Twisted (Rogues Shifter Series Book 3) (10 page)

First: “I will agree to use every resource at my dispo
sal to teach you how to travel through the ley lines and escape from this facility. I also agree to teach you how to summon me using my True Name. Discuss.”

“I want it to say that you have to teach me how to also escape through Kennet’s wall which is blocking the lines. It seems to be keyed into my abilities or my aura.
"

“I agree.” He amended the first point with a flick of his hand.

“I also want it to say that I escape safely and am unharmed and intact, exactly as I was before I arrived here, except for the new abilities you’re helping me acquire.”

He grinned and nodded. “I agree.” Again he rewrote the first point to include everything that I’d mentioned.

“Can we come back to this again?”

“Absolutely, lets move on. Second: You agree to summon me before you escape from this facility, using my True Name and following the ritual exactly as I have trained you to follow it. Once I’ve been summoned
, you will immediately order me to capture Lord Kennet and to take him with me to my property in the Demon Realm. Once I'm there your hold over me will dissolve. I agree not to harm you in any way during this process. Discuss.”

“I want it to say that you take him for a period of one year and that you return him to Lord Caelen or his sons, Liam and Aedus, alive and able to stand
before his people to receive judgment.”

“I do NOT agree to that.”
His orange anger was apparent.

“I explained that the fae are allies and Lord Caele
n is my sponsor. They'll want him to be judged before the Elders for what he’s done to their people."

"And if they let him go?"

"I’ll help you get him back.”

He glowered at me, making me wonder if maybe I should give up on this point. "
You realize that I want to kill him and you’re taking away most of my fun.”

“You’ll have a year to play with him. And when I say a year I mean a lunar year…365 risings of the sun here on earth, 12 full earth
moons.” I lowered my voice and tried to persuade him, using some of the same ammunition he'd used. “Think about what it feels like to be summoned by him, Isaiah, and how it feels to be his slave and forced to babysit an annoying shifter.”

The edges of his mouth started to twist up. He shot back at me, “An annoying
demon
shifter—with a real talent for striking a bargain.”

“An annoying cheetah shifter with a
tiny amount of demon blood—and a talent for striking a bargain.”

“One day you’ll be proud of that blood.
”I shrugged in response. If it got me out of here, then maybe.

Isaiah continued, “
I'll agree to point two, under protest." I nodded, feeling a little smug.

"
Third: You agree never to summon me again as long as you live, or if the case applies, as long as you exist as an undead, zombie, ghost, or other dead or spectral creature. You also agree to forever keep my True Name a secret from every other creature living, dead or undead. Discuss.”

“What if I need your help? I mean
, what if Kennet gets away from you and comes after me or my friends? Shouldn’t there be some kind of long term agreement so that I can summon you?”

His mouth flattened out in irritation
“Jackie, if you wanted Liam’s help, would you force him to come to you as a slave, and then order him to help you, or would you invite him to you home and ask him for his help? I would be willing to come to your house as an
invited
guest and help you recapture Kennet. But I will not be tied to your whims.”

I nodded in grudging understanding.
“Then add this please. If Kennet escapes while under your custody, you agree to immediately come to my house and help in the efforts to recapture him. But you can't allow him to escape just so that you can come to the mortal plain.”

He laughed. "Clever girl."

"I'm not finished. While you're at my house, you'll cooperate with me, my mate, Garrett, and our team. And I’ll have the power to send you back to the demon realm, whether Kennet has been recaptured or not. Discuss.” I smiled proudly.

“I can’t agree to being sent back before Kennet is recaptured. Why do you need to have that clause?”

“To be honest, I live and work with an eclectic group of very powerful creatures, some of whom have strong opinions and short fuses. Your brand of ‘chaotic pandemonium’ could end in disaster.”

“Working with just such a group would be quite a remarkable experience for a demon. Keeping to my best behavior would not be a hardship. Let’s state it this way: You will have the power to send me back to the demon realm if you deem my behavior to be unacceptable and you’ve given me fair warning.
I think we’ll attach all of this to point two.

“You’ll have to show me the ritual involved in inviting a demon as opposed to summoning one.“

“Yes, of course. So lets review: Point One” We both decided that this section seemed fine.

I had a problem with Point two. “I want point two to state that Garrett will also have the power to send you back. I can just see you tying me up and gagging me so you can hang out and have some fun. And what’s fair warning?
"

“Three times.”

“Once”

“Two times.” I nodded as Isaiah bar
ked out a laugh. “I agree. You're really getting the hang of this. I find it hard to believe that you aren’t a full-blood demon, but my senses don’t lie.

We looked over Point Three:  “I want you to add that you agree never to use my True Name to summon me if it’s determined that I have one. Just phrase it all the same as yours. Also the same bit about never telling anyone else.”

“You might have one, you know. I’ll have to check the archives.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.  Also I want a point four.”

“Explain.”

“I want to have a way to talk to you without inviting you.” This statement was met with complete silence and a chilly expression.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“I want to know what’s going on with Kennet and I want to know if I have a True Name. I want to know that I can reach you if I need your help. Mostly, I want you to continue to teach me.”

He looked annoyed. “I want, I want, I want. You sound like a child. Teach you what exactly?”

“Everything.”
I stood up and paced around the tiny room, my rage boiling over and forcing me to circle like a caged animal.

He narrowed his eyes, leaned forward and smiled. “Tell me.” He hissed.

“I will
never
be imprisoned like this again. Kennet will not get back into my mind and fuck with me. No one will ever have that kind of power over me again.”

He watched me pace again for a few seconds. “I don’t agree to your point four.” I glared at him. “However I might be convince
d to contact you once in a while, just to keep you in the loop, as you say.” I nodded and slumped into a chair, feeling emotionally drained.

Isaiah stood and conjured a scroll and a fancy feathered pen, which dipped into a jar of red liquid, and began to transcribe in elaborate lettering what was scrawled on the chalkboard. The pen wrote first each point in English and then again in a language I didn’t recognize.

Agreement Between Jacqueline Crawford and Isaiah of the Bas Demonic Level

ONE: I, Isaiah, will agree to use every resource at my disposal to teach Jacqueline how to travel through the ley lines safely, and escape from this facility unharmed and intact. I will also teach her how to safely bypass the wall that Lord Kennet of the Seelie Fae has put up to block her from accessing the ley line energy. Upon escaping, I promise that Jacqueline will arrive at the destination of her choosing in the same healthy state she was in before her kidnapping, with the addition of all the new abilities acquired through my instruction. Her memories of her kidnapping and imprisonment will also remain intact.

TWO: I
, Jacqueline Crawford, agree to summon Isaiah before I escape from this facility, using Isaiah’s True Name and following the ritual exactly as I have been trained to follow it. Once I’ve summoned him, I will immediately order Isaiah to capture Lord Kennet and to take him to the Demon Realm for a period of twelve lunar earth months. I understand that the training I’ll be undergoing with Isaiah is rigorous and I may be accidentally injured or killed.

In addition, I, Isaiah, agree not to purposely harm Jacqueline in any way during her training, the summoning or its aftermath. If Lord Kennet escapes while under my custody, I agree to immediately travel to Jacqueline’s house, as per her invitation, and help in the efforts to recapture him. I may not allow him to escape just so that I can visit the mortal plain. While I am an invited guest, I will cooperate with Jacqueline, her mate, Garrett, and their team of assorted supernatural creatures to achieve the goal of recapturing Lord Kennet. Only Jacqueline and Garrett will have the power to send me
back to the Demon Realm if they deem my behavior to be unacceptable and have given me two previous warnings. After the lunar year is over, I agree to return Lord Kennet, alive and able to stand trial, to Lord Caelen or one of his sons.

THREE:
I, Jacqueline, agree never to summon Isaiah again, as long as I live, or if the case applies, as long as I exist as an undead, zombie, ghost, or other dead or spectral creature. I also agree to forever keep Isaiah’s True Name a secret from every other creature:  living, dead or undead.

In addition, I, Isaiah, agree never to summon Jacqueline using her True Name as long as I live or if the case applies, as long as I exist as an undead, zombie, ghost or other dead or spectral creature. I also agree to
forever keep Jacqueline’s True Name a secret from every other creature: living, dead or undead.

If either party reneges on this agreement, the injured party will have
complete control over the offending party for a period of time not to exceed one century.

“So are we agreed?” He pulled out the knife, the candle and the bowl.  I shrugged and nodded."Speak it please."

"Yes. I agree."

Before I could change my mind, he took my hand and slashed my palm with one clean motion, then did the same to his. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out, noticing his curious glance when he didn’t hear even a gasp. He put the two bleeding wounds together and said, “I accept this agreement as written. Now you repeat.”

“I accept this agreement as written.”

Holding our hands over the small bowl he let the blood drip into it until it was halfway full. Then he lit the candle and spoke in another language entirely.  He conjured up a bandage for my wound and then added ingredients to the bowl which he pulled out of his pockets. He had me sign my name in our blood at the bottom of the scroll and he did the same.

During all of this my heart beat like a bongo drum. My rational mind had disowned me, but my cheetah was purring.

Finally he conjured a live rabbit and slashed its neck, adding that blood to the bowl as well. He looked at me with his bright orange eyes and explained. “The rabbit is the sacrifice, because always in blood magic there must be a death.” He placed the candle flame against the liquid and it burst into a bright red flare which turned the bowl’s contents from cloudy red to clear. Now it looked only like clean fresh water.

“Drink, Jackie.”

“No, sorry, Isaiah.  I don’t think I can do that without heaving.”

“You must
, if you want to escape.” There was no lie hidden in his serious gaze, but I didn’t really know him, so I continued to hesitate. He put down the bowl and took my hand.”I’ll let you see.”

Suddenly I was
feeling his emotions, his hate for Kennet and desire for revenge were almost overwhelming. For me there was respect for an ally and the hope that I’d be a promising and enthusiastic student. He dropped my hand and the connection was broken. I nodded and picked up the bowl, aware of the incredible amount of trust he’d just shown me. He said, “Drink half and I’ll drink the rest.”

We did just that
, and I was extremely relieved that I didn’t heave. In fact, I felt strength returning to my limbs and threads of hope weaving through my heart once more, and I smiled at him gratefully.

Isaiah’s eyes flashed bright orange.
“Now, the work begins.”

Chapter Seventeen

Bridgett
: 3:00 PM Wednesday

I’d taken reports over the phone from Franklin, Tony, the pack leader from the Sacramento area pack, and several other packs in the northwestern part of the country. I ga
ve Sinc the information which she then texted or emailed to Garrett, depending on the length. So far there'd been no other sightings of Kennet or goblins, but they were all being diligent. Farrell said that some of the fae from other areas of the country had contacted Lord Caelen about disturbances in the same areas, so it seemed like we were on the right track. Still, I had a nagging feeling that Kennet wouldn't have strayed too far away.

I was sitting at the kitchen table when Sasha walked in and sat down across from me. I glanced up at the clock and then remembered that he got up earlier than the others because he was
older. Sasha was oozing his seductive charisma. Sex on a stick, was my private name for him. I smiled just to be pleasant and said, “Do you want a cup of coffee or a soda?”

A grin spread from
one ear to the other. “No thank you. But there’s something else you can offer me.”

“Not happening, Sasha.”

“I just thought it would be safer for all of you if I didn’t leave the property to feed. I wouldn’t take much. And I promise it would be extremely enjoyable for you. I won’t force you, Bridgett, but I can promise you that you won’t regret it.” His voice was soft, sliding across my skin and making me tremble. He wasn’t trying to glamour me, which Garrett had expressly forbidden. He was just using his many natural gifts to seduce me. I looked at his handsome face and his firm muscular body and wondered what it would be like. Then he smirked and I snapped out of it.

Frowning
, I leaning back in my chair and said, “You used to force females, didn't you?"

He nodded, looking wary. "Sometimes, u
nder Eleanor's watchful eye. It made me sick, but I was usually able to help them escape. If I'd refused, she would have given them to Antoine."

I wasn't sure whether I believed him or not.
"You should go out and feed. Will and Heinrich can feed later.”

He l
eaned forward slightly, his breath warming my face. “I don’t recall Garrett leaving
you
in charge, Bridgett. In fact I think that you’re on the very bottom of the chain of command. So why don’t you help me out so I don’t have to leave you and Sinc and Rob unprotected. Shifters are no match for a fae lord.” He smiled, taking in a deep breath, and I wasn’t surprised at all to see his fangs poke out.

I shook my head and twisted my mouth into a scowl. I wasn’t afraid of Sasha.
Yeah, he was strong and fast with a sexy power which made it really hard to refuse him, but he wasn't stupid. Garrett would kill him if he forced me. Plus, I knew that Mr. Obnoxious would protect us weak little shifters with his life.

W
hen Farrell’s voice carried over from the patio door, I smiled. “A vampire is no better match for a fae lord. Bridgett and the other shifters are well protected by me.”

“And who are you
?” On the surface, Sasha seemed relaxed and unfazed, but I was close enough to notice the tension in his jaw and the way his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Sasha, this is Farrell, he’ll be here
every day
until Liam comes back. Farrell, this is Sasha, Garrett’s second.” I introduced him like that so he’d save a little face in front of Farrell, since I’d kind of shot him down within hearing distance.

Sasha looked at Farrell's hand as it rested on the hilt of his short sword.
“Well I hope you can cook as well as Liam because the shifters love to eat.” He turned to me. “I’ll be back in one hour.” Sasha left through the patio door, giving Farrell a warning look to the tune of,
I’m in charge here so
don’t get in my way
.

Farrell smiled and walked over to the table. “May I sit?” I was a little surprised that he wanted to talk but I gestured for him to sit down. “That one is over one hundred years and a warrior I think, yet you don’t fear him?”

“I'm scared, I just know how to hide it. I grew up around werewolves. Sasha’s hot so most women have no problem shoving their necks in his face. I don’t think he’s used to being turned down. But he’s smart enough not to hurt anyone now that he’s in Garrett’s nest. Plus, I’m pretty sure that he’s serious about doing a good job and helping us find Jackie.”

“When you say ‘hot’ you mean handsome?”

“Yeah, but it’s a little bit more than that.” My face heated up and he smiled. I changed the subject, having also noticed the sword. “Are you a warrior?”