“Fine,” he growled. “We’ll talk later.” He stepped up to Preston and grabbed his shoulder before disappearing with a whoosh of air.
She turned to Tremaine. “What would you do?”
“I’d tell him.”
She frowned, and he stepped close and took her face in his big warm hands.
Tremaine murmured, “I promise you, Liz, Draecyn only did what he thought was right. He was a mess for months after you were taken from them. We searched for almost a year, but he gave up hope soon after we found that child’s body.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Then when you came to the academy, you were known for going on rants about parents who never cared for you. I imagine he thought you would hate him for giving up.”
“I didn’t know,” she whispered.
“I know, doll. So if you want a chance to make things right, you have to be the one to talk to him.”
“I guess we’ll see how he takes me being alive first.” She sighed and leaned into his hard body as his arms wrapped around her. She smiled against his chest. “You know, I like this better. Not having to hide loving you. It was getting really exhausting.”
He chuckled low and soft. “Trust me, I know. I like waking up with you curled around me.”
She smiled. “I like waking up between you two. It’s the best sleep I’ve had in ages. I didn’t even wake up with nightmares this morning.”
“I believe we properly wore you out,” he murmured against her ear before he slid her hair over her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.
* * * *
Robert and Preston appeared in Draecyn’s office in Charleston. Draecyn looked up from his laptop with a raised brow. “Robert, Preston, what brings you two by?”
Robert let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, a few things actually, and Liz may hate me for this, but your daughter is well and alive, and we believe Jarvis is helping my brother James to go after her.”
Draecyn’s eyes rounded and his mouth opened and closed like he couldn’t quite formulate a response to that.
Preston gaped at Robert, and then smacked him upside the head. “You could have let me do that instead of landing your ass in the doghouse for doing exactly what she told you not to do, dumbass.”
Robert scowled at him. “You could have opened your mouth first.”
“I had to force my lunch to stay down,” he scoffed.
“Elizandra is alive?” Draecyn said in astonishment as he put his hands on his desk and pushed himself to a standing position. “And you know she’s my daughter?” He asked hesitantly.
Preston sighed. “She doesn’t think you want her. So if you mention the fact that anyone told you anything, let me take the blame. She’s honestly happy with her choice in men, so don’t judge her on that either.”
“I always thought Robert was the perfect choice for her.” He smiled fondly. Robert knew he was probably thinking back.
“Look, it’s a little more complicated than that,” Robert said simply. “There are bigger things to deal with. Like the fact that my brother, who is supposed to be dead, cursed my sister, and now he’s on a trip with Jarvis. James is draining mages on his way to drain Liz.”
Draecyn’s brows arched. “James is alive and a dark mage now?”
Robert shook his head. “Liz says he was before his supposed death, and I swear I thought we had killed him.”
“Slow down. All I know is that he supposedly died in a fire, and that Liz died in a crash. What really happened?”
“We don’t have time to discuss it all.” Robert slammed his hand down on the desk. “Just know that he attacked her, and we went after him the next day. I knew she was alive but she needed to be away from the council, so I let her go. My sister kept James alive. He’s out for vengeance, and to rip Elizandra’s very essence from her body.”
Draecyn nodded slowly. “Sorry, I’m catching up here. You’re telling me that my daughter is in trouble. I take it this means you want my help?”
Robert let out a frustrated growl and paced away.
Preston said, “Yeah. Jarvis was the assignment you gave us. James is with Jarvis. We may as well nail both of them at once. They are both sick fucks, and both mean Liz harm.”
“Then let’s go,” Draecyn said as he stepped around the desk and held out his hand for Robert.
* * * *
“A Good Book?” James glared at Jarvis, who shrugged back. “You believe Liz owns a book store named A Good Book?”
“Tremaine runs the store. The names are both fake, but I have eye witness accounts of Tremaine running the store with a woman who looks an awful lot like Liz,” Jarvis insisted.
“I’m warning you, if you are wrong, I will not take kindly to being played a fool.”
“Of course not, James. I am telling you that this is the place,” he whispered angrily.
“Why does the sign say ‘open’ when there is no one inside?” James shook his head.
“Liz was always talented at creating wards no one else can. It’s probably something like that. Stop being a pussy and go in there.”
Jarvis was right, he was being a pussy. James closed his eyes, and willed his brother’s visage, hoping Robert wasn’t already in there. So far, he couldn’t sense his brother’s presence. He’d always been able to feel his blood relatives when they were close.
If he were there, it would throw the whole plan out the window. James snarled at Jarvis. “You stay here.”
Jarvis glared back. “No shit. I can’t very well walk in there.”
He took a deep breath and strode across the street, but ducked behind a car as a stunning brunette ducked into the shop. Interesting. And as soon as the door was closed, he couldn’t see her, or anyone else in the store.
Waiting, he stayed crouched, hiding. James didn’t want a witness when he went in.
* * * *
The door opened and in walked Dacia. Tremaine dipped his head as he backed toward the hall. “I told Christian I would help unpack the shipment. Be back in a few.”
Liz’s brow arched. “Oh fine.”
Dacia walked up to the counter. She almost looked like herself, all except the dull look in her eyes as she said, “Sorry about last night.”
Liz nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. Believe it or not, I’ve been there.”
“You’re not the type to lie and try to make it better. Damn, you didn’t even really try to make it better. You told me like it was.”
“Well, I like the truth better than lies.”
“I appreciate that. Hey, can I get a dry cappuccino?”
“Sure.” Liz grabbed the milk and made the coffee. Dacia said nothing else, and Liz wasn’t sure what else to tell her.
She slid the cup to Dacia. “It’s on me today.”
“Thanks.” Dacia smiled a little before leaving.
Liz leaned against the counter. Her thoughts went to Robert and Preston, and what they might be telling Draecyn. She was willing to bet that Robert did exactly what he said he wouldn’t. Which should tick her off, but she knew she wouldn’t tell Draecyn herself, so it was probably for the best.
She heard the storage room door open the same time someone walked through the front door. She recognized James’ yellow brown eyes. His face was stretched and scarred as if the flesh had melted and slid before freezing. There was no hair left on his face, but she knew it was him.
Her reaction was instant. Liz darted around the counter and caught him around the middle. She drove him to the ground, making sure her knee was in his groin.
He howled in pain, but rolled them over and struggled to hold her down. “You fucking cunt. Do you realize what you did to me?”
She threw him off of her and punched him in the face. “I hope it fucking hurt,” she snarled back.
His head whipped to the side, but he brought his gaze back to hers as if he didn’t feel it. There was a cruel smile on his face. “I know what Sinclair did to your sweet innocent little body when you were twelve.”
; “Why do you think I killed him?” She answered coldly, not willing to let Sinclair fuck with her head when he was long since dead.
He went still under her, staring into her eyes. “I always wanted my uncle’s favorite toy. I bet he fucked you over and over again, until you couldn’t take it. I bet you liked it, I bet you screamed like a whore.”
She let lightning fill her palm and slammed it into his chest. “No. He only tried that once, and I killed him, like I’m going to kill you.”
“Bobby?” Christian called.
There was a pop and several pairs of feet hit the floor. “Liz,” Robert shouted. He tackled her to the ground as Jarvis stormed in with fire in his palms that he threw right where she had been.
James threw up a shield to block the flame. Robert rolled to his feet and launched himself at James.
James pulled a knife and dove at Liz. Robert caught his brother by the throat and threw him into his own shield. Somewhere along the way James dropped the blade.
The shields crumpled and chaos broke out.
Liz stood as James looked up at Christian with a wicked smile. “My child. I knew Emily had a baby. How convenient that you still wound up with my brother.”
Christian’s tone was harsh. “You are not my father. You’re a sadistic prick who only knows how to hurt others.”
“Robert,” Liz shouted. “Take Christian from here. Please.”
“I’ll be right back,” Robert promised.
Draecyn and Tremaine moved beside Liz as Jarvis sent a wave of fire at her.
James screeched at him as he rolled away. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Liz threw her hands up, whipping them toward James. The fire followed her direction, flowing toward him.
A shadowy shield formed around James as he raised his arms. The flame sizzled and died on the smoky wall.
Jarvis held his fire filled palms out toward her. She let lightning dance over her hands as she closed the distance and pushed her magic and his own up his arms. She let him fall as he howled in pain. Jarvis rolled around, desperately trying to put the fire out.
She heard the rush of air as Draecyn rushed forward, taking the blade James threw at her.
“No,” she cried. She caught him as he fell. Tremaine rushed to help her. Then she heard the pop and felt rain pouring down on her.
“Get in the back,” Robert told her with a nod at the Land Cruiser.
Tremaine helped her lift Draecyn into the back of the vehicle and then shut them in before he charged around the driver’s side.
“I’m so sorry, Liz.” Draecyn croaked. “I’m so terribly sorry.”
“No. Don’t be sorry,” she whispered, a tear falling.
“I couldn’t let him harm you.”
“Shh, don’t.” She pulled the blade from his chest, and saw the bubbles. Blood was filling his lungs, and the blade was cursed. She couldn’t heal normal shit on a good day. Liz didn’t know what to do, but she placed her hand over the wound and pushed her will, attempting to heal him.
He seemed to relax a little, but the bleeding didn’t stop, it didn’t even slow down. “I can’t heal. I never could,” she whispered.
“Shh. It doesn’t matter. Just know that I loved you from the day you were born. When I finally found out you were mine, I thought it was too late.”
“No, it was never too late.” She blinked and he reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks.
“But I didn’t want anyone to know what you were. The dark mages would have come for you. Your mother is a druid. You have both our powers.”
“I would have handled it. I would have understood.”
“Let Robert take care of you. Tremaine too,” he sputtered, blood trickling from his mouth. “Know that you’re loved.” His body seized for a second, and then the light left his eyes as his body went limp.
Chapter 27
Robert was having trouble staying upright as he tried to fight the magic of the blade. His brother threw it, catching him in the shoulder before he could get everyone out of there.
His worst memories tried to surface, but he pushed them back. Ignoring the pain was harder. Tremaine had already pulled the dagger from his shoulder.
“Liz,” Tremaine called. “Robert needs you.”
“Don’t, I’ll deal,” Robert warned Trem.
Preston growled back. “Liz, seriously, get your ass up here now. Robert’s too damned stubborn to be smart and I don’t know how to counter that curse.
“I’ll be fine,” Robert snarled.
“Fuck that,” Tremaine shouted. “We’re not losing you, Robert. That blade was cursed.”
Liz scrambled over the seat and practically fell into Robert’s lap. He knew he looked like hell. He was covered in blood, could barely sit up, and he was getting weaker by the second.
Her lovely hazel eyes shimmered with tears. She ripped open his shirt and found the wound. There was a bloody hole and it was deep. “No, not you too,” she whimpered as she pressed her hands to his chest. Robert wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as the road fell away to forest.
Tremaine parked and Robert looked up to find them in the woods. He felt the spell surround them.
Liz looked into Robert’s eyes. “You can’t die. I can’t lose you,” she whispered. “I won’t survive.”
Tremaine knelt on the floor beside her and placed one hand on her thigh, and the other on Robert’s shoulder. He stared up at Liz until she looked at him.
“You can do this, doll. You’ve got this,” Tremaine purred.
Her eyes drifted to Tremaine, and Robert saw the way their connection flared. “I can’t lose him anymore than I can lose you,” she whispered.
Tremaine reached up to cup her face. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Heal him. Trust that you can. You’ve done it before.”
She looked back down at Robert who slumped a little further as he fought to keep his eyes open. His vision kept flickering back to the morning he found her so many years ago. Liz had been dirty, bloody, and curled so tight. Then he woke her, and her terror flooded the room.
He had a wave of memories of all the times he found her curled up, staring off in the distance with a sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. He remembered all the times she tried to convince him to choose his family over her. Of course he remembered the way she walked away from him after James died, or they thought he had. And then all the times he laid awake at night, wondering how she was doing and missing her so bad he could hardly stand it.
Robert whispered. “Promise me that no matter what happens, you two will be happy.”
“No,” she screamed and slammed her eyes shut. Robert felt the jolt of electricity. Her squeal of terror washed through him.
His eyes flew open. The pain was washed away as his skin mended. Then Liz scrambled away from him, to the other side of the bench, wrapping her arms tight around her legs as she curled into a tight little ball.
* * * *
Tremaine moved to Liz, but she shook her head. “I t-t-took the c-curse. I’ll b-b-be ok-kay. Go t-to Em-mily. N-n-ow.”
“Liz, doll. Let us help,” Tremaine pleaded. This was his fault, he had pushed Liz to take the curse and now she was fighting the dark magic.
Robert moved closer and she shot them a death glare that looked pretty pathetic. “What can we do?” Robert asked.
“D-drive. If I’m n-n-not okay b-by then, we’ll think of s-s-something else.”
“No,” Robert bellowed. “I won’t have you do this for her. Look at you.”
“F-fuck you. D-d-drive, now,” she screamed back.
Tremaine slid into the driver’s seat. If she was arguing like that, she was fighting the curse better than he or Robert ever could. Tremaine wasn’t going to fight with her. Not yet anyway.
“What are you doing?” Robert asked as he leaned over the front seat, trying to take the keys.
Tremaine was faster and started the Land Cruiser, throwing it in reverse. Robert
fell back and Liz squealed in pain.
Without waiting for a response, Tremaine started for the druid compound. He glanced back in the mirror and said, “I’m doing as she asked.”
“Liz is not taking that curse from Emily. Look at her. It’s tearing her up.”
“She’s also fighting it.” Tremaine pointed out. “I think it was the same thing Sinclair put on her the day she killed him. She fought it off and still had the power to kill him. So give her a chance.”
Preston turned in his seat and glared at Robert. “Shit, if she could fight it back then, she’ll be okay. Just chill out, Robert.”
Robert slammed his hand on the seat. “I don’t want her hurting, I don’t want her facing her worst nightmares. That’s what it did to me. It was tearing me apart, forcing my worst fears and memories on me.”
“I’m fine,” she snapped back, the stuttering gone. Robert was pulled back. Tremaine glanced in the mirror to see Liz jab Robert in the chest. “I’m fine. I know how to fight it. It will kill Emily if I don’t take it from her. Is that what you want?”
“No, but I don’t want you suffering for it,” Robert whispered, before growling at Tremaine. “You shouldn’t have urged her to take it from me.”
Preston laughed bitterly. “Oh, she was about to try it anyway, Robert. She didn’t really need any encouragement. She was desperate enough to try anything.”
“She just lost her father though,” Robert answered.
“A father I didn’t even know was my father until last night. I was never close to Draecyn. I don’t know what to feel about that. You, I couldn’t have lost you anymore than I could have lost Tremaine. So please, drop it.”
“You fought the curse,” Robert whispered.
Liz sighed. “Not the first time, and we’re not discussing it. We’re going to fix your sister and then we’ll hopefully have a few more answers.”
“I don’t get much choice, do I?” Robert asked.
“No, now shut up and let Tremaine drive,” she snapped.
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