Shadowed Threads (19 page)

I turned to see Berget facing O’Shea and Pamela, but it was Pamela she seemed to be focused on.

Pamela glared back at Berget, so similar in coloring that they looked more like sisters than Berget and I did.

“I’m not leaving until Rylee does,” Pamela said, lifting her hands, prepping a spell.

The Child Empress had sent Doran to kill Pamela. Berget was the Child Empress. Clusterfuck didn’t even come close to what was happening.

Cradling my arms, gritting my teeth with the jarring every step caused, I ran toward them. Berget lifted her hands, mimicking Pamela, and I knew the power that would flow would kill Pamela, felt it in my gut.

I had to get between them. I had to stop this now. Because if Berget killed Pamela … I wasn’t sure I could forgive her for that.

“Pamela, don’t!” I shouted as I ran, sliding to a stop between them.

Berget’s power hit me, dispersed, and I turned to face her.

Her eyes were narrowed with a hatred I couldn’t understand. “What the hell are you doing? She can’t replace me. I’m your sister. Not her.” Berget threw another roll of power at us and again it displaced around me.

“Berget,” I shook my head.

“Move, Rylee. It is my right to kill intruders. I rule this place.”

O’Shea growled, his lips sliding back over his fangs. I couldn’t even lower my hands to touch him, it hurt too badly.

“Is this how it’s going to be?” I stared at her, my brain and heart not able to put this together. Berget was a vampire, the Child Empress. Was there anything left of my little sister inside of her? Was what I’d seen as I’d hovered between death and life the real Berget? Was that why she’d said I’d save her?

Her eyes widened, filling with tears, her lips trembling. “You would choose her over me?”

“No. But I can’t let you kill her. I can’t let you kill either of them.”

Berget turned her back. “You need to leave. Take the ones you love more than me and leave.”

That was a trip that, for once, I wasn’t willing to take. “Fuck off, you spoiled little shit. You’re my sister, and I’ve searched for you for the last ten years. But I’m fucking well betting you
knew
I was looking for you. Didn’t you?”

Her back was still to me, but she nodded. “I did.”

“Then don’t you give me that bullshit about me loving them more than you. I would have come for you, if I’d known you were here, alive.”

Her shoulders slumped. Gods, I wanted to hug her, hold her tight and be grateful she was alive … but already I could see that wasn’t going to be possible.

And it fucking killed me.

Faris slowly rose to his feet, Jack’s sword on the ground beside him. Pamela touched my elbow. Everything around us seemed on pause, waiting on Berget, waiting on her word.

“Let’s go.”

The Old One stopped us. “You cannot leave. We are not done with you yet.”

I glanced at Pamela and she flipped a hand at the Old One, pinning her against the wall.

“Piss off.”

“Faris,” Berget barked. “You are hereby exiled. I will not die at your hands, not by yours or those of any of your … pets.”

I didn’t turn around, just kept walking. Fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck. The pain in my wrists had nothing on what streaked through my battered heart. This couldn’t be happening.

Focus on one thing at a time.
Get Jack and get your crew the fuck out of here.

O’Shea let out a growl as we reached the doorway, and I turned to see Faris behind us.

“I’m coming with you,” he said, and I felt his power whip through me, my bones that he’d broken snapping back into place with a speed that left the pain just a memory. I flexed my hands.

“You, you’re the reason this is happening.” I glared at him.

“You won’t get out of here alive without me. You think she’s really going to just let you go?” His hair was no longer perfectly slicked back, but disheveled from our fight.

I turned to look behind us. Berget’s back was to us as she lifted a hand, her fingers flashing in a signal I didn’t understand. But by the reaction of the vampires, Faris was right.

Fuck it all to hell and back, the vampire was right.

Chapter 22

F
aris led the
way and we raced after him. I still carried the speed his bite had given me, so I picked Pamela up and carried her on my back.

“Jack, we have to get Jack!”

“There is no time,” Faris shouted back.

I didn’t argue with him, just turned when I hit the intersection and ran to Jack’s door. I threw the bolt open. “Pamela, lift him up.”

She tried to gather him up, her voice frantic. “I can’t. It’s like something’s blocking me!”

Faris slid to a stop beside us and took Pamela from my back; she let out a squeak until he placed her on his back. “Try now.”

Jack rose from the bed, lifted easily now that my Immunity wasn’t messing around with Pamela’s spell. The old Tracker never twitched, never even opened his eyes. I couldn’t decide if this was good or not.

We bolted back to the intersection as the other hallways spit out vampire after vampire. There was no way we could fight them all.

“Run!”

O’Shea and I ran side by side, following Faris as he wove his way through the maze of hallways and intersections. Pamela clung to his back, but her eyes never left me. I didn’t blame her for being worried.

We burst through a doorway that led into the Palace proper. How could I tell? The night sky beckoned to us through the barred windows. We were in the armory.

“We have to make a stand here. If we kill enough of them, they will pull back,” Faris said, letting Pamela slide from his back.

“Why are you doing this?” Pamela asked him the very question that had been floating around in the back of my head.

“I was bound to my lieges, as all vampires are. They made me do things I’m not proud of. I fought where I could, but I was still forced to do much that they wanted.”

I rocked back on my heels. “And then you bit me.”

He shook his head. “No, I bit another Tracker.” His eyes lingered on me for a moment before sliding back to the door we’d come from. “They’re coming. If you are going to grab a weapon, do it now.”

Cases of old school weapons beckoned to me, swords, spears, shields and lances. All just tucked behind a thin sheet of glass.

The closest case held long-handled lances with wicked curved blades on the end. I smashed my elbow into the glass, the sound of an alarm went off as I reached in and grabbed the lance I had my eye on.

“Pamela, take Jack over there and lay him on the floor. You stand back, hit them where you can,” I said, pointing to the far side of the room. She ran to do as I said, putting her back to the wall, placing Jack in the corner furthest away from what was about to happen. I didn’t know what to expect. Would the entire nest of vampires come after us? The door would work as a bottleneck, helping us and hurting them, surely they wouldn’t be so stupid as to send everyone after us.

Would they?

I faced the doorway; the sound of my own blood pumping through my veins echoed in my ears, dulled the thump of the running footsteps.

The vampires and their pets erupted out of the doorway in a flash of skin and fangs. Faris grabbed the first one, slamming him into the floor, the vampire’s head bursting like a melon. The next vampire or pet, I wasn’t sure which, came for me. I spun in a circle, swinging upward with the lance, burying it deep into the creature’s throat, removing his head from his shoulders with the single blow. Much as I hated to admit it, even to myself, the bite Faris invoked on me was a freaking godsend, giving me both speed and an increase in strength.

O’Shea was already on his second vampire, the sound of his teeth snapping through bone accompanied only by the scream of the vamp at his mercy. A woman leapt at me, but froze in mid-air, her face a comical twist of consternation. Then she burst into flames, the fire swallowing her in a single flash of heat and leaving behind nothing but a faint dusting of ash floating down.

“Good catch, witch.” I didn’t dare give Pamela a smile, settling for a thumbs up over my shoulder. The three vamps left facing us slowly withdrew. O’Shea shook the one he held in his mouth, a rag doll of bones and skin, then threw it at the retreating vamps.

I opened my mouth, the desire to taunt them, to finish them off, something I couldn’t stop. Faris moved to my side and slapped his hand over my mouth. “Time to go, Tracker.”

I pushed his hand off me and dropped the lance. The weapon wasn’t mine, and if I continued to carry it, I would likely use it on Faris. And while he was a real piece of shit, I wasn’t sure everything that had happened really was
all
his fault.

Even if I wanted to blame him.

Bypassing the security guards—who were no doubt coming to check on the alarm I’d set off—the four of us, Jack floating along beside us, worked our way up to the roof where, true to his word, Blaz waited. When he saw Faris, his head snaked forward, and he pinned the vampire to the roof top with a single foot.

Why is this vampire here? More than that, why is there a connection between the two of you?

“He invoked a bite so I could kill the Child Empress.”

And did you?

“No. I didn’t. Let him up, Blaz. For now, he’s with us.” Fuck, Jack was going to kill me when he woke up. If he woke up. I glanced over at him, took in his skin tone, the uneven rise and fall of his chest. Everything was spinning out of control. This place, it had torn up my life more than I ever could have thought.

I was going to lose Jack too. Tears stung the backs of my eyes.

The old Tracker is sleeping deep, but he isn’t dying. Not yet, anyway.

I helped Pamela up onto Blaz’s back; she lifted and secured Jack into place and O’Shea leapt up, wedging himself once more between the spurs of Blaz’s back. I climbed up, exhaustion sweeping over me. Faris didn’t mount up; instead, he did one of his shifts, cutting through the Veil. I had no doubt that he would beat us back to London.

“Let’s go.” I tapped Blaz’s back, rapping my knuckles against his scales.

The dragon leapt from the roof of the palace and swept out across the sea. I looked over my shoulder, at the city lit up in the darkness. Berget … gods be damned, how could this be happening?

For once, Blaz didn’t respond to my unspoken questions. He left me alone, which was what I wanted.

We flew to where Eve and Alex waited. The Harpy rose in the air when we drew close. She was trying to speak to me, but I ignored her. Alex barked and yipped, waving frantically at us.

I couldn’t deal with anyone else’s issues right then. Fuck, I couldn’t deal with my own, what the hell made me think I would be able to help anyone else?

I was numb, my heart and mind tangled up, confused and shocked at everything that had happened. Had it happened? Maybe it was like some sort of waking dream, a nightmare sent to steal my sanity and break what was left of my heart. I clung to Blaz’s back and closed my eyes, but didn’t sleep.

Blaz kept silent through the flight, Pamela fell asleep at some point, and as the sun rose behind us, London came into sight.

I will drop you at Jack’s home. I see it in your head as the place you wish to go.

“Thanks,” I whispered, my voice carried away by the wind rushing around us.

Blaz circled low, landing out by the pond where the Beast had nearly taken me. So much had happened between then and now, it seemed a preference to have the Beast on my ass than the truths I tried to deal with now. Or not deal with, as the case was.

Everyone dismounted. I sent Pamela into the house with Jack. Eve landed and Alex bounded over to me, grabbing me around the legs.

“Rylee, Rylee, Rylee. Safe now?”

I scrubbed my hands over his head, scratching behind his ears. “Yeah, we’re safe now.”

“Yippity!” He yelped, flipping over backward and racing toward the house after Pamela. The distant sound of Pamela rebuking him for running into her drifted back to us.

“Thanks, Blaz. You know how to find me when you want to cash in your favor,” I said, feeling strangely formal. But maybe it was just easier than breaking down in front of him, because at that moment it was all I wanted to do.

I couldn’t keep doing this by myself. Who did I have to help me, to turn to when I couldn’t keep it together anymore? O’Shea bumped his head into my hand and I closed my eyes. The truth hurt more than anything else. O’Shea like this was better than not at all, but it wasn’t enough. My thoughts drifted to Will. No, I couldn’t do that, didn’t have it in me to be disloyal to O’Shea with him here beside me. Even if he was trapped as a wolf.

I needed someone who could stand with me, I needed a partner. Not the lost children who were drawn to me, but an actual partner.

Do not be afraid to cry, Rylee. You must let this out. It will eat you up from the inside, hollowing you until there is nothing left. Until you are good for no one.

“Shut the fuck up, Blaz!” I spun on my heel, let the anger fuel me. That emotion was far more familiar, far easier to deal with than the emotional overload that seemed determined to grab me in its clutches.

Blaz snorted, then launched into the air, winging back toward his lair.

Goodbye, Tracker.

“Goodbye, Blaz.”

Eve hopped over to me. “Rylee, are we staying here?”

“I don’t know.” I brushed past her, heading toward the house. “Go rest, Eve. Please.”

“Rylee, what’s wrong?”

“Eve, not now.” Gods, it was taking everything I had not to snap at her as I had at Blaz.

But unlike Blaz, Eve listened. Walking alongside me, she was a silent support. We reached the main doors and she hopped into the air to go and roost on the roof.

I paused, feeling like an ass. O’Shea was right there beside me. I put a hand on his head. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. I pushed the door open and we headed toward the library, where I thought I could be alone for a minute or two. I just needed to deal with what had happened. Deal with it, and then I could move on.

Right.

Of course, I’d forgotten a few minor details.

Like the fact that Doran was here. O’Shea and I stepped into the library to see the Shaman standing with his back to the open window, the red curtains swirling out and around him. Which, in and of itself, wouldn’t have been too bad except that Faris choose that moment to show up, cutting through the Veil as we walked in.

He saw Doran and, without a word, lunged toward him.

Pamela and Alex ran in, no doubt hearing all the excitement, and Alex promptly threw up on the rug. She lifted her hands to prep a spell and the two bloodsuckers careened around the room, sending books and furniture flying.

Yeah, all in the space of about three minutes.

I couldn’t do this anymore. I turned my back on them, left the room. If they wanted to kill each other, so be it.

Doran screamed for me. “Rylee, he’s going to kill me!”

I stood outside the door just feeling … done. Then I looked down at O’Shea, who was still at my side. Doran was the one person who might be able to help me bring O’Shea, the man, back. I steeled myself one last time, then turned and headed back into the library to see Faris holding Doran against the wall.

“Faris. I need Doran.”

“He is a pet of
hers.
”

“He’s not, he took blood from me. Before I left.” Gods, could nothing be simple anymore. “Play nice boys or I’ll kill you both.”

The Daywalker and the vampire stared at me, like they weren’t sure I was being serious. Alex was cringing in the corner, making sure not to look at the puddle of vomit he’d left on the floor. Pamela stood there, her eyes on me. Waiting for a signal.

“Doran, come take a look at O’Shea. And you better fucking well tell me you can bring him back or maybe I’ll let Faris do what he wants with you.”

Faris let Doran down and the Daywalker made his way over to me, his green eyes shadowed. “You don’t seem yourself.”

“Just look at O’Shea.” I pointed at the wolf at my side, in case he hadn’t noticed the massive black wolf with the silvery gold eyes.

Doran ran a hand over the area above O’Shea’s head, but never touched him. “He’s becoming a Guardian.” His eyes flicked up to mine. “But you knew that, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

A few minutes of this air touching and I was about ready to shake the Daywalker until his fangs fell out.

“I’m not sure. I think maybe, but I can’t tell. He has to want to come back, I think,” Doran said, still staring at O’Shea.

“What do you mean he has to
want
to?”

“There are two parts of him, and the man in him is buried deep. If he doesn’t want to come back badly enough, the wolf will be all that’s left.”

Every muscle in my chest tightened with a fear that I’d been holding at bay all this time. “How long?”

Doran shrugged. “A week at most. Maybe less.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the loss for what it was. I’d had O’Shea with me for days now. Why hadn’t he wanted to come back when he was right with me?

Maybe he didn’t want to come back to me. Maybe he was happier as a wolf.

Faris snorted. “He can’t be brought back. He’s been too long in wolf form. When the collar came off it was a matter of seconds before he glazed over. The backlash is too much for him.”