Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2 (38 page)

“You knew the Solsti had returned?” Ashina’s eyes flashed to her mate.

“Solsti?” Jason shook his head and let out a small chuckle. “That’s a good one. Thanks for the help, but we’re leaving now.”

“Hold on!”
 
Mathias held up both hands. “I pull rank. Everyone stay put.”
 
He scowled at Jason and paced a line in front of Kai. “Yes, the Solsti are back. Brooke is the one who controls water. Now, who’s Nicole?”

“Her sister, who has affinity with air. And she’s Gunnar’s mate.”
 
Kai turned to Raniero. “How do you know her, Watcher?”

“I ran into her and Gunnar when they were here last month. We fought some Vipers together,” Raniero raked a hand through his long hair. “That’s when I learned the Solsti were back.”

Hands on his hips, Mathias surveyed the group. His eyes settled on Jason. “You, elf. I have some memories of yours. I regret that I had to take them, but at the time, we didn’t know how this would play out. May I?”
 
He dropped his sword and took a step toward Jason, palms up.

“I’ve never seen you before. Any of you,” Jason said. His brothers readied their bows.

“When you tracked your brothers yesterday, you were captured by Draven. So was she.”
 
He nodded at Brooke. “Kai and I intervened. I had to take your memories, in case Cale captured you.”

The elf brothers bristled, angry murmurs drifting forth about how they were too stealthy to be caught.

Mathias gritted his teeth. “I mean no offense. I only seek to return your memories.”

Jason signaled for his kin to lower their weapons. “You’re right. We were captured by Draven and then…we were free. None of us could remember how we escaped.”

“Again, elf, I’m sorry for that. Allow me to return what I took.”

Jason nodded, and Mathias stood next to him. Towered over him was more like it. Eyes closed, he held a hand above Jason’s head for a few seconds.

Kai watched in open appreciation.
Nice trick. Handy for a tracker-spy
. He glanced back down at Brooke’s motionless form. “You’re missing all the fun, baby.”

Mathias stepped back from the elf.

Jason blinked. “The Solsti!
 
Is she okay?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Ashina said wryly.

“Nolan!
 
Niall!” Jason gestured to two of his friends. “Allow the Lash to return your memories.”

The other two elves who had been involved in the fight with Draven stepped forward, and Mathias repeated the process. Their faces paled as they looked at Brooke’s still form.

The four elves who had been Cale’s prisoners moved closer, awe in their eyes.

Mathias looked at the four. “We think Cale kidnapped you on behalf of another. You guys might have been on your way to being lab rats for some mad scientist.”

“I overheard him on the phone one night,” one of the four said. “He told her there would be a delay. I could only hear his side of the conversation, but he sounded like he was trying to placate her. He kept reminding her of all the, uh, subjects, he brought her. Said that if she could wait a day, he’d have two more.”

“Did he say her name?” Mathias asked.

The elf nodded. “Elegia.”

Mathias frowned and looked at Kai. “Ring any bells?”

Kai shook his head. He gazed down at Brooke, who hadn’t moved a muscle. “Wake up, baby.”
 
I’ve got something to tell you
.

He picked up her slender hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of it.
I love you. You’re mine.
He cleared his throat and spoke to Ashina. “Isn’t there anything you can do?”

The healer shook her head, ebony hair swishing around her shoulders. “Her vital signs are steady. I don’t sense any stress in her body. I’ve never treated a Solsti before, but I think she just over-taxed herself.”
 
She met Kai’s gaze. “Has she done that, um, procedure before?”

“Not on a creature that large.”

“Let’s give her a few minutes then. Can you sense anything? Through your bond?”

Kai froze. The mating bond. Had it formed?
 
No, at least not fully, he thought as he stroked her hair, which was still completely brown.

Hell, he had no idea how this worked. His only mated friend was Gunnar. When Nicole had been in distress, Gunnar had felt it as strongly as a sledgehammer to the heart. But now, Kai sensed only silence. Either there was no bond, or Brooke wasn’t in pain.

“I don’t feel anything.”
 
Hope and confusion warred in his mind. He was sure he’d heard her voice in his head.
I love you
. His eyes dropped to her beautiful face. She looked peaceful. Her mind was quiet. No words, no emotion.

Ashina reached over and laid her hand on his shoulder. “Then just hold her. I’ll be right here.”

Kai gathered Brooke in his arms, getting into a comfortable position on the ground.
Wake up, baby
. Gods above, he needed her. The whole freaking world needed her. And she’d knocked herself out saving his ass. Again. Damn. When he’d said that to her yesterday, he’d been joking.

Ah, hell. She’d warned him about Raniero. Rosa’s words echoed reproachfully in his ears.
One of the Solsti is gifted with dreams of foreshadowing
. And today, he’d had more confidence in his own skills than in Brooke’s dreams.
Time for that to change
.

Mathias’ voice broke through his thoughts as the Hunter spoke to the elves. “Any idea where this Elegia is located?”

“No. It seemed like we walked around this forest for days. We thought it was deliberate, to confuse us. But now, it seems he was looking for your group,” one elf said.

A sharp wind gusted, rattling the leaves overhead. Shimmering energy pulsed in the air, and every creature with a weapon turned toward it. Rising from the ground, a gentle swirl of mist spun the gray dirt in a lazy circle. A soft pop echoed off the trees.

The dirt settled, revealing a red-haired, curvy female demon. A Deserati.

What the hell?
 
It couldn’t be. “Miranda?” Kai asked.

The female glanced at him but ignored his question, focusing on the plethora of weapons aimed at her. Her green tail slithered back and forth across the ground behind her. “Easy, boys. I’m looking for someone. I don’t know who you are, but as soon as I find my employer, I’ll forget I ever saw you.”

“Who are you?” Kai asked.

The demoness turned to him and rolled her eyes. “
Not
Miranda. But I’m not surprised you know my twin. A lot of guys do.”

“I didn’t know she had a twin,” Kai muttered.

“Let me guess, when you spent time with her, not a lot of talking went on,” the female drawled.

Kai frowned. Maybe he was a bastard, but some part of him was relieved that Brooke was out cold for this little exchange. “That’s all in the past. Who are you looking for?”

“My name is Bianca and I’m looking for a Lash demon named Cale. I don’t suppose you’ve seen him?”

Kai exchanged a glance with Mathias. “What’s left of him is over there somewhere. You may have to dig through a few Serus bodies first,” the Hunter said.

Bianca’s green eyes widened to the size of saucers. “He’s dead?”

Mathias nodded.

“I have to see.”
 
Darting in the direction Mathias indicated, her heeled boots leapt over Serus remains. She came to an abrupt halt, her face contorting into a disgusted grimace. “Holy freaking gods above!”

Bianca turned and jogged back to them, a smile spreading from one pointed ear to the other. “Woo-hoo!”
 
Her fist pumped the air. “He’s dead!
 
I’m free!”

“Free?” Kai asked.

“I’ve lived in forced service to him for decades,” she said. “To pay off a gambling debt my father racked up. It was either Cale killed him, or I worked for Cale.”

“What kind of work?” Mathias asked.

“I’m a porter.”

“So you’re the porter.” The Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “We heard he had one. He probably planned for you to transport these elves today.”

Bianca shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. “He never gives me details. Just tells me where and when to meet him.”

“And where do you bring the captives?”

“I get a different set of coordinates each time. Never the same location. But they all were in the northwest region of Torth, along the Bloodspire mountains.”

“Does the name Elegia mean anything to you?”
 
Mathias continued.

Bianca shook her head. “No. Are you done?
 
Because I have a few questions of my own.”

Mathias scowled. “One more, female. Who met you at the exchange points?”

“Armed guards. Dozens of them, all different species. All male.”
 
She held up a hand when Mathias opened his mouth. “And no, I don’t know where they took the prisoners. After they secured the captives, they made me leave before they headed off.”

Kai and Mathias exchanged a look. “Thank you, Bianca. Now at least we have a general location,” Kai said.

Raniero took a step closer to Bianca. “I was also forced into service for Cale.” He inclined his head. “I’m Raniero.”

The porter’s lips parted as she gazed up at his towering frame. “You’re his merc. I’ve heard stories about you. The rumor is Cale caught you with his daughter—”

“That would be me,” Ashina piped up, waving from her position at Brooke’s side.

Bianca swiveled to face her. “Did he really banish you?”

“Yes. I’ve lived on Evena for a hundred years.”

“Damn.” Bianca let out a low whistle. “But you found each other.”

“Very recently.” Ashina smiled.

“That’s so romantic,” Bianca sighed, a dreamy note creeping into her voice. She tilted her head and smiled at the healer.

Mathias snorted and rolled his eyes.

A tingle of warning crawled up Kai’s spine. He looked down to see Brooke’s eyelids moving as if she was having one of her dreams. He wished he could spare her from them. He hated the terror that engulfed her so thoroughly that it carried over into her first moments of wakefulness.
You’ll never wake up alone, Sprite. I promise
.
I’ll be with you, in your mind and in your bed. If you’ll have me.
 

C
HAPTER
27

B
ROOKE
DREW
A
SHARP
BREATH
and her body jerked. Her eyes flew open to meet Kai’s brown ones, shining back at her with tenderness and concern.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you, Brooke.” He rocked her back and forth.

Rocked?
 
She blinked and realized she was in his lap. “He’s gonna kill you!” She squirmed in his hold.

He held her tight to his chest. “It’s all over, baby. You did it.”

“Over?” She struggled to sit and look around, but he wouldn’t let her.

He kissed her forehead. “Yes, over. Cale is dead. So are his Serus guards.”

She stopped her attempt to see what lay behind him, and blinked as images fired through her mind. The horror from her dream, a blade at Kai’s throat. Her anger and fear that he could die. And Cale…Cale’s body shriveling, blood and water everywhere…She
had
done it.

“That was me,” she whispered.

“You kicked ass, Sprite.”

She threw her arms around his neck and instantly regretted moving so swiftly.
Bad idea
. Her lips pressed together and a wave of nausea rolled through her.

A throat cleared close by.
 
“Hi, Brooke. Can you look at me?”

Brooke turned in the direction of the female voice and froze. Luminous green eyes met hers, capturing her in a stare as strong as Kai’s arms. Those eyes were both familiar and new. She felt like she’d looked into them her whole life. They looked just like Nicole’s eyes.
That makes no sense.

The woman’s dark hair framed her heart-shaped face. “Brooke?
 
Does anything hurt?”

Brooke shook her head, unable to look away.
How do I know you?

“I’m Ashina,” the woman said. She took Brooke’s hand, and a rush of warmth shot into her arm. Not like the heat she felt from Kai’s touch. This was comforting. Loving. Familial.

Ashina blinked, and a shiver ran through her slender frame. A smile lit her delicate features. “You’re going to be fine, Brooke. You just passed out for a minute.”

“Who are you?” Brooke whispered, still clutching Ashina’s hand.

“I’m a healer. I’m a Lash demon. And…”
 
She glanced down for a second before meeting Brooke’s eyes. “Cale’s daughter.”

Remorse flared in Brooke’s heart. Not for killing Cale, but for causing loss to Ashina. Had they been close?
 
“I killed him,” she whispered.

“Everyone present is very glad you did. Me included. My father was a monster.” Ashina’s gaze shifted, focusing somewhere behind Brooke. “We’ll tell you the whole story later.”
 
She released Brooke’s hand and stood. “I’ll give you two a moment.”
 
Soft footsteps swished through the grass as the healer walked off to join the rest of the group.

Brooke studied her hand. It tingled from the warm impression left by Ashina.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. The healer…she seems so familiar to me, but I have no idea why.”

“She’s been sitting here with us for a while. Maybe you heard her voice when you were still out.”

“Maybe.”
 
She looked at him, reaching up to cup his cheek. Drops of dried blood dotted his jaw. There was more at his throat, where the small cut from Raniero’s sword had already healed. “I thought you were going to die.”

“Told you it takes a lot to kill me.”

“I saved you
again
.”
 
She shot him her best cocky grin.

He laughed, and the relaxed, happy sound warmed her heart. “Yeah. Guess we’re even now.” Turning his head, he kissed the center of her palm.

His lips sent tendrils of heat all the way to her toes. But the future weighed on her like a thick blanket. “Kai…something really bad is coming.”