The Keepers: Declan

by Rae Rivers

  She pulled back to flash him a smile but it was quick to vanish when she took in his messy appearance. “You look … ”

  “Gorgeous? Handsome?”

  “Tired.”

  His teasing smile faded and he gave a quick nod. “It’s been a crap few days. Is Archer here?”

  “He’s at Lora’s store,” she replied. “She needed help shifting a few boxes.”

  Lora’s clothing boutique was situated across the street. She was an old friend of Rose’s and a witch, but had given up magic many years ago when her daughter had fled town. Even though Lora had refused the protection of a Keeper, they were equally protective of her. “Is she okay?”

  “Lora’s fine. You just missed Tara. You should call her.”

  “The harvest?”

  “She has everything under control but I don’t think she’s itching to speak to you about work.”

  Declan frowned, not up for a chat about his relationship with Tara. Their attractive estate manager had a great smile and an even better personality. She’d been a fitting distraction but that’s all it had been. “Don’t tell her you saw me.”

  Sienna shot him a look of disgust. “You’re such an ass to her.”

  “I’ve only ever been honest with her. She knows where we stand.”

  “I don’t know why she still wants anything to do with you.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t know,” Declan retorted, cracking a smirk. “You’ve never had sex with me.”

  Her face scrunched in horror and she punched his arm. “Declan! Ew!”

  He laughed and finished his drink, nudging the empty glass at his brother.

  Raising a brow, Ethan refilled the glass and slid it toward him. “Where’s the girl?”

  Declan exhaled noisily and sank onto a vacant bar stool. “She’s gone.”

  Sienna’s shocked gasp nipped at his words. “As in Harper has her or killed her?”

  “She’s still alive.”

  “Where is she?”

  Declan rolled his eyes. “If I knew, she’d be here, not off with the damn warlock.”

  “You lost her?” they asked in perfect unison and he almost flinched at their incredulous tones.

  Almost.

  But flinching would reveal his disgust.

  “How could you let that happen?” Ethan asked, irritation lining his words.

  “The wildcat drugged me this morning.” Declan took another sip of whiskey which did nothing to ease the growing frustration. “Long story.”

  “She sounds feisty.”

  “Feisty’s going to get her killed.”

  “You know what this means, right?”

  “Trust me, brother. I’ve had all day to process what this means.”

  And it only fuelled his anger every time he did.

  “Why did they take her? They could’ve killed her right there, absorbed her powers, and got on with it. Why go to the trouble of taking her?”

  Exactly.

  But Harper hadn’t killed her, which meant he needed her for something else. What that was worried him more than he cared to admit.

  “Maybe they’re hoping she’ll side with them,” Sienna suggested. “She’d be more powerful than Harper could ever be as the magic originated with her.”

  “She’d never side with them.”

  “You say that like you know her.”

  Every damn inch of her.

  “We’ve met before.”

  “You have? Why haven’t you said anything until now?”

  “Because it wasn’t relevant.”

  “She broke in here, stole two of our daggers, stabbed your brother –”

  “I’m very well aware of her crimes, Sienna.”

  “– and you failed to think it was relevant?”

  “Unless it was more than a simple meeting,” Ethan added, watching Declan. Apparently, the warrior knew his brother too well.

  “Can we focus on what’s important here?” Declan snapped, slamming the glass on the table. “Harper has her and he’ll use her powers any way he can. Once he has access to them, we can kiss our sweet-assed victories goodbye.”

  The truth behind his words hung in the air like an unwelcome ache.

  Sienna nibbled her bottom lip, her eyes filled with renewed concern. “If Harper insists she sides with them, her options will be limited. If she doesn’t do it willingly, he’ll kill her.”

  Declan swallowed, hating to hear the words spoken aloud. He nodded, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife and a map.

  “What about the hybrid in her?” Ethan asked.

  “No one knows about that. Besides, her mother used a spell that kept that side of her dormant. Her witch side is stronger. Any Keeper ability she has is nowhere near ours.”

  “If Harper’s discovered she’s a hybrid, would it help him?”

  “Not much,” Sienna replied. “The powers they scavenge are always diluted in the process. If her Keeper side is weak, there’d be little to gain.”

  Declan spread the map across the bar and glanced at Sienna. “Up for a location spell?”

  Green eyes flashed with curiosity. “She’s magical. A location spell won’t work for her unless I have her blood.”

  Declan reached for the knife and slashed his palm, ignoring the pierce of pain.

  “Declan?” Sienna’s voice tore through the silence, laced with confusion.

  He held his hand above the map and pumped his fist.

  “Declan!” Sienna snapped, snatching the towel off Ethan’s shoulder as he went to lock the front door. “What are you doing?”

  Blood dripped onto the map, red and angry, a reminder of the war they’d face if Harper scavenged Kate’s magic.

  Like hell.

  He took the towel from Sienna and wrapped his hand. “The location spell, Sienna.”

  “This won’t work. I need her blood.”

  “Use mine.”

  “I can’t search for her without her blood!”

  “I’m not asking you to search for hers.”

  Sienna’s eyes narrowed before widening as understanding dawned. “You marked her, didn’t you?”

  Damn right.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kate had never been afraid of the dark.

  Until now.

  Although she’d been unconscious most of the time, she suspected Harper had taken her underground. It was too dark, cold, and quiet to be anywhere else. The walls were damp, the air smelt musty, and Kate wasn’t sure what she wished for more – fresh air or sunlight on her face.

  Both would signal freedom which now seemed like an impossible feat. Not with the shackles around her wrists and ankles. Her skin was raw, the flesh red from the binds.

  She had long since given up trying to free herself. They’d used shackles that were impossible to destroy, despite her strength. Since they’d taken her, she’d hoped her powers would set her free.

  But no.

  Her captives knew how to curb them.

  Bastards.

  The sound of approaching footsteps sent Kate’s heartbeat racing. She drew in a quiet breath, bracing herself for the onslaught of evil coming her way.

  The key turned in the lock, the sound loud in the quiet room. The wooden door pushed open, scraping along the sandy floor. A beam of light flooded the room, a brief respite from the darkness.

  Harper.

  Kate lay still, pretending to be asleep, hoping to gain the element of surprise. She peered at him through the hair that fanned her face. Her stomach recoiled as he approached, a mocking smile on thin lips; a syringe in one hand, a torch in the other. Without saying a word, he turned around to hang the torch on a hook in the wall.

  The face of a demon stared back at her. Piercing black eyes drawn into a frown of hatred, snarling teeth, and an expression designed to instigate fear.

  Air evaded her and she stared at it in horror.

  He turned back to her, and she almost baulked as he edged closer, his heavy boots thudding across the
floor.

  A tattoo.

  Suppressing a shudder, Kate forced herself to breathe, knowing she had little chance of ever getting out of here if he injected her again. With each dose, she grew weaker. Their drug of choice brought with it an overwhelming exhaustion she’d never experienced before. It had been hours since her last dose and a fresh one would seal her fate.

  Kate waited, biding her time. He reeked of alcohol, the smell permeating the air as he approached. The bed creaked from his weight and she tried not to flinch when he stroked her hip. His hand played with the hem of her shirt, scraping calloused fingers along her skin.

  “All this time we’ve been looking for a way to beat the Beckham witch and her trio of guard dogs. Little did I know that the weapon I needed would come so beautifully packaged.” His calm voice made her insides twist. With a sinister gentleness he swept the hair from her face.

  He stroked her cheek with one hand whilst the other rested on her hip and she had to bite down on the inward shudder.

  Sighing, he shifted beside her and withdrew to ready the syringe. “But you’ve also been a pain in the ass.”

  Kate reared up, ramming her elbow into his face with a force that surprised her. She was weak from the drugs but it was enough to disarm him.

  He fell backward with a grunt, knocking over the torch. Kate sprang to her feet, her movements shaky, head fuzzy, body still shackled. Somewhere through the haze, she was able to charge forward, her drive for freedom stronger than ever.

  This was her only chance.

  She grabbed him by the shoulders, ramming her knee into his face. He yelled out as blood spattered from his nose.

  “You bitch!” he screamed as he struggled to his feet, swiping at the blood.

  “Small price to pay considering everything you’ve done to me.” Her voice, croaky with fury and hatred, sounded foreign.

  He charged her, the syringe clasped in his hand. The tiny room prevented her from dodging him and they stumbled across the bed.

  She caught the flash of the syringe as he rammed it toward her – his only chance of subduing her – but she rolled out of its aim, reared up and butted her head against his.

  Ignoring the pain, she scrambled for the syringe, a loud guttural groan echoing through the room. Lightning quick, she ripped it from his hand and slammed the lethal dose into his neck.

  His eyes widened as his jaw fell open. The effect was instantaneous, the debilitating concoction all too familiar to her.

  “No matter where you go, I will find you,” he murmured.

  “You should have killed me when you had the chance. I will never give you my powers willingly.”

  He didn’t reply, his eyes fluttered and he slumped forward, silent, before going still.

  Serves him right.

  Kate searched for the keys he’d pocketed to unlock the door. She couldn’t resist grinning when she found them along with a small pocket knife and the silver chain that held Declan’s skeleton key. Her hopes soared as she fastened the necklace around her neck, tucking the key inside her shirt where it nestled like a comforting reminder of freedom. Her fingers shook as she unlocked the shackles and secured Harper to the bed.

  Sweet justice.

  She bolted for the door, relieved to find a dimly-lit passage that led to a wooden staircase, and headed straight toward it.

  Her head snapped up at the sound of voices above her. All her senses were on overload. Everything was louder and clearer. Her mind spinning, she tuned into the voices behind the door. The television was on in the background, muffling their words, but she recognised them all. Despite the aroma of fried food, she could even smell them. Musky men, oozing aggression. Ugh.

  Wincing, she nudged open another door, fear curling her insides. The passage was clear and she edged closer. Her heart screamed in her chest.

  Keeping her back to the wall, she peered around the corner, her breath catching when she found the living room empty.

  Her spirits soared at a massive glass sliding door that led outside, but sunk when she took in the endless mountains surrounding them.

  God, where had they taken her?

  Two black Hummers were parked in the driveway that turned into a long dirt track down the mountain.

  Kate closed her fingers around the skeleton key and hoped like hell it would jimmy a locked car too.

  A door slammed in the room next door, followed by footsteps and Max’s voice, spurring her on.

  Dizzy from the adrenaline coursing through her, she rushed through the sliding door and ran to the car, not caring if they saw her. Hoping they saw her.

  They did.

  It was Megan who sounded the alarm and within seconds the four warriors had bolted through the front door. A woman wearing a woollen hat pulled low across her face hung back in the doorway, apparently not up for the chase.

  Her hands trembling, Kate headed for the second car, crying out in relief when the key slid into the ignition and the engine roared to life.

  Max was beside her in a flash.

  Panic surged, clashing with her desperation for freedom. She shoved the car into reverse, spun it around in a whirl of dust, and took off.

  “Come on,” she whispered, watching them in the rear view mirror, and grinned when they jumped into the second car.

  She pressed ahead, scanning the treacherous dirt road for the bend that would set her free.

  Moments later, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the door handle, she held her breath and aimed for the cliff.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Declan snapped open the whiskey flask and took a large gulp. The liquid warmed him, sending a hot trail of comfort all the way to his gut. He gritted his teeth and grunted his approval, wondering again what the hell he was doing in the mountains, braving the icy weather, instead of enjoying the warmth of home.

  The silence was broken by the sound of the river flowing nearby, the crackling of the campfire, and the hooting of an owl perched in the tree above, on the lookout for its next meal. It was dark and cold and the only comfort he had was a sleeping bag and a fire he’d made before the sun had set.

  And the whiskey.

  He eyed his gear with a new appreciation for the king-sized bed at home. That’ll teach you for packing in a hurry.

  Once Sienna had snagged a vague location for Kate, he’d thrown together a rucksack and headed for the mountains, shrugging off his brothers’ insistence that they tag along.

  Although it pleased him that Kate was still in Canada, he suspected it wouldn’t be for long; hence the urgency that licked at his gut.

  He released a low rumble of curses and closed the near-empty flask of whiskey. He’d been in the mountains far longer than he’d expected to be. A few days had passed and his enemies had vanished.

  Along with Kate.

  The thought twisted his gut and he refused to name why. She’d stolen from him, drugged him – twice – and had landed herself in deep trouble.

  That’ll teach her to witch-dose me. He wasn’t sure what irked him more, the theft or the drugs, but he was determined to find her.

  Crazy woman.

  He took another sip, the bottle freezing mid-air at the sound of leaves rustling in the far distance. He zoned in on his surroundings, his age-old Keeper senses flaring.

  An animal?

  His instincts had him on his feet that moment. With a speed he never tired of, he packed his things, killed the fire, and set off, careful to blend in with the dense bushes.

  It didn’t take long to track the intruder further up the river. Stepping behind a large rock, Declan dropped his rucksack to the ground and scanned his surroundings.

  The footsteps grew louder, nearer, and more uneven as the intruder stumbled across the forest debris and knelt beside the water. He could hear a rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing. And it wasn’t his. He waited, ready to pounce, and watched as a slender figure knelt to drink water, so silently that anyone with a normal sense of hearing wouldn’t have he
ard.

  But there was nothing normal about his senses and he heard everything.

  Declan caught sight of the mop of dark curls that fell forward with the motion and everything inside him shifted.

  Kate.

  Where the hell had she come from?

  His immediate instinct was to bolt toward her but he hung back, scanning the area for any signs of her attackers.

  Hot damn. How the hell had she escaped?

  A bulky jacket covered the same clothes she’d worn when he'd last seen her. Her hair was a mess and she seemed scrawnier. Clearly, several days of dirt and neglect had taken their toll.

  Cupping water in her hands, she washed her face before rocking back on her heels. Standing beside the gushing river and massive trees, she looked vulnerable and exhausted.

  Without making a sound, he stepped out from behind the rock, but the motion startled her. She swung around and flicked a knife with such speed and precision that it almost, almost, hit him.

  In a flash, Declan was behind her, wrapping his arms around her in a vice grip. This time, he anticipated her strength and applied more force. “First you steal from me, then you drug me, now you’re trying to stab me? Wildcat, you are so looking for trouble.”

  She struggled against his arms, screeching as he shoved a hand across her mouth to silence her protest. The last thing they needed was to alert her attackers. They appeared to be alone but he had no idea how long that would last.

  “Calm down, dammit!” he snapped, tightening his grip.

  “Declan?” He heard the incredulous tone in her voice, tinged with relief, and he adjusted his weight around her. She was frozen and trembling within his arms. He figured it had less to do with fear and more to do with the cold.

  “Let me go!”

  “So you can Hulk your way out of this?”

  “Declan, I can’t breathe,” she mumbled, turning her head in an attempt to dislodge his hand.

  “That’s your problem, witchy.”

  “I’m so sick of being bullied by you assholes!” she cried, jabbing an elbow into his ribs with a force that winded him. Using his brief moment of surprise, she struggled around in his arms and lashed out.

  “Dammit, Kate!” he hissed, grabbing her wrist.

  The struggle was brief, fierce. Her strength still surprised him but he was stronger and more experienced.