He curled his talon-tipped fingers. They itched to grab the blade he’d taken from his cell. He resisted the impulse. He had to play their encounter carefully.
“Enough with the posturing, fairy. Come here and accept your punishment.”
With a grin on his face, Dar stepped forward. His confident amble stirred Calan’s unease. He pushed it aside, allowing the rage to build instead. The fairy about to meet his fate was the bastard who had damned Harley.
A growl trickled from Calan’s throat. Saliva pooled. The prospect of ripping out Dar’s throat stirred his primal hunger.
Dar leaned against the hood of his car, arms and ankles crossed. “And what punishment is that, Hunter Calan?”
“Has the chaos finally rotted away your mind?” Calan laughed. The rough sound meant to strike fear into those who heard it echoed in the night. A tic developed along Dar’s jaw, pleasing Calan. He chuckled again just to watch the slight flinch from the supposedly all-powerful fairy. “Do you expect me to believe you’ve forgotten the sentence handed down to you from my father?”
“He has no authority over me, not anymore. I rule here among the mortals. This is my playground.”
Calan moved forward. One step, two. Dar watched him but didn’t move. Calan stopped and narrowed his gaze. “My task hasn’t been fulfilled. You will join your followers in Hell.”
“No, I don’t think I will.” A smirk punctuated the defiant declaration. “I’d rather play. Do you want to play my game, Hunter Calan?”
Dar didn’t give him a chance to answer. He waved his hand toward the woods. Out of the corner of his eye, Calan watched the approach of several redcaps, all tall and muscular with various baseball caps to hide their blood-soaked wraps.
“Aren’t they lovely specimens, Hunter? I hand selected each one. Trained them myself.”
As one, the redcaps rushed him.
Calan raised his sword and ran to meet them.
Guess he was playing after all.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Harley pressed a balled fist to her chest where the dull ache had developed. Dar had arrived, exactly as Raul had warned. She scanned the woods for him. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Ian racing toward her with hounds flanking his ghostly horse.
“Ian, no.” She held up a hand. “I’m fine. Help Calan. Dar’s here.”
Her brother closed the last few feet, ignoring her order. Perched on his horse, in sleep shorts with his reddened eyes and flaming sword, he looked like a cross between a weekend warrior and something out of a nightmare. His gaze drifted to the greenhouse.
“Not with that fucker in there. He’s got Trevor.”
“Raul won’t hurt me or Trevor. It’s a ploy to manipulate me. I can handle him.” At least, she hoped she was right. “The curse. This is Calan’s chance to transfer it back. That’s more important. Remember, I can’t die.” The words rushed out, leaving her breathless.
“Trevor can.”
Remembering her failure when she’d stopped Calan from killing Raul because she’d wanted to save Allie, she made a decision that broke her heart. Trevor’s life would have to be risked. “If Calan fails, the world will suffer. Please.”
Ian cursed. He glanced at the hounds around him. Faces contorted in rage, saliva dripped from their mouths, yet none made a sound.
He waved them off. “Go.”
As one unit, the dogs turned and fled across the woods.
“Dammit, Ian—”
He slid off his horse. “I can’t disobey Calan. He ordered me to stay with you.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but turned toward the greenhouse where she felt the awareness of a sluagh. Cynthia walked out of the woods at the same time as Raul exited the building with Trevor. Duct tape covered Trevor’s mouth, and a thick rope bound his hands, but it was the gun Raul had pressed to Trevor’s temple that stopped Harley’s heart.
“Cynthia.” Ian’s whispered voice sounded strained.
Harley cut a quick peek at the sluagh that used to be Ian’s girlfriend. Besides her chalky skin, she looked no different than the pictures Harley had seen of her, pigtails and all. Cynthia hadn’t been turned long enough for her body to reflect what she’d become.
“Ian, h-h-help m-me.” Cynthia stretched an arm out. “I hurt.”
Ian’s sword disappeared. He stepped forward.
Harley grasped his wrist. “That’s not really Cynthia. She’s a puppet.”
“Yes, my puppet, and I am Dar’s.” Raul continued forward, forcing Trevor to move with him. Raul slammed a fist into Trevor’s back, dropping him to his knees. “Dar has ordered me to prepare your friend to receive his bloody cap, but I’d rather feed my newest sluagh. She’s hungry.”
Harley choked on bile. “Don’t do it.”
“Come here, Cynthia.” One corner of Raul’s mouth lifted.
Cynthia’s body jerked. She walked stiffly toward where Raul stood. Her fingernails lengthened.
“No!” Ian lurched forward.
Cynthia pivoted on her heel and ran. Ian followed. They disappeared into the woods. A roar pierced the night. Cynthia’s screech came next.
Harley blocked it out and met Raul’s confident gaze. He’d planned his trap well. “Let Trevor go.”
“Not until you give me what I want.”
Harley glanced from the warning in Trevor’s eyes to the smug look on Raul’s face. “What do you want?”
“You. You’re my ticket to redemption.”
A bitter laugh escaped. “Is this your way to earn my affection? Because let me tell you, it’s pretty pathetic.”
Raul shrugged. “You took that option away from me. No matter. I’ll still get what I want. I always get what I want. Remember that.”
She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Let Trevor come to me. Then we’ll talk, okay?”
“Dar has played us both.” He slid his finger to the trigger. “I’m done with his games. I refuse to be anyone’s pawn again.”
Her heart knocked hard against her rib cage. “Don’t, Raul. Please.”
More of Cynthia’s shrieks carried through the night. They cut
