Savagery & Skills: Books 1-4

by Ciara Graves

  “Can you run?”

  Marlie shot me a look. “Really?”

  “Yes or no.”

  “I can try—”

  I shoved him to my right then blurred toward Lacy.

  I slammed into her with my full body weight, throwing her back into her goons. S

  he screamed for them to attack, and they quickly found their feet, but it distracted Christian long enough for Shane to duck beneath the stake and drive his own into his captor’s side.

  Christian yelled in pain, but Shane was too fast and jabbed him repeatedly until he was drenched in blood.

  I let them be and met the three goons attacking me. I blocked two hits to my face but caught a third to my side that threw me off balance. A second jab struck my nose, and I hissed as I reached for the blades at my hips.

  I’d switched them out for my regular ones once I returned to the mansion. The silver blades glinted in the overhead lights as I lashed out, slashing and striking at the three vampires after I regained my footing.

  I rolled beneath a kick and sliced open the vampires’ shins as I found my feet again, then spun around in time to meet a stake being driven toward my heart.

  I blocked it and knocked it with a hard strike of my dagger to the vampire’s hand. It skittered away across the floor as I kept hold of the vampire. I drove one dagger home to his neck, and the other, his thigh.

  The vampires cursed and shouted as they fell away from me, leaving Lacy and one goon left standing. Shane yelled and threw himself at the goon, taking him down for me.

  Lacy extended her claws as she approached, hissing furiously as she made ready to attack. A quick glance told me Marlie was out of harm’s way, but I didn’t see him anywhere in sight. Great, the one person who could help me get Seneca on my side and he took off on me. Not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that.

  “You will pay for this,” Lacy threatened. She swung her arm down, her nails catching my cheek.

  I grabbed hold of her wrist and headbutted her. “Not tonight I won’t.”

  “You will never escape here! Not while I’m living.”

  She shifted her feet, making ready to come at me again when a strange sound made her stop. She frowned, glancing up and around. When the noise came again, I found myself doing the exact same thing, wondering what it was.

  “Roasted vampire anyone?” Marlie asked, holding a blowtorch in his right hand.

  Lacy tilted her head in confusion, but I smelled the gas and yelled for Shane to run.

  I blurred toward Marlie, grabbed hold of his arm, and dragged him with me up the stairs as the gas hit the flame of the torch he left behind.

  Lacy was right behind us when the explosion rocked the mansion and fire shot up with a roar. I spied Shane ahead of me as he bolted out the front door. I threw myself and Marlie out after him, kicking it shut in Lacy’s face. Her scream ripped through the night air as the vampires who had evacuated at the sound of the alarm stood on the grounds, looking on in shock and confusion. Lacy’s wasn’t the only shriek as fire tore through the mansion room by room. A second explosion shook the walls, and with a groan, they collapsed, one after the other.

  “Holy shit,” Shane muttered.

  “You’re insane,” I added, turning to Marlie.

  “And?”

  “And nothing,” I said quietly, seeing more and more of Seneca in him. Somewhere inside her was the same craziness waiting for a chance to be unleashed. If the two of them went after Rudarius, I would be more than happy to see it. “We need to get out of here.” I tugged on Shane’s arm and Marlie’s, guiding them through the vampires. Many had rushed to the flames, trying to find a way inside to help those trapped.

  The screams followed us down the main drive and into the trees.

  When the adrenaline wore off, I grabbed Marlie’s arm and slung it over my shoulders again. “You going to make it?”

  “Yeah, as long as neither one of you goes for my blood.”

  “Prefer to remain alive. Your blood’s safe with us.”

  “My rings. What happened to them?”

  “Rudarius has at least one. I never saw the other one. You said you have to have them to use your magic?”

  “Sadly, yes.”

  “Can’t you make more?” Shane asked.

  Marlie planted his feet so hard we nearly toppled over. “You can’t just make more fae rings. They were created centuries ago by the first fae. There are no new rings made every few years. The ones we have are passed down, parent to child, and so on. Once they’re gone… or tainted,” he added with an angry shake of his head, “that’s it. They’re finished.”

  “Your sister has three,” I commented. “Ruby, sapphire, and emerald.”

  Marlie nodded. “They came from our family line, as did mine.”

  We walked on through the night, aiming for the safe house in the woods. It was more of a shack, but it was good enough to keep us out of the sun for a day or two if need be.

  “You’re going to have to clarify for me why you aren’t with your sister.”

  I couldn’t explain it, but why he wasn’t with her bothered me. If he was her brother and they were royals, how was it she wound up on her own?

  “Why do you care? You said it yourself you’re only using us,” he said, not angrily, but with curiosity.

  “I have my reasons.” It was all I trusted myself to say and was grateful he didn’t ask me anything else.

  We reached the shack a couple hours later, with Marlie carried over my shoulder when his body finally gave out, and he collapsed.

  I set him down inside as gently as I could then shut and bolted the door. Shane closed the curtains for when the sun rose, and we sat down across from each other, each beside a window to keep an open ear out for anyone approaching.

  “Rudarius is going to be pissed,” he said with a dark grin. “That crazy son of a bitch blew up the entire operation.”

  “Yeah. Shame we didn’t think of it first.”

  “Think it’ll slow him down at all?”

  I wanted to say it would, but if Rudarius had nearly wiped out all the mage houses and acquired fae dust needed to activate the rings he stole, he could start his war in Otherworld any damned time he wanted to. “No,” I finally whispered. “No, if anything, it’s going to make him move up his plans. There’s no hiding my plans now.”

  “May the Bleeding Crown rise again,” Shane said sincerely as he crossed his arm over his chest.

  I mirrored him then settled back against the hard, wooden wall.

  The Bleeding Crown would return, or I’d die trying to see it restored. There was no other path for me.

  Chapter 14

  Seneca

  I checked my cell again and grunted in annoyance.

  There’d been no news from Draven. Nothing.

  No news from Owen either. I hadn’t seen him since I was thrown out of Valesk, through the portal, with him watching me as if I had, in fact, lost my mind.

  Too bad I hadn’t.

  Mages were being attacked, and though the demons were doing their best to protect the ones who escaped Rudarius’s wraith, they weren’t openly calling him out for it. The ambassador claimed it was because the demons did not want a confrontation with the vampires for political reasons. That was bullshit. The ambassador might be a tough-looking demon, but he was worried. Scared, almost.

  And he should be. Rudarius was not just some simple vampire. He was old, very old, and now that he harnessed the power of the fae rings, it would be nearly impossible to stop him.

  I paced around the cottage again, absently rearranging objects on tables and pieces of furniture, needing to keep my hands busy.

  I wanted to find Draven, but where would I go? He said he was bringing someone to me to convince me. I’d wracked my brain since he left me, but no one came to mind. Macron told me to find him. Now I wasn’t sure if he meant find Draven or find this other person the vampire would be bringing to me.

  “Why can’t anything b
e simple?” I shouted the question to absolutely no one as I stood in my living room. “He’s part of my destiny, but how? And why? Is this enjoyable to you all up there?” I continued to rant. “Find it funny to torment the rest of us down here?”

  There was no answer from the universe. Not that I expected there to be. I hissed angrily as I went back to my pacing when a heavy knock sounded at the front door.

  Owen would’ve just walked in.

  Cautiously, I approached and opened it a crack.

  “Care to let us in?” Draven asked, but he wasn’t alone.

  Shane stood behind him, but I didn’t care about the vampire.

  I frowned at the man between them, the man who looked half dead.

  Then I saw his pointed ears.

  No, not a man, a fae.

  I stepped back, opening the door wide enough for the three of them to get inside. The fae was cursing as they helped him walk, then deposited him on the couch.

  I locked the front door.

  “Damn, Marlie, think you could stand to lose a few pounds,” Shane muttered, stretching his back.

  “Marlie?” I repeated, looking at the fae as he caught his breath. “Who the hell is this?”

  “The person I brought to convince you,” Draven informed me.

  Seeing Draven in my living room should’ve alarmed me, but neither he nor Shane gave off a dangerous vibe, not anymore.

  The fae lifted his face, and a pair of intense green eyes looked right back at me. I flinched. They were the exact same color as mine. His hair was red, darker than mine, and he was missing his left hand. I was about to ask who he was again when his right hand reached out and touched my arm.

  A warmth spread from where his palm rested, and my breath caught.

  “Seneca,” he whispered, eyes flooding with emotion. “It’s been too damned long, sister.”

  “Sister?” I repeated numbly. “What… no… you… you can’t be. I don’t have a brother.”

  “Yes, you do,” he assured me. “You have an entire family waiting for you in Otherworld. I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.”

  “I don’t… No.” I backed away from him, running right into the coffee table.

  Draven snatched my arm to stop me from falling, but I yanked myself away from him too.

  “What is this? You didn’t think I suffered enough, so you’re going to play this cruel joke on me?”

  “He is your brother,” Draven said sternly. “I blew up Rudarius’s operation to get him out of the mansion, killed a good number of his coven. You have to accept the truth.”

  “Prove it.”

  The fae, Marlie, got up with some effort and walked toward me. He reached out and took the hand Macron had branded. “This sigil? It’s from our house, Seneca. It’s on the rings you wear. We are brother and sister.”

  The room spun, and though I was breathing, my lungs burned as if I was drowning. Learning the mages were being captured was one thing, but this? I couldn’t deal with this. Not on top of everything else life decided to throw at me lately.

  I found myself staring at Draven, but his face was set. There was no hint of this being a lie in his eyes.

  “Why?” I managed to ask. “Why don’t I know about you?”

  “It’s a very long and complicated story,” Marlie said, but then a key sounded in the front door lock, and the door swung inward.

  “Seneca, I have news…” Owen trailed off as he stood in the doorway.

  Time seemed to slam to a screeching halt as his gaze flickered from me to the two vampires and the fae in the living room.

  The air changed when his eyes narrowed in fury as he focused on Draven.

  “Owen, just wait a second,” I said, but too late.

  He roared and threw himself at the vampire.

  Draven and Owen went down in a heap, smashing into furniture and rolling around as their fists punched into each other’s faces.

  I yelled for Shane to keep Marlie out of the way and rushed in to break them up.

  Owen shoved me away, and I stumbled backward, landing on the couch with a grunt. He grabbed Draven and threw him into the kitchen. He landed on the table and broke it in two.

  “Owen, stop.”

  He stalked after his prey, a look I’d never seen before in his eyes.

  “You need to listen to me.”

  “Filthy bloodsucker,” Owen growled as if he couldn’t hear me at all.

  Draven sneered as he got to his feet, spitting blood from his mouth. “You think you can beat me?”

  “I’ll kill you,” Owen seethed.

  “No, you won’t.” I rushed in between them, but Owen shoved me away again then lunged at Draven.

  They tussled and punched, each getting in hits that had me wincing.

  When they crashed through the glass back door and landed in the garden, I cursed stubborn demons and blurred after them.

  I threw myself onto Owen’s back, forcing him to let go of Draven to try and get me off.

  I held on tighter and shoved him to the grass, holding him there. “Enough.”

  “What are you doing?” he ranted, fighting to get up, but I held my ringed hand in front of his face, the stones flaring to life. His eyes widened in disbelief then narrowed. “You, what did he do to you? He’s the enemy.”

  “Was,” Draven chimed in. “Not anymore, mate.”

  “You, shut up,” I snarled at Draven. “Owen, please, you have to stop. He’s not the bad guy. At least, not the one we need to worry about.”

  He grunted as he pushed back, but I slammed him into the ground even harder.

  “Just stop and listen to me. Rudarius has been attacking the mages because he wants to start a war against the fae. He’s using their rings. Draven wants to kill him as much as I do. He’s here to help.”

  “You expect me to believe that?”

  “I expect you to trust me,” I challenged and backed off, so he could get up. “Owen, look at me. I’m not under any mind control. This is me, and I’m telling you the truth. Macron and the other mages, we have to save them and stop Rudarius. Please.”

  Owen wiped the blood from his face, and when he glared at me, there was only betrayal. It was worse than if he’d slapped me, but I stood my ground. I was not going to apologize for being right about seeing Macron. Or for not killing Draven when I had the chance.

  “You’re just going to trust him now, is that it?” Owen asked quietly.

  “I never said that. He needs my help to bring down Rudarius. We can end him.”

  “And then what? You don’t think he’ll turn on you? Kill you, too?”

  “No, I don’t,” I said, and I wasn’t the only one surprised by my words.

  Draven shuffled his feet, blinking furiously as if he was having an internal argument of his own.

  I continued, “He attacked Rudarius’s coven last night.”

  “And what? That makes it okay for what he’s done? He’s a killer.”

  “So am I.” I emphasized each word and Owen took a step away from me. “If that’s what it takes to bring Rudarius down, then so be it.”

  “You’re siding with the enemy,” he argued.

  “Am I?” I shot back. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time. Everyone has. The only one who hasn’t is Draven. He’s connected to my future, whether I want him to be or not.”

  Owen’s nostrils flared. “What does that mean? Who have you been talking to?”

  When I didn’t answer, he scoffed.

  “Minnie? You’re listening to a seer? Over me? Really? That’s what it’s come down to?”

  “You lied to me,” I hissed. “How am I supposed to trust you after you’ve lied to me about Macron and Rudarius? How?”

  “I was following orders.”

  “Yeah, orders. You keep telling yourself that.”

  “Why else wouldn’t I tell you?” he shouted, throwing his arms up. “Why?”

  “Because you think I can’t handle the truth,” I yelled back, also l
ouder, my anger rising. “You think I’m weak, that any second I’m going to fall apart. I’m tired of you thinking you need to protect me all the time. I’m not some fragile woman who wants to be rescued. This is who I am, Owen.”

  The silence stretched out uncomfortably between us until he finally bowed his head. “If this is who you are, siding with the villain, then I can’t be around you. I won’t watch you fall, and I won’t let you drag me down with you.” He stalked through the garden, and when he neared the edge, he called back over his shoulder, “You’re on your own. I’m done.”

  I waited for the pain to set in of his leaving me, but all that filled me was anger. Anger at him for not seeing the truth or trusting me. Anger at him not believing in me like he said he did every damned day. He kept the truth from me because he wanted to prove to me that I could have a simple, content life with him. I hissed into the darkness of the night.

  “Seneca,” Draven said quietly as he neared.

  “What?” My hands curled into fists, debating taking out some of my pent-up anger out on him.

  “If you’re going to fall apart, do it fast,” he said without any emotion. “Rudarius will know I’ve taken Marlie. We don’t have time to waste.”

  “I’m fine,” I insisted and at the sound of crunching glass, turned to find Shane and Marlie joining us in the garden.

  “That demon,” Marlie asked, “who was he?”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No one that matters now. What does matter is why the hell you weren’t in my life. Who are we and unless you want me to rip your throat out, you’ll tell me the truth. Right now. I’m tired of being lied to.”

  “I am your brother, and right now that’s all I can tell you. We have to get to Otherworld, warn them before it’s too late.”

  “Rudarius will be making his move now that I’ve made mine,” Draven said. “I’ve forced his hand. I know his plan. His coven will gather at his stronghold in Otherworld and prepare to fight.”

  “Is it daylight over there?” I asked.

  “It is, but that won’t stop him,” Draven said.

  “He can’t call the night.”