by Jessica Gunn
Krystin lifted herself to one knee, her arm wrapped around her middle. She winced again before meeting my eyes. “It’s Riley. He’s a demon. I was attacked by—”
“I know.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You know?”
I moved a step toward her, a ball of lightning growing in my palm, striking out against the nearby staircase and coat rack. “I’ve known for months about Riley.”
“And the attack?”
“What attack?” Why the hell was I talking to her? I looked up at the ceiling and called out, “Rachel! Shawn! Get down here right now!” I lowered the intensity of the lightning ball and threw it at the ceiling right below Shawn’s room. Bits of plaster fell on impact. Hopefully, that’d wake them up.
Krystin rose to both feet, still clutching her middle. I now saw the abrasions on her arms… and her lack of a weapon. She’d come here unarmed, knowing we’d attack her?
My gaze focused in on the crystal around her neck, the same one Shawn used to wear. “You bound your powers?”
She nodded. “Shitty idea too since some demons nearly killed me.”
“Good.” The word was past my lips before I could think about it or how much I sort of regretted saying it.
A flash of hurt skipped across Krystin’s eyes, but she took it in stride. “If you know Riley’s a demon, then you also know about Lady Azar’s plan.”
I lifted a brow. “We’ve known about that since you joined the team. Did you lose your memories along with your mind?”
Krystin regarded me with an exasperated look. “No, idiot. She’s moving on Alzan in two weeks. You have two weeks to save your son.”
“You came all this way just to tell me that?”
Footsteps sounded down the upstairs hallway, followed quickly by Shawn and Rachel hurrying down the staircase. No Nate. He’d kick himself when he found out for all his searching and evidence gathering, Krystin now stood before us without him here to defend her.
Probably better off. I’d already almost lost him once to her. I wouldn’t allow her to ever get that close to any of us ever again.
Rachel backpedaled into Shawn the second her feet touched the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes watched Krystin, mouth agape, as she froze. “Whoa.”
Shawn caught Rachel, righting her on the stairs. “Krystin?”
I threw a hand at them. “Don’t. I called you in case she attacks.”
Krystin stood her ground. “I’m not going to. I’m here to warn you about the attack on Alzan.”
“I don’t even want to know how you know something like that might happen,” I said through gritted teeth. Six months. She’d waited six months in hiding only to return with news we already knew? And this crap about Alzan, what were the chances that was true, too?
I turned to ask Shawn what he thought about all of this but was cut off by Krystin crying out. She yelped as ropes made of water slid around her middle, arms, and legs, dropping her to the ground.
Rachel stepped forward, her hands held in front of her, and squeezed her hands into fists.
Krystin cried out again, pain etching across her features. “God—stop! I’m not going to hurt anyone!”
Rachel held her ground. And so did I. Nate was the only one this entire time who’d been convinced of Krystin’s innocence. The rest of us… we’d seen the aftermath of her and Kinder’s attack. I’d sat by Shawn’s and Nate’s sides while we waited for them to wake up from their comas.
“Enough,” I said despite my thoughts. “Enough, Rachel. Drop your attack.”
Her eyes narrowed but didn’t move from Krystin. “Absolutely not. If Lady Azar was moving on Alzan, Jaffrin would have known and told us about it already.”
“You don’t know that,” Shawn said, his voice quiet. “He’s dead set on us patrolling only. And without…” His gaze landed on Krystin. “There’d be no point in telling us. We’re just magik-users, not strong enough to take down whatever army Lady Azar has.”
“Not… my idea… either,” Krystin ground out. Rachel tightened her hold on Krystin, and she yelped again. “Please stop. I’m already hurt. Moving hurts. Not going to attack.”
“Rachel,” I warned.
She looked to me with an exasperated expression, like letting Krystin free inside the house was the worst decision I’d ever made. Maybe it was. But at one point, Krystin had been a member of this team. And regardless of everything that’d happened and all the raw, hurt anger boiling beneath the surface of my skin, I wanted to know what she knew—in case she was right.
And then there was the elephant in the room: without Krystin, the Alzan Prophecy would never be completed, leaving the city—and the biggest cianza known to mankind—defenseless.
“We need to at least hear her out,” I said.
“No, we don’t,” Shawn cut in.
Krystin’s gaze settled on him. “You know I wasn’t in control, Shawn. You of all people know the hold that both Giyano and Kinder had on me. She used Zanka’s persuasion magik to make me her puppet.”
“You thought Kinder was right about what the Fire Circle wanted to do to us.”
She shrugged, a fire in her eyes. “I did—I don’t deny that. After what we know about what they did to anyone with the Power, after the fact that they still accused and imprisoned me, knowing full well I’d never willingly do those things, can you blame me for questioning them?”
“They’re not the evil ones here,” I said.
Her stare tore right through me to my soul. “Neither am I. Am I a good person? Maybe not, Ben. But I’m not evil. And I’m not a demon.”
But Riley is. The thought skewered me to the bone, such a force that I stumbled back a step. “I never said you were.”
“She used me,” Krystin said, looking at each of us in turn. “She used me because I was a damn good target. I’ll admit that.”
Shawn stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. “Persuasion magik usually isn’t successful unless the target is already predisposed to the given idea.”
Krystin nodded. “I know. And yeah, I did want to attack both the Fire and Ether Head Circles. They wrongfully imprisoned me and left me to die. And at the time, the only person who trusted me was the enemy. What the hell was I supposed to do?” She swiped at the air with her hand, but nothing happened. “I ran and I hid so I’d have enough time to figure out a defense, long enough to realize I have none.”
“What happened to your side?” I asked before Shawn or Rachel could continue their verbal assault.
Krystin looked down. “Like I said, I was attacked. The Shadow Crest bounty hunters mentioned Riley was a demon. I convinced them to tell me about Lady Azar’s plan but was forced to kill them before getting more information.” Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Ben. About Riley. But at least he’s still alive.”
“And a demon.” My gut twisted. I’d never known anyone before they were a demon. Was there a personality change along with their magik? Or did you simply become another person altogether, a monster?
Rachel called water to swirl around her palms again. “You risked your life to come here and tell us this vague information, knowing we might attack you on sight and bring you in?”
Krystin nodded. “It was worth the risk. Alzan always was.”
“Since when do you care about Alzan?” Shawn asked.
She looked up at him. “I always have. You know that.”
“You wanted to run.”
“Yeah, Shawn. To the city. To protect it.”
“To get on with your life and leave the Fire Circle,” he said. “You’ve always planned to leave.”
Her eyes hardened. “Because I was never given a choice about joining in the first place. Why the hell would I want to stay in a place that’s bound me, controlled me, since I was thirteen? When Alzan is saved and free, so too will I be. That’s always been the plan.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Rachel. She was already staring at me. That’d been our plan, too, once upon a time. Join the Fire Ci
rcle, find Riley, and then hightail it back to her parents’ house with Riley in tow, safe and sound with me and his mother.
But now Sandra wanted nothing to do with me, my son was a demon, and there was a decent chance I’d become a Fire Circle Leader candidate within the next few months. I didn’t even know if I wanted that position anymore. Or if I ever had. I sure as hell didn’t deserve it after what happened six months ago.
“What now?” I asked, turning back to Krystin. “Are we supposed to forget you showed up?”
She shrugged, shifting her weight onto her other foot. “I guess that’s up to you guys. I doubt anyone else would give me quite so warm a welcome, Lady Azar’s plans or not. Even with the prophecy.”
“Screw the prophecy,” Shawn snapped. “That stone Kinder tried to steal and ended up crushing? That was mine, Krystin. It’s gone. The stone, my magik—all of it. It’s over.” His eyes darkened. “There is no saving Alzan.”
Her jaw set hard, although I saw the fear in her eyes. “I thought that stone might have been one of the two the Powers created.”
Shawn’s face turned a blotchy red. “Then why the hell did you help her steal it? For the hell of it?”
Krystin backed up a step and wrapped an arm around her middle again. “I told you: Kinder was controlling my every move. I didn’t have a choice.”
He shook his head and backed away toward the stairs. “You were weak, Krystin. That’s the fucking answer. Stop trying to pretend it’s not true. You’re weak and that’s why Alzan will fall. Because you’d rather run and hide behind everyone else’s magik than nurture and accept your own. Screw you.” Shawn turned and dashed up the stairs. Seconds later, his door slammed loud enough to cause everyone to jump. His heavy footsteps paced around the room and then, suddenly, there was utter silence.
He was gone.
I glanced up at the ceiling. “I give up.”
“Excuse me?” Rachel asked.
I righted myself and glanced over at her. “I’m not turning Krystin in and I order you not to. No one attacks anyone inside of this house, you got it?”
“Ben—”
I shook my head. “No. What happened in the attack on Fire Circle Headquarters that night was horrendous. People died. We all nearly did. But Krystin wasn’t behind it.” I just wasn’t sure where the lies ended and the truth began. “Nate’s the only one who ever believed you’re innocent, Krystin. Until he’s back, I’d steer clear of everyone.” I sighed. “If you stay. If you don’t, just let me know where to find you. If you want. Or don’t. I don’t know.”
Krystin stared at me, mouth hanging open. “Um, okay.”
Rachel placed her hands on her hips. “You’re going to let her stay here like nothing happened at all?”
“Nate had evidence,” I said. “Or so he claimed. Until he’s back and I see whatever that evidence is, yes. I guess.”
“You hated her,” Rachel snapped. “We all did.”
I still hated her. Or maybe not hate. Maybe it was disappointment I felt toward Krystin. Confusion. And guilt. But not hate.
The one thing that separated me from the others and from all the leaders in the Hunter Circles regarding Krystin was this: I didn’t think setting aside her role in the Alzan prophecy because of what’d happened was a smart idea. If Krystin was meant to help save Alzan, to help save the world, then she should be allowed to if she so desired. Because it was becoming clear that no one else had the balls to do it.
“The only thing I can’t do for you, Krystin, is get you a healer,” I said. “That’d mean alerting Jaffrin and the Fire Circle that you’re here. And I’m pretty sure you don’t want that right now.”
She nodded. “That’d be appreciated. I’ll be fine.”
Rachel glared at her one last time before walking past me on her way to the stairs. “You’re going to regret this, Ben. I can’t believe you trust her again.”
Trust wasn’t the word I’d use. In fact, I wasn’t sure there was a word at all, but a feeling. It was the same one I’d had when faced with the Ether Head Circle’s orders to let Krystin stay in jail. Jaffrin’s orders to wait and let him handle it. His orders not to go into Shadow Crest’s lair to save Riley, though we went anyway.
Whether I trusted Krystin or not, our lives were irreparably intertwined. Lady Azar had stolen Riley to get to Alzan, to destroy it, and Krystin was destined to stop that from happening. And sure, we’d all been yanked around by the Hunter Circles and Darkness both. But I’d done shitty things too. Not nearly at the level Krystin had, but they’d still happened.
So it wasn’t that I trusted Krystin or felt I owed her another chance.
It was that I didn’t have a choice.
Chapter 5
Krystin
I was still in shock as I sat on the couch, leaning as far back as possible. Shawn’s reaction I’d expected. But not Rachel’s and certainly not Ben’s. And I definitely didn’t think they’d let me stay the night without calling Jaffrin.
Jaffrin. I honestly hadn’t been sure if he’d survived. Kinder had sliced off his hand like it’d been nothing, and he’d gone so long without medical attention. The rest of the team, too.
I winced as the couch cushions conformed to my body, though the pain wasn’t from my ribs this time. I’d done horrible things to my team, my friends. Shawn had been right about most of the things he’d said. But I’d never wanted them to get hurt. To almost die.
Flashes of Shawn falling from the ceiling I’d pinned him to, of Ben’s face the moment before I used teleportante to escape, of Nate’s body impaled by wood, they all crashed across my mind’s eye. I covered my face with my arm, too much in pain from my ribs to lean forward and cry.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, half-hoping Ben wouldn’t take any notice at all.
He sat next to me on the arm of the couch. “It’s—”
“Don’t say it’s fine. It’s not.”
“Okay, but—”
“No,” I snapped. “Shawn’s right. I did want to screw the Fire and Ether Head Circles. I wanted to be free. Kinder twisted that, sure. And she’d had control over my magik. But I never, ever wanted you guys to get hurt.”
Ben shifted but kept his hands to himself. I didn’t expect any reassuring gestures or hand-holding, but I definitely didn’t expect him to be calm either. “Well, we did. Nate and Shawn were in comas for days. Jaffrin’s got a prosthetic hand now. Headquarters had to get rebuilt in places. You’re technically a criminal.”
“Please, keep going.”
He looked over at me. “Kinder was right, too.”
I shifted, trying to get more comfortable, but I only succeeded in further irritating my ribs. “You think? Turns out I am a tool. Only she used me, not the Fire Circle. And now Alzan will fall because of it.”
“I don’t think so.”
I peered up at him. “You’re only letting me stay until Nate comes back because you’re hoping I’m telling the truth. You don’t actually believe me.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t have telepathy anymore. How can you know that?”
“Because I know you, Ben. And I know that you were ready to kill me that night.” He winced. “I saw it in your eyes. It’s fine. I would have done the same.”
“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place.” His fists curled in his lap. “I wasn’t there for you, and this is the result.”
I chuckled once, honestly confused. “You were there. It wasn’t you guys and it sure as hell wasn’t your fault you didn’t believe me. The circumstances… Zanka did a good fucking job of framing me. And Giyano too, for that matter.”
Ben’s body went rigid and he looked away before asking, “Did you go to him for help?”
My brow furrowed. “Zanka’s dead.”
“No, Krystin. I mean Giyano.” His voice was low, an edge to it now.
I swallowed hard. “No. I didn’t. There wasn’t anything he could have done for me. Zanka nearly killed him, and before that, he was back under
Lady Azar’s control. I had no way of knowing how that ended. Besides, I wanted out. So I left.” I thumbed the crystal around my neck. “I haven’t used magik or been in contact with anyone involved in the war since that night. Until this morning.”
“When you were attacked.”
I nodded. “Two Shadow Crest bounty hunters. Possibly from Landshaft. They wanted to bring my body to Lady Azar ahead of her march on Alzan.”
Ben’s fists relaxed and he lifted one to scrub the side of his face. “This is fucked.”
“Her plans?”
“No. All of it.”
I shrugged. Pain lanced my ribs and I whimpered. “Yep.”
Ben looked down at me. “Are they really that bad?”
Nodding, I ran the fingers of one hand over the lower bones. “I can’t tell which are broken or bruised, or how many. I’m thinking the latter and a lot.”
He frowned and reached out, hovering a hand over me, but pulled back. “I wish I was a healer.”
I smirked. “But then you’d be useless, Sparky.”
He chuckled, but then shook his head. “I’m almost inclined to say you deserve it.”
My heart twisted, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t expected. “I do. It’s okay.”
He stood up and paced to the window facing the street. “Do you know any healers you can contact? I don’t want Jaffrin to know you’re here. Not yet. If you’re innocent, we’ll need whatever proof Nate swore he dug up.”
“The only proof is in my memories or that of anyone who was there when Kinder used Zanka’s stolen magik on me.” Which meant the five of us on this team. And two of those five hated me—with perfectly good reason.
Ben shrugged. “I don’t know what Nate has. He’s been gone for days now. He’s spent more time out there looking for you in the past six months than he has here with us.”
“Really?” Of all people, Nate wasn’t the person I’d expected to come looking for me.
“Yeah.” Ben turned, concern wrinkling the area around his eyes. “You sure you don’t know of any healers?”
