Nine Lives of an Urban Panther (22 page)

“I'm not. I'm protecting my interests in Dallas.” Chaz repeated exactly what Waylon had just said.

My gaze darted to Waylon. “You two planned this.”

“No, but I might have known what he was going to say.” Waylon winked.

“You're an ass.” I pointed at Waylon. “And you”—I turned to Chaz—“I suppose that you're going to throw that whole you've-been-sent-by-the-Mother-to-protect-me, so by the gods you're going to protect me.”

“No. I'm just going to pretty up the place.” He smiled and leaned over to kiss my forehead.

“Waylon, go mess up someone else's morning.”

Waylon disappeared from the kitchen doorway. “See you later, fearless leader.”

I waited to hear the front door close to speak again.

“What did he want this early?”

I hopped up on the counter and pulled the pancake mix from the cabinet and handed it to Chaz. He smiled and took it. As he was getting out the supplies to make breakfast, I filled him in on Lexie's insight that not only was I connected to Dallas, but that I was dreaming in futures based on my decisions.

Chaz stopped. “So you were right about dreaming of possible Dallas futures.”

“I was half right. I would have never thought that they were the futures of the choices that I was about to make.”

“It does seem a little twisted,” Chaz said as he began to flip the pancakes. “But it's not the worst that's been thrown at you, Vi. You'll overcome this task, just like you've overcome all the others.”

“But not without help.”

Chaz just shrugged. “Doesn't matter. You've taken on everything that the Mother has thrown at you. These heads are going to be no problem.”

He flipped two fresh pancakes onto a plate and handed it to me. I slid off the counter and went to sit at the kitchen bistro set.

He joined me with two more pancakes. The sun danced in his golden highlights and made his eyelashes even longer and darker. “Why are you looking at me?” he asked, mouth full of pancake.

“Did you really believe eight months ago, you'd still be making me pancakes?”

He finished chewing. “I knew that I'd be making you pancakes for the rest of our lives.”

“Awww.” I smiled.

“W
HAT SHOULD
I
wear?” I asked Jessa. “What says I'm likeable but I could totally kick your ass if I needed to?”

“Boots and ruffles,” Jessa said as she sat down on my bed.

“Ruffles? Do I even have ruffles?” I started to shuffle through my closet. My eyes had started to hurt from the marathon of political movies I'd been fast-forwarding through. The only thing I learned was that it took great speeches and war paint to win the day. And I was fresh out of both.

“You have the green top we bought last fall.”

I turned toward her. “Do you have a complete catalogue of my entire wardrobe?”

“And?” she asked. “You remember every book and movie. I remember shopping trips.”

“Touché,” I answered as I turned back to the closet.

Bastian had been particularly compliant when I'd asked him to close up shop a bit early tonight. I promised I'd leave the place as I found it if he promised to leave an iced mocha in the fridge for me.

“So what is the plan?”

I found the top that Jessa was talking about. It was this green gauzy thing, but it had her ruffle criteria, and if she knew nothing else about the universe, Jessa knew how to look the part. If she said ruffles, ruffles it was.

I grabbed a tank top from my dresser and started getting changed. “Plan A. Tell them everything. What we know about the Neveranth, Spencer, Jovan. Jeez, Jessa. They didn't even know how to kill a Shade.”

“And plan B? When the others are completely happy being on their own?”

“Then they can be on their own as I go after Spencer.”

“Go after Spencer? That's not a Plan B, that's a Plan Dead.”

“No. It's a Plan B. If the other heads don't want to join forces, then we are going after Spencer, just the pack. If we can't unify Dallas, we can defend it.”

Jessa slipped off the bed and to her feet. Maybe this was the one thing that she had gotten from me, needed to deal with things on her feet. “That's a pretty big Plan B.”

I zipped up my jeans and grabbed the green top. “He's getting stronger, Jessa. Every day. But I'm getting stronger, too. One of these days, it's going to happen. And I want it to be on my terms.”

“And how exactly were you going to go after him?”

“With your magic, Nash's spells, and a really, really big sword.”

Jessa's hands clenched at her sides. “And you just assumed that I would go along with this.”

“No. I assumed you would tell me no.”

“Then why did you say my magic?”

“Because it's better than my Plan C.”

I walked over to the door and shut it. Goose bumps traveled down my arms but it was Jessa's fear that put them there. I sat down on the bed and looked up at her. “Plan C is you send me across and I do it myself.”

My stomach tightened as her energy spiked out and her lips parted. “Violet, no, I mean . . .”

“Try to tell me that you never thought it was going to be Panther Thunderdome.”

Jessa shook her head. “No. He's on the other side. He can't get out of there.”

“Like that snake thing couldn't get out of there, like the holes aren't all over the place. The Veil isn't strong enough and it's not your fault. The Veil is weak because Dallas is weak.”

I reached out and took her hand. I opened my borders and let my magnolia-scented power surround her. “I'm not saying this happens today. I'm still all for Plan A. We go full United Nations of Wanderers and it strengthens the Veil and Plan B and C are moot points.”

Jessa licked her lips.

“I'm guessing your silence is more than acquiescence.”

“You're talking about Dallas like it's a living thing. It's a little crazy.”

I swallowed. “Well, I'm connected to it. We both are. Doesn't it make sense? You're called to Dallas. I get attacked here and end up finding this insane calling where I'm dreaming about Dallas constantly.”

“Is that the new dream set? First, fairy tales about princesses and now you're dreaming of I–35?”

I smiled. Jokes were good. Jokes meant she was still on the Violet wavelength.

Jessa looked down at my bedspread. Her hand was still in mine. And then she made a choice. I felt it stir in the air between us, tighten the silver bonds that held us together as Key Holder and Guardian.

Her lavender eyes landed on mine. “I will be the perfect fairy princess to convince these heads they need to unify because I am not dragging your ass out of the Neveranth.”

I smiled all the way down to my toes. I jumped up and wrapped my arms around her. She squeezed back.

“And then you can get to planning that wedding.” I let her go and looked down at her. “I want to do it in August.”

“Finally, a date I can work with. Is there any way I can talk you out of that barn idea?”

“Nope. The barn stays.”

 

Chapter Twenty-One

I
COULDN'T STOP
moving. I'd rearranged the tables in the coffee shop into a neat circle with two chairs at every table. I'd put out brownies on white porcelain plates with the cloth napkins that Bastian kept under the counter for special occasions. I'd even put out little glasses of water on the tables. Isn't that how the UN meetings I'd watched on CNN were set up? Little glasses of water?

“I didn't know she organizes when she's nervous,” Tucker whispered to Chaz.

“Neither did I.”

I turned to glare at the both of them. “Everything has to be perfect.”

“Trust me. This is fine.”

I jumped when the bells of the front door announced the first visitors. Jessa and Kurt swept through the front door but stopped as they looked around at the empty room.

Jessa sighed. “I wanted to make an entrance.”

“Looked good to me,” I offered.

Kurt the Cleaner walked over to me in his perfectly cut suit and gave me two air kisses. “How are you, darling?” he asked.

“Lovely. You?”

“I'm always perfect.” His eyes flicked over to the boys behind me. “Is this Stalker Boy?”

I smiled. It had been a while since I'd heard Chaz's other moniker. “Let me introduce you.”

My stomach churned when I looked around the room. Though I knew everyone in the circle, it was still an impressive bunch. Inez brought my sensei as her second and I bowed respectfully to him before he gave me grief for not visiting the dojo.

I laughed. “I've been getting in my practice, but I'll try to get back to my regular schedule.”

They took a seat and I watched carefully as my sensei greeted Chaz with almost the same respect that he greeted me. With our recent foray into Chaz's past, I wondered if Chaz knew that Sensei was one of the people Seth freed from Jovan's hold, if he could see the ripple effect of his father's actions like I could.

Willowbourne floated in, her green cape fluttering around her, and Twila peeked out from behind her.

“Prima Jordan. It is good to see you again,” she said with a deep sweeping bow.

I had to squeeze my nails into my palm to keep from laughing as I watched Twila's eye roll behind her.

“Mom, you're good. Can we sit down?”

Willowbourne nodded and headed for one of the other tables. I stopped Twila with a brief touch on the shoulder. “That's your mother?”

“Unfortunately.”

The reason the Willowbourne came to our rescue so easily became crystal clear. She did it for Twila. Because if anything happened to Remy, her daughter would be destroyed. What wouldn't a mother do for her daughter?

My slightly morbid thoughts were distracted by a sudden chill in the room. The two vampires looked like pale statues in the moonlit doorway.

“Good to see you again, Valiance. Please come in.”

His light blue eyes stayed on mine as he walked toward me. “Prima. I'd like to introduce you to our new Clade Seat, Andrin.”

Andrin swept my hand and brushed his cool lips against my knuckles. I didn't flinch, because I had the distinct feeling this was their brushing, their test of character. So I brushed him back and he felt like a wall of ice before me.

His Aegean blue eyes rose to mine and a smile flicked across his lips. “Pleasure to meet you, Prima Jordan.”

I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room for a moment before my Legacy seemed to fill the void between us.

“You as well. Please take a seat.”

His cool hand slid from mine and I watched Inez's entire body tense as he walked past her and took the last table across the room.

The last but not the least to arrive was Waylon, with Lexie in tow. I met them at the door.

I made sure to hug Lexie before I scolded her father. “Why did you bring her here? She can't be here.”

“You're the only babysitter I know.”

“She's twelve. She can stay home by herself.”

“That's what I said.” Lexie rolled her eyes.

I put my arms around her small shoulders and gave her a tight squeeze.

“Not tonight.” Waylon frowned.

There was something in the way he said it that made my spine feel like hollow bones rattling. I looked down at Lexie. “Do you feel comfortable staying with Nash and Kandice?”

“Yeah. I bet I can make him do my homework.”

I looked back at Waylon and handed him my phone. “Call Nash.”

I shut the door of the coffee shop and turned toward my guests.

“Shall we begin?”

My heels knocked across the wooden floor as I took a seat next to Chaz. “You all have introduced yourselves.”

I placed my nervous hands on the table before me. I'd even wiped the tabletops down. Who's the stress cleaner now?

“I hope Mr. Delmont explained I am not trying any sort of political power play. I simply want to know that we can work together.”

“Because of Haverty,” Valiance said.

“Because of the ghouls?” Inez asked.

“Because of the rednecks?” Willowbourne asked.

I sighed. It was nice to be not once but three times reminded that I am not made of awesome. “Yes,” I answered simply. “It does seem there are new sorts of chaos abounding in Dallas.”

“Then maybe someone does need to step up to the plate,” Andrin said.

“Says the man whose been Clade Seat, for what, an hour?” Inez shot back.

I looked over at Inez and watched Sensei put his hand on her arm.

I licked my lips and realized the utter relief and the time that it gave me to think. “I believe at this critical junction all of us are passionate about keeping our people safe and would be willing to do anything to keep them that way. Personally, I'm good with a pack right now, but we can't isolate ourselves.”

“Why not?” Willowbourne asked. “Seems to work in other cities.”

“But it doesn't,” Chaz said. “Every city has their own way of doing things. Mostly, it means there is a dominant breed and the others just scurry about scared.”

The others seemed to take Chaz's words into consideration. I wanted to beam like a proud dance mom, but I just nudged him with my foot before I went on. “I'm simply proposing we share what we know about common foes.”

“Going with the enemy of my enemy approach?” Andrin's black eyebrow arched over his ice blue eyes.

“The logic seems sound.”

I looked around the room and decided that leading by example might also be a good approach. “I'll go first. The Shades that have attacked a few of us can be killed by letting them feed, and then you can chop their heads off. And with a little electricity, they ash just like those . . .”

Chaz reached under the table and squeezed my knee and I shut up. Probably shouldn't talk about the fictional death of vampires when there were actual vampires in the room. Good save Chaz.

“We were attacked as well,” Willowbourne said. “Prima Jordan's information saved our lives.”

“And Willowbourne's memory spell kept me from having to bury some rednecks off the highway.”

“Seems you all are getting very cozy but I still don't see anything to tempt me to share,” Andrin said. “And frankly it appears to me you are the epicenter of all the violence in the city, Miss Jordan.”

My jaw would have dropped in shock if it wasn't clenched tight with the accusation. I met his eyes but years of script writing didn't give me any fodder for a rebuttal.

Peter rescued me. “The violence was here, embedded in the lives of those who didn't have a choice but Haverty. And yes, she does have to fight. She puts herself out there so we can be safe.”

“She doesn't hide away in some hole and let her lackeys do all the work.”

My head snapped toward Inez. There was that bitterness, that deep-seated anger I knew was in her. I couldn't blame her for it. Was that the story behind the scars on her neck?

“I think Andrin just needs to learn how we do things in Dallas,” I said calmly as my eyes stayed on Inez.

“We fight to protect our family,” Willowbourne said.

“We protect what we have built.” Inez sat up straighter in her chair. “At all costs.”

“And we will face what's coming, together.” Waylon finally spoke.

I looked over at Andrin and let my green gaze sink into his. “And I'd like to think some day we will fight to protect each other. But again, not mandating it be today.”

Andrin was the one who shifted as he looked away and I couldn't help but see a curl to Valiance's lips.

I wanted to smile. A part of me wanted to jump up and squeal with joy that finally something was working out and it was going to be amazing. We were here. Sitting together with some knowledge of calm settling around me.

“Great. Now that's out of the way . . .”

And then the front wall of the coffee shop exploded.

The force lifted me up and threw me across the café. I landed hard on a table in the back, and slid off onto my side. Splinters and glass rained down and I curled my head into my arm and waited for it to stop.

When I heard boot steps on the broken glass, I shook off the rubble and stood, but stumbled, thrown off balance by the ringing in my ears.

A blast of icy air picked me up and tossed me into the corner where I usually took my meetings. My head cracked against the wall and I broke every picture frame on my way down to the ground.

The only thought that slipped through my concussed brain was who would be stupid enough to attack the most powerful Wanderers in the city.

An acidic aroma filled the room and my skin tightened around my bones as my power flared. Spencer.

I pushed myself to my feet and my power reached out for Jessa, Tucker, and Peter while my eyes searched out Waylon and Chaz.

Slowly, the others rose from the wreckage, shaking off pieces from the explosion. Chaz looked beyond pissed as he wiped blood from his lip.

Inez stood calmly in the middle of a fire facing me. The fire seemed like an upside-down cape that started at her boots and flicked up around her shoulders.

“Seriously?” I asked as I stepped over what was left of my table. A cool trickle of blood slipped down the back of my head and neck. It was going to ruin that pretty green top Jessa had suggested.

I dropped my shields and let the Legacy stretch as far as I could. It spread through the coffee shop and out onto the street. The power echoed back the information that I needed. There were eight elementals surrounding the place. When they felt my study, five appeared in the broken front window of the shop. “Eight against eight, exactly a fair fight.”

“Seven against nine, Prima Jordan,” Sensei said as he pushed himself up from the rubbish. “I pledged myself to you before this girl.”

I turned to Inez. “You've got one hell of a story to tell if you want to make it out of this walking.”

“I'm not doing anything that you wouldn't do.”

She didn't have to speak. I knew. I knew because I would do anything to protect my people. She thought she'd chosen the more powerful side.

“Did Spencer at least throw in a set of kitchen knives with the deal he offered?”

A line of fire ran around the floor, encircling the nine of us. The curtains caught fire and Jessa jumped as it circled too close to her. Tucker quickly stepped between her and the flames.

And the two manly vampires jumped onto the black counter of the coffee bar. Apparently vampires really don't like fire.

My eyes went back to Inez and the whiff of Spencer's influence made my anger flare. “What was it?” I yelled.

“My people are safe. It's what we all want. What he offered all of us.”

I gasped. My eyes darted from Andrin to Willowbourne to Waylon.

“I had a dream,” Waylon said as he held his hand to his eyebrow to keep the blood from his forehead gash from running into his eye. “He knew about Lexie, talked about how I needed more people to protect her, more than just her aunt.”

“And if you worked for him, she would be safe?”

Waylon nodded. “With the implied consequences if I didn't.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I woke up and I fixed Lexie breakfast and I took her to school.”

I smiled. He really was related to me, with his ability to be calm in the face of danger.

“Seems none of us were without temptation.” Willowbourne pulled her cape closer around her. There was a sharp snap of ozone in the air and rain began to softly pitter-pat around us.

Inez laughed. “Rain, really?”

The flames burned brighter around us, forcing the nine of us closer together.

“And what comes with rain?” Willowbourne asked.

A white streak of lightning shot out of Willowbourne's hand and struck Inez in the chest. Her body flew back into the street.

That's when the others attacked. Six against nine. I figured I had a second to reorganize the troops. I rushed over to Waylon. “You need to get out. Now.”

“No, Violet, I . . .”

I grabbed his face and forced his eyes to mine. “I will not be responsible for making Lexie another orphan, Waylon Jordan.”

Waylon simply nodded and he did something he hadn't done in fifteen years. He kissed my forehead. “I love you, kitten.”

Waylon ran. He jumped over the rubble and ran like a man with his pants on fire.

I smiled. He was going to be okay. He was going to be okay and I was about to grind Inez's face into the concrete with these lovely yet comfortable boots that Jessa helped me pick out.

I stepped over pieces of my favorite couch and the magazine rack from beside the door. “Tucker, how long until the police come?”

Tucker looked up from where he was pummeling either Cheech or Chong. “Four minutes.”

“Not going to need that long.”

I walked out through the window, my long legs clearing the frame easily. Inez was on her back on the sidewalk.