(Cambion 04) Have No Mercy Read online

  Then harsh breathing was at my neck, heat radiated from the body behind me. I knew Flynn had my back despite his anger. Before he could make a move to strike, Lady Amavara released me.

  “It is done.” Her words chilled me, and I wondered just what I’d gotten myself into. “You have until the hourglass’s sand fills the other half.”

  I stared down at my wrist as I held it cradled close to my body. The black marking on my skin moved as if alive. The tattoo if one would call it that was barely larger than my thumbprint. Yet, I could see a grain of ink… sand move into the other chamber on my arm. I lifted up my arm as if poised to grab a cup and noticed the hourglass was arranged correctly so that the filled portion was at the top draining what symbolized sand towards the bottom half.

  “And what is she supposed to do. How is she going to get to Fairy?”

  There was no way to be sure how the queen of the Elves would respond to Flynn’s ire, so I glanced up to see she’d been watching me. Her eyes shifted away from me.

  “Have you appointed yourself her Knight of Chivalry or Valor?”

  “What does it matter?” he answered with a sharp tongue. His hand slid across my shoulder and collar bone to the other side to clasp me tight to his chest. “She is mine to protect.”

  “Tá sí mise. Grá agat uirthi,” she said inclining her head. It appeared she was giving him some sort of respect. “Bealtaine sí a bhaint amach a grá duit.”

  A smile played across her lips, and I relaxed only then realizing that I was still within Flynn’s hold. I pulled away, and he reluctantly let me go allowing me one step of distance.

  “What next?” I asked hoping that all was forgiven. I needed her help and wished Flynn hadn’t annoyed her too much.

  “Ireland is the stronghold of the Fey. Thus, I cannot get you there without suspicion. Instead, I will send you to Scotland. Deep in the highlands, there will be few to see you appear out of nowhere. Seek out the hidden town protected by Fairy. It won’t be far from where I send you. And there, you will gain passage into the Fairy mound.”

  “And?” There had to be more.

  “You will seek out the Lady in white. She will be the one that holds my son.” Her mouth barely moved as she spoke with her teeth clenched as they were.

  “That’s it?” Flynn chimed in, sounding appalled by the lack of instruction.

  “A word of advice.” Flynn just stared at her waiting for her to finish. “Do not eat anything in the Fey realm. As I mentioned the story of the king, the food can change you as well as time. Thus, the hourglass is not only a time limit for getting Tristrom, it is also a countdown for how long you can remain in the Fey realm unchanged. If you stay longer, you risk never being able to leave, at least not as you were. Be warned, the Fey will use words and charm to manipulate you. Other than that, I cannot tell you more. The Elves and the Fey have never been friends of one another. And therefore I’ve had little reason to ever visit the place.”

  If anything, her words only made Flynn wearier. “Mercy, this is a weak plan at best. You have no idea where you’re going and what you are getting yourself into.”

  I didn’t answer him. My resolve made. “I’m ready.”

  She nodded and from her outstretched hand burst forth an orb I was becoming far too acquainted with.

  I faced Flynn and quickly placed my hand on either side of his face. Even though he had tried to control my life in the last several minutes, I truly wished him no harm. “I have to do this. I’m sorry.” And I kissed him. It wasn’t passion between our lips. Instead, I willed power from me into him. I wouldn’t leave him in such a weakened state as our mate bond grew stronger unconsummated.

  At first he tensed, then his hands wrapped around my waist, and he kissed me back which hadn’t been the purpose. When he pressed me close, I yanked myself back breathing hard. I turned from him and darted into the light wiping my mouth as I went trying to fight back the need and want I had no business feeling.

  I glanced back once through the portal to see Flynn closing in. The anguish in his eyes had me closing my own. I couldn’t watch as the door closed between us.

  Chapter Three

  My eyes opened, and the first thing I noticed was that the temperatures were not the searing heat of summer, but the coolness of spring that had been all, but a memory back home. I wrapped my arms about my naked arms because I was too quick to judge. It felt more like winter than even spring.

  I rubbed at my arms that sprouted from my thin cotton tee in an attempt to ward off the breeze while I took in the landscape. The first descriptor that entered my head was green. It filled almost every inch of what was before me. And I stood in what I could only be describe as the middle of nowhere as there wasn’t a town or passing cars or even other pedestrians. I continued my eye perusal and determined that nowhere was an adjective too good for where I was. The road I stood on could hardly be called such. Two ruts down the middle of low-growing weeds was a better description. To my left was a towering hill covered in trees. To my right was a sprawling river off the side of a short cliff. Ahead, the ruts disappeared into a thatch of woods. I cast my eyes up to find gray skies and nothing much more.

  "Have you really thought this through?"

  I spun around making myself dizzy from the quick movement. And there he stood with folded arms in a fighting stance with legs slightly more apart than normal. When he dropped his arms to his side with a mild look of frustration, I only then noticed that he wore black jeans with a black tee. The shirt read, Heads I Get Tail and Tails I Get Head in white lettering with a picture of a coin in between. I wanted to laugh, but irritation won out. I shook my head and said nothing because it wasn’t worth mentioning. It only would start a verbal battle.

  Instead, I wondered why he had to personify the overused term bad boy. But what else to call it when you add that he wore the expression of annoyance well. He might as well have rolled his eyes for good measure. Trying to ignore him, I shift my gaze over his shoulder. Out in the distance, I noticed a small faded white building, maybe a house, maybe not.

  My demon, on the other hand, had something she wanted to say, forcing my focus back on him. However, I was the mouthpiece in this duo, at least at this very moment. I held onto that control. "No one asked you to come," I spat. I hadn't wanted him there and hadn’t heard him come through. I’d seen the orb closing. But it didn’t matter at that point. There he was in all his bad boy glory.

  "Of course you didn't," he said rolling his eyes. "This is all about you."

  For a second, I ignored him and eyed the structure in the distance. We hadn't been given very much in the way of instruction. I wasn't sure if we should head in that direction. Then his words sunk in. I felt the fury rise. "This isn't about me; this is about Luke."

  Flynn stared at me for a second. I could tell he was weighing his words. Whatever the war, the battle was over and he spoke. "Luke's dead."

  Wrath couldn't hold me back; it pushed me forward. I took two steps towards him and pointed. "He isn't human. He isn't dead."

  "You think I want him dead." He continued to stand there as if daring me to get closer.

  "Maybe," I spat.

  "He wasn't breathing Mercy." His jaw was tight as his voice broke, but his rage was at the same boiling point as mine. "He didn't move."

  "His father could revive him, heal him." I felt the grief, McKayla held at bay, threatened to come out, but my demon held it in check. Then I spotted something near the building.

  "He –" His voice trailed off when he noticed something had caught my eye and turned to see. I watched in the distance as a figure began a slow approach.

  "It can't be. I killed him." The words were in my head, but apparently I spoke them out loud.

  A look of confusion filled his magnificent face. "You killed who."

  There was no mistaking the silhouette. "Sebastian."

  "You did what?" Flynn all but yelled.

  "He let Luke die. I couldn't let that go unpunished."
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  "Are you freaking crazy? If you killed him, then that isn't him. I mean it's him, but it's not."

  "I know," I said, unable to decide what to do next.

  Flynn, on the other hand, did have an idea. "Run."

  We headed towards the woods, which were a lot closer than the building. When we reached it, we encountered a block of air that gave resistance before we pushed through.

  I stumbled forward just as something slammed behind us. We both turned to see a feral eyed Sebastian flattened against a clear barrier. There was no wall that we could see, yet something held him back. I remembered the resistance before we passed into the trees. I blinked a few times trying to comprehend the boy and why he couldn’t pass through like we had. Did it have something to do with him being a demon?

  I stared into his fathomless eyes which were empty of humanity. He appeared more like a wild animal as he snarled at me. I reached out a hand to touch what I couldn't see.

  A firm grip on my wrist stopped me. "Don't."

  I clutched at my chest as I turned a furious gaze on Flynn. He wisely let me go.

  "You don't know if you'll open it if you touch it. We passed. But for some reason it stopped him." Sebastian growled and looked more than murderous. Flynn shook his head. "You have no idea what you unleashed. Your mom, my dad, our friends are all back home have no idea of what you've done."

  I closed my eyes and tilted my head back as if to look into the heavens. I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. And Flynn was right. What had I done? With shaky hands, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Only, the icon on the screen indicated no reception.

  Sebastian clawed at the invisible barrier as I blinked back tears. The emotions surrounding Luke’s death that McKayla had barricaded for me were back with vengeance. Everything that I’d tried to hide in a show of strength threatened to bring me to my knees. For a second, I considered stepping out of the barrier and letting Sebastian end me if it meant everyone else would be safe.

  Then, Flynn’s arms were around me as my knees buckled. “Mercy, get it together. We need to move. Who knows how long he’ll be held back.”

  If he harmed my mom or any of the people I cared about including David and Maggie, it would be all my fault. My excuse of grief wasn't an excuse at all. Again, I'd put everyone in danger.

  Flynn took hold of my forearm and pulled me in the opposite direction of Sebastian. "We can't stay here." His words were stern and full of frustration.

  I wiped at non-existent tears searching for my protector. I needed to give myself over to McKayla again not sure why she’d left me. She could be strong for both of us. Yet, when I reached within to find her, she didn’t respond. I stumbled to a stop before we broke passed the trees. I felt like Gretel or maybe that was Little Red Riding Hood.

  In front of us stood a tiny town nestled in the middle of woods facing a river and more unfettered land on the other side. The landscape of the town was almost cartoonish in its fairytale appearance. It was if time had stopped there hundreds of years ago.

  "What?" Flynn questioned.

  He could have been asking a multitude of things. However, I answered, "I don't feel her."

  His brows crinkled not understanding. "Who?"

  "McKayla," I breathed, still searching inwardly for the difference I felt.

  When he stood saying nothing, I continued. "It's like she's not inside me anymore." I felt all alone in my skin. It had been so long since I felt... human; it was daunting.

  Grief made my breath hitch and my steps stutter. Luke. A solitary tear finally escaped my prison of sadness. Flynn’s finger was there to wipe the offending moisture from my face. His frosty eyes softened for just a second before he pulled me into a tight hug before quickly releasing me. Then he drew me forward into the mystical forest town.

  With each step, I forced the sorrow back, trying to push it down deep inside my heart. The pain wouldn’t do me any good if I wanted to find him. I took one more swallow of anguish and then did my best to forget it. I switched my focus to what was ahead.

  Just beyond the five or so buildings that bumped up against the hill and faced the peaceful river was a tiny bridge. Something that calmed the hurt inside me called me towards it. Before I could get halfway there, a girl with hair that appeared if spun from gold stepped from one of the buildings and immediately spotted us. We weren’t hard to notice as the town seemed quite ghostly until her presence. Then, all of a sudden doors opened and people began to mill about as if we'd triggered some amusement park show or ride with our appearance there.

  A glance back towards the girl that spotted us, I was able to catch a wickedly pleased expression on her face as she approached us. It didn't take long for her to reach us because Flynn tugged me in her direction. Once she was in speaking distance, his hand dropped from mine as if I’d scalded him. As I’d done no such thing, I searched his eyes to find his fixated on her. She, of course, was gorgeous. What bothered me was jealousy that made me feel as though I sprouted green horns on my head.

  "Are you lost?" asked the girl with bright eyes only for the guy with me.

  "Yeah, we were hiking.” The lie slid too easily from Flynn’s tongue as he glanced at the hill behind the town. “Is there a place we could rest and asked for directions?" His words sounded mildly flirtatious. But his smile screamed it.

  She gave him a toothy grin that made me want to roll my eyes. Somehow, I managed to keep the fake smile pasted to my face to shield of emotions that were bombarding me.

  "Sure. Hungry?" she asked.

  "Ravenous." He spoke while never taking his eyes off her. Was he glamouring her or was it the other way around?

  She turned putting a little bounce in her step. I watched as his eyes dropped lower than her hips. I ground my teeth together fighting myself from slapping him. Could he be any more obvious?

  She led us to what was labeled a Tavern based on the medieval looking sign over the door we entered. Inside, the place was bustling with activity. The lighting was dim, but everything held a rustic appearance as if we’d traveled back in time. The bar counter, tables, and chairs were fashioned from wood based on what I could see. As I glanced around, I caught sight of several waitresses serving food and drink to customers. It was crowded, and there appeared to be only one booth empty amongst the tables and booths that filled the place. The girl directed us there and asked that we wait.

  I narrowed my eyes at Flynn, who caught my glare only when he stopped staring at her bottom. "What?" he asked with amusement.

  "Now isn't the time for you to get in some girl's pants," I chided.

  He laughed. "I'm just playing along." He held my gaze for a moment as if looking for something. "Don't be jealous."

  My mouth opened, poised to say something using my expanded vocabulary, but our host returned.

  "Hungry are you?" she asked in a lilted accent as if she hadn’t already asked the question before. She gazed directly in my eyes as she spoke scooting entirely too close to Flynn a boy she just met.

  I didn't back down. Despite my demon not being present, I challenged her to glance away first.

  Flynn broke the ice. "Yeah, I'm famished."

  She turned her probing eyes on him, and the rapturous look they traded between them rankled my nerves. Then as if they traded nonverbal conversation, she nodded and got up from the table. She hadn't looked at me and hadn't asked what we wanted to eat.

  "You look like you bit into a lemon, so let me do the talking."

  No four letter word would work on him. So I let loose with word play that burst from my tongue. "Your cupidity makes you capricious and an anathema to me. If you think for one minute that I'll give you approbation after this is done, you have another thing coming."

  His smile dipped. My frown upturned. Before he could think of a witty retort, the blonde maybe fairy came back to our table holding two baskets of piping hot food. Steam rose and carried smells that made my stomach roll in delight. Flynn’s megawatt smile was back but not directed a
t me.

  "That smells good," he said to her. "Don't pay attention to Clemency over there. I think she's lonely."

  I kicked his shin, and Flynn let out a soft umph. He hadn't just given me another name to hide our identity. He thought he was clever because clemency definition meant mercy. Stupid, stupid, stupid, licentious...

  "Clemency, that's an interesting name," the girl said interrupting my thought. "There's no need to be lonely here.” Before completely settling into the booth, she snapped a finger with an index finger held up as if in thought. Then she pointed. From the bar area, a guy stood. My jaw dropped. He was the gawking kind of gorgeous. Not wanting to give myself away, I closed my mouth and glanced down at the food that she’d placed in front of me. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but in the basket was a large cheeseburger and steak cut fries. That had to be the place we were looking for. And our fairy guide was working far too hard to make us feel comfortable.

  Flynn's fingers were full with fries and headed to his mouth when I remembered the Elvin queen's warning about not eating while in Fairy. I reached across the table and slapped at his hands. "Nadir, you can't be hungry. We just ate." I glared at him, hoping he got the message. And with a smile I wondered if he got my dig with my choice of his name. The definition of the word meant the lowest of the low, and I felt personally satisfied with my swift choice on a good name for him.

  Someone slipped into the booth next to me. I didn't have to see him to know it was the eye candy from the bar. I swallowed a silent breath, knowing this was a means to an end. We needed the fairies to lead us into Fairy if we weren't already there. I needed to find Tristrom and convince him to go home to the Elves. Then hopeful Queen Amavara would grant me access to the place in between so I could search for Luke. With my end game fixed in my head, I turned and gave hottie a warm welcome.