Wicked Burn

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Bear didn’t respond. He waited until Desmond had disappeared behind the heavy door before turning back to Simone, his usual humor gone. “You have the night with Nicholai.” Then he lifted his nose and scanned the hallway, his head moving before his gaze landed back on her. He sniffed the air several times. His eyes widened. “You’re with child.”

  Simone gasped and stepped back. It was way too early for anybody to be able to sense a baby. “Barely. How in the hell?”

  Bear lowered his chin, his gaze dropping to her abdomen. “I’m a bear shifter. Our senses are better than any others out there. You smell like baby powder and pure honey. Pregnancy smell.”

  Simone placed a hand against her stomach. “We can’t let Desmond or Flynn know about the babe. They’ll try to kill me.”

  “I know.” Bear shook his head, and he straightened, looking intently over her shoulder. “This changes the plan for tomorrow. You have to tell Nick about the babe, and we need to figure out a different way to get out of here.”

  Simone frowned and stepped toward her brother. “Why?”

  “Because you can’t fight,” Bear snapped.

  Simone stiffened. In the century she’d known her brother, she had never once heard him snap. “Why the hell can’t I fight?” She slammed both hands on her hips.

  His mouth opened and then closed. Red spiraled across his rugged cheekbones. “Because you’re knocked up,” he hissed.

  “So what?” Anger rippled through her, yet she kept her voice low.

  Bear shook his head vigorously. “Listen up, sister, and listen good. You go take the next several hours with that demon, say what you have to say, do what you have to do, and then tell him the truth about the baby. Then you get your sweet ass out of the way while we fight to get out of here. If anybody dies, which is likely, it ain’t gonna be you or that babe.”

  She glared and moved right up into his face. “You listen up. I’m pregnant, not an invalid. My fire-throwing ability is better than any other witch’s, and you’re going to need my assistance in getting out of here. Besides, after you shifted into a dragon, you lost strength. What’s the plan?”

  “Oh, hell no. As of now, there is no plan.” Bear grabbed her shoulders and set her away from him. “Tell Nick the truth, or I will.”

  Simone shoved him back a foot, somewhat surprised when he let her. “This is my baby, and I’ll tell Nicholai when I’m ready. You keep your furry snout out of it.”

  Bear growled. “You’re crazier than I’ll ever be.” He turned on his bare feet and stomped down the corridor, slamming the heavy metal door shut behind himself.

  Oh, she would not let her brother sacrifice himself for her. Already, after apparently shifting once into a dragon, he was losing muscle mass. A lot of it.

  Simone took several deep breaths and then pushed open the door to the cell. She walked inside and stopped short. A fully appointed bed with velvet bedclothes took up the left part of the cell, and a doorway showed a complete bathroom. Whoa. The dragons had a seriously fancy dungeon. But the wall opposite her was definitely the focus of the room.

  Nicholai stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that revealed the depths of the ocean. Fish sparkled, and green stuff floated around. “I think it was originally designed to mentally torture people with being under the sea . . . to show them how impossible rescue and freedom really is,” he said.

  Simone nodded, watching a yellow and blue fish swim by. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is.” Nick’s gaze caressed her face. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Heat climbed into her face, and she fought the urge to pat her abdomen again. Knowing about the babe would certainly distract Nick, and she needed him focused. Plus, he required her fighting abilities, and if he put her on the bench, he might be killed. Even so, not telling him grated on her.

  “What’s going through that head of yours?” he murmured, black eyes thoughtful.

  “Just wondering what the plan is,” she returned quietly. At the very least, she needed to know the plan before telling him the truth. That way he couldn’t alter it without her knowing. “Bear mentioned you had a plan.”

  “We’re still working on it, and much of it depends on Bear. I should know by tomorrow morning.” Nick angled to the side and glanced out at the fathomless sea.

  “So, what is it?”

  Nick sighed. “I need you to get close to Flynn. See if he’ll work with us instead of against us.”

  Simone leaned back against the door. “Okay.”

  Nick studied her. “I know you’re an in your face type of fighter, but strategy and subtlety are what matter right now. Can you do that?”

  “Sure. What are you and Bear planning?”

  “If I tell you, and Flynn asks, he’ll know you’re lying when you deny we have a plan.” Nick moved forward and grasped her hands in his. “I’d rather you could honestly tell him you don’t know what Bear and I have in mind for tomorrow.”

  “So long as Bear isn’t going to shift into dragon form again. It hurts him, Nick.”

  “I know. Don’t worry—the second I discovered the weakness, I altered any plan that had him shifting into anything but a badass bear.”

  “Good.” She smiled. “Thanks. Now, what’s the plan?”

  “I’d rather you stayed in the dark.”

  Simone breathed out. “You’re asking for a lot of faith there, demon.”

  “If you want me to tell you the entire plan, I will without hesitation.” Nick leaned down and brushed her forehead with a kiss. “But the strategy works better if Flynn, and especially Desmond, believe that we’ve left you in the dark or that we don’t even have a good plan.”

  Simone winced. “My approach with Flynn is hysterical, scared female? One going to a newly found brother for help when there doesn’t seem to be any plan.” As much as she hated it, and she really did, she could see the wisdom of the approach.

  “Yes. Bear was excommunicated at a young age and never really got to know Flynn, but he believes that Flynn is fairly decent with a strong proclivity for protecting women. Takes good care of his mother, I guess.”

  “I’d rather just burn him into submission,” Simone muttered.

  “Now that I’d like to see.” Nick smiled, transforming his face from deadly to stunning. “Again, I’m not keeping secrets from you, little bunny. If you want me to detail our entire rather hopeless, crazy plan, I’m happy to do so.”

  She swallowed. Secrets, huh? Well then. “No. I understand the strategy behind my being clueless with Flynn. But I will know the entire plan before I have to start throwing fireballs, right?”

  “Of course.” Nick ducked his head and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth, remaining a breath away. “Thank you for having faith.”

  She kissed him. No matter what, she knew she could count on Nick. “Of course.” She paused. “The door isn’t locked, you know.”

  “I know, but Desmond warned me that there would be guards lined up the entire stairwell.”

  “What about the other cells or down the tunnel?”

  “Apparently the other cells are empty, and I had Bear double-check, so that’s true. The tunnel ends without another exit.” Nick shrugged.

  Simone angled slightly to the right and examined the glass wall.

  “Nope. According to Desmond, the helpful bastard, if we break the glass, an alarm goes out that sends thousands of volts of electricity into the water. We’d fry.”

  “All bases are covered,” she muttered. “Smart dickheads.”

  “Your relatives,” Nick said smoothly.

  She punched him in his iron-hard stomach. “Not nice.”

  He lunged for her and swept her up. “I have never been nice, my little bunny.” Moving slowly, he wandered over to the large bed.

  She struggled against him, heat climbing through her. “What in the world are you doing?”

  He smiled. “It might be my last night on earth. I’ve given everybody orders to sta
y the hell away for a few hours while we say our good-byes, and just in case, I think we should do so.”

  “No.” Pain rippled through her at the very thought, and she reached up to cup the side of his whiskered jaw. For so long, she’d tried to ignore her feelings for him, but they’d never gone away. Nick Veis had stolen her heart a century ago, and he’d never really given it back. She couldn’t lose him now. “Whatever your plan is, we’ll make it work.”

  He sat her on the bed, her legs dangling over. Both hands threaded through her thick hair, and he tipped back her head. Slowly, so deliberately, he leaned down, and his mouth took hers.

  Fire and heat and energy flowed through her like a drug.

  Her chest exploded with emotion, and she planted one hand on his chest, moving him back. He was giving her trust, and she had to do the same for him.

  He studied her, one eyebrow rising.

  “I have to tell you something.” The man deserved to know about the baby; she couldn’t keep a secret like that. They both needed to make decisions with all the information. “I’m—”

  The door blew open, and Nick jumped up, spinning to place his body between hers and the door. “Bear?”

  Bear grimaced. “Sorry, dude, but the big guy has called for a family dinner. I offered to come and get Simone.”

  Nick growled low. “I said no interruptions for the next several hours.”

  Bear lifted a massive shoulder. “Apparently prisoners don’t get special time to get laid. I’m sorry. This way, Simone can have a nice chat with Flynn during drinks or the appetizers or whatever these fancy dudes do. It’s time she got to know our older brother, don’t you think?”

  A guard became visible beyond Bear.

  Simone got up from the bed and tried to banish the desire still humming within her. Time to play the game. “I would very much like to dine with family.” And get to know Flynn and hopefully bring him over to their side.

  “That’s the attitude,” Bear said.

  Nick subtly adjusted his jeans. “Bear, if time wasn’t so damn short for me right now, I’d kill you.”

  Bear slowly nodded. “I get that a lot.”

  Simone patted Nicholai on the chest, her heart beating so hard her ribs ached. “I’ll be back after dinner, and then we’ll have a nice chat.” She had no problem manipulating a man, but since Flynn was her brother, she couldn’t use her usual arsenal. “Trust me. I can do this,” she whispered.

  “I do.” Nick pulled her back around and pressed his mouth against hers, urgency and emotion in his kiss. “Be careful.”

  She kissed him back and then sidled around him, not meeting Bear’s eyes. It wasn’t as if there had been any time to tell Nick about the baby, and now she couldn’t do so with the guard listening. He’d probably report right back to Desmond, and that prick could never know about her pregnancy.

  Bear moved past her and exchanged a few words with Nick, quickly turning to grasp Simone’s arm and follow her into the hall. She kept her face stoic for the guard’s sake. Bear shut the door and looked down at her, his honey-brown eyes burning.

  “I didn’t have a chance to tell him, ah, about my feelings. We looked at the room, then we started kissing, and then you were there.” Simone kept her voice quiet as Bear grabbed a lantern off the ground.

  “He deserves to know, about um, how you feel,” Bear rumbled.

  “I know.” There was no way to elaborate with the guard trailing them, so she just nodded. “The night is young.” And there was so much to do, damn it.

  A sense of urgency pressed in on her as she moved up the stairwell and tried to center herself. Nick was alone in the dungeon, and while he was a hell of a fighter, he couldn’t use his abilities against dragons.

  She could control fire, but so could dragons.

  The enemy for once actually seemed to have more power than the side she was trying to fight for. She rubbed her belly, fully cognizant of how much she had to lose. Her shoulders went back, and she drew on the fire of her people.

  Time to manipulate her brother and hope it didn’t backfire in her face.

  Chapter 24

  Simone smoothed down the wispy green dress. The fine silk drew in over the bodice and smoothed down her hips, ending right above the knee. The color suited her, and with calfskin boots, she felt feminine power course through her.

  Not once in her entire life had she apologized for enjoying her femininity. As a witch, she was a badass, and she could dress however she liked.

  “Thank you for the clothes,” she murmured to Flynn as they sat in a drawing room.

  “You’re lovely,” he returned, lifting his glass of aged whiskey in the air.

  “Thank you.” She held her glass, enjoying the scent of the potent brew. “Will Desmond be joining us?”

  “Soon. He’s taking care of business right now.”

  Perfect. Simone looked around the room. Antique chairs, probably handcrafted, had been placed in several individual groupings, a couple with game tables. Priceless oil paintings lined two of the walls, and an enormous bookcase took up the third, while the final wall was actually a doorway to the dining room. “This is a nice room.”

  “There’s a much better library farther into the cliffs. I’ll take you after dinner, if you’d like.” Flynn sipped his drink, his gaze thoughtful. For dinner, he’d thrown on slightly wrinkled black slacks and a white button-down shirt open at the collar.

  She forced a smile. “I need to know. How much danger is Bear in if he shifts into a dragon again?”

  Flynn’s eyes darkened. “Terrible danger. It’s like forcing a square peg into a wood chipper. His soul is shredded, as is his body. A bear can’t be a dragon, and at some point, his organs will just blow up and kill him.”

  “Then he needs to knock it off.” She wouldn’t let Bear harm himself.

  “Agreed.” Flynn sighed. “Get to it, Simone. Please.”

  She set down her glass. “Get to what?”

  “Come on. I wasn’t born yesterday, and Desmond is going to be here soon. Say what you need to say, I’ll say what I need to say, and we’ll move forward from there.” His voice remained low and rough, reminding her of his dragon lineage.

  She took a deep breath. “You’re my brother.”

  “I surely am.” Although his eyes were black, there was a shimmer, a bluish shimmer in them that was all dragon.

  Would she someday have that shimmer? “So help me.”

  “I am helping you.”

  “How is that?” She lifted her chin.

  He leaned forward. “By keeping you from committing treason and getting yourself killed. Well, treason here. You’ve already committed it in the witch nation.”

  She ground her back teeth together. “Not really.”

  “Yes, really. So here’s the deal. You refrain from attempting any silly rescue of the demon, and we’ll grant you sanctuary on Fire Island for the rest of eternity, if you so desire.”

  Fire Island. Catchy name. She sat back. “Sanctuary?”

  “Yes. Our sources inform us you’re likely to be found guilty of treason by the Coven Nine, and you’ll be sentenced to death. If you run anywhere on earth, they will find you. However, if you stay here, a place the Nine doesn’t know exists, you will remain safe.” Flynn kept her gaze, no give on his angled face. “Someday you might even be allowed back into the witch nation, once enough time has passed.”

  “I can handle my own people and my own future, thank you.” She subtly looked around for any type of weapon, but even the crystal on the bar appeared harmless. “I will not allow Nicholai to be killed for protecting me.”

  Flynn shook his head. “The demon killed Roman, and I can’t change that.”

  “Sure you could, or maybe Desmond could, since he’s the leader. Your cousin is a bad guy, and you know it.” Simone was going on instinct.

  “Desmond is your cousin, too.” Flynn didn’t blink. “I don’t know what you mean disparaging him.”

  “Aye. Aye, you
do.” She pressed harder. “The servants are afraid of him, and even the soldiers seem nervous when he’s around.”

  “Desmond is a tough leader, but he’s fair, and he follows the laws.”

  “You need to change the damn laws.” Fire danced down Simone’s arms, and she cradled a plasma ball in her right hand.

  Flynn’s lip curved. “Impressive.”

  “Thank you. Now, act like a brother and help me.” She abandoned any thought of pretending to be helpless and acted from a position of strength. “You don’t want me for an enemy.”

  He smiled full-out then. “Are you threatening me, little sister?”

  The condescension got her. She tossed the ball, and it landed on his leg.

  He yelped and patted it out, leaving a perfectly round hole in his pants. His flesh glowed a burned red. “Damn it.”

  She smiled. “That was a love tap.”

  He looked up, his gaze narrowing. “You’re not the only one with fire.” Opening his mouth, he looked up, and fire flew out of his mouth to singe the ceiling.

  Simone watched, more than a little impressed. “Okay. We both have fire. But Flynn, you know Desmond isn’t fair.”

  The blond servant, the one from the other night, entered the room with a tray of canapes to place on the table. She glanced around, saw it was only the two of them, and visibly relaxed.

  Simone took a chance. “You’re afraid of Desmond, aren’t you?”

  The blonde’s dark eyes widened. “No. No, not at all.” She backed away, her hands wringing together.

  “Stop,” Flynn said quietly.

  The woman froze.

  “What has he done?” Flynn asked.

  “Nothing, sir.” The woman gave a half curtsy and all but ran from the room.

  Anger rippled through Simone so fast she swayed. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “I’ve only been back a short while after being away for the war.” Flynn’s jaw worked, and a muscle ticked down his neck. “Whatever is going on, I will handle. For now, you need to promise to stay out of the way until Nicholai meets his fate.”

  So much for help. Simone stood and towered over her brother. “That woman was scared to death. How have you let this happen?”