by Donna Grant
So far everything they did had been exactly what the previous group of Reapers had performed. The next portion was something new.
To make everything appear genuine, all Jordyn knew of the plan was that she was bait and the others would protect her. It was imperative that their enemy believe the attack was a shock to all of them.
“Keep her down!” Cael bellowed.
Kyran raised his sword. “No more humans with Fae blood are going to die.”
Baylon looked around the loch as he felt more Fae. There were more Dark in the trees. By now the other Reapers would’ve felt their presence as well. It was going to be a concentrated assault. But the Dark Fae had no idea that they weren’t just fighting any Fae. They were fighting Reapers.
Bubbles of magic came hurtling out of the trees. Cael shoved most of them into the loch with his magic, but a few got past Kyran, Fintan, and Talin.
Eoghan vanished and emerged a moment later in the thick of the Dark, his sword swinging savagely. None of it deterred the Dark from their mission. They didn’t break ranks or flee as expected.
Instead, they began to walk toward Jordyn and the Reapers. Baylon saw a Dark come up behind Eoghan. Without hesitation, Baylon teleported to them. He unveiled himself and plunged his sword in the Dark just as Eoghan spun around.
Baylon glanced down at the tip of Eoghan’s sword that had stopped at his throat. “You’re welcome.”
Eoghan gave a nod and turned back to the Dark. The Dark had now seen Baylon. There was no returning to his hiding position and looking for the one controlling the Dark.
With precision and lethal speed, Baylon cut his way through the Dark, one Fae at a time. They were so intent on killing Jordyn that they didn’t even attempt to defend themselves.
Only twice was Baylon struck with magic. Both times had left him gasping for breath. Whoever these Dark were, their magic was stronger than any others.
With a flick of his wrist, Baylon sent his sword cutting through the air, taking off a Dark’s head. Before the body hit the ground, Baylon spun around with his sword pointed at the Fae he felt sneaking up on him.
The Fae smiled, though it didn’t reach his red eyes. He glanced down at the point of the sword that was leveled at his heart. “What are you waiting on?”
“Who are you?” Baylon demanded.
The Fae chuckled and knocked the blade away. Baylon immediately brought it back into place, pushing it against the Fae’s chest.
“Either kill me or put that away,” the Dark said, the smile gone.
“I asked you a question.”
“And you can go fuck yourself.”
Baylon studied the Fae as the tip of his sword entered through flesh. “You first.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jordyn looked anxiously around. Dark Fae were coming at them from every direction. Magic was literally flying through the air.
She wasn’t sure how the Reapers were able to deflect most of the magic, but they did. Jordyn could tell that it wasn’t normal for them to stay so close to each other in battle. They wanted to spread out and not be bottled together. But they were protecting her.
Which made them easy targets.
A bubble of magic the size of a bowling ball landed on the other side of Fintan. Jordyn watched as the ground sizzled like grease in a hot skillet as the bubble sank into the dirt.
If that’s what it did to the earth, what would it do to her? Jordyn didn’t want to find out. Matter of fact, she was certain she didn’t want to be there anymore.
Helpless and vulnerable, that’s what she was. A freaking sitting duck. The only thing standing between her and death were the Reapers. And how much more could they take?
She glanced up to see that each of the Reapers had been hit more than once with magic. With every blast that came into contact with them, they merely flinched as if stung by a bee.
Yet she saw what it did to their clothes and skin. The pain must be terrible. How did they continue fighting and ignore the pain?
Her gaze sought out Baylon. She managed to get a glimpse of him through the Reapers’ legs as he stood talking to someone in the trees.
Then he was no longer talking. He was fighting. She could only stare in mute fear as his sword moved like lightning to block and repel the blasts of magic coming from the Dark Fae.
Jordyn was suddenly knocked forward into a pair of legs. She heard a curse and hastily looked up to see she had fallen into Kyran.
“Sorry!” she yelled and pushed herself back into her squatting position.
But she couldn’t manage to right herself correctly. She kept falling over. Pinpricks of black began to fill her vision. She tried to rub her eyes, but her right arm wouldn’t work.
Jordyn looked down wondering where all the smoke was coming from. She couldn’t get her eyes to focus. Nor did she understand why she couldn’t move her arm.
“Oh, shit. Cael!” someone shouted.
She blinked, struggling to keep her eyes open. Why were the Dark beginning to back away? Had the Reapers won? Did they have their enemy?
“Jordyn? Jordan, can you hear me?”
Was that Cael? She opened her eyes, wondering when she had shut them. Someone touched her arm and the pain made her begin to black out again.
She really wished whoever was screaming would shut up. It was distracting. She kept trying to tell the Reapers to go help the person, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Then she just stopped trying.
* * *
The fact the Dark Baylon fought moved nearly as fast as he did confirmed what he suspected. The Dark they were fighting had been given a boost to their magic by someone. And the Reapers really needed to find that someone.
Baylon gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and used it to punch the Dark in the nose. Blood spurted everywhere.
He used the momentum to drive the Fae against a tree. Baylon pressed the blade of his sword against the Fae’s neck. “Now,” he said. “Who the hell are you?”
The Dark began to laugh as he looked over Baylon’s shoulder. “We did what we were sent to do.”
Baylon’s hearing picked up the voices of the other Reaper’s behind him as well as screaming. Then the Dark in his grasp vanished.
He dropped his arms, glaring at the tree. The Dark shouldn’t have been able to get away. Not when he was held by a Reaper.
Baylon pivoted and started walking toward the others when he realized all the Dark were gone. He turned his attention back to the others. The screaming registered then. It was a woman’s scream.
Baylon’s heart stopped, falling to his feet like lead when he realized it was Jordyn who lay on the ground unmoving with Cael leaning over her. He teleported to them, not even wasting the few seconds to run.
“Jordyn,” he said and shoved Talin and Kyran out of the way.
Baylon stared down at her helplessly. He fell to his knees, grimacing when he saw her arm, bloody and burnt from the Dark magic.
“I don’t know how it got past Kyran and me,” Fintan said.
Eoghan knelt on the other side of Jordyn and put his hand at her throat. His gaze lifted to Baylon as he gave a small smile.
“She’s still alive?” Baylon asked, hope surging.
Eoghan nodded.
“Let’s get her out of here,” Cael said.
Baylon carefully lifted her in his arms and teleported back to the castle. As soon as he was in the chamber, he walked through the arch and down the corridor.
Fintan was a few steps ahead of him. Baylon walked to the last room to the left and found Eoghan and Cael were already there along with a bed.
Baylon laid her down just as Kyran snapped his fingers and a fire roared to life in the hearth. Baylon ran his fingers along her brow to smooth away her hair.
“What can we do?” Fintan asked from beside Baylon.
Eoghan put his hand on Jordyn’s forehead and closed his eyes.
“Nothing,” Cael said.
Baylon jerked his ga
ze to Cael. “Nothing? What do you mean nothing?”
“You know we don’t have the ability to heal others,” Cael said.
Kyran and Talin stood at the foot of the bed. Kyran look askance at Cael. “Surely there has to be someone we can ask.”
“The Dragon Kings perhaps?” Cael asked in a mocking tone. “We’re Reapers. This is why we aren’t allowed to have relationships. We put ourselves and Death in a bind by caring and owing others.”
Baylon pointed to Jordyn, fury spiking dangerously inside him. “She put her life on the line to help us. And you expect us to sit idly by and watch her die!”
Cael’s face went hard, his eyes narrowing in anger. “Do not mistake my actions to mean that I don’t care. We have rules, Baylon. Need I remind you of them?”
Baylon felt magic well up in his hand. Before he could throw it, Fintan put a hand on his chest and shoved him back.
Fintan then stood between Baylon and the bed. “Don’t do this. Not here. Not over her bed.”
All the fight went out of Baylon. He looked back at Jordyn. Fintan was right. Now wasn’t the time. Baylon focused on Jordyn. He couldn’t heal, but he could hope. And pray.
Eoghan finally opened his eyes and removed his hand from her brow. Without a word, he walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall.
Baylon made a chair appear so he could sit. He scooted it close to Jordyn’s bed and took her hand.
“If I could, I’d heal her,” Cael said.
Baylon shrugged. “I put her in danger so she could help us.”
“You didn’t do anything. It was her choice. Jordyn wanted to help.”
“Because I dragged her into this. I should never have told her what she was.”
Cael blew out a breath. “You saved her. Had you not found her and stayed the night with her, she would be dead. And we wouldn’t be any closer to finding out who is behind any of this.”
Baylon swallowed and sat back in the chair. “We didn’t come away completely empty handed. The Dark attacking your group had a single-minded purpose.”
“Aye,” Talin said. “Jordyn.”
“They didn’t even try and defend themselves against me and Eoghan,” Baylon said. He looked up and around the bed at his fellow Reapers. “But a Dark came up behind me. He didn’t seem to care about Jordyn.”
Fintan’s brow furrowed. “What did he want?”
“I’ve no idea.” Baylon shook his head in confusion. “We fought. He was fast. Nearly as fast as me.”
Kyran made a sound as an appalled expression came over his face. “Impossible.”
“Trust me. It wasn’t. He was incredibly fast, and just as lethal. But the worst part was when I had my hand on him and my sword at his throat.”
Cael looked at him warily. “Did you kill him?”
“That’s the thing,” Baylon said as he rubbed his thumb along the back of Jordyn’s hand. “He teleported away.”
No one gasped aloud, but their expressions said it all.
Baylon nodded in understanding. “Exactly.”
“Has Death set another group upon us?” Talin asked.
Cael cut him a sharp look. “No. That doesn’t benefit Death or us. This is something else. Whoever it is, they don’t mind losing Fae to battle us.”
“The ones attacking us didn’t move as fast,” Fintan said. “But their magic seemed stronger than a normal Fae’s should.”
Baylon squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Perhaps who I spoke with is running things.”
“Doubtful,” Cael said. “He’s not a lackey like the rest of the Dark we fought, however.”
Kyran leaned his hands upon the footboard. “At least we let them believe we were taken by surprise.”
“That’s the only thing that worked,” Talin mumbled.
Baylon looked at Jordyn wondering if he would ever get to gaze into her turquoise eyes again. One by one the others left, until only he remained.
Not even Death could make him leave Jordyn’s side. She wouldn’t be alone when she breathed her last.
* * *
Bran stood in the Louvre staring at the sarcophagus box of Ramses III when he felt the approach of Searlas behind him. “Well?” he asked without turning around.
“The half-Fae the Reapers made off with is dead.”
Bran leaned close to see the engravings of the seventh and eighth chapters of the “Book of Amduat”. “Are you sure she’s dead?”
“She was hit with magic and screaming. Cael was leaning over her, but she became quiet fast.”
Bran straightened and turned to Searlas. “One more down then.”
“Is it time to strike directly at Cael?”
Bran walked to the next exhibit with Searlas beside him. “Oh, yes.”
“I fought a Reaper. You should’ve seen his face when I vanished while he held me.”
Bran laughed and clapped Searlas on the shoulder as they stopped. “I bet it was priceless. Who did you fight?”
“Baylon.”
“And who was protecting the mortal?”
Searlas gave a little shrug. “All of them except for Daire, Eoghan, and Baylon.”
“If you were fighting Baylon, where was Eoghan and Daire?”
“Daire wasn’t there at all,” Searlas said. “Unless he was veiled and I didn’t see him.”
Bran rubbed his hand along his jaw. “If Daire was there, he would’ve joined in. That means he’s somewhere else. And Eoghan?”
“Was fighting our Dark.”
“It’s too bad. I would’ve liked to know who had taken an interest in the mortal.”
Searlas smiled widely. “You struck at them quick and true today.”
“But I didn’t hurt them nearly as much as I could have. The Reapers better watch themselves. I’m waiting for the day one of them falls in love. Because I’ll be there to tear their world apart like Cael and Eoghan did mine. And it’ll happen. It’s just a matter of time.”
Chapter Seventeen
Baylon had the entire room alight with candles. He didn’t want darkness creeping in from anywhere. Not for Jordyn. Not if he had any say in it.
He ran a hand down his face and wearily got to his feet. Though he was loath to not touch her, if he didn’t move, didn’t burn off some of the anger festering within him, he was going to burst.
Baylon rolled his neck as he walked around the room. Since he could do nothing for Jordyn¸ his mind turned to the Dark he had fought.
“What is it?” Fintan asked as he leaned a shoulder against the archway.
Baylon shook his head and paced before the bed. “A Fae doesn’t just get more magic. That’s not how it works.”
“Right. It was Death who gave us the extra boost.”
“Death,” Baylon repeated and glanced at Fintan. “Who else has such abilities?”
Both of Fintan’s brows lifted as he snorted. “Death is the only one I know, and I didn’t know Death was even real until I stood before her.”
“Aye. For me as well. Damn. There has to be someone else.”
“You don’t think the Fae we fought just had more magic?”
Baylon halted and turned to look at Fintan. “Do you?”
“Not for an instant. But I wanted to know your thoughts.”
“Whoever is killing mortals with Fae blood is targeting us. They wanted us to carry out the false order they sent.”
Fintan nodded, picking up Baylon’s words. “And when we didn’t, they went after the mortals themselves, knowing we’d protect them.”
“But we’ve never really cared about the mortals. Why would they think we would save them now?”
Fintan’s gaze moved to the bed. “Because they have Fae blood.”
Fae blood that was doing nothing for Jordyn. Baylon closed his eyes and lowered his chin to his chest. Ever since he became a Reaper, nothing had stood in his way. His strength, his magic, his speed all increased the day he accepted Death’s offer.
Now
none of it did any good.
“Baylon,” Fintan said.
But Baylon couldn’t look at Jordyn. It was wrong to see her lying so still upon the bed, her life draining from her gradually as the Dark magic ate away at her.
“Baylon,” Fintan said more urgently.
Baylon whirled around angrily. “What?” he demanded.
Fintan now stood by Jordyn’s bed. He didn’t move his gaze from her as he pointed.
Baylon focused on her chest, waiting to see if she had stopped breathing. Relief surged through him when he saw the steady breathing. If Fintan wasn’t pointing out that Jordyn was dead, then what did he want?
With his irritation clearly showing, Baylon walked back to his chair where Fintan stood. That’s when he spotted Jordyn’s arm and how the wound was healing.
Baylon turned to Fintan, unable to find words.
Fintan’s smile started slowly. He slapped Baylon on the back and pivoted as he began to yell for the others.
Baylon sank back into the chair and watched the healing process. It was much slower than a full-blooded Fae, but the fact she was healing was the best news Baylon had heard in a long time.
He once more took Jordyn’s hand, as the grip on his chest began to ease. Baylon looked up to find the others surrounding the bed.
“I’ll be damned,” Cael said with a smile.
Kyran shook his head, though he was grinning. “Now this I wasn’t expecting.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t take her long to wake.” Talin elbowed Kyran. “We’re anxious to get our retribution for what they’ve done to Jordyn.”
As usual, Eoghan simply looked for long moments at Jordyn before he walked away. Baylon had long since given up hoping to one day carry on a conversation with Eoghan. Eoghan’s choice to refrain from speech wasn’t because of some vow of silence.
No, Eoghan didn’t talk because he was broken in ways none of them would ever be able to discern. Baylon wasn’t sure if Cael even knew all the particulars.
And none of it mattered. Eoghan was a Reaper. They were a family of sorts. A rag-tag, lethal family, but still a family.
All they had was each other. That forced them to bond on a level few beings ever experienced.
“What now?” Fintan asked. “We can’t remain here. I agree with Talin and Kyran. I want to find these fuckers and lay waste to them.”
