“You, Arantxa Evermore,” an Obsidian fae guard intoned from the other side of Katu, “are under arrest.”As spiky and gothic as the thorny, black portcullis behind him, the guard towered over her, ebony horns like a ram’s curling on either side of his head.Though he had a stunning, muscular chest on full display, Cha felt not even a glimmer of pussy sparkle.Nada.Zilch.Nothing.She didn’t think she could pull off even fake flirtation to get out of this.She’d blame the circumstances, except she’d faced worse and she’d never feltnothingwhen faced with a sexy man.
Azul had clearly broken her pussy sparkle and if that didn’t tell you everything you needed to know about the dangers of fae lovers, she didn’t know what would.
“Is it those unpaid speeding tickets?”she asked, trying to appear unfazed as she swiftly calculated her options.That didn’t take long as there weren’t really any, at least none that didn’t involve suicide by fae cop.“Cuz I can pay those.In fact, I can pay them right now.”
She plucked out the platinum coin and flipped it through the air where it winked with dazzling white-silver light as it spun.It was a bigger bribe than warranted by the situation, and not that she wanted to part with the coin Azul had sent especially for her, but he seemed to be made of them and she’d be even more of a fool to allow sentimentality to get in the way of survival, which might be on the line if Moonstone jail was in the offing.Even if Azul wasn’t apparently in dire straits and being held captive—or whatever was going on—Azul wouldn’t necessarily rescue her a second time.The first time had been a considerable surprise, and happened only because he thought he owed her.
No, she had to bet on the greedy fae accepting a bribe.A platinum coin wouldn’t sway any fae except these right here, living on the border with human lands, where the coin could actually buy them something useful.A lot of somethings.And they wanted it, she could feel it in their sudden rapt attention, the fae guard and the booth fae who’d summoned him, both eyeing the enchanting spin of the coin.
Sure enough, the guard with the impressive ram’s horns snatched it out of the air.“Thank you for your contribution to the widows and orphans fund,” he said.“Now get out of the vehicle and keep your hands where I can see them.”
What?!“Hey, I paid those fines,” she pointed out through gritted teeth.“Nothing to arrest me for, right?”
“That would be true,” Ram’s Horns allowed with a toothy, flesh-eating grin, “if the arrest warrant involved unpaid speeding tickets, but…” He trailed off dramatically.“It does not.”
Cha nearly rolled her eyes at him.Like the moment needed dramatics.Subtly, she flipped open the opalite channel to Dy so her partner would be warned.“If I’m under arrest, what are the charges?”she demanded.“And where are you taking me?”
“Arantxa Evermore,” Ram’s Horns said, using her full mouthful of a name for the third time, which she really hated hearing even once.The only person who made it sound good was Azul and this was all his fault.Worse, the compulsion of obedience laid into the guard’s use of her real name along with fae magic made resisting difficult.Fortunately, he didn’t have much magic and she was really good at resistance, if nothing else.Her mother had always said that if being ornery was a talent, Cha would be the best in the world.“You are hereby remanded into my custody to be conveyed to the Moonstone border where you will resume your rightful incarceration.”He looked her up and down.“And modification.”
Well, double shit.She didnothave time for this.Plus, she liked her body the way it was.
She also didn’t have a choice.“What about my vehicle?”
He tossed a careless look at the audibly growling Katu.“Impoundment.Probably decommissioning.”
No.That was not happening.She should have drawn the wand when she had the opportunity.Although she had yet to master Lesson Two: Your Wand and its Ways.
Cha eyed the portcullis and the rumbling carriage behind her.
The van full of weary parents and squalling children beside her pulled forward, rolling slowly through the gate in the next lane.It would be tight, but that’s what made it fun.
“Come and get me, copper,” she snarled.
~9~
Come to Mama
Using her linkto Katu that was part telepathic and part a product of their deep bond—and entirely a magic she didn’t understand—Cha triggered the cat to transform to his animal form even as she leapt from the driver’s seat, taking only the Moonruby wand with her.
She jumped onto the barrier between the lanes, unable to set foot on the slow black without frying her fragile human nervous system, and clung there like the overdeveloped monkey she was, calling for Katu to follow.The platinum-haired booth fae, face only inches from Cha’s, stared in bulging eyed shock, while Ram’s Horns—not exactly the sharpest tool in the fae shed, possibly due to the pressure of those massive horns squishing what little brains he had—had yet to move.
Now in black jaguar form, Katu leapt over the barrier and landed on the slow black, the hanging portcullis lowering with ponderous grace.He snarled at the fanciful iron grate as if he could intimidate it, the sound becoming the revving growl of an engine as he returned to carriage form at Cha’s signal.Hoping against hope, Cha shook the Moonruby wand at the lowering portcullis, willing it to stop.
As always, the cursed thing did nothing.“Keep the gate open!”she sang at it, as Azul had.Well, not exactly as he had, since he possessed a beautiful singing voice and she… did not.
As usual, the wand did nothing except shed a bit of frivolous pink glitter.
Ram’s Horns, finally grokking the situation, lunged for Cha, getting a handful of her—very pricey and exquisitely tailored, thank you—black leather jacket.She was already in motion, tossing the worthless wand in ahead of her and tumbling toward the passenger seat of the carriage, flubbing the landing due to Mr.Interference.
She belly-flopped onto the side of the carriage, head down and ass up, legs flailing as she strove to keep from touching the slow black.Even a toe touch of her boots could fry her brains to stupider than ram’s horns there, still staring in befuddlement at the ripped piece of her jacket.
“Go!”she yelled at Katu, the back of her neck prickling with the sure and lethal descent of the portcullis’s sharp points.
Katu hesitated, concern rumbling through him at her precarious position.“I’ll be okay,” she reassured him.“Just go go go.”
Ram’s Horns, leaning over the barrier, grabbed one of her flailing feet.“You’re under arrest,” he roared, sounding more astonished than anything else.“You can’t do this.”
“Watch me,” she growled, donkey-kicking him in the nose with her bootheel, enjoying the satisfying crunch and squeal of pain.Fae were immortal but not immune to injury.Still, they got injured rarely enough that pain came as a surprise to them.Sorry, not sorry.