He nodded. Keeping alert, we headed down the narrow alley. With the sun almost completely set, the lack of any artificial lighting gave the alley a creepy vibe. Potted plants, large and bushy, were placed every couple of feet. There were benches but no one in sight. Weird. It was such a pretty place, rather calming for being in such an industrial part of the city. Our footsteps echoed, and the further we traveled, the sounds of the street faded into the background. Toward the end of the alley, I noticed a door painted the same pale blue as Merle's. Before I could really give that much thought, Ren had reached the end of the buildings and drawn up short.

"Well, hello," he muttered under his breath.

I looked around him and saw two fae standing near a fancy car—a white Benz. These were normal fae by the looks of their silvery skin and pointy ears. They held a human male between them, one that looked like he wouldn't be able to stand if it wasn't for the arm around his chest. Familiar adrenaline surged at the sight of them.

But that wasn't the most shocking part. Standing beside the fae were two uniformed police officers that appeared to be human. One was too short and his stomach too round to be an ancient. The other officer, who looked like he was in his late forties or fifties, laughed at something the brown haired fae said.

The round cop shuffled forward and gripped the jowls of the human male the fae held, turning his head from one side to the next. Words too low to overhear were said, and then the cops left, walking to the third door down from where the Benz sat. They went inside the back entrance of the club. 

Holy crap.

Ren and I exchanged looks. Those cops didn't look like they were out of it or unaware of what they were doing. They weren't being fed on, and I had a sinking suspicion they knew exactly what the fae were. This wasn't good.

"Stay back," Ren ordered, and then walked forward before I could respond. The fae watched him curiously. He was halfway to them when he cheerfully said, "Hey."

And then threw his helmet at the fae with brown hair.

The fae caught it, bewilderment flashing across his expression, and then cold, deadly fury as he stepped toward Ren. "The Order," he sneered, "must be getting desperate."

Ren laughed.

The fae threw the helmet back, turning it into a missile, but Ren easily snatched it out of the air and then carefully, almost casually, placed it on the ground. He straightened, reaching to his side and pulling out a dagger.

"Take him out," the other fae said, dragging the human male toward the back of the Benz. "We don't have time for this."

Neither did we.

Instead of staying back as I'd been ordered, I placed my helmet on the retaining wall surrounding a flower box and then slipped the dagger out of my boot, stepping into the open area. The second the other fae realized I'd joined the party, he dropped the human male, letting him slump to the ground, completely out of it.

The brown haired fae threw a punch, and Ren ducked, springing up behind him. Spinning around, he planted his boot in the back of the fae. The creature stumbled forward and then turned. Ren spun out of his grasp, moving fast.

Damn. Boy could move.

My gaze zeroed in on the fae heading in my direction. He was tall with icy blond hair. Sometimes the fae liked to fight hand to hand. Other times, they used their abilities. This one belonged to the latter.

Raising his hand, I felt the charge. Like a jolt of electricity, tiny hairs on my arms stood up. Metal scraped over cement. The bench to my right shuddered and flew into the air.

"Really?" I muttered.

Darting to the side, in front of the Benz, I avoided getting smacked upside the head. The bench crashed into the trunk of a nearby palm, the legs breaking off. The fae raised his hand again, his eyes narrowing. The legs from the bench rose, flipping around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light. Ren had taken the other fae out. Behind him, the legs were flying straight for him.

I had to act fast. Cocking my arm back, I threw the dagger. It spun through the air, hitting the fae in the chest, sinking deep. A startled look crossed the fae's face, and then he too disappeared in a flash of light. The legs dropped to the ground, inches from impaling Ren.

He stared at them for a moment and then turned to me. His head cocked to the side. A sudden burst of bright yellow light lit up the darkened alley.

"In the car!" Ren shouted.

Oh crap. Two headlights blinded me for a moment. The engine roared to life and the Benz lurched forward. My heart lodged in my throat as I launched myself to the side. I hit the ground and rolled, the motion uneven with my backpack. I hoped to God my poor rose was okay. I kind of wanted to keep it.

The Benz came so close I could feel the heat blowing off of it. The brakes squealed and burnt rubber filled the air. Leaping to my feet, I threw my head back as Ren ran up behind the Benz. He jumped, landing on the trunk. The car shook, and the driver's door flew open. The fae stepped out, raising his hand.

A trashcan to my left rattled, lifting off the ground and flying straight for me. I dove for the ground, but the trashcan changed course, slamming into my side. It hit the spot where I'd been shot, and a sharp pain flared. Gritting my teeth, I kicked the can off of me and pushed up.

Ren slid across the roof of the Benz, grabbing the fae. Yanking his head back by the mane of black hair, Ren shoved the stake into the back of the fae, right between his shoulder blades.

Light pulsed and then Ren wasn't holding on to anything other than a stake that looked as if it had been dipped in blue ink.