Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,18

you before: there is no way I can send you to Faerie—”

“Why not?” he demanded, leaning in closer.

I pushed his hand-less arm away, but the rest of him didn’t budge. “Because we have no idea what’s waiting there? Because it would be a death sentence at best? Because you don’t know my mother like I do, so you have no clue what she’ll do if she catches you? How she’ll torture you—make you wish you’d died that night instead of Bea—”

“I already do wish that,” he snarled as he thrust his face into mine.

There was the Kingston I’d long known. The menacing bully who had made my existence hell for as long as I could remember. But never in those years had there been such a noble reason driving his assholedom.

“Kingston, I understand pain and loss as much as anyone—partially thanks to you—but even I won’t chuck you through a portal knowing you most likely won’t return.”

“Liam returned,” he countered.

Shit.

“And Liam is both born of Faerie and capable of making his own portals on either side of the veil. You aren’t and you can’t. What happens if you get lost or need to get out of there? And even if you did, by some miracle, find the fey king…then what? You think you can just murder him and waltz out of there without incident?” My barrage of questions was wearing at his resolve. The angry crease around his eyes softened, as did the tension in his shoulders, but still he held fast to the anger fueling his death wish request, so I played on the weakness I knew might unsettle him further. “Kingston, you don’t even know if your power works there…”

His eyes went wide; then he snapped.

“What would you have me do, Piper?” he shouted before lowering his voice. I heard doors open down the hall and prayed that Knox’s wasn’t one of them—that he was still crashed out from killing Mack. I knew a fight would soon be brewing when I turned to see Jagger, Kat, and Grizz step out. “I need to avenge Bea, don’t you see that? She was the only decent thing in my life, and she sacrificed herself for me, Piper. Me!”

“Need a hand down there?” Jagger asked as he sauntered our way.

I waved him off. “Nah, Jags. We’re good. Kingston’s grief is impairing his decision-making skills.”

“And he certainly doesn’t need help with that,” Kat added as she fell in line next to the ginger wolf. “Do you, Kingston?”

He dared a glance over his shoulder. Whatever Kat saw seemed to amuse her greatly.

“Kingston, listen. If I thought you had even a teensy chance of killing the fey king, I’d gladly send you, because it would solve fifty percent of my problems right now, but I know better than that. Knox, Grizz, and I barely survived when we went there together.”

“He can’t control me,” he argued.

“And he couldn’t control me or Grizz, and that had little to do with our escape—note how I didn’t say ‘success’.”

“He knew you were coming.”

“And you don’t think he’ll know the moment you set foot in his lands? If that’s the case, you might as well just let me kill you now. It’d be the humane thing to do.”

The trio headed our way flanked the rogue warlock, crowding him.

“I’ll gladly do it,” Kat said with a smile. “I’m still bitter about the whole Alaska thing.”

“Me too,” Jagger added. Grizz huffed in agreement, and I wondered if things were about to go to shit despite my best efforts.

“Okay, okay,” I said, hauling Kingston out from between them all. “Nobody is killing anyone just yet.”

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Kat said with a pout. “I feel a little unsatisfied after Mack’s club.”

“I can help with that.” Brunton and Foust crested the stairs behind us, both on edge at what they saw in the hall.

“That eager to die?” she asked, stepping away from the group. “No…I don’t think you are. Besides, it’ll be so much more fun when you don’t expect it.” She turned to me and her arrogant expression bled away. “Are you sure you’re good with this one?”

“Yeah. He’s good.”

She gave a nod and headed back to her room. Jagger and his packmates soon followed, leaving Grizz behind like a bouncer just itching to intervene.

“Piper—”

“Listen, the best I can do is try to take you to Faerie if, and I mean if, we have to go there at all, understand?” His jaw flexed as he ground his teeth, but he didn’t argue, so