“I…” I don’t want to be someone’s toy, a pawn in a war that could easily kill me and destroy everyone I’ve ever loved. But I can’t get the words to form on my tongue, my heart aching with each beat of its drum.
“I don’t know. How can I even…” I shake my head. Iofiel reaches for my hand again and I squeeze his fingers.
“You don’t need to make the decision right now,” Faela says with the slightest shake of her head, her violet curls bouncing. “I’m not trying to pressure you and…I understand if you cannot help. But the fate of an entire race depends on you.”
“No pressure,” Iofiel says drily.
“Think about it, Lucy Swift. I can give you anything you ask, anything within my power. I’ll be back to visit later; feel free to explore my beautiful sanctuary, Omega City. See what kind of world, what kind of people you’ll be protecting, should you decide. And thank you.”
She stands and hesitates for a moment before she bows; it’s just a small bend of the waist, but to have the queen of the good Fae bow to you is…awe inspiring and nerve shattering all at once. Then she disappears.
I cling to Iofiel’s hand like it’s my lifeline. “I don’t know what to do.” The words whispered from my lips come with an all too familiar burn behind my eyes. I blink tears away, trying to stay strong. Iofiel kisses my knuckles, then climbs into the bed with me. I scoot over and he curls up behind me, his arms wrapped securely around my waist, holding me against him. Our bodies cup together perfectly. He radiates with heat, like my own personal furnace, and it only gets hotter as he kisses my neck.
“I can’t make this decision for you, love.” His words are softly spoken.
I sigh. “I know.”
“If it helps…know that I’ll love you, no matter what you decide. I’ll be by your side. I promise.”
This time the dam bursts and tears break free. I lean back into him and just cry as he whispers sweet nothings in my ear to sooth my ragged inner beast.
Chapter 30:
Iofiel
Omega City is beautiful, a glittering utopia of silver and stained glass. Faerie magic swirls through the air, lining the walls of the city with a powerful ward. Faela told us that it would keep us hidden from the Unseelie and their hounds, keep us off the radar—of course, look how good the last safe-haven turned out…but somehow, strangely, I really believe we’ll be safe here.
She’s powerful as hell in the magic department, that much is obvious. She can probably keep the barriers in place without breaking a sweat, but she’s also a strong leader. The Faeries and the Mithos that she’s gathered, the hundreds of them that fill this massive city, all look at her with respect. And you can tell by the warmth in those amethyst eyes that she loves her people.
Everyone from Polaris has been situated, given our own rooms and schedules to better help us fit in here. Faela says we can stay as long as we want, but I don’t know how long that will be. While some of the Mithos kids seem happy here, ready for some semblance of normalcy, the rest of them? Not so much. They’re antsy and reactive, itching to fight. Afraid that the cyberhounds will come knocking on our doors to tear us apart.
Without Lucy, we would’ve lost and everyone knows it. Even Diesel seems shaken.
But it’s MaXXX who I’m the most worried about. Maybe not worried, exactly; more like a little suspicious of him. Ever since the Mithos showdown—in which he didn’t stand and fight, but instead high-tailed it back for the bus, the coward—he’s been spooky. His usual nonchalance is replaced by the frantic, fearful look of someone who’s done something bad. MaXXX is paranoid.
Leaving Caddie and Lucy with the rest of the Polaris gang, I pat my leg and call for Chip, who’s taken all the new changes in stride. For being some mangy little junkyard dog, he’s a good boy. His tail wags like a rusted out banner as he lopes beside me. I stretch my legs, meandering through the city at an easy pace, yearning to shift and patrol the city myself, but Faela warned me that it might be dangerous to do that. Apparently, some of her loyal citizens are a little trigger happy. Even if I am on their side.
Chip jerks to a stop, his boxy head tilted to the right. I hear a strained voice, but it’s muffled and I can’t make out the words. Chip pins his ears and growls once. The hair on the back of my neck spiking with uncertainty, I place a hand on the dog’s head and tell him quietly to stay, then creep towards the alley.
When I turn the corner, someone rams headlong into me and bounces off. I stumble back, managing to catch myself, and find myself looking down at the pale face of MaXXX Starfell. His blue hair is shaggy and his eyes are round and panicked. He doesn’t look like a rock star right now, that’s for sure.
He stares at me when I try and help him up, scrambling away. He dusts off the butt of his jeans and I hear another growl. I feel Chip press against my calves, eying MaXXX. The singer runs both hands through his hair and takes another step back. “What do you want?” He shoots a daggered glare at Chip.
“What’s your problem?”
His eyes lock with mine, filled with sudden defiance—and fear. “I hate dogs. Hounds are no better.” His lip curls slightly, as if my presence disgusts him. In reality? I think he’s running scared. He’s terrified of me; I can smell it on his skin, sickly.
“No, really.” I keep my voice calm, quiet, not wanting to spook him again. “Ever since we left Polaris, you’ve been different. Flighty. Nervous.” He opens his mouth to object, but I hold up my hand, then point to my nose. “Hound, remember? I can smell your fear, MaXXX. I just…don’t understand it. I thought you were a big, bad rebel who fights off cyberhounds and the Unseelie with your bare hands?” I don’t keep the slight trace of mockery from my voice; they were, after all, his words, not mine.
MaXXX scrubs his face with both hands, as if trying to rub away the memories, rub away the past. Chip growls again and MaXXX moves to kick him, but I grab his wrist before his leg swings. “Don’t touch him. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
The boy sneers. “Dirty mutt needs to learn his place.” I don’t know if he means me or Chip, but I turn and shoo the dog out of the alley. Chip gives me a wary glance, then huffs and trots off. MaXXX slumps against the alley wall, head tilting back against the brick. He just looks defeated now. “I hate dogs. Almost as much as I hate the Fae.”
I leaned forwards. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why?”
“I just…” He frowns and wraps both arms around himself. “They make me nervous. I don’t care if Faela and her people are supposed to be “good”—Faeries are Faeries and they’re all a tricky, horrible sort of creature.”
“And dogs?”
MaXXX shudders and rolls up the leg of his blue jeans to reveal a mass of white scar tissue mottling his calf. Deep puncture wounds are evident—the work of canine teeth. “I don’t exactly tell the truth when I tell those kids stories… I can’t, because then…”
Then he’d be weak. Not a hero, but a coward.
He shakes his head. “But I really was attacked by a pack of cyberhounds. They nearly killed me, their teeth ripping at me while I tried to fight them off. I was only spared because the evil queen herself broke it up. She fancied me a pretty toy and I truly learned what Faeries are all about: Sadistic lies and cruel deceit. I managed to escape, barely.” His voice is tight, strangled. “I never want to look at another Faerie, but here I am.”
My heart pangs at the pain in his eyes, the fear lacing his voice. He’s trembling slightly, not at all the cocksure rock star he portrays himself to be, but instead a frightened teen with nowhere to run, running out of options.
He glances at me, nervous again. “Lucy shouldn’t make deals with Faela. Seelie aren’t any better than Unseelie, Iofiel, and it will only lead to agony. She shouldn’t have to fight someone else’s battles for them—we need to get away from this place. It’s only a matter of time and—”
Then an alarm wails overhead, flooding my brain with warnings. MaXXX jerks alert, jaw going slack. “I knew this would happen.
There’s a breach. They’re coming for us.” He whimpers. “Go help them! You’re strong. I’ll go find Lucy and Caddie.”
I nod, but grab his wrist as he turns to leave. Our eyes touch and hold. “Take care of her for me,” I say, my voice suddenly fierce. His eyes widen and then I let him go, darting into the street, following the horde of Mithos ready to do battle to protect Omega City. Maybe we shouldn’t fight the Fae’s battle for them, but as long as Lucy is in this city, I will protect her.
Chapter 31:
Lucy
The sirens scream is a deafening roar and the teenagers in our group scramble to their feet, looking a little like lost sheep without their shepherd. We’d gone through a drill last week, when we’d first arrived, so that we’d know how to take shelter in case of emergency.
“I’m gonna guess this is no drill!” Caddie calls over the wail. I shake my head. We wouldn’t be that lucky.
We had a breach.
The Unseelie knew where we were.
I press my eyes shut, trying to dislodge the negative thoughts flailing around in my mind like stowaways. A group of Mithos bolts past us, energy buzzing around them as they prep for battle. “Get to the Safe Hall!” a woman shouts, her frizzled mane of dark curls billowing behind her.
“Bullshit,” Caddie barks. “I can fight with the best of them!” She snaps her fingers together and a flame flickers to life. “Who’s with me, gang?”
“Hell yeah!” Lake grins from ear to ear, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Josh pumps his fist in the air, as do several others. A few of the kids are reproachful—and to my surprise, their eyes fall on me.
My breath catches in my chest. By protecting Polaris, by nearly dying to save them, I’d earned their trust. The younger kids were still in awe of me, the older kids always smiling and talking to me. If popularity was a rank, I was nearly Alpha female in their eyes.
I went from zero to hero in a matter of minutes. And I won’t lie when I say it feels good.
“I can’t make this decision for you,” I tell them. “Everyone who wants to fight? Get your butts out there. Everyone else, get to Safe Hall.”
“Remember the drill we had?” The younger kids bob their heads. Fallon squeezes my hand quickly, a smile on her face. “I’ll take care of them. Thanks, Luce,” she says, then ushers them off.
I turn to look at Caddie and she catches my gaze, a smirk on her face. “Little Miss Lucy-Popular-Pants,” she teases. I flick her on the nose and she smacks me on the shoulder. “Let’s do this!” She gives a roar that’s probably supposed to sound like a bear, but in reality sounds like a dying elk, and we dive forwards.
One minute I’m running alongside them and the next, someone’s grabbing my arm. Shit! Is there more than one breach? I turn and swing my fist back, but MaXXX catches it, a tight smile on his face. We stumble to a halt. “MaXXX?” I blink, taken aback. He looks like hell. “What’re you—”
“I’m sorry, sweetie, but I have orders to get you to safety.”
“From who?”
He looks at me, wry. “Your boyfriend, who else?” He tugs me along after him and I’m soon running at his side, my arms pumping as confusion swirls in my head, but I trust Iofiel. I trust him with my heart and soul.
“The final battle is here. Without you, the Seelie might not win against…them.” His voice is muffled by the wind blowing in our faces as we sprint. His grip is tight around my wrist and I try and tug away, but he shakes his head fiercely and clamps down harder. “Have you made your decision?”
I feel a tremor of fear lick up my chest as we run. I don’t have a choice, do I? I have to fight for the good side. If I’m the only one who can save us, then how can I turn them down? How can I condemn an entire race of people to death, just so I’m safe?
But the fear only blossoms into a flame, eating away at my lungs. Every breath I take burns. I don’t know where we’re going, but it’s sure as hell not to Faela or the Safe Hall. My stomach flips and I plant my feet.
“We’re not going the right way. MaXXX, please! Stop!” I haul back on him and he grunts. My heart skids to a stop as he looks at me, his face a mask of anger, pain, and beneath that, fear.
“Come on!” His words are a growl.
“MaXXX, what’s going on?” My voice comes out more timid than I would’ve liked. Alpha female I am not. He steps towards me, twisting my wrist. I yelp and I’m jerked to his chest like a ragdoll. His blue eyes are wild with a fire I’ve never seen before.
“I don’t have a choice, Lucy. It’s you or me and…I can’t. I just can’t.” His words are whispered, bitter. Then, before I can react, he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. Then he bolts down the street and right through the wards.
Right out of Omega City. Right out of safety. I screech and thrash, but his grip is tight.
And then I see them: The blue-black of their fur, the gleam of metal against the twilight, the dull glow of their cyborg eyes. Cyberhounds, waiting to pounce. They circle us and I can smell MaXXX’s fear, mixed with traces of my own. He drops me and I tumble forwards only to get snapped at by a pair of huge jaws.
Without thinking, I punch the hound in the face, then let loose a blast of power. The beast shrieks as he’s thrown backwards. “Come on, you furry bastards!” I shout, readying myself for another fight. I can do this. I can take them out.
And then one of MaXXX’s arms wraps around me, pulling me snug against his chest. His breath tickles my ear as he says, “I’m sorry…” and I don’t have a chance to register what he means before I feel a prick of pain in my neck and a shot of fire burning through my veins.
The world blurs and dims—did he just drug me?—hazy colors shimmering before the blackness swallows me whole.
***
My eyes open to reveal black velvet and white lace curtains. I blink, hands forming fists against the coverlet I’m laying on. Wait. I sit bolt-upright and scramble off the bed, tearing the blanket off with me. This isn’t right. I breathe in the soft scent of lavender…and under that, the musk of MaXXX’s cologne.
It floods back. I remember—the cyberhounds, MaXXX’s betrayal, the sting of a needle against my skin, drugs coursing through my bloodstream, blackness engulfing me. My heart aches. Iofiel… I force myself to breathe.
The room’s decorated in black, white, and blood red. A crystal vase of roses sits on the bedside table, which is painted white. As are the floorboards. The ceiling is spackled red, but the walls…the walls are mirrored. I look into my reflection—pale skin, blue veins, dark hair wild around my face, dark circles under my eyes.
I look…terrified. Like a wild animal, trapped and scared.
“MaXXX?” I bark loudly, the sound reverberating around me like an echo. I waver on my feet and head for the window. I tear back the curtains only to find it barred. I’m in a cell. A beautiful cell, but prison is prison. “MaXXX!” My voice is raw as I grip the bars across the window and jerk with all my might. They hold tight.
Then I see the etched-glass double doors with black tooled knobs and I lunge for one, escape singing through my veins. As my fingers connect with the doorknob, a jolt of electricity slams through me, rattling me until I break away. My breath comes in short, sharp pants as I stare at the door.
Trapped.
No way out.
Tears burn my eyes. Hell no, I won’t cry! I will not show weakness. I look around and find a little red dot glowing in the corner of the room. I sneer at the camera, then flip it the bird. “They’ll come for me, you know.” I force my voice to stay strong, even though I know it’s true. Iofiel will come. He’ll rally the gang and they’ll come…
My gut sinks. And then they’ll die. A couple of Mithos and a cyberhound won’t stand a chance against the Unseelie. No…
I jump as the knob slowly twists and the doors both swing open. My eyes narrow as MaXXX looks guiltily at me from the doorway, which extends into a massive ballroom. I barge over to him, pull my fist back, and aim a punch at his face. I
nstead of slamming home like it should’ve, my hand bounces off an invisible wall and the electric current surges through me once more.
I sway on my feet, weakness dragging me down, but I glare blades of steel at him. “You little rat! I should’ve known. I should’ve listened to my gut—I should’ve listened to Iofiel and got the hell out of dodge.”
I half-expect his cocksure, carefree attitude, his little pet names…but instead his eyes are rimmed in pain and he looks sick. I press my eyes shut, wishing he’d be a jerk, be a typical bad guy, something that wouldn’t make me feel pity for the blue-haired boy standing before me.
“Why?” is all I can manage to say.
He glances over his shoulder and slowly shakes his head. “I didn’t have a choice. I had to bring you here—you don’t understand! I was supposed to kill you the moment I found you, but I couldn’t do it. I’m not a killer. I’ve done some bad things, but never… And if I didn’t, she’d…” He breaks off, breathing in through his nose. It sounds stuffy, as if he’s been crying.
It hits me: He looks so young right now.
“You don’t want to do this, MaXXX. Please. Listen to your heart. We don’t belong here. Let me go and we can fight the Unseelie. I’m a Souljacker. I can beat that evil bitch’s ass, but I need your help.” My voice rises in pitch, edged in panicked hysteria. I force a breath and try for calm again. “Please, MaXXX, just—”
MaXXX’s shoulders sag just as a tall, ethereally gorgeous woman places a hand on his shoulder. Her pale fingers flex, digging sharp nails into his shirt, and he bows his head. He doesn’t flinch; maybe he’s too beaten down. He won’t even look at me now.
“Oh, Maxxie, don’t look so down in the dumps. You did the right thing.” Her voice is like scales on a snake and twice as slippery. She touches his chin and he smiles, but it’s tense, his happiness far away. “Our little Souljacker just needs to stay where she is until the fight is over. I can’t have her joining the Seelie and giving them a chance to beat me, now can I? Not that that will happen.”
Souljacker Page 20
