Seducing Destiny (16 page)

I watched as a set of Mages started towards me, and waited until the first one was close enough and swung out—as Alden had trained me to—and slit his throat with the weight of my body. I may have been smaller than a man, but I had enough tricks to hit as hard as one. The other moved closer, his eyes briefly following his friend, right before I let one of the blades fly, which landed in his eye, killing him instantly.

Brains were tricky like that. I turned to find the rest, only to find Ryder and his men watching me calmly as they glamoured the blood from their weapons.

“Missed it, did ya, Pet?” Ryder asked, his eyes diverted from where Ristan was being helped and the bolts were being removed.

“Always,” I said as I moved in the direction of the Demon.

“The girl,” Ristan snarled. His eyes were almost feral. “I want her with us.”

“What girl,” I asked, and turned to look around the room, only to find Sinjinn entering the library holding Olivia by the arm.

I stepped forward, torn on what to do. My heart said to stop them, to protect the poor girl. My head replayed Alden’s words, and in the end, it won out over Olivia being of my Guild. In my heart, I was no longer a part of this place. I was Ryder’s. I was Fae, even if only by choice, because my babies were. If she had betrayed the Guild, it affected my children and that wasn’t something I could ignore.

“Olivia,” I whispered with a questioning look at her.

“She doesn’t talk to anyone, she doesn’t get fed by anyone, nothing. Not unless I myself do it,” Ristan whispered, but that whisper held a level of anger that I’d never thought was possible from my fun-loving Demon.

“Understood,” I said as a single tear slid from my eye.

“I don’t care if you’re her best fucking friend, Syn, cross me on this and you’ll wish you never had,” Ristan growled.

“Understood, Demon,” I growled back.

I watched as Sinjinn took the Guild librarian and Savlian took Ristan, before they all sifted out to await us in front of the Guild. “I want to know what she did that made him hate her that much,” I whispered through the hurt that Ristan had been torn and damaged the way he was.

“Something horrible,” Zahruk replied.

“Synthia, leave this alone. He isn’t up for a challenge and that is what will happen should he do any harm to you,” Ryder said, and I heard the silent plea in his tone.

“She’s his problem,” I confirmed. I knew Ristan; whatever she had done, it had been horrible. Mix that with Alden’s warning and I could make a pretty good guess about what she’d done to them. “We need to focus on replenishing this Guild with Witches, because what happened out there can’t continue,” I said as I looked around helplessly as the Elite Guard winked in and out of the rooms, removing the dead.

“For now, let’s just go home. I’d like to see our children.”

“Me too,” I whispered, and held my hand up to his, intertwine our fingers together. “Take me home.”

“I like the sound of you saying home, and meaning ours,” Ryder whispered as he kissed my neck.

“Wait,” I said as I looked around the place. “Do you feel that?” I asked as my skin grew aware of being watched, and tiny bumps arose on it. I listened, and heard the sound of small hearts racing, and I stepped away from Ryder. I heard the heartbeats of children. Ryder’s head cocked to the side momentarily, listening.

“Children. They haven’t counted yet, but…some of my men found a large group of them hidden; they are terrified,” he said with barely controlled anger.

“Get them out of here, take them to Faery. It’s too dangerous for them here and who knows how many of their parents were killed when the Guild fell,” I said hurriedly and watched as Ryder nodded his head in agreement. I knew without a doubt he was already relaying the orders to his men.

“What the hell, Syn?” Adam yelled as he moved through the rubble and bodies.

“No time to explain, Adam. Did you bring the Dark Fae with you?”

Adam nodded absently as he took in the carnage in the room. “I brought Shadow Warriors as well as Dark Guard from the Fortress. It is all over the news stations that a Fae army stormed the Guild. Humans are panicking out there. I had some of the Guards set up a perimeter out there to keep the Humans away, and others are going through the upper levels looking for survivors,” Adam said, and I watched him in silence since I’d never seen him this angry before.

“There aren’t any more survivors, we’ve already checked,” I said softly as I placed my hand on Adam’s arm, sharing his anger and pain at the destruction of our childhood home.

“We need to go,” Ryder’s voice was a sharp growl.

“Wait,” I said as I pulled back on Ryder’s arm. “We can’t leave the library and the archives for anyone to stumble on; there’s some shit in there that is incredibly dangerous. Is there any way we can seal this area?”

Ryder gave me a nod with an evil glint in his eyes. “I think we can do something.” Ryder led us to the foot of the stairs, just before the entrance of catacombs and once he was assured that all of his men had cleared the area, he spread his arms wide and let loose with a gigantic push of power, causing the entrance of the library to cave in. “That should hold until we can bring back a group to clear that place out. For all we know, there could be one or more of the relics down here,” he said grimly as we turned and made our way to the upper levels and out the front door of the Guild.

Once outside, it looked like pandemonium had taken over. Armed Fae surrounded the Guild, keeping the Humans away from it and from attacking the would-be rescuers. The Elite Guard and Shadow Warriors had been winking in and out, leaving rows of the dead behind the Fae barricade and in front of the steps of the Guild. The most heartbreaking were the small, lifeless bodies of the children. Humans screamed and shouted in fury at the Fae. If ever there was a recruiting poster for the Mages, this was it.

The Fae who had been bringing up the bodies gathered around the dead and awaited orders. This had to have been their way of saying the Guild was clear now.

“Have them take the dead to Faery for burial. They died bravely and deserve to be buried with honor.” I looked at the Guild compound where I had spent most of my life one last time. “Burn it down,” I whispered. The Fae overseeing the dead bowed to Ryder and then winked out through the portal with the remains.

I watched as Aodhan smiled as his eyes started to glow an iridescent blue. “Watch the master,” he said and I watched him, but it wasn’t him who had fire. It was Sinjinn. His double colored eyes changed, and turned to an angry red that bordered on creepy. He lifted his hands, palm up and I watched as flames leapt to life in them.

Even from where I stood, I could feel the heat of his flame as he brought it up to his lips and blew, which sent the flames rushing through the air as if they were liquid accelerator. Olivia screamed hysterically and fought against Sevrin’s hold, and the savage smile that took over Ristan’s face floored me. Whatever she’d done to him, I couldn’t intervene, no matter what.

Ryder turned and looked at the crowd of Humans that were wailing and shrieking in outrage at what had happened to the Guild. My heart mirrored their screams as flames licked the sides of the compound, as it caught and started to erupt in flames.

“Fae were not responsible for what happened here!” his voice boomed with regal authority over the crowd, stunning them to silence. “This was an act of insanity, caused by madmen and their accomplices within the Guild who betrayed their own brothers. One of ours was trapped inside protecting a Guild Elder when it happened. We will not tolerate violent acts against our people and we came here to get him out. This travesty had already happened when we arrived. We will go in peace now, but understand this; force will be met with equal force. Do not provoke my people by attacking them over false beliefs.” Ryder’s glare swept the crowd one last time before he looked at me. “Now, let’s go home.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

We emerged from the portal and walked through the courtyard, uncaring of those who looked upon us with fear. I felt the crowd’s uncertainty as the warriors passed through the crowd. These Fae must have also seen Alden and the children that were brought through, as well as the dead from the Guild, which had started trickling in just before we had.

The Spokane Guild had been burned to the ground, much to Olivia’s dismay, judging by her hysterical screams and the horror on her face. We’d burnt every trace of the Guild and its people from the cityscape of Spokane.

She’d sworn at us and cussed me out as Ristan had watched her with a look of hostility and anger that ran so deep even I feared it. It was so out of character for him to look at someone as he was looking at her now.

I could see Elijah as he watched me closely. I was covered from head to toe in blood from the Mages, and soot from the fire that had quickly started to burn out of control as I’d watched, waiting for proof that it was gone.

Vlad and Adrian had come back with us, and together, as if we were all one, we walked through the masses of lesser Fae to make a brutal point. If they could do this to a proud warrior such as Ristan, then what chance did they hold?

“Who did this?” the Winter Queen asked, and her eyes never left Ristan’s face. I could tell she was assessing the situation; he was a Demon in her eyes and I wasn’t sure if she knew that he was one of Ryder’s brothers. All that would matter to her is that Demons were a powerful part of the lesser Fae.

“Mages,” I said when he didn’t answer her. “Just imagine if it had been one of yours they’d captured.”

“Is he, is he going to make it?” she continued.

“He’d better, or someone will pay for it,” I said, and turned my eyes to Olivia who watched me silently. “We take harm upon our own very harshly, and those who fuck with my family will get no mercy.”

“You’re a traitor!” she cried.

She had drunk the same Kool-Aid I had, and sounded just as I had when I’d first met Ryder. I couldn’t blame her for that, but Ristan hadn’t deserved this, and as far as I was concerned she didn’t just betray Alden. She’d betrayed the true Guild.

“I’m no traitor; not to my people. Not to my family, either,” I seethed as Ristan shifted painfully, and opened his eyes. “The Guild left me, and so we cut ties. I was born Fae, not a Witch. The Guild was your family, Olivia, and I hope Hecate has mercy on your soul—for I know that Demon won’t. If you did what I think you did, you may want to make peace with Hecate, and quickly,” I smiled coldly. “Take her to the dungeons, and see that she is chained and unable to use her hands or legs. Gag her mouth, for she can spell her way out with it. And, Olivia, if you do somehow get out of this place, know that I will ride with the hounds that hunt you down and drag you back here for his revenge. He is my family, and this world is mine. I would claim no part of the sick bastards who slaughtered those innocent people,” I seethed, and then allowed my eyes to glow to the electric blue and purple of the Fae. I pushed power into the brands, projecting their image and beauty so that everyone gathered could see.

“I did what I had to!” she cried as Sevrin made haste to remove her from Ristan’s presence. We started in the direction of the castle, but Silas stopped us by stepping into our path.

“I’ll fight beside my King, and gladly die with him to protect this world from the Mages,” he said proudly. The shifter had often given me the chills, but I could see his aura now, and it was pure. He was honest in his words, and his oath was welcomed by Ryder who placed a hand on his shoulder and accepted it.

“You have mine as well, but I need an oath of my own,” Elijah stated as he approached us.

“And that would be?” Zahruk asked as he stepped up and placed himself between Elijah and Ryder.

“That should I fall in battle, my people will be welcomed here, that they would have a safe place to live in peace. Most of the unclaimed don’t live forever, but they live long enough to need protection.”

“And you, how long have you lived?” I asked.

“Well over five hundred years,” he said as he watched me carefully.

“Your people would be welcome here,” Ryder said. “But if you think to cross me, know that I will have no mercy for you.”

Ryder’s eyes slid to me and I smiled. I could sense that he was eager to get into the castle, to have Ristan tended, as well as to check on our children.

“The rest of you who plan to claim an oath to the King can do so at a more appropriate time. His brother needs tending to, and our children must be fed. We shall hold court tomorrow, and hear any concerns or demands you may have. Until then, we bid you safe passage into the main hall for the celebration of the return of the Demon,” I said, and then turned to Danu who had just shown up, anxiously watching Ristan as he labored to take air into his lungs.

“Decorate the hall, and create a distraction…please? Like food, or whatever, just keep these people busy until we can secure an oath.”

“How is he?”
she asked, ignoring my request.

“Alive, barely,” I whispered.

I could feel Elijah’s eyes as they bore into my back as we walked inside the stronghold; tomorrow we would deal with the world, but tonight we needed to tend to those who had died, and those who needed medical help. The lesser Fae could wait. Later, we could pull an oath from those who seemed more ready to run home and hide.

“Fine, but after I create the distraction, I’m coming to check on him,” she said and disappeared.

“A distraction?” Ryder asked softly.

“We need to buy time. I’m sure some of those Fae were planning to leave, but I know how they can feed, and be merry while we deal with this problem. Danu is going to create food, and other things to give us the time we need.”

“…That’s genius,” Zahruk said as he turned to look at me. “Fuck, she’s ruthless,” he grinned and winked at me roguishly. “Maybe there’s hope for her yet.”

“Oh admit it, Zahruk, you like me. I just have that effect on creatures.”

He laughed and shook his head as he turned and moved forward to help them carry Ristan to the infirmary. I wasn’t sure why we were still walking, only that I was glad, since sifting wasn’t my strong suit right now.

I’d no sooner thought it, then the entire Elite Guard sifted, and I was no exception. Ryder had gripped my arm as we sifted to Eliran, who immediately took in Ristan and then looked up at me.

“What did you do this time, hide in a closet? Normally if someone’s hurt, you follow their lead and then almost die on me,” he snapped with frustration and ran his fingers through his hair before he started shouting off orders.

I stood still and watched as Ristan was carried into one of the small rooms and a curtain was closed around him. Eliran slipped behind the curtain and called for a bunch of other things he was going to need. Ristan didn’t have iron in him; that much I was sure of. Not that it would have done too much to the Demon, but the Mages may have experimented with it when they tortured him.

I was pulled up against Ryder’s chest as we waited, numb and cold inside as Eliran and his team worked on Ristan. It wasn’t until I turned and found Alden smiling at me from a bed in another small room in the healer’s ward, that I left Ryder’s warmth.

“How are you feeling?” I asked him as I moved to his room and took a seat in the chair.

“Never saw this one coming, kid,” he admitted. “Glad you found him,” he said as he nodded towards Ristan’s room.

“Me too, but we have a problem. Olivia is here; Ristan made us bring her with us. I need to know what she did that made him hate her.”

“She gave me up,” he admitted. “She surprised me, and found me with the Demon. I didn’t think she suspected him to be anything other than Human since he was wearing glamour of a Guild Warlock and was inside the wards. She came to my office with a bottle of wine and wanted me to help her celebrate the completion of another section of catalogued archives. She’d been completing a lot more of them lately, and I should have wondered why one was more important than any of the others. I was going to send her away, but Ristan said he would love to help her celebrate, and I had no reason to mistrust her. I should have known something was off; we both should have. She had never talked to me that much, not in all the time I’ve known her. I wanted to trust her, and I think Ristan did too; he’d been obsessed about that girl, and watching her like a hawk since he met her a few months ago, and I’d noticed it. I just thought what harm, ya know?” He sighed deeply, and then continued. “I think Ristan had more wine than I did. Anyhow, my head started to swim right away and I noticed Olivia trying to come on to Ristan, funniest damn thing I ever saw. Right up until she climbed into his lap and I think she touched his cheek or neck, next thing I know, he dropped like a millstone. And then I woke up, tied to a table, and the Mages were there with a few Warlocks I used to call friends. I heard one of the say they got wine and whatever the hell they used to take the Demon down, from that scary-ass thing.”

“Olivia said she did what she had to,” I admitted, hoping he could shed some light on it.

“She had to have been watching me, or watching us. Ristan said he didn’t trust her, but that you’d told him she was just a mouse. I helped raise that girl, but if she gave us up, kid, she’s beyond our help. That wine had one hell of a punch though. Hell, when they started to torture me, I didn’t even feel it. I laughed, which had to be from the drugs. I watched them break my legs, and it didn’t start hurting until the drugs from the wine started to wear off.”

I hated that time moved differently here. Days had passed, and I hadn’t seen Ristan in that time, but then he’d been gone a lot trying to protect Alden from the Mages, and discovered trying to find more clues that would lead to relics. They’d been tortured for days, and we hadn’t even known.

“The Guild is going to want answers,” I continued.

“I bet, but I’m not sure which ones are under Mage influence anymore. I’ve been running ours under the assumption that they all are.”

“Then that’s how we will play it as well,” I said as I lifted my head as the Demon growled, and then screamed as Eliran reset bones that were healing incorrectly.

“They got him good, kid. They worked him over hoping he’d reach out to his King and brothers. That monster they work for knew things about him, and how he worked. They used it, and I watched as he did things I can never un-see again. He’s a better man than I, because not once did he cave. Not even when they used me against him. That’s why you found me on the upper level. They wanted the Demon to think I was dead and that it was his fault so they moved me figuring it wouldn’t take much more time before I died anyway.”

I swallowed the bile as I considered just how much had been done to poor Ristan. He hadn’t deserved it, and he’d done it to protect us. He’d been tortured brutally, and over a period of time which we’d been spending with our children, unaware that anything was amiss. We’d let him down, and that was my fault. He’d never let me down, and even when the others had suspected my Guild for bombing Ryder’s club, Ristan had believed in me.

“He’s immortal,” I whispered breathlessly. I was thankful for that more than anything else right now

“It’s a good thing too, kid. They took his body apart. That monster, he enjoyed it. Kept saying things about Danu, and Ristan refused to give an inch, which only made it worse,” he whispered and I turned to find Ryder watching me.

“Ristan’s been given a sedative,” he said quietly when I continued to watch him.

“Alden needs rest, and we will take him to the Seattle Guild when he’s better, and not before,” I warned as I leveled a don’t-argue-with-me look at Alden. “You can’t just run in and explain that a God who wanders between our worlds is assisting evil Mages who are using the Guild as cover, because chances are you’ll be telling evil Mages that you know they exist and what their own evil plan is. For now you stay here. Last time you refused to listen to reason and at that time I understood those reasons. That reason is now gone, and you’re my family, Alden. I protect my family, even when they are stubborn as you. Ryder, make it known that if anyone is approached and asked for a ride out of Faery, that the gates are closed and whoever tries to assist him will suffer for it.”

“Now see here, Synthia—” Alden hissed.

“No! I won’t see anything, Alden. That Demon almost died because you were too fucking stubborn. I understand you wanted to protect our Guild, but it’s gone. There’s nothing left of it because I burned it to the ground. All of our secrets are protected, all of our agents have fled, or died. You’re safe here, and it’s now you who needs to be protected. Don’t argue with me; you won’t win this one, Uncle, that much I can promise you. Right now I need to focus on unfreezing the Tree of Life, so that my children live. That needs to be my priority.”

“Synthia, I understand that, but you forget. I don’t belong in this world.”

“You do. You belong with me, Alden. You’ve done your job, now let us do ours. Let us save those who need it from the Mages, and maybe, when enough time has passed and this war over, we can start a new Guild, one that’s run by us and the Fae. One that will protect the Humans. Time moves slower here, but I promise we will help you,” I said softly.

“You’d do that?” he asked and looked at Ryder.

“As long as my soon-to-be bride isn’t running it,” Ryder whispered against my ear.

“We’ll see about that one, Fairy. For now, Alden, sleep,” I said as I leaned over and kissed his forehead, then pulled his blankets up as his eyes grew even heavier.

“I love you, kid,” he whispered, a thickness I wasn’t used to from him stuck in his tone.

“I love you, too, Uncle,” I whispered back and we left the room.