“No idea,” Ryleigh whispered back. “Where did you come from?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stand hanging around the clearing doing nothing.”
Ryleigh couldn’t really fault her there.
She blushed a deep crimson. “So I followed Noah.”
A small whisper of jealousy trickled into her mind. Ridiculous. She belonged to Jackson. But she hadn’t trusted Payton, and her obvious interest in Noah had bothered Ryleigh for some time. “How did Noah find me?”
“I’m pretty sure it was an accident. As far as I know, no one even knew you were missing yet. Noah and his team had split up, just a little in order to cover more ground. He went through some kind of hole at the base of a tree. I waited a few minutes, but he didn’t come back out.” She kept her voice low, eyeing the other women as she spoke softly. “I followed him. When I emerged from a tree here, Noah had already crossed the clearing. I started to call to him, but I heard something above me, so I ducked behind that tree. Noah took cover over there. Next thing you know, that woman dropped out of the trees and dumped you on the ground.”
Queen Allura strode toward them.
Payton clamped her mouth closed. Her jaw trembled.
Ryleigh squeezed her hand, offering what little reassurance she could. She hadn’t completely trusted Payton, and she’d obviously been right. Something about her story didn’t add up. But the woman was clearly terrified and had no clue what was going on, so maybe it wasn’t her fault. Either way, Ryleigh was responsible for her, and she’d do her best to protect her.
“Come, now.” Queen Allura reached for Payton’s hand. “Please.”
She shied away.
A pained expression crossed the queen’s face, but she let it go and inclined her head toward Ryleigh. “I don’t yet understand what’s happening here, but you’ve returned my daughter, so I can only be grateful. We will offer your people shelter and protection. For now.”
She gripped Ryleigh’s free arm and started down a path through the woods.
The other women dispersed.
With the queen crowding her on one side and Payton clinging on the other, Ryleigh couldn’t help the feeling of being trapped between two enemies.
* * * *
Jackson emerged in front of the remains of the home Ryleigh and Mia had once lived in. The stagnant stink of old smoke and burned wood lingered. Yellow crime scene tape rustled, the wind whipping it from the porch railing where one end dangled, having come free from the railing across from it. A small piece remained stuck to the opposite side. Nothing else remained of the house but rubble.
Two weather-beaten signs tacked to a telephone pole out front held pictures of Ryleigh and Mia, the word Missing prominently displayed across the top of each sign.
He ran a finger over Ryleigh’s smile. He’d never given any thought to the consequences of taking her from her home. Had people in the human realm missed her? It seemed impossible she hadn’t touched lives there. Someone had obviously cared enough to figure out she and Mia had disappeared. Or maybe it was just standard procedure to search for inhabitants when a house burned down and no remains had been found.
His ears popped.
Dakota emerged from the portal at his side. “Anything?”
He shook his head and backed away, his legs threatening to give out.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He was standing by the gate over there when I saw him through the portal. When I got here, he was gone.”
Ranger strode through a step behind Dakota. He retrieved Dakota’s sword from the weeds that had once been the lawn and handed it to him. “At least we know we’re in the right place.”
“He was standing right here.” Jackson stood on the sidewalk in front of the house. Chayce must have had a reason for being there, but Jackson couldn’t even begin to figure out what it was.
A car barreled toward them, its high beams momentarily blinding.
Jackson stepped back, his hand dropping to the handle of his sword.
The car slowed as it passed, a woman’s face pressed against the passenger side window, gawking openly.
If they were going to stay in the human realm, they’d have to lose the battle armor and weapons. Thankfully, the night was dark enough to provide some cover.
Ryleigh’s car sat in the driveway, miraculously untouched, exactly where he’d left it the night he’d driven her and Mia home from the hospital a lifetime ago. He used his sleeve to clear a circle in the dirty window and peeked in, even though he clearly remembered removing the key and locking the door when they’d arrived, right after he’d shared his story with Ryleigh and Mia. Well, most of it, anyway. He’d left out the part where he’d come to the human realm to kill Ryleigh and take her to Cymmera.
The ignition sat empty, as expected.
“What do you want to do?” Dakota rocked from one foot to the other, practically vibrating with nervous energy.
“Chayce would have known I’d recognize Ryleigh’s house.” Of that, he had no doubt. He’d been taunting Jackson, issuing some kind of bizarre challenge Jackson had no clue how to win. “Question is, why did he want me here?”
The neighboring houses were mostly dark but for a couple of upstairs lights in a house three doors down. Most houses in the quiet, residential neighborhood had porch lights burning. They should be safe enough walking around the house without removing their armor. If they had to leave the area, though, they might have to sacrifice a bit of safety in order to appear inconspicuous. “Let’s take a look around.”
Jackson vaulted the fence into the backyard and landed on the scorched grass. He ran a hand over a half-burned picnic table lying on its side, then brushed the soot and splinters from his hand onto his jeans.
A swing creaked as the wind rocked it back and forth from an old swing set in the corner of the yard.
“Anything?” Ranger folded his arms and leaned on the fence, a deceptively casual pose, since his gaze darted around continuously.
“No.”
“Do you really think it’s a good idea to hang around?” Dakota frowned. “If you’re right, and Chayce knows you know where to find him, it’s probably a trap.”
“No doubt.”
“So why hang around?”
“This has to end.”
Dakota shrugged. “Fine by me. If there’s any chance of taking him, I’m in. But don’t forget, Chayce is m…”
“Chayce is what?”
“Uh…nothing. Don’t worry about it. Do you want to take a look around or just stand here and wait for something to happen?”
The sense of something long abandoned hung over the empty yard.
“Let’s go out front.” Jackson climbed the fence and set off down the narrow side lawn.
Two dogs barked in the house next door. Small dogs from the sound of it.
Dakota and Ranger hung back a little, clearly on edge, and followed him toward the front yard.
A man strode toward them down the middle of the street. His dark hoodie concealed his features, but Jackson would recognize Chayce’s stride anywhere.
“Here we go.” It was about time. He’d grown tired of Chayce’s games.
“Hello, brother.” Chayce stopped, careful to stay out of reach, and shoved his hood off. Raw burns mangled the side of his face. Something oozed from the worst wounds.
Shock held Jackson still. He couldn’t imagine why Chayce would have left the mess unhealed. Not only for cosmetic reasons, but the pain had to be incredible.
“Nice, huh.” He gestured to his ruined face. “This was a parting gift from Elijah. Burns borne of magic that can’t be healed.”
“Parting gift?”
His laughter filled the night. “You certainly don’t think I allowed him to live after this, do you?”
The knowledge the man who’d once been his brother had turned into a complete lunatic chilled him. Jackson clenched his teeth and brought his e
motions under control. He schooled his expression, keeping it carefully neutral. He wouldn’t believe a word Chayce uttered. Though the fact the burns were inflicted by magic seemed reasonable.
Jackson shrugged, as if it didn’t matter to him. No way he’d show Chayce any indication of weakness. He worked to keep his voice calm. “What would you expect from him after you betrayed your kingdom?”
“That man raised me!” Spittle sprayed from his mouth. The burns turned a deeper shade of purplish-red. “Then he left me permanently disfigured to save that human slut you call a mate. What kind of loyalty is that?”
Save? Could that mean Ryleigh had escaped? “Loyalty? Like the loyalty you showed your father? Your king?”
“My father was a fool. He was no king. We could have ruled all realms, yet he was satisfied to sit on the throne of Cymmera and wallow in self-pity at the loss of his mate. And then, he didn’t even have the nerve or skill to find the man responsible for her death and destroy him.” Chayce raised a clenched fist. “He should have had the strength to crush him. But he was weak and pitiful, like the son he left to rule in his wake.”
Static electricity ruffled his hair, but Jackson kept his gaze firmly locked on Chayce. He didn’t dare look away.
Ranger and Dakota could handle whatever emerged from the portal.
“Well, that’s about to change.” Chayce pulled a handgun from the back of his waistband. “I am the new ruler of Cymmera. I have crushed that disgusting excuse for a queen, destroyed the prophet, your most powerful sorcerer, and now I will remove you and take my place as king.”
No wonder he’d fled to the human realm. He couldn’t have used the weapon in Cymmera. Jackson started to reach for the bow on his back. He’d never make it.
Chayce aimed the gun directly at Jackson’s head, his hand rock steady. A quick flick of his gaze to Jackson’s right was all the warning he had.
Jackson ducked and spun toward his right.
A hard blow to the side of his head knocked him to his knees.
A savage leaned over, grabbed his helmet, and tried to yank it off.
Jackson swung back with an elbow, catching him in the jaw.
The savage grunted and lurched back.
Ranger intercepted him.
For Chayce to win, he had to inflict an instantly fatal wound. Even in the human realm. With his head and heart protected, Jackson at least stood a chance. He yanked the bow from his back.
Chayce fired.
The bullet hit Jackson’s breastplate. It ricocheted off and grazed his chin.
He grabbed an arrow. Surged to his feet.
A soft thump from behind him. Something whizzed past his ear. An arrow pierced Chayce’s chest. Dead center. A perfect kill shot.
Chayce fell.
Dakota strode past Jackson. “I said a long time ago, Chayce Maynard was mine.”
Ranger squeezed Jackson’s shoulder. “It’s better this way.”
He couldn’t help feeling cheated. Dakota had robbed him of the obsession that would have driven him if Chayce had escaped, given him focus, given his life purpose. Consumed him. “I’m fine.”
Dakota crouched beside Chayce and felt for a pulse and respiration.
Ranger stayed at Jackson’s side. “You sure?”
Dakota stood and drew his sword.
Jackson shrugged. “What’s done is done.”
He lifted it over his head and plunged it straight through Chayce’s heart.
Jackson turned away.
“He didn’t do it for himself, you know.”
“I know. He did it for Mia. He loves her.” Hopefully, they would find her safe.
“No. Well…yes and no. He did it for Mia, hoping it would stop the nightmares that plague her every night. He did it to avenge Ryleigh, who he came to care a great deal for. He did it for Cymmera, to keep her people safe. But mostly, he did it for you.”
“Me?”
“He also said a long time ago, no man should have to carry the burden of his own brother’s execution.” Ranger patted his back and strode toward Dakota.
Together, they stripped Chayce of his weapons, Dakota’s arrow, and any other sign Chayce might be something other than a normal man. Thankfully, he was dressed as a human, but he’d have no ID, no fingerprints on file, no way for them to identify him. The man who’d aspired to be king of all realms, who’d betrayed his own family to achieve that goal, would go into an unknown grave. Alone.
Grief overwhelmed Jackson, the ache in his heart a physical pain. He longed for the simpler times of his childhood, before Queen Dara had sacrificed herself to save her kingdom, before Chayce had become obsessed with power, before Jackson had met Ryleigh and emotions he had no hope of controlling threatened to destroy him. Before he lost the only love he’d ever know.
Sirens split the night.
Ranger and Dakota ran toward him.
“Let’s go.” Ranger clasped his hands together, lifted them, and paused. “Where to?”
Jackson stared at Chayce’s body. His grief for the boy who’d once been his brother would never diminish. Perhaps Dakota had done the right thing.
A dog started barking. The sirens came closer.
Ranger looked over his shoulder. He shook with the strain of holding the energy he’d leashed to open the portal. “Come on, Jackson. We have to go.”
Jackson turned his back on Chayce. Turned his back on his childhood. “We need to search every inch of those tunnels. I want every one of the ice creatures destroyed without burning or damaging the dragon caves.”
Ranger opened the portal to Cymmera.
“Then we have to find whatever that smoke creature was.” The stench of that thing still lingered in the back of his throat. “Nothing like that can be permitted to exist.”
Keeping his gaze firmly locked in front of him, he strode through into the dragon caves.
Chapter 8
Ryleigh followed the path through the forest, keeping close to Allura’s side.
Payton stuck like glue on Ryleigh’s other side. Though she kept her posture rigid and her head high, her hands constantly fidgeting gave away her fear.
Allura slid through the forest without making a sound, the silence of a predator stalking its prey.
Despite the heat and humidity, Ryleigh shivered.
Unlike the clearing they’d emerged into when they first entered the new realm, this forest teemed with life. Hundreds of hummingbirds hovered among the trees. Small animals scampered through the forest and darted across the path, then disappeared, rustling the brush. Some kind of white monkeys with colorful backs swung from branch to branch above them, keeping pace with her as she walked. Their harmonious calls echoed from the treetops. Ryleigh couldn’t drag her gaze from the beautiful, graceful creatures, unlike any she’d ever seen.
Allura reached an enormous evergreen tree and stopped. She slid her hand across the bark, and an opening appeared.
Payton gasped.
Allura waited, staring anxiously at Payton. When she didn’t make any further comment, Allura sighed, turned away, and strode through the opening.
Ryleigh followed the other woman up a spiral staircase carved into the inside of the tree. When they reached the top, they emerged onto a huge wooden platform. Miles and miles of lush green forest surrounded them. Flowers carpeted the tops of the trees. A blue sky, reminiscent of the color of faded denim, embraced it all.
“Please, sit. Be comfortable. I’ll be right back.” Queen Allura gestured toward a large table surrounded by armchairs, then returned to the stairway.
Ryleigh chose a seat facing a mountain, where a breathtaking turquoise waterfall crashed over a wide plateau. She ran a hand over the smooth, mauve fabric, then sank into a cushion as soft as a cloud. She closed her eyes, indulging in one moment of peace, allowing her exhaustion just an instant of respite. She tried desperately to keep her grief over Jackson at bay.
“What do you think i
s going on?”
Ryleigh turned her head toward Payton and cracked one eye open enough to peek at her.
She perched on the edge of the chair closest to Ryleigh’s, clasping and unclasping her hands as her gaze darted wildly around the room.
Ryleigh sighed and sat up straighter. “I don’t know yet, but Queen Allura seems hospitable enough.”
For the moment, anyway.
“I guess.” Payton leaned toward Ryleigh and pitched her voice low. “Do you really think I could be her daughter?”
She didn’t know what to think. She’d always found something off about Payton’s story, especially the rehearsed way she always repeated it. And the remarkable resemblance between her and these other women, especially Allura, was hard to deny. But the fear emanating from her made Ryleigh hedge a little. “I don’t know. You’ve said you were taken from the human realm, but I—”
“I have seen to your people. They will be removed from the clearing and brought to our village.” She nodded toward Ryleigh. “They will be safe here, for now.”
Damn. She’d been hoping the people she’d left in the clearing had escaped their notice.
“And Noah and Tatiana? The two soldiers who were unconscious in the forest?”
“They are being tended as well. I offer my protection for all of your people, for the time being. At least until we have some understanding of what’s going on.”
Ryleigh nodded her appreciation. “Thank you.”
Instead of sitting at the head of the table, where an elaborate throne stood in the place of honor, Allura lowered herself to the edge of a chair directly across the table from Ryleigh and Payton.
Two women entered carrying serving trays.
Strained silence hung over the room while the women set out wooden dishes and cups and left numerous covered trays spread across the table.
When they left, Allura uncovered the trays. “You must be starved. Please, help yourselves.”
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from a plate piled with rolls.
Ryleigh’s stomach growled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. “We have a number of children with us—”
Battle for Cymmera Page 14