Lie Down with Dogs Page 7

  He crossed one long leg over the other. “Who is with you on this vacation?”

  “Mai invited me.” I shifted on the limb. “The guards are with me.” No need to tell him that they hadn’t arrived yet. “Diode is here too, but he’s not thrilled about it. Water and cats, cats and water.”

  His toe tapped in the air. “Is that all?”

  Sensing he must already know the answer and that lying would get me nowhere, I took a breath and admitted, “Shaw is working a case in a city about an hour away. Since I’ve been suspended, I’m not involved. He’s not doing conclave work anyway. It’s a personal matter.”

  “You’re rambling,” Rook noted.

  “I don’t ramble.” Much.

  “This vacation—it happens far away from your home, correct? That is what makes it exotic?”

  Oh crap. He was putting the pieces together. “Yes.”

  Rook’s lips thinned. “I have seen the way he looks at you.”

  A spark of anger had me clenching my jaw. “Are you spying on me?”

  “I have loyal subjects who are kind enough to lend me their eyes from time to time.”

  That explained the black bird who tapped on my window my first night home from Faerie. I thought since Rook was across realms, his hold on his flock would wane. No such luck. If he was still using their eyes to watch me, then he had a stronger presence in the mortal realm than I had realized.

  “I have less than a year of freedom left,” I growled. “Can you not stalk me during that time?”

  He looked puzzled by why I wouldn’t want his beady-eyed subjects following me everywhere I went. “How else can I know of your life until then?”

  Pinching started in my temples, working across my forehead. “You could ask me.”

  “Fine. I will ask you now. Do you have feelings for that incubus?”

  My throat constricted, but the denial I intended didn’t come.

  “You share a past with him.” Rook demanded, “Does he understand your future is mine?”

  That earlier spark burst into a rush of furious anger. “My future is mine.”

  In a flash, I was gulping chlorinated water and thrashing. My inner tube, which I had flailed out of, flipped over and bopped me on the head. I stood, and the chilly water barely hit me at waist level. Spluttering, I shoved the limp curtain of hair from my eyes and looped an arm over the float to keep it from escaping. Once I gained my bearings, I oriented myself and searched the spinning inner tubes for Mai.

  She was nowhere in sight.

  Chapter Eleven

  A firm—yet unseen—hand gripped my upper arm and began guiding me around the last bend, toward the steps leading from the pool. Reflex tightened my muscles. Only the abundance of humans kept me from decking my would-be escort. Chlorine and the remnants of sunscreen on my fellow swimmers dampened my ability to scent, but I had a good idea of who this was now that I was recovering from my visit with Rook.

  “Warn a girl next time,” I said to the presence on my right.

  “I thought you were in distress.” Righty’s voice almost blended with the babbling water.

  “Well, I’m not.” I stared where he ought to be standing. There were ripples in the water from all the jets and splashing, but no eddies gave away the fact my guard stood there. “You can let go now.”

  He did, and I waded toward the submerged steps.

  “I apologize,” he said. “I should not have interfered.”

  “You’re fine.” I craned my neck. “I was on my way out of the pool anyway.”

  No response. No sign of Mai, either.

  “Are you guys just arriving?” I reached the stairs and climbed them, hiding a smile when Righty cupped the inner tube to relieve me of its weight while allowing me to appear as if I was carrying it.

  Sometimes I really wanted to like that guy.

  “We’ve been here since you left your apartment this morning, securing the area.”

  “How did you manage that?” I teased, “Do you have a portal in your pocket?”

  He didn’t deny it.

  Okay then. “Is everything as it should be?”

  “For now. I will keep you abreast of any further developments.”

  That sounded ominous. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Mai?”

  “No.” He volunteered, “Daire is with her.”

  My gut did a little twist. “Why?”

  “As the location appears to be secure, I thought you would appreciate us extending our services to your friend.”

  His voice was calm, reasonable, and I didn’t trust it for a minute.

  We returned the float, then I set out for the crowded bar. “Let’s see what they’re up to.”

  Sure enough, Mai sat on a stool with a ring of admirers around her. Kitsunes may not have lures per se, but the girl had wicked mojo when it came to the opposite sex.

  When she spotted me, she waved and hopped off her perch. “See you later, alligators.”

  A tall man wearing a linen suit cut off her retreat. “Let her wait a while, crocodile.”

  When he grabbed her arm, I tapped him on the back.

  He swung around, teeth bared, snarling a challenge from one predator to another. It took a split second for the threat to register because my brain stalled. The guy was gorgeous. Black hair styled in a frohawk. Skin darker than the night at the patio’s edge, and his eyes... They reminded me of how Rook’s had looked the first time I met him. Empty. Cold. Eternal.

  No, I didn’t like this guy one bit.

  “You should let go of my friend,” I told him.

  He arched a dark eyebrow. “Would you take her place?”

  “I’m already married.” I flashed my megawatt smile. “But thanks for asking.”

  Ha! Score one for faux marriages everywhere.

  When he didn’t budge, I leaned in closer. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Marshal Thackeray—”

  “—with the Southwestern Conclave,” he finished for me.

  I didn’t ask how he knew. I didn’t want to give him another advantage over me when he already had one. I had no idea who he was, but I didn’t have to let him know how much my ignorance bugged me.

  “My reputation precedes me.” I grinned. “Since you know who I am, you also know I don’t play nice.” Fair, yes. Nice, no. “My friend here doesn’t look eager to continue your conversation. I would let her go if I were you. There are plenty of other women who would be flattered by your attention.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You think so?”

  “Sure.” I pried Mai’s hand from his tight grip with a decisive yank then shoved her behind me. “Nice meeting you.” I placed a guiding hand on her shoulder and called out “Enjoy your night” on our way past.

  His expression made my knees weak, and not in a good way.

  “Oh.” He tenderly caressed his hand where my fingertips had brushed him. “I will.”

  My shoulders twitched under the tangible weight of his stare. Slowly, so as not to provoke any of his predatory instincts, we retreated a safe distance away.

  “We need to leave the area,” a cool voice said to my right.

  Thinking of the handsome-yet-creepy fae, I nodded. “Where’s Daire?”

  “Making sure we aren’t followed.”

  His calm made me curious. “I notice you didn’t step in back there.”

  “The fae appeared oblivious to our presence. I saw no reason why I should announce myself unless the situation escalated.” He exhaled. “I was unable to sense what type of fae he is. His power barely registered until you touched him, then it surged. Could you scent him?”

  The suggestion stunned me so much I stopped walking. “The thought never occurred to me.”

  Righty made a thoughtful noise.

  “He was using glamour to conceal himself with a side of compulsion mixed in for good measure.” I followed that line of reasoning. “Otherwise, I would have spotted him—” a threat who was obviously fae, obviously dangerous, “—scented him or
demanded he declare himself.”

  Mai rested her hand on my arm. “Is it safe to stay here?”

  “He is Unseelie,” Righty answered. “He would not dare strike against our future queen.”

  Mai and I shared a look that conveyed our doubt. Faerie had been teetering on the brink of war for a long time. King Moran’s death and my controversial appointment could very well be the straws that dislocated the camel’s back. Rook was working to diffuse the situation, but our subjects were almost as fond of him as they were of me. Both of us were half-bloods, and few pure-blooded fae were eager to bow before a half-human sovereign. Especially not one who had killed both the Seelie and Unseelie candidates for the crown.

  “I’m hungry.” Mai rubbed her arms. “You want to hit one of the fast-food joints?”

  “That would be unwise,” a fourth voice entered our conversation. “Your admirer just left.”

  “We don’t want to risk bumping into him on the sidewalk.” I nodded. “Gotcha.”

  Beside me, Mai shivered. “Delivery?”

  “That sounds perfect.” I hooked my arm through hers. “We’ll eat and rent movies to watch until we fall asleep.”

  After collecting our belongings from the storage locker, we headed up to our room. There we found Diode in a compromising position on the carpet in the living room. He didn’t pause his grooming session to acknowledge us, but he did swivel his eyes to watch our grim procession.

  He hacked once. “What happened?”

  We told him, and he began pacing. The more I watched, the more certain I was he was growing before my eyes.

  Like sands through a flip-flop thong, our perfect vacation was slipping through our fingers—toes?

  “Beaches are a favorite hunting ground for predatory fae,” I said to anyone listening. “They prey on the drunk and drugged-up humans who wash ashore every summer.” I bent to rub Diode. “It’s not like this guy, whoever he is, set out to find us in particular. It was probably a wrong-place, wrong-time deal.” I raked a hand through my damp, stringy hair. “That doesn’t mean I agree with what he’s doing, I don’t.” The conclave accepted fae had to feed and that humans were on the menu, but I didn’t have to like it. “I’ll see if I can get him removed through official channels.” Shaw could coordinate a fae removal with the Florida conclave outpost without dropping my name. “He’ll come back when he gets hungry, though. They always do. Hopefully we’ll be gone before that happens.”

  A month ago, this wouldn’t have been an issue. I would have spotted the guy working his mojo in a condo filled with humans and kids, labeled him as high risk, and then gotten rid of him. I would have done it alone, or if I was desperate, I might have called for backup. Now? Forget about it.

  Being a princess meant examining all things dangerous and then determining what threat, if any, was posed to me. I hated feeling targeted. I hated having my work taken from me. But I knew the fae were unsettled, and I was an obvious target. Kill me and they got the war so many clamored for.

  Before someone lowered the doom-and-gloom hammer on my evening, I addressed the room a second time, hoping for better results. “Food and a movie.” I raised my hand. “Who’s with me?”

  Mai lifted a timid hand.

  “Good enough.” I headed for my room. “I’ll grab my laptop, and we’ll check out delivery possibilities on the strip.” The rumble in my stomach convinced me dishing out for fast food was a great idea. I would shop for groceries to stock the pantry tomorrow. Tonight, there was a plate of curry chicken calling my name.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rook was waiting for me when my eyes closed. He greeted me wearing extravagant black-and-white regalia, some fae cross between a tux and a suit of armor. His pitch-black hair hung in a single braid down his spine. His pale skin luminesced, and his sharp eyes mocked my slack-jawed reaction.

  We stood on black-and-white checkered tiles made from polished marble. There were no walls or ceiling. Beyond the floor lurked an abyss. Over our heads, stars twinkled in unfamiliar constellations. I awarded bonus points for the enormous moon hanging overhead, so round and bright it lit the room.

  I stood before him in a T-shirt, panties and fuzzy yellow socks. “I was wearing pajama shorts when I went to sleep.”

  His tone was all kinds of innocent. “Were you?”

  I concentrated very hard on wearing jeans, and they appeared. “Why so formal?”

  Rook scowled at my wardrobe choice. “To be treated as a royal, one must look the part.”

  “Okay.” I gestured around us. “What’s all this?”

  He snapped his fingers, and classical music filled the air. Narrow white bars snapped into place, creating four walls that boxed us into a square-shaped room. As the song—a waltz, I think—played, each note popped into existence on the corresponding line. Music was being written before our eyes.

  “Your coronation ball will be the likes of which Faerie has never beheld,” he promised.

  “That’s not necessary, really.” I spun in a slow circle, watching the progression of the song. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “That’s what all this is for.” He held out his hand. “I want you to shine, Thierry.”

  I walked up to him and slapped my hand into his. “By shine, you mean not embarrass you.”

  “You could never do that.” He delivered the line with such sincerity, I almost believed him.

  Up close Rook’s wood-smoke-and-embers scent enfolded me, and my belly tightened pleasantly.

  He reeled me closer, until six inches separated our chests, and beamed at me with such pride, I let myself imagine what our life might be like as a couple. Though his political aspirations had brought us together, Rook was not unaffected by me. And, if I were honest, I wasn’t immune to his appeal. He was a beautiful man. I also suspected he had a decent heart hidden underneath his ambition, but being railroaded into marriage and the whole kidnapping-my-mom thing meant I spent more time dreaming of strangling him than making out with him.

  Of course, that could be said about most men in my life.

  “What were you thinking about just now?” He peered down at me. “You were smiling.”

  “I was thinking of how often I daydream about strangling you.”

  “You’re passionate.” He decided, “There are worse attributes in a wife.”

  He slid his arm around my waist. His fingers grazed higher, leaving trails of warmth in their wake, until his broad palm rested confidently between my shoulder blades.

  “Follow my lead,” he said.

  After a few false starts, he taught me a basic box step. Putting those new moves to the music left me muttering counts under my breath and curling my toes out of fear his quick steps would crush my feet through my socks.

  “You’re overthinking it.” His grip on my hand tightened. “Focus on the music.” His voice turned persuasive. “On me.”

  Against my better judgment, I did as he asked, falling into his dark eyes, following his lead as he hummed along with the music. The longer we danced, the easier we moved, until my legs were sore and my breathing labored. Color splashed his cheeks, and his devilish grin widened.

  “It can be like this every night once we’re together.” He sounded wistful.

  I misstepped, almost tripping us both, and spun out of his arms. “Is that what this is?”

  He stood there, chest heaving, eyes shining, saying nothing. It was answer enough for me.

  I shook my head. “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me how to survive Faerie.”

  “You will learn, but until then, you have me.”

  “That’s been your plan all along.” I felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. “The consuls think you’re here, teaching me how to rule Faerie while you’re really here trying to seduce me through my dreams.” When would I learn that trusting Rook never ended well for me? “You want to keep me dependent on you, even if my glaring ignorance gets me killed.”

  Muscles leapt in his jaw. “I w
ould never let you be harmed.”

  Bitter laughter spilled over my lips. “Oh, that’s right. If I die, so do your dreams.”

  “Thierry...”

  “No.” I backed away from him. “I’m out of here.”

  I woke in my bed, fists clenched in the covers and heart racing with anger. Then, to compound a frustrating situation, I did the one thing even dumber than falling for Rook’s shenanigans. Yet again.

  I called Shaw.

  Shaw picked up just as I was getting nervous he might not. I should have taken the cosmic out I had been given, but no. I hung on the line, counting the rings until they almost put me to sleep.

  “Hey.”

  His graveled voice jolted me as I drifted halfway between sleep and wakefulness.

  “Thierry?”

  “Sorry.” I shifted onto my side. “I’m here.”

  “You’re up late. Are you keeping night hours?”

  I worked dusk until dawn most times because the hunting was easier, but there was no point now.

  “Not so much.” I rubbed my eyes. “How about you?”

  “If I hadn’t forgotten to turn off my ringer, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “I shouldn’t have called so early.” A guilty twinge hit me. “I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

  “You called for a reason.” He sounded more alert. “What’s up?”

  I reflected on the details of the dream and decided to make this about him. “How’s your case?”

  Maybe too alert. “That’s not why you called.”

  Damn him for knowing me so well. “It’s complicated.”

  “You should print that on business cards.” Amusement saturated his voice. “Do you really want details?”

  “Spill.” As I said it, I realized I meant it. I hoped his trip wasn’t a bust like mine had been so far.

  “I exhausted my best lead.” He exhaled. “One grainy security feed placed Jenna in the area, but now I don’t know if I can trust myself to be objective. It looked like her, but not like her. She was rail thin for one thing. Jenna was always curvy, especially after she had the kids. Her walk was all wrong, her motions jerky and uncoordinated. Things change in ten years, but that much? I’m not convinced it was her.”