Court the Fire (Son of Rain #3)

by Michelle Irwin

  “They were coming to find something that was lost or stolen or something, but I’m not sure what.”

  Abe’s dark skin washed out until it was ashen and he glared at Dad. It confirmed for me that he knew about Mackenzie’s kidnapping—and maybe even our past. Combined with Dad’s reaction, I was certain they knew exactly who Mackenzie was and they’d had some nefarious plan for her. It might have even been something to do with hoping for a rescue effort—they probably just didn’t think I would be involved.

  “I wonder how far away the phoenix is,” Eth said, drawing their attention back to the fact that Evie was floating around the hotel somewhere.

  Abe pulled a small radio from his pocket and called in a warning about an intruder in the building. He instructed that she was to be allowed to pass through the building unimpeded and only be stopped if she tried to leave the building. I worried for her, but knowing that she wouldn’t encounter a random Assessor who would try to take her captive definitely made things easier—for both of us.

  About ten minutes after Abe had put out the call, his radio buzzed, letting him know that Evie and another “guest” had just stepped into the elevator on the sixth floor and was heading our way.

  Before Abe had even issued any instructions, Ben had me in his arms just out of view of the door with his gun back against my temple. Between the way he held me and the rope securing my wrist, my arms ached, but I pushed the pain aside to concentrate on Evie’s return.

  Everyone else positioned themselves around the room ready to attack. Eth stepped into the bathroom to surprise Evie from behind. I was worried that, because she didn’t know the plan, she would fight and hurt him. I understood why he was willing to sacrifice himself that way though—if it were Lou, Evie would probably end up injured or dead the second she walked through the door. It was more evidence that he knew exactly what he was doing.

  I just had to find a way to let her in on Eth’s plan as quickly as I could without alerting anyone else in the room to his deception.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  WATCHING MACKENZIE WALK through the door was a literal shock.

  It was like Lou had just walked in the door from high school, except for the green-apple colored aura and fluttering wings on her back. I was still recovering from the shock when Dad stepped forward and grabbed her from behind, immediately securing her wings flat against her back and twisting her head so that she couldn’t break free. It was a well-known hold among Rain operatives, but I’d never seen the real effect of it on a fae before. It looked . . . painful.

  Even as Dad bundled Mackenzie up and led her to the side of the room, Evie’s voice broke through the quiet until it was cut off by Eth’s hand. She struggled in his hold, and I could see that she was hot and ready to fight by the tightly coiled flames her aura had become. I’d thought of a way to let Evie in on the subterfuge, but before I had a chance to say anything, Dad spoke to her.

  “I should have known you would be part of this,” Dad said. “You’ve caused my family nothing but trouble since the first moment my son laid eyes on you.”

  I used my anger toward him and pretended it was directed at Eth. “Eth told them everything. He told them about Aiden and Fiona.”

  A range of emotions flittered over her face, running in quick succession: disbelief, acceptance, anger. After a moment, something new registered: curiosity.

  She twisted her head sharply, forcing Eth’s hand from her mouth and accused him of breaking our trust.

  His response was fast, as though he’d had it ready since his plan had taken shape. “You didn’t honestly think I would turn my back on my family or my heritage, did you?”

  I resisted smiling at the fact that his words didn’t actually indicate anything about him betraying us, not now that we knew the fae were as much a part of our heritage as the Rain.

  “Ouch, you bitch! You burned me!” He dropped his arms away from Evie.

  I could see the lie in his words because the flames that danced in her aura had quelled, not quite into the lazy pattern they seemed to take when she was relaxed, but enough that I wasn’t concerned she’d actually hurt Eth. It was just the excuse he needed to take her out of the room. He shoved her toward the bathroom.

  While they were out of sight, I hoped he was filling her in on his hastily constructed plan. I didn’t know what he was doing or saying, but the shower started up and Evie squealed. The room was mostly silent, broken only by his angered exclamations and occasional thump of something hitting tiles. I just hoped he wasn’t taking the acting gig too far and actually hurting her.

  A little over a minute later, Eth shoved Evie back into the room. The force he’d used was unnecessary, and she hit the wall hard. I fought against Ben’s hold as my need to check on her took over. When Eth glanced at me, I scowled at him. I didn’t care if he was helping us, we’d have words over that strike later. If we survived.

  Ben’s gun pressed harder into my temple, a silent warning to give up the struggle.

  Evie’s body was dripping wet, no doubt to provide evidence that he’d followed through on his threat. Even though I barely dared to move with Ben’s trigger-happy fingers holding the gun to my head, I ran my eyes over Evie to make sure she was okay. If Eth had hurt her, I would make him suffer. I didn’t care if he was on our side and doing what he had to do to get us out; if she had a single bruise, there’d be hell to pay.

  It grew evident fairly quickly that Dad, Abe, Ben, and Lou believed they had the upper hand. Dad was practically strangling Mackenzie with how tightly he held her. The sight made my blood boil because surely he had to see the resemblance between her and Lou—although I reasoned that might have been what fueled his desire to hold her in such a fashion. She was no doubt a strong reminder of Fiona and the mistakes he’d made. It wasn’t long before a plan was hatched between them to wait for Fiona and Aiden before leading us all to the treatment rooms.

  That would be our chance to turn the tables.

  I waited patiently, trying to bide my time and not think about what the consequences of failure would be. There were too many losses I’d have to endure, and I wasn’t sure I could cope with the worst of them. Between Eth and me, we’d do what we could to keep everyone safe.

  It started with convincing everyone in the room to let Eth and Evie answer the door when the fae arrived. It was an easy enough ruse to do with everyone believing Eth was on their side. From the point of view of the Rain operatives in the room, Eth’s presence would ensure Evie couldn’t warn her guests of the ambush in the room. I figured Eth had some idea for silently warning them and sending the other fae soldiers away.

  Eth and Evie moved to intercept Aiden and Fiona when they arrived. When Evie led them into the room—into an ambush—all I could do was watch and hope they’d understand. Within seconds, they were secured with rope. Abe organized operatives to have the floor cleared and an elevator put on standby.

  Once the all clear had come, Ben shoved me into the corridor. Outside the room, three fae guards stood watch, obviously having been warned to stay out of sight on the ethereal plane. Each of them was armed, two with swords and one with a bow and arrow.

  Their auras glowed with various shades of blue and their wings quivered as we brushed past them. I got the distinct impression of quiet watchfulness from them. I gave them the slightest nod to let them know that it was okay—or at least as okay as it could be until we could turn tables on our captors.

  I couldn’t see what was happening behind me, but Eth asked Dad which floor we were heading to. I was certain it was for the benefit of the fae in the corridor. As we were forced into the elevator, Eth maneuvered Evie to be as close to me as he could—leaving us back to back. It wouldn’t have been coincidental, and that thought was confirmed when Evie reached for my fingers and pressed them against the back pocket of her pants.

  Through the luxurious material, I could feel the outline of an athame. Using the shape as a guide, I slid my fingers into her pocket and palmed t
he knife.

  Knowing Eth’s mind, I could see his plan for the knife. I just needed a way to get into a corner by myself with my hands out of sight. The doors were just sliding closed when I thought of one. I would exploit Ben and his hatred of Evie and the fae. Out of everyone in the elevator, he was the most predictable, and I was certain he wouldn’t allow me to give Evie false hope.

  “It’s okay, Evie,” I whispered as loudly as I dared. “Just do what they say and you—”

  Just as I’d thought it might, Ben’s hand pushed against the back of my head, smashing my face against the elevator. Stars burst in front of my eyes for a moment at the force of the impact, but by the time he’d shoved me into the back corner of the car, I’d shaken them off and set to work sawing at the ropes that restrained me.

  The snapping of the cords provided instant relief as blood rushed unrestricted back into my fingertips. As desperately as I wanted to pull my hands in front of me and rub the spots where the rope had dug into my skin, I knew it was the worst choice I could make.

  Instead, I wrapped the rope back around my wrists. Ensuring the split in the rope wasn’t obvious, I held the ends in such a way that I could use it as a weapon if needed.

  With my hands free and full circulation returning to my arms, I felt more confident than ever about the whole triple-cross situation. Even though my head still ached like it would burst from the pressure behind my eyes—no doubt a reaction to the low-level anti-fae charms in the elevator—I felt better than I had since I walked into Bayview.

  The moment we were all inside the treatment room and the door was locked, Eth revealed his hand. On his signal, I spun on Ben, lifting the athame to his throat and snatching the gun from him in one fluid motion.

  An instant later, Eth opened the door to welcome in the other fae protectors. We had the numbers, and we had the weapons.

  Finally, I felt back in control.

  “So this was a double-cross?” Abe spat at Ethan. “Is there no good left in either of you?”

  “Technically, it was a triple-cross.” Eth laughed. He was having the time of his life, and I wondered whether he’d been planning this for longer than he revealed to me—maybe it was part of the strategy he and Aiden had discussed while I was with Evie. I thought it through and decided I was happy enough not knowing what was going to happen if it meant that I got to experience the same bliss Evie and I had shared in that time over and over again.

  “Besides, good or bad depends entirely on your viewpoint,” I said to Abe. “And your viewpoint is wrong.”

  “I knew we’d lost your brother,” Dad said to Eth. I scowled at his words. Bastard. “But I can’t believe you would turn your back on us for this filth.”

  Anger flashed in Eth’s eyes. “Why not? After all, I am one of this filth, aren’t I? Aren’t we all? You know us best, Dad, so let’s get it all out on the table, shall we?”

  “What are you talking about, Eth?” Lou’s voice was filled with a vulnerability I knew well. Only it was thicker than I’d ever heard it before. My heart ached for her. The anger at my dad’s betrayal of us all found new depths within me.

  “Why don’t you tell her, Dad?” I said, not even sure I wanted to use that title for him—he’d lost all right to it.

  “I’m their mother,” Fiona said to Lou. “Your mother.”

  “No. That’s a lie.” Lou’s denial was almost sorrowful. Having experienced the same shock just days earlier, I understood her need for it. The discovery that she was the very thing she’d been raised to hate was difficult to come to terms with.

  Eth released the hold he had on her, drawing her eyes to meet his. “Look at her, Lou. Don’t you remember her at all?”

  Lou glanced around, and I wondered whether she could see it. Her breathing spiked, and she screwed her eyes shut. “No, she can’t be.”

  “Even if you don’t remember her, just look,” Eth said. “You’re the spitting image of her.”

  It took a moment for the reality of what she was being told to sink in to Lou, but watching my sister, I saw the exact moment that understanding reached her heart.

  “It can’t be true. I’m not . . . I’m not . . .” Her breathing sped as she sucked down panicked gulps. She sunk to the floor, and for the first time since I’d found out that she was alive, genuine sorrow for her echoed through my limbs. I wanted to comfort her the way I had when we were kids and she’d woken from nightmares.

  Because Eth was closest to Lou, he dropped to the ground beside her and pulled her into his arms. She was sobbing and only took half breaths each time she tried to draw in air.

  In my peripheral vision, I saw Dad move toward her—whether to comfort her or tell her more lies I couldn’t be sure.

  I raised the gun and pointed it squarely at him. He’d done so much damage to my siblings and me that it would almost be easy to pull the trigger. Only the need for the whole truth stopped me.

  “Tell her what really happened,” I said to him. All three of us needed to hear the truth. Even though I was certain I’d guessed it, I needed to hear it from his mouth. Of all of us though, Lou needed that the most. “She deserves to know the truth.”

  “The truth about what?”

  Dad wasn’t that stupid. He was either trying to bide his time, or he couldn’t admit it to himself.

  “About her past,” I reminded him. “About why she woke screaming in the middle of the night for years. About the reason she had to suffer so much agony. Tell her what you did to her!” Each additional word fueled my anger about what had happened to her—and the consequences it’d had on all of our lives.

  “We didn’t do anything.”

  I couldn’t believe he could stand there and lie so blatantly to my face. “She’s suffered for years because of you. It isn’t her imagination. She’s relived it over and over again. Her pain and tears weren’t my imagination.”

  “Everything that I did, I did to get my daughter back,” Dad said.

  “She was your fucking daughter!” I shouted, forcing him to see that. We shouldn’t be the only ones forced to live with the horror of his choices; he needed to understand the damage he’d wrought with his decisions.

  Lou stood up, facing Dad. She was almost pitiful, and yet I saw only strength in her—strength that I hadn’t imagined possible. She was facing the biggest demons of her life. The one we’d spent so long hunting down. We’d just never expected that it would end up being our own father. “What am I, Daddy?”

  “You’re my daughter, and you’re one of the best hunters in the business. That’s all.”

  “So they’re lying?” She nodded toward Eth and me.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Make it simple,” Lou demanded.

  I wanted to step into the conversation, to have a chance to say my own piece, but Lou needed it more than I did, so I bit back every comment I wanted to make.

  “I didn’t know you were my daughter,” Dad whispered. “You were different.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I didn’t know what she was. I thought we were happy; I thought we were normal. I thought she was human. It all went to hell the day I came home and found you playing on the fucking ceiling. What was I supposed to think?”

  Dad sighed, and I lowered the gun slightly. He’d been a symbol of strength my whole life. Until I’d met Evie, I’d thought he was a paradigm of good, even if his methods were a little unconventional compared to other kid’s parents.

  After Evie, everything had changed for me.

  I’d battled him, but mostly as an external method of fighting the parts of myself that wanted to destroy Evie. Seeing him all but admit to crimes against his own daughter made my world shift in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Theorizing about what might have happened and having it confirmed were two vastly different things.

  “She told me what she was, but I didn’t believe her,” Dad explained to Lou. “I thought a doppelganger had broken into our house and taken my wife. In fact, I
was so convinced of it, I packed you guys up, and we left. All of my life I’d learned how dangerous fae were, so keeping Ethan and Clay safe was my number one priority. My other priority was getting back my wife and daughter.” His words made sense and caused my rage to dim.

  “How long was it before you realized that she wasn’t a changeling?” Evie asked, and my mind reeled. It was a question I hadn’t considered—one that was impossible to imagine.

  Had Dad discovered that it was his daughter long before the Rain had stopped torturing her?

  Dad turned on Evie. Pure rage and hatred echoed on his face, and I knew without a doubt that I had to get Evie out of the room. It was enough to stop the sympathy that had been building for him in its tracks.

  “This is your fault! If you hadn’t turned my son against his family, this would never have come out.” He took a step in her direction. “You ruined their lives!”

  “Don’t!” I warned him before he could get too close to Evie. If he even attempted to hurt her, I wouldn’t even think twice about shooting. If it came down to a choice of the two of them, she would win every time. “I think we’ve heard enough. It’s time to go.”

  “You’re not leaving,” Abe protested.

  Aiden laughed. “You’re hardly in any position to make demands.”

  “How do you expect to get past security?” Ben asked.

  “That’s our concern,” Eth said.

  As I prepared to herd everyone through the door, Lou charged for Dad. An agonized expression twisted through the fiery scars that rose on her cheeks. A primal scream flew from her lips.

  “You tortured me!” she screamed at him. I wondered whether the knowledge made the memories of her torture clearer or whether she’d just guessed exactly who was most likely responsible for her injuries. “How could you do those things to me? I was just a child!”

  “Get her out of here!” I yelled at Eth. I wanted him to pay for what he’d done, but I also knew she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to get the information she’d want. She’d likely just kill him and never know all of the facts. That lack of knowledge would haunt her for years to come.