Touch of Temptation

by Rhyannon Byrd

  “That’s definitely the Infettato.”

  “Great,” Seth said with a rough sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. “More effing zombies.”

  “What about the journal?” Kellan asked. “Can you see if Spark has read anything more?”

  Raine said she would try, and the men waited as she turned her focus inward, the only sounds that of the wind blowing through the trees and the distant murmur of voices coming from the glade. “Okay,” she finally said, after nearly five minutes had passed. “Spark has found something in the journal about the Infettato and she gave it a quick scan about an hour ago. According to the journal, the infected humans become stronger over time, and the way they gain that strength is by consuming flesh. They eat everything in their path, but can be given a specific scent to follow and will become completely locked on it. The only things they won’t eat are the ones who made them. It seems the Death-Walkers have complete control over them.”

  Swearing softly, Seth asked her, “Can they be turned back to normal?”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid these types of things don’t usually work that way. Once life has been taken away, it can’t be given back.”

  “But aren’t they still living, at least in some way?” Kellan asked, ready to reach out and lend her a hand as she tried to get to her feet, but Seth beat him to it, taking hold of her elbow and helping her off the ground.

  As soon as she was standing, she seemed to flinch at Seth’s nearness, so he immediately moved back a step, the soldier’s expression even more severe than before. Looking Kellan right in the eye, Raine shivered as she answered his question. “I’m afraid not. They’re literally the walking dead, Kell. The best thing you could do for them would be to put them out of their misery.”

  “And how the hell are we meant to do that?”

  The wind whipped the long strands of her honey-colored hair around her shoulders as she huddled within the thick coat that Morgan had given her. She looked like a lost little girl, but for the grim shadows darkening her eyes. “They can be killed, but it isn’t pretty,” she said in a thick voice. “You have to take their beating hearts from their chests and burn them. Only then will their spirit leave their bodies and finally be able to move on.”

  Kellan thanked her for the information then headed back to the others. Noticing that Chloe was looking more than a little worried, he moved close to her side, then told everyone to gather around and quickly relayed what he’d just learned.

  “So what’s the plan?” Quinn asked, his dark gaze locked with Kellan’s. “I can see those wheels spinning in your head, Kell. You’ve got an idea, don’t you?”

  With a grim smile, he said, “I’m actually thinking that if we’re smart, we can kill two birds with one stone. Or rather, let the birds kill each other.”

  “You mean turn the Infettato against Spark and her crew?” Kierland looked surprised…but interested.

  Aiden gave a low whistle and slapped a hand on Kellan’s shoulder. “That’s downright diabolical,” he drawled, his amber eyes glittering with excitement. “I like it.”

  Shifting his gaze toward Quinn, Kellan asked, “How’s your wing?”

  As a raptor-shifter, Quinn had the ability to fly, thanks to the wide, powerful set of raven-colored wings that normally lay hidden within his back—but one of his wings had been badly injured during a fight against the Casus several weeks ago, and he hadn’t been able to take to the air while it was mending.

  “It’s fully healed,” the shifter replied. “Why?”

  Looking around the group, Kellan explained his plan. “If we each give up some blood, Quinn can get in the air and head toward the Infettato. When he finds them, he can scatter a trail of blood that will lead the Infettato to Spark’s unit. Once the humans attack and are busy feeding, then we’ll launch our own attack and destroy them, one by one.”

  “It’s risky,” Kierland muttered, “but it could work. What do you think, Quinn?”

  “The trees should give me some decent cover,” he murmured, scraping his palm over his chin. “I think the kid’s got a helluva plan.”

  Kellan turned his gaze on Aiden. “Yesterday, you said something about having brought some equipment with you from Harrow House. Any chance you brought my tech kit?”

  “Just the small one,” the Watchman told him, walking over to his bag and rummaging inside, then returning with a small leather case. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m thinking you’re a saint.”

  Aiden gave a rough bark of laughter. “Hardly. But this shit won’t work out here,” he said, handing over the case. “I only brought it because I thought you might need it once we’re out of the Wasteland.”

  “Won’t matter,” Kellan murmured, opening the kit. “If we use one of the tracking chips I designed, the signal will kick in when it leaves the Wasteland. We should be able to pick it up on my computer, once we’re back at Harrow House.”

  “Who are we going to put the chip on?” Chloe asked, her husky tone a mixture of both curiosity and surprise.

  Kellan slid her a slow smile. “Who do you think, honey? Westmore’s little pet assassin.”

  Jamison, who’d been quiet till this time, started choking. “We’re gonna tag Spark?” he wheezed, after Noah had whacked him hard on the back.

  Kellan nodded. “We’re gonna need those Markers that Westmore has. If we tag Spark, then we’ll be able follow the signal when she meets back up with him. It’ll save us a helluva lot of time tracking him down, since we have no idea where he might run to.”

  Aiden gave another gruff bark of laughter. “That’s genius.”

  “Can’t Raine just keep an eye on her?” Jamison muttered, clearly not looking forward to getting anywhere near the woman who’d been responsible for his capture the year before.

  Shaking his head, Kellan kept his voice low as he said, “Raine’s still in pretty rough shape, and her powers are too spotty after what she’s been through. We can’t put that kind of pressure on her. Our best bet is to tag Spark and follow the signal.”

  “Wait,” Morgan said, her gray eyes troubled as she looked from Kierland to Kell. “If Spark’s with her crew, won’t the Infettato attack her, as well?”

  Kellan shook his head again and smiled. “Not if we grab her first.”

  IN THE END, Kellan’s plan had been even easier to orchestrate than he’d hoped, everyone working together so that it went surprisingly smoothly. Using the Deschanel’s ability to mask their scent, the Granger brothers had managed to kidnap Spark as she and the Casus made their way through a heavily wooded area of the forest, and bring her back to the camp. At the same time, Quinn had left the trail of blood for the Infettato to follow, the trail leading straight to Spark’s unit, which he’d managed to douse with blood while using the treetops for cover. Following the scent, the infected humans had attacked the Casus with vicious ferocity, overpowering and killing all of the Casus but the few Kellan, Kierland and Ade had taken down. Then, while the Infettato were caught up in the mindless frenzy of feeding upon their kills, the three Watchmen had used their claws to rip the humans’ hearts from their chests, one by one, while Quinn had been in charge of burning them.

  By the time Kellan and the others had cleaned up and made it back to the glade, where Seth, Noah and Jamison were standing guard, Chloe and Juliana had already skimmed through Spark’s journal, which she’d been carrying in her backpack, and had found the pages that confirmed what Raine had told Kellan about the Infettato. While the Grangers kept an eye on the assassin, who had been knocked unconscious when the brothers had taken her, the women had also found the pages in the journal that talked about the Death-Walkers, but were only able to read the part that explained who the Death-Walkers were. Unfortunately, the part of the passage they assumed contained the information on how to kill the creatures appeared to be written in some kind of archaic language. One that looked similar to the strange markings etched into the surface of the Dark Markers.

 
The group was still in the midst of discussing the frustrating news, when Gideon called out to say that Spark was starting to come to. As they headed over to the place at the far edge of the glade—where the assassin had been left lying on the ground, her hands bound behind her back—Kellan walked beside Chloe. She had a death grip on his hand, and he knew she’d been worried about him while he’d been gone, the knowledge putting a kind of warm feeling in his gut, as if he’d swallowed something soothing and hot.

  “Does it make me a bad person that I want to kick her while she’s down?” Chloe asked in a husky voice, and Kellan laughed, while Morgan patted her on the shoulder.

  “Nah,” the female Watchman drawled with a sweet smile. “She just has that effect on people.”

  With a low groan, Spark managed to slowly maneuver herself to her feet, then leaned against the tree at her back, while the group fanned out around her in a wide half circle, making it clear that she wasn’t getting away. “Huh. To what do I owe this auspicious honor?” she drawled, pulling back her shoulders in a brazen pose, though Kellan could scent her unease and knew she wasn’t as indifferent as she tried to sound.

  “We’ll be the ones asking the questions,” he grunted, the fury he felt toward the bitch making his voice hard. “Not you.”

  “Well, if it isn’t the puppy and the little kitten,” she murmured, sliding her calculating gaze over him and Chloe. “How cute. I won—”

  “What are you and your men after?” Kierland asked, cutting her off.

  “What do you think? Westmore sent us to collect his little playthings.” She tilted her head toward Chloe and Raine. “He wants them back, and trust me when I say he isn’t going to give up anytime soon.”

  “By the way,” Quinn rumbled, sliding the redhead a sharp smile. “I’ll be sure to let Saige know you had your front teeth replaced. She’ll be eager to knock them out again.”

  Chloe snickered, and the assassin narrowed her eyes, before slowly looking over the rest of the group. When her green gaze landed on Seth, shock widened her eyes, a wry smile twisting the rouged curve of her mouth. “Well, well, well, if isn’t the turncoat.”

  Seth locked his jaw, his expression one of pure disgust as he held Spark’s taunting stare, while Raine stood a little ways off to his left.

  “You know, Raine, you should really have a go at him. He might be human, but he fucks like an animal,” the assassin drawled, giving the psychic a sly smile, before flicking her gaze back toward Seth again. “It’s such a shame you had to turn, McConnell. I would have enjoyed another go.”

  “Kell, what the hell are we waiting for?” the soldier growled, looking as if he’d enjoy nothing more than to get his hands around Spark’s pale throat and wring her psychotic little neck. “I want her the hell out of here.”

  With a low, throaty laugh rumbling on her lips, Spark cocked her head a little to the side as she slid her gaze over the group. “Is this the part where I’m meant to believe you’ll kill me?” she asked. “Come on, guys. If you’d wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you, now would I?”

  “We want you to deliver a message to Westmore,” Kierland told her.

  “Do I look like a messenger pigeon?” she shot back, arching one slender brow.

  “You look like a heinous bitch, but that’s not the point,” Aiden drawled, crossing his brawny arms over his chest. “The point is that you can either deliver the message, or we can kill you now. Your choice.”

  “You wouldn’t kill a woman,” she scoffed, though the scent of her fear was becoming a little more noticeable.

  Morgan took a step forward and held open the front left side of her jacket, revealing the Walther PPK holstered under her arm. “They might not be able to stomach it,” she said with a wide smile, “but I would. So don’t tempt me.”

  The assassin held Morgan’s glittering stare, obviously trying to decide if she dared to go up against her, then muttered something under her breath. “Fine,” she snapped, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “What’s the message?”

  Placing his hands on Morgan’s shoulders as he stood behind her, no doubt ready to push her out of the way if Spark tried to make a move, Kierland said, “Tell Westmore that we know what he’s planning, and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop him.”

  “And if he wants to live,” Aiden added, “then he’ll hand over the Markers that are in his possession. The exchange will take place at noon, two weeks from today, at the base of the Eiffel Tower. This will be his only chance to do this peacefully. If he doesn’t show, then we’ll come after those three Markers with the full force of the Watchmen.”

  Another throaty laugh spilled from the assassin’s lips. “Are you serious?”

  “It’s his choice,” Kellan replied, wrapping his arm around Chloe’s waist and pulling her closer to his side. “But remind him that we’ve found him twice now. If he tries to hide, we’ll only find him again.”

  “Fine. I’ll deliver your message,” she muttered, her green eyes burning with fury. “But I need my hands unbound, and I want my pack back.”

  Gideon quickly sliced through the ties that had been wrapped around her wrists, and Ashe tossed her the backpack, which contained the tracking device they’d hidden inside while Spark had been unconscious, quickly sewing it inside the lining of the front pocket.

  “Now get moving,” Kierland grunted, jerking his chin toward the forest that stretched out behind her.

  She took a quick glance inside the backpack then looked around the group with an arrogant sneer on her face. “You’ve taken my journal. Not to mention my weapons! Do you honestly intend to send me off into the Wasteland without a way to protect myself?”

  Quinn gave her a cocky smile. “The journal is ours now. And since we don’t want the Deschanel offing you before you deliver our message, we’ve left you a weapons pack a mile north of here. You’ll find it buried under a pile of rocks in the middle of a meadow.”

  “Bastards,” she whispered, but she didn’t argue, slipping the pack over her shoulder before turning and getting the hell out of there. They watched the flash of her dark red hair until she’d disappeared from sight, then gave a collective sigh of relief.

  Raking his hair back from his face, Kellan asked, “You think she bought it?”

  “Who knows? But either way,” Seth muttered, “I’m glad to be rid of the bitch.”

  “Now all we have to do is make it to the compound,” Juliana said. “We should get moving as soon as possible.”

  As the group headed off to collect their gear, Raine asked if she could talk to Kellan for a moment. While Chloe excused herself to go help Morgan, Kellan joined the psychic, who was still standing near Seth. “What’s up?”

  “You’re not going to like it,” she told him, hugging her elbows, “but I suddenly have a feeling that Gregory is heading our way.”

  “Shit,” he groaned. “How close is he?”

  “I’m sorry, Kell, but I’m not sure. All I know is that he’s tracking Chloe. But his hunger’s so strong, it’s overshadowing everything else.”

  Choking back a string of curses, he braced his hands on his hips and lowered his head, staring at the ground with burning eyes. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, but he managed to thank the psychic for telling him, before she walked away with Seth, leaving him standing there with his thoughts…and his anger. He could feel his heart rate rising, his pulse roaring in his ears as the wolf seethed beneath his skin, snarling with fury and frustration. It didn’t like Chloe being in danger any more than he did. Didn’t like the fact that Kellan would be forced to make his move against Gregory that night.

  The Lycan had hoped that he could give himself another day with Chloe, once they reached the Sabin compound. Had hoped he’d be able to spend a little more time with her, soaking up every moment that he could while giving his body a chance to rest, before heading out to track down DeKreznick, and then the Reykers. But now there wasn’t time. With the bastard so close, he n
eeded to eliminate him as soon as possible.

  Knowing he needed to talk to Chloe before she heard the news about Gregory from someone else, Kellan had just turned to pace back toward the group, when he caught sight of Kierland heading his way, the look on his brother’s face telling him that he’d just been told. Bracing himself for what he figured was going to be a sticky conversation, Kellan stood his ground. But the first words out of his brother’s mouth weren’t about the Casus. Instead, Kierland’s expression shifted from worry to shock as he snarled, “Your eyes have turned red!”

  Kellan choked back a groan, thinking that his body’s timing couldn’t have been crappier. Blowing out a rough breath, he forced a casual expression onto his face and shrugged his shoulders. “There’s no need to freak, Kier. It’s just the poison flaring up. I think my body is trying to kick the last of it out of my system.”

  Kierland’s pale green eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What’s going on, Kellan?”

  “Nothing,” he muttered. “Let it go, Kier.”

  “Like hell I will,” he bit out, forcing the words through his gritted teeth. “I’m tired of the bullshit and secrets and never knowing what the fuck is going on with you anymore. It stops now, Kellan!”

  “I told you it was nothing. And we’ve got bigger problems than my damn eyes at the moment.”

  For a long minute, Kierland just held his stare, his chest rising and falling with rough, choppy breaths. “If you’re thinking about going after DeKreznick alone,” he finally rasped, the low words vibrating with anger, “then you can forget it. We still don’t even know how to deal with that witch he’s got with him. The best thing we can do is get Chloe to the Sabin compound and take the time to figure out a plan. But you cannot go running after him. It would be suicide!”

  With his nostrils flaring, Kellan took a step forward, getting right in his brother’s face. “And what would you do?” he demanded in a guttural snarl. “If he was after your woman, what would you do, Kier? She’s his goddamn Merrick! You know what that means. What he’ll do to her, if given the chance. You think I’m gonna just stand by and let that happen?”