Wicked Burn

  Flynn stood so suddenly, she had to step back. Anger etched into the fine lines of his face. Now he towered over her by at least a foot. “I’ve been away since Desmond took over, working overseas, and I’ve only been back a week. You can trust me that I’ll find out what’s going on.”

  “I don’t trust you worth rubbish,” she spat, jumping up.

  “In this matter, you don’t really have a choice.” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “I don’t want to contain you in the family private suite, but I will if you don’t agree to stay out of the way tomorrow morning.”

  Simone gaped at him. “You want me to just stand by and watch you kill my, my, well, Nick?”

  Flynn nodded.

  “Who will do it? You?” she asked, her hands clenching with the need to throw more fire.

  “Aye. I’m the one who will ultimately carry out the sentence,” Flynn said, his gaze somber but no less intense.

  “He’ll fight you,” Simone said, her chin lifting.

  “I hope so.” Flynn’s shoulders drew back. “It wouldn’t be fair to just cut off his head. But you know that demons can’t mind attack dragons, right?”

  Simone froze. “Maybe that has changed.”

  “I doubt it. Dragon minds are impregnable. Well, except by mates.”

  Nick had played in her brain, hadn’t he? And they weren’t mated. “What if you open your mental shields?” She’d always been able to visualize shields in her head. Must be her dragon side.

  “Sure. You can always open yourself up for attack.” Flynn frowned. “I don’t plan to do so with your lover.”

  “So dragons can defend against a mind attack but truly can’t perpetrate one,” she said slowly.

  “No. Which is why a dragon can never mate with a demon. The hybrid that was born years ago was able to destroy minds without even meaning to do so.” Flynn glanced at a worn watch around his wrist. “Desmond should be here soon.”

  Simone’s throat closed. “Flynn, you have to help me. Nick was just protecting me when Roman tried to harm me. You can’t follow through with a death sentence. Excommunicate me instead.”

  “But you didn’t kill our father.”

  “No, but if there needs to be punishment, let me take it.” As long as they didn’t try to cut off her head. If they tried, she’d fight and burn their asses.

  “No.”

  “Surely it’s okay to kill a dragon in self-defense.” She reached out and grasped his hand. “That’s what really happened.”

  Sympathy twisted his lip. “It’s too late to matter, sister. I’m sorry.” He flipped his hand around to grasp hers. “Now, tell me what the plan is. I know there has to be one.”

  She looked him right in the eye. “If there is an escape plan, I have no clue what it is.”

  He studied her, his eyes darkening. “You really don’t know.”

  “No.” She allowed her shoulders to slump. “I’m afraid there isn’t a good plan.” Hell, that was the truth, so it should convince him. “I need your help, and you know it. Please.”

  His dark eyebrows slashed down. “Nicholai Veis is a demon, and if you want to someday rule the Nine, even if it’s centuries from now, then you can’t be mated to a demon. I’m trying to save you from yourself here.”

  “Fuck you,” Simone said evenly. “I’m a grown woman who can save herself, you asshat.” It was a good insult she’d learned from the queen of the Realm. “I require your assistance in saving Nicholai only.”

  Desmond strolled into the room from the dining area. “That is not going to happen.” He took Simone’s glass and tipped back the whiskey. “Well? What’s the plan?”

  Flynn sighed. “If there is a plan, she doesn’t know it.”

  Betrayal coated her throat like acid. She swallowed bile and tried not to throw up. “You bastard,” she muttered.

  “Actually a true statement,” Flynn said.

  So Flynn had been trying to get information from her while she had been trying to manipulate him into helping her. They were quite a pair, weren’t they? “I hope I don’t have to kill you,” she said to her brother.

  He nodded. “I hope so, too.”

  The unconcerned note in his voice made her want to burn him from head to toe, right then and there. Then she’d have to take on Desmond, too, and first she needed to find Bear. “I’m suddenly not hungry.”

  “Too bad,” Desmond said, looking around. “Where in the world is Beau—”

  “I’m here and starving.” Bear loped into the room.

  Desmond looked his way and grimaced. “You could’ve changed for supper.”

  Bear glanced down at his faded jeans and worn T-shirt. “These are clean. What’s wrong with them?”

  Desmond rolled his eyes. “There are several suits in your size in the closet of the rooms you were assigned an hour ago, and I know this because I put them there.”

  “Dude. Do I look like I wear suits?” Bear asked, sniffing the air. “Is that aged whiskey?”

  “Those who don’t wear suits don’t get the good whiskey,” Desmond said.

  Bear frowned. “That sucks.”

  Simone shoved down a scream of frustration. They were chatting about booze and clothes while still intending to murder Nicholai the next day? She had to figure out a way to save him.

  Simone frowned at Bear, wondering what the plan would be without Flynn. In fact, Flynn had set her up, expressing the same sentiment about her future with a demon that Bear had earlier. Her frown deepened, and she squinted her eyes. Could she really trust Bear?

  “What?” Bear asked, rubbing his square jawline. “Is there something on my face?”

  There was about to be a ball of fire in his hair. She’d never really been able to count on a man, and now was probably a bad time to try. “No. Shall we eat?” she murmured. At least in the dining room there would be knives.

  “Not yet,” Desmond said, turning to face Bear. “I’d like to know where you’ve been the last hour.”

  Bear shrugged. “Exploring the fortress. I haven’t been here for a hundred years, as you know. It’s totally the same.”

  “Hmmm. Exploring?” Desmond asked.

  “Yep.” Bear tucked his thumbs in his jean pockets, his stance casual. “You could use an update here and there, cousin.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Desmond gave Flynn some weird head bob. “I’d like to know what you and the demon have planned for your pointless resistance to the law.”

  Bear snorted. “You think I’m planning something with the demon?”

  Flynn drew out a double-edged blade. “We know you’re planning something with the demon. You risked your life to turn into a dragon and bring him here, Bear.”

  “Yeah. I brought him here because you had Simone, and I was afraid she’d confess to killing our father, which I thought she had.” Bear scratched his chin, eyeing the knife. “So I pretty much delivered the real killer to you. You’re welcome.”

  Flynn twirled the knife. “Don’t you want to avenge our father’s death?” Emotion darkened his voice.

  Bear shrugged. “I would’ve killed Roman myself in a few years, anyway. The guy was a prick.”

  “He was an excellent ruler,” Desmond shouted, his face turning red.

  Simone took a step back in case she needed to throw fire to protect Bear.

  He mirrored her movement. “If you say so. All I remember is people being scared to death of the guy. And he hit a lot.”

  Desmond growled. “That’s because you’re a moron.”

  “Think so?” Bear asked silkily.

  “Yes.” Desmond apparently missed the threat that had just surfaced in his cousin.

  Simone did not. She tensed in preparation for a fight.

  Desmond reached inside his jacket and drew out a green gun. “I know Flynn wants to slice you open, but I’d rather just shoot you in the head.”

  Bear growled. “Now, that’s just not nice, cousin.”

  “Last time,” Desmond said. “Te
ll me what your plan with the demon is, or I start with the kneecaps and work my way up to your brain.”

  Simone gathered the fire inside her and prepared to strike.

  Chapter 25

  Nick unfolded the cell phone that Bear had passed him before escorting Simone to dinner. He peered at the face. Seriously. Where had Bear found the ancient device? Who still used phones that actually folded? Taking a deep breath, wondering whether his emotions had taken over for his logic, he stood close to the glass wall and quickly dialed the number.

  “What?” Zane Kyllwood growled into the phone.

  “Zane? It’s Nick.” Maybe the older phone actually worked better in these crappy conditions than a new one, but there was still a crackling along the line.

  “Nick? Where the hell are you?”

  Nick shut his eyes and tried to focus. “I need you to send help, but I’ll understand if you refuse.” What the hell was he doing, asking Zane to risk himself and the demon nation? But it was for Simone, so he didn’t have a choice. If he was on the other end advising Zane, he’d tell him to say hell no.

  Static echoed for several moments. “I said, tell me where you are.”

  They were losing the connection, damn it. “I’m going to type in coordinates to the best of my knowledge, but they could be off. We’re on an island in the middle of the Northern Atlantic Sea that isn’t noticeable until you’re actually on it.” Man, this was a terrible idea.

  “The fucking witches have a secret island?” Zane barked.

  “No.” Nick cleared his throat. “Dragons.”

  Static and silence. Then Zane, “Dragons.”

  “Yep. Simone and Bear are half dragon—long story—but the dragons are going to try to kill me tomorrow. Simone is here and I need to get her away.” Nick leaned against the chilled glass. “Send a demon who can teleport to get her.”

  “Send the coordinates.”

  “It’s dangerous, and it’s unfair of me to ask.” But for Simone, he’d do it.

  Static overcame whatever Zane said.

  Hell. The line went dead.

  Nick hurriedly typed in the coordinates he and Bear had figured out and said a quick prayer that they would reach Zane and not put the demon soldiers he sent into the rock. The text seemed to load.

  Then he waited.

  Two figures suddenly appeared in the freezing sea outside.

  He bellowed and hurried toward the glass.

  Zane’s eyes widened, and suddenly, the two were inside the room, gasping for air. “Close coordinates, my ass.” Water sluiced off him. His green eyes sizzled, and water slicked back his thick, black hair. The wet clothes revealed a hard line of muscle and strength.

  Nick gaped at him and at Adam Dunne, the Coven Nine Enforcer. “What in holy hell are the two of you doing here?”

  Zane coughed. “It’s good to see you, too.”

  Nick shook his head. “I wanted you to send a couple of soldiers, not come yourself. Jesus, Zane. You can’t be here.” He glared at Adam. “Neither can you. The Enforcers can’t know about this place.”

  Adam Dunne was a Coven Enforcer and one of the smartest people on the planet, but right now, his face was turning blue and water dripped out of his nose. “You said Simone was in trouble, and as an Enforcer, it’s my fucking job to know where she is.” He wiped seaweed out of his shorter brown hair. “She’s also my cousin.”

  Nick looked from one hulking man to the other. “What were you two doing together?”

  “We were trying to find you and Simone, obviously.” Zane rolled his eyes. “When your call came in, the witch here wouldn’t let me teleport without him. So you get two for the price of one.”

  “And if you teleport Simone out of here?” Nick asked, stepping back from the spreading pool of water.

  “I’ll come back for Adam and for you.” Zane lifted a shoulder. “Unless there’s another way off this weird place.”

  “There is.” But he would not ask Bear to shift into dragon form ever again. “You get Simone and Adam out of here, and I’ll figure out the other way.” If he survived the fight, and if Bear survived, then they’d find a boat or something. “Sorry about the coordinates.”

  “That’s all right. You are in the middle of nowhere,” Zane said.

  Nick held up a hand. “This isn’t right. It’s my job to protect you, not put you into danger.” He couldn’t sacrifice Zane, the leader of the entire fucking demon nation, like this.

  “He is a pain in the ass,” Adam said to Zane, as if agreeing to an earlier comment.

  Zane grabbed Nick’s hand and sliced a knife across the palm. Pain rippled.

  “Hey.” Nick tried to yank back, but surprise gave Zane the advantage.

  Zane quickly ripped the blade across his own hand and smashed it against Nick’s palm. “There. I’ve always considered us family, but if you need to share blood, now we do.” He released Nick and wiped the blade off on his wet T-shirt before turning to Adam. “Why does everything always have to be such a pain?”

  “Dunno.” Adam shrugged and leaned over to sneeze. “Shouldn’t we be fighting somebody?”

  Nick gritted his teeth and sent healing cells to his palm, more touched than he wanted to admit. “Thank you.”

  Zane nodded, his green eyes deadly serious. “Family, Nick.”

  “Family,” Nick repeated, his chest warming. He stepped over the puddle toward the door. “We have four hundred and twenty-three steps up, and there are probably soldiers set every ten steps or so.”

  Adam looked at the depth of the sea out the glass. “I hate to think it, but could we go through there and swim up?”

  Nick shook his head. “If we break the glass, an electrical jolt is sent out.”

  Zane winced. “Thank goodness it only happens if the glass breaks and isn’t on a motion sensor.”

  Nick nodded as a pit dropped into his gut. “Plus, the living quarters are far above sea level, and swimming won’t get us there.” He eyed his friend. “Our other option is for you to teleport us up, but then will you be strong enough to get Simone and Adam out of here?”

  “I won’t be able to fight right away, but I can get Simone to safety.” Zane winced. “Not sure I can make a jump back here and then cart Adam out, though.” He took out a smartphone and glanced at the face. “I think we’re screwed for service.”

  Nick flipped open his phone and saw no bars. “Shit.” They couldn’t call in anybody else. “It’s just us.”

  Adam cleared his throat. “I say we teleport up, and then Zane gets Simone to safety.”

  “What about you?” Zane asked.

  Adam shrugged. “Nick and I will have to figure another way off the island. My job is to protect my cousin, and her life is paramount, even if it wasn’t my job. Does everyone agree?”

  “Yes,” Nick and Zane said in unison.

  “Good.” Adam shook seawater out of his shirt. “Any chance we could get better coordinates for wherever Simone is?”

  Nick tried to clear his head. “I think straight up should do it.”

  “You think?” Zane asked, stepping toward him while also grabbing on to Adam’s arm. “All right, then. Let’s all give a quick prayer I don’t put us into a stone cliff somewhere.”

  Nick nodded and wished that weapons could teleport and that Zane had brought some. “Let’s do this,” he muttered, closing his eyes and sucking in air to hold his breath.

  Zane clamped onto his arm, and the earth fell away.

  Simone calculated the distance from her position to the dining room. There wasn’t time to grab a weapon for Bear. “Desmond, you need to stop this right now. Bear hasn’t done anything wrong.”

  Desmond shook his head. “Last chance. What do you and the demon have planned?”

  “Why don’t you ask the demon?” came a low voice from the doorway.

  Simone gasped as Nick entered the room, followed by a dripping wet Zane Kyllwood and her cousin, Adam Dunne, who had seaweed in his wet hair. How in the world? He
r eyes widened, and she turned toward Bear.

  He grinned. “’Bout time you guys got here.”

  Desmond pulled the trigger. Green lasers shot from the barrel, striking Bear’s thigh and turning into metal. Blood spurted from his artery.

  Bear roared and jumped forward at Desmond, throwing them both into the bookcase. Books and candlesticks rained down.

  Soldiers, at least five of them, poured in from the shadows outside.

  “Cover Zane,” Nick ordered Adam, running forward to plant his body between Simone and the attackers.

  Adam shoved a pale Zane into the wall and held his hands out. Fire, dark and blue, billowed down his arms to form balls, which he started hurling toward the soldiers. One hit a man in the face, and he screamed, turning for the doorway.

  The other soldiers ducked, grabbing swords and coming out swinging.

  Nick grabbed a three-pronged candleholder and defended himself against a sword that was so sharp its edge glinted in the dim light. He moved and parried, keeping the metal between him and the blade.

  A soldier made it past Adam, and Zane punched him in the face, kicking the sword from his hand. They dropped to the ground, grappling and punching.

  Simone jumped back onto a chair, formed fire, and belted it at Flynn.

  “Hey,” Flynn yelped, jumping back. “I’m on your side.” Without waiting for an answer, he pivoted and took down a soldier running toward Nick.

  Simone halted her next attack, her mind spinning. “Bear? Is he on our side?” she yelled.

  “Yes,” Bear bellowed, punching Desmond in the face and sending him into a backflip.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Simone winced. From her perch on the chair, she looked around for somebody to help. They were all fighting man to man, punches landing and swords parrying.

  If she threw fire, she might hit the wrong person.

  A ruckus sounded from the dining room, and pounding footsteps echoed through the night.

  Excellent.

  Her heart thundered, and her breath burst out of her, but she set her feet against the arms of the chair for balance. Fireballs formed on her hands, and she threw them with all her might into the other room.