The room was still glowing from the bomb that had gone off. The body, no longer in the chair that had held it. This had been a trap, or a warning. We needed to get outside, but I didn’t have enough power to move the bubble even with the added powers.
"Syn!" Larissa shouted as blood erupted from my nose. Ryder moved in closing the distance, his eyes scanning my face.
"Why is it hurting her?" He demanded in an angry voice that scraped on my nerves.
"She took the brunt of the explosion. The spell is a reflection of herself. Her magic is the base of it, so she takes the damage portion of it."
I wanted to tell Larissa to shut it, Ryder didn’t need to know my secrets, or that I was the only Witch who had ever been able to wield this certain spell. I had been one of the only ones willing to train in the Dark Arts, besides Adrian.
I felt my body growing heavy, the room was still ablaze, thick putrid smoke that could suffocate my team still lingered. I turned my head ignoring the dizziness that assaulted my mind as I searched for the door. It had been blown closed in the explosion.
Ryder noticed where I was looking and moved into action. "Dristan, we need to get them out of here. Zahruk clear the room."
They all ducked, as Dristan and Zahruk stepped up and held hands chanting in the language of the Fae. It was taking every ounce of energy I had to concentrate while keeping the barrier between the fire and us in place.
In the few moments it took them to get the words out, the house gave an audible shake that I felt down inside my bones and exploded outwards. The moment it did, I fell and almost hit the floor, but Ryder was quick as he reached out and grabbed beneath my arms and pulled me against his tall frame, already moving away from the carnage that now looked as if a nuclear bomb had been dropped on the house instead of a small bomb.
I closed my eyes, unable to keep them open any longer and gave in to oblivion for a moment. The warmth that surrounded me was welcomed and comforting even if it was because I was now being cradled in the Dark Prince's arms.
"Lay her down, I can heal her," Larissa assured him but I felt him tense as if questioning her motives.
"Please," I whispered hating that I had to ask him for anything, but I needed her to heal the pain that was threatening to become relentless. I felt the cool grass as it met my tender skin, wet with the evening dew.
I felt Larissa's hands as she placed them, one on my heart and one on my forehead as she performed the healing white magic which she was known for. It was also why she wasn't included on a lot of our missions. Enforcers didn’t normally need a healer for killing.
"The scene," I whispered realizing that any chance we had to find the person responsible for the brutal murder was gone.
"Destroyed," Ryder growled standing up to his full height.
I stretched my neck, testing out the pain in my head before I sat up and then stood so he wasn’t so tall. Not that it helped since the guy was freakishly large, looking at him from flat on my back on the cold damp ground was just not an option.
When I had made it to my entire five foot six stance, I felt down my back and hips making sure I was still in one piece. This day sucked—big time. I'd felt an itching in my hand long before I felt the air sizzle around us—a reminder that I was connected to him now. As if it wasn't bad enough standing inside a house with a woman missing her most delicate parts, the only reason I knew something was wrong because of the blasted contract!
I needed more coffee before I could deal with this crap. I wasn’t sure if there was enough coffee in the entire world to deal with the Fae though. I turned, watching the smoke waft up into the chilly night air, thick plumes of it a stark reminder at how close we'd come to death this night.
"You prevented us from taking damage, thank you," Zahruk said softly surprising me more than if he'd said my ass was on fire.
"I saved my coven," I replied softly unsure how to accept his compliment.
His lips twisted up into a smirk. "Still, I don’t fancy a night in a healing tank so thank you."
I nodded at a loss for what he expected. He was Fae and thanking me for saving him from being harmed. It stood against everything I stood for and yet with the bonding of the contract I'd been helpless to do anything less than save Ryder which was a bitter pill to swallow. I turned back looking at the onlookers.
No one in the crowd stood out, the green aura wasn’t present among any of those standing across the yellow line of tape. I'd never seen that color of aura before, not from any of the creatures we had trained to combat or assassinate, which wasn’t a good thing.
"What creature has a green aura?" I asked as Adam stepped up beside me, his eyes scanning me for bodily damage.
"Ask them," he tilted his head in the direction of the Fae. I scrunched my face with distaste.
"Hey, you guys know what leaves a green aura trail behind?" I shouted loud enough to be heard by the Fae and not the press who had just arrived on scene.
Ryder looked past me to where the press was currently setting up their cameras and gear to start filming. If they hurried they would make the eleven o'clock news. "Time to go." He growled as his men fell in line with his long angry strides.
As he walked past us, I watched his jeans hugging his firm backside. The crowd erupted, raising the noise level, as more press charged the line seeing the Dark Prince as he walked in the direction of the black Cadillac SUVs'. He stopped a few feet from me and lifted a single dark brow.
"You need to come with us. I trust you finished packing before you followed secondary orders?" He said smoothly, his thick rich baritone flowing through me.
Secondary orders? "I belong to the Guild, first and foremost Ryder. I am packed and like a good little doggie I will follow on your heels—in our car." Which I highly doubted could keep up with his. Sarcasm dripped like honey from my lips, if he heard, it he chose to ignore it.
"Do so," he replied in the same casual bored tone he had when I had signed his bloody binding contract.
This is keeping my coven alive, just breathe Synthia, just breathe. I repeated the mantra inside my head. Apparently I'd develop passing out as way to deal with this entire freaking situation and that was just not okay.
"Was that professional enough for Alden?" I asked watching Larissa nod as she spoke quietly into the phone. It bugged me that she had been in the know of what was happening around us and had excluded us from it.
She'd known I was being set up for the interview, she'd known how much I hated the Fae, yet she'd kept it to herself. We were supposed to be a team and since most covens had ten to twelve and we only had three, we depended on honesty and the closeness we shared to stay alive. Larissa following Alden and keeping us in the dark wasn’t something I couldn't let slide. Our lives depended on it.
Twelve
We followed them out of Spokane, back down the highway I'd already been on twice today. The van was filled with silence, something unusual to our group since we normally had a lot to talk about even if it was mundane things.
I replayed the scene over inside my head. It had been horrific and calculated. We were dealing with someone who liked to watch the victim endure the pain, who got off on the perverse sadistic need of the kill.
The victim had known her attacker, had let them in. If her house was anything to go off of, she'd been planning on the killer visiting, just without the whole killing part. Which meant she’d known her killer and had wanted to make a good impression? I still wasn't sure if there were more killers that might have joined them after the first killer arrived.
I shoved thoughts of the crime scene away as we followed the dark SUV's in through a twelve foot high metal gate that safeguarded Ryder's personal living quarters located just a few miles from his club.
When I opened the door to get out, Adam stopped me by placing his hand gently on my shoulder. "Syn, be careful. I know you only signed to keep us safe—but we're nothing without you."
I smiled sadly, "Adam, you're stronger than you think you are
. You guys—" I paused needing them to know they would be okay if I didn’t make it back to them, "If I don’t make it out of this, go back to the Guild. Damian has a great coven, he's a fair leader. I need to know you'll be okay if I don’t make it back."
They both stared at me, I could see the confusion in their eyes but it wasn’t like I was giving up on them, just the opposite. I was giving them an out. If I fucked this up they would be used against me and I was smart enough to know that it wasn’t an if, it was a when I did.
"No fucking way Syn, we were a team since before boot camp. No fucking way, we belong together—we always have. We knew before we started this that it was a touchy group. We knew he'd want to use us, let the fucker try," Adam seethed.
I exhaled slowly. "Adam, I can't do this if I'm worrying that you're okay. I need to know before I step out of this van that if I fuck up you're protected. Give me this. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I met his green stare as he struggled to agree to what I needed him to. Larissa was struggling, but it was by no means as much as Adam was. I should have questioned it, but I could feel the hard eyes of the Fae watching my back as I tried to make Adam agree.
"This is stupid. You're coming back to us."
"You're right Adam and seriously? I'd always come back to you."
"How cute," Ryder's voice tore away the seriousness of the moment.
I turned back in the seat and glared at him, Adam's hand still sat on my shoulder with a familiar caress from being as close as siblings. Ryder's eyes went to his hand and narrowed sharply. His face took on a harshness I was not familiar with. It sent a shockwave of shivers right down to my toenails.
"Get out of the car Synthia, now."
"I'm saying my goodbyes, to my actual friends," I growled finding strength in my anger as the shock dropped away.
"They're coming in, Alden has agreed that since the killer is now stepping up the killings, it's best if we keep your small group here to go out as needed with a speed we can only achieve if everyone drives out together," his eyes hadn't left mine yet.
I fisted my hand remembering the warning that he'd been in trouble before my other senses had kicked in to warn me of my own coven's immediate danger. If he was close and in trouble when the coven was around—they'd be safe. As much as it sucked, it was ideal and plus I'd get to keep them close.
"Fine, but they'll need to go back to town and pack a bag or two," I mumbled waiting for him to move away from blocking my escape from the van.
"Zahruk will accompany them into town, first we need to get the details down while they are fresh," he challenged. His eyes probing mine as if I'd argue to go with them. I'd argue anything with him—after I had a freaking nap.
"You intend to hold the meeting here in the van?" I looked down and instantly regretted it as I took in his muscular form, I brought my eyes back up level with his, "Or you gonna move so we can get to it?"
He stepped back but just barely. I hopped out feeling every muscle scream in protest as I did so. Stupid bomb. Stupid Fae. Stupid killer. And oh, what a stupid day! I swallowed the cry that threatened to push past my lips and slid the vans door open to grab my bags, gritting my teeth as I hefted them onto my shoulder.
"Syn, I'll get them," Adam said stepping from the van and reaching for the bags. Ryder was closer and faster.
"I have them. They need to be searched for weapons before I will allow them inside the mansion."
The property was huge. In the center of the drive in front of the mansion, a giant fountain merrily cascaded water out down the pile of round black rocks it was built from. Runes. The ancient lettering on the flat smooth surface were runes, written in what I assumed was Fae. It had been just light enough outside to see what the mansion was a light color and a few stories tall but other than that it had been impossible to make out the details.
"Protection runes from Faery." Zahruk said coming up to stand in front of the group walking to the house. Ryder handed off the bags to Zahruk, holding them for a moment as they met and locked eyes briefly. I knew something silent had passed between them.
I watched his back as he took off towards the large entryway that was well-lit considering without the lights of the city it was darker than it would normally be at this time of night. I scanned the threshold as we approached.
To the naked eye it would look welcoming, but with my second sight still up, I could see the highlighted glowing marks of the wards the Fae had placed around the property that kept anyone wishing to harm them out. Similar to the ones inside my bedroom, but these ones were a lot stronger. These ones wouldn’t just hurt you, they'd kill you.
"Drop the wards," I growled feeling fear for my coven.
"They stay up," Ryder said guarding his expressions closely.
I turned, looking at the faces behind me and shook my head. I was so sick of this day that I just wanted it over already. "You two okay?" I asked quietly knowing it would be heard by everyone around me.
"It's okay Syn, don’t plan on killing anyone today," Adam said with a smile and an impish wink.
I yawned waiting for Larissa to answer and when she finally nodded I turned and stepped through the door. I felt the slight sizzle as the spell tested my mind to check for hidden threats. I don’t know who was more disappointed that it let me through, Ryder, or me.
I turned, shaking my head, waiting for Adam and Larissa to follow. When both had been approved by the warding spells, I turned and took in the mass of stairways that led through the upper floors.
The entryway in which we stood was lighted on a major scale that made my pockets hurt just considering the electric bill this place must have cost every month. Funny how growing up can change your opinion of being afraid or the dark and afraid of the bills.
The place looked sterile even though it was beautiful. Rich cream colors covered the walls, a wide staircase sat about thirty or so feet in that led to the upper levels. A settee sat in the middle of the room made of deep chocolate brown suede, with standing lights on either side of it, probably so you could sit while waiting for the prince to get off his arse and make an appearance.
As we moved closer to the stairs I looked up, taking in the magnificent wrap around balconies that circled the third floor. The layout was open, so you could see everything from the landing. This place was huge and I felt for the maid whoever she was.
We walked single file with Adam bringing up the rear, through several more rooms and hallways before we were led to a room with the mark of Trinity above the door frame. I mentally prepared for the feeling of being drained and wondered if I'd give in to being a weak-ass girl and passing out if the room was warded against magic.
Today had been too much. Tomorrow wasn’t looking any better. But I was a survivor and I had this in the bag as long as I didn’t end up bagging the Dark Prince and tossing his body in the lake a few miles away.
I stepped through and exhaled as no pain took over my mind and no blasted past was thrown in my face. I looked up in time to catch the Fae watching me. For what? I'd passed the test at the front door and I hadn't felt any spelling of the walls here, had I missed something?
I turned looking back as Larissa was thrown back and landed on the floor, her face pinched with pain as she looked up at me, "Larissa?"
"How did you get through?" Larissa whispered her eyes wide as she stood back up.
I turned glaring at the Fae, "Enough of these fucking tests! I saved your asses today, now let them in!"
"Fine, first tell me how you just walked through a ward that should have knocked you on your ass," Ryder said crossing his arms over his chest to glare at me.
"Easy, I stepped the fuck through it."
"Only Fae are able to cross it without being invited," he continued.
"Then it's broken, because I assure you I am not Fae!"
Thirteen
"Stop looking at me like that! Witch here remember? I am not a fucking Fairy!"
"How did you pass through the spell? It'
s not broken, I placed it myself," the Demon growled. I'd hoped to not encounter him again. So much for hoping.
"I told you, I stepped over it. I'm not Fae. If I was, wouldn’t you guys have picked up on it already?" I challenged Ristan, crossing my arms over my chest as I pegged him with a glare.
"Indeed," he snarled.
"Enough, she cannot be of Fae blood without us being able to smell it and I for one don't smell anything besides human on her," Ryder spat like I was something distasteful and moved further into the room taking a seat at the far end of a huge oval table that engulfed most of the meeting room. The others quickly followed his lead and left us standing.
Convenient. His thirteen men that always seemed to be with him had taken seats as if they had been pre-assigned—or in some sort of pecking order. The room had slate black walls that mimicked stone and under any other circumstances I'd have given them more attention but my curiosity was firmly on the murders.
I still hurt like hell and the healing process wouldn’t fully work until I slept.
"How do you know she knew her killer?" Ryder asked jumping straight to business and ignoring the fact that we had been left standing like hired help.
"She made tea," I mumbled bringing my hand up to rub the back of my neck where the pain was starting to become unbearable.
"She made tea and that alone tells you she knew her killer?" This from Ristan who had his eyes narrowed at me.
"She cleaned, she made tea. Yes, sounds lame but seriously there was no dust in her front room, the window was broken from inside the house, the killer or killers weren't rushed and she opened the door for them. The car was parked out back, so if the killer had been trying to break in to kill the victim, why the hell wouldn’t she go through the back window which was low enough for her to break and slide through easily? It seems pretty stupid to even consider the fact that she would go through a window on the front porch in daylight hours and what she did inside…" I shivered as small bumps broke out across my skin from the image that had been inside that tiny green house, "It wasn’t done in minutes, it was precise and the killer only took what they wanted. There were no cuts anywhere else that didn’t serve a purpose."