Eli gripped Slade’s arm as he backed away from the front door. “Let’s not panic,” he said, panicked.

Slade’s frail frame turned to him. “She says to let them in.”

At first staring at the metal door, Eli risked focusing on her. “She?” The answer came to him. “Legion?”

It was a slow nod due to Slade’s weakened state. “She says she’s called for help. And we can trust them.”

Her words were clear. To anyone, they’d make perfect sense. But try as he might, he couldn’t understand them. “What? And you trust her?”

“Fuck no,” Slade wheezed. “But do we have a choice? What else can we do?” Her arms flopped as she twisted and struggled to point to the gorilla behind the glass. “Sic Tiny on ‘em and pray he doesn’t do a victory lap to snap us in two as well?”

Talking took so much effort that Slade dragged in deep breaths often. It was a wonder she was standing up at all.

Short of guns used against vampires, werewolves didn’t carry weapons. Eli had none. If he were alone, he would have shifted into wolf form and taken his chances that way. One look at Slade’s slight frame told him she wouldn’t get far. And he wouldn’t get far with her.

Eli dragged her to stand behind him.

The banging was a constant now.

She shadowed him, inching forward with his every step. More than once, he turned to usher her back, and each time, she’d eventually join him anyway.

Six bolts kept the door firmly in place. Eli’d been proud of that accomplishment—metal wasn’t easy to use magic on—now he wished he’d made a damn peep latch.

After guiding Slade back one last time, Eli flipped the top lever. The sound of it falling out of its designated slot put a stop to the banging. He flipped the second—third. By the fifth, a deep sense of dread fell over him.

Flip.

He stopped at the final one.

No. He wasn’t gonna do this—he couldn’t.

One knock at the door came.

He glanced back at Slade’s terrified expression a final time before regarding the door again.

They’d make do somehow without any so-called help. He reached for the second latch but the final one flipped on its own. Magic like that was rare—and forbidden. Other than harpies, only the truly evil possessed such power.

“Shit.” Eli turned to rush Slade. “Shit. Hold on!”

He slammed into her, tackling her to the ground. In one swoop, he threw his cape back and revealed his throat.

“Drink so you’ve got some power to take flight. There’s a sunroof.”

Slade’s eyes widened. “What? No—”

“Damn you, woman. Drink. Take enough and you can at least fly.”

“Yup,” a familiar voice said, affirming. “He’s got you there, boss.”

Eli froze.

Disbelieving, he stood like a puppet on a string and turned about face.

With Manny tucked under her arm, Trixie waved. “Hey, sir.”

“What...in...the hell? There’s no way you could find me.”

Trixie looked from him to Slade. “Didn’t. Manos’s Legion woke up. I meant to put him back to rest, but he said you were in trouble. Told me where to go and everything.” She put her free hand on her hip. “Tell you what, flying with a person at rest, difficult. Flying with a nearly starved vampire? Surprisingly...not so difficult. S’a bit like carrying a sack of bones.”

Relief washed over Eli who rushed to the door and flipped each and every latch back in its proper place. He was right about that rune at least. Even harpies couldn’t get in at will.

Manny sniffed at Trixie’s chest then throat. The harpy laughed and gave him a gentle box in the cheek.

“None-a dat. You know what’ll happen. Come on.”

After putting Manny to rest against the wall, she hurried to Slade.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“How you doing, boss? You look like right shit.”

Slade tried to laugh. “Just help me up.”

Eli pushed Trixie aside and did the honors. He expected Slade to act tough with an audience but she surprised him by leaning most of her weight into him.

Trixie watched them, smiling wide. “Well, look at yu twooo. Guessing you don’t need ole Trix, ‘eh boss? Let me put Mano’s Legion back down and be right back. You got a john up in here, Wolfie?”

Although the thought did occur to inquire as to her plans, he thought better of it and pointed.

“Right then.” Trixie pulled Manny from the wall.

It was weird seeing them together. Sovereign Manos wasn’t known for his playfulness, least of all with dirty harpies as he’d often describe them.

He nipped at Trixie now, an action that had her giggling. He even went so far as to yank her jacket down. The brown wings tucked in closer against her body for safety.

“None-a da, you. Come on. Let Trixie help.” The harpy picked him up like a bride and he wore a dopy smile as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You gonna have your way with me?” Manny teased.

Trixie shook her head and made her way to the aforementioned restroom.

She would get rid of Legion? How exactly?

When Eli finally focused on Slade to find her eyeing that glass in sorrow, he felt sorrier for himself. She wasn’t going to feed. All this effort, all this criminal and life-threatening effort. And she wasn’t going to feed.

“Is there a place where we can be alone for a second?” Slade whispered.

Much like Trixie picked Manny up, Eli gave Slade the same treatment. The only other place was the shower room, on the opposite size of the structure.

No sooner had he closed the door that Slade pulled him in. Eli tensed, unsure of a proper response.

“Eli?”

That sweet tone was unfamiliar. Her body trembled so he held her. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Can we let it go?”

She said it—the one stupid thing he’d dread—she’d said it.

At least he could trust that this wasn’t Legion. He had a feeling Legion would have jumped at the chance to bleed that poor thing.

Eli was gentle as he held on. “Is it wise to let it go? Can we think about this? How long before something else finds it? It’s lived all this time in a cage, it probably can’t hunt. And a rogue vampire might find it and...rent it out. Right now, it’s had few feeders, I think. But imagine two hundred plus vamps on it...daily.”

Slade’s grip was weak, but she stepped closer.

“And what about the practicality of it?’ Eli muttered. “He won’t be finding another lady gorilla anytime soon. Don’t you think he’d be a little lonely?”

That was stupid. It was in a cage.

A strange sensation on Eli’s throat had him confused. By the second he recognized it to be cracked lips. They traveled up his chin then his cheek.

He caught her when she climbed him.

“Wait. Ma’am, wait. For one thing, your skin’s still so tender. And for another....”

He hesitated but she took a step back.

“For another, you don’t know if it’s me.”

But could she blame him?

Eyes fixed on her hands, he shrugged. “Waking up alone after that was a big kick in the gut.” Speaking of guts, his roiled. “Not even alone, because you called for Sarah. But that’s not who I wanted to wake up beside.”

Slade slipped from his grip. “That wasn’t...that was for you. It’s not like you to cheat.”

Maybe that was how she saw it but how could he explain that he saw being with Sarah as the betrayal? A part of him feared that she was angry about it.

The gorilla shrieked.

“Shit. What now?” Eli dragged the plastic door open and hurried out to find Manny banging against the glass, his tongue pressed to it. “This....”

Eli looked around for the vampire’s handler.

Trixie looked worse for wear as she rushed out fixing her clothes. She didn’t wear her jacket, and her wings failed to rest. Her flushed face looked stern at least when she dragged Manny from the glass.

“Stop it. Come.”

Manny shrugged her off. Trixie slipped and landed on her ass.

Eli thought to help her but Manny surprised them all by pausing in his taunt. He didn’t reach for her, however. Instead, he crawled a top her and butted her head.

“That was your fault—that wasn’t my fault. And what’d you care?” he snapped.

Eventually he came to rest his head in the harpy’s lap. Trixie didn’t often show much emotion but she patted his shoulder with affection.

“Want Trix to find you some rabbits?”

Manny curled up, arms crossed, eyes closed. “Hug.”

Slade made a noise. Her woeful expression confused Eli at first. But then he could see it. She saw herself—what she would become—reflected in her crazed older brother.

But Eli had to admit, Manny was...tolerable this way.

He was playful.

When the vampire’s hand came up to cup Trixie’s ample bosom, he raised an eyebrow. To his surprise, Trixie said nothing. Harpies weren’t known for modesty but it still felt...off.

“You guys...you guys need some privacy?” Eli asked, uncomfortable.

The way both Trixie’s and Slade’s head snapped to face him was telling.

“Well...I...I guess not.”

“Ain’t dat sorta relationship,” Trixie muttered, looking embarrassed for the first time Eli could ever remember.

Manny practically had his face in her breast by the time she staggered to her feet and dragged him up. “Come on, sir. You still recovering from that Fae blood.”

But rather than let her push him, Manny slipped around behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat.

“Harpy’s blood don’t taste.” He grinned. “Otherwise....”

There was no mistaking Trixie’s discomfort.

Manny let out a laugh and sucked her neck. “Joke. Joke. You never understand my jokes.”

When he palmed her chest again she yanked his hands down. “A said stop. A mean stop.”

Rather than lead him, she walked past. A moment later, the restroom door slammed shut.

Manny looked to Slade for guidance. His eyes even settled on Eli before he marched to the door. Knuckles mere inches away, he lowered his hand and simply stared at the impediment.

“I need to get you guys some food,” Eli muttered.

Slade’s eyes drifted to the primate then Eli and he groaned.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Fine. I’ll send Trix; she seems restless.”

But when he approached to perhaps nod, Manny blocked his path.

“My harpy,” he affirmed. “Man’ll get rabbits and come back.” The wringy vampire gave a weak salute then rushed the door.

Eli went on an intercept course.

“Let him go,” Slade insisted. “He’s the fastest at it. It’ll keep him busy. I’ve—I’ve never seen Trixie mad before. Not even at him. And he’s puked on her more times than I can count.”

The front door slamming shut punctuated her words.

“We’re in hiding,” Eli insisted. “Are we forgetting that?”

But it was too late.

Wings covered and looking more like her old self, Trixie came out of that room.

“Okay. All set...sir?” She scanned the room. “Wh—where’d he go?”