Four Moons: The Complete Collection: (Books 1 - 4)

by Amos, Richard

  “And you believe that it would be peaceful? To use the High Alpha’s son as a hostage to get what you wanted? You’re a fool. You know as well as I do that he would’ve destroyed you.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “Then, yes, you’re a fool.”

  “Maybe I am. Maybe we all are. All I want is my people safe. Our realm is dying. Did you know that?”

  “I did.”

  The silver shields were beginning to fracture, iron fissures running through the glow.

  “There are two factions within the elves now. I have been usurped, lost the trust of my subjects to a terrorist regime run by Devon—that is The Chief’s name. Mama Rita was the spark to ignite the rage further than it already was. I am regarded as weak, thus powerless now with only a handful of elves loyal to me. You must understand the anger at the wolves that permeates everything. I feel it too, but not in a murderous way. Never. This is never the answer, and I understand the power of wolves.”

  But the wolves were weak now with the moon cursed, with The Spire destroyed. “I would’ve thought you would be happy with this.”

  “Chaos?” River replied. “Who would ever be happy with chaos? A mad creature. I am not mad, and I am not bloodthirsty. Yes, I want things to change, but do you think I want to stand here like this as iron rain pounds me, as the elven tunnels flood with rainwater, as a sickness begins to spread through my people? Because it has. An iron sickness just like the silver sickness. Many will die. This has to stop. Devon needs to be dethroned, the moon curse ended, Mama Rita removed from this world. Otherwise, as you well know, there is no point to me standing before you, there is no point to anything but waiting for the world to turn on its head and become a new beast that will not be tamed.”

  She was talking a lot of sense. Maybe that’s what she wanted me to think, to trick us, play with our minds, and cast the final blow.

  I didn’t believe the latter. There were too many holes in the idea of them being here to kill us.

  I believed her.

  “Come inside,” I said.

  “Sir?” the SCU agent responded.

  “One wrong move, you’re dead. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes,” they all answered together.

  “We talk underground. Bring them inside. Never keep the guns off them.”

  “Yes, sir,” Dan said. “Move.”

  I started to walk back into the underground carpark. “Jay? I want the engines of every vehicle running, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Okay?”

  “Will do, sir.”

  “Good. Good.”

  * * *

  The elves stood together in a circle of wolves and SCU agents, guns pointed to their heads. Their shields were gone, broken.

  They were all dressed in black, waterproof beanie-shaped hats on their heads. Xavier’s normal colorful appearance was drab, not a trace of shimmering body glitter on his dark skin. His nose piercing was even gone. Melody’s regular sun-kissed look was now ashen, her cheekbones unhealthily severe, and The Chief… River was like a different woman, sickly, beaten, and broke, as pale as snow.

  No matter how much I believe them, I wouldn’t offer them any comfort or hospitality. Yet. It had to be earned.

  “The Hope Device should never have fired,” River said. “It will not again. You will receive reports soon of an explosion in Hertfordshire, where the device was built. Many elves have died from the launch—it tore through the underground hanger. It was unstable. I promise you this: It will not fire again, no matter what Devon says.” She shook her head. “High Alpha has iron weapons of the same power, and I wanted one too for a pissing contest. I was thinking of my people.”

  I got that completely. There were launch sites all over the globe harboring iron bombs. Only High Alpha had the launch codes. If he died, if he was gone, those codes would…would come to me.

  I’d been expecting an iron bomb, not the iron rain. Was the rain the first act, the warmup to the major revenge he wanted to take?

  If the decision fell to me, I—

  That wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now. And it was a decision clouded by these elves, by the two factions within their race.

  “Where are your people?” I asked.

  “In hiding in the tunnels, as deep as they can go.”

  “They took my uncle,” Aki suddenly spoke. “They took him.”

  His voice had the power to make my breath catch.

  Melody sighed, signing every word to Zach even if she was being held at gunpoint.

  Xavier was the one to speak. “We didn’t say anything to anyone about your time with the dream witch. I was approached for information by a group of Devon’s thugs. I got away, took all of them down. We both did.” He nodded to Melody.

  “Devon had been making noise for a while about fighting back,” Melody added, “and we got wind of the move against The Chief. We gathered up some people and got her out of harm’s way, then became the hunted.” She shook her head. “Its been horrible. Real bad. We sleep and eat when we can, but we have to keep moving. We even thought about following you to Japan. Too dangerous.”

  “Unfortunately,” Xavier said, “Phi didn’t come with us. She has suffered tremendously over Zach’s predicament and went to Devon’s side full of grief. She didn’t know enough to tell them, only that you went to see the dream witch. They needed your uncle for more, to use coercion magic on him to glean the information.”

  “And it worked,” Ryoka said. “I was powerless.”

  “Anyone would be,” Melody replied. “It’s toxic stuff that kills the caster, as you know.”

  “Seems ridiculous to kill your own like that,” I said.

  “It is,” River answered. “Awful. Shameful. We had reports back from Japan regarding the use of this power, and of Phi.”

  My eyes flicked to Zach, who was basically a statue.

  “She told Devon about Akira, about the connection with you and Zach, about your abilities. It spread like wildfire, a new tool to snare Akira.”

  A surge of rage, a craving to slaughter. “Will they try again?”

  River scratched her forehead. “I don’t know. It depends if Devon is willing to spend more elven blood on his endeavors.”

  “Let him try,” I said. “It’ll fail like before.”

  “I think he may know that.”

  “Please don’t hate her,” Xavier cut in. “Phi. She was heartbroken, desperate.”

  With Zach so close, I didn’t want to call her a traitor. I had too much respect for him. It was best not to answer. But that’s what she was—a traitor. Heartbroken or not, she had gone to Devon’s side, talked about Akira, put him in danger.

  I saved that for later.

  “We came here,” Xavier continued, “to tell you about the Hope Device, to maybe give you a sliver of reassurance, to let you know you’re not alone.”

  “The sentiment’s appreciated,” I said, “but you can understand the trepidation.”

  “Of course.”

  Enough talking. “We need to leave soon if we’re going to get this done.” I turned to Aki. “When he’s ready.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Xavier asked.

  “It’s all too much for him. He just needs some time.”

  Time we were losing.

  Aki blinked, facing the direction of the elves. He’d been staring off to the side again, vacantly. “Be ready to leave.” He turned and headed back to the stairs.

  “Aki?” I chased him, keeping pace. “Talk to me.”

  “I have a job to do. Just give me a minute or two, okay?”

  “Where are you going?” I wanted to pull him into a hug, boom out the joy of him moving, talking, not a zombie.

  “To the roof. I need to catch my breath.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  From the top of G’s building, an umbrella up at G’s orders, I watched the flashes at Canary Wharf’s barriers in the distance. The scary things contained there after the almost apocalyp
se were defo stirred up, going crazy. Mazoku-made creeps, hellish things wanting to come out and play.

  I shuddered at the thought of it, and the fact the air was cold. Refreshing, though. Man, did I need it to come and slap me with its chilly sharpness.

  Here I was again, fighting to hold onto myself, to try and gather up some strength in a toxic wind, my head loaded up with more info, with more fucking pain and sadness.

  What if Dad was dead? Sarah? Riku? What then? What did it fucking mean?

  Ugh.

  At least I was back to me, full of fighting spirit again.

  The elves had helped me snap out of it. My friends, the ones who hadn’t fucked me over. It made me realize what I was doing, the state I was slipping into. Nothing but a vessel for emptiness.

  Vessel for emptiness? How could you fill up something with nothing? Didn’t they call that an oxymoron? Whatever. I didn’t wanna be empty anymore, stunned into statue-mode. Hold back the shit, let it fly when this was done. If I let it eat me now, I’d break into pieces and be nothing but food for the crows to pick at.

  Crows creeped me out.

  Canary Wharf wasn’t my problem, though. That roofless building in Bow was. The place where it’d all gone wrong.

  In a minute. I needed another minute.

  G was beside me, watching the horizon too, the rain still battering down on everything. I had no idea when it’d stop, but I didn’t want it to yet. Sure, I wanted Xavier and co to not get sick or melted, but the same didn’t stand for the rest of the wankers.

  The funny thing was, I could see River’s point of view for building that bomb. I mean, her people had got the crappy part of life’s deal. Close to power in the war back in the day, lost it, having to play along with a furry species who were proper tough. But so were they, really, the elves. That’s why there’d been those accords, that whole thing holding peace together—the rules that’d been broken when Zach had been arrested. That was the seed of this, then fed with some mega fertilizer to spawn the worst plant ever.

  Sometimes my analogies really bugged me. But there you go.

  Made the point.

  Good old G. Never leaving my side, always making sure I was okay, even making sure we both had umbrellas.

  My rock.

  “G?”

  “Yes, Aki?”

  I twisted to face him. “Thank you. For everything.”

  He smiled. “Always.”

  “You think you can do me a favor?”

  “What’s that, Aki?”

  “Can you kiss me?”

  His head titled slightly. “Kiss you?”

  “Yeah. No epic shit, just a kiss before we head out into the great big void of pain.”

  He wasn’t smiling. “This isn’t our last kiss.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I didn’t.”

  Whoa. He was in scary beta mode. No wolf gold in his eyes, but I swear they were emerald fires. He dropped his brolly, the rain cascading over his short hair.

  “G…”

  He bent and came under my shelter, meeting my lips, electricity crackling as skin met skin. He brought his own rain to my soul, a delicious summer rain, cool and soothing, but also hot as fuck as his tongue slid into my mouth.

  Wow.

  Here came all the alive stars. Again and again. Exploding behind my eyes.

  The bristles of his stubble rubbed against me. I slid my free hand onto the back his head, pushing my body into his as our lips melded, overwhelmed by his touch and scent and everything.

  “I love you,” I breathed into his mouth.

  Hold me forever…

  * * *

  It was a flippin’ miracle that I’d kept that umbrella as upright as my cock had been. Tenshi! I wanted to pound his arse right there and then on the roof. Get my dose of the G peach and forget everything.

  The fires of yummy passion had soon been put out by the pain licking at me. G’s kiss had lifted the sorrow, but now it was back to hug me tight. Bad hug. Dad and Sarah and Riku were missing and…and…

  And it was fighting time.

  Destruction…

  Yeah, the good kind of destruction directed at the bad guys.

  On our way back inside, Quentin flickered to life before the door.

  “Hey,” I said. He looked so weird without his mustache.

  “Hello, Mr. Murakami.

  “What is it?” G asked.

  “There is a gift for Mr. Murakami in the carpark. It has just arrived, brought here by SCU agents.”

  “What the hell?” Shit. A bomb. Had to be.

  “It is safe,” Quentin said, “not a threat. It is a motorbike.”

  My heart nearly stopped. “A bike?”

  “Yes. A rather splendid machine if I may say so.”

  “Cindy!” I yelled. “Holy shit!” I charged through the holographic geezer, practically flying down the stairwell.

  There she was, sitting on her kickstand, good as new. Even freshly painted black, with the sharp yellow trim. My mega bee queen, my girl.

  “What… What the hell?” I stroked her, kissed her body. “Hey, baby.”

  “This was to be delivered here earlier, but plans were held up,” the wolf Jay said. “A gift from High Alpha.”

  I turned to the guy. “My dad did this?”

  “Yes, sir. He sent a crew to pick it up before the moon change.”

  “Wow.”

  “There’s an envelope, sir.”

  On the seat, sealed with the red wax wolf head. I opened it and read the elegant scrawl of my father.

  Akira,

  I know how much you loved this bike. Gabriel would often tell me how you cared for it, enjoyed taking it out for rides.

  I hope it brings you further joy.

  Dad

  He’d got Cindy back for me from the western slums.

  My dad. Hitoshi Murakami had done this for me.

  Hotness in the eyes. I crushed it. No fucking way. I had to fight, to ride Cindy into battle. This wasn’t the time for tears.

  Hold onto yourself…

  I so would.

  My dad had done this for me.

  A hand on my left shoulder, then my right.

  G and Ryoka.

  Zach appeared, admiring the ride. He signed, looking to Melody. The elves had some water and food but were still under strict watch. At least they had picnic chairs to sit on.

  Melody chuckled. “Zach says he’s so getting on the back of that.”

  My brother grinned at me, giving me the thumbs up.

  Any brother of mine who appreciated the beauty of my top girl could ride with me all day long.

  Plus, well, it wasn’t like he was gonna stay behind. He’d made that clear. Uncle Ryoka too.

  “Then, let’s fucking rock.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  With Cindy thrumming between my legs again, a sense of the purest freedom washed over me. Took me back to the days we’d tear through the night and day, head out of London to get that wind in my hair, untangling myself from the city that wouldn’t let me go. Just for a little while.

  Man, it was awesome to have her back.

  We were a motherfucking convoy, Zach on the back of Cindy, G in an SUV with Ryoka on my right, and an SCU van on my left. There were five vans heads, five behind, plus some further back.

  Time to put this right.

  Still, no word on my dad, my family. Yeah, they were my family. Mental how something like this makes you wanna try. ‘Cos I did. No matter how badly he’d treated me, or how resistant I still was, I wanted to give healing a shot. Like my mum had told me. I wanted that chance to make a unit. Could fall apart, yeah, but why not go for it and be a big brother to Riku, be friends with my step-mum. Heal. Move on, work through the doubt. I’d never forget, and maybe not forgive, but maybe I could move on.

  Now they all had to be found alive.

  Please…

  Okay, the devastation of The Spire didn’t l
eave a lot of room for hope. But you gotta believe in miracles, right?

  Holding on, not breaking apart, being strong.

  Had to be strong.

  I pulled on the throttle, gaining more speed, but not pulling ahead too much. I just liked hearing my baby purr.

  * * *

  We hit the slums, the SCU opening the way through the barriers that cut the slums off. It was the same way I’d come the last time pretty much, the slum entrance not too far from Bow Church Station. Only this time, I didn’t have to use the Skytube to get here.

  Our convoy made its way through the streets, peeps peering out of windows from the dilapidated buildings, from dark alleyways, or sheltered and huddled together against the rain by flaming barrels.

  I hated the slums, hated how the innocent people living here didn’t have a way out. It needed fixing, better policy in place—defo a failing in my Dad’s governance. And the slums were a plague all over the globe. They were in every city, each of them controlled by a gang lord. Violet Cross was one of them.

  No one gave us any shit as we moved deeper. I mean, who would with these vehicles rolling through? You’d be a dickhead to tangle with them.

  The point of the curse wasn’t too far away now, a couple of streets over, and we’d be there.

  Why was the convoy slowing down?

  It came to a stop. I stood up, straining to see up ahead. What the hell was going on?

  My eyes caught Canary Wharf through a gap in the buildings, the shields really getting hammered from within. Tenshi! So many flashes of white, the things whipped up into a proper frenzy.

  The shrieking answered my question.

  Mazoku.

  Mama Rita.

  Here were fucking go.

  I killed Cindy’s engine and hopped off. The way was blocked, and we had to clear it.

  “Aki.” G was beside me. He didn’t say anything else, just announced himself as ready for this.

  I wove through the vehicles to get to the front, stopping behind a line of SCU agents who had their guns up, mazoku traps at the ready, plus those torch things with glowing tips which G, Zach, and Junto each had one of for fending off those demon dickheads.