Seared

by Bethany Adams

  “That makes her even more dangerous.”

  “It does,” Cora agreed. “But it’s so hard on her when she messes up. I’m afraid of the harm this could cause her. Mentally. She’s so young, Ralan. Only twenty-three.”

  Now Ralan’s hands clenched. “We’ll do our best to save her.”

  Though she could hear the resolve in his voice, her stomach churned with dread. He might want to help. But could he?

  Hours later, they stood beside her car, no closer to finding Maddy than when they’d set out. Ralan had found two more memories of Patrick, but neither had been helpful. No images of his car or where he might have ultimately gone. Cora twisted her keys in her hand and tried to push down her anger and her fear.

  It wasn’t Ralan’s fault.

  His fingers traced her cheek, and she shivered. “I don’t know what to do,” she said.

  “Get some rest.” Ralan took a step closer. “We’ll set out early. How’s your knowledge of local caves?”

  “There could be thousands of them,” she answered wryly.

  He leaned closer, staring at her mouth as though he wanted to kiss her. But he looked away instead. “We’ll look for a map.”

  “I’ll search the internet when I get home.” Great Divine, but she wanted to shift nearer. Let her lips connect with his. Then her thoughts turned to Maddy, and she grasped for the door handle behind her. “You should rest, too. You used a lot of energy tonight.”

  Ralan shrugged. “Not as much as you might think, but I will do so.”

  It took all of her willpower to tell him goodnight and climb into her car. As she backed out and started out of the hotel parking lot, she caught sight of him in the rearview mirror. Watching her as she watched him. Whatever the draw between them, it was a powerful one. If not for Maddy’s kidnapping, Cora had little doubt she would’ve been spending the night in Ralan’s bed.

  Her body heated, and her hands tightened on the steering wheel. She had no problem with sex—passion was a blessing, and she had been lucky enough to have some amazing lovers over the last eight hundred years. But she had a feeling that sex with Ralan would eclipse anything she’d ever known. Hah. Cora shook her head at herself. Their chemistry was intense, but eclipse?

  A tall order, that.

  Maddy shivered against the cold floor and considered for the millionth time how she could escape. Night had long ago fallen, but the cave was at least bright. The one called Patrick had suspended a few more mage lights from several of the stalactites before taking his turn at the door. Now she was stuck in here with Victor, who eyed her with suspicion.

  “I know you’re lying when you say you can use your power to hurt,” he finally said.

  She tipped her chin up. “Then why haven’t you asked me to heal your hand?”

  Victor shifted his hand closer to his chest at the reminder. “You need to save your energy for Kien.”

  “Sure,” she said with a snort.

  The murmur of voices sounded from the cave entrance, then a muffled shout. Maddy tensed. Was it the person they’d been waiting for? After a moment, Patrick darted inside. Another man trailed him, and at first sight, her body stiffened with fear. Not because of his startling paleness or his scowl. It was the energy that hovered around him like a cloud, that tinge of predatory darkness that made her skin prickle.

  Unseelie.

  Victor jerked to his feet. “Fen! What in the hell are you doing here? Kien will flay you alive as soon as he sees you.”

  Maddy sank in on herself, trying to avoid attention. His kind hated hers. Hated. He could suck her energy dry without a thought. Gods. Her head spun, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the newcomer to reorient herself.

  “Then I’ll just have to convince him he needs me,” Fen said in a low voice.

  A deceptively beautiful voice, Maddy thought at she shuddered.

  His pale blue eyes turned her way. “My, my. What did you two find?”

  “A healer,” Victor said. “A useless one, too.”

  Fen ambled closer, not seeming to notice when she scooted herself back. What little good that did. His fingers gripped her chin, and her whole body trembled. But she met his gaze with a glare. A Seelie Sidhe wouldn’t yield to the likes of him.

  “How old are you?” he asked.

  “None of your business,” Maddy spat.

  Fen’s laugh rang out, rich and dangerous. “Young, then.”

  Shock coursed through her as the Unseelie released her and spun to face the others. He hadn’t made any attempt to drain her energy, though he could have. He hadn’t insulted her, either. But she’d hardly become complacent. If there was one thing his kind enjoyed, it was tormenting hers.

  “You can’t just come back here and expect to be welcomed,” Patrick said.

  Fen chuckled again. “It’s not up to you, is it? It’s up to Kien.”

  “He’s still missing,” Victor said. “Thanks to you.”

  “Yes, well,” Fen drawled. “Lucky for you I know how to track him.”

  Maddy drew her knees to her chest and struggled to get air into her lungs. Of course the dark fae knew how to track the bad guy. Of course. Lucky was far from the word she’d use right now.

  Very far.

  Chapter 11

  Ralan held his daughter’s gaze through the mirror. “You’re certain you’re behaving yourself?”

  Her grin lit up his world. “I’ve listened to all the adults like you told me to.”

  “And?” he asked, not fooled by her evasion.

  “I only gave Lord Kai one little nudge,” Eri admitted. She didn’t bother looking contrite, but he wouldn’t have believed her if she had. “I didn’t want your work to go to waste.”

  Ralan’s brow creased. “He considered disobeying my order?”

  “You didn’t know there was a chance he would?” she countered.

  “I was distracted by my vision of Cora,” Ralan said with a wince.

  Eri only laughed. “Don’t stress it, Onaial. You’re doing what you’re supposed to do.”

  Her words chilled him despite her easy tone, and power glinted in her golden eyes for the briefest flash. Ralan leaned closer to the mirror. “Please give my regards to Megelien.”

  Eri blinked, and the hint of power was gone. “Okay.”

  Ralan stared at his daughter, almost overcome with the desire to ask her what she knew. Then shame coursed through him. Eri was only six and already burdened with the Sight. How could he ask that of her? He knew well enough what it was like to have those around him demanding answers about the future. Answers he dared not give for fear of ruining it all. But Eri’s Sight wasn’t blocked—she might be able to tell him much.

  “Stop getting upset,” she said. “I will freely tell you all I can. But if I don’t offer…”

  “Then you can’t,” he finished. “I recommend you not disobey Lady Megelien. Trust me.”

  Eri’s lips turned down. “This isn’t only anger, Onaial. These paths…a seer could ruin the future. Your very Sight could ruin everything. Someday, you’ll see.”

  “Maybe,” Ralan said. If she hadn’t foreseen his death, he wasn’t going to enlighten her. “Ah, Eri. You should not be weighed down with this.”

  A hint of a smile crossed her face. “It’s fun if you let it be.”

  Fun. Never in his life had he thought of the futures in quite that way. But he’d made certain Eri didn’t grow up with the same expectations he’d had. She would be no one’s pet seer, not even the king’s.

  Certainly not Ralan’s when he finally became king.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Ralan sent out a quick tendril of energy. Cora. “I need to go now, love. Remember your promise to behave.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Eri answered, his own wicked smirk crossing her lips. “I love you. Tell Cora I said hi.”

  “I will. I love you, too,” he said. “Always.”

  Though his heart pinched as he closed the connection, Ralan didn’t have time to d
well on missing his daughter. As Cora knocked again, he set the mirror down and hurried toward the door. He tugged it open, and happiness curled through him at the sight of his bonded. This morning, she wore jeans and a snug T-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a braid. Gorgeous.

  She eyed him curiously. “Were you talking to yourself?”

  Ralan chuckled. “No. Come in and I’ll explain.”

  She still looked dubious, but she strode past him and waited for him to close the door before speaking again. “Did you hear from Delbin?”

  “No.” Ralan walked to the bed and lifted the mirror, holding it up so she could see. “I called home to speak with my daughter. Eri sends her regards.”

  Cora frowned. “You’ve spoken to her about me?”

  “I didn’t have to,” he answered as his shoulders slumped. “She’s a seer, too.”

  Cora stared at him for a moment. “I take it that’s not a good thing.”

  “It’s a difficult thing.”

  Ralan tucked the mirror into his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. Most housekeepers were honest, but he wasn’t going to leave a bag containing magical implements and his brother’s blood behind during cleaning hours. Aside from theft, he’d rather the human police not get involved. It would take hours to wipe that many memories.

  “Did you find anything useful on the internet?” he asked.

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Not much. There’s plenty of information on the touristy caves like Ruby Falls or Raccoon Mountain. I might be able to find a book or map at one of those places. Gift shops almost always have that kind of stuff.”

  “Think they’ll be open?” He glanced at the clock. Just after eight. “A lot of the stores downtown probably won’t be. Speaking of which, what about yours?”

  Cora grimaced. “Poor Jase is by himself for most of the day. My part-timer can’t be there until the afternoon. He can handle it, though.”

  “Any word from Maddy’s father?”

  “He can tell she’s alive.” Cora’s expression hardened. “But her energy signature is muffled.”

  Ralan cursed. “Let’s go, then. We aren’t going to find her here.”

  By the time Cora settled across from Ralan in the diner’s booth, she was ready to scream. She jerked the lunch menu from the metal holder to the side, but she didn’t bother to look at it. Useless. All of their searching had been useless. She hadn’t been able to find a book on local caves, and Ralan’s mental scans around town had yielded nothing but a couple of quick sightings.

  She met Ralan’s gaze. “What are we going to do?”

  “Think of something else.” He placed his hand over hers and squeezed softly. But his eyes held none of the patience of his touch. “Scour the area. There are thousands of strands from this point.”

  “Any of them muddled?” she asked, leaning forward.

  His jaw clenched. “All of them past a few branchings.”

  Before she could comment, their server appeared, a cheerful young man who looked college aged. Probably a student. Cora forced a smile to her face as he asked for their order. She glanced down at the menu and picked the first thing that caught her eye, a cheeseburger. Good enough. Shrugging, she ordered it with fries and a soda.

  “I’ll have the same,” Ralan said, then tucked the menu back into the holder without even looking.

  Once their server headed toward the kitchen, Cora’s thoughts returned to Maddy. Her father said she was still alive. But well? Cora’s stomach clenched and her mouth went dry. How could she sit and eat when her friend was trapped and terrified? Would they ever find her? She only had Ralan’s word that Maddy was in a cave at all, and his Sight seemed far from reliable.

  If he was wrong, well…the kidnappers could have taken her anywhere.

  “I should have gotten their license plate,” Cora said. “Chased the car down. Something.”

  Ralan took her hand in his. “You know, there are only so many caves they could easily drive to. Correct?”

  “Maybe.” Cora considered the question. Quite a few took hours to hike to, but how many would be accessible, and inconspicuous, for two guys with a captive woman? “Let’s skip more walking downtown. We can check out trailheads and parking lots for the car.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  Ralan toyed with her fingers, and heat flared low in her belly. Not now, she warned her libido. Thankfully, their server arrived with their drinks, and Cora used the distraction to free her hand from his beguiling touch. Regret rippled through her at the loss of connection, but she hid her reaction behind her glass as she took a sip of her cool, fizzy soda.

  The glint in his eyes told her he wasn’t fooled, but he didn’t call her on it. “Tell me about yourself.”

  It seemed like such a pointless question in light of Maddy’s kidnapping, but she answered anyway. “What do you want to know?”

  “How long have you lived here?” Ralan leaned closer and lowered his voice. “On Earth.”

  Cora bit her lip. “That’s not something I typically share.”

  Ralan nodded, not looking offended in the least. “Then I will. Before my recent return to my home world, I lived here for three hundred and forty-two years.”

  “About the same for me,” she found herself admitting after his candor. “It was beyond difficult at first. There are few natural portals to my original home, and it wasn’t easy for a woman to establish herself alone. But I managed.”

  Expression curious, Ralan propped his elbows on the table. “How many jobs have you had?”

  Cora laughed. “I have no idea. Who could even keep track?”

  “I did,” he said, a sheepish smile crossing his lips. “Thirty-three in total, although several were similar enough to be repeats.”

  She blinked at him, and for a moment, some of her worry faded. “You’re serious?” At his nod, she chuckled again. “Fine. Then what was your favorite?”

  “This latest,” Ralan answered at once. “It’s fun to play with expectations.”

  Cora considered his words for a moment. “Do you mean others’ expectations for a male fashion designer? Or the image portrayed by those wearing your designs?”

  “Both.” A wicked grin tugged at his mouth. “Not to mention the many beautiful women I got to dress. Human men are beyond foolish for neglecting this career path, I assure you.”

  Anger surged through her at his offhand comment. “You’re telling me you became a designer to ogle women?”

  “What?” Red rushed up his throat, and his eyes flashed. “I don’t sneak into dressing rooms to stare at the models, if that’s what you think. Gods. But I’m not blind, and I can’t help but notice the lovely women who grace the runway. I don’t date those who work for me. Ever. I’m sorry if I gave you any other impression.”

  He didn’t sound at all sorry, and she didn’t blame him. Perhaps she shouldn’t have assumed the worst. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you took advantage, but you sounded…”

  A small smile formed. “Bad. I get it. Look, if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a designer, it’s that beauty is relative. Some models are outwardly gorgeous, but they’re so messed up inside I can’t believe the world doesn’t see it. My favorites are the ones who are truly nice people. No makeup or design can emulate that kind of glow.”

  His words left her humbled. He was known to include a diverse range of models in his design work, much more diverse than many other big-names, but she’d never considered that he would look beyond their surfaces. What could she say to that after she’d practically accused him of being a perv?

  “Sorry,” she murmured.

  The server provided a distraction again, this time bringing their food. As the kid placed her plate on the table, Cora sought another topic. Any other topic. But it had been a fair question, dammit. She had no interest in going out with a creeper, famous or no. Scowling, she picked up a French fry and bit into it with more force than strictly necessary.

  �
��Cora?”

  She refused to answer him until she’d chewed the fry to nothing. What could she say to get out of this awkward discussion? “I considered pursuing design on a bigger scale,” she blurted.

  Surprise crossed his face, but she couldn’t tell if it was because of her words or the change in topic. “Recently?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Cora said. “I’ve worked as a seamstress or assistant many times over the centuries. Sometimes, I included my own creations rather than just reproduce others’ designs. I sell some of my own label at The Magic Touch, but it isn’t a focus.”

  “If that dress in the window is one of yours, then it should be,” Ralan said firmly.

  Pleasure warmed her cheeks in a blush. “Thank you. But I’m not sure I want that much attention, provided my fashion line even took off. I know you said people tend to see what they expect, but it’s amazing that you’ve managed to keep the truth about yourself a secret when you’re in the spotlight.”

  Ralan lifted his shoulders. “I’m far from the only famous person with fae blood. Hard for humans to notice what they don’t believe in.”

  As Ralan paid for their food, she thought about his words. It was standard practice for their kind on Earth to relocate fairly often and to keep friendships light. But was it necessary to stay as hidden as possible? Oh, even humans would note the lack of aging after a time, especially with modern technology. But perhaps people had moved so beyond belief in their kind that they no longer needed to live with such careful paranoia.

  Who would believe that there were elves living in the modern world?

  It was Fen who finally offered Maddy food. She stared up at him in disbelief as he held the bread out to her, and wry humor lit his eyes as he jiggled the loaf in front of her face. Hesitantly, she reached out and took it, her attention darting between the food and his mocking expression even after the bread was safely in her hand.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  His brows lifted. “Can’t have a weak healer when Prince Kien shows up.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be out tracking the guy?”