Casually Cursed (31 page)

I chewed on my lip. Had Shakes made it out? Faeries never liked smoke. He could’ve had a coughing fit or gotten lost in the vents. What if he hadn’t heard me over the alarms and had gotten caught in one of the grids? I tucked my hair behind my ears.

I couldn’t go back for him. If he’d been caught, I’d have to think of a way to get him out later.

I called Bryn. He picked up on the first ring.

“We’re out. We need to drop our friends at the airport and then leave London. Could you start packing us up?”

There was silence for a moment as Bryn digested the news. “You did it? You actually got them out?”

“Yes.”

“You really are . . . amazing.”

“Thanks. See you in a few minutes.”

Bryn had sounded so surprised, which surprised me. If he hadn’t thought my plan would work, why had he let me go alone?

Realization dawned. He might have considered it the lesser of two evils. If I’d been arrested, the trip to the Never would’ve been delayed. Presumably he would’ve come up with some argument or plan to get me released . . . eventually.

Oh, Bryn. Things are never simple, are they?

At the hotel, I paid the driver and we went to the room. As soon as I closed the door, Edie lifted the glamour by taking off her necklace. The spell faded instantly. It was startling to see her and Andre shift appearance.

“Impressive,” Bryn said.

“Truly,” Andre agreed, blowing his thinning hair out of his eyes. It had been gray and pulled back into a neat bun a moment before.

Edie made a little bow. “What’s next, biscuit?”

“You fly back to Texas. Andre goes with you. I have to visit Kismet’s hometown one more time.”

“I’ll come along, just as far as the front gate, in case your dear granny decides to chase after you,” Edie said.

I paused, not sure whether to argue. The truth was that if the Conclave chased us to Scotland, we might need help. And we might definitely need help if the wolves weren’t cooperative and decided instead to attack us.

“It’d be safer for you to go home,” I said.

“When have I ever been interested in doing what’s safe? Honestly,” Edie said, mixing herself a cocktail.

“You’ll be more helpful sober,” I said.

“Who says?” she asked, chugging her drink. She made another, but that one she gave to Andre, who still looked shell-shocked.

“There is no going back. They’ll hunt us for the rest of our days,” he said.

“Not true. There was no camera footage. No eyewitnesses saw us do anything. Relax. The lawyer will get us off. Won’t you, candylegger?” Edie said, sipping a fresh cocktail.

Bryn clapped Andre on the shoulder. “It’ll be all right,” he said, not convincing anyone.

“Here,” Edie said, tapping the bottom of the glass in Andre’s hand.

He murmured something in German and then gulped it down.

“Better?” she asked.

“Nein.”

“Give it a minute,” she said with a wink, and then kissed him on the mouth.

His brows rose.

“Something else to think about,” she said lightly. “Hey, where’s the cowboy?”

I frowned, noting that she’d thought about Zach right after kissing someone. “I don’t actually know. He’s got his own agenda.”

“And it’s reprehensible,” Bryn said. “Tell her,” he added, zipping his bag closed. “For once your aunt may agree with me about something.”

EDIE DID AGREE
that Zach’s intention to wipe out most of the world’s magic sucked. She wanted to know whether I believed that Kismet had actually lost the real wolf amber or, if not, where I thought she might have hidden it.

“I have no idea.”

“That’s too bad. If we were able to offer the Association an authentic amber artifact, things might go better for us,” Andre said as we walked through the Scottish woods toward the pub.

“Forget the Association,” Edie said. “If we had that amber, the war with the fae could tip in our favor forever.”

“We’re not at war with the fae,” I said.

“You’re planning to lead wolves into the Never. You think that’ll end in a cocktail party?” she said dryly.

“You must think so. It’s what you’re dressed for,” I retorted, glancing at her geometric-print pewter-and-silver satin dress and heels. Had she packed any jeans at all? Edie might not have worn them in her time, but surely Vangie had had some in her wardrobe.

“Hey, impostor girl, where are you going?” a small voice asked.

I turned and found Royal hovering near my head.

“Hi, there. I’m looking for the werewolves.”

“Madness!” He touched down on my shoulder and stood with his chubby arms folded across his chest. “Wait, do you have something they want? Did she arrange . . . ? No, no. She’d have come herself. She’d show off that she could get close without getting caught. Doing it this way, walking right in, you’re going to be captured—oh, right now!” He sprang off my shoulder and went straight up in the air.

A group of men emerged from the woods on all sides of our little walking party. Andre muttered in German and raised a hand, ready to cast a spell.

“No, no. Remember we’re here to negotiate,” I said, pushing his forearm down to his side. “We’re here with a proposal.”

The young men closed in so they were arranged with two behind us, two on the sides, and two in front, like soldiers.

“Keep walking,” one said, and we did.

We were herded into a clearing with a large fire pit in the center. The young man who had shouted at Kismet on the wall in Killarney stood, and the gruff muscular man who was their leader strode around the pit to us. He seemed preoccupied with Edie, who fingered a plant growing within the decaying bark of a fallen tree.

I stepped forward and cleared my throat. He glanced at the others, then back at me.

I explained that I believed they’d lost something important to them, and that if they’d assist us in liberating my imprisoned sister, we’d give it to them.

“No!” Royal shouted. “She’d never trade it back to them! She told the amber bearer what to do. Run, wolf! There are mountains and woods the world over where you could live.”

The young guy folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. Had this man been the one who’d lost the amber to my sister?

The leader put a hand on my throat, but he didn’t squeeze as he had the first time I’d met him. The other men in the clearing crouched, ready to pounce. Each faced a member of our group, with two on Bryn and me. I suppose I should’ve been flattered that they thought that in addition to their leader they’d need two more to subdue me.

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said calmly. “My name is Tammy Jo Trask. I’m visiting from Texas. In America,” I said, thrusting out a hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

The leader blinked. The young man looked startled for a moment; then he laughed. He strode forward and put his left hand on the leader’s shoulder and then shook my hand with his right.

“I’m Acton of the Silver Loch Clan. I was amber bearer until your sister relieved me of the honor. This is my brother, Elhard, our chieftain. He would normally be more welcoming, but if we don’t get the amber back by Sunday, I’ll be punished for its loss.”

“What’s the punishment?” I asked, grimacing.

The silence that greeted me made me shake my head—something real bad then. “Well, we can help each other. If you don’t mind risking your lives to get it back.”

“You can’t promise them the amber! You don’t have it!” Royal exclaimed.

“I know where it is.”

“You don’t! She’d never have told you!” Royal shouted, thrusting his arms out.

Edie flung a handful of dirt and leaves into the air, whispering a spell. A gust made Royal tumble feet over head and strike a tree. Bryn’s magic and two wolves leapt up to grab him, but as he fell, a blur of buzzing fur caught him and dragged him away.

Shakes in his squirrel fur clothes! He got out and is okay!

Elhard nodded in the direction of the fleeing faeries, and several werewolves shifted and burst into the woods in pursuit. Elhard walked to Edie.

“What’s your name?”

“That depends. Are you planning to act like a man? Or a rabid dog?”

“Edie!” I snapped.

Elhard tossed his head, his wild dark hair flowing over his shoulders. “That depends. Are you planning to act like a woman? Or a wicked witch?”

She smirked, her green eyes sparkling. “Evangeline. Evie to my friends. Ms. Rhodes and I’d imagine other names to my enemies.”

He didn’t smile, but he inhaled in a way that wasn’t wholly unfriendly. She interested him; that was for sure. But then, I was just starting to realize that Edie had that same thing Aunt Mel had, where men were concerned: They noticed her and couldn’t stop noticing her, even when they wanted to.

“Well, Miss Evie Rhodes, welcome to the Highlands.” He turned back to me. “I reject your offer, since it’s pretty clear that you don’t have the amber. Your sister hid it, and I suspect that that pudgy pixie is the only one besides her who knows where it is.”

“Where is your sister?” Acton asked.

“Here,” I said, holding out my phone. “This was taken this morning. Look at the date on the paper.”

There was a picture of me in the same outfit I was wearing, and I held a copy of
The Times
newspaper with the date showing and the amber resting in my hand.

He enlarged the picture, studying it carefully. The picture had been Bryn’s idea, and it turned out to be a really good one.

“That faery might have known where she hid it originally, but I took it from my sister yesterday.”

“It rightfully belongs to the werewolf clans of the world. You expect us to negotiate for the return of property stolen from us?” Elhard demanded, a growl rumbling in his chest.

“Well, considering that you stole it to begin with, yep,” I said.

“We never stole it. That sacred rock has been passed down and protected by wolf clans around the globe for a thousand years.”

“And before that it belonged to the faeries and was stolen by witches.”

“That’s rubbish!” Elhard said.

“Who’s holding your sister prisoner?” Acton asked.

“The faery queen,” I replied.

“Her own queen? Why? Has she gone rogue?” Elhard asked.

“I’ll go with you,” Acton said.

“What?” Elhard snapped, turning his head sharply to look at his brother. “Her own kind have turned against her, likely for a good reason, and it’s no concern of ours.”

“Yes, it is,” I said. “Because part of the reason she’s been in trouble with the queen is that she didn’t return the wolf amber to the Never the way she was supposed to. And I think there was something else she was supposed to do that she didn’t. She was supposed to kill the werewolf who was guarding it. But she didn’t. She let you live,” I said to Acton.

The words tumbled out of me and I knew they were true. Something had happened between him and Kismet. I could feel it.

“Aye, it’s true. She had silver-tipped arrows. She could’ve used them, but didn’t.”

“You were wounded. She stole that relic knowing full well you’d be killed at the next gathering when it was discovered that you’d lost it. You said as much under the ale’s influence when they took the arrows from your flank,” Elhard said.

“She wasn’t going to let you die at any gathering, Acton,” I said. “She had a plan. It’s why she didn’t take the amber back into the Never. Deep down she’s got a good heart, and she thought you were worth saving,” I said softly.

Acton nodded. “She helped me. She got the amber because she caught me off guard and I was already wounded. Some wolf cubs had gone missing. We thought they’d just wandered off and would make their way home, but I came across an ominous combination: the scent of wolf blood and Drakkar cologne. Some vampires douse themselves in perfumes to cover the smell of their dead flesh.” He grimaced, wrinkling his nose. “Maybe I should have returned to the pack to gather a force, but I was on the scent of our children’s blood; I couldn’t turn back.”

“You never said,” Elhard murmured.

“The boys would’ve been shamed. They could never have risen within the clan if it had been known they’d gotten themselves captured and bitten by vamps.”

“So the faery caught you after your battle with the vampires? She’s got the devil’s luck. And his personality. She seized the amber and left, aye?” Elhard asked.

“No. She was on the coven’s trail before me. It was a big nest of them. Two dozen gypsy vamps moving fast, feeding off werewolf blood to give them extra power. The fae girl cut their number in half.” He rubbed his whiskers and smiled. “As a fighter, she’s sublime. Flows like a river. No hesitation. Moves like a force of nature, too, by instinct. They say the fae knights are fast, but that they’re like vampires, full of strategy and calculation. Cold-blooded. Not her. Not that I saw. She wasn’t blind rage, but she was fury.”

“So she’s a bonny fighter. And maybe we owe her a debt. But the wolf amber is too dear a price to pay.”

“Aye, I know that. I’m sworn to protect it, and if killing her would bring it back, I’d have done it. But so far she’s never had it on her. And you know we’ve searched these woods and much farther. None of us can find it. Maybe it’s hidden in the Never. I’ll go and see.”

“Just like that?” Elhard said. “When they’ve tricked our cubs into going in and left their bastard changelings in their place? Have any of those pups ever returned? Maybe that girl fought the vampires to steal their quarry for the faeries. Did you ever think of that?”

“No, because she had me incapacitated. She could’ve taken the cubs if she’d wanted. Instead she ordered the trees to hide and protect us until I was strong enough to run. After she was gone, the cubs didn’t wait. They carried me home and said what I told them to say: that they’d been away hunting and they’d found me down.”

Elhard frowned. “You should’ve told the whole truth.”

Acton shrugged.

“I’ve taken a human being into the Never and brought him back out,” I said. “Anybody who comes in with us, I give my word we’ll make sure he gets back out.”

“I’ll come as well.” It was the werewolf who’d been injured.

I waved at him. “It’ll be dangerous. It should probably be men without kids.”

The men exchanged glances and smirked. “Then you’d have almost no one to go along. Wolf pups are more precious than the amber, and almost as rare. Every wolf does his best to father as many as possible as soon as the girls will have him.”

My brows shot up. “Big families, huh?”

“Not as big as we’d like. Children of magic are rare. You’ll know that yourself, I’d imagine.”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve heard that magical lines are dying out. Protecting the ambers is more important than ever, I think.”

Everyone was quiet, watching Elhard.

He finally said, “Aye. That’s so.”