Bound to Blackwood

by Sharon Lipman

  Okay, this was just plain weird.

  "What about Lena's injury?" Kaden asked.

  "Lena thinks she's fine."

  "Of course she does." Kaden continued to pace up and down the pool table.

  "What are we going to do?"

  Kaden came to a halt in front of him. "You were right; it's none of our business."

  Whilst Ryver didn't want to get involved, he couldn't understand Kaden's U-turn. "You really believe that?"

  "I need to see Thorn," he replied, ignoring Ryver's question.

  "But…" Ryver's voice faded as realised he was talking to himself. Kaden had gone. Ryver moved Mercury's PlayStation controller and plonked himself on the sofa with a sigh. Well that went well.

  "You slept with her?" Kaden bellowed as he crashed through the door to Thorn's room.

  Thorn leapt to his feet, his hands up in defence. "What are you talking about?"

  Kaden flashed across the room in a blur. He pushed Thorn in the chest. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! Here I was worrying about you leaving her to her suffering, but I at least thought you were being a gentleman about it. How fucking stupid am I?" Kaden spat.

  "Watch your tone, Kaden," Thorn warned.

  "Watch your tone, Kaden," Kaden repeated, mimicking Thorn's authoritative tone perfectly. "Fuck off, Thorn. You're an arsehole."

  Thorn stood there open-mouthed. In the back of Kaden's mind lay the knowledge that he had never spoken to Thorn with such venom or disrespect, but in that moment he really couldn't care less. If Thorn wasn't the King, Kaden was pretty sure he'd have killed him by now.

  "Jesus Christ, Thorn, this isn't some Order groupie we're talking about; this is Lena! Our Lena. What were you thinking?"

  Thorn didn't answer. Kaden narrowed his eyes at him. "Well?"

  Sighing Thorn took a step back and sat down his wing-backed Queen Anne chair. He leant forward, elbows on knees and held his head in his hands. "It's complicated," he whispered.

  Thorn's lack of fight-back took some of the wind from Kaden's sails and his voice came down a decibel or two. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Raking a hand through his hair, Thorn seemed at a loss as to what to say. When he finally spoke, it was the last thing Kaden expected him to say. "We've got bigger problems than me and Lena right now."

  "Are you joking?"

  Thorn gave a sad sounding chuckle. "I wish."

  For a second, Kaden thought Thorn was trying to fob him off, but the longer he stared at the guy, the more he could feel his sincerity. Kaden slumped into the chair opposite Thorn on the opposite side of the fireplace. "Go on, amaze me."

  "I'm glad you're sitting down for this. Lena killed three Fallen tonight."

  "Yeah, so?" Like that was news.

  "So, one of them was Vance of House London."

  Kaden's jaw went slack. "You must be mistaken."

  "I've known Vance all my life, Kaden. Fallen or no, it was definitely him."

  "Shit!" Kaden felt ill.

  "I take it you haven't been to see Marin yet?"

  Kaden shook his head. "No, and I really don't fancy being the one to tell him his baby brother is dead!"

  "How is it a Guardian's brother Fell and we know nothing about it?" Thorn asked.

  Kaden stared at his feet. If it had been any other Guardian he would have known immediately, but Marin was out of the loop. Had been for centuries. "This is a fucking disaster."

  Thorn raked his hand through his already dishevelled hair. "Why does it feel like we're only just keeping our heads above water?"

  "It's not that bad," Kaden replied automatically, though his voice held less conviction than he'd hoped for.

  Thorn's golden eyes narrowed. "It is that bad, Kaden. When was the last time it felt like we were on the winning side?"

  Thorn did have a point. The Order had been treading water for decades. Soraya seemed so sure that Thorn and Lena were the answer to everything. But, what if she was wrong?

  Kaden watched Thorn staring into the distance, deep frown lines carved across his broad forehead. The secret Soraya entrusted him with danced on the tip of Kaden's tongue, desperate to be heard. The longer Kaden looked at Thorn, the more he wanted to tell him. The words almost choked him, but he couldn't voice them. He had given Soraya his word and his word was his honour.

  He puffed out a frustrated sigh. A human priest once told him that God smiles on the righteous, but now and then he really could see why Falling seemed so appealing; no rules. He certainly didn't feel as though the Holy Mother of Fae was smiling on any of them right now. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt any kind of connection with Faerie.

  Kaden pulled himself out of the chair and headed for the door.

  "Where are you going?" Thorn asked.

  Kaden looked over his shoulder. "I need to go check on Lena."

  Kaden had no intention of checking on Lena. Not yet at least. He did make a mental note to see whether anyone had written “Mating for Dummies.” If they had, he was going to slap Thorn round the head with it.

  Instead, he headed for the west wing of House Blackwood, a place he rarely visited. Recently, he'd been avoiding it completely. Even at the bottom of the magnificent, twin-curved Georgian staircase, the fresh scent of peaches infused the air.

  Whilst still in keeping with the rest of the house, the west-wing was distinctly more feminine. Floral motifs in fresh greens and muted pastels adorned the walls. The panelling and picture rails, whilst still prominent, were painted white and the floorboards varnished in a light honey.

  Drawing a deep breath, Kaden started up the winding staircase towards Soraya's suite. The aroma of peaches became more heady as he climbed, so much so that as he reached the first-floor landing he had to steady himself on the handrail. Shaking it off, he made his way down the wide corridor to the lounge. He knocked, purely out of politeness, knowing full-well Soraya was sitting cross-legged on the plush sofa, reading.

  "Come in, Keeper of the Watch," her gentle voice called out.

  Kaden smiled as he pushed open the heavy double doors, Soraya's soothing voice helping to calm his troubled mind. She looked up as he made his way over to her, laying the heavy book aside. Narrowing her eyes, she studied his face. Intuitive as ever, she knew there was something wrong.

  "What has happened?" she asked.

  "May I?" Kaden motioned towards the easy chair opposite her.

  "Please." She nodded.

  Kaden sat with a heavy sigh, trying to gather his thoughts. No easy task when Soraya's scent still permeated the air. The more time he spent in her company, the more difficulty he had concentrating on anything other than her. He looked over at her, her golden eyes full of concern as she waited for him to answer.

  Kaden shook his head; he didn't know where to start. He watched open-mouthed as she rose, walked around the barrel-legged coffee table and knelt in front of him. As she took his hand in hers, an unexpected thirst curled through him. Kaden could see her delicate lips moving as she spoke, but her actions unsettled him so much that he couldn't hear a word she said.

  Soraya gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Kaden?" she whispered.

  Kaden shook his head, desperate to regain command of his own thoughts. Clearing his throat, he finally replied. "The situation is getting worse, Soraya."

  "Which situation?"

  It was a valid question; there were plenty to choose from. Kaden drew a deep breath. "Tell me this, Princess. Are you sure they must do this alone?"

  Soraya gave him a small smile. "I couldn't be more so."

  Kaden's brow furrowed. "Where do you find your faith?" he asked.

  "Do you not have faith, Keeper?"

  He shook his head. "I lost my faith a long time ago. I cannot believe as you do without hard evidence."

  Soraya leant back, but she didn't release his hand. She looked him in the eye when she replied, sending shivers down Kaden's spine. "What makes you think I have no proof?"

  "What do you
mean?" What possible proof could she have?

  "You are older than I, Kaden. Surely you remember the old ways?"

  Remember them? He'd done his best to forget them. "No good can come of mourning that which has been lost, Soraya. There is no point in dwelling on the past; we can't change it. What matters is here and now."

  Soraya shook her head, sending her raven locks tumbling around her exquisite face. "You're not often wrong, Keeper, but on this you could not be more so. We are the past. It is what moulds us. Without the past, there is no present. And there is no future.

  "Lena is Thorn's key; she alone can unlock his true potential." She stared at him and Kaden hissed as a glimmer of silver flashed through her amber eyes.

  He'd always thought Soraya an old soul. But that was just something folk said when someone seemed older than their years. He never expected to actually see the truth of it in her eyes.

  Kaden swallowed hard as she stroked his hand with her thumb. "You really believe?" he asked with a shaky voice. He stopped breathing when she laid her other hand on his cheek.

  "I believe in many things, Kaden, but this is something I know beyond doubt," she whispered.

  The honesty in her voice overwhelmed him, like she'd laid him open with truth. Kaden closed his eyes, desperate to stop the assault on his senses.

  "Kaden?"

  He opened his eyes to see her pale-gold eyes searching his face. He had to clear his throat before he could speak, and when he did, his voice came out as little more than a rasping whisper. "Sorry, what?"

  "Did you hear what I said?"

  "I did, your highness." He had no idea why he believed her, but there it was. That flicker he'd seen in her eyes awoke memories of a time, long forgotten; a time when their strength as a race went unquestioned. A time when magic flowed through them all.

  He had so many questions for her, he wanted to ask more, and he needed to know where her wisdom came from. Just as he opened his mouth to voice his concerns, he stopped himself. Alarm bells sounding in his mind told him Thorn was on his way and he knew the King well enough to know he shouldn't linger in Soraya's private quarters too long. Kaden rose and gave Soraya a nod of his head before he took his leave.

  Chapter 24

  Lena felt stuck in an ever revolving state of deja-vu. She'd wrecked her dresser this time, since the wardrobe had only just been repaired, but the result was beginning to feel very familiar. Her overnight bag lay on the huge double bed, her clothes strewn all over the floor. Slivers of mahogany and an entire drawer-front lay on the Georgian rug, evidence that her temper had, once again, got the better of her.

  Angry with herself for being so weak and furious at Thorn for making her feel that way, she paced the room. She honestly had no idea what to do. Confused, she sank into the armchair in the corner. Her body and mind warred with each other.

  Searing heat kindled at the sight of Thorn in her mind's eye, only to be doused by memories of the need for possession she saw in his sparkling, golden eyes. For a brief moment her heart soared as she remembered that kiss they shared in Soho Square. The power and gentleness of it touched her soul. But that's what worried her.

  She had held a torch for Thorn since she first came to House Blackwood. Since before he took the throne, when his rank matched hers. Two Guardians, that's all they were then.

  Lena laughed at herself. Thorn had never really been just another Guardian. The strength and power within him shone through even then, as if Nature knew that Jett would never be the king they needed. Thorn only grew more powerful with the responsibility the race bestowed upon him when Jett passed.

  Lena sighed. Thorn had never been stronger than he was now and though she would never admit it to anyone, the flame he ignited within her had never burned brighter. Holy Mother of Fae, she was so screwed!

  She rose to pace the room again, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she considered what to do next. She wanted to go home. Her place had become a sanctuary she could escape to when all the rules and macho crap inherent in the Order got too much.

  So why was it she didn't want to leave? It was madness. But if the King was Falling, she needed to know. More importantly, she needed to stop him. Kaden, as Keeper of the Watch, had a responsibility to protect the royal family. But since she'd been promoted to Steward of the Watch, her duty was to the Law.

  She decided to head for the Command Centre. She was out of the loop on so many things, including the Greenshire case, and she needed that rectified.

  As she strode down the wood-panelled hallway, heading for the stairs, her vision blurred. Steadying herself on the dado-rail, she shook her head to focus. The well-worn floor board undulated, the browns and greens of the carpet runner span in hypnotic swirls as they both closed their distance on her.

  Her view of the familiar hallway changed; the walls became taller, the stairwell suddenly much further away. Her grip on the dado-rail failed as she felt much smaller than she should. She took deep breaths as she tried to push away the panic rising in her chest.

  For a moment, she assumed she'd fainted or fallen, but as she stared at her feet, she realised they were still firmly planted on the floor. Panic welling, she tried to move, but it was if her body had fallen into a vat of glue.

  An overwhelming sense of loss rushed through her as she heard footsteps at the end of the corridor. Rooted to the spot, she strained to catch a glimpse of the owner of the unfamiliar footfall. All she saw were indistinguishable shadows. Paralysed, she called out, but her voice failed her too.

  A shape moved towards her, morphing into two people as it drew closer. Their voices floated on the air in whispers, so that she struggled to catch everything they said. They spoke in the old language but she forced herself to concentrate and certain words penetrated her consciousness: Greenshire child, key, retribution.

  Lena sucked in a harsh breath as realisation dawned. Jesus Christ, they were talking about Eden. They had to be.

  The more she concentrated, the more she understood. The joy and satisfaction in their voices made her sick to her stomach. They revelled in the success of their operation to kidnap the youngling, delighted in the pain and misery they had caused to the Greenshire family and in turn, House Blackwood. What frightened her though, was the confidence with which they spoke.

  This one action was to be their victory. Eden Greenshire was the key to everything that was to come. The cruel laugh hiding behind the seriousness of their words was unmistakable.

  She tried desperately to move, to speak, anything that would help her understand what was happening. Through the confusion, one thing became clear; there was something more to the kidnapping than just retribution for Karag's demise. Of the myriad of thoughts tornadoing their way around her mind, one shouted the loudest; they had planned this all along.

  One of the figures turned towards her, revealing his face for the first time. If she hadn't already been paralysed, that face would have frozen her to the spot. She felt her eyes widen as her jaw slackened. She knew him, yet he couldn't possibly be here. His cruel obsidian eyes looked right at her, piercing her soul, sending icy shards of fear through her heart.

  Joker, the Fallen she executed in Soho Square, the same man whose body Thorn had obliterated, stood before her without a mark on him. He smiled at her, just as he'd done in Soho, with a knowing grin. This could not be real.

  Her blood roared in her ears as she struggled to escape whatever evil had its hold on her. Somewhere in the distance, she heard screaming. A high pitched scream, full of fear and dread, got louder and louder until it drowned out everything else. Joker's face twisted into a macabre, toothy smile as he continued to stare at her. His black eyes shone with an evil so pure it took Lena's breath away.

  The screaming stopped and everything went black.

  "You found anything else useful?" Kaden barked at Mercury as he strode into the Command Centre.

  Mercury looked up from the countless virtual files flying around on the central, transparent screen. His h
ands continued to work through the images as he replied, "Mildly interesting, yes. Useful? No."

  Kaden walked around to Mercury's side of the screen to see what he was working on. Dozens of decryption programs ran simultaneously as Mercury worked his way through a number of other files. "Still no luck with the archives then?"

  Mercury just grunted.

  "Lena seemed sure you'd get there," Kaden offered.

  "Yeah, well I 'aven't," Mercury snapped.

  Kaden held his hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry I spoke."

  Mercury stopped moving his hands across the screen and lifted one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'm just pissed off. We should 'ave cracked this weeks ago." He returned to the screen to bring up an eight digit code. Only the first three figures were filled in. "We're not even half-way through it yet."

  Kaden's mouth set in a grim line. He expected them to be further along with the whole case by now, not just the code to the archives. Thorn's words came back to haunt him: We're just about keeping our heads above water.

  "When are you gonna see Marin?" Mercury asked bringing Kaden's attention back to the situation at hand.

  Kaden took a deep breath, not relishing his trip north. "I'm leaving in a minute."

  Mercury shook his head. "I don't envy you, Boss."

  Kaden barked a laugh. "You haven't heard the best bit yet."

  Mercury cocked an eyebrow.

  "Lena killed Marin's kid brother last night."

  "What?" Mercury roared.

  "Seems I'm losing my touch. I didn't even know he'd Fallen."

  Kaden watched Mercury's jaw go slack in disbelief. "Holy Fuck!"

  "You can say that again!"

  "Let me get this straight. You've gotta go and ask the guy none of us can stand for 'elp?"

  "Yep."

  "And then you've gotta tell him that the new Steward of the Watch killed his baby brother?"

  Kaden winced. Mercury could always be relied on to call a spade a spade. "Thanks, Mercury."

  Mercury shrugged. "Just calling it as…"