by Rae Rivers
Hazel’s high-pitched laughter pierced the din. She closed her fists, jerking her arms toward her chest.
A searing pain tore through Ethan’s head. He groaned and collapsed to his knees. Jenna screamed his name and he searched for her, but everything had turned blurry. Gritting his teeth, grunting, he reached out. “Jenna!”
“I’m here. Hold on.” Her arms were around him, clinging to him. Her voice trembled, edged with panic. “You have to stand up. Ethan!”
He clenched his fists, his knuckles scraping the tar. Squeezing his eyes closed, he released another groan. He was vaguely aware of her tugging him upward, supporting him. He felt the hitch in his energy supply, overwhelmed by the pain that threatened to explode his brain.
Still crouched beside him, holding him, she moved around him, her desperate cry feeding his fear. “Ethan, you have to get up!”
The ground rumbled, accompanied by a loud crack as the sidewalk split with a force and speed that knocked Jenna off her feet.
Fighting the darkness that threatened, he searched for her. He couldn’t see. Couldn’t stand. All he felt was pain. “Jenna!”
As the blackness engulfed him, he heard a vicious roar echoing around him.
His roar.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
He reeked of blood.
And it was so damn cold.
The city was mostly in darkness, a glow of white from the near-full moon. He was high up. Perhaps another warehouse? There were no windows, only wide gaping holes built in preparation for them. Fire blazed in the two drums in the middle of the room, but did nothing to ward off the icy wind. Construction equipment had been abandoned in the corner. A project that would most likely never be completed if the rest of the city was anything to go by.
They’d finally left him alone, tied by thick chains attached to the metal beam in the roof. Pain had become a bitch of a companion, unrelenting and fierce. Hazel had cast a paralysis spell on him. He couldn’t move but he felt everything. They’d cut him, several long slashes across his body, and stuck shards of glass into the wounds to prevent them from healing.
Old-school voodoo crap that had worked like a charm.
The blood loss and beatings had left him weak, voiding the permanent flow of energy he thrived on. It was the weakness he loathed more than the pain. Now, all he felt was numbness and silent fury that grew increasingly lethal the more they’d tortured him.
But all he could think about was her. Jenna. Where the hell was she?
Hot fury stirred all over again. He tried to move, yank at the chains that held him captive, and cursed when his body refused to cooperate. A movement in the doorway had him lifting his head. He kept his expression blank, refusing to give them anything else.
Hazel approached. The dim light softened the harshness of her tattooed face. Her black coat swayed around her legs as she walked. She stopped in front of him and raked a gaze across his injuries, her lips curling into a small smile. He stifled the urge to lash out and almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Even if he wanted to, the goddamn paralysis spell made it impossible.
She circled him, making a show of ogling him, taking great pleasure in his condition. Raising a hand, she flicked at his torn shirt. “How’s that paralysis spelling working for you?”
He bit back a reply.
“You really think you could follow me here, steal my bracelet, and …” her jaw line of inked teeth cracked a smile, “… leave me here?”
“A city of crazies who thrive on violence and chaos? You’d fit right in.”
She poked him in the ribs and he gritted his teeth as the pain flared. “I’m glad you consider Ameera so charming. Perhaps I should keep you alive and leave you here. That seems a more fitting punishment than the slow death I had in mind.”
“You’d have to close the portal for that. Hard to do if you don’t have the key.”
“Oh, but Jenna has it.” She twisted around him, watching his expression. “And I have you.”
Which gave Hazel all the leverage she needed. “She won’t give it up easily.”
“Then she’ll die. Or you will and somehow I doubt she’d let that happen. Either way, I’ll get what I want. We always do.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Mason and Warrick would agree with you.”
“Antagonising me with memories of my nephews – men you and your brothers destroyed. Not a smart move, Bennett.”
“I’m not antagonising. Just reminding.”
“I don’t need reminding that your family destroyed mine.” Another poke. Harder. Another flare of pain. This time, more severe. “Payback’s a bitch.”
“Yeah, so is karma.”
“And you’re about to taste both soon. By the time I’m done, you’ll be begging for mercy. I’ll ruin your family and still get what I want. I’m almost giddy at the thought of watching you squirm.”
“Fuck you, Hazel.”
“Tempting, but I prefer like-minded men.”
“Do they prefer you or do you spell them to?”
Her smile lessened, just a fraction. Her eyes narrowed. “You’re hurting, tied up, weak. You’re alone, forgotten, and yet you’re baiting me. I can’t quite figure out if that’s desperation or stupidity.”
“Either way, it’s working, isn’t it?” He risked a smile, not sure why he was goading. But it felt damn good.
She ran a finger along the veins that bulged in his neck. He couldn’t see them, but he felt them. Throbbing and swollen, like they’d explode at any moment. “I figure it’s desperation because you know that you’ve run out of options and soon your brothers will be less one sibling. Again.”
He forced himself not to take her bait. Refused to think about Sarah. Instead, he scowled. “You might get your bracelet back, Hazel, but you still don’t know where all that magic is buried. You’re the one that’s desperate.”
Her face twisted. “As soon as Jenna returns my bracelet, I’ll have control of the portal again. I’ll close it, when it suits me. Until then, that should keep your brothers busy.”
“Leaving the portal open will destroy both worlds and you know it.”
“Nothing a little magic won’t fix. But there’ll be nothing little about my magic once I access that energy.”
“Energy from good witches. You really think they’d relinquish it so easily?”
“They’re dead. They have no choice.”
“You’d be a fool to underestimate them.”
“They’d be fools to underestimate me.”
“Exposing our existence is risky. What makes you think the humans can be so easily controlled? They’re not stupid or defenceless, Hazel. The witch massacre proves how resourceful they can be when threatened.”
“Ah, but they had help that night.”
He kept his features unreadable; refusing to react to the reference of the Keepers who’d stood by and watched their witches die. “And since then, the humans have technology and weapons that have made them stronger.”
Hazel moved around him, tugging at the chains that bound him. The rattle of metal echoed through the quiet room, accompanied only by the sound of the wind that whined through the building. “You Keepers are always on about nobility and honour. You’re always so damned determined to protect your witches and the balance of nature. And yet, all those witches died because of their Keepers.”
“They died because they exposed themselves to the humans.” Ethan cleared his throat, his body bristling with anger. The lethal kind he’d felt many times before but had forced himself to control. He cocked his head, fixing a narrow gaze on her. “I will do whatever it takes to protect Sienna and defend what’s mine,” he said softly, his voice clipped with an icy edge. “But you’d be stupid to mistake my nobility and honour as a weakness. ‘Cause when it comes to the crunch, Hazel, neither will stop me from ripping your fucking head off.”
Hazel blinked. “Such strong words for a man who’s paralysed and dying. Besides, you’re a Keeper. You’re bound to the code that comes with that. Murderi
ng your enemies won’t bide well with The Circle or your brothers.”
“Like I give a damn.”
“Like you’d take them on.”
He squinted at her, unable to resist a challenging smirk. “I’m in Ameera. What makes you think I haven’t already?”
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
Jenna heard voices. His voice.
The sound sparked an overwhelming relief that took every effort to stifle. She quickened her steps through the hallway, Rick and John directly behind her. They hadn’t bound or hurt her at first. But their questions and threats had grown more forceful when they couldn’t find the bracelet.
A bracelet Megan had veiled with a spell.
Subtly and quickly, the moment they’d captured Jenna in The Square. She’d kept her mouth shut, employing a bulletproof front for their taunts and increasing violence.
So they’d brought her to Ethan. Clever.
Bracing herself for what she’d find, she took a right at the next door. The room was dark, like the rest of the warehouse, lit by the fading blaze of the fire. The air was icy cold and smelt of blood and sweat. Hazel stood in front of Ethan. His arms were stretched above his head, secured by chains.
Jenna froze, staring at him, her breath caught in her chest. His expression remained blank, but she heard the sudden increase in his heartbeat when he saw her. Blood dripped down his body, pooling onto the floor. She could hear it, a slow, repetitive sound that made her want to cringe. His breathing was shallow, but his eyes shimmered with fierce determination and fury.
Which softened the moment he saw her. Their gazes met and held, unspoken words filling the space between them, and all she wanted was to run to him. Free him, hold him. A spurt of fear overruled her relief, a whirlwind of emotions she fought to contain. This is what they’d been counting on. Leverage.
She moved into the room, the two warlocks following behind. “What have you done to him?”
Hazel turned, lifting her brows. She held out a hand. “You have something for me?”
“You have your leverage.” Jenna glanced at Ethan. “The bracelet is mine.”
“You’d risk his life for a bracelet?”
“You’d risk your bracelet for his life?”
“Ooh, word games.” Hazel smiled. She sauntered closer to Ethan, her gaze gliding across his body. She ran a finger across his cheek, his jaw line. Her closeness to him, the way she looked at him, sent a bolt of objection through Jenna.
Her gut clenched in response and she stepped forward, hesitating when John’s hand curled around her elbow.
“One thing you’re forgetting, Jenna. Your leverage can’t be hurt.” Hazel drove an elbow into Ethan’s ribs, grinning when he flinched. She kicked his legs, smiling when he didn’t respond. “But even if I did release him, he couldn’t move anyway.”
“Ethan?” Jenna said softly, trying to read his expression, but all she saw was a simmering hatred.
“We spelled him with a paralysis spell and used a few old tricks to stop that annoying healing thing. Painful and inconvenient but not fatal.” Hazel ripped his shirt, exposing the bleeding gashes, bruises, and scratches. She ran a finger along his arm, stopping at the open wound on his shoulder. She made a tsk tsk sound and shook her head. “But considering his werewolf bite, I’d say the magic is the least of your worries.”
An icy chill swept through Jenna. A werewolf bite. Lethal to Keepers. An injury his magic couldn’t heal. Untreated, it would kill him. Dammit, she hadn’t realised he’d been bitten too. Her gaze sought out Ethan’s, but he’d bowed his head. Every part of her being ached for him.
Hazel’s smile faded as she sauntered toward Jenna. A glance at John had him tightening his grip on Jenna’s arms. “Ethan’s injuries are deep and he’s not healing. It won’t be long before he bleeds out.”
A soft rumble echoed in the distance and the building quivered as another tremor swept through the city. Steady and persistent. Glass shattered from somewhere below. A murmur of alarm erupted from the streets. They waited it out until the tremor finally lessened, leaving an eerie silence.
“We’re running out of time, Hazel.” Rick’s accented voice boomed through the room. He circled Ethan, withdrawing a hunting knife from his jacket pocket. “Give us the bracelet, Jenna. Either way, he dies. The question is how painful it’ll be.”
Rick’s eyes sparkled with a fierceness that had Jenna on edge. She’d seen what he was capable of. A level of violence and pain he executed flawlessly, without a hint of conscience.
“Jenna, don’t,” Ethan said, groaning when Rick plunged the knife into his leg. Rick withdrew the weapon, smiling when blood gushed from the wound. Raising his arm, he plunged it into Ethan’s shoulder.
“Stop!” Jenna yelled.
Ethan grunted through gritted teeth. His face hardened and even though he refused to relent, Jenna could see that he was weakening at a rate that frightened her. His body sagged, relying on the chains that held him upright. His head rolled to the side, his chin lowered. He murmured something, so quietly that Jenna hardly heard it.
“Have something to say, Keeper?” Rick taunted, twisting the knife again. He tilted his head closer to Ethan’s. “Speak up. I can’t hear your mumbling.”
“Yeah,” Ethan muttered, louder this time. “Fuck you.” His head bolted up and he lunged forward, biting Rick on the ear. With a gruff grunt, he jerked his head back, tearing flesh. Rick reeled back, bellowing in rage. He clutched his ear and punched Ethan in the ribs.
Ethan sucked in air, the chains rattling around him as his body swayed from the impact. He spat out blood, his lips curling.
“Rick, stop!” Hazel’s snapped order reverberated through the room, instantly halting his retaliation.
“He bit my fucking ear!”
“A good thing you have two. Let’s get this over with.” She slid behind Ethan and held a knife to his throat. Jenna’s heart lurched when she saw the blood seeping out from beneath the blade. “I’ve had enough of your meddling, Jenna. Give me the bracelet before I slit his damn throat.”
Jenna stared at her, breathless, her body heaving from the adrenaline and a fear she’d never tasted before. She was revved for another fight, high on anger and vengeance and the desperate fight for survival. But the knife on Ethan’s throat curbed her.
“Jenna,” Ethan grunted when her gaze shifted to her wrist. “Don’t. You give her the bracelet and she wins.”
Jenna balled her hands into fists, loathing the slight tremble. Her mind scrambled for an escape. But there was no way out and she knew it. Her cry of frustration broke the silence, sounding nothing like her. More like a trapped animal facing its death.
“You’re out of options, Jenna,” Hazel called. “But I’ll make you one last deal. Give me the bracelet and I’ll leave you both alive.”
“Your word’s as good as your nephews’ and we all know their stellar record at promises.”
“You’ll have to take your chances, then.”
Their gazes met, challenge dripping between them. Hazel was lying. Jenna knew it. The only way Hazel would leave them alive was if she intended trapping them in Ameera. The thought of being stuck here for eternity, separated from Kate, sparked another wave of angst.
But the thought of leaving Ameera hurt just as much. If by any chance, they made it to the portal before Hazel closed it, Jenna would never see her parents again and they would be trapped in Ameera.
If they’re alive.
Overwhelmed with panic, she sought out Ethan, blinking back desperate tears, torn between the family she’d known and the man she’d fallen for. She hadn’t known until now, faced with the possibility of losing him – and the choice to save him – how much he meant to her. And of course, there was Kate too. A witch she’d vowed to protect; one who’d become her closest friend.
Her parents. Kate. Ethan.
“Jenna,” Ethan whispered, his words a murmur only she could hear. When she met his gaze, all she saw were eyes filled with wor
ry. A quiet strength emanated from him, despite his wounds and weakness. “Don’t do it. Get out of here.”
“I can’t leave you,” she murmured and when he closed his eyes, she knew he’d heard her. She’d already let him down once and he’d suffered so much because of it. She had a responsibility to the people, to her witch. She knew what she had to do, how to fix the wrongs she’d made. It was time to let go. But as a decision took hold, she had to bite back the unbearable ache that came with it.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. An apology not meant for Ethan, or her. No, the words were meant for the parents who’d never hear them. The ones she’d be leaving behind. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Stifling the agonising scream that bubbled inside her, she raised her arm and pulled back her sleeve. “It’s hidden by a veiling spell.”
“Remind me to have a word with the witch who’s helping you,” Hazel said, rolling her eyes. She released Ethan and tossed the knife. After wiping her bloody hands across Ethan’s jeans, she went to Jenna. She whispered the unveiling spell, her expression brightening when the bracelet appeared. Like a greedy child reaching for candy, she snatched the bracelet off Jenna’s wrist and slid it on her own.
The ground trembled again.
“Hazel,” Rick called out. “We have the bracelet. We should leave.”
Hazel cast a slow gaze across Jenna’s body, lingering on the wound where the werewolf’s bite had been – now healed. Her eyes narrowed.
Loathing the scrutiny, Jenna jerked back, but Rick came up behind her and rammed an elbow into her ribs. Air slammed out her lungs, leaving her breathless and gasping. He grasped her arms.
“What have we here?” Hazel plucked at Jenna’s shirt. The material tore, exposing more flesh, and she zeroed in on the dried blood. She poked Jenna, searching for the wound, her expression a mixture of puzzlement and pleasure when she found no sign of one.
Dark lashes lifted as Hazel’s cold gaze found hers. The whites of her eyes seemed brighter against the circled tattoos. “Outside on the street, you and Ethan were spelled the same way, both bitten by the werewolves,” Hazel said slowly, her voice dripping with suspicion. “So how’s it possible that he’s dying and you’re not?”
