Page 10 of Royal Ransom (Princess Procedural #4)

Maverick

The conversations had only grown more heated in our absence.

Tally had to send a whistling winter wind through the pub to get the attention of the still-bickering council. Even then, some didn’t look up from their arguments until frost literally coated the tables they were leaning against. Angelo landed face-first on the bar top when his hand slipped. The sugar dispenser, napkins, and salt clattered down next to him, splattering him with condiments. He looked a bit like a badly made cupcake—something that might have been damned funny if the situation hadn’t been so dire. Lydia fondly dusted the stuff from his hair, which seemed to mollify him somewhat.

The incubus stood up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders as he turned to face us. He wasn’t alone. Everyone in the bar was posturing, whether they knew it or not. We were all trying to look bigger and stronger than we were. Most of them knew what was on its way here, intent on killing Tally, followed by the rest of us. They understood the risks of standing in its way. They’d fought this battle before and won. But deep down, we all knew it was different this time. Janara and her cronies had proven they didn’t care about secrecy anymore. Not if they thought they could end the war with one brutal, surgical strike. One town in exchange for an entire kingdom. Janara was just evil enough to make that trade.

“Was that truly necessary?” Angelo asked, aiming an irritated look past my elbow at Tally.

“Yes,” Tally said without a beat of hesitation. Her tone was dry and unamused. “You didn’t stop yapping.”

“Well, excuse the hell out of me if—“

“—I realize Maverick dropped the news early, so he didn’t give you the rules,” Tally interrupted him. “And, yes, this is a threat against my life, Mr. Stedham. Ultimately, the ball is in my court. I have a handful of options, and none of them are good. So… why the call for this meeting?” She cleared her throat. “I need the rest of you to help me figure out what the hell I’m doing.”

She scanned the room then, meeting each person’s eyes in turn. A few, like Angelo, looked down, unable to stand the fierce, burning cold emanating from her. Others, like Lorcan, stared right back, grim-faced but determined. Roy had his hand resting near a knife sheath he’d hooked onto his industrial-sized belt. Something told me he knew just how to use it, though I’d never known him to handle weapons. It spoke to just how desperate the situation was. We couldn’t afford to lose any advantage, no matter how slight.

Astrid was conspicuously missing. She’d gone off, muttering something about her professors and her new bestie, Meredith, under her breath. The last I’d seen her, she’d wandered onto the pergola patio with a phone pressed to her ear. I could feel her like a bobbing lure at the surface of my thoughts, near enough to keep track of, but still out of sight.

At first, no one moved. It was that vampire girl again, Charlie, who raised a timid hand. It was almost comical to watch the blonde newcomer treat the council like a Sunday School class. She dropped her hand at once when Tally motioned for her to speak.

“What are our options, exactly?” she asked.

I wanted to hex the wide, doe-eyed look of hope from the vampire’s face. She might be a decent person, but I didn’t like that she was pushing Tally on Dickhead Reynard’s rescue. The fact that Tally had to put her life on the line for his was making my blood boil. Instead of hexing her though, I stepped forward, drawing the look toward my face rather than hers. Tally didn’t need to feel guilty on top of everything else she was already dealing with.

“Like I said, Janara has sent a ransom demand,” I started. “Taliyah for Fox. Obviously, Janara knew that was going to be a tough sell. As you all now know, there was a recent attack on Taliyah’s house. Her brother, Cain, was just taken by Janara’s pet sorceress, Wren. The good news is that Taliyah was about to get a shot off at Rime, so we’re down a prophet. That now will blind Janara to our tactics, but it doesn’t change the fact she has another hostage on top of the dozen she already had.”

“But Cain is dead,” Angelo said.

“His soul resides in the ring that Wren took,” Tally fired back at him, her eyebrows meeting in the middle of her face.

“I think we can all agree that letting any of our hostages die is unacceptable,” I added.

Lorcan spoke next, bouncing up on his chair like a kid who has to pee. He took the elbow Wanda threw into his ribs in stride until I finally acknowledged his hand.

“What?”

“Forgive me if I’m misunderstanding,” Lorcan began, in a tone that dared someone to disagree with him. “But doesn’t that leave us with our usual standby? Battle for the soul of the city or some other such idealized nonsense? Stirring music? Cheering crowd? Third act betrayals?”

“I think I stand for everyone when I ask: what the hell are you trying to say?” I asked, not in the mood for any of this.

Lorcan frowned at me. “I daresay we’re not giving the frigid bitch what she wants.”

I liked the vampire just an iota more at that moment. We’d never see eye to eye in the past. And I’d happily punch him if he groped my cousin once more in public, but I understood him. He understood loyalty to your home and your people. He’d become part of the extended family, so to speak.

“No, we’re not,” I said. “But there are still other options to consider.”

“Such as?” Roy asked.

I looked at him. “Taliyah and I can pack up and get out. Janara doesn’t have any grudge against Haven Hollow if we aren’t here.”

“I’m not running,” Tally said, stepping up beside me.

I risked a glance down at her, stomach sinking when I read the determination ironed into the lines of her glamour.

“Tally—” I began.

“No, Mav,” she said, placing a gentle hand on my arm as she shook her head. “I can’t leave my boys, and a life on the run isn’t much of a life at all. I won’t raise them to jump at shadows.”

She was right, and I knew it. Knew it and hated it. No matter how well we hid, there was a limit to that lifestyle. There was always the ever-present shadow of fear hanging over it all. And one day I had to assume that Janara would find us. Only then we wouldn’t have the benefit of a whole town of supernaturals standing behind us. The only creature who could guarantee some kind of normal life was a sadistic, manipulative vampire deity intent on wearing me as a meat suit.

“Then what are you suggesting? I’m not turning you over to get them back.” I shot an apologetic look at the vampire. “Sorry, but I’m not handing Taliyah over to be killed.”

“Fox wouldn’t want that either,” Charlie said.

She sounded so sure of that. How close had this vampire gotten to my uncle? Did she love him? Would that love make her do something stupid at a crucial moment?

“Then what?” Tally asked. “Waiting for Janara to storm the town isn’t going to work either. It won’t get Cain back from Wren.”

“We sneak into faerie.”

The words came from the far end of the room. I turned in time to see Astrid striding in from the patio. She was clutching a fine, golden chain in one hand and wore one of the biggest, toothiest smiles I’d ever seen.

I raised a brow at her. “And how exactly would we do that? Janara will absolutely have all ways in and out watched.”

“All but one,” Astrid responded

“Explain,” Angelo said.

She nodded to all of us in turn. “I talked to a professor of mine from Blood Rose.”

“I thought the university was done?” someone piped up from the back.

“No,” Astrid said as she shook her head. “They’ve just moved location. They’ve set up temporarily in New Jersey, courtesy of Guy Velardi.”

“Who?” Roy asked.

Wanda gave him a look. “The husband of the High Witch of the Sub Rosa Coven—Scarlett Velardi. Really—don’t you people follow any current events?”

Astrid nodded. “I had to do a lot of political haggling to get the summer session to continue at all. But luckily Basil used to be a servitor to the lords of Autumn. He let it slip that he might be able to help, but that we’re going to need to meet him in person.” Then she looked at me. “Basil thinks he can get you into faerie.”

My eyes narrowed. No way in hell would an administrator of the Sidhe be doing this out of the goodness of his heart. The faerie were tricky people, usually angling to play pranks or cut deals as the mood struck them. He was looking to capitalize on this situation. I just wasn’t sure that we could afford to ignore the possibility. No matter what his terms might be, they couldn’t be as steep as the one Janara wanted us to pay.

“How?”

“And even if we believe he’s sincere,” Tally said, “I’m sure we’re being monitored. I can’t exactly sneak off into winter to visit him in New Jersey, can I?”

Astrid actually bounced a little on the balls of her feet, her red hair almost quivering with enthusiasm. “That’s where this beauty comes in.” She then held up the chain and it glinted in the light. “Meredith’s mom mailed it to us a few days ago. It was worn by Lady Hellebore, one of Janara’s toadies, and it made her look like an autumn noble. It’s so powerful that it even fooled Uncle Fox for a while.”

“So, what are you proposing?” I asked.

“I’m proposing that you leave here in disguise. They’d have to get really close to know it wasn’t you—or that it wasn’t your magic under the disguise.” She looked at the chain then, twirling it in the air. “I think with Wanda’s help, I can split the necklace in half.” She looked back up at me. “You take part of it. Sneak into faerie as someone else if you can.”

Tally looked thoughtful. She was actually considering it. No. A thousand times no.

“And why would you keep the other half?” Tally asked.

Astrid shrugged. “Someone has to play the part of you or my brother.”

“I’m not dangling you like bait, Astrid!” I snapped. “You did that once already. It got you killed. I’m not going through that a second time.”

Astrid crossed her arms over her chest, facing off against me with her usual sullen, bratty demeanor. It didn’t matter how serious the fights got; somehow, she’d always be my irritating little sister at the end of the day.

“I’m not going to be alone, dummy. I was actually thinking we could make a big stink. Say the police chief was attacked by a gang. Mundanes will be on high alert. We could even get the hunters involved.”

“The hunters?” Roy repeated.

Astrid nodded. “Jonathan Moses won’t like it that Janara is threatening one of his finest hunters. He and Fox are close—well, as close as Fox can get to someone.”

“I don’t know about you pretending to be one of us,” Tally said to Astrid.

Astrid nodded. “Look, I don’t think I can beat Janara in battle, but I do think I can stir the pot for a few days until you get back.” Then she looked at me. “Unless you don’t trust me to handle that much?”

That was closer to the truth than I wanted to admit. I didn’t like putting her in dangerous situations. If I had my way, she’d be wrapped in bubble wrap at all times. I never wanted anything to hurt her. But she was an adult now. She’d taken Tally’s burden, shouldering Autumn’s fate in her place. I couldn’t cut her out of this entirely, no matter how much I wanted to.

I jabbed a finger at her. “No hero business. If you get in trouble, hide behind the sasquatch. Got it?”

Astrid’s eyes positively sparkled. “Got it, Dad. ”