Haunted by Your Touch

out. “I will not let him touch her.”

Ice and Bram exchanged glances, then nodded.

“We’ll split up. Caden, you and Ice head to the east side of the house. See if you can determine where Mathias has gone and what he’s done. The rest of us will take the west side and do the same.”

No one was in sight as Raiden and the others sprinted across the expansive grass and approached the rambling house.

As they crept around the west side, one look into the windows proved to be Raiden’s worst nightmare. Blackbourne lay facedown on the ground, unmoving. Unconscious? Dead? And Mathias clamped a cruel hand around Tabitha’s arm, smiling with malice as he said something that made her flinch.

Terror pumped through Raiden. He prepared to launch himself through the window. Mathias could not touch her for another second without Raiden losing his fucking mind.

Bram grabbed his shoulder and forced him down. “Do you want to ensure her death? We need a plan.”

Mathias used his free hand to rip the top button of her dress. She shrank away with a scream. He laughed and reached for the second.

“We don’t have time for a plan.” Raiden shook off Bram’s grip. “If you want to help me save her, come with me. Otherwise, leave me the bloody hell alone.”

This time, he leapt through the window. Glass shattered everywhere, and Tabby turned away to avoid the spray. Shards peppered deep into Mathias’s face and chest. With a nasty scowl, he cursed.

Raiden reached for Tabitha to teleport her away—but Mathias stepped between them. Glaring, he magically wriggled the glass free from his skin. The bleeding cuts healed an instant later.

“Coming to your encinta’s rescue? How touching.” He grabbed Tabby tighter.

She fought and kicked, but Mathias slapped her soundly—a sharp crack of palm to cheek. Her head snapped back. Then she went completely limp.

Dear God, was she dead?

Seething bloody murder, Raiden charged, only to see Mathias raise a hand—and an invisible shield.

He bounced off the force field and snarled. “What the hell have you done to her?”

“She’s merely unconscious,” Mathias drawled. “Until I deem otherwise.”

“Tabitha doesn’t have the information you want. I do. Leave her be.”

“Oh, it’s not the information I require. And you’re in no position to give orders.” With a menacing grin, Mathias hovered one hand above Tabitha’s throat, mimicking a strangling grip. Even in her unconscious state she choked, turned red, thrashed.

Raiden tried desperately to push past Mathias’s invisible barrier. But damn it, the wizard had five hundred years’ experience on him.

Still, Raiden refused to give up. “Don’t hurt her. She can’t help you.”

“But you can. I’ll release your encinta unharmed if you give me the Untouchable within an hour. I know you, Bram, and that ridiculous Duke are sheltering her. Give her to me, and I’ll leave your sweet Tabitha alone.”

Duke would never allow that. He’d given up virtually everything to keep the Untouchable woman safe. Besides, surrendering such a weapon to Mathias… they could all die an unpleasant death.

Raiden shook his head. “You’d never turn Tabitha loose unharmed. I think you’d kill her for the sport alone.”

Mathias raised a brow. “It pays to know your opponent. Clearly, you do. Bravo!”

While Mathias verbally jousted, Raiden caught site of Caden and Ice quietly creeping up behind the wizard, slowly drawing their wands. Both were covered in black blood, indicating they’d killed more than a few Anarki.

Out of the corner of his eye, Raiden saw Bram and Ronan approach Mathias’s blind flank, wands in hand. God, would they finally catch the bastard and vanquish him once and for all? Could it be that simple?

Caden pointed his wand at Mathias’s head, fury and hate all over his face, then took a step closer.

He bounced against Mathias’s invisible wall. And their surprise was blown.

Suddenly, the chilling bastard whirled to growl at them all and, arms raised, sent a massive wall of water crashing in every direction. Water gushed with ear-splitting power, dousing everything in sight. They staggered back. The strong current swept Raiden’s feet out from under him and rolled above his head. Ahead, he could see Tabitha wriggling, a tangle of legs and skirts in the thick water as she fought Mathias.

Then another wave sucked him under.

Gasping for air, he fought his way to the surface, following the trail of bubbles. When he emerged, he sucked in a deep breath—and saw Tabby swimming across the surface toward him. Surprise jolted him like a live wire. She was alive! Free!

Greedily, he clutched her against his chest with one hand, wand in the other, while he scoured the room for Mathias. She grabbed Raiden tightly, buried her face in his neck, and sobbed.

As the water flooded out the open window and dissipated, Raiden realized Mathias was nowhere in sight.

“Damn it!” Caden shoved his wand back into his jacket.

Bram pocketed his wand and glared at Raiden. “We could have cornered the bastard, but we didn’t have a bloody plan. You jumped in without thought.”

With a glance, Raiden told the group’s leader that he could fuck himself. Yes, he wanted Mathias dead… but he needed Tabby alive more.

Ronan clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad she’s safe.”

“Besides,” Ice added, “we don’t actually know how to kill a wizard who’s already risen from the dead. There’s nothing to say that even with a plan, we would have succeeded tonight.”

In fact, they’d all wondered before if killing Mathias was a mere fantasy. Incarcerating him was nearly impossible, which left them wondering how the devil they could vanquish him once and for all. Raiden only knew they wouldn’t stop trying.

In his arms, Tabby pulled back and sent a terrified hazel gaze his way. “He’s gone, Raiden?”

“Yes. I’m here, love. How do you feel? How did you get free?”

“I’m fine. When he slapped me, I pretended to pass out, hoping he’d drop me or think me useless as a hostage.”

Wishful thinking.

“When Mathias blasted the water through the room,” she continued, “I-I felt him dissolving himself into the water. The way he grabbed me, I knew he meant to take me with him. And if he did, he’d kill me. So I surprised him by kneeing him in the groin and shoving away just as he dissipated.”

If Mathias hadn’t already been in the midst of breaking down his form to float away with Tabitha, he would likely have remained behind and killed her just for spite.

Raiden clutched her tighter. He hadn’t saved her, damn it. She’d saved herself. Her cunning and bravery made him love her that much more.

“You amaze me, Tabby.”

“Please don’t leave me again.”

He didn’t know what to do. But he couldn’t give her back to Blackbourne if the other wizard still lived. That, he knew.

“You haven’t mated yet,” he observed by studying her signature.

“I-I told Sean I needed time to mourn, that I couldn’t pile what should be the happiest time of my life on top of the saddest.”

Raiden closed his eyes. He’d wanted Tabby safe… but the thought of her being Blackbourne’s had ripped his heart out and poured acid in the empty hole.

“But Sean suspected,” she went on, “that I was stalling. He knew I mourned you as well.”

Raiden hesitated. He’d brought her here for safety, but if he hadn’t returned tonight, Blackbourne would have failed her. She might, even now, have been dead. Or worse.

At his feet, Sean Blackbourne staggered upright and saw Tabitha in Raiden’s arms. Blackbourne froze, resignation settling across his features.

“You’ve come back for her, then?”

Raiden looked between him and Tabby—and realized that even with the risk of war, she’d be safer with him and the rest of the Doomsday Brethren. As long as Mathias roamed free, trying to overtake magickind, there would