Hunter Mourned (Wild Hunt Book 3) (15 page)

The only woman behind the bar had her black hair in a high side ponytail and wore big, purple hoop earrings. Bright and exaggerated makeup highlighted facial features that didn’t remotely resemble Allie’s angelic ones, but the woman was pretty, if not a little tired looking and sad.

“She doesn’t look much older than me. You’ve got to be mistaken.”

Allie squeezed his arm. “She was young, really young. That’s why she gave me up.”

“I thought you said you never talked to her. How do you know so much about her?”

“My adoptive mom kept in touch with her. She gave me her letters when I turned seventeen. That’s why I know she’s in danger.”

Allie stepped forward. He grabbed her arm. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s a maiden.”

“As in one of Minerva’s beloved handmaidens?” Ian had told Trevor about his mom’s maidens. Ian had been concerned about what would happen to them since Minerva had lost her title as the goddess of love. Minerva had assured him they’d continue to fulfill their role, only without her guidance. Honestly, that worried Trevor. Even the noblest could turn wicked without someone to rein them in when they strayed.

“She’s number seven. Come on.” Allie dragged him toward the empty bar. Everyone else in the place had congregated near the dance floor, where a Kiss imitation band was setting up. “I want to talk to her.”

He studied Allie’s mother for some indication that she was different from the other waitresses in the bar or from any woman he’d met, for that matter. Nothing special popped out. The woman was as ordinary as could be.

“Hi, Alana.” Allie hopped onto the stool in front of where the woman was pulling a draught of beer. “It’s me. Allie.”

Alana dropped the mug she’d been filling. Beer sprayed over her forearms. She yanked a towel off the rack and rubbed at her skin. “Jen. My name’s Jen. Not Alana.”

“I’m sorry.” Allie lowered her gaze. “I thought you were someone else.”

Jen flicked her gaze to where Trevor stood just behind Allie, then leaned over the bar, pressing her forehead to Allie’s. “You’re not mistaken, daughter, but I go by the name Jen. Please use it, and do not refer to me as your mother.”

“Got it. Jen it is.” Allie grinned, but it wasn’t real. It never reached her eyes.

Jen, aka Alana, stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you here?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“There’s the phone.” Jen motioned to the battered, corded landline that was probably a leftover from the eighties. “If you knew where I worked, you could’ve called. I have no desire to see you in person. If I did, I would’ve been in touch.”

Allie stared at the phone but didn’t answer.

“That’s what I told her. She wanted to talk to you in person because she said you wouldn’t believe her otherwise. Somehow, I’m thinking you, of all people, would’ve believed her,” Trevor said to fill the awkward silence.

Jen studied him. Her gaze hardened, disapproval sliding into her expression. “Who are you to Allie? Her boyfriend?”

“Trevor’s just a friend. I don’t date.”

“You’re going to have to soon, you know.” Jen gave her a sympathetic look that didn’t match the topic of conversation. “Before the wrong man decides to make you his.”

He rested his hand on Allie’s shoulder. “Nobody’s going to hurt Allie, if that’s what you’re getting at. She’s always protected.”

“By who? You?” Jen raised a brow.

The condescending look annoyed him. He stepped forward.

“Yes, by me and by Arawn’s children.” There was no use hiding the knowledge of the Huntsmen from the woman. Human or not, she was intimately aware of the hidden world Trevor had recently discovered.

“So you’re with
them
now, aren’t you?” Jen jerked her chin in Trevor’s direction. “The Hunters.”

“Yes, but Trevor’s not one yet, which is why I brought him. I thought you wouldn’t want them to know about you.”

Jen held his gaze. The disapproving look softened. She sighed and shook her head. “He’ll never be one.”

“What do you mean? I will earn my acceptance.”

“I’m sure you already have.”

Jen gave him a small, wan smile. She dropped her elbows to the counter and leaned toward Allie, effectively dismissing him. He wanted to uncover the reason behind her comment. Could she see something about him that made her say that? He didn’t know what powers the maidens possessed. He held his tongue. This was Allie’s visit, not his.

“Now, say what you came to say. I want you out of this town. There’s evil lurking here.” Jen tucked a lock of hair behind Allie’s ear, a tender gesture that didn’t match her earlier words.

Allie glanced over her shoulder, no doubt to assure their privacy. There was nobody close. The band was warming up, and the bar patrons were seated in front of the stage, ready for the show.

She faced her mom. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We think there’s a redcap in town.”

“I know. I’ve seen him.”

He moved closer to Jen. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“What does he look like?” Trevor asked.

“Tall, dark hair, black eyes, attractive, but he has a scar—”

“On his face, stretching from here”—he dragged his fingers from his temple to his mouth—“to here. Right?”

“Yes.”

He sat on the stool next to Allie and leaned forward. “His name’s Craig, and he’s one of three redcaps that are hidden from the power of the Hunt. They’re all brothers. There was a fourth one, but we killed him a couple of months ago.”

“They can’t be redcaps, then. You have to be mistaken.” Jen straightened her shoulders. Her eyes widened. Fear? Excitement? He couldn’t tell. “Arawn’s Teulu was created for the specific purpose of eliminating those tainted by Chaos.”

Oh yeah, the maiden knew a whole lot about the Huntsmen’s world. He would have to gather the details around the maidens. If there were more maidens alive, the Hunters might very well benefit by pulling them into the battle against the Unseelie Court. Who better to help them than a group of women who’d lived countless lifetimes and retained the knowledge of the past?

“Trust me, they’re redcaps, and they know about Minerva’s maidens. At least Raul, the one that was killed, knew about them.” Trevor quickly recounted how Raul had killed Harley’s mom, whom he had claimed had been his soul mate, and about how Raul went on to steal enough of Harley’s Seelie blood that he could break his and his brothers’ ties to Dar.

Jen chuckled. “They want to save their souls. Good for them.”

“Explain.” The demand came out harsher than he wanted, but the knowledge Jen offered would be invaluable in the hunt for the brothers. If the Huntsmen could learn more about how the redcaps thought, they’d have a better chance at tripping them up.

“Arawn offers sinners a chance to earn redemption, but they wouldn’t be able to earn it tied to Dar. He’s evil. Harley’s not.”

“The bastards planned it.” Then again, he shouldn’t be surprised. After studying their profiles, he knew they were intelligent, if not a little crazy.

“That’s probably why Craig hasn’t killed anyone yet since he tied himself to Harley. Of course, attacking women won’t help his cause, but who knows what’s going on in his head. He might be too corrupted to think rationally,” Jen said.

“How do you know that Craig hasn’t killed anyone yet?” He hadn’t mentioned it.

“I ran into the Hunter Rowan last night. She told me about him. I also watch the news. I know.”

Rowan hadn’t mentioned the visit. Then again, after he’d shown her the swing he’d made, they’d gone for a walk and talked. None of their topics had a thing to do with hunting or redcaps. It’d been silly stuff. He’d talked about his childhood, where he went to college, and his favorite sports team, and she’d explained what everyday life was like a thousand years ago.

Allie covered her mom’s hands. “Come back with us. If you’ve seen him, there’s a chance he’ll find you. Hurt you.”

Jen gave her a small smile. “Thank you for your concern, daughter, but I can’t. I have one last task to complete before I can check out. This has been a hard job. I just want to get it over with.”

“We can ask if one of the hounds can guard you until you complete your task, then you—”

“No.” Jen cut Allie off. “The hounds are needed in the streets, not watching me.”

“But—”

“No. End of discussion. I will be staying here, without protection. Having otherworldly creatures on my tail will mess up my plans. Besides, I’m human for all intents and purposes, and I can recognize the redcap. That gives me a heads-up.”

“I don’t like it.” Allie yanked her hand back. “You’re too important to expose yourself to danger.”

“I’m not. You’re the one who should be guarded twenty-four seven.”

“Tell me about Craig. Do you know where he’s staying?” he asked to change the subject. Allie’s mom wore that stubborn look he’d seen Allie get on occasion. There’d be no changing her mind, at least not this second.

“I don’t know where he’s staying, but he’s dealing drugs.” Jen shook her head. “I saw him passing some bags to a couple of college kids last night.”

“Can you recognize any of the redcaps on sight?” Allie asked.

“Yes. I can see much about a person when I look at them.” Jen snorted. “Too much, actually. Sometimes it’s depressing.”

“What do you see when you look at me?” He couldn’t help asking, not when she dropped a statement like that.

Jen studied him. “I see a soul who’s lived a long, long time and suffered in every life.”

“What about this life?”

“I can’t look into the future. If I could, I’d be able to save people a lot of heartache. I can only see your past, and yours hangs over you like a storm cloud.”

Great. No wonder he’d been miserable most of his life.

A heavyset middle-aged man called Jen’s name, then pointed to a table at the far end of the room where a group of women sat.

Jen sighed. “Look, I’ve got to go back to work. Take Allie home and keep her safe.”

“I will.” Trevor wrote down his cell number on a napkin. “Call if you change your mind or if you see Craig again. Day or night. I’ll come.”

“Will do.” Jen pocketed the napkin. “Now get out. Allie doesn’t belong here.”

Jen snatched a notebook and pen, then hurried across the room.

“I thought she’d be happier to see me.”

He glanced at Allie. Her shoulders were slumped, and a despondent look had spread over her face.

“I’m sure she has her reasons for not wanting you near her.” He couldn’t imagine what they’d be unless Jen thought it’d be dangerous for Allie to be around her. There’d been a protective edge to the way Jen had interacted with Allie. But what did he know? Seeing Allie might have reminded her of a rough time in her life.

He rested a hand on Allie’s arm and led her to the door. “I wouldn’t take it too personally. Why don’t you call her in a couple of days? Ease her into a relationship with you.”

“Yes, okay. That sounds like a good idea.”

He glanced over his shoulder and scanned the bar for Ian. His friend leaned against the wall, not far from the table where Jen was collecting drink orders. The moment Allie opened the door, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked across the bar.

Trevor was tempted to tell him to stay and watch over Jen, but getting Allie home safe was more important. Craig knew what Allie looked like. If he spotted her, he’d want to make her suffer. Sure, Trevor would protect her as best he could, but his failure two months ago proved he wasn’t invincible. He wouldn’t risk her life.

Jen was just another human in Craig’s eyes. She should be safe as long as she didn’t invite danger into her home. Or until Trevor could free up one of the men who worked for his security company. They weren’t immune to glamour, the fairies’ version of magic, but they’d be better than nothing.

Once he made that call, he’d corner Rowan and find out about her visit with Minerva’s maiden. Hopefully, she’d approve of his idea of bringing the maidens into their fold. Goodness knew, they could use all the help they could get in the fight against the Unseelie Court.

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTEEN

Seventeen hours. That was how long Rowan had spent in the Underworld. It was easy to lose track of time there. Walking was the only form of transportation. The long trip was understandable. The knowledge didn’t ease her.

She’d missed her first date with Trevor.

Okay. He hadn’t officially called it a date, but what else was she supposed to think? He said they’d eat together, just the two of them, and talk. Many of the customs of the modern-day humans still baffled her, but a meal spent alone between new lovers was an intimate occasion in her book. A memorable one.
And I missed it.

She ground her teeth and hurried across the estate’s grounds. If he kept to his routine, he’d still be sleeping for another hour or so. She wanted to be there when he woke. They had much to talk about, and their conversation would start with an apology. Ditching him didn’t sit well with her, even if it had been unavoidable.

She cleared the tree line. One of the large vans Trevor’s company used was parked on the grass with the doors open. Boxes of all shapes and sizes were packed inside. Zeph was stacking some of the smaller ones on the ground, while a couple of their brothers were carrying the larger ones into the house.

Curiosity got the better of her. She picked up one from the pile and frowned at the heavy package. “What’s in here?”

“Weights for the new bench press. Trevor ordered a bunch of equipment before he crashed for the day.” Zeph motioned to the van. “I went into town and picked them up.”

A male who kept his word was one to treasure, and she’d been lucky enough to find him. Twice. She glanced at the house. “Trevor’s sleeping, then?”

“Yes. He made it until noon before he started slurring his words and yawning every couple of minutes. We finally threatened not to let him hunt tonight if he didn’t get some sleep.”

Had he been waiting for her? “Was he doing anything that had kept him up?”

“No. He sat on the patio for a long time with his laptop, then wandered the house. I think he only did that to stay awake. He looked exhausted.” Zeph propped a tall box against the side of the van. “I can’t remember what it was like to have to sleep. Our childhood seems like a distant memory. It’s got to be annoying, though. I don’t blame him for not wanting to lose those hours to such a mindless activity.”