by Donna Grant
He pulled her into his arms and held her, squeezing his eyes closed. If only he could erase the symbol, but since he was one of those being kept out, he couldn’t touch it.
Kyra pulled out of his arms, but she linked her fingers with his. With a quick smile, they teleported to the top floor of the building. But as they approached the turn in the corridor that would take them to the hidden Fae door, the hairs on the back of Dubhan’s neck stood on end. It was the only warning he got to let him know that they weren’t alone.
He wrapped his arms around Kyra, bringing her back against his chest as he raised his veil right before they turned the corner. The moment he saw the other eight Fae, he put his hand over Kyra’s mouth.
They stood as silent as the dead. None of them spoke as they stared at the place he and Kyra were. It was as if the Fae knew that they had been about to arrive. But that wasn’t possible.
The minutes ticked by. Dubhan had an itch on his ear, but he didn’t move. He knew for a fact that no one would be able to see him, but he wasn’t going to take the chance. The slightest sound could set off those around him.
The Fae—both Dark and Light—were armed for battle. The Dark stuck together, as did the Light, but they were communicating through hand signals.
Twenty minutes later, a tall Dark male stepped forward. His hair was slicked back in a pompadour style with the sides shaved. He held out his arm before him, his palm facing out. A moment later, a male Light joined him, mimicking the pose.
Dubhan watched them, wondering what they were doing. Then, he lifted Kyra and took a step back around the corner just as magic came barreling down the corridor. The edges of it singed him, alerting him that the Fae had used a spell to detect if someone was near but hiding.
Another five minutes went by without Dubhan moving his back from the wall. Kyra didn’t so much as twitch. Her breathing was even, and her hands gripped his arm, her fingers tightening occasionally.
Finally, Dubhan leaned around the corner and studied the hallway. All the Fae were gone. No one could use a veil and not be seen by a Reaper. Then again, these weren’t just any Fae, that much was clear. He suspected they could be part of the Others. Or maybe they were a new enemy altogether.
He set Kyra down and removed his hand from her mouth as he turned her to face him. He put a finger to his lips. She nodded in response. With one hand still on her to ensure that she remained veiled, Dubhan kneeled down and spread his fingers wide. With a push, he sent magic out of his palm and down the corridor to see if they were alone.
They were, but Dubhan wasn’t sure when or if the Fae would be back. He stood, and with hurried steps, they both stalked to the Fae doorway. Dubhan paused when he saw that several symbols had been burned off while one had just been scraped through with a blade of some sort. Which made it appear as if Max had been visited by two different sets of people who weren’t fond of his symbols.
“Everything okay?” Kyra whispered as she glanced over her shoulder.
Dubhan felt what was left of the scraped symbol and immediately jerked back. That was the one to keep Reapers out, which meant that Death or one of the other Reapers had been there already. Dubhan gave a nod and walked through the Fae doorway.
Kyra’s gasp of dismay stopped him cold. There wasn’t much left of Max’s place. Everything had been destroyed. There wasn’t a trace of the Fae anywhere, but Dubhan wasn’t surprised. It was only a matter of time before Max received what had been coming to him. No being in the universe could dole out the things Max did and not have it come back around on them eventually. Honestly, with Max, it had taken far longer than Dubhan would’ve thought.
He didn’t believe a Reaper had done this. If one of his brethren had been there, it was to get information, not to tear up the place. Death could have judged Max, but again, there was no reason to destroy the flat. Which meant that it must have been whoever those other Fae were.
Dubhan didn’t release his hold on Kyra. He wasn’t certain there wasn’t someone—or even a spell—that would alert others that they were there. Being veiled prevented most spells from detecting a Reaper.
Most.
Everything was in question now because of the Others. The Fae that had been there when they arrived could be a part of the Others—or they could be something else.
Dubhan gave a little yank on Kyra’s hand. She nodded, turning toward him. The moment they exited the Fae doorway, he teleported them to four different locations before he stopped.
“Those Fae were waiting for us. How did they know we would be there?” Kyra asked.
Dubhan looked around the vast Avondale Forest Park before he lowered himself to a fallen tree. “I thought they expected us, and perhaps they did, but I think they knew we’d be back to visit Max. Not when we were coming.”
“Either way, I don’t like it.”
He pulled her down beside him and put his arm around her. “Neither do I.”
“Your quick thinking saved us.”
“When you’re in as many of those types of situations as I’ve been in over the course of my life, you learn to pick up on little things that warn you.”
“And something warned you?” she asked, her head turning to him.
He nodded.
“I’m glad it did.” She swallowed and looked toward a bird that swooped down from a tree to grab a worm. “Max is dead.”
“It looked that way.”
“Did the Others do it? Or the Fae that were there? Or are they one and the same?”
Dubhan shrugged. “The Others might have done it. And I don’t know who those Fae were, so I can’t tell you if they are a part of the Others or not. I do know a Reaper was there at some point because I was able to walk through without pain. It would be just like Erith to send a Reaper to Max’s.”
“Wouldn’t the Reaper have still been there?”
“I would’ve left after Max was killed.” Dubhan was thinking of who it might have been when Cathal appeared before them. “Cathal.”
The Reaper was the tallest of them, his red eyes penetrating. His long, black and silver hair hung midway down his back. “I arrived back at Maximillian’s just as the two of you left.”
“Arrived back?” Dubhan asked.
Cathal’s nostrils flared. “I followed the other group of Fae.”
“Who were they?”
“I don’t know, but they were powerful. Very powerful,” Cathal said. He ran a hand down his face. “I’ve not seen that kind of power in a Fae since Usaeil or Rhi.”
Kyra licked her lips. “And Max? Is he dead?”
Cathal nodded once. “It was the group of Fae. I removed the Reaper symbol so I could get into Max’s. I was there to watch and see if I could learn anything more about the other symbol or the Others. Then the Fae showed up.”
“Did they want something from Max?” Dubhan asked.
Cathal snorted. “Nothing. They didn’t even speak. They stormed in, and when Max tried to teleport, they caught him with a net.”
That took Dubhan aback. “A net?”
“It looked as if it was made of silver. It stopped him.” Cathal glanced at the ground. “I’ll give it to Max. He didn’t beg them for mercy. Even when they began cutting him to pieces.”
Kyra sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her hand.
Dubhan held her close and nodded at Cathal. “Thanks for telling us.”
“I’ll see you soon,” Cathal said and nodded to both before vanishing.
Kyra shook her head. “I’m sorry Max is gone. It was a horrible death, but at the same time, he didn’t live a good life.”
“You die how you live. I know that for a fact.”
Her gaze softened. “Yes, you do.”
“We don’t have the book, or even know where to locate it,” he pointed out.
She placed her hand atop his. “We’ll find it.”
“You have such confidence.”
“I have to. This is too important.”
He smiled and
kissed her temple while his thoughts remained on the group of Fae. If they were enough to cause a Reaper to think them powerful, then they were someone the Reapers needed to learn about. And quickly.
But Dubhan kept that to himself. Kyra had enough to deal with. If only Dubhan could give her some closure on her aunt, but there hadn’t been time to do anything about that yet. But he would find a way.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Avondale Forest in Ireland. I wanted to be sure we weren’t followed by an enemy.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in thought. Dubhan had yet to let his guard down. There was too much about the Others that he didn’t know or fully understand yet, but he wasn’t going to underestimate them.
Then there was Usaeil. How was the queen not dead? There were so many unanswered questions, and Dubhan wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answers. The odds weren’t in their favor, but that was usually the way of things.
Everything had been stacked against them with Bran, and yet they had defeated him. The Reapers would do the same to the Others. But this time, the Reapers wouldn’t be alone. They would be standing alongside the Dragon Kings.
“Ready?” Dubhan asked Kyra.
As soon as she nodded, he took them back to the cottage. Once inside, he tested the spells he’d put up to ensure that no one but a Reaper or Death had gotten inside while they were gone. All was as it should be.
Why then did he still get the feeling that there was more coming? Dubhan couldn’t put his finger on it. He checked every room of the small cottage twice, double and triple-checked the wards and spells. Yet that niggling feeling that something was about to happen wouldn’t dissipate.
“You’re freaking me out,” Kyra told him as she sipped tea, standing and leaning against the kitchen counter.
He blew out a breath. Maybe it was all in his head. After the run-in with the Fae at Max’s and the Others seemingly all around them, Dubhan could be seeing things that weren’t there. He was that protective of Kyra. But it was better to be wary than not.
Dubhan turned his head to her and smiled. “I’m just being precautious.”
But she wasn’t looking at him. Kyra’s face was slack, her lips slightly parted as shock widened her eyes. Her fingers loosened, and the cup tumbled from her hand to plummet to the floor where an explosion of porcelain and tea followed.
“Eva,” she murmured.
Dubhan frowned, then looked over his shoulder in the direction of Kyra’s gaze. That’s when he saw the woman standing outside the house.
Before he could warn Kyra not to leave the cottage, she had teleported outside. Dubhan immediately followed. He stood behind her, his gaze locked on the woman who resembled the love of his life.
“Kyra,” the female said.
Kyra started to take a step forward, but then stopped. “Eva. Where have you been? I’ve looked for you for years.”
Dubhan used his magic to feel behind and around him to see if anyone else was near. Thankfully, it was just Eva. But that didn’t mean the Fae wasn’t deadly. He could hardly believe he was staring at the aunt Kyra had told him about, the one Kyra assumed was dead.
Because the woman before him was very much alive.
She had the same wavy, black hair as Kyra, the same shaped eyes, and even the same height. It was almost like Eva was Kyra’s twin, that’s how closely the two resembled each other.
Dubhan noticed Eva’s dark denim-encased legs and the black biker boots on her feet. She had a black moto leather jacket on with a white tee beneath. Her hair was down, and there was no sign of any jewelry.
Eva twisted her lips. “I had business I needed to see to.”
“Business? You just left me,” Kyra stated, anger tinting her voice.
Dubhan remained near Kyra. He wanted to feel joy for Kyra at Eva returning, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
Eva shrugged. “Duty called.”
The moment she said that, Dubhan’s gaze narrowed. His Reaper senses picked up movement in the air. Out of his peripheral vision, he spotted Cael, Eoghan, Aisling, and Rordan arrive with their veils raised.
“Duty?” Kyra repeated. “What duty?”
“The same duty I’ve come to collect you for.”
Kyra shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’re talking about.”
“A group of people who are doing whatever is necessary to make us the great race we once were,” Eva explained. “The best of us get chosen. I’m going to make sure I’m chosen, and if I can’t, then you will be.”
“Others,” Kyra said, revulsion contorting her face and deepening her voice. “You’re referring to the Others.”
Eva sighed and shook her head sadly. “I see you’ve already made your decision. That’s too bad.” Her gaze briefly met Dubhan’s.
Kyra moved back to stand even with Dubhan. “I spent years looking for you, asking everyone I knew where to find you. How could you just walk away without a word to any of us? To me?”
It killed Dubhan to hear the hurt in Kyra’s voice. He wanted to give her vengeance, but he didn’t move. Not yet. Not when there was more to learn about the Others or the other mysterious group, if there was one.
When Eva didn’t answer, Kyra crossed her arms over her chest. “You need to leave. Now.”
Eva made a sound as she slowly shook her head. “You have two options, Kyra. You can join us, or you can die. We need your powers. I’ve been watching you for some time. I’m the one who made sure you were stuck in the shield at the Light Castle so you could create the Trackers. I had no idea the Reapers were real or that you’d fall for one, but that’s fine, too. We need more information on them.”
“You aren’t touching Kyra,” Dubhan stated.
Eva smiled. “Try and stop me.”
“Oh, we will,” Dubhan replied.
Chapter Twenty-three
It all happened so fast. Kyra’s mind was still reeling at the sight of her aunt, then learning the reason she hadn’t been able to find Eva was because her aunt had become part of the Others—or was trying to. Or was part of another nefarious group. But all of that paled in comparison to when she told Kyra that she would die if she didn’t join, as well.
Kyra heard Dubhan’s threat, but it sounded as if she were in a tunnel. She blinked, unsure of what to do. Her aunt, the same one who had taken her in, loved her and showed her how to be herself while being a part of their family was now going to kill her. Something didn’t make sense.
“You just had to go poking your nose in our business,” Eva said to Dubhan. “And you got Kyra involved. I should’ve told her about the Others long ago when I could’ve swayed her.”
Kyra didn’t like being talked about as if she weren’t there. “I wouldn’t have joined you even then.”
“It was freeing being able to finally share the secret I carried for so long—that I’m Kyra’s mum,” Eva said, ignoring Kyra.
Kyra felt as if she’d been kicked while she was down. “Stop it.”
Eva’s silver eyes slid to her. “You seriously never figured it out? Why do you think your parents allowed me to step in when I did? Why do you think I contacted you after not having anything to do with you growing up?”
“Enough,” Kyra said with a shake of her head.
“No, it’s time you heard the truth. My lover was part of our group before he was killed. He was married, and I was young. I didn’t want to raise a child, so my father suggested I give you to my brother and his wife to raise since they had already begun their family. It seemed perfect. And it was. Until you showed signs of being just like me.” Eva shrugged. “You can try and deny that you aren’t part of this group, but the magic runs in your veins, blood from both your parents. You can’t stop destiny.”
Kyra drew in a shaky breath. “The hell I can’t. I know what’s right and wrong, even if you don’t. This realm isn’t ours. We were allowed to live here, and we certainly have no right
to take it from the Dragon Kings. I will be standing against you.”
Eva smiled. “No, child, you won’t. You’ll be dead. And there’s nothing this Reaper can do to stop me.”
“We’ll see about that,” Dubhan said.
Kyra thought back to all the times she could’ve learned some combat skills in case of an attack, but she was absolutely defenseless. If it weren’t for Dubhan, she knew she wouldn’t stand a chance. She didn’t want to be that powerless and weak, and if she survived this, that was going to change.
Eva rolled her eyes at Dubhan. “Did you really think I’d come to face a Reaper and not be prepared?”
“Did you really think I’d bring Kyra and not be prepared?” Dubhan asked with a sly grin.
Eva’s confidence slipped, showing enough uncertainty to make Kyra smile. This woman who she had loved—and even wished had been her mother—couldn’t be the woman who birthed her. But so much made sense now.
Had Eva been this woman all along, and Kyra was only now seeing it because her aunt—er . . . her mum—was finally showing her true colors? It was all just too much.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Eva told Dubhan. “I’ve been watching you.”
Kyra glanced at Dubhan, but he didn’t seem at all fazed by what was being said.
“Is that so?” he replied. “What did you find out?”
Eva snorted. “You think I’m going to tell you?”
“It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t see.”
Kyra knew that Dubhan was referring to the rule of the Reapers. Did that mean that Death was there? The other Reapers? Had they come to kill Eva? A part of Kyra wanted to stop them. Then she looked at her aunt/mother and realized that if Eva returned to her group, she would do so with more knowledge of the Reapers.
That simply couldn’t happen.
“You used me,” Kyra said. The words falling from her lips before she even realized it. She looked at Eva and shook her head. “You used me from the beginning.”
Eva’s nostrils flared as she shook her head. “Not at first. I wanted to help you, to show you there was another path. But you’re too much like your father. You see good in everything without seeing the opposite side. You didn’t listen to me, so I left, making sure to keep tabs on you. Imagine my surprise when you were at the Light Castle when Usaeil sent her Trackers. I was just as shocked as you to discover the Reapers.”
