From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4) (40 page)

My hand slapped over my mouth. “Croygen.” I
reached for the door, shaking the bolted lock furiously. “No!”

Sprig sighed and moved down my arm. “Don’t
say I never did anything for the pirate.” Sprig stuck his tongue
out as he worked on the lock.

“Can you do it? Is it coated?”

“This one doesn’t have goblin metal. Just an
ordinary lock.”

Finally one thing went in our favor.

“Hold on.” His tongue stuck out farther.
“Like honey.” The lock inside snapped, the door sliding open.

“I love you, monkey-man.”

“I know.” Sprig leaped back on my neck as I
slunk inside the room, shutting it behind me.

“Croygen?” My feet moved quickly toward the
form on the bed. Blood leaked out of open wounds, bruises covered
his face and body. Like Ryker they left him shirtless, using his
torso as a battering ram. “Oh my god.” My hand reached for his
face.

“Is he alive?” Sprig scuttled down to
Croygen’s chest. “Hey, butt-bandit.” Sprig jammed his finger into
Croygen’s ribs. “You dead?”

A soft groan came from Croygen’s lips, his
lids fluttering.

“Croygen!” I gripped his face tighter,
turning it toward me. “Wake up.”

His mouth moved, but I couldn’t understand
what he said.

“What?” I leaned down closer to his ear.

“I liked it better when I woke up to your
face in my crotch,” he whispered, his voice weak and gravelly. “And
if you wanted me chained up, all you had to do was ask.”

Relief flooded my eyes, forcing me to blink.
“Well, I’m sure I can find a whip or two in here as well.” I tried
to joke, but my throat caught on held-back tears.

“You know how I like it.” His eyes stayed
closed, but his mouth formed a smile. “But let’s leave the monkey
out of it this time.”

“Only you.” I snickered, straightening.
“Tortured and barely coherent, but you still think with your
dick.”

“That’s where his brain is.” Sprig held up
his fingers. “A very, very tiny one.”

“Have you ever had barbequed monkey? I
have…tasty.” Croygen’s eyes opened, his gaze dull and unfocused. I
didn’t want to think of how much they tortured and tested him. He
groaned as he tried to sit up, but the handcuffs dropped him back
to the bed.

“We have to get you out of here.” I looked
over at Sprig. “Sprig, can you get his handcuffs off? They contain
goblin metal.”

We were back where everything had been coated
with goblin metal, but Sprig was so low on the magic list, it only
seemed to affect him when he got straight injections of the
malicious metal. It was worth a shot.

“I can try…but do you really want to,
Bhean
? I mean, really take your time and think about this.
If we let him go, aren’t we only hurting society instead of helping
it?”

“Sprig?” I lifted one eyebrow.

“I think you need to take more time.”

“Now, Sprig!” My patience was thin. We didn’t
have much time.

“All right. But this is on you!” He moved to
one of Croygen’s cuffed wrists.

Croygen snarled at Sprig, but he turned back
to me. “Have you found Lexie? Is she all right? Are you all right?”
His piercing dark eyes roved over me.

“No. We haven’t found her. Ryker went down
another corridor looking.” I bit my lip. “We’ll find them.”

“Them?”

My heart sank. I didn’t want to believe
Annabeth was here, but my gut told me so. If she was, I would find
her. “When did you last see Lexie?”

“Yesterday.” The corner of his eyes flinched,
his voice going soft. “It’s not going to be long.”

I nodded. “I know.” We had so much to tell
Croygen later, but right now all I could say was, “Thank you,
Croygen, for going with her. What you did…the sacrifice you made…I
don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Hey.” His arm strained against the bracelet
Sprig was working on, trying to touch me.

Snap
. The restraint broke open,
freeing his right arm.

“Good job, rodent.” Croygen shook out his
hand, nodding at the little sprite with admiration.
“Impressed.”

“Funny, that’s not what the ladies say about
you.” Sprig squeaked as Croygen swiped for him. With a chattering
giggle he ran down to one of Croygen’s manacled ankles.

“Little shit.” He rolled his eyes, but I
could see the caring in his slightly pained smile.

We really were a twisted family.

“So after you free me, what’s your plan,
love?” He leaned back on his pillow, his eyelids drifting closed
for a moment. “I was a gentleman and escorted your dear little
sister here. I’m done…thinking about taking a nap now.”

Croygen was good at making me smile, even in
the worst conditions. He had been the one who sat next to me,
holding me, when I had to mutilate Ryker. He gave me strength. In
that moment to have Croygen here meant the world to me. It had
bonded us for life. No matter what front he put up, he would be
part of my family. He had pulled me out of darkest depths and stood
me back on my feet again.

“Taking a nap without pillaging and seducing
all the women in town?” I lifted my brow. “Losing your touch, but
not really surprised after that humiliating loss with the nurse. I
think you should hang it up now.”

“Not. Funny.” One lid opened.

I was about to respond when I heard metal
releasing near the end of the bed.

“Supersprite!” Sprig held up his arms in
victory and hopped over to his other leg, working on the cuff. “You
know…”

“All the honey you want. Once we are out of
here,” I responded, already knowing where his trail of thought was
going.

“All the honey?” His eyes widened, and he
stopped what he was doing, staring at me.

“Well, until you pass out.”

“I can work with that.”

A loud echo tore down the hallway, like a
door slamming, making all of us jump.

“Hey, gerbil. Get back to work.” Croygen
nodded at his leg. “Or no honey packets.”

“How ab—” Sprig opened his mouth.

“Or Izel’s pancakes, churros, mango chips,
granola bars, honey sticks, or nuts…of any kind.”

Sprig gasped.

“Not messing around, hamster. Get me out of
these now.”

“No wondered no one likes you. No honey nuts
or sticks,” Sprig muttered, turning his focus back to the cuff.

Croygen tore his gaze from Sprig back up to
me, cupping one hand around my cheek. I stared at him.

“Responding to your earlier statement. You
never have to repay me. You know there is nothing I won’t do for
you. Or for Lexie.”

I tried to swallow over the tightness in my
throat. Tears flooded my eyes. “Why?” My head shook, almost afraid
to hear his answer.

He tipped his head.

“Croygen…I…”

“You’re afraid I’m going to say I’m in love
with you, aren’t you?”

My mouth opened and shut.

“Sorry, I love myself too much to ever really
love anyone else. But I have to admit, you are the closest I’ve
probably been.” His fingers brushed lightly over my lips. “Deep
down, I knew I never really loved Amara. It was more like an
obsession.” His eyes drifted back up to mine and once again I
forgot to breathe. “Love is fickle with me anyway. With you it’s
more…you are more…” He cleared his throat. “You’ve become…”

“Family,” I filled in.

His lips lifted slightly, his gaze going back
to my arm. “Like a damn tree with roots.”

“I feel the same,” I said. “And you know
what?”

He peeked at me.

“You are my family, Croygen. You are a part
of me, of my life. And certainly part of Lexie’s. We’ve been
through too much to be anything less.” He looked away. “I’m going
to be around a lot longer now—well, if we live through this—but you
will never be able to get rid of me. If I have a home, you have a
home. You will always belong with me, with us.”

He stared at the ground, then shook his head
and chuckled. “Damn, that was some sentimental crap.”

“Completely. And unfortunately entirely
true.”

He laughed and turned to me, cupping my head
he pulled my face down to his. He tipped my forehead toward him and
kissed it. “Man, you are a pain in the ass.”

“I was born this way.”

Another clink of metal sounded through the
room, and Croygen looked to his legs. “Damn, that feels good.” He
kicked out his feet.

“Sprig,” I squeaked, rubbing his soft head as
he moved up to the last cuff on Croygen’s left wrist. “You are
amazing.”

“Why don’t we trade this ass bandit in for
Leanbh
?”

“Shut up, banana lover.”

“Wha-at? How dare you say such a thing?”
Sprig sat back on his heels. “Say you’re sorry or I will leave you
here, gnawing on your arm like every poor girl who got drunk and
woke up next to you.”

I lifted one eyebrow at Croygen.

His eyes widened like I was insane. “No. No
way.”

I lifted both my eyebrows.

He huffed, looking away. “Sorry, fuzzbutt,”
he mumbled like a pouting schoolboy.

“I need to get paid for this shit,” I told
the ceiling.

Ping
. The last cuff broke away from
Croygen’s hand. He let out a yip and sat up, rubbing Sprig’s head
as he tried to stand up. He fell back on the bed, making it skid a
few feet.

“Croygen, you need to take it easy.” I
reached for him.

“We don’t have time.” He threw his arm around
my shoulder, letting me help him stand. He was right, we didn’t.
Every minute here we risked another moment in which someone I loved
could be hurt. Sprig sprang for Croygen’s free shoulder, since mine
were being used as a crutch.

Neither one said a word. Awww…all my boys
secretly loved each other.

“Okay, we need to find Ryker.” I walked us
slowly for the door.

“Is Amara with him?” Croygen’s head turned to
me.

“Uh…no…”

“That purple wicked witch turned them over to
Vadik,” Sprig exclaimed, throwing his arms out. “I swear if I ever
see that pop tart, I’m going to poop in her hair and shoes.”

Croygen’s lips thinned at my nod that, yes,
once again she had betrayed us.

“She better be long gone, or I will do worse
to her.” He gritted his teeth, every step painful for him, but his
weight became lighter on my arm.

Sprig nodded at Croygen’s statement. At least
they had hating Amara in common.

“Okay, let’s go get that bastard.” Croygen
sucked air through his teeth and stood up fully on his own.

“Rapava?”

“No. Your man.”

“Do I get a weapon?” Croygen grunted, his
torso swathed in deep green, yellow, blue, and black bruises. His
skin was punctured from so many needles he looked like a voodoo
doll.

I struggled to keep him upright and also hold
my gun ready to fire as we snuck down the hallway. The place felt
like a graveyard on this level. It made me extremely nervous.

“I think you having a weapon would be
detrimental to yourself.”

“Please.” He rolled his eyes.

“Then it would be bad for me.” I kept my
voice low. We moved back down the passage toward where Ryker and I
parted ways.

“You act like this is the first time I’ve
been drugged and woken up chained to a bed.” His black hair hung in
greasy pieces, brushing his shoulder. He looked like he hadn’t seen
a shower in a while.

“Dare I ask what they did to you?”

“No,” he stated. His jaw twitched, his gaze
went distant, and a chilly mood descended on him. Then he jerked
his head, a smile curling his mouth, pushing away the darkness.
“Nothing a couple bottles of Jack and a razor blade can’t
handle.”

“Croygen,” I growled.

“Just kidding. Not about the Jack, but just
throw in a couple hookers instead.”

“Only way you can get them. Purchased.” Sprig
snorted.

“At least they’re real.” Croygen glared at
Sprig. “Maybe for your birthday I can take you to the petting zoo,
full of real-life goats.”

“Okay. Shut up.” I cringed.

“Pam is real!” Sprig reached around for his
backpack, patting the top of her head. “Don’t listen to the
assbuckler, baby.”

I held my finger up to my lips giving them
both a warning look and continued down the hall. Croygen took more
of his weight the longer we moved. When we reached the
intersection, I propped him against the wall and peered around the
corner. The hall stood empty.

Damn it. Where did he go? And where was
everyone else?

We ventured down the new corridor moving past
rooms, but none of them had display windows.

Then the sounds of talking, deep, anxious
voices along with the vibrations of boots against the floor caught
my ear. Fear gripped my chest, the voices nearing us, about to
curve around the corner. I wildly looked around. There was nothing
but closed, locked doors.

“Sprig?” I nodded toward the handle, but I
knew we didn’t have enough time.