Tainted (Netherworld Book II)

by Christie Rich

  Seth, as if feeling my distress, glances over at me. I give a slight but urgent tilt to my head to signal him to get his butt over here. I have no idea what to tell Maybell, and I’d rather he be the one to make a mistake instead of me. I’ve made plenty for the both of us. It’s time he’s the one to have the guilt of poor choices.

  When Ian, Zed, and Peter join Seth, I breathe a little easier. Seth takes a moment to put his arm around me before he addresses the group. His touch is reassuring, his stance commanding. It’s only with everyone together I realize Seth is the unspoken leader of this group. “I’m pleased to say we truly have our brother Peter back. Not the least of which is thanks to Amelia.” Heat rushes up my neck, infusing into my face and even into my hairline. All eyes turn to me, and I give everyone a hint of a smile because right now it’s all I can manage. I’m going to have to talk to Seth about not embarrassing me when we get some time alone. He goes on, as if he hasn’t even noticed my discomfort. “As soon as we get our districts settled, we shall meet back here to form a real plan of attack. It’s time we not only reclaim our worlds, we shall take back our brothers and our sisters who have fallen.”

  Although we’re in a tight half circle, the others in the room cheer, whooping and hollering as if Seth just gave them all a humongous raise.

  With that said, Zed, Ian, and Peter head for the elevator. Seth takes the opportunity to spin me toward his office. Unfortunately, Maybell follows us. I’ve got to figure out what’s wrong with her. Heck, for all I know it’s something wrong with me.

  Seth glances over his shoulder and stops. Maybell gives him a trite smile. It doesn’t seem to bother Seth, though, because he smiles right back at her. His got a great poker face. Me, not so much. When Maybell glances at me, she frowns.

  As before when she speaks, her voice holds no inflection. “Do you have a new assignment for me? Or may I retire?”

  Seth studies her. “Are you unwell?”

  She shakes her head, giving him another attempt at a convincing smile. “Only a bit tired. It’s been a rather long few weeks.”

  She’s right. I could really use some rest, too. From the expression on Seth’s face, it’s not very likely. Sure, he’s stoked now that he doesn’t have to cover so many worlds, but for some reason my brain actually hurts.

  With a sweep of his hand, Seth says, “Go ahead. We’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if we need you.”

  The minute she’s out of view, Seth steers me into his office. He closes the door and backs me up against it. I open my mouth to protest, but he beats me to the punch. Warm lips descend upon mine, sending a delicious shiver through me. His need ignites my own. I slip my hand behind his neck and pull him closer, seeking, giving . . . loving.

  His breath mixes with mine, the subtle sounds we both make fueling my desire. I sneak my other hand in between the door and his back to edge his shirt up until my fingers brush against skin. I’m rewarded with a hearty moan. I smile and yank the rest of his shirt out of his jeans. He lifts me against him, making me forget my intentions. He nudges my chin to slant his lips over mine again and again.

  By the time he pulls away, I’m a puddle of goo. I stare at him as he moves to his chair behind his desk. Seriously? I frown. “You’re nothing but a tease.”

  He chuckles, sliding his hands along his desk until he’s leaning toward me, his blue eyes shining. “You’ve merely had a taste of what I’ve endured over the past few years. And now with you in my realm, every time I’m near you I step a foot deeper into hell.”

  “Wow. Thanks. You know that’s your fault, right?”

  He smirks, running his hands through his blond hair. “The wait is half of the enjoyment.”

  I shake my head, but I can’t keep the smile from my face. “You’re sick.”

  He just shrugs and gives another one of his nuclear smiles. “I have no defense to refute your observation.”

  Since I’m pretty sure making out some more is no longer an option, I decide to offer up my two cents. “We’re gonna have to deal with Kelsby, but I’m not so worried about him anymore. He knows something’s not right, and I don’t think he’ll protest when we tell him that he needs a little bit of help. The thing is, Seth, Maybell has no clue that she’s acting differently.” I’d like to think I’m totally fine, but since Kelsby and Maybell don’t really know what’s going on, I might be delusional too. I give Seth the most serious stare I have. His brows furrow, but he doesn’t ask me what’s wrong. “Do you think I’m…okay?”

  In the two seconds it takes him to answer me, I’ve already condemned myself. “Amelia, I would not allow you to be here if you weren’t.”

  I smile, letting it cover my face. “I can’t tell you how good that is to hear. So . . . what now?”

  Seth takes a moment, stretching his fingers out in front of him on the desk. His knuckles pop with a loud crack. Next, he rolls into a shoulder stretch, then a neck twist, followed by a decided epic smile. “Now, we sort out your father.”

  I fully expected Amelia to protest; however, her frown and narrowed eyes predict a volcanic reaction.

  She pulls both knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them, as if needing some kind of protection. “Don’t call him that. He was nothing more than a man who walked in and then out of my life. I’d like to keep it that way.”

  What I have to reveal to Amelia should ease some of her discomfort, yet I am hesitant to set another burden at her feet. Even so, she has a right to know the truth. I take a deep breath, giving myself time to gather my thoughts before proceeding. “There is something I need to tell you. The man you have known as your father had no genetic component to your making. We have reason to believe this man knew who your biological father was . . . or is. I’ve had our team investigating the imposter who tried to claim you as his offspring, but our progress is slow. I wish I had more to tell you.”

  Amelia’s green eyes stay steady on mine as her breath sharpens and her fingers clench. To my surprise, her lips twist in what appears to be a pleased smile. “Are you serious?” I nod, and she continues. “Well.” Her teeth graze her lower lip, and she gazes at the ceiling for a moment. “Does that mean I’m not one of those Orphic things?”

  I shrug. “Ian has been investigating, and he believes your mother was Sibylline. The difficulty lies in your paternal line.”

  “But how can we find out anything about my origins in the Dreamscape? I mean I’m sure you could run a DNA test on me, but that doesn’t do any good unless you can have physical contact in the human realm.”

  I smile, trying not to laugh. “Energy is much more accurate than any human means of determining lineage.”

  “If that’s the case, then shouldn’t you know what I am? Shouldn’t you have known what Rhea was?”

  I shake my head. “As with human technology, our methods have improved over time. We’ve realized each type of creature has a certain signature.”

  She laughs, and her eyes crinkling with the movement. “So now I’m a creature? No! Let me guess. I’m a monster.” Her smile widens. “That’s actually pretty awesome.”

  There are so many things I love about Amelia, but her ability to roll with life has to be the best part of who she is. “If you’d like to consider yourself a monster, be my guest. I prefer to think of you as an avenging angel.”

  Her gaze lowers to the floor as bright spots fill her cheeks. She clears her throat. “Here I am trying to convince myself I’m a badass, and you’re filling my head with visions of feathers and halos.”

  Her expression says she’s joking, but the tension in her body reveals the truth behind her statement. I walk to her side and kneel before her. As if on their own volition, my fingers tuck her hair behind her ear. “I said avenging angel, not cupid. Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing you haloed in a bed of feathers.”

  She grunts, pushing my hands away. “There’s no saving face now. The damage is already been done.”

  I lift my brows, hoping she will explain. I’m still
learning her. Sometimes, it is not easy to discern whether she’s joking or not. Not knowing what else to say, I pull the other armchair closer to hers. She stares at me, her gaze guarded. I reach to take one of her hands. Some of my tension eases when she slips her fingers between mine.

  I give a good squeeze before I pull her arm toward my lips. I watch her as I press a kiss to her knuckles, one by one. “We should get you back. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

  She smiles. “Me? What about you?”

  In reality, having Peter back has given me a burst of energy. If I tell Amelia I’d like to stay, she’ll refuse to go. Even knowing her response, I can’t lie to her. “I should check on Baltek.”

  Amelia gasps. “He’s probably starving.” A horrified look crosses her face. “Who knows? His new girlfriend may have eaten him by now.”

  Her concern is both endearing and funny. “There are times I must stay away for days. Baltek gets his meals on a regular schedule.” Since Amelia brought up his companion, my mind lingers on choosing a name for her. I’ve thought about it time and again, but nothing seems to fit. I glance at Amelia, hoping perhaps she might have more luck in selecting something appropriate. “Have you any ideas what to call the female?”

  Open surprise covers her features, and she giggles. “You want me to pick her name?”

  I nod then wait, watching her as she stands to pace. She glances out the window as she walks back and forth. After a while, she looks over her shoulder and shakes her head. “I’ve never named an animal in my life. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

  I nod. “The task is a difficult one. Yet I think you’re ready for the challenge.”

  She smirks before she rolls her eyes and begins her pacing again. “She’s got to have something…great. It’s not like Baltek is ordinary.”

  “True.”

  She walks the floor, slow at first, but her pace quickens until she’s nearly a blur. What’s really astounding about Amelia is she seems to have no idea how fast and accurate she’s traveling. I have no doubt she could outrun an Erobos now. She might even be able to outpace one in her physical form. After a few minutes, she comes to a screeching halt. “How about Jezebel? We can call her Jez for short.”

  I laugh. “Wasn’t Jezebel a harlot in the Bible?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t believe in stereotypes. Besides, she was brought here for breeding, right?”

  I lean back and stuff my hands in my pockets. “You have me there. Jezebel it is.” This distraction has been nice, but we really do need to get back to work. It’s time I take Amelia on another mission.

  Seth got us out of headquarters fast. He still won’t tell me where we’re going. It’s not like I really care. I’m just glad to be somewhere other than headquarters.

  We whiz through several different worlds before he pulls me to a stop barely past the portal. The large trees cast shadows everywhere, yet blades of light manage to cut through the thick canopy. Seth eyes some bushes to our right that could for sure conceal me, but him? No chance.

  Without saying a word, he directs us behind them and drops to his knees. His arms come around me to press me close. I fold like an accordion underneath him. Normally, I’d be asking what the hell he was doing, but there’s a tension in the air that makes me keep my mouth shut. I really want to ask him if this is a contaminated world, but it will have to wait. He whispers one word so low I nearly miss it. “Inward.”

  There’s no time to think about morphing now, so I concentrate on shrinking my energy. My heartbeat thrums to the beat of fear. I don’t even know what’s going on, so I focus on my breath, trying to block everything else out.

  Voices blur into indistinguishable sounds that soon form into words. A woman says, “There’s nothing here. We need to keep looking.”

  When the man speaks, I recognize his voice immediately, recalling his chilling blue eyes, his dark, unruly hair, and his tall frame. Daegan stands only a few feet away from us. The thought that bushes are the only things keeping him from seeing me makes my feet want to take flight. The only reason I’m still kneeling is because Seth’s holding me.

  A sharp inhale of breath stiffens my muscles. Deagan speaks again. This time every word is punctuated with anticipation. “He’s taken her away from headquarters.” His voice dips low, taking on a sexy rumble that makes my insides flip. “I feel something . . . pure.”

  The woman lets out a mocking laugh. Almost as quick as it comes, the sound is strangled into a choke. I can only imagine what he’s doing to her. Kind of serves her right for hanging out with a psycho, but I still want to tell him to leave her the hell alone. Bullies need a smackdown. Nuff said.

  Seth rounds his body more tightly over mine. The thud of his heart beat thrums against my back, even through the leather of my jacket. My mind turns into a volley of fear bullets that blast through my attempt to keep calm. You are so caught. We should be running. Seth told you to run when Erobos are this close . . .

  Footsteps crunched twigs and who knows what else into the hard-packed earth. I try my best to keep my breathing steady, so I don’t give us away. There has to be a reason Seth is staying here. Maybe he’s morphed into a boulder? He weighs about as much. I shift slightly, trying to see what’s going on through the shield that is my protector. I don’t hear anything for a second. Sparks of hope shoot through my chest.

  A big set of boots stop right in front of me. I stop breathing completely. Seth, too, has ceased all movement. With my pulse pounding in my ears, I’m certain Daegan can see the fear rising out of me. If it had a color, it would match the blackness of his soul.

  Not surprisingly, a smaller set of boots stop to his left. This time, the woman doesn’t make a sound.

  After what seems like hours, Daegan walks away. His companion follows, the soft release of her sigh revealing her relief. In all the commotion, I never did take a breath. It makes sense. It’s not like I have a body that needs oxygen. For the first time, I wonder how my real body reacts when I’m in a dream. Am I sweating right now? Is my heart racing? Am I even breathing? I grit my teeth and make myself focus. Fear is the enemy. Avenging angels fear nothing.

  We stay crouched into a living ball until my muscles tremble and my lungs ache, which is probably all mental considering what just happened. Finally, Seth shifts his weight before he stands. He remains hunched over, with his hand firmly planted on my back. I’m too freaked out to protest.

  The tension in his fingers releases. Just like that, he moves away from me and into the open area of the trail. I peek around, the unease lingering inside me.

  I still have so many questions, but the idea of speaking in this place is too out there to contemplate. Daegan and that girl could still be hiding in the bushes. In fact, there are plenty of places they could be. I find it odd that a single tree standing tall and majestic can inspire soothing thoughts, while a group of those same trees crammed together, mile after mile, stirs thoughts of ghosts and goblins and evil things trying to steal one’s soul.

  Seth leads me back the way we came. I sure hope Daegan didn’t ruin our mission. After all the drama at headquarters, I’m eager to get back to my training. Since Seth is staying quiet, so do I. Unfortunately, this gives my mind plenty of time to conjure images of torture and rotting people.

  I’ve done my best to keep Volos out of my thoughts, but between the eerie setting and our near encounter with Daegan, nothing I try holds them at bay. The man is an abomination. Even the angles of his face, the contours of his chin, are things formed to tempt, to dominate.

  Then there’s the matter of my father. Although he hurt me, and I never want to see him again, there’s a tiny part of me that can’t distance the name dad from the man. Sometimes I wonder if he was always out of his mind, or if there were times of real kindness. I don’t want to say I love him. I don’t even want to think it.

  We reach the portal without any close calls, which worries me more than if we’d had a facedown with Daegan. What is he doing? Is he someh
ow tracking us? I’d like to think we’re rid of him this go-round, yet it’s just a little too easy.

  The next world we enter is bright with silvery streaks of clouds decorating the sky. I lift my face to the sun expecting warmth. The absence of true sensation is the only real downside to the place.

  Seth keeps on walking, his shoulders rounded, his stride elongated. I understand why he’s worried, why he wants to reach our destination as quickly as possible. Yet it would be nice to stop for a little breather. Even though I’m tempted to ask him, I decide against it. It’s too risky. I match his stride, which for me is more of a trot. He doesn’t turn to look at me. His gaze stays focused forward. I’d like to tell him a joke just to see a smile on his face or tackle him and find out if he’s ticklish. I wish I could lose myself with him in this beautiful setting, but none of my desires will change our situation. The silence becomes an oppressive entity that needs to be slain. It has to have been more than an hour since we had our close call. If it’s not safe to talk, its plainly not safe. I lean towards Seth and whisper, “Where are we going?”

  His voice comes out strong, startling me. “Our plans have now changed, Amelia.”

  I frown at him, wondering what’s going on inside him. “Are you pissed at me?”

  He shakes his head. “You are a pleasant distraction but a distraction nonetheless.”

  My heart plummets. I want to be a help, not a hindrance. “Hey, thanks. Just the thing every girl wants to hear.”

  He smirks, making it clear this isn’t going to be a fun excursion. I hate the silence, but it’s been my unwanted companion for much of my life. Since we’re not going to chat it up, I take the opportunity to figure out what I’m going to do if we finally find my biological father. Part of me hopes he had no idea I even existed, but if he’s something else that Seth is never seen, then it’s pretty unlikely. With Malcolm Blake involved, the man is probably hiding — or dead.