Beneath the Dust (Force of Nature Book 4)

by Amber Lynn Natusch

  The fey king had sent new minions.

  With little control over them, I instead reached out toward the magicals they had swallowed up and pulled them toward me. They were witches, and their power spoke to mine—the warlock DNA in my veins. I watched as hands re-emerged, clawing for anything they could grasp; anything that could help free them from their fate.

  Knox was soon at my side, helping fuel my pull on the witches, while the others fought the earthen enemies and extracted the girls. Once they were free, I again focused my energy on their attackers.

  “Get out of my realm,” I seethed. Wind gusted down the alley, blasting against the fey king’s nightmares. This time, they staggered backward toward the portal, featureless faces staring at me in warning. The fey king wasn’t done in NYC. Not yet.

  One by one, they disappeared through the portal, and the alley went still. The witches’ cries were all that could be heard.

  “What in the actual fuck was that?” Kat asked, wiping red clay from her face with her shirt.

  Knox and Merc shared an uneasy look. “Golems,” they said in unison.

  “Golems?” I asked.

  They nodded.

  “They’re inanimate creatures made of earth and controlled by magic,” Knox said. “I haven’t seen one in a very long time.”

  I turned to Foust and Brunton and found their faces paler than before, their eyes wider. The witches they held in their arms clutched them like lifelines. I walked over to the one in Foust’s arms and laid my hand on her.

  “What happened?” I asked, my voice soft and gentle.

  She turned her clay-covered face to me, the reddish shade contrasting the deep umber of her skin but mimicking the warmth in her wide caramel-colored eyes.

  “We were attacked…I don’t know why. They just came out of nowhere and started dragging us toward the wall.” She pointed to where the golems had disappeared through the portal. I tried to hide my disappointment. Her story didn’t give us much to work with.

  “The coven queen must be informed,” Merc said, taking out his phone. “I will be right back.” He walked away from the group.

  “Thank you,” the girl said to me. “I owe you a life debt.”

  “We all do,” the one next to her said. She pushed her soiled blonde hair out of her face and squared her shoulders. “So many have gone missing already—I guess we know what happened now.”

  “How many?” I asked.

  Her expression was grim. “Ten in the last twenty-four hours.”

  A jolt of fear shot through me, and I looked back to Knox. “Why would the fey king want them?” I asked.

  “I have no idea,” he replied, “but we damn sure need to figure it out.”

  “Do their powers work in his lands?”

  “I don’t know. Yours didn’t—not well, anyway.”

  “But I’m not a witch…”

  “I heard him,” the third girl said from where she stood near Jase. “The fey king…I heard him when I was inside that…that thing.”

  “What did he say?” Jase asked. He looped his arm around her thin shoulders, and she leaned into his touch.

  “I…I don’t remember exactly. It’s like I felt his words more than heard them, if that makes any sense at all.”

  “It does,” I said, trying to shake the memory of his voice caressing my skin in Mack’s apartment the night it had tried to coax me into joining him in Faerie. “Just tell us what you can.”

  “It was something about sacrifice…about doing our part?” She shook her head in frustration. “That’s the best I can do. My mind feels so fuzzy right now…I can’t think clearly.”

  “You’ve been through a lot,” Jase said. Then he looked at me. “We should take them home.”

  “No,” the blonde said, finding the strength in her voice. It contrasted her petite build, which made it clear that she was powerful enough to command those around her in other ways. “We will go to the coven queen. Alone.”

  “The fey king may send them again—”

  “Then take us to Central Park. We will risk the rest of the journey on our own.”

  “Suit yourselves,” Brunton muttered under his breath.

  Jase and Dean shared a silent conversation, then a nod. Moments later, they took two of the witches and disappeared with them. The remaining two looked concerned at first, but when the boys returned not covered in their sisters’ blood, relief washed over their faces.

  Just before the brothers could take them away, the blonde turned to me and gave a tight nod.

  “I don’t understand why you came to our aid this evening or what you stood to gain from it, but I will honor that life debt, Magical.”

  Before I could reply, the four of them disappeared, leaving the rest of us with nothing but questions and no way to find answers.

  “If the fey king has dispatched golems to do his dirty work…” Foust said, his words drifting off.

  “…then Liam is likely dead.” Brunton, never afraid to spell things out, said what I, and apparently the others, had already been thinking. That our mission to retrieve the final Original was over. It was too late to save their brother.

  “Maybe, maybe not,“ Knox said, anger growing in his tone, “but we are not giving up without knowing first—"

  “The coven queen has requested a meeting with us,” Merc announced as he approached the group. “I told her I would arrange something, but due to how poorly things went the last time we met, I would be in charge of all the details.”

  “And?” Knox pressed.

  “She agreed without hesitation because her daughter was one of the girls we saved this evening.”

  “Like that bitch has a heart for family,” Kat said with a scoff.

  “Even the coldest of beings has a soft spot,” Merc countered. “You, Kat, are no exception.”

  She turned away and swore under her breath.

  “So when do we meet?” I asked.

  His pale face turned to me, the moon’s eerie light highlighting the sharp angle of his jaw as it clenched.

  “When I deem it safe to do so. For now, we return to the mansion.”

  “What about Liam?”

  Merc’s eyes narrowed. “I agreed to this rescue mission only because I thought there was a chance it could succeed. Given what we’ve witnessed tonight, one of two things has happened: the first is that Liam is, in fact, dead; the second is that he’s been imprisoned. Either way, we cannot help him.”

  “We can’t leave him—”

  “We can and we will,” Merc said, silencing my argument. “I am sorry for this, I truly am, but we have more pressing matters to deal with now that don’t involve Liam.” Without another word, he walked over and grabbed my hand; seconds later, we were standing outside the front entrance to the mansion. “I fear the war is spilling over into Faerie,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “Though I cannot understand it, the signs are there. Neither fey ruler has had much interest in this realm for centuries.”

  “So why now?” I asked, nuzzling his chest.

  “Why indeed?” he mused. “I think it has something to do with a particular magical I happen to love.”

  “But I have nothing to do with the war,” I argued.

  His silence drew out for too long, and I pulled away just enough to find his dark expression staring down at me.

  “I fear that might not be true.”

  Chapter Two

  Merc and I waited outside for the others to arrive, both of us staring up at the sky as though it might provide us with the answers we sought. Jase and Dean ghosted everyone back to the mansion until we were all accounted for. At least this time, everyone who’d gone to the alley had returned. We hadn’t been so lucky the time before.

  “Well that wasn’t what I’d bargained for this evening,” Kat said, heading through the front door.

  “Me either,” I sighed.

  “We need to fill everyone in,” Knox said as he followed us into the foyer, “especially since the pl
an has changed.” There was a notable hint of sadness in his tone.

  “You think Liam’s dead, too,” I said softly, taking his hand in mine.

  “Makes the most sense, don’t you think?”

  I gave him a small nod.

  “I am sorry,” Merc said. Knox turned and looked at him like he was waiting for the punch line, but one never came; only the vampire king’s condolences. “I am sorry for this turn of events—for the loss of your friend.”

  “We weren’t exactly friends anymore, but thanks.”

  We all stood in the awkwardness of the moment until Brunton and the boys started down the hall toward the meeting room.

  “Are we calling a meeting about this shitstorm or not?”

  “Yeah,” Knox replied. He shot me a weary look before following them. Everyone else filed in, headed for yet another meeting that evening—or morning. The chaos in my life had once again caused me to lose track of time.

  ***

  Enforcers and wolves alike scattered after the second meeting, the tension unchanged. The fact that the search for Liam was over had been eclipsed by the latest shitshow in a series of them—all of which tied back to me in one way or another. That fact gained me zero popularity with the enforcer crowd. The wolves held fast in support, but I wondered if even their loyalty would waver at some point.

  With the sound of Grizz’s light snoring keeping me awake, I finally left the comfort of my bed to roam the mansion. My head was spinning with theories and what-ifs, and I just needed to escape them all somehow, provided that was even an option.

  I was halfway down the hall when the door I’d just passed opened. I turned to find Merc standing there, shirtless, smiling down at me.

  “Can you not sleep?”

  “Can you?” I countered. His smile fell away.

  “Rarely, if ever.”

  Boy did I know what that was like.

  “Can I talk to you for a sec?” I asked, headed for his room. He stepped back in and opened the door wide.

  “Always. Now, what’s this about?”

  “Nothing about tonight,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “It’s…it’s about what happened when I returned from Faerie—what happened in the prison cell with your father—”

  “I wasn’t myself, Piper. And though my actions may seem misguided to you, I did what I did to keep you safe—so I couldn’t hurt you anymore.”

  The anguish in his eyes at how our bond had nearly sucked the life out of me was more than I could bear. I reached up and grabbed his face, pulling it down to mine. Then I kissed him like I had the first time our lips met.

  When I finally pulled away, I couldn’t tell who was more surprised at what I’d done.

  “Perhaps I should make a mess of things more often if this is how I’m to be rewarded.”

  I smiled at him and shook my head. “I did that to make a point.”

  “Oh, you most certainly did—”

  “Merc! I’m trying to be serious!”

  He tried to hide his smile. “Forgive me. I find you cute when you’re flustered.”

  “You’re forgiven. Now, what I was trying to say is that I know you weren’t yourself—and why you did what you did. But more than that, it doesn’t matter. My feelings for you haven’t changed because the bond was severed, because that bond wasn’t what held us together in the first place. In fact, I don’t think it held me to anything at all. You did that all on your own.”

  His brow furrowed as he studied my expression. “You don’t feel at all differently about me?”

  “No. Not one bit.”

  “Because we cannot be joined like that again, Piper. Not now that I am king…”

  “I know. It doesn’t matter. We don’t need to be—unless you need to be.” I nearly choked on my heart when it lodged in my throat. “Have your feelings changed? About me?”

  He cocked his head like I’d taken leave of my senses.

  “I loved you long before we were bonded, Piper. Its absence changes nothing for me, though I will admit, when I came back to myself after my blinding rage and realized what I had done—what those actions meant—I was terrified that I’d forfeited any life you and I could have had together. That I had ruined it all.”

  “I was too, until I realized that it had no effect on me—that I loved you just as much without it. I just had to make sure that it didn’t on you, either. That’s why we went to find you at the king’s home. To see if we could be okay.”

  “I was surprised that Knox came with you that night—”

  “Knox loves me, and I know you two have whatever beef it is that you have, but he was worried about you too, regardless of what he says. I saw it in his eyes. He might not like you, Merc, but he respects you. He understands the position you’re in now.”

  His lips pressed to a thin line. “Yes, I imagine he does.”

  “So…are we good? About this bond BS? No guilt…no staying away from me for fear you’re slowly killing me somehow, which is much better now, by the way…”

  “Yes. We’re good.”

  “Great! Glad we got that sorted out. Now, about this meeting with the witches—”

  “I will come to you with the details once they have been determined and agreed upon.”

  I shot him a sideward look. “You mean you’re actually going to tell me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does that mean I get to go?”

  “Each faction will be allowed a certain number in its entourage.”

  “And I get to be one of them?”

  The amusement in his face slowly bled away. “If I had my choice, you would not. But this matter concerns you, and you are privy to information the rest of us are not because of your dealings with the fey king, so yes, you will be in attendance.” I did my best not to look shocked and failed. “I am doing my best not to be overbearing, Piper, but the desire to protect you is strong, even if it’s no longer warranted.”

  “Knox will demand to go, too.”

  “I am well aware of that fact. I shall do what I can to bring him and one other, but negotiating this meeting will be difficult and strategic. Every choice made must have a purpose and give an advantage.”

  “Surely Knox does both.”

  Merc nodded. “Indeed, but he will not be the only other who wishes to go. You inspire loyalty that I cannot even conceive, Piper. The problem I will soon face is the backlash following the announcement of who all will go with us.”

  Reality slowly dawned. “We can’t bring Grizz, can we?” He shook his head. “Or Kat?” Another shake. “Aw man…shit’s going to get ugly.”

  “Another fact I am well aware of.”

  I looked up at his serious expression and did all I could to stifle the nervous laugh growing inside.

  “I’d be sure to check your bed when we return,” I said, heading toward my room.

  “Why would I need to do that?” he asked as he followed me.

  I turned to smile at him. “Because bears don’t just shit in the woods…especially not magical ones who get pissed when they’re left out of the action.”

  Chapter Three

  Since I couldn’t sleep, I took the opportunity to have some alone time on the property—as much as I could ever get with the man-bear at my side. No matter how powerful I was, he had zero intention of letting me wander anywhere by myself. That was his duty in life, and he took it quite seriously.

  We were deep in the woods, the moonlight guiding us, when I felt a shift in the air. Seconds later, a portal opened, and the queen appeared just beyond the bright, translucent barrier. I knew she wasn’t bold enough to set foot on our side of the veil, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t screwed. It appeared she’d come to call in her favor already—before I’d really had a chance to fill everyone in on the fact that I’d made a deal with the devil in the first place.

  “Hello my dear Piper. You’re looking well. Much better than when I last saw you.”

  “Near-death doesn’t look good on anyone.”
>
  Her wicked smile bloomed. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that.”

  “What do you want?” I asked, prepared to get right to it.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten? That your addled mind has decided to tuck away the fact that you owe me a favor?”

  “And I suppose you’ve come to collect already?”

  Grizz shifted closer to me.

  Her smile widened. “No…not just yet. The time isn’t quite right.”

  “Then fuck off,” I said, turning my back on the fey queen. The bitch trying to ruin my life. My mother.

  “Turning your back on me isn’t wise,” she said. Her voice was suddenly right at my ear, and I wheeled around to find that the portal had shifted much closer. She reached out her hand and dragged a nail down my face. I felt a pinch of pain before she snatched it away, back into the safety of her realm. The drop of blood at the end of her finger glistened in the eerie light of Faerie for just a moment before she put it to her mouth and licked it away. Her eyes went wide as she swallowed. “Powerful little creature I’ve created,” she mused. “I wonder what I should do with her…?”

  Grizz’s growl was answer enough, but he flipped her the bird for good measure.

  “The man-bear has some ideas,” I replied, wiping the blood from my cheek.

  “You can share them with me soon.” Her wicked smile was not encouraging. It was the last thing I saw before she disappeared from sight, taking her shitty moving portal with her.

  “I really hate that bitch,” I muttered under my breath. Grizz grunted his approval. “I guess it’s time to go home and tell the others—and call Drake to tell him the wards aren’t working for shit. Can’t wait to see how well that goes over…”

  ***

  I led the way toward the mansion, exhausted from my unwelcome visit from the fey queen. And it seemed my luck hadn’t changed, a fact I realized when I heard Grizz growl a warning from behind me. I started to turn to see what was wrong just as an entourage of wolves and vamps came flying through the front door to join us.