The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Leerene Evans

  “You don’t have to do this, Fawsny. I’ll tell Dorin and Nikolas it wasn’t you. They won’t hurt you,” Rianne promised, hoping she could get through to him.

  “It’s too late. It’s already done. You can’t change it, so shut up,” Fawsny snapped, waving the gun at her.

  She cringed back against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew not to push him too far. She’d seen all the cop shows, NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI. The victim always said the same things, the same thing she’d tried. It never really worked, but she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.

  “Can you tell me who we’re waiting for?” Rianne asked softly, trying not to appear too intimidating.

  “You know who,” Fawsny snarled at her.

  “Someone I know?” Rianne asked, unable to hide her surprise.

  She didn’t know very many people in Laurasia, basically only the people in the castle, all of whom had had multiple chances to kill her at any time of any day. They wouldn’t have needed Fawsny, but she didn’t know anyone outside of the castle.

  Unless it was Morna. The witch wasn’t exactly a usual fixture in the castle, so she may have used Fawsny to kidnap her, but why? She’d done everything Morna had asked her to. She’d completed her work on the journal, and she’d kept it safe. She didn’t know what else she was supposed to do. If Morna wanted the journal back, Rianne would give it to her in a heartbeat. Nothing was more important to her than keeping her, Nikolas, and Dorin safe and if that meant giving the journal back to Merlin’s sister, she would do it.

  Fawsny was back at the window, looking out through the shutter, and Rianne worked up the courage to ask one more question.

  “Fawsny?” Rianne called, gaining his attention.

  “What?” Fawsny snapped.

  “Does the person coming here want the journal?” Rianne asked.

  From the way his head snapped around and his eyes widened when he looked at her, she knew the answer without him saying a word. Letting her head fall back against the wall, Rianne cursed the day Dr. Cull brought that damned book into the research center, but the thought stopped when she realized without the journal, she never would have met Nikolas and Dorin. No amount of pain was worth that, and she would go through it all again just for the chance to be with them.

  “He’s coming,” Fawsny whispered, jerking away from the window and striding over to her.

  He grabbed her arm and yanked Rianne to her feet, causing her to cry out at the sharp pain that laced through her shoulder.

  “Get up!” Fawsny demanded harshly, pulling at her again.

  She managed to stumble to her feet, her body surprisingly weak as he pushed her in front of him, the gun pressed against her back. Rianne froze, her eyes trained on the door, waiting to see who it was that wanted her dead.

  The door creaked open and a man walked inside. As soon as the dim light flooded the room, Rianne felt like the biggest idiot on the face of the planet.

  “Hello, Rianne.”

  “Hello, Dr. Cull.”

  * * * *

  Dorin paced, unable to sit still while the entire Guard searched Wolvden for his mate. Nikolas sat on the floor, his back against the wall, just watching everything around him. They were located in his mother’s sitting room and servants continually came in to offer their services while guards moved about, giving information. Since Nikolas had returned from his run, the polar hadn’t said a word, and Dorin was starting to worry about him. He was torn between wanting to run out of the castle and start looking for Rianne and staying in the castle to wait for the guards to send back reports. So far, they’d swept the surrounding area within ten miles and hadn’t found a sign of her. They were slowly expanding the search, being incredibly careful not to draw attention to themselves in case the thief caught wind of them and decided to run again.

  Dorin couldn’t believe it was the puffin. It wasn’t because he was a puffin, though. No, Dorin understood that all shifters had their strengths, just as all had their weaknesses. Dorin just found it hard to believe that Fawsny would betray his king. Fawsny’s family had worked in the castle for as long as Wolvden had stood. His family prided themselves on loyalty to the crown, and Dorin couldn’t understand how Fawsny could turn his back on that.

  “Ah. News is coming,” Morna murmured from her place near the fire.

  Silal and Visess comforted each other on the couch, his arm around her shoulders, her head on his chest. They were closest to the witch and so had been pressing her to use her magic to search for Rianne, and it was finally paying off.

  “Do they know where she is?” Dorin pressed, excitement rushing through him.

  “You may ask them yourself.” Morna smiled, turning to where a white owl was flying through the open window.

  The man shifted before his feet even touched down, panting as he stood to face Dorin.

  “We found her. She’s sixteen miles north in the hut,” the scout told them.

  “Nikolas!” Dorin snapped, turning to find the polar already on his feet.

  “Let’s get the son of a bitch,” Nikolas snarled, stalking to the door.

  Dorin followed behind him, more relieved than he cared to admit that Nikolas was back in control. Together they left the castle and shifted. Lifting his head, Dorin let out a howl, calling to his mate before following Nikolas to get her back.

  * * * *

  “It’s good to see you again, my dear.” Dr. Cull smiled, closing the door behind him.

  “I wish I could say the same,” Rianne glared.

  She wasn’t sure what she was more upset about, the fact that her longtime mentor was willing to kill her over a book or that she had been too dumb to realize he would never give such an important document to her without some ulterior motive.

  “Yes, well, the circumstances certainly aren’t what I had hoped for, but unfortunately, this was the best we could find,” Dr. Cull sighed regretfully.

  “What do you want, William?” Rianne growled, wanting to get the whole thing over with.

  “I want the translation, Rianne,” Dr. Cull said, watching her.

  “What makes you think I was able to figure it out?” Rianne asked, buying herself time.

  “Because the book calls to you. I know it does. I could feel the magic pulsate within its pages whenever you were around. You’re the Keeper,” Dr. Cull answered, his eyes getting that hungry look to them.

  “How do you know all this?” Rianne whispered, wondering just what her mentor was involved in to know about a world that wasn’t supposed to exist.

  “Tell me, Rianne. Did you read the section in Merlin’s journal about Hunters?” Dr. Cull asked, evading her own question.

  Rianne nodded, already starting to connect the dots in her head.

  “Yes, I can see you understand. You always were a bright girl, Rianne, and so beautiful. It will be such a shame to lose you,” Dr. Cull murmured sadly.

  “You’re going to kill me, then?” Rianne pressed.

  “I’m afraid I really don’t have much of a choice. You see, my family has Hunted these creatures since the first portal between our worlds opened. We protect the people from these abominations, keeping them safe,” Dr. Cull began.

  “You mean keeping them ignorant,” Rianne snapped.

  “Well, it’s not as though they aren’t already ignorant on their own. We just remove one more piece of information they don’t really need. Still, I truly cannot let you return to our world and begin telling people of this place. Especially not with the journal as proof,” Dr. Cull insisted.

  “Then leave me here,” Rianne said, knowing he wouldn’t.

  “And allow you to tell these monsters all our secrets? I’m afraid not, my dear. It’s bad enough they already have guns. Can you imagine what they would do with our latest technology?” Dr. Cull asked with wide eyes.

  She couldn’t, but that was more because they apparently already had a lot of their technology and hadn’t really done anything bad with it, unle
ss she counted the revolutionaries. Something was bothering her, though. Dorin and Nikolas had told her time moved differently between the two worlds, yet Dr. Cull looked no older than the day she’d him at Cull Industries.

  “How did you get here?” Rianne asked.

  “A portal, of course. The location has been known to my family for centuries. We’ve walked between the worlds, staying young longer so we can help other Hunters learn our ways. I may not look it, but I’m almost 1,000 years old. I’ve spent three months in this world for every year that passes in our world. Usually, fifty years have gone by when I finally return. The time change is amazing, isn’t it?” Dr. Cull grinned sickly while Rianne just watched him in fascinated horror.

  “Enough of this. Take her and go. Her mates will be looking for her,” Fawsny said, shoving Rianne forward.

  Rianne stumbled, her hands catching her as she fell at Dr. Cull’s feet. He reached down and, with surprising strength for a man his age, lifted her with one hand wrapped around her arm. She winced at his tight grip, knowing there would be bruises if she managed to survive.

  She would survive. Nikolas and Dorin would come for her. She just had to have faith in them.

  “Now, give me my money,” Fawsny demanded, shifting nervously in front of them.

  “I’m afraid not, my boy. You failed in killing her. You failed in obtaining the journal. I’m afraid you have no further purpose here,” Dr. Cull said without a touch of regret.

  Rianne screamed as Dr. Cull lifted a pistol he’d kept concealed and fired three times. Fawsny’s eyes were wide in shock as he fell to his knees, blood pouring from his chest. He lifted the gun in his hand, no doubt in an attempt to shoot Dr. Cull, but it fell from his hands with a loud clatter. His body pitched forward, and with one last gasp, he was still.

  “Come, my dear. I won’t cause you dishonor by killing you in the same room as him. I have a special place for you.” Dr. Cull grinned, pulling her from the hut.

  “No! Let me go!” Rianne screamed, knowing if she didn’t fight, there was no hope.

  Adrenaline took over and she clawed at him, hitting him with everything she had in her.

  “Damn it!” Dr. Cull shouted when one of her punches hit him square on the mouth.

  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and it came away bloody. With the same hand, he backhanded her, sending her crashing to the forest floor. Rianne cried out, her own lip splitting open at the force of his hit. Dr. Cull didn’t give her time to recuperate, instead grabbing her arm to drag her up off the ground. She tried to fight free, but the sound of his gun cocking froze her.

  “That’s right, bitch. You better heed me or you’ll end up just like that animal,” Dr. Cull warned, tugging her along.

  “If you kill me, you won’t get the translation,” Rianne pointed out desperately.

  “My dear girl, I already have it. That thing wasn’t completely useless. It just took him some time,” Dr. Cull grinned.

  “But you said—” Rianne started.

  “He failed to get me the journal, but I have your notes, and that’s all I really need. It will be enough for the Hunters to begin preparing to eradicate these…creatures,” Dr. Cull interrupted her.

  Rianne shook at the utter hatred in his voice and felt tears form at the thought of what Nikolas and Dorin would do when they realized it was her who caused all the problems. Because of her, a full-out war would be started between humans and mythical creatures. The reality of it was terrifying, and Rianne prayed to anyone who was listening that Dorin and Nikolas would find a way to stop it from happening.

  “What was that?” Dr. Cull snapped, pulling up short and holding his gun out.

  “What was what?” Rianne asked, not having heard anything unusual.

  “Shut up, bitch.” Dr. Cull growled, jerking her along again.

  He stopped after just a few steps, his fingers gripping her arm painfully hard. She’d heard the noise that time, knew someone was in the bushes around them. She just hoped it was Nikolas or Dorin or anyone who would help her.

  “Come out now, or I shoot the girl,” Dr. Cull called, pulling her back to his chest and raising the gun to her temple.

  She bit her lip against a whimper that wanted to escape. She would not show the bastard weakness. She would not let Nikolas and Dorin down. She had to believe it was them in the bushes.

  “Get out here!” Dr. Cull practically screamed, tightening his hold on her and the gun.

  “There’s no one there,” Rianne insisted shakily.

  “Shut up!” Dr. Cull shouted, pressing the gun harder against her temple.

  There was a loud roar right before a huge polar tore through the bushes beside them. Dr. Cull shoved her in front of him, yelling in terror as he repeatedly pulled the trigger. Rianne fell to the ground in front of the polar, who didn’t even pay her a lick of attention as he jumped on Dr. Cull. The man went down with a pained screech, the gun spinning out of his hands and disappearing into the brush. Before Rianne could move to grab it and help Nikolas, a pair of hands grabbed her, pulling her up and away from the fight.

  “Shh, danalya. I’ve got you,” Dorin murmured when she began fighting him.

  “Dorin,” Rianne sighed, falling against his chest.

  “I’ve got you,” Dorin repeated, running his fingers through her hair.

  “Nikolas is—” Rianne started, turning toward where Dr. Cull’s screams had finally faded.

  “He’s fine, danalya. You’re safe,” Dorin promised, tightening his hold on her to keep her from turning.

  “He was going to kill me,” Rianne whispered shakily.

  “I know,” Dorin breathed, burying his face in her hair.

  A second pair of hands was suddenly petting her, and she turned to find a blood-covered Nikolas kneeling behind her. With a strangled cry, she threw herself into his arms, huge sobs shaking her body as she held him as tight as possible.

  “Hush, capora. You did well,” Nikolas comforted her, gently tucking her head beneath his chin.

  Rianne cuddled close, taking comfort in their arms as Dorin pressed against her back. There was commotion going on all around, but none of them moved as the guards began seeing to Dr. Cull’s body.

  “He killed Fawsny,” Rianne said, her voice cracking.

  “We know. We went to the hut first and then followed your scent,” Dorin told her.

  “He did it right in front of me. He shot…Nikolas! Did he hit you?” Rianne asked, pulling away to search his body for injuries.

  “It’s just a scratch, capora. His aim was off,” Nikolas assured her.

  “We need to get you back to the castle. Oh, my God, he shot you,” Rianne gasped, already trying to pull herself up.

  Her limbs didn’t really want to cooperate, and Dorin ended up having to help her stand. As soon as she was on her feet, Nikolas followed them up and shifted, his big body dominating the small clearing they were in.

  “Come on, danalya. Up you go,” Dorin insisted, helping her onto Nikolas’s back.

  “But he’s hurt,” Rianne tried to argue.

  “He’ll be fine until we get back to the castle. Just be careful with his left side,” Dorin assured her, climbing up behind her.

  With a low roar, Nikolas took off through the trees, his lumbering body surprisingly graceful as he carried them home.

  It took him no time at all to reach the castle gates. As soon as the portcullis shut behind them, Dorin helped Rianne slide off Nikolas’s back, and the polar bear was replaced by her mate. He swayed slightly and gave a rough groan, a hand going to his side.

  “We need to get him inside,” Rianne urged, slipping under his arm.

  “Come on, Nik. Let’s see what the Healer has for you, huh?” Dorin murmured, bearing most of Nikolas’s weight.

  “Just a scratch,” Nikolas slurred, allowing them to lead him inside.

  Carme was waiting for them just inside the doors, and she gave a loud cry as soon as she saw them.

  “O
h, thank the gods, you’re all right!” Carme sobbed, hurrying forward.

  “Carme. Later. Send someone for the Healer,” Dorin ordered, steering Nikolas toward the stairs.

  A group of guards came and took Nikolas from her and Dorin, lifting him more easily than they had been able to. Dorin wrapped an arm around Rianne’s shoulders, and they followed the group carrying Nikolas up to their bedroom.

  “He’s going to be okay, right?” Rianne asked as they watched the guards lower Nikolas’s big body onto the bed.

  “He’ll be back to normal in no time. It’s you I’m worried about,” Dorin admitted, leading her toward the fire.

  Ignoring the other men in the room, Dorin stripped her from her dress. Her shift kept her covered for the most part, but it didn’t matter as Dorin quickly returned with her robe in hand. Once she was wrapped up, he urged her toward the nearest chair, making her sit down as he began wrapping her body in blankets until she felt like a huge marshmallow. Only when she was covered completely did Dorin lift her and take her place in the chair, settling her on his lap. He held her tightly, moving her head to his shoulder. They didn’t talk, Dorin didn’t push for information, and Rianne didn’t offer any. He simply sat there and held her as the Healer came in and saw to Nikolas. She felt infinitely precious when Dorin ignored the enraged polar roaring on the bed, ignored the frantic people wanting to know what had happened. He focused everything on her, on gently rocking her in his arms, until finally the shock wore off and the tears came.

  “That’s it, danalya. Let it out,” Dorin soothed, nuzzling her temple.

  She clutched him desperately, clawing at his chest as the sobs escaped in great heaving gasps. He didn’t make empty promises that everything would be all right, he didn’t try to tell her it would be okay. He let her get it all out, let her soak his shirt in her tears, and just kept on rocking her.

  “I love you. I love you so, so much,” Rianne whispered when the tears finally calmed.

  “I love you, too. Gods, I was so worried we wouldn’t make it in time,” Dorin gasped, nosing her cheek.