Savage Fate (Den of Shadows #5)

Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Hot, searing pain crashed into me moments before Fane’s howl exploded through the room. My vision burned white, and ringing filled my ears.

Knowing the agony was so much worse for him tore my heart to shreds.

Fane’s head jerked back, and the tendons in his neck popped. He tried to pull his hand out of mine, but I held on.

“Fiera mika, please let me go. You feel everything when you’re touching me.”

“You think I care about a little pain?” A tear glided down my cheek. “This is nothing.”

Purple bands of magic circled his torso, tightening around him. They burrowed into his soul, trying to dig out the roots of Kaspin’s spell. If that old witch was still alive, I’d torture him for every moment of anguish he caused my mate.

Fane finally managed to force my hand off now that sweat coated both of us, but lucky for him, I was stubborn. I crawled behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, letting the magic take my energy to bolster it.

“I should have known you’d do that,” Fane muttered into my mind as the wind blew.

I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, barely able to breathe from the magic and agony crashing within us. “I’m not letting you go, Maverick. Get used to it.”

Instead of trying to fight me off—he probably had no strength left—he gripped my arms. The witches screamed at the top of their lungs, and Fane violently shook. He’d toss me off like a bucking bronco if I wasn’t holding on so tightly.

“Let the truth and spirit flow so free.”

“You can do this, Fane,” I whispered. “Kaspin’s spell is nothing. You can destroy his hold.”

Fane’s savage roar shook the entire room, and spikes began to protrude from his spine as his animal form attempted to take over. He cursed as he felt the shift coming.

“It’s okay.” I kissed his neck. “Take deep breaths. Calm down. There’s no threat.” My words were directed at the demon wolf, trying to soothe his emotions and reassure him before he burst out.

A growl tumbled from Fane, but those spikes retreated, and he slumped forward.

My breath of relief stirred his hair. Performing a spell on him would have been impossible in his animal form. The beast probably would have flipped out and charged the witches.

“As we will it, so mote it be!”

Something suddenly shifted in the air, and a crack boomed like lightning striking.

Fane and I were tossed back, tumbling out of the circle and sliding across the slick marble floor. His arms and legs caged me in to protect me from the hit.

Still, my head pounded, and the coppery tang of blood lingered in the back of my mouth.

“Are you hurt?” Fane frantically searched over me, his hand carefully roaming my body.

“Did it work?” I blinked the blurriness from my vision and found him hovering over me, wiping trails of blood from beneath his nose.

Fane’s brow furrowed. “I?—”

“It did.” Jess kneeled on the ground next to us, her blond hair a tangled mess from the mystical wind. “Well, partially.”

Fane sat up, bringing me with him. “The urge to kill Tate is completely gone.”

The heavy weight that had been resting on my chest for so long finally lifted, and I slumped against Fane as his arms wound around me. “Then what do you mean it only partially worked?”

“There was some permanent damage we weren’t able to undo.” Jess sighed. “I’m afraid Fane’s memories weren’t released when the spell broke. They might be gone forever.”

My stomach sank as her words settled in. Fane’s memories had forever been altered. Even though he remembered a few things recently, he might not fully recover them.

He’d never remember our time together before Mykel dragged him across the bridge back to Heldrok.

Fane’s arm rested on Logan’s shoulders as the high demon helped him up the stairs to a guest room in the coven house. The demon shifter wouldn’t admit it, but the spell had taken a toll on him.

“I’m fine, Teague,” he grumbled in my mind as Saint and I followed them. “I’m only humoring Logan. He thinks he’s my caretaker.”

“Whatever you say, Maverick.”

If I was being honest, the spell did a number on me too. My knees wobbled on the last step, and Saint’s hand shot out to grip my elbow.

“Take it easy,” he whispered. “You’ve been through a lot.”

My neck tattoo prickled as Fane glared over his shoulder at the young alpha. His nostrils flared, and he definitely wanted to say something—like get your hands off my fucking mate—but he faced forward and continued behind Zane as he led us through the maze of ivory hallways.

Zane opened the door to a large, luxurious bedroom suite that looked like it belonged in a fancy, high-end hotel in Europe. The pristine white and gold décor continued, but softer elements were added, like velvet couches in cream and taupe and satin bedding with silk curtains tied to the four posters.

The room was bigger than some of the shitty apartments I’d lived in as a kid.

“Here you go.” Logan helped Fane onto the couch and then stood, raking his hand through his golden-brown hair and giving a heavy sigh. “What do you weigh these days, Mav? A half ton?”

He flipped the high demon off. “You’ve just gotten weak in your old age.”

I plopped down on the couch next to Fane and leaned back. “You should eat something.”

“So should you.”

“We’ll have some food brought in soon,” Zane said.

Saint sat on my other side, his arm brushing mine almost purposefully. When I peered at him, he smiled as if it was normal for me to be sandwiched between my fated mate and my actual mate.

Fane’s eyes drilled into him, but after a few tense moments, he nodded and lowered his attention to me.

My brows knit. “What’s going on with you two?”

Before Fane could speak, Jess entered the room with a large, ornate wooden box.

“I’ll give you a tonic before you eat, Fane.” She placed the box on the floor by the coffee table and then sat beside it.

Logan dropped into the plush chair adjacent to the couch. “I love a good tonic.” He peered into the box as she opened it, revealing a collection of glass vials, strange plants, and mixing tools.

She snorted. “I don’t think you’ll like this one. It tastes like bog water.”

Fane grimaced. “And I really have to drink it?”

“Unfortunately.” Jess pulled out a bowl and set it on the table. “But it’ll help you recover from that spell.”

“What about Tate?” Fane rested his hand on my thigh, tingles crackling from his touch even through my jeans.

Jess drummed her fingertips on her chin as she thought. “I suppose she could use a small dose too.”

I scowled at him. “Misery loves company, huh?”

The edges of his lips twitched. “Exactly.”

Zane grabbed a chair from the round table in the corner, positioned it near the fireplace, and folded into the leather seat. “Since you’re here, Tate, we should take the opportunity to discuss your visions.”

“Were you able to uncover who’s murdering shifters?” Saint leaned his elbows on his knees. “Is it the Nosterium?”

Zane smoothed his black button-down shirt, the material such a contrast to his gold hair. “We’re still not sure. We haven’t found any concrete evidence of their involvement.” His focus fell on me again. “Actually, we still don’t understand how you’re getting these visions. It’s not typically a shifter ability.”

My body stiffened, but I kept my expression blank. “Your guess is as good as mine. I figured it had something to do with my demon side.”

“They seem extraordinarily strong, though.” Jess sprinkled various herbs into a marble bowl and crushed them with a pestle. “Have you been in contact with any kind of ancient or powerful demon object that may have affected you?”

You could definitely say that.

I resisted the urge to peek at Fane, Logan, or Saint because they all knew damn good and well I had. “I’ve been held captive a few times by powerful demons and imprisoned in Heldrok in the Underworld, so it’s possible.”

Jess nodded and poured a lavender liquid into the bowl, using magic to stir the ingredients. “If that’s the case, and you’re connecting to them somehow, the culprits very well could be demons.”

“But not the Nosterium?” Fane’s thumb traced circles on my thigh, attempting to melt away the tension in my muscles.

When a knock on the door sounded, Zane waved his hand, and the door opened. A young male witch carried in a tray of drinks.

“Thanks, Daniel.” Zane helped the guy place the glasses on the coffee table. “Let the kitchen know to start their dinner.”

The lanky witch with a mop of shaggy hair nodded and then vanished out the door.

Maybe this was like a fancy hotel with room service.

Zane grabbed his glass of wine and returned to his seat. “We’ve tried scrying for exceptional pulses of dark power that demon rituals would create, but we haven’t gotten any hits. Even our allies haven’t been able to find any intel that the Nosterium is currently active.”

“The last time it was active, Ruin Bacchus was the head of it.” Jess plucked petals from a dried flower and tossed them into the bowl. “But after he came to Savannah, the group dismantled.”

A small part of me still mourned my friend even though he never existed.

“So it’s not demons sacrificing shifters for more power?” Saint leaned forward and grabbed a glass of water.

Jess muttered under her breath, and the spell mixture bubbled in the bowl. “If it is, they have a very powerful leader who can mask the energy from their rituals.” She used her hand to guide the now neon-green liquid into two vials. “And the only person I can think of who’s connected to that group and has that much power is Ruin Bacchus.”

“It has to be someone else because he’s dead,” I reminded them.

“Are you sure? There was no body.” Logan arched his eyebrow. “Ruin is capable of a lot more than you realize.”

I tossed my hands in the air. “Why does everyone keep overlooking the fact that I saw him completely vaporize? Of course there’s no body!”

Jess held the glass vials out for Fane and me. “Drink it all at once.”

At least mine was only half-full.

We each took one and gulped it down. A shiver rolled over my back, and I almost spit the foul concoction out.

“That’s disgusting,” I muttered, glaring at Fane. “I hope you’re happy I had to share your misery.”

He coughed and set the empty vial on the table. “Very much.”

“I believe you saw Ruin explode.” Saint rubbed the dark stubble coating his jaw, making him look ruggedly sexy. “But could it have been a trick or something to throw us off?”

“The shock on his face right before it happened was not faked or staged.” If Ruin had faked his death, he would have taken the Infernal Sol with him. “Someone else is leading this group, and if they’re as powerful as Ruin, we’re all in trouble.”

Fane sighed as he dropped onto the edge of the huge bed. The color had returned to his cheeks, and he didn’t look like he was moments away from passing out. I also felt considerably better. That tonic had worked wonders.

“You should lie down and get some rest,” I said.

After we ate, Zane showed Logan and Saint to a room for the night. Saint was reluctant to leave me alone with Fane after last night. But Kaspin’s spell was broken. Fane would never have the urge to kill me again.

At least, not literally. He grumbled about ending me a lot while we bickered.

Before I could walk away, Fane snatched my arm and pulled me between his legs. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be sorry for sneaking out and leaving me at Blackwater Falls. What if the spell didn’t work because you needed my help? You would have gone through all of that for nothing.” Fane could be such a thick-headed prick sometimes.

A grimace warped his lips. “That’s not what I was referring to, but I suppose I owe you an apology for that too.” His fingers ran over the tattoos on my arm. “I meant I was sorry I didn’t get my memories back.”

“Oh.” My throat tightened, and I blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “That’s okay. I’m just glad you’ll never attempt to tear my throat out.”

His mismatched stare burned into me. “I know you’re disappointed.”

“You might get your memories back eventually. You’ve already remembered a few things. Besides, most of them were of us fighting.” I gave a soft laugh. “We do that all the time.”

“It’s not the same,” he muttered, tension coiling through his shoulders. “How was your car ride with Saint?”

“Oh, look, you’re trying to start a fight now.” I gripped the hair at the base of his neck and tilted his head back, brushing my lips over his. “The ride was fine. I slept during most of it, so we didn’t do much talking.”

A low hum rumbled through him. “You couldn’t have gotten a ride with someone else? It had to be him?”

“I’d planned on stealing a car, but Enid caught me and talked me into asking Saint.” My other hand trailed his chest and rested over the tattoo from our claiming. “Since Hawk took the car with Mina and Hailey, I had no one else to ask.”

Fane gripped my hips and hoisted me into his lap. Memories of last night before the spell had taken over bubbled up. We’d been on the verge of tearing each other’s clothes off, and I suddenly wanted to continue that moment.

Of course Fane sensed where my mind had gone, and he lifted my shirt off, a growl rumbling in his throat. “You seem to be feeling better. Less shaky, and you ate all of your food.”

“I think I’m finally over the side effects from the Infernal Sol.”

Don’t be so sure.

All except that pesky voice in my head that may or may not have been a figment of my imagination.

“Or maybe something is responsible for eliminating them,” Fane mumbled as shadows darkened his eyes.

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but his lips descended on mine, and a fiery kiss swallowed up my words. My muscles instantly liquified, and I melted into him, the tattoo on my neck tingling as his tongue twisted with mine.

For shit’s sake, this man could turn me into a quivering puddle in seconds.

“Shouldn’t you be resting after that spell, Maverick?” My head arched back as his lips dragged down my throat. “It drained a lot of your energy.”

He unclasped my bra and flung it to the ground. “I always have energy to unravel you, fiera mika.” In one swift, smooth motion, Fane lifted me and tossed me onto my back. He hovered above as a wicked smile crossed his face. “And I’m dying to do just that right now.”