Spark of Intent Read online

  Damien shot a look at me as he jumped into the car. “I’m well aware of that. Mom gave me the cookies when I was leaving and would have followed me out here if I hadn’t grabbed them from her. Let’s head to James, Theo.” The Kraken nodded, taking off down the driveway and opening the throttle. “Dad’s going to hold off the search party. We’ve got 24 hours to find her or he’ll notify the Council that we lost her.” Ryder swore vividly and I groaned.

  “What the hell did you even do this for? You know he probably knows where she’s at. Rini tracked her to Council property, and I trust her nose far more than I trust their politics.” I wanted to throw those damn cookies out of the window, but instead I grabbed one, shoving it into my mouth to stop myself from yelling the way I wanted to. Guilt ate at me as I ate the cookie. Nix’s disappearance was all my fault, and I hated myself for the fight and the subsequent aftermath. My big mouth had gotten me in trouble on more than once occasion and I’d never forgive myself if we didn’t find her. Flashes of my vision haunted me as Theo drove us toward the airstrip. Where the hell was she? My chest ached as I worried about her.

  Damien exhaled loudly. “If the Council had her for trespassing, dad could possibly have gotten us in to see her. We could have possibly convinced them to remove her from custody. Now all we can do is search the fucking area.” We pulled up in front of a worried James, pacing and wringing his hands in the overhead lights lining the airstrip. The sun sank below the mountains in the distance casting us all into dusky twilight. Nix had been gone almost an entire fucking day and we were no closer to finding her than we’d been this morning. I wanted to scream or throw something… or both!

  He started toward us as we climbed out of the car. “Any luck?” At our sullen faces, he made his own conclusions. “Dammit. I’m sorry, I should have insisted on going with them when I dropped them off last night, but I knew they were heading to the sleuth and they were both upset.” The words came tumbling out of his mouth. He waved us forward, pulling me aside to update me on the safety checks when I heard Rini’s voice calling out for us.

  “Wait! Don’t leave yet.” Her, Ciar, and Donovan were racing toward us.

  “What’s wrong? Did you find her?” I left James and met them halfway, hope rising in my chest, aching for good news.

  “Not yet, but I have Barrett searching Anchorage and Caydan went back to my house in case she returns there. But Killian—” Rini looked at my brother.

  “I can help.” Ciar’s face was stoic and serious, but there was sympathy in his eyes, his voice soft and serious in contrast to his usual bubbly self.

  I sighed and ran a hand down my face. “Ciarán, I really can’t—”

  “Shut up, Killian. Just listen for once.” The words were an icy snap of a whip, his eyes flashing as his hands balled tight.

  “Ciarán! I don’t fucking have time for this drama!”

  Lashing out, he gripped my arm above my elbow, his hold firm. “I told you to shut up, Killian. There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. Your girl needs help. I can fucking help, but you need to pay attention for once.” His Scottish accent lilted as he started swearing.

  “What do you even expect to do?” We stood face to face, both nearly growling at each other. Stepping up to my brother’s side, Rini rested her hand on his forearm, easing him back from me. He released my arm and swallowed back any further retorts, some of the ice in him fading, as though she lulled it back. Behind them, Donovan clasped her shoulder in a possessive way that also seemed to lend support.

  “Ciarán has power like you do Killian, only his skill set is different,” Rini explained, her voice quiet. “We all want Nix back.”

  “Ignore your pride, and let him help,” Donovan encouraged, seeming genuine in his concern over Nix. She was his mate’s best friend after all, and her disappearance affected all of us.

  Deflating, I acquiesced. I trusted Rini, although I had no idea how she would know about my brother’s gifts, especially when I didn’t have any knowledge of them. All I wanted was Nix back at home, safe and sound. I wouldn’t let my pride nor my grievances with my brother hinder help—even if it came in an annoyingly goofy, Ciarán shaped package. I counted my blessings that he finally seemed to be adulting for once. “Come on.” I looked around to make sure we were alone—other than our rapidly growing group—and then turned, leading them toward the plane.

  James and Donovan stood sentry outside while Rini and Ciar followed me up the steps and into the plane.

  “What’s going on?” Theo demanded once we all slipped inside the Cessna.

  “He says he can help.” Taking a seat near the front of the plane, I let Ciarán take center stage. If he wanted to help, he could start by explaining exactly how he planned to do so.

  “Three rules.” Jade green eyes connected with each person seated on the plane before he continued, “One, you don’t ask questions. Two, you leave me and my name out of this. Three, Killian cooperates.” He shot a wink in my direction, hinting at his true self beneath this authoritative exterior.

  Theo crossed his arms, nodding his agreement for all of us. His eyebrows were furrowed behind his glasses as he regarded Ciarán. “What is it you think you know?”

  “I believe she’s on an island, about seventy miles off the shore from here. It’s warded. Highly. Only a few of you will be high enough level to cross. The plane isn’t warded to allow it to cross the island’s barrier… plus there wouldn’t be anywhere to land without drawing attention, but Theo can take you if he moves fast enough.” He nodded to the Kraken. “You need to be prepared; you will not get her easily.”

  “What makes you think she’s on this island you’re speaking of?” I crossed my arms and stared down my brother who didn’t so much as flinch at my surliness.

  “That’s classified, so you’ll just have to trust me.”

  “What the fuck do you mean, classified?”

  He hummed and leveled me with a look. “Rule number one.”

  I groaned, but before I could continue questioning him, Theo spoke up, getting to the heart of the matter and asserting his authority into the tense situation.

  “You realize you’re asking us to place blind faith in you out of our sheer desperation to get our mate back. If you’re wrong, the time we’ll be wasting following your lead will only endanger Nix further if she’s in trouble.” Icy blue eyes held Ciarán, and I saw him straighten, growing even more serious than he already was.

  “I would never jeopardize anyone’s mate, let alone my brother’s. I can't offer more details, however, I’m almost positive that she’s been taken to this island. I’d like to see if I can reach her… make sure she’s ok.”

  “Reach her?” Damien interceded. “You have mental powers?” D tilted his head, studying my brother with a stony expression on his face. “That’s why you’ve been able to block me. I’ve never seen such a strong shield before.”

  “Aye.” Ciar’s mischievous grin was back. “I’m a dreamwalker. Amongst other things.”

  “All this time you’ve had strong powers also? How in the fuck did you escape the Council’s notice?” I was still gaping at Ciarán’s first revelation. If the Council had realized that he was as powerful as I was, they probably wouldn’t have left him alone for all these years. My respect for my brother was increasing as we stood in the small space of the plane.

  Ciarán wiggled his eyebrows but snapped his fingers. “Keep up brother dearest! We can have a heart to heart later. Right now, we have work to do.” Ciar pivoted back to the rest of the group. “Usually I can reach anyone as long as I’ve had some form of contact with them, however, with how heavily warded that island is, I can’t get to her based on how small our personal connection is.”

  “You really think you can cross such a distance?” The questioning gaze Damien arched at Ciarán said he was skeptical.

  “Of course. Seventy miles is nothing. I’ve been popping in and out of Killian’s dreams for years from across an ocean.” The sm
irk that crossed his face had me growling in my chest, but Ryder walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “Easy there. You can blast him for all his secrecy and privacy invasion later.” Ryder kept his gaze on Ciarán as he spoke to me, but the fact that he was over here talking to me at all meant that he wasn’t holding grudges from our fight.

  I nodded my understanding and broke up the conversation the others were having about logistics. I didn’t care how Ciar worked his magic, just as long as he did it immediately. I needed to connect to Nix. I had to know that she was alright.

  “What if she’s not asleep?” Ryder asked.

  Ciar winced and shifted his gaze to Rini. At her nod, he turned back. “If she’s on the island, she’s most likely drugged and in a dream-like state.”

  It was all the explanation I needed. I could worry about where he got his information from later. “What do you need from me?”

  “I just need to touch you to increase my connection to Nix.”

  “I want a look at what you’re seeing.” Damien stood and crossed his arms, non negotiable on the matter.

  Ciarán gave a terse nod, we all rearranged ourselves so that Ciar was kneeling in front of my seat with his hand on my forehead. Damien loomed over us both, his posture tense.

  The tingling feel of magic crawled against my skin, and I felt Damien projecting into our minds. Green fog clouded my thoughts before rays of sunshine broke through, the swirling green giving way to sand and gentle, lapping waves. My heart stopped. I knew the familiar scene like the back of my hand—having drawn it only weeks before. A slight figure of a girl lay in the sand, and the sweet melody of Nix’s voice filled my mind. She was humming. I lurched, wanting to run to her side, but the movements only shifted me in my seat.

  “There you are.” Ciarán’s voice was gentle and soothing as the picture came more into focus. “They’re coming for you, Nix. Do you know where you are?”

  The humming stopped and the sand shifted, turning into stark white tile. Flashes of white walls surrounded her before she started humming resumed, her world bleeding back to the beach oasis.

  “Just hold on, Nix. Just a bit longer.” Ciarán retreated, and I bit my cheek enough to draw blood as we left her lying in the sand.

  Theo’s commanding tone reverberated around the plane, the gruffness of his Kraken shining through. “Ciarán, thank you for your help, but you, Rini, and Donovan need to stay here. If Hiro doesn’t hear from us in a few hours, he’ll come to you.” He didn’t wait for either of them to object, simply heading for the water. “Let’s move. Now.”

  Twenty-Two

  Ryder

  “How the hell did she even get out here?” The icy spray splashed against me again, and I ground my teeth. Ceraptors were not made for the cold, and despite the protective blankets and winter gear James had provided us, I felt half-frozen.

  “I’m more interested in why she’s on a warded island, and how Ciarán even knew about it.” Damien’s voice was nearly as cold as the water that splashed onto us as Theo plowed through wave after wave, his large body and impressive tentacles pulling us faster than any boat I’d ever ridden on. We’d been searching in the dark, branching out in all directions to try and find the island Cairan had spoken of. Whatever wards it had kept it invisible. Whatever the hell they did on the island that required such strong barriers made my stomach twist with dread. Suddenly, Theo slowed, and I turned my attention back to Damien. “He can feel land up ahead,” Damien explained. “It falls into the radius of where the island would be, if Ciarán’s directions were correct.”

  “They will be.” Killian’s voice was tense but contemplative as he stayed huddled next to me. Killian was better in the cold than I was, but he still didn’t enjoy it. While we appreciated the remote locations in Alaska and the ability to shift, many of us were not fans of the weather that was so different from our species’ natural habitats.

  Theo suddenly jerked to a halt, causing the three of us balancing on him to fall into a heap, swearing as we tried to untangle ourselves. I could feel the tingling in the air, zapping static shocks against my skin, and I grimaced. Theo backed up slightly, pulling us from the direct path of the warding. “Well, there’s definitely intensive barriers here.” Damien ground the words out, the tips of his ears lengthening as he fought with his Gargoyle. “Theo can’t get through it.”

  Killian sighed, sitting down and crossing his legs. “If he can’t get through, there’s no way I’ll be able to. You two may be our only choices, unless we can get someone out here to break it.”

  Damien shook his head, extending his hand to try and push through it. “I can get through it, but it’s hard. If I can, Ryder can.” He glanced at me and I nodded, shaking off my blankets and tossing them onto Kill’s lap. “I’ll shift and carry you across. It’s probably better if I’m shifted for anything that comes at us anyhow.” He glanced briefly at Theo and Killian before squeezing his eyes shut, stripping off his shirt to change into his alter. He wouldn’t say anything, but I knew what he would be thinking. My skills weren’t exactly geared towards combat—I was our healer. While I wasn’t the best choice in terms of fighting skills, it wasn’t a smart idea for him to go into a severely warded, strange territory alone either. I would do anything I could to make sure we got Nix back—and that included kicking some ass where needed.

  “Call Hiro,” I ordered Killian as the glow of Damien’s shift washed over us. “If Ciarán was right about this location, I’m assuming he’s correct that this is where Nix is. There’s no point in him trying to get here, but he should at least be updated. We’re bringing our girl home, no matter what it takes.”

  Kill nodded, his mouth a grim line as he drew his phone from his pocket, checking it for signal. Damien unfurled his wings, shaking them out, letting them catch on the sea breeze. I had ridden with his Gargoyle on a few occasions, so it wasn’t exactly a new sensation as he picked me up against granite hard skin and shot into the air, but I could still feel my stomach drop.

  “Fuck that stings,” I murmured the words, trying to avoid detection as we pushed our way through the barrier. I was suddenly thankful for the dark night sky that helped to conceal us as we flew closer to the island.

  “There.” I pointed to an area of the beach, shielded by trees and large boulders. It would be easy enough for Damien to land but still give us some cover should there be assailants hidden in the area that we couldn't yet see. A grumbling hiss rang from his throat, and I knew his Gargoyle was completely on edge, searching for Nix with his mind.

  There’s fuzziness, like a mind or minds that are blocked by something. You know my fucking range isn’t good with strangers.

  Dude, you didn’t have a range at all with strangers until lately. Stop beating yourself up about this. I could feel his guilt beating at me, his disappointment in himself for not being able to find our girl. Look, we need to split up.

  No way. You don’t have much in the way of offense, Ry. We don’t know what we’re going to run into or why this island is even here. Who the hell wards an island so strongly unless it’s for something criminal? His exasperation and fear broke over me like a wave, causing me to twitch.

  Don’t you think I know that? We’re on limited time here until we’re spotted. There are major wooded patches here that you can’t get through quietly at your size. Damien’s Gargoyle grunted as he flapped his wings. You’ll be more useful in the air. Search the non-wooded areas. Keep in contact mentally. He hesitated for a moment, judging my plan. It put both of us at a greater personal risk—if I were to get hurt or he needed a healer, he would be out of luck. If I got into trouble, he could be too far away to help stage a rescue. This wasn’t about us though. It was about Nix. I dragged up the sensation of her pressed against us, her laugh, the taste of the cookies she’d made us only days ago. Screw what happened to us, we needed her, or there wasn’t an us.

  Fine. Don’t stray outside of the wooded areas. If you see anyone, hide. Take it slow
and keep it quiet. I’ll do an aerial. I nodded my assent, stepping back to allow him more freedom on his take off.

  I wove my way through trees and stones, watching each step to make sure I wasn’t making noise. The slow pace was killing me as I took step after careful step. I wanted to run screaming through the forest, tear down anything in my path as I found Nix and took her back home where she needed to be. I longed to shift and take to the air myself, but I knew this was our best strategy—one in the air, one in the sky.

  A feminine voice ahead of me caused me to still, pulling myself deeper into the shadows. The voices appeared to be going in the opposite direction of my location, so I followed as quickly as the treacherous terrain allowed.

  “You thought you could get away? On my shift? I don’t think so! None of us can get away! They own us.” The woman grunted and brush rustled, twigs snapping . “They own you… yes they do. And if you don’t follow orders, they’ll just claim whatever it is they want.” The feminine voice was irritated and cold, a little breathless as the sound of a struggle echoed. “They already have.” A strangled laugh sounded from the woman. “They’ll kill us all if we don’t do their dirty work and keep their secrets. Strip everything and anything that matters from you and leave you with nothing! Nothing!” More grunts and a low moan followed, the sound of something heavy being dragged through the forest. “You think it was my choice to be dragged into this world? I had no idea I’d been bred by a banished shifter.” She spat the word like it was distasteful on her tongue. “They could have left me alone! I never would have known about it! Instead, I’m being punished for having his baby and continuing his cursed bloodline!”

  I edged closer to the voice, measuring my breathing to try and keep it even. If I could follow this pissed off female to her destination, I bet she would lead me to Nix. With any luck, she would be so wrapped up in her own emotions and irritation to notice me silently following her. I didn’t want to call out for Damien yet, worried that his entrance into this heavily wooded area would give us away before she got to her location. Plus, he might be finding his own way in on the other side of the island.