Guilt wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed so hard he found it difficult to breathe. Lena lived by the motto that it was easier to ask forgiveness than it was to ask permission. He hoped Ria would find it in herself to forgive him some day, but if he was honest, he'd suffer her anger for all eternity if it meant she was safe.

She would understand eventually. The only way he could get out, was for her to go first. With her at his side, he had no anchor in the outside world, no beacon on which to focus. He'd tried dematerialising several times without her knowing, just to test the waters—he would never have actually left her there—but he needed a plan. Each time he tried, he failed and it became evident that he couldn't leave unless Ria was there to guide him.

That left him with only one, heartbreaking choice. With their powers combined and using Malandra as an anchor, he forced her to go.

He could still feel her hand in his and instinctively gave it a squeeze.

"Don't do that," she hissed.

"I had to do it, Ria. I couldn't leave without you as my beacon."

She didn't reply.

"Ria?"

"I know."

In the background, he could hear Kaden demanding that he get his arse out there right now.

"Tell him I can't."

"Why ever not? I’m out here now. Come to me. Please, Ryver. I need you."

"Tell Kaden and Malandra to take you to House Blackwood."

"What? Why?"

Ryver grimaced. Asher's men were looking for him. Without Ria's gift for persuasion, the Fallen had already come too close for comfort. Worse, Asher knew Ria was gone. Kaden, Malandra and Ria were in real danger.

"He knows you're gone, Ria."

"Oh God!"

She said that out loud, and Ryver heard Kaden's mind kick into overdrive.

Upstairs, Ryver could hear Asher barking orders. The man was positively raging. A lot of his thoughts were so clouded by anger they were almost incoherent. Two thoughts blazed front and centre though: he would have his daughter back, and House Blackwood would pay.

"Tell Kaden to get moving."

"I won't leave without you, Ryver."

Footsteps sounded in the gym next door. The Fallen knew Ria was no longer within the fortress walls, but the same could not be said of the Vampire. A search of every nook and cranny was under way. The storage room would only provide shelter for so long.

"Do as I say, Ria. Tell Kaden."

Thankfully, Kaden was the man Ryver knew him to be. A true Guardian at heart, Kaden picked Ria up, and with the help of Malandra, beat a retreat through the forest to the clearing on the other side. The Keeper of the Watch still didn't know exactly what was happening, but he knew something was wrong and hanging about in Asher Velgeren's back garden was never a good idea. The guy hadn't quite made up his mind to force Ria to materialise back to House Blackwood, but it had crossed his mind. Instead he waited for confirmation of what the bloody hell his brother was playing at.

Now would be a great time for you to develop telepathy, Kaden.

The search of Fallen headquarters continued. Most of the forces were amassing in the common room on the first floor, intent on leaving to find their master's daughter, but a handful remained. They were still searching for the duplicitous bastard who had done God knows what to Lord Asher's only daughter.

"Ria. For the love of God, go!"

The stress of making sure she was safe was so distracting he hadn't a hope of dematerialising an inch to the left, let alone getting his sorry arse out of that storage cupboard and across the forest of Friarsfield.

Upstairs, he heard Asher's resolve.

"They're coming, Ria."

* * *

Kaden didn't like this one bit. Ria paced back and forth, the icy dew crunching under her feet. He glanced at Malandra, who was staring toward the forest, a frown carved across her forehead. She sensed him and looked at him over her shoulder. She didn't need to voice her concern; he could feel it.

Ria passed him again and his anger boiled. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "What the hell is going on?"

She lifted her chin, eyes narrowed at him, but she didn't reply.

"I warn you, girl. You are testing my patience."

She barked a laugh. "He told me about you, you know."

"Then you'll know I don't suffer fools gladly. Now would you please, for the love of all that is Fae, tell me what my brother is playing at."

Tears swam in her eyes again. "He says he can't leave without knowing I am safe."

"Then let's go. I know my brother. He will find you."

She shook her head. "I'm not going without him."

"Kaden." The tone in Malandra's voice demanded his attention.

He turned towards her, still surveying the forest.

"They're coming," Ria whispered behind him.

Sure enough, like some army of ghouls, a dozen Fallen emerged from the shadow of the trees. Shit.

Mind made up, he grabbed Ria's shoulder and beckoned Malandra to him. "We're leaving."

Malandra nodded and joined him, placing her hand on Ria's other shoulder. Kaden had done this a hundred times, maybe more, and his and Malandra's combined power should be more than enough to force a newly transitioned Vampire to materialise to wherever they saw fit.

It was not.

* * *

Ria felt a great weight settle on her shoulders, pushing so hard she could swear her feet started sinking into the icy ground. Her knees trembled in the effort to remain upright, but she was determined.

She dug deep. Deeper than she'd ever done before. Her own power, such that is was, bubbled and boiled within in her, but she found something more. Ryver's power had taken her breath away when she first felt it. Now though, it gave her the courage, if not the absolute strength, she needed to resist.

Underneath all that was something she'd never felt before. It took a second before she recognised it for what it was, but once she did, she grabbed on hard. As soon as she accepted it, she felt a small but significant change in the balance of power. She understood from Ryver that power had a lot to do with age, but that wasn't everything. Birthright had a lot to do with it too.

Like it or not, she was the daughter of a Lord. House Velgeren's name may have been blackened, but before they Fell, her ancestors boasted a long and distinguished lineage, full to the brim with Warriors. Her father had Fallen, but she most certainly had not. That had to count for something.

The power bearing down on her pulsed once more, a great roaring beast that threatened to swallow her whole. There was a moment when her vision tunneled, pitch black enveloping her view as her body started to shift without her permission. With one last show of strength, she forced all the power she could muster back at the monster trying to pull her away from the other half of her soul. The roaring in her ears didn't abate, and she almost gave up hope...when suddenly silence reigned.

Her vision cleared. Her body felt like her own again.

Blinking, she stared at Kaden and then took a step backwards. Fury and disbelief flowed from him in equal measure as he stood there aghast. She'd known he would be angry, but the viciousness of it took her by surprise.

"What the hell was that?" Malandra asked as she joined Kaden. There was anger in her too, though it was tempered somewhat by curiosity and more than a little respect.

Kaden narrowed those ice-blue eyes at Ria. "Well aren't you just full of surprises?"

It was clearly not meant as a compliment.

Ria lifted her chin. "I told you I wasn't leaving."

Malandra shifted nervously, but didn't say anything further, her attention focused instead on something over Ria's shoulder.

Ria turned to follow the woman's eyeline. Her jaw went slack as she saw what had the Pixie so concerned. She knew they were coming. Of course she did. She'd heard her father's decision. Ryver had told her. She knew, yet she still wasn't prepared for the sight of them.

Faces she felt she'd known forever seemed changed—more menacing, almost ghoulish. Black eyes glared and sunken features contorted into the very vision of evil before her eyes.

"I hope you know what you're doing, girl," Kaden hissed behind her, making her jump.

She whirled round, eyes wide. "Me?"

"Yes. You." He looked past her at the advancing horde. "They aren't here for a fucking picnic, you know."

Ria gulped.

Malandra sidled up to her, never once taking her eyes off the Fallen at the edge of the forest. "Do you remember when I told you you'd either have to fight or flee?"

Ria nodded.

"This is one of those moments."

And she'd decided not to flee?

"There's still time," Malandra said.

Ria swallowed hard again. "I can't," she whispered.

Malandra simply nodded and pulled a gun from the holster on her thigh. "You'll need this then," she said as she passed it over.

The gun felt cold and hard and far too large for her hand. Staring at it, she realised how completely underprepared she was. She knew squeezing the trigger would fire the thing, but that was about it. How was she supposed to aim it? What happened when she ran out of bullets? Because she would. She had no doubt. She didn't think she was proficient enough to hit the side of a double-decker bus, let alone inflict any kind of damage on a body. She'd never killed anything before; she wrestled with her conscience just killing bugs. What the hell was she doing?

To her side, she heard Ryver's brother puff out a frustrated sigh and she glanced up at him. The scowl carved across his handsome face remained, but it seemed more resigned than angry now.

"Do you have the slightest clue what you're doing with that?"

Her first instinct was to lie. Of course she knew what she was doing. One raised, white-blonde eyebrow told her immediately not to bother. She shook her head.

He beckoned her to him. "Give it here."

She handed it over, amazed how small the weapon looked in his hands.

He gripped the gun, clicked something, pulled the top bit back and brought it up to eye level. Seemingly satisfied, he lowered it again, slid whatever that part was home again. Then he pulled something out of the handle and checked that too.

"You're really checking my gun?" Malandra asked, clearly offended.

"I'm responsible for her," Kaden replied.

The Pixie harrumphed, but said nothing further.

"This," Kaden said, waiving the rectangular thing he'd released from the handle, "is your magazine."

Ria bit her lip.

Kaden rolled his eyes. "The part that has the bullets in it."

Oh right. She knew that.

"There are eighteen bullets in here. You slide it into the grip like so," he told her, pushing the clip into the butt of the gun until it clicked. "You release it like this." Another click and it slid out again.

"Okay."

Kaden shot a not-so-casual glance at the tree line. The Fallen were moving toward them.

Ria heard Asher's orders rattling around their dark minds. She was to be returned. Whatever the circumstances.

She pushed her mind towards them, silently persuading them that they didn't want to do this. They could let her go.

A wry smile tugged at her lips as she sensed their hesitation, but her father's orders rang clearer than hers. She'd slowed their pace, but still they came.

Kaden looked from them to her and back again. He'd noticed the change too. "If we get out of this, you and I are going to talk," he told her.

She nodded.

He returned the gesture and went back to delivering his crash course in gunmanship. "This is the safety," he said, pointing to a small button on the side. "It won't fire with that on." He glanced down at her, checking her understanding.

"Safety off. Got it."

"This is the trigger. You pull that to make the hurty things come flying out of the hole on the end."

Ria pursed her lips as her nostrils flared, trying to look as unimpressed as she felt.

Malandra snorted. "She's not a flaming imbecile, Keeper."

Kaden just stared, and Ria knew that was exactly what he thought. She huffed and took the gun from him. It still felt cumbersome, but she did her best to look like she knew what she was doing. Holding it in her right hand, she extended her arm and aimed at bush.

Kaden moved behind her, standing a little too close for comfort. "This isn't Hollywood, sweetheart," he said, bringing his huge arms around her and lifting her other hand placing it over her left. "Two hands. Always two hands. You'll have more control on your aim and it'll help with the recoil. And don't put your hand that high, else the slide will fly back and slice your hand open."

Ria assumed there was only recoil on rifles and shotguns. Kaden's words echoed in her mind. No. This wasn't Hollywood.

"Right. That'll have to do." He gestured to the barrel. "Point that end at bad guys and aim for the head or the heart. You'll probably miss, but we can always hope."

Her shock must have shown on her face because Kaden's demeanour softened a little. Lord knew she couldn't get anything but equations and multiplication from his mind.

"Listen. They're not human. Never were, okay? They are hardly even Fae anymore, but a wound to anywhere except the heart or the head won't even give them pause. You understand me? Don't hesitate, because Asher's daughter or not, I can guarantee they won't. If it's a choice of you or them, you choose you. You understand?"

Ria gulped but nodded.

* * *

Kaden had no idea what to make of his brother's woman. His feelings towards her swung violently between respect, wariness, irritation and thinking she wasn't quite right in the head. Still, the time for debating Ria's best and worst qualities was well and truly over. If they got out of this shit storm, he could rip her and Ryver a new one then.

Ria had managed to slow their progress, but the Fallen still advanced, loping menacingly towards them until they reached the middle of the clearing. Forming a V-shape they waited as their self-designated leader stepped forward.

"Well met, Keeper of the Watch," the guy snarled.

Instinctively, Kaden placed himself in front of Ria as he sized them up. He noticed something which surprised him: someone he'd have expected to lead this little sortie was not there. He'd seen the sergeant before but didn't know him. He cocked his head, intrigued. "Where is Steele?"

A ripple of anger raced through them, and he knew he'd touched a nerve. The three on the left were so incensed, they moved to advance on him immediately; he saw it in the bunching of their muscles, the rabid expressions on their faces. Kaden didn't move. He knew he would be faster.

Behind him he felt Ria stiffen. To his side, Malandra's hand moved to rest nonchalantly on the gun at her hip.

The sergeant held out an arm. "Hold!"

The three paused, though stood there restless, like racing horses stuck in their starting gates, chomping at the bit to get going.

Ria moved closer, and Kaden turned his head. Raising herself on tiptoe, she whispered so quietly she was in effect only mouthing the words. Kaden heard her loud and clear though, and he knew exactly why Steele hadn't come to rescue his master's daughter. A smile spread across his face. Well, well, Ryver, my lad, there's a skill that'll come in handy.

He glanced back at his brother's mate, wondering whether she possessed the same skill. Ria just blinked at him, giving him no hint as to the answer.

If you can, don't hesitate to do it.

The smallest of nods was his only reply.

"It's a shame he couldn't make it," he said as he turned back to the Fallen. "I do so look forward to our little chats."

It had, in fact, been years since he'd engaged with Asher's right-hand man, but he found he just couldn't help himself.

"You always were a vindictive bastard, Kaden. You sure you're on the right side?" The sergeant grinned, all gap-toothed and fangy.

"Oh, I'm sure."

The sergeant chuckled, though it was more menacing than joyful. "If only your brother was so sure."

The blood in Kaden's veins turned to ice, and though he worked hard on keeping his composure, the reaction from the rest of the Fallen told him he'd failed.

"What's he talking about?" Malandra whispered.

He knew what they meant. It was Kaden's greatest fear. But he couldn't give voice to it lest he somehow turn the theory into a reality.

Distracted, he'd failed to notice Ria creeping out from behind him. She stood tall as her five-foot-six frame would allow.