Chapter Twenty-Six

 

The room was an atrocity to her grandfather’s memory and the sight of what her parents done to the once dignified fairy’s room was enough to turn her stomach. The paintings of Shadow Knights and their consorts were gone replaced by nude paintings of Wikolia. Spiked paddles with needle sharp points were lined along the wall where her grandfather’s sword had been kept in a place of honor. The sword had disappeared years ago. She knew for a fact since she’d been the one to take it. The retractable blade was the only thing from her life as Noelani she’d retained. The comfortable chair he used to sit in while he looked at the window and spun stories had been replaced by some kind of bench with straps. Lani shuddered.

The only thing that had remained the same was her grandfather’s emperor size bed. That bed had been in his family for five generations. He’d been born in it as had his only daughter and granddaughters. Now, that bed was host to a tangle of naked, sweat and blood streaked limbs.

Apparently, she’d just missed the show since Wikolia, Thomas, and two other males were slumped in a big pile. Blood stained the glaringly white sheets, and it looked as though one of the paddles had been used. Generously. Lip curling at the sight as well as the smell of sex in the air, Lani stalked to the bed. Hate churned in her stomach, so strong she nearly gagged. How could Wikolia have done this to her much-loved father’s room? Rage unlike any she had ever known guided Lani. Luckily, her parents had decided to have a candlelit orgy, so she was well within the shadows before they realized the door was open.

By then, she’d already used the butt of her gun to knock out the two males with sharp raps against their heads. Wikolia squealed, while Thomas swore loudly.

Now that she had her parents’ undivided attention, she materialized in front of them. Petty pleasure coursed through her. For once, she had them surprised. She savored it for a moment before getting down to business.

“Noelani! What do you think you’re doing?” Wikolia asked in a haughty voice. There was no shame in finding herself naked with three men in her father’s bed. Instead, she looked like she wanted to box Lani’s ears.

Lani raised an eyebrow at her mother. “Did you really think I’d forget what happened earlier this week?” she asked in an icy tone.

Thomas made to get out of bed, but before he did more than move his leg, one of Lani’s knives were butted up against his chin. “No, stay.” She gave them each a cold smile. “Where’s Shikoba?”

Wikolia tossed her hair over her shoulder. Crossing her arms over her chest, she pouted like a child denied a gift. “Really, Noelani, you’ve always been so crude. Couldn’t you have waited until our guests left before barging in here?”

“No.”

“Ungrateful child,” Thomas muttered darkly.

“Ungrateful?” Shade asked, stunned. She tapped the knife’s flat edge against his proud chin. “I’m supposed to be grateful that you gave me to Luther, or that the three of you tortured me for three days?” She scoffed loudly. “I’m supposed to be grateful that you’re intending to hand another innocent over to him?”

Thomas waved a hand. “You weren’t following orders. So he used a little game of slap and voyeur to get your attention. You shouldn’t be so prudish.” He relaxed in the bed, drawing Wikolia down to rest on his chest. “I suppose you have something else to bitch about?”

It took everything she had not to let her jaw drop at her father’s easy acceptance of her torture. She hadn’t really expected much from him, not after Wikolia’s little revelations at Luther’s home, but she’d hoped for some compassion from Thomas. Instead, he and Wikolia looked so smug and comfortable with their selfishness.

“Where’s Shikoba?” she asked, not wanting to get into an argument with them. Time was of the essence if Luther had her sister.

Wikolia shrugged beneath Thomas’ arm. “She should be in her room,” her mother said casually.

Lani frowned. “She’s not there.”

The hand draped over Wikolia’s shoulder twitched, a betraying movement for Thomas. “Where is she?” she demanded, leaning forward with the knife.

“Well, if she isn’t in her room, we don’t know where she is,” Thomas said easily.

Growling softly, she prowled closer. “Was she here when you came home?” Maybe if she kept the questions simple, they’d understand them, she thought derisively.

“Ah, I don’t know actually,” Thomas admitted, scratching his chest. “Lia? Did you see Shikoba when we got home?”

Wikolia gave another delicate shrug. “I didn’t look for her. She usually stays in her room. She knows I hate looking at her,” she said, her eyes ice cold with disgust and contempt for her daughters.

Ignoring the pain her mother’s words caused, Lani pressed for more. “How long have you been home?”

Still scratching his chest, Thomas was quiet for several minutes. “Since yesterday morning, love?” he asked Wikolia. When she nodded, he beamed. The smile fell as he looked at Lani again. “Um, since yesterday morning. We came home and…” his voice trailed off as he waved a hand at the two unconscious males in their bed.

“Who are they?” Shade asked. Perhaps they knew where Shikoba was.

“Um, I think he’s the gardener,” Thomas said, pointing to the male with dark hair whose face was buried in Wikolia’s stomach. “And isn’t he the new butler?” he asked his wife, pointing to the second male.

“What does it matter? She’s ruined our afternoon,” Wikolia snarled up at Shade. “You’re such a little spoilsport, Noelani. Gods know I should’ve drowned you and your bloody sister when you were born.”

“Why didn’t you?” Lani asked in a low, deadly voice. If Wikolia had been so unhappy, she could have spared Lani and possibly Shikoba a little pain.

“Because he threatened to cut me off!” Wikolia shouted. “My father knew I didn’t want you, especially when I realized you were a Shadow Knight and he threatened to cut me off from court, threatened to cut off my funds if I ever harmed you.” She laughed shrilly, her eyes wild. “I got back at him though, didn’t I?”

Knowing Wikolia hated her for being a Shadow Knight, for harkening back to her darkened roots was becoming a point of pride for Lani. Her hand tightened on the knife. The evil these two despots had wrought with their greed had ruined too many lives. She should finish them except she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to kill her own parents.

Thomas’ eyes flicked to the knife and Lani’s white-knuckled grip. “Love, maybe you shouldn’t be so hasty to condemn our daughter,” he said in a falsely hearty voice. “She’s quite the celebrity now, isn’t she? Everyone knows about her um, assignments. Why, I’m sure if Leofric knew about her, he’d want her to join his guard. Don’t you, love?” he asked Wikolia in a broad hint.

Lani bared her teeth at them. “Save your breath, Thomas,” she snarled. “You’re both disgusting. You think I didn’t hear you talking about killing Leofric and blaming me?” she laughed harshly when she saw the surprise in their eyes. “I’m sure he’ll find that enlightening.” She tapped her chin with her free hand, the knife still at the ready in the other. “I’m sure he’d love to hear how two of his most devoted courtiers are planning to kill him and take his throne.”

Wikolia’s face went parchment white. “I’ll kill you myself,” she hissed, her eyes slits of violet.

Scoffing, Lani twirled her knife. “I’m almost tempted to let you try, mother dear. But as you both know, I’m an instrument of death, the product of your hate.” She smiled broadly. “Did you forget that?”

“Don’t threaten your mother!” Thomas protested, sitting up angrily.

“Tsk,” Lani said chidingly. “Let’s not get all excited, dad. I’m sure Leofric won’t kill you. After all, you are nobles in his court.”

“What do you want?” Wikolia bit out, her lips tight with anger.

“What do I want? I want to know where the fuck my sister is!” Lani shouted, red obscuring her vision for a brief moment.

Wikolia smoothed her hair with hands that shook. How her eldest child had become such a trial, she’d never know. When she’d come up with the plan to rid herself of Noelani, she hadn’t expected to ever see her again. She’d hoped, prayed, that the assassin’s training would finish the little bitch off. Instead, she was standing in Wikolia’s playroom threatening her and Thomas! Of all the nerve, she thought angrily.

“I’ve told you, she stays in her room. If she isn’t there, I don’t know where she’d be.” She stroked a hand down Peter, the gardener’s, back. He was a lush bit of manhood. Her body stirred with want. “Now, take yourself out of here, Noelani. You’re no longer welcome in this house.”

Lani felt a spark of humor at her mother’s words. Had she ever been welcome in this house? Even as a child? Her parents certainly hadn’t made her feel welcome, the only one who treated her well had been her grandfather, but when he died…the gloves came off.

Wikolia’s indifference had faded to sexual need as she touched her gardener, while Thomas still appeared shaken. “If you’re lying to me,” Lani began. “If I find out you let Luther take her, I’ll come back. And next time, I will kill you both. Very slowly. Got it?”

Thomas’ head jerked in a nod while Wikolia looked offended. Restraining the urge to roll her eyes, Lani backed out of the room, closing the door with a soft “snick”. Looking around her parents’ bedroom, she saw a heavy dresser that would block them in the room for a little while. Lani channeled her rage and used it to give her the strength to push the dresser across the room. Once it was positioned in front of the door, she smirked at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. There was some relief at knowing any ties with her parents were broken. If she survived this plan of hers, she wouldn’t feel obligated to look out for them. They’d made their bed – in many places, she thought acerbically- and now they could lie in it.

Once finished making sure they couldn’t get out of the room right away, she began a sweep of the house. There had to be some clue telling her where Shikoba had gone. Time was against her though. She had no way of knowing if her parents were going to attempt to come after her or not. A swift survey of the house gave her nothing.

Hands clenching at her sides, she tried to think rationally. Was it possible Luther had already taken Shikoba? Her heart said it was. Otherwise, where would she be? Looking at her sister’s room, it was obvious Shikoba was a virtual prisoner in their parents’ house. Where else could she possibly go?

Taking a deep breath, Shade decided on a plan. She’d go after Luther. He had no hold over her, not any longer. If she could get close enough to him, she could finish him once and for all. She could finally break free of the most dangerous aspect of her nightmarish past.

Decision made, she called forth a portal.

*****

“You know, I’ve seen a lot of sick shit in my time, but this takes the cake. Really,” Izzy was saying as Malachi approached the front of the house.

“What the hell are you talking about Izzy?” Saga asked as she dragged something into the house.

“Well, I saw Ruby give birth. That was fucked up. I’m never having kids, by the way-″

“Oh thank the gods,” Rosetta breathed as she came up behind Izzy. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a transfer if we had to deal with a pregnant Izzy.”

“- and then we found this shit,” Izzy finished, not offended by Rosetta’s words at all. She waved her hand at Saga and whatever she was dragging in the door.

Malachi pushed through the crowd of Amazons to see a bloody and very bruised fairy pulled across the threshold of Lucian’s house. Bile rose in his throat and he fought the urge to gag. The fairy was missing a wing, several fingers, and was bruised from head-to-toe.

“What the hell?” he shouted, outraged at the fairy’s appearance, instantly reminded of Lani’s scars.

Izzy shook her head sadly, staring down at the fairy with her hands on her hips. “He shouldn’t have told Saga to move her fat ass,” she tsked.

“What?” Lucian asked in a voice that illustrated just how confused and pissed off he was.

“Well, this is the Skado informer you told us to track down,” Izzy explained as she brushed at blood on her shirt. “It wasn’t easy finding him, I tell ya.”

“What the fuck did you do to him?” Malachi roared at Saga.

She shot him a mean look. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a bloody hand, she growled, “He wouldn’t tell us anything. Said he didn’t need some fat, Amazon bitches cramping his style.”

“Wait, he called you fat?” Rosetta asked in a dangerous snarl. She strode forward and kicked the fairy in the stomach. “No one calls my bitches fat!”

Malachi pulled the outraged drag queen away before she inflicted anymore damage with her six inch platforms. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded of Saga who he was hoping was the more lucid of the two Amazons.

“Lucian told us to contact this piece of shit and find out more about Noelani’s life in the Shadowlands. When we showed up at his house, he told us to get lost.” She shrugged. “We entered the house-″

“We kicked in the motherfucking door. I felt like Olivia on Law & Order: SVU!” Izzy interrupted enthusiastically. “We were like ‘Freeze, you sonofabitch!’ and then he took off running.”

Rubbing his temples, Malachi knew trying to steer Izzy back on track was futile, so he let her ramble on.

Looking like a kid on Christmas, she threw out her arms. “Saga um, well, she sort of lost it. She caught him and started beating the shit out of him. I tried to stop her, but…she’s on her period,” she whispered the last. “Anyway, he talked a little, but nothing that made sense, so we brought him here.”

A vein throbbed in Lucian’s forehead as he stared at the bag of flesh and bones in front of him. Ruby rubbed his shoulder soothingly, but she was glaring daggers at the fairy as well.

“Get him cleaned up and carry him to the den. I want to talk to him,” was all the Oculum said before he stomped back through the house.

Malachi whistled through his teeth. The fairy must have a death wish to try to take on two Amazons and taunt the Oculum. “Is he crazy?” he said out loud, earning a snort from Izzy.

“Dude, he’s batshit crazy. He had all of these clippings around his house about the King and Shadow Knights,” she shifted, her hand going to her pockets protectively which told Malachi she’d swiped more than a few of those clippings for her collection. “Then on the way here, he was mumbling about the Eturians and assassins.”

One of the bigger Amazons arrived just then and picked up the fairy by the wing and carried him through the house. “Do you think he might’ve been feeding information to the Eturians as well as the Veilerians?” he asked Saga who looked as though she’d calmed some.

She nodded, fire burning in her blue eyes. “The little shit had stacks of gold in his safe, enough to buy an island somewhere and live like a king.”

A figure behind Saga caught Malachi’s attention. He saw dusky silver skin, bright green eyes, and he ran towards the female. Saga barely moved out of the way before he mowed her down and had the female wrapped in his arms, but the instant he touched her, he knew she wasn’t Lani.

He dropped her like a rock. Saga reached out to steady her. She looked exactly like his Lani, built the same, almost identical in appearance, but where Lani was hard and lethal, this female looked soft and untried. Her eyes were wide and scared. Lani would’ve looked him in the eye and stared him down.

“Who are you?” he asked in a harsh whisper.

“This is Shikoba,” Izzy said, pushing her way between Malachi and the fairy. “We sort of…found her wandering around the Shadowlands when we were coming back.” She wrapped a hand around Shikoba’s wrist. “She’s a Shadow Knight, too. Can I keep her?”