Rising Darkness (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 9) (17 page)

No wonder he was such an asshole.

Thanks.

“I give credit where it’s due.”

Griffin strode toward him.

This was the chance Liam had been waiting for. One last moment. “Before I go. Why didn’t you ever come to help me?”

Griffin swung those disturbingly dark eyes to Faris. “You didn’t need it. You still don’t. You got more of me in you than you have of your own father.”

He stared hard at Griffin. “You were the voice I heard in my head all those times, the Great Wolf, weren’t you?”

His grandfather never answered him with anything other than a slow wink.

He clapped a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. “One last thing.”

“What?”

“Kiss my mate again, and I’ll have the vampire drain you.” He winked and his grandfather threw back his head and gave a laugh that turned into a howl.

“Boy, you are so like me it should frighten me. You’ll make a good replacement when I’m gone.” He spun and loped away, still laughing.

Rylee approached them, and touched his hand. “Liam, we have to go.”

“Do you know where?”

She shook her head, eyes swirling. “No. The clues he gave us were vague at best and downright encrypted at worst.” A smile lit her lips. “In other words, no worse than any other salvage we’ve been on.”

Smiling a grim smile, he boosted her onto Eve’s back and took his place on Marco’s. She had a point.

One he wouldn’t argue even for a second.

CHAPTER 21

Pamela

I
was bound and
gagged, and my hands were submerged in a small bucket of water behind me. Blindfolded, I stumbled, and Frank caught my elbow steadying me. Peta was the only one who’d gotten away, and I sent her with one goal. Find Rylee.

“I think she’s putting us on a plane,” Frank said softly, his voice right in my ear. The shuffle of our shoes on tarmac as we were pushed along was the only confirmation I had of his words. With the blindfold on I was at the mercy of Frank, and worse, Milly.

I wanted to burn up the place, unleash all my anger and frustration in a blinding flurry of magic and power until I collapsed. But Orion had been faster than Milly, and I would never have that chance again.

The second Orion knew he was trapped in my body, and was unable to use my magic because of the salt water, he left me and leapt back into poor Milly. She tried to run and we tried to help her . . . but that had only made matters worse. Frank sported a gash down the side of his face and I had been knocked out for . . . I didn’t even know how long.

And now we were trapped once more with no way out. Frank bumped me and the saltwater sloshed out of the container. He’d been doing it the whole way from the mansion. There was only a quarter of the water left now. I curled my fingers up and away from it.

“One more time,” I whispered to him.

“One more time, what?” Milly, no, Orion snapped.

I sniffed, thinking fast. “I want him to tell me it’s going to be okay.”

Orion laughed, the sound ugly and deep in poor Milly’s voice. “Not for you two, it won’t.”

I turned toward the demon’s voice. “What are you going to do with us?”

“Well, darling,” he drawled, a finger touching the side of my neck and trailing down to the top of my shirt. “You two will make for perfect bait. The Tracker will come for you. Why did you think I allowed the cat to leave?”

My throat tightened. We’d been fools to think we could outsmart a demon.

Frank pushed me behind him, which caused the water to slosh out more. “Don’t touch her.”

“Oh, you don’t want to share? If she’s anything like Milly, she won’t mind taking both of us between her legs.”

There was a grunt and the sound of flesh being thumped, and then a flash of brilliant light. “Stop! Don’t hurt him!”

Orion laughed again. “He’s done his job, what have I got to keep him around for?”

“Because if I lose him, you have nothing to stop me.” It was true. If I was on my own, I would fight without thought. With Frank beside me, I had to think about him too.

Silence and then a snort. “Fine. We’ll keep him, for the moment.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Frank, are you okay?”

“The gash just opened up again.” His words were laced with pain.

“I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.” He took me by the arm and guided me up a set of stairs and into what I could only guess was a plane of some sort. My blindfold was jerked off and we were stuck into seats in the middle of the plane, but across from one another. Sitting was difficult with the bucket strapped to my backside, and I didn’t doubt that was part of my punishment too. However far we were going, I was not going to be given any chance to recoup.

I kept my fingers curled tight, up and away from the last of the salt water. It was a long shot, but if my hands dried I might be able to do something. Anything.

The plane’s engines rumbled and the hunk of steel started to roll. I swallowed hard. “Are you sure it will work with all of us on here?”

“If it doesn’t, we’ll throw the brownie out,” Orion said from the front of the plane. He looked over his shoulder and I didn’t see Milly any longer. I couldn’t. Her eyes were full-on black with embers that glowed red and the twist of her mouth was cruel. Hard.

How could I have been such a fool?

Charlie came down the aisle with a glass of water for Frank. I watched as he took a huge gulp. He swallowed it and then said, “I have to use the toilet.”

Charlie looked from him to me. “Once we’s in the air.”

The brownie sat beside me, a cup of water held to my lips. I sipped it, the cool liquid easing a burning in my throat I hadn’t even noticed. “Can you pour some on my wrists?” I whispered. “They hurt me something fierce.”

Charlie looked at me and shook his head. “No. I don’t trust you, Pamela. You aren’t the girl any of us thought.”

He stood and shuffled away. Shock was the first emotion that hit me, and shame a close second.

“Pamela, he’s wrong. You know that.”

Sobs rippled my chest, making it hard to breathe. I didn’t fight the tears as they drained from my eyes and pooled into my lap. Charlie was right, I’d let everyone down. I’d let the darkness seduce me, believing I was strong enough to face it on my own.

“I always knew something was wrong with her,” I whispered. “I just wanted to believe I was strong enough. That I could face her if something went wrong. To prove I was worth it.”

Frank shifted in his seat. “Pam, stop it! You made a mistake. Sure it was a big one, but you’re just a girl. How could you know? It’s not like you’re smart enough to figure it all out yourself.”

My jaw dropped open and I turned slowly to stare at him. “What did you say?”

“You can’t help it that you’re not as smart as others. You’re blonde, what do you expect?”

“You son of a bitch,” I screamed, so angry I couldn’t think straight. I stood and lurched toward him. He stood too, leaned over and slapped me.

My head snapped to one side so hard that I spun where I stood. And then the cool rush of clean water over my wrists and onto my fingers cracked through my anger.

“I hate you, Frank,” I yelled, sidestepping back to my seat. “Don’t you ever touch me again! I hope you die!”

He gave me a wink and I would have tried to wink too, but my cheek was swelling from his slap and the blow had triggered the pain from my concussion. I carefully reached for my magic. There it was, humming under my skin.

Tiny detail magic was not my strong point, but it was what I had to do now. Sending miniscule tendrils of it through the bindings on my wrist, I unraveled the rope until my fingers were free.

Step one.

But now what?

Charlie shuffled back our way and I stuck my hands behind my back again.

“The master says we’s going to be in the air for another hour. Yous two aren’t to bother him with any more shouting or he’ll throw that one”—he jerked a thumb at Frank—“out the door.”

“Charlie, I . . . I’m so sorry.” My voice broke on the words. “I am so very sorry.”

“Some lessons cost more than others,” he said, his face grim. His peg leg thumped as he turned and sat in the aisle in front of me.

No, it wasn’t Orion. He wasn’t truly here, he just controlled Milly. Milly. I didn’t think there was any way we could save her. I snorted to myself. What was I thinking? There wasn’t any way I could save us, either. I stared out the window, my head pressed against the thick glass. It fogged under my heavy breathing which made me think I was seeing things at first.

A flash of blue scales and a dip of oh-so-familiar wings.

Mentally I reached for Blaz, screaming his name.

Pamela? What are you doing?

I let him see inside my mind, something I’d never done before. He got pictures of everything that happened. Of Milly and Orion, of Frank and me almost duping the demon with the salt water.

The plane is too fast, even now I’m being left behind. You have to jump, I’ll catch you both. Trust
me.

There was no time to think this through, no time to consider the possibilities. I suddenly knew how Rylee felt when she said that the moments coming at her gave her no choice.

I leapt from my seat and grabbed Frank. “Hang on, Charlie!”

What happened next was a blur. I knew I was killing people, but maybe I’d be able to kill Orion too. Charlie took one look at me. “I hope yous knows what yous doing.” Then he grabbed my leg as Orion spun in his seat, eyes blazing.

“You little bitch!”

“Not so little.” I grabbed hold of my magic and blasted the plane in half with a single flick of my wrist.

The air pressure sucked us out, flinging us into the atmosphere. But I trusted Blaz; that was all that mattered. Frank’s hands slipped a bit. Charlie was like a barnacle on my leg.

“Pamela!” Frank yelled as our hands, slick with moisture slid apart farther.

I fought to hang onto him, I couldn’t let him go. Something jerked him hard and we spun apart.

Yvette flew into view, Orion on her back.

Ah, I finally get to eat one of you.
The purple and gray dragon darted in and scooped Frank into her claws. I shot a burst of flame at them that she dodged easily.

And then I was falling through the clouds unable to see anything. “Frank!”

“Worry less about the boy, he ain’t falling through the skies, lass,” Charlie yelled at me.

Blue scales filled my vision as Blaz scooped us out of the sky. Charlie let out a laugh, thumping the dragon’s back with his tiny hands. “I’ll be buggered! Blaz, how did you know we was here?”

Pamela saw me and took the chance I would catch you. Where is
Frank?

“Yvette and Orion have him, we have to go after them.” I got myself situated on his back, strapping myself in. What spell would I use? How would I stop them?

We aren’t going after them.
His voice was sorrowful and I barely registered the tone.

“What? No, we have to! Yvette said she was going to eat Frank!”

There are losses when we make a poor choice, Pamela. I believe losing Frank may be yours.
He tipped his head so he could look me in the eye.

“No,” I whispered. “No, we have to go after him.”

I’m sorry, Pamela. Rylee needs us. The world hinges on her success, not Frank’s
life.

I covered my face with my hands. Charlie touched my back. “I’m sorry, lass. He was a good boy.”

“Please, Blaz.” I had to try. I’d beg if that was what he wanted.

Blaz let out a rumbling sigh as we dove lower, below the clouds. Away from Frank.
Yvette won’t eat him. She’s too picky for that scrawny kid. We’ll see him again, of that much I’m sure. They will use him as bait most
likely.

I wiped my eyes and fought to stifle the tears and hiccups. I hoped he was right. That I would have a chance to make things better and get Frank away from Orion.

I clung to that hope more than I clung to Blaz’s back. It was the only thing I thought as we flew.

That, and how I was going to face Rylee.

“Blaz, how are you going to find Rylee?” Maybe we wouldn’t be able to find her. Milly hadn’t been able to pin her down.

I’m bound to her. I can sense where she is always, even if she’s a long ways off.

My stomach fell. I was going to face Rylee, no longer as her ward and surrogate sister, but as someone who’d turned on her. My stomach rolled and Blaz tipped to one side as I puked up the little bit of water Charlie had given me.

“Be easy, witch. She’s not so hard as to see yous as the enemy.” Charlie patted my back, but Blaz didn’t chime in. He didn’t even look at me.

“I don’t know that.”

“I dos. Trusts old Charlie. Rylee will forgive yous.”

I truly didn’t think that was going to happen, but I had to try. And I had to do everything I could to make things right.