Smolder (Crown of Fae #3) - Sharon Ashwood Page 0,52

used that skill as she glided toward Barleycorn’s room. Now that she was searching for them, she saw drops of blood on the patterned tile of the floor ahead. By the wide spacing, Edgar had been running—running and hiding for his life.

Her knife was in her hand, although she didn’t remember reaching for it. She was three doors away from her destination, then two. Light spilled into the hall in a narrow sliver, indicating that Barleycorn’s door was partially open.

Leena stopped, senses straining for information. Her pulse pounded so hard that all she could hear was her heartbeat. She took a breath, letting it out slowly. That should have calmed her, but she was too frightened for her ribs to move. Still, she caught enough air to taste the permeating rot. Fionn.

A low, grumbling yowl came from the room. It sounded like every imp from the demon dimensions had assembled behind that door. It trailed off into a bone-chilling hiss.

“Kifi,” Leena murmured, an icy tide filling her veins. The cat was fierce, but she was no match for a Shade.

The urge to protect carried Leena the last few steps to the door. She peered through the opening, shielding herself from sight. Her heart plunged.

Fionn stood by the bed, his right side to Leena. His hood had fallen back, showing the full devastation of Juradoc’s spell. His skin clung loosely to his skull, the flesh beneath melting away. His sandy curls had fallen out in clumps, leaving patches of gray-blue scalp behind.

Anna struggled in his arms, but he had a knife to her throat. Blood spattered his clothes, though only a thin trickle was coursing down her neck. The rest may well have come from Edgar. Kifi was on the bed, legs splayed in a protective crouch over the unconscious Barleycorn. The cat’s ears were back, her lips lifted in a muttering growl.

“I called the pack,” Anna said, her tone defiant. “They’ll come at any moment.”

“Then they’ll die like the other one,” Fionn replied, pressing the blade into her throat.

Anna drew in a rattling breath, the blade clearly hurting her. Leena felt a pulse of magic against her face—ice and stone and the smell of moss.

“Don’t,” Fionn ordered. “If you try to shift, I’ll slit your throat.”

Leena’s throat ached, pity and terror congealing inside her chest. This wasn’t her brother, yet there had to be something of him still there. A shred she could reason with, even now.

She stepped into the room, then circled to where Fionn could see her. Kifi’s growl cut off with a hiss.

Anna’s eyes went huge. “Don’t be an idiot. Run.”

But Leena looked past Anna, staring straight at Fionn instead. His sky-blue eyes were violet now, but she caught and held his gaze. Images of blood, of Edgar’s still face, ghosted through her mind.

“Hello, brother.”

“You never knew when to leave things alone.” His lip curled, showing rotten stumps of teeth.

Horror rocked Leena, weakening her knees so she swayed where she stood. He was so far gone, the decay advancing since they’d come to this realm. Still, she kept her voice even and light. “What do you want, Fionn?”

He flung out his free hand toward the bed. The cat lashed at it, but her efforts weren’t needed. Blue-green lightning crackled and arced over the bed, striking his hand away. Kifi’s fur puffed with static, but she didn’t budge from her post.

“You know he’s my mission,” Fionn said. “This she-wolf won’t remove that spell.”

The knife tip pricked a fresh gash in Anna’s throat.

“I don’t know how,” Anna ground out through clenched teeth. “I didn’t put it there.”

“It wasn’t there earlier today.”

“I know.”

“Do you expect me to believe an unconscious man cast it on himself?”

Leena listened to the exchange, her mind churning. Earthquake and lightning—powerful earth magic—had come to life when they’d arrived, perhaps in response to the Shimmer. Now, Barleycorn was warded. Sometimes, a threat could activate latent spells, but it was more likely that he was waking up. Even in a semi-conscious state, some fae could use magic for self-protection.

If he woke up right now, it went without saying there would be a fight.

“Fionn,” she said. “Let Anna go.”

The room went deadly quiet for a split second. Traffic rumbled in the street outside, louder than before. Leena recognized the brash sound of the transports Anna had called motorcycles. The wolf’s eyes turned to the window without moving her head, as if she knew who was pulling up to the hospital’s gate. Her pack, Leena thought. Yet more opportunity