Traitor

by Claire Farrell

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “Keep going,” Ry managed to splutter before his heart stopped beating.

  “Hide,” Val hissed as Icarus tore apart the vampire she had been fighting. “Get out of the way before they get to you.” She was limping and bleeding heavily from a wound in her leg.

  Wiping away tears, I scrambled to my feet. “No. We have to get the twins out of here, Val.”

  She tutted. “You expect the impossible.”

  “Aim high,” I called out as I stumbled toward the twins.

  Icarus moved next to me, snarling loudly. I heard the tearing of flesh as he protected me. The cries of the dying filled my ears, but I couldn’t look back.

  Phoenix was on his knees, Elaria’s hands on his temples, her eyes fierce and chilling. Fionnuala had Lorcan in a death grip, flooding his body with the same power contained in Phoenix’s whip. His skin was stark white, his body bucking, despite Lucia’s vain attempts to pull their grandmother off her brother.

  I didn’t have the strength or power to take out Fionnuala, but maybe Phoenix stood a chance. I tripped again, and went to my knees. Unable to make it back onto my feet, I crawled to Elaria. I couldn’t reach her throat, so I bit into her wrist and sucked hard and deep. Her blood flowed through me, electrifying and dizzying, overwhelmingly powerful. My skin threatened to burst, unable to withstand fae power. I should have known.

  Elaria tried to jerk away from me, releasing Phoenix in the process. He looked like death, but he held onto her, giving me more time to drain her. The blood fuelled me, gave me power, but it was terrifyingly intoxicating to drink fae blood.

  “Fionnuala!” Elaria cried.

  Fionnuala threw Lorcan aside. He fell against the floor, dazed, and Lucia ran to him. Fionnuala strode over and caught hold of my hair, pulling me away from Elaria. Her power surged through my scalp. If I hadn’t drunk Elaria’s blood, I probably would have died on the spot.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried my best to gather Fionnuala’s power, to contain it and use it, but there was too much. Too much power, too much stimulating blood. I was on a rollercoaster, my head flying around the room, and my heart about to burst.

  Bang!

  We were all thrown apart. I hit a wall and blood spurted from my nose. My hair sizzled from the connection with Fionnuala. Elaria backed away in horror, her wrist gushing blood.

  Phoenix quickly recovered and advanced on his mother. A couple of assassins rushed to help her, but Icarus got in the way, his roar a chilling sound. He was the most terrifying creature in the room apart from Fionnuala, and nobody made a move to get past him. But even the werewolf didn’t try to take on Fionnuala.

  I was shaking and hiccupping all at once. My entire body trembled, bleeding from tiny wounds scattered across my skin as though it had tried to tear. I wanted to stand. I wanted to help. I couldn’t seem to make my legs work.

  Fionnuala’s hair stood on end, and her eyes flashed white. Whatever had happened between us had obviously affected her, too. She swallowed hard a couple of times, shaking her head as if to gather her thoughts. Phoenix kept moving toward her, reminding me of the man who had fought next to me on the battlefields not so long ago.

  “You murdered the great warrior, Conn,” he said in a loud, commanding tone. “Kinkiller. Betrayer. Your sins are punishable by death according to our ancient laws. I call upon my rights to avenge my father, my wife, and my children. The spirits await you for the final punishment, Mother.”

  Fionnuala cackled, and the air around her filled with steam. It burned my skin, cauterising my wounds, and everyone else stepped back to avoid the heat.

  Phoenix reached into his pocket for one of his glass kylies, but Fionnuala was quicker. All she had to do was put her hands on him, and his body convulsed with electricity. It didn’t hurt him the way it hurt me, but it made his hands tremble so much that he couldn’t hold his weapon. He gripped her neck instead, and the air filled with destructive energy.

  Lorcan pushed his sister aside and crept up behind his grandmother. Still bleeding, Elaria ran toward him, but Lucia got in her way, protecting her brother by suffering Elaria’s attack instead.

  I willed Lorcan to stab Fionnuala in the back, but he moved closer to his father instead. Fionnuala didn’t even register his presence, he was so low in her estimations. Lorcan pressed his sword into his father’s hand. Phoenix gripped Lorcan’s hand over the hilt. Together, they stabbed Fionnuala in the gut. Her eyes wide with shock, Fionnuala let go of Phoenix and sank to her knees.

  Phoenix stood over his mother and, with shaking hands, raised the sword into the air. She gazed up at him in terror, and he hesitated.

  “G-g-good s-son.” She laughed then reached out and grabbed Lorcan, pressing her hand on his chest. There was a flash as if lightning had struck him.

  Lorcan collapsed to the floor.

  Phoenix lopped off his mother’s head.

  “No!” Elaria screamed, rushing at Phoenix.

  She stopped and looked down in disbelief. A sword pierced through her chest and was yanked out just as quickly. Blood flowed from the gaping wound, and she tried to cover it with her hands. She fell, eyes still wide in confusion. Behind Elaria stood Lucia, covered in blood, madness darkening her eyes. She dropped the weapon and went to her knees beside her brother’s body.

  As if feeling Phoenix’s pain, the werewolf went into a frenzy. Phoenix kept swinging that sword until the few enemies who hadn’t run were dead.

  I moved to join Lucia by Lorcan’s side, painfully aware that his heart had stopped beating. “No,” I whispered. “Not him. Not now.”

  Carl pushed me aside and pressed on Lorcan’s chest, attempting CPR. Lucia leapt up and ran to her father. They both rushed back over to us.

  “Step back!” Phoenix shouted. He raised the whip and lashed it at his son.

  The electricity jerked Lorcan’s body, and his heart abruptly thumped. The beat was irregular at first, but gradually, it evened. The colour came back into his cheeks.

  “Oh, thank fuck for that,” I said, falling back on my arse with exhaustion.

  Phoenix sat next to Lorcan and held his son’s hand.

  I lay down, unable to keep myself up any longer. I struggled to catch my breath. Icarus sat next to Phoenix.

  “Ava Delaney, you are literally the weirdest person I’ve ever met,” Carl said, pushing my outstretched arm with his foot. “I don’t know what you did back there, but your hair might never be the same again.”

  I thumped his foot, and suddenly, we were all laughing and crying at the same time. Fionnuala was gone. We had actually done it. And without an actual plan. God, that had been stupid, but it was over. She hadn’t managed to use the children. She hadn’t taken another life. We were okay.

  I glanced around the room. Nobody had escaped unharmed. Esther was crying over the bodies of two of her Circle, and Ry was gone. The air stank of blood and fear and pain. We had dug deep and come up dirty.

  Maybe okay wasn’t the right word after all.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “We need to get the injured out of here,” Gabe said, leaning over me.

  “That’s everybody.” The rush of Elaria’s blood and Fionnuala’s power was slow leaving my body. Things pieced back together in disjointed fragments. “Shit. Reuben got away.”

  “We don’t have time for that,” the angel said. “There’s been fighting all over the Headquarters. The Council has fallen.”

  “Yeah, but it—”

  “Ava,” he said, kneeling in blood next to me. “Fionnuala destroyed the Council, and we ended her opposition. But the bodies in this room can’t be the full extent of her support. Stories will be told, sides will be chosen, and we’re not in a fit state to fight off everyone with a claim. We need to get out of here and regroup.”

  He put his arm around my waist and helped me to my feet. I leaned on him heavily for support.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, and I thought I heard a hint of true
concern in his voice.

  “A little shaky from… all of that.”

  “I’m sorry we did nothing when you were caught at the meeting. I thought my best chance was to wait and—”

  “Saving my life once is enough for anyone. They didn’t need me,” I said proudly. “Did you see them?”

  “I saw them,” he said gently. “They all did well.”

  “Wait. Where’s Eddie? Where’s—”

  “We’re right here,” Marina announced from the farthest doorway, and my mouth fell open. I could have sworn she had grown a couple of inches, and her skin was paler, with the strangest tinge of blue that matched some new streaks in her hair.

  “What did you do?” I asked, immediately suspicious.

  “I helped you,” she said. “Erossi is gone, poor soul. Trapped in his own ego.”

  Eddie followed her into the room, his shoulders hunched.

  “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  “I owed the immortal a debt. His strength lives on.”

  Gabe’s hold on me tightened. “Are you telling me you murdered Erossi?”

  Eddie smiled. “Murdered? He’s immortal. Lives forever. He’s in a better place, though.”

  I gazed at Marina in horror as she licked her lips. What the hell kind of magic had they used? I reached out with my other senses and came up with nothing. It was as if Marina and Eddie didn’t exist. Or they had managed to find a way to block my power.

  I swallowed hard, fear creeping over me. When Fionnuala mentioned Elaria’s mental magic, I had assumed the fae were behind the blocking of Lucia’s visions, but what if I was wrong? What if the answer had been closer to home all along?

  “Don’t look so worried,” Eddie said. “It’s over. Fionnuala is gone, Erossi is gone, and Koda is gone. All that’s left is Gabe here and us meagre consultants. Where is Aiden? I’m interested in seeing how he is.”

  “Eddie—” I began.

  He waved his hands. “You’re right. It’s too soon for discussions. We all need some rest, especially you, Ava. We need you to get your strength back up. And Gabe, you really need to deal with the Guardians. After all, they deserve to know they no longer serve the fae and the immortal. It will be a blow, but we’ll all surely survive. I suggest we meet back here in two days and decide where we go from here. Is everyone in agreement?”

  There was nothing frightening about what he was saying, but alarm bells were ringing in my head. Was Eddie being reasonable? I hoped so, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Marina.

  “You’re right,” Elathan said. “We need to end the fighting and call for talks. There’s a lot to do: people to be told, sleep to be had, injuries to mend. Perhaps we should meet here tomorrow night instead, in case any creatures of the night decide to have a say in what happens next.”

  Eddie nodded. “Of course. Tomorrow night it is. Rest up, children. We have busy days ahead of us.”

  He left the room, but before Marina followed him, she turned back to look at me, licking her lips. What a creepy bitch.

  “Yeah, I need to get back to Aiden and the others,” Esther said.

  “I can take you on my motorbike,” Elathan said with a charming smile. She practically fluttered her eyelashes at him.

  “No, thanks,” I answered for her. “We should stick together.”

  “I’ll arrange transport for you, and the Guardians can stay in my bar,” Gabe said, but he looked as if he were about to vomit.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He gazed at me, his face unreadable. “I’m just tired.”

  He left to organise transport, and I sat against a wall to wait. I dozed in that bloody room, then I was barely able to keep my eyes open in the car.

  Carl made phone calls on the way, but I sat in silence, trying to connect my thoughts together. Eddie had seemed… odd. But then, he was always odd. Maybe the fact that he hadn’t shown his hand yet was what was disturbing me.

  “What do you think they did with Erossi?” I asked nobody in particular.

  “Do you care?” Val replied. “He was a cruel man. The worst kind.”

  “Yeah. I suppose,” I said, but I couldn’t stop wondering what Marina and Eddie were up to.

  Everyone at the cul-de-sac welcomed us with open arms. They seemed relieved to see that most of us had survived, though they were horrified by the deaths. I let Carl relay what had happened, only asking that they watch out for the other cars that would follow.

  Yawning, I promised Anka I would wait in her house after I took a shower. I went into my house, my ears ringing. I jumped into the shower and scrubbed the blood away, feeling every ache. My side wasn’t that bad, surprisingly, except for the fact it needed new stitches. The fatigue was tough, and I was tempted to flop into bed except Anka would have come to find me.

  But the memories were the worst: of the whip, of Elaria’s blood, of connecting with Fionnuala, of how weak my body had been. Adrenaline hadn’t been enough. My fingers trembled incessantly, and my muscles kept freezing as if in anticipation of more pain. Ignoring the questions and excitement outside, I headed over to Anka’s house and relaxed on her sofa.

  Carl came in and sank onto the sofa next to me. “Margie’s going to check on you in a minute. She wanted to make sure Lorcan hadn’t turned into a zombie or anything.”

  “Cool.” I looked at him askance.

  He grinned. “Anything’s possible, right? How are you feeling?”

  “Pissed I had to get saved like seventeen times.”

  He threw back his head and guffawed. “You’re an idiot.”

  “Yeah, well. I was pretty useless back there.”

  “Not useless. But you definitely weren’t your usual self. That’s because you’ve run yourself into the ground.”

  “I’m pretty sure Phoenix and his stupid whip did most of the damage.” Fionnuala hadn’t helped either, but I didn’t have the energy to explain that part in detail.

  He shrugged. “You were already damaged, Ava. You’re burnt out. You need a break.”

  “Tell the world that. Thanks for coming to break me out and all, but please don’t do anything so fucking stupid ever again. I didn’t save your life so you could keep trying to throw it away over me.”

  “You’re the glue,” he said firmly. “If we lose you, we lose each other.”

  “That makes no bloody sense.”

  “It does. We’re all here because of you. You brought us together, and you helped us change everything.”

  “How very stupid of me.” But I attempted a smile.

  “I’ll go tell Margie to hurry up with the painkillers,” he teased. He got up and left.

  His seat wasn’t empty for long. Shay entered the room and plopped down on the couch, his stupidly long legs getting in the way of everything. I quickly grew tense. I had lost too much blood to keep sitting next to humans, and although Elaria’s blood had been powerful, it hadn’t been satisfying at all.

  “Stop looking so uncomfortable,” Shay said, but he was the one who kept gawking at my hair with mild horror.

  “When did you get here?”

  “Not long ago. We’ve been hearing all kinds of stories. Had to see if they were true. So is it over?”

  “One thing is over,” I said slowly. “I have a feeling something else is just beginning.”

  “Can I help?”

  I glanced at him. “Staying out of trouble would help. Just watch your back. Things are going to get crazy. Is anything happening on your end?”

  “Lots of talking and panic,” he said. “More than I would have expected. Hasn’t made the news yet. We’ve tried to keep that quiet, but it’ll probably be on the evening news. The reporters are going to do their bit to keep people calm. We’re all in it together, I suppose.”

  “Yeah. All in it together.” But I was thinking about the ones who weren’t in it anymore.

  “People will panic,” he said in his soft lilt. “You understand that, don’t you? They’ll need somebody to make an ann
ouncement. Preferably not the hellhound.”

  I shoved his shoulder. “Part hellhound.”

  “Only the good part,” he said with a smile. “How are you doing? I mean really. Not the bullshit answer you give everyone.”

  I thought about it for a second. “I’m wrecked, I feel like shit, and I’m terrified about what’s going to happen next. I want to go home, but I don’t want to go home, and I just want everything to be over, but that’s never going to happen, is it?”

  He patted my knee. “Someday. Someday, it’ll be somebody else’s problem.”

  “Can’t wait,” I whispered.

  His gaze turned soft then, and I made some kind of excuse to get away from him. I liked Shay a lot, and in another time and place, maybe things would have been different. But they weren’t.

  Once the more serious injuries were taken care of, Margie and Anka tag-teamed me with their crappy-tasting potions and vile-smelling lotions. Then the stitches came.

  Beyond exhausted, I fell asleep on Anka’s sofa, and I didn’t even open my eyes when somebody carried me all the way to my own house and put me into my own bed.

  ***

  I woke up in pain. I lay still for a few minutes, staring into space with a niggling thought that I was really supposed to be doing something other than sleeping.

  Groaning with every ache, I finally got up and threw on some clothes. I went downstairs and was faced with a topless Phoenix eating a bowl of cereal at my kitchen table.

  Frowning, I stood there, unsure of what to do next. “Um…”

  “Morning,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. The others are all a little terrified of me, and my children needed some space. Your friend Carl told me to stay here.”

  I was suddenly aware of the fact I was standing in front of fae royalty in ratty shorts and a tank top. “No problem,” I said, wishing I could stop feeling uncomfortable in my own home.

  I tried my best not to stare at his bare chest, but it was covered in old scars that looked suspiciously like teeth marks. I walked behind him to get to the kettle and noticed more scars criss-crossing his back. I had similar ones, but his were deeper. There were far more of them, too. Perhaps he had been right when he called our childhoods similar.