Twisted (Rogues Shifter Series Book 3) (13 page)

“You’d be lovely with blue hair…or pink hair…or no hair.”  We both laughed.

“I never felt pretty before. I’m skinny, not curvy. And my nose is a little crooked, even before Kennet broke it.”

“You move gracefully like a dancer and you’re built like one too.” I watched his eyes take me in from head to toe and back. “
You’re beautiful.” I blushed and looked away, but he took my chin and made me look at him. “In high school I was covered with zits and wore glasses and thrift shop clothes. I had friends who were all nerdy like me. When you’re turned, you become more attractive, so that you can lure in your victims. You wouldn’t have looked at me twice if we’d met back then.”

“I think I st
ill would have liked you. Did the football team throw slushies at you or lock you in your locker?”

“One of them beat me up once. I hacked into his computer and sent out racy emails to all of his family, including his grandparents and his teachers. He was grounded for about a year. No, one ever beat me up again.” He grinned mischievously. I loved it when he smiled. It filled his whole face, crin
kling his eyes and making that tiny dimple appear in his right cheek. God, I wanted to kiss that dimple.

Instinctively I knew that I would have to take charge in this relationship, at least until he felt more confident. Not that I knew what I was doing either, but I took a deep breath and decided to be brave. After all, I was raised by a pack leader who taught me to go after what I
wanted, although I don’t think Dad was actually talking about guys. I smiled thinking about the shit he’d have given me about dating a vamp.

“What’
re you thinking about? “

“I’m thinking about what my dad woulda said if he found out that I kissed you.”

“He wouldn’t have been happy, I guess.”

“Yeah, well I’m
feelin’ pretty happy right now.” I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face closer to mine. I saw silver dots pop in his eyes at he leaned toward me.

Chapter Twenty-two

Garrett:
12:00 AM Thursday

I opened my eyes.
Liam was sitting across from me with a strange expression on his face.

“I smelled magic. D
emon magic, but not blood magic. You were dreaming and mumbling in French. Do you remember your dream?”

I nodded slowly
but didn't speak. The afterglow was still tingling through my body from the second time we’d made love and fed from each other and I wanted to hold onto the feeling for one more moment. I felt her blood mixing with mine, flowing through my veins in a magical river of pure, perfect energy. My senses were on high alert and I wasn’t going to waste another minute or ignore the very obvious clue provided by our strange benefactor.

Liam smiled.
"Who...?"

"Jackie has an unexpected ally, as do we."

"A demon will not be blocked from the lines. He can help her."

"I believe his hands are tied, but he's teaching her to help herself. She hasn't given up, nor shall I."

I stood and stretched. “I’m taking the dog. Has he rested and eaten?” As soon as I spoke, Samson was beside me. He sniffed my legs and arms and wagged his tail, obviously smelling Jackie on me. I looked at Liam. “Will you stay with Ethan and Kyle?”

Liam smiled and shook his head. “Samson is ready. Brina will stay. I
'm coming with you.” I looked at him sharply and saw stubborn determination in the set of his jaw and a lot of excitement glimmering in his violet fae eyes. I could waste my time arguing or we could just go.

“We may not be coming back. I don’t think that Kennet is here. I think he’s led us away, appearing here to leave traces so that we wouldn’t look closer to home. He has her back in
northern California or possibly southern Oregon. Would you pack us a few supplies while I talk to the others?”

“Of cour
se, Garrett.” He was as ready to take on his enemy as I was, assuming that I was right. Had Jackie said the demon's name was Isaiah? I remembered his disembodied voice telling me to pay attention and he wasn’t talking about the sex. In both dreams we were near the sea in a forest of redwood trees. The large bird that had passed overhead as I’d waited was a black footed albatross, a bird that nests in Hawaii but sometimes travels as far as northern California. So, that’s where I intended to go. I would somehow find that clearing of fallen redwood branches and Loganberry bushes and search the skies for that magnificent albatross. Then we would find Jackie: alive and well as she'd been in my unforgettable dream.

I told Ethan, Kyle, Angel, Brina and Aedus about my plan. At first there was silence, then loud shouting: mostly from Ethan and Kyle.

“Garrett, you’re not leaving us here if you think she’s somewhere else.” Ethan was fuming.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing. In fact you’re going out to search for her as if nothing has happened.
Someone has to continue the search here because I could be wrong.  Plus I need you to make it seem like Liam and I are still here searching too. I think that Kennet comes to leave his clues and then goes back to Jackie. If he thinks Liam and I have left, then he may move her. If he does, we’ll be back to square one. You’ll leave our scent out there on the trail and he’ll think we’re still around.”

“What the fuck, Garrett. You expect us to mark
the trail with your dirty laundry while you two get all the action? No way.” Kyle was being his usual confrontational self.

Aedus stood
to his full imposing height. “It is the smart move, based on the evidence, Kyle.” I’d sent the fae a visual of the clearing and Aedus was nothing if not logical. “However, I feel that Brina’s skills are sufficient to protect your well armed team of shifters and your sorcerer ally. I intend to come with you, Garrett.”

A
n empty backpack flew through the air toward Aedus and he caught it easily. “We are leaving in two minutes so go and pack what you need, brother.” I turned to glare at Liam as Aedus smiled and disappeared into his room. Liam shrugged, “It isn't possible or wise to leave him behind. He is my father’s heir and he's right. Brina, Angel, Ethan and Kyle are well prepared for whatever happens here. Aedus and I can get back in seconds if there’s an emergency.

Hi
s expression grew serious as he took a few steps closer to me. "Kennet is over 3,000 years old. If there is a battle, Aedus is our best hope to defeat him. He is the strongest warrior of our Sidhe.“

I looked at Angel and Brina and asked, “Are you two ok
ay with this?” They looked at each other, grinned and nodded.

Angel, who’d been leaning against a wall, moved closer to me. “Garrett, we can handl
e the fae bastard if he returns. Your young team members are bright and well equipped with all manner of high tech weapons and Brina and I have had plenty of experience with fae using blood magic.” He reached out his hand. ”Buena suerte, mi amigo.”

“Gracias, Angel.” I turned to the rest. “ I want to thank all of you for the incredible job that you’ve done. You’ve contributed so much already that I hate to ask you to do more, but until she’s found, I have no choice. We’ll keep in touch via email or phone through the rest of the team and also telepathically through Brina. We’re going to find her.”

Everyone nodded, but it was obvious that Ethan was upset. Jackie had become his closest friend and he probably felt that he wasn’t doing enough for her. I gestured for him to follow me to the front door. “Ethan, I need you here because I trust you to come up with a quick strategy if it turns out that I’m wrong. Brina, Angel and Kyle will listen to you. Don’t be afraid to step up and take charge.”

“Okay,
Garrett. You can trust me.” He still wasn’t really listening.

“
If I'm wrong about where she is, then I'm trusting you with her
life
, Ethan.”

He met my eyes
, then sighed. “I have no right to feel angry compared to what you’re going through or what she’s going through. I’m really sorry, man. I’ll take care of everything on this end.”

“I know you’re worried ab
out her.”

“Good luck, Garrett.
” We shook hands.

“Thanks.”

So we headed toward Northern California once again, intending to hunt down our enemy and bring my mate back home. On this journey I was accompanied by Samson, our Rottweiler/fae dog mix and two fae warriors whose ages added up to over 3300 years. I’ve had stranger companions on the rare occasions that I chose not to hunt alone, but never ones more loyal or more powerful.

Chapter Twenty-three

J
ackie:12:00 AM Thursday

Something pushed against my arm. I knew who it was, but I didn’t want to open my eyes and leave behind the peace I’d shared with Garrett:
The dream had been as real as our experience at the Midsummer Solstice Ceremony in Faerie. In fact I could still smell Garrett's scent on my skin as if he were in the bed next to me. And I was smiling—I couldn’t help it.

“Jacqueline, you must get up. You have twenty hours. Maybe less.”

I sat up and stared at him, my good mood completely shattered. “What time is it?”

“Just past midnight.”

My shoulders sagged a little as I moved my legs to the side so I could stand. When I did, I was not surprised to see how strong I felt, knowing full well the effects of Garrett’s blood on my stamina and strength. I looked at Isaiah and flexed my arms, then stretched to loosen my shoulders and back.

“Jackie, tell me you fed from him and didn’t waste my exhausting effort on your behalf.”

“You don’t
look
tired.” I smiled mischievously.

“I admit my workout was not a
physical
one like your own,” my face flamed with heat, “but it was a difficult mental exercise, just the same.” His grin was impish.

“Were you watching?” I was over the embarrassment and had moved on to being pissed
off.

“If I was watching
, would I ask you if you’d fed from him?” I shook my head. “So did you?”

“Twice.”

He laughed. “And you say your demon blood is weak.”

I glared at him. “I
have to ask you something.” He waited. “Not that I’m complaining, but why are you helping him find me? If he finds me before I have the chance to summon you, then you’ll be stuck here.”

“If your vampire rescues you and kills Kennet, I am free to return home. It’s better for me if Garrett and his two pet fae are nearby. I may need some help of my own. Of course there’s always the chance that he’ll rescue you and leave Kennet alive, but I don’t think that will be the case, do you?”

“Thank you, Isaiah.” I reached out impulsively and squeezed his hand. He looked down curiously and then back up at my face, amused by the gesture.

"A touch of appreciation, little demon?"

"Yes." I released his hand. “But we're not buddies or anything."

"I would never assume such a thing." He was almost laughing.

I had to keep in mind that Isaiah was using me just as I was using him, and that he probably wasn't capable of forming a true friendship, not that I wanted to encourage that either. He still gave me the creeps. "So where do we go from here?”

“We go to the lines.” He grabbed me and we were instantly standing on the shore below my cliff, where I traveled in my mind to get away from everyone except Garrett.  An enormous ocean of magical energy stretched out before us, terrifying and compelling. Isaiah was looking ar
ound with interest.

“But
if you can travel here with me, why can’t you just take me home the same way?” I could hear the note of pleading in my voice.

“
First of all we're in your mind. Secondly, I have orders to guard you, and I’ve explained that I can’t go against them. Therefore, I’m here guarding you.” He narrowed his eyes. “We begin now. Focus. Find your center like I taught you.” I had no trouble with this part of the training. My essence, my personal energy, settled in my core and held itself ready. “Now blend with your environment.”

This was the part that had seemed almost impossible yesterday. I had to use my demonic power, something I didn’t even know I owned until yesterday, to alter my physical form to blend with what was around me
. I wasn’t completely invisible, I could still be seen by those who had the ability, but to most I would appear as part of the stone wall or the floral wallpaper or the grassy meadow. Eight hours ago I’d burned myself several times on the candles Isaiah had placed around the room, brought up welts banging against the cement walls and actually cut myself falling against the edge of the table.  I expended so much energy that even when I could manage to blend, I was in a horribly weakened state: hence the injuries. In the end I got the hang of it, although I wasn’t so great at holding on for any length of time.

At least here I was surrounded by soft sand
, so hopefully any injuries would be minor. I centered myself and then—dissipated. (My word) Basically, I was separating my cells and blending them with the cells of the objects around me, remaining completely aware of every single one of my unique bits so they could be called back and joined together at any time. When I managed it, I felt weightless, but always surprisingly centered.