by Lisa Cardiff
Avery sat trembling in the inky blackness of the musty crawlspace. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to speed up her acclimation to the dark so she could see something, anything, even the dirt floor.
Muted gunfire and the sound of splintering wood echoed through the tiny space, shaking the wood panel above her head. It could have been right above her for all she knew because she was too scared to focus, and the adrenaline pumping through her veins didn’t help her concentration. As she listened to furniture sliding across floor, she prayed her father was safely hidden.
When Flannigan’s voice drifted through the house, fear lanced her heart, mobilizing her to act. She refused to continue hiding, waiting for someone to rescue her. Standing, she pressed on the ceiling, trying to figure out how to open the trap door. Feeling the wood lift slightly, she smiled, knowing she was pressing on the right spot. She adjusted her feet and pushed as hard as she could. A sudden bright light streamed into the cramped space, momentarily blinding her.
When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Peter looming over her father with a gun pointed at his head, and then the smell hit her—the coppery scent of newly spilled blood.
Peter looked at her father with narrowed eyes and said, “Where’s Avery?”
“Why the fuck do you think I would tell you that?” He responded.
“Maybe I’ll let you live in exchange for handing her over.”
“Look at me. Flannigan shot me. I don’t think I’ll live much longer, so that’s hardly an enticing exchange.”
“Maybe I’ll just kill you then. I would be doing you a service. I heard iron poisoning is a particularly painful death for faeries and as for me, I don’t think she’ll be that hard to find. I’m sure she isn’t far.”
The crawlspace door was heavy, especially with the added weight of the knotted throw rug on top, but she found the strength to fully throw the door open before pulling herself onto the kitchen floor.
“No, Peter, don’t do it!” she screamed.
Stunned by her sudden appearance, Peter turned to stare uncomprehendingly at Avery. “Are you hurt?” Peter stammered.
“What are you doing pointing a gun at my father?” Avery responded, ignoring Peter’s question.
“He’s your father?” Peter asked, waiving his gun in Cian’s direction.
“Yes,” she said, moving closer to him. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you. You never returned any of my calls or texts. I was concerned.” Peter reached for her arm and rubbing it in a soothing manner.
She didn’t attempt to pull away from him. Her father slumped against the wall, drifting in and out of consciousness, blood dripping down his pant leg. Thomas Flannigan’s body was sprawled on the floor, his neck twisted at an odd angle.
“Peter, what happened?” Avery murmured.
“I wish you didn’t have to see this. Thomas attacked this man, your father, but he managed to kill Thomas first.”
“I heard you threaten to kill him.”
For a moment, Peter looked startled. He sighed, pulling her into an embrace. “Ah, Avery, I was just looking out for you. You can’t trust this man. How do you know he’s really your father? You told me you had never met your father, but you do know me. I would never do anything to hurt you. Everything I’ve done in the last five years has been for you. You know that. We could do anything together. We would be unstoppable.”
“I thought we were friends, but I don’t think that was real either. You have done nothing but lie to me from the moment we met. You make me sick!” Everywhere he touched her grew colder like an icy stain on her soul. Struggling to free herself from his tightening hold, she stared at the man who had been her friend and mentor with mounting horror. “Let me go,” she said through clinched teeth.
“No, I’m sorry. I can’t do that,” he spat.
“I’d rather die than go with you, Peter!”
“Oh no, Avery. The only person dying today is your father if you don’t leave with me right now.”
Avery turned to look at her father who was looking worse by the second. “Don’t do it, Avery,” he mumbled while weakly shaking his head. “I’m dying. The bullet was tipped with iron. It poisons our blood. My time is almost over. Don’t worry about me. You’re the Guardian. You can’t sacrifice yourself.”
Ignoring her father’s pleas, she turned to Peter. “If I leave with you right now, will you make sure that my father gets the help he needs?”
“Done,” Peter said.
“Don’t do it—” Cian whispered only to be interrupted by a coughing fit.
It didn’t matter that she was afraid. She could do this—make this sacrifice. She looked at the father she may never know and pushed away all of her fears. Seeing the amount of blood still flowing from his leg, she feared no human could survive such a wound; but maybe a Faerie could. Images of how quickly Kalen healed when he was shot flashed through her mind, reassuring her. She would risk anything to save her father. “I’ll go with you, Peter. You can let go of me now.”
Peter released his tight grip around her shoulders only to take her arm in a possessive gesture and lead her to the front door of the house. Peter stopped near one of the Foundation’s operatives and waved his hand in Cian’s direction. “See that he gets some help.”
Avery slowed at the front steps of the house. A shiver of unease wrapped around her. Someone watched her. Her gaze shifted to the shrubs adjacent to the front of the house where she saw Kalen crouched low and partially hidden. Her senses sharpened at once, and she felt his calm focus. She stumbled down the first step only to have Peter yank her arm to forcibly right her person.
Not wanting to expose Kalen, she mumbled, “Thank you,” under her breath and turned away from the shrubs, walking briskly in Peter’s wake. Her mind screamed at her to stop and beg for Kalen’s help, but she swallowed the growing burn in her throat, nearly choking, and kept walking.
Peter opened the passenger side door of his car and pushed her through by the top of her head. Crawling into the driver’s seat and starting the ignition, Peter openly examined Avery. Ignoring him, Avery stared out the window and chanted in her head over and over, please help Cian, he’s dying, please help Cian. She didn’t know if Kalen would be able to connect with her mentally again or if their connection was nothing more than a hoax he had used to gain her trust, but it was her only option right now.
Peter reversed down the gravel driveway of the house and nothing happened. No Kalen running after her and no mental connection. Agony washed over her like a tidal wave, and she let out an involuntary sob.
Peter turned toward her. His normally warm eyes appeared soulless and empty. Had his eyes always looked that way; was she so intent on fitting in that she never noticed before today?
“Avery, what’s wrong?” Peter said, reaching over and squeezing her leg just above her knee.
Avery flinched with revulsion and he tightened his grip.
“Stop it, Peter. You’re hurting me.”
Peter frowned and released his grip on her leg. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know I would never hurt you, right?”
“Considering you blackmailed me into going with you while my father lay bleeding to death on the floor, I can hardly believe you would make such an asinine statement.”
Peter lifted his hand and let his fingers trail down the side of her face. “Regardless of what you believe right now, you will see the truth soon and realize we should be together.”
She didn’t bother replying. She stared intently out the window and focused on opening her mind to connect with Kalen. She wasn’t sure how she went about trying to initiate a mental connection and she felt a bit simpleminded as she repeated Kalen’s name over and over like a broken record, but she refused to give up.
After ten minutes of trying, something familiar stirred in her mind. Closing her eyes to concentrate on the feeling, an image of Kalen as he kneeled over her father’s body working feverishly fla
shed through her mind. She sensed his determination and focus. She heard someone talking to him in the background, but she couldn’t make out the words. Then just as quickly as the image came, it faded, but not before his voice floated through her mind once more. He’s going to make it. Don’t worry.
She had no doubt the image and his voice were real. Relief flooded her senses knowing her father was getting the help he needed, and he wasn’t going to die. Keeping her eyes closed, she let her head fall limply against the headrest. “Avery? Avery, are you awake? Did you hear me?” Peter said.
Opening her eyes, she turned her head to look at him. So focused on retaining a connection with Kalen, she barely heard Peter. “What? I wasn’t listening.”
“We’re flying out of Ireland on the Foundation jet as soon as we get to the airport.”
“I need to let my aunt know where I am and that I’m okay.”
“Avery,” he said gently, gripping her hand, “I went to your aunt’s house to see if she knew where to find you.”
“Yes,” she replied, trying to pull her hand from his possessive hold.
“When I got there, she was dead. It looked like she accidently fell down the stairs and hit her head.”
Avery studied him closely. It didn’t make sense. She couldn’t rid herself of the feeling he was lying. The instincts she had spent a lifetime trying to ignore were back in full force, screaming at her. She knew her aunt didn’t fall down those stairs despite Peter’s attempt to make her believe otherwise.
“You’re lying,” she said, blurting out the accusation before she could stop herself.
“Lying that she’s dead?” he replied, his eyes cold and calculating.
“No, lying that it was an accident. I’m sure the Foundation killed her just like they killed Dierdre.”
Peter’s lips twisted into a cynical smile. “You’re right,” Peter said, his voice flat. “Flannigan killed her. She knew too much. She would have never stopped looking for you. After all, you’re her last blood relative, her one and only grandchild.”
“What?” Avery said in a breathless voice that didn’t hide her alarm.
Peter studied her face, his eyes dark and hollow. “You didn’t know that Catherine was really your grandmother, did you? That sweet old woman who raised you after Dierdre left was nothing more than a paid Foundation agent.” Peter paused in thought. “You know, maybe Thomas didn’t need to kill her after all. It looks like she was more adept at keeping secrets than the Foundation thought.”
“Go to hell and take the piece shit you call the Foundation with you! I won’t go anywhere with you.”
She couldn’t leave Ireland. She couldn’t get on the Foundation’s plane. She couldn’t lose her connection with Kalen. Anger and loathing twisted through her body with so much force she feared the weight of it would crush her. She picked up a metal thermos sitting in the middle console and slammed it across the side of Peter’s face then lunged for the door handle. The car swerved into oncoming traffic then veered back into the correct lane.
“Bitch!” he spat, jerking her toward him by her hair as her hand reached the handle. “Don’t even think about it. You wouldn’t survive a jump at this speed.”
Lashing out, she turned, grabbing the hand pulling her hair, letting her fingernails sink into his flesh until they drew blood and he released her.
“It doesn’t have to be this difficult, Avery. No more arguments.”
Instead of responding, she angled her body away from him. He may be right about jumping out of the car on such a busy road, but there was no way she was getting on a plane with him. She’d wait for a better opportunity to escape and focus her energy on staying connected Kalen. She only hoped he was still motivated to fulfill his precious mission.
Chapter 18
Once he pulled the bullet from Cian’s leg, Kalen worked to stop the bleeding and remove the tissue poisoned by the iron-tipped bullet. He felt Avery trying to connect with him, but he couldn’t give her the attention she wanted.
Just as he finished suturing Cian’s wound, Cian grabbed Kalen’s hand. “You have to find Avery. They took her.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to her,” Kalen said, wrapping Cian’s wound with a bandage.
“You’ll protect her?”
“With my life,” Kalen responded fiercely.
“Do you remember when she was born?” Kalen merely nodded, concentrating on his task. “You always came to visit. Even then, you two had a special connection.” Cian took a deep shuttering breath. “Don’t ruin it. I ruined things with the people I loved. Don’t be like me.”
Kalen closed his eyes and turned his head, remembering how protective he felt of Avery before she disappeared. Never entirely convinced Avery was dead, he persuaded the Court to continue searching for Avery even if it were only in a limited capacity. When he finally opened his eyes to look at Cian, the desperate look on Cian’s face startled him. “I won’t. And, Cian, I’m sorry I let Dierdre walk in on you and Aerin that day. I wanted you to push Aerin away. I thought if Dierdre knew about Aerin, you would realize you were jeopardizing the mission by keeping Aerin in your life.”
Cian nodded. “The way I handled things with Dierdre and Aerin was wrong. I have so many regrets…”
Kalen pulled a vial of phosphoric acid from his pocket and held it to Cian’s lips. “Here, drink this. It will neutralize the iron and help you heal faster.”
When Aerin arrived, Cian was stable but unconscious.
“Where the hell have you been? I hung up with you nearly an hour ago.” Kalen tried to contain his anger, but a muscle leapt in his jaw, betraying him.
“Like I told you earlier, I had some loose ends to take care of,” Aerin said.
“I can’t imagine what was more important than Cian bleeding all over the floor and Avery being taken by the Foundation,” Kalen said, his voice dripping with disdain. “All due to your self-centeredness, I might add.”
Aerin’s eyes flickered to Cian’s prone, now unconscious body. She looked away, sickened by the evidence of her betrayal. “It doesn’t look as though I needed to hurry on Cian’s account. You did a stellar job of patching him up.”
“Yes, no thanks to you. Has he paid sufficiently for his betrayal? Does your vengeance end here?”
Aerin visibly paled. “It ends here, Kalen, I promise. I can’t believe what I did. I guess I lost touch with what matters.” Her voice was choked with regret.
He tilted his head to the side, watching her carefully. “Our existence is full of betrayals. We have to let them go, or they will ruin us. It’s a hard lesson to swallow, even for me.”
“I know that now.”
“Can I trust you to get him out of here and back to the compound without incident?”
Aerin bit her bottom lip. “I didn’t mean for Cian to get hurt. I just wanted him to feel pain and loss so we would be even.” She stared at Cian in silent reflection. She whispered, “I still love him. Isn’t that sick? He kept trying to push me away when he was with Dierdre, and I wouldn’t let him. I knew he didn’t want me anymore, but I refused to accept it even after Dierdre left. When I found out that Avery was alive, I couldn’t stand the thought of having that girl around as a reminder of what I lost. When the Queen recruited me, I went along with her plan. I thought if I could make the girl go away, everything would be fine.”
“Make her go away… you mean cause her death?”
She hesitated, and Kalen knew she was carefully measuring her words. “Perhaps, if necessary.”
Tension crackled through the room. “I can’t stand here and discuss this now. Did you alert the Court of the Queen’s treason so she is detained until she can be tried?”
“Yes. She should be in custody already. Strangely enough, Alastar corroborated my story.” Aerin stopped talking, lost in thought. Her eyes darkened. “Do you think I’ll be banished?”
Kalen shrugged, his iridescent eyes boring into her. “I don’t know. What d
o you think?”
She shivered. “I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
He walked past Aerin without glancing in her direction. “If you say so. I need to go. I need to find Avery.”
“Do you know where she is?”
Kalen didn’t turn around. “I don’t think she’s your concern anymore, if she ever was.”
Aerin recoiled from the harsh tone of his voice. “I said I was sorry,” she whispered, almost to herself as she watched Kalen run out of Cian’s house.
It had taken every ounce of control he could muster not to go after Avery as he watched Peter drag her out of the house. Hearing her plea to help Cian, he knew he had to comply before he could go after her, but he didn’t like it. When the remaining Foundation operatives abandoned the house a few minutes later, he had gone inside to help Cian.
He felt her calling for him while he worked on Cian, but he couldn’t respond with as much reassurance as he would have liked. He had to concentrate on saving Cian and that meant ignoring her. He hoped she hadn’t given up on him. Mentally searching for her, he focused on her face and chanted her name.
Images of cars speeding down the highway. The image dematerialized as quickly as it appeared.
Relief flooded through him. He could still sense a connection with Avery. He just needed her to know he was listening to her.
He strained his mind, pushing his connection with her as far and as hard as possible. He refused leave her with that guy for long.
Her hand searching for the door handle of the car, and Peter’s hand pushing it away.
Avery was trying to escape. He needed to know where Peter was taking her.
“I took the liberty of collecting your luggage from the hotel in Galway. Apparently, you were in such a hurry to leave the place, you left your luggage in the hallway,” Peter said.
She turned toward him. “I guess it totally slipped my mind when my so-called employer was shooting at me. Thanks for being so amiable and retrieving it for me. I’d hate to be abducted without a change of clothes.”
