Haven 4: Back Roads (13 page)

Blaise sighed audibly, and Galen could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. “Their orders were to keep moving and not let anyone near you or Bannon. Again, that’s what Torren requested.” From the tone of his voice, he was less than thrilled with the new elder. “That’s all I can tell you. So, if you want a shower, I suggest you find the faerie quick.”

“What about Raith Braddock?”

“They still haven’t found him or the little boy you mentioned. I’m checking the database, but there are three werewolf packs and two shifter packs in and around that area. It’s going to take some time. Me and Willow are on our way to the airport, so I’m going to have to let you go. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

“Why are you going to the airport?” Galen realized he was being nosey, but he couldn’t help his curiosity.

“While the Murphys haven’t found Raith yet, they did stumble across a small pack of Moonlighters. I’ll let Willow give you the details later, but the long story short is that they’re in bad shape. Even Haven wouldn’t be a good place for them.”

“That’s horrible, but it doesn’t explain why you’re getting on a plane.”

“Stavion just purchased the land next to Haven so he can expand.

The place is getting too crowded, and there are more and more people coming in every day.”

“Yeah, Jory told me.” It was a good thing, though. The paranormals Haven took in were good people with nowhere else to go. He loved the fact that he could be a part of something like that.

“Anyway,” Blaise continued, “since I have familial links with the pack in Georgia, I get the honor of going to convince their very stubborn alpha to pack up, move all of them to Wyoming, and take in these Moonlighters. I know you haven’t met Xander, but believe me when I say that I’d rather be in your position right now.” Galen would rather be in any position than the one he was in, so he took that to mean that it could possibly take an act of congress to convince this alpha to move his pack. “Good luck, Blaise, and I mean that. Tell Willow to call me when you land.” They said their good-byes, and Galen disconnected before passing the phone over to Bannon and filling him in on any parts of the conversation he may have missed. “I really, and I mean,
really
want a shower, so let’s find that little bastard faerie.” Bannon chuckled, pulling a glass vial of clear liquid out of the pocket of the seat in front of him. He twisted the cap off and drank down the sleep medicine. “I’ll be able to tell when ya doze off, and I’ll pull ya into the dream then.”

“No.” Galen reached over and dug out another vial. “I’ll just take less of it this time.” He opened the cap and took a careful sip, estimating it to be about a third of the glass tube. “Let’s see if this does the trick.”

Bannon didn’t look very happy, but it was too late to take it back now. So, Galen just smiled and settled back in his seat. He’d been damn serious about that shower.

The first night was a complete bust. Over and over they pulled every kind paranormal imaginable, and some Galen couldn’t identify, into Bannon’s dream. Still, they couldn’t find the damn faerie, or Lynk Braddock.

“I’m bored. My butt hurts. I smell like old cheese that’s been sitting in the sun, and if I have to eat one more burger I’m going to start sprouting sesame seeds out of my ears.”

“Is there anything else you’d like to complain about, princess?” the driver asked him.

Bannon growled and shifted in his seat, but Galen patted his mate’s leg and shook his head. “He’s right. Everyone is just as miserable as I am.”

“I don’t like it,” Bannon responded, glaring daggers at the back of the shifter’s head.

Rolling his eyes, Galen slid across the seat and tucked himself under Bannon’s arm. “The growling is sexy, but not particularly helpful. How about we get to work? We need to find Camdin before we all end up killing each other.”

Galen loved that Bannon felt protective of him and was willing to go to bat for him against whatever perceived injustice. The guy also had a possessive streak a mile wide, which Galen found endearing. It was kind of nice to belong to someone without feeling like he was a piece of property.

They were past the week mark of all being cramped up together inside the vehicle, and tensions were running high. Bannon and the two wolf-shifters had been growling at each other since the crack of dawn. It was sweet of Bannon to jump to his defense, but Galen didn’t know how much more his frayed nerves could handle.

“Maybe the little guy wants to put on another show for us,” the passenger said with a cocky grin as he turned in his seat to look Galen up and down.

Bannon was out of his seat and crawling over the console between the front seats to plow his fist into the guy’s face before Galen even registered the insult.

The car swerved as the driver fought to pull the two of them apart and push Bannon into the backseat. He wasn’t having much success in his endeavors, though, and Galen just knew they were going to end up in a ditch.

“
Never
talk about him like that,” Bannon snarled before landing another blow to the shifter’s jaw.

The noise level in the car rose to deafening volumes, and Galen had the urge to press his palms over his ears. Instead, he wrapped both arms around Bannon’s waist and pulled with everything he had.

“Bannon, that’s enough!”

It was like flipping a switch. Bannon calmed instantly, released his hold on the other man’s collar, and flopped back into his seat. His strong fingers looped around Galen’s upper arms, pulled him into his lap, and held him there in an iron grip while he continue to growl and snarl at the two wolves in the front seat.

“Apologize.”

The passenger rubbed at his already-swelling jaw and glared, but he did dip his head and offer a mumbled apology to Galen.

Galen dipped his head in return and curled himself against Bannon’s chest. Part of him wanted to chastise his lover for acting like a child, but he couldn’t do it. No one had ever been on his side.

No one ever stood up for him without thought as to whether he was right or wrong. Not even his friends back in Haven had ever fought so vehemently for him.

“Thank you,” he whispered against the bristly skin of Bannon’s jaw. “I’m sorry I caused problems.”

If possible, Bannon’s arms tightened even more around him, and he rubbed his cheek over the top of Galen’s head. “Ya did nothin’ wrong, darlin’. No one has the right to be treatin’ ya that way. Even when I’m not around, don’t ya ever settle for less than what ya deserve.”

Closing his eyes and sighing in contentment, Galen felt himself fall just a little more for the big Irishman with brilliant green eyes.

“Let’s get to work and find that faerie.”

* * * *

“Where the hell are we anyway?”

“My dream.” Bannon wound his arms around his mate and pulled him back against his chest. They weren’t in any danger—yet—but he just liked holding Galen.

Galen snorted as he leaned back into Bannon comfortably. “I know that. I meant where is the car?”

“Ah, I think we’re still in Pennsylvania.”

“Can all of your brothers do this? Everyone says you’re an amazing Tracker, so I have to assume that they can’t.” Bannon’s chest swelled with pride, and his lips stretched into a wide grin. “No, they can’t. They’re good Trackers in their own right, but only one Murphy per generation is born with the ability to dream walk.”

“Aren’t all your brothers gay?”

“Aye, that they are.” Bannon’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why do ya ask?”

“It’s going to be kind of hard for you to pass on this little gift if none of you are banging women.”

“Well, now, Cassius wasn’t
bangin’
a woman, was he? Besides, we have cousins. It’s not like we’re pissin’ on the family tree.”

“Witch,” Galen blurted. “Witch, witch, witch—I think there’s eleven—no, twelve of them.”

“Very nice, sweetheart.” Bannon was impressed. Galen had been able to identify the circle of witches before they’d even passed through the fog. Not only was the little man’s company welcomed, but things went so much faster with him there.

“Release them, Bannon.” Galen sounded panicked. “They know what’s going on. They’re chanting. Fuck, do it now!” Bannon closed his eyes and mentally wiped away his tentative hold on the witches’ minds. When he opened his eyes again, they were gone, and he let out a breath of relief. “How do ya keep doing that?”

“I have no idea. It’s definitely new. Maybe I can only do it in dreams, because I’ve definitely never heard people in my head before or been able to feel when they’re scared or angry.”

“It makes sense. Ya can manipulate your powers into whatever ya need inside the dream world. I’m not complainin’, because it’s provin’ right helpful.”

“Demons, but they feel more like Jory than the scary one from the last time.”

Bannon nodded when four men of average height and stature wandered in through the fog. They wouldn’t be a threat, and they weren’t who he was looking for, so he dismissed them.

“Shifter, shifter,” Galen continued on in a bored manner. “Sh—Faerie!”

Four of the biggest men Bannon had ever seen drifted toward the middle of the clearing, each staring around or gazing up at the moonlight. “Which one?” He imagined a faerie would be small and dainty, much like Galen’s friend, Kendall.

“That one,” Galen said, pointing toward the one standing the closet to him, “with the long dark hair.”

“Can ya hear him?”

Galen shook his head.

“Can ya speak to him?” Bannon tapped Galen’s temple to show that he didn’t want his mate to speak aloud.

“I’ll try.”

Whatever he was doing must have worked, because the man Bannon assumed to be Camdin whipped around to stare at them intently.

“That’s Camdin,” Galen confirmed. “He knows he’s in a dream, but other than that, he has no idea where he is in the real world. He wants to know if Layke is safe.” Galen relayed all of this to Bannon much like an interpreter would. “They’re keeping him drugged on shifter blood.” Galen looked up and wrinkled his nose at Bannon.

“Seriously? Your blood makes faeries sick?” Bannon shrugged. “I’ve never actually met a faerie. I couldn’t tell ya.”

“Okay, so what do we do now? How do we get him?”

“We need to know where he is.”

“I already told you that he doesn’t know.” Galen huffed in frustration. “This sucks. I mean, he’s right freakin’ there, but he’s not.

And how the hell did you ever do this without me?” Bannon chuckled and kissed the top of Galen’s head. “It was much harder, and a pain in my arse. Without your help, I set it up more like a club, and they had to each state their name and where they came from to get in.”

“Yeah, that sounds complicated and time-consuming,” Galen agreed. “So, what did you do if they didn’t know where they were?”

“I’m gonna need ya to wake up now, Galen.” Bannon knew what he had to do, but he wasn’t going to risk Galen to do it.

“Why? What are you doing?”

“I’m goin’ with him.”

“Like hell you are!” Galen spun around and narrowed his eyes.

“What if you get stuck? What if you can’t get out of his dream? I’m not going to let you do it.”

“I’ve done this before,
a ghrá
. I know what I’m doin’.” Bannon pushed the dark curls back from Galen’s face and kissed his forehead.

“Trust me.”

“You’ve called me that before. What does it mean?”

“My love,” Bannon whispered. “I’m not askin’ ya to feel the same, but I know my heart.”

“I thought I was your heart.” Galen’s eyes twinkled, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Aye, that ya are. And I always protect my heart, so I need to do this alone. Wake up now, Galen.”

His fierce little mate stared at him for a long time before he finally nodded and took a step back. “You come back to me, Bannon Murphy. I mean it.”

“It’s the only place I want to be.” Just like with the witches, Bannon closed his eyes and released Galen back into his own dream.

He hoped it was a happy one.

Then one by one, he released the other people standing in the clearing until only Camdin and himself remained. “I’m Bannon Murphy, and Elder Winters sent me to bring you back to Wyoming.”

“Layke is all right?” Camdin asked, and Bannon was surprised at how soft and musical his voice sounded. He’d expected a deep, booming baritone.

Bannon nodded in the affirmative. “Do ya know who is holding ya?”

Camdin shook his head. “I only know they’re shifters. I’m not even sure what kind.”

“How long have you been there?”

“I don’t know that, either, but I think not very long. I was with different shifters before them.”

“Why are they keeping ya, Camdin?” This line of questioning was going nowhere fast, but Bannon really didn’t want to travel into Camdin’s dream. “Elder Winters said ya were in hiding.”

“I was for a very long time. They found me, though. I’m sick, Mr. Murphy. I think I may be dying. I have something they want.”

“What do ya have, Camdin?” Bannon asked coaxingly.

“They have the key, but they can’t find the book. I won’t give them the book.”

A light flipped on, and Bannon almost choked on his tongue. “Ya have the Book of the Banished.”

“It is hidden well. They will never find it.”

“The key, Camdin? Who is the key?”

“Ah, so you know the legend.” The faerie nodded slowly in approval before doubling over in a coughing fit. “Lynk Braddock cannot know the book’s location,” he rasped when he could breathe again. “They have brought in vampires to try to compel the information from me. I’m growing weak, and I don’t know how much longer I can resist them, though.”

“What do shifters want with the book?”

“What everyone wants.” Camdin lifted his arms out to the side.

“Power. They think the witches will give them that power if they deliver the Relegatis.”

Bannon knew exactly which coven hoped to benefit from the deal.

Well, maybe not
exactly
, but he’d seen their faces when he’d sucked them into his dream.

“I’m going to help ya, but I need to know where the book is.” How long had he been guarding the book anyway? At some point Phillip McCarthy had to have possessed it to know the spells he’d cast in the cemetery, as well as binding himself to that wolf to insure he couldn’t be killed.