Den of Sorrows
Page 23
“Thanks for that,” Jacque retorted.
“It’s what I do, Red,” Jen said with a wink.
Jen didn’t miss the tight look on Fane’s face. It was very obvious that he was totally not on board with his prego mate hunting vampires.
“I’ve decided to leave it up to the mated pairs when it comes to who will be traveling to the US,” Vasile announced.
Jen could tell by the looks on Jacque and Sally’s faces that they were just as surprised as her, especially since Jacque carried his first grandchild.
Peri materialized in the center of the room. “Good, everyone is here,” she said as she looked around the room. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Vasile made a motion for the fae to continue. Jen folded her arms across her chest as she waited to hear Peri’s news. She attempted to brace herself for whatever horror the fae might reveal.
“Alston, Nissa, and I visited Phoenix last night. Turns out that Phoenix is the location of the largest vampire coven in North America.”
“How do you know?” Decebel asked.
“The pixies have been helping us out. They’ve been tracking disappearances across the country. Phoenix has the largest number of missing children in the US,” Peri explained.
“So is that where we’re headed first?” Sally asked, earning her a frown from her mate.
Jen nearly snorted at the scowl on the handsome bartender’s face. This was going to be fun, she decided. Driving her mate crazy was one of her favorite things. Getting to watch her two besties drive their own mates insane was just icing on the cake.
“At first that is what we thought,” Peri agreed. “But then we realized that we couldn’t just go in and declare a war on a coven of that size without revealing ourselves to the humans. It was decided that the best option would be to drive our enemy out of hiding. We will start by taking out the smaller covens. My bet is that since Phoenix has the largest coven they probably have the oldest and most powerful king as well. He’s not going to stand by while his people are being killed off, especially not by me and the wolves.”
“Sounds like you’ve run across this king before,” Costin pointed out.
Peri shrugged. “I’ve been alive a very long time. There are very few supernaturals that I am not acquainted with in some way or another.”
“Well then where do we strike first?” Jen asked. She heard Decebel growl beside her and she leaned into him, allowing her nearness to comfort him. He didn’t want her going, but he knew arguing with her was futile. Where her man went, she went.
“The smallest coven the pixies were able to find is in the city of Little Rock, in the state of Arkansas. It’s a smaller city but has a large enough population and such a high crime rate that they can still operate inconspicuously.”
Jen looked over at her friends and smiled. “Looks like we’re going back to the South ladies. Good food and tons of trucks—with yummy cowboy drivers.”
Sally and Jacque laughed.
“Would you like for me to change my attire?” she heard Decebel’s voice in her mind. “Perhaps, I could wear one of those ridiculous hats and a pair of boots.”
Jen pictured her mate in a cowboy hat and boots. “Babe, you’d look hot in anything, especially just boots and a hat.”
Her grinned widened when she felt his hand on her back, but as it moved lower the grin faded and she began to feel a different emotion. “Behave,” she whispered.
“You started it, minx,” he growled back.
His hand stopped low on her hip and Jen let out a relieved sigh. His touch affected her in ways that were best kept behind closed doors.
“A good Southern meal sounds amazing.” Jacque smiled wistfully.
“Any meal sounds good to you,” Sally pointed out.
Jacque looked at the brunette and growled.
Jen couldn’t help the burst of laughter that jumped out of her. “Did you just growl at one of your best friends? Damn girl, pregnancy doesn’t agree with you, or your butt.”
“If I hear one more wisecrack about how wide my butt has gotten, so help me Jen, I will do things to you in your sleep that will make most of your pranks look like child’s play.”
Jen smirked. “Kinky much? I didn’t realize Fane was into sharing you.”
Vasile let out a loud sigh, drawing Jen and the others’ attention. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like when the three of you get in a room together. It’s exhausting.”
“All the more reason to get this party started,” Jen told him. “When do we leave?”
“We won’t be dividing up like we’ve done in the past,” Vasile explained, ignoring her question. “Fighting vampires will require our combined efforts. Some of you might have some experience with them but most of you do not.” Vasile glanced at Costin and then Drake—Decebel’s third. “We will leave at first light. And our first priority will be to locate where they are nesting.”
“Nesting?” Sally asked with a furrowed brow. “You make it sound like they’re a flock of birds.”
“It’s what they call their home. A group of vampires is called a coven, and where they congregate is called a nest,” he explained.
“We aren’t going to find a bunch of slimy eggs hanging from the ceiling right?” Jen asked.
Jacque rolled her eyes. “You watch way too many movies.”
“Dude, with the past year and a half that we’ve had, can you really blame me for asking?”
“Point,” Jacque conceded.
“Don’t worry about packing clothes. Only pack weapons. The fae will assist us with changes in attire when we need it. Any questions?” Vasile asked as he looked around the room. When no one spoke up, he offered, “Comments?”
Just as Jen spoke, she heard Jacque mutter. “Did you really have to ask that?”
“Maybe we should get a group picture,” she suggested. “We can hang it on the wall and title it, The Fellowship Rides Again.”
Jacque grinned mischievously. “When you say ride, is it going to be anything like the time Decebel woke you up and informed you—”
“I’m not above growling at a pregnant female,” Decebel interrupted.
If Decebel noticed the subtle way Fane maneuvered his giggling mate slightly behind his body, he didn’t acknowledge it. Though Fane was chuckling himself, he was as protective of Jacque as Decebel was of Jen.
“It’s what I do, Red,” Jen said with a wink.
Jen didn’t miss the tight look on Fane’s face. It was very obvious that he was totally not on board with his prego mate hunting vampires.
“I’ve decided to leave it up to the mated pairs when it comes to who will be traveling to the US,” Vasile announced.
Jen could tell by the looks on Jacque and Sally’s faces that they were just as surprised as her, especially since Jacque carried his first grandchild.
Peri materialized in the center of the room. “Good, everyone is here,” she said as she looked around the room. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Vasile made a motion for the fae to continue. Jen folded her arms across her chest as she waited to hear Peri’s news. She attempted to brace herself for whatever horror the fae might reveal.
“Alston, Nissa, and I visited Phoenix last night. Turns out that Phoenix is the location of the largest vampire coven in North America.”
“How do you know?” Decebel asked.
“The pixies have been helping us out. They’ve been tracking disappearances across the country. Phoenix has the largest number of missing children in the US,” Peri explained.
“So is that where we’re headed first?” Sally asked, earning her a frown from her mate.
Jen nearly snorted at the scowl on the handsome bartender’s face. This was going to be fun, she decided. Driving her mate crazy was one of her favorite things. Getting to watch her two besties drive their own mates insane was just icing on the cake.
“At first that is what we thought,” Peri agreed. “But then we realized that we couldn’t just go in and declare a war on a coven of that size without revealing ourselves to the humans. It was decided that the best option would be to drive our enemy out of hiding. We will start by taking out the smaller covens. My bet is that since Phoenix has the largest coven they probably have the oldest and most powerful king as well. He’s not going to stand by while his people are being killed off, especially not by me and the wolves.”
“Sounds like you’ve run across this king before,” Costin pointed out.
Peri shrugged. “I’ve been alive a very long time. There are very few supernaturals that I am not acquainted with in some way or another.”
“Well then where do we strike first?” Jen asked. She heard Decebel growl beside her and she leaned into him, allowing her nearness to comfort him. He didn’t want her going, but he knew arguing with her was futile. Where her man went, she went.
“The smallest coven the pixies were able to find is in the city of Little Rock, in the state of Arkansas. It’s a smaller city but has a large enough population and such a high crime rate that they can still operate inconspicuously.”
Jen looked over at her friends and smiled. “Looks like we’re going back to the South ladies. Good food and tons of trucks—with yummy cowboy drivers.”
Sally and Jacque laughed.
“Would you like for me to change my attire?” she heard Decebel’s voice in her mind. “Perhaps, I could wear one of those ridiculous hats and a pair of boots.”
Jen pictured her mate in a cowboy hat and boots. “Babe, you’d look hot in anything, especially just boots and a hat.”
Her grinned widened when she felt his hand on her back, but as it moved lower the grin faded and she began to feel a different emotion. “Behave,” she whispered.
“You started it, minx,” he growled back.
His hand stopped low on her hip and Jen let out a relieved sigh. His touch affected her in ways that were best kept behind closed doors.
“A good Southern meal sounds amazing.” Jacque smiled wistfully.
“Any meal sounds good to you,” Sally pointed out.
Jacque looked at the brunette and growled.
Jen couldn’t help the burst of laughter that jumped out of her. “Did you just growl at one of your best friends? Damn girl, pregnancy doesn’t agree with you, or your butt.”
“If I hear one more wisecrack about how wide my butt has gotten, so help me Jen, I will do things to you in your sleep that will make most of your pranks look like child’s play.”
Jen smirked. “Kinky much? I didn’t realize Fane was into sharing you.”
Vasile let out a loud sigh, drawing Jen and the others’ attention. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like when the three of you get in a room together. It’s exhausting.”
“All the more reason to get this party started,” Jen told him. “When do we leave?”
“We won’t be dividing up like we’ve done in the past,” Vasile explained, ignoring her question. “Fighting vampires will require our combined efforts. Some of you might have some experience with them but most of you do not.” Vasile glanced at Costin and then Drake—Decebel’s third. “We will leave at first light. And our first priority will be to locate where they are nesting.”
“Nesting?” Sally asked with a furrowed brow. “You make it sound like they’re a flock of birds.”
“It’s what they call their home. A group of vampires is called a coven, and where they congregate is called a nest,” he explained.
“We aren’t going to find a bunch of slimy eggs hanging from the ceiling right?” Jen asked.
Jacque rolled her eyes. “You watch way too many movies.”
“Dude, with the past year and a half that we’ve had, can you really blame me for asking?”
“Point,” Jacque conceded.
“Don’t worry about packing clothes. Only pack weapons. The fae will assist us with changes in attire when we need it. Any questions?” Vasile asked as he looked around the room. When no one spoke up, he offered, “Comments?”
Just as Jen spoke, she heard Jacque mutter. “Did you really have to ask that?”
“Maybe we should get a group picture,” she suggested. “We can hang it on the wall and title it, The Fellowship Rides Again.”
Jacque grinned mischievously. “When you say ride, is it going to be anything like the time Decebel woke you up and informed you—”
“I’m not above growling at a pregnant female,” Decebel interrupted.
If Decebel noticed the subtle way Fane maneuvered his giggling mate slightly behind his body, he didn’t acknowledge it. Though Fane was chuckling himself, he was as protective of Jacque as Decebel was of Jen.
