Chapter 24 #2
Before I can shift and help with fire containment, Harley jogs over to me. Things have been tense between us since our argument in the pub, and he’s undoubtedly worked out Raj’s real identity as a member of the task force by now, so I have no idea how this conversation is going to go.
He takes in the slowly healing wounds on my bare chest and arms. ‘Are you okay? Ayo told me you and your siblings were kidnapped.’
‘We’re fine. How did you know to come here just now?’
He frowns at my wounds, but answers my question. ‘My old boss talked me into coming in for an interview. I was hanging out with the guys when the call came through.’ He gestures at the firefighters.
Ah, that makes sense. Seems he’s doing better at sticking to our pact than I have been.
His expression is unreadable as he glances over at Raj. ‘So, how long have you known who he is?’
‘He told me before anything happened between us.’ It’s a relief that Harley finally knows the truth about who Raj is, even though I’m still not allowed to tell him anything about the investigation. Maybe now he’ll believe that my boyfriend is a good guy.
His jaw tightens. ‘I’m going to have to get used to him, aren’t I?’
I’m unable to contain my grin, even in the face of his disapproval. ‘Definitely. He’s asked me to bond with him.’
He looks at my treasure for longer this time. ‘If he breaks your heart I’ll break his face.’
I laugh, knowing it’s an empty threat. I’m sure he’s hoping Raj is watching his hands. ‘Give him a real chance this time, yeah? For me?’
He purses his lips but gives a slight nod. ‘Fine. I suppose a cat who answers to an alpha wolf can’t be that bad.’
I snort, a puff of smoke escaping my nostrils. ‘You’re ridiculous.’
More vehicles arrive, and when the car doors open many of the Far Out Freight workers get out.
They stay well back, out of the way of the firefighters and the task force, but there’s a lot of pointing at the unconscious fae and grins on faces.
Felicia walks over to Raj, her brow furrowed, but her body language isn’t hostile so I leave them to it.
The next car into the car park a few minutes later makes every member of the task force tense.
Before the driver can even open his door, Skye hurries over and leans his arm on top of the car, trying to block the view of the white man with auburn hair who rolls down his window.
It all makes sense when I inhale a whiff of human.
I quickly join Raj as Felicia wanders back to the other cat shifters. ‘Who’s the man in the car?’
He grimaces. ‘DI Idris Gough.’
Ah, shit. I hope Skye can do some fast talking about cosplay, because if Idris got a glimpse of the fae he’ll have already seen their wings.
The lynx shifter and Jay in his bear form won’t trigger a human’s suspicions too badly beyond why zoo animals are in a warehouse car park, and our community always has ready answers for things like that.
Ayo has stopped his water jet spell, and Milo and Zara quickly shift back while the human’s view is blocked.
Idris won’t be able to see through our innate dragon camouflage unless he knows about the supernatural world, but since he’s already suspicious Ayo might have asked my brother and sister to stick to their biped forms. There’s definitely no point taking the risk, and all three of them move away from the warehouse to join Harley.
A flash of movement catches my eye and I whip my head around.
Nyoka has regained consciousness while we were all distracted, and is up on his feet and running back inside the warehouse, still in handcuffs.
As Raj and I give chase, Cal blurs past both of us right into the heart of the burning building.
Seconds later a massive explosion rocks the warehouse, throwing Raj and me backwards along with several of the firefighters who were closest to the blast. The wind is knocked out of me, but I’m far more concerned about Cal.
I hope to fuck the vampire’s shield charm is strong enough to handle that much fae magic, because it’s the only way he’ll have survived.
Ethan catches Skye around the torso before the little eagle can run inside.
Skye’s mouth is open wide, veins bulging in his neck, his face red and contorted.
He shifts into his eagle form, causing Ethan to lose his grip, and the moment Skye gets free of his helmet and clothes he takes flight and heads for the warehouse.
He must have wiggled out of the shield charm as well, because there’s no magical shimmer protecting him anymore.
I can’t let him take that sort of risk, not when it’s far safer for me to go in.
I shift and move to intercept him, blocking his flight path with my wing because catching him in my paw might risk injuring him.
His beak opens and he flaps at me, hovering in mid-air before attempting to find a way around me.
I’m aware of people on the ground helping others to their feet, but most of my focus remains on him.
I want to let him know that I’ll go in for Cal, but I know as soon as I turn around he’ll fly in anyway.
Fortunately it’s less than a minute later when Cal staggers from the destroyed warehouse carrying Nyoka in his arms, the vampire’s magical shield flickering and so weak it’s barely there. Fuck, if that blast had been any stronger…
I shift to biped form and join the pack and Doc P as they all rush over to Cal, including Skye who lands on the vampire’s shoulder and nuzzles him with his beak. Jet and Kit train their guns on the still-unconscious fae, although they both dart worried glances at Cal.
Cal’s mahogany skin is a sickly colour underneath the ash he’s covered in, and his balance is unsteady as he lays Nyoka down on the tarmac. Nyoka has a large, ugly hole punched through his chest and lifeless eyes.
Ayo stares at his dead cousin, his usually expressive face unreadable. Ethan puts his arm around Ayo and after a few seconds, Ayo turns his back.
Doc P makes Cal sit down. After a brief conversation between the two, Skye hops down from Cal’s shoulder, shifts, and thrusts his wrist in Cal’s face. Cal bites down without hesitation and starts feeding, his eyelids fluttering closed.
‘Is he okay?’ I ask Raj as Doc P returns to the rescued shifters.
Raj’s jaw is tight as he gives a sharp nod. ‘The idiot didn’t tell us he’s overdue for a feed, and his shield didn’t completely protect him from the blast. He’ll be fine once he’s had some blood.’
‘Thank fuck.’ I make a mental note to help Ayo tweak the parameters of the shield charms before future missions. ‘How did Nyoka wake up so fast?’
Raj grimaces. ‘The tranqs we’re using are fae-strength, so they’re too strong for magic-users and would have killed him. I didn’t realise Skye had knocked him out the old-fashioned way, but I should have. I should’ve been watching him more closely.’
‘It’s not your fault, or Cal’s, that he ran back into a burning building to escape capture. No one could have predicted he’d be that stupid.’
Raj nods, although he doesn’t look convinced. I think he’s more concerned about what could have happened to Cal than Nyoka’s death, of course. The mage certainly doesn’t deserve anyone’s pity.
It’s only then that any of us remember Idris.
He’s now out of his car, and his wide-eyed gaze drifts from me to the many winged fae, before lingering on a completely naked Skye and the vampire feeding from him.
Ethan signs a string of curses before striding over to the human who’s just discovered an entirely new world.