“Why did he take her?” Costin snarled as he turned from the door, pacing across the porch like a caged beast. “I can't feel her. I can't hear her.” His hazel eyes were glowing bright with his wolf as his eyes met hers. “Will he hurt her?”
Elle wouldn't lie. “I don’t know. I don't think so, but I haven't seen Thadrick for at least a thousand years. I have no idea what we're dealing with.”
“Perhaps, he is just curious,” Sorin said calmly. “Out of the four of us, Sally is the rarest and most unique. Maybe he just wanted to get a closer look at a gypsy healer.”
Costin growled. “He has no right to get a close look at her,” the male wolf bit out. “She isn't a damn carnival attraction.”
Elle glanced at her mate before looking back at Costin. He was barely holding it together. “Sorin is right,” she agreed. “Thadrick probably just wanted to get a look at her without her protector interfering. I'm not saying it's right.” Elle held up her hands when Costin shot her a snarl. “But the good news is that if he is simply curious, then he doesn't mean any harm. I'm sure she's fine. Sally's tough and she's good with people. She'll have him eating from her hand in no time.”
Sorin shook his head at her. “Probably not the best thing to say, love,” he murmured into her mind.
Costin confirmed her mate’s words when he slammed his hand down on the banister splintering the wood. “He better not get anywhere near her hands. And Sally would never offer to feed another male.”
Elle nearly rolled her eyes. She forgot sometimes just how possessive Costin could be because he, of all the male wolves she knew, was the most laid back. It was moments like these that she was reminded that he was still a wolf, which meant he was still prone to jealous outbursts and possessive posturing. “You're right, Costin,” she conceded after getting a glare from Sorin. “She would never feed another male. Even if her life depended on it, she would protect your fragile ego.” She nearly laughed when Sorin thudded his forehead against the post of the stairs. Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly what he'd wanted her to say, but too bad. She wasn't about to let Costin act like a petulant boyfriend when Sally was with a powerful supernatural being and might need to do something that would piss Costin off in order to stay safe, or even alive.
Costin's nostrils flared as he eyed her. After several deep breaths, he nodded. “You're right. That was stupid.” And suddenly the man was back and he was no longer thinking irrationally. “Sally's smart. She'll do what she needs to in order to stay alive.”
“Costin, I really don't think he will hurt her,” Elle said and she meant it. If there was one thing she'd learned over the centuries, it was that supernaturals all seem to possess an unhealthy curiosity. And because they were often much more powerful than the subject of their curiosity, they usually didn’t feel threatened enough to attack without satisfying that curiosity.
“What do we do now?” Costin asked, still eyeing the door like he wanted to rip it apart with his teeth.
“We do the only thing we can do,” Sorin spoke up as he leaned back against the rickety looking railing of the porch. “We wait.”
Chapter 6
“Once upon a time… isn't that how all great fairy tales start? Once upon a time there was a blind, Seeing Eye dog trainer, a ‘not stripper’ from New York, a fae, and a she-wolf all sitting in the pixie realm… twiddling their thumbs. No, really, we are literally sitting here twiddling our thumbs.” ~Heather
Stella stared at the dancing flames of the fire as the darkness of night quickly swallowed up the daylight. Adam claimed that time didn't move any faster in the pixie realm, but to her it seemed that with each new development the clock picked up speed. She didn't even remember how many days it had been since they'd arrived in the pixie realm. She did know that their party’s number had changed quite a bit since they'd arrived. They'd started out with seven, then had briefly added a few to that number, but then they'd scattered. Sally, Costin, Sorin, and Elle had gone off in search of the djinn, and Anna was still hiding away in the forest while Gustavo chased after her. Now only she, Heather, Adam, Crina, and Kara remained. She didn't really even know what they were supposed to be doing anymore. She was trying desperately to think of anything besides the growing ache in her or the reason for that ache.
“Are we still supposed to be trying to beat Volcan at his own mind games?” Stella asked the small group.
“One of our chicks is out there, hiding from the big bad wolf, while another group searches for a genie while yet another searches for Jewel, who may or may not still be alive,” Heather said, her voice thick with frustration. “Frankly, it feels like Volcan has already won the game. We're divided. Our attention, our worries, our fears are all focused in different directions. How can we possibly have anything left to try and outwit him when we can't even keep our crap together?”
“I don't think I've ever heard you sound so defeated,” Peri's voice filled the stunned silence that had followed Heather's outburst. “United we stand, divided we fall. Is that what this is?”
Stella, along with the other three, had turned to face the high fae who had appeared out of thin air.
“This is me just taking stock of the situation,” Heather answered, her head turned in the direction of Peri's voice. “I'm not saying we're defeated, I'm saying we're spread a little thin.”
“Are you done?” Peri asked coolly. “Have you had your one freak out moment?”
“We only get one?” Kara asked.
“Yes, you only get one,” Peri snapped. “In case you haven't noticed, you aren't in Kansas anymore. This is your new life. It has its perks, but it also has its definite failings. Constantly wondering if you or your friends are going to live to see next week happens to be one of those.”
“I'm sorry,” Stella said raising her hand, “Um, what are the perks then, exactly?”
“I'm your new best friend.” Peri held out her arms, “Ta da! You've hit the best friend jack pot with me. Not only can I make your butt look smaller in your favorite outfit but I can also make the things that go bump in the night shiver. I know things look bad right now. But, I've got good news.” She smiled but Stella could tell it didn't quite meet her eyes.
“And?” Heather prompted when Peri didn't continue.
“Volcan is going to release Jewel.”
“What?” “Seriously?” “She's alive?” “When?” “Where?” Five voices rang out at once as they all jumped to their feet.
Peri held up her hand. “Some of those questions can only be answered by you.”
Stella's eyes narrowed. “Okay, bestie, you're going to have to be a little clearer on the situation. How could we possibly know the answer to any of those questions? We didn’t even know if Jewel was still alive.”
“Voclan gave me a riddle. The answer is the location of where he is going to leave Jewel in two days’ time.”
There was a brief pause before Heather spoke up, “Of all the times for you to become slow to speak, you pick now. Spit it out woman. What's the riddle?”
Peri snorted, “Glad to see your fighting spirit is back.” She cleared her throat and then said in a clear, strong voice, “Rotten to the core, framed by the sea, filled with different flavors, where many seek to be free.”
“Seriously?” Stella let out a bark of laughter. “That's the riddle? Did he come up with that all by himself?”
“So I take it you know the answer,” Peri responded.
Stella nodded. “Rotten to the core has to be a reference to the Big Apple. Framed by the sea I would take to mean a peninsula, which New York City is, of course. Filled with different flavors. Well, they call New York City a melting pot because of how many different varieties of people come to live there, and the whole seek to be free bit, well obviously the city was built on immigrants seeking their freedom in the United States, so… the answer is obviously New York City.”
“New York City,” Peri repeated, mostly to herself.
“The one and only,” Stella agreed
. “Did he give you any more to go on than that?”
Peri frowned. “What do you mean?”
Stella pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to push back a headache that she really didn't have any control over. “New York City isn't necessarily the largest place as far as square miles, but Peri, there are over eight million people in the city. That's a lot of bodies to sort through just to find our little Jewel.”
“While it isn't ideal that we don't have it narrowed down to a specific street, the fact that we know the city will help a lot. We just need to get eyes in the city, lots of little eyes,” Peri practically purred as she glanced over her shoulder watching a group of pixies singing and working in a garden nearby.
Stella's lips curled up on the ends. “You're going to infest the city with pixies?”
Adam let out a groan. “Just what we need to add to our list of problems ― pixies loose in the human realm.”
“They won't be given free reign,” Peri waved him off. “It's not like this is my first pixie stakeout.”
“There've been other pixie stakeouts?” Heather asked then paused. “That's one of those questions that I can add to the list of things I never thought I'd ask.”
Crina laughed. “That list is about to get very, very long.”
Peri was pretty sure that if her kind were able to get headaches, then she would have a massive one. “Okay, that is one problem somewhat solved. I've got about a dozen others that need my attention next.”
“A dozen?” Adam asked with raised brows.
“I'm allowed to exaggerate just a bit considering I have a coven of dead vampires, a werewolf who has lost the true mate bond so completely that he doesn't even feel a pull toward his female, and a young gypsy healer traipsing through pixie land because she's confused about how she feels about a werewolf she's never met while the same wolf hunts her down like a scared deer. Throw me a bone.”
Adam raised his hands. “Fair enough. I'll let you have this one.”
“How gracious of you,” Peri smirked. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have to hunt down a Spanish Alpha wolf before he does something stupid.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Heather asked.
Peri let out a whoosh of air. “For the love of sane beings everywhere, stay put and don't go attempting to help. Pretend that helping is for losers and you want very badly to be winners.”
“I'm so glad you think so highly of us,” Heather smiled sweetly.
“It's the least I can do considering you have so little to work with. Now behave.” She left them, flashing after the trail the wolf had left behind. It wasn't hard to track him, considering he was making so much bloody racket. Wolves were capable of being very silent hunters, so the fact that the fool wolf was tromping around like a buffalo with a bur up his butt told her just how out of control he was.
Peri found Gustavo pacing in a clearing. He was wearing a pair of pants and nothing else. Muttering under his breath, he walked to the edge of the bank of the small creek, and then turned and walked several feet in the in the opposite direction, only to repeat the motion over and over again.
“Do you feel like a sufficient boob yet?” Peri asked him as she crossed her arms and leaned casually against a tall tree. He turned and snarled at her. She wasn't impressed.
“She fears me,” Gustavo growled.
“Duh, you're acting like a possessive furry… werewolf. Did you expect her to welcome you with open arms and make you a mix tape of all the love songs that make her think of you?”
“She needs my protection. She is a human living in a supernatural world full of predators. There is a reason the Great Luna places gypsy healers with dominant males.”
“It isn't because they're charming and full of tact, that's for sure,” Peri muttered under her breath. If the sharp look he shot her was any indication, Gustavo didn't appreciate her comment. “Look, she just needs time to adjust. Give her some space. Let her get used to the idea and let her come to you,” she suggested, hoping the wolf would be reasonable. She would have been better off hoping Volcan would become an advocate for world peace and feed all the hungry children of the world.
“I am not going anywhere until I see her.” His unwavering glare made it very clear that Peri would not be able to reason with the Alpha.
“Fine, but at least wait back with the others. You're probably making all the little pixies nervous with your stamping and snarling. Dig deep and put on your big girl panties.” Peri didn't give him time to answer. She grabbed his arm and flashed them back to the clearing where the group had taken up temporary residence. “Thought you ladies might want some more eye candy,” Peri said as they appeared in front of Crina, Heather, Stella, and Kara. “Sorry, Helen, you don’t even get to imagine what his hotness looks like.”
“That's okay,” Heather waved her off. “Just make him talk. I want to record his voice on my phone to add to my lady jams.”
Peri frowned. “Do I want to know what lady jams are?”
“You're not single. You don't need lady jams,” Stella assured her.
Kara choked down a laugh.
“Crap, I forgot we have a minor in the group,” Heather said.
“I assure you, when it comes to lady jams, I'm well aware of what you're talking about,” Kara assured.
“You're sixteen. You should be thinking about clothes and nail polish, not lady jams,” Stella told her.
Kara shrugged. “Yeah, well instead I was trying to stay alive, unmolested, and fed. Knowing about lady jams is quite innocent compared to what I've encountered in my sixteen years.”
“And the humans responsible for that will pay dearly one day,” Peri spoke up.
Kara looked at the fae and Peri could see the question in her eyes. “If you think your mate will let such atrocities go, then you don't understand male werewolves.”
“Even though it happened years ago?” Kara asked.
“It wouldn't matter if it had been fifty years ago. The ones who hurt you will not go unpunished. Your true mate is incapable of letting slights against you go,” Crina added.
“Why? What does it matter?” Kara frowned.
Crina shook her head at the girl. “It will be hard for you to understand because of your background, Kara, but to your mate, you are everything.”
Gustavo walked over to the girl and Peri started to step forward, but Adam held up a hand indicating for her to wait. The Spanish Alpha knelt down so that he was at eye level with the young healer and took her hand in his. “One day, when the bond between you opens, you will feel exactly how much you mean to the male meant for you. His day will start with you and end with you. His life’s purpose will be to protect you and to see to your needs and to your happiness. You will be his sun and moon, his air and water, his light and peace. There is nothing he won't do for you.”
Peri felt Lucian through their bond ― felt his love, concern, and need of her ― and she knew exactly what Gustavo spoke of. She had never fully understood the devotion of true mates until she'd experienced it. Though Gustavo's beautiful words were a reflection of the bond, they still didn't do justice to just how powerful the connection truly was.
“Will you wait here, wolf?” Peri asked the Alpha who was still kneeling before Kara.
He bowed his head and gave a slight nod. It was good enough for her.
“Great.” She flashed once again back to the clearing where she'd found Gustavo. “How is the girl?” Peri spoke into the seemingly empty forest. The foliage in front of her rustled and out walked Adira.
“How did you know I was here or that she's with me?” the pixie asked her.
“I'm not a high fae simply because I unanimously voted for myself to be one, Adira. Believe it or not, I am actually quite powerful,” Peri said dryly.
“Fair enough,” Adira conceded. “Anna is fine. She's resting after her eventful day.”
“Yes, I suppose running from her mate was quite taxing,” Peri agreed. “How long will she be your guest?”<
br />
“Until she's ready to face her destiny, however long that takes.”
“And what if her wolf grows impatient?”
Adira rolled her eyes. “I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf.”
“I can't control him indefinitely, pixie. You are powerful, I can sense that, but even you are no match for a pack of wolves. The healers are sacred to the pack. They may decide to join him in coming for her.”
“He won't continue to chase her,” Adira said confidently. “He doesn't want to make her more afraid. He might be stubborn but he isn't stupid.”
“He's a male Canis lupis. I'm pretty sure stupid is in his chemical makeup.”
Adira laughed. “Oh, I bet your mate just adores you.”
Peri chuckled. “He tolerates me.” Her face grew serious as she met the pixie woman’s eyes. “She is precious to many. If I leave her in your care, you will be held responsible for every hair on her head.”
“She will be safe with me. Probably she is safer with me than anywhere else. No one, not even Volcan, would think to look for her with one of my kind.”
Peri nodded, “True enough.” Peri couldn't disagree. Adira’s tribe of pixies was very powerful. Because of that, they were, in a way, outcasts from their own kind. Pixies never liked to be at a disadvantage. Perhaps, it was some sort of a supernatural Napoleon complex. They always tended to side with other supernatural beings that had the most power, but when it came to their own kind, they were leery of any with an abundance of power.
“I will leave her with you then. Please don't make me regret this decision.” Peri gave the pixie one last warning look and then flashed from her presence. Her next stop would be to check on the group who was seeking out Thadrick. She probably shouldn't have let them go on their own, but she had so many irons in the fire that it was impossible for her to be all the places she needed to be.