Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Back at the villa, Harper slapped her clothes into the suitcase. “I won’t believe it’s him, Knox,” she clipped. “I will not believe he’s the Horseman. How could he be? He’s been in Cuba for fucking years.”

“Or so we thought,” said Knox, voice soft. He stood a few feet away, giving her space, letting her reason it through. If he was honest, he was just as surprised as Harper to hear that Drew’s scent was in the basement, so he couldn’t blame her for finding it so difficult to absorb. Knox didn’t like the hellcat whatsoever, but he wouldn’t have suspected him of being the Horseman or party to anything that would harm Harper.

“What possible motivation could Drew have for wanting to see the US Primes fall?” she challenged.

“He wants me dead, Harper. In his mind, I stole you from him.”

“Yes, and you know that because you’ve literally been in his mind. If he was the Horseman, you’d already know.”

“That’s not how it works, Harper. The mind is a vast space. Trillions of webs of memories, thoughts, views, wants, likes, dislikes, regrets, goals, et cetera. I didn’t root through his mind as a whole, I only explored the web of thoughts and memories he had that were related to you. Still, I’d like to think that I’d have seen some indication of him being the Horseman if he truly was.”

“But you didn’t, did you?”

“No, but why else would he have been with Alethea? What other reason could he have had for being in that house? He wasn’t killed there, Harper. He wasn’t used to feed the incorporeal. Either he was working with her, or he had some other reason for going to that house. Whatever the case, he was with her. I picked up how badly he wants me dead—”

“It’s one thing to want to see you dead. But why take all the other Primes down too?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s bitter that Jolene wouldn’t make him Prime—I called her a few minutes ago; she said he told her long ago that he wanted to take her place one day, and he’d seemed upset when she made it clear that she wanted you to replace her.”

It had made Knox wonder if just maybe that was part of why Drew had wanted Harper for himself so badly—as her mate, he would have then also been her co-Prime if she’d taken Jolene’s place. It could even be that the reason he’d waited to claim Harper was that he’d been waiting for her to be declared Prime first. But Knox decided not to say that, since she was hurting enough.

Shooting him a look of impatience, she snorted. “Knox, practically all demons want to be a Prime. We’re typically power-hungry creatures.”

“I’m simply saying that maybe we failed to see that Drew is as power-hungry as Isla, Nora, and Roan were.”

Harper jutted out her chin. “I won’t believe it.”

“You don’t want to believe it,” he corrected.

“No, I don’t.” Because it would kill Devon, and Harper didn’t want to see her friend hurt. Regardless, it just seemed wrong to her. It didn’t add up. “You have to admit there are some holes in this theory. Did Drew ever seem power-hungry to you?” Harper had never sensed that quality in him.

“No, but Tanner scented him in that basement, baby. Why else would he have been there?”

“I don’t fucking know.” Slamming the suitcase shut, she sharply yanked on the zip as she secured it shut. “But I just can’t accept that Drew is the freaking Horseman. I can’t.”

Knox crossed to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “There are a lot of people trying to track Drew right now. He can’t hide for long. We’ll find him, and we’ll get our answers. For now, we have to operate on the assumption that he was—at the very least—involved with Alethea somehow.”

Sighing, Harper raked a hand through her hair. “I only just got Devon back, Knox,” she said, voice small. “If you’re right, the whole thing will shred her, especially if we have to kill him.”

“I know. I wish that wasn’t the case.” Killing Drew wouldn’t bother Knox, but causing a divide between Harper and her friend would. Still, there was no way he would—or even could—let the male live if he was the Horseman. Deciding to change the subject, he asked, “You packed?” At her nod, he gave her shoulders a little squeeze and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Good. The jet’s ready. Let’s go get Asher.”

Minutes later, they were walking to the clearing where the private jet waited. Levi led the way, using a machete to clear a path through the thick vegetation. The pilot, Davis, and his mate, Noelle—who was also the flight attendant—were already there. The sentinels got settled in the front cabin while Knox, Harper, and Asher seated themselves in the rear cabin for some privacy.

She sat Asher on her lap, who was busy poking Hound’s eyes. God, she hated that she was taking him back to a place where danger awaited him. She’d considered leaving him on the island with Tanner, but she couldn’t. Maybe it was selfish, but she wouldn’t cope with having so much distance between them. She also couldn’t bring herself to leave Knox to deal with the Horseman situation alone, even though he was fully capable of doing so. They were a team, and that need to be proactive in eliminating the threat to her son wouldn’t be satisfied with leaving it to Knox. No way.

Before the jet took off, Noelle came to offer drinks and snacks. Knox ordered a gin and tonic, but Harper declined—her churning stomach wouldn’t handle food or drink very well. Soon enough, they were in the sky.

Sitting opposite her, his thighs bracketing hers, Knox squeezed her knee. “It’ll be okay, baby.”

She kissed Asher’s head, inhaling his scent. “No, I don’t think it will.” Because there was a very good chance that Drew was going to die. “If we kill him, it will always sit smack bam between me and Devon, no matter how justified the kill is.”

“Which is why I’ll be the one to kill him, if it needs to be done. I’m fine with Devon hating me, but not with her hating you. Have you spoken with her about his scent being present at the house?”

“Not yet.” But she suspected that Jolene, as Devon’s Prime, might have already done so—her grandmother wouldn’t want the female hellcat to find out from someone else.

“You don’t want to speak with her about it because you’re still searching for a reason that might excuse why he was there—something innocent,” Knox gently accused.

“Is that so wrong?”

“No, but perhaps you should consider that the Drew you thought you knew doesn’t truly exist. Or maybe he did once exist but has long since changed. You’re right that some things don’t make sense, but that’s only because you have a certain impression of him in your head. Plenty of people wear masks, baby.”

Harper felt her brow furrow. “Yes, but Devon would have seen right through it.”

“Are you sure? She rarely sees him these days. He’s been gone six years now, and she wasn’t frequently in contact with him. People change—sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Drew likes a rush. What better rush than to be a Prime? And how much bigger would that rush be if you got the position by dominating the other Primes, making yourself the only ruler?”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she rubbed her forehead. “Okay, it would be a huge rush, but it doesn’t automatically follow that you’re right.”

Knox took a sip of his drink. “Would the Drew you thought you knew have been so disobedient? Several times he’s ignored warnings from Jolene. He’s even lied to her. She was under the impression that he was in Cuba right now. She escorted him to the airport herself a few weeks ago—even walked him to the departure gate and watched the plane take off. He either got off the aircraft somehow before it left, or he took a flight back to Las Vegas.”

Harper thought on that for a moment. “He’s never been rebellious, no. He always seemed to respect her authority.”

“His recent actions would suggest otherwise, baby.”

She scrubbed a hand down her face. “It doesn’t even make sense that he’d work with Alethea. You’ve been in his head; you say he wants me. Why would he have ever worked with someone who would have loved to see me dead?”

“I don’t believe he was working with her, I believe he was using her. We agreed that the Horseman probably lied to Alethea about his plans. Maybe Drew told her that he wanted you dead. That would have gained him her cooperation. In using her, he also kept her away from you.”

“What about Heidi, Knox? The Horseman arranged to have her kidnapped so that she could be used in a damn ritual. No matter how much Drew wants to be a Prime, he would never hurt Heidi. I firmly believe that.”

“So maybe, unknown to him, it was Alethea who chose Heidi. Maybe the reason that there wasn’t another attempt to snatch her was that he disapproved of Alethea’s choice. But don’t be so sure he wouldn’t harm Heidi. You said Drew was a decent person who would never try to break up a family, but he did. He tried to turn you against me. Tried to convince you to leave me. And he spoke of our son as if Asher were a thing, not a person. Does that really sound like the Drew you thought you knew?”

She swallowed. “No. No, it doesn’t. I just wish that—” The jet jerked to the side, struck by something hard. “What the—?” She cuddled Asher tight, eyes wide, mentally fumbling as the jet shook. Swayed. Tipped to the side. And then they were falling.

Jaw hard, Knox let out a wave of raw power that punched a hole through the jet. “I’ll get the others. Go!”

Harper called to her wings, tightened her arms around an alarmed Asher and—hating that she had to leave Knox behind but trusting him to get himself to safety—shot out of the aircraft like a bullet out of a gun. The air whipped at her hair and face, almost taking her breath away. They were above an island that neighbored theirs, she realized, and—

Something slammed into her wing, sending her dipping into the trees. Her wing got caught on a branch, yanking her backwards so sharply that it felt like someone was trying to pluck the wing stem right out of her back. Grinding her teeth through the blinding pain, she wrenched free, wincing as the branch tore a long, wide strip through her wing.

Panicked, Harper flexed her back muscles hard. Yet more pain assaulted the stem, and her injured wing failed her. Knox, we’re going down! All she could do was helplessly and shakily glide her way down, navigating her way through the tight clusters of trees.

As they neared the ground, she curled herself even tighter around Asher and snapped her wings around them to cushion their fall. It helped, but her head still connected hard with the spongy moss ground. Stars burst behind her eyelids and fiery pain knifed through the stem of her injured wing, making the breath explode out of her lungs.

She heard a sob build in Asher’s chest, but the sound seemed so very far away. “Shh, baby,” she whispered, voice lacking in strength, head spinning. “We’re fine. Let me get a good look at you.” But even as she said it, she could do no more than loosen her hold on him before the darkness pulled at her. She fought it, she really did, she fought it so fucking hard … but it was mere moments before it swallowed her whole.

Knox felt it the moment that Harper lost consciousness—his own vision darkened around the edges, making him almost lose his footing on the moss-covered earth. His heart leaped, and his ribs suddenly felt too tight as panic tore through him.

Baby, don’t fucking do this to me. Wake the fuck up.He had no chance of sounding gentle when a soul-wrenching terror was strangling him with a vice-like grip.

Pulse racing, Knox touched Asher’s mind and felt vibes of fear, confusion, and shock. But no pain, to his utter relief. That didn’t calm Knox’s demon—the entity was going fucking insane.

Knox soothingly brushed his mind over Asher’s, trying to ease his anxiety. It’s okay, I’ll find you, he said, hoping the reassurance in his tone would somehow comfort his son.

Asher’s mind slid against his own, cold and composed, and he knew it wasn’t Asher responding to him. It was his son’s inner demon, giving him the “impression” that it would keep Asher safe. That would have to be enough for now.

Knox scanned the area, as if he’d miraculously see some sign of Harper and Asher. He didn’t. Hell, they could have been twelve feet away and he probably wouldn’t have noticed, since the undergrowth was so dense. Ropy vines curled around thick tree trunks and draped over branches that boasted long-ass leaves. If he’d thought it would help, he’d fly over the island in search of them, but the canopies were too thick—he could easily skim right over Harper and Asher without knowing it.

He’d managed to pyroport the sentinels, Davis, and Noelle to the ground before the jet crashed somewhere in the distance, but they had no fucking idea where they were. None. Worse, he had no fucking idea where his mate and son were. Baby, wake up and tell me where you are. Nothing. Not a fucking thing.

“Harper’s unconscious,” Knox told the others, voice thick, stomach rock hard. He wouldn’t be surprised to hear that his eyes looked as feverish with rage as he suspected.

“Shit,” cursed Levi, sidestepping a spiky pineapple bush as he sidled up to Knox, fists clenched. “Asher?”

“He seems to be okay.” But while Harper was unconscious, Asher was extremely vulnerable. As if the heat, insects, and wild animals weren’t enough of a problem, there was the added danger of the Horseman. Who else would have taken out the jet? “We have to find them.” Even he heard the fear in his voice—the emotion left a metallic taste on his tongue.

Tanner’s nostrils flared as he drew in the scents around them. “They’re not close, but that doesn’t mean they’re at the other end of the island or anything. We will find them, Knox.”

Oh, they’d find them. What worried Knox was that the Horseman might find them first. The very idea of it made his chest tighten unbearably, taking his breath away. “But we don’t know which direction to head in, do we? Until we have even a hint of an idea where they landed, we don’t know where to start.” Harper, fucking answer me!

“Am I the only one thinking that the Horseman was responsible for the jet crashing?” asked Davis, taking his mate’s hand in his.

“It had to have been him,” said Knox. “He wasn’t able to get on my island—it’s too well-protected—but he knew what direction we’d take to get home, so he waited.” If Knox hadn’t erased the memory of himself using his ability to pyroport from Drew’s mind, leaving the hellcat clueless to it, Drew probably would have taken another course of action.

Noelle flicked a frown at the giant termite nest a few feet away. “Do you think he thought the crash would be enough to kill us?”

“I doubt it.” Levi used the bottom of his tee to wipe at the sweat on his forehead. The air was hot, thick, and heavy. “But I think he thought it would badly injure and weaken Knox.”

“Can’t Harper fly above the canopies when she wakes?” Noelle asked Knox. “You’d easily spot her if you then did the same.”

Knox shook his head. “He hurt her. Damaged either one or both of her wings bad enough to make her fall.” And the fact that she couldn’t fly her way out of danger made it even more important that Knox find her and Asher fast.

Tanner rubbed at his nape. “I have to say, I can’t imagine Drew harming her. Unless he’s given up on winning her to his side. Some people have that whole ‘If I can’t have you, no one will’ mentality.”

Harper, baby, I need you to wake up. When she didn’t answer, Knox growled and kicked aside one of the pieces of overripe fruit that littered the ground. “Whoever the Horseman is, he’s somewhere on this island. Where, I don’t know. But my guess is that he’ll be intent on tracking Harper and Asher, just like we are.”

Levi nodded, jaw hard. “They’re your only vulnerabilities. Moreover, they’re your demon’s only vulnerabilities.”

The reaper had that right. It was taking every inch of control Knox possessed to keep his demon in check. The entity wanted to hunt and annihilate the person who it knew was daring to hunt its mate and child.

It was filling Knox’s mind with images of them hurt and in pain, trying to goad Knox into surrendering control. But he didn’t. Even though he felt close to drowning in a soul-eating rage, he maintained control. Because the demon wouldn’t think. Wouldn’t wait for Harper to wake and give them some clue as to where she was. It would only do what it had been born to do—destroy.

“I don’t think he’ll hurt them, Knox,” said Tanner. “At least not until you’re there to watch.”

That didn’t make Knox feel much better. He again touched Asher’s mind. The vibes of fear had eased, which told Knox that it was highly unlikely they’d been found.

It galled him that he couldn’t get moving—he needed to act, but they needed some idea of what direction they should move in first. That left him feeling both helpless and fucking useless.

Harper, wake up, baby. Harper? Harper, WAKE THE FUCK UP!

Harper’s eyes snapped open as the telepathic shout seemed to rattle her brain, making her wince. She blinked rapidly, struggling to bring her surroundings into focus, groaning at the throbbing pain in her head. The smudge in her vision cleared, and she saw Asher sitting on the ground a few feet away, babbling to himself while shaking Hound, like he was playing on the rug at home. But they weren’t at home. They were … in a rainforest? What the hell—

The jet went down.

Her heart leaped in horror, slamming against her ribs, as memories flickered through her mind. The distance between her and Asher suddenly felt like miles. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

She tried bolting upright. And she instantly regretted it as pain exploded in her skull, streaked down her back, and lanced through her left wing-stem. The shock of the white-hot pain made her muscles lock tight. Motherfucker. She clenched her teeth, but a long hiss escaped. The sound caught Asher’s attention.

He looked at her and—unbelievably—a smile creased his face. There were dried tears on his cheeks, but he didn’t appear to be in any pain. In fact, there didn’t seem to be even a scratch on him, thank God. Her body and wings had protected him.

A growl rumbled out of Knox. Harper, you need to—

I’m awake, I’m awake, she assured him. A vibe of relief reverberated against her mind.

How long had she been out? Looking up, she saw snatches of sunlight through the thick, lush canopy. The sky hadn’t darkened. The fact that her wings hadn’t melted into her back suggested that she hadn’t been unconscious long.

Where are you, baby?Knox asked, urgency in every syllable. I need to know where you are.

Give me a sec, I can’t see shit from the floor.Moving slowly, she plastered her hands onto the damp, slick moss beneath her and pushed herself onto her hands and knees. Wooziness hit hard, and her head swam. “I will not pass out again,” she said through her teeth. “I will not.” Because then her baby would be vulnerable.

Breathing through the wave of dizziness that had rushed over her, Harper took stock of herself. Nothing was broken. But she had a few aches here and there, and she could feel little licks of fire on her skin. She suspected she was covered in cuts and scratches.

Standing, Harper glanced back at her wings. She winced. One had a long tear running through it, like it had been raked by the claw of a big jungle cat. It was also numb, so the stem must have taken a hard hit. Her demon bared her teeth, beyond pissed and raring to hunt the fucker responsible.

Where are you?Knox demanded. Tanner will track you, but we could do with a little help here.

If she’d been able to throw fireballs, she would have launched one in the air like a flare. Taking a tentative step toward Asher, she glanced around them. There were no landmarks. Only thick trees, ropy vines, thorny plants, hanging moss, and gleaming leaves of all shapes and sizes. Green, green, and more fucking green.

Beneath the birds calls and the crickets chirping was … Waterfall. I can hear a waterfall close by. And monkeys shrieking. Damn, she hated monkeys.

Tanner says he can hear a waterfall in the distance, along with some monkeys fighting. Stay where you are. We’ll track you. There’s no sense in me doing a flyover to search for you. The foliage is too thick and heavy.

We won’t move, she promised him, swiping her hands together, trying to dust the grit from her fingers.

Tell me you and Asher are okay,Knox urged.

We’re okay. Sort of. The biggest issue was that her wing was fucked, preventing her from flying her and Asher to safety. Thankfully, though, he seemed to be fine.

Who the fuck had shot them down? That she’d really like to know. She had the feeling she’d find out soon enough. It was highly likely that they’d search for her. Her hope was that Knox found her first.

Head still pounding, she made her way to Asher—well, staggered her way to him. The spongy moss didn’t help her balance at all. With a single thought, she made her wings melt into her back until they were once again tattoos. It hurt like a bitch, since the stem was damaged.

Crouching down, she kissed Asher’s head, wishing she could pick him up and hold him tight but not trusting herself not to fall just yet. “Sorry I passed out, sweetie. Thank God you’re okay.”

Smiling, Asher reached out and made a grab for her nose. Taking his hand, she pressed a kiss to his little palm. “Daddy’s coming soon. Daddy and Tanner and Levi. We’re going to be fine.” She skimmed her knuckles down his hot cheek, wishing they had water. Mouth dry and sticky, she licked her lips, tasting salty sweat. Swallowing was almost painful as the air was just so thick on her tongue—

A twig snapped.

She froze, attention sharpening. Her eyes narrowed as a large black cat prowled out from behind a huge tree on Asher’s far right-hand side. Heart pounding in her chest like a drumbeat, she shot to her feet and—ignoring the explosion of pain in her head—rushed to block the animal’s path, having no intention whatsoever of letting it get to Asher.

As it neared them, she realized it was no jungle cat. No, it was a hellcat. One she knew. Betrayal curdled her stomach, and Harper snarled at Drew’s demon as a red haze fell over her vision. “You son of a bitch.”

It curled back its upper lip—the act almost seemed like a taunt.

Before she even thought about it, she was stalking toward the bastard, fingers tingling with the protective power that had rushed from her belly to her fingertips. While her blood roared in her ears, it was a wonder that she heard leaves rustling behind her … but she did.

Twisting, she saw a big black fucking shuck standing in front of Asher. Dread and realization crashed into her, making the blood drain from her face. Oh, God, Drew had baited her. Lured her away from Asher. And she’d fallen for it. Mouth dry, pulse racing, she could only stare as the shuck snarled and snapped its teeth at her little boy.

Her demon hissed, wanting to lunge at the shuck but anxious that it would react by attacking Asher … which the shuck was no doubt counting on.

“You tracked them,” said a male voice. “Well done.”

Her head whipped to the side as two men slowly came into view, halting a good ten feet away from Asher. Every muscle in her body tensed. One of the males was short, gray-haired, and completely unfamiliar. As for the other one … that was another matter. A matter that made her blood boil and her mouth drop open in utter shock.

It couldn’t be him. Really. It just couldn’t be him. Because if it was, it would mean he’d fooled them all. Played them all. Because even though she’d learned from Knox that the guy had in fact smoked on occasion, and even though she recalled once hearing how much the asshole enjoyed attending Vegas shows—which would have made him a likely purchaser of Cirque du Soleil tickets—she just wouldn’t have imagined that he’d truly kill his own sister, especially in such a gruesome way.

Suddenly, it was too quiet. No bird calls, no crickets chirping, no droning of mosquitos. Only the distant roar of the waterfall.

Jonas flashed her a grin. “Evening, Harper. You’re looking a little worse for wear.” He gave Asher that same smile, but her son was too busy staring at the shuck. Not in fear, though. No, Asher looked utterly fascinated by it.

The sight of him sitting there, vulnerable and alone, made her want to cry. Shame curdled in her stomach. She was such a fucking idiot. How could she let herself be baited that way? How could she be that fucking stupid?

She had to get to Asher. Had to. Although she couldn’t cover six feet in one lunge, she could certainly get to Asher a lot fucking quicker than Jonas could. Sadly, the shuck would get there first. Plus, the hellcat—who was now standing a few feet behind Asher—would probably rush to block her path anyway.

Godfuckingdammit. Knox, Drew’s here. But he’s not the Horseman. It’s fucking Jonas.

And she needed to get the bastard away from her son. Needed to think. Plan. Act.

She needed the flames of fucking hell, that was what she needed.

Jonas?Knox echoed, his voice a guttural growl.

Yes.Which still boggled her mind. But I can’t fry the fucker. Asher doesn’t have his shield up, even though he has a black shuck in front of him and a hellcat behind him. Also, Jonas has some guy with him. If I call on the flames to burn one of them …

The others could attack Asher before you get the chance to direct the flames their way.Knox bit out a harsh expletive. Keep them distracted as best you can, baby. I’ll be there soon.

“Asher, put your shield up, sweetie.” Harper knew he wouldn’t understand the words, but she hoped he might respond to the urgency in her voice. He didn’t. Instead, he beamed at the shuck and waved, apparently unfazed by its snarls. Yes, he waved.

She just hoped to God that his inner demon would encourage Asher to protect himself. It had done a decent job of that so far. She spoke to his demon as she said, I’m trusting you to protect him. She didn’t receive a response.

God, she wanted to cry. Scream. Rave. Beat her fists into something or someone. Preferably Jonas, the motherfucker. She had the power to kill him and it was oh, so close. All she had to do was tap into her link with her wings and use it as a bridge to the power that waited on the other end of it. It would be so very easy, but she couldn’t call on the power right then.

As the shuck released a loud growl at Asher, she tensed, coiled to spring even as she knew it could be a very bad idea. She couldn’t just fucking stand there while it hurt her son!

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Jonas warned her. “If you do, I’ll have Drew rip out your son’s throat. I believe you’re well-acquainted with him, aren’t you? He’s been rather helpful these past couple of weeks. Who can blame him for standing with me after what Knox did to him?”

Harper narrowed her eyes, hands fluttering slightly with a desperation she tried to hide. She suspected the only reason Jonas hadn’t directed the shuck to attack Asher was that he didn’t want to risk him raising his shield. The Prime was also enjoying her fear for her son. It would be damn good if Asher felt that same fear, but he was still smiling at the shuck.

“You don’t really think you can keep me from my son, do you?” Harper asked, keeping her tone controlled and flat, hoping to hide the sheer terror choking her.

“Maybe not. But he can.” Jonas clicked his fingers at the man at his side, who sputtered a brief chant. And then, just like that, she was enclosed in an iron cage much like the one in the basement where Alethea kept her captives to feed the incorporeal, only its bars covered in what looked like lava. What the everloving fuck?

As her demon predictably lost its shit, ranting and raving and determined that these fuckers would die today, Harper grabbed the iron bars, intending to shake the cage, but the liquid fire coating it burned like a goddamn son of a fucking bitch. She snatched her hands back, grinding her teeth as her skin sizzled. Knox, don’t come into view. Jonas has a dark practitioner who can cage people with magick.

You’re caged? Fuck. I’m going to rip out their fucking spinal cords.

She could so get behind that plan. Stay downwind of the hellcat and the shuck. It was a wonder she’d managed to sound composed when her mind was in chaos at being separated from Asher this way. She wanted to pound her fists against the cage. But Jonas would love that display of emotion. The flames of hell would sever the iron bars, but she couldn’t call on them without risking the others harming Asher.

Please, baby boy, put up your shield,she begged him. But still, Asher didn’t.

Jonas studied her. “You lied about not having wings, I see.” He exhaled. “I suppose that was Jolene’s idea. She no doubt suspected you’d be hunted due to how unique they are, so she advised you to claim that you had none. Sensible. They’re quite beautiful—the colors of the flames of hell.” His eyes darted to the shuck as it weirdly whined and shook its head. “I did intend to cage the boy … but I think the sight of him surrounded by hellish beasts will terrify Knox much more than seeing him confined.”

Harper knew he’d be right on that, since it had instilled the same terror in her.

“Since you don’t appear to be deep in grief, I’m guessing that Knox is still alive.” Jonas sighed sadly. “I had doubted that the crash would be enough to kill him, but the hope was certainly there. I suppose you’ve already telepathed him with news of my presence. Good. I want him afraid for you. And what better way to frighten him than to slather your mind with a spell that will prevent anyone from sensing you—he’ll think you’re dead.”

Harper stiffened, stomach rolling. “That’s not possible.”

Jonas shot the practitioner a sideways glance. “Charles.”

She felt an oily tendril of magick poke her mind like a fingertip … and then she watched with a smile as Charles winced and rubbed at his temple. “Her mind is protected with sharp psychic barbs,” he complained.

Jonas’s mouth tightened. “What about the boy?”

A hiss slid out of her before she could stop it, which only made Jonas give her a gloating smile.

Charles plucked at his collar. “He may well have inherited her psychic barbs. Even if he hasn’t, touching his mind would be a bad idea if you really don’t want him to slam up his shield. A foreign psychic touch could make him and his demon feel threatened.”

“True,” Jonas ground out. “Look at him, Harper, just sitting there staring at the shuck—completely unafraid. Your son is either very brave or very stupid.”

“Funny. I was thinking the same thing about you. This won’t end well for you, Jonas, and you know it. I can’t even imagine why you started it.” She frowned as a hazy swirl appeared in front of the cage. Then, suddenly, an imitation of Heidi stood in its place, smiling slyly. Harper gave it a scathing look and then spoke to Jonas, “Ah, it’s your little pet dog again.” The incorporeal bared its teeth.

“That’s such a mean thing to say.”

The words didn’t come from the incorporeal. Or Jonas. Or the practitioner. They came from the person who strolled out of the trees and sidled up to Jonas.

Harper’s mouth dropped open. What. The. Fuck?

“It was the incorporeal you saw burn on the YouTube video,” said Alethea, smirking. “It took on my form so I could fake my death. Ta-da,” she sang, like she’d performed a magic trick. “Oh, come on, that was clever—admit it.”

“You didn’t even consider it, did you?” The incorporeal sighed, as if it pitied Harper. “I can maintain a physical form. And just as I can choose what form to take, I can change that form. Make it appear as though it is wet, burning, decaying—whatever I want.”

Harper slid her gaze back to Jonas. “You faked her death so that you wouldn’t be a suspect?”

“I did believe it was unlikely that you would suspect me of ever harming my sister. But, mostly, I did it because Thatcher was suspicious of her—he was having her watched because he suspected she was the remaining Horseman. Killing him would have been stupid of me, since some believed him to be the Horseman. It was far better to have him as a scapegoat. But I needed him to stop keeping tabs on her. Charles here was good enough to slather her mind in a spell that protected her from being sensed.”

Hearing the shuck snort and shake its head, like something was jammed up its nose or something, Jonas paused a moment to shoot it an exasperated look. Turning back to Harper, he went on, “I was rather hoping Alethea’s ‘death’ would make you and Knox suspects, considering how much you both detest her, but—alas—that did not pan out.” His eyes flicked to the hellcat. “I should really give Alethea the credit for bringing Drew to our side. I have to say, you don’t look very surprised to see him, Harper.”

“You made a mistake taking him to the house and showing him the prison in your basement,” said Harper.

“Ah, so you found a way to untangle the spells.” Jonas gave a delicate shrug. “No matter.”

Well, it seemed to matter to dear old Charles—he looked pissed that someone had undone his work.

Harper’s eyes helplessly slid to Asher as she reached out to Knox. Alethea is alive. The incorporeal posed as her on the YouTube clip.

Anger crashed into her consciousness. That bitch, he growled. We’re close.

Clenching her fists, Harper felt her nails digging into her blistered palms; the pain distracted her from the debilitating fear. “I thought it was the Four Horsemen. Alethea would make that five.” He gave her a look that questioned her intelligence, and her brow knitted as she suddenly recalled something. “Isla recruited Roan after she started the campaign to be Monarch. He was never really a Horseman, was he?”

“Oh, he was a Horseman,” said Jonas. “He was the one who came up with the pathetic name. He would have branded us the Five Horsemen if he’d known I was involved.”

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“I didn’t trust him not to keep his mouth shut. He wasn’t as easy for Isla to recruit as you might have thought. It wasn’t that he felt any loyalty toward you. But he did fear Knox. I’m sure you noticed that Roan was somewhat egotistical. Isla appealed to that; told him that she, Alethea, and Nora needed a man to help them; that they’d been looking for someone who they thought was strong, smart, and brave enough to help them take Knox on. He practically rolled over in delight.” Jonas sighed. “So easily manipulated. But then, so were Isla and Nora.”

It was Jonas who had started and led the group, Harper realized. “I don’t think Roan was the only person scared of Knox. I think you’re pretty terrified of him. You sat back and let the other Horsemen take all the risks. Hell, you basically set them up as sacrifices. And now you’re here with your sister and a practitioner to hold your hand—not to mention you have an incorporeal, a shuck, and a hellcat to protect you.” She gave a snort of derision. “Oh yeah, very brave, Jonas.”

Face tightening, he cut his gaze to the incorporeal and tipped his chin. The entity abandoned Heidi’s form, fading and then bursting into vapor. Harper winced as she felt a sudden pressure against her mind; like knives trying to slice through her skull. Then the pressure abruptly disappeared, and the vapor jerked back, obviously hurt by her psychic shields. It whooshed through the air and plunged into Charles, who blinked rapidly, but it didn’t seem to take control of him; simply needed to hitchhike on him.

Looking put-out, Jonas pressed his lips together. “I had a feeling you’d be too strong for it to possess you. Shame.”

With a snarl, her inner demon lunged for the surface, making Harper’s eyes bleed to black. “What do you want?” it asked.

Jonas’s eyes flickered. “Mostly, we want to see Knox die. Killing his mate and child is just a bonus.”

The demon laughed—a dark, unnerving sound that seemed thick with power. “How very foolish you are. You started a war you stand no chance of winning, and you are too dimwitted to see it. I look forward to watching you and your sibling plead for death.” Satisfied by the apprehension that flashed across his face, the entity retreated.

“Your demon is clearly very confident that Knox will save you,” Alethea said to Harper. “You yourself appear to be quite calm for someone who is caged and unable to protect your son. Relying on Knox to save you, sphinx?”

Calm? Harper was so far from calm it wasn’t even funny. She was also fighting the urge to plead with them to leave Asher be. Begging them wouldn’t work. They would get nothing but sick satisfaction from it. Her only hope was to seem confident in his ability to protect himself. “Asher isn’t as helpless as you seem to think he is.”

“Because he can raise a shield?” Alethea scoffed. “That doesn’t make him invulnerable. But don’t worry, we’re not quite ready for you both to die yet. Not until Knox is here to watch the show.”

Harper shot her an incredulous look. “Are you out of your mind? Seriously? You can’t kill Knox. And he’s not going to let you hurt us. As plans go, this one is a total flop.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Alethea. “You escaped the jet, but the others didn’t. They’ll be badly hurt. I doubt that even Knox could walk away from a magick-induced plane crash without being severely wounded.” And the idea of that appeared to delight her.

Harper’s demon bared its teeth, wanting to wrap one of the ropy vines around the little bitch’s neck. They wanted him weak, Harper thought. Well, they hadn’t got what they wanted, but she didn’t let her satisfaction show in her expression.

Asher clapped, chuckling to himself, eyes on the encantada.

Alethea looked from him to Harper, brows knitting. “Why is he clapping?”

“He seems to find you funny.” Though fuck if Harper knew why.

Alethea’s face hardened. “Does he now?” She took a step toward him. Although Jonas snapped out his arm to bar his sister’s path, Harper found herself snarling.

“Bitch, you try to touch my son and—”

“You’ll do what?” Alethea asked, hiking up an amused brow.

“I never said I’d do anything. I won’t have to.”

Alethea faltered—hell, even Jonas and the practitioner seemed a little spooked by the sheer confidence in Harper’s voice. That was good, because it meant they hadn’t sensed that deep inside she was screaming.

“Do not advance on him,” Jonas told his sister. “If we make any quick or aggressive movements, he’ll pop up the shield.”

Alethea gave a dismissive flick of the hand. “I have it on good authority that he’s not very strong. I could probably punch right through it.”

“I’m not sure I’d ever describe Sherryl Malloy as ‘good authority’,” said Harper.

Alethea’s eyes narrowed. “So, she told you about our ‘friendship’ during that interrogation you subjected her to.”

“We didn’t see the clip of the interrogation, since neither of us were in the Underground at the time it was aired,” Jonas told Harper. “But I certainly heard about it from my sentinels. They were rather surprised and impressed by your voracity.”

A snort popped out of Alethea. “Killing a person who is bound and tied is easy. That doesn’t require power.”

But the interrogation hadn’t been a show of power. It was a warning not to fuck with Harper and Knox. And it seemed that the siblings were refusing to heed that warning. They weren’t willing to deviate from the plan they’d put in place years ago—they may have felt they’d come too far to turn back. Of course, they probably wouldn’t be feeling quite so confident if they didn’t have their minions with them.

Alethea sighed at Jonas. “You can move your arm—I won’t approach the child. You’re right; it would be best not to risk him raising his shield. We want Knox to be afraid for himself, his mate, and their spawn. But he won’t be so afraid for his son’s life if the child is safe within his shield.”

Barely stopping herself from grabbing a fistful of her hair, Harper lifted her chin. She wouldn’t show them her fear or desperation. No way. “Wise decision on your part.”

“Back to the subject of Malloy’s interrogation,” began Jonas. “Your video clip had the desired effect, Harper. People received the message loud and clear. That’s not good for us, since it is us they need to fear. We’re going to make a video of our own. A video of my sentinel and Drew’s hellcat ripping apart your son while both you and Knox are helpless and can do no more than watch.”

Just the idea of it made Harper almost retch. The protective power that lived within her was tingling her fingertips so intensely, they were close to numb—she craved to deliver some soul-deep pain upon these bastards.

“They will not only see our power,” added Alethea, “they will see how we lured one of your old lair to partake in this.”

Harper’s mouth flattened. “He’s just a baby.”

“But he won’t always be a baby,” said Jonas. “He will grow, and I can’t risk him coming after us for revenge.”

Another whine whistled out of the shuck as it danced from foot to foot, seeming uneasy. The siblings gave it an odd glance, but it was staring at Asher.

Just then, Asher looked to Harper. His little face scrunched up at the sight of the cage. He reached toward her and flexed his hands, making a fussy ‘Ma’ sound.

She gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, baby boy. I’m fine.” She expected him to cry or attempt to crawl toward her, but he didn’t. He calmed, and she suspected she had his demon to thank for that.

“No, it’s not okay. It’s really, really not.” Alethea licked her front teeth. “I’m going to enjoy watching you die, sphinx. And I’m going to enjoy that Knox will watch you die. What I’ll enjoy even more is that you both get to watch your son die first.”

So much bitterness, thought Harper. This whole thing was about far more than Knox being an obstacle to their goal. This was personal. “What’s your beef with Knox? Tell me it’s not because the black diamond isn’t on your finger. Because if so, that’s just sad.”

Alethea sniffed. “Rejecting me was a massive mistake on his part, but no. That’s not what this is about.” Her expression made it clear that she had no intention of explaining.

“You really think you can take him on?” Harper shook her head. “The incorporeal has to have told you that Knox can call on the flames of hell. You can’t cage him with dark magick, if that’s your big plan. It’s been tried before. It’s never worked.”

“Ah, but that’s because those other practitioners didn’t know what he is.” Jonas smirked. “We do, thanks to Drew, which means Charles knows exactly what kind of containment spell he needs to use. It also means we know how to kill Knox.”

Harper inwardly frowned, wondering how Drew had discovered that Knox was an archdemon.

Jonas shot his sister a brief look of annoyance. “Of course, we’d have known that a lot sooner if someone hadn’t failed at their job of getting close to Knox.”

Hands balling into fists, Alethea glared at him. “I didn’t fail at getting close to him. He simply wouldn’t tell me what he is.”

“We knew in advance that he wouldn’t,” said Jonas, “which is exactly why I told you that you’d need to seduce him into taking you as his mate. How hard can that really be for a sex demon?”

Alethea’s cheeks flushed. “It is hardly my fault that he’s so closed off. If she wasn’t his anchor, she would never have gotten close enough to Knox for him to lower his guard and let her in.”

Hearing not only scorn but jealousy in Alethea’s tone, Harper knew that … “You might have reason to want him dead, but you also grew to care for him.”

The encantada tittered. “Wrong, sphinx.”

Ho, ho, ho, what a lie. “Unless dear Charles can create a cage that’s impervious to the flames of hell, you won’t succeed in containing Knox. How can you not see that?”

“It won’t hold him permanently, that’s true,” said Jonas. “The flames will certainly eat at the cage. But it will contain him long enough for us to kill him, which is all we want.”

Whimpering, the shuck walked in a tight circle, as if chasing its tail.

Brow furrowing, Alethea asked, “What is wrong with him?”

Jonas lifted one shoulder. “You know he gets restless when he’s forced to wait before he plays with his food.” That made Alethea chuckle.

It made Harper clench her fists. Asher wasn’t going to be anyone’s food. Please tell me you’re close, she said to Knox.

His mind slid against hers. I see you. There was a wealth of rage in that rumbled response. Just hold on for me.

Relief breezed through her. Pyroport to Asher and get him the fuck out of here.

The shuck is standing very close to him, Harper. It’s probably been ordered to attack Asher at the slightest sign of anyone trying to save him. Do you really want to risk it?

She squeezed her eyes shut. No, I don’t but, dammit, Knox, he needs to be safe.

My demon is urging Asher’s to raise the shield, but it seems to be paying it no attention. I have a plan. Keep those fuckers distracted.

Resisting the urge to glance around for some sign of Knox’s presence, she spoke to Jonas. “So, all this is just about you wanting Knox dead? The big Horsemen-goal was never really to have a power structure put in place or even to elect a Monarch—you knew yourself that it would only result in war … ” Harper trailed off as she caught an odd glint in Jonas’s eyes, and she knew … “You want war. You want chaos. Why?”

His face darkened, and he touched his sister’s arm in what seemed to be a gesture of support. “Our world became one of chaos when we were very young. The Primes are as much to blame for that as the person who caused that chaos.”

“The Primes think of themselves as superior,” Alethea scoffed. “They claim that the current power structure keeps us all safe. Well, it doesn’t. Not even close. A Monarch could have put an end to the suffering we endured, but there was no Monarch. The other Primes knew what was happening, but the majority did nothing. Now, they will all fall. And they will fall hard.”

“By ‘world of chaos’ are you talking of when your old Prime turned rogue?” Harper asked.

Jonas’s face scrunched up in scorn and revulsion. “Cordell never should have been Prime. It was no surprise that he turned rogue—the sadistic bastard was insane.”

“I can agree with that,” said Knox, stepping out of the trees. Eyes wide, the siblings and practitioner spun to face him. And, considering she’d informed him of exactly what their plans were for him, Harper had to wonder if her mate was fucking high.