BURN (34 page)

“Don’t you think you’re all overreacting a little?” Isla rolled her eyes. “I suggested a duel. Not a battle to the death.”

Harper got to her feet. “I think it would be kind of enjoyable.”

“Not a fucking chance, baby,” Knox ground out. “Tanner, get her out of here.”

“Nu-uh. I don’t walk away from a challenge.”
Knox, I know you’re worried for me. I know you don’t want to see me hurt. I get it, and I love you for it. But I’ve told you before, I can’t hide behind you. It’s not who I am. And people need to see that I’m no easy target. I’m sick to fucking death of people assuming I am one.

“I know you’re strong,” Knox told Harper aloud, wanting everyone to hear just how much faith he had in her. “I know you don’t need my protection. But you’re my anchor and my mate, which means I won’t allow anyone to hurt you irrespective of your strength.”

Knox stilled as Jolene’s voice came then.
Knox, you understand why Harper has to do this. She has to make it known that she’s strong in her own right. People see her as your weakness. They have to understand that she can also be a strength for you. That she herself isn’t weak.

In a sense, Knox did understand. But he couldn’t, he
wouldn’t
, sanction her putting herself in harm’s way. Isla wasn’t just a banshee, she was half vampire. “Tanner.”

Understanding, Tanner went to lead Harper away.

“No! She’s mine!” cried Isla.

There was a blur of movement followed by excruciating, stabbing pains in Harper’s neck. Harper stared in shock at the she-demon in front of her, who now had Knox’s hand wrapped around her throat. “You bit me,” said Harper.

“I didn’t just bite you, I weakened you.” Isla laughed. “That’s my vampiric gift, you see. I can steal some of a person’s power through their blood. It’ll be hours before you get it back.”

That was when Harper snapped out of her shocked daze. With her inner demon’s rage fueling her, she launched herself at Isla, punching her square in the jaw. Isla howled in soul-deep agony, but Harper didn’t get a chance to enjoy it before Tanner picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

Harper drummed her fists on his back as she screeched, “Let me at the bitch!”

“Many from Isla’s lair were watching the voting in the Underground, Harper,” said Tanner as they walked out of the emergency exit and into a side alley. “They’re going to see Knox make Isla die painfully. Her inner circle worship her. They’ll want vengeance. You’re weakening fast, so we need to get you out before any of them try to come for you.”

He was right. Her entire body felt sluggish, like she’d expended a massive amount of psychic energy, only ten times worse. Already her vision was beginning to darken around the edges. “I really don’t know how much longer I can stay awake,” she slurred.

“It’s fine, we’ll—”

At his abrupt halt, Harper looked around her curiously. That was when she noticed that people were coming at them from all sides. “Too late.” Then the darkness took her.

Knox glowered at the whimpering she-demon in his grip. It had been damn fucking hard to ignore the urge to simply snap the bitch’s neck, especially when his demon was riding him to do exactly that. But that would have been a loss of control; Knox couldn’t allow the public to think Harper could take that from him, or his enemies would come at her again and again. In addition, he wanted this to be painful for Isla; wanted it known by the demon public
exactly
what he would do to anyone who went after Harper. Even his inner demon couldn’t deny the importance of that.

Isla struggled in his hold, sobbing from soul-deep pain, courtesy of Harper. His mate no longer had to worry about anyone viewing her as weak.

“You can’t kill me, Knox. We’re too close. We’re
anchors!
”

“You’re nothing to me,” he ground out, his eyes flashing demon as the entity backed him up. “Nothing. Even if you were,
no one
hurts my mate and lives.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “My lair will avenge me.”

“Ask me if I give a fuck.” Conjuring a lethal orb of hellfire, Knox tipped her head back and forced it into her mouth, and down her throat. It lit her body as it moved down her windpipe and into her stomach, growing and growing as it burned her from the inside out. She screamed, clawing at her peeling flesh as the hellfire ate away at it. But Knox felt no remorse, no pity.

She heaved in one final breath before slumping in his grip, dead. Knox released her blistered, melting, steaming corpse with a sneer. His inner demon thought the act was too merciful, and it was rather disappointed by the speed with which she died. But Knox had wanted the world to see just how quick and easy it would be for someone to die at his hands.

“No!” cried one of Isla’s companions; a young male demon who had obviously been enchanted by her. Both males dropped to the ground beside her.

“I’ll escort them out once the body vaporizes,” Keenan told him.

Knox, need a little help out here,
called Tanner.

“Did Tanner take Harper out of the side exit?” Knox asked Keenan.

“Yes.”

Knox rushed outside and came to an immediate halt at the sight of Tanner standing amidst four dead demons. “What happened? Where’s Harper?” Dread hit him fast and hard.

A muscle in Tanner’s jaw ticked. “She was taken,” he growled.

Several emotions crashed into Knox. Fury. Panic. Helplessness. A need to hurt. A need to make someone
pay
. His demon roared inside his head, smashing its way to the surface. “By who?” it demanded in a rumble.

Tanner’s gaze was wary, but he replied, “A demon and some dark practitioners – I could smell the magick on them. The demon teleported her and the practitioners out of here while those fuckers attacked me.”

Drawing on every bit of control he possessed, Knox shoved his demon back down. Clear thinking was needed if they had any hope of getting her back. The demon wouldn’t think, wouldn’t plan. It would just destroy.
Harper? Harper?
No response.

Knox rubbed his fist over his heart, wondering at the ache there. He hadn’t experienced helplessness since he was a boy, hadn’t felt this level of anxiety since his parents tried to take him away from Riordan and instead ended up dead. It had mostly been a show of power on Riordan’s part; a message that he was in control. Then Knox had given him – given all of them – a real show of power. Afterwards, he’d put the reins back on his demon and his abilities. He’d become the epitome of self-control, vowing that nothing and no one would ever take that control from him again. But this situation threatened to snatch it from beneath him.

“Did they say where they were taking her?”

Tanner shook his head, his expression one of self-condemnation. “I put her on the ground behind me while I fought…”

“It’s not your fault.” The words might have sounded genuine if they hadn’t been guttural. He didn’t blame Tanner, knew the sentinel would have protected her if he could.
Harper? Harper, fucking answer me!
“She’s not responding, but I know she’s alive. I can still feel her mind.”

“She passed out as they surrounded us.”

The door swung open and Levi strode out. One scan of his surroundings was enough for him to conclude, “Someone took Harper.”

Tanner scrubbed a hand down his face. “Can you track her through your anchor bond?”

“No.” Knox paced, striving to stay calm. “That’s not how it works.” Flames flickered from his fingertips. The sentinels eyed him warily. He thought of Harper’s reaction to the sight…
‘Pretty. Any more tricks?’
She accepted him in a way no one else ever had or ever would. He couldn’t fucking lose her; he just couldn’t.

“We’ll get her back,” Levi assured him.

“You love her,” Tanner mused.

No, he didn’t. The times Knox sensed that emotion in others, it had been soft and deep. What he felt for Harper was a dark, dangerous, clawing emotion that surpassed that.

“I know she won’t like it,” began the hellhound, “but you could shove your way into her mind and force her back to consciousness.”

“Her shields are extraordinary. I can’t get through them without shredding my own psyche.” If he did that, he’d be useless to her.
Harper! Harper! Answer me right. Fucking. Now.
Still nothing. His demon was pumping his anger into Knox, trying to goad him into handing over the reins; to surrendering control as Knox had done as a child. But he wasn’t that child anymore. He inhaled deeply, digging deep for the strength to fight his rage and anxiety; to think clearly. “Anchored to me, she’s stronger. That means she’ll rejuvenate from Isla’s bite reasonably fast. All I can do in the meantime is repeatedly try to wake her. Then she can tell me where she is.”
If
she knew where she was.

The door once again opened. Jolene, Beck, and Martina strolled out. Jolene froze, face hardening as she took in the dead bodies and the grim expressions of Knox, Tanner, and Levi. “Where’s my granddaughter?”

It was Tanner who answered. “In the hands of dark practitioners. A demon – probably a stray who had been hired by them – teleported the practitioners here, so they could snatch Harper.”

“We have no idea where she is,” said Levi, “which means we have no idea how to get her out of wherever they’re keeping her.”

Jolene snorted, to everyone’s surprise. “Do you really think my granddaughter can be held anywhere she doesn’t want to be? She may not be an imp, but she’s a Wallis through and through. So tuck your crazy back in, Knox. We need you calm. By the time you get to wherever she is, she’ll already be out of there. Concentrate on planning what you’ll do the bastards that dared to take her.”

“That plan is simple,” rumbled Knox. “They’ll die.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Harper! Harper! Answer me.

If Knox would just shut the fuck up and let Harper sleep, that would be great. Her head felt heavy and her limbs were like noodles.

Harper! Wake up, baby.
His voice had softened slightly, sounded almost…desperate. That made no sense.
I need you to wake up.

Trying to sleep here
, she grumbled.

A vibe of relief stroked the edges of her mind.
Tell me where you are, baby. I can’t find you until I know where you are.

His anxiety made her frown. Knox was never anything but composed.
Why are you so
—?

Memories suddenly flashed before her…Isla biting her. Tanner carrying her outside. Being surrounded in an alley. Darkness closing in.

Harper snapped to alertness, forcing her eyes open as she tried to bolt upright.
Well, shit
.

What?

I’m tied, spread-eagle, to some kind of table.
There was even a rope around her waist to stop her from squirming. Well, at least she wasn’t naked. That didn’t placate her inner demon – it was totally pissed. Scanning her surroundings, she felt her stomach drop.
Well, double shit.

Harper, tell me where the fuck you are.

I don’t know. It’s like some kind of man-made temple. There are candles everywhere, ritual symbols on the walls, and a huge circular ritual marking on the floor…and I can smell dark magick.
And it seemed like she was secured to a sacrificial table. How delightful.
Looks like it was the practitioners after me all this time. Is Tanner okay?

He’s fine. Do you recognize anything around you?

No. There’s a set of stairs at the end of the room, so I think I might be in a basement of some kind. That’s all I know. I have absolutely no idea where I am.

He bit out a string of curses.

I can get out of here, don’t worry.

Don’t worry? You’re tied down!

You say that like it makes a difference. You know, you constantly underestimate me, and I’ve yet to figure out why.
In truth, she was glad he wasn’t able to come straight to her. There was no doubt in her mind that she was being used as bait. After all, if her kidnappers had wanted to kill her, they would surely have done it by now; they would have taken advantage of her unconscious state. If they thought to lure Knox here, they had to also believe they had a way of containing him. She wouldn’t allow that. No fucking way.

Hearing voices approaching, Harper closed her eyes, feigning sleep. There was a loud yet smooth whirring sound…like some kind of machinery was being used. Was the door electronically locked or something? The whirring stopped and then footsteps descended the stairs, slowly making their way toward her. She counted four sets of footsteps.

“Odd that she’s still unconscious,” remarked a very well-spoken male.

I know you’re strong, Harper, but
—

Shh, I’ve got company and I’m trying to listen.

“It means being anchored to him hasn’t made her as strong as we’d expected,” continued the eloquent voice. “Are you sure they formed the anchor bond?”

“Well, he calls her his anchor,” replied a coarse voice.

“Yes, Jacques, but that does not mean that they have formed a bond.”

“I figured they did,” defended Jacques.

“Yet, she remains unconscious.”

“That doesn’t have to mean anything, Alton,” said a female voice. Kendra – or whoever the hell she really was. “We don’t know enough about Isla’s bite to know how long a victim typically loses consciousness. We have nothing to measure it by.”

The bitch is here,
Harper told Knox.
Fake Kendra is here. She must have been hired by the practitioners, so it looks like my little theory was right.

How can you be smug? YOU’RE TIED TO A TABLE LIKE A DAMN SACRIFICE!

I don’t appreciate your tone.

“Alton, when do you want me to get a message to someone in his lair?” asked another male voice.

“Soon, Ezra. I need to be sure everything is ready before we give an anonymous tip with her location,” said Alton.

“Can I make her scream a little first?” ‘Kendra’ practically purred.

“Still sore that he chose her over you?” Jacques teased.

“It’s not about
him
. She should die for the agony she caused my soul.”

“Be honest, Jeanna, Knox choosing her was an ego blow. You treasure that ego.”

She huffed. “I’d already walked away from him by the time he met her, remember?”

“Yeah, but you thought he’d chase you. Instead, he pursued
her
.
That has to have pissed you off, since you literally have the gift of seduction. Tell me honestly, did you try to seduce her, too?”

“
Her
?”

He chuckled. “Don’t give me that horrified look, Jeanna. Whenever a mated guy turns you down, you seduce his mate out of spite.”

“I don’t seduce them, I just make them want me so much that they beg for me to touch them…then I walk away.”

Wasn’t she just a precious little thing? Her inner demon wanted to crush her skull.

“Like that’s any better,” snorted Jacques. “Come on, tell me, did you try it on her?”

“Once. It didn’t work. She’s an awkward bitch.”

That could explain the warmth that had briefly bloomed through Harper when Jeanna grabbed her arm in the restrooms.

“Do you really think you can trap Knox Thorne?” Jacques asked.

“Any predator can be trapped with the right bait,” replied Alton.

“But can you
keep
the predator trapped? That’s the question.”

“Your part here is over, demons,” said Alton. “You’ve been paid, and you’ve been paid well.”

“I want to see it through,” said Jeanna.

Alton huffed. “I fail to understand why you believe you have any authority here. Ezra, please escort the demons to their vehicle while I check everything is in place.”

Someone in your lair will get a call with an anonymous tip on where I am,
Harper told Knox as the voices gradually faded.
It’s a trap
—

I know it’s a fucking trap.
His tone said he couldn’t give a shit.
I’ll be there soon.

That meant she needed to get
out
side before the dumb motherfucker walked
in
side.

Once she was absolutely certain she was alone again, Harper opened her eyes and called hellfire to her hand. Then she twisted her hands enough to grip the table, infusing the hellfire into the wood. The flames burned away the rope, enabling her to free herself. Thankfully, she was impervious to any hellfire she conjured or she’d be in absolute agony right now.

Honestly, she was insulted that anyone thought rope was enough to secure her. No self-respecting Wallis would be unable to escape ties of any kind.

Harper smoothly slipped off the table. She stood still for a moment, testing the strength of her legs. Maybe it was the adrenalin or maybe it was that being anchored to Knox made her stronger, but her body was no longer physically weak. She knew that she still hadn’t psychically recovered from Isla’s bite, though.

With the stealth she’d learned at an early age, she silently hurried to the other end of the room. She quickly dashed up the wooden steps, wincing when one of the boards creaked ever so slightly. The sound was like a bomb in the silence of the room, but it didn’t appear to have alerted anyone.

When she almost reached the top step, she blinked, totally baffled. Where the fuck was the door? There was barely even a wall. The roof here in the corner of the basement was sloped. There was only a two foot gap between the top stair and the bottom of the slope. There was literally no door. She might have thought the door had been moved underneath the stairs during renovations or something, but she had clearly heard the others descend the rickety steps.

That was when she recalled the whirring sound she’d heard earlier. Okay, if she was an electronic door, where would she be?

Harper skimmed her fingers along the wall, searching for some kind of switch. Her index finger brushed over something hard and circular. Hopeful, Harper pressed it…and the small sloped roof above the steps started to lift. She listened hard for any signs of people approaching, but there was nothing.

Finally, the slope came to an abrupt stop, revealing a doorway. It was only when Harper hurried through the opening that she realized the sloped roof was actually part of a staircase that led to upper floors. The clever bastards had hidden their little temple very well. Clicking another switch, Harper then watched as the small portion of the staircase moved back into position. To look at the staircase as a whole, no one would ever imagine that the bottom section lifted. She couldn’t help but begrudgingly admire the design.

Voices in the distance snapped her out of her musings.

Crap. Strongly suspecting that the front and back entrances to what was clearly a massive house were being guarded, she headed silently up the winding staircase. Reaching the top floor, she listened carefully for signs of company. Satisfied she was still alone, she crossed the landing to a smaller winding staircase that no doubt led to the attic. Hopefully it wasn’t another damn sacrificial chamber.

Thankfully, it turned out to be a storage room. Quietly, she wound her way through the boxes and pieces of furniture, heading for the side window, which was disappointingly small. Not that a little thing like that would stop her. Hey, she’d once gotten in and out of a bank vault – she had this.

The window turned out to be pretty damn stiff, so it was a slight struggle getting it open. If it hadn’t been for her enhanced strength, she might not have managed to open it. She slinked her upper body through the small space, taking in the nighttime view, and was immediately assaulted by the scents of wet grass and dark magick.

Knox, it would appear that I’m in a house in the middle of nofuckingwhere
. Great.

I haven’t received the anonymous tip yet telling me where you are.
His impatience vibrated against her mind.
I’ll be there as soon as I get it.

She could hear muffled voices, but none were close by. Wanting a thorough view of her surroundings and an idea of where each of the practitioners waited, she clambered onto the flat roof. It seemed like it was one of those eco-friendly builds that was all metal panels, timber, and plexiglass. Instinctively, she froze, knowing she wasn’t alone. Then there was mock clapping.

“Clever girl.” Jeanna moved out of the shadows. She looked very different. The elegant look was gone. Her clothing was casual, her hair was now red, and her eyes were a pale blue. She was also holding a black, swirly dagger. “I had a feeling you’d get out – you’re a Wallis, after all. Don’t worry about them down there; they can’t hear us through my shield. But they
will
see us while I take your life.”

“You stuck around for payback.” Typical of their kind. Harper balled up her hands as her familiar protective power rushed to her fingertips.

“That…and it will be interesting to see if their spell works. They believe they can trap Knox. Truly. Practitioners are covering each corner of the house, forming a cube shape. Once Knox steps inside that psi-cube, walls will slam up…and the cube will get smaller and smaller until it’s the size of a closet.”

Not good at all.
Knox, when you get here, don’t come near the house! The practitioners think they can trap you in some kind of psychic cube. Knox? Knox?
No answer. Was Jeanna’s shield blocking the message? If so, this was bad. “You’re the one who planted the compulsions.”

Jeanna shrugged one shoulder. “I couldn’t have people pointing the finger at me, could I?”

“And the snakes?”

“One of the practitioners did that, but it was my idea. I was there.” Eyes narrowing, Jeanna asked, “Just how did you survive them?”

“A few escaped out of the letterbox; there might as well have been a neon sign warning me away. Why work for these bastards? Why?”

“I’ll work for whoever pays well. Be honest, Harper, our kind is darker than theirs will ever be.”

In some instances, that was indeed true. “Do I have
you
to thank for the rumor about Carla?”

“That was a personal hit. Have you ever felt soul-deep pain yourself? It’s an experience unlike any other. It hurts every part of you, inside and out. Every nerve ending, every organ, every bone, and – finally – every piece of your soul. You could say it packs an emotional punch.”

“You wanted me to hurt like you hurt,” Harper deduced.

“Yes. So I did my research on you, looking for dirt. I was annoyed to find that you’re not actually an imp. I don’t like being wrong.” Jeanna tilted her head. “A sphinx without wings. That’s a little like a dog without a bark.”