Rylee Adamson: Shadowed Threads Part 2

Jack grumbled and took a swing with his cane at the werewolf as he raced by for the third time. aLetas go get some d.a.m.n cookies.a Again, a diversion. Even though I understood some of his reasoning, his diversionary tactics p.i.s.sed me off. As in royally f.u.c.king p.i.s.sed. It took everything I had to not lash out at him.

Walking beside him, Jack acted as though wead never had a fight.

Cla.s.sic male pattern avoidance. Fine, Iad pretend like I didnat remember the previous hour either, then.

aThe last thing you need to know, you already know part of it. You can Track people who are dead already.a I nodded, and he gave a double tap of his cane. aThen you need to know that you can also Track the spirits of some people. Not all. But those who have work left, or who are in limbo. They float between the first level of the Veil and the human world.a aGhosts you mean.a aGhosts. You can Track them. They move around a h.e.l.luva lot more than most people realize, going wherever the f.u.c.k they want.a aDo I have to know them? Or can I Track them like I would a group?a aBoth. But be careful because Tracking Ghosts has its downfalls too. They can yank you through the Veils. Heard about Brin getting dropped into the third level once. When he came out, his hair was white as snow and the p.r.i.c.k was only twenty one at the time.a He paused and then gave me a tired smile and a wink. aThe ladies loved it though.a We made our way into the oversized kitchen. Copper pots hung above the granite-topped island, wooden barstools lined up along the edges. The kitchen was equipped with two of everything. Handy I suppose, buta"I glanced at Jacka"I wondered how many people it had served since Jack became the owner of this place.

The kitchen was warm; both stoves were running full tilt. Pamela had flour all over her face, the floor, the counter and even on a few of the hanging pots. But she was smiling and pointing at a cooling rack covered in irregularly shaped cookies. The smell of chocolate and peanut b.u.t.ter wafted through the air, and my stomach growled loudly, demanding some the warm, calorie-packed treats.

aI made chocolate chip peanut b.u.t.ter.a Pamela dropped a dirty mixing bowl into a sink full of sudsy water, earning a glare from Jack.

aDonat break my s.h.i.+t, witch.a She opened her mouth and I shook my head, stalling her. Her lips turned down in a hard frown, but she kept her mouth shut.

Alex side-stepped closer, and then sat on his haunches, drool slipping from his lips in great gobs that splashed onto the white tile floor as he stared without blinking at the cookies. Subtle he was not.

aGive him a cookie quick before we get flooded the f.u.c.k out,a Jack said, taking a cookie for himself. Pamela handed Alex a cookie, which he took without hesitation and popped into his mouth.

I grabbed one, and tossed it back and forth between my hands to help it cool off. Alex downed at least three in the s.p.a.ce of ten seconds, Jack had his eyes closed as he savored the cookie. Pamela puttered about, cleaning up the mess. All so f.u.c.king domestic it made my head hurt.

And me? I bit into the cookie, the perfect blend of sweet chocolate and nutty flavors doing nothing to still the roll of my gut. Between the prophecies Iad read, the desire to go after Milly and OaShea, the knowledge that Berget was alive and, whether she knew it or not, waiting for me to Track her, not to mention attempting to train Pamela, and keep Alex and Eve out of trouble a I wasnat sure what I was feeling was true gut instinct and what was just stress. f.u.c.k, I hated stress. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. Simple and easy. Get called out on a salvage and go after the kid. In that, at least, Jack was right. With everything else going on, I was being pulled away from what I should be doinga"Tracking kids. How many back home were waiting on me? Just the thought of how many kids would die, how many were going missing as I stood there eating a cookie, made me sick to my stomach.

The phone in the kitchen rang, actually jumping in its cradle, startling me. Jack walked to the wall where it hung and lifted the receiver, a sour look twisting across his face.

aWhat the f.u.c.k do you want, witch?a I choked on the cookie in my mouth. Jack was a Reader, like Giselle. Which meant he would know who was on the phone the minute he picked it up.

Pamelaas blue eyes went wide and she mouthed the name I had come to hate.

Milly.

I strode to Jackas side and he handed me the phone, but didnat let go right away.

aDonat let her manipulate you. Remember what I said about people using you.a I pulled the phone out of his hand and put it to my ear, the crackle of static hissing ever so lightly. aYou need to let OaShea go, Milly.a aHeas already gone. There is no way to bring him back, Rylee, so donat bother trying. The wolf in him has taken over completely.a The phone creaked under my grip. aYou calling to gloat, you piece of s.h.i.+t?a aNo, Iam not. You should know, though, that he will be taken care of. You wonat have to worry about him anymore.a aWhat the f.u.c.k is that supposed to mean?a I didnat care that my voice rose in intensity, didnat care anymore that Pamela was hearing me swear.

aHe is hunting witches, actively hunting them. The local Coven has sent a team to deal with him.a aYou mean kill him.a She drew in a breath and I could almost see her bite her lip before answering me. aYes.a I had to find OaShea. As in now.

aWhy are you telling me this?a She was silent for a heartbeat, maybe two before answering. aYouare like my sister, I donat want you to be hurta"a Anger, sweet and hot, made it hard to speak evenly. aThe next time we meet, witch, be ready to pay your penance to the gatekeeper, because I will be taking your head. You donat give a s.h.i.+t about anyone, just yourself.a aDonat hang up!a She called out, like I hadnat just threatened her life. aPlease, Rylee.a The phone was already away from my ear when she screeched out words that stopped me.

aIam calling to ask if you would be the G.o.dmother of my child.a Not much could have thrown me for a loop. But that did. I stared at the wall. Milly was pregnant?

She kept on talking, quickly, as if to stall me.

aItas Ethanas baby. I thought he was going to come to Europe to be with me, but Terese wonat let him. I need to know my baby will be safe if something happens to me. I donat expect you to help me or anythinga"I know better than that. I get it, we are on opposite sides; youave made that very clear.

aBut if anything happens to me, I need to know that you will take care of my child, that youall raise him and protect him. Please.a This was not happening. It couldnat be. The aMilly is pregnanta scene wasnat what was throwing me for a loop. s.h.i.+t, that had been coming for years. But for her to think that after she tried to kill Alex and Eve, compelled OaShea, and now OaShea was being hunted by other witches as a result of what shead done, not to mention shead essentially killed Giselle, that I would for one instant do what she wanteda"

aYou took an oath to protect and save children at all costs, even to the loss of your own life,a she said softly, her voice dropping into a whisper. aPlease, Rylee. For whatever love we had as sister-friends, promise me this.a I struggled to find the words. aHow far along are you?a aIam due in April, right around Easter.a Jackas admonition still rung in my head. aIam not promising you anything.a I slammed the phone back into the cradle before she could beg anymore. Before I could buckle under the weight of my oaths.

The kitchen was still; no one moved. Jack, Pamela, and even Alex stared at me, waiting for me to say something. Saved by the bell, a buzzer sounded through the house announcing someone at the front door. Jack glared at us, and then glared at the general direction of the door. The buzzer went off again. And again. And again.

aCompany, who f.u.c.king needs it? You three, you need to get the h.e.l.l out of here so I can b.l.o.o.d.y well die in peace.a Jack thumped his cane into the floor with each step he took as he left the kitchen, presumably to greet whoever was buzzing us with such glee.

Pamela walked to my side and slipped her arm around my waist. aI can feel it in the air, things are changing, arenat they?a I draped an arm across her shoulders, as my mind once more saw the prophecies as if stamped inside my brain. aYeah a yeah, I think they are.a

CHAPTER 5.

IF YOUaD ASKED me to guess who was at the door and had given me ten tries, I still would have gotten it wrong. I a.s.sumed it would be Agent Valley (who still hadnat given up on me joining his agency), maybe Deanna or even Will.

Nope. None of those.

I think my jaw might have actually unhinged as the punk rocker-esque Daywalker strode into the kitchen. Jack muttered under his breath as he trailed behind his newest houseguest.

Doran strode right up to me and kissed me on the cheek, dark green eyes all lit up with happiness, as if seeing me had just made his f.u.c.king day. His white blond hair was still tipped in black, the silver piercings above his eyebrow and in the side of his lip still glinted at me, teasing little winks. All of it was the same. Except that he was here, in London, instead of in New Mexico where he should have been.

aWhat the f.u.c.k are you doing here?a I blurted out, shoving him away from me, wanting s.p.a.ce between us. If he was here, something was wrong. And the last thing I needed was more wrong in my life.

With a smooth fluid grace he lifted himself to sit on the counter, right next to the cookies. He took one, broke it in half and then took a bite.

aOh my G.o.ds, these are fantastic. Surely you didnat make them, did you, Rylee? If you tell me you can bake as well as kick a.s.s with the best of them, I may have to make an exception to my ano marryinga rule.a He smiled around the bite of cookie in his mouth.

aI made them,a Pamela said, her voice coming from the other side of the kitchen where she stood pressed against the industrial fridge. Her blue eyes were narrowed to slits. Her past experience with a fanged supernatural hadnat gone too well. No, not too well at all. Her hands twitched, no doubt prepping a spell.

Alex climbed up onto the counter to sit awkwardly next to Doran. aAlex sits too.a aGet off the counter, Alex.a I pointed to the floor. He slid off like a boneless Gumby doll, until he was splayed out on the floor flat on his belly.

aNo fairs.a I had only my bowie knife and my whip on me, stupidly having put my sword back in my bedroom. Not enough if I had to fight Doran. s.h.i.+t. Of course, that was a.s.suming he was here to cause problems. Again, I had to think he was. To come all this way for tea and cookies? Nope, that just didnat fit.

aI will ask you only one more time and then things are going to get nasty.a I fingered the whipas handle. aWhat are you doing here?a Doran leaned back, popped the last of the cookie into his mouth and dusted his fingers on his black leather pants. His eyes had an odd glint in them and they flicked quickly around the room. A single bead of sweat budded on the left side of his face. Yeah, something was wrong. s.h.i.+t, I hated being right.

aMay I speak with you in private, Rylee? Somewhere your new witch and the old Tracker wonat hear us?a I tipped my head toward the door and he slid off the counter, following me. Jack lifted an eyebrow and I pointed at Alex and Pamela. aKeep them with you.a I would deal with Doran on my own, it was better that way. My skin twitched as I walked; I could feel the Daywalkeras eyes on me, feel the desire he had to pierce my skin with his fangs. f.u.c.k, and I still owed him a kiss. I fought the urge to groan. Had he come all this way for a kiss? s.h.i.+t, I was good, but I wasnat that good. No, it had to be something else. Something I wouldnat want to hear. Or something he wanted from me.

I led him to the library. Seeing as the door was busted, there was no hiding behind it now.

Doran took a step in, turned and shut the doors. aNo lock?a He fingered the clean slice of the deadbolt, and then grabbed a chair and slid it under the doork.n.o.bs for extra security. Or an extra precaution to keep me in the room with him? What the f.u.c.k was going on with him?

aNo need for us to be interrupted.a His voice was soft, but carried across the room easily. s.h.i.+t, something was seriously off with the Daywalker. For all his quirks, and the few times wead spent together, this was not like him.

Without any hesitation, I pulled the bowie knife out and un-looped the whip from my belt. When Doran turned, his mouth opened and his step toward me stopped in mid-air.

aIam not here for that kind of a visit, as much as I wouldnat mind sparring with you. Though Iad prefer we did it naked.a He gave me a wink, but I didnat lower my weapons. I was learning that supernaturals with fangs just couldnat seem to help themselves, no matter what they said, they would always want what they couldnat have. Blood, s.e.x, power, one or all three of those options, whatever they could get.

aI think Iam good as I stand now.a aHave I not been helpful to you, Rylee?a He stepped toward the big table, ran his fingers along the top of it.

aYes, sort of.a aHave I not sent you gifts that have aided you?a I thought about the pendant head sent for Giselle, how it had helped on the last salvage. aPerhaps.a He smiled, maybe hearing the hesitation in my voice.

His eyes flicked up to mine. aHave I not drawn a demonas poison from you? And in doing so, saved your life?a aYou all did that, you and the other Shamans.a Laughing, he shook his head, the piercings catching the light and flickering against his skin. aI didnat need them, I could have done it myself.a aThen why didnat you?a aAh, well, I was under orders. Sorry about that.a Again, he winked, but his eyes were strained, like his mask was finally cracking. I had a feeling that whether I liked it or not, I was about to see another side of Doran.

aOrders?a He ran a finger along his lips, a second bead of sweat joining the first. aCanat tell you anything else.a f.u.c.k, this was getting irritating. aWhy the h.e.l.l are you here, Doran?a With a hop, he sat on the edge of the table and leaned back, spreading his arms out, fingertips stretched. He let out a heavy sigh.

This was weird behavior, even for him, and my gut told me I needed to move, get out of there. The thing was, if OaShea was lost to the wolf he carried now, I would need help to bring him back. And Doran was a powerful Shaman.

aI am here because a .a His hands waved loosely in the air above him.

I waited, but never lowered my weapons. He remained silent, so I asked him the question that burned the back of my throat with its intensity.

aOaShea is lost to the wolf in him. Can you bring him back?a Doran tipped his head up so he could see me and blinked, as if seeing me for the first time. aBring him back? Maybe. Perhaps. But it wonat be easy, even if it would work. Worse than what you went through with the h.o.a.rfrost demon, I think. Perhaps. Maybe not. Possibly.a The knot that had tied itself around my gut when Milly had told me OaShea was lost loosened. A chance, that was all I asked for, a chance to save him.

Before I could ask another question, Doran sat up and scrubbed a hand through his short hair, grabbing at it as if he would try to yank it out. aRylee, Iall tell you why Iam here, but youare not going to like it. Iave been compelled to come. However, I thought that once I was here I could keep myself in check, but itas proving harder than I expected. Perhaps I should have tried harder to stay away.a He was rambling, which was totally unlike him. aI told her I would help you; so I helped in the beginning, because itas what she wanted. Buta"a I cut him off. aSpit it out, Doran.a He swallowed hard. aI donat want to hurt you.a He took a big gulping breath, his pain-filled green eyes flicking up to mine. aShe wants me to kill your little witch.a I licked my lips, heart thumping hard with adrenaline. f.u.c.k, I did not want to fight Doran. aWho wants you to hurt me? Who wants to kill Pamela?a aThe Child Empress, the one that would rule the vampire nation. She is a power in her own right and she isnat even fully fanged yet. Because she carries the memories of her parents, she has all their strengths as well as her own.a Oh f.u.c.k, wasnat it bad enough that I was already dealing with Faris? Did I really have to deal with this Child Empress too? And what the h.e.l.l did she have against Pamela?

The thing was, I didnat know what to do. Killing, or trying to kill, Doran would lose me a powerful ally. And while I might not always trust him, the same could be said for many of my allies. Not to mention that Doran hadnat gone after Pamela when he had the chance. He could have attacked her there in the kitchen, but he hadnat, head held himself back somehow. Add in the fact that head just told me he could possibly help me bring back OaShea if he was lost to the wolf as Milly said.

aWhy would she send you to me, why not one of her vampires who could have cleaned my clock and be-spelled Pamela in a heartbeat?a I wanted to move, to pace or prep for a fight, but at the same time, I needed him to keep talking. If I was forced to kill him, then I needed all the information I could get out of him ahead of time. Brutal, cold, but no less the truth for all that.

aYou let me right in, didnat you?a His dark green eyes were full of sorrow, but he couldnat seem to sit still. His hands jumped and twitched as he talked. aI walked right up, kissed you on the cheek and you didnat even lift a weapon. The Child Empress knew that. I can get close to you; itas what sheas wanted all along. But I canat stop her from commanding me, the binding goes too deep.a aFine.a I rolled my shoulders, loosening my muscles. aThen how the f.u.c.k do we unbind you from her, stop her from compelling you?a aWe donat.a He lunged at me, and I barely got the bowie knife up between us. He stopped, his eyes wild, mouth open as he panted for air. His muscles twitched, as he lowered himself to the ground, face down, neck exposed to me.

aKill me swiftly, thatas all I ask.a His body jerked and jumped as if tied to strings I couldnat see. Like the puppet he was. f.u.c.k it all to h.e.l.l and back.

aThere has to be a way to unbind you from her.a I held the knife above him, poised on the edge of slicing it into his neck, holding off the inevitable.

aI would have to bind myself to another, someone else. There is not time; I can barely think straight with her in my heada"a His hands snaked out and grabbed me by the ankles, jerking me to the floor. I hit hard, but stayed on my back so I could see him. He crawled up my body, fangs bared, his eyes wide with fear.

aKill me. You must.a aI never did like doing things the easy way,a I said, as I flipped us over so I was on top and his back was to the floor. Even though he tried not to fight me, his body struggled to obey his mistress.

aRylee, you have no ability to bind me. And she is pus.h.i.+ng me hard. If you donat kill me, I will go after Pamela.a He groaned, his body bucking underneath mine.

I balanced my knees on his arms, but I knew that he could throw me off if he wanted to. What the h.e.l.l was I going to do with him? I couldnat kill him, not if I was going to bring OaShea back, but how did I let him live with Pamelaas life on the line?

A tentative knock came on the door, then the sound of a cane rapping against the wood.

aGo away!a I yelled, glancing over my shoulder. Doran threw me off him, pus.h.i.+ng me straight up into the air. My head brushed the fifteen-foot ceiling before gravity took over, yanking me back to the floor. I landed in a crouch, eyeing up the Daywalker who had plastered himself against the far wall of books.

aRylee, I canat hold on much longer. Send her away, I can smell her on the other side of the door.a He said, sliding to the floor, books falling around him as he went.

From outside the door came a resounding curse and then the wooden panels were blasted open. Jack strode in, a snarl on his lips, eyes flas.h.i.+ng with anger.

aThis is my f.u.c.king house, and I donat give a s.h.i.+t.a He came to a stop as he rounded the table and Doran came into view for him.

I put myself between Doran and Jack. af.u.c.k, Jack, this is why I didnat want you in here, I knew something was wrong.a Pamela stepped into the room and lifted her hand. With an ease that belied her experience, she pinned Doran down, and his face relaxed. aShould have asked the witch along. Always ask the witch along. Thatas advice you need to start taking.a aShut up, Doran,a I snapped, knowing he was right. The struggle was using Pamela to help me, but not getting her killed. A fine line in our world. One I didnat like walking.

Jack made his way to his recliner and slumped into it. aWho has you bound?a Doran rolled his head toward the old Tracker. aThe Child Empress. I know of no way to break the binding; Rylee must kill me or I will attack her, kill Pamela, and make a general mess of things for all of you.a Jack snorted and leaned back in the chair, putting his feet up. aAll these things you know, and yet so b.l.o.o.d.y f.u.c.king much you donat, Daywalker. And youave been around for what, three hundred years?a Doran gave a grunt. aClose enough.a I felt my eyes widen, couldnat stop them. Three hundred years? Seriously?

Jack pointed at me with his cane. aShe can break the binding, but are you ready to be free of the Child Empress, to stand with Rylee instead?a Okay, now I was confused. aI canat break any binding, Jack. I have no magic.a aThe magic is in your blood. In mine too, but I donat have any extra to spare.a Doran and I were talking over each other, but I shushed him with my hand. aDoran has drunk my blood before. So your theory falls short.a aStraight from the vein, or out of a cup?a Jack tipped his head back, and closed his eyes.

Doranas eyes met mine and I saw the confusion in hima"and the fear.

aFrom a cup,a I said.

aFrom any major artery, or from the last of your life, the magic in your blood will act like the catalyst it is. It is a driving force in the most powerful of spells, and will break the bond between him and the Child Empress.a Jack let out a jaw cracking yawn, as if all this were just the every day for him, as if he didnat really care about the outcome.

Doran shook his head. aI donat think this is a good idea. If I bite you, she could have a connection to you through me. Iam not sure I wonat rip you open if she commands it of me.a aI need your help, which means we are doing this.a I walked toward him, rubbed my wrist. This was going to hurt like a son of a b.i.t.c.h.

aThink big artery, Rylee. Iad say neck or inner thigh if you want to be sure it will work,a Jack said, stopping me in my tracks.

f.u.c.k, this was just getting better and better, wasnat it? Neck it was.

Doran couldnat move, held as he was by Pamelaas spell. I turned to face her. aYou let him go when I tell you to, okay?a aAre you sure?a Her fingers clutched Alexas collar, the werewolf having crept in without me noticing. Both of them had eyes the size of silver dollars. Children, I had children for allies. f.u.c.k, I needed Doran to snap out of this binding he was under so I had at least one able-bodied adult backing me up.

I was in front of Doran, our bodies maybe an inch apart. He was still shaking his head. aRylee, this is a bad, bad idea.a aSo is killing you, so is killing Pamela. There are no good choices here. If this will break the tie, we are doing it. So stop your f.u.c.king whining.a I closed the distance between us and did my best to ignore the thundering race of my heart. I closed my eyes and pressed my neck against his closed mouth. aDo it.a He groaned, his lips brus.h.i.+ng against my skin, tongue darting out to taste. I s.h.i.+vered and my heart sped up even more, sweat beading up along my spine. He whispered my name, kissed my neck, and I pulled back to glare at him.

aNone of that s.h.i.+t. Just bite me, d.a.m.n it.a Doran gave me a smile. aCanat blame me for trying.a I leaned back in, pressed my neck hard against his mouth, and this time he wasted no breath. His fangs popped through my skin, and I stiffened at the sharp piercing. He groaned and I lifted a hand. aLet him go, Pamela.a The second her spell left him, his arms snaked around me, holding me against him as he drew my blood into his mouth. For most people, it would have been a sensual, s.e.xual moment, and by the way Doranas lower half felt, he was definitely in the mood. But he hadnat be-spelled me, so his bite wasnat doing a thing for me. The bite hurt, and his hard-on dug into me with the unpleasantness of a drunken come on. Overall, not an experience Iad want to write home about.

I felt a distant tw.a.n.g on my senses and the Child Empressas attention focused on me. I could feel her gaze through Doran. s.h.i.+t, this was a bad idea.

aJack, how long?a I tried to look to the old Tracker, but one of Doranas hands snaked up to cup the back of my head.

Jack had the nerve to laugh. aThe first drop of blood would have done it, heas just getting off now.a I slid two fingers between Doranas mouth and my neck and popped him off like I would a leech; the connection that had started up between me and the Child Empress cut off. Thank the G.o.ds.

The Daywalker reeled back, stumbled across the floor and ended up flat on his back, a trickle of my blood leaking down the edge of his mouth.

aSweet mother of the dark G.o.ddess, Rylee. That is the most amazing blood Iave ever tasted.a He giggled, sounding drunk. aAnd the binding is gone. I canat feel her in my head. You are a G.o.ddess, a queen, a sweet aphrodisiac that I will never grow tired of.a I put a hand to my neck, the bite tender, though I could tell head not dug in as he could have. I had a bite on my lower back from a p.i.s.sed off Daywalkera"I knew how bad it could have been if Doran hadnat been holding back.

aGreat. The binding is gone. You can behave now. Pamelaa a"I strode across to hera" acome with me.a I left Jack and Doran in the library and headed to the nearest bathroom. Digging through the cupboards, it took me several searches to find what I was looking for. The towel was too big, so using my bowie knife I cut it into strips.

aPamela, run this under the hot water, will you?a I handed her the smallest strip.

She did as I asked, her eyes watching me in the mirror. aDo you think heas safe now?a aSafe as heas going to be.a aThen why did you take me with you?a I sat on the edge of the tub and she handed me the strip. Pressing it against the bite I let out a sigh. aBecause heas never going to be safe. Not really. There are very few supernaturals that I would leave you with. Will and Deanna, Jack. Eve. Not Doran.a Alex slunk into the bathroom. aLeave Pamie with Alex.a aYes.a I patted him on the head. aIad leave Pamie with Alex. You would keep her safe.a He grinned up at me, and then leaned into the sink to play in the water, drawing designs in it with his oversized claws.

Pamela eyes were shadowed, like she was still worried. f.u.c.k, this was what Iad been worried about when taking her on as my ward. Not only how the h.e.l.l I was going to keep her safe, but how was I going to allow her to still be a kid when she needed to be?

Unfortunately, I already knew the answer. Her days as a child were done, and even though she was only fourteen, I had to depend on her as the powerful witch she was.

It took everything I had to say the words that came out of my mouth next. aYou want to go and check on Doran, make sure he and Jack are all right while I clean up?a A flare of excitement lifted the shadows from her face. aAre you sure?a aYes. Just be careful. If he so much as steps toward you, wrap him up again and holler for me.a She was running back the way wead come before Iad even finished speaking. Eager to take part, eager to be of help. Eager to be a grown up.

The G.o.ds help me, I was going to need her when I went after OaShea.

G.o.ds help us both.

CHAPTER 6.