I nearly groaned when I woke to the scent of Cade’s sheets and our wild evening. I’d spent the night. Again. This time it was at his place, his arm curled around my waist and his face tucked lightly between my shoulder blades, right where his hand had pressed heavy the night before.
Why the fuck did I keep falling asleep in strange beds, with him of all people? He could wake up and decide to eat me, and regardless of my show with the knife last night, there wouldn’t be much I could do about it.
As I tried to figure out whether I had a death wish and how to extricate myself without waking the vampire, he mumbled, “Morning. I think.”
The way his cool breath tickled against my spine made me shiver.
Maybe going for flippant would make this whole thing less awkward. “You think? Don’t you have some kind of, I dunno, internal clock? Seems like a safety measure.”
“Don’t you have some kind of sense of survival that would keep you awake after fucking a vampire? This is the second time you’ve fallen asleep in my bed. I almost think you like me.”
I flushed, glad he couldn’t see my face. I deserved that, but it made me cranky. With a huff, I tried to shove his arm off me.
Didn’t work. I didn’t budge him a centimeter.
Cade chuckled, sending goosebumps over me. “Come on. Have a lie-in. This is nice.”
“What is? A chance at breakfast in bed?”
“You said it, not me. But no.”
“What then?” I held off asking as long as I could, but he had my curiosity hooked.
His body curled tighter against mine, and his voice sent a flutter through me as he murmured in my ear. “Waking up next to someone warm, with a spark of magic in her veins. It feels like cuddling a sunbeam. Here I thought elves were supposed to be beings of shadow.”
I wanted to laugh at how cheesy that sounded, but something wouldn’t let me. Not when he’d sounded so earnest.
I twisted in his embrace, and he pulled back to blink sleepily at me, long lashes fluttering languidly. He wasn’t hunting. Not actively. He was actually kind of cute, with his dark hair all mussed and his fangs back behind his lips.
Oh right. Fangs. He could afford to play the long game.
His brow puckered slightly at my scrutiny. “What?”
“Am I a hunt for you?”
Another long, sleepy blink. “In a way. I’d be a fool to pass up a chance at Otherside blood.” At my frown, he offered a cheeky grin wide enough to show his fangs. “Don’t worry. You’ll beg me for that too.”
Jaw dropped, I turned all the way over and stared at him. “You cocky son of a—”
His mouth on mine cut me off, cool lips with just the faintest press of fang behind them. His fingers running down my spine made me arch into him before he splayed his hand and rolled to shift me on top of him.
When he pulled back, the look on his face was no longer innocent. “Even if you didn’t want to grace me with your blood, I’d enjoy this. It’s nice, not having to pull a glamour and hide what I am or play bedroom politics with another vampire.”
I wanted to be mad at him. But the kiss had left me breathless, and if I was honest with myself, I felt the same way. I couldn’t show all of me to a human. The high-bloods were all busy playing their game of Houses, and the other low-bloods were busy trying to marry up. Why not enjoy myself with a vampire?
A flashback from last night hit me. Whatever you need, I can give you.
He’d had no idea what he was saying, but he’d given me a spark of hope I clung to desperately.
Could I really accept it? The only way to find out would be to at least try.
I didn’t say anything as I slowly lowered myself back down to stretch out on top of him. He made a pleased little sound and tugged the blankets higher to cover my back. It was warm enough in the flat that I didn’t need them—vamps seemed to need their environments hot, when they could get away with it—but I appreciated the gesture. Almost like he cared.
He ran his fingers along my spine some more. After a while, I drifted off again, soothed in a way that maybe I shouldn’t have been, given he’d admitted he’d be happy to eat me.
“Lya.”
I shifted, blinking awake again and frowning when I realized I was still in bed with Cade and not at home. The light at the bottom of the blackout curtains over the bedroom window was much stronger. “Shit. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Your phone is ringing.” His voice was heavy with languor and sleep. Not surprising, given it had to be close to noon and I’d probably used the extra energy he’d gotten from whoever he’d drunk from last night.
That thought stayed with me as I slipped from the sheets and went to the kitchen to find my purse. He didn’t know me from Lilith, but he’d brought me to his nest and let me fall asleep here. A vampire old enough to be this successful as a vagabond would be strong and hard to kill, but if someone like me was going to have a chance at it, now would be the best one.
Maybe we both made stupid choices with the other. That set a little flutter in my stomach that I recognized and didn’t like for the way things had ended up the last time I’d felt it.
I found my phone right before it would have gone to voicemail and answered without checking the caller ID. “Desmarais.”
“Where the hell are you?” Farand asked. “I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”
“I’m out.” That came shorter than I’d intended it to, but I was annoyed. I didn’t owe him my whereabouts.
“I know that. I sent Pia to pick you up and apparently you’re not home.”
Pushed into full-on anger, I moved farther from the bedroom and lowered my voice. “I know we have an agreement, but it’s my day off, Farand. I—”
“Callista doesn’t give a shit for your days off. She wants to see you. Now.”
Cold chills raced over me. What the fuck did Callista want with me? The woman effectively acted as a mob boss for the area. It was the only way a power-sharing arrangement between the three major Otherside factions hadn’t devolved into territory grabs and retaliatory backstabbing. Nobody knew what she was, but she was stronger than the vampire Master of Raleigh, the triad of queens making up the local conclave, and the leaders of the joined wereleopard and werejaguar pride. Not only was she stronger, but she also had a secretive group of spies called Watchers who kept an eye on things for her.
Watchers who might be tracking me, if Callista wanted to see me. Shit. My gut clenched, and I swallowed.
“Lydia?”
I forced spit back into my mouth. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”
“Now.”
“I mean, yeah, in forty-five minutes to an hour.”
“Where the fuck are you?”
“I’m busy, Farand. I was enjoying my day off because I didn’t expect a summons. I will get there as soon as I can.” Although it galled me to say the words, I added, “My apologies for missing your calls.”
I was under no obligation to explain myself to him and had nothing to be sorry for, but he was easier to deal with when I pretended to be.
After a silence long enough to make the point that I was on his shitlist, Farand said, “You’re on thin ice, Desmarais. Goddess knows nobody will be surprised when you finally fall through. Maybe that day is today.” When I didn’t answer, he added, “Fine. I will tell Callista she can expect you within the hour. Don’t make me play secretary again, or you’ll regret it.”
The call ended, and I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to figure out how the hell to play this one. Stopping home to shower and change would add too much time, especially if—as the missed calls on my phone indicated—I’d been expected two hours ago.
“Fuck,” I whispered. Nothing for it. I’d have to turn up dressed in last night’s club outfit smelling like vampire and sex.
“You can shower before you go. If you have time.”
I jumped and whirled, biting back a scream at Cade’s voice from the bedroom door. He looked sleepy and pale as he slumped against the doorframe with his hair disturbed by sex and sleep, not the least bit dangerous.
A smile flickered at the corners of his lips. “Sorry. You sounded upset. Anything I can do?”
“The shower would be a huge help, actually. I’ve, ah, been summoned. My boss has no respect for days off or personal boundaries.”
Not a total lie. Callista was Farand’s indirect boss, so she was mine too.
“Help yourself to whatever you need.” He disappeared back into the bedroom, reappearing with my dress on a hanger and my heels hanging from his fingers.
“Thank you.” I exchanged a quick kiss for them as I hurried into the bathroom. Hopefully the steam would get the wrinkles out from it being on the floor all night. I didn’t believe in walks of shame, but nobody with sense gave Callista any clues to use as leverage.
Of course, that assumed none of the three vamps who’d been with Cade at the club last night had been Watchers.
No, do not fixate on it. Just get washed up and get out.
Cade was still stark naked when I got out of the bathroom, dressed in yesterday’s outfit but at least smelling clean. The dozens of large and small scars I’d noted while exploring his skin the last two nights stood out as paler lines on his lean body, making me wonder who he’d been before he’d been turned. Some of those looked like the clean cuts of a blade, while others looked more like bullet holes. However long ago they’d been made, I suspected they meant he was dangerous in more ways than just his fangs or his glamour or the ridiculous skill with which he made me come.
He caught me staring and lifted an eyebrow. “See something you like?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Shame you’ve been summoned like this.” His dark eyes hinted at a desire to make me stay. “I was hoping for more fun this evening.”
“It’s fine. Annoying, but fine. This was great, thank you. And thanks for the shower. I honestly didn’t expect anything at all.”
Cade frowned. “Not expecting isn’t the same as not deserving. It’s the least I can do.”
I nodded and shook myself into moving forward to kiss his cheek. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
His arms came around me long enough for a quick hug before he steered me toward the counter and the door. “Go on then. My number’s on the paper. Again, just in case.”
Smiling, I picked up the folded paper and tucked it into my purse. “Thanks. For everything. I’ll…see you around.”
***
The situation at Callista’s did anything but make me smile.
I walked into the bar in North Durham with my head high and my heels clacking, drawing a few raised eyebrows from the patrons in for some early drinks. A trio of elves in the corner narrowed their eyes at me before returning to their conversation.
The brick building almost reminded me of London, an English-style pub done in warm woods with a wraparound bar illuminated by dim lighting, backed by a mirror. Oversized Tarot cards hung on the wall, in what I suspected was a warning: the Wheel of Fortune, Justice, Death, the Tower, the Knight of Swords, the Seven of Wands, a few others. Maybe I was reading too much into something that might have been randomly chosen by the designer. But most of the cards spoke to either change, conflict, or people getting what was coming to them, and I really didn’t see Callista trusting a space like this to anyone other than herself.
Sobered by the message in the cards, I made my way to the bar where the small, slim woman was filling drinks. I’d met Callista once, and it’d been more than enough for me never to want to do it again. Brown hair fell in waves to frame an averagely attractive face, but the cool green eyes were all she needed to get your attention.
Those eyes fell on me, flicking over me from head to toe as her eyebrows raised.
I clutched my purse and hesitated then pushed forward the rest of the way to the bar, not bothering to sit. “Callista.”
“Good of you to make an appearance today, Lydia.”
I winced. “It was my day off. I had plans.”
She pursed her lips at that and eyed me again. “I see.”
The petty bitch let me stew as she served a few more patrons then nodded me to the door at the back. I followed her through to another door. She breezed into a small office, with a heavy desk, an old desktop computer, and a Goddess-damned sword hanging from the back wall. I doubted she could wield it, given its size and hers, but it made a statement all the same.
“Sit.” She dropped the reasonably pleasant demeanor she’d maintained at the bar.
“I’m good.” I wasn’t trying to antagonize her further, but she gave me the creeps and I was not about to get any closer to her than I had to.
Ire sparked in her gaze. Then she smiled, suddenly all sweetness. “Suit yourself. How are you finding your stay in the Triangle?”
I blinked at the shift, somehow feeling even more in danger than I had before. It took me a few seconds to find a reply. “It, ah—I’m good, thank you. What can I do for you, Callista?”
“Oh, so you do know you’re here on my sufferance. Good. That’ll make this easier.”
Chills snuck over me. “Make what easier?”
“I might have a job for you. This is your interview.” The look she gave my outfit was pure mean girl. “I suppose it’s fitting you dressed up for it.”
I ignored the barb. “What kind of job?”
“One suited for your particular skills.”
“Oh?” My stomach did a flip, and my mouth dried. If Callista wanted to go around Farand and offer me bounty work directly, it’d put me in the shit with my direct boss but might achieve everything I’d been trying to do the long way with vampire connections.
“It’s not confirmed yet. The client is evaluating their options, and I’m evaluating my resources. Talk to me about your Otherside hunts.”
Business. We could talk business. I might be okay. “I’ve brought in high-blood elves, weres—mostly wolves—and a couple of vamps in their first or second centuries. A rogue selkie once.” I hesitated then addressed the big issue. “I know I’m only a half-elf, but I’m good at my job. I can move more freely both among us and mundanes than most Othersiders, and I’m not afraid of big hunts.”
From the flicker of her brows, she might have been impressed. “I see you understand my particular needs in this situation.”
“Who’s the target?” I wondered where she was going with this. Callista had said “the client,” which could be anyone from any faction in the Triangle, especially if she was calling me in.
“It doesn’t matter. The payoff will be worth your while.”
“Excuse me?” I took a breath and swallowed my frustration, continuing again in a more respectful tone. “How am I supposed to know how to prep, or if this is even in my skill set, without knowing basic info about the target?” I was not prepared to take on a blank check bounty like this without knowing the details, even if I suspected I didn’t really have a choice.
Then Callista said the magic words. “Because if you do this for me, I’ll clear your exile debt with the Lyon Conclave of Queens and the local Houses.”
I stiffened. Stared at her, my skin suddenly too tight and my heart beating too fast.
My freedom? Just like that?
I mean, I’d hoped for it to be an opportunity, but this was just being handed to me on a bloody silver platter.
There had to be a catch. There always was, something more than an obscure assignment. But she was dangling the one thing I wanted more than anything.
Still, I couldn’t afford to be too reckless. “Why me?”
She tilted her head, her gaze as sharp as the sword on the wall behind her. “As you’ve noted, you have access to the entire territory, thanks to your particular situation, and you’re better trained with more experience than the local talent with similar backgrounds. It provides an interesting opportunity.”
“You don’t have a Watcher to task with it?”
“The answer is in their name, my dear.” Her expression hardened. “Any more questions? Because I won’t offer this twice. You decide here and now.”
I looked at the floor, as though I’d find the smart choice scratched in the wood floor, then met her gaze solidly.
Yeah, this was too good to be true.
But I was desperate enough to do it anyway. I had to get control of my life back. If the Arbiter would pay off the Lyon queens and House Monteague, my exile was effectively over. Better still, if I delivered, I’d also secure myself a patroness in Callista.
“I’ll do the job,” I said.
Her lips curled in a smile. “Sure about that? One way or another, it’s your life on the line.”
“Then it’s not any different from any other day. I’m a half-elf in exile, Callista. You know what that means.” All of my plans had my life on the line. My job, my half-baked ideas to work with the vampires for favors, offering blood in exchange for protection, fucking a vagabond, all of it. I’d take a chance at immediate freedom rather than spending the next who-knew-how-many years working for Farand or owing a debt to the vamps instead.
“Glad we can do business, child. Keep your phone handy, hm? If I have to wait four hours again, you’ll regret it.”
I nodded and fled with as much dignity as I could muster, equal parts relieved and shit scared.