Ransomed to the World

by Stacey Brutger

  Annora glanced at the council members who stood so staunchly behind Daxion. “Before you side with him, you should know what he has planned—about how he wants to kill his wife and take her reaper abilities. Ask yourself this…why he would feel he needs more power?”

  The captain pushed his way through the crowd to stand next to her and the guys. “He wants to dismantle the council and take over ruling the realm by himself. After he acquires her reaper abilities, he plans to let the others die out, so only he would be able to control the banished lands. He’s branding those who might cause trouble so no one can oppose him.”

  “Don’t be absurd,” one of the older guys on the council blustered. “He still wouldn’t have enough power.”

  Annora pushed herself forward, raising her brow as she faced off with the arrogant asshole. “Are you sure? What if he became a bridge?”

  The old man’s eyes widened, and his mouth snapped shut. The council members behind him shifted uneasily, more than half of them shaking their heads and backing away.

  “You fucking little brat,” Daxion snarled, his sword now shimmering green.

  Spelled.

  Fuck…he planned to take her powers right now.

  He slipped through the darkness, raising his sword. She summoned her own blades, barely bringing them up in time to knock the edge of the sword away from taking her head.

  And took a sharp slice to her arm that cut deep.

  The wound burned more than a normal blade, and she sucked in a sharp breath. It was like all the darkness inside her began to freeze, slowly killing her senses.

  And making him stronger.

  Darkness swirled around him, like he couldn’t contain it all. His eyes flashed completely black, while black veins began to spider under his skin, up his neck, and across his face like a monster from one of those horror flicks the guys made her watch.

  Fighting erupted around her, people screaming as the guards surged to protect the council. The reapers and her mates did their best to hold them back, but she knew time was limited. She had maybe a few minutes at most before he became stronger than her and finished her off.

  Daxion locked his eyes on her with a savage smile. He strode toward her, vengeance darkening his face, when Edgar stepped between them in a swirl of darkness. Swords clashed, and they moved as a blur, both popping in and out of the afterworld.

  They were exceptionally skilled, she could see why they were the best.

  She fended off a few soldiers who got too close, swallowing down the dark matter that swirled around the room, doing her best to make sure the destructive spells didn’t land. Then her connection to the guys bloomed in her mind. They lingered in the back of her mind, alerting her to where they were in the room at all times. It was reassuring to know they were okay.

  Camden and Xander fought back-to-back, ruthlessly taking down everyone who got within reach. Logan and Valen darted in and out of the crowd, targeting the magic users. Mason was in full troll form, his hair bristling as he did his best to keep the majority of the soldiers away from her.

  Sadie, Cedwyn, and the captain worked like they were a team. A few soldiers stood with the reapers, working with them. The reapers were mostly smoke, only taking shape to strike blows or whisk the innocent people out of the way.

  The fighting was fast and vicious, both sides surprisingly evenly matched.

  The rebellion had officially begun.

  She staggered as two phantoms combined their magic and threw it at her. A dark hole opened up beneath her, threatening to suck her into the dead zone. A savage howl filled the air, a shape rippling in the darkness, slashing at the wards, trying to sneak across the barrier.

  She staggered under the effort to remain on her feet when dark tendrils wrapped around her ankles and tried to pull her through. She tipped, her knees banging hard enough against the floor that her joints creaked in protest. Annora lashed out with her blades, the beast’s screech of pain threatening to make her ears bleed.

  The portal drained of power and gradually shrank. A paw clawed through the opening, tearing at the floor, trying to reach her, struggling for purchase, when the portal closed with a pop. The limb was sheared off, landed with a thump, then dissolved into smoke.

  As Annora panted for air, trying to get to her feet, she saw Livia had followed her lead but was crumbling under the strain of diverting so much magic. A grimace distorted her features, the edges of her reaper form becoming jagged as the overload of magic literally tore her apart.

  If the reapers fell, they would lose, and it would all be for nothing.

  She couldn’t allow that to happen.

  She needed to end this now.

  Daxion needed to die.

  Edgar leaned down and dragged Annora to her feet, barely saving her from being trampled. He blocked a blow that threatened to take off his arm, but couldn’t escape the kick to his stomach that sent him reeling. A second blow had him staggering, and Daxion brought up the hilt of his sword, slamming it into Edgar’s forehead.

  Edgar went sailing backwards, and landed with a heavy thump, struggling to rise.

  Daxion stalked him relentlessly, kicking him in the face when he tried to stand, flipping him onto his back. Prem dashed out of the darkness and charged Daxion, latching onto the man’s hand and biting down, shaking his head back and forth like a dog.

  The phantom cursed, then reached over and grabbed the ferret in his fist, ripping him free, and tossed him as hard as he could. Not to be deterred, Daxion grabbed the sword with both hands, raised his arms over Edgar’s prone form, and her heart threatened to explode out of her chest.

  Not happening!

  It was her turn to protect Edgar.

  Annora surged forward, raising her blades. She didn’t have their skill, but if she struck hard and fast, and ended the fight quickly, she could finally finish this.

  Decision made, hoping to take him by surprise, Annora tossed one of her blades at him. It sliced through the air, and Daxion easily knocked it aside with his own weapon, forgetting about Edgar. She was almost upon him when he brought up the tip of his sword, the tip catching her in her side.

  She gritted her teeth as momentum propelled her farther along the blade. Ignoring the blood spilling down her side, she struck hard and fast, slashing him across the throat before sinking her blade deep in his shoulder.

  Mason let out a roar of rage, the room shaking beneath her feet as he completely lost his shit and came after her. Almost simultaneously, the screeching caw of a giant predator thundered in the air, wind whipping around her as Xander approached.

  The longer she remained speared on the blade, the faster she weakened, leaving her almost paralyzed to do anything but catch her breath. Daxion gave her a malicious grin, his wounds healing slowly.

  Hers did not.

  He held her tight, uncaring that her dagger was still sticking out of his chest. He was more interested in keeping his blade firmly planted in her flesh, every second draining her faster and faster.

  Shouting erupted in the room as chaos exploded. Livia materialized in a splash of darkness with a vindictive smile. Before Daxion could even pull his sword free, the reaper swung her sword, taking his head in one blow. “Enjoy the dead zone, dickhead.”

  Shock left Daxion’s features, his face going slack. As he began to disintegrate, he clutched at Annora, his arms swiping clear through her before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

  The moment he disappeared, the sword vanished with him, leaving her gasping, and a fresh spill of blood gushing down her side. With nothing left to hold her up, her legs folded.

  Gentle arms caught her close before she hit the ground. The world swam in and out of focus, the sounds of battle dulling to a roar. Her limbs felt heavy, the darkness inside her turning to lead as it slowly thickened in her veins.

  The guys surrounded her, completely freaking out when blood began to pool beneath her. It hurt her to see them so devastated. The pain gradually lessened, but it left a gaping
hole behind, like pieces of her soul were missing.

  Then darkness took her.

  Annora glanced around the inky darkness, wondering if she was still alive.

  “You’re not dead, though it may feel like it.” Amusement lightened Eliana’s words as she stepped out of the gloom. A huge-ass man emerged behind her, his size rivaling that of even Mason, and he laid a possessive hand around Eliana’s waist, his bushy beard only serving to enhance his good looks.

  Eliana leaned back against the guy, resting her hand over the top of the arms he’d wrapped around her, and smiled up at him. “This is my mate, Dwight.”

  Mates.

  A pang went through her chest at the thought of never seeing the guys again, and Annora crossed her arms over her waist to hold in the hurt that threatened to eat her alive. She unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth. “Why am I here?”

  “This is where bridges and their mates go when they’re close to death,” Eliana informed her gently.

  Annora’s breath left her in a whoosh, her insides turning hollow, then she shored up her resolve. “How do I get back?”

  Dwight broke into a smile. “I can see why you like her.”

  “Shush.” Eliana flapped her hands at him to shoo him away, her laughter fading. “You chose your mates well. I can feel them pulling you back to the land of the living. Not many would risk their lives.”

  Sheer panic tightened its hands around her throat, and she lunged forward, grabbing Eliana’s arm. “How do I stop them? I won’t put them at risk.”

  The world trembled around them as she fought to pull away from the link. It was like trying to peel off her own skin.

  “Stop!” Eliana grabbed her arms tight, giving her a little shake. “They’ll be fine, but if you fight it, you will only hurt them.”

  Annora froze.

  Eliana gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not sure when we’ll have a chance to talk again, but you need to know the barrier between the realms is thinning. We’re trying to keep the darkness from swallowing the world whole, but it’s a struggle with the world being so out of balance.”

  Fuck.

  “What do you need from me?” Annora wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she wasn’t one to hide from her problems. It’s what landed the phantoms in this trouble in the first place.

  “You’re doing it by brokering the alliance. Keep fighting for change. Keep stirring up trouble…you’re good at that.” Eliana gave her a cheeky grin.

  Annora sputtered out a laugh. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  The wards around her darkened, and Eliana leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Go join your mates. You have much to learn yet, and a world to save.”

  Without waiting for a response, Eliana shoved her, and Annora fell back into the darkness.

  Annora shifted, then groaned when her body protested like she’d just been through a long torture session with her uncle. She’d dealt with pain most of her life, but this was different, and it went deeper, reaching places her uncle had never been able to touch.

  She nudged the darkness, and its reaction was subdued, her bones actually aching when it stirred. Trying to heal was out of the question, the thought of it actually making her want to puke.

  “Annora?” Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of Logan’s voice, and she winced when he settled next to her. To her surprise, Prem was nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly.

  The sound of rushing feet had her turning her head, and a bright light hit her right in the face. She stifled a groan when the sunlight threatened to split open her skull.

  She was lying on a bed, thankfully dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and she couldn’t help being curious about who had changed her. The guys crowded close, their faces lined with exhaustion, and her throat tightened as she scanned them for injuries.

  “Thank the gods!” Logan breathed, his shoulders hitching, and he leaned forward to press his lips to her forehead, then rested his cheek against the top of her head.

  Mason settled his hand on her ankle and squeezed, like he could prevent her from sneaking away again. Xander dragged a chair close to the bed, sat, then reached forward and cradled her hand in his, playing with her fingers. Camden leaned over and checked the bandage on her side, fussing over her, his touch lingering against her skin, stealing the pain.

  “I’m going to get Valen.” Edgar backed away, avoiding her eyes as he headed for the door, and she stared after him with worried frown.

  “What happened?” Annora tried to sit, and both Camden and Xander shot to their feet, grabbing her shoulders to help her upright. Logan plopped the ferret in her lap, then took the opportunity to slip behind her, easing her back into his arms, his legs on either side of her, cradling her gently like he needed the connection just as much as her.

  “You almost died,” Edgar snapped as he followed Valen back into the room, fury darkening his eyes.

  Valen shooed the others away from the bed, but they only shifted an inch, forcing him to squeeze between them to get close. Edgar remained at the edges of the room, pacing back and forth, not once looking at her.

  Valen checked her over with his magic, darkness skating across her skin, the sensation soothing the ragged nerve endings. “How are you feeling?”

  “Weak.” It was a struggle to stay awake and alert. She took comfort in petting Prem’s silky fur, and he stirred sluggishly at her touch. She sighed with relief when it was clear he’d be fine, then glanced back at Valen. “Almost human.”

  Logan trembled and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent, which seemed to calm him, and he brushed his fingers over her skin, as if to reassure himself.

  “Makes sense because you’re close enough to it. You’re lucky you’re so strong or you would be dead.” He clucked his tongue, then nudged the now-tarnished medallion hanging around her neck. “It took the work of both the phantoms and the reapers to stitch you back together. You’ll scar and be sore for a while, but you should heal. If not for your mates, we would’ve lost you.”

  Edgar stopped pacing. “What the fuck were you thinking?!” he bellowed, glaring down at her, his normal icy calm completely shot to hell.

  Instead of his usual immaculate appearance, his hair was standing up every which way, his clothes were wrinkled and stained, and the dark circles under his eyes made his face look even paler. Bruises colored his jaw, his lip had been busted, and her heart trembled to see the evidence of how close she came to losing him.

  She carefully studied the rest of her guys and saw they were in the same condition. Scrapes and bruises dotted their faces and knuckles.

  They looked like shit.

  And the most wonderful things she’d ever seen.

  “I’m sorry I scared you.” Edgar stiffened at her soft words, his eyes wild, just seconds away from shattering. “I couldn’t let him hurt you. I love you too much to lose you. I would risk anything for all of you, and I know the rest of you guys would do the same.”

  His expression cracked, devastation crumbling his face, and he rubbed his chest. “Don’t you fucking do that again. I don’t think my heart could take it.”

  “Same here.” Her voice was hoarse. Her chest warmed to see she’d finally managed to break through the ironclad control he hid behind…even if it was to yell at her. She’d take it. “For the first time in a long time, I had something to live for—you and the others. There’s no fucking way I was going to give any of you up without a fight.”

  He exhaled loudly, his shoulders slumping, his head hanging low. Xander moved his chair over to make more room, and Edgar accepted it gratefully. Surrounded by her men, she asked the question she dreaded most.

  “Is Daxion really dead?” She was terrified that he’d taken enough of her power to come back.

  “Oh, he’s dead.” Valen patted her hand reassuringly, not a hint of grief in his expression.

  Annora tightened her grip on Xander’s hand. Logan felt the tension and hugged her closer. “Is
he a reaper now?”

  Mason gave an impressive growl that rumbled through the room like thunder, his hair whipping around him. Edgar’s form went wispy, his eyes shading completely black, as if determined to brave the afterworld to hunt Daxion down and finish him once and for all. Camden’s skin rippled, a pattern pushing forward as his armor rose, his iridescent hair shimmering. Even the white tips of Xander’s hair bristled at the threat, the rippling of his wings echoing around her.

  Power rose in the air, and Valen held up his hands. “Livia said he didn’t make it out of the dead zone. It seemed a fitting end for him.”

  She took a deep, shuddering breath, her throat tightening with emotions.

  She was finally free.

  “You’ll be pleased to know that peace talks are actually happening. Most of the phantoms are overjoyed that Daxion’s reign is over…well, almost everyone. A few phantoms disappeared overnight.”

  Annora reached out to Valen, gripping his arm. “I want the branding to be removed and outlawed. It should be reserved only for criminals. No negotiations.”

  The conversation winded her.

  Valen smiled and shook his head, gently pushing her back down. “Rest. I’ll take care of it. You’ll eventually regain your powers, but it will take time. No more searching for trouble…or at least wait until you’re back on your feet.”

  Her lips twitched at his chiding. “Before you go, I have something for you.”

  When she tried to move, all the guys tightened their hold. Logan whispered in her ear. “What do you need, babe?”

  “Edgar…can you open the door to my closet? I left some things with the grimoire.” His brows hiked up, knowing exactly what she was asking him to do. Every door she opened to the afterworld led to her closet, if she willed it.

  He rose to his feet, then opened the bathroom door…to pure darkness. He reached inside and collected the coins, then shut the door, the darkness gradually fading back to where it had seeped out from behind the frame. He held out his hand to her, the coins gleaming in his palm.

  “These are for Livia.” Annora handed over the first five coins over to Valen.