From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “Half fae.” He finished for me. “It does. Elsbeth was my mother’s name.”

  Ryker’s hand left my thigh and went to rub his face. I sat motionless, stunned into silence.

  “With a baby coming, I could no longer keep my world from Kate, especially because it was rare for humans to live through a pregnancy not alone the birth of a fae child. I wanted her to understand why I didn’t want her to keep it.”

  He grabbed Ryker’s drink and took a sip, when he pushed it back, Ryker shook his head, saying, “Have it.”

  Dunn nodded a thank you and took another sip.

  “After a long time of convincing her about the truth of fae, she still remained firm on keeping the baby. Even knowing it might kill her, she was certain, and all I could do was sit back and wait, wracked with terror that I would lose them both.

  “We moved to Chicago and had the baby. Against all odds, she and the baby survived. When Elsbeth turned three she was diagnosed with leukemia, but her fae power healed her over time, to the shock of all her doctors. They couldn’t figure it out. This is when Kate became obsessed with fae genetics and how she could save other children.

  “As years went by, she threw herself into work, which caused our happiness to be short lived. She spent extra time at work, and I grew more restless at home. Not because I didn’t enjoy being a father, but because I did. I could see them aging every day while I wasn’t. Kate and I began to fight all the time about it. Even though she said it didn’t bother her, when people would ask if I was her nephew or younger brother, it would upset her. A lot. I knew things had started to shift when she introduced me as a ‘friend.’ It wasn’t till she learned about Dr. Rapava and his work that I really lost her. They began to email and contact each other all the time. She was too easily swayed by this man who claimed he wanted to help cure humans of diseases and defects. It had been the end of us. When Rapava offered her a job in Seattle, Kate took it without hesitation.” Dunn’s gaze drifted away, like the memory still pained him. “She told me that night she didn’t want me to follow.”

  Ouch.

  “Kate wanted to keep Elsbeth ignorant of the fae world because Elsbeth has more human traits than fae. She will age and die similar to a human. Kate thought it would only make her life difficult knowing the truth. It was the one thing we both agreed on. We also realized my not aging would become a problem.

  “So I let her walk out the door. I secretly checked on Elsbeth every once in a while over the years, watching her grow up and have a baby of her own. Kate, on the other hand, completely fell into Rapava’s world, and I lost all touch with her. Over time I heard what she was doing, the sick testing on fae, and we became enemies. I rallied against DMG. I knew she heard about me but never tried to contact me. That was until two years ago when she reached out saying she needed my help. Elsbeth was in danger. Kate told me what had been happening, how deep she was in, and her fear that Rapava would find out about our child. Even our granddaughter is one quarter fae. She’s in danger too. I became Kate’s informant. She notified me when the hunters were coming to get anyone I knew, and I would also help her catch some really nasty ones, so she could keep her cover. After this long, after all she had done, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.”

  Kate had been living her life acting like a flaky mad scientist while she had been carrying the biggest secret of all. Her daughter and granddaughter were part fae. No wonder she was so scared.

  “What’s messed up is I still love that woman completely, but she treats me like a grandson.” He shook his head. “She forgets I’m technically hundreds of years older than her.”

  “I can’t believe this.” What horror to watch the woman and child he loved grow older, and he couldn’t do anything but watch them die. I understood Ryker’s resistance to me at the beginning more clearly. Now that I had fae powers my life cycle would slow down to be equal with his.

  “She couldn’t tell you any of this while inside DMG.” He downed the rest of the whiskey. “But I’m not here just to tell you her past. Kathryn contacted me to come deliver a message to you.”

  I waited for him to continue; my hand gripped my drink.

  “Rapava has hunters searching for you everywhere.”

  “That’s nothing we don’t know.” Ryker swiped the glass from my hand and took a mouthful then plopped it between my fingers again.

  “There are also officials keeping an eye out for you.”

  “What do you mean?” I inched forward.

  “Government officials. The conspiracy goes further up than you think. Rapava’s connections and people who believe in his work are in the highest echelons of government. If you go to them, you might find yourself hushed and taken care of. It’s another reason Kate couldn’t get out. She figured it best to stay close and continue to work with him.”

  “Why didn’t she just leave when she realized how far he had fallen?” I asked.

  “Kate knew too much. She realized what happened to the scientist who tried to escape before. Rapava had his whole family killed.” My heart lurched painfully in my chest, knowing which family he was referring to. “Kate was not willing to take the chance, especially when Rapava had hinted at the safety of her family.” Dunn glanced over his shoulder. “She believes in you, Zoey. She feels you are the one smart enough and strong enough to find a way to take him down for good.”

  I gulped back the rest of the brown liquor, scorching my throat.

  “But you need to hurry.” Dunn dark eyes leveled into mine. “Your sister’s life depends on it.”

  I sucked in. “Lexie?” She had only been gone two days. All day I thought about it being Lexie’s birthday. Today she turned thirteen. And I wasn’t there with her. “Is she all right?”

  “Kate told me they ran tests as soon as she came in. You know she is dying. Her body is rejecting the legs and the fae-blood injections.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Ryker beat me to it.

  “How long?”

  Dunn pressed his mouth together. “No more than a few weeks. Kate thinks it might be less. You don’t have long. I’m sorry.” He scooted back his chair. “That’s all I can tell you. I better go.”

  “We appreciate you meeting with us,” Ryker said for me, my shattered heart keeping me mute.

  Dunn bobbed his head, standing up. “You two watch your backs. You’re being tracked.”

  “By more than you know.” Ryker clasped his hand. “Thank you.”

  “Take care.” Dunn reached over and took my hand. He was a daunting man, but his touch felt gentle and kind. I could see what Kate had loved in him.

  He dropped my hand and turned to go.

  “Wait. How do we contact Kate or you again?” I asked.

  He turned enough for me to see his profile. “You don’t.” With that he slunk across the room and vanished into the stormy evening.

  ####

  Ryker and I stepped into the night. The rain thumped down on my hood, and my boots sloshed through newly formed puddles. But I didn’t notice the cold or the wet. My soul felt sick.

  Lexie was truly dying. Hearing it made it final. There was no pretending anymore. I was going to lose my sister again.

  Ryker hadn’t said much. Nothing would make this better. Telling me we’d figure something out was just a crock of shit. This wasn’t something we could work out. The only thing I wanted was to undo the operation, take away Lexie’s new legs and remove the fae blood poisoning her.

  “What if we removed them?” I grabbed Ryker’s arm as we reached the top of the stairs. “Got rid of the thing killing her?”

  He contemplated my idea. “Might work, but we need to get to her before it’s too late.”

  That was the problem. Could we get to her in time? And if we did, who would do it? We couldn’t just take her to a regular hospital. They would have no idea what to do with a human who had been given another human’s legs along with foreign magical blood.

  Ryker watched my shoulders slump.
/>
  “It’s something. We will get her out of there.” He left out dead or alive, but I got his meaning. No matter what, we would not leave Lexie there. He took a few steps into the parking lot and twisted around to look at me, cupping my face in his hands. His eyes told me the words that didn’t cross his lips. I’m sorry.

  I swallowed back the lump in my throat as he drew me into his arms, engulfing me in the warmth of his body, holding me tight. It was the only place I felt safe and momentarily comforted. All other issues disappeared, and I felt his love wrap around me in a protective bubble.

  Then, Ryker stiffened, the muscles in his back coiling. I jolted.

  “What?”

  He kept his arms around me, but his head jerked around the parking lot, nostrils flared, his eyes bright.

  “Ryker?” Fear strangled my vocal cords.

  “I don’t know,” he muttered. “But something is off.”

  I sent out my senses, feeling only fae, which was not a surprise here. But then the hair on the back of my neck prickled. Magic crept over my skin. A lot of fae energy surrounded us, but this felt powerful. Danger discharged down my spine like a warning bell.

  Ryker stepped away from me, sliding out a knife from his coat. A lamp from the street outlined his movement. His white eyes glowed under his hood.

  I tugged out the blade strapped to my back. My heart thudded in my chest. Did Vadik find us? Did Dunn lead them right to us? It didn’t make sense, but my mind still ran over the possibility. Could it be Arlo, or did DMG finally locate us?

  The fact we still couldn’t jump on command made me crazy. Jump dammit!

  Ryker touched my back, moving us to the top of the lot in hurried steps, my legs barely able to keep up. With a clanking noise behind me I swung my head to look over my shoulder. In the depths of the parking lot, a hideous figure slunk toward us, small eyes boiling with hatred. I whipped back, my mouth opening to tell Ryker when a black van squealed to a stop in front of us, blocking our way. Men in dark clothing ascended out.

  Panic resounded through my brain, never reaching my throat. A dark windowless van had me recalling my time at DMG, but the amount of magic pounding off each individual didn’t back up the theory. These were pure fae.

  Ryker and I didn’t need to communicate to understand each other’s next move. We twisted around and ran for the alley between the bar and another building. He grabbed my arm, pulling me in front of him as the lane narrowed only enough for one. I pushed my legs to move double time so I wouldn’t hold him back and darted down another path. The men gained on us, sounding like a troop of soldiers as they pounded behind us.

  “Faster!” Ryker hissed.

  I bit down on my lip and impelled my legs to go quicker. As I curved around another bend, I took a second to look behind us. They were shadowed, but I was sure I didn’t know them. These were not Garrett’s men. I knew most of their faces. And Arlo was nothing more than a second-rate pirate. He could not command this kind of military precision.

  Who were they?

  “Zoey!” Ryker yelled. My eyes flicked to him, then to what he stared at. I spun my head forward to see a dumpster and wall ahead, hindering our escape.

  Of course.

  I picked up my speed, pumping my arms. I felt as if I were back on a hunt, chasing fae, when I worked for DMG. I leaped for the dumpster, stretching out my arms to grasp the top, my feet kicking at the side, pushing me up.

  Ryker scaled to the top faster, grabbing the back of my coat, pulling me to my feet. I was waiting to hear gunshots as we scaled the wall, but they never came. Most fae tended to like old-school hand-to-hand combat. There was even an honor code among enemies. Guns didn’t take much skill. Vadik no longer seemed to hold this policy. His men at the warehouse had their weapons loaded, ready to shoot and kill. Another reason, my instinct told me, these were not his men.

  Ryker dropped to the ground as I landed next to him. Both of us rose to sprint for the buildings before us and lose ourselves in the maze of streets, alleyways, and hiding spots.

  We took three steps before a massive figure moved in front of us. He was so enormous, with muscles bigger than my head. A scream choked my throat, and I stumbled back.

  “Fuck,” I heard Ryker mumble as he leaned back to take in the huge form. The man had to be more than eight feet tall and five hundred pounds of solid muscle. Large gashes covered his face and bald head. His chest was bare, and his legs were covered in a mishmash of fabric sewn together to construct pants to fit him.

  Panic lodged in my arms and legs and froze me in place as the massive figure wrapped his oversized hands around a club the size of, well, me. He huffed, dipping his head toward us, his dark skin almost blending with the night. “Stay.”

  Even if I wanted to disobey him, my body wouldn’t oblige. It stood stock still, air caught in my throat. I didn’t even blink till men came from all sides, corralling Ryker and me back to the wall.

  “What do you want?” Ryker puffed up his chest, keeping his blade ready.

  A sandy-blond man stepped up. War wounds lined his face as well. He appeared to be a tiny bit smaller than Ryker, but his coiled muscles told me he had been trained to take down his enemy in mere seconds.

  “That’s not for us to explain.” He edged closer.

  “Then whose is it?” Ryker demanded.

  “You will have to wait and see.” As soon as the words came out of the man’s mouth, the dozen men advancing toward us rushed forward. Ryker tried to fight, but the men were quick and precise. Three grabbed me before I could even try to fight back.

  A bag was shoved over my head, and I sucked in a suffocating gasp as darkness engulfed me. Ryker roared with anger beside me.

  My body wanted to jump. Yet, as I took in a deep breath my mind started to swirl with fog. With each breath I took the mist grew into thick clouds, my legs bending underneath me.

  My tongue felt coated, swelling as a hint of something skated down my throat. The bags are lined with some kind of drug.

  The last thing I heard was my name being screamed out into the night before a muffled yelp gave way to silence.

  Fate had us in its hands, and all I could do was let it lead me.

  SEVENTEEN

  Whatever they treated the bag with wasn’t strong enough to completely take me under. I stayed conscious but woozy the entire trip with no willpower to fight. Fear stayed knotted in my stomach, but I knew it was pointless to fight this group. The men never handcuffed us, but they took all our weapons. They were highly trained and powerful.

  We rode in the van for about ten minutes before we stopped. They picked me up, my legs lightly touching the ground. The scuffling and grumbling told me they were dragging Ryker behind me. The gravel gave way to smooth concrete, my boots finding more solid footing with every step. The slamming of doors behind me and the faraway echoes of our shoes suggested we were in a large warehouse of some sort.

  An arm brushed my shoulder and my heart leaped at Ryker’s touch. His closeness gave me strength. The bag was ripped from my head, and I blinked at the solitary light hanging in the room. I glanced over to see Ryker’s hood being torn away, causing his eyes to blink against the sudden light.

  When he caught my eyes, his shoulders relaxed slightly. I scanned the space and found I had been right. It was an empty warehouse, probably left that way after the storm. Like much of this area, it looked like it had once been used to fix or store boats.

  The room was quiet, and the men stood straight as if the Queen of England was about to enter the room. Movement stirred to the side, and another group of men entered. This time the hair all over my body went straight, driven upward by fear. The air in the room seemed to thicken with magic so dense I started to gag. My shoulders felt weighed down, and I stirred, trying to escape the energy pounding on me.

  Ryker shifted, and I could tell he sensed the same thing. My apprehension shot up when I felt a strange anxiety bound off him and slam into me. I turned my head to look at him. He kept hi
s head forward, his hands clenching and unclenching, his feet bobbing nervously. I’d never seen Ryker anxious. Not like this.

  Shoes snapped over the floor, nearing us. The handful of men dressed in black entered and spread out, with one man walking down the middle demanding our attention. A harsh gasp ran roughly up my esophagus, and I stepped back. I heard Ryker swear next to me.

  The gentleman coming for us appeared to be the source of the energy. He possessed power unlike anything I had ever come across in the fae world. It pumped off him, crashing into every object around him. He was tall, nicely built, and held his head with dominion, as though the world was his for the taking.

  The effect of his magic on me felt like I’d consumed several pots of coffee. He also was one of the most attractive men I had ever seen. I assessed him to be in his late thirties, with black, wavy hair and a light olive complexion. He wore a suit of such fine blue fabric I guessed it cost more than a car. He embodied sophistication, wealth, elegance, class, and intimidation.

  When he looked over at us, I heard Ryker suck in a breath. Then, his piercing, yellowish-green eyes fixed on me. He was a demon. Remembering my studies and what Ryker once told me, he was no ordinary demon. He stood at the top of the food chain.

  “Holy shit,” Ryker whispered and sank down to his knees, bowing his head. Seeing Ryker react like this sent more terror into my bones than the actual man did.

  The man walked up in front of Ryker and me. “You may stand,” his deep, sultry voice ordered Ryker. As Ryker stood back up, the man’s eyes went to me, and I couldn’t help but shift nervously. “I will forgive you this one time for not addressing me properly, since you are…or were human.” He tilted his head, analyzing me. “But in the presence of a King, you kneel.”

  King? My gaze darted in confusion to Ryker then back to the man.

  “Zoey, this is our Unseelie King.”

  My mouth dipped open, closed, then fell open again. “Un-un-seelie King?” I stuttered. I had heard all about him. Lars, King of the dark fae. All the rumors passed around were so frightening you hoped they were tales to scare children. But standing in front of him I knew—hell, I felt—they had not been made up. My hands trembled at my side, and I forced my bladder not to react to him. In my life I had dealt with a lot of unstable or scary people and situations, but no one inspired such a primal animal terror as he did.