Seared

by Bethany Adams

  “No need,” Fen answered with a shrug.

  Maddy waited until he moved away to study the small loaf. Should she eat it? It could be poisoned or enchanted. After making sure no one was watching, she did a quick magical scan. Nope, just regular bread. She tore off a small piece and popped it into her mouth, almost moaning at the simple joy of food after a day of nothing. It even tasted good.

  Why would one of the Unseelie be nice to her?

  She didn’t have much time to contemplate the question. Halfway through the loaf, there was a commotion at the entrance to the cave. A call of greeting, a few muffled words. Across the small cavern, Fen stiffened, his attention fixing on the entrance. Maddy found herself staring as well.

  When the elf walked in, she almost called out a greeting. But though the newcomer had the same black hair and golden eyes as Ralan, the malevolent energy around him bore no resemblance. Maddy shuddered, and the bread in her stomach turned to stone. This was the guy they’d been waiting for? The one they expected her to heal?

  But he didn’t notice her. His eyes focused on Fen at once, and fury darkened his face. “Just the mage I hoped to find.”

  “Prince Kien,” Fen said calmly. “Please allow me to apologize. I fear I was out of my head after that blast. My energy dropped low enough to render me insensible.”

  The prince’s eyes narrowed. “That’s your excuse for letting them capture me?”

  “I could barely move after being so thoroughly drained.”

  Silence descended, and tension built until Maddy’s eardrums throbbed with it. Were they going to start blasting one another? Then a smile crossed the prince’s lips. She tried not to breathe, not wanting to be involved in whatever evil he clearly had planned.

  “Perhaps I will accept your excuses,” Kien drawled. “But you will have to prove yourself before I allow you to rejoin.”

  “I’ve been taking care of the healer the other two found.” Maddy stiffened as Fen gestured at her. So much for being nice. “The fools have been starving her. She hardly has the energy to mend any wounds.”

  Her whole body began to shake as the prince’s dark gaze scanned her. Then he turned a scowl on Patrick and Victor where they hovered by the entrance. “A hungry, dehydrated healer is worthless. Do you know nothing?”

  Patrick’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. He left it to Victor to speak up. “We thought weakness might keep her from escaping.”

  “You can’t force a healer, fools,” Kien snarled. “They’d kill you before you knew what was happening. Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t string you up and flay you here and now. At least Fen and I could make use of your energy.”

  Maddy couldn’t stop the whimper from escaping at that mental image, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. But only Fen looked her way. And…had he winked at her? The motion was so quick, she wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it. What was his game? The loaf of bread grew mangled in her grip as she agonized over the issue.

  “I’ll go find her a feast,” Patrick blurted.

  Kien waved a hand. “The healer is the least of my worries. See to her health, but leave her alone. I’m more concerned with proving Fen’s loyalty.”

  Fen stood taller. “I take it you have something in mind?”

  “Find me Delbin and that scout who was with him.” Dark energy pulsed around the prince, turning her stomach once more. “Bring them here so I can have my revenge.”

  Oh no. Maddy shoved her hand harder against her mouth. Considering what Prince Kien had casually contemplated doing to his allies, she didn’t want to imagine what he’d do to Delbin and Inona. She had to get out of here. Warn them. But how was she going to do it without getting herself killed?

  Maddy forced another bite of the mangled bread into her mouth and began to chew. First thing? Make sure she was at full strength.

  Cora slammed the car into park at yet another small trailhead. “This is useless.”

  “How many trails are there?” Ralan asked.

  “A million, for all I know,” Cora answered with a sharp, impatient gesture.

  They sat in silence, both peering out the windshield at the nearly empty parking lot. The light was going soft with the coming evening, but they’d only had time to check a handful of possible places. Dammit, how could she leave Maddy out there another night? Anything could have happened by now.

  With every breath, Cora failed her friend.

  She glanced at Ralan. “Any idea if we’re even on the right track?”

  “I haven’t—” His voice cut off, and his eyes went blank. But it only took a few heartbeats for him to focus on her again. “We need to head back to your shop.”

  Everything within Cora went still. “Is there… Is she…”

  “She won’t be there,” Ralan said softly. “But I believe we’ll find a lead.”

  “You believe?” Her chin jutted out. “If you don’t know, then you’re wasting my time. How can I trust any vision of yours?”

  Ralan shoved his hand through his hair. “You can’t.”

  Cora’s shoulders slumped at the lost, frustrated expression on his face. He didn’t deserve her rancor, not when he was trying so hard to help despite his own troubles. “That wasn’t a fair question.”

  He let out a long sigh. “No, it was.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  The cheerful ring of her phone interrupted Cora’s words, filling her car with a jaunty Celtic tune. The ringtone for the shop. She tugged her cell phone from the front pocket of her purse and swiped the answer button.

  “Jase?”

  “Are you near the shop?” Jase asked without bothering with a greeting.

  Her heart lurched. “I can be. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s not an emergency,” he answered quickly. “It’s just there’s this guy here. Pale as fuck, unusual energy. He says he talked to you a couple of days ago?”

  Cora frowned. “Already? I thought I’d have a few days more.”

  “Guess he didn’t feel like waiting.” Jase hesitated. “I can get rid of him if I have to. But if you’re close enough to deal with this…”

  “I’m checking the Lookout Mountain trails, so it’ll be a while before I can get back. If he’s fine with the wait, show him to the private room,” Cora said, resigned. “I’ll head back.”

  Cora blew out a breath as she slid the phone back in her purse. “Looks like you were right about returning to my shop. Here’s hoping the guy who wants to see me is the lead you’re expecting.”

  “He will be,” Ralan said.

  She didn’t bother to answer as she eased the car out of the parking spot.

  They would just have to see.

  Chapter 12

  The artificial sun shone from the top of the massive cavern, but Kai didn’t feel cheered. Not when his father and uncle waited with stoic expressions a few steps from the portal. Arlyn’s hand tightened on his arm as they stepped into the small courtyard and stopped in front of the two Sidhe.

  “I see that you decided to keep to our agreement.”

  “Yes, Lord Naomh,” Kai answered. He would not call the Sidhe father. “I may have no interest in what you have to teach, but I’m capable enough of following orders.”

  Though his uncle Caolte’s lips twitched, Naomh’s expression didn’t shift. “You have a great deal of your mother in you. She, too, was hasty. But dutiful. We shall see if you possess any of my qualities.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Kai muttered around a sudden surge of pain.

  He’d been an infant when his mother had been murdered by the man who’d claimed to be his father. Allafon. He had gone more than five hundred years without knowing the truth. His limited experience with Naomh had taught him little about his true father. Cold. Fierce. Aloof. And not much better than Allafon.

  “Forgive my careless words,” Naomh said smoothly, though his face remained stoic. “Perhaps we should adjourn to my home.”

  Arlyn squeezed Kai’s arm in reassurance and answered for
him. “That would be lovely.”

  They followed Naomh and Caolte down the path, and this time, Kai was able to marvel at the forest growing around them. It didn’t matter how often he traveled to underhill caverns—forests thriving by the light of a spell-created sun always amazed him. In this realm, trees, flowers, bushes, and greenery burst into carefully cultivated life, richer than he’d seen in other underhill homes. A benefit of Naomh’s earth magic?

  Eventually, they passed through the clearing where Kien had confronted them. Kai’s shoulders knotted with tension, and Arlyn’s fingers tightened on his arm. At least she didn’t remember the confrontation, since she’d been unconscious. He wasn’t so fortunate. Kai found his gaze darting around warily although logic told him it was safe.

  “I trust that you’ve warded against Kien,” Kai said. “Unless you still work with him? If that is the case, then our deal is at an end.”

  Naomh spun on his heel, and his nostrils flared with fury. “I would kill that liar where he stood should he dare appear before me again. Our very world is threatened because of him.”

  Kai lifted a brow. “You are hardly innocent.”

  “I did it for her,” Naomh bit out. “How could I ride the night for your mother if the humans knew we existed? They would hunt us. There would be no peace. The poison was only supposed to make the surface unappealing for the Sidhe, not sicken the underhill realms.”

  Pain darkened Naomh’s eyes, but Kai had seen too much to let it soften him. “Have you ventured into one of the affected areas? I have. Did you know I found the Neorans your brother ordered slaughtered in the name of your queen? I still see their sightless eyes in my dreams.”

  Naomh paled but didn’t look away. “Learn from me, and we will fix what we can. Meren will face justice for his actions, I assure you.”

  Kai’s teeth ground together. “That will not return the lost to life.”

  “No,” Naomh agreed. “But it can prevent more death.”

  Kai considered his father’s words for the rest of the walk to the house. Was that what this was about? Atonement? It made more sense than a sudden affection for a son he’d just met. But Naomh was correct. If they could prevent more deaths, then Kai needed to suck it up and learn about his Sidhe powers. Even if he had to work with the second father who’d tried to kill him.

  Cora rushed in the back entrance and through the stockroom, almost plowing into Jase as he opened the door. Ralan tugged her back just in time to avoid running into her friend, who balanced several boxes of shoes against his chest. Jase’s tense expression eased a bit at the sight of her.

  “Hey, you’re here. The guy’s still waiting.”

  She let out a resigned sigh. “And he’s sure to be ticked. There was a wreck on the interstate. Took forever to get through.”

  Jase grimaced. “He seemed okay when I last checked, but that was twenty minutes ago.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Cora spun away and headed toward the stockroom. She paused when she reached the door tucked between two shelves of shoes. Was she about to have to deal with a furious, insulted fae on top of everything else? As she pulled in a bracing breath, Ralan’s hand settled, warm and solid, against the small of her back. Just that simple touch eased her nerves.

  She tossed a grateful smile over her shoulder and entered.

  The door clicked shut behind them, and Cora froze. The fae man was the same, yet he wasn’t. And not just because of the sunburn that reddened his skin. His energy had been eerie and dark, a cold shiver beneath the skin, but now the chill of it danced along her flesh and through her body in a deluge. Had he grown stronger, or had he decided not to hide as much of his true nature?

  Ralan’s fingers tensed against her back. “Vek.”

  “Why, Prince Ralan,” the fae drawled. “I wouldn’t have expected to see you here.”

  “Nor I you. If you have come to bother my bon—” His words cut off abruptly, drawing Cora’s attention. But he didn’t explain. “I suggest you take trouble elsewhere.”

  The fae’s eyes narrowed. “My business is not with you.”

  “It will be if—”

  “Stop!” Cora stepped away from Ralan so she could glare at them both. “Please do not discuss me as though I’m not here. If you have bad blood between you, you can argue about it somewhere else.”

  “I have nothing against him,” Ralan surprised her by answering. “But I’ve known Vek long enough to have concerns about his presence.”

  Vek draped his arm over the back of his chair and smirked. “Don’t let him scare you.”

  “I’m not that easily startled,” she said.

  Cora shot Ralan a warning look before she strode to the table and took a seat. Instead of joining her, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His face had smoothed, his expression impassive, but she’d been around Ralan long enough to notice his tension in the set of his shoulders.

  She directed her attention to Vek. “Please forgive me for your wait, especially as I fear it’s in vain. My contact hasn’t had time to sell your diamond, and I have not finished your clothing.”

  “I thought as much.” The fae waved a hand. “That is no matter. I now have need of real estate. This world has drawn my interest, and I’ve decided to buy a home as soon as my money is ready.”

  Cora shrugged. “I can connect you with someone who handles that kind of stuff for our kind. That’s not something I deal with.”

  “Any aid would be appreciated.”

  She stared at him, her brow lowering. There was something he wasn’t sharing. “Why did you really come here?”

  “Family,” Vek answered instantly.

  Cora hid her shock. He wasn’t talking about his visit to her shop, and the intimate detail caught her off guard after his reticence during their first meeting. His grin widened. She did gasp, then, as the light caught the tips of two perfect fangs. A blood elf. An Unseelie prince.

  Oh, hell.

  Her fingers gripped the edge of the table until her fingertips stung. “There’s enough royalty in this room to host a ball.”

  Vek chuckled. “If you desire.”

  Abruptly, Ralan straightened, his arms dropping to his sides. “What do you know about the energy poisoning and my brother?”

  “To think a seer is asking me a question.” The fae prince leaned forward. “I suppose that means you’re still neglecting your Sight. I hope she was worth the centuries of trouble.”

  She? Cora’s attention swiveled to Ralan, whose expression had grown shadowed. Had he given up his talent at one point for a woman? They’d started getting to know one another, but neither of them had shared much about their past. For all she knew, he was married.

  “You’d better be single after all of that flirting,” Cora whispered.

  Ralan met her eyes without hesitation. “I am. Kenaren…that was a long time ago.”

  It might have been centuries ago, but his pallor told her the pain wasn’t forgotten. When the hint of jealousy surged, she forced it down. She had a past, too, one that inhibited her future. If she ever fell in love and Orn found out, he would do his best to kill the unfortunate man and force her to return home.

  She had no right to judge.

  “I understand,” she answered.

  “You’d better catch up, Ralan,” Vek said, interrupting without qualm. “Your brother has fucked a lot of things up. If my nephew can’t… Let’s just say my father is furious.”

  Ralan latched on to the fae prince’s slip. “Your nephew?”

  “A misguided boy.” Vek’s lips thinned. “And the reason for my presence.”

  “If you know where I can find Kien, then tell me.”

  “No.”

  Ralan strode to the table and slammed his hands down, leaning close to Vek. “They took Cora’s friend. You’ll tell me where, or there will be trouble between our people.”

  Vek merely laughed. “No need to bring our fathers into this. My nephew has rejoined your bro
ther’s group. If I out him now, Kien will kill him before he can fix the mess he’s caused in the underhill realms.”

  “She’s an innocent healer, Vek. A youngling.”

  The fae prince stilled. “A child?”

  “No,” Ralan admitted. “But barely into her twenties. She doesn’t deserve the kind of hell Kien will put her through.”

  “Then use your Sight.”

  Ralan jerked back, fury and frustration lining his face. “It’s not that simple, as you well know. Right now, you’re our only lead.”

  The two men stared at each other, and Cora’s heart pounded with hope and fear as Vek’s eyes took on a considering gleam. Surely he wouldn’t put his own family at risk. But after a moment, he gave a sharp nod.

  “I won’t out him, but I can give you a direction,” Vek said. “Too bad your kind can’t follow blood connections as easily as mine can. But I doubt you carry around each other’s blood.”

  “Such magic is dangerous,” Ralan murmured, a strange expression crossing his face.

  “As you say.” Vek’s fangs flashed as he grinned. “I sense my nephew to the west. I’d recommend a hike in the Raccoon Mountain area. For my aid, I trust you will not allow harm to come to Fen.”

  Ralan inclined his head. “So long as he doesn’t try to kill me.”

  “Always a given.” Vek stood and then glanced down at Cora. “How might I get in touch with your real estate contact?”

  “I’ll give you his address.”

  Cora hurried over to the small table holding the microwave and pulled out a drawer. After a quick search, she grabbed the card she needed and handed it over. Vek bowed, low and formal, before turning for the door. As he neared Ralan, he paused.

  “I am trusting you to keep your word.” Cora shivered as the Unseelie prince’s magic pulsed. “Don’t make me regret it.”

  The closing door thundered through the room, and silence descended in Vek’s wake. Cora stared at the door for a moment, the remnants of his energy still shuddering through her. Blood elves were rare despite the Unseelie king’s many relationships. Only a few of his children carried the ability. No wonder Vek had seemed odd. Instead of pulling energy in from the natural world, Vek replenished his magic like a vampire.