Demon's Mercy, page 4
“Let’s just say we all have a purpose, right?” The sides of her mouth creased just enough to show a slight dissatisfaction. Or was that fear? “Banishment isn’t an option right now.”
Interesting. “What’s your purpose?”
“None of your business,” she snapped, her fingers curling into the worn bedspread.
Fair enough. “Where do your people get banished?” he asked.
“Other dimensions usually,” she said thoughtfully. “But since travel has been mostly suspended, I’m not sure. The rules are still being listed.”
He was really starting to dislike the Fae. “Listen. I’m no diplomat. But my brother heads the demon nation, and we’re tight with the King of the Realm, so maybe we should get them in touch with whoever rules your people.” Though the secret of the Seven had to be kept—even from his brother. This was getting complicated.
“Niall Healey is our king, and Alyssa Dawn is our president,” she said grimly. “Neither trusts diplomacy with the Realm or the demon nation, believe me.”
“Why not?”
She blew hair out of her face. “You’re all barbarians. More concerned with fighting than knowledge.”
That was a tad harsh. “Says who?”
She blinked. “Says everyone. The mere fact that the Seven still exists shows that you’re muscle-bound morons.”
He wanted to be insulted, but she was so earnest, amusement took him again. “I’m the first demon or vampire you’ve met, right?”
She nodded.
“Then how do you know anything about us? About me?” Why the hell did he care what the little fairy thought about him? Proving her wrong shouldn’t be at the top of his to-do list right now. Yet he waited for realization to dawn.
It didn’t.
“I read every scrap of history about your nations. Both of them.” She leaned in, her gaze more than direct. “And I know everything about you, Logan Kyllwood. Down to your interest in architecture and your odd fascination with the British royal family. You send flowers every time they procreate.”
His eyebrows rose. The intel on him was a mite impressive. “The British royal family has been our ally for centuries. We’re friends.”
She leaned in, her eyes widening. “Is Kate Middleton as nice as she looks?”
He nodded. “She really is. Brilliant, too.”
“I thought so.” Satisfaction curved Mercy’s smooth lips now. “Well, this has been entertaining, but I really must go, unless you’d reconsider my offer to send you to an out-of-the-way paradise to sit out the action for a while?”
“Not a chance,” he said evenly.
She exhaled slowly as if counting. “Very well, then. You’ve left us no options.”
“Your people won’t survive a war with us,” Logan said reasonably. “Your leaders will have no choice but to talk with us.” While their tactical gear was impressive, he’d taken down four of the attackers rather easily, even after having been shocked seven times.
She winced. “Don’t let one bad night fool you. We have powers you’ve never heard about.”
Totally possible. That’s what he was afraid of. It was time to learn more about the Fae. If he turned her over to his eldest brother and the demon nation, she’d be questioned—harshly if necessary. He wouldn’t let that happen. Logan would have to go at this alone for a while. Until he understood all of the facts.
Keeping the existence of the Seven a secret from his brother and the demon nation was starting to take a toll on him. He had to find a better plan overall, without question.
But first, they needed to get the hell out of Scotland. The walls were closing in, and he could sense the enemy drawing near. The ability had saved his ass more than once during the last war, so he never ignored a warning itch between his shoulder blades.
He reached for the hotel phone and dialed a secure number, giving two of his codes and following up with, “Jim Beam had a bad weekend on the beach.”
Mercy’s eyebrows rose.
Two clicks came over the line, then, “Logan? What’s up?”
“Sam.” Logan relaxed at hearing his older brother’s voice. Sam was the middle brother and definitely the most easygoing. Usually. Until something ticked him off enough and he went nuclear. Not a pretty sight. “I need an extraction. Here’s the address.”
He’d barely hung up the phone when Sam appeared in the room.
Mercy yelped and fell back against the wall with her hand on her chest.
Logan grinned and stood to hug his brother, leaning back to take a good look. They both had their vampire father’s size, standing well over six feet tall, and they had his dark hair and green eyes. But where Logan had been told—many times—that his hollow-eyed gaze showed his time in war, Sam’s eyes were deeper and darker. As if he, and he alone, knew secrets not even Fate could reveal. “Thanks for coming.”
“Always and every time,” Sam said easily, clapping him on the shoulder. “I was just doing some research in Tibet. Found an old monastery—great place. None of the monks talk.”
Logan grinned. He could see his brother loving the silence. “I was hoping you’d take a friend and me out of here sooner rather than later.” At the narrowing of Sam’s eyes, Logan guessed he wasn’t falling for the casual act. Oh well. “This is Mercy.” He gestured behind Sam.
Sam turned and studied the female for a moment. His head cocked to the side, and he held out a hand to shake. “Sam Kyllwood. It’s a pleasure.”
Her mouth gaped open. “Oh, God. You’re Sam. The Sam.”
Chapter 5
Holy jumping jellybeans melted twice into a gooey mess. She should so not have said that. So bad. Both Kyllwood men were staring at her with different degrees of surprise. Sam’s look had a curious tinge, while Logan’s seemed more…pissed.
“Care to explain that statement?” Logan asked mildly as Sam retracted his extended hand.
Not really. Nope. Not at all, in fact. Even though she wanted to crawl into a corner and hide until the next century, she couldn’t help but study them. Two of the three Kyllwood males in one place. And man, were they something to look at.
Thick hair, spectacular eyes, hard-cut bodies. Even among immortals, they were something unique. And they were brothers. Sam had come the second Logan had called. The idea of a brother had always fascinated her. More than once in her childhood, she’d daydreamed that one would appear for her. Lost and somehow found.
The shape of their jawlines was a little different. Logan’s was squarer, while Sam’s angled. Both firm and too sexy for description, but she’d definitely give it a try later on with Sandy.
Still, there was no doubt they shared genes. Really good genes. She’d seen pictures of the eldest Kyllwood, and he was just as good-looking.
“Well?” Logan prompted, his tone hinting she’d better come up with something.
Sam studied her eyes and seemed to look around her head. His body stiffened. Geez. Did he see auras or something? “You’re a fairy,” he murmured.
Logan shot him a look.
“Fae,” she corrected. When would the world understand how tough they were? It might help if the Fae remained in this dimension for a while, and it certainly would be beneficial if they actually won a fight. Logan had beaten her soldiers way too easily the night before. It wasn’t a surprise to find him not taking her seriously. Yet.
“Why are you on Earth?” Sam asked, his tone more curious than anything else.
Logan leaned back in his chair, his expression clearing to nothing. Blank. Ah. The youngest Kyllwood didn’t know everything about his older brother, now did he? That had to smart a bit.
“We didn’t have much of a choice but to return here,” Mercy said.
All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room changed. Tension, dark and deep, poured off Sam. He slowly turned to face Logan. “Wait a minute. There’s only one reason she’d be here. The Seven have not approached you.”
Logan stood so suddenly, Mercy tensed from head to toe. He leaned toward his brother, chest first, eye to eye. Both overwhelming in size and power. “What the hell do you know about the Seven?”
Mercy cleared her throat. Thank the gods he wasn’t glowering at her like that. Testosterone, a whole boatload of it, poured through the room with the force of an Atlantic storm gale. “Um, I should go.”
The brothers ignored her.
“What do you know about them?” Sam asked, his teeth clenching so tight his head had to hurt.
Logan pressed his hands to his hips. His earlier anger now seemed like mild irritation compared to the raw fury vibrating along his skin. “I know that you shouldn’t know a damn thing about them.”
“Jesus.” Sam wiped a hand across his broad forehead, and it was shaking just enough to be noticeable. “Is this where you and Garrett have been for the last month?” His eyes darkened. “Holy crap. Where is Garrett?”
Logan drew back. His expression smoothed out into a blank mask.
“No.” Sam grabbed his brother by the upper arms, his fingers digging in. “Tell me he hasn’t undergone the ritual of the Seven.”
When Logan didn’t answer, Mercy piped up. “Not only has Garrett Kayrs finished the ritual, he almost died during it. Got caught between dimensions and barely made it out.” Her people didn’t know how he’d survived, but they’d find out. Somehow. When both males looked at her, she calmed her expression. “Or so we heard.”
Logan growled. Low and hard and deep. “How do you know about Garrett’s ritual?”
Oops. Damn it. She just wasn’t smooth like she wanted to be. If awkward had a picture next to it in the dictionary, it’d be her. She tried to flutter her eyelashes. “Gossip?”
“Try again,” Logan snapped, shoving free of his brother.
Nope. Not a chance. The demons had no clue what the Fae could do, and she didn’t have time to deal with a treason charge if she told them. She was in enough trouble at the moment. Way too much trouble. “The Seven can’t be allowed to form completely. It just can’t happen.” The power that would unleash on the world, all the worlds, was unimaginable.
“It has to happen.” Logan sighed. “You know we were created to protect the world from Ulric, right? We put him in a prison world, created two worlds to contain it, and sacrificed our own members, Ronan and Quade, to live in them to make sure Ulric’s prison held.”
“Yes,” she said. The rituals the two must have undergone on a regular basis to keep the magnetic fields working properly awed her, even to this day. What kind of toll had that taken on the males? It was amazing Ronan had survived and was now on Earth again. What about Quade? It didn’t look good.
“You understand that Ulric is evil? The most evil Kurjan Cyst ever born.” Logan’s chest seemed to expand as he visibly struggled to keep his voice level in an attempt to reason with her. “He has the ability to kill every Enhanced female in this world—mated or unmated. We had to create the prison worlds.”
Of course, she was well versed in the role of the Seven, as well as Enhanced human females—those who had special abilities and could survive a mating with an immortal. “One of your worlds failed. Ronan Kayrs is now in this realm.” She shook her head. “The other two worlds can’t be allowed to fail. If the Seven form completely, that’s exactly what will happen. You just don’t understand.” And she couldn’t tell him everything without permission from her president. Even she wouldn’t break that law.
Logan’s eyes widened. “We are not leaving Quade Kayrs behind in a bubble world way distant from this dimension. His world will fail, and he will be brought home.”
Oh, if Logan had any idea what he was talking about, he’d stop talking. She shook her head.
Almost in slow motion, both Kyllwood males turned their heads toward the window, imperceptibly lifting their chins in a nearly identical movement.
“What?” Mercy asked, standing and turning, the hair on her arms rising. Faint signatures caught her attention. “Crap. They’re here.” A Fae force had found them. Probably the last force still standing after Logan had done his damage to the others last night.
She thought about calling out for help and then stopped. No way could a small Fae force take on two Kyllwood brothers. This time, Logan might not let them live, and Sam already seemed furious. Damn it. She ripped her destroyed shirt over her head and reached to unbutton her skirt.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Logan hissed.
She shucked out of her skirt. The pink bra and panties should be fine. “Get naked.” Reaching him in two strides, she grasped the bottom of his shirt.
Sam took a step back. “Um, bro? What’s happening right now?”
Logan manacled her hands, his eyes narrowing on her. “Explain.”
Man, he was bossy. “Take off your clothes,” she breathed, her heart beating too fast. “We have tracking dust. They probably coated us both in the warehouse during the fight.”
“Tracking dust?” Logan glanced at his brother.
Sam shrugged, his body visibly on full alert. “Never heard of it.”
The force outside drew nearer, their signatures strengthening.
Mercy tried harder. “It’s minute, like glitter you can’t see. Can track us anywhere. Great invention.”
“Shit.” Logan let her yank the shirt over his head and shoved his jeans to the ground. “If you’re messing with us, Mercy—”
“I’m not,” she gasped. Whoa. His bare chest was even better than she’d imagined. Muscled and strong—with a scar across his left pec. How badly did a demon have to be injured to be scarred for life? Usually they could heal all injuries. His wartime exploits hadn’t been exaggerated. If anything, she suspected his records left out too much information.
Why in the heck had she allowed herself to be tased? She needed to teleport and right now. There was only one choice. Grabbing Logan’s arm, she pulled him over to Sam, thankful he let her do so. “Dunk us. Any freshwater lake will do.” An ocean would be fine, but she hated sharks. Damn things liked to bite.
Sam frowned but slid an arm around her waist and one over Logan’s shoulder. “This is crazy, but what the hell. Dunking Logan is always fun.”
Mercy kept a good hold on Logan’s arm out of instinct, needing some sort of connection with him.
The Fae soldiers breached the hotel. The door exploded open just as the universe dropped away. Pressure and darkness moved in on her, and she closed her eyes, unable to do anything but remain on Sam’s path. Her skin tingled, and sparks flitted behind her eyelids. It was like driving a high-powered machine on an old country road. She was so much better at teleporting.
An energy caught her, and she opened her eyes.
Only blackness.
She tried to yell, to give warning, but nothing came out. Helpless. At the moment, she was truly helpless. They’d been followed into the path by Fae soldiers. Did Sam even know that was possible?
Light cut into her eyes, and a second later, she plunged deep into cold water.
The shock stole her breath. She closed her mouth and started to struggle, fighting the depths. Logan’s warm hands wrapped around her upper arms, and she moved into him, seeking safety. He kept a tight hold and kicked to the surface. The moment oxygen filled her nose, she started to cough and sputter.
“You’re okay.” Logan’s voice softened, and he held her aloft, providing a shield against all danger. They floated in the calm water.
Sam appeared from the depths next to them, his dark hair plastered to his head. His wet clothing clung to a very ripped body. “Will this wash off the tracking dust on you two?”
Gulping, she nodded. They were in the middle of a bluish-green lake surrounded on all four sides by thick forest and wild mountains. Far away from Scotland. Snow covered the tall peaks in the distance. “But we have a problem,” she sputtered.
“What?” Logan asked.
Two Fae soldiers plunged out of thin air into the lake. Coming up, they each grabbed one of Sam’s arms.
Logan yelled and moved toward his brother.
Electricity crackled through the water, and then all three men disappeared. Waves whipped around wildly.
“Sam!” Logan yelled.
But he was gone.
Chapter 6
Surrounded by icy water, Logan Kyllwood went full hot. Fire roared through him. He splashed around, looking toward the shore, trying to find his brother. His lungs seized. Then he stilled, going calm. Deadly. “Where are they?”
“They’re gone,” Mercy said, quietly treading water.
He turned toward her, moving rapidly through the waves to reach her. Focus. He had to focus and not go ballistic. “Where did they go?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her dark red hair floating on the water. “They could be anywhere.”
Why the hell hadn’t Sam stopped the teleporting? Was he just taken by surprise, or had the dual energy from the two Fae stopped him? Damn it. Logan was about to lose his mind. “Can you trace them the same way they followed us?”
“Not without my ability to teleport,” she sighed, her lips turning blue.
Anger tried to grab him, but he banished all emotion. The woman knew more than she was telling. “Let’s get to shore.” Without waiting for an answer, he grasped her arm and started swimming hard, not giving her a chance to hesitate. She had to either kick to keep up or go under.
She kicked.
He slowed down so she wouldn’t have to exert herself too much. Then he pulled her along, making sure she kept her head above water. The smell of snow tinged the air, and the water was definitely glacier fed.
There was no question the Fae knew a hell of a lot more about the universe and dimensions than his people did, and it was time for a little physics lesson. He didn’t want to scare her, but he’d do what he’d have to do to save his brother. The two soldiers who’d taken Sam hadn’t hesitated. They’d wanted Sam, not Logan or Mercy. Right now, anyway.
