Fire in the Blood (7 page)

Simon was seated at his desk, holding court as usual. The Titania and Oberon, Catherine and Lex Duquesne, stood glaring at him. I didn’t like Lex when he was a guardian, and it was worse now that he was Oberon, because now my ability to tell him to go fuck himself was limited by my faerie heritage. My faerie-blooded business was good, and I intended to keep it that way. I’d recently met his lovely bride, Catherine, and the jury was still out on how I felt about her. She’d gotten me into trouble, but I found her outcast status interesting, and watching her threaten to cut out the tongue of a witch councilwoman at a
can’t we all just get along?
pan-magician meeting was fucking hilarious. I wished I had it on video.

“Please tell me that you idiots aren’t coming up with new, fun ways to taunt Zachary Harrison, because I have to tell you, he’s really cramping my style,” I announced.

The room grew quiet as they turned to look at me. I marched past the Duquesnes and stopped in front of the desk, pointing an accusing finger at Simon. “You son of a bitch. You sent them to my doorstep and told them about my background so I couldn’t throw them out. Now I’ve got Zachary-fucking-Harrison sending goddamn vampire assassins after me.” I whirled and turned my ire at Lex. “And thanks to you two, Kristoff Valkyrie is so pissed at me he punched a hole into this world so he could kick my ass down a flight of stairs and
I don’t fucking appreciate it.”

“Valkyrie is here?” Lex asked.

“Yes, he is. And we can’t kill him here, and I don’t have a spell big enough to banish him. No one does, because it’s not supposed to be possible for him to get here in the first place. Which is why you,” I looked back at Simon, “are going to find a spell for me. Free of charge, because you owe me. And if you pull this kind of bullshit again you and I are going to have a problem.”

Simon leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. He looked bored, but I knew from experience it took a lot to piss him off. “Are you finished?”

“No.” I sat down in one of the empty chairs and primly crossed my legs. “Let Faust in. He’s stuck outside your wards, and he’s got information for you.”

That got a response, though only an irritated crease in his bloodless brow. “You want me to allow a shadowspawn faerie into my home?” Simon asked.

“Yes.”

“Faust is all right,” Catherine spoke up. “I trust him.”

I peered at her. That was unexpected, but they shared a Harrison connection, so it made sense that they’d met. “So do I, for what it’s worth.”

The chronicler sighed. “Very well.” He waved a dismissive hand, and Faust appeared next to my chair. He glanced around the library and bowed in greeting.

“Lovely to see you again so soon, my lady,” Faust said to Catherine. “I trust you both are well?”

“Just tell them,” I ordered before the conversation dissolved into chitchat.

Faust turned and glared at me from behind his smoky lenses. Turned out, this was the first test of our new relationship. I had to pry the information out of him over the breakfast table earlier that morning. Last night he’d mentioned that Harrison was gunning for others involved in the Titania debacle, but in the rush I’d forgotten about it, and he didn’t tell me who they were until I leaned on him. It didn’t bode well. Not that I’d be personally heartbroken if Harrison managed to whack all the members of the local Order of St. Jerome, but they were important, too important to lose due to a fit of temper.

I tapped my wristwatch. “Tick, tock, babe.”

“Very well. Against my advice, Zachary has hired several assassins to eliminate Patience, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Black, and yourself, Mr. St. Jerome. I suspect he is also targeting Dr. Dannaher due to his association with your sister, Marie, and your sister herself.”

Lex’s hands clenched into fists and I heard every joint pop. “Why Marie?”

“To hurt you, without hurting
you
. He did promise the Titania that he wouldn’t harm you,” Faust replied.

“Why the hell didn’t you mention this last night?” Lex growled, taking a step toward him. I was on my feet at Faust’s side before I even realized it. Huh. Protective instincts. That was new.

“Back off, Duquesne,” I warned. “He’s doing you a favor.”

“Marie is out there right now—”

“In the nice, bright sunshine, so relax,” I interrupted. “Call her, if you want.”

Lex stalked off, pulling a cell phone from his pocket. I glanced down and noticed, much to my surprise, that my hands had fired up when I leapt to my sweetie’s defense. I shook the flames out and folded my arms across my chest.

“So why didn’t you mention it?” Catherine prompted.

“Patience asked me to speak with the Oberon about the threat to her safety, due to the possibility of enacting the favor he owes her. As well as to inform you of Zachary’s intentions toward her. I wasn’t obligated to mention his other targets.”

“Do you know how many individuals young Mr. Harrison has hired, or their names?” Simon asked.

“Five in total, and I don’t know their names. They are from the west coast. I believe he may have met them during his trips to Los Angeles.”

“I don’t believe this. You didn’t think you were obligated to mention five vampire assassins?” Catherine asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “You were willing to rat him out to protect her. Why not tell us the whole story?”

“What does it matter? You know now. Everybody’s fine. No harm, no foul. Can we focus on solving the problem instead of pointing fingers, please?” I said. “Oh, make that both problems. Demon and vampire.”

“You only care about saving your own ass,” Catherine accused.

“Bitch, please. You think Kris will go home after he kills me? He’ll come for you next. You and the little bun in your oven, so don’t get self-righteous with me, Titania,” I snapped in reply. The blood drained from her face, and she sank into the nearest chair. Good thing she didn’t faint, because her husband definitely would’ve slugged me for that, and I’d have deserved it.

Silence hung in the air like a storm cloud for several tense moments, and then Simon spoke to Faust. “You’re an Infernus faerie, aren’t you?”

I glanced from him to Faust. How the hell had he known that? I barely knew that, and I’d been repeatedly naked with Faust.

“I was,” Faust replied. His voice was strained, thick with an emotion I couldn’t quite identify—anger? Sadness? The temperature around him leapt about ten degrees, and I knew that was a bad sign. I lit things on fire when I got upset, and I was only part fire faerie.

“Tell me, how is Helen?” Simon asked.

Faust flinched—it was subtle, a slight flicker of movement that I might not have noticed if I wasn’t standing next to him, looming over him in my high heels.

“You know Zach’s mom?” Catherine asked.

Both men turned to stare at her, and I raised my hand like a grade-school student. “Okay, I’m lost. Is there some sordid, daytime-TV drama going on here that I should know about?”

The corner of Faust’s mouth twitched. “An accurate description of most faerie relationships. Yes, my sister, Helen, is Zachary’s mother, and yes, unfortunately Helen and Mr. St. Jerome have met.”

Judging by the tension in the air there was something big and ugly hidden within that statement, but Lex returned at that moment. “See, she’s fine, isn’t she?” I asked, changing the subject.

“She is,” he replied. He glared at Faust, his jaw clenched, and I knew we were still in the hot seat.

“Good. Can you find a spell to banish an ancient demon?” I asked.

Simon turned his pale gaze to me, and he no longer looked bored. He looked angry. “I can’t help you.”

“Can’t, or won’t?” I replied. The chronicler paused, looking from the Titania, to Faust, and then back to me.

“Magician cooperation, remember?” Catherine said.

Simon frowned. “With all due respect, Titania, I don’t believe you understand the magnitude of this situation.”

“Take care, chronicler. If you reopen this matter you will not like the results,” Faust warned. His tone worried me enough that I reached for his hand in reflex. He glanced up at me, seeming as surprised by the gesture as I was, but he didn’t let go.

“This is a lesson in magician history that should not be forgotten,” Simon countered icily. “The Infernus clan was responsible for the murder of dozens of innocent magicians. Their crimes were truly evil. Unspeakable.”

“For which all of us were punished, even those who had no hand in those crimes, like myself. None of which has any bearing on the fact that there is a demon loose in this world looking to kill Patience, who will surely turn his anger on the Titania and Oberon next. We both owe the Duquesnes our allegiance.”

“And yet you were willing to keep silent while assassins went after my sister,” Lex accused.

“I’m not certain that Zachary is targeting her. Besides, Miss Marie is more than capable of taking care of herself,” Faust replied.

Lex scowled. “But you’d risk it?”

“To see Emily Black dead, yes,” Faust snapped.

Things had officially gone over my head. I’d met the woman briefly while doing business with her husband, but nothing appeared important about her to me at the time. Yes, I had heard the rumors that she was a seer in life, but now she was a vampire, and she still managed to seem nice enough. Even conservative by blood drinker standards. There was a kerfuffle over her at our first big magician meeting, where the necros and the chroniclers refused to play nice, but it didn’t involve me, so I didn’t particularly care about it.

“Why?” the Titania asked.

“Emily uncovered the Infernus’s crimes while she was a living seer. They were convicted due to her investigation,” Simon said.

“And you’re still mad at her about that?” Catherine asked.

“
Mad
?” Faust repeated. He coughed a short, bitter laugh, and I squeezed his hand. “The word is too simple. I don’t approve of what my brethren did, and yes, they deserved to be punished for it, but there was no justice in what happened to my clan.”

“Justice would have seen you all dead for your crimes,” Simon hissed. Damn, he was really pissed. I wondered if he’d lost someone, but I choked down the urge to ask.

“There are things worse than death,” Faust replied, his voice low. “I let my temper get the better of me, because an opportunity like this hasn’t arisen since we were banished. I won’t apologize, not after what I’ve been through. But don’t let
your
temper interfere with the problems at hand.”

“I warned Helen not to interfere with my family, and I meant it,” Simon said.

“Your
family
?” Faust laughed, and I flinched at the sound. Dropping my hand, he stepped forward and placed his palms on the desktop, leaning forward as he snarled at Simon. “That is amusing, coming from you, Simon Augustus Wroth. Where do you think you inherited the fire in your blood?”

Simon’s eyes widened, and I gasped as I realized I knew those eyes. Faust and Simon were related. This really was some crazy soap-opera shit, but that was surprisingly common in magician society due to our small numbers. The chronicler shook his head, probably in shock. I would be. I was really glad that I knew the faerie in my family tree without a doubt.

“That’s not your concern,” Simon said.

“Isn’t it? Would you like me to tell the tale of how I seduced your mother away from her lord husband? Jane was an exceptionally beautiful woman. All that pale, blonde hair—”

With a snarl, Simon launched himself at Faust, diving over the desk as his hands went for my sweetie’s throat, and I grabbed the back of Faust’s jacket and hauled him out of the way. The Oberon put himself between the two men as I continued to hustle Faust out of reach. He didn’t fight me. In fact, he seemed drained. Exhausted.

“That’s enough,” Lex shouted.

“You’re right. It is,” I replied. “Fuck this. We’ll all probably all be dead by the end of the year anyway. Come on.” I nudged Faust toward the door. He stared at Simon, but after a long moment he turned his attention to me and then nodded. Faust turned and started for the exit, and I followed.

“Patience, wait,” the Titania called.

I waved half-heartedly in her direction. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you all in hell.”

Chapter Five

I discovered something new on the drive back to Faust’s place. He was quiet and broody and generally angsty, and seeing him upset made me upset. That’d never happened before. As a cast-iron bitch, my give-a-fuck meter is pretty low where other people’s feelings are concerned. Oh, I try to keep my clients happy, but that’s out of a desire to see the check clear. But I hated seeing Faust unhappy, and I took that as a sign of how far gone I was over him.

To fill the silence I put my music on loud while I drove and sang along, badly. Harvey was content in the backseat, or at least as content as he was going to get with Faust in the car. The awkward silence continued upon our arrival in the parking garage, during the journey up in the elevator and into the penthouse. Harvey disappeared into the guest room, and I hesitated as I wondered what to do. I’d offer Faust a drink if there was booze in the bar, or coffee if there was food in the kitchen. I settled on giving him a hug after I took my shoes off.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I said. “Your past is your own business. I’m not going to harass you about it.”