Gaia, her admission was a knife to my chest. She was still trying to help. Still trying to make amends. After everything. I could see she was struggling to stay awake—her eyes held a dull sheen. She needed rest. This conversation could wait. I bent down and, when she didn’t flinch, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I need to tell you things, too. Many things. But they’ll keep until tomorrow. I almost watched you die tonight and—”
I couldn’t stand under that gaze any longer. Retreating into the room’s shadows, I flexed my shoulders, willing my wings to retract. The agony of their retreat stole my breath and I inhaled several times before heading to the window. “Get some sleep, Reagan. I’ll be on the roof. No one will disturb you tonight.” With that, I slid the pane up and ducked through, not waiting for her reply.
The weight of her stare had been too much.
I needed space to deal with my riotous emotions.
But, knowing that she was safe from harm, alive and well, gave me a tiny sliver of peace.
My head throbbed.
What the hell happened to me last night?
I racked my mind, but came up short. Cracking my eyes open, I took in my surroundings and then shot up straight. My fingers tightened around the soft blanket spread over me as my heartbeat leaped into a frenzy. I blinked away the stars that burst across my vision and scanned the room. Nothing was familiar. My chest clenched and I stilled, inhaling tentatively. I recognized the scent that flooded my senses—like the earth after a rainfall. Like . . .
Tarik.
My shoulders loosened. I was in Tarik’s apartment, a simple studio-style space without much adornment. A small lip on one wall caught my eye, laden with ceramic pots. Brightly colored flowers spilled out of them and filled the space with soft fragrance. Littered on the floor beneath them . . . toys? Small, makeshift wooden cars and a stack of uneven blocks—Benji’s? I whipped my head around, searching for either of them. The room spun out of focus. Laying back, I groaned; my entire body ached. I took a breath and tried to focus, tried to remember.
The fight was fairly vivid, until a point. I had been utterly overwhelmed and, thinking back, I grew increasingly agitated that Alec hadn’t stepped in. Where had he been? Clearly not on his patrol, or if he was, his eyes hadn’t been on The Pit where they should have been. Or maybe . . . maybe he had simply left me to my fate? The thought didn’t sit well. Did Mordecai tell him to leave me, to teach me a lesson for helping Tarik?
Maybe Mordecai really did want me dead.
A few details were stronger than others. Muscles along either side of my back groaned in protest as I stretched and lifted my arm, examining the smooth, intact limb with narrowed eyes. I could remember the bone relenting with perfect clarity; the snap, the pain. A shudder raced the length of my spine. How—? Could Tarik set bones? Even so, I would have needed a sling or cast. My thoughts were too fogged, I couldn’t connect the dots. I had to be missing something.
Wait. Tarik.
Where is Tarik?
I shot up again and searched the apartment, like he would materialize in front of me. Other than his curious gray and white cat, there was no movement. Nausea roiled in my stomach and I took a deep breath. What had he said last night?
Think.
The roof. He mentioned the roof.
I stumbled to my feet, jumping for the windowsill I had seen him go through the night before. Dizziness overwhelmed me and I paused to breathe, but only for a moment. Time wasn’t a luxury I had to spare. I huffed in pain as I dragged myself onto the fire escape, my bruised limbs protesting the climb.
Plants grew on every rooftop as far as I could see, and the sky was a brilliant patchwork of glowing clouds and early sun. Despite the beautiful view, dread settled in my stomach. Please tell me he didn’t go to work. I climbed back down into Tarik’s apartment, hissing softly when my legs balked under my weight. Slipping out the front door and onto the street, I tried to ignore the limp that jarred my steps. My aching muscles screamed in anger with every small movement.
I tried to refocus, make a plan, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Tarik. Despite the cruel things he’d done, he had saved me. The rage in my chest quelled at the thought, at the memory of pain in his eyes when he said he had almost watched me die. My anger faded further—not completely buried by my gratitude, but certainly lessened. Every thought of him wasn’t wrapped in fury. I needed a clear mind—I had too much to do, too much at stake.
I couldn’t let him suffer the fate I knew Mordecai had planned for him. Not merely for his sake, or even for the other Fae I absolutely intended to save with him. No, I wanted to save him for me. Because I wanted Tarik to live. I didn’t recognize the selfish thought—such a foreign idea, wanting to save a Fae for my own purposes. But I couldn’t help feeling like the world would be a little darker without that fiery temper causing hell for me and everyone else in it.
The thought renewed the vigor in my steps. Nevaeh was right. I couldn’t walk away when I’d helped put him on this path. At least not until I knew he was safe, especially after what he had done for me only hours ago.
A large shadow blotted out the sun.
I glanced up as a taloned foot scooped me into the air.
Alec.
Oh, perfect timing . . .
His grip tightened and I groaned. All of the cuts and bruises that still littered my skin reacted with fury at each flap of his wings. The rough pads of his foot scraped against my bare skin.
Absolute agony.
Alec flew toward the mansion. When the house loomed on the horizon, my heartbeat sped up. I didn’t want to deal with Mordecai right now.
I wasn’t going to have a choice.
Options swam before my eyes. Confronting him about the Fae outright was the most tempting of them all. But if I did, he might kill Tarik. Or me.
Or both.
And I had few to no allies. Nevaeh was the only one—if I didn’t count Tarik. After what he had done for me, I could count him as an ally, right? Did he save me from some strange sense of obligation? Or were his motivations a little selfish, like my own?
Damnit, I wish I knew.
In front of the mansion doors, Alec loosened his grip, lowering me to my feet before he shifted. No humor lit his eyes when he grasped my shoulders and said, “I’m so glad you’re alive. I’ve been so worried. Where were you?”
I blinked slowly. “I don’t know,” I lied. “I woke up on the street.”
His eyes widened. “What? I couldn’t have missed you. I circled the city a dozen times last night.”
“Yeah, but what about during the day? When you’re supposed to be on patrol, and I was jumped by a horde of angry shifters?”
“What? Are you serious?” He scanned my bruises. “Your injuries are mostly superficial, right? You’re okay?”
Heat simmered through my veins. Was he kidding me right now? Still, I almost believed the concern in his eyes. Almost. “I blacked out. I don’t even know how I’m still alive.”
A low growl slipped from his throat. “Father’s Fae were in a spat near The Pit last night. Several shifters wound up dead.”
“Father’s Fae?” My heart skipped. Did he mean Tarik?
“Yeah, his employees. Several of them, if I’ve heard right. Led by that damn redhead you’re so hot for.”
I rolled my eyes, but warmth spread up my core. If I had any hesitations about saving those Fae, at facing the risks, they were put to bed by Alec’s words. “I vouched for him because I cost him his last job.”
Lies. I hated how the words tasted.
His eyes narrowed. “That’s your only involvement with him? Father seems to think there’s more going on.”
“Alec, you’re in my apartment almost every morning. You know I come home after patrol and sleep all day. And I’m always on patrol at night. You usually know exactly where to find me. When would I have time to have the ‘hots’ for anyone?”
Slowly, Alec nodded and I could see the conclusion in his expr
ession. The belief. “In any case, Father wants to see you. Should I— I should come with you.”
“No,” I said quietly. I firmly believed that guilt changed a person’s mind—and Alec’s was clearly spread across his face. But he didn’t need to involve himself further. “If I’m in trouble, I’ll accept the consequences. You should finish your patrol.”
He nodded, pulling open the door for me. I muttered my thanks. Squirrel Butler had a set of clothing waiting for me and I slid them on before climbing that accursed staircase. I didn’t know what Mordecai wanted. Definitely nothing good.
“In loyalty and service to the Great Dragon.”
Mordecai made me wait. My heart thundered in my ears. Ten beats. Thirty. Eighty. Still, he didn’t snap his fingers. Perhaps he enjoyed the sight of me kneeling. I choked back the growl that pushed against my lips. I couldn’t afford to die right now. My wings pressed on my spine, a reminder that this time I could flee if needed. I would be damned if he branded me again.
Finally, the snap came and I stood, straightening my back and clasping my hands behind me. Mordecai circled slowly, eyes tracing the wounds that peeked from the edges of my clothing. My bedraggled hair. The slight rightward lean of my posture, as I tried to reduce the weight on my still-sore leg.
“What happened to you?” he asked. His icy stare captured my gaze. Relentless. Watching for a lie.
“I don’t remember most of last night,” I said quietly. My fingers lifted reflexively to my lip—the ring was gone, likely lost when I shifted the night before. I tucked my hands into my pockets, suppressing the urge to fidget. “I was jumped by a large group of shifters. They overpowered me, and I blacked out. And no, I don’t know how I’m alive.”
Mordecai remained expressionless, then slowly nodded. “My Fae were caught in a brawl outside The Pit last night. Several shifters wound up dead, and many of my men were wounded.”
“I thought your men were the shifters?” Asking such a loaded question was pushing my luck, but his temper seemed mild today. For the moment, anyway.
“Shifters who attack my daughter are no men of mine.” He shook his head and growled, the sound not directed at me for once. I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. “Can you remember any of the specific shifters involved, sweetheart?”
“My memories are foggy,” I said, stalling for time. I was loath to encourage Mordecai to more violence, even if the shifters deserved it.
“Descriptions, perhaps?”
I hesitated, then spit out a few generalized shifter traits, watching as he jotted them down on a notepad.
“I’m going to question my Fae, as well. If I can find these shifters, I’m calling for their executions. I don’t tolerate disloyalty, and using group force to overtake one of my Enforcers is unacceptable.” My stomach flipped. I didn’t particularly want to watch half a dozen men be killed. Immune to my discomfort, he glanced up. “Do you remember where you were after the fight?”
“No. I woke up in the street nearby. I don’t remember walking there, or being moved there. My mind is still a bit foggy.”
Those icy blue eyes locked onto my face, studying my reaction as he said, “I heard one of the Fae carried you away. Is this true?”
I schooled my expression into one of innocent confusion, rubbing at my temples, at the very real headache rising with the pressure in my chest. The panic. But I said carefully, “I’m not sure. If so, they’re as bad as the shifters. I woke up on the street.”
He stepped around his desk and rested a hand on my cheek. I ignored the flinch that trembled up my spine. “I’m sorry this happened to you, my darling. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help.”
“Father—” I swallowed the bile that rose at that word. “Where was Alec when this happened? He didn’t help me, before or after.”
Mordecai withdrew his hand. “Daytime hours have been so quiet that I asked him to help Jocelyn pick up supplies for the mines. Don’t blame Alec. The mistake was mine.”
I stared at him. Who was this man? The Great Dragon didn’t apologize or accept responsibility like this. What game was he playing? But I said, “Yes, Father.”
“That said, I have to get down to the mines.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes, his attention on one of the thick, gem encrusted rings he wore. “There’s been a contamination issue. I’m going to find out the details right now, but Jocelyn said the men have been temporarily quarantined while we sort out the mess.”
The blood in my veins froze.
I’m too late.
My heart stopped.
No. I couldn’t be too late.
Tarik.
Tarik was down there—maybe already trapped. I looked up at the cold steel in Mordecai’s eyes.
Definitely already trapped.
No, no, no . . .
I bit back the panic dizzying my mind. Swallowed. “Yes, Father. I hope the issue isn’t too serious. I would certainly like to thank those men, if they really did have a hand in pulling those shifters off me.”
“I’m sure the contamination is nothing we can’t handle. I’ll make sure to pass on your thanks, sweet girl.” He smiled. Alarms screamed in my head.
This isn’t happening.
But after he held open the door and gestured me out, all I could do was follow him downstairs and watch helplessly as he headed for the back staircase. If I followed, I could ruin everything. He might hurt them more, or sooner. My heart raced painfully. I couldn’t stand still another second. When the front door snicked closed behind me, I bolted onto the lawn, shifting the second my feet hit grass.
I needed help. This was too big and I didn’t stand a chance alone. But maybe with Nevaeh’s help . . .
Maybe we could come up with a plan. I couldn’t lose hope. Not yet.
We will save those Fae.
I will save Tarik.
Last night had changed everything.
I couldn’t leave Reagan alone, and I couldn’t push her away. Not when she needed protection. Ironic that she needed saving from her own kind. After my work shift, I planned to visit the man who’d meant the world to me a few years ago but who I currently avoided at all costs—if I could get through his sons first. The eldest would probably deck me before I could explain that they needed to treat the Night Enforcer as one of their own. But, despite their feelings toward me, if I asked them to watch over Reagan, I knew they would.
At the same time, seeing her so helpless had strengthened my resolve to keep my distance. Those shifters had attacked her because of me. Because her defense of me had wounded their egotistical pride. So I would fix the wrongs, but I couldn’t get involved beyond that. I knew that if I did, something would start that couldn’t be stopped.
She and I, we were a train wreck waiting to happen. I needed to derail and journey on a different track. Preferably in the opposite direction. Because every time I saw her, my walls weakened.
I stood from the metal table in the mine’s small lunchroom. Throwing away the peels of the orange I’d eaten, I tried to formulate a plan. I knew Reagan would seek me out again—she couldn’t seem to help herself—but I wouldn’t discourage her attention with cruelty anymore. No, there must be a better way to get through to her, one that wouldn’t scar.
I had damaged her enough.
My coworkers and I were pulling on our hazmat suits when an alarm blared. “Danger. Danger. Make for the emergency room. Danger. Danger.” Red lights flashed in the room and hallway, the warning repeating over and over again. We all froze and stared at each other, uncertain what to do. No one had informed us of protocol in case of an emergency.
Was there a cave-in?
Jocelyn clacked into the room, swiftly for having to balance on four-inch heels. “Drop your gear, drop everything and come with me. Quickly now.” She clapped, the sound almost lost to the shrill alarm.
I stepped out of the suit and did as instructed, leaving the yellow puddle on the floor. Single file, we followed the mother duck into the hallway. But instead of turning left for
the stairs, we turned right, toward the heart of the mines. We passed the bathrooms, and an uneasy feeling squirmed in my gut.
My mouth opened as I prepared to announce that I’d rather take my chances above ground. If my mind wasn’t half-distracted with thoughts of Reagan and what she’d said last night about needing to tell me something, I would have simply bolted for the stairs. But, I hesitated, confused and maybe a touch curious.
Jocelyn unexpectedly veered into the mysterious “for emergencies only” room we never entered. I closed my mouth as she disappeared from view, the room’s lights burning so low, darkness swallowed her. Around me, heads swiveled and eyebrows raised, but my fellow Fae followed her inside, albeit cautiously.
I was the last to enter, my bare feet scraping against the cold stone floor. I peered over my shoulder and took one last look at the hallway, expecting a rock avalanche or horde of angry aliens to come bearing down on us. But all was clear. All was—
As soon as I stepped through the doorway, there was a rapid shuffling, then a groan as the door was heaved shut. On instinct, I reached for the inner handle, but my fingers only found slick steel. I blinked. There was no handle. There was no—
Boom!
The door sealed closed, encasing us in pitch black. A second later, blinding lights flicked on and I pivoted, hand pressed to my brow as I shielded my eyes from the glare. The other Fae were doing the same, glancing around the room in confusion. I searched for Jocelyn, pushing past Holden and several others as I struggled to the far back of the long, rectangular space.
She was nowhere to be found.
—
After hours of nothing happening, we finally went silent.
The room was plain: pale stone walls lined with narrow cots. A gray curtain in the back divided the “bathroom” containing two showers, two sinks, and one toilet. One toilet for twenty-four grown males. And no plunger. At least they’d provided us with a shred of privacy. Quite generous of the shifters who would probably squat in public.
Dawn till Dusk: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Genesis Crystal Saga Book 1) Page 14
