Page 48 of Enticing Monsters

The air seems to be made of a hundred daggers, and each time I inhale, I swallow more of them down.

“A baku,” my father whispers, his gun held tightly in white-knuckled hands.

“A baku,” I agree, my stomach bottoming out.

And there’s only one baku in the city…

We need to get in contact with the queen. Now.

Then, we need to find Gage and demand answers.

I just pray Sera will forgive us when this is all over.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SERAFINA

“What do you mean, he’s not answering?” Foster’s voice is sharp even as he rubs soothingly at my shoulder where I hover over V’s still form.

The big man’s frame takes up most of the bed we’ve laid him on at Xander’s place, and he’s so damn still that I keep leaning forward to ensure I can feel the puff of his breath against my cheek.

Even when he’s stalking someone, I don’t think I’ve ever seen V this still and silent. The psycho leans towards scary and showy, not stealthy and quiet. V’s the kind to stab you while dressed in drag and singing show tunes, not stalk you in the shadows and slink away. He wants you to see your death coming, to face him head on, and to watch the life drain out of your eyes.

There’s none of that strength, or insanity, on his face now. His lips are cracked despite me gently patting them with a damp washcloth, and his breathing is harsh, forcing his shoulders and chest to move in a jagged pattern rather than with ease. Even the scar on his face looks starker now against his pale skin, the normal rugged tan he sported washed out.

What the fuck is happening to him?

Is this because he was in Faerie? Did he not take the liquid he was supposed to? Or is it something else? Does it have anything to do with the murders?

“I’ll kill you for scaring me, Vagina,” I remind him, even as I smooth his hair back with gentle fingers, letting the warmth of him reassure me. “You aren’t allowed to do this.”

Foster snarls, chucking his phone so it lands on the table beside us with a clatter. His fingers dig deeply into his hair as he takes one long breath and then blows it out slowly, the action studied and practiced as if he’s done it thousands of times.

“Gage isn’t answering his cell. Neither is Devyn.” Foster clears his throat, watching my hand smooth down V’s cheek and scrape over the stubble that decorates his jaw. “Xander and Kian are looking for them both, but so far, they aren’t having any luck.”

Nausea curls in my stomach, oily and icy, as I continue to soothingly stroke an unconscious V. If I don’t stop touching him, he can’t disappear.

At the same time, though…

If we don’t find Gage, who knows what kind of trouble my fae prince could end up in? We can’t exactly take V to a regular fae hospital, not with him being the heir. The political weight of that would be shocking, especially because V was considered impervious.

Not that I won’t do it if I have no other option.

At the end of the day, V’s life is more important than politics.

Yet, if thiswasa coordinated attack from the murderer…

V would be a sitting duck in the hospital. Even with me and the rest of my mates standing guard, there’s no telling what could happen to my dark angel if he’s pulled into surgery or when a healer is checking him over or even when he’s simply lying in bed asleep. The killer has already proven himself—or herself—capable of pulling off the impossible.

Can I risk bringing him to a public fae hospital?

Do I contact his mother and see if she can find him a plethora of private healers?

I tried healing him myself, tried tapping into the part of me that’s bonded to Gage, but nothing worked. I didn’t feel the telltale sizzle of power beneath my skin like I did when I healed Devyn that one time. I don’t know if it’s because I need Gage nearby or if my ability to draw on my mates’ magic only works sporadically.

How can I have all of these abilities but not know how to use a single one of them when it matters most? Changing my appearance isn’t going to help matters currently.

“My parents aren’t answering either,” I admit, glancing at my cell phone again and chewing on my lower lip.

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