From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4) (43 page)

“Do you want to see how friends and those you
care about only hinder you?” His mouth curved into a smug grin.

I lowered my gun, my lids narrowing on him.
Sprig stirred under my loose ponytail, keeping out of sight.

Rapava took my lack of response as a yes and
stepped to the side, nodding down toward the back wall.

I gasped but quickly swallowed back my true
emotions.

Against the wall sat Kate and Delaney. Their
hands were bound in front of them as they sat on the floor, fear
deep in their eyes.

The two people who had secretly been on my
side and helped me escape were now his hostages. Bait. And he had
me reeled in.

####

“Let them go,” I ground out, straining my
neck muscles.

Rapava smirked and turned for the table
beside him, reaching for something. “I caught them trying to steal
these.” Rapava picked up a yellow-and-green folder stuffed full of
documents, notes, and information. My gut dropped to my knees.
Daniel’s files. The ones I lost the day we jumped to Peru when
Ryker and I were being attacked by my own people.

“I always knew one day Kathryn would step out
of line. Her sympathy for fae…” He trailed off, looking back at
her. “Even having a fae lover.”

Kate’s eyes widened as Rapava revealed he
knew about her and Dunn.

“There is nothing I don’t know,” Rapava spat.
“I, too, have spies out there. You were never one up on me.”

Kate’s throat bobbed as she swallowed
nervously, keeping her eyes on Rapava and her mouth shut.

Through the glass, his cool blue eyes darted
back to mine. “I will always be smarter and one step ahead of
everyone here.” He pulled out a gun from his coat pocket.

“No. Don’t.” My feet rushed to the glass,
fear taking over my limbs. Seeing Rapava with a gun felt wrong. It
didn’t fit the image of the studious scientist I had seen him as
for so many years.

Almost as if he were reading my thoughts, he
glanced down at the pistol in his hand. “I always preferred science
over violence. Brains over mindless weapons. It takes no
intelligence or wit to kill a person.” He licked his bottom lip and
stared back at me. “But I’ll bet you didn’t know that I trained as
a soldier? To get away from my father I joined the army. The
government swiftly realized they were wasting my talents as a
mindless fighter. I worked my way quickly into intelligence,
working as a spy. It was where I discovered the classified files on
fae. It was also how I escaped to the United States, using one of
my missions to defect. I knew so much about Russia’s plans and
secrets about fae that even the Americans were unaware of, they
couldn’t disregard me. The US government brought me in. I became
invaluable to them, and from there they allowed me to continue my
studies and start my own work.”

He reached over and touched the top green
folder. “The government knows only what they want to know. They
don’t understand the true threat of fae. But I have enough
supporters that these files would have been useless to you. They
like being in the dark. As long as I keep protecting them, allowing
them to think they are safe, tucked in their beds each night with
their milk and cookies, they don’t care how far I have to go.
Ignorance is bliss to the stupid.”

Every time Rapava let me see inside his head,
the more frightened I became. His god complex ran deep. He thought
himself above everyone, even the highest tiers of the
government.

“So, Kathryn.” Boris turned toward his work
colleague. “If you thought you were hiding the truth about your
daughter’s parentage from me, you sorely underestimated me. Like I
told you, there isn’t anything I don’t know, or that I am at least
steps ahead on.”

Kate’s body jerked as she slumped back harder
into the wall, fear and horror contorting her features. Her eyes
watered as she pushed herself to her feet. At her movement Rapava
gripped the gun, pulling it up slightly.

“Please, Boris. I beg you. Please don’t hurt
her.” Kate’s bottom lip shook, but she kept her gaze locked on
him.

“Your daughter is more human than fae and
holds very little magic. She is of no use or threat to me,” Rapava
replied, making it clear he had already tested her. “But oddly
enough, your
granddaughter
has strong fae magic in her.”

It was in that moment everything changed. The
shift in Kate’s expression went from scared to fierce. It was like
watching a movie, an outsider to what was about to happen.
Everything went so fast, but so slow at the same time.

Words burned in my throat, but before I could
get them out, Kate with her arms still tied, bulldozed toward the
doctor, a screech tore from her lips. Rage converted her face into
a feral animal.

Rapava’s eyes widened, his arm with the gun
lifting, his finger pushing back on the trigger.

“Nooooo!” A cry broke through the room.
Delaney stood up and hurtled toward the doctor.

Boom
. The room shook with the
rebounding sound.

I flinched back with a cry. Sprig shrieked as
blood sprayed the window in front of us, coating it with dripping,
red liquid. Delaney’s eyes went wide, blinked, then she fell to the
ground. My hand went to my mouth, bile burning my esophagus.

“No,” Kate screamed, her knees hitting the
ground as she wiggled closer to Delaney. Delaney gulped, her eyes
wide with terror, her body twitching and moving. The hole in her
stomach painted her scrubs a deep maroon color, the floor puddling
with blood. “You’re going to be all right. Stay with me.” Kate
leaned over, getting closer to the girl, and set her tied hands
over the wound. “You hear me? You’re going to be all right.” Kate’s
voice broke, sobs fizzing up.

Delaney nodded at Kate, lifting her tied
hands to Kate’s face and wiped tears away from her eyes. A wordless
exchange passed between them, a closeness, a bond only they shared.
Kate leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Then Delaney
closed her eyes, her body going limp. Dead. Another casualty of Dr.
Boris Rapava.

Kate took another moment, then sat back on
her heels, her head slowly twisting to Rapava. “You are a
murderer,” she seethed.

“Don’t be naïve, Kathryn. So are you. You are
no different.”

Her lips went up as she got to her feet. “I
am nothing like you.”

“You admit fae lives don’t count then? The
murders you committed aren’t the same?” Rapava’s eyebrow
lifted.

Kate’s shoulders rose, taking in a deep
breath.

“How many have you tested and let die while
you tried to build evidence against me?” Anger darted from the
doctor’s gaze. “We are the same. Even if we wanted different
things, you let fae die for your cause as well. A few sacrificed
for the masses because you also had the bigger picture in
sight.”

Kate’s breath came out shaky. I could see ire
building behind her eyes. It was like watching two fighters
provoking each other until one couldn’t take it anymore and
reacted.

I had to stop her. Otherwise she would be the
one lying on the floor next to Delaney. I moved slowly to the
door.

“What are you doing,
Bhean
?” Sprig
whimpered softly in my ear. It wasn’t really a question, but more a
hope he was wrong in what he thought I was doing.

“Go. Now.” I kept my eyes locked on the two
people in the room. “I’m in this all the way, but get out of here.
Please.”

“No way,
Bhean
. If you’re here, I’m
here. I will never leave you.”

His words made my heart swell with love but
also pump with fear. Everyone I loved got hurt. I couldn’t take it
if anything happened to him.

“Sprig…”

“Don’t bother. I’m sticking to you like a
monkey on your back.” He snickered softly. “Get it?”

This wasn’t the time for jokes, but a smile
still fluttered over my mouth. “Just so you know,” I whispered.
“You’re my best friend. I love you, buddy.”

“Same,
Bhean
. And I love
you…
almost
as much as honey.” He nuzzled my ear. “Okay,
maybe you’re equal, but only because you have an enchanted bra with
magically delicious tits.”

“It’s always about boobs with you boys.”

“Only when they pop out honey like a
toaster.”

I got to the door and reached up to the code
box. I was going to have to be fast. Really fast. I took a deep
breath, gripping the gun with my left hand as I typed with my
right. The eleven-digit code pinged as I hit every number. The
release echoed in my ears along with my breath. I just needed to
get Kate out safely. That was the only goal I had in that moment. I
flung the door open, my gun pointed up, ready to shoot. Hope fell
around my boots, sticking them to the floor.

Kate leaped for Rapava, using my entrance to
attack, her eyes set on the gun.

“No!” I shrieked.

“You monster!” Kate wailed.

Rapava twisted back around to Kate just as
she plowed into him. He stumbled back, his arm rose in the air and
came down with a crack, the handle of the gun striking the crown of
her head like a drum.

I felt a scream bubble up in me as Kate fell
to the floor with a thud. There was a stunned moment before I
shuffled to her. “Kate!”

“Stop right there, Ms. Daniels.” Rapava
whirled around, the gun pointed between my brows.

I skidded to a stop, adrenaline pumping in my
ears. I kept my head facing the doctor, but my gaze drifted to the
newest body on the floor. Blood trailed from the wound down her
forehead, slipping over her nose and dripping to the ground like
raindrops. Her chest still rose in shallow movements.
She’s
alive
. Relief exhaled from my lungs. She was knocked out and
had one hell of a lump on her head, but she was alive.

I lifted my weapon back to Rapava, both of us
staring at each other in a standoff.

“You’re not going to shoot me.” He
smiled.

“Don’t underestimate my hatred for you,” I
growled, edging closer.

“Oh, I don’t doubt you hate me, but your
drive for knowledge, where you came from, what I’m doing behind
those doors is much
more
powerful than hate.”

My throat closed around the wrath I held in,
filling the gaps with disgust and revulsion at myself because he
was right. The burning need to see the truth behind the curtain, to
know more about my origins, my parents, the sperm donors,
overwhelmed me. But I didn’t want him to know that.

“I’ve lived this long without knowing.” I
took a step closer, the barrel pinpointed at his chest.

“You mean you’re not curious about the little
blonde girl who has been screaming your name, hoping you will come
rescue her?”

Annabeth
. Emotions I couldn’t even
name wove inside my throat, choking me. “What have you done to
her?”

“You keep putting me in the role of the bad
guy. Why can’t any of you see I am doing all this for you, for
humans?”

“I don’t even think
you
believe that
lie anymore.”

Rapava tilted his head, watching me
carefully. “Put the gun down. It’s up to you if you want to see
your friend again or not.”

“You’re going to take me to her?”

“I am going to do better. I am going to show
you what I’ve accomplished.” A strange glint hinted in his eyes
like an excited boy about to reveal his favorite toy at
show-and-tell. “You have been a big part of it. Both you and Sera.”
The way he said it caused an icy sensation to tingle the back of my
neck. My finger twitched on the trigger. “I know Daniel trained you
well, but I promise you, with my background, I could shoot that
thing off your shoulder and drive a bullet through your brain
before you could even blink.”

I had never seen the ruthless soldier in
Boris Rapava. He had always been the scientist, the doctor. Now I
caught a glimpse of his military training, the cold disregard for
human life. He only kept me alive before because he needed me.
Something had changed, and I could feel it in my soul. He no longer
needed me. I had understood when we were planning this I had little
chance of walking out alive. But I needed to try for Annabeth.

I set my gun on top of the files. I could
still hear Daniel’s words in my head:
Don’t let DMG get hold of
these
. But I failed. I failed him in so many ways.
I am so
sorry, Daniel.

Rapava grabbed the extra weapon and pushed me
back out of the room. I gave one last glance to the bodies on the
floor. One would never get up again. Delaney had known the risks,
the danger of working here, but she stayed, willing to fight for
her beliefs. This should not have been her end. It wasn’t fair. But
life was anything but fair, and I knew that too well. Kate would
have a hell of a headache, but at least she would wake up. I hoped
it would be soon after we left.
Run, Kate. Run fast.

Sprig held tight to my shoulder as we moved
awkwardly out the main door into the hallway. My gut screamed to
run as we stopped in front of the large doors. I wasn’t sure I was
ready to see what lay on the other side. Truth doesn’t always set
you free. Sometimes it’s the precise thing that drags you down into
the darkness to the place from where you can never return.

I was terrified because I felt certain of one
thing—I was not coming back. I needed to make sure Annabeth, Sprig,
and Kate escaped. But for me and the stone in my pocket, this was
our last stop. The Unseelie King could dig it out of the rubble,
next to my dead body. And Rapava’s.

Ryker was unaware I took it back. When he
stayed behind in the room at Vadik’s warehouse, I took the
opportunity to pinch it out of Sprig’s bag, giving him a honey
packet to distract him. It might have started out as Ryker’s
burden, but it was
mine
now. The stone and I had a
connection he never had. Maybe I seemed weaker, but for some reason
the stone picked me. Whatever the purpose, it remained my
obligation. I could feel it in my soul. The stone had dug deep into
me and would not let me go so easily, a realization almost scarier
than the demons behind the wall. I wasn’t sure I wanted it to let
me go.