“Don’t be too long. We haven’t had a call yet tonight and you know it’s going to come.”
As she headed toward the bath near the laundry room, a high-pitched note sounded from a ring of crystals sitting on an end table in the kitchen. Nerissa froze as Camille ran over to the wards. Delilah and I immediately shifted into prep-for-battle mode. Nobody had broken through to our land lately, but with everything going on, we didn’t dare ignore the rogue portal out in the backyard. Even though it had been tuned to the realm of the Elder Fae, the very fact that it was a portal still made our home a dangerous target. And not five miles away was Grandmother Coyote’s portal to Otherworld. Though, I thought with a silent grin, I would hate to see what she would do to anybody who tried to mess with her.
Camille ran her hands over the crystals, which had calmed down. “Nothing to worry about. I think it’s just some ghost or something passing through. But, Delilah, can you run and ask the guards to make a sweep around the land? Just to be on the safe side.”
“On it.” Kitten was up and out the door before Camille could say another word.
“Okay, I’m getting my shower in.” Nerissa planted another kiss on my lips. I lingered in her embrace, wanting to stay there forever. I loved her more than I thought I ever could love anybody.
I slapped her on the ass. “Get moving, wife.”
As she darted into the bathroom, I thought about how close I had come to losing her. Only a few months back, we were having serious problems. But I had finally listened to my sisters, and I had quit being so pigheaded. Especially after Vanzir dragged me off to one side to inform me of what an ass I had become. When he wanted to be, he could be extremely blunt and unflattering. But I appreciated his warning because he was right.
I finally started talking to Nerissa instead of talking over her. But mostly, I started listening to her worries and complaints, and taking them seriously. Turns out, shutting up and paying attention? Actually works. Now, though we weren’t perfect and never would be, it felt like we were finally on the same page. And honesty and clarity were a whole lot better than the illusion of perfection.
As the sound of the shower started up, I went back to the chains, my thoughts still lingering over the dangers. We’d done our best to mitigate the hazards. Hanna and Maggie were sleeping in my lair during the night because we never knew when we’d be called out, and we didn’t want them in any sort of danger.
Because of their proximity to the rogue portal out back, Iris’s husband Bruce had taken the babies—including Chase’s daughter, Astrid—and moved into Nerissa’s old condo. His mother had come to help out, along with a nanny and a guard. We needed Iris here with us, so she spent her days with her family and her nights with us. And Tanne Baum, the Woodland Fae from the Black Forest, was on twenty-four-hour call, only a speed dial away.
The doorbell rang. I answered it, surprised to see Chase there, a tray of drinks in his hand.
“I stopped at Starbucks before I came over. I thought it might make a buffer for what I have to say.” He forced a pale smile, looking as stretched thin as we all felt.
“Uh-oh, that sounds bad.” I took the tray from him and led him into the kitchen.
Camille put her marker in her book. Chase had brought a grande chai latte for Delilah. Camille got the iced venti quad shot mocha. And Chase, the venti black coffee with cream. I foraged in the refrigerator for a bottle of blood, enchanted to a chocolate flavor. Thanks to Morio, I had a wide variety of choices.
Chase settled down at the table beside me, but before the detective could say a word, Camille’s phone rang. She stared at it, a dark wave steeling her gaze, then answered.
“Yes? How many? Okay, we’re on the way. Text us the directions.” She punched the Off button and texted Delilah to get her ass around front ASAP, then yanked the top off her iced mocha to gulp down as much as she could. “We have to book. That was Morio. A raiding party’s breaking through a rogue portal in Vanderson Park. At least a dozen goblins and twice that many bone-walkers. There may be more—they just started coming through the portal when Morio called me. He and Vanzir will hold them off as best as they can until everybody gets there.”
“We’ll have to talk later, Chase. Wait here for us? When Nerissa gets out of the shower, tell her where we went, if you would.” I grabbed my keys, then jammed my wallet in the pocket of my jeans.
He nodded. “I’ll call the Supe militia and put them on standby. One word from you and they’ll be on the way.” He pulled out his phone. “Text me directions the minute you get them. I’ll have Frank and the boys ready to roll if need be.”
Without another word, we grabbed our jackets and headed into the cool, clear evening. I glanced up at the stars that hung over us like an icy canopy, wondering how long we could keep this up. But we couldn’t falter. If we did, Telazhar would win, and Earthside would turn into a vast battleground.