‘A what now?’ Tyler knew the term, but not the significance.
‘A doppelganger,’ Samantha repeated without explanation.
‘Okay, babe, pretend for a moment I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘You are the non-related, identical twin of another. Humans use the term frivolously, but in our world, there is magical significance to such phenomena.’
‘Shit! I never even stopped to think about the reason you look like him.’ Alannah jumped up from the bed and grabbed her bag.
Samantha gasped. ‘Alannah knows the Original?’
‘Now I’m insulted. What makes you think I’m not the Original and that jerk’s the copy?’
Alannah returned to them a moment later with her phone in hand.
‘Trust me, Hot Stuff,’ Samantha explained as she grasped his hand, ‘this is not something to take offence over. The Original is usually the first of the doppelganger twins to fall into darkness. In your case, the other guy’s soul was tainted first. But if he is a pure mage, it’s unlikely he carries the doppelganger gene.’
‘I don’t know why I never thought to show you this before.’ Alannah thrust her phone under Tyler’s nose.
When he looked at the image on the screen, he needed to blink several times to be sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. He wondered if Alannah had taken a candid photo of him. But that could not be it. This had to be a picture of Brendan because the hairstyle differed to his own and the man sported an eyebrow piercing. ‘Damn, this is creepy. I can see why you found comfort in my arms, Lana.’
Samantha squeezed his shoulder. ‘Wait, what am I missing here?’
He handed her the phone. ‘He is Alannah’s ex-boyfriend, Brendan Winters.’
‘Ex-soulmate,’ Alannah corrected. ‘We made the ultimate commitment, then he up and left me without saying a word. I thought he had been the victim of a violent crime at first, but he rang his brother to gloat about running off with another woman. I was still grieving my loss when I met Tyler.’ She bit her lip.
‘And slept with him because he looked like the man you love?’ Samantha finished for her.
‘Yeah.’ Alannah avoided eye contact with Samantha.
Talk about awkward!
Thankfully, Samantha acted cool, despite knowing he had also been intimate with the other woman in the room. ‘Winters, huh? It makes sense Tyler’s double would belong to such an infamous clan. I mean, look at who his grandmother was. From what I’ve heard, there is usually at least one who turns dark in every generation.’
‘Gee, thanks,’ Alannah huffed.
When Samantha looked perplexed, Tyler jumped in, ‘Alannah is also a Winters. She’s Brendan’s cousin.’
Samantha mouthed a silent ‘Oh’, and her expression softened. ‘I wasn’t trying to offend, Alannah. I know you view dark mages in a negative light, but don’t forget what I am.’
‘I uh….’ Alannah clamped her mouth shut.
‘It’s okay. I’m used to it. I was born and raised a dark mage, and like my parents, I’ve been able to keep my sense of humanity by moderating my behaviour. But I’ve seen how far down the rabbit hole some go. The darkness consumes them in their quest for power and they lose their sense of morality and empathy, if they even had any to begin with. My master, however, is pure evil, like most of his dark elf kindred.’ She turned to look deeply into Tyler’s eyes. ‘I’m afraid of what will happen if they give you a taste of power. Your innate goodness is one of the things I love most about you.’
There she goes strumming at my heartstrings! Without any thought to his surrounds, Tyler pulled Samantha in for a deep kiss. Before long he was pinning her to the bed as their passion intensified.
After clearing her throat, Alannah spoke: ‘I’ll take that as my cue to leave you to it.’
Samantha broke away from Tyler’s lips and grinned at Alannah. ‘You could always join us.’
Hot damn! His fiery redhead was pushing all the right buttons.
The sound of Alannah’s footsteps approached the bed. ‘Is it what the two of you really want?’
Sitting back on Samantha, he turned a lascivious gaze toward Alannah. ‘That didn’t sound like a refusal. I think it goes without saying how keen I am to have you both at once. But what do you want here, Lana?’
Alannah kneeled behind him, straddling Samantha’s legs as she slid her hands down his back. She yanked his t-shirt over his head. ‘I want to bring you immense pleasure, Ty. It’s the least I can do considering….’
‘Fuck!’ He leaned back into her and groaned as Samantha’s hand trailed down his front. ‘I thought you were joking before, Lana. To cover up what we had planned.’ A second later, Tyler’s arousal sprang free of his jeans, finding a new home in Samantha’s tight grip. He sucked in a deep breath.
‘With Shane you mean?’ Alannah’s husky voice asked in his ear. ‘Yeah, I was joking then. But does this,’ reaching around, her fingers found his nipples, ‘feel like a joke now, babe?’
Tyler melted. At the mercy of the two sexiest women he had ever known, he lost himself in the intense sensuality of the moment. Somewhere deep in his mind he knew there were more important things to worry about, but there was no way in hell he was letting reality spoil his fun.
His fellow Syndicate members applauded as Lady Amber beckoned Brendan to the stage. But he remained frozen by the bitter rage pouring from Bridey.
Caleb leaned his head on Brendan’s shoulder. ‘Oh hell, Jet, you are in serious shit with our mistress.’
‘Yeah, no kidding. I swear I had no idea who Lady Amber was, or what she had planned for me.’
‘Hardly matters now. You may as well embrace your moment of glory. We’ll deal with my sister later.’
He shot Caleb a look. ‘We?’
‘Of course, man. I’m hardly gonna leave you to fend for yourself. Now go, show these people how badass you are.’
Hesitantly, Brendan rose and walked up to the stage. His legs faltered as he ascended the three steps to the raised platform. But he kept all his nerves bundled deep inside, mastering his passive mask.
Thankfully, he did not need to address the crowd. Lady Amber took care of that as he stood beside her. ‘Consider me the Syndicate’s public face. I grant Lord Jet the same decision-making powers I hold in this position. When dealing directly with him, I expect all of you to treat him as my equal.’
By the Gods! How did my life change so drastically? I’m a big deal crime boss! If only Jacob could see me now.
Once the formalities finished and most people had dispersed, Brendan remained standing with two scary-as-fuck women flanking him. He could also see Caleb hovering in the wings.
Bridey strode up to Lady Amber, pulled Brendan into her arms, and stared up at the tall blonde with a ferocious snarl. ‘I don’t know who you think you are, or what you’re playing at, but Jet here is mine, not just in Syndicate business either. You see, he is under contractual obligation to remain in my service for an agreed time, making it next to impossible for him to be at your beck and call.’
Amber let out a haughty laugh. ‘You are under the mistaken impression you have any say in this matter. I am your Boss, Violet. And now, so is Jet. He will no longer be taking orders from you. I could not care less about your contract. It is now,’ she paused to close her eyes and click her fingers, ‘officially null and void.’ The abhorrent agreement appeared before their eyes, hovering in the air as it disintegrated into speckles of white dust. ‘You should have known better than to mess with the Winters clan. My sister expected you to work with him as an equal partner, but she did not trust you to comply with her request. Do not think, for one second, I am unaware of everything going on behind your closed doors.’ She glanced at Brendan. ‘Meet me in my rooms once you have resolved anything you need to with this woman.’
Stunned and wide-eyed, Brendan simply nodded.
Satisfied by his response, Amber turned and marched away with a graceful yet determined manner.
As soon as they were alone, Bridey grabbed Caleb in a chokehold and glared at Brendan. While it did not look like she was restricting his airways, Caleb yelped hoarsely in a show of distress. ‘You may have won your freedom, Jet, but don’t forget I still have the one person you care about. If you wish to continue seeing my brother, you will reside under my roof and follow my rules.’
‘What? So, now he’s your slave because I’m not?’
Her visage took on a malicious grin. ‘No, Jet, I don’t need to make him my slave.’ The hand gripping Caleb’s throat gradually slid down his front and into the waistband of his pants. ‘This man loves me unconditionally. He always was and always will be mine. I am willing to share him with you, but only if you continue with our former living arrangements.’
Caleb’s neck arched against her shoulder, and he groaned as Bridey’s hand wrapped around his growing arousal.
Brendan shook his head in disbelief. ‘I can’t believe how fucked up the pair of you are.’
Two pairs of dark eyes scowled back at him, and Caleb’s adopted a wicked gleam. ‘And you’re as sordid as we are, so don’t pretend like this doesn’t turn you on.’
Damn him for having a wise mouth Brendan desperately wanted to kiss the shit out of. Damn him for looking hot as hell with Bridey’s hand down his tailored suit pants. And damn him for being right. He felt his jaw clenching as he considered their words. ‘I need time to think about it.’
Bridey inched forward with Caleb still between them.
While tempted to act upon the tension both in the air and in his trousers, Brendan had too many questions that needed answering, so he stepped back. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have an important business meeting.’ He turned to leave the stage.
‘Oh, one last thing, handsome.’
He peered back over his shoulder. ‘What?’
‘To sweeten the deal, I will provide you with full protection from the authorities when you are working. But if you contact Alannah, our arrangement is off.’
He could not understand her Alannah-induced paranoia, but since Brendan had no intention to open old wounds, Bridey’s deal suited him for the time being. ‘Fine. But I only wear the collar in the bedroom, and you will grant me the freedom to come and go as I please. Outside of your home, I am your boss.’
She smiled victoriously. ‘Of course, My Lord.’
Waking up between two gorgeous naked women, Tyler pinched himself multiple times, but reality did not sink in until he looked at the clock. Shit! It’s Sunday morning already. He feared Jaxon had looked in on Samantha and found their limbs entwined. Although, he had bigger problems to worry about.
Samantha stirred and smiled at him. ‘Hey, Hot Stuff.’
‘Morning, Firecracker.’
She giggled. ‘Nice nickname.’
‘That’s what I thought. I’m gonna grab us some coffees. Be right back.’ He leaped out of bed and slipped into his jeans. Ducking out of the room, he took the stairs two at a time.
When he reached the kitchen, Jaxon was sitting at the breakfast bar. He looked up from his newspaper and glared at Tyler. ‘Are you out of your mind, Quirky? I told you no fucking the informant.’
Well, that answers my previous concerns. ‘Too bad I don’t give a damn about those stupid rules.’ He turned on the coffee machine, effectively ending the conversation with its spluttering.
Jumping in as soon as Tyler finished making the espressos, Jaxon persisted, ‘Well I hope it was worth it and you made the most of your night with Miss Harrison, because it will be your last time with her.’
Tyler put the drinks down and stood directly in front of Jaxon. ‘Yeah, I don’t think so, boss. You see, because of my intimate involvement with Samantha, I’ve been able to crack this case wide open in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. If you promise to keep your mouth shut, I will fill you in this afternoon; otherwise, I’ll be taking Samantha with me when I leave.’
‘You’re playing with fire—you know that, right?’
‘Yeah, well maybe I like getting burnt.’ He grabbed the three beverages and carefully took them into Samantha’s bedroom.
Both girls were sitting up, giving him the best sight to behold: their bare chests on display. Alannah’s eyes lit up when she spotted the steaming coffee mugs. ‘You are a legend, Ty.’
‘Speak for yourself, beautiful.’ With the drinks distributed, Tyler sat between them in the same spot he had woken up in. After imbibing several mouthfuls of caffeinated delight, he focussed his attention on Samantha. ‘Tell me everything you know about doppelgangers.’
‘The Egyptians call you altaw'am alsihriu, which means magic twin. The term doppelganger is of German origin. From what I understand, you are the descendent of an Egyptian god or goddess. I’m not sure which one—the Cult guards that secret. But thanks to your magical ancestry, certain traits, like your physical appearance, mystically replicated those of another magic user upon the moment of your conception.’
‘Hmm. I guess I have my great-grandfather to thank. He had an affair with his half-mage maid and diluted the Quirke bloodline. I’m guessing my great-grandmother was a doppelganger and I wonder if old gramps knew anything about it.’
Samantha shook her head. ‘Unlikely. I doubt she even knew. The Cult like to keep this knowledge under wraps and it is rare for doppelgangers to live in the same country as their Original, let alone meet them. But when the opportunity arises for the Cult to bring you together with your Original, they jump on it. You are the reason a number of inner circle members recently moved to Sydney.’
Alannah leaned forward to peer at Samantha across Tyler. ‘What do you mean, “bring them together”?’
She sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Alannah, but the Cult already have Brendan. If they recruit Tyler and tempt him, it will set him on the dark path. Once they taint his soul, they will be able to bring the pair together to practise dark rituals of immense power… the sort with catastrophic results.’
When he looked at Alannah, Tyler saw several tears trickling down her pale cheeks. He wiped a few of them away with his thumb. ‘I’m sorry, beautiful. I know this must be hard news to swallow. But I promise I won’t go anywhere near this cult. I won’t let them use me and Brendan against you or anyone you love.’
All she could manage was a slight nod.
He brought his arm around Alannah’s shoulders to comfort her, then turned back to Samantha. ‘How did you get mixed up in all this?’
‘My parents groomed me for the Cult, but until the inner circle moved to Sydney, I only worked on the outskirts. But Kek, my new master, took an interest in me and brought me into the second tier through mind control and… other manipulations.’ She did not need to say more for Tyler to understand the implications. Samantha trembled.
With his free arm, Tyler pulled her close to his chest. ‘Hey. It’ll be okay.’
‘I’m legitimately in danger now, Tyler. The next time Kek contacts me, he will detect my betrayal.’
‘Lana?’
‘Hmm?’ Her head was also resting against him as she snuggled into his side.
‘Are you able to block the Cult’s access to Samantha’s mind?’
‘I don’t know. Possibly. It would be easier to keep such shields in place if Samantha was able to channel the Stygian element too.’
Samantha huffed. ‘Fortunately, my dark mage initiation opened me to nether.’
Sitting up, Alannah dried her eyes and forced a smile. ‘I guess I’d better shower and dress now ’cause it looks like we’re in for a long day.’
Tyler’s eyes remained fixed on the sight of Alannah’s arse until she disappeared into the hallway.
Once the door closed, Samantha whispered to him, ‘You’re in love with her, aren’t you?’
He gazed into her hazel eyes. ‘She’s not the only woman I’m in love with.’
A boggart with copper-coloured hair guarded the room Brendan needed to visit. ‘Greetings, Lord Jet. I am Lady Amber’s captain. You can call me Rusty.’
‘Thank you, Rusty.’ He wondered if Rusty was any relation to Jacob, although most boggarts looked the same to him. It was unusual to see one in the upper ranks of the Syndicate, but not unheard of. Unlike the seelie fae who rank their folk according to race, the unseelie earned their positions through merit. Given how boggarts were one of the least magical fae, they needed to prove themselves through their wit and cunning in the criminal world.
‘My Lady is expecting you, please head straight in.’
Brendan nodded and entered through the door Rusty opened for him, finding Amber sitting on an elegant chaise longue.
‘Please make yourself at home,’ she insisted with a nod toward one of the matching armchairs.
Sitting on the antique, he realised her deliberate choice of words had not included ‘comfortable’ with good reason. This furniture was the next best thing to medieval torture devices.
‘I imagine you have a few questions?’
He snorted. ‘To put it mildly.’
‘Give me a moment.’ Closing her eyes, she cast a series of spells, the last of which popped Brendan’s ears. ‘I have warded the room so we can speak freely. Ask away.’
‘Are you really my great aunt?’
Amber dropped her glamour, revealing herself for the lich she was: hair and eyes both faded to white, and ribs showing through the semi-transparent skin of her chest. Yet her face remained vibrant and firm. ‘Yes, Brendan. I am Dana, Tara’s sister.’
Feeling nauseated by the memory of his own seduction attempts, he shifted his focus to a spot on the wall to ground himself. ‘Why didn’t you tell me before the vote?’
‘Because it was not safe. The enemy has spies everywhere, even among the most irreputable organisations.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘It is too soon to explain the nature of our enemy, but I want you to understand the Syndicate is your grandmother’s legacy, an asset for you to use in your quest for knowledge and power. But also, a means of protection and disguise. She intended for you and Alannah to take the reins together, but I heard the two of you had a falling out.’
Gobsmacked, he did not even register Dana’s last comment about his relationship with Alannah. ‘Wait, are you saying Tara built this organisation for me and Lana?’
‘More like rebuilt it, but yes. When she could not use her previous role as Queen of the Cursed to control Alannah, she realised there was more to gain by elevating the girl to her full potential. She also discovered… things. Your role in this is critical, but perhaps you can both conduct your own research separately until the pair of you reunite.’
Brendan scoffed. ‘Any form of amicable reunion is unlikely at this stage. Her actions destroyed me, and I reacted drastically, hurting her just as much.’
‘Oh, the young and foolish heart. Do you still love her, though?’
He closed his eyes to search his soul. ‘Yeah, I do. But I hate her too.’
‘Do you care about her enough to want what is best for her?’
‘Yes.’ He did not even need to think about it. Despite how much she had broken his heart, he would always care about Alannah.
‘Then running the Syndicate and using it the way Tara intended will provide an opportunity for you to help Alannah, even if only at a distance for now.’
He nodded his agreement, mulling over Dana’s words. ‘What do you mean run the Syndicate? I thought that was your job and I am your 2IC?’
‘I have my hands full as leader of the cursed and this is your Syndicate, not mine. I only intend to be the face because you dislike politics. You are the true leader, at least until you are ready to bring Alannah on board.’
Brendan combed both hands through his hair. ‘I have no idea how to lead these people.’
She offered him a sympathetic smile. ‘I am here to help with your transition. But, before we get to the ins and outs of upper-level management, I would like to hear about your progress with the Egyptian elves.’
He cocked a brow in surprise. ‘You knew about that job?’
Dana laughed. ‘Of course. I was Tara’s wing-woman. She kept me abreast of all her work and vice versa. Until I took over as the Queen, I was the one working from the shadows, gathering intel, and making secret deals on her behalf. She used her defeat at Alannah’s hands as an opportunity to trade places and keep her identity hidden.’
‘I assume you refer to her first defeat. From what I hear, Tara’s true death was also Lana’s doing. But I honestly don’t understand why. I thought Alannah was on Tara’s side?’
A conspiratorial grin crossed his great aunt’s face. ‘That is what Alannah wanted the world to think. Richard was the one who murdered my sister and Alannah avenged Tara’s death.’
Brendan wished he had been there to see Alannah finish the arsehole.
‘So, about these elves?’
‘Oh right.’ He forced his mind away from the woman who had turned his world upside down. ‘Violet used her contacts to become acquainted with some Egyptian elves and their local dark mage associates. The closest we got is my joining a cult.’
Dana’s eyes widened with surprise. ‘Did the cult initiate you?’
‘Yup. But it’s all I’ve done so far.’
She leaped up from her chair and grabbed a book from her suitcase. After handing it to him, she returned to the couch. ‘Have a look through this book and tell me if any of those sigilla match the one used by the cult who recruited you.’
Flicking through the book, Brendan noticed it was a handwritten research log of dark mage practitioners. ‘Did you compile this?’
‘Yes.’
Returning his gaze to the journal, he paid closer attention to the magic symbols until he was certain he had found the applicable motif. After reading the name of the associated cult, his eyes bugged out. ‘Holy. Shit.’
‘You found it? Let me see.’
He handed her the book with the page open to a hieroglyphic sigil.
Dana’s brows rose as she glanced back at him. ‘Are you sure this is the one?’
‘Yup.’
‘In that case, your job got a whole lot more interesting and significantly more dangerous.’