Born of Fire

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  Placing the book and cloth on top of the stand, she pulled it out and opened it. But her relief was short-lived as she found nothing more than a change of clothes, toothbrush, and the missing prayer box.

  Crap . . .

  Sighing, she paused as she realized the significance of what she held. Escape supplies. It was packed up in case he had to evacuate in a hurry. So while he valued his home, he was ready to leave it all behind at a moment's notice.

  What a sad way to live.

  Which is why I'm not a criminal. But still she ached at the thought of having to be so paranoid all the time. She couldn't imagine existing like that. Shaking her head, she pulled the small, red prayer box out to return the book and cloth to it.

  When she lifted back the lid, she froze. Inside the box were the first really private items she'd found about her captor.

  Placing the book in her lap, she pulled out a handful of documents and photos. With a scowl, she glanced at the top picture. A much younger Syn sat in a studio photograph with an extremely attractive woman and a little boy no older than four in his arms.

  It was a typical family shot that stunned her.

  Could Syn possibly be married?

  Have a child?

  There had been no record of it in his posted file, but there was no denying what she was looking at.

  The woman was absolutely beautiful and looked very upper crust and haughty. Syn . . . he looked sophisticated too, but there was a dangerous gleam in his eye that only came from those who'd been raised on the street.

  And as she looked at the picture, some strange, foreign emotion constricted her throat.

  Unwilling to examine the source of it, she looked at the next picture. It contained a dark-haired boy about the age of seven clutching a girl in her early teens. The girl had her arms wrapped protectively around the boy as if she would fight an army to defend him. Both of them were barefoot, filthy, and bruised, their clothes tattered and threadbare. And as she studied the large black eye and split lip on the boy's face, she realized it was Syn as a child.

  Her heart lurched at the sight of his battered face. How awful. Clenching her teeth to keep her tender emotions at bay, she reminded herself that poverty and abuse were no excuse for criminal behavior.

  She'd risen above her childhood and become better. He could have, too.

  As she put the pictures back in the box, she saw that there was writing on the one with him and his sister. Masculine and bold, the words were as disturbing as their condition.

  Your beloved children miss you, dearest. Send money or I'll send them for a visit to their mother and her family during your next high society soiree.

  What in the universe did that mean? And how had Syn gotten the photo that must have been used to blackmail his mother?

  Most of all, what kind of mother could be threatened by a visit from her own children? The mere thought revolted her.

  Putting the photos away, she turned her attention to the carefully stacked documents that were also inside. The first one was a child's birth certificate for Paden Belask with the father's name listed as Sheridan Belask.

  An alias?

  Why hadn't it been listed on his bounty page? But there hadn't been a single alias there. Only C.I. Syn. It hadn't even said what the C.I. stood for, which, while unusual, probably meant Syn had tampered with his records.

  She studied the document more closely. By the birth date on the certificate, she knew Syn couldn't be using it as an alias for himself. The boy listed would only be sixteen.

  Retrieving the family picture, she held it beside the child's birth certificate. The date of the fashions and the registration coincided. Paden must be the boy in the photo.

  And Sheridan Belask must have been Syn's name at some point, which would definitely make the child in the picture Syn's son.

  Where was the kid now?

  Had he sent his wife and child into hiding to keep them safe from his enemies?

  Were they dead?

  Had Syn killed them? The thought chilled her.

  Flipping through the documents, she didn't see either a marriage registration or one for divorce.

  What had happened to them?

  She scanned through the rest of the documents more carefully. There was an advanced degree in chemistry from the Derridian University of Science also under the name Sheridan Belask--an impressive feat since only the smartest and brightest were allowed to attend. There were also four false IDs, and debit and credit cards with different names, as well as several school report sheets with the name Paden Belask on them.

  How strange.

  As she started to return the documents to the box, there was one more piece of paper she'd left in the bottom. Picking it up, she unfolded it. Shock jolting her, she scanned the paper twice just to make sure she'd read it correctly.

  She had.

  It was a doctor's accreditation issued to Sheridan Belask to practice human, Kiati, and Andarion medicine throughout all of the Ichidian Universe.

  And it held a surgeon's seal . . .

  No way.

  "You're a surgeon?" How was that possible? Why, if he'd had such a prestigious and high-paying career, would he have left it?

  It had to be a forgery. Some scam he'd been working on. That made sense.

  She examined the document carefully, trying to see if it was faked. If it was, it was the best one she'd ever seen. She held it up to the light. The orange and blue fibers intersected in a medical pattern. It was definitely real. But that didn't make any sense.

  Why would a surgeon with three specialties turn to murder and theft?

  Why would he have to?

  Stunned, Shahara placed the papers back inside the box, knowing she wouldn't find an answer to her questions. Not that her answers mattered.

  Regardless of the reasons Syn, or Sheridan Belask, or whatever his name, had turned into a criminal, it was her job to take him in to the authorities.

  Tessa's life hinged on her ability to complete this mission. And no amount of pity would stop her from doing what she must.

  With that thought in mind, she returned the pack to the night stand, and opened the top drawer. She froze instantly. Inside was a stuffed lorina cat. The kind a child might have and, by the look of it, it'd been well loved by someone--one of its ears was even marked by a child having gnawed on it. And next to it was a photo frame. Turning it on, she scrolled through the photos of Syn and his wife and child. There were pictures from Paden's birthday parties, pictures of the woman at home, and some of the boy that appeared fairly recent . . .

  It showed the boy at ball games and one at a graduation ceremony. But none of the later ones had Syn in them and they were all taken from a distance.

  She scrolled back through the earlier photos of Syn with his family and a painful knot of longing filled her stomach. It was the kind of family she'd always dreamed of having. A man who would look at her the way Syn looked at his wife and son--like he lived and died for them. You could plainly see how much he adored them.

  Surely a man who could show that kind of dedication to his family couldn't be all bad.

  Could he?

  Closing her eyes, she saw the life she'd always wanted. Her in a fine home with a decent man who loved her. Kids playing in the yard while she didn't have to scrounge for every crumb they ate. A world where people didn't harass her for money . . .

  But that wasn't her fate. She didn't trust men to not lie to her. Betray her. Abuse her. And face it, in her occupation, it wasn't like she met anyone who wasn't a scam artist or convict. Yeah, the scum of the universe were the only men she ever dealt with.

  Still, it didn't stop her from dreaming. She looked down at the photos and sighed. "If I had a life like that, I'd never let it go."

  The fact that Syn had told her much about him. Only a conceited, selfish ass would walk out on a family like he'd had.

  Cautiously, Syn entered his flat. He scanned the room, half expecting Shahara to be waiting beside the

door to whack him with another bottle.

  Instead, the room was clear. Tempted to check the bedroom, he decided it would be safest just to stay away from her. Besides, the sight of her sleeping in his bed was not a memory he really wanted haunting him. He already had enough images of her he was sure would torture him for the rest of his life.

  She was one of Caillen's beloved sisters and he must treat her that way.

  Yawning, he looked at his couches. He hadn't slept in days and he really, really needed to sleep for awhile.

  Too tired to think, he stretched out on the couch facing the window. With any luck, she'd be a late sleeper and he could get enough rest to deal with her without losing his temper.

  And in just a few more hours Caillen would be back. He'd left an urgent message for Caillen to call him. As soon as Caillen returned, he'd turn her over to her brother. Let Caillen deal with her stubbornness.

  All he wanted was sleep.

  Shahara heard the creak of the couch under Syn's weight. The sound of him entering the flat had awakened her instantly. She lay in bed, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat, fearful that any moment would find him coming into the room.

  Her nerves stretched almost to breaking, she waited until she thought she'd scream in anxious nervousnes. But no footsteps came any closer to the bedroom.

  Sliding out of bed, she walked silently toward the bathroom door.

  Was he truly sleeping, or just waiting for another opportunity to catch her unawares?

  She went through the bathroom and pushed open the door. She hesitated in the doorway, clenching the icy knob, ready to slam the door shut and lock it if he moved.

  He didn't.

  She studied the steady rise and fall of his chest and realized he was fast asleep. Breathing in relief, she released the knob.

  Against her common sense which urged her back to bed, she stepped into the room. The dawning sun brightened the area around the couch and she saw the outline of his perfect, relaxed features. He'd pulled his hair out of the ponytail and the dark, wavy strands spilled over his cheeks, softening the harshness from his face.

  Asleep, he didn't look intimidating, he looked like a small, defenseless child. A warm tremor ran through her body as she remembered what he'd looked like holding his son.

  Convict or not, he was an incredibly handsome man. Every bit as devastating as her brother.

  He shifted on the couch.

  Shahara stepped back, her heart slamming against her ribs. He didn't wake up, but his new position showed her his blaster that was still strapped to his hip while he slept.

  A glimmer of hope ignited inside her. This was her chance. She couldn't let this opportunity pass.

  Without a second thought, she crossed the distance between them and jerked the blaster from his holster.

  In an instant, he sprang to his feet. "What the . . . ?" He focused on her, then relaxed. "Oh, it's you." He wiped his hands across his face.

  His indifference angered her. How dare he dismiss her so readily as if she were of no more consequence than an annoying little pest.

  She clicked back the safety release and leveled the blaster at his chest. "Open the door."

  One corner of his mouth quirked up, showing her his damnable dimple. "That--" he indicated the blaster in her hand, "doesn't give you any leverage. If you kill me, you die, too."

  Shahara gripped the hard, bone stock and raised the barrel to his head. "I said open the door, convict. I'm not playing a game here."

  Syn sighed as if she bored him. "Go ahead. Shoot me. You'll have to kill me because I have no intention of letting you out of here when we both know you'll just turn around and head back for me the first chance you get. Besides, I'm as good as dead anyway if the Rits ever lay their grubby hands on me. So go ahead and shoot."

  Shahara stared at him in disbelief.

  What should she do?

  "Or give me my gun, and go back to bed." He reached his hand out to her.

  She caught herself right before complying. She couldn't give him back the blaster. If she gave up the weapon, then she'd never get out of here.

  It would cede all of her power over to him.

  "Open the door," she repeated, feeling somewhat foolish.

  "No."

  She stared into his mocking eyes. He knew she was trapped. If she relinquished the blaster, then he'd never respect her, or free her.

  If she didn't get home soon, Tessa would die.

  She had no choice in this.

  Lowering the barrel, she fired.

  The jolt of the blast knocked Syn off his feet. His breath left him as he slammed against the hardwood floor. Pain ripped through his arm like fire.

  He closed his eyes against the throbbing agony. Warm blood streamed over the hand clutching the gaping wound. Son of a . . .

  He sucked his breath in sharply between his teeth as his entire body ached.

  Shahara approached him like a hunting lorina. She stood over him with her feet braced wide apart. Her hand was as still and steady as any assassin's he'd ever seen.

  She aimed for his heart. There was no pity or trembling in any part of her. "I said open the door, convict. Or die."

  Syn stared up at her cold eyes, unable to believe he'd allowed her to deceive him so completely. So be it. He'd always been prepared for the possibility of death. Hell, he'd wanted to die since the day he'd lost Paden.

  But he wasn't about to die in a Ritadarion prison at the hands of an interrogator. He would sooner take his secrets to the grave.

  And if she died with him, Nykyrian would have one less tracer after him.

  "Shoot me," he said calmly.

  Her eyes narrowed. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him up to her face.

  She pressed the cold, steel barrel against his cheek. "This is your last chance. Open the door."

  He shook his head slowly. "Fine," Shahara snarled. "Then I'll see you in hell."

  CHAPTER 4

  Shahara stared at Syn's blank gaze. Her mind screamed at her to kill him, but try as she might, she kept seeing the picture of him as a child with the girl gripping him. The haunted look in his eyes while he held onto the girl, the bruise on his young face, and she just couldn't make herself pull the trigger.

  Besides, she wasn't a murderer. She'd only killed a dozen men in her career, all out of self-defense. Every instance left jagged scars on her soul and she had sworn she'd never kill again unless she absolutely had to.

  Today, she didn't have to.

  With a fierce curse, she flung the weapon away from her and released him.

  Syn lay on the floor, looking up at her with a taunting stare she found hard to tolerate.

  Did nothing scare this man?

  Did he want to die? If that was the case, then she was definitely in trouble. A man with a death wish couldn't be controlled or intimidated.

  "No stomach for it?" he asked bitterly.

  She curled her lip at him. "Unlike you, I don't find pleasure in killing people."

  Without responding to her words, he pushed himself off the floor and made his way into the bathroom. She told herself he deserved it, that he'd hurt more people in his career than she could count and he deserved to pay for his crimes. But it still didn't shut down her conscience or keep it from nagging her.

  She'd shot a defenseless man and broken the code of a seax. What she'd done was wrong and no matter what arguments she might make, deep inside, she knew it wasn't justified.

  When did I sink so low as to become one of the monsters I hunt? Caillen always said that if a person stared too long into the darkness, it would absorb them.

  But she didn't want to be one of the bad guys. Determined to try and redeem her cruelty, she followed him.

  As she entered the bathroom, her gaze focused on his bare back and she gasped in shock.

  Syn looked up from the doctor's bag he was rummaging in and caught her horrified gaze in the mirror. "Thinking of ways to add to them?" His tone was frigid.