Dark Lies: Chapter 18

Savannah

I leapt into my car and drove.

My phone rang a dozen times, but I just drove and drove, looking for a place in Magic Side that wasn’t full of LaSalles or Laurents. Without sorcerers or werewolves. But I didn’t know where that place was.

Normally, when I was distraught, the thrum of the Fury’s engine soothed me, but not tonight.

I could feel my father’s magic—magic that he’d once woven with his sister and my mother to bind my wolf.

Magic wrapped in lies.

The car began to feel like a constrictor, and it became hard to breathe. I’d almost torn my loving, treacherous, protective, deceitful aunt to pieces. I’d seen Casey’s face. There was no going back.

Eventually, I found my way to the Midway Dens and pulled over. I scrolled my phone.

I couldn’t call Jaxson or Sam. They were werewolves, and they’d probably go nuclear when they found out what my aunt had done. And Casey had quickly become my best friend. I kept scrolling and scrolling. Most everyone in it was either a LaSalle or a Laurent—that, or a human with no idea that magic was real.

Like I had been once.

My finger hovered over my godmother’s number. Had she known? What would she even say if she hadn’t? Now I was the crazy one?

Finally, at the very end of the list, I found Zara’s name—the only friend I had who wasn’t wrapped up in this mess.

I dialed, and her voice came across the line. “Hey, Fury, what’s up? Ready for roller derby this weekend?”

“Hey, Zar. Um—” My voice choked up. “Look, something really bad has happened, and I don’t know who else to talk to. I don’t know where I can go, and I need a drink, preferably without any LaSalles or Laurents around.”

“Hey, hold on there, waterworks. Are you okay?”

I nodded, though she couldn’t see me, of course. “Yeah. Just need to talk. And drink.”

“Meet me at the Rift on Razorback?”

I sniffed. “Yeah, I’m close. Thanks.”

“See you in five. I’m already on my way.”

It only took me a few minutes to get to the Rift, but finding parking was hell. In the end, I had to walk four blocks through the cool night air.

Casey kept calling, but I muted him. I just couldn’t face what had happened. Not yet, not sober.

If I could take what had happened back, I would. But I couldn’t.

The Rift was in a building constructed from dark glass cubes. It had an animated neon sign of a sexy she-devil dancing above the door that reminded me a lot of the jammer of our derby team, Rayne.

The hulking blue-skinned demon outside the door just waved me through. Sometimes, it was good to be a girl.

The pulse of the music worked into my bones as I pushed through the grinding bodies. My hands were shaking, and though I felt disconcertingly numb, deep down, I knew I was a bomb ready to detonate.

I wedged myself into a spot at the bar to wait for Zara and motioned to the bartender, who strolled on over. He was handsome and ripped and had two gray horns protruding from his forehead like Zara’s, though hers weren’t always visible. “Two tequila shots, please.”

He nodded and poured the tequila as I looked around. The bar was covered with car racing paraphernalia and filled with every kind of Magica I could imagine. A mouthwatering scent of barbeque filled the air, and between the flow of people and alcohol, it seemed like a good place to get lost, which was just what I needed for a while.

Most importantly, I didn’t see anyone I knew.

Screw werewolves. Screw sorcerers. And screw Dragan and my aunt and my parents and all the shit they were wrapped up in.

The bartender slid the shots across the bar, and I noticed the wicked tattoo under his sleeve—a bird of prey. The colorful feathers on its wings were striking against his blue skin, and they shimmered like they were reflecting the sun.

I handed him my credit card. “Nice ink!”

He glanced down at his arm and grinned. “Alana at Devilish Inks is the best in town. Looks like you could use some more.” He gestured toward the tattoo on my arm. “She works just down the street.”

I’d always wanted another tattoo.

“Maybe. Thanks for the tip.” I downed the first shot, wincing at the burn.

At the far end of the room, a curvy woman with a tail was hanging upside down from a stripper’s pole. She was really flexible.

Hell, I kinda liked this place.

As soon as I saw Zara pushing through the crowd toward me, I downed the second shot and ordered another round for us both, as well as a double whiskey on the rocks.

The bartender slid it and the four shots across the granite top as Zara shoved the guy next to me aside to make room for herself. She eyed the two empties and the four full tequilas. “Rough day?”

“You could say that. Help me celebrate.”

Zara downed a shot and nudged one over to me. “What happened?”

I tossed it back. “Well, this afternoon, I nearly beat an asshole to death in a biker bar, and then I ended the evening by finding out that I’ve been a werewolf my whole life, except that my parents bound my wolf to hide what I was, and my aunt was in on it. I nearly killed her on accident and then fled, but not before revealing what I was to Casey—an absolute fucking monster.”

“Shit. That’s a pretty fucked-up day,” she said, and shot another tequila.

“Pretty much. How was yours?”

“Same.” She motioned for another round. “I visited my dad in prison today. Parents are shit.”

“Damn, I’m sorry.” The fourth shot went down easier than the first three had. “What’d he do?”

“Oh, you know, summoned a demon army and tried to take down the world. And he was the well-adjusted parent.” She grabbed my wrist and towed me into the crowd. “Come on, fuck today. Let’s dance.”

Well, at least I wasn’t the only one with a totally fucked life.

Clutching my whiskey, I followed her to what I presumed was the dancefloor. The crush of bodies and thrum of the bass dulled my senses, and before I knew it, I’d lost myself in the music.

I’m sure it has nothing to do with the tequila, my wolf quipped.

Touché. Though ever since my wolf had been released, it had been much harder to get drunk.

This was what I needed: a moment to forget all the shit that had unfolded. And I had to, because tomorrow, there’d be bigger problems to face. Like figuring out what Dragan was up to.

My aunt and parents were assholes for what they did, but Dragan was the fucking root of it all. I could feel it in my bones. Once I killed him—or whatever that equated to when you were already dead—I could try to put the pieces of my life back together. If Casey or my aunt would ever speak to me again. If I could bring myself speak to her.

Just dance.

After another round of shots, I was blissfully unaware of my troubles.

I let my body move me and soon found myself grinding up against a guy who I was pretty sure was a demon—but not the ugly, bloodsucking kind. He had hot horns, silver and black hair, and an open shirt that displayed his muscles. All in all, he was pretty attractive, though not my type. I apparently only liked dangerous, possessive alpha holes.

Plus, the demon was getting a little handsy.

I shoved him off and wound through the crowd. My thoughts began returning to Laurel’s words—we bound your wolf—which only meant one thing: I needed more tequila.

I ordered another shot and checked my phone. In addition to the barrage from Casey, I had three missed calls from Jaxson, two from Sam, and a slew of messages. I opened the first of Jaxson’s:

Your cousin called, blaming me for turning you into a wolf. Where are you?

The image of Casey’s shocked face bombarded my mind, and I fought back a sob. He’d never forgive me for what I was or for what I’d done to his mother.

I’d just lost my best friend.

I downed the tequila and disappeared back into the crowd, unable to face any more reality than that.

Head spinning, I stumbled a little. Hands gripped my waist and pulled me in. The demon I’d been dancing with slipped his hands around my ass and began grinding against me. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes, but I went with it until he nuzzled his face in my neck, and his hot tongue traced my skin. “What do you say we get out of here?”

Rage tore through me, and I stomped my boot down hard on his foot. “Not interested. Now get your hands off me!”

If I’d wanted a booty call, I knew just the wolf to hit up. But for one moment, I didn’t want to be a wolf or a sorcerer or a nice piece of ass. I just wanted to exist in a space where none of what had happened was real—to dance and forget everything.

Unfortunately, the creeper didn’t appreciate my reaction, and he shoved me back. “Bitch!”

Before I could react, a blonde woman stepped up and slammed him to the ground.

“Sam?” I yelped as I lost my balance and landed on my ass.

She gripped the demon’s neck and leaned close to his shocked face. “If you ever touch her again, you’ll be a dead man.”

What the hell was Sam doing here?

The room spun, and I had to blink to focus on her. She was frowning, but she looked hot, and—oh, my God, I’m going to puke.

My head buzzed.

Did I say that out loud?

Sam and Zara scooped me up and pushed through the crowd. The next thing I knew, I was doubled over and retching on the sidewalk. Once I’d emptied my stomach, Sam handed me a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash.

“Thanks.” I swished my mouth out and spat it on the street. The minty flavor stung my cheeks.

Sam opened the passenger door of Tony’s Jeep. “Get in.”

Drunk though I was, I knew better than to argue.

“How’d you find me?” I asked after a few silent blocks.

“Zara called. Said you were on a bender and that she couldn’t reach your cousin.” She glanced over at me, the oncoming lights of a car highlighting the irritation on her face. “You’re lucky that I was the one she called and not Jaxson. Fuck, Savy, what the hell happened?”

God, this wasn’t how I’d wanted this night to end. I tried to dry my eyes with the back of my wrist. “The truth caught up with me, and I made a mess of everything.”

Before she could speak, Sam’s phone rang, and she picked up. “I’ve got her. I’ll bring her right over.”

Even drunk out of my mind, I recognized the voice on the other end of the line. Jaxson.

I put my face in my hands. It seemed my evening parade of humiliation wasn’t over.