Spark of Intent Read online

  I shook my head back at her. I wasn’t ready to explain my past to Rini, and if I told her about what Killian said and why it bothered me, I’d have to delve back into the dark areas of my life that I didn’t want to shed light on right now. They’d finally been tucked back into the recesses of my mind, and I didn’t want to open pandora’s box and let them all fly free again.

  I leaned back on the headboard of Rini’s double bed, happy to be away for a while to clear my head. The flashes and panic I’d felt earlier had finally subsided, but their effects left me shaken, exhausted, and emotionally drained.

  Rini’s room was an obnoxious petal pink, but it was covered in knickknacks from her formative years, and I envied her the childhood I’d never had—even though it felt like being trapped inside of a cotton candy machine.

  Someday, I wanted a house decorated in things I’d collected from all the happy times in my life. My Phoenix ruffled her feathers gently. She and I were in agreement… we wanted a happy life filled with our men.

  I missed them already, but my heart ached from Killian’s hurtful words. While I knew none of the guys would ever actually hurt me, it was hard for me not to react to their anger. I couldn’t process it right now, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew Killian hadn’t meant what he said. Ciarán's visit had thoroughly frayed his nerves, but the repercussions of his anger had ricocheted off all of us. It was clear to me now the impact that Damien had on our bond. He was our glue, connecting us all together, and without that mental avenue running between us, none of us knew how to move forward. While the goal had been to keep it open upon Ciarán’s arrival, none of us had managed to keep up the effort. Lost in our own worlds, struggling with our own issues, we kept closing the walls back down one by one, trying to hide our emotions, straining the bond again and again as we kept our feelings to ourselves.

  Things felt broken, and I needed to be the one to fix them. If Damien couldn’t be the glue, then I would be. But first I needed them to believe my concerns… to see the danger in their world the way I saw it. Something with their leadership was wrong, and I needed proof.

  I knew with every fiber of my being that I couldn’t go back to not having answers.

  Eighteen

  Nix

  The steady sound of breathing filled the room, but I remained still until I was sure that the sound had turned deep and rhythmic.

  We’d stayed up past midnight watching chick flicks, eating ice cream, and painting our nails as we avidly avoided the topic of what had made us both upset in the first place—the men. As soon as Rini was asleep, I crept from the sleeping bag on the floor and found my dark wash jeans, stepping into them and shimmying them over my hips. I quickly threw on my bra once more and grabbed the dark t-shirt I’d brought with me. It was fortuitous that I had darker clothing with me because when I’d left the guys’ house, I hadn’t planned this little excursion—more like self-appointed mission.

  Sneaking out of Rini’s house was easy, but the long trek to the center of the island had my feet aching and my body exhausted. I was grateful for Theo’s lessons on heating myself, drawing on my Phoenix to keep warm in the icy night air. Luckily, I’d been able to stick to the roadways, the slivers of moonlight casting plenty of broken shadows on the ground that I used for cover. It had already been a long, emotional day, but I blocked all that from my mind. I was taking a stand and fighting for what was mine.

  I doubted the Council had any obvious evidence or answers simply lying about, but I knew where to start.

  The large lodge loomed in the dark, it’s sharp roof lines piercing the night sky above. A few windows glowed with soft, yellow lamplight, breaking up the monotony of darkness that surrounded me. I was careful to avoid the swaths of lit ground as I moved around the lodge, sticking to the shadows and tall trees for cover. I wasn’t sure what warding the Council would have around their buildings, but I didn’t figure there would be much due to the number of shifters in and out every day—the massive quantity of shifters of every type needed to keep the building clean and running. The medical building I needed was located somewhere behind the Council’s lodging, and as I rounded the back of the hotel-like home, I saw the smaller building in the distance.

  My feet flew swiftly as I ran, making a beeline for the building. I didn’t dare try the front door. I was also pretty sure there were surveillance cameras set up around the commune, and I scanned the area looking for anything that would pick up my intrusion.

  Quickly circling the building, I tried various windows, looking for entry. I needed to get my hands on the manilla file folder that had my name scrawled across the top. It was the only logical place in my mind to start. I hadn’t forgotten about the file that the nurse had in her hands when I was last here for my physical, ultrasound, and CT scan. While I had absolutely no proof, I was damn positive that the nurse had taken too much blood from me and possibly slipped me something that started my intense heat cycle. None of it added up. I’d never had a heat cycle before and it was the only common denominator. If they had given me something, I was placing all my hopes on the fact that it might be listed in that folder. I hoped that my assumption about the Council had been correct: that they’d be much too cocky as to think anyone would defy them and break into their medical records. If I was right, all I had to do was get into the building and I’d have evidence at my fingertips.

  I hadn’t had much time to think about that night since it had been so closely followed by my fake father’s execution and the revelations from Damien. However, I bristled the more I thought about it now. The timing couldn’t have been a coincidence. I’d been at the party that night, and I was supposed to be mingling with other male shifters that evening. The fact that Ahmya and her father had practically demanded I go had me even more suspicious. I didn’t trust Councilman Ishida in the least, and I trusted Ahmya even less. She had proven that she was twisted, that she did not have any thoughts for people other than herself. If she could hurt me in some way, I’m sure she would if it possibly allowed her to regain Hiro’s attention.

  If the guys hadn’t scooped me up and carried me home… I shivered at the idea of other males trying to touch me, driven crazy by my pheromones. The guys themselves had a hard time walking away, but they respected me enough not to push me while my mind and body were clouded with hormones—impairing my judgement. Not that I would have minded their hands on me that night. For the first time in my life, I truly craved intimacy. Relief echoed through me as I realized that I was craving them again, their touch and their presence.

  I blushed as I thought about the wicked fantasies they’d all shared with me. My heart squeezed in my chest, and a burst of adrenaline shot through my veins. I wanted nothing more than to go home to them. We needed to work out all our differences, and I wouldn’t shy away from that conversation, even if it was a hard one to have. It was time for an intervention. As much as I valued and cared for each of my men individually, we would never work unless we could be a cohesiveness team. I needed us united. A family. We’d been broken and segregated long enough, and I wasn’t going to let Michael—or the Council—win.

  As I reached for the second to last window, testing to see if it was locked, I heard a strangled cry and whipped around.

  My Phoenix rose in all her fiery glory inside me, ready to protect and lend me her power. I felt the heat creep down my arms, growing heavy in my fingertips, and I tightened my hold so that the flame inside visible.

  A second cry pierced the air, this one the distinct sound of a young child. I might have been able to let it go had it stopped there. Anyone could have been trying to calm a crying baby at this time of night. A window could have been open somewhere, or someone could have been going for a walk, hoping the movement soothed their little one. However, as more cries began to sound out, I knew there were multiple children involved and I rushed back into the treeline, following the scared screams, cries, and whimpers.

  My heart nearly exploded in my chest as I broke throu
gh the other side of the forest. A large, three story building that reminded me of the dormitories back on campus sat in the center of a clearing. A sidewalk led around the building creating a nice walkway, but I avoided it as I stuck to the long shadows the moon cast on the ground.

  Somewhere in the mass of trees, an owl hooted. I picked my way carefully though the brush, trying to keep my footsteps quiet. From my vantage point in the woods, I couldn’t get a clear picture of what was happening.

  “No! Please!” a girl cried out hysterically, and my heart leapt in my chest.

  “Mama!” cried another girl, seemingly younger, and my heart broke. The cry triggered something in my mind, but the memory was featureless and ungraspable. I didn’t have time to focus on it as I jotted from the treeline to the building, hoping I’d been inconspicuous and gone unnoticed.

  “Shut the child up, will you kindly, Greyville?” A clipped feminine tone slashed through the air, prissy and cold. My pulse nearly stopped as I listened. I knew that voice, and it had absolutely no place here!

  My heart rate stuttered to life again, and I quickly slid along the stone wall until I could peek around the corner. I wished I could shift and get a better view from above, but I worked hard to see all I could given my quick glance.

  There, amassed around a nondescript black van, were a flock of children of all age ranges. The smallest was a beautiful blonde little girl who couldn’t have been more than three, as she stood sucking her thumb and holding a stuffed horse tightly. Her hair curled at the ends and her tear streaked face broke my heart. A brown haired girl of about eight struggled to get free from a tall, lithe man who wrestled her away from the group.

  “I want my mommy!” Her cries grew high-pitched and the man shook her, threatening to do her physical harm if she didn’t stop struggling.

  Jagged flashes of memories pushed at my mind, threatening to consume me once more, but I swallowed and dug my nails into my palm, letting the pain keep me rooted in the present.

  Inhaling deeply, I tried to pick up on any scents I could. The mixture of smells swirled through the air, and I caught hints of various creatures. There were traces of mythologicals, but their scent markers were off somehow. None of it helped me figure out what was happening.

  When another man stepped up to the group, the feminine voice sounded once more.

  “Are you ready now? Let’s move along. I don’t have all night. It’s extremely rude to keep a woman waiting.”

  Mrs. Stone. She stood off to the side and behind the gathering, her long grey tweed pencil skirt and grey blazer blending into the inky night. She feigned checking a watch that I couldn’t see on her wrist, tapping her low black pumps on the asphalt, not at all dressed for the Alaskan wilderness.

  “You have the shipment?” The second man spoke up, his deep tenor eliciting shivers.

  “I do. Perfect for their little program. I hope they’re ready to pay handsomely.” Her heels clicked lowly as she walked around the back of the van, trailed by the creepy man with her.

  Muffled cries and soft banging ensued when the back door opened.

  “Aye, she’s a beauty.” He sniffed the air. “The masters will be pleased.” He clasped Mrs. Stone on the shoulder and the woman sneered at his hand, shrugging him of and brushing herself off from the touch.

  Mrs. Stone waved his praise away haughtily. “I always bring the best, Greyville. You and your bosses know this.”

  “They’ll be here shortly to examine your find for themselves.” Greyville leered and climbed into the van.

  When the screaming began, I jolted and my stomach twisted. The children started a new wave of crying at the sound. Every muscle in my body wanted to react, but I held myself still. I didn’t know what I was dealing with and I needed a distraction. Something to draw their attention so I could try and help these kids.

  Maybe a blast of fire to the other side of the clearing would cause enough chaos to give the children and me a chance to get out of here. If I could get them back to Rini’s place, I just knew she would help.

  Whatever I’d stumbled upon tonight was much larger than myself.

  Greyville re-emerged with a sobbing teenager.

  “Please! Let me go!” Her hand were bound in front of her, her long red hair hanging around her shoulders in stringy strands. I couldn’t see much else in the dark, but I could tell that she was weak, and had makeup streaked down her face from time spent sobbing.

  The shipment had been a fucking girl. What the fuck were they doing? Human trafficking?

  Rage grew in me like a pyre—thick, hot, and red—spark after spark igniting in me to help these children, to protect them the way I never had been. I rubbed my thumbs along the fingertips of each hand, recalling the practice sessions I’d been having each morning back home. Honing my craft was about to pay off. There was no way in hell I was going to let Mrs. Stone and her cronies get away with whatever the hell they were doing. I didn’t know enough about what was happening, but it was clear to see it was fucking wrong.

  I prepared to make a move and light up the night, but a noise behind me had me whirling, prepared to attack.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” A man with dark hair, dark clothing, and dark eyes slid from the shadows that had wreathed him like a lover. He strode toward me with stalking steps, his eyebrows pulled low on his face in confusion as he looked me over. “Who are you?”

  “What are you?” I whispered back, keeping the fire on the edge of my control, ready to let it fly at the perfect moment. I inhaled deeply but couldn’t pinpoint what kind of creature lived within the man. He was around my age, maybe slightly younger. His features were exotic looking even in the sparse moonlight with his golden skin, slate blue eyes, and shock of inky hair. The eyebrows slanted over his eyes were thick and expressive, but he didn’t look happy to see me. Quite the opposite.

  The situation grew dire around me as I realized I was essentially trapped, having stumbled on something I didn’t understand.

  The whimpers of the children had my brain racing to try and come up with a way out of this situation with all of us entact. My Phoenix let out a squawking cry, alert and extremely agitated.

  “What’s happening? What are they doing with those children? That girl?” I motioned to the children behind me and saw his face soften incrementally.

  “They will be fine.” He cocked his head, looking at me like I was the puzzle in this situation.

  “I hate to inform you, but that’s not going to cut it with me.” I let my fire glow in my fingertips, and his eyes darted down to my hands before settling on my face once more.

  “Interesting.” He crossed his arms and tipped his head down, looking at me down his nose. “What are you?” he asked.

  “I believe I asked that first.” Shit, I needed to get away from this guy so I could focus. Time was of the essence and he was keeping me from doing what I needed. Did I dare turn my back on him? I had a feeling doing so could be deadly. I didn’t know what kind of shifter he was, but something in my DNA told me he was lethal.

  “Here he is now. Got a good one, sir.” Greyville’s voice was posturing and reverent. I heard the click of men’s dress shoes against the concrete sidewalk.

  I panicked. I needed to act. Now. Everything was going horribly wrong, and I was officially out of time.

  Suddenly, the man in front of me stiffened and straightened, his shoulders squaring as interested confusion turned to attention.

  “Councilman…”

  Breath whooshed from my body at the word, and I froze at the crackle of power that crept from the mythological.

  He didn’t speak, but I knew if a councilman was truly behind me, he’d recognize me in a second.

  “Councilman,” I addressed as I began to turn, planning to catch sight of the asshole behind whatever was going on in the clearing, to be able to shove those thoughts to Damien, to show him the truth. My fire flickered around me, escaping my fingertips as I prepared to light the world on fire.

>   Sharp pain pricked my neck before I could spin around, and the world tilted sideways as I fell. The world faded to monochrome before going dark at the edges.

  Damien! I pushed the word as hard as I could out into the universe. I’m sorry.

  It was all I had time to say before the inky blackness surrounded me.

  Nineteen

  Damien

  The house was quiet now that we’d fought the evening through. Over the years, my brothers and I had fought on more than one occasion, and since we’d moved in together, we’d sometimes let loose and vent the frustrations of living together. Some of those fights were worse than others, but we always came out the other side forgiving each other and moving on. The difference was, Nix had never been around before, nor had she seen us fight since she’d come into our lives. Bicker? Yes. Fight? No. Not like tonight.

  I buried my hands in my hair, gripping tightly as my head pounded, the ache sharp and throbbing.

  “She will come back,” Theo said quietly. The Kraken hadn’t moved from his spot by the window except to refill the coffee he was sipping—another kraken themed mug, this one white with a purple tentacle handle. The morning sun streamed through the window, making his golden hair look even lighter. I glanced up at him as he took another sip. His thumb tracing over the bumps of each suction cup was the only nervous tick he was allowed to show. Otherwise, he appeared calm, but I could read the roaring emotions underneath his stoic exterior. He was trying to keep his shit together just like the rest of us.

  Killian emerged, stomping down the stairs to the first half landing and surveying the living room form his elevated platform. His hair was mussed and it didn’t look like he’d slept… just like the rest of us.

  Anything? he asked, sounding like shit. Even his mental voice sounded like he’d gargled with gravel. He was hurting more than the rest of us, and I blew out a tense breath.