Chapter 18

As Tasmin emerged upstairs after the Steve-scrambling, she was greeted by two questioning pairs of eyes as Trick and Stella pulled their noses out of a book – one of the many in their joint library.

"The man is a clinical idiot," Tamsin complained, "I tried scaring him into a bit of more detailed truth and I might've overdone things – looks like he's totally scrambled – babbles something about Evony, about a girl he was to kill. One thing for sure, he doesn't know who killed the Morrigan."

"Pity," Stella signed before resuming her study of the tome.

"So, we're no further ahead," Trick's sigh was almost identical.

"Why?" the blonde jerked a shoulder up and zipped up her red leather jacket with a no-nonsense air, "You told me you've got the antidote ready and I am all set to put the plan in motion."

"Which plan?" Trick inquired innocently as Stella looked up from the page through her thick lashes.

"The plan of infiltrating Lauren's ranks, of course," Tamsin pasted on a deadpan expression of someone too sassy to care, "I thought long and hard about what you told me and I think I can see a way of killing two birds with one stone - we're setting up Dyson as the Trojan wolf and I'm showing you that my priorities are not skewed by anything or anyone."

A vibration hit her left side and Tamsin, in near awe, pressed a hand to her heart, as if to check if it was breaking, but as her fingers felt hard edges of a small rectangle, she recognized the sensation for what it was. "Sorry, my cell," she smiled wanly as she pulled the phone out of her breast pocket and squinted at the screen.

"Yep, we're totally going through with the plan, as soon as Dyson is back in town," she announced casually, "He's just texted me to say he's blowing town for a day or two, he's throwing a bag together now."

As a fae Tamsin had always been playing her cards close to her chest, as a woman she was hurt and humiliated by her lover's double treachery of cheating on her with a human. As both sides of her being dictated, she reserved the right to judge and punish to herself and refrained again from voicing her version of the wolf's recent actions and, in particular, of his urgent business and who it almost certainly was intimately connected with.

"Good, that gives us time to set everything into place," Trick nodded unaware of the undercurrents, "Actually, it would save us some time if we gave him the antidote before he leaves on whatever business of his he's leaving on."

"Are you afraid I'll change my mind?" Tamsin's tone was fast nearing mocking.

"No, but even if injected straight into his bloodstream, the antidote might need some time to work through his system," Trick replied with a logic that was hard to fault, "Let it take hold while we're thinking over a way to deliver our injected wolf to the doctor in the most unsuspicious manner."

"No biggie," Tamsin waved a dismissive hand in the air, "I can still intercept Dyson on his way out if you get me the antidote and a syringe small enough to be cunning about it."

"I'll get everything prepared," the Blood King hurried over to the side door leading to his supply room leaving the two women alone for a while.

"Am I the only one with a nasty aftertaste of conspiring behind one of our warrior's back on matters directly concerned with his good health?" Stella suddenly spoke up.

"Are you offering to let him in on our plans? Do you think he'll come willingly?" the valkyrie didn't bother to make it sound like a question.

"He's risked his life often enough, for his king and for our cause," the other woman remarked.

"His life, not his sanity and free will," the blonde pointed out and couldn't stop herself from adding acerbically, "Besides, I know better than to bank on anyone's allegiance now. Centuries of experience – you want something done, don't tell anyone until it's done."

"You don't have to do it, you know," Stella spoke up after an awkward silence, trying a different tack, "I mean do it to the wolf who you obviously care about. We can use another fae as a guinea-pig, say, Steve. Doesn't seem like he has any other uses."

Tamsin eyed the other woman with unmasked suspicion trying to fathom her motivation. She immediately swept aside common sympathy as something absolutely out of character with the Blood King's long-standing, though a bit on-and-off, associate and lover – Stella had been too long in this game and too good at surviving to be prone to harboring humane emotions like that. The range of options was not really that wide and the Valkyrie settled soon enough on the glaring one of it being another little test of her loyalty and determination, most probably instigated by and reported straight to Trick himself.

"I care for Dyson in as much as he can serve our cause and getting him inside Lauren's stronghold is now the best way for him to serve," Tamsin's smile was more of a scowl – mirthless and lop-sided, as if she was smiling through the pain, "If the antidote is the real thing, Lauren will get two nasty surprises instead of one."

"And if it isn't?" Stella asked softly in her lilting accent.

"The wolf kinda has it coming – too much straying lately," the Valkyrie snapped, her glowing eyes discouraging further questioning, "One way or another that will put him back on track."

Before Stella could try and inquire further into the valkyrie's stinging remarks, Trick made a hasty reappearance, a syringe in hand. The conversation was cut short, leaving the women as fuzzy about each other motives as they had started out.

"And also," Tamsin went on without missing a beat as she took the precious vial from the Blood King and squinted at the liquid inside, "You're wrong about Steve, Stella. He has other uses but first I might need a bit more mind-boggling to do."

###

Before any of the fae inhabitants of the mansion could get hurt in Kenzi's little escape scheme, the door squeaked open and a slight knock announced another visitor.

"May I?" Bo's dark–haired head peeked in the opening, "Step over the threshold? Or I can speak from here if that counts as less of an intrusion."

"I am not a pesky teen," Kenzi snapped back moments before realizing how pesky-teen-ish it sounded.

"Then why do you have a 'Keep out. I am a dead-eye with heavy objects' sign on your door?" the succubus chortled with good humor and stepped fully in without further ceremony.

"I bet Lauren hasn't even noticed," the girl pasted on a light pouty expression to better suit her allocated role.

"Believe me, she has," Bo's tone was soft as she approached the younger girl and put a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Are you succu-juicing me?" Kenzi asked eyeing her guest with a slight suspicion, "getting me to mellow, like Lauren orders you to calm her fae servants when she runs out of sedatives and someone gets into overdrive or overly homicidal."

"I've never juiced you or influenced you in any way," the succubus was suddenly serious to the point of grave, as if speaking under oath, and Kenzi suddenly wondered if Bo knew of her immunity to the enthrallment serum made of her blood.

"And not everything I do is Lauren-ordered, I've got some privileges around here," Bo smiled with a hint of mischief, "Like I was eavesdropping on you under my own steam entirely. What I heard is you itching to get out on a little Kenzi-adventure of your own and I'm here, like your faery god-mother to assist you before Lauren has a chance of prohibiting me just that. You promise to be back till next morning and not to get killed or visibly injured and I'll sneak you out of the house and cover for you with Lauren."

"And why would you do that?" the younger girl was cautious and curious, "Beside the sheer goodness of your heart?"

Bo passed a hand over the shorter girl's head and frowned looking down into her suspicious eyes, "I can see auras around here – most of them are dulled by the thrall, your sister's is often anxious and tired but she can also be burning and glowing – when she's with me, if I say so myself. You are not happy, Kenzi, not ever. Not with Hale, not with Lauren, if anything, they seem to make you even more miserable. But then a couple of days ago something happened – your aura is not yet glowing but positively taking on some color. Whoever or whatever this revival of zest for life is caused by, I want it to go on and from strength to strength."

"Why would you care?" Kenzi whispered, "You barely know me."

Bo visibly hesitated before picking her words carefully, "I was raised by humans and in a corner of my heart still consider myself a bit human. And you're the most amazing human I've ever known. Fragile and strong, damaged and pure. And you might just be the only one who keeps Lauren human, you keep fighting for her humanity and I am grateful for that."

Kenzi went for an extra breath to keep her tear ducts from welling. "You love her, Bo," she stated simply and saw the other woman nod solemnly. "I am not sure I do," the human girl continued dejectedly, "not any longer. But I'll keep fighting for her. Cos fighting for her means fighting for you and for Dy … , for all the fae I think are worth it. Get me out and if that is a trap, succubus, I'll be spitting in your cornflakes any chance I get for the rest of my life here."

"No trap, no spit – that's a deal!" Bo couldn't help a laugh, "So, about fifteen minutes to get your best outfit on for whatever unmonitored Kenzi-time you have in mind and when I text you the coast is clear –go downstairs and out the front door like an extra insolent door-to-door salesperson."

"How are you gonna swing it?" the younger girl couldn't contain her curiosity.

"Well, I am head of security and master of CCTV," the succubus was positively enjoying herself, "Plus, I am uniquely positioned to distract Lauren. And keep her distracted till next morning."

"While you are at it, can you also distract Hale?" Kenzi had a sudden thought, "Send him on a patrol detail or something?"

"I'll tweak the rota a bit and get him off your back," the brunette nodded, "And you seriously own me, girl. And as enormously as I like you, I might need to call you on it one day."

Though Bo's tone was feather-light, joking, Kenzi detected a concern lurking beneath the levity, almost an anxiety, but stored that observation away for later, for when she had no more pressing ones to mull over.

Author's note: Sorry for a short chapter, guys, I can only claim a family emergency but promise to update soon with a bit of action and a bit of slow-burning romance.