She could tell when the drugs hit him fully. The tension in his face eased up and he seemed far more relaxed. Faye sat on his shoulder and waited for him to be able to talk with her.

  “Thank you, my friend.”

  “Any time.” She patted his cheek again. “Any time. And I’m sorry about what she did.”

  “Her anger is justified.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that when it’s not? Ugh, I don’t want to talk about Molly. She’s got her own demons to slay, and I’m not about to help her with them. She’ll figure out she’s wrong at some point.”

  “So upstanding.”

  “Not always.” Faye’s eyes scrunched. “I’ve always been hot or cold when it comes to ethics and morals, you know that.”

  “Not always.”

  She chuckled. “You’re right. I used to follow all the lines. I thought it made me more human.”

  “You are Tainted.”

  “I am.” The acceptance settled into Faye’s chest. She had tried to play at being human for so long she’d forgotten to even think about her Tainted nature, which had been exactly what she wanted, but it hadn’t landed her in a good place at all. At least now she mostly accepted both sides of herself.

  “I was wondering if you knew where I could get more of that new drug.”

  “I told you to stay away from it.” Anger laced each of his words, and it was the fastest she had ever heard him speak. “It is not good for you.”

  Faye furrowed her brow. “I’ve only taken what I can handle.”

  “You have taken it? And survived?”

  “Yes.”

  They lapsed into a silence. Faye brushed her fingers together as she thought about all he was saying. Her question was dual-fold. She wanted more drugs, especially since she’d lost the last bunch, or at least, couldn’t remember where she’d stupidly hidden them in the throes of taking far too much, but she also didn’t want Molly to come back and question him. If she could get the answers Molly was looking for, then it would be better for everyone.

  “The same as before,” he answered.

  “I met some of your people down there, but I suppose you already thought that might happen. I had to use your name to stay out of trouble.”

  He chuckled. “They do not like Molly.”

  “I don’t suppose they would.”

  “They like you.”

  “Have you spoken with them?”

  He gave a slight nod.

  Faye drew in a breath. She hadn’t realized how he must have missed them. From what she’d read, trolls were a closed community. They needed every one of them to survive. Faye put her palm flat against him. “Are they making the drug?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are they giving it out if they’re Tainted. I mean, this drug kills us, you’ve said so yourself.”

  “They are not.”

  Faye drew in a sharp breath. “Then why did you send me to get it from them?”

  “They collect it.”

  “To keep it from others. Why didn’t I think about that before.” Closing her eyes, Faye let out a sigh. She should have known he would be trying to help instead of trying to incite. There was nothing in it for him if all Tainted were gone. If Molly died, then he’d never get out of this prison, though perhaps someone from the fold might be able to undo the spell, without Molly out of the way, she likely wouldn’t let them.

  “Thank you, my friend.”

  He turned to her. “Be careful, friend. This drug is dangerous.”

  “I know.” She leaned in, kissed his cheek tenderly, and pushed back so she could walk down his shoulder and then his arm to her bike. She gave him one last wave and mounted. She had at least one more stop that night before she headed back to the odd little whitewashed house.

  The sewers were the same. She wasn’t quite sure why she expected them to be different, but they had been quiet for weeks instead of with the loud booming of music that normally would play there. Maybe that was what she looked for.

  Instead of following the path down the club, she moved along the path she had taken the last time she was there. The trolls were the obvious answer to get more information, whether Molly had wanted to admit that or not, though she suspected Molly wouldn’t be able to get answers from them. She had burned that bridge and continued to keep the flame lit.

  The soft moss ground gave way to to dirt, and Faye continued to move. She used the electricity in her fingers to light the way. Stopping short, she narrowed her gaze at the corner of a rock. Curious, she bent down and moved it, then dug with her sharp nails into the hardened soil. It took her a few minutes before she felt the smooth confines of the baggie. Grinning, Faye pulled out the bag of pills she had hidden.

  “Well, lookie here.”

  She shoved them into her leather jacket and zipped the jacket closed to keep them in place. Facing down the trolls again was not necessarily something she wanted to do, but she had to see them and know if her friend was hinting at something else.

  She was just about to step into the wide, pitch black room when she stopped short. Perking her ears up, Faye listened carefully. Rapid breathing echoed all around her. Her heart ramped up its pace. She wanted to step back, but answers loomed. Staying completely still, Faye waited to see what was going to happen next. If she moved, they might attack. If she didn’t, they still might attack.

  The breathing became heavier. For someone with superior eyes, it pissed her off to no end that she could see nothing in the dark. Waiting with bated breath, Faye listened to see if she could figure out where they were. More than one surrounded her, but her back seemed to still be free, though she wasn’t sure how long that would be.

  Molly had known where she’d gone, but she’d done a good job of pissing Molly off before she left too, so it could be a while before anyone came looking for her. She had to calm down, think of a plan to get out of there, and go from there. Swallowing down the bile and fear working its way around her belly, Faye shifted her foot back.

  The breathing turned into a growl.

  “Fuck,” she muttered.

  Faye spun around, flinging her hand out with electricity from her fingers into any direction she thought they might be. She couldn’t even see what they hell they were, but they were not trolls. She hit nothing. Not bothering to create another electrical field, Faye booked it the way she had come in. One of them caught up to her, grabbing her ankle and dragging her down so she landed hard on her face.

  It pulled at her pants, shaking her leg as its head whipped side to side. The tingles in Faye’s chest worked overtime, and she let loose. Her nails elongated, and her fangs descended. Flipping over, Faye kicked hard, knocking the creature back, the creature she still didn’t have a good view of. Crying out, Faye winced as more fangs sunk into her arms and into her shoulder.

  “Fuck this,” she muttered, her voice low as she pushed to get them off her.

  Kicking and screaming out, she managed to sink her nails into the side of one of them. Hot wet fluid poured over her hand as she ripped out whatever she could grab at. She must have done some good damage if not killed the creature because she flung something wet and sticky away from her.

  Reaching for the next one, Faye did the same. She ripped her way through them until they gave up and ran out toward the exit into the street. Faye lay still, catching her breath. Reaching up, she checked her store of drugs and found them safe and tucked inside her jacket. As much as she wanted to continue down to the trolls for a chat, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do that with the rampage of beasts running wild on the surface. She still had no idea what they were.

  Faye pushed herself up to sit and recalled her vampiric form. Ben would be able to shift as fast as her eventually. The thought of him made her smile as she turned onto her knees and used the wall of the sewer to help her stand up. Creating the electric field, Faye held her hand around the ground to try and see what it was that had attacked her.

  Blood littered the now damp soil but no creatures. Cursing again, she took a step toward the club. She had to warn Molly at least, get someone out there to do damage control because that was all it could be with a pack of something running loose. Faye reached for her phone but had no service that far underground. Groaning, Faye stumbled her way toward the entrance to the sewers. She stopped short when she saw the black fur, the hind legs, the barely rising and falling chest.

  “So I did get you.” Smirking at herself, Faye knelt down just as the beasts last breath shuddered through its body.

  When it didn’t transform into a human form, she was confused for a moment. Running her fingers over its head, she sighed. She still had no idea what creature it was. It looked like a wolf, but its tail was long and covered in scales while the rest of its body had black fur all over it. Whatever it was, it was ugly. Snapping a picture of it on her phone, Faye stood up straight and booked it for the surface. She had to call Molly, as much as she didn’t want to.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Malek had spent over a week in the medical bay before Amachon finally released him. Faye walked through the halls with a purpose in her steps, her high on a low level since she’d gone back to cutting the pills into quarters before taking them. Malek stopped her with a hand on her arm, and Faye spun into him, smiling in his direction as she hoped it came off as seductive. She was pretty sure that was still what she was supposed to do with him, but she and Molly hadn’t talked about it recently.

  His lips worked up into a saccharine smile. It set Faye on edge. She cocked her head to the side as she eyed him to figure out what he was up to. Malek had never been this sweet with her. His demeanor was normally far more standoffish, but she supposed that could have changed since she’d fucked him into oblivion, though she’d done that more to save Molly from the task.

  “Yes?” she asked, still trying to get some sort of answer from him.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Faye raised an eyebrow as she judged him. “And you? You’re the one who has taken far longer to recover.”

  “I’m well, thank you.” He gripped her upper arm. “I see the cleanse was a folly.”

  “Oh?”

  “You’ve been taking more drug.”

  “Not as much.” Faye winked at him and leaned against the wall in the corridor. She wanted to see how far she could take this. She did have to gain his trust, make him think she liked him, which was almost a feat in and of itself. It wasn’t that she disliked him. He was useful for information, but that was about it. She was pretty sure all he saw in her was vampire, which was such a stark contrast to Molly.

  As she anticipated, Malek moved against her, his body pressing into hers. He kissed the corner of her lips. “Let’s go out.”

  “Out where?”

  “Let’s get out of this house.”

  “Malek,” Faye put a hand on his chest, “You’ll have to tell me why we’re leaving not just that we’re leaving.”

  He kissed her neck. Dutifully, Faye turned her chin up and gave him more access.

  “Is it for a date?”

  “I thought we might be able to find some information for Molly. She’s been in such a sour mood lately, I thought perhaps some information on this project of hers might brighten her mood.”

  “So this is for Molly?” Faye ran her fingers down his side until she reached his hip. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but sneaking out of the house without Molly knowing would most likely not please Molly at all. In fact, his plan was likely to do the complete opposite, and Faye had just gotten back into Molly’s good graces after her argument and the subsequent creature attack.

  “Be honest with me, Faye, when do you do something that isn’t for Molly?”

  Faye could think of plenty of times she ignored what Molly would want and went her own way, including the time she’d literally left the house for months to find her own recovery. The time she’d gotten sober for herself not because Molly had told her to. She wasn’t about to tell him that. “You’re right, I do everything for her.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  “This as in what?”

  “You have contacts.”

  “When do I not?”

  “You’re in tune enough with Molly’s contacts that I would imagine you’d be able to do your own investigation. She’s too consumed by research right now, trying to find a cure.”

  Faye rubbed her lips together and turned to face him, her chin pointing down. She remembered something about Molly saying Malek liked his women submissive. She could play that role. She’d done it on more than one occasion, and when she was born, it was almost natural for women to play that role.

  “What research is she doing?”

  “Finding a cure.”

  “Cure for a drug someone can chose to take or not?” Faye walked her fingers up his chest. Maybe she could get him into bed and then the crazy notion of leaving the house would be out of his head.

  “For the drug, yes. She wants a counter to it.”

  “I thought Amachon had tried everything.”

  “Amachon isn’t a witch.”

  Pouting, Faye turned her chin up to look him in the eye. “You’re saying she’s looking for a magical cure?”

  “Yes.” Malek pressed an arm above her head and leaned over her.

  “Then why aren’t you helping her?”

  Malek narrowed his eyes at her. “You know Molly, she works better alone.”

  “Like you do, I suppose.”

  “And yourself.”

  Faye couldn’t help the chuckle that left her lips. “You’re right about that.”

  “So tell me, Faye, will you try to solve the mystery with me?”

  “You ask so nicely, as though I have a choice. I bet I need to go with you so you don’t run into trouble.”

  “I don’t have the contacts here you do. Unlike last year when you came to be for help, this time I’m coming to you.”

  Sighing, Faye knocked her head back into the wall. Her eyes picked up Ben shuffling down the hall, his shoes brushing against the cement as he walked, never even. She would know that gait anywhere. Raising her tone so he would hear, Faye answered, “I guess we could go to the sewers, Malek. I do have a few contacts I haven’t resorted to using yet.”

  “See? I knew you’d be useful.”

  Faye let out a small noise in the back of her throat. Somehow, she thought Malek meant more than just in this situation. Ben’s footsteps stopped. Faye held her breath and kissed Malek swiftly. “Let’s go.”

  ###

  Ben’s heart raced. Something was wrong with what was happening in that hallway, and he had a gut feeling about it. Taking a chance, Ben held his breath as he loosened every one of his muscles like Faye had taught him. He focused on a spider, small but stealthy. Its eight long legs that would carry him almost anywhere he wanted to go.

  As soon as he started shifting, the pain scorched through his body. He bit his tongue until he tasted blood and kept from crying out. He stopped paying full attention to what they were saying as his muscles changed, his bones broke and mended.

  As soon as he was an arachnid, Ben let out a breath, the immediately the pain receded although it still lingered in other ways. He crawled up the wall to try and get a better look at Faye and Malek, but they were already heading his way. Faye’s eyes darted from side to side and down the hall as they moved, Malek’s hand at her back as he guided her. It made Ben’s stomach twist.

  Faye turned the corner where Ben had been standing and froze, stopping suddenly. Ben panicked for her. Malek gave her a curious look. Faye, in true Faye style, rolled her eyes and shoved him against the wall with her mouth pressed to his. She ran her hands up and down his sides. Her breathing quickened.

  Ben’s mind spun. He did not want to be witness to any of what was going on. He cringed at just the thought of it. Faye’s hand slapped down above Malek’s head, only inches from where Ben clung to the wall. Her gaze turned from Malek to Ben, and once more Ben panicked. Inching forward, he stepped onto her pale skin and skittered from her fingers to the top of her hand to the backside of her arm.

  His tiny body moved along until he got to her hair where he burrowed his way under the locks at the back of her head. Malek’s hand skimmed through the base of Faye’s neck and a little into her hair, and Ben moved upward even more. Faye’s voice was soft when she whispered to Malek, “I suppose we should save this for another time perhaps.”

  “Yes. Molly will only be distracted for so long.”

  Bile worked its way into Ben’s stomach. Whatever the two of them were doing, Molly was not to be involved, which worried him. He knew Faye’s and Molly’s relationship was anything but conventional, and something he really didn’t want to know the details of if he thought about it. He saw enough of it by accident, exactly like this, though perhaps this time Faye had done it on purpose for his benefit.

  Faye leaned into Malek’s side, and his hand was around her waist. Ben relaxed as his hand was far away from where Ben clung to Faye in hiding. It was going to be quite the journey to see what the two of them were up to. They walked to the garage, and Faye handed Malek a helmet for her motorcycle and then popped her own on. Ben had to squeeze against her skull in order to fit into it without getting smooshed.

  It took him another few seconds before he was brave enough to walk around to the side and stare out the front of her helmet. They got on the bike, Malek behind Faye as she drove. Her hands twisted on the bars, and the roaring came to life under her. They then were off. Ben barely noticed the movement as he held on to Faye’s hair to keep himself steady. He still had no idea where they were going, but he was along for whatever trouble they were going to find themselves in.

  ###

  Molly’s back ached. She’d been holed up in her lab for days with very little breaks. Amachon had checked on her, informed her he was releasing Malek. Faye had even been in once or twice but that was it. Molly closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.