When Yvenne was at a safe distance, I began, drawing on the magic around me along with what was inside of me. This had to be strong and fast, a cleansing.

  That’s all I told the magic, to release their bonds, to break the illusions wrapped around their mind, to cleanse them. I pushed my intention into all the magic gathering, growing thick all around me. I used enough magic to locate each person in the room.

  My dark green eyes met with Yvenne’s gray ones, and I used her as a focus as I shoved the magic out, pushing them to find a target and to do what they were told.

  Black dots filled my eyesight, and I swayed.

  Someone roared, but I was too busy trying to stay conscious to worry about it. My body burned from the expulsion of magic. I may have used a little too much.

  Someone wailed and someone else moaned. The energy in the air thickened, nearly painful, the pressure weighing me down.

  “Yvenne,” I called out, blinking, forcing my body to deny the rest it desperately wanted. I’d only ever pushed myself this far once before, with constant use of my magic without time to recover, and lost consciousness for a day or so. I could not afford to do that now.

  On it. Her voice echoed through my mind. I pushed off the ground and swayed to my feet, finally able to see properly again.

  I kind of wished I couldn’t.

  My mouth fell open as I took in Shanton’s form. He was curled into himself, trying to hold himself together. His leathery wings were free, stretched out. His hands and feet were on the ground, his knees tucked into his chest, his head down so all I could see was his black hair. Energy pulsed all around him as the magic shifted toward him, attracted to all the strength straining against his body.

  A moan caught my attention. Davies was on the ground, holding his head, rocking slightly. Venni was nearby, trying to get a handle on his wolf, dark fur sprouting out of his skin in random spots.

  Shanton’s team was the same. Everyone fighting with themselves to stay sane as they battled against their nightmares.

  There was a loud crack, and I turned, in time to see a blur.

  “Rhett!” My heart pounded as he paused long enough for me to see glowing red eyes. No. Not good. He glanced around the room, trying to find the source of his anger, but that was centuries ago. He’d already had his revenge.

  Rhett growled, his fangs dropped down, even longer than I remembered them. He always hid them so well. My heart broke for him. He shouldn’t have to live through that again. No one should. He’d lost his family once, there was no reason for him to lose them all over again.

  Instincts rode me hard, and I steadied, all my focus on the blurring figure slamming against the walls, the sound echoing through the cave.

  Each time he did it, I winced. I wasn’t an empath, but I knew it had to hurt, just not enough for him to get out of his head. He needed to come back to the present.

  I glanced at the others. Shanton’s wings were no longer out, Yvenne at his side, her hand lightly touching his shoulders. The others had quieted down, the moaning and whimpering no longer background noise to the turmoil Rhett faced.

  My breath hitched as he swished by me and slammed against the wall again. I needed to stop him.

  “Rhett,” I said, this time filling my voice with magic.

  He stopped, his back to me. His wide shoulders heaved, his hands fisted at his side. His head was down. I approached him slowly, noting the way his back muscles bunched underneath the fabric of his shirt.

  “Don’t go near him,” someone with a gruff voice said, but I was too focused to tell who it belonged to. All my focus was on the vampire.

  When I got close enough, I sent out my magic to act as a calming balm against his hurting soul. When my magic brushed against him, mixing in with his energy, I gasped. It was like his soul rubbed against my own. My body quivered at the contact and my heart rate increased. I ached, and not in a good way. My heart felt like it was being shredded apart, my ribs restricted my breathing, my soul cried out.

  From the way his energy struck at me, rattled my bones, and drew on my fear, I was able to feel what Rhett felt.

  I cried. The tears came down, and I was too weak to stop them. This was what he felt, what he lived with, what he had to go through. And all these years, all these centuries, had done nothing to dull the pain. It rooted inside of him, became a part of him. He did well enough to hide it, but now the meaning behind everything he did for children and families meant so much more, had so much more depth than I’d realized.

  I wanted to scream, but most importantly, I wanted to take his pain away. I wrapped my magic around him like a warm blanket to comfort him. His shoulders slumped slightly, but it wasn’t enough. He didn’t make any noise, and yet, I could still hear his screaming in my head. His agony.

  His kids: gone.

  His wife: dead.

  His family: destroyed.

  None of them survived the vampire attack that had turned him. The guilt ate at him. Why did he live? Why didn’t they?

  I finally got close enough to reach out. My hand burned when I touched him, his energy taking out his emotions on me. I ignored the pain and ran it up to his shoulder, giving it a squeeze and applying some pressure.

  He lashed out. I didn’t even understand what had happened until the jagged rocks in the wall pushed painfully into my stomach. Rhett had me against the wall. He pressed in against my back and took in a deep breath, running his nose along my neck. When he exhaled, his breath was scorching hot.

  “Rhett,” I whispered, trembling slightly against his burning touch. His hands were on my hips, holding me still. A low, deep growl rumbled through him, and I gasped when I felt his lips against my neck, on the sensitive spot above my pulse. I knew what he wanted to do, what he was so close to doing.

  I clenched my teeth. I’d done my research, I knew what a vampire bite did to people, the rush of lust that would drive through the victim. I did not want that. My body trembled, not in fear or in excitement, but in determination when I felt something sharp at my skin.

  No. Fucking. Way.

  I twisted until my hand could reach his waist and applied pressure, pushing him away. I added in magic to give me the strength I needed.

  “No, Rhett,” I said, lacing my words with the bitter emotions warring in me. I was not willing and this was not something I wanted. Ever. That kind of loss of control on my emotions. I couldn’t handle it.

  It worked. Slowly, he lifted his mouth away from skin and put a little bit of distance between us. Enough so I could breathe again. His body was still pressed against me, but he wasn’t about to strike. When I moved to face him, he let me. My hand went to his chest, resting over his beating heart.

  I lifted my face so I could look at him. His expression nearly did me in, and I sniffled. The anguish in his eyes tore through me, shredding any sort of control I had over my emotions. I couldn’t hold on anymore. The knowledge of why he was like this didn’t help either.

  He wasn’t crying, and so I cried for him. He was trying to shut down, but I couldn’t allow it. Not here, not ever. He had wormed his way into my heart, and I fought for my friends, at least the ones that I had.

  I may not have been physically strong, but I made up for it with my smarts and determination.

  “They’re dead,” I said, my voice dull, probably exactly how he would sound if he bothered to say anything. “They died a long time ago, and you already avenged them. You killed the vampire who hurt them. He isn’t here. Neither are they.”

  I kept talking, telling him how it really was. I didn’t pretty the words, I knew he didn’t want it, so I kept telling him about reality, about how he helped children, how he created a safe place for them, how he always protected them.

  The red faded into a molten gold, and I never looked away, seeing him for who he truly was. I knew he had the power to keep me under his control as he sunk his teeth into my neck, but I also knew he wouldn’t. Not if I didn’t want him to. His sharp incisors shortened enough for him to hide them once more in his mouth. His eyes stayed on mine as I talked. I reminded him of everything he had done, that yes, he had lost, but he had gained so much too.

  “…and if you dare try to find the ultimate death, I’m going to figure out how to bring your ass back so I can kick it.”

  He blinked, and his eyes were a soft golden. “You’d never win,” he whispered.

  His bemused expression made me feel like I was doing something silly, and he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or be in awe.

  “I would.” I pointed at his chest as he stepped back, giving me even more breathing room. “I would so kick your butt.”

  He snorted, and I knew he was back.

  I smiled at him. “Welcome back,” I said, dropping both my hands to his waist, giving them a squeeze. I needed to make sure he really was back with us, that Rhett wasn’t going to go over the edge.

  “What happened?” he asked, the words coming out in a deep croak. He cleared his throat as he reached out and rested his right hand on my waist, giving it a squeeze. Maybe he needed to check to make sure I was as real as he was.

  “Illusions,” I said. “It got everyone. If Yvenne didn’t help me out, I’m sure we would have managed to kill each other.”

  Rhett glanced around the room. I didn’t want to look, to see who was now sobbing, who was growling, and I knew someone was throwing something around. Rhett’s expression hardened, and then he was gone from my sight with his speed. Coldness crept along my skin now that Rhett’s heated energy was no longer there.

  I released a breath, trying to shake off all the doubt running through my mind.

  I wasn’t her. I was Dr. Laila Porter, kickass labbie. Once I repeated that sentence again in my head, I turned around. Rhett had Venni in a complicated hold as Venni snapped and snarled, his eyes completely black, his beast fighting to get out.

  Shanton had control of himself, but he felt more closed off now. Even his eyes told me nothing about what he was thinking as he assisted Whertz with Millie. She was the one currently weeping. She had curled into herself, rocking, her back hitting the wall as she kept her head buried in her arms resting on her knees.

  Davies glared hard at the ground, his body completely stiff. I approached him carefully.

  “Davies?” I called out.

  His gaze snapped to mine, his sharp hazel eyes peeking out from his shaggy blonde hair.

  “Davies,” I breathed out. The intensity coming from him had my instincts on high alert. Whatever he saw had him on edge. He may only be a human, but he was a trained human, capable of working alongside supernaturals. I wasn’t going to underestimate him. Right now, as he was, I couldn’t approach him. He’d snap. “Speak to me,” I said.

  He zeroed in on me, but he didn’t really see me. He looked right through me into whatever was going on in his head. Whatever it was, held his complete attention. I could see all the calculations going on in his eyes. He was planning something, I just didn’t know what.

  Fear blossomed in my stomach. Supernaturals were resilient. We could shrug off the things that happened to us a lot easier than humans could. We moved on quickly. We faced it, accepted it, and then changed. But humans? I didn’t know. I knew there were hospitals for them to get treatment for their minds, but it has never been anything that interested me. Why should it? I would never make use of it, and I kept myself busy enough with my projects.

  Now that I looked at Davies, as whatever he saw tore into him and damaged him, I hated myself. Elliot getting hurt should have been a hint. I should have taught myself about the human mind, because right now, I felt utterly useless.

  Something inside of him hardened, and he released a battle cry before charging. Right. Toward. Me.

  “Move,” someone yelled, but I held still, my body frozen with the pain and desperation now on Davies face as he came toward me. To him, this was his last attempt at survival.

  I reached for my magic, asking for help, begging to protect a man I couldn’t live without. It reacted and snaked out, reaching for Davies. Tears fell as the magic wrapped around him and yanked him to a stop, just a foot away from me.

  He strained, grunting, roaring in desperation that tore at my heart. He didn’t need to feel like this. He was putting his body under too much strain. My magic could feel it: the pulse of his body, his heartbeat too fast, his blood rushing too quickly. Davies was all adrenaline right now.

  “Yvenne,” I called out.

  A moment later, she was there, standing in front of Davies. The binds around him kept him still despite his desperation for freedom and Yvenne was able to reach out to him and rest her fingers against his cheeks. Only the fact that she was made of stronger stuff, and years of practice as an empath, made it easier for her to force back the trauma.

  I watched her in action, as she compartmentalized the horrors she gained from Davies. She gripped the sides of his head and yanked him. Davies had no choice but to lean forward, bending to her will. Eyes closing, she rested her forehead against his. Soon after, his eyes fluttered closed too.

  Not daring to breathe, I watched the two stay completely still. They were in an inner battle. The others gathered around, now in control of themselves and recovering from what had happened.

  Venni moved to my side, and when I glanced at him, he wouldn’t look at me. He was trying his best to bury his emotions.

  His fingers grazed the back of my hand, and I took that as permission to hold his. He gave mine a gentle squeeze and continued to hold on as we watched his partner and best friend. All we could do was wait.

  After what felt like an agonizing eternity, the two of them took in large gasping breaths, stumbling away from each other. I ran forward, grabbing onto Davies’s shoulders to steady him while Millie and Rhett supported Yvenne.

  “Okay?” I asked.

  Davies nodded, blinking several times as he swallowed. I looked over at Venni, who stood on the other side of Davies. He nodded and disappeared. Two seconds later he was back with a bottle of water, passing it to Davies, who gratefully took it.

  He finished off the bottle in seconds.

  “Fuck,” he said. “I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to live that again.” His voice broke at the end of his sentence, and my heart ached to see the pain in his expression, the agony in his eyes. Whatever he saw had nearly destroyed him.

  “Your family,” Venni said and understanding dawned on me.

  Davies had talked about what happened to his family. They broke into his house, tore apart his parents and older brother, and left Davies with his baby sister.

  “I… I can’t go through that again,” Davies said.

  Venni pulled Davies into him and patted his back. “You survived it, and you’ll do it again,” he said.

  I smiled at the bromance between the two of them. Elliot had talked about connections and them not necessarily being sexual connections, and now I understood perfectly what he meant. These two were true partners. They understood each other and backed each other up through everything.

  They were beautiful to watch.

  Tyren stalked toward me and the vampiric growl coming from Rhett didn’t dissuade him. He was in my face in moments, his dark green eyes glowing with fury. The very little headway I had made with him throughout this had vanished with one incident.

  “How the fuck did you miss that?” he asked.

  “Back off,” Rhett warned.

  Tyren shook his head. “Your job is to make sure we don’t walk into traps, how did you allow this to happen?”

  I placed my hand on his firm chest and then shoved him with my magic, forcing him to take a couple steps back. I winced, and the room grew a little hazy. I shook off the lightheadedness.

  “I may not have sensed the trap and fallen into it like everyone else, but at least we were able to get out of it.”

  “Enough.” Yvenne sighed, coming over. “Enough, Tyren. Your distrust is going to destroy you one of these days.”

  “Is that a threat,” he hissed.

  Her eyes hardened, and her lips thinned out. “No, wyvern, it’s the truth. Dr. Porter has been a tremendous help and yet every chance you get, you try to tear her down. Leave her alone.”

  “We didn’t need to bring her.”

  Yvenne shook her head. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Neither would the twins or anyone else in this room. We aren’t as strong as her.”

  “We would have managed.”

  “No, we would have perished long ago.” Yvenne sighed. “Forgive him, Laila. We all have our demons, and we had to face them here.”

  “Stop talking.” Tyren sent her a scathing look that should have forced her to self-combust, but she ignored him.

  “You need to rest,” she said to me.

  “We need to get out of here,” I replied and smirked as everyone remembered exactly where we were. In the room with the artifact.

  We turned to see Shanton already focused on the small display. He stood a few feet away, his eyes hooded as he stared at the thing we’d risked our lives to reach. I walked up next to him, getting a better look.

  “Is that a flute?” I asked.

  “Soulweaver,” Shanton whispered, in complete awe.

  “That means nothing to me,” I said.

  He spared me a glance, his eyes glowing embers when they met mine.

  “If the user is powerful enough, they can use Soulweaver to call to them all the souls around. Someone powerful, like the elementalists, would be able to empty out a city.”

  “With a song?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yes. One special song.”

  I focused back on the deadly weapon. That made sense. I always compared music to magic. Good music had a way of permeating your body, filling you to the brim with energy. It could bring forth emotions you kept deep within you. I could see why a flute would be deadly.

  “Are you able to grab it?” Millie asked.

  “No,” I said, sensing the cage of power that had wrapped itself around the stand. “We have to break the protective charms around it first.”

 

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