by Rae Rivers
Slapping a hand on the bouncer’s back, Rick slid an arm around Megan and pressed a kiss into her hair. Waving at their accomplices, they took to the sidewalk and began walking.
Jenna shifted uncomfortably, her instincts demanding she stop them.
Ethan’s hand covered her shoulder, the motion reeling her in – just as he’d intended, no doubt. She met his gaze. Their conversation wasn’t over. He’d want answers and she’d have no choice but to provide them. But the movement below had brought out the warrior in him and he’d shelved the questions.
For now.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Megan and Rick wasted no time. A couple on a mission. They caught the train, rode the line for a few blocks, and jumped off between platforms, disappearing into the darkness.
Ethan and Jenna followed, gliding across the rooftops above, trailing them. Their jumps were made in perfect unison, silent and effortlessly. Despite the icy wind and the tension, Ethan couldn’t shake the euphoria that came with the freedom of each jump.
Hiding his abilities around his women had always been a bitch. He’d always felt the need to curb his superhuman strength and haul out the gloves and tenderness. The fear of hurting them had always lingered. Always. It was only now, sailing across the roofs, that he realised how damn stifling that had been – and how exhilarating it felt having Jenna navigate the rooftops beside him.
The roads were quiet, litter scattered everywhere. The buildings were mostly in darkness. A tall fire escape loomed across the entire side of the block, minus its bottom ladder. There was movement further down the street, the walls a shimmer of yellow. Four men huddled around a fire, a pot boiling above the flames. The air smelt like beans. Their makeshift cardboard houses lined the sidewalk behind them.
Laughter erupted from a nearby warehouse, accompanied by several whistles that attracted Megan and Rick like damn flies to leftovers.
The windows had been painted white. When they stalked around the back, a heavy wooden door opened to allow them in, amplifying the whistles and laughter from inside. There was a grunt, a curse, and the unmistakable sound of fist impacting on flesh that evoked another round of applause and jeering.
“Ethan.” Jenna’s snapped whisper drew him away from the edge of the roof. She was crouched beside an air vent, her fingers cupped around the dome as she searched for a way in. On the next round of applause, she gave a hard tug. The cover came off easily and he helped her lift it, placing it quietly beside them. Together, they crouched around the opening.
A group of men of various ages, many brandishing tattoos or body piercings, had gathered in a circle, surrounding two men in a vicious fight.
Ethan zeroed in on the man directly beneath him, instantly recognising him. Axel. The man from the train. His friends stood a few feet behind him, watching the fight with enthusiasm. Axel stroked his beard with one hand, twirling the hair between his fingers. He acknowledged Rick with a brief nod.
The two fighters were splattered with blood. Their eyes were glazed, their bruised faces devoid of emotion.
One man charged the other, crashing into a crate of wooden boxes, which splintered on impact. In a whirl of punches and curses, followed by more cheering and laughter from their spectators, the two men attacked.
“What are they?” Ethan murmured.
“No idea.” Jenna grimaced when the two men parted, glared at each other and simultaneously broke out into a running leap. They collided with a powerful force and delved into another round of punches.
“How long have they been at it?” Megan called out to Axel.
“They arrived in the city late last night,” he shouted back.
“Where are the other two?”
“Vamps had a go at them. We staked our claim on these two before they could. Had to keep them locked in the cage for their safety. And ours. Been fighting for over an hour.”
“They’re still in good shape.”
“They’re strong, but they’re tiring. Think the spell will work?”
“It’s already working, dumb ass. The fact that they’re fighting each other proves that.” Megan turned to Rick. Their exchange was brief, quiet, and Rick withdrew a knife from his jacket pocket.
Taking three large strides to the centre of the fight, he grabbed the man closest to him, swung him around, and drove the knife into his chest. In a swift movement, he repeated the move with the second man.
The eruption of cheers drowned out Jenna’s gasp. Rick stepped over the groaning men, tugging on their hands. He circled them, a half-smile twisting his lips. He looked at Axel. “This proof enough that Hazel’s plan on the mortal realm is working?” Axel continued to stroke his beard. “So we have a deal?”
Axel’s lips parted into a wide smile. “Damn right.” In a swift movement, he mounted the injured man closest to him and leaned forward. His mouth hovered above the man’s and even though Ethan couldn’t see what the hell he was doing, he knew it couldn’t be good.
Rick reached for the second man, hauling him up by the shirt. It tore, revealing a mark on the injured man’s right shoulder. A mark Ethan instantly recognized.
Holy fuck.
“His tattoo,” Jenna hissed, leaning forward, “a pentagram. Shit, he’s a Keeper?”
The realisation sent a burst of energy swirling through Ethan, fast and furious, triggering a rush of wind around them. A gentle whistle of wind that grew stronger as it crept down the walls of the warehouse. Windows rattled, extracting a few surprised looks from the people inside.
Rick took no notice, smiling as his accomplices began to close in on the injured men. He turned back to the crowd, his face a mixture of aggression and sick pleasure. Holding up his hand, he uncurled his fist to reveal the two rings he’d taken from the Keepers. “The only good Keepers are dead ones!”
The crowd went wild.
Axel tilted his head back, panting heavily, his eyes wide. As though he’d sampled something delectable. Turning around, he looked at Rick and grinned. “We’re done here. The scavengers can finish them off. Let’s get moving on Hazel’s plan. Tonight.”
Scavengers. Witches and warlocks with the ability to absorb the powers of their victims. Dead victims. Ethan bolted forward as he realised what was about to happen, but Jenna grabbed his arm.
“Ethan, stop!” she snapped in a hushed tone. “It’s too late. It’s over.”
He tried to tug loose, but she yanked at his arm, pointing toward the men. Rick stood above them with a knife in his hand. The two men were dead; others were closing in. Blood pooled around them.
“They killed them,” Ethan hissed through gritted teeth. “Those fuckers killed them and now they’re scavenging their powers.”
“Ethan –”
He reared backward as fury slammed through him, so heated and powerful that it scorched everything inside. Energy burst through his body, amplified by the rage in a way he seldom embraced. But this time, he didn’t give a damn.
The front door burst open on a gust of wind that blew through the room, gathering sand and dust in its wake.
A few murmurs broke out, followed by a shout as the wind gathered force. It whipped around the crowd, rattling everything in its path, scattering boxes and abandoned tables and chairs. The lights flickered. More energy. More wind. Light bulbs exploded, along with two windows, and glass rained down upon the crowd.
“What’s happening?” Rick shouted, crouching beside Megan, his arm raised above his head.
“There’s someone here. Let’s go!” She bolted for the door, but screamed as a gust of wind hoisted them off their feet. It tossed them through the air and slammed them against the wall.
And just like that, Ethan turned it off.
Everything collapsed to the ground, the room a dusty mess as the sand settled. A few groans filled the room, along with Rick’s bellow of rage.
Growling softly, clenching his fists, Ethan inhaled a ragged breath and withdrew the wind. It whipped through the room one more time, escap
ing through the shattered windows.
But he didn’t stop there.
As easily as he could create air, he could deplete it. And he did. With a viciousness he’d never indulged before. A voice niggled inside, a warning, tugging at a consciousness he’d sidestepped, but he couldn’t stop.
Instead, he thought of the two slain Keepers and gave in to the overwhelming need that gripped him. Vengeance.
Everyone in the warehouse began gasping as they realised the air was thinning. They staggered, arms flailing, gaping at each other in confusion.
“What’s happening?” Axel grunted, grabbing Rick by the shirt. “Is this Hazel’s doing?” His eyes bulged, panic overriding his trademark fierceness.
Ethan channelled more energy, absorbing more air.
“Ethan.”
Jenna’s low voice did little to stop him and he focused his rage on their enemies below. Rick clawed at his throat and Megan cried out, her mouth wide as she sucked air.
“Ethan, stop it! You’ll expose us!” Jenna snapped, rising. “Ethan, you’re going to kill them!”
About sweet fucking time.
He ignored her, sucking every last breath from the room.
“STOP!” Jenna yelled, slamming her hand against his shoulder. The impact of her blow jolted him. He stumbled, straightened, blinking rapidly as the crash of senses returned. “Dammit, Ethan,” she breathed, and disappeared.
Staggering forward, he slowly reeled in the flow of rage.
It grew still. Deathly still.
Breathless and disorientated from the roar of fury he’d often felt but refused to welcome, he crouched over the vent. He scanned the bodies scattered across the floor. Horror curled inside as he realised what he’d done. A growl tore through him, almost beast-like, and he stumbled backward, dropping to his knees.
And in that brief moment of weakness, confusion, he saw a blond woman emerging from the doorway on the street below, Megan slung over one shoulder.
But then Jenna was beside him, tugging on his hand, her expression etched with worry. “Ethan, we should go.”
Frowning, he glanced at Megan panting on the sidewalk and tried to recapture the image of how she’d got there. But everything was a blur, clouded in rage and magic and power.
He shook his head to clear the murkiness, gripped Jenna’s hand, and stood.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Low groans and shuffles of movement from inside the warehouse had Jenna and Ethan scaling across rooftops at a breakneck speed. Three blocks later, they took to the streets in the direction of the train tracks.
Jenna’s head reeled from the vivid images of the horrific attack on the two Keepers – men who’d fought each other with a violence usually reserved for enemies, killed for their powers.
What the hell was Hazel up to?
Ethan’s retaliation, the eruption of fury, had surprised her – a side of him she’d never seen before. He still bristled with anger and walked with heavy, determined strides, his fists clenched beside each thigh.
“Ethan …” she said.
“Not now, Jenna.” His words were clipped with a sharp undertone. He kept walking, staring straight ahead, his features hardened by a harsh frown. He kept his head lowered, his hands jammed into his jacket pockets.
“What the hell happened up there?” They turned the corner and she grabbed his arm. “Ethan!”
“Back off, Jenna.”
“You almost killed them.”
“I didn’t.”
“If I hadn’t stopped you –”
He spun around, glanced over his shoulders to ensure they were alone, and pinned her with a deathly glare. “They injured two Keepers for the damn fun of it and then handed them over to Scavengers. They laughed and cheered and acted like it was a fucking circus! Whatever I did would never have been enough to avenge that!”
“You lost control and almost killed them! Besides the fact that you just exposed us, exposed that we’re here, Archer’s right. If you start murdering them, then what the hell makes you different to them?”
“They’re monsters!”
“And killing them just because you can doesn’t make you one?”
“We are losing this war, Jenna!” he yelled, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Look around you. Where we are. What just happened! I’m sick of standing by, defending, whilst people die and our enemies grow stronger. And now they’ve roped in Axel so I think it’s safe to assume our enemies have multiplied. It’s bullshit and you know it!”
They glowered at each other in heated silence, tension simmering between them. He was right. It was bullshit, but … . dammit.
“If I hadn’t intervened, you’d have suffocated them.” She lowered her voice. “I’m on your side, Ethan, and I agree that we need to stop them. If anyone here knows what they’re capable of, it’s me.” She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest, her eyes locked with his. She saw the struggle there, she felt it too. “But we’re Keepers and have a code to honour. That’s who we are. We lose control and go on a killing spree and we’re nothing.”
He released a low growl of protest from the back of his throat, the sound reverberating beneath her fingers. “I didn’t lose control. I was pissed and lashed out, but I stopped. Those assholes get to live another day. Yay for us.”
“We’ll find another way to stop them.”
He tightened his grip on her shoulders. “Well, bring on the suggestions, Jenna, ‘cause next time they touch an innocent person or harm one of our own, control and honour and all that crap won’t mean a damn thing to me.”
Voices behind them had Jenna glancing over her shoulder. Turning back to him, she nodded and pulled away, surprised when he wouldn’t let go. When her gaze lifted to meet his, dark blue eyes scowled at her.
The intensity she saw there stilled her.
“Megan was the first one out,” he said quietly, the chill to his words sending a shiver down her spine. “The only one out.”
“She’s smart.”
“She was suffocating and then suddenly, she was on the sidewalk.” He raised a brow. “Any idea how that happened?”
Her heart skipped a beat and her chest tightened, but she held her ground, held his gaze. Searching, questioning, accusing. He knew. Shit.
Despite knowing it was wrong, Jenna had taken brief satisfaction in watching their enemies suffer. Seeing Megan at the mercy of Ethan’s wrath had given her sick pleasure and she’d been tempted to leave her. But something had fired deep inside, a flicker of conscience, doubt. More than just the warped slither of loyalty that occasionally reared its head. She needed Megan alive. Especially now. Here. They were rivals, but the one thing they both longed for was discovering what had happened to Jenna’s parents.
Megan had an in with their enemies so she’d have access to information that Jenna wouldn’t. Even though it had clashed with every instinct she had, Jenna had pulled her out of the building.
“I told you,” Jenna said quietly, pleased her tone was steady. “Megan’s smart.”
His narrowed gaze remained on her. His nostrils flared. “You and Sarah were arguing outside the restaurant the day before she died.”
Jenna drew in a deep breath, surprised by the mention of Sarah’s name. She elbowed him off her and took a step back, hating the reminder of her last encounter with Sarah. Their disagreement had developed into an argument they’d never resolved.
Because they couldn’t. Sarah’s death had sealed their fight and Jenna had regretted it since.
“Why was my sister so angry with you?”
“Why are you bringing this up now?”
“Because Sarah was so furious she used her magic and uprooted a tree!”
The damn thing had crushed several park benches and triggered a ton of chaos and unwanted questions. They’d managed to cover it with a viable explanation – old tree and all that – but there’d been a few raised brows.
“It was an accident,” Jenna said, wishing her voice hadn’t s
ounded so feeble.
“What was the fight about, Jenna? She was yelling at you about Megan. Why would she do that?”
Because Sarah had seen them together. Overheard a conversation she shouldn’t have. She’d misunderstood, partly, and Jenna had never had the chance to set things straight between them.
It took every ounce of willpower she had not to flinch. Not now. Because flinching would give her away. “That argument was between Sarah and me. It’s none of your concern.”
Anger flared and he stepped up to her. “Everything with Sarah is my concern. She was my sister.”
“She was my friend!” she snapped, venom edging her tone. “I will always regret that the last conversation I had with Sarah was that damn fight. Every memory I have is tinged with the guilt of knowing that’s the last thing we said to each other.”
“We never heard from you after her death. Not even for her funeral.”
His words stung and she gasped. Slamming both hands on his chest, she shoved him away, the burst of anger that backed her blow catching him off guard. “Don’t you dare do that!” she cried, her voice cracking. “Don’t you dare undermine my feelings for Sarah simply because I couldn’t be there after her death!”
She shoved him again, the pain and regret and guilt chewing at her in a way that threatened to cripple her. Emotions she’d kept buried, just out of reach, triggered by his damn accusation. “You all had the luxury of mourning her, grieving, whilst I had to suck it up and put on a cheerful front for our enemies and act like I wasn’t dying inside. Don’t you dare undermine what that felt like!”
“Jenna –”
“You have no idea what it was like for me –”
“You’re right, I don’t know! You’re always so damn secretive about everything that happened.”
“Because they’re my secrets to keep! I’ve told you what you need to know, one Keeper to another, and only because it affects the safety of our witches. Everything else that falls outside that Keeper realm is irrelevant.”