Dead, she was more lucid than she'd ever been in life. Yet, her words still swirled like a deadly, mind-numbing fog in my head. She'd trained me to stand between the world and the darkness? Had she known the prophecies all along? Had I been just a tool to her? No, I couldn't believe that. But why hadn't she told me? Chills swept through my body, and I rolled so that I could bury my face against Liam's chest. At least with Liam I knew he loved me for nothing more than who I was; he didn't want to use me, or make me face demons, he didn't want to put me in the line of fire.

No, Liam was the one place I would always be safe. And with that thought, I finally drifted off to sleep.

We woke hours later. Darkness had fallen, and the clock on the side table blinked a lazy one in the morning. Liam was already awake, his breathing faster and less regular than when he slept. I sat up, grimaced at the twinge across my ribs, then traced my fingers along the st.i.tches that went from the bottom of my sternum almost to my belly b.u.t.ton. Good thing Crystal had small hands or I had no doubt that line would be even bigger.

Liam swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "You hungry?"

I smiled in the darkness, wondered if he could see my lips curve upward. He hadn't asked if I was okay, or how I was feeling. d.a.m.n, each time I thought he might not know me as well as I thought, he showed me how wrong I was. Good man.

"Yeah, let's get something to eat."

At some point while we'd slept, Dox must have brought in clothes. My jeans had been washed and dried, and there was a fresh b.u.t.ton down shirt for me. Jeans and a long-sleeved shirt for Liam. Even as a werewolf, the early December weather was cold for him.

"You never even twitched when he came in," Liam said as he stepped into his jeans.

I frowned. That wasn't like me. Then again, I was safe with Liam; maybe that was it. I b.u.t.toned up the shirt and slid the jeans on, then looked around for my weapons.

"Dox has them."

"Am I that easy to read?" I pulled on my leather coat. As much as I'd missed this clean cold snow while in London, now that I was home, I was back to hating it. And while it wasn't raining or snowing at the moment, the New Mexico winter was in full swing.

He opened the door and gave me a c.o.c.ky grin. "For me, yes. Anyone else, probably not."

With a snort, I headed out, pleased to note that while my ribs ached, they were indeed already healing well. More than halfway healed from what I could feel with each step I took.

We headed to the bar that thumped with loud music and had strobe lights on the roof, as if to call down some alien s.p.a.ce ships as per its name.

"What can we expect?" Liam moved to my side, but didn't take my hand. No, we weren't really the hand holding type of couple. More the kick your a.s.s if you look at us wrong type of couple. The thought made me smile.

"I don't know. I've never been to The Landing Pad when it was open and full of patrons."

"You can't get jostled."

We stopped outside the door. I put my hands on my hips. "Your point is what?"

He mimicked me. "Let me go in and get Dox, or at least make sure that I can clear a path."

Irritation flared along every synapse I had. A small part of me knew that he was just doing his job as 'the guy' and as 'the alpha', but it bothered me. I was no shrinking violet to be handled with f.u.c.king kid gloves.

Before he could say anything else, I turned and kicked the door open. Patrons scattered away from the door and a path opened up straight to the bar.

I raised an eyebrow at a seriously frowning Liam. "Thanks, but I think I've got it." Okay, so it was bra.s.sy and maybe stupid, as my ribs reminded me with a sharp twinge that they weren't fully healed. But I just couldn't let him take care of me in public like I did in private. I just didn't have it in me to be that girl.

Growling under his breath, he followed me in. No one even stepped close to us. The crowd there was mostly humans, but I caught sight of a few supernaturals trying to blend in. A leprechaun in the far corner chatting up a pretty red-headed girl, a water nymph sitting on a table surrounded by men ... and Doran, his arm slung over the shoulders of Crystal, the young Shaman who'd helped save my life. His eyes tracked me, as he whispered in her ear. I just shook my head and moved to the bar.

Dox gave me a big grin and shouted over the music. "Your girl is a natural bartender!" He pointed to the far end of the bar where, to my shock, Pamela was slinging drinks. And I mean slinging them. Spinning the gla.s.ses across the bar, she flipped them into the air at the same time as she grabbed a bottle of booze from under the table. I squinted, watched the half pause of the bottle and the gla.s.s in mid air. The patrons cheered as she poured drinks with a flare that most bartenders took years to learn, if they ever managed at all.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to practice being subtle with her spells," I said softly.

Liam didn't laugh, didn't answer; he just closed the distance between us. "Dox, you got any food in this joint?"

Dox raised his eyebrows, silver rings glinting in the light. "Don't go insulting me, Agent. You remember what happened last time? No, never mind, you wouldn't remember much of that."

I laughed, grimaced as my stomach muscles clenched, and slid onto a barstool. Liam sat beside me, but turned sideways so he could keep an eye on me, no doubt. I stifled the urge to tell him to chill. Alpha, I had to remember he was an alpha to the core and every urge he had to protect was in overdrive because I was hurt. Still, I struggled not to tell him to back off.

Dox slid a stack of chicken wings and carrot sticks in front of us. I dug in, sucking the meat off the bones as fast as Liam did. My belly grumbled ... no, that wasn't my belly. I looked down to see Alex staring up at me, pointing with one claw to his mouth. He mouthed "hungry please" at me, and scooted closer. I grabbed a chicken wing, intending to give it to him, when Liam's hand covered mine stopping me.

"He eats after us."

Shock filtered through me, and I turned to stare at Liam. "What did you say?"

Liam didn't even twitch, his eyes not giving me any indication that he was joking. "He can eat after us."

Okay, so s.h.i.t, I knew this was going to happen, maybe not this exactly, but something where the alpha in him would show up and start a p.i.s.sing contest. But did it have to be right now with me and Alex?

Liam let go of my hand and I flipped the chicken wing to Alex. Submissive, he might be, but I would be d.a.m.ned if I treated him like a second-cla.s.s citizen. Liam snarled and stood. I followed him and put myself between him and Alex.

"This isn't a pack. Not like your wolf wants it to be. I won't have you treating Alex like s.h.i.t."

Liam closed the distance between us so that we were nose to nose. Taking me right back to our early days with him as my nemesis instead of my lover and mate.

"I don't treat him like s.h.i.t. I treat him like the submissive he is." Liam's whole body quivered with suppressed emotion. I was putting my money on 'p.i.s.sed'.

"Not around me you won't." I stepped back, and Alex wrapped his paws around my calves.

"Sorry Boss, Alex waits." He pushed the chicken wing across the floor to Liam's feet.

Well s.h.i.t. I hadn't expected Alex to side with Liam on this. Before I could say anything else, Dox rapped his knuckles on the bar. "Rylee, you've got a phone call. You can take it in my office."

"Who the h.e.l.l knows we're here?" I snapped. The bar patrons closest to us backed away. Yeah, I was being a b.i.t.c.h, but I didn't like seeing Alex get treated like he wasn't good enough. Especially not by Liam.

Both werewolves followed me, Alex at my heels and Liam moving up to my side. Not that anyone was standing in my way.

I strode through the bar and down the short hallway to Dox's office, all the while doing my best to ignore the growing ache in my ribcage. The office was neat and tidy, though everything was sized up for his larger-than-life build. His desk and chair were made of some sort of high polished dark wood that was almost black except for the soft swirls of caramel here and there. I slid around the desk and sat down in the chair, my feet dangling, barely brushing the floor.

"We need to talk about Alex," Liam said, leaning across the desk, his hands flat on it. Alex peeked up over the edge of the desk, then moved to mimic Liam.

"Yuppy doody, Alex is good wolf."

I didn't answer, but instead picked up the old school phone lying on the desk.

"Who is this?"

"Me. Who the h.e.l.l do yous thinks it was going to be?"

I let out a sigh of relief. Of course, Charlie knew to call Dox's place if he couldn't reach me. As my middle man with the parents of lost children, the brownie needed to be able to get a hold of me, or at least get a message to me via one of my friends.

"What's up?"

"Yous going to be at the big blue ox's place for a bits?"

"Yes, at least another day."

"Good. I be sending a parent to yous. I've done me best to puts them off, but now that yous be back, yous can deal with them."

I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair. "What are the particulars of the salvage?"

"Nope, I can't tell yous. They said that yous need to be hearing it straights from the father." His voice sobered. "And I'd be making sure that yous and me do rights by them. I think they be holding your bird hostage."

My jaw dropped, and I scooted forward in my chair. Liam leaned over the desk, eyebrows furrowing. Right, of course he could hear everything.

I licked my lips. "Eve? They have Eve?" She must have flown straight across again, instead of hopscotching like she'd said she would. d.a.m.n it, she just had to prove herself, no matter the cost.

Charlie let out a sigh. "Yes, theys don't be calling it hostage per se. Buts they does be saying they will be 'caring' for her until yous bring their kidlet backs to them."

d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l and back. "Charlie, are they threatening her?"

He clicked his tongue several times. "I think they would kill her if yous don't be bringing the kidlet back to them. I'll do what I can, but all I can do is stay with your bird. Right now she's in your barn, so easy enough for me to keeps me eyes on hers."

Much as I appreciated what he was willing to do, Charlie staying with her wouldn't work, not on Eve. "Charlie, give me second. I have to think this through."

I put the phone down on the desk and relayed what Charlie had told me to Liam; though he didn't need me to, I needed to say it to clear it in my own head. I couldn't believe that someone would hold Eve ransom, or that they'd be able to for that matter.

Liam went directly into agent mode, which was what I needed. "Blackmail? Have you run into it before?"

"No." I shook my head. "I have to say this is a first."

"And Charlie can't tell you anything about the kid or the parents?"

Charlie squawked through the phone. "Nots if yous want your bird kept off the rotisserie. My instructions were clearer than a mid summers night sky. No telling yous nothing."

Liam and I stared at each other. We had no choice but to go along, or Eve was done. And if they-whoever they were-could take out Eve so easily, I wasn't so sure that we weren't in for a wild f.u.c.king ride of a salvage.

"Send Pamela and Alex back to keep her calm; you can't go if the parents are coming this way, and you can't save Eve and the kid if you go to Eve," Liam said, his voice calm, casual as if it was the logical solution.

"You're just trying to get rid of Pamela," I countered, irritation flaring in my guts. "You have to learn to deal with her; she's a part of this family, pack, whatever you want to call it, as much as you or I am."

He ground his teeth, and when he answered me, he did so without acknowledging my words. "This time around, you need her to help, but not at your side. She can keep Eve calm, and if necessary, she can probably get Eve out of there if the s.h.i.t hits the fan."

d.a.m.n, he was right, that was the sticky part. Not that I couldn't let someone else be right, but that he was neatly avoiding Pamela, without actually having to avoid her.

I picked the phone up, but my eyes never left Liam's. "Charlie, I'm going to send Pamela and Alex to you. Tell Eve that they are coming, that should help. Tell her that I will find this kid, where he is-"

"It be a girl, I can tell yous that much."

"Fine, I'll find this kid wherever she is and bring her home."

"Okays. Be quick about it, Rylee." He hung up the phone, the line going dead in my ear.

PAMELA WAS EAGER to go 'save' Eve. Maybe a little too eager.

"Are you sure you want me to just go and sit with her? I can get her away from them, I know I can."

Before she'd even finished speaking I was shaking my head. "No, I don't know what these people have, but if they can hang onto a Harpy, they aren't to be messed with. Just keep her calm. That's your job." Only an hour since the phone call from Charlie. An hour and things were already ramping up. We waited outside the Landing Pad in the cold, winter night for Pamela and Alex's ride. Dox had shut the bar down early, and had put the word out through the locals that we were expecting some hostiles. s.h.i.t, not even home twenty-four hours and life had tossed a twist at us I could never have seen coming.

A cold nose shoved into my hand. "Alex's job?"

"You keep Pamela safe. That's your job. Protect her."

Alex sat back on his haunches and saluted me, albeit a bit sloppily. "Gots it."

All but bouncing, Pamela stood in front of me, eyes bright, ready to face another challenge. There was no regret in her over killing the red caps, as there shouldn't be. A part of me was pleased, she would suffer a lot less in our world doing what had to be done and not getting her panties twisted up with guilt. Yet, another part of me was sad. To be so young, and hardening up so quickly-I wasn't sure that was a good thing. I'd been two years older than she was when Giselle had found me. And even then I'd hardened plenty fast enough.

"You have Terese's phone number?" I handed Pamela the bowie knife I'd started with, the one she'd carried in London. She tucked the knife in the sheath that would hold the blade in place over her lower back.

"Yes, I'll call her as soon as I get there. Are you sure she'll help?" Pamela had reason to be wary. The only other witch she'd met had been Milly, and both times Milly had not treated Pamela well. If one can say that having a death spell thrown at you was just poor treatment.

I nodded. As soon as I'd gotten off the phone with Charlie, I'd called Terese. Told her that I was sending Pamela to my place and that it might be prudent for Terese to go and spend some time with her. Of course, it didn't hurt that I was sending Terese a young witch that would rival Milly's abilities one day.

Pamela's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Are you just sending her to check up on me? I'm not a child. I'm almost fifteen, you know."

"No." I bit back a smile; the kid was too d.a.m.n smart sometimes. "She has to check on every witch that comes into her territory. Not to mention you'll be training with her once things settle down."

Liam snorted. "Like that's ever going to happen in your life."

A big, pale green Cadillac pulled into the parking lot of the Landing Pad. In order to get Pamela and Alex back to North Dakota as fast as possible, I'd had two choices. Try to cross the Veil by going back into the castle and hoping like h.e.l.l that there was no one waiting for us in ambush.

Or cash in one of my favors with another of the Shamans. I went with option number two. No need to see who was waiting for us back at the castle.

Crystal leaned out the door of the Cadillac. I handed her a cell phone. "If something goes sideways, I'll call and you bring them back here to Dox, got it?"

The young Shaman's eyes were somber. "You think there might be problems?"

Liam snorted softly, but I ignored him and leaned in close so Pamela couldn't hear me. "You are taking them out of the firing range here. I don't want them to be around this psycho parent that's going to show up. If I call, it's because I think it's a trap on the other end. If it's safe, you won't hear from me, and you can take them all the way to Eve and drop them there. Got it?"

She gave me a tight smile. "I can't stay with them. Louisa needs me back here." I said nothing else, just stepped back. She understood what I was trying to do. Keep Pamela and Alex safe, while not showing them my hand. Keeping Eve safe was important too, but if this parent was the psycho I was counting on ... I Tracked Eve, felt a current of fear, but no pain, and no terror. More worried than anything. That was a good sign. Maybe this salvage wouldn't be the mess I had already a.s.sumed it would come to.

Crystal waved out the window to Alex and Pamela. "You two ready?" Even though she'd helped saved my life, I managed to talk her into throwing in a ride for Pamela and Alex too since she'd been helping Louisa, and I hadn't directly asked her for help. Bonus. Didn't hurt that she was young, and new to her profession as Shaman, making her easier to persuade.

Pamela gave me a hug, Alex followed suit, and then they were running toward the long, slightly anemic-looking car.

"Like kids off to summer camp," I said, crossing my arms to block the snap of cold wind. Crystal backed the caddie out, and Pamela and Alex waved to us. s.h.i.t, it felt like we were sending babies off into danger to save another baby. I had to force myself not to run out and stop the car, to call them back. In my head, I knew Eve needed them, and that I needed to be here to deal with the psycho father Charlie sent our way. Motherf.u.c.ker was going to get a piece of my mind, and maybe even a piece of my sword before this was all said and done. Splitting my team up was not something I wanted to do. It just felt wrong. Yet there was really no other choice for me at this point. Liam was right; we had to do things this way, at least this time.

Liam moved up beside me, his chest so close to my back I could feel the heat radiate off him, but he didn't touch me. "Summer camp in the dead of winter, with werewolves, witches and Harpies. Sounds like fun to me."

I didn't fire anything back, just watched the caddie disappear into the frosty cold night. With no one around, Liam slipped his arm over my shoulders, and I turned and slid mine around his waist.

"They'll be fine," he said, squeezing me gently to his side. I pushed away from him, the moment of solidarity gone in an instant.