“Hmm,” she murmured in a way that said she didn’t believe him one bit. Pivoting, she squared off to face him, hands clasped before her. “I’m here for the Blood Stone.”
“What makes you think I’d give it to you?” Carrick replied blandly.
The smile on Kymaris’ face didn’t bode well with Carrick. Her eyes flashed with victory. “Because I have something you want,” she purred.
It was something Carrick had considered, but truly hadn’t thought it was possible. He could not control his jaw dropping. “Pyke is working with you,” he surmised.
“Working for me,” she corrected haughtily. “Finley is currently tucked away in my new stronghold—no thanks to you for blowing up my other one—but I’m willing to make a fair trade. Her for the Blood Stone.”
“How do I know she’s alive and well?” he asked, his heart hammering with fear that Kymaris was attempting to dupe him and Finley was already dead. He was also battling a volatile bubbling of fury that Pyke—his so-called friend—had betrayed him.
Forsaking magic and embracing modern technology, Kymaris pulled out an iPhone and called someone. When the line connected, she merely said, “Put her on the phone.”
When she handed the phone to Carrick, he took it and put it up to his ear. “Finley?”
“Carrick,” she replied in a rush of relieved breath, but she spoke hurriedly. “I’m fine so please don’t worry about me.”
“Where are you?” he asked, but it was that question that caused Kymaris to snatch the phone away from him.
“There,” she said with a smirk. “She’s alive. She’ll remain that way as long as we can come to an agreement.”
“I give you the Blood Stone and you give me Finley alive and well,” Carrick said, wanting to make sure the terms were clear.
“I’m a fair woman,” Kymaris simpered. “I promise that not a hair on her head will be harmed, although I can’t keep that same promise come the new moon. But I’m willing to see what your little Finley could possibly bring to a fight that could attempt to stop me.”
Carrick wanted to defend how amazing Finley was, but he wanted Kymaris to continue to think her an unworthy opponent. So he merely said, “Done.”
“Tonight at nine,” Kymaris ordered as she moved past Carrick to the elevators.
“Shall I come to you?” Carrick queried.
Kymaris pushed the elevator button, but she turned to look at Carrick with a laugh. “And have you find my place to blow it up again? I think not. I’ll meet you in Waterfront Park. Come alone.”
When Carrick gave her a curt nod, she moved into the elevator. They stared at each other, neither one blinking, until the doors shut. Carrick heaved out a frustrated sigh. Glancing at his watch, he saw he had seven hours until they were supposed to meet.
Zaid came out of Carrick’s office, and they both went into the kitchen. Carrick didn’t need to repeat the conversation as Zaid had been able to hear it all.
As he was want to do when times were stressful and people were coming over, Zaid started putting some food together. It was simple fare—sandwiches, chips, and cookies he’d made.
While Zaid worked his magic in the kitchen, Carrick took out his phone and dialed Boral since he now knew the Dark Fae had not betrayed them to Kymaris. He answered on the second ring.
Without greetings or courtesy, Carrick said, “I need you to get to my condo asap. Finley’s been kidnapped and Kymaris has her.”
Up until the moment Kymaris stepped into his condo, Carrick and their entire group had thought Boral was the enemy when he clearly wasn’t.
The Dark Fae’s response was simple before he disconnected. “On my way.”
One by one, the crew started to arrive—Rainey, Myles, Maddox, Titus, and Boral. When they were all seated in the kitchen with Zaid’s simple feast laid out before them, Carrick took the opportunity to bring them all up to date on what had occurred.
“So Pyke is working with Kymaris?” Titus asked on a low whistle. “Can’t say I saw that one coming.”
Carrick nodded. “According to Kymaris, he’s working for her—not with her—but that’s semantics. The point is, he’s in deep and is responsible for kidnapping Finley. No matter what else happens when things go down, he’s mine to deal with.”
A somber quiet fell among the group as they noted the barely controlled violence in Carrick’s tone. They all knew Pyke was a dead Light Fae.
“I expect you all thought I was the one who tipped Kymaris off that you had the Blood Stone,” Boral said to break the silence. As gazes snapped his way, he merely grinned while chewing on a carrot stick. He shrugged. “Can’t say I blame you, though. None of you trust me.”
“Finley does,” Zaid told his father, a pointed reminder that no one else did, but at least she gave him some credit.
“You were the simplest answer,” Carrick told Boral without apology. “If it makes you feel any better, we assumed she tortured you for the information so you didn’t willingly betray us. We also assumed you were dead after giving up the information because of the binding.”
“Warms my heart,” Boral muttered sarcastically.
“What exactly have you been doing the last few days?” Carrick asked. “Because yesterday, I went to take out three of her original Fallen, but their homes were deserted.”
Boral nodded. “After you blew up Kymaris’ house, they all went into hiding. Kaesar called to tell me only that he was getting out of town until the new moon.”
“Which implies,” Titus intoned in his deep voice, “that they will be back in Seattle for the ritual.”
“That’s how I took it,” Boral acknowledged with a nod. “But I don’t know for sure.”
Rainey cleared her throat, and all eyes shifted toward her. “So Kymaris and her eleven are in hiding, and we think she’ll bring another one through the veil to make the twelfth, or she may have already done so. We suspect they may come back to Seattle for the ritual, but we really don’t know that for sure, nor do we know where in Seattle it will occur or the time. Boral’s only contact within Kymaris’ network is also gone, so we don’t have an inside man anymore. Does that about sum up our dilemma?”
“Other than the fact they have Finley and want the Blood Stone,” Carrick said dryly. “That pretty much sums it up.”
“So how are we going to take Kymaris and Pyke out tonight when we get Finley back?” Maddox asked.
“We’re not,” Carrick replied darkly. “We’re making the trade.”
Titus frowned. “Is that really a good idea?”
Carrick snapped his head toward Titus. “You’d rather we keep the Blood Stone and let Finley die?”
“That’s not what I want at all,” Titus admonished. “I’m merely suggesting we consider alternatives. For example, what would Finley want you to do?”
A low growl emanated from Carrick as he was forced to admit, “She’d tell me not to give up that Blood Stone for anything in the world, including her. But that doesn’t mean she’s right.”
“Maybe we should consider just ending this at the park,” Titus continued, nodding his head toward Maddox in credit for the idea. “Get Finley safe, then destroy Kymaris and Pyke. We have the power to do it, especially with the Blood Stone in our possession.”