Rogue (Relentless Book 3)

WE SPENT THE night in another cheap motel, and for the second night in a row, I quickly succumbed to exhaustion. I had planned to contact David when we got there, but the long day of driving, followed by battling a vampire and getting stabbed, did me in. Surprisingly, I felt no ill effects from using so much power on the vampire. Every time I thought about it, the whole thing seemed unreal. I had killed a mature vampire. Me. My power wasn’t strong enough yet to do the job on its own, but I could feel it growing every time I used it.

I awoke the next morning, sweating under a pile of blankets. I sat up and pushed them off me. “What the hell? Are you guys trying to smother me?”

Jordan was sitting on the other bed watching TV. “You did that glowing thing again, and we couldn’t get you to wake up. All we could think to do was cover you up so no one would notice it.”

“Oh.” I went to the window and pushed aside the heavy drapes to see it was around midmorning. I must have been more tired than I’d realized. “Where are the boys?”

“They went to get breakfast. We weren’t sure when you would wake up, and it freaked them out a bit. Me too, actually.”

“Sorry.”

She waved a hand. “At least you’ll be handy to have around if we ever have a blackout.”

Shaking my head, I picked up my backpack and went to take a shower. I received my second surprise of the day when I pulled off the T-shirt I’d slept in and saw my shoulder was completely healed. Not healed as in the scars looked a few weeks old, but as in there wasn’t a trace of a scar at all. It usually took my body two or three days to do that.

The boys were back by the time I stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in my only clean outfit. Travelling light meant not packing a lot of clothes, and killing vampires was dirty work. We were going to have to spend some of our money on extra clothes. Plus, the coat I’d bought at the thrift shop yesterday morning was torn and covered in blood. Between hotels, food, and gas, it wasn’t going to take us long to burn through our cash. I sighed heavily. It was time to sell some of the diamonds.

We sat on the beds and discussed our plans as we devoured our fast food breakfast. It wasn’t the best breakfast we’d ever had, but it was cheap so the boys were able to buy plenty to satisfy our appetites. I was ravenous, and I caught them staring at me as I reached for my fourth hash brown patty.

I scowled at them. “What? Using all that power made me hungry.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “And cranky too, apparently.”

I muttered an apology because she was right. I’d been in a funk since I woke up and I had no reason to be. Last night, I’d killed a powerful vampire and learned where Madeline was headed next. I should be feeling pretty good, but instead I was snapping at my friends.

After breakfast, I made a few calls. The first was to David to tell him what we had learned about Madeline. He said they couldn’t find any signs she was still in Albuquerque, but that he and his friends would pick up her trail in Los Angeles.

My second call was to an old contact named Malloy, who was pretty shocked to hear from me. “Ain’t you supposed to be dead?” he asked, referring to my rumored drowning.

“I just needed a change of scenery. You know how it is.”

“It’s a cutthroat business, kid.” His loud exhale said it all. “So what can I do for you?”

“I’m headed to LA, and I need to sell a few rocks for my boss.” Malloy had always assumed I worked for someone powerful, and I was happy to let him keep believing that. “Who do you trust out there?”

He barked a laugh. “I don’t trust anyone. But you’re in luck. My brother, Jeff, does business out that way. I’ll give him a call.”

We talked for a few minutes about the stones I was selling, and he said it would probably take a few days for his brother to set something up. I agreed to call him again when I got to Los Angeles. I didn’t like the idea of dealing with strangers in unfamiliar territory, but we needed money. I’d worked with Malloy a number of times, and I trusted him as much as you could trust anyone in his business. He’d get a cut of the business he sent his brother’s way, so he would make sure it was a solid deal.

According to Google, it was about a twelve-hour drive from Albuquerque to Los Angeles. None of us were thrilled about the prospect of another long day cooped up in a car. Roland, Peter, and Jordan drew for driving shifts, and I felt bad because I couldn’t share the work, especially since they were out here for me. Roland said I’d done enough work last night and I deserved a rest, but I still felt like they were letting me off easy. I got him to stop at a convenience store where I stocked up on a ton of snacks and bottled drinks for the trip. I planned to treat us all to a nice steak dinner when we got to Los Angeles. If I got a fair price for the diamonds, we wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

It was after midnight when we finally rolled into Los Angeles. We were too tired and irritable to be excited about where we were, and we immediately found a hotel room for the night. It had two queen beds so the girls could have one and the boys the other. Within thirty minutes, everyone but me was sound asleep.

I lay there listening to the sounds of the city and watching neon lights play across the ceiling. My mind refused to turn off, and my emotions were all over the map. Disappointment over missing Madeline in Albuquerque still gnawed at me. I wondered how we were going to find her in a city this big. The vampire attack at Orias’s had made this all very real, and I worried about my friends’ safety. I was also anxious about selling the diamonds and meeting this Adele person.

And then there was the growing emptiness inside me and the sadness emanating from my demon. I knew with all of my heart that I was doing the right thing, but being away from Nikolas was much harder than I’d thought it would be. I rubbed my chest. Was it normal to feel a physical ache from missing someone? If it hurt this much being separated from your bond mate, I couldn’t imagine the pain of severing a bond.

I rolled out of bed with a groan and padded to the bathroom, grabbing my backpack on the way. Closing the door with a soft click, I took out the laptop and set it on the edge of the vanity. When it powered up, I opened the phone app and stared at it for several minutes. I’ll call Chris, just to let him know we’re okay. I was sure Chris was with Nikolas. Maybe talking to him would make me feel less lonely, knowing that Nikolas was nearby.

The number I dialed was not Chris’s. The phone rang twice. I didn’t have time to brace myself before his husky voice answered.

“Hello?”

My breath caught.

“Hello?” he said again.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

“Sara? Is that you?”

I closed my eyes against the frustration and hope in his voice. This was a mistake.

“Sara, talk to me.”

I disconnected the call and sat on the toilet with my arms wrapped tightly around me, as if that would help. The only arms I wanted around me were his.

“Stop this.” I paced the small bathroom. I was behaving like one of those lovesick girls back home who used to pine after Roland. I missed Nikolas, but getting all weepy over him wasn’t going to solve anything. I was the one who had put this distance between us, and I was just going to have to deal with it.

I stuffed the laptop in the backpack and heard the soft rustle of plastic. My hand came out holding a clear plastic bag containing a folded navy blue T-shirt. I didn’t hesitate. I pulled my T-shirt off and held up the shirt from the bag. The material was soft, and it was miles too big for me. When I slipped it over my head, it fell to mid-thigh. I lifted the material to my nose and breathed in deeply. If I closed my eyes, I could almost believe he was standing in front of me.

The room was quiet when I left the bathroom and crawled back into bed. I curled up on my side, facing the window, and closed my eyes. It was another hour before I relaxed enough to sleep, and I drifted off surrounded by his comforting scent.

* * *

“It’s about time you two got back,” Jordan blurted the second I opened the door to our hotel room. “You were gone forever.”

“It’s only been two hours.” I waited for Roland to lock the door behind us before I pulled two bundles of one hundred dollar bills from inside my coat and tossed them on the bed beside her. “A very profitable two hours.”

“Whoa!” Peter gaped at the money. “You got all that for four diamonds?”

Roland produced two more bundles of cash and tossed them next to mine. “Oh man, I wish you two had been there. That guy Garrett took one look at Sara and offered her five grand, like he was doing her a favor. You should have seen his face when Sara told him twenty or no deal. Then she told him the diamonds were at least twice what she was asking, and she knew he already had a buyer lined up. Next thing I knew, the two of them were chatting it up like old friends.”

Jordan picked up one of the bundles, turning it over in her hands as if she couldn’t believe it was real. “How did you know he had another buyer lined up?”

I shrugged off my coat and sat on the foot of the bed she and I had shared the last two nights. “Malloy told me. He also told me Garrett tries to lowball everyone at first.”

Peter stared at the bundles of cash. “Wow, I’ve never seen that much money. Is it really twenty grand?”

I flopped back on the bed, happy not to have to worry about money anymore. “Yep.”

“What are we going to do with it?” he asked. “You can’t carry around that much cash.”

“We’re going to split it up between the four of us so no one has to carry it all,” I informed him. “And we’re going to eat something besides burgers and pizza.”

“And get a better hotel?” Jordan added hopefully. “I’m not talking about the Ritz, but something that doesn’t have a neon sign would be a step in the right direction. And I’d really like not to have to share a bathroom with two boys.”

I looked around the cramped room and remembered listening to music from the bar down the street at 2:00 a.m. “Sounds like a plan. We also need to buy some clothes.”

Jordan’s eyes lit up. “Clothes?”

I laughed and sat up. “We’re not going to Rodeo Drive. But you and I could use a few extra tops and jeans.”

“Not to mention outfits for tonight.” She waved at my clothes. “You can’t wear that to a place like Blue Nyx.”

“I guess you’re right.” The last thing I cared about was dressing up to go out, but we needed to blend in when we went to the nightclub.

Excitement curled in my stomach. Two days ago when we’d gotten to Los Angeles, we’d learned that Adele, the proprietor of Blue Nyx, was out of town and not due back until tonight. I was hoping she could tell me something about Madeline. We were close; I could feel it in my gut.

“Of course I’m right.” She jumped off the bed with a gleam in her eyes that I had come to dread. “What are you lying around for? We have shopping to do.”

I groaned and let her pull me to my feet. “Okay, but I’m telling you right now I draw the line at wearing a dress. I don’t care how hot you think it looks.’

Two hours later, I was threatening to strangle Jordan with the next scrap of cloth she claimed was “club wear.” Those outfits might be what everyone was wearing, but they were definitely not me, and no amount of coaxing or bullying was going to get me into one of them.

I tossed one of the offending dresses over the dressing room door at her. “What the heck, Jordan? I wear more than this to bed.”

She snickered loudly, enjoying herself way too much.

“I’m getting this.” I opened the door and held up a pair of skinny black pants and a loose green sleeveless top. The top was pretty without looking like a second skin, and I’d just found a nice pair of black boots that would go great with the outfit.

Jordan looked it over with a critical eye. “It’s still a bit overdressed, but I guess it’ll have to do.”

“Overdressed?” I gave her a hard look. “Are we done now?” We’d already purchased some jeans and tops for everyday wear along with a few other necessities. I had one more stop planned for today – if we ever finished trying on clothes.

“Almost. You need one more outfit, maybe two, before we go.” She headed for the checkout with me close at her heels.

“More outfits? What for?”

She smiled over her shoulder. “Don’t sound so worried. You’ll like these.”

“I doubt it.”

Outside, she pulled me down the street to another shop. I stopped struggling when I saw the mannequins in the window were wearing jeans and tank tops, and there wasn’t a skimpy dress in sight.

“People like Orias and that guy, Garret, don’t take you seriously because you look like you just walked out of a high school. You need to start dressing like the badass chick you are.” She pushed open the door. “I think you’ll find something in here more to your taste.”

Jordan was right on both counts. I did like the store, and I did need a wardrobe change. I was tired of people not taking me seriously. Hoodies weren’t going to cut it anymore.

By the time we left the shop, I had splurged on several pairs of dark jeans, some tank tops, a pair of black combat boots, and a soft, black bomber-style leather jacket. I had to admit the clothes had looked pretty damn good on me when I’d modeled them for Jordan.

“You’re actually smiling,” Jordan said as we walked to the car. “I told you you’d like that last place.”

“You were right. It was time for a change.”

She gasped dramatically. “What? Did… did you just admit I was right? I feel faint.”

We laughed as we dropped our bags in the trunk. It struck me that this was the most normal outing I’d had in months, and the first time I had ever gone shopping with another girl. And I was actually enjoying myself.

Jordan started the car. “Hotel?”

“Actually, we have one more stop.” I pulled a slip of paper from my pocket and read off the address I’d written down last night.

“Where are we going?” Jordan asked.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll like it.”

“Really?” Her face glowed with excitement. “Are we going to kill something nasty?”

I snorted. “Out of all the things we could do in LA, you come up with that one?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “You said I’d like it, and you always seem to find the bad guys. Or they find you.”

“Well it’s not that, but I’m pretty sure you’ll like it even more.”

It was her turn to snort. “More than killing things? Doubt it.”

“Bloodthirsty much?”

We pulled up in front of a two-story pawnshop with bars on the windows and colorful graffiti across the brick front. Jordan leaned forward, peering at the building. “A pawnshop? Is this some kind of payback for the dresses?”

“Nope.” I grinned because I couldn’t wait to show her what waited for us inside. “Come on.”

The shop was empty except for a middle-aged employee sitting behind the counter, playing solitaire with a deck of cards. The balding man gave us a dismissive glance and went back to his game. I walked up to him and tapped the counter to get his attention. The tag on his shirt had the name Rick on it.

“Hi, Mr. Garrett sent me.”

Rick’s bald head jerked up. “Mr. Garrett?”

I took a business card from my back pocket and slid it across the counter. The man’s eyes followed it and as soon as he saw the name, he straightened up and gave me an ingratiating smile.

“Of course. Come with me.” He ducked out from behind the counter, hurried over to lock the door, and put up the closed sign. Then he motioned for us to follow him to a set of stairs leading to the basement. “You don’t look like Mr. Garrett’s usual customers.”

“Sara,” Jordan hissed in my ear. “What is going on?”

I tossed her a grin over my shoulder before I started down the stairs. “You’ll see.”

At the bottom, Rick crossed the basement and entered a combination to unlock a heavy door at the other end. He flipped a switch just inside the door and waved us in.

“Wha –?” Jordan’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew round. She whirled to face me. “Is… this for real?”

I couldn’t contain my laughter. “Enjoy.”

She flung herself at me, almost knocking me over. “You are the most amazing friend in the whole fucking world!”

“Uh, Jordan, you’re crushing my ribs,” I wheezed.

“Sorry.” She stepped back, and I could have sworn I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes before she turned away. The happiness on her face was worth the extra diamond I’d given Garrett for access to the contents of this room. Jordan had been such a great friend to me at Westhorne, and then coming with me on this journey to God only knew where. She’d earned this.

I let my gaze roam over the large array of weapons covering every bit of wall space in the room. One whole wall held nothing but guns, from handguns to semi-automatic weapons and even a grenade launcher. Seriously? Who the heck needed a grenade launcher in Los Angeles?

I followed Jordan past the guns to the interesting stuff. Garrett had not been exaggerating when he’d told me about his supply of weapons. I saw swords of every shape and size, daggers, staffs, whips, axes, throwing knives and stars, and things I had no name for. There were half a dozen crossbows of different sizes, flamethrowers, and enough ammo to arm a platoon.

Rick followed us into the room, talking on his cell phone. He hung up and gave me a smile. “Mr. Garrett says you’re all paid up and to take what you agreed on.”

Jordan stared at us. “Seriously?”

I nodded. “Within reason. And no guns.”

She let out a squeal and headed straight for the swords, just as I knew she would. Jordan was a purist when it came to weapons. In her mind, nothing but a finely-crafted sword was good enough for a warrior. I watched her lift a beautiful katana from the wall and heft it in both hands, getting a feel for it. Her movements were practiced and smooth as she sliced the blade through the air.

“Perfect!”

“Don’t you think you should get something smaller? That thing will be kind of conspicuous if you carry it around.”

“Can’t I get two? Pretty please. I have to have this sword, Sara. It was made for me.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Fine. Go crazy.”

Leaving Jordan in a blissful haze, I went to pick out some weapons for myself. I avoided the swords because I’d be more likely to cut my own head off than someone else’s. I already had my silver dagger, but it never hurt to have an extra. I chose two smaller ones that I could tuck inside a boot or under my clothes. My power was my real weapon, but it wasn’t strong enough yet to kill a vampire. I could incapacitate them for a minute, but I still needed a blade to finish them off.

It had struck me as odd that I hadn’t sensed a single vampire since we got to LA, but I knew they were here somewhere. A city this size was bound to have a lot of them, and with my track record, I’d be meeting some sooner or later.

A small black crossbow caught my eye and I picked it up. It was light and tiny compared to the other crossbows on the wall, and it felt good in my hands. “How do you use this thing?”

Jordan came over and showed me the basic workings of the weapon. She inserted a small arrow, cocked it, and fired at a target hanging on the far wall. The arrow hit the target a few inches off center. She cocked the crossbow again and gave it back to me. “Give it a try.”

I lined up the small scope with the target and pulled the trigger. The arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself an inch from the bullseye.

“Not bad.” Jordan loaded another arrow into the crossbow. “Take another shot.”

My second arrow nicked the bullseye. My third one hit dead center. My fourth one bounced off the center one and skidded across the floor.

“Damn, you have crazy aim.” She took the bow and hefted it in one hand. “It’s small and light. If we had some silver-tipped arrows, this would be a great weapon for you.”

“It’s too big to conceal.”

She pointed at the sword she had been admiring. “So is that, but I’m getting it.”

Rick interrupted us. “I believe there are silver-tipped arrows in the ammo chest.”

Jordan grinned and nudged my shoulder with hers. “Every girl needs a few accessories to go with her new outfits.”

Forty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of our new hotel where we’d left the boys earlier. Between the two of us we managed to lug the shopping bags and a large black duffle bag full of weapons to our room. Jordan dropped her bags on the floor and flopped down on her bed while I knocked on the door of the adjoining room to let the boys know we were back. Roland raised an eyebrow when he saw all the shopping bags, but he soon forgot them when I showed him and Peter the contents of the duffle bag.

He held up a belt of small throwing knives. “What are you going to do with all of this?”

Jordan sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “A girl can never have enough weapons.”

“I really hope we don’t need to use any of this,” said Peter as he poked around in the bag.

I picked up one of the small silver daggers I’d gotten for myself. “So do I.” But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

* * *

Blue Nyx wasn’t like any of the other nightclubs we’d driven past on our way here. There was no flashy sign to attract clubbers and no lineup outside the door. It was a nondescript brick building with a plain steel door bearing no decoration. In fact, if it wasn’t for the small blue letters painted above the door, we would not have known we were at the right place. We couldn’t even hear music until we stood in front of the door, and even then it was very faint.

Jordan tried the handle and found it locked. She rapped on the steel door and took a hasty step back as the heavy door swung outward. I think we all gasped as the biggest man I’d ever seen towered over us. He must have been seven feet tall with a blond buzz cut and dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched across his massive chest and arms. With his flat nose, wide forehead, and small dark eyes, he reminded me of a picture of an ogre I’d seen in a book at Westhorne. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did have ogre in his blood.

“Holy crap, you could bench press a bus,” I blurted.

His thin lips twitched, and his gaze settled on me before sweeping over my friends. I wasn’t sure what he was checking for, but he looked satisfied by whatever he did or didn’t see. He stepped back, still holding the door open with one hand, and waved us in. We had to walk under his arm, and he was so tall none of us had to duck. That seemed to amuse the bouncer because he chuckled. I looked up and caught a flash of fang. Definitely ogre.

We walked down a short hallway where another bouncer, almost as big as the first one, stood in front of a second door. “Talk about security,” I muttered to Jordan, who nodded.

At first glance, Blue Nyx was like the nightclubs I’d seen in movies. There was a crowded dance floor and a long bar where three bartenders rushed to fill orders. Waitresses in tiny black dresses maneuvered through the tables and couches that surrounded the dance floor, carrying trays of colorful drinks. In one corner a DJ sat on a raised platform surrounded by equipment while loud music pumped through the club’s sound system in synch with the colored strobe lights. A staircase curved upward to the second floor where people milled near the railing, talking and watching the gyrating bodies below.

Even before my eyes had time to adjust to the lights, I knew this place was nothing like those other clubs. My senses were assailed by the different kinds of magic that permeated the air, filling my nose and raising gooseflesh on my arms. Magic pulsed with the music like a living thing and made me want to move with it. It was a heady sensation.

My power twitched, wanting to break free, and not just because of the other magic. There were demons here.

But not just demons. Scanning the dance floor, I could barely keep my jaw up at the sight of the diverse group of people. Tall, slender elven women with long blond hair and pointed ears rubbed against faerie males. A nymph in an almost transparent dress did a slow sensual dance, surrounded by five men who could only be dwarves. A werewolf couple was engaged in a heavy make-out session, oblivious to the people moving around them. At least, I suspected they were weres based on the hair I saw sprouting along their arms. Four gray-skinned mox demons danced in a small group at the edge of the dance floor, and a vrell demon who reminded me of Kelvan danced with a blue-haired girl who raised her hands in the air and shot blue sparks from her fingertips. There were other people who I suspected were demons and a number of humans too, and they all moved together in a mass of sweaty, undulating bodies.

My face grew warm just watching the dancers, and I didn’t even want to imagine what was happening on the couches in the darker corners of the club. I looked at my friends to gauge their reactions and found Roland and Peter gawking at the nymph while Jordan looked the faerie males up and down. I shook my head. “Roland, if your tongue hangs any lower it’ll be on the floor.”

He gave me a goofy grin. “Why don’t we have clubs like this back home?”

“Or men who look like that?” Jordan said with a gusty sigh, still staring at the faeries.

I followed her gaze, but when I looked directly at the faeries, their outlines blurred for several seconds. One second they were muscled with blond hair and handsome faces, and in the next they were slender and blue-skinned with long black hair and pointed ears. Once I focused all I saw were the blue bodies. It hit me what I was seeing and I let out a laugh. “Um, Jordan, you know that thing where I can see through glamours? Trust me, those guys aren’t your type.”

She slanted a look at me. “You’re kidding.”

“Not unless you like your men blue and pointy-eared.”

“Pixies? Shit. That is so wrong.”

“You can’t trust a faerie.” I smirked at her. “Trust me.”

She punched my arm. “All right, smartass, let’s go find this Adele chick.”

I had to nudge Roland and Peter twice to drag their eyes away from the dance floor. “Men,” I muttered, even though I was beginning to suspect the magic I sensed in the room might be partly responsible for the promiscuous behavior of the people there.

Roland showed off the dimples that had charmed many girls back home. “Come on, Sara. Live a little.” He looked over his shoulder at the nymph. “Try something new.”

“No, thanks.” All I was interested in was talking to Adele and finding out if she knew where Madeline was. The club scene was not my thing, even if the people in this one were fascinating. I just wanted to get what I came for and leave.

We made our way to the bar, and I waved down one of the bartenders who, surprisingly, turned out to be human. I asked him if Adele was here, and he said she usually got in around eleven, which wasn’t for another forty-five minutes. Jordan and I ordered sodas and the boys got beers to sip while we waited. A few people approached us for dances, but we decided to stick together. The place didn’t look dangerous, but trouble had a way of finding us.

Before long I noticed a tall, well-built, blond faerie with dark blue eyes and finely chiseled features watching us. I squinted to see beneath his glamour, and I was surprised to find there wasn’t one. Our eyes met, and he smiled and started toward us. I suppressed a groan. Aine was the only faerie I’d met and she was very good to me. But it was common knowledge that faeries in general were nothing but trouble. They were bored immortals always looking for amusement, and they had rather unbridled appetites for fun and pleasure.

“I did not expect to find such fresh young beauties at Adele’s tonight,” the faerie said when he reached us.

My eyebrow rose. “Does that line really work?”

Instead of being offended, he laughed huskily. “Most of the time.”

I couldn’t help it, I smiled back. Stupid faerie charm.

“I am Eldeorin.” He extended a hand, and I took it automatically.

“Sara.” I studied his face. His voice sounded vaguely familiar to me even though I was sure we had never met. “Excuse me; do I know you from somewhere?”

Eldeorin’s grip was firm and he covered my hand with his other one. “We haven’t formally met, but I’d know you anywhere, little Cousin. I tended you when you were in Faerie.”

“You healed me?” Memories surfaced of soothing faceless voices I thought I had dreamed. “I remember hearing your voice…”

His smile widened. “I stayed with you until you were through the worst of it. I have never seen anyone fight to live as hard as you did. And here you are.” His gaze moved past me to my friends, who were oddly quiet. “You keep unusual company, but I can see why. Your friends are quite fetching.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to introduce him to the others. Roland and Peter stared at him with a mix of fascination and wariness. Eldeorin turned his dazzling smile on them, and I saw a glazed look enter Roland’s eyes.

“Hey!” I smacked Eldeorin on the arm. “None of that faerie mojo on my friends.”

“I apologize. I got carried away.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Is he…?”

“No.”

Eldeorin sighed. “Pity.”

I made the introductions. Roland and Peter nodded, and I had a feeling that neither of them realized how close they had been to falling under a faerie’s charm. I’d have to watch Eldeorin and make sure he didn’t try it again. Cousin or not, faeries had their reputation for a reason.

Eldeorin turned his attention to Jordan, who took a step back. I stared at her pained expression in confusion for several seconds before it dawned on me that her Mori probably wasn’t too happy to be close to a full-blooded faerie.

“My apologies, Mohiri,” Eldeorin said to her. She merely nodded in reply.

Just then a group of faerie males paused behind Roland and Peter. Eldeorin gave them a small shake of his head. One of the faeries gave me a disappointed smile before they moved on.

“Hey!” Roland spun around to stare after the departing faeries. “Someone just grabbed my ass.”

I bit back a smile. “Roland, no one here wants to grab your butt.”

“I would. It is a very nice one,” Eldeorin said.

“What?” Roland croaked. The look on his face was priceless.

“Well, you did say we should live a little,” I said. “Maybe try something new.”

Panic filled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant!”

Laughter burst from me, and it took me a full minute to be able to speak. “We’re just messing with you, Roland.”

He did not look convinced.

Peter glanced around warily. “It’s five after eleven. Shouldn’t that woman be here by now?”

“What woman?” Eldeorin asked.

“Adele. We came here to talk to her.” I looked for the bartender I’d spoken to earlier.

Eldeorin’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Now why would you young people want to see Adele?”

“It’s business,” Jordan stated coolly, not bothering to hide her dislike for the faerie.

Eldeorin’s rich laugh drew the attention of several human women nearby and they smiled appreciatively at him. “I know what kind of business Adele deals in, and I doubt the four of you would want any part of it.”

I shrugged. “I need to talk to her; that’s all.”

“Then allow me.” He waved toward the stairs. “Adele and I are old friends, and I’d be happy to take you to her.”

I hesitated. “Why do you want to help us?”

His smile dimmed. “I am helping you, little Cousin, because you are too innocent for your own good. I could not permit you to face someone like Adele on your own. She has sweet little things like you for lunch.”

A cold tingle ran up the back of my neck. “I really hope you are speaking figuratively and not literally.”

“It is all a matter of perspective. You need not worry. She will behave herself if I accompany you.” He pointed to the stairs again. “Shall we?”