AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As he left the lab, Riker couldn’t shake the feeling that the storm brewing in New Orleans was about to hit harder than any of them were prepared for.
Chapter
Three
CATALINA
The Fae Quarter shimmered with an otherworldly beauty that no mortal eye could ever comprehend. The streets wound through the city like silken threads, bathed in light that seemed to come from within the stones themselves. Everything, from the arching trees that whispered secrets in the wind to the soft glow of the ever-blooming flowers, held a deep and ancient magic. Catalina Duvall had been here countless times, but it always took her breath away.
Today, however, the beauty of the place couldn’t quell the apprehension that gnawed at her. Catalina entered the council chamber and stood before the high council of the fae, her gaze fixed on the stoic figures seated in a half-circle. At their center sat Oberon Whisperwind, his pale, flawless skin a stark contrast to his cold, icy blue eyes. His gaze swept over Catalina, measuring, judging. They were a circle of seven, with Whisperwind dead center and three fae on either side. To his immediate left sat a surprising figure that not only shocked her but made her stomach churn with surprise—her Aunt Maeve.
Maeve’s presence here was unexpected, to say the least. As far as Catalina knew, her aunt had had no dealings with the Fae Council since she’d left the realm of the fae. Like her motherwho had been banished, Maeve chose to live among mortals, like Catalina and her sisters. To see her seated with these ancient, powerful fae, a look of calm authority on her face, as if she’d been among them for a very long time, was disconcerting, to say the least. A feeling of unease and suspicion went running through Catalina’s veins.
“Catalina Duvall,” Oberon’s voice rang out, cold and emotionless. “You have been summoned here because of your expertise and connection to this realm. As you are no doubt aware, demon activity has increased exponentially in New Orleans.”
She didn’t intend to let Oberon think he had the upper hand or that she answered in any way to the Fae Council. Her mother had stood up to them, and Catalina had no intention of kowtowing to them.
“Let’s get something straight. I am here at the request of this Council, but the decision to be here is mine and mine alone. My sisters and I are happy to work in collaboration with the Council, but we do not answer to you.”
Oberon stiffened—his reaction was slight, but he’d gotten the message, which was good. She didn’t think working with the Council was necessarily a bad thing. They might be able to offer resources to her and her sisters that would come in handy.
Catalina and her sisters had talked about the rise in dark magic they’d felt over the past few weeks. It lingered in the air like a heavy, oppressive fog, unsettling even the most grounded of magical beings.
Had that been what had driven their aunt back to the fae? What had been the cost of her doing so? She had questions for her aunt, and she meant to get answers.
Oberon’s gaze never left her face. “This rise in demon activity is not accidental. It is deliberate. The balance between realms isshifting, and unless we act swiftly, there will be consequences—not just for your city, but for our kind, as well.”
“Hot news flash for you—regardless of whether you like it or not, my sisters and I are part of ‘your kind.’”
She wasn’t sure why she was being so provocative, but she felt it was important to establish how this was going to work, if it was going to work at all. Catalina felt the weight of his words as they settled in the room and noted they seemed to settle more heavily on those sitting at the council table. The delicate balance between the fae, the human world, and the realms beyond had always been precarious. If the demons were organizing, seeking to exploit that weakness, it could lead to chaos.
“The council has decided,” Oberon continued, “that you will be tasked with investigating this matter. You are to find the source of this disturbance and neutralize it before the situation worsens. We expect full discretion, as the political stakes are high.”
Catalina shook her head. “Again, my sisters and I don’t workforyou. There are times we choose to workwithyou, and this is one of those times, but get this straight in your mind—you aren’t ordering or tasking me to do anything. I will do as I see fit. I will, as a courtesy, keep you advised and will expect you to lend your assistance if and when it is requested.”
Maeve stood up and banged her fist on the table. “That is enough, Catalina. It was your mother’s insistence to go her own way that created this fissure between our family and the fae.”
“No, Aunt Maeve. It was my mother’s love for my father. They told her she had to choose. She did. If you didn’t like her choice, perhaps you should have remained behind. My sisters and I are grateful for the way you stepped in when they died, but we’re all grown up now, and if you choose to return to the realm of the fae, we will understand and wish you well. Keep in mindthat our home in the Garden District was left to my sisters and me, and it is there that we will remain.”
Her aunt blanched and, at a look from Oberon, quietly sank down to her seat. Feeling as if she had made her point, Catalina nodded and remained quiet. She knew the Fae Council well enough to know she wasn’t being told the entire truth. The council rarely interfered in the human world, but when they did, it was for reasons far beyond simple demon hunting. This was about power, influence—about maintaining their hold over the delicate threads that connected the supernatural realms.
Before she could respond, a faint buzzing sound filled the air. Catalina frowned, glancing down at the small black object vibrating in her pocket. Her cell phone. That made no sense. She didn’t think that phones worked in the Fae Quarter—the entire realm operated on a different frequency of magic, one that interfered with human technology.
Still, the phone buzzed persistently. Apologizing with a quick bow, Catalina pulled it out and glanced at the screen, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. The number was from the New Orleans Police Department—human authorities.
Oberon’s icy glare tightened, though he didn’t say anything. Catalina felt the intensity of the council’s gaze on her as she answered the call. “Duvall here.”
“Catalina? This is Captain Moreau from the precinct. We’ve got a situation—a high-profile murder downtown—and we need your expertise. There’s something off about it, and we’re in over our heads, and I was hoping you could head over to the crime scene and take a look.”
“Now?” Catalina blinked, startled. “I’m a bit tied up with?—”
“It’s urgent. You’re the only one I think that can help us figure out what the hell happened.”
Catalina hesitated. The Fae Council had just laid a heavy responsibility on her shoulders, but the urgency in Moreau’svoice told her that this was not a situation she could ignore. There were already too many threads tying her world to that of the humans, and if something magical was at the heart of this murder, it could unravel everything.
“I’m on my way,” she said, ending the call and slipping the phone back into her pocket.
Oberon’s thin lips pressed into a disapproving line. “You will handle this… human matter first?”
