Chapter 25

“Enough.”

A startled squeak leaves my throat as a familiar husky voice demands from behind me.

Abel’s brother? How the fuck did he get here? What is going on?

As I attempt to turn around, it’s then I notice a large, rough hand gripping my neck. I twist and pull, trying to free myself from his grip. He merely expels a breath and grips me tighter. Panic surges as I claw his hand again and again. Eventually, I run out of steam and stop fighting. It’s not getting me anywhere anyway.

I can feel the large body towering over me from behind. His breath warms my ear and a shiver runs down my spine.

Finally, he releases my neck. But, before I can move away, his hand snatches my arm roughly. The large mass steps out from behind me, finally in my sight. I can’t stop the gasp from escaping me.

He’s beautiful. Abel’s brother shares the same golden eyes, yet his seem to shine just a bit brighter. The dark ebony waves reach his broad shoulders and his bangs are pushed back as if he recently ran his hand through it. His face is rugged, like he hasn’t shaved in two days. And his smell.

The scent reminds me of home in a weird sort of way. Like wood and nature, masculine and musky. His perfect lips are parted in an amused smirk. I snap myself out of my thoughts and feel my face burn. I quickly look down, ashamed of myself.

This is so not the time to be admiring his looks. What has gotten into me? He threatened to kill me just yesterday and now here he is, getting in my way.

More importantly, I need to make sure the child is okay. I need to release the others in the cells downstairs. If I’m going to save anyone, I need my energy back. I search inside my soul for the heat and find emptiness instead. How am I supposed to defeat these talnarins without my power?

I push the embarrassment down and glance back up. He still wears that amused smirk and it makes me want to smack it off his face. I settle for a fierce glare instead, although it probably doesn’t faze this giant. I’m not sure how tall he is, but he makes me feel impossibly small and weak in comparison.

I clear my throat. “Let me go.” I yank my arm again for emphasis.

He simply grips me harder. “No.” He finally looks away from me to face one of the guards with him. They aren’t really guards per se, unless… this is his place.

I pale at the thought. Could it be? Holy shit.

“Zeke. Search the perimeter for more of these bastards. I need them alive.” The one I assume is Zeke simply nods his head before moving off. He has dark black hair as well, only his is cut close to his head. His eyes are the color of the sun—Elestal Affinity. He’s almost as tall as Abel’s brother and just as muscular. In fact, all the guards are built like cavemen. It’s unnerving. 

As I study Zeke, he winks, throwing me off. He seems familiar, I just can’t place it. Then it hits me: he’s the one I saw in Abel’s office that day.

I startle from my thoughts as Abel’s brother speaks again. “For the rest of you, check the bastards here to see if any are still breathing. If they are, I want answers. As for the child, she needs medical assistance, make it happen. Kelog, search for more survivors. They’re to be brought to me, understand?”

I watch in amazement as the guards disperse in seconds. They move with a swiftness that’s enviable, and don’t hesitate to follow his orders.

One talnarin gently tends to the child, careful not to move her too much. This talnarin has black curly hair that reaches his pointed ears, and vibrant red eyes. Another—I assume to be Kelog with short hazelnut hair and light orange eyes—darts off to the nearest door leading inside the manor. The other three check on the burnt talnarins.

“As for you, girl, let’s have a nice chat.”

I snap my head around but avoid his eyes, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. “You acted exactly how I predicted you would. I’m glad letting you go paid off.”

I snap my head up to see that same infuriating smirk still in place. Did I hear him correctly? “Predicted? Let me go? What are you taking about?” Realization dawns and I suck in a sharp breath. They knew I heard everything. They did let me go. Shit. That explains Abel’s expression when I talked with him in his office right after. I’m so stupid. I was so sure they didn’t realize I was there. It’s not like I meant to eavesdrop.

“You heard what I wanted you to hear and played right into my hands. So, thank you.” The asshat is mocking me and it’s pissing me off.

I narrow my silver eyes to slits.

“Who are the talnarins you lit on fire?”

I turn my head to the side and ignore the question.

“I don’t like asking twice. Let me break this down for you, the more you withhold, the more I want to kill you. You see, I don’t have much patience. So be a good girl and answer my questions before I get angry.”

Well if he puts it like that. I swallow the lump in my throat and croak, “I don’t know.” Skeptism is written all over his face. “Really, I have no fucking clue who they are. They ambushed me last night and I woke up here.”

“How did you manage to get past that collar?” His eyes are so intense, it’s unnerving. I’m only able to manage direct eye contract for a few seconds before the pressure becomes too much. Not to mention the ancient entity I feel lurking just below the surface. If I thought the other talnarins were old souls, well, they have nothing on Abel’s brother.

Whatever soul inhibits his body is no ordinary soul at all. There are no words to describe the exact feelings I get from this talnarin. It’s as intriguing as it is terrifying.

“I don’t even know what you’re asking. The bastard mentioned a collar too, but I don’t know what that is. Is it this?” I gingerly touch the metal piece encircling my now tender neck. They didn’t have these in my village.

A calculating gleam enters his eye and I don’t like it. I know whatever he’s thinking about won’t bode well for me. “Yes, that’s the collar. It prohibits a talnarin from accessing their core. Yet, you surpassed it, and I want to know how, girl.”

I huff. “Some block this turned out to be. Perhaps it’s defective.”

He purrs. “Yes, perhaps. Did it burn you?” How did he…?

I nod my head slowly, unsure of where this is going.

“Why did you run?”                                                                                                   

“I didn’t want to die. I thought that would’ve been obvious.”

He leans in close and his breath whispers against my cheek. “That just makes you look guilty. Things aren’t looking very good for you right now.”

What was I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do now? What can I say to get me out of this mess? That’s why I ran in the first place. How does someone prove their innocence through words alone?

He’s finally moving away from me, but he won’t shut up. “Though I must say, saving the kid earned you some points.”

I grimace and look up at him from underneath my lashes. I didn’t save her for points, as he said. I saved her because I can’t let the innocent suffer.

As I watch him, he stares back intensely, almost daring me to speak. So, I do.

“I didn’t save her for points.” I spit. “I did it because she didn’t deserve it. And you? Do you work with these sick assholes?” I stare at him with open hostility.

He laughs suddenly. It’s a deep and husky laugh. “I don’t work with anyone girl, and if I did, it wouldn’t be with these bastards.” He pauses for a moment to study me. “No, I’m hunting them as I’ll hunt you, if I find out you’re part of this mess.” All amusement is gone from his face and tone. In its place is pure malice, a threat I have no doubt he’ll follow through with.

I stutter out a reply. “I’m… I’m not… they’re not…” I take a breath to collect myself. Now is not the time to show weakness, I need to pull myself together. “I don’t know who these people are, I’ve already told you that. I’ve never met them before today and I don’t know what they want.” I put as much confidence into my voice as possible.

Before he gets to say anything more, Zeke and three other talnarins are back. For the first time, I notice the courtyard is empty except for us, and a burnt body against the tree. I don’t bother lingering on the body, figuring it’s dead. The child is no longer in sight either, making my anxiety spike. What did they do with her? And what of the others in the cells?

Zeke spares a quick smirk at me while the other three ignore my presence completely. One guard has shoulder-length dirty blond hair and forest green eyes. Another one has long white-blond hair pulled back and dark yellow eyes. The last has slicked back brown hair and purple eyes. The asshat still stares far to intently at my face for my liking and it’s then that I realize he still grips my arm.

“Perimeters clear, boss.” His tone is playful. “Though, there are more humans and talnarins in cells in the basement. We’ve placed them in the drawing room with Adrian and Kelog standing guard. A few needed some medical assistance but nothing huge. The one with the worst of the injuries is the kid. Adrian took a look and there’s nothing he can do. Kid just needs some rest and down time is all, nothing life-threatening.” He looks to me with a smirk. “Out of all six of the talnarins, four are dead, one is in critical condition, and the other is paralyzed. Nicely done.”

Oh, shit. I did that? That’s terrifying and gruesome. Not that they didn’t deserve it, but still. To know I’m capable of all that is horrifying and impressive all at once. I’m not entirely sure what feeling is dominating right now either. But this time, I was able to save someone with this power. This time I was able to control it.

This time I did something good with this curse. 

I don’t even know when I started to accept this part of me but I have. I’m glad I have this power. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to save the little girl. I’ve started to rely on this new-found strength it gives me. The emptiness I had felt when reaching for the energy left me hollow and frightened. It was like a piece of me was missing, like I wasn’t quite me anymore. Now, I don’t know what I would do without it.

 Abel’s brother speaks up and pulls my attention back to reality. “Who are the two alive?”

“A Sentinel and Lord, boss.”

“Which one is critical?”

“The Lord, but he’s conscious.” They both look to the body lying against the tree before facing each other once more.

“Good.” Asshat looks to the other three talnarins as he addresses them. “I doubt the sentinel knows anything but I need confirmation before we kill him. Zeke, you’re with me. Drako, Orion, you know what to do. Mikhail, we’re staying for the night so make sure everything is in order.”

Whatever he says, they do. They look perfectly in tuned with each other, eluding to a long past together and a close bond.

I’m dragged by my arm to the large tree sitting in the center of the courtyard. The closer we get, the more I can assess the damage I inflicted. There isn’t a spot on his body that isn’t fried.

Oops. I’d feel sorry for the talnarin, but he beat a little girl, imprisoned a bunch of people, and kidnapped me, so, I don’t really care. I’m forced to a stop a few paces from the man. I look at the fried talnarin in disgust, sick bastard.

I’m dying to know if he planned to experiment like the Others seeing that he stole humans as well. It’s the only reason I can think of to take humans but still, I hold my tongue. I’ll wait to see how this all plays out before I decide to say something.

“Here’s how this is going go.” Asshat’s voice is low and deadly. The hair on my neck stands on end. “I’m going to ask my questions once. You don’t tell me what I want to know, you’ll suffer. It’s as simple as that. So, question one, why the fuck are you kidnapping talnarins and humans?”

I wince in anticipated pain as the talnarin opts for silence. What I don’t expect is for the fried body to start convulsing uncontrollably. Pained moans echo loudly in the silence.

I stifle a gasp and stare wide eyed and confused. Holy shit, what is going on?

After what seems like a lifetime, the shaking subsides and the asshole is able to speak, sort of. “F … fo …  for … t … t .. testing.”

Voice harder still, Abel’s brother pushes. “What tests?”

There’s no hesitation this time. Head low, the talnarin cowers. “A n … n … new species. We … we need them for the trials.”

This is all wrong. Before the asshat or Zeke get a chance to interrogate him further, I lean forward. The words spill from my mouth, unexpected but harsh. “I won’t let it happen again. Never again. I stopped you just like I stopped Them. I thought He was the only one, but I was wrong. It doesn’t matter how many more of you there are, I’ll stop and kill you all. You bastards need to die. All of you need to burn to ashes and I’ll make sure it happens. I’ll hunt you down one by one until there’s nothing left, scum. How many others? Where are they? Do you work with Him? And the machine, you have it, don’t you? Where is it?”

I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect the laugher from the broken man. It throws me off guard and angers me. I call for my energy only to find it still empty inside. Tears of frustration burn my eyes. How dare he laugh? How dare he toy with lives? If this sick bastard was going to experiment in the way He did, I’m going to make his death a painful one.

He was going to poison a child for Valina’s sake! An innocent youngling with a whole future ahead of her. She’s around the same age as my little sister and it breaks my heart. Deep overwhelming emotions sweep through me in a great wave. I want to scream and curse the heavens for what’s been done.

I hate Them all, they ruined me. They need to pay and this son of bitch is just like Them. He too needs to die.

A foreign presence rushes through my body in a whoosh. Much like the heat from my energy, it’s all encompassing. But this presence is unfamiliar and far colder than the flames. It isn’t a subtle build inside me either. Like a flicker, one moment the presence is there and the next, it’s not.