Motor City Mage (11 page)

“
That
tells where the portal leads,” Vin said. “So now we find all the
X
s we can and look for the split-circle symbol, which is Earth.” He held out a rolled map marked on the outside with what looked like the Greek letter theta.

“Not one,” Des said with a sigh. “Why don’t we check the map of Earth and do a cross-check for any symbols that are on both maps?”

“Right.” Vin used a couple of the guns to spread a rough map of Earth out on the bed. “There’s one in nearly every major city in the western world with an asterisk by it.”

“Underhill,” Lana suggested. “There are portals between Earth and Underhill all over the place.”

Vin nodded. “That’s likely. Not many others, though there’s a triangle in Detroit. That’s his symbol for my world, so we know where that one goes.”

“See if we have a map for Faerie,” Des said. “From there, we know we can get home.”

“There are no asterisks on the map for this world,” Lana said unhappily. “Or thetas.”

“So now we have to look for anything that links from here to a world that does link to Earth or Underhill.” Des took off his shoes and weighted the map of Underhill on the bed beside the one of Earth.

Twenty minutes later, when they were all going cross-eyed, they finished studying all the maps.

“So we’ve got two possible routes. One through the plane marked by an infinity symbol into Faerie, and one through the square into New York City.” Des summed up their options as he rolled up the extraneous maps and handed them to Lana to put back into the box. He looked up at Vin. “Which of those is best?”

Vin grimaced. “Neither. Either you two die, or I do.”

“What?” Lana yelped, but quieted her voice before either of the males could remind her. “You’re fucking kidding. Explain.”

“No kidding.” Vin tapped the map labeled with a red square. “On this world, there’s a note that the nitrogen concentration in the air is too high for Gravakis. You’d be fine, but my system is much less tolerant of it. Your Earth is about our outer limit. It’s a bit of a strain to adjust to your atmosphere. On…” he read the heading on the map, “…Makra, the air is lethal to my people within minutes. I wouldn’t even be able to flash us the fifty miles from one portal to another.”

“Okay, so that one’s out.” Des tapped his finger on another one, with an infinity symbol. “So we take this one to New York. I know people there who can get us home, if I haven’t been blackballed by the League.”

Lana brightened. “Actually, we could make it even quicker through the Fae portal house, and then we wouldn’t have to worry about your boss. Colin’s parents are the New York guardians. I think they figure they owe us some favors.”

“That’s right. Great idea.” Des remembered the Fae teen who’d been kidnapped along with his niece. His parents would be more than willing to help Des and Lana get home.

“But we still have a problem.” Vin sat back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “What part of ‘I die or you die’ did you people not hear?”

“Apparently the ‘you die’ part. What’s wrong with this world?” Lana pointed at the map under Des’s hand.

“Extremely high temperatures.”

“I can block some of that with magic,” Des said. “Enough to buy us time to make the jump from portal to portal, anyway.”

“One, I can’t flash you both at the same time,” Vin reminded them. “Two, I’m not talking about a little hot. I’m talking about an average temperature of over two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Can you block out that, especially if you’re separated?”

“No, damn it.” Des shook his head. “So what do we do?”

“Obviously,” Lana said, “we spilt up. The two portals on the high-nitrogen world aren’t too far apart. Vin, you can read these maps. How long would it take us to walk this distance?”

Vin studied the map. “Three days. Maybe less, since you’re both pretty quick. It’s a little colder there, but not much worse than Detroit in November, so you should be fine if we get you some warmer gear before you go.”

Des nodded. “I don’t like the idea of splitting up, but if it’s our only option, then we don’t have much choice. At least Vin will get back first, and we can send him with letters, letting our families know we’re all right.”

“And that Brewer is dirty,” Lana added. “Maybe they can get someone looking into that while we’re hiking across a foreign world. One we know absolutely nothing about.”

“That’s not entirely the case,” Des said. “I’ve met demons from Makra. They’re not overly aggressive—usually out exploring more than causing trouble. They’re humanoid, so they can just about pass for human in our world if they try hard enough. Food and water shouldn’t be a problem there, as their needs are pretty similar to ours.”

“All right.” Lana bit her lip and looked into his eyes. Her trust was clear in her steady gaze, and Des felt honored. “High road and low road it is. So what we need now is warmer gear and something to write letters on and with. Oh—and currency for this Makra place wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”

“They’re another crossroads world like this one, used to demons, so most merchants will accept just about any precious-metal coin.” Vin pulled out the pouch Des had watched him pocket from the mage’s house. “This should do for both provisioning and travel expenses.”

“I can give you the cash from my wallet for New York,” Des said. “And my sister’s phone number. She can direct you to the portal house.” Knowing Elise, she and Aidan would meet the demon there and escort him back to Detroit.

“Do you have your cell phone?” Lana asked. “I’d give him mine, but I couldn’t exactly carry it to the mine in my fur.”

“Good idea.” Des pulled his out and handed it to Vin. “The number to call when you get to New York is my sister’s, Elise Sutton, and her husband, Aidan Greene, or Lord Green Oak. They can direct you to the New York Fae portal. Elise is the
E
on the main screen, Aidan is the oak leaf. Or you can just press this button and say, ‘call Elise.’ I turned the phone off while we were in prison, so the battery should still be good when you turn it back on.”

“I have my own, but she’s more likely to answer this one, so thanks.” Vin took the phone. “And I’ll flash to Detroit from New York, so I won’t have to deal with the Fae there. Meanwhile, we need to shop. Girl, you’ll freeze on Makra in a tunic. You’ll also want a bedroll. As I recall, the towns are few and far between.”

“So it’s not naptime,” Lana grumbled. “Fine. Shopping it is.”

“I thought you loved shopping.” Des couldn’t resist poking her a little. It was fun to watch her bristle.

She stuck out her tongue. “I like going to the mall and looking through cool stuff. Not picking up essentials while the natives stare and point. Especially when I’d much rather be in that bathtub scrubbing myself. Your magic was fine, but I still won’t really feel clean until I’ve washed with soap and water.”

“Shops should be open for another few hours,” Vin offered, ignoring the intimate byplay. “We can wait until you’ve had a wash.”

“Fine,” Des answered for both of them. “We’ll knock on your door in an hour.”

“Meanwhile, give me the map for Makra. I’ll translate as much as I can, while you two…wash up.” He snatched up the map in question and zipped out the door before Des or Lana could respond.

“If you really need a nap, I can go with Vin to get provisions,” Des offered at Lana’s back as she bolted to the bathroom and began running water in the tub.

“I’ll be okay,” she called. Her toga flew out the bathroom door. “But if you wanted to come wash my back, I wouldn’t complain.”

Des shucked his clothes as he moved, leaving a trail on the way to the bathroom.

* * *

As alien markets went, this one was probably pretty normal, or at least Lana thought so. Her hair had dried quickly in the warm, arid heat and if she and Des were both smiling when they went to pick up Vin, at least he hadn’t made any crass comments. That was better than her cousins would have done.

Instead of sandals, she bought a pair of low, soft boots, whimpering only a little when she was told they were of the finest
csbeet
skin. Come to think of it, she was really glad she hadn’t asked what the meat was in the stew. Thinking of her big-eyed furry friend at the farmstead might have made her throw it back up, and she didn’t need to be weak from lack of protein when she and Des crossed another alien world, this time on their own.

Lana also bought leggings, since jeans didn’t seem to be an option, and a fleece-lined tunic. They each picked out hats, gloves and fur cloaks, but would share a heavy blanket and tanned leather pad for sleeping.

It was strange, knowing she was going to be sleeping with Des for the next few nights. Before they’d fallen through the portal, their encounters had been spontaneous, never planned, hell, barely acknowledged. Up until today, they’d been taking things one day at a time, first in the prison, then in the farmhouse and now the inn. But buying only one bedroll? That was
planning.
And planning to sleep together was very weird— but she wasn’t about to quibble.

Giving Des up when they got home would be hard enough. Their situation was still dicey, and they were stuck together for a while. Might as well enjoy the one perk that came along with the risk. She’d deal with the rest later, when it happened. Then she could hole up in her apartment and play heavy metal until her fingers bled or go kick the shit out of the punching bag in George’s basement.

They added a backpack, a canteen and some dried food to their pile of purchases, along with some parchment and a fountain pen, or close approximation.

Unable to resist, Lana slid over to a stall next to the pens and picked up a stringed instrument. It had four strings and an oval body like a mandolin, but the neck was long like a guitar’s. She tested it out to get a feel for the notes, then played a quick tune, an old Eagles number she’d learned from her first guitar teacher as a kid.

“Damn, your woman can play,” Vin said to Des. A small crowd had gathered around, so Lana played another tune.

“That she can.” Des smiled proudly, his legs wide and his arms crossed, giving off that “don’t touch my woman” vibe.

The shop owner beamed as several customers came and picked up the various instruments. He made a gesture at Lana, a strange smile twisting his lips as he spoke.

“Dude wants you to play some more,” Vin translated.

“We need to get going,” Des said at the same time.

Lana held up one finger. The shopkeeper shrugged and went back to his customers, even calling a helper from behind a curtain. By the time Lana was done, they’d sold half a dozen instruments and a small pile of coins had appeared at Lana’s feet.

With no compunction at all, she swept the coins up as she bowed. She’d busked before, in San Francisco. She wasn’t too proud to play for her supper.

When she tried to return the instrument to the stall, the owner shooed her away.

“Keep it.” Vin grinned. “Says you earned it.”

Lana looked down at it, torn. “We need to travel light.”

“Like that weighs anything? Keep it.” Des bowed to the shop owner. “Vin, thank the man.”

Vin did, and so Lana clutched the instrument close as they headed back to the inn. The instrument was a cool souvenir, even if she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone outside their families where it came from.

Now Des and Lana had to write a letter that would make sure their families took Vin at his word. Lana pondered that as they made their way back to the inn.

“Here’s the thing,” she said when they were gathered back around the table in Lana and Des’s room, munching some dried fruit and nuts from the market. “When we were little, Greg, George and I had a code. You know our grandfather was borderline abusive, right?”

Des nodded, while Vin shrugged.

“Anyway, we had a code word for when we were telling the truth, versus when we were lying because we had to. We kept using it later, when the band played in some pretty shady places. If I added the phrase, ‘cross my heart,’ they’d know I was lying, and frankly, Vin would be in deep shit. If we start the letter with, ‘believe it or not,’ they’ll know I’m telling the truth and wasn’t forced.”

The males shared a look and Des shrugged. “I believe her. And you do
not
want to get on the wrong side of the Detroit Prime alpha and his pack, believe me. Not to mention every Fae in the city.”

“Her cousin’s the Prime alpha, huh? No wonder she has a pair of brass ones on her.” Vin held up his hands. “Write it. I’d really rather not have a pack of wolves tearing out my insides.”

“Good call,” Des agreed as Lana started to write a brief summary of what was going on.

“Hell, I thought wolves, Fae and the
Wyndewin
all hated each other.”

“We do,” Des said, scrubbing his face with his hands. “At least that’s official policy. Our friends and relatives have been messing with the natural order of things by intermarrying. The League is practically having kittens.”

“Good. Those old fuddy-duddies need some shaking up.” Lana blew on the parchment to dry the ink and handed Des the pen. “Now write to your sister and tell her you’re in one piece.”

“Right.” He read through Lana’s note.

She watched over his shoulder as he added a message assuring the others once again that they were unhurt and merely taking a slower route home, adding that he promised to have Lana home in time for Elise’s bridal shower, a detail someone dictating the note wouldn’t have known to mention. “Good.”

Once the ink dried, he folded the paper and handed it to Vin.

They ate an early dinner sent up by the hotel, and Vin left, promising to come get them at first light to flash them to the portal. Des set the dishes on their tray outside the door and locked it. He turned to Lana with a look that nearly melted her bones.

“This may be our last night together in a real bed.”

Lana opened her arms. “Then what are you waiting for?”

Lana couldn’t believe how much she wanted Des. In just a few days, her desire for him had gone from lust to need. Maybe even to love—not that she dared tell him about that. He already had enough ammunition to break her heart. He didn’t need any more.

Tonight though, she had resolved not to think about the future. She bent over to pull down the covers on the bed, deliberately wiggling her hips as she did. The quickie in the bathtub hadn’t sated her desire for him at all.

“Do you have any idea how tempting it’s been, watching you run around in a thin toga all day—and knowing there was nothing underneath it?” His voice dropped, growing gravelly and deep as he approached her and bracketed her hips with his palms.

“No. Why don’t you show me?” She tilted back so her ass rubbed against his groin. Oh yes, he wanted her. Her body softened further at the proof stabbing her backside.

“Fine.” He moved his hands and she heard the rasp of his zipper. “Bend over the bed again, if you’ve got the guts.”

He was daring her? Lana wanted to howl in pleasure. She wasn’t used to being submissive, not even during sex, so the position was a new one for her. With Des, though, she was willing to try. She bent at the waist, leaning over the bed and resting her weight on her forearms. Her breasts, not used to bouncing around all day without a bra, were already sensitized from rubbing against the nubby weave of the toga. Now they pressed into the firm mattress, and she moaned at the pressure.

Des stepped back up behind her. She didn’t know if he’d taken his jeans and boxers off, or just pushed them down to his ankles, but his erection was free, and the stiffness poked at her butt, making her wiggle even more.

“God, I can’t believe how responsive you are.” Des ran his fingers through her folds, spreading the moisture she could already feel. All she had to do was think about him and her body swelled as fluid pooled between her legs. He was like a drug—she couldn’t stop wanting more.

When his fingers found her clitoris and rubbed, she moaned his name. “Take me already, damn you. I’m more than primed.”

“Yeah, me too.” He positioned the tip of his cock at her entrance and pressed into her from behind. “Damn,
chán-láng
, you fit me like a glove.”

Lana cried out at the depth of penetration. She wasn’t used to being this submissive in bed, but she trusted Des and was willing to let him take control. Besides, everything he did felt too damn good to argue about. She dug her fingers into the sheets and concentrated on keeping her claws in—something she’d rarely had trouble with before Des. Never once had she outed herself to a human lover, but Des pushed entirely different buttons. She’d marked him that first night and just about every time since. She was never going to get enough.

His thrusts were long and fluid. They were also excruciatingly slow.

“Faster, damn it,” she gasped. “Harder. I’m not going to break.”

“But I want to take my time.” He used that voice again, the one that dared her to try things his way. “Some things are too much fun to rush.”

“If. You. Say. So.” The words were practically wrung from her as he slid deeper than she’d have thought was possible. His hands dug into her hips hard enough that she’d be marked with bruises until the next time she shifted. Oddly enough, she didn’t mind a bit. He hadn’t healed the bite mark on his shoulder, which was a turn-on in itself. Not that she needed anything more.

Des began to move faster, penetrating her with enough force to jiggle her further onto the bed, but she pushed back with her arms, holding herself in place. She was practically ready to beg for more now, as he continued to drive her higher and harder.

When he reached around her hips to play with her clit, she broke. Her orgasm hit like a freight train, shattering every nerve in her body from her head to her toes. She screamed his name and pushed back against him, holding him as her clenching muscles milked his climax from him. He shoved deep one last time and poured himself into her.

She dragged herself to the bathroom on rubbery legs to clean up, then came back and flopped down beside him on the bed. Des’s arm came around her and he murmured something against her hair as he pulled her back against him. She thought it was something about a long day tomorrow, but she didn’t bother to ask. Content to snuggle, her hand tangled in the silky, jet-black hair on his chest, she quickly fell asleep.

Of course she dreamed of Des.

Morning came far too soon.

* * *

Des smiled and stretched as he got out of bed, feeling like a million dollars. Lana had woken him in the night by taking him into her mouth. After she’d sucked him dry, he’d returned the favor.

Needless to say, they hadn’t gotten a hell of a lot of sleep.

It was a good thing neither of them needed much rest. They each took a separate, quick bath before Vin knocked on the door, bringing a hearty breakfast with him. Well aware it might be the last hot meal they had for a while, they both plowed through as much as they could without sacrificing speed. The quicker they walked, following the translated regional map, the quicker they’d get home. They both tried to suppress their worry, but the truth was, Mandrake could go after their families at any time. The sooner they got home, the sooner they could put an end to the demon and the danger.

So home was the goal, even if it meant giving up Lana. Which sucked, but he didn’t see a way out of it, other than leaving the League. Either way, it was something to worry about down the road. Stopping a demon drug dealer was a wee bit more important than Des’s messed-up love life. He kept that in mind as they went upstairs and changed into their cold-weather gear. They’d hold off on their hats, gloves and cloaks until they got to the portal, but even so, both immediately started to sweat in the heat. Des strapped the bedroll onto his back, their map tucked inside as well as the ones for this world and Underhill. Lana carried the backpack of provisions. Each had a rifle and a sturdy knife. He tried not to let himself be bothered that her load was heavier than his. He kissed her once before they left. “Here goes nothing, right?”

“Right.” She smiled up at him. “No worries. We can do this.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” he admitted. “But we
will
do this.” If only because the alternative was unthinkable.

They went across the hall to Vin’s room. Des hated separating, but since Vin could only flash one at a time, Des asked to go first. Lana rolled her eyes, but agreed.

“According to the map, there’s nothing to worry about around the portal,” Vin told Des after they landed in hills not too different from the one they’d come through to get there. A portal shimmered between two trees off to the side of the path.

Des had studied the map too. There had been tiny inset drawings on some of the portal sites—probably the ones the mapmaker had known about.

“So just poison insects and man-eating vines. Nothing major.”

“You can handle it, dude.” With that, Vin flashed away, returning with Lana.

“Beam me up, Scotty,” she muttered, wobbling a little as she landed. “I’m never going to get used to that.”

“All right, remember, Makra works the same as your world. Sun rises in the east and so on. Peaches made a few notes on the back of the map. The day is a little longer than yours, so take that into account. Most of the predators hunt in daylight, given the climate, so it’s fairly safe to use the roadside shelters at night.”

They’d gone over this the night before. Des finished Vin’s lecture. “And the natives aren’t unfriendly to off-worlders, so when we get to a town, we can safely stop at an inn.”

Vin glared. “Right. Tech level is roughly the same as the Wild West in your world.”

“We’ve got it,” Lana assured him. “Just go let our families know that we’re okay.”

Des held out his hand to the demon. “We’ll see you on the other side.”

“You’d better,” Vin said. “I don’t want the entire Michigan wolf pack, the Fae and the fucking
Wyndewin
League after my blood. Having my own people out to get me is enough, thanks.”

“Be careful, Vin.” Lana went up on her toes and kissed the demon’s scaly cheek. “See you in a couple days. Tell our families that we love them, okay?”

Vin shook his head and gave Lana a bemused look. “Just do it yourselves. Now get going.” He jerked his chin toward the portal and flashed away.

“You know,” Lana said as she pulled on her hat and cloak, “it occurs to me there’s one thing we forgot to do.”

“What’s that?” Des tied his fur earflap cap under his chin.

“Ask Vin not to mention one little detail to our families.”

“You mean the fact that we were sharing a bedroom?” It had crossed Des’s mind, too, just as the demon flashed away.

“Yeah, that little thing.” Lana pulled on her gloves and reached for Des’s hand. “Come on, let’s do this. We need to get home and run damage control.”

“On three.” He took her hand. “One.”

Lana said, “Two.”

Together, they chanted, “Three,” and stepped through the shimmering cloud.

His breath let out on an involuntary scream as the falling sensation that always accompanied portal transport didn’t stop. There was no soft thud as their feet hit the floor. Instead the sensation of falling just kept on going.

Frantically, he began to chant a spell as the side of an icy cliff face zoomed past.

Still holding his hand, Lana made the mistake of looking down and screamed like a five-year-old. He figured she’d be embarrassed by that later.

Then Des looked down and understood.
Damn, that’s a long way to fall.
Sure, he had magic and she could heal herself by shifting, if she wasn’t killed outright. That didn’t mean it wasn’t going to hurt. And the whole “killed outright” thing wasn’t entirely unlikely, not from this height. Why the hell hadn’t the map mentioned that the portal was on the side of a fucking cliff? He finished the spell and felt the strong wind shooting up under his cloak.

“Hold on tight,” Des yelled, yanking Lana close against him. “My wind spell won’t cushion everything, but it will slow us a little bit.”

Lana wrapped both arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. At the last minute, she rolled hard, ensuring she would be on the bottom.

“Damn it, Lana!” But he knew she was thinking that her body was more resilient than his, even without shifting. He hoped to hell she was right.

They smacked into the ground, a cloud of snow poofing up around them as the world went black.

* * *

Lana came to in stages. The first thing she noticed was cold. Bloody awful cold, numbing her fingers, toes and nose.

The second thing she felt was pain. Her chest ached like an elephant was sitting on it. She tried to look but her eyelashes were frozen shut. She remembered, though. Des. She’d twisted at the last minute so she’d end up on the bottom when they hit. Since she was alive, it looked like that had worked out okay, at least for her. When she heard a soft groan above her, she stopped fighting to open her eyes. Des was alive too. That was all that mattered. As soon as she caught her breath, she’d shift until she was well, then build a fire if they’d need to wait here awhile.

“I’m going to spank you myself, when we get out of here,” Des grumbled as he pushed himself to the side a few moments later. His breathing was ragged as he lay beside her in the snow. “Can you hear me, Lana?”

“Mmm.” It was all she could manage to say. She was pretty sure her jaw was broken, along with probably a bunch of other stuff.

“I’m going to be immobile for a bit,” Des grunted. “Both legs. One arm. Internal injuries are minimal, thanks to your stupidity.”

Grateful much?

But it was hard to be mad at him when he reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. “Come on, darling, say something. Shift for me.”

Right. Shift. That will make the pain go away.
She concentrated on breathing for a moment, willing her shattered nerves to settle.
Darling. He’s never called me that before.
That pleasant thought calmed her fears a little. On the third inhale, she shifted.

Except she didn’t.

What the fuck?

She tried again, reaching deep for the wolf inside her. The wolf that was never very far beneath the surface.

Nothing.

“D-D-Des?” She had to force air out of her lungs to get the word out, and it was nearly lost in the howl of the wind. “C-c-can’t…” Breathing hurt, between the cold air and what she thought were a few crushed ribs.

“Can’t what?” Pain and cold strained his voice, too.

“Sh-sh-sh…” She didn’t have the strength to finish. Her brain was getting fuzzy again.

“Oh, damn, darling.” His hand, bare of his glove, found her cheek. She felt a tingle, almost warm, probing into her. His voice cracked when he spoke. “You’ve broken your spine, Lana. Does that prevent the change?”

She managed to shake her head just a fraction of an inch and mouth the word
no.
That explained why she couldn’t feel her arms or legs, but nothing physical should have been able to stop the shift.

“My magic feels different here,” he said. “Stronger. That will help get us healed.” She felt him slide closer until his breath was warm on her face. He kissed her eyelids, and she could open them, finally.

She looked up into his beautiful face, his dark eyes narrowed with concern.

“I can’t sense your wolf either, and I’ve always been able to before. I think something about the magic of this world prevents it from coming out. I’m afraid that until we get to the next portal, you’re a mere mortal.” He stroked icy strands of hair away from her eyes. “You’ve got a lot of injuries, darling. I’m going to heal your spine first, so none of your organs start to fail. Then I’m going to do my own legs, so at least one of us can move around, make a fire, get some sort of shelter together. Even with the extra oomph from this world’s ley lines, it’ll take me most of the day to get us both in shape to travel.”

Lana licked her lips. “’Kay.”

“I’m still going to spank you when we get home for that stupid stunt you pulled at the end.” He kissed her nose.