Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
brYN
I can’t fucking believe my dad sold my hoard to Lance. We’ve had our differences of opinion over the years, but for my dad to do something so against our culture is diabolical on a level I never thought he’d stoop to.
Staring through the glamour and seeing every bass guitar that used to be mine is almost as painful as being separated from my dragon was. I practically vibrate, I’m seething so much, and my dragon gives a strong warning tremor in my chest, ready to shift and rip my basses off the wall.
Did Lance put these up in here as trophies?
He successfully destroyed my life, so it wouldn’t surprise me.
Fae can’t see through one another’s glamours, so he and the person who erected it for him are the only ones who know my basses are there.
Does it give him some twisted pleasure to lord it over me from up here, his victory spoils on secret display?
I grit my teeth, unsure how to process the anguish that this is where my hoard ended up. That instead of being sold off separately to people who genuinely wanted to play, my basses have been decorating Lance’s walls all this time.
I reach for the closest one, but Raj grabs my arm before I can touch it. When I try to shake him off he grips me tighter, only letting me go once I lower my hands and take a step back, my eyes narrowed at him.
‘These are mine, treasure.’ My hand movements are stiff, my jaw tight with the effort of holding back my scales. Shifting can’t fix this.
It probably doesn’t help that Raj can’t actually see what I’m talking about. At least he’s not looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
‘I believe you,’ he signs carefully, ‘but I need more information before we proceed. You mentioned once that you lost your hoard. Did Lance steal these from you?’
‘No.’ My hand movements are jerky. ‘My dad sold almost my entire hoard to pay legal fees. I just didn’t know he’d sold everything to Lance of all fucking people.’
Raj winces. ‘So legally… Bollocks. Whatever’s beneath the glamour is definitely yours?’
I walk over to the first bass in the line of eight, a red Squier P bass I got when I was ten and slightly too small to be able to play it comfortably. It still bears the scratches from when Milo repeatedly ran his toy car all over it, because my brother was a little shit when he was a kid.
‘Yes, they’re all mine.’ I lift my hand again, barely stopping short of touching when my dragon urges me to close the distance.
I already know what Raj is going to say; we can’t take something that legally belongs to Lance and doesn’t fall under the criteria of evidence for the case.
Lance would undoubtedly make sure I was charged with theft.
No consultancy role with the task force would protect me from that—the contract Ethan and I agreed certainly wouldn’t.
A piece of my heart splinters off as I lower my hand and turn back to Raj.
My dragon vibrates unhappily, unwilling to accept that we need to leave our hoard behind for paltry reasons like the law, so I vow that we’ll find a way to get it all back.
I have no idea how, but surely getting Lance put in prison is a good place to start.
My dragon reluctantly stops pushing for us to shift, barely appeased.
Raj frowns at what will look like a row of pictures to him, as if he’ll be able to see through the glamour if he stares hard enough.
‘Unfortunately we can’t take them today, but what about if we get Ayo up here to put protections on them?
Like a ward or something that will prevent any possible damage and stop Lance from being able to move them.
That will give us time to figure out how to get them back for you. ’
He’s right that we’re not acing this communication thing, because I don’t think he realises that he’s already seen the one part of my hoard I have left.
Yet even not knowing exactly what my hoard is, he’s on my side, thinking up solutions.
I didn’t think I could love him any more than I already did, but he keeps proving me wrong.
‘I guess it’s better than nothing. Ayo will have to add a camouflage layer as well.’
‘If he can do that it’ll certainly help, but the UK arm of Far Out Freight will close in a few days. Frankly, I’d hope the CEO has bigger things on his mind than us using magic when we searched his office.’
‘In that case, let’s do it.’ I don’t exactly feel better, but it’s enough of a plan for now.
When Raj taps his earpiece, Kit waves to get my attention then beckons me over. They’re right that we’ve got work to do, so I cross the office to them as my phone buzzes with a message.
Kit
Can you check the desk drawers?
There are no desk drawers.
***
The desk is glamoured to look antique. It’s just a basic table with no drawers or cupboards.
They give the desk a narrow-eyed look as Raj joins us.
Is there anything in here that might contain paperwork? A plant that’s actually a filing cabinet, perhaps?
No, the room is actually very bare. There’s nothing that could be storage of any kind.
Oh, and the chair you’re sitting on is actually just a wooden stool, so be careful if you lean back.
The room only contains the desk, coffee table, and sofas. Their appearances have been changed to make them look more expensive, and the plants don’t actually exist. There are no doors except the one we came through, so no possibility of a hidden storage cupboard either.
Ayo enters and heads straight over to us. ‘What me do?’ he signs clumsily.
‘Ward.’ I’ve taught him that sign already, so hopefully he remembers it. Then I take out my phone to explain the details.
I stride across the bedroom Raj and I share whenever we’re here at the manor, unclip my vest and helmet, and dump them on the floor before dropping heavily into one of the old wingback chairs by the empty fireplace.
We’ve only used these chairs as a place to put clothes before now, but I’m too worked up to go to bed yet.
The mood on the way back was sombre. Cal and Skye took Lance to a BSG holding facility in the neutral zone, the same facility I was taken to when I was first arrested. It’s a small location with three cells, an interview room, and two supes on guard duty at all times.
The intention was to bring boxes of evidence with us in the other van, but since we found nothing incriminating even after we searched the admin office as well, we left all the boxes behind and let Aire and Ember go.
I suspect Kit’s going to be pulling an all-nighter going through the data from Far Out Freight’s servers, because their initial look at Lance’s files didn’t turn up anything and the task force won’t be able to hold Lance for long.
At least Lance will stew all night in a holding cell, but it feels like an insignificant victory.
The worst part for me personally was walking away from the warehouse knowing my hoard was inside.
Even after Ayo put up a ward over the entire wall of the office to protect my basses from every conceivable element and prevent anyone except me from removing anything, leaving that room was heartbreaking.
Despite knowing there was nothing more I could do tonight, I barely stopped myself from shifting when Ethan insisted it was time to leave.
Raj closes the bedroom door, unloads his gear onto the chest of drawers, then joins me, slumping into the other chair. His scent is muted, there are dark circles under his weary eyes, and his arms hang loosely as he stares at the empty fireplace.
‘I really thought we’d get some sort of result tonight,’ he signs eventually, his hands sluggish.
‘Same. I think we were just too late.’
I hate seeing him this dejected. My dragon grumpily urges me to make our tiger feel better, but how?
‘Would learning more about my hoard cheer you up?’ I ask. It’s not like my brain wants to focus on anything else right now, and Raj is always pleased whenever I share anything about myself.
His smile is small, but it’s real. ‘Yes, I think it would.’
‘I hoard bass guitars.’
His smile widens, reaching his eyes this time. ‘Of course you do. How did I not figure that out? Did you turn your wardrobe into a hoard room?’
‘Obviously.’ My fingers itch to play, but I’ll have to wait until I’m next back at my flat. ‘I used to have nine in total, all with huge sentimental value. A dragon’s hoard is highly personal; it’s not just about collecting things.’
He sits up and leans forward. ‘I know that much. Will you tell me about them?’
So I do. It’s painful, knowing my basses were within reach today but unattainable, not being able to show him every scratch and dent as I tell him the stories, but it feels good to share something so intimate with him.
He smiles, laughs, and winces in all the right places, dragging his chair closer at one point, gripping my leg at another.
My heart hurts by the time I finish, but the warmth in his eyes makes it worth it.
He leans over and kisses me more softly than he ever has before. ‘Thank you for sharing.’
My dragon gives a low vibration, still in a pissy mood at leaving our hoard behind but calmer now that we’ve made our treasure feel better.
Perhaps it’s time to explain how I ended up in prison.
There’s a small part of me that’s convinced Raj will reject me once he learns the truth, but I squash that niggling doubt.
He already knows the bare bones of the story and he’s still here, and his feelings for me are clear in every kiss, and in the affection in his eyes right now.
Besides, it’s only right that I share everything with the man I’m in love with, fated mate or not.
‘One night, three and a half years ago, I got a panicked video call from my mum. Zara was missing.’
His expression turns serious in an instant. ‘You don’t have to tell me this if you don’t want to.’
‘You deserve to know.’ I’m not oblivious to the trust he’s shown, taking my word about my reasons for doing what I did.