Death Bringer

Chapter Ten

Ella sat up in bed and scrabbled to find her weapon. It wasn’t under her pink fluffy pillow. As it was still dark, she assumed something had woken her up, but what was it? Where the hell had she left her gun last night? Even as she thought about nudging Vadim, she froze, her attention on the end of the bed, where her naked mate was confronting something that gave off the strongest Otherworld vibe she’d ever encountered.

“Morosov?”

He didn’t reply, and she crawled to the end of the bed. His attention was fixed on the shimmering image of the man she knew as Adam. Up close, the resemblance to Vadim was so startling, it was like seeing double.

“Morosov.”

She tried using her mind instead of her voice, but her thought bounced back from the strength of his shields.

“Tell her.”

Adam’s voice shuddered through her, breaking the silence and her fear. Her purse was on the floor and she lunged for it, bringing it up onto the bed, where she could finally retrieve her weapon. She fumbled to open the clasp.

“Hold on, Morosov. I’ve got it.”

“Tell her.”

She found her weapon and pointed it at Adam. Vadim slowly turned to face her. His smile was cold, his expression pitiless.

“I’m leaving, Ms. Walsh.”

“What?”

“I’m going back to Otherworld with Adam. He has convinced me that the only way we can meet and battle as equals is in my homeland.”

“But you don’t need to battle him anywhere.”

“I do. I can’t stand to be defeated.”

“That’s just stupid! If you go back, they’ll kill you!”

He shrugged. “It’s my destiny. I cannot escape it.”

“Fine, but I’m going with you.”

A muscle twitched in his cheek. “I don’t need you, Soul Sucker.”

“We’re partners.”

“You’re human. In Otherworld you’re also a liability. You’d slow me down and make me more vulnerable.”

She swallowed hard at the harsh truth behind his words. “But—”

He sighed. “Do you really want to air your emotional laundry in front of Adam?”

“Why not?” She tried to push through his shields, to force him to let her sense his real thoughts, but it was impossible. “Your quarrel with him is obviously far more important than your partnership with me!”

“This is Otherworld business.”

“This is bullshit!”

He averted his gaze. “I’m sorry, Ms. Walsh. I’ll be far better off without your ‘help.’ Goodbye.”

“Wait!”

It was too late. In a cloud of black feathers, Vadim disappeared.

Even as she registered his loss, she realized Adam hadn’t gone anywhere.

“What the fuck do you want?”

His smile was so much like Vadim’s, it hurt. “I think you know.” He stretched out his hand. “Goodbye, Soul Sucker.”

She fired at him, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid his outstretched hand. With a cry, she fell back onto the bed and everything went black.

There was something on her face. She lifted a hand and batted whatever it was away from her cheek. Damn feathers got everywhere. Who knew that swan shape-shifters molted so much?

Ella opened her eyes.

Black feathers.

Vadim.

She sat bolt upright and wrapped her arms around her knees. Had she dreamed him leaving her? His clothes were neatly folded on the chair, but there was no sound from the bathroom. Tentatively, she searched for him within her mind. There was nothing, just a horrible sense of loss like the whining static after an explosion.

He’d definitely left her.

“Bastard!” she screeched. “If anyone’s going to kill you, it’s going to be me! How dare he walk out on me? How dare he suggest I’m a liability?”

She stomped into the bathroom, just to make sure he wasn’t hiding in there, and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

Hell, no.

Black hair, blue eyes and cheekbones to die for.

Vadim in feminine form.

Had he sacrificed himself for her, or was this Adam’s idea of a joke? She scowled at her beautiful new face. How long did she have until he came back to persuade her to kill herself? Would he wait until he finished off Vadim too?

She focused on her face and considered trying the spell Vadim had given her for cleaning things up. He’d said it might make her look like she’d had plastic surgery, but what could be worse than this?

“What was it again?” She said the words out loud and watched her new mouth shape them. “Gey-ei-landah?”

Her face quivered like Jell-O and then reappeared in all its black haired, blue-eyed glory.

“Damn.”

She threw Vadim’s toothbrush in the trash and showered away all evidence of his lovemaking. He’d been incredibly gentle with her, bringing them to new heights of pleasure and a sense of being one that she’d never imagined existed. So why had he left her? It didn’t make sense. She’d started to believe they were truly partners and that he trusted her. For years she’d been treated like an unstable bomb, and he’d changed that, had made her feel valued and loved. So why the hell had he lied to her and chosen to fight alone? Had he been saying goodbye? Her tears mingled with the water, and she let them flow. No one needed to know how she felt inside. Anger would sustain her through this time. At least she knew she could count on that.

She dressed and combed out her luxurious new head of hair and made the bed. Dammit, she was hungry. She couldn’t put off eating forever. With all her courage, she sauntered into the kitchen.

“Morning, Mom.”

“Holy God! What happened to you?” Darlene screeched, and dropped her mug of coffee. It smashed into a thousand shards on the ceramic tile floor.

Ella mopped up the coffee and poured herself and her mom a cup. “I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night. Vadim disappeared, and I woke up looking like this.” She shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out.”

Darlene pounced on her father, who was coming into the kitchen with the newspapers under his arm. “Ned, look at her!”

Her father blinked and carefully put the papers down on the countertop. “New shampoo, love?”

Ella smiled at him. “Bespelled.”

“Ah, that makes sense, then.”

“Makes sense?” Darlene said. “Look at her! She’s completely different!”

“She’s still the same person inside. You don’t have the same hair color or face you had when we met either.”

“That’s different, I—”

Ned patted her shoulder. “Not that I mind. If Ella was bespelled, there’s not much we can do about it, is there? She’s a big girl. I’m sure she can figure it out.”

“I’ll do my best, Dad.”

“That’s my girl.”

Madison appeared in the doorway. “What’s all the noise?” She stared at Ella. “Interesting look for you, sis. I like it.” She dropped into a seat at the table and rested her head on her folded arms.

“Thanks.” Ella topped up her coffee. “After breakfast, I have to be on my way. I’ve got to go and find Vadim in Otherworld.”

“Why?”

“He’s originally from there.”

Darlene sat down narrowly avoiding dropping her second cup of coffee. “You said he was Russian.”

“His human ancestors are.”

“He’s not human?”

Ella put two strawberry pastries in the toaster. “He’s about five percent human. The rest is all Otherworld. Some of it is shape-shifter, some of it is Fae.”

Madison lifted her head from the table. “Cool. Vadim’s a big fairy. I knew there was something wrong with him.”

Ella put her pastries on a plate and squirted them with frosting.

“What kind of shape-shifter?’ Madison asked. “Is he a wolf, like Doug? I like Doug. He’s kind of hot, but scary.”

“Does it matter?” Ella chewed down on the sweet, sticky center of the pastry.

“I suppose not. I should’ve known there was something not right with him when he willingly took up with you.” Darlene sighed and finished her coffee. “Do you want me to pack you a lunch?”

Ella paused to appreciate the moment, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. Her family might drive her crazy, but who else would sit there and carry on as if nothing unusual had happened when their daughter’s face had been bespelled and her newly found mate had disappeared?

“Thanks, Mom, but I won’t need a lunch.” She finished her pastries. “And thanks for not freaking out too much about everything.”

Her dad raised his coffee cup in a salute. “Living with you, Ella, has been an education. After fighting off trolls in the closet and Water Fae in the shower when you were young, nothing fazes us at all.”

“But you will be careful?” Darlene added.

“Of course I will.” Ella slid down from her stool. “I’ll be in touch. Thanks for a wonderful birthday.”

She found Vadim’s car keys in his jeans pocket and bundled the rest of his clothes in a deliberately untidy heap to take with her. The hint of his aftershave made her bury her nose in his T-shirt with a pang of what felt suspiciously like longing. Damn the man. She needed to be angry, not a moping fool.

The drive back to San Francisco was uneventful, the sky a bright uncaring blue, the sun warm on her newly acquired face. Every time she glanced in the rearview mirror, she was shocked by her appearance. It was worse than when she’d dyed her hair black and been a Goth. How long would Adam wait before he came back? Had he already fought Vadim? Wouldn’t she know if her mate were dead?

Pushing her fears aside, she parked under the SBLE main office on Market and headed for the elevators. There was no one around when she walked into the department, so she headed for Feehan’s office, knocked on the door and went straight in.

“Hey, boss.”

He leaped to his feet, half a dripping tuna sandwich clutched in his hand. “Who the hell are you?”

She waved her ID badge at him. “It’s me, Ella. Something’s up with my face.”

He grabbed his phone. “Security!”

“Boss, calm down. Adam got me last night after he got Vadim.”

Feehan clutched the phone to his chest and stared at her. “Ella?”

She took a seat in front of his desk. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

She patted her torso. “Same crappy attitude toward authority figures? Yup, I’m sure it’s me.” The door behind her burst open, and she turned to the two security guards. “Hey Mitch, hey Frankie, what’s up?”

Feehan waved them away. “False alarm. Ms. Walsh has suffered some kind of magical accident. Can you ask Liz and Sam to come in here, please?”

After a long look at her new face, the guys departed and were quickly replaced by the rest of the special team. They all started talking at once.

“Everyone, sit down!” Feehan shouted. “Ella, shut the door and tell us what the hell is going on.”

She told them the bare minimum of what had happened on the previous evening. For a change, no one interrupted her, their expressions ranging from horrified to appalled. Liz’s Fae-Web hovered over her head like a billowing veil in a storm.

“So I need to get to Otherworld, find out what Adam’s done with my face and get it back before he decides to come after me.” Ella concluded. “I just wanted to let you know what was going on. I don’t think I have much time.”

“You don’t.” Liz said. “Adam is very sure of his victory.”

“Not until I’m dead, he isn’t.”

Sam raised his hand. “What about Vad?”

“What about him?”

“Aren’t you going to save him, too?”

“That idiot?” Ella snorted. “He went to Otherworld to prove what a big bad fairy he is. I’m not getting involved in his petty squabbles.”

“Ella—” Feehan hesitated. “You might have no choice.”

“Because of the mating crap? He’s the one who left, not me. I don’t owe him a thing.”

“Hang on,” Sam said. “You’re, like, mated to Vad? Dude! That’s awesome!” He tried to high-five her. “That’s why you haven’t gone nuts!”

Liz reached out and touched Ella’s knee. “You have to save him.”

“I damn well do not!”

“Whatever you think, he did what he did to save you. That’s his primary goal. That’s all I see.”

Ella swallowed hard. “Bullshit.” She pulled away. “I have to go. Is the portal by the Bay Bridge still working?”

Even as Feehan was promising her backup, she left and magicked herself directly to the portal. She could probably get there without one, but this wasn’t the occasion to be trying new things. Time sometimes moved differently in Otherworld. She might arrive and find Vadim hadn’t even got there yet or that he’d already fought and died. Not that she cared. Not that the bastard owed her anything...

Then why was she so pissed at him? Because he hadn’t believed in her after all? She swiped at something wet on her cheek. Dammit, was she crying?

Had she really fallen for all his shit about forever together?

Apparently she had.

She checked her weapons and stashed a silver dagger in her back pocket. Didn’t he know that saying about scorned women and revenge? She’d go to Otherworld, kill Adam and reclaim her face by herself. If she did see the slimy worm, she’d make him grovel and beg for forgiveness before she killed him with his own magic. Buoyed by this magnificent image, she stepped into the portal.

“Otherworld central, please.”

Within a heartbeat she was stepping out into a wide paved square with a fantastic fountain set in the center of it. She’d arrived at this point in Otherworld once before, so was familiar with the layout. The sky overhead was a bruised purple and filled with storm clouds. Warily, she approached the statue, which depicted a male Fae dominating a female. She angled her head to study the face of the woman who appeared to be having an orgasm. Or was she? Clutched in the female’s hand was the hilt of a dagger that had already pierced the male’s side.

“Checkmate.” Ella murmured.

“Indeed.”

She spun around to see the still-beautiful-but-elderly woman she’d met briefly on her last visit to Otherworld. This time the Fae queen mother was unattended. Not that it mattered. Her power was immense. She wore a pale yellow gown made up of a thousand floating panels that shifted and mutated at will. Her dark hair was unbound and reached her waist.

“You are cygnet’s mate.”

“So he says.”

“I am his grandmother.”

“He already told me that.”

The female raised her chin. “Did he also tell you who I am?”

“Don’t you mean, what you are?” Ella studied the older woman. “You’re wearing a crown, so I guess you’re Fae royalty. Do you want me to curtsy? The thing is, I’m not in a curtsying kind of mood at the moment.”

“Why are you here?”

“Don’t you know?” Ella pointed at herself. “I want my face back. Where’s the creature called Adam?”

“Where is cygnet?”

Ella grimaced. “What is it with you Fae not being able to answer a simple question? I have no idea where Morosov is, and I don’t care. I want my face back.”

“He is not with you?”

Ella pretended to look around. “Nope. He left last night with Adam.”

A tiny wrinkle appeared on the queen’s perfect brow. “That wasn’t what we agreed.”

“I don’t actually care what you agreed. I simply want to find Adam.”

The Fae queen studied her. “I’m afraid I can’t let you meddle.”

“With all due respect, it’s not up to you what I do, is it?” She scanned the empty square and drew her weapon. “All I need to do is get a fix on Adam, and I’m off.”

“No, Soul Sucker.”

The Fae snapped her fingers and Ella was hurtled backward through walls and time and...oh, God, she was going to puke. She landed with a thump on a stone floor. Manacles slithered toward her and attached themselves to her ankles. By the time she righted herself, all sense of the Fae queen had gone. She was alone in what appeared to be a castle dungeon complete with burning torches in sconces and an arched oak doorway up a flight of stone steps.

“How very Disneyesque.” She raised her voice. “Where the hell am I?”

“Shh.”

A familiar voice answered her from the shadows.

“Rossa?”

“Shh!”

“Can you get me out of here?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then what do you want?”

He eased out from the darkness and crouched in front of her, golden eyes wide. “Where’s cygnet?”

“How the hell should I know? He disappeared off with Adam.”

He touched her cheek. “But your face! That wasn’t supposed to happen!”

He disappeared. Ella was left staring at nothing.

“Come back, you idiot!”

After a few more shouts, she stopped wasting her breath and contemplated her options. Her gun had disappeared, but she still had her backpack. Did she have anything sharp enough in it to cut through the chains? If they were bespelled, which seemed likely, she might be able to use iron to destroy them. She rummaged in her backpack. Why didn’t she carry an iron bar around with her? She really needed to be more prepared. She unearthed a small silver knife, but that proved totally ineffectual against the strength of the chains and merely blunted the blade.

“Dammit! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”

The wall in front of her quivered and a man came through. He was tall, and blond like Rossa, but one hundred times more beautiful. His power flooded over her and through her, and she instinctively raised her shields.

“Soul Sucker.”

“I prefer Ms. Walsh. Who are you?”

He leaned back against the stone wall and contemplated her, arms crossed over his bare, muscled chest. Thank God he had pants on, or from her viewing point she’d be getting quite an eyeful.

“I’m cygnet’s father.”

“Oh.” That couldn’t be good. Wasn’t he the one who hated Vadim’s guts and didn’t want him anywhere near Otherworld? “What’s up?”

“With me or with you?” He nodded at her chains. “You seem to be in some trouble.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

He smiled and for the first time she saw a hint of Vadim in him. “I can see why my son finds you so amusing, child.”

“He doesn’t anymore. He left me.”

His smile disappeared. “So I hear.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“I always know. He is my son and in some ways my creation.” He sat down cross-legged on the floor and settled his massive shoulders against the wall. “You probably know I wish him ill, but not why.”

“Um, you don’t have to tell me anything. Families are hell sometimes, aren’t they? You should meet mine.” Ella gabbled away, with a horrible feeling that whatever came next wouldn’t be good.

“Nevertheless, I feel you should understand the male you are bonded to for all eternity. The monster my wife’s mother mated you with simply to fulfill her own selfish desires.”

He half smiled. “Once upon a time, a male child was born from my loins. As is traditional amongst my kind, my kin were invited to celebrate his birth and bestow their various magical gifts on him, if they so chose.”

She pretended to yawn. “I think I’ve heard this one before.”

“As I said, amusing and very brave. After the guests arrived for the feast, a storm gathered overhead and disgorged another presence.” His luscious mouth hardened. “A Fae of a different kind from the Dark Lord’s court appeared. He insisted the child was marked in his master’s name and that he was ‘special.’ When we examined the babe we discovered the mark on him and knew the Dark Lord’s ambassador spoke the truth.”

“So?”

Hell, she’d seen that weird mark just below his hip—kissed and licked it, actually. Was that the one?

“For every gift our Fae bestowed on the child, the Dark Court offered him another. For every positive, there was a negative.”

“The gifts balanced each other out.”

The Fae sighed. “If he had been left alone, then yes, he would probably have been the most magical being ever created.”

“Then what happened?”

“We couldn’t allow him to be that powerful.” He met her gaze fully for the first time, and it was like looking into a furnace. “I decided to train him as a weapon against the Dark Court.”

“When he was a kid?”

“Of course. His instruction had to start immediately to instill the correct discipline in him.”

“With what end in view?”

He shrugged. “As I said, as a defense against the darker elements of the Fae.”

“You mean the ones who didn’t agree with you, right?”

“I trained him to seek out evil and destroy it.”

“At your command?”

“At first, but as he grew older, because of his gifts, he could sense discord and evil within any Fae and became the terror of Otherworld, the truth seeker, the bringer of death.”

“The ultimate weapon.” She shook her head. “Poor kid.”

“Not at all. His power was immense.”

“So what went wrong?”

“He began to defy my orders.”

“And think for himself? Jeez, how ungrateful.”

“It was certainly not acceptable.”

“Because he was so powerful.”

“Aye.”

“What did you do to destroy his loyalty to you?”

He raised one haughty eyebrow. “Why do you assume I caused the fissure between us?”

“Because I know him. I’m his mate.”

He laughed, the sound echoing around the dungeon walls. “You know nothing.”

“Not true. You just told me a whole load of stuff about him, which in some weird way makes a ton of sense.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“As his mate, you should know the truth?”

“I don’t believe that for a second. I’ve never met a Fae who didn’t put their needs front and center. You told me because you want me to do something either for you, or for him. And somehow, I doubt it’s for him.”

“He is too powerful to exist.” The Fae stood and walked over to the door, his tattooed back to Ella. Whatever runes were inscribed on his skin moved and flexed with his moods, creating a fascinating pattern of discord. “I reluctantly agreed that he could stay in your world, but it seems he cannot keep away from mine.”

“Adam made him come back.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

She put all the conviction she had into her voice. “I saw how strong Adam and the sect were. I assume Vadim had no choice.”

“That’s impossible. His power is unassailable.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “He wanted to come back.”

“Are you afraid that when he’s finished with Adam, he’ll come after you?”

Invisible fingers closed around her throat and she gasped for breath, her own hand clawing at nothing. As quickly as the pain started, it stopped.

“Do not, as you say, push your luck, Soul Sucker. My motive in telling you about your mate’s lies was pure.”

Ella said nothing to that piece of bullshit, and he slowly walked back toward her.

“What do you want me to do?”

His smile was charming. “Persuade him to return to your world.”

“And if he doesn’t want to go?”

He studied her upturned face. “You have a unique bond with him. If anyone can make him leave, it will be you.”

“And if I don’t want him back?”

“We will bring him to trial for his crimes against his family.”

She snorted. “If you can catch him.”

“You could bring him to us, Soul Sucker.”

“Why would I do that?”

“As you said, he deserted you. What better way to make him pay for his crimes than to betray him?”

“The way you Fae stab each other in the back so easily just amazes me.” She shook her head. “If I want revenge on him, I’ll do it myself, and not to make you happy.”

“Then, there is another way.” He opened his hand to show her a small dagger made from a dark reddish-brown metal that didn’t shine at all. “Kill him.”

She stared at the blade for a long moment. “How can I do that, when I’m chained up in the Fae queen’s dungeon?”

“If you help me save Otherworld from your monstrous mate, I will order my wife, the queen to release you into my custody.”

“She won’t do it.”

He laughed. “You think she wants her little cygnet to stay alive? You are mistaken. She will be as glad to be rid of him as I am. He is a threat to us all.”

“Can I think about it?”

“While you think, things are progressing at a pace you cannot imagine.”

“What about my face?”

He angled his head to observe her. “You don’t like this one?”

“It’s not really my thing. I look like Vadim’s little sister, and that’s just wrong, when you’re mated to someone. Adam took my face. He usually makes sure his victims commit suicide fairly soon afterward.”

“So that is your price?”

“Hardly. I’m just telling you the facts.” She shrugged. “I don’t need your help. I just need to get out of here, find Adam and that damned cult, get my face back and go home.”

“Without my son?”

“He’s not my problem. I can’t make him come back if he doesn’t want to. From the sound of it, he might have a few grudges to get off his chest over here.”

“He cannot remain here.”

“So you said.”

His scowl shook the walls. “Let us be clear. In order for you to persuade my son to quit Otherworld you require—what?”

She ticked the list off her fingers. “My face back, Adam’s death and the extermination of that secret cult. But as I’ve already mentioned, I can do all that myself, and I don’t want your son back.”

“Don’t overestimate your abilities, my dear.” He tossed the dagger at her, and she automatically caught it.

“Keep this anyway. If you do decide to execute him, it is one of the few weapons that might actually do it for you.”

“Is he so hard to kill?” The peculiar metal warmed against her palm as she wrapped her hands around the hilt.

His bitter laughter echoed around the cell. “He is practically invincible. I had to spend a fortune and go to the Dark Court to have that dagger made. There is enough power in that blade to kill three Fae Royal. Hopefully it is enough to pierce his black heart.”

He inclined his head a regal inch and disappeared.

“I hate it when people keep doing that!” She shouted, but there was no one to hear her. What the hell was going on? Was Vadim really the monster his father painted him, or simply misunderstood? Despite all his bravado and the excellence of his shields, she’d felt the Fae’s fear of Vadim’s power. Was he really a toxic weapon that was out of control?

She sat down suddenly on the floor. Did it matter? She’d been feared her whole life, and it hadn’t meant she was a bad person. Had Vadim had any more control over what he’d become than she had? The Fae king had tried to shock her into turning against her mate, but she wasn’t convinced. Hadn’t he left Otherworld to avoid all that? Hadn’t he tried to change? Which was more than she had ever done. Unless he’d been deceiving her all along...

“Thank God, the king’s gone.”

It was Rossa again, a cloak over his usual nakedness.

“What do you want?” Ella demanded. “And why the fuck didn’t you tell me about Vadim being the big bad fairy of Otherworld?”

“The king told you about that, did he?” Rossa pulled a face. “Cygnet swore me to secrecy, and he’s the more powerful being.”

“You’re such a wuss.”

Rossa drew himself up. “I simply have a healthy respect for the continuation of my lifespan.”

“So help me get out of this mess!”

“Here’s the thing. I promised cygnet I’d take care of you.” He glanced around the dungeon. “Believe it or not, this is actually the safest place for you right now. It’s so heavily warded that neither Adam nor the sect can get in here.”

“So what?”

“While you’re safely contained, there’s something else I need to tell you. The other night, cygnet gave me a message for his family that if you were a victim of Adam’s, he would personally spill their blood.”

“So that’s why they’re so desperate to keep me away from him and all chained up.”

“Not exactly. The thing is—they agreed to do what he demanded. I took their message back to cygnet last night, but he’d already disappeared.”

“And what about Adam?”

“He was supposed to agree to it as well.”

Ella pictured her last sight of Vadim, the contemptuous smile sure to rile her before he’d disappeared. “The complete idiot!”

“Who?”

“Morosov of course! He must have...” She glared at Rossa. “Just get me out of here, please!”

“Don’t be daft.” His smile was sly. “I don’t need to help you.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re mated to cygnet. You work it out.”

And he was gone again. Ella shot to her feet and screamed just for the hell of it. This was why she hated Otherworld so much. Everyone talked in fucking riddles. She glanced down at the manacles around her ankles.

“Hold on a minute. I’m mated to Vadim, and he is the biggest, baddest dude in Otherworld, so...”

She stared down at the chain and focused her thoughts on it. With a strange noise, it shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “I can do this!”

She blasted the other one and picked up her backpack. If Adam couldn’t sense her inside the dungeon, she’d probably not pick up his trail either. Her first goal was to find him and get her face back.

Her reunion with the lying bastard could wait.

“Welcome to my domain, cygnet, or should I call you Death Bringer?”

As the massive door swung open, Adam stood back and bowed, allowing Vadim his first glimpse of the stronghold of the Otherworld sect. It was as impressive as he’d suspected it would be—high towering ceilings, magnificent mosaics and paintings so beautiful they would make one weep. The sect’s arrogance would demand a cathedral-like setting to worship the sordid achievements of a group of Fae who’d lived too long and lost all affinity for what was good and right.

He grimaced at the sanctimonious thought. And what was he? How many creatures had he killed in his egotistical assumption that his father’s word was law? Since arriving in Otherworld, he’d dropped his human shape completely to reveal his true form. There was nothing to hide anymore. Death Bringer was not only his given name, but his bloody legacy. Every time he had to look at Adam, that message was reinforced. Had the male chosen his face with that in mind?

Of course he had.

The door shut behind him, and Vadim turned to Adam.

“Are we to fight here?”

“Oh, we’re not fighting yet. I have something I need to do first.”

Vadim smiled to reveal sharp fangs. In Otherworld, the swan wasn’t the only creature he could shift into. In fact, he could become whatever species he wanted. “And if I don’t agree?”

“You don’t have a choice.”

He drew himself up and felt long-forgotten power flood his veins. He flexed his fingers, felt the visceral tug of his claws. It was like receiving a blood transfusion. He’d been transforming ever since he set foot back in Otherworld. He wasn’t quite at the full extent of his powers yet, but he was getting there. “I think you’ve forgotten whom you are dealing with.”

“You won’t want to destroy me just yet.” Adam drew something out of his pocket, which hovered over his palm.

Rage coalesced in Vadim’s chest, black feathers swirled in the air into a screaming tornado and the building began to shake.

“That is my mate’s face.”

“I know, so don’t kill me. If you do, you’ll never stand a chance of reclaiming it.” He gestured with his other hand. “Would you like to follow me to the trophy room?”

Vadim forced himself to follow, each footstep distinct as he destroyed the delicate tile beneath his feet, but he didn’t care. His rage knew no boundaries. His family had betrayed him. Everyone in Otherworld had betrayed him...

God, Ella...

He’d failed her completely. Was she even alive? In this threatening environment he couldn’t even lower his shields to check the truth of that.

Adam approached the final golden doors at the end of the long hallway. Four trolls and two small black dragons guarded them. He held up his hand and the doors opened, releasing a waft of malignant power that almost made Vadim stagger. He forced his newly discovered empath talents to the back of his mind. He didn’t need to be vulnerable to others’ emotions when his own were threatening to cascade with the speed and ferocity of a national disaster.

The trophy room was well named. Beasts and races of all kinds adorned the crowded walls. He saw three extinct red dragons’ heads and tails, the tusks of a mammoth and the horned skull of the Minotaur. On the shelves below were other “precious” objects. He could only assume Pandora’s box and the Holy Grail were in there somewhere.

Adam held up his prize like a triumphant offering and headed for the farthest wall of the huge room. Vadim had no choice but to follow like a dumb beast. As they approached the wall, he recognized the ghostly floating features of Brad Dailey and Ms. Phelps hovering above two gold plinths. With a great deal of care, Adam leaned forward and carefully placed Ella’s furious face next to the others. She obviously hadn’t been happy about Adam’s face-stealing technique. The sight of her riled expression cooled his temper somewhat and made him able to think.

“There. My task is almost complete. All I require now is her death.”

Even before the words were out of Adam’s lying mouth, Vadim launched himself at him. Magic seemed a poor substitute for the sheer pleasure of strangling the male with his bare hands.

“If you kill me, she dies!” Adam squealed.

Vadim barely registered the words as a red tide of rage colored his vision.

Pain shuddered through him as something attacked him from behind. It felt as if he’d been caught in a net. Manacles locked around his ankles, wrists and throat. The smothering sensation of iron chilled his skin, making him feel heavy, his magic dull as it tried to reach beyond the lethal cage.

Adam broke away and rolled out from under him, his expression triumphant.

“We have him!”

Vadim was shoved onto his back and glared up at his captors. He didn’t recognize the other three men, but he remembered the force of their combined power.

“I can still kill you, Adam. Unlike most Fae, iron doesn’t contain me completely, it just slows me down.”

“But you won’t be killing anyone, will you, Death Bringer, while I hold the fate of your mate in my hands.” Adam smoothed his rumpled clothing. “Unless she kills herself without my input. She might do that, I suppose, what with you abandoning her.”

“You don’t know my mate. She’ll wait for you to come after her, and she won’t go down without a fight.”

“So I hear.”

He was hauled to his feet. The iron collar around his neck was choking him. He forced a thin bolt of power from his fingertip, and Adam backed away, cursing.

“I’ll get free, eventually. Nothing can hold me forever.”

“I’m counting on it, Death Bringer.” His opponent smiled at the other men surrounding them. “When I kill him, I’ll truly become the greatest collector of all time.”

“You won’t succeed.”

“Why not? I thought you wanted to fight me.”

“Oh, I do, and I shall.” Vadim stared at the little weasel until the certainty faded from his gaze. “I’ll enjoy ripping you limb from limb.”

“We’ll see about that.” Adam nodded at the guards. “Take him below while we prepare the stadium for our battle.”

In his present weakened condition, Vadim couldn’t resist the concerted efforts of the four guards and the focused power of the sect, and was led down several flights of stairs into darkness, thick walls and the sounds of hopelessness. He was tossed ignominiously into a dark hole and left alone.

It took him several minutes to work out which way was up and where the door was. He leaned against the damp wall and took a quick survey of his current position. The sect had caught him before he attained his full powers. Coupled with Adam’s threats to damage Ella’s face, he hadn’t stood a chance. With a groan, he considered what the hell had happened and what, if anything, he could do about it.

Who among his family had decided not to preserve his mate’s life? It could only be his father. But with what cause? Did he truly believe Vadim wouldn’t turn against him? Didn’t he understand his own creation? But what if it was worse than that? His fingers clenched into fists, his claws digging into his palms. What if his father understood him too well and had conspired with the sect to bring him down? That sounded far more likely.

And what of Ella? Was she slowly going mad, wearing someone else’s face, or was she doing her best to pretend nothing was wrong while she waited for Adam to show up? He wouldn’t put it past her. She wasn’t going to make it easy for the face stealer. His heart ached. Had she believed him when he said he was leaving her forever? He damn well hoped so. Adam’s last-minute offer to leave her alone if Vadim accompanied him immediately to Otherworld had seemed too good to be true, but he’d been willing to risk it if it kept Ella safe.

He swore softly and fluently in Fae. And what had he achieved? Ella’s face was gone, and he was stuck in a dungeon. She’d be so proud...

Whatever happened, they would have to work fast if they intended to destroy him. He flexed his bruised fingers and imagined choking Adam to death again and finally revealing his real face. His power would overcome the deadly metal within a day or so, and he would be more dangerous than ever—and pissed off. Even though he was exhausted, he resisted the temptation to reach out to Ella. She didn’t need to hear his woes. The last thing he wanted was for her to come running to save him. Hadn’t he done his best to make sure she never wanted to see him again?

His smile faded and he listened intently to the magic-infused black darkness. His enemies might have forced him to play their games, but there was something they’d forgotten.

In Otherworld, he was invincible.