Death Bringer

Chapter One

“What do you mean, I can’t spend the night?”

Ignoring the interested glances of the other passengers on the packed Blue & Gold ferry to Tiburon, Ella glared right back at Vadim.

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t asked nicely, and I don’t like being taken for granted. We might be stuck together for life, but it doesn’t mean you own me or anything.” She walked away from him and looked back at the city. The incoming fog crawling in under the Golden Gate Bridge was slowly swallowing up the gray, square lines and glinting glass buildings.

“Then why didn’t you say something when I got on this damn boat with you?”

He was right behind her again. His voice was quiet, but fury emanated from every pore. He wore a long dark coat and blue cashmere scarf that screamed Italian designer. Tendrils of his black hair danced coyly in the breeze, caressing his awesome cheekbones. He might look like a model in the middle of a photo shoot, but he was much more than a pretty face.

She shrugged. “I don’t know where you’re living. I assumed you must have moved over here.”

“I haven’t moved anywhere. When the hell did I have time to do that? Alexei left for Russia this evening. I paid off his extortionate bill, but kept my room on.”

“Well, that’s lucky. You can stay on the ferry and go right back again.”

“You know damn well that this is the last one tonight.”

She swiveled to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. “Then you know what you can do, don’t you?”

“What’s that, Ms. Walsh?” He moved so close that she could see into his dark blue eyes. So much bluer than the murky waters of the bay, and so much more dangerous too... His gaze flashed black, and her pulse jumped in her throat.

“You can use magic, Morosov, and fly away home.”

“Yes, I can.” He slowly let out his breath. “What I don’t understand is what the hell is wrong with you. You’ve been treating me like dirt all day.”

“What’s new?” He didn’t lighten up, and she looked away from his intense gaze. “I just need an evening to myself, that’s all.”

Silence greeted her remark. She concentrated on maintaining her mental shields, even though if he really wanted to get through them, he could do it with ease.

“You nearly died yesterday.”

“So?”

“We’ve spent the last twenty-four hours being debriefed by the SBLE authorities, and now I want to sleep for a hundred years. With you.”

“It’s not just your decision, is it?” She hunched a shoulder at him. “Oh, for God’s sake, Morosov, don’t get all primitive and possessive. I really can’t handle it at the moment.”

“You can’t handle it, period. That’s why you don’t want me here. You’re scared.”

“And you aren’t?”

“At least I’m trying to deal with it.”

“Well, good for you.”

The ferry slowed and shuddered against the pull of the tide as, engines churning, it turned clumsily toward the dock. Seagulls flew off the sea wall to encircle the craft, looking for rich pickings from the tourists.

Ella pushed past Vadim and walked over to the stairs that led to the lower deck. She stomped down them and joined the line of passengers ready to exit the boat the moment it docked. She felt rather than saw him fall in behind her.

“Go away, Morosov.”

“I’m just getting off the ferry.”

“And then what will you do? Sit on the beach all night?”

“If I have to.”

The older woman in the line in front of Ella turned around. “Is he annoying you, dear? Do you want me to call the cops?” Her gaze drifted up to Vadim’s. “Wow, he’s really cute. Are you sure you don’t want him, because I’d take him off your hands in a second.”

“Be my guest.” Ella smiled at the woman. “He’s almost house-trained.”

“Ms. Walsh.”

There was a definite note of warning in Vadim’s tone, but when had that ever stopped her? She turned her attention to the deckhand who was opening the gate and shuffled forward with the rest of the weary commuters. The salty air hit her like a shot of tequila, and she breathed it in. After twenty-four hours stuck at the Supernatural Branch of Law Enforcement, she’d wanted to scream. Only the thought that her testimony would put on record who had been killing empaths had made her stay and endure the endless, repetitive questions from a bunch of morons who should know better.

“Agreed.”

Vadim’s voice echoed in her head. Damn, she must be tired if she couldn’t keep him out at this stage of the evening. She stumbled on the uneven deck, and he attempted to catch her elbow. She jerked away and almost fell again.

“Ella, let me help you. You’re weaving around like a drunk.”

“I’m fine. Go away.”

He took hold of her arm and spun her around to face him. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m taking you home, where we will go to sleep. If you want to continue this discussion in the morning, when we’re both refreshed, I’ll be more than willing to do so.” He paused. “Are you mimicking me?”

“I can’t help it. You get so polite and Russian when you’re pissed with me.”

He let go of her and looked down at the ground. “I can’t do this right now. Can we just go home?”

Without giving him a direct answer, she set off along the coastal path and up the hill, toward her basement apartment. Things really were bad if they didn’t have the energy to fight with each other. He followed her silently, his breathing even, his presence a comfort she refused to acknowledge.

She still couldn’t deal with the fact that she was a) alive and b) mated to an enigma. She’d confidently expected to go nuts in a week, when she turned twenty-seven. It happened to empaths. She’d assumed it would happen to her and had lived her whole life accordingly. But in a strange twist of fate, she’d ended up with Mr. “I’m not quite human” GQ.

She snorted. Strike that. He wasn’t human at all. He was Fae fucking royalty.

“What’s wrong?”

She’d stopped walking and was breathing hard through her nose.

“Nothing!”

Perhaps it was a good idea to let him spend the night. When she’d rested, she’d make sure to interrogate him thoroughly about his family in Otherworld before she let him eat or have sex with her ever again.

Not that she needed to have sex with him like she needed her next breath.

“Do you want a push up the hill?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” She kept walking, her gaze fixed on the looming Victorian house with its white railings, steep steps and gabled roofline.

“I’ll get the door.”

He disappeared ahead of her. Could she do that now? Use magic to get stuff done? She hadn’t actually asked Vadim how much of his power she could control and manipulate, now that they were bonded. She’d tried not to ask him anything at all.

By the time she reached the front door, he’d turned on the lights, started a fire in the grate and put the coffee on. Her mail was stacked on the countertop, and he was already in the bathroom sloshing water around. Not that she minded. He would always leave the place cleaner than when he’d entered it. It was one of his more endearing, yet annoying, habits.

Wearily, she stripped off her coat and hat and threw them toward the back of the couch. All she wanted was a shower and her bed and two days to sleep.

A blast of fragrant steam billowed out of the bathroom, and Vadim came out. He picked up her coat and put it over his arm.

“The shower’s on. You go ahead. Do you want me to bring you some coffee or anything to eat?”

Ella just stared at him until he took her by the hand and gently pushed her into the bathroom. By the time she opened her mouth to reply, he’d closed the door behind him, leaving her alone. She took off her clothes and got into the shower, sighing as the hot water streamed over her. It took all her remaining energy to lift her arms long enough to shampoo her hair.

When she finally rinsed out the conditioner and could see again, a mug of herbal tea stood on the ledge next to her. Had Vadim come in while she was showering, or was he no longer hiding the extent of his abilities? She guessed the latter. After sipping the tea, she stepped out onto the fluffy mat and found two warm towels and her favorite pink bunny pajamas awaiting her.

Damn, the man was good.

She dressed and didn’t bother to dry her hair, just wrapped it up in the towel and went back into the kitchen. He was standing at the kitchen counter, drinking coffee and watching something in the toaster. He’d taken off his coat, jacket and tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves.

“Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

“No, thanks. I think I’ll head straight to bed.”

He looked up. “Good night, Ella.”

“’Night, Morosov.”

When she closed her bedroom door, she realized he’d put the bedside lamp on and turned on her heated blankie. With a sigh, she threw herself into bed and wrapped the warmed quilt around her. Bliss.

Twenty minutes later she opened one eye and listened intently to the silence around her. Where was Vadim? She couldn’t sleep without knowing what he was doing.

She got out of bed and opened the door a crack. The scent of toasted bread floated over her, but the kitchen was in darkness and so was the bathroom. Had he really gone? A feeling not unlike terror clutched at her heart. She opened the door wider and stepped into the hallway.

“Morosov?”

A slight sound made her peer into the gloom. Was that a hint of white on the couch?

“Ouch!” She recoiled as her knee collided with the chair arm.

“Ella, are you all right?”

She fumbled her way to the seat, still holding her knee, and sat down. “You’re sleeping on the couch?”

“Where else would I sleep?” His voice was low and husky. “It’s better than the beach.”

She touched his leg. “I thought you’d gone.”

“Do you want me to?”

“No.”

His fingers curled around hers, and he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Then go back to bed.”

“Okay.” He let go of her and she slowly stood up. “See you in the morning, then.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Good to know.” She went back to bed and slid between the sheets. With an exhausted sigh, she closed her eyes.

“You don’t need to come and find me. You’ll know if I’ve really gone.”

“How?”

“You won’t sense me in your head.”

“That would be a blessing.”

She waited but he didn’t reply, and she gradually relaxed again. She might not have come to terms with him, or anything in her life yet, but she was glad he was there.

In her head.

In her heart?

With a groan, she rolled over and went to sleep.

“Coffee?”

Vadim held up the half-empty pot as Ella came out of the bathroom. She stared at him as if he were speaking Russian and briefly closed her eyes. Her blond hair was standing on end as if she’d stuck her finger in an electrical outlet. He wouldn’t put it past her. Concealing a smile, he found one of the mugs he’d just rewashed, filled it with coffee and put it on the countertop next to her.

“Do you want me to toast you a bagel?”

She clambered up onto the kitchen stool and nodded, both hands wrapped around her mug of coffee as she inhaled the rising steam. He sliced the bagel, put it in the toaster and went to the refrigerator to get the cream cheese.

“I went out for a run earlier, so I got some supplies.”

She sipped at her coffee, and her shoulders slowly came down from around her ears. It had been a stressful couple of days. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned away and studied the newspaper until the bagel was toasted. “Did you sleep well?”

“I think so. I don’t remember dreaming or anything.”

“That’s good.” He’d have enough nightmares for both of them. He was surprised he hadn’t woken her. “I’m not planning on going into the office today. How about you?”

“Hold it. Stop with the casual small talk.” She pointed her knife at him. “Why aren’t you on that plane going back to Russia with Alexei?”

“Because the SBLE decided I should stay here.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“They don’t know about...us, do they?”

“I should imagine they’ll work it out fairly quickly when you don’t start going insane on your birthday.”

“Oh, damn. I’d forgotten about that. Maybe I could pretend to go nuts?”

“And lose the job you love so much?” Ignoring her impression of sticking her fingers down her throat, he stuck another bagel in the toaster. “And remember, they won’t necessarily know whom you’re mated to, just that you are mated.”

“But won’t everyone wonder why you’re still here?”

“The last I heard, everyone was hoping I’d stay because I’m the only partner you’ve ever worked with that you respect.”

She stuck out her tongue at him. He handed her another bagel.

“So you’re planning on staying, then?”

Despite the casual nature of her question, he heard the serious intent behind it.

“I thought I’d made that quite clear.”

“Are you afraid I’ll go nuts if you don’t?”

He smiled down at his coffee. “No, I’m afraid I’ll go nuts. I don’t think I would function very well if I couldn’t be with you.”

She slammed her mug down on the countertop. “Morosov, don’t say things like that. You’re supposed to be running away from me, not offering yourself up for more punishment.”

“It’s just the way it is.”

“I don’t like it.” She bit into her bagel and crumbs flew everywhere. He resisted the urge to fetch a dustpan and brush and gather them up. Maybe it would be better to wait until she finished...

“I can’t change my nature, Ella.”

“As to that.” She swiveled on her seat so that she could face him. “What exactly are you? I know you’re a swan shifter and some kind of Fae royalty. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

“Don’t you think that’s enough to be getting along with?” He darn well hoped so. He had no intention of telling her the rest unless he was in mortal peril. “I’m sure you have questions.”

She held out her coffee mug. “Fill this up first, and then we’ll talk.”

He studied her bunny pajamas and tatty white robe. “Don’t you want to get dressed first?”

“Why? We’re not going anywhere, are we?” She slid off the stool and headed for the couch.

Vadim waited until her back was turned and swiftly cleaned up the crumbs, put her plate in the sink and wiped off the surfaces. Picking up his own cup of coffee, he joined her on the couch. She’d kicked off her slippers. Her toenails were bright pink with orange sparkles. He wanted to kiss them...

He was in deep shit.

“So tell me about the shape-shifting first.”

He forced his gaze back up to her face. “One of my...grandfathers is the current swan king. I get the ability from him.”

“It’s not much use is it? What can a swan actually do? Peck someone to death?”

“They can do much more than that.”

“Yeah?” She tucked her feet up under her. “I hear they’re really good at ballet and telling fairy tales, as well.”

He took a long, slow breath and let it out through his nose. “Are you just going to mock, or are you actually interested in learning about the abilities you’ve acquired?”

“You have no sense of humor, Morosov.”

“I believe you have enough for both of us.” He stopped talking and just stared at her.

She sighed. “I suppose you can fly, right? That’s quite useful. Can I do that?” By mating with him, she’d acquired his Otherworld powers, and he’d stabilized her empath abilities. In fact, she’d come out of the deal really well. Maybe she should be more grateful.

“If you practice.”

“Do I have to shape-shift?” She leaned forward. “Can I shape-shift?”

“I’m not sure. With my other powers, I can just grow wings and fly. I should imagine you’d be able to do that too.”

“That’s kind of cool.” She picked up the cushion next to her. “And if you shed, I’ll never have to worry about stuffing my cushions again.”

He sipped his coffee. “How long are you going to keep this up?”

“The jokes?”

He inclined his head a frigid inch.

“For as long as I can think of them.”

“Fine. Do you have any other questions for me?”

“I sure do, buster, don’t think I’m that easy. Why didn’t you mention that your grandmother is the queen of the Fae?”

“She’s one of the queens. There are several warring factions in Otherworld.”

“I know that, but I asked around the office yesterday, and she’s considered the most powerful one at the moment.”

“I didn’t mention it, because it never came up.”

“Bullshit. You didn’t mention it, because you hate being associated with anything from Otherworld.”

“Maybe that, as well.” He was willing to concede the point if it kept her from inquiring further. “And as I told you before, the more I talk about my Otherworld connections, the more likely they are to become aware of me.”

“Because you’ve been trying to hide out here and pass as human.”

“Obviously not very successfully.”

“You were doing pretty well, until I dragged you back there.”

“Trust me, I’d love to blame you, but Rossa already knew I was here and was keeping an eye on me. It was just a matter of time before my grandmother found a way to try and force me back there.”

“Why does she want you back?”

“Because I performed certain tasks for her and the Fae.”

“Magical ones?”

“Usually.”

“But what good is a shape-shifting swan?”

“You’d be surprised.” She’d be horrified, but he definitely wasn’t going to get into that. He stood up and held out his mug. “I’m getting more coffee. Do you want some?”

“No thanks.” She handed him her empty mug. “Stick it in the sink. I’ll use it later.”

With an inward shudder, he put her mug in the dishwasher and refilled his own. “You’re still a bit low on food. Do you want to go to the supermarket?”

She stretched her arms over her head and yawned until her jaw cracked. “I suppose I should.”

His cell phone went off, and a second later he heard hers ring too. She wandered into the bedroom to get it as he answered his.

“Mr. Feehan.”

“Vadim. We have a situation here. Can you liaise with Ella and meet her at San Francisco General? There’s a man there I want you both to see.”

“I’ll do that, Mr. Feehan. We’ll see you there as soon as we can.”

He looked up to see Ella in the doorway of her bedroom, phone clamped to her ear. “It’s Feehan. He left a message. He wants us to meet him at the hospital.” She pouted. “So much for our day off.”

Vadim shut his cell phone and put it back in his pocket. “How soon can you be ready to go?”

“Give me five minutes.” She checked her cell. “There’s a ferry leaving at ten, if we hurry. Where did you put my coat?”

“In the closet with mine.”

She turned a slow circle. “Which closet?”

“The one by the front door, where you are supposed to hang things.”

“Really?” She wandered over to it and opened it. “I always wondered what it was for.”

She tossed him his coat and suit jacket and retrieved her own. “I’ll just be a minute.”

In less than ten, they were walking down the hill toward the ferry, which had just docked. A stream of tourists poured from the gangplank, their eager faces scanning the small town and exclaiming at the views back across the bay. Getting through them made Vadim feel like a lone salmon fighting to swim upstream against the current.

They made it just in time and headed for the top desk. He would never tire of the view or the experience of approaching a great city by water. It was the first place he’d ever considered putting down roots. He glanced down at Ella in her blue and orange knitted hat, denim jacket and pink ripped jeans. But maybe it wasn’t the place. Maybe it was her. His grandmother might have meddled in his life simply to force him back to Otherworld, but she’d started a whole chain of events he didn’t even dare contemplate. He had no doubt that less benign forces would soon be on his tail, demanding his return. But now he had a mate to fight for and a reason to live.

He slowly shook his head. He was not going back willingly. They’d have to come and get him, and even in this realm, his powers still trumped most of theirs. With one snap of his fingers he could annihilate the entire city that lay before him. He smiled as they approached the pier. Let them come. He’d be more than ready.