Mending Scars

by Rivers, Brandy L

  At least someone was getting a kick out of this.

  Priscilla approached him, her hands up in surrender. “Preston, slow down. You’re in a relationship? Truly?”

  His eyes snapped back to her. “Yes, damn it, I am.”

  “Then it can all be fixed. Though, are you sure you want Remus’ daughter? That arrogant monster may have rubbed off on her.”

  “Oh no, don’t even go there. She’s not like him. Give me a single damned reason Toryn can’t know about me now. I’m an adult. It’s not like he’s going to spirit me away to Faerie, especially since his mate doesn’t want to go there either.”

  Her brow shot up, her eyes bugging out. “His mate?”

  Preston’s hands cranked into fists as he tried to wrestle back his anger. “Yes, his mate. Doubtful you’ve ever met her. She’s less than half my age. Why do you care when you’re the one who never once went looking for him?”

  “I didn’t think the man was capable of love. Only lust,” she admitted with a sad shrug.

  “Mother,” Preston forced a smile, “you have taken more than your share of men to bed without love. Why is Toryn any different than you, than me, or any number of people?”

  “I was afraid. For you. For me. For a lot of reasons. Most of which circle right back to Remus.” She shrugged and sank onto a chair. “I’m wanted in Faerie, especially after what I did to Remus before my escape. I’m sure he would love to have me in a dungeon again, only this time without my iron spikes.”

  Scrubbing a hand over his face, Preston shuddered. “Did he hurt you?” The words were torn from him.

  A smirk twisted her lips. “Oh no. I knew some of his darker desires, and turned them against him.”

  “Fuck,” Preston groaned. “I really don’t want to know more.”

  “I didn’t have sex with him, if that makes you feel better. I let him think he was getting lucky before driving iron spikes through him. Funny thing about iron on certain fae, they can’t escape, no matter their tricks.”

  “Seriously, Mom. No more details! Now, release me from the spell.”

  “First, tell me why you’re looking for Remus.”

  “He’s my assignment. He needs to pay for his crimes. We have irrefutable proof he’s tortured, raped, and killed countless women. I’m working directly with Toryn to find Remus. It may never come up, but if I’m forced to lie and withhold things, it could jeopardize this assignment. Please remove the spell so I can do the job you’re so damned proud of.”

  Priscilla stood there, staring at her son.

  Robert cleared his throat. “Preston’s position is safe, Priscilla. I won’t share this secret, and unless Remus spreads the truth, no one will learn of it. Even if he does, we can play it off as rumor.”

  Her head dipped in a slight nod as she moved closer to Preston. “Very well.” She lifted a hand and placed it on his chest.

  The threads of magic snapped, and a weight was lifted off him. He took a deep breath, feeling free, stumbled and put his hand out.

  Robert caught him. “You okay?”

  He nodded. “Never realized how constricting that spell was.”

  “For that, I am sorry,” Priscilla offered softly.

  “Thank you.” I think. He wasn’t sure what to feel about all of it, and her vague answers left more questions. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “No, but if I think of anything, I’ll call.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

  “Mom, I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her through his lashes. “I get why you kept the secret. I’m not even sure I’ll tell Toryn.”

  Her expression softened as her head tipped to the side. “He’s an exceptional man. Maybe it’s time Toryn learns of his son.”

  Preston sucked in a breath. “Call me if Remus initiates contact. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She gave him a vicious smile. “He won’t take me by surprise. And I trust you to take him down. Remember, he’s devious and he’ll use everything at his disposal.”

  “I will.” He tipped his head. “He can’t sneak up on me either.”

  Mom nodded with a smile. “Go get him.”

  “You ready?” Robert asked.

  “Sure.” Preston hoped he spoke the truth.

  Chapter 6

  Dacia pulled into a driveway at the edge of town. There was only one house past that point, and it belonged to a vampire, known for voyeurism. Lincoln had been watching her for months.

  The best part, Victoria seemed to have her own obsession with Lincoln. In a twisted way, they might benefit each other. The house fit Lincoln’s needs and Victoria wanted it off her hands.

  Maybe moving next door to her would bring Lincoln further out of his sheltered cave, and into the world.

  He’d always been different from everyone. No one seemed to know why. Lincoln radiated purity but there was a quiet power under the surface.

  “It’s a small house. Cozy. Enough room for a single man.” Dacia smiled as she pulled to a stop and turned off the engine. She looked over and found him staring at the stone wall on the edge of the property.

  “Isn’t that...”

  “Victoria’s house?” She managed to hold back a laugh. “Did I misread you? You want to break out of your mother’s hold. Right?”

  He nodded slowly as he turned toward her. “I can’t find myself until my mother lets me go.”

  “Are you sure she’s bound to her home?”

  One corner of his mouth lifted in a slight grimace. “I made sure she can’t leave until she chooses to go to the light.”

  “Have you let her go?”

  He nodded. “I’ve pleaded with her to leave. It’s time to find my own path.”

  “Let me show you the house.” She climbed out of the car.

  Instead of going to the door, Lincoln walked out into the front yard, looking at the brown and dying hedge. He held out his hand and the tiny dried leaves flared to life, green washing away the brown as the plant revitalized.

  A genuine smile spread on his face and he seemed to glow as he moved toward the rose bushes where flowers were wilting. Under his touch, the petals filled out, looking luscious as the heady scent flowed through the air.

  Lincoln turned back with a grin. “I’ll take it.”

  Dacia couldn’t resist laughing. “Don’t you want to at least see the house first?”

  His green eyes held a new vibrancy as he nodded. “Please, show me my house.” There was a depth to his voice that hadn’t been there before, as if he were evolving before her.

  Her brow arched as she walked to the door, unlocking it with a wave of her hand. She swung her arm inside.

  “After you.” His voice was full of confidence. Peace flowed around him, washing her earlier stress away.

  Shaking off questions, she walked in to give him a tour of the modest two bedroom home. “Considering the current owner, I believe we can have all the arrangements settled quickly.”

  His head dipped in a nod as he walked toward the bedrooms. “Sooner the better. Thank you, Dacia. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  She had a decent guess. She could feel something powerful flowing from him. The property seemed to change the moment he stepped onto it, like Lincoln claimed the land somehow.

  * * * *

  “What do you want to do?” Robert asked about a second after they landed in Preston’s place.

  Preston paused, thinking. Only something was missing—or maybe different. He couldn’t pinpoint what.

  Scrubbing his hands through his hair, he groaned. “Fuck, I don’t know.” Preston gestured at the stack of documents on the counter with a frustrated glare. “I want to find out what that shit is all about. I want to talk to Dacia, but I have no clue what to say to her. And I haven’t decided if I should tell Toryn, now that I can. I mean, what does it really change?”

  “I can’t an
swer that for you.” Robert sat down at the counter and picked up the top sheet. He dropped it immediately and shook his hand like it had shocked him. “What was that?”

  “It’s some kind of fae contract. There’s earth magic, but it’s not all fae. It’s older, more primal, and I don’t have a clue how to decipher it.” Preston rhythmically tapped his fingers on the counter as he stared down at the pile of documents. After shoving his fingers through his hair, he reached for the phone.

  “What?” Robert whispered.

  “Forget frozen over. Apparently hell entered the fucking ice age.” Preston hit speed dial.

  A second later Hayden answered, “Tell me there’s a reason you’re calling?” He sounded breathless, and Amethyst giggled in the background.

  Preston squeezed his eyes shut, trying to picture anything but what was in his head. “I need your help if you can come by—when you’re done.”

  “Your apartment?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Twenty minutes.” The phone went dead.

  Robert laughed out loud. “He may kill you for interrupting.”

  Preston shuddered. “Still trying to get that image out of my damned head. Fuck.”

  “Karma’s getting you back.” Robert walked away with a snicker. “Want backup when he gets here?”

  His lip curled. “Hayden’s not going to hurt me. Amethyst would kick his ass, or at least take away the nookie.”

  “You’ve got a point.” Sobering up, Robert wandered back to the kitchen. “But I want to see what these are. Maybe you can figure some of them out while we wait.”

  Preston slid onto a stool and flipped the pile over to start at the bottom, leaving the one causing the most concern for last.

  * * * *

  Remus floated into Lamar’s house. The man who helped find Preston’s mother and the restaurant she owned. For whatever reason, the imbecile couldn’t tell him the woman’s name. Only that she was a former Silver Council Enforcer. So it was a shock to find Priscilla when he walked into the diner.

  He floated to the diner, but at first it appeared to be abandoned. Once he placed his hand on the window, he could peer inside and found the place bustling with customers.

  Remus strode inside to be greeted by a very pissed off Priscilla glaring at him from behind the counter. “Out of my establishment!” she demanded.

  He shook his head slowly as he wound the spell to lock everyone in and filled his body with electricity. It was an old building, and probably still had gas stoves in the kitchen. “I have questions. You can answer them here.” He paused to look around the room. “Or in the kitchen.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Very well, follow me.”

  She strode back toward the swinging kitchen door and stepped inside. Remus followed closing the gap. His hair rose on end as he got within three feet of her. Shields, but they wouldn’t protect her from an inferno should the need arise.

  Other than pale blue eyes, Preston looked nothing like his mother. He had suspicions about the sperm donor, which raised even more questions. However, knowing the feisty woman before him, he wasn’t going to push his luck. He growled, “You have a son. Preston Emrys. Who is his father?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Oh, I think it does. Don’t worry, answer my questions, and I won’t be forced to use this.” He flicked his eyes toward the gas range and raised his palm as it filled with lightening that surged and spun into a deadly orb.

  “Who do you suspect?”

  “He’s the spitting image of Toryn Flame. Was he the reason you escaped the shackles that suppressed your magic?”

  When she only glared, he moved his hand toward the range, menacing. “I can take this whole place out with a flick of my wrist.”

  “And if I tell you, will you leave everyone here in peace?”

  “If you answer my question, I’ll leave peacefully. No one here will be harmed.”

  A cruel smile formed. “Yes, Toryn Flame is Preston’s father. Now go.”

  Before he could move forward another inch, he found himself walking backward, into the dining area, toward the door.

  “Can’t tell a lie. Not to mention, the wards in this place will force compliance to a non-violent promise. Don’t bother coming back. You won’t be able to come within a hundred feet of here again.”

  The woman was a legend, both here and in Faerie. She was the one responsible for taking in so many of the Silver Council’s most wanted for over a century. Henroyld’s people finally caught her and brought her to the Earth Castle’s dungeon, which she escaped after nearly killing him. He’d searched long and hard for her, but never turned up anything.

  He still remembered the first time he saw her.

  Remus strode to the cell where one troublesome mage was being held. The guards had been told she was off limits because she was too dangerous. Even with shackles, she managed to behead one who got too close. With what, he wasn’t sure. None of the guards found any weapons on her, then again, none of the guards wanted to be anywhere near her after that.

  He turned to find her sitting there. Petite, fierce, and not at all scared as she stared back, daring him to make a move. She intrigued him. Breaking her would be a pleasure.

  “Are your new accommodations to your liking?”

  “They are sufficient, however my host has been less than hospitable.”

  “Maybe I can change that.”

  He let himself into the cell, careful to lock the door behind him.

  She spread her legs, hiking her dress up with one hand exposing soft creamy white flesh. He closed the distance and yanked her upright, then shoved her toward the rack.

  Next thing he knew, he was flipped around, his chest hitting the frame as something sharp impaled his wrists and embedded into the wood.

  He screamed as the iron poisoned his blood, blistering his skin, twisting muscle, and charring bone.

  The metal wrapped around his wrists, burning as it went, further locking him to the device. Another sharp spike went through his chest and lung, and a final rod pierced his upper thigh, nicking the major artery. He felt his blood draining and the scrape of metal on metal. Air whistled from his chest where he’d been punctured, and he was helpless, his magic tethered by the iron.

  He slowed his breathing, forcing his heart rate to a crawl. “You’ll never pick those locks, temptress. And you will pay as soon as the guards free me.” His vision was already going dark though, and he’d told the guards to stay away until he was done with his prey.

  Funny how after all these years, he finally had a way to break down Toryn, bring Priscilla to her knees, and bend Dacia to his will, all while getting the Silver Council off his back. A downside, he’d likely have to let Preston live. But first, he was going to take out his frustrations on the mage tied to everyone he wanted to suffer.

  Footsteps in the hall brought Remus back to the present. Lamar walked into the living room as Remus took his form.

  “Shit, man, what are you doing here?” Lamar sputtered.

  “You’ll allow me to use your basement for as long as I need.”

  “You’re a fugitive. Everyone is after you. I won’t aid you. Get out of my home.”

  “You have two choices. Allow me to use your basement. Or I take away a part of your memory and do it anyway. Which will it be?”

  Turning toward the windows, Lamar’s brow pinched. Anticipating his cowardice, Remus wound a spell.

  Lamar dropped his shoulders in defeat. “I’m being watched already. You can’t be here.”

  “They’ll never know, and you won’t remember.” Remus ran out of patience and closed the distance. Placing a hand over Lamar’s face, he wiped the conversation from his mind, and left a dozen reasons to avoid the basement. Before granting the mage a return to consciousness, he dispersed into air and moved downstairs.

  * * * *

  Lincoln walked through the house as Dacia leaned against the wall beside the door. Watching the excitement dance over his face was cont
agious.

  He finally came back to her. “Can you call Victoria at sundown?”

  “I will. We have a couple hours.” She glanced at her phone again and frowned. Then she locked eyes with Lincoln and smiled. “Why don’t I take you to dinner?”

  His brow arched. “You would?”

  A smile pulled at her lips. “I asked, didn’t I?”

  He nodded, the suspicion drifting from his expression. “I’d like that.”

  Warmth spread through her. “We’ll have a delicious meal. Then you can be there when I contact Victoria. Maybe we’ll pay her a visit to have the paperwork signed.”

  “I… um…uh…”

  “Or we can call her.” She nodded to the door. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 7

  So far, with most of the documents translated, they had found a dozen hideouts throughout the world. Yeah, the world. Preston pressed his fingers against his temples to ward off the stress headache from hours of concentration.

  There was a pattern. Remus was gathering up properties far and wide to keep himself moving. He was calling in favors. Beyond property, there were contracts involving far less reputable things.

  Hayden sat across from him shaking his head. “Fucking abyss. That monster would sell his own daughter to a damned dragon. There’s a reason the Earth king enslaved Gebiet while he’d been alive. He makes Remus’ crimes look tame.”

  Preston wanted the bastard to pay before. Now he wanted to make him suffer for centuries. “I was hoping it was something else.”

  Hayden’s brow shot to his hairline. “Why does it sound like your crush has evolved into something more?”

  Preston looked to Robert.

  His shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Up to you. Hayden’s not going to share without a solid reason.”

  “Shit.” Preston took a slow breath, turning back to the sheriff. “Dacia and I formed a mate bond.”

  Hayden shook his head. “That’s not possible. Mages and fae don’t bond. Fae only bond with other fae.”