Breanna (18 page)

“Brea, I don’t know how to stop him from hunting you. If we left, he might follow thinking you were with us,” Rey reached for her palm only to have her pull back and glare.

“No.”

“Brea, we’ve talked about this the last few days,” Hannah didn’t try reaching for her daughter.

“Well, you didn’t discuss it with me. I don’t know how, but if you leave…if you run, I’ll find a way to get his attention away from you if I have to take out an ad in the paper,” Brea pushed away from the table. “I’m not losing my family.”

“The only way to stop him is to destroy him,” Jase said, the affirmation of that on the faces of her parents.

“Then I destroy him. Is that why he’s hunting me? Because I’m stronger than he is? Or because I’m a half-breed?”

“Breanna Cooper! You are not a half-breed! Don’t you ever call yourself that again, do you hear me young lady?” Hannah reached for her now only to have her gone, storming from the room and not looking back.

She fell back onto the chair, her head in her hands.

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“Why is he hunting her?” Nick asked quietly. He knew how to hunt. It was one of the many things he and Jase were very good at.

“At first it was out of anger. Because I was born. Because I’d defied him. I’d chosen Hannah and our unborn child over him,” Rrey Cooper pushed his plate back and drained the tea in his glass. “Then he….he became obsessed with finding out about her.

We heard things after we relocated here. He was consulting with seers, trying to find out the ramifications of what a child would be like created from Hannah and myself.”

“You aren’t just a simple Fae,” Jase looked at Hannah, saw her drop her gaze and look embarrassed, a look he’d seen on Brea often.

“No. No, I’m not.”

“My mother tells me that when the village was wiped out, a virtual regiment of Fae arrived and went demon hunting,” Jase watched her, watched the tears forming in her eyes and felt his heart choke. Just like their Brea.

“You didn’t take him on because of Brea,” Nick said simply.

“The world changes around you when you have a baby to care for, a life that depends on you,” Hannah’s hands shook. “I can only guess that he wants her now because of the power she has. She’s the daughter of a Fae queen and demon prince.

He has a reward out for her and wants her alive. But I don’t know why. He has some 229

mistaken idea he can control her, use her power but I don’t know for what.”

“I’d like to believe that my father hasn’t been stable for a long time,” Rey pushed away from the table and paced the room, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

“But the truth is, he’s calculating and incredibly logical. The attack on the village,” his head shook slowly at the memory. “It made no sense. I never saw him there and I didn’t recognize any of those who fought. Whatever his agenda, he won’t stop until it’s achieved. Several have tried to end his life….the savage way he rules…and…..failed. We hid, but we didn’t stay ignorant of what was happening in our worlds. When he realized what we’d created out of love, the game changed. We didn’t have a choice but to keep her shielded. Keep her hidden.”

“Maybe you should have been teaching her to fight and I’m not talking about the…” Jase stopped when Nick shot him a look.

“The martial arts was for her human world,” the older man spit out. “She’s too sweet and caring for her own good sometimes. But lord, the girl is so hopeless with kicking and punching.”

“I saw her punch two demons with her natural power without even realizing what she was doing. You should have taught her to use the gifts you gave her when she was born.”

“Don’t try and tell me how to raise my daughter, boy,” he glared across the table at Jase.

“Somehow that would be a lot more effective if you didn’t look like my fucking younger brother!” Jase snarled back.

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“Watching you and her father go at it won’t help,” Nick glared at both of them, pushed away from the table and began the clean-up. He tossed the chicken scrapes into the wildlife area they’d put in the backyard, anything else into the compost for Brea’s garden.

“I’ll get your stuff out of the closet,” Jase exhaled hard. “Your stuff is mostly hanging. I’ll move it to Brea’s closet and you can have his room.”

“I want to take up Brea’s offer of the apartment,” Hannah bit her lip, waiting and hoping their anger was short lived. “If it’s alright….”

“If Brea made the offer, then it comes from all of us, Hannah,” Nick closed the dishwasher and looked around for anything they’d missed. “We’re not….I don’t know how you feel about her choice. I don’t know anything but what she’s told us and what we’ve seen. But I can tell you that we aren’t using Brea or playing a game with her.

She’s become our life. We’ll fight for her and do everything possible to keep her from harm, I promise you that.”

“I can see that and feel it, Nick. Thank you. We hid to keep her away from the violence, the destruction he’s intent on,” she shook her head sadly.

The next instant all of them were running down the hall, Jase’s loud and solid shout breaking their peace.

“Hannah!”

She made it into the bedroom just barely before the two men, coming to a halt at the side of the bed, her head shook and tears fell.

“No….oh, Brea….”

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“She won’t wake up,” Jase growled. “Why? What’d she do?” Nick moved to her side, his hands out and touching her palms where they rested over her middle.

“She’s warm….she’s breathing normally….”

“She’s looking for him,” Hannah breathed shakily, the strength in the arms of her husband all holding her in place. “Oh, god, she went looking for him.”

“How do we wake her?” Jase demanded, anger and fear colliding inside him.

“You can’t. She has to come back on her own,” Hannah pushed away, pacing, hands up and in the short cropped platinum hair. “Lie next to her, both of you. Speak to her. Close your eyes and try and reach her….” 232

Brea knew where she was. Well, alright, that part wasn’t entirely accurate.

She knew where she wanted to go and found herself there as soon as she closed her eyes. She didn’t actually have a clue where she was.

This was her forest. She could smell the flowers, the moisture and the ferns.

But this time there were no small wings fluttering around her. She looked down, taking in the tap set she’d changed into. A frown creased her lips and she thought about one of the armor sets in the game she played.

A bright laugh broke free when she looked again and found the tap set had been replaced by the sexy armor of the game, including the knee high boots.

“Nice,” she said to herself, turning slightly and getting a feel for the walking not to mention the two short daggers resting at each hip.

She followed the path, softly calling out the name once and once again.

“Fuck.”

Brea turned and frowned. Not what she expected.

“Is it my fault you’re here? Or did my mother send you?” She took a step back, watching them both.

“Where the hell did you get that outfit?” Nick cleared his throat and groaned.

The last thing they needed to be thinking about now was how the idiot armor curved 233

around her ass like a swim suit. Or those deliciously long legs in boots and bare all the way to her crotch.

“Isn’t it wild? I thought of the one armor set from Warcraft and poof…..I like it.”

“Brea, we need to go home. I don’t know how the hell we got here, but this isn’t something you need to do right now,” Jase reached for her hand, his body freezing when the sound of branches breaking reached them. “Now, Brea. Take us home.”

“Afraid to come alone, child?” The voice as low and gravely, sneering and filled with contempt.

“Hardly,” Brea faced him, studying him now that she knew who he was. “I’m still getting the hang of a few things.”

“You brought shifters…..here?” He looked them up and down. “You’ve lain with them.” He accused coldly.

“Do you do anything but sneer when you speak of others? And seriously? You’re not in my life oh, my whole life and think you can make judgments on my choices?”

“Brea,” Jase growled. “Home. Now.”

“What are you trying to accomplish, Brea? “ Nick touched her face softly.

“I don’t think your pets are comfortable,” he said with a laugh.

“You fear them,” she said softly, thinking of their wolf forms and looking to the side to find them flanking her, ears alert and fangs bared. This one was gonna cost her, she thought with a wince. “I’ve learned a lot about scents the last few days. I can smell your fear, grandfather. But I’m not sure why you fear me.”

“I fear nothing,” eyes a solid black swept from her feet to her head. “Least of all 234

a half breed child.”

“If I’m so insignificant to you, why do you search for me? I’m just a child,” she said with a bright smile.

He made a move forward and her hands were up instantly.

There was keen satisfaction on her face when he slammed into the shield she’d thrown up using her magic as Wade had been teaching her. Seeing it in a container and just taking enough for what she wanted.

This she could do. This was like her game as she watched the magic in the container remain level and even grow a little when Jase and Nick rubbed against her thighs.

The satisfaction broke free in her grin when he looked stunned.

“Do you always look like that? Or is it a choice? Does my father look like you? I should ask,” she looked down when two growls came from her side. Her eyes rolled back.

She knew what the growl meant. Don’t torment the evil being.

“You guys are a fun kill. I have questions.”

“Would you prefer this, child?”

Brea watched as the tall, imposing figure shifted, shimmered and changed.

“Now you look like someone’s aged, white haired grandfather,” she said with a little nod. She gazed around. “Where is this place? I’m not familiar with the flowers.” She swore she heard her wolves groan.

“It isn’t a known place,” said the more human voice. “Except in the knowledge of 235

the ancients. I’m assuming your winged friends brought you here previously. And you returned, because you’re a curious child.”

“Oh, I am that,” she sighed and nodded. Her nose wrinkled. “It’s not a bad thing to be curious. But you still haven’t answered why you’re searching for me. What do I have that you want?”

“Do you believe I want something from you?” He returned curiously.

“Maybe power? But why do you need it? You seem easily powerful and strong.

This isn’t your real form either. I can feel you holding it in place. But I’m not sure the other one is, either. I think you use that one to frighten people,” Brea said thoughtfully.

“Are you just a normal looking person?”

She watched as he reached toward her again, his fingers sparking when they touched the shield. Her mouth opened and she frowned.

“Fangs? You get fangs, too?”

This time the growls were definitely louder.

“Oh, fine. Forget the fangs,” she said petulantly, pouting and walking forward.

“So you’re strong and have your own power. Please don’t tell me you want to do the whole take over the world thing. Lord, how dumb. Humans are nothing but trouble. You can’t control them. And if you kill them all, then what’s the point of being ruler?

Where’s my grandmother?”

“Good lord, child, is your brain always like this?” The being who had been pretending to look harmless shifted, shimmered again. This time replaced with an almost normal looking man barely touching forty and in a nicely fitted business suit. His 236

hair was pale and short and he was about the age her father should be. She wondered if he’d adjusted that for her.

“I’m afraid so. I’ve so many questions sometimes. Where is she?” But she’d seen a sadness in his eyes that he moved quickly to mask. “You miss her. Did she die?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped, touching out around her as they walked the wide path. He looked at her again, taking in the black cargo shorts and tee shirt. “Playing with your wardrobe?”

“This is comfortable. I’m not much of a warrior,” Brea offered with a shrug.

“And your bodyguards?”

“I sent them back…..at least I hope I sent them back. This isn’t their problem and I can’t let them be hurt,” she said softly. “I want my family to be peaceful. I don’t want to be sad and hurt like you are. I think it would make me want to die.”

“Why did you come here, child?” His voice had dropped, chilled and hard, a chord struck that he’s long ago buried.

“To meet you. Without all the wings and terror you caused last time. You frightened them….do we have other relatives? Like Uncles and Aunts? Cousins?” Brea met the scowl on his face with a hopeful grin.

She listened to the mumbling and had to speed up to keep up with him.

“Where do you live? I mean….in a house kind of live,” Brea came to a halt when he suddenly spun and made a grab for her. She didn’t know how she did it, but she blinked back about fifteen feet and watched the surprise on his face. Quick reflexes, she thought, just like you needed in the video game. “I don’t want to fight. I think you’re 237

just trying to frighten me. Did you miss my father? When he left? Do you have other children?”

“Silence!”

Brea felt the trees and everything growing around her shake with the shout. She swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry. I know I can be annoying sometimes.” She peeked over at him, back to walking along the path a few feet across from him. “Maybe I wouldn’t be so annoying if I’d grown up knowing you. You’d probably have armor against me by now.”

“I probably would have thrown you in a dungeon somewhere,” he growled back, his head shaking.

Brea laughed, a softly tinkling sound that seemed to make the leaves quiver gently above her.

“How did she die? Grandmother.” Brea asked after a few silent minutes. “Was she pretty?”

“Beautiful,” he answered, the first time he’d spoken of Regana. “She took my breath away.”

“Was she…” Brea thought for a minute. “Like you…..a demon.”

“No. She was human,” he answered coldly. “A perfect human….who should have stayed with her own species. She was too small, too delicate.”

“I’m sorry. She sounds nice.” She thought of things she’d been learning. About her family history. “She died having my father, didn’t she? That’s why he was sent away to live with his grandparents.”

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“You should return now. I tire of this and of you. Know that I will not be as tolerant or patient next time, child.”

“Why did you send others after me?” Brea watched the brief flash of denial and a little confusion on his face.

“I send no one for what I want, child. I go after it myself.” He turned from her.

“Wait! You haven’t told me what you want from me,” Brea said, one foot stomping when she realized she was talking to herself. Indulging herself, she growled before closing her eyes and hoping she knew what she was doing.

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