by Sadie Moss
“Thank fuck for that.”
Stepping back quickly, I raised my right hand and bashed the butt of my dagger against Kate’s temple. She pitched to the side, eyes rolling up into her head.
As soon as she was down, I sheathed my blades and bent over with my hands on my knees, weakness flooding my body like ice water. The adrenaline of the fight had helped keep me upright, but my strength was flagging badly. I needed to get out of here before Rain came back or someone else came to investigate the noise. I didn’t have too many more fights left in me.
Crouching down beside Kate’s prone form, I pulled her shirt off. One sleeve was sticky with blood, and I cut it off before slipping the rest of the garment over my head. I had no idea where I was, but if—no, when—I made it out of here, I’d have a better chance of surviving if I was protected from the elements.
Her feet were a bit bigger than mine, and her boot had a slight heel where mine didn’t, but I’d rather walk funny than walk barefoot. I yanked her left shoe off and shoved it on my foot.
A quick pat down revealed nothing else useful on her but a small key ring.
I used the blood-soaked sleeve to bind her wrists, wincing at the purple, swollen fingers on her right hand. But I forced down my pity. Kate had killed Christine. She was helping Rain carry out his insane plan, and she’d treated me horribly as a prisoner. I might not be able to bring myself to kill her in cold blood, but that didn’t mean she deserved to live.
Slipping out of the cell, I glanced around cautiously. The large room was still empty. Two hallways led away from it in different directions. One of them I’d been able to see from inside the cell, and one I hadn’t.
I turned back to the door of my cell and tried several keys until I found the one that locked it. Shoving the key ring in my pocket, I crept toward the newly revealed hallway.
But before I made it three steps, heat and power flared in my belly, almost bringing me to my knees.
Oh, shit.
My magic was back.
And it was pissed.
Chapter 3
All the power that had been suppressed by Rain’s prison cell flowed through my veins like liquid lightning, overwhelming me.
I glanced down at myself, almost expecting to find light emanating from my skin, but all I saw was a body covered in sweat, grime, and smears of blood. My bra, which had once been black, was now tinged a brownish gray, and my usually flame-red hair was about the same color as my bra.
But I could feel the magic burning inside me, straining to reconnect to the bonds it had forged with my four. I pressed a hand against the wall to stay upright, willing it to calm the fuck down.
Not right now. Please, gods, not right now.
I wished I could explain to the power raging through me that I was trying to find my way back to my men; I just needed it to behave for a little while longer so I could do that.
Keeping my hand on the stone wall for stability, I stumbled down the long hallway. It was carved right out of the rock and was obviously made more for function than form. The walls were rough and uneven, and the sconces jutting out were spaced far enough apart that the hall lapsed into darkness between them.
I summoned a small flame above my free hand, both for the added light and as a precautionary measure, in case I ran into other residents or guards. My ears stayed perked for any threat, but the only sounds were my short breaths and the shuffling of my feet.
The stillness was eerie.
Shit. Maybe Rain and Kate were the only two people in the world who knew about this place, whatever and wherever it was.
That wouldn’t surprise me. Rain could’ve easily hired some Touched goons to guard his lair, but he struck me as paranoid enough not to trust anyone but Kate with the knowledge of what he was doing here. That must be the reason he’d been able to keep his responsibility for the Great Death a secret all these years.
He told my father about his plans once. And my dad tried to stop him.
Pride and grief swelled inside me in equal measure at the thought. Rain had probably learned his lesson about revealing his sick secrets after that.
I followed several winding stone corridors, all of which looked exactly the same. When I turned down a new hallway, hope made my heart pound faster. A door stood at the end of it.
Picking up my pace, I half shuffled, half ran toward the large wooden door. But I slowed as I neared it, noticing the blue glow that pulsed over the dark wood.
Warded.
Fuck.
It made sense. If Rain didn’t have guards watching over this place, he must’ve locked it down tight with magical protections instead.
Godsdamn it. Guards, I could fight—or charm. Magical wards, on the other hand… I had no way around those. Growling, I turned around and retraced my steps through the catacombs, pushing through my bone-deep weariness.
Trying to keep a mental map of which hallways I’d already ventured down, I kept moving, stumbling upon two more warded doors.
By the time I reached a third one, panic was whipping my magic up into a frenzy. This place was fucking huge. Even if no one stopped me, I could spend hours wandering the stone halls fruitlessly, searching for a way out that may not even exist.
I turned and shuffled back the way I’d come, the vibrating tension of my magic at odds with the dwindling strength of my body. Choosing another random offshoot, I ventured down the dark corridor, fingers brushing the cold wall.
A grinding sound up ahead stopped me in my tracks.
Fuck. Maybe there was somebody else here.
I peered down the dimly lit hallway, muscles tensed. The grinding sound grew louder, but I still couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly, a man stepped right out of the wall before me.
No. Not a man. A part of the stone.
The creature had no features, just a blank face. And it was bigger than most humans, seven feet tall at least. It’s head almost scraped the low ceiling of the cavernous tunnel.
For a second, I just stared at it, dumbfounded.
Then the grating sound came again, and another creature just like the first emerged from the wall behind me.
They moved simultaneously, faster than rock had a right to. Two large, rough fists swung for me.
I ducked too late. The fist meant for my face missed me, but the one aimed at my midsection hit me in the shoulder instead, sending me flying into the wall. The bite wound on my shoulder sang with pain as I slipped under another rocky fist, darting down the hallway.
Raising both hands, I turned around as the two creatures barreled toward me. Flame shot from my palms, sending a scorching fireball careening through the cavern. Heat enveloped me, and I swore I could hear a few strands of my hair sizzle.
Shit. Too much! My magic raged under the surface of my skin, barely under my control.
And it didn’t even slow the rock creatures down at all. They emerged from the billowing flame unscathed, expressionless faces trained on me.
I fell backward, and a second after I hit the ground, a large stone knee landed by my side. One of the figures knelt over me, and I twisted my head just in time to avoid having my face crushed by its large fist.
Usually, I liked close-quarter fighting. I was good with my fists and my blades. But neither of those would work against this big motherfucker and his friend.
Scrabbling backward like a crab, I threw my hands out again, calling on the power of wind. My magic surged through me, and this time I didn’t try to stop it, didn’t try to control it. I let the wind shriek through the tunnel, my own scream lost in the howling noise.
The stone men dug their feet in, pushing into the violent gust, but it pressed them back.
I couldn’t sustain it forever though. When they were a few yards away from me, I let the wind drop and did the best thing I could think of when faced with magical stone adversaries. I ran.
My mismatched shoes made my gate uneven, and I careened between the walls like a drunk trying to run an obstacle co
urse. But I kept moving, even as the thundering sound of footsteps grew louder behind me.
When the corridor I was in opened up into a large room, I sprinted inside—and the footsteps behind me stopped.
I whirled around. The two figures stood stock-still just outside the entryway to the room. Then, without a sound, they stepped back to the walls, disappearing into the stone.
Why didn’t they follow me in here?
Backing slowly away from the door, I edged farther into the room, and then glanced around at the new space I had entered.
I gasped.
It was cavernous, at least three stories tall. I had entered in the middle level, onto a balcony that surrounded the perimeter of the room. Below me, a steel platform ten feet across took up the center of the floor. Six large prongs rose from it, looking almost like the setting on a gigantic ring.
Except there was no diamond set inside these prongs. Instead, they held a shifting ball of bright white light.
It pulsed with power, the energy radiating from it nearly knocking me off my feet.
Magic.
This was what Rain had stolen.
I blinked back tears as I stared down at it, overwhelmed by the otherworldly beauty of the bright, shifting light. It was pure, concentrated magic, burning like a star.
A staircase led from the balcony to the main floor, and I crept down it, gaze locked on the magic star. From up close, it looked even bigger and felt more powerful. I swore I could hear a low hum coming from it, as if the concentrated magic were alive.
But Rain couldn’t use this magic, could he? If he’d gotten this from his first magic pull, it was inaccessible to him. Or so he’d told me.
Thank the gods. Because if he had access to this much power, he’d be unstoppable.
The thought hardly comforted me. His plans for a second magic pull were well underway, and he seemed confident that this time, he would be able to use the magic he stole from others.
I had to stop him.
But first, I had to get the fuck out of here.
The room was quiet. I shot a glance up at the balcony level, but the stone figures hadn’t reappeared. Were there more of them guarding the corridors on this level? I wasn’t sure I could survive another encounter with them.
But I couldn’t give up trying to find a way out. It’d been hours since Rain left for the Capital; he might be back any minute. And as soon as he found Kate tied up in my old cell, he’d realize what I’d done and hunt me down.
Several corridors led away from the main level of this room. Stealing one last look back at the ball of magic suspended within the metal prongs, I picked a passage at random and darted cautiously down it. The hallways down here were darker than the ones above, with cobwebs draping across them in places. Although no creatures emerged from the walls, I hit two more dead ends at warded doors, and my jaw began to ache from being clenched so tight.
But the next door I stumbled upon wasn’t warded. It wasn’t even locked.
It hung slightly ajar, and somehow that sight made me more nervous than all those pulsing blue wards had.
This wasn’t right. Rain would never be so careless.
Was he back already? Had he come through here? Did he know I was down here too?
Slowly, tentatively, I reached for the door. It creaked as I pushed it open, and I winced. The area beyond was swallowed up in darkness.
I braced myself and was about to step through when a noise drew my attention. A muffled voice came from another corridor that intercepted this one several yards behind me.
I froze, torn by indecision. Should I step into the blackness beyond and into a possible trap? Or should I turn and fight Rain now—maybe even get the jump on him? I was weak, but the magic that burned inside me was still raging out of control. And it was pulling me back toward the sound of the voice, probably itching for a fight.
Decision made, I slipped a dagger from my sheath. I kept one hand free for spell casting but didn’t summon a flame yet. The light would give away my position too soon.
Turning, I crept silently down the corridor. I pressed myself to the wall near the intersecting hallway, listening intently. Whoever it was had gone quiet, but the sound of breathing met my ears. Coming closer.
Bursting around the corner, I darted into the hall, raising my dagger at the same time I summoned a ball of flame above my other hand.
The fire flared in the darkness, almost blinding in its brightness. The man before me grunted, raising his forearm to block my strike. He swept his arm up and around, wrapping his other hand around the back of my fist to control the dagger.
“We really have to stop meeting like this, kitten,” he drawled.
My blade clattered to the ground.
“Akio?”
Chapter 4
The incubus’s dark eyes glittered in the light of the fire that still burned above my raised palm.
“Hello, Lana.”
I stared at him as he spoke my name, a million questions burning on the tip of my tongue. What was he doing here? Where were the others? How had they found me?
But none of those thoughts made it past my lips. I was frozen in place, held captive by the sight of his angular features, his deeply tanned skin, and his jet-black hair. I’d often thought Akio looked like a god, but in this shadowy hallway, illuminated only by the dancing glow of my flame, he looked like exactly what he was—a demon.
The best fucking kind of demon.
Emotions too powerful to name slammed into me, making my breath hitch. I realized for the first time that I hadn’t truly expected to make it out of here alive, hadn’t expected to ever see my four again. And coming face-to-face with Akio like this left me reeling.
I didn’t think. I wasn’t even aware of moving until the flame above my palm abruptly snuffed out and I found myself pressed flush against him, my lips seeking his in the sudden darkness.
He stiffened with surprise when my mouth crashed into his, but then his body softened against mine, his lips warm and smooth as silk. The unique, spicy scent that was all Akio surrounded me, filling my nostrils as I wrapped my arms around him, devouring him with my kiss.
A sound almost like a purr rolled through his chest when our tongues met, and my legs went weak.
“Akio!” a whispered voice called urgently in the dark. A blue-white glow filled the corridor several yards away.
He tensed again, his hands on my hips stiffening, and I suddenly realized what we were doing. I wrenched my lips away from his and stepped back, embarrassed, though I wasn’t sure why.
Maybe it was because our relationship had never really been one of overt affection.
Or maybe it was because despite my injuries and exhaustion, despite the danger of our situation, all I wanted was to keep kissing him until the sun burned out.
The incubus’s gaze was inscrutable in the dim blue light. He licked his lips, and I was sure he tasted mine on them. I sucked my own bottom lip into my mouth, biting it hard to keep from throwing myself into his arms again.
Before I had to think of something to say, Corin’s low voice echoed down the hall.
“Lana? Lana!”
The blond man strode toward us quickly, a look of almost pained determination on his face, and I vaguely registered two other figures behind him before he enveloped me in his arms. His large, muscular body was warm against mine, and I could feel his heart hammering against my chest. He showered my face and mouth with kisses, not seeming to care that I was covered in sweat and grime.
“We found you. Thank the gods, we found you.”
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. His blue irises glittered as he bent to claim my lips again in a kiss that was soft and deep.
With every breath I took, every moment our mouths were connected, my soul knit itself back together a little bit more, the magic inside me settling back down into a happy, warm glow.
Jae and Fenris approached and stood nearby. I could feel their presence down to my bones, lik
e a soothing balm applied to fresh wounds.
I hadn’t realized how broken I was until I became whole again.
Fen waited with more patience than I would’ve expected from him, but when Corin showed no signs of letting me go anytime soon, the wolf shifter tugged on my arm.
“Gimme.”
That was all he said, and Corin reluctantly released his hold on me.
I expected Fen to kiss me too, but instead he pulled me into a crushing grip and buried his face in my hair. He sucked in deep drags of air, like he was trying to absorb my very essence. His large body shuddered in my arms, and he kept murmuring, “Fuck, killer. Fuck,” over and over.
The raw pain in his voice brought tears to my eyes, and I stroked the back of his shaggy hair, trying to soothe him.
“I’m okay. It’s okay.”
He finally pulled his face away from my hair and pressed his forehead to mine. His chocolate brown eyes were dark pools in the dim light.
“I love you so fucking much, Lana.”
The tears that had been hovering in my eyes spilled over at that, and I leaned into him to kiss his lips. The scruff on his cheeks scratched my face, sending shivers down my spine.
“I love you back, Fen,” I whispered. “So fucking much.”
The light beside us flared a little brighter. I looked over at Jae. Fenris let go of me, and I stepped hesitantly toward the mage. His elegant features were smooth, but his emerald eyes blazed like fire. He stepped slowly toward me, seeming as unsure as I was about what to do next.
One long-fingered hand reached out to stroke my cheek, and I unconsciously leaned into his touch like a cat. He cupped the side of my face, the cool contact of his palm making me feel unaccountably warm.
“Are you all right?” Worry wrinkled his brow as he took in my appearance.
“Yeah.” I smiled.
The movement made the bruise on my cheekbone from Kate’s face kick throb like a son of a bitch, but I was okay.
