Page 7 of Ruin

Tears lined my friends eyes as she had no choice but to do his bidding.

“Hey! Stop punishing her! This was my idea, not hers!” The wolves in my soul both growled, straining to push through at my need to protect my friend. Sweat beaded on my brow as my body grew, claws bursting from my fingers.

“It matters not. I will punish her—and you—as I see fit. You are as much to blame for my brother’s death as she is. But your life is not mine, hers is, and she will learn that she cannot run from me. Do you think I will just allow her to leave when she pleases? Especially when she just helped you to drug and steal from my father!” B’nar’s normal icy calm was nowhere to be seen as he bellowed those words. “It is clear you planned to escape, and I could end you all, without trial, for treason against the crown!” He blinked slowly and took a deep breath, releasing it steadily. “Which I won’t, but what if someone else had discovered your plot? There are many that would love to get their hands on two mortal women.” His eyes flicked to Blue. “Especially a full human!” He strode nearer to me, his magic crackling against my own. He lowered his voice so only I could hear him, his green gaze holding mine. “Godsdamn it, Ember! I know how much you want to find Connor, but don’t put her at risk again. Do you understand me?”

I nodded, but I didn’t really. His obsession with Blue was beyond anything I could relate to. Or was it? I was just as obsessed with getting back to Connor.

B’nar raked a hand through his beautiful blue hair, which, for once, was loose, and shone like liquid silk. He looked pointedly at the claws protruding from my fingers and held up a palm. “There is no need for your beasts to come forth. I am not here to stop you, I merely wish to help you...” He glanced back at Blue whose furious gaze was fixed on him. “...and keep that stubborn headed female from getting hurt. We have tarried here in Faerie too long while Berith builds his army. You hold enough control over your phoenix to summon her fire, but my father is right, we cannot risk you being captured. I will help you get back to your world, but you will not be left alone.” He looked at Alex. “Alex, you will come with us. We may need your talents to get into Berith’s stronghold. You will stay by Ember’s side and watch out for her. Keep her safe. I will be by my human’s side. Together we will find Connor, then return here to formulate a plan to infiltrate Berith’s world and send him back to Hell where he belongs. Lance and Ava will remain here and deal with the fall out from my father when he wakes and finds his ring gone.”

“What?” I was wholly confused. “You’re helping us? Why would you do that?”

“Because I do not wish to feel your pain every moment of the day.”

I quirked a brow at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

B’nar shook his head and waved his hand like it was nothing. “I’m empathic, I feel the emotions of others.” His brow furrowed, and he narrowed his gaze on Blue. “Except hers. Somehow, she can block her feelings from me. But I know you cannot embrace your phoenix until your anxieties over Connor are put to rest, and therefore your mind and emotions are more controlled. That means before we can go on the offensive with Berith, we need to retrieve your mate. His loss is stopping you freeing your phoenix fully and calling her on demand. You may be a danger to your world and by default mine, but only if Berith can tether you to the gates of Hell. Once you can free Fire at will, I believe we should go on the offensive, not be on the defensive, waiting for an army from Hell to consume our worlds.” His strange ice blue and green eyes softened as they rested briefly on Blue despite the frown that creased the bridge of his nose. “And I need to be with you to protect her.”

Despite the wrath in Blue’s eyes, it was obvious B’nar felt far more for Blue than he would admit. “Of course you do. She’s your prisoner, after all. Just like me.”

“No. No, she‘s not like you. Not at all. I believe my human is unique.” B’nar murmured almost to himself, a lost look on his face before he blinked.

My heart lurched and I couldn’t stop myself putting a hand on his arm. “She is, so why don’t you release her? She’s so mad at you now, you’ll need to sleep with one eye open, if only so you can see the knife coming as she stabs you.”

B’nar huffed, silently commanding Blue to stand. Magic shone in his eyes, turning them an eerie green. “I release you.”

Blue shook her head as if clearing her thoughts and ran right for him.

“Blue! Stop! We don’t have time for this!” I jumped in front of her.

She glared at me, and though her eyes burned with fury, she skidded to a halt and dropped her fists. Her gaze went to him. “You’d better hope I never find a way to break your magic, you evil fuck, because I will rip you to pieces.” And on that note, she gave him her back.

I marched up to B’nar and took the ring from his fingers as he watched Blue. The silver settings of the ring were plain and sturdy, the stone gently glowing. After giving it some thought, I held it back out and B’nar took it, a question on his face. “You’d better use it. I don’t really have a clue what to do with it.”

He smirked. “Then why did you try and steal it to begin with?”

“Because I'm desperate enough to try anything.”

“I’m beginning to see that. But what were you going to do? Just blast it with magic and hope for the best?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, something like that.”

He muttered a soft faerie curse and shook his head.

“Can you pinpoint a specific part in the prison?” I asked. I had no idea whether to believe B’nar’s reasons for defying his father by helping us, but I wasn’t going to question it too much. His feelings for Blue were a tornado of hot and cold, and the Mother knewIwas confused by them, so he must be an utter mess. The only one who seemed definite in her feelings was Blue, whose hatred was palpable as she glared at the prince. The muscles in his jaw popped as he ground his teeth.

“No, but the ring will remember where it has been before. We just have to hope it recognises my magic and blood as being similar to my father’s. It’s his ring, and as such is bound to his blood. If it accepts me, I will ask it to show us where it has been. You must watch carefully and tell me when you see something you remember, then I can connect the ring to my magic and open a portal we can go through. My father is much more experienced with the ring. He can pinpoint people or magic, like he did with you. Unfortunately, he has not shown me how to do that.”

I detected a slight bitterness in his tone but didn’t ask. His relationship with his father was none of my business and he wouldn’t tell me anyway, so I just nodded.

“Let’s at least get enough firepower to protect ourselves while we’re there.”

Blue stalked up beside him as he opened the weapons store doors. “Yes, let’s.”

B’nar studied Blue’s tight face. “I will allow you a weapon, but if you try and use it against me, I will take it away and leave you with nothing. Do you understand?”

Blue just glared at him as she grabbed a multifunction gun, ammo, several knives, and turned away. “Not if you’re dead, you won’t.” She muttered and smiled sweetly at him. “Doyouunderstand?”

I could have sworn B’nar’s lips twitched up at her words.

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