Darkest Flame (37 page)

“The Dark could’ve captured you as they did Kellan. I couldna leave two Kings in their hold.”

“But you could leave one?” Rhys asked, his face a mix of outrage and confusion.

Con’s chest puffed out as he took a deep breath, his mint-green dress shirt constricting with the movement. “That’s no’ what I meant, and you know it.”

Kellan was almost to them at this point. He didn’t stop, didn’t say a word as he approached and slammed his fist into Con’s jaw.

Con, the hit unseen, staggered to the side. He touched his busted lip and slowly straightened before his head turned to Kellan. “Your rage is out of control.”

The blow and pleasure at seeing Con bloodied only fueled his anger. “You have no idea. I warned you to stay out of my life. I told you I wouldna stand by and have you interfere, and you decided to ignore my threat.”

He didn’t give Con time to respond as he threw a left punch to Con’s kidneys and ducked Con’s wicked right aimed at his temple. Kellan straightened, and turned slightly to throw back his elbow twice into Con’s nose. Blood spewed everywhere as the sound of crunching bone echoed in the cavern.

A broken bone wasn’t going to keep Con down. He launched an attack at Kellan with fists swinging quick and deadly. Kellan managed to block some and duck another, but the rest landed just where Con wanted them.

*   *   *

Denae dusted off her hands and surveyed her handiwork. She and Rhi had made quick work of Rio before Rhi teleported them to Papua New Guinea.

“All done?” Rhi asked as she sauntered into the computer room.

“All done. I’m officially erased from MI5.” Denae felt the tension ease out of her shoulders. “I’d never have been able to do this without your help.”

Rhi rolled her eyes. “Oh, puh-leeze. You’d so have done it. It would’ve taken you longer, but you’d have made sure of it.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe nothing. You’ve got skills, girl,” Rhi said with a smile. That smile quickly turned into a wince.

“What is it?”

Rhi flicked her long black hair over her shoulder. “My queen has been calling me for some time. She’s … well, she’s pissed now and letting me know it. I’ve got to go, Denae, but before I do, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

She wasn’t ready to be alone. Without something to focus on, all she would think about would be Kellan. It would be so easy to have Rhi whisk her to some tropical island for some serious R&R, or even to another realm.

But in the end, nothing would change.

Her heart would still ache for Kellan, her body would still long for his touch.

There was only one place a person who was hurting as much as she was wanted to go.

“Home. I want to go to home.”

Rhi’s smile was kind and understanding. “Home it is then.”

With one touch of Rhi’s hand, Denae stood on the front lawn of her house on South Padre Island. She turned to thank Rhi, but the Fae was gone.

Leaving Denae with her past and her present threatening to swallow her whole.

*   *   *

Kellan lost count of the times he’d been hit. He also lost count of how many times he’d bloodied Con. Each time he managed it, it made his smile grow.

But that didn’t put him any closer to getting Denae back. It was a start though.

He leveled a punishing hit in Con’s abdomen, doubling him over before Kellan lifted his knee to slam it into Con’s face. Kellan was getting ready to do it again when Con’s arms wrapped around his middle and propelled him backward—right into the cavern wall.

Kellan bellowed in pain as something pierced his back. He pounded both fists into Con’s back as Con threw his right hook again and again into Kellan’s side.

They were unceremoniously ripped apart. Guy had ahold of Con while Rhys grabbed Kellan. Between them was Banan who looked angrily from Con to Kellan.

“What the hell is going on?” Banan demanded.

Rhys released Kellan and shrugged. “Kellan wanted a fight. Who was I to stop him?”

Kellan was tired of talking. He wanted action. He wanted justice.

He wanted Denae.

Kellan shoved Banan out of the way and rammed his shoulder into Con’s gut before Guy could release him. And they were back to beating the shit out of each other.

“Why?” Con rasped.

“You sent her away.” Kellan finished the comment with an uppercut to Con’s jaw.

*   *   *

Rhi appeared in the cavern sitting atop one large boulder, which gave her a great view of the fight between Kellan and Con. Her audience with her queen had been quick—a rarity to be sure. She was surprised to find Kellan involved in a brawl.

“I think I know who you want to win,” Tristan said as he leaned against the boulder.

Rhi snorted. “You think so? You know me so well, Dragon?”

“You detest Con.”

It was a fact. She shrugged. “I guess that does tip the scales in Kellan’s favor.”

“What are you doing here, Rhi?” Banan asked as he too walked up.

She would rather be back in her queen’s chambers getting her ass chewed up one side and down the other than be in the midst of so many Dragon Kings on Dreagan. But Usaeil had given her a direct order.

Rhi couldn’t exactly ignore it.

“What are they fighting over?” she asked instead.

Tristan cut her a look. “Do you really need to ask?”

“Denae,” she said with a nod. “Con wanted her gone.”

Neither King responded to her comment. What was there to say?

“He shouldn’t have pushed Kellan,” she said.

Banan sighed loudly. “Nay. I’ve already tried to break them apart once. I doona think this will end until one of them is dead.”

“Kellan challenged Con?” she asked in shock. Her stomach had fallen to her feet in dread.

Tristan drummed on the boulder with his fingers. “No’ exactly. He never outright challenged him.”

“Did he bring his sword?”

Banan’s face was grim as he motioned with his chin to a wall near the entrance where the sword rested. “Tristan told me what happened. Con overstepped. He didna do such a thing to me, Hal, or Guy. Why would he do it to Kellan?”

“Because he’s a turd,” she said, feeling a sense of dread she couldn’t dispel.

“If someone doesna stop this, one of them will die,” Banan said. “We lost so many Kings during the war when we were taking sides with Con or Ulrik. We doona have our dragons anymore, Rhi. We can no’ lose any more Kings, not with a war coming with the Dark.”

She knew he was right, but her hatred for Con was clouding her judgment. She could announce herself, which would most likely halt the fight—for a time at least.

But Con …

“Set aside your loathing this once,” Banan said. “For Kellan, because I think you know where Denae is.”

She pulled her gaze away from the bloody fight to Banan and stared into his eyes. “I do this for Kellan and Denae.”

“Agreed.”

Rhi swung her head to the other side and stared at Tristan until he gave a nod. “Of course. This conversation will go no further than the three of us.”

She winked at the handsome King. “I like you, Tristan. Do me a favor and don’t turn into an asswipe.”

“I’ll try my best,” he said and winked in return.

Rhi swallowed and took a breath before she cleared her throat. Instantly, Con’s black eyes jerked in her direction. He frowned, and with his attention diverted, he didn’t see Kellan’s fist coming.

She didn’t bother to hide her smile as Con was knocked on his arse. Rhi began to clap loudly, the sound piercing in the cavern that had grown suddenly silent.

Kellan was leaning to the side as blood and sweat covered his face. His long hair blocked a portion of his face, and his clothes were torn and bloodied. With as fast as the Kings healed, neither of them sported any wounds.

“Well done, Kellan,” she said and let out a loud whistle.

“Rhi,” Banan whispered crossly.

She leaned to the left so he could hear her whispered words. “I said I’d do it for Kellan and Denae. I didn’t say I was going to be nice about it.”

Kellan’s head swiveled to her and his celadon eyes narrowed. “Rhi.”

That one word contained everything within Kellan. His fury, his worry, his sadness, his … hope.

Tears pricked her eyes. She remembered that feeling of hope. It had gotten her through so much. Up until it had been squelched out—emphatically and vigorously.

She remained atop the boulder as Kellan hurried to her. Con was close behind as he jumped to his feet.

“What are you doing here?” Con demanded before Kellan could talk.

“Go bugger yourself. Idjit,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

Con’s frowned deepened in confusion as he reached her. “What?”

Rhi ignored him and focused on Kellan. She wanted to tell him everything, but most needed to be said in private. His affection for Denae had grown into something amazing and wonderful. It didn’t need to be sullied by Con.

She looked over Kellan’s head to the other Kings in the cavern. “I’m here because my queen sent me. She is readying her army to fight the Dark. My queen wants the Dragon Kings to know that the Light Fae won’t stand by and watch the Dark destroy this world.”

“Well. That’s good to know,” Con said with a hint of sarcasm.

“The Kings need to be on alert,” Kellan said to his brethren. “The Dark want one of us, and they will do anything they can to trap us.”

Guy ran a hand down his face. “We need more intel. What we really need is a spy.”

“Already in place,” Rhys stated and then broke into a wide smile. “Why do you think Kiril remained behind in Ireland?”

Banan pushed away from the boulder. “I’ll contact Henry again. We can also use the computers to track movement around the globe and alert us to anything odd.”

“Which could be numerous,” Tristan said. “Let’s get started on that now.”

As the Kings began to file out of the cavern, Rhi waited, hoping Con would also leave. She should’ve known better. In no time she was left alone with Kellan and Con.

“Why are you still here?” Con demanded.

She kept her focus on Kellan. “Denae is fine. I helped her erase any evidence that she was ever involved in MI5. They have no record of her, no picture, nothing. And I then wiped her boss’s mind as well.”

“Others will remember her,” Con said.

Rhi shrugged as she glanced at him. “They’ll think they made her up or are remembering wrong. MI5, as an intelligence organization, keeps everything on computer records. To cut down on paper, all the reports are done electronically and stored on their servers.”

“And you say she got it all?” Kellan asked.

“Everything in London. Then we had to go to their remote locations and destroy evidence there as well. Denae is quick, resourceful, and smart. MI5 made a wrong move wanting to get rid of her.”

Kellan let his chin drop to his chest. Out of the corner of her eye, Rhi saw Con watching him. She wondered what was going through the King of Kings’ mind. Did he realize how very much Kellan loved Denae?

Did he even care?

When Kellan lifted his head, some of the wildness had left his gaze. “Do you know where she is?”

“I do.”

“Take me there.”

Con reached out and grasped his shoulder. “Kellan—”

“Nay,” Kellan said and jerked away. “I am still prepared to challenge you, Con. At this moment, I’m focused on Denae. If you want me to fight you to the death, I will. Just say the word.”

“I didna send her away,” Con said.

Rhi lifted a brow. “Didn’t you? You went to her, asking her what she was going to do. You asked how you could help when she said she was going to leave. What you should’ve done is convince her to stay until Kellan had time to talk to her. But wait,” she said with wide eyes and a sarcastic voice. “That’s the point, isn’t it? You didn’t want them to talk. You wanted Denae gone. Regardless of what it did to Kellan.”

Con held her gaze for several heartbeats. He then looked at Kellan. “Denae is a target. She might have taken care of MI5, but the Dark have her on their radar. They’ll come for her.”

“Let them try,” Kellan stated calmly.

“If she agrees to return with you.”

Kellan’s smile was cold. “If she does, I want your word you’ll accept her. Or I
will
challenge you.”

Con gave a bow of his head and walked from the cavern.

Rhi slid off the boulder as Con’s form turned the corner, leaving her alone with Kellan. “Let’s go, sexy. I love happy endings.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

South Padre Island, Texas

Denae walked onto the porch with her tall glass of iced tea and sat on the swing. With one foot tucked beneath her, she idly rocked the swing with her other.

The air was hot and sticky with the humidity, but the breeze coming off the Gulf of Mexico helped to cool her. The AC was on inside, but the porch had always been a favorite of her parents. She recalled so many nights as a child when they would all come out onto the porch after dinner and stare at the stars.

Her parents would sit in the swing holding hands and smiling at each other as if they had been together months instead of years.

Denae and Renee would be on the floor playing with their dolls or cards. Those lazy nights had been her entire world, and she’d taken them for granted.

In one summer, her idyllic life had been torn to shreds.

Denae blinked against the wash of tears that threatened and drank deeply from her sweet tea. It was hard being back in the house. Every room she went into brought forth memories. Some good, some bad.

A buzzing sound drew her attention to her right. The crepe myrtle tree her mother had planted was in full bloom. The delicate limbs drooped with the weight of the bright pink flowers, and the bees, as well as the butterflies, were taking full advantage.

It made her smile. Her mother had loved working in her flower gardens. They had been her pride and joy. The crepe myrtle, she had told them, would offer shade and beauty when it grew.

“She was right,” Denae said.

She sighed and turned her head forward. And nearly dropped her glass when her gaze landed on Kellan standing on the walkway, staring at her.

He wore black jeans slung low on his hips and a steel-gray shirt. His hair looked damp, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.