Hidden inside lay a small bundle of fabric. He reached down, picked it up and pulled it open. A small crystal orb fell onto his palm. “This looks like a communication crystal.” He handed it to Kaylan.
“It was my father’s. My parents had one each.” Kaylan smiled sadly and pointed to the swirl etched into the top of it. “He always used it to call her whenever they were apart from each other. I don’t know why it would be here.”
“Try using it.”
Kaylan shook her head. “What good would that do? Someone would need to have the other half for it to work.”
Elijah squeezed her shoulder. “It’s worth a try.”
Her brow creased, and she bit her lip as she closed her eyes. “Hello?” She didn’t expect any kind of response. The other half of the crystal had been lost over a decade ago.
They waited until another flash of light came.
Elijah winced as his inner beast growled in disgust. It didn’t like being dragged all over the place. The tomb had vanished. Now they stood in a cosy living room. Oil paintings of beautiful landscapes lined the walls, fire crackled in the hearth and three wing backed chairs sat next to the fireplace.
“I know this place,” Kaylan murmured.
Elijah glanced round, caught the sound of another heartbeat in the room. He glanced towards it, yanking the man up by the collar of his road. “Silas. Bloody hell! I thought you were dead, old man.”
The man’s washed out blue eyes widened. “I see you still have no manners, boy. Put me down!”
“Silas?” Kaylan edged closer. “I thought you were killed the night of the revolution after my parents died.”
Elijah put the old sorcerer down, muttering an apology as he did so.
“A lot of things died that dreadful night, but I wasn’t one of them.” Silas ran a hand through his thin white hair and smiled. “Kaylan, just as lovely as ever. It’s been a long time.”
She hugged her father’s former adviser with a smile.
“Silas, where is Edmund’s body?” Elijah demanded.
“Somewhere safe so that harpy can never find it.”
Kaylan’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean? Who?” She held up the crystal. “Did you leave this in the tomb?”
“Both of you sit down. I’ll make us some tea.”
The two of them sat in silence whilst Silas poured tea.
Elijah sniffed the cup, searching for traces of anything suspicious. Few people in Ormere could be trusted, especially now Ena and Freya had taken power.
“First, tell me what’s going in the city,” Silas said.
They both told him what had happened in the decade since the city had first fallen. Elijah felt his patience wearing thin and knew Kaylan was growing more agitated.
“Silas, you need to tell us what you know,” Kaylan remarked. “Where’s my father’s body?”
“Like I said. It’s safe.”
“Why would it need to be?” Elijah asked through narrowed eyes. He was starting to get impatient. The old man knew something, he was sure of it. “Why would you need to keep Edmund safe? He’s dead.” He felt a pang of guilt when he saw Kaylan finch and reached over to squeeze her hand.
Silas gulped down his tea, sighed. “Because I was afraid she would do unspeakable things to him.”
“Who?” Kaylan asked. “Freya?”
“Not Freya. Ena.”
That made sense. Ena was the one responsible for Edmund and the rest of the Avilion families’ deaths.
“Ena got what she wanted,” Elijah said. “We found out she killed them.”
Silas snorted. “Ena never wanted to kill Edmund. She was obsessed with him.”
“That’s not true. She married my brother and–” She shook her head. “I never understood why she did any of this.”
“Your father and Ena had an affair,” Silas stated. “It went on for almost a year. She married Alex to be close to Edmund.”
“That’s not possible. My father would never do that my mother,” Kaylan insisted. “He adored her. I know Alex loved Ena too.”
Elijah nodded in agreement. “That’s true. There were very happy together.”
“Edmund loved his wife, yes, but that didn’t stop him from having a wandering eye. Ena was one of many.”
Kaylan shot to her feet. “I’m not listening to this. My father would never do that.”
“When he ended his affair, Ena vowed revenge and she took it in the darkest possible way. I know it’s hard to hear, but…”
Kaylan stormed out of the room, door banging behind her and Elijah felt waves of agony coming from her. His first instinct was to rush after her, yet he had to stay to hear the rest of the story out. He gripped the sides of the chair. “Why are you telling us this now?” he demanded. “It’s been over ten years.”
“Because you need to understand Ena and why she is doing what she’s doing. She told Edmund she’d have him in life, death and whatever came after that,” Silas answered. “The Amaranthine Chronicles contain the darkest and deadliest of magics. Ena’s obsession hasn’t ended. She will do whatever it takes to be with him again.”
Elijah let out a breath. “Are you saying she’s going to bring Edmund back to life? Why?” he asked. “She killed him.”
“No, she did worse than that. She cursed him so his soul would never find rest.”
He smelt the smell dripping from the old man, knew the sound of a lie as his heartbeat quickened. But he couldn't force the truth out of him, not yet.
He looked at the door, feeling the need to go after Kaylan and comfort her. It was hard to resist, since the bound had heightened all of the emotions between them.
“You’re not married to her yet then?” Silas changed the subject.
He hesitated. “Well, kind of. It’s complicated. We are trying to work things out.”
“Try harder. Love is a precious thing.” Silas took a sip of his tea.
Elijah gulped down his own brew, grimacing at the bitter taste. “Do you know where the book is?”
Silas shook his head. “Edmund made sure it stayed safe.”
“How do you know about Ena?” he prompted.
Silas rose, walked over to the bookcase and pulled down a small, brown loose-leaf notebook. “This is Edmund’s journal. He wrote all about the affair and he warned me what could happen. Told me to keep it safe until Kaylan came looking for the truth.”
“If he knew what Ena might do, why didn’t he stop her?”
“I think he pitied her. Despite his faults, he wasn’t an evil man. It would break his heart to see what his city has become.”
Elijah took the book from him, slipped it into his jacket. “Did he tell you anything else?”
“Just to watch out for his children. I’ve done my best over the years, but the Avilions have a penchant for trouble.”
Elijah snorted. “You could say that.”
The sound of breaking glass caught his attention as a familiar scent filled the air. Shifters.
“Kaylan?” He shot through the door so fast it flew off its hinges and dropped to the floor with a loud bang.
Kaylan drew her knives and took to the air as the first shifter came at her.
Elijah turned to check for the next attack coming through the window just as the first cracks of moonlight came into the room and pain began to tear through his body.
Chapter 6
Kaylan watched in horror as Elijah began to shift. Claws sprang out and fangs elongated as the full moon rose to its peak.
Oh, fuck! They’d both forgotten that tonight was the full moon. The one night they’d dreaded most. He’d warned her what would happen, but she hadn’t prepared for it. She’d seen him in his wolf/man beast form before, but this was something else. He looked deadlier than before as he ripped the heart out from one shifter then snapped the neck of the other.
“Elijah?” Kaylan landed, sheathing her knives.
“Blessed spirits!” Silas murmured from the doorway.
“Sila
s, stay back,” she warned.
She wasn’t afraid of Elijah. He’d never hurt her, but others – she didn’t want to find out.
“Elijah, I know you’re afraid of this. I know that’s why you ran and stayed away from me.” She kept her voice calm, heard her heart pounding in her ears as she walked over and fought to keep her emotions in control.
Kaylan knew their connection was the only thing that had kept her safe the previous times he had lost control. Maybe now she was his ‘mate’ she’d have some extra influence.
Elijah’s golden eyes flashed. He growled at Silas.
Kaylan put herself between Elijah and the old man. “Elijah, stop!” she told him. “Silas is our friend. I know you’re still in there somewhere.”
He turned and suddenly leapt from the window. She hurried over, leaning over the sill and stared down onto the street below, but he’d already vanished. “Bugger!”
“When you said he’d been turned into a beast I didn’t think–” Silas shook his head. “That’s the first time I’ve seen a true shape shifter in decades.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You knew?”
He shrugged. “That he was born that way yes, but there’s not much about his past I do know,” he replied. “Natural shifters are rare now, and if you’re mated to him that will make you stronger, faster.”
“Will I be like him?” She hadn’t wanted to acknowledge the fact she might now be a beast too. The idea both excited and terrified her.
“Not unless he bit you.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “I need to go find him.” Kaylan sniffed, wiping away the last remnants of tears. “I have to go.” She climbed onto the ledge.
“Kaylan, I’m sorry you had to face the truth about your father. But know that he…”
“Thanks your help,” was all she said before she took to the air.
As she flew over a whirl of treetops and saw the burning bright lights from Ormere in the distance, Kaylan turned her comm crystal on. “Sierra? Geth?” The wind whipped her hair back, stinging her face as she went.
“Here. Kay? What’s wrong?” Sierra replied.
“Never mind me. How many shifters have you encountered tonight?”
“A few. Nasty buggers!” Geth answered. “I’ve managed to collect a few samples. Maybe we can figure out a way of stopping them. What – oh shit! I forgot it’s the full moon. Elijah must have lost it.”
“You could say that,” Kaylan murmured. “He ran off. Where would he go?” Her eyes scanned the horizon as she reached out for Elijah with her senses. The feelings she got back seemed muddled and she couldn’t get a read on his exact location.
Geth paused. “Back to the penthouse?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s too new. He’d go somewhere safe.” She thought for a moment, remembering all the times they’d spent together in the past. “Geth, how do I bring him back when I find him?”
She only hoped there now was a way of bringing him out of it before he did something he regretted. Geth was the one who’d spent the most time with Elijah in his year of being on the run. He knew better than anyone how to control the beast.
“It’s the full moon. There is no reasoning with him. It’d be safer if you just stayed away.”
Kaylan snorted. She wasn’t about to let Elijah run around wreaking havoc on the entire city. Not with everything going on. If Ena got her claws into him, she might never see him again. “Geth, I can’t just leave him when there are dozens of rogue shifters running loose. Ena has people out looking for him.” She scanned the ground. “I’ll see you guys later.”
She swooped low, hair billowing behind her as she went into a dive. Her mind reached for Elijah’s again and the feel of panic flooded her senses. Something was very wrong.
It took a few seconds for her to feel his presence on the outskirts of the city. The glowing lights of the great bridge looked like beacons, casting a brilliant orange glow. The river below shone like a trembling pool of fire.
The bridge. Sitting on top of the bridge had always been their favourite place to go and hang out. They’d spent hours there talking, snuggled up beneath the stars, planning their future together. It made sense he’d go to their spot. It had been the one place that had felt safe amidst the chaos in the city.
A loud snarl reached her ears.
Kaylan descended and saw a group of men wrapping chains around Elijah’s struggling form. One of them was Flynn.
Flynn. She’d suspected he’d been involved in Freya’s disappearance but had no idea just how wrapped up he was in all this mess. She’d be damned if she let him hurt Elijah now.
As Kaylan veered towards them, she knocked the other two men to the ground as she landed, eyes blazing as she met Flynn’s gaze.
“Anne?” His brow furrowed in confusion as he saw her glamour. He’d see the healer he’d thought was his friend but hell, the time for pretending was over.
“Actually, it’s Kaylan. Kaylan Avilion.” It felt good to say her true name. “What do you think you’re doing?”
His smile turned into a sneer. “An Avilion? Well, I thought you’d all died after my family took power. Come to you claim your rightful place as heir, have you?”
She saw the same madness in his eyes as she’d seen in her sister’s. The lust for power. Freya had always been able to get men to do as she desired.
“I have no wish to rule,” Kaylan stated. “Let go of my fiancé or I will make you sorry you were ever born.”
“Fiancé?” Flynn snorted. “That thing is your fiancé?”
She pulled out her knife with one hand and drew magic with the other. She’d do whatever it took to save Elijah.
A sharp pain hit the back of her skull before everything went black.
Kaylan blinked, seeing her father’s smiling face staring down at her. She looked at her hand, saw a child’s hand there instead of her own.
“Kaylan? Sweetheart.” Edmund ruffled her hair. “Did you fall over?”
“Dad?” She threw her arms around him.
He picked her up. She blinked over his shoulder, saw a large leather-bound book sitting on his desk. It hummed with power and sent a chill down her spine. “Dad, what’s that?”
Edmund glanced over at the book, frowned. “That’s nothing.” He put her down as she headed to the desk.
Her skin tingled as she touched the book and opened it. Scrawled on the front page was the Amaranthine Chronicles.
No! Kaylan thought, feeling something forcing her to relive the memory. She clamped her eyes shut as the image of the book faded.
“I should’ve known I wouldn’t make you give up the book’s location so easily.” Freya’s voice made Kaylan open her eyes again.
The room around her was windowless and she sat strapped to a chair. “What did you do to Elijah?” she demanded.
Freya aside. “It’s always about Elijah. Never mind your own family.”
“Elijah is part of my family too and you–” Kaylan shook her head. “I don’t know you anymore.”
“You know I always looked up to you when we were growing up. After Mum and Dad died, I thought you’d take revenge on those Zegan bastards, but you never did. Instead, you ran around with a group of do-gooders and mooned over your precious Elijah.”
“Revenge never solves anything. Dad always said that.” She pulled at her restraints. “What I don’t understand is why you’re here. Ena has no use for you. All she wants is the book.”
“Ena wants justice too. She’s been more of a sister to me than you have.”
Kaylan flinched. Freya’s words stung, but there was a grain of truth to them. She hadn’t been around much during the past year. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I should’ve been there for you.”
Freya laughed, then slapped her. “You’ve never been there for me. Meeting Ena again made me realise how weak you are.”
“Freya, Ena killed our parents. She had an affair with our father.” She didn’t want to admit it, yet somehow knew
it was the truth.
Her sister cackled. “That’s ridiculous!” Freya said. “Dad would never do that.”
“What is Ena going to do then? Get the book, then you live happily ever after as High Lady?” Kaylan demanded. “Ena isn’t built to stand on the sidelines.”
“No, she’s going to bring father back. We’ll be a family again.”
Looking at her sister, Kaylan realised Freya was still the same lost little girl she’d always been. Lost and alone. Guided by anger and the need for revenge. “If you bring him back, what would Dad think of everything you’ve done?”
Freya waved a hand dismissively. “That doesn’t matter.” She pulled out a needle. “Enough talk. I know the book is in your memory somewhere, and I’ll find it.”
Kaylan closed her eyes, bracing herself for the next waves of agony. More memories flashed through her mind. A cacophony of sounds, followed by a whirl of colours as Freya searched through her mind. Her head started to pound as a nauseating wave of dizziness washed over her. Nothing was discernible amidst the chaos and she felt herself about to lose consciousness.
Her last thought was of Elijah.
Chapter 7
Blood pounded in his ears as pain tore through every fibre of his being. The beast snarled, howled, raged against his captors. Memories of the weeks Elijah had been held prisoner as Ena and her minions had poked, prodded, tore through flesh and bone then forced him to change into a creature he despised came flooding back. The coppery taste of blood always seemed stuck in the back of his throat. It never went away, nor did the longing for more of it.
Empty eyes staring back at him haunted his dreams on the rare occasions he caught a few moments of sleep. But his only real thoughts were of Kaylan. Picturing her inside his mind was the only thing that kept him going during the darkest hours when death seemed like a welcome invitation.
Elijah felt the cold burn of infused steel clawing into his wrists and ankles. He knew he was back in the same cell he'd been kept in after they had first turned him. He cursed his beast for losing control, cursed himself for running away from Kaylan. He’d only wanted to keep her safe. Around him, cracks of white light came through the closed door at the end of the hall. There were no windows, only the flickering blue glow from the torch that hung on the wall. The flashes stung his eyes and made him look away as the sound of footsteps echoed from beyond the door.
The Amaranthine Chronicles Complete Series: Betrayed By Blood, Dark Revenge, The Final Battle Page 10
