Saving Jace
Page 1
Saving Jace: A Fada Novel, Book 4
The Darktime Trilogy
Rebecca Rivard
Wild Hearts Press
Contents
The Fada Shapeshifter Series
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Other Books by Rebecca Rivard
About the Author
The Fada Shapeshifter Series
Prepare to be ensnared…
The fada.
Shapeshifters created during Dionysus’s infamous bacchanals from a mix of fae, human and animal genes.
They’re ruthless, untamed—and impossible to resist.
Welcome to my world of dark shifters, sexy fae and other magical creatures! All books are standalone with an HEA, but the characters and stories are interlinked.
The Rock Run River Fada (a clan of river-based shifters)
Stealing Ula: A Fada Shapeshifter Prequel (Book 0.5—Nisio & Ula’s story, set in the Shannon Sea Fada world)
Seducing the Sun Fae: A Fada Novel, Book 1 (Dion & Cleia’s story)
Claiming Valeria: A Fada Novel, Book 2 (Rui & Valeria’s story)
Tempting the Dryad: A Fada Novel, Book 3 (Tiago & Alesia’s story)
Fada Shapeshifter Short Reads
Lir’s Lady: A Fada Shapeshifter Story (Book 3.5—Lir & Isleen’s story, set in the Shannon Sea Fada world)
Valentine Kisses: A Fada Shapeshifter Story (Book 3.6—Chico & Jenny’s story, set in the Rock Run River Fada world)
The Baltimore Earth Fada (a clan of land-based shifters)
Saving Jace: A Fada Novel, Book 4 (Jace & Evie’s story, and the start of the Darktime Trilogoy)
Coming soon: Books 5 & 6—Marjani and Adric’s stories!
To stay informed and be eligible for giveaways and sneak peeks of upcoming novels, sign up for my newsletter.
Prologue
OF GODS AND SHAPESHIFTERS
They say Dionysus is a wild, untamed god, beautiful in the way of all gods. He loves wine and women, and his rites are dark, tempting, addictive. It was Dionysus and his followers, both fae and human, who created the first fada during his infamous bacchanals. By some mysterious magic, the fada were shapeshifters, a mix of fae, human and animal genes—and a touch of the god himself.
The first fada lived in the Mediterranean Sea, water shifters who could change to dolphins, seals, otters, even sharks and other fish. They were dark, ruthless, and as untamed as the god who’d first given them life. From the Mediterranean, they spread throughout the world’s rivers and seas.
Centuries passed, and then one day, a tiny clan of Arab fae from North Africa’s Fertile Crescent got together and created the earth fada, shifters who could change to land-based animals like cougars or bears or deer. Dionysus found it amusing to provide the spark of life to this new creation. The North African fae gifted the quartz and its special energy to earth fada alone. But like most fae gifts, it came with an edge—with the right incantation, a fae can control an earth fada through his or her quartz.
Fortunately, that knowledge is known to only a few North African fae.
When an earth fada reaches a certain age, he or she is taught the secret of the quartz. They vow to guard the secret with their lives. Because if the fae ever learned the earth shifters can be controlled through their quartz, they’re doomed.
1
THIRTEEN YEARS EARLIER: THE DARKTIME
Jace slogged through a cold December rain to his den on Baltimore’s west side. He was dog-tired after a rough two-month assignment in South America. All he wanted was a shower and a six-pack.
His best friend Adric was pacing the street in front of Jace’s den. “Takira had her cub.”
Jace’s exhaustion fled. Takira wasn’t due for at least another month. He’d hated like hell to leave her, but you didn’t say no to your alpha. “She’s okay? It’s too early—”
“She’s fine, and the cub is, too. I just came from their den.”
Jace raced down the stairs to his den, Adric behind him, and dropped his backpack on a chair. “Your uncle Leron? He’s expecting me to report.”
Leron was the Baltimore alpha. An abusive, out-of-control alpha who didn’t deserve the title. Sending Jace out of the country when his sister was heavily pregnant was typical behavior for the bastard—keep families and friends apart.
Adric’s face hardened. He was Jace’s age—barely in his twenties—but the past few years had left him with an old man’s eyes. “Leave him to me.”
“Thanks, man.” Jace stopped just long enough for a shower and then rushed across town.
He’d missed the clan’s winter solstice celebration. It was early Christmas morning. The streets were empty except for a few hard-eyed humans for whom December twenty-fifth was just another day.
Takira’s mate let him into their tiny apartment. Silver was a half-blood fae, beautiful in the way of all his people. Right now his stunning face was drawn. He looked as exhausted as Jace.
“How is she?” Jace demanded.
“Fine. Tired, but fine.”
Takira was in bed, a tiny bundle in her arms. She looked weak and way too thin for a mother who’d just given birth, her skin an ashy brown, but she smiled proudly up at Jace.
“She has her father’s chin.” She touched the infant’s sharp chin. “And his pointed ears.” She grinned at her mate.
Silver’s spare features softened. “She’s got a lot of her mom in her, too—and I thank the gods for that.”
Jace kissed his sister’s cheek and stroked a finger over the cub’s soft black curls. “She’s beautiful.”
“Do you want to hold her?”
He gulped. It had been years since he’d held a baby. He and Takira were earth fada. Their Baltimore clan had been decimated by a bloody civil war. The two of them had lost both their parents by the time they were in their teens.
The Darktime. That was what the clan called the bloody civil war that Leron Savonett had sparked when he’d set out to become alpha no matter what the cost—and the gods knew, the cost had been tremendous, year after year of killing and dirty deeds.
Things had become so bad it was all they could do to survive. Food was scarce, which meant the few cubs that had been born were sickly or died.
His lungs clenched as he stared down at the infant.
Takira kissed her tiny nose. “Meet Uncle Jace, sweetie.”
“Hello, love.” He lifted the child from his sister’s arms. “She’s so light,” he murmured. “Can’t weigh much more than a feather.”
Takira chuckled weakly. “She’s a newborn, idiot.”
“Mm,” he said, all his focus on the precious bundle in the crook of his arm. He pressed a kiss to her soft forehead.
Her scent was milky-sweet, not a whiff of the graveyard stench that emanated from most night fae. He detected a hint of silver and iron, though—silver from her fae blood, iron from the human.
My niece. I’m an uncle.
It struck him like a punch to a gut.
The cub gazed unseeingly up at him with wide, catlike eyes. Then she gave an adorable little stretch like the unfurling of a flower before settling back into the tightly curled position of a newborn. Jace swallowed hard—and just like that, his heart was hers.
“Her name is Merry,” Takira said. “Because it’s Christmas—and it’s a happy name.” As followers of the old gods, the fada celebrated the winter solstice, but their Jamaican mom had made a big deal of Christmas, too.
“It’s perfect,” he said. “She’s perfect.”
“I just wish Mama could’ve seen her.” A tear leaked from the corner of Takira’s eye.
Jace’s chest squeezed. “She would’ve loved her, and Dad would’ve, too.” Their father had been a mix of Cherokee and Scottish, with a deep, fierce love of family that he’d passed on to his two offspring.
“Yeah.” Takira smiled through her tears.
Silver was hovering protectively nearby. He touched Takira’s shoulder. Their eyes met, and Jace guessed he was sending reassurance through the mate bond. Takira rubbed her cheek against Silver’s palm.
Merry’s tiny brow furrowed, and Jace rubbed a finger over it. “Don’t worry, little one. I’ve got you safe.”
“Thank you,” said Silver.
Jace gave Merry a last kiss and handed her to her father. Night fae were stunning, with pale skin and black hair. Silver might be half-human, but he looked all night fae—mesmerizing as a glittering cobra. Jace could barely tolerate being in the same room with him; the man made his skin crawl. Night fae were the energy suckers of the fae world. They fed on dark thoughts and emotions.
How the hell had Takira fallen in love with the man, and worse, taken him as her mate?
But Silver’s expression was tender as he looked down at his new daughter.
Takira moved restlessly. “You can’t tell the alpha. He thinks I lost the baby last month. Promise you won’t tell.”
“The alpha doesn’t know?” Jace pulled a chair up next to the bed. “How the fuck did you manage that?”
Takira flicked a glance at Merry, then lifted her chin. “I lied.”
“The hell you did. With a cub inside you?” He scowled. Fada couldn’t lie, not without making themselves violently ill. And since she was pregnant, the cub would’ve been affected as well.
“I had to.” His sister’s expression was fierce. “It was the only way to save her.”
“She was sick as a dog after,” Silver interjected. “That’s why she’s so thin—for two weeks, she could barely keep food down. But she had no choice. Your friend Adric told us that Savonett was going to force Takira to abort the baby. He doesn’t want the clan to be saddled with a fae bastard.” His mouth twisted.
Anger flared in Jace. “When you were seven months along?”
At his sister’s nod, he snarled. “Someone needs to put that S.O.B. down.”
It was Leron Savonett’s fault their parents were dead, too. Oh, he hadn’t killed them directly—just sent their mom to almost certain death in an overseas skirmish, and then dragged their dad into clan politics. Leron was a vile, power-hungry excuse for an alpha.
“She’s a fada,” Takira said. “I know it. We all have a few drops of fae in us, just like we all have some human. But she’s going to be able to shift.”
“How do you know?”
His sister touched her quartz. “I can feel her drawing on my energy already.”
He nodded.
“We’re going to hide her,” Takira said. “Only you, Adric, and Marjani”—she named Adric’s sister—“will know about her. For now, Marjani’s covering for me—Leron thinks I’m still in Florida on a mission. I’ll go back to work in a few weeks.”
“Maybe you should just run,” Jace said, but even as he spoke, he knew it was hopeless. The alpha was too powerful—and fada trackers were the best in the world.
“He’ll hunt us down,” she returned. “You know he will. The best thing is to hide in plain sight.”
Jace nodded. “I’ll back you up any way I can. And you know Adric will.”
“I know.” Takira grabbed his hand. “Promise me something. If anything happens, you’ll keep her safe.”
“Of course,” he replied. “You don’t even have to ask. You know I’d die for her.”
“Say the words.” Her gaze searched his desperately.
He clasped her hand between his. “You have my vow. I will keep your daughter safe no matter what it takes.”
And between the five of them—Takira, Silver, Adric, Marjani and Jace—they were able to keep Merry a secret for four years.
And then one bleak January day, Jace had stopped by his sister’s apartment to find it had been trashed. The small family was gone.
Jace, Adric and Marjani had torn Baltimore apart looking for them—and then extended their search up and down the East Coast. But Jace never saw Takira or Silver alive again.
2
THE PRESENT DAY
Evie almost didn’t see him.
It was just after eleven, and she was walking home from the restaurant where she worked as a waitress. To the west, thunder rumbled ominously as the first few raindrops splattered onto the asphalt. She raced the last few yards down the alley and into her backyard. Rounding her car, she hurried down the gravel path that threaded through her tiny garden. The lavender her mom had planted was about to bloom, the purple spikes trembling in the rising wind.
Suddenly, she froze. Every hair on her nape lifted. It was quiet…too quiet. She glanced around. The yard was dark save for a single bulb over the back door.
There. A man huddled next to the stoop.
It was his eyes that gave him away, an unearthly green glow in the gloom. His breath shuddered in, and the chunk of quartz hanging from a cord around his neck caught the light.
Earth fada. With those glowing eyes and the quartz, he had to be.
Evie crouched down to scrabble in the garden for a rock, her eyes on him the whole time. What was he doing here? The fada were shapeshifters: hard, dangerous creatures that rarely interacted with humans. An earth fada lurking outside her door could only mean trouble.
Her fingers closed on a rock. She raised it threateningly. “Get the fuck out of here.”
The man gazed back at her, unblinking. Then his lips curved. The bastard was laughing at her.
Anger shivered through Evie. Anger, and fear. Her younger brother Kyler was in the house—at least, he was supposed to be. She had to get this man—this fada—out of here.
“Did you hear me?” Her fingers tightened on the rock. “I want you gone. Now.”
His eyes closed. The small smile faded, and he rested his head against the concrete foundation. “Can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
She inhaled sharply as he slid sideways, boneless as a ragdoll. She tensed, wondering if it was a trick. Several seconds ticked past while the man lay in the grass next to the stoop, unmoving.
She stepped forward.
The scent of blood, sharp and metallic.
Hell. Evie darted a glance around her. She lived in a rowhouse, with three houses to one side of her and six to the other. Usually you couldn’t walk two yards without a neighbor popping out to see what was up. Where was nosy Mrs. Linney when you needed her? Or Kyler, for that matter?
“Hey.” She nudged the shifter’s shin with her toe. “You all right?” When he didn’t move, she dashed up the steps to the back door and yelled for her brother. “Kyler?” She pounded on the door. “Open up! It’s me, Evie.”
When nothing happened, she set her jaw. Would it kill him to be where he was supposed to be for once? She dropped the rock and dug in her backpack for her keys, her eyes on the motionless ear
th fada.
Her fingers closed on the keys. She shoved the house key in the lock and pushed open the door. The kitchen was empty but the light was on. She dropped her backpack on the nearest chair. “Kyler? You home?”
Her brother sauntered down the hall, tall and thin and full of sixteen-year-old attitude until he saw her face. “Evie?” He straightened. “What’s the matter?”
“Outside.” She jerked her chin at the back door. “A shifter. He’s hurt—bleeding.”
“Seriously?” Kyler pushed past her and vaulted over the railing to the injured man.
Evie was right behind. “Hurry. I have a bad feeling about this.” Somehow, she knew she had to get the shifter inside—and soon—or he was dead. Because the fada were the killers of the magical world—assassins and mercenaries. If this man was injured, someone dangerous was after him.
Kyler slid his hands under the fada’s shoulders and head. “Grab his legs.”
She hurried to obey. The rain was pouring down now, drenching all three of them.
“Ready?” Kyler asked.
“Yep.”
“One, two, up,” he said, and they lifted him.
Evie staggered. “Damn, he’s heavy.” She clenched her jaw and struggled to keep her end up.