by Honor James
Tears were flowing freely and she shook her head. “That’s what he said, too,” she whispered. “He said that his father taught him everything that he needed to know in order to rule the world.” She whimpered and saw that rope flowing from her to the two men that seemed to be held back by other glowing beings. “He said that his father, the displaced King, taught him everything. That’s you,” she whispered and sobbed again. “God, just kill me. I don’t think that I can survive another round of torture. I have only fifty-four bones left that haven’t been broken. Trust me, he had made sure that I knew how lucky I was that he had left some of them unbroken. Please, no more.”
Frowning, Talon rocked her slowly, his cheek to her hair. “I’m not a displaced King, little one, I am the King of the Dragons. I have been for centuries. And I’ve never, ever even met Nathaniel,” he told her honestly. “I may be his father but until a few months ago I didn’t even know he existed, Parker,” he murmured quietly.
“How is that possible?” she asked and felt herself wanting to trust this really, really big man. She couldn’t see him but she could hear the sincerity in his voice. “How could you have not known that he existed when he clearly knew that you did? He said that his father, Talon, taught him everything and how to kill the ones that were bonded. I don’t get it.” She was so confused.
“His birth mother gave birth to twins and gave him up for adoption keeping my daughter with her,” he told her honestly. “She never told me anything about the babies. I never knew of them until Talina happened to be the one to help one of my Guards and we met. But we didn’t find out about Nathaniel for a long, long time. His adoptive parents took him out of the country and raised him overseas,” Talon murmured, loosening his hold on her now that she wasn’t fighting him.
“So the parents that he sacrificed, they weren’t his blood parents,” she whispered and shook her head. “I was never able to see the parents but they acted as if they truly were his parents. I should have known though because his sister was one of his bond-mates that he killed to gain more power from. He has these dark magic spells that allow him to capture anyone’s essence and magic as long as he has the spells.”
Helping her back into the chair Talon tugged another closer to sit in and passed her a tissue to dry her eyes with. “Can you tell us what you know from the moment he first took you? You don’t need to tell us about what he did to you but anything you heard, saw with your ability, anything at all it will be a huge help,” he told her quietly. He wasn’t going to touch on Nathaniel killing his adoptive sister and bond-mate, not while he was trying to keep Parker calm. Later, oh later he was going to go ballistic. For the moment, calm was needed.
“I’ve always known when two people should be together,” she whispered. “Even before the fire I knew when people belonged.” She just didn’t see the links. “It was as if someone was whispering in my ear that so-and-so belonged with what’s-his-name or names as the case tended to be more often than not.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Henry, the man that I was on the beach with the day that I was…” She shuddered. “I didn’t know anything about people being able to turn into animals and whatever, but they came and he, God he turned into a Fox. Then the flames. God they were horrible.” She breathed and rubbed her scarred hands up and down her arms lightly. “And then he was there. Nate. He had the flames out and was lifting me, he put me in the best of hospitals but I didn’t know it was him. When it was time for me to be released he was there. I learned years later that he was the one on the beach that put me out, that his Dragon didn’t breathe fire but ice and could counteract Dragon Fire. By then the damage was done.” She touched a hand self-consciously to her face and allowed the midnight waves to cover her scarred visage. “He was furious. He had wanted me intact but then he figured out that I could talk to electronics as well. So he set me searching for the bond-mates, and it wasn’t until after the first two deaths that I knew it was him.” She breathed quietly. “That’s when I began leaving information for your hacker. It took him too long sometimes and so I had to start leaving it out more in the clear, in the open for him to grasp what I was saying. It was frustrating but finally he caught on and they began to be saved.”
Reaching out a shaking hand she rubbed her knee then. “He found the crumbs I was leaving and broke my kneecap first,” she whispered. “I knew that I had to get away, so even though I had a broken leg, I tried to escape.” She had a sour taste in her mouth as she spoke, but it was time to let it out. “He caught me. That’s when the first fifty-two bones were broken,” she whispered. “He kept careful measure you see, loved to count it aloud each time one broke.” Lifting her fingers she touched her cheek. “He was and is a monster.”
“That he is,” he told her quietly, touching his fingers to her hand lightly. Letting out a breath Talon looked to the others. They all looked nauseated and uncomfortable. He didn’t blame them. “All right, folks, everyone head home and get some sleep. We’ll meet back here tomorrow for lunch and hash some of this out. Hopefully Q has more of the computer crap decrypted and we can figure out what all is going on. Rayne, Slade, get her home and into a hot bath, lots of bubbles. She’ll feel better and then get her to bed, sleeping,” Talon said as he stood with a look at them, “to sleep and only to sleep for tonight.”
“I can help with the computer stuff,” Parker whispered. “I am blind, yes, but computers and all electronics speak to me.” She grinned and then with a wave of her hand, every single phone and pager went off in the room with some joke about a man and a goat. “Like I said, electronics absolutely love me.”
Shaking his head Talon stood and, taking her hand, tugged her up to her feet. “Go with these two goons and we will talk more tomorrow. Tonight, just relax, rest, and know you’re safe, Parker,” he said softly. Squeezing her fingers he let Rayne take her hand from him.
Parker nodded and looked up at Rayne. She felt him rather than saw him and sighed. Moving so that she could wrap her arm around his middle she whispered, “It will be kind of nice to be able to rest without worry that there will be another attack in the middle of the night.”
“Then go,” Talon told them with a nod to the Dragon. “Tomorrow is soon enough to delve back into this mess. Besides, we’ve all been going so hard at this we’re about to burn out. Quincy is likely in a full sugar coma about now.”
“Night, Talon,” Slade said, following Rayne and Parker from the room. Shaking his head he stuffed his hands in his pockets as they headed for the elevator again. He was still processing all she’d said and it was a lot to process.
Parker felt the loss of the second man. It was the strangest thing but she felt better when they both were touching her than just one of them. Pausing when Rayne stopped them before the elevator Parker turned and looked at the glow of the man that would be hers. “Why are you not walking at our side? Why behind?” She needed to know, had to know just why that was.
Looking up Slade blinked and shook his head. “Sorry?” he said as his brain clicked in and her words replayed. “I was thinking. I tend to do that and seem to only be able to do it when I’m staring at the floor. Some habits stay with us over the years and that’s one from my childhood.” He grinned at her.
“Oh. I understand that.” She couldn’t see the grin, or the expression, just the golden glow that was him. “I get lost in thought sometimes, too. At times it’s a little more than frustrating but other times”—she shrugged—“it’s kind of nice to be able to completely lose yourself to your own thoughts where no one can get in. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”
“Don’t be sorry, Parker,” Slade said, moving in closer to take her hand in his. Lifting it, he kissed her fingers and grinned against her skin. “You are the very best interruption there is,” he told her quietly.
“And you are far too charming,” Parker replied with a grin. “And I adore that about you.” Lifting his hand she pressed her cheek to it and sighed happily. He was perfect. So was Rayne. They were both st
unningly perfect and here they had her. Not perfect, anything but. “Why did your boss stress the whole ‘sleeping’ thing with us?” That had her more than a little curious to be honest.
“Well,” Slade drawled and grinned at the low warning sound from the Dragon. Chuckling, he shrugged. “You see, Dragons are rather horny beasts and once they have the scent of their mate in their nose all they can think about is possessing them, fully. Rayne will behave tonight because he knows you’ve been through too much. But soon we’re both going to need to bond with you,” he told her honestly.
“Oh.” Parker was sure that her eyes got very, very wide at that pronouncement. She twisted so that she could reach out and touch Rayne as well. “Why wouldn’t we bond as soon as we could? Yes, I have been through a great deal today but I’m not against having the two of you close to me at least. Maybe instead of us all having sex we could just sleep together?” To have them close, to feel them and know that they would be there would be wonderful for her.
“We will bond soon,” Rayne told her. “But T-Rex was right, you need to sleep tonight. Doesn’t mean we’re not going to be right there, little one, because we will be. Tonight though we are going to pamper you and tuck you into bed to sleep and only sleep. Tomorrow we can reassess and decide how we want to proceed.”
“I would like that a great deal.” Leaning into Rayne she sighed as he wrapped his arm around her and felt as if she were finally home when she felt Slade wrapping around her from behind. “This is very, very nice,” she murmured against Rayne’s shirt and moved when she heard the ding of the elevator.
“It will be even better when we can be somewhere we can all relax and rest,” Slade told her, taking her one arm while Rayne took her other. Guiding her very gently they got her to the truck and tucked in the middle once more with Rayne at the wheel this time. Relaxing back in the passenger seat Slade let out a yawn. “I seriously need a nap,” he murmured.
Parker moved in closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Her hand was on his chest and she sent out nothing but energy to boost him. “Maybe when we get to wherever you are taking me I should sleep alone? If I have nightmares I don’t want to wake you.” It wouldn’t be the first time and not the last either.
“Nonsense,” Slade said, wrapping an arm around her to draw her in closer. Pressing a kiss to her forehead he breathed her in. “We are all sticking together and if you have nightmares the Dragon will eat them. He likes things like that, says they’re tasty,” he teased the big man who growled at him in warning again.
Parker grinned and shook her head. Before she could even think about it, she asked, “Are the two of you lovers as well? Or rather have you been lovers? If you have, I’m fine with it. I just want to make sure that I’m not going to get between you two.” She flushed and added, “Well in that way I will, but you know what I mean.” Because she had seen the bond, and it was all three of them who were bound. Her to them and them to each other as well.
Rayne chuckled at the choking sound from Slade and, had he really felt vindictive, he would have played it up. “No, we’re just friends. A bit unusual for a Dragon and Sorcerer, we’re natural enemies normally but Slade and I actually get along, which is good given the prophecy. We’re both completely hetero, darling, which means you’re the only one either of us will be getting it on with.”
That had her grinning. “That makes me very happy.” She didn’t know why but she liked that fact. “I get to be between the two of you for the rest of forever?” she asked with a smile and then stifled a yawn. “What prophecy? I’ve never heard one before.”
“There’s hundreds of them surrounding the changers and others,” Slade told her. “But ours was, and I’ll probably get it wrong, but here goes. He of the Dragons and he of the Magic shall find their one and only where least expected. From the fires she rises as the Phoenix once did and out of tragedy they will meet and bond.”
“And if that isn’t just screaming our names I don’t know what is,” Parker whispered softly. “Because believe me, I’m totally one who was burnt in flames and I guess I did rise like a Phoenix from them.” She chewed her lips and whispered, “But what tragedy? I don’t want either of you being hurt. Ever.”
“Dead bond-mates is a tragedy,” Rayne put in, “or the fact you were held against your will expecting death, which would have been a tragedy. Or it could still be to come. Or, if you don’t believe in such things, it means nothing at all.”
“I believe in all kinds of things. I just hope that the tragedy is all over and done with because I don’t think that I would want to be in a world without both of you in it with me,” she admitted and reached blindly for both their hands. “I need you both in my world in order for it to be right.”
“We’re not going anywhere, darling,” Rayne said, taking her hand in his to hold tight for a moment. “I’m plenty hard to kill and Slade is too sneaky to be killed any time in the near future. Though if he doesn’t stop raiding my desk at work for sweets I will be the one to kill him.”
“You always have the best stuff,” Slade yawned out in a sleepy voice.
Parker could only grin. “Well you can’t argue with him I guess. If you have something that he likes then maybe you should just buy more than one of them so that he has them as well?” It made sense to her.
“Magic users always have sweets on them,” Slade murmured. “It’s a quick boost to the system to keep us going when we need it. Our bodies digest the sugar differently than a human or a changer does. It doesn’t do us any harm unless we are on constant sugar for over three days.”
“So what am I?” she asked with a frown. “Electronics do as I command, I can see the auras of bond-mates and the connections even before people meet. Heavens, I can do an Internet search on people and just know the name of their bond-mate. And I can do a hell of a lot more than that, too.”
“Well you’re part Mage, especially if you’re Quincy’s sister, but it could just be an underlying ability that helps your other abilities to work,” Rayne told her quietly. “Doesn’t mean it’s primary at all. The abilities all get murky when it’s something other than a changer or Fae.”
“Huh, that’s seriously odd. Well, whatever I am I suppose that I should be happy to have Quincy in my life again?” She chewed her lip and admitted, “I remember him. From before. He was always so wild and loved the candy Skittles. When he left Momma and Daddy thought it was my fault and beat me senseless. They were sure he would come back, after all they said that they had given him the best. It was a lie. They were so very horrible to him.” And then after he was gone, to her.
“You remember him?” Slade asked, waking up a bit at that and the fact Rayne was turning into his driveway, Rayne’s that was. “I didn’t realize you remembered him, darling,” he murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her back lightly. “And he’s still addicted to the Skittles, orders them by the skid and may just be single-handedly keeping the company in business.”
“It’s faint memories, just ones of him keeping me from being beaten but they are there,” she admitted. “And I also recall him because after he was gone the pain began and it was terrible. Until I was finally able to leave. We are stopping, why?”
“We’re at Rayne’s house,” Slade told her quietly. “I keep an apartment in town which has just enough room for me, but not enough for us all. So we are at Rayne’s sprawling ranch house,” he explained as he climbed out and helped her out of the truck. “Bonus is, he’s so rarely here it’s always neat and tidy unlike his office which is a pigsty.”
“It’s only that way to slow you and your candy-pilfering self down,” Rayne said as he came around the truck and past to open the door. “Unfortunately it hasn’t yet worked, but I’m not opposed to using explosives.”
Parker couldn’t help but giggle at him and shook her head as she did so. “Okay, which way am I going? Since I don’t have my white stick I need someone to help me navigate here.” While she could see the auras o
f her bond-mates, that was all she could see. “So come on, someone help me out here please?”
“You are just jealous of my moves,” Slade said, taking her hand and putting it on his arm. “Ten steps forward and then stop,” he told her and walked those steps with her. “Lift your foot for a regular step tread and move it forward about two inches. We have five steps to climb and six steps to the door where we need to step up over the door jamb which is roughly six inches and right onto the foyer floor.”
“Sounds good. Thank you.” She rested her hand on his arm and walked along at his side. “I could do this much easier with my stick. You both know that, right?” She didn’t want them to coddle her because she was sight impaired. She still wanted them to see her as capable as well.
“We know that, darling,” Rayne said from where he waited inside the house. “But until you know the full layout of the house I don’t want you getting hurt. Once we’ve given you the layout you can do it your way.”
“And as long as you don’t move the furniture, once I have the layout down I will be good.” She hesitated and then asked, “I also really need to get myself another sight dog.” She shivered. “Only as long as you both promise me that nothing will happen to him like the last one.” She had to listen to the poor thing as it had been killed and it had killed a part of her as well.
“We will protect it as we will you, Parker,” Slade told her. “Though I should warn you, not all animals, even very well-trained ones, like changers or those that are magic users such as myself. Because both Rayne and I use magic, him to shift into the Dragon and me for my spells and such, they pick up odd vibes and it can sometimes irritate them.”
“Oh well crap,” she muttered. “That’s not going to work very well now is it?” she asked with a sigh. “We don’t want to bring an animal in that wouldn’t be very well adjusted. I don’t want to do anything that would cause them harm at all,” she murmured. “So I guess that it’s just me, my white stick, and you boys.”