by S. Young
“Yes,” Rose admitted as she lowered to her haunches, fire still blazing around her wrists, the weight of the chains pulling on them. “I can be. And this is what you wanted to unleash on the world. Hundreds of thousands of fae who would decimate the human race.”
He shook his head. “Please …”
“Do you know what the difference is between you and me?”
“Please.”
Rose leaned into him. “I know what I am. I see the darkness inside me but it doesn’t define me. But you … you can’t even see your own wickedness. How many people have you killed, Blackwood, in your pursuit of Faerie?”
“I tried to protect you,” he pleaded, his hands raised to his chest in a defensive position.
“You tried to use me. You hunted me. You tortured me.” As Rose pressed her hand against his chest, his pleading changed to anger.
“My coven will have their revenge.”
“Good,” she whispered inches from his face. “Let them come. I look forward to meting out justice for all the innocent people they’ve killed through the centuries.” Pulling her elbow back, Rose thrust her fist into his chest and watched the maniacal light die in his eyes before she yanked his heart right out.
Dropping the muscle, Rose turned to her chains, breaking them off before concentrating on the iron. As soon as her fingertips touched it, pain had her yanking them back. It was like dipping her fingers in flame.
Cursing under her breath, she attempted to push the agony of the manacles to the back of her mind until she’d dealt with Thea. Rose crawled weakly over to her. Shuddering, she whispered the woman’s name as she forced her arms up and her fingers into the bullet wound in Thea’s shoulder.
The wolf jerked, eyelashes fluttering as Rose gritted her teeth and forced her fingers deep into the wound. Thea groaned, her eyes opening just as Rose connected with the flattened bullet.
With a heaving breath, she yanked it out and threw it across the room.
“Rose,” Thea moaned, her focus hazy. “What—”
“Where’s the other bullet?”
“G-gut.”
Holy crap.
Rose’s fingers fumbled to lift Thea’s sweater as she grew weaker with the iron.
“H-hey. Can you break my cuffs?”
Sweat rolling down her back, Rose turned to the shackles around Thea’s wrists. She concentrated and pulsed what little magic she could into the lock. They popped off.
Thea’s hands immediately wrapped around one of Rose’s iron-clad wrists. Gritting her teeth with a growl that sounded as if it came deep from her belly, Thea snapped the iron apart.
Immediate relief from the pain caused tears to burn in Rose’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Instead of answering, Thea did the same to her other wrist, and then slumped back against the wall, her eyes rolling back in her head.
“Thea!” Rose lunged toward her, ignoring the ugly scars around her wrists as she pulled the wolf’s sweater up.
Silvery veins spread out from an inflamed bullet wound.
Shit.
The cry of pain Thea emitted as Rose dug for the bullet was beyond hard to hear, but Rose couldn’t find the damn thing.
“Please, please,” Thea moaned, her lashes fluttering, her face deathly pale. “Stop, stop. You need to go. You need to leave. Th-there might be others.”
“I’m not leaving you!” With her strength returning by the second, Rose searched the room for anything that might work to pull out the bullet.
She didn’t let her mind deal with the bodies.
The people she’d killed.
She looked at Layton and his voice rang in her head. The fucking fae, you moron! Her blood will heal me!
“Of course.” Rose shook her head in disbelief. “I’m such an idiot.” The iron manacles laid near her feet. Where Thea had cracked one open, there was a jagged edge.
This is going to be a whole lot of no fun.
Gritting her teeth, she yanked up the iron before she could think about it, fought through the pain, ripped the jagged edge across her already scarred wrist, dropped the iron, and thrust her bleeding wrist against Thea’s mouth.
Thea automatically opened her lips and sucked at the wound. Rose pressed her wrist harder against her mouth. “More, Thea.”
Watching Thea’s exposed wound, Rose saw the skin move, the flattened silver bullet pushing out of Thea’s body and landing on her thigh. Whoa. Rose threw it away, turning back to see Thea’s skin healing over. The silvery veins disappeared.
Rose dropped her wrist as Thea stared at her, gaze clear and focused, her skin returning to its healthy olive tone. Rose’s blood smeared her lips. “Thank you.”
Rose slumped back against the wall, her wrist stinging as it failed to heal over with its usual speed. She clutched it to her chest and shrugged. “It was nothing.”
Thea snorted. “Right, it—” She stilled, cocking her head. Something warm glittered in her dark eyes as she looked at Rose. “Backup just arrived.”
33
A ninety-minute walk from Fionn’s land, not far from the village of Costelloe, Conall led them to an industrial building that seemed to be some kind of medical warehouse.
It had taken them thirty minutes to run there at Conall’s speed. That Fionn could’ve reached it in ten minutes and anything could’ve happened to Rose in those extra twenty minutes ate at him.
But he had to focus.
There were no humans in the building.
Two wolves guarded the door.
“I can smell Thea from here. She’s bleeding,” Conall snarled before he launched himself across the car park at the wolves. As one braced to meet Conall, Fionn traveled, coming up behind the other.
Almost in unison, Fionn tore out the wolf’s heart as Conall ripped off the other’s head.
They stared at each other, hearts hammering, knowing they could’ve easily just knocked out the wolves. But they’d helped take Thea and Rose and, Thea, at least, was wounded.
Without another word, they burst inside the warehouse, battle ready. Fionn followed Conall as he tracked Thea.
No one else came at them and as they approached a door at the back of the building, Conall looked at Fionn. “I hear Thea and another woman. I cannae hear anything else. No other heartbeats.”
Fionn’s hearing was good but nowhere near as acute as a wolf’s, so he took Conall’s word for it.
The wolf threw open the door, which led down a dank stairwell. They hurried down it, coming out onto a basement level. Conall turned right and jogged down the corridor, Fionn following him.
When Conall stopped at a heavy steel door and tried the handle, he found it locked. He turned to Fionn. “They’re behind here.”
Heart racing at what he might find in the room, Fionn lifted his palm to the door. “Oscailte.” The door swung open and back against the wall. He didn’t want it blasting into the room and wounding one of their mates.
Conall rushed into the windowless room first.
The wolf came to a halt, and Fionn understood why as he strolled in. He was trying to remain as calm as possible while his whole body screamed with the need to release his pent-up worry and rage.
Bodies littered the concrete floor.
Warlocks with broken necks.
Liza Blackwood, dead, neck broken too.
A fucking huge bastard of a werewolf with a hole in his chest.
“Thea,” Conall bit out, hurrying toward the far corner where a brunette was helping Rose to her feet.
A dead Lori and Layton Blackwood lay on the ground near them.
Fionn traveled, appearing in front of Rose, who gasped at his sudden appearance. His mate was pale and drained, and he knew why when he saw her wrists. She clutched them to her chest, shivering.
“Fionn,” she whispered, expression slack with relief.
Fury boiled in his blood as he reached out and tentatively took hold of her fingers, pulling her wrists out, hands palm upward. Her right wrist was healing from a cut, but t
hat wasn’t what made him want to hunt down the Blackwoods and kill every last one of them.
Three-inch burn scars wrapped around each of Rose’s wrists.
Fionn took in the chains and manacles scattered at their feet.
Two of the broken manacles were made of pure iron.
“I’m going to kill them all,” he promised.
Rose tugged her hands from his, but only to rest them on his chest. Her blue eyes pleaded with him. “No more, Fionn.”
“I’m sorry.” The words were torn from his throat. “I failed you.”
Rose pissed him off by giving him a tired grin. “Whose voice do you think was in my head when I needed to get myself out of this? Whose training?”
He shook his head. “It’s not—”
“Fionn.” Her fingers curled into his shirt. “You wanted me to be able to take care of myself …” She swallowed hard, lowering her eyes. “For when you’re gone. And I can.”
Her words were like an iron blade in his gut.
“You saved my life,” Thea interrupted, reminding Fionn he wasn’t alone with his mate. Roaring at her that she was an idiot if she thought he was ever fucking leaving her again would have to wait.
Rose turned toward the wolf wrapped in Conall’s arms. The alpha was holding Thea so tightly, it was a wonder she could breathe.
Fionn looked down at Rose. She should be in his arms like that. Why wasn’t she? He scowled at her. Come to me, mo chroí.
She didn’t.
So he hauled her against him and although she gave him a slightly startled look, she slid her arms around his waist and held on to him as she addressed Thea. “I have the feeling you would have done the same for me.”
“Thank you,” Conall said to Rose. “Sincerely. I owe you a debt.”
“We owe you a debt,” Thea corrected, caressing his chest.
Fionn glared down at Rose. Do that to me, mo chroí. I need soothing.
She didn’t. Fionn gingerly lifted the wrist that wasn’t healing from a cut and placed her palm over his heart. Rose curled her fingers into his sweater and buried deeper into him.
“I’m calling in that debt,” she addressed the alpha wolves. “Go back to Scotland. Stay there. Keep your pack safe.”
“We’re past that.” Conall glared at Layton Blackwood. “Once the coven discovers this, they’ll come for retribution. It’ll be war once I call upon my allies.”
“No, they won’t,” Fionn said. “I know the Blackwoods. Nate Blackwood is not as ruthless as previous coven leaders. His son”—he gestured to Layton—“disagreed with his father’s methods. This was a kamikaze mission. There’s no way Nate Blackwood would have agreed to kidnapping Thea. He knew that would start a war with all the packs. I’d place a high bet that the rest of the coven have no clue about this. The Blackwoods know the gate is only miles from here, which offers an excuse for why the trail will lead to Ireland.
“There’s no reason for them to think any of us were involved.”
Conall frowned. “Do you know that for certain?”
“I know for certain that the Blackwoods have no idea of your involvement. I’m telling you, Nate would never sanction action against you.”
The alpha couple shared a knowing look and Thea nodded, turning back to Rose and Fionn. “They came to us after I turned and I had to prove I was just a wolf, not fae. Obviously, they had their suspicions we were lying, but with no evidence, they were given orders to leave us alone once we proved I was a werewolf. So, you’re right, we’re safe … but what about you two?”
“I doubt they know we’re involved, but even if they do, they’ll have a hard time catching us,” Fionn promised, his hold on Rose tightening.
“And Niamh?” Thea asked Rose.
Rose tensed and Fionn tried to pull her closer into him, even though she was as close as she was going to get. “Thea, I’m guessing you’re a pretty kick-ass wolf, but you’re not fae anymore. You can’t do what Niamh and I can.”
Thea winced, contemplating the dead bodies littered around the room. “True.”
“Go home to your pack. Be with your mate. Stay safe. I’ll look out for Niamh.”
Thea’s lovely dark gaze filled with concern. “It feels wrong to abandon you to this.”
Rose smiled. “Thea, you’re not abandoning me to anything. This—being fae—it’s what I am.” Her smile dimmed a little as she looked down at Lori’s body. “It comes with its consequences, and I’m not saying that’s easy. At all.” Her sad eyes returned to Thea. “But I’m not afraid of what I am. I’m not afraid of immortality.”
Thea gave an embarrassed huff as she looked to her mate for reassurance. “It was arrogant of me to assume the others like me wouldn’t want their abilities or the immortality.”
Conall kissed her forehead. “Not arrogance, Thea love.”
“I agree with your mate, Thea. But like I said earlier, even if I didn’t want this, there is nothing you can do. Same goes for Niamh.”
At Conall’s questioning expression, Thea shook her head. “I can’t change them to wolf. Only a mate can. That’s why I survived your bite.”
“What?”
“It’s true,” Fionn offered, his voice hoarse with the emotions churning inside him. “I heard it personally from within the queen’s private court.”
“Fuck,” Conall cursed, giving his mate a commiserating squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and then threw Rose a wry smile. “Doesn’t seem to be a problem, anyway. Rose is powerful.”
Fionn took in the room again, grimly. He was proud that Rose could defend herself, but he worried about her conscience. She wasn’t born to be a warrior like he was, to compartmentalize death at her own hands.
“Enough chitchat. We need to leave,” Conall said.
“Right.” Fionn gestured to the room, sending his magic out to every single body. As one, they crumbled to ash.
“Holy shit,” Thea whispered.
“Looks like you only touched the tip of the iceberg of your powers when you were fae, Thea,” Conall muttered, looking a little awed himself.
“Uh … yeah,” she agreed.
“Why are we worrying about the Blackwoods?” MacLennan shot a look at Fionn. “If you can do this.”
“Because the Blackwoods are powerful enough to trace their coven to here. Even if they don’t find bodies, they can use spells to discern whether they’re alive or not. This”—he gestured to the ash—“is to hide the evidence from the humans.”
“It’s like what I did to Eirik.” Thea stared at the pile of ash that was Layton Blackwood. “But without the glowing-sunlight thing.”
“No, what you did is different. It’s easy to turn what is dead to ash. Harder to do it to a living thing.” Fionn considered Thea. “You must have been very powerful as a fae, Thea.”
“Yeah, still … I prefer this version of me. Way less complicated.”
“Right. Like I said, chitchat’s over. Let’s go.”
At Conall’s order, Rose pulled away from Fionn and followed the alpha couple out of the room. She held her head up and didn’t look at the piles of ash.
Fionn followed behind her, dread filling him.
Why had she pulled away?
Fuck. Fionn growled inwardly, his hands tight fists at his sides. This was the downside to the mating bond—the overwhelming, complicated mix of emotions eating at his insides.
Forcing himself to stay alert, instead of gluing his attention to his mate, Fionn followed the small group upstairs and out of the empty warehouse. There was no one else here.
They’d killed every supernatural who’d been guarding the place.
Once outside, it was decided Fionn and Rose would escort the alpha couple back to the village so they could collect their rental car and get the hell out of Ireland. The couple’s pride seemed a little pricked by Rose’s stubborn refusal to leave them until she knew they were well on their way, but Thea gave in first. And then convinced Conall too.
> Despite Rose’s sudden distance with Fionn, there was no way in hell he was leaving her side, so he escorted the wolves as well.
An hour later, Rose and Thea hugged goodbye.
“You know where I am if you need me,” Thea said.
“Yeah. And I’ll find a way to make it so you can contact me if you need me too,” Rose said.
The women hugged again as Fionn gave Conall a nod that issued the same overture. Conall nodded back, returning the offer.
Finally, they drove off in a rented Land Rover, leaving Fionn alone with his quiet mate.
He looked down at her wrists.
They’d be scarred forever, a constant reminder of what Layton Blackwood had done.
Fionn had never felt the burn of iron, but he’d heard it was excruciating. His fury began to build again at the thought of Rose enduring such torture.
She glanced up at him, tucking her tousled hair behind her ear, before placing her palms out and upward. His frown of confusion was forming when a familiar silver box appeared in her hands.
An Breitheamh.
A different kind of anger surged within him.
This kind directed at Rose.
“This is why I left this morning.” She held the box out to him. “I couldn’t conjure it from within the boundary spell. They caught me unawares as soon as I crossed the wall. But I wanted to give this to you.”
He glowered silently at the box.
“I won’t keep this from you. Not anymore. But you should know that even though I’m giving you this …” The hoarseness in her voice brought his gaze to hers. Tears shone in her beautiful eyes. “I love you, Fionn. I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone.
“But I can’t let you kill the last fae-borne. I just can’t. So, I’ll be there to stop you if you try.”
Furious with her, but mostly with himself, exultant at her confession of love, and still gripped with fear of what could’ve happened to her—what had happened to her—Fionn snatched the box out of her hands.
Without a word, he whipped it open and saw from her flinch that she felt the weakening effect of An Breitheamh too.
Then, in the middle of a small village in County Galway, Fionn placed a hand above the pure iron dagger and watched the fire of his magic melt it into nothing.