Page 27

Liam

I hated watching and not being able to help. But sometimes, that was just the way it was. Seth kept looking in my direction, but couldn’t quite see me since he was channeling his magic elsewhere and couldn’t use it to see through my disguise.

I thought I’d given myself away when I went to grab the idiot who tried to walk past the line, but everyone had just taken it in stride.

And then Hazel touched me, and I thought she’d figure it out for sure.

But that little pat on the butt wasn’t enough for that.

It was nice, though. What wasn’t so nice was being told I was a good boy by Tommy Newman.

Yuck. It was so wrong.

I was wondering if I could get away with sniffing Hazel’s ass when a shrilly screamed, “Seth!” had my heart sinking. I looked up to see Seth walking toward The Breach like a zombie, with Tansy, his sister, hanging onto him.

Tansy was a witch and a sorceress of high caliber as well, though she didn’t have nearly the experience Seth had had through his life, since she found her magic only in recent years.

But her magic was tied up with the spell right now, and all she could do was try to stop him physically.

Hazel’s eyes were on Seth too as a massive naga, Sybil’s mate, slithered in to help.

Zayn picked Seth up with his human half and hurried toward the containment area, keeping a wide berth of The Breach, his thick serpentine coils making fast progress.

But Seth wasn’t the type to be manhandled easily.

There was a loud bang, and both were flung sky-high.

The naga landed with a crash, but Seth stopped falling several feet from the ground and started floating quickly toward the center of The Breach’s maw.

Distracted by her mate’s hard landing, Sybil faltered, and The Breach started swelling again.

“Seth!” It was Hazel who screamed.

Me? I only managed a bark.

I had to go help. Luckily for me, everyone was watching the proceedings, so I went behind a cruiser and came out as myself. I flew toward my man.

The trio of witches I’d spent last night with had separated themselves from their spot in the circle and were focused on Seth now, pulling him back with their combined magic.

This only angered him. He lashed out again, and his anger caused Lily and Penny to fly into the air.

Prax caught his mate before her hard landing.

And another Redrock brother, Graham, jumped up to catch Lily in his arms.

I was still gunning for Seth, but Mateo in manticore form got to him before I did. He pumped his wings hard, bringing Seth closer to the containment area. Seth was about to fling his friend off when I arrived.

“Stop! Seth. Stop.” I wrapped myself around him, making myself light as a feather so I wasn’t an excess burden to the manticore. “You’re going to hurt the people you love.”

Seth looked downright mean. It was the same look he got when he was facing down an adversary, and he was in it to win it. I wasn’t sure if he would even recognize me, but he did, at least for a short moment.

“Liam?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

He cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his hand.

But it only lasted a moment. The bitch behind The Breach pulled him back, promising who-knew-what just to get him to be under her thumb again.

I could see him trying to fight it. But the brief moment of clarity was enough for Mateo to deposit him on solid ground.

“Get him inside,” he demanded. “I’ll go find Little Bit.”

I looked around and saw that it wasn’t the larger containment area with the other men but an armored EA truck.

I quickly pulled Seth inside, and the door closed on us, locking shut.

Looking out the tiny blast-proof window, I saw that they’d pulled several more spell casters from the circle to keep the truck contained.

They stood a distance away from the area, watching Seth warily.

If they believed Seth would give them trouble, they were probably correct.

I worried there wasn’t enough magic here to both hold him and keep The Breach under control for long.

And sure enough, without him at the front line and with all the others pulled from the circle, The Breach was growing again.

Elena and Tansy joined us just outside of Seth’s personal containment zone, even as he started to rage at being held. The inside of that truck didn’t survive the first blast, and I worried he’d hurt himself in there.

Frustrated and unable to do anything, I popped out to join his mother and sister as I tried to remember what he’d said about The Breach trying to tempt him before. “I don’t know how to help him,” I said, feeling completely useless.

“What about Hazel? Where is she?” Elena asked. “You should all be together.”

I shook my head. “We had a fight, and—”

“Forget the fight. This is bigger than that,” Elena tsked. “Go. Find her and bring her here.”

Not knowing what else to do, I did.

I found Hazel wringing her hands.

“Is he okay?” she blurted out the moment she saw me.

I shook my head. “He’s still trying to get to The Breach.”

“Fuck!” Mike swore. “That thing’s been growing since Seth left the circle. A few of the other men were able to rejoin once The Breach focused on him, but it’s not making a difference.”

I focused on Hazel and spoke softly. “Remember what Seth said about being able to resist The Breach because he had many things anchoring him to this world? There was nothing it could offer him because he already had everything he wanted?” I held out my hand to her. “We can be a stronger anchor together.”

She took my hand but then pulled back. “Why can’t that blonde anchor him?”

Was that jealousy I detected? That was a good thing, right?

“You mean Tansy? She’s his sister. She’s already there with Elena. You’re the only one missing.” I worried I’d already said too much; this was in no way, shape, or form discreet like she wanted.

But she was already coming with me. I guided her back to the armored truck, which was now Seth’s prison. The whole thing rattled like he was setting off bombs inside, and the witches containing him looked exhausted already.

“He’s in there?” Hazel asked, clearly worried.

Elena nodded grimly.

“I’ll form a shield around you,” I said. “But only if you are sure you want to go in.”

As if trying to deter her, another flash came from the truck, and it rattled violently.

Hazel looked over at The Breach, which had reclaimed enough ground that everyone had moved back to the last red line. “I’m sure.”

“Brave woman,” mumbled one of the witches.

“Okay, you gotta move fast,” Mateo said. “I’m opening it in three, two, one.”

He opened the door, and Hazel and I barreled in right after dodging a rogue fireball that flew out. I latched onto Seth immediately, and so did Hazel.

“Seth, baby. We’re here. You don’t need whatever that thing promised you,” I said. “Hazel, say something.”

“Seth? You in there?” She reached for his face.

Seth blinked. “Liam? Hazel?” Except instead of reaching for us, his arms were reaching toward nothing.

“We’re right here,” I said, grabbing an arm.

Hazel grabbed the other.

“No. That’s not possible. It ate you.”

Was that what The Breach had shown him to get him to go toward it?

“No!” Hazel exclaimed. “Liam’s right here.” She took his hand and put it on me. “See? Whole. And as alive as a demon could be. And all yours.”

His eyes glazed over for a split second.

“Don’t listen to it. Just touch instead.”

“Yes,” Hazel said. “If you can’t trust your eyes or your ears, then just touch.” She went on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Then, for the first time, I felt her magic working to nullify the hold The Breach had on Seth. Her power must’ve determined that this magic was dangerous to her, and was actively counteracting it.

Seth closed his eyes, and his hands started to move over our bodies, and just like every other time he’d touched me, magic started growing in the very air between us.

Soon it was swirling in the confines of the armored truck, sparkling and shimmering.

When Seth opened his eyes again, they were clear and alert.

He was back!

“Where are we?”

“Locked inside an armored truck,” I explained. “You weren’t yourself, and it was the only way to stop you from helping The Breach swallow half of Darlington.”

“Shit!” He rubbed his temple—or tried to—since Hazel was still holding onto the other arm. He looked surprised to see her there. “Hazel!” He looked at the singed walls of the truck. “Fuck! You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“I was protecting her.”

“I’m not hurt,” she said. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

Seth grabbed me first and kissed me hard.

I leaned into him and the bindings that held us together, which were so lovingly crafted compared to the ones that had once held me prisoner.

I couldn’t imagine a life without him. His lips were firm but soft, and I devoured him right back, hungry for everything I could get.

I chased his lips all the way over to Hazel’s, and he kissed her too as I watched their lips and tongues tangle.

There was a knocking on the door, followed by Mateo asking, “Is it safe to open up?”

Hazel looked a bit flustered as she smoothed her hands down her hair, but to her credit, she did not release Seth.

“It’s safe,” I exclaimed.

“Come on, Seth,” Mateo taunted. “No more snoozing. Get out here and finish the job.”