Ours? Caleb asked with annoyance and a hint of fear. Cause I like ours and dont want to give up a single drop.
My name is Mr. Thomas, the man said before Elijah could respond, walking forward and stopping only a few feet away from Adens chair. He anchored his hands behind his back and braced his legs apart. A war stance.
Aden knew it well. Hed stood that way many timesjust before launching himself at the person threatening him. Concentrate. The plain, ordinary name didnt fit the mans smooth features in any way, and had to be an alias. If it wasnt, Aden would plant a big, fat wet one right on his lips.
You want answers, he said, wondering, About what? Then youll have to tell me what I want to know. First. How are we here but not here? How am I alive but invisible?
There were several beats of heavy silence. At first he thought Thomas meant to strike him for using his own tactics against him. With every second that passed, fury grew in those blue eyes. Fury and indignation.
Finally, though, the fairy said, Your people would call this place another dimension, though it is the true realm of the Fae. Despite his expression, his words were calmly stated.
Fae had to mean fairy. And anotherdimension? Was that even possible? As soon as the question hit him, he wanted to roll his eyes at his own stupidity. After everything hed seen and done recently, anything was possible. So, just to clarify, Im not dead?
This constant need for reassurance is tiresome, so listen carefully, because I will not repeat myself again. You are very much alive. But you are in another dimension, therefore humans cannot see or hear you.
If Thomas was to be believed, Aden wasnt a ghost. He could return to Victoria, to his friends. And you brought me here? A croak.
Yes.
Why?
Another tension-laden pause stretched between them. Clearly, getting answers was going to be like pulling teeth.
Because, Thomas finally said on a sigh, I had met all the studentsbut you.
There at the end, the fury had returned to the mans eyes, this time blended with disgust.
Oh, yes. Blood will run, Elijah said on a trembling breath.
From a knife? Please, please dont say from a knife.
Dont know, was the reply. Can only see the river of red.
What do you mean, from a knife? Thomas demanded.
He must not know of Adens reputation as the boy who always talked to himself. Sorry. I wasnt speaking to you.
Then to whom were you speaking?
A question hed been asked a thousand times by a thousand different people.
Maybe we should. Run, I mean, Caleb said, all his bravado gone. Before we bleed.
Im with Caleb. Its not like we know how to fight a fairy.
Caleb suddenly snickered, amusement momentarily obliterating distress. Fight a fairy. Do you hear yourself, Jules?
Quiet, please, Aden snapped, and Thomas hissed in a breath.
Do not speak to me like that, little boy.
Rather than explain, Aden rubbed his temple to ward off the coming ache. There was no reason for you to meet me. You wont be tutoring me. He couldnt run, as Caleb had suggested. Where would he go? Plus, he wasnt anxious. Yet. He still had those blades. Maybe.
No. Thomas started forward, one step, two, then paused, thoughtful. But I will be killing you. Okay. Now he was anxious. Aden leapt to his feet. If Thomas issued another threat or made another move toward him, hed dive-bomb the boots. And if he couldnt clasp the blades inside them, hed run like hell, despite his lack of direction.
Do not even think of bolting, Haden Stone.
No one calls me that. Not since hed inadvertently butchered his own name as a kid and called himself Aden, and everyone else had followed suit. I killed the last guy who did. True story.
Far from intimidated, Thomas barked, Sit. I answered your questions. You will now answer mine.
Uh, that would be a big, fat no. He wasnt waiting around for the second death threat, he decided. The fairys anger level had just jacked up a notch. Sure thing. Aden faked left, Thomas following him, and then spun right, ducking around the tutor and swiping at the boots. His hand ghosted through the leather.
He cursed under his breath as he sprinted for the door, not allowing himself to wallow in disappointment or fear. Only, some kind of invisible wall blocked him. He slammed into it hard and fast, the shock of impact reverberating through him and tossing him backward. Thomas was in front of him a second later, pushing him the rest of the way down and stomping one of his boots on Adens neck.
Instinctively, Aden wrapped his hands around the mans ankle and shoved. The foot remained planted.
Bright blue eyes peered down at him, and if theyd been guns, Aden would have been blown to bits. Several weeks ago, an electric shock split through my world, creating a doorway into yours. A doorway we cannot close. The source of that shock has been traced to this ranch. And now to you. I feel the energy wafting from you even now, tugging at me, drawing me. Even increasing my power. The last was said in a drugged whisper. A needy whisper.
Increasing his power? Then why would he want to kill Aden?
Aden tried to form a reply, but the only sound that left him was a gasp for air. He continued to struggle, clawing at the mans leg, shoving. Breathe, need to breathe
He couldnt die here. In thisdimension? He just couldnt. No one would know what had happened to him. Not really. Theyd just assume Crazy Aden had relapsed and split.
Suffocation doesnt cause bloodshed, Elijah said. Stay calm. This isnt the way youre going to pass on. You know that.
Kick his ass! Caleb shouted.
Kick it good, Julian agreed.
They needed Eve, their voice of reason. But some of what Elijah had said did penetrate his fog of panic. Suffocation wasnt the predicted end for him. Thomas was simply trying to scare him.
We had hoped to keep you alive, to use you to finally close that doorway, Thomas continued. And yet, what do I find when I walk into your room to introduce myself? The stink of vampire. Our greatest enemy, the race that once tried to slaughter us.
Im surethey hadgood reason.
A muscle ticked in the fairys jaw. Tell me, Haden Stone. Are you aiding them? Planning to lead them into this dimension to attack us?
And just how was Aden supposed to lead the vampires here when he had no idea how hed gotten here in the first place? Cantspeakanymore.
The pressure eased on his neck. Theres no reason for you to answer my questions. I know the truth. You are aiding them, and that is why you must die.
Aden kept his hands on Thomass ankle, taking a moment to catch his breath and making a production out of gasping as he stealthily searched the room for some sort of weapon he could actually use.
All he discovered was his own determination. Over the years, hed fought too many corpses to count, their poison working through his body, weakening him, sickening him. Yet still hed won. Every time. He would not let a fairy defeat him.
Use your hands, Elijah prompted. Unbalance him.
Aden curled his fingers under Thomass boot and jerked with every ounce of strength he possessed, upsetting the big guys center of gravity and finally sending him tumbling down. Aden was standing a moment later, assuming the same this-is-war pose the fairy had adopted earlier.
That was not wise, boy.
Though hed never seen Thomas move from the floor, the voice came from behind him. Directly behind him. Warm breath trekked over the back of his neck, making him cringe. Slowly Aden turned, knowing a sudden movement would cause the fairy to strike. They faced off. Aden was tall for his age, just over six feet, yet Thomas towered over him.
I do not like to see humans suffer, and would have ended you painlessly. But An eerie smile lifted the mans lips. I told you not to fight me. You disobeyed. Now I will show no mercy.
Blood, Elijah gasped.
This was it, then. The big one.
Bring it, Aden said.
Suddenly the rooms only window shattered and a giant black blur flew inside. That blurRiley in wolf form, Aden realizedlanded, green eyes glowing, lips pulled back and sharp white teeth bared. A furious growl echoed from the walls.
Get back, Aden.
A command from Riley, whispered straight into his mind, blending with the others, yet still Aden heard it. You can see me? he asked, even knowing the wolf was too distracted to reply. If so, could Riley see Thomas? Could Thomas see Riley?
Mistake, wolf, Thomas said, turning to face Riley. There was enough menace in his expression to kill.
Apparently the answer to both of Adens questions was the same. Hells yes.
Without any more warning, the two leapt at each other, meeting in the middle of the room in a tangle of claws, biting teeth, odd bright lights and shimmering blades that appeared out of nowhere.
No question about this. As Elijah had said, blood would flow.
This match would be to the death.
THREE
YEP. TRUE TO ELIJAHS prediction, true to Adens suspicions, blood ran.
Riley chomped at Thomass neck, and his sharp claws swiped at the mans chest. The scent of burning cotton and flesh filled the air, smoke rising from Thomass shirt. Screams followed as a shaking Thomas grabbed thick hunks of the wolfs fur and tossed him hard and fast. The animal flew into Aden, who in turn flew into the wall.
Plaster cracked and paint chips sprayed. Air was knocked from Adens suddenly deflated lungs.
Riley was up an instant later, again leaping for the fairy; the two twisted together as they fell. When the wolfs nails next slashed, the scent of burning flesh intensified and blood sprayed. A few drops hit Aden in the face, and they were oddly chilled, like ice shards. When the fairys blades moved at lightning speed, Rileys blood sprayed. Hot, like prickles of flame.
Help him, Julian cried.
This is why Im a lover, not a fighter, Caleb, whose bravery had returned now that a wolf was taking the beating for them, said.
Breathing should have been impossible, but Aden managed to drag in a few mouthfuls of air as he lumbered to his feet. Dizziness hammered at him, and he swayed. Elijah?
Of course, the psychic knew what he was silently asking. How could he help? He had no weapons, and couldnt leave the room to get to any.
I dont know, Elijah said, agonized.
Will Riley win, then? He spoke quietly, not wanting to distract the wolf and cause his defeat.
I dont know, the psychic repeated in that same agonized tone. I see the blood, washing through this home, bathing everything and everyone.
So much? And from this fight? Or something worse?
Over and over Thomas tossed Riley aside, and over and over Riley returned, a catapult of wrath and teeth. For some reason, hed stopped using his claws. Furniture was smashed to pieces and more walls were ruined, including the invisible one, allowing the combatants out of the room and into the hallway. The fight then moved to another bedroom, the door smashed into puzzle pieces that would never fit back together. Aden followed. Somewhere along the way, Thomas lost his grip on his knives and dropped them. Aden tried to pick them up and insert himself into the actionmultiple timesbut the blades he couldnt touch eventually vanished and the fairy and the wolf moved so quickly, they would appear in another location before he even realized hed missed.
And why were they able to destroy the walls, doors and furniture, but nothing else?
The boys who lived at the D and M RanchSeth, Ryder, RJ, Terry and Brianwere in the entrance hall, each with a book in hand. Some were reading, some were pretending to read. None noticed the vicious fight unfolding around them.
Not even when their chairs were seemingly overturned and shattered. They just sat there. On air. Riley and Thomas ghosted through them, imperceptible, unfelt, unheard. Blood splattered over the boys, too, but again, they didnt notice. Perhaps couldnt even see it.
So freaking odd, all of it. Thomas had open wounds that were bleeding profusely, and yet he seemed stronger than ever. Riley, on the other hand, seemed weaker, his jumps slowing down, his snarls becoming slurred, and yet his wounds had already closed, healed.
What was weakening him?
Aden noticed that Thomas only punched to unhinge Rileys jaw from whatever body part the wolf had decide to munch on. Then Thomas would tilt his head back and practically offer his neck to the wolf, rather than allow the animal to bite down on his hands. Why?
And rather than immediately batting Riley away, Thomas would flatten his palms on the beast for several seconds, allowing the wolf to do whatever he wished. That was stupid. That wasnecessary?
Were Thomass hands somehow able to weaken Riley? That would explain Thomass determination to keep his hands free. That would also explain his lack of concern over his own injuries. What did a few cuts matter when your opponent would soon be too feeble to fight you off?
What can Ido? This time Adens whispered question trailed off. He knew. The answer had already slapped him, cold, hard. Stinging.
You know, Elijah said, and if hed sounded agonized before, he sounded pulverized now. Clearly, he had realized the answer, too.
What? Julian asked. What are we going to do?
Aden gulped. Caleb. Youre up.
Im upoh, hell, no!
He hadnt needed to explain. By requesting Calebs aid, they all knew what he now planned. They were going to possess Thomass body.
No. No, there has to be another way. If hed had a body of his own, Julian would have been shaking his head and backing away.
Sorry, guys. This had to be done. For Riley. Hell, for himself.
The pain, Julian moaned. Weve endured enough. This will wipe us out.