by J. D. Monroe
She nodded. “Okay.”
“So, what was the mission?” he asked. “What did the Chosen think you were doing here with me?”
Her green eyes flitted to him. “They wanted to capture you and question you. Or rather, for me to question you.”
“Why?”
“You’re the Cold Death,” she said. “They think you have useful information. They wanted me to serve you up on a platter to Master Sidran. The man in charge.”
“And you didn’t consider it?” he asked.
She was quiet for a long stretch. “Not for a second. I don’t know how you got in my head like this, but if there was nothing else certain, I knew I wasn’t going to give you to them.” There was no point in being evasive with him anymore.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “You’re not a monster either,” she said. “And you don’t deserve what they would probably do to you.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” he said. “I figured I was walking into a trap.”
“And you came anyway? Why?”
“Like I said before, I think you want to do the right thing,” he said. “And I’m an idiot. I believed you when you said you had my back before, and I want to believe it now.” He cleared his throat. “Tell me about the security situation.”
With the turmoil raging in her mind, it was soothing to stick to the facts. As they sped down the highway to Henderson, she described the layout of the house and the guard assignments. When they reached the end of the private drive, she drove a hundred yards past it and parked on the side of the road. They both got out of the car and surveyed their target.
Exterior lights cast a hazy sphere of light around the isolated farmhouse. Dust-like clouds of tiny insects surrounded the lights. Two security guards stood outside, chatting quietly about streaming a football game on their phones after the shift ended.
Fishing through her bag for her clothes, she tossed the black leggings and long-sleeved top over the open door, then unzipped her dress. Velati’s jaw dropped as she stood in her underwear on the side of the road. Though she pretended not to notice, she relished the way his cold blue eyes swept over her, taking in the sight of her body. She wasn’t deluding herself anymore. If she was going to overturn her entire life in one night, then she’d earned the right to enjoy the attention of one sinfully hot man.
She was rounding the side of the car to dispose of her discarded clothing when Velati stopped her, caging her against the car with his arms. There was a fluttering warmth in her belly. “What’s wrong?”
“You played me once already,” he said, holding her in his icy gaze. “I’m trusting you. Last chance to come clean with me. If this is a trap…”
“It’s not,” she said. “I’ll go in by myself if I have to, but I’m not leaving this place until those people are out.” Tellanari’s face, etched with fear, was burned into her mind. It was more real than Marlena’s own reflection in the mirror. “My chances are better with you.”
She’d quickly realized Velati had a great poker face, but his body gave him away every time. Cold radiated from him, expressing his distrust. She hated that he couldn’t trust her. Who could blame him, after she’d broken her word once? Finally, he stepped back, giving her a respite from the cold. “We don’t have the time to go in stealthy. We go in fast and hard. Put them down before they have a chance to catch their breath.”
She nodded. “Understood. Try not to kill anyone but do what you have to.” They moved silently toward the house, staying out of the light.
The two guards were still talking quietly. “Another shipment in the morning,” one said.
“I can’t believe I pulled this shit,” he said. “It’s so damned hot down here.”
Velati leaped out of the shadows and pounced on the closer of the two guards. There was a meaty impact as Velati pinned the man’s throat to the ground.
The other guard touched his earpiece. Marlena flung a bolt of white energy at him, hurling him against the wall. She lunged and caught his arm with one hand, covering his mouth with the other. “Look into my eyes,” she said. His brown eyes were frantic. His protests were muffled against her hand. “Go to sleep.”
“Mmph!” he protested. Her will seemed to slide off him.
She growled in frustration, prying under his collar for the chain of an amulet. Her fingers tangled in the cool silver chain, but before she could yank it off, a tattooed arm looped around the man’s neck. Velati’s eyes were sharp and predatory over the man’s shoulder as he squeezed his throat into his thick forearm. “Don’t fight it. You’ll live,” he said. The man’s hands beat against Velati’s arm, but he was no match for the Arik’tazhan warrior’s strength. His head lolled forward and his legs buckled. Velati dragged him out of the sphere of light and left him in the shadows.
After recovering a keycard from the other fallen guard, she opened the door into a quiet, dim house. Since yesterday, more permanent furniture had been moved in. A dingy couch and a coffee table stood in the living room that was previously occupied by a haphazard stack of cardboard boxes. The house was filled with the faint smell of coffee, like the ghost of a pot brewed hours ago.
Something clattered in the kitchen, and Marlena pressed forward. The cold air on her neck told her Velati was close behind. Two more Chosen were there, both in plain clothes. “Oh. We weren’t expecting you tonight,” the female said. Her scoop-necked top revealed a bare neck. No amulet. “Are you here to—”
Marlena cut her off and grabbed her mind. “Go to sleep,” she said. Fueled by righteous anger, the power surged through her like electricity and slammed into the woman’s body. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell to the floor.
“What the hell?” the man asked. He grabbed Marlena’s arm, then closed his eyes and shoved his hand in her face. Velati’s fist smashed into his temple. He went down like a puppet with cut strings.
“How many more?” Velati asked.
“Don’t know,” she said quietly. “If someone important is here, they’ll be upstairs with guards.” Catrina had said that Arianna would be coming here to continue the work that had been interrupted in New York. The thought of it sent a chill down her spine. Taking out Arianna would send a very loud message.
Velati stepped past her, heading for the stairs. He froze, putting one finger over his lips, then pointed up. He tapped his ear.
She caught a distant whisper. The voice was male, but too quiet to identify. “Guard her door. I’ll check downstairs.”
Velati inched backward, then pressed himself tight to the wall. Sure enough, a male figure crept silently down the stairs, a gun poised at his side. Silvery light flashed as Velati lunged for the man and flung him down the stairs. He hit the floor with a sharp cry, one arm twisted awkwardly. “Deal with that,” Velati said, hurrying up the stairs.
“Wait!” she hissed. Shit.
The man on the ground rolled onto his back, clutching a broken arm. His grimacing face was familiar. It was Nikolaus. “Marlena? What’s going on?”
“Long story,” she replied. The open collar of his button-down shirt revealed a silver chain around his neck.
“I told them they should have killed you,” he said. Fire enveloped his good hand as he seized her upper arm. She gritted her teeth against the searing pain and seized the chain. Nikolaus’s defiance morphed into desperate pleading as she snapped the chain and flung the heavy amulet to the floor. “No, please!”
“Go to sleep,” she commanded. There was only silence, but she felt the impact of her power overwhelming him. His whole body jolted in response as his head fell back. He deserved it.
A thunderous crack rang through the quiet. Gunfire. She clambered upstairs. A body lay at the top of the stairs, still but breathing. Velati stood in the doorway of a dimly lit room, face grim and hand outstretched. There was a dark, wet spot on his side. Cold air swirled around him.
She stepped beside him to see Arianna crouched on her bed with a gun aimed at Velati. Her silk nightgown revealed
her bare neck. Four needle-sharp spears of ice danced around her in a slow orbit. As soon as she stepped into the light, Arianna’s expression fell. “Marlena? What’s going on?”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Marlena said, putting her hands out. “Please put that down.”
“I should have known,” Arianna said. Her eyes narrowed, and in the split second before the shot rang out, Marlena realized she had miscalculated. A wall of ice surged up in front of her. There was a sound of shattering glass as the bullet struck the shield and broke it.
“Take care of her or I will,” Velati seethed.
With dread spreading in her chest, Marlena unleashed a wave of energy at Arianna. The power unfurled from her with a sensation like peeling off sunburned skin. The force knocked the woman off the bed and sent her gun clattering to the floor. Kicking the gun out of reach, Marlena stood over Arianna. The woman’s brown eyes were defiant. “Traitor,” she spat. “I told Rainer we should kill you just to be sure. Guess I was right.”
“Sleep,” Marlena said, voice shaking as her power rolled over Arianna. The dark-haired woman gritted her teeth, but the power overwhelmed her, and she fell unconscious. The thin spikes of ice fell harmlessly to the bed. She looked back to see Velati press his hand to his side and pull it away bloody. “Are you okay?”
He lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal a trickling gash in his side. “Just a graze,” he replied. “Let’s get moving.”
Leaving Arianna unconscious on the floor, they confirmed the top floor was clear and headed for the basement. The Chosen hadn’t set up the usual security yet, so the door was locked only by a standard home lock. Velati simply grasped the handle and snapped it off. His handsome face contorted into a grimace as they descended the creaking stairs. “Don’t you smell that?”
All she smelled was the earthy, metallic smell of her power. “It’s our magic.”
“It reeks,” he said. “It smells like death.”
A dozen hastily constructed chambers lined the outer walls of the basement. Each contained an unconscious figure strapped to a gurney. Marlena dashed toward Tellanari like an unseen force was pulling her along. Tubes bristled from her arms and throat. Dark stains blossomed around the leather strap that seemed to have no purpose but tormenting the poor woman. Tears blurred Marlena’s vision as she yanked at the tubes.
“Hey, be careful,” Velati said. His cool hand rested on her back, but she ignored him, sliding the vicious needles out of Tellanari’s arms and letting the tubes hang limp. Small globules of red oozed against the woman’s ashen skin.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “Wake up. Come on, wake up.” She grabbed Tellanari’s shoulders and shook them lightly. “Come on. Why isn’t she waking up?”
“Marlena.” She swatted off his grasping hand, but he grabbed her upper arms firmly and pulled her into his chest.
“Let go of me!”
His strong arms trapped her in a prison of icy strength. As she struggled against him, his cold grasp sent a shock into her muscles. He spoke directly into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “Listen to me. You have to calm down. She’s fine. I hear her heartbeat. If they’ve been drugging her, she’s not going to wake up instantly.”
“I have to help her. You don’t understand.”
He squeezed her hard enough to make her ribs ache, shocking the words out of her mouth. The quick burst of pain cut through the chaos in her head, grounding her in reality. “Let’s get the others unhooked, and maybe she’ll be awake by the time we’re done,” he said calmly. “You’re okay. We’re going to make this right.”
With hot tears burning down her cheeks, she approached Tellanari again. Thick black straps crossed her chest, over her arms, her hips, even her forehead, keeping her immobilized. Marlena pulled them all free. Holding back a sob, she pulled the metal teeth free to reveal a crescent of crimson in the woman’s gray scrub top.
“How about this one?” Velati asked. He took her wrist and led her to the next small chamber. “Be gentle.” He stayed at her back, keeping one hand between her shoulders as she carefully pulled the needles and tubing out of the unconscious man on the other table. “Good job.”
Rage and sorrow filled her as they proceeded through the small, cramped rooms of the basement. The Chosen had made her do this for them, but she didn’t know whether she was angrier at them or at herself for being stupid enough to believe it.
No more.
Her throat ached from holding back sobs by the time they freed the last prisoner. There were eleven in all. She didn’t see one of the men they’d brought in yesterday. He’d begged her to let him go with tears in his eyes. Guilt stitched through her like a hot needle.
When they were done, she returned to watch over Tellanari. As she did, she heard Velati talking in the other room. She didn’t bother listening.
Cleaning up this mess was supposed to set her world right, but she still felt like she was drowning. The only sure thing she’d ever had turned out to be a lie. And instead of turning her into a powerful force for good, their own guardian angel, they’d twisted her into a tool for evil. Her stomach lurched as she surveyed the still basement, listening to those quiet, overlapping heartbeats.
Metal creaked. Marlena snapped her head up to see Tellanari stirring. “Hello?” she croaked.
Marlena rushed to her side, overcome with relief. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine.”
The Kadirai woman’s eyes widened, and she twisted her head away, shoving her hand into Marlena’s face. They tussled, but the woman was so weakened that it was like wrestling a toddler. “Please don’t,” she pleaded. “Don’t hurt me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Marlena said. “I didn’t know what they were doing, I just—”
The fumbling hand suddenly seized Marlena’s jaw. The woman’s thumb hooked over her lower teeth and yanked her forward. Electricity blasted through Marlena in a searing burst. She lost control of her body and was only dimly aware when she hit the floor. Her muscles twitched as the residual lightning crackled through her.
“Fuck,” Velati said. A blur of motion passed over her. He spoke quickly in Kadirai. “Sister, you’re fine. We’re here to help. You can trust me.”
The woman erupted in sobs, slumping against Velati’s chest. She was oddly jealous as he supported her weight, stroking her hair with one hand. “Thank you.”
***
Velati’s backup arrived several hours later. When he got the text that they were a few minutes out, he told her to wait in the car while he dealt with them. She didn’t object.
Her whole body still ached from Tellanari’s lightning, which she should have expected. Marlena’s face was the last thing she’d seen before she went under, with pain and despair flooding her senses. Did she expect the captive woman to fawn all over her with thanks?
She watched in numb silence as a small fleet of vehicles arrived. One by one, the prisoners were brought out of the house. Every second or third one, Velati was there to help them walk, or in a few cases, carry them out. Then came the Chosen personnel, and finally, Arianna, all with their heads covered in bags and their hands secured with thick plastic zipties.
Now she was a monster to both sides.
When the last of the vehicles drove away from the house, Velati rejoined her in the car. He slumped into the seat and sighed. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. “It’s done.”
“Are they going to be all right?”
“Who?”
“The dragons,” she said. “The ones we rescued.”
“Hm,” he said. “Yeah, I think so. Wasn’t sure if you were more worried about them or your friends.”
“They’re not my friends,” she said flatly. They’d been her family once, but family didn’t lie to her the way they had. Family didn’t look you in the eye and say they should have killed you when they had the chance. “I’m glad they’re going to be okay.”
He nodded. When he spoke, his cold eyes were still fixed
on the house. “I know what you just did hurts. I know you’ve lost something that you can’t get back.”
“You don’t know anything,” she replied. But before she could resume the stoic expression she’d worn for days in that cell, the dam broke. Tears poured over her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
She hadn’t cried when she fought him in the Forest House, not even when that blade of ice burned right through her. She hadn’t cried during the last session with the scribe, when they tattooed lines over her spine and ribs, when it hurt so bad her vision went blank and made her wish she would die before they started again. Now she couldn’t stop. Each sob layered over the last, closing over her like crashing waves. She was drowning.
Suddenly, strong arms closed around her. “You’re going to be all right,” he said calmly. “I know it doesn’t feel that way, but you will.” His hand cupped the back of her head, stroking gently. Even through the confusion, his touch was electric. “You did a good thing, Marlena. I knew I was right about you.”
His shirt was wet under her tear-streaked cheek. She was supposed to be strong, but she just wanted to melt into him and let his gentle words soak in. He felt like the only real thing in the chaos that had become her world. She lost track of the time as the violent sobs subsided. Still, he held her.
Finally, she pulled away. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of his tear-stained shirt. “I got your shirt wet.”
He laughed, rumbling through his chest and into her. “I suppose I can forgive you.”
“You really think I’m not a monster?”
“I know you’re not,” he said. His fingers grazed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. “I wouldn’t have taken the risk otherwise.” His lips parted, like he was about to speak.
She was still staring when he kissed her, sealing his lips to hers as a winter wind whipped around them. Despite that strange icy magic around him, his mouth was warm. His fingers twined into her hair. He was hungry and demanding as his tongue tangled with hers.
Sheer physical pleasure melted down her spine. Nerves fluttered in her belly as he drew a breath, lips just a millimeter from hers. “Do you mind?” he asked, his voice barely more than a growl. She couldn’t help leaning toward him, trying to taste his lips again. He held her hair still, not letting her get closer.
