“I’m a forest nymph,” Donella explained. “I grew up in these trees. I know them as well as I know myself.”
An arrow sank into the bark of a tree beside me, missing my head by inches. My instincts told me to run faster, but we couldn’t leave Donella behind. We traversed through the wood deftly, but the elves were gaining on us and dozens of arrows whizzed through the air, some hitting trees, others sinking into the ground around our ankles. It only took about ten minutes before we reached the foot of the hill. We began to climb, but there was no cover and I didn’t like how exposed we were.
There were several close calls as we raced up the hill. One was so close that the arrow sliced a hole through the arm of my shirt, but the poisonous tip didn’t come into contact with my skin. I was relieved beyond measure when we made it to the entrance of the cave and stumbled inside.
My relief was short-lived. We’d barely made it fifty feet before the sounds of the elves entering the tunnels behind us reached my ears.
“Crap, we need to move faster,” I said. A second later, I tripped over a loose stone on the ground. Mitch grabbed my arm to steady me.
“You think?” he retorted wryly. It was too dark for him to see my answering glare.
We let Donella take the lead because she knew her way through the series of tunnels and caves, but the sounds of pounding footsteps behind us kept on getting louder. The elves were close behind us. When we finally reached the cavern where Durin awaited, we all but ran into the startled dwarf.
“Open the portal,” I ordered.
Durin stared at each of us in turn as the elves’ footsteps approached. “What’s going on?” he croaked. “Where’s Brokk?”
Thinking alike, Mitch and I pointed the iron daggers at Durin and I ordered again, more firmly than before, “Open the portal, now!”
Durin looked down at the blades and his eyes widened. He turned to the wall and there was a blinding ray of light seconds before the portal appeared before us.
“You through first,” Mitch instructed Durin. When the dwarf stepped through, I all but pushed Donella into the gateway after him. I had one foot through the portal when the loud bellow of “Halt!” reached my ears.
Mitch’s body slammed into mine from behind and I went tumbling through, falling into a heap on the ground inside the Fort Worth sanctuary with Mitch landing heavily on top of me. I looked up to see Avery with Donella held against his side, a finger pointed at Durin.
“Close it,” Avery ordered.
As soon as the blindingly bright light had disappeared and the doorway was closed, Avery hit Durin with a blast of energy which sent the dwarf flying backwards until he fell on the ground, unconscious.
I glared at Avery. “Did you kill him?”
Avery shook his head. “He’ll survive.”
“Take us to the Fae sanctuary in Florida,” I instructed.
Avery looked down at Mitch and I with a frown. Without a word, he put a hand to my shoulder and my stomach jolted as he teleported us to the new sanctuary. It didn’t matter if they followed. The sanctuaries were exactly what their name alluded to—safe havens. No Fae could harm another or anyone while they were inside its confines. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as the walls of the new sanctuary came into focus. We’d made it. We were safe.
I chuckled breathlessly when I realised Mitch was still lying on top of me in a heap.
“Hey, get off me, you big lump,” I teased, twisting my body to face him. Mitch’s eyes were wide and unblinking. I panicked and moved out from under him. “Mitch?”
A loud, piercing scream ripped from my throat when I saw the arrow sticking out of his back. Mitch was dead.
Chapter Eight
I shook Mitch’s body frantically as tears began to pool in my eyes. “Mitch, Mitch!”
“It’s too late, Ashley,” Avery said quietly. “He’s gone.”
I ignored him. “No!” I shouted, shaking Mitch harder. He was just unconscious or asleep. He’d wake up. He had to. “Mitch!”
My cries of panic turned into a loud wailing sob when I realised that Mitch wasn’t going to wake up. He was gone. But he couldn’t be dead. We were still getting to know each other and I’d hoped… I couldn’t let my mind go there. I couldn’t bring myself to think about the possibilities that had awaited us. I’d planned on speaking to Roland to see if Mitch could have his job back and if the Council had agreed, I’d been going to ask Mitch to consider becoming my partner. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t. I swallowed down the painful lump in my throat and took hold of Mitch’s hand. Tears continued to fall freely from my eyes and I didn’t bother wiping them away. Why did this have to happen? It wasn’t fair.
Mitch had been through so much in the past few years. He’d suffered endlessly with guilt and remorse after Jenna had been killed. I’d truly believed that he could begin to put her death behind him and start living again, start to recover from the pain and the loss. But he would never get the chance now. How could it end like this? Mitch’s expression was frozen in pain and I traced the lines on his brow with the tips of my fingers, willing them away. Even in death Mitch was breathtaking—the features of his face so handsome and strong. I would have given anything to have him back. Anything. In the short time that I’d known him, Mitch had frustrated me, angered me and made me feel happier and more alive than I ever had before.
Donella knelt down beside me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I was barely aware of her presence until she spoke.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said softly. “You loved him, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. I didn’t know when or how it had happened, but I’d fallen for Mitch and now he would never know. I would never know if he could have one day loved me back, if we could have built a future together.
“You’ve done so much to help me,” Donella said, “at great risk to yourself. And you’ve lost so much.” She looked down at Mitch’s lifeless body and sighed wearily. “I wish there was something I could give you in return. I wish I could bring Mitch back to you, but I’m afraid I cannot—that is, I’m not able to anymore.”
With tears still streaming down my face, I stared at the elf in confusion. “Bring him back to me? What do you mean?”
“It was my gift,” Donella explained, her eyes downcast. “But the queen cast a spell on me when she had me imprisoned. It made me forget. I know what powers I possess and I can still feel them swirling inside me, lying dormant. But the spell that Orlaith cast…” Donella shook her head. “I could have helped him, but I’ve forgotten how to use my powers. I’m afraid they are lost to me forever.”
“Lost to you,” I said, the words triggering the memory of a meeting which seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago.
‘You will need it to regain what was lost.’
As Foster’s words played over and over in my mind, I reached into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out the pale blue crystal the old man had given me and held it out to Donella. “Can this help you to recover your powers?”
Donella stared at the crystal in open surprise. “How did you…? How…?”
“Will it help?” I urged, almost at the point of hysteria. Mitch’s hand was becoming cooler in mine and if there was any chance, however slim…
“It’s a memory stone,” Donella breathed. “My grandfather has one just like it. I used to play with it as a child.” She looked from the stone to me and back again. “It will help, yes. I’m certain that it will help me.”
I handed her the stone. “Then use it and help Mitch. Bring him back to me. Please.” I didn’t care that I was begging. I didn’t care if Donella wanted anything in return. All I cared about was Mitch. It couldn’t end like this. He didn’t deserve this.
Donella took the stone from my outstretched hand and grasped it tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and I waited with bated breath, squeezing Mitch’s hand tighter in mine. Donella sucked in a sharp breath and then I could feel it, her magic swirlin
g in the air around us.
“I remember,” she said, opening her eyes again. “I remember what to do.”
Avery knelt down on the other side of Mitch and grasped the arrow which was still embedded in his back. I felt the uncomfortable tickle of magic and a moment later, the arrow was gone. I kept hold of Mitch’s hand as Avery rolled him so that he was lying on his back. Donella placed one hand on Mitch’s stomach and one on his head and as she concentrated on him, I could feel the thrum of her magic working. It felt different to Avery’s. It was warm, soothing, and it gave me hope.
It took a few minutes, but then I was sure I could feel Mitch’s fingers twitching in mine. All at once, his eyes widened and he pulled in a deep lungful of air. He blinked twice and then his gaze came instantly to mine and a stunning smile lit up his face. I choked out a sob.
Mitch lifted a hand and cupped my chin, his fingers sifting into the hair on the back of my neck. “My beautiful Ashley,” he breathed. “I dreamt of you.”
My tears began to fall in earnest again and I pulled Mitch into a sitting position then threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly to my chest. I caught Donella’s gaze over Mitch’s shoulder and mouthed, “Thank you.” It didn’t feel like enough.
Mitch chuckled into my neck. “Not that I’m complaining, but this is some wakeup call for someone who just got knocked unconscious.” Knocked… He didn’t even know what had happened to him. I felt the laughter bubble up in my chest right before it burst from my lips.
When Mitch pulled back he was smiling too, but his brows were lifted questioningly. Then his expression cleared and he looked around. “We in Florida?”
“Yeah, we’re at the sanctuary,” I replied and his gaze shifted to Avery.
“The grimoire?”
Avery held out his hand, palm up. There was a bright flash then an old leather book appeared there. He pulled Donella into his side then held the book out to Mitch. “Take it. I have no use for it anymore. I can’t thank you enough for what you have given me.”
Mitch handed me the grimoire and I sighed, getting to my feet. “Malaki!” I shouted.
The angel appeared a second later. He was wearing a multi-coloured Hawaiian shirt over his uniform black leather pants and he had a cocktail glass in one hand. There was lipstick on his cheek.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I hissed. “We’ve been risking our damn lives here. I nearly got killed by vampires, Mitch did get killed by the Fae and you’re on a frigging vacation?” My voice got louder with each syllable.
Malaki looked at the glass in his hand and shrugged. “What, this? I’m working a lead.”
“I’ll work my damn boot up your a—”
“Now, now,” Malaki chided. “There’s no need for threats of violence. Is that the book?” He reached out and snatched the grimoire out of my hand. “Perfect. Must dash, there’s this hot little brunette…ah, never mind. See you!”
When Malaki disappeared with a flash, I turned my outraged expression on Mitch. “I hate that damn angel!”
Mitch frowned back at me. “Did you just say I was killed?”
* * * *
I heard the water shut off in the shower right before Mitch called out, “Babe, was that the phone?”
I strode into the bathroom just as Mitch was wrapping a towel around his waist and took a moment to rake my gaze over the body I had become even more intimately acquainted with in the past two weeks.
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, my eyes following the stunning dragon tattoo down his sculpted abs.
Mitch cleared his throat and I lifted my head until my eyes reached his face. He was grinning.
“You know,” he said casually, “we’re going to have to do something about this obsession you have with my body. It’s getting embarrassing.”
“I’m hardly obsessed,” I returned with a grin of my own. “I can’t help it if you’re hot and fit and—” I didn’t have time to list any more of Mitch’s attributes because he yanked me against his chest and kissed me until I was breathless. When he pulled back, he chuckled.
“Babe, the phone call?”
“Oh, right. Phone call. It was Raven. She said there are rumours of a nest in Wichita. She’s heading up there now with Connor, asked if we’d be able to back her up.”
Mitch nodded. “Sounds like a plan. If we get on the road soon we can be there by nightfall.”
“Great, I’ll start packing.”
I still couldn’t believe that I could now call Mitch my partner. I hadn’t even needed to ask him. When the Council had said they’d be happy for him to start hunting again as long as he was willing to play by the rules, Mitch had asked me. Of course, he’d raised a brow at the ‘play by the rules’ comment, but I was sure I’d be able to keep him in line. The question was, could he keep me in line?
Mitch joined me in the bedroom of our rented motel room in Fort Worth and rooted through his saddle bag for clean clothes. “So, the Council isn’t bothered about Raven’s relationship with Connor?” he asked distractedly.
“I wouldn’t say that exactly, but what can they do? Raven’s a good hunter and they don’t want to lose her so they have to just deal with it. There’s a lot going on right now. Between all the vampires and the search for the grimoires, the Council is overworked and understaffed. That’s probably why they were so keen to have you back on side—well, that and the fact that you’re so awesome.”
Mitch’s shoulders began to shake with laughter. “You’re great for my ego, you know that?”
I snorted. “Like you need any help in that department. Your ego is big enough for the both of us.”
Mitch opened his mouth to protest then shook his head. “Guess I can’t argue with that.”
I smiled to myself as I began to pack away the few items of clothing I had strewn around the room. The past couple of weeks with Mitch had been some of the best of my life and the more time we spent together, the better it got.
I’d been disappointed that I hadn’t been able to catch up with my sister while we were in Florida, but I hoped we’d get to see each other when her job was done. I’d been worried when she hadn’t answered her cell and I’d called the Council to speak to her handler to find out where she was. He’d said she wasn’t likely to get any cell reception where she was currently at. That didn’t make any sense. She was supposed to be in Miami. It was only after I’d pressed him that he’d mumbled something about mermaids and an underwater realm. I wished I hadn’t asked.
Avery had been kind enough to teleport us back to Fort Worth, but he’d made sure to keep us away from the sanctuary. I wasn’t worried about any retaliation from the queen. Orlaith was chained to the Fae realm and Avery believed his mother had more important things to worry about than the search for a couple of hunters out in the mortal world. I wasn’t so sure, but we would just have to deal with any situations as and when they arose.
“Ash,” Mitch said, placing his hands on my shoulders. He leant down and pressed his lips to mine. “You look miles away. Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, everything’s great. Actually, everything is perfect.”
I stood up on my toes and kissed him back. Mitch responded so fervently to the kiss that we were a little late getting on the road to Wichita.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Hot for Him
Amy Armstrong
Excerpt
Chapter One
With a low, drawn-out groan, Elena reached out and whacked the button on her alarm clock before burrowing deeper under the toasty duvet with a satisfied grunt. The blasted thing continued to buzz.
“Leave me alone,” she moaned hoarsely. “It isn’t time to get up yet.”
The buzzing increased until it was so loud the noise was like a physical thing inside her head, as if her brain was thrashing around in there, trying to beat its way out of her skull with a claw hammer. With a silent curse, she threw off the covers and sat up.
Whoa. Bad decision. When th
e room began to spin and a hot flush erupted, her entire body got so hot she thought it was trying to solve the world’s energy problem. She made a grab for the bedside table and gripped it tightly, trying to breathe through the sudden nausea while she waited for the woozy feeling to pass.
The good news was that the incessant buzzing had quit. But why was she so parched? She must have taken up astral projection in her sleep because eight hours of crawling through the Sahara without so much as a sip of water was the only possible explanation for her indescribable thirst. Well, that or the six tequila shots she’d knocked back in The Salsa Bar the night before. Oh, and that bottle of red wine she’d polished off in All Bar One might have contributed.
When images of dancing with a five-foot-nothing Ricky Martin wannabe ran through her mind, Elena put her head in hands and leant back against the headboard. She couldn’t remember much about the night, but she did recall slapping the guy when he’d tried to cop a feel. Made sense. Elena hated men who got all up in her face—or arse as the case might be. What the hell gave them the right to treat women like sex objects? Consenting to a dance did not give him the right to grope her like she was his for the taking—nothing more than a possession. Elena belonged to no one but herself.
The damn buzzing started up again.
“No, no, no, no!” She reached for the alarm clock and squinted at it in the dim light of the room, but the evil thing was silent. Ah, it wasn’t the alarm, it was her mobile phone. Who the hell would be calling her in the middle of the night? Okay, it was nearly six, but what the hell?
She grabbed the phone and fumbled mindlessly with it before finding the right button to answer the call. It had better be an emergency or the sodding sleep destroyer was going to get a piece of her mind.
“Hello,” she all but growled out.
“What sort of greeting is that for your favourite uncle?”
Elena frowned, fighting through the fog in her groggy, sleep-deprived mind. “Uncle Hen?”
Her query was answered with a low, rumbling chuckle. “You’re twenty-six now, Elena. Henry would be sufficient.”
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