Every image from the stacks of pictures he’d found over the last two days slammed into him. Fire sparked to life in his hands and danced up his arms as orbs of flame crackled in his palms.
Remus started to solidify under the weight of Preston’s spell. The air around them erupted, and Remus’ face seemed to boil as a scream burst from him.
Robert grabbed Dane and they disappeared before the heat wave rolled through the house.
Preston reached for Remus, wanting to destroy him. The coward whipped his hands up with a gust of wind that pushed the hyper-heated air toward the lit gas fireplace.
The explosion nearly knocked Preston off his feet. Spreading his arms, he pulled the flames and heat into himself like he’d done a thousand times.
Remus howled as he dispersed into a bubbling red mist that flew away screaming.
Flame and heat swirled around him as he pulled it inside to extinguish the fire. Then there was a pop and he was floating, but all he could see was black haze.
“Preston, no!” Robert screamed.
Preston could vaguely see him running into the wreckage and smoke. Everything was out of whack. He couldn’t focus on any one thing as he floated through disorientation.
Chapter 11
Dacia saw smoke swirling from the direction her brother lived. Panic flowed through her as she turned down the road and drove for his house.
“Where are we going?” Lincoln asked. “Is that Dane’s place?”
She nodded, her breath hitching as she pulled up to the curb. Jumping out of the car, she ran to the smoking ruins. Her eyes landed first on her brother digging through the rubble. Then Robert, who stood there, his chest heaving as he stared at the lingering smoke. It floated through the trees, not rising, not leaving… but drifting?
“Robert?” she called in confusion.
He turned, the pain of loss etched into his face. “He’s gone, Dacia. He’s gone.” His voice broke.
She took his shoulders in a firm grip and shook her head. “Preston can’t be gone.”
He was there, she could feel him—almost hear him calling her name. Like maybe his voice was carried on the wind. Her heart thundered in her chest as her mind spun out of control.
What the fuck happened?
She turned back to the smoke floating through the trees. It wasn’t natural, something was off. And then she remembered that some fire fae have an ability similar to how she turned to wind.
Hope filled her and she spun back. “Robert.”
“He’s gone,” he whispered.
She looked him directly in the eye. “Has he ever turned to smoke?”
“What?” Robert grabbed her arms and stared at her with glassy eyes. “What are you talking about?”
Gently disentangling from Robert’s grasp, her eyes narrowed and her voice turned steely. “Preston. Has he ever disappeared in a cloud of smoke?”
“No. Never.”
Her heart thumped a heavy pattern in her chest. That was likely bad. She looked over to the smoke lingering in the nearby trees. Unless she found a way to help Preston, she might really lose him. Letting him go wasn’t an option. She wasn’t ready.
“Help me!” Dane shouted. “Please, Dominique’s trapped. I hear her breathing, but she’s not moving.”
Lincoln brushed past and effortlessly heaved a chunk of the fallen roof away. Still sleeping, the tiny green-haired woman rolled over with a sigh.
Dane scooped her into his arms, completely dwarfing her. Dacia had never realized he might actually give his heart to someone.
It finally clicked. She really, truly cared what happened to Preston. What they shared was more than lust, but she was still terrified to call it love. After so many mistakes, she wasn’t even sure what love was.
Robert stood there staring at her, tears rolling down his face. He wasn’t responding. She wanted to help, but had other things to deal with, and her strength wasn’t comforting people.
Then she had an idea. Dacia ran back to her car and grabbed the cell phone. She dialed Liz as she turned back to stare at the smoke.
Liz answered, clearly confused, “Dacia. Everything okay?”
“Robert needs you. I can’t explain right now, but he’s at 192 Cherry Street. Dane’s house is gone. I’m not sure if his girlfriend needs help or not. Robert’s going into shock. He needs you.”
“What happened?” she demanded.
“There was an explosion. Robert’s fine, but he thinks Preston is dead. I can’t get through to him. He needs you and Tremaine.”
“Preston? Dead?” Her breath caught. “How?”
“Shit, Liz, get to Robert. Talk to him. I need to go.”
“Dacia…but—”
Time was too short, and she wasn’t willing to waste any more. Hanging up, she tossed her phone into the car.
Robert had turned back to the ring of black ash and dropped to his knees as sobs wracked his chest. Lincoln walked toward him.
She hoped Lincoln would forgive her disappearance, but she had a feeling he could handle himself, and might even applaud her quick thinking.
“Preston,” she whispered. “Come to me. I’ll find you help.” A tear fell. There was only one person she knew of who might be able to fix this. The question was whether or not it was the right choice.
* * * *
Robert fell forward on his hands with a cry of despair. His oldest friend, the one who saw him through the worst times of his life, was gone. It didn’t make sense.
The man who deserved happiness, but constantly had it ripped away, was dead before he had a chance to fight for his mate. The selfish, irrational, bitch of a woman who couldn’t see what she had.
Dacia didn’t seem to get that Preston was dead. Gone… never coming back.
Robert’s heart ached. He should have taken Preston out instead of the wolf, but he grabbed the closest person with the intent of going back.
And now Preston was gone in a puff of smoke and a pile of ash.
How could this have happened? Preston had never been burned. No matter what spell was thrown at him. He was immune to fire. Always had been. Now he was gone.
Tears fell down his face as sobs threatened to break him apart.
Strong hands pulled him to his feet, and then Liz’s hazel eyes locked on his. “What happened?” she whispered.
Robert leaned back against a familiar chest, and felt thick arms wind around him.
“Talk to us,” Tremaine said in a rumble. “Let us help.”
“He’s gone. Preston’s gone.” The pain throbbed through his entire being.
Liz shook her head slowly, confusion on her face. “Dacia said you thought he was dead. She wasn’t freaking out.”
“Denial, she’s in denial. No one could have survived that,” he stammered.
“What exactly happened?” Tremaine asked more forcefully.
The words tumbled from Robert’s lips. “We got here. Dane, lunged at Remus who disappeared. He knocked Preston down. Preston caught him, stood him up and then stepped into the room to pull Remus into his true form. Preston went nuclear—the air caught fire, flames danced up his arms as fireballs appeared in his hands. Preston reached for Remus, but he used the wind to send the fire at the gas—I got Dane out…” his voice broke and his eyes slammed shut.
After a few deep breaths, he looked around. On an ash covered bed, Dane sat in a pair of shorts, a tiny woman in his lap. She clung to him, while having a whispered conversation.
“I didn’t even realize she was here.”
“Preston. What happened to him,” Liz asked softly.
“I got Dane out, then the place blew. Preston sucked the flames in, but… it must have been too much. He burst into smoke.”
“Not fire?” Tremaine asked gruffly.
“No, the fire was gone.”
“Smoke?” Tremaine asked again.
“Yes, smoke! It doesn’t make a damned bit of sense.”
“Take us home,” Tremaine said firmly. He looked
around, his eyes narrowed. “Take us home, now!”
Rattled Robert grabbed both their hands. A split-second later the three of them stood in their bedroom.
Tremaine took a slow breath. There was a curious look on his face. “Shit, it all makes sense now.”
“What does?”
“Why he was always so different from the rest of the mages. Why his fire burned hotter but he never once burned himself.”
Robert wasn’t catching on though. “What are you talking about?”
“Priscilla was with Toryn Flame around the time she would have conceived Preston.”
Robert nodded, but then shook his head. “I know, but what does that have to do with anything?”
Tremaine’s eyes rounded in surprise. “You know what?”
Robert took a step back, raising his hands. “This stays in this room.”
“Done,” Tremaine promised.
Liz nodded in acceptance.
Robert took a breath. “Toryn is Preston’s father, but what does that matter?”
“You knew?”
“Not until yesterday, but what are you going on about?”
“It was before you were born. I was on assignment with her, before she retired as an enforcer.” Tremaine let out a strained laugh. “I told her to wait for backup, but she didn’t listen. She put herself at risk and let Henroyld capture her because we had reason to believe Remus was holding Joan, another enforcer, in his seldom used Earth Realm castle. Priscilla was too late, Joan was dead, but she found damning evidence.”
Robert closed his eyes, his head turning away.
“She told me later that she let Remus think he could have her, then turned the tables on him. She managed to conceal the iron spikes in the ribbing of her corset, and pinned him to the rack he meant to chain her to. She couldn’t free herself from the chains, but Toryn showed up to smuggle a nymph out of the dungeons and helped her to freedom also. That’s how she met Toryn.”
“How long was she gone?”
“Nearly a month. Plenty of time for them to have an affair. He helped both of them make it to Earth undetected, which means they travelled together. Preston’s mother, like a lot of enforcers, took many partners. It all makes sense.”
Robert shook his head slowly trying to rein in his temper. “I’m still not sure what that has to do with Preston.”
“I went to Toryn after Priscilla came back and turned in her resignation. He misunderstood my intentions. I simply wanted to talk to him, find out what happened to Priscilla, because she changed so much over her journey. I cornered him, and when I started asking questions about what happened, black smoke filled the room and then flew out the window. Black smoke, Robert. Not fire, smoke.”
Robert’s mouth fell open as he remembered the way Dacia kept looking to the woods where the black smoke lingered in the trees. It never rose, never blew away on the wind.
Robert panicked. “I need to go back, we need to find him. What if he doesn’t know how to fix it?”
Liz smiled. “I think Dacia already knew.”
“But where would she go? How does she know?”
Shrugging, she took Robert’s hand. “Didn’t you say he took her to Toryn’s party the other night? It’s no secret he’s a fire fae. Who better to help him than the only fire fae in the state?”
There was hope, but he still wasn’t sure he could trust Dacia to help Preston. What if her father got to her? “We need to find him.”
“Maybe call Dacia first. I don’t think she would have sent you help if she meant him harm. She was definitely focused on something. I think she’s helping Preston.”
He fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket. It barely rang before she answered, “Sorry I left you, Robert. I’m not sure how much time I have to help Preston. I needed to hurry.”
“What happened to him?”
She swallowed hard. “He dispersed into smoke. First time can be hard to figure out. I don’t think he knew how to go back, and smoke is different than air. I’m taking him to Toryn. If he can’t help—” her voice broke.
“You did the right thing. Toryn’s the type to help where he can.”
“I hope my father doesn’t get in the way. You have to admit it’s a possibility.”
“Call me if you have any trouble. For now, I’ll go to Dane’s and make sure everything is okay.”
“I’ll keep you posted.” She hung up.
“Maybe I should have trusted her.” He slid his phone into his pocket. “I need to go back to Dane’s.”
* * * *
Remus floated south, and landed in Lamar’s basement. It was much closer to Edenton than his most secure sanctuary, but he barely made it the short distance.
Even without form, every cell screamed in agony. Never had he withstood such pain. He feared the kind of shape his body would be in once he materialized. Likely, the damage would be extensive.
Remus lamented the loss of the man who could have wrought so much pain from so many people. If only Preston hadn’t gone up in a blaze of glory, he could have brought his plan to fruition.
If he wasn’t worried about giving up his location he would call Toryn to torture him with the knowledge he lost a son he never knew. Maybe even call Priscilla to rub the loss in her face. Neither were options in his current state.
In that moment, Remus needed to heal. He also needed to take control of the situation. Until he was fully functional, calling on the dragon would end in his own death.
More than ever, he had to rely on air magic, though it seemed to be slipping from his grasp. He almost didn’t make it out of the inferno in time. His last sight was Preston bursting into a cloud of smoke, gone forever.
Once Lamar came home, he would demand a favor.
* * * *
Lincoln smiled as he watched Dacia drive away with a spell orb that apparently contained Preston. He wasn’t exactly sure what happened to the mage, but Dacia clearly had a plan.
Then Liz and Tremaine showed up for Robert, and the three of them disappeared. That left him alone with Dane and Dominique. The house wasn’t much more than rubble, and an ash covered bed.
There was a simple solution to that problem. Lincoln had a new home, and hadn’t gotten around to putting his mother’s house on the market. He really didn’t need the money, as his mother had left him more resources than he was likely to ever use.
Dominique was curled around Dane who held her in his lap as if they might lose each other at any moment. Their love shone around them.
Lincoln wanted someone to need him that badly. First, he had to break out of his old habits, and find himself. The woman he wanted wouldn’t settle for a boy. He needed to be a man.
“Hey, Dane, Dominique, I have an idea.” Lincoln took a look around the disaster which had been a small cabin. “I bought a new place. Why don’t you two stay at my old house? I’ve already taken what I need, but if I think of anything I might have left behind I’ll call before I come to get it. You’ll have the place all to yourselves, for as long as you want.”
He wouldn’t mention his mother’s spirit still lingered. He was willing to bet she would leave as soon as these two started anointing every surface in their passion.
“You moved?” Dane asked with an arched brow. Then his eyes moved down and back up as his brows pinched. “Wow, you’ve grown up.”
Lincoln laughed softly. “I’m hearing that a lot lately. Look, I need to be out of my mother’s house. Edenton is my home, but I’m beginning to think that living in the house I grew up in is holding me back. So as long as you want to stay there, it’s yours. If you’d like.”
Dominique bounced out of Dane’s arms to hug him, clearly not concerned with the fact she didn’t have a single stitch of clothing on.
Lincoln felt the blush rise as Dane held back a laugh. Anyone else and he would have been growling. Like everyone, Dane considered him safe—and that was something Lincoln was working on changing.
Chapter 12
Persist
ent tapping sounds pulled him into—consciousness?
He felt disoriented. Everything was clouded through thick black smoke, but he could see 360 degrees around him. Too light—felt like he was floating but trapped.
I’m dead. I must be. Is this heaven or hell? Or nothing at all? With the smoke, likely hell.
“Hold on, Preston,” Dacia murmured.
Or not!
Spinning in a swirl, he locked his attention on her. She drove fast, with one hand wrapped around the wheel in a death grip as she wove through traffic, her nails tapping on the gearshift. Her hair was disheveled, like she had repeatedly combed the ebony locks out of her face with her fingers.
She sniffled. “Toryn can help. I hope.” A tear trailed down her face.
He tried to reach out to wipe it away, but had no arm… no body.
“What happened?” he asked, but his voice was everywhere and nowhere, with a rasp he’d never heard before.
A slight smile lifted one corner of her mouth as she reached over to caress something. He couldn’t see what, but he felt the magic hum all around him. Then he realized he was surrounded by a shield the size of a basketball.
Her words brought him a sense of calm. “That’s a start. You scared the hell out of me. All I saw when I got to Dane’s was the smoke swirling around the woods. Then Robert broke down. He thought you were dead. I… uh… I sent Liz and Tremaine to him. I’m not sure how long we have to get you back. I understand why Robert doesn’t trust me, and probably is upset I left so quickly, but finding you help was my only concern.”
“What are you talking about?” The way his voice echoed in the car made his head spin. “What happened to me?”
“You know how I disperse into air and travel?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m pretty sure you did the fire version. It’s different for all of us. I’m not sure how to guide you back to your true form. Toryn should be able to help you. If not…” another big fat tear rolled down her face as she took a breath. “I refuse to think about that. He will help you. I don’t care what I have to do.”
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