by J. N. Colon
I bounced against a wall and then toppled onto a couch. Darkness coated the room, but I could smell him so thickly I knew where I’d landed. Why the hell did I shadowmeld into Faolan’s cell?
Chapter 29
A flame appeared in my hand as I stumbled around the room until finding a light switch. How did I get to Faolan’s cell when I meant to find Viktor to help him?
Maybe my powers had known exactly how to help Viktor by finding the Stone of Ordú and destroying it.
The alpha shifter’s cell was much smaller than Viktor’s, but it did have a solid door, a couch, and a large bed taking up most of the space. Faolan must be jealous the unseelie prince had better accommodations than him.
I shook my head. Focus, Sloane. My gaze roamed the room. If I were a psychotic shifter, where would I keep a powerful stone that could control daemons?
I began tearing his room apart. I was a foster kid. I knew how to hide shit. You had to be clever to keep others out of anything private. Once, I’d created a false bottom in my drawer to hide candy bars. Jilly had dessert every night for a month.
I yanked the drawers out of Faolan’s dresser and dug through his clothes. My lip curled in disgust coming upon his stash of dirty magazines. Who knew the Otherworld had their very own Fae Mates of the Month?
No false bottoms. I marched to his closet to run my hands over his clothes. Like my magic, I hoped my scent faded quickly or Faolan would smell me all over his cell.
When I came up empty-handed, I cursed and stood in the center. Time was running out. I couldn’t let Viktor make this deal with Faolan. He’d lose his control of the prison and, in turn, put his little brother in danger.
What would happen to his little brother when I killed Viktor?
I shook the thoughts from my head, focusing on the present. I’d figure out the future later—if I had one after today.
My eyes landed on a couple of books stacked on a shelf. Three of them were textbooks for school, one was Stephen King’s Dream Catcher, and the other was Great Expectations.
My lips puckered. Faolan didn’t seem like the type to read great literary works.
I snagged the book off the shelf and flipped the cover open. Sure enough, the center had been hollowed out and a velvet cloth lay nestled in the center.
My pulse spiked as I reached for it, but a violent shock singed my fingers. Shit! What the hell was that?
I shook my hand out and stared at the book. Of course it couldn’t be that easy. There must be a protective spell on it. My teeth clenched as I paced the concrete floor. There had to be a way to get through this thing.
I kneeled on the ground, placing the book in front of me. Heat stirred from my core, and fire erupted around the pages. Flames only danced along the barrier, keeping the stone from my grasp.
Son of a bitch.
Pulling on more power, my body shook while sweat collected on my nape and soaked into my hair.
An acrid scent suddenly filled the air, and the blockade began to sizzle and smoke. With one final sputter, the protection fizzled out.
Yes!
I snatched the small bundle with my trembling hand and opened the velvet covering, revealing a glimmering navy stone. This had to be it. Thick waves of magic pulsated out, thrumming against my palm. It felt ancient and strong, different than any other power I’d ever come across. I licked my dry lips. Was I powerful enough to destroy the Stone of Ordú?
A metallic clank stole my attention from the navy rock, and my stomach plummeted as the door began to swing open. It wasn’t locked!
Two pairs of black eyes materialized followed by eerie, inhuman snarls.
Daemons.
Tiana’s violet hair was a stark contrast to her pale cheeks. The girl already didn’t like me. With Faolan controlling her, she looked like she wanted to stomp me into dust. Marco, the fight doc, was usually kind.
Kindness was not a word the creature before me understood.
The two daemons slithered inside, sharp teeth gleaming with saliva. A line of ice skated down my spine. They were feral, even worse than the dochars in animal form. I saw nothing but the intense urge to kill in their bottomless gazes.
I lifted my hands, the stone still clutched in one. If only I knew how to use it to break Faolan’s hold. “You guys need to snap out of it. This isn’t you. Faolan is controlling you, making you attack other Fae.”
Marco lunged, snapping his jaw. I hated to hurt him, but my choices were scant—as in I had none. I tossed a flame before he could get close enough to latch onto my energy. He screeched and dropped to the ground, patting the fire out on his clothes.
Tiana took the opportunity to attack and slammed me to the ground to pin my body with hers. The stone tumbled from my fingers, rolling across the cement.
I cursed and tried to buck her off, but Tiana was a lot stronger than she looked. Her mouth opened as she began to devour my energy.
Weakness hit my body, turning my limbs into lead weights. Tiana had me in a death grip, one I couldn’t break. Was karma laughing at me for doing this to Maria earlier?
NO! This wasn’t happening. My sister needed me.
“Get off,” I hissed, tugging on my magic. Instead of flames, ice quickly spread over the daemon, immobilizing her in a silent scream. I kicked her into a wall.
Marco had recovered from his burns and crawled toward me. I raised my hand to use Viktor’s power again, encasing him in ice. As I scrambled around for the stone, fingers wrapped around my ankles in an iron grip before yanking me back. My nails tore across the concrete.
Damn it. That ice didn’t hold long. Maybe I needed to practice.
“Tasty energy.” His voice was so deep it rattled my bones.
“Taste this.” I broke his hold on one foot and shoved my boot into his face. Bones cracked and crimson spurted from his nose.
Marco’s howl sounded like something out of a horror movie.
A glint flickered in the corner. The stone. I dashed for it as both daemons surged forward. Fire magic poured out of my center again. I had to protect myself. They’d kill me if I didn’t fight back.
Their gray and white prison uniforms went up in flames. Ear-piercing screeches echoed through the cell. The daemons stumbled into the hall and dropped to the ground, rolling around to extinguish the fire. Once it was out, they’d be coming for me again.
I bolted across the cell and snatched the stone then called on my elemental fire magic, letting it spill from my core like lava out of an active volcano. A flame swirled into my palm and engulfed the stone.
But it didn’t burn.
I cursed through clenched teeth. It wasn’t hot enough!
My lids clamped closed, and I breathed, focusing on every ounce of power I had. The scent of burnt flesh coated the air as the daemons began to approach. A sour taste coated my tongue.
I had to do this for Jilly. If I died right here, she’d never be safe. I had to do it for Viktor. I’d worry about killing him later. And I had to do it for me. I was a fighter. I wouldn’t let some stupid stone stand in my way.
A wild sizzle rippled over my palm. My eyes popped open to see the blue stone undulating and bubbling. A thick, acrid smoke swirled into the ceiling. I held my mouth closed to keep from breathing the toxic fumes. The daemons halted, entranced by the melting rock in my palm.
After another few moments, ash was all that remained. I snuffed the fire out and blew the burnt dust into the air, watching the flakes disintegrate before touching the ground.
Holy shit. I did it.
“What the hell happened?” Marco grabbed his chest, groaning.
The oily blackness cleared from the daemons’ eyes, and their feature smoothed out. “Faolan was using the Stone of Ordú to control you. Daemons were attacking other Fae.”
“The Stone of Ordú?” Tiana’s jaw flexed, and sharp, merciless anger flashed through her expression.
“The one and only.” At least I hoped it was the only one.
Tiana released a
string of curses. “He’s a dead man.”
Marco clutched her shoulder. “We can’t kill him, but we can sure as hell bring him to the brink of death.”
They turned and darted into the hall.
“You’re welcome.” A thank you would have been nice. I wiped sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. I needed to find Viktor.
My lids drifted closed. The image of the unseelie prince wasn’t hard to form because he seemed to always be on my mind. I accessed the daemon power in me to shadowmeld. This time, it would take me directly to Viktor. That electric sizzle popped over my skin, and I held my breath in anticipation.
A massive form tackled me to the ground before I shadowmelded. Pain lashed across my back right before I came face to face with those citrine orbs that haunted my recent nightmares.
“Looks like someone’s been a bad seelie-dae.” Faolan’s teeth stretched into lethal weapons.
Son of a bitch. My gasp choked off as he slammed his hand over my mouth and yanked my head to the side.
Chapter 30
Razor-sharp teeth tore into my throat while white, blinding pain exploded across my body. My bloodcurdling scream was muffled by the giant hand crushed against my mouth.
The alpha shifter found me in his cell right after I had destroyed the Stone of Ordú. To say he was pissed would be an understatement. He had every intention of killing me. And this time, he might succeed.
I coughed, a wet gurgle clawing up my throat. My limbs felt heavy, as if concrete had settled in every crevice. My energy drained out with my blood. The fire in my core had dissolved to nothing but smoke and ash. I couldn’t reach my magic to fight back.
Hot breath ran across my ear. “If I had more time, I’d make you pay for what you did. I’d make you suffer.” Faolan forced me to meet his slitted, glowing eyes. They sent shards of ice through my veins. “But I’m in a rush to end your sad, pathetic existence. No one will miss you when you’re gone.”
That wasn’t true. Jilly would—until her sweetness was stolen and she became just as bitter as me. “Screw. You.” My voice was barely more than a strained, choked whisper.
“The end is here, Sloane.” Blood and saliva dripped from Faolan’s mouth where his teeth had grown so large, they hung over his bottom lip. He turned my head to the side. A hot tear streaked down my cold cheek. “Know that I take great pleasure in ripping your throat out.” He dipped forward, his jaw clamping around my neck again.
Stars exploded in my vision as hot agony shredded my flesh. His bite burned like acid, and agonizing throbs radiated through my body. Part of me wanted to fight it, go out kicking and screaming, while the rest wished for that sweet, numb oblivion where pain didn’t exist.
A familiar tingle in my blood yanked me back to the surface, though. Energy I recognized coated the cell, and the air took on a sharp, wintery chill. My lids fluttered open to find Viktor holding Faolan by the throat, his teeth bared in a snarl that was twice as terrifying as the shifter’s. Veins popped in neck and his muscles swelled until the thin barrier holding his control finally shattered. And the alpha shifter had stumbled into his crosshairs.
Faolan struggled and roared, but he couldn’t break Viktor’s hold. Darkness spilled through the edges of my mind, and the scene faded. The numbness came.
“NO!” A sharp sting rippled over my cheek. “Wake up, Sloane.”
Viktor hovered over me. Blood splattered his shirt. Did he kill Faolan? My head swiveled to the side. The shifter’s unconscious form was sprawled on the ground. His chest slowly rose and fell. He wasn’t dead. Yet.
“Look at me.” Viktor’s fingers tilted my face back to his. Why was his touch so hot? Or was I just cold?
“Tired,” I mumbled.
His eyes widened, panic filling the frosty orbs. “Don’t go to sleep. Stay with me.”
I wanted to stay with him, but my lids were heavy. Everything was heavy.
Another voice joined the fray, and a frantic conversation unfolded.
“Can you do it or not?” Each of Viktor’s words forcefully punched the atmosphere.
“I can try. I don’t know if she’s too far gone.”
Tristan?
Warm lips pressed against mine. Well, this is a weird time to kiss someone. This wasn’t a fairytale. I wouldn’t wake up from true love’s kiss.
Then again, I was a Fae—a fairy creature. Maybe my prince charming had arrived.
But he didn’t taste like my unseelie prince. Where was that addicting flavor of candy and danger?
A conversation I had a few weeks ago with Viktor filtered through the fog in my brain. Seelies could heal other Fae with their energy, usually through a kiss or some other intimate act.
Warmth spilled through my core and into my throat. My fingertips hummed as the air around me vibrated.
Pain unexpectedly sliced through my neck, pulling a sharp breath from me followed by a groan. Was healing supposed to hurt this much?
The darkness began to fade, and the pain lessened. My muscles slackened. Much better.
The lips returned to my mouth to resume the kiss.
“That’s enough.” A gravelly voice hit my ears, then the figure above was shoved away.
I knew that voice. “Vik?” I mumbled.
“It’s me.” Warm arms pulled me into a solid chest. I curled into it, that fresh rain and citrus aroma bringing me closer to the surface.
Breathing him in, I clung to the unseelie prince. I wanted to keep the world at bay a little longer.
“This is the second time I found you on the brink of death, seelie-dae. Let’s make it the last.” Anger coated his words, and his hold tightened, crushing me into his body. I would have feared the intensity of his embrace if not for the feather-light touch—a kiss—on my forehead.
Wait. I almost died again?
Reality began to creep in. The daemons, the stone, Faolan—it all came rushing back. My lids snapped open, and I struggled into a sitting position in Viktor’s lap. Faolan laid crumpled on the ground a few feet away, but he was still alive. My hand went to my neck, coming away with blood.
“You’re okay.” Viktor grabbed my wrist to keep me from rubbing the wound. “It’s mostly healed.”
“How did…?” My head whipped around only to have sharp pains slice my throat. Shit. Tristan kneeled on the floor behind me with blood marring his white t-shirt. Dampness clung to his lips. “You healed me?” Heat bled into my cheeks.
He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, I couldn’t let you die.”
“Um, thanks, Tristan.” I turned back to Viktor. The tendons in his jaw popped as he clenched his teeth. He didn’t look too thrilled to have needed Tristan to kiss me back to life. I wanted to tell him he was the only one I wanted to kiss, but the words stalled on my tongue.
Instead, my fingers reached up, smoothing the hard lines on his face. I destroyed the stone. I’d said it in my mind, keeping my eyes locked on Viktor’s. He didn’t respond for the longest time, so I assumed he couldn’t hear me.
I know. That was really stupid and dangerous.
Or maybe he could hear me. “A thank you would have been nice.”
Viktor shook his head while his fingers dug into my arms, bruising them. “When I told you how to get free, I meant for you to find safety. Not to go after the stone. You didn’t even know how to destroy it.”
“I figured out how just fine.” I yanked out of his grasp and stood. Unfortunately, weakness still surrounded me, and the room spun.
“Damn it, Sloane.” Viktor shot to his feet with lightning reflexes and pulled me into his body. “You don’t get it. When I lost track of Faolan and realized where you were…” He pulled my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. I knew he’d kill you. I was… afraid.
Oh.
Air whooshed out of my lungs, and my heart started a frantic beat. Viktor was never afraid. My fingers curled into his shirt. I’m sorry.
I should be worried that hearing his voice in my mind f
elt normal instead of invasive. How did this work? We weren’t reading each other’s thoughts. We had to project the words out. Did we have to be looking at each other?
The ice in Viktor’s stare thawed, and all thoughts of our silent communication came to an abrupt halt as the air around us turned electric. His presence overwhelmed my senses. I could feel his touch all over my body. My lips tingled. I wanted him to kiss me. And I didn’t want it to be the last time either.
Viktor leaned forward, zeroing in on my mouth.
Someone cleared his throat. “I think I should go.”
My lids closed. Shit. I’d forgotten Tristan was in the room. That was the thing about Viktor—he could make me forget everything except him.
“You really should go.” A rough edge sliced the prince’s words.
Footstep echoed down the hall followed by a string of curses.
“What happened here?” Warden Balfour stood in the door with a few guards lingering behind him.
Viktor pulled away, but his fingers curled around my wrist like he was afraid to let go. “Faolan attacked Sloane again.” He ticked his head in my direction. “He would have killed her if Tristan hadn’t helped.”
The warden glanced at the blood on my neck and the healing wound. “Why is he so fixated on you, Sloane?”
Viktor had his reasons for not telling the warden about the stone. Would the daemons keep their mouths shut? “I guess because I’m a seelie-dae. He also wasn’t too happy when I turned down his offer to protect me.”
Warden Balfour’s gaze lowered to Viktor’s tight grip on my wrist, a tiny line forming between his brows.
“He can’t stay here.” Viktor’s voice rumbled through my chest. “Faolan’s tried to kill Sloane multiple times. She shouldn’t be brushed aside just because of what she is.”
The warden’s lips thinned. “You’re right, but his father won’t be happy.” The warden studied Viktor and me and the minute space separating us. “Cortland Jorah isn’t the type of Fae that will let this go. You two need to be careful.”
