Cursed of moon

Chapter 17

“Culasberee?” Barnabas replied once we were on the sidewalk outside. “How wonderful. That’s where me ship is.”

I angled my head at the lilting accent that had just entered his tone.

“I know,” Kaillen replied. “Which I’m guessing is another reason you’d be more than happy to join.”

The vamp rubbed his hands together. “Me always likes to see me beauty.”

“Here we go.” Fallon rolled his eyes as the four of us headed to the corner of the cobblestone street, then dipped into a small bend just off the sidewalk that wasn’t busy.

Fairy residents strolled by while Fallon stood with an exasperated expression and Barnabas tipped a pretend hat in a passing fairy’s direction—a rather attractive female fairy.

Kaillen pulled a portal key from one of his many harness contraptions. He probably had a bucket of them, just like Prisha did.

Since leaving the salopas, he’d stayed at my side, constantly touching me as though to reassure himself that I hadn’t run away again.

Considering I had a habit of that, I couldn’t blame him, but we were mated now. I wasn’t ru

“Are there other illegal activities that you get up to that I should be aware of?” I asked Kaillen quietly when Barnabas and Fallon fell into a discussion about ships—well, Barnabas did and Fallon seemed to be appeasing him, even though he didn’t pretend to feign interest.

“What do you consider illegal?” Kaillen gri

“I know you’re faking your confidence right now.”

His smile wiped clean, and that licorice scent grew. “You know I’m a hunter. By definition, my job walks on the gray side of the law.”

“I know that, but you just encouraged your friend to compel a supe and drink from him. That’s not the gray side of the law. That’s firmly in the illegal spectrum of practices that could get you both sent to the supernatural prison.”

Barnabas glanced over his shoulder at my comment, but Fallon had good enough ma

I gave them my back and lowered my voice further. “And your friends are assassins. You can get away with your hunter stuff, since that in itself isn’t illegal, but what they do is totally illegal.”

“Are you saying that killing people for money isn’t something you approve of?” A hesitant smile tugged at his lips.

“This isn’t a joke.”

“On the contrary, everything can be a joke.”

“Kaillen . . .” I gritted my teeth.

He ran a finger across my cheek, grazing the skin just enough to elicit a tingle down my spine. His teasing expression evaporated, a graver one taking its place. “It’s all they’ve ever known. They didn’t grow up in a conventional ma

I took a step back, breaking contact with his incessant fingers. I couldn’t think clearly when he was touching me like that. “I’m not judging them. Honestly, I’m not. The way I think of them doesn’t change just ’cause of what they choose to do for work, but it does make me think about what other stuff I’m going to get dragged into. You’re talking to the nine-to-five lady who pays her taxes, remember?”

His devilish smile returned. “A very sexy nine-to-five lady.”

I rolled my eyes but a smile tugged at my lips. “Are there more surprises I should know about? No more secrets, remember?”

His brow furrowed. “It didn’t occur to me to tell you about their professions, but in hindsight, I probably should have so you weren’t surprised.”

Some of the worry in me eased. “That would have been nice.”

The anise in his scent calmed, and he stepped closer to me. “Since I’m now an open book”—he smirked when I rolled my eyes—“I suppose I should tell you that we’re now on our way to find an old seafaring friend of Barnabas’s in Culasberee. Valahan has a nasty bite and an even fouler mouth, but he also owns a tavern near the port—The Crow’s Nest—and is involved in black-market activity. If anyone’s trying to escape via the sea while ru

“Okay.” My stiff posture relaxed even more. “And are there any other potential surprises I should be aware of?”

The hunter cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe. Last time Fallon, Barnabas, and I were at The Crow’s Nest, we beat six of Valahan’s fairies in several games of poker. Last I heard, they weren’t very happy with us.”

“Why not?”

“We might have completely cleaned them out. I believe one now has problems with his wife because of it.”

“Then maybe they shouldn’t play poker. Losing money is part of the game.”

He gri

The feel of him, and the musk rising from his scent, made my heart thrum faster.

Barnabas called from behind us, “Do you two need a room? Or perhaps we should just move deeper into this lane so he can fuck you against a wall. I do love a good show.”

Kaillen snarled at his friend, and I muffled a laugh, but thankfully the vampire’s blatant interest in watching me have sex with my mate had dampened my arousal.

Still, I stepped closer to Kaillen and loved the feel of his heavy arm settling around my shoulders as he pulled me in. He did it as naturally as breathing. And that licorice fragrance had completely left his scent since we were once again on common ground.

“See, told you I could be an open book.” He gave me a crooked grin.

I snorted a laugh.

“Ready to go?” Kaillen called to his friends. “The hunt has officially begun.”

∞     ∞     ∞

The portal key dropped us onto a field just outside of the port city of Culasberee. Dusk had arrived, and the fae sun was sinking lower to the horizon. Since there were no electric or engine-powered vehicles in the fae realm, it was generally much quieter and more tranquil than earth, and Culasberee was no exception.

The air was filled with foreign bird calls as the wind whistled through a nearby grove of trees, and faint music floated to us from some distant region in the city.

Even though the day was ending, the sweeping field surrounding Culasberee was awash with color—moss, butternut, sapphire, cotton candy. The field was like a beautiful painted canvas.

Colors in the fae lands were always brighter and more vivid than on earth, and an underlying scent of magic perpetually floated through the air. Thanks to my newly enhanced werewolf senses, all of the field’s colors appeared sharper and magnetic somehow. And the fragrances erupting from the wildflowers, trees, and foliage tickled my nose with a million new aromas that I didn’t even know how to begin cataloguing.

“Such a lovely city, is it not?” Barnabas quipped.

“It is,” I replied as Kaillen drifted closer to my side.

Similar to the capital, the city’s lanes were cobblestone and the houses had thatched roofs, but there wasn’t a wall around Culasberee’s perimeter, nor were there gates guarded by sentries. The city sprawled throughout a valley, unlike the rising mound the capital had been built on. Towering mountains rose along the valley’s sides, and in the distance, the vast glimmering sea sparkled in the growing twilight.

“Is that the Bakken Sea?” I asked.

“Ah, I see we have a geographical scholar in our midst.” Barnabas rocked back on his heels, gri

I gave him a side-eye as Fallon replied, “Yes.”

“Did you know that it co

“It is indeed.” I gave the vamp a saccharine smile.

Barnabas barked out a laugh.

“Do you think Jakub’s still here?” I nibbled on my lip. Who knew how many hours had passed in the fae lands since we’d heard that Jakub was aiming to escape from here—not to mention the extracurricular activities that had delayed me and Kaillen even further. Time moved differently between earth and the fae realm, which often resulted in tricky schedules when one ventured here, since a month in the fae lands could feel like a week on earth.

Kaillen lifted his nose and took a long inhale, closing his eyes.

“Do you scent anything?” Fallon asked.

Kaillen nodded, and a flash of fire rolled in his irises when he opened his eyes. “Jakub’s been here recently. Let’s move.”

In the distance, mighty ships had docked in Culasberee’s port, their towering white sails like bedsheets flapping in the breeze.

“So, Kaillen said we’re meeting an old friend of yours?” I said curiously to Barnabas as we began walking toward the city, the long grass swishing around us. Since Kaillen’s portal key hadn’t taken us directly to the wharf, I guessed Culasberee had wards that didn’t allow transfer directly into the city.

“Indeed.” Barnabas winked. “He runs the dark side of port life. This area is commonly used by smugglers.”

When we reached the city’s perimeter, Barnabas inclined his head toward a line of domals and carriages.

Fallon prowled behind the vamp to the nearest carriage, and Kaillen and I followed.

The carriage dipped under the heavy weight when the three men climbed on board, and the domal—a fae horse—looked over his shoulder and huffed.

Domals weren’t able to use language, but they were more intelligent than their earthly counterparts, and they conducted their own businesses. A driver wasn’t required.

“Off to The Crow’s Nest at the wharf!” Barnabas called loudly once I’d climbed in. “We haven’t a moment to lose.”

The domal dipped his head after Kaillen placed payment into his satchel, and then took off at a brisk trot, his eggplant-colored coat reflecting an ebony hue in the dying light.

As the carriage jostled and swayed along the cobblestone lanes, Kaillen dipped his head toward Fallon and Barnabas.

“Jakub will inevitably be traveling with weapons and a trained team. From what we’ve learned so far, everyone employed by him sports the same tattoo.” He described the constellation pattern to them, going into detail.

“That’s unusual,” Fallon commented, the yellow-haired fairy leaning back in the carriage as his legs sprawled out in front of him. “And foolish. It makes it too easy to identify them.”

“I’ve thought the same,” Kaillen replied. He slung an arm around me as the scent of salt entered the air. We were fast approaching the wharf. “But from what I’ve seen, Jakub is anything but stupid. There has to be a reason he tattooed his entire crew.”

Barnabas stroked his chin, his indigo eyes flashing with interest. “And he’s after you specifically, my dear?”

I inclined my head. “He believes I’m the key apparently.”

“Key to what?” Fallon asked.

I shrugged. “If we only knew.”