Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two) Read online

  Luna flipped her knife from hand to hand, staring at me. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  Elion drew my attention as he stepped close, moving into my personal space.

  “Do you mind?” I asked. I tried to move back, but my feet refused. I glared at him, and he only shrugged, unrepentant.

  “I see your mother in your eyes,” he said, voice soft, “but I also see your father.”

  “No,” I corrected, my voice equally soft. “You see my father’s death. I am nothing like him.”

  Blue eyes stared intently into mine. “You’re wrong. You’re very much like him. Which is why you’ll be able to kill him.”

  Chapter Four

  Luna sheathed the dagger and clapped her hands together briskly. “Great, now that that’s settled, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  Elion held my gaze for a moment longer before stepping away with a small smile. I had a feeling he knew how much his comment had unnerved me. This whole freaky situation unnerved me, much like everything else that had happened in the past couple of weeks. I should be used to the feeling by now, but I wasn’t.

  Luna tipped her head, a shock of dark-red hair falling across her eyes. Brushing it away impatiently, she studied me. “What’s your plan?”

  The sudden change of subject had me blinking with confusion for a second. “My plan for what?”

  Luna huffed out a breath and walked a few steps away, shaking her head in disgust.

  Instead of answering her question, I asked one of my own. “What are you? What kind of god…er…demigod?” I had no idea what qualified.

  Amusement sparked in those blue eyes. “Is that really the ques-tion you want to ask us?”

  Cryptic people drive me nuts—and I’d encountered a few too many lately. “Yes. I want to know what I’m dealing with.”

  Luna snorted. “I think you should ask who you’re dealing with. And stop being such a disrespectful smart-ass.”

  Elion jumped in, his tone hard with contempt. “You lack the training and knowledge you need to complete your task. If you aren’t trained to control your abilities, you’ll create chaos, and I won’t let you embarrass your mother or our family.” I stared at him for a full minute as his words processed. The sanctimonious son of a bitch thought I was a source of embarrassment? Trembling with the effort not to launch myself at him, I said, “My mother loved me. She was proud of me. I am going to kill her murderer. You are the embarrassment. What sort of brother turns his back on his own sister? You’re the only source of shame.”

  I raked a scathing glare over both of them. “And you two think you’re going to help me? Train me? Too freaking late. Where were you twenty years ago? I’ve managed to get this far; I know I can finish it on my own. Jedren already hired a trainer for me. I love the irony of killing him with the knowledge I glean from the guy he paid. I don’t need either of you.”

  That got a reaction from Luna. “Like hell! You think some minion Jedren owns can teach you anything? They don’t even know what you are, Buttercup. You can punch, kick, and shoot all day long, but it won’t teach you anything you really need to know. The power you’re about to inherit is all you need. Provided you learn how to use it.”

  Elion’s face remained impassive. “She’s right. Some suspect, but none know your true nature.”

  I didn’t try to repress my groan of disgust. “Yeah, yeah, I’m the one. Heard that already. If no one can bother to tell me what it means, I can’t be bothered to care. I’m sure my father knows what my abilities are. Why else would he want me back as his heir? My only goal is to kill him, then move on with my life.”

  Luna walked over to Elion and punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I like her. She reminds me of you, only tolerable.” She smiled at me and cocked her hip again. “But we need to get you better clothes. The jeans and T-shirt look isn’t working.”

  “The clothes are comfy, which is all clothes should be. I’m not here to strut down the catwalk. Please take me back to the guesthouse.”

  I ached to return to the guys. I needed—

  “Your mate is an issue.”

  I lifted my gaze to Elion’s without flinching. “Excuse me?”

  “A mate should stand beside you, not hold you back, weigh you down, or distract you.”

  “What are you, a marriage counselor now?” This from Luna, who folded her arms across her chest and considered him in a decent imitation of his earlier position. “What do you know about mates?”

  Elion shot her a quelling glance before looking back at me. “You can’t afford one mate who is a distraction, let alone two.”

  “You’ve got two mates?” Luna laughed again. I offered them a stiff smile, baring my teeth. “I only have one mate, and he’s none of your business.”

  Elion nodded in satisfaction. “You know who it is, then. Good. You need to clear that up—soon. He’ll prove to be an asset against your father.”

  My stomach clenched at his words, the response involuntary. There was a lot I needed to clear up. Not that I had a plan or any idea of how to do that, but I knew I needed to have two very important conversations with Jax and MacLean. It was on my To Do list, along with killing Jedren, controlling my abilities, turning twenty-eight, and everything else.

  I couldn’t get anything done here. “Can I ask where we are?” Hopefully this was an easy enough question for them to answer. Though I wouldn’t hold my breath.

  Elion merely stared at me. Luna smiled. “Elion’s house. We can move a little faster than your average shadow elf. We’re not within walking distance of your place.”

  Not the answer I was hoping for.

  “We’ll start your training right away. We don’t have time to waste. I’ll need to track down a few supplies,” Luna said, eyes shining with unholy anticipation. Her hand moved unconsciously to her dagger, caressing the handle.

  I suppressed a shudder. I had a feeling her idea of training would be my idea of the seventh circle of hell. “Yeah, whatever you say.” A wave of longing for a familiar face washed over me. The last week had been long, and I’d met more enemies than friends. Now I was stuck God knows where, with two people who were…God knew what. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted to leave.

  I opened my mouth to ask again, but Elion appeared by my side before I could blink. With a sickening lurch, I arrived back in the guesthouse.

  Alone.

  I willed my shaky knees to walk me over to the table. I dropped into a chair in the kitchen, resting my head on my hands. “What am I doing?” I whispered out loud.

  Loneliness washed over me. An ally or even someone who didn’t hate me on sight would be nice. My relatives all seemed to harbor varying degrees of disgust or loathing toward me.

  At the moment, the feeling was mutual.

  I figured I was entitled to a few moments of self-pity. Indulging in a pint of ice cream sounded great, too. I lifted my head to look at the fridge—the staff would have filled it, but with what?

  Deciding to check, I stood and saw a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye. “Gah!” I yelped, jumping away from the table.

  “It’s me.”

  My breath hitched in my throat. People kept appearing out of nowhere, and I was sick of it. “You scared me.”

  Teryl gave me a quick one-armed hug. “Sorry. We weren’t sure when you’d be back, so we were watching TV.” He gestured toward the living room where I now realized MacLean and Jax were sitting. They stared at me with twin expressions of longing and unease.

  I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms. “Yeah, let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter Five

  “We can postpone this conversation. You’ve had a long day.” MacLean stood, as if getting ready to leave.

  “No, no,” I replied quickly. “I appreciate it, but we’ve put this off long enough. I need to talk.”

  “I can answer your question about how we knew to come to the meeting,” MacLean said quietly.

  I sat in the side chair op
posite of Jax. MacLean sat back down on the couch. Teryl remained in the kitchen, but shifted anxiously from foot to foot.

  “We both knew about the meeting in Scotland. But it had been scheduled before you decided to find your fate.”

  MacLean’s words didn’t make sense. Frustration welled. “How could it be scheduled before that?”

  “We suspect your father used a seer,” Jax answered, sounding tired.

  “Why do you guys keep saying ‘we’?”

  MacLean shifted sideways on the couch so he was facing me directly. “We’ve been watching Jedren for some time. I was hired by Brenin. I’m not sure who Jax works for, but our paths have crossed a time or two in our investigations.”

  My face felt numb, but I forced my lips to move. “So you both knew about it, and neither of you bothered to tell me.” I looked over at Teryl, who was doing his best to disappear against the wall. “Did you know, too?”

  He grimaced. “Not really. I didn’t know they were looking for the souls, just that they were working together on something. But I didn’t know about the meeting or Scotland.”

  I tried to digest that. Two weeks ago when the Council and my father had hired hunters to track me down, it was because I had mistakenly stolen a few souls—I’d thought they were antique relics. Jedren framed me, and I had yet to clear my name. Becoming his heir had given me a reprieve, but I had no idea for how long.

  “We went along to protect you. It’s why I asked MacLean to come.” Jax’s low voice was rough with repressed emotion.

  MacLean made a derisive sound. “Strength in numbers didn’t work.”

  “Yes, that really backfired,” I said with a fake laugh.

  All three men flinched. Good. Knowing they were all in on it, to varying degrees, was like a knife in the heart. Again.

  “We each had fragments of information,” Maclean said. “Had we sat down and put it together, we would have known…but we didn’t. I didn’t know about Jax’s contract, and he didn’t know about my leads with some of the other hunters. In hindsight, the dots connect, but at the time we were too busy trying to keep you safe, to find your fate, and to protect the souls.

  “There’s no excuse for what happened. You paid the price, and you couldn’t hate us more than we hate ourselves for that.” MacLean’s copper eyes were dimmed with pain.

  I swallowed and stared at my lap, not knowing whether to scream or sob. “You’re saying it was all a big mistake? You deliberately withheld information from me.”

  “I fucked up. And knowing you were hurt because of it kills me. I’m sorry.”

  I flinched when Jax cursed. I wasn’t used to hearing it from him, and it sounded harsh.

  “I want you to know I never meant to hurt you,” he continued. “I was trying to stop Jedren from getting to you—I swear on my soul, I would never harm you. The contract I signed with him…the fae helped me break it when I discovered you were my mate. That’s what I’ve been waiting all week to tell you. I would die before I’d willingly hurt you.”

  “Why didn’t you just admit from the beginning that you worked for my father? You could have told me you weren’t going to honor his contract.”

  “Would you have believed me?”

  I had to think about it for a few seconds. “Maybe not at first, but I’d have preferred to have the conversation before we ever left for Scotland. My father was waiting for you, both of you. He knew you were coming.” It had looked like a gathering of the Knights of the Round Table. Except they were an odd collection of hunters and killers, and my father was no King Arthur. It wasn’t until I got back to Seattle and had time to myself that I remembered how wild both guys had looked when they’d rushed into the room, one right after the other. At the time, I’d been too injured and emotional to make the connection that they’d been worried out of their minds.

  MacLean cleared his throat. “He set it up to look like that. He wanted to create the division between you and us. The weaker you were, physically and emotionally, the easier it would be for him to convince you to do what he wanted.”

  I couldn’t argue that point, but I wished he were wrong. “I fell right into it, didn’t I?”

  “We all did,” Jax replied. “The only difference is I should have known better. But all that matters to me right now is that you know you’re my life. I did the wrong thing, and I would do anything to take it back. Please forgive me.”

  I couldn’t miss the ring of truth in his words. Our connection through the bond also told me he was sincere. I didn’t doubt him. Not anymore. “I forgive you and I believe you.”

  Jax’s relief was palpable. I hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear those words. Probably as much as I’d needed to hear his.

  MacLean caught my attention with a quick shake of his head. “I’m just as much to blame. We both should have known better. And I should have told you from the beginning what was going on. I’m sorry.”

  Hearing him trying to absolve Jax of shouldering the full blame struck me as odd. They were rivals, but they both took responsibility when they could have blamed each other. A humorless smile curved my lips.

  “Elle?” Teryl stepped farther into the room, looking concerned. He probably thought I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It wouldn’t happen today.

  I waved a hand at him. “It’s okay. I just…how would you feel if someone told you the brutal beating you received was the result of a series of mistakes and miscommunications by those you trust?”

  “It will never happen again.” Jax’s vow rolled through the room in a deep rumble.

  “No matter who you choose, we’ll get you through this. No secrets, no lies.” MacLean’s expression was as serious as I’d ever seen it.

  They looked fierce, contrite, and determined. It was a strange combination, but I believed them. It wouldn’t take away the memories of Scotland. It didn’t magically erase the heartache. I’d already accepted Jax’s apology, but to hear it again from both of them meant something.

  Teryl knelt beside me and mock whispered, “If you still wanted to test that ward on someone, I think they’d let you.”

  A reluctant laugh welled in my chest. The tension in the room eased, along with the invisible band around my chest. I murmured, “Strangely enough, I don’t feel the need to use it anymore. But I do need to get some sleep. I forgive you both. Thanks for telling me everything.”

  The guys all stood when I did. Teryl spoke for the group. “We drew straws. Jax is going to stay with you.”

  I arched a brow. “Straws? To determine who got the chore of watching me? No thanks.”

  “To determine who got the privilege,” Teryl corrected with a sly smile. “I told them they could order meals from the main house. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see your charming Medusa impression in the morning?”

  Teryl’s teasing effectively eased the mood. I picked up a decorative pillow from the chair and threw it at his head for good measure. “Good night, guys.”

  Teryl followed me to the stairs, while Jax and MacLean held a quiet conversation by the front door. He looked over his shoulder to make sure they were out of earshot before whispering, “Hey, does this mean you’re going to name your mate soon? I’ve been thinking I’d make one cool uncle. I don’t do diapers, but a few little gargoyle or phoenix babies running around would be fun.”

  I didn’t give in to his not-so-subtle dig for information. I flashed a wry grin. “Regardless of who my mate is, there won’t be children anytime soon. I get that handy, dandy birth control shot that lasts three months, so I’m safe for at least six more weeks. Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle Teryl.”

  I walked upstairs, more than ready for bed. I had a lot to think about, and it didn’t include imagining what my mate’s child would look like. That was dangerous territory.

  I smiled when I heard MacLean tell Jax, “You’re staying in the guest room.”

  …

  After preparing for bed, I grabbed my mother’s journal. I’d started it, but
hadn’t read as much as I’d hoped to. It was important to me to be in the right mindset—I didn’t want the connection with my mom muddied. At times, it read like a diary, and other pages were more like a how-to manual for life. The pages held personal revelations and tidbits about parenting, my childhood, and even her sewing and dress design business.

  The margins had a few whimsical doodles—swirls and dress sketches. I’d traced each one with my fingers, feeling her presence for a precious second. Some of the entries were memories I’d forgotten. Or ones I’d most likely been robbed of. Seeing them through her eyes was poignant and sometimes difficult. I found my bookmark and started reading…

  Weaving is a delicate process. Never forget that. To thread blue and yellow, you have to keep the colors separated. If you let them bleed to green, you’ve damaged the soul irreparably. The core colors are critical. Once you have those, the threads should fall into place.

  I reread the words a few times. I knew the wrong colors could land you on a worst-dressed list, but damage your soul? My mom wasn’t known for melodrama, so I was confused. Maybe it was a metaphor for her sewing?

  I pushed my unease aside and continued reading, hoping to find answers or even a little comfort from the woman I missed every day of my life.

  Chapter Six

  I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face. Despite only getting four hours of sleep, I felt rested. The conversation with the guys had lifted a weight off my shoulders. And my heart.

  I opened my eyes and stretched in the elegant king-size bed. I could hear muted noises coming from downstairs. Hopefully, Jax had coffee started. Though I felt great now, the day was only beginning. Once I made my way to the main house, the odds were good that things would go downhill fast.

  I indulged in a long, hot shower that left me smelling like expensive vanilla cream. Humming a little, I toweled off and dressed. An internal debated waged as I considered my makeup bag, childish instincts warring with common sense. I hated following Jedren’s strict edicts to dress appropriately at all times. If I arrived at the main house wearing jeans and no makeup, he would blow a gasket. But I didn’t want to get dolled up just to go train. I’d sweat it off in a matter of minutes.