8. New Kind of Chaos
Chapter 8
New Kind of Chaos
Phillip
B eing a Hunter the way I was and raised inside a facility meant I was no stranger to torture of the mind and body. Very few could break my mental strength, and no length of torture could ever conquer me.
Until I met V.
Nothing prepared me for the torment I’d undergo when I voluntarily left the young spit-fire in Sloan’s care. Mostly because their connection was undeniably strong and it would be unfair of me to expect V to remain faithful. Not when everything I did was to push her away.
I’d given the young Hunter very little hope that our relationship could be more than physical. Even when my true feelings for her slipped out in a misguided moment, I still managed to pivot the conversation to how it didn’t matter in the end.
We couldn’t be together.
I despised myself for what my rejection did to her. It was inevitable in our line of work to sever ties when emotion got in the way. I never struggled to set the necessary boundaries to do what needed to be done to bring down the Organization.
Ich bin ein Schei?e…
Still, it was vital I remained unattached, especially after Giselle was killed. Becoming tied so wholly with another could only end in tragedy, and I refused to do that to someone again. To endanger her. I locked down my emotions and shut her out, like I’d done so many times before.
So, imagine my surprise, when my walls came down without effort every time V was near; how I easily fell into her hopeful orbit the second her eyes landed on mine. I was swept away by her optimistic drive to have it all, and when she faltered in vulnerable moments, I wanted to pick her back up again and promise she could have everything she ever desired.
Instead, I fell into old habits. I didn’t lift her spirits. I tore her down and refused to let her hope for more. And while I’d never admit it to anyone, not even Sloan, I regretted every word spoken that night V asked to be together. With swift action, much like in a fight, I broke her heart, and the abandonment that distorted her face haunted my every breath since.
And then I got what was coming for me.
Sloan, comforting her the way I never believed he would, kissed V as though I wasn’t a room away. As if I wouldn’t see them locked in a passionate exchange. He and I knew better. Sloan did it to ruffle my feathers; to directly challenge my feelings for her. Most of what the clever Hunter did was meant to derive some sort of response from me. Sloan liked to think himself more emotionally evolved than I, and sometimes I couldn’t argue he wasn’t. But it was a tactic he used enough to be obnoxious.
This time was different, though. Whether or not it started as a game, Sloan was genuinely falling for V. The way he looked at her was the same way I did when I first realized I couldn’t leave the sarcastic lass alone.
His eyes followed her everywhere she went. His body always seemed to be aimed the direction she was in, even when his eyes were on me. The Brit spoke more, laughed more, and seemed to shed his tough, outer layer around the spirited Hunter. Sloan was just as spellbound as I was, and it was the first time I struggled to do what was right—to walk away.
Call it cosmic punishment. I had done this to V, to myself. I’d abandoned her, leaving the young Hunter with no other choice but to escape into the arms of another.
Sloan had already succumbed to her charms. His smile was always one second away anytime she was in the room. I’d never seen the other Hunter engage someone quite like he did V, and it was laughable to think his association with me might minimize his pursuit of her.
Sloan was a beast on the battlefield. He was kind, strong, and quick-witted. The Brit never hesitated to exploit an opportunity. It was easy to deduce he’d be the same way in love. Worse, I’d practically guided her Sloan’s direction, thinking my longtime friend would do as he’d always done—play politely but never seriously.
But I was na?ve. I miscalculated. V was beyond beautiful, brutally strong, and wonderfully witty. Any man or woman would be lucky to claim her as theirs. And the fact that it was I who forced them together sat on my chest, in my throat, replayed in my memory every second I was apart from her.
I didn’t have any right to be angry with either of them, and I wasn’t. To some degree, I wanted that happiness for both of them. But I was angry at myself. I’d convinced myself that if she was happy and safe, that would be enough. But every time I spoke with Sloan and his voice softened with affection as he detailed their time spent together, it was like a blade to the heart .
The night Eros got away, I was barely hanging onto life. I’d managed to trick the Dark Fae into believing he’d succeeded in defeating me by creating an illusion of decapitation with a difficult to produce invention, one that required magic, and then I stopped my heart using a technique I’d perfected over the years. It severely weakened me, nearly to the point of incapacitation, for several weeks afterwards.
Knowing that the two managed to escape made it worth every painfully weak second it took to get back to fighting condition.
Eros could somehow track me, and the very thought of endangering V again was the entire reason I couldn’t return to her side. Not when Cash knew the secret of her blood and tracking him would prove treacherous for my young partner. So, I kept away. I convinced myself it was for the best; that I wouldn’t regret it because V’s life was worth suffering the loss of her heart. But I hadn’t been prepared for the chaos of my emotions, or how even Giselle’s death didn’t compare to losing V.
Still, Cash insisted that if I wanted to know the origin of her blood, I’d need to get information in return—the location of a known Fae portal and the only place where a creature like him could pass from this plane to the next. The information was only privy to those at the top, and it would mean I made an instant target of myself; a rogue agent deserving of immediate execution, which the Organization would likely send their best to do. Their best included Sloan and V.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Most of all, it would mean I could no longer be by V’s side, not with the entire Organization out to claim my head and our association would be met with a similar fate for the two.
Looking down at the small USB in my hand containing the location of the portal, I tightened my grip on the disposable phone I held against my ear. “Sloan,” I said, voice bottoming out, “keep her safe. When I have the information, I’ll reach out.”
“I doubt V will be appeased with such a lame excuse, Phillip,” he argued in a tone that suggested he thought I was in the wrong for keeping my distance. “She’ll want to go after you. She’s been in danger this entire time, and that’s hardly stopped her from doing what she wants.”
“This is different.”
“Because it’s the Organization? Hasn’t it been all along, though?”
I sighed loudly, getting a chuckle out of Sloan. “Are you determined to drive me mad tonight?”
“I miss you too, mate.”
Sloan was insufferable when he got all holier than thou on me.
“You know I can’t come back,” I finally growled, clutching the USB. “You’re just as capable of training and protecting her as I am. Hell, maybe even more so. You actually give a shit.”
“Oh, like you don’t give a shit? How long have I known you? Long enough to know when you’re lying to yourself to convince the world around you.”
“Didn’t stop you from capitalizing on it,” I spat out, unable to contain my venom.
It was long seconds of dense silence before Sloan responded, “So, it did bother you.”
“V is free to do what she wants. Our arrangement was purely physical.”
“Was it, really?”
The rage went straight to my head with the condescending tone the other Hunter took.
He would never understand the torture of leaving V after I promised never to abandon her. Never know how my heart was torn to shreds at the mere thought of anyone who wasn’t me being made privy to the gorgeous flush of her skin when she was turned on. Or how she discarded her modesty for the sake of chasing pleasure. Sloan would never truly comprehend how much I’d miss V’s raspy laughter and infuriatingly sassy banter. No one would ever compare to the way she burrowed into my heart, taking up all the space left.
“Are you implying something, Sloan?”
Sloan’s voice rumbled deeply in my ear. “Dunno, mate. It just all sounds like a convenient excuse to me. But I can’t force you to come back if you’re determined to distance yourself.” I could hear his end rustling, probably because he was running fingers through his hair in frustration. “It’s going to be hell dealing with her if she refuses to let you go.”
It took all my patience not to yell at the other Hunter. He’d been given the go-ahead to pursue her without interference. He’d never know how close I’d come to damning the consequences and returning to her side.
But V deserved better.
“What, afraid to take on our feisty little V? Can’t win against a Hunter who’s half your size and a hundred times less experienced?” I chuckled devilishly. “Who would’ve thought the great Sloan would be overcome by a mere teenager? ”
His answering laugh was rich with amusement. “That’s quite ironic of you to be taunting me when you surrendered plenty of times to that little half the size and a hundred times less experienced Hunter.”
“You’re an arse,” I complained, smiling against my will. “I have to go. Just do what you’re told, you smarmy bastard.”
His sigh was loud in my ear. “Right. Do me a favor, though.”
“I thought I already was,” I countered childishly.
Sloan chuckled softly. “I’d win her heart in a fair fight, mate. You just never gave me the chance to show you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I sassed back, no longer smiling.
“Don’t die. And don’t stay away forever. I never pegged you as a bloke who’d run away with his tail tucked up between his legs.”
Teeth gritting, I took a moment to calm down. “I’m not running away.”
“Could’ve fooled me. But if you die, I don’t think she’d recover from the guilt. So whatever you do, stay alive and come back.”
I’d forgotten how obnoxious the Brit could get when he was determined to make me see reason. It’d been a few decades since I had to deal with his stubbornness.
“Phil…”
“I heard you. Keep her safe and I’ll think about it.”
Before I could get dragged into another argument, I hung up the phone and destroyed the device. Throwing a bag over my shoulder, I left the small cabin I had stayed at the last few days and headed for the rendezvous point Cash described in his last message.
Cassius stood beneath a large tree, dressed in expensive name-brand clothing and sporting a face marred by ancient runes for every life he’d stolen.
The Dark Fae hadn’t been too much trouble to track, because he could never remove the tracing bug I’d imbedded into his skin after he became my informant.
When Cassius turned tail and ran after leaving us for dead, he’d gone underground with a group of on-the-run targets of the Organization. Many who owed me a favor. So, his own turned on him and kept the Dark Fae conveniently restrained while I traveled to come have a chat.
The glowing purple Fae eyes glided over to me, and the lines of his face deepened with genuine disdain. “You’re late.”
“Payback for escaping after we were blasted with magic.”
Cassius clicked his tongue and ran fingers through his platinum hair, which was highlighted with lavender strips. “You’re a real shite. Do you have what I need?”
Smirking, I grabbed the silver Truth Cuff from my pocket and offered the other man another look. “You know I won’t trade until you give me what I want, Fae.”
Cassius’s eyes dropped to the object in my hand, and he stiffened. “Do I really have to?”
“Guess you’d rather I keep the location of the Fae portal to myself, then…”
“No!” he yelped, coming forward. His eyes dodged left and right before he offered one of his arms in surrender. “Let’s get this over with. I want to cross over the second we’re done here. ”
“The information you have needs to be worth the USB. If it isn’t, I’ll end you right here,” I warned, wrapping the string around his proffered wrist tightly. “Everything you know, or no deal, Cash.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the Dark Fae grumbled. His dragon-slit pupils thinned. “What I tell you will make you rethink staying on this plane yourself. It’s not pretty. Your little girl is going to change the tide, and I don’t want to be here when she does.”
I’d never show it, but his words unsettled me greatly. Anyone who met V and knew what she could do would already conclude she was a game-changer. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me what sort of future was in store for her. I hated to admit it, but if what I found today meant even Sloan couldn’t protect her, I’d have no choice but to return to her side.
And I was conflicted. Could I return and keep my distance? Or would I succumb to her devastating charms and let the world burn to taste her lips again?
“Get on with it,” I barked angrily, already put out by my own thoughts. “I’m sure it won’t be long before the dogs catch our scent.”
Cassius’s eyes widened, and he panned the area with fear seeping into his expression. “You want to know what she is and what it means, right? Well, it’s ancient. What’s in her blood hasn’t been seen in over two-thousand years.”
I stared at him, determined to keep my face from giving away my thoughts.
“Pure Chaos Fae. The original Apophis, if you will. The first Fae created Egyptian lore, as you well know. And really every ancient lore. They loved to be viewed as gods when they crossed the planes. ”
The first Fae lived for being adored, and it was no secret that many of the “gods” in mythology were based on Fae who crossed the planes to wreak havoc on humans.
“Anyway, their powers were dangerous and violent, I’m told. Nearly wiped out every creature in every plane they traveled to. Unfettered power like that comes at a cost, Hunter. It’s the definition of chaos. Every time she uses it, it will grow harder and harder to control. She’ll become less herself.”
I took a step closer, and Cash flattened against the trunk of a tree. “What do you mean? Are you implying she will slip away to darkness, Fae?”
The Dark Fae’s vibrant eyes glowed in terror. “She’s a hybrid, so who knows. But that sort of power unchecked can only lead one place. The more she uses it, the harder it will become to control it.” His lips tilted for a second. “Oh, and this infatuation you have for her, that’s part of it. They were often called Royal Sirens. No man or woman could refuse their charms.”
Lies.
He lifted his wrist, as if knowing what I was thinking. “I can’t lie with this, Hunter. Your invention is a bitch to deal with, and you know better than I do it works. I don’t know how they obtained ancient Fae blood, but I suggest you get out while you can.”
Even should it be true, I’d never tell her. V would spiral and refuse to ever love again. She’d become a eunuch. Whatever our future, I’d never let anyone take that spark of hope from her.
No one.
Redirecting the conversation, I crossed my arms. “How were they eventually wiped out? ”
Cash sighed loudly, the sunlight hitting his angular features as he turned his head, clearly not the least bit happy I was dragging this out. “Can’t really say. It was once implied they had trouble procreating. Something about the power they wielded destroying their bodies. What I can say is they ruled for tens of thousands of years without competition. They freely crossed the planes without losing their power. The Organization is either incredibly stupid to think they could control this sort of magic, or they know how to defeat it should things get out of hand.”
The Organization obtained the blood, so it wasn’t too farfetched to think they’d ensure there was a fail-safe if she ever rebelled. Either to contain her or kill her. Unfortunately, the cleverest minds were behind the Organization.
The reverse serum worked on V’s other blood, but she’d shown this Fae-magic blood could bypass its effects. That was made clear when she saved Sloan, from what the other Hunter described.
Fuck. Now I have to involve Sloan.
The only way to know for sure was to locate the information the Organization may have, and the only way to do that was to use someone still working for the Organization. That left Sloan, and that meant that staying away was impossible.
Fucking shit.
I dragged fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what move to make next.
But as I did, Cash cleared his throat and spoke up again, “There may be a way to bind it.”
Lifting my gaze to the Dark Fae, I offered him an eyebrow. “Go on. ”
“It’d require maintenance—a lot of it—and I’m not sure how it would work with her being a hybrid, but I think it can be done.”
“I’m sensing a huge ‘but’ coming,” I remarked, knowing from his face that it wasn’t an easy task.
Cash eyed me for a moment, then crossed his arms. “She’d need to cross over to the Fae realm. None of the Fae in this plane are capable of binding magic that strong. Not even me.”
His eyes dodged off to the right, but I’d already turned my head. I snatched the bracelet from his arm and removed Blood Slayer from its sheathe. “This conversation isn’t over. You’ll have to do more to get this USB.”
“You’re such an overbearing prick.”
“Beats being a slimy snake. Be grateful I don’t feel like tossing your sorry arse to the Organization for the part you played in V’s parents’ death.”
Cash’s lips lifted. “Must be so tough being head over heels for a girl with ancient Fae blood. I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy.”
Before I could retort, I was cutting through an arrow aimed at my heart. Then both Cash and I fled opposite directions to avoid magical symbols forming beneath our feet.
Guess the buzz kill brigade were here.