by Lily Thorn
“No,” Vince agreed. “By the time we’re through with you, you’ll know your place.”
Nathaniel spat at her feet. “We were punished, thanks to your little escape. Mr. Dark told Luca to make sure we didn’t repeat our mistake.”
Vince cuffed him on the ear. “There’s no reason to tell her that.”
“I want her to know!” He was shouting now. “It’s her fault Luca got his hands on us at all.”
“I hope Luca enjoyed it,” Seraphina said bitterly. “I hope he made you hurt.”
Snarling, Nathaniel jabbed his staff at her.
“Idiot!” Vince knocked it away. “We’re supposed to return her unharmed.”
“Well, maybe she should feel some of the harm we were done. Is that so unfair?”
“Later. We get to break her, remember?”
“Oh. Right.” Nathaniel looked at her, a sour smile on his face. “That should be fun.”
Felix charged them, hissing.
“Look who it is,” Vince said, “a little cat. Not feeling like a tiger today?”
Felix bared his teeth at them.
“And why don’t you show us some firepower?” Vince asked Seraphina. “Feeling worn down? Already use your talents on bigger problems?”
She remembered the explosions, the gas can by the stairs. “It was you,” she said. “You set that fire. You made it unnaturally strong. You… lured those boys into the fire?”
“We lured them in before we set the fire,” Vince said. “Kids are so stupid. They believe any lie you tell them. Cinnamon twists in the attic? Honestly, they deserved to die if they fell for that.”
He smirked. “And we knew that you’d find such a fire irresistible. You’d be drawn to it like a moth to…” He waved his hand. “Whatever moths like. You’d use up all your power playing the hero. Try to scorch us now, princess.”
She tried to reach inside herself, but where there should have been fire, there was nothing. And she was so tired.
“Guess what else,” Nathaniel said. “We’ve seen Arabella. That’s right—she’s here. We’re going to bring you and her back to Mr. Dark. We’ll be richly rewarded. Mr. Dark said that if we returned both of you, he’d give us whatever we liked.” His eyes gleamed. She didn’t like the way he looked at her.
“Do you know the best part?” Vince asked. “You’re going to bring her in. You’re going to make her come quietly, because if not, we’ll kill wolfy over here.” He nudged Easton with one foot.
Felix arched his back, flames rising. The men didn’t seem to notice that he was growing.
They shouldn’t have threatened Arabella. Or Easton. Or her.
She would make them pay.
Seraphina took one last sip of water, breathing out. A spark was there, growing in her belly. She just had to give it some time.
“Oh, Vince,” she said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together, haven’t we?”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes. And we’ll be spending much more together. Lucky me.”
“In all our years together, I’ve never hurt you, have I, Vince? Has Felix?”
“No.” He laughed. “But that’s because you’re stupid.”
“I know you think I’m weak. But here’s where you’re stupid, Vince.” She punched the air, and a jet of flame shot from her fist. It coiled around Vince, flames pricking out like thorns. “You shouldn’t have threatened my sister.”
“You don’t have the guts,” he jeered. “Don’t think a little heat is enough to scare me.”
“This is your last warning,” she said. “Walk away now, Vince. Leave us alone.”
He sneered. “Your little fire won’t last long. When it’s burned out, I’m taking you and your freak sister back to Mr. Dark. He said I could have some fun, so I’m going to start by breaking all of her fingers in front of you, one by one. And then I’m going to see what else I feel like breaking.”
“Is that your final answer? Do you really not believe me?” Seraphina shook her head. “I’d do anything to protect my sister. I’d kill you without a second thought.”
“Do it, then,” he spat. “You think I’m more afraid of you and your kitty cat than I am of Mr. Dark? Of Luca?” He snatched the staff from Nathaniel. “I’m tired of your little games. I don’t think you can do anything to me. And for wasting my time, I’m going to take away your new pet.” Raising the staff over Easton’s head, he began to bring it down.
She didn’t even tell the fire to rise. It did it on its own, boiling out of her, searing the staff to embers. The fireball blossomed, then burst. Nothing remained of Vince but a charred pair of boot prints.
She turned to Nathaniel. “I guess your poster’s accurate after all,” she said. “I’m a murderer. Are you happy now?”
Even five paces away, she could hear him swallow. He put up his hands.
“Not so brave without your staff, are you?”
“I’m sorry!” He began weeping openly. “I’m sorry, Ser!”
“Don’t call me that.” Her voice was flat, but fire danced over her fingers.
He eyed the flames nervously. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted to find you again. And Luca—it hurt so much.” His eyes glazed over. She hoped he was reliving the pain.
“So you’ve found me,” she said. “Congratulations. What do you think happens now?”
“I can take you to her. To Arabella. We know where she is. I can—”
A tendril of flame whipped out, forming a lasso around his throat.
“Do you want to live, Nathaniel?” she asked.
He shut his mouth and nodded.
“I don’t want anything else from you. Not information, not help, nothing. Are you planning on hurting me, Nathaniel?”
He shook his head.
“Are you planning on going back to Mr. Dark, or telling anyone where my sister and I are?”
He shook his head vigorously.
“Wise, Nathaniel. Let’s see just how smart you are.” She let the lasso die away. “I’m going to give you the next five seconds to run, but if I ever see you again…”
He was already sprinting into the forest.
“Very wise,” she whispered.
At her feet, Easton groaned. He must have shifted without her realizing. “What day is it?” He rubbed his head. “Where are they? I’ll rip them apart.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Good.” He tried to sit up, then lay back down, throwing an elbow over his face. “If they reappear, I’ll throw up on them.”
She knelt beside him, canteen in hand. “Drink some of this.” Though he gave a feeble attempt to refuse, she insisted.
Easton let her dribble some liquid into his mouth. “Can I sleep now?”
“Not with that bump on your head.” She felt it, trying not to hurt him. “We’ll look for some ice.”
“Just don’t let Felix near it.”
She laughed, almost weak with relief. Leaning over him, she grabbed his hand. “I thought I’d lost you.”
He did sit up now, though he brought both hands to his head. “And I thought I could protect you.”
Seraphina rubbed his back. “Good luck with that. I’m hard to protect.”
“You’ll have to be my protector, then. On my off days.” He sniffed. “Of course, I might not have any.”
She smiled, leaning against him. Maybe they were going to be okay.
A shadow fell over her. “Did you think that would be all?”
Luca had found them.
Chapter Eight
SHE WAS ALREADY shaking. The voice alone had done it. Here in Wolfsbane was the last person she ever wanted to see again.
Luca.
Easton stood, unsteady on his feet. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“The last man you’ll ever meet.” Rolling his head from side to side, Luca made his neck crack. He rolled his huge shoulders back, bringing his hands together to crack his knuckles.
Seraphina recognized the ritual. It made her ve
ins turn to ice.
Luca took a step toward her. Somehow, his pigeon-toed walk was the most menacing thing she’d ever seen.
“What were you thinking?” he asked. “You can’t escape Mr. Dark.”
It didn’t occur to her to run until it was too late. He set a finger to her skin, and it seared her worse than fire ever could. It felt like every nerve ending was alight, screaming in agony.
She dropped to her knees, too hurt even to scream. Worst of all, in her anguish, Felix had disappeared. He’d never gone out before.
“That’s just an appetizer,” Luca said. “But I know you’ll love the main course.”
“Don’t touch her,” Easton growled.
“Oh.” Luca eyed him with interest, as if he hadn’t noticed him before. “A volunteer. How noble.” He winked at Seraphina. “Would you like to warn your paramour?”
Luca laughed before she could say anything. “Too late.”
Easton snarled, lunging at Luca, but Luca grabbed him. Easton’s eyes went wide with horror, then rolled into the back of his head.
“No!” Seraphina screamed.
“No?” Luca asked. “All right—we’ll try something different.”
Easton gasped for breath, but it seemed like the excruciating pain was over. At least she could see his eyes now, not the horrible whites.
“Luca, let him go.”
“But we’re about to have so much fun.” He moved his finger to Easton’s neck. Easton’s eyes looked around wildly, as if he was trying to figure out if he hurt. Then he clutched his throat. His hands scrabbled wildly over Luca’s, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Luca was suffocating him.
“Stop!” she screamed.
Luca sighed. “I suppose you’re right. The fun won’t last long this way.” He took his finger away and Easton fell to the ground, gasping.
Seraphina dropped to his side, her eyes blurry with tears. It was her fault he was here, her fault Luca had found him. He was being broken and beaten, and it was all because of her.
Easton took her hand, his grip weak. “Run,” he croaked.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Such sweet sentiment.” Luca put a hand on both of them. Seraphina screamed. The pain was so crippling that it felt like her fire might never work again—she might never work again. She fell to the ground, writhing.
“Get off of her!” Easton kicked out, making Luca lose his balance.
Luca stepped back, regarding them both as they gasped for air. “Oh,” he said. “You’ll regret that.” He leaned forward, jabbing with two fingers.
Easton jerked, his mouth open in a silent scream. Luca jabbed again and again. Easton’s skin rippled with fur that came and went. His fangs grew and shrank. He seemed to be trying to shift to escape the pain, or escape Luca, but it wasn’t working. A piteous howl came out of his mouth.
“Stop!” Seraphina shouted. “Please!”
Luca relented for a moment, regarding her. At his feet, Easton moaned. “If I stop, will you come quietly?”
Did she have a choice? She couldn’t let him kill Easton. “I will.”
It was fine, she could lie—she’d just figure out a plan later.
“Hmm…” Luca stroked his chin. “On second thought, I don’t want to stop.” He prodded Easton’s chest. Easton barely moved. It looked like the light was fading from his eyes.
“No!” She struck out at Luca, landing a wild punch on his head. A single touch of his finger sent her spinning and gasping as lights burst behind her eyes.
She looked up at him. At some point, she had fallen. Easton was beside her, his breaths shallow and weak.
“Now, watch this,” Luca said. “It’ll be great fun. By the way, you aren’t going to like this part.”
“No,” she whispered.
“Yes.” He raised a finger. “My next touch is going to kill him. It’s so grand, isn’t it? The finale?” Luca laughed. “Watch carefully. And if you have any last words, say them now.”
She screamed as he moved in, his finger an inch away from Easton’s skin. He slowed, then stopped, dragging the moment out to torture her. Easton’s head had fallen to one side, and his golden eyes were on her. This would be the last thing he saw. He stared at her, but his chest didn’t rise.
She blinked. Luca was motionless too. She listened, straining. Morning birdsong had gone quiet, as had the insects in the trees. It was as if everything had been—
She stood bolt upright. “Arabella!”
And she was there, five paces away, black hair thrown haphazardly over one shoulder. Her blue eyes were older, but it was unmistakably her little sister.
Seraphina bit back a sob. “Bells?” What if this was all a dream? Or a vision conjured by her dying brain? “Bells, tell me it’s really you.”
“Phina?” Arabella looked at her cautiously, as if she didn’t dare to believe. “Phina!” Sprinting forward, she closed the gap.
Arabella crashed into her, almost knocking Seraphina to the ground. She wrapped her in a crushing hug.
“I knew you’d come,” her sister whispered fiercely. “I knew.”
They broke apart at last. It was strange how Arabella was nearly as tall as she was now—Seraphina was used to having at least a foot on her. But things had changed.
“So you found Luca?” Arabella asked. “I’ve been waiting for years to kill this bastard. Are you ready?”
Seraphina grinned. Some things hadn’t changed.
“Let’s get him out of harm’s…” Arabella was staring at Easton.
“What is it?”
“Sorry.” Arabella shook her head. “It’s just that he looks so much like my mate, Ryder.”
“His last name isn’t Frost, is it?”
A smile spread over Arabella’s face. “It sounds like we have some catching up to do.”
They dragged Easton behind a pine tree. Seraphina didn’t really want to leave him there, but, as Arabella pointed out, it wasn’t like he would notice her absence. Not at the moment, anyway.
Together, they faced Luca.
“Ready?” Arabella asked.
Seraphina steeled herself. “Ready.”
Reaching out, she took her sister’s hand. Arabella’s grin ignited a spark inside her.
Luca was going to regret having messed with the Blackwoods.
Frowning, Luca looked up. He had just been about to finish Easton, but Easton was gone.
His eyes settled on the two sisters, and he gave them an ugly look. He hadn’t seemed to notice that the birds weren’t singing, that the wind wasn’t moving the trees. He hadn’t yet realized that he was about to be a dead man.
“Luca.” Arabella raised her arms. “Long time no see.”
“You think I care that there are two of you?” He spat on his hands, rubbing them together. “That just makes things that much easier.” Luca pointed at Arabella. “And you’ll pay for what you did to my brother.”
She scoffed. “It wasn’t any less than what he deserved.”
“Do you have any last words?” Seraphina asked coldly. “If so, say them now.”
He laughed. “Do you really think you can harm me?”
“Those are pretty good last words,” Arabella said. “Ironic.”
“Insane,” Seraphina added. “You do realize that we have no chains this time? No limits?”
He cracked his neck. “What should that matter?” Luca reached out a hand. “The only question is, who wants to go first?” Finger raised, he leered at them.
Halfway to them, he froze. The two of them stepped back, and the time in their bubble started again. Luca stumbled, his eyes moving from where they were to where they’d been.
“Don’t you understand?” Arabella asked. “It’s over. You’re at our pleasure now.” She flashed in and out of time, appearing at Luca’s throat with a knife, then back beside her sister. “How does it feel to be helpless, Luca?”
“I’m not helpless yet.” He lunged at her, but of course he wasn’t f
ast enough.
Taking out a kerchief, Arabella shoved his arm until his finger touched his other hand.
Time resumed, and Luca screamed. He pulled his finger away from himself as if he’d been burned. “How dare you, witch.”
“How does it feel?” Arabella popped in and out, behind him, next to him, right in front of him, just out of reach. “You’re finished, Luca. Is Mr. Dark going to come rescue you?”
He looked from her to Seraphina, disbelief plain on his face. “No,” he said. “No. I will not die by your hands. You—you weaklings!”
“I think those are good last words, don’t you?” Arabella asked. “But I think you should do the honors. He’s all yours, sis.”
The fire welled inside her as she thought of what Luca wanted to do to Easton, to Arabella. She wouldn’t let him. He wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again.
She brought up her hands, letting them meet in front of her. Slowly, exquisitely, a phoenix burst from her fingers. It flew at Luca, its beak open, wings full of flame. His mouth hung open as it engulfed him. And then there was nothing but ashes.
Seraphina looked down on what used to be Luca. “Do you think we gave him too kind a fate?”
Arabella shrugged. “I’m not so sure about that. I gave him a little extra fun, since he likes it so much. The time in which he saw your phoenix coming for him? That will have felt like a hundred years to him.”
Seraphina shuddered. “Is that too much?”
“Let it be a lesson not to tangle with the Blackwoods.”
The pile of ashes stirred. They both jumped, but a fiery cat rose out of them. Felix purred, sitting to wash his paw.
“Is that… yours?”
“Long story,” Seraphina said. “For later.”
Now that Arabella was found, and Luca defeated, she needed to help Easton. She ran to him, kneeling by his side.
Seraphina put a hand over his chest. “He’s not breathing, Bells!”
“Hey, don’t panic. I haven’t started time again.” Arabella let out a breath. “There. Better?”
She barely noticed the return of the birdsong. All that mattered was that Easton’s lashes were moving, his chest rising and falling.
“Easton!”
He sat with a groan. “What’d I miss this time?”