Ink Exchange

Chapter 23

Irial woke with a scream half formed on his lips. He was unbound but still on Rabbit's chair. Red welts crossed his arms and legs. A bruise stretched across his arm where the tube had been. He tried to sit up, sending paroxysms of pain through his whole body.

Ani sealed her lips to his, swallowing his scream—and the ones that followed.

When she pulled back—lips blood red, pupils dilated, cheeks flushed—he gaped at her. Halflings didn't, couldn't, feed on faeries. Mortal blood overcame most of their fey traits. The traits that remained had never included this one.

More troubles.

"How?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Ani, you can't stay here if you need to—"

"Feed?" she prompted with a smile that was all Gabriel, wicked and predatory.

"Yes, feed, like your father. No wonder Rabbit's had so much trouble with you." Irial concentrated on keeping his focus, on not trying to go check on Leslie, on dealing with Ani first. Leslie's not ready to talk to me. Not here. Not when I'm so weak.

"Your pain's like a big sundae. Didja know that?" Ani licked her lips. "Cherry. With extra sugar."

"What about Tish?" He pulled on the shirt Ani had given him. Business first. Then Leslie. Somehow she didn't seem like business anymore.

"Nope. Just me." Ani leaned closer. "Can I have another taste?"

She bit his chin, drawing blood with her sharp canines.

He sighed and pushed her away. No violence in disciplining Gabriel's daughter.

"I can feed off mortals without the ink exchange. No exchange. Just me." She sighed dreamily. "If they're rolling, it's like drinking rainbows. Rainbows. Big, sugary rainbows."

"Mortals?"

She swayed into him. "If I find a strong one, it's okay. It's only when I pick the wrong ones that they get all stupid. Not so different than what you're doing, is it?" She plopped down beside him. "She's fine, you know. Leslie. Resting and all that."

"Rabbit!" he yelled. Then he sent a mental message out to Gabriel. They'd need to take Ani with them for a while.

"What's she done?" Rabbit leaned in the doorway.

“Fed.”

He nodded once. "I wondered if that's why—"

"You wondered? Why didn't you tell me? Warn me? She could've gotten hurt, could've gotten in trouble." Irial stared at him. "And she could have been what we needed to forestall …" He let his words drift away. The idea of finding Ani earlier, of not being with Leslie, made his stomach tighten in unfamiliar panic. Here was a solution that was too little, too late, and he was perversely glad of it.

Beside Irial, Rabbit was still, cautious, all the things Irial wasn't feeling. Rabbit said, "She's my sister, Iri. I wasn't going to turn her over for testing, not when you had a plan that might work."

Ani swayed and tried to step around Rabbit to leave. He scooped up his sister, holding her aloft and away from his body like she was feral, but looking at her with the same affection he'd had when Ani was just a newborn pup.

He pointedly changed the subject. "Leslie's leaving now."

To hide just how confused he was about the feelings he was having for Leslie, Irial focused on Ani, who was kicking her feet in the air and giggling. "Ani can't stay here," he said.

"I know." Rabbit kissed Ani's forehead. His eyes twinkled as he added, "Dad's going to have an awful time with her."

Irial felt the Hounds approach, a skin-prickling roll of terror that he let wash over him like soothing balm. Fey outside—not his, but summer fey—cringed as the Hounds passed. He let himself take nourishment from the horror they wrought by their presence.

"Daddy!" Ani squealed, kicking her feet again.

The Hounds stayed outside—all but Gabriel. He nodded at Rabbit. "Pup."

Rabbit rolled his eyes at his father and turned to Irial. "You ought to go after Leslie soon. Daddy can handle Ani." He grinned then, looking every bit like Ani's sibling. "In fact, I'll get Ani's bag together first so she'll be ready to leave with the pack."

Ignoring the look of panic that flashed over Gabriel's face, Irial answered, "Don't let Ani roam while you do."

After Rabbit carried the giggling Ani away, Irial brought Gabriel up to speed.

"What do I do with her?" Gabriel, the Hound who led some of the most terrifying creatures to walk the earth, sounded utterly intimidated. "How do I … She's female, Irial. Don't they have different needs?"

"She can't be worse than you were when you were younger. Ask one of your females for advice." Irial drew as much nourishment as he could from Gabriel's mingled panic and excitement and pride. Irial needed to be stable before he went to find Leslie, needed to be well fed so he didn't pull too many human emotions through Leslie just yet. Let her get used to me first, talk to me. He felt worry for his mortal. If the other dark fey had felt this weakness when they did the ink exchanges, they hadn't admitted it to him.

Gabriel was still talking; Irial forced himself to listen to the Hound.

"… and they're just not good examples for my pup. Have you seen them lately? Chela and her litter all but slaughtered the representatives of Sorcha's court the other moon."

"Month, Gabriel. The other month."

Gabriel waved a hand, utterly uncowed by his king. "They're too rough for Ani. She's so tiny." He started pacing as he rambled on about the female Hounds.

They were truly fierce, but Irial had trouble objecting to anything that kept Sorcha's court away from him.

"Can she run?" Gabriel stopped on the verge of a burst of pride that was almost chokingly sweet.

Irial closed his eyes and savored the orange-sugar rush of Gabriel's emotions. "Ask her."

"You need anything first?" Gabriel paused, as still as a wave before it breaks.

"No. Just take Ani home. Get Rabbit's telephone number so you can reach him if you need advice on her."

Gabriel snarled, but only once.

Irial glared, relieved to deal with the familiar challenge of Gabriel's pride. "He's raised her. You don't know her. Get his number."

The look on Gabriel's face would stop almost any fey or mortal. Accepting orders—even from his king—went against his instincts. Irial softened his tone. "If you don't need it, fine, but they should keep in touch. They're a pack of their own."

Gabriel bowed his head slightly. "Do you need someone else for your strength?"

Irial held out a hand to the once more visibly uncomfortable Hound. "After seeing you? Why?"

Gabriel straightened his shoulders. "Then I'll go fetch the pup. My daughter" — he had another burst of tangled emotions then—"it is just the one, right?"

Irial bit back his smile. "Just Ani."

"Right then. I'll get her."

"Be sure to say hello to Tish, though," Irial reminded him. "Then send her to me. We're going out."

I need to find Leslie. My Leslie, my mercy, my strength, my Shadow Girl… mine.

He drew a deep breath, pleased to realize that he knew exactly where she was, could see her if he tried. She had left the shop and now walked down the street, her step sure, her lips curved in the most enchanting smile he'd ever seen.

Soon. I'll be there soon. He pulled his hands through his hair, brushing it back, and checked that he hadn't any blood on his shirt. He didn't, but his pants were a total loss. He opened the door and called, "Tish! Five minutes."

Then he went to find his bag. My mortal seeing me like this … no, not the best way to entice her, covered in blood.