I walked through them, knowing bolting would have them on my heels like nasty hounds. I relied on my powers and my protective earrings to keep their magic from me. He must have forgotten, because when fae magic hit my wards, it’d recoil a thousand times stronger. My SUV remained in the parking lot, wards surrounding it. They glowed gold and purple to my magical vision, the darker shades of the Unseelie magic hitting them like striking snakes. “Enough!” I brushed my hand in front of my face, shoving the pitifully small magical attacks aside. I opened the car door.
My foot refused to move.
“Did you really think you’d get away?” Cameron strode toward me, hands outstretched. He might be planning on brushing aside any attacks.
“Yes, I did.” I curled my hand around the door knob. Before leaving the farm, I’d imbued my car with not just wards, but the power to break spells as long as I touched it. A hiss surrounded my feet, and I stepped into the car, slamming the door closed. I held my hand over the ignition, not having time to shove my key into the lock or even hit the start button. The SUV roared to life and I backed out, narrowly missing Cameron’s feet.
I kept my guard high until I reached the highway. Well away from the company’s property I sensed the tendrils of magic trying to bore into me, to turn me away from this path. I dismissed them with a thought. Pesky fae.
By the time I drove through the gates to Lucky Lady Stables night had fallen and an unfamiliar truck and trailer sat next to the barns. That’s right. Tyche had sent a rider and her horse. I parked next to it, thankful to see Kel taking care of the situation. She frowned when she saw me, though it was tinged with relief.
“I told you to be careful,” she said when I stopped next to her. “This is Brie and her mare, Lady. I’ve put Lady in one of the stalls and was just telling Brie about our accommodations. She offered to sleep in her trailer, but I knew you’d want to offer her a real bed.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ll tell me about it?” Kel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think this is over. You smell of them.”
“I’ll tell you, but then I think we ought to talk.” The conversation over, I turned to face the woman, probably in her mid-thirties. Her long red hair and smattering of freckles across her nose, combined with her green eyes, told me she’d come at some point in the past from my people. “I’m Ettie. I’m glad you could make it. Tyche spoke very highly of you.”
“Me too. The timing couldn’t have been better. Kel says you have room and board available?”
“Yes. We have quarters for the exercise riders and many of the grooms. I hope you’ll find them acceptable. Breakfast is from five to seven and supper happens usually around six. You’re on your own for lunch. If you’d like to step into my office, we can discuss the terms. Have you eaten yet?”
“Just grabbed something on the road,” she replied.
“Kel, can you let them know to keep some food warm. I’ll send Brie there as soon as we’re done. I’m sure she’d like something other than fast food.”
Brie chuckled. “You’re right. I’d like that. I can tell you have a nice place here.” She followed me to my office.
Kel left for the dining hall, her look letting me know we’d talk later.
I gestured to the seat, comfortable once more in my element. If Brie sensed the Unseelie magic on me, she said nothing. Fully human then, or at least astute enough to keep quiet about certain things. Either way, that’d work, and I trusted Tyche wouldn’t steer us wrong. Not with her having a thirty percent stake in this venture.
It didn’t take long for us to deal with the paperwork, then I directed Brie to the dining hall. Kel met me on the way. She waited until we were on our way back to the barn. “I told you to be careful,” she said. “You just jumped smack into the middle of a fae war.” If she could have cuffed me, she might have.
“I know. And you are either here because you want to be or one of Flora’s agents. So which is it?” I stopped and faced her, pushing my question with a hint of god energy. She’d been good—very good—at masking herself.
“I’m half fae, and you know as well as I do that keeps me from being anywhere close to Flora or anyone at her level. But I’m not stupid, and yeah, I like it here.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “So what are we going to do and what did you find out?”
Chapter 9
One of the exercise riders made jewelry and using the fire pit to heat one of my special horse shoe nails, I quickly fashioned another pair of earrings for Kel. The new moon provided little light as we crept up the long driveway to ZCC Nuriproducts. Lights inside the north building alerted me to the workers there. In the main building night lighting provided some illumination. The barn drew my attention. Light spilled from beneath the big door, which meant the creatures inside weren’t sleeping.
Kel touched my arm. “Wait,” she whispered.
A guard walked in front of the door, sweeping his flashlight back and forth. A dark cap covered his hair, and his lean frame could have been any number of individuals, all of them interchangeable. His gun hung prominently at his side. He paused, as if hearing them, then moved on, but not before reaching to his shoulder and speaking
