Page 35 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

Diego’s heart ached at the anguish in that voice. If anyone needed to be rescued, it was this man. “They have a werewolf as their human consul and a vampire on staff. I’d say they’re pretty accepting. What’s your name?”

“They…do?” Another long silence drummed out in heartbeats, then finally the man said, “Asif.”

“It’s good to meet you, Asif. Why would you think they would reject you?”

“You just don’t give up, do you?”

Finn laughed. “He most assuredly does not. The most incredibly bloody stubborn human I’ve ever met, thank all the spirits.”

“And what the fuck are you? You’re not human. I can smell it.”

“Goddesses forbid.” Finn snorted. “I’m a pooka. Finn Shannon, at your service.”

“Why don’t you have a collar?” Asif’s voice rose to a snarl again. “Why isn’t the damn pooka collared?”

“We were able to remove it,” Diego said quietly. “A dozen or so human magic users pooling the little bits of magic that get past the lead and one djinn to help Finn shift. We think we can use the same methods to break out.”

“You’re a crazy motherfucker.”

“Probably. So what are you, Asif who hides his ears and knows nonhumans by scent?”

“Pushy little twit,” Asif mumbled. “I’m a half-breed, all right? My mother was a slattenpatte. She dragged my dad into a stream when he was in college, got knocked up, then dumped me with him.”

“Where did your father go to college?” Diego asked, trying desperately to recall what a slattenpatte was.

“Norway, you idiot.”

Oh, yes. Water fae . “Sorry. Of course. You sound like you grew up in the Northeast somewhere, though. And somehow you ended up here?”

“Really? You’re writing a biography or something? Dad was from here. We came back when he had to take care of the family business. Then he died. Okay? All fucking clear now?”

Too clear. Dios, I’m sorry . “You couldn’t go home? Wherever home was?”

“Not like I’m a US citizen, and no way in hell I’d get through security here hiding that damn tail.”

“How did you get into the country?”

“My dad protected me.” Asif’s voice was softer now, tinged with sorrow. “He could do that shit. Hiding stuff so you couldn’t see it. I never learned how.”

“I’m so sorry you lost him.”

“Yeah, well, he’s the one who left me stuck in this hellhole. Didn’t even get arrested for being a freak. Not at first. Got caught lifting electronics. Then the fucking police didn’t know what to do with a perp with a tail and human ID.”

“So they classified you as human and sent you here with the rest of us abominations.”

“Pretty much.” Asif’s sigh carried his exasperation through the darkness. “How the fuck did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get me to tell you every damn thing. Just like that.”

Diego shook his head, not certain if Asif could see him. “I don’t think I did anything. I think you needed to tell someone and I asked.”

Asif snorted, still not entirely friendly, but at least he had stopped yelling.

“Come with us, Asif. Please. I don’t want to leave you here.”

“I don’t get it. Why do you care? Did the Fae Collective tell you to collect nonhumans or something? That why you have a pooka?”

Finn sniffed in offense. “No one ever has a pooka.”

“Except in the Biblical sense,” Diego said on a chuckle. “I married Finn several years ago, though, so I suppose I have this pooka more than most would.” He kissed Finn’s fingers and sobered. “I care because I can’t help it.”

“It’s his superpower,” Finn said deadpan. “If he could, Diego would save everyone.”

“You’re both idiots,” Asif muttered, but the insult lacked conviction.

“Tonight. Before moonrise. Please come to the feeding area. We’re starting from there. I can’t guarantee that this will work but it’s better than doing nothing.”

“Go away, little man,” Asif said one more time, his voice quiet and broken now. “Leave me alone. The others would tear you apart if I showed up. Just go away.”

Diego rose reluctantly. “Please think about what I’ve said. If you’re not there, and I can manage it, I’ll come back for you.”

Silence was Asif’s only answer, so Diego left him in peace with a heavy heart. Finn threw an arm around him as they returned to the monster cellblock.

“You truly can’t save everyone, love. If he doesn’t want to come with us, what can we do?”

“You’re right. I just wish—”

“Whst. Don’t say such things where Nusair will hear.”

“Right.”

“So the Theo has landed?” Zack peered down at the map on the table, computer printouts from satellite imaging.

“Looks that way,” Minky said. “His position’s been stable for the last eight hours.”

Kara still clutched the pillowcase from Theo’s room, her face white from the effort of so much dowsing. “You think it’s time to move, Sarge?”

“I think we better muster some reinforcements,” Zack said, patting Brandon on the shoulder where he slumped on the sofa.

“You, all of you, go grab something from the kitchen and go rest. Let’s give it a few hours or you’ll never be able to hold a doorway.

Jasper can tell me when you’re ready. I trust him to have the sense to know when it’s actually true. ”

He hurried down to the ambassador’s office, pleased to see that Lugh was wrapping up a phone call. His prince replaced the phone in its cradle and buried his head in his hands.

“Hey? All right there?”

Lugh mustered a smile for him. “Oh. Yes. Frustrated. The Americans refuse to help. They say that the region was listed as hazardous for the magically sensitive and we should never have sent a mission in.”

“Yeah, well, there’re probably a lot of things they’re not saying. Deals and trade agreements. I have better news. You up for it?”

“Always.” Lugh finally lifted his head. “Zachary, we’ve found them?”

“Sort of. Things could get hairy. But we’ve found Theo out in the desert. He’s stopped moving so he’s either in trouble and needs extraction or he’s found the prison.”

“My instincts say the latter.” Lugh sat back in his chair, dark eyes weary and troubled. “If we go in with force, there will be bloodshed.”

“If we don’t go in with force, we lose more people.” Zack came around the desk to knead those broad shoulders, Lugh leaning back gratefully against him.

“Perhaps if Grandfather goes as well. His eye could disable rather than kill if he’s careful. We might avoid the worst of it that way.”

“Now you’re thinking. Want me to go talk to him? Gather the troops?”

“Yes, if you would, please. He likes you and is more liable to listen to you than to me.” Lugh moaned as Zack hit a hard knot of muscle.

“Keep making noises like that, babe, and I won’t be able to do anything except crawl on my knees under your desk.”

Lugh turned his head to kiss Zack’s wrist. “Any other time, I would gladly succumb. If you speak to Grandfather, I’ll go speak to Kevin and gather our human battle group.”

“Rain check on the blow job. Got it.” Zack gave him a quick hug. “Back in a few. I told the kids—the coven—to rest. As soon as they’re ready, we’re good to go.”

“You should remain here.”

“Not on your life, Your Highness. Don’t worry. I’ll grab the Kevlar.”

“Can we get the cells open and make sure all the nonhuman folks understand what’s happening?” Diego had caught up with Nusair again in the monster cellblock.

Nusair gave him that evil half-smile. “We?”

“Would you please, Nusair? So they’re briefed before we have a human invasion in here.” Diego paced the corridor, counting doors, ten on each side. One had been Nusair’s. One was the false cell. “Do all these other closed cells hold prisoners?”

“Closed doesn’t mean locked,” Nusair said curtly as he went down on one knee in front of the phoenix’s door to start working on her lock.

“It’s good that I like you,” Diego said in exasperation. “Or you might be a little hard to take sometimes. Finn? Would you check the doors on the right, please? Let’s see how many we have.”

Finn tugged on the doors on his side and Diego on the left-hand ones.

Several of them opened without a problem, leaving six still locked, including the phoenix’s.

Nusair soon had hers open, revealing a once-beautiful woman with flame-colored feathers for hair curled up on her side.

Her limbs were pitifully thin, the skin on her face stretched tight with starvation. Someone would need to carry her out.

Nusair had moved to the cell beside hers, the tip of his tongue protruding as he concentrated on picking the lock. Finn went from one locked cell to the next, checking on occupants.

“Werewolf…griffin…oh, my love, best not look in this one…there’s a poor little ghoul…” Finn peeked into the cell Nusair was just opening. With a cry, he hurled his full weight against the door and slammed it shut again. “Are you mad, Nusair? You can’t let that out!”

“What?” Diego hurried over to them in alarm. “What’s in there?”

“No one gets left behind,” Nusair said through clenched teeth. “You promised.”

Finn waved his arms in agitation, though he still leaned on the door. “The griffin and the ghoul I can reason with. The werewolf is harmless as a human. But this?”

“Nusair.” Diego drew in a slow breath. “What’s in there?”

“Basilisk,” Finn hissed.

“You made me a promise, sorcerer.”

Diego rubbed both hands over his face. “I did. Yes. But isn’t it counterproductive to release something that’s going to turn your best chance of escape to stone the minute it gets out?”

“It only does that when it’s frightened.” Nusair pulled himself straight, golden eyes flashing with anger. “The basilisk is a creature of the desert, like me. It can’t survive in here much longer.”

“We have hours still before we’ll be attempting to open the door. I’m not saying leave it behind. I’m asking that we please delay letting it—him, her?”

“Her.”

“Letting her out. Maybe we could cover her eyes when we do?”

“I—I could.” Nusair’s voice cracked, his naked anguish so out of character Diego had to wonder.