Passion Ignites (35 page)

A chance at freedom stood before her, or she could remain in the room waiting for something to come for her.

She grabbed the knob and turned. The door opened. Without a second thought, she flung it wide and rushed out of the room.

Lexi tried to ignore the dimly lit hallway and the numerous shadows throughout—or who might be hiding in them. She ran down the corridor searching for stairs.

Suddenly, she was grabbed and thrown to the floor. Her head slammed against the wood, dazing her. It took her a moment to get her bearings. That's when she realized something heavy was on her, preventing her arms from moving.

Her eyes came into focus again. That's when she found herself looking up at Kyle's face.

“Just how did you get out?” he asked in a condescending tone, his lips twisted in annoyance.

Lexi tried to shove him off her, but he was too strong. “Get off me, jackass.”

He leaned down until his face was next to hers. She turned her head to the side.

“Better get used to it. I'm going to be on top of you for a while.”

She was not going to be raped. Lexi made her body go limp. It was the hardest thing she had ever done, but the only chance she had was to catch Kyle by surprise.

A chuckle rumbled Kyle's chest. “By the time I'm done with you, you'll be praying for death.”

Every instinct clamored for her to fight, to struggle against his hold. But Kyle wanted to dominate her. He wanted to prove his strength and that he was somehow better than she was.

“He's not here to stop me now,” Kyle continued as he pulled her arms above her head and held them with one hand.

Lexi bit her tongue to keep from screaming in revulsion when he cupped her breast and squeezed. She kept her focus on a marble statue of a lion.

*   *   *

Thorn held his left side as pain radiated from the repeated hits of Dark magic. He leaned against the wall and looked at the dead Fae around him as he breathed heavily. A glance up the stairs showed that no more were coming, but he had no idea how many more were in the manor.

The sounds of battle continued to come from above on the roof. He hoped Con and Rhi had already made their way inside the house.

Thorn pushed away from the wall and ran up the stairs cautiously. He reached the second floor without incident. He looked both ways and decided to go to the right.

Every minute that passed without finding Lexi, his anxiety grew. With each room he looked into and found empty, a pit of despair began to knot painfully in his gut.

He finished his search of the second floor and went to the third. Thorn looked up and saw a Dark waiting for him on the landing.

Thorn jerked to the side to miss a blast of magic. Thorn bared his teeth and barreled into the Dark, crashing them through a door.

*   *   *

Lexi didn't know how many minutes passed as she lay there limply and let Kyle rub and grind on her. She bit her tongue to keep from gagging, blood filling her mouth.

His grip on her hands hadn't loosened in all that time, and his other hand was getting bolder. Already he had shoved her shirt up her stomach.

It was the crash that jerked his attention away. Lexi used his diverted attention to rise up and head-butt him at the same time she brought her knee up into his balls.

He cried out in pain and rolled off her, holding his nuts. Lexi jumped to her feet and ran to the marble lion sitting on an accent table. She hefted it up and turned to see Kyle on his knees trying to stand and come for her.

Lexi slammed the statue down on his head. He fell to the side, a huge gash spilling blood onto the wood floor.

*   *   *

Thorn had his hand blasted with Dark magic, knocking his knife out of his grip. He gritted his teeth and peeled back his lips in a growl as he slammed his other hand into the Dark's chest and yanked out his heart.

He tossed the heart aside and climbed off the Fae so he could grab his knife. His head whipped around when he heard Lexi's scream. Thorn rushed from the room and saw her across the hall standing over Lily's brother, Kyle.

The son of a bitch was supposed to be dead, and the only way Kyle was alive was because of Ulrik. Just one more reason for Thorn to hate Ulrik. The bastard did one good deed. Then in the next breath did something foul and evil like bring Kyle back from the dead.

After what Thorn witnessed with Rhys and Lily, he wasn't going to allow Kyle to live another moment.

“Lexi,” he called and ran to her.

She turned her head to him and dropped the statue as she rushed into his arms. Thorn held her tight, unable to believe that she was with him once more.

He glanced at Kyle to see him unmoving. With the amount of blood filling the floor, Thorn was sure that Lexi had killed him.

“Are you hurt?” he asked thickly. He was shaking at having her back in his arms again, proving just how much she meant to him.

She shook her head. “I want to leave. Now.”

Thorn took her hand and looked around for a way to the roof. He didn't want to go back downstairs and chance running into Ulrik. A bad feeling plagued him the longer he was in the house without seeing Ulrik.

“Con and Rhi are on the roof,” he told Lexi as he pulled her out of the room. Thorn then spotted an open door and stairs beyond.

He was at the door before he realized he no longer heard any sounds from above. Since he had yet to see either Con or Rhi, that meant it was bad news.

“Stay behind me,” he whispered to Lexi. He handed her the knife and nodded.

She returned his nod and gripped the weapon tightly.

Thorn slowly walked up the steps, glancing behind him often to make sure no one snuck up on them. The door to the roof was ajar, giving him just enough of a view to see Rhi on her back, unmoving.

A bellow of pain filled the air. Thorn gradually pushed the door open until he could see the six Dark standing over Con throwing magic at him in a constant rotation.

“Soon he'll be too weak to fight us,” said one of the Dark with a mocking sneer.

Another smiled. “We'll have the King of Kings as a prisoner. Taraeth will be pleased.”

“I wonder how long it'll take him to go mad so we can send him back to Dreagan to kill all the others?” asked another.

The Dark all laughed at the comment while they continued to toss magic at Con, pinning him down as he writhed in pain.

Thorn couldn't imagine the amount of agony Con was enduring. Thorn then spotted Rhi's sword next to her outstretched arm. He dove from the doorway toward it.

Thorn caught hold of the hilt as he rolled and came to his feet. He spared Lexi a glance. She gave a nod of encouragement. Thorn turned his attention to the Dark and launched himself at them, beheading two at once as he landed.

The other four turned to him, but it was too late. Thorn moved with lightning speed to quickly stab three more before he pierced the final Dark through the chest.

Lexi was standing beside him then. “Oh my God,” she murmured, her eyes on Con.

Thorn lowered his gaze and inwardly cringed. Con's entire upper body was burned. He was healing rapidly, but not fast enough for Thorn.

Lexi rushed to Rhi and touched her cheek. “Thorn, she's cold.”

“Shite,” he said.

The longer they remained on the roof, the more likely that Ulrik would appear. He had to get Lexi away, but he couldn't leave Con or Rhi.

If it was night he would chance shifting and taking them all away, but it was still light. Con groaned as he opened his eyes. His breath was ragged and pain was etched into every hollow of his face.

Con rose up on one elbow. “We need to get out of here.”

“Tell me something I doona know,” Thorn answered tersely.

Con climbed to his feet, wincing, and took a step toward Rhi. “I'll carry her.”

“Nay,” Thorn said. He walked to Lexi and pulled her against him with one arm. “Hold on.”

Her arms instantly went around his neck. Thorn heard her quick intake of air as he jumped off the roof to the ground.

A moment later Con landed shakily next to them. “I've got her,” Con said of Lexi.

Thorn gave a nod and released Lexi to jump back to the roof for Rhi. He gathered the Fae in his arms and looked at the door leading into the house. Then he leaped to the ground.

“Is she going to be all right?” Lexi asked of Rhi.

Thorn glanced at the Light Fae grimly. “Let's worry about us getting away first.”

“Did you see Ulrik?” Con asked.

Thorn shook his head. “Nay, and that worries me.”

“No' half as much as it worries me.”

Thorn moved his gaze to Lexi. “Take Con's hand. We're going to run fast and hard.”

Lexi lifted her chin as she put her hand in Con's. “I'm ready.”

After a glance at Con, they started running.

*   *   *

“It was the perfect time to kill him,” Mikkel said sharply from behind Ulrik.

Ulrik waited until the group made it across the lawn to the shrubs and disappeared into the wooded area before he responded. “It wasna the time.”

“We had Con weakened.”

“I'll no' fight him in that state.”

“I don't have a problem with it,” Mikkel said angrily.

Ulrik turned and faced his uncle. “Then you should've taken your chance. Con hasna sunk as low as I want him to. And when I fight him, he'll be at a hundred percent.”

“You're a fool.” Mikkel's lip was lifted in distaste.

“Do you think I'll lose?”

Mikkel looked at him and grunted. “You should take every advantage that comes your way. You've always thought yourself so noble. It's why you were banished and your magic taken. You should've fought Con and taken over as King of Kings eons ago.”

His uncle was looking for a fight, and though Ulrik was more than ready to give it to him, it wasn't time for that yet either. Mikkel liked to tout his plans, but Ulrik had plans of his own that had been in motion for thousands of years.

Mikkel sneered and turned on his heel.

Ulrik watched his uncle stalk away. Ulrik then exited the room and went across the hall to where Kyle lay dead. The stupid bugger had gone after Lexi. Kyle should've listened to his warning to stay away from her. The mortal got what he deserved.

He brought Kyle back from the dead once. There wouldn't be a second time. Not because he couldn't—though that's what he would tell Mikkel—but because he hadn't wanted to retrieve Kyle's soul to begin with.

Ulrik wasn't surprised when Balladyn appeared next to him. He looked at the Dark Fae and saw the worry in his red eyes.

“It was Mikkel,” he told Balladyn, guessing what the Dark's question would be. “He was aiming for Con, thinking he could take down Con now. Then the Dark stepped in, and Mikkel didna have the balls to try and take Con from them.”

“How bad is Rhi's wound?” Balladyn asked.

Ulrik was just as furious as Balladyn that Rhi had been hurt. “Verra. He mixed his dragon magic with that of the Dark again.”

“She needs me.”

Ulrik put a hand on the Dark to still him. “Her best bet is with Con. He can heal her.”

Balladyn closed his eyes for a moment. Then he nodded and was gone.

 

CHAPTER

FORTY-FIVE

Lexi was wheezing by the time Thorn and Con slowed. There was a pain in her side, and she couldn't draw in a breath big enough. She had no idea how long they had been running, but at least they had gotten away.

Thorn slowed when another house came into view. He stopped next to some trees and handed Rhi to Con before he took off again.

Lexi watched him race to the car parked in front of the house. He got inside and hotwired it before driving it away.

“Come on,” Con said as Thorn approached.

Lexi held her side as they once more ran to where Thorn waited alongside the road. Con got in the back with Rhi still in his arms, and Lexi climbed in front. The door wasn't shut behind her before Thorn gunned the little car.

“How is she?” Thorn asked as he glanced in the rearview mirror to Con.

“There's no response.”

Lexi looked behind her to Con and Rhi. It was odd to see Rhi so pale and lifeless. There was a large hole in her black shirt where the magic had hit her in the chest. Burn marks were still visible. “What happened?”

“Dragon and Dark magic,” Con answered.

Lexi looked at Thorn to see lines of worry bracketing his mouth. “I gather that's bad.”

“Extremely,” Thorn said as he glanced at her. “Ulrik used it against one of us recently. It prevented Rhys from shifting, making him choose between living a life as a dragon or a human.”

Lexi looked at Con, but his gaze was straight ahead on the road before them. “What happens when that kind of mix hits a Fae?”

“I doona know.” Thorn shook his head. “It's no' good that she's no' waking.”

Lexi faced forward and looked at the dashboard to see that Thorn was driving a hundred miles per hour. “How far to Dreagan?”

“Over two hours,” Con bit out.

Lexi fastened her seat belt. They were far from out of danger, but at least she was with Thorn again. That in itself was enough to let her breathe easier.

She caught Thorn glancing at her every few seconds. Lexi smiled and leaned her head against the seat as she looked at him. “It wasn't a bed of roses, but I'm all right.”

“You killed Kyle.”

“Kyle?” Con asked.

Thorn nodded. “Kyle was there.”

“The jerk was trying to force himself on me.” Lexi shivered, thinking of his hands on her. “He said he killed his sister, who is a mate.”

Thorn took a curve and laughed. “He has no idea Lily is very much alive. I can no' believe Ulrik brought him back from the dead to begin with. Perhaps it's better if Lily doesna know what Ulrik did.”

“Agreed. Lexi,” Con said. “We're going to need to sit down with you and go over every detail of your time with Ulrik.”