Ransomed to the World

by Stacey Brutger

  The idiot.

  She reached forward to play with the buttons on his shirt, and he flinched away. Ignoring his reaction, she peered up, and gave him a little smile. “If they respect fear, I could go pay them a little visit and scare the crap out of them.”

  Alarm shot through him, and he grabbed her shoulders, his grip almost brutal. He bent and shoved his face into hers, his voice rising until he was yelling. “You will do no such thing.”

  Panic was etched on his face as he clutched her close, like he was afraid she would run from him. She didn’t have a problem with knowing his family were assassins. Thanks to her uncle, she was very familiar with life and death.

  Too bad she didn’t know about them sooner. She’d have paid any amount of money to get rid of the bastard. It might’ve saved her a world of hurt.

  But she wouldn’t have changed anything.

  Her past led her to the university and, ultimately, the guys.

  They were worth the pain.

  After meeting Anthony, she knew it was just a job. But one thing did bother her—she hated that they were using him. She frowned…maybe it was time for him to renegotiate his contract. “Camden—”

  “I don’t kill innocents, and they know that. They send me after murderers, those deemed too dangerous for the rest of them.” He spoke faster and faster, stumbling over his words in his need to get them out. “I have special training that makes me the perfect person for the job. I—”

  She placed her hand over his mouth, shivering when his lips brushed against her palm. He stilled, tension vibrating from him, the spark in his eyes dimming. “After we finish dealing with my father, we’re going to talk to your family about these jobs.”

  He grabbed her hand, clutched it to his chest and opened his mouth to protest, then cocked his head. “You’re not horrified.” He spoke cautiously.

  “Are you disgusted by what I had to do to survive?” She wanted to bite back the question as soon as it left her mouth. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

  “Of course not.” He crushed her to his chest, stealing her breath, but she loved every second of his nearness, snuggling even closer. He spoke over her head. “My people aren’t the same—”

  “I’m sure more of your people feel as you do, but have no other options.” She pulled away and rubbed her jaw as an idea slowly formed. “Paranormals need policing, maybe even more so than humans. Who better to catch the people who break the laws than your family? One touch and the criminal is caught. No more hunts needed, no more people killed.

  “Your people will get the respect they deserve without the stigma, while earning honest pay. Like bounty hunters. I’m sure if we talk to the directors at the university, they’d agree to add them to the teams.”

  Camden just stood there gaping for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. “You’re brilliant!”

  Annora blushed, pleased when he grabbed her hand and dragged her to catch up with the rest.

  Chapter Fifteen

  By the time they entered the gates to the bazaar, twilight covered the land. The crush of people swarmed her senses, the babble of voices drowning out her thoughts. Mason noticed her discomfort first and immediately nudged the others.

  In seconds she was surrounded.

  “Let’s find Xander and get her off the street.” Camden took the lead and forged a path through the crowd.

  While Annora spotted a few humans, the majority of people around them were of the paranormal variety. Besides the university, she’d never seen so many in one place, and it was more than a little intimidating. She didn’t even recognize some of the species.

  A man strode past, his limbs so thin they looked like skin stretched over bone. He was hunched forward instead of walking upright, his knees bent in the opposite direction, and her skin crawled at the wrongness of it. She’d swear she heard clicking, then noticed his fingers made a clacking noise as they moved.

  When he turned in her direction, Annora stiffened against the need to recoil. His head was bulbous, his eyes dominating his face, the large orbs so black they looked soulless. His chin was almost non-existent…until his jaw split open from under his nose all the way down to his throat, revealing jagged teeth like a buzz saw.

  “Wha—”

  “Praying mantis.” Edgar nudged her mouth shut, blocking her view, sweeping her away. “They’re carnivores. They hunt for their prey in graveyards, enjoying the juicy texture of slightly decaying bodies, something they consider especially delectable.”

  Annora swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise, then narrowed her eyes on him, not sure if he was telling her the truth, his face giving nothing away.

  “There’s Xander.” Mason picked up his speed, heading down the path to the right, away from the commotion of the stalls, and the rest of them kept pace.

  Annora angled so she could see around Mason and spotted Prem draped over a sign above a doorway that said Ariel Arms. He rocked back and forth like it was his very own swing set. He was covered in orange dust, a nearly empty bag of chips in his hands. She wasn’t sure where he’d found the bag, probably stolen if the way he was shoveling them into his mouth as fast as he could and the way his cheeks were bulging were any indication.

  She tore her gaze away from Prem’s shenanigans, relieved to see Xander standing in the doorway, talking to a man who had his back to her, so she couldn’t see him clearly.

  Something about Xander’s posture put her on alert.

  Something was wrong.

  She picked up the pace, urging Mason to hurry, anxious to reach them. As if sensing her nearness, he looked up and locked eyes with her. Without missing a beat, he gave a brisk nod to the other man, dismissing him, then began to walk toward her.

  She tried to see where the stranger went, but he was quickly swallowed up in the crowd. She scanned Xander carefully, but he gave nothing away, and she couldn’t get over the feeling that trouble was breathing down her neck, just waiting to pounce.

  She barely resisted marching up to Xander and demanding answers, conscious of the people watching them. She didn’t want anyone else to hear their private conversations—especially since she suspected she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

  “I’ve booked us a single room.” Xander directed the comment to the others, but his focus remained on her. “It’s best that no one wanders off alone. Despite the patrols, the streets aren’t safe at night when the predators roam free.”

  Edgar grunted in agreement. “The ship will be here a few hours after sunrise. It would be best if we avoid getting into any trouble, if possible.”

  “We need to eat.” Mason nudged her toward the inn, and he brushed his fingers lightly along her temple. “It will help get rid of her headache.”

  Annora tipped her head back, gaping at him. “How did you know?”

  He gently rubbed a single finger between her eyes, his voice deep and resonant. “You get a cute little furrow here when you’re exhausted.”

  Of course Mason would know.

  The man noticed everything.

  “I’ll go with you. I don’t trust other phantoms not to report you if they find you alone. We don’t need the added trouble of them discovering her too soon.” Edgar nudged her toward the door, continuously scanning their surroundings like he expected phantoms to pop out of nowhere at any second.

  Then she winced when she remembered they could actually pop into existence at any time.

  Annora wasn’t sure how she felt about meeting her own kind, and a mixture of excitement and a healthy dose of dread swirled in her stomach. Her mother spent her whole life protecting her, keeping her away from the phantoms for a reason.

  They didn’t approve of her existence.

  She was a half-breed.

  Inferior.

  Beside Edgar and her father, Sadie was the only phantom Annora had ever met. And if Sadie’s reaction was any indication, most phantoms would kill her on sight. The threat tingled along her spine, the
need to protect her mates a demand she couldn’t ignore.

  Not wanting to be taken by surprise, Annora ignored her throbbing head and opened up her senses. Dark particles stirred to life under her skin and rose to the surface—not enough to slip into the other world, but enough that she could sense magic around her.

  Only she misjudged how much magic existed in the world.

  Her surroundings blazed to life, power practically vibrating from everyone in the crowded bazaar, even crawling along the walls. She quickly muted it before she was overwhelmed, blinking away the spots that flashed in front of her eyes.

  Edgar’s lips twitched. He knew exactly what she’d done, and she huffed under her breath. He reached forward and opened the door for her, then murmured in her ear when she passed. “You’re trying to locate magic…try looking for the absence of it. Where do the dark particles flow?”

  A drone of voices distracted her from their conversation. As she entered the tavern, Prem dropped down on her shoulders, curled around her neck, and passed out in a food coma. The place was bigger and much older than she expected, a haze lingering in the air from a fireplace that rested along the back wall. The interior was crowded with shadows, magical in nature, intentionally obscuring the occupants.

  A dozen tables and booths were spread out across the room, the dark decor giving the inn an ominous atmosphere, and she suspected some of the stains on the floor were actually blood. A wooden bar stretched along one whole wall, packed with a small crowd at least three people deep.

  Camden took the lead and headed toward a booth in the back, clearing off the table before ushering her to sit and taking the seat next to her.

  Logan hesitated, then looked over his shoulder at the door. “I want to pick up a few supplies.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Camden dragged himself to his feet. “I don’t want anyone going off alone.”

  Edgar immediately reached into his pocket and handed over a piece of paper. “Would you stop at this booth and pick up this package for me?”

  Camden accepted it with a nod, shoving it into his pants without even looking at it. Instead of being curious, Annora was warmed by the easy acceptance between the two men…like they were becoming a real family.

  “What about food?” Annora protested.

  Logan flashed her a smile, a tiny bit of mischief peeking out. “We’ll pick something up on the way.”

  Her heart fluttered when he winked at her, and when heat crept into her cheeks, his smile turned smug. Then he and Camden headed back out into the streets, a cheerful whistle floating behind them, and she grinned…Logan was healing.

  Edgar claimed the vacated spot next to her, pulling on the darkness to cast them in shadows, and Mason took a seat across from them, nearly taking up the whole bench.

  Xander dumped the key to the room on the table and jerked his head toward the bar. “I’m going to sit at the counter. People are on edge, and I want to see if I can pick up any rumors. I also want to observe how people react around you and gauge if they will be a problem.”

  It all sounded reasonable, but she knew he wasn’t telling them the whole truth. Before she could dig deeper, he took off, pushing his way through the crowd, not once looking back.

  Annora sagged back in her seat, not liking the distance between them. “I don’t like him going off on his own.”

  Instead of brushing off her paranoia, Edgar glanced after the gryphon. “We’ll keep him in sight, I promise.”

  He reached under the table, found her hand, and gave it a squeeze, and she clutched at him, grateful for the comfort. They didn’t have to wait long before an older woman came to take their orders, her expression jaded and bored as she scanned them. The woman ignored Annora and focused on the guys, her smile flirty, but her faded green eyes remained cold.

  Her dull red hair was swept up in a sloppy bun. Her makeup was light, not disguising the lines marring her face, but Annora doubted anyone noticed since the woman’s boobs practically bounced out of her bodice every time she moved. They were almost hypnotizing to watch.

  Annora shook off the distraction, spotting at least three blades hidden on her, and one not-so-hidden blade curled up against her ribs. The implication was obvious—touch without permission and lose a hand.

  While the woman flirted with the guys, Annora glanced at them, surprised to see they kept their tone respectful, not once looking at the woman’s breasts as they ordered. The woman gave them an approving nod, like they passed some sort of test, then bustled off to fill their order.

  “What are we going to do while we wait for our ride over the river Styx?” Annora joked, but her smile wilted when Edgar didn’t laugh with her. “What?”

  “You’re not that far from the truth.” Edgar leaned back, rubbing his thumb distractedly along her hand. “The ocean is the barrier between the world of the living and the phantoms. Styx means hate in Greek. While the port might need the commerce the phantoms bring to them, the people here are so afraid of them, it borders on hate. We originally kept ourselves separate from them for safety reasons, but it’s gone on too long and it’s now led to distrust, and we did nothing to stop it.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze, then released her. “I think your father and the council planned it. They want the fear and the hate. But I don’t think they planned on being trapped on this island forever. The only thing holding them back are the reapers.”

  Annora’s lips went numb. “Reapers he wants me to kill.”

  Edgar gave a short nod. “Not many know it, but reapers keep the world in balance. When people die, their energy has to go somewhere. Reapers ferry it to the afterworld where it can’t harm anyone. Without the reapers, the energy from the dead would flood the human realm, and—”

  “Phantoms would have unlimited access to power with no restrictions. They’d destroy the world.” Annora nibbled at her bottom lip, then stilled when another horrible idea slammed into her. “The witches…that’s why phantoms were killing everyone who could access dark matter. They wanted complete control and no one to stop them.”

  “Fuck, man.” Mason ran his hands over his head, his hair standing on end in his agitation.

  Annora rubbed her forehead, then glared at Edgar. “When were you going to tell me this?”

  Mason turned toward Edgar with a massive frown of disapproval.

  “I never concerned myself with the outside world until I met you.” Edgar ignored Mason and turned toward her, horror etched on his face. “I didn’t piece everything together until now, or I would’ve killed Daxion before he dragged you into this mess. None of us would ever have agreed to come if we had known.” He threaded his fingers through his hair, his perfect composure fracturing. Sincerity darkened his eyes, but the dark blue color drained away as his control fractured. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  She believed him, and not just because their connection rang with his honesty. Knowing that he needed more than a casual agreement, she caught his face in her hands, then lightly brushed her lips against his. “I trust you.”

  And she meant it.

  His eyes widened, then he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers in a rare show of emotion. He released the breath he’d been holding, and she sank her fingers into his hair, marveling when he shivered, a rush of delight tingling along her nerves.

  Knowing Edgar valued his privacy, she reluctantly pulled back, trailing her hands down his chest. “Where does that leave us?”

  Before he had a chance to answer, their food arrived. Her jaw dropped at the sheer number of plates that covered every inch of the table. When she didn’t immediately begin eating, Mason nudged her plate, and she obediently picked up her fork.

  Only after the server disappeared did Edgar look up from the food, his face completely serious. “We’re going to have to beat your father at his own game.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  It didn’t take long for them to finish their meal, but Annora couldn’t tear her gaze away from Xander—who sti
ll stood at the bar—and the way he so studiously ignored them. Something was off about the way he was behaving.

  She didn’t like not having him within touching distance, where she could try to figure out what was bothering him.

  Edgar distracted her by grabbing their room key, then snagged her hand. “Why don’t we head upstairs and practice your magic? I want to try something new.”

  She gave him a smile, relieved to have something to do. She stood and turned toward Mason. “Can you get Xander and—”

  “I’ll keep him company.” Mason glanced over her head toward Edgar. “It’ll give you two some time alone.”

  Edgar gave the other man a nod of thanks and led her up the stairs, and she looked back over her shoulder, not happy with leaving the other two behind.

  “They’ll be okay.”

  She was so busy looking behind her, she tripped going up the steps. She whirled and grabbed the railing, then saw Edgar glancing back at her with an amused smile. She pursed her lips to stifle a curse and ducked her head.

  Then, with a sigh, she put the other guys out of her mind. They were grown-ass men and could take care of themselves. Edgar led her down a narrow hallway, the dimmed lights barely enough to keep the shadows at bay. Their room was the last one on the right. It was larger than she expected, which wasn’t saying much, since the small bed dominated the room.

  Annora peeled Prem off her neck, depositing him on the pillow, where he stretched until he was on his back, wiggling his butt to get comfortable, his paws in the air, his round little belly proudly on display. She smiled at his antics, running her finger along his tummy, then turned away.

  Two chairs were placed in front of a modest fireplace, while a small bureau sat opposite with a pitcher of water on top. The pungent fragrance of flowers lingered in the room like it had been doused with a deodorizer that didn’t quite get rid of the musty stink of body odor and sex, and she repressed a shudder at the thought of sitting on the bed.