Cursed To Death

“Have you gone daft, man?” Sir Rodney asked in a low, warning tone, setting down his coffee slowly. “Is this how you present yourself before-”

“It’s ne, it’s ne,” Sasha said quickly. “He was just rushing to get it for me fast because I’m so not good in the morning without joe-bad habit since who knows when… But I haven’t had my coffee yet. Thank you, Rupert; sorry about your spill. So, it looks like we’re in for another bright and su

“You seem undone,” Hunter said slowly, his voice a sensual rumble. “Baby, how did you sleep?”

Oh, shit, he was going for the verbal possessive! She had to get these guys fed and out hunting so they could kill something or blow something up, fast.

“Good, good, was really very comfortable. I take it everybody slept well-we have a lot on the agenda today.”

Elves ran forward with cream and sugar, deposited the items beside her, and then dashed off, taking cover.

“No, we all didn’t,” Shogun said in an intense murmur, taking a long sip from his tea as his gaze co

Sasha took several mouthfuls of eggs and promptly began coughing. Three males stood quickly to rush over, but she held a napkin to her face with one hand while waving them off with the other.

“I’m okay-just was so hungry that I was wolfing down my food too fast.”

“Live game? Name it,” Hunter said with a low growl. “If this isn’t doing the job, I’ll bring it back still twitching.”

“She has to survive to eat it,” Shogun said, throwing back his chair and coming dangerously close to Sasha so that he could pat her on the back.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she said, coughing harder.

“Put your hand on her and you’ll lose the arm,” Hunter said, squaring off with Shogun.

Her men were on their feet; Shogun’s men were up and in battle stances. Bear Shadow and Crow Shadow were up and snarling. Fae guards whipped silver-tipped arrows from their quivers, lifted bows in a flash, and drew. Sir Rodney spun on his serving staff that was huddled by the door and flung his mug on the stone floor with a crash. “What were my demands? Everything was to be prepared to her approval!”

“Guys! Save it for the enemy!” Sasha shouted, finally catching her breath and holding out both hands.

Times like these made her want to pull her hair out by the roots, but at least war in the round table hall had been averted. All potential combatants stood in the long corridor outside the grand foyer, breathing hard but slowly regaining their composure.

“I’ll send you through the tapestries; there, you’ll meet the Wood Sprites, who can guide you to the plants you need to collect.”

Sir Rodney looked around the group. “They are shy, nervous creatures by nature. If you guys go alpha wolf on them, don’t expect ’em to help you. They love sugar,” he added, dropping several cubes into Sasha’s palm. “Put these in your hip pocket. Once they’ve shown you the rowan, they’ll guide you to the way out. From that point on, and as long as you’re carrying rowan or iron, we’ll have to stay at a distance. But your men will cover you, along with our aerial tree archers, to the edge of the bayou, where our Brownies ’ave borrowed a human vehicle.”

Sasha tossed Sir Rodney her cell phone. “All the numbers got accidentally wiped out-but when this rings, it means we’ve finished the job and are on phase two-blowing up Vampire lairs.”

He looked at the cell phone with appreciation. “I have to get used to using these things more than our missives. It still amazes me how, without magick, this little device can truly help the humans talk to each other over great distances. It’s just a shame they aren’t impervious to Vampire hijacking, but it’s not bad for a human development.”

She smiled. “It’s their attempt at magick, but not nearly as elegant as the Fae’s.”

Her words seemed to please him as he tucked the unit into his breast pocket. “But she won’t work in the castle.”

Sasha shook her head no. “You’ll have to post a guard just outside the glamour zone. Seems that human technology doesn’t work in any of the distorted dimensions. My cell always goes dead in the shadow lands, too.”

“I like the part about where we start blowing up lairs, Cap,” Fisher said, getting antsy.

“I like the plan,” Woods added, checking his weapon. “Sure wish I had more shells, though. Ammo got real low back at Buchanan’s.”

“That’s an easy request, man,” Sir Rodney said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Fisher nodded. “We’ll be on the other side of the walls, locked and loaded.”

“As will we,” Bear Shadow said, bumping his fist with Crow Shadow.

“You men are on train yard detail,” Shogun said, looking at Seung Kwon. “Once you collect enough iron, stay hidden and make your way back to the three positions.”

“That’s the primary thing-that each of you stays out of sight until one of us arrives with the rowan and other ingredients we gather. Then we must gain entry to the properties and find the dark altars.” Hunter’s gaze traveled around the assembled group. “We may only get one shot at this, so let’s get it right.”

“I’ve been calling up Sasha’s phone,” Bradley said, closing his in frustration. “I’ve left her countless voice mails, but I don’t know where she or the team is.”

“The last time we made contact,” Doc said calmly, “they were on their way in to the Fae fortress. Our gadgets don’t work in there.”

“When the time is right, we will be able to communicate our plan,” Silver Hawk said in a wise, peaceful tone. “Clarissa and I do not sense danger at present.”

“I really don’t,” Clarissa assured him.

Winters looked around the group with a shrug. “Dude, so let’s just chill and go get that iron gear you were talking about.”

It was the eeriest sensation, feeling her body sucked into a small pinpoint of light. One moment, Sir Rodney had a fistful of dust in his palm, blowing it in their direction, with them all standing in the hallway-the next moment, she became smaller and smaller until she could actually see each line of thread in the huge wall hanging so closely that it became impossible to see the entire pasture scene. Everything became larger-than-life and blurry, distorted by the extreme shift in size. Then, as though a cyclone had swept her up screaming, she felt lighter than a dust particle, whirling in between the fabric threads to land on her butt on a green, green hillside.

Hunter and Shogun were dazed and sprawled out beside her.

“Remind me never to jack with the Fae,” she said in an awed murmur.

Even though they’d never admit it, she could tell the guys beside her were a little more than shaken. There was newfound respect for Sir Rodney’s capabilities.

Hunter jumped to his feet in a move that Shogun matched. Both male wolves sca

“If I were a Wood Sprite,” Sasha said, pushing herself off the ground. “I wouldn’t show myself to you guys, either.” She walked off from them a bit, growing weary of the display of testosterone, and called out gently. “We’re here as friends, not foes, on behalf of Sir Rodney Clerk of Penicuik… you know, the guy who runs Forte Sha

Sasha’s shoulders sagged as they waited, and then she finally sat down hard on the grass-using hand motions to get Shogun and Hunter to also sit down. To a small Wood Sprite, king’s orders or not, she imagined it might take a bit of courage to lead several scary wolves deeper into the forest. That had to be the antithesis of all things they were taught according to the Faerie tales.