Scorched Fury: A SkinWalker Novel #5 (DarkWorld: SkinWalker) (36 page)
Read Scorched Fury: A SkinWalker Novel #5 (DarkWorld: SkinWalker) Online
Authors: T.G. Ayer
Tara's eyes widened as she stared at me, slowly putting pieces together. "This is what they used to poison the Ash trees?"
"That's what I suspect. The lab should verify it."
"Thanks, Kai. I'd better get this back- "
"Tara?" She stopped, a little startled at my second interruption. "There is something else. Or rather someone else that I met in Dyr that would be of interest to you."
"Who?"
"Councilmen Andyr Dary-ys, Royal Solicitor, fiancée to Sienna, and attempted murderer." I held out my fisted hand, and Tara hesitated, glancing at it, then back at my face. She raised her palm and I dropped the diamond clasp onto her pale skin.
Her mouth hung opened in shock as she stared at the shimmering jewel. "I . . . Elan. I should have known he'd be capable of something like this." Fury and disgust raged on her face and finally she took a deep breath and regains some calm. Then she looked up at me with concern. "Who did he murder?"
"Attempted murder." I smiled, still furious at the attempt he'd made. I pointed at my chest. "Me."
"What?" Tara was paler than I'd have thought possible. About as pale as the opalescent gown she wore today.
She staggered to the bed and sat heavily on it. Then she stared up at me. "I knew I should have stayed away from you. Now he's going to go after you."
I shrugged. "He tried. And he failed."
"He's relentless. Nothing will stop him, Kai." She gave me a sad look, then her features hardened and she got to her feet. "Let me deal with this. I won't alert him just yet. But I will try to uncover his plan."
I said, "Why would he want to kill the tree?"
She shrugged. "Destabilise supernatural faith. Absorb power from the tree?" She sighed. "Some of the Fae live off the power of the ash trees. The much older ones for whom the Elements are not sufficient. Maybe he wants to eliminate the Ancient Council of the Fae? Who the hell knows what's going on in his psychotic head?"
I sighed and beckoned her. "I have to go. At any rate, that's as much as I know. I only managed to buy you a day. I'm sorry, I tried but all I got was twenty-four hours. Then the Elders will be paying the Fae Court a visit."Tara got to her feet and drew me into a crushing hug. "Thank you, Kai." Then she squeezed me harder. "And I'm so glad you're okay. I'm going to get that bastard."
"Not if I get him first."
CHAPTER 50
A
T
LAST
I
ENTERED
L
OGAN
'
S
ROOM
a little preoccupied.
My part in the case was closed now, of course. Elan was behind the poisoning of the trees though his end game was still supposition. Even if he wanted me dead, I wasn't about to live in fear of him. I'd wipe him off the face of the DarkWorld if I had to.
Besides, the next move in this hideous game would be more political, and that was the Elder's problem. And so was their mining effort in Dracys. They'd have come up with a good explanation for their missing emissary and the queen's vanished handmaiden. I was only too happy to give the Elders the task of smoothing over that political disaster job.
And I wasn't blind to the fact that the Elders would soon come to me for an explanation. Soon enough, we'd have to come clean about hiding Sienna and Logan in my father's house.
Our ice prince was likely already back at the Fae Court, probably pretending he hadn't just tried to kill me, totally oblivious to the fact that we were on to him. And to the fact that he'd almost married the true Dragon Queen.
I smiled.
He'd known me, beneath the goth makeup. I had no doubt of it. Why else would he have attempted to murder me? And he'd know that he'd failed. I could only imagine his fury. I felt a rush of pity for the people in his vicinity. Things would be mighty cold for them for a while.
Of course, I hadn't forgotten the shadows. I'd killed the Shadowman, but whoever sent him was still out there. And I'd soon be able to verify if my shadow stalkers were in league with the shadow Mage.
Life was definitely going to be interesting what with princes wanting me dead, shadows stalking me, and dragon queens probably wanting my head for stealing her slave.
I still had Lily to worry about. The treatment simply had to work. I knew how devastated I'd be should it fail. The depth of my emotions made me all too aware of what Lily's feelings would be on the matter.
The treatment had to work.
It simply had to.
My thoughts returned to the twins. Fire mages? Definitely not. Although, as a cover it was a brilliant choice.
Sienna and Logan were the rightful heirs to the Kingdom of the Dracyr. As soon as Logan was well they could return and retake their throne as was their right. And in the end Omega, and whoever else was involved in the plot against the siblings, had failed.
Sienna was safe with us for a while. She seemed overjoyed to be able to help her brother. And if Darcy was right about the process then Logan would slowly get better. He'd soon be well enough to find out how to release his dragon.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Logan was a Dracyr.
A real, honest-to-goodness, in-the-flesh, sexy man-dragon. Who'd have thunk it? I couldn't wait to hear what he thought of it all.
I'd come to accept it slowly. I'd lived with his fire, and his nightmares.
What's a giant scaly alternate personality thrown into the mix?
Now, as I watched my dragon lover lying there so peacefully, I prayed to Ailuros to guide him safely back to us.
I'd gone to Dracys, found his sister, almost been poisoned by the Ice Prince, almost been strange led by the same, almost plummeted to my death, been saved by a golden dragon, and almost died on the glacier, and I was tired.
And before that I'd been reunited with my best friend, been impaled by wooden stakes, and been saved by a magical dagger.
I was so very tired.
Tired and a tiny bit afraid that everything had been for naught. His condition hadn't changed.
But I had to have hope.
I lay down beside him, and traced my fingers across his cheek. His eyes remained closed, his long eyelashes fluttering with the slightest of movements.
He was in there somewhere.
And he'd said he was sometimes conscious. That sometimes he knew we were around.
I bent closer and kissed his lips, probably a little harder than was necessary. But right now, I'd take any amount of intimacy that I could. Even a chaste kiss would satisfy me.
I rested my palm over his heart, absorbing the beat of his heart into my veins, feeling the comfort of having him alive. No matter what happened I'd wait for him. And he knew that.
Settling my head on his shoulder, I listened to the soft thudding of his heart, yearning for his arms to close around me.
I fell asleep there, with his warmth against my cheek, a soft smile on my lips.
And Logan's arm curled around my waist.
CHAPTER 51
LOGAN
S
OMETHING
WARM
AND
HEAVY
LAY
on his shoulder.
His first instinct was to move, to lift his head and see what it was that weighed him down. But he knew.
He knew because that delicious weight belonged right there, against his heart.
Her scent enveloped him, cinnamon and wine. In his mind he could see her green eyes glitter, he could feel the softness of her skin beneath his fingers. Her breath was sweet as it drifted across his cheek.
His fingers traced her hipbone through the fabric of her pants.
Logan stiffened, his fingers searching the planes of her hip frantically. He was holding her, his hand curled around her waist.
He felt her warmth all along the left side of his body, felt her chest move against his as she inhaled.
But he couldn't open his eyes, nor could he move any other part of his body. But he wasn't blind to the fact that progress, even that which seemed minuscule, was still progress. Sienna would help to heal him.
And then they both had a job to do.
He'd lived in his sister's thoughts for weeks now, and knew the lay of the dragon land. And he was beginning to understand the role that both he and Sienna played. He was beginning to remember things. Things from his past. Fragments that were a combination of his past and events from his sister's memories.
A Queen, dead before her time.
A mother tall and regal, her hair as red as the sun of Dracys
Twin children destined to take the throne and rule the land.
Twins that should have been dead but weren't.
Siblings stolen and hidden, but by whom? Why had they not been killed along with their mother? Had someone saved their lives out of kindness by hiding them off world?
Or had they been taken for another reason?
And why had Omega sent Sienna back into the royal court, hiding her in plain sight?
Memories drifted to him. Realities he couldn't avoid or deny.
Sienna's name, her true name was Synestra of the House of Yl.
And Logan, like Sienna, had been given a human name. Holding Kai's warmth close to his side, he breathed the first peaceful breath he'd taken in the length and breadth of his memory.
His name was Lyandr, Son of the House of Yl.
When he recovered, and he
would
recover, he'd have to go home.
He had a land to look after, people who waited for the return of the rightful rulers. A land who needed their mother to return and infuse life back into the sun.
He'd have to take Sienna and return home.
And the brave, fearless woman beside him would lose him again.
Even though he was unable to open his eyes, he felt the burn of tears beneath his lids. Their relationship was turning into a long-distance one of epic proportions.
It would never survive both his responsibilities to his realm, or hers to her Alpha blood.
He knew what he had to do. He had no choice.
It was, after all, the right thing to do.
Logan would leave Kai. He'd have to leave, and never look back.
He was going to break Kai's heart.
To be Continued
Look for Fate's Edge (Book 6 in the SkinWalker series)
Coming Fall 2016
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