Page 20 of Ruin

I skidded to a halt in front of them and fell to my knees so that I could stare up into Connor’s face. Tears fell unchecked down my cheeks. He was starved and beaten, covered in scars and bruises. I took his face in my hands and lifted it. His eyes fluttered open but they didn’t look vibrant, they were dull and full of darkness. My heart stuttered. “Oh, Mother Wolf, what did he do to you?” Though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“Ember?” Zander uttered, his voice shaking, his eyes glowing a deep red. A cacophony of howls resounded from the other side of the double doors he had barged through.

I gently let go of Connor’s face and jumped up from my knees, ignoring how much they were shaking. I needed to be strong. “We need to get out of here. Now!”

Zander nodded, so did the dark haired woman by his side. Right at that moment, I didn’t care who she was, I only wanted to get Connor away from this place and help him heal. Gods, I had never seen him look so weak.

Zander’s eyes glowed brighter. “Can you take him?” He asked B’nar, who stood silently behind me. I felt his power crackling in the air. It was ready if we needed it.

“I am stronger than you.” It wasn’t an arrogant statement from the prince; he was merely stating a fact. “You are weak. I sense it. I will deal with them. You will run,” the prince informed Zander.

Zander didn’t argue. He must have agreed because he glanced at Alex. “Help me.”

Alex immediately put his weapon in his other hand and pulled Connor’s arm over his shoulder. Together they moved Connor away from the doors just as they burst open.

B’nar cracked his neck, his eyes glowing that eerie green, magic whirling around his hands. Blue lifted her weapon, Shannon mirroring her.

I snarled and grabbed B’nar’s arm. “No. They’re mine.” These were the ones who had kept my mate from me. They were no longer shifters, but vessels for demons who would destroy those I loved. Prime’s anger amplified my own, his blood lust as strong as my own. I would find Berith—maybe not right now, but once Connor was healed, I would hunt him down and send him back to the fiery pits of Hell. “Protect them from me.” My instruction was for B’nar.

B’nar didn’t speak. He merely turned around, his footsteps crunching through the debris behind me. I grinned at the monsters sprinting towards me—and unleashed Fire. I burned and burned. Even when my enemy had been incinerated, I burned. I melted the rooms and everything in them, burning hotter and hotter as my anger at what they’d done fed my power.

Only the desperate urging of my wolf penetrated my rage. She urged me to stop, or I would end up killing my friends and my very human mate. Slowly, I brought Fire back under control and we turned to check on them. Prime’s need for release, to kill and feel blood run down his throat, to rip and destroy, was consuming. Behind the wall of ice B’nar had erected, Connor’s dull eyes watched me. His image was distorted, but I saw the shadow that swirled around him, trying its best to escape. Connor’s face tightened and it disappeared back inside his body as if he worked hard to control it. My eyes narrowed. I’d seen that shadow around his body before, but it had never looked as if it was trying to escape him. I met that pain filled stare and my heart skipped a beat. He was alive.

My wolf rumbled low. She was right. Vengeance would be mine, eventually. Right now, Connor needed my help.

Chapter 7

Ember

Shannon’s eyes were wide.I glanced at her, my fury burning hot, but I had no inclination to explain my power or how it worked. I waved my hand in front of the ice and it fell away.

“Hey man, you look done. Let me take him for a while.” Lionel shoved his weapon in its holster and went to take Connor from Zander.

“No!” growled Zander, pulling Connor closer, his eyes burning, and his skin splitting showing what looked like small veins of lava.

“Okaaay, whoa!” Lionel said, raising his hands.

Zander glared, heat emanating from him. The dark haired woman placed a hand on his arm. His eyes flickered to her. “It’s alright, Zander. No one’s going to hurt him anymore. You got him this far. And they are here to help.”

“I know.” His voice was gravelly and animalistic. Still he didn’t release his hold, and shadows similar to the ones I saw dance around Connor, swirled around him forming what looked like wings at his back. “But I can manage.” He set his jaw. “Ready?” His question was directed at Alex.

Alex nodded. “Lead the way.”

“Zander, do you know the quickest way out?” As I asked this question an unholy chorus of roars shook the walls.

The thin dark haired woman trembled. “We must go.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “He has sent them for us.”

“No, not the stairs. I can hear them coming. Down there.” Zander directed us to a corridor off to the right.

Lionel and Shannon ran ahead. B’nar and Blue followed behind me. I stayed close to Connor, wondering why Prime wasn’t clamouring to break free of me and back to Connor. I had no idea how to get him back in my mate’s body, but I’d find a way. Maybe Walker would know. Mother knew, I’d grovel on my knees for forgiveness from the King of Faerie if it meant Connor could be fully healed.

This corridor was in shadow, the overhead lights broken and hanging down from the ceiling. Not wanting to advertise our direction, I kept Fire locked down. That meant we all had to use our enhanced sight. Blue was at a disadvantage, but B’nar held on tightly to one of her arms, guiding her as she trained her gun into the shadows we left behind. Even the woman with Zander seemed to revel in the darkness. Behind us the sound of crashing came, howls ripping through the air.

“In there.” Zander said. “There’s a back exit into the service tunnels.”

We pushed through the door and locked it for all the good it would do. B’nar stopped and speared me with his gaze, his face hard. “They cannot be allowed to take you. Without fighting, I have enough magic for one more portal, and that’s enough to get us out.”

I nodded, impatient to get Connor out of this place. “Let’s do it. Back to the caves?”

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