Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series) (12 page)

"No, I know that.  It would seem my
brother
has learned a few new forbidden tricks since the last time we
were together," the venom when she said “brother” was thick in her mouth. 
Sage pushed herself up off the floor and walked to stand beside Nicole offering
her a hand up.

"What do you mean?" she asked
as she took her hand and let Sage help her up.  Standing beside her friend
again gave her a small amount of confidence back.  Up until that moment it felt
like it had been years since she was near someone she cared about.  Just a few
days secluded from everyone had been weighing on her more than she had realized
and, though the situation wasn't a good one, she was grateful to have Sage with
her.

“Centuries ago there were some dishonorable
fae abusing certain powers.  These fae were eventually punished and said powers
became illegal for any other fae to use.  The dishonorable ones were some
barbaric fae who would use persuasion to gain power and, at their darkest and
most destructive moments, to take the bodies of unwilling partners."

Nicole's eyes widened as Sage's words
started to make sense, "They would use their powers to rape women,"
she gasped.  "Do you…I mean…you're not saying that Slade."

"You would remember if he did.  Your
mind is half warrior and so far you have gotten every good power of both
warrior and fae.  Meaning that if this theory holds true to this as well, you
may not have been strong enough to not be affected by his power but you were
strong enough to break the spell," she reached out and pulled Nicole into
a hug.  "I'm sure that he would want you to come to him willingly."

Nicole nodded into Sage's shoulder as
she processed the night that he had drank so much and tried to kiss her.  It
was like reliving a shameful moment that burned deep in her heart but she was
sure that Sage was right.

"I remember everything from that
night and he definitely wants me to come willingly.  He thinks that he and I
will destroy the warriors then reign as king and queen of the Fae
Kingdom."

Sage hugged Nicole tight then stepped
back to look her in the face, "That's my brother through and through. 
Always was stubborn about getting things he wants but he's crossed the
line…again."  She walked to the far wall and stared out the small barred
window as silence filled the room.

"Does his power affect you like it
does me?" Nicole asked softly.  She wasn't sure if that was an appropriate
question to ask in the magical world.  She didn't want to make Sage mad at her
but she needed answers.  The princess fae/warrior had learned the hard way that
she had no real clue what she would be facing now that she was under Loch's
roof.  Not being rude was shoved aside as she was hard pressed to learn as much
as she could in the little time she had left to prepare.

Sage didn't face Nicole, but instead
kept her gaze on the small ribbon of moon light filtering through the dirty
glass and bars, "You know, when you’re a kid, even in the fairy world,
everything is happy and the whole world is yours for the taking.  You have
dreams, you have friends and good times, but that's all you worry about.  Slade
and I were the same growing up.  I loved and looked up to my big brother, he
was my best friend."  She turned toward Nicole slowly, wrapping her arms
around herself then leaning against the wall.  The beam of light reflected off
the strands of silky black hair hiding Sage's face as she gathered her
thoughts.

"But once we became teens our
power, like all fae, started to really develop and it began to drive a wedge
between us.  We both have the speed and strength that matched our parents but
my telepathy was at a level unheard of in our family history.  Not only could I
hear thoughts but I could control others through their minds.  Be it as simple
as compelling someone into changing their views on a subject by tampering with
their memories or as extreme as taking complete control of a person's body and
have them walk up to their best friend and slit his throat."

Nicole reached up and covered her neck
with her hands as Sage's words took hold of her mind.  She knew that her Gothic
fairy friend looked dark and dangerous but she had thought it was all a play
for attention, like a teenager with green spiked hair.  Now she was looking at
Sage in a whole different light.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt
you Nicole," she said with a slight smirk.  "It would seem a power of
this kind found the right fae to live in because those few who have come close
to touching this amount of energy used it for vain and selfish reasons.  Ruining
lives and destroying all that was good around them," she sighed deeply
then brushed her hair away from her cheek with a black fingernail. 
"Slade, on the other hand, was gifted with the power to level the playing
field.  He can neutralize anyone's powers so no one can use them.  I thought it
was a wonderful gift but he despised it.  He said the Gods were laughing at him
and had spit in his face by give his power to a mere girl."  The pain was
easy to hear in Sage's voice though she was trying hard to seem unaffected by
the memories.

Nicole's own heart ached for her
friend's hardship and ruined relationship with her brother.  She had never
known what it was like to have a sibling but she knew it hurt like hell to have
Kat mad at her so she could imagine it was much worse with your own flesh and
blood.  "Is that when you stopped talking to Slade?"

Sage nodded, "Pretty close.  After
a little while I thought things were getting better between us.  He started
coming around again and spending time talking to me but before long all talk
turned towards my powers.  Seems he thought he could learn how to create the
power in himself if he could understand how it worked.  He started dealing with
shady people in the magical world, people you don't ever want to meet, let
alone end up owing anything too.  He tried to pry information from me but once
I knew what he was up to I walked away from him." She gave Nicole a weak
smile, "We haven't spoken in half a century."

"I'm sorry Sage."

"Don't be," she shrugged then
reached into her back pocket and pulled out a tube of lipstick, "He chose
his life and I've chose mine." Sage opened the gold cylinder and started
smoothing the crimson color over her plump lips.  Nicole had long ago come to
think of that red as Sage's trademark color.  The way it glowed against her
pale white skin reminded her of a portrait by a skilled artist who only
accented one piece of the puzzle and left the rest in black and white for the
observer to interpret.

"Well, I hope you have more than
lipstick hidden on you if we are planning on breaking out of here."

Sage capped her crimson lip paint then
shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry, this is all I've got.  You want
some," she winked and blew a kiss in Nicole's direction.

"No thank you," Nicole rolled
her eyes as the playful Sage that she remembered started to surface.  "Now
what do we do?  Please tell me you had a plan when you let that guard capture
you," begged Nicole.  She leaned against the wall and picked at the edge
of her warn white t-shirt.  The feeling of being confined was starting to close
in on her with each second that ticked away while she was in the tiny room that
served as her prison.

Sage bit the edge of her lip and
squinted her nose up slightly, "Well, it was kind of a split second
decision on my part.  I just knew I needed to be inside here with you but…no, I
didn't really think much past getting here." She put her arm around Nicole
giving her a hug.  "But at least you're not by yourself anymore."

Nicole giggled, "You and your
bright sides."  A moment of silence settled over the room as Nicole
thought.  "Is Luke alone?"

"Yes.  He and I have been trying to
get to you
—
"

The sound of approaching footsteps had
both the women focusing on the door.  Nicole could feel her body's reflexive
reaction gravitate to the spot in her chest where her powers once lived but
unfortunately came away without the slightest tingle of energy.

The door slung open quickly and three
muscle bound guards, dressed in all black military fatigues, came barreling
inside.  One took hold of Sage's arm and the other two guards each took one of
Nicole's arms.  Neither woman struggled; although Nicole was sure she heard
Sage mumbling profanities under her breath as the goth fairy turned her
attention on the hall outside of the doorway.

"My dearest sister, how nice to see
you again after all these years," Slade stood in the hall with his hands
casually tucked in his pockets and a slight grin on his face.

Sage tried to take a step forward but
the guard pulled her to a stop, "If you weren’t blocking my powers right
now I'd have these gorillas rip you to shreds but we all know that my big
brother doesn't fight fair."

Slade let out a deep, rumbling laugh,
throwing his head back and revealing his perfectly white teeth, "Now
that's the Sage I remember."  He turned his attention to Nicole,
"Love, we have an audience with Loch.  I've gotten all the confusion
straightened out for you so there's nothing to fear." He reached his hand
out toward her, "You're not going to cause any trouble right?"

Nicole studied his eyes for a moment. 
She starred into the depths of his ice blue orbs searching for hope that he was
still on the side of the fairies and hadn't really joined up with Loch.  With a
heavy heart and a large lump in her throat she reached for Slade's hand.  The
guards released their hold but still kept a cautious eye on her every movement
as they started down the hall.  Nicole glanced behind to make sure that Sage
was coming too and was met by the anger filled gaze of her friend.  There hadn't
been time to explain so Sage would just have to trust her.

The pressure was eating away at Nicole
as she walked fingers laced with a man whom she knew had his own motives for
helping her.  She just couldn't be sure if he was on her side at all anymore. 
The warmth of his body heat next to her own was a torment, knowing that she
couldn't ask questions even with them being this close to each other.

Seeming to sense Nicole's turmoil Slade
gave her hand a slight squeeze then began to trace small circles on her hand
with his thumb.  The sensation caused Nicole's stomach to knot even tighter as
a confusing sense of longing started to tug at her heart.

The group came to the top of the stairs
that brought them out of the dark basement area and into the brightly lit and
posh interior of the estate.  Nicole was in awe of the exquisite oil paintings
lining the eggshell colored walls.  One in particular caused her to drag her
feet as they passed so she could study it.  It was of a beautiful woman with
long flowing, brunette hair standing on a balcony that overlooked the sea.  A
white stone castle was perched on the edge of a high cliff but the beauty in
the strokes of the masterful painter wasn't what held Nicole's attention:  it
was the look of deep sadness on the woman's face
—
a face that Nicole had seen in
her dreams.

"Nicole," Slade gave a gentle
tug on her hand trying to encourage her to keep moving, "come on. We are
expected and it would be very rude of us to be late."  His voice was soft
but firm.

"Who is that woman?" Nicole
asked, gesturing toward the painting with a nod.

Sage spoke up, "Oh does she look
familiar to you?  She should and I pray to the Gods that you are half the woman
she was," hissed Sage.  "Queen Titania gave up everything to save the
Fae Kingdom and I hope your grandmother didn't do it in vein."

Sage's words shot threw Nicole's heart
like ice cold daggers but before she could respond Slade turned to her,
"That's enough out of you, sister.  If you can't be quiet I'll send you
back to the cell I just saved you from."  He stood nose to nose with her
in a battle of unspoken words until Sage took a step back but she did not try
to mask the hate radiating from her.  Slade nodded then started down the hall
again, taking Nicole's hand in his just as they reached two large oak doors
with guards standing at attention on each side.

Just as the guards moved to open the
doors a loud commotion sounded back down the hallway in the direction they had
just came from.  Nicole turned in time to see a guard being slammed violently
into the wall, sending sprays of sheet rock crumbling to the floor.  Her breath
caught in her throat when the man stepped away from the crumpled body lying on
the floor.  "Luke," she gasped and started forward.

"Stop her," the voice of
Morena boomed out from the now open doors behind them.

Before Nicole could take two steps a
large arm wrapped around her neck pulling her hard backwards.  She struggled to
slip from the man's grip as more guards began to swarm the hallway from behind
Morena.

Luke tackled the guard running toward
him and in one fluid motion of brute strength snapped the man's neck, letting
him fall heavily to the floor before moving onto the next.  There was no show
of fire or super strength in this battle.  All men here were fighting on fair
ground because of Slade's unwavering and unbiased powers blanketing everyone as
thoroughly as the air they all breathed.

Nicole could see the sweat starting to
bead on Luke's forehead as he moved from man to man, cutting a path toward her
with each swing of his fist, letting nothing stand in his way.  Her eyes darted
to her side where Sage was struggling to free herself from her captor as well. 
The slight woman expertly centered the guard's stomach with a blade-like elbow
then copied the motion to his face when he bowed over in pain.  Just as she
Nicole began to slip from the hold of her own captor the feel of cold metal on
her temple followed by the clicking of a hammer froze her in place.