by C. M. Owens
My breath catches in my lungs, but I shake my head. “No. That’s impossible. Only the Lokies had that sort of power, and even they struggled toward the end. They haven’t been able to return because—”
“Because the portals were locked from this side,” he interrupts.
He turns and walks inside the house, and I follow, knowing he plans to show me something without actually needing to be told. As soon as we walk into his room, I’m forced to step over the numerous ancient books he has open.
He grabs one from the floor and tosses it to the desk in front of me. I look down, taking it in. “The blood from the firsts could recreate the circle.”
“The circle that locked the portal,” I say quietly.
“Exactly.”
“But what portal do they want to open?”
“It doesn’t matter. You can only open portals from three spots in the entire world. Guess where one is.”
“Pine Shore,” I groan. This town is a hotspot for all supernatural activity, including the gates to purgatory.
“Their main priority would be keeping the firsts—or keeping the ones with the bloodline of the firsts, rather. If any escaped, they’d be tracking them down with all they had. Which is probably why we’ve not been attacked.”
“All their efforts are focused on the firsts they need to open the portal,” I summarize, trying to wrap my head around it all.
“Yes, and if a portal is opened, there’s no telling what might come out.”
“So why open a portal?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. That part doesn’t matter. I only need to be able to stop the portal from opening. That’s what we’ll focus on. If they recreate the circle, there are three days coming up in which the stars will be in perfect alignment for a portal to be opened. One happens next month.”
“And the other two?”
“The other two aren’t important right now.”
“What about the other two locations for the portals?”
“One is the Bermuda Triangle. But it’s too risky and unstable. The cosmic activity there could interfere, since it’s not as balanced or in a controlled atmosphere like this one.”
“And the other?”
“A spot deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Again, it would be difficult to use that one, though for different reasons. You’d have to keep several boats out there perfectly still, in order to form the proper circle.”
“So Pine Shore,” I say on a sigh.
“Pine Shore,” he echoes, his eyes studying the old, magic-infused pages as he flips another.
“We need help,” I tell him softly, expecting him to snarl at me.
A growl rumbles in his chest, and I flinch while taking a step back.
“Not this again,” he says with an eerie, deadly tone lining his words.
Two people scare me. Slade is one of them. Even though I trust him with my life, I don’t trust him not to be the one who ends it if I cross a line.
“They have so much power in their circle,” I go on, steeling myself for the inevitable fury.
He doesn’t tolerate anger or any emotion... Unless it’s his own anger.
“So much power,” he repeats, then his lips twitch. “The incubus?” he muses, sounding alarmingly calm. Usually he bites my head off—figuratively—for bringing this up. Then he dismisses it immediately.
“The incubus is more of a mascot, I believe. Perhaps their comic relief? He’s not who I was referring to.”
“Is it the two lycans? Or maybe the two night stalkers?” he goes on, undermining the true power in their circle.
“The two lycans... No. But one—Amy—does come from an insanely powerful bloodline. They’re both good fighters.”
“But they’re just lycans,” he adds, arching an eyebrow.
I ignore him and move on.
“The one night stalker... Deke? He’s not anything powerful, but you saw what Zee is capable of. There are actually three. The third’s name is lost on me, but he’s not really too powerful.”
“The night stalker who can’t control the magic he shouldn’t have. Yeah, he was real useful when I was saving everyone without his help.”
My lips tighten, because he’s intentionally making me feel like a fool, belittling them as though they’re of no consequence, when we both know the power is amazing and untapped within that circle.
“Or maybe it’s the visionless visionary,” he goes on, still smirking.
“She’s also a gatekeeper,” I growl.
“And if we were dealing with gates, I’d be impressed. Too bad we’re talking about portals.”
“She can use portals to travel between planes—”
“Between planes,” he says, cutting me off again. “Not dimensions. Not even the same playing field, Kya.”
Deciding I’m sick of his game, I start to point out the obvious power houses, but he beats me to the punch.
“Or maybe the changer has a lot of power? Or the hybrid witch wolf who can be controlled by the Master? Or maybe your sister, who, by your own confession, doesn’t hold an ounce of the power you do. We’ll be just fine without them, Kya. I’ve saved their lives so much that it’s grown redundant and boring.”
Cocking my head, I take a step closer.
“Why do you keep saving them?” I ask, only because it’s maddening to not understand his confusing motives. “Is it because of Ella?”
His calm façade melts away at the mere mention of her name, and a muscle jumps along his jaw as he straightens to his full, intimidating height.
“It was you I came for that last time. You’re one of the few here I trust. I won’t save them again. And the next time they want to take in someone I want dead, I won’t play nice.”
That’s the only answer I get before he stalks away. I’m not sure what his definition of ‘playing nice’ is, but I’m sure it doesn’t align with their version, considering they all hate him.
They wouldn’t hate him if they understood him. Or any of us.
I wouldn’t care about them at all if my sister wasn’t with them. But she’s safer with them than with us. Though the emotions they display so candidly makes them weak, it also makes them devoutly loyal to each other.
As I walk back outside, I decide withholding the information about Chaz was the wise thing to do. He truly has saved Karma’s life, and they seem to watch out for each other.
Slade came for me when I was locked away in that cell. But deep down, I know it was truly Ella he came for. He knew she’d come... Because Ella goes to save all her friends, even though she has no control over her power and ends up endangering them more than helping them.
But she might be the only way I can convince Slade to join the circles, where the second person I fear lies in wait—the fake duster.
And that fake duster owes me a favor.
Looking around, I dematerialize from sight and head into the woods so no one can overhear me. Then I use the talk-to-text feature on my phone that Slade showed me and speak into the phone.
ME: I need a favor. You owe me.
I love the little dots it adds for me. Slade called it punctuation. That means there’s a stop in the sentence.
His response is immediate, and the phone reads it to me, including his name.
CHAZ: Name it.
I continue the process, talking into the phone again so it can turn it into a text, and it continues reading his responses to me in that robotic man’s voice.
ME: I want a meeting with Ella.
CHAZ: Name something else.
ME: It’s important. And you know I’m safe. She’s far more powerful than I am.
CHAZ: It’s not you I’m concerned with. Kane doesn’t want her anywhere around your boyfriend.
Confusion mars my brow. What boyfriend?
ME: Who?
CHAZ: The sociopath leading you.
ME: Slade is not my boyfriend.
CHAZ: But you admit he’s a sociopath?
I have no idea why I’m smi
ling. I don’t smile. Ever. But for some reason, that’s actually a little funny. I speak into the phone again, watching with fascination as it turns my spoken words into written ones. One day, maybe I’ll be able to read them.
ME: I need to speak with Ella.
Long minutes tick by. I start to think he’s not going to answer, when my phone finally vibrates in my hand.
CHAZ: I’ll make it work. I’m out of town right now. I’ll let you know when I get back and set things up.
ME: Where are you?
I have no idea why I just asked that. It’s none of my business, and I’m sure he’s going to tell me that—
CHAZ: Sin City. Looking for a kid that was kidnapped by a night stalker. She’s Zee’s niece.
My stomach twists in a knot, and I take a shaky breath. I have no idea why that bothers me like it does, but the nausea is unmistakable. Maybe it’s because I was an innocent child once.
Only, if a night stalker was to turn a child... she’d forever be a child. I saw them in the rings... They freak me out, because most were older than I was, but they looked so young.
ME: Children who are turned into night stalkers have no control over their feedings. They’re stronger, faster, and more savage than regular night stalkers. One child could wipe out fifty people in one night just from sating his or her hunger.
CHAZ: I’m aware. We’re hoping it doesn’t come to that. But that’s why I’m here... In case it does. Zee can’t kill his own family. Let alone a child from his own blood.
Closing my eyes, I take a calming breath. I should never have asked what he was doing. It’s a distraction I don’t need. But a child’s life... It hits too close to home to ignore.
It was outlawed centuries ago to change a child. No bitten fey can touch a child, actually. The penalty is death, and even I know that Alyssa has enforced that penalty, even though she disbanded the original councils.
What night stalker would risk it?
I can’t believe I’m even considering helping. How could I possibly help? Kill the child if she’s been turned? I don’t even know if I’d be capable.
ME: What are the chances she hasn’t been turned?
CHAZ: Fairly good. There’s a reason his niece was targeted. We just need to find out what those reasons are.
So it’s possible she can be saved...
Ah hell. Slade isn’t going to like this one little bit.
Chapter 4
CHAZ
Tapping into the power I shouldn’t have, I try to sense the night stalkers in the area. Vegas, unfortunately, is too full of them, so it becomes pointless. Instead, I try catching a scent... Anything that smells out of place that could help us.
“What are you doing?” Zee asks, prompting me to open my eyes.
I look around at the lights surrounding us inside the penthouse that belongs to Zee’s family—also known as the abduction site.
“Just trying to see what I can smell,” I tell him, confusing him as I sniff the air.
It’s been too long since I tapped into my dragonite abilities, so it takes a second before I start smelling the multiple layers. Flipping it on is like slowly switching on a second power, letting it build steam. It’s a damn good thing I’m packed to the brim with energy from the fight, or it’d be pointless to even try.
The problem isn’t switching it on, though. It’s switching it off that proves to be difficult, which is why I’ve left it dormant for so long. I lost control the last time I switched it on.
Rage consumed me, and the tiniest thing sent me into a furious fit. Bloody fits mostly. At that time, I was bruising my duster persona because I was kicking ass a little too well and much too often. It lasted for about six months.
My mother made me swear to never attempt it again.
But this is a desperate measure.
“You’re a duster. Not a—”
“Mildew,” I say quietly, sniffing the air again.
The flashy penthouse doesn’t have an ounce of mildew in it, but I catch a whiff of it, letting me know it’s definitely an out-of-place scent.
The sweet scent of innocent blood hits my nose next, and an animalistic growl rumbles in my chest as anger hits me. Already the instincts are kicking in, and I know I have to fight against them.
“Did you just fucking growl? What the hell, Chaz?” Zee asks, following me as I take in the air, stalking the scent of the blood.
My eyes drop to the floor, and my gaze narrows on the cracks of the tile. Sure enough, there’s one tiny drop of blood in the grout.
“Where’s your sister?”
“It’s actually my great niece... My sister’s daughter’s daughter,” he says quietly. “Sometimes I forget how long I’ve been gone.” He draws in a deep breath. “And she’s not here. She’s at the police station. I’m tracking her phone to make sure we don’t accidentally run into her. She wouldn’t exactly be happy to see me.”
Right. He has secrets all over. Just like me.
His family’s memories were wiped when they didn’t take his night stalker present too well. I’ve been filled in on the truth on the way here. Zee trusted me with secrets he’s kept lidded for so long. Now I need to see if I can use any of them to help save his niece.
The scent grows stronger the longer the power rises to the surface, and my vision shifts, changing. Green stains my vision, creating the illusion of night goggles, and white outlines of large footprints become visible.
The mildew... It’s from the shoes.
I follow the trail that mingles with the scent of innocent blood, and Zee follows behind me silently. Down the stairs and into the garage... My eyes find the footprints disappearing at a parking space, and I kneel, sniffing again.
“Their car had an oil leak,” I say softly.
“How could you possibly know that? And their car? As in more than one person?”
The footprints are showing on the passenger side, unless the car was facing differently. But I can tell they reversed out of the spot one day ago exactly, so there was definitely a driver.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Leah’s voice has my vision shifting back to normal, and I shake my head, freeing myself from the trance.
“What’d you find?” Zee asks her.
I turn around as a frown forms on her lips. “Nothing. The camera footage is gone. And I sort of had to knock a guy out when he caught me rifling through the video feed. Someone wiped everything, and I wiped our stay here as well. We have fifteen minutes before the cameras start working again.”
Nodding, I grab Zee’s keys from his pocket and start heading toward his car.
“Come on. I know where we’re going,” I tell them, letting my vision shift again. This time when the green ignites, the white outlines are to the drips of oil I’m seeking.
“What? How?” Leah asks.
“Don’t bother. He’s not saying much.”
“Remember how you wanted to know what I really was?” I ask Zee as I take the driver’s seat to his car.
I can feel his eyes on me as he and Leah get in, and she takes the backseat.
“Yeah...” His hesitant answer reminds me that I’m playing a dangerous game.
“You knew I was more than a duster, right?” I ask him as I speed out of the garage, following the trail ahead of me.
“Yes, but... What the hell, Chaz?”
“Well, I’m a lot of fucked up things, and this is one of the perks. It might save your niece. She hasn’t been turned. At least, not when she was here. There wasn’t enough blood.”
He blows out a breath as I drive faster, and I wait on the inevitable query. But silence is all that follows.
“Not going to ask me what I am?”
“I don’t give a damn what you are. I’m sure you have your reasons for not telling us sooner. Right now, I’m just glad you’re here.”
It’s a small bit of relief that I’ll at least have one person on my side... Unless he figures out how dangerous it is for me to tap into thi
s primal, feral, somewhat unstable power.
Even more so when he learns I can’t just shut it off.
I cut the car, turning down a crowded street. The cars in front of us jerk to the side, racing away from what they think is a fire happening down the center of the road. I smirk, discovering my Lokie and jinn power can also work while I’m tapped into this power.
I’ve never gotten to fully unleash myself... Never been confident enough to try. But now... Now we have the Master to face, and there’s only one way I can truly contribute.
It’s time to stop holding back.
“I don’t even want to know why everyone is racing to get out of our way,” Leah says under her breath. “I’m guessing that’s not a fairy power.”
“Duster,” I correct her, smirking still as I cut down another road, even though she knows I have red jinn. “No man likes to be called a fairy.”
We’re driving through the desert before she can respond to that, and I slam on the brakes, skidding to a halt behind an old jeep that is parked next to an abandoned gas station.
Shit.
“That’s the jeep that took her,” I tell Zee as I get out.
But that’s not what has me clenching the wheel tighter. It’s the girl who is stepping out of the jeep that has me completely baffled.
Kya’s eyes meet mine, and her lips thin as she stares into my eyes.
“Kya?” Leah asks, hurriedly getting out as Zee stays behind with me.
Kya’s eyes jerk away from mine, and she gazes at Leah as she closes the distance between them.
“The hell?” Zee growls. “She did this?”
I grab his arm. “No,” I say, taking another breath. “I’m not sure why she’s here.”
Getting out, I study her as she leans down and tests the sand between her fingers.
Kya’s eyes meet mine again as she straightens. “Does this name ring any bells?” she asks, motioning to the word written in the sand.
SILAN
Zee’s breath is sharp and telling, and I cut my gaze to him as he pales.
“Yes,” Zee says as he exhales harshly. “He was sired by the same woman as I was. And he saved me.”
Kya dusts her hands off. “Then what did you do to piss him off?”
Before Zee can answer, I’m moving toward her. “How the hell did you find us?”