Gwynn stares back at me, his eyes narrowed into little slits, his mouth pursed.
Wait, Ever. Just wait for it. You’ve got him where you want him. Don’t fuck it up by being impatient. Not now. I keep my eyes glued to Gwynn, unwilling to chance looking at anyone else, as if my sheer force of will will influence his decision.
“You are willing to give your blood oath that you will not strike out at us?” Gwynn asks.
“I’m willing to give my blood oath that we will not strike out at you or yours unless you strike out at me or mine.” Gwynn’s clever to try and get me to agree to his statement. It would mean that no matter what, we couldn’t strike out at them. I learned my lesson after Cashel found a loophole when we caught him.
The corners of Gwynn’s lips twitch and he nods. “Smart girl. I agree to your terms. You may come up.” He waves an arm and every guard on the deck lowers their weapons.
I wait for the guards to move back a few steps before I take another step up the stairs. I can feel Dare’s body close to mine and his presence calms my jittering nerves. I trust him to have my back and get me out if I can’t get myself out. It’s not an easy thing for any warrior to trust another with their life, but once that trust is given, it’s a bond that’s tougher than any force that could try to break it apart.
As a unit, we ascend the stairs until we come face-to-face with the guards still watching us with unease. I smile at all of them, trying to ease some tension. Two of them tense in response and my smile turns to a frown.
“Do you guys not smile?” I step forward and extend my hand to the guard who spoke earlier. The one I insulted. “Hey, I’m Ever. Sorry about what I said down there.” I shrug like it’s no big deal and wait for his response.
He looks down at my hand and then slowly raises his gaze back to meet mine.
I wait for him to slight me and act like he’s offended about me calling him out on his negotiation tactics. I wasn’t wrong. He has to be out of practice if that’s what he is trying to work with.
He slings his gun over his shoulder and steps forward, extending his hand. “Liam. And it’s fine. It’s been a while since I’ve negotiated with anyone.” One side of his mouth pulls upward in a smile.
“No problem. I think it’s a habit we all have. Take down first, negotiate later. Nice to meet you.”
Dare extends a hand around me and the boys all introduce themselves. I step into the house and look around. High ceilings with exposed beams, a lot of dark wood, and well-loved leather furniture. There’s a fireplace in the middle of the room, separating the living room and an enormous dining room. Bookcases line the wall into a room I can’t quite see fully. I crane my neck to get a better look, but the sliding door is pulled partially closed, blocking my view.
“Looking for something in particular?” That hint of accent tickles my ears, and I turn to find Gwynn watching me intently. He holds a tray of drinks between his large hands and I eye the liquid.
“Not looking for anything at all. Just checking things out.” I wave a hand, encompassing the room. “It’s not what I expected. It’s homey.”
“Not the military fortress it’s rumored to be, is it?” Gwynn chuckles.
“I’m sure that’s in the basement. Can’t scare the visitors with all the weapons lining the walls, now can we?” I bounce on the tips of my toes to get rid of the excess energy running through me. Now that I’ve gotten into Gwynn’s house, I’m not quite sure what to think about him. Does he live up to the legends and rumors? Is he the boogeyman I remember hearing about from my childhood? Or is his real personality a big secret that everyone’s kept hidden?
Footsteps shuffle behind me and I look over my shoulder to ensure nothing is amiss. Dare, Calder, and Doyle file into the room, followed by Liam and a few of Gwynn’s other guards.
Dare walks to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, and dips his head to speak lowly in my ear. “Don’t walk off without me like that again.”
Instead of rolling my eyes like I want to, because I can take care of myself, I press a kiss to his stubbled jaw and nod. “Adrenaline got the best of me.”
Dare rubs his hand up and down the curve of my waist but doesn’t say anything else on the subject. I drag my eyes away from his face and turn my attention back to our hosts. I clear my throat to avoid cringing. Not only did I just show a softer side I didn’t want to, I also showed a weakness in front of a room full of possible combatants.
I step out of Dare’s embrace and square my shoulders. “Right then. Let’s get down to it.”
Gwynn’s features harden, his lips forming a thin line. “Ah, yes. What you so bravely risked your life for. Do tell. What is it you think I don’t know about what is happening within MECA?”
I look one by one at Gwynn’s men. “Do you trust each of these men? Are they loyal to only you and no other higher-ups at MECA?”
Gwynn sits back in his chair, his arms resting on the armrests, and tilts his head. “Why would you ask that?”
“I can’t answer that question until you assure me that these men aren’t reporting back to anyone other than you.” I step forward, resting my hands on the back of the sectional couch across from where Gwynn is sitting. “Don’t bullshit me. You’d know if they are. You’re too smart to be duped.”
“You are correct. I do know who reports to others. You have my word that these men are loyal to me, and me alone.”
I look at Doyle. “Show him the photos. Tell him what we know.”
Doyle steps forward and removes the envelope of photos we brought with us from under his vest. He opens it and removes the photos before tossing them on the coffee table in front of Gwynn, effectively fanning them out in all their glory for everyone in the room to see.
Gwynn looks from the photos to his men and then to me. He picks up the one with Head Guard Frederick shaking hands with Cashel. It’s time stamped from only a few days ago. “These can’t be right.” He shakes his head. “I know Frederick. I picked him myself.”
“Would you like the original films of the photos? I can provide those for you.” I clench my hands on the back of the sofa to keep from shouting at him about his blind faith in Head Guard Frederick. I know the sting of the betrayal he must be feeling. It’s the same stomach-twisting ache I felt when MECA suspended me and tried to rip my crew apart after accusing me of unacceptable actions. “I wish this was the worst of his offenses, but it’s not.”
I step around the couch and sort through the photos until I grab the photo of Frederick meeting with Cashel and the Order of Íonachta, their seal clearly displayed on the back of the navy cloak. I hand the photo to Gwynn, the glossy paper shaking between my fingers as I vibrate with rage.
“How did you get this information?” Gwynn hands the photos to Liam, who has moved to stand behind him.
“You said you knew who I am, even from all the way out here. Let’s just say that, yes, my crew and I really are that good.” I don’t say the words to boast. I say them to drive home my point. I’m not here to play games. I’m here to fix what’s broken.
Gwynn stands and begins to pace. “Who else have you talked to about this?”
“The few I have here with me know it all. It’s been necessary to share the information to keep me and mine safe. Everyone can be trusted. We’ve kept the news contained.” Despite the fact that I want to shout it from the rooftops, I’m not a fool. I know that if I don’t handle this in a precise way, I’ll be the one to get burned.
I watch as Gwyn paces left and right, rubbing a hand on his chin. I understand his anxiety. Probably more than most. Decisions have consequences that not even fate can foretell. Gwynn handed over his throne of leadership to a crooked man so full of secrets it’s a wonder they aren’t spilling from his mouth every time he opens it.
“Is there any way Frederick or the Order of Íonachta know that you came here?” Gwynn asks.
“No. There isn’t.”
“You’re sure?” Gwynn levels me with a harsh stare and I r
eturn it.
“I’m positive. I’m aware of how Frederick works. And I’m aware of how Cashel works. We’re still learning about the Order of Íonachta but we have some very powerful and interested parties backing us and looking for any information we can get about them.” I prop my hands on my hips. “I’m not an amateur. I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t certain of what needs to happen.”
Gwynn quirks a brow. “And what do you think needs to happen?”
“Frederick needs to be removed and dealt with, for starters. I am not in a place to do anything to facilitate such a large change within MECA. You are.”
“What makes you think I care what happens to MECA? I haven’t stepped foot in the compound in almost one hundred years.”
I smile. “You care. Or you wouldn’t have tried to deny that your one-time protégé is working with a group bent on destroying all leath cine and other beings they deem unpure.”
“This isn’t MECA’s problem. You know that, right?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Gwynn.” I shake my head and motion for Doyle to collect the photos on the table. “It’s everyone’s problem. We have no idea what the Order’s true reach is. We could be facing a war or, at the very least, a bloody battle that could divide kingdoms, ruin reigns, and destroy thrones. The time for staying neutral has passed. You’re either with us or you’re with them. There is no in-between.”
CHAPTER
NINE
After discussing the finer details, we leave Gwynn’s hideaway and head back toward the rest of our group waiting for us at the tree line. No sooner do I pass through the low-hanging branches than Kirin pounces on me.
“What happened?” He grabs my shoulders and looks me over. “You aren’t injured, right?”
“Right. I’m fine, Kirin. We’re all fine.”
“What happened then? Tell me everything.”
I wave for us to keep moving. “Walk and talk. Gwynn and his men are going to meet us at MECA. We’ll tell you the particulars when we’re out of here.”
“I though you said it’s fine?” He walks backward, tripping over branches as he talks to us.
“It is fine. But we’ve got things to do in a very short period of time if we’re going to make this work.”
Kirin nods. “Right. Okay. Tell me what to do. I’ve got you, Ev.”
I feign a punch at his shoulder. “I know you do, Kirin.” I smile. “I know.”
Dare grabs my hand and squeezes it. I raise my gaze to meet his and squeeze back. I know he’s got my back too. They all do. And it’s time to do this. Whether I’m ready or not.
*
I tap my fingers against the door of the SUV in a staccato rhythm. My knee bounces and I blow out a frustrated breath.
“Where are they?” I look in the side mirror again, checking to make sure they didn’t park behind us.
“They’ll be here, Ever.” Doyle’s voice is low and reassuring.
“They wouldn’t betray us, right?”
I look over my shoulder to Dare, where he sits across from me. He fought me on me sitting in the front of the SUV. But we’re going into MECA and if I’m going to make the splash that I want to knock everyone off-balance, I need to be up front. Where I always was for the many years that I was there. It feels like a million years have passed since I stared up at those gates leading into the compound. Hot rage boils through my blood followed by a cool calmness blowing through my mind. Logically, I understand why they kicked me out. I was a threat to Frederick. But irrationally, I want to go in there with fists flying and words of hatred and accusation spewing from my lips. I want everyone who had any part in trying to disband me and my crew to feel the humiliation I felt during that meeting and after when I walked through the full halls of MECA and out the doors. I’d be a better person if I didn’t feel this way. But no matter how hard I try to elevate my thoughts, my memories pull me back down until I’m sitting on top of a cloud of darkness and vengeance.
An SUV stops in front of us and I pull myself out of my thoughts of revenge. Revenge is a homicidal bitch. It never goes the way you want it to. There’s always two victims.
“They’re here. Let’s do this.” I sit up straighter in my seat. “Amren, you ready to blast the doors open?”
“Yes, I am, my dear.” We called for him after we’d made the decision that it was too risky to not strike at MECA today. Despite my caution, some of Gwynn’s men are reporting to others. And that means that any advantage would be short-lived.
“Lovely. Doyle, give the signal and let’s roll.” I reach up to the handle above the door and hold on. This is going to be a bumpy ride.
Within seconds we’re closing the distance to the gates of MECA. The doors still stand strong, unmoving, and I grit my teeth, tensing my body to brace for the impact. Before we can hit them, they disappear like a mirage in the desert. We fly through the now empty space, tires screeching to a halt in the middle of the courtyard.
“Holy shit! Amren, cutting it a little close.” I toss a reproachful look over my shoulder at him.
Amren chuckles and waves me off. “Not at all, my dear. Just a bit of fun for an old Druid.”
“Yeah. Fun. That’s what we’ll call that near-death experience. Joyous, even.”
Kirin chuckles darkly and Dare grunts.
I take a deep breath and look around at the surprised faces staring back at us. “Show time. Everyone ready? Doors in three, two… one.”
As one we all open the doors to the SUVs. It’s a show of force with a flare of drama, but it has the effect I want. Everyone who wasn’t watching us before has their focus trained on us now. A hush falls through the crowd as I walk toward the steps leading up to the doors. I place my foot on the bottom step and turn around to face all of the shocked guards around the courtyard. A few have their weapons trained on us, and I take note of who. A few are smiling wide, and a few more just look shocked with their mouths hanging open.
My lips twitch as I try not to smile just yet. Dare steps up beside me and presses his hand to my lower back. My crew falls into line in front of me, and Dare’s group fans out around us. I raise a brow, and Gwynn and his guards file out of their SUV. Whispers swirl through the air at the sight of Gwynn, and I let one side of my mouth curl up in a devil-may-care smile.
“We’re back, bitches.”
*
Gwynn comes to stand beside our group before facing the crowd that’s formed at the base of the stairs.
“Who can tell me where the elders are?” Gwynn’s low voice rings out through the air.
No one moves. No one even twitches a finger in response to his question. I can’t blame them. This is a show of force that MECA hasn’t seen in a very long time. According to Head Guard Frederick, I’m persona non grata and Gwynn is the Original Guard. I can only imagine the questions whizzing around everyone’s heads, but we don’t have the time to answer them right now. We need to move before we lose our slight advantage. If we haven’t lost it already. Amren is supposed to be cloaking us from those inside the compound, but I couldn’t give him an accurate number on how many in the compound could try and counteract him.
“Don’t waste your time asking them, Gwynn. They won’t tell you for fear of being disbanded. I have a feeling I know where they are.” I jerk my head toward the doors. “This way.”
I approach the doors. Before I can reach forward to push them open, they fly inward. I don’t question it; I just keep moving toward our target.
I walk forward with Dare on one side, Doyle on the other. I keep my gaze focused ahead of me instead of looking at who’s on either side of me, gawking at my sudden reappearance.
“Holy shit. Ever? Is that you?”
I stop short at the voice. It’s Galen. The guard who helped us before we were called in front of the tribunal that disbanded us.
I look him over before approaching him. Dare steps in front of me, keeping me half-hidden from him. Warmth spreads through me at his action and I press my hand on
Dare’s shoulder.
“It’s been a long time, Galen.”
“It has. I’d ask how you’ve been, but it looks to me like you’re doing okay.” He smiles at me and gestures to Dare and the men behind me.
“Looks can be deceiving, Galen.” I point behind him. “Are they in there?”
He frowns. “Who?”
I tense, my hand going to the blade at my belt. “Don’t play stupid with me. You helped us once. Don’t make me repay your kindness with something we’ll both regret.”
Galen sighs. “Yeah, they’re in there.”
“Do they know I’m here?” I raise a brow.
“No. I don’t think so. I didn’t even know you were here until you walked through the doors. How are you doing that?”
I wink. “I can’t tell you.” He opens his mouth to protest and I shake my head. “Maybe after this is all said and done, we can sit down and talk, but there are too many eyes and ears here, most of them unfriendly.” I jerk my chin at him as I push against Dare’s back, indicating we should keep moving. “Watch yourself, Galen. You never know who’s a friend and who’s only pretending.”
“Good luck.” Galen steps back and waves a hand to the rest of his crew standing in front of us. They stand down, and as a unit, we all push forward toward the room where the elders meet.
I try unclenching my teeth as I draw closer to the room that was the catalyst to all of this. Dare places his palm flat on the door, and I lay my hand over his.
“No. Wait.” I roll my shoulders to ease the tension in my neck. I can do this. MECA no longer controls me. I’m no longer theirs to order about.
“We’re with you, Ev.” Doyle grips my elbow and I nod.
“All of us.” Axel states.
I look behind me at Kirin and Eryn. I search their faces for any sign of hesitation. There isn’t any. I nod again. This time with confidence. I step in front of Dare and let myself slip into that quiet place inside my head. That battle-ready calm that allows me to focus on what needs to be done, rather than the what-ifs and the could be’s. Without a thought, I blast the doors open. I have no idea where the power comes from, but I’m thankful for it once again. I walk forward with purpose, my stride sure, my heartbeat steady. With another thought, the second set of doors flies inward.
Throne of Secrets (Wicked Kingdoms Book 3) Page 8