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Synopsis

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau arrives at the scene of a murder, only to discover that a Fae creature has been killed - in a whole new kind of way. What is the meaning behind this mysterious ritualistic killing? What did the victim do to deserve it? Sasha fears that the Vampires and Unseelies have formed an unholy alliance... and they're ready to unleash their darkest arsenal of magick yet.

Teaming up with her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf, Max Hunter, Sasha tries to penetrate the paranormal community for clues. Meanwhile, members of the Wolf Clan are turning against one another as they race to uncover the meaning behind an ancient Unseelie curse. Even Sasha is not immune to this powerful magick, and soon finds herself drawn to a sensual, dangerous dance - one that could cost her own life...

Excerpt

New Orleans... French Quarter

Sasha stooped down and kept her fingers just above the ashes at her feet. Still warm. The acrid scent of burned Phoenix flesh stung her nose as she surveyed the charred remains.

This was so not how she wanted to return to New Orleans, but she'd do anything to help Sir Rodney the way he'd helped their Wolf clans. And as tragic as it was, what had happened in Ethan's wine cellar gave her a cover for the nervous energy she'd been feeling ever since the invitation came. Shogun would also be here for the annual Mid-Summer's Ball, and her jumpiness wasn't appreciated by Hunter. It had taken everything within her to hide her excitement, as well as the guilt that went along with it. However, this new situation made all that go away.

Without her having to evade his razor senses, Hunter now assumed her previous nervousness had to do with somehow picking up on what lay at her feet. That sucked, on a variety of levels.

A twinge of guilt twisted in her side as Sasha looked up at Ethan McGregor. "Who found the body?"

"Sir Rodney and his best man," Ethan McGregor said quietly.

"We're going to need to talk to them more thoroughly," Hunter said in a low rumble. "Where is Sir Rodney?"

"In my office... after he witnessed this, we necessarily removed our monarch from this... this awful sight. He is up there with his bodyguard."

Sasha gave Hunter a glance. "Did she say anything about why she was down here? Is there anyone you know of who might have wanted to hurt her?"

The establishment owner shook his head and let out a weary sigh. "I don't know why she came down here, but I do know that she wouldn't hurt a fly and everyone loved Desi. She was well liked by everyone here at The Fair Lady. Everyone. Desi had been working for me for over ten years... I've never seen anyone who got on so well with others. That was Desi. She and Penelope, my other Phoenix dancer, came to town together and are from the same rookery. They were like sisters. I don't even know how to begin to tell Penelope."

Sasha listened as she stared at the body, going over each detail of the intact ash, and then an eerie symbol on the victim's body drew her attention. Was it a tattoo or some other strange marking on Desidera's belly that, for some reason, didn't burn?

Moving carefully as to not disturb the ashes, Sasha pulled out a small notepad from the back pocket of her jeans and extracted the small pen that had been wedged in the spiral at the top if it. She sketched the symbol quickly and then placed her hand inches above the symbol, trying to feel any vibrations that might have been coming off of it. But just as suddenly as she'd reached out to cover it, the symbol collapsed in on itself, making her jerk back her palm.

"Where's Penelope?" Sasha said, glancing up at Ethan.

"Every other night she works at the Tea House. It closed at ten."

"So she's probably home in bed," Sasha said, now glancing at Hunter. She returned her gaze to Ethan. "So nobody called her yet to tell her what happened?"

"No. I wanted to wait until you had a chance to..." Ethan motioned to where Desidera's body lay on the floor and then brought his fist to his mouth for a moment. "I wanted to see if there was anything I could tell Penelope that would make sense of this."

"You're sure no one else went by there to speak to her? They were co-workers," Hunter said flatly, crossing his arms over his stone-cut chest. "You said Desidera was well-liked, others would know Penelope would be--"

"No. We're the only ones, save the king and his best man, that know. We didn't want to start a panic... rumors would fly, and if there is a killer in our midst, we need him to be comfortable, not go into hiding." Ethan said quickly, "I've been sworn by oath before the king not to divulge any of this to a soul... as it could hamper the investigation. But eventually it will leak out. I must tell Penelope, as well as the rest of the staff here, and Sir Rodney understands the need for this."

"All right," Sasha said. "I understand, but I'd like to talk to Penelope first thing in the morning, if not tonight."

"Of course," Ethan said, nodding.

Sasha let out a hard breath and stood, stretching her cramping legs and back. "Then, was she dating anyone? Any current or ex boyfriends?"

"No... not really," Ethan replied carefully. "She hadn't been dating anyone for some time... However, she and Sir Rodney, sometimes, got together."

Again, Sasha shared a glance with Hunter. That was the last thing she'd expected Ethan to tell her. But now it made sense why the Seelie monarch was so upset.

"Was it serious?" Sasha asked, pushing for details.

"Oh, no," Ethan said quickly, seeming more uncomfortable by the moment. "Desidera knew that she was one of many that he cared for. She was very sophisticated about the whole thing, which is probably why Sir Rodney liked her so much."

"So they were hooking up tonight," Hunter said in a deadpan tone.

Ethan shrugged. "I would have to assume so." Ethan's gaze held Sasha's for a moment and then went to Hunter's before seeking a far off point in the small, dank cellar. "It is my understanding that they were to meet at her apartment after her show. That was all Sir Rodney said on the matter."

"Okay, then... like I said, we're gonna need a list of people she might have talked to--a friend, co-worker, anyone she could have confided in." Sasha looked at Ethan, studying him hard and guessing that Desidera's boss, who she worked with daily, would probably know more than the kingly lover who only visited her for trysts.

"Penelope would be the best start," Ethan said quickly, blotting the tears from his face. "Our Phoenixes are rare, and she and Penelope are from the same rookery, like I told you. If there was any girl-talk or shared secrets, Penelope would have been her most-likely confidant."

"Thanks, Ethan," Sasha said absently, returning her gaze to the ashes.

If she didn't catch Penelope at home, she was going to have to go hunt her down at the tea house and the last place she ever wanted to revisit was the tea house... the place where an indiscretion had happened that almost made two alpha wolves go to war over her. Two brothers. It didn't matter that meddling garden faeries and outraged pixies had been the culprits; the event was still a sore spot--one that neither she nor Hunter ever discussed. Damn, this was so not how she'd envisioned returning to New Orleans with Hunter for Sir Rodney's annual Fae Midsummer Night's Ball. In her mind's eye she'd envisioned having the time of her life for her twenty-fifth birthday, a milestone that Doc had assured the General would pass without incident.

She caught Hunter's expression from a sidelong glance, but said nothing. The muscle in his jaw pulsed a steady beat. He'd obviously come to the same conclusion about the possibility of having to go to the tea house. Okay... so investigating at the tea house was going to be fun. Sasha let out a soft sigh.

"I trust that you understand the delicate nature of this investigation," Ethan said, clasping his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping between Sasha and Hunter. "I have spoken at length to Sir Rodney, as I am sure you will... and he'll tell you that this situation must be handled with the utmost discretion... news of this event, just before the ball, could cause undue panic, rumors... It is not a shallow matter of a social event coming before the death of a beautiful young woman--the death of anyone would be and is considered tragic, but..."

"But this has to be handled diplomatically," Hunter said, finishing Ethan's statement. "As clan leaders, we understand. Some things are not meant for public consumption until all the facts can be coherently presented."

Hunter gave Sasha the eye, which she immediately read as his unspoken reference to the tea house incident.

"Precisely," Ethan said, oblivious to the couple's undercurrent, and then closed his eyes, releasing a long breath and turning away from the charred body at Sasha's feet. "Thank you."

Quiet surrounded them, and in those few awkward moments, Sasha's thoughts strayed, wishing that just once there'd be no drama... that New Orleans would be a vacation destination, instead of a hotbed of paranormal intrigue. That was such an awesome fantasy. A grand fete, a sexy escort--Hunter, an enchanted village, her best friends... what was not to love? It would have been perfect. But Sir Rodney was a friend. A dear friend. And if something happened to someone close to him, in Ethan's bar--another dear friend, then it was like somebody messing with her family.

And, yeah, s...

Copyright © 2009 by L. A. Banks

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