From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4) (2 page)

“A promise is a promise.” He drew close to my
ear, nipping. “And I never break my promises.”

He was going to kill me. It was exactly what
I asked him to do, but I was no longer willing to go. Instinct to
survive was ingrained deep, and when it came down to the moment, I
fought. For myself. For him. For Lexie, Sprig, Croygen, Daniel…for
the girl who was still trapped in Duc’s warehouse being used as an
escort. For all the lives Rapava was destroying or would.

A heaviness gripped my brain, tugging
sleepiness into my mind. My sight drifted down a dark ravine into
blackness. I didn’t want to go out this way. If I were going to
die, I wanted to be far away from DMG, where I knew my loved ones
would be safe. Anger punched my abdomen. All Ryker and I had been
through, the love we finally found and let in and this was how our
story would end?

It felt life was mocking me again. Daniel’s
death had been horrible, but this was vindictive and cruel.
Memories of Ryker and me flashed in my head, our bodies
intertwined, discovering each other. The moment by the creek in
Peru where he told me about his past, when I realized I was falling
for him. The night he curled up behind me because I had a bad
dream. When he kissed me in the rain….the night he snuck into the
closet while Amara was across the hall. Putting a birthday candle
in the loaf of bread for me. Every moment played out in my head
with the man I fell for.

I held no blame or anger at Ryker as I felt
my life slip from me. This was my doing. The only fury I could feel
was at myself, for forcing him to do this, something he would have
to live with.

I think we all wish for that epic ending,
where everything is resolved and our death would have meaning. This
was not the case. A tear slipped down my face. A sorrow for what
could have been. The loss of hope and happiness.

And because my love wasn’t strong enough.
This time we couldn’t fight and win.

I had lost.

Everything.

Not something I was good at.

I heard a strange pop as my life slipped
across the divide into nothingness.

Death.

I could feel it the moment it happened—the
instant my lungs gave up the struggle, burning with a blistering
fire, clinging to the last bits of oxygen. In usual Zoey style, I
didn’t slip peacefully into the quiet darkness.

No. Of course not. Far too easy.

Electrical charges burst through my muscles,
sizzling in my veins, and inflicted excruciating agony down every
tendon. I had experienced a lot of pain in my time, but this felt
as if my soul were being seared and torn from my body.

Death was a bitch.

My ears filled with bellows of pain, sounding
more like a lion’s roar.
Am I doing that? Can someone dead make
those sounds?
The aching grew more intense. Penetrating and
cruel. I wished for it to end.

The inferno moved through me, torching out
the last trace of life. Death finally claimed me, wrapped me up in
its arms and took me away, leaving my shell behind.

Finally.

Peace.

But even in my demise, I didn’t do things
like normal people.

The quiet blackness only lasted a moment
before the electricity clustered together in a huddle, striking
lightning at my lifeless heart. Agony reached up and plucked me
from oblivion and shoved me back in my body. My lids and mouth
opened and I gasped, sucking in a mass of air, which scorched my
lungs. The torment stayed locked in my throat, but the anguish
filled my mind and soul with a shattering scream.

Then with a pop, it released, my muscles
going limp. It took me a few moments to comprehend objects around
me. My brain started out simple: Ceiling. Floor. Me.

Movement tugged at the corner of my eye,
pulling my attention to the two massive bodies sliding across the
floor, slamming into a wall.

I watched them. Every breath was painful,
spurring a coughing fit. But air felt good rushing back in, filling
my lungs, returning my senses.

The figures moved violently around me, my
ears full of the loud grunts and exhales. A stunning, dark-haired
man moved into my view. He had almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones,
and a lean, built body. A trickle of blood dribbled down his cut
lip as he leaped at another figure.

Croygen!
My brain registered the man,
his fist slamming into the other huge guy below. I struggled to sit
up. My throat ached as coughs and breath fought to get in and
out.

A growl erupted from the man under Croygen,
and it was like someone flicked on the light, pouring memories back
into my head.

Ryker.

Oath.

My brain scrambled to try and make sense of
what happened. How did Croygen get in here? Where was my sister?
Why didn’t he just run for it like I asked? Why did he come
back?

Slowly, I pushed myself up and stood, the
room spinning. I gritted my teeth, trying to stay upright. The
space echoed with the sounds of skin and bone crashing into each
other as Ryker and Croygen rolled and punched one another.

Ryker grunted, his white eyes unfocused,
confused, and glowing bright. He pushed Croygen off and struggled
to his feet, his arms up in defense. Or offense. It was hard to
tell. His shoulders expanded, filling the room with the threat of
an impending attack, but then he retreated from us.

“Zoey, get back!” Croygen shouted, jumping
between us. “Listen to me, Wanderer. You make one move toward her
and I will destroy you. Because if you kill her, you kill me, and I
like myself far too much for that.”

Without the power of the oath controlling
Ryker, he would never hurt me. I had forced him into the vow. At
the time I thought there might be a chance I was dying, and if he
didn’t kill me himself, he most definitely would have died. I also
knew the oath would connect us. He would be able to find me. This
all happened before I knew where I was going and the danger of him
coming after me.

But Ryker
had
killed me. I
had
died. It remained the one thing I was sure about. Deep in my soul I
felt the bond connecting us had been severed.

“You are stronger than this.” Croygen moved
and blocked Ryker’s direct line to me. “Believe me, you are the
most stubborn ass. You can fight it.”

Ryker’s eyes locked on Croygen with wildness.
He looked around confused and scared. His bare shoulders rose up
and down with his staggered breaths. He wore only gray scrub pants,
his powerful torso heaving in and out, drawing my attention.

I stared at the wounds, at what used to be
gashes. The deep cuts I had created across his stomach and chest,
only hours before, were no longer oozing. They had closed and
looked like day-old wounds.

It was all the confirmation I needed.

“Ryker?” My scratchy voice wavered, my hand
still protectively around my neck. He froze at my voice, but his
eyes stayed on Croygen.

“What are you doing?” Croygen hissed at
me.

“Trust me.” I swallowed and inched closer to
the Wanderer. “Ryker, look at me.”

Ryker’s chin twitched, but he didn’t glance
over.

“Zoey…?” Croygen tried to move in front of
me, but I sidestepped him, letting Ryker see me.

“Look at me, Viking,” I tried to demand, but
my voice barely formed the words.

“Zoey, no.” The pirate reached for me.

“He’s okay. The oath is broken.”

“What? How?” Croygen sputtered.

“Because he killed me.”

“No. I saved you.” Croygen shook his head. “I
felt it.”

“Not before I died,” I responded but kept my
gaze on Ryker.

“You look pretty good for a dead girl.”

“I don’t know how it all works. Maybe it was
long enough to break the curse. He has his magic back.” I motioned
to his healing wounds. There should have been an emptiness inside
me, though, a giant hole where his powers used to be, but I sensed
no change, even though I knew they must be gone. “I felt his powers
leave me.” I took a timid step closer to Ryker, holding up my hand.
He growled like a cornered animal. “You’re okay. We’re not going to
hurt you. We’re your friends.”

Ryker shifted his weight, his gaze finally
roaming over me, fastening on mine. His eyes dropped down to my
neck, then back to my face. A grunt rolled from his gut, and he
blinked a few times. The vague clouds dissolved in his eyes,
filling with recognition. The tension crowding the room deflated
along with the muscles curling his neck. He licked his lips.

“Zoey?” he muttered.

“Viking.” I took another stride toward
him.

“Don’t.” He jerked back with a growl. “It’s
still there.”

“What?” I stopped so suddenly I rocked back
on my feet.

“I can feel it.” He pushed himself against
the wall. “Less now but still there.”

“I…no. It broke. I felt it,” I exclaimed.

“I have a plan.” Croygen held up his palm.
“How about we get out of here first?
Then
we can get drunk
and converse about all our crazy, hysterical theories.”

Croygen was right. All this could wait. Now
wasn’t the time.

“Where are my sister and Sprig?” I twisted
toward Croygen.

Croygen motioned through the window. Sprig
sat on top of a blanket wrapped around my unconscious sister. Sprig
held his tail, stroking it nervously.

“We have to go.”

“Like I said.” He rolled his eyes.

“My axe.” Ryker’s voice sounded deep and
unemotional.

“Good luck finding it.” Croygen headed for
the door.

“My axe,” Ryker rumbled, pushing off the
wall, following us. “I’m not leaving without it.”

“Viking!” Sprig’s voice squeaked as Ryker
stepped into the outer room. He ran up to Ryker’s feet. The
Wanderer didn’t say anything but leaned down and picked him up,
giving his head a rub before putting him on his shoulder. “I know
you’ve missed me.” Sprig snuggled into Ryker, happiness widening
his smile.

“I actually did,” Ryker mumbled and shot me a
look again. The instant his eyes settled on me, his pupils
flickered with a cold, angry expression. His chest puffed, and he
turned his head away. He sucked in a strangled breath, putting more
distance between us. A battle waged inside him.

“Keep her away from me,” Ryker growled at
Croygen.

“No.” I stepped to him, causing him to
backpedal.

“Stay back, Zoey!” He held up his hand. “The
oath is still there.”

“Zoey.” Croygen motioned me over to him. “Get
behind me.”

“No!” I exclaimed. “I am not afraid of you,
Ryker.”

“I still might
kill
you, Zoey.”

“No. You won’t.” I shook my head.

“How are you so sure?” he seethed.

“Because you already did.” My eyes
narrowed.

Ryker turned away from me. “Escape while you
can. I’ll cause a distraction.”

“What? No!” I cried. Sprig straightened, his
smile dropping.

“No way. We didn’t come all the way down here
to leave you.” Croygen shook his head.

“I don’t give a shit. I am not safe. It’s
better if I stay locked up here.”

“Are you pooping out your brain again,
Viking?” Sprig peered into the Wanderer’s ear. “Did it turn to mush
in there?”

“Absolutely not, Ryker.” Croygen and I spoke
at the same time. There was no way I would leave without him
again.

“Oh, mush…with sugar and honey.”

“I don’t trust myself. What I’ve already
done…” Ryker rubbed at his head.

“Or honey with a little mush on top?” Sprig
chattered.

Croygen glanced over at me. I could feel his
questioning stare, but my focus locked on Ryker’s back.

“Fuck you,” I spat. Ryker jerked his head
over his shoulder.

“Excuse me?”

“Fuck. You.”

He turned to fully face me.

“You think you’re being noble? That
sacrificing yourself for me is the right thing?”

Irritation and confusion flickered over
Ryker’s face. “I am not going to fight about this with you. You’re
going.”

Fury slammed into me, pushing my legs forward
until I stood in front of him. “You selfish bastard. If you think
you are taking the high road here, let me tell you…You. Are.
Not.”

Ryker’s bewilderment only deepened, his eyes
pinching in the corners. He glanced over at Croygen for help who
only offered a shrug in return.

I shoved at his chest, bringing his attention
back to me. “You are not going to do this to me. Not after what
we’ve done to get you.”

Ryker’s face flushed scarlet. “
To
you?
I am doing this
for
you.”

“No, you’re not!” I clenched my palms into
fists.

“What the hell? I’m trying to save your life,
Zoey.” He gritted his teeth.

“Well, stop.”

“Okay, human. You are not making any sense.”
He leaned in, getting into my face. “I still feel the oath. It’s
not as strong, but it’s there. I could hurt you again. Do you
realize that?”