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It was a snowy December day just like any other when disaster struck.
Con had just arrived home from the college, looking adorable in his nerdy professor get-up, and we lounged near the front counter of the bookshop, talking about what he should make for dinner. Maybe a hearty stew, since it was colder than a witch's titties outside. I listened to him ramble off seasonings and ingredients and gush about how the herbs Oisin grew in every spare inch of space around the apartment were heartier than the stuff you got out of the store.
It was on the tip of my tongue then, to ask him about the hedge witch thing. But I didn't feel up to any serious conversation today. His brown eyes glowed with happiness, and any discussion of whether he might have supe blood would require dredging up memories of how his moron parents had abandoned him as a baby. It could wait.
Black was puttering around with some of the truly ancient books we had uncovered as we finished working through boxes of inventory and delved into the stuff that was hidden in corners or the back of forgotten shelves. He had blossomed over the past couple weeks, since he revealed what he was, and it was good to see him feeling truly useful. I think it helped that he realized none of us were going to judge him for what he was or how he was. Gods knew we all had our own failings.
"Whatever you decide to make will be amazing," I told Con sincerely. He went up the stairs, taking them two at a time and whistling a tune as he flicked the bells in the solstice decorations hanging on the bannister, making them jingle. He was overjoyed at being able to spend time in the kitchen. I smiled fondly. What a freak. It sounded like torture to me.
I took a deep breath and thought of how lucky I was. I hadn't wanted a pride. But my pride was damned amazing. I turned to watch Hisashi staring at Oisin. The fox was decked out in his fortune-telling garb and perched on a cushion next to the yule tree. He looked like the love child of a male geisha and a gypsy stereotype. Why was the guy so damned sexy draped in a gaudy silk robe? He caught me looking and smirked at me. I crossed my arms and grinned right back. He could laugh it up all he wanted. We'd see if he was still laughing when Oisin and I forced him to wear that costume to bed later.
The fae tried to shelve a book into a slot above his head, standing on his tip-toes to reach. Hisashi stood from where he was playing with his tarot cards and paced over to the shorter man, pressing to Oisin's back as he took the book from his hand and placed it on the shelf.
Hisashi dropped one hand to Oisin's hip as he stroked a strand of red hair out of the fae's face with the other. They exchanged some sort of heated words before Oisin grabbed the back of Hisashi's head and dragged him down for a quick kiss. Then the fae danced away to go back to tiding shelves, leaving Hisashi standing there looking bemused. I snorted to myself. Oisin had just completely derailed Hisashi from whatever he wanted to talk about.
It would be fucking adorable, if it didn't set off all my alarm bells. Hisashi looked worried. And Oisin was clearly avoiding something. I had caught them arguing in hushed tones more times than I cared to remember over the past couple weeks. Whatever it was, they weren’t sharing with the group. I really hoped their little lover's spat didn't mess up the dynamics of the pride. I couldn't stand it if there was a rift between any of us, but with Hisashi and Oisin, I knew it was more than physical attraction and a common interest in my growly gryphon ass. They were head over heels for each other. It was absolutely disgusting. I grinned.
Growling to myself, I turned to pay attention as Black expounded on the wonder that was the old moldy book he'd just found. Something about the origins of the city and how much White would have loved to see it. I narrowed my eyes at the reminder of how infatuated the poor incubus was with his smarmy ex-employer. It sure as hell sounded like some sort of psychological damage to me. How else could someone fall for a monster like Derek fucking White?
The bells above the door jangled, and I turned to greet the customer. We were starting to open the store for more regular hours, and with the encroaching holiday and Hisashi's fortune telling and palm readings pulling in occult weirdos, we didn't do half-bad.
The greeting died on my lips as the wards flared to life in angry protest and I got a good look at who—or what—had just entered the shop. It was a tall man with long, silky black hair, turquoise eyes and a sword. I shifted my hands into talons in an instant as I stared into the face of an unfamiliar fae.
Hisashi had crowded Oisin into the corner and they were arguing. But I had eyes only for the asshole in front of me. "Can I help you?" I growled.
A couple more fae came in behind him, fanning out to his right and left, their magic pulled close around them, ready to cast. They were dressed in modern suits, strangely urban for fae.
The tall man smiled at me, beautiful and inviting. His face lacked Oisin's fine-boned grace. This guy must have some human mixed up in his lineage. And he wasn't even bothering with glamour. He wanted us all to know what he was.
He tucked a strand of hair behind his pointed ear and flicked his eyes to the corner, where Oisin struggled to get around Hisashi. "It seems you have something that belongs to me, madam," he said in a smooth, charming voice. "I've paid quite dearly for it; I would ask that you return the merchandise."
I snorted. "The only thing for sale in here is books, asshole." I pointed at a shelf to his right "The children's section is right there."
He tilted his head and regarded me with those turquoise eyes. He wasn't as good at hiding his emotions as Oisin was. This guy was shit at it, actually. I could sense the anger in him from a mile away. Good. Let him be pissed. I had no idea who he was, but if he thought Oisin belonged to his scrawny ass, he had another thing coming.
He glanced at Oisin, who had freed himself from Hisashi and paced toward the strange fae. Oisin's own fae blades materialized from thin air, dancing with blue fire. The other two fae tensed and looked to their leader for direction.
"Why, look at you," the tall one said with a leer. "You're even more beautiful than I remembered. To be expected from the royal line, I suppose. Fucking you before I drain the life from your arrogant body will be a pleasure." He leered. "Not that you have to be sane for that. Maybe I'll enjoy a round or two after. When I'm overflowing with your magic and you're too brain-dead to resist."
I growled and started toward them, but Oisin shot me a glare. "Don't you dare take my kill, gryphon."
I stood down. The truth was, there was magic humming in the air between the fae. My brute strength would only get me so far.
Oisin turned his attention back to the freak in front of him. "Henry, my beloved fiancé. I never expected you to get your hands dirty chasing down one little escaped concubine."
I gritted my teeth together and seethed. Hisashi moved closer, his magic hovering just under his skin. I felt Black move silently behind me, but I had no idea what he was doing.
The tall fae—Henry the fucking fiancé, apparently—pointed his sword at Oisin's chest. "Come along nicely before your father gets here, and I might leave you enough magic to keep you almost sane."
Oisin smiled. It sent a shiver down my spine. "Thank you for the generous offer," my fae purred, padding closer like a stalking cat, his blades hanging loose at his sides. "But I decline."
The taller man laughed. "Your entire clan will be wiped out for your sire's trickery."
Oisin gave a soft laugh. "Oh no," he said in fake surprise. "Don't tell me...you only just now realized what his plans were for you?"
Henry growled, low and feral. "Once I've taken you, that old fool plans to drain us both and keep the land we bartered away. But he's made a grave mistake. I'm one step ahead of him. No one crosses me. Your clan might think they can get away with anything just because they are old as dust. But we are the future."
I was growing tired of the tension in the room...and the yammering. Apparently, Oisin felt the same way. He spun and brought his blades up in a graceful whirlwind of death.
Black moved closer to me and I held him back with a hand, my eyes riveted to the graceful, lightning fast movements of the fae as they attempted to gut one another. Clearly, the jig was up and the fiancé was afraid of being swindled out of his power snack. I didn't fully understand what he meant about Oisin's father's plans—but if what he said was true, Oisin's dad was even greedier than I thought.
"The other ones," I whispered to Black.
He shifted slightly, moving in the opposite direction of Hisashi as they went for the two back-up fae.
One of the fae launched a spell at Hisashi, only to have it bounce back at him and fry him the way it had the last time someone had attacked the fox with magic. I blinked at how rapidly that was over and reminded myself not to piss my fox off any time soon.
Black danced around his opponent, his motions just as fluid and quick as the fae. He had removed his leather gloves. The fae tried to set some spell on Black, but the incubus simply slipped in closer and slapped his bare hand to the fae's cheek. The fae froze, and I watched in fascination as Black's one visible eye began to glow with blue fire.
The fae hit his knees with a groan and I saw his essence leave him, pulled into Black like a soul-sucking vortex.
The fae slumped over, dead. Black dropped his hand and sank to his knees, panting as he pulled on his gloves.
I paced around the outer edge of the deadly circle made by Oisin and Henry, looking for an opening where I wouldn't end up sliced to ribbons.
But it was a wasted effort. Oisin was a way better fighter, and Henry needed Oisin alive if he wanted to use him, so the bigger fae was pulling his punches.
Oisin smiled as he let a spell hit him in the shoulder. Completely unfazed by the other guy's magic, Oisin stepped close, brought his blades together in front of him, crossed his arms, then flung them to the sides in a scissoring motion, neatly snipping the other fae's head right off his body.
I gaped as the fae fell to the floor next to his companions, painting Oisin and half the bookstore with blood in a mockery of the red and green decorations around him.
Hisashi rushed to put a hand on Oisin's shoulder, but the gory fae moved out from under Hisashi's hand. "Save the pity party, love." He paced toward me. "Get your gun and knife, gryphon. Make sure Con is hidden somewhere safe."
My heart clenched at the urgency in his voice. "Oisin, what's going—"
The door crashed open and the bells and the bundle of mistletoe fell off, landing with a sad splat in a puddle of fae blood. The wards buzzed, then completely died out.
Oisin spun back to face this new threat as two hulking, black-clad men came through the door. One wore a belt of vials and charms, much like the one White's mage had. The other toted a weird-looking staff with a big stone on the top.
Oisin's expression went feral and his voice was an animal growl. "My sire has arrived."