Arryn: Mystic Protectors Series (8 page)

“I think I’m going to have a talk with our Kipling. He might be going too far in using you as a source of humor. I do love him, but this is…perhaps it will be best if you should stay away until I have a word or two with him.” Just as Boss spoke, humor spilling from His mouth, a man came into the dining room with them.

The store was closed now; Judith had said that they could lock up after they left. But Arron had a feeling that none of the protectors or Mystics were very far away. He would even bet that there were a few of Dan’s crew that were close at hand too. But the man in front of them resembled a large…Santa Claus.

“I don’t get out much.” Boss nodded and so did Arryn. “I did try to find something that would show I was here in good faith and willing to listen, but this is the image that came up when I put in trustworthy to all. What is this thing?”

“It’s a jolly old elf,” Boss answered him. Lord Damon shook his body, and he looked like a banker. A very tall one, but also well dressed and groomed. “Much better. And if you don’t mind my saying so, very much the way most men dress when going to a meeting.”

As they sat down, Arryn noticed that the room changed. It was no longer the dining area of Judith’s restaurant, but now a nice living room setting. And it had warmed up a few degrees too. Arryn had not thought of the differences in the temperature that the man would have to endure and smiled at him. As drinks were brought to them and a tray of small sandwiches was left, Lord Damon looked at Boss.

“I have done some research into your…this problem. And I’ve done some looking on the name that you gave me as well. To be honest, it was cleverly done by whoever did this, but not anything that I was aware of. I do not work that way.” Boss told him that he hadn’t thought so. “The young woman, you say that she’s had contact with my demon? Does she know his name?”

“She has the contract, but she said that she knows that the name on it is a lie. I’m sure you know that we don’t work that way either.”

Lord Damon looked at Arryn before speaking. “You are in love with her.” Arryn nodded. “You’re here to do what then? Trade your life for hers should I go ahead with the contract?”

“I would.” He didn’t even think about it. In fact, it had never occurred to him until then that he could have done that. “If it would save her life, then I would bow before you to save her.”

“It won’t be necessary. But you should tell her that before much longer. I believe the girl to be ill. Sick with her love for you as well.” Arryn didn’t even try to figure out how he knew they’d had a fight, but nodded at him. “There is something you can do for me. And I will talk of it later with you. Alone.”

Michael stood up and then disappeared. Boss started to stand as well, but Lord Damon asked him to please be seated. He asked that He give him a moment to explain, that it was very important.

“You know what he is to me. You know what Michael is.” Lord Damon nodded. “If you have harmed him in any way I shall—”

“I have only sent him to the house of Riss. He is safe there. But he is…you know how he can be when things are not by the book. I was just trying to save us some time. And there is very little of that left, I believe.” Boss nodded and leaned back in the chair again. “I thank you. Now the girl. I need the contract. I shall not take it, but I would like to see it. Perhaps I can see something on it that you cannot.”

Boss snapped his fingers and Renie was suddenly there. Arryn stood up to touch her, but she backed from him. The fury on her face made him want to both run and hide and pull her into his arms and hold her forever.

“What the fuck? I was in the middle of…who the hell are you?” Lord Damon laughed but he didn’t speak. “You’re…there is something about you, something…well, I’m sorry, but there is something bad about you.”

“Precisely.” He stood up and reached for her hand, then withdrew it quickly. “You have been cursed, haven’t you? I would say…whoever did this to you did not want you to have help from anyone. Especially anyone that might be able to save you, including me.”

“She burns us as well when we touch her. But not Arryn here. I don’t know what it is…oh, but when you ask for permission, she can be touched, but I felt the heat of it.” Lord Damon nodded. “What is it? Is it one of your curses? I don’t believe it is since you seemed surprised by it. So who might it be?”

“I have a thought or two who it might be. And, no. It is the work of one of mine but not me. And it would seem, as much as I hate to admit it, love does indeed conquer all. Nasty business, love.” Damon looked at Arryn. “You have hurt her then, because of his curse.”

“Yes. I’m not sure if it was the curse or not, but I did hurt her.”

Renie whistled then; put her fingers in her mouth and made a sound so loud that he had to cover his ears. Lord Damon only laughed.

“I’m right here. I really hate the way you guys talk around me as if….” Renie looked around. “Where am I anyway? And you never said who you were.”

“Lord Damon, second to the king of the underworld. And you are here, on your own realm, in a place that I believe is a sandwich shop owned by a friend of yours.” Arryn nearly laughed when Renie didn’t seem the least bit impressed. “You are a wonder, are you not? But this curse…I should like to touch you. I may be able to find out for sure who has put it there.”

“No.” Lord Damon cocked a brow at her but didn’t speak when Renie continued. “I’m not sure what you think you can accomplish with touching me. But you might…what if I hurt you? You could do worse to me than that shit head that owns my soul. And if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon not have my time here shortened because you got a little scorched by me.”

“I will not harm you in any way. Nor will I shorten your time here with those that…love you.” They stared at each other for several minutes, long silent minutes, before Renie put out her hand. When Lord Damon touched his finger to her, he, as had the others, flared up in flames, but kept touching her. When Renie staggered back, Lord Damon did as well and fell into the chair he’d been in. Arryn took Renie into his arms and held her.

“Do you know who it is?” Lord Damon nodded at him but continued to stare at Renie. “And can you do something about this? See what we can do to get her back?”

“I should like to see the contract, if you please.” Arryn went to retrieve it for Lord Damon, and he also got Renie a glass of tea. Lily had told him that something sweet would heal most anything magical. That didn’t lessen his worry for her, but he knew that in this, he could be of help.

Arryn handed it to him and Lord Damon looked at Renie. When she nodded, the demon lord took the papers and then looked them over twice before he seemed to understand something on it. Also, Arryn thought the man was upset, but not at them. When he sniffed the blood, the fingerprint of the person who had signed it, he handed it back to Renie.

“I should like to know how you came to have this. I’m assuming that you were not given it by this…Penny person?” Arryn started to ask what difference that made when Renie answered him.

“Penny had it, and when she wanted some money…I went there and took it in trade. I doubt I’ll see the money again, but she can have this when I’m paid. I’m thinking I might already be dead when that happens.” Lord Damon told her not necessarily. “I don’t understand. I mean, you do know that I’ve only a few days to go yet. And when I turn twenty-five, I’ll be in your neck of the woods. What possible reason can you have to think that this might not come to pass? And please give me at least a glimmer of hope. I could really use it.”

“The contract is a good one. I will give the person that much. But you must know, and I’m sure that your lord here will back me up, I do not work this way. Nor does my king.” No one agreed or disagreed, and for some reason Lord Damon thought that was funny. “I see that we have a few non-believers here. Regardless. The contract will be fulfilled, but you cannot fill it. Unless you want to?”

“No. I mean, no offense, but I’m kinda liking my life the way it is for the moment.” Lord Damon nodded. “I don’t understand. If you say it will be fulfilled and not by me, who will?”

“Let me tell you something first. And you should know that as much as it pains me, I owe you both a big apology. I came here thinking that this was going to be a slam dunk, as you call it. I would see the contract, know that it was true to the letter, and take you with me. I was…let us just say that I am rarely wrong about people, and for this, I am sorry.” Arryn took Renie’s hand and was glad once again that she didn’t fight him. “But I do need for you to…fulfill it on one level. I should like to catch this…well, I will say in this case, the two of them. The one that cursed you, which is separate from the contract and more than likely unknown to the person who made the deal with Miss Sharp, and the person who is the blood on the bottom there.”

“It’s not the name on the contract.” Lord Damon shook his head and asked her how she knew. “You’re going to think this is strange, and after my life for the last several months, that’s saying a lot, but I could feel it was a lie. Even before…even before my magic or whatever it is came about, I knew that it was a lie. There are two other things in it as well that aren’t true.”

“Such as?” Lord Damon leaned forward when she showed him the paragraph about half way down the page. “Ah, yes. That would also be a lie. We do not make bargains for one’s soul like this. And had you brought him the pieces of the protectors, I can assure you that I would have known, as would my king. That is something that…it is something that we cannot do to each other without a war. And as much as I enjoy a good war, this is not worth having one over. Not like this.”

Lord Damon looked at Boss and they both smiled. Arryn was sort of afraid. And when they both stood up, he knew they were going to leave them. But the demon turned to him. It was the smile that made him think that he was in a lot of trouble.

“As I was saying to you earlier, you and I need to talk. Now is as good a time as ever, I believe. You are human, or are for the most part; did you know that?” Arryn told him no. “You are while you are in her presence because she drains you…you’re just enough human, and she is more like you. It balances you both, so that you are neither one nor the other but both. And she is a woman as well. It does not happen often that someone that wrote such a clever contract would miss that, but for now, you are both about as human as you can get. You should take care of making yourself very human.”

“I don’t understand. That wasn’t very clear at all.” He smiled and then he disappeared with Boss. Arryn looked at Renie. “Do you know what he’s talking about? Balance? Human? I just…was he trying to be confusing?”

“No. I think…I hate to say this, but I think you’re all nuts. And I didn’t get to tell him the other lie on the contract either.” The voice that echoed around the room surrounded them. Apparently he knew what it was too. “This is the most fucked up thing I’ve seen a long time. And I need a nap. I’m…that was exhausting.”

“I’d very much like to take you upstairs and hold you.” When she nodded he picked her up. “And perhaps we could make love too. I think that would be a good way for me to show you just how sorry I truly am.”

“That is a great idea.” They were halfway up the stairs when she stopped him. “We might have to clean up a bit. I’ve been…working.”

He didn’t care if it took them the rest of the night to clean up, she was back in his life. And he was never going to mess up like he had again. Never for so long as he lived.

Chapter 8

Jonas rubbed his hands together. Just three more days and he’d have it all. Not only would he have the woman where he wanted her, but he’d have the pieces of the protectors as well. Fourteen she’d told him. Fourteen protectors at his mercy. And then the grand prize that he’d not even counted on.

He’d been surprised when he entered her dream state and she seemed to be waiting for him. Before he could begin his nightly tormenting, which he had enjoyed more than he’d thought he would, she’d spoken to him.

“I have what you want.” Jonas had asked her what she had and why he would need whatever it was. “The pieces of the protectors. You could have told me what you wanted instead of fucking being so slick. Just say feathers next time. It will make it easier to figure it out and I won’t have to spend time researching for it. Moron.”

“It is not as much fun to just say what you want when you can be…slick, as you called it. And you really do have them? How many?” She nodded and he had smiled at her. “You do remember me telling you that I was not going to honor that part of the contract, don’t you? I have no use for the feathers, and only put it in there so that you’d have hope. I love it when my victims have hope.”

“So you’ve done this before? This taking babies without their permission?” Jonas had nodded, thinking what did he care if she knew that he had taken over two dozen souls this way. “And their parents, what did they say to you when you came to collect? Did they try to renege on the deal?”

“They came as well. Just as your mother will. I make these deals with desperate people, but I cannot let them tell others of my plans. What would happen should others find out about my ideas? Everyone would want to do it.” The woman told him he was a sick fuck. “Why thank you. I do believe that is the kindest thing someone has said to me in a very long time.”

“Whatever. I want one thing from you.” Jonas had laughed. She was in no way able to bargain with him. He was the one in charge, not this slip of a human. “When I come to you, I wish to be there when you show the parts of the protectors to your partner. He should be there just for the jollies of it.”

“I think that can be arranged.” It wasn’t until later—a whole day later—that he realized she knew about Peter. And now, because of the other bargain she’d struck with him, he could not go to her again or the last feather, the one he was excited to get, would not be his. And the lord of all the heavens’ feather was one he wanted more than anything. He thought of the way she’d worded her last demand and wondered several times if she’d had help. A woman did not have the knowledge that she did.

“You will leave me to my peace until six o’clock on the evening of my twenty-fifth birthday in this time zone. And if you do, I will give you the fourteen feathers that I have plus the one that I got just today. The feather of Boss.” He’d nearly told her to show him, but he knew that in her dream state, that was not going to happen. “If you break any of these demands, not only will you not get the fourteen, but you won’t even see the last one. The one that I treasure.”

He had said yes, even told her that he’d not bother her mother either, but she said that he could do whatever he wanted to her. She had made him swear on his life, swear to her that he would do as she asked or everything, the entire deal, was off. And now six days later, he had only to wait two and a half more and he’d be the king of the underworld. Looking up when someone knocked on his door, he nearly hugged Peter to him when he came in.

“It’s to work. I cannot tell you how happy I am that you helped me with the contract. Should you not have thought of the pieces of the protectors, then we would not be getting the grand prize of all.” Peter listened to him as he told him what she’d said. “And to have the one of their king? We will be envied by all.”

“You told her of me?” He said that he hadn’t but she had guessed. “Did she say anything else about me? About any kind of problems that she was having? I swear to you, Jonas, if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I will tell everything that I know and even lie to get you into trouble.”

Jonas thought it an odd question about the problems she was having but told him that she had not. “You wouldn’t even put your name on the contract, so I’ve no idea why you’re so upset. But as I have promised, I will share in my wealth when we’re presented before the king. He will be so impressed with us.”

“You think so?” Jonas assured him he was positive. “I should have told you this before, but I have put a curse on her. Not a big one, but when you told me who she was, I found out that she was around the protectors. And since we both know what kind of do-gooders they are, I made it so that they’d not be able to help her. No one can help her, not even Damon.”

Jonas was surprised that Peter even knew how to do a curse, but thought it a brilliant plan to keep her safe for them. And he told his friend over and over how much they were going to gain from this. He even told him that he wished he was that smart as well. Not that he trusted him. He’d been in this business long enough to know that you trusted no one, sometimes not even yourself. But the man might come in handy later, and he wanted him close.

“The curse, what does it do? I don’t want to be pulled into it should I happen to trigger it.” Peter told him what he’d done and what would happen if someone touched her. “So the day that you were here and I was burning, you knew why even then.”

“I thought I knew but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know that it would harm you as well.” Jonas only nodded, thinking that Peter had betrayed him one too many times. “You are well now, so what does it matter? And as you have said, she is safe for us.”

After Peter left, Jonas sat down in his easy chair. It wouldn’t be long now and he’d have it all. And he’d only just decided that Peter was going to have to go. He had no idea how to kill a demon such as himself without everyone knowing who did it, but his days were as numbered as the woman’s. Feeling his temper getting the better of him, Jonas thought of the other changes that were about to happen because of her coming here and what she was bringing to him.

Lord Damon would be out and Jonas would be in charge of everything down here. There would be changes then, good ones that would, of course, benefit him. And he thought that might be a way to get rid of Peter, just as Damon had gotten rid of Markum. Jonas might even have a sit in with the king. Excited now, he went to the room he’d had prepared for his captive.

Jonas had no use for the older woman. But he did know that humans, especially human daughters, would do anything for their mother. They loved their mothers no matter what they did to them. He’d known one such mother that had sold her daughter to a great many men, but when it came to it, the daughter had asked to take her place when it came time to collect her for him. Of course he’d taken them both…it was his first adventure into contracts. So he was going to use the older woman to show the daughter just what he had planned for her. And he had a great many plans.

The room he had set up was thick stone. He’d forged it himself over the years, learning a lesson the hard way. Screams, it seemed, could echo down long hallways and bring any matter of others to his room. Sharing his prize was something that he hated doing, and had worked very hard to make it so it never happened again. Especially not with this woman. Never would anyone touch her but him until he was finished with her. And Jonas thought it would be ages before that happened.

Jonas was still worried about the contract. If anyone were to find it he was sure that it would have repercussions that he’d feel for a long time. Just thinking of Markum had him terrified, and he made his way to the house of the mother again. This was his third such trip to the house of the woman, and he hated it more and more each time.

The house was a mess, as it usually was. The woman—Penny, he knew was her name—was sleeping on her couch. Jonas avoided her and looked around the large place trying to sniff out his blood. Each time he’d been there before, he’d known just where it was, but now it didn’t seem to be in the house. He wondered if the fool had destroyed it. Then he smiled.

If she no longer had her copy of it, then he could say whatever he wanted about it. He did wonder again how the daughter had figured out the pieces of the protectors. But the mother would have had to prove to her that she was indeed going to be his play thing and might have shown it to her. As far as Jonas could remember, the contract had been in the house well after he’d started visiting the girl.

When it didn’t seem it was in the house he made his way back to his lair. Warming up by his fire, Jonas thought of all the things he could say about the contract and a way to get more than he’d wanted. He was already getting a good deal more than he ever thought he’d get, but why not get more? More was infinitely better than less.

~~~

“Explain to me again, and with more detail than you did before, how you think this is going to work. And no more laughing when I ask you something. I have a headache and you’re not helping.” Boss touched His finger to her head and it was gone. “Thank you. But that does not mean You’re off the hook.”

“You should be more trusting, Reyna. I’ve got this under control.” He grinned at her. “Have you been sleeping better or have you been up all night?”

Renie flushed and didn’t even glance Arryn’s way. The man seemed to be insatiable. Not that she wasn’t enjoying every second of it, but she had no idea where he was getting his energy. Of course, he had reminded her last night that he’d never had sex before until her, and he had to make up for lost time. She thought he was making a pretty good dent in it. She thought of something she wanted to ask Boss. After kissing her on the forehead, Arryn told her he would return. He was needed, it seemed, at Riss’s home.

“What will happen to Arryn if I…if you can’t…if this doesn’t work?” Boss told her it would. “I don’t mean to burst your bubble there, Big Guy, but rarely do things work out the way I need for them to. I’ve a long list of shit that I thought was right, then it was gone in seconds.”

“Your other job, you mean? The one where you had to turn them in rather than let it go on? I think you did the right thing, if that matters to you.” Renie nodded. “The men who had hired you to work for their firm thought that you’d be so stuck in your work that you’d not notice just where the money was coming from. They had…well, like most I know…thought you’d be a computer genius but nothing more. They were not expecting you to have a brain as well.”

“I’m thinking I might have picked the wrong line of work to go into. But then it sort of picked me, not the other way around.” He only laughed again. “You know, I’ve known You for all of a month now and I’m willing to bet You don’t laugh all that much. Or at least understand humor. You think the strangest things are funny.”

“Sometimes life can be funny. Like this matching of you and Arryn. Had I known about you sooner and what it was going to bring to the table, I might have—”

“Left me to my own devices?” She looked away when he seemed shocked. “I’ve not had the best of lives. I mean, I’ve got a lot of money and I can get anything I want with just a click of a computer key. I won’t, but I could. I’ve a mother, though she doesn’t care for me, good friends that I’m going to miss terribly if this doesn’t work out. And I have a lover, one that I’ve only just discovered, that You know that I love very much.”

“And he loves you. Reyna, look at me please.” She turned to look at Boss and could see that she’d hurt Him with her words. “I would never have left you to your devices. You are mine and I shall have you back into my fold soon now. What was done to you…well, it was not right. To more than just your soul, but to your quality of life as well. No one should know the date of their demise. Especially like you found out.”

“What will happen to me when this is finished?” He smiled at her. She didn’t like that smile any more than she did a lot of things He’d told her lately. “If this thing with Lord Damon—who I have to admit seems like a pretty straightforward guy—if it works out, what am I going to be doing? I’m assuming that You have some sort of plan for me?”

“I do.” He sat there for a long moment. “And I will not tell you. You should know by now that all things come to those who wait. I don’t know which of my people said that first, but it is a good thing, don’t you think?”

“Not particularly. No, I don’t.” He laughed again. “I’m serious. Will I need to find something to do? I have to stay active and working. I’m not a very good idol person. Devil’s workplace and all.”

“You are something else. And I think you will be a great addition to my Mystic’s.” He leaned back in the chair. “You will work with the group. I believe there are things that you can do from here that we can use on other projects. Nothing illegal or anything like that, but there are things you can do. And I know that you will have the offer of a very well-paying job, but with a firm that you can trust from a man that I trust. We will be purchasing more buildings in the future. And though we will pay for them, it will help us on occasion to have the paperwork moved quickly. You can do that. Some of the protectors have funds; some a great deal that will need to be moved from the current currency to something more manageable.”

“Such as?” He told her. “I see. So you pay your people in gems and gold, and it needs to be turned into hard cash? I can do that. But it will…some places charge a percentage, so it might not translate to be the same amount. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m trying to rip them off.”

“Do you know how long some of the men I have working with me have been saving?” She told Him that she had no idea. “Arryn has been saving for more millennium than most. He and Riss are not the oldest, but very near. Tholan, who you have met, has been with me longer than those two, so his worth would astound you.”