Ashes of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 2) Read online

  Harley moved her hands up under his singlet so she could feel the hard muscles underneath. A part of her felt as if she should be embarrassed but his hands were on her and the growing warmth in her chest and stomach over ruled it.

  “Fuck, I’m going to go to a special hell for this,” Blue Jay whispered against her neck.

  “Don’t worry, I’m going to meet you there,” she replied. The shop phone rang loudly over the speaker system making them both jumped in surprise.

  “Let the machine get it,” Harley said as she kissed him again.

  “Harley! Answer the goddamn phone,” Fox’s voice echoed through the shop, “Stop taking pieces off Blue Jay and get your ass over here. I don’t go out of my way to cook for anyone, you know. Hurry up, bitch, or I will come down there after you.”

  “I… um…better go,” Harley said as Fox hung up. “You know she will come down here.”

  “Yeah, she will and the things I got in mind can’t be rushed.” The promise in his voice made her blush. He kissed her forehead as he lowered her down to her feet. “I will lock up. Take the truck; I don’t want you coming off the bike because you’re so uncoordinated today.”

  “That’s a good idea,” she stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

  “Thanks for leaving me high and dry,” he teased. “Typical woman. Get out of here before I change my mind.”

  Harley turned up at Fox’s place ten minutes later, her mind and body humming. Of all the scenarios she had played through her head during the day, kissing Blue Jay certainly hadn’t been one of them. Fox answered the door in an apron that said, “Be nice or I will poison your food” and had a frown on her face.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late,” Harley stammered. Fox looked her up and down and started laughing until tears ran down her face. Harley walked inside red as beetroot juice.

  “Oh, my God! You got nailed,” Fox said when she could finally breathe again.

  “I did not! I tripped over the scrap metal bin,” she said and showed her all the band-aids and bandages on her.

  “That’s certainly one way to get Blue Jay’s hands on you.”

  “Jesus, Fox, it’s not like I did it on purpose. It bloody hurt like hell. If I wanted to get his attention, I would have taken my shirt off.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have,” Fox said as she handed Harley a Corona. “You like him too much to do something stupid like that.” She went to the stove and stirred the pasta sauce that was simmering away. Harley sat down at the bench to watch her cook.

  “I find my best move is to throw tools at people and trip over rubbish bins,” Harley said as she stole a piece of capsicum off the chopping board.

  “You threw tools at him? You flirt,” Fox chuckled.

  “He took it pretty well. I was the one that was ready to start throwing punches when I fell over the bin.”

  “It seems to have knocked some sense into you. So what else happened?”

  “Nothing, he patched me up…” Harley said before mumbling, “…and then we made out.”

  “I knew it, you slut. It’s written all over you. Explain to me how you went from being totally against the idea to making out like a wild thing?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been pissed off at him all day. Then I hugged him and it kind of happened.” After putting it so basically, she felt like an idiot. What the hell was she thinking?

  “All the good stuff in life happens spontaneously,” Fox commented. “You have to roll with it.”

  “I feel like a bit of a moron for not noticing sooner. Dad would be rolling over in his grave.”

  “No, he wouldn’t and it’s not like his opinion matters any more. Look, I know you’re stressing and embarrassed because that’s how you always get. Let me ask you a question though, did you feel that way when it was actually happening?”

  “God no,” Harley replied honestly.

  “Did you do it because we finally made you see the attraction and you felt like you owed it to him?”

  “Of course not, that is a dumb question. Like I would ever do that!”

  “It isn’t a dumb question. Don’t do anything with him because you feel like you have to make other people happy. If you’re worried what the staff are going to think, keep it professional in work hours. To tell you the truth, you guys spend so much time together that no one is going to notice a change. Most of them suspect you guys are getting sticky anyway.”

  “Great, they think I’m a slut.”

  “No, they don’t. If they did, I would have knocked them out already,” Fox shrugged. “Anyway back to more pressing matters…”

  “Something happened with Yanka?”

  “Shit no, I was going to ask how good of a kisser he is.”

  It was late when Harley went home. She had lived in the apartment above the shop office for years now. She had recently renovated it and couldn’t wait to have a shower and collapse into bed.

  The first thing she noticed was wrong when she pulled up was that the sensor light didn’t turn on. It was never off. Reaching slowly under her seat she pressed on a panel that hid her emergency gear. She took out her handguns and spare clips, sliding a knife into each boot for good measure.

  Taking a deep breath, Harley got out of the car and moved up close next to the massive metal door that led into the shop.

  Creeping slowly around the building, she went to the back door. If it were something supernatural hunting her, the amulets on her wrists would be burning. The thought that they could be failing her wasn’t comforting. Very slowly, she opened the door and flicked the overhead floodlights on, pulling the fire alarm next to it. Shots rang out as she dove behind a workbench. Harley took advantage of the blinding lights in her attackers’ night vision goggles and fired a few rounds, dropping three.

  Someone fell from the roof, knocking her to the ground. Harley managed to wriggle a hand free and reach into her boot. She plunged the large silver hunting knife into its side and moved it across its stomach. Guts and blood poured out of the wound and onto her as she shoved the corpse away.

  She fired as another attacker tried to pounce on her. Her bullets tore through its chest and dropped it mid-air. She pushed in the spare clips as she got to her feet. Seven were down and more people in dark SWAT gear were appearing.

  Suddenly, one jumped out from behind a workbench and grappled her from behind. She struggled, trying to throw them off. A knife thunked into her opponent’s eye and the corpse fell back dragging her down.

  “Nice to see you,” Harley said as Fox helped her up.

  “Saving your ass as usual. Aren’t you glad I installed those hidden cameras?” Fox retrieved her silver throwing knife from the gooey mess and threw it again in one smooth motion. Harley fired as Fox threw her tiny silver knives with uncanny accuracy.

  Shotgun shots reverberated over the screaming as Blue Jay crashed through the back door to join them. “You don’t pay me enough for this shit, Boss,” he shouted as one dropped in front of him. Harley fired and took it down before Blue Jay had pulled the trigger.

  “Do you still think dating me is a good idea?” she shouted back.

  Within minutes, there was nothing left to shoot. Harley checked the office and found someone hiding behind the door. She put a bullet in it before she opened her desk drawer and pulled out a backup revolver.

  “I will come and check upstairs with you,” Blue Jay said. “Fox has gone to check the employee kitchen.”

  “How did you get here so quick?” she asked as they moved up the stairs.

  “I was coming back to have a chat about…you know.” Harley didn’t turn around.

  “Surprise,” she said mirthlessly. They checked every inch and corner of the apartment, but didn’t find any more things ready to kill her in her sleep.

  “Talk about overkill,” Fox said as they went back downstairs. She had flicked the floodlights off and looked at the corpses. “They must really want you bad, Harley. If we hadn’t have turne
d up you would’ve had a hard time of it.”

  “True,” Harley mumbled. She had to call Isabelle. The shop was soaked; at least all her business documents were stored safely away. “You two shouldn’t have turned up to begin with. God knows I would hold myself to blame if anything happened to you.”

  “Deal with it. We are in this shit together,” Fox shrugged as she slid her little knives back in their holders. She was deadly with them but couldn’t fire a gun straight. Harley could never figure that one out. “We need to get these bodies to the swamps. They used humans this time. Assholes.”

  “They must know that the place is protected against supernaturals.” Harley looked at the bodies and cringed. She could kill any creature relatively guilt free. Humans were another story, even ones that were hell bent on killing her.

  “You’re coming back to my place tonight,” Blue Jay said gruffly. “I can’t leave you here while it’s still night. We will get Mama Lya to come around tomorrow and you two can recast whatever protection you have to on the shop.”

  “I agree with him,” Fox said. “I’m going to head home, double check the security footage and figure out how the fuckers didn’t set the alarms off.”

  “The sensor light didn’t go on either. I think they disabled it somehow,” said Harley, “I will go grab some clothes.” She trudged back upstairs with every bone in her body aching.

  “God damn bastards,” she muttered as she rummaged in her bag for her mobile phone. She hit Isabelle’s contact and waited. She had no idea what time it was in Budapest though she had a feeling Isabelle would be up.

  “Harley, what happened?” Isabelle answered almost instantly.

  “I was attacked big time.”

  “How many?”

  “Don’t know, I haven’t counted them yet. Humans this time.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “A bit battered and bruised. Blue Jay and Fox turned up to help finish them off.”

  “I knew I liked those two for a reason.”

  “Yeah, me too. I will get Mama to come around tomorrow and we will increase the protection, something that might cover hostile humans. I don’t mind them jumping me in the street. When they come into my home it’s a bit personal.”

  “Did you recognise any of them?”

  “No, they were pros though not some rabble. They had special ops gear on and they managed to get past Fox’s alarm systems.”

  “I bet that pleased her no end.”

  “They didn’t account for all the hidden cameras that she installed. That’s how she knew the place was under attack.”

  “You didn’t happen to leave one alive for questioning?”

  “I didn’t want to risk it. Like I said, they were bloody good soldiers.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “Going to do a swamp dump, and then heading over to stay at Blue Jay’s place.”

  “Good. At least he knows what he is dealing with. Don’t go all cave woman on him with battle lust,” Isabelle tried to tease.

  “It wasn’t that kind of battle. I’m tired.”

  “Go to Blue Jay’s and go to sleep. I will make some calls.”

  “Okay, ring me in the morning.”

  Two hours and sixteen bodies later they pulled up in front of Blue Jay’s house. He carried her bag but didn’t offer to help her out of the car. He knew her well enough to know she would knock back his offer anyway.

  “Come on, boss, I think you need a shower and a sleep.”

  “I hear you,” Harley said as she walked inside. She had been to his house a lot. It was a blue shotgun house with white interior walls and dark polished floorboards. He was neat for a guy, which was nice. At least she wouldn’t find used Band-Aids in the bottom of his bathtub.

  Harley helped herself to a clean towel from his linen cupboard, making herself at home like she normally would have.

  “That talk you were going to come and have with me before all the slaying and stuff?” she asked, “Do you think it can wait until tomorrow?”

  “Hell yes,” Blue Jay said from the kitchen. He opened a beer as she stopped in the doorway.

  “Can you answer one thing?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Do you regret it?” Harley had a sinking feeling that their little talk was going to be about exactly that. It would be chalked up to heat of the moment and everything would try to go back to the way it was.

  “Fuck no,” he said with a grin. Harley felt herself smiling back at him.

  “Oh, okay, that’s good then,” she said and headed off to the bathroom. She ended up having a really long shower. The hot water felt good beating down on her, easing some of the ache. She would be really surprised if she could walk straight tomorrow. She pulled on her loose pyjama pants and baggy Rolling Stones shirt before wrapping her dripping hair in a towel.

  “I thought you might have drowned,” Blue Jay teased when she walked out of the bathroom. He must have showered in his ensuite in record time to beat her. He was wearing a pair of clean jeans and was rummaging around in the kitchen cupboards. He pulled out a packet of painkillers, popped two and passed them to her with a glass of water.

  “Take these.”

  “Thanks, I’m going to be bitching sore tomorrow.”

  “I made up the spare bed for you so at least you won’t have to crash on the couch.”

  “Your couch has served me plenty of times before.”

  “All those times weren’t straight after you got the shit kicked out of you.”

  “You got me there,” she said and looked at her feet. She didn’t know if she was meant to give him a goodnight kiss or not.

  “I’m going to crash. You know where everything is if you want it,” he said and gave her a kiss on the forehead as he walked past.

  “Night,” she mumbled, feeling like an idiot. She heard his bedroom door shut so she finished her water and trudged down the hallway to the spare room.

  The fact that her attackers were human was bothering Harley no end. Someone had upped the ante and it was going to get her killed and probably Blue Jay and Fox too. Harley couldn’t sleep so she paced. After an hour, Blue Jay opened her door. He looked sleepy and tousled.

  “What’s the deal? You are meant to be sleeping,” he said.

  “I can’t. Brain won’t turn off. How the hell did you know I was up?”

  “Wooden floor boards vibrate. I can hear you and I can’t sleep either.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, yeah come on.” He took her hand and led her to his room.

  “Um…Blue…”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to make a move on you. Obviously, being alone isn’t going to help you tonight so you’re sleeping in here.”

  “I don’t know if I can and I don’t want to keep you awake.”

  “You’re keeping me awake already,” he said as he collapsed back on the covers. “Come here.” She climbed in next to him and he pulled her close. Very slowly, she felt her body relax and finally fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One- Broken Dreams

  Vasilli sat in Ragana’s office shredding the leaves of her Japanese peace lily with a broken thumbnail. She had kept him waiting and he was getting bored. He was tempted to rummage through her desk but even she wasn’t stupid enough to leave something valuable in it.

  Vasilli was determined not to show how much the healing skin on his body was hurting. She would have the office under video surveillance and would pounce at the first sign of weakness on his behalf. If it had been normal fire that burned him, he would be healed by now, but Anya had burnt him with pure magic and that was an entirely different type of wound.

  Ladislav had asked him to investigate what had happened to one of their safe houses. Vasilli felt the task beneath him though Ladislav had assured him that he could continue his hunt for Anya as soon as he was healed.

  “There is something odd going on in that city,” Ladislav said. “Ragana can’t seem to control the situation. Our p
eople are being killed at an alarming rate. Find out what it is so we can stop it. If the Illumination are interfering, then they are breaking the treaty.” Now Vasilli sat in Ragana’s sterile office destroying her plants with a childish pleasure.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ragana glided in looking more like an accountant than ever. “I had some business I needed to attend to.”

  “Some more of your people disappear mysteriously?” he asked innocently.

  “My, you’re straight at it this morning. Tell me why you are here, Vasilli.”

  “Just here to see the sights. I haven’t been to Budapest since the Turkish occupation.”

  “Don’t lie. They have sent you to keep an eye on me.” Her carefully painted lips pressed into a tight line.

  “Ladislav and the others are beginning to question your effectiveness. You’re losing too many people and they want to know why.”

  “I’m not responsible for what they do. As for the previous incident that could have been electrical issues or a kitchen fire, it was a very old building even with the upgrades and it wouldn’t have taken long to catch fire.”

  “You don’t believe that. We don’t believe that.”

  “Findings have been inconclusive. It didn’t bear the same signature as the other deaths.”

  “That is what I’m here to determine. I’m going to need every file that you have on the murders and even though the task is a joke, I will find your little problem and take care of it like you have failed to do.” A dark feral smile lit her face, showing her true form.

  “Good luck with that, Vasilli, I wish you all the best and believe me, I hope you find the perpetrator. Preferably in a dark ally.”

  ***

  Vadim woke sweating, gasping for air and with the knowledge of his impending death. He composed himself as best as he could and went to find Mychal. His dark protégé was in the archives looking through demonology books.

  “I don’t think you need them somehow,” Vadim said. Mychal looked up and his eyes slowly focused on him.

  “I know how to kill them. I’m trying to find a way to reverse demon marks,” he said calmly. Vadim hadn’t seen him this interested in anything for a good ten years. That was when he noticed Mychal had started to withdraw in on himself. He had stopped asking questions.