Home > Never to Wonder (A Trailerverse Novel, #1)(3)

Never to Wonder (A Trailerverse Novel, #1)(3)
Author: Kimbra Swain

He politely put his hands on my waist and pushed me off his lap to where I stood in front of him. “We should leave soon. Probably in the next few hours. But, Wynonna, you have to be sure this is what you want. I cannot make you any guarantees.”

“I understand. If I can get Callum back, then I’m going. Even if there is just a small chance,” I replied.

Rafe didn’t speak, but I saw this worry on his face. We’d discussed this with Seamus several times, but he assured us that we would have to get permission to enter Wonderland from the Queen of the realm. I’d read the stories about Wonderland, but never once did I consider them to be true. Of course, my mother was a freaking fairy queen. I should have known better. She would definitely disapprove of my trip, which is why I wasn’t going to tell her. Or Levi. In fact, Rafe was the only one that knew. He wanted to go with me, but Seamus made it very clear that I would be the only one going with him. Otherwise, we’d draw unwanted attention. Whatever that meant.

“Very well. No need to pack. I’ve taken care of your attire for the trip. I cannot say how long we will be gone. You know how time works on the other side. It’s even more unpredictable in Neverland,” Seamus explained.

“Neverland? We are going to Wonderland.”

“You have to go through one to get to the other,” he replied. “I hope you don’t mind sailing.”

“Sailing?”

“Yes, my dear, we will be pirates.” He smiled widely, and his visage seemed to shimmer. I’d never known him to wear a glamour, but I supposed it was possible. After all, vampires were just as magical as the rest of us. He scooped up his cane and made long strides toward the door. “Meet you at my office in an hour.”

“I’ll be there,” I replied.

 

 

Rafe flew with me to Seamus’ office. When we landed in the alley, he didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to because I could see it all over his face.

“Say it,” I prompted.

“This is a bad idea,” he said.

“Can you handle things while I am gone?” I asked.

“You know I will, plus Rory will be in charge,” he replied.

“No, you are in charge. Just let him think he is.” He smiled with that one. “I promise. I’ll come back unharmed. Seamus would rather die than have to tell my mother he fucked up.” Rafe winced. “Sorry.” He had a thing about naughty words and vulgarities. I’d grown up with it, so it was normal to drop an f-bomb on occasion.

“You’ve done better around me. I cannot complain, and I cannot explain why it physically hurts me. We just don’t speak that way among my people.”

“By the way, how many of your people are there?”

“Hundreds.” I paused to consider. Rafe’s hundreds could be allies to my mother in her fight with the Wild.

“As soon as I return, we are going to see my mother,” I said.

“I’d rather wait for an invitation.” This was a sticking point with him. He felt like if he were going to gain an audience with the Queen of Winter, then he should be formally invited. It didn’t matter that I’d told him a thousand times that my mother wasn’t like that. I’d have to drag him there or do something stupid to get her to show up. Although, she must not have gotten wind of my scheme to go to Wonderland or she would be here to stop me. She had grown to trust me more with my decisions, but even I had to admit that this one was a bit of a stretch.

“We will talk about it when I get back.” I turned to walk away, and Rafe grabbed my hand. I froze for a moment with the strange gesture. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

“See you when you return, Wynonna.”

“You aren’t going inside?”

“No.” His eyes darkened as his wings stretched out wide behind him. He bolted into the sky and flew out of sight. No matter how many times I saw him take off like that, it still caught my breath at the power and beauty of it. My mind muddled with the gesture of the kiss. Perhaps he’d grown fonder of me than I’d realized. It was the last thing my heart needed. Then again, maybe it was exactly what I needed.

I took a deep breath and made my way to the front door of Seamus’ grand office. The doors opened for me automatically, and a whoosh of cold air hit me as I walked inside. His receptionist sat at the desk despite the late hour.

“Good evening, Miss Riggs,” she said with a smile. It was then that I noticed her fangs. Seamus kept his hidden, and again I wondered about his glamour.

“Good evening,” I replied politely.

“He’s waiting for you in his office.”

“Thanks,” I replied. I’d been to his office many times especially since Kyrie left. Seamus kept me entertained. He was quite funny, and we even went to a few shows together. Not really dates. Just a couple of mutual friends enjoying each other’s company. I’d not considered Seamus as a prospective boyfriend, because of Kyrie. But with Rafe making gestures of affection, and if I looked at Seamus’ hospitality through a different perspective, perhaps both of them were waiting on me to move on. I wasn’t ready to do that.

I made my way down the long hallway to Seamus’ office. I passed several doors which looked like offices, and I often wondered what his employees did for him. I knew he had his hands in a lot of shipping and goods, but I wasn’t sure specifically what he actually did. I never felt the need to pry. Probably because I was afraid of what I’d find out.

Most of our leads about trafficking came through Seamus. He had his hand on the pulse of the harbor in Steelshore. But, not just here, there were times when he had tips for other ports across the world. My brother, Aydan, who could fly to destinations quickly usually investigated those tips. If needed, we would send a team of my friends from Shady Grove.

When I walked into the office, Seamus sat behind his large desk in the same suit he wore earlier. He ran his hand through his hair which hung down past his ears, but not to his neck. The dark brown hair had a slight wave. His bright eyes looked dark and frustration gripped his usually jovial features.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing. Just a business deal that went sour. Such is the life,” he replied.

“I would think at your age that you’d have enough money without accruing more,” I said. I placed my hand on my hip just to emphasize my sass.

He lifted his eyes to me, and his smile returned. “Miss Riggs, what do you know of my wealth or my age for that matter?”

“You have to be old, because you were a legit pirate at some point. And you weren’t plundering for nothing,” I replied.

He stood up from the desk and moved to the front of it where he leaned while crossing his arms across his chest. “Perhaps we can talk more about it on our journey.”

“When do we leave?” I asked.

“Right now. Come,” he said, offering his hand to me. Most people had to be cautious of Seamus’ touch. He had the seductive ability to throw you into daydreams of mind-blowing sex complete with real orgasms with just a touch. He always swore that his “victims” were willing, but it came in handy as a distraction, if needed.

With a sly grin, I placed my hand in his. He pulled it to his lips and kissed it gently. “Someone else has been kissing your hands.”

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