Chapter 1 – Alexis
Huge, bare industrial bulbs hung down from a high ceiling crisscrossed with pipes, exposed electrical wire, and other odds and ends most people would consider the guts of a building. Strategically placed space heaters blasted warm air into the hollow, mostly empty space but couldn’t quite banish the chill. Even in San Francisco, winter clung to February like a child does its safety blanket at bedtime.
“What do you think?” Aubri, my fashion consultant and stylist, swung her perfectly manicured hand through the air, indicating the row of carefully placed and accessorized dresses glittering in the harsh, barren bulbs overhead.
“I can’t believe you rented an entire warehouse just to show me the wardrobe for the Magical Summit,” I grumbled, seated in a plush white recliner. Thankfully it was leather, or I would’ve worried I’d dirty it. A small round table sat on my right, there for the sole purpose of supporting a glass of bubbling champagne. The silver stand holding the ice bucket and bottle waited on my left. Staff stood behind me, ready to leap should I need anything. Literally leap. They were the type who’d throat-punch an old woman standing in their way if they thought I needed a napkin.
Maybe it was the whole almost-losing-me thing, but Kieran had come back from Demigod Lydia’s mansion determined to pamper me. When I’d argued that I didn’t want any useful stalkers, he’d suggested that I needed to know how to act with service staff.
Which was true. The Magical Summit was only a month away, and I did need to know how to act with service staff. I needed to know how to politely tell them to get lost. I needed to hide how uncomfortable I was when they fawned all over me. Having them around all the time was like etiquette boot camp.
“Maybe your Demigod is finally branching out and spending what you’re worth,” Harding said, standing beside me, surveying the dresses. He waved a hand through the air. “Nah, that can’t be it. He’ll be cheap until the day he dies. He’s one of Poseidon’s line, after all. It’s in his blood.”
I rolled my eyes. “Real useful, thanks,” I muttered. Harding had been hanging around more often of late, training me and helping me prepare for the Summit. Given that when he’d been alive, his Spirit Walker magic had been used as a weapon for assassinations by someone not even magical, and he’d thus been hidden away, he didn’t have practical knowledge of what I was about to face. He also didn’t have great things to say about Zander, who’d ultimately been the one to kill him. His support was welcomed, though, and training invaluable.
Daisy started forward, dressed in plain black from top to bottom, ready for action. Zorn had been relentlessly training her, trying to ready her for the Magical Summit. She’d be the only non-magical person there, and while she’d be afforded some protection as my ward, Zorn was preparing for the worst, and preparing hard.
“It’s too flashy for Lexi,” Daisy said, looking over the outfits.
Bria and Red stood back by a long table loaded with enough food for a ball. The caterer had gone too far. So had Aubri, considering the least fancy dress in the bunch was still encrusted with jewels. So had the guy who’d stepped up to wipe my mouth when I’d accidentally dribbled champagne down my chin.
Daisy was right: this whole situation was so not me.
Donovan, Thane, and Jerry stood somewhat removed from the proceedings, standing in the open space with arms crossed over their chests, watching us with bored expressions. They’d come along in case something bad happened. We were close to the territory line separating magical and non-magical San Francisco. People from the two sides tolerated each other at best. Zorn had insisted we have protection against a possible attack, even though I had tried to explain it was a non-issue. We had magic…they did not. End of story.
Or it would usually have been end of story. Zorn wasn’t feeling reasonable. He didn’t show stress often, but it was clear this Summit had him anxious. Kieran needed to manipulate his way to a solid placement within the leadership hierarchy (a big ask, considering the other Demigods were all older, more experienced, and more manipulative than him), all while defending his right to rule magical San Francisco. It was a lot to ask, but the safety of our crew depended on it.
“No, no…” Aubri waved her finger at Red, who was loading shrimp onto her little white plate. “That’s not for the hired help. The hired help aren’t supposed to eat at the same table as the premier guests, of which Lexi is one by association. You need to act within your position so you can practice.” Aubri lowered her voice, as though suddenly unsure. “Demigod Kieran said so.”
“What? That’s all supposed to be for me?” I asked, even as Red took a bite of shrimp.
“Right, well.” Aubri dusted off her hands, as if wiping them clean of Red. “He won’t be happy, but I guess you don’t care.”
Bria grinned and grabbed a brownie. “Lexi is one by association,” she murmured. “This is going to go so badly. So, so badly. I can’t wait.”
Donovan snorted, and I tried not to sink into myself.
I had a feeling she might be right. Only two things could save me from being challenged at the Summit: an official sanctioning of Kieran’s mark or a certificate of marriage. Demigods were supposed to get approval before they marked someone. The other magical leaders didn’t like that Kieran hadn’t asked (which he couldn’t have, since the first time was accidental), and rumors abounded that he’d done it to claim me, not out of love. The mark would be authorized after the fact (or not) by a special judgment committee at the Summit. As for hurrying to the altar—call me a diva, but I would not rush a huge and important moment of my life because a bunch of age-old turds wanted paper proof that I loved Kieran. If I gave in, they’d probably just find another reason to make my life hell. I’d get married when and how I pleased.
“She shouldn’t try to be one of them, she should be herself, unapologetically.” Daisy stopped in front of one of the dresses, a long, flowing affair liable to trip me. “This is last season.”
Aubri’s mouth dropped open and her cheeks flamed. “It was released between seasons. It was a special release!”
“It’s old and it was made for the masses.” Daisy waved it away and kept walking down the line. “Kieran is a Demigod. Custom should be all I see. If you don’t have the top designers’ info, I can forward it to you. I’m friendly with most of them. If she shows well at the Summit, I’ll have them all.” It sounded like she was collecting trading cards. She gave Aubri a frosty stare. “I shouldn’t need to be telling you this.”
Daisy was only newly fifteen, but lately she sounded thirty. If surviving were an art, my younger ward would be van Gogh, except the lost ear would belong to her enemy.
Aubri sputtered, at a complete loss. In fairness, Daisy was probably right about the gowns. My ward had a knack for style. She’d always been a dreamer, poring over magazines and wishing she could be as glamorous as the people in them, but with Kieran’s bottomless credit card, she’d made those dreams come true. What he lacked for in clout in the magical world, he could make up for in funds. He could buy his way in. Which meant we could, too.
“I’ve always said it…” Bria paused to grab a chocolate-covered strawberry with her bare fingers, ignoring both the servant trying to do it for her and the tongs resting right next to the dish. “Lexi rocks the wild, natural look. Demigod Lydia is traditionally beautiful, but next to Lexi, she looked ridiculous. Too much sparkle and shine—like she was compensating for something.”
“Alexis has the natural gift of being the most striking person in the room, regardless of what she wears or how she acts,” Jerry said. “Like her father.”
A chill ran through me. I still hadn’t heard from Magnus, not even in spirit. He’d faded into the background after his intervention at Lydia’s mansion. Given I’d see him again in no time, I knew he wasn’t gone for good. This absence was planned, I just had no idea what the plan was, only that I was somehow going to be part of it.
Daisy snapped her fingers. “Yes!” She pointed at Jerry. “Good work, giant. Yes!” She spread her arms. “Did you notice what he wore? Black on black with a tiny pop of gray. Excellently tailored and the finest quality, but no flash. No bling. Not an eye in the room would have missed him.”
“Because he was saving our asses,” Red said. “What else were we going to focus on?”
“There’s a reason no one likes you,” Bria said to Red.
“Good,” Red replied.
“That guy is used to having eyes on him,” Daisy said. “He is used to commanding a room, you could tell. He doesn’t need any flash or bravado to get attention, and the same is true of Lexi. This is all too flashy. Lately she looks more like a socialite than a magical misfit. It’s not her. No, she needs to take a lesson from dear old Dad.” Daisy turned toward me. “None of this is going to work. We need a new direction.”
“That’s ridiculous. This—” Aubri started.
“No.” Daisy waved it all away and gestured me up out of the chair. “We’re leaving. I’ll be styling her from now on, and I’ll be doing it without all these people standing around, eager to wait on Lexi. It makes her uncomfortable, and it shows. That’s not what we’re going for.”
She said it so resolutely that I had to wonder if this had been her plan all along.
“That’s absurd.” Aubri braced her hands on her hips and an indignant expression crossed her face. “Alexis hasn’t been called out for looking silly since I started dressing her. I’ve kept her consistently on the best-dressed lists. Because of me, articles praise her for her fashion.”
“Ew, all you need to impress those people is to wear something released this year.” Daisy rolled her eyes, her attitude starting to grow back. She was a teenager—it was never far away. “Anyone shopping in the high-end stores could do that. You’ve helped Lexi blend in with all the other clowns in the circus, when really she should be standing out.”
“Oh yeah?” Aubri popped a hip in annoyance. “What do you know?”
“How to survive,” Daisy said, and motioned me up again.
“She just won that argument,” Bria murmured to Red.
“The kid is spot-on about Magnus and Lexi. That’s what won the argument,” Red replied.
“There is literally no talking to you,” Bria said, exasperated.
“Good,” Red replied.
I rolled my eyes at their antics, but I was already getting to my feet. Daisy had won me over, and not just because she’d offered me an out from this sparkling, servant-crowded nightmare. She was a survivor, more so than anyone I knew. Who better to equip me for the challenges ahead? Flash and sparkle had always made me feel awkward and unnatural. If Daisy had another strategy, I was inclined to trust her. Hopefully this would also give her some control and more confidence going into such a dangerous situation.
“Sorry, Aubri.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “She does have a point. But I’ll still need someone to do hair and makeup.”
I followed Daisy toward the door, and the others filed in behind me, although Bria made a grab for another brownie first.
“Wait…what?” Aubri’s voice rose in pitch. “Are you kidding me?”
“We’ll need someone new for hair and makeup after this,” Red said as we stepped out of the warehouse, the bright sunlight raining down on us. Kieran controlled the weather in magical San Francisco, and he’d kept it chilly but sunny. His anxiety of what was to come was getting the better of him, and the sunshine helped cheer him up.
“Oh, totally.” Bria nodded as we walked toward the waiting stretch limo. I didn’t get to drive anymore. If I didn’t have such an awesome car, I wouldn’t have cared. Given I did—well, this restriction was going into the “nope” pile after the Summit. “She’s going to be made of sugar and spite and everything terrible after this.”
“Clever,” Red said sarcastically.
“She has a select sort of clientele, and she works great for that clientele.” Daisy grabbed the door handle as the driver walked toward her. He hurried to intercept, but she was already ducking into the interior. “Her specialty is in leading the small-minded fashion sheep. Right now, her inspiration is the Demigod fashion sheep, but if Lexi tried to run around the Summit looking like Lydia, she’d be a laughingstock. She’d never pull it off. Lexi needs to do her own thing.”
“And you know what that thing should be?” Bria ushered me into the limo in front of her. I slid along the bench seat next to Daisy, followed by Harding, who kinda hovered in the middle of the space.
“No.” Daisy clasped her hands and stared out the window in front of her. “I need to think about it. Talk to Zorn and Amber.”
“Wait, whoa.” I gave her a stop motion as Red and Donovan got in. The others would follow in the Town Car behind us. Jerry took up the space of two people, and Thane was a brick of muscle. Not even a stretch limo could hold everyone comfortably. “Amber has the sexy, lethal thing down, I’ll give her that, and Zorn can rock a tailored suit like no one’s business, but they aren’t fashion gurus. They aren’t the right people to dress me.”
“No sh—crap, Lexi.” She huffed, and I scowled, knowing this no-swearing thing was only in effect when I was within earshot. It really defeated the purpose of having the rule. “Obviously I know they aren’t the people to pick out your actual wardrobe.” She rolled her eyes. “But they can walk us through what we should be conveying with your image.”
The others had given me some training about etiquette, but Bria had suggested it would be best if I didn’t know everything. My mother’s chaos magic had helped us before, and it did best in uncertain situations. I said as much to Daisy.
“Yeah, well, you should look like you’re too important”—she squinted in thought—“or maybe too scary?” She shook her head. “You need to look like you’re too something to remember those details.”
“Does Kieran have all his stuff picked out?” Bria asked, looking through the stocked refreshments on ice. She was digging all this extra treatment.
“He had a bunch of new suits and tuxes tailored.” I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Guys have it easy. They have less options. Less wondering about how much or little to reveal, less worrying about how this cut looks on this portion of the body…” I sighed, pushing away my nervousness. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with all the politics, though. He’s really studying up. He’ll probably know his top opponents and hopefully allies better than they know themselves.”
“Pay attention, because as co-ruler you’re going to have to know all that stuff, too. While worrying about fashion and not tripping in heels.” Bria settled back with an apple juice. “As soon as you get married, you’ll officially have a place by his side. He’s been pretty clear about that. Maybe he’s just doing it because he knows his dad will roll over in his grave, but whatever, it’s a rare opportunity. Run with it.”
“Have you broken it to the others that they can’t be by your side?” Harding asked, studying me. He meant the collection of ghosts that hung around, including Jack, who was loath to be left behind. We couldn’t risk one of the other Demigods or their Necromancers snatching them up and using them, though. Demigod Lydia had already messed with my people; I didn’t want a repeat.
I nodded, looking out the window.
“I’ll have to be entirely absent, too, remember,” he said, and a weight settled in my middle. “My dear old dad will be at that thing, as will the guy who killed me. They’ll lose their minds if they catch me hanging around, for opposite reasons. You’ll be entirely on your own this time. I can’t be there to save you.”
He’d never saved me a first time, preferring instead to watch the show, but his presence had always been comforting all the same. If I had questions, or needed help with something, it would’ve been nice to think he’d be around. Not this time, though. He was right—that Summit was no place for him.
Fear washed through my middle, followed by butterflies and a flipping stomach. My phone rang a moment later.
“What’s wrong?” Kieran asked after I answered. He’d felt my turmoil through our soul link.
The limo rolled down the highway beside the beach where we’d battled his father. We’d gone into that fight not knowing if we’d see another dawn. And yet the prospect of becoming Kieran’s co-ruler frightened me more than facing down the former Demigod of magical San Francisco. Doing so without the lifeline of the guy who was an expert in my magic…
“We’re not in danger,” I said, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “I was just thinking about the future.”
“Everything is going to be fine.” His deep voice trickled through my anxiety, soothing me. “Not as many people die at the Summit as everyone seems to think. It’s really just the weak who get picked off. We don’t have any of those. There is nothing to worry about.”
Another wave of fear washed through me. As a teen who lacked magic, Daisy would surely be targeted as one of the weak ones. It would be clear to everyone that she was an outcast, and more, that she didn’t belong.
“Maybe we should leave Daisy behind,” I murmured, turning away from her.
“I’m going,” Daisy said.
“She doesn’t belong there. She doesn’t have the tools to properly defend herself,” I continued.
“I’m going,” she repeated. “I have the paperwork and enough money to get myself there if you try to leave me behind. I’m part of this family too. I—”
“If we leave her behind, she won’t be acknowledged as one of my house,” Kieran said. We pulled up in front of our house, completely renovated since Valens had lived there. “She needs to be officially recognized as a special case and allowed in the magical areas, and for that, she has to show up in person. I know it’s hard to accept, but our hands are tied on this one.”
We’d had this conversation a few times already. I’d spoken about it with Zorn and Amber too, and with Daisy many, many times. I knew they were all right, but damned if I didn’t want to find a way around it.
“It’ll be okay,” Kieran said softly as I climbed out of the limo, and I knew he was reacting to my emotions again. “We’ve planned for this. We’re preparing her. Zorn says she is exceptional for her age, magical or not, and passable competition for an adult magical fighting person. She can handle her own already, but she won’t have to, okay? One of my people will be with her at all times.”
I nodded as Bria pushed open the front door and stood back. The two enormous cats, which had thankfully stopped growing, met me at the door. They were as big as Great Danes, their heads to my waist, and just as sturdy. Also somehow magical. Harding, the (dead) Spirit Walker who was training me, pleaded ignorance as to how they’d gotten some spirit-type powers, but I knew he must’ve done something. These snow-white devils were in no way the offspring of two normal, non-magical cats.
Chaos, the male cat, with his luminous green eyes, rubbed against my leg in greeting. I staggered to the side. He hadn’t yet figured out his own strength. Havoc, the female, purred softly, sitting in the middle of the entryway so I’d have no choice but to greet her or go around. She slowly blinked her bronze eyes, burning brightly with intelligence.
No, they were not ordinary cats. Not by a long shot. They’d helped us battle Demigod Lydia, who, last I heard, still had nasty scars from Chaos’s claws.
“Okay,” I said into the phone as I dropped my hand to rub Havoc’s head. Only then did she move out of the way.
Kieran stepped into the hallway as I approached the living room overlooking the ocean. I dropped the phone from my ear, my chest tightening. He always did this to me. It didn’t matter if I hadn’t seen him for a day or an hour, when we reconnected, my heart surged.
He stood framed by the hallway, his shoulders broad and body corded with muscle, cinching down into trim hips. A plain white T-shirt hugged his defined chest and faded blue jeans adorned his powerful legs. Shiny black dress shoes looked out of place, and I knew he must’ve just finished a fitting. His stormy blue eyes regarded me, supportive and understanding, from his incredibly handsome face.
I focused on his full, shapely lips, and when I neared him, I slipped my phone into my pocket and hooked my arms around his neck.
“Hi,” I said, my voice breathy, pushing my body against his.
“Hey.” He brushed my lips with his. “I will protect you and the kids, Alexis. I’ve been planning for it. I won’t let anything happen to you. My job is just that—a job. You are my family. I will always choose you first.”
I tasted his sweet lips and soaked in his heat. “I just spend a lot of time worrying these days, that’s all.”
“I know,” he whispered. “We all have our doubts. Sometimes the scariest thing is the unknown.” He kissed me again, languid and sensual, before stepping back and taking my hand. He walked me to the living room. “How’d the fitting go? Did you like what she came up with?”
I grimaced. “Daisy fired her.”
A grin pulled at Kieran’s lips. “Oh?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Aubri already called you, didn’t she?”
His grin turned into a gleaming smile. “She called my assistant, yes. I haven’t returned her call yet, but I got the gist of the problem.”
I tried to step toward the couch and ran into Chaos, who always seemed to be in the way. He was much slower than his sister, who tended to pick a position that would give her a good view of the entire room. If Chaos was the brawn of the operation, Havoc was clearly the brains.
“Move.” I shoved him with my knee, and he jumped into the air, not unlike a normal cat. With a mewrr sound, he darted toward the far doorway and into the next room. His tail thwapped a vase on the way. Porcelain clicked on the glass tabletop as it rocked, threatening to fall over. “He’s a menace,” I said, sinking onto the couch. “Two kids, and now two cats? This house is turning into a zoo!”
“So what happened?” Kieran must’ve had a million things to do, but he sat down beside me, his fingers still entwined with mine. “The dresses were too flashy?”
I glanced at the doorway, wondering if Daisy would come in to defend her case, but no one had followed us. They were giving us some alone time, something we didn’t get enough of as we prepared for the Summit.
“If I’m being honest, they looked like a cheaper rendition of something Lydia would wear,” I said. I dropped my head onto his hard shoulder. “They were really nice on their own, and I’d probably look the part, but Daisy thinks I need to look more natural. A less is more kind of situation.” I ran my lip over my teeth. “Like Magnus.”
Kieran tensed for a moment, his uncertainty filtering through the links we shared. “What about Magnus?”
I went over what Daisy and the others had said, and outlined Daisy’s plan for me. At the end, Kieran was nodding, his eyes far away. “She’s exactly right about Magnus. That’s an interesting take.”
“Jerry helped make her case.”
“Jerry?” Kieran was back to smiling. “Hidden talents, Jerry,” he said softly, mimicking the accusatory tone the guys used when they picked on him.
Harding popped up outside the window, hovering in midair. My spirit-repellent magic kept him from getting too close to the glass. He could have found a new cat to host his spirit, which was, in a roundabout way, how we’d ended up with Chaos and Havoc, but instead he’d resorted to this kind of behavior.
“I think Daisy has the right approach,” Kieran said, noticing Harding. “You’re gorgeous in anything you put on, or nothing at all”—he turned his head my way, and desire pooled in my core—“but if I were forced to choose, I’d pick your natural beauty. I’d choose you just how you are, sweet and sensual and fierce and powerful. You don’t need glitter or gold to stand out. You just need to show up.”
I laid my free hand against his strong jaw and pulled his face closer so I could kiss him again, letting my desire flower and grow. Letting heat sizzle across my skin.
“We can’t right now,” he said against my lips, his breathing uneven. “You need Harding’s training. But the second he leaves…”
I smiled, stealing another kiss. “I’ll dress down to my birthday suit and climb you like a tree.”
“Yes, please.” He chuckled. “I love you. Everything is going to be okay next month, you’ll see. We’ll be ready.”
I stood from him and headed out to Harding, who wore a firm mask of uncharacteristic seriousness. He looked this way more and more when we trained. I had a feeling Kieran wasn’t going to be as ready as he thought.
I didn’t think any of us were prepared for what was coming.
Chapter 2 – Alexis
Our train of limos wound along the gorgeous coastline of the remote tropical island that housed the Magical Summit. The small landing strip that played host to the various officials’ private jets lay behind us. Each jet was allowed a certain amount of time to land, unload its cargo, and leave again. With no boats in the harbor, we were, in essence, trapped here with the most metaphysically powerful people in the world.
“No one told me about the island situation,” I murmured, seeing something emerge from the sparkling blue waters. A tentacle? It slapped down, spraying water into the air before the swell of a wave covered it.
“This location has been used for hundreds of years.” Kieran sipped his whiskey. The kids sat at the other end of the limo, dressed nicely, as befitted people of their status within Kieran’s company. The rest of the team, including the cats, followed in the other limos. It seemed wasteful, but I knew it was the first of many shows of strength. “It is large enough for all the gathered leaders and most if not all of their magical crew, it has access to all the elements, and there’s ample space for any visiting magical beasts to roam, which matters in the offseason when they have the magical beast convention.”
“There’s also no way in or out.”
“Thus ensuring our privacy.”
“Thus ensuring our vulnerability. If this situation goes tits up, we’ve got nowhere to go.”
Kieran took my hand, entwining our fingers. “Don’t think that hasn’t been brought up multiple times, especially by the non-Demigod leaders. We’re all in the same boat, though. No one can easily come and go. Greed and alliances keep people safe here. Everyone watches everyone else to make sure no one steps over the line. The art is in walking the line, and my father was one of those who did it exceedingly well.”
I chewed my lip, seeing another tentacle splash down—clearly someone was watching the coastline—and prevented myself from pointing out the obvious: Kieran didn’t have any alliances, and he was short on greed. While everyone had to start somewhere, most people came to the Summit for the first time with tiny territories and budding teams. Not Kieran. He had a prosperous territory that he’d taken by force, a Spirit Walker by his side, and a team with some serious power players. We would stand out, and we had no one to guard our backs.
“It’ll be okay,” Kieran said softly, and squeezed my hand. The kids looked my way, and I could see the uncertainty on their faces. Zorn and the guys had trained them well—they knew the challenges that lay ahead as well as I did. “I’m sure I can get Dara. A handful of others have been watching me—they want to see if I’m as good as they hear. They’ll see that I am better. By the time we walk out of here, we’ll be in good shape.”
“Just like you thought Lydia would be an ally?” Daisy murmured.
“I’m not one to ignore my mistakes,” Kieran replied, a note of gruff disapproval in his voice.
“Doesn’t matter,” Mordecai said, his body tense and his hands clasped in his lap. “We have all week as the new kids on the block. We’ll take a beating. The other teams will want a go at us.”
“Today we’ll set up the lodge and take a stroll as a unit.” Kieran checked his watch. “It’s standard protocol. The crew will be with you the whole time. All of them.”
The crew was what we’d taken to calling the Six (minus Jack, who’d stayed home, like Harding) and Bria, plus the new additions who hung around as family. Jerry and Dylan had become part of our unit, eating with us, helping to cook and clean up, and training the kids. Amber hung around, too, but there was a certain awkwardness to her involvement. She kept silent more often than not. At first we’d tried to weave her in more, but everyone had accepted her as a living ghost around the house, there to help Daisy and soak in the community but not quite comfortable enough to blend in. Unbeknownst to her, she was usually close to Jack, who also hung out on the outskirts of the party.
“I’ll take the new people you guys don’t know very well,” Kieran went on, stroking my hand with his thumb. It wasn’t just for my benefit—I could feel the turmoil rolling through him like a brewing storm.
“If you don’t take any of the crew, you’ll look as green as you are,” Daisy said. “The other Demigods might send most of their best people off to challenge the other crews, but you can be sure they keep a few for themselves.”
“I want to alert people to who I think is most important—not me, but my future wife and her children.”
“Significant others don’t usually get that sort of high-level treatment.” Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. “They’ll think she’s the most important because you want to protect your assets. You have what everyone else wants, and you’ve affixed your mark to it. Na-na-na-na-na. That sort of thing.”
Kieran’s eyebrows shot up. “Zorn said you’d soaked up all his and Amber’s teachings like a sponge. He was right.” He sighed. “That is partially true, yes. Only partially because other Demigod’s partners aren’t in danger. They have protection…which Lexi won’t have until the judgment committee approves my mark on her. They could call that meeting tomorrow, or they could wait until the end of the week, I can’t say.
“In the meantime, I intend to keep the best together to combat the assault that is sure to come. Everyone at this Summit knows my name. What I bring to the table, out of the gate, is unprecedented. I have two rare magics on my crew, neither of them from Poseidon’s lineage, which give us representation from the three most powerful gods. I’ve battled and beaten two established Demigods. My team brought the giant down from the mountain, something many others tried and failed to do, and found a Lightning Rod the world had presumed dead. We travel with two magical cats with strange though extremely potent abilities. Most importantly, I found a Soul Stealer off the street and sizzled my mark across her body. I’ve turned heads without officially establishing myself, and everyone will want to see what my staff can do. Mordecai’s right—they will come at you.”
“Finally! The truth.” Daisy threw up her hands. “How long have I been asking questions to get you to admit all that, and you’ve been all ‘Oh, I’m Demigod Kieran the Magnificent, everything will be fine, I’ve got everything covered, want to shake hands with my colossal ego?’”
“Everything will be fine,” he said, a smile wrestling with his lips, “everything is covered, thanks for the new nickname, and don’t bother getting up—my ego can reach you from here.”
Mordecai huffed out a laugh that melted away quickly as he looked out the window. The landscape was changing, from white, sandy beaches pounded by sparkling surf to rocky ground and a few small, shedlike structures.
“This isn’t anything like I thought it’d be,” he said.
“Because they decided to keep the details from Lexi and everyone knows you have a big mouth,” Daisy said with a smirk.
Fair point.
We passed the first large building, a structure similar to a warehouse. Soon we were winding through more of them, some alive with activity—suitcases being emptied from other limos and staff rushing into the large front entrances. “At least if the shit hits the fan, we know where to find a few limos,” I said. “How many people can say they’ve been in a limo chase?”
“I bet Bria has.” Daisy bent over her phone.
“It’ll be okay, Lexi,” Mordecai said, and I could hear the urgency in his voice. “We always come out ahead when we stick together. Always.”
His eyes implored me to see the truth in that statement. To be at ease so he could be at ease. He didn’t have Daisy’s iron resolve, her instinct for individual survival. He worried more about his family—his pack. He felt everyone’s distress as though it were his own, and he worked to make everyone comfortable. He’d be an excellent leader someday, especially if he followed Kieran’s example.
“It’ll be fine,” I mumbled to myself as the limo slowed and turned into a small driveway.
“Yup, I figured.” Daisy lowered her phone as she peered out the window. “She’s been in a limo chase. She said there are different rules for limo chases than regular car chases. It is essential to be drinking champagne through the danger, apparently. Maybe a little cheese and crackers or caviar, depending on who has stocked the refreshment area.”
“Sure, yeah, only logical,” I mumbled. “We’ll remember that.”
“We’re in closer than I expected.” Kieran pulled up a map on his phone. “I should have zero status going into this Summit. I have no established political ties. We should have been relegated to the outskirts of the living area, with the smallest, least luxurious accommodations. This is…”
From the few specifics I’d been told, the living area was a collection of individual buildings (clearly huge warehouses) that surrounded the hub of the Magical Summit in a crescent. The Summit itself was held in a large business park pressed up against a wide beach, with conference rooms, lounges, nooks and crannies for small gatherings, restaurants and eateries, and places for servants to gather supplies.
The challenges between the teams took place in three areas, ranked from easiest to hardest—the wooded paths outside the Summit, a few inner courtyards designed for public challenges, and a maze of halls for private duels. A team’s success, or lack thereof, reflected on their leader.
I had two goals in this place—give Kieran a leg up and protect my kids. If I needed to meander through those halls, yanking out some souls, so be it.
Come at me, bro.
“What’d you just say?” Kieran and the kids were all looking at me funny, and I suspected I’d said that last bit out loud. My face heated, and thankfully, the limo stopped and the driver came around to open the door.
“Nothing.”
Bria and the cats met us as we were climbing out of the limo. The guys were still exiting behind her.
“So this is interesting,” she said, and lifted her hand to indicate the large warehouse-looking structure with two wings off the back and Lord knew what else. Bria turned and pointed the way we’d come. “We should be way back there.”
“I know.” Kieran walked toward the front entrance confidently, but I could sense his unease. We’d just shown up and already things weren’t going as expected.
I straightened my formfitting beige suit jacket and smoothed my gray slacks. It didn’t make sense—when I chose plain beige items, I was told I looked frumpy or unfashionable. When Daisy chose them, they looked perfect on me and “accentuated my natural wild beauty.” I honestly didn’t see the difference, though I had to admit, the ensemble she’d put together made me more comfortable than anything I’d worn under Aubri’s guidance. Other than the quality, which was beyond fine, it reminded me of something I might have worn in the dual-society zone. That life had been a constant struggle, but it had made me me.
“It might be because Magnus put Alexis under his protection,” Amber said as she walked up behind us, Henry at her side.
“Or it might be because of the highly desirable staff members you possess.” Henry looked out at the street as though expecting an enemy any moment. “If they’d positioned us at the periphery of the living area, without any nosy neighbors, someone might have tried to make a grab. We have a reputation for fighting back and winning—no one wants the Summit to devolve into a war.”
We entered the front doors into a plush environment I wasn’t expecting but probably should’ve, given the nature of Demigods. A foyer led off into two rooms and a hall down the way, one room a grand entertaining area decorated with an appalling amount of gold and silver, the other a cozier setting without the bling and bells and whistles. The furniture was just as fine and clearly well made, but it was upholstered in earth tones and looked like it might actually be comfortable.
“That room is typically reserved for the Demigod’s significant other to entertain his or her friends and allies.” Kieran slid his hand along my lower back and hooked his arm around my waist. “The residences at the edges of the living quarters don’t have these spaces. They hardly even have private space for the resident leader.” He must’ve seen the look of horror on my face. He leaned in a little closer, a smile ghosting his lips. “Don’t worry, you won’t be expected to use it until I achieve status.”
I couldn’t help the sigh of relief. Given I still wasn’t comfortable with service staff, I couldn’t think of anything that would go worse than putting on a high society party for a bunch of important people.
The “warehouse” offered everything a person could hope for in a permanent residence. A state-of the-art kitchen held all the little machines and appliances that made life easy. The bathrooms had trendy sinks and furniture, and the entertainment room had all the recent tech and game systems my kids still hadn’t gotten into.
My mouth fell open when I saw the hot tub in the bathroom of the enormous master suite.
“What are our plans, sir?” Amber asked. Henry wasn’t standing next to her this time—it was Zorn.
“Get everything unpacked and put away. Find out where the other teams are located. I want an up-to-date map when we head out for our stroll at dusk.”
“Which of your people would you like to take for the walk?” she asked.
“Just the kids and the crew. Dress for the purpose, not for any surprise attacks. We must show everyone we’re not concerned others might break custom and come at us.”
“Yes, sir.” Amber turned and slipped by Zorn, leaving the master suite.
“Daisy will need to be checked in immediately,” Zorn said. “Today is better than tomorrow. How do you want to handle that?”
“Lexi and I will take her right after…we get settled.” Kieran pulled me against him and slid his hand down over the swell of my hip. “A limo is still standing by, correct?”
“Yes, sir, as per your request.”
“We’ll take it to the registration office. I want her on the books before we walk the grounds. What about Mordecai? It’s not necessary, since solo shifter registration only applies when shifters are of age, but people might wonder why he doesn’t have a pack. It’s pretty unusual for their kind, obviously. If they even halfheartedly look him up, they’ll find out about his past sickness. That might make him a target if there are any other shifters on premises. I don’t want them trying to pick him off as a weakling who has history of being kicked out of a pack.”
“They won’t think he’s weak when they see him fight,” Zorn said. “He has the knowledge and ferocity to fight for placement in a pack right now. If he were eighteen, he’d be able to take over a lesser pack.”
“Without a clue how to lead it,” Kieran replied. “He knows nothing of pack life or true leadership. We need to start incorporating that into his training.”
My heart clattered against my ribs. “But he’s not of age—it’s illegal for anyone to challenge him so young.”
“It is illegal for them to challenge him, but not for them to answer a challenge from him. They’ll know how to goad him into action, Lexi. You need to harden yourself to the brutality of the magical world. We’re in the big leagues now. We’re with people who spend their lives manipulating others. Mordecai is ready for this, and he’s smart enough to handle it. It’s time to let him.”
I took a step back and stared Kieran directly in the eyes, fear eating away my rationality. “Do not tell me how to parent my kids. I will take what you say under advisement, but I want us both on the same page—he’s still my kid, and he’s under my protection. My protection. Ultimately, I am responsible for him. I will not let him walk straight into slaughter, whether or not you think he’s ready for it. Do I make myself clear?”
They both wrestled with grins. Zorn took a step back. “You’re wrong, sir. Mordecai has knowledge of pack life, just not the traditional kind. We’ve all got a ways to go before we challenge mother bear.”
I narrowed my eyes at Zorn. “If you are mocking me, you won’t like what happens next.”
He lifted his hands in surrender and his eyes twinkled with delighted malice. “We’ll do just fine here. All of us.” He closed the door behind him.
“What’s with him? He’s acting strange,” I said, still staring at the door.
“We’re all keyed up.” Kieran turned toward me and wrapped his arms around my middle. “We’re going to be okay. We will get attacked, and they’ll throw a lot of stuff at us, but we’ll make it through. We’ve been battling for placement in the magical world ever since we met. Everything we’ve been through has prepared us for this moment. We just have to make it through the next week.”
“I hate to be Negative Netty, but you were also optimistic about the Demigod Lydia fiasco.”
He sighed and kissed my forehead. “Will I never live that down? One mistake that almost changed our lives forever, and no one can let it go.”
I laughed and leaned against his body, taking comfort in his strength and warmth.
“Let’s take a moment to unwind, and then we’ll confront the next thing,” he whispered, then slipped his large hands down to cup my butt cheeks.
“A moment to unwind?” I angled my face up to him as my fingers danced along his belt line. “What did you have in mind?”
He covered my lips with his, and suddenly we were ripping at each other’s clothes, desperate to feel skin on skin. Desperate to lose ourselves in each other’s bodies for a few moments before we plunged into danger.
I freed his large erection from his pants and slid my palm along its smooth skin. He sucked in a breath as he tossed my shirt to the side. I sank to my knees, using my free hand to pull down his pants.
He stepped out of them as I licked his tip and then encased his head in my mouth. His breath hitched, and I worked my hand and mouth in tandem, starting a rhythm.
He grabbed my upper arms, and suddenly I was cradled against him and he was hurrying me to the bed. He ripped the covers to the side and laid me down gently before bending down between my thighs. I groaned as he licked up my center and his lips took in my nub. He swirled me in his mouth, and any worries clinging to my mind fell away.
“Hmm, Kieran,” I breathed, clutching the sheets.
He kissed and licked his way up my fevered skin, his fingers taking over for his mouth, working me higher. I gripped his shoulders in eager anticipation. His hot mouth encased a nipple, sending sparks of pleasure through me. My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head as he took in the other.
“Kieran, please,” I said, running my legs along his sides, desperate for him to enter me. To move inside of me. “Please!”
He kissed up my neck and dragged his tip along my core. His weight settled on me, pushing me into the mattress. His cock lay against me and he moved his hips slowly—too slowly!—letting his cock trail through my wetness.
I wiggled under him, trying to angle up. Trying to find purchase.
He sucked in my bottom lip and pushed forward again, skimming me maddeningly. We breathed the same harried breath, his control about to give out, his teasing undoing him as much as it was me.
Unable to help it, I reached between us and took his base in my hand. I directed him where I needed it and gripped him with my thighs.
“Fuck me,” I commanded, desperate. Drowning in desire.
He met my gaze, fire and love smoldering within his eyes, and shoved forward, filling me to bursting. Color exploded behind my eyes, pleasure within my body.
I groaned and held on as he pulled back before crashing into me again, the sensations almost unbearably good. I rocked up to meet his thrusts, mindless, mad with passion. My body wound tighter and tighter. I dug my fingertips into his solid muscle, holding on for dear life as my body moved of its own accord, control utterly lost. The sound of skin meeting skin filled the room as we strove harder, headed for release. Relishing in each other.
“Oh!” An orgasm tore through me, blindingly good, and pleasure vibrated through every inch of my body.
“Hmm, Lexi,” Kieran exalted, shaking over me.
Fire sizzled across my skin and passion exploded in our kiss as we climaxed together.
Afterward, my body melted into the mattress. Kieran made no move to get off me. The stress of what was to come throbbed just out of reach, but in this moment, I felt utterly relaxed.
“I love you,” I said softly, feeling his ring encircling my finger. Feeling the promise of our life to come.
“You are my forever,” he said against my lips, as though he’d heard my thoughts.
I let my eyes droop. I’d relish these quiet minutes with him. I’d take these moments for the godsend they were. And then, when we entered the magical battlefield beyond these doors, I’d turn on Beast Mode.
It was time to show the magical world what I was capable of.
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