Injuries forgotten, Blaze had immediately called a meeting, and here they sat, arguing about their next move.
“We can’t restore order, it’s too late for that!”
“—stretched too thin as it is—”
“We need allies!”
Blaze observed the men, many of whom were standing, fighting to be heard. It was true. With the last of the elected human leaders being murdered, the final thread of order and peace would snap. Militaries were without a commander and from their intelligence committees, it sounded as though the majority were possessed anyway, using their weapons to kill and scare civilians.
They didn’t need just allies; they needed time. And some way to assure the humans that, for now, life should at least try to go on as usual.
And by way of allies, they needed hundreds of thousands of them if they were to win the war that was already cresting on the horizon.
Blaze sighed, racking his brain.
“Gentlemen,” he called.
The leaders fell silent, their eyes fixed on him. For years, he’d served alongside them, defeating the Shediem that threatened the human race. They respected him. Most looked up to him. And now they all stared at him, hoping he had the answer to their problems. He didn’t, but they didn’t have to know that.
“I have sent messages to some old contacts. If you would all just bear with me until I hear back from them—”
“We’re running out of time,” his uncle barked.“The Shediem are concocting something while we all sit here doing nothing! The desert giants refused our attempted contact, which means they’ve sided with the Shediem—”
“The giants will side with whoever brings them the best gift,” Artair snorted. The traditional Scot was even bigger than Blaze in muscular build and sported a kilt in nearly every circumstance. As an old friend of his father’s, Artair was often useful in keeping Silas in check. But Blaze couldn’t help but feel as though his father had sent Artair in his place.
Blaze’s anger rose, his hands balling into fists on the hardwood tabletop, but he pushed it down and forced himself to remain calm.“We are not doing nothing, Uncle. Within these walls lies the future of our race. We must protect them. We have a full armory that you are all welcome to utilize. Train. Prepare.” To the rest of them he said,“Hug your loved ones, because before long there will be bloodshed and many of us may not survive it.”
The room grew somber, accepting the words he spoke.
“But we will win. The Shediem have run rampant for far too long.”
Murmurs of agreement went around the table.
“As for the giants”—he met his brother’s gaze and held it—“send another chest of gold. And send one to the giants in the mountains.With more and more Spellcasters who previously offered us their allegiance going missing, I think we need to double our efforts there as well. Get them here where we can protect them. Gertie can expand the wards and if we need to set up temporary shelters for them, we will. But for the rest of today, let’s take a team into town, pass out supplies, and try to calm the riots. We’ll visit the smaller towns too, those that might not have enough food.”
They all nodded. At least now, they had a clear plan.
Pacified, the leaders dispersed. Axel showed a group to the armory, renewed vigor to train palpable in their faces. Blaze ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.
After assembling a team and loading up a truck with spare medical supplies, nonperishables, and water, they set out. Blaze had wanted to go up to see Emma, to tell her he was okay. He knew she would be undoubtedly embarrassed and possibly ashamed. Heat filled him as he recalled her near-naked form. He shook his head, clearing away that image as they entered the city.
Axel’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he let loose a long string of curses. The buildings they passed were graffitied, their windows shattered. Even the little huts that sold something as trivial as coffee had been raided.Widespread panic had broken out only a week or so ago, and already people had taken what they could find.
“They’re just scared,” Blaze said through the lump in his throat. “They have no government. Banks are shut down. Their currency is meaningless, and food will become scarce. Not even their vehicles will be of much use without petrol. We’ll do what we can.”
As he spoke, a grocery store came into view. The doors had been chained shut, the windows boarded up. A group of fifteen or so people stood outside as one man attempted to sever the lock with rusted bolt cutters. One of the women among them clutched a crying baby to her chest, and the lump in Blaze’s throat expanded.
“Stop here,” he ordered, and Axel turned into the parking lot. Abandoned cars remained in the lot, and all of them had been broken into. Tires had been stolen off many of them.
The group spun toward their approaching vehicle, eyes wild. A different man, tall and gangly with a ratty rust-colored beard, pulled out a knife from his pocket and brandished it in warning. The woman, still holding her hungry child, began to cry.
“Wait here,” Blaze said, jumping from the truck before it had fully come to a stop. He held up his hands in a show of peace. “Are you guys in need of food?” His eyes locked onto the woman and her babe.
“Yes,” an elderly woman cried out, and several members of the group echoed her response.
But the man with the knife took several steps forward, wearing a wary expression. “And who in the hell are you?” he asked, spitting a foul wad of tobacco-soaked saliva onto the slushy ground.
“No one,” Blaze answered. He gestured to the truck. “We have some extra supplies. You’re welcome to take what you need. There’s medical supplies too.”
The woman whose baby cried in pain walked forward. “Yes, please. My baby refuses to nurse. I need to get him formula.”
Blaze nodded, then glanced at Axel and gestured them to get out.
The sight of Blaze and his men made several people step back. Though their weapons were concealed, they all wore their black, bulletproof jackets, and he was sure they all looked like some form of military, given the solid muscular build of them.
He gave the humans a reassuring smile as cases of water and canned goods were unloaded and set on the ground in front of them. When they all hesitantly started forward, Blaze went to search for formula to give to the woman.
Hopping up into the back of the truck, he spied the stack of canned formula and grabbed an entire case. He doubted she’d be able to carry it back to wherever she was staying, and decided to look for abandoned shopping carts. But before he could jump from the back, he heard gruff voices arguing, then the first crack of knuckles on flesh.
He leapt down and was around the vehicle in a flash. Axel and Dominic had already separated the two men, one of them the idiot with the now-bloodstained knife, and the other the older man Blaze had seen trying to cut the chains. His eyes were dazed and his breathing was heavy. Crimson flowed from his bicep where the redheaded man’s knife had cut through his jacket and flesh. It wasn’t the spray of an arterial wound. But if the location of the cut on his jacket was any indication, it was damn close.
“Get bandages and antiseptic,” Blaze barked to one of his men before pinning his glare on the redhead.
“He were tryna take it all,” the guy whined as Dominic deftly removed the knife from the man’s bony grip. The calm expression on his friend’s face was a mask of the true rage that Blaze could see in his eyes.
The man continued.“We all got families to feed, ain’t we?”
“What’s your name, greedy?” Dominic asked, gripping the man, possibly a little harder than he needed to.
“I ain’t gotta tell you nothin’.”
The man spit again, this time aiming for Dominic’s boot. In a blur of motion, Dominic spun him onto his front in the murky, melting snow.
“I wasn’t,” the other man panted,“wasn’t trying to take it all, I swear. I have five sons and a sick wife—”
Blaze crouched in front of the wounded man and helped
Axel get him out of his jacket.“Save your breath, it’s fine. What’s your name?”
“ Richard.”
Blaze nodded, taking the supplies Eric brought to clean and bandage the wound. When he was done, he taped the hole in the man’s jacket and helped him put it back on.
Axel passed him a bottle of water and several pills.“For the pain,” he explained.
Richard’s face was pale and shiny with sweat. He took the proffered items and swallowed the pills before downing the water. “Thanks,” he rasped.
A few of the assembled people had taken their supplies and departed in the chaos, but others remained, watching the exchange.
“Now, greedy,” Dominic said, still leaning most of his body weight onto the thin man. “Carrying a knife is for self-defense, not stabbing other innocent people, khorosho?”
The man whimpered as he nodded fervently. Possibly because the Russian both looked and sounded like he could snap him in half.
“Glad we understand each other.” Dominic lifted himself off the trembling man, hauling him up to his feet with him before letting go.“Now grab what you need and get back to that precious family of yours, yes?”
The man nodded, grabbing only as many cans as his arms could carry before sprinting away.
Dominic shook his head, and Blaze searched for the woman and child. She stood a ways off, trying to get the child to latch, with no success.
He grabbed two stacks of formula and loaded them into a shopping cart, along with a case of bottled water and mixed canned goods.When the woman began shushing her baby again, he pushed the cart over to her.
She looked up at him, tears streaking through the dirt on her face. He could tell she was young and pretty beneath the tattered clothes that were several sizes too big, the various stains no doubt from her new babe. From as best as he could tell, her hair was a light brown, though it was too matted and greasy to be sure. She looked as if she hadn’t showered in at least a week. As far as he knew, the city hadn’t cut off the water supply yet, but perhaps the girl simply didn’t have access to one.
“Do you live far from here?”
The woman shook her head, then looked at the overflowing shopping cart. Her lip wobbled.“Thank you.”
“I’ll push this for you, you just lead the way. No one will give you any trouble.”
She bit her lip.“I can manage myself.”
Blaze understood her hesitation and tried to put her at ease. “I just want to make sure you make it home safely and that no one tries anything, knowing you’ve got your hands full.” He nodded toward the infant, who had begun to doze. Likely from exhaustion more than anything.
Her throat bobbed.“Okay,” she whispered.
“I know it’s none of my business, but where is your family? Your child’s father?”
The girl looked away, and he sensed from the silent shaking of her shoulders that she was crying again.
Blaze inhaled a long breath. “If you have no one, you’re welcome to seek shelter in my manor. It’s well protected and there are many women around your age there. And they have children too. I have a lovely caretaker, Gertie, who cooks the best meals. There’s running water, and no one will bother you if you don’t want to be.”
The woman stopped crying to look at him again. Skepticism was heavy in her expression, along with dread, though her chin tilted up to show she wouldn’t be pushed around. Blaze guessed she’d had enough of that.
“And…what do I have to give in return?”
Blaze couldn’t help the disgust that bolted through every fiber of his being.
“Kindness is something I give freely and generously. If I could fit every last person within my walls, I would do so. Besides, I have a…friend that I’d like to introduce you to. She’s had a rough go of things, but she has the most generous and beautiful soul you’ll ever meet.”
The woman smiled slightly. Then she nodded.“Do you swear no harm will come to me or my son?”
Blaze nodded. “I vow to get you both to safety. And don’t worry about my guys.” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder at his brother and the other Giborim. “They just look big and tough, but they’re all big softies.”
She gave a small laugh, eyes locked onto one in particular— Dominic.
“What’s your name?”
Her lips parted as if to answer, then she closed them again. After a moment, Blaze thought she simply wouldn’t tell him yet. Then she said,“Breanna.”
He smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you, Breanna. I’m Blaze. And that’s my brother, Axel.” He pointed out his fair-haired brother, then turned the cart, leading her back to the truck, careful not to touch her.
Before they loaded up to go to their next location, Blaze pulled aside his men one by one and told them to keep their distance from the girl. Dominic, who cast frequent glances in her direction, was the first to offer up his seat in the warm vehicle, while he sat in the back with the supplies.
Breanna’s closed-off, timid manner began to relax when she saw how Blaze and his companions simply offered what they had to those in need. And none of them touched her, allowing her the space she clearly needed to heal from whatever horrors had occurred in her past.
When the sun sank below the snow-covered treetops, they headed back to the compound. Both Breanna and her son, who had finally gotten the full belly he had desired, had succumbed to sleep. They had found a car seat in one of the only stores that hadn’t been entirely emptied, and the baby—whose name Blaze discovered was Isaac—slept soundly beside his mother.
The back of their truck had been emptied of supplies, barring the formula he’d set aside for Breanna, with the assurance that they would not run out any time soon. There were still a few factories running in remote locations, which kept the compound fully stocked, and produce was grown year-round, thanks to Gertie.
Once they arrived, Blaze had Gertie help clear out the movie room for Breanna and Isaac. Unless people began room-sharing, they wouldn’t have room for anyone else. But Blaze forced himself to think about that later. For now, he wanted to see Emma.
He stood outside her door and knocked. The familiar warmth of her presence filled him, and he smiled. Though he was certain he needed a shower, he needed to see Emma even more.
A muffled sound came from the room.
“Emma?” he called, his smile fading.
“Go away.” The words were gritted. Terse. Almost…pained.
He blinked.“Emma, I just wanted to talk about his morning.”
“Later,” she called.
Blaze shook his head at her stubbornness, then tried the handle. She hadn’t said she was indecent, but there was an edge to her voice that made him shake the locked door handle.
She groaned, and this time he heard it—laced beyond her frustration was pain.
Blaze backed away, then spun and rushed into his own bedroom. At the doors adjoining their rooms, he tried to open the first one, then the second.
Locked.
“Emma, open this door, or I’ll break it down.”
She made another muffled sound, then he heard her shuffling out of the bed and toward the door. But her steps were slow. When she stopped on the other side of the door, his breath caught in his chest.
Her breathing was uneven. As if drawing breath was a great physical feat on its own.
Just as he poised to rip the door from its hinges, the lock clicked.
The door swung open to reveal Emma, clutching her ribs. Face mottled with purple, green, and yellow bruises. Her accelerated healing had already covered up the worst of her injuries, judging by the dried blood on her lip and eyebrow.
Anger heated his blood.“Who did this to you?” His words were low and gravelly.
Emma squeezed her eyes shut, then winced.“Please go,” she whispered.
“Not until you tell me who did this.”
“I said get out!”
Flames jumped from her palms, punctuating her words. They were smaller than this morning’s an
d didn’t cover her entire body. At the sight of them she staggered back with a guttural sob. The sound broke him.
But before Blaze could stop her, she shut the door in his face, clicking the lock back into place.
9
Levaroth
T he Spellcaster, Adrianna, was proving to be incredibly powerful. His link to Emma felt different somehow, but he couldn’t put his finger on what had changed. Panic
sliced through him as Adrianna left the chamber.
He needed to see Emma.With his eyes shut, he pictured her.
Then he pushed his consciousness into her mind.
She was awake this time, lying on her back with an arm over
her eyes. Fading bruises marred her arms and jaw.
Anger surged white-hot through his body. His beast snarled
within him. Whoever hurt her would pay. He couldn’t see the
rest of her face, but when a tear rolled down her cheek, he sucked
in a sharp breath—alerting her to his presence.
Her body shot upright on the bed, making her wince and
clutch her abdomen. Despite her apparent pain, her eyes searched
him while his did the same of her.
“Who did this?” he growled.
She swallowed hard.
Ah, right. Her father. He nodded in understanding, but it only
made his rage burn hotter.“Same.” He gestured to his bedraggled
form, not sure what she could see.
But the shock in her eyes told him she saw plenty. Her gaze
lingered on his wings, which he was certain looked like shredded
skin and bone.
“You won’t be able to tell me why he did it, I suppose?” Her lips parted slowly, as if it took great effort.“Killed. Kids.
Weak.” She seemed surprised she could muster any words at all. Clearly her father’s gag order wasn’t as tight as he’d thought.
The Throne of Broken Bones (Weapon of Fire and Ash Book 3) Page 6