As he walked past us, I watched his jeans hugging his firm backside. The crowd erupted, raising the noise level, as more press charged the line seeing the Dark Prince as he walked in the direction of the black Cadillac SUVs". He stopped a few feet from me and lifted a single dark brow.
"You need to come with us. I trust you finished packing before you followed secondary orders?" He said smoothly, his thick rich baritone flowing through me.
Secondary orders? "I belong to the Guild, first and foremost Ryder. I am packed and like a good little doggie I will follow on your heels-in our car." Which I highly doubted could keep up with his. Sarcasm dripped like honey from my lips, if he heard, it he chose to ignore it.
"Do so," he replied in the same casual bored tone he had when I had signed his b.l.o.o.d.y binding contract.
This is keeping my coven alive, just breathe Synthia, just breathe. I repeated the mantra inside my head. Apparently I"d develop pa.s.sing out as way to deal with this entire freaking situation and that was just not okay.
"Was that professional enough for Alden?" I asked watching Larissa nod as she spoke quietly into the phone. It bugged me that she had been in the know of what was happening around us and had excluded us from it.
She"d known I was being set up for the interview, she"d known how much I hated the Fae, yet she"d kept it to herself. We were supposed to be a team and since most covens had ten to twelve and we only had three, we depended on honesty and the closeness we shared to stay alive. Larissa following Alden and keeping us in the dark wasn"t something I couldn"t let slide. Our lives depended on it.
Twelve.
We followed them out of Spokane, back down the highway I"d already been on twice today. The van was filled with silence, something unusual to our group since we normally had a lot to talk about even if it was mundane things.
I replayed the scene over inside my head. It had been horrific and calculated. We were dealing with someone who liked to watch the victim endure the pain, who got off on the perverse s.a.d.i.s.tic need of the kill.
The victim had known her attacker, had let them in. If her house was anything to go off of, she"d been planning on the killer visiting, just without the whole killing part. Which meant she"d known her killer and had wanted to make a good impression? I still wasn"t sure if there were more killers that might have joined them after the first killer arrived.
I shoved thoughts of the crime scene away as we followed the dark SUV"s in through a twelve foot high metal gate that safeguarded Ryder"s personal living quarters located just a few miles from his club.
When I opened the door to get out, Adam stopped me by placing his hand gently on my shoulder. "Syn, be careful. I know you only signed to keep us safe-but we"re nothing without you."
I smiled sadly, "Adam, you"re stronger than you think you are. You guys-" I paused needing them to know they would be okay if I didn"t make it back to them, "If I don"t make it out of this, go back to the Guild. Damian has a great coven, he"s a fair leader. I need to know you"ll be okay if I don"t make it back."
They both stared at me, I could see the confusion in their eyes but it wasn"t like I was giving up on them, just the opposite. I was giving them an out. If I f.u.c.ked this up they would be used against me and I was smart enough to know that it wasn"t an if, it was a when I did.
"No f.u.c.king way Syn, we were a team since before boot camp. No f.u.c.king way, we belong together-we always have. We knew before we started this that it was a touchy group. We knew he"d want to use us, let the f.u.c.ker try," Adam seethed.
I exhaled slowly. "Adam, I can"t do this if I"m worrying that you"re okay. I need to know before I step out of this van that if I f.u.c.k up you"re protected. Give me this. Do you understand what I"m saying?"
I met his green stare as he struggled to agree to what I needed him to. Larissa was struggling, but it was by no means as much as Adam was. I should have questioned it, but I could feel the hard eyes of the Fae watching my back as I tried to make Adam agree.
"This is stupid. You"re coming back to us."
"You"re right Adam and seriously? I"d always come back to you."
"How cute," Ryder"s voice tore away the seriousness of the moment.
I turned back in the seat and glared at him, Adam"s hand still sat on my shoulder with a familiar caress from being as close as siblings. Ryder"s eyes went to his hand and narrowed sharply. His face took on a harshness I was not familiar with. It sent a shockwave of s.h.i.+vers right down to my toenails.
"Get out of the car Synthia, now."
"I"m saying my goodbyes, to my actual friends," I growled finding strength in my anger as the shock dropped away.
"They"re coming in, Alden has agreed that since the killer is now stepping up the killings, it"s best if we keep your small group here to go out as needed with a speed we can only achieve if everyone drives out together," his eyes hadn"t left mine yet.
I fisted my hand remembering the warning that he"d been in trouble before my other senses had kicked in to warn me of my own coven"s immediate danger. If he was close and in trouble when the coven was around-they"d be safe. As much as it sucked, it was ideal and plus I"d get to keep them close.
"Fine, but they"ll need to go back to town and pack a bag or two," I mumbled waiting for him to move away from blocking my escape from the van.
"Zahruk will accompany them into town, first we need to get the details down while they are fresh," he challenged. His eyes probing mine as if I"d argue to go with them. I"d argue anything with him-after I had a freaking nap.
"You intend to hold the meeting here in the van?" I looked down and instantly regretted it as I took in his muscular form, I brought my eyes back up level with his, "Or you gonna move so we can get to it?"
He stepped back but just barely. I hopped out feeling every muscle scream in protest as I did so. Stupid bomb. Stupid Fae. Stupid killer. And oh, what a stupid day! I swallowed the cry that threatened to push past my lips and slid the vans door open to grab my bags, gritting my teeth as I hefted them onto my shoulder.
"Syn, I"ll get them," Adam said stepping from the van and reaching for the bags. Ryder was closer and faster.
"I have them. They need to be searched for weapons before I will allow them inside the mansion."
The property was huge. In the center of the drive in front of the mansion, a giant fountain merrily cascaded water out down the pile of round black rocks it was built from. Runes. The ancient lettering on the flat smooth surface were runes, written in what I a.s.sumed was Fae. It had been just light enough outside to see what the mansion was a light color and a few stories tall but other than that it had been impossible to make out the details.
"Protection runes from Faery." Zahruk said coming up to stand in front of the group walking to the house. Ryder handed off the bags to Zahruk, holding them for a moment as they met and locked eyes briefly. I knew something silent had pa.s.sed between them.
I watched his back as he took off towards the large entryway that was well-lit considering without the lights of the city it was darker than it would normally be at this time of night. I scanned the threshold as we approached.
To the naked eye it would look welcoming, but with my second sight still up, I could see the highlighted glowing marks of the wards the Fae had placed around the property that kept anyone wis.h.i.+ng to harm them out. Similar to the ones inside my bedroom, but these ones were a lot stronger. These ones wouldn"t just hurt you, they"d kill you.
"Drop the wards," I growled feeling fear for my coven.
"They stay up," Ryder said guarding his expressions closely.
I turned, looking at the faces behind me and shook my head. I was so sick of this day that I just wanted it over already. "You two okay?" I asked quietly knowing it would be heard by everyone around me.
"It"s okay Syn, don"t plan on killing anyone today," Adam said with a smile and an impish wink.
I yawned waiting for Larissa to answer and when she finally nodded I turned and stepped through the door. I felt the slight sizzle as the spell tested my mind to check for hidden threats. I don"t know who was more disappointed that it let me through, Ryder, or me.
I turned, shaking my head, waiting for Adam and Larissa to follow. When both had been approved by the warding spells, I turned and took in the ma.s.s of stairways that led through the upper floors.
The entryway in which we stood was lighted on a major scale that made my pockets hurt just considering the electric bill this place must have cost every month. Funny how growing up can change your opinion of being afraid or the dark and afraid of the bills.
The place looked sterile even though it was beautiful. Rich cream colors covered the walls, a wide staircase sat about thirty or so feet in that led to the upper levels. A settee sat in the middle of the room made of deep chocolate brown suede, with standing lights on either side of it, probably so you could sit while waiting for the prince to get off his a.r.s.e and make an appearance.
As we moved closer to the stairs I looked up, taking in the magnificent wrap around balconies that circled the third floor. The layout was open, so you could see everything from the landing. This place was huge and I felt for the maid whoever she was.
We walked single file with Adam bringing up the rear, through several more rooms and hallways before we were led to a room with the mark of Trinity above the door frame. I mentally prepared for the feeling of being drained and wondered if I"d give in to being a weak-a.s.s girl and pa.s.sing out if the room was warded against magic.
Today had been too much. Tomorrow wasn"t looking any better. But I was a survivor and I had this in the bag as long as I didn"t end up bagging the Dark Prince and tossing his body in the lake a few miles away.
I stepped through and exhaled as no pain took over my mind and no blasted past was thrown in my face. I looked up in time to catch the Fae watching me. For what? I"d pa.s.sed the test at the front door and I hadn"t felt any spelling of the walls here, had I missed something?
I turned looking back as Larissa was thrown back and landed on the floor, her face pinched with pain as she looked up at me, "Larissa?"
"How did you get through?" Larissa whispered her eyes wide as she stood back up.
I turned glaring at the Fae, "Enough of these f.u.c.king tests! I saved your a.s.ses today, now let them in!"
"Fine, first tell me how you just walked through a ward that should have knocked you on your a.s.s," Ryder said crossing his arms over his chest to glare at me.
"Easy, I stepped the f.u.c.k through it."
"Only Fae are able to cross it without being invited," he continued.
"Then it"s broken, because I a.s.sure you I am not Fae!"
Thirteen.
"Stop looking at me like that! Witch here remember? I am not a f.u.c.king Fairy!"
"How did you pa.s.s through the spell? It"s not broken, I placed it myself," the Demon growled. I"d hoped to not encounter him again. So much for hoping.
"I told you, I stepped over it. I"m not Fae. If I was, wouldn"t you guys have picked up on it already?" I challenged Ristan, crossing my arms over my chest as I pegged him with a glare.
"Indeed," he snarled.
"Enough, she cannot be of Fae blood without us being able to smell it and I for one don"t smell anything besides human on her," Ryder spat like I was something distasteful and moved further into the room taking a seat at the far end of a huge oval table that engulfed most of the meeting room. The others quickly followed his lead and left us standing.
Convenient. His thirteen men that always seemed to be with him had taken seats as if they had been pre-a.s.signed-or in some sort of pecking order. The room had slate black walls that mimicked stone and under any other circ.u.mstances I"d have given them more attention but my curiosity was firmly on the murders.
I still hurt like h.e.l.l and the healing process wouldn"t fully work until I slept.
"How do you know she knew her killer?" Ryder asked jumping straight to business and ignoring the fact that we had been left standing like hired help.
"She made tea," I mumbled bringing my hand up to rub the back of my neck where the pain was starting to become unbearable.
"She made tea and that alone tells you she knew her killer?" This from Ristan who had his eyes narrowed at me.
"She cleaned, she made tea. Yes, sounds lame but seriously there was no dust in her front room, the window was broken from inside the house, the killer or killers weren"t rushed and she opened the door for them. The car was parked out back, so if the killer had been trying to break in to kill the victim, why the h.e.l.l wouldn"t she go through the back window which was low enough for her to break and slide through easily? It seems pretty stupid to even consider the fact that she would go through a window on the front porch in daylight hours and what she did inside..." I s.h.i.+vered as small b.u.mps broke out across my skin from the image that had been inside that tiny green house, "It wasn"t done in minutes, it was precise and the killer only took what they wanted. There were no cuts anywhere else that didn"t serve a purpose."
"You got all of that from the few minutes inside the house?" Zahruk said whistling.
"Yes" I replied trying not to show how tired I was.
"You think a woman did that?" Ryder asked carefully.
"No, I don"t think. I know at least one of the killers was a woman. There was mauve colored lipstick left on the gla.s.s. The victim wore no makeup. The heel impressions in the gravel and dirt also confirm my theory."
He considered it and then spoke softly, "Why would a woman take another"s uterus and ovaries?"
I ignored it. I had no freaking idea why anyone would do something so horrendous. "What leaves a green aura trail in its wake?" I asked after a few moments of awkward silence.
Fourteen heads shook their reply.
"They took her eyes, she wasn"t a power Fae. She was an earth Fairy for f.u.c.ks sake." Ryder snapped testily.
I dropped my arm and felt my knees sag briefly before I caught myself. Ryder had noticed it though. There wasn"t much he didn"t notice.
"Are we boring you?" He asked harshly.
"She took a bomb today," Adam replied before I could, "She has yet to sleep which means she hasn"t healed enough and needs to do so soon."
"Stop it Adam," I lashed out not wanting it pointed out that I was vulnerable until I had slept.
"No Syn, you saved their f.u.c.king a.s.ses today and ours! No one else could have prevented it from killing all of us. You shouldn"t be swaying on your feet, you should be sleeping and you know it!" Oh h.e.l.l, he was p.i.s.sed.
"I"m fine," I whispered lacking the tone I had been aiming for by a long shot.
Fourteen sets of eyes looked in my direction. I felt the weight of every pair as they took in my pale skin and the blood that was still crusted to my nose. I felt on display and it burned through me making my spine a little straighter and my eyes a little brighter.
"Zahruk, show them to the rooms I"ve selected for each of them and see that Synthia is placed in the red room," Ryder said dismissing us.
"Oh. h.e.l.l. No. No red room of pain," I snapped angrily. I was big into reading and no way in h.e.l.l was I entering no red room of pain in this place.
Ryder"s lips twitched but otherwise he gave no sign that he knew of what I was talking about. Larissa on the other hand snorted with laughter until I turned my glare on her. I was b.i.t.c.hy when I was in pain and I was doing my best to stay upright at the moment.
"I a.s.sure you there is nothing inside the red room. It"s a bedroom, we call it the red room because everything inside of it is, well, it"s red," Zahruk said scratching his head in confusion over my dislike of red.
I nodded unable to care any longer. I needed to find a bed and throw myself in it before I turned into a pansy-a.s.s and fainted again. I turned without giving the Fae around the table another thought. We walked through the halls and back towards the stairway.
I lifted my head and looked up with a grumble. Grinding my teeth I stepped forward to start up the steps but a hand at the small of my back stopped me cold. I turned coming face to chest with Ryder, knowing him instantly by his unique rich scent alone.
"Change your mind and decided to make me elaborate something else?" I mumbled feeling my eyes grow heavy.
"No," he replied softly picking me up as I cried out trying to bring my legs back down to the ground. "Hold still or I will drop you on your head. On second thought it might knock some sense into you."
I felt him moving up the steps and even with the fear arising, I couldn"t make my mind work. My body needed to heal and I"d been careless knowing what would happen all along. I settled further into his arms, resting my head on his shoulder as he curved his arm around my legs, keeping them far enough from my a.s.s that I felt safe and not l.u.s.ted after for the moment.
Or maybe it was just sleep talking. I inhaled deeply of his spicy scent before I opened my eyes to find him watching me do so. Great, that"s all I needed right now. Smell the Dark Prince who is carrying you up the d.a.m.n stairs like Cinder-freaking-rella!