All The Wrong Signs
Wales

Blaze POV

I had been at the bar drinking demon’s brew when I felt the connection to Riley grow stronger. I could feel her, although it was still weakened. Closing my eyes, I tried to locate her.

It was almost like pinging a cell phone tower. Sometimes you got close, sometimes you were spot on. Our connection was fragile. I could feel the tiny holes in it. I wasn’t sure if she was still under the influence of the brew or if it was of Kyler’s doing.

I sat, staring into nothingness, slowly testing our bond. With each tug I gave it, I paused, trying to rebuild connections that had been damaged.

Petra rounded the corner. I’m sure picking up on my energy use. I focused on our bond in my mind, but I answered Petra’s unspoken questions. “I can feel her. There is still something blocking me, but I’m working on it.”

Sitting on the stool beside me, she reached out, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I frowned, staring down at it. Petra acted more like she was the one that had angel blood in her veins than I did. Sometimes I wonder if our mother lied to us about her true father, but I knew if she was in line for the throne, she would be able to feel it in her blood just as I could.

Closing my eyes, again I focused on Riley. I could feel her emotions. She was scared. Her heart was beating like a drum. I squeezed harder on Petra’s hand. “If he hurts her, I swear I’ll burn this entire planet down if that’s what it takes to get to Kyler.”

“Focus,” Petra whispers.

I opened my eyes as Riley’s screams filled my head. Jumping up, I tried my best to transport to her but I couldn’t. There wasn’t a path. “I can’t replace her,” I gritted.

Pain was echoing through me, but this time it wasn’t from her. It was all mine. It was me. They were hurting her and I couldn’t do anything about it. I was helpless.

It was hopeless.

Throwing back the rest of my drink, I ignored my sister. Didn’t she have something better to do than stand around watching over me like I was about to crack any second?

I had to think. There had to be a way. She had been in the air. I was about 99 percent certain that he would take her to Wales. That had to be where he had been keeping me imprisoned. If I was closer, maybe I could feel her better.

Even though I knew that wasn’t how our bond worked, it was still the best plan I had. “I’m going to Wales,” I said, fully prepared to transport without her.

“I’m coming with you,” Petra said without hesitation.

“Me too,” Lakyn said, rounding the corner. Her eyes were red from crying. Wrapping her arms around her body, she looked down. “I owe it to Riley to try to correct my grandmother’s mistakes.”

Petra and I made eye contract and when she nodded, letting me know she thought it was a good idea, I sighed. “Whatever, you can deal with her.”

Without a word, I closed my eyes and set my mind on Wales. When I opened them again, I was in the middle of nowhere. I knew I had transported to the right place, but the old cottage that had once sat here was now gone.

There was absolutely nothing left in its place. Not that it surprised me. Time had a habit of stealing away things you cherished.

The old cottage that once sat here had been a home away from home to me at one point. A place to escape. I had other such places around the word, but this one had always been the one that called out to me the most.

It made complete sense to me now that my prison had been close to here. It was here that Kyler had first summoned me after replaceing the book with my name in it. How could I have forgotten that?

Someone had betrayed me. I had a strong suspicion that person’s name was Gregar. He would have had access to the book and a reason to use it. Family codes meant nothing to him.

Petra and Lakyn appeared a few feet away from me, reminding me I wasn’t here for me. I was here to replace Riley. She was what mattered.

“Feeling sentimental?” Petra asked, looking around.

I shrugged, “I’m surprised you remember.”

She walked closer to me, “mother would always drag me with her to come visit you when you stayed away too long. Besides, it wasn’t that long ago.”

“Yes it was,” I stated, crossing my arms. Petra only winked at me. I knew she was trying her best to keep me calm. Keep me distracted from that problem at hand. The problem being I had no fucking clue where my girl was.

I had to think. Without giving the girls any warning of what I was doing, I sat down on the ground and closed my eyes. I wasn’t recharging; I was channeling. If she was here, if she was close, I should be able to feel her stronger than I had when we were in America.

My blood should call out from her veins. The connection was there. Piece by piece, I pulled until I felt myself get a firm grip on her. She was asleep. The beating of her heart was elevated but steady. Cold. She was cold. My skin prickled up as I felt the same chill as she did.

Kyler’s face appeared in my mind, and I flinched. It took a second for me to realize it was her dreams channeling themselves to me. At least she could get a break from him as she slept. I had almost given her dreams back. Now I was glad I held on to them for longer.

I may never give them back to her. I never wanted her to fear sleep. Riley thought herself fragile, but inside her was a warrior. I just needed her to realize that.

She was close. I could feel it. Putting my hand to the ground, I opened my eyes as I tried to think of anything about my prison that would help us replace her.

“We need to go to the coast.”

Petra nodded. “It’s not far from here. We need to get a car. I doubt Lakyn wants to walk all of Wales.”

Lakyn looked up at me but didn’t speak. I was honestly surprised she was still here after watching me kill her grandmother. I couldn’t even blame her if she was even now plotting my death.

There was a house a few miles down the road and, as luck would have it, an old farm truck sat by the barn. I had my doubts the thing would even work. We all crammed in, Petra insisted she drive because I had not been behind a wheel since…well ever.

The truck started sounded something like an explosion going off. If anyone was home, they would for sure know that their truck was being highjacked. You couldn’t convince me that Petra didn’t push the gas pedal all the way to the floor as we tore out of the driveway, fishtailing as we made it onto the road.

“Are you trying to kill us?” I asked, holding on to the dash. Lakyn had a death grip on my arm and as much as I wanted to push her off, I knew that my sister’s driving was scaring her enough to forgive me, if not temporarily, from my sins.

“Have you ever been to jail?” Petra looked over at me. “You know what, never mind. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Lakyn groaned, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Great. I swear to Lucifer if this human witch throws up on me, I might throw her out of the entire truck and leave her on the side of the road.

Deciding that we were either in the clear, or she didn’t care anymore, Petra slowed down to an acceptable speed, making all of us breath a little easier. My sister, the speed demon. Who would have ever thought it?

Tuning everything out, I focused on Riley. I felt our bond, and I wondered if she could feel the little tugs I would give her. I had never experienced a bond before, but I had heard claims that a demon could communicate their thoughts to the person they were bonded with by tugging on their connection.

Most demons never saw the need, I’m sure. Of course, most demons didn’t lose their human so soon after bonding with them.

Sometimes I forgot Riley was a witch. I had my doubts at first about her, assuming that she was just another human playing at casting spells. It wasn’t until my blood bonded with there that I could feel the magic in her. It was small. Watered down. But it was there.

I wasn’t the only one Riley had a bond with. She had a bond with her twin sister, too. One that was fraying. Once I got her back, I would make her work on that. As much as my sister annoyed me, I couldn’t imagine not having her around. Riley needed her.

She would need her when I was gone.

Fuck. That feeling hit me hard again. What was it? Depression? Guilt?

Turning, I looked at my sisters. She glanced over at me. “We need a game plan. One that doesn’t involve trading you for Riley.”

Lakyn looked from Petra to me. “I can be your distraction.”

Looking down at her, I shook my head. “I will do the distracting, but I may need you to take someone out. Do you think you are up for the challenge?”

Gulping, Lakyn nodded. “Whatever it takes to get our girl back.”

“My girl,” I mumbled. “She is my girl.”