Page 87 of Love the Way You Lion
“Fuck!” I exclaim, jumping to my feet and walking over to punch a tree. I thought I’d locked our shit in its room in the inner sanctum, but apparently, I was lying to myself.
“Tsk, tsk. I imagine that will be hard to explain to whoever is waiting for you in your hiding spot, won’t it?”
I growl, closing my eyes and willing the broken knuckles to heal as I walk back to the table. I take another deep breath, saying the alphabet backwards in five languages before I feel like I’m under control again. It’s been months since I’ve lost control like this in front of anyone outside of my family. I hate this woman.
When I open my eyes, she’s staring at my hand, and I smirk. She didn’t see that coming, so my inner rage cools. I’ve always wanted to one-up Clea, and for once, I got my wish. “You’re right. It would have been a problem, but now it’s not.”
A single brow arches, but she shrugs as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. “It’s a good thing that we’re not fighting at the moment. Our last battle was successful.”
I frown, almost taking the bait. She wants me to ask what she means, and that is a conversation for another time. “Clea, I’m here because the gossip among the extras is that you are the most talented magickal midwife in the nine realms. I’m uncertain what that means, but given the circumstances, I’m willing to overlook my ignorance in favor of my needs.”
Her eyes widen, and she pushes to her feet. “You? You need my services as--”
“I do,” I say carefully, not wanting to embellish just yet. “Are you willing? I can double or triple your usual fees if need be.”
Putting her hand over her heart, she tips her head back, and she looks up at the stars as if pleading with the universe. When her eyes find me again, she tilts her head. “If I agree, you will tell me everything. Part of the cost of doing business is that I must know every single thing that will affect the delivery. You must allow me to know what happened, how it happened, how you have changed, what your powers are, information about the father, your environment, and every aspect of your life. Are you willing to sacrifice your privacy for this boon?”
I expected this, and though I’m not one hundred percent certain that she needs all of that information; I knew that I would have to haggle with her. Heraclea Titania St. James never agrees to do someone a favor—she bargains for her services.
“Yes. I will at a later date share every pertinent fact that you request. However, if you ask anything that I think will endanger me or someone I love, I will tell you to fuck off back here to Ferngully and find another option.”
She nods, tapping a finger on her lips. “You mentioned a price. However, I don’t trade in human currency unless my customers are human. You are not.”
Snarling impatiently, I slam my palm on the table again. “Spit it out, Heraclea Titania St. James,” I mimic.
Her laugh is soft, and she shakes the mass of waves that flows around her shoulders. “Ah, little kitten, I have missed our sparring, even if it is only with words. I shall indulge you, if only because it has been a long time since I had such a good time setting my terms.”
I give her a look that says, ‘get it the fuck over with’ as I tap my fingers on the stone table. “Tick Tock.”
Standing, looking regal in a way that only a woman over six feet tall can, she gives me a feral grin. “My price includes the following terms, girl, so listen well. You will provide the information without complaint. You will introduce me to your people, whoever they are. You will not seek me out to harm me for the past—ever. The last item is paramount and non-negotiable, Delilah. After you have completed the journey you are on, you will seek me out again, and we will discuss why this shop is calledDestiny.It will be most enlightening, and until then, we will not discuss the past. Are my terms clear? Do you agree to them?”
I close my eyes and replay her words carefully. It is never an intelligent idea to engage an extra in a bargain if you have not reviewed every word and phrase for a hidden meaning. Many species will kill you for breaking one, even if it was unintentional. This entire situation has clued me in that Clea is most definitely an extra, and I don’t have the foggiest idea of what kind, so I won’t risk being on the wrong end of a tricky bargain that allows her to kill me.
After I finally determine that I understand her terms, I look at her. “I agree to your terms, Heraclea Titania St. James.”
Her smile is wicked, and I ignore the victory in her eyes. “Delilah Lenore O’Hara, we have a contract. Blessed be those who honor their word.”
I watch as a tendril of magick snakes out from her hands, and I allow mine to join it, the two twining together as humans would shake hands. Sparks fly, and Clea shrieks with laughter as flowers burst into bloom at our feet.
“Oh, little kitten. This is going to be one hell of a ride.”
Giving her a dismissive look, I grow tired of the power plays, and disapparate without a word.
I don’t know how much more clearly I can say it, but fuck Heraclea Titania St. James.
The Cat and The Blade Run Into A Snag
DELILAH
Once I achieved my midwife goals, I knew I could enjoy my new relationship without that poking my brain insistently.
I came home and snatched Talia for some on-on-one time. On a scale from heaven to hell, it’s been high in the stratosphere. We’re a week and a half out from that damned party, which my boys and gals at home swear that they have under control. Things went well with my mates, and the lunatic squad has been suspiciously quiet, but I’m not worried about that.
Outside of a minor tiff with Rafe over an injury to my hand at work, everything was fine. That means disaster is coming, in my experience, so I’ll enjoy the good vibes while I can. I’m not sure how stable internal peace is.
Given the newness of this experience for our mates and the tenuous grip we have on one another, I am not sure how long it will hold before something new comes up. We’ll work it all out before we have to present ourselves in public.
That much, I’m sure of.
