The Amaranthine Chronicles Complete Series: Betrayed By Blood, Dark Revenge, The Final Battle

by Tiffany Shand

  “Begs the same question. Where have you been for the past year?” Sierra demanded, eyes narrowed.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “The hell it doesn’t!” The anger in Sierra’s voice brought his beast to the surface again. He heard a low growl at the edge of his mind, and clenched his teeth.

  “Guys, we need to find Freya,” Geth added.

  “They’re right. Sierra, now’s not the time for this,” said Kaylan. “I just want to find my sister. I checked on the body at the morgue but I’ve never seen anything like it. Another one creature attacked me at the hospice. He mentioned a book. Does anyone know what it might be?” Everyone shook their heads as she turned back to Elijah. “Tell us what Freya told you.” Her face appeared strong, but Elijah could see the pain in her eyes.

  Sierra’s jaw set. “She said she’d met a new guy who liked practising dark magic. Someone Freya knew was the latest drug victim, so she went up there to see what she could find.”

  “Didn’t anyone try to stop her?”

  Elijah smelt the anger in the room; it excited his beast and heated his blood. Keep it under control, he told himself and clenched his fists, feeling his claws dig into his flesh. Geth was used to seeing him turn, but he didn’t want to shift in front of everyone.

  “No one else has been able to get near the place. That bastard Thedric has spies all over the city,” Sierra replied. “We saw a way in, and Cedric agreed.”

  “Why didn’t–” Kaylan’s jaw clenched. “Never mind. I’ve read Sierra’s notes. Is the string of recent deaths related to the Stardust drug too?”

  “They were all users, but the drug didn’t kill them,” Geth answered. “They were all brutalised like today’s victim. Did they torture him?”

  “I can’t be sure unless I did a full examination of the body,” Kaylan replied. “But they look like they were mauled.”

  Elijah flinched, heart pounding. Had he lost control again? Usually, when the blackouts happened he woke up covered in blood or at least had a sign that he’d done something terrible.

  “That reminds me. How did you get so close to the last body?” Sierra wanted to know.

  “I found it,” Elijah admitted.

  All eyes turned on him.

  “Where?” Sierra demanded. “How did you know he was a user? He was brought in by the Glistans.”

  That raised uneasy questions. Sierra didn’t know he had been turned yet.

  “Elijah is a wolf,” Kaylan told her.

  “A what?”

  “He is a shifter now. He can change between man and beast,” Geth explained.

  Elijah looked away, unable to meet their gazes. He didn’t want to see the scrutiny, or worse, pity on their faces.

  Sierra’s eyebrows rose. “How–”

  “Let’s just focus on Freya, shall we?” Elijah suggested.

  Still, Sierra watched him warily. He couldn’t blame her for being afraid. If she and Kaylan knew just how dangerous he was, they’d be more scared.

  “I’ve managed to befriend Flynn Zegan,” Kaylan told them. “But that doesn’t give me any quick answers.”

  “I think we should go to the High Lord’s house and see what we can find,” Geth suggested.

  Sierra’s brow creased. “We haven’t prepped for a mission and Kaylan hasn’t – well, you know.”

  “Just because I left doesn’t mean I didn’t conduct my own missions,” Kaylan replied. “Let’s go.”

  Elijah stared up at the towering spires of the High Lord’s house as the light poured out of every window. A pit of dread formed in his stomach. There was a good chance he was the killer they were looking for. He had no idea where he went or what he did during his episodes. Had he become a mindless slave, hell bent on doing the Order’s bidding? He already knew he’d killed people, but he thought he’d learnt enough to gain some control over his beast.

  “I still think this is a bad idea,” Sierra murmured in their ears as she crouched next to Geth by a tree and tried to find a weakness in the ward.

  “Be careful, Elijah, you’re still a wanted man,” Geth said in a low voice so that only Elijah would hear.

  He didn’t need reminding of that and had already pulled a glamour spell on to disguise himself. But his magic wasn’t as reliable as it once had been. Either it failed or didn’t work at all.

  “This could take me days,” Sierra groaned.

  “I’ll see if I can find another way in.” Kaylan kicked off and took to the air.

  “I’ll help,” Elijah added. Gold light shimmered around him with the crack of bone and pop of muscle as he shifted. He stretched, trying to ease his aching body. The presence in his mind that he always kept locked in had been released and it felt good to be free. He wouldn’t let it take complete control of his mind or body.

  “Holy crap!” Sierra exclaimed.

  Elijah glanced back at her shocked expression before hurrying after Kaylan. He watched her hovering over the roof, and cursed when he kept losing sight of her. Kaylan? He hadn’t tried talking to anyone in thought since he’d been turned and had no idea if it would still work.

  Yes? she replied.

  Where are you?

  Behind the right chimney stack. The ward extends over the roof.

  I could get you in, he added.

  How? Kaylan asked.

  Come and pick me up, then carry me to a window. He looked up, trying to spot her silhouette running a haze of shadows.

  The windows are warded, Elijah.

  Yeah, but they're not warded against animals.

  Kaylan swooped down, hair billowing behind her. “I don’t know if I can carry you that far,” she murmured. She bent down and wrapped her arms around him. He’d be embarrassed under normal circumstances, but this was more important.

  Air whooshed past them and Elijah understood the exhilaration Kaylan felt. Flying was a rush as they flew over the rooftop.

  “I think I saw an open window on the second floor,” Kaylan told him and descended. Elijah heard her grunt from the strain of holding him. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  She moved closer, static flared from the glass, signalling the ward. “I can’t open the latch.”

  Elijah leant forward, trying to move the window further open with his paws, but no such luck. Instead he leapt out of Kaylan’s arms, claws digging into the sill as he latched onto it. His back legs scraped behind him as he tried to pull himself up, but Elijah felt his grasp slipping.

  Kaylan grabbed hold of him, grunting as she pushed him through the gap.

  Elijah squeezed through the narrow opening, wincing as he did so. I wouldn’t be able to do that in my human form. A glance of the room revealed it to be a bedroom with dull beige walls, a small bed and a chest of drawers. Dust covered the floor in a thin white layer, along with his paw prints as he moved to the door. A quick scan revealed no one in sight as he stood on his hind legs and pushed the door open.

  Kaylan floated in gracefully and hovered an inch from the floor. It always amazed him how she moved so easily.

  “Geth? Sierra? Where are you?” she asked.

  “Still trying to get in,” Sierra grumbled.

  “Get here when you can. We’re going to look around.”

  “Kaylan, you don’t know what you might be up against,” Sierra said. “And what about Elijah?”

  “He can take care of himself,” Geth added.

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Are you sure we can trust him?”

  “I do,” Kaylan replied.

  Elijah looked up at her, having heard the conversation. Hell, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself anymore. But he couldn’t imagine ever hurting her.

  Now what? Elijah asked.

  Kaylan murmured a revealing spell to show any signs of dark magic. The room flashed with red light. Next, she said a locator spell to find Freya. The sound of a door handle being turned made them both jump, he heard Kaylan’s heart beat faster.

  He dove under the de
sk and Kaylan shot to the ceiling, pulling her glamour tighter to conceal herself.

  The woman Elijah had seen the night before swept into the room followed by Freya.

  Elijah heard Kaylan’s intake of breath at the sight of the unknown woman and saw the golden glow of an arrow forming where she’d been standing. He silently cursed.

  Elijah, do you recognise that Glistan? Kaylan’s mind voice sounded low and fearful.

  Glancing over at the leather clad stranger, he sniffed the scents of orange and cinnamon. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.

  It’s Ena. Spirits, I thought she was dead! What is Freya doing with her? Panic rushed through him, and took a moment to realise that it wasn’t his own panic but Kaylan’s. The feeling raised his beast’s hackles, it fought to gain full control, making Elijah grit his teeth. He had no idea how he could be sensing Kaylan’s emotions. Perhaps his beast’s abilities were growing.

  “I don’t understand why it won’t work,” Ena complained. “I thought your blood would be strong enough for my drug to make the transformation of permanent.”

  “Avilion blood is powerful, but we need the blood of a true shifter to make more of them,” Freya replied. “I can’t wait to see the look on that old Thedric’s face when we slaughter his family right in front of him.”

  Elijah’s claws dug into the hard wood floor as the beast tried to get out. Ena had turned him and now she wanted to do the same to others. He glanced up at Kaylan, saw the shock on her face despite the glamour concealing her.

  Kaylan, I think Freya is working with Ena.

  No, there must be a reasonable explanation.

  Freya looked up at the ceiling, locking eyes with her sister and grinned. “Told you she’d come.”

  Kaylan swooped down, kicking Ena in the head as she went. She muttered a curse and blasted the Glistan with fireballs as she landed.

  He scrambled out and snarled at Freya in warning as she backed away from him.

  Kaylan demanded Ena by the throat. “How are you still alive?”

  Ena smiled and screamed. “Avock!”

  Kaylan yelped as a blast of light hurled her across the room.

  “Kaylan, stop! Please!” Freya begged.

  “What are you doing here?” Kaylan demanded. “I thought you were in trouble. Are you helping her to kill people?”

  Freya shook her head. “It’s not like that. We’re trying to make a better future for everyone.”

  “How? By killing people?”

  Ena flew at Kaylan, holding a knife to her throat.

  Elijah snarled, feeling something inside him snap. Bone cracked and muscle popped as he shifted back. Instead of fully changing back into his human form, he became something else. Fangs sprang from his mouth and his fingers turned into talons as he lunged at Ena. This was the beast’s true form. He knocked Freya aside when the other sorceress made a grab for him and squeezed Ena’s throat. This was the one who’d turned him; the smell of her magic was too familiar and his beast recognised it. She’d dared to hurt what was his.

  “Fool, you can’t hurt me,” Ena breathed, and sent him staggering backwards.

  “You won’t hurt her,” he growled, and yanked Kaylan up, tossing her over his shoulder before leaping out of the window.

  Chapter 6

  Glass shattered as Elijah burst through the window, sending shards and splinters of wood flying. Kaylan yelped from the force of the impact, feeling bits of glass shoot past her. “Elijah, what are you doing?” she demanded as he ran through the garden. He kept a firm grip on her, preventing her from getting free, but said nothing as he sprinted onto the street. “Stop! We need to go back and get Freya.”

  Lights and buildings flashed by, and she felt nausea rise in her stomach. Kaylan drew her glamour outwards to stop prying eyes and deter unwanted attention. Elijah hurried past rows of houses and down the road. “Put me down!” she snapped, pounding her fists against his back which didn’t deter him. “Geth, Sierra, help!” she called, touching the crystal on her ear.

  “What’s going on?” Sierra asked.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Something’s happened to Elijah. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Where are you?” Geth asked.

  It took her a moment to get her bearings as she glanced around at the glaring white streetlamps and luminescent city lights until she spotted a local grocery shop. “I’m on Taraval Street. Hurry, he’s moving fast.”

  “Tell him to stop,” suggested Sierra.

  “That won’t do any good,” Geth replied. “When the beast takes control, Elijah – well, I’ll explain later.”

  “What do you mean?” Sierra demanded. “I thought he just turned into a wolf.”

  “It’s not a wolf carrying me around – it’s something else,” she grumbled.

  “You do realise that he’s just like the victims of the drug,” Sierra muttered.

  “Elijah has no control when the beast comes out,” Geth told them. “And he’s different from the drug victims.”

  “You could have told me that earlier,” she said. “He looks like the creature that attacked me last night.”

  “I told you to stay away from him.”

  “Never mind that now.”

  “We need to get her away from him,” Sierra insisted.

  “He won’t hurt me.” Kaylan glanced down at Elijah as more houses blurred past them. “Please, put me down,” she pleaded. “Or at least tell me where we’re going.” When she reached out to his mind, Elijah’s thoughts were jumbled. Either he couldn’t hear or had blocked her out.

  When they passed into a tunnel, Kaylan knew they were headed below ground. “I can’t go down here. I need to get home,” she insisted. “Elijah, say something.”

  Why wouldn’t he speak to her? Was he angry?

  She didn’t sense any anger from their mind link, but wasn’t sure it was Elijah in control. The roar of traffic and drone of transpos echoed down the tunnel with the grating of metal as the vehicles passed over them. The raw stench of sewage mixed with salt made Kaylan cover her nose as they moved further underground. Now what?

  The sewage tunnels vanished along with the city sounds. Only small pockets of light appeared every so often making it hard for Kaylan to see anything until they passed into a cave full of shimmering white light. It was more than just white, the light became mixed with a kaleidoscope of reds, blues and gold. Elijah ducked to avoid the sloping ceiling. Kaylan looked up to see the weathered rock, jagged by the water dripping down from above. It smelt damp and uninviting. Icy water dripped down on her, making her shiver.

  Geth and Sierra appeared in a puff of smoke.

  “Elijah?” Geth called. “Oh, bloody hell! He’s turned.”

  “I guessed that,” Kaylan snorted, feeling her back ache from being in such an uncomfortable position for so long. “Tell him to put me down.”

  “There is no reasoning with him when he’s in this state. The beast has full control,” Geth told her.

  “Well, Beast, put me down!” She pounded her fists against his back.

  Elijah carried her past his friends as if they didn’t exist.

  “Were you attacked?” Geth sprinted behind them.

  “Yes, by Ena. I thought he was a wolf? That’s what you told us.” Kaylan drew magic, calling on her flying ability but Elijah only tightened his grip, preventing her from using her power.

  “He is, but the wolf is just one part. When man and beast merge, he changes.”

  “Can’t you stop him?” she asked.

  “We can’t. If we attack, the beast will turn on anyone it views as a threat,” Geth told her.

  “Where is he taking me?”

  “I think he’s protecting you,” Geth replied. “He didn’t attack you, did he?”

  “No, he lost it when Ena attacked me.”

  “Who’s Ena?”

  She sighed. “That’s a long story.”

  Sierra eyed Elijah up and down. “Wow, he definitely looks l
ike a beast now. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Kaylan thrashed against Elijah’s vice-like grip. “Could one of you please help?”

  “Elijah, stop!” Sierra grabbed Elijah’s arm and the beast knocked her away.

  “Told you that was a bad idea.” Geth held her up again and Kaylan drew her magic to her. “No!” Geth cried. “Don’t attack him. He won’t harm you.”

  “Can you be sure of that?” she demanded, heart pounding.

  “No, let’s just see how this ends.”

  Her eyes narrowed. If Elijah didn’t put her down soon, she’d make him do so. Elijah carried her all the way through the tunnels until they reached a corridor. Crystals radiating luminescent white light lined the passageway that stung her eyes after the near darkness of the tunnels.

  Geth scurried behind them with Sierra trailing behind. After pushing the door open, Elijah carried her into a large room complete with a bed, table and wardrobe. Then he gently placed her on the bed.

  Her heart began to beat faster as Elijah laid down and put a firm arm around her. “Geth!” she yelled.

  Geth hurried in. “Just wait.”

  She watched as Elijah closed his eyes and slumped into unconsciousness.

  “Good, at least that part hasn’t changed,” Geth breathed.

  “What are you talking about?” She hit Elijah’s shoulder. “Let me go.” When she pushed at his arm, his grip tightened. Under other circumstances, she would have been glad to have him holding her again but not like this.

  “He won’t wake up. He always falls into a deep sleep after the beast takes over. It will be hours before he rises.”

  “When will he let me go?” Kaylan sighed.

  Geth shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s never brought anyone back before.”

  She groaned. “Are you saying I have to stay here all night?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t, either, Red.” Geth frowned. “Maybe it’s because Elijah cares so much about you.”

  She slumped back against the pillows. “I don’t need him to protect me.” Every moment she stayed here was a moment further away from Freya.

  “The beast doesn’t respond to logic or reason. Just instinct.” He sat down on the chair. “Tell me everything that happened.”