RYLEE (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues, Book 1)

by Shannon Mayer

  I had to give the kid credit, she insisted on walking once we were off Eve’s back. Her eyes widened as if seeing the Harpy for the first time. “I always wanted magic to be true . . . it’s not as fun as I thought it would be.”

  Nigel nodded. “Rarely are things we see from the outside as good once we’re in them.”

  She startled as if realizing for the first time that Nigel could speak. “Is he talking?”

  I gave her a tired smile. “Get used to it. Welcome to Narnia, land of the talking animals and monsters.”

  Her jaw dropped and I tucked a hand around her waist. “I’m kidding. Come on, let’s see about getting you something to eat.”

  Her stomach rumbled in a loud answer. Nigel fell into step beside me, quiet. Lost in his own thoughts, and obviously grieving the loss of his Sparrow. I couldn’t even look at him without tearing up. The pain was still too fresh in my own heart.

  By the time we were at the far end of the beach where the huts started, and Eve was well out of view, she leaned heavily on me but still wouldn’t let me carry her.

  “Stubborn, huh?”

  She gave me a tired smile. “Maybe a little.”

  That was going to serve her well in this world she’d been introduced to.

  We stopped at the first hut and I eased her down and went to the door. A woman met me, the woman from the beach. Emmy’s eyes widened. “You.”

  “Yeah. Look, I have a friend who is hurt, can you—”

  “Come, come!” She waved me in and I went back to help Belinda. In short order, we were hustled into the clean, homey hut and Belinda was laid out on a bed. With Emmy helping, I cleaned cuts, bandaged the wounds and got the worst of the grime off her face.

  A steaming bowl of rice with pineapple and what smelled like chicken was thrust toward me. “Here. Eat.”

  I handed the bowl to Belinda who dug in with the appetite only a teenager could muster, cleaning it up in a matter of minutes. A second bowl appeared and I gave that to the kid too.

  “I thought I remembered wrong,” Emmy said. I made myself turn to look at her, fighting the shame as it roared up in me.

  But she smiled. “You saved me, and I gladly offer you what you need again if you will take it.”

  I shook my head. “Thank you, but no. I’m . . . I’m fine.” In truth, I was still humming off the blood of the Fire Elemental I’d drunk down.

  Belinda fell asleep sitting up, her head bobbing and almost dipping into the bowl. I slid it out of her hands and laid her down. The woman touched my shoulder. “You saved her.”

  I stared at the kid knowing the truth of her journey had only just begun. As a weak Elemental, what kind of life did she have ahead of her? Would she survive this only to be put into a worse situation?

  The hand on my arm tightened. “Trust me, of all people, when I say life is worth fighting for. No matter how difficult. You saved her as you saved me. And she and I won’t change the world, but perhaps we will help those who can.”

  I looked at her and she stared into my eyes. The soul of someone who’d seen death and walked away, who’d fallen into the darkness and been pulled back.

  I recognized a kindred soul when I saw it. I nodded. “Who knows? Maybe you’re right.”

  “I know I am . . . vampire.”

  I jerked, the word from her lips like a shot to my guts.

  She smiled. “I may be simple, but I am no fool. You are a hero, and heroes must face darkness like no others, and sometimes they are spawned from the darkness so they are strong enough to do what they must. I think your journey is not over any more than hers, or mine.”

  Nigel crept into the hut and she spun. I put a hand on her arm, reversing the roles. “He’s with me.”

  He slipped onto the bed and lay down by the kid. In her sleep, she reached for him, holding him tightly. He closed his eyes, a shuddering sigh slipping from him as he snuggled in close to Belinda. He would watch over her, of that, I had no doubt. Perhaps she was the one Sparrow spoke of as the little warrior he would protect and guard.

  Emmy’s words haunted me and chased me out of the hut. They swirled around and around in my mind as the day passed into night. The wind picked up, bringing me the smell of a bonfire from somewhere inland.

  I walked the beach all night, thinking. Mulling. Finding a spot within myself to make peace with what I was. Or at least allowing myself to see maybe I wasn’t the monster I’d thought for the last six months.

  The things I’d done to save Belinda, they wouldn’t have been possible as a Tracker. Looking over the salvage, one thing became clear. If I’d done it as a Tracker still, I was pretty sure none of us would have survived if I’d even been able to get as far as I did.

  I was no angel, I knew that much, but maybe monster wasn’t the right term either.

  As the sun rose, I checked on Belinda, and the woman I’d saved smiled at me. “You have a new name. I see it in your face.”

  I drew in a breath. “Huntress.”

  She smiled and her eyes twinkled. “Yes, that is the name I saw for you. Well done.”

  I had to smile because the roles had so fully reversed.

  But even then, it was still time to go. "Thank you for helping her. And me."

  Emmy smiled, her brown eyes full of compassion. "It is the least I can do for the one who saved my life and showed me the way out of the darkness." She pulled me into a hug, not an ounce of fear in her grasp.

  "All right, this is getting too mushy for me." I pulled away still smiling. "Belinda, can you walk?"

  The kid managed to sit up on her own and even gave me a weak attempt at a wobbly smile. "Yeah, as long as we aren't running from lava, I think I'm good."

  I slid an arm around Belinda, and we both said goodbye to Emmy, then headed down the beach. The morning was overcast, something that didn't seem normal for the area. Then again, what did I know? I'd never been to Hawaii. Eve was rested, we climbed aboard and were off for home. My heart lurched a good bit thinking of home. Of Liam and the babies. I had to apologize to him, tell him I was wrong and he was right. Again. Damn it. Not that I really minded being wrong, not about this and not with Liam. Excitement coursed through me. I knew who I was, and more than that, I knew I could hold it together when my instincts roared to life.

  Pure adrenaline and happiness flowed through me. Six months of fear, of despair, and all I’d needed was a vacation in Hawaii. I laughed out loud at the silliness of my thoughts. The others gave me sideways looks, but I didn’t mind. Not one bit.

  The flight was easy, even with the clouds gathering around, and the occasional splatter of rain. Belinda didn't shiver, not once in the whole long flight despite the cold air we coursed through. When we finally reached the farm in Bismarck, I made myself ask her the hard questions.

  "Do you know where your mom is?"

  "No, she ran from my dad and left us behind," Belinda said, her words a tad bit too bitter even for what I was used to. "My brother and I will be fine. We've got our dad."

  Shit, there was a problem if I ever saw one. I didn't sugar coat it. "He's dead."

  Her eyes fluttered. "Is it bad that I'm not sad? That you actually make me want to dance and cry with happiness?"

  I touched her arm and led her to the Jeep. "No, it's not. Not with what he did to you."

  Nigel followed and I let him into the Jeep. The jackal had said very little since he'd lost his Sparrow. I certainly wasn't going to push him to talk. I got Belinda in, then turned back to Eve who stood outside the barn, pacing a bit.

  "Eve, are you okay?"

  "I feel funny," she said, her eyes worried, pinched with pain.

  She hunched over suddenly and fluttered her wings in a move I knew all too well. The first pang of a birthing pain. Well shit, that changed things. At least she’d waited until we got home.

  I ran back to the truck and swung the door open. "Change of plans. Eve needs us."

  Belinda stumbled out and I pointed to the wreckage of my home. "Go find what
ever things you can to start a fire." Limping she hurried away from me and I turned to Nigel.

  "I want you to do a swing around the farm and perimeter. Make sure there is no one too close. Tell Ophelia I sent you and ask her to move her nest closer."

  His eyes narrowed. "How many enemies do you have? And who is this Ophelia?”

  "Hopefully not many left, but to be honest, I think I might have given up the Blood of the Lost, but trouble still finds me. And Ophelia is a dragon with new babies so tread carefully." I hurried away from him to Eve. Nigel barked at me.

  "You mean to tell me you have Spirit Elemental blood in you?" His voice pitched high on the last bit.

  I shrugged "What good would it have been to tell you? And technically, I don’t anymore. All gone to seal the Veil."

  "I would have expected the trouble that came!" he barked and raced into the fields.

  At least he didn’t argue further. "Eve, Harpies lay eggs, don't they?"

  "No, we don't." She shook her head, as her golden eyes grew wide. "I'm not having a baby." Her eyes widened further. “Am I?”

  I smiled. "I think you are. Into the barn with you."

  She went, sputtering the whole way that it wasn't possible. That she was beyond the dates of giving birth. "Mother nature apparently has changed her mind in order to keep your species alive," I said, and even as I said, it I knew the words were true.

  I got her settled and she stretched out on her side. Hurrying, I ran outside helping Belinda gather wood and pile it in front of the barn. "I want you to start the fire and keep it going." As much as anything, it was a make-work task to help her feel like she was being helpful.

  "I can't start a fire," she shook her head "I'm not that kind of thing."

  I leaned in close so we were nose to nose. "You are, and you will start a fire. Now."

  She blanched and nodded. "I'll try."

  I ran into the barn and scrounged through the leftovers from battle. I found a helmet worn by someone, friend or foe, it didn't matter. I turned it upside down. "Eve, talk to me."

  "Uh, this hurts!"

  "Babies do." I remembered all too well my own labor pains with Marcella.

  Once more, I was back outside. I ran to the well and pumped water into the solid metal helmet. I handed it to Belinda. "Boil the water, holler when it's boiled for at least ten minutes, okay?"

  Again she nodded. "Is she going to die?"

  "She's having a baby, not dying," I said, and Belinda blanched again. She’d been through a lot, no doubt she was at her breaking point. Unless . . . a sudden insight hit me. Her past was anything but normal for a girl her age. Could it be more than just being overwhelmed? I touched her arm. "Have you been through this?"

  She swallowed hard and nodded. "I lost the baby when I just turned fifteen, a little over a year ago. It was better anyway." Her eyes darkened and I could only guess at whose baby it was. Actually, I didn’t want to go there. I didn’t want to think about how much I should have made her father suffer.

  Damn it. So much pain and hurt in this young girl, this kid who'd seen so much in such a short life span. I felt bad for her, but right now, my focus was Eve. "Think you can be a support to another young mom to be?"

  Belinda slowly straightened her spine. "Yes, I can do that." That was as good a task as any.

  The two of us went into the barn together. Eve was stretched out and already I could see the baby’s slicked back feathers on its head, pushing its way out. I pointed at Eve’s head. "Belinda, stroke her face, apparently I'm catching the baby."

  The birth was over before it had really begun. Twenty minutes tops. And there she was, a brand new baby Harpy with silvery gray feathers, a streak of black running down the center of her back. She screeched on the floor, looking for her mother's breast. I noticed right away a problem. "Eve . . .she has no beak."

  "That's normal, otherwise, she'd cut me." Eve cooed softly to the tiny Harpy, drawing her close to her chest. The screeching eased and the small Harpy nestled in close to her mom. Belinda’s eyes never left them.

  I cleared my throat. "Eve, I need to take Belinda home. Are you okay here on your own? I’ve got Ophelia coming, so you two can be close and she can help you."

  Her eyes flashed as she looked up at me. "No one will hurt us."

  Damn, it was easy to forget that as a Harpy, she was a violent and powerful defender. Just because we were friends didn't mean she couldn't wipe the floor with someone she didn't like. More than likely, she would be even quicker to draw blood now that she had someone to defend.

  "Got it. But I'm still going to send someone to check on you in a bit. And they'll all want to see her . . . do you have a name?"

  "Selena. The moon," Eve whispered.

  Fitting on so many levels.

  I had to tug Belinda twice. She smiled at Eve. “Congratulations. She’s beautiful.”

  Eve beamed. “She is, isn’t she?”

  Belinda followed me out. "I thought that it wasn't going to go well. That it would be ugly and violent, but it wasn't, not at all." Her eyes darted to mine and away again. "Maybe this magic thing isn't so bad."

  I laughed as I helped her into the Jeep. "That wasn't magic, that was just babies, kid."

  Nigel raced up beside us. "You better not be leaving without me. That big red dragon almost ate me. And she’s coming right away. Got all hair-canary-excited when I said Eve was having a baby."

  "Of course, I won’t leave you behind. Get in, mutt." I could just imagine Ophelia dancing about, gathering up her clutch and bringing them to see Eve and Selena.

  He grunted and leapt in, curling up on the back seat, his bushy tail over his nose.

  First, it was time to get Belinda home to her brother.

  We pulled into her driveway a couple hours later. There was a single light on in her bedroom. She stared up at it. "My brother, is he . . .he's alive, right?”

  "Of course," I said and got out of the car before she could see the concern on my face. That maybe her brother had been snagged, because if he was a Fire Elemental like her, there was every chance he could be one too. I had no idea how many contacts Ito had, how many supernaturals were out there snatching up kids. We walked to the door and she pushed it open. At least it had been fixed.

  "Levi?" She called his name and there was a rush of feet on stairs and then he was there, scooping her into his arms and holding her tightly. They both cried as they clung to each other. Babes lost in the forest, but at least they had each other. That was saying something. More than a lot of people had in our world.

  I hated to break up the love fest, but I cleared my throat. Levi looked at me, tears on his cheeks. "You found her. I knew you would."

  "I need to see the back of both your necks."

  Levi frowned, but Belinda pulled her hair out of the way immediately. The symbol that Camos had said stood for fire was not clear, but I could see the outlines of it. I pulled the piece of paper from my inner pocket and held it tightly. "Your turn, Levi."

  He turned around and I drew closer. There it was, a symbol on his neck. Not fire like hers, but water. Fire and water, brother and sister.

  "You two need to sit down so we can have a chat. You need to understand the kind of danger you could be in just by existing. This is more than what your mom’s boyfriend filled you in on."

  They plunked down on the couch and I proceeded to explain to them all I could about the Elemental world. Nigel filled in any blanks I had, and we left them my address and how to reach me.

  I told them about Lark, that she was one of the good guys and if they ever met her, to tell her their story. I left them there, hanging onto one another, knowing their lives were going to be anything but easy. But now they understood. They would have a chance. A chance I hoped they took.

  At sixteen and eighteen, they were old enough to be left by themselves, and they’d both seen enough to be on their own. As long as they stayed under the radar, the state family services would leave them alone.

 
; “Where to now?” Nigel asked. “Home?” He said the word with such hope that I wondered just what he had up his sleeve. Why would he care if I went home?

  “No, one more stop yet.”

  Time to revisit the incubus.

  CHAPTER 13

  MAGIC WITH FLOWERS was dark, but that didn’t stop me from going in. The place was empty, not a single flower, pot or even packet of seeds left. “Fucking bastard.”

  If he thought running was going to work, I was about to show him just how wrong he was. I went to the back room, Nigel tucked tightly to my calf. The back room was stripped as cleanly as the front.

  While it wasn’t a salvage, I had a feeling not finding Camos was going to come back to haunt me. He’d told me enough to get me to leave, and I’d been in enough of a hurry to let him get away with it. “Damn it all to hell and back.” I slapped a hand on the table.

  “Who was this?”

  “The guy grabbing the kids off the streets. Kids like Belinda and Sparrow.”

  He let out a low growl.

  "My Sparrow was not on the street. I was protecting her when she was snatched away from me." He bared his teeth and I held up my hands.

  "Manner of speaking. The point is, this prick was snatching them, and selling them to the Elemental underbelly." A thought hit me and I strode to the front and picked up the phone. A dial tone greeted me and I grinned. If the last call was still the one made by Camos's employee there was a chance . . . I hit redial. The phone rang once, twice, three times and then was picked up.

  "Hello?"

  "Camos, you motherfucking son of a goat, you think you can hide from me? You think I won't find you? That I won't draw from you every bit of information you have? I'm a goddamned Huntress and I will find vengeance for those children who died."

  "They . . .died?"

  "Not all of them, Camos. But several did."

  He sobbed into the phone, shocking the shit out of me. "No, I didn't know. I would never have done it if I thought they were going to die. It doesn’t make sense. They paid so much for them!"

  "But you'd do it knowing they would be slaves of any kind of variety?"