AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I realized that she thought Leo might have been the one driving the car that tried to sideswipe Rex. The thought hadn’t occurred to me—I’d just assumed it was some vamp for hire that Anadey had come in contact with. But now, the idea that it might have been Leo loomed large in my mind. Anadey had been trying to strip away my connection to Grieve, and Leo had been on a real bender lately about that same subject. Suppose he’d promised her something in return—such as Rex never getting to see and talk to Peyton?
“I really hope you’re wrong. I want Leo to be a good guy. I want him to have our back. But . . .” I rubbed my cheek where he’d backhanded me. “Any man who hits a woman out of frustration . . . I just can’t trust him, even if that’s the only bad thing he ever does. I’m nobody’s punching bag.”
Peyton bit her lip. “I think I’d better do a little private sleuthing on Leo—what’s his background? How much do we really know about him?”
“I only know what Rhia has told me, and what Leo’s said. For all I know, he comes from Mars and secretly phones home once a month.” I pointed toward her phone. “You’d better call him back, warn him to lie low.”
She punched in the number and mumbled a few words into the receiver, then hung up again. “Okay, done. I didn’t tell him why I wanted him to hide out, but he seemed to agree it was a good idea. As soon as they give you permission to talk about what happened, you better tell me. Anadey’s my mother, and if she’s fucking up, I want to know. I’ve always trusted her . . . it kills me to think that she might be a traitor.”
“Or maybe, just a very worried Mama . . .” I stared out the window. “I’ll know more tomorrow night. Go to bed now, and try to get some sleep.”
As soon as Peyton left, I slid out of my clothes and into my bed. I was worn through, but it took me a couple of hours before I could take my own advice. Once I dropped off, though, I slept like the dead.
With morning came an e-mail from Lannan. I glanced at the time stamp—he’d written it shortly before dawn. Or, at least, he’d sent it around then. I hesitated, my cursor hovering over it before I finally decided to open it.
I’m going to tell you this once, and once only. I’ve hinted before as to Geoffrey not being all he seems. Tonight, you will find him charming, witty, and he’ll give you your heart’s desire. You will probably trust him and come to doubt anything I have to say. But I say it anyway: Don’t be a fool. Listen to your head, not your cunt—perhaps odd advice coming from me, but truly, for a breather, I’ve come to enjoy your company. I’d prefer to meet you in the flesh than to remember you in spirit. Lannan.
I stared at the e-mail, then printed it out, tucked it away with my magical supplies, and deleted it. I then emptied my Deleted Items folder and cleared my cache. Of course, Lannan had no clue that I’d seen what had gone on. Like Lannan or hate him, I suspected that I could trust his word more than Geoffrey’s. The feeling unsettled me.
After I showered and dressed, I wandered downstairs. Rhiannon and Luna were cooking breakfast. Kaylin was reading through The Rise of the Indigo Court, searching for something we could use. The book was slow going, though, dense and filled with arcane facts and obscure references. Leo was outside, shoveling snow, and Chatter was staring out the window at the Golden Wood, a pensive look on his face.
“Where’s Peyton?”
“She was up early and headed out. She said she’ll be back around ten A.M. to open up for business. Is she really quitting the diner?” Rhia shook her head. “Whatever Anadey did, it must have been bad.” Her voice lingered over the words, but she didn’t ask any questions.>“I sincerely hope for your sake that you’re right. And for your information, I do not seek to defile the girl. I enjoy toying with her because nothing can quench her spirit. I’ve seen both sides within her—the dark and the light. Which way she turns remains to be seen.” Lannan turned and began walking over the top of the snow, his feet leaving no prints on the surface of the glistening white.
I shivered. Everything was in a tailspin, and I felt like I was falling into darkness, into the shadows, into a vortex of decisions needing to be made. Geoffrey—was he truly a warmonger? Did Lannan actually mean what he said? And just what influence did Geoffrey have with the Crimson Queen? Or Lainule, for that matter?
Kaylin tapped me on the shoulder, and I glanced over at him. His aura flared with energy, some golden, some dark red, and I knew he was angry for me. I nodded that I was okay, although I felt anything but, and turned back to watch as Lannan strode out of sight and then a great black bat filled the sky, flying off.
Geoffrey turned back to Wrath, who stood, arms folded, waiting. “Continue. I’m sorry for the interruption. Will this cause a problem in proceeding?”
“Tell me what you plan with my daughter.”
Geoffrey would not answer, but Lainule spoke up, her voice smooth. “There is no need to fret, husband. I have approved the plans and they will not be in vain.”
Wrath shook his head. “As you will, my love. We will need to recover the energy before continuing. It has seeped away, and the only manner in which to be certain the antidote takes is to build the cone once again. So you must wait for a few more moments, Regent, before administering the serum.”
“I still think this is premature, but we must take steps before Cicely insists on doing something rash. For she is as headstrong as her sire,” Lainule said, then laughed. “My Wrath, you begot a daughter to be proud of, even if she is a handful. Lannan Altos is wrong. She is now ours, fully and forever. And if it took our finding Grieve again in order to bring her spirit to us, then that is a small price to pay. His love for her will not go unrewarded. Nor hers for him. If she but agrees to the plans Geoffrey and I have made, all will be well.”
“We have much to speak of, my lady,” Geoffrey said, turning to Lainule. “You owe me for this, remember.”
Lainule inclined her head. “The Court of Rivers and Rushes never forgets its debts.”
Confused, but convinced that it was better if I found out what they were talking about on my own, rather than be seen and have them angry I was spying, I motioned to Kaylin that we should leave. He took my hand and we slipped away.
As we were headed back to the house, still on the plane of shadow and smoke, a blur and a flash interrupted us. Kaylin stopped short, slamming me in back of him, and stretched out his arms.
“Do not attempt to pass. She is not one of the Bat People, nor of their children. You cannot claim her.”
“I need to settle—I need a host.” The words echoed through me with the force of a sledgehammer and I caught a glimpse of the creature over Kaylin’s shoulder. It reminded me of something . . . the fetish! The twisted creature, part bat, part—something else—had to be one of the night-veil demons. Oh crap, was it thinking it could nest in me?
“Then you must find a host elsewhere. Go to the Court of Dreams; find a host among the Chosen Ones. She is not yours and never will be yours.” Kaylin clapped his hands and the energy reverberated through the air, sending the night-veil head over heels, gusting away from us. It howled once, a pained shriek, then raced off.
“What did you do to it?”
Kaylin glanced back at me and, even in his murky, shadow-stuff form, I caught sight of those glowing eyes. He smirked. “I told it to go away.”
“So you did, so you did.” I debated pressing the matter. Kaylin was strong—I already knew that—but I’d never seen him use energy like that. “Ever since your demon awoke, you’ve been different.”
