Blaze

by Donna Grant

  “She was pissed I found her.”

  Rhi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned a shoulder against the brick as she faced Inen. “Sounds like her.”

  “Everyone is frightened of the Reapers, Rhi. The Everwoods are all dead. It’s said that Reapers did it.”

  Since she couldn’t tell him that she’d been a part of all of that, or that Neve was alive and well and now a Reaper, Rhi kept silent.

  Inen held her gaze. “You know something.”

  “I know quite a lot, actually.”

  “Tell me,” he begged.

  She looked away. “I can’t.”

  “Our people are in trouble, Rhi.”

  That was the one plea she could never ignore. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. As she released it, she looked at him. “Tell me everything that happened with Usaeil.”

  For the next twenty minutes, she listened as he went over the entire episode until the queen had left in her car. Rhi thought Usaeil had shocked her for the last time, but she was wrong again.

  She dropped her arms and grinned at Inen. “You’re the captain of the Guard. It’s your duty to lead the people when Usaeil isn’t there.”

  “I can’t.”

  His declaration shocked her to the point that she took a step back.

  Inen’s bark of laughter held a note of hysteria. “I always thought I could, but it’s obvious I can’t. Things are beginning to unravel. We need Usaeil back.”

  “She’s not going to return until she wants to. She’s having fun, and right now, that’s all that matters to her.”

  “There’s something else. I didn’t want to tell you. In fact, I’d hoped I’d never have to.”

  Rhi moved closer to him, curious. “What is it?”

  “Usaeil … well … she’s been seeing someone.”

  It touched her that Inen would know how painful such news would be. She put her hand on his arm. “It’s all right. I know. I’ve seen the picture.”

  “It looks like Con.”

  She kept her smile in place. “It does.”

  “Rhi, I’m sorry.”

  Her gaze moved away as she shrugged. “What I had with my King is long over.”

  “I had no idea when she went to such lengths to break you and—”

  “It’s in the past,” Rhi said at the same time. Then she stopped, anger churning in her gut. “Wait. Did you just say she broke us up?”

  He nodded, his face contorted with regret. “I helped her because I believed her when she said that the Fae and Dragon Kings shouldn’t mix. Then she aided Shara and Kiril. At first, I thought it was because Shara had left the Dark to come to the Light. Now, I know it was to help pave the way for her own affair with a King.”

  Rhi was going to be sick. She’d known Usaeil hadn’t approved of her love for her Dragon King, but she hadn’t known the queen might have actively helped destroy it.

  “Did Usaeil’s actions succeed in ending my relationship?” she asked tightly.

  Inen took a step back, a look of unease rippling over his face. “Rhi. You’re glowing.”

  “Answer me!”

  He held up his hands. “Yes! Yes, she was part of it.”

  Everything in Rhi evaporated, leaving her deflated. All those centuries she’d turned to Usaeil as a friend, and the entire time, the bitch had been responsible for breaking apart the very thing that had given Rhi meaning.

  “Say something,” Inen pleaded anxiously.

  Rhi looked away from him. She drew in a shaky breath, going over everything with Usaeil in her mind and seeing things with new eyes. “I should’ve known. It was right there the whole time. I was just too blind to see it.”

  “I believed it was for the best. I trusted Usaeil’s order. She wanted you married to a prominent Light to keep you at the castle.”

  Her gaze jerked to his face. “Why?”

  Inen shrugged helplessly. “She never shared the reason with me. I was always jealous of how you could walk into a room and have everyone’s attention. You led without even trying. Imagine what the Queen’s Guard could be if you were captain.”

  “Usaeil appointed you to that position because you deserved it. Never forget that. Remind our people who you are.”

  He threw up his arms in frustration. “How? I’ve tried to talk to them.”

  “Show them,” she said. “Call in some of the army to station around the castle. That will quell some of their hysteria. You lead the Guard by respect and admiration. You can lead our people, as well.”

  “Come back with me,” he urged. “Rejoin the Guard.”

  She flashed him a grin at the offer. “I can’t be anywhere near Usaeil right now.”

  “Our people need you.”

  “No, Inen. They need you.”

  He pushed away from the wall and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry for being an arse to you all those years.”

  She laughed and lifted a shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I deserved it sometimes. I know how difficult I can be.”

  “I can talk to him.”

  She didn’t have to ask who Inen was referring to. “No.”

  “He should know the truth.”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  His silver eyes narrowed as he searched her face. “You lied just now. You never used to be able to do that. Does it no longer bring you pain to lie?”

  “I’ve learned to control it.” It felt like her insides were on fire, but it would pass soon enough.

  “You’ve changed a great deal, but there’s one thing that hasn’t. You still love him.”

  She pulled her hands out of Inen’s grip and stepped back. “I’m letting him go. I’m learning to stop loving him.”

  “That’s not possible, and you know it.”

  “It has to be. I can’t live like this anymore.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Usaeil said it was just a fling. If I’d known—”

  “It’s not your fault,” she interrupted. “Truly. You believed your queen. I shudder to think of the things I’ve done because Usaeil got me to accept what she said.”

  “You deserve to be happy.”

  “I’m going to get there. Right now you need to return to the castle and take charge.”

  He turned to leave but paused to look back at her. He shot her a crooked smile before he teleported away.

  Rhi remained while trying to sort through the numerous and various emotions stirring. She didn’t want to think about what she’d learned because if she did, she was likely to go nuclear and destroy Earth.

  Then the Dragon Kings would really be pissed at her.

  She started walking, meandering up and down streets until she found a deserted alley. From there, she teleported to Dreagan. It was the wrong thing to do. She knew it, and yet there wasn’t anywhere else she wanted to be.

  Veiled, she walked the mountain connected to the manor. She’d put her past with her King behind her. Hadn’t she? Balladyn was now her lover and helping her move forward. It was a decision she didn’t regret.

  This new information regarding Usaeil set her back on her heels, however. Emotions returned with a vengeance she didn’t want to feel—but was helpless to ignore.

  Just this once, she was going to allow herself to think of her King and imagine how life might’ve been had their affair not been halted.

  Would they be mated now?

  She’d like to think so. Then again, perhaps not. The Dragon Kings had accepted Shara, but would they have done the same for her? Sure she’d gotten them out of binds and saved a few of their mates, but would it have been enough?

  “No,” she whispered to herself.

  She refused to go down that road again. It led to more heartbreak, and she wasn’t going to do that to herself anymore. Her King had left her behind.

  Now, she was going to do the same to him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  How could time stretch endlessly before him, but when Anson needed it, it was slipping through
his fingers faster than grains of sand in a hurricane?

  “You need more time,” Henry said, glancing at him.

  Anson kept his gaze riveted on the road as Henry weaved through traffic, causing him to brace a hand on the dashboard as he was jerked to the right. “I doona have it.”

  “How bad is he?” Kinsey asked Henry through the speaker of Henry’s mobile.

  Every second, Anson’s body healed more of the damage the Dark had done, but it wasn’t quick enough. Once more, time was his opponent. “I’m fine,” Anson snapped.

  “He’s not,” Henry stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

  Anson sent a glare to the spy that went unnoticed. “Just get me to wherever Devon is.”

  “She’s at a warehouse,” Kinsey said. “I just hacked the GPS of the car you stole, Henry. The coordinates should pop up shortly.”

  Almost immediately, the screen on the dash switched, showing the route. The dot of their final destination caught Anson’s attention. If the humans had any sense, they wouldn’t harm Devon. Because if they did, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

  “We’re about four minutes out,” Henry said.

  Anson grabbed the handle above the window on the door and ground his teeth together. He had to be healed by the time they reached the warehouse. There was a chance more Dark Fae were there.

  “We could use some help here,” Henry said.

  Anson shook his head. “That’s exactly what Kyvor wants, and I’ll no’ give them that.”

  “We have no idea what we’ll be walking into. Don’t walk in there without more Dragon Kings with you.”

  Anson had already decided that he was going to ensure that he entered that warehouse alone. Henry didn’t need to be a part of it.

  It wasn’t just that Henry was mortal or because he had family. The Dragon Kings needed him. And Anson couldn’t stand to be responsible for a friend being killed.

  Odd. He’d once hated humans to such an extent that he didn’t think he could ever walk among them. Now, he called one friend.

  So much had changed, but there was so much more that hadn’t. In that warehouse was a group of mortals who wanted an up close and personal experience with a Dragon King. Well, they were about to get it.

  Whether they survived or not was entirely up to them.

  “I wish I were with you,” Kinsey said, her voice breaking.

  Henry’s forehead creased as he glanced at Anson. “Where’s my sister?”

  “I … ah … I had to lock her in the closet,” Kinsey replied hesitantly. “She tried to go help you two. And the look I saw in her eyes—”

  “No need to say more.” Henry shook his head. “Thank you, Kinsey. Kyvor nearly killed Esther the first time. I don’t want her near them again.”

  Anson looked down at his chest. He ripped away the remains of his shirt and saw the wounds healing nicely. The burn of Dark magic would last a long while inside his bone and muscle, but he barely felt it with his mind on Devon. He knew why Kyvor was leading him to a warehouse.

  It was large enough to house a dragon.

  He wanted nothing more than to show them exactly who he was—what he was—but he wouldn’t. Too much was at stake already. The Dark had already filmed them shifting during a skirmish at Dreagan. That had brought all kinds of attention to them, so Con had commanded that no King shift.

  Anson could handle the mortals in his present form. He was faster and stronger, with enhanced senses. Then there was his power and dragon magic. They didn’t stand a chance against him.

  He wondered if Ulrik would be there. In some ways, Anson hoped he would. But there wouldn’t be time to talk to his old friend, not with Devon’s life on the line.

  “We’re here,” Henry said, breaking into his thoughts.

  Anson stared at the warehouse ahead of him as Henry pulled over and shut off the engine. There were buildings around them, but none the size of the warehouse.

  He looked at Henry. “There could be more Dark inside.”

  “I’m aware.”

  “It’s a trap. For me.”

  Henry nodded. “Also aware of that.”

  Anson blew out a breath. “I need you to stay behind.”

  “Not going to happen, mate.”

  “I doona know how many mortals or Dark are inside that warehouse. I doona know if the Druid is there. What I do know is that Devon is being held against her will. I’m going to find her and get her out. You ken?”

  Henry glanced at the imposing structure. “You get her out, and I’ll take her straight to the girls.”

  “We’ll be waiting,” Kinsey said. “Good luck, you two.”

  Henry smiled. “Go kick some ass.”

  Anson returned the mortal’s grin before unfolding his frame from the car. That small movement caused a great amount of discomfort, but he shut his mind off to the pain. He then walked forward. Kyvor already knew he was there so there was no need to sneak around and attempt to surprise them.

  He walked straight to the door that was propped open. Not once did he hesitate. He entered the warehouse and came to an immediate stop.

  Before him, in the middle of the building, stood a man in a suit. To the right, and slightly behind him, was a woman. Anson knew both individuals, thanks to Ryder. Upton and Harriet.

  It took everything Anson had not to allow his anger to rise to the surface. These humans made him sick. Their greed and entitlement allowed them to believe they could take whatever they wanted without consequences.

  Well, he was the consequence. And things were about to get ugly.

  Stanley Upton’s conceited smile widened. “I knew you’d come.”

  Anson let his gaze slowly wander the expanse of the nearly empty warehouse. Though the armed men hid well, he still saw them. Twenty-five mortals with guns trained on him were spread out throughout the building. But so far, no Dark Fae or the Druid.

  Or Ulrik.

  “So,” Stanley said as he clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Aren’t you going to ask what it is we want?”

  Anson kept silent. He didn’t care what Upton or anyone at Kyvor wanted because they weren’t going to get it.

  Upton shrugged and said, “I knew it was only a matter of time before we found someone who could bring us a Dragon King. I never thought to use Devon. We were hoping to use her for something else until she began acting abnormally. Then we saw you this morning on our cameras.”

  Anson knew even if he’d stayed out of view that this exact moment would be taking place anyway. Upton wanted to place the blame on Anson’s shoulders. He was fine with that because Stanley was about to get what was coming to him.

  “The strong, silent type,” Upton said to Harriett.

  She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest as she cocked one hip out. “I know how to get him to talk.”

  “We’ll get there,” Stanley said, silencing her. Upton then turned his attention back to Anson. “Why Devon? What was it about her that drew your attention? Was it her pretty face? Or was it something else?”

  Upton laughed and dropped his arms. “Kinsey was just as beautiful. When we learned that she was dating a Dragon King, we went to great extremes to get him. It was too bad Ryder left before we could put our trap in place.”

  The more Stanley talked, the more Anson wanted to kill him. How many lives had Upton destroyed? How many more would he wreck if he weren’t taken down?

  “Still nothing?” Stanley smiled, shrugging. “It’s all right. We know all there is to know about you, Anson.”

  There was movement behind the duo as two men walked to a door and opened it. A moment later, they dragged Devon out between them.

  As soon as she caught sight of him, Devon smiled. But it faded as she took in the situation. Anson wanted to tell her it was going to be all right, but he never liked making promises he wasn’t sure he could keep.

  Upton laughed as he looked between Devon and Anson. “You came for her, Anson. I thought it only fitting that Devon
get to hear—and see—everything.”

  This was going to stop before it ever got underway. Anson used his power and got control of both the men’s bodies holding Devon. He made them release her before he had one of them turn to her and whisper, “Run.”

  Devon started running right for him. She’d barely gotten ten feet before a bullet struck at her feet. Anson tried to use his power on the soldiers, but he couldn’t get control of their bodies.

  Upton began to clap. “I wanted to see your power in action. It’s why I had our secret weapon ensure that only the two men guarding Devon were susceptible to you.”

  Anson tried to gain control of Upton’s body, but once more he was blocked. So the Druid had struck again. Anson was really beginning to hate her. Heaven help her when they did come face-to-face because he was going to take great pleasure in ripping her apart.

  “I think he’s a bit annoyed,” Harriett said.

  The two laughed as Devon looked on in confusion. Anson wanted to motion her to him, but he wasn’t sure she would be any safer at his side.

  In fact, he was beginning to see that his options were dwindling rapidly.

  Stanley sighed and stopped laughing. “Now, I bet you want to know what it is we brought you here for? Come on. Ask me.”

  “What do you want?” Anson bit out.

  Upton frowned. “I just don’t understand why so many women like that brogue.”

  “I don’t. I think it sounds guttural,” Harriett said with a disdainful sniff.

  “I couldna give a flying fuck what either of you like or doona like,” Anson said. “You got me here. Tell me what it is you want.”

  Upton held out his hands. “Why you, of course.”

  “I’ll no’ go anywhere with you.”

  “You have to say that,” Stanley said with a roll of his eyes. “But you will. Why? Because we know everything about you. We know you’re the King of the Browns, that your power is possession of bodies, and that you once aligned with Ulrik to rid this world of us humans.”

  Anson moved slowly toward the duo as he kept Devon in his peripheral. “You think because you know a few specifics about me that you know everything? You’re wrong.”

  “I disagree. We know how the Dragon Kings are trying in vain to keep the rest of the mortals from discovering the truth about your kind.”