But as she began filtering through the remains of Toby’s table and contents, another thought hit her.
Aedan. Was he safe from whoever this was? What if the Scimitar found him too? What if they came to reclaim what they’d lost track of when he was a baby?
Copernicus protested with a loud meow as she dropped him to the floor. But Maya didn’t care. She had to get there before it was too late. They couldn’t have him. Because the more the thought settled in her brain, the more convinced she was that they were going to try and squash all the good out of him.
To the Circle, he was an enemy, an ingredient in a horrible recipe for destruction and doom. To the Scimitar, he was a weapon to wield against humanity. Neither side saw him for what he was, the way she saw him. An innocent boy with a painful burden.
Maya flew down the steps, and into the car. If she was right, she might still be able to save both Aedan and Toby. But only if she hurried.
She’d make it though, she had to. Because all of her training wasn’t going to go to waste. She was going to take out the Scimitars responsible.
A grin spread across her face as she floored it.
This was just the kind of situation she thrived on.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aedan
The breeze startled Aedan awake. He opened his eyes to find Kari hovering an inch above him. His mouth dropped open automatically to scream, and her hand clasped over it. The pilot light in his stomach flared, but she only rolled over onto the bed next to him laughing quietly.
The room was light, but not bright, the colors all muted with gray. What time was it? Aedan snuffed out the fire within, and ran his hands over his face, trying to both steady himself and wipe away the last remnants of sleep.
The ring. Aedan squeezed his hands into fists and felt it around his left index finger. He had no memory of removing it from the cord let alone putting it on.
“Mama Bear and Papa Bear are still asleep,” Kari said, tracing lines over his bare chest.
The fire flared again, and Kari pulled her hand away as though she could see it in his eyes. “You’ve been spying on my parents?” he asked evenly.
“Just checking on them. I had to case the place to make sure the other assassin wasn’t already here. She’s on her way though, you can be sure of that.”
“What?” he asked, truly confused.
“I got one of them. I’ll introduce you, but right now we have to get you out of here. We’ve lost the element of surprise, and we don’t need to give her any extra advantage.” She tugged him up and out of bed, but he met her with sluggish resistance as he tried to wrap his head around it.
“Are Sam and Edy in danger?” he asked, stooping to snatch yesterday’s jeans from the floor.
“If you’re not here, I think they’ll be fine. The Circle doesn’t want to attract attention by killing regular old mortals. No one could mistake them for Scimitar.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” he announced and picked up the rest of his clothes. Kari sat hard on the corner of the bed, folding her arms. He took that to mean she wasn’t happy but understood, and he took off down the hall.
Aedan did have to go, but by the time he was finished, he was dressed with the ring tucked securely in his back pocket. No need for Kari to start asking questions about where he got Merlin’s ring. He opened the door to find her leaning against the wall across from him, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor.
“Let’s go,” she said grabbing his wrist and yanking him toward the stairs. But just as they reached the first step a knock sounded softly at the front door. Kari spun, pulling him toward the unused guest room at the back of the house.
“Where are we going?” he asked, instinctively keeping his voice low.
In answer, she thrust the door closed behind them and threw out a hand toward the window making it fly open in the targeted wind. Aedan tried to dig his feet in, but her wind shoved him from behind right out the window, and then he was falling. He pressed his eyes closed, but instead of meeting hard ground the air seemed to buoy him from below, and Kari’s body pressed against him from behind. Then all he could feel was the wind in his face, all around him really.
He risked opening an eye, and he found the ground rushing past fifty feet below. His heart jumped into his throat, and the fire inside threatened to break free, puckering against his skin. Quick, hard, shallow breaths blew from his mouth as he tried to both hold it inside, and get a grip in general.
Finally, he closed his eyes again, which seemed to help a little. A while after that, the wind slowed, and he found himself settling down on solid ground.
“You can open your eyes now, fire boy.”
Aedan did as she asked, and found they were stationed on top of what he thought may be a particularly difficult trail in Sabino Canyon. Evergreen trees stood like sentries all around, casting speckled shadows along the uneven ground. The sound of rushing water laced its way behind them. But it wasn’t the scenery that held Aedan’s attention.
It was the body.
Well, he wasn’t exactly sure if the guy was alive, but he sure didn’t look too good. He hung naked, upside down from the nearest tree by his ankles, bound in a coarse rope that wound its way down around his torso fastening his hands securely to his sides. Okay, more than securely. He was trussed up so tight that angry red rope-burns cut into his flesh, and blood trickled in a small puddle beneath his head.
He was unconscious at the very least. His swollen and bruised face slack, his long reddish hair dusting the ground, the right side glowing like a flame in the sunlight that managed to break through the canopy of leaves above. Aedan noticed a bent pair of wire-rimmed glasses in the dirt and had the mad urge to pick them up and put them back on his busted face. But he doubted that would do much at this point.
Aedan fought back the bile that bubbled up in the back of his throat and pressed a hand to his mouth. “Is he?” he managed after a minute.
“Dead? Hell no. You need to finish him. Though at this point not only is it a piece of cake, it’d be a mercy killing.” Kari circled the guy slowly coming to rest on his right side, blotting him out in shadow. She squatted down by his head and blew.
His whole body began to sway like a pendulum, and she laughed.
“Stop.” The word echoed back through the forest, and Kari looked up.
“What’s the matter, fire boy? You chicken? He would kill you if he had half a chance.”
“I don’t care,” Aedan said, focusing on staying steady. Inside he was shaking like a leaf in one of Kari’s breezes. “That doesn’t mean I have to kill him.”
Kari let out a long breath somewhere between a sigh and a whistle then she stood up, kicked the man suddenly in the face, and sauntered toward Aedan with so much purpose he had to fight to stand his ground, and not back away.
The man moaned a little behind her, but Aedan kept Kari in his sights. “Who is he?” he asked.
Kari’s lips curled up in a smug grin. She placed her hands on his shoulders. He wanted to throw her off but forced himself to stay centered. He had to be careful.
“He’s one of the Circle’s team of assassins,” she cooed. “Pity his partner wasn’t home.”
“What are you not telling me?” he asked.
Her face fell.
“Kill him.” Her fingernails dug into his shoulders like tiny knives, and he really did brush her away this time.
“Why’s it so important that I do it?” he asked. He couldn’t keep his eyes from flickering to the man who was now awake, watching their exchange silently.
“Because you’re supposed to.” He could see the frustration building around her in the mini dust devil that ripped pine needles from the surrounding trees and whistled around her body.
“Who says?” he asked. Inside, he called up the fire out of instinct more than anything else.
“The Scimitar. Okay? My bosses. Your bosses. It’s no big deal, A.” Suddenly she was calm again. The debris surrounding he
r moments before dropped to the ground. “They know you were never trained properly and sent me to do it. They just want proof that you can handle what’s to come.”
Aedan swallowed as the man’s eyes seemed to penetrate right through his head. He looked back at Kari. “No. I’m not going to murder him. I’m not going to murder anyone.”
“You have to,” Kari said. “Look, I know you’re a good guy. I get it. And you should consider yourself lucky. Look at it like a fifteen-year-vacation. But now it’s over, and you are what you are. There’s no escape.” Her bottom lip trembled a little as she said it.
“No.” He knew what it was like to kill someone. To steal a life. And no one – not Kari, not anyone – was going to force him to do it on purpose. “You can’t force me, Kari. You aren’t Morgana Le Fay. And as far as I know, it isn’t the equinox yet.”
Kari stared hard. He had no idea what she was thinking. And he didn’t know what he would do if it came to a showdown.
“I can’t force you,” she said softly. “You’re right about that. But the Scimitar does not take disobedience lightly. I didn’t want to do this, but I have no choice.”
A sudden chill trickled down Aedan’s neck, as the heat inside flared up into his chest. Whatever she threw at him, he would fight.
“If you don’t do it, Papa Bear dies.”
Sam? No. He was safely asleep at home. Wasn’t he? Aedan looked up at the sky as though he could somehow see all the way back to the house. Kari watched him carefully.
“I’m afraid I lied before,” she said. “He’s set to be killed at sundown if I’m not back to stop it.”
“What?” Aedan’s voice shook with rage. Kari cowered back a little as fire blazed to life in the palms of his outstretched hands. The prisoner continued to watch, still swaying slightly.
“If you hurt me, no one can stop it from happening,” she said quickly. “Just… just kill him. And I can let the old man go.”
The fire dwindled until only smoke was left curling outward into the morning air. Aedan dropped his hands to his sides, defeated. “Fine,” he said.
Kari looked relieved. Her arrogant posture returned.
“But you have to go get the other one,” he said.
The man, who’d been silently watching until now, shook his head back and forth behind Kari, and Aedan’s eyes widened. But it was the only way he could think of to get rid of her. And if he had any chance of keeping both Sam and this man alive he had to get Kari to leave.
“Yeah. I do owe her. Tell you what, fire boy, I’ll be back here in an hour. When I see the body, we’ll go take care of Papa Bear together.”
Aedan fought back the fire and the rage until she was out of sight. Then he focused hard and cried out, throwing his hand toward the prisoner.
Chapter Thirty
Aedan
“No! Wait!” the man cried. But it was too late. Aedan let go, and the ropes holding him in place burst into flame, turning to ash so quickly that he fell in a heap on the ground. He flailed, rolling in the dirt like he was on fire too, but it was only fear and shock that drove the action because Aedan made sure it was the bindings and only the bindings that were destroyed.
Kari had trained him well.
“You’re okay,” he said, leaning down to offer a hand up to the stranger.
The man stopped writhing and stared up at him, his chest, matted with blood and dirt, pumping hard. Slowly he reached up to take Aedan’s proffered hand. Aedan smiled as he grasped it. The next thing he knew he was on the ground, pinned between the man’s knees.
“What the fuck?” he asked. “I just saved your ass!”
“I know,” said the man in a raspy voice. He groped around next to Aedan’s head and straightened up, fixing his glasses on his face. “That’s why you aren’t dead.”
“I can still set you on fire,” Aedan said dully.
“Look, I don’t really understand what the hell’s going on. But I do know that Maya seems to actually care about you. And now I believe I’m starting to understand why. You aren’t evil.”
Aedan was glad he was on the ground because he didn’t have far to fall. The moment he’d said her name it clicked into place. This had to be her brother, Toby. Which meant Maya was the Operative?
Maya was the Operative.
The man was still talking. “But now that thing is after her, no thanks to you, and we don’t have much time. Are you willing to work with us?”
Aedan found his mouth was very dry. Blood pounded in his ears. Everything was getting fuzzy. Was that why Maya’s brother didn’t look so good? No. He fell off of Aedan onto the ground again, this time grasping his side and twitching a little, face down. Aedan forced himself to his senses. He had to do something.
Toby offered no resistance as Aedan turned him over. He coughed a little, and blinked up at him, grimacing in pain.
“Just relax,” Aedan said. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Do you have any potions on you? Any medical expertise? Because I’m no expert, but I’m thinking I have some internal injuries…”
This guy must never shut up. Here he was dying, and his mouth kept right on moving. Aedan was surprised he was able to keep silent while watching him and Kari. “No, but I have something that can help us. At least I hope it can.”
“No more Elementals I hope,” Toby said weakly.
Aedan reached behind him and pulled out the ring. The moment his fingers connected with it, he felt better. More confident and a bit less nervous. “No,” he said. “It’s a magical object from Merlin.”
“That’s my ring.” Toby coughed from beside him, and when he looked over he saw bright red covering his hands and lips. What the hell did Kari do to him?
“Maya gave it to me,” Aedan watched as Toby struggled to his elbows so he could examine the ring. He adjusted his glasses, which no longer lay flat against his face, but at a perpetually odd angle. When he removed his trembling hand, a bloody fingerprint was left on the lense.
“I gave it to her for protection.” He sounded offended.
“Take it easy, Toby.” Aedan put a tentative hand on his shoulder.
“You know my name?” he asked.
“Sure. Maya talks about you all the time. You’re a great brother.”
Toby began to laugh, but it turned into a violent coughing fit ending in more blood sprayed on the ground at his feet.
“Try to stay calm,” Aedan said, placing the ring on Toby’s finger, despite his overwhelming urge to put it back on himself.
Inside his chest constricted. He had to get Toby to a hospital, but how was he supposed to do that and be back in less than an hour to convince Kari he’d killed him? Forget that. How was he even supposed to get someone in Toby’s condition down a mountain?
Aedan searched around frantically. Beside him, Toby lay still except for an occasional cough that racked his whole body. He must have been in terrible pain, but he spoke and behaved like he was fine. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.
“I’ve got it! I think.” He was running out of time. Both for Toby and for Sam. And now, maybe Maya. He still couldn’t believe he’d accidentally sicked Kari on her.
Toby stopped moving. He had to stop him from going into shock. That’s what they always did on TV, right? He had to wake him.
Aedan forced a spark of fire onto his fingertip, then held it next to Toby’s arm. He didn’t know what else to do. The moment Toby jerked his eyes open, Aedan put out the flame.
Toby glared at him, but at least he was awake. If Aedan couldn’t get Toby to a hospital, he’d have to bring the hospital to Toby.
He could start a fire, and call 911. But he would have to be careful. And he’d have to get Toby a safe distance from both the flames and Kari if she returned too soon. It would look good to her too. She wouldn’t be able to verify whether he’d done it or not. He could pretend he panicked and lost control.
“Brace yourself,” he said to Toby. “This is going to be a big one.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Maya
“Aedan!” Maya half whispered half yelled his name into the still dark house. His truck was still out front. No answer. She collapsed the pick and shoved the minuscule piece of wire back in her pocket. She hadn’t wanted to alarm the Sparks by banging on the door, but she was feeling a little uncomfortable about breaking and entering too. Edy trusted her.
She did a quick survey of the first floor then jogged up the steps. It felt like a bit of a breach of trust setting foot on the upstairs landing. It was one of the rules she’d agreed to for Aedan’s sake. She wouldn’t go in his room. Of course, if it was because he’d been trying to protect his identity – well, that cover was already blown.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Edy’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Oh dear! I didn’t frighten you, did I, dear?”
“No! No. I’m sorry. I was just… I was looking for Aedan, and I didn’t want to wake anyone. I-”
Edy’s small eyes seemed to penetrate her skull. Then she smiled. “I’ll check and see if he’s up yet. Sam had a call in the middle of the night and had to go into the gift store.”
“Oh. Is everything all right?” Maya asked. She hadn’t ever considered a gift shop owner would have to make middle of the night trips into work like doctors or police men.
“Just a break in. They happen every so often. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Why don’t you go put some coffee on for us?”
Maya understood. Edy wouldn’t want her seeing Aedan’s room either. Not if he was the Fire Elemental. No doubt there were fresh scorch marks all over the place.
“Sure.” She hurried down the steps, really wanting to see him. To talk to him. Somehow that would help her understand. They could work together to find Toby and the Scimitars who took him.
And she could be absolutely sure Aedan wasn’t involved.
Of course, no sign of fire had been left at the apartment. If Aedan had been there, that’s the only thing he could have used to successfully attack a fully trained Operative. Especially if he didn’t even know what he was himself.
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