Shadowfever
Page 119
I decided my errands could wait. Knowing that we were so close to making a serious attempt at capturing the Book had filled me with urgency to see Mom and Dad before the big meeting. Before the ritual. Before anything else in my life could go wrong. Personal identity crisis aside, they were my parents and always would be. If Id lived before as someone or something else, that life had paled in comparison to this one.
I blasted into Chesters, sailed coolly through the bars, which were depressingly packed so early in the day, and headed for the stairs. I had no desire to talk to any of the cryptic denizens of the club.
At the foot of the stairs, Lor and a massively muscled man with long white hair, pale skin, and burning eyes moved together, blocking my way.
I was debating what I might have in my deep glassy lake to useBarrons had slurped down my crimson runes like truffleswhen Ryodan called down, Let her up.
I tipped my head back. The urbane owner of the largest den of sex, drugs, and exotic thrills in the city stood behind the chrome balustrade, big hands closed on the chrome railing, thick wrists cuffed by silver, features darkened by a convenient shadow. He looked like a scarred Gucci model. Whatever kind of life these men had lived before theyd become whatever they were, it had been violent and hard. Like them.
Why? Lor demanded.
I said so.
Not time for the meeting yet.
She wants to see her parents. Shes going to insist.
So?
She thinks she has something to prove. Shes feeling pushy.
Gee, this is nice. I dont even have to talk, I purred. I was feeling pushy. Ryodan brought out the worst in me. Like Rowena, hed prejudged me.
You ooze emotion today. Emotional humans are unpredictable, and youre more unpredictable than most to begin with. Besides, Ryodan sounded amused, Jacks building up immunity to Barrons Voice. Hes been demanding to see you. Said hell take the queen hostage if we dont bring you to him. I dont worry about the queens safety. Rainey likes her, and Jack likes anything Rainey likes. But I have concerns he might debate us to death.
I smiled faintly. If anyone could win, it was my daddy. I pushed past Lor, clipping him with my shoulder. His arm shot out like a bar across my neck and stopped me.
Look at me, woman, Lor growled.
I turned my head and met his gaze coolly.
If he tells you anything about us, well kill you. Do you understand that? One word, you die. So if youre walking around feeling cocky and protected because Barrons likes to fuck you, think again. The more he likes to do you, the more likely it is that one of us will kill you.
I looked up at Ryodan.
The owner of Chesters nodded.
Nobody killed Fiona.
She was a doormat.
I pushed the arm away from my neck. Get out of my way.
I would suggest you cure him of his little problem if you want to survive, Lor said.
Oh, Ill survive.
The farther away from him you get, the safer you are.
Do you want me to find the Book or not?
Ryodan answered. We dont give a fuck if the Book is out there. Or that the walls are down. Times change, we go on.
Then why are you helping with the ritual? Vlane said Barrons asked you and Lor to handle the other stones.
For Barrons. But if he breathes one word about himself, youre dead.
I thought he was the boss of you guys.
He is. He made the rules we live by. Well still take you from him.
Take you from him. Sometimes I was so dense. And he knows that.
Weve had to do it before, Lor said. Kasteo hasnt said a word to us since. I say get over it already. Its been a thousand fucking years. Whats a woman worth?
I inhaled slow and deep as the full ramifications of what theyd just told me sunk in. This was why Barrons never answered any of my questions and never would. He knew what they would do to me if he told mewhatever theyd done to Kasteos woman a thousand years ago. You dont need to worry about it. He hasnt told me anything.
Yet, Lor said.
But more importantly, I said, looking up at Ryodan, I wont ask. I dont need to know. I realized it was true. I was no longer obsessed with having a name and an explanation for Jericho Barrons. He was what he was. No name, no reasons, would alter anything about him. Or how I felt.
So every woman has said at some point. Are you familiar with the tale of Bluebeard?
Sure. Hed asked only one thing of his wives: that they never look in the forbidden room upstairswhere he kept the bodies of all the wives before them, whom hed killed for looking in the forbidden room upstairs. Bluebeards wives didnt have a life. I studied him. They were all so controlled, so hard and ruthless. How many have you taken from one another? So many that you hate the sight of one another? Has the merry band of brothers become a walking, talking, immortal Cold War?
His face hardened. Strip if youre coming up.
I gave him a look. I have on skintight clothes.
Non-negotiable. All of it. Nothing but skin.
I blasted into Chesters, sailed coolly through the bars, which were depressingly packed so early in the day, and headed for the stairs. I had no desire to talk to any of the cryptic denizens of the club.
At the foot of the stairs, Lor and a massively muscled man with long white hair, pale skin, and burning eyes moved together, blocking my way.
I was debating what I might have in my deep glassy lake to useBarrons had slurped down my crimson runes like truffleswhen Ryodan called down, Let her up.
I tipped my head back. The urbane owner of the largest den of sex, drugs, and exotic thrills in the city stood behind the chrome balustrade, big hands closed on the chrome railing, thick wrists cuffed by silver, features darkened by a convenient shadow. He looked like a scarred Gucci model. Whatever kind of life these men had lived before theyd become whatever they were, it had been violent and hard. Like them.
Why? Lor demanded.
I said so.
Not time for the meeting yet.
She wants to see her parents. Shes going to insist.
So?
She thinks she has something to prove. Shes feeling pushy.
Gee, this is nice. I dont even have to talk, I purred. I was feeling pushy. Ryodan brought out the worst in me. Like Rowena, hed prejudged me.
You ooze emotion today. Emotional humans are unpredictable, and youre more unpredictable than most to begin with. Besides, Ryodan sounded amused, Jacks building up immunity to Barrons Voice. Hes been demanding to see you. Said hell take the queen hostage if we dont bring you to him. I dont worry about the queens safety. Rainey likes her, and Jack likes anything Rainey likes. But I have concerns he might debate us to death.
I smiled faintly. If anyone could win, it was my daddy. I pushed past Lor, clipping him with my shoulder. His arm shot out like a bar across my neck and stopped me.
Look at me, woman, Lor growled.
I turned my head and met his gaze coolly.
If he tells you anything about us, well kill you. Do you understand that? One word, you die. So if youre walking around feeling cocky and protected because Barrons likes to fuck you, think again. The more he likes to do you, the more likely it is that one of us will kill you.
I looked up at Ryodan.
The owner of Chesters nodded.
Nobody killed Fiona.
She was a doormat.
I pushed the arm away from my neck. Get out of my way.
I would suggest you cure him of his little problem if you want to survive, Lor said.
Oh, Ill survive.
The farther away from him you get, the safer you are.
Do you want me to find the Book or not?
Ryodan answered. We dont give a fuck if the Book is out there. Or that the walls are down. Times change, we go on.
Then why are you helping with the ritual? Vlane said Barrons asked you and Lor to handle the other stones.
For Barrons. But if he breathes one word about himself, youre dead.
I thought he was the boss of you guys.
He is. He made the rules we live by. Well still take you from him.
Take you from him. Sometimes I was so dense. And he knows that.
Weve had to do it before, Lor said. Kasteo hasnt said a word to us since. I say get over it already. Its been a thousand fucking years. Whats a woman worth?
I inhaled slow and deep as the full ramifications of what theyd just told me sunk in. This was why Barrons never answered any of my questions and never would. He knew what they would do to me if he told mewhatever theyd done to Kasteos woman a thousand years ago. You dont need to worry about it. He hasnt told me anything.
Yet, Lor said.
But more importantly, I said, looking up at Ryodan, I wont ask. I dont need to know. I realized it was true. I was no longer obsessed with having a name and an explanation for Jericho Barrons. He was what he was. No name, no reasons, would alter anything about him. Or how I felt.
So every woman has said at some point. Are you familiar with the tale of Bluebeard?
Sure. Hed asked only one thing of his wives: that they never look in the forbidden room upstairswhere he kept the bodies of all the wives before them, whom hed killed for looking in the forbidden room upstairs. Bluebeards wives didnt have a life. I studied him. They were all so controlled, so hard and ruthless. How many have you taken from one another? So many that you hate the sight of one another? Has the merry band of brothers become a walking, talking, immortal Cold War?
His face hardened. Strip if youre coming up.
I gave him a look. I have on skintight clothes.
Non-negotiable. All of it. Nothing but skin.
