2 Hungry, Hungry Hoodoo (7 page)

“It was long ago.”

If vampires had a bond anything like the magical one Cheney and I had, it wouldn’t matter how long ago it was. It had to hurt him every day. “Time doesn’t heal everything.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he said, looking at me curiously. “I can say with some amount of certainty I have never met anyone like you, Selene Warren. You’re open and kind, yet bold and fearless—and there’s something else deep in your eyes … something begging to be wild and free.”

“I think that’s the elf,” I said offhandedly.

“Do you ever let her come out and play?” I shook my head. “And yet the Erlking loves you. Curious.”

I looked back at the furniture, not knowing what else to say.

“Do you love him?”

I began coughing. I had no idea how I felt. I was attracted to Cheney, but we were also bonded. How much of what I felt was real when someone like Jaron could take my breath away with a one dark stare?

“Even more curious. Which half is unsure, Selene?”

“I’m still figuring things out.”

“Is that so?”

“Have no doubts about my affection for Cheney. Even being away from him now pains me.”

Paolo removed his hand from mine and patted my shoulder. “Then we should go back. I do not wish to cause either of you pain.”

I smiled at Cheney when I sat down to reassure him I was fine. Beneath the table, his hand found my leg, rubbing small circles just above my knee. We continued on with our meal, Paolo never brought up the matter of business. When dinner was over, I helped him clear the dishes and we all went to the living room.

“I like both of you,” Paolo said with finality. “However, I cannot involve my people in a war simply because I like you.”

Cheney nodded slowly. “I understand that.”

Paolo drummed his fingers in front of him like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, which would have made me smile except I was crushed by his revelation that they wouldn’t help. “What can you offer the vampires?”

“What do you require?” Cheney asked.

“No more than your friendship, which you have demonstrated yourself capable of giving. You ate with me, you allowed me to be alone with Selene, and you spoke with me as a friend and not just a piece on a chess board. Others will not be swayed by such gestures. Corbin was moved to help you by meeting Selene. Again, everyone would not be so, nor would you want them to be. What can you offer them?”

“It’s my understanding the rebels offered you a place in the fae.”

“Perhaps,” Paolo said, showing no emotion about the offer.

“I’m not going to offer that. I have no memory of the vampires ever wanting to be anything other than autonomous. I will, however, give you something no one else can. A place in the Hunt.”

Paolo leaned back in his chair as he considered the offer. “That could work. There has been interest in participating for a couple centuries. You would do this?”

Cheney nodded.

“I will present the idea and see if they’re willing. Regardless of what the other vampires choose, you have my support,” Paolo said, standing.

Cheney stood as well, shaking his hand. “I do not need anything from you just yet. I want to get my kingdom in order before I move against the rebels.”

“Understood. If there is anything else I can assist you with, please call.”

Corbin winked at me. I hopped up and threw my arms around Paolo. “Thank you,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. Paolo stiffened but lightly returned the hug. When I pulled back, Cheney had a horrified look on his face.

Paolo laughed. “There’s no one quite like you, Selene, but I fear I must forgive Corbin for his infraction while speaking with you. I too am having a hard time resisting when so much life and energy pours forth.” He spoke calmly, but his eyes glowed like charcoal embers.

“Sorry,” I said, trying not to stare. “I got caught up in the moment.”

Paolo blinked a few times until his eyes were back to normal. “Never change, my dear. It has been a very long time since I was hugged. I rather enjoyed it.”

“Where’s my hug?” Corbin asked, standing up. Cheney placed an unnecessary restraining hand on my waist.

“With your self-control,” I told him sweetly, causing both vampires to laugh.

They were dangerous and they could kill me, but I really liked both of them and I told Cheney so when we left. He shook his head. “You hugged a vampire after everything I told you. You
hugged
him. That’s like waving a glass of water in front of a person dying of thirst.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I was excited they’re going to help.”

“One of these days your cute, bumbling charm isn’t going to work and you’re going to be in serious trouble.”

“Maybe so, but for right now I’m doing pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

“You haven’t been bitten yet, but I wouldn’t keep testing the waters. There are plenty of fish who would be more than happy to swallow you whole.”

“But you’ll come to my aid.” I smiled at him.

“Nothing could stop me.”

“Then I don’t have anything to worry about.” I squeezed his arm.

The thought that the vampires might help me find Michael crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to jeopardize Cheney’s plan by asking more of them. I had fun tonight, and I was glad Cheney was getting the kingdom lined up like he wanted to, but I had more important things to worry about. Not only was Michael depending on me, but I had another new idea. If I was the leader of the rebels, perhaps I could stop them and save everyone.

Cheney and I squared off in the gymnasium for our daily sparing while Sebastian watched from the sidelines. Cheney held a curved scimitar that moved so fast it blurred. I twirled a cusped falchion, a sword with a long, straight blade with a curved tip, in my hand, waiting for an opening while he showed off.

“Any day now,” Sebastian said.

I held my form. I couldn’t beat his strength or speed. Patience was the key. Cheney glided closer, still spinning the sword in a dizzying pattern. Finally I saw it, the flaw in his design. When the opportunity arose I moved faster than humanly possible. Cheney stopped—the tip of my sword pressed against his chest over his heart. Sebastian clapped.

“And what did we learn today?”

“Show-offs never win,” I told him with a grin.

Sebastian gave me a rare smile. “That, and patience is the best strategy in every battle. Let your opponent make their own mistakes. We just might make a queen out of you yet.”

“Wouldn’t count on it.” I twirled my sword with nimble fingers as I walked toward him. “But we won’t be fighting in any battles in the near future, will we? The king is gone. The rebels haven’t done anything we can prove. So why am I still being trained? We could use this time to find whoever took Michael.”

Sebastian’s eyes drifted to Cheney and I followed his gaze. “What?” Neither of them replied. “What are you not telling me?”

Cheney sighed. “I think we should eliminate the rebels before they cause any more trouble.”

I let that sink in. “But what if they’re giving you time to prove you won’t be the man your father was? There could be a peaceful end to all of this.”

“It is the smart choice to eradicate the enemy when they are not prepared for you,” Sebastian said.

“They’re not the enemy. They’re people, half-elves like me, who were treated unfairly. You both said that. They wanted change, demanded change, and now they have it. We should heal.”

Cheney crossed his arms over his chest. “We will heal. But those who made the situation worse will be punished or exiled.”

I dropped my weapon. It made a clanging sound as it hit the floor. “I won’t train for that.”

“Sebastian and I have discussed this many times, Selene. I would love to let the past go, but we have to show our strength now, or we’ll suffer the consequences later. If we display our power, we will not be challenged lightly in the future. We’ll still do everything we discussed. We will unite the fae, give everyone a say on the council. We just have to punish the people who took part in the rebellion.”

I left the gym, not wanting to hear any more and not trusting myself not to say if they were looking for someone to punish they should look no further than me.
Damn it.
I went to my room and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. Cheney wasn’t far behind me.

“Selene—“

“Don’t you Selene me.” I yanked out my ponytail holder and ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t want to talk about this now. Kat and I are going to visit Sy.”

“You can’t tell them about our plans.”

I frowned. “You have Sebastian to talk to, but I can’t talk to anyone. How is that fair?”

He put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me closer. “Sebastian is my advisor. If our plans get out, it will put more lives as risk.” He kissed my forehead. “You can talk to Sebastian too.”

I laid my head in the hollow of his neck. “Couldn’t we just talk to them?”

“I don’t think that will work, princess.”

I nodded against him. Part of me did understand, but the line was getting muddled and I couldn’t tell which part was which anymore. “I won’t mention your plans, but I still want to go. I need to think about everything with a clear head.”

“And you don’t have a clear head with me?”

“You could say I have trouble being objective around you, yeah . . .”

He laughed and kissed my hair. “I’m glad I am not the only one.”

“But you’ll take us to Chicago.”

His chest rose against mine. “If that’s what you want.”

“So what do you want to do?” Sy asked, giving the stink eye to a burly, smelly bounty hunter who’d been leering at Kat and me since we got there.

“Talk to Jaron. Do you know how to reach him?”

He nodded. “He stopped by yesterday.” He studied me for a moment. “You seem agitated. What happened? Something’s changed.” His eyes flickered between Katrina and me.

“She hasn’t said a word since we left. I don’t know.” Kat sipped her cosmo.

“Nothing,” I said into my glass. “I just need to make my decision sooner than later. If Michael is alive, he probably doesn’t have a lot of time. Why haven’t they contacted me? Where are the demands?”

Sy gave a helpless shrug. “I have no idea.”

“That’s why I need to talk to Jaron. I don’t think Cheney’s telling me everything about what happened pre-changeling. Maybe Jaron will.”

“I’ll get Jaron here, but I want to know what he says.” Sy pulled out his phone, and with a few swift taps he proclaimed Jaron was on his way. “I’m helping you, Selene. Don’t keep me in the dark.”

Katrina shrugged. “She doesn’t tell us anything either. She just told me about this Jaron person two days ago.”

I rolled my eyes at them. “Speaking of Jaron, I don’t want him to know who Katrina is, just in case.” I looked at Sy and he frowned.

“As far as he’s concerned, she’ll be my guest.”

Moments later Jaron walked through the door, filling the frame, shaking the rain out of his wavy hair. Katrina made a noise, but I ignored her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sy take her hand and stare into her eyes; she seemed to melt a little. I would’ve laughed if Jaron weren’t headed directly for me.

“Take it to the back,” Sy muttered. I nodded and led the big man to Sy’s living room.