Caged Fire

by L M Preston

  The Soul Trainer recovered from the blow and tightened her grip on EmVee’s neck. “I can kill you right now, you know,” Sybil ground between her teeth.

  Her hand and arm turned blue. The power burned EmVee’s skin, and EmVee struggled, kicking at Sybil and wedging her fingers in the small space between Sybil’s fingers.

  “Your son?” EmVee pushed out, coughing as she struggled. “I knew him.”

  Sybil punched EmVee’s ribs over and over again. The woman had super human strength. The pulsating power in each of her blows made EmVee’s hold on her wolf weaker each moment.

  “Silas,” Sybil spat. “He disappeared the year your father came under my presentation of a business proposition he couldn’t refuse. He crossed me, so I took everything he had. He thought he’d gotten away.”

  EmVee wanted to kill her right then. The beast in her surged. EmVee placed her hand around the woman’s neck.

  Kayson’s snarl and the commotion behind them got louder, distracting Sybil a moment. A man flew over them to crash into one of the cases beside them.

  Sybil threw an annoyed glance to the commotion behind EmVee. “Chain and kill that wolf!”

  EmVee kicked at her but fought for balance. Sybil threw her into the air and ran to the back of the room.

  Sliding on the floor, EmVee’s nails grew to sharp curved claws that dug into the rock floor. She jumped up several feet and chased Sybil. Letting go of the hold on her beast, she slowed the transformation but smashed the moving glass cages out of the way of her pursuit.

  Sybil was fast, but EmVee’s beast was faster and gained on the woman. Sybil rounded a corner to an open space where magicals, creatures, and EmVee’s mother lay chained or tied to metal examination tables.

  EmVee’s breathing mixed with snarls from her wolf. She growled, cornering Sybil. The Soul Trainer snatched her mother off the table, possibly breaking her mother’s arms in the process. The chains that held her mother down dangled. Sybil lifted her mother’s limp body into the air, ready to throw her.

  “I’ll kill her,” Sybil taunted. “Then throw her at that wolf out there to eat. It will be the only way he will be able to get free from my Soul Thieves.”

  “Put her down.” EmVee’s voice was deep.

  Sybil’s eyes narrowed. “What are you?”

  “Something your son created. Silas killed them, you know. The girls, the Soul Trainers like you? The boys, Soul Thieves, were all eaten by Silas.” EmVee’s voice deepened.

  “I don’t care. He was my son. My Overlord would have helped him. I’ve gotten my revenge on your father and your family. Did you do it?”

  EmVee growled. “He tried to kill me!”

  “Then I will take everything from you. Everything, then I’ll kill and torture you after I gut that male wolf.”

  “You’ll die for it. Give me my mother.”

  “Not going to happen. This is your end tonight.”

  “My father never would have gone freely. He’ll survive.”

  “Ha! Your father…” Sybil smirked. “He won’t survive. He’s the Overlord’s problem now. If I don’t survive, he won’t. Your siblings are gone, and your mother, tortured. What have you got to save now?” Sybil threw her mother’s body at her. “You’re his last child. The rest I made sure were killed.” Sybil laughed.

  EmVee transformed, her wolf bursting forth from her skin faster than ever before. Her wolf caught her mother mid-air, laid her on the floor, then leaped toward Sybil.

  Don’t bite her! Kayson’s voice vibrated within her; it was weak. They were torturing him. Cutting and stabbing at him, but his wolf held on.

  Sybil raised her arms to each side of her. She clapped her hands, and a burst of silver light threw EmVee’s wolf backwards. Sybil jerked her hands forward, causing shards of light shaped knives to rain toward her. Her she-wolf dodged several of the slivers to be hit by a few. Her wolf leaped at Sybil, sustaining the wounds from the knives that disappeared within her body.

  EmVee’s wolf quickly recovered on pure adrenaline.

  Sybil screamed, “Kill that beast! Kill him now!”

  Her wolf’s forepaw slashed Sybil’s neck, flying over her to dig into Sybil’s shoulder. EmVee’s paw yanked Sybil with her, biting into Sybil’s neck and slicing her charm from it.

  Sybil’s body convulsed. Her bluish silver blood turned red. EmVee snarled, her beast licking its nose, hungering for another bite until Sybil’s body went limp.

  EmVee immediately became consumed by the addictive power of blood mixed with the magic of the stone. Her wolf sniffed at Sybil’s body, its nose twitching over the bluish blood but avoiding the blood that had turned red. Every part of her felt alive, tingling, and hungry. It tasted so seductive. And there was more of it. Angry, her wolf tore into Sybil’s shoulder, chewing pieces of flesh, trying to get to the elixir of the bluish silver blood again, but only a weak taste of it remained.

  Her wolf sprang over the body then stalked to the men surrounding Kayson’s wolf. Kayson’s wolf was giant in size compared to them, but they were using the power from their rings to punch him, causing his body to break, to bleed. One Soul Thief raised a blue sword high, swiping down to gut Kayson. He was chained, being secured by the other men. They were where she wanted them.

  Her wolf salivated. Snarling as it stalked the next prey. They smelled so delicious. Her wolf licked its teeth. More of the elixir was within them; her wolf wanted to feast.

  “No! EmVee, babe, please don’t!” Kayson’s wolf howled at hers.

  She’d kill them for harming her alpha.

  His wolf couldn’t share thoughts with hers now. She couldn’t connect to him. The hunger and ache to consume these addictive morsels was too strong.

  EmVee attacked the one with the raised sword first. Biting off his arm, she snarled. Her wolf leaped at one then another, bit, clawed, devoured as much of them as she could until it was too much, and her wolf stumbled, dazed and shaking. It was high on power yet so hungry for more.

  There was no more. The elixir within the bodies she’d consumed was gone and their meat stale. The wolf was starving, unsatisfied and insatiable in its hunger.

  Then the convulsions started, and her wolf cried out. Everything went dark as Kayson’s wolf roared and broke free of its chains.

  Sharp needles of want and pain teased every cell in her body. EmVee was shivering, felt bindings on her wrists and in her mind. The cramping in her stomach and burning of her eyes was unbearable. All she could do was lick her lips, hoping to catch a taste of the elixir she’d had at the Soul Warriors’ expense. Her wolf wanted more and couldn’t stop writhing in pain until finding it.

  Kayson, he was there in her mind, chaining her wolf that was snarling and salivating within her like a rabid beast.

  “I-I’m s-sorry. Didn’t mean to do it. Was so angry.” EmVee opened her eyes to a concerned and bruised Kayson.

  He stood over her, wiping the sweat off of her with a towel. “I know. It’s all right. We are trying to find a cure. You’re addicted now and dangerous.”

  “N-noo! I can fight it.” EmVee frowned; the fight was impossible. Everything in her hurt. She didn’t know if she could even stand. If Kayson hadn’t forced himself into her mind through the weak connection they’d had, she’d be trying to transform and search for any Soul Trainer or Thief she could find. She even wanted to take a bite out of anything or anyone while in her human form.

  Megan approached her. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I started this with Silas. If I’d never discovered how seductively addictive the arbitrium charm was—especially to the Fenrir god—I wouldn’t have tempted Silas with it. I thought because he was different than the watered-down werewolves in the wolf Province, he would be able to pull himself back before he attacked my cousin Cara.”

  EmVee coughed, recalling the name of the cousin and friend Kayson had mentioned of Megan’s. “Y-your cousin?”

  Megan nodded. “And friend. I was so jealous of her. She’d changed when she bec
ame a Soul Trainer. The magic, the power, made her darker. Not that I’m not a little you know…but still. Then, she knew I was in love with Silas; we were dating. She stole him from me.”

  EmVee narrowed her eyes. “No reason…to…”

  “I didn’t mean to get her killed! When Silas killed her, his mother, Sybil, started sniffing around to find the murderer. Then Kayson’s father and The Vigilant were on the trail. I couldn’t have it point to me. I had to take care of Silas myself.”

  “With me?” EmVee exhaled, trying to gain control of her anger. Kayson was pushing her shoulders down and tying a psychic chain around her wolf. She could eat Megan; that’s what her wolf wanted to do.

  “And some help from your sister. Rei didn’t know I was using her. I knew you were strong enough to fight him off. I kept a sharp eye on you. I needed to convince Rachel to help me. Her Fae magic is pure, comes from a good place. I had to mix it with something darker. That meant using the stone I’d taken from Cara’s remains.”

  “You…sick…” EmVee coughed. Her wolf surged, her back bowed, and she felt a strong grip on her legs.

  “I got you, friend,” Demi said. “I know you want to bite her, I know I do.”

  EmVee was disgusted with Megan. This was partially her fault. “My mother?”

  Kayson kissed her cheek and held her twitching hand. “You saved her from a deathly fall. I recovered her, took the information we needed to find your siblings, and got us out of there. All of us.”

  Tears fell from her eyes. “Siblings? Sybil said they’re dead.” She sniffed. “I couldn’t lose her too.”

  “Sybil lied but had the ammunition to have them killed if she’d lived.”

  “My mother? I couldn’t lose her. Wanted to kill Sybil for hurting her. My wolf, I lost control.”

  “I know. It’s my fault. I’m your Alpha. I was too weak to help you. Forgive me. I’m new at this.”

  “Not your mistake…I broke our connection on purpose. The wolf, the rage…took over.”

  “It is. We are a team. I vow to be there with you, to protect you. Give me another chance by fighting to heal yourself.”

  Tears fell from EmVee’s eyes. She wanted to heal herself. She didn’t think she could. It felt as though every cell in her body was filled with unsatisfied want of a drug, she never should’ve ingested in the first place. She knew better, and she’d lose everything because of it.

  EmVee doubled over when a series of cramps and nausea hit her. Her fingers seized into fists, and there was a succession of blinding lights in her eyes, no matter how tightly she kept them shut.

  Sax opened the door. “He’s here.”

  EmVee closed her eyes, moving her head from side to side, fighting to erase the torturous cramping in her stomach and muscles. Her body felt as though every single cell had lost all water and it was dry heaving for a drop.

  A firm hand pressed against her forehead.

  She opened her eyes and saw Fenom, Demi’s father, standing over her. His hair was long, agray and brown mix that hung above one of his eyes. His dark gray jacket had its collar high, covering his tattoos, as did his longish hair. He appeared different.

  “Hey, Vee. Sorry you had to go through this. You did a good thing saving your mother and taking the information you did. Now we can fight them, find the Overlord and your family.”

  “Can you cure her?” Kayson’s deep voice sounded impatient.

  Fenom smiled at her. “Yes, with the gift that allowed all The Vigilant to gain freedom from the Overlord. The gift our queen used to fight him with before he cursed her to darkness. Being human.”

  “Will it take the wolf from her?” Kayson’s broken question hung in the air.

  “No, only the black magic and her wolf’s hunger for it. Since she changed before this procedure, she will remain as she is. If we’d done this before Silas and she exchanged blood, he couldn’t have changed her.”

  “Where do we get it?” Kayson asked.

  “It’s been inside you the entire time. It’s a gift given to humankind who are from the Earth Province. They have to be reborn under the Creator of All in the Earth Realm.”

  “Is that even possible?” Kayson sighed.

  “It is. But she has to want it.”

  EmVee convulsed. “I do.” Her lips shivered, but she forced them to still. “I do.”

  “Then have your heart ask for it.”

  EmVee pleaded with all of the soul she had left within her for freedom from the beast.

  “Wash her with the oils and water I brought with me. Do it until she stops shivering.”

  EmVee sank within herself, willing herself to fight it, the hunger, to forgive herself of the beasts, to drink in the healing oils, the scents from it.

  “Oh! Her body is absorbing it like a sponge,” Demi uttered.

  “Keep pouring it on her. It’s got healing properties. The water has been purified, and it has memory of its origins.” Fenom pointed to the vases of water each of them was given.

  Kayson’s voice inside her head got louder, closer. I love you. You and your wolf. I will never leave you. She felt as though he’d laid his body on her wolf, his warmth enveloping it.

  “Lie with me Kayson. Pour it on him too.”

  “Yes, do.” Kayson’s warmth enveloped her. She felt the binds being taken from her wrists. Her body was warm, calm as she wrapped herself around Kayson’s.

  Releasing a sigh, exhaustion cocooned her into a restful sleep.

  EmVee couldn’t wait to get dressed. She was running around their room pulling her top over her head.

  “Babe, hold on, slow down.” Kayson chuckled and hugged her from behind.

  “I can’t wait to see her. It felt like I slept for days.”

  Kayson kissed her neck. “You did, literally slept for forty-eight hours.”

  EmVee twisted around, struggling to put her foot into her pants. “I dreamed of you.” She reached one arm around his neck. “It was sexy too.”

  Kayson smirked. “Really?”

  “You sang to me.” EmVee kissed his chin then his lips as he bent down, hugging her and lifting her at the same time.

  “I did, every hour you slept. It made everyone mad since they wanted to strategize, but I wanted to be with you.”

  She hugged him with her free hand and wiggled her butt as she slid on her jeans. Then, she landed a quick kiss to his lips. “You can put me down now.”

  “Never.” Kayson stared at her.

  EmVee could have sworn he was near crying—then one tear and another dropped from his eyes.

  She lifted her hand to his face and kissed each tear. “I love you so much Kayson. I was fighting for us.”

  He hugged her to him, kissing her neck. “God, I thought I’d lost you. I would’ve rather died than see you like that.”

  “I couldn’t let you die. I wouldn’t. I felt like it was the only thing I could do.” She wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Their door opened.

  “Really guys? I’ve got to stop walking in on you like this.” Rachel laughed.

  Kayson eased EmVee to the floor then turned away to put on his shirt.

  EmVee went over to Rachel and gave her a hug. “So good to see you.”

  “Yeah, well thanks. But I bet there is someone you want to see more.” Rachel hugged her back. “Your mom is awake. Fenom’s there waiting for us.”

  Kayson came up behind her and placed his hand on her waist then Fgrabbed her hand. “Let’s go see her.”

  They walked through hallway. EmVee frowned, noticing the stacked book sculptures were gone. The hallway was clean and clear of the artful mess.

  “What happened?” EmVee waved around the hallway.

  “Megan’s feeling better, so she’s been cleaning.”

  “Why? I wasn’t able to get her answers about her father.” EmVee bit her lip, thinking of the boy they’d found, the one who attacked Kayson. She wondered what Megan did with him.

  “Oh, she found out where he is
. Seems she has been able to get information from the Siphoner.” Rachel raised an eyebrow.

  “How?”

  “Who knows? Apparently, the creature is her brother. Maybe, because of that, there is a connection. Her father was taken by the Overlord also. That means it’s likely he was made into a Sandman. But no one knows how he got the Pied Piper DNA mixed in. Megan thinks Pied Pipers can be female too. She showed Kayson a picture of her dad, and Kayson remembered him from his dream. The dream that bound his band to the club, and Dean, the fictitious owner of it.”

  “That sucks. We have to find them. Who knows how long they will last like that?”

  “I agree.” Rachel opened the door.

  “Did you find Kayson’s father’s killer?”

  Rachel stopped.

  Kayson put his arm around her. “It was the Overlord, and we have a name. Cyril, short for Cȳrillus. My father uncovered the underground city below your father’s gym and reported it to the police chief. He didn’t realize the chief was working with Cyril, and when he was home, he was visited by Cyril and the Siphoner who did the deed and sucked my father’s soul from him like a meal.”

  EmVee placed her hand on his cheek. “Megan won’t let you question the Siphoner?”

  “No, she wants to keep him and get as much information from him as she can. She actually thinks she can turn him into a spy for us, but I doubt that.” Rachel added, “We do know that Cyril is the infamous Dean we’ve been looking for. He was born a magical, a king of the Fae Province, but that didn’t stop him from draining the magic from the Province, leaving those remaining there to die of starvation. The magic feeds them as much as food, and when not present, they start to die. It’s why I left. He is building this source of magic for some reason, and it sounds as though a war is likely.”

  Kayson squeezed her hand. “These are answers we will uncover as we free your siblings from their captors.”

  “If the queen is creating the barrier, and if the Overlord has the forces he needs, who does she have to fight against his breaching and invading the Earth Realm?”