“There were some complications,” I murmured as I mounted the steps. A new weariness crept into my bones as I reached the front door landing. A breeze blew from inside the house, carrying with it the scent of wild flowers. There was a feeling of safety in that smell. I had completed the first leg of my mission and I was tired. Cynnia and I were a long way from accomplishing our goal, but at least I was back with my sister. The nagging fear of something happening to her while I was absent could fly away for the time being.
As I passed Shelly, I noticed her smile wilt as her eyes shifted to Rowe. Her shoulders stiffened, but she remained determinedly chipper as she greeted the other naturi and welcomed him into the house. I didn’t know what Mira had told her about the rogue naturi, but there was little that could have been positive.
“Where’s Cynnia?” I demanded as I paused in the foyer. The town house was sparsely decorated with a couple of landscape paintings hanging on the pastel walls. The floors were covered in a honey wood, and each of the rooms seemed to spill forth warm light to beat back the night. Dawn was only an hour away and yet I could sense people moving about. I had a feeling Cynnia and her guardians were sleeping little these days, as they not only worried about a strike from Aurora, but she was also now deep in Mira’s territory. Any truce with the Fire Starter would be an uneasy one.
“She’s sitting in the parlor,” Shelly replied, stepping in front of me to motion toward the room off to the right.
“Were there any problems?”
Shelly’s smile crumpled completely and her eyes quickly darted away from me. But as she opened her mouth to answer, Cynnia’s confident voice floated from the parlor. “Nothing that we couldn’t handle.”
“By your friend’s expression, I struggle to believe that,” I replied, following the voice into the room that held my sister. I found her curled up at one end of a sofa, her feet tucked into the side of the cushion, one arm comfortably on the couch armrest, the other resting in her lap. She wore a pair of jeans and pale pink T-shirt, making her look like a teenage human rather than the next queen of the naturi people. But for now we needed her to blend as much as possible with the rest of the world and escape the notice of anyone who could be potentially looking for her.
“We were attacked by some earth and light clan members during our meeting with Mira and the leader of the local lycanthrope pack,” Cynnia finally admitted with a shrug of her slender shoulders. “We had some troubles at first, but we were victorious in the end.”
“And the Fire Starter?” Rowe demanded as he came to stand beside me, just past the entrance into the room.
“She and the lycan alpha Barrett have agreed to side with us against Aurora,” Cynnia said with a bright smile.
Shelly shimmied into the room and clapped her hands together as she heaved a heavy sigh. “You two have got to be famished and exhausted. I can get you some food, or show you where you can freshen up or maybe just get some rest for a while.”
“We need to talk,” Rowe said in a low voice, his eyes never wavering from Cynnia’s face. I watched as my sister leaned back and folded both hands in her lap while her eyes locked on my face. It was an old signal we had developed years ago. We could speak telepathically, but we discovered early on that Aurora could also hear our thoughts since she was our sister. To protect our little secrets, we developed a series of hand gestures that signaled a variety of questions, answers, and emotions. At first it had been nothing more than a little game done to amuse ourselves as we snuck behind Aurora’s back. Now it had become an invaluable tool as we struggled against our once beloved sister.
Without saying a word, she was asking if I had succeeded in bringing Rowe willingly to her. I lifted my right hand and grasped my left elbow, signaling that I had succeeded in my mission. Cynnia gave a little sigh and shifted position, resting her hands on either side of her body. She was open and ready to proceed with her plan to win Rowe over to her side.
“We will meet now,” I said to Shelly, barely glancing over at her.
“Are you sure?” Shelly asked in low voice. “Cynnia said that you had been on a long trip. I just thought—”
“It’s okay, Shelly,” Cynnia gently interjected, trying to soften the blow as we brushed off her offer of hospitality. “It’s best if we talk now. Could you leave us and shut the doors behind you?”
Shelly gave a quick stiff nod before she left the room. I could almost sympathize with the human. She had been involved in a great deal of the protection of Cynnia and the planning to overthrow Aurora. It would be difficult to now be excluded from what was obviously an important meeting. However, things were different with Rowe, more delicate. I had no doubt that Rowe still harbored ill feelings toward the humans, and I didn’t want one lingering about, cluttering up what was going to be a difficult discussion. Cynnia and I both knew that we needed his help if we were going to succeed against Aurora.
As soon as the door closed to the room and we were alone with Rowe, the naturi arched one eyebrow at Cynnia and demanded, “Pet?”
Cynnia calmly shook her head and looked him in the eye. “No, she’s a good friend and protector. Not all humans are useless.”
Rowe gave a little smirk. “I never claimed that humans were useless. I’ve found many uses for them.”
“Yes,” I said with a slight hiss. “I heard of your harvest in a land east of here. I’ve heard of several harvests that you’ve led in an attempt to achieve your goal.” A harvest resulted in the slaughter of humans and the harvesting of their organs for a series of blood spells that Rowe shouldn’t have been casting in the first place. Of course, he was not the first of our people to lead a harvest, and I knew without a doubt that there would be more one day. There was power to be found in the human soul, and the easiest way for us to harness that power was through their organs.
“My task was to free Aurora and our people at whatever the cost,” Rowe said through clenched teeth. “When the regular methods didn’t work, I pushed the limits of my knowledge. I sought out new layers of power. I knew that I could not fail our people.”
“And you didn’t fail,” Cynnia said in a gentle voice. She motioned with her left hand for him to sit on the sofa beside her. The naturi hesitated, his body stiff and his expression unyielding before he finally softened enough to take a seat on the sofa. I moved opposite him, leaning up against the fireplace mantel. Despite my sister’s attempts to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, I couldn’t relax. It was my job to stay focused and protect her from any threats, even those that came from our so-called allies.
“As I was saying,” Cynnia said, shooting me a dark look for a blink of an eye before she finally looked over at Rowe again. “You have saved our people. As I am sure Nyx told you, our people were languishing within our cage. We were no longer growing; our connection with the earth had been nearly severed.”
“Nyx told me things were grim,” Rowe admitted, earning a frown from me. I thought I had clearly spelled out that our people were dying. However, before I could chime in, the evil bastard flashed me a quick grin to indicate that he was only teasing me. If I didn’t know better, I would have suspected he was trying to push every last one of my buttons.
“However, things have not gotten better with the release of Aurora,” Cynnia continued, oblivious to the play between myself and Rowe.
“I gathered that much when she ordered both your death and Nyx’s at Machu Picchu,” Rowe blandly commented while scratching his chin. A growth of dark stubble was starting to gather there, giving him an even more menacing look. “Most people don’t like to be faced with their own death.”
“It’s more than being faced with your own death,” I snapped. “It’s about being betrayed by the person you have sworn to protect and obey under any circumstances. It’s being called a traitor when all your actions have been for the good of your own people. I have no fear of death, but I will not go quietly into that dark embrace if I have not earned it.”
“Aurora is the queen,�
�� Rowe said with a shrug.
“And she’s gone mad,” I countered.
“She’s turned on you as well,” Cynnia interjected, turning Rowe’s attention to her in an attempt to keep us from going at each other’s throats. “You gave everything to the naturi. You sacrificed everything for our kind. You followed her command to free us and she turned on you. Banished you.”
I crossed my arms over my stomach and leaned my right shoulder against the wooden edge of the mantel. “You owe her no loyalty.”
“But that’s the funny thing about loyalty,” Rowe replied with another dark grin. “Once it has been won, you must stick with the one that you have sworn your fealty to.”
“She betrayed you, Rowe.” Cynnia shook her head, closing her eyes. “She has done nothing to deserve your loyalty any longer.”
“And it’s not just you that she has betrayed,” I added. “She has also betrayed the trust of our people. She is supposed to be our protector. She is supposed to lead us toward a safe and secure future, but this obsession with destroying mankind will only lead to the destruction of our own people. Our people are no longer strong enough to face such a task. The humans have grown stronger over the centuries while we have grown weaker. Their weapons have improved, while we have stagnated and lost touch with the earth and our powers.”
“A war with humanity means an end to our people,” Cynnia said simply. “We will not win that war.”
Rowe leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles, stretching out his long, lanky frame. “So what do you suggest?”
“Peace.”
“That can only be achieved through war with Aurora,” he said.
Cynnia nodded, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. “True. Aurora will not willingly turn away from her plans. She will not stop in her determination to destroy mankind. Our only option if our people are to survive is to stop her.”
“You seem eager to turn on your sister,” Rowe said.
“The only eagerness we feel is to finally have this ugly task done,” I commented.
“Our people are running out of time,” Cynnia said. She reached across and laid her hand on the sofa cushion near to Rowe. “We can’t afford to have a long drawn-out battle with her. And we believe that with your help, we can end this quickly and quietly.”
“Along with the help of Mira and the nightwalkers,” Rowe sneered. The words seemed to twist around in his mouth before sliding past his clenched teeth.
“Yes, I believe the Fire Starter will be an asset to this endeavor,” Cynnia stated. “She has faced Aurora in the past and nearly succeeded in defeating her.” Cynnia neatly left out the fact that Rowe had been the only thing that stopped Mira from killing Aurora when the naturi shoved a knife in the nightwalker’s back. “I think with our combined strength, we will have a better shot at defeating Aurora than we did at Machu Picchu.”
“And you think that the Fire Starter will abide by whatever agreement you have forced her into?” Rowe demanded with a slight chuckle.
“It’s not about getting Mira to obey,” Cynnia said, pulling her hand back. “She needs peace with the naturi as well. If Aurora forces us into a war with the humans, then it will bring about the Great Awakening—something the nightwalkers and the lycanthropes are trying to avoid at all costs. And in truth, I would prefer to avoid it myself. Mira will help us fight Aurora because it is in her best interest to do so.”
“And after?”
“When it’s all over?” I said. “When Aurora has been defeated and our people are finally safe to live their lives? We will return to the forests that protected us at one time and we will grow strong once again. Our people will flourish. Our children will not die at birth and they will renew their connection with the earth. And I believe that with our return, the earth will grow strong as well.”
“And then what?” he pressed.
Cynnia turned her worried gaze on me for a second before she looked over at Rowe again. “There is nothing else. We live in peace and harmony with the earth. We remain hidden from the humans. For the first time in countless centuries, our people will thrive. Can you be happy with such a life?”
Rowe stared straight ahead of him, seemingly blind to his surroundings as he honestly considered Cynnia’s question. It would mean giving up his personal vendetta against not only the Fire Starter, but all nightwalkers and humans. It would mean finding another purpose for life after living so many years as a warrior of the naturi people. I understood his hesitation, because it was the same change I faced. My role of protector would end, and I had to wonder if the naturi people would accept my existence if I was no longer their protector.
“I would like a moment alone with your sister,” Rowe said without raising his eyes. I hated to leave Cynnia alone and vulnerable with a skilled killer, but I had to show him some trust if I was to win him over to our side. With a nod from Cynnia, I turned and started to walk toward door that led to the foyer.
“No, I meant a moment alone with Nyx,” Rowe corrected, stunning me into immobility. I twisted around to look at Cynnia, who was eyeing me silently. Yet in the end she simply shrugged and pushed off the sofa. She walked out of the room, throwing me one last questioning glance while I returned to my spot in front of the fireplace.
Rowe waited until Cynnia had closed the door behind her, leaving us alone in the room. I could feel his powers sweep around me as he checked to make sure that my darling little sister wasn’t listening at the door. He pushed off the sofa and walked over to stand directly in front of me. I could feel his body heat radiating off him, bouncing off my own flesh.
“She paints a pretty picture,” he said just above a whisper.
“It’s the truth.” I forced the words out, trying to sound calm and unmoved by his proximity despite the rapid pounding of my heart. A part of me longed to reach out and run my fingers along the scars that crisscrossed one side of his face.
Rowe shook his head. “It’s her vision of the future. It’s a peaceful place where our people will thrive and grow once again.”
“And you have a problem with such a concept?”
“I think such a concept will have a problem with us. Cynnia may be able to lead her followers against Aurora, and she may even be able to lead them to victory with our combined help, but do you honestly think that she will be able to force them to accept us?”
“Possibly,” I hedged, struggling to keep my gaze locked on his.
“You had to convince Kane to join our side by promising that we would lose our place in Cynnia’s court should she become the queen. We will have no place in Cynnia’s world.”
“I know my sister,” I vehemently argued, leaning a little closer to him. “She will not abandon me.”
“The same way you knew Aurora?”
“Aurora never approved of my existence and used me only as her enforcer. She was never a sister. Cynnia is my sister.”
“So you will have a place in the world that Cynnia is creating.”
“Yes, but that’s not what this is about, is it?” I said, tilting my head to the side as I looked at him. I could see the concern in the corner of his one good eye as I stared past the cold resolution and determination. “It’s about you having a place in this world. You’re confident that since Aurora already marked you as a traitor, you will always be marked a traitor of our kind.”
I could feel a rare smile slipping across my lips as I raised my hands to cup his face. He didn’t jerk out of my touch, but actually leaned in closer while his eye fell shut. “I have little to offer you but myself and my protection,” I told him. “While Cynnia will promise you protection and a place among our people, I will promise you a place at my side.”
Rowe’s eye popped open in surprise and I felt him stiffen in my hands. “A place at your side?”
“So long as I have a place in Cynnia’s world, so shall you. They will accept you or we will leave together.”
“And you would be content with this quiet, peaceful lifestyle that
Cynnia seeks for us?”
“It will not be as easy as it sounds, but I have a new . . . interest . . . to keep me occupied, I believe.”
Rowe smiled at me. “A new interest? Yes, I think life could suddenly become interesting with you free of Aurora.” Leaning in close, he brushed his lips against mine in a light kiss that left a tingling in my body all the way down to my toes. I tightened my grip on his face and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, tasting him as flashes of the previous night flooded my brain. I wanted to touch him again, to relive the stolen moment we had enjoyed, but now was definitely not the time.
When I pulled away, I could feel Rowe’s heavy breath across my lips, and his one good eye was nearly black with desire. Without touching his mind, I knew that the same thoughts were running through his head.
“We’re in this together,” I murmured, brushing my lips against his. “But I will not choose between you and Cynnia. You can’t win that battle.”
A smirk twisted his lips. “I never expected to. However, do you believe we can honestly live in peace away from the humans?”
I let my hands slid down his chest and shrugged my shoulders. “For a time, maybe. But there will be a point where we will have to fight them. Cynnia’s plan is simply buying us some time to strengthen our forces.”
A new wicked grin spread across his lips. “So you are planning to resume Aurora’s campaign once she is defeated.”
“The humans are destroying the Great Mother. This cannot be allowed.” I shook my head, the smile slipping from my face. “However, we can do nothing to help her if we are weak.”
“Then you have won me to your side,” Rowe said, leaning in for one last kiss that was only broken by a resounding knock at the front door to the house. We had a visitor, and it was time to return to the business of saving the naturi from destruction.
Nineteen
A pair of lycanthropes was ushered into the parlor by Cynnia and Shelly, while Rowe and I separated. The one-eyed naturi moved to the far edge of the room and lounged against a doorway leading to another part of the house, and I remained leaning against the mantel. A look of deep concern filled Shelly’s eyes as she gazed on the older of the two shifters. An uneasy feeling twisted in the pit of my stomach as I watched these two newcomers. This wasn’t a social call.
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