by Lela Grayce
“Of course,” Bayard answered immediately and began herding everyone else out of the small office.
Kreed remained which was good because I wouldn’t let him go even if they tried to pry him away. He was my rock. Without him I felt like I would drown.
Once the room was empty, except for me and my protector, and the door had closed, I finally let the tears fall. I sobbed into Kreed’s chest, the memory still fresh and new in my mind. How could I have done that? Was that what I truly was?
A cool hand slipped under my shirt and pressed against the skin of my lower back, while another hand tangled in my hair holding me to him. Why did this feel so good? He had been so cold today but right now I felt comfort, safe, warm and protected. Was this the bond? Had it grown stronger?
“What is this?” I sniffled into his chest.
“I think our healing bound us even closer,” he whispered, running his fingers through my hair.
“Is that normal?”
“No,” he answered, “not with my kind.”
“What am I?”
“I don’t know but we’ll figure it out.” His use of ‘we’ warmed my heart but a part of me couldn’t completely trust it. I felt that if I did fully trust him I would be giving way more than just that.
“Tell me what happened,” he prodded gently.
With his cool steady hands still pressed on me, I recounted the memory and what I had done.
“That’s not the first time you’ve used your healing ability is it?”
I shook my head. “It was the first time I couldn’t completely control it. It had a mind of its own and there was nothing I could do.”
Leaning back, I tilted my head so I could see his face. He was so beautiful. I felt the connection between us mounting more every day and I didn’t know what to do about it.
“You are more powerful than either of us realized which explains why you are so heavily protected. There must have been witnesses to the incident with the bikers so your memory of it was suppressed, magically,” he mused, running his fingers down my cheek like he couldn’t help himself.
“Who is strong enough to work that sort of magic?” Witches couldn’t work that sort of spell on someone, even several uniting to do the spell would’ve had a hard time.
“I don’t think a witch could have done it alone.”
“But even with other witches they’d be hard pressed to place it let alone maintain it.”
Kreed nodded his agreement then looked around the room. He pulled me closer and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me even though I had been snot-crying for the past fifteen minutes. Instead, he ran his nose along my cheek until his lips were level with my ear, then he whispered, “we’re being watched.”
The door flew open and a surge of people, pixies, and other creatures entered. Kreed tucked me behind his body and I let him. I wasn’t ready to face anyone, especially the adoration coming from Bayard. I didn’t regret saving him both times but I did regret the means of how I did it.
“What’s going on?” Kreed asked, completely calm.
“Just got word from Gavin, the club, and the penthouse have been attacked. He’s also seeing lots of movement in the streets. This is a complete lock down,” Syd answered then put his phone to his ear and started barking orders.
Bayard and Lyndee came over to where I was shamelessly hiding behind Kreed.
“Tine Dian, you are safe here. Me and my clan will not let any harm come to you,” Bayard vowed and it made me internally cringe. People were putting their lives on the line, for me.
“Why do you call me that? What does it mean?” Yes, Nik, focus on that.
“It means “fire healer”,” he answered. It was strangely fitting. “Your friends have filled me in on your situation. I’d like to assure you that you have mine and my clan's complete support.”
“Thank you,” I replied, having absolutely no idea what else to say.
“I’ve sent men to aid in your territory’s protection. We won’t let The Unseen have an inch of new territory.” I could tell that Bayard was trying to reassure me, but it was doing the opposite.
“Three gangs in this city are about to go to war, over me.” I felt faint and if it wasn’t for Kreed I’d probably pass out or run screaming from the room.
“Two out of the three are trying to keep you safe while the one is after you,” Lyndee informed me.
“But why? I don’t understand. There’s nothing special about me. What do they want me for?”
“Don’t tell me you aren’t special,” Lyndee said. “Nik, you’re one of a kind. No one else can do what you do. Your healing ability is amazing but also destructive as you proved saving a pixie you didn’t know. You didn’t destroy everyone, and people know that something happened that night, something terrible. They see it as a way to gain power, but they don’t know the good side of it. You’re dangerous. They want to either possess you or kill you so no one else can have you.”
What Lyndee said took me aback. She’d never said anything like it before. I opened my mouth to say something intelligent, but my brain couldn’t remember words. My eyes filled with tears again as I stepped around Kreed and into my bestie’s arms.
“Love you, Lyndee.” I sniffled against her shoulder, probably getting snot on her shirt too, but I wasn’t about to point it out.
“I love you too. Everything we’ve done is to keep you safe,” she whispered and I knew she felt bad but she was my family.
We parted just as Syd walked up to us, bouncing his phone in his hand. “I just got off the phone with Gwenna. She’s on her way.”
“That’s the Witch-Fae right?” I asked, knowing that it was but wanted to see his reaction.
“Uh, yes,” he answered, looking at me surprised.
“I met her at the club.” I shrugged.
“I didn’t realize she was a hybrid,” Lyndee said, her brows furrowed.
“She’s the second Witch-Fae I’ve met. Not that I actually “met” the first one, he was with the new boss.” I gulped remembering how other-worldly he looked.
“The dragon boss?” Lyndee whispered. I nodded.
“I’ve never met a dragon in the flesh before.” Syd shook his head in disbelief.
“He was… frightening.” I gulped, remembering what it was like being in his presence.
I felt Kreed’s fingers brush against mine and it brought me back to the present. He was right. I think we were bound together tighter now. Could it possibly be that we had healed each other? There could be no other explanation. I had no idea what I was and if we continued like we were, would we be bound together forever?
So many questions and not enough answers.
“Let me through,” a voice snarled from the doorway.
“Brutus?” I waved at him and the pixies took that as the all-clear sign and let the massive shifter into the room.
“I just got the word that Lazateth was spotted leaving the city and heading in this direction,” he said as he approached.
“Who’s Lasagna?” Lyndee asked, as her stomach growled loudly.
“Laz-ah-teth is the name of the dragon boss of The Unseen,” Brutus replied.
“How did he know I was here?”
“There’s a traitor,” Kreed reminded me but I couldn’t imagine anyone selling me out to a dragon mob boss.
“We need to get you out of here. You are what he wants,” Bayard said, making Brutus jump a little which caused Lyndee and me to snicker.
“Where will we go?” Kreed asked, and it warmed my heart a bit that he said ‘we’.
“Can we go to your Dad’s place?” I asked Kreed.
He shook his head. “It’s not safe for you there.”
I was pretty sure he was referring to the place his Dad lived, not his Dad himself. I knew that Ruvaen would never hurt me, I knew it deep down in my fiery core. “Where is safe?”
“Where you would least likely be found,” a female voice said.
Gwenna had arrived.
I gave her a brief hug thankful that she had made it here safely. “Where is the least likely place I would go?” I wondered.
“Pixie leader?” Gwenna asked, addressing Bayard, who stood by my knee. He nodded his affirmation. “You must have a secret tunnel or way of sneaking out of this place without being detected.”
“We have a passageway from the wine cellar that ends in the surrounding hills. We have a vehicle stored there that you can take to escape the city,” Bayard announced.
“What? Leave the city? There’s nowhere to go.” That wasn’t entirely true, the Wilds were out there but it was full of treacherous roads and landscapes, not to mention the wild dragons who roamed unchecked.
“The Wilds,” Syd, Lyndee, Kreed, and Brutus all said together.
“I’m not going out there,” I refused. Going into the Wilds without a guide was suicidal.
“It’s the safest place.” Brutus cut in trying to convince me. “Lazateth wouldn’t follow you out there. He can’t risk leaving his hard fought for territory.”
“You won’t be going alone,” Kreed said quietly. I knew that wherever I went he would follow.
“But your Dad…” I trailed off because staying behind for an elderly loved one was something a human would worry about.
“He is much stronger than he looks.” Kreed grinned.
If Kreed was anything like him, which he totally was, Ruvaen would be just fine.
Just the thought of venturing out into the Wilds filled me with anxious fear. There were so many rumors and horror stories about what the Wilds contained. Strange diseases, plants, wild Chia’s and the dragons. There was no safety out there but if you were running from a greedy dragon hiding amongst other wild dragons did seem stupid but also genius.
While everyone bustled about getting ready to defend our territory, I stayed back.
“Did you erase my memory?” I asked Gwenna who remained beside me, offering her silent support.
“To erase memory is something beyond my abilities ,so no I didn’t erase them, but I did suppress them.”
“What’s the difference?” I tried to tone down the sass, but it was there nonetheless.
“It’s a block of sorts. Anything that reminded you of the memory you’d shy away from it. You wouldn’t want to talk about it or relive it.”
That made sense, actually. I don’t know how many people have asked about my healing and I avoided answering the question. Like she said, I had shied away from it. Having Bayard bring it up must have caused the block to fail.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. I didn’t like having my memories supressed, but now I understood why it had to be done.
A distant sound reached my ears and I looked around wondering if anyone else heard it. Syd, Lyndee, and Brutus had their heads tilted like they were listening to something, while Kreed didn’t show any outward signs that he’d heard it but I knew his superior hearing picked it up.
“Gun shots,” Brutus growled.
“They’re here already.” I squeaked.
“We need to move.” Kreed appeared at my side cupping my elbow with his hand and guided me toward the door.
“Gwenna, go with them,” Syd ordered, while he put a full magazine into the black pistol in his hands and cocked it, chambering a round.
“I’ll keep her safe,” she promised following behind us.
“Follow me.” Bayard waved us after him as he headed toward the bar then veered around it.
There was a trap door in the floor. I knew enough about bars that I knew it led to the cellar where the alcohol was stored. Bayard lifted the trap door then fumbled with a lock. Popping sounds could be heard outside and I was anxious to get underground but also extremely curious.
While Kreed helped Bayard with the lock, I stepped away toward the window. I slowly parted a blind and looked out. The parking lot was lit up with bikers of every shape and size surrounding the building. Firearms were in every hand and even the tiny pixies held pistols that were way too big. It was literally the size of the pixie.
Movement could be seen on the other side of the lot. People milled around a line of cars. Using the vehicles as protection, the bikers dodged our fire power. Muzzle fire flickered everywhere and I realized that there was some sort of barrier around the line of cars. The bullets seemed to be bouncing off an invisible shield.
Shields were difficult for witches to maintain. It took energy and power to block powerful projectiles like bullets. There had to be a witch nearby or several of them to maintain that much protection. I searched the area with my eyes scanning the vehicles. On my third pass I spotted him. The witch-Fae that was with Lazateth in the club stood off to the side in clear view of everyone. His palms were raised toward a vehicle, his eyes closed, his long hair floating above his head while his lips moved whispering a spell. He was exceedingly powerful. I’d never seen a witch have so much power or control. Could hybrids be more powerful than anyone thought?
The witch-Fae’s head suddenly whipped toward the bar, his strange white eyes staring straight at me. He grinned before he turned and pushed his hands toward the bar. Every window in the joint shattered. I raised my hands to block the glass from hitting my face. Nothing touched me. Blinking, I looked around to see Gwenna with her hand raised blocking the glass from hitting me.
“Get her out of here,” Syd roared as he barreled out of the room sounding just like a lion.
“Nik,” Bayard and Kreed called at the same time.
I took one look out the window and froze mid-step. A man was walking toward the bar and I could see the glittering of clawed fingers. My stomach clenched as I realized who it was. Lazateth walked through the mayhem his eyes blazed and he didn’t even flinch as bullets flew toward him. His eyes locked on me.
Heat flared inside my body and I gasped, recognizing the feeling. He was calling me, calling the fire within me, and I wanted to go to him. To burn and feel all the pleasure this intensity could produce. Unlike the last time, I was more aware and fought against him but it was hard the desire nearly scorched.
“Kreed,” I managed to grit out between my teeth.
Something blurred in the corner of my eye and suddenly Kreed was in front of me blocking the dragons view of me. I could move again and I fell into Kreed’s waiting arms, panting as the heat was cut off and had nowhere to go.
I was pulled away from the window and toward the bar. I don’t remember climbing down the ladder into the cellar but I do remember that the cooler air down here was like heaven on my skin. It didn’t calm down the raging fire inside of me. I needed to calm it down or it would all release like it had when I saved Bayard. How did I control it then? Lazateth had calmed the rampant inferno when he drank from my neck but doing that was not an option.
“Nik.” Kreed was standing in front of me, his eyes blazing into mine. I saw something in them that I hadn’t seen before: worry.
“You’ll protect me whatever the cost.” It wasn’t a question but his head nodded. I still had to be one hundred percent sure. “Will you protect me even from myself?”
He blinked, then nodded. I saw his absolute conviction written on his beautiful face. He’d do whatever he needed to do. Even sacrifice himself.
“I need your help.” My jaw was tense as I fought for control.
“Anything,” he whispered.
I couldn’t think about what that tone meant, all I could think about was dousing the fire that threatened to destroy me.
“Touch me.” I placed my hands on his chest then ran them up until they reached his neck.
This was the absolute worst timing but I needed his coldness like fire needed oxygen. Cool hands slipped under my shirt to rest on my waist. I hissed at the contrast of his touch against my heated skin.
“More. Please.” I groaned when he pulled away but before I could protest he was back with his shirt discarded.
He pressed against me putting as much cool skin as he could against me. It still wasn’t enough. I scrambled at my shirt, the fa
bric caught between us. In one quick movement, Kreed ripped it down the front and it slipped off my arms. I pulled him to me again. I sighed as the heat receded enough that I could breathe a bit easier.
My head tilted back and then Kreed’s lips found mine. Time stopped. There was a war happening around us. The only thing I could think about was dousing the flames and the only way was with Kreed.
The kiss was fire and ice. When I thought my heat would melt his ice, he absorbed it somehow and continued to cool while the inferno raged. Then it slowly died down. Cool hands slid up my spine and I arched, completely lost in this new sensation. Our lips locked in a kiss and then he tasted the skin of my chest, neck, and shoulders while the edge I was so close to falling off of grew farther and farther away.
I ran my hand down the skin of Kreed’s back and I felt his dragon tattoo. It moved with him feeling like a completely different entity but also wholly him. The kisses slowed as I came to my senses enough to promise that I would not regret this.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips before nipping them gently.
“Anytime,” he replied. His short breaths sent a thrill through me knowing that I affected him as much as he did me.
He managed to pull away from me and raked a glance over my heated body, which had my cheeks flaming. Stepping back further he picked up my torn shirt and frowned, like he didn’t know how it had come to such a violent end. Instead, he grabbed his and handed it to me. I tried to protest but I didn’t have any other options, so I slipped the garment over my head.
Once done I took a deep breath feeling so much better now that the heat was under control and that his shirt smelled like him.
Kreed pulled on a zippered hoodie, hiding his glorious body. I frowned then noticed that his head was tilted, listening. Then I remembered everything that had happened before this. They were up here fighting for me and I took precious time for a make out session, with my bodyguard, no less.
Super low, Nik.
“I can smell your guilt and you have nothing to feel guilty about.” Kreed glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
“They’re up there fighting a fucking dragon and I’m down here kissing you instead of escaping.” I was a terrible person.
