Olivia nodded, and Marcella took a deep breath as though bracing herself.
“My visions are getting worse. Mother and the others completed the spellwork to bind your enemy ahead of schedule, but when they did …” she trailed off.
Worry coursed through me. Marcella was a hybrid child. Part witch, part psyker. Her abilities lay in the spectrum of a chronokinetic—a psyker capable of manipulating time. She hadn’t grown into her abilities any further than seeing visions of the future. At least not that we knew of. But her visions were never good.
I only hoped that this time she didn’t see visions of me destroying the city or anyone I cared about. I couldn’t take the stress right now.
“What was it that you saw?” Declan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Marcella leaned into the touch. “Blood.” She paled. “I saw blood and death and pain. So much pain.”
I worried my lower lip. Please don’t be about me. Her last vision had seen me destroying the city and everyone I loved. I’d managed to change that future, but it had almost cost me my life.
“Whose?” he asked, his voice gentle.
I flicked my gaze toward Olivia. Her gray hair was pulled tight into a severe bun at her nape, highlighting the fine crisscross of scars that decorated her skin in an almost delicate pattern.
Olivia’s eyes were solemn. “We don’t know,” she answered for her daughter. “Marcella only sees chaos and destruction. She’s seen casualties on all sides across all five factions.”
“All five?” Declan asked.
Marcella answered, “Shifter, Vampire, Human, Witch, and Psyker.”
I scrunched my brows. Psykers had never been considered their own faction, though it made sense.
“How do we stop it?” Whatever it was.
“We don’t know, but the visions didn’t begin until the spellwork took hold in the binding. We think the woman is a catalyst of sorts.”
“Did you bring it with you?” Declan asked.
Olivia nodded and pulled a thick silver cuff from her purse. It was three inches wide, maybe an eighth of an inch thick, and decorated with a scrollwork pattern.
“Once on the skin, the spell will activate, and it will mold to the wrist, making it virtually impossible to remove. This will keep the woman from accessing her powers. We don’t know with certainty how long the magic will last, but we’re confident it should last at least two weeks.”
“What happens after two weeks?” I asked.
Olivia shrugged her shoulders. “If the magic wears off, then it will release itself. If the magic is still strong, then it won’t. But once on, there isn’t a way to remove it. Not that we’ve spent much time trying to counter our spellwork to find out.”
Declan took the cuff from Olivia and held it up for scrutiny. “You’re sure it will work?”
Olivia smiled. “You’re welcome to try it if you have any doubts.”
That earned her a growl.
“I’m not stupid,” he told her.
“That is yet to be determined.”
Declan still wasn’t happy that Olivia had gotten inside the Compound gates without his security noticing, and Brock—the werelion in charge of said security—wasn’t any happier.
It was almost laughable.
Brock took a breach in security like a dagger to the heart.
His cognac eyes were downcast as he tugged at the gold stud in his left ear, a determined look on his face.
“I’ll locate where the breach occurred. You have my word.”
His lips pressed together in a tight line, and he flicked a murderous glare in Olivia’s direction.
“You could just ask her, you know?” I suggested.
That earned me a cutting glare.
I raised both hands up. “Or not. You could totally do things the hard way too. Whatever you think is best.”
Brock spun on his heel and stalked down the hallway, not bothering to respond. I smothered a laugh before I turned to Declan, a wry grin on my face. “Was it something I said?”
He shook his head, but a small smile quirked his lips. “Olivia’s enjoying this too much. Whatever she told us wouldn’t be the truth. Assuming she told us anything at all. Brock is better off figuring it out on his own and then strengthening the perimeter to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I sighed but nodded. I wasn’t thrilled with a security breach any more than he was, but we had a crazy-ass psyker to wake up, so with everything else on my plate, I’d let them worry about the breach.
I fingered the silver wrist cuff in my hands. The metal was cool to the touch but every few seconds it sent a zing through my fingertips.
It reminded me of static shock. A quick zap that made you twitch but didn’t hurt.
“Are you ready?”
“Am I a complete jerk for not calling Inarus and telling him what we’re doing?”
I was. Dia was his sister, and he’d trusted me to watch over her while he took care of repairs and renovations at Sanborn Place.
Declan was quiet long enough that I looked up.
“If you’re really thinking about it, then I am. Because you don’t even like the guy and you realize it’s an asshole move.”
I handed him the cuff and pulled out my phone for what seemed like the hundredth time today.
Inarus answered on the first ring.
“The witches came up with a spell that will bind Dia’s powers. We’re getting ready to use it so we can wake her up. Can you step away?”
“I’ll be right there.”
The line went dead.
“He should be— ” before I could finish my sentence Inarus stood in front of us. Show off.
His gray-blue eyes were brighter than usual.
He ran a hand through his jet black hair before shoving his hands into his front jean pockets.
“We need ground rules,” he said.
“No one will hurt your sister.”
Declan snorted behind me.
I peered over my shoulder and mouthed not helping.
Not that Declan cared. If he’d had his way, Dia would be dead, and we’d have all moved on by now.
“Look, you’re here, right? If we wanted to be assholes and do this behind your back, we could have. We’re taking things one step at a time, and you’ll be involved in each one.”
Inarus didn’t look convinced but nodded.
“All right, then. Let’s get this show on the road.”
5
The small room was cramped with so many bodies inside. Olivia and Marcella stood to the far left of the room. Inarus stood at Dia’s right. Frankie and Annabeth—the Pack’s resident healers—were stationed on Dia’s immediate left, leaving Declan and I to stand at the foot of the bed.
Inarus placed the cuff on Dia’s wrist and stepped back.
We all took a collective breath.
Nothing happened.
I flicked my eyes to Olivia and lifted a brow.
Wasn’t something magical supposed to happen?
She shrugged. “It’s magic, not fireworks. What did you expect?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know. Something exciting, maybe?”
She snorted.
I moved closer to the bed. On first inspection, the cuff wasn’t doing anything, but as I got closer, I realized that the cuff was moving like molasses along Dia’s exposed flesh.
It shrank little by little, curving to the contours of her wrist.
I scowled down at the shiny metal. Any day now.
Minutes ticked by. I tapped my foot, never taking my eyes off of the cuff lest I miss something.
I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, but this hadn’t been it.
After five full minutes, the cuff finally molded to her skin, leaving not even a hair’s breadth between it and her flesh. I examined the cuff, tracing my finger along its edge. “Now wha—”
Light flared, and runes stood out in stark contrast along the wrist cuff’s surface.
&nb
sp; I dropped her arm and took a step back as a bright light burst into the room, all but blinding me.
It was gone as quickly as it’d come, and the runes it’d illuminated faded right along with it.
“Now you can wake her,” Olivia said, her expression smug.
So much for no fireworks.
Frankie and Annabeth moved to remove Dia’s IV and feeding tube.
I turned, not needing to see the process. Something about a long tube coming out of someone’s nose made me squeamish.
With that done, Frankie pulled a syringe from her medical coat pocket and turned toward Declan.
“The adrenaline should hit her system and cause her to wake almost instantly. She’ll feel disoriented for a few seconds, but given that she’s in good health, she should snap to pretty quick. Ready?”
He nodded.
I chewed my lower lip as Frankie connected the syringe to the IV port still in Dia’s forearm, pushed the plunger, and stepped back.
“Y’all have fun. Frankie and I will leave you to your business,” Annabeth said.
The two women shuffled out of the room, and not a second too soon.
Dia’s eyes snapped to attention. In less than five seconds she’d catalogued the room. I tracked her eyes as they hit each one of us—Declan, Olivia, Marcella, Inarus, and then me.
When her eyes met mine, fury flashed through them, and she lunged from the bed like a wild cat.
Blankets flew, and before I realized what was happening, she plowed into me, throwing me flat on my back.
What the hell?
She wrapped her legs around my rib cage and her arms around my neck. My airway constricted, and we rolled across the ground.
I slammed my elbow into her stomach and managed a brief gasp before her arms tightened again.
No one moved.
Inarus stood open mouthed as I struggled on the floor with his sister.
Marcella hid behind her mother, Olivia holding her arms back protectively to guard her daughter.
And Declan stood, eyes wide with a startled expression on his face.
If I weren’t on the verge of suffocating, I would laugh at the look on his face.
“Little help here,” I choked out.
I hunched my shoulders forward and tried to roll her off me, but she wasn’t budging. The damn woman was like a spider monkey hanging on for dear life.
I elbowed her again, and that got me a punch in the head.
Stars clouded my vision, but I didn’t miss Declan’s normally green eyes flood with gold when she struck me.
I smacked Dia’s arm, drawing her attention to me.
She scowled, having the nerve to look annoyed, like I was some fly she wanted to swat.
Right back at you, twatwaffle.
“You really want to let me go now,” I warned.
I’d managed to maneuver my body to the side so she was almost grasping my head to her chest in an embrace. A suffocating one, but at least I could get a good look at her now.
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. She squeezed tighter.
Oh well. Your funeral.
Declan took a menacing step forward, and thankfully Inarus didn’t make the mistake of trying to stop him. Though he clearly wanted to, judging by the lines of worry bracketing his mouth and the twitch in his hands.
I shook my head. Please don’t.
“Release my mate, and I’ll forget for the next ten minutes that I want to rend your flesh from your bones.” His voice sent chills up my spine, and it wasn’t even directed at me.
I could only imagine what was going through Dia’s head.
She didn’t have a lot of options. By now she would have realized that she couldn’t teleport out of the room, and while she was a fighter, she couldn’t take on all of us.
And she sure as hell couldn’t take on Declan.
I struggled against her hold and managed to get one hand beneath her arm and force it away from my neck.
Woohoo! Air.
“Last warning.” Declan’s skin rippled.
She released me, and I stumbled forward on hands and knees.
Declan grabbed me and jerked me to my feet before he shoved me behind him.
I coughed and braced my hands on my knees as I gasped for breaths.
“Good morning to you too, bitch.” I rubbed at my neck, flinching when I touched a sore spot.
That would leave a bruise.
Dia climbed to her feet and dove backward. Her eyes frantically searched for an exit.
“Dia.” Inarus strode forward with both hands lifted in surrender. “We just want to talk.”
She sneered. “Traitor. I didn’t believe them, but look at you.” She folded her arms across her chest and slid her feet farther back, but she had nowhere to go.
Inarus flinched under her verbal assault, and I waited to see what he would do. This wasn’t your typical family reunion. From what he’d told me, he hadn’t seen his sister in three years.
She’d been eighteen when he left, living in Portland, Oregon.
He hadn’t wanted to involve her with the HAC, but she’d clearly managed to get herself involved all by her lonesome.
I didn’t know if they’d been close before. Hell, until she showed up and tried to kill me, I hadn’t even realized he had a sister.
But I could see from the look on his face that her opinion of him mattered. Peachy.
Having caught my breath, I stepped around Declan. He growled and tried to push me behind him again, but I wasn’t having it.
“What the hell is your problem?” I spat.
Maybe if I riled her up some more, she’d direct all her hate and anger at me instead of Inarus.
And boy, did it work.
Dia lunged for me again. This time, Inarus caught her.
“You’re my problem.” She kicked and swung despite Inarus holding her back, eager to get to me.
Alrighty, then. It was going to be like that. I took three steps forward, and before I could convince myself it was a bad idea, I swung.
My fist connected with her jaw, and her head snapped back.
Pain exploded in my knuckles, but I didn’t care. I shook out my hand and smiled when her eyes rolled back in her head.
“Hah!”
Inarus’ eyes widened, and Dia fell from his arms, hitting the floor with a solid thunk.
“Aria! What the hell?” Inarus fumbled to lift her back up.
“I’ve been waiting to do that all day.” I looked down at my hand and wiggled my fingers. Nothing broken. Phew.
“Besides, you’re the one who dropped her.”
6
The witches left, and Declan and I retreated back to my room to give Inarus some time to cool down and get Dia settled back into bed.
We’d collectively agreed to sedate her and have a do-over in the morning.
Inarus wasn’t thrilled that I’d hit his sister, but he was thankfully pretty understanding.
Okay, he was pissed that I’d punched her while he was holding her back, but he was giving me a pass since she did try to kill me.
Twice now.
I rubbed my eyes and pulled the hair tie free from my hair.
Declan came up behind me and pulled my back flush against him.
He fisted my hair in his hand and kissed the sensitive skin between my neck and shoulder.
“You’re supposed to be going to bed,” I reminded him, though I still tilted my head to the side, giving him better access.
His tongue traced the twin puncture marks on my neck—remnants of his bite when he’d claimed me.
I shivered.
“How am I supposed to go to bed without my mate beside me?” His voice was a rumbling growl that sent butterflies dancing through my stomach.
I rolled my eyes and turned to face him. “You agreed to the rule.” I may not have given him much say in it, but he’d still consented.
His eyes hooded. “You said no sex. You didn’t say you’d isolate yo
urself in a separate room and refuse to let me touch you.”
I wasn’t isolating myself.
Okay. Maybe I was. But how else was I supposed to keep my hands off of him when he looked like that?
Six feet of hard, muscled flesh and the face of a Viking warrior. And when he did that growling thing …
I shook myself.
We were still getting to know one another.
Sex would just complicate our already complicated relationship. We needed more time.
Gold flecks filled his gaze, and he reached for me once more.
Need echoed through the bond between us.
I allowed him to pull me close, feeling the hard ridges of his muscles against my softer flesh.
God, he would feel good naked against me.
Declan lifted a brow.
Shit. Did I say that out loud?
He captured my mouth with his, and before I could dwell on it, he slipped his tongue past my lips, eliciting a moan from me. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms around his neck.
Pine and mint exploded along my senses. I wanted to envelop myself in his scent. I needed to mark him.
Where the hell had that thought come from?
Tugging on the short strands of his white blond hair, I forced him back to catch my breath.
“Rules,” I panted.
“Screw the rules.” Declan crushed his mouth against mine, and in a sweeping motion, lifted me into his arms and carried me toward the bed.
Despite his kiss being hot and full of tamped aggression, he laid me on the bed with infinite care.
His hands were firm but gentle.
He caressed my leg, my hip, the side of my breast. My body arched into his touch.
I needed him. Needed more.
I bit down on my lower lip. I should stop this.
But I didn’t. Because dammit, I wanted him.
I pulled at the hem of Declan’s shirt, and without needing any further encouragement, he pulled it off.
Sun-kissed skin met my gaze.
I drank in the site of him hungrily.
My shirt followed seconds after.
A growl rumbled in Declan’s chest and I suddenly forgot to breathe.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” He kissed me again.
Heat suffused me, and a tingling sensation broke out along my skin.
Consumed by Fire Page 3