Broken Fae

by Caroline Peckham

  I never knew how Ryder would react; it was what made him such a fearsome opponent. He was deadly and unpredictable, a combination that made him worthy of standing opposite me on a battleground time and again.

  Ryder stepped into the forest and released his magical grip on the trees so they slowly closed together. In fact, they kept closing until the way behind him was blocked and the shadows around us became so thick that I was tempted to cast a Faelight to see by. I didn't like being in the dark with a snake, but if I put my guard up, he was going to think this was an ambush. So I had to expose myself to him for the sake of this plan.

  He moved past me, walking deeper into the wood and I turned to follow. We strode on in silence and I half expected him to turn on me at any moment, but he didn't. We reached a neutral patch of ground between the Lunar Pit and the Oscura Haunt, a small hill rising up to a group of boulders that were thick with moss. Ryder turned, leaning back against one and I noticed he had a razor blade in his hand, twisting it between his fingers.

  "Speak," he commanded and a growl rumbled through my throat at his rude tone.

  I swallowed down every last piece of my pride and controlled myself enough not to bite back at him, even though my instincts urged me to put him in his place.

  He cocked a brow as he realised that and a frown inched into his forehead. "What's wrong? Is this about Elise?" Genuine concern filled his voice and I shook my head, trying to ignore the tugging ache in my chest at hearing her name. An ache I could see mirrored in his eyes.

  I cleared my throat, figuring it was best to just cut to the chase here. I certainly didn't want to discuss Elise. Especially when I couldn't ignore that raw hurt in his eyes. It made me hurt deeper and I didn't like that. Ryder's pain wasn't of any interest to me, but then why did it make me want to reach out to him for a moment?

  He shifted from one foot to the other, obviously feeling my own pain and I needed to lock that down fast.

  I growled again, pushing a hand into my hair and levelling my gaze on the serpente. "This is about Felix. His power is growing, he has the Black Card on his side now."

  "And?" Ryder asked disinterestedly.

  "And..." I gritted my teeth, starting to second guess this decision. But Felix was his enemy too, so banding together made a sick kind of sense. Then again, Ryder could just let me and Felix fight it out for top dog and deal with the winner later. This war within my clan was nothing but beneficial to him. Either me or Felix would die in this fight and then Ryder would only have one of us to target. But then…I'd had this debate in my mind a hundred times. And I always circled back around to the same point. Ryder had spared my life in The Black Hole. He had refused Felix's request to kill me and that had to count for something.

  I'd been down on my knees, void of magic, bleeding out, so close to death that all he'd had to do was cast one spell and I'd be done. But he'd let me live. And as much as that confused me, it also meant that we were bound in some way now. There was something that had stayed his hand that day, even if it was just Elise or his decision to hunt Felix instead in that moment. But there was a quiet voice in my mind that I would never tell anyone about, which told me to place my faith in him. It was the reason I was standing here now. My instincts never let me down, but I’d warred with myself over this decision, fighting that voice. Until at last, I was forced to listen to it.

  Ryder had gone after Felix before and my stronzo of an uncle was still his enemy, so maybe he would do so again.

  "I need your help." It was almost impossible for me to get those words out of my throat, but I said them for Mamma, for Rosa, for my brothers and sisters and for everyone I loved.

  Ryder stared at me for a long moment then threw his head back on a cold laugh.

  I glared at him, taking my hands from my pockets and balling them into fists.

  "No," Ryder said simply.

  "That's it?" I snarled, electricity sparking in the air around me. "You know he's a problem that's bigger than me or any war we have between us, Ryder. He's a threat to Alestria."

  "Not my problem, Inferno. It amuses me to see you begging though." He moved forward to walk past me and I caught his arm, my grip iron.

  "He's taking children from their families and the stars only know what he's doing to them."

  Ryder met my gaze, his eyes shifting to reptilian slits. His jaw worked as he stared at me, absorbing those words.

  "He's un mostro," I hissed with hate in my voice. "A monster."

  "We're all monsters to someone," he said darkly. "Felix is yours, Mariella is mine. Give her to me and-"

  "I would if I had any idea where she was," I said earnestly, not blinking so he could see the truth in my eyes.

  A rattle emanated from his chest and he yanked his arm out of my grip. "Seems like you've got nothing to offer in exchange for my help then."

  He started walking again and I turned to watch him leave, rage clawing through my chest. "Fuck you, serpente," I spat. "You're a hypocrite."

  He snapped around with his teeth bared and a dangerous aura charged the air, making the alpha in me raise his head for the challenge. "I'm no such thing," he growled.

  "You were taken as a kid. Wouldn't you have done anything for someone to come and find you?" I used the last scrap of leverage I had and his throat bobbed as I said those words.

  Silence stretched between us filled with all the unspeakable things that had passed between our gangs and that drove an immovable wedge between us. We were responsible for some of those atrocities, we were a product of others. The way of our gangs was woven into our flesh so deep that sometimes it was hard to see where my clan ended and I began. I was just an extension of it all, continuing this hate that caused so much death and destruction in the city. And sometimes, I wondered if there could ever be a way to stop it as I’d once hoped. But so long as we were constantly returning tit for tat, it would never end.

  "I won't help you, Inferno," he growled and my heart sank.

  Turning to Ryder Draconis had been my last, desperate hope that was now burning up spectacularly before my eyes. Real fear found me and I realised how much hope I'd put on this. Because without him, I could see the tables turning against us fast. Felix's pack would outnumber us with the Black Card helping them, and if they were using dark magic too...

  I dropped down to the ground, clawing a hand through my hair as I tried to think of another answer as panic seized me. I couldn’t let my family down, I couldn't watch as they were torn to pieces before my eyes. I'd die for them, but it wasn't enough. Dragon or not, I wasn't strong enough to protect them alone. And that was the most suffocating truth I'd ever known.

  I only realised Ryder was still there when a twig crunched under his boot close by. I rested my elbows on my knees, looking up at him with my jaw locked as I glared at him. I was about to force him to go, to fight him to sate this anger in me, but he lowered to a crouch in front of me, his eyes blazing, asking me to allow in his hypnosis.

  I frowned, figuring I had nothing to lose now as I let my barriers down and his hypnosis snared me. It was nothing but his voice in my mind, speaking directly to me even though the Ryder in front of me never said a word.

  "I won't help you, but if Felix attacks the Oscuras and I happen to hear where he is...I might bring the Brotherhood and I might ensure their focus is on him." I was wrenched out of his hypnosis and he was gone. He must have let me continue to see him crouching before me, but now the trees were quiet and I was alone.

  My heart beat out a powerful tune. He'd ensured no one in these woods could spy on us by offering me those words in private. Words which gave me hope at long last and silently bridged the gap between our gangs a little. I didn't know why he'd agreed, but fuck if I was going to question him over it. With the Lunars secretly at our backs, Felix wouldn't know what hit him the next time he drew us into a battle.

  I t was all well and good discussing the idea of trying to win my kings back to me with Leon, but the reality of doing it was a little more
difficult.

  Dante was home with his family more often than not, fighting a war on two fronts as he tried to track down and destroy Felix while having to cope with the Brotherhood using the unrest within his Clan to their advantage. The news was filled with the stories of the atrocities Felix was committing and I was really fucking glad to live within the protection of Aurora Academy’s grounds. There were wards and magical defences in place here to keep the students safe which made it too difficult a target for him despite the fact that Dante was here so often and clearly Felix was out for his blood. The only people who could enter the grounds in any way were students or teachers, everyone else had to have their magical signature approved. But in the meantime, the streets of Alestria ran red with the blood of the Oscura Clan and Lunar Brotherhood alike at Felix’s hands and it was becoming painfully obvious that the backing he was getting from the mysterious King was only helping him rise to power faster than ever.

  Every time Dante left the academy grounds, I found myself pacing the corridors worrying about him, praying to the stars to return him safely. I’d been down to our boathouse several times, but he never showed up. I got it, I just hoped that he’d be able to stop Felix soon, end the violence, the bloodshed, the mayhem. And then I could have my Storm Dragon back, safe and secure.

  Gabriel was proving impossible to track down too. I’d promised him space, but I needed to speak to him now that I knew where Leon and I stood with all of this. I needed to lay out my feelings to him and try to make him understand how much I wanted him and cared about him. But the only times I saw him were in class. Literally. I’d come to the conclusion that he was using the fucking Sight to avoid me. He was never even in the Cafaeteria at the same time as me, he never appeared around Devil’s Hill or the library or anywhere else on campus that I knew he used to like hanging out. He wasn’t even up in his roof tent the few times I’d shot up there to speak to him. It was too damn convenient and I knew in my heart it wasn’t a fucking coincidence.

  Add to that the fact that there were rumours being whispered around campus about him and Karla Blackthorn, a girl who I knew for a fact was in the Black Card, and I knew there was something weird going on with him. I just couldn’t figure out what. And if he didn’t let me catch him alone soon, I was going to pounce on him during a lesson and force him to talk to me. I had things to say and he had things to hear. After that...well, then it was up to him, but I refused to accept anything until I’d laid myself bare for him.

  Ryder was the final piece to my puzzle and in some ways the most infuriating. He was so damn determined to deny he felt anything aside from the bullshit tattooed on his knuckles that just breaking the surface of his asshole mask was going to be hard work.

  He was still avoiding me too, though not as ruthlessly as Gabriel. But he’d been hanging out with that Ethan kid a lot while he seemed to be deciding where to place him within the Brotherhood ranks and one way or another, I hadn’t been able to find him alone. I’d considered sneaking to his room in the dead of night, but I wasn’t sure ambushing him like that was the best tactic. Demanding he admit to feeling things for me wasn’t likely to work - he’d just shut down even more. No, Ryder wouldn’t say it, he was going to have to show it first. And I’d come up with the perfect way to force him to do just that.

  I shot across campus and raced around the edge of Lake Tempest as a cool wind tugged at my hair and reminded me that summer was coming to an end.

  The sound of the crowd cheering and flicker of the bonfires on the beach had my heart pounding as I drew closer to them.

  I sped straight past the guys on lookout, weaved my way through the mostly drunk crowd, circled a ring of onlookers and came to a halt leaning against a huge rock which jutted out into the water, right beside Ethan Shadowbrook himself.

  A growl passed his lips and he whirled towards me, a dagger of ice forming in his palm a moment before he pressed it to my bare stomach. I’d opted for a lilac leggings and sports bra combo to match my hair, partly because I knew that the blood would show up really clearly on it and partly because it clung to my curves and I was trying to lure a Basilisk to me. I’d chosen to pair it with chunky combat boots though, knowing that I needed something solid on my feet if I planned on executing my plan well. All the better for kicking with and all that.

  I smirked at Ethan as the ice blade pressed against my flesh, sending goosebumps scattering over my body. I reached out to pluck the bottle of beer from his other hand as he failed to skewer me.

  “Looks like Ryder already has this one in the bag,” I commented, raising the bottle to my lips as I turned to look at the centre of the fighting ring where Ryder was straddling a guy on the pebbles and beating his face in with his bare fists.

  “I could have killed you, love,” Ethan murmured with a chuckle. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  “You should probably be more concerned about how easily I could have killed you if I’d come here with that in mind,” I pointed out, my gaze still on Ryder as he just punched and punched and punched. He was so damn angry, but I wondered if anyone else could see how sad he was too.

  The blade in Ethan’s hand melted away to nothing and he rested his forearm on the rock above my head instead, leaning over me so that I was half concealed behind the breadth of his muscular body.

  “I like a girl with a bit of spark in her,” he said. “Wanna see how long it takes me to-”

  “I want to fight tonight,” I cut him off, ignoring his flirtation.

  The guy was literally a walking hard on. He was fucking so many girls in school that the rumour mill couldn’t keep up with all of them. I’d heard that he was causing issues amongst the Oscura pack too. He was a clear Alpha and a Wolf like that drew in others of their kind like moths to a flame. Of course, there hadn’t been any cross gang fucking otherwise heads would have rolled, but I knew that some of the Oscura pack were actively avoiding him so that they didn’t fall prey to his allure and end up dead for it.

  Shadowbrook laughed and I could feel his gaze raking over me. “You know no magic is allowed in the ring, right? And the boss is in a foul fucking mood. In fact, there isn’t anyone else on the line-up after Marv taps out.”

  He pointed to the ring and I looked over just as Ryder punched Marv hard enough to knock a handful of teeth flying. Both of them were covered in blood, but Ryder didn’t seem inclined to stop any time soon.

  “Sounds like I’m up next then,” I replied with a smirk. “Besides, I don’t have to use magic, I’m the perfect kind of monster to take on a mad man.” I bared my fangs at him and he laughed darkly.

  “It’s your funeral, love. I’ll make sure your mate knows where to come find your body before you bleed out. Or if you want, I don’t mind healing you myself if you pay for it with a kiss?”

  I laughed loudly, patting his arm like he was a silly pup and he cocked an eyebrow at me before casting magic at the rock above my head to add my name to the line-up.

  I wasn’t sure if Ryder heard my laughter or if he was just done obliterating the dude beneath him, but his head snapped around and his gaze suddenly fixed on me. I offered him a smile and he met it with a full on death stare which I guessed was meant to intimidate me.

  “No,” he spat, turning his glare on Ethan like me being here was all his fault.

  To his credit, Ethan didn’t flinch even as his eyes slid out of focus in a way that told me he was currently locked into Ryder’s hypnosis. And if the look on Ryder’s face gave any indication of what he was doing to Ethan within that vision, I was willing to bet he didn’t have all of his limbs attached right now.

  “I’m done for today,” Ryder barked suddenly, turning away like he thought that would fly.

  I shot forward, skidding to a halt on the pebbles right in front of him before he could even get three steps and looking up at him with a taunting smirk.

  “What’s the matter, big boy? You too much of a pussy to take me on?” I asked loud enough for half the crowd to hear. �
�Worried a Fae half your size is gonna kick your ass in front of all your little gang buddies?”

  A low chorus of ooohs and hisses rumbled through the crowd surrounding us but I didn’t spare them a glance.

  “Watch your mouth,” Ryder snapped. “I’m not going to be goaded into anything.”

  He tried to step around me and I slammed my hand across his cheek with the force of my gifted strength behind the blow, slapping him hard enough to make his head wheel aside. And I couldn’t even pretend it didn’t feel good. It wasn’t my fault that the stars had chosen to bond me to Leon, but he’d been treating me like it was for weeks. Acting like some scorned lover who had been so wrongfully betrayed that I didn’t deserve so much as a fucking spoken word between us.

  Well I was done with that shit. Fuck him for thinking he could just cut me out after everything we’d become to each other. And fuck him for trying to take the coward’s way out and run the second things got tough.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Ryder snarled, his eyes alight with rage as a shocked silence fell over the crowd until someone screamed kill the bitch and they all broke into roars of agreement.

  “Come on, Ryder, you’re obviously angry with me. Why not punish me like I know you want to? You’re all about pain, right? So let’s see if you can really make me hurt for what you think I’ve done.”

  With the screams of the crowd surrounding us, I knew he was the only one who could hear my words, but his eyes darted about quickly like he thought the others might have heard them anyway.

  “For someone who claims not to give a shit about anyone or anything, you sure do care a lot about this bad boy reputation you’ve got going on, don’t you?” I taunted. “I’m sure that will take a hit when I kick your ass in front of all of these nice people though.”

  “This is your last warning, Elise,” Ryder snarled. “Fuck off before I-”

  My fist snapped out and I clocked him in the jaw hard enough to bust his lip open.