“Ah!” I dropped to the ground, the lantern rolling away with a clatter as I clutched my burned hand to my chest.
“Mackenzie?” someone garbled.
From where I perched on my knees, I looked up and saw a figure at the end of the row of cells. It was so dark I couldn’t make out who it was, even with my wolf vision.
With my only functional hand, I reached for the lantern that had rolled away, but I was so weak, I wanted nothing more than to stay on the ground. I pushed myself to stand and dragged myself forward, aiming the light toward the stranger. When I got close enough, I held the light up to their face.
Sebastian!
He was chained, hanging from the ceiling, being held up by his neck with the tips of his toes barely brushing the floor, which was why I didn’t recognize his voice when he called out my name. This was why I was in such pain. He was surrounded by mountains of silver and was barely holding on.
“Bash!” I reached for the chains that restrained him.
“No!” he choked, stopping me. “Pure … silver.”
My brows furrowed. I didn’t understand what that meant. “Is that what burned me?” I asked, hating that I was making him talk.
“Yes,” he garbled.
I wavered on my feet as if I were about to faint and sweat started rolling down the side of my face. It was taking a lot of energy from me to stay alert.
“I can’t not try to help you,” I whispered because it was all the strength I had. “I don’t care if it burns. You’re hurting.”
“Run,” he choked.
It was all the warning I had before I whipped around and came face-to-face with someone—species unknown—taking advantage of my weakness. They yanked my hair and I blocked their arm with my forearm, palming their chest with as much strength as I could muster. They flew back a couple of feet, but I was already gasping for breath. That small skirmish took a lot out of me.
Once the torches in the dungeon were lit by a warlock at the end of the room, I could see everyone that surrounded us more clearly.
“Ms. Grey, welcome,” Cardona greeted smoothly as he stood in the center, surrounded by his beefy protection detail. “I see you got my message.”
“Release him,” I demanded breathlessly as I pointed to Bash.
Cardona shrugged. “I’d be happy to do so, as long as you cooperate.”
“He’s dying!” I gasped. “If you want me to cooperate, let him go now!”
He tsked. “That’s not how negotiations work. You, of all people should know that. You’re practically an expert at them with how you handled your re-employment.”
I collapsed to a knee, unable to hold myself up any longer. I fisted the ground and took in shallow breaths. Cassidy was right, I couldn’t last much longer. I didn’t expect them to have pure silver down there. Hell, I didn’t even know about pure silver or the effects of it. What the hell kind of silver had I been dealing with before this?
“You won’t get the stone unless you release him. That’s how this negotiation works,” I mumbled. “I have nothing to lose. I’m dying right along with him, and no one else knows where it is. If I die, the stone will be lost forever,” I bluffed. He didn’t know Alexander had it, and it was best if he thought the rest of the SIU team didn’t know where it was, either.
Cardona sneered at me before jerking his head at one of the fae standing beside him. “Release him,” he said none too happily.
I recognized the white-haired fae that approached us as the one who walked out of the portal and made the offer to bestow some great power on me. He claimed they only wished to keep me safe, but from my current vantage point, it certainly didn’t look that way.
The fae passed by and stood just behind me, unchaining Bash. I took the opportunity to chat him up. If he really wanted to help, this was his chance.
“Psst.” I tried to get his attention without gaining the attention of the others. “Hey!”
The fae with those eerie lavender eyes peered down at me, looked over at Cardona, and back down at me again. “What do you want, Mackenzie MacCoinnich?”
“That’s the question I should be asking you,” I mumbled. “What do you want from me? I’ll give it to you, just help us,” I begged.
“I once offered my help and you denied me. Why should I help you now?” He tilted his head as if I truly confounded him.
“I’m not a good liar, so you’ll get the truth from me. I don’t trust you. I don’t trust any of the fae.” I breathed deeply. “But right now, I’m in a bit of a pickle, and I don’t plan on dying here.”
The fae squatted down to be at eye level with me. “One vial.”
“What?” I scoffed.
“One vial of your blood. It’s all I ask.”
What the fuck kinda kinky shit was this? Did the oxygen completely leave my brain, or did I hear him correctly?
“That’s not what you wanted originally,” I muttered, trying to keep myself from laying on the ground. I wanted to fall asleep, but I couldn’t. I tried to focus on the pain from the burnt hand I still clutched to my chest.
“How do you know that wasn’t what I wanted?” He raised a brow.
“Because you said—”
“I wanted to bestow upon you great powers. I know what I said, Mackenzie MacCoinnich. No need to repeat my words. Now hurry and make a decision. We are running out of time.” He peered over at Cardona and started to unchain Bash.
“What’s the hold-up?” the Commissioner yelled across the room.
“Almost done,” the fae called back. “Clock’s ticking, Mackenzie MacCoinnich. What have you decided?”
I looked back at Bash, who took a deep breath as soon as the chains around his neck were released. He dropped to the ground when the ones holding him up were untied and he started to cough. All I wanted to do was go to him. Through our bond, I felt his pain subside and my body visibly relaxed. But there was a nasty burn mark around his neck where the chains of pure silver had been.
“I’ll do it,” I said to the fae. “I’ll give you the vial. Just get rid of Cardona.”
A slow smile spread across the fae’s face. “As you wish, Mackenzie MacCoinnich.”
His lavender eyes glowed as he stepped over us and magic pulsed through his body. He spread his hands out beside him and I felt the magic swell around us. The ground beneath us started to crack, and in those splits of earth, green vines started to sprout. They darted out of the earth and found their way to Cardona, wrapping themselves around his body and clutching him tightly.
“What is the meaning of this, Angus?” Cardona yelled as he was restrained by the vines.
I crawled over to Bash and wrapped my arms around him protectively. “Are you okay?” I whispered.
He nodded his head but didn’t say anything.
“The terms of our conditions have been nullified,” the fae whom I now knew was named Angus said as he approached the Commissioner. “I now have what I want.”
The fae that were spread around the room released knives from their sleeves and stepped up behind the warlocks, intending to slit their throats.
“Stop!” I shouted. “Don’t kill them!”
Angus lifted a hand to stop them, and the fae restrained the warlocks to stop them from doing any magic. I exhaled raggedly, having already exerted more energy than I contained. We’d promised the Captain no more warlocks would die and I intended to keep that promise.
I heard footsteps coming from the tunnel and sighed in relief, fully expecting someone from my team. But I should have known I wasn’t that lucky.
Captain Voight appeared in the dungeon, standing just behind Cardona, and for a moment I thought he was there to help us. Until he held up two fingers and pointed them in Angus’s direction. The fae seized before me, the lavender glow in his eyes fading before he was flung back against the concrete wall behind us. Debris rained down from the impact as Angus collapsed and was knocked out. Once Angus was unconscious, the power that held the vines restraining Cardona w
ere released.
Voight walked down the aisle and glanced at the fae holding his warlocks hostage, then raised his hands and brought them down forcefully, sending a vibration radiating through the dungeon. The fae were thrown back against the wall and rendered as unconscious as their leader.
“You played us …” I accused Voight as I looked around the room with wide eyes.
He stopped mid-way to me and straightened. “I’m the High Warlock of Long Island. I do not fear a Reaper,” he said disgustedly.
We underestimated him. He may have been scared in the moment, but that fear faded.
I looked down at Bash in my arms and saw he was too weak to fight. Hell, I was too weak to fight. There was no chance of us getting out of there. Where were the others?
The question must have been obvious on my face, because Voight laughed. “Your friends are a bit occupied. Don’t expect them to come save you anytime soon.”
I glowered. “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing that concerns you, Grey,” Voight said. “Now, give us the stone so we can get on with our day.”
Why wasn’t Úlfur coming to save the day? When did I become so reliant on the stranger that I even expected him to show up?
No. I needed to figure this out on my own. There were four warlocks in addition to Voight, and then there was Cardona. I had to find a way out for Bash and me. I’d been given a stamina potion, which was probably why I was more lucid than Bash and had more energy. I could get to my feet and do a half shift. The real question was, could I fight?
I wavered and attempted to stand, and once I was on my feet, stumbled until I got my footing. The room was spinning and I tried to focus on a stationary point in the room to get it to stop.
I gave them an overconfident smirk, even if I didn’t actually feel it. “I seem to always get underestimated. When will you learn? I don’t deal well with ultimatums.”
“The room is laced with pure silver, Grey. You’re smarter than that,” Voight chided as if talking to a child. “Let’s not do anything stupid.”
I laughed. “You kidnap my soon-to-be mate to lure me to the fae realm, and then tell me not to do anything stupid? You’re the definition of stupid!” I roared and morphed into a half shift, my canines emerging and my claws coming out. My eyes silvered and I growled at my enemies, getting a boost of energy from their spike of fear. “You came for what’s mine … now you’ll pay!”
I launched myself toward the first warlock, my claws slashing across his face so he couldn’t see. He screamed and held the ribbons of his face as blood streamed down like a river. Not about to give him a chance to do any magic, I snapped his neck. By the time I spun around, the others were ready. As they heaved magic balls at me, each one bounced off my skin like I was wearing warlock repellent. I didn’t know if it was the stamina potion or not, but I no longer felt the physical effects of the impact. I just kept walking toward them.
Two came for me at once. I ducked a hit and punched him in the gut while blocking the other warlock, who tried to grab me before I twisted his arm and flipped him on his back. I elbowed the other warlock in the face, making blood spurt from his nose. The third one joined the fray and I tackled him to the ground, straddling him and letting my punches fly until I knocked him out cold.
I was hauled off by the one I’d flipped onto his back and he wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides. I head-butted him until he let me go, making myself dizzy in the process. When he released me, I turned and sank my canines into his throat and ripped it out. His blood flowed from my mouth, down my chin and neck, and I felt the bloodlust frenzy take over. I wanted more. Two warlocks remained. One was unconscious, but the other was starting to retreat, placing himself in a magical quarantine to keep me away.
My gaze went to Voight and Cardona, who were rooted in place, transfixed by the spectacle. “You!” I pointed to Voight. “I will kill you …”
“You do that, and your career is over!”
I chuckled dryly. “Your career is over. Both of you are dead for touching something that didn’t belong to you,” I growled.
“Mackenzie …” Bash croaked from behind me, but his voice sounded so far away. “Please … control yourself.”
“You might want to listen to your boyfriend,” Voight snapped as he erected a magical barrier between us.
I snarled at him like a feral animal, approaching the magical barrier and pounding on it. “You can’t hide from me forever!”
“Grey?” The voice came from behind them, and when I looked, I saw Michaels. Luckily, he wasn’t alone. Finn and Malakai were with him.
My chest was heaving up and down rapidly, but as soon as I saw my partner, something inside of me realized I was doing something I shouldn’t. Something inhuman. I calmed immediately and looked down at my bloody hands and shirt, stumbling back from the magical barrier in mild shock.
Michaels came around to me and wrapped me in his arms. “It’s okay, just breathe.”
I shook my head and stepped away. I had to get to Bash. I didn’t have time for a breakdown now. “I have to get Bash out of here,” I muttered, trying to avoid looking at the massacre I’d inflicted.
“I’ll help you.” Michaels and I approached Sebastian where he laid on the floor and picked him up. Michaels took most of his weight, since I was coming down from an adrenaline high and the silver was starting to affect me again. I could feel myself dragging.
I peered over at Cardona and Voight as Malakai brought down their magical barrier and Finn swooped in with handcuffs for them both. Focusing on the task at hand, I didn’t bother looking back or seeing what was happening with the others as I stumbled out of the dungeons with Michaels and Bash. We trudged up the stairs until we were outside, where we were greeted by an armada.
Cassidy and Nyx weren’t the only ones waiting on us. So were the Captains of the Brooklyn Pack, here to retrieve their Alpha. As soon as he emerged, they hurried to his side and took him from me and Michaels, placing him as far away from the dungeon’s entrance as possible.
Michaels gave me a concerned look. “I need to go back down there and arrest the other warlocks. Will you be okay?”
I nodded. He was hesitant but left me to go do his job.
Cas was by my side immediately. “Damnit, Kenz, you had me freaking out.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Kenz!” someone shouted, and I whirled around to see who it was.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Ollie?” I said, confused to see him in the fae realm.
He picked me up in a massive hug, disregarding the fact I was getting blood all over him. “I’ve been so worried,” he muttered into my hair. “I wouldn’t let them come without me. I had to know you were okay.”
Well, that explains why he’s here.
I started to pull back but he gripped my arms, not letting go. “You shouldn’t have come, Ollie. It’s dangerous here, and you’re not properly trained—”
“I wasn’t going to leave you alone,” he interrupted me. “The Brooklyn Pack was coming for Bash, but I knew none of them would be there for you.”
That wasn’t necessarily true; I had my team from the SIU, but I got the gist of what he was saying. At least I knew that whether he was Pack or not, my brother would always have my back, no matter what.
“Thank you, Ollie.” I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest. He was family, no matter what our DNA said.
“Hey, Kenz, you okay?” Jackson asked as he approached us.
I stepped back and plastered on a fake smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. How’s Bash?”
“He just needs to shift, but we want to do it away from here,” he said disgustedly. “We need to get him back home. It’ll be safe for him to shift in Central Park.” Jackson peered over his shoulder at his Alpha. Bernard, Thomas, Mohammad, and Sterling were lifting Bash up, getting ready to transport him out of the fae realm. “We’ll take care of him.” Jack turned back to me, giving me a kn
owing look. “Just come home soon.”
I nodded. “I will.”
Jackson turned to Ollie and my brother shook his head. “I’m staying with Kenzie.”
I placed a hand on my brother’s arm. “I’ll make sure he gets home to the Compound safely,” I promised.
“Make sure he does, Kenz.” Jackson gave Ollie a stern look and then turned away to help the other captains. It was nice to see Sterling with them. She was finally one of them.
Once they were gone, Cas, Ollie, and I waited outside the dungeon entrance until Finn, Malakai, and Michaels emerged with Cardona and Voight, as well as the other warlocks who hadn’t been killed. We were three Lycans who couldn’t be down there to help, even if we wanted to.
By the time they finally surfaced, back-up had arrived in the form of more officers from the SIU who were there to help take them into custody, led by Nyx. Finn, Michaels, and Malakai were also able to rescue the fae who were down there. I told them how they had tried to help, but that Voight did a whammy on them and knocked them out. Malakai was able to wake them up with some fae magic, and I approached Angus, who was propped up against the glass castle.
I squatted down in front of him. “How are you feeling?”
He rubbed his forehead and grinned. “None too pleased at the moment. Suffice it to say that you have eliminated our enemy?” Angus’s eyes raked over my blood-soaked clothing.
I grimaced. “Not exactly. We took them into custody and they’ll be going to Ironwood for a very long time. At least Voight will. Cardona will most likely go to a human prison.”
He narrowed his lavender eyes. “That is not justice, Mackenzie MacCoinnich. At least not your brand of justice.”
I winced. “I’m trying to do things a little differently now.” At least when the blood lust doesn’t take over.
“Your savagery is what makes you infamous—”
“It’s what makes me dangerous,” I cut him off. “I won’t kill unnecessarily. Not anymore.”
He eyed me for a moment before nodding. “Very well. As for our deal, you still owe me a vial. I will be coming to collect soon.” When Angus pushed up from the ground and stood, I followed. He whistled, getting the attention of the other fae who had accompanied him, and opened a portal. “Until we meet again, Mackenzie MacCoinnich.”
Stolen Relics Page 17
