Remus strode into Druciela’s shop. A sneer formed as he took in the new age trinkets and magical paraphernalia. It had been years since he stepped into her presence. She made sure he couldn’t have full access to his daughter, and then avoided him herself.
Druciela stood behind the counter with a cutting glare. Her hands landed on her hips. “Why on Earth are you pestering me?”
He could feel her magic cycling up as shields wound around her. Crafty bitch was always two steps ahead, protecting herself from him. How he would love to break Dru’s will and teach her real power.
“Do you realize there's a mage chasing after our daughter?”
Amusement danced through her aquamarine eyes. “Mmm, a very attractive one who has managed to treat her better than you ever treated me. Personally, I think they make a perfect match.”
“You won't stop her from making your same mistake?” he asked in all seriousness.
“Oh, he's not a mistake. Preston will give her everything she wants and needs, most importantly love. Unlike you.”
“Love. Hah. No one needs that shit. It twists you, leaving you vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Reminds me of you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Had I realized you were incapable of the emotion I would have stayed far away.”
“Did I break your heart?” he taunted.
Her eyes sparkled as she shook her head. “No. But the thing about love—when shared by two people—it can make them both better. Not always, but definitely can.”
“Believe what you will. However, your daughter is fucking a Silver Council Enforcer, and he isn't even a pure mage. That makes him dangerous.”
“Then maybe you should go back into hiding. Preston Emrys is good for my daughter. She’s finally realized you’re a worthless piece of shit who doesn’t deserve her time or attention. Goodbye, Aeremaius.”
She flung her hands forward, barking out an old incantation, forcing his body to disperse. Remus was flung through the walls. He landed in a heap on the street, narrowly missed by a car, and then only because he dematerialized.
* * * *
Preston pulled up outside his apartment and turned to Robert. “Dacia wants to help. What the fuck? I’ve been avoiding the topic of her father in her presence. She can’t possibly be aware of everything he’s done, and I’m afraid of what she’d do if she was. I’m positive she wants nothing to do with him, so why does she want to help now?”
Robert shrugged. “Let’s go inside. We can discuss it after we get your memories.”
“Think I’ll find the reason Dacia has changed her tune?”
“Maybe you cracked her exterior, and she wants to let you in.”
Preston grinned and climbed out of the car. He sure as hell hoped he scaled her walls and crept into her heart. With long strides, he hurried to the door.
Robert followed on his heels with a chuckle. “I can honestly say I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Smitten.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” Preston asked as he unwarded the door to let them inside.
“Good—I hope. Either way, you can still count on me.”
Rolling his eyes, Preston griped, “I’m not even going to ask what you think happened last night. Just get the memories.” He flopped down on the couch and laid his head against the back.
“What am I looking for? Where does your memory end?”
“Last night, at the party. Not long after we arrived, shortly after Toryn introduced us to Isadora.”
Robert sat next to him. “Remember, you asked for this.”
“Get it over with.” Preston closed his eyes.
First a gentle touch as fingers pressed against his temples. Then Robert’s consciousness entered his head, pushing through the here-and-now to dig into the past. He quickly rewound the morning’s events.
Robert jerked slightly when he got to the whirlwind and fire dancing over Dacia and Preston. Their magic bonded, swirling from one through the other, bringing them closer.
Preston was slammed back into the present. He looked over to find Robert gaping at him.
“I thought half-fae couldn’t form a mate bond?” Robert sputtered.
Preston groaned. “The fae bond is completely different than shifters. It’s not about the amount of blood. Plus, it’s pretty rare. Most fae never find their other half. There are tales of people with even less fae blood mating to full. Of course, that’s only been recorded twice that I’ve ever heard of.”
“How do you know this?” Robert asked quietly.
“I’m more than half. Mom’s a quarter. She’s something of an expert on fae, more so than your average mage.”
“Your mother’s part fae? How did no one ever find out?”
“Mom never told me. I didn’t find out until the first time I was with Opal. She healed and awakened me all at once.”
“Your mother didn’t tell you?”
Preston let out a bitter laugh. “Nope. In fact, she bound me to secrecy as soon as I confronted her about it. She doesn’t want Toryn to know about me. Now do you understand why I get so tense? I can’t say a damned word and it’s fucking awkward.”
“This changes nothing between us. Your mother, however, I’m not so sure I trust her now.”
“You’re going to have to take me to her. I need answers.”
“Yeah, I’ll take you, but first, we need your memories, and we need to check those properties.”
Preston closed his eyes again, and Robert resumed unlocking the previous night. They flowed past the sex, which went on most of the night, with only short bouts of exhausted napping.
The ride home had been interesting, as the woman could handle a stick. As if watching an old reel-to-reel film in reverse, they walked backwards into the party where Dacia was all over him.
When they got to Dacia locking her lips to Preston’s the first time, Robert slowed down. There was a lot of talking, some dancing, and then that niggling feeling. Robert further slowed the pace.
He never saw Remus, only felt him. Something splashed in his drink, but he didn’t consciously notice. Robert let the memories start moving forward and receded from his mind.
Dacia smiled and talked with those around her, relaxing as the night went on. Dizziness nudged at Preston, but he ignored it. Dacia was in a great mood, finally loosening up.
Still, Preston wanted to find that prick. He was there a moment, then gone.
Dacia leaned in and whispered against his ear, “Thank you, Preston.”
A smile pulled at his lips as he turned to nuzzle her neck, breathing in her heady scent. “For?”
“Bringing me to the one place I was sure I’d be hated, and making me feel welcomed instead.”
“How many times do I have to tell you—I want you. I wouldn’t bring you somewhere you weren't wanted, Dacia.”
“I’m learning.” She sucked his lobe into her mouth with a groan. “I can’t resist anymore.”
His cock jumped to attention, and there was no way to hide the reaction as she pressed her body to his. “Slow down, Minx. We can leave soon but we haven’t been here long and should stay for a while.”
“A short while. You’ve been so patient, I want to reward you.”
She would kill him at this rate. He’d been waiting several weeks to touch her, but he wanted her trust first.
His head buzzed, but he ignored the disconcerting sensation, enjoying the woman radiantly smiling back at him. “I don’t need a reward. I only want you.”
Her eyes sparkled as she pulled him to the group of people dancing in the living room. She pressed close, moving rhythmically against him.
Preston snapped out of the memories. “She didn’t do it, Robert.”
“I got that, and Toryn already confirmed the same,” he growled, rubbing his hand over his eyes, “but now I really need to scrub my mind clean of your damned memories.”
He couldn’t help a laugh. “Sorry, I thought I mentioned I was with Dacia last night.”
Robert stood up, pacing away as he pressed his thumb and finger against his eyes. “Not that you went at it like the Energizer bunnies on a combination of meth and Viagra the entire night. You might have had an hour of sleep if you string the bits together.”
A cocky grin spread on his face. “Can’t say I’m sorry. I thoroughly enjoyed last night, and I’m not tired.”
“Is Toryn’s mother some sex deity? Might explain a few things.”
Preston’s brow arched. “Like your trio isn’t freaky?”
Robert’s eyes skated away. “I’m not discussing my love life, thank you.”
“Always the gentleman.” Preston laughed, and Robert shot him a disgruntled look. “For fuck’s sake, I wasn’t asking. I was ribbing you, ‘cause I can. I truly don’t want to know what you three do behind closed doors. As long as you all are happy, I’m fine.”
Robert nodded. “How’s the hangover? You going to be okay for traveling?”
“Yeah, Toryn fixed the problem. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” He thrust out his hand and Robert took it.
The wind rushed through him and he heard the pop as he landed on his knees waiting for the nausea to hit. Maybe the frigid ocean air helped ease his stomach because he felt fine.
“You okay?”
Pushing to a stand, Preston nodded in confusion. Even without a hangover, it usually took a moment for his stomach to settle. “Surprisingly, yeah.”
He finally took a look around and groaned. They were standing on a ledge halfway up the steep wall of a cliff. In front of him was a drop to the Puget Sound, and behind him, a tiny trail leading into pitch black between dense evergreens.
Robert snorted. “Thought Remus was supposed to be an air fae.”
Preston shook his head. “Half, also half earth. Maybe he likes being underground. He might feel it’s safer there.” Taking a fortifying breath, he raised his hand and summoned an orb of light as he stepped into the darkness.
“You feel him?”
“He hasn’t been here today, but he comes often. The place is so full of his essence my skin is crawling.”
“And Dacia doesn’t have that effect?” Robert asked thoughtfully.
It took all Preston had not to overreact. His friend was only looking out for him. He drew a slow breath and shook his head. “Never has. She’s not all bad, Robert. Consider her father for a moment. And her mother has a strange history. Dacia has more than her share of reasons to be fucked up. Just like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Preston.”
“Same with her. So stop.”
Robert’s brow arched, but amusement danced through his eyes. “Sorry. My impression of Dacia is still tainted by the fact she tried to kill Fallon.”
Preston’s eyes narrowed in warning. “People make mistakes. She’s apologized, and more than made up for it.”
“Okay.” Robert held his hands up. “I’ll drop the subject.”
“Thank you.”
The darkness pressed in on them. It was fae magic, and not one easy to dispel. Instead, Preston focused more energy into the light floating above his hand. It expanded as he infused his energy into the orb, pushing the shadows back.
The wind rushed through him as he let out a breath. The ball burst into light-filled dust that spread out, chasing the darkness away and filling the entire place with a gentle glow.
“What was that?” Robert asked, his voice full of wonder.
Preston shook his head slowly. He knew fae mating sometimes mingled one partner’s magic with the other. Amethyst and Hayden had some of that going on, but it usually took weeks, months, or even years.
“Something to do with Dacia and you bonding?”
“Maybe. Shit—I don’t know.”
He took a look around at the illuminated room and shuddered. The entryway flowed to an open floor plan, complete with a bathroom behind a glass wall. There was a cage the right size to hold a person in the corner. A bed draped in black satins not far from that. The wall surrounding the same dark corner was littered with instruments that made Preston’s blood run cold. Especially contraptions to bind unwilling victims.
Robert stood there staring, a look of horror and disgust on his face.
Preston slapped him on the back. “And you wonder why my girl has some issues?”
He shook his head in response, his mouth opening and shutting with no words coming out. Preston knew he was likely wondering about Liz’s past.
“Word of advice, old friend. Look away and clear your mind.” Turning, Preston’s gaze landed on a desk and filing cabinets. He started for them.
Robert’s voice was barely a whisper. “Do you think that monster has hurt women here?”
He could guarantee it with the essence still coating every surface. Robert’s mind was likely on the pictures Preston found when they were hunting down his brother. There was evidence Liz had been whipped in a similar place.
“You don’t want my answer, Robert. Best to concentrate on helping me find something we can use to figure out where the hell he is.”
Preston pulled the center drawer open. Robert’s hands landed on the desktop with a thud, his breath coming in great gasps.
As much as Preston wanted to help his friend chase away the demons, they didn’t have time. “Whatever’s going through your head, you need to shove it back in your mental trunk and lock it away for now. If you need to talk later, I’m all ears.”
Robert nodded, but didn’t move as he got his breathing under control. Preston flipped through one empty drawer after another. Then turned to the locked filing cabinet. It took a simple spell to open, but only the bottom drawer had anything besides bundles of pictures he didn’t have the stomach to look through. Part of it was not wanting to know what the monster might have done to his own daughter.
Finally in control of his emotions, Robert crouched beside him. “Find anything useful?”
Preston flipped through a series of contracts, and several more deeds. He needed to sit down and actually study the documents because a lot of it was in fae languages.
“Not sure yet. I need to translate, but I’m not fluent enough to do it here. Though, this one is cause for worry. I see Dacia’s name all over it.” He held up a parchment paper that looked an awful lot like some kind of contract.
“You could ask Hayden maybe? Even Toryn.”
Preston let out a snort. “Yeah, Hayden’s still not my biggest fan. Toryn…” Preston pushed his fingers through his hair and looked Robert in the eye. “Do you have any idea how weird it is to stare at your father and know he has no clue who you are to him?”
“I can’t imagine it’s easy. I could tell him.”
Preston sighed. “I need to talk to my mother. I used to think I understood her reasoning for not wanting the secret out, but now I’m not so sure. However, she was the only one who could have told Remus, who told Dacia. That being said, why?”
“Maybe she didn’t have a choice?”
“Why didn’t she come to me? I would’ve helped.”
“I don’t have the answers, but I’ll help you get them,” Robert promised.
Preston took another look around and nodded. “Let’s get out of here. We have more places to hit, but first, let’s drop these at my place.”
“Then maybe we should pay your mother a visit.”
“Brilliant plan.”
Robert took his arm and brought them to Charleston, where they both grew up.