To Hell and Back by L.B. Gilbert

Chapter Thirty-One

It had been three days since her mother had come to stay at Rhys’ mansion. But unlike Valeria, Ravenna took to the richness of their surroundings like a duck to premium bottled water.

“Well, you certainly landed on your feet,” Ravenna murmured, her tone bordering on sly.

They were walking along a ridge just below Rhys’ house after a sumptuous brunch in the formal dining room.

Her mother had no more experience of brownies than Valeria did, but that hadn’t stopped Ravenna from taking full advantage, eating a three-course meal with delicacies that included quail eggs and puff pastries topped with caviar.

“Your young man is handsome,” Ravenna continued. “And conveniently rich…”

“Who says he’s mine?” Valeria said, averting her eyes.

The denial was automatic. It had never been a good idea to let Ravenna know when Valeria was interested in someone. It never ended well, which was how her mother liked it. “Never have an attachment you can’t walk away from,” she would say.

Her tune was somewhat different with Rhys. But then, none of Valeria’s previous crushes—and they had never been more than that—had been remotely wealthy.

“Please, do you honestly want me to believe that all those long, lingering glances and close conversations are nothing?” Ravenna scoffed. “Not to mention the way he looks at you like you’re honey and he’s a minute away from sopping you up with a biscuit.”

Realizing she still believed the whole group to be bears, Valeria snorted, trying to deflect. “He and I have done each other mutual favors. That’s all.”

Teleporting Lanaa had to count. It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Too bad he’s so young,” Ravenna continued as if she hadn’t heard her. “A rich old man about to kick off would be so much more useful.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Valeria snapped, rounding on her mother.

“Tut, tut.” Ravenna smiled smugly, and Valeria realized she had failed yet another test. “I’m hardly going to complain that you’ve found a rich and handsome man to take care of you. I would have done the same in other circumstances.”

Her mother held up her hand, admiring the embroidered cuff of the designer sweater Rhys had provided her without her even asking. Diamond earrings winking in the afternoon sunlight, because her dragon never did anything halfway.

“Yes, I know, Mother.” This was familiar territory. Had Ravenna not been cursed with such a magical child, she might have been able to stop and settle somewhere, have a normal life.

It was too old a complaint to cause guilt. Not anymore. Valeria had been grown long enough to realize most of the messes her mother got in were a direct result of her choices. Just not all, which was why Valeria had never thought of cutting her off.

Even if it would make life so much easier.

“If you need money—” she began.

“Why do you always assume I need money?”

“Because the sun is up?” Valeria shrugged.

“What would you say if it was night?” her mother sniffed.

“Then I’d say it’s because the moon is out.”

Ravenna rolled her eyes. “Were you about to tell me that your bear would loan me money?” she asked flatly.

“Yes, although it wouldn’t be a loan. If I asked him, he’d give it to me. Just in case you were thinking of nicking something instead.”

Her mother stopped walking, surprised. “Just like that? Because you asked?”

“The favor I did for him was a big one.”

It would be a little embarrassing, asking Rhys for money, but given that he could smell gold and jewels, he could replace it easily enough. Keeping Ravenna out of trouble was worth that discomfort.

Her mother frowned. “But you’re not sleeping with him? Or do you bone in closets when I’m not looking?”

“Mom.”

Ravenna sighed in exasperation sigh, rolling her eyes.

Her mother knew why Valeria disliked touch, but Ravenna didn’t think it should stop her daughter from doing as she liked.

“As for the money, don’t you find it odd that he’s rich? I didn’t think their kind appreciated the finer things in life,” Ravenna said, pointedly ignoring Valeria’s uncomfortable expression. “Granted, they are the shifter I know least about, but, by all accounts, most don’t care about money. Supposedly, bears are perfectly happy to live in shacks in the woods.”

“Well, this is a very old bear community,” Valeria improvised. “And they learned a long time ago that money is an excellent way to safeguard their privacy.”

Ravenna hummed, squinting at the rugged mountain landscape. “How many are there?”

Only Sanaa’s house was visible at the foot of the mountain. But Valeria had since learned that at least a third of the clan had houses within sight of the house. They just couldn’t be seen.

She was about to tell her mother the truth when the skin on the nape of her neck prickled.

“I haven’t met them all so I can’t say.” That was a dodge. She hadn’t met two of the clan because they were traveling on separate treasure hunts, but she knew their numbers.

And even though this was her mother, Valeria also didn’t want her to know how many vulnerable people the clan had, young or old. Which was a problem because she was almost certain the rustling in a nearby bush wasn’t a rabbit.

“I have to admit I didn’t realize you’d have things so well in hand here.” Ravenna said, avoiding her eyes.

Valeria stopped walking, her heart sinking. She knew that tone, and it meant trouble. “What does that mean?”

“That I think we can turn this to our advantage,” Ravenna said in her stop-judging-me voice.

So well in hand…

“You already knew I was here,” Valeria said, gorge rising up her tight throat. “Someone managed to track me. But they didn’t know who or what rescued me. All they knew was that their people were gone, vanished without a trace.”

The witches who’d cornered her in Los Angeles had been blasted to smithereens. Those three might have been ash, but it had been a windy night. There hadn’t been enough evidence to pinpoint who or what had helped her.

“That’s why they let you go,” Valeria groaned, putting the pieces together. “They didn’t know who I was with until you saw Thomas in his bear form.”

Her mother pressed her lips firmly shut.

Valeria crossed her arms, staring until Ravenna caved, looking away to avoid meeting her eyes. “Fine. I was in more trouble than I let on. I…I may have made a deal.”

There should have been a stabbing pain, somewhere near the vicinity of Valeria’s heart. But all she felt was exhaustion, a bone-deep weariness of a life lived too hard.

It should have hurt more. After all, this was her mother. “And you gave them me.”

“I never intended on following through,” Ravenna cried, a little spittle flying out of her mouth. “I just needed time and some distance away from those sanctimonious cross-wearing assholes. But don’t worry. I am going to figure something out. I always do.”

Valeria had always had a sixth sense when it came to danger. The only reason she was still alive was because she listened to it. She scanned the horizon, searching for threats.

“Are they coming now?”

“No,” Ravenna snapped. “I made sure they would wait.”

“How sure?” Valeria grabbed her mother’s arm. “Did they mark you?

“Of course not.” Her mother yanked out of her grasp. “You are not dealing with an amateur.”

Then why was Valeria’s skin still prickling?

“You’ve been feeding them information.”

“It was nothing crucial,” Ravenna protested. “Just a quick description of the men who were with you. I didn’t even know their names at the time.”

Valeria nodded, not in agreement but to get the information out of Ravenna sooner. The woman hated being called to account for her behavior. Nothing shut her up faster.

“Did you text them from the hotel?” she asked.

“Yes, while I was grabbing my things.” Ravenna shrugged defensively. “ I didn’t send them pictures or anything. And I told them to wait until they heard from me before trying anything. I stressed that the men looked big and dangerous, so they better wait.”

If only that warning were enough, but Valeria’s heart wouldn’t calm. Danger was coming. She could feel it breathing down her neck. “Mother, did they give you the phone?”

“Don’t look at me that way. I am not an idiot.” Ravenna passed a hand through her hair. “I turned it off at the hotel, and I haven’t turned it on since.”

“Good Lord, Mother.” Valeria groaned. “You know that doesn’t matter.”

“How could it not matter? It’s off! They can’t track it.”

“Of course it’s possible,” she shot back. “The police do it all the time.”

She was already running when she remembered. Backtracking, she sprinted past Ravenna, peeking under bushes and crashing through others.

Valeria found Lanaa only a dozen or so yards behind them. It was probably part of her bear nature, something that drove the little one to stalk prey, rather than pouncing on it from the sky.

“Stranger danger,” Valeria whispered, hiding the dragon from her mother’s eyes. “Don’t let them see your scales.”

Ravenna was only steps away, calling for her.

My mother would not harm a baby, Valeria told herself. But people not knowing her power had saved her life. It would give the dragons the element of surprise, Valeria would protect the clan’s secret, even from her own mother. Besides, her instinct was telling her that they were going to need all the help they could get.

She didn’t know if Lanaa understood, but the little beast cocked its head.

“Be like me.” Valeria banged her chest, willing Lanaa to understand. Something in her tone must have gotten through because the next thing Valeria knew, an adorable little girl blinked up at her.

Snatching a naked Lanaa up, Valeria whirled around.

Ravenna’s eyes widened. “Is that a baby? What the hell is a baby doing in the woods?” She turned her head all around, scanning for people. “Where are the parents?”

Valeria ignored her, barreling up the hill as she shouted for Rhys.

She burst into the house, but there was no echo of big, pounding feet. “Aggie! Red alert!”

The brownie popped into existence next to her, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Wot’s that?”

“We may or may not be under attack soon,” Valeria said in between gasping breaths. “I need you to get me the cell phone in the guest room.”

Bending sideways to peek behind her at Ravenna, Aggie sniffed. “I knew that one was trouble as soon as I laid eyes on her.”

The brownie flicked a hand, and a small smartphone appeared in her hand.

Ravenna crossed her arms. “See. I told you it was off.”

Valeria ignored her. “Destroy it, Agatha, now.”

To her credit, the brownie didn’t even blink. The phone disintegrated in her hand, the metallic dust steaming down to the wooden floor before being swallowed up by the bare boards like they were thirsty.

“Good,” Valeria sighed, breathing a little easier. She pressed a kiss to Lanaa’s soft baby cheek. “Is Rhys here?”

“He’s out with the men.” The brownie shook her head. “Are we really expecting an invasion?”

Valeria took a deep breath, willing her heart to stop racing. But the hairs on the back of her neck were still standing on end.

“I think so. It’ll be witches. I have no idea how many.”

She jumped as unseen lights popped out of the walls, glowing red. In the distance, a siren began to wail—the noise was muted inside the house because it would have hurt the baby’s ears.

“Can you take her and hide her?” Valeria asked, knowing Rhys was on his way. If he were anywhere within a hundred miles, he would have heard that alarm. The second he did, he would fly back here.

“If you don’t mind, miss, let’s hold off on that.” Aggie rubbed her hands together. On some people, it would have been a gesture of glee, but Valeria sensed she was nervous. “I’ve never had to hold off an army. I wouldn’t want to put the little one in an inaccessible room only to get distracted and accidentally cut off the air supply.”

Valeria clutched Lanaa closer. “Point taken.”

“Do you think they are coming?”

Ravenna’s voice was edgy, some of Valeria’s panic starting to get through to her. When Valeria didn’t answer, her mother turned and threw her arms up to encompass the room. “Look, that’s no problem. We can start gathering some of these antiques and all the jewelry in the house. If we can find enough valuables—”

“You know it’s not money they want,” Valeria snapped.

If it had been, she would have robbed a bank, anything to get this target off her back.

“If I could,” the brownie interrupted, moving her hands as if she were shuffling the house’s room to her advantage. “If the master were here, he’d recommend taking the high ground.”

A boom sounded, and the house rattled around them.

“What was that?” Ravenna cried.

Aggie gulped. “Not the master.”

“Everyone will come, yeah?” Valeria asked, already backing toward the stairs. Getting to high ground was a good idea. Maybe she could spot them from the deck.

Sanaa would be nearby, with Thomas. They’d get here before the others.

Valeria was out of breath when she made it to Rhys' office. Ravenna was huffing behind her, but she stopped in wonder at the room full of bejeweled dragons.

“Come on,” she said, pulling her out the doors. Both blinked in the windy sunshine.

“There’s no railing on this deck!” Ravenna shied away from the edge. “Get back with that baby or you’ll both go over.”

“And wouldn’t that be a shame?” a new voice broke in.

Valeria spun on her heel, her hand on the back of Lanaa’s head so the monsters wouldn’t see her face.