by Jessica Gunn
Relief rushed through me so fast, my head spun and I staggered against a wall. If he was with Bria, he’d be fine. She’d more than proved herself to be a fantastic healer, even under extreme circumstances.
Brian caught me with a hand under my elbow, his other on my waist. “Easy, Ava.”
I pushed Brian away from me. I knew he was trying to help, but his touch felt too familiar and wrong. “I want to see him. And Veres. She’s with him, right?”
Brian nodded, but his eyes were hard. “They’re not going to let you up there right now.”
Anger swelled within me again. The ground beneath Fire Circle Headquarters began to shake with my power. My control was slipping. And if Will died, I was sure it’d be gone for good.
Another hand touched the small of my back. Kian appeared at my side, a faint smile on his lips. “Calm down, Ava, or you’ll take all of Headquarters with you.”
Despite his calm demeanor, his hands were shaking. And I wasn’t convinced the Demon’s Blood was to blame.
“You’re scared of me,” I said.
He shook his head lightly. “No. I don’t want you to take down the building full of people we just saved.”
“What in the hell is going on?!”
All heads turned toward the staircase that lead up to the higher floors. Dacher stood at the bottom step, flanked by Ben, Avery, and Krystin. Dacher’s face was a mix of red anger and general confusion. And when his eyes settled on the three of us, they seemed to nearly light with actual fire.
Brian stepped up, lifting his hands in defense. “It was my idea.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed and he pushed past Dacher to come into the lobby. “I should have known.”
“Ben—”
He shot a pointed glare at me. “I don’t know how the hell you’re involved, but you should probably keep quiet.”
Kian seethed next to me, but his hand never left my back.
I turned to Krystin and pleaded with her, staring her right in the eyes. She had to know we’d only go if we thought we’d accomplish something meaningful. And from what I’d heard about her over the years, Krystin had done far worse on gut instinct.
“We did this together,” I mouthed.
Krystin’s brow lifted. She laid a hand on Dacher’s shoulder and whispered to him while Ben kept glaring at Brian.
“I knew you were trouble when you showed up here again,” Ben said.
“I’ll gladly leave first thing in the morning,” Brian said. The mission was over, the deed done. He could go back to Hydron and never return, especially now that we knew where the other stood.
Krystin walked past Dacher. “Hey, Ben, why don’t you chill out for a second?”
Ben spun on his heel to his girlfriend, only barely tempering his glare. At least until she raised an eyebrow at him and gave him that look.
Krystin nodded my way. “I think we need to listen to them.”
Ben returned his fiery glare to me, but said nothing.
“We took out Mason,” I said in their moment of silence.
Ben and Dacher exchanged a look before Dacher said, “That can’t be true because otherwise that would mean you found Mason. Last I heard, he was holed up in Landshaft.”
Krystin’s stare bore into me.
“Oh, please,” I said. “Like you and your team haven’t done something equally as stupid.”
Now it was me who received the look from her. “Not quite that stupid.”
Dacher looked at each of us in turn, an exasperated look on his face. “You four went to Landshaft. Now Will and a demon ally are up in my Infirmary. But supposedly one of our greatest threats is dead? What the hell have you four been doing?”
“It didn’t look like things here were going to clear up enough to attack Mason directly,” Kian said. “Not for a while. We decided a surgical attack might be better.”
I met Krystin’s unbelieving stare. “Veres isn’t only a demon ally, she’s a Blackwood witch.”
Krystin’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
I nodded. “From Topaz, to be exact. She was born with the Power.”
Ben’s eyes snapped to me at my mention of the Power. “Another person?”
“Why is she a demon then?” Krystin asked.
“Topaz decided to freeze the Power in its current state by making her a demon,” I said.
“Which means she’ll have it forever,” Ben said. “Like Kinder.”
“And Riley,” Krystin added, her voice barely a whisper.
Ben’s angry expression faltered. “Mason is dead?”
“And hopefully his program of turning Ember witches with him,” I said. “Although Jerrick is still alive. And he knows we were there, so…”
“They might come for us,” Ben said. “There might still be a war on the Hunter Circles.”
Dacher crossed his arms, looking over the crowd of witches and the sea of confused, worried faces. Including my own. “There will always be a war between Darkness and the Hunter Circles. It’s been that way for thousands of years, and it will likely always remain so.” He inhaled deeply while he deliberated something, a tell only given by the creasing of his mouth. “Avery, Krystin, and Ben, I want you three to sort through these people. Find out if anyone needs medical attention. Explain what’s going on to them. You can move this to the great hall if you’d like. I’ll send Cassie and the rest of your available team to assist, Ben.”
His eyes met mine. “As for you three, come with me. We’ll discuss your future as Hunters on our way to the Infirmary.”
Before heading to the Infirmary, Dacher brought us into his office and shut the door behind him. My pulse pounded in my throat. I had no doubt we’d be punished, but I wasn’t sure Dacher would actually remove us from the Hunter Circles. Would he?
Kian and I had both created plenty of problems for the Fire Circle over the past year. And since we weren’t necessarily important to the overall war, I supposed the Hunter Circles didn’t really need either of us. Even with my magik.
My stomach rolled at the thought. We’d done what we’d done to keep other Hunters from risking their lives. But the Hunter Circles was my home, dysfunctional though it could be. I couldn’t imagine no longer being a Hunter any more than I could imagine no longer knowing Will.
Dacher pointed to my shoulder. “Ava, can you manage for a few moments?”
I glanced down at the wound. “Honestly, sir, I kind of forgot about it.” Between the adrenaline and worrying about Will, the pain had dissipated to almost nothing. But now that Dacher had called attention to the ether wound, it began to throb again.
Kian stayed by my side while Brian leaned against a wall. His crooked arm didn’t quite lay against his chest well anymore, even when he crossed his arms.
“What are you going to do to us, sir?” Brian asked.
Dacher circled around his desk. “You’re not my Hunter anymore. Any disciplinary action brought down upon you is between Jolene and Hydron.”
I winced. The Water Circle’s Leader hadn’t been known for being very forgiving of insubordination.
Brian nodded. “Okay.”
Dacher sighed as his gaze met mine, then traveled to Kian. “I don’t think I need to say it, but I will anyway. You cannot disregard orders or common sense just because you believe you know the correct course of action. There are procedures in place for a reason.”
“With all due respect, sir,” Kian said, which was enough to tell me this was not going to end well, “the procedures are outdated, and they’ve almost cost the Fire Circle dozens of its Hunters multiple times over the past two years. Those procedures are the reason the governing body fell apart and you were put into place so quickly.”
“Don’t lecture me on Fire Circle history,” Dacher snapped. “I’ve been involved with the Command longer than you’ve been alive. And much longer than Jaffrin was Fire Circle Leader.”
He shook his head and sat in the chair behind his desk, appearing to age several years in a single motio
n. “You are both stripped from active duty status, effective immediately. As you no longer have safe houses to reside in, you will remain at Headquarters as you already were until new accommodations can be made for you. Instead of patrolling, you will assist in whatever clean-up is involved with this situation—including babysitting the injured and inducting those innocent humans who were turned into Ember witches into our world.”
“Yes, sir,” Kian said.
I was too shocked for words. We one hundred percent deserved this punishment.
The truth was: We deserved worse.
“In another life,” Dacher continued, “you’d both be decommissioned and never allowed back into the Hunter Circles. But I think we both know that would be remiss of me given the situation. If what you said is true, and the anti-Neuian program Talon was working on is halted or gone completely, then we’ve staved off war. But it doesn’t change the fact that bigger things are brewing. And honestly, I’m beginning to think we trained you a little too well.”
Hope swelled within me. I get to stay a Hunter. I’m not kicked out. And yet something still made me question it. “Sir?” I asked.
He sighed again. “You went into Landshaft to try saving those witches and the Hunter Circles, right? You were doing your job. Same with Ben, Avery, and Cassie last year when they went nearly AWOL to stop Lady Azar’s crusade. Sometimes I think Jaffrin did too well a job breeding soldiers for war. But that’s not the Fire Circle I want to run, nor the legacy I want to pass on to my heir.”
Dacher made a shooing motion with his hands. “Get out of here. Check in with the Infirmary and I’ll send word with your first tasks while you’re both confined to desk duty. And as for you, Brian, I’ll talk to Jolene and see if she even wants you back.”
Brian’s mouth thinned, but he kept it shut and nodded.
“Good,” Dacher said. “You’re all dismissed.”
Chapter 31
A poking woke me up. Some sort of pressure on my hand.
I snapped awake, straining my neck and back in the process. “Ow.”
Will peered down at me with amused eyes. “Yeah, you get to say ‘ow.’ What about me?”
My eyes snapped up. I’d fallen asleep next to Will’s Infirmary bed. Well, on it actually.
Will poked the back of my hand again. “Earth to Ava.”
I blinked. “You’re okay.”
He faked looking his body over, frowning, then looked back to me. “So they say. Everything hurts, though.”
I lifted up and hugged him as best I could without jostling IV lines or hitting the wound on his neck and right collar bone. Resting my head against his chest, I listened to his heartbeat. “You’re fired from ever getting hurt ever again.”
Will patted my back. “Don’t have to tell me twice. Maybe I don’t want to be a Hunter after all.”
“Probably a good idea.”
“How’s your shoulder?”
I shrugged. “Some scarring, but Bria said I’d be fine.”
Will’s eyes widened. “She had energy left after saving my life?”
Shaking my head, I said, “No. Aaron helped me when he was done with Veres. But I turned out golden compared to her.”
Will glanced around the empty room. It’d just been me and Will in here for hours. “Where is she? Are they letting her stay?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I suspect she’s with Krystin talking about Topaz and the rest of the Blackwood line. Something about Topaz suddenly being involved with a lot of things in the last year or so.”
Will cringed. “Her hand was missing.” He said it as though he were a disgusted child.
“Yeah, you weren’t imagining that,” I said. “She’ll be fine. Not really something a healer can take care of, though.”
“No. I can’t imagine it is,” he said. “I heard we’re still under house arrest.”
“For now.” Honestly, nothing sounded better. Now that I knew Will was alive and awake and would be fine, all I wanted was to sleep and rest for days. “We stopped Talon. At least momentarily.”
“Good,” Will said. “Bastards.”
I chuckled. “You did good.”
He regarded me with an arched eyebrow. “If this is your definition of ‘doing good,’ then we gotta work on your language skills.”
A soft knock sounded on Will’s door.
“It’s open,” he called.
Kian pushed it open and stepped a foot inside. “Hey. Just wanted to check in on you.” He looked to me. “Both of you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Will said. “Everyone needs to stop worrying about me.”
Kian’s eyes didn’t leave mine.
“Same here, Kian,” I said.
Will nudged my hand again. “Go. Talk with your boyfriend.”
Heat rose on my cheeks. I wanted to deny it, but then I wasn’t sure what label to put on it. Between our time at Hunter’s Guild and then the Demon’s Blood again, I didn’t know where we stood.
I rose from the chair and gave Will another hug before leaving. “I’ll be right back.”
“Please,” Will said. “Take your time. I heard there’re a few empty rooms on the third—”
“Bye, Will!” I shouted over him.
Kian laughed and ducked out into the hallway. I followed, though not quite as amused.
“I’d apologize for him, but we both know there’s no way to get him to stop,” I said.
Kian shrugged and crossed his arms. “It’s okay. He means well.”
Silence fell between us for a few moments. I didn’t know what to say.
“I only took a vial of Demon’s Blood as back-up,” Kian said. “Just in case.”
I looked up at him. His words seemed genuine enough, but who was I to judge? “Brian said you had it on you.”
Kian nodded. “Like I said, insurance. I knew Jerrick would requirem the two of you as soon as he took you away. And I didn’t have any weapons. I wanted to put up a fight and get to you as soon as possible.”
“And did you?” I pointed to his bandaged arm. I should have known he wouldn’t have bothered using a healer for something so superficial as a few cuts. “I saw the new markings.”
Kian shrugged it off like it was nothing. “They only got in a few words before I head-butted them and broke free.”
My heart stilled as I watched him for any signs he was lying. Kian might never tell me the extent of what had happened to him while he’d been captured by Talon. And that went doubly for what had occurred today. But it also wasn’t my place to pry into it.
“I’m fine, Ava,” he said, his brown eyes seeking understanding from mine. “Honestly. And if I’m not, I will be. I took care of them and got my revenge. Now all that’s left is healing.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “And the Demon’s Blood?”
We all had something we were addicted to. Guilt over the past was my personal drug of choice. It felt hypocritical to ask Kian about his, but I had to know.
“It’s hard,” he said. “Especially now.”
I touched a hand to his cheek. His face was warm, but not feverish like when he was on Demon’s Blood. “You need to find your own strength within yourself, Kian. Not from outside. You told me that three months ago, and I found that personal strength.”
“Then you found magik,” he said as he started looking away.
I held firm and turned his eyes back to mine. “I found my strength before the magik, Kian. I found it when I turned on Veynix at Hunter’s Guild.”
“Look,” he said. “My own team ran from me in fear, leaving me to fend for myself against Talon. We both know how that went. Then I was alone. But I guess I always sort of was. There was no one else to look out for me. I’m used to hunting demons alone and relying on Demon’s Blood to get the job done. So now, to come into this hunting partnership while you have magik…”
Kian shook his head. “Even Will’s got magik, Ava. It’s hard knowing there’s only so much I can do.”
“There was nothin
g Will or I could do in Landshaft,” I said. “Not without weapons. If Veres hadn’t been imprisoned there, everything would have gone a whole lot differently.” I softened my expression. “Besides, I still bested you in hand-to-hand combat before I had my magik and while you were on Demon’s Blood in the ring.”
Kian’s eyes grew hard for a moment, then relaxed when he realized I was joking. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. He rested his chin on my head. “I don’t remember any such thing.”
“Uh-huh,” I said. “Sure you don’t.”
He pressed his lips against my hair for a long moment, then pulled back to look into my eyes. “I’ll find my strength, Ava. It’s just going to take me a while.”
I smiled at him encouragingly. “I’ll be here to help you every step of the way. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“Good. I was really hoping you’d rather not ever go,” he said, then lowered his lips to mine.
The kiss started off slow, tentative. But soon he was pressing against me with pressure, changing the angle of the kiss to deepen it. Kian moved so my back was against the wall. A rush of jittery butterflies flew in my stomach on the wings of electricity that seemed to zip between us and this desperate kiss.
We’d both almost died today. So I supposed it didn’t really matter in the end what it had taken to come back to each other.
All that mattered was we had. We were here. And Will was alive.
And maybe, just maybe, we’d stalled all-out war between Darkness, the Neuians, and the Hunter Circles. At least for today.
Chapter 32
Cold. Pain.
Those were the only two things the young man felt. A chill that seeped through his clothes and bones, straight to the very core of everything he was. And the throbbing agony that accompanied it.
Light appeared, a spotlight of sun banishing the darkness of the room and his mind. Clarity donned on him as if light were all he’d needed all along.
“Glad you’ve decided to rejoin the land of the living,” a gruff voice snapped.
