Page 36

She shrugs. “We keep track of what the wolves and vampires are up to, even if they don’t really think we’re real anymore. His pack is different, isn’t it?”

Considering it contains not only wolves but vampires, mages, and the odd human, I’d say yes. Spectra’s smile turns smug.

“They’ll help us,” she says, “and in return, I’ll help boost their wards.”

“Are you supposed to do that?” Sparrow asks, tone still a little mulish.

Spectra shrugs and looks at me. “I don’t know. Am I?”

The Huntsman would probably find some reason for her not to do it, and so could I if I thought about it hard enough, but…

What’s the harm? Sam’s wards already keep the other wolves and vampires and hunters out.

And it’s not like I think he and Kieran will decide they need to take over the city or anything silly and use Spectra to do it.

“Do what you want,” I mutter, shoving my hands into my pockets. The door swings open again, and this time Kieran walks out first, though Sam is right on his heels. “But this is the safest place for you.”

“Hopefully,” Sparrow mutters, but I magnanimously elect to ignore them.

I focus on Kieran and Sam instead. Kieran stops just before the wards, and I remember what I heard—he can sense magic, too.

“Sam says you need some help,” Kieran says. Unlike his second, his expression is open, and though not friendly, it’s not off-putting.

“The same high fae who attacked you attacked Spectra’s bar last night,” I say, and Kieran looks at her but says nothing. “She and Sparrow need sanctuary until the Hunt have dealt with him.”

“Him?” Kieran says. He looks at Spectra. “You saw him?”

“Yes.”

“You know him?”

She shakes her head. I already asked her earlier, of course; knowing the identity of this fae would solve a lot of problems for me because the Huntsman knows just about all the high fae and would be in a much better position to track him down.

Hell, knowing his identity might even give us the chance to find his true name. That’s always more difficult, with the way the fae guard them, but there’s always the off-chance…

Not this time, though. Kieran’s gaze snaps back to me.

“You’re not with Njáll anymore?”

“The Hunt has other matters to deal with.”

“Like a vampire being assisted by one of the fae?”

“Yes, like that,” I say through gritted teeth.

Kieran looks over his shoulder at Sam. They have what looks to be a very complex conversation, all of it silent, and Sam throws his arms up and stalks a few feet away when they’re done. Kieran’s smirking, just a little.

He ignores me, now, all his attention on Spectra and Sparrow. “I heard the fae can’t lie.”

Spectra grimaces. It’s common knowledge in the way that fairy tales are; we all know that garlic and crosses don’t kill vampires, so it’s easy to dismiss this as another myth, too. “We can’t,” she admits warily.

“Good. If I let you in, will you cause harm to myself, any member of my pack, or anyone else who is—at any point—present in this building?”

“No,” Spectra says. She nudges Sparrow when they don’t speak.

“No.”

“Okay. Will you invite any other fae or creatures who would cause us harm?”

“No,” they say in unison, this time, and I watch on silently.

He’s clever, though he can’t account for every eventuality. Still, it’s a good start and I’m not too worried—if Vlad trusts Spectra enough to have sent me to a place she owns, then I can trust she really doesn’t intend any harm.

“You can keep in touch with us, if you’re worried,” I say, and Kieran frowns at that while Sparrow rolls their eyes. “I mean… It’ll be fine. I would not have brought them here if I thought otherwise.”

“I can help strengthen the wards,” Spectra adds, and Sam surveys her from his position further up the path.

“What about when you leave?”

She shrugs one shoulder. “I could come back and help if you wanted that. I won’t entirely be able to stop the high fae getting through them; he got through mine. But it’ll put off any other fae.”

“Any other…” Kieran glares at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “How many are we dealing with, here?”

Keeping the truth to ourselves—the majority of it, at least—is one of the tenets of the Hunt. We work best in the shadows, the Huntsman often says, and I’m not fool enough to think I’ve never known why. The world might have changed, but shadows have always been places to hide.

“A lot,” I finally admit, “though I should think they would not be interested in you. Spectra’s wards should suffice.”

“They already were interested in us,” Kieran protests. “They already attacked Quinn.”

“Tell me what happened. Exactly.”

Sam speaks first. “Something punched through my wards. I’ve never felt anything like it.

They’re connected to me, but it’s just to let me know who’s there or if we’re under attack; day-to-day, they power themselves, and I charge them with my magic when needed.

This felt…” He shakes his head. “It felt like someone hit me . Hard.”

Kieran’s watching him, worried. “He went down. We were all preoccupied with that and then I heard Quinn shout, felt—”

“The vampire was with him?”

“Yeah,” Kieran says. “I saw him just before he ran. Vince and Dax were heading inside, and Dax was closest, so he shifted and burst in on them. He’s big; I think he scared Augustine off.”

A big werewolf would. They’re hard for a regular vampire to fight—they’re stronger than us and their blood is poisonous, so even if we bite, we have to be careful not to ingest any. My magic might protect me from it, but it’s not a thing I’d try. Instincts would stop me.

“And the fae?”

Sam shakes his head. “I didn’t feel… Beyond the wards being damaged, I didn’t sense anything else. I figured it had to be fae magic, but I wasn’t certain until I came down to check what had happened.”

“And when did this occur?”

“Last night,” Kieran says. “Not long after the sun went down.”

The fae could have been lying in wait, but Augustine must not have been far away. That makes sense, I suppose. Kieran’s pack is technically in vampire territory, though he’s been given some of the area for his own. His would be the easiest pack to attack.

“I’ll help,” Spectra says again, “but only if you want me to.”

Kieran and Sam have another silent conversation, their body language much calmer this time, and finally Sam nods, though he looks irritated about it.

“You don’t have to, but we’d appreciate it,” Kieran says, and Sam’s magic flares as he adjusts the wards. “Come on. If you both don’t mind sharing, we’ve got room.”

“A room?” Spectra says. “We can do that.”

Kieran shakes his head. “A flat. Sam, can you show them…?”

Sam nods and gives me a final mistrustful look before he leads Spectra and Sparrow inside. Spectra looks back at me once to smile before she disappears behind the door. I stay where I am. Clearly, Kieran has something to say to me, though I can’t imagine what.

“Are you still protecting the crai?” he asks, and I blink in surprise.

“No.”

“Does he need it?”

I frown. I’ve been under the impression that Kieran doesn’t like Njáll all that much.

“We’ve been recalled,” I say instead of asking my own questions. “Dealing with the fae is our main duty, and we need to do that.”

“Asher left, too.”

“Like I said. Recalled.”

“And what if the fae come after Njáll or Deacon?” He doesn’t ask about the hunters, and I suspect he only added Njáll because he really wants to know if Deacon will be safe.

These wolves are all so loyal.

“Then we will deal with them,” I say and try not to think of the way Njáll and I were trapped. If that happens to him again, he will be alone. He will be unable to escape. My mouth is dry when I say, “That is our duty.”

“So it’s not to help them then?”

He doesn’t seem satisfied with my answer, but I know the question isn’t about my loyalties, not really. He doesn’t know what the Hunt is for.

Neither do I, I think.

“Time passes, purposes change,” I say because it is not up to me to define the direction of the Hunt.

“Good.” Kieran sticks his hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxing.

“When Deacon gave me this pack, he said the treaty doesn’t do enough.

There are too many people left out because we don’t all fall neatly into the categories they picked out a century ago.

Which, I mean… If you have any more fae who need someplace to stay, they can come here. ”

“What?”

“Sam doesn’t like the idea, but I figure it’s a long time coming. If you all have some big problem, there’ll be people caught in the crossfire, right? Vampires, werewolves, humans, fae. We’ll do what we can to help.”

I don’t really know what to say to that. The fae are powerful. They’re often dangerous.

But how often have they needed help we have not provided? Do they exist in their small enclaves and tight groups because they fear us?

I know the answers to both questions. “Thank you,” I say. “I will let the others know, too.”

Kieran smiles at that. “Asher already does, but yeah, the rest of them. Will the Huntsman mind?”

He doesn’t sound much as though he cares either way. “I think he will have an opinion about it,” I say carefully, and Kieran laughs.

“Good,” he says, tone uncaring, like he can just challenge whoever he likes. “It’s always fun to deal with a man who has an opinion.”