Priscilla took a deep breath as she thought about calling her son. Preston wanted to protect her. She knew that, but he couldn’t this time. It was her turn to help him.
Remus was nearby, and he wanted revenge.
She was on her morning run when she felt his eyes slide over her.
Maybe she should have stayed in touch with Preston. She hadn’t talked to him since the day he showed up at the diner. He had enough on his plate, and she was legitimately worried that her secret would come back to bite them both, so she’d been lying low, avoiding her restaurant.
Stupid move? Perhaps. Robert was a brilliant man, and would always be on Preston’s side. She knew that deep down, but she had heard enough criticism for her choices over the years.
Priscilla slipped into the hidden tunnel and wove a spell around the entrance. Once shadows wrapped around her, and drowned out the sound, she made a call to the only man who knew her secret all along.
Leon answered quickly. “Morning, Priscilla. You do realize it’s the ass-crack of dawn on the West Coast, right?”
“Apologies, old friend, but I need to talk.”
“Always do, and it generally leaves me between a rock and a hard place.”
“At least the secret’s finally out. I know you’ve hated keeping things quiet, but I had my reasons.”
“You tend to be right more often than not. Now, why are you calling before the sun has risen?” There was a note of suspicion in his deep voice.
“Remus is watching me. Not this very moment, but he’s near. I’m going to need your help, and you’re going to hate me for what I’m about to ask.”
“I could never hate you, darling. You’ve been a good friend over the years. Your methods may not be what I would choose, but they do get results.”
She took a slow breath, and decided her fate. “Remus is going to kidnap me. I’m going to let him, but he’ll not have the pleasure he wants. I’ll be well warded, and drive him with illusions to keep him moving.”
“Wait, think about this, Pris. He doesn’t have full use of his favorite weapon. That’s likely to make him take out his frustrations on you. He won’t rein himself in.”
“Don’t worry about me. He needs me, and he’s going to find he can’t rouse me until he gets where he’s going. I’m going to push him until he gets there. Things are going to happen to make him keep moving. He has a van. I don’t expect it to take him more than two days to get back to Washington.”
“Why Washington?” he asked.
“Everything he wants is there. Princess Isadora, Toryn, Dacia, and my son. He’s going to try to do as much damage as possible. I need you to be there. For Preston at the very least. He’s going to take what he sees hard, but it will be okay.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Remus is a simple creature, goal driven, and he doesn’t have what he wants. He won’t kill me while I’m useful, and I won’t give him time to play. Do you trust me?”
“Fuck, unfortunately. At least you’ll get the results, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like your methods any more than anyone else.”
“Please, Leon, I need your help. You’re the only one I can trust not to interfere before I’m ready to make my move.”
“Tell me what I need to do.”
* * * *
Remus moved silently toward the trailhead. He’d expected her to make an appearance already.
He’d slept on the plane from France to the States, and plotted on the flight to Charleston. He already had the vehicle, and had arranged special accommodations for his soon-to-be traveling companion.
Now where the fuck is she?
Steady footfalls approached. She wasn’t even out of breath. He reached out to touch her arm and whispered the spell. As Priscilla fell forward, he scooped her up and quickly carried her to the van, where he secured her in the enchanted cage.
He ran his hand over her body, looking for hidden weapons, but found none. He was tempted to wake her long enough to cause some pain for the ride, but there wasn’t time.
Sooner or later someone would notify the Silver Council about his presence, and her disappearance. He did his best to cover his trail, but there were eyes and ears everywhere.
The Others of Earth always sided with the Silver Council as if they were the true ruling force. Even exiled fae were on their side, turning their back on true royalty.
At present he was exiled, but certainly not on the Council’s side. They promised to hand him over to the Elder Guard. Very few had the gall to oppose them. Remus wouldn’t normally, but after his sister’s betrayal, he had no choice.
He climbed out of the van and shut the door in time for another runner to go by. Pity he didn’t have time to enjoy his prey. There would be plenty of opportunity to pay the bitch back for the months of recuperation after they first met.
* * * *
Toryn sat at his desk at the security firm he ran with a couple long-time friends. His phone rang. “Hi, Leon. How’s Lisanna?”
“She’s good. I’m going to miss her for the next few days. On my way up there, in case you need me. I received word Remus made it to New York. From there he hopped a plane down to Charleston where he paid cash for a van outfitted for god only knows what.” The words were out in a tumble.
Toryn’s brow arched. “What else do you know?”
“That’s it.”
“You’re leaving something out. I can feel it.”
“You’re the clairvoyant one, not me.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he groaned. What’s in Charleston? “Shit. He has her, doesn’t he?”
“Has who?” Leon calmly asked. He’d always been able to lie without raising suspicion.
“Priscilla. And don’t you fucking tell me you don’t know who that is, or that you didn’t know she was there. It’s no secret you keep in contact with her, and knowing now that you’ve always considered Preston a friend, it makes a lot of damned sense.”
“Yeah, she lives there. That doesn’t mean she’s the reason he went to Charleston.”
“What do you know, Leon? If he has her, she’s in danger.”
“I don’t know anything more than he went to Charleston. I’m coming to help defend against whatever he has planned.”
Toryn slammed his hand on the desk. He wasn’t getting more out of Leon. Chances were Priscilla had found a way to force him into secrecy. Again.
* * * *
Preston hung up the phone, the new information a kick in the stomach. He looked to Robert. “I need to know if Remus has her.”
Robert stood there, watching as he had the whole phone call, never saying a word. “First you need to tell me what’s going on,” he answered rationally.
Shoving his fingers through his hair he paced away and relayed all the information Toryn had about Remus landing in New York, flying to Charleston, buying a fucking blacked-out van.
Only thing back in South Carolina was his mother, who’d humiliated Remus once before. The possibilities crawling through his mind left him nauseated. He took a deep breath. “Take me, please,” he said forcefully.
Robert nodded. “I will, but we’re going to be too late.”
“I fucking know that!”
“Then why are we going?”
“Leon is the one who called with the information. Leon knows. I swear, he fucking does. I need to find out what I can about why she disappeared because Leon isn’t going to tell me. She probably did something to ensure that.”
“Where are we going first?” Robert asked.
Preston checked his phone. “Her house.”