At Risk Read online

  The first bite was heaven. The next was even better. “I think I have to sit down before I pass out from ecstasy.” I sat on the top step as her musical laughter rang out.

  “I’m jealous. They do look extraordinarily delicious.” Garrett pouted and I kissed his even more delicious mouth. Just couldn’t help it.

  “Mmm. The flavor is unusual.” He licked his lips.

  “Apricot jam between the layers and almond paste in the cake mix.”

  “I hope you made at least four dozen. I’m having a team meeting.” Garrett picked up a cookie and took a sniff.

  “No. These are to be a special Thanksgiving treat. I’ve only made a dozen just to test it out.”

  “Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year?”

  “Yes. I convinced Sasha I could do it. He hates for me to take on more than he thinks I can manage, but really. Females and males all over your beautiful country have made this meal for centuries. I can certainly handle it.”

  “Magic helps too.”

  “No magic. I’m doing everything the normal way.”

  “I hope you’ve asked for assistance. Most families make the meal together. Or people bring the stuffing or a vegetable or the rolls and biscuits. No reason for you to do everything.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful. What would you like to bring?”

  She was looking at me. I glanced at Garrett but he’d clamped his mouth down tight, doing his best not to laugh. “We’ll bring mulled cider. I made it last year, remember?”

  “It was delicious. That would be perfect.”

  “Watch your mate. He spiked it when no one was looking,” Garrett said, rising to head back to our house. “I’ll put in the call for a meeting at seven. I’ll order some food too.”

  I raised my hand. “Italian.”

  “Done.”

  I watched my mate walk away, already pulling out his phone. He was beautiful from any angle. Fortunately, every angle of that long lean body was mine. Garrett would be contacting Farrell and Liam with a mind to mind message about the Rogues Team job, but he had to call the shifter and werewolf factions in the usual way.

  “I’m going to talk to Sasha about keeping his hands off the cider. Children like it too,” Elle said, looking anxious.

  “Which kids are coming?”

  “Sinc and Gabe are bringing their baby and Aaron’s little ones will be wreaking havoc, I’m sure. Cathy mentioned they may be bringing one other child. The little boy doesn’t have parents or many friends. It’s a sad story, I’m told. Aaron and Cathy are thinking of adopting him.”

  As if they didn’t have enough wolves to look after. “Is he a wolf?”

  “A shifter, I think.”

  “It’ll be great to have kids around.” My voice had sounded surprisingly wistful. I’d loved the days when Charlie, Jay, Grady and Aedus’s daughter, Linn, had raced around like greyhounds, sneaking cookies and chips, and playing soccer well past sundown. They were hellions at times, angels at others, but mostly they were kids, growing and changing in incredible ways with each new dawn.

  I shook my head to clear the memories. This was certainly no time to be thinking about raising children. I had a lifemate who kept me occupied in all the best ways along with a bevy of dogs who demanded my attention. In fact…

  “Where are the corrupted canines?” Elle always spoiled them when Garrett and I were away.

  “Samson is lounging in the living room with Delilah, and Hercules has passed out on his doggy bed after a run on the beach. I’ve also invited Liam, Kellaine, Grady, Farrell and whatever female he decides to bring.”

  Elle’s slightly snarky tone had me giggling. Farrell was a handsome rogue, a fae male who enjoyed the excitement of our world more than the predictability of his life in Faerie. He was also an honorable male who I’d trusted with my child’s life for more than seventeen years.

  When Farrell heard about what happened in Faerie, he’d be steaming mad. Liam too.

  Elle and I chatted for a while longer until Garrett arrived to escort me and the puppies through the lovely garden on our way toward home. Sinlae greeted me, as did Aymis, who was busy playing hide and seek between the hydrangeas with one of his great-great grandchildren. Sinlae and her adoring males had turned a so-so garden into a magical place where enticing scents and bright colors widened eyes and nostrils. Curving paths led you to a gentle stream, a series of benches, all with gorgeous views, or a fountain that always seemed to sparkle no matter the weather. I could almost believe I was in Faerie when I was here. Truth be told, I liked this garden better than any place I’d ever experienced in the fae realm.

  This was home and home had all the good feels I’d dreamed of when I was a child in foster care. We were almost at the patio door when I stopped and stepped into Garrett’s arms. He tightened them around me.

  “I’m going to try to reach him now. If Charlie doesn’t respond, I’m pretty sure I can get Isaiah’s attention.”

  “I’m here, mon ange.”

  9

  Charlie

  The scent of exotic spices from the kitchen wove with the crisp mountain air. My stomach grumbled, but I put my hunger aside. “Second thoughts?”

  Isaiah shook his head. “I’ve received a disturbing message from Khent.”

  “About what?”

  “He’s thinking of taking a break from his royal duties. Leaving Zerian in charge.”

  “But we need his army. My parents are—”

  “They’re not the only ones. You’re fucked from here to the ninth galaxy if my mother gets her slimy hands on you.”

  “She won’t.”

  “Fin might—”

  “Fin won’t—”

  “We don’t know that for sure. And there are others in Faerie who would hand you over in a heartbeat if they thought Naberia would keep her pledge.”

  “Everyone knows her pledge means nothing. She’d kill me.”

  “She wouldn’t kill you right off. She’d lock you away where you couldn’t access the lines, then go after Faerie full force. If she won against the fae, she’d probably keep you as her war trophy. If Mother returned with her tail between her legs, she’d torture you first, then kill you. Probably send your head to your parents.”

  I rubbed my arms, feeling a sudden chill. “Thanks for the graphic description.”

  “No need to worry. I’m going to end her before she has a chance to return home. If you’re taken, I’ll come for you as you came for me. Only fair.”

  Smiling, I smacked him on the back. “We wouldn’t have left ya hangin’, Unc.”

  “Horrible joke. In very poor taste.” But he’d pursed his lips hard to keep from smiling.

  “C’mon. It wasn’t that bad.”

  “Let me tell you, young demon, it was worse than bad, but I’ll forgive you. Mother doesn’t pull punches.”

  “Moms are like that.”

  “Has your mother blocked your magic and strung you up from the ceiling to whip you?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “Didn’t think so.” Isaiah began to pace. “So whom do you think you can trust at the fae court or in Cascade? Who will stick by your side no matter what occurs?”

  “Liam, Kellaine and Farrell.”

  “Didn’t you tell me recently they no longer live in Cascade?” Isaiah asked.

  “Good point. Brina and Kaera.”

  “And one of them is your girlfriend. Go on.”

  “The king.” I nodded my head for emphasis.

  “Ah, now here is where it gets dicey.” Isaiah began to pace.

  “Maybe you could ask him. He’s your birth father.”

  “Which we discovered only a few months ago. I’ve spoken to him a total of three times and he’s extremely difficult to read. I find it most unnerving. I’m usually excellent at digging into people’s feelings and motives, but Finvarra’s are hidden in a puzzle box with a nonexistent catch.”

  “I trust Finvarra.”

  “With your life? Because that’s wh
at we’re discussing.” Isaiah turned at the end of the ledge and started back the other way.

  “Yes.”

  “Here’s something you may not know. The king has a responsibility to keep his kingdom safe which supersedes all other obligations, even when it comes to his family. When Aine accepted him as her bonded mate and made him king, giving over most of her power to him, he took the blood oath to surpass all blood oaths. If he does not do everything in his power to protect his realm, meaning all of Faerie, he will die a horrible death and even be denied entrance to Tir Na NOg. He will wander the universe for all time, alone and miserable.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Isaiah stopped in front of me. “Have you seen my library? I have fae scrolls even the fae haven’t read.”

  “Who decides if he’s gone back on his word?”

  “A question for the ages. A blood oath of the type Finvarra absorbed is bound by the archaic Magicks that transcend time and space. The power does not feed on ley lines or contribute to them either. It is a deep and dangerous well of energy no one has access to unless the correct words are spoken and the rituals are followed exactly as designed. Who the rituals were designed by is an answer magic users have sought to discover for centuries. The few who have knowledge, would never speak the name.”

  “With all your researching, you must know. Finvarra too.”

  “And Aine. That’s about it.”

  “Khent?”

  “He’s slightly younger than me. His father may have known the dark spells, but I doubt he passed them along. They’re dangerous. The three realms could go up in flames if used improperly.”

  “What about…” I tilted my head toward the cave.

  “It’s possible, but I don’t know enough about their rites and traditions.” He looked toward the cave entrance. “I’d love to get my hands on that tome Wyn read from.”

  “Lots of people use blood spells.”

  “All of them are dangerous and should never be used without forethought. The ones I speak of involve sacrifices of the sort you don’t want to hear about.”

  “What was sacrificed when Finvarra took his oath?”

  “I would say either a group of fae or one very powerful fae lord. Aine’s father, Fraeh, would have fit the bill nicely. He was the former king, but Aine wrenched power away from him when she came into her full strength. His death was never recorded in the chronicles, at least from what I’ve studied. For the spell to work, Aine, as the only one qualified to cast the spell on Finvarra, would have had to kill her own father.”

  “She sounds super sweet.”

  “Sickly sweet. Aine murdered Fin’s consorts and threatened their children. That’s why Fin forced her into Tir Na NOg in the first place.”

  Isaiah sighed and sat on the edge of the ledge, dangling his feet. He patted the spot next to him. I conjured a jacket and joined him. The full moon lit up nearby portions of the dragons’ territory. The hedge of thorns and the rest of the obstacle course that had slowed our progress had disappeared. In its place flowed a river, shining brightly with the reflected sky. On the far side grew a forest, the sounds of nocturnal creatures hunting and hiding beneath its branches stirring my cheetah self to action.

  Not tonight, I soothed. We’ll hunt when we’re home again. We’ll go with Dad.

  Mom still couldn’t shift, another reason to end Naberia’s reign. If Isaiah couldn’t bring her down, I’d be taking on that job.

  I closed my eyes and opened my senses to the scent of the trees, the bite of the wind, the whisper of the flowing river. I’d forgotten how good it felt to let go and live in the moment.

  Isaiah spoke in a soft, even tone. “My point in all this is that Finvarra is bound to Faerie itself. No matter what he says, he can’t put anyone before the realm. That includes you. If Faerie wants you gone, he’ll hand you over.”

  “Is Faerie a sentient being?”

  “You’d know better than me. You helped restore her.” The wind picked up as dark clouds rolled in. Isaiah conjured a cloak with a hood.

  “Faerie is made of magic, like her people.” I flipped up my own hood.

  “And if the magic of Faerie dies, so will the fae. Fin must protect the magic above all things. Fighting a battle of the sort we’re expecting will drain the land’s resources.”

  “But when the fae use magic they feed the ley lines, don’t they?”

  “And how many supes will be using those magical lines when we fight? Think about the amount of energy you alone will pull from them. They’ll be drying up faster than the fae can feed them, which means Faerie will begin to suffer too.”

  “I’m part fae. Maybe I’ll be feeding the lines and not only pulling from them.”

  Isaiah grasped my shoulder. “And if you do, your magic will weaken. Don’t think about giving back unless you have no choice.” He sighed. “The ultimate way for a fae to give back to the realm is to sacrifice yourself. I don’t mean die in battle. There’s an ancient ritual to reboot Faerie that involves the death of a royal. Only a few have volunteered in the past, usually after a war. As horrible as they are, blood spells work.”

  No one could tell a tale better than Isaiah. Too bad this one was true. Blood sacrifices, monstrous former queens and dying fae were not what I wanted to hear about. I made an attempt to lighten the mood.

  “So you’re ancient, huh?”

  He side-eyed me. “That’s all you took away from my explanation?”

  “No. I get the situation. It’s just that I always wanted to ask you about some stuff that happened in history.”

  “Now is not the best time.”

  “Did you hang out with dinosaurs?” I teased.

  He lay back, folding his hands under his head and leaving his legs dangling below the edge. “Stop changing the subject. Who else can you trust in Faerie?”

  Damn it. I scooted closer to his head, curled my legs pretzel style and got back to thinking. Break was over. “Lady Dinestri. Lord Argon. Lady Jorrenn.”

  “How sure are you?”

  “Lady D and Lady J are close with Mom and Dad. Lord Argon is Brina’s dad and I’m pretty sure he likes me. If he didn’t, I’d definitely know.”

  “Aedus and Caelen?”

  “Not on my team. Not sure why. Mom saved Aedus’s life when he joined the search to save her from Kennet. Dad even helped Aedus out of a really tight spot involving a nest of vampires. Caelen has helped Mom and Dad on several occasions.”

  “Could it have anything to do with you not choosing Aedus’s daughter Linn as your mate?”

  “Linn and I are still friends, I think. The mating thing would never have worked between us. She’s like her mom. More of a traditional fae lady.”

  Isaiah grunted and sat up. “You and Brina might not have announced it loudly to the world, but everyone knows. You’re besotted with her and she’s smart enough to know what side her bread is buttered on. She’s a warrior and will never change. Most fae males wouldn’t choose a female who could kick his ass on a sparring field. You respect and love her for who she is.”

  “Do you think that’s all it is for her? Me accepting her skills as a fighter and allowing her to do what she loves to do without giving her a hard time?”

  Isaiah whacked me on the side of the head. “She’s besotted too. She just doesn’t drool when she looks at you the way you do her.”

  “I do not drool!”

  “Metaphorically.”

  I winced. “That bad, huh?”

  “That bad.” A second bop. “You two pains are a good balance.”

  I smiled and shrugged. “We are, right?”

  “Your fighting styles complement each other.”

  As the first raindrops hit my face, I lost my smile. “I’m scared for Brina. For what might happen during the battle. For Mom and Dad too.”

  “That’s normal.”

  “Whatever happens will be my responsibility. All the deaths and…”

  “Stop it right now and don’t ope
n your mouth until I’m finished. Do you understand?”

  That was a trick question I used to fall for. Now when Isaiah used that tone and told me to zip it, I zipped.

  “You are not bringing war to Faerie.”

  Not one peep escaped.

  “You are not responsible for even one death or one injury in the course of the coming battles.”

  I sucked my lips into my mouth and bit down to keep them there.

  “And if anyone tries to blame you, I’ll kick their ass.”

  My trapped lips curled at the corners.

  “Well?”

  I waited.

  “Okay, okay, I’m done. Tell me you understand.”

  “I understand, but…”

  “One more but and I’m holding you over the side and shaking you till you really do start drooling.”

  “That wouldn’t frighten me.” I laughed.

  “I could drop you.”

  “Yeah, that wouldn’t work either. I’d be back in a blink.”

  “Back to annoy me.”

  “Or thank you. I needed to share and Dad’s my usual go-to guy. You’re easy to talk to.”

  “I’m no one’s father.” I caught a tiny hint of sadness in his tone.

  “Favorite uncles who take the time to listen are cool too.”

  “Suck up.” He rose and began to pace again.

  Apparently the lecture hadn’t really ended. “It’s raining, ya know.” I pointed at the puddle forming by his feet.

  “I noticed. Mother must be in another rotten mood.” Naberia controlled the weather in the DR.

  “Can we go inside?”

  “Will you melt out here?” he asked.

  “No, but I won’t be able to hear you as well with my hood up.”

  “How’s this?” He shouted into my mind.

  Resigned to sticking it out, I lengthened my jacket, wrapped it around my body, including my feet, and adjusted the hood. “Ready for part two, boss.”