Toryn nodded. “That’s a good start. You two get away from here, somewhere the Delnias family wouldn’t think to look for you. We’ll figure out what we can and keep in touch. Hang on, though.” He left the room.
Isa sighed. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but we will get to the bottom of it.”
* * * *
Lana still couldn’t figure out what the hell she had done. Fire came out of her hands. She could alter the temperature. Make it hotter or colder in a room, her drink, whatever. She’d never created fire.
And it had just happened. She’d seen Isa get all sparky more than a few times over the years they’d been friends. This was worse. It was a damned inferno from her hands. Not like Toryn’s fire which is silver. This was different, bright red and more alive. She couldn’t explain it, but she needed to know.
And there was no way she inherited the magic from her father from the Earth Realm, or her mother who was as human as they came. She didn’t have a drop of magic.
So where did the fire come from?
Lonny touched her shoulder. “You trust me?”
Turning, she looked into his eyes. “Like no one else.”
“Thanks,” Isa exclaimed, feigning hurt.
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You know I trust you. It’s just that Lonny makes me feel safe.”
Isa shook her head. “Then why haven’t you let him in?”
“Because I was afraid, but not of him. Of what I am. Now I have a real big reason to be afraid of what I can do. I fried that dude.”
“Sounds like he deserved it,” Isa answered.
Toryn came back. “Did you find a bullet?”
Lonny reached into the pocket and pulled out the dart and gun. “Worse. Give these to Kevin. Let him figure that out.”
Toryn took the items. “Bloody abyss. The aim was to abduct.”
“But why?” Lana asked.
Toryn looked at Lonny and back. “I’m guessing your parents aren’t the people who raised you.”
“What?” That didn’t make any sense.
Toryn handed him a duffel bag. “There are phones in there. One in red for Lana, one in blue for you. There’s a set of clothes for each of you. Passports in case you feel the need to go farther than the States. Money. And cards you can use.” He nodded to Lana. “And you’re not going to be Lana to anyone but Lonny or one of us on the phone while you’re gone. You need to disappear for a while.”
She nodded slowly. If she wasn’t there, Maddock wouldn’t find her so easily. What else could she do? “Sure. Maybe I can convince Lonny I’m done running from him.”
“We don’t need to worry about that right now,” Lonny insisted.
“We do,” Lana answered. “Ask Isa. I planned to talk to you tonight. Before all of this happened.”
“Lana, that doesn’t matter. Right now I want to know why that bastard wants you. Then we need to stop him.”
“Tonight was bad timing, but it’s true, Lonny. I’m done pushing you away.”
Toryn interrupted. “Take the Land Cruiser. And I’d put on that hoody and cover your hair. Both of you.”
Someone would definitely recognize Lonny’s rainbow hair, and her hair had always been a little too vibrant to not be Fae coloring or a dye job.
“Yeah.” Lonny took the bag, dropped it on the ground, and took out the sweaters. He tossed Lana one and put on the other. Then he tied his hair into a bun and threw the hood on. “We better get out of here, before they guess where you went.”
“Right,” Lana said.
Isa hugged her again, then grabbed Lonny’s arm. “Keep both of you safe.”
“You have my word.” Lonny nodded to the door. “Shall we?”
Chapter 4
Isa turned to Toryn. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He rubbed at his face. Scotty had told Toryn everything Lonny said when he called, including an interesting detail that Lonny left out in Lana’s presence. And Toryn couldn’t blame him.
However, he told Isa, “Lonny thinks he saw Alenathos leaving the bar.”
Her jaw clenched. Then she shouted, “Alenathos!”
Toryn chuckled. “Finally trust him to come into the house?”
She pinned him with a glare. “We need answers.”
Alenathos formed in front of them. “What’s going on, Isa?”
“Were you at the bar tonight?”
“Yeah, and I made sure the bastard couldn’t get a second shot at Lana.” Something in his expression said there was more to it.
“Why?”
He rubbed at his face and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he answered, “She’s your friend. She’s always been nice to me when I’ve been there. I’d much rather keep you happy than piss you off. So I made sure she was safe, though Lonny had that covered.” Yup, he was hiding something. He couldn’t lie, but he could hide information.
Her brows knitted together. “What do you know about Lana?”
He answered quickly, “She’s one of your closest friends. And your business partner.”
“And that’s the only reason you saved her?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Should there be another reason?”
“Fine, go,” Isa said.
He disappeared.
Toryn shook his head. “You could have asked more specific questions.”
She plopped down on the couch with a sigh. “Sure, but he’s trustworthy. I may have another way to find out what the hell is going on. There has to be more to why he’s showing up at the bar when I’m not there.”
“So why not push harder for answers? You could have forced him to give you more.”
“I want him to trust me. If I push and demand, why would he trust me? There has to be a reason.” She shrugged. “Saressa did a number on him. I get why he doesn’t trust a master, but he trusts me more than he ever trusted her, and I want to improve that trust.”
Toryn sat down beside her. “Fine, but there is something fishy going on, and I can’t pull any visions to clarify, even when I try.”
“Which is why I need to dig into my father’s memories.” It was something she avoided doing often, but she did sometimes find information she needed.
“When do you want to call Kevin?”
“Early in the morning. Which means, I should catch a couple hours sleep first.”
“I’ll send him a text,” Toryn said.
Isa stood and took his hand. “Come on, you can do it from our room.”
* * * *
Lonny resisted hitting the steering wheel. There was no way he was going to make it through the situation sane. Lana kept saying she had changed her mind, but she had been through attempted captures, both resulting in the death of the men who came for her.
“Where are we going?” Lana asked.
“Fuck if I know. I’m driving until I figure out where to go. You got a suggestion? One your father would never expect?”
“Uh…um…”
“Yeah, so I’m driving for now. If you come up with something, let me know. Toryn provided us with new identities. We can go wherever you want.”
“Yeah, well, I’m trying to think of a place I’ve always wanted to go and never told anyone.”
He nodded. “Good, that’s perfect. And if not, I’ll come up with something. Either way, you will be safe. I’ll make sure of that.” Actually, he had a place he’d planned to go for a couple days, but he hadn’t talked to Sammy about bringing a guest. Not that he imagined Lana would be an issue. Hell, the bastard suggested he invite her.
“At least now I have time to ask you those questions,” she muttered, looking away. “I can’t believe you were just going to leave.”
He growled, gripping the wheel tighter. Months of the back and forth and he needed it to stop. Every time she started to open up, she slammed the door on him and closed the shutters. “You don’t want me, Lana. I’ve tried to earn your trust, yo
ur affection, eventually your love, but you keep shutting me down. I can’t take it.”
“Yeah, well, I was wrong. I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, but I’ve always known what you are. Fae, and I’m scared to death of that side of myself. I’m the misfit of the family. And now I’m casting infernos at people when I’m threatened. What the hell does that mean?”
Lonny sighed. “I don’t think your parents are your parents. I think maybe you were adopted.”
“What? Why would they adopt? I have a sister.”
“There could be any number of reasons, Lana. Faery is a complicated place. You aren’t an Earth Fae, whatever you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That you are something far more powerful than the man who sold you out.”
She snorted. “That was a freak accident.”
“No, it was self-defense.” He glanced over. “Why are you afraid of what you are?”
“I thought maybe I wouldn’t actually awaken, that maybe I had more human blood than Fae.” She snorted. “And now, I’m afraid of how I’m going to control it. I watched Isa freezing skirts and setting things on fire, shocking customers, soon after her awakening. What if I become a mess?”
“First, she was raised to believe she was human. You were not. You already have an idea about magic. I can teach you control.”
“And what if I burn you to a cinder?”
He shook his head. At least I’d be out of my misery. “You won’t. Remember, I can phase out of existence.”
She reached over to take his hand, but he jerked away.
“Fine. But why are you shutting me out now?”
He shot her a sideways glance. “Because every time I make a little progress, you shove me back even further. I don’t get anywhere with you. You say you trust me, but then push me away.”
“I’m not doing that anymore. First, I didn’t want to fall in love because I’ve had shitty luck with men. Second, I’ve been around too many men who want to put a woman in what he thinks is her place. Third, I’m an idiot who wanted to believe you were like that to prevent myself from falling for you. And I fell even harder because you proved me wrong at every fucking turn. My head is a twisted mess.”
“You really think I’m that asshole?”
“No,” she groaned. “That’s why I’m such a fucking fool. I know better, I do. My fear had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. My father told me I was going to be weak. To never go through the awakening. Then he told me I had to marry some asshole in Faery to get him out of debt. Fucking bastard.”
“You don’t see him often, do you?”
“No, but the shit he said stuck in my head. I bet your parents never treated you like you were a second-rate citizen.”
“No. I’m sorry. Your mom was good to you, right?”
“Of course, but she convinced me never to trust Fae men. And that has never applied to you. I mean, I wouldn’t let you in, but I’ve always known you were different. My inner thoughts got in my way. Which is why the whole thing is ridiculous. I’ve been fucked over, and my fear got in my way. It has never been about you. I know you better than that. You would never hurt me. And right now, you’re the only one I trust.”
“Because I saved you.” They’d been here before, and he didn’t want to wake up in the morning and realize they were right back at square one.
“No, because I’ve always been in love with you. I just had this stupid idea I might lose myself when I let myself fall.”
“Did Isa?” he demanded.
“No.”
“What about Zoe?”
“No.”
“Jackie?”
“Damn it, Lonny. I get it. I’m not that strong. I never was. I don’t even know why you want me.”
“You are strong. Your one of the strongest women I know. You rank up there with Isa, Zoe, Jackie, all of them. And I don’t want you to change. I just want you. I’ve always wanted you however you come.”
“Then have me. I finally sorted through all the shit in my head. I want you. I told Isa that today, before work. She told you that much. So stop throwing those attacks in my face, I can’t help the timing.”
“I don’t want you to make such a big decision while your life or freedom hangs in the balance. Besides, the awakening isn’t something to just jump into for the hell of it.”
“I made my decision before that. I was just working myself out of my doubts. Again, all that nonsense was in my head and had nothing to do with you. They had everything to do with the assholes I’ve known before.”
“Reese was good for you.”
She shook her head. “Reese was a desperate attempt to put you out of my head. It failed, and then you were right there to hold me up. And when I would have let you have me, you refused because you’re fucking perfect. I’m such a mess I don’t get why you want me how I am.”
“Especially how you are. Look, I don’t have a good answer for you. All I know is that I’m drawn to you. There isn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Then when we get where we’re going, let’s make that jump.”
Lonny glared at the road. “Shit, Lana. All this time and you just want to fuck now that you’re in danger?”
“Damn it, Lonny. I’m sorry the timing sucks donkey balls. I can’t help it. If that asshole hadn’t shown up, I would have asked you to come over tonight. It’s the truth. So don’t shut me down now that I’m finally ready to let you in.”
He shook his head and didn’t say a word.
“Lonny, I’m done running from you, us, this bond. Don’t you get that?”
“I wish you had said something before the asshole showed up. It was just you and me in the bar. You could have walked over and set my mind at ease, but you waited until after, and now I’m just supposed to believe you had planned this earlier?”
She touched his thigh and he jumped. “What is it you’re afraid of?”
“That we go there, and you’ll still reject me in the morning.” He let out a breath.
“You’re stuck with me, Lonny. And if I have to, I’ll continue to hound you until you realize I’m here to stay.”
He slammed his hand against the wheel. “I wanted to do things right. Not just jump in when shit went wrong.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes that’s the best way. So let’s start at the beginning. You want me, I want you. We’re stuck together. Just, whatever I am, be there for me. Help me figure this shit out.”
He didn’t say anything. Lonny was too busy trying to figure out if it was fear, or her speaking the truth. He rubbed at his face.
“Say something.”
For the moment, they needed somewhere safe, and he wasn’t sure his original plan was going to work. “We have to figure out somewhere to go.”
* * * *
Lana didn’t care about safe. He had turned the tables on her, wanting to take a step back and put them on hold. She was done with all of that. The moment they got where they were going, she was seducing him, consequences be damned.
Until then, she needed to think of someplace to go.
Lonny gripped the wheel and sighed. “What about Port Townsend? Ever been there?”
“What? Like on the inner tip of the peninsula?” Lana asked.
“Quiet town, out of the way, charming. I have a friend with a cabin there. I’m sure they’d let us stay.”
“Uh, sure. Who’s the friend?”
“Sammy. You’ve met him, right?”
“Goat man?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Satyr. He’s no devil, and he may be horny, but he’s a man.”
“He still has goat legs and horns.”
“His horns are rounder,” Lonny countered.
“Never spent that much time looking at his horns, honestly.” She lifted a shoulder.
“Let me guess? You were busy checking out the package?”
Lana nodded dramatically. “Yeah, because his dick needs its own zip code.”
Lonny rolled his eyes.
“Don’t worry, all that is intimidating.”
“Good to know.” He stared at the road.
“So, is Sammy going to be there?”
He shook his head. “No. He’s with Morrigan back in Seattle. I think she wants to be around for her grandson’s birth.” Morrigan was Toryn’s mother and kept to herself for the most part. However, she really liked the satyr, and he enjoyed her company.
“Good, because I would far prefer to have you alone when we get there.”
“Lana, we’re going to talk first. You have some crazy ideas of my expectations. Don’t you want to get that out in the open?”
“You’re not going to make me change my job, or myself, right?”
“No.”
“Going to demand that I move back to Faerie? Or into your house, or anything?”
“I’m not going to force anything on you. If we decide to move in together, we’ll figure that out together. It doesn’t have to be tonight, tomorrow, next year.”
“But if something doesn’t happen soon, you’re going to disappear on me. That’s the last thing I want.”
He sighed.
Lana touched his shoulder. “I’m not going to change my mind, especially once we’re mated.”
“You say that now, but you’ve said that before.”
Okay, he had a point. And she hated her own fear, but that was a stressful time. Everyone seemed to be finding their other half, while she was faking it with a man who made her feel good, but that’s all it was.
The night of Scotty’s party, her mess imploded, only to explode. She’d been wasting time with Reese to feel anything. She had told Isa she didn’t want Lonny more times than Isa claimed she didn’t want Toryn. But it really came down to timing and fear.
Knowing all hell was going to break loose in their bar, she warned Reese away. She’d gone as far as dumping him, hoping he’d quit working as their cook because she’d started feeling emptier every time they were together.
Lana couldn’t tear her eyes from Lonny, while Isa watched Toryn start their first song. But Isa headed to the bathroom. After a moment, she heard the commotion and rushed for the hall.
Frozen in Flames Page 4