Darkest Flame (21 page)

“Fuck!” Con shouted and turned away.

They were all surprised at Con’s show of emotion. He was the one who always kept his cool, the one who could order someone’s death without hesitation.

Rhys let the soft breeze rush over his heated skin. He wished he was done explaining, but he had one more bit of news. “There’s more. Rhi was here.”

Constantine whirled around, his blond hair windblown and his black eyes hard as ice as he speared Rhys with a glare. “What?”

“I’m no’ some lackey you can threaten in that soft tone of yours belying your fury,” Rhys said as he took a threatening step toward Con.

Guy stepped between them, his hands out, looking first at Rhys and then Con. “He’s right, Con. Rein it in, or Rhys willna be the only one beating the shit out of you.”

Con pushed Guy’s hand away, his nostrils flaring. “What did she want?”

“Rhi?” Tristan asked. “Is that the female Fae I keep hearing about who showed up at Dreagan?”

Kiril nodded. “Aye.”

“Then she must be trying to help.”

Con swiveled his head to the youngest King. “Help? That Fae has done nothing but tear Dragon Kings apart. She wouldna know the meaning of the word help.”

“Then why did she wake Kellan and Denae before the Dark Ones arrived?” Rhys shouted.

Con laughed dryly. “You always believe everything she says.”

“Fuck you too, Con,” Rhys said.

Guy ignored Con and faced Rhys. “Where is Rhi now?”

Rhys turned away and raked a hand through his hair, frustration riding him hard. “I asked her to tell me where one of their doorways was so I could go after Kellan.”

“You idiot,” Kiril said, but there was no heat in his words. “I hope you didna plan to go alone.”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “Sod off.”

Guy cut his gaze to Kiril and looked back at Rhys. “And?”

“Rhi refused.”

Con barked with laughter. “Of course she did. How silly of me to ever doubt her.”

Rhys was finding it increasingly difficult not to land his fist on Con’s jaw. “She said she would find Kellan and Denae and help them escape.”

“She’s putting her own life at risk,” Kiril said softly.

Con folded his arms over his chest. “If you think that, then you doona remember the Fae.”

“I remember them perfectly,” Kiril stated harshly. “Perhaps it’s you with the clouded vision.”

Guy shoved his long hair out of his eyes and muttered curse words. “We’re lucky Rhi was here and is still willing to help us. You know if we go into the Fae realm the war will begin all over again. The Fae—Light and Dark—will take it as a show of force. We doona want them aligning together again.”

Rhys pulled the mobile from his back pocket. “One more thing. An agent was on the phone describing the scene to someone. We need to trace the number to see who it belongs to. It could be the arse who’s trying to oust us.”

“We wouldna get that lucky,” Tristan said.

Kiril held out his hand for the mobile. “We might. Let me see it.”

Rhys handed him the phone and Kiril walked to the house to the computers inside. Rhys looked back at Con. “We need to go to Ireland.”

“Damn,” Guy said.

“How long do we have?” Tristan asked.

Rhys exchanged a glance with Guy. “For Kellan there is no time limit, no’ really. They’ll torture him repeatedly, but they can no’ kill him. He knows what happens to Kings at the hands of the Dark. He’ll hold out as long as he can.”

“It’s Denae,” Tristan said with a nod.

Rhys looked at the house, wondering what he might have done differently. “He gave Denae his promise to keep her alive.”

“Promises are broken all the time.”

Guy rubbed the back of his neck. “Kellan was still sleeping when you came to us, Tristan, so you doona know him. Kellan rarely gives anyone his word, and when he does, he willna break it.”

“Then I suggest we get our arses to Ireland,” Tristan stated bluntly, his dark brown eyes meeting Rhys’s.

Rhys couldn’t agree more. He would go with or without Con’s agreement.

“If I go, the Fae will take it as a slight,” Con said.

Rhys couldn’t hold back the sarcasm as he said, “I doona know why. You’re such a nice guy in war.”

“You try being responsible for an entire race and let me see your decisions,” Con said tightly as he took a step toward him.

Rhys didn’t back down. He leaned forward, anger radiating. “I was responsible for my Yellows. But you convinced us to send them away.”

“To keep them alive!”

“Aye! And look where we are now!”

They were nose to nose, the air crackling with tension. Rhys wouldn’t back down. He hadn’t always agreed with Con’s decisions, but he had always backed him.

“Enough,” Guy said evenly. “We need to band together, no’ fraction apart. Kellan and Denae need us, and I for one willna let them down.”

“I’m going to Ireland,” Rhys stated before Con could utter a word.

“We need a plan,” Con cautioned.

Rhys snorted and turned on his heel to walk to the lodge. “You come up with a plan then. I’m going to Ireland.”

Guy waited until Rhys was in the lodge before he turned to Con. “I’m no’ going to Ireland with him, but only because of Elena. But understand, Con, she’s the only reason I’m no’ going. For the moment.”

“Do you think we should go en masse, then?” Con asked sardonically.

Guy swallowed and kept his irritation for what happened to Kellan from boiling over. “I think a few of us going has a better chance, but if that doesna work, then we go to the queen.”

“Usaeil?” Con asked in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind?”

Guy’s control snapped. He whirled on Con and pointed to the house. “One of us was taken. A human under his protection was taken. By the Dark. Do I need to say more?”

Con suddenly grinned. “Just make sure Kiril stays with Rhys and keeps control of Rhys’s temper. Then get back to Elena quickly.”

Guy blinked, taken aback.

“I’ll be going with Rhys too,” Tristan said.

Con sighed. “Aye, but no’ yet. Let Rhys and Kiril go first and report back. I want everyone else filled in and ready if there is a battle.”

*   *   *

Banan slammed on the brakes, causing Henry to huff out a breath as the seat belt cut into his sternum. “Bloody hell, Banan. That’s the second time you’ve done that in a few hours,” Henry said when the SUV came to a screeching halt.

Banan’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. Just as before, he stared off into space, his chest heaving and his jaw set.

Suddenly Banan turned to look at Henry. “Kellan and Denae were taken.”

“By MI5?”

“Nay. The Dark. But MI5 was there.”

Henry rubbed his eyes. “How were they found? And how the bloody hell do you know this?”

“Telepathic link.”

He couldn’t believe Banan had actually told him the truth. Henry long suspected that Banan wasn’t completely human, and after the past day with him, he knew it for a fact now. “Will you tell me what you are?”

“Soon,” Banan evaded. “MI5 are good, Henry, but no’ that good.”

“Could the Fae have found them and alerted the agents?”

Banan shook his head of short, dark hair. “Nay. The Fae can lose track of people just like anyone. They are no’ all-knowing. The fact the Dark and MI5 are working together is cause for concern. I had hoped it was just a onetime thing, but it looks more and more like it wasna.”

“When we do work with other agencies, it’s just for one mission. There has to be a good reason for this.”

“We need to find out.”

Henry pulled out his mobile and dialed his boss before putting it on speaker. “I’ve already called in all my favors, but there might still be a chance.”

The line rang six times before Stuart picked up and said, “You better have a damn good reason for calling me.”

“When have I ever let you down?” Henry asked.

Stuart’s sigh was loud. “Never.”

“Have I asked for favors before yesterday?”

“Never.”

“Am I fired?”

“Never,” Stuart said. “You’re too good for us to fire you. If we did, the CIA or someone else might recruit you.”

Henry briefly closed his eyes and released a breath. “Stuart, I think someone is using MI5 to attack certain individuals.”

“After your last phone call I did some digging. That entire section Lacroix worked under seems to be corrupt. We’ve got some housecleaning to do.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Meanwhile, do you have the name of who is leading the section? And do you know who that section would be working with?”

“They aren’t sanctioned to work with any other agency.”

Henry could hear the shuffle of papers and then the sound of Stuart punching the keyboard. “We think the head of the section, Frank, is the one doing the corrupting.”

“It goes beyond McCall. Be careful, Stuart. Whoever is pulling the strings has a long reach, and he’s dangerous.”

“And a fool he is to think he can run MI5.”

Henry wished he was at the office. Stuart was a good man, but he was older and had been in the agency for a long time. He operated by a code few recognized anymore.

“Don’t do anything alone. Have someone with you at all times, Stuart.”

“I was running ops before you were a twinkle in your father’s eye, son. Don’t be telling me what to do.”

Henry ran a hand down his face and glanced over when Banan’s phone beeped. Banan then handed him his mobile. Henry quickly read the text. “One more thing, Stuart. I’ve got a number that needs to be traced.”

“Give it to me.”

Henry read off the number and listened as Stuart punched it in. A few minutes later Henry said, “It comes up blank. Are you sure it’s the right number?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Stuart. Call me as soon as you know something.”

Henry disconnected the call and shook his head as he handed the phone back to Banan. “Dead end on the number. What is it?”

“An MI5 agent dialed it and spoke with someone as Kellan and Denae were being attacked. Rhys heard the agent giving details to someone.”

“Whoever it was got their number changed quickly enough. Whoever this bastard is, he’s good.”

“No’ that good, no’ against us.”

Henry watched a car drive around them. “This goes back to when I helped you in London, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

“If you want my help, I need to know all the facts. I can’t keep trying to fill in the gaps.”

“Fine. We’re dragons.”

Henry blew out a breath. “I need you to be honest, Banan. I want to help.”

“I am being honest.”

He looked at Banan to see his friend wasn’t jesting. “A dragon?”

“Aye. I’ll prove it later. Right now we need to get to Dreagan. Several are going to Ireland to try and find Kellan.”

“How do they know Kellan and Denae are in Ireland?”

Banan eased back onto the road. “Because that’s where the Fae are.”

“Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?” Henry sat back, wondering how he was ever going to look at the world the same again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Denae’s stomach rumbled with hunger, but she wasn’t going to ask for food. There was no telling what the Dark Ones would give her anyway.

“Drink the water,” Kellan said.

She glanced at the water leaking down the wall and knew she needed to stay hydrated. Without water, she was dead. She cupped her hands and let the water fill up before she brought her hands to her lips.

Once she drank her fill, she wiped her mouth with the back of her arm and asked, “Are they still here?”

“Probably. Maybe. I doona know.”

“You can’t feel them or anything?”

Kellan shook his head and yanked on the chain, trying to pull it from the wall. “Nay.”

She didn’t know how much time had passed since the Fae had paid them a visit. It seemed endless, but at least they had left the lights on, or whatever it was that kept the room aglow.

Denae walked to the opposite side of the room from Kellan and sat against the wall. “We’re never getting out of here, are we?”

When Kellan didn’t answer, she looked at him to see him still pulling on the chain.

“A non-answer is as much of an answer as a verbal one.”

“I willna lie to you,” he said and gave another hard yank.

She leaned her head back. “Silence is the best you got? I’d rather have honesty.”

“Stop thinking about it. Concentrate on staying alive.”

“Why?” she asked. “What do I have to go home to? I have no job now, not after MI5 turned on me. I don’t have any family. I don’t even have a home to go to.”

Melancholy suddenly overwhelmed her, sinking her into a pool of despair that was as thick and cloying as tar. Her life was going nowhere. She had achieved all she was ever going to, which wasn’t much of anything.

She was alone. Her chest tightened with the swell of desolation. There were no friends who would mourn her. No coworkers, especially since they’d betrayed her. The only lover she had taken in years couldn’t stand that she was human.

“I have nothing. I am nothing.”

The misery was deep, the hopelessness profound.

The anguish bottomless.

She should just give up. What had she been thinking in rejecting the Dark Fae? He could give her a little pleasure, maybe even some happiness.

When she saw him again, she was going to throw herself at him and beg his forgiveness.

“Denae.”

She turned her head away from Kellan. “Leave me alone. What do you care anyway? I’m just a human.”

“Denae, they’re in your head.”

“What do you care? Give me one good reason.”

“Just listen to m—”

She sighed over his words. “Just as I thought. You can’t give me a reason, because you don’t have one. You couldn’t care less if I die in here, and I will die in here. You know it. You just don’t have the balls to tell me.”

“Denae, doona let them control you.”

“
He’s right,
” someone whispered in her ear. “
The Dark Ones are messing with your head. And you’re seriously demented if you think the Dark are sexier than your Dragon King. Have you so quickly forgotten your explosive night together?
”

Denae lifted her head and frowned. She couldn’t see anyone, but she recognized that voice.
Rhi.