Ria swallowed hard. Her mind still screamed denial.

She'd seen enough of Malandra's memories to know what the Fallen had done. She knew they preyed on humans. She knew they were the stuff of nightmares.

And yet...

She cocked her head as she felt the guy's defenses fall. Like an old movie reel, he played his own memories for her. He believed they were fighting oppression and tyranny, cast out for simply wanting their freedom. Persecuted, hunted down, treated no better than dogs. His history was vastly different from the one Malandra had shown her. She saw the human souls they took, and they weren't destroyed. They were revered, carried, consumed, but they weren't destroyed. The more she saw, the more her brow furrowed in confusion.

Still the horror Malandra had shown her demanded to be heard. Reminded her that she couldn't forget. Torn between what she thought she knew and what others would have her believe, she started to retreat from his mind. The memories swirled, the colours becoming muted as she put distance between her and things she was uncomfortable seeing. She had almost left entirely when she saw her.

Ria's power raced back as she mined deeper than she would ever normally dare. She was there. Smiling in the gentle glow of candlelight, her eyes full of life, her dark curls bouncing as she chatted away. Ria couldn't hear what she was saying, the sound muffled as if someone was keeping her hidden. Ria pushed again, determined to break down the walls of his defense, brick by brick until they crumbled entirely, to get what she wanted.

He staggered as his hands cradled his head, but she didn't care.

"I love you too." She heard her mother's voice for the first time in nearly fifteen years.

"Mum?" she whispered.

In the distance she could hear shouting, but she paid it no heed. Her mother was there—happy, carefree, safe. How was it possible?

Bony fingers clawed at her shoulders, distracting her for a second, and the vision started to disappear. "No!"

She tried desperately to hang on, but it was useless. Her body shook as her mother disappeared in a tornado of other thoughts.

Something struck her hard across the face and she realised she hadn't imagined the hands on her. One of the cronies dug his fingers into her shoulders and shook her violently. She blinked furiously as her mind snapped back. "Stop it!" she screamed.

She twisted out of his vicious grip and staggered backwards. He advanced again, blind rage burning in his pitch-black eyes.

"Leave her be," a voice croaked from the shadows.

Spinning around, she saw the man who claimed to be her father on his knees, hand still cradling his head. Her gaze darted from him to her would-be attacker and back again. "What's going on?"

He struggled to his feet, and as the moonlight caught his features, Ria gasped. If it was possible, he looked even more gaunt. Dark, almost black blood seeped from his ears and nose.

"W-what happened?"

"You are far more powerful than I could ever have imagined, daughter mine."

She shook her head. "No. No, I didn't do that!"

A creepy smile spread across his face, serving to make him look even more skeletal. Was that pride she sensed?

"Of course you did, and who could blame you? You seek the truth and that is a noble occupation. I see I shall have to be more forthcoming in future."

"You're just going to let this filthy half-breed go?" his cronie asked with a sneer.

The look on her father's face was murderous. It wasn't directed at her, but she still edged away from him. The other guy seemed to wither under his intense stare.

"I'm sorry, My Lord Asher," he said, lowering his head.

Her father looked as though he would advance on his subordinate, but his gaze flickered towards her, and he seemed to change his mind. "This young lady is my daughter, Steele. You would do well to remember that."

The guy looked so relieved that Ria couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't been there.

Asher held out a cadaverous looking hand. "Come, Victoria. We have much to discuss, you and I."

For a moment, she hesitated. Something in her mind screamed at her that it would be utter madness to accept, but her heart pushed her wariness aside. All she could think of was her mother and the fact that, even for a night, Belinda had loved this man. Ria took his hand and let him guide her from the woods to a Land Rover that waited for them outside her foster parent's house.

* * *

Ryver's head pounded.

Over recent months, his telepathic power had grown so strong he could hear the thoughts of those closest to him over greater and greater distances. He once heard Mercury from two counties away. When it had first happened, random thoughts from his brethren struck him at the oddest times without him even thinking about it. He'd be going about his business, or taking a nap, or training in the gym, and it was as if they were right there with him. It was annoying as fuck, and he'd worked hard at strengthening his own shields so he could block them out unless he wanted or needed to hear them.

With Ria, things were different. It was almost as if she had to let him in before he could hear her. When he’d heard her the previous day, she'd been thinking about him, and his mind had connected with hers easily. He hadn't been able to figure out where the hell she was, and she couldn't hear him, but he'd heard her perfectly well. Her voice had come to him unbidden and he welcomed it.

He'd been trying to find her for the past hour with no success, not even a peep.

Kaden popped his head around the door. "You ready, kid?"

They were heading for Friarsfield. Given what happened to Kaden the last time he visited the unassuming village in Surrey, Ryver was surprised anyone wanted to go, but of course all of his brothers had signed up immediately. Much to her annoyance, Lena was being benched. Friarsfield was a Fallen stronghold after all; she and Thorn couldn't be risked. Mercury had loaded them up with weapons and tech but would be staying behind to run the comms unit with their new recruit, Roarke. Two other recruits were due to arrive shortly, so Skylar had been tasked with putting them through their paces with Thorn until they got back. That left Kaden, Malandra, Phoenix, and him. Nobody said it, but Ryver was glad to have Phoenix with them as he was their only field medic.

"As I'll ever be," he replied.

He and Kaden joined the Pixie and their brother in the parking facility. They all had on black combat uniforms. All except Malandra. She had changed her outfit, but it was much like any other he'd seen her in: platform, knee-high boots; teeny, tiny skirt; leather, buckled corset; and leather gauntlets.

"Glad you're dressed for the occasion," he said, eyeing her outfit.

She simply rolled her eyes at him. "Fine."

In a blink of an eye, she transformed before their eyes. Gone were the gothic accoutrements, replaced with black-on-black combat trousers and vest. Her vibrant violet hair and eyes switched to a dull, totally unremarkable brown. "This do?" she said.

"Bloody hell, that's some damned impressive menæwen, girl," Phoenix said in genuine appreciation of her glamouring skills.

His brother was right. Every Vampire had the power to glamour weaker minds into seeing whatever image they chose to project. Other Fae could normally see through it, however. Almost like a double-exposed photograph, the menæwen just sat on top—a ghostly shadow that didn't quite sit right. Not so in Malandra's case. Her glamour was impenetrable. If he hadn't just seen it for himself, he would never have believed what he saw in front of him was not the absolute truth.

"That'll do just fine, thank you," he replied, a little embarrassed.

"Good. Let's get this show on the road then," Kaden said.

They'd already been over the plan a dozen times—the boss man at pains to reiterate that none of them, under any circumstances, should deviate from it. They would land on the edge of the woods, to the rear of Ria's family home. Phoenix and Ryver would lead the initial recce while Kaden and Malandra provided cover if necessary. Whatever happened next would be decided once they got there, but Kaden warned he would be pissed if anyone decided they knew better and went off on their own. He'd made the point verbally and mentally to Ryver that they would find Ria, but they were not to go off all John Wayne and risk anyone getting hurt.

Ryver had agreed, though he wasn't sure he meant it. He'd do anything to avoid harming any of his brethren—except give up on Ria. He would find her.

All four of them stepped out of the garage and dematerialised to Friarsfield.

Ria's parents’ house looked just as he had expected. Friarsfield was a quintessential English village and the home was a chocolate-box cottage, complete with thatched roof and leaded windows. Surrounded by woods where bluebells grew in abundance in the Spring, it should have been beautiful.

It wasn't. The moon cast everything in an eerie light, and instead of looking warm and inviting, the house looked dark and ominous.

Ryver nodded to Phoenix, ready for the off, when something gave him pause. Inhaling, his brow knitted. "You smell what I smell?" he asked the others.

Faint though it was, it was definitely there.

"Is that Fallen blood?" Malandra replied.

He followed the scent to a small clearing. It took a minute, but he found what he was looking for. Small droplets of blood on the leaves and grass. There was no sign of brihla or ash, so no one had died, but for blood to fall, someone had been injured. He felt sick.

"Maybe it's been there for a while. It doesn't necessarily mean anything," Phoenix said, trying to be helpful.

Ryver was no medic, but he knew the blood was fresh.

Swallowing hard, he turned back to the house. "On me."

Phoenix didn't argue and they flashed to the rear of the property. He made it to the back door and the feeling of nausea got worse. The lock had been busted open, and the door barely hung on its hinges.

Careful not to touch anything, he slipped through the entrance into a small kitchen. One of the dining chairs lay upturned on the floor, but everything else looked undisturbed. Pressing on, he led the way into a narrow, dark corridor. There were no further signs of disruption. His brow knitted. What the hell happened here?

He walked through, intent on going upstairs when something caught his eye. The panelling under the stairs was ajar. Memories of Ria's desperate thoughts rushed forward. She was hiding—somewhere small, dark, and cramped. He knew she wasn't there now. He'd feel her. He'd hear her. But he had to check anyway.

This disappointment that engulfed him when he wrenched open the door and found nothing but paint cans and cleaning equipment told him just how hard he'd clung on to that tiny glimmer of hope.

Damn it. He slammed the door shut again.

"Maybe she was never here," Phoenix whispered.

Ryver knew his brother didn't believe that for a second, so he didn't reply. Instead he turned heel and headed back to the kitchen. He left the chair where it was and inspected the door. The lock had been broken from the inside, evident in the old fashioned, brass handle hanging loosely in its socket. Splinters from the doorframe lay on the floor near the threshold, but there were none outside.

He whistled and Kaden and Malandra materialised on the path outside.

After he explained what they'd found, Malandra checked upstairs. She was back in a second. "No sign up there. The dust is thick on the floorboards. Nobody's been there for a while."

Darkness settled in Ryver's heart. The evidence pointed to one possible conclusion, one he was afraid to give voice.

Kaden ran a hand through his hair. "She's not dead," he said with a confidence Ryver doubted he could have found.

The Keeper of the Watch made a good point. If Ria was his mate—and he truly believed she was—then he would have felt her death. It might have even killed him. But there was a degree of uncertainty he couldn't ignore. While mating lore had been all but forgotten until Thorn and Lena found each other, all the stories they'd researched told of an exchange of blood, a merging of souls. Ryver and Ria had none of that. They had connected on another plain, just once. Ryver hoped to Goddess it would be enough.

Kaden gestured to the door. "This makes me think she ran. The blood leads me to believe the Fallen knew she was here. The question is: where is she now? Did she escape, or does Asher have her?"

Ryver's knees wobbled and he leant on one of the kitchen chairs for support.

Kaden narrowed his eyes. "You sure you're up for this?"

Willing strength into his jellied legs, he drew himself up to his full height and glowered at the Keeper.

The guy held his hands up. "Yeah, okay. Stupid question."

"Well she's definitely not here. Where next?" Malandra asked.

Ryver and his brothers exchanged glances.

"What did I miss?"

Kaden rubbed his chest. The physical evidence of his injury may have finally disappeared, but he still felt it. Sighing he replied, "It's a long story. Suffice to say there is really only one place to go."

She frowned. "And that would be?"

"Fallen stronghold."

Vivid magenta flashed in her eyes. "Oh goodie!"

Her obvious excitement was at odds with the feelings Ryver picked up from the other two. In a way, it was refreshing, but he willed her to dial it down a bit. Kaden had had just about enough of maverick women, especially in Friarsfield.

"You will follow my lead, Sentinel," Kaden warned.

"Of course."

Ryver watched Phoenix rechecking his weapons and the desire to tell him not to bother, to go home, to be safe, danced on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed it down. Even if he did say it, he knew full well Phoenix wouldn't leave him.

Kaden made sure they all knew exactly where they were going—again—and after a final weapons check, they set off