Across The Divide

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “Remember when you said you would help in any way you could?”

  The thin hold I had on the façade I maintained was about to be challenged by my own words. I kept my mouth closed, waiting for him to continue.

  “I need you to assist me with interrogating a fae. Your seer sight and knowledge of their world will be extraordinarily helpful in this matter.” He kept his eyes locked on me. “You do want to help your sister, don’t you? Want the best for her?” I could feel the layers of meaning rolling out of his words.

  “Yes, of course.” The question was an ultimatum. Of course I wanted to help her, the best for her, but we both knew this was not the real matter here.

  “If you help me with this fae, I will not only make your sister’s case my priority, but she will no longer be used in my new drug testing. You can be with her anytime you want.”

  My chin jerked up.

  “You miss your sister, and I am sure she misses you. If you do everything I ask, prove yourself to me, show yourself as genuine to our cause as you once were, I will be sure Lexie gets the best treatment and is discontinued from any more mind testing.” He let voice trail off. The unsaid “if you do not” threat hung in the room.

  The thought of my sister being free filled my eyes with emotion. To be allowed to be with Lexie all the time, to have her back fully, mind and soul, felt like a gift. But DMG’s gifts were not without teeth and claws.

  My knuckles curled toward my palms. I wondered if this was how he was raised, by intimidating, bullying, and threatening. It was now the only way he understood to deal with people. To control them by fear.

  “Will you aid me?” Rapava slanted his head, his crisp gaze fixed on me.

  Why did I feel I was about to be handed the ultimate test? My feelings for fae, no matter how much they had altered and softened, would never compete against my sister. She was everything to me. I would do whatever I needed to protect and save her.

  Really, Zoey? Could you kill and torture Sprig? My mind shot at me. My stomach sank at the thought. There was no way I could hurt him. But what would I do if he were on the other side of the curtain? Or Croygen? Please, don’t make it either one of them and I will be okay.

  “Yes, sir.” My stomach rolled as the words came out of my mouth.

  “Good.” A strange smile stretched Rapava’s mouth and I had a sinking sensation in my stomach. I struggled to swallow, keeping my gaze firmly on him. We stood assessing each other before he gave a quick nod.

  “I’ll be turning off the lights. You can go to the window. It will not be able to see you.”

  I turned to the glass and moved close. Rapava went to a switch on the wall and flicked it down, plunging the room in darkness. The light bled through the blinds of the inner room and cast shadows all around.

  A buzz hummed in my ear, the curtains slowly rose, displaying the figure behind the curtain.

  My world dissolved under my feet, tearing breath from my lungs. My heart curled up and shattered into pieces.

  Of course.

  Ryker.

  RYKER

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Promise me.”

  “No.” My muscles trembled under my skin, desiring action. I knew what she wanted of me. But I couldn’t. Didn’t she see that? She wanted me promise to kill her before she died of the weakness in her.

  “Promise me.”

  It was like her voice was charmed, twisting my certainty and determination to dust. Her vivid green eyes held a power over me no one had ever before. Without realizing, I nodded. “I promise.”

  As I uttered the words, blood pooled out of her mouth, sliding over her chin. Red liquid dripped from her eyes. Her body went rigid as her black pupils bore into me. A fire surged up behind her, burning shades of scarlet and auburn.

  Her lips parted, and streams of black liquid coated her mouth. “Loving you only brings death and devastation.” She sneered and her eyes reflected the flames, appearing cold and inhuman. “Your lover, family, unborn child…me. When will you pay for the suffering you bring to us, Ryker, the Wanderer?”

  I jerked awake, my chest pumping frantically up and down. The dream evaporated into a sour lump in my stomach.

  Blinking, I glanced around the dank cell keeping me prisoner. It was a room built out of thick stone, deep underground. The single metal door had a small opening at the bottom for food and a slit cut out at the top for viewing their hostage.

  I had no idea how much time passed between consciousness and unconsciousness. The first couple of times I woke, the separation between dream and reality was hard to decipher. The goblin poison inflicted from the blades caused a fever so ravaging I had no sense of truth or logic. Over time, the discomfort of frozen stone seeping through my sliced clothes, penetrating deep into the slashes carved in my skin, told me this was real. I trembled, sweat coating my forehead. Metal cuffs dug deep into my wrists. The throbbing could have been eased if I sat up, but I didn’t move, punishing myself. The pain of the knife cuts sliced across my arms, neck, and stomach were nothing compared to the anger and torture billowing inside.

  She was gone.

  And I did nothing.

  My fists clasped into tight balls. The chains rattled, and my muscles convulsed with violent tremors. The goblin poison kept me weak, slowly killing me. I might have welcomed it. I was dying anyway…but something kept me from letting myself give in to the reaper.

  A girl and a promise.

  Zoey.

  The image of her being dragged away circled my mind like a whirlpool. Around and around, faster and faster till it made me sick. The fever growing in my brain churned the voices and faces into a blurry portrait.

  Sprig’s cries flashed in my head—his screams for Zoey, before he was silenced.

  “Bhean!” Loud, high-pitched chirps and wails bounced off the buildings of the small village, shredding my eardrums.

  “Shut up!” Maxen, one of Vadik’s minions, violently shook Sprig’s small body.

  “No!” Sprig cried, his arms stretched out as Zoey’s body went limp. “Bhean!”

  I shoved off my knees, barreled forward, my instinct moving me straight to her. Knives slashed across my skin, the toxins working deep into my bloodstream. A roar tore from my throat.

  Crimson death.

  It was the best way to describe the boiling anger crashing around inside—my desire for the blood I wanted to spill on the cobblestones underneath my feet. The rage tinted my vision as if it couldn’t be held in my gut and chest alone, bubbling into my eyes. It was the sign the monster within wanted out to destroy anything and everything in its path—the part of a Wanderer most didn’t know about. Or didn’t want to.

  Many had heard the rumors but not seen a true Wanderer firsthand. I was feared for good reason. I didn’t shift into anything, except a larger, angrier version of myself when provoked. It was enough. My adoptive father spent years teaching me how to calm and control the fury within by doing meditation and Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art from India. Mind over instincts.

  And in one evening it all crumbled to dust.

  One girl.

  One human girl.

  My world, and everything I struggled to tame, were gone.

  “Silence him,” Vadik demanded.

  Maxen tightened his fingers on Sprig’s throat, crushing his windpipe. A cry strangled from Sprig before his body fell limp.

  A thunder of rage pushed me past my own pain, where I felt nothing. I don’t know when the little pain in the ass got under my skin, but my need to protect him, to keep him safe, clawed my throat and pushed me onward.

  Another sharp sting stabbed my side, and my gaze darted to the nuisances. The hilt of a goblin blade stuck out from my stomach.

  My eyes flashed back to my attacker then over to Cadoc. His arms curled under Zoey’s lifeless body, picking her up.

  “Take her away. They are waiting for her,” Vadik ordered, his voice sounding farther away than where he stood. Shaking my head, I try to
clear my senses. Cadoc nodded and turned.

  “Who’s waiting for her? Where are you taking her?” I tried to demand, but the words came out mangled and garbled.

  Vadik motioned to Maxen, glaring at the monkey hanging from his fingers. “Take that thing with her. They wanted it as well.”

  No! It was like my feet grew roots in the earth; picking them up was like tugging at knotted rope. I stumbled forward. I felt nothing, but my body was no longer listening to me. I grunted, taking another step toward Zoey and Sprig before my knees crashed to the cobble. The world spun around me, thick bile coated my throat. I reached out, trying to keep myself from completely losing my center of gravity.

  Vadik sauntered up, a smug smile twisted on his mouth. “Your mistake was thinking you were smarter than me, that you could outplay me. I know you have the stone on you.” He squatted in front of me, his hand cupping the back of my neck, keeping my head upright. “You will pay for your disobedience.” He withdrew his hand and I fell, landing on my side. My body twitched and jerked uncontrollably as more poison seeped into my blood.

  Helpless, I watched Cadoc carry Zoey off, slipping into the shadows. I still felt her. The promise I made would tie me to her till my death. Or hers. My lids lowered, following the images into darkness.

  A hand stroked my face, stirring me awake. Zoey. My eyes stayed shut, taking in the pleasure of her touch, the moment of peace before Sprig would be yammering relentlessly to get breakfast. Her fingers traced the side of my face, her nails lightly tracking back into my tight braids. A soft exhale tumbled from my lungs. Her hair tickled my face, provoking me to open my eyes, but they were determined to stay down like heavy curtains.

  “I’m here,” she whispered in my ear, her breath hot on my neck. Only one part of my body reacted to her words, the rest of it stayed fixed in place, ignoring my commands to move. Her hand skated down my chest, sliding over my pants, till they found me. Her hand massaged at the fabric, my dick responding. “Is this what you want?”

  A moan broke out in reply. Her response was to rub harder. I couldn’t seem to shake the sleepiness keeping me from moving, to touch her. I wanted nothing more. From the day she walked into my life she caused violent emotions to stir in me. From hatred to wanting to fuck her so fiercely we both would drown in my lust. It was a thin line, and I fell over it. She crawled in and was all I craved now, all I wanted. I hated a human had this much control over me.

  Soft lips kissed my neck, working up to my chin. Teeth scraped at my bottom lip, and I felt my cock grow harder. Her hand worked beneath my pants, grabbing my shaft.

  Everything except my dick was numb, which magnified the sensation. Why can’t I wake up? As good as it felt, I wanted to touch her back, to see her green eyes watching me.

  I felt her climb on me, her legs constricting around my hips, but still my lids refused to open. What did we drink last night? No memory of the previous evening flooded back. All there was fuzziness and flashes of images I couldn’t pinpoint.

  “I know you want this,” she purred in my ear, rubbing herself into me. “You want me.”

  Yes. It frightened me how much I wanted her. And nothing usually scared me.

  “Tell me, Ryker.” She kissed me, her fingers gripping my shaft again. “Show me. Fuck me.”

  I paused. Zoey could be aggressive and unrelenting, but the words struck me as odd. It wasn’t like her to command or say it. She would simply act.

  Lips crushed into mine, demanding me to react.

  “Zoey,” I mumbled between breaths. Wanting to forget my doubts and continue to enjoy the moment. But I couldn’t deny something was off, the way her figure fit on mine, the way her lips felt, the taste of her kiss.

  “Yes, Ryker. I’m here,” she spoke against my mouth. “Tell me where the stone is. I want to keep it protected.”

  Another flicker went off in my head. You know where it is, I thought.

  “Tell me again. You know how easily I forget things.”

  I hadn’t realized I spoke out loud. Dream and reality fought for dominance in my head.

  Another warning went off in my gut. Zoey would never forget where the stone was. She was the furthest thing from forgetful. My forehead creased in confusion. Deep inside a restless energy was building, contradicting my weak body and mind.

  Legs squeezed tighter around my hips, moving up and down, creating friction as she rubbed herself against me, and purging me of any thoughts. A force tugged at the buttons of my pants, popping them open.

  “Fuck me. Hard. Like we used to.”

  As good as it felt, things seemed wrong. I groaned, trying to pry my lids open. When they finally flickered up, I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the blurry outline on top of me. With every blink it morphed more into a solid figure—one with long, deep plum hair and dark eyes. Reality came flooding back.

  Dread surged energy in my limbs, and I pushed at the hands tugging me free of my briefs. “Stop.” The word sounded more like a grunt.

  Amara’s gaze flashed to mine, her face contorted with hunger and determination. “Don’t deny it. You want this as well. You know how good I feel.” She unzipped her pants, pushing them over her hips. Her hand continuing to stroke me.

  My denial caught in my throat. I couldn’t refute the carnal response. The bliss of the way she kneaded and rubbed me. It was strange for this to feel so right and so wrong. I had been with her for a long time. Most of it seemed natural…normal. Then her horrendous betrayal came back, flooding me with rage. But in this exact moment I probably would have ignored it, letting the primal instinct take what it wanted before pushing her away. But the shame and hatred at myself for letting it happen was nothing compared to the harsh reality of realizing it wasn’t Zoey. That was the proverbial ice bucket.

  It was Zoey’s head I wanted to fall back in gratification as she rode me. It was her face I imagined. The thought of the hurt across her expression at seeing me with Amara halted me. The pain and sadness she felt would be quickly shoveled behind a barricade of indifference and defensiveness. It would be in the tiny movements she made, the way her eyes darted to the side, the way her mouth flattened into a line, or how her chest pushed out like armor. The pain I would see deep behind her wall of anger and rage.

  So many had hurt her before. I didn’t want to be another one who proved to be the same. The woman on top of me now only brought out hatred and violence at both her and myself.

  Amara gripped me firmly, pushing her underwear down.

  “No!” I seethed, grabbing for her hands. With the building rage, I shoved her off onto the ground. My limp muscles struggled to move, scrambling back to the wall away from her. My spine crashed against the stone, the chains keeping me contained to only a few feet of space.

  Righting herself, her lids narrowed into slits. “You are turning me down? For what? A human?”

  “And because you’re a conniving, deceitful bitch.”

  “You don’t know what I had to do to survive.”

  “Vadik’s whore. Fuck me because you are commanded to,” I sneered. “Your lover tells you to go screw another man for information, and you do it. Very obedient of you, Amara. Do you sit and stay too?”

  Her hand jetted out, and a sharp sting sliced across my cheek.

  “Don’t you dare judge me!” Amara rose to her feet, leering over me. “I do what I need to do.”

  “Clearly.”

  Red dots freckled her cheeks, anger hunching her shoulders.

  “The great Vadik still not enough for you. You still need to ride me? Did he order you? Hoping I was delirious enough to talk?”

  “Fuck you.” She clenched her hands. “I loved you.”

  I laughed. “You don’t love anyone but yourself.”

  She leaned over, clutched my chained wrists, and pushed them back into the wall. Her face an inch from mine. “And you don’t either. It’s what made us perfect together.”

  “Perfect?” I tilted my head up, staring into her eyes. “It was
all a lie.”

  “Really? The night in Turkey or the weekend in Greece weren’t real to you?” A coy smile curled her lips. “You couldn’t stop wanting to be inside me. We broke the bed twice.”

  It was true. But I never thought I was letting myself be deceived. I knew what she was. Most of the time I liked that about her. We did make a good team. She would target our next victim, get closer, learn about them, before I would jump to where their fortune or treasure was hidden, robbing them blind. I should have known it then—seen she was doing the same to me.

  “What do you want from me, Amara?” I inched my face closer till our noses almost touched. “You want me to tell you I enjoyed fucking you? I won’t lie. I did. But you and I both know it was nothing more.”

  “And your human was?” She sucked in her breath at my proximity, licking her bottom lip. “Please, I think we both know it was only the novelty of screwing a human. Fragile, sweet, ordinary Zoey.”

  Those were three things Zoey was not.

  My arm moved before I even realized it, my hand gripping her chin, my fingers pushing in till she flinched. My voice grew low and steady. “Don’t ever speak her name again.”

  Amara watched me, deciphering my true mood.

  She yanked from my grip, standing straight, buttoning her pants. “Whipped by human pussy. Never thought I’d see the day.”

  My teeth ground together. Anger restored my energy.

  “Enough, Amara,” a voice came from the door. “Stop playing with your food.”

  The door squeaked open, and Garrett’s slight form outlined the doorway.

  Amara’s eyes fluttered with annoyance, an expression I knew well, before glancing over her shoulder. “Following me?”

  Garrett smirked. “I came to see you fail once again. Haven’t you learned? He doesn’t want you anymore…if he ever did.”

  “Screw you.”

  A glimmer of humor blazed through Garrett’s green eyes. A knowing smile hitched the side of his mouth. “Did Vadik tell you to come here?” Garrett stepped deeper in the room, his gaze drifted salaciously over her figure.