Retribution

by Rylee Winters

  “Now…we clean the mess and go about our lives. Muss and Melinda are gone, but so are Bare-whatever-his-name and Kaslni...” Jackson trailed off, and I grimaced at him as a feeling of anticipation skittered across, just beneath my skin.

  Reaching up to rake a hand through his hair, he blew out a hot breath of his own before continuing in a low voice. “I wonder if we can close the Veil…like, permanently. Even though it’s just Faro and Linne, you have to consider that others will come snooping around wondering what the fuck happened, Derek. Not to mention how powerful the both of them are – I mean, look at what she did.”

  Stiffening at Jackson’s slow drawl, I sucked in a sharp breath as anxiety buzzed in my veins.

  I shook my head wildly, ignoring him for the moment.

  One problem at a time. Right now, Linne was more important.

  Blinking hard, I glanced down only to catch sight of bubbling, tar-like tendrils of black rising from the cracks in the earth.

  My mate stirred in my arms, and I tightened my grip on her as my heart slowed and my mind cleared.

  “ – Muss!” Jerking upwards, Linne nearly tumbled out of my arms as her panicked gasp gripped at my heart, squeezing it tight. Her head whipped from side to side until her eyes found mine, while thick ropes of her magic slithered up around my legs. “Derek…” she breathed.

  I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn’t get even a single letter out before Linne’s eyes rolled back inside their sockets.

  A sickening crack sliced through the air, and shouts of alarm filled my ears, before I managed to tear my gaze off her. Her wings grew to their full size, dragging against the ruined ground even as her tendrils of magic kept me firmly in place.

  The earth trembled as a huge split a dozen feet wide appeared right down the center of the park. A few of my clan members fell into the crack, but the tentacles of Linne’s magic kept me firmly in place as their screams filled the air.

  Jagged edges widened and lengthened, and I frowned deeply.

  “Derek – look!” My eyes flew to look at Jackson, narrowing into slits as they followed his gaze upwards. The Veil shimmered brilliantly, colors flaring and striking out in a beautiful display that made me extremely fucking uneasy.

  “What’s she doing?” he cried, his voice a deep growl.

  “How should I fucking know?” There were still so many things that I didn’t understand about magic, and this just happened to highlight that fact.

  Watching the Veil flare angrily, I clenched my jaw as the rainbow began to turn a collage of reds, oranges, and pinks. “It’s changing color.”

  In my arms, Linne spasmed slightly, and I licked my lips heavily as the hairs on my body stood up.

  The crack in the earth grew, swallowing up the bodies of the dead and a few more clan members without prejudice.

  Tearing my eyes off the Veil, I glanced down at my mate as her eyelids fluttered over pupil-less orbs.

  “What the fuck is that?” Jackson’s shock rolled down my spine before I whirled around. My brows threatened to fly off my face.

  Surging towards us, like a tsunami, was a massive, hundred foot wall of the blackest black. “Shit – shit – Everyone get the fuck out! Run!”

  Even as Jackson ran away like a little bitch, I was rooted to the spot. But it was probably for the best. Linne’s magic didn’t work on me.

  My brother would probably get killed by this wave, I thought, as it grew taller and gained speed.

  Spasming earnestly in my arms, my mate’s wings twitched, and sweat beaded her forehead and upper lip when I looked down.

  When the fuck did shit like this stop bothering me? I couldn’t remember the last time anything had taken me by surprise.

  “Fuck – ” The one-hundred-and-twenty foot tall, thirty foot deep wall of solid shadows was almost upon me, and my heart nearly stopped beating from the shot of adrenaline that spiked through me.

  At the very last possible second, a tiny opening appeared for my mate and I, and I tensed as the world around us fell away.

  I felt like I was watching Moses part the Red Sea…

  Like I was watching the Titanic sink. Like I was just seconds away from seeing the sun explode and collapse on itself into a black whole, sucking everything within the vicinity inside it.

  Time stalled in the complete darkness, and the wave around us seemed to slow down as the seconds ticked by.

  Then the sun appeared again, weak and blotchy, and the wave broke apart into thick, long spikes to reach inside the Veil. Inside the fucking Veil – like Jackson’s mother sticking her hand up the business end of a turkey on Thanksgiving morning.

  The tendrils stretched and spread, searching for something that I couldn’t see on this side.

  Faintly, so very faintly, I heard screams of pain.

  “What’s going on, Derek the Lion?” Unable to tear my eyes off the sight as Faro called out to me, I only cocked my head, answering him with silence.

  The Unseelie stopped short when he realized the wall of shadow had changed, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “I can’t believe it – ”

  “What? You know what she’s doing?” I asked sharply.

  Out of the very corner of my eye, I saw Faro nodding his head firmly as he stepped up beside me, and he crossed his arms over his chest. His uninjured wing ruffled loudly as he flexed it, and its thick feathers brushed against my arm, washing my skin in goosebumps.

  “She’s searching for Muss’ soul from this side of the Veil. When one of us – or anything magical – dies on our side of the Veil, their soul lingers because of the magic that’s tethering it to the world. I do not know if he’ll still be there. I…I did not know this was even possible from this side.”

  The light that came with understanding washed over me, but I was exhausted. Today had been harrowing, and I didn’t have the capacity to feel anything. Now that the past two years of worry was over, I wasn’t sure I knew what normal was anymore.

  “It’s been hours since he died…how long will his soul linger?” This was fucking perfect – without a hint of sarcasm – my inner voice dribbled in my ears. “…Is that why the wings don’t die if they’re removed first? Because they still have a soul?”

  “Yes. Wings that are removed from their owner are tortured – some would say cursed, in this realm. Muss is much like a pair of wings – he’s made entirely of pure magic. Very little of him is actually physical. Thus, he will be able to fight the tether breaking. I believe she’ll have a good chance of finding him mostly intact.”

  “I feel like this is too perfect – too anti-climactic. Kaslni’s dead. Bareiijnr is dead. Muss might not be dead… The humans are safe…I mean, I keep expecting something else to happen.” My confession earned me a snort from the ancient Unseelie, and I growled roughly. “What?”

  “You’re uncomfortable with anything less than the extreme, Derek the Lion. It is a bad habit. Be grateful that your world was not brought to destruction. Just because this was not the worst does not mean the worst is yet to come.”

  Pursing my lips tightly, I inhaled a sharp breath, and jerked my head back. Linne’s arm shot up, her wings flapping wildly as she struggled in my arms, and her pupils finally became visible.

  The massive wall of shadows dissolved almost instantly, and I cracked a smirk as she blinked up at me. Panting harshly, it took her a moment to figure out what had happened, but I was patient.

  Finally, the phrase ‘all the time in the world’ wasn’t just something I said – it had real meaning.

  “Derek – ” Rasping my name hoarsely, Linne smiled up at me as she stared through her droopy lids. “I did it…”

  “You did it, baby.”

  What did it even feel like to be normal? I couldn’t remember. It felt like this threat we’d now vanquished, had been looming over me my entire life.

  I gently brushed a strand of Linne’s hair back. “Let’s go home now and enjoy the peace.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  L
inne

  The human Chad clapped his hands on my shoulders, and I tore my gaze off Muss’ limp body to glance up at him. His sympathetic smile burned my crown, but I forced a weak smile back before returning to my vigil.

  “How long do you think it’ll take him to wake up?” Only shaking my head at the question, I wrapped my arms around myself to sigh heavily.

  Patting my shoulder comfortingly, the human Chad mimicked my sigh before speaking up again. “You know, Linne – you’re an extraordinary person. I’m glad I hit you the day you fell into this realm.”

  “I am glad as well.” Watching Muss’ body rise and fall with his breaths, I smiled slightly at my own confession.

  Rubbing the scars on my thighs, my palm tingled even as my mind whirled from everything that had happened only the day before. “Do you think Derek’s clan will be angry with me for sacrificing their members to save Muss?”

  “I think they understand about sacrificing something to save someone you love, Linne…but no – I don’t think they’re very okay with you right now.”

  “Alpha Jackson suggested closing the Veil – but I do not believe such a thing is possible. Faro agrees with me.” Changing the subject easily, I shook my head as I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair.

  Yesterday was almost like a dream, and I reached to rake my hands through my hair absently. “I do not feel like it was real.”

  “It’s over now, though, Linne. Dwelling on it will only ruin the here and now. So, tell me about this plan of yours to travel the world with Derek.” Dropping into a chair next to me, the human Chad smiled broadly with his efforts to distract me from Muss’ wretched form on the hospital bed.

  “You know, I used to live in San Francisco – it was beautiful. Sometimes, I wish I could go back. I’ve always wanted to go to Spain, too.”

  “We have not set anything cement yet. Derek and I agreed to wait for Muss to wake up before we decide anything,” I admitted.

  The human Chad hummed, and I rubbed my eyes in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure behind them. “It is daunting to think of all the things I could see in this world when there is still so much I haven’t seen in my old realm.”

  ‘The human Chad is right – you shouldn’t dwell on the past, Linne.’

  For a long moment, I didn’t realize that the deep, rough voice belonged to someone other than the human Chad.

  Stiffening, my gaze flew to the bed to find Muss watching me with one eye, then he lifted his head to blink at me. ‘I am sorry you had to pay for my mistake…’

  “No – no – no – don’t apologize…” Jerking from my chair, I smiled broadly, as my eyes watered, distorting Muss’ figure.

  Clamoring onto the bed, I curled around him to caress the top of his head, his beak, and his breast. “It was inevitable, Muss. You did nothing wrong. Kalsni had – ”

  ‘No, Linne.’ Cutting me off firmly, Muss trained his eye on me and ducked his head down sharply, and my heart stuttered. ‘I betrayed you… No matter how well-intentioned, I betrayed you. That is not Kaslni’s fault.’

  “Us humans have a saying, you know, Muss – the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. As long as you recognize it was wrong, no one is going to hold it against you. The fact that you’re willing to die for Linne, I think, says a lot more about you than the fact you worked with Faro behind her back.”

  A hard, smooth beak nuzzled my cheek, and I stroked the top of Muss’ head as relief sent tremors through my muscles. “Besides…you weren’t wrong, Muss. There was no ‘right’ in that situation. Now that it’s over, we can let it fade.”

  ‘I want to come with you and Derek the Lion, Linne – I have no Master anymore. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’ Muss’ adoring voice wrapped around my brain and seeped deep into the crevices, and I choked back a sob. Nodding furiously, I hugged him carefully to my chest and buried my face into his back.

  He was warm – his heart beat strong, feathers thrumming as his magic coursed through him. ‘If I were Unseelie – or even human – I would ask you to marry me. Would you say ‘yes’?’

  “Yes – yes, I would.” Answering instantly, my tone rough and deep with conviction, I pressed my cheek against Muss’ body and exhaled a shaky sigh. “I would even though I have a mate.”

  “If you weren’t a fucking bird or died for her, I’d be pissed,” Derek’s voice interrupted, his tone laced thickly with relief and dry humor, while I smiled broadly through the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. Muss shuffled to crane his neck, and I sniffled hard as emotion clogged my throat.

  “I’m glad you’re not dead, you damn bird.”

  ‘Do I hear a hint of affection in your voice, Derek the Lion?’ I glanced over as Derek only shook his head, with a hint of a smile cresting his lips. ‘It is okay. No one will ever know that you actually like me. Actions do not speak louder than words.’

  “Fuck off – ” My mate’s grumble made Muss laugh jovially, and I sat up gingerly to flex my stiff wings. Tendrils of shadow caressed Muss’ onyx feathers, and he bopped his head side to side in pleasure before I scooped him into my arms. His large body was a comfortable kind of heavy, and I stood up from the bed before the human Chad spoke up again.

  “Has Faro come to see you? I haven’t seen him since maybe just after we woke up.”

  The question was met with silence, and I arched my brows as my gaze trained on my mate. Derek shrugged carelessly, and the human Chad dragged his palms down his face out of the corner of my eye.

  “He said that once he removed his wings, he wanted to work for me. He wanted to ‘experience life as humans do’. That was the other day, and I haven’t seen him since.”

  “I doubt removing his own wings is easy. Just give him some time. He was able to find Kaslni’s hoard of shit, and he wanted to go through it, anyway.”

  Ignoring the conversation between the two males, I carried Muss out of his hospital room. His eyes twinkled as they trained on me, one by one, and I saw my smile reflected in his center orb.

  Squeezing him to my chest, I inhaled a deep, shaky breath, as he brushed his beak against my trembling lips.

  “I cannot think of a life without you, Muss.” Wandering down the hallway of the clinic, I exhaled a rough breath, and the confession served to bring tears to my eyes. “I do not really understand what I did to bring you back.”

  ‘When you first began to train under Faro, and during your molt, we came to a startling realization…your shadow magic is a medium for advanced creation magic. You can do anything, my dear Linne. There is nothing you cannot achieve with your magic. Any other Unseelie would’ve probably killed herself from the toll – physical and magical – of what you did. I will not lie – I allowed Bareiijnr to capture me.’

  I nearly stumbled over my own feet at Muss’ admission, and our journey halted as my brows rose high in surprise.

  ‘There are not many Unseelie that can use advanced creation magic, but Bareiijnr has owned three of them. I went to him not only for information about his plans, but because he knows more about your magic than even Faro does.’

  “What did he say? How do you know he was not just lying?” Whispering softly, like this was a secret, I licked my lips heavily as Muss blinked his biggest eye at me. Even though Bareiijnr was dead, worry and anxiety thrummed through me, but the bird in my arms didn’t seem the slightest bit apprehensive.

  ‘He was not lying. Despite all of his faults, Bareiijnr was not the man to let talent go unrecognized or misunderstood. He was a firm believer in maximum efficiency, squeezing every last drop of magic and potential before discarding. We spoke at length, but I did not explain the extent of your change since you mated with Derek the Lion.’

  Slowly starting up again to walk down the hall, I stroked Muss’ breast, as I became thoughtful.

  ‘There is nothing in the world that does not cast a shadow – even glass. Kaslni did not understand this, and thus limited your potential. Even Faro does not fully understand wh
at you are truly capable of. So, I went to Bareiijnr.’

  ‘Sometimes, Bareiijnr explained, there comes along an Unseelie or Seelie with your kind of power. You are the perfect blend of medium, magic, and control. No part of your training, despite how barbaric, has ever been difficult for you. You are inherently perfect. There are not many Unseelie that can use shadows as a medium – it is a rare and extremely powerful ability no matter the potency. So, when an Unseelie like you comes along, the Court will wage war on itself for you. You, particularly, are very special, Linne.’

  “How?” Even as I posed my question, fire licked my cheeks, and Muss’ five eyes twinkled as they watched me. Emerging from the hospital, I walked into the fresh, late evening air. Shuffling off the walkway to sit on the dew laden grass, I let him settle in my lap before his voice began once again to fill my head.

  ‘You spent the better part of your childhood locking away the parts of you that you thought were too much – those parts which separated you from those around you. Faro had only just barely begun to unlock those abilities before you were banished. Then, you met Derek the Lion, and both of you began to change. The ability to shift stemmed from Seelie magic, as you know. However, his Pride – the magic he can wield beyond shifting – is Unseelie magic. Why do you think that is?’

  “…Because his magic…is my magic… and the mate bond is – ”

  ‘It is a conduit, yes. The magic he can do is not his own magic, but it is flowing from you and through the mate bond to him. Just as Melinda had expedited your transformation into part shifter – so Derek the Lion is taking from you. Should the mate bond break, he cannot use magic, and you cannot shift. It is an exchange between perfected beings. Although you use the magic you are comfortable with, and what magic you know you can control…there is so much more inside you that you were too afraid of using. Those abilities are transferred to Derek the Lion via the mate bond because he is not afraid. He did not grow up thinking this magic inside him was overwhelming, and thus knows that he can control it.’

  Muss’ explanation weighed down on my shoulders, and I slouched as I stared across the small lawn. Stroking the length of him absently, I let my mind run away, contemplating over everything he was saying. The shifting – I understood that. But the magic part…was confusing.