by Kate Pearce
“It’s okay, I was just marveling at Adam’s ability to manipulate the odds in his favor.”
“He has good reason.”
“Because he’s afraid that if he doesn’t, Morosov will beat him in a heartbeat.”
“You care for my grandson, don’t you?”
“He’s okay.” Ella kept her gaze on the arena, where the three sect members were slowly advancing toward Vadim’s hiding place. “He’s my SBLE partner. We take care of our own.”
“He’s also your mate.”
“I know. That was your fault, wasn’t it?” She turned slowly to look at the old queen’s composed face. “Did you know all this would happen?”
“I had some inkling.”
“Do you think I can save him?”
“I have no idea, Soul Sucker. That is entirely up to you.”
“Great. Thanks for your input.” She strained to catch a glimpse of Vadim. “If I’m so important to him, why aren’t I already dead?”
“Because they need you. Don’t you know that?”
Ella thought about the unpleasant little dagger buried deep in her backpack. Should she get it out and put it in her pocket just in case? Would Vadim prefer to die at her hand or to be captured and killed slowly? She really should’ve asked him before all this began. It wasn’t the easiest topic to bring up. A flicker of movement below startled her. Another attack was building, and this time Vadim would be at the mercy of three of the sect members. She focused her empath powers on the minds of the attackers and started to relay her opinions to her mate.
* * *
There were three of them now. They were testing him. Did they sense he was reluctant to kill any of them—that for the first time in his long existence, he craved answers rather than destruction? Maybe Ella was right. She had changed him. Did he have the stomach for slaughter anymore? In the seats at the end of the arena, his father’s familiar laughter rang out. Yes, he would kill. That’s what he’d been trained to do. The reason he was in this precarious position today was because he’d executed his father’s favorite son.
He had a far better reason to kill now.
For his mate, and for himself.
The sound of beating wings had Vadim looking up as the blond Fae dived down at him, sword at the ready, and attempted to detach his head from his shoulders. He parried the killing blow, ignoring the shock of magic that shuddered up his arm, and sent power of his own back through the metal to attack his opponent. An arrow lodged itself in his already-injured shoulder, impeding his movements, allowing the blond Fae to land and continue the fight.
He snapped off most of the arrow shaft with his teeth and carried on fighting, one eye on the movements of the unseen redhead Ella was also relaying to him in his mind. A blur of motion and Red was beside his attacker, his sword also drawn. Concentrating on pulling down his magical powers, he almost missed the arrival of the bald man. Only Ella’s screech gave him that vital second to step back as the three sect members now advanced toward him.
Magic beat at him from all sides as he was slowly backed against a wall. The blond male in the center was smiling as he progressed, his blade jabbing at Vadim’s chest, while the other two sought to hack and disable his wings.
“You’ve got this.”
Damn, Ella sounded rather more confident than he felt. He risked a glance around the terrain and smiled. Baldy was wavering, Red was focused and Blondie was too angry with the other two to be effective.
She was right. He did have it.
Without disengaging his sword, he focused his magic on the wall behind the three males and blew it sky high. Rocks and chunks of mortar shot up in the air and rained down on his hapless attackers, leaving him unharmed and protected by a shield while they all staggered and fell to their knees.
* * *
“Adam’s right below the chairs.”
Even as Ella shrieked the message to Vadim, her elbow was grabbed in a punishing hold and the Fae king glared down at her.
“What are you doing, Soul Sucker? You have no right to interfere in this matter.”
She tried to pull out of his grasp. “Like you’re not? I can sense your power blending with the sect’s!”
“Be silent.” His grip tightened and she almost blacked out.
“Let her be, Fergal.” The Fae queen stood up, then put her hand on the king’s arm, her expression furious.
“You support this attempt to suborn us? This traitor in our midst?”
“He’s my son. I should never have let you take him and use him as a weapon.”
“It’s too late for regrets now. I created a killing machine! Your guilt can’t change that. He needs to die, and his mate needs to stop meddling.”
“Stop being so melodramatic!”
Ella felt like a bone between two ravenous dogs as her mind was bombarded with the intensity of the king and queen’s power. The moment the king’s grip slackened, she slid down to the floor, leaving the Royal couple nose to nose, and crawled back toward the view of the arena. Had the queen intervened deliberately to free her, or had she been spoiling for a fight over her son for centuries? She tried to repair her link with Vadim, but nothing happened. Either the Fae king had alerted Adam to her interference and strengthened the force field, or she was too debilitated from the Royal psychic screaming match to help.
She fought a sudden wave of panic. Had the king done that deliberately? Held her fast so that she couldn’t escape his thoughts? Whatever had happened, she needed to reestablish the link pronto. Vadim might think he didn’t need her, but she still wasn’t sure what new tricks Adam had up his sleeve. He looked far too confident for her liking, and she needed to be alert.
While everyone else, including her guards, watched the king and queen fight, she kept creeping forward through the ranks of empty chairs toward the fighting. She peered over the balustrade. Dammit, they were about to surround Vadim! If she remained blocked from his mind, she could only hope he really did have the strength to fight off all four members of the sect by himself, because God help her, she wasn’t sure if she’d reach him in time.
Chapter Fifteen
Materializing right under the male’s nose, Vadim went for Adam and knocked the bow out of his hand. He placed the tip of his blade under his enemy’s chin.
“I thought you wanted to fight, but it seems all you can do is cower behind your fellow sect members.”
Adam smiled. “I’m not hiding now, Death Bringer, and you are exactly where I wanted you to be.”
He held up his hand, and dark power roared through Vadim, making him rock on his feet and take an involuntary step back. The malign force of the other sect members coalesced behind him. It was like being enmeshed in a suffocating circle of iron and darkness. He gathered his powers and pushed back at the boundaries that were attempting to crush him on all sides.
Nothing shifted, and he redoubled his efforts.
“Ella? Now would be a good time.
“Ella?”
Nothing. He glanced up toward the balcony and couldn’t see his mate at all. Fear beat at him, and he staggered forward into Adam and felt a blade pierce the skin right between his ribs. With one stroke of his dagger, Adam could sever his keel bone, and he’d be unable to fly away. A flash of pink caught his eye, and he finally saw Ella struggling to stand up by the edge of the upper circle. Two of the guards were right behind her and closing in.
Fuck that.
No one was touching her again.
He forced himself to concentrate and fought back with everything he had. With an almighty roar, he sent the three junior sect members flying backward. They landed in a heap like broken puppets, their magic dying with them, releasing Vadim to face Adam again. This time it was his opponent who backed away, his bloodied dagger held high in his hand.
Vadim bared his fangs in a deafening growl.
“Stay back, Death Bringer, or I will kill your mate.”
“No, he won’t!”
This time he heard Ella shouting out loud. She
’d done something to get rid of her guards and was preparing to climb over the remaining barrier and jump down onto the checkerboard floor. Power flowed toward him from her, power he recognized as his, but with a very definite twist of Ella. He switched his gaze back to Adam.
“Stay there, Soul Sucker.”
She kept moving. “I think I know why they need me to be alive.”
He shot her a quick glare. “Will you just let me execute Adam before we get into that?”
“Don’t kill him before I get my face back. Ouch!” She suddenly stopped and grabbed her shoulder.
Adam smirked. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, Death Bringer. If you come any closer, your father will use the power of his mark to kill your mate.”
Vadim didn’t lower his sword or his mental shields. “Why would he do that for you?”
“Because he wants you dead.”
The other members of the Royal family were advancing down the steps toward them. One of the guards reached Ella and was helping her stand. Her face was white, and her pain beat within him like a drum. He felt the shield around the arena come down.
“Don’t let any of them use me against you, Morosov. Seriously, I’d rather die.”
Her voice was clear and steady. At that moment, he loved her more than he’d ever thought possible.
“I don’t intend for anyone apart from Adam to die, Soul Sucker.” Vadim locked eyes with his father. “Why are you attacking my mate for this male? You agreed that winning this contest cancelled out all debts.” He gestured at Adam. “The only reason I can’t execute him right now is because of you.”
“And that’s a terrible mistake, Fergal.” Ella limped forward until she stood opposite the Fae king. “Don’t you get that you’re being used? Adam wants to rule Otherworld. He wants you all to destroy yourselves, can’t you see that?”
“Nonsense.”
“Listen to me. Why do you think he forced Morosov back here? Why do you think he stole my face? He wanted him to annihilate all of you! He’s still hoping you’re going to carry on being a dickhead right now and annoy your son so much that he’ll carry out his threats!”
“Be silent.”
The king’s hand shot out, and she gasped and fell to her knees, her whole body shuddering.
A low totally inhuman growl erupted from Vadim’s throat. “Hurt her again and I shall willingly rip you to pieces.”
“You see?” Ella gasped, her head lowered, her hand covering her shoulder. “He’ll do it, if you don’t listen to me.”
“The only way I will release you from your mark, Soul Sucker, is if you keep your word to me.”
Vadim tensed as Ella met his father’s cold gaze.
“You mean it?”
His smile was chilling. “Not quite. I no longer trust you to carry out your intended purpose. I believe I’ll do it myself.” The king held out his hand. “Give me the weapon you carry so secretively in your backpack.”
“What weapon?” Vadim asked, but no one answered him.
“I tried to warn you all that she was weak and untrustworthy. Why do you think she was so desperate to keep her possessions shielded from your gaze, Death Bringer?”
“It’s not like how he’s making it sound.” With some effort, Ella took off her backpack and placed it on the ground in front of her. “He was the one who gave me the stupid thing.”
“And you were the one who intended to use it.”
“To do what?” Vadim asked again.
She retrieved something from her bag and slowly stood up.
“Take off the mark.”
The king held out his hand. “Give me the weapon first.”
“What?” Vadim stepped in front of his mate and stared into her eyes, willing her to talk to him, to tell him what the fuck was going on.
“Give it to me now, Soul Sucker.”
She shook her head. “No, I think I’d rather stick to our original plan.” She launched herself at Vadim, a small, lethal dagger in her hand. Even as he fought her to the ground, he heard her screeching orders inside his head.
“Take it, kill him.”
“Which one?”
“God, I don’t know. Can’t you get them both?”
He expertly rolled her onto her front, bent her arm up against her spine, and disarmed her.
“Ow! That hurt!”
She kicked out, catching him on the shin. He bit back a groan and increased the pressure of his hold. “Stop fighting me, then!”
“No, it has to look realistic.”
A burst of mangled magic shot past his ear, making him wince and the spectators closing in on them scatter.
“Fuck it, Ella, you nearly took off my head with my own power!”
“Good!”
He moved off her and dragged her to her feet, the dagger now concealed within his massive hand. “If I kill Adam, you won’t be getting your face back.”
“I don’t care about that.” She hesitated. “Do you?”
“It’s a matter of principle.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Give it to me then!” She tried to head-butt him. He jerked his chin back just in time and held her out in front of him like a shield. “What the hell did you give her, Father?”
“I gave her nothing. I assume she obtained the dagger from the Dark Lord and his minions. When I met her for the first time, she already had a plan in place. She asked whether I would have any objection if she killed you. I told her to go ahead, and in return I would help her get her face back. In truth, you might say that this entire mess is her fault.”
“That’s bullshit! Don’t you get it?” Ella kicked out and tried to get free again, but Vadim restrained her. “Adam wants Morosov to kill you all. He probably hoped that if I saw that massacre, I’d turn on my mate and use the dagger on him, leaving Adam king of the world.”
“You are a liar, Soul Sucker. Can’t you see it, my son?”
“She can’t lie to me. Remember, she is my mate.”
Ella wiggled around until she could see into his face, and put her hand on his chest. “That’s why I’m still here. Your father hoped I’d kill for him, and so did Adam. They both had a vested interest in letting me live.”
She turned to look at his mother and grandmother. “Hell, I’m the only one that can kill Morosov, aren’t I? That’s what you were trying to tell me.”
“Is that true, Father?”
“She said she wanted you dead! She told Adam the same thing! You heard her!”
Vadim smiled slowly down at his mate. “She is entitled to kill me. I am hers for all eternity. But she is not going to do it at your bidding. If we combine our powers, Soul Sucker, do you think we could find the truth in Adam’s mind?”
Terror flashed across his adversary’s face and he tried to run past the encircling guards. Vadim stopped him dead with an entrapment spell.
“What do you think, Father? Shall I ask my unworthy opponent for his opinion?”
For the first time, unease flickered behind the Fae king’s eyes. “Why bother? What can he tell us that we don’t already know?”
The queen mother stepped forward. “I would like to hear Adam’s thoughts on this matter, too. If I find out that he truly wishes to annihilate our family, I want him to suffer for it.” She glanced at her daughter-in-law and then at the visitor from the dark court. “Are we all in agreement?”
Vadim smiled at his father. “It seems as if you have been overruled.” He released his mate and reached for her hand. “Come, Soul Sucker. Let’s see what thoughts Adam really harbors in his mind.”
* * *
Ella let Vadim lead her toward the immobile Adam. Beyond him lay the rubble of the arena and a neatly stacked pile of dead bodies. She’d heard the explosion of Vadim’s power and felt it within her, but missed the visual as she was crawling on the floor. Looking at the remains of the explosion, she was glad she’d skipped it. She was totally happy that the sect members were dead, though.
Adam radiated a strange mi
xture of power and anxiety that drew her empath senses like a strong cup of black coffee.
“Do you feel it too?”
She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to reply to her mate at this moment. He was being far too arrogant and possessive for her liking. On the other hand, he had just killed three males for her and threatened to wipe out a whole bunch of his superpowerful family... She couldn’t buy devotion like that for all the money in the world. Such immense power was curiously addictive, which explained a lot about the lure of elderly politicians for younger women.
“Will the net hold?”
Vadim ran an experienced eye over it. “I think so. We can’t make it too strong, or we won’t be able to penetrate it.”
“Makes sense.” Ella reached out her hand and gently probed between the strands until she touched Adam’s arm. He hissed a curse and tried to shift away from her, but his bonds wouldn’t allow it.
“Wow. There’s a lot going on in there.”
“I noticed that too.” Vadim came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder, strengthening their bond with his physical presence. “He’s full of shit.”
She wanted to grin at his cool tone. “Where’s everyone else?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Right behind us, why?”
“We should put a guard on your father, and a couple on the other side of Adam in case he manages to break free of us.”
“I had the same thought.” She felt the quick rush of him communicating with someone else. “My mother will watch my father and will command the guards to move into place.”
Ella nodded, her senses already engaged with the delicate task of feeling her way into another sentient being’s mind. With a male as old as Adam, it wasn’t easy. He was fighting her at every turn. But if she took a more direct route, she might inadvertently damage his memories and destroy the very information she wanted.
“Even if I find something, how am I going to make this work?”
“Remember, we all have a familial link. You relay the information to me, and I’ll amplify it and send it onward. They can’t accuse us of lying, then.”
“True. Where do you want to start?”