Wounded: Book 8 (A Rylee Adamson Novel) (25 page)

The ride to the mineshaft proved difficult only because the wolves would be naked if they shifted to their human forms, since they couldn’t retain their clothing like he could, and without clothing they’d freeze in the air. Blaz grumbled the whole way about claws digging into his hide.

You are lucky I like you, Liam.

He just snorted. “Luck has nothing to do with it. You like Rylee, and that’s enough.”

Blaz echoed his snort.
True.

The dragon spiraled down to the edge of the mineshaft and the werewolves jumped off Blaz’s back in unison. And then the second problem Liam hadn’t really considered presented itself. There was no way to get the wolves down the mineshaft. Sure, he could have them shift, but they just weren’t strong enough for shifting multiple times, and some of them were still healing from the battle with the other guardians.

They milled around him, and finally he shook his head. “End of the line. Go back to your territory here. I will call when I need you.”

The second in command, a young male that resembled a pinto horse with black and white splotches on his body let out a whine, his eyes full of worry. They’d lost one alpha already; they didn’t want to lose another. .

Liam nodded. “I know. But for now, you keep things going. I’ll be back for you.”

The much smaller pack gave out a chorus of howls as they spun in the snow and tore off across the badlands. Liam watched them go, the wolf in him wanting nothing more than to run free, to be wild and not have a single care in the world. But that wasn’t his life, nor meant to be.

“Alex, you coming?” He turned and his jaw dropped. Alex had already rigged himself up and was sliding down the open mouth of the mineshaft.

“Yuppy doody, going down, boss!”

Alex let go of the rope and disappeared from sight. A howl of excitement echoed up the mine shaft.

I think it won’t be long now, for him,
Blaz said, leaning over the shaft and peering down into it.

“What do you mean?”

Won’t be long before he remembers how to shift.

“I wondered if that would happen.” Liam set to putting on his own harness. “Thank you, Blaz. We’ll see you on the other side.”

A smart blast of wind curled around them as he said those words and Blaz’s eyes narrowed with concern.

Premonitions abound, Wolf. Be safe. She needs you yet.

Nothing he could say to that; he agreed. Rylee needed him and he would fight for her ‘til his last breath.

Sliding down the ropes made him think of the first time he’d come down the mine shaft, with Rylee’s legs wrapped around him. How he’d come to realize she’d been innocent of the crimes he’d thought she’d committed. Lost in his memories, he hit the bottom of the shaft quickly.

“Vampire here,” Alex said softly, his eyes glowing with the little bit of light from the top of the mineshaft.

“Which one?”

“Rylee’s sister.”

That was interesting. Why would Berget be waiting for them?

Grabbing one of the torches they left at the bottom of the shaft along with a lighter tucked in beside it, he lit the torch and headed toward the doorway that led to the castle.

There, standing quietly with her hands tucked behind her back, still as a statue, was Berget. Her eyes found his and his gut clenched. Something had gone sour.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Rylee is fine, if that’s what you’re asking. But I cannot cross the veil into the castle. There is a fire raging and it is too much for me.”

“Fire? If there was a fire when you got here it should be out by now.”

“No, it is magical in nature.”

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Orion is trying to keep us from closing the doorway.”

“Most likely.”

A strange energy rolled off her, one he realized a moment too late. Berget launched herself at him, teeth wide and eyes glazed with madness. He jammed the torch into her face at the last second, and she screamed and fell to the ground with a sob.

“I’m sorry, Liam. They are getting too strong. I will stay here; I can’t go to London. They hate her for trapping them in me.”

He knew ‘they’ were her adoptive parents and the ‘her’ in question was Rylee.

Taking a chance, he crouched beside her. “Berget, it will kill her to lose you again.”

“I’m not safe around her. Not in the condition she is in, especially. They know, they could tell when I took her blood.” Berget raised her blue eyes to his. “I wouldn’t risk innocent lives for this. I love her too much to hurt her like that. I will stay here and do what I can to help. When the last fight comes, I will be there. That is all I can do.”

Her words were too much an echo of Milly’s when Rylee had left her in the deep veil. And that had not ended well. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. “I don’t want to leave you here, but you’re right. We can’t risk innocent lives.”

She let out a sob and covered her face. “Tell her I love her. And … tell Doran, tell him the same.” Her eyes flickered and her face flushed, but he didn’t point it out to her.

“Of course.” He stood and let out a deep sigh. This was going to crush Rylee.

Alex moved up to his side. “Bye bye, Berget. I will miss you too.”

“Protect Rylee, for me, Alex,” she whispered and he nodded vigorously.

Liam put a hand to the door and Berget whispered, “Wait.”

He half-turned so he could look her in the eyes. “What is it?”

“Days, you only have days left.”

She blinked several times, tears streaking her face. “They … they just showed me. Days, at best. I’m sorry. Maybe less.”

His heart wanted to stutter, but he held it together. “Thank you.”

With a quick turn of the handle, he pushed through the veil and into the burning inferno that was the castle, shutting the door behind him. He stumbled over something at his feet. “Shit, Pamela!” He scooped her up and she let out a mumble.

Alex grabbed at her legs. “Pamie, Pamie, wakey up!”

Her eyes rolled, fluttered, and then opened. “Hurry, Liam. I can’t hold out much longer.”

He didn’t ask what she meant, only picked her up and started to run. Twisting and turning through the castle, it was if the flames around them were chasing them. Alex yelped several times, and as they skidded into the main courtyard he let out a shriek as a piece of his tail caught on fire.

“Fucking ouchie!”

“Hurry, Liam,” Pamela groaned. There was no waiting; he bolted for the main gate, aiming for the slim opening in it. They burst through and into a steady downpour of rain that soothed his skin. He fell to his knees as he gulped in the fresh, cool air.

Alex poked his nose into Pamela’s face. “Pamie, you okay?”

Her breathing was steady and even, and Liam could tell it was just exhaustion. She waited inside that burning castle for him and Alex. He touched her face gently. “Kid, you did good. Real good. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t amazing.”

He knew in his heart it was a little like him saying goodbye, saying the things he should have said a long time ago. The time had come for his goodbyes, and he wouldn’t shirk them. As hard as they would be, he would say his peace before it was his time so those important to him would know he loved them.

Going on a hunch, I had Frank open the veil a half mile from Jack’s house. Just to be safe. And as close as we were, Frank was able to open the veil for that short jump despite his exhaustion and inexperience
,
completely avoiding the giant who stood on guard at the castle watching the fire rage.

We stumbled through the veil as fast as we could, every one of us worn out.

I Tracked the unicorns first; they were in the forest around the mini mansion and they watched us closely. I lifted a hand to them. They were safe and that was enough. Eve, Marco, and a whole damn clutch of harpies were on the rooftops and I could see now why the unicorns were in the forest. Sure, there might have been a truce between the two species, but that didn’t mean they had to like it.

Coyote was doing well, and he proved it by alternately pissing off Erik and then making him laugh. Frank and Kyle were discussing computer programs, but it was India who held my attention. She was in her own little world, and when I Tracked her to get a bead on her feelings, there was a lot of sorrow coursing through her. The spot where Frank had dropped us would give us a bit of a walk; I hoped that would give me enough time to talk to her.

“India, you know about your parents?”

Her eyes flicked to mine and then away. “Yes, they’re with me.”

Damn, being a spirit seeker had its pitfalls. I put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about that. I wish we could have saved them too.”

She gave a slight shrug. “It was their time. That’s the way it works, you know.”

Unfortunately, I did know. Even if I didn’t like it.

“I can sometimes tell when someone’s spirit is close to crossing the veil.” Again, her eyes flicked to mine and away. Like she was embarrassed.

A part of me didn’t want to know. The other part knew it was important. “Someone in our group?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t want to tell me, do you?”

She shook her head. “I’m not allowed. But it makes me sad. It will change everything. But they won’t really be gone. You need to know that.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are always with you, the ones you love. They never leave you. They fight for you even after they’re gone.”

Such wise words from one so young. “You mean like Giselle?”

A smile broke across her face. “Yes, like Giselle. And others too, there is a man named Jack who wants to say something to you, but he’s saying very bad words.” She blushed and I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out of me.

“That sounds like Jack.”

She screwed up her face. “He says he’s proud of you, even though he didn’t spend a lot of time training you. And that the book of the lost is where all the answers are. And that he’s sorry he didn’t tell you that in the beginning.”

I inserted the f-bomb here and there in her message in my head and it sounded just like Jack. “He can hear me?”

“Right now, yes.”

“Thanks a fucking lot, Jack.”

She clapped her hands over her mouth, covering a giggle. “He’s laughing.”

I kept an arm around her as we walked, knowing she needed the comfort far more than I did. At least, that was what I told myself.

The sun wouldn’t set for another hour or two, from what I could tell, but to be honest, I was so messed up with all the veil jumping I just knew I needed to sleep. Fatigue didn’t even begin to cover how I was feeling. A roll of nausea swept through me as if to imprint the fact that I hadn’t been taking very good care of myself lately. None of us had.

The house was quiet, and I supposed that made sense. No ogres other than Mer were left to keep Doran and Faris company—if the asshat had the balls to stick around. I Tracked the two vampires, but only picked up Doran. Which meant Faris was across on the mainland most likely. Or maybe even all the way back in the States.

Following Doran’s threads, I led the way through the house to the large library. He was slumped in a chair, his back to us.

“Miss us?” I said as I crossed the threshold.

He spun, his eyes wide, and I knew then he really had been worried if we’d snuck up on him. “Rylee, how the hell did you get here?”

“Little help from Frank, Pamela, and a shit ton of luck.” I tried to give him a smile, but I couldn’t. I was worried about Liam, about Pamela and Berget.

“Where are the others?” He didn’t name them, didn’t have to.

Erik stepped up and filled Doran in on everything that had happened. The coven, the guardians, the castle on fire. With each word, Doran’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m glad you made it out safely, but the danger is far from over. The demon packs are here, Rylee. Three of them, anyway. They are busy tearing up and down the coast, but seem stymied by the water crossing. They are causing some serious problems.” He sighed. “Most notably, a new strain of small pox seems to have erupted. The humans are freaking out, and rightfully so.” Doran offered me his chair and I took him up on it. India climbed into my lap and put her head on my shoulder. I thought about Talia and Milly, about how they’d made the fourth demon pack work for them. That must have been how they’d come to our side of the ocean; Talia must have brought them. No matter what help Talia had been, I had to remember she was not on our side, she would always help Orion first.

“Why wouldn’t she be made to take the rest of the packs to North America?” I mumbled softly to myself.

India gave a yawn. “Jack says it’s because they are waiting for you.”

I wrapped one arm around her and looked to Erik. “That makes sense.”

His eyebrows shot up. “What are you talking about?”

“The packs are here looking for me, for those who Orion wants to control. He might not want to kill me for the moment, but he’ll try and wipe out the rest of my support. And he fucking well knew we were coming here, where else would we go? The small pox breakout though, that is for something else.”

I recalled all too vividly our discussion about the bubonic plague, how the demons used it to weaken the human’s natural immunity to them. Fuck, that’s what was going on. A new plague to open the world to demon possession. The words spilled out of me as the realization hammered home.