by Ava Mason
She stood up. “See, Lizzy. This isn’t as fun.” She slapped me again. “As fucking.”
She took a step back, watching me as my lips turned blue. I fell to the ground, trying to crawl to her. I needed air. I needed it now.
“I don’t think you’re going to give me what I want.” She shrugged. “That’s okay, that’s not the real reason you’re here. My men are already searching every single room of your house. If it’s not there, they have instructions to kill Riley and search Hunter’s place. And then, every single safe room you guys have. I’m sure they’ll find them somewhere.”
The air around us glowed a bright blue and I looked up, still clasping at my throat. The necklace pulsed at her chest and I grew weaker. She was draining my own power from me. That bitch!
So I still had it. She’d managed to suppress it somehow.
“Now’s the time for me to tell you why I brought you here.” Her hold on my air lightened just a little and I managed to drag in a breath before she cut it off again. I crawled towards her, kneeling on her feet. She leaned over. “I just wanted to tell you I was sorry about your dad. I did regret what happened to him. I am truly sorry he had to die. He was always too trusting, too optimistic.”
My power grew brighter; she was building it up. It pooled around her hand, and she smiled down at me. She was going to kill me with my own power.
“Oh, Lizzy, this feels nice. I almost wish I could keep you around a little bit longer. Just to have this amazing power you hold. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible. Goodbye, little pup.”
Her magic on my lungs released and I took in a sucking breath. I lunged upwards, grabbing the knife tucked in her pants, and stabbed it in her back, grunting. I screamed out. “That’s for my dad, you psychopathic bitch!”
She screamed and stumbled backwards. “You whore!”
Suddenly the door slammed open. Ember swiveled, throwing my power at the person rushing inside and it slammed into Liam.
“No!” Ember cried out in shock. She stumbled towards him, the knife still lodged in her back. He fell to the ground, instantly dead. Her scream rent through the room.
Then Gerard ran in with my guys right behind him and I gasped in surprise. They were alive!
Gerard reached into his pocket and pulled out the biggest, baddest, motherfucking sword I’ve ever seen and sliced it through Ember’s neck. Her head rolled across the floor, flinging her blood through the room, and landed with a dull thud. The blaze in the room diminished into a low fire and I instantly felt my powers again.
And then my guys were there, all surrounding me. I couldn’t stop the tears as they pulled me into their arms. They were alive!
All the feelings were back, rushing into me. I felt their relief, their anger and determination to find me. Their testosterone was through the roof. They’d fought through her soldiers to get to me; I could smell blood on their clothes. The feeling made me want to punch somebody.
And then their love and happiness crushed me, flooding my senses.
I soaked it all in, every single emotion. Welcoming it, because it meant that they were alive.
Christian was holding me in his lap, and Hunter’s hands were all over me, healing me. Easton had his hands in my hair, clutching my head to his chest. Then Avery pushed Easton aside and he knelt down to face me.
“Fuck, Lizzy. I was afraid we might be too late.” He pulled me to him, kissing me and wrapping my arms around his neck. He opened himself up, and his emotions washed over me. They were stronger than the other guys; he felt so much! I took in a breath, sucking in precious air as he dragged me under with his feelings. Hurt, rage, despair, violence, shame, relief, and so much fucking love that it overwhelmed all the rest. It tore through my chest, burning and sealing it. He loved me so fucking much it hurt.
I kissed him, then pulled him into my arms. Needing to feel him against my chest. “Thank God you all are alive. She told me her soldiers killed you.”
They all chuckled, still touching me. “They tried to kill us.”
I smiled, so happy. Then I remembered.
“Wait, wait.” I pushed them gently aside, and Avery’s hand lingered on my shirt as I crawled towards Ember’s headless body. My necklace was in a pool of blood around her neck. I snatched it out, then clasped it in my hand. Mine.
Gerard was leaning over Liam’s dead body and I looked over, suddenly remembering that she’d killed him.
“Hunter! See if you can help him.”
Gerard grasped my arm. “No, Lizzy. It’s too late for Hunter. It needs to be you.”
I hesitated and he frowned. “Hurry, before it’s too late.”
I gulped in a breath and closed my eyes, feeling for my power. It blossomed at my touch. I opened my eyes and scrambled to Liam’s lifeless body.
“He helped us look for you. We wouldn’t have found you in time if it wasn’t for him.”
I nodded, understanding what Gerard was trying to tell me, and put my hands over his chest. Right where my power had landed. His flesh was mangled and charred.
I took in a deep breath and my power immediately sparked and flowed through my body, as if eager to help. Focusing every intent on Liam, I directed it towards him. Rushing through me, it poured out and into his body, flooding into it like a dam had opened. Feeling it ebb and flow through me, I searched for a spark of life, anything to cling to, until I found a small white light, feeble and blinking slowly. I latched onto it, pouring everything I had into it. Sweat poured down my face and I focused with intense concentration.
I had to bring him back; I owed him my life.
My magic surrounded him and his life spark, growing stronger and brighter until it exploded. Liam shot up, sucking in a large breath and looked around the room.
His eyes landed on Ember’s dead, headless body and he cried out. “No!”
Screaming, he scrambled to his knees, crawling for her, but Gerald stepped in between them. For an old dude, Gerard was surprisingly strong, and he pushed Liam back.
Feeling horrible, I stood up. The walls closed in on all sides; I had to get out of here. Christian and Avery stepped forward, leading me. Hunter and Easton took both sides of Liam, lightly pulling him, stumbling and confused, forward.
Dead soldiers met me, their bodies shot or cut up. I must have been in shock because I could only conjure a small amount of sympathy for them. For a woman who didn’t like being asked to sacrifice herself for a Queen, she’d asked these men to sacrifice their lives for some old relics.
I shook my head. Psychopaths don’t make sense. I just hoped they didn’t have families that cared for them.
I shivered, remembering how her head flew across the room and it made me retch.
Christian and Avery put their arms around me. “Are you going to be okay?”
I nodded, folding myself into Avery. “Take me home.”
He nodded, kissing the top of my head. “Always.”
10
It took us a while to get out of the tunnels and by the time we emerged into the cool air, my feet were dragging. After speaking a few words to Gerard, Hunter ran ahead of us. Liam was silent now, walking on his own.
Hunter pulled up in Easton’s car a few minutes later and I sat in the back, sandwiched in between Christian and Avery.
Avery immediately pulled me into him and I settled against his chest. We were all sweaty, bloody and gross, but we were freaking together again. Avery’s emotions buzzed between him and me, warm and welcoming, tender and concerned. I glowered in them. They moved over me, bathing me in his warmth and love.
Christian leaned towards me, brushing his thumb against my cheek. I smiled and took his hand. He scooted closer and he leaned against me. We held hands as Hunter pulled out in to the street.
Avery’s voice was by my ear. “Are you okay?” His fingers lightly stroked my stomach.
I was surrounded by men who loved me. Who risked their lives to find me.
I was lucky.
I nodded. “Yea
h. That bitch is dead, so I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
He chuckled softly, and then silence settled around us. No one spoke as we drove home, and I inspected my guys. They had cuts and bruises, and their hair was messy, but no real wounds. They looked exhausted. They’d been fighting, just like I had, and we were all ready to fall into a dream coma.
I tried to stay awake but my eyes grew heavy and I dozed.
I awoke to Hunter’s voice. “Go check and come back.” A car door slammed and I opened my eyes and leaned forward. “Are we there yet?”
Avery’s hand tightened on my stomach, pulling me back into him. “Not yet. Are you hungry?”
I shook my head.
“Alright, go back to sleep.”
“Okay.” I wouldn’t argue against that. Nodding, I snuggled closer into him and fell back asleep.
I awoke again, shivering lightly.
“Lizzy, I need your help.” Easton was standing in the door, his hand held out to me. I grabbed it and he pulled me out of the car. Then he picked me up into his arms, cradling me as we walked up to the house.
I looked up at it. “Wait. That’s not our house.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “They ransacked our place, so we’re staying here for now.”
Yawning, I wrapped my hands around his neck and settled against his shoulder in a sleepy daze. “Alright.” I had my necklace and my guys. That was all I really cared about.
Christian jogged ahead of us and I didn’t notice much as Easton took me inside. He set me down and I looked around. I was in the bathroom and the shower was on.
“Shower. Here’s some clean clothes.” Christian put a towel and some clothes on a shelf next to the shower. “You can sleep in the bed out there.” He pointed to the bed behind in the adjoining room.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
He smiled and then him and Easton left, shutting the door behind them.
At the click of the door, I jerked awake, alone with my memories.
I wrapped my arms around my chest, shaking. Fuck, that woman was so disgusting. So deranged.
I tested the water; it was deliciously warm. I jumped inside, grabbing a bar of soap. I needed to clean her filth off my body. I scrubbed every crook and cranny, once, twice, three times. Until I couldn’t smell anything of her or that dungeon on my body.
The warm water was like a lullaby, and I grew sleepy again. Barely keeping my eyes open, I climbed out of the shower. My uniform was on the floor. I could smell her blood on them and my own desire. I began to retch again and I leaned over the toilet, dry heaving.
After making sure I was done, I turned on the sink and splashed my face with cool water and rinsed out my mouth. That’s when I noticed the bottled water next to the sink.
Someone must have slipped it in here while I was showering. I smiled, thumbing the plastic. I opened the lid and drank the whole bottle, grateful for the men in my life.
I threw my clothes in the trash. I couldn’t look at them. I certainly wasn’t going to wear them again. After drying off, I shrugged into Christian’s clothes, then collapsed in the bed, falling asleep.
Sunlight poured through the window and I was in a very comfy bed, sweating. Christian’s arm clung to my stomach, and I found the heat source. His arm was pulsing shots of warmth into my body, even while he slept.
I stared at him in awe. I had the feeling that Christian’s need to heal went to the very core of his essence. He was so connected to his power, that it acted out his needs without him even knowing it.
Even though I was hot, it was still soothing. I flung the blanket off my legs but snuggled closer and faced him. He snored lightly and I stared at his angelic face. His blond hair curled around his eyes, framing his long eyelashes. He looked so sweet, so sexy.
I brushed my fingers over his lips, softly so he wouldn’t wake, and a breathtaking love for him clung to my heart, making it pound softly against my chest. I kissed his cheek lightly, then I slowly crawled out from under his arm and quietly made my way to the bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess but the rest of my body had been perfectly healed by Hunter. Looking around, I found a toothbrush and toothpaste. I brushed my teeth and took a quick rinse in the shower. Then I put my clothes back on and took off my necklace.
After carefully sliding the diamond off, I studied the chain. It was discolored from Ember’s blood.
Turning on the water, I rinsed it off, rubbing my fingers over it. When that didn’t do anything, I pumped soap into my hand and scrubbed it. I spent several minutes scrubbing it but the blood wouldn’t come off. Instead the chain grew even more discolored, turning a rusty, brownish color. Frustrated, I put the diamond back on it and secured it around my neck. There must be something magical about her blood that didn’t quit even though she was dead.
Sighing, I put it back on, forcing myself to shrug it off. I’d just have to get another chain. I was tempted to cling to it; my mom had given it to me. But the diamond was the most important part. I washed my hands again and turned back to the room, realizing that Christian was watching me.
My lips broke out in a grin. “You’re awake.” I went back to the bed.
He smiled. “Hey, beautiful.” His green eyes darkened. “How are you doing?”
I shrugged. “I’m okay.” I sat down, pulling my legs up and wrapping my arms around them. “How are you?”
“Me? I’m doing great.” He leaned over and drug me to him. “Now that you’re back.”
I smiled, and a glowy warmth moved through my chest. As I settled back under the covers, he frowned.
“What? Why the frown?” I touched his lips and he nipped at my finger. “Do I still have bad breath?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Then what?”
Shrugging, he didn’t answer but scooted up so that his back was against the grey, padded headboard. He pulled me up so that I was leaning against his chest, and he ran his fingers over my head, playing with my hair. He didn’t have a shirt on and I ran my fingers through the light blonde hair on his chest, thinking. Remembering.
I could hear the birds chirping outside our window and the voice of Hunter, Easton and Avery outside. It sounded like they were playing soccer.
“The guys are up already?”
He turned his head, glancing at the clock. “It’s already two in the afternoon, so probably.” Then he shrugged. “But I don’t know. I’ve been in here with you all night.”
A smile touched my lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being with me. For keeping me safe. For coming for me.”
He didn’t answer right away, and his fingers through my hair were lulling me into a peaceful calm feeling.
“What did she want anyway?” His voice was thoughtful.
“To know where the book and the ring were.”
“Mmmm.”
“I didn’t tell her.”
His hands traced my ear. “It doesn’t matter. We’ve given them back to Gerard. Along with the mask and the astrolabe. They found them on one of the bodies of her dead guards.”
“Good.” I shivered, but I still felt a weight lift off my chest. “They should keep them safe now.”
“Yeah.”
“How did you find me? How did you know to go to Liam?”
His fingers traced down my neck. “It was Sophia.”
I sat up, my eyes wide. “Really?”
He nodded. “She went through Andre’s personal computer at his home. She found evidence that it had some sort of unauthorized program on it. It kept a log of keystrokes, stuff like that. She traced it to Ember. Apparently, Andre suspected that the Queen had a mole, and was doing his own investigation. He only worked on it from his personal laptop, in case it was someone inside the Authority. Ember knew everything he was doing. Knew that he was close to discovering her identity. She’s the one who threw suspicion on him, to keep the Queen from trusting him. That way, eve
n if he came out and said that it was Ember, they wouldn’t believe him.”
I raised my eyebrows, still surprised that Sophia was the shifter responsible for saving us. “Hmm.”
“Once she knew it was Ember, she tried calling us. When she couldn’t reach us, she called Andre and told him the truth. Liam helped them track her closest known associates. With Gerard’s help, they split up, looking for her. And us.” He frowned, remembering, “We woke up as Ember’s soldiers were dragging us to the river. They were going to kill us and dump us in the water. We were fighting them off, but there were so many.” He looked into my eyes, his stare intense. “Liam and Gerard came just in time.”
“Thank God.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “And um, that sword Gerard pulled out of his pocket? What the hell?”
Christian laughed. “Yeah, the sword breaks any magical elements. So if Ember had any magic protecting her, it would’ve destroyed it the minute his sword touched her.”
I frowned. “Remind me not to get in a fight with him.”
He smiled, crinkling the skin around his eyes. “Nah, he likes you too much.”
I smiled. “I hope so. I’ve saved the Queen’s ass too many times for him to hold any sort of grudge against me. He owes me for the rest of my life.” I paused, and my smile slipped from my face. “You know, Ember told me that she manipulated Andre into banishing Emma from Aerwyna.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“That would be really hard, I can’t imagine anyone manipulating Andre. He doesn’t have enough feelings to be controlled. She must have something over him.”
I frowned. “I think I know how.”
Christian tilted his head. “How’s that?”
I didn’t answer, just looked out the window. The snow was almost gone, and the blazing sun was doing its best to melt the rest.
Christian touched my chin and I looked at him. “Christian?”
He gave me a soft look. “Yes?”
I sat up, pulling my knees up and lying my chin on it. I took his hand and played with his fingers, uncertain how to ask him my question. “Have you, erm…” I paused, trying to stop the squeezing feeling in my chest. A warmth moved through Christian’s fingers and into my arms, and the feeling loosened. I sucked in a breath, feeling better. Swallowing hard, I stared at the white down blanket.
