Prologue
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally.
Castor
The thunder of music surrounding me makes itreallyhard to hear my soulmate’s heartbeat, but it’s there—hammering away beneath the horrific noise. I don’t know exactly how Danielle ended up stuck amid this nonsense; I only know that another man’s hand is gradually lowering on her hip, and I am gradually contemplating a very detailed, veryslowmurder.
Invisible to most everyone in this raucous place, I glide through the crowds, finding that with every step my heart wishes to match the rhythm of my mate’s as it attempts to flee my chest.
“I really do appreciate this,” Danielle says, grasping the man’s hand to keep it from wandering further. “I didn’t know what to do before you showed up.”
“Nah, don’t worry, baby. You needed a meal and a place to stay. I told you my roommates and I would be happy to help you out.”
“Say the word, Dani,” a small dark pixie who is with my bright, brilliant girl snips. “I’ll rip out their tongues and make them swallow their eyes.”
I can’t hold down my smile. A dark pixie. It has been an age or two since last I met one of them. Furthermore…she smells like my Danielle. My darling, darling little bird crafted adark pixiein the depths of her soul. Despite all her blinding seelie shades, a darkness so deep it became the origin for an unseelie pixie to burst from feels too right.
Danielle chuckles, awkwardly, as though having these men swallow their eyes isn’t on her to-do list.
What. A. Shame.
It’s on mine.
Planting my hip against the dirty table and using my body to block one of the louses off, I murmur, “Danielle.”
My precious mate’s tangible shock wheels my way.
“Who’s this guy?” the pixie quips. “What in the world is he wearing? Humans don’t…” The small, young creature gasps. “You’renothuman, are you?”
Sure enough, I am not.
Blood flees Danielle’s face as she focuses a hardened tone on me and says, “How do you know me by that name?”
“Storm?” The guy clinging to herrubsher side. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“N-nothing.”
Little liar. How adorably human of her.
Hopefully, she’ll not be too attached to that—or any—part of her humanity for long.
Lifting my foot, I plant it against the man’s shoulder, then kick him out of his chair.
One of the other men at the table swears as Danielle braces herself to keep from tumbling after him. “Wha—” she chokes on the word.
I grasp her arm, pull her upright, and steal her away from all human perception, cloaking her in my glamour, bathing her in my very essence. The sensation pours over my nerves and makes it almost impossible to breathe. Nevertheless, I welcome the agony of an inhale to coat my lungs in the decadent scent ofher.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hisses. “Who are you?Whatare you?”
“Do you really want our introductions to take placehere, in this cesspool, Danielle?”
“That’s not my name anymore. I’m going byStormnow.”
I chuckle. “What a bold selection. It hardly suits you as you are right now, my feather.”
“I’m not your anything. Let me go.” She tugs against my grip.
