Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales, Book 1) (13 page)

The things I do for friends.

“Anyway, I’ll look around, quietly, see if there’s
anything off about this guy. But if you don’t like the results,
remember-” I joined him as he parroted his favorite saying, the
one he used when things were out of his immediate control. “-don’t
shoot the messenger.” He smiled at the end of it, but it
practically seemed forced. “Anyway, man, I’ll look.”

I nodded. “Please, nothing about this seems normal.”

“Man, you said that weeks ago, but the entire case is like
that. You should see some of the stuff in the file.” He said.

“I thought he was only some rich kid?”

“Rich young man, but no, there’s always more.”
Daniel pulled out a folder and shook it at me.

“Like?” I asked. The folder in his hands meant jack to
me. Too many words. Too much data hurt my head to read.

“What else? His parents blamed a cult that doesn’t
exist.” Daniel said.

“Officially or unofficially doesn’t exist?”

“Well you know us government types, we like to hide the
interesting things from each other. The file and databases come up
dead, therefore I’m hoping doesn’t exist period.”

“A cult, seriously?”

“Probably not. Cults typically attract people with certain
personalities, operate in sects, have a charismatic leader. That kind
of stuff. Plus I doubt they’d let me keep this case if it was a
real cult.” There was some anger in his voice at that. Like
Daniel resented not being good enough for the big jobs.

“Why’s that?” I regretted asking right away.

“Some old geezer upstairs would be printing the case file on
goose feathers for a fuck pillow, they have a real hard on for that
stuff.” Daniel snuck the mental image into my brain before I
could escape.

“Hell. I can’t believe your mind.”

“What, man? You think the foul minds of the world only live in
the ghettos and seedy strip clubs? This is reality, there’s
fucked up shit on every block.” He responded.

I had to give him that. Daniel smirked again and kept on driving. My
mind was already elsewhere. Maybe I could try another route with my
questioning. There were a few elves frequenting the bar lately. They
might answer an idle question or two. One hand absently scratched at
my wrist. I caught Daniel staring and just shrugged. He frowned but
said nothing.

The next day I braved the outside world. Julianne caught me halfway
across the parking lot to the bar. It was one of the few times we had
run into each other outside. The abrupt closeness made looking down
her blue tank top nearly impossible to avoid. A quick step backward
on my part barely avoided the reaction. She slapped me, hard, and
that worked as a distraction. I rubbed at my jaw but didn’t
question it.

“That’s for me. Kahina will get hers later.”
Julianne said. My mind scrambled to keep up with the conversation
already underway and not to think about a black lacy bra.

“Why? I left a message.”

“That’s only a few sentences up from last time, and I’m
pretty sure she’ll chain you up then drag you home.” It
wouldn’t be the first time. The girl was strong, and I had been
enamored, or drunk. I snorted in amusement until the serious look on
Julianne’s face wore at my humor.

“That bad huh?”

“I swear to God, you’re so dense sometimes.”

“Hell, if I knew her number I would have called her,” I
said.

“Did ya ever consider asking her?” Julianne responded.

That made me pause and try to figure out anytime in the past where I
had asked. Not a single moment came up. In fact, Kahina had always
taken care of that stuff and more. She put her number in my old cell
phone, showed up at nightfall, picked our dates. It was the story of
our relationship, practically decided for me before I looked up.
Something about Kahina and her possessive factor scared away other
females.

Back then I hadn’t argued, now every time my brain considered
hooking up with her again pain flared in my neck.

“No, I never asked.”

“Exactly, dumb ass, there’s a lotta things you ‘don’t
ask’. Maybe life would be easier if you just asked.” She
poked a finger into my stomach on the last few words, then stormed
off.

Kahina. Dealing with her had always been a give and take
relationship. Orders, demands, frequent and astounding sex. Male that
I was, as long as I got the latter, I complied with the former. Then
she wanted to take the next step, to make me an addition to her
world. Vampire engagement, moving to marriage after a full
conversion. A blood bond almost always lead to sponsorship.

Her sponsor was a highly ranked vampire. Her survival had a greater
chance of making it through, and I would follow in her wake.
Immortality had sounded nice when I was twenty something. Plus with
her it wouldn’t come with the exorbitant fees that mainstream
changes might require. That night, the first bite that she had
actually given me, things went haywire, enough that I had hightailed
it across the continent.

Four years later and Kahina was still possessive. Then I vanish again
for a week? She must have freaked. It was a wonder she didn’t
have my apartment staked out with some daylight minions or something.
Maybe she did, I hadn’t exactly been in top shape last night.

That departure hadn’t hurt only Kahina. Julianne never said
anything, but there were reasons she provided me scrub jobs. I was a
different man. Broken. Tired. Whatever edge I had was so rusted it
was depressing. Not like back when the world had been at my
fingertips half a decade ago. Julianne was right, some things would
be better if I asked. I shook my head, blocking the thoughts out
again. My mind was rambling and only one thing solved that, alcohol.

Luckily there was a place that helped across the parking lot. I
shouldn’t drink where I work, but it killed two birds with one
stone. Besides, I wasn’t going for blackout levels, just a
light, cheerful buzz.

A few hours later, after Julianne had me move around tables because
one of the girls was pregnant, I had managed to stuff down a few
drinks. Next week she would have me changing the curtains and redoing
ironwork in the windows that passed for decor.

The iron helped prevent the glass from being shattered every time
someone got out of hand. Some might think all the property damage
came from the wolves or vampires, but ninety percent of the time it
was a straight human.

“It’s getting worse.” Came a whisper of
conversation that I didn’t manage to tune out.

“It always gets worse.” A female voice answered. It
sounded frighteningly serious.

“Isn’t there anything that helps?”

“Timing is everything.”

The pair of voices belonged to the Umbrella Drink elf and Tattooed
Eyes. Whatever their names were. He was less shabby than the last few
times. The addiction driving him must be under far better control.

She had a hand on his shoulder as he shuddered and counted out coins
from a pocket. Coins, again. Julianne shoveled them off the counter
and poured out a drink. Beer, olive, polka dotted umbrella, three ice
cubes, and a splash of soda.

I wasn’t watching him, though. I was watching her, she had the
same dark shades, but no hat, and next to nothing on below the belt
either. The dress was high enough that nearly anyone who gave her a
once over could tell exactly how well shaped her entire leg was. Her
top had three layers of shirts, carefully pulled down to display a
rainbow pattern.

Playful, excessive flirt, party going and prone to one night stands
when drunk. She dressed like that kind of girl. Her demeanor didn’t
match. Her face was pinched, worried. The pose of both hands were
protective. That thin frame tried to screen the male elf from another
patron sitting too close. I had never seen such a set of mixed
signals.

The male counted out his pile of coins then got his hands around a
second drink. The shaking settled almost as soon as he was done
counting out the change. It was subtle, but he glanced around to
figure out if he was being watched. Julianne had already moved on,
and I think I may have been the only person in the room dumb enough
to stare for more than a few seconds.

His eyes traveled my direction. I didn’t even flinch, we were
nearly on first name terms after three times of observing his ritual.
He jerked upright and stormed towards the door. Anger flashed across
his face while passing my stool.

She started for the exit as well. The walk, her sway, a lingering
gaze, everything had synced up with her ensemble’s message.
Flirty. Almost leering.

I was drunk but not so drunk I could imagine that look. She was
sizing me up for all positions two people could share. Imagining that
was beyond my current blood alcohol level. I raised an eyebrow back
and she lifted her glasses and winked again as she went past. Now,
there was an elf I might be able to get an answer out of. Perhaps
something else. Me and Kahina hadn’t exactly renewed the lease
on our relationship.

Hell. What time was it? My arm itched almost in time with the
thought. Thinking of Kahina summoned up vague memories of the past.
This room. This bar counter. The table across the room. Her face
flashed across my mind in a million places and blurred out almost as
quick.

Alcohol had both damned and blessed me. The reign I kept on my
abilities was failing. I was hunched over my drink, relishing the
numbing liquid that prevented me from feeling too much. For all the
good it did. Every ounce of Julianne’s bar was familiar. The
bar wasn’t mine, yet it was. I protected this place for years.
Every fixture, ding, and crack was familiar.

And no amount of mental fog could block her out completely.

I noticed the heels first. Felt the tiny chime ring out. A familiar
weight pressed against floorboards. Female curves displaced the air.
I tensed as an absurdly tall frame traveled across the room towards
me. Peppermint preceded her by mere moments. Kahina.

“Who was she, Catnip? A blonde tart?” Peppermint and
vanilla words whispered near by. “She seemed quite interested
in you.”

“She’s no one.” My words were mumbled into a bar
counter.

“And yet, you know who I meant. Are you sure she’s no
one?” I kept both eyes forward and focused on trying to read
the bottles across the way.

“Sure, I’m sure.”

“I won’t have uninvited guests in our bed, Catnip.”
She said. Each word bit at my senses with a flash of longing fangs.

“It’s not our bed anymore.” Liquid courage helped
dangerous words pass my lips.

“It never stopped being our bed.” The words were hushed
and hard to focus on. “You are mine, Catnip, mine and no one
else’s.” Her voice strode off to the thump of clicking
heels.

I dared to raise my eyes to the mirror and looked around the bar. No
one was present. Even turning around slowly didn’t reveal any
answers. Kahina’s slender form had exited the building as
quickly as it came.

She hadn’t left our conversation at that. My walk home revealed
another present. Wrapped around the doorknob of my apartment was a
small purple ribbon. Her reminder. Her color. Her claim. I left it
there. Maybe the wind would unravel the memento and carry it away.

Daniel called later that week and left a message on my prepaid phone.
Listening to the message was impossible until I paid for more time. A
day later an angry ginger showed up on my doorstep. His flushed skin
an awkward counterpoint to the black suit. My entire world had been
in a mood since Kahina staked her claim, and Daniel’s nonsense
was unwelcome.

He started talking and I cut him off.

“Headed for a walk. If you want to talk, feel free to join.”
I motioned with my head to the west. I was going to wander to a park
a few miles away.

He shelved a forming reply and fell into step.

A block later I dared ask. “Lost elf still?”

“Fuck yes, man, I need you on this. I can follow leads, gain
information, put pressure on people, but I can’t fucking
track.” The agent responded.

“Figure out those wolves?”

“No, I got stonewalled by paperwork nightmare just trying to
get my request to the pack Alpha’s pile. They got too much shit
to worry about for me to go that route. Their whole labor relations
situation is getting worse.” Daniel’s fingers were
combing through strands of shortened hair. His face tilted forward
and eyes had no focus. “I’ll put the screws to them yet,
though, if that’s what you need.”

“I don’t think the elf has left those woods.” It
was hard to tell from this far away. My attempts at tracking over the
last few days all pointed to the same location. There hadn’t
been any variance in the directional pull.

“Christ.” The agent’s hands clenched in
frustration. “I don’t even need the stupid elf. I need
Arnold.”

“Arnold is probably dead.” I reminded Daniel, again, that
it was pointless to look for Arnold.

“No, he can’t be dead, not entirely. Either way that elf
will know.”

“Not entirely?” I stopped my walk and stared at Daniel.
He kept on marching with my old pace. It took him a moment to realize
I was no longer keeping up.

“Look, I can get you in, and distract them. I’ll order an
airlift or something. If you’re willing. ” He offered as
he walked back to me.

What did he actually want? Why would he want to go against a pack? It
wasn’t happening on my end. Maybe years ago when things were
easier for me. When my mind let me maintain that perception of the
world. One that let me feel everything around me.

“Not now, not up for it.” The safe bet was to wash my
hands of the whole thing. Daniel wasn’t forthcoming and I
didn’t want to know.

“Why not? This is the perfect in. A solution to our whole
mess.” I blinked. Daniel put a lot of weight on this reward
being worth all this stress. “And there was a time you enjoyed
the challenge. You’d wade into the pile and come out the other
end looking like you’d rolled in barbed wire. Then there’d
be that stupid grin plastered across your face.”