She felt him suddenly. Weakness followed. She held herself against the door and sucked in a breath. The feeling passed, and she let herself in.
She heard him breathing heavily. Stopping in the kitchen, she prepared the soup on a tray and brought it to Kellan. She briefly wondered if the man had bought the place fully stocked. No bachelor she knew of had so many useful items readily available.
Hoping to buy herself a few hours with Kellan, she brought the soup to his room and opened the door. He lay on his back, dressed, and sweating.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she sat down beside him. “Where did you go?”
“A beach. Hoped some sun would help.” His lips curled in a sad smile as he pushed himself up the bed to lean against the headboard. She settled down beside him, keeping a smile on her face.
“You’re not well. Try this. Please.”
Kellan wiped the back of his shaking hand across his brow. “Talk to me, Zoe. Why am I sick?”
Her eyes closed. “Because of me.”
“The curse?”
Her heart pounded in her chest. Maybe she was wrong to try to find the answer without including him, but she’d been terrified he would leave. She swallowed hard. “What do you know?”
“That you’re going to leave me. That I wasn’t crazy for thinking that last night.”
Her heart fractured. Leaving was the only answer. “Only to save you.”
“Are you really pregnant?”
“From what I was told, I must be if you’re sick. I’ll find the answers, Kellan. Unless you just want me to go. And then…well, I’d go without question.”
Kellan threaded his fingers in her hair and pulled her forehead to his. “Don’t want you to go at all.”
“I’ll have to.” Tears overflowed. “I can’t lose you, and I have it on good authority you’re the only one who can get rid of Eldred.”
“That’s what my mother said in a dream.” He glanced at the bowl. “So, what’s the soup for?”
“Hoping it will make you feel better. I’m not ready to leave. May never be, but I can’t watch you die.”
His eyes drifted back to hers. “How bad will it get?”
“Only this bad if you tell me to walk out the door.” She wiped at her cheek.
He pulled her hand away and dried her tears. “No. Stay until you need to go. This isn’t the end, gorgeous. I’m not letting you go for long.”
Her heart squeezed tight, threatening to shatter. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“Shh, no more of that. First, tell me what you know of Eldred. Everything.”
“Eat, and I’ll will. After, I’ll hold you until it’s time to go.”
He pulled her closer and took a sweet kiss. “Let’s try this soup.”
Chapter 12
Pain vibrated through every inch of Kellan’s body. He felt as if he’d been pushed through a taffy machine and worked over for days. The coughing started again, twisting his insides in knots as he rolled to his side, spraying blood with every hack.
“It will all be over soon, my love,” Zoe whispered, curling beside him. Her sparkling blue eyes were filled with sadness. “This is my fault.”
“No, don’t leave,” Kellan begged, knowing death loomed if she didn’t walk out the door. He couldn’t bear the thought of Zoe going to the monster who caused her so much pain.
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I love you, Kellan. Forgive me.” She leaned down and brushed the softest kiss over his lips. “You’ll be well soon.”
“Don’t, Zoe. Please stay.”
Her tears fell on his face as she looked into his eyes. “I have to search for a way to free us before it’s too late. Don’t hate me, even if I fail.”
“Don’t want to be alone.”
“Sleep. Get well. Then come for me.”
“Stay. I can’t live without you,” he pleaded.
Lying down, she curled beside him, placing her hand over his heart. “I hope it’s not too late. You have to come find me. It’s the only thing that will give us a chance.”
“Hold on to me,” he whispered.
She sang an old song. The one she’d sung most of the night, but he didn’t recognize the language. Old air fae, probably in the harpies’ language.
The pain melted and exhaustion took him. He couldn’t fight to the surface to hold on to Zoe.
* * * *
Zoe could no longer take Kellan’s suffering. He tossed and turned in his sleep, his breathing erratic when he wasn’t coughing up blood.
She pressed a final kiss over his heart before climbing from the bed. With one final glance back, she collected her bag from next to the dresser and left his condo.
Tears burned her eyes as she walked down the street, looking for a taxi. She could have called a service, but she wasn’t ready to talk, other than to request the trip to the airport.
A black car pulled up and a familiar rainbow mohawked fae sat behind the wheel. “Get in,” Lonny suggested.
He’d been at the party where she’d met Kellan. He was still trying to win Lana over, one of the bartenders at Shenanigans. Poor guy wasn’t having much luck. Maybe he was the lucky one. She found her mate and was being forced to walk away to save him.
The pain in her heart weighed her down. She should have gone long before she did, but she was afraid she’d never see Kellan again.
The thought of finding Eldred churned her stomach, but she didn’t see another option. Learning what she could to kill the bastard might save both Kellan and her, not to mention the unborn baby in her womb.
Scariest damned thing she could think of. A child of her own. Cursed, same as she was. Shit, maybe the reason why no harpy ever documented the curse was to ensure harpies didn’t die out. If she’d known what the curse did, she would have run far away from Kellan before she could have fallen in love.
“I’m your ride, Zoe. Get in,” Lonny said as he opened the back door. She hadn’t even realized he’d gotten out of the car.
“Thank you.” Climbing in, she offered a tight smile.
He slipped into the driver’s seat and pulled onto the road. “We’ll take care of Kellan until he’s well enough to come for you.” He glanced over his shoulder and various colors sparkled in his iridescent eyes. “Don’t let the old bastard harm you. Your defenses will hold against him. Especially if you wear this.”
He turned forward but reached back with a ring pinched between his fingers.
“What’s this?” she asked softy, realizing she didn’t have anything of Kellan’s with her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she took the ring and slipped it on her pinky.
He shrugged. “Reance sent it.”
She frowned. “As in Isadora’s father?”
He chuckled. “Used to be the fire king. He’s your mate’s uncle. And he knows damn near everything that will happen. He wants you safe.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“He looks after his own, when he can. Reance likes Kellan and wants him happy. Losing you would break him.”
“Seems everyone knows our fate.” Zoe turned to stare out the window. “Kellan didn’t want me to leave. He knew I was, and he tried to convince me to stay.” She wiped at the tear rolling down her face. “I couldn’t watch him die.”
“He’ll come for you. With help.”
“Why are you all so accepting of me?”
“Shit, you’re not the only outcast fae, hon. Look at me. Hyter sprites were hunted for centuries. All because of a misunderstanding.”
“Explains the hair, but I read all of your kind were given to a dragon.”
“Yeah, to torture us. Sooner or later, that dragon’s going to get what’s coming to him. For now, I’m more concerned with getting you where you’re going.”
Her face scrunched. “Where am I going? I thought I was supposed to call the number on the card?”
He shook his head. “You would have called me, but Brent knew you were leaving. I’m taking you to Sammy. Have anything a
gainst satyr?”
A smile spread on her face. “Aww, Sammy’s sweet, a bit of a perv, but harmless.”
“Another hunted race. Brent wants you to understand that there are a lot of us here in this world, and no one cares about what you are. It’s who you are.”
“You don’t know me, though.”
He shrugged. “Sure I do. You’ve written numerous articles for Brent without judgment. You bring the truth and shed light where only shadows lie. You’ve changed the minds of many fae about those once thought monsters and criminals.”
She drew in a slow breath and frowned. “I suppose I’m tired of being viewed as a monster myself. So many people learn what I am and that’s the end of the conversation. And nearly everything I’ve found on harpies was written by someone who was afraid of us.”
“You’re no monster, Zoe. That part of you, deep inside, was always meant to protect you and yours. You’re a fierce woman with the strength to fight your own battles.”
“Not this one.” She snorted. “Everyone seems to think I need Kellan to finish this one.”
“This isn’t your battle. It’s not Kellan’s. It’s Nemia and Eldred’s, but the old harpy is locked in her castle, forced to hide from the one who turned everyone against her.”
“Have you met her?”
He smirked. “Yeah, unfortunately. Breached her wards once. Had to escape her wrath.”
“She said no one had been there in ages.”
Lonny snorted. “Yeah, well, I’m special and managed to get away. Besides, she doesn’t want to admit someone escaped her.”
“Oh.” Zoe managed a smile and reached over the seat to touch his shoulder. “Thank you, you’ve made me feel better.”
“Stop thinking like the light fae and remember most of your friends are what most would consider dark or rogue. And don’t try to say we aren’t all your friends. We are.”
His words warmed her. “Thank you.”
He drove her out of Seattle in silence. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kellan suffering. So she focused on the scenery passing by.
Finally, up in the woods, Lonny pulled off onto a dirt road and drove back to an old hangar.
Always inquisitive, Zoe asked, “Sammy prefers to stay out of town, doesn’t he?”
“He doesn’t mind visiting,” Lonny replied. “Like Scotty, he needs nature surrounding him.”
“What about you?”
He grinned. “I need air. Trees are nice, but I thrive around people.”
“I miss being high in the mountains. Though Kellan does take me often. He even bought me a cabin I hope to see again.”
“You will,” Lonny promised.
Zoe climbed out of the car as Lonny shut the engine off. He stepped out and shook his head in amusement. “I would have got that for you.”
“You drove me. And I like getting my own door. Something I won’t be allowed to do in Eldred’s home.”
“Let me suggest you play cat and mouse with him for a time. Stay out of his reach for as long as you can manage. Kellan will need time to heal.”
“Heal?” Zoe asked.
“Yes. The problem with the curse is that his insides are deteriorating, which causes infection and the process feeds itself.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Can he recover?”
“As long as you leave and let him heal. And we can keep him from coming too soon.”
She nodded slowly. Time. Maybe hiding would be wise. She had to wonder what the ring would do. She knew the pendant would take her to Faery, to warded territory. Did she want to go back to Nemia’s castle in the tree?
There was something about Nemia that Zoe didn’t trust. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Eldred was fully capable of what she’d accused him of, but there had to be more to the story.
“Tell Kellan I love him,” she finally said as she turned to meet Lonny’s gaze.
“You have my word.”
She reached out to squeeze his arm, but he pulled her into a hug. “Be safe, Zoe.”
She dipped her head and made her way to the hangar.
Sammy stood by the entrance, shoving his phone into a pocket. “Morning, sexy. Long time no see.”
She smiled. “Too long.”
He nodded, one corner of his mouth quirking further up. “And you are sexy, but I digress. You ready for the flight?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she muttered. This was the only option if Kellan was going to live.
“I understand you’re leaving to save your mate,” he said softly.
She nodded. “I am.”
A frown pulled at his lips. “I never told you the story of what happened to mine. Would you like to hear that tale?”
“Only if you want to share.”
He nodded. “Of course. It will pass the time.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Let’s get this baby in the air.”
Chapter 13
Pain pounded through Kellan’s bones, fire in his veins. His chest felt like it would crack and crumble with every fit of coughing.
He rolled over, reaching for Zoe. It was useless. She was gone. She’d traveled far enough he couldn’t feel her presence, which made him ache worse. He needed his mate, his love, his everything.
There was a reason she left. What was the reason?
His head was foggy from the fever and dry heaving. He gave up eating after he lost the soup the day before.
The comforter was stained. The floor. The walls.
His bedroom looked like a murder scene, at least as far as he could tell when he finally did get his eyes peeled open.
He would have contacted Aquila, but he remembered he sent her with Zoe. The reason he couldn’t recall.
Someone pounded on the door somewhere.
Kellan attempted to sit up and everything went black.
The pain didn’t end in the sea of darkness. No, if anything, it amplified because he couldn’t reach for Zoe.
* * * *
“Your phone,” Scotty rumbled in Jayde’s ear.
They’d been sleeping after making love most of the night. Wishing to go back to sleep, Jayde rolled to grab the cell. “Hello?”
“Do you consider Kellan a friend?”
The voice was vaguely familiar. Jayde frowned, trying to figure out who was on the other end. Then it hit her. Zoe, Kellan’s mate. They’d met soon after Jayde and Scotty returned from their honeymoon.
“I do.”
“I’m not sure you can help him, but I want you to try. And if you can’t, at least watch over him until he’s well. I can’t…” Sniffling ensued.
“What’s going on, Zoe?” she asked softly.
Scotty turned her toward him, watching her closely.
Zoe sucked in a breath and let out a flow of words. “I had to leave so he’ll get better. I’m on a plane. I couldn’t stay. He’d only die. Tell him I love him. That to save him, I had to go. I’ll love him no matter what he decides.” The phone clicked off.
Jayde dialed Kellan. It finally went to voice mail, and she hung up with a scowl.
Scotty tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. “He’s not answering. I think I know what’s wrong.”
“What?”
“A curse. Toryn said she’s a harpy. Apparently, Brent has information about the harpies’ curse. And it’s bad. Kellan dies if Zoe doesn’t leave. She’s choosing her own death.”
“What?” Jayde jumped out of bed and pulled on clothes.
“Where are you going?” Scotty demanded.
“To Kellan. I need to help him.”
“You can’t, Jayde. It’s a curse. It’s not something you can heal.”
“But the symptoms...”
“You can try, but you won’t get anywhere. And if you did…shit…if you did manage to take the curse on yourself, think about what would happen to us.”
She froze, her face falling. “You’d get sick and die?”
He shrugged. “If you managed, yeah. Or you leave, and
you get sick. Think about this. Kellan has a chance to break the curse on all harpies. I don’t.”
She bent to grab a pair of jeans from the floor. “Then I nurse him back to health.”
His brow pinched. “You still want to help him?”
“Damn it, Scotty. He’s mated to another woman. I’m mated to you. What do you think will happen?”
“It’s not…it’s just…fuck.” He pushed both hands through his hair and fell back on the bed. “At least let me come with you. This can’t be easy. Let me be there for you.”
“Oh.” Her face fell as she dropped back into his arms. “Fine, I won’t try to take his pain. However, I have to help my friend.”
“I would expect nothing less from you. Whatever I can do to help, I will.” He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get ready and we’ll head over.”
Within an hour, she stood at Kellan’s door, knocking loudly.
Frustrated, Jayde turned to Scotty. “He’s not answering.”
“You don’t need a key or brute force, babe. Open the door.”
Closing her eyes, she turned back and covered the knob. The latch clicked, and she opened the door. Death’s rank odor hit her immediately. Her knees nearly gave out, but Scotty banded an arm around her waist and held her tight.
“It’s going to be bad, Jayde. You can’t risk trying to take the curse.”
She choked on a sob. “There are other ways to help, Scotty. I wouldn’t take it just to have you go through the same thing.”
He kissed her shoulder blade. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Jayde sucked in a breath and pushed herself forward. The stench only intensified as she reached his bedroom.
The tense silence made her question what was going through Scotty’s head, but she didn’t dare ask. He knew she’d been with Kellan, but he didn’t know the whole story. At one point, she wanted to love Kellan but quickly learned they weren’t meant to be together.
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