Unchained: Feathers and Fire Book 1 Read online

  Nate’s smile was proud, as if I had complimented him. I realized I was grinning, even though I was upset with him, because giving Roland a bible for entertainment was hilarious. I could just imagine the look Roland gave Nate in response. And Nate’s innocent return smile.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  “We swung by your dad’s place, and he told us you went to the store. So we came to get you. Nate wanted to help you with the wards, or something,” Claire said, leaning over the seat as she tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear. I reached up and grasped her hand, squeezing it.

  “Thanks, Claire. Sorry. It’s been an… eventful morning.”

  She squeezed back as we pulled into the street where my dad lived.

  We pulled into the driveway slowly, but Nate suddenly slammed on the brakes, shifting it into reverse with a smooth motion to put us back in the street.

  He jumped out of the car after pulling the emergency brake, and stared at the lawn.

  I was too astonished to speak. What the hell?

  Then I saw it. A piece of paper fluttered in the light breeze, hammered into the grass by an aged piece of wood. I could feel the familiar pulse of power oozing from it now, as well as the pungent stench of rotten eggs.

  “The Demon,” I gasped. The door to the house opened, and my father strode out, smiling absently with a pitcher of iced tea in one hand and a book in the other. He frowned upon seeing us standing in the street and the car parked halfway in the drive, halfway in the road. I let out a sharp sigh of relief. He was safe. Not even aware of what had happened.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked nervously.

  Nate only grunted.

  Chapter 38

  I was racing up to the piece of paper before I realized it, the action taking precedence over running to greet my father.

  “Callie, wait!” Nate shouted.

  I flung out a hand over the paper, a light whiff of magic to check for any dangers, but the fine cloud of magic revealed only the light green color of Nate’s wards. No traps.

  Nate skidded up beside me, stunned. “How the hell did you do that?”

  I blinked up at him, then reached for the paper. “Check for traps?”

  “Yes. With only a little wave of your hand and no effort?”

  I stopped, not grabbing the paper, and turned back to him. “You can’t do that?”

  “Not without a whole hell of a lot of preparation.” He sounded impressed.

  I shrugged. “Not that hard. Maybe you’re just doing it wrong.” And I grabbed the paper in one hand and the spear in the other. The spear emitted a single pulse in my hand, and then grew silent. It was authentic. One of the pieces. Just sitting in my yard. I frowned at it, then stood up to let Nate read alongside me. Claire was talking to my dad, keeping him on the porch, and his protests disappeared from my hearing as the words in the note sent a blade of fear into my heart.

  He looks so comfortable in his cage. Maybe you should let the rabbit out to play once in a while. I’d love to show him a new game. Like I did with the vampire and the wolf. You looked particularly delicious at the bar. Add this to your growing collection of murder weapons. I have a few family matters to resolve outside of… town. Until we meet again...

  I almost crushed the paper in my fist, but Nate deftly swiped it out of my hands, frowning down at me. “The fucking Demon bitch. She’s been following you, just like we thought.”

  I let out a growl. “So it seems.”

  “Do you remember seeing anyone at the bar?”

  “You were there, too.”

  “I was outside.”

  “So was I. At the end. Maybe that’s when she saw me.” I had no idea who it could be. Had any of the women caught my eye? Or, hell, maybe Demons could shapeshift into dudes. I had no idea. I had noticed many people looking at me, but that wasn’t uncommon in a bar. I was a young, pretty, white-haired girl. I knew I attracted attention. I wasn’t conceited about it, but I wasn’t in denial, either. Plenty of women were prettier than me, but men were fickle, darting from one flower to the next without searching for anything beyond looks.

  So, had I seen anyone staring at me? Yes, dozens. More than dozens. The bar had been packed. And then there had been all those reporters in the street, not counting any of the dozen pedestrians stopping to gawk at the commotion. And the people inside the bar rushing up to the window as we left. Did anyone stand out? No. I had only spoken to Johnathan and Claire.

  Claire had met that Gabriel guy at the bar, I had met Johnathan, and then there had been the waitress. Nate had been talking to the reporter, Alyssa, whom he and Claire had eaten with this morning. This had happened in the last thirty minutes, because it hadn’t been there when I left for the grocery store.

  “What about the reporter? Alyssa,” I asked, grasping at straws.

  Nate frowned, but finally shook his head. “She doesn’t give off any trace of anything. Especially not Demonic. In fact, other than the auction, I haven’t caught a whiff of Demon anywhere. Until now,” he sniffed the air pointedly. “Besides, you saw her at the grocery store. We had been with her for hours.”

  Which was true. Not Alyssa. Not Johnathan. Not Gabriel — because Claire had been talking to him for about thirty minutes. Unless…

  “What about Gabriel?” I asked Nate.

  He looked up at Claire thoughtfully, and then out at the street around us. “I doubt it. She said he was stuck in traffic and could barely hear him over the construction and honking horns. I even made her turn off the speaker phone because it was annoying.” He held out his hands. “No construction or honking here.”

  I growled. The waitress? One of the other two dozen people from the bar? I sighed, frustrated. Nate was right, though. Until now, I hadn’t caught Demon scent anywhere. Well, I had when she threatened me in the alley outside the church. Which meant it had been someone at a distance, someone watching from the shadows.

  I sighed. “It doesn’t matter. We thought this would happen. Now we have proof. It looks like your wards kept her back.”

  Nate shook his head slowly, pointing at the hole in the ground. I frowned, not understanding. Nate then pointed to the spot where the ring of wards surrounded the property. I stared for a second, and then gasped.

  The piece of the spear had been staked into the ground inside the perimeter of our wards.

  “If she could do that, why didn’t she take my dad?” I whispered softly enough for my father to not hear, because he was leaning over Claire’s shoulder now, trying to get to me, understanding the look on my face.

  “I have no idea… But I think we need to get that last piece. Even if it is some kind of trap.” He trailed off. “But why give us her piece from the auction?” He shook his head angrily. “Then she killed the vampire, leaving that piece behind for you, too. She wants you to have them.”

  The unspoken question hit me again. Roland also wanted me to get all the pieces. And someone had given him wrong information from the Vatican. What the hell was going on?

  “We need to get that last piece. And then hide them… somewhere,” he offered, neutrally.

  I didn’t even argue, because he was right. Someone was playing us.

  “She seems interested in me, specifically,” I whispered.

  “I’ll say it again. I have friends—”

  “No.” My voice was ice. I saw my dad trying to force his way past Claire, and I remembered our conversation. He had told me to find my I… And I made my decision. I was done running. Hiding. Asking for advice and help. All that had done was get me in deeper trouble. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.

  I was not going to have a gang of unknown killers come save me. This was my home. What did that say if I just begged for help anytime things got hard? A small part of me didn’t want to seem helpless to Nate. I needed him to respect me as an equal, not see me as yet another pawn. He got enough of that from the Regulars because of his money, and judging by Roland and what I had seen at the auction, he g
ot plenty of respect and fear from the magical community, too. I didn’t want to be like him. But part of me realized I needed to be like him.

  A little.

  “We take care of this ourselves. If you can’t live with that, I’ll do it myself.”

  Nate grunted. “You want to pick a fight, fine. I’ll be right there to watch your back. But I’m not talking about a fight.” He pointed a finger at my dad. “I’m talking about him. A Regular. Being targeted. He can’t stand up to a Demon.” He folded his arms, waiting. “You’re letting your emotions call the shots.”

  I let out a breath. “He has the sphere. That’s good enough for now. I don’t want to terrify him by unleashing an army into his house to watch over him. And I don’t want any of your friends hurt because of my problems.”

  He began to argue, but I held up a hand.

  “I’m serious, Nate. I need to do this my way. I’ll gladly take your help, but not your demands. Leave if you can’t accept that.”

  “You won’t last the night without me. I’m not even being condescending. I’m being honest.”

  I gave him my coldest stare. “You’d be surprised what I can do. What I can survive.”

  Nate shook his head in exasperation. “Just don’t be so proud that you get your dad killed.” He said it in a haunted tone, as if we were having two conversations.

  “For now, we do it my way. But I won’t axe your offer yet.”

  “Let’s hope your foolishness doesn’t kill your dad.” And then he was walking towards the house.

  Part of me agreed with him, but a very steady persistent voice inside me encouraged me, murmuring approval. This was my city. I couldn’t let anyone bully me. Because as soon as Nate left, I would be all alone again, and would be considered weak. Needing to be taught a lesson. If I won only because of Nate’s gang, the monsters of my city would pounce the moment they left.

  It was time to drop my fear. Devote myself to the years of practice Roland had given me. Be hard. Unyielding. Deadly. Confident, and bold. Re-forge my fears and uncertainty into a blade.

  Surprisingly, I realized that my daymare hadn’t bothered me recently. Was I getting past it? Or had I just jinxed myself?

  I trudged up the stairs, shoving the spear into my back pocket. It was time to talk to my dad.

  Chapter 39

  We sat around the porch, Nate perched on the railing, leaning back against a post, looking like a lazy, reckless teenager, but his eyes were distant, calculating, and he was twirling that coin of his again. Not lazy at all. Scheming. I let him scheme.

  Claire had given Roland one of the teleportation spheres before leaving for breakfast, one that would send him to the church training room if he needed it, so I wasn’t concerned with him. It was now early afternoon, because we had sat here for a few hours, eating, debating, and discussing options, all while trying to keep specific details from my dad’s ears. The Demon, for example. I turned to my dad.

  “Do you agree with Nate or me?” I asked him.

  Nate slowed his coin, listening, but not looking.

  My father studied Nate with a look of wonder on his face. It was one thing to mutter about someone behind their backs without knowing him, but meeting him, and learning that he was much more than the tabloids depicted, and that he had been helping his daughter had shed Nate in a new light. And Nate had spent a considerable amount of time talking to my dad about his school, the slimy bastard. My dad had eaten it up.

  Then he had showed him a video on his phone on YouTube called Missouri is Awesome from a guy in Springfield. I stubbornly remained where I was sitting, but the other two laughed their asses off over it, especially when it made fun, saying that Terry was the most common male name in Missouri. Rather than offending my dad…

  They now had a mild man crush or bromance that made me growl deep in my soul.

  “I don’t like to run, but the way you make it sound, Master Temple, I might not be quick enough to use the glass ball to escape.”

  Nate nodded, not looking.

  “We changed the wards. Once we activate them, they will keep out anyone but a Regular. And I think you can handle one of them,” I smiled, motioning towards the shotgun propped against the rocking chair where he sat. “Nate and I can also pass through them, but that’s all.”

  He smiled, nodding to himself, but still looked unsure. “Callie, I don’t even want you involved in this.” I began to protest, but he held up a hand. “It has nothing to do with you being my daughter, or even me doubting you. It’s just… this sounds like some heavy hitter is after you, and you’ve told me enough times that you—”

  “This is different,” I interrupted, and saw Nate frowning, wondering exactly what I had told my dad in the past. We hadn’t told my dad everything, just hinted about vague monsters after me. Nothing about a Demon. “This is my city. If I don’t stand up for myself now, the monsters will attack me the second Nate leaves. They’re after me. I need to make a stand. Even if it terrifies me. I’m not trying to be stubborn. You and Nate are thinking short term. I’m thinking long term.”

  “She’s right,” Claire said softly, looking at her feet. “She needs to do this, now, while everyone is watching. She’s already a target. That’s not going to change.” She looked at me sadly, scared for me, but proud. “She needs to stand on her own.”

  Nate sighed, but finally nodded. “She does have a point,” he admitted. “These assholes feed on fear and weakness.” I smiled at him, but the gaze that met mine was anything but agreeable. “That doesn’t mean you need to do anything stupid. You still need a good plan. Having friends is helpful. Hell, my friends have saved my ass so many times that it’s amazing they don’t give me more shit about it.”

  I met his glare, nodding. “Have you, in turn, not saved their lives countless times as well?”

  He gave me a grudging nod. “Yes.”

  “I rest my case. You stood your ground. Made a name for yourself. This is my turn to do the same, whether it terrifies me or not. I’ll gladly take help, but I won’t — can’t — hide behind you. We can stand together as equals. With me slightly ahead of you, of course.”

  He shook his head, chuckling. “Just don’t shun help to prove a point. It’s never good to stand alone. You should always have brothers to watch your back.” He grew distant again, seeming satisfied at our compromise.

  “Okay, Callie. I’ll try it your way. I’ll stay here,” my dad said.

  “Thanks, dad. Once those wards go up, you’ll be the safest person in Kansas City.”

  Nate nodded absently. “It’s getting late, and I need to do a few things before we meet at my hotel. Seven?” he asked me. I nodded. “Let me re-hash your plan. I’ll Shadow Walk Claire to Roland so she can check up on him while I upgrade his ward. She’ll stay there for a while, then go home. I’ve attuned one of the spheres to send her to the creek behind her house. Then she can walk inside. I’ll make sure she has the same wards as Roland and your dad. The ones I showed you,” he added with a stern look. I mocked a bow to give him credit for his ward.

  It all sounded good. I wanted to talk to Nate about those spheres. Able to teleport at whim… that was an incredible tool. I was sure that even Roland didn’t know how to make something like that. In fact, I had never even considered making items that held magic. I had assumed that was just a stereotype from movies and novels. Well, Roland did have the tattoo thing, I guess.

  The fact that Nate could simply change the destination of his marbles was fascinating. Of course, he couldn’t make it work to send her straight home, because the wards would incinerate anything with even a hint of magic, and she would be traveling by magic. He had set them up to send her just outside the wards. All she had to do was run a dozen feet or less to cross the line.

  “We’ll hit the bears tonight, see if they have a piece, because if not, we’re fresh out of suspects. We really need to come up with something about this Demon, too. I can have Othello check the security feed from the auction, maybe
find out what this girl looks like in human form, see if we recognize her.” He threw this in casually, giving me the opportunity to shoot it down, which I appreciated.

  “That would be very helpful, but don’t put her in danger.”

  Nate chuckled. “She’ll be fine. People are scared of her boyfriend.”

  I frowned at that, but that only made him laugh harder, as if at an inside joke.

  “I’ll see you in a few hours. Does anyone have any questions?”

  No one did. Nate clasped hands with Claire — who was holding the spear piece — and they both disappeared without the cracking sound, this time. I blinked at that. He must have used a spell to silence the sound. Interesting…

  I gave my dad a hug, and then walked out of the porch.

  “What about his car?” my dad asked.

  I smiled. “He’ll be back for it. But after all this is done, we’ll take it for a spin.”

  My dad shook his head with a tortured frown. “Figures. Fancy sports car in my driveway and I can’t leave. Fuck the world,” he muttered. I burst out laughing, and knelt over one of the wards. I glanced behind me, scanning the street to make sure no one was near, not that they would notice anything if they did see me, but it would be odd to see me squatting on the lawn for a minute or two, staring down at the grass. Seeing no one, I closed my eyes and focused. Nate and I had spoken at length, debating back and forth until we had come up with a ward he said he had some experience with.

  I placed the small stone griffin he had given me on the ground, not quite understanding why I had agreed to that part, or if it was necessary. He had told me that the piece had been made with protection in mind, but it had sounded like a ridiculously elaborate lie. But he had similar carvings for the other two sites, so I believed him.

  I closed my eyes and focused, resting my hand on the small carving as I wove the spell Nate had shared with me. Moments later, I felt power building deep in the grass beneath my knees. I said the last words, and cracked open my eyelids. A bar of light erupted from the griffin figurine, shooting high up into the sky, and then, like a chain of dominos, more beams of power erupted from the earth, surrounding my father’s house in a ring of bars of light, like a prison cell.