Passion Ignites (24 page)

“I don't want the darkness. I want it gone.”

“Then let it go.”

Rhi threw up her hands. “I'm trying!”

Ulrik's smile was cold, hard. “You forget, Rhi. I know how powerful you are. If you didna want that darkness, it would be gone in a blink. You doona want to let it go. Whether it's because it allows you to think and do things you wouldna normally do, or if there is some other reason, it doesna matter.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head as if that would make what Ulrik was saying a lie.

His eyes narrowed for a second. “Or are you holding on to the darkness because it gives you the strength to let him go?”

She turned away. Why did Ulrik have to bring up her lover?

“As I thought.” Ulrik came up behind her. He didn't touch her as he lowered his mouth next to her ear and whispered, “You're strong enough to cut out the darkness and let him go.”

“Am I?”

Rhi waited for him to respond. When he didn't she looked over her shoulder to find herself alone. If she didn't watch it, there wasn't going to be anywhere she belonged.

She teleported from the store back to Edinburgh. It was time to take out her anger on the Dark.

 

CHAPTER

THIRTY

Halloween dawned with Lexi doing whatever she could to help. She cooked, she washed, and felt as useless as mud.

The Warriors healed almost immediately, and the Druids were able to repair themselves of any injury with their magic. It proved to Lexi just how inept and inadequate she was in this war.

She kept them fed and gave them a place to rest, but that wasn't even hers. She was a squatter in the flat. That was never more apparent than when she was alone like now.

Thorn left not long after dinner the night before, and he hadn't been back. None of the Kings had, actually. It was through Thorn that she discovered Con and Guy remained in the city to help.

Lexi walked to the window, her arms wrapped around her. She had promised to stay in the flat, but she was tired of being in the same clothes.

There was only so much cooking, baking, and cleaning a person could do before they went crazy. Lexi was nearly at that point.

She had no idea what was going on out there. While the others risked their lives, she was safe in the apartment watching the horrors below.

If only she could help somehow. But she wasn't immortal and she didn't have magic. She would only be a hindrance.

Lexi tried to dispel the anxiety that had gripped her in the middle of the night. She had sent off texts to Jessica and Crystal about steering clear of anyone with red eyes.

She should've called them, but she didn't want a lecture from them on returning home. But Crystal's response to the text with “LOL” proved that her friends weren't taking this as seriously as they should.

There was nothing she could do. All the warnings in the world couldn't make someone realize they were in danger if they didn't want to see it. She hadn't seen it until it had almost been too late.

Lexi's hand went to the glass when she spotted Thorn at the entrance to an alley. He looked up at her and nodded. A smile pulled at her lips. Seeing him had done wonders to help push away the ominous feeling.

Then she frowned. His shirt was gone. Blood and grime covered much of his bare chest, and his jeans had holes burned in them.

“Thorn!” she said through the glass.

With a wave, he was gone.

Lexi lowered her forehead to the glass and closed her eyes. She was going nuts not being able to help and not knowing about Thorn.

How long was she going to have to remain here? She turned and looked at her phone. She could call the spa and tell them she wasn't coming back, but what about her apartment? What about all her things?

And that was assuming Thorn wanted her to stay.

She could always get a job in the city—if the city survived. Her faith was in Thorn and the Kings, but the Dark were many.

Then there was the fact that Thorn never told her he wanted her to stay. There hadn't been any time alone to talk of their night together and where they might be headed. If they were headed anywhere.

Lexi wished she had some semblance of answers to her questions. She couldn't remain here much longer. Not just because she was going nuts in the flat, but because she had a life in South Carolina.

Granted, it wasn't much of a life. She had work and her friends, and that was about it. They were the things she knew and understood.

She had a crash course in immortals, dragons, and Fae. There had been little time for her to process any of it, and now that she was alone, it wasn't exactly a good thing.

It was Thorn and that kiss that brought her back to the city. But with every hour that passed, it felt more and more like a mistake.

Lexi curled up on the couch and grabbed her cell phone. She played a couple of games of backgammon before she checked her e-mails. As soon as she saw one from her boss, her heart sank.

Her finger hesitated over the e-mail before she clicked it. Lexi scanned the message, not surprised to discover they were telling her all her vacation had been used and they were docking her pay for every day she wasn't there.

She immediately dialed her boss's cell phone. Becky answered with, “It's about time. Is everything all right?”

Lexi dropped her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. “No, everything is far from all right.”

“I heard about Christina,” Becky said. “It's been in the papers. I'm sorry, Lexi.”

“I was with her.” Lexi covered her eyes as she began to cry. “I let her walk out of that pub with that guy, and she died.”

Becky sighed. “It's not your fault.”

“It is,” she said with a sniff. “I knew there was something fishy about him. I should've stopped her.”

“Christina was an adult. She made her own decisions. Now,” Becky said in her most motherly voice. “When did you get back in town?”

This was the part Lexi had been dreading. She blinked, drying her tears as she was able to focus on something else. “I'm still in Scotland.”

“What? Why? Jessica and Crystal are already back.”

“I had to stay. I wanted to find the guy. I was the only one who could ID him.” Lexi looked at the ceiling. “I owe it to my friend.”

Becky made a sound over the phone. “You're one of my youngest masseuses, but you have seniority. I'll keep your position open for now.”

“Thank you. It means a lot.”

“When do you fly home?”

Lexi cringed. “Well, that's the thing. I was supposed to have been on the flight the day before yesterday. I checked in at the airline and everything, but I couldn't leave. My luggage should be there already.”

“I don't like you there alone.”

“I met some people. They're helping me.” That's all Lexi would tell her. The less Becky—or anyone—knew, the better.

Becky said, “You know, I do watch the news. I know there's some bad stuff going on in Scotland. You don't belong there.”

“I'm safe. Do me a favor. If you see anyone with red eyes, stay away from them.”

“Red eyes?” Becky laughed. “Bless your heart, honey. There's no one here with red eyes.”

Lexi really hoped it stayed that way. After another few minutes of assuring Becky she was fine, Lexi ended the call.

All of that took less than forty minutes. The day was going to pass at a very slow rate if this kept up.

*   *   *

Thorn slashed the back of a Dark's knee with his knife and flipped the Fae on his back. Then he drove the knife in the Dark's heart and moved on to the next. He managed to look in on Lexi, but that's all he had time for. At least she had been at the window as he had hoped.

It eased him to see her and know that she was away from the danger that seemed to swell and expand with every hour. No matter how many Dark were killed, they weren't fazed.

Even with the Warriors and Druids, as well as Con and Guy, nothing seemed to put a dent in them.

“Stay dead,” Guy ground out as he kicked a Dark in the face who was trying to get up.

Thorn wiped the blood from his face with the back of his arm and looked around. The street they were on was completely deserted. The shops were closed and no cars ventured down. People avoided it at all costs.

All because at the entrance stood Tara and Reagan using their Druid magic to keep everyone out.

“We need to hurry,” Galen said as he glanced at Reagan. “It's taking a toll on them.”

Ramsey used his claws to cut off a Dark's head. He tamped down his god, the bronze color of his skin fading as well as his fangs and claws. “I'll help the girls.”

“Let's get them moved,” Darius said.

Con stood in the center of the street. The impeccably dressed King of Kings was as filthy as the rest of them. His suit jacket was long gone. His shirt was in tatters and barely hanging on his shoulders while his pants were better served in the trash.

Con removed his cuff links and put them in his pants pocket. Then he turned his head to look at Thorn. “Why did you no' tell me you and Darius needed help?”

“Because we had it,” Thorn said. “Besides, Edinburgh wasna the only city being attacked. We couldna spread ourselves too thin.”

“Too late for that,” Guy mumbled.

Thorn picked up a Dark and was reaching for a third when Fallon appeared with Larena, Aisley, and Phelan.

“Fresh meat,” Galen said.

Aisley immediately went to stand with Ramsey. Tara and Reagan were teleported out by Fallon, who returned a heartbeat later.

“I've got them,” Fallon said as he took two Dark and disappeared.

In a matter of minutes, Fallon had all the Dark in the warehouse waiting to be turned to ash. Aisley and Ramsey lowered the spell that would allow everyone back down the street again.

Thorn looked to the sky. It was past one in the afternoon. It had been hours since he checked on Lexi, and he would be lucky to see her before dawn at the rate things were going.

“We need to split up,” Thorn said as he walked to the corner and looked down the connecting street after Fallon teleported away with Ramsey.

Con said, “Agreed.”

Fallon returned and they huddled together. “It's a large city,” he said.

“There are eight of us,” Darius pointed out.

Con nodded. “Four teams of two.”

They all took sections of the city. Fallon teleported those to their location that was far away. Thorn remained as near to Lexi as he could.

He wasn't sure how he ended up with Con, but it didn't matter who he fought with. They all had the same goal in the end.

“She'll be fine,” Con said.

Thorn glanced at him with a frown. “I know she's fine.”

“Then stop worrying.”

“I'm no'.”

Con grinned as they reached their destination to find over a dozen Fae. “I always thought you were a better liar.”

Thorn rolled his shoulders. “I put her in the safest place in this city. Nothing can touch her there.”

He dove to the side to avoid a blast of magic from a Dark and came up to his feet with his teeth bared. There were no Druids to keep the mortals from seeing what was going on.

Thorn waited for the screaming to start. He only belatedly realized that all the mortals around were under the Dark Fae spell and had no idea anyone was fighting to keep them alive.

 

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

Rhi moved through the crowd near Edinburgh Castle, killing Dark Fae as she went. Her sword was coated with blood as she spun and brought her weapon down in a slicing arc.

She fell to one knee as a blast of magic hit her in the back. Rhi quickly rolled and spun around to face her attacker.

There were five Dark lined up before her, each promising death in their eyes. For as long as Rhi could remember, she had been fighting the Dark. Tonight was just another battle among thousands.

“You've some nerve showing up here,” one of them told her.

Rhi made a face at him. “Really? That's all you got, you pale-faced Pop-Tart? And if you know who I am, then you know why I'm here.”

“I know who you are,” said another. He looked her up and down. “It's Rhi. She's a Queen's Guard.”

The Dark on the end to the left rubbed his hands together. “I'm going to enjoy killing you.”

Rhi rolled her eyes. “Don't count your chickens before the eggs hatch.”

“What?” they replied in unison.

“For jerks who feed off humans, you know nothing about them.”

One shrugged his shoulders. “They're food.”

Rhi was tired of talking. She leapt across the space, her sword up and ready to fall. As soon as she landed, she decapitated one Dark and swung the sword in a wide circle.

She leaned backward, arching her back so that she could see the Dark behind her upside down. Rhi flipped over without putting her hands down and thrust her sword back into the gut of a Dark.

Two blasts of magic hit her in quick succession. Her left shoulder burned in pain, but she ignored it as she went after her next victim.

The three remaining Dark circled her. Rhi smiled to herself. There was nothing like a battle to remind her of what she enjoyed. Killing her enemy was at the top of her list.

She spun, her sword an extension of her. It cut through the air, slicing an arm off one Dark as it slashed through the middle of another's head.

Rhi stopped and plunged her sword into the second Dark. She faced the last of the group and paused. Every Dark Fae in the area was now focused on her.

Someone dropped down beside her. Rhi swung her sword, stopping it just before it reached his neck. She gaped at Phelan and Aisley.

Phelan smiled. “Want some help?”

“They're fast,” she whispered.

Phelan flexed his fingers as his skin turned gold when he released his god. Long golden talons sprouted from his fingers. He looked at her with Warrior eyes that were metallic gold from corner to corner. “Let's see.”