Shelly Laurenston - Shelly Laurenston

“Good. Now listen up. What I do with Yager is my own goddamn business. You little cunts try and get into the middle of it and I’ll squash you bitches like flies.

Are we clear?” she asked with a warm smile.

“Yeah.” Janelle gave a surprised chuckled. “We’re clear.”

“Wonderful. Good night.”

Chapter Twenty-‐Two Her first day back at school was surprisingly uneventful. But that could have been because she didn’t have to kill a single person with an ax or have anyone sent through a portal to hell.

A good number of her students actually looked glad to see her back, and when she wasn’t in class she was in her office talking to all her PhD and masters candidates.

She didn’t bother going to her apartment. She had a full night of work ahead of her. So she went back to the Bird House, changed into her standard fighting clothes, and headed out with her crew. They had a full slate this freezing cold January night.

The first three scumbags they dealt with were just idiots. They hadn’t used their items yet so, luckily for them, their blood wasn’t necessary. But for fun the Crows scared the living shit out of them.

The last one of the night, however, was a real piece of work. He’d not only opened a doorway by sacrificing some junkie he found, he’d enhanced his strength. He put up quite a fight, too. No Ravens showed up to “help out.” And Neecy was confident she didn’t need them, even when she ended up in the alleyway Dumpster. Yet she couldn’t shake the disappointment of not seeing Yager.

After she dug herself out of the Dumpster, she’d decimated the man with the help of her crows, leaving barely enough to toss into the doorway Arri pulled open.

Once it was sealed, the team surrounded her.

“Wanna come out with us?” Janelle asked as she slid her blades back into her boots and covered up the weapons with her jeans. “We’re hittin’ a club or two tonight before it starts snowing.”

A blizzard was supposed to be heading their way and Neecy had to admit she was looking forward to a few snow days. No school!

“Nah. I’m exhausted. I’ve been lounging at Yager’s too long. It’s weakened me.”

Connie smiled. “The Ravens may be at one of these clubs. Tye was the one who told me about ‘em.”

“Then I’m definitely not going. I’ve got a lot to think about tonight. Don’t need any distractions.” Especially those Yager-‐type distractions.

It had only been a day since she last saw Yager, but she missed him. No, tonight she was going to make a decision and stick with it. And tomorrow, she’d talk to Yager.

Then she’d fuck the living hell out of him.

“Okay.” Connie spread her wings. “See ya later.” She took off, Katie right behind her.

Arri gave an adorable little wave and followed. The doorway she’d opened this night didn’t require much power and Arri didn’t even sniffle when she was done.

Janelle bumped Neecy with her shoulder. “See ya, Big Wing.”

“Stop calling me that.” Before she could take off, Neecy grabbed Janelle’s arm.

“And watch out for her.”

“Who? Arri?”

“Yeah.”

“You think she needs it?”

“The girl’s got more power than is humanely possible and she has no idea how to really use it yet. Not fully. So we need to watch out for her. Remember, it wasn’t me they wanted, J.”

“You know who’s after us, don’tcha, Neece?”

She nodded. “I saw the rune on the altar before Waldgrave destroyed it.”

“And?”

“It was Hella.”

Janelle whistled. “The Queen of the Underworld?” She laughed, until Neecy glared at her. Clearing her throat, “Uh…sorry. So, why use Waldgrave?”

“Her warriors can only be on this plane of existence for a few hours…they’re already dead.”

“Dust to dust?”

“Dust to dust. She needed someone who could focus on us full time.”

“You going to tell the others?”

Neecy shrugged. “Eventually.”

“But you think Hella wants our little Arri?”

“Maybe.” Neecy shrugged. “I really don’t know. I do know Arri’s the weakest of us. The most vulnerable. At least until she’s better trained. But to be honest, I don’t want to risk any of you guys.”

Janelle smirked. “Okay, mom.”

Neecy playfully cuffed Janelle on her shoulder. “Freakin’ smart ass.”

“Would you prefer I was a dumb ass?”

“Some days…yeah.”

Janelle laughed and followed after the team.

With a deep, tired sigh, Neecy unfurled her new, way-‐too-‐big wings and headed home.

The wind was blowing her way, and it took her only ten minutes to make it downtown. She climbed through her window and stumbled into her dark apartment. Somehow she made it to her bathroom in the dark without bumping into anything. She could barely keep her eyes open, so she decided against a shower and just took a quick toilet break. Once done, she stumbled her way in the dark back to her bed, turned, fell back…and hit the floor.

“What the…” Neecy sat up and struggled to see in the dark. She really couldn’t make anything out, so she got to her feet and made it across the room. She hit the light switch and turned to find her apartment damn-‐near empty.

“He…he wouldn’t.” But she knew he would. She went to her closets. They were empty. As was her bathroom and all her bookshelves. Her bike was still there as was the basketball net.

“I’ll kill him,” she screeched as her exhaustion faded away, leaving only raw rage.

She went back the way she came in and launched herself from the small ledge, heading uptown to Yager’s apartment.

Even with the heavy wind against her, she still made it to his apartment in record time. She was too pissed to let something like nature get in her goddamn way.

She flew to the patio. The glass doors leading into the apartment were unlocked and she knew he’d left it unlocked for her. She stormed in only to find the living room deserted.

Growling, she moved through his home, finally tracking his tight ass down in his kitchen. He stood at the counter, his back to her, wearing only a pair of boxers.

He ate an enormous sandwich, read the newspaper, and looked goddamn gorgeous doing it.

Just seeing him sent her heart racing. Had it really only been a day since she’d last seen him? It felt like forever. All she wanted to do was lick his spine from one end to the other.

She shook her head. She was pissed…remember? And she planned to stay that way until he explained what the fuck he thought he was doing with her shit.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

Yager turned around and froze. “Christ, baby, what happened to you?”

“Got thrown in a Dumpster,” she bit out.

“That’s disgusting, Neecy.”

“Look, Yager. You and me, we need to talk.”

“Uh-‐huh.” He walked up to her, but stopped abruptly. “Baby…you’re funky. Let’s get you in the shower.”

“Wait. We need to talk now.”

Yager took her hand, “Okay.” He headed toward his bedroom, dragging her behind him.

“I’m serious, Yager.”

“I know. So talk.”

She growled again. The man was pushing her patience.

“First off, you took all my shit.”

“You make it sound like I gave it to gypsies.”

“I don’t know what you did with it.”

“What do you think I did with it?”

She knew exactly what he did with it. Her clothes were in his closet, lined up right next to his. Her books were in his bookshelves, mixed in with his. And all her tampons and soaps were somewhere in his bathroom cabinets. Bastard.

“Look, Yager, this isn’t fair.”

He stopped in the middle of the bedroom and pulled the wool socks off her arms.