Breaking Out (2 page)

Lifting my chin, I drew myself up to my full
height—ten times taller than her seven and a half inches. When a
guy does battle with a pixie it’s best to show a lot of confidence.
They’re tougher and deadlier than most full-grown werewolves and
more stubborn than a bear shifter. “I can take care of myself and
you know that’s the truth.” My combo of powers gave me a huge
advantage over most supes, and it wasn’t too likely that Jay or I
would have a run in with any of the more dangerous magical
creatures.

The little schemer’s eyes narrowed in
thought. “Samson would protect Jason as well.”

Oh, she knew how to dig in the knife, all
right. Jay’s safety was my primary concern. Yeah, he was 6’3” in
human form and could shift into a six hundred and fifty pound
grizzly bear, but besides the small amount of power all shifters
were born with, he had no magic.

He also had no agenda other than to have a
cool adventure with me out on the road. He didn’t expect me to
choose sides between the fae and demon camps or hone my skills in
preparation for the prophesized war, and he especially didn’t want
to talk politics. Nope, Jay was the perfect travel buddy: fun to
hang with, good in an emergency, and completely loyal. There’d be
no bullshit between us. I was plenty sick of all the intrigue I’d
grown up around.

Samson nudged against my knee, reminding me
that we were discussing him. “What would I do with the big mutt?
Not every territory is pet friendly.” Samson licked my hand, not
taking offence at being called a mutt.

“Charles, you know as well as I that he
adapts with ease, sleeping anywhere, even in the pouring rain. He
can walk for miles, travel with you through the lines, and run much
faster than you might imagine. He is also able to hunt his own
food, although he is pleased to consume whatever you are
eating.”

“Yeah, he’s a regular food bandit.” There’d
been many a time when I’d turned my back for a second and one of my
burgers had disappeared. He always left me at least one, but I’d
taken to making extras.

After a few seconds spent thinking it over, I
noticed her smiling smugly. She knew she had me with the
“protecting Jay” comment. “Fine. I’ll take him. But if he doesn’t
work out, I’m bringing him back and dumping him in your favorite
flower bed with orders to dig it up.” Over the years I’d found it
was unwise to disregard her advice, because when I did, I'd usually
end up in some kind of trouble. Trouble on the road, just Jay and
me alone, was nothing to take lightly.

“And if you dare to do such a thing to my
perfect gardens you and Samson will be sleeping with a bed full of
ticks and fleas for the next month.” Her face had pinked up in
outrage, but when she saw my smile, she sighed. “You were such a
sweet young child, laughing all the time, always so polite.”

“I can pull out manners when they suit me,
Lady Sinlae.” I nodded with respect and smiled.

“It doesn’t suit you often enough, these
days.”

I huffed in exasperation. “Why aren’t you
sounding the alarm? The villa vamps could be here in a flash."
Sasha and Heinrich were part of Garrett’s nest and lived right next
door. Vampires could travel faster than you could see them
move.

The tiny pixie buzzed around my head,
furious. "Perhaps I should. Or perhaps I should not have come to
your room at all. I’m sure you will not miss my scolding you.”

I’d upset her. “I will miss it. I’ll miss you
too and your mates and all those children you’ve had.” There were
too many names to remember. “I apologize.”

She settled back on my desk and smiled a
perfect fairy princess kind of smile. “I have
seen
that you
benefit from this journey in many ways. So I will leave you with
two small bits of advice. Trust your true instincts and stay in
communication so all know you are safe. I would not wish to be
dragged back here by Kaera or Aedus. They would not be gentle with
you or Jay."

"They won't find us."

"They will." She crossed her arms and pouted,
hovering above my unmade bed.

“I have tricks up my sleeve even you don’t
know about.” I pulled the blanket up, so she wouldn’t complain
about the mess I was leaving.

“How can one so young be so blasted cheeky?”
She frowned at the half-assed job I’d done and fixed it with a
twitch of her hand.

I winked. “I learned my cheekiness from the
best.”

She giggled in her musical way, then flew
over and poked my shoulder. "You will call your lady mother on a
regular basis.”

"They’ll trace me." I pointed out. Cell phone
records weren’t that hard to get.

"You will call twice each moon cycle or I
will come myself to drag you back." This time I laughed out loud.
“Hmph. You think I cannot? I have tricks up my sleeve even you know
nothing about,” she snapped.

"Fine. I’ll call. But not from my cell." My
mood had cooled and I was angry at the thought of living within
boundaries, different but still restrictive. I was on my way to
freedom, a place where rules no longer applied to me. At least not
the kind I’d been living under for seventeen years.

"You will swear this?"

She fluttered past my nose, her wings
bringing up a steady breeze, her hands on her hips. "Yes, on my
blood. You're impossible to argue with."

"My males all say the same," she smirked,
spinning around in the air and landing gracefully on the dresser.
After having spoken the prophecy that everyone made such a big deal
over, Sinlae had watched over my family and me with great care from
the moment I entered the world.

"Are you going to tell them about our
training sessions?" I asked. She’d taught me how to mask my scent,
a skill that might be used often during my trip with Jay.

Sinlae patted at her hair, smoothing out any
strays. "No. I will say nothing because I do not wish to be sent
back to Faerie where I will be forced to pull weeds. Here my garden
is a work of art, and my males are kept busy day and night." She
teased me with a wink and a mischievous smile.

“They are fortunate to have such a lovely
mate.” Female pixies loved compliments.

“Indeed.” Her expression grew serious. "Your
lady mother will suffer. No matter how angry you are with her, you
must leave her a loving note. I insist on this."

I glanced at the floor, embarrassed that I
hadn’t thought to write one myself. I was pissed off, but I
wouldn’t be cruel. "Yes, sure. Thanks Sinlae...for everything." I
bowed with my hand on my heart in the fae manner, showing her great
respect.

She smiled back coquettishly. "Good journey
to you, Charles Liam William Cuvier, Seelie Warrior, Cheetahkin and
Demonspawn. I will see you at journey's end." She disappeared, and
a few minutes later, so did I.

CHAPTER
TWO

I found Jay outside his house polishing his
motorcycle with a rag. He spent hours every day working on that
machine. When he heard my footsteps, he waved at me without looking
up.

“We’re not taking the bike.” I said, dropping
my backpack on the driveway.

“Yeah we are. I have room for some of your
stuff and you can keep the rest in the pack on your back.” He kept
on polishing.

“We’re taking the lines.” I was surprised by
his change of heart.

“Nah, we’re not.”

“We discussed this. The sick feeling only
lasts a minute or two.”

“You can’t talk ‘cause you don’t feel it. It
sucks eggs.” He picked up a different rag and started to clean the
wheels.

“Why’re you acting like a tool?” Now I was
getting pissed off, which hardly ever happened between Jay and
me.

“You know I could break your nose over that
remark.” He was still facing his bike, but his tone told me he was
smiling.

“Yeah,” I laughed. “But it’d heal in five
minutes.”

He finally turned around, throwing the rag on
the seat. “Char, I hate the ley lines. And if we go your way we
won’t have wheels.”

Jay had a habit of breaking down everyone’s
name to one syllable. His parents had tried for years to get him to
call people by their full names, but Jay was a guy who didn’t see
the point in dragging things out. So I was Char and that was cool
with me.

“We’re walking.” I moved closer, trying to
get him to hear me.

“Through the Sierras?” he asked.

“People do it all the time. It’s called
hiking and backpacking.”

“It’s almost October. There could be
snow.”

“You’re a freakin’ bear with a thick fur
coat.” Okay, enough. We’d talked about all of this for months.
“What’s your problem?”

He sighed, picking up the first rag and
rubbing the side mirror, shining the chrome until it sparkled. “I
don’t want to leave my bike. I just got it six months ago. It’d be
perfect on 101, zipping around traffic, checking out the other
bikers on the road. I had a dream that you and I were tearing down
Route 1, the Pacific on our right, Malibu mansions up the hills to
our left. Girls in bikinis were waving at us, throwing kisses,
inviting us to join them on their beach blankets. ” He wiggled his
thick eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. It was always food, girls
and bikes with Jay. “You’ve had plenty of girlfriends.”

“Are there ever too many?”

“No matter what you dreamed about, we have a
situation. We can’t take the bike.” I whistled, and out of the
woods trotted Samson, his tongue hangin’ loose and his stubby tail
wiggling a greeting. He and Jay always got along great.

Jay scowled. “What the F is that mangy mutt
doing here?”

Except this one time. “He’s coming with us.
Unpack your bike and park it in the garage.”

“I thought you believed in dreams.” Jay got a
towel and cleaned off his hands.

“Some, but not
those
kinds,” I
teased.

“We never discussed the dog coming.”

“I know.”

“So…”

“Sinlae told me to bring him.”

“That little pixie has been bossing you
around forever.”

“That little pixie might be saving our lives
by telling me to bring Samson. I’m not taking any chances.”

“You’re just scared of her.”

“Damn right.”

I helped him wheel the bike inside the
garage. After a lot of grumbling and some rearranging of
equipment—did he really think he could hike through the Sierras
carrying a soccer ball—Jay and I got the bike parked safely and
covered with a tarp. In a few steps we were in the woods, hidden
from passing motorists or joggers.

I took hold of Jay’s shoulder and Samson’s
neck then flung us into the lines of magic that flowed between
dimensions and realms, allowing us to go where I chose in only a
heartbeat of time. The sensation was calming, but it hadn’t always
felt that way. When I first learned to use them on my own, I
suffered the same way Jay did. But time helped me adjust, and now
it was like soaking in a hot tub full of warm honey.

We landed in the Sierras, the change in
temperature a shock to our warmer body temps. While Jay moaned and
groaned, I took a look around.

Upper Kings Canyon was a remote area, with
access to the Kings River, smaller streams and plenty of game.
Hunting with firearms wasn’t allowed, but shifters in animal form
could kill for a meal, just like any other animal predator would.
Jay had his fishing license, so any fish we caught was cool to eat.
We hadn’t brought much food, just spices, hot sauce and energy and
granola bars. I knew which plants were edible, which would also
supplement our diet, and we weren’t going to be sticking around
more than a couple of weeks.

We set up camp near a small stream and took a
hike, enjoying the fresher air, the vibrant scents of a new
territory and the view of the mountains. Samson chased squirrels,
one his favorite activities at home and dug under rocks. I hoped
there weren’t any hibernating snakes.

“So where are you taking me, Char?”

“What?” I looked up from my scan of the
map.

“Ya know, see the state, check out the
views…blah, blah, blah. But where will we end up?”

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

“You have no definite plans? That’s not like
you at all.”

“Well, that’s the whole point, right?” I
picked up a flat rock and skimmed it over a stream. It hit the far
bank. “I don’t know what I’m like out in the real world. Maybe here
I’m laid back and impulsive.”

“Laid back is cool, but you’re a planner, a
thinker. You must have something hovering in the back of your
mind...something you’re maybe not telling me?”

I did, but it was too early. “If I make a
decision, you’ll be the first to know.”

Jay flattened his mouth, shrugging. “Okay.
But you can bounce your ideas off of me, ya know.” He skimmed a
rock that sank about three quarters of the way across the
stream.

“That the best you can do?”

“Winner cleans the fish?”

“Deal.”

No magic?”

“No magic.”

I won, but I helped with the fish anyway. So
did Samson. Good thing we caught four.

CHAPTER
THREE

Our trip to the city had been romantic and
restful: two “r-words” missing from our lives ever since Garrett’s
kidnapping. He’d wined and dined me with his usual flair, rented a
yacht for a sunset cruise, captain and all, booked massages and spa
treatments and spent many hours in our hotel suite tending to my
every need.

He was hiding something.

I dropped my suitcase when I saw the note on
our bed, but Garrett snatched it up before I had a chance to even
look at the name on the envelope.

“Before you read this, there’s something I
should tell you.” He glanced around the room. “Let’s sit outside on
the patio.”

“Why?” I asked, beyond curious at this
point.

“Fewer readily available weapons.”

“Those planters are heavy. I bet they can do
some real damage.”