Part 30 (1/2)

”You're in pain.”

”I'm fine.”

”Who is stubborn?” He said moving closer to me.

”I am. Never said I wasn't.”

”You should be healed by now,” he whispered as his eyes met and held mine.

”Nope, not yet. I need to finish this and get home. I need to find the puppet master. He needs to die. Like yesterday.”

”You won't be going home this time. You will be staying with me. Indefinitely.”

”No, I won't. I was stupid last time to sign before reading every detail. I came here because you forced me back. You knew I'd come,” I watched his eyes sparkle in answer, ”Well I'm here, you didn't protect me, you got me stabbed. You broke our contract, Alden thought it was a temporary clause, but it wasn't. If you failed to protect me from harm you forfeit your claim on me. That's why I'm here, because you don't like to lose.”

He smiled and tipped his head, ”It won't happen again and I didn't lose Syn. You're here and I told you. I always win.”

”Ahh, but remember Ryder, you're as stubborn as I. We're both hot headed. Where there's a flame, someone's bound to get burned and this time it won't be me.”

”You burn pretty hot Syn, I haven't forgotten,” he whispered smiling softly.

”Not gonna happen, I'll be making my own contract. It goes both ways. Watch what you wish for, you just might get it.”

”You're going to need to feed sooner or later Syn,” he warned as his eyes turned hard.

”Then I guess we better get to negotiating Ryder,” I challenged him back.

”Is your body changing?”

”Nope, I'm still me.”

He smiled, ”Your eyes are Fae Syn, unique as well. I have never seen a mix of blue and purple before. I'm curious as to how Adam became your familiar.”

”He's not my familiar, he's my family.”

”No, he calmed you. He grounded your power with his own. Most Fae spend eternity looking for a familiar who can ground their powers. Yet you, a newborn walked in with one in your pocket. Explain.”

”Explain?” I laughed, ”Okay, last week? I was a Witch. I knew where the h.e.l.l I belonged Ryder, this week? This week I'm a f.u.c.king Fairy Ryder. A f.u.c.king Fairy, my entire life has been a huge f.u.c.king lie. I got people who loved me killed because I can't think of another reason for those Fae to be inside my house that day. No one can, but now that I know I'm Fae-or turning Fae, I know they were there for me. So explain? I have no f.u.c.king idea, Ryder...I don't even know who my actual parents are, or why they hid me. Adam is only getting pieces of what he thinks we are -h.e.l.l! He doesn't even know why he is drawn to me, but he is. When I get p.i.s.sed or upset-he feels it! Nothing in my life makes any sense now. The only thing I do know is that I don't want any of this.”

”I need to know what the mark is on the back of your neck is,” he growled.

I threw up my hands and stood there, waiting for Ryder to invite me in so we could get this over with. When he didn't say anything I tapped my foot impatiently waiting. I looked around us at the smiles and smirks from his men. Ristan was there, a guarded look in his eyes, a sad expression on his face. Maybe he felt bad for everything that had ensued after he'd asked me to investigate the Light Heir.

”Come, we will go inside,” he said crisply.

I started forward but it hurt, I'd done too much today already and I had yet to fully heal. I flinched as I stepped forward and felt my knees try to give away under the weight. Ryder was instantly there, catching me by the waist to steady me on my feet. ”Let go of me, I can manage on my own,” I growled at him.

”I think thank you are the words you're looking for Syn. If you're not healing, we need to figure out why,” he said letting me go and heading back inside, awarding me with a view of his firm a.s.s in his low hung jeans.

”Did you go broke and couldn't afford s.h.i.+rts in the budget this month?” I grumbled having to look at his exposed skin.

”You liked my brands inside Faery. You interrupted a training regimen Syn,” he said smiling over his shoulder. ”If I remember correctly, inside Faery you tried to taste every one of my brands-”

”With my tongue,” I snapped back as his men fought the urge to smile.

”Don't tempt me Syn. I've decided to only keep one source of food inside my house.”

”Claire?” I asked glaring at him.

”You.”

I tripped over my feet and ran into his back, it made the wound scream in pain and before I knew it I was falling. Once again he was faster the gravity was. He caught me with a worried look in golden depths. ”You need to rest. You're not healing fast enough.”

”Sucks to be me then. Contract.”

He smiled coldly, ”You drive me crazy and I think you do it on purpose. I had to watch you almost die Syn, do you have idea how f.u.c.king hard that was for me? I had to watch them cut you open to stop the bleeding and I watched you bleed out three f.u.c.king times before Eliran could stop it. And then I had to watch as your f.u.c.king coven came in and took you away from me while citing breach of contract bulls.h.i.+t and I couldn't f.u.c.king kill them because if by some f.u.c.king miracle you woke up and I had, you would never forgive me. I saved you Syn, not them. You'd be dead if I hadn't of been Fae. You'd have died in the arms of your coven.”

I swallowed slowly and reached up against my will to caress his face gently, ”Thank you for saving me, next time-try not letting me get stabbed first.”

He smiled and searched my face before setting me back on my feet. His hands steadying me before he released me, ”I meant what I said Syn, I plan on punis.h.i.+ng you. Soon.”

”Yeah, you like to say that, but you're going to have to get in line. I'm waiting for a visit from the puppet master at the moment so we need to hurry this along.”

Thirty Six

It took three hours to finish signing the contract. Once again I was his property. At least for a while, but I'd stood my ground and refused to back down on some things. I was back in the Guild car and heading to my shared apartment when Larissa called to check up.

”Local morgue, you stab them, we slab them,” I said smiling impishly knowing she'd hear it in my voice.

”Syn, how'd it go?” Larissa replied with nervousness inside her tone.

”It went okay,” I said turning onto the highway and frowning, ”Everything okay?” I asked noting she lacked her normal pizzazz tonight.

”It's fine, are you on your way home?” I didn't miss the hopeful note in her voice as she asked.

”Yup, need something from the store?” I asked wondering if that was the hope I'd heard since I was already out.

”No, I was just checking,” she replied.

”You and Adam need me to stay gone for a while?” I crinkled my forehead and made a mental note to set them a schedule, or have them go to his place from here on out.

”Just come home please Syn, I need you here.” She said and hung up on me.