by Lizzy Ford
A small woman in convent browns entered and curtseyed. Kris pushed him aside to offer her a chair.
“Daniela,” he greeted her, and Rhyn recognized the leader of the Sanctuary that had taken care of Katie weeks before.
“Master Kris,” she said. Her gaze went to Rhyn. “Master Rhyn. Your Immortals caught a man who claims to be an Immortal as well. He’s bloodied and half-mad. He attacked them to get to the Ancient Sasha.”
“Jade,” Kris muttered. “Is everyone in the convent safe?”
“Yes, but I have to object to Immortal business being carried out in the Sanctuary. Since your castle was attacked, we’ve had an Ancient wash up on our shores, Death’s assassin sitting in our hall, and now this. It is not at all customary to how the Sanctuary is meant to be used,” she said sternly.
“My apologies,” Kris said. “If you will permit one more intrusion, we will go and retrieve both the madman and the Ancient.” She frowned and looked between the two of them before responding.
“I will allow it.”
“I am grateful.”
Rhyn glared at his brother. Kris was gracious and gentle with this woman, who he could very easily treat like he did his Immortals and brothers. Kris opened a portal. He allowed Daniela to enter first and then followed. Rhyn trailed and emerged again into the balmy, bright island day. The portal opened in the courtyard, and Kris’s gaze went immediately to the rooms lining the women’s wing. Daniela’s little legs moved fast, and she was across the courtyard while Kris stared toward the room where Rhyn assumed his mate was.
“Come on, lover boy,” Rhyn said and slapped his brother’s arm.
Daniela led them to the men’s wing, where one sweaty, bloodied Immortal was standing outside of Sasha’s room while the other stood guard over Jade, who was hogtied in the middle of the small courtyard around which the men’s wing was situated.
The whites of Jade’s eyes were visible before they drew near enough to hear his muffled shouts. Rhyn stood over him, his hand ready to grab the dagger at his belt and plunge it into the traitor’s neck. Fury rose within him again as he took in the Immortal who had betrayed them and taken Katie. As if sensing what he intended to do, Kris took his arm.
“Not yet.”
Rhyn looked away from Jade and stepped back before he snapped and was banned eternally from the Sanctuary. Daniela’s lips were pursed and her frown deep.
“We need to talk to him for a moment before we leave,” Kris said. “He’s taken a human hostage, and we need to know where she is.”
Daniela crossed her arms and gave a stiff nod. Rhyn snorted at her defiant stance and Kris’s respectful bow and leaned down to grab the rope binding Jade’s ankles. He dragged the Immortal over the grass and concrete into the vacant room beside Sasha’s. Kris entered and closed the door. Rhyn planted a knee in Jade’s chest and sliced his gag free.
A torrent of nonsense escaped from Jade, a mix of words that made no sense. Rhyn slapped him hard enough for him to fall silent.
“Rhyn, just move,” Kris said impatiently. Rhyn knelt on one side of Jade, close enough to reach him when warranted. “Jade, I want you to tell me where Katie is.”
“In Hell, dead-dead, I cut off her arm and I brought to Kris— ”
Rhyn slapped him.
“I don’t know.”
Rhyn slapped him again.
“She’s outside!” Jade shouted.
“Outside where?” Kris demanded.
“Darkyn said the girl or the vial. He said to trade her for it. I brought her with me.”
“Here?”
“Iliana, I have to get her help then everything will be okay. If I get her help, she said everything would be okay, and everyone would understand Sasha killed the Immortals.”
Rhyn looked at Kris, puzzled by the nonsense.
“Was she right, Kris? Will everything be okay?” Jade asked imploringly. “I never meant for any of this.” At their silence, Jade’s face went red and his eyes blazed. He thrashed, knocking Kris back. “The whore lied to me! I should’ve killed her! She swore this would— ”
Rhyn snatched a pillow from the bed and covered Jade’s head to drown out the madness.
“I see why he was gagged,” Kris said. “Did any of this make sense to you?”
“Fucked-up crazy talk,” Rhyn responded. “He’s wearing a collar. Can’t read his mind with that on.”
Jade’s shouts turned to screams, and Kris motioned Rhyn out of the room. Daniela stood where they left her, frowning fiercely. Even with the door closed, Jade’s madness and the sounds of his body thrashing against the wall were audible in the small courtyard.
“Almost done, good lady,” Kris said before she could kick them out. “I promise you.”
“I’m going to Hell to get her,” Rhyn said and started away.
“No, Rhyn. Just wait a minute. It makes no sense she’d be there, and if she is, the demons have her, or Jade wouldn’t be here alone.”
“He’s not alone.” Gabriel’s voice was quiet. The death dealer emerged from the hall running between the two wings, the trembling form of Lankha held under one arm like a bag of cement. “He brought them both with him.”
“Katie’s here?” Rhyn seized on his words.
“For now,” Gabriel said and looked away. His reaction fueled the sense of doom that had been growing since Jade appeared with Iliana’s hand.
“Where? Is she okay?”
“This…” Gabriel lifted Lankha’s trembling body, “is for Iliana. I left her outside the walls because I didn’t want Toby to see.”
“I’ll grab Jade and meet you there,” Kris said, striding to the door. “Thank God Iliana is all right!”
The sounds of madness had subsided during their conversation. Rhyn thought nothing of it until Kris opened the door. Jade had freed himself during his thrashing and launched out of the door, machete in hand as he flung himself on Kris. The weapon fell once, and Kris’s blood sprayed them both.
Rhyn reacted out of instinct. He flew to his brother’s side, snatched Jade, and snapped his neck. The Immortal crumpled. Kris appeared surprised and furious. The machete had sliced through his collarbone, and blood spurted from the wound into the courtyard’s grass. He reached for the weapon with a shaking hand. Rhyn hauled him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.
“I want all of you out,” Daniela whispered, horrified.
“That shit works on Kris but not on me,” Rhyn snapped. “Gabe, give me the healer, and get Iliana. Daniela, go get a room ready for Iliana and send Toby and Hannah to the cafeteria. Keep them busy for a while.”
Gabriel crossed to him and held out the healer. Rhyn took the small creature under one arm. He didn’t wait for the shocked leader of the Sanctuary to respond but took Kris into one of the empty rooms and laid him out on the bed.
“Never thought you’d defend me,” Kris managed through teeth clenched in pain. “Thought you’d be the first to turn on me.”
“You’re a shitty brother, and you’re an even shittier judge of character,” Rhyn replied. He set the healer down. “Heal him, or I eat your village.”
“You’re such a dick,” Kris muttered. His face was white with pain, and Rhyn looked over his brother. He’d lost a lot of blood. If anyone could fix him, an Ancient healer could.
“I thought Lankha would be too busy,” Gabriel said. “I brought her here.”
Rhyn moved to the doorway and watched him set Iliana down gently on the floor beside the healer. The woman was unconscious, her severed wrist wrapped in Katie’s sweater.
Katie’s sweater. It was her favorite one, and she’d been wearing it when he last saw her. She really was on the island.
“I have to go,” Gabriel said. He started toward the courtyard. “I’ll come back in a little bit.”
“Where are you going, Gabe?” Rhyn asked, following him. Gabriel stiffened, and Rhyn’s suspicion ignited.
“I have to go.”
Gabriel disappeared, and Rhyn gazed at th
e spot where he’d been. The assassin had been acting strange for quite a while. That he was troubled was no secret, though Rhyn didn’t understand why, aside from being a slave to Death.
I don’t think our friendship will survive what comes.
She ordered me up for a job, but I’m considering not going back.
Katie was the job. Rhyn’s realization paralyzed him for a long moment. He whirled and strode into the room, pushing the healer aside to kneel over Iliana. He rested his hand on her head and rifled through the half-dead woman’s memories.
Jade locking her in a trunk, Katie screaming at him not to cut off her hand while she writhed on the bed, Katie sobbing and bandaging her after, blurred memories, the vision of ocean and sand, nothing.
She was somewhere on the island. With a curse, he rose and ran to the courtyard, changing into his demon bird. Beating his wings so hard they hurt, he rose into the sky and soared around the small island, finally spotting three lone figures in small valley not too far from the Sanctuary. He dropped fast and changed shapes too soon, landing hard on the ground near them.
All three whirled, and Katie’s eyes lit up. It was the demon leader, Darkyn, who caught his initial attention. He didn’t expect to see Darkyn here.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked before his eyes went to Gabriel.
“Half-breed,” Darkyn sneered. “Negotiating with Gabriel over who gets your former mate.”
“There’s no negotiation,” Gabriel said in a hard voice. “She’s on the list. She goes with me.”
“No, Gabriel,” Rhyn said. “She can’t be on your list and if she is, the hatchling isn’t.”
“Death ordered both dead-dead.”
“Brother, I’ll kill you both if either of you tries to take her,” he said. “You have a contract on her, Gabe?” The assassin nodded. “Let me guess, Darkyn, the Dark One ordered this.”
“We’ll just say he doesn’t disagree with me.”
Rhyn’s heart dropped to his feet, and he looked at Katie. He’d meant to make her safe and left her to the worst fate imaginable. He’d never wanted to lose her, and he wasn’t about to back down now. He leveled his gaze on Gabriel.
“All right.” He drew a knife from his boot. “I’m challenging you, assassin, demon. You can have her when I’m dead.”
“Rhyn, no!” she cried.
“I can handle it,” he said.
“Rhyn— ” She started forward, and Gabriel held out an arm to block her. Katie planted both her hands on his arm to push it away. Gabriel resisted, and she glared up at him. “Back off, Gabriel. It’s not like I can run anywhere!”
“Two minutes,” Gabriel warned. “By Immortal Code, Darkyn and I are obligated to accept his challenge.”
Rhyn watched her approach, his gaze dropping from his foes to her sweet face. Her eyes glowed with emotions he’d been waiting for weeks to see. He wanted to sweep her away for one last intimate moment before his death but doubted the assassin and demon would wait.
“This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” she said.
“Letting you go was the stupidest thing. I’m doing something right for once,” he replied, glancing at Darkyn as the demon shifted.
“They’ll kill you,” she whispered.
“If they do, go with Gabriel. Death’s a bitch, but she’s better than Hell.”
“This isn’t right,” she whispered. Her eyes watered, and he marveled once again at how a half-demon fuck-up had almost ended up with such a beautiful creature. He cupped one soft cheek and rubbed away a hot tear with his thumb.
“I’m not dead yet,” he said, amused and touched by her tears. She wrapped her arms around him, and he pulled her close. Her small body molded against his.
“Can’t we just run away, right now? Turn into a bird and carry me with you?” she asked, desperation in her voice.
“Even if we did, they’d both come after us.”
“You can go. I’d rather know you’re safe than live without you.”
“No, Katie,” he said, his world clear for the first time in his life. “I know where I belong, and it’s right here with you. I have to make things right. I couldn’t live if I lost you.”
“Katie,” Gabriel called.
“Rhyn, I love you,” she said.
“I know.” He forced himself to withdraw. He gave her one last, long look and pushed her hair from her face. With a kiss on her forehead, he stepped away. Gabriel drew a long sword, and Darkyn pulled two free. Gabriel motioned her over to the rocky area.
“Bring it, my friends,” Rhyn replied. He moved a short distance away to more level ground and lowered himself into a fighting stance. He’d never faced a full-blooded demon and assassin at the same time before. Gabriel bent to whisper something to Katie and then moved in front of him. Rhyn lowered his machete and held his hand out. The assassin took it, and Rhyn gave him a quick hug.
“To our destinies, brother,” he said for Gabriel’s ears only.
“Forgive me, Rhyn.”
“Sometimes all we have are shitty choices. I don’t fault you,” he replied. A tormented look crossed Gabriel’s face, but he nodded once. Rhyn shook his arms out and looked at Darkyn. “See you in Hell, demon.”
“Look forward to it,” Darkyn said.
Rhyn lowered himself into a fighting stance and faced off against the two.
*
Horrified, Katie watched the battle from her dreams as it began. Unlike the nightmares, this time it was real and agonizingly slow. She’d cheered Rhyn’s sudden appearance but then quickly understood what it meant: only one of them was going to walk away from this. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t for him to fight for her, especially when she was already damned.
I love you, you fool!
The men battled with speed and agility that left her breathless. Her eyes stayed on Rhyn, and she’d never been as awed as she was watching him fight a flawless battle against the full-blooded demon and the assassin. The scary, confusing world she’d entered weeks before crystallized and grew clear as she watched the lethal battle. She belonged with Rhyn. Nothing else mattered
Break the bond, and Death will save you both. Rhyn will die-dead otherwise. Gabriel had whispered the words from her dream before facing off against Rhyn. She tried to decipher his meaning as she watched them fight, terrified to take her eyes off Rhyn.
Rhyn landed a blow on the demon, who snarled in response. She gasped. He can do this! He can beat them! A few minutes later, Rhyn went down under Gabriel’s blow, rolled, then bounded up, but not before Darkyn slashed his side.
“Rhyn!” she cried. Rhyn gave a throaty chuckle and launched himself back into the battle. Though his side was soaked with blood, he showed no sign of slowing. He couldn’t outlast them. He’d landed one blow on Darkyn and none on Gabriel.
Break the bond, and Death will free you both. She knew what it meant in her dream but was terrified of following her footsteps. Katie tried to concentrate on the words, wanting to help Rhyn before it was too late. She forced herself to close her eyes to the battle and repeated the phrase over and over, searching for another meaning.
“Not the time for riddles, Gabriel!” she muttered. Rhyn had broken their bond. Unless, like her dream …I have to break it, too. Her eyes flew open, and she stared at the men battling. What words had Rhyn used? “I release you of our bond, Rhyn.”
She opened her eyes, expecting a miracle to occur and the battle to be won. Nothing happened. “I release you of our bond, Rhyn.”
Nothing. Darkyn turned on Gabriel and slashed his back. Rhyn blocked a second blow that might’ve taken the assassin’s head off and shoved Darkyn before whirling to meet Gabriel’s blow. Darkyn changed into his demon form and tackled Rhyn, who threw him off.
He wasn’t going to make it. If he died, it was because of her, and either Death or Hell would claim her.
“I can’t live with that, Rhyn,” she whispered.
Death would free them. Her
death, as in her dream. There was no other choice. Her attention turned to a different direction, the way they’d come from the beach. She hesitated only a second more before she started running. She left the sounds of the battle behind her, her thoughts on Rhyn and nothing else.
The distance back to the beach seemed much longer than it had in her dream. Terror drove her to ignore the pain in her lungs and legs. She made it to the sand before forced to slow to a walk by the ankle-deep, loose sand. Agonizing over how much time Rhyn had, she finally reached the water-soaked sand and sucked in ragged breaths as she knelt for a moment of rest.
“Death will free us both.” Her hand went to her stomach, and her eyes watered.
Trust my Gabriel, human, a woman’s voice whispered into her mind. This is the only way.
Heart hammering, she rose, took a deep breath, and waded into the warm water. Waves licked at her ankles, her thighs, her chest. She started to chicken out when one went over her head and filled her mouth with salt water. Katie stood on her tiptoes and looked up, taking one last look at the blue sky before she held her breath and ducked beneath the water. She swam as far from the beach as she could, expelled her breath, then drew in a mouthful of water.
Chapter Eight
Rhyn’s power rippled through him, the shockwave knocking down Gabriel before he could deliver the death blow. Darkyn fell as well, and the walls around the Sanctuary tumbled in the distance. He sat up, bloodied and lightheaded, unable to quell the power roiling through him. He spit blood and pushed himself to his feet. Gabriel and Darkyn rose, their attention going west toward the ocean. He didn’t remember his power being so strong. He couldn’t catch his balance and steadied himself against a rock.
“Ready when you are,” he called to his opponents.
Darkyn growled from deep within his chest before returning to his human form. Gabriel sheathed his weapon. Confused, Rhyn joined them and followed their gazes. He saw nothing but a distant beach and the ocean. He glanced to the rocks where Katie had been, only to find she was gone. He looked back at the beach without seeing her.
His heart felt as if it stopped. His powers were back in full force, without her to steady his control. She’d broken their bond. He didn’t have to ask how.