POE

B eau and I have a pattern. Some days, we work on his storm exposure therapy. He’s getting better and the other day he started talking to a therapist.

Other days we go on a date, then we tease each other with pictures and texts until I can’t stand it anymore and I pop in for a kiss and grind session until we both can’t breathe. I’ve lost count of the dates we’ve had, from more dancing to pottery to painting. We took a charcuterie class and then fed each other little nibbles all night long. We haven’t gotten naked again though, not that I mind. I’ll make out with him forever, if that’s all he wants. It’s more than enough for me with him in my arms.

Every time I’m in the council room, I think about the latest kiss, the latest look of ecstasy on his beautiful face. Right now, I’m sure everyone in the room can tell my mind is somewhere else.

Beau and I tell each other our darkest secrets and our biggest hopes. He loves his job, and I’d never take him away from it. He’s helped Wick rearrange the bakery, so the shop isn’t so backed up in the streets every morning and to maximize the seating. He’s helped Renaud make his store bigger with a few slight changes. Beau loves helping people fix their spaces to work better for them. And I love helping Beau relax. Whether it’s just cuddling or grooming or watching him perform for me in his bat form. My heart belongs to this little shifter.

I still haven’t told him I contacted the colony in West Virginia. I don’t want him disappointed if they never respond, but I’m starting to get anxious about it. Surely someone monitors the email address. I’ve called the number several more times and get the same results as before. I don’t want Beau to leave, but I do want him to know there are other options for him if he feels the need to leave.

“Poe?” Leo says with irritation in his voice.

“Hmm?”

“Were you paying any attention at all just now?” the vampire pinches the bridge of his nose like I do and I suppress a laugh.

“Sorry, my mind is off in la la land. Would you kindly repeat the question?”

“Did you read the report on the unidentified shadows?”

“What?!” My heart pounds and I pull my phone from my pocket to read over the report. Uncontained shadows were found in the community garden earlier and they cleared it out for investigation. “Why wasn’t I informed earlier?”

“You were, just like the rest of us, but you’ve been distracted.” Leo pounds his fist on the table. “We need you to have your head on straight, Poe. This is serious now. The covens won’t have the new wards ready for another few days, and we need to up the security to keep the shadows back.”

“Yes. I’ll do better. Who found the shadows?”

Trixie taps a pattern on the table as she thinks. “The wood nymph, Nef. They were cleaning the stage when they saw the shadows just lurking in the stands. Poor thing solidified into a tree right there before they could call us.”

“Fuck,” I whisper.

“Fuck in deed,” Leo says. “So we all need to be on high alert.We sent out the Hex newsletter. We need everyone to pay attention to their surroundings. The entire town is closed until we can find out where the shadows fled to.”

My phone buzzes.

Beau: It’s my fault, isn’t it? Everyone is in danger because of me.

“I need to take this.” I lift my phone and press Beau’s number.

It rings a few times before Beau picks up.

“I… I need to go. They’ll follow me, right?” There’s shuffling around in the background. I love how he’s gotten braver since we met, but this isn’t how I want things to go.

I growl. What the fuck is happening? “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

“Poe,” Leo says. “You need to think about this community.”

“I am thinking about this community. Beau is a part of Hex, and he’s trying to run.” I don’t know why I’m arguing with people I need to be with Beau.

“They’re here for me,” Beau’s voice shakes.

“They could be here for any reason,” I say. Why am I arguing with him on the phone?

There’s a boom and a squeak. I’m out of that council room in a heartbeat, but when I appear at Beau’s apartment, he’s not here. His door is broken wide open. Darkness drenches the place as if it stole all the lights from the entire block.

“Beau!” I yell his name and run from his apartment. Everywhere shadows lurk. Hellhounds growl, their eyes glow, but I know it’s useless. Beau’s gone, and it’s my fault.

“Whoever took him, I will find you and rip you apart. Mark my words, you’ll pay!” I turn to the closest Hellhound. “Seal the wards, make sure no one comes in or out. I don’t give a fuck if they are a resident of Hex. No one is leaving until I have Beau again.”

The Hellhound howls a call to the others. I don’t wait to see if they do the job, knowing as soon as the barrier glows a strange blue, the deed is done.

I’m back in the council room, ready to start a war with necromancers and shadow users. No one takes someone I love and gets away with it. I didn’t know how deeply my heart would ache at the thought of Beau being taken from me.

“Breathe, Poe,” Trixie says. She lays a soft hand on my arm and I wave her off.

“They took?—”

Van pops into the council room, his blue tail wiggling in anger. “They took Gabe! I’m going to rip them apart.”

“We have to think about this rationally,” Leo says. But the rest of the council isn’t having it.

“They took our people. We need to retaliate,” Trixie says.

“I sealed the barrier. They should all still be inside,” I say.

“Good job. Now the rest of the residents are in danger too,” Leo says.

“At least this means we contain the risk from the humans and we’re not all exposed,” I growl, baring my teeth.

“Where the fuck did they take Gabe?” Van’s horns and tail catch fire. He balls his fists. “I’ll burn down the entire town to find him.”

I glare at Leo. “So will I.” Beau is the most precious thing in my life. “Perhaps the pair are together. If that’s the case, they should be okay.”

Van laughs. “Those shadows really have something coming if they think they can contain Gabe for long. He’s been practicing all his nephilim tricks. Maybe he’ll free them both.” He plops a seat on the table. “Maybe we should wait and see what he can do.” He grins and I want to smack it from his face.

“You do realize he could be totally incapacitated, right? Shadow users and necromancers can control nephilims. They’ll pluck him like a chicken while he’s unconscious. We have to find them both before they get access to any of those feathers or they start to drain Beau’s blood.”

The color leaves Van’s face. “Then what the fuck are we waiting on? We need to find them. Now!” He takes my hand and we’re in the town square. The sky’s darker than it should be at this time of day. My heart pounds painfully in my chest.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Van chants, his flames getting brighter.

My violet flames burst from my horns and stunted tail. “Bring me your prisoners and you won’t get hurt,” I bluff.

“Fuck that, I’m killing whoever the fuck hurt my angel.” Van’s hands catch fire. “How do we track these fuckers?”

“Probably the cemetery.” I rub my temple, trying to think of everything I know about necromancers who use the dead for divination and sometimes raise the dead to use as slaves. Shadow users often partner with necromancers since they can hide the work of necromancers. It’s some fucked up relationship if you ask me. They know they aren’t welcome in any of the sanctuary towns because they don’t play well with others. Their magic works with blood and that’s a no go for us.

“I wish I’d bound myself to Gabe like Wick did to Ethan, then I could use a tracer spell on him. As soon as I get him back, that’s what I’m doing.”

“Hush,” I say, slicing my hand through the air. “Listen.”

There’s a groaning melody coming from somewhere I can’t pinpoint. Like a pipe organ, but softer.

“What is that?” Van says.

“No idea,” I whisper, heading towards the sound.

“Fuck. Wait!” Van shouts, just as I get in range of a spell I hadn’t seen.

Sizzling electric rings wrap around my legs and torso, pressing my arms to my chest, making it hard to breathe. Rising in the air, I struggle. Whatever magic they’re using, I can’t teleport.

Van holds his hands primed to shoot fireballs, but there’s no one around.

“Get out of here, Van.”

“No! I’m not leaving you.”

I kick out, trying to get the magic to shimmy off, but it doesn’t budge. “Go! Listen to your king.”

Van snorts. “You know, that never really worked on me.”

“You’re never going to be king, Van. You’ll hate me when you find out why. Save yourself.”

He snorts again. “Oh, I know all about what the fuck happened. The prince has been coming around and apologizing to us all.”

I stop struggling. “What?”

“Yeah, came by a couple of weeks back. Said he feels bad and says he wished he’d never cursed you. Said you suffered enough.”

Well, damn. “Never saw that coming. I thought he’d hate me for eternity.” I try to twist out of my confines again. I have to get free for Beau.

There’s a familiar screech and I swear my heart stops for a few moments. “Beau!” I throw my arms out with as much force as possible, and the magic around me snaps. I race towards the sound. Towards Beau.

“Damn it, stop struggling!” A dark, craggy voice barks out, and I want to rip out their voice box. “We need your damn blood, you little flying rat!”

My blood boils. “He’s not a flying rat!”

Van and I charge, but we’re blasted back. The last thing I hear is Beau screech again.