Ruled by Tainted Blood by Michael J Allen

Author:Michael J Allen [Allen, Michael J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: shapeshifter, Faerie, Angel, urban fantasy, Fallen, Phoenix, Sidhe
ISBN: 9781944357443
Publisher: Delirious Scribbles Ink
Published: 2019-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

13: Discoveries in Defeat

Caelum

Caelum jerked open his ammunition drawers to find them emptied. His eyes flashed up to the wall of weapons. With growing unease, he reached out toward the assault rifle closest to hand. A single touch dissolved the solid looking weapon into violet smoke.

Caelum cursed.

Firearms weren’t as hard to procure as specialty weapons like Quayla’s dagger hilts, but school shootings perpetrated by Fae Kissed mortals had made purchasing guns harder.

Pity Vitae won’t let me raid a drug den for replacements.

He turned back to the corner, eyes tracing the indentations in his carpet where the stone basin holding his essence had rested. One of the courts, Unseelie by the smell, had stolen his nest and his guns. He’d been ready to arm up and hunt them the fun way, but without an arsenal to give any action star a wet dream, he was reduced to what little he had on him.

Damn faeries have depleted my caches. Guess I could visit my safety deposit box.

He laughed.

Just imagine the reception I’d get entering Faery with storied battle fans—tantamount to walking around with Champion blades.

He raced to the elevator, pushing the gifts from his first mentor out of his thoughts. He’d used the weapons only once before deciding they were too precious—and too difficult to clean—for everyday combat.

Caelum opened his mouth the moment his motorcycle roared to life. “Ani? I—”

“Shield Caelum?” Anima asked.

If he told Vitae that his nest had been stolen, the stuck-up life phoenix would demand he move back into headquarters.

If I can get it back without him any the wiser, no harm no foul.

“Ani, I’m going to visi—”

I can just hear what Vitae will say if he learns I’m going into the Goblin Market, and I can’t explain why I need to question Oshyn’s brownies without telling him I lost my nest.

“Caelum?” Anima asked.

“I’m heading out to replace some of my seeds, so I’ll be out of touch a while.”

“Understood,” Anima said. “With all the incursions, I’d appreciate it if you checked in often between paintings.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call my feeble tagging a painting, but how can you appreciate anything if you have no emotions?”

Her response sounded short and clipped. “You are correct. An unfeeling AI is unable to feel emotions such as appreciation.”

“Anima? Is everything all right? You sound...hurt.”

“An AI cannot be hurt.”

Caelum drew out the word. “Right?”

“Do you require anything else, Shield Caelum?”

“No...no.”

Maybe I should email her a picture of flowers just in case.

He roared across town to the Russian market. Without a trunk, he was forced to limit how much he collected. The thrice and thrice again penalty from Quayla’s rampage would prevent the supply from going far, but he wouldn’t be in the Market long.

This trip is for info, not shopping.

The gruff billy goat fey eyed Caelum’s backtrail as he entered. Once they confirmed Quayla wasn’t with him, they demanded their inflated bribe of candy bars. He paid them off and moved to one side, unfolding his silk carpet.

Festival music he didn’t realize had stopped when he’d requested entry filled the Market.

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