Andromeda's Reign

by K. S. Haigwood

The girl shook her head. “Of sorts, but not exactly. We watch everyone, and we don’t like any of you, but as long as the shifters, witches and vampires don’t cause any trouble, they will never have to meet us. In a world where you think you have no law, you actually do. When shifters, vamps or witches come up missing, it’s usually us who take and destroy them. Most of the time, we let the Alphas, Master Vampires and the witches take care of their own issues, but occasionally we have to step in, especially when they accept something like you as a good thing.” The girl sneered, making Andra want to sneer back. She refrained. Barely.

  “I’m not a moonrising wolf,” Andra insisted, and yanked against her bindings, but all that did was cause her more pain in her shoulder and wrist. “Ace will come looking for me. He will slaughter all of you.”

  She shook her head. “I do hope he listened to me when I told him to forget about you. He’s one of the good ones. But,” she sighed, “if he does find you, we will have to kill him, too. My guess is he won’t find you before the executioner cuts off your head. This whole room is silver and steel. Not even a bonded male’s mind would be able to penetrate that. Sorry, Andromeda.” The girl actually appeared saddened by the fact that they were going to have to kill her. What a crock of bull, Andra thought. The girl was crazy if she thought Andra was buying her act.

  Andra’s face paled as she realized that even after the meditation wore off, Ace wouldn’t be able to sense her. She would have to figure a way to get free on her own. How long did she have before the executioner got here? Minutes? Hours? Days? She knew she didn’t have days. The bond would take her out way before then if she couldn’t get to Ace in time. What had she said his name was? Abhor?

  The danger Ace had put everyone she cared about in by bonding with her hardly mattered at this point. He’d made a selfish and hasty decision. That was his nature. Afterward, she knew he’d regretted it. She had felt the fear from him of what she would think when she found out the truth. That was all so clear now. Ace hadn’t expected to care for her so deeply, nor had she expected to care so much for him.

  She could forgive him. In all honesty, she already had.

  Tears pricked Andra’s eyes as she stared at the girl. “Will you do me a favor?”

  One blond eyebrow rose in interest. “Maybe.”

  “Tell Ace I forgive him. I don’t want to die, with him never knowing that.”

  The girl shrugged. “I’ll make sure he gets the message.”

  Andra’s eyes narrowed as she sniffed back the tears. She wouldn’t give her enemy the satisfaction of seeing her cry. The trouble was, she cried when she was pissed off. Staying level-headed and in control of her emotions was the key to survival. What had Ace told her in training? Stopping is not for mischievous and diabolical wolves and failure is never an option. “What’s your name?” Andra said, chumming up to the girl.

  She stared at Andra a long moment, probably deliberating whether it was a good idea to share her identity. Finally, she sighed. “I don’t see what it will hurt in telling you. It’s not like you’re going anywhere. Freedom.”

  Andra sat up a little straighter and frowned when the chains restricted her movement. “Freedom is your name?”

  “Do you have an issue with my name, Greek Princess?” Freedom said.

  The girl has a point, Andra thought. “No, I suppose I don’t.” She doubted chatting with this girl and making friends with her would save her life. Andra needed a backup plan. Glancing around, she noticed that, besides the chains and shackles, the room was completely bare. “I need to pee.” She needed to get a feel of her surroundings. Maybe there was something she could use to break free of this place outside the room.

  Freedom got to her feet and walked to the door. As she took a single silver key from her pocket, she turned and looked at Andra. “Hold it.” She shrugged. “Or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me. You’re not leaving this room until the executioner gets here.”

  “Wait!” Andra shouted as Freedom opened the door. She tried to see what was beyond the door, but the silver in the restraints really did make her weak; she couldn’t see any better than a human now. The only thing she could make out was a dimly lit hallway on the other side, nothing that would help her escape.

  Freedom turned back to her and rolled her eyes. “What?”

  Andra didn’t know what to say, but she had to think of something quick. What would Ace tell her to do? What would an Alpha do? She had to find a way out.

  Freedom put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “There’s no way to escape. You can stop trying to—”

  “No,” Andra said as she let her eyes drop to look at the floor, “I know. I’m just a little hungry and thirsty. I brought you food.” Her eyes flicked back up to pin the girl with her stare. “Are you so cruel that you won’t allow me a last meal?”

  Freedom huffed, but after a moment, she nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. And I’ll try to find a bucket or something so you can pee, but I’m not allowed to get close to you, so you can forget about me getting you out of those shackles. I’m the one who put you in here, remember?”

  How can I forget? Andra thought, faking a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

  After the door thundered shut and locked, Andra examined the chains and cuffs that bound her, tugging on them, testing their strength. They were solid and, as much as she tried, she couldn’t feel the wolf inside her. Freedom was right. There would be no shifting, not as long as she was in these bindings and in this room.

  Blinking away the dizziness and fatigue, she leaned against the wall behind her and tried to think of a way to escape. The metal didn’t burn her, but she knew Freedom hadn’t lied about there being silver in the cuffs and walls. Steel alone wouldn’t affect her this harshly. She was drained mentally and physically, and her shoulder and wrist didn’t appear to be healing.

  Being immortal had its perks, but now—now, she had to think like a human, because human was all she was.

  “What would a human do, Andra?” she muttered to herself, and then she stiffened when the lock was thrown and the door opened.

  Friday, February 6th 2015 3:45 p.m. PST

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Ace

  Being in this house while everyone was out looking for Andra was making me mental. It had been too long already. I needed a better plan, and I knew that plan would in no way involve me staying where I was. I had to get closer to her.

  The meditation could wear off early. Andra had only done it once before, and she was upset when she did it this time, not nearly enough time to clear her mind properly for a solid meditation. Maybe it was weak and would break easily. I could possibly even break the sphere she’d put herself in if it wasn’t very strong.

  I had to get out of here. Phoenix was only one more punch away from me losing my shit.

  We had roughly seven hours remaining before shit got real with the bond. I had to make every minute count. Standing here with a bunch of vampires and witches, shooting the shit and coming up with squat was getting me nowhere.

  Clay was still talking to his brother, and it didn’t sound too good for us. “Clay,” I said.

  “—is important, Z,” Clay said, ignoring me. “Embyr and Rainey are already here. Please, we need you—” I took three steps and snatched the phone from his hand. “Ace!” Clay shouted. “He’s in Los Angeles on business—”

  “Good. It won’t take him as long to get here,” I said to Clay as I put the phone to my ear. “No time for introductions,” I said into the phone.

  “Excuse me,” Zephyr said. “Put my brother back on the—”

  “I don’t think I will. You see, you’re wasting precious time arguing over something that I know you’re going to do anyway—”

  “I don’t think you know me very well—” Zephyr interrupted, but evidently he didn’t know me very well, either, because I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

  “This isn’t just about me and my mate. It’s also about three people you hopefully care
enough about to save—”

  Zephyr cut in, his voice dropping low and full with warning. “Did you just threaten to—”

  I grinned, but I didn’t let it seep into my voice. “—because if you don’t bring your ass to Las Vegas and do your part to save Andra, I’m taking everyone down with me when I lose her completely. Have a nice flight, jerkoff.”

  Zephyr was in the middle of his first word of backlash when I hit the end call button on Clay’s phone, and then immediately felt around for the power button and pressed it.

  I held the phone out to Clay and he grabbed it from my fingers. “Don’t check your texts or take any calls from him for the next five hours. He’ll wait as long as possible before he gets on a plane.” The room fell eerily silent, and I could sense that all eyes were on me. “I’m not going to hurt any of you. Stop staring at me. You have to be a hardass with a hardass, Clay, not a begging pussy. If you’re going to be a pussy cat, be a mighty roaring one with big balls and claws… like me. Zephyr will come. It may only be to kick my ass, but he’ll show up. It’s your job to make sure he participates in the un-bonding ritual when he gets here.”

  Clay sighed. “He’s gonna kick my ass.”

  “You need to grow a pair, Clay,” I said.

  A cell phone rang from my right and my head shot around to glare in its general direction.

  “It’s him,” Rainey said.

  “Got the hair,” Embyr said as she walked back into the room. “What’s going on?”

  “Don’t answer it,” I said.

  Rainey snickered. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I don’t even enjoy talking to him when he’s in a good mood.”

  The ringing stopped and another phone started ringing about five seconds later.

  “Z’s calling me,” Embyr said.

  “Don’t accept it and don’t look at any texts he sends you,” Rainey said. “The mighty roaring pussy cat with big balls and claws pissed him off.”

  “Oh, shit,” Embyr said. “What kind of flowers would you like to have at your funeral, Ace?”

  I chuckled. “Embyr, call Slade’s number and have him come pick me up. I need to go into the city. I think I can break the meditation if I’m closer to her.” I started to give her the digits, but she quickly informed me that my Beta was already programmed in her contacts.

  “Really, Em?” Clay said.

  “What?” Embyr said. “We’re just friends.”

  I smiled. “Tell him I’ll be waiting for him out front.”

  “You’re just going to leave us here?” Phoenix said. “What are we supposed to do? Learn to crochet?”

  I shrugged as I made my way to the door, bearing in mind where that damn casket was located this time. “Do what you want. Staying here with my mate’s ex-boyfriend isn’t exactly how I want to spend my evening. You have an hour and sixteen minutes before the sun sets. Clay, use Embyr’s necklace and the hair she found to do the location spell. Call me when you find her location.” I was ready to roll and impatient with everyone.

  “You’re blind,” Rainey said as my hand found the handle of the door. “How the hell do you know we have exactly an hour and sixteen minutes before the sun sets?”

  I frowned as my head turned in her direction. “You want to know the seconds, too? It has been exactly an hour and nine minutes since she left me, exactly an hour and fifteen minutes before the sun will set, and I have exactly six hours and fifty-one minutes to get her back or I lose her forever. At 10:44 tonight our eight hours are up. My soul knows exactly the number of seconds that I haven’t felt her touch, Rainey, even without the bond keeping time. I cannot let the fact that I’m blind stop me from finding her. Andra is my soulmate.”

  As Phoenix cursed, I pulled on the door and slipped out into the hall.

  Chapter 46

  Friday, February 6th 2015 4:18 p.m. PST

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Phoenix

  Clay tossed the necklace on the map and let out an exasperated sigh. “I can’t get a location on her. She’s not even showing up on a map of the entire United States of America.”

  “They’re only human,” Katrista said, from the lounge area of the den. “How would they be able to hide her from magic?”

  Clay frowned at the map, then at the candle. “I dunno.”

  “Maybe the hair is from a different female,” Phoenix suggested as he studied the silver necklace, with a few dark strands of hair woven around it.

  “Seriously doubtful, considering Andra is the only female who has ever seen the inside of Ace’s bedroom. Plus, if it were another girl’s hair, the spell would find where that girl is right now. I’m getting nothing.”

  The corner of Phoenix’s mouth lifted. “Maybe your magic is wearing off.”

  Clay gave him the hairy eyeball. “I’m beginning to see why Ace doesn’t like you.”

  Phoenix smiled, but didn’t bother responding. He wasn’t here to make friends with anyone, but he did want to talk to Clay in private. There was an important matter that needed to be addressed. He knew the guy wanted something. Maybe they both could benefit from his idea.

  Clay stood from his seat. “You try it, Em.”

  Phoenix’s eyes shifted to the couch, sofa and chairs where the small group of vampires and Embyr had retreated ten minutes after Clay started the location spell.

  Embyr huffed as she stood, her eyes speaking her misgivings. “I’m not as good as you are with that spell, but I’ll give it a shot.”

  Clay stood then walked to the other side of the room where two chairs were angled toward each other, a small low table separating them. Instead of watching Embyr attempt the location spell, his gaze stayed on the young mage musician as Clay picked up a guitar and positioned it on his lap to play. As his fingers softly strummed the strings, Clay looked up at Rainey. “Heard anything from the demons yet?”

  Rainey shook her head. “I left three voicemails on some guy named Fallis’ phone. I haven’t heard back from him.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll give him until 4:30, and then I will text Ethan back and see if he has a number for any of the others. From what I understand, he didn’t know them very long before moving to Eternal Island, so we may be at a dead end if Fallis doesn’t get back with me.”

  Clay’s eyes moved to the headstock of the guitar, and he twisted a peg as he picked at a string with the tip of his ring finger, tuning it. After a moment, he nodded. “I’ll wait to call Slade until you get a call or we find Andra with the location spell. I hate not giving Ace any good news.”

  A soft hum came out of Clay’s throat as he played the instrument, and Phoenix noticed that Katrista watched him with interest and admiration. Phoenix strolled over and sat in the empty chair beside him and just listened to the beautiful sounds coming from the guitar.

  Music had never been a big part in Phoenix’s life, but he’d heard of Salacious Limerick, had even heard a few of their songs and knew that Ace used to be lead guitarist and backup vocalist in the band. He hadn’t mentioned it to Mena and wondered if she knew who he was after she bonded with the Alpha of lions.

  Phoenix glanced around the room at the others. Embyr had her eyes closed, and her mouth was moving silently as the necklace swirled in a circle above the map. Rainey, Déus and Katrista were in a whispered conversation about something that had happened a few weeks earlier on the island. Eternal Island. Phoenix pressed his lips together, trying to remember if he’d ever heard of the place before. Coming to the conclusion that he hadn’t, he let his focus fall back on Clay, and then he leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees. All these things he observed and thought of to keep himself sane—instead of worrying about Mena.

  “I’d like to talk to you about something,” Phoenix said, and then waved his hand through the air, encouraging Clay to keep playing when he stopped. “No, don’t stop playing. That sounds nice.”

  Clay fell easily back into the song, but his eyes were on the vampire girl—Katrista. “What’s on your mind, va
mpire?”

  Phoenix looked at Katrista. “You like her, don’t you?”

  Clay’s eyes quickly shifted away from the brunette beauty. “Yeah, so,” he muttered. “It would never work between us. She’s a bloodsucker—no offense,” he added in quickly. “I just meant that she’s immortal, and I am not.”

  Phoenix grinned. “None taken, but if you were immortal, as well, you could be with her, right?”

  Clay’s face distorted in disgust. “I’d slit my fucking throat and bleed out before I would ever become one of you. Look, chatting with you is all well and fine, but I can tell you have something on your mind other than my love life. What is it?”

  Phoenix would need to choose his words carefully. Clay was no friend of his, and Ace was Clay’s best friend. The proposition shouldn’t sound like Phoenix was trying to hurt his friend in any way. Phoenix’s mouth curved up into a comfortable smile. “I overheard a conversation between you and Ace earlier. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I’m a vampire; I can’t exactly turn down the volume on voices, especially enraged ones.”

  Clay cocked an eyebrow as his eyes made contact with Phoenix’s. “You already know that the bond can be broken, given Zephyr shows up and completes the circle. What more do you want?”

  Phoenix tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “I have an idea that might get us both what we want. I want Mena, of course. I wouldn’t have come all this way otherwise.”

  Clay shook his head. “My best friend is in love with her. No offense, but even if I could do a love spell, I wouldn’t break his heart to help someone I don’t even know take her away from him.”

  “You wouldn’t be breaking his heart, Clay. And he would be free to join the band again… no ties holding him back. He won’t even remember her.”

  Clay’s fingers froze on the strings as he nervously glanced over at his sisters. His breathing was irregular as he met Phoenix’s gaze again. Whispering, he said, “You want me to give them amnesia? Are you fucking crazy?”