Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy)

by Sharon Kay

  “Any idea where the prisoners are being held?” Mathias asked.

  Rosa shook her head. “No. I believe she’s using a powerful spell to mask her portal activity. But I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere. She’ll have to slip up soon.”

  Javon arrived with three bottles of rum and six glasses. He opened one bottle and filled Rosa’s glass, bowing.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, and dismissed him with a flick of her wrist.

  D’Mari reached for the bottle and filled everyone’s glasses. Gin raised hers and tossed it back, needing the smooth burn to combat her surreal new world.

  Rosa took a sip of her drink. “Many have been reported missing. Hundreds of creatures, all different species. I have to assume she is using them to create an army, though I’m not sure how or why.”

  “Yes, like D’Mari said, some are predatory species who dislike everyone else. Why would they work for her? She might be paying them, but then why work with species they hate?” Zinaya shook her head.

  “There’s been an increase in portal activity on Earth, near Rilan and the Chicago Lash demons,” Mathias said. “When we went to investigate, there was a clear scent of troll and Deserati.”

  “An odd combination.” D’Mari wrinkled his nose.

  “The location was a water treatment plant. Much of the portal activity has been at similar sites. And at this one we found a patch of healthy green grass, which shouldn’t be able to grow in the dead of winter.” Mathias took a drink of his rum. “Rilan and Gin both analyzed the dirt. But we still don’t know what’s in it that enabled the grass to grow.”

  “Do you have it here?” Rosa asked.

  “No.” Mathias shook his head. “We left in a hurry.”

  “Hmm.” Rosa nodded, then turned her crystal blue gaze on Gin. “I must confess I was surprised to see you here, Solsti.”

  “It wasn’t on purpose.” Gin mumbled.

  “She was kidnapped and taken through a portal.” Mathias explained.

  The portal. Images flashed through Gin’s mind. The gas station. Xavier. Elegia. Oh my God. Was that why she’d been taken? To join the other victims from Torth? “He said he would make me his pet, unless his boss wanted me.”

  Mathias growled next to her.

  Gin couldn’t stop the flow of words, though they didn’t make a lot of sense to her. “He said his boss is a woman. And I think he called her Elegia.”

  D’Mari and Mathias both cursed loudly.

  “What was the name of the man who took you?” Ria asked.

  “Xavier.” Gin shuddered. “He had horns and a tail, like the guys who showed up at my apartment.”

  “Another Deserati,” Zinaya murmured.

  “Why would he take me?” Gin whispered. She had thought the idea of Ria as a bodyguard was overkill. But now, the decision seemed startlingly necessary.

  “Hard to say. He may have figured you’d work well in whatever Elegia’s plan entails.” D’mari drained his rum.

  “Either way, it was too close.” Mathias’s voice dripped menace.

  “Agreed, Hunter.” Rosa turned piercing blue eyes on Gin. “Child, you must continue to hone your skills. And this is an excellent place to do it. Tarsa is a close-knit community, isolated and well guarded, and doesn’t get a lot of visitors.”

  Ria giggled. Mathias shot her a glare.

  “What?” She twirled a blond curl around her blue-tipped finger. “The first guard we ran into was all ‘Tarsa doesn’t offer refuge.’”

  “My lead guardsman was doing his job.” D’Mari grinned. “He’s known for his fighting, not his manners.”

  “Anyway,” Zinaya pointedly interrupted. “We’re happy to have you three here for as long as you like.”

  “But not too long. The supernatural activity on Earth concerns me.” A fly landed on Rosa’s hand and she shooed it away, the charms on one bracelet clinking against the table. “Elegia may be planning to harm humans. I would advise you stay no longer than a day.”

  One day? Gin blinked. That wasn’t enough time to learn…well, shoot. She didn’t even know exactly what she was supposed to learn.

  “Looks like we better get back to work.” Mathias skimmed a hand across her shoulders.

  “Eat first.” Zinaya stood up. “Rosa, you mentioned shark. We have several nets full, caught this morning. Please stay for our meal.”

  The witch smiled. “I’d love to. I’ve tried conjuring it, but it never tastes the same as it does here.”

  Zinaya started to walk away, but D’Mari stopped her with a hand on her arm. Standing, he murmured, “Stay, Zini. I’ll tell the cooks. I’ll even gut the fish, if it hasn’t been completed.”

  “Thanks, love.” She pressed a kiss to his lips and sat back down. “Gin, is there anything you need? Anything to help you…train?”

  “Targets.” Mathias said.

  “Like archery targets?” Zinaya smoothed her long braids.

  “Wait, won’t I just burn them all? I don’t want to do that, and make more work for you,” Gin protested.

  “Hmm.” Zinaya’s amber-colored eyes gazed at the sea and she tapped her slender fingers on the table. “You can go to Cormaros. There are natural rock formations there. All different shapes and sizes.”

  “Perfect. Get ready for a boat ride after lunch.” Mathias sifted his fingers through her hair.

  “What’s Cormaros?” Gin asked.

  “One of our islands. We have several, and Cormaros is covered in volcanic rock formations.” Zinaya smiled. “There’s not much else there. You’ll probably have the place to yourselves.”

  A tropical island with Mathias? Mmm. Her anger at him had melted away, replaced with the knowledge that this situation was bigger than her. That he was doing his job, protecting the realm and investigating this Elegia person. Maybe she’d been too hard on him the other day.

  Her stomach rumbled, and everyone seemed to hear it. How are they doing that?

  “Lunch should be ready soon. Let’s head over to the eating area.” Mathias stood and pulled out her chair, then repeated the process for Rosa.

  The witch got to her feet and linked her arm with Gin’s. “I’ll need one thing from you before I go.”

  “What can I possibly give you?” Gin smiled, but what could she give to a witch who could conjure tables, chairs, and shark dinners?

  “A lock of your hair.”

  Gin stopped. So did the rest of the group, who walked behind them. “Why?”

  “I need it for a spell.” The witch dropped her arm and turned to face Gin.

  “Um…” Gin looked to Mathias and Ria, unsure of what to say.

  “You asked Brooke for a lock of her hair too,” Mathias said to Rosa. His expression held questions checkered with respect. “Care to elaborate?”

  Gin flicked a startled glance between Mathias and Rosa. Had he crossed a line? Rosa didn’t look angry, but what did Gin know?

  “Yes, Hunter, I will elaborate. Whatever looms in our future is growing more powerful. We need to share information. Pool resources, so to speak.” Rosa sighed and fiddled with a silver pendant necklace. “I had a vision of myself entwining four locks of hair. Two light and two dark. I don’t know the reason why, but in the vision I was overwhelmed with the feeling that this action was necessary to save the life of one of the four.”

  Gin’s heart beat double time. “The life? What does that mean?”

  “I wish I knew. I don’t have visions often, but when I do, they’re powerful.” Rosa looked at Gin expectantly.

  “You have Brooke and Nicole’s hair?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you can have mine.” Gin leaned forward so that her hair tumbled to the front of her shoulders. What could it hurt? Everyone seemed comfortable with Rosa, and she had been nice. Gin remained wary of the woman’s power, but she wasn’t afraid of her.

  Rosa pulled a small silver pair of scissors from a pocket in her skirt and quickly snipped a lock of Gin’s dark tresses. She pu
t the scissors away and produced a small box, which she opened and nestled the hair inside. “Thank you, child. Before I leave, I’ll give you a transportation amulet so you can get back home.”

  “Thank you,” Gin murmured. Home. Would she ever look at it the same way again?

  THE THIEF

  CAINE STALKED OUT A SIDE door of the burning mansion, thick smoke billowing around him. Mulvari’s pansy ass guards had whisked their boss to the edge of the property, for safety. Of course the weasel wouldn’t want to get too far away from his treasure trove of stolen shit.

  Too bad there’s no way to prove it.

  Caine had mentally recorded everything he saw and would compile a detailed report for Arawn when this assignment was done. But that explosion was no coincidence. It was planned. And done well. But who was behind it and why?

  Spying a guard, Caine growled, “Leash your hounds!” The beasts were dumb and vicious. He could take on all four, but didn’t want to waste his time. Something nagged at him. Mulvari had a lot of enemies, but Caine hadn’t seen anyone ransacking the place. No hostages had been taken. Something else had gone down here. If this was a heist, it had been executed with surgical precision.

  But by who? He’d stared down every guest. No one had raised his internal alarm. That meant it was someone very, very good. Someone who looked innocuous, and not a newbie. They always gave off waves of nervousness.

  The guard had the balls to object. “Mulvari hasn’t given the order ye—”

  “Fuck Mulvari. He’s not here, and those animals are a pain in the ass.”

  The guard blanched but called the hounds, then secured them with lengths of magically enhanced blue rope.

  Caine walked around to the back of the mansion, drawn by a mix of scents that signaled trouble. Fae and hound. Blood and sweat. His mind flipped through each, cataloging and adding them to his visual account. Fae. Something was off about the scent. Not just any fae…he took a deep inhale, and every nerve stirred with awareness.

  It was her. The tiny thing that he’d spotted in the jewel room, and who had dodged him in the chaos. Was she hiding here somewhere? His eyes swept every inch of the grounds, continuing as he reached the back. No fae.

  He stopped by the rear door of the home, near what looked to be the kitchen. Kneeling, he brushed a hand across the top edges of the manicured grass. He pulled his fingers back and stared as the night air chilled his now-wet skin. Blood.

  Hers. Her angelic face haunted his mind. She hadn’t been injured when he’d seen her.

  He followed the trail to the back gate, the cocktail of smells both teasing and annoying his nose. The stink of hound mixed with the clear floral of the female. She had to be fae, as she was so damn tiny. But the fragrance that confounded and intrigued him right now didn’t match any sprites or nymphs he knew of. This was the intense, sweet scent of moonflowers. Unusual for a fae.

  Stepping close to the gate, he ran his hand over the surface. Minute divots marked the wood. Higher up, a larger gouge. He turned the handle. Locked.

  Fuck that. With a sharp twist, he broke the mechanism. Mulvari had enough money to buy himself another. And the scent wafting from the gate stirred Caine’s blood, urging him to find its owner.

  He walked through the gate and crouched down on his haunches. Her scent was concentrated, clinging to an area of crushed grass. She had fallen. Hard.

  Looking up, he studied each panel of rough untreated wood. That would be quite a drop for a little thing. How did she end up back here, tangling with hellhounds? A normal guest didn’t stage that kind of exit from a party. He’d bet his Watcher sword that this wasn’t her first time. Fuck.

  He stood, about to walk back inside, when a glint of pale gold caught his eye. High on the backside of the wooden gate, a few strands of short blond hair clung to a knotty rough patch.

  He reached for them, but froze as the earth shook beneath his feet. Terrified screams carried from the front of the home. Another explosion? Possibly, if whoever had pulled off this stunt had wired the basement, because the tremor had come from the ground. Of that, Caine was certain.

  Energy sparked up from the earth, raising the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck. What the hell? He didn’t recognize it. And this region didn’t usually experience earthquakes.

  Something about this night was way off.

  Caine plucked the blond hairs from the gate. Bringing them to his nose, he inhaled, but he already knew they were hers. Questions circled as his mind pulled up an image of her wide green eyes. Why was she running? Who does she work for? And who is she?

  CHAPTER 32

  AFTER A DELICIOUS MEAL OF grilled shark, fresh bread, and tropical fruit, Gin and the demons gathered to say goodbye to Rosa. Cooking fires still smoldered in the outdoor eating area, and the breeze had died down, allowing the air to saturate with the aromas of rum and lunch. Rosa made her way to a clear spot several yards away from the tables, and embraced Gin.

  “Believe in yourself, Virginia.” She pulled back to meet Gin’s eyes. “Your compassionate heart is your key. Your power is not vicious, not something to be feared, because it’s part of you.”

  Gin’s eyes filled with unexpected tears as she pulled Rosa close for another hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Rosa squeezed her tightly, then kissed her cheek. “Work hard, child.” She turned to Mathias and pressed an amulet into his hand. “I feel our paths will cross again soon, Hunter.”

  He nodded. “I don’t doubt it.”

  “Keep our Solsti safe. That’s an order from me, as well as from Arawn.”

  “It’s my honor.” Mathias turned piercing eyes to Gin, and she sucked in a breath at the intensity there.

  She didn’t doubt for one instant that he meant it. Honor. Warrior. Hero.

  Mine.

  Wait. She blinked rapidly. Whoa, where the hell did that come from? She only wanted him to train her. Her eyes darted to the departing witch, wanting to look anywhere but at him, and hoping she hadn’t revealed her wayward thoughts to his sharp perception.

  Rosa said goodbye to D’Mari and Zinaya, and Ria, then pulled her cloak on. She murmured something in a language Gin didn’t understand, and in seconds was wrapped in a cocoon of black smoke. The air simmered with magic, and she was gone.

  Ria walked over to Gin and Mathias and propped her hands on her hips. “A witch, and not just any witch. Rosa. Here on Tarsa. I gotta say, brother dear, working with you is one surprise after another.”

  “Yeah, that was a surprise to me too. Rosa doesn’t come to people. They go to her. And she’s not always easy to find.” Mathias raked a hand through his hair. “You coming with us to Cormaros?”

  “No. I’m going to train with Oberon and a few of the other warriors. You should’ve heard them at lunch.” She shook her blond curls. “They kept trying to top each other with their past feats. I decided I’m gonna show them a thing or two.”

  “Now that would be fun to watch.” Mathias grinned.

  “Yeah,” Gin chimed in, recalling the finesse and lethal speed of Ria’s moves during the parking lot battle. She’d love to see Ria spar with the Tarsa demons—but she didn’t need to see another real brawl.

  “Maybe next time.” Ria winked at Gin. “You have some catching up to do.”

  Mathias led Gin to a harbor which was wide but didn’t extend far from the land. Three large ships sat docked out in the bay, while at the shore smaller boats bobbed on tranquil water.

  Mathias grabbed Gin’s hand and led her to one of the boats. She was surprised to see oars lying inside. On closer inspection, she didn’t see a motor.

  “Is this a rowboat or a speedboat?” she asked. It was built from a reddish-brown wood and had four seats and a windshield.

  He chuckled. “It can be either. These boats can also be powered by magic. Tarsa is sitting right on top of one of the biggest ley lines in the realm.” He helped her in.

  “Ley lines?”

  “They’re like magical
power lines that crisscross the land. You have them on Earth too, but they aren’t as powerful as ours.” He opened a box near the front of the boat and retrieved a metal object, holding it up for her to see. “This is an amulet. It’s like a key. I just set it down in its sphere and voila.”

  The boat began to glide forward silently.

  “Wow.” Gin stood and reached for the side railing.

  “Stay in the middle of the boat,” Mathias said over his shoulder. “Don’t look over the edge. These waters are full of nasty sea creatures. They eat most boats.”

  “They what?” Gin’s jaw unhinged. “How are they not eating this one?”

  “The wood that was used to make it is from Tarsa’s native cypress trees. The trees grow near the shore, soaking up the same water, so the marine life doesn’t attack it.”

  “Okay.” Gin shook her head, remembering Ria had said the sea creatures ate metal. How does their physiology and DNA allow them to digest non-organic material? She was dying to peek overboard for a glimpse of these animals, but didn’t dare. “That’s crazy, but okay. How far is the island?”

  “Close. You’ll see it as soon as we clear the south edge of the harbor.” Mathias steered straight out toward the open sea, then turned to the right. A small piece of land came into view.

  One peak rose in the center, looming green against the blue sky. Palm trees dotted the beach. As they neared, she saw rocks protruding from the water. Silver fish jumped over them as if they were putting on a show. They looked a lot like the Asian carp that were spreading throughout rivers back home. Have they found their way to Torth too?

  “Look!” Gin pointed. “They’re so acrobatic.”

  “Yeah.” He snorted. “And they have about a thousand teeth.” He navigated the rocks, bringing the boat right up onto the black-sand beach, and helped Gin out.

  She gazed up and down the narrow beach. It was small, maybe a hundred feet long, though the green curve of the island continued on to melt into the waves at the horizon. Rocks of all sizes, from skipping stones to boulders, littered the sand. But what snagged her attention were white columns farther inland, barely visible between the trees. “So, do we use these rocks right here? Are there other targets?”