The Taken

by Nikki Hunter

  “Me?” Layla whispered.

  “To help you, your brother, his friends, this world as you know it. I’ve seen what your queen can and will do. I know of the venom the demons that turned from us have created in your lands. I want to make it right. Tell Camila of our meeting, of the powers that lay deep within her. She only needs to set them free.” Octavia turned rapidly, the leaves floating away from her shape before following her movement. “I must go. I’ve told you what you need to know and your gods are calling on me now. Hate to be late.” She winked, the leaves scattering to the ground. Finally the woods let loose a sigh of relief, animals returned to their normal movements.

  Just as quickly as the fate had come, she had left. The weight of her message heavy on Layla’s shoulders. She pursed her lips and nodded at the empty pile of Octavia’s presence on the fae lands.

  Layla had to meet Vargan, convince him it was worth his time to bring her along, wherever he was going.

  Chapter Ten

  Demon

  The moments after the queen had turned on her heel and left them to battle against her waiting guards had been chaos. Her royal guards came pouring in, swords slashing through the air and the musty smell of magic overwhelmed everyone’s senses. Together, as they always had, Yehven, Kade, and Zayn fought back to back. As a team they welcomed Katrice’s men as they lead themselves to the slaughter.

  When they thought they had won, with no more men charging in their direction, more of them would pour into the valley. However, one by one the bodies piled up as Yehven, Kade, Zayn held their ground. Katrice had underestimated them, a mistake she surely wouldn’t make again.

  After the chaos in the valley there was only silence. Kade and Zayn had yet to speak to Yehven upon hearing that he was a demon. Together, the three of them, returned to Queen Noryn’s castle bloody and tried. Yehven, himself, was sporting a wicked cut up his left arm that his magic was already mending. He was surprised Kade and Zayn had let him return or at least hadn’t already bound and gagged him. Queen Noryn had made arrangements for the meeting but had not sent anyone from her guard with them, she wanted to see how this went before she fully committed to the alliance. She was still unaware that she had housed demons.

  Kade and Zayn had sauntered off together barely mumbling as they stripped away their tattered uniforms. He supposed he should be sorry for lying to them, lying to everyone, Camila included. But he wasn’t. His life since the day he was created by the fates had been a lifelong game of hide and seek from the jin. If he didn’t bow to the humans, even though he had no quarrel with those who did, he was outcast and could no longer bear the name genie instead he was labeled as demon. Yehven didn’t want any part of that life. He just wanted something more than eternal servanthood. That in itself was a death sentence.

  So, here he was, so many thousands and thousands of years later among the fae, barely even sure who he was. The only thing he was certain of was that he had a secret to hide and that secret was finally out. Worry creased his brow where sweat from the battle had dried.

  Kade and Zayn’s soft footsteps rang in Yehven’s ears until they appeared in his peripheral. He tried not to let the anger that seemed to always romp under his skin take over him when he saw their estranged expressions. He had been their friend through it all. Fought with them for a century, killed by them, and saved their skins at times. Him being labeled a demon wasn’t particularly their concern, if anything it was Camila’s. How she had escaped the demon label was beyond him. Realm Renegade. She had hurt a fate, if what the queen said was true. Power that no other genie to this day had been able to claim.

  “Dude,” Zayn started, “what the hell?” What the hell, was right. What in the living hell had his life become that he had to share this secret.

  Seeing Camila had sparked a life in Yehven that had been missing since her death. A happiness that she was alive and well, for the most part, had cleared his mind only to have his life turned upside down as the queen revealed what he truly was. No doubt told by the two demons who had worked their way into being her advisors, some how. Many demons had fled to this realm as an escape from the war. Someplace where they could just live but it didn’t take long before others, who sought war and the end of the jin alliance, came seeking power from the fae. Power as old as theirs, possibly older.

  “What do you want me to say?” Yehven’s eyes narrowed, his palms sprawled out against his thighs.

  “Maybe, just start with the truth?” Kade’s voice was sharp but soft, his torso stiff as he sat down and folded his arms across his chest. Yehven did notice Zayn left his hands free at his sides. Faster to unleash his magic if he needed it. Not that Yehven thought that would help. His jin powers could allow him to do so much more if he needed to protect himself. He hadn’t practiced them in quite some time, so being rusty might be his downfall. Pain sprung against his legs as he realized the pressure he was putting on himself, while he tried to think his way out of this.

  “Would you really want to hear the truth? How does the truth protect me? It doesn’t.” Yevhen’s eyes flashed a startling yellow.

  “Yehven, we just need to know you aren’t some power crazy lunatic trying to bring a war to our realm that we don’t want.” Zayn raised his eyebrows.

  “Have I done anything that would suggest that?”

  Kade and Zayn exchanged a slow look before Kade cleared his throat. “What about the whole backstory with Kym?”

  “It really was just a bad breakup. Kym cares about this war and I… I just want to live my life in peace.”

  “What’s with those gems then? Since you clearly aren’t Rathook.”

  Yehven chuckled for a second before his face fell serious again. “That my friends is where you are wrong. We created the Rathook. We have been in this realm for so long that we were able to weave ourselves into your history, make you think it was a real thing for your concern. This stone, we’ve found, cover’s up our scent somehow. You can’t smell my magic on me. Camila couldn’t smell my magic on me. I’m invisible.”

  “Oh my gods.” Kade stood up. “What makes you think you can come here and recruit us for this? Where would we be if we weren’t unknowingly participating in the human realm’s quabbles.”

  “I didn’t come here to fight—or recruit. I came here to hide.”

  Zayn patted Kade’s shoulder, noting how unstable his emotions have been lately. “Can your powers help us?”

  “Now that,” Yehven smiled, “is a good question.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Surprise

  Camila tugged at the bindings that tied her to the large blue chair that had the same royal look as the queen’s own throne. Her wrists were raw from being in bonds repeatedly and her muscles ached from the same way she tried to yank herself free every time when it never worked. Queen Katrice’s castle was so much like Queen Noryn’s with the exception of their royal banner colors. Now instead of the rich reds and sunlinned golds the room was decorated in ornately woven tapestries of deep blues and sparkling silvers.

  Camila sat near the exceptionally large dining table, enough so, that she could smell the meats and steaming side dishes. Her empty stomach growled in response. She willed herself to look away, to focus on something other than the food so close to her. Close enough she could, had she been unbound, lean herself forward and reach for it, but she still wasn’t close enough that she was considered part of the table. Queen Katrice sat with her two demons on either side. Their taunting smiles every so often pointed at Camila. When the queen had decidedly finished the meal it vanished with a wave of her hand. Vargan sat stiffly next to the one of the demons.

  “Camila,” Katrice finally turned her attention toward her, “I would like you to meet the fae who will be working with you. I will admit that perhaps I owe you that.” She sighed dramatically as the door to the dining hall silently swung open to reveal a child-like fae.

  A small girl just as much skin and bones as the queen, if not worse, stepped into the room. He
r long black hair appeared as though it had once been admirable but now was clumped in large tangles that ended just below her chest. Her eyes were hollow and brilliantly bright blue so much so that it caught all the attention. When she reached Camila’s side she didn’t make eye contact only stared harsly at the polished floors.

  “Well don’t just stand there, introduce yourself!” Katrice exclaimed.

  “Jasmine,” the girl whispered.

  “Speak up,” the Queen directed, standing herself up from the table to glower down at the child.

  “Jasmine,” she repeated finally looking up to Camila.

  “Why will she be working with me?” Camila dared to ask, not sure she was prepared for the answer.

  Katrice’s response though was just a long laugh that echoed through the space before she waved at Camila in dismissal and sat back down in her seat. “Now,” she began, “It’s time for the entertainment while we enjoy dessert.” Motioning toward the empty space opposite the table from Camila in two flashes of light Lance and Bekket fell to the floor.

  Both males quickly jumped to their feet examining the situation they found themselves in.

  “So glad you could join us. Bekket, dear,” she smiled, revealing her brilliant white teeth, “You know how absorption works. Jasmine is here to help me gain Camila’s new kind of magic. We can make it painful or painless. That is up to the both of you.” She wagged her finger at the bewildered men. “On with the show. You two will fight, no magic, or…” Katrice turned to face Jasmine.

  Jasmine pulled her gaze back to the ground as she placed her petite hand on Camila’s forearm. Pain like fire licked through Camila’s veins starting from Jasmine’s grasp and racing through her entire body. A shriek escaped Camila, long and tortured. As fast as it started, it stopped, relief flooding her body.

  “So, let’s get to it.” Katrice snapped her fingers at Bekket and Lance.

  “I can’t fight you.” Lance turned to Bekket.

  “I don’t think you have a choice.” Bekket frowned.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” Lance said to Bekket but turned back towards the queen. “Please, anything else.”

  Katrice rolled her eyes and turned back to Jasmine with an expectant look.

  Camila knew the pain was likely to come again. An unbearable torment that sent her heartbeat crazy with fear. “You don’t have to do this.” Camila choked out to Jasmine whose hand was hovering just above her arm. “Please, please don’t do this to me,” she begged.

  “I have no choice.” Jasmine frowned.

  “Yes, yes you do. You can choose to stand with us, to fight against all that she’s done.”

  “I don’t have a choice,” she said again. “If I do not obey, she takes from me.” Jasmine lifted her other arm revealing the blunt end where her hand was forcefully removed. “I can’t bare to lose anymore of myself.” She pulled her hand away to lift up her shirt, her stomach was covered in scars, some cut so deep into her that you could see the chunks of her flesh that were no longer there. Her shirt fell back over her damaged abdomen. Then she touched Camila’s arm.

  Magic began to draw from her in long powerful waves that felt as if she was dunking her body in lava. Her cries drowned out Lance’s shouting as he screamed for Jasmine to stop. When she did pull away, Camila sagged against the seat, breathing hard as she tried to get her blurred vision to focus again.

  “Now fight,” Katrice growled.

  Lance and Bekket turned towards each other, slowly lifting their hands. Jasmine rested her hand on Camila’s arm again this time she could feel her magic leaving her but it wasn’t hurting her. Instead it was just a strong tugging that had her whole body feeling as if she was leaning to one side. As magic was drawn from her depths her blinks became longer, slower. This one act exhausting her.

  Between blinks she saw Bekket’s arm stretch out, his fist slicing through the air as Lance dodged it and landed a solid hit to Bekket’s gut.

  Camila’s eyelids grew heavy, too heavy to keep open to watch the two battle it out. Not that she wanted to watch one overtake the other. The thought of watching either of their deaths created a dark sadness in her, one that worried her. It worried her because it meant that outside of the bond they had she really did care about these men.

  So, she gave into the pull of exhaustion and fell into the black.

  ***

  The soft cushion of the black leather couch Lance leaned back on did no good for his sore aching body that was still healing. He slouched even further into the seat with a groan. Queen Katrice was on some new sort of level of evil, a level Lance hadn’t been introduced to before. Lance had served Queen Katrice faithfully at the tear after she chose to spare his life and put him to work in her kingdom.

  “Young boy like you deserves a chance at life,” she had said, some sort of glimmering hope shining in her eyes. That look was nowhere to be found on her features now. No, he doubted she even smiled at anything other than pain and death these days.

  Lance finally took his first glance at Bekket after they had been returned to their room. Bekket was leaned forward on the opposite end of the couch, holding his head in his hands. He was sporting a good black eye that would soon fade along with the bruises on Lance’s body.

  The queen had been furious that Camila hadn’t stayed awake for the show, stopping it as soon as she noticed her limp body. Another wave of her hand and Bekket and Lance had appeared back in the plain bedroom they had started in. It had been five minutes after that, in which Camila had appeared on the bed. She was breathing, so she was alive, and that was the important part. However, she hadn’t awoken when they had gently shook her body and called her name, that was the scary part.

  Lance questioned why the queen would allow them all to stay in one room together. Was this some sort of distraction or a final gift before she killed them all?

  “You okay?” Lance finally broke the silence, carefully watching Bekket. After what Lance had thought was a moment they had together he wasn’t sure what to say or do around Bekket anymore. He was certain he was thinking too much into it and it definitely shouldn’t be the priority in his thoughts while he was in this situation, but there it was. That strange emotion that stirred in him now as he sat so close to Bekket. He wanted to push down the feeling, hide it somewhere if he could. He had never felt any sort of an attraction to another male before. This was all new. New and confusing. Mix all that with the fact that he still had undeniably strong feelings for Camila. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

  Camila had something more than the magic of the bond that had connected them all. The sex appeal, her strong will, sense of adventure, everything Lance craved in a mate. Now there she was laying on the bed, the only thing that could possible distract him from the terrifying feeling of electricity between him and Bekket.

  Bekket looked up at Lance, sorrow dragging his mouth down. “This is all my fault.”

  “How is this your fault?” Lance probed, straightening in his seat.

  “I shouldn’t have dragged you all into it. I didn’t know where to go, but I should have found another way. Now we are all going to die and it’ll just be a game to her.” The tension in his shoulders was evident along with the grind of his jaw as Bekket turned away from Lance who quietly stood. Floorboards creaked under his feet as Lance knelt before Bekket. His hand found the rough stubble that covered his cheeks as he pulled his face toward him, the carmel hue of his eyes searching deep into the ebony clouded gaze of Bekket’s.

  “What you did was brave. Even if I die for this cause—“ his voice broke “—even if I die at your hands for the amusement of a demented queen. It’s all worth it if we win in the end. What she is doing is wrong. The way she held you captive, lied to you, and forced you to use your magic, that was wrong.” Lightly, his thumb skimmed against Bekket’s jaw before he dropped his hand to his side. “If I die so someone else can live, if I die so you can live, it’s worth it to me.”

  Bekket released a long breath
, running his hands through his long blonde hair. “How are you so noble Lance Suddeth?”

  The corner of Lance’s lips twitched up into a sly smirk but he didn’t say anything, he just returned Bekket’s gaze. An interest entered Lance’s eyes as though he just realized the closeness between his body and Bekket’s. It was a flickering look full of lust and confusion.

  “Well, fuck it,” Bekket whispered. “If one of us is going to die anyway.”

  Leaning forward, his hands softly cupped either side of Lance’s face before he gently pulled him closer. His breath still somehow smelling of liquor and cinnamon had Bekket wondering if his mouth would taste as such too.

  Lance’s breath stalled before Bekket finally dared and firmly met his lips. Almost as if he had needed it, the feeling of their bodies aligning, calmed Bekket’s soul. Decidedly, he found that was only the eye of the storm before the insatiable want licked through him. When Lance kissed him back with an eagerness that deepened the kiss till their tongues mingled and Lance found himself squarely between Bekket’s knees. Desire taking control of his body as Lance pushed Bekket back farther into the seat.

  Their chests heaved when Lance pulled away, trying to take in the air they had denied themselves in the small moment of passion. Red bloomed over Lance’s cheeks as he asked. “I’ll take it you’ve done that before?”

  “When you live with royalty, you take on many types of lovers. Male, Female… it doesn’t matter so much as their soul.” Bekket raised his hand, swiping the strand of hair back off of Lance’s forehead. “Have you never kissed a man?” Bekket laughed.

  “No.” He shook his head, bawling his hands into fists, unsure what to do with himself.