luckily, that wasn’t one of his powers — or one of ours. “I don’t know,” Merle finally said. Anger dripped like venom in his voice. “Freed of his Guardianship of you the Queen may consider it, especially if you are the one to perform the spell. Of course, she will want something in exchange.” Just the way he said it I knew he meant Eli in her bed. There was a telltale sparkle in his eyes at his comment. “However, if he were to return to his fey form she will insist he be bound to you to prevent him from betraying us. If he does, you and your wench will be held responsible.” “Is that a threat grandfather?” “A mere fact.” “Hmm...Somehow I doubt that,” I muttered quietly enough for only Eli to hear me. “Probably,” he agreed, his lips close to my ear. To Merle he said, “I agree to take responsibility for Cleo’s actions. Nevertheless, it’s also a discussion I will take up with Her Majesty.” Merle’s frown deepened, if that was possible. “As you wish, grandson.” With that, the mirror went blank. Then, slowly, our reflections returned. His breath labored, Eli hugged me tight and rested his head on my shoulder as if he had just run a marathon. In a way, I suppose he had. When he met Merle over a year ago, he hoped to find a grandfather to 40

Fallen love and cherish—someone he could look up to after the betrayal of a man he had thought was his grandfather. What he found was Merle, an egotistical, self-centered, sexist asshole who cared only for Eli’s and Dan’s magick and little else. He destroyed what little innocence Eli still held and brutally introduced him to the dark reaches of faerie, seemingly peeling away one layer of Eli’s selfassurance at a time to show him just how non-human Eli was. Being the reincarnation of Anthony Sinclair was one thing but to be a hybrid of human-fey was something else all together. I never understood Merle’s problem, it made little sense to me, but I hated the emotional turmoil it always set off in Eli. Merle treated him as if he were not good enough for the fey, that he was of dirty blood or some such nonsense. I knew just from his shaky breaths that Eli was not going to be all right. Not if he had to call upon the Queen. I should never have contacted Merle in the first place.

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Chapter Four low down,” I said for the umpteenth time since we left the meeting. The drive home was almost as chaotic as the talk with Merle had been. I swear if Eli ever complains about the way I drive again, I will knock him six ways from Sunday. He swerved the Mercedes with a speed and ease that would make a racecar driver flinch in fear. Had it not been for his magick cloaking us, we would have a multitude of violation tickets long before we made it home. If they caught us, there was no way we could talk our way out of it, not even if I showed my badge. Even if they didn’t catch us, if we didn’t slow down soon we were bound to get into an accident. That would be the perfect end to such an awful night. Minus the sex of course, that was always mind blowing. Nevertheless, I refused to keep bitching about the speed. Perhaps I was cynical, or maybe I simply didn’t care anymore, but I sat back and tried to let my mind relax, comforted by the fact that despite Eli’s anger and harsh speed he was in control. Eli’s mind became super-focused when he was enraged. We learned the hard way this was when he could channel his magick the best. Being the Oracle allowed

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Fallen him to not only move his mind through time and space, but also be in two places at once. Judging by the grim look that covered his handsome face, I could only guess he was making an appearance before the Queen of Air and Darkness. A bad idea in my opinion, but at this point how could I argue? Merle had pretty much made a threat against us. Neither of us was about to take that lying down. Miraculously, we got home safely. Eli guided the car into the garage. He stopped long enough to hit the remote above the review mirror. The large metal door pulled into the ceiling to allow us entrance. He parked the car then got out before the garage doors even began to close. Switching to remote in order to move his complete focus on the Queen, he walked into the house. I hurried after him, Cleo close at my heels. I hated when Eli got like this. Sure, he knew what he was doing and where he was going, but to be able to be in two places at once was still a new gift for him. It scared the living hell out of me, especially when his focus shifts so suddenly. Bi-location was something I knew very little about and was not something they trained me to do. What if he’s unable to return from the other place? How am I supposed to get him back? He stopped in our large kitchen and went about making a pot of coffee. I reached for the cups, not sure what else to do. A migraine began to nag the side of my head and all I really wanted was to crawl into bed and curl up next to Eli. I’ve felt like this for days now with no real reason why. Even when I pulled double shifts as I did lately, it never wore me out this much. Maybe I should have Scott give me a physical. Yeah right! His idea of a physical leaves a lot to be desired. I doubt I will even get a chance to see my bed, not 43

M. J. Spickett until the wee hours of the morning, if I was lucky. I’ll be lucky to get any sleep at all. Cleo jumped up on the table. His teal green eyes stared deep into mine. I looked away, not wanting to look into their depths. Why can’t he be a regular Familiar like any other magick user? Why does he have to be fey? Why does he have to be my friend? I should have had Anthony pair me with Sif before his passing. “So what did Merle say?” he asked, ignoring my annoyance. “Are the fey going to interfere?” I glanced at Eli, who puttered about the kitchen on autopilot and sighed. “I don’t know. Merle seems to think there’ll be no serious trouble if he agrees to the Queen’s terms, Goddess only knows what they’ll be…but Eli’s double checking.” Cleo gave a short nod. His gaze fell upon Eli. “That’s what I thought he was doing. Shit, he’s been gone a long time, even by fey standards. You don’t think -” “He’s buying your freedom. Yeah, I do.” “I didn’t want him to do this,” he assured me, his eyes large as he stared up at me. I sighed and rested my chin on my hands. “You know as well as I do that he would’ve done this, whether you asked or not. That’s always been the way he is.” That wasn’t good. Queen Celeste was a sadist. To please her Eli would have to give more than a pound of flesh. She wanted power, Eli’s power, specifically the power of the Oracle. Since he was the most powerful magick user in North America, perhaps even the world, he was a prime target. Eli knew this but was still willing to use it as a bargaining chip. A most foolhardy decision if you ask me. However, he was still young and thought he 44

Fallen knew it all. Eventually he would learn better. Celeste preferred to gain power through sex or blood. Essentially, she was a psychic vampire, as many of the older fey became when mortality began to raise its ugly head. For years, she had wanted Eli. If he were to buy Cleo’s freedom, it would be more with sex than blood. As I said, she was a sadist and she liked her sex. I blinked when I found a mug of coffee placed in front of me as Eli slipped into the seat across from me in our little breakfast nook. “I don’t think we have to worry about that just yet,” he said as he drummed his fingers over the smooth surface of the table. “Her Majesty is rather generous today. She’s allowing us to return you to your fey form.” He looked at Cleo with tired eyes. “On one condition, if you fuck up—even once—you’ll be forced back to this form—not your panther one—and reinstated to Guardian duty for someone not related to the Sinclairs or Syfferns.” If cat’s eyes could widen, Cleo’s did in that moment. Fear was a rare sight on him but it showed on his face, plain as day. He looked from Eli to me and back again. For a moment, he looked ready to argue the point, but stopped himself, frowned and looked up at Eli questioningly. “What would happen to you and Selena?” I had to give the little guy credit, he did care about Eli and me, even if he refused to show it most days. With a small smile, I scratched behind his ears. He both loved and hated such displays of affection. After so many decades, it seemed only natural that he would take on some cat like qualities. He purred under my gentle ministrations his head tilting toward my palm. 45

M. J. Spickett “Don’t worry about us, Cleo,” I assured. Why I said it, I wasn’t quite sure. I was damn scared of what the Queen might do to us. I’ve seen her at her worst. The image of such a beautiful woman covered head to toe in blood, dragging the half dead carcass of the latest person to displease her throughout Daan’tema like a child with a new toy was not something I was in a rush to experience again. Queen Celeste was a death fey, and I’m not kidding about the death part. She was a descendant of Morganna de Fey, as was I. We weren’t exactly related, well not directly at least. Generations of family separated us. While she was the granddaughter of Morganna, I was the great, great, great granddaughter of Morganna de Fey on my mother’s side. Although the Queen did not look three thousand and some years my senior, she was. Nor did we like each other. Maybe the word hate would be more accurate. To her, my blood was too watered down to be any part of her lineage. If Morganna were not in exile she would say differently, after all, all the faerie were one. Eli gazed at his coffee and his frown deepened. “She has decreed that should you betray us, Selena and I will be forced to return to Faerie and spend our remaining years with the court.” He looked up. “So she can protect us from ourselves.” “Son-of-a-bitch!” I snapped. Celeste knew Eli would never survive in Faerie. Physically yes, but he would go insane in the underworld. Although Faerie was a world within a world, he was extremely claustrophobic, like me, and the mere idea of being underground would eventually wear on his nerves until he had a panic attack or lost his mind. I’ve seen him under such distress before. He could destroy entire cities with a mere thought. What he could 46

Fallen unleash if he lost control was a frightening thought. Not even Celeste could control him if that were to happen. Eli sighed. “Technically she’s a daughter-of-a-” “Shut up, Eli,” I growled, angrily. “Sorry. This is complete bullshit. After everything we’ve done you’d think she’d allow us a little happiness without a catch twenty-two somewhere.” Of course, that was never the case when it came to the Queen of Air and Darkness. Making people suffer for next to no reason was her hobby. I swear if she sent out Christmas cards, they would shoot out poison darts at everyone just for kicks. She was absolutely demented. The only reason no one stood up to her was that they were too terrified. Myself included, unfortunately. “Let’s do it,” Eli declared after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. Okay, that is not what I expected. I opened my mouth to yell at him, maybe even knock some sense into that thick head of his. Doesn’t he grasp the danger the Queen represents? Doesn’t he understand that we will lose everything if Cleo fucks up? All my protests died in my throat at the determination in his eyes. He knew the dangers. I could see that. He was willing to give Cleo the chance I was not. That determination shined throughout him, or maybe I had finally lost my mind after all these centuries, either way I sighed and offered a small cheerful smile to both of them. “Yeah, let’s do it.” I really must have gone insane, but I squelched that thought immediately. Eli’s face beamed with delight and even Cleo was happy. Damn the two of them, but they had me wrapped around their pinkies…and paws? Well Eli at least. He had that affect on me since he was a babe. 47

M. J. Spickett I was just too bloody soft with him for my own good some days. I really have to learn when to say “no” and make it stick. Who am I kidding? Eli always gets what he wants, one way or another. He leaned toward me and brushed his lips against mine. “Thank you, my love. I promise nothing will go wrong.” Famous last words, I wanted to say but didn’t. I wasn’t about to crush his hopes. He had that happen way too often throughout the years for me to add onto it. Instead, I returned his kiss. “We’ll have to place wards around him and us.” “Agreed.” “So, when do we start?” Of course, Cleo would pick that moment to throw in his two cents. Eli grinned. “Would now be too soon?” Great! They aren’t even going to give me a chance to change their minds. Why can’t the phone ring? Isn’t there an emergency somewhere? Some monster or ghost out there for me to hunt down? The one time I need Ravenwood to be in a crisis there is nothing happening. Zip, zilch, noda. Not even a rampaging werewolf. My luck is utterly terrible. I suppose it could be worse. Ravenwood could be plagued with paranormal activity. Okay, at this moment that sounded more like a blessing then a curse. I wasn’t usually a pessimist but you have to understand, as much as I love Cleo—and I did love him, even if only as a friend—I didn’t completely trust him, not the way a partner or true friend should. It tore at me more than I can ever explain. Cleo’s all too fey eyes studied my face. “Is something wrong, Selena?” Shaking my head, I stood. “Nothing, Cleo. Let’s get 48

Fallen this going.” “You’re angry,” Eli noted. He caught my hand as I passed. “No, just tired.” I murmured. Please let us wait until tomorrow night, I prayed, but I knew I lost the battle the moment he stood. “Alright, we’ll do it now,” he said. He wrapped an arm around my waist. Normally the mere touch of him excited me but all I felt was cold. This terrified me more than I wanted them to think. “I don’t know, Eli. I’m exhausted,” I tried. In truth, all I wanted was to curl up in bed and hope that tomorrow everything would be back to normal. I should have known better. Eli gave me a squeeze. “I can handle it. If I put a protective circle around him I should be able to channel enough energy to force the transformation.” I merely nodded. There was nothing I could think of to stop him without wounding his pride, let alone losing my bed buddy for Goddess knew how long. “If I do it in our room, we’ll probably have a better chance.” He grinned almost childishly. He mounted the stairs and let me go long enough for us to make the climb up. I followed simply because I was too tired to fight with him or Cleo tonight. “We often conduct the most power there. Usually by accident, but all the same, it’s the most powerful center of the house.” Well that and the room was located right across from our library where we conducted the bulk of our rituals. They were the two most powerful areas in our house, virtually bleeding with pent up energies. Other than traveling to a Goddess sacred site, they were the best 49

M. J. Spickett places to perform rituals, especially those of this magnitude. Oh hell, I couldn’t argue. Our room was also the safest place to perform the spell. Of course, I wasn’t getting any sleep tonight, unless I moved back into to my old room. That would upset Eli. “Probably,” I agreed. The master bedroom, converted years ago into a library, held all our books on the occult and magick, as well as our ritual tools, at least those we didn’t carry on us all the time. There were wall to wall shelves, a couch under the bay window and a large armchair in front of an antique oak desk. An artificial fireplace stood against the far wall, between two large shelves. I followed Eli inside and helped gather the candles and oils required for the spell. We also grabbed an ancient ceramic mixing bowl and numerous herbs. Despite what Eli had said, this was a complicated spell and he would need my help to channel the energies properly into Cleo. After all, it has taken five Elders to turn him into a Familiar, I’m sure a Master Mage and warrior Death fey will have no problem changing him back. Yeah, right. Thankfully, our bedroom was large enough to set up a protective circle and set each candle in its coordinating spot without the bed sheets or curtains catching fire. Cleo watched from his perch on the dresser. For once, he did not say or suggest anything. I had to admit, I was impressed. Cleo rarely knew how to keep his yap shut. Once we completed the preparations, Cleo jumped into the circle as I sat back on the bed. The time was one in the morning and the Witching Hour but all I could think of was sleep. My mind began to feel muddy, a sure sign that if I didn’t sleep soon I would to crash. Not 50

Fallen good, I had a seminar to attend first thing in the morning. I forced myself to stay awake and focus on the ritual Eli was about the start. He went about his breathing exercises. He took deep breaths, slowly counted to four and then let it out on the count of four. This helped him ground himself and he began building the magick he would need. A necessity in spell casting was to build the magick first and be able to feel it move through and around you. He had to make it almost tangible to use it. If he could not imagine the power or see it doing his bidding, even if only in his mind, then the spell was never going to work. As Eli concentrated, I knew his spell would work. I could feel the magick move about as it had earlier, but there was more to it now. There was purpose and direction. I could feel Cleo’s will move into the spell to help shape it, as if he was trying to take control. Not good, not good at all. I stood, a spell on my lips. As I went to put a stop to the incantation, Eli’s chant echoed throughout the room with the force of the ocean. It held me back with every word, as wave after wave crashed against me, trying to keep me away from the boys. They were quickly so far away from me as if down a long corridor and no matter how fast I ran, I would never reach them. Then what I feared the most happened. Someone screamed and I was not sure who had done it, Eli or Cleo. My world turned into a dazzling white and I flew backwards. Then everything dissolved into darkness.

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Chapter Five hanging shape was exactly that. His whole body changed, right down to the bones. Cleo’s screams filled the entire house and if it weren’t for our magick barriers, our neighbors would have surely called the cops by now. I may be part of the police force but I wasn’t up to the challenge of explaining the details of ritual shapeshifting, after all, Cleo was not a lycanthrope. Even sprawled on the bed semi-conscious I heard the bones pop and break. Without seeing it happen, I knew his flesh was tearing and muscles reforming. I wiped a hand over my face and pushed back my red-black hair. My vision was blurred but my senses were in tune enough to know what happened around me. Sprawled on the carpet next to the bed, Eli’s breathing labored as he struggled to regain his composure. He seemed fine, nothing injured, or at least that was what my senses told me. Clambering up next to me, he watched in a mix of shock and minor horror as Cleo’s form began to change. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad had Cleo been in his panther form first. And he has the nerve to call me foolish. Despite the horrific agony Cleo endured, the transformation was quick. Within a matter of seconds, he changed from house cat to panther to a tall, muscular

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Fallen man. Any physical change hurt, but it had been a long time since he was in the form of a man without the sithen’s magick to ease the pain. He hunched over the dresser, fighting to get some balance now that his center of gravity changed. Large feathery black wings flared behind him and spread out to brush the wall. As if they never existed, they vanished back within him almost as quickly, waiting for a time he needed them, much as my own dragonfly wings did. It frightened me to watch such a large form move at the end of the bed. Once he straightened to his full height, I could not help but shy away a little. I had forgotten just how big he was, despite the few times he’d been in his natural form over the last few years. “Whoa,” I said, mesmerized by his size. “Cleo?” At seven feet tall, Cleo was average sidhe height. I was only five foot six inches, average height for a human but more than six inches below the average of most female sidhe. Compared to my fellow fey I might look petite but I was a warrior through and through—at least until that moment. Suddenly, I felt small and unsure of myself as I stared up into that wall of darkness. Cleo was black, not black like a human from Africa or Jamaica I mean black as the night with no stars or moon to give a hint of blue. His hair, which was the same shade of black as his skin, cascaded down his back to his ankles in thick waves. Large corded arms sprouted from powerful shoulders to match huge muscular legs, like an ebony version of Heman. Despite the utter blackness of him, he was beautiful. He was naked! Blinking in surprise, I stared at him. I had forgotten just how beautiful he was, too. The lighting in the sithen 53

M. J. Spickett didn’t do him justice last time he was in his true form. He was muscular without overly bulging muscles. His hair, although thick, felt like silk. I wanted it to cover my naked flesh. My heart raced as I took every inch of him in, from his narrow hips to his long legs to… Maybe I shouldn’t look there. Goddess, what is wrong with me? Why does my mind spin toward sex? And with Cleo no less? Unfortunately, it seemed his mind had fallen to the same subject. His penis was long, just over twelve inches in length, and thick. It rose to attention and begged to be touched. “How do you feel?” Eli asked, seemingly oblivious to Cleotro’s physical state. He slipped off the bed to attend to him and almost fell on his face. Cleo caught Eli before he could hurt himself and held him to his chest. A hungry look filled his eyes as he looked down at the mage. “Careful, Eli, you’ve exhausted yourself.” I had to agree to that whole heartily. “He’s right, hon. We both need to sleep. You’ve got school in a few hours and I’ve got that seminar.” But that hungry look only grew. He ducked his head to catch Eli’s lips in a passionate kiss. Eli’s eyes widened and I inhaled sharply in surprise. However, rather than pull away, Eli seemed to melt against Cleo. His hands came up to brace himself against Cleo’s wide chest as he returned the affection. I knew Eli was bi-sexual but I have never witnessed him kissing another man. My insides tightened in sudden lust. Good Goddess, they are gorgeous together. Cleo’s large black form oddly complimented Eli’s pale one as their black hair mixed as if one. To watch two such gorgeous men kiss and fondle one another was always a turn on for me, but this, this was something more. I 54

Fallen reached for Eli as if in a trance as Cleo’s large hand snaked up inside Eli’s shirt. My own hand caressed his pale flesh, brushing against Cleo’s hand. He stared at me. His eyes glowed with desire and renewed power. I pulled back in shock. Fear suddenly filled me as I scrambled back on the bed. His power rode over me and I knew if he wanted me, there was nothing I could do to stop him and while it frightened me, it also turned me on. Sometimes I liked to be dominated but this was more than I was prepared for. He gave a bestial growl and kissed Eli one last time before he climbed onto the bed after me. “I think it’s time I finally got a little pussy, don’t you?” he asked to no one in particular. Eli should have objected, remind Cleo that I was his, but he did nothing but watch with amusement and curiosity. Silently, I cursed him as I clambered backward until my back pressed against the headboard and I had nowhere left to go. Cleo licked his lips and gave me a lopsided smile as he grasped my hips and yanked me down until I lay flat on my back with him towering over me. “I’ve waited a long time for this, dragonfly.” His glowing eyes looked over my body. “This will never do.” His hand grasped my breast and became hot with magick as he chanted softly. My clothes vanished and I was nude and wide open to him. “Cleo, wait. You just returned to your fey form and…” I gasped when the head of his cock pressed against my tender folds. Oh Goddess, I had forgotten just how huge he was! It pushed inside me an inch or two and my eyelids fluttered shut with sudden need. 55

M. J. Spickett “Wet…you’re so wet,” he said, breathing heavily, pushing in farther. I arched beneath him and encouraged him to go deeper, to thrust harder. My fingers raked his back, and dug my nails into his flesh. He growled, arched his back and forced his length deeper into me. “Yes, Cleo, yes. Deeper, please deeper,” I pleaded. He licked my lips, purely a cat like motion as he reached around to grasps my wrists. “Oh, you’re going to get it much deeper,” he purred. He held both wrists in one hand and pinned them above my head. His free hand moved down my side to grasp my left thigh and hitch it over his hip, opening me wide. My neck arched back, and I cried out as his thick length pushed in deeper to fill me to the core. His cock’s head banged against my inner wall as his balls slap against my ass. “Cleo!” I screamed as he found a rhythm and began to pound into me. He overpowered and dominated me in every way, not allowing me to counter thrust or even an inch of control. I latched my other leg over his hip only to have it pulled away. Another dick began to rub against it. My toes stroked its base and balls. Gazing over Cleo’s shoulder, I tried to see Eli but Cleo filled my vision and forced me to look up at him as his lips crushed mine. Together they ruled my body. I almost choked on his tongue as Cleo’s fingers slid under me to stroke my rear. One questing finger moved to a region I rather it didn’t. The large digit circled the tight ring of my anus before plunging inward. I screamed in his month as it rubbed and stroked my inner muscles. My body squirmed under his as I tried to free myself but there was no way to escape him. He began to trust harder. His finger matched his pace as he pushed a second in me. 56

Fallen “Relax,” he cooed as he left my lips. “You’ll learn to enjoy it when you have both Eli and me in you.” My breath hitched. He was right, it didn’t hurt and was oddly erotic, but I was still uncomfortable. “Cleo…please…” Eli replaced his lips in a passionate kiss, tilting my head to my right as Cleo continued to thrust deeply into me. He lay against my side and rubbed against both Cleo and me. His erection slid up my thigh and warm hand massaged my breast. Cleo’s fingers withdrew from my ass and he pulled me farther onto his lap. His hands grasped my thighs and held them to his chest as he began to pound, harder and harder into my core. I writhed and struggled, and I desperately wanted to take control. But Eli held me down, both men now thrust in and against me, Cleo deep within me and Eli against my ribs as he fought to hold me down. I cried and screamed as the orgasm built within me until my whole body arched into a perfect bow, my faery strength out matching Eli’s and forcing him to move with me. Cleo’s cry echoed mine, his hot seed spilled into me to mix with mine and spill between my thighs. He thrust until he was empty, then fell to his elbows trying not to crush me. Together we watched as Eli pumped his length as he leaned over us. Cleo fingers wrapped around it as I slid my fingers down to caress Eli’s balls. Letting us do all the work, his hands fell away as he thrust with us. His back arched and he came, ejaculating all over us. He hunched over us. “Damn, we’ve got to do that more often. Watching you two…wow.”. I stared down the length of his body. He was still 57

M. J. Spickett dressed, his pants wide open and hung from his hips. A chuckle came from Cleo as he leaned over me. “Next time we’ll both be in her.” His eyes stared into mine as he gave me a crook smile. “At the same time.” My eyes widened. I’ve never had two men in me before and I wasn’t really looking forward to the experience. “I don’t think so.” “Hmm…oh yeah? Well then, maybe I’ll have Eli all to myself for a night. You wouldn’t mine that would you, Eli?” That got the necessary laugh out of Eli. He shook his head. “Maybe.” He smiled sleepily at me as he kicked off his shoes and stripped out of his clothes. My hand fell to his bare back. A map of scars from past battles that no young man should have to fight scarred his back. These were battles where I could not protect him, reminders of the times I had failed as Guardian, the times I had failed him. They completely ruined the magick-based dragon tattoo between his shoulder blades. The work of a sociopath psychic vampire bent on making Eli his permanent source of food and power. We just barely made it to him time. He almost died that night, by accident, if nothing else. Henry had no control of his inner beast and despite his best intentions, he couldn’t protect Eli from his hunger. Eli turned, gently caught my hand and ran his lips over the knuckles. His eyes were tired but they held certain warmth that silently told me, as he always did, that his back wasn’t my fault. Nevertheless, I had been his Guardian, I should have gotten to him faster, but I hadn’t and he had suffered. Yet he never blamed Cleo or me, instead, he took the blame for provoking the torment. I 58

Fallen could never understand his reasoning. He may not blame me for the times I had been unable to protect him but I did. “Go to sleep,” he said as he kissed me gently on the side of the mouth. A loving smile lit my face as he snuggled under the covers. “I was about to say the same to you.” Adjusting the dark blue comforter, I made sure he was as comfortable as possible though he was out cold before his head even hit the pillow. His skin was hot due to the extensive use of magick and sex. It and the late hour were what tired him. The extensive magick and late hours tired me as well, and I haven’t slept in more than thirty-six hours. Double shifts left me worn out and overly tired. I was never so happy to have an occult and police science seminar before since I needed the break. Mix that with a heavy dose of magick and sex, and I was wiped out. However, I couldn’t sleep until I knew what to do with Cleo. He had his own room down the hall, we all did, but I wasn’t sure if I should send him there or offer him a place on our bed. The bed was certainly big enough for three people side by side but Cleo’s height might be a problem. Most beds weren’t designed for people seven feet tall, unless we went to the big and tall store and hoped they sold beds as well as clothing. Cleo solved the problem himself. He curled himself around the younger man as he had so often in his feline form, his way of protecting Eli from any possible attack. The ever present Guardian, even if that was no longer his duty. It looked odd now, almost parental. I suppose he always was that way with Eli but it still felt odd. 59

M. J. Spickett Reaching over to me, Cleo took my hand. His lips brushed over my knuckles. “Good night, Selena,” he whispered, a tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth. I hesitated, unsure of the mischief that teased me in the sparkle of his eyes. “Good night, Cleo.” I snuggled on Eli’s other side. His arms automatically wrapped around me. His head nuzzled against my chest with Cleo at his back. That was how I fell asleep, with the two men in my life and a head full of questions, and answers for none.

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Chapter Six he phone was ringing when I finally broke out of the fog of my dreams. I tired to roll over to grab the cordless off the nightstand but a heavy weight against my back, which had not been there the night before, trapped me. I lifted my head, my mind fuzzy with the need for sleep. Two bodies pressed against me, one on either side to pin me where I was, created a comfortable weight that made me yearn to sleep this way forever. Let the answering machine catch whoever was calling. That was why I bought it. The voice on the machine was frantic. Her voice sounded almost foreign to me. Nevertheless, I knew Lt. Kayla O’Kqua’s voice almost as well as my own. Something was wrong. “Selena, where the hell are you? I need you at the lab ASAP,” she said in a shrill voice that made me wince. She rarely yelled, but given the background noise, I suppose she had to. What the hell is going on? Again, I fumbled for the phone with as much success as the first time. Whoever was pressed against my back wasn’t about to allow me to move more than an inch or two. Instead he moved. “Kayla,” a deep husky voice drooled into the receiver.

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M. J. Spickett I was too tired to even to try to recognize the voice. “This better be damn good. We just got to sleep.” There was silence for several minutes as he listened to the police detective. I was nearly asleep again when the receiver was placed against my ear. With a groaned I took it. I didn’t want to be bothered with police work for a few more hours. Of course being a cop never allowed that, especially being a PID. “It sounds serious, Selena,” that voice answered my groan. He held the phone for me as he settled against my back again. “Thanks,” I murmured and lazily took the phone. Goddess, I feel too weak to even lift my head. I’m more tired than I’ve been in ages. This best be serious or someone is in for hell when I get to the lab. “What’s the zitch, Kayla?” I managed between yawns. “Thank the Ancients!” Kayla exclaimed. “Was that Cleo who answered?” “Hmm?” I turned my head enough to peer at the man who lay behind me. Utter blackness filled my vision. I blinked and forced myself to wake up. There, lying behind me with his arms and legs wrapped around me was Cleotro. When did he move there? And why didn’t I feel him until now? “Yeah,” I confirmed. “So what’s up?” “Vampire attack on the east end. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours. Half our force is at the conference. We’re short handed. I need you.” “Damn, the conference! I forgot that was this morning. Bloody hell, Dan’s going to kill me. I was supposed to be helping Nate with setup.” I rubbed a hand over my eyes. I had to get up, no matter how much I hated the idea. 62

Fallen “What time is it?” Eli questioned. He pushed himself to his elbows and rolled onto his belly to gaze at the alarm clock. “Shit! It’s ten-thirty.” “What?” I gasped. He lifted the small digital clock and showed it to me. Sure enough, he was right. We had slept in. I hadn’t done that in years. With a slight panicked expression, he rolled out of bed, staggered to his feet and made a beeline for the recently built master bathroom. He only slept in during the summer hours or weekends and that wasn’t very often anymore either. Man, does he have a nice ass to watch as he moves. I tore my gaze away from that perfect view to focus on Kayla and tried to ignore the feel of Cleo’s body pressed along my back. Now that I was awake, I could feel just how happy he was to be there. “Sorry, Kayla. It’s been a busy night. How bad is it?” “Bad,” Kayla said without hesitation. “Two victims, a middle age couple. It looks like vampire, but ritualistic. We-I think it may be cult related, but I need a second opinion.” “We haven’t had a vamp attack in months. Are you sure it’s one of them? The treaty is supposed to prevent feedings on humans.” “The vics aren’t human. They’re witches.” “Witches? Okay, that’s odd. What would they want with witches?” “That’s what I want to know,” Kayla confessed. “Can you come?” Sighing, I nodded then remembered she couldn’t see it and said, “Yeah, sure. What’s the address?” She told me and I had to repeat it several times after I 63

M. J. Spickett hung up. I had a picture perfect memory but I was so tired that I feared I might forget. Then again, the way Cleo held me, I might not be able to get up for a while. He wrapped completely around me, his legs intertwined with mine, arms around my waist. His head snuggled against the nape of my neck, his warm breath tickled the small hairs. I found it comfortable if not a little disconcerting. To make matters worse, he didn’t seem at all intent on moving. “Cleo, please move,” I mumbled and pulled at his arms. He just cuddled closer and his body wrapped tighter. Bloody octopus! “I’m serious, Cleotro. I’ve got to get up.” He cursed under his breath, squeezed me one last time, and then rolled off me to bury his head in the pillows. I gave him a small apologetic smile and stretched. My entire body was stiff, but being sandwiched between two men after a night of incredible sex can do that to a girl. I dragged myself out of bed and pulled open the heavy drapes to allow the bright morning sun to fill the room. From the bed, I heard Cleo’s encore of curses. He tried to hide his face under the pillow so I snatched it away from him and hit him with it. He yelped in surprise and flung it back at me. I managed to catch it and fling it back with a giggle. Usually Eli threw the pillows at me, and sometimes Nathaniel. I loved a good pillow fight, too bad we didn’t have time. Oh well, at least Cleo wasn’t throwing it back at me again. Or so I thought. As I headed for the door, he whipped the pillow at the back of my head. I gasped and froze in place. Now he’d done it. 64

Fallen A long time ago, we had instated a rule: No magick in the house. Okay, so we broke it every day to perform ritual magick, but we never used offensive spells in the house, unless of course something made it past our wards and attacked us. That rarely happened these days. Nevertheless, I summoned my magick, pulled the power from the very energy in the air. It pooled in my right hand, forming into a small ball of energy. It crackled and sizzled, not enough to do serious damage but it would certainly get Cleo’s attention. With a swipe of my left hand, the bedcovers slid off him to reveal his toned and nude body. There was only a moment to admire it as he desperately protested. I ran my tongue over my lips. Goddess, help me, but I do so want to run my hands over his taut ass. I threw the spell ball at him instead, with perfect aim. It slammed into his chest with a clap of thunder that resonated throughout the room. Curses replaced the rolling thunder a moment later, both in English and ancient Egyptian. I dodged out of the room before he could retaliate, but could easily hear Eli call out to see what was wrong. Let Cleo explain it to him. If he was so keen on being fey again then he had to learn responsibility. This could actually be fun. I wondered just how much trouble I could get him into. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. The secondary bathroom wasn’t as large and lavish as the master one. It had the usual stuff, a sink, toilet, bathtub and so forth. However, it lacked the Jacuzzi I enjoyed after a long day at the lab, or worse, in the field. Although I enjoyed a good shower with Eli from time to time, I was in a hurry. I showered quickly then wrapped 65

M. J. Spickett myself in a big fluffy towel and hurried to my room. My stuff was still there. I haven’t moved any of it into Eli’s room, yet. Quite frankly, I simply preferred the idea of having my own space, a place to hide and gather my thoughts when needed. Old habits die hard, especially when you’re nearly a thousand years old. I slipped into a clean pair of blue jeans, a mahogany blouse, fixed my hair, and then put on my jewelry. My silver pentagram hung loosely around my throat, its matching ring on my right ring finger. The pentagram necklace I’ve had for centuries, but the ring was new, a gift from Eli at Christmas, and of course Anthony’s bracelet. All were sterling silver with a tiny moonstone in the center. I wore them all the time and felt a little closer to the Goddess each day. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. Either way I felt good. It chased away the darkness that seemed to be clouding the edges of my mind. Especially lately. Lately I felt numb, maybe a little depressed even, but I summed it up to all the recent crime in Ravenwood. Not the usual shit like B and Es, but paranormal stuff like this double homicide bearing the mark of vampires. I was almost willing to bet money vamps had nothing to do with it. It just didn’t seem their style. They rarely hunt in the city, let alone leave bodies lying around for the PID to find. Eli popped his head into my room. “I’m taking the Porsche,” he announced with a grin. “Think again, lil’ man. The Porsche is mine,” I countered and planted a kiss on his cheek. “First, it’s European and you don’t know how to drive it. Second, it’s mine. I worked for the money for it, I drive it.” He made a face, almost pouting and I was almost 66

Fallen ready to give in, almost. “What, the Mercedes is not cool enough for you? Geez kid, you probably have one of the most expensive cars at the university.” “That’s not the point,” he insisted and gave me his most innocent face. I shrugged. “Fine, I’ll drive you to school on the way to the crime scene.” “No! Selena, that’s not fair.” “Is too. Now let’s get a move on. My scene’s getting cold.” I wrapped an arm around his waist and led him out of my room. Cleo waited for us in a pair of Eli’s jeans and grey tshirt. I stared at him in surprise. Either he or Eli had used magick to make the clothing large enough to fit him comfortably. They fit nicely. With his hair braided back, his high cheek bones showed nicely. He was handsome in an Egyptian god sort of way, now modernized in the new clothes that were so strange on him. I was used to seeing him in armor, not civilian attire, and certainly not human clothing. This was going to take some getting use to. “You’re too black,” I thought aloud then paused when I realized what I had said. I quickly searched for an explanation. “Use Glamour to tint your skin brown, even dark brown. You’ll never pass for human without a little color, and your ears are far too pointy. Try rounding them out a bit.” He raised an inquiring brow and I shrugged, what could I say? I hadn’t lied. “Anything else?” I shook my head and glanced at Eli. “Can you help him? It’s been decades since he’s played human.” Eli gave a nod. “Sure.” “Thanks, but we don’t have time. I’m going with you 67

M. J. Spickett to the crime scene, Selena, no where else,” Cleo interjected. Eli’s face fell. Just that look let me know he had hoped to spend a little time with Cleo since he was fey again. Of course, Cleo was oblivious to that fact. For being one of the smartest men I knew, Cleo was a complete idiot when it came to the heart. Eli loved him as only a best friend could. Either Cleo didn’t understand this or he simply didn’t care. Whatever the case, I was not about to stand by and let Eli suffer for it. “I can’t bring a civilian, Cleotro,” I said firmly as I gave Eli a squeeze. He glanced up at me questioningly. “Attend the conference with Eli. He’s already missed his morning class and this could be educational for the both of you, and will acquaint you with humans again.” “I don’t know,” he began, but I held up a hand to silence him. “Do this as a favor for me. If you wish to assist me later then so be it. For now, I need to see what the damage is. Besides, if they’re cultist attacking magick users I need someone to watch over Eli.” Eli was about to object, but he fell silent the instant he saw me wink at him. He gave a shy smile. Cleo only frowned before sighing in defeat. “All right, all right.” He glanced at Eli, a look of suspicion mixed with amusement. “I’ll go to school with our young Master Magician here. Not like you can’t destroy anything that comes near you, hey kid?” Eli only grinned. “Thank you.” Giving a nod of satisfaction, I led them down to the make shift solarium/dining room. The car keys hung on the wall next to the garage door. I tossed Eli his set and 68

Fallen took up mine. Noticing the curiosity in Cleo’s eyes as Eli unlocked the Mercedes’ doors, I realized that was something we will have to do in the near future—teach him to drive and get him his license. It seemed no one could live in this day and age, without a vehicle. The boys climbed into the midnight blue Mercedes, a gift from his foster grandfather after Eli got his license. A moment later, the garage door rolled into the ceiling and the car engine revved to life. They drove off. Eli gave one last wave good-bye before he turned the corner and disappeared down the street. I climbed into my Porsche and followed them out, then turned the opposite way once I hit the end of the driveway.

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Chapter Seven he crime scene was on the other side of town. I was actually very happy for that as I had a tendency to become paranoid when anything happened too close to our home, too close to Eli. Having been a Guardian for so long, it was hard to think any other way. Surprisingly enough, few people knew just how many witches, or magick users in general, no matter the breed, actually exist in the world today. Normal humans dismiss them as fairy tales and legends, allowing them to hide and live among them without fear. There were still the extremists though, those of either the church or some other group that thought anyone not like them was evil. And just like the medieval times, they hunted and slaughtered the offending party. I can still remember the time of Saint Patrick, when he and his forces took control of Ireland. He declared that all fey, namely the sidhe, were fallen angels, demons serving Satan, an attempt to scare the pagans into worship of the Christian God. After converting our sacred sites into churches and arresting or killing those who refused to convert to their ways, it was only a matter of time before they took Ireland from us. Although not without a battle - those of the fey versus humans in a battle to the

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Fallen death. We would have won, too, had our Highnesses not declared otherwise. The Isle of Man became our new home, the center of all of faerie. A place that you could reach no matter where in the world you were if you had access to a faery road. I rather never see it again. Looking at the scene before me now, reminded me of that long ago time. The house was modest. The middle age couple both had well paying careers. Photos of the children and grandchildren lined the walls and tops of cabinets. Their home was nice and cozy, and nothing revealed their magickal background inside or outside, nothing that would attest to why they were attacked. It was simply too clean, too normal, despite the sense of magick that filled me. Kayla O’Kqua met me in the living room. She was a veteran cop of twenty years, the last fifteen of which had been as a crime scene investigator. She had given up being head of the crime lab to direct the Paranormal Investigation Division, a position she would never have taken if it were not for the fact she turned furry during the full moon. Well, maybe a bit more often than just the full moon. Kayla was the local werewolf leader, one of the few female alphas ever to hold the position. She killed the former leader shortly after he turned her, some eight years ago. At the age of forty-two, she looked only in her early twenties, if that. Her hair was still a glossy deep brown bordering on black, and her skin had that healthy tan many Métis got due to their Native heritage. Her lycanthropy plus an athletic build made her not only faster than a normal human but also quite a few fey. The grimness in her brown eyes told me just how bad things were upstairs. For a werewolf to get so emotional 71

M. J. Spickett over the death of another creature could only mean there was something far beyond his or her doing and the swarming feeling of dark magick didn’t help the situation either. “That bad, huh?” I asked as she stopped in front of me, her arms folded under her breasts as if she were cold, or terribly frightened. As I said, very unusual behavior for her. She gave a short nod, her stare averted to the large bay windows and the children playing just beyond it. Thankfully the media had yet to catch wind of this, thanks mainly to the team of psychics we had to shield sites like this from everyone but the PID team until we could come up with a believable story that won’t send the general pubic up in arms. “Yeah, that bad. I haven’t even let the coroner in yet, and you know how Doc gets.” “Shit.” It had to be bad if she hadn’t let Doc in yet. He could handle anything. “The magick residue is messing with everyone’s senses. We haven’t even been able to take pictures yet,” she continued, as she led me upstairs to the actual crime scene. More family portraits decorated the walls of the stairwell and upstairs hall. It sort of reminded me of Nan’s manor back in England. She had been the woman to raise Eli after his parents were murdered. I missed the large house just on the outskirts of Ipswich. The air was so different, so much sweeter. Like Ireland, the fey still inhabited much of the land. After the war, we slowly began moving back into our homelands. In all my years as an Enforcer and then working for 72

Fallen the PID, I had never seen anything quite like this. An overpowering stench of blood filled the air with an iron after taste. It told just how old the site was without testing the bodies’ decomposition level. These people had been dead for at least forty-eight hours, maybe longer. The crime scene itself was out of some Gothic horror film. The victims were pinned against the walls, directly across from each other, crucifixion style. Behind each, painted in their own blood, were inverted pentagrams. Their stomachs hung open and with only one look, I knew someone had removed their internal organs. Surprisingly enough, despite the blood on the walls there was no blood anywhere else. Whoever had done this had been extremely thorough with their clean up. Puncture wounds on the victims’ throats would suggest vampire, which would explain the lack of blood throughout the room. The room was almost as pristine as the rest of the house. However, it did not explain why they removed the organs, or the inverted pentagrams. Quite frankly it felt too staged. There was magick, but I couldn’t tell for sure whether or not it had been vampiric or not, which meant I would have to cast a tracking spell. Great, I hate vampires. It didn’t matter the breed psychic or blood, a vamp was a vamp. If I couldn’t kill them then I’d rather avoid them completely. War between vamp and fey has existed for thousands of years, it’s only been the last decade that it’s been relatively peaceful between our two races. Somehow, I doubted this had anything to do with vampires, at least not any from our local clan. I stepped out of the room and leaned against the wall in the hall, Kayla following a step behind me. My senses 73

M. J. Spickett felt on fire, as if I had walked through a psychic bubble. For a moment I saw the lives the victims lived, the family they raised. I knew their ages, their likes and dislikes, even their sex life. Worse, I now knew they were coven historians. Why would anyone attack historians? Sure, they were powerful since they held the power of the coven’s past in their hands. However, they were rarely of serious importance to anyone outside their coven and surely not enough to kill. Whoever killed them cast a spell to project their knowledge to them. Anyone with even the most remote psychic ability could sense it. Problem was the victims’ souls remained trapped in their bodies until the spell wore off. That could be a long time, and potentially dangerous to all members of the task force. No wonder Kayla hadn’t allowed Doc in yet since he was a dgini, a demon. This much psychic mess was bound to send him into demon mode. It also explained why the team was acting so peculiar. “Selena, are you alright?” Kayla asked the moment we were out in the hall. I leaned my forehead against the cool wall and took deep soothing breathes. I had to center myself before the power rode over me. The sense of power was almost overwhelming. Even with my metaphysical shielding at full, I could feel it. “I’m fine, Kayla, just a little woozy.” I raised my shielding as high as I could and straightened. “Bloody bastard trapped their souls. We’re going to need a necromancer to free them, maybe try to figure out how this happened.” “A necromancer?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. “We don’t have one on the payroll. I didn’t think 74

Fallen Ravenwood had any.” “There’s a few.” And I knew exactly where to find one. Problem was he was supposed to leave in a few days. I only hoped that there would be no more murders like this one. “Who?” she asked. “Miao.” An officer handed me a bottle of spring water. I smiled gratefully. Most of the PID team had taken to carrying about bottles of spring water for occasions such as these, where one or another officer would begin to feel weak at a scene. This wasn’t so much a weakness of the officer per se’ rather the degree of psychic energy hitting them. Some were better at shielding than others and we all tried to help one another better our strengths. It took a group effort to protect each other and our families. My throat felt raw, as if I had been screaming along with the victims. I was too sensitive to the magick world right now. It must be because of the spell last night. It took a lot of power to change Cleo back to his fey form. That mixed with the dark magick filling the house and we had a recipe for one massive migraine. I thanked the officer and downed half the bottle before I turned back to Kayla. She looked about as sick as I felt, or maybe the torn up bodies called to her beast. Being a werewolf had its bad days, especially when you’re also a cop. The mere scent of blood could send her into a frenzy. After nearly a decade, Kayla mastered her beast, but there were still moments when it roared inside. It looked like today was going to be one of those days. “I’m going to take the pictures and collect most of the evidence to save the others from the psychic backlash,” 75

M. J. Spickett she said and rubbed her arms as if she really didn’t like the idea. Her gaze diverted from the crime scene. “So most of the work can be done in the lab now. I just wanted your opinion before I let Doc in.” She gave me that look, the same one she had when we first met, that I somehow held all the answers. I wish I did. Life would be so much simpler. “Any thoughts?” “I don’t know,” I admitted with a small frown. “It’s not vampire style, at least not any vamp coven I’ve encountered. It could be a new coven, but there are very few who deal in magick, let alone offensive magick.” “Great, new vamps in town. Like Ravenwood didn’t attract enough paranormal shit as is.” “Thanks, Kayla. I feel so much better,” I muttered sarcastically. “What’s with you?” I sighed. Better to keep focused on the situation at hand and worry about my personal life later. Instead, I murmured, “Nothing. Look, the only way to find this new coven, if there is one, is to talk to the local vamps. The Master Vampire won’t appreciate any new coven on their turf without their expressed permission.” “And if they don’t?” “We’re going to have some very unhappy vamps on our hands.” Her eyes grew impossibly wide. Kayla was a lot like me, which I suppose is why we were such good friends. She didn’t like vampires any more than I did and wasn’t too thrilled by the fact we had two in the PID. Luckily, they were part of the night shift and we rarely had to deal with them. Normally I would suggest we question them first, but the department considered it rude to question 76

Fallen fellow officers simply because of their race or creed. There was another place where we could find the information we needed. A sudden smile tugged at my lips. “Do you still have that leather outfit you wore when we went clubbing a few years back?” She raised a surprised brow. “That was eight years ago, Selena,” she said. She eyed me suspiciously. “So? Do you?” She rolled her eyes and frowned at the curious looks a few officers were giving us. “Believe it or not I do.” “Good. Feel like clubbing tonight? I know where the hottest vamp club is in town,” I said low enough for the others not to hear. Her face paled and I grinned. “Don’t worry. They don’t eat werewolves.” “Ha ha,” she groaned. “I hope they eat fey.” My smile broadened. Was she in for a surprise. Wolfsbane may not allow vamps to feed on humans per se but it did allow them to feed from one another or their human servants. I didn’t much care for the idea myself but at least there was a no kill policy in place, not only in the club, but also throughout all of Ravenwood. Kayla was definitely in for a big surprise. Thankfully, nothing illegal ever happened there, the Master Vampire would never allow it. We were in for a fun night. On the way out, I snatched a photograph of the couple from the mantle. It would work as a suitable focus point to cast the tracking spell. If I needed anything else, I could get it from the evidence locker later. Hopefully, we could find these bastards before they attacked anyone else.

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Chapter Eight

V

ampires are not quite as they portray them on television, or even in most books. Their history, like the fey, was in legend and folk lore. Once civilizations viewed them, like us, as gods. They were the angels of death, the ones to guide the old or deathly ill into the arms of death and hopefully the next life. As gods, no one questioned their choice of victims, no one except the fey. This led to war between the two species, one that has lasted thousands of years - and in many ways still happened today. Vampires can appear human far easier than the fey. We use glamour to hide our elfish features, but vamps didn’t show their fangs unless feeding. After all, they were once human and as long as they fed regularly, they looked alive. Even when they didn’t, their pale flesh rarely bothered anyone, at least not in Ravenwood. Goth was still very much in style here. Their biggest weakness was the sun which killed them, at least that much the writers got right. However, no holy item, garlic, or wooden stake could kill them, unless of course that stake was driven directly into their heart. Hell, a stake in the heart would kill anyone. The only other thing that could do any serious damage was silver and I had a plentiful supply of 78

Fallen silver jacketed bullets loaded into my Browning 9mm fully automatic, tucked into a back pant holster. My black leather bomber jacket hid it well. Of course, it helped that I dressed all in black, most of which was leather. I kept two silver and iron based Sais in a separate holster farther up my back. They were high enough up to not interfere with drawing the Browning, yet low enough I could reach them easily. Then there was my back up gun, a small Firestar strapped to my ankle. “Stop fidgeting,” I teased Kayla as we strolled through the street, our heels clicking a steady rhythm. “I’m not fidgeting,” she objected as she pulled at her sleeve for the umpteenth time since I picked her up twenty minutes ago. She stopped herself when she caught me staring at her. “It’s a little tight.” “You must have gained weight.” “Have not.” “My mistake.” I grinned at her lie. “Maybe it’s the vamps. Do you think you have enough weapons?” “No,” she muttered and pulled her jacket down at the back. Kayla was dressed similar, the only exception being she wore a few more guns. Not that I blamed her, weres and vamps don’t exactly get along. They were worse enemies than the fey and vamps. As for fey and weres, we were both creatures of the earth and had a long-standing alliance. I couldn’t smell the guns, which was a good sign. Vamps and shifters could smell a gun from a hundred paces. They tend to get antsy, especially if it’s been fired recently or a lot, which in our line of work was problematic. Kayla had never been fond of leather clothing. Despite 79

M. J. Spickett her Native heritage, she grew up in the city with next to no knowledge of her people’s history. She detested the use of leather for clothes unless the whole animal was used - something she began after marrying her college sweetheart and learning about her heritage. Becoming a werewolf helped too. Even then, she wasn’t completely comfortable in it. She always complained the clothing made her sweat too much. I, on the other hand, loved leather. When I was an Enforcer, I hunted deer or elk for food and skins, but that had been a lifetime ago. An Unseelie warrior had to make his own clothes and armor, a coming of age test. The fey rarely dressed the way artists often portrayed us in paintings or movies, unless they were of royalties or a noble of high ranking. Most dressed in warrior gear due to the unrest between the clans. We even worked our own steel into armor and weapons, at least the first few times. After a century or so, we paid a smithy to forge anything we needed. Easier than trying to do it ourselves while hunting down some rogue Guardian. Even after so many years, I still liked the warmth of an animal skin wrapped snugly around me. The leather made me feel like a warrior again and gave me a sense of the good old days. Men today always thought women were supposed to wear short leather skirts. I loved disappointing them. I wore pants, boot cut and hip hugging, showing off my curves and flashing my pale, moon-kissed belly. The bouncer outside Wolfsbane eyed us suspiciously. He was a vamp of course, I could tell by his eyes and the faint tang of blood on his breath. There was always something other about their eyes. They were cold, even by fey standards. Sure, our eyes were otherworldly with our 80

Fallen unique colors and multi-rings but they were rarely cold. I offered the bouncer my sweetest smile and an earnest flash of what little cleavage I had. Like most fey women, I did not have an ample chest, but I learned long ago how to work with what I had. The bouncer took the bait. He waved us in without question or a search, and to think, I didn’t even have to use magick. That was a pleasant change. He must have been one of the newly turned. Funny thing is, no matter what type of club you went to, no matter the country or owner, a club was a club. The moment the door opened, music blared out. It felt like I was trying to walk against the wind, a living force to fight. Kayla and I pushed through it. There was a small foyer where people could check their jackets, coats, and hats. Everyone received a ticket to make claiming easier when they were ready to leave. The place was fancy, not like some dives downtown. Natasha, the vamp who ran the joint was an old one, wealthy and powerful, and she lavished that wealth in a chain of sophisticated clubs throughout the world. She was also my source to all vamp related happenings in Ravenwood. I guess it helped that she was the Master of the City. We bypassed the foyer, not sparing the coat check girl a glance, and stepped into the club itself. The dance floor was a good twenty feet below ground level. The former warehouse had been gutted, many floors opened into one to form one of the largest clubs in Northern Ontario. What floors remained above this one was for offices and the odd guest room, can’t forget those out of towners. With an encouraging smile to Kayla, I descended the metal staircase, cautiously grasping the rail. I hated these 81

M. J. Spickett types of stairs as they always seemed to move with every step. From the corner of my eye, I watch as she patted the side of her jacket, obviously taking a measure of comfort in the feel of her service pistol close at hand. I had to admit, I wasn’t exactly comfortable here either. Not only did the vamps bother me but the sheer number of bodies closing in around us. If this turned into a gunfight, there would be many people hurt. Not exactly good for the fragile peace treaty between our people. “Well, lookie what the wolf dragged in,” a highpitched voice called out. I grimaced at the sound of it. Surely, no living creature could possibly have such vocals. Oh, wait, vamps. Well that’s not necessarily true. Only one vamp had such an annoying voice. I wonder if he was this annoying when he was human—if he was ever human. Sure there were vamps born but most were turned. “Hello, Poral,” I greeted, trying to keep the ice out of my voice. Poral was definitely not one of the good vamps. He had a rap sheet the length of my arm, yet rather than letting us take him in—or maybe exposing his pale flesh to a little sun light—the Master of the City kept him close to her, doing any dirt job she could find. I couldn’t think of a good reason unless she owed his sire, or he was one hell of a good fuck. I didn’t want to know about the latter. “Well, if it isn’t Tinkerbelle and the she-wolf,” he snickered to one of his buddies. My fist shot out, right hooking him across his pointy little nose. He cried out and moved to retaliate. Vamps were fast but the fey had them beat hands down. I caught his wrist and twisted it behind his back, forcing him face 82

Fallen first into the bar top. Kayla made a move toward her gun and Poral’s buddies cleared out before she could even draw. I grinned at her then down at Poral. “Looks like your little playmates all ran away,” I sneered in his ear and pulled up on his arm. He gave a little cry. “You’re going to have to learn to play nice.” “What do you want?” he growled, his fangs suddenly showing. The growl turned to a whimper when I twisted his wrist just a little. I could break it easily and it would heal in only a few hours, but it would hurt like hell. I brought my lips to his ear. My breath ruffled his blonde hair. “Where’s your master? Hmm? She couldn’t have let you off your leash for too long, or you’d be in prison right now. Then again you are really pale…maybe you need a little sun.” “Bitch!” I twisted his arm a little farther back, causing him to scream. It brought a tiny sadistic smile to my lips. How I hate vamps. I want so badly to rip his arm right off. “Selena,” Kayla warned. That one word made me ease up on the vamp, just a little. “She’s in the back booth,” a thick Irish voice said. I glanced up from Poral in surprise. The bartender looked from me to Poral and back. A tiny smirk played at his full lips. His green eyes danced with amusement. What surprised me was the fact he was fey. Good old fashion Irish faery. I hadn’t seen one in years, not since leaving England at least. His shaggy red hair and soft dusting of freckles was not uncommon amongst the old shires of the United Kingdom, my shoulders were covered in them, but were rare in North America. He offered me a dazzling smile that I couldn’t help but 83

M. J. Spickett return, Poral all but forgotten. He was cute. Scratch that, he was gorgeous. “Thanks,” I said briskly and quickly let the vamp go to lick his wounds. “Does she have company?” He shook his head. “Only a brandy on the rocks. Can I get you ladies anything?” “No,” Kayla said briskly as she turned toward the back booths. I hung back, curious about a fey that worked for vamps. “Are you new to town?” I asked and earned myself another dazzling smile. “Aye, I moved here ‘bout three months ago with several members of my clan. Hadn’t much choice in the matter.” “Oh? Guardian?” His eyes grew dark with something close to anger. “I suppose you can say that,” he muttered with a soft growl. It disappeared as quickly as it had come. “My name is Lucas, of the McLeod clan, and you are?” “Selena Hawke, of the Sinclair clan,” I responded automatically. It had been a long time since I was so formal, but the old ways still mattered to many fey, especially in the courts. Surprise filled him. “You’re the Guardian whom her master freed! I thought that was just rumor. An old wives’ tale the other Guardians have been spreading.” I smiled shyly. “No, it’s true. Elijah Hawke released both Cleotro and me six months ago.” He gazed forlornly at me. “My master would never do that.” “Many masters won’t,” I agreed. Most masters had come to view Guardians as slaves. They were only freed if 84

Fallen their master gave it to them. Even if their master abused them, the fey courts would not step in, which was beginning to anger many Guardians. “Selena!” Kayla called. She waited impatiently for me amongst the crowd. I waved to her. “Maybe we can talk again,” I said and gave Lucas one last smile. He nodded. “Soon I hope.” I held back the urge to giggle. I thought it demeaning to a warrior of my stature. Well, that’s what I continued to tell myself. Eli said I was cute when I giggled. Warriors weren’t supposed to be cute. The look on Kayla’s face was one of pure evil. Great, just what I need, Kayla tormenting me about “flirting” with the bartender at one of the vamp’s hottest clubs. This is bound to make the rounds around the water cooler at the lab. She always teases me whenever a guy hits on me. Hell, I am one to talk. I do the same to her all the time, and she is already married. Yet in her case, I find it even more fun when her husband, Kevin, joins in the teasing. She raised a brow and gave me a sly grin as soon as we were out of the crushing crowd. “He’s cute.” “I’m engaged.” “Just stating a fact.” “Huh uh. Your facts always include getting me hitched,” I pointed out. “I’m already engaged.” She shrugged and muttered, “To someone more than eleven hundred years younger than you.” I rolled my eyes and ignored her as I did any vamp who tried to get one of us to dance with them. She was my best friend but I found it easier to ignore her when she got into one of her moods rather than argue with her. She adored Eli as if he were one of her kids and worried 85

M. J. Spickett about his well being. Her main issue wasn’t so much the age difference between us but the fact that he was only one quarter fey. While he would out live most humans by a good century or two he would eventually grow old and die while I remained eternally youthful for several thousand years. Both Eli and I understood that and made our peace with it. The Master of the City was exactly where Lucas said we would find her. Utterly alone, she sat in her favorite booth and sipped brandy. That was new and a good thing. Her black gaze roamed over us. She was the first blonde I met with black eyes. They were always so piercing and cold and they gave me goosebumps. Any creature that could do that with one look was worth distrusting, or hating in my case. However, she was my source, and I had to play nice. Her gaze roamed over us for one long moment. “The young one’s not with you? A shame,” she purred in her sultry Russian accent. I wasn’t quite sure when she had come to Ravenwood but it had to be well over a century ago. I had dealt with her way back in Anthony’s time. She had barely changed in the last fifty years. “Knowing him, he probably fought and screamed to come.” “He did,” I snorted. My biggest mistake a few months back was allowing Eli to come on one of my stake outs. We encountered a group of warlocks that had royally pissed off the Master of the City. Caught in the middle of a turf war, we had to team up with the vamps to survive. Not my best decision but we didn’t have much choice. Eli managed to make a good impression on her, enough to receive an open invite to the club with an open pass. I never allowed him. 86

Fallen “You should let him come. I don’t bite, and I would never allow anyone else to touch him,” she insisted with a predatory grin. “Much,” I countered. Her laughter was like the tickling of small bells. With a gesture of her dainty hand, she beckoned us to take a seat. “Come and sit with me. Have a drink, my treat.” “No, thank you,” Kayla declined. I did as well as I threw the envelope of evidence photos on the table before her. “We’ve got a few questions for you, Natasha.” “Oh? So serious, Selena. How do you think Anthony would take to this career decision of yours? I doubt he would approve.” She fished through the contents of the envelope as she spoke and continued to act as if she and Anthony had been friends. Anthony had been fascinated by vamps but wasn’t as foolish as Eli for wanting to get up close and personal. As Natasha looked over the photos, her face began to pale. She had fed tonight but no amount of blood could keep the color in her face when horror made its way in. “What is this?” she demanded in a voice barely above a whisper, and shook with what appeared to be fear. That was a bad sign. “We were hoping you could tell us,” Kayla answered, unmoved. “You know who did this, don’t you Natasha?” I asked, taking note of her discomfort. “They’ve been here. Newbies?” Natasha shook her head. Her long blood red fingernails drummed on the tabletop. “No. I don’t know who they are. Rumor has it a small band of vamps came into town about a week ago. None of my Enforcers has been able to locate them. At least not without being 87

M. J. Spickett killed.” Wow, definitely not good. “Why didn’t you contact us?” She gave us a blank stare. “And you would have helped? Your animosity toward my race is legendary, Selena. How many of my kind have you killed throughout the centuries? You are a Death Fey. You would rather kill us then help us.” “That was a long time ago,” I pointed out with a dismissive shrug. “Fine, do you know anything else that may useful? For instance, why so ritualistic?” I tapped the photo showing one victim crucified over an inverted pentagram. “There is talk of an ancient spell found that can bring Ishtar and her demons into our realm,” Natasha said. She gazed down at the photo again. “I took it as a tall tale. People searched for such a spell for thousands of years. I didn’t believe it existed.” I lifted the photo and studied it a little harder. “Perhaps they have found it.” Goddess, help us all if they did. The Druids hid the spell long before the time of Christ when evil slowly began to take control of parts of the world. They believed that the Unseelie fey sorceress, Ishtar unleashed the demons in an attempt to take control of the world. Many believe that God caused a great flood that wiped out all but a selected few of the human population. In a way, this was correct but not in the way religions taught people to believe. Ishtar brought the Demon Realm into our world. The demons went on a killing spree, killing human, beast and fey alike. To stop them, the Ancients, faeries that existed before time itself, summoned all their magick to 88

Fallen force the creatures back. In retaliation, the demons wanted to destroy the Earth and everything the Ancients held dear. A flood, unlike anything seen before, blanketed the planet. Had the Ancients not reacted as quickly as they did all would have been lost. They saved as many as they could, including the infamous Noah and his clan. The Ancients entrusted their most trusted worshippers with the duty of hiding the spell where no one could ever reach it. Later they passed that duty to the Seelie Court. The fear of this happening again was enough to keep any sane person from trying to repeat the ritual. The murderers we dealt with were obviously out of their minds to attempt it. This could prove to be a serious problem. “She’s obviously lying,” Kayla said twenty minutes later as I drove her home. She frowned out the window at the drizzling rain. The night had cooled down before we left the club. The rain was refreshing, especially after the conversation with Natasha. It took a lot to scare the Master of the City, which of course meant the rumors were true. That and the fact that half a dozen vamps were killed trying to find this apparent cult. I was not happy, not in the least. How were we supposed to find these people if vamp Enforcers couldn’t? I shook my head as I guided the Porsche around the next turn. “No. Natasha rarely lies, at least never about anything like this. She was scared.” “Scared of me shoving her into the natural sunlight,” she grumbled. “She’s a fucking vamp! How are we supposed to trust her? This spell is probably a hoax.” 89

M. J. Spickett “It’s no hoax.” I glanced at her and allowed the worry and fear to flow into my eyes. “We’ve fought demons before Kayla, but nothing like what hides in Cite’ Lyn. The most horrific creatures imaginable fill the Demon Realm. What we’ve dealt with before is nothing compared what this cult can unleash if they’ve found the Demoncitia.” “Demon-what-tia? Why do I get the feeling that no one should have been able to find this so-called spell?” “They shouldn’t have,” I murmured as I pulled into her drive. I set the Porsche in park, then sat back and looked up at the small two story brick house. It looked cozy. I couldn’t wait to get home. I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at the cold shiver that ran the length of my spine since attending the crime scene. “The Druids’ cared for it since the time of the Great Flood. After the Druids went underground, the Seelie Court took over guarding it.” “Great Flood? You mean Katrina? That wasn’t so long ago.” I had to smile. “No, the flood, not the hurricane. You know the one that took out most of mankind.” “You mean Noah and his family?” “That’s the Sunday school version.” I shook my head. Knowing she probably wouldn’t believe me, I attempted to explain. “Demons caused it, for the most part at least. If these people found the spell it could happen again…or something far worse.” “Yeah, well, how could they have gotten their hands on it if the Seelie has it?” She had a good point, and I really didn’t want to think about it. Only three people in the entire world knew 90

Fallen where the spell was hidden. No way could anyone get to it without going through them and their guards. Even then, the High Priestesses would have to either be dead or dying. So how could someone have gotten it? Kayla rubbed the back of her neck in confusion. “So if this spell does exist and these people have it, then why hasn’t it worked? Do they need the blood of a particular magick user or can they use anyone? Magick user wise I mean?” “I don’t know,” I confessed and gazed out the windshield as the house door opened. Kayla’s husband waved to me. Waving back, I held up a finger to indicate Kayla would only be another minute or two. “It’s before my time. All I know is that it involves a very complicated ritual sacrifice and incantation. I think your husband’s getting impatient. Wow, has he been working out?” “Do you mind not ogling my husband,” Kayla teased and poked me. “You’ve got your own man at home. Or should I say men?” “Don’t start. I have enough problems without worrying about Cleo.” “I can’t wait to see him.” “He’s kind of hard to miss.” “That good, huh?” I rolled my eyes. “Get out of my car.” She laughed and opened the door. “Good night.” “‘Night. Give the kids a kiss for me,” I said with a smirk. Her smile beamed as only a mother could. “I will. You and the boys better come for the barbeque this weekend.” “We’ll be there,” I promised. She gave me a satisfied smile. “Don’t forget.” 91

M. J. Spickett With that, she climbed out and shut the door. I waited until she was on the porch before I backed out. Both Kayla and Kevin gave me a wave goodbye before going inside. If there was ever a perfect couple it had to be them. Married just over twenty years they still acted like newlyweds.

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Chapter Nine

W

hen I pulled into the drive, the house was quiet. The rain had picked up to a steady downpour as the wind whipped through the trees, a branch banged against an upstairs window. Thankfully, no one was in the guest room. Of all the places I’ve lived over the countless centuries, this was my favorite. This house was modern with no feel of antiquity that almost every other manor or mansion I lived in since I became a Guardian had and felt almost blank, as if nothing ever lived here but us. No ghost or spirits floated about, or kept me up to all hours of the night in their endless need to express themselves nor was the feel of the house as noisy as the faery mounds. This was new, only a few years old, built shortly before Eli, Cleo and I made the official move to Canada. Almost as if someone had built it specifically for us, about which I often wondered. Eli’s relatives were notorious for seeing into the future and making sudden, if not odd preparations for him without letting us in on their plans. They often made such things appear out of nowhere. Considering how quickly Daniel found this house for us, the very same day I announced we were moving to Ravenwood, I suspected Richard Sinclair led him in the 93

M. J. Spickett right direction. That was my theory at least. Neither confessed to it when I questioned them, not that I expected them to. Daniel was probably oblivious about who tipped the real estate agent. Still I had to admit the house was perfect. I’ve never felt as at home as I do here ever before. The downstairs lights were off, a clear sign that Eli was in bed. Considering the time—two in the morning that was a good reason, especially since he had classes at eight. That was okay, all I wanted was to crawl into bed next to him. I pulled into the garage then locked up, went inside and engaged the security system. The magick wards I kept around the house and property protected us for the most part, but sometimes there was need for a little extra security. Sleep called to me. My body felt the stress of the lack of sleep lately and it has worn me out. I really need some time off, and soon, or I will be no good to the PID. Even one weekend will do. Maybe I can grab Aaliyah or even Kayla and go to the spa. That sounds good. I can barely remember the last time I went to the spa. Taking off my jacket, I threw it over the back of a wicker chair in the make-shift solarium then headed for the stairs. If luck was with me maybe, I could sleep in. I had pulled another double shift, after all. The sergeant should give me a little leeway. I knew Kayla would. Then again, maybe I wouldn’t get any sleep at all. Cleo stood in the upstairs hallway. He leaned heavily against the wall between Eli’s room and mine. Oh shit, I don’t need this. Why isn’t he asleep yet? His hair, tied back in a thick braid, trailed nearly to his ankles. He wore a teal pair of pajama pants I had never 94

Fallen seen before, which made his alien feline eyes stand out. That was odd. As a cat, panther or otherwise, his eyes had looked fey, now they looked as if they belonged on a big panther. At least he and Eli managed to do some shopping. The Big and Tall store must have had some fun with them today. To be honest Cleo seemed completely out of place without his armor - as if a part of him was missing despite this day and age. Worse, I think I was beginning to like this new Cleo. His bare chest almost rippled with the muscle and strength hidden beneath, like some Greek statue of a god. On the other hand, perhaps Egyptian would fit him better. I mentally shook myself. Picturing Cleo as god was the wrong thing to do. His ego was already big enough without my assistance. As if he read my mind, Cleo smirked, his body moved with an almost liquid grace as he pushed himself off the wall. My glance fell upon his bare chest. “Long night?” he asked. I had to blink twice to let the words make sense and lift my eyes to his face. Suddenly nervous, I brushed a hand through my hair and tried not to show the reaction he had on me. I have to focus on something other than his body. Why isn’t he wearing a shirt? Damn, he should wear a shirt. “Getting into a vamp club is easy, it’s getting out that’s the trick. You know how the males like to flirt,” I explained, trying not to sound as flustered as I felt. “Sounds like the one we went to in Berlin.” “Much cleaner. And the waitresses are actually quite polite. Oh, get this, they hired a fey bartender. I suppose the war really is over. Something McLeod…Lucas. Lucas McLeod. Have you ever heard of him?” He shook his head, his mass of hair swung behind 95

M. J. Spickett him. I stood transfixed, like a cat watching a piece of string swinging in the breeze. A part of me wanted to touch it, to feel it run across my naked body. Okay, I seriously had to get some distance between us before I did something stupid. “No, but any new magicians or Guardians coming into the city would be under Nathaniel’s jurisdiction. He is the Guardian of the City.” He had a point. Nathaniel had become Guardian of the City when Daniel Dion was just a boy. His way of guarding Dan and the city Anthony loved so much. If anyone knew anything about new fey or even vamps in the city, he would be the one. Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier? “I better call him,” I said, making a beeline for my room. Cleo caught my arm, stopping me. “He’s probably still on patrol. Besides, I need to speak with you.” I gave a sigh. I was too tired to deal with any more problems tonight. My body was stiff and if I didn’t get to bed soon I was sure to fall. Besides, I didn’t like the way my stomach was flipping over his single touch. Why isn’t he letting my wrist go? “Can’t it wait? I’ve been up to my elbows in crime scene evidence, metaphysical mumble jumble, some crazed ritual, and now rogue vamps. All I want is to go to bed.” His cat like eyes studied my tired face then moved along my body. My stomach tightened as his free hand followed. It trailed a path from my cheek to just below my left breast, such an intimate touch that I nearly forgot my sleepiness. His breath tickled the top of my ear as he leaned in close. 96

Fallen “This won’t take long,” he promised, opening my bedroom door. Maybe I was too tired or maybe that strange tightness in my gut affected my thinking. Whichever, I could not find my voice to object, nor the will to pull back. Instead, I followed him, half hoping he would shut the door and ravish me. Where did that thought come from? I hadn’t felt like this since Eli and I finally made it clear we were a couple. Not that long ago, but this was something different. Something animalistic and it scared me. I knew part of it had to be Cleo’s panther side, still a part of him now, and it called to something in me. I never had an animal form but many cultures believe everyone had a spirit animal, a beast they could call upon to protect them metaphysically speaking that is and the reason behind Lycanthropy. Were-animals could sense the beast within. Most lycanthrope attacks were not random. They were attempts to increase their numbers or to replace members who died. That was not the thought I should be indulging myself in. It was too morbid, even for me. However, that was what happened when I got tired. My mind was muddy and slow, which usually caused one of two things to happen. I would only think of silly stuff, like what I was going to wear the next day or that my weapons were in need of a serious cleaning despite the fact I cleaned them every day, fired or not. Worse still was technical data that would haunt me all night, the worse of these were math equations. Sure, I wasn’t a math genius but I was adept in it and Cleo and I didn’t quite add up, we were missing a crucial element. At that moment, I was too tired to try to figure that 97

M. J. Spickett one out. The door closed behind us and for the first time since returning to his true form, Cleo and I were alone. My heart began to race and I was suddenly wide awake. Why am I so scared? If he wanted revenge for arresting him so many years ago, condemning him to a life not only of being a Guardian but also a Familiar, he had many chances before. It would be foolish to do it, considering Eli is in the next room. Or maybe it would be poetic justice. Okay, I’m too cynical today. What he did caught me so off guard that, had he not been holding me, I would have fallen flat on my ass. His lips crushed mine in an almost bestial kiss. Strong arms forced me to the tips of my toes to meet him, our bodies pressed firmly together. I could feel his desire through the flimsy material of his pajama pants as he pushed his erection against my belly. His cock’s hardness astounded me in a whoosh of air that he eagerly sucked in. Even after having sex with him the night before, my pussy became wet with lust for him. I could remember the feel of him deep inside me and how he managed to fill me to the point that I felt I might break in two. My stomach twisted at the memory and the need for a repeat performance. Cleo’s hands gripped my ass, forcing me higher against his body as he ravished my mouth. I couldn’t do anymore than keep my hands on his sculpted chest, not quite daring to wrap my arms around his neck just yet. I felt so tiny against him. It must have been an eternity before either one of us pulled away for breath, not that we needed to. Fey could go without air for a long time. Some didn’t even need oxygen to survive. My gaze held Cleo’s in a silent question of why. He 98

Fallen only grinned. His eyes twinkled with mischief and something more. My right hand moved of its own accord to cup his cheek. A fine layer of stubble had begun to grow. My fingers traced the long scar he had received on one of our runs almost five hundred years ago. A vamp tried taking a chunk out of me. Had Cleo not moved when he did I would be dead. The sword had clipped his cheek rather than taken my head. We first succumbed to our desires that night. Not all fey are beautiful, despite what some may say. I certainly wasn’t. By sidhe standards, I was too short and had far too many scars for a woman. But Cleo, he was beautiful, the perfect fey warrior, scars included. He may not have Eli’s humanness, but he was still breath taking. “What-what did you want to talk about?” I managed to ask, although I felt like rubber and I feared I would fall if he dared put me down. His erection poked at me even through the leather and a small moan of desire passed my lips. “I thought that was obvious.” He smirked, hefting me up until I had no choice but to wrap my arms and legs around him. His gaze roamed over my chest and the limited amount of cleavage. I blushed. My breasts were not my best feature and he knew of my insecurities, but like Eli, seemed to think I was perfect as is. One arm around my waist, he traced the edge of my shirt with one finger before slipping it between my breasts. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation. He undid the laces enough to pull the sleeves down my shoulders. He kissed and licked each shoulder before finally taking the corset off. He regarded my bare flesh with satisfaction as he weighed each breast. A deep 99

M. J. Spickett moan escaped my throat and his lips answered by spreading kisses over it. I’m not quite sure when or even how we got to the bed but soon enough he had me on my back and spread eagle. His mouth roamed over my curves, his every touch like magick. I was wide awake yet my mind was fuzzy with lust and a bestial need. I wanted to tear his clothes off, what little of them there were. “This is rather unexpected,” I admitted when I could catch my breath. White pearly teeth flashed as he grinned down at me. His tongue dipped into my belly button. I gasped, arched my back and buried a hand in his long hair. He licked his way down my belly to the edge of my pants. His fingers undid them with ease and soon they and my boots joined my corset on the ground. My heart began to race as his lips trailed down to the juncture between my legs. A cry filled me as his tongue darted out to lick at my folds like a cat with cream. He indulged himself in my juices as I wiggled and writhed beneath him. I usually preferred being on top, but there were days like today, when I wanted to be dominated. My hips rocked to the rhythm of Cleo’s fingers moving inside me. It felt so good, but I knew it could not compare with what was to come. The first orgasm was powerful. My body shook with waves upon waves of pleasure. Cleo suckled and nipped at my nether regions, occasionally licking as he waited for it to pass. Then he got up on his hands and knees and leaned over me. Covered in sweat, I shivered from the cool breeze coming through the open window, or maybe anticipation. Cleo’s face was only inches from mine, hovering above my lips. 100

Fallen “Now I’m going to fuck you,” he murmured in my ear, his Egyptian accent all but gone with the foreign words coming from his lips. I could smell myself on his breath and it tightened my stomach with desire. “Good and hard.” “Please,” was all I could manage. You know that feeling when time would suddenly either slow down or speed up? That’s exactly how things are with sex and me. With Eli everything slowed down. I knew every inch of his body, every scar or abnormality. We made love slow and sweet like lovers should. With Cleotro things tended to move fast and before I even had a chance to blink he was undressed and inside me with one hard thrust. A scream burst from my lungs that I was certain would awaken not only Eli, but our neighbors as well. There was nothing beyond the desperate need for him to fill me, and—despite Cleo’s large size—I couldn’t get enough. I wanted him, all of him, as if he could climb inside me, wearing me as a coat. Each thrust pushed me farther into the bed. His strokes powerful, he buried his full length to the hilt. He raised my left thigh and repositioned it over his hip. Then, with a fierce growl, he drove in and out of me with such force I feared he might come out the other side. I was beyond caring, beyond thinking. All I cared about were the sensations rocking my body and I wanted more. Cleo whispered in my ear as he rocked with me to tell me all the different ways he wanted to take me, all the different positions he was going to do me. My fingers clawed his back as I writhed beneath him and cried out for more. Every word he spoke set off tiny orgasms that quickly built into one. Soon it erupted into a full-blown 101

M. J. Spickett orgasm that had my back arching and a scream falling from my parted lips. Cleo echoed me. He reared his head back and gave a cry that bordered on a howl. Our bodies spasmed as one, and if I didn’t know better I would have sworn the Earth shook beneath us. Exhausted, I fell among the pillows, both my body and mind too worn to do any more than gaze up at him as he hunched over me, his own eyes weary with exhaustion. “Well, that was unexpected,” I repeated in a hoarse voice. The fog of sleep filled my vision. A smirk lifted the sides of his mouth. He kissed my forehead while his thumb stroked the edge of my mouth. “Next time I’m going to fuck you into unconsciousness,” he promised with a predatory growl. His words should have scared me but they didn’t. Instead, my body trembled in anticipation. I raised my lips to his and offered myself in a way only offered to a few. Pure raw emotion filled his eyes. Joy, love…fear. I took his face in my hands. “Cleo, kiss me.” He did. In that moment, I felt the old Cleo in him the one that had been my partner and best friend. Whatever his past crimes he was still the one constant person in my life for well over a thousand years. I fell asleep with the knowledge that I was safe in his arms.

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Chapter Ten o this is where you two ended up.” I forced one eye open to find Eli standing in the doorway in nothing but his boxer shorts. It seemed far too early for him to be up yet, but a quick glance at the clock read nearly quarter after six, time for him to get ready for classes and me for work. My body protested at even the mere thought of getting out of bed and I didn’t want to go to work. I hurt in places where I shouldn’t, a sure sign that Cleo and I had been a little rougher than we should have. Sitting up was out of the question, a least for a while. That was okay, I was content just lying in bed with Cleo’s arms around me. His length pressed against the small of my back, begging for access back in me. Perhaps getting a little distance between us would be a good idea, until I healed that is. Whether he was awake or not, I was not sure, but he was certainly happy. “Morning Eli,” I murmured in greeting and raised my head enough to acknowledge him before I let it fall back against the pillow. His smile brightened the room as he strolled up to the bed. “I suppose you two caused the earthquake this morning.” Raising a brow, I gazed up at him. I hated when he

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M. J. Spickett towered over me like that, as if he knew I was unable to get up. He was right. “Earthquake? What earthquake?” He shrugged, a small rise and fall of his shoulders. “It must have been a couple of hours ago. I barely felt it, I was sleeping, but there was a report on the news. It’s the first quake to hit Ravenwood in nearly thirty years.” That woke me up. “News? You’ve got to be kidding. That was barely a tremor.” “And here I thought I rocked your world,” Cleo teased in a sleepy murmur. I reached behind me and slapped his hip. “This is serious. Our magick must have caused it when we linked briefly.” “Orgasm will do that.” “It didn’t last night.” I hit him again for good measure. “Was there any damage?” I asked Eli. He shook his head. “Other than the odd picture falling off the wall, nothing was reported. Hey, move over, I want in.” He wiggled into bed next to me and I was never so thankful for a queen size bed. Although truth be told, we definitely needed a king. I opened my arms to him and he snuggled almost childlike against me, except for the large erection that pressed against my belly. Great, now I have two horny men pinning me to the bed. Aren’t I a lucky girl? “Well good morning to you too,” I teased. Eli grinned sheepishly. “You got home late. I really wanted to spend the night with you. Both of you.” “I don’t know, Eli, I think I wore her out,” Cleo chuckled. He squeezed me tightly, pushing his erection between my butt cheeks to let me feel just how hard he was. “Unless you’re up to round two.” 104

Fallen My breath came out sharply. “Round two? You’re incorrigible! I can’t possibly handle the two of you at once. I can’t even sit!” I objected even as Eli began raining down kisses along my collar bone. He ran a hand down my side to my hip then back up to my breasts. His lips brushed over my nipple and sucked it into his mouth where his tongue explored every millimeter of it. My breath hitched. One of Cleo’s hands slid between my legs, his fingers stroking my folds. My eyes closed in one long blink as I began rocking my hips in time with his fingers. They slid in me and I moaned for more, lifting my leg to give him better access. Eli took the incentive. He moved down my body, nipping and licking me, but rather than lick at my folds his hand slipped passed Cleo’s to massage my rear. Cleo caught his hand. “No, I want that,” he growled, that animalistic tone returning to his voice. I caught Eli’s eye and saw his confusion and desire. Nevertheless, he pulled away to switch with Cleo and eat me out as Cleo pulled his fingers from my folds to stroke my rear. One slick finger pushed its way into my ass, quickly followed by a second then third. A gasp of surprise escaped me and I tried to pull away, it felt good, too good, but it was starting to hurt. I was fearful what might happen when they were both finally inside me. Cleo’s free arm wrapped around me and held me in place as Eli grasped my hips and pulled one leg over his shoulder to open me wider. His movements became almost frenzied as he alternated between licking and nipping, and thrusting his fingers in and out of me in time with Cleo’s. “You like that, don’t you?” Cleo purred in my ear as 105

M. J. Spickett his tongue traced the edges. He gave a little nip, the slight pain adding to the pleasure. Goddess, this felt good, too good. It felt as if I was going to explode. “Tell us how much you want us. Come on, I want to hear the words.” When all I could do was moan, he squeezed my nipple, causing me to cry out. “I don’t think she’s ready yet, Eli. Bite her.” Eli was hesitant but within a moment, he did so. I screamed and babbled the first words that came to me. Cleo only chuckled and bit my neck. My hands went to bury themselves in Eli’s hair in an attempt to push him deeper, but Cleo caught and wrenched them above my head. “No, no. We’ll not have any of that. Bite her again, harder.” His one hand held both my wrists securely and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t free myself. My cry of frustration turned into a scream as Eli bit me again. His tongue darted out a moment later to swirl upward in a healing gesture. Cleo pulled his fingers from me and rolled me onto my back. Eli moved, as if one with us, his mouth only leaving me for a moment to reposition himself. Now both my legs were over his shoulders. His hands cupped my ass cheeks then pulled them off the bed so I couldn’t squirm as much. Cleo kept a firm grip on my wrist as he dove down on my breasts. His free hand squeezed and pinched one nipple as his mouth sucked hard at its twin. I was a babbling mess, unsure what to say or even if I could make them do what I wanted. When I came, my orgasm was hard and earth shattering, but the magick didn’t explode outward as it had earlier. It felt as if Eli channeled it somehow. His head poked up with a 106

Fallen lopsided grin as he took note of the affect he and Cleo had on me. My legs still on his shoulders, he knelt between my opening and pulled his boxer shorts down over his hips. My breath caught in my throat as Cleo pulled away—just long enough to catch a glimpse of Eli’s beautiful length. He was fully erect, his length long and hard with promise of one full and long session. It made me lick my lips. Goddess, he’s beautiful. The velvetiness of him enticed me to run my hands over it, to run my tongue down the length of it and to roll his balls between my lips. My expression begged him to drive so deep inside me it hurt. He leaned forward. His fingers pushed into my ass. I groaned and lifted my head only to have Cleo grasp my hair and turn my head sideways to him. His thick length pushed against my lips. I gasped in surprise, inadvertently allowing Cleo access to my mouth. His long length pushed its way past my teeth to the back of my throat. His balls banged against my chin. I was never so happy not to have a gag reflex, but this was still an awkward position. Without the use of my hands, I had no control whatsoever of what Cleo did to me, and that frightened me. “Cleo, let her hands go,” Eli grunted between thrusts, kneeling between my thighs. I wasn’t quite sure what Cleo’s response was but he let my hands go to grab the back of my head and turned my face into his lap. It was a difficult position with Eli already thrusting into me and I had to get up on an elbow to make it even remotely pleasant, and twist slightly away from Eli. Cleo was long and thick and had I been human he would have torn my throat open with his powerful 107

M. J. Spickett thrusts. In order to slow him down, I had to wrap a hand around his base. By Eli’s curses, the new positioning didn’t satisfy him. He rolled me onto my side, pulled me off the bed and onto his lap as he knelt away from Cleo, then thrust powerfully back into me. I don’t know which hurt more, Cleo’s erratic thrusting or suddenly being pulled away from it. Cleo let out an annoyed snarl. At first, I thought nothing of it, my focus now riveted on Eli’s tri-blue eyes as they swirled into an ocean bled blue, the tide moving in and out to shore. They only did that in the throes of passion. I bounced up and down on his erection, my belly tightening with the beginning of yet another orgasm. The things these men could do to me were almost scary. Then I felt it, first a hard slap to my ass that caused me to cry out in both pleasure and pain then Cleo’s thrust breached me from behind. On the upward thrust, a cry filled my lips as I felt myself filled in both openings. They were both long and hard and it felt as it they were reaching up to my belly. They thrust together as if in sequence. Crying out, I was not sure, if I liked this new side of Cleo or not. I was going to be in for a world of pain when we stopped. My stomach felt as if a swarm of butterflies was fighting to be unleashed. Pushing against them in a demand for more, I let them know I wanted, no, needed every inch of them in me no matter how much it might hurt. Cleo brushed my hair aside and began to nip at my throat. A hand reached between Eli and me to stroke our joining. Eli’s breath came out in a whoosh and I gasped. A spark of magick began to tingle with each thrust. I was close, so close. “Don’t come until I say,” Cleo growled in my ear, low 108

Fallen enough for Eli not to hear. He began to thrust harder, to bounce me against him and Eli as if I was only a rag doll. Eli was beyond answering. He looked ready to explode at any moment. With a skilled hand, Cleo turned my face away from Eli to capture my lips in a fierce kiss as his hands grasped my breasts to pinch and twist my nipples until I cried against his mouth. Eli’s lips found my throat and began sucking hard. His thrusts picked up to meet Cleo’s. Our breathing was heavy, urgent, the moment of climax so close I could almost reach out and touch it. “Now,” Cleo snarled. I screamed, as my world exploded behind my eyelids. Both men cried out a moment later as their cocks swelled within me. Their hot semen filled both my cunt and ass in waves. It burned and tingled in a twisted form of pleasure. The magick I had fought so hard to control escaped me, but rather than spill to the earth as it had before, it exploded within me. I gasped in surprise, falling into Eli’s arms. The two of us tumbled on the bed from our kneeling positions, and then rolled off, leaving Cleo to kneel over us in confusion. “Okay, that was odd,” he noted as he returned to his normal self, all bestial aggression gone. “What just happened?” My breathing was heavy as I stared down at my body and wondered the same thing. My body tingled in ways it never had before and that illness to my stomach seemed to have increased. Magick residue was all I could think of. If I were to let go of my control, I knew I could levitate without even thinking about it or summoning my wings. That had not happened since I was a child. I didn’t know what to think, let alone do. Nothing like this had ever 109

M. J. Spickett happened to me before. I trailed my fingers down my chest to my belly, ignoring the semen covering me, as if electricity ran through me. “Selena?” Eli asked as he knelt next to me. “Are you alright?” “I don’t know,” I admitted. Everything felt too funny to know for sure, as if I were just waking up from a long dream. For one thing, the pain I should have been feeling from being fucked so roughly by two men at once wasn’t there. I actually felt pretty good. Nevertheless, I sat up with care, not sure what to expect. “I think so.” “You look a little funny.” Cleo leaned over the bed to peer at me more closely, his eyes curious and searching. A small distraught frown creased his lips. “Were we too rough?” I shook my head. “No, but we do need to work out a schedule or something longer than three hours between intercourse.” He chuckled and I relaxed. If the magick hadn’t affected them then they had to be okay, and so was I. That was a relief. I smiled at both of them and took a moment to kiss them before getting shakily to my feet. I shouldn’t have been able to stand, yet I was. That was a good sign.

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Chapter Eleven he aroma of coffee percolating filled the house. Famished, I stepped into the kitchen. Eli puttered about, making bacon and eggs. It was his turn to make breakfast, which was a good thing. My body still tingled and other than magick and early morning sex, I had no idea why, which was a little scary, but I tried not to think about it. The last thing I wanted was for the boys to get overly worried about nothing. Most likely, the cause of the tingling was the backlash of power. That was probably all that was wrong. I gladly accepted a mug of coffee from Eli as I waited for my breakfast. “So where’s Cleo?” I asked, catching his hand before he went back to the stove. He brushed his lips against mine. “Can’t you hear the shower running? He’ll be down in a few minutes. Do you want toast with your eggs?” “Sure.” I nodded. “Is Nathaniel working at the store or teaching today?” Eli went back to the stove and flipped the eggs. “I think his classes are this afternoon. He should be at the store until noon. There’s a big shipment of books coming in this morning.” He paused. “Although I may be wrong, Aaliyah works there full-time now. Nate might just go to

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M. J. Spickett the university and let her handle all the paper work.” “Great,” I groaned. “I better call him to make sure. You do have classes with him today, don’t you?” “Nope. Law and English.” “Oh.” When have I lost track of his schedule? I’ve known everything he was to do since he was four. Some days I feel really old compared to Eli. Maybe Kayla is right. Damn her. I love Eli. I am not going to let her pettiness get to me. Eli placed a plate of bacon, eggs and toast in front of me, then sat down on the opposite side of the table with his own food. “I put Cleo’s in the microwave to keep warm,” he said. He scooped up a fork full of scrambled eggs, shoved it in his mouth in thought and chewed. A moment later he asked, “What did you need to ask Nate about? Does it have anything to do with the vamps?” He raised a questioning brow in a silent demand for an answer of why he couldn’t come with me last night and why I refused to tell him anything. I used to be able to chalk it up to Guardian business, but that only worked until he was about twelve, then the realization he was my master clicked in and I had to answer his questions. Lately, it was police business, and usually that worked unless I consulted someone in our little group, then he wanted to know everything. Was he over protective? Just a little. I sighed. I couldn’t lie to him. He was training to become a Paranormal Investigator and might as well be told what was going on, after all, these creeps were targeting magick users by the looks of things and he may be a target. Guardian instinct put his protection at the forefront, despite it no longer being my duty. Besides, he may be helpful. He usually was. “Yes. There are new 112

Fallen vamps in town. They stole an ancient incantation from the Seelie to call upon the demon realm.” His eyes widened in fear as the memory of past battles with demons assaulted him. “Like Dominique? Please tell me it’s not like her.” I really wished I could reassure him. He had a right to be frightened. Not only had he fought demons but also he had once been possessed for nearly five months without even knowing it until it nearly killed him. Although the nightmares were not as frequent as they had been two years ago, the memory was still fresh. “Worse. They might be seeking out Ishtar.” I stared at my plate and tried to ignore horror that filled his eyes. “As Guardian of the City, Nate should know if any new vamps are in town, plus all the magick users in the regions. We have to warn them before these vamps start targeting them, although it may already be too late.” “Oh.” “Are you going to be okay?” “Yeah. Does this mean we have to go back into hiding?” he asked. The dejection in his eyes was heart breaking. I reached out and took his hand. “No, baby, no more hiding,” I promised and squeezed his hand. “Just keep your metaphysical shields up. We’ll go to the firing range tonight, too, if that’ll make you feel better.” He gave a short nod, but he had obviously lost his appetite. “That may be a good idea,” he agreed and poked at his food. “So when do I get my own gun?” That child like innocence was suddenly back and in force, a small grin toying at his lips. “When you graduate the academy. Honestly! Men and 113

M. J. Spickett their toys!” I smiled, if only to insure him that everything was going to be fine. Eli wasn’t helpless without such a weapon. He was a master magician and oracle, with more power in his little pinkie than an automatic. As long as he kept his key tool around his neck, he could form almost any weapon he needed—if it had no mechanical parts— with a mere thought or simple incantation. Even without the magickal key, he could command nature and form powerful personal shields that could withstand the strength of just about anything, including an atomic bomb, but we weren’t going to test that particular theory. First, we had to get an atomic bomb. Second, we had to convince him to stand still long enough to let us blow it up in front of him. Eli had his silly moments but if we ever tried that he would probably run away screaming and want nothing to do with us ever again. Not that I blamed him. I saw first hand the damage such a weapon had. The shadows forever burned into the walls of buildings after their owners disintegrated, was not pleasant images. Anthony had been a relief worker back then, just before I became his Guardian, and had never fully recovered from the horror, a feeling passed down to Eli. Although I suppose anyone with even half a brain would run away if I said I wanted to test their shielding against an atomic bomb. Go figure. “Now that you’ve finished scaring him, what’s for breakfast?” Cleo’s sudden voice nearly made me jump. Suddenly he was leaning over me, his big hands on my shoulders as if he thought I might bolt. I certainly felt like it. Long before he was near me, I should have sensed him. Instead, he nearly scared me, and that was more than a 114

Fallen little frightening. Okay, new rule, no more humping like wild animals unless our metaphysical shields are at max and maybe it won’t screw up my senses so much. I didn’t like the way this was affecting me and it was beginning to scare me. His hands slid down my arms to cup my elbows as he kissed my cheek. “Did I ever tell you how good you smell? I can almost eat you.” Magick danced along my skin. Residue from the vast amount we had expended in our little threesome and a mix of his own magick. His power made my body vibrate with the strange tingling. It had a mind of its own and no matter how I tried to force it back, it was trying to push its will upon me. What’s happening to me? Why am I suddenly so sensitive to the magick around me? “Your food’s in the microwave,” I said as evenly as possible, but an edge of coldness seeped in. I didn’t want to be rude but I needed some space, some time to think. What’s wrong with me? Either he understood or he didn’t but he let go of me nonetheless. A lopsided grin made him look far younger than his years. He got his food out of the microwave then sat next to me, moving in a little closer then necessary. Great, he doesn’t understand. I scooted over a bit to give more room. Thankfully, he stayed put. For several minutes we ate in a comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts. Eli picked at his food, obviously distressed about the possible demon situation. Nothing Cleo or I could have possibly said would have made him feel better. So instead, I kicked him under the table. He jumped, dropping his fork full of uneaten egg and then glared at me. “Selena!” he barked. I did my best to look innocent and pointed to Cleo, 115

M. J. Spickett but Eli knew me far too well. We played this game since he was very young. I wasn’t surprised when he suddenly kicked me back and made a face. I returned it with one of my own. The little diversion was enough to bring him out of his misery, exactly as I had hoped. Cleo looked from me to Eli and back again, as if we were completely out of our minds, even though he had seen us do this countless times before, sort of like a strange ritual between us. At least we weren’t rolling around on the floor, rough housing and play fighting as we used to. We had grown up since then…well, maybe not. He cleared his throat. “If you two are finished…I was thinking about going down town while you’re out. Maybe do a little shopping. It’s been decades since I walked amongst men.” Perfect day for it, too. Through the open window, I saw the sun shine into our backyard. There didn’t appear to be a cloud in the sky. The fountain Eli, Nathaniel, and Scott had built two summers ago was bubbling happily and the flowers surrounding it were all in bloom. I could see the beginning of vegetation peeking out of the earth in our little garden. In a few more months, we could harvest our crop. If I didn’t have to work, I might have considered going to the beach. It’s been a long time since I had gone for a swim. The weather was oddly warm for late April. “That sounds like a good plan.” Eli agreed. He finally gave up on his breakfast. He scraped it into the garbage then rinsed his plate. “We can meet up for lunch. How does Luigi’s sound?” “Good to me,” Cleo agreed. 116

Fallen I shook my head. “Can’t make it. I have that case and I need to talk to Nate then spend most of my day in the lab. We’ve got evidence coming out of our ears.” “Joy. We’ll just leave that to you.” “Yeah, thanks. Let’s just hope we find out who’s doing this. Preferably today. There has to be fingerprints or DNA or something to link the murderer.” I sighed. I used to promise that I would never bring my work home with me, but considering Eli was planning on getting into the same field of work letting him have a taste of what I had to deal with couldn’t hurt. “If we’re lucky, we can wrap this case up fast.” “I certainly hope so,” Eli muttered. He planted a kiss on my lips before he headed for the garage. “I’ve got to get going. How about we go out for dinner tonight? Or maybe clubbing?” I slapped his arm and pointed toward the door. “Get your lily white butt to school before I have Dan ground you, or better yet, give you detention.” He only laughed. “Like Uncle Dan would ever do that. I’m twenty now, remember? I can go to the bar, vote, and anything else I might choose to do.” “That’s it! No sex for a week. Now shoo!” Growing up was definitely not on his to do list. He stuck out his tongue like an over grown child and managed to slap my ass before he darted out the door. I threw a small spell ball at him for good measure and received a satisfying yelp of surprise as the door slammed shut. I let out a breath I had not known I’d been holding and slumped against the closed door. With Eli at school under the careful scrutiny of Dan and Nathaniel, I had nothing to fear. He could take care of himself anyway. He 117

M. J. Spickett was a third degree black belt, master mage, Oracle, and one of the most brilliant people I knew. Even when he was acting his most childish, I knew his brain was calculating hundreds of different situations and coming up with countless ways to deal with them. I had no doubt he would come up with a plan to find this cult, probably before I did. That could get annoying sometimes. Finishing off my food, I waited for Cleo to eat his so I could fill the dish washer. Since Eli fixed breakfast, dishes were my job. I was never very domestic, something Anthony had to teach me. Even then, it had been years after his death that his sister, Mae, had made me get into the habit. Once the dishes were loaded and the kitchen cleaned, I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair where I left it the night before. “Is there any place you want me to drop you off?” I asked Cleo as I fished out my car keys from the jacket pocket. “Thanks, but no. I thought I might walk.” He brushed his long hair back behind one ear. “Hey, you did a good job, they can pass for human,” I remarked as I reached up to touch one smooth ear. They were no longer pointy but perfectly rounded. I had to force myself to stop before I touched him. If I did, we were more than likely to end up back in bed. Every inch of my body wanted him and Eli again already, so badly it nearly hurt. He shrugged his large shoulders. “Eli did it. We couldn’t do anything about my skin color though. My glamour spells aren’t as strong as they used to be and Eli seems unable to find the appropriate shade of brown. He keeps turning me gray. I was thinking of cutting my hair.” 118

Fallen “Don’t!” I blinked and surprised myself with my outburst. “I could have killed Nate when he cut his. There’s too few fey who will even show a part of who they are.” His brows rose the nearly his hairline. “But you said…” “I know, but…don’t. Please.” The smile that lifted his lips was one of pure joy. It faltered a moment later. “I’m sorry.” His hand cupped my cheek and brushed back my hair to reveal one of the many hickeys him and Eli had rained down on my body. “For what?” His entire focus seemed to be on that hickey. “If I hurt you.” I covered his hand with mine and smiled up at him. “It’s a good hurt. I don’t regret it.” His posture relaxed. “I thought you were angry.” “At myself, not you.” “You should never be mad at yourself.” His fingers gently tilted my chin up to him. I held my breath as his lips neared mine. Goddess, this must be how a school girl feels waiting for her first kiss. This is ridiculous. I am fey, more than a thousand of years old. I shouldn’t be feeling this awkward. The moment his lips met mine, my whole body felt as if it were on fire. For a moment, our bodies felt as if they were one. My arms wrapped around his neck and I pushed my body against the length of his. I wanted to touch him, to feel every inch of him, to have him own and possess me as only a lover could. A lover like Eli, not Cleo. Pushing away, I panted with the force of stopping myself from doing something foolish. I felt breathless and 119

M. J. Spickett weak, as if Cleo were the very air I needed to breathe. “You better go to work,” he said softly against my forehead, apparently as breathless as I was. I nodded dumbly, but didn’t move, as if I were rooted to that one spot. It took a moment to shake myself back to reality. “Work…damn, yes! Okay, I’ll see you tonight.” I was about to kiss him again but thought better of it. Each kiss bought me closer to losing my mind. Perhaps keeping a little distance between us for a few hours might be good. He however, did manage to give me a peck on the cheek as I headed for the door. “Don’t forget to contact Nathaniel,” he reminded me. I smiled like a child given a brand new toy and went to my Porsche, opened the garage door, and drove off. My life was now complicated, but in a good way. For the first time in a very long time, I was truly happy, as if I stood on cloud nine and nothing on heaven or earth could destroy it. I should have known better. **** Finding Nathaniel, despite the humongous number of students and teachers at Ravenwood University, was rather simple. He rarely spent time in his and Dan’s joint office unless grading papers or talking to his master and best friend. With both of them working full time and Nathaniel running the New Age shop, Nightshade, they rarely saw each other until after work. Even then, only for a few hours until Nathaniel went on patrol or home to Scott. No matter how much I complained, Nathaniel’s life was far more complicated than mine was. I don’t even think he has a social life beside our little family. 120

Fallen I found him in the garden, sitting on the edge of the water fountain depicting two huge lions attacking one another. A stack of folders sat at his feet, but he wasn’t looking at them, instead his focus was off somewhere in the far distance. In his jeans and blue t-shirt one could have easily mistaken him for a student. Hell, there were days when I still thought he was a student, not a soon to be professor of the occult. He certainly didn’t dress the part. I took a seat beside him and glanced over the folders at our feet. Exam papers? Perhaps, although it still seems a little early in the season. Aren’t exams in May? That is still several weeks away. There’s definitely enough folders. Nathaniel didn’t seem to notice or care. In fact, he hadn’t even noticed me yet. That’s just plain insulting. Here I am to visit my favorite brother and he has the gall not to even notice I’m here? The nerve of him! I poked him in the rib, taking great pride when he jumped. His violet eyes were wide when they turned to me, completely surprised by my sudden appearance. The look was precious. He blinked. “Selena? What are you doing here?” “Can’t I come and see my favorite brother?” I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him close. Tiny shivers raked his lithe body. Surely, I hadn’t frightened him. “Hey, what’s wrong? Are classes not going well?” “No, they’re fine.” Still the look in his eyes was not fine. They looked hurt, haunted even. Something was definitely not right. “What happened? Scott and you didn’t-” He shook his head quickly. “No, no, we’re fine.” He sighed and looked back in the distance. “I’m not sure 121

M. J. Spickett what’s happening, Selena. Can’t you feel it? The Ethereal Realm. It’s all chatter. I can’t make heads or tails out of it.” It’s been a long time since I allowed my mind to wander through the Ethereal Realm, the fabric of space between this realm and the next. I could move through it like any other fey, sense it when I needed to, but I rarely listened into it as Nathaniel did. It served as a doorway to the numerous realms that existed throughout the world that anyone of magick could use. As the Guardian of the City, Nathaniel had to focus on it to know the goings and comings of other magickal beings in order to prevent demons from entering our world. He would be the first to notice if something was wrong. The way he was acting there was definitely something wrong. I let my mind wander into the other realm of consciousness and dropped my shields enough to allow the magick of the city to fill me. The magick was a rush, like riding one of those really fast roller coasters at the theme parks. My stomach felt as if it had hit the ground. The chatter of thousands of thoughts was the first to assault my mind. I pitied psychics, the pure bloods, the ones tied to the Ethereal Realm 24/7. Those precious few who could not control their power, often viewing their gifts as curses, often ended up in the nut houses or killed themselves. A real shame really. They could have become powerful Watches if someone had taught them from birth. Goddess only knows how much we needed more of them. However, many psychics never got the training they needed because their parents either didn’t know about their gifts or simply didn’t understand. They were the ones I feared for. Power could corrupt but untrained 122

Fallen power could destroy entire worlds. Swimming through the clutter of thoughts was like swimming through mud. I raised my shields enough to filter through the thoughts and track down the energy signatures of magick users. You couldn’t sense most magick users’ thoughts, their own personal shielding prevented it, but I could detect what was human, fey, vamp, or other. I located over a dozen extra signatures that shouldn’t have been there, six vamps and seven fey. That was unusual, I had only sensed one new magician. That explained at least two of the fey. Sure Ravenwood was at the cross roads of magick with two rivers intersecting at the center, but this was unusual even for this city. Nathaniel watched me as my mind sifted through the energies. I tried hard to locate their whereabouts but could not. Their shielding was far stronger than any other creature I ever sensed before. And they felt far darker, as if stepping into a void which would suck me in if I were not careful. Something sensed me. Whether fey or vamp, I could not be certain. Its darkness moved toward me in tendrils of shadow to try to get a feel for who was invading their space. I knew how to protect myself against such attacks. Enforcing the psychic bubble around my essence, like a metaphysical shield to protect my mind and body, I mentally reached out once more. I didn’t like the feeling I got from these newcomers and suspected that some of these people were involved in the strange happenings in Ravenwood. If I concentrate just a little harder, allow those tendrils of dark magick touch me, I will find the answers to all my questions. All I have to do is drop my shields and let them in. 123

M. J. Spickett Let them in… “Selena!” I gasped when I felt strong hands grab my arms. My eyelids snapped open and reality rushed back to me in a wave of dizziness. I doubled over. The urge to vomit filled my senses. Nathaniel knelt before me. His hands rubbed up and down my arms. I felt cold inside. A chill ran the length of my spine as goose bumps danced along my skin. His hands, usually quite cool to the touch, warmed me. My stomach rolled with a queasiness I could not explain and feared if Nathaniel moved I might throw up on his lap. Thankfully, he knew what to do. The palm of one hand went to my forehead and he began to chant a simple healing incantation. It quickly eased the sickness within until it became a numb ache in my belly. “Do you see what I mean?” he finally asked when he was certain I could sit up on my own. “All of the chatter?” “The darkness…it’s like a cancer. It’s spreading outward. I can still feel it.” I stared at him. Tears ran down my cheeks in a steady stream and I couldn’t understand why, let alone stop them. “What’s going on, Nate? What’s happening to us, to Ravenwood?” “It’s not just Ravenwood, it’s everywhere,” he answered, his voice serious but still held that everlasting gentleness. “What is it?” “A sickness that’s claiming all fey, all around the world.” His eyes flashed silver in unspeakable anger. “War is brewing, unlike any we have seen in a thousand years.” 124

Fallen I could only stare at him, my jaw dropped in astonishment. War between the fey after all these years? Great, just great! Not only do I have some crazed cult to track down but now a possible war between the clans. Can my day get any better? “How long?” was all I could manage. My chest felt tight. The darkness still pushed at the edges of my mind and even my metaphysical shield was unable to force it back. If the fey went to war then nothing on heaven or earth could save the human race. They would be caught in the cross fire, forcing those who survived to choose sides or become slaves. The last Great War had nearly wiped out their entire race as well as our own. And I had no idea how to stop it.

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Chapter Twelve

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athaniel promised to meet me for lunch. It gave me just enough time to check in at the station and collect the latest data on the case, do some work in the lab, and head back to the university. I was tired, my brow sweaty and hair slightly mussed from the hours of working in the lab. The weather was hot for mid April. None of the labs had AC yet, which meant we had to bear with the heat for a few more weeks or until someone got smart and turned the blasted thing on. Unfortunately, I had no clue where the controls were located. Otherwise I would have done it myself. Neatly labeled evidence bags littered the tables in the lab, waiting for my return. Thankfully, the heat was not likely to cause any damage. Anything that needed to stay cool we shoved into the freezer for safe keeping. Trying to make sense of it all was tedious work and no where as easy as they depicted it in the movies. Worse, I had the mother of all migraines from the residual magick still clinging to everything. If I hadn’t taken a break when I did, it would have driven me mad. I was almost certain that was a part of the spell—that in some way it had subdued the victims enough for the suspect or suspects to capture and kill them. This was definitely doing a job on the PID. We 126

Fallen sent a good share of the evidence to the main crime lab after two of our psychics passed out and one witch accidentally lost control of her powers. Today was not shaping up to be a good day. As much as I objected, Nathaniel wanted to bring Dan into the fold, to let him know exactly what was going on, not that either of us really knew. I couldn’t really argue. Dan was already involved, whether he knew it or not. If this cult were using powerful magick users as sacrifices both Eli and Dan, as well as their families, were in danger and need protection. Of course, when Nathaniel said Dan he often meant Scott as well, so it was no great surprise to find the three men sitting in the far corner of the college pub. Once Dan saw me, he waved over the waitress and ordered me a Caesar. Technically cops aren’t supposed to drink while on duty but by then I was willing to make an exception. I needed it. Shuffling into the booth next to him, I happily placed a kiss on his cheek as I had once done with Anthony when I viewed him as a father figure as I now did Dan. Funny that. I was far older than either of them, but I saw them as fathers. Perhaps because of how mature they were. I hoped I never viewed Eli in such a manner. Daniel returned the kiss on my forehead. “You look beat, sweetheart,” he said in his soothing voice that had an eerie way of calming anyone. “I am,” I admitted, but refrained from leaning on his shoulder as I might have Eli or Anthony. Not that Dan would have minded. Hell, he probably would have welcomed it. From the day we moved to Ravenwood Dan had pretty much adopted Eli, Cleo and me. Why shouldn’t I feel like one of his daughters? 127

M. J. Spickett The waitress, obviously a college student working through a spare period, hurried over with my drink and asked what we wanted for lunch. We all ordered pretty much the same thing, hamburgers or deli style sandwiches. Our jobs requiring us to hurry back to our offices, we didn’t really have time for anything else. Once she was out of earshot, Scott became serious. The broad-shouldered intern, who could have passed for a football star, studied me, or maybe the residual magick that clung to me, for a long moment. I never knew when it came to him. “So this cult…you’re sure its just vamps and not fey?” The question took me by surprise. He hadn’t even warmed up to it, but then Scott rarely did. If he were more than a quarter fey he could easily have been an Enforcer. He had the mind and heart for it. With short, well kept, black hair and brown highlights, he was one of Eli’s few living relatives who looked like him, even though six years older. Cute, but firmly taken by Nathaniel, although I often questioned that. “No, unfortunately I’m not,” I admitted. I felt a little foolish at my earlier assumptions. “Here, check this out. I spent half the morning fighting with the bloody computer to identify the compounds in one of the vials we found at the crime scene. Now we know why there was no resistance.” Nathaniel leafed through the folder I had thrown on the table until he found what I was talking about. He glanced at me in horror. “Athymen? That’s worse than Ecstasy! They were probably so stoned that they enjoyed every moment of their death. They could be gutted alive and feel as if it’s the best time of their lives.” 128

Fallen “Are you serious?” Scott demanded in shook. He glanced from Nathaniel to me. “Look, I’ve seen junkies show up in the ER under the influence, but you can’t tell me this is worse than EX or heroine.” “A lot worse,” I confirmed. “If I were to spray even a small fraction on you it would be like your wildest night with Nate. Maybe even better. No offence, Nate.” “None taken” Nathaniel turned in his seat long enough to look his husband in the eye. “Remember that night in Toronto, after we got married…” Leave it to Nathaniel to make Scott turn as red as a tomato. The blush ran up his neck until it reached his ears. Besides, Nathaniel and Scott were one of the cutest couples I knew. They’d been married just over a year and a half, courtesy of the new Canadian laws put into effect several years ago. Of course that was one law that many people were still fighting over for reasons I found foolish. “Wow,” Dan murmured, eyeing the two. “If it has that effect, it’s no wonder they didn’t fight. The perps could have just knocked on their door and sprayed them in the face. After that they could have made the vics do anything they wanted before killing them.” “Exactly,” I agreed and drank down the rest of my Caesar. I felt more than a little annoyed by the situation. How the hell could vamps get a hold of Athymen? Great, Athymen and a Demon Realm incantation are on the loose in Ravenwood. My day is going exceptionally well. Only one answer made any sense, and I hated the mere thought of it. As if reading my thoughts, which wouldn’t have surprised me, Nathaniel voiced what I was thinking. “This new group of fey may have joined up with the rogue vamps. It’s the only logical explanation for both the 129

M. J. Spickett Demonitcia and Athymen being released from the mound. I’d just like to know how they pulled it off.” “Some of the fey had to have been guards. Even then, how could they get it out of the mound? The Seelie’s high security is common knowledge. Trust me. The Seers know everything that happens within the mound. Only a powerful psychic could possibly block their Sight. Even then it’s next to impossible.” I frowned. “Unless the Seelie let them out.” “Why the hell would they do that?” Scott countered. He hushed when he saw the waitress returning with our food. “To restart the war,” I said simply. Nathaniel didn’t need convincing. His face told the rage and horror he felt at the notion of war. He, like I, had fought many fey wars, Seelie versus Unseelie, fey versus goblins, fey versus humans, and fey versus vamps. The worse had been the fey versus trolls. Many fey died in that one. Once, hundreds of years ago, Nathaniel and I were on the opposite sides of the war. He was Seelie, a member of the light court, while I was Unseelie, one of the dark fey. By all rights, we shouldn’t have got along, but we did, oddly well too. That was due first to Anthony then to Eli and Dan. We virtually become brother and sister in every sense of the word but blood. If the courts went to war, they would call us back to our respective courts to fight, and force us to take our respective sides. If the demons are unleashed and the Seelie somehow manage to get them under their control then they will wipe the Unseelie out of existence, followed by any other race that might oppose them. Shit! “So what do we do?” Dan finally asked once he had 130

Fallen taken this all in. His warm brown gaze regarded me for a long moment. “Selena, honey, are you okay?” I rubbed my forehead and sat back, my sandwich untouched. My stomach growled in hunger but I couldn’t eat. “No, I’m not. I’ve been feeling sick all day. I don’t know, maybe Cleo’s and my magick is fighting each other now that he’s fey again. It never did before though. You don’t think he may have put a spell on me?” That got me a round of chuckles. I looked at the three men in confusion. “What?” “Of course he did,” Nathaniel said with a wicked smirk that I didn’t understand. “Cleo loves you. He’s always loved you. Any spell he might use would only enhance that.” “What?” Even Scott seemed surprised by my confusion. “You mean you’ve never noticed? Wow, and I thought Nate was naive,” he teased, which earned him a hit from said naive person and a kick from me, if only for good measure. “Ow! Hey, I’m just stating facts. It’s not as if I’m the only person to notice that he sleeps with you when not guarding Eli. Come on, Selena, he wouldn’t crawl into bed, nuzzle against you, and fall asleep if he wasn’t interested in you.” “We’re good friends,” I objected, though I knew what he said was true. They are right, there is something more between Cleo and me, but I don’t have to admit it. “Uh huh, so where’d that hickey come from? Eli doesn’t usually leave them so obvious.” My hand instantly flew to my neck but Scott only laughed and reached over to finger the opening of my shirt. “I meant this one, although that one’s kind of nice 131

M. J. Spickett too.” He traced the hickey on the top of the swell of my breast. “It’s almost black.” I slapped his hand away. Sure enough, there was a large black hickey over the swell of my right breast. I must have turned six shades of red in under ten seconds. Scott laugh so loud and hard at that moment that I wanted to hit him. Adjusting my shirt, I managed to glare at him through my embarrassment. “And what are you doing looking?” He gave a toothy grin. “I’m allowed to look. Bi, remember.” “Nate, slap your hubby for me before I hang him by his balls.” Nathaniel only rolled his eyes then glanced at Dan, as if pleading for him to do something to make us grow up. Dan just shrugged and munched on his sandwich. He had two daughters and a son, watching us bicker was nothing compared with some of the fights he had to break up. Scott’s grin grew when he realized no one was going to stop him. “Could be worse. I remember some of those hickeys, bite marks, and bruises from the night Henry possessed me.” He had to mention that. Son-of-a-… “Uh huh, and who was the one with the scabs on his back for a month?” I chuckled. “After I was done with you Nathan kicked your butt pretty good.” “Yeah, well if things get that wild with Cleo and Eli you won’t be walking. Damn, you’d be lucky if you can get out of bed. I heard the stories of what happened in Daan’tema.” “I’m going to kill those two!” I snapped and folded my arms across my chest in a defensive gesture. I suddenly 132

Fallen felt way too exposed right now. “It’s bad enough we slept together but what happened in the mound…that was purely due to magick. What happened between us…that was…that was…” “A psychotic psychic vampire possession that led to one hell of a strange night, yeah I know. Don’t be so up tight.” He made a face, one that should have made me smile, but I didn’t feel up to it then. My sex life was complicated enough without him bringing up the night we had together. It had pretty much been rape for both of us. His body had been possessed, the psychic vampire using him to get to me. It had been an act of revenge against both of us, to shatter our little family unit. It nearly worked too. For nearly a week, neither Scott nor I would speak to each other until he decided to make a joke out of it and nickname me Wildcat because I had clawed up his back so bad he had to sleep on his stomach for nearly a month. Nathaniel had not been at all happy about that. Thankfully, he had forgiven our little transgression. Although he remained a little weary when Scott began joking like this. “Henry is still in England,” I said. However, my mood was sour and it had nothing, or at least little to do with Scott. “I heard he’s getting better. The treatments are supposed to be helping.” Scott’s face became sympathetic. The psychic vampire had been no ordinary person. He had been Anthony’s best friend and Eli’s foster grandfather. I spent many years loving Henry Griphan as a sort of grandfather and Watcher, who cared and loved Eli, Cleo and me equally. Until he betrayed us. The Sinclairs called it a total mental break down. With constant treatment, he would get better 133

M. J. Spickett and learn how to control his gifts. I hoped so, but things would never be the same between us. Trusting him again is something I could never do. “Hopefully he gets better soon,” Scott said with a weak smile. It brightened a moment later. “We could always go another round if it makes you feel better.” My jaw fell open and I gaped at him. He had to be joking. No way could he be serious. Nathaniel was sitting right beside him! As if he sensed my thoughts, Nathaniel jabbed him hard in the ribs. Scott yelped and gave him innocent eyes. No one fell for it. Nathaniel unleashed a small spell ball on his lover that made Scott jump in his seat. It brought a small grin to my lips. “Serves you right,” I taunted in return. “Jackass.” I let loose one of my spell balls and got him on the legs. They would sting for an hour, as if a horde of hornets had stung him. “If you three are done playing, I think we should be focusing on the matter at hand,” Dan finally interjected. He sat back in the booth and wiped his lips with a napkin, his lunch finished. “Selena’s sex life?” Nathaniel and I hit him again with our magick. Another yelp had us both giggling at his antics. Dan sighed. “Kids. One of these days I’d like to have a completely grown-up conversation.” “I thought that was why you married Aaliyah,” I teased, unable to stifle my laughter. His smile was light hearted. He didn’t mind our sometimes childish behavior. Fey blood ran through all of us after all. “Having a banshee for a wife is like having a four year old with a very big water gun. I’m always 134

Fallen cleaning up big messes.” “Funny, she was always the one cleaning up after Eli and me,” I teased. Aaliyah may be a powerful banshee and witch but she was a terrible cook and some of her experiments left a lot to be desired. Dan had to clean the kitchen almost every second day. His brows rose quizzically. “Obviously you haven’t tried her peach cobbler.” “Good Goddess,” I groaned. “Not the cobbler!” “I’ll have her focus on warding the house tonight. At least then she’s not cooking.” “Now there’s a plan,” Nathaniel agreed. “Alexis and Miao are in town one more night, I think. Scott and I’ll come over for dinner before I go on patrol. The more magick users the better the warding, right?” Dan nodded. “You’re both more than welcomed. You and the boys should come over too, Selena. One great big happy family together for dinner.” I would have loved to say yes. I sure as hell wanted to. However, as I learned since I joined the Ravenwood PID, nothing remotely good ever happened to me without the PID crashing upon my good time. My cell phone played a little ditty followed with a vibrating sensation. I unclipped the small mobile phone from my belt and flipped it open. “Hawke,” I announced as I gestured for the guys to be quiet for a moment. “Selena, there’s been another one,” Kayla’s brisk voice answered. I didn’t even get a hello from her. My face must have paled because all three men were suddenly leaning toward me. Dan had even placed his ear next to the cell phone. I adjusted the phone enough for him to be able to listen in. 135

M. J. Spickett “Where?” “On the corner of Second and Davies,” I glanced at Scott and Nathaniel as fear filled me. “That’s close to the store,” I muttered. Goddess! This is hitting a little too close to home. Kayla’s voice seemed unusually high pitched, as if something was in her throat. It took a lot to get her upset. “There’s a kid involved this time.” “How old?” “Three, maybe four years old.” Goddess! There weren’t many child magick users. At such a young age, their magick was still untapped and easy to access if someone knew what they were doing. Eli had been a little hellion until he started his training at the age of seven. The potential this young child had was untouched and now it no longer existed. “I’m on my way,” I announced and had already shuffled out of the booth. The rush hour traffic still filled the streets, but if I took the back roads, I could make it to the crime scene in fifteen minutes, twenty tops. Kayla stopped me. “No. Go to the lab. We’ve got things covered here. Murdock’s delivering the bodies to autopsy and the evidence bags to the lab. I need you to sort it all out.” “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” For several heartbeats, the line was silent. I feared she may have hung up on me, or worse, we lost the connection, but then a soft sigh filled the line. “The family had faery blood in them. Half breeds, I believe. I didn’t want-” “I can handle it, Kayla,” I assured her, although I wasn’t really so sure myself. I didn’t know we had a fey 136

Fallen family living in Ravenwood, although I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. Such a large variety of magick users lived in the city anything was possible. “I’ll meet you at the lab.” I hung up, clipped the cell phone back on my belt, and gazed at the guys. “Rain check on dinner?” I asked Dan, kissing his cheek. “Sure thing, honey,” he agreed and returned the kiss. “You just be careful. Don’t be afraid to send Eli and Cleo over if you’re worried about them.” “I will,” I promised, waving good-bye to them. Some days I really wished I had a mundane job like Dan and Nathaniel. The only lab they ever had to be in was in the field doing electronic voice phenomena or some archeological dig related to the occult research. Yeah, a nice calming job like that was what I needed. Problem was, I was a better warrior than scientist.

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Chapter Thirteen he police department was located in one of the oldest buildings in Ravenwood. Surrounded by towering skyscrapers and office towers, it looked like a small dwarf fighting to stay aloft in a world that had modernized around it. Yet despite the old red bricks and cracked cement steps leading to the front doors, Ravenwood PD was ahead of its time. Some of the most high-tech crime solving equipment found in Canada hid behind that brick and concrete. It had not been a federal grant, or even a municipal grant that provided such a grand gift for the department but from a private detachment from Interpol, sponsored by a powerful magickal family in England. The Sinclairs had a lot of power in the British government, power that stretched all the way to Canada and the United States. Their power was unfathomable, and they kept Eli and me financially secure over the years. To face facts, I wasn’t that good with money. The Sinclair banks handled just about everything for me, from the mortgage on the house to everyday bills. In reality, the donation was to fund the development of the Paranormal Investigation Division. It had been, and still was under the direction of Richard Sinclair. He organized the program, hand picked each member, and

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Fallen even built a new wing at the back of the old building. I was thankful for that. With the new wing came an elevator, huge plexi-glassed in labs with the latest equipment. It looked more sterile than the old lab and not nearly as cozy. In a way, this was better for us. We moved the main crime lab onto the first floor and took the second for the paranormal crime lab. Our old lab now consisted of offices for head investigators and a shielded lounge and common room where our psychics and magick users could relax away from any material that left a psychic echo. I didn’t bother going to my office. Nothing there that I needed right then. Instead, I made my way one floor down to the paranormal autopsy lab, which we kept separate from the normal autopsy lab. This was mainly because some of the creatures we brought in were so far from looking human and we needed someone of magick to deal with them. Having a coroner pass out at the sight of an actual Neshimion convinced Kayla and Richard we needed someone with paranormal experience. That’s when they brought in Doc. Doc was definitely not human or fey, despite his appearance. He was dgini, a demon related to the genies. But no matter what he was, he was the best coroner we ever had. He hunched over the bodies of the three victims and unzipped each bag one at a time appearing as if he glided between the bodies. For all I knew he very well might have. No one knew exactly what kind of power he had, only that he could handle death better than most. My gaze passed over the bodies, expression emotionless and professional. Doc barely looked up as I 139

M. J. Spickett moved through the large room. I took a moment to study each victim, noting that the wife had been a half breed— half human, half fey—while the husband was a pure breed elf. The difference between elf and fey? Nothing really. Elf was simply the Scandinavia word for the sidhe fey. Their skin was a little darker and hair usually brown or black. There were those with lighter hair but even they are called fey these days. He had been a handsome fey in life and even in death he held a certain amount of power. I gave him and his wife a brief prayer to find happiness in Summerland. The child was a little girl. She appeared to be about four years of age, and was undoubtedly cute. She had her father’s dark hair and mother’s pale complexion. There was no way to mistake her for a human. The tips of her pointed ears reached higher than most pure blood sidhe, which meant there was pixie mixed in her blood somewhere down the line. Even her eyes tilted enough to give away her true nature. My heart ached for her. Being a mix breed was hard. I too, had pixie blood within me. A part of me wondered if the girl could manifest wings as I did. Less than a handful of sidhe could. Something moved within me. The tingling sensation in the pit of my belly surged again. Almost against my will, I reached out and touched the girl’s pretty cheek. The ache in my heart grew. Surely, it was a crime to allow one so young to die. I never had children but I wanted them with all my heart. However, I doubted the Goddess would ever allow it. Over the countless centuries, I took far too many lives to be allowed to create one of my own. All I could do was protect those who could not protect 140

Fallen themselves, by stopping this murderous cult as quickly as possible. Unlike the other victims, this family’s souls had already made the crossing to Summerland. Nonetheless, no matter how long someone’s been dead, no matter the method they may have died, everyone left a psychic echo of themselves. This was a known fact to me. I should have known better than to touch a murder victim without my shields at full. For that matter, I was quite certain my shields were on full when my hand fell upon her cheek. Nevertheless, I found myself suddenly assaulted by the echoed thoughts and memories of the dead child before me. In my mind’s eye, I transported out of the autopsy lab into a child’s bedroom. The little girl sat on a soft beige carpet before the bed and played with her dolls. She looked like just any other four year old, seemingly happy and content, oblivious to the world around her. However, children were not as blessedly ignorant as many people would like to believe. The little girl, Bethany, sensed me, as if we were really in her room and she was more than an echo of her former self. She gazed up at me with sad green eyes that called out to me for help. Every instinct in me screamed that this was only an echo, that Bethany could not really see me, but something more primal, more maternal seemed to take a hold of me. I knelt to her level and offered a kind smile, some part of me hoping she could tell me who had done this to her, who exactly had murdered her mommy and daddy. “Hi there,” I said softly. She licked her lips. “Hello.” 141

M. J. Spickett That was good, if not a little weird, we could communicate, I had only hoped for this. Echoes usually didn’t talk. They just reenacted the last minutes of their life time and again. A light shown behind her eyes that shouldn’t be there. Damn, her soul is still trapped in her body. Why didn’t I sense it as I did the others? Bloody Elven shielding! I forced myself to keep smiling. “That’s a pretty doll. What’s her name?” “Elektra.” She eyed me curiously. “What’s yours?” “Selena. I’m here to help you.” Tears sparkled at the edges of her eyes. Her arms wrapped around her doll, as if the small piece of plastic could protect her from all harm. I wondered if she had done the same thing when the cult had come to her home. “It’s too late. We’re already dead.” A cold chill ran the length of my body. She knew she was dead. How much had she witnessed? “Then maybe you can help me. Do you remember the people who hurt your mommy and daddy?” Bethany opened her mouth to answer, shut it, and then opened it again. Before she could even utter a word, the sound of an argument broke out just outside the bedroom door. Bethany’s eyes grew incredibly wide with fear. I stood. My hand fell to my sidearm out of habit. “No!” Bethany cried as she jumped to her feet. Before I could react, she pushed me backward into her closet. “Be quiet,” she urged as she closed the double sliding doors in front of me. My view was limited to what was in front of me when I peered through the slits in the wood paneling. I wanted to call her back, open the doors and walk out, but I stopped myself as her bedroom door opened 142

Fallen and two large men in black masks and ceremonial robes walked in. At first, I thought they were sorcerers, but upon second glance I knew exactly what they were, Druids of the Black Order. I could sense the vampire and fey within them even without seeing their faces, just as I could sense their magick and warrior blood run through them. The taller of the two was broad shouldered and obviously fey by his thick accent. “Hello, little one,” he said and knelt before Bethany. “Are you ready to see your parents?” Bethany nodded as she took the fey’s hand with all the wide-eyed innocence of any four year old. “Can I?” I screamed then and fought desperately to get out of the closet. Somehow I had to save the child. But trapped and forced to relive the last minutes of her life, I pounded my fists against the doors as my cries became hoarse. However, it did nothing to attract the attention of the murderers, as if to them I didn’t exist. In a way I didn’t. Not to the black druids at least, only to Bethany as she showed me what happened. “I don’t get it,” the vamp said as his partner stood. “If the Halfling and the pure blood couldn’t open the portal than why bother with the kid?” The fey held Bethany’s hand tightly. “The blood of innocents holds more power than any elf lord. Don’t you, Bethany?” The little girl shrugged her slim shoulders. Then, still holding his hand, followed them out of her room to relive her death. After they left the room, something released me from the closet. I threw the doors open and ran out. Mentally, I 143

M. J. Spickett knew there was nothing I could do to save her. Bethany and her parents had been dead for hours, but I still ran after them. I caught a glimpse of them as they descended the stairs at the end of the hall and ran toward them. Yet no matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t reach them. The hall seemed to stretch out forever. Every step I took seemed to add another ten to the distance to the stairs until all I had was tunnel vision. Bethany was gone when I finally reached the steps. I took the steps two at a time and hoped beyond hope to make it to her before they killed her. Unfortunately, not even the fey could prevent the enviable. The living room was like an ocean of blood. Unlike the first crime scene, which had been relatively spotless, the victims blood covered this one. Of course, there was a good reason for this. Vamps could not take the blood of a fey, unless they were masters. Something in our blood attacked the vamps, often killing them or driving them insane. Those who lost their minds usually became addicted to fey blood, often going to great lengths to find their victims and getting themselves killed for their efforts. Bethany’s parents hung crucified style over inverted pentagrams as the other victims had. Nothing new or surprising there, except Bethany now lay on the floor between them, an inverted pentagram under her. Her throat slit open and still gushing blood. There were a dozen or so people in a circle around her. I wasn’t really certain of the number as I focused solely on the child on the floor. Her green eyes stared up at me and I watched as the light slowly faded from them as the tears fell down my cheeks. The leader of the druids was leaning over her, an iron 144

Fallen blade clenched in his left hand. Blood dripped from the blade, each drop echoing as it hit the ground. A thumping sound pounded in my ears. “No!” I cried and reached for Bethany, but of course, I couldn’t touch her, not anymore. Before moving beyond my reach, she showed me what I needed to know and then passed on to Summerland. Jolted back to reality by what felt like a hard shove backward, my body reacted in kind. As I stumbled back away from the body, arms caught me before I fell. I gave a started cry of surprise as it jarred me completely back to reality. Bethany’s body lay on the autopsy table between the bodies of her parents, as still and silent as only the dead could. “Selena, easy. Easy girl. Stop struggling, no one’s going to hurt you.” My breath was shaky as I blinked and gazed up at the tall man that held me. I hadn’t realized I had been struggling. It must have been reflex. I felt cold, my body covered in sweat. My gaze met Doc’s and for one frightful moment his sheer height made me fell like a helpless child, as Bethany must have felt before they killed her. Doc seemed to tower over me. Yet despite being of demon blood his eyes were warm, far warmer than I’d ever seen them before. He carefully turned me around and took me out of the autopsy room to his office down the hall. The office was just as sterile as the autopsy but it also held a lot of his charm. With little memory of how I got there, nor where the cool glass of water came from, I found myself in one of his comfortable leather seats. I held it in both hands, relishing the coolness against my skin, but could not bring 145

M. J. Spickett myself to take even one sip. My stomach rolled with nausea as Bethany’s echo ran through my mind. All the druids wore masks, although they killed all their victims and left no witnesses, except for the souls left trapped in the bodies due to some side effect of the spell. Doc sat on the edge of his oak desk, not exactly standard for the police department, and eyed me. “Well, I haven’t seen you react that way since you first joined the department,” he mused. “I was here before you,” I reminded him, but he only raised one bushy, grey brow. I knew next to nothing about Doc. Perhaps the dgini had been here before me. He could have been in another division of the labs and I wouldn’t have known it. He certainly knew his way around. “Besides, we’ve never had souls trapped in their carcasses before. It’s better me than one of our psychics. I’ve got better shielding.” “Funny, I would have thought you a novice.” The smirk on his lips was only to bait me but when I didn’t rise to the occasion worry filled his lined features instead. “Selena, you are Unseelie sidhe, a Death fey, this must be something you’ve encountered before.” I shook my head. “Not like this.” “Hmm…I must admit it’s been well over a thousand years since I sensed anything like this,” he admitted. He took the water from me when he noticed I wasn’t going to drink it. He placed it on the counter across the room and began searching a cupboard for something. “Mind you that was back in India while you were still running around in diapers.” “India? What happened back then?” Then a thought occurred to me. “Did it have something to do with 146

Fallen Ishtar?” “Ishtar? Yes, I suppose you could say that. She was tied into it. However, I suppose you might call it Satanism, although it has had many names throughout the eons. It’s still demon worship either way you look at it. Despite what most people think, not all demons are happy with such things. Ah hah! I knew I hid it somewhere. Care for a drink?” He held up a half empty bottle of rum. “This will calm you down. Of course, if Kayla ever found out she’d string me to the flag pole.” “Thank you.” I accepted the water and rum mix happily and drank the whole thing down in one breath. Doc returned to his perch on the edge of the desk and drank deeply from his own glass. “After a thousand years you’d think things might have changed. Yet people still think they can gain the powers of the universe through some incantation to summon demons to this realm and have them do their bidding. We don’t much appreciate it. Do you have any idea how pissed some of us get being trapped here?” “Pissed enough to flood the world,” I muttered. “That was almost twenty thousand years ago and the biggest summoning in history,” he corrected. “The Demoncitia was used on that one. No, the last one was used with a make shift form of it. Druids of the Black Order tried to reconstruct the spell and would have succeeded had they not been missing a crucial verse. They had no control over the handful of demons they managed to conjure. The demons destroyed their entire order before the fey contained them.” He shook his head. “We were lucky then. Demons would destroy a whole race if enraged. Humans, fey…it doesn’t matter to them. They’ll 147

M. J. Spickett kill anything or anyone that gets in their way. Demons simply don’t like being here. Too much water, even in the deserts.” I sighed and sat back. “I never thought of it that way. I always thought demons were fighting to get into this realm. I never thought they were fighting to get back out.” “We are not a race that adapts to change very well.” “You’ve done well,” I pointed out. He patted my knee. “Like you, I’ve had centuries to adapt. Feel any better?” “Not really. I just wish I knew how to stop these people before someone else dies.” Suddenly, I wished the rum had been in a hot mug of tea or even coffee rather than a glass of water. Inside I felt cold, unsure what to do. The druids were going to kill again and I had no idea how to stop them. “Well then, get that cute ass of yours up to the lab and find those bastards,” Doc said. He gave my knee a gentle squeeze then walked me to the door. “Let’s find these supposed druids.” My smile must have lit my face because I’ve never seen Doc beam at anyone the way he did at me, as if we were kindred spirits. We were in a way. Two people trapped in a world not our own. I patted his arm, thankful for the pep talk. I still felt cold inside as I made my way to the elevator, something I would not be able to shake for many days. Goddess, please let today be the day I find these crazies, before they kill again.

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Chapter Fourteen espite evidence and a growing number of victims, we were still stuck on square one. All we had was what Bethany had shown me and what I managed to piece together so far. A group of fey and vamps had teamed together to form a new group of Druids of the Black Order. To control their victims, they used Athymen. They used the victims’ blood along with the Demoncitia, stolen from the Seelie court, to open a portal to the demon realm where a bunch of very angry demons would try to destroy our world unless these druids managed to get some sort of control over them. So far, they had not succeeded which was good in one way but meant there would be more victims piling up until they accomplished their goal. That’s what terrified me. First witches and then fey. It seemed as if the druids were more interested in hybrids, those like Bethany, Eli or even Dan. Among the fey, Eli was a popular target due to his level of magick. It wouldn’t surprise me if the druids did try to make an attempt on his life. I worked most of the afternoon and late into the evening trying to find at least one piece of evidence that might lead me to the culprits with absolutely no success. There was nothing here, no fingerprints, no DNA, no

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M. J. Spickett weapon, nothing. All I knew was the leader of the druids was left-handed and had used an iron-based athame with no particular markings to suggest who made it or where it came from. His accent had been Gaelic but that didn’t help much, many fey and druids hailed from Great Britain. I was beginning to lose hope. They could be out there right now killing some other poor family. The only thing that linked the murders was magick and the inverted pentagrams with crucified bodies nailed on top of them. The problem was that we couldn’t guard all the magick users. Magicians, witches, sorcerers and mystical beings made up more than twenty-five percent of Ravenwood’s population. We certainly didn’t have enough man power to patrol each of their houses or apartments. Putting an alert out would only frighten people, start a riot or worse, start another holy war against those of magick with these druids seen as the good guys doing God’s work. That was the last thing we needed. I sat back at my desk and stared at the computer screen before me. It seemed no matter how hard I stared at it, it still made as much sense as it had before. I wondered if Kayla had called in Richard’s team yet. I hated to call the Sinclairs for help, no matter how many thousands of years their clan had been battling against demons and Druids of the Black Order. The fey in me still had trouble accepting that humans may know more about such things than the fey. I’m biased, I’ll admit that, but obviously, we needed their help. After six hours of working in the lab, I opted for the cozy hominess of my office. Unlike Kayla’s virtual greenhouse of an office, or even the richly furnished of Doc’s, my office lacked the sterile quality of the labs. The 150

Fallen biggest bonus was the big window overlooking the intersecting rivers. I fought to get this space. Had it not been for my rank and pulling in a few favors from the Sinclairs, I would have still have the same closet space I had years ago. I needed open space and plenty of natural light. I gazed outside at the darkening sky. Sunset was only minutes away and the horizon glowed a bright orange. Tomorrow is going to be a hot one. Eli will like that. He hated the cold as much as I did. We were both more than happy when spring came early, which was a rarity in Ravenwood. The last week it had been hot enough to go swimming. The water looked so inviting even from my office. Oh, how I want to solve this case, maybe take some time off. I desperately need a vacation. Leaning my head against the headrest of the chair, I closed my eyes. I am missing something. When Kayla popped in the lab a few hours ago to check up on me, I talked it out with her and told her everything I had seen while with Bethany’s echo. I must have missed something, but what? My head was spinning with possibilities. What I needed was someone else to talk to, someone not of the department or family. That was actually against the rules but if I didn’t talk to someone soon I was going to go nuts. I reached for the phone then paused. There on the phone was the card Lucas McLeod had slipped me at the night club last night. Finding it in my pocket this morning, I taped it to the phone but I’d be damned if I remembered why. For several seconds I simply stared at it, unsure what to do with it. Lucas was a Guardian, and despite no longer holding that title, I still was in many ways. 151

M. J. Spickett Twisting the card in my fingers, I mulled the idea over. Technically, despite being a Guardian, Lucas was a civilian, I could get into a lot of trouble talking to him about an on going case. I shouldn’t get into too much trouble if I didn’t give any specifics. With my coven, I got away with it because they often assisted in many cases, and Eli was in training to become an investigator, while Nathaniel was the Guardian of the City. Not only would Kayla be pissed, I was bound to hear a lecture from Richard as well. I was not looking forward to that. Nevertheless, I needed to talk to someone. My fingers flew across the key pad before I could stop myself and I held the receiver to my ear. I must be crazy for even considering this. After eight rings, I was about to hang up when music blared through the receiver. Not prepared for the sudden blast of sound, I yanked it away from my ear with a cry. Surely, the vamps weren’t up already. The sun was just setting. “Hello? Hello?” Lucas’s thick Irish brogue called over the noise of music and dancers. “Lucas? Damn, are you working?” I yelled back. “What?” “It’s Detective Selena Hawke.” “Detective Hawke? I’ll call you back.” “Wait-” The line went dead. For a moment, I stared at the receiver in surprise. What time is it? Most vamps aren’t stupid enough to come out before the sun is fully set. They must have an underground passage or something. I glanced at the clock. It was eight fifteen. The sun was fully set. Where has the time flown? Damn, I should be home. I hope Eli decided to spend the 152

Fallen night at Dan’s. I was probably overreacting. After all, Cleo could care for him. However, old habits died hard and I preferred knowing he was with his uncle rather than home. Even if Cleo was with him. The boy was stubborn though. I quickly punched in Dan’s number. It rang twice before Alexis picked up. “Dion residence,” she chirped happily. I smiled. Alexis was always so full of energy. Where she got it was a mystery but she definitely took after her father. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane to Spain?” I teased. “Selena? Hi! Nope, Miao and I don’t need to be at the airport until midnight.” “That’s great. I’m sorry I’m not going to be there to see you off,” I said softly. I really did like Alexis. She was like a little sister and I missed her dearly when she was gone. “Is Eli there, hon?” “Yeah, one sec. Eli!” I winced and once again pulled the phone away from my ear. Alexis had a high-pitched voice when she yelled. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she was Aaliyah’s daughter rather than stepdaughter. I knew very little about Dan’s first wife but it wouldn’t have surprised me if she’d had banshee blood. “Selena, where are you?” Eli asked as he took the phone from Alexis. “At work, baby. I have to talk to someone before I can come home.” “How long?” “Another hour, two tops. I promise.” “That’s cool. We’ve got a poker game going.” His voice held a humor I could not feel but smiled 153

M. J. Spickett nonetheless. “Penny or strip?” He laughed and I could hear his embarrassment. “Penny, of course. You know Dan won’t let us play strip poker. Not enough girls.” “Oh, that’s the reason, huh?” I teased. I paused as the line beeped. “Damn, Eli, I got to go. I have a call coming in on the other line.” “Okay, Cleo and I are heading home soon.” “No, wait until I pick you up.” “We’ll be fine.” He hung up before I could object further. With a sigh, I clicked on the second line. I knew Eli wouldn’t listen. He rarely did. Mages! “Hawke,” I announced and sat back in my chair and stretched the cord. I really wished I had a cordless for the office rather than this piece of junk. “Detective Hawke, its Lucas McLeod. You called.” “Yes, thank you for calling back so quickly,” I said and bit back a yawn. Time for more coffee, hmm, there was an idea. “I was wondering if you would come to the station and answer a few questions.” Silence greeted my question. “Mr. McLeod?” “Lucas,” he corrected. “You want me to go to the department? Am I a suspect?” “No,” I said too quickly. I didn’t know this man from a hole in the wall yet I was suddenly ready to defend him. “I’m still in the office and… Oh geez, Lucas, I’m sorry. You’re at work, aren’t you?” “Yes, but I have a break in half an hour. Would you like to meet up for coffee?” he said his voice warm and 154

Fallen inviting, as if he had been reading my thoughts, or maybe that was my imagination. I hesitated. Didn’t I just promise Eli I would be home within the next two hours? I really didn’t have time to go out, but I seemed unable to refuse. “Where?” “The coffee shop on Fifth and Maine? Cecil’s Cyber Café? Have you heard of it?” he asked teasingly. “I’ve heard of it,” I answered and scribbled the address down anyway. “I’ll see you in a half hour.” “Deal.” Why I had agreed to the coffee shop confused me, but what was done was done. Besides, I could use a good coffee. Something better than the crud I drank all these hours. And I haven’t even had dinner yet. I hated missing dinner. Programming the phone to forward all my calls to my cell phone, I grabbed my jacket and shut down my lap top. Turning off the lights, I locked my door then left. The night crew filled the labs now, several waving to me as I left. They got used to me working over time and were usually good about it. Even Thompson quit complaining. I gave the Director a wave as I passed his office and made my way to the elevator. My meeting may be in half an hour but I planned to get there early enough to eat something. **** The café was located two blocks from the vamp club, a five minute walk for Lucas, maybe less. I parked in front of Cecil’s Cyber Café. Bright lights through the windows were like beacons in the dark, while bright yellow walls 155

M. J. Spickett made the place look cheery and the black desktop computers in specifically located booths gave it a sunflower look, far lighter than I liked, or maybe my eyes were finally getting tired. Despite the way the cafe looked, vamps owned and hung out at here. I pushed that thought aside as I purchased a chicken salad wrap and mocha-cappuccino, then sat down at one of the back tables where I could see the entire shop. Vamps and I didn’t get along, and I didn’t trust them not to come up from behind and attack me. Hip hop music filled the speakers but I barely listened to it as I ate in silence. The café wasn’t nearly as loud as at the dance club, only gentle background music. None of the other patrons seemed to notice me, although one or two did check me out when I first came in. I didn’t mind so long as they left me alone. Lucas showed up promptly at nine. He waved then headed to the counter. A few minutes later, he was at my table and presented me with a fresh paper cup full of steaming hot coffee. I smiled gratefully, despite the fact I already had a mug sitting before me. My mug, still half full, was getting cold. “Thank you,” I purred and took the paper cup in both hands. He deposited small sugar packs and creamers on the table then sat down across from me. “I wasn’t sure what you took so I grabbed the ‘usual’,” he said as he stirred some creamer into his coffee. “They have flavor shots too if you’re interested.” “No, thank you. This is great. Besides, I have to be getting home soon.” Okay, maybe pulling overtime is not a good idea. I need to keep to an eight hour schedule rather than this 156

Fallen nonsense. Lucas raised a curious brow. “I thought you worked the night shift.” I shook my head. “No. It’s just this case. Well, I often do overtime and I don’t know why I just told you that.” He only smiled and sipped his coffee. Damn, he was hot. I haven’t dealt with the Irish fey in a long time, more than a century actually. Other than Aaliyah and her family that is, but she was a half-breed and I rarely got to work with her mother who was a full-blooded banshee. Nathaniel was from Spain as was Sif, and Cleo was from Egypt. Despite the fact I was British, I spent most of my life traveling the world rather than spending my time in the United Kingdom. If I had known the Irish fey men were so gorgeous I may have stuck around. His plain white suit shirt and navy cargo jeans were a look few fey went for. Those of faerie were notorious for wanting to dress only in the latest fashions when they interacted with humans. Of course, with our height and slim, athletic builds, humans often took us for erotic models from other lands. It was natural for humans to assign such things to that which they did not understand. Presented with a real life faery, they often mocked us with such television characters as Tinkerbelle. Of course, Mr. Barrie hadn’t been far off the mark when he created that little pixie, it’s just the character incarnations since his death that bothered me. Lucas appeared as normal as any human did, and just by looking at him, no one would know otherwise. It meant he was using a heavy dose of glamour to hide his fey features, but he pulled it off in a way that left little detection or hint of magick. This meant either he had a 157

M. J. Spickett natural gift or was very powerful. “So what’s this case you’re working on?” Lucas asked as he casually changed the subject away from my embarrassment. I shook my head. “It’s an ongoing investigation. Needless to say there’s some strange murders going on and we’re trying to keep the media from catching wind.” “Ah…and I’m a suspect?” “No…well, not yet at least. The suspects are fey and vamp. Since you’re a Guardian and work amongst vamps, I thought you might be able to help me.” His face was one of genuine surprise as he set down his cup. “Oh? I don’t know what help I could be. I’ve only been working at Wolfsbane a few weeks.” “Long enough to hear any rumors of a cult or group of druids forming in Ravenwood? One interested in demon realms?” “Demon realms? No, I don’t reckon I heard anything like that.” He stared intently at the hot liquid in his cup. “I did hear a juicy rumor that the courts may be going back to war and that they might call all fey back to their mounds. Whether that’s before or after the rebellion I’m not sure.” “What rebellion?” His eyes widened with surprise. Apparently, this was supposed to be common knowledge. Well whatever rebellion this was supposed to be I’d never heard of it. His face relaxed after a moment. “This probably started after your master granted you your freedom, maybe even because of it. Anyway, many Guardians have gone up in arms against their masters and courts alike. They want equal rights and freedom of choice like any other person. 158

Fallen Some Guardians have served their masters for centuries and still get treated as slaves. No respect, no freedom to think for themselves, no anything. They’re no better than servants.” I met Guardians in such situations. Several found it so dire they had taken their own lives or killed their masters and themselves. Unfortunately, in countries like Iraq where not even women had rights, the Guardians had far less. Such arrangements were bound to lead to war, but then again they created the Guardians to deal with war. It had been a joint adventure between the Seelie and Unseelie courts. The Guardians were supposed to be a form of protection and “blessing” for the human magick users but was in reality a curse to those who wronged the Dark and Light courts. Our criminals, those who were not considered a threat to society, were turned into “Guardians”, their sole purpose to protect our followers. To assure they would not betray their new master, the courts placed spells over them to tie each Guardian to said human. Should they attempt to harm or kill their master their own life became forfeit. They died along with the human or punished by an eternity with the Will O’ Wisp while their master chose a new Guardian. However, should the human die of natural causes or by accident the Guardian will then protect the next generation. And so it was for centuries. The war between those of magick and those without has existed for thousands of years. Fear drove those who considered themselves normal to hunt down the gifted, the witches, magicians, sorcerers, and shamans alike. They subjected anyone remotely different to ridicule and deceit. Pagans were on the top of that list when Christianity 159

M. J. Spickett made its move through the known world. At first, this war affected only the mortal magick users. Holy wars killed both the innocent and accursed guilty all in the same swipe of a sword, but soon it spilled over into our realm. The Tuatha De Danaan, the nobles of faerie, went to great lengths to avoid human affairs. As much as we loved humans, we were forbidden from interfering in their wars, at least that’s what they told us, but the Seelie and Unseelie rulers were never ones to take their own advice. They made blood pacts with the ancients that soon forced us to intervene. You see, when worshipped as gods, you had certain responsibilities to your followers whether you wanted them or not. This was our leaders’ flaw right from the get go. However, the Queen of Air and Darkness and the King of Earth and Light found a way around their pledge. They offered help, but not in the sense the humans had prayed for. “Did you know that more than half of female Guardians are forced to either marry their masters or be their mistresses?” Lucas continued. He became more animated as he spoke. A rare power suddenly formed in his green eyes, anger resided within him. “Those who don’t are stripped of their power and raped repeatedly until they lose the urge to live and fade away. My sisuh…something has to be done.” “Has anyone appealed to the courts about the abuse? Surely the Elders-” “They don’t care! No one cares!” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All they see is a bunch of criminals trying to get early parole. Let’s face it, Selena, for most of us this is a life sentence.” I didn’t know what to say. I felt for him, I really did, 160

Fallen but other than complaining to the Court Elders or the King and Queen there was little any of us could do. Not even a rebellion would help. The Seelie and Unseelie were simply too powerful. “That’s why I was so worried about you,” he continued, throwing me off balance. I stared at him in confusion. “Me? Why?” He made a gesture to my engagement ring. “Your master freed you then proposed. By accepting, you’re still his slave.” I almost laughed out loud. “Trust me, what Eli and I have surpasses any Guardian-Master propaganda. I’ve cared for him since birth and was there when his parents were murdered. He never learned what it meant to be a master, only a kid brother and friend. We didn’t discover our real feelings for each other until a few months ago.” Okay, that was a lie. Eli had fallen in love with me over a year ago and didn’t know how to tell me until after he gave Cleo and me our freedom. “The point is, you’re still tied to him,” Lucas objected. “By choice.” “And when you have children?” My face fell to a frown and boarded on anger that he would bring up such a subject. “I can’t have children,” I said in a voice nearly a growl. My coffee was cold now but I didn’t care to touch it or anything else then. I suddenly wanted to go home and snuggled between Eli and Cleo before I did something stupid like run Lucas through with the iron dagger tucked in my boot. “It’s late. I need to be going.” The anger was still there as he stood, fey manners dictating how to treat a lady. “We will be free, Selena. No 161

M. J. Spickett matter what it takes or who may die in the process.” I froze at those words and just stared at him for a long moment as my mind tried to make sense of them. In that moment, I knew as surely as I knew my name that Bethany’s murderer stood before me. His left hand had crushed his paper cup, to spill coffee all over his hand and the table as his eyes blazed with an unexplainable fire. Without a second thought, I rushed past him and out to my car. The cool air was like a slap to my face after the heated conversation but I could care less as I jumped into my Porsche and raced home. I needed to think before I made my next move.

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Chapter Fifteen

I

was never so happy to see all the lights on in the house when I pulled up in the drive as I was then. Nevertheless, I did a quick psychic sweep to be sure only Eli and Cleo were inside. I received a small psychic greeting from Eli in response and smiled softly to myself. They were both home, Eli in the kitchen and Cleo in the gym. That is good. Perhaps Eli has leftovers from Dan’s. Damn, I wish I hadn’t missed dinner. That chicken wrap was good but not filling. Dan was one of the best cooks I knew. He helped teach Eli, although the kid was pretty good himself. I winced inwardly. I have to stop thinking of Eli as a kid. He is a grown man now, I have to start acting and treating him like one, especially before we get married. Locking the car in the garage, I went into the house. Sure enough, Eli was putting a plate of food in the microwave. His grin fell as he saw me throw my jacket on the back of a chair. I must have frowned, despite being delighted to see him. With soft sigh, I kissed him. “That wasn’t the greeting I was expecting,” he said and eyed me suspiciously. “What happened? Was there another murder?” I drew a finger down his cheek and along his jaw. My fear of a pending war and the cause behind the black 163

M. J. Spickett druids must have shown because it suddenly reflected in his beautiful tri-blue eyes. Trying to give a reassuring smile, I sighed when it fell short. It’s been a long day all I wanted to do was fall into his arms and let him hold me. “Yes, and I may have a suspect. I need to call Kayla and go on-line for a few minutes before bed.” “Do you need any help?” he offered. “No. I need to do this on my own.” Kissing him again, this time to reassure myself that he was safe, I managed a small smile. “But thank you.” He bit his lip, a simple gesture that made him all the more adorable. “Okay. I’ll bring dinner up to you when it’s ready.” “Sure.” He squeezed my hand then let it go, and I headed upstairs. My personal laptop was where I left it, on the antique oak desk in the corner of the study, next to Eli’s desktop. I flipped it open and logged on. It took only a moment to connect to the internet and access Google. Typing in Lucas McLeod’s name, I began a search, although it was unlikely that I would find any information on him through this method, I had to try. There must be hundreds of McLeods on the net, but there was still a chance. Many Guardians were now more technologically advanced than most humans. They had e-mail addresses, websites, and small e-businesses. We kept together through web rings and e-conferencing. I kept in touch with many British Guardians since we were the first to put together a website to help support new Guardians who were having trouble adapting to the new roles in life. If there really was a rebellion mounting then Marcus or Salvatore would know about it, maybe even know who 164

Fallen Lucas was. Shooting off an e-mail to both of them that stated the urgency of the matter, I let myself relax, if only for a few minutes. It’s unlikely either of them would contact me until morning. They were likely on patrol anyway. Sinclair Estate was half the size of Cambridge. When I finished that, I picked up the cordless, made sure neither Eli nor Cleo was using one of the other phones, and called Kayla. She answered on the third ring. “Hello?” Her voice clogged with sleep and for a moment, I felt guilty for waking her after eleven. She went to bed early compared with me. Well, unless the moon was full or the urge to hunt filled her. “It’s Selena. I may have found a suspect,” I said in a way of apology. “Okay, I’m awake. What did you find?” She sounded more awake but I could hear Kevin murmur in the background. Damn. Now I really feel guilty. “Lucas McLeod. Five foot eleven, red hair, green eyes and slim build. Irish decent. I’m trying to contact someone from the mounds on the Isle of Man.” “Huh? Wait, isn’t that the bartender we met last night?” “Yeah. Well I questioned him tonight and-” “Wait, you questioned him and didn’t bother notifying me first?” I hated it when she got all maternal on me, as if I didn’t know what I was doing in spite of the fact that I was well over a thousand years older than she was. With a sigh, I rubbed a hand across my tired face. “Do you want to hear this or not? I can call Richard instead, but then he’ll fly his own team in from Cambridge. Although, I don’t really feel like dealing with Interpol, if you get my meaning. We’d be loaded with paper work for 165

M. J. Spickett the next month.” I could almost see her frown at the phone. Neither of us like dealing with Interpol, especially whenever there were paranormal happenings. Not even a masked murderer with a hundred victims under his belt got as much paper work as a Redcap gone mad. The thought of the shit involved with a fey-vamp version of the Druids of the Black Order, even after we stopped them, gave me shivers. I only hoped that Kayla was smart enough to keep Interpol out of this one. Of course, we may need them if this gets too far out of hand. “You should have talked to me first. I could have backed you up if things went bad.” The tiredness had returned but the anger was gone. “What’s the bastard’s name again?” There was the Kayla I knew and loved. “Lucas McLeod.” “Hmm…okay. I’ll see what AFES has. Of course I might have to crack into the Interpol mainframe to find something,” she warned. “Yeah, and that’ll bring them down on our laps. Damn. Okay, I’m going to check out my sources in the courts and the Guardians.” I let my breath out slowly and counted down my list of contacts. It would take all night to get a hold of all of them. Maybe I should ask Nathaniel to help since he knew most of them. “Okay, get some sleep. We’ll pick him up in the morning.” “Kayla, we don’t even have an address yet,” I reminded her. “We may have to make an arrest at Wolfsbane.” She sighed. “Fine. I’ll get a warrant to search the club 166

Fallen too. Natasha’s not going to like it, but what the fuck—it’s better to be safe than sorry.” “Cool. I’ll see you in the morning.” “Okay.” I hung up the phone and sat back, staring at the monitor of my lap top. The Google search had come up with hundreds of sites to search, but only a dozen or two for a Lucas McLeod specifically. The first site was for a normal human and his family. None of it any use to me. I was checking out the second site when Eli came in with dinner. He sat the plate on the edge of the large desk then wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his head against mind. “Long night?” he asked gently and kissed my cheek. I turned my head slightly and caught his lips in a slow and passionate kiss. Talking to Kayla had calmed me down enough to let Eli touch me without being afraid of hurting him. After several minutes, we parted. Eli looked a little flushed while my lips were bruised and swollen. I licked them and smiled sheepishly at him. Goddess, he tasted good. “Alfredo and shrimp sauce?” I asked as I stared at his moist, swollen lips. Wanting another taste, I had the urge to lick them. “Yep, sorry it took so long. Cleo got his hands on the other plate before I could stop him,” he said with a lopsided grin. I laughed. “Figures. He probably smelled the shrimp. Bloody cats!” I teased, taking the fork from my plate of Alfredo and shrimp. Taking a mouthful, I relished the creamy sauce. Dan’s cooking was amazing and I wasn’t happy that I had to miss being with the gang for a good 167

M. J. Spickett old fashion family dinner. There were days I really hated being a cop. There were a lot of good things I missed out on these days. Eli moved to my other side, giving me plenty of room as he leaned over my laptop. “Lucas McLeod? Fey or human?” “Fey,” I managed around a mouthful of food. “Then you don’t want to be searching with Google.” He began to type. His fingers danced over the keys with practiced grace. “Remember Nyssa from Miami? She created a search ring for fey and magick users. There’s a whole encyclopedia on magickal creatures and demonology. There’s even a chat line. If there’s anything on these druids it’ll be there.” I could only stare at him as he connected to the website. The website was high-tech, with tons of security, far better than the site I helped create in Cambridge. Eli logged on and did a quick search while I ate. He was amazingly fast as he searched and located the information I needed in a matter of minutes. I swallowed hard when he began to open various files in separate windows for me to read at my leisure. My eyes widened as the number of pages began to mount. I placed the half-eaten plate of food aside and gently pushed Eli away and began to read the articles. Most of the clips were from European news papers regarding unsolved murders that appeared to be the work of a cult. My blood began to run cold with every report that came in from all around the world. All were almost identical to the cases in Ravenwood. Given the timeline, it wouldn’t be long before they moved to another city or country. That didn’t give us much time. 168

Fallen The next page took my breath away. Not only did it have a report on the Druids of the Black Order but also the supposed rebellion. I read it through and horror quickly filled me. “There’s no cult,” I murmured. I nearly forgot Eli was beside me to read the reports as well. “It’s all part of the rebellion.” “They found a way to kill their masters without killing themselves,” Eli finished. He stood back and folded his arms across his chest. A deep frown creased his handsome features. “We have to notify the courts.” “I think they already know,” I said. Somehow, I knew it was true. Although the mounds had yet to access such things as computers or internet there were members of the noble families who lived above ground and reported to the Elders and the rulers everything they heard. “This is bigger than I thought. The victims we found must have been masters…or Guardians who refused to join them.” “Gods, there’s thousands of them. How can we stop an entire army?” “I don’t know.” Worse, I didn’t know what the Seelie or Unseelie would do about it. It could be all out war. “But I do know they’re going to use the demons to destroy the courts.” “The balance between Dark and Light will no longer exist,” Eli quoted from the ancient text of Babylonian demonology he was presently studying in his occult class. I had the same book in my personal library. “What are we going to do? Wouldn’t the courts have dealt with this by now if they knew? The Queen would have sent the Sluagh to destroy every last one of them.” “She’s waiting for something.” I muttered and stared 169

M. J. Spickett at the screen unblinkingly. “But what? What can be so important as to allow so many innocents to die?” We both jumped as Cleo’s dark hand closed my laptop with an audible click. My nerves were suddenly on end. Not a good sign. Between the case, McLeod and the rebellion, I was on edge. There had to be something we could do, but I had no idea what that was. I looked up at Cleo, almost pleading for him to have an answer, to tell me what I must do to make the world right again. But there was no answer in his eyes, only a tired frustration I could not comprehend. “You two should be in bed,” he said bluntly. His face softened. “It’s nearly midnight and you have work in a few hours.” Eli gave a chuckle that held next to no mirth. “And you did promise to jog with me since its Saturday. You both did.” I nodded. “Sure. I need some sleep to think anyway. We’ll gather the coven at noon. Kayla and the team too, and give them a run down of what we’ve learned.” “In the morning,” Cleo repeated. He gently pulled me out of my chair. I let him lead Eli and me into Eli’s room across the hall. I was too tired to do any more than strip and climb into bed. Both men followed me, one on either side. My head cushioned by Eli’s chest and the length of Cleo’s body pressed against my back. But I didn’t feel safe, nor could I sleep. I was terrified. More than I have ever been before. Eventually sleep prevailed and I entered the realm of nightmares.

170

Fallen

Chapter Sixteen

I

t was my turn to make breakfast, perhaps my least favorite job in the world. Let’s face facts, after well over a thousand years of existence I was about as good a cook as the day I was born. I could cook the basics. Scrambled eggs were my specialty. Filling a big bowl full, I put some toast on while the bacon sizzled on the grill. Despite my lack of culinary skill, the food smelled divine. There are times I’ve wanted to take a few cooking classes to improve my skills, although I wasn’t sure when I would find the time. Cleo’s large hand slid down my arm as I reached to flip the bacon. It cupped just under my hand and together we flipped the strips of meat. I burst into giggles. No one ever did this before and the light caresses Cleo bestowed on my bare arms tickled. He gave me a squeeze and planted a kiss on my temple. “I missed you this morning,” I murmured and leaned back to kiss his lips. He submitted and gave me full access to his mouth. Without thought, I turned off the burner and moved the small grill to the side. Once they were safe from burning, I turned in the circle of his arms and gave him my full attention. Our lips met and our tongues battled for 171

M. J. Spickett dominance as my arms wrapped around his neck. His hands moved from my waist to my rear. With a quick flex of muscles, he lifted me up and brought me to his height. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist. A small gasp escaped me as he shoved me against the fridge and deepened the kiss to what I could only call war. I took the challenge and fisted my hands in his thick hair. His hands moved under my tank top to caress my skin. The feel of his length rising to attention pushed against my belly. I broke from the kiss and grinned down at Cleo with a touch of mischievousness. “You seem happy,” I teased. He pushed me farther against the fridge and let me feel all of him. “It’s all for you. And when I get back, I plan to bury every inch of it in you.” “Hmm…promises, promises,” I joked then paused. “I thought you were going jogging with Eli and me.” “I was, but there’s something I have to take care of first.” His voice was husky with need, but something else was there too. Some sort of warning he didn’t want to voice. “What’s wrong?” I questioned and slid down to my feet. He only smiled, whatever I thought I had heard in his voice gone. “Nothing. I promised Scott I’d meet up with him for breakfast.” “Oh.” I glanced at the food I had cooked in disappointment. “I had thought…” He cupped my cheek and planted another kiss on my lips. “I’m sorry. He called at the last minute. He may have something to help your case. “Then I should be going.” 172

Fallen “You need to rest before work. Go for your jog. Relax. Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.” He let go of me and left the kitchen. For the first time I noticed the black slacks and matching cotton shirt. Even his loafers were black. His sense of style hadn’t changed over the years. Still, it didn’t look like something he should wear to breakfast with a friend. Or maybe I was a pessimist. When Eli finally came down for breakfast, he had the weary eyes of one who had suffered from nightmares, or in Eli’s case visions. Being an Oracle was more of a curse than a miracle no matter what the Fates had to say. Eli saw and felt stuff that few people could possibly comprehend. It drained him in ways that would drive a normal human mad, so it came as no surprise when he wolfed down all his food as well as Cleo’s within minutes. I watched in mild amusement, waiting ever so patiently for him to ground himself before probing for answers. When dealing with Eli and his visions, I found it best to wait for him to start talking. “I want you to hand the case to Richard,” he finally said as he gazed up at me. His eyes glistened with fear, making the three layers of blue wash together into a raging ocean. I stared at him, unsure how to respond. “Why? What did you see?” He wet his lips. “Pain, blood…death.” “Who’s death?” The fear in his eyes seemed to grow and he turned away. “Eli, who is to die?” For a long moment, he said nothing, only stared out 173

M. J. Spickett the window to our lush backyard. Then, finally, he looked back at me. “One of us.” All I could do was stare at him. I wanted to think he was joking, so much easier that way. However, Eli’s visions were never wrong. They were real and precise. He already knew who was to die but was too afraid to voice it, for voicing such fears will only make it come true faster, something we had both learned the hard way over the years. Had it not been for the fear filling him so completely I would have said no. My duty was to find the bad guys and bring them to justice. But of course, Eli was the Oracle, not me. He saw what I couldn’t, which meant I had to listen. “Alright,” I said and patted his hand. “Would you like me to call him now?” His eyes widened as relief set in, as if he had doubted I would believe him. He should know by now I took everything he said seriously. “Please. The sooner he arrives with his team the faster you can pull out.” Personally connected to it, I really didn’t want to give up the case. Still, if Eli felt it necessary then so be it. I trusted his word. Snatching up the nearest phone, I sat back down across from him. Richard wasn’t likely to be in his office or at the mansion. However, he kept his mobile—or cell phone—on him at all times in case of an emergency. This qualified. Eli watched as I dialed, as if he didn’t trust me to take his advice. I gave him an encouraging smile in hopes somehow to ease his troubled mind. I didn’t have long to wait for Richard to pick up. He answered within two rings. His British accent reminded me of the scent of the forest just outside Sinclair Manor 174

Fallen and home. “Sinclair,” he announced in a cop like voice. The High Priest and Paranormal Investigator worked with the British Intelligence and headed the paranormal division of Interpol. He was also Eli’s second cousin and human guardian, although he had given up that position to me some years back. “Hey Richard, it’s Selena,” I said in greeting and tried not to sound grumpy. Not that I didn’t like Richard, he was a good man, we just didn’t agree on the ways our departments should operate. A momentary pause followed during which, even from a continent away, I could feel his magick brush against mine. “Lady Hawke? Is everything all right? Nothing’s wrong with Eli, is there?” I held back a chuckle. Good old Richard, a born worrier. “No, of course not. He’s perfectly fine, just a little worried.” I glanced at Eli, but rather than making a face, he just stared at me with unblinking eyes. Definitely not a good sign. “We’ve got a situation developing here. One I’m certain you’ve already encountered.” “Oh, how so?” “Ritualistic murders performed by what appears to be a fey-vamp cult or reemergence of the Druids of the Black Order. Inverted pentagrams painted in blood behind each victim with large traces of magick polluting the air.” I paused to let it all sink in. “Masters of the Guardians are the victims, aren’t they? This is happening all over the world.” “Yes,” he confirmed. “There have been hundreds of deaths. We can hardly keep track of them all.” “Well it’s hit Ravenwood. Two cases, five deaths. The 175

M. J. Spickett last involving an Elven family. I think the husband was a Guardian. His wife was a hybrid, possibly descent of a master. I think they refused to join these druids and were murdered for it.” “That’s a lot to assume. I take it you want me to come to Ravenwood to help.” I could almost see his smug smile as he spoke. “No, Eli does. He’s had a vision and wants you here. Is that going to be a problem?” I hated to ask him for help. Richard was a good man and an amazing sorcerer but he was more often than not too proud for his own good. I wanted to reach through the phone and hit him. He chuckled. “Ah…in other words you need help. That’s all right. I was thinking of visiting anyway, and let me guess, you don’t want Interpol involved.” “You know me so well. When can you come?” “I’ll take my private jet, so by tomorrow morning. I just need to finish a few things here first. Cheerio,” he chuckled. “Cheerio,” I grumbled and hung up. I balanced the cool plastic against my forehead. It was of little comfort but I didn’t feel like getting up to grab an ice pack. Richard was family, I had to remind myself, and I could not kill him no matter how much he pissed me off. Even tormenting him was out of the question, which, at times like these, was simply unfair. One well-placed spell ball would keep him off my case for a good month or two. “So he’s on his way?” Eli asked. A little relieved grin played at his lips. He always seemed to enjoy watching Richard ruffle my feathers. He liked it even more when Richard’s son, Pietro and I went at it. Mind you, once upon a time Pietro and I had been a couple, when Eli was 176

Fallen just a child. “Yes, he’s coming. He should be here sometime tomorrow.” I rolled my eyes. “Really Eli, I think the PID can handle this without him.” His face shut down to one of complete seriousness. “No, they can’t. Neither can you.” I sighed, gathered the breakfast plates and took them to the sink. “Whatever. Either way, Richard’s coming. Happy?” “Yes,” he said as he gathered the ketchup and jams and put them in the fridge. “It’s better this way. He was born and raised for this type of thing.” “And I’m not?” “That’s not what I mean.” He sighed and leaned against the counter. His hair hung in his face to make him look exhausted and older than his years. “It’s just…I don’t know. Maybe I’m seeing too much into the vision.” “Perhaps.” I hugged him around the waist and decided not to bother with the dishes. I led him into the living room. “How about that jog? Are you still up to it?” He nodded and rested his head against mine. “Yeah, I think it’d be best if we both get some fresh air. Where’s Cleo?” “Having breakfast with Scott. He’ll catch up with us later.” I gave a squeeze. “Go tie your hair back. I’ll be down in a minute.” “Alright.” Something in my gut knotted. Eli’s vision haunted me. Perhaps it would be best if we jogged straight to Nathaniel’s for the coven meeting rather than making a round trip. Something wasn’t quite right and I was starting to worry even more for the men in my life. I 177

M. J. Spickett really wished Cleo hadn’t taken off like he did. Leaving Eli to fish through the downstairs bathroom for an elastic band, I headed for my bedroom. His vision had done a thorough job of spooking me. Until we stopped these druids and found the rebels, I wasn’t taking any chances. I took my Glock out of the nightstand. It was smaller than the Browning 9mm and I could slip it into the waist band of my jogging pants with the help of a harness. Next, I slid a throwing knife into a shin harness then took stock of myself in my full length mirror. With my open hoody hanging just above my rear no one could see the Glock. Hopefully, I’m overreacting and there will be no reason to use them, but I’d rather play it safe than find myself throat-deep in hostiles. Eli waited for me in the foyer wearing a pair of black jogging pants and grey t-shirt. The gold chain that held his magick key tool hung snugly around his neck. He usually wore it, always being prepared for a possible attack from a rival magick user. But the fact that he had it on now despite the fact I was going to be by his side, showed just how much the vision shook him. The key tool formed into a staff upon an incantation only he knew. As a staff, it helped him channel his magick, but could also change shape upon his command, to swords, or Sais, whatever his mind could imagine that had no mechanical parts. He was well versed in non-magick weapons as well, guns, crossbows, daggers and just about every form of martial arts in the known world. I knew he could protect himself but I still worried about him. “Are you sure you want to run today?” I asked, taking note the long pony tail that trailed down his back. He still had that exhausted—almost haunted—look and I began 178

Fallen to doubt the jog was a good idea at all. He looked as if he could use another few hours sleep. Make that a couple of days’ worth. He used a glamour spell to try to hide the dark circles under his eyes. No one would notice if they didn’t know what they were looking for. He ran a hand through his loose bangs and made a worse mess of it than usual. It made him look cute, if not sleepy. “Yeah, let’s go.” We entered the bright sunshine filled morning, a typical Saturday morning with children playing up and down the street, some riding bikes while others played tag. Eli and I jogged at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk and followed our usual course toward Syrena Park, a good four kilometer run, part of it up hill and through the outskirts of the new subdivision. When we began the track up hill, Eli usually began to complain. Yet today he said nothing. Instead, he seemed more focused on our surroundings than usual as we passed into the shopping district. A lot more people were on the streets and he watched them with an intensity I had not seen since our battle with a rival mage named Xavier. His were the eyes of a seasoned warrior and soon to be officer of the Ravenwood PID. I followed his lead and eyed those we passed not only with my normal vision but also with my second sight to try to see what he saw. I saw nothing. “Eli, what is it?” I asked after several minutes of watching our surroundings. A small chill began to run up and down the length of my body. “What do you see?” For a while, I didn’t think he had heard me. He looked from left to right then back again every few steps, the look on his face going from confusion to distrust. “Someone’s watching us,” he said in a hushed voice, as if 179

M. J. Spickett whoever followed us would hear. “Where?” I asked as I fully changed my vision to faery sight. It allowed me to see the magick that moved and lived in all life and detect those of faerie who hid under layers of glamour. To anyone else, they would blend into the crowd, but to me they would glow like a shining beacon. “Two to the right. Four left,” he reported. “They’re keeping pace with us. Should we let them know we’ve spotted them?” “No. Keep jogging. They’re probably McLeod’s friends. He must have sent them after me,” I said. I glanced in the direction he indicated. Sure enough, I spotted them. Swell, Lucas is definitely pissed with me. Perhaps he figured I knew what he was up to. He has looks and brains. Oh well, I will still bust him before the night is out, no matter what he tries. I don’t scare easily. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Selena, but you really need to start attracting a new breed of men,” Eli joked despite the seriousness of the situation. “I’d say. I end up dating weirdoes and crazies all the time.” “Now I’m crazy?” I laughed. “No, you fall in with the weirdoes.” “Oh, well thanks. Here, let me wave over your new friends and…” “Fine, fine! You’re eccentric not weird. Better?” I shook my head. Yeah, eccentric does suit Eli better than weird. Besides, if he is weird, then what am I? A smirk flashed upon his lips but was gone a moment later. “We’re nearing the park. Now what?” he asked, his voice still soft as he acted as if everything was normal. 180

Fallen I let my breath out slowly, trying to think. We couldn’t simply turn around and start fighting. For one, far too many innocents could be hurt or even killed. Besides, it was six to two. We were sorely outmatched and I had only brought enough weapons for me and no extra magazines. I was prepared to fight but I had only allowed one or two baddies, not six. Who knew just how many were waiting for us in the park. I couldn’t sense any more, but than I couldn’t really sense the ones that followed us. That meant shielding better than I’ve ever encountered before. Great! Just great! For all I know we could be jogging right into an army. It seems Lucas planned for everything. Well he obviously didn’t prepare well enough to handle us. “Once we pass the gate jog toward the woods like normal then hide under an invisibility spell. We’ll track them to whoever their leader is. Do you have your cell phone on you?” I asked as we neared the front gates. “Always. Why?” “If we snap a few pics of these guys, they might help us catch them…or at least help Richard,” I corrected, glancing at Eli and noting his disapproving frown. We jogged past the gate and headed toward the woods on the far side as we planned. It seemed unlikely they would attack us along the way. This side of the park was always busy Saturday mornings with families picnicking and children playing. The fey followed us but they were far enough behind us that we slipped behind a cluster of bushes without anyone noticing. When we were out of sight, we cast individual invisibility spells. It didn’t really make us invisible but no one could see us unless they knew what they were looking for, and exactly what spell we were using. They ran past us as if we didn’t exist. Now 181

M. J. Spickett for the tricky part, follow them without making a sound. Invisibility was one thing, absolute silence another. However, we’ve both had practice. The fey quickly became confused when they couldn’t find us. I stifled the laughter that was building within me. Playing hide and seek had always been my favorite game and I was damn good at it. We followed them to the clearing where one of the four playgrounds stood. For the first time, on a beautiful Saturday morning, no children played here. That didn’t mean the playground was empty. Three other fey—rogue Guardians...Druids of the Black Order—stood amongst the swing sets and teeter-totters. “We lost them,” the leader of the search party declared as she walked up to them. Her silver hair hung to her knees in warrior braids. She was covered head to toe in white and gold armor of Nordic design. Her whole demeanor was that of a Valkyrie, a fey not native to this region. The other druids were not from around here either. One was a Selkie, the smell of the ocean clung to him even this far from the sea. He dressed like an ordinary human, nothing ethereal about him except his aura. Another was a goblin-fey hybrid, although I could not tell if the creature was male or female. One of the male sidhe was roughly Eli’s build with startling gold hair and regular street clothes. Two more were Red Caps, with no specific gender, which was not unusual for many creatures of faerie. Lucas was obviously sidhe, as was the male next to him, but his female companion was something else. I would have to get closer if I wanted to get a good look at her. “You lost them!” Lucas bellowed. Anger colored each 182

Fallen word. “How could you lose them? The whole lot of you!” The six cowered back. He must have had more power than all six combined. Okay, so that was a little scary. The only way for a fey to be that powerful was to be either an ancient or a Master Magician. Either possibility was likely. Some Guardians have become their master’s apprentices. Although rare, if he was a master mage, he could have killed his master. He more than likely helped the others kill theirs. If that was the case, we were in for some serious trouble. Eli and I crouched down behind the well-manicured bush and listened in. The woman with Lucas was a Swan Maiden, one of the few black ones I have ever seen. Her wings stood proudly on her back. She was slim and far more Gothic looking than Alexis could ever pull. Her dark makeup was a contrast to her snow white skin. Even her hair seemed impossibly black. She pulled Lucas’s arm into hers, as if trying to hide in his protective embrace. She looked more jittery than the others. “They probably spotted them. Remember that the boy is an Oracle. His sight surpasses even that of the Elders.” “That and they’re hiding,” said the third, the tall sidhe dressed all black. I knew who he was before he even turned to face his companions. Every inch of him was black, skin, hair, clothing. He was exactly as I had seen him only an hour ago. Cleotro. My heart pounded in anger, fear and sorrow. A thousand different emotions ran through me all at once, all of which wanted to burst out of me. My hands clenched into fists, the urge to smash them into his handsome face filling me. How can he do this? How can he betray us? I thought he was one of us. I thought he loved me, and I 183

M. J. Spickett thought I was falling in love with him. No, this can’t be true. It has to be a nightmare. Why? Why is he doing this to us…to me? I was about to drop the spell concealing me when Eli grabbed my arm. One hand clamped over my mouth while the other held me close. “Easy, easy,” he whispered soothingly. “Come on, we both know Cleo would never betray us. There has to be a reason for this. Maybe he’s trying to help us capture them. We should call for back up.” “Okay, okay. You make the call,” I agreed and took several deep calming breaths. I counted slowly to ten. Goddess please let him be right. Please let this be some crazy plan of Cleo’s to stop the rebellion. Eli pulled out his cell phone and dialed Nathaniel’s number instead of the police station. “What are you doing?” I demanded a little louder than I should have. “Nate’ll be here faster than Kayla,” he retorted. We glared at each other before he pulled a face and brought the phone to his ear. I shook my head and glanced back at the rebel group. Oh shit, we are in trouble. Cleo glanced our way and a small smile lifted his lips. “Ah…there they are,” he announced. He didn’t really point us out but gave them the general direction to our hiding spot. Damn! This is just great! Thanks a lot, Cleo, I thought bitterly. I pulled the Glock from the back of my pants as Eli quickly explained the situation and our location to Nathaniel. He folded up the phone and snapped it back to the little clip on his hip. Then he pulled his key tool from around his neck and held it in front of him. “I guess it’s time we end our little charade,” he said 184

Fallen with a tiny grin before he issued the incarnation that would change the key to its staff form and then twirled it once as he stood and the cloak of invisibility fell from us. I stood as well, the Glock held in a two handed grip pointed solely at Lucas, and trusted that Cleo would know better than to get in our way. “Freeze! Police!” I ordered, for all the good it would do. Cleo merely smirked. The look became condescending as he glanced at his companions. “Now seriously, Selena, are you planning to shoot all of us?” “If I must, but how about you just surrender and we call it a day? No? I didn’t think so.” I shoved Eli aside as McLeod pitched a ball of spell fire at us. The bush we had been hiding behind burst into flames less than a foot away. I felt the flames lick at my legs and with a quick incantation I put out the flames. Eli rolled to his feet and as usual, returned fire with freeze spells as a way to either disarm or capture his foe. If that didn’t work, his spells become more violent and destructive, the intensity increasing until he either accomplished his goal or forced himself to stop before he destroyed anyone or anything he cared about. I bounced back to my feet and fired at McLeod, but he was suddenly gone, as was the Swan Maiden, leaving his lackeys to deal with us. Cleo was still there though, but I avoided shooting at him, if only for Eli’s sake. Just then, all I wanted to do was blow his head off. He must have told them our routine, how else would they know where we were going? Focusing my attention on the other fey, I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t attack us, then fired iron jacket bullets at the rogue fey. They converged on us quickly. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to run out of 185

M. J. Spickett bullets before long. Fine, I was fey too. If they wanted to play hardball then so be it. I dropped my glamour, letting my true nature show. My hair turned the color of fresh blood as my skin paled to polished alabaster. My dragonfly wings flared on my back, to give me the gift of flight and enhance my speed. They fluttered anxiously to match the anger that filled me. My senses stretched out, feeling the magick of nature all around me. I reached out to it and summoned it all to me. It filled me and replaced the anger I felt to become one with me before I directed it at our attackers. While the rogues scattered, some—those powerful enough—blocking the rush of power, Eli transformed his staff once again. The staff spilt in half. With a twist of his arms and an incantation, both halves turned into sabers. He twisted and twirled the sabers around him, close to him without striking his own body. It had taken years of martial arts for him to master that skill. With a care and ease that even the most skilled samurai would have trouble developing he took down his opponents. While the blade and handle contained magickally enhanced silver and gold, deep in the lining held iron. Silver and gold won’t kill faerie but the iron would. Any smart fey would keep back—but these guys weren’t smart. The Valkyrie made a try for Eli. Her broad sword lashed out to take his head. I went to redirect my next spell ball at her but she was within striking distance. Eli twisted and blocked the blow. He criss-crossed his sabers and locked them together. He used his own fey strength to shove her back far enough to land a frontal kick to her jaw, and threw in enough magick to knock her senseless. 186

Fallen “Selena, heads up!” he yelled and threw me one saber. I caught it with ease and turned to take on the goblin hybrid. What I came up against was anything but hybrid. I froze, sword posed to strike, but there was a gun pointed squarely at my chest. Holding the gun was the last person I ever wanted to see handle such a weapon. My breath hitched as I gazed up at the dark figure. How had Cleo gotten his hand on my Browning 9mm? Worse, the gun was loaded with concentrated iron jacketed bullets, far larger and more deadly than those in the Glock. He moved as if to take the sword from me as I moved strike. I only had a moment to wonder if he knew about the bullets before the world around me exploded into a fury of sound and pain. My right shoulder felt as if it were on fire, a pain so intense I could think of nothing else. My mind tried to register what had happened, but I was in too much shock to comprehend anything other than the fact that I was hurt, very badly. I staggered back, clung to my injured shoulder with my good hand and stared up at him with wide confused eyes. He shot me. Cleo shot me! The whole concept seemed foreign. After everything we’ve been through, after everything we’ve done…I thought he loved me. I thought he had changed. I am a fool. He looked about as surprised as I was. His teal eyes were wide as he dropped the gun. He reached out for me, but I continued to stagger back. I won’t let him touch me. There’s no way I will let him take me prisoner or use me to summon the demons. Eli and I have to get out of here now. The iron was already making me dizzy. I continued to stumble backwards, my mind spinning with thoughts of escape as I reached out with my good hand. If I could only 187

M. J. Spickett make it to Eli, then we’d be safe. “Selena!” Eli cried, although I couldn’t be certain how many times he yelled out my name. It became one endless blur mixed with the multi-color of movement as the fey began to retreat. I could just barely make out Eli’s form running toward me before being swept up by what I could only make out as a white formless blur. “No!” I screamed. It took the last of my strength. My knees buckled beneath me as the iron poisoned me to the brink of unconsciousness. Blackness filled my vision as tears began to fall. Not only have I lost Cleo, but now Eli, too.

188

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Chapter Seventeen

I

awoke to a world of pain and misery. My body screamed in agony at the feel of someone’s hand on my shoulder. If I had the strength I’d kill the person who touched me. However, I was weaker than a kitten and the only objection I could make was a pitiful moan. “Gently, gently,” a familiar voice cautioned as they shifted me onto what felt like a soft bed. It even smelt familiar. Where the hell was I? Where was Eli? “The slug’s lodged into her collar bone,” the voice continued. I hissed as they placed a cold cloth over my bare chest and shoulder. A heartbeat later, a pleasant warmth replaced the pain. The tang of herbs filled my senses and I could almost hear the song of magick that danced within it. My body relaxed under its influence and finally, I could open my eyes and focus on the world around me. Scott was leaning over me, his face grim. I winced as he flashed a pen light in my eyes. “Son-of-a-” I grumbled and tried to roll away from him and right onto my injured shoulder. A heart felt scream tore from my throat as the pain flared back to life. He grabbed my good shoulder and gently pushed me flat on my back. With a whimper, I fought back the urge 189

M. J. Spickett to cry. “Well, she’s still coherent at least,” he joked. He wasn’t very funny. I would have hit him if I could. “Stay still, Selena. We have to get that slug out before the iron completely infects your blood stream. We’ve got it contained right now, but if we don’t do it soon we might have to take your arm. It’s the only way to save you.” My eyes widened. “My arm!” I whimpered almost child like. No, I didn’t want to lose my arm, not because of iron or anything else. Iron was worse than any cancer, even if they took my arm it didn’t guarantee that Scott could save me. “No…no, let me die…” I whispered, too tired and sore to care anymore. What was the point? What did I have left to live for? Tears flowed down my cheeks. “I failed…” “Shh…don’t be silly, baby. Let Scott help you.” Blinking away the tears, I peered up at the new face that hovered over me. My vision was a blur but I knew the face. “Anthony…” I whispered in acceptance of my appending death. I mean, come on, I had Anthony waiting for me in Summerland. Why should death frighten me if I had someone who loved me waiting on the other side? There was a small chuckle then a brush of lips against mine. They felt cool and good and I wanted to wrap myself in the comfort they offered, but they pulled back. “She’s fevering, Scott. We better do this now,” Anthony—no, it couldn’t be Anthony, why would he try to stop me from dying if we could be together forever?—said and cupped my cheek. I fought to see him better, but all I saw was a mass of black hair and a pale face. “Eli…” I whispered in sudden recognition. No wonder I thought he was Anthony. They looked so much alike. Sometimes I confused them. 190

Fallen A small smile brightened his face. He brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay, honey. Just relax. Scott has to cut your shoulder to retrieve the slug, and then Nate and I are going to cast a healing spell to remove the poison, alright?” I gave a nod, winced then mumbled, “Alright.” “That a girl,” Dan said from somewhere behind Eli. He patted my leg then squeeze my foot in a comforting manner. I relaxed, safe in the knowledge that my family was around me. “Nate, hold her down. I’ll take care of her legs. Eli, get back.” Nathaniel weighed almost as much as I did but that didn’t stop him from placing a hand just above my ribs while the other forced down my good shoulder. Dan put his entire weight on my legs. Scott caressed my cheek and offered his best smile. It fell a little short to war with fear and concern filling his face. I appreciated the sentiment anyway. Nothing like having a doctor who has a stake in whether I live or die. His hand was gentle as it took my injured shoulder and held it down. I bit my lip but he shook his head and carefully stuffed cloth in my mouth. “Bite on this,” he instructed then returned to attend my injury. I did as he told me. If I hadn’t I would’ve torn my lips apart. Scott only smiled. “Okay, let’s do it.” Fear filled me and I steeled myself at the flash of silver when Scott pulled out his scalpel. The first cut was deep and I cried out around the cloth at the sudden pain. My body arched, and struggled against the men holding me down. Sheer will power kept me from using my powers against them. I bunched my right hand into a fist in Scott’s jacket as my left hand grabbed a hold of 191

M. J. Spickett Nathaniel’s. Neither of them seemed to mind. Scott cut deeper and I could feel it scrap against the slug. I’m not quite sure which hurt more, the bullet itself or the scalpel that cut into me, but the moment Scott pulled out the tweezers I came face to face with a completely new version of pain. He shoved them into the cut and opened them wide. I shrieked behind the cloth, my body arching as I tried to throw the men off me. Nathaniel reacted quickly and threw his entire weight and fey power to make me lie still as Scott worked. Yet even with all his power, he could not hold me down when Scott ripped the smoking slug out of me. Scott threw it and the tweezers into a silver basin then doused my arm in salt water to prevent the infection from traveling farther into my blood stream. Pus filled the wound. It bubbled and hissed in my ear. The mere sound of it made me sick to my stomach. He wiped it away before moving aside to let Nathaniel and Eli do their jobs. By then I was kneeling on the bed and trying to shove them all away from me. However, I was still too weak and when Eli wrapped his arm around me from behind I couldn’t find the strength to stop him. The pain had made my vision fuzzy again and I couldn’t see what they were doing, only feel Eli’s comforting embrace. The smell of herbs filled me again. It became overpowering as Eli chanted softly in my ear. My mind began to drift in and out of consciousness until finally oblivion gave me the opportunity to relax. When I awoke again, my arm was in a sling and my head pillowed on Dan’s lap. His hand absently stroked my hair as he read a book, a position I often found myself 192

Fallen in when Anthony was alive. I relaxed under his soothing caresses, feeling for a moment safe and calm. Hey, Dan is reading, not in the store making battle plans with Nathaniel and Scott. That meant everything is okay, doesn’t it? Cuddling closer to him, I let my good arm hug his legs. This was far too comfy for me to consider getting up just yet. “Hi Dad,” I teased in a sleepy voice. He put his book down and glanced at me then chuckled. “Well there’s one you haven’t used in a while. A life time ago really.” “Since Anthony,” I confirmed. Neither of us spoke for several minutes. A simple understanding passed between us. Rubbing my cheek against his thigh, I closed my eyes. I was still tired but at least I no longer hurt. “So where is everyone?” I asked and gazed up at him again. “It’s rather quiet. We’re at Nathaniel’s right?” “The upstairs loft,” he confirmed. “He’s out searching for Cleo and Scott received a call from the hospital. They should be back soon.” “Eli?” His hesitation was all that I needed to get nervous. I forced myself to sit up and look him straight in the eye. “Where is he, Dan? They’re after him.” Despite my harsh words, he retained his fatherly charm. “I don’t think they were after either of you until you cornered McLeod. Cleo was probably trying to help you capture them.” “Cleotro betrayed us, Dan,” I snapped. I let my breath out slowly and fought back the tears that threatened to consume me. “He can lead them to Eli, no matter where in the world he goes. He can lead them to any one of us.” 193

M. J. Spickett His hand fell onto my shoulder. “Selena, calm down. Kayla picked Eli up early this morning to take him to the shooting range. They wanted to brush up on his marksmanship, in case of an emergency. Richard’s with them.” Eli’s marksmanship? I stared at Dan in confusion. Eli was almost as good a shot as I was. He could handle almost every kind of gun except automatics and some semiautomatics. That’s what came from having a foster grandfather who had been a police chief and former general in the British army. Plus fighting the odd wereanimal or fey made it necessary to learn not only magick but weaponry as well. Hopefully, Kayla is getting Eli well rehearsed with the automatics. I have a feeling we are going to need it. Much like my mood, the clouds seemed low and threatening. The weather station said bright and sunny until Monday or Tuesday and then a week straight of rain, which lead to my next question, “How long was I out?” “Almost three days,” Dan answered and doggy-eared the page he had been reading, and closing it his book—a habit I could not stand. The guy really needed to invest in bookmarks. “We might have awakened you earlier but Nathan said you healed faster in a comatose state.” I gave a nod. “We do.” There was next to no pain in the shoulder Cleo shot. The incision had healed leaving the skin a soft pink of new flesh. Even the collarbone felt mended, but I knew that was not completely true. It and the muscles would need at least a week to heal properly, maybe longer if I didn’t continually rest for the next couple of days. If I could do that then maybe it would heal within the next day or two. One of the blessings of 194

Fallen being fey was that I healed fast. That was good because I had every intention on hunting down Cleo and these supposed druids until I either captured or destroyed every one of them, promise or no promise. Anger and bitterness were eating at me. “Selena, no. Stay in bed,” Dan objected as I climbed out of bed. I couldn’t lie down for a minute longer or I was going to go stir-crazy. I needed to get up and move. Finding Cleo was in the forefront of my mind. Goddess only knows what he is about to unleash upon the world. Uh…maybe standing wasn’t such a bright idea just yet. Placing a hand against the wood-paneled wall, I leaned against it, waiting for the room to stop spinning. Okay, slowly now, one step at a time and maybe I won’t fall. Throwing up is another matter. Dan gave an exasperated sigh as he followed me after pulling the heavy throw off the bed. “At least wrap this around you before you catch cold. Your fever just broke this morning.” “I’m fine, Dan,” I lied and managed to get myself to the balcony. I pulled the door open but it took a few pulls before it budged, and even then, I needed Dan to open it all the way for me, much to my embarrassment. “Thanks.” He wrapped the fleece blanket around my shoulders. The warmth felt good against the cool breeze from outside, as did his arms when he held me. He felt so much like Anthony at that moment—the fatherly side of Anthony—and right then, that was what I needed. The tears I had been holding back came unbidden. I turned in his arms and cried into his chest, something I had sworn never to do. I had hoped to be done crying after Henry’s 195

M. J. Spickett betrayal. That was the worse pain next to losing Anthony, or so I thought, but this was worse, far worse. Cleo’s betrayal was eating at me, tearing me to pieces. Why am I so surprised? I feared this would happen, warned Eli of this very thing and yet I allowed myself to fall in love with him almost as deeply as I did Eli. Goddess help me. I am in love with him. Dan held me close to stroke my hair and rubbed my back, not caring that my tears soaked his pale grey cotton shirt or that my nose was running. He held me and whispered soothing words of love and compassion, words only a parent would know and that I cherished. I wanted to wrap myself in a protective cloak of that love. “Selena, we’ll find him. We’ll sort this out. I promise,” Dan whispered into my hair. My hands bunched his shirt. “Promise me…promise you’ll protect Eli should anything happen to me.” “I promise, but I promise to care for you as well. You are both my children. By blood or magick, it does not matter. I love you and Eli…and trust Cleo to know what he is doing.” “I wish I could trust him so openly,” I murmured against his shirt. How long I cried, my face pressed against the warmth of Dan’s chest, I was unsure, but eventually he had to let me go to begin dinner. Food was the last thing I wanted to think of. I was too upset, so I resigned to stand on Nathaniel’s balcony, staring out over the city. Cleo was out there. His magick still called to me. He could shield himself all he wanted but he could never hide from Eli or me for long. As a born Oracle, Eli’s magick sought out and latched on to us, tying the three of us together through a triumvirate of power, rare, especially for a 196

Fallen child. If one of us died, we could very well all die through the bond we shared, or go insane. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” Dan asked before he left. I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.” His lips pressed against my temple. “I’m just down the hall. The boys should be home soon.” “Thank you.” I offered a smile, even if only a weak one. I planted a firm kiss on his cheek then shooed him away. The rain came down hard, a steady sheet that was almost impossible to see through. Past it, the city sparkled like a gem. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A huge storm was coming in, far worse than I sensed earlier. There was a ting of magick to it. Not necessarily hostile, but someone was definitely angry. I could think of a whole court full of people who would be very unhappy with me right now. Despite how hard I cried with Dan it seemed as if the tears would not stop. I wanted so badly to believe this was all some sort of mistake, that Cleo was innocent and only trying to help. However, experience told me otherwise. He betrayed me before, fought me nearly to the death, back when the fey were still new to guns. Too much iron at the time. However, we fought with enchanted swords, cutting each other deep, until I had no choice but to use a pistol. I still bore the scars of that battle, as did he. Had I not been able to bring him to the ground, I would have died and the fey would have been at war again. Maybe I should have killed him back then rather than follow orders, but I loved him, I can finally admit that. I didn’t know what to do. Cleotro issued a 197

M. J. Spickett challenge when he shot me. One I could choose to answer or not. I could answer it and one of us would die. If I chose not to then he became unstoppable. He could go anywhere, do anything and no one would be able to do anything. I had to stop him. If he joined with druids, then who knew what he would be capable of, especially if they managed to unleash the demons. I had to find them before they either succeeded or disappeared again. A flash of silver filled the edge of my proverbial vision. Good Goddess, no. This is not what I need. With a resigned sigh, I pulled the throw tighter around me and went back inside. The large polished glass of the dresser mirror rippled, making it look more like water than a simple mirror. Soon the ripples changed from silver to black and the mirror stilled. It faded to reveal the elegant throne room of the Unseelie court. Queen Celeste was lounging on her throne. Royal guards fanned out behind and around her. Hellhounds lay at her feet, lapping at the bones of their victims. The Pits of Hell had nothing on the Unseelie court, not since Celeste became Queen. Celeste’s raven blue-black hair flowed past her ankles like a cloak as she stood. The angry glare in her acid green eyes meant I was in trouble. My shoulder protested as I hurried to bow. Okay, I think the pain killer is starting to wear off. I’ll have to ask Nathaniel for more when he gets back. “I see you’re still alive,” she said in her bittersweet tone, a sound of musical bells that could make a person laugh, cry or even lose their mind depending on the aura she wished to project. It grated on my nerves. Nevertheless, I bowed my head in respect. “As you can see, My Queen,” I said and tried to hide my irritation 198

Fallen and pain. More than any other creature on the face of the planet, I hated this woman. However, she was my queen and I had to follow her whether I wished it or not. “I am very much alive, despite what rumors may say.” “You know the courtiers. They spread rumors as if they were wild fires. Still, they have their uses. Is it true?” She gestured to the sling on my arm with mild interest. “Cleotro did this? Did he join up with these rogue Guardians?” “How do you know about them?” I demanded in surprise, although a part of me already knew she would have heard of the rebellion. My mind was still too slow for my liking. Her eyes flashed in annoyance. “Mind your tongue Serenity. I am still your queen and you will treat me as such or face punishment.” Sighing, I tried to compose myself. Damn it! I am tired, sore and worn in ways I don’t want to think about. Worse, my stomach still feels strange, more than before. I don’t need a lecture by some spoiled bitch who has never done a day’s worth of work in more than five hundred years. Not that she did much before becoming queen. “Your Highness,” I said, biting back a growl, “forgive me, but this is a serious matter. This group is trying to summon demons to this realm. They’ve teamed up with vampires and have been killing magick users all around the world. If Guardians are going rogue-” “Yes, yes, I’ve heard all this already. The media have been all over the incident at the park. Terrorists in Ravenwood? My, your Lt. O’Kqua is inventive. How is it that Cleotro escaped you? I thought Eli and I had an understanding, if Cleotro returned to his old ways both you and Eli would suffer.” She whirled around and sat 199

M. J. Spickett back down with an elegant grace borne of years of court life. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t be that graceful. One dainty hand reached out to stroke a hellhound’s head, her long blood red gown a vast contrast to the black fur and glowing red eyes. It made me feel inadequate in Scott’s oversized t-shirt and heavy fleece throw. My eyes narrowed. “On my honor, I swear I will find him and the traitors.” Her head shot up from studying her pet. “You will do nothing!” she snapped. The sound reverberated throughout the room and held enough power to make me take a step back. “I want both you and Eli to return to Daan’tema immediately.” “And if we do not?” Her eyes glowed brightly with power as her anger grew. “I beg your pardon?” I tried to be calm and polite, but I could no longer play the passive and loyal warrior. “Give me a chance to capture Cleotro. I know his mind and I can track him. No other fey warrior can say the same.” “None but the Sluagh,” she reminded me with a satisfied glint in her eyes as I shuddered in discomfort. “I can send them for you and the boy. We both know Eli’s fear of them and they would love another taste of his power.” “Jettara would not allow them to touch him,” I objected. The Sluagh, or the Host, - whatever you wanted to call them - was the very nightmares of the Unseelie courts. They were the first fey to form the dark court and remained after hundreds of thousands of years. Now they were Enforcers, Assassins, and the most powerful 200

Fallen psychics and illusionists throughout faerie. The Sluagh were next to impossible to defeat let alone destroy, but their leader’s consort was a good friend of mine and she liked Eli. However, that didn’t mean those under her would not betray her should Celeste order them to do so. Despite her name, Queen Celeste was the most violent, sociopath in all of faerie. Even the Sluagh feared her simply because it didn’t matter if you were friend or foe, you anger her and she will kill you without a second thought, or worse, torture you for her own entertainment. I’ve suffered at her hands and should have been afraid to go through it again, but I was beyond fear. I only had room for anger. “You will come here now or suffer my wrath,” Queen Celeste commanded in her most sinister voice. “Trust me, Serenity O’Doyle Hawke, you will beg me for death long before I am through with you.” A wicked smile turned the corners of her mouth upward, “And Eli will be mine to play with.” “You will not touch him.” Still, she knew my weakness and the sly grin let me know it. “I suggest you reconsider. I will not offer again. The Host is hungry.” “Then they can eat iron,” I sneered and turned away from the mirror. Dizziness was clouding my sight again. The need to sit down filled me, but I refused to show weakness in front of her. The iron is still making me sick, that has to be the cause. “If you have nothing else of importance, I’ll bid you good day.” “You will regret this impudence.” I waved a hand, closing the portal in the mirror. It flicked to silver then returned to being a normal mirror. 201

M. J. Spickett With a quick incantation, I sealed and warded it so the Queen of Air and Darkness could not open it again or send one of her minions through it. That small use of magick sent me over the edge. I slumped onto the bed, no longer able to focus enough on standing. My stomach flipped and I felt as if I would throw up any minute. Damn! I’ve never been this sick before. Pushing myself back to my feet, I stumbled all the way to the bathroom. I barely had time to lift the toilet seat up before I vomited. It burned my throat and eyes as an awful stench wafted into my nostrils. I vomited until nothing was left but dry heaves that burned more than the vomit itself. Then I sat on the floor, bent over the toilet, unsure if I was done yet or not. I’ve never been sick like this before and I had no idea what was wrong with me. Goddess, help me…I feel as if I am dying.

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Chapter Eighteen elena?” Eli’s voice called from the bedroom. I gave a tearful moan, still hunched on the floor of the bathroom, unable to stop crying. Throwing up had made me feel better but not much. He stepped into the large bathroom and gasped. “Selena! Good God, what happened?” “I don’t know,” I whined as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Gazing up at him with wide eyes, as tears fell in streams down my cheeks. “My stomach’s killing me. I’m dizzy…The iron... It’s a higher quality than most bullets. I had them designed especially for killing fey.” His cool hand went to my forehead. “You’re not fevering anymore, honey. Come on. Let’s get you back to bed. I’ll have Scott look you over when he gets home. You’re probably just weak after two days of sleeping and next to no food. We managed to get some liquids into you but not much. Richard had to do most of the work.” When I couldn’t get to my feet, Eli scooped me up and carried me back to the bed. I couldn’t object. Wrapping my arms around him, I buried my face into the nape of his neck. He placed me down then pulled off the oversize t-shirt. I ruined it. Scott was not going to be

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M. J. Spickett happy. Sensing my distress, Eli climbed into bed next to me and pulled me snugly against him. Thankfully not too tightly. My stomach may have been empty but I didn’t trust myself not to be sick again. One of his hands snaked down to lie ever so gently over my belly. It warmed to a comforting temperature as he chanted a simple healing spell. By degrees, I began to feel better. “That’s odd,” he murmured in my ear. “More magick is centered here than anywhere else in your body. I’ll have Scott check it out too. The muck Nate made up is probably the cause of your illness. Some herbal potion,” he said, but his voice was uncertain. “Urgh...that explains the bad taste in my mouth.” I snuggled closer to him now that I was feeling better. “I’m hungry.” He laughed and it was music to my ears. “That’s good. Dan’s making a big dinner and he’s afraid you won’t feel like eating. “I didn’t think I could, but now I think I can eat an elephant.” Sighing, I rolled over to rest my head on his chest. “The Queen wants us back at Daan’tema.” “Damn,” he said, and petted my hair. “I should have cast a spell preventing him from doing any harm.” “You couldn’t have known.” “You warned me.” I smiled softly. “Ah…but young men rarely listen to the wise.” He poked me. “Since when have your decisions ever been wise? Shall I remind you of some of your mistakes?” “No.” “Yes? Ah…where to begin? How about the time you 204

Fallen dragged me off to a ‘secluded’ lake just outside Ipswich to celebrate Mabon in private, got skyclad and stumbled upon a Boy Scout troop? You know that some of those boys still have pictures of you on the net? I printed up a few. You really should have gone into modeling,” he teased. “Huh uh, I remember you were amongst those taking pictures,” I retorted. He snickered. “Hey, I was thirteen, of course I was going to snap a few pics of the hottest chick I’ve ever known, especially if she’s buck naked.” Hiding my face against his chest, I silently wished I still had the throw to hide under. “Stop it. I’m not ‘hot’.” “Nope, you’re right,” he said in deep thought. I glanced up at him questioningly. Little lights of amusement danced in his eyes as he gazed down at me. “You’re gorgeous.” He rolled me onto my back, climbed on top and slipped between my thighs. His groin pushed against mine to let me know his erection was coming to life. I stared up at him in disbelief. What’s he thinking? I’m a complete mess and he’s horny? He must be crazy. How can he possibly want me is such an awful condition? My hair was matted, skin covered in sweat and my breath was definitely questionable after vomiting. Yet he looked down at me with love and adoration, as if none of that mattered. Any objection I may have felt melted away with that look as my body suddenly cried out for him. His hands were gentle as they ran up my legs and expertly rubbed the tension out of them. Leaning my head back amongst the pillows, I allowed him to take charge of my body. He knew how to make me relax. 205

M. J. Spickett Even the fear of the Sluagh coming after us was gone. I just felt so drained I didn’t care what Celeste did. Eli’s hands slid up my sides and brushed my hair aside to reveal my breasts. His tongue flicked over one nipple, which caused me to shudder in delight. My fingers buried in his hair and I gently tugged him up to eye level. “Eli...I…I-” “Hey guys, dinner’s ready-whoa,” Scott called as he walked into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw us. “Ah…wow, Selena, did you get a tan?” Shock filled me as his blue eyes scanned the length of my body, Eli still between my legs and my breasts bare to the world. Scott’s eyes were as wide as mine were, but Eli only gave him a disinterested look and returned his attention to my breasts. Scott’s eyes widened even more in surprise, obviously, he had not expected Eli to be so bold. I hadn’t either. My back arched and Eli took that as incentive to stroke my clit. Crying out, I stared down at him. He can’t seriously want to make love to me in front of Scott. Scott may be married to Nathaniel but he isn’t gay, he is bi and he has been flirting with me since Henry possessed his body. This is not good. “Get out!” I cried to Scott, trying to sound commanding. It came out as a squeak filled with lust. The lopsided grin he gave made me was hungry and lustful and made me nervous. However, I soon forgot him as Eli undid his pants and pulled them and his boxers to his knees, his erection standing high and proud. Rubbing it against my foot, he moved down my body as if to dare me to kick him before he lay between my legs, his face at the juncture of my legs. He gave a lazy smirk to Scott. 206

Fallen “Hold her down,” he instructed, sounding too much like Cleo. “What? Eli wait…what…” My voice fell as Scott loomed over me, the look of a cat who ate the canary filling his handsome features. “Scott, I …Nathaniel…” “Shh…” he murmured and knelt on the bed next to me. One hand fell to my right breast, gently massaging it. He stared distastefully at my hair then at my tear stained cheeks. “This simply won’t do.” Magick filled his hands and moved along my body. My hair untangled and face softened, and I soon began to feel like me again. He smiled as he pulled the sling over my head and off my arm. “That’s better.” “Look, guys, I don’t think this is such a good idea. What about Nat- Goddess, help me!” Eli buried his face between my legs, lapping at my folds with a laziness of a cat. My body writhed beneath him before I could pull away. Scott had his hand on my breast again, holding me down as his lips crushed mine, stifling my cries. Scott’s larger form left me little room for movement. I hoped he closed the door, because I didn’t know how I was going to explain it to Aaliyah or Dan if they found us in such a comprising position, let alone Nathaniel when he got back. He was sure to be pissed. Scott continued kissing me without pulling away. My breath must have been awful after being sick, but he didn’t seem to care. His hand began to squeeze my breast, becoming more urgent and more demanding. Between the two men kissing, suckling, and out right eating me, I was lost in passion. I almost fought Scott when an orgasm hit me like a stone wall. My nails dug into his arm, but he, like his father and sister, was part fey. He didn’t 207

M. J. Spickett have enough strength to hold me down but he did have the power to seduce me to the point that all I could do was keen for more. A gasp tore from my throat as Eli moved up my body and wrapped my knees around his shoulders putting me in an awkward position. Scott broke the kiss long enough to watch as Eli thrust into me. I cried out at the sudden invasion and tried to arch my back but this position left most of my weight on my shoulders and my injured collar bone to cry out in agony. “Eli, hold up,” Scott said, breaking Eli out of his trance. “On her stomach. It’ll be less stress on her collar bone.” Blinking, Eli agreed and pulled out of me long enough for me to roll over. Scott piled a few pillows under me to help take the pressure off my shoulders. He undid his pants and sat in front of me, his erection full and high. I stared at him in surprise as he began stroking its length. Damn, if Nathaniel were here we would be in trouble. Scott looked ready to pound into someone and I had the sneaky suspicion he wanted it to be me. From the stories, Nathaniel told me, they played rough and foreplay was often a fight to see who was going to be top. That often led to some rather interesting positions. He has me positioned conveniently for his pleasure. Ah, damn. Scott was a good size, if a little too thick for my taste, usually that is. However, at this point, he just looked appetizing. Eli slid into me from behind. His body lay over me as he stroked my shoulder blades where my wings vanish. I lifted my head enough to take all of Scott’s cock into my mouth, surprising him as I licked his fingers. He pulled me up onto his lap, being extremely 208

Fallen careful of my shoulder as he began to thrust. His fingers massaged my scalp as Eli thrust, bouncing me against the other man. I had no balance except their hands and the pillows that held me in place. Their pace began to pick up as my stomach began to tighten on the brink of orgasm. Sucking harder on Scott, I clenched his hips despite my bad arm. My head bobbed up and down his length as I increased the pressure of my lips, lightly scraped my teeth over his cock, and then licked the head to encourage him to cum for me. They pounded into me from both ends and my body cried out for more. Pushing myself up to my knees, I slammed back onto Eli’s hard length, wanting every inch of him in me. His hands snaked around to grasp my breasts and used them as an anchor to thrust deeper and harder. I shouldn’t have let them or I get so carried away. Already being hurt and then being so rough only meant I would be in more pain before nightfall. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help it as I wanted and needed to feel filled. I needed Eli and Cleo to be in me. Always together, fucking me into unconsciousness as Cleo had threatened so many times. To deep throat him, every inch of his cock down my throat as Eli pounded into my cunt. I wanted them to pin me, to dominate me in ways no one had in years. I usually liked being the dominate one but sometimes I needed to be the submissive. The thought of both men taking control of me was nearly earth shattering. However, I didn’t have Cleo, I held Scott’s dick in my mouth instead. I screamed as I came. Both men echoed my cry, filling me with their seed. Swallowing Scott’s cum, I pulled his deflated organ from my mouth and slumped on his lap. As he lay along my back, Eli stayed buried within me, his 209

M. J. Spickett breath riffling my hair. I was shivering and cold but I felt good as he pulled out. My stomach tingled but not in a sickly way. Despite the stickiness of Scott’s cum on my face, I was very content in his arms. He slid down the bed to lie next to me, then licked my lips and bit my lower lip. “Hmm…” I murmured as I rolled my head against Eli’s shoulder. “I’m not dinner, Scott.” His tongue ran along my jaw to my ear. “No, you’re desert. I should have been in you. Mind you though, that mouth of yours felt damn good.” He took my chin and kissed me passionately before he lay in front of me and slipped his fingers in me a moment after Eli pulled out. It sent shivers of desire through me. I groaned and pushed against him in a demand for more. He chuckled in my ear. “You’re worse than Nate. I should have taken you good and hard.” “You did.” “Scott,” Eli warned, still pressed against my back. “I just wanted you to hold her down and get a feel for the erratic magick running through her, not do her.” “Couldn’t help it,” Scott teased and pulled his fingers out of me to suck on them then slapped the side of my ass hard. “She’s got her brother’s ass.” I jabbed him with my elbow in retort. “Get away from me,” I growled in irritation. “Hey, you were the one who stuck it in your mouth. I was happy just masturbating on you.” “You’re sick.” “Damn good mouth,” he said and kissed me again. His tongue dove into my mouth and I bit it. “Ow!” “Get out!” “Fine, fine,” he grumbled. He tucked his cock back in 210

Fallen his pants and zipped his pants up. “Still, you owe me. Maybe a threesome with Nate, or one on one.” He raised a brow suggestively. “Go screw a troll.” “I thought you were one.” He ducked as I threw a pillow at him. “You’ve got the aim of one!” he laughed, slipping into the hall. Burying my face against Eli’s chest, I sighed, not sure, how I let Scott take advantage of my desires again. “What the hell was that all about?” I asked as I hugged him. “Don’t tell me you two planned that.” He shook his head and kissed my forehead. “Not really, just wanted him to get a sense for the problem with your stomach. It didn’t start bothering you until after that night with Cleo.” “No, just before,” I corrected, “maybe a week. I just began really paying attention after the threesome. It’s probably just built up magick or something.” “Hmm…perhaps, but I don’t like how sick it made you.” “Yeah well next time you decide to make love to me at someone else’s house, set some ground rules, especially with Scott. Geez, Eli, what the hell was that?” “Pent up sexual energy from when Henry possessed him,” Nathaniel said as he flew in from the balcony. He was in full fey form and dripping wet. His large beautiful dove wings made him look like an angel. They folded behind his back as his feet touched the ground. He looked from Eli to me. “We are talking about the fact that I sense Scott all over you, correct?” That flabbergasted me. “You knew?” He shrugged, a lazy roll of his shoulders. “It’s been 211

M. J. Spickett building over the last two years. The sooner he gets it out of his system the better.” “Are you saying I should sleep with him?” I asked aghast. He sighed and picked up the throw I dropped. Then wrapped it around me before sitting beside us. I let him take me in his arms and hold me tight. “No, of course not and he’d never do anything unless you let him. You know that. He’s all talk. Come on, time to get dressed…eh, perhaps you should bathe first. The Jacuzzi might help you relax.” I nodded. A hot bath sounded good right now. “I’ll join you soon,” Eli whispered in my ear, “but first I need to talk to Nate and Scott for a minute.” Whatever they had to talk about, for once I didn’t care. Clambering out of the bed, I padded back to the bathroom. My legs were still weak and a few times, I sensed Eli was about to run over and help me, but I held a hand up to stop him and made my way safely to the Jacuzzi. Nathaniel only recently installed it and it still had the polished gleam of new silver. Stainless steal and porcelain were great additions to the master bathroom, adding to the New Age look. This was one of the few bathrooms that looked magickal outside of faerie. The sink, toilet and Jacuzzi were all chrome and white-blue with a stone like texture. The dark green tiled floor and soft blue walls gave a look of the outdoors, especially when Nathaniel used an illusion spell to make it look as if you were by the Irish Sea. The illusion began the moment I turned on the faucets. The room filled with warm steam. The water was nearly scalding hot when I sank into it. It would take 212

Fallen almost ten minutes before Eli could handle it. I lounged back, enjoyed the soothing heat and tried not to think of the problems that seemed to be mounting on my slim shoulders. It all seems so surreal. As if nothing really happened and it was all just some strange dream. If only there were no druids or rogue Guardians. Cleo would be home safe in my arms and the Queen of Air and Darkness would leave us alone. Yeah, right. That will never happen. Someone is hunting us. Not simply the fey, rogue or not, but the very nightmares of Unseelie are after us too. I don’t want to face the Sluagh. They scare the hell out of both Eli and me. She sent them for that very reason. That bitch is going to send them after not only me, but Eli also. We need a plan and we need it a week ago. “Eli, I don’t know what to tell you,” Scott’s voice said from the other side of the door. I turned down the jets and leaned toward the door. My hearing was superb but by their hushed tones, I knew they were trying to keep me from hearing them. Yet they did not mask their voices beneath a spell, which meant whatever was happening had caught them by surprise. Scott’s voice sounded confused as he spoke. “The boost of magick, the sickness to her stomach, the vomiting…what else can it be?” “How? The Elders said she could never have a child. The internal damage from her battles as an Enforcer prevents her from getting pregnant,” Eli interjected. Pregnant? Who was pregnant? “Eli, I sensed it too. Selena is indeed with child. Approximately a week, maybe two. It’s still early, I know, but the infant is already active. Her magick is already calling out to us. She’ll be a powerful child.” I stared at the closed door for a long moment. The 213

M. J. Spickett rest of the conversation became obsolete as I stared down at my flat belly. My hands danced over it in bewilderment. Pregnant? No, that can’t be right, I can’t have children. They said I could never have children. Never. But there I can feel it, just below my flesh and muscle, the true magick that was life. Giggles of utter delight filled me. I am going to be a mother and have a baby of my very own...if I survive the Sluah long enough to give birth. Immediately I vanquished that thought, as thoughts of babies filled me. Dunking my head under the water, I tried to keep myself from laughing out loud. This was the best day of my life!

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Chapter Nineteen he chatter of dinner conversation was just a distant buzz of background noise to me as I ate. My thoughts turned inward and I heard nothing of what Richard was telling our little family. He was a well-built man with brown hair and eyes that nearly matched Dan’s grey streaks and all. Anyone could see they were cousins, although his relation to Eli was harder to pick up by just a glance. He gave everyone the run down of the raid he and Kayla were putting together tonight and of what he knew. However, everything passed me by without leaving an impression. I had a new problem to consider, one that I never thought I would have. Being pregnant was a miracle to me, an unexpected blessing and I was happy about it, I really was, but I was terrified for its—her safety. Worse, I was also unsure who the father was. Scott said I was a week or two along but I was unsure. If he was wrong and I was only a few days along, then there was a chance Cleo was the father or even both of my men when our magicks merged. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go into battle in this state and risk my child’s life. What if Celeste ever found out, then what? She will allow me to carry to term, children have become rare amongst our people, but after the child is born, she will take her from me to raise as her own. She will use her tender

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M. J. Spickett care to turn my child into a monster like her. No, I won’t allow that. I will kill her or anyone who tries to harm my child and I’ll take on all of the Sluagh if I have to. I just hope I have enough weapons. There is more in storage. I will have to get more out. Maybe it would be smart if I started wearing my armor again— well, until my belly gets too big for it. Now I’m going to have to reorganize my entire life. No more chasing down bad guys until after the baby is born. Even then, I will have to be picky about my assignments for a while. Kayla is going to have a field day with this news. Oh wow, I have to change the guest room into a nursery, and baby proof the entire house. “Selena?” I have to go shopping. Buy a crib, blankies, changing table. Maybe I can paint the room sky blue with fluffy white clouds and have Eli help me paint scenery along the lower half of the walls with a faery circle. We could even install little pixie lights so she always has a night light. Hell, the little lights often attract pixies, and what better friends for a baby than the relatives of Tinkerbelle? “Selena?” “Hmm...?” I gazed up at Aaliyah who had plastered on her most motherly smile. Everyone was at dinner, except Alexis and Miao who had finally made it back to Spain, and they were all staring at me with similar smiles and grins. A flushed of embarrassment filled my face. I must have been daydreaming. “What’s with the dreamy smile?” she asked, although the look on her face told me she already knew. Grinning, I tried to look innocent but failed miserably. “Nothing.” “She’s just thinking of all the ways I can take her next time,” Scott taunted as he shoved a fork full of mashed potatoes in his mouth. 216

Fallen He almost choked on it a moment later when I kicked him under the table. With the news of the baby, I had almost forgotten that little incident and sorely wished I wore my steel biker boots to nail him harder in the leg. “Gross, I’d rather kiss a goblin,” I sneered and tried to cover the fact that I had enjoyed giving him head. Swell, I really must be losing my mind. “I can arrange that.” “Like you’ve ever seen a goblin.” “Hey, you were the one who had my cock in your mouth.” My eyes widened in horror and my flushed deepen to a dark red in utter embarrassment. I can’t believe he said that in front of everyone. Sure, we joke around and even flirt but this was beyond anything he’s ever done. Everyone had fallen silent and simply stared at us. Never have I felt so utterly exposed in my life. I opened my mouth to retort but nothing came out. “It’s my fault,” Eli suddenly said, catching everyone’s attention. “I asked Scott to help me figure out what was wrong with Selena, but before he came in we kind of…you know, and he walked in. One thing led to another and…Damn Selena, I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have happened. Henry’s spell...I forgot it was still on the two of you. It must have been the pheromones.” It took two deep breaths before I found my voice. “It’ll never happen again.” “Isn’t that what you said last time?” Scott asked with a grin. If only Nathaniel would knock him out for me. I was tempted to cast a spell to shut him up. However, too many magick users might undo the spell. Then it would 217

M. J. Spickett just be a waste of magick. Dan finally snapped. He didn’t often get mad but he suddenly slapped his son across the back of the head with an angry look in his normally gentle eyes. “Scott, first, that’s not how you treat a lady. Second, I’ll not have you talk like that in front of your brother.” “Ow! Dad, I was joking. Cripes! It’s not like Aaron understands anyway,” he complained and rubbed the back of his head. “It’s not like it would have happened if she wasn’t projecting so much magick.” Nathaniel and Eli laughed at him while I rolled my eyes and held back the applause I wanted to give Dan. Scott’s excuses always landed toward the level of magick Nathaniel and I projected. Of course, after the news of my pregnancy he could very well be telling the truth this time. I did feel different, not powerful but more attuned to my body’s needs. “Besides, you shouldn’t talk to me like that,” I pointed out with a smile. “I’m going to be someone’s mother.” Scott’s face brightened and he returned to the stature of my brother-in-law as if nothing weird had happened between us. “You know? What are you going to do? You obviously can’t go up against the Sluagh in your condition.” Richard seemed lost. “Condition?” My smile fell. “I don’t have much choice. The Queen has already sent them after us. They can be here anytime. Eli and I should have left the moment she issued the threat. I hate running but-” “Wait a moment,” Richard interrupted. “What threat? What the hell am I missing?” “She’s pregnant,” Eli explained quickly. “Then when 218

Fallen Cleo went AWOL the Queen threatened if we don’t return to the mound she’d send the Sluagh after us and she did by the sound of things. However, we are not running. I’ll find Cleo and…and hand him over to the Unseelie. That should appease the Queen for now.” “No, Eli,” I sighed. “She won’t be happy until she has you, we both know that. She’s using Cleo as an excuse to get you.” “Since when is that anything new? Come on Selena, she’s been after me since I was a babe. We’ll handle it.” His fingers intertwined with mine. A look of pure adoration and stubbornness filled his face. “I won’t let her harm our child.” “None of us will,” Dan threw in, determined to protect us. His soft brown eyes flashed to reveal their fey heritage, something he rarely did. He looked more human than Eli, who had less fey blood in him. I suppose it helped that Merle was his father. Hiding his true nature was a born gift, something from his mother, although he looked more like his father in hair and physique. However, Dan’s mind was as keen as in his past life. “Okay, there are spells we can use to track Cleo, right? Good. We’ll cast a large enough one to cover all of Ontario, North America even. I doubt he left the city but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Aaliyah can cast a protective spell over the fetus to insure nothing happens. Okay, so how do we deal with the Sluagh? Is there anyway to appease the Queen without going Underhill?” “She wants power. Always power. The power to control, the power to destroy. Magick in all its forms,” I told him as I folded my hands on the table, forgetting my food, even as my stomach cried out against the decision. I 219

M. J. Spickett was still hungry, starved beyond imagination, but it could wait just a few minutes longer. “She won’t take anything less than Eli and me. Eli as her mate and me as her slave, if only to remind me I’m nothing compared to her. My Guardian status over Eli and Anthony’s magick are the only reasons she has been unable to touch us until now. Even after he freed me, our engagement still bonded us. She would not dare touch us without justifiable cause. Cleo’s betrayal gave her that.” “Damn, talk about reaching,” Scott grumbled. “She sounds like a real peach.” “You have no idea,” Nathaniel interjected. He sighed and sat back to nurse the beer he had been slowly drinking throughout dinner. “Alright, I managed to track Cleo through to old downtown. Then his aura was lost in a wave of magick. Vamp territory. If we’re going to catch him and these fey, we’ll have to move in the morning. Kayla already has a SWAT team converging on the warehouse they’ve been hiding in.” “What? Why wasn’t I notified?” I demanded and leaned toward him. What the hell is Kayla thinking? This is my case. Cleo is my responsibility. I should be the one making the collar. I don’t care if Richard’s here. Cleo’s involved and I sure as hell am not letting him get away, no matter how much Eli protested. “You were in a coma,” Nathaniel pointed out matter of fact. A good point but one I wasn’t happy about. I frowned and gazed about the small dining room into which we had all crammed. It wasn’t really tiny. It opened to the living room, but when we all came over, we had to rearrange a few things to open the table to its full length. It was a pain in the ass but no one complained. An antique oak 220

Fallen table with matching high back chairs fit perfectly with the soft mahogany décor Nathaniel still treasured over many decades. Some pieces were older than Dan while others were new, replacing those that wore away with time. The room may be a little tight but it was cozy. He and Scott did an amazing job turning it into a home. A good share of the repairs and construction they did themselves with Eli lending a hand when he could. I’m impressed and a little envious. I love home improvement projects but never have time. My job takes up most of it. “Were any of our attackers captured?” I suddenly asked as the memory of the fight at the park returned. “The Valkyrie and one of the goblins,” Richard answered as he finished his beer. “Kayla threw them in a magick proof cell. Separated, of course. Neither is talking but it doesn’t matter now. The Seelie Guard is coming to get them in the morning.” “I want to see them.” Standing, I pushed my chair back and it clattered against the wall, spooking Aaron. The toddler’s lower lip trembled in sudden fright. I paid him little mind as I tried to slip around Aaliyah. She grabbed my wrist to stop me. “Selena, wait. Are you sure you’re well enough to interrogate these people? You’re still very pale and your arm is buggered up. Besides, I should spell your child before you go anywhere,” she said, standing as well. “I don’t have time,” I objected and pulled away only to bump my injured shoulder against wall. Even if it did give me a clear view of the whole room, I hated sitting in the back. Wincing, I cursed a blue streak before I remembered Aaron was in the room. The boy was in tears now. Nice job, Selena, let’s see if you can get him screaming 221

M. J. Spickett next, I berated myself. Her green eyes regarded me warily, Aaliyah spoke softly. “Are you planning to go like that? A baggy t-shirt and Nathaniel’s boxers don’t seem very threatening to me. Not with your arm in a sling. You look like a walking corpse. If you were dressed a little differently, you might fit in with a few vampires, but...” “I get the point,” I grumbled and looked at myself. She was right, I looked ill, more pale than even the most pure blood sidhe. Scott and Nathaniel’s clothes were way too baggy on me. I looked like a lanky kid who would be better off in a hospital then trying to catch bad guys. Not even glamour could help me this time around. This just won’t do. Changing into something of my own will be the best bet. “Are any of my clothes, other than my jogging suit, here?” I asked and glanced to Eli. As much as I liked my jogging suit, that confrontation pretty much ruined it and made it unsuitable to wear to the station. Besides, there was nothing threatening about powder blue sweat pants and tank top, with or without the hoodie. “I packed you a bag,” Eli answered and got to his feet as if to help me. “It’s in the guest room. I didn’t think you would be in their room.” “Oh.” I flushed and gazed at Nathaniel questioningly. “Your magick level was below norm. Scott and I were transferring power to you for the last few days. Otherwise, the baby would not have survived. She was pooling all your magick to her, in a few days it would have faded, so would the two of you,” Nathaniel said in explanation. “In other words, we slept together,” Scott interjected, as a self-satisfied grin returned. 222

Fallen Frowning, I ignored him. “I thought you didn’t learn about the baby until today.” Nathaniel nodded in understanding. “No one was sure until today, but we all had our suspicions. Dan was the first to voice the possibility.” I glanced at Dan who only smiled gently at me. “Oh. I…uh…thank you. Everyone.” I suppose that explains everything. “You’re more than welcome, Lady Hawke,” Richard said as he wiped his lips with a napkin. He stood, his tall form towered over me. “Thank you for dinner, Dan, but I should be off. I agreed to assist Lt. O’Kqua and the SWAT team with the raid. I’m hoping we can create a magickal buffer to prevent these druids from sensing us.” He stood before me, a good six inches taller than I, and took my good hand in his. Bringing it to his mouth, he brushed his lips over my knuckles. “I will have one of our diplomats journey to Daan’tema on your behalf, Lady Hawke. Surely, we can find a compromise rather than you and Eli surrendering to Her Highness for this simple misunderstanding.” Staring up at him in surprise, I couldn’t help but wonder if he had released the Sinclair Guardians. It had been well over a year since I last visited Cambridge and back then all three were still in service. Markus never mentioned it. Of all the Guardians who ever worked amongst the Sinclair I was the only one with a title of nobility, but then, unlike other Guardians, I made all Eli’s big decisions until he was eighteen. Lucas McLeod`s words floated into my head, how did the Sinclairs treat their Guardians? I knew they lived in the servants’ quarters but— 223

M. J. Spickett “Lady Hawke? Selena? What is it?” Richard suddenly asked. I felt weak again. He caught me before I fell and eased me into a chair. The room began to spin around me. Eli called my name but I couldn’t answer. Damn, damn, damn…how sick am I? I felt as if I needed to run to the bathroom, as if everything I had ate was trying to force itself out. “Nathaniel, do you have any more of the herbal mixture in the refrigerator?” Richard asked and let me lean my head against his shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll get it.” “No, I’m fine, really,” I objected. I didn’t want to taste that awful concoction again. It tasted like crud and I doubted my stomach could hold it down a second time. Richard seemed to understand. “Mix it into a tea and add honey,” he instructed. He tilted my chin up to look into my eyes while Nathaniel went to work in the kitchen. Scott knelt next to him, fully in doctor mode as he pulled out his pen light. I waved my good hand and tried to shoo them away. “I’m fine, really. It’s just a dizzy spell.” My gaze met Richard’s. “Have you freed your Guardians?” I suddenly blurted out. Although I knew the Sinclair Guardians were well cared for, I needed to know they were no longer slaves. The Sinclairs were the ones who often housed refugee Guardians but I still had to know. I needed to know they had their freedom too. Richard’s smile was heart warming as he answered, “About two months ago, although they’re still living at the manor. Yuriko isn’t sure what to do now since she’s been with us well over five hundred years, as has 224

Fallen Salvatore. Markus…well you know Markus. He’s talking about getting into the acting business.” I grinned. It must have been almost childish because Richard actually laughed. He never laughed, not like this. It was a deep resounding vibration that made him look years younger. “Should I be frightened?” “If he does anything but comedy I would be.” Eli snickered and Dan gave us wide eyes. I wanted to explain but couldn’t. Markus was about my age but he was a Guardian for hundreds of years. Anthony once called him the best cure for what ailed you. When he visited you, he made you laugh so hard you had no choice. You had to get up and shoo him away or die by laughter. The former royal guard was one of my dearest friends, although I could never figure out what crime sent him into Guardian duty. Squeaky clean, he just didn’t seem like the kind of guy to commit a crime. I took the hot bubbling brew Nathaniel handed me and stared down at it in disgust, all humor fading away. It smelled like pine and redwood. Not a good mixture to have to drink. “Aw geez, Nate, no eye of newt?” “Stop being a brat and drink it,” he retorted. He brushed a hand through my hair then firmly planted himself beside me. Swell, everyone was going to stare at me until I drank it and either went running to the bathroom or passed out. Wasn’t family great? I wanted to run away screaming but chugged the warm drink down instead. It didn’t taste as bad as I feared it would. The hot water diluted the mixture to something smooth like hot chocolate—minus the rich chocolate taste—and the honey gave it a pleasant taste above the tang of herbs. Finishing the cup off, I wiped my mouth with the back of 225

M. J. Spickett my hand, much to Richard’s displeasure. He handed me a clean napkin with a roll of his eyes that made me laugh. “Now I know where you get it from,” he muttered to Eli. “Yep,” the younger man chirped merrily. Richard only sighed as he stood. He patted my hand and offered me a comforting smile. “I’m off. Make sure you take someone with you if you do decide to go to the station. Until I can negotiate an agreement that will suit both our parties with the Queen, I want you and Eli to stay together and stay in groups. The Sluagh won’t attack if you’re surrounded by people.” That wasn’t exactly true but I wasn’t about to argue the point with him. My head still felt icky but at least the room had stopped spinning enough for me to focus. It will probably be a good idea if I went back to bed for a few hours, but I need to interrogate the prisoners. I have to stop the black druids before they kill anyone else. Goddess only knows how many died while I was comatose. Richard left with a wave of his hand and headed out the back staircase that led through the store to the garage. I watched him go before trying to stand again. This time my legs decided to work with me for more than a few steps. Well that was a good beginning, now to make it across the room to the guest room. That proved to be a little trickier until my legs finally steadied themselves. Eli caught my good arm and let me lean on him until we got to the doorway. “Thanks,” I whispered as my strength began to return. “You really should eat more,” he said, concern dripped in each word. “We can always go to the station in the morning.” “I’m okay, Eli. Just ask Nate to make me another of 226

Fallen those teas and I’ll be perfect. Okay?” I kissed him lightly on the lips then shooed him away. “Aaliyah, can you give me a hand? You can cast the spell at the same time.” She glanced up from feeding Aaron the last of his string peas and handed Dan the little jar. “Sure,” she called back then kissed her husband. She rushed over and wrapped an arm around my waist to help keep me steady. It had been a long time since Aaliyah had been so concerned for me. Back when I posed as a young teenager, for Eli’s sake, and to appear as a growing human amongst those without magick, she had acted almost as if she were Eli’s and my mother, well until I revealed my true self to her that is. She was only half banshee so my magick had concealed me for several years. Although she had always suspected something, she had never figured it out until three years later when we went up against a pack of were-leopards. That was the day Eli fully came into his powers. My own magick was boosted to a degree that there was no way to hide my glowing skin that seemed to reflect the moon’s light while my hair and eyes burned hotter than the sun, a trait from my pixie blood. The appearance of large dragonfly wings spurting from my back had been impossible to explain. I think the wings were what caught both Eli and Aaliyah by surprise. Very few sidhe had wings, definitely not pure bloods. When I revealed myself to Aaliyah she revealed herself to me, allowing me to see her banshee half, a gift from her mother. We’ve been best of friends ever since, even if we did have our differences, namely Eli. She had been his Watcher, and still was in a way, although she no longer reported to the British High Council of Magick. While we differed in opinion on his education and future, 227

M. J. Spickett we both strived to make sure he was safe and reasonably happy, which usually led to some nasty battles against rival magick users. Some of which we’ve just managed to escape with our lives. The guest room, furnished much the same as the master bedroom, was about half the size and had a double bed rather than a queen. The bedspread was one Nathaniel’s adoptive grandmother had made him when he too had to pose as a human child to get close to the Dions. The Hastings had adopted him without much question, and since Jessica worked with Dan, it gave Nathaniel the perfect cover until he revealed himself to his future master. The spread, in shades of blue and white quarter moons and snowy white doves, represented his fey form without letting him know she knew who and what he was. Jessica was empathic, not psychic, and a practicing witch, but she had known who Nathaniel was the moment she saw him, right through his disguise as a five year old. Until a few years ago, she kept his secret because Anthony had apparently predicted it would happen. Then she merrily announced to us that she knew who and what we were. We were still welcomed and protected in her home. I think Nathaniel is still recovering from the fact that he had been unable to trick her. Of course no fey could ever hide in plain sight from a witch. I ran my hand over the thick material and wondered if I could make my baby something similar. I hadn’t sewed anything like this in centuries. “You’re smiling again,” Aaliyah noted, “and glowing. Happy thoughts?” She asked as she found my night bag on the large dresser at the other end of the room. 228

Fallen I laughed. “Maybe I’ll fly. Ah…but I left my pixie dust at home.” “Does that really work?” She raised a brow in inquiry. “Not from what I’ve seen. Mr. Barrie fabricated that one. Quite frankly, it makes me sneeze and is greasy as hell. It’s impossible to wash out of hair, too.” “Lovely.” She threw the bag on the bed and started to rummage through it. She was shorter than I by a good four inches but that never stopped her from stealing my clothes. I couldn’t complain. I’ve been doing it to Aaliyah since we first met. “So are you planning to scare this chick or what?” “Scaring sounds good. Please tell me Eli packed my second Browning.” Aaliyah started piling clothes on the bed. “Sais, daggers, Kevlar…g-string? When did you start wearing these?” “Hey! Son-of-a…remind me to strangle him. Scott’s a bad influence.” “Uh huh…blame it all on Scott,” she teased. “Ah…here they are.” I held up a pair of my black leather pants with its hidden layer of elven chain-mail and gazed at her in confusion. “They? I only have two and Cleo stole one.” She shrugged. “Eli says he dropped it right after shooting you. Apparently he was in shock when he saw you fall.” “Yeah well…” I wasn’t quite sure what to think, let alone say about that. “Let’s just focus on finding him.” “No, let’s focus on protecting you and that baby. Now lay down so I can cast the spell properly.” She pointed to the bed, as if I didn’t already know where to find it. 229

M. J. Spickett I lay back without commenting and pulled up the tshirt to let her at my flat belly. I still couldn’t believe another life was growing there. I’ve waited so long to be a mother, that the fact I finally was going to be, seemed a little surreal. All I wanted to do was stroke my belly and commune with my baby. Although we already had a telepathic bond building, the child was only a fetus, unable to express anything but comfort, discomfort and hunger. It felt a little strange but in a good way. The feel of Aaliyah’s hands was like smooth silk sliding across my flesh. They moved with a practiced grace as she communed with the baby, making sure the child was safe, healthy, and strong enough to survive any possible battle I may face in the next few days. She hummed as she worked, her magick slowly forming around her fingers. My eyelids drifted closed as my stomach grew warm. The only problem with Aaliyah’s protective and healing powers were that they made her patients sleepy and I was no exception. Only my fierce intention to interrogate the rogue Guardians kept me from falling asleep, but it was one hell of a fight. “There we go,” she whispered after a few minutes. She straightened up, sitting next to me. “Selena?” “Hmm..?” I murmured. “Go to sleep.” My eyelids felt like someone stuck glue beneath them, but eventually I got them open enough to look up at her. “I can’t.” With her help, I sat up and stared down at myself. My belly was a mass of warmth, the odd tingling sensation running over it. She gave me an exasperated sigh and got up. “The shielding should stop any spell from harming her, but I 230

Fallen suggest you wear the Kevlar to be safe. Not many fey use guns but I rather be safe than sorry.” My hand ran over the leather jacket draped over the rocking chair in the corner. It too had a hidden layer of elven chain-mail. Stronger than Kevlar, the chain-mail was so light it felt like I had on a silken shirt. “I’ve got a better idea. Grab the black corset. Eli’s a smart boy, he brought all my gear.” Wit a grin, I took the 9mm magazines out of my bag and loaded one into each gun. I swear, Eli could read my mind. He even remembered my reinforced boots. These clothes were more protective than any suit of armor ever created.

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Chapter Twenty ressed and armed, I began to feel more like myself again. The queasiness had subsided with Aaliyah’s spell and I could finally see straight again, without fear that at any moment my stomach might pitch a fit or legs turn to rubber. In fact, Aaliyah’s spell had been so good I felt tempted to do a little jig, but I stopped myself. It’s kind of hard to look serious when you wear leather and bounce up and down like a five year old. But I was happy. It brought back my appetite. I set aside thoughts of food as I had a job to do and I was already three days behind. Searching through the duffle bag for my badge, I cursed when I didn’t find it right away. Instead, I found it in my jacket pocket and clipped it to my belt next to my holster. On my other hip was a small case with four spare magazines and my other Browning, safely secured to its holster. Eli had forgotten to bring my shoulder harness and I wasn’t thrilled about my guns being so visible. I preferred that holster but the hip one allowed me a quicker draw so I couldn’t blame his reasoning. Besides, I wanted my jacket done up to give the baby extra protection. My Sais were a little easier to conceal. I slid them into a harness on my back, low enough that no one would notice without really looking hard—their black

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Fallen polished steal matched my jacket perfectly. With a swirl of my wrist, I twisted my hair into a tight bun and clipped it into place with a large Celtic knot I had been carrying since I was a child on the Isle of Man more than a thousand years ago. A good luck charm from my past and the last remaining thing of my mother’s before she had passed on. She’s the reason I became an Enforcer. At one time, I was intent on finding her killer, but after so many centuries, I finally gave up hope and focused solely on my duties. I forced my thoughts away from the past to dwell upon my survival and that of my child. My boots made no sound as I walked into the living room, giving a soundless precision of cat like agility. I liked the way I could walk up behind someone without them hearing me. It gave me the upper hand and was empowering. However, that meant nothing when in a room of psychics and magick users. The men lounging about the living room looked up as I entered, a tiny smile lighting each of their faces. Okay, so empowering might not be the right word around these guys as much as frustrating would. Scott whistled which made me blush and sheer willpower kept me from throwing one of my Sais at him. Instead, I turned to Eli. I had no intention of sitting around and waiting for someone else to do my job. “Can I burrow your car?” “Ah…I didn’t bring the car today. I took the Ninja,” he said and looked a little on edge with good reason. “You rode that thing here after how many times I told you not to?” I snapped. “Especially now with those fey after us? Goddess! Don’t you stop to think?” He rolled his eyes, doing a good impression of a spoiled teen. “I’m wearing elven chain-mail like you and a 233

M. J. Spickett reinforced helmet. I’m perfectly safe.” With a deep breath, I slowly counted to ten and let it out. Some days he could be a trial on my nerves, but he wasn’t lying. I hadn’t really paid attention to what he was wearing when he first came in since I had been sick and then a cloud of lust trapped my mind. I took a good look at him and saw the black leather pants and t-shirt he wore. The pants, like mine, had a hidden layer of elven chain-mail, as did the jacket draped over the arm of the couch. So there was no real reason for me to be upset with him, he was following the conditions we arranged the day he convinced me to buy the bike last year. However, I was still nervous. “Fine…whatever. Nate, can I borrow your car? No offense Dan, but the mini-van just won’t do.” I said and looked between the two. Dan was always ready to lend me his vehicle, but the van was just too big and slow if something happened. The Sluagh rode elven steeds or fliers, I needed to outrace them if they managed to find me. “Why don’t you take my bike?” Scott offered and threw me his keys. “It’s faster than any elven steed, can get into tighter places than a car and it’s fully gassed. I caught the keys in midair then stared at them in surprise. Scott never let anyone ride his Yamaha except Nathaniel. My glance flicked up to him in confusion. The look he gave me was brotherly and full of friendship. All I could do was smile. “Thanks.” He waved it off. “You stick with her, kiddo. I want my niece good and healthy when you get back,” he said to Eli. The younger man stood and shrugged on his jacket. 234

Fallen “Don’t worry. With Nate following we ought to be fine.” I shook my head and glowered at them. “Wait. I can’t bring all of you with me to the interrogation room. Hell, Eli can’t even go in until he’s a full-fledge investigator.” “We’re not planning to go in, just protecting you,” Eli corrected, as if I were acting childish. “Forget it,” I said sternly, but it did no good. They had their minds set. Great! Here I am a trained warrior and I am about to have an entourage like some dainty princess. This is seriously going to damage my reputation. “I better not have this problem every time I go to work. Pregnant or not.” The cheeky grin Eli gave me said that I was more than likely going to. I sighed and headed for the back door to the garage down stairs, sparing Scott and Dan a good-bye wave. Eli and Nathaniel flanked me like a royal guard. It was annoying even though I was used to having two men with me most of the time, even if one was a usually a cat. I welcomed Eli’s presence, but as much as I loved Nathaniel, I just couldn’t handle him constantly at my back right then. Maybe I’m paranoid but right now, I think I have a right. As well armed as I, he is a good backup. However, I am not sure what I am walking into and I don’t want to involve any more people than I have to. Definitely not my loved ones. Too late for that, I guess. Eli’s midnight blue and black Ninja motorcycle stood next to Scott’s black and silver Yamaha. They were beautiful machines. I’ve ridden such machines for decades, but I wasn’t too fond of Eli riding one. He tended to drive too fast. Of course, I shouldn’t really complain. I did the same thing, more often than not, breaking the speed limits. Magick came in handy at such times and we were both careful drivers. 235

M. J. Spickett Nathaniel opened the garage doors while Eli and I donned our helmets. One of Sinclair’s technicians installed a radio to link them together. I still wasn’t sure exactly why, supposedly it helped Scott keep track of Eli when they rode together, a Sunday afternoon ritual whenever Scott wasn’t at the hospital. Although telepathically connected, I felt better knowing the helmets allowed us contact verbally as well. My fingers danced over the metal of the Yamaha as I swung my leg over its sleek body. The feel of the hard metal between my legs brought back a small thrill. It’s been too long since I last rode a motorcycle or any other bike. I really should have Richard send my Ninja from Ipswich. The sound of engines roaring to life was like music to my ears. They purred like a giant cat. Whoa…that wasn’t a good thought. I could suddenly envision Cleo in his panther form content in whatever ancient text Eli had bought him to read, and in his fey form as he leaned over me with need and love in his turquoise eyes. I shook my head. Okay, I have to kill these images and thoughts immediately. My hesitation nearly cost me my life once. If I’m not prepared to use hostile force against him this time, I won’t live long enough to have my child. No I have to be ready to kill him should the need arise. Hopefully, he is smart enough to surrender. Yeah right. Eli sped out of the garage and turned right, toward the bridge into town. I followed a heartbeat later as Nathaniel spread his wings and took to the sky. The storm had passed to leave only a light drizzle that could stop any moment and left the air cool and refreshing. There was little traffic going into the downtown district. Most 236

Fallen people headed into the suburbs to their homes and families after a long day of work. The rain had left the city sparkling like a jewel. Although it was hours before nightfall the sky was dark with heavy cloud cover and the street lights were all on, reflecting off the puddles and wet buildings. In the dark sky, I found it next to impossible to spot Nathaniel, which was a good thing. He was probably under an invisibility spell, but whatever the case the public didn’t need to see him. Last thing we needed was a bunch of people crying out about angels flying over Ravenwood. I could almost see the tabloids having a field day as they had with other feys who accidentally let themselves be caught on film. Mind you, it would be rather fun to tease him about it. Pulling into the underground parking lot, I flashed my badge to the attending officer as we passed and led Eli to my parking space. We were able to park both bikes side by side and still have plenty of space. Nathaniel appeared a moment later, his wings folding back into him and features returning to a sub-balance of human. He dusted off his jacket, a stray feather caught in the zipper. Dark clothes on him just didn’t suit his fair skin. He was far paler than I was and with silver hair, he looked almost albino. As I pulled off my helmet, I brushed my long strands back. The good thing about my hair being in a bun was that it wasn’t all tangled in my face, although loose strains were unstoppable. They fell in front of my eyes, forcing me to bat them away just to see straight. We headed for the elevator in silence, my mind too focused on the task at hand to consider idle chit-chat, while the boys seemed lost in their own thoughts. 237

M. J. Spickett I slid my key-card through a slot to the left of the elevator doors. There was no button on the wall, thus preventing the public from getting into the paranormal research labs. Reporters were notorious for trying to access the crime labs and the last thing we needed was one stumbling in and discovering lycanthrope blood or confiscated magickal tools, or any number of things in our evidence lockers that would make an interesting news story. There were dangerous items and although most humans could not activate them, they were better left alone. Everything we confiscated were put through a salt dissolution to clear all residue magick, but we still didn’t need photos ending up in some magazine for gossip or otherwise. The elevator gave a little chime before the doors slid open and we stepped inside. We made the trip up to the main floor then headed for the prison wing. Detectives and Investigators working the night shift were just signing in. Most were already at their desks, all except the officers that were with Kayla and Richard. I gave a wave to a few that I was friends with and moved toward the back. Detective LeBlanc stood to block our way. Having just been transferred from a regular beat, she still strived to prove herself to her superiors. I was one of them. She was the first witch I have ever met that didn’t respect faeries. Apparently, she detested me and the feeling was mutual. In her snappy suit pants and blazer, she fit the role of a model cop compared with my leather or more casual street clothes that I got away with wearing throughout the department. I’m not saying I don’t dress appropriately on most occasions it’s just that they called me in more than most and rarely gave me a chance to 238

Fallen change. LeBlanc often reminded me of the demi-fey, unfortunately, I couldn’t swat her away. “Hawke, you can’t bring civilians into the prison wing,” she stated as she raised a hand to stop me. Her gaze roamed over Eli and Nathaniel questioningly. “Of course,” I said patiently and gazed at her upraised hand. I wonder how pissed Kayla would be f I broke it? Although it’s probably best if I don’t, at least not yet. Her gaze flicked to me then back to the two men. “Oh?” “Is there a problem, Detective?” Suspicion still clouded her eyes as they flicked back to me. I wasn’t in the mood for her nonsense today. I used my telepathy to push the fact that I needed to go to the prison wing immediately. Being psychic, she tried to shield herself from me with little success. After only a few seconds, she buckled under the pressure. “No ma’am,” she answered, shying back as my aura flared. She knew I was fey and far more powerful than she was. I just had to remind her from time to time. “Good. Now do me a favor and entertain my friends for a few minutes. Thanks.” I gave Eli and Nathaniel a wink. “Give me twenty minutes.” Eli’s hand caught mine to make me pause. He stepped up to me and his breath caressed my lips. “Be careful with the Valkyrie. We don’t know the complete level of her power, or if she can telepathically connect to this McLeod fellow.” “I will,” I promised, surprised by his show of affection in public. This was so unlike him. His lips met mine in a gentle yet passionate kiss that sent my mind whirling with thoughts of my empty office. 239

M. J. Spickett He pulled away and left me blinking up at him wanting more. “Way to go Hawke!” Came shouts and whistles from the other members of the PID. I flushed. This was one of many reasons I wasn’t into public displays of affection, especially here. That kiss was about to be the gossip around the water cooler for the next week. I was never going to hear the end of it. Kayla was going to have a field day teasing me once she heard about it. The same with the day shift. “Don’t you kids have some cases to solve?” I called back in a parental voice and waved my hand in a perfect imitation of the Chief. “Get to work.” The come backs were endless. Laughing, I shook my head. Reprimanding them was useless. I may be fey but I was also only a detective. As professional as we all were in the field, everything was fair game once we were back in the office, when the occasion arose. The case most of us were presently working on was so time-consuming and stressful we needed some sort of amusement. It looks like my love life was going to be the topic of the day. Lucky me. Well, as much as it may be fun, I have work to do. “I’ll be back soon,” I told Eli and Nathaniel then left them to the pack of relatively harmless wolves. Not exactly my best plan, some would try to pry information out of Eli. Others would think Nathaniel was fair game or one of my “many” boyfriends, a rumor that had started when someone found out that I hung out with more guys than girls. The fact that he was my brother, even if only adoptive, didn’t seem to matter. Nor did the fact he was gay. Girls always came onto him. He had to wear his wedding band just to avoid it since no one believed he 240

Fallen was homosexual. Then there were those who just couldn’t take a hint. Rushe was already making her way towards him. That woman moved fast. I didn’t have time to protect Nathaniel’s virtue. The Valkyrie awaited me so I ducked into the prison wing before she could start her insane questioning. Especially designed to confine faerie, they constructed the prison wing with reinforced iron and steel. Walking down the vast hall made me cringe with the onset of a headache. No matter how strong my shields were, iron still affected me, the main reason I rarely came down here. Normally Kayla did the prison visits or had someone take a suspect to an interrogation room for me. Today I was on my own. The officers guarding the cells were powerful mages trained to handle just about anything imaginable. I helped in their training by playing the role of a criminal. They locked me up and I had to find any and all weaknesses in each cell. Then when I escaped, their job was to find and stop me. It proved to be an interesting experience that left me with one nasty migraine for two solid days. The Valkyrie seemed to be suffering in the same way. She sat on the concrete slap that served as a cot, her knees pulled to her chest and white clothing dirt covered and stained. Her silver armor was gone, probably squirreled away in the evidence locker. That was a good thing. I didn’t want this woman near any enchanted weapons. Related to banshees, Valkyries were tall and breathtakingly beautiful, able to bewitch their victims before killing them, and one of the fiercest warriors I have ever encountered, yet somehow Eli had managed to capture her. It only proved just how powerful he was. I 241

M. J. Spickett suppose he used the backlash of magick to bring her down, but I couldn’t be certain. All I could remember was Cleo shooting me with my own gun and that was more than I wanted to. The Valkyrie looked up as I stepped in front of her cell. Her long legs unfolded and she stood to show off all six feet of her, and she didn’t even wear heels. Wow! She is gorgeous. No wonder men fell before them. She really was breathtaking, although she could easily be projecting a glamour spell. Somehow, I doubted that. There were fey who were truly ethereal. “What’s your name?” I asked as I leaned against the wall across from the cell. She eyed me cautiously, her stance defensive and silver-violet eyes glowed softly in a display of power. “Savannah Schofield,” she said in a thick Nordic accent. “That’s your Guardian name. What’s your real one?” Her gaze was hard and defiant, which was okay. I didn’t really care what her name was. “Fine,” I said instead, running my fingers along the shaft of my Browning. “I’ll make this easy for you. Tell me what I want and maybe I’ll save you from your court’s wraith. If you don’t, I’ll shoot you in the knee and hand you over to the Queen of Air and Darkness personally. She hasn’t had a new playmate in months.” A threat that would have a fey, any fey, tremble in utter fear had no effect on her. That meant she was part of the Seelie. They were too damn arrogant for their own good. Oh well, at least I offered. There was fearless and then there was stupid. Savannah was obviously part of the latter category. She gazed at the gun with little interest then turned her back to me. 242

Fallen “You will die long before your Queen touches me. Lucas will slay you and the mage and bring forth the demons with your essences,” she stated, as if the future were already destined. “Is that so? And to think I have a manicure come Thursday. Think he’ll take a rain check?” She turned back to me, one brow raised in confusion. “Rain check?” Where the hell is this chick from? If she can’t understand simple wit then this is going to get boring fast. I let out my breath. Fine, may as well get straight to the point. I’m not one for beating around the bush anyway. “Why has Lucas stolen the Demonitcia? Does he honestly think he can control demons?” I asked. Her face brightened to one of adoration. “Oh yes. Lucas holds the powers to destroy worlds.” “Maybe he will, if he finds the right mage to unlock that power,” I corrected. That knocked her back a step or two, but she recovered quickly. “It’s only a matter of time. He’ll find the power source. Maybe even your little mage.” “Oh? Who led you to Eli and me? Cleotro?” “He came to us declaring to know where the most powerful magick was, so powerful Lucas will not have to kill the host. I suppose he wasn’t lying.” She rubbed her left arm where her tunic was torn open. “For him to take on four fey with no harm to himself shows incredible power and skill.” “Thank you. I’ve been training him for years. You should be happy he didn’t kill you,” I taunted with my most sincere smile. “So, where are they?” Now she smiled. Not good, not good at all. “It will be too 243

M. J. Spickett late for your friends by the time you get there.” As if on cue, the klaxons began to wail and red lights flashed throughout the prison wing. I glanced up at them and forced myself not to panic. They rarely went off. While I’ve been part of the PID, I have never heard them sound. Savannah grinned like a mad woman. I growled in anger and aimed the Browning at her chest. “Don’t move,” I commanded in a deep growl, my own fey powers reacted to the sudden threat. A guard ran down the hall towards me. His eyes were wide with fright, something I had never seen on his face before. Eli and Nathaniel followed close behind him with a horror-stricken look on their faces. “Hawke,” the guard shouted as he came to a stop before me. “They ambushed O’Kqua and the SWAT team. We’ve got casualties coming in.” “O’Kqua?” “Don’t know. Reports are still coming in. She did turn wolf before being shot,” he panted. “They knew we were coming.” “Hmm…I wonder how.” My gaze returned to the Valkyrie. “They’ll all be dead long before you reach them,” she taunted. “He’s coming for you, Hawke. You and the boy.” “Boy?” Eli glanced at her in annoyance and folded his arms across his chest. “When he’s done with you we’ll be unstoppable.” She continued to rant. “The powers of old will be ours.” “Really?” I growled. My reaction was automatic, borne from years as an Enforcer and Guardian. She had issued a threat, one that proved to be real. I pulled the trigger and 244

Fallen shot her without consciousness or regret. Her head snapped back, the iron jacket bullet penetrated her skull to rupture her frontal lobe. Doing this in the middle of the police department was not ideal. I could be arrested and thrown in one of the cells for this but I don’t care. Our SWAT team was ambushed, some killed, many injured and I have no idea of Kayla’s or Richard’s status . Are they alive or dead? This is all Cleo’s fault. He must have told McLeod how to get past the PID SWAT’s magick and Kevlar. When I get my hands on him, I’m going to kill him. “Detective Hawke?” the officer, Remeraz his name tag read, questioned. Surprise and horror filled his youthful face. He was still new and I was betting this was the first time he had seen anyone die by the shade of green his face had become. “Don’t worry about cleaning that up,” I said off handedly, as if this were an everyday occurrence. To me it pretty much was. “She’ll fade away to faerie soon enough.” Already the Valkyrie’s body had begun to disintegrate into silvery dust that floated away before vanishing into the ethereal realm. That was one of the good things about the fey. When they died in this realm there was little clean up to worry about, as long as they had no master to hold their physical form in this realm. “Where were they stationed?” I demanded as I holstered my weapon. “The warehouse on the corner of Meredith and Queen,” Remeraz explained, his gaze constantly flickering to the dead fey. “Snipers were in the meat packing plant. The suspects were located across the street in the old fishery. Kayla led the SWAT team against them. I’m not 245

M. J. Spickett sure where Marshal Sinclair is.” I looked to Eli and Nathaniel. “We better head there and see if we can help. With any luck we’ll find Cleotro.” I turned back to the young officer. “Assemble all available witches and meet us there.” “Yes ma’am,” Remeraz said before he took off again. Eli gave a sharp nod as he fingered a small bulge in his jacket. I almost did a double take. Why I hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary at Nathaniel’s? Doing a quick sweep of his body, I inhaled sharply. Yep, he’s carrying two guns, maybe three. One holstered just under his left arm, another at his right ankle. However, the way he stood made it hard to tell if there was a third under his right arm or at the back of his pants. He had learned to be sneaky and right then it was a good thing. I did not intend to bicker about it. Magick was great and all, but it was always best to be prepared for anything. “And when we find him?” he asked, not happy with me for the Valkyrie’s death. He’ll get over it, he’d seen me kill before, but he wasn’t going to be happy with me for a few days. That was okay, it’d keep him focused on the job of capturing Cleo before the Sluagh found us. “We’ll figure that out when we find him.” And hand him over to the Queen. Eli still seemed intent that somehow this was all a mistake. He didn’t know Cleotro as I did. Despite my lapse in judgment, we could no longer trust Cleotro. He is one of the bad guys. By not only betraying us and almost killing me he showed exactly where his loyalties lay. No, he is too dangerous to let go, especially if he reveals the extent of Eli’s powers to McLeod. That means not only do we have the Sluagh after us but also the Druids of the Black Order. Can this week get any worse? I didn’t want to ask that. 246

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Chapter Twenty-One eredith Avenue and Queen Street were in Old Ravenwood, along the Syran River. The fishery had been one of the first businesses to come to Ravenwood more than a hundred fifty years ago during the big logging boom. Back then, Ravenwood had been known mainly for its logging industry. Then a pleasant surprise, the discovery of king salmon and fresh water tuna brought more business to the region. The fishery had long since moved to a more modern facility and left the original building to rot away as so many others along the river had begun to do. And like so many others, it had become a hot spot for paranormal activity. It would take only fifteen minutes to get there but I hesitated as I rode the bike in the open night air. The sky had turned the color of spilled ink and the clouds looked foreboding, not with rain but something far more dangerous. A feeling of impending danger pulsed through every pore of my skin. It wasn’t natural. It shouldn’t have appeared so black in the heart of the city. The clouds should have reflected the city lights, but instead it looked as if they were hiding a deeper darkness. Chills began to run down my spine. “Selena, I think you’re being followed,” Nathaniel

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M. J. Spickett called over the radio. Oh, oh, this could be bad. “Can you ID them?” I asked and revved the engine more to catch up with Eli. Eli looked over at me, his eyes hidden under the black face shield. “You think the Sluagh are here already?” “No need to think,” Nathaniel countered. “They’re here. Five of them, closing fast. Two by air, three by ground. Anyone have a plan? Doesn’t need to be a good one.” “We’re too public to fight. The Queen won’t want us or her assassins exposed,” I answered, but even as I said it, I knew I was wrong. Eli voiced it. “Are you kidding me? The road’s deserted. Where is everyone?” “Gone,” I muttered. I watched the shadows as we sped by. The two in the air wouldn’t attack Nathaniel unless he interfered. It was the three on the ground that concerned me. They could mingle with the shadows, attack us when we least expected it and we wouldn’t even know what was happening until too late. Even the most skilled telepath could not track these creatures. “They must have psychically chased everyone from the area. Fuck! Okay, let’s think. Eli, exactly how many guns did you manage to steal from Kayla?” For a moment, he said nothing and I knew he was a little ashamed about not telling me first. “Eli, seriously, I need to know.” “Two. A Glock and a Colt .45,” he finally said, sounding like a child who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “How many bullets?” “An extra magazine for both. Regular iron grade 248

Fallen ammo for the Colt and the high grade from your extra stock for the Glock. I picked the lock.” Damn, not enough rounds. Okay, okay, think Selena. What can we do? Where can we go? “Dan, Dan are you monitoring us?” “Yes,” he responded. “Head back here. It’s closer than your house and Nathaniel’s wards should be enough to keep them out.” “What about Cleo?” Eli asked, worry evident in his voice. “Forget Cleo,” I said sternly. “We’ll find him during daylight. Right now it’s too dangerous.” He grunted his disapproval but agreed. With practiced precision, we did U turns and headed back to the loft. Completely breaking the speed limit, we kicked our speed from forty kilometers to a hundred twenty, but I doubt anyone noticed. A little illusion spell and no one saw us. We could’ve picked up the speed even more but I didn’t want to push it. Well known for their drastic measures to capture their victims, I didn’t want to give the Sluagh any more reasons for hunting us. As we neared the bridge, they made their move. Just across the bridge was evidence of life. The streets were active with people. Cars drove to and fro. Teenagers sat or lounged around in the neighboring playground gossiping while people walked up and down the sidewalks. I never saw a prettier sight. The Sluagh would not dare attack in front of so many witnesses, or so I thought. A spell ball zoomed past my head and slammed into the ground just meters in front of me. I maneuvered past the sudden crater and radioed for Eli to pick up his speed 249

M. J. Spickett as I pulled my Browning from its holster. Now if only these bastards will show themselves long enough for me to get off a few good shots. “They’re materializing,” Nathaniel warned. “Six o’clock and eight o’clock.” I hit the brakes, spun the bike around, swung my right arm up and fired off several rounds in both directions. My fey sight detected them immediately and I watched in slow motion as the bullets slammed into their chests. They went down, but unlike most fey, iron didn’t hurt them to the degree it did the rest of us. I spun the bike back around with a screech of burning tires and continued after Eli. The third Sluagh appeared before me, his large bat-like wings spread wide as he soared after the mage. Blue-grey hands unsheathed long sharp claws. I fired and watched the bullet tear through one wing just as he slashed the back tire of Eli’s bike. Damn! Too late! The bike went into an uncontrolled spin. Eli’s magick kept him from slamming into the pavement. I cried out in fear. A transport entered the intersection in front of Eli and nothing I could do would save him. Even with magick, I would never have reached him in time. “Eli!” I screamed, my cry echoed by Nathaniel as he swooped down to save him. Eli pulled the bike closer to the ground and managed to maneuver quickly enough to slide under the transport and out the other side. I let out my breath in relief as the truck passed by revealing Eli sprawled out on the grass in the playground. The teenagers clustered around him as he staggered to his feet and pulled off his helmet. They bombarded him with questions which he was either ignoring or too much in shock to hear. I pulled up next to 250

Fallen him, jumped off my bike and threw my helmet to the ground. “Eli? Are you okay?” I cried as I grabbed him by the shoulders and yelled for the teens to get to cover. They just stared at me as if I were nuts. He winced but nodded, too shocked for words. My muscles had yet to fully heal and firing my gun had not helped but I pushed the pain from my mind as my Guardian side took over. I quickly inspected him for any sign of injury. He seemed fine but there could be any unseen wounds hidden beneath his clothing. All that had saved him was the armor sewn into the thick fabric. Nathaniel landed next to us. His wings flared and spooked the teens into fleeing. He sighed in resignation and quickly invoked a concealment spell to keep the rest of the public from seeing us. Like me, he did a quick assessment of Eli before he pointed to the small copse of trees that led to the next road. “Head that way. The store is just on the other side. I’ll buy you time,” he instructed as he summoned his mystic sword, Singing Death. He hadn’t used it since Anthony’s time. “Go, now!” Eli hesitated. Grabbing his arm, I dragged him toward the woods, the Sluagh right behind us. I silently hoped the woods weren’t too thick and that we could make it to the other side before the Sluagh swarmed us in the dark. Worse, it seemed as if the Sluagh knew exactly where we would head. The first five Sluagh had been a decoy. Riders appeared before us, blocking our escape. Fey steeds reared up, their front legs kicking at us. I whipped out the other Browning and began to fire. Eli smartly did the same, and we slowly managed to punch a hole 251

M. J. Spickett through their lines. However, more quickly replaced them and we were unable to move forward. I’m not sure which is worse, the Riders or the Fliers. Both were able to blend into the shadows and were incredibly fast. There was no way to outrun them, not with another flank approaching from our front. We stood back to back, moving as one as we tried to take out as many as possible, covering one another as we took turns reloading. This was not going to be easy. I threw up a shield as they fired spell after spell at us. They bounced against the shield, thumbing like thunder against my ears. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. They designed the spell balls to absorb power. It wouldn’t be long before I was too weak to pull the trigger. “Eli, teleport us out of here,” I yelled as two Riders began to slash at the shield with their swords. I threw down one Browning, its magazine already empty, fired off a spell ball of my own and threw the huge fey back. None of the spells I knew was really powerful enough to fight off the Sluagh, they were beyond what I trained to fight. “I can’t. Someone’s blocking me,” he responded, fear grew in his voice. “Selena, I’m almost out.” My second Browning was almost empty, too. Damn. A dozen to two were not good odds. Even if Eli unleashed the full might of his power, which could level the city and perhaps killed a few of the Sluagh, it could not stop them. They’d just absorb it as they do everything else. The only other option was hand to hand combat and hope to punch a hole through their lines. Easier said than done. Dropping my glamour, I called forth the full extent of my powers. The guns weren’t working. No point in 252

Fallen wasting the few bullets I had left. I holstered it. With a flick of my boot, I kicked its mate to my hand and did the same with it. There was no way I was going to leave it behind for some kid to find. Instead, I unsheathed my Sais. Eli took the hint and put away his guns as well. His staff appeared a moment later and converted to twin sabers. My heartbeat pounded in my head as a mixture of fear and adrenaline filled me. The skull-faced Riders began to push their way through the shield and weaken me. I couldn’t hold it anymore, not without losing consciousness. Under normal circumstances, I could have probably held on for another hour. However, I was still recovering from my injuries. I moved into a defensive position, and waited long enough for Eli to do the same before dropping the shield. The Sluagh charged forth, meeting us with a clash of swords and spell balls. Our personal shields could hold up against some of the magick, but not all. I staggered with every hit, but focused on the Rider attacking me. My Sais blocked his strikes, twisting and ducking until I finally landed a blow to his mid-section. He howled in rage, and staggered back. I spun, threw a Sais into the chest of a Rider headed for Eli. He fell off his steed and nearly got trampled by his fellow warriors. The theory was that since they were on steeds, at least most of them, with weapons that could reach us, we couldn’t reach them. I ducked under a sword swipe and retrieved my Sai. Grabbing it, I spun and blocked another sword swipe before it connected with my head. With a twist, I disarmed him and pulled him off his steed. I threw 253

M. J. Spickett magick into my fist and slammed it into his temple, effectively knocking him unconscious. Keeping myself in a defensive crouch, I drew in as much magick as possible. Eli was right. Someone or something interfered with our powers. The darkness of it, the contempt and hatred that seeped through it was almost tangible. Three guesses who the cause. Merle was out there somewhere. The dark force was hostile but not like that of the Queen of Air and Darkness. It meant we had a better chance of escaping, but not much. I threw out the magick I had gathered and knocked several Sluagh backwards, a few right back into the ethereal realm. Well, that got rid of a few of them, including the one I had seriously injured. We might just make it. Eli fared pretty well on his own. He was adept at fighting two opponents at once. Nathaniel and I practiced with him as often as possible. He handled two Riders with expertise, until a Flier jumped into the fray, and then he started having trouble. I had prepared a fireball spell to help him when someone tackled me from behind. The fire spell erupted a few feet away, blinding me in its flash. Blinking away the dancing white spots, I tried to turn around but the weight on me was far heavier than the size of the Sluagh should have been. My fall distracted Eli long enough for one of the Sluagh to hit him from behind with the butt of his sword. He fell at their feet unconscious. “Eli!” I yelled as I twisted and rolled under my attacker. With a growl, I punched him hard but only managed to knock his helmet off. A familiar grunt met my ears and I gasped in surprise at the handsome dark 254

Fallen blue face staring down at me. “Scourge? What the hell are you doing here?” The Sluagh’s King stared down at me with flaming scarlet eyes. He caught my wrists and shoved them to either side of my head. I growled at him, despising being restrained. I’ve fought Scourge before, but not once have I won and I knew I wouldn’t this time either. The plus side was that he wouldn’t kill either of us, thanks to our friendship with Jettara. Still, that didn’t make him any less dangerous. He had nearly five thousand years experience on me and was more than double my size and four times my weight, one hundred times now that he was using his magick to hold me down. Goddess, I hated it when he did this to me. Scourge was like me, a Death Fey by trade. The Greeks once called him Ares, the God of War. His rule hadn’t changed much since becoming the King of the Sluagh. He was still the most skilled and deadliest warrior I knew. That didn’t stop me from bucking beneath him, throwing all my magick into escaping. If I could only dislodge him long enough to get to Eli, maybe, just maybe, we can escape. However, Scourge wouldn’t budge. I was panting, my heart raced in fear as I realized he had me trapped. Where was Nathaniel? “Stop struggling,” Scourge commanded angrily. “Let me go!” I snarled and slammed my forehead against his. He grunted in pain and for a moment, his hold slackened. Quickly, I made my move and, managed to pull one wrist from his hold and ball my fist. Throwing every ounce of magick I had left into it, I tried to slam into the side of his head. He blocked the blow and it hit me instead. My world exploded into a blaze of brilliant 255

M. J. Spickett white as stars danced before my eyes. There was a distant pain, numbed by the darkness swiftly overcoming me. I slumped on the grass as the distant pain was numbed by the darkness that swiftly came over me. “I am sorry, Serenity,” Scourge’s voice whispered from a distance. He picked me up and I barely heard the command to return to Daan’tema. Now I’m in deep trouble. Swell. Where the hell is Nathaniel?

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Chapter Twenty-Two ain radiated throughout my shoulders when I awoke. Without having the proper amount of time to heal and then the recent battle, the muscles in my right shoulder were shot. I would be lucky if I hadn’t permanently damaged them. The pain was so intense that I wanted to scream at the jackass who had tied my wrists behind my back. Of course, that same ass had to have been the one to lay me on my injured side. My head hurt too and it wouldn’t surprise me to find a bruise the size of Scourge’s fist on the side of my head. Damn, it hurt and the constant chatter around me is only making it worse. Mix that with the putrid stench filling my nostrils and I might very well be sick. Wow, twice in twelve hours, now there’s a record for me. I cracked an eye open, my curiosity getting the better of me. A mass of my dark red hair filled my vision. Swell, no one could be bothered to keep my hair out of my face? How degrading. Quietly, I blew a few strains away, hoping not to attract any attention, and looked around. A hellhound the size of a small pony stood right in front of me, sniffing my hair. Drool slid down its muzzle to fall on me. I winced and bit back a curse. Great, I’m about to become dog chow. Maybe I should just keep my eyes closed. A stifled moan caught my attention. I looked from the

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M. J. Spickett hound to the limp form several feet away, his dark hair fanned out artistically beside him. Someone obviously took more care in his presentation to the Queen than mine. His face was hidden from me, but I knew it was Eli. A pale ghostly hand was stroking his long locks, but it didn’t seem as if he noticed. He looked to be unconscious. Nonetheless, he sensed the woman and her power, making him thrash in his sleep. Rage built in me as the woman stood. A velvety crimson gown flowed to the cool marble floor. I rolled onto my knees to relieve as much pressure from my shoulder as possible only to realize that I had more injuries than I first assessed. A rib must have broke somewhere down the line and just moving sent a sharp pain up my side. Aw crap, now I am in for it. “Get your slimy hands off him,” I snapped. Queen Celeste glared down at me with utter hatred. Merle wasn’t the only one who got hostile when he didn’t get his way. Celeste was down right nasty. “So nice of you to join us,” she sneered as she ascended her thrown. With a snap of her fingers, the hellhound left me to attend her. “You should be bowing before your Queen.” Two royal guards grabbed me by my shoulders and roughly forced me face first to the ground. Pain erupted through my shoulder and only sheer willpower kept me from crying out. My breathing was harsh as I tried to compose myself. So, this is going to be a public display. That could only mean one of two things, she’s going to have us executed, or tortured. Yippee, this ought to be fun. If only I could get Eli out of here. “You offended me today, Serenity,” Queen Celeste 258

Fallen said as she lounged back. Her black eyes blazed with an unearthly fire. “I assume you have a legitimate reason for this insult.” The moment the guards let me go, I forced myself back to my knees. “No harm was meant, my Queen,” I tried, although I knew that it meant nothing to her. “However, Cleo was my partner for centuries. I should be the one to bring him in.” “He shot you, my dear. Do you call that partnership? I think not,” she pointed out with a tiny conceited smile. “Eli and I had an agreement. Now you will both pay for your indiscretion.” “I agree, my Queen, but Elijah is still but a child compared to us. He does not understand the full extent of the agreement he struck with you. Please allow him safe passage to the world above and I will take his place. This is not his fault.” Her lips curled into a grin. “Ah…but it is. He is the one who freed Cleotro and returned him to his fey form. Had this not happened then he would have never betrayed you.” “He could not foresee it. Even with the Sight, he could not tell a definite future. We did not know of the Druids of the Black Order.” She gave a slight nod. “Yet, who is to say Cleotro did not know of these rogues?” I hadn’t considered that. Perhaps that is why he was so insistent on returning to his fey form and pushed at Eli so much. What if he had been planning to betray us for months? He had played us. Needing us for a sacrifice for the Demoncitia, he planned to kill us. But why? If we died, so did he. We may no longer be Guardians to Eli 259

M. J. Spickett but we’re still tied together. Unless he found a way around that as many rogue Guardians had. Oh Goddess! How could I be so stupid? Why hadn’t I seen this coming? Defeated, I bowed my head. “I do not know, my Queen.” “That will cost you.” With a gestured, she had her guards drag me to my feet. “I think a month with the Will o’ Wisps should help you come to terms with your foolish human desires. You are fey. It is time you remember where you stand in the hierarchy.” Fear filled me, for my child more than myself. The Will o’ Wisp would whip me, slash my back and tear the flesh from my bones. I would heal in time but I doubted the fetus would survive. “Your Highness, please…I-” I began, ready to beg for my child’s life. I had to save her, somehow, even if it meant falling to Celeste’s feet. “Your Majesty,” Merle’s raspy voice called out. He sat on the dais to the left of her, and had his own little throne to show that he was her consort. “Perhaps we’re being a little hasty. After all, Selena—eh Serenity has proven to be quite a worthy warrior and still of breeding age. Crippling her will leave us one less female to mate.” I stared at him in shock. What is he up to? Why is he helping me? Wait. Did he say breeding age? As far as the court knew, I was unable to bear children, so why would he help me by saying otherwise? Oh no, no, no, no. I looked at Eli and silently pleaded for him to wake up, but he was too far gone. Humans, even hybrids, couldn’t wake up as fast as the fey when hurt. Think, Selena, think. How are we going to get out of this without ending up with the Will O’ Wisps? 260

Fallen Hope filled me as Jettara and Scourge stood to represent the Sluagh. Jettara’s long black hair mingled with her armor and huge bat wings, making it hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Her wings folded around her shoulders, appeared to be a cape. Scourge was a foot taller and wore nearly the same armor, the only difference being the crown on his head rather than his usual helmet. They were the most powerful Death Feys amongst the Unseelie and even the Queen of Air and Darkness listened when they spoke. Eli and I might just have a chance. “My Queen,” Jettara said in her thick Irish brogue, her banshee blood flowing through each word with the hint of power. “I believe Serenity is more useful to us in the hunt for Cleotro rather than as a consort for Lord Merle’s amusement. My men and I will gladly take responsibility for her and Lord Hawke until we properly resolve this matter. They will not escape us.” Celeste didn’t even take a moment to consider her words, which meant things were worse than I first thought. “While I appreciate your offer, Lady Jettara, Serenity will suffer for her treason.” “Is it treason to continue her duties as Guardian even after being freed?” Jettara countered. “She has served both Anthony Sinclair and Elijah Hawke for countless decades. She was simply following her master’s orders and trying to protect him.” “This isn’t Eli’s fault. He’s still a child compared to us.” I should have kept my mouth shut. The queen glared at me and even Jettara looked ready to throttle me. Yep, nothing like getting your friends upset at you, too. 261

M. J. Spickett “You promised I could have her,” Merle sneered quietly enough for only the Queen, her guards and me to hear. “If I allowed you to have the boy.” “No!” I objected and struggled against the guards. They held me tight. Celeste’s smile became sly. “She is yours.” “No, let go! Eli! Eli!” I shouted as I tried to wake the mage. If he could summon enough power, he could teleport himself to safety. Perhaps he’d find help. However, he was out cold. Nonetheless, I fought and managed to throw one guard off me and kick the second in the gut. I dropped to the floor and rolled backward to pull my hands under my feet so they were in front of me. Then I bounced back to my feet and stole a sword from a charging guard as I tripped him. Spinning around, I went to take on Celeste, but she was no longer on her throne. She knelt behind Eli, her dagger poised at his throat as his head rested against her chest. Her free hand caressed his leather clad chest as if they were old lovers as she purred contentedly in his ear. My body froze, eyes wide in fear. I didn’t know she could move that fast. Yet there she was, purring contentedly in Eli’s ear as her jeweled dagger hung a breath away from slicing his throat wide open. Without actually waking up, he let out a groan. A part of him knew he was in serious danger. Magick clung to him and only now I realized he wasn’t simply unconscious from his injury, someone had forced him to stay in the realm of dreams. He was fighting to free himself from their hold. Damn, double damn. I can’t wake him until they relinquish their hold and I highly doubt Celeste is about to do that while he’s so vulnerable. His head turned to the 262

Fallen side and his hair fell to conceal his face and throat. Celeste didn’t seem to care. She kissed his head, taking in his scent. “Let him go,” I commanded, but my voice wavered. She had the upper hand and she knew it. She pulled open his jacket with a skilled hand and yanked his shirt out of his pants to run her hand over his smooth abs. “It would be a pity if my knife should slip. He’s such a pretty boy and has so much power.” “Don’t do this,” I pleaded for all the good it would do me. “Drop your weapon.” Her fingers slid down his pants in warning. “Unless you want him missing some parts. Hmm…he is large.” She licked his ear lobe then gave it a hard nip that made Eli jump in his sleep. The sword fell from my numb fingers and clattered onto the marble floor. I barely felt the two guards grab me as I watched in horror as Celeste fondled Eli. His zipper was already down and she seemed content on making me watch as she attempted to work him into an erection. Eli thrashed, groaned, and mumbled incoherent words that I couldn’t make out but was certain were pleas to stop. Nothing I could do would help him though. She would slit his throat without a second thought if I tried to interfere. His life meant more to me than anything. I would sacrifice my life and that of my unborn child if it would save him from this torment but it wouldn’t. Eli would simply become her slave if I were to die. By living, I may have a chance to save him later. I only hoped his mind would still be in intact. My gaze fell to Jettara. Rage filled her green eyes as she watched the Queen’s display, a hatred I had not seen in 263

M. J. Spickett her in centuries. She and I had been friends since I was a child, a close friend to my mother for countless years. Amongst the few completely happy for our upcoming marriage. She adored Eli. Seeing him humiliated definitely made her angry, and when that happened, all hell could break loose. Celeste continued to caress Eli’s firm stomach and chest, no longer paying attention to anyone as she murmured sweet nothings in his ear. I closed my eyes and tried my hardest not to hear her sickly sweet voice. “Please, my Queen, let him go.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Take her away. She’s yours to play with, Merle.” The guards began to drag me away. I struggled, but this time they were prepared. One dug his fingers into the torn muscles of my right shoulder, which caused me to cry out. The other guard grabbed a fistful of my hair, to restrain me further and forced me to move with them with little trouble. “Don’t do this!” I screamed one last time in hopes that I might get through to her. The tears ran unbidden down my cheeks. Eli wouldn’t survive as her sex toy. She was sadistic and no matter the amount of fey blood running through him, he was still human. “This is getting pathetic,” Merle growled as he stormed up to me. With fear of what he might do, I shied away from him. As much as I hated to admit it, Merle was stronger than I physically and in Daan’tema, magickally as well. My power was fueled by the Realm of Man due to Eli and Anthony. I was pretty much screwed while in Faerie. As he neared, his left hand glowed brightly with power that 264

Fallen matched the power in his eyes. His sandy brown hair moved on a nonexistent wind. The force of his power charged the air around us and a cold sweat broke over my skin as I felt it run over me. I didn’t want him to touch me. Goddess, please don’t let him touch me. His hand fell upon my cheek, warm and soothing as he wiped away my tears. I felt drowsy within a matter of moments. Both guards held me up as I began to slump. Their hands moved to grasp only my upper arms. I tried to pull away, do anything to escape them but I no longer felt connected to my body, as if my mind floated on some sort of cloud. It tried to tell my body what to do but seemed unable to connect to it. “Don’t do this,” I begged, that part of my body somehow still able to operate of its own free will. Tears continued to stream down my cheeks. “We did nothing wrong.” Merle took me from the guards and allowed my head to rest against his massive chest. It would have been comfortable had it been just about anyone else, but this was Merle and his hand was already sneaking up my corset to massage one of my breasts. Only my jacket kept everyone from seeing what he was up to, but I’m sure many of them guessed without a hint. Under his spell, I could do nothing to stop him. I squeezed my eyes shut and begged the Goddess or any other deity, to allow this to be some horrid nightmare. Just my luck, none of them answered my pleas. “Relax, beautiful,” Merle said softly in my ear, and pulled me closer against his body. I could feel his erection already press against my belly as his tongue lapped at my ear. “We’ve got an entire life time to explore each other.” 265

M. J. Spickett

Chapter Twenty-Three

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ever would I recommend being under the control of anyone. My body moved under Merle’s command while my mind screamed for it to stop. I held Merle’s arm like some flimsy courtier to her king, purely for show and nothing else. If the fey were to see me kicking and screaming like a mad woman dragged by the royal guard to Merle’s private suite, accusations of rape would run wild throughout the courts. The Unseelie nobles may not care, after all I was not a part of their house, but the civilian population might have gone up in arms. Once, I was an Enforcer and Guardian to not one but two of the world’s most powerful sorcerers. To see Merle and I appear friendly rather than trying to kill one another was better, although I would have preferred to appear as if he were trying to kill me. Who knows, I may have even received some back up from the public. They do not exactly like Merle. The beauty of Daan’tema spread out before us as we entered the courtyard. Despite what stories may say, the Unseelie mounds were just as beautiful as those of the Seelie. My references to hell were purely about its ruler. Demi-fey and pixies of all sorts fluttered about the vast gardens like multicolored butterflies, moths and even 266

Fallen dragonflies. As a child I used to play here with my mother, long before her noble house was destroyed by Celeste, watching the tiny fey in flight. I used to enjoy dancing among them or playing hide and seek. That was a long time ago. After finding my mother’s body lying among the flowerbeds, I stopped coming here. As I walked through the gardens with Merle now, I remembered that awful day. He found me while on a diplomatic mission, those many centuries ago when he was still the king of the Seelie Court. As Finvarra, he still had power and charm and I thought nothing of it as he pulled me away from my mother’s cold body and held me. I was still young, only a few decades old, a child by fey standards, and I was so incredibly frightened. The Unseelie court was a harsh place to grow up. Death was not uncommon among the Unseelie, but as he cradled me in his arms, whispered securities and soothing words to me, I wanted desperately to believe him. He had been so sweet and charming, that I honestly felt I found a friend I could trust and believe, and I had for many, many years. However, he was not happy with my decision to become an Enforcer, and always tried to convince me to leave the service and the Unseelie to join him in his court. My refusal sent him into a rage and I never understood why, until he had me kidnapped and brought before him. That was the worse night of my life. He took me to his private chambers, stripped and tied me to his bed. He would have raped me had I not tricked him into untying my wrists and knocked him unconscious. Cleotro had come to my rescue and although I had already defeated Finvarra, Cleo managed to smuggle me out of the Seelie 267

M. J. Spickett court. I wish I knew where he was now. My mind screamed for Merle to stop as we neared his new quarters. The memories of the things he did to me that night so long ago bombarded me the closer we got. He may not have raped me that night so long ago, but he touched me in ways only a lover should. My body tensed but I continued to move, unable to break free of his spell. His arms continued to urge me forward. Royal guards flanked us. Even in a trance, they still classified me as dangerous. That was a compliment. Merle and Celeste were playing it smart. Even if I could have escaped Merle, I would have never gotten past all of the guards. I highly doubt pleading to Merle on my unborn child’s behalf would have done much good either. He was almost as sadistic as the Queen. A guard opened the suite door and bowed to Merle as if he were still king. Merle ushered me into a luxurious sitting room. Five guards followed us while two remained at the door. Swell, we are going to have an audience for whatever Merle has planned for me. I was taking a wild guess and saying rape was the first thing on his sick mind. We passed pristine white furniture that signified Merle’s ties to the Light Court, into the huge bedroom. My eyes widened. This room was as far from the one he had in his old court as I was from royalty. A dominatrix would have loved this room. Me, I was shivering in fright. This room was the polar opposite of his sitting room. The room was dark in shades of grey and black with pillars of stone that formed the four bedposts. They surrounded a bed far larger than a king size. Chains and cuffs hung from each one. I wonder just how many women he tortured at once, or is this just a scare tactic he’s using on me? The walls vanished into 268

Fallen deep shadows but I could make out many weapons hanging from the closest one. Whips, cattails and numerous other torture devices hung right where I could see them. Mirrors stood everywhere, allowing viewers to watch us should Merle wish, or for him to view others. A small throne sat opposite the bed where he could easily watch his prey squirm. Not good. Goddess, help me. I need to get out of here. Merle grasped my elbow and spun me around to face him. With a gasp of surprise, I stumbled out of his spell and into his arms. I stared up at him in fear. “Now, let’s get a look at my prize,” he crowed, with a smirk to his guards. A guard sliced my leather jacket off me and caused my shoulder to sting something fierce. Unbidden, a curse came from my lips. Merle clucked his tongue disapprovingly as he looked at my bandaged shoulder and milky white skin. His fingers traced over the bandage before he ripped the fabric from my shoulder. I yelped in pain and winced as he jerked me forward. The flesh had healed but the sudden movement made the muscles feel like they tore again. His eyes lit up at the new flesh that had grown over the wound. “Cleotro did a good job. I’m surprised he didn’t shatter the collar bone.” “He did. The bones are almost mended,” I confessed, unsure why I spoke the truth. Damn, it has to be another spell. “Good. I don’t want you breaking any more bones just yet.” He bent his head and kissed the wound. His tongue lapped at the skin as he pulled me close. Instinct took control of me and I kneed him hard in 269

M. J. Spickett the groin that caused him to double over in surprise then followed it with an elbow to his head. He fell back in shock and swore a blue streak. Then I managed a solid roundhouse kick to his middle before the guards were on me. They forced me to the ground. One held my arms down while two others restrained my legs. With a snarl, I kicked and twisted in an attempt to free myself. It did no good. They had me. The royal guard was some of the strongest fey in the court. I got lucky with the first two. Satisfaction filled me at seeing Merle cradle his broken nose. He spat blood onto my chest with a grunt before he knelt down at my side. “I was going to be gentle on you for the baby’s sake but now you’re just trying my patience,” he sneered. His hands grabbed the edges of my corset. With a hard yank, he tore it in two to reveal my breasts. He grabbed one roughly and began to squeeze. I ignored the pain as his words hit me. “How..? Merle, no. Please, don’t hurt her,” I begged, and forced myself to stop struggling and relax under his forced touches. “I’ll do anything.” He wiped his bloody nose with the back of his other hand. “Now that’s a start. Let’s see if you can keep your word. Let her go,” he ordered the guards. They released me, allowing me to move. Very slowly, I sat up. My gaze never left Merle’s. I had to think. How the hell am I going to get out of this mess? I have to get to Eli and get home. By now, Dan and Scott know what has happened and where we are. Hopefully, Nathaniel can open the doors to Daan’tema and get us out. However, the sithen is a tricky place. Daan’tema was alive and if the Queen did not want someone to enter its 270

Fallen gates, they would not open, no matter the amount of magick used. The same problem occurred getting out unless teleporting. The moment I was upright Merle’s hand fisted in my hair and dragged me to him. His lips crushed mine to rape my mouth with his tongue and teeth. Reciprocating the kiss was almost impossible, but I forced myself to do so. My breath hitched as he groped my bare breasts. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I am doing this for my baby and Eli. If I can remember that, then maybe I can get through this. However, I couldn’t stop the anger that was filling me at this humiliation. I hated him and I hated myself for doing this. He yanked my head back to peer into my eyes. Amusement filled his lustful gaze and it made me sick to my stomach. I never wanted to kill someone so much in my life as I did him in that moment. “You’re not trying hard enough,” he mocked and ran his tongue along my jaw then nipped my lower lip. “Perhaps it’s the company.” The moment they passed my lips, I regretted the words. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Merle backhanded me across the cheek with enough power to send me flying across the room. My back slammed into the wall with such force it knocked the wind out of me. A scream of protest filled me at the harsh treatment. The only thing to save my baby was the fact I hit my back rather than my stomach. I lay in a pitiful heap and tried to relearn how to breathe as Merle stalked toward me. The guards stood by the door, watching with their unwavering gaze. Getting to my hands and knees, I fought back the pain that raged 271

M. J. Spickett through me. The room spun for a moment and I felt bile build in the back of my throat, but I didn’t have time to ground myself. Merle was on me in a heartbeat. He yanked my head back by my hair, grabbed my throat, and squeezed tightly. The fey couldn’t die by strangulation. We could hang from the gallows but would never die, although it hurt like hell. Right then, I wished I were human so that I could die, but such wishes were foolish, even for me. Merle was pissed and I wasn’t quite sure what I could do to amend it or even if I really wanted to. See, being a smart mouth isn’t always a good thing. “I thought I told you to play nice,” he sneered in my ear. “What can I say? I’ve never been good at playing with others,” I managed to say between gulps of air. My gaze became steel as I glared at him. “Get off me.” He snarled and twisted my hair in his fist until I yelped. “Oh, I haven’t even started yet.” He yanked me to my feet by my hair and I could only follow. I was dragged to a pillar, then shoved against it face first. A guard helped him chain my wrists above my head. Okay, now I’m in serious trouble. Iron laced the metal of the silver cuffs. It burned the flesh on my wrists to weaken me further. I couldn’t break them, not unless I managed to get my hands on another enchanted sword, which in this position was highly unlikely. Merle stroked my back, paying special attention to my spine and shoulder blades. Usually such motions were soothing, especially for me, but this time my muscles tensed as I felt the pull of magick. His fingers focused on what most would mistake for a dragonfly tattoo. In reality, that was where my wings hid. It tingled and came 272

Fallen to life in an explosion of power. Merle stepped back as they unfolded before him. They fanned out behind me, opened and closed in sudden freedom, no longer confined within me. He hummed in appreciation as he stroked the silky fibers of my wings, causing a chill to through me. My wings were the most sensitive part of my body. “You know, I could never understand how your mother could fall for a pixie, even one as unique as Jonis,” he said softly, more to himself than me. “Not until you grew up.” His hand slid back to my shoulder blade and caressed the joint to the wing. “A sidhe size pixie is absolutely breathtaking. I’m interested in seeing what your little one is going to look like. However, I’m through playing games with you.” “Then you best kill me now because I’ll never sleep with you,” I growled. “Oh, yes you will. Soon you’ll be begging for it. I’ll bed you again and again. Would you like to know why?” “Fine. Why?” He held out a small vial of Athymen for me to see. My heart raced. Goddess, no. If he uses that on me, there will be no stopping him. I will be his to control forever. It will affect my mind and body since it is as addictive as PCP or Ecstasy. The first dose won’t make me an addict but after the second or third, there will be no coming back. I will be worse than a junkie. “Don’t fear, my dear. I have other methods I’ll use before we come to that.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to gain back some of my courage. “You’re the one supplying the Druids of the Black Order with the drug, aren’t you?” 273

M. J. Spickett “Well aren’t we the smart little PID. Where else would they get it?” “You also gave them access to the Demoncitia.” It all started to fall together. That left only one question yet to ask. “Why?” His hand slid down my side to my hip as he pressed his length against my back. My wings fluttered anxiously on either side of him as he licked behind my right ear. “Many reasons, power, chaos, world domination. Those humans of yours care nothing for the world above. They destroy it with their weapons and waste. We gave it to them and now they’re destroying that gift. Well, no more. We’ll wipe the world clean of their filth. Only the strong will survive. Those like Elijah, with enough magick to defend themselves. Then we will breed with them and create a new race. A stronger, better race.” “And what do the Seelie say about this?” “Those weak fools?” He laughed and slipped his hands down the front of my pants. I grimaced as his fingers began to play with the satin of my panties. “They will either accept the new world order or they will be crushed under it.” “Oh swell, so you and the Queen want another civil war. So tell me, Merle, did the Queen do all the dirty work or did you actually get off your ass and get your hands dirty for a change? Ow!” My forehead smashed against the pillar. “Huh…well, I see you’re taking an incentive.” I managed to joke through the pain. “You have your father’s attitude. That’s why he died, you realize. Well that and he was in my way.” I snorted and spit up silvery blood on the pillar. “Why don’t you just admit facts Finvarra? You murdered my 274

Fallen father because he had what you couldn’t have…my mother. Just as you betrayed Eli now. Are you really willing to allow your own grandson to suffer at the hands of that bitch just so you can have me?” He didn’t hit me this time, only stroked my matted hair. “Do you really want to see what’s happening to our boy?” I was afraid to answer. Yes, I wanted to see Eli, to know he was safe and well taken care of. However, I knew he wasn’t from the tone of Merle’s voice. He was hurt or worse and I couldn’t bear to see him in pain. Fear filled me at what Celeste was doing to him. The mirror closest to me flickered to life. My breath caught in my throat as the portal opened to reveal the sleeping chamber of the Queen of Air and Darkness. Unlike Merle’s chamber, this one was done in shades of scarlet and ebony. In the center of the room, raised on a dais, was a circular bed loaded with pillows, and Eli, chained down and completely nude. An angry expression filled his handsome face as he looked up at Celeste crouched next to him. Her delicate hands were stroking patterns over his toned stomach that he was trying to shy away from with no success. “Get off me!” he snarled as her hand traveled lower to grip his manhood in an unforgiving embrace. Eli cried out as she pumped it once, twice, three times trying to get him aroused. It didn’t work. Struggling against his bonds, he swore oaths of retribution. He should have known better than to do that but under the situation who could blame him? Celeste took it all in stride as she straddled her naked body over his and began to kiss him. She ignored his 275

M. J. Spickett discomfort and flailing. I watched in horror as her hands moved along his sides, her magick coursed through her fingers. She tried to seduce him and failed badly. That can’t be good for her ego. However, she didn’t seem at all fazed by his rebelliousness and continued to fondle him even as she pulled out a small vial of Athymen from a hidden compartment in the headboard. At first, relief filled Eli’s face as she stopped touching him, replaced by horror upon the sight of the silvery-blue liquid in the vial. She poured it over his chest and penis before he could object. “No!” I cried, when realization of what she was doing hit me too late. It only took a matter of moments before his body relaxed and he keened under her soft caresses. Shaking my head, I didn’t want to believe what I had just seen. Eli is stronger than this. His magick should have been able to free him not turn him into a slave of pleasure. I couldn’t bear to watch as he moaned for her every touch but Merle forced my head up, made me watch every dirty deed she performed on my lover. In a matter of moments, Eli kissed her passionately, as if she had always been his lover. She freed his wrists and ankles and he sat up to embrace the dark queen. Celeste kissed his chest, then his belly and continued to move southward until she engulfed his enlarged cock. “No, please stop…” I moaned as I closed my eyes, but I could still hear his lust filled moans as her head bobbed up and down his length. “You see, he’s perfectly content where he is,” Merle purred in my ear, his fingers slipped down to stroke my folds. I felt nothing from his touch but a strong hatred. 276

Fallen “By the time she’s done he won’t even remember your name. Why not give up now and save yourself so much pain?” I began to laugh. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe I have finally lost my mind and hysterics are all I have left. After all, what did I have to lose? Cleo has betrayed us. Eli is now completely under Celeste’s spell and Merle has me trapped in this hell hole. I can see just by the way he kissed her that I’ve lost Eli to her. He is too far beyond my reach to save. Athymen is just too powerful for humans to fight, even hybrids. I refuse to raise my child amongst the Unseelie. Not while Celeste and Merle ruled. We are both better off dead. “I’d rather die,” I snarled. “Than let you ever touch me.” He stroked my hair and lifted a strain to smell it. “Hmm… I won’t go that far. I have ways of making you more submissive.” His fingers pulled out of my pants to undo my belt and then the zipper. With a swift movement, he pulled them down to my ankles, where he left them. “My, my, isn’t that nice,” he purred as he fingered my g-string. If I survive this, I’m going to kill Eli for packing them in my night bag instead of a more covering pair. His hand moved between my legs and stroked ever so gently before returning to my back. “This is certainly a pleasurable surprise that I can use later.” His hand went across my ass cheeks with an audible clap that made me jump. “Very pleasurable.” I gasped as his hands moved back up my spine to one wing and took hold of its joints. The joints connecting my wings to my back were extremely sensitive. With the right 277

M. J. Spickett caress, he could bring me to my knees, begging for more, but the wrong way could cripple me for life. By his gesture, I knew I was in for a world of pain. Many sidhe saw the pixies as nothing more than insects, lower than even the demi-fey. As sport, their children would capture then and tear off their wings, leaving them to walk like any other creature and often defenseless. Most died from the shock alone, while others went insane and had to be killed. I wasn’t sure how I would respond and I really didn’t want to know. Nevertheless, it seemed Merle had other plans. Squeezing my eyes tightly shut, I silently swore I would not give in to him no matter what he did to me. He would not have the satisfaction of hearing me scream, but it hurt, Goddess, did it ever hurt. Flesh began to tear and rip away from the rest of my body as bones began to pop and break. The wings flexed and flared, trying to push him away, but gossamer wings, even as strong as mine were, were no match against brute force. With a bestial growl, he ripped the wing off. Screaming, my knees buckled under me and I slumped against the pillar. My body shook with pain and anguish. Only my shackled wrists held me up. I was too weak to stand, too weak to fight back, and too weak to hold back my tears. My remaining wing fluttered uncontrollably, as if it alone could fly me to safety. If only that were true. Hot blood streamed down my back and rear. The pain was beyond imagination. I wished I could pass out from it but it seemed to keep me awake, as if I had not suffered enough. “There, there,” Merle purred. “I warned you to play nice. You didn’t listen to me. Now I have to clip your 278

Fallen wings. I wouldn’t want my little dragonfly to flutter away.” My breathing was heavy. “This doesn’t change a thing,” I said, panting under the unfathomable pain. “I won’t give in to you.” “I think you’ll change your mind soon.” No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t hold back my screams as he began to work on my other wing. The pain blinded me and clouded my vision in startling scarlet. Again, bones were broken and flesh torn. By the time the second wing ripped off, all I knew was agony. I cried openly now, all fear and self dignity forgotten in waves of searing pain. Unable to stand, I hung from the shackles around my wrists. No wonder pixies went mad after losing their wings. I have never experienced anything so horrid in my entire life. Nothing can stop him. Cool hands stroked my sides as a tongue lapped the blood that coated my back. It registered as only a numb nothingness. I couldn’t be sure what was really happening. My head lolled forward and forehead rested against the cool stone pillar. Silently I prayed for death. Anything is better than this. The pain will be gone in Summerland. Anthony will welcome me warmly and I will be safe with my child. “Don’t think I’m going to let you slip from me that easily, my dear,” Merle whispered in my ear as if he could hear my thoughts. No coherent words would come to me. I moaned and flexed my fingers in an attempt to calm myself. It didn’t work. My body was beyond caring and my mind quickly followed. He forced me back to my feet and used his body to support me. Pushing my hair aside, he kissed the nape of 279

M. J. Spickett my neck, his bare chest against my back. Bare chest? My mind pulled back from the fog enough to realize he was naked. At some point, he must have stripped. The press of his flesh against my open wounds stung and I whimpered. His large hands incased mine as he breathed in my scent. “Stay with me, sweetheart. I’m not done yet.” His breath tickled my ear and the rumble of his chest shot more waves of pain through me. “Please, no more,” I whimpered. I hated myself for sounding so weak. He chuckled and it sent knives of agony through my open sores. “Promise to be a good little girl?” I winced. “Yes.” “That’s my girl.” He freed my arms and I would have fallen had Merle’s weight not held me tightly against the pillar. He spun me around as if I were nothing more than a rag doll and then shoved me back against the pillar. A cry tore from my throat as my back slammed against the unyielding stone and my eye sight blurred over with dizziness. I’m going to pass out. I know I am. His hand caressed my cheek ever so softly to betray the cruelty he displayed only a moment ago. “You’re such a pretty little girl, Serenity. It’s such a pity I have to hurt you just to make you see reason.” His hand slid into my panties as he pushed against me, his erection against my hip. I felt his fingers enter me and held back an oath. “However, after today you’ll start seeing things my way. Maybe, just maybe, we won’t have to use the Athymen. Hmm…you’re already pretty wet.” I shuddered under his touch. No, I don’t want this, I don’t 280

Fallen want to become Merle’s whore, but what choice do I have? My back is on fire, my shoulder aches and the child within me is terrified. Soon my body will simply shut down to repair itself and I will be completely at his mercy. Not knowing what else to do I raised my head and offered my lips to him. He gave me a smirk. “That’s better,” he groaned in a lust filled voice. Crushing me against the pillar, his lips claimed mine as he worked my body. His fingers hurt my tender flesh but not as much as he brutalized my back and I forgot the pain as I raised my hands to his chest. I can get through this, I told myself even as I felt darkness creeping over me. I can do this for Eli and my baby. A sudden commotion in the sitting room momentarily caught Merle’s attention as he positioned his length between my legs. It gave him pause as he pulled the flimsy fabric covering me aside. I tried to open my eyes to see what happened but they refused to open for me, as if they were glued shut. Merle’s strong hands stilled as we listened then pulled away from my groin to turn and see what was going on. “What the hell is going on out there?” he barked to the guards. As the young sidhe turned to open the door, it exploded inward and sent the guards scrambling throughout the room. Through half-slit eyes, I watched as a black mass moved into the bed chamber with lightning speed. Merle let me go as the black mass killed a guard. He charged at the intruder with a quickness only the ancients possessed. I fell to the cool marble floor, too weak to keep myself upright. Unable to make out who the attacker was, I 281

M. J. Spickett watched with blurry eyes as he—I was sure it was a he— fought with skill and speed. He dodged Merle’s spell balls, deflecting them with his broad sword, which could only mean the sword is enchanted like all the royal guards’. The last thing I saw before oblivion took hold of me was Merle run through by the stranger’s sword. A tiny smile alit on my lips just as darkness took me.

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Chapter Twenty-Four he sound of my name spoken by a very familiar and loving voice awoke me. At first, I just lie in his warm arms feeling safe and secure in a world that had turned into one big nightmare. My mind wandered, dreaming that I could curl up in these arms, home in my warm bed with Eli safely next to me. I didn’t want to move or awaken to the nightmare that had become my life. In the darkness of oblivion, nothing could hurt me. Without pain or sorrow, I could be happy if only that voice would just leave me alone. The voice persisted and soon a cool, healing liquid pressed against my lips. I couldn’t resist the urge and drank my fill before I opened my eyes. All I saw was long black hair like a veil. I smiled gently at the smell of wilderness and musk that filled my senses, and snuggled closer to the hand that held my head up. “Selena? Baby, are you alright?” the voice asked. A warm hand brushed the stray locks of hair away from my face. “Come on, say something.” “Eli?” I asked and raised a hand to tug playfully on his hair. Wait. No…something isn’t right. He’s too dark. Like one big form of utter blackness. Not just his armor but… Armor? Eli hadn’t been wearing any armor. I blinked and tried to

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M. J. Spickett bring my sight into focus. Even my second sight seemed on the fritz. All I could see was black with a pair of teal eyes gazing down at me with worry and fear. “I know. We’ll get him back,” the voice promised. “Cleo?” I blinked again. “Cleotro?” Rage renewed my strength and I shoved him away with every ounce of my strength. Forcing myself past the pain in my back and shoulder, I jumped to my feet. My pants tangled around my ankles making me tipsy. I should have pulled them up first, but I didn’t have time and kicking them off would only make me lose my balance faster. Fighting back the dizziness and nausea was a little harder, it threaten to take a hold of me any minute, but I pushed it as far back as I could. Around me lay the bodies of Merle and the royal guard, all stabbed through the heart and some even decapitated as so many vampire legends of old. Disbelief filled me before I glared at my former partner. “Traitor!” I cried and braced myself for another attack. Of course, if he did, I could not defend myself. One hit and I would’ve crumpled, but I had to try. I wasn’t about to fall before him of all people. “How could you?” He raised his hands to show he meant no harm. “Selena, I can explain. I never meant to hurt you or Eli.” “Liar!” Summoning what power I had left, I formed a spell ball in my right hand. The ball was weak and didn’t hold the punch my normal spell balls did, but I threw it at him nonetheless. Even that small amount of magick nearly drained me. Cleo was still very much a big cat at heart. He dodged the spell ball easily and was on me before I had a chance to prepare another one. He grasped me under the arms 284

Fallen and slammed me against the wall. It knocked the air out of me and sent my back into unfathomable agony. I screamed and thrashed against him as my back felt as if on fire. Any chance of summoning another spell was out. The pain was so bad I barely saw past it and I began to pass out again. “Shit,” Cleo grumbled as he pulled me away from the wall and held me fiercely against him. I whimpered in agony, wanting to fight but the pain consumed me. All I could do was cling to him. My hands balled into fists in the thick velvet of his tunic as my face tried to bury itself in the cool steel of his breastplate. The familiar warmth of his arms around me finally made me break down and I cried openly in his arms, no longer caring how he viewed me. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear. “Selena, honey, I didn’t think the Browning was loaded with iron jackets. I thought they were silver. Honest, I only meant to scare you, I never meant for it to go off. It’s been decades since I shot a gun. None of this was meant to happen.” “Why did you join them?” I whimpered past my pain. “Why did you betray us?” He nuzzled my head. “No, I didn’t. I was trying to help catch them by going undercover.” “And telling them about Eli?” My gaze met his teal one and I saw he wasn’t lying or hiding anything from me. My eyes widened in understanding. “They already knew. The Queen and Merle told them. This was all a trap to capture us.” “And start a war with the Seelie,” he confirmed. He kissed the corner of my eye. “I tried to reach you when 285

M. J. Spickett the Sluagh attacked but I was too late. It took both Nathaniel’s and my powers to open the doors to Daan’tema. I’m sorry it took so long.” Laughter filled me, I don’t know why but I couldn’t help it. Pure joy filled me as I realized he was innocent, that Celeste and Merle had tricked him as much as they had Eli and me. Taking his face in both my hands, I kissed him with all the passion I could muster. “Stupid, egotistical, ass,” I murmured against his moist lips. He licked his lips and smiled softly. “Am I forgiven?” “Yes,” I murmured. My joy crushed at the sound of Eli’s soft moans. I carefully turned to the portal viewing Celeste’s bed chamber. She rode him now and her hands caressed his chest as they thrust together. They appeared to be completely oblivious to what had transpired here. My eyes flared in rage. If Eli were in his right mind, he would never have allowed her to touch him, let alone willingly have sex with her. If he were truly conscious, he would have found a way to kill himself and her rather than let this happen. “We’ve got to get him away from her,” I said as I pulled away from Cleo. I pulled up my pants, pushed back the dizziness that continued to threaten me, and buckled my belt. My corset was beyond repair so I grabbed Merle’s discarded tunic instead and pulled it over my head. The silky material was cool against my back but I couldn’t help wincing at the sudden itchiness against my open wounds. “She’s got him under her power again. If they mate, she’ll be able to take control of him completely.” “Fey struck?” Cleo asked, gathering weapons from the 286

Fallen dead guards. He glanced at the portal and frowned at the image of Eli and Celeste making love. “Honestly Selena, I think it’s a little late for that.” I shook my head, a little surprised to find one of my Brownings on a guard. “Right now it’s the Athymen forcing him to do this. If he comes out of this while cumming in her, they’ll be tied together. The Athymen is the only thing protecting him.” “How long has he been under? Here.” “I don’t know.” How much time had passed since Merle opened the portal? It felt like an eternity ago although it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. I unlocked the Browning magazine and frowned at the site of only two bullets, cheering up when Cleo handed me a fully loaded one. Slapping it into place, I gave him a smile. “Let’s go.” The one good thing about most Unseelie is that they will rarely interfere with one another’s business. The courtiers looked up in surprise as Cleo and I ran into the section of the palace the held the royal suite. I’d never been here before but Cleo had, although he refused to enlighten me on the details to why. Not that we really had time for him to, but he had my curiosity piqued and I made a mental note to get the information out of him when we got Eli safely home. I kept my gun in a twohanded grip to my side as I ran but I found even that small weight a bother. Nevertheless, I held it tightly. Ready to shoot anyone who got in my way. Cleo stayed ahead of me, as we drew closer to the Queen’s living quarters. The royal guards were at the double doors. They snapped to attention at the sight of 287

M. J. Spickett us. Cleo’s age old reflexes reacted at once. I watched in subtle bewilderment as he moved with a speed I had never been able to follow and always envied. He unsheathed his broad sword and with a quick swipe beheaded the two guards before running them through. It lasted only a matter of seconds. With a wave of his hand, the two doors crashed inward, startling yet more guards. Jumping through the opening, he went to work at once. Running past the chaos, I kicked the bedchamber door open as I shielded myself with my magick in case more guards were inside that I had not seen through the viewing portal. Luckily, there didn’t appear to be any more. The door swung open and I jumped through. I swung my gun up and trained it at the huge bed. Celeste’s head shot up in surprise, a look I had never had the pleasure of seeing on her beautiful face before. It gave me pause. A brief moment was all she needed. While still straddling Eli, she conjured a powerful spell ball and threw it at my head. I ducked, years of training sent me to the ground a mere instant before the powerful spell would have hit me. The door behind me exploded into flames. Rolling, I came to my feet at the end of the bed. Eli moaned under her, a sound like a sick mixture of lust and pain. Celeste twisted around and tried to get a good aim at me for a second spell ball. I came up behind her to make myself into an easier target just as Eli grabbed her arms. He distracted her for the heartbeat I needed to pull the trigger. The bullet slammed into the back of her head and I instantly regretted the angle. Her forehead exploded outward in tendrils of silver. Blood splatter went everywhere and 288

Fallen covered both her and Eli in brain matter before she toppled over and rolled off Eli onto the floor. Eli lay on the bed alone, his eyes wide with horror and confusion. His erection slowly deflated now that the source of magick that controlled him was gone. Then his eyelids fell shut and breathing evened out. I was sure he had passed out, if not from the magick then from seeing someone’s brains explode right over him. Honestly, I didn’t blame him, I knew if it had been me laying there I might have reacted the same way. However, I couldn’t check on him right away. Even with an iron jacket bullet going through her head Celeste could still be alive and extremely dangerous. Rounding the bed, I found her laying on the lush Oriental rug, her body twitched as blood pooled around her. Nevertheless, she lifted her head to stare at me in horror. For the first time, actual fear showed in her eyes. I felt nothing. No pity, no remorse, not even anger. Before she had any chance of somehow restoring herself, I emptied the clip into her head and chest. Even when the Browning clicked and signaled the gun was empty, I continued to squeeze the trigger again and again, as shock started to seep into me. Celeste was dead. Nothing was left but a shattered skull and gaping hole where the Queen’s chest had once been. Cleo placed his hand over mine and broke me from the trance I had self imposed on myself. His warm touch willed my finger to release the trigger. “She’s dead, Selena. Let it go. Come on, baby, let it go.” My head gave a nod, my mind and body only working on a subconscious level. I had done it. The Queen of Air and Darkness is dead. Somehow, that doesn’t seem so 289

M. J. Spickett important. I have killed my Queen yet I feel nothing. Was I becoming as sociopathic as some of the murderers I’ve hunted down? None of that mattered to me though. Only one word kept repeating itself in my mind now. “Eli!” I suddenly cried, forcing myself to focus. Clambering up onto the high bed, I let my weapon fall to the floor. Cleo followed, his eyes wide with worry. Eli’s head fell against my shoulder as I carefully lifted him to lean against me. His eyelids fluttered open for a brief moment before falling shut once more. He appeared drained of magick, his aura weak. Celeste had drained his magick and weakened his aura as she fed off his sexual energies. The one thing that frightened Eli the most were psychic vampires. Regular vamps he knew how to deal with. These were harder. This wasn’t the first time one had attacked him. I held him tight as his body slumped against mine. “He’s out cold,” Cleo stated as he rested his palm on the young man’s forehead. “It’ll take time to purge the drug from his system and build up his auric defenses again. Maybe a few days, a week at the longest. We’ve got to get him back to-” His head shot up at the commotion coming from the sitting room. His sword appeared in his hand, but before either of us could make a move, the remaining royal guard and the Sluagh swarmed in, all weapons aimed at us. Lovely.

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Chapter Twenty-Five he royal guard stared in shock at the bodies that littered the sitting room and bedchamber. They seemed unsure whether to attack us or not. It had been centuries since someone had murdered a royal, not since the time of Morganna. Neither Cleo nor I moved. The adrenaline rush was gone as realization of what had transpired in a short time finally hit me. It was as if someone had placed a huge rock in the pit of my stomach and nothing I did could move it. The royal guards already knew that Merle and his entourage were all dead as were the Queen and hers. In less than twenty minutes, Cleo and I wiped out an entire royal family. The knowledge numbed my mind. I was not yet ready to accept the fact that Cleo and I had sent the Unseelie into anarchy. I cradled Eli in my arms. If they were going to execute us for this treason then I wanted it to be the three of us together. Knowing we were together, I could die happy. “What in the name of Morganna is going on here?” Jettara demanded and shoved guards aside to get into the room. Scourge and Knygt’mare flanked her. She stopped dead in her tracks at the chaos that filled the Queen’s chamber. Her green gaze fell upon me and I was suddenly afraid. Even she couldn’t help us now. “Selena, are you

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M. J. Spickett alright?” A weak smile lifted my lips. She was the only one to call me by my human name, the name I chose and grew to love. “They murdered the Queen,” a guard cried and gestured toward the mangled body on the floor. “We must put them to death.” She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You know our laws. Without an heir, whoever takes the life of the ruling monarch becomes the ruler.” “What?” I murmured, echoed by just about everyone in the spacious room. Okay, when did that rule come into effect? For that matter I was sure Celeste had children. She may have only ruled for a few centuries but I was certain she had an heir. Wait, did Jettara just say I was Queen? “No…no, no, no. I have to take care of Eli. What about Celeste’s children?” She eyed me for a long moment as if I had said the most foolish thing in the world. I was certainly starting to feel foolish, covered head to toe in blood, sitting in a room with a dead body and a squad of armed men and women. “What children?” The dizziness was back. Placing a hand behind me, I fought to stay upright. “But…” “You are Queen.” She waved her arm toward me. “All hail your new Queen, Serenity O’Doyle Hawke.” Some guards were hesitant, but soon they all fell to their knees to bow before me. I stared at them in a mixture of horror and awe. Somewhere in all this mess, we entered bizzaro land. This is just too weird for words. It has to be some sort of strange dream, even for me. I have to wake up. This simply can’t be real. Maybe Merle hit me harder than I thought and 292

Fallen I will awaken to his tortures. “Cleo?” I whispered, looking up at him for reassurance. He smiled gently at me and stroked my blood soaked hair away from my face. “Queen Selena. It has a nice ring to it.” “No. No, I can’t. I have duties to the PID. What about Eli? He can’t stay here and I won’t leave him,” I objected and stared down at Eli’s beautiful face, ignoring Celeste’s blood still covering us. His brows bunched together as if trapped in a nightmare. Cleo pulled him out of my arms and picked him up like an oversized, lanky babe before he climbed off the bed. “What are you doing?” “Do you really want to discuss all this here or somewhere without a bunch dead bodies and frightened guards around us?” I looked around. He had a point. Besides, exhaustion began to catch up with me. Damn, I need to lie down, if even for only a few minutes before dealing with this new problem. Jettara turned to a Sluagh. “Have suites prepared for them.” “Only one,” I corrected as I climbed off the bed. “We’re staying together.” She raised a brow but nodded anyway. “As you wish, Your Majesty.” The formal name made me cringe. This was going to take some getting use to. “Jet, please don’t call me that,” I begged. Me, Selena Hawke, Queen? That isn’t possible. I simply can’t be queen. “It is who you are,” she persisted as she gestured for us to follow her. My movements became automatic as I followed her 293

M. J. Spickett out of Celeste’s chambers, my mind boggled by all that happened. Everyone gave us a wide berth as we walked through the vast corridors. I suppose seeing Eli, Cleo and me covered in blood would make anyone step out of our path. Well, that and the guards who flanked us on either side. The guards definitely made me feel uncomfortable. I felt more like a prisoner than royalty. Whispers surrounded us, rumors of the Queen’s death spread quickly. Inwardly, I felt small and I instinctively clung to Cleo’s arm. It was worse than the days I had to report my findings to the court when I was an Enforcer and hunted down enemy fey. It was unnerving and I knew people were judging me, questioning what happened and what was to come. I didn’t even know the answer to that. All I wanted was to go home and curl up next to my two men. My two men…I smiled at that thought and squeezed Cleo’s arm. Until then, I never knew just how much I loved him. I wanted his arms to hold me and protect me, to love me, as only he knew how. When Eli is well, again, I want them both together, to be with me and love me as one big happy family with our child. First, I have to figure out how to get myself out of this whole Queen nonsense. Cleo stared down at me in bewilderment. “Selena, are you alright?” I only grinned, hugged his arm tighter and tried not to dislodge Eli from his hold. “Perfectly.” One brow rose, questioning but I just shook my head. Yes, a part of me was still angry with him for not telling me what he was up to, but I was happy he had not really betrayed us and that he had been the one to save us. The parade of guards ended when Jettara came upon 294

Fallen the dignitary guest suites. Like the royal suites, they were in the center of the palace, well protected by strong stone walls to fend off enemy attack. A guard held the door open for us, allowing us to pass unmolested. Only Jettara and Scourge followed us in and left Nightmare to command the royal guard. Cleo made a beeline for the bedchamber to deposit Eli on the massive bed before he returned to the sitting room. The need to rest filled every pore of my body. My body and mind, too worn to stand even a moment longer, I fell into one of the blush arm chairs. A scream tore from my throat as my back met the soft fabric of the chair. Even the gentlest bit of pressure caused my injured back to burn in agony. I leaned forward and put my head between my knees in an attempt to ease the pain. With the adrenaline rush gone, I felt every wound I sustained and by hell it hurt. “The Ancients be damned,” Cleo cursed. He fell to his knees and stripped the tunic off me. Oaths came from him in a steady stream as he judged the extent of my wounds. “He did it. He bloody well did it. He took your wings.” “Yes.” I breathed past the pain and held back my tears. I was tired of crying and hurting, and wanted desperately to go to bed. “Get the Healers,” Jettara commanded as she viewed the damage. Scourge stuck his head out the door to rely his beloved’s command. She leaned over me and inhaled sharply. “How could he do this? You will be confined to your sidhe form from now on. You’ll never be able to change size again. I don’t even know if you’ll be able to use your glamour to appear human. I’m so sorry, Selena. I 295

M. J. Spickett should have forced Celeste to give you and Eli to me. We could have protected you.” I shook my head. “It would have caused civil war. Her death may still, especially with me as Queen.” I looked up at her. “No one will ever accept a half-breed as queen.” “They have no choice.” There was understanding in her eyes and a promise to stand by me. Jettara was strong, loyal, fair, and already had more than enough command and court experience to lead an army, let alone a nation. She would make the perfect Unseelie Queen, after all she was already Queen to Scourge’s King over the Sluagh. “Selena?” “I have a plan,” I said with a small, pain-filled smile. Cleo laid a cool wet cloth against my back, causing me to inhale sharply. It stung but didn’t deter me from my thoughts. I knew what I had to do for the good of the Unseelie and for Eli, Cleo and me. And it had nothing to do with me becoming Queen.

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Chapter Twenty-Six he coronation ceremony happened the following morning in the grand hall. All the noble houses throughout the Unseelie realm attended. Servants and attendants flocked about the hall, serving drinks and entrées. From the ready room hidden behind the throne came the sound of small chatter. No one seemed to know the full extent about what had happened to Celeste or why they were called together, all thanks to Jettara’s and the Sluagh’s quick actions in containing the situation. Everyone was here awaiting answers. I’d never been more afraid in my life, more now than I had when Merle was tearing off my wings. The trick was not to appear as scared as I felt. Easier said than done. I stood before the full length mirror smoothing out my full length gown. Rich red silks clung to every curve of my body, giving me the appearance of a legendary faery princess. My body ached all over but a cleverly cast illusion spell, held together by Cleo and Jettara, hid all my bruises and cuts, making me appear healthy and strong. I wished I felt it. Instead, I nervously fidgeted with the gown, fixing and re-fixing a perfectly fine hem line. The gown was tailored made specifically for me, accentuating all my best features. Dressed like

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M. J. Spickett this, I should have felt like a movie star, even my hair had been done up in loose curls piled on top my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything but nervous fear. I really wanted to go home. Cleo hugged me from behind, his arms strong and warm. They offered his support and love. My back gave a small protest but otherwise felt numb from the herbal concoction smeared over it. I couldn’t feel anything but a small tingle now and then. I could use every bit of support Cleo had to offer and then some. Eli, still recovering, slipped in and out of a coma. He was still incapable of coherent thought or speech, but the court Healer assured me he would pull out of it in another day or two. Until then I wouldn’t relax. I still wanted Scott to look at him. “Are you sure this is what you want?” Cleo whispered in my ear. “You’re shaking like a leaf.” “I’m fine,” I lied and played with my tiara. “I just want this over with. Have you seen the number of houses out there? Every noble and kingdom took the faery roads to get here…to see the new Queen. To see me. It’s a little nerve racking. Besides, who knows how much time has passed in the world above. I haven’t had a chance to contact Nathaniel or Dan yet. Have you?” He nuzzled my head. “Last night. I promised Nathan I would call the moment you were both safe.” “He helped you get here.” Turning in his arms, I stared up at him. “How?” “I went to the loft to make sure you were okay. Dan told me about the Sluagh. You and Eli weren’t to get involved. So I tried to beat them to you but I was too late. They badly injured Nate. He was sprawled on the 298

Fallen grass when I found him. The Sluagh had already taken you so I helped him back to Dan.” He ran a finger over my bruised cheek. “He helped me open the doors to Daan’tema but was too injured to come with me. I should have been faster.” Catching his hand, I kissed the back of it. “You came just in time.” “Still, you lost your wings. You’ll never fly again.” I placed my fingers over his lips to hush him. “Sometimes bad things happen for a reason. Perhaps the time has come for them to be gone. I’m not saying it didn’t hurt. By the Goddess it hurt, but I like to think she has a purpose for letting it happen.” He snorted with a laugh. “You have to stop talking philosophy with Dan. It’s warping your mind.” He kissed my nose. “Now quit fidgeting. You’re about to be Queen. Queens don’t fidget.” “This one does,” I retorted. “It is time,” Scourge announced from the entrance. I squeezed Cleo a little tighter. “Wish me luck.” “You don’t need it.” He kissed me. “Now go break a leg.” I made a face at him and pulled away. “It will be just my luck if I do. It’ll go along nicely with all my other injuries.” A hush fell over the gathered nobles as I ascended the dais to the throne. I stood before it, facing away from the audience. After several deep, calming breaths, I was able to compose myself before I turned to face them. The moment they realized who stood before them, a roar of whispers filled the grand hall. That didn’t bode well. It sounded like a great many unhappy people. This sounded 299

M. J. Spickett about as bad as the day Celeste took the throne from Morganna. The old Queen’s children had been Enforcers and assassinated before they could oppose Celeste. This time, thankfully, no family was involved. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to sit on the black marble throne. It just didn’t feel right. “Silence,” Scourge barked as he stood at the bottom of the dais. He was in full battle armor, something he wore no matter the occasion. His long black hair was in tight corn rolls, which no one saw under his helmet. It looked good. I was almost certain his branch of the Sluagh originated from Egypt like Cleo. He had the build and deep accent, but I never commented on it. Scourge and I rarely spoke, not that we ever really wanted to either. The crowd fell silent upon his command. Even I stood a little straighter and found myself even tenser with everyone’s attention solely on me. Everyone stared at me, some in bewilderment, some in hate and contempt, while still others showed awe and a certain amount of hope. I didn’t know which made me more nervous. With an effort, I stood tall and tried to show absolutely no fear. These men and women most likely knew what was supposed to have happened to me. It must have surprised most to see that I was still alive. Jettara strolled up to her mate and smiled warmly at him. She whispered something in his ear before she turned to address the crowd. “Your Queen is dead,” she announced boldly. An uproar of questions erupted, but with one simple gesture from Jettara they all quieted again. She made another gesture, waving for someone to come in. The grand hall fell as silent as the grave as six of the remaining 300

Fallen royal guards paraded in, a glass coffin balanced on their shoulders. Inside laid Celeste looking as beautiful as ever. An illusion spell made her look whole again. Here in Daan’tema, where the ethereal realm and faerie mixed to become one, the dead didn’t simply vanish or fade away as they did in the Realm of Man. Here they were as solid as any human. The parade halted at the foot of the dais. Then they lowered the coffin to a small platform. Everyone stared at the body of the dead Queen in disbelief. I held my breath, half excepting Celeste to sit up and attack me. No trace of bullet holes or wound of any type showed. She simply looked as if she were in a deep sleep. Jettara’s powers must be far stronger than mine, to pull off such a believable illusion that not even my second sight could see through. “Celeste has broken the covenant,” Jettara went on, her demeanor never changing. “She allowed the Demoncitia to fall into the hands of rebel fey bent on destroying the Seelie and Unseelie alike. Worse yet, she allowed the World Above to learn of this disgrace rather than handle the situation herself. She allowed petty jealousy to cloud her mind and has betrayed us all by willingly trying to sacrifice two lives to hide this secret. “Serenity of the house of O’Doyle discovered this treachery and dispatched Celeste and her cohort, Merle of the Seelie. As our laws dictate, she is now to rule in Celeste’s stead.” There were cries of objections, even threats at the mere notion that I was to become Queen. Inwardly I cringed. Celeste’s supporters were definitely not happy, which meant I was likely to face possible assassination 301

M. J. Spickett attempts. Great, I really don’t need any of this. “Any who attempt to harm our new Queen or her consorts will face the wrath of the Sluagh and a millennia with the Will O’ Wisp,” Jettara bellowed, making herself heard over the chaos erupting around us. “She has followed the law to the letter and cannot be accursed of anything less. You will treat her accordingly.” A Sluagh appeared with a gold crown on a small blue satin pillow. He bowed to me then to Jettara. She nodded her head to him. With grace I could never hope to master, she took up the crown and held it high for all to see. Turning on her heel, she bowed to me, still holding the crown up for me to inspect. I did as she had instructed earlier in the ready room and gave an approving nod, keeping my face blank to the public. As she stood, she smiled at me. “Relax, you’re doing fine,” she whispered as she ascended the stairs to join me in front of the throne. “Just a few more minutes and this will be over.” I took a deep breath while she stood in front of me and tried my hardest to relax, but some of the nasty glares the nobles shot at me were unnerving. None of them will ever accept me. I’m not powerful enough to make them fear me and stay in line. There will be war before the month’s end. Keep breathing, I reminded myself when I noticed I had been holding my breath. Just keep breathing. Jettara deposited the crown upon my head with an elegant flourish. I blinked up at her, and silently wondered just how stupid I looked with it on. However, she only smiled and stepped back. “All hail Queen Serenity,” she announced and waved her arm to me as she turned back to the nobles. 302

Fallen I clenched my hands behind my back and fought to keep my face pleasantly blank as the urge to fidget with the oversize crown overcame me. Everyone knelt before me, their heads bowed in respect, even the ones who objected to my crowning. This was nerve racking. As amazing to suddenly have this power over so many of the most powerful Unseelie houses were, I also found it very terrifying. I didn’t want this power. All I wanted was to go and check on Eli and get him home. Being the focus of everyone’s attention was something I hated. It felt like an eternity before everyone stood. The thunder of clapping hands followed and I finally allowed myself to sit on the throne, allowing myself that simple pleasure. On the other hand, maybe it was because I felt I might have fallen if I didn’t take a moment to soak this all in. Jettara only smiled before she began to descend the stone steps. “Stop,” I commanded past the lump developing in my throat. I really hoped no one notice just how bad I was shaking. She blinked, staring up at me in surprise. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I addressed the noble houses. “As Queen I will make my first decree.” Jettara raised an elegant brow. “Yes, My Queen?” I sighed, wanting to tell her not to call me by such a title but that was impossible in court, she had to treat me as royalty rather than as her friend. “There is too much unrest within our court as well as the World Above. The Druids of the Black Order will bring about chaos if not stopped,” I said as my fey accent filled my voice. It felt like falling into a warm blanket. It had been so long that I had almost forgotten how it felt to speak in my native tongue. I really had to do it more often. 303

M. J. Spickett “Your Highness, the Sluagh can track down these traitors,” Jettara objected. “Not if you do not know who they are. This is happening worldwide. It is not something the Sluagh can handle alone. You will need help. I wish to reinstate the Enforcers.” She looked surprised but nodded nonetheless. “As you wish.” I stood on shaky legs, descended the steps and placed a hand on her shoulder. “One more thing.” “Yes, My Queen?” “For this to succeed I cannot be Queen.” Her voice fell so low that no one could possibly hear her but me. “Selena, what are you doing? “What needs to be done,” I responded with a smile before I addressed the court again. “At this time I am unfit to be your Queen. I am a warrior, one of the few who know exactly what we are up against. My skills will be needed to pursue them.” Taking off my crown, I stepped up to Jettara. “Until we catch these murderers, you will rule in my stead. You are, and always were, more suited to be Queen than either Celeste or me.” I whispered the last as I placed the crown on her head. “All hail Queen Jettara of the Sluagh,” I declared and forced myself to kneel. Wincing as my muscles protested, I made it to one knee. The court hesitated only a moment before they followed suit. Jettara stared at me in bewilderment. “Selena, no…you can’t.” “I just did, you’ll do fine,” I said with a grin and pushed myself to my feet. Quickly, I gave her a hug, despite it being very “unqueenly”. She is one of my best 304

Fallen friends and I will hug her all I like, no matter what anyone thinks. “Where are you going?” she asked as I pulled away. “Home,” was all I could say. I wasn’t into long goodbyes. All I wanted was my men and me to return to Ravenwood. After all, we had some very worried people waiting for us in the World Above. Besides, despite the accomplishments of the Healers here I wanted Eli checked out and cared for by someone I trusted unquestionably, even if he did flirt with me all the time. I miss Scott and his crude remarks. Yep, I must have hit my head hard when Merle slapped me. That has to be it. How could I possibly miss Scott Dion otherwise? Who am I kidding? I actually do sort of like the guy.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven is fever is breaking, Selena,” Scott reported as he removed the thermometer from Eli’s ear. He read the digital numbers just to be certain before he smiled and patted his young cousin on the shoulder. “You’ll be up and about in another day or two. Until then rest and drink plenty of liquids. I’m sure Nate or Dan would gladly bring your homework home for you.” “Oh yay,” Eli murmured and ducked his head under the covers. “Just what I need: stuck in bed with a week’s worth of homework and studying for exams. Can’t you just shoot me instead? It’ll be more humane.” I couldn’t hold back a snicker at his childish behavior, he had been acting like a twelve year old ever since we got back and Scott ordered him straight to bed. Having a fever at a hundred and three was enough to concern me without anything else happening to him. Nevertheless, he was still a rebellious teen at heart and not even Scott’s orders were going to deter him from sneaking downstairs to watch the plasma television the moment he was alone. I am going to have to stock plenty of orange juice in the fridge to hold him over until he can drink soda again. Knowing him, he’ll have one of his friends sneak some over while I’m at work. “Thank you, Scott.” I smiled up and ever so lightly

“H

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Fallen stroked my love’s head. “How’s Nate?” “He’s fine. One broken wing, but it’s almost healed.” His face darkened as his gaze wandered over me. I forced myself not to fidget. “Let me see your back.” “I’m fine, Scott,” I objected, but he came around the bed and forced me to look away from him as he pulled my blouse out of my skirt. Eli pulled his head out of the covers to see what was going on. A cheeky grin lifted the corners of his mouth as Scott gave me a quick physical. I swatted at him and he dived back under the covers. He can’t be that ill if he’s playful. Scott’s breath hitched in alarm. “Damn! Selena, this isn’t going to heal properly. Merle broke the bones completely in two. I know the fey can heal just about anything but I don’t think growing new wings is possible, is it?” “No. The Healers had to remove the joints just so my back could heal. Re-growing wings isn’t one of my gifts. Hell, I don’t even think the Ancients have that gift.” I tucked my shirt back into place and shrugged. “I’ll adapt. I always do. Besides, it’s not as if I do much flying anyway. Not around here at least. Far too many people in the city. They would probably have spotted me unless I changed size. Trust me, being the size of a Barbie doll is not my idea of fun.” “If you say so.” He gathered up his supplies and headed for the door. “I need to check on Cleo. Don’t get Eli worked up, alright?” With a sly grin, I saluted him. “Aye, aye, captain. Oh, and Scott?” “Yeah?” “Sorry about your bike. Nate told me it was lost in the 307

M. J. Spickett battle.” His large shoulders sagged but he didn’t seem as upset as I thought he would be. “The insurance will cover it. I did have a hard time coming up with a suitable story for them though. Sluagh Riders just wouldn’t have cut it. I’m sure your insurance will cover Eli’s.” “It should.” I leaned over Eli and bit my lip as I tried to think of a way to torment him without getting him riled up. Kiss him, strip every stitch of clothing off him and make love to him all night was what I wanted to do. However, I couldn’t. Celeste had damaged his mind and spirit. It might take quite some time before he was ready to have sex again. Scott only gave an exasperated sigh as he opened the bedroom door. A moment later, it shut again and I smiled. Scott wasn’t so bad. When he wasn’t being obnoxious, he was actually a really nice guy and good friend, not to mention one of the best physicians I knew. If he wasn’t a trained medic and healer, they might have forced us to stay in Daan’tema and Goddess only knew how long that would have ended up in the human realm. It had taken a lot of convincing to get the Elders to control time between the realm, and much magick to make them run in sync. Days, weeks, even years could have passed in the human realm before we returned. Although it would have only felt like a few short hours or days to us, we could have stepped into a world wholly unlike our own. Eli would not have handled that very well, not after the last time it happened to him when he was ten. He had pretty much missed an entire year of his life while trapped in Daan’tema when he was a child. We were there for less then a week in fey time. It was hard 308

Fallen for him to explain to his friends where he was during that time period, since he hadn’t aged or changed at all. He simply walked out of school and disappeared. The mishap had lost him almost every friend he had and he had to go from ten to eleven in a heartbeat, not an easy situation to defuse. He still had nightmares from that time. The only reason I risked bringing him back when he should have been recovering was his fear. Oh well, he’s more comfortable here anyway, and we have satellite television, the mound doesn’t. I leaned a breath’s width from the blanket covering his head. “So I guess you’ll have to eat chicken noodle soup tonight. I was planning to order Chinese. Oh well, more for Cleo and me.” His head darted out and almost smacked against mine. “No fair! I am not eating chicken noodle soup. Maybe some wonton soup but definitely not chicken.” “What’s wrong with chicken?” His face pinched in disgruntlement. “Ew. Geez, the Healers were pumping nothing but liquids into me for two days. No, I want Shrimp Lo Mien and Chop Suey, oh and Tai Dop Voy.” A grin lit my face, purely enjoying his enthusiasm at the mention of food. “Anything else?” “A big bottle of Coke, no maybe a Canadian. Damn, pizza is starting to sound good too.” “Well you’re not having pizza. The cheese isn’t good for you right now.” I squeezed his shoulder lovingly. “So, other than ravenous, how do you feel?” He sighed and leaned against the mound of pillows behind him and looked up at me. “Like a Mack truck hit me going a hundred and sixty. What did you do to your hair?” 309

M. J. Spickett I ran a hand through my shoulder length hair. Of course, I should have known he would ask about it eventually, he had been eyeing my hair ever since he woke up this afternoon, but hadn’t the time to ask with everyone fussing over him. Dan and Aaliyah were down stairs with Nathaniel and Aaron and were anxious to help anyway they could. I told them to order Chinese but whether or not Dan had was another question. He was probably in our kitchen whipping up something rather than ordering take-out. After I got home, I first attended to Eli’s health and comfort then called in Scott to look him over and help Cleo care for him while I took a long soak in the tub. I came to the decision that I needed a change. I hadn’t really done much. I had simply chopped my waist length hair to my shoulders and then had Aaliyah layer it into one of the hottest fashions trends from the latest issue of Vogue that I had stuffed in my nightstand. It framed my face to accentuate the red in my eyes, making me look about Eli’s age. Aaliyah came up with the idea of streaking it a darker brown, almost black throughout every lock, not muting the red of my hair but making them look like my highlights. I’d never dyed my hair before, and surely never had it this short, but I had started to like it. For one, the hair no longer irritated my back where my injuries were still healing and it was lighter on my head. With the dye job, I easily passed as Black Blooded Irish, or at least Welsh, even if I had lost most of my accent years ago. My accent was there, mixed with my fey heritage, but not as evident as it had been when I first moved to Ravenwood. I fluffed my hair nervously. “Do you like it?” I asked 310

Fallen and hoped he did. Cleo hadn’t said anything and Scott was…well Scott. He wouldn’t notice unless I was naked and my pubic hair didn’t match. Dan had said it looked nice, although I had the feeling he was just trying to be fatherly and encouraging. A lot of help that is. I really want Eli’s opinion. Hopefully, he likes it. He made a face and my heart almost fell. “How am I supposed to pull on it whenever it hits me in the face?” he joked and took a strand and gave a little tug. I slapped his hand away, which caused him to laugh. “Never mind. We’re good.” “I swear, you’re a five year old trapped in a man’s body,” I complained and crossed my arms over my chest. “You get soup tonight.” “Hell no, Vermicelli,” he objected and flashed a toothy grin. “It looks good is all I’m saying.” He rubbed his forehead with the butt of his hand in a motion that clearly said he still felt the effects of the Athymen. “Why are you so dressed up?” Standing, I sighed, smoothed my short skirt and tucked my shirt back in. “I still have unfinished business with the Druids of the Black Order. Cleo knows McLeod’s routine and where their base of operation is located. I’m going to the University to pose as a student attending night classes.” “Oh. You two okay?” “Cleo and me? Yeah, we’re fine. I’m going to debrief him and—what?” A child-like giggle escaped him. “Debrief him?” Yep, the drug is still playing games with his mind. Either that or he is damn horny. I’m not sure which I would have preferred at that moment. Thankfully, he only received a 311

M. J. Spickett small dose of Athymen or we could be looking at some rough nights ahead. “Go back to sleep, Eli, before I ‘debrief’ you.” All I got was that cheeky grin. Then a yawn gripped him and he snuggled farther under the covers. “Remember, Vermicelli, Tai Dop Voy, Shrimp Lo Mien, and Wonton soup…okay?” “And a big bottle of Coke, yes sir.” He was out cold before the last word passed my lips. Two more days of him being so tired and sluggish like this was bound to drive me insane. Nevertheless, I could deal with it. I had to. Of course, some of his repartee was going to take some getting used to. He was rarely this playful without one or the other of us tackling the other. Sex was going to be interesting once he fully recovered. I wondered how long Chinese food could last in the fridge if I ordered it. I really hoped Dan hadn’t decided to make dinner or order yet. Eli’s list was pretty big but I was certain I could talk Lynn into making it family size for a reasonable fee. Pressing my lips against his, I gave him a gentle kiss and tucked him in. Across the hall, I heard Scott and Cleo talking in hushed tones. I went to the study to see what they were doing. They were searching the bookshelves, which surprised me. My brows rose in curiosity as I watched them read the spines of the numerous spell books and ancient text. “What are you two looking for?” I asked, unsure whether to help or pack Eli up and run away while the running was still good. With these two, I never knew what to expect. “A way to break the curse over you and Scott,” Cleo 312

Fallen answered in an offhand manner, as if he found it to be a big joke. “Yeah, well I still think Nate’s idea is the best,” Scott countered. He smirked at me from across the room. “One really good roll in the hay is all it’ll take.” “Uh huh, well that isn’t happening any time soon,” I said in a flat voice. Is he ever going to take the hint? “Look. I have to head to the station and check on Kayla. Richard is supposed to be here in an hour. Dan and I should be back by midnight.” Cleo stopped what he was doing to look at me. “Is that wise? What about the baby?” “If we don’t stop these people now then there may not be a world worth bringing a child into. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. Besides, I still have to file your report. It may help us catch them.” The look he gave me both annoyed me and made my heart flutter. That look of fear and doubt mixed with love and adoration. It made me ache in places that I couldn’t attend to at that moment. Goddess help me, just one look into his gorgeous teal eyes and I am ready to fall before him if only he would touch me. If only he would make love to me. “I’ll accompany you,” Cleo offered, his face suddenly that of a protective Guardian and lover. I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts of sex and focus on the matter at hand. “There’s no need. We’ll be fine. Besides, they may still be after Eli. He needs you right now, not me.” I placed my fingers over his lips to keep him from objecting. It felt like electricity shot up my arm by the simple gesture. My voice came out breathy as I spoke. “I’ll keep my cell phone handy just incase there are any problems.” 313

M. J. Spickett He kissed my fingertips. His tongue darted out to lick to small pads and I inhaled sharply. “I still don’t like this, but I won’t stop you.” “Thank you.” I got to my tiptoes to kiss him. His arms wrapped around me, pulled me close and deepened the kiss until I was breathless. I could feel every inch of him pressed against me, the feel of his erection slowly rising to press against my belly. No matter how much my mind screamed that I didn’t have time for such things my body said otherwise. My folds grew moist at the simple thought of his length buried deep inside me as we rocked together. He gazed deeply into my eyes, a silent demand for me to allow him that gift. Without conscious thought, I nodded and that was all the permission he needed. He grabbed my ass and squeezed until I cried out. “Scott, get out,” I commanded. I felt weak in the knees. Yes, I wanted this so bad it hurt. “Actually I was planning on joining in,” he countered. I couldn’t help it, my powers flashed to life, and several books lifted off the shelf and whipped at him with the use of my telekinesis. He cursed and ducked out of the room before they hit him. A satisfied smile pulled at my lips at the sound of the door slamming shut behind him, followed by the thud of books hitting it. “Now that was rather rude. Without Eli it’s just the two of us,” Cleo chastised and gripped my rear in both hands. He pulled me so close that if we were naked he would already be in me. “Are you complaining?” His hands slid under my skirt. “Not at all. Ah, a thong today. Hmm…I would have preferred the g-string but 314

Fallen this is good enough.” His fingers slid between my cheeks to play with the flimsy piece of fabric. My breathing became heavy as I fumbled for the zipper of his pants. Being on my tip toes really shot my balance, as did being so close to him. “Cleo,” I whined. I wanted to touch him so bad but was unable to work the zipper. With a chuckle, a deep masculine sound, he let me go. Then he undid the button and zipper and let his entire length spill out. My breath hitched at the delicious sight of him. I gripped his pants and tugged them down his hips to see the rest of the package. My hand immediately gripped him and stroked with the urgency my body demanded as I fell to my knees. I almost shook with how badly I wanted him. My tongue lapped at the head of his penis to tease a spurt of pre-cum as my hand pumped his length. Licking my way down to his balls, then I took a moment to give them a thorough tongue bath. He moaned and grunted above me, and encouraged me on as his hand fisted in my hair. However, I didn’t need any encouragement. It already stood before me, hard and ready and demanding my attention. How could I not react? Taking every inch of his length in my mouth, I swallowed it back until I reached the root and even then, I wanted more. I began to suck, to press my lips hard against all that flesh and bob my head up and down. He began to thrust in time with me and utter my name like a mantra. Never before did I realized just how much power we held over each other and I was about to soak it all in. His body tensed and begged for release. I sucked harder, interchanging the pressure of my lips with the grip of my hand and squeezed and tormented him in every 315

M. J. Spickett way I had wanted to with Eli. Magick coursed through my fingers as I teased his balls and slowly stroked my way to his rear to circle the tight ring of muscle behind. His back arched and with a cry, his seed spilled into my mouth. I licked and swallowed every drop, teasing him back into an erection. “Little witch,” he said softly, and pulled me away from him. He looked flushed and a little shaky and I grinned innocently at him as I licked my lips. “You’re going to pay for that stunt.” “I certainly hope so.” He dropped to his knees before me and—still with his hand fisted in my hair - crushed his lips against mine. The kiss was fierce and brutal and I couldn’t get enough. My hands bunched his t-shirt and all but ripped it off him. I pressed my body against his and desperately tried to get him to enter me. However, he held back to torment me with his kisses as he moved to lick and nibble my ear. “I’m going to make you beg before I enter you,” he said, as his finger slipped under my skirt again. This time he pushed the fabric away and stroked my nether regions with skilled fingers. He pumped them in and out of me as he stroked my clitoris. In a matter of moments, he had me shaking and panting, but Cleo didn’t seem satisfied. “Not yet.” I growled in frustration. “How’s this then?” With a hard shove, he sprawled out on his back and I was on him, my panties stripped away in less than a heartbeat. He stared up at me in surprised as I straddled him and slowly sank onto his delicious length. It filled me so completely that I let out a delighted moan as his tip pushed against my wall. It hurt most women when men were so large 316

Fallen and so long but for me Cleo was just right. His breath hissed in. “Damn, you’re pushy today.” “Don’t you know that a Queen always gets her way?” I taunted before I began to move. He moaned in pleasure and moved to undo the buttons of my top. “As you wish, Your Majesty.” I batted his questing fingers away. “Who said anything about you touching my breasts?” He growled, his chest rumbling with the vibration. Before I could stop him, he had torn my blouse and bra in two, and yanked them off my shoulders. Then he threw them in the corner before I could blink. His large hands grasped my shoulders, ever careful of my healing wounds, and dragged me down to him so he could grasp one nipple in his mouth. I cried out at the sensation as his teeth raked over the tender flesh. Slowly, he began to thrust upward and made me bounce even as he held me down. Another hand slid along my back, this one smaller and slightly warm. It traveled down to my rear then caressed and stroked my flesh. Another cock pushed against me, finding entrance even though I wasn’t properly prepared. I cried out at the sensation of two men in me, a feeling I was trying to get used to. The one behind me kissed my shoulder blades, as if trying to cast the scars from my ripped wings away. His lips and tongue bathed them in warmth as Cleo suckled my nipple. Together they thrust and pounded into me as if they might meet in the center. It hurt but in a pleasurable way and I rocked with them, begged for more even when my body felt ready to explode. Eli leaned over my shoulder and caught me in a 317

M. J. Spickett surprise kiss as he grasped my free breast. Closing my eyes, I opened my mouth to him to let his tongue ravish mine. He licked my teeth and my gums before warring with my tongue for dominance. I reached behind him to hold him closer only to have a sudden wave of intense pleasure coming from my breast. Magick was all I could call it. Cleo lapped between my breasts while Eli massaged them. I didn’t feel when they began to thrust wildly into me, even though their movements were not gentle. I was beyond pleasure or pain as orgasm after orgasm ripped through me. Cleo followed shortly after me and slumped onto the floor with me on his chest. Eli continued to thrust. His magick spilled over us, until finally he came with a shout. He pulled away and sprayed us both with his seed. Lying on Cleo’s chest, I tried desperately to relearn how to breathe. That had been incredible and mind boggling. I gazed up at Eli with half-slit eyes as he crawled over to us and collapsed on Cleo’s out stretched arm. He looked worn and tired but incredibly self satisfied. If I had the energy, I would have hit him. “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?” I asked when I finally caught my breath. “It sounded like you two were having more fun,” was his retort as he pinched my nipple. “Besides, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about doing you up the ass. Now I know. It’s tighter, like you clung onto me for your life.” He gave a sleepy smile as he pulled up his pajama bottoms. “You’ve got to stop hanging around Scott.” “Cleo was the one who said it.” Pushing myself to my elbows, I stared at my supposed 318

Fallen partner and friend. “You told him that?” I hated the smirk that he gave me just before he slapped my rear. “You’ve got a tight ass. What can I say? I like the way it hugs every inch of me.” I flushed as I realized just how much I liked the feel of them in me that way as well as together. Fixing my skirt, I climbed to my feet and shook my head. “You two are incorrigible. Now I have to shower and change my clothes before I go to the station. Thanks a lot.” I tried to pretend I was mad but I just wasn’t that good of an actor. “You’re welcome,” Cleo called as I headed for the door. “Anytime,” Eli echoed. I wrinkled my nose and laughed. Yep, life with these two was certainly going to get more interesting from here on out. Maybe I should move back into my own room and buy a lock for my door. However, maybe a king size bed would be better.

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M. J. Spickett

Chapter Twenty-Eight

N

ighttime had always been my favorite time to learn. The university was calm in the early evening, only a few students lingered outdoors as they waited for their next class to begin. I first attended Ravenwood University years ago when I worked undercover for the Sinclairs to learn more about the Dions, namely Scott and Dan. I had to attend daytime classes. The vast halls were crowded with young adults away from home for the first time. When we discovered that the Dions were related to the Sinclairs and both Dan and Eli shared Anthony’s soul, I opted to finish my courses in the evening under Dan’s and Professor Kevin O’kqua’s tutelage. Night classes were calmer, more mature and lacked sweaty or pushy students. I sat at one of the numerous picnic tables in the small courtyard reading one of Eli’s textbooks. The old building fenced the courtyard in on three sides, while two smaller ones formed a gateway to the parking lot. Large shadows fell over the large ash and oak trees from the tall buildings to make the air slightly chilly. A shiver ran up my spine as a cool breeze washed over me but remained focused on the book as Shakira’s latest hits played on my MP3 player. I was trying to look like a regular college student and 320

Fallen so far seemed to be doing a rather good job of it. More than one college boy tried to pick me up. I brushed them off easily, and waved about my hand with my engagement ring displayed proudly for all to see. On second thought, I really should have taken it off. McLeod was likely to notice it if he made his move tonight like Cleo prophesied. I have to do something about my two men. After I showered, I changed into a simple pair of blue jeans, cream camisole, and a long sweater duster that hung past my knees and hid my weapons perfectly. The skirt I had originally planned was out of the question, as was any other skirt. They were just too dangerous to wear anywhere near Cleo or Eli. After such mind blowing and rough sex, I was just happy to be able to stand. I almost feared I would have to call Kayla and put a hold on the mission for that little stunt. Luckily, everything was still a go and I was here ready to nab McLeod before his group slaughtered any more innocents. Snipers in the trees and on top of the university buildings were all cleverly hidden under their own breed of magick. Even with my power of telepathy, I couldn’t sense them and only my years of training let me know they were there. My neck hair prickled with the sense of all their eyes watching me for a signal. I chewed on the end of my pencil, the perfect appearance of a student studying for an exam. To appear as a real student, I even attended one of Kevin’s Ancient Cult History classes, just in case the Black Order had a spy working the room. My magick faintly showed, as I posed as a young, inexperienced Guardian making her way in the world. So I acted shy, keeping my head low as I asked 321

M. J. Spickett Kevin questions I already knew the answers to and tried hiding myself in my seat when he answered in a way that might have made a young fey nervous. I focused on the book, as if it made no sense to me and tried not to laugh at some theories human occultists had come up with for the perfectly mundane. Humans were so fickle at times. According to Cleo, McLeod was recruiting Guardians whose masters had granted them permission to attend school and get a job or who forced them to run about town doing their master’s bidding. He preferred the younger Guardians, those only a century or two old and easily persuadable to leave their masters and join him. They don’t kill all the masters, only those who treated their Guardians as slaves or of course anyone who refused to free them. How they managed to survive their masters’ deaths was still a mystery but I bet that Celeste had something to do with it. Thankfully, I had Nathaniel as backup and he was keeping a tight lip as he hid in the tree just behind and to the left of me. I didn’t sense him but I knew he was there. “Is this seat taken?” a familiar voice asked, the Irish lilt unmistakable. I gazed up through my long bangs. He was fey, that much I could sense. However, I had to make a visual to be certain this was Lucas McLeod and not another young fey taking night classes. Of course, if he were, he could still have been a member of McLeod’s group and I wouldn’t have known. Perhaps, I should’ve brought Cleo along just in case. My luck held. Lucas stood before me, just as handsome as ever, his hands tucked in his jeans and cotton button down shirt untucked. He would have been cute if he weren’t one of the bad guys. Even his shaggy 322

Fallen red hair hinted toward a dimple in his chin I had not noticed before. Thankfully, my glamour was holding, something I had feared would not work after losing my wings the way I had. It and my metaphysical shielding hid my identity from everyone but the PID team who saw it just before I exited the unmarked van this evening. To everyone else I looked like an eighteen year old finishing high school and getting a jumpstart on college. McLeod was no different. “Sure,” I said with little interest, but kept my focus half on the text book and half on him. The lyrics of the music pumped loudly out of the MP3 player, but I was able to hear every word McLeod said. He sat across from me. “Studying the history of occult sciences I see,” he said as he pulled the book away from me. If this is his way of getting someone’s attention and have them fall head over heels for him he had another think coming. With a frown, I pulled it back, grunted a remark, and “tried” to find where I had left off. “Do you mind? I have an exam Friday.” “Well, I can teach you a whole lot more than any book can, especially these dogmatic human texts. It’s all propaganda to take away from our heritage.” “I’m sure.” I began to twirl the pen with my fingers, my sign to the snipers that this was our man. What the hell are they waiting for? Slipping the Browning out of its holster at the back of my jeans, I held it on my lap, aimed solely at McLeod. I kept my face peaceful as I gazed up at him and let my glamour fall. It took only a moment for him to realize who I was. “Hawke,” he said, going to stand. 323

M. J. Spickett I cocked the gun and took comfort in the small click it made. Tucking my other hand under, I quickly screwed on the silencer. No need to have the whole student body making a beeline to a crime scene before the PID had a chance to clean up the mess. “Don’t move,” I warned him as I leaned over the table. “Snipers are everywhere and they’re just dying to take you out. Plus, I have a Browning nine millimeter high power fully automatic trained just between your legs and I’m dying for a reason to use it.” He stared at me for a long moment, as if not sure whether to believe me or not and then his shoulders drooped and he let out a sigh. “What do you want?” “Every member of the Druids of the Black Order. Names, location, hell even their birth dates. I want the Demoncitia and all your little vamp friends. Am I asking too much? No? Good. Now start talking.” His thick brows rose. “Why? So you can hand us over to the Queen?” “Celeste is dead and Jettara would rather see you beheaded than free. I’m authorized to kill you if you don’t co-operate. I might either way. Celeste can no longer protect you, so you’d better start talking. Frankly, I’m starting to like the idea of shooting you, maybe torture you a little before I let you enter Summerland. You and your crew nearly cost me my life and that of my fiancée.” No point mentioning the baby. If his friends are to find out, they could easily use her against me, I thought bitterly. “I was trying to free you from your servitude.” “When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I don’t serve Eli or anyone else? This,” I flashed my ring finger in front of his face, “was given out of love. In 324

Fallen fact, it belonged to his great grandmother. He carried it around for two months before he freed me, as he tried to come up with a way to ask me without it appearing like a way to keep me bonded to him.” He just gave me a slow, uncomprehending blink. Great, this guy is dumber then the chicken that crossed the road. Doesn’t he know what love, actual love is? A frown creased his lips and he folded his arms stubbornly across his chest. “I’ve already told you everything I know.” “Somehow I doubt that.” His eyes flashed emerald green as his magick suddenly began to build around us, pulling from nature. Trees bowed toward us, their thick new leafs blew in an unseen wind. In an instant, he was off the bench and several feet away. Where the hell are my snipers? They should have hit him before he even had a chance to summon his power. My movements were automatic, borne of instinct and centuries of training. Rolling off the bench, I just missed getting hit by a spell ball as it flew past my head, clipping only the ends of my hair. I came to my feet with the Browning in one hand its twin in the other. My first shot slammed into his knee, blowing the kneecap to pieces and shattering the bone. A self-satisfied smile came to my lips at the thought that he now knew the torture I had felt when Merle had torn off my wings. He fell to the ground, howling in agony as he held the bleeding knee to his chest. The few people in the courtyard stopped and stared. I didn’t pay them much attention as I whipped out my badge and strolled to McLeod’s fallen form. Wherever my back up is, I am not happy with them and they are going to hear about it when I get back to the station. 325

M. J. Spickett Lucas dragged himself back from me as he tried repeatedly to summon his power, but obviously couldn’t focus past the pain well enough to form anything more than a spark. I stepped on his power hand and let my three inch heels dig into the fleshy meat of his palm as I aimed both guns at his forehead. Curse after curse spilled from his mouth but none with enough power to do any serious damage. Towering over him, I no longer feared him or any possible hex he may conjure up. My pentagram hung warm and protective around my throat and I had taken precautions against all dark magick. No, Lucas McLeod could no longer hurt me. Numbness filled me to everything as I leveled my guns at his forehead. The snipers, wherever they were, had my back, this I knew with a certainty as I felt them reappear with my second sight, as if they had not been there a moment ago. Then it hit me. They hadn’t. Lucas had somehow spelled them away. Whether he had known about the snipers and done it intentionally I did not know, nor did I wish to ask. That’s why the snipers never fired when I signaled. Oh well, I had the situation pretty much under control. Now with the spell down they would be able to pick up any of his friends if they happened to show up and shoot them down before I could even blink. All thanks to a nifty little device the government had developed to detect fey. Apparently, we weren’t welcomed in high powered government buildings. So much for a fey as the next Prime Minister. “You can’t do this,” Lucas whined as he tried to pull his hand free. I dug my heel deeper into his palm and took a sick pleasure as I heard a bone break. The onlookers were smart enough to stay out of the way as 326

Fallen armed men and women from the PID swarmed the area. “By order of the Queen of Air and Darkness, you are condemned to a century with the Will O’ Wisp. Then to a life in the slave camps of D’monghoumn,” I declared as I fell back into my Enforcer persona as if it were a second skin. “For crimes against your people and those we vowed to protect.” “But Celeste was the one who financed us,” he objected, as he tried to pry at my boot. “The Queen gave us the spell. She wanted war between the factions. You can’t prevent it. Already our forces gather to walk against the Seelie. They’ll blame the Unseelie and soon even the human mages will choose sides. You’ll have no choice but to choose between your master and your clan.” “I already have,” I said as I tightened my finger on the trigger. “I’ll hunt your little terrorist cell down and destroy you one by one if I have to.” “You can’t destroy us all.” He twisted and swung a long dagger at my ankle. I rolled out of the way in time to avoid serious injury and fired two shots before he could move any farther. Both rounds slammed into his head. A third and fourth took out his heart. Only a matter of seconds later his body disintegrated into faery dust and returned to the ethereal realm. Cries of fear and astonishment rose from the crowd of students that the PID officers were trying desperately to control. I looked up at them in surprise. Where did all these people come from? He had managed to cut my ankle through the leather boot but not serious enough to require stitches, so I staggered back to the picnic table. It didn’t hurt much but I didn’t feel like trying to explain that one to the guys 327

M. J. Spickett when I got home. Laying on the flat tabletop, I ignored the textbook that poked my side and tried to take a few calming breaths. Damn, I killed McLeod before I even got one single name. Now how am I going to track the Druids of the Black Order? With their leader dead, they’ll probably vanish to the wind and continue their killing spree. Smart, Selena, real smart. A shadow, darker than all the rest fell over me and I sighed. Swell, just what I need, a lecture from my best friend. I draped an arm over my eyes. “What the hell did you think you were doing, Hawke?” Kayla snapped. Oh lovely, we are formal today. I silently wondered if Internal Affairs were watching us. With what had happened to the SWAT team the other day it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. IA just loved to harass the PID. I hissed as she bumped my ankle. “You were supposed to detain him. You know, keep the subject alive until we made the official arrest,” she continued to rant, not noticing my bleeding ankle. With a groan, I sat up and stared at her in disbelief. “He fired first. Besides, where the fuck was SWAT?” “Waiting for your signal. That’s not the point.” She brushed a hand through her black hair, not at all looking comfortable in her SWAT gear. “We needed him to find the location of their new base of operations. Now we have nothing and the Chief is going to have my head.” “I wouldn’t say that,” came Richard’s rich British voice. He dressed much the same as Kayla only with the British Intelligence emblem on the breast of his Kevlar. With a small frown, he gestured with his head toward the trees. I turned just in time to see a black swan take to the air. 328

Fallen “That’s the Swan Maiden that accompanied McLeod when he attacked us at the park,” I whispered in surprise. “Track it,” Kayla ordered one sniper. Just by the musky wood scent of him, I knew he was a werewolf and was probably from her pack. He left with a nod and was out of sight before anyone could say a word. Kayla gestured to the rest of the team as they clambered down trees and returned from building rooftops. “Gather up the witnesses. We’ll interview them at HQ. This is one hell of a mess, Hawke.” She sighed. “Selena. How did we end up with so many people here? The Dean’s office insured me this area would be clear. We’ll be lucky if a news crew doesn’t pick this up. Now we have to confiscate every video camera, digital camera and phone within a five hundred yard radius just to keep this under wraps.” I barely listened. My attention focused on the sight of Dan and Nathaniel hurrying toward us. A fear I had not known I was holding suddenly released itself as Dan pulled me into a fatherly hug, at once noticing my injury and distress. I wrapped my arms around him and instantly felt like a small child in need of every ounce of comfort he was willing to offer. “Are you alright?” he asked in a sudden rush of questions that I could not keep up with. “And the baby? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” “I’m alright, Dan. We’re alright,” I responded and hugged him just as fiercely. “Baby?” Kayla asked, eyes suddenly wide with concern. “You’re pregnant and still came out here as bait? You should have told me. I-” I shook my head. “You wouldn’t have let me, I know. 329

M. J. Spickett That’s why.” “Well now you’re going home. You can file your report in the morning.” I smiled weakly. That sounded good to me. There was a bed with my name on it and I had every intention on sleeping the next twelve hours away.

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Fallen

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I

didn’t get home until several hours later. Once Dan had a hold of me, there was no escaping him until we had dinner, something I had missed earlier in the evening, and a good heart to heart. Pretty much, I had to tell him repeatedly I was okay and that yes, Merle had ripped off my wings. The rest of me was fine and only had a few more scars to go with my mounting collection, but he was still worried. It didn’t seem to matter how many times I told him both at home and here, he was still not convinced. He was not satisfied and even opted to bandage my ankle and buy me a new pair of boots at the mall before it closed. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, he was just as stubborn as Eli, if not more. Eventually we made it to an Italian restaurant where I ordered the largest lasagna they had for a single serving and started telling him the whole story of what had happened in Daan’tema. Of course, since I was pregnant, I had to forgo alcoholic beverages. Dan was even iffy about letting me have a glass of Coke with my meal. I ended up having to drink a bitter herbal tea as I told my story. It took a lot longer than I thought. However, seeing his eyes light up in approval that Cleo was the one who had saved me— 331

M. J. Spickett not that I wouldn’t have eventually found a way out myself of course—I had to smile. I was suddenly the princess whom a knight in shining armor rescued. Not as far fetched as it sounded under the circumstances I suppose. Dan was, however, not happy with Merle and Celeste’s deaths, not that I really expected him to fully understand that part. He never approved of violence or killing to resolve an issue. That was why I was so happy Nathaniel insisted on remaining his Guardian even after gaining his freedom. Someone had to look out for Dan. He was a competent magician but when push came to shove, I doubted he could make the fatal blow often necessary. When I finally got home at nearly midnight, I was beyond tired. The stars twinkled brightly above and I could almost feel their magick washing upon me. At that moment, I made a decision. I need a vacation. Somewhere far away where no one knows my two lovers or me. If I cash in all my sick days, I am sure I can get almost two whole weeks off and I have more than enough money saved for a nice expensive trip, without dipping into the emergency funds. Yep, that’s what I need, just a few weeks off to heal and recuperate. Then I can focus on the Druids of the Black Order. Kayla isn’t going to be happy but I really don’t care. As soon as Eli is done with his exams, we are out of here. I stripped my clothes off as I entered Eli’s room, too tired to bother putting them away. My two men were already in bed and took up either side of the mattress, which left the middle for me. My ankle stung as I climbed up the foot of the bed and got under the covers. Thankfully, the blade hadn’t been iron. The ankle would heal in a few more hours. Until then it was going to 332

Fallen irritate me. Oh well, I was so tired that I was likely to forget it in a few short minutes. Eli rolled in his sleep to hug me and his head automatically went to rest next to mine, his breath ruffled my bangs. Cleo did the same on my other side and spooned me from behind as his arms wrapped about my waist. They were both nude and their bodies warm and welcoming. I should have felt safe but I couldn’t shake Lucas’s last words from my mind. He was right. War was on the horizon. The fractions of men and faery needed reconstructed. The Guardians who had once served mankind for centuries were now their possible enemies. Knowing which was friend or foe was not going to be an easy task. Thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands all around the world, all of which were in the perfect position to wipe out their masters and entire families. My job was to hunt down those who would betray the covenant and protect the human mages from the very people who swore to protect them. However, I had no clue where to start. This is something I can worry about in the morning. For now, all I want is to cuddle between the two loves of my life and forget all about the weird direction my life has suddenly taken. Tomorrow I can focus on my troubles.

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About the Author M.J. Spickett lives in Northern Ontario, along the shores of Lake Huron. When she isn’t writing M.J. can be found either practicing martial arts or deep in occult research (her second passion). She is also a passionate reader and enjoys anything to do with urban fantasy and can often been found curled up in bed with a novel, when not plotting her own.