9. Lorna

Chapter 9

Lorna

I paced back and forth across the carpeted room where Elliott left me nearly an hour ago with three complete strangers. Three shifters assigned to protect me while he and Damon searched for Nathan and Kenrid. One of my protectors stayed in the living room with me, but I could hear the other two in the kitchen.

"They'll find them," the one with me said.

What was his name again? Mike? Matt? Milton? He rubbed his palm over his shaved head, and I wondered if it transferred over to his animal. Did it matter? No! Why was I even thinking about it?

We should just sneak out, Mir said. It should be easy for us to track down Nathan. No one smells as good as him. Elliott's right. If we find Nathan, we'll find Kenrid. Then we'll kill all the fae.

We wouldn't even know where to start, I argued, as I'd done a dozen times already. I'm not a wolf. I have no idea how to pick up scents and follow them or whatever. And we're not killing anyone !

She huffed and made sure I could feel her sulking. Not that I blamed her. I hated feeling helpless. It was suffocating. I needed to do something to take my mind off Kenrid. He and Damon had both said we'd feel each other as long as we were in the same realm. During our training the previous day, I'd had no problems finding Kenrid. With more practice, I was sure Damon wouldn't be able to hide from me, either.

I had to assume that Kenrid was no longer on Earth.

I knew without a doubt that he wouldn't leave me willingly, even after our disagreement the day before. Whoever took him would pay. Even though I'd told Mir we weren't killing anyone, I wasn't sure it was true. If Kenrid were hurt or worse, I'd probably lose my mind. I already knew how much he meant to me. He'd already proven what I meant to him.

I hadn't made time to talk to him after last night's meeting. I hadn't been able to tell him that I'd never reject him. He told me that he loved me, and I didn't get the opportunity to make sure he knew how I felt. I refused to entertain the thought that I might never get the chance.

I would not lose him. I couldn't.

I stopped my pacing and looked out the window. Movement outside caught my attention. Four people walked down the sidewalk, two men and two women. They seemed odd. Not just because they were exceptionally pretty. They didn't act like friends or couples or even that they liked each other. They marched—yes, marched—side by side toward the house.

"Um …" Damn, I still couldn't remember the bald guy's name. "Hey, you might want to see this."

My protector dropped the magazine he was reading and joined me at the window. As soon as he saw the group headed our way, he sprinted into the kitchen.

"We have company!" he called .

The tension in his voice made me nervous. I was supposed to be safe with Nathan's clan, so why were they worried? Did they think someone would come for me, too?

Why do you think Elliott left you with a bunch of guards? Mir asked. We would've been safer in the tower. No one can get in.

Elliott knew we wouldn't stay in the tower, I replied. We're here so we don't run off and do something stupid.

Ah, he knows us too well, but he had to suspect we were also in danger. Mir shrugged. Or he's just an over-protective, paranoid mate.

Maybe Mir was right… or maybe Elliott knew something we didn't. I had freaked out when I couldn't feel my bond to Kenrid. They'd had plenty of time to talk while I had a meltdown in the bathroom. I couldn't blame them for not sharing all the details with me.

Baldy came back into the room a moment later. "Stay here and be silent," he said. "If this turns ugly, one of us will take you to safety. Don't let them lure you out alone."

I nodded and tried to hide my escalating concern. They expected a confrontation, and I had nothing to defend myself with.

"I'll be right back," he said, then disappeared into the hall just as someone knocked on the door.

I peered around the corner and saw all three shifters lined up in front of the door, blocking my view of our visitors. Yes, I know he told me to stay put, but if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me either. Honestly, did it really matter? Every supernatural person I'd met so far could sense if anyone magical was around. They knew I was here, even if they couldn't see me.

"Have they found our clan leader?" one of the women on the porch asked.

"Not yet," my protector replied. "Have you been able to contact Brance or Alyssa? "

"Neither of them are answering their phones," the same woman said.

That sucked. Was it possible that Brance and Alyssa had also been kidnapped? No, Damon said the fae drew him away. He'd said there was a ‘situation' between Brance and Kenrid.

Had Kenrid's family found out about us? The story I got from the guys made me think that his family didn't want him to find his mate. If he did, we'd both be in danger.

Maybe Kenrid's parents had discovered us and took all of them. That would explain why I couldn't reach Kenrid; he was in the fae realm. It would also explain why Brance and Alyssa didn't answer their phones. I was pretty sure our cell service didn't cross realms.

The epiphany had me stepping back into the room. Were we making a mistake by accusing Brance and Alyssa of being the villains? Were they just caught in the crossfire between Kenrid and his family?

I pulled my phone from my pocket and created a group text with Damon and Elliott, explaining my theory.

Damon : Stay put

Elliott : it's a good theory but there are too many unknowns. we'll be there in 10 mins

Me : okay

But it wasn't okay. Nothing about this felt okay. I looked out the window again and had another epiphany. It was morning. Nathan's most vulnerable time. Whoever had him could take advantage of his weakness and end his life. The thought sent a stabbing pain through my heart.

I still hadn't let myself think about him as more than the clan leader and master vampire. I couldn't decide if my desire for him was because of fate, like my other mates, or because of my dhampir. Six months ago, I would've laughed at anyone suggesting that fated mates were real. I would've slapped them if they'd said I would have three or four .

After everything that happened to me in the last couple months, I couldn't deny it. Now was definitely not the time to dwell on it, either. I cradled my head in my hands and tried not to scream. I needed to do something productive, not just sit in this stupid house coming up with ridiculous schemes and theories that only made everything worse.

A swell of magic preceded a soft popping sound. I spun away from the window to find Alyssa standing in front of a tall, dark, oval-shaped thing. Magic pulsed from the multicolored swirls spanning across the outer rim, making the center opaque. I could almost see through to the other side. Almost.

It didn't take a genius to figure out it had to be a portal. She hadn't snuck into the room, and that magical doorway had to come from somewhere.

I'd only seen Alyssa a couple times and had never been introduced officially, but she was easy to recognize. She didn't have a glamour toning down her stark beauty. Her dark hair was tied back by a long braid, accentuating her round face. Was that fear in her eyes? She glanced at the entry between the living room and hall, then back to me.

"Come with me," she whispered. "I know where Nathan and Kenrid are. I can take you there, but we have to hurry."

She extended her hand to me, and I took a step toward her before I stopped myself. How would she know where they were unless she was involved in their kidnapping? Had she just thrown my whole theory about being a victim herself out the window?

"Please," she pleaded, her eyes shining. Were those tears? "Brance has them both. I…" She bit her lip. "I may have made a mistake trusting him. You can fix it, though."

I still hesitated because duh! It was obviously a trap, wasn't it? She'd just admitted that she shouldn't have trusted Brance, which meant that the two of them weren't kidnapped by Kenrid's family. Yep, my theory was definitely blown wide open .

But if I went with her, Damon and Elliott could find me through our bond. They could help me rescue Kenrid and Nathan. Or could they? I couldn't sense Kenrid, so they probably wouldn't sense me, either.

We could swap blood with Nathan and kill them all, Mir said.

I cringed at her suggestion, but she might be right.

Do we really want to reveal ourselves to them, though? I asked. Conrad said the fae paid his contract. Maybe this is a trap for us. What if Nathan and Kenrid are the bait to lure us in?

Mir didn't reply. She didn't have to. If Kenrid and Nathan died because the fae wanted me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

Alyssa frowned and glanced toward the muffled conversation at the front door.

"I'll go with you, but you have to tell me where," I insisted.

"I can't tell you," she hissed.

"Are you taking me to the fae realm?" I asked.

She laughed, and the voices at the door stopped.

"None of us can return to Fairie," she replied, not bothering to lower her voice. "Why do you think Brance took Kenrid?"

She lunged for me, and I threw myself toward the hallway. But I wasn't quick enough. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist and a blinding light replaced the living room. The last thing I saw were my protectors reaching for me. I just hoped they heard Alyssa's claim about not leaving Earth. If we were on Earth, I had to trust that my mates could find me.

Several seconds later, a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders and forced me to my knees. The blinding light slowly faded, but I didn't even try to let my eyes adjust. I squeezed them shut and tried not to breathe. I didn't need to see Nathan to know he was in the room. I could smell his blood. A lot of it .

Sweat broke out all over my body, making me shiver in the chilled room. My heart thumped against my ribs, aching with each beat. My damned fangs poked at the inside of my lips.

I wanted my vampire!

Brance and Alyssa were definitely the enemy. They led me into a trap because they knew what I was. Resisting Nathan and a roomful of vampires the night before wasn't enough for them. I was scared to death to open my eyes and see how much of Nathan's blood they'd spilled. All to reveal my dhampir.

I can't resist him! Mir screamed into my mind.

Yes, you can! We have to!

Why? she argued. Why can't we feast and then kill them all? I'll make sure there are no witnesses left.

It was tempting, but I didn't want to become the monster everyone expected me to be.

We won't get to have the life we want if we go down that road, Mir.

Mir growled at me and pushed against my control. I pushed her back and forced the memories of my childhood on her. I showed her my parents' love, my siblings' acceptance of me, and our mates. We would lose all of them if we lost control.

I will not give up everything unless it's the only option! I pushed harder, and she slowly yielded. Damon will find us. You know he will.

He didn't find Kenrid or Nathan, Mir said. She sounded so defeated, but I wouldn't change my mind. You couldn't find Kenrid either.

She was right. I hadn't found Kenrid. But there had to be a way that didn't involve killing.

I sucked in a breath, then wished I hadn't. The scent of Nathan's blood coated my tongue and made my mouth water. I tried to ignore it and focus on my bond with Kenrid. As soon as I reached for him, the connection flared to life .

My eyes popped open, searching for my mate. I should've kept them closed. Kenrid wasn't the first thing I saw. Of course not! Alyssa had dropped me in front of my vampire, a few steps away from the blood pooling on the floor at his bare feet.

My attention lingered on the blood, pain curling in my gut from my desire and hunger. I swallowed and pressed my lips into a thin line, refocusing my attention on what really mattered. There was only one way to spill that much blood.

My gaze traveled up Nathan's tattered slacks. Someone had torn—no, sliced—long gouges in his thighs. Several puncture marks covered his muscled torso. Tears stung my eyes, and my heartache increased when I finally reached his face.

I'd hoped to see a murderous scowl or a pained expression from the torture he'd endured. His head hung forward with his chin against his collar. Bruises surrounded his closed eyes, and blood caked his dark hair against his forehead. His arms were stretched over his head and tied together at the wrists.

They'd hung him from a ring in the ceiling. Was he still breathing? After several agonizing seconds, his chest slowly rose and fell.

They all need to die! Mir exclaimed.

I didn't reply, but I also didn't disagree. The fae had a room specifically designed for torture. Who the fuck does that? Who takes pleasure in the pain of others? And why Nathan? He'd given them a home, a clan to protect them. And this is how they repay him? Making him suffer to get to me?

They wanted to see a monster? I'd give them a monster!

I lunged forward, startling whoever was gripping my shoulders. They released me, and I rolled to the side to avoid Nathan's blood. Yes, it still called to me, but revenge for the pain they'd inflicted outweighed everything else .

I sprang to my feet and nearly fell back to my knees. Kenrid lay on the floor a few steps away. Thick chains covered his body and tied him spread-eagle to four rings in the floor. He was also beaten, and the red welts covering his exposed skin looked a lot like burns. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen him earlier.

Kenrid's gaze met mine, and our bond bloomed. I expected the tiny bird on his chest to flutter its wings, but it remained still, looking like a pretty tattoo. Did my mark also understand the danger of revealing itself?

They need to die now! Mir's voice bounced around in my skull.

I agreed, but I wasn't going to let my anger make me stupid. I'd nearly gone down that road a second ago. I couldn't go on a killing spree. Not yet.

"Kenrid," I whispered. "What do they want?"

"You," he replied, his voice raspy and weak. "They trapped us in a room covered in wards that hide us from everyone and records everything happening within."

I squeezed my eyes shut again, understanding exactly what he meant. Anything we did in this room would be recorded. That also meant that their torture of Nathan and Kenrid had been recorded, right? I would absolutely use that against them.

I rose to my full height, tearing my gaze from my mate and avoiding Nathan's limp form hanging from the ceiling.

We need to be strong for as long as we can, I told Mir. Elliott and Damon were on their way to the house to get us. They'll make those fae assholes talk. They will find us. We just have to give them time.

I'll try, she whispered, but I could hear the pain in her voice. I could feel her need to feed pushing us closer to the edge of her control. Our anger didn't help. I refused to let us fall down that rabbit hole, though. We would have the life we wanted with the men we loved.

I pulled back my shoulders and turned to face my enemy. They couldn't possibly be anything other than that. Brance and another man stood where I'd been kneeling a few moments ago. Alyssa was a few feet behind him, and six more fae lined the wall next to the door behind her.

Nine fae.

Nine sadistic assholes who need to die , Mir stated.

I smiled, knowing there was nothing nice about it. Mir stayed on the sidelines, waiting. Now that I knew my eyes changed colors with her presence, we'd have to be careful.

Like I'm not already walking the tightrope from hell!

Let's refocus some of that anger and frustration, I said. We have the perfect targets.

Agreed.

I focused all my attention on the man I suspected was in charge. "You're sick," I said to Brance. "I thought Conrad was bad, but this goes beyond his depravity."

Brance's smug look faltered for a moment. The man next to him shifted his weight from one foot to the other, but his facial expression didn't change.

"I know what you are," Brance said. "Your control is astonishing, but it changes nothing."

I laughed. "You've convinced yourself that you know what I am," I countered. "You're nothing more than an ignorant fool who believed someone else's lies."

The man next to him shifted again. I glanced over Brance's shoulder at Alyssa. She scowled at the back of his head, not noticing that I watched her. Had she twisted her words when she said she didn't trust him? Yes, she said she may have made a mistake. She brilliantly evaded any lies with the may have .

"My information came from the fae," Brance spat. "Even though we are masters at evading the truth, we still cannot lie. "

I tapped my lip pretending to contemplate his statement. Could it be this simple to discredit him? I was half fae, and nothing stopped me from lying. I didn't know where he got his information from, but it didn't hurt to confirm.

"Was your informant full fae or a half-breed?" I asked.

"I don't see how that matters," he replied.

"It's obvious. Half breeds can say whatever they want."

Brance glared at me. Alyssa sucked in a deep breath and choked on it. The man next to Brance turned and looked at him. The remaining fae by the door glanced at each other with questioning looks. I laughed again.

"Oh my God! You're not serious, are you?" I asked. "Don't tell me you didn't know?" When I didn't get a reply, I laughed even harder. "Okay, okay. This entire room is black not white. None of you are truly fae. You're just pretending. Nathan is not a vampire, and I'm a fairytale princess."

Whispers of disbelief echoed around the room. Did they seriously not know that a half-breed could lie? Or had Brance not confirmed that his informant was a full-blooded fae? Shouldn't he be able to tell? I had no idea.

A tiny tug on my mate bond drew my attention to Kenrid. He smiled at me, and my heart melted. Especially now that I knew how special his smile was.

A sharper tug made me grimace until I realized it wasn't Kenrid. Damon was close by. I could feel his magic racing through our bond. I reached out for him and hit a wall of anger. I flinched at the intensity of his rage. If he showed up like that, none of the fae would survive.

"Let them go," I demanded, turning back to Brance. "Your little stunt didn't work. You've only succeeded in making yourself look like an idiot. Again. "

"Brance?" Alyssa stepped up to his side. When he didn't look at her, she poked him. "I can't believe you didn't vet your source. I sacrificed everything because you promised you had a way to get us home."

Brance slapped her hand away and snarled at me. "I know what you are! I can see it in your eyes."

I blinked several times. Had I let my control slip? Yes, a couple of times. Was Brance the only one who noticed? It didn't really matter. I had to convince them that Brance had lost his marbles. I didn't think it'd be that hard to do.

"You're so caught up in this delusion that you can't see what's right in front of you," I said, waving my arm in Nathan's direction. "I'm standing next to a bleeding vampire. Not just any vampire, but a master vampire. I just found out about the supernatural world a couple months ago. But every story I've heard about the dhampir says they're monsters. None of them would be standing here having a conversation with you."

I let my arm fall to my side, but I refused to look at Nathan. I couldn't for all kinds of reasons. Even though the memories of my killing spree at Conrad's were hazy, I knew it was really hard to kill a vampire. I wasn't sure if Nathan's body could heal fast enough to save him. I was scared that he'd lost too much blood to recover. The thought of losing him hurt.

"I'm not the monster in this room," I said. "You are. You've tortured two innocent men. Men who gave you a home and a community. This is how you repay them?"

"Release the prince," Alyssa commanded, still glaring at Brance.

"No!" Brance bellowed.

He raised his hand, but Alyssa reacted immediately, almost like she anticipated his attack. She slammed both palms into his chest. Fire bloomed with the impact. Brance stumbled backward, beating at the flames quickly consuming his shirt .

I didn't look forward to the smell of burning fabric—or worse, hair and skin—but it was the perfect distraction. They were no longer paying any attention to me.

I ran to Kenrid's side and fell to my knees. I grabbed the nearest chain and pulled as hard as I could. No, it wasn't the smartest thing I'd ever done. My subconscious knew I couldn't yank those bolts out of the floor, but I had to do something. There was no way I could release Nathan, for all the same reasons I couldn't look at him.

Brance and Alyssa wouldn't stay distracted forever.

I glanced over my shoulder. The two of them were still locked in battle. Brance's clothes hung in smoldering tatters from his body. Alyssa's hair stood on end in several places, and scorch marks covered her face and arms. I didn't want to contemplate the magic they were using against each other.

It looked like the other fae weren't too keen to join the fight. They huddled by the door, watching their leaders. Thankfully.

"Here."

I yelped at the hand being thrust in front of my face. The fingers uncurled, revealing a key.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I was wrong to believe them."

I looked up at the man offering the key to Kenrid's freedom. He hung his head and seemed to deliberately avert his gaze away from Kenrid. I wanted to believe his guilt and regret, but he'd stood by and let all this happen.

He could beg for mercy later. I snatched the key from his hand and found the lock on the chain. After several agonizing seconds, I finally got it open and started throwing off the piles of chain.

"You could help me get these off him," I snapped.

"No, I can't," the man said. The pain in his voice made me pause. "Iron is like poison to us. I'm surprised you can touch it without burning your skin. "

I looked up at him, then back at the burn marks on Kenrid's chest. I'd read the fairytales about iron and the fae, but I hadn't realized it was true. It'd never come up during our discussions.

"I guess it proves I'm more human than fae," I lied and turned back to my mate.

Dark bruises marred Kenrid's perfect face, but it didn't stop him from giving me a small smile. How could he possibly be smiling right now? Being more cautious, I moved the rest of the chains. The man next to me helped me pull Kenrid to his feet and guide him to the edge of the room.

Just in time.

The floor shuddered beneath my feet, and the windows rattled in their frames. A spiderweb of cracks raced along the walls and across the ceiling. Kenrid slid to the floor with a groan, taking me and our helper with him. What kind of spells were those two throwing at each other? Did they realize they were bringing down the house?

Kenrid groaned, bringing my attention back to him. I knelt by his side, trying not to touch him. He squeezed his eyes closed and let his chin drop to his chest. I could only imagine how much pain he was in.

"Kenrid, what can I do to help?"

He didn't respond. I felt so damned useless. We still needed to untie Nathan and find a safe place for him to heal. Maybe even a few pints of blood to replace what he'd lost. If we could get past Brance and Alyssa, who still seemed determined to kill each other.

"No!" Brance bellowed.

I jerked my attention from Kenrid just in time to see Brance lash out at Alyssa, punching her in the jaw.

She crumbled to the floor, her head bouncing off the hard tiles. She didn't get back up. I winced but still had a hard time feeling bad for her .

Brance raced to the nearest wall and braced his hands against it. A wave of magic bloomed around him, making my ears pop and my eyes water with its intensity.

"What is he doing?" I asked.

"Someone is destroying the wards," the fae next to Kenrid said. I really needed to find out his name.

Kenrid chuckled. I looked at him and sucked in a breath. He was smiling, but it wasn't the one he normally reserved for me. The look on his face gave me chills. It screamed revenge. I could imagine this version of Kenrid setting the world on fire.

"I'll have to get in line behind Damon to set that fire," Kenrid said, reaching up and cupping my cheek in his palm.

What did he mean he'd have to wait in line? Did I project my thoughts to him?

"Yes, you projected your thoughts," he confirmed.

I would have been excited about it, but the house shuddered again.

I reached through my bond with Damon and hit that same wall of rage. Not just anger but murderous revenge. The hatred burning through our bond scared me. I'd never seen Damon mad. Ever.

The windows across from us exploded, showering half of the room with shards of glass. An enormous creature followed in their wake. Blood red runes covered his body, pulsing with magic like they had a heartbeat of their own. Dark shadows trailed from his wings like a living fog stretching toward the fae now cowering at the door. Fire flickered in the eyes staring down at me.

I gasped, second-guessing if it was really Damon. I recognized the feel of my mate's magic, but I didn't recognize the creature dominating the room. Damon's claim that I couldn't handle his demon made a whole lot more sense. This version of him terrified me.