Chapter 4

Barbie

Hell broke loose. I stumbled along what I guessed must be a long hallway like a blind fly, yanking my chains with me.

I tried to run in the opposite direction from all the shouting and battle sounds, but they were all over the place. Someone had broken into the facility, but I didn't know if they were a friendly force or foes.

Sy and I voted for foes, since I hadn't made too many friends.

Barbie! Barbie!Pucker yelled in my ear frantically.

Was my familiar here? The torque had cut off our connection. How could I hear him now? But then, Sy had come back to me, so there was no reason that my link to my ghost familiar wouldn't be restored.

I guessed, with time, my siphon power had finally worn through the spells that fed the torque.

Pucker, find me!I screamed at him with my frantic thoughts, trying to show him where I was, but I couldn't find any reference with the iron mask blocking my sight.

We're here!he called. I'm here! We set off the explosions.

Excellent job! I cheered.

Excellent! Sy cheered with me before she snarled. Someone's heading our way.

Fight or flight?

Fight!Sy urged.

So I kept going, determined to crack their skulls open with my iron helmet if they tried to grab me. They wouldn't anticipate that awesome and lethal move of mine.

The person rushed toward me, and I charged him/her before he/she could grab me, slamming my iron mask toward the newcomer's face, but instead of hitting the target, I was being lifted into the air.

Shit!This wasn't what I'd expected.

I heaved up my fist, ready to punch down on a head, the chains clanging at my movement. But a large hand wrapped around my fist.

"Barbie, stop!" Killian's deep voice came through my iron helmet.

It's the chaos prince!Sy called urgently. Cease!

Killian's power, not of this realm and of this realm at the same time, wrapped around me protectively.

The killer switch in me turned off.

It was him! It was the heir of the House of Chaos.

He'd come for me!

"I'm here, Barbie! You're safe now," he said, letting me slide down to the ground.

"Killian!" I hiccupped, my voice muffled in my ears within the confines of the iron mask, but it couldn't stop me from calling his name. "Killian!"

"Yes, I'm here!" he repeated. "My warriors have surrounded the premises. We have it under control. No one will take you from me again!"

"Take this fucking thing off me, Killian! Take it off! Please!" I cried, my good hand clawing at the iron mask.

"Shush. Easy, little dagger. I'm taking care of it," Killian said. "I'll take care of you."

I stood still, praying for that fucking thing to come off in a second. I could feel the chaos prince's shadow magic that he inherited from Hades rewiring the iron helmet. No wonder I hadn't been able to counter his power when he cornered me in the ice rink. It was death magic, a power that came from the Underworld.

Then the helmet was off my face. Killian shattered the chains that bound my one wrist and ankle as well.

I shook free my golden curls, but a few damp strands were still plastered on my face as Killian tossed the iron mask to the ground with a snarl.

I could breathe freely now without the burden and confinement of the iron helmet, yet my breathing still came in ragged gasps.

We were in a long, stone-walled hallway next to the empty dungeon cells. The only light came from the bulbs hanging from the high ceiling. There were no windows on this level to allow in any natural light. It was damn depressing and creepy here, and victims' screams wouldn't reach outside of these walls.

I was free and safe now. As Killian held me, inspecting me, tears streamed down my bleeding face. All the hurt swirled back, sinking into my flesh and bones, even though Sy had taken most of my pain into her.

Killian's stormy gaze darted from my bleeding face to my stump before he searched for my other wounds. Rage and pain brimmed in his eyes, which shifted from storm-blue to deep sapphire. I could feel his dragon close to the surface, seeking to break out of the chaos prince's skin. Killian's handsome face distorted before he leashed his beast, his eyes returning to cold blue. I didn't want to see him keep wresting with his restless dragon because of me, so I pressed my good hand against his face and peeked into his eyes.

"I'm fine now, Killian," I said.

His beast calmed, yet Killian didn't relax. His throat worked up and down.

"Thank you for coming for me, sir!" I said, gazing up at him through my thick lashes. "You came, Killian! I thought you'd never find me again, and I got scared."

"I'd always find you, my little scorpion. Always!" Killian said, tenderness, fierceness, and cold fury searing his eyes. His rage was reserved for those who wronged me.

The chaos heir was a formidable force. Almost the entire school feared him, but I was never afraid of him. Not even for half a heartbeat.

Pucker materialized beside us, flicking in and out of sight, and I pulled my hand away from the prince's face.

"I helped, Barbie! I led the prince right to you!" he shouted.

"Thank you," I said. "I knew I could count on you."

"Of course," he said, then he noticed my stump and hissed, "They did a number on you, Barbie. I shall skin those motherfuckers!"

Killian gave Pucker a look. Somehow, he could see my ghost familiar even in his phantom form now. It seemed the two had made some kind of deal while I'd been taken.

"Go help secure the perimeter, Guardian Pucker. Make yourself more useful," Killian ordered him.

Pucker nodded reluctantly and faded off into the stone wall.

"Let's get out of here," Killian said. "I'll carry you."

"Take this fucking torque off me first!" I said urgently. "I don't want it to stay on my neck one more second, good sir. When they clasped a bracelet on my wrist to bind my power, I had to cut off my own hand so I could have a fighting chance. The pain was excruciating!" Killian's muscles twitched in his jaw, his dragon peeking out again in wrath. "I miscalculated. I didn't expect them to set a torque around my neck next as a backup plan. This fucking torque drains me?—"

Killian clutched the torque with one hand, and I smelled burning flesh. My eyes widened in alarm and terror. "No, Killian!"

I tried to pull away, but he held me, not letting go. His other hand glued to the torque, despite the burn. His death magic and lightning lashed out, crashing into the torque. Then, with a click, the sound pure bliss, the broken torque fell from my neck and dropped to the ground. I stomped on it in fury.

"It's gone," Killian said in a tight voice. "No one will ever put it on you again. I'll cut their hands off before they can even try."

Sy cheered in approval. So romantic!

"So romantic, sir." I echoed, then I bit my lip as I realized that I'd said the wrong thing.

But Killian didn't mind.

He wiped away a blood trail from my face, so tender that my heart stuttered. I was already healing now that the torque had been ripped off.

"I can feel you again, little dagger," he whispered.

I also felt the connection between us swirling to life. I gazed up at him with adoration, gratitude, and desire. I'd never seen anyone more magnificent than the male in front of me, now that the torque was off and nothing could dull my senses.

He pulled me into his arms. "I vow to you, I'll protect you with my last breath."

I nodded, clinging to him. "Let's hope it won't come to that. I don't want you to die."

He dipped his head and kissed me, as if he'd been waiting his whole life for this one kiss. It was merciless and tender at the same time, carrying an unbroken promise. It filled my heart with starlight and lightning, so much so I was falling and kept falling, until we touched down on white sand under red twin moons that entwined with each other.

There was no one else—just Killian and me.

I wrapped my good arm around his neck, and he lifted me, my legs wrapped around his waist.

I kissed him back, a little awkward but full of white-hot passion, as if my whole world was in his palm, as if we'd known each other long before this, before we even existed. It felt like he was always mine, my destiny, and I was his.

"Cousin," Cami warned, approaching us. "Your Highness!"

I hadn't heard her, as my attention was fixed on Killian. She wasn't dangerous to me, so my senses didn't warn me. Sy was mesmerized by Killian's kiss, curling her toes at the secondhand sensation, so she didn't bother informing me of Cami's coming.

Killian slowly pulled away from me, a dragon's growl tearing out of his throat as he turned to Cami, his eyes glowing deep sapphire.

Cami took two steps back, her face paling with worry and shock, yet her jaw clenched stubbornly.

Killian didn't let me go and pressed me against him possessively, like I was his treasure, his dragon's treasure.

"You can't let anyone see you with her like that, Killian!" Cami urged. "You know that."

"Say that again?" Killian snarled. "Barbie needs me."

"If your enemies know that she's your weakness, they'll come for her," Cami said. "They'll hurt her to get to you. It might've happened already."

She meant the incident of my kidnapping.

Killian hesitated, his hold on me loosening. "We killed most of the mercenaries," he said roughly. "The rest self-destructed before we could capture them."

My heart skipped a cold beat. The clues were dead.

"What about your rivals? The prince heirs from the other houses?" Cami asked. "They'll get here any time now. We still have more enemies than we know, and they have eyes and ears everywhere."

Killian swallowed, looking at me, worry darkening his eyes.

It was the first time I'd heard them talking about their enemies in front of me. Who were they? My eyes were on fire as a fierce protectiveness toward the prince ignited in me.

"Rock!" Killian called.

The giant warrior stepped out. He'd been lurking in the shadows.

"Barbie is badly wounded," Killian said.

"Noted, Highness," Rock said. "I'll carry her back to the house and protect her with my life."

Cami let out a breath of relief as Killian finally saw sense.

"I don't like to be carried!" I argued. "I can walk."

Killian arched an eyebrow and handed me to his captain, ignoring my protest. Both men handled me like I weighed nothing. Just then, someone cleared his throat from the end of the hallway. Rowan stepped out.

Had he seen Killian and me kiss? Had Cami and Rock blocked us from view?

"Barbie! It's Barbie!" Cade's voice reached us. And more footfalls followed this way.

"I scented her!" Louis called, and Killian scowled.

"We found her!" Silas shouted.

The princes from the other houses zoomed toward us while Rock settled me carefully in his arms with Killian standing by. They'd finished changing hands.

The princes swarmed around me.

"We need to leave now!" Killian barked. "You four stay with the rest of my team and investigate further. Maybe you'll round up some urchins that haven't escaped, so we can interrogate them and find out who's behind this."

"Fuck off!" Silas snarled. "We don't take your fucking orders. Without our combined powers to teleport here, you wouldn't have located this place. We battled the mercenaries to clear the path for you, and you reaped the reward!"

"What reward?" Killian snarled. "Barbie could have died!"

"Guys, guys!" Cade waved his wand. "We need to keep working together. Remember, this is about rescuing Barbie. Are you okay, Barbie?"

My lower lip quivered at his concern.

"Does she look okay to you?" Killian said while I buried my face against Rock's shoulder.

I lifted my head and turned to the princes, showing them my bruised, bleeding face. They gasped, their eyes widening at my poor condition. I nodded at them and waved my bandaged stump at the ground. They dipped their gazes and spotted the iron mask, the broken chains, and the torque that still emitted a trail of inky smoke.

Horror and rage swept over the princes' gorgeous faces.

"I'm going to stab those dead fuckers over and over!" Silas spat. "I'll find out who is behind all this and claw their hearts out!"

Louis just stared at my stump, as if he thought it was his fault that I suffered.

"Don't worry. It'll grow back," I explained. "Thank you for coming to rescue me, high sirs. I'll never spit on your food or in your drinks."

The princes blinked, then let out low chuckles, even though rage and dismay stayed in their eyes. The tension diluted, so everyone could breathe easier with five high-powered alphas in a cramped space.

"She wasn't joking, idiots!" Killian growled. "Barbie is suffering! We're leaving now."

Before the chaos prince could lead Rock to charge out of the hallway, Rowan stepped into his path.

"It'll take more time to depart CrimsonTide in a conventional way," Rowan said. "Furthermore, anything could happen in this unlawful region. It'll be faster and more logical if we all combine our powers again and teleport Barbie out of here."

I blinked in surprise. I knew I wasn't on the academy grounds anymore, but I hadn't expected to be shipped to the neutral zone where the five kingdoms had no authority. I'd once thought of fleeing to CrimsonTide if things didn't work out in Shades Academy, but it seemed that I had to scratch that idea, since I wouldn't gain obscurity here anymore.

It made sense, though. Whoever had ordered the grab didn't want the kidnapping to lead back to them if things went south.

"Fine," Killian said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"You haven't even noticed Barbie's true condition, even though you pose as her caretaker," Louis said, stalking closer and ignoring Killian's threatening growl. "She's depleted. She's too weak to teleport."

The vamp prince was right. The rush of adrenaline had run out after the princes arrived at the scene. I didn't have any juice left, and Sy was in even worse shape. We were most dangerous in our current condition, as we might snap. Without the torque to hold me back, I had to exert every ounce of will I had so as not to suck the magic out of the land and into me.

I trembled. My teeth chattered with effort.

In a blur, Louis got to me before anyone could stop him, pressing his wrist against my lips. Without thinking, I bit into it instinctively. Somehow, my fangs or Sy's fangs slid out, piercing the vampire prince's skin.

His blood, pure and rich and rippling with power, fell on my tongue, and it was surprisingly sweet.

I leaned forward from Rock's arms, my good hand lashing out and grabbing Louis's muscled forearm to prevent him from escaping while I was feeding.

My predatory nature slid out just like that.

"I'm not going anywhere, Barbie." Louis chuckled.

As I peered up, I spotted satisfaction brimming in his pale blue eyes for the first time since we'd parted on bad terms.

"What the fuck?" Silas scowled.

He'd regarded me as a dormant shifter who was under his authority, so he wasn't happy with this little twist.

"Is Barbie a vampire now?" Cade asked in shock and confusion.

"She isn't," Rowan said. "We've never met her kind. Barbie turns out to be able to feed in a variety of ways, and blood from a powerful pureblooded vampire like Louis can give her a faster boost than other energy sources."

I felt a lot more alive after I swallowed two mouthfuls of blood. Instantly, the tiny wounds on my face closed. I was grateful for the vamp prince's donation, so I didn't have to worry about siphoning magic from the land.

Killian growled possessively. "That's enough!"

I hissed in objection, and through the vampire's eyes, I could see my own features shift a little, veins turning visible in the hollows under my bright, two-toned eyes. Louis gazed at me, mesmerized. He was a top predator, and it must be a new experience for someone else to feed upon him.

I could get used to this type of feeding.

"I don't mind." Louis smirked. "I once took blood from Barbie. It's only fair that I return the favor."

I nodded my agreement as I kept drinking greedily.

"I don't want her to become a vampire or addicted to you!" Killian snapped. "She's a member of the House of Chao. And who knows what kind of side effects your blood will cause? I'll let Barbie drink from me."

"But no woman can touch you without being severely burned," Silas said smugly and viciously.

Killian opened his mouth, then shut it, a raging storm in his eyes. He couldn't reveal to them that he could go skin-to-skin with me just fine. More than fine. Yet their quarrel didn't concern me while I eagerly drank from Louis's wrist.

Sy wanted to eat the vampire prince. His power can sustain us for at least five years if we consume him.

Louis hissed in pleasure, utterly ignorant that he'd painted a target on his own back by offering me blood. "I should've known it, Barbie. If I had known it while you were in my house, things would've worked out very differently."

Killian charged him, dragging him away from me.

"What the fuck, Killian?" Louis yelled, fighting the chaos prince. He'd been high from my feeding. "Are you a barbarian now, asshole?"

"I'm still hungry!" I yipped, unhappy to be deprived of my food.

"You shall not turn Barbie into a vampire!" Silas barked at Louis. "She's a shifter, a late bloomer. She shall return to my house, so she'll be better protected."

Cade slammed the heel of his palm to his forehead. "Not this shit again. Let's get out of here before everyone gets even crazier. Do you guys really want to stay in this smelly dungeon and argue endlessly?"

"One more sip from Sir Louis?" I asked Killian hopefully, and Louis was about to fight past Killian to reach me and offer me more of his blood.

Now I thought of it, I shouldn't have been too hard on the vampire prince when he was addicted to my blood. But then, another thought shot through me. Maybe this was all Sy's doing, since she fed indiscriminately.

Sy rolled her eyes, gluing her longing gaze to Rowan. As if summoned by her, the fae prince trained his intense silver gaze on me and sniffed, his eyes brightening, as if he had almost sussed it out. Then he shook his head and dismissed the impossible thought. It was too far-fetched for anyone to link Sy and me. No other beings could shift the way we did.

"No more sips from Louis! He's a bad influence," Killian said firmly, and Cade had to pull Louis back from lunging at Killian. The chaos prince glanced at the other princes. "Let's go! We need to get Barbie to the healers in my house."

"Uh, Sir Killian," I said as all the princes rallied around with Cami and Rock, who carried me, in the center. Cami had collected the iron mask and the torque into her satchel. "Bring me to Underhill. I regenerate faster there." I hadn't wanted to reveal too much of the relationship between Underhill and me, but three princes out of five already knew that I could ease in and out of the forbidden forest. "And no healers in any house can help me anyway."

Killian frowned at me. "Michonne, our top med-witch, healed you last time."

"Uh, I pretended that it worked while I regenerated all by myself," I said.

"Barbie is a lady of multiple layers," Cade chimed in. "If she says Underhill, we take her there."

"But Underhill has to accept her first," Silas said. "It hasn't let anyone in for centuries. You all sure we want to risk its wrath?"

Louis shrugged, then kept quiet as he regarded me.

The princes held hands, their merged power forming a twister full of light with us in the center.

"Underhill!" Killian said.

And the swirling light beamed us up.