The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) (23 page)

Sprig stuck his tongue out at the Wanderer.

“We can discuss Sprig’s existence later. Right now we
need to go. Before
some
of us get frostbite.” Ryker glanced
over to me.

Amara’s head snapped back to Ryker. The shock from
Sprig now replaced by her earlier irritation. “Ryker, you are not
thinking this through.”

Croygen had been silent while observing, blending in
with the background. I forgot he was there. “I’m with Amara. If we
are going to get the stone, we should do it now.”

Ryker stiffened, his eyes flickering over Amara’s
head to Croygen with distrust. “That would be convenient for you
wouldn’t it, Croygen? You’d love to have the stone. How many of
your problems would disappear if you had it, huh?” Ryker
challenged. “You are not part of this. Just go. You’re done with
your obligation to me.”

“If it could only be true.” Croygen’s boots met
Ryker’s, and he leaned his head back to stare the few inches up at
the Wanderer.

“Still hovering around, waiting for scraps.” Ryker’s
lip curled.

“Yeah, and you’re such a catch. Leave one woman in a
prison to be tortured and beaten while you’re getting your rocks
off with another.”

The moment before you move to attack someone holds a
palpable pressure, like a drop in the barometer. I knew it well
from fighting. I instantly grabbed for Ryker, pulling him back with
little effect as Amara jumped in between them.

“Stop!” She hit her hands on both their chests and
turned to Ryker. “Croygen saved my life. And if
she
is a
part of it, then so is he.” Amara jutted her chin to me.

“Mar—”

“No, Ryker.” Amara waved her arms. “He has as much
right as her.”

Ryker breathed in, his lungs expanding.

“Either it’s only the two of us, or it’s the four of
us.” Amara motioned to herself and Ryker. She leaned closer,
expressing this was her real wish.

Croygen’s annoyed glare flicked to the side, and he
stepped back. Ryker’s face was expressionless.

“Fine,” Ryker stated. “But we go back to Peru.”

Amara observed him for a moment and swallowed. “As
usual, it’s always by your rules.” She straightened her shoulders
and clomped over to the table, rolling up the map. “Fine. Let’s
go.” Her rage charged the air. So much magic rippled off her it
blurred the edges of her body.

“Medusa’s getting stone-cold mad,” Sprig said.
Silence filled the area. “Get it? Stone-cold... You know, because
Medusa—”

All heads swung to the animal on my shoulder.
“Sprig,” I warned. “Shut up now.”

“Jeez, you guys have no sense of humor.”

Croygen directed us to the Otherworld door, not
hesitating before he crossed over, disappearing. I was next to
follow, but a hand came down on my shoulder.

“If you are the reason Ryker dies,” Amara’s voice
whispered harshly in my ear from behind, “I will kill you myself.”
With a shove, my body stumbled through the door.

I whirled around to retaliate, but halted when both
she and Ryker stepped through together. Looking like an idyllic
couple, her arm looped through his.

He seemed oblivious to her territorial claim. He
listened as she filled him in on what happened to her as we made
our way back through the doors to Peru. His only interruptions were
to ask her more about Vadik and everything she could remember about
the infamous man. No one had seen him before, and Ryker was intent
on learning everything he could.

Finally we reached the entry we used in the forest of
Peru. The moment I stepped back into the warmth of South America, I
moaned happily. Thawing, I rubbed at my fingers and toes. We hadn’t
been in Aguas Calientes long, but it already felt like home.
Seattle held much sadness and death in my memory. This place was a
new beginning, and I liked the life Ryker, Sprig, and I were
forming here—a happy bubble—a fragile haven, which burst the moment
we stepped into the fae door. It would have happened eventually,
but I wasn’t ready for it to end this soon. We had finally let our
walls down, let each other in, and now the close feeling was gone.
What if I would never have his lips on mine, or feel him inside me
again? I shook my head.
I can’t think of it right now.

If it was possible, the trek back to the village felt
even longer. Watching Amara walk next to Ryker and touching him
every chance she got, the reality of the situation was setting in.
It was like someone was grinding my heart, mincing it into slop.
Anger and agony pressed down on me, weighed my body down, and there
was nothing I could do about it. I was the other woman. The bitch.
The one who slept with an unavailable man. I had known this was
coming, but I heedlessly jumped anyway.

Stupid!

My ribs crushed down on my lungs, strangling the air
from my lungs. Hurt tore into my soul, causing me to stagger to the
side.

“You all right,
Bhean
?” Sprig was still on my
shoulder, his hand touching my cheek.

“Yeah.” Of course I wasn’t fine. About anything.

“You don’t look so good.”

I couldn’t breathe. I grasped at my chest, my feet
tripping over a shrub.

“Whoa.” Sprig’s nails dug into my skin as he clung
on. “Viking?” he yelled for Ryker.

Was it finally happening?
Terror ran cold down
my spine. I didn’t know if I’d die slow or fast. It wasn’t a detail
Daniel ever got around to explain. I was really hoping it was the
latter.

“Zoey?” I heard Ryker call for me.

If we were alone, dying in his arms would be a good
way to go, but I didn’t want Amara and Croygen there. I wanted to
be home, safe in the bed Ryker and I had shared many nights.

The world around me swirled, making me dizzy. I heard
my name again before my eyes shut and a rush of air swished past
me. I felt the soft mattress beneath my body before anything else.
Without opening my eyes I knew I was back home.

“Dingle droppings!” Sprig’s arms and legs were
wrapped around my neck, holding on for dear life. He eventually
untangled himself and lay on the pillow next to me.

My lids lifted but my head still spun, and I quickly
shut them again, bile rumbling around in my stomach. Guilt twisted
it even more. Every time I used his magic, Ryker’s powers became a
little bit more mine. In a way I was murdering him. Slowly and
torturously.

“Uh-oh. Code red.” Sprig’s voice opened my eyes
again. “All over the sheets.”

Blood dripped from my nose and soaked into the newly
changed white bedding. The poor maid should be getting overtime
with us. Disappointment slammed into me; it was over now. Would the
housekeeper have to change the sheets for Ryker and Amara? I barely
got to the toilet in time.

Heaviness dropped me to my knees. Utter loneliness I
hadn’t felt since before Lexie came into my life constricted my
chest. Dying only roused the feeling stronger. Isolating me. It
sent thoughts of Sera into my mind. She would understand. If she
only believed me when I told her we were DMG’s experiments. I
didn’t blame her for not trusting me; it did sound crazy. And it’s
not like we ever liked each other.

I truly had no one, and it almost crippled me. When I
was young I turned the emotion to anger and lashed out. It was not
so simple now.

Blood poured from nose, zapping me of energy. By the
time it stopped, and I cleaned myself up, I barely could get back
to the bed. I crumpled onto the mattress and wrapped my body with
an extra sheet left on the table. Sprig was sound asleep on the
other pillow, his snores fluttering in the air.

My lashes dropped, and I quickly joined him, letting
sleep take me.

Heated voices roused me out of my slumber.

“I’m sorry, I’m confused. I don’t understand what is
going on here, Ryker. Do you
care
about her or something?”
Amara’s voice stirred my lids to open, but I closed them tighter.
“She is
human
.”

“I know that,” Ryker’s deep voice responded. The room
was tiny, but it sounded like they stood at the foot of the bed by
the table, underneath the windows.

“You
despise
humans.”

“I still do.”

Ouch
.

“Or at least I used to,” he huffed. “Look. I don’t
want to discuss Zoey with you, but she and I have gone through a
lot. She’s made me see things differently.”

I could no longer keep my eyes closed. I cracked them
enough to let a sliver of light break through, to watch them
without them knowing I was awake.

I was not above eavesdropping.

“See things differently?” she repeated. “If I didn’t
know you as well as I do, I’d say something was going on between
you. But I know you would
never
fall for a human. Ever.
Especially when your
girlfriend
is locked in a prison being
tortured. For you!”

“Mar—”

“Be careful, Ryker. You might tolerate her, but she
clearly has a crush on you. You need to stop it now. I am back. She
needs to understand her place.”

Understand my place! Excuse me?

Ryker’s silence cut into my heart.

“The girl already has to die for you. You should
simply help her do it now and get it over with.”

“Amara!” Ryker seethed.

“What? It’s the truth. She has to die, Ryker. You
need your powers back. Her life is a blink of an eye to ours. She
could step out tomorrow and get hit by a car or something. Humans
are fragile. You were the one always telling me that.”

“Yeah, I did.” He let his sentence trail off. “But
she has shown me they are not as delicate as I thought. At least
not this one.”

“Wow,” she snorted. “She has really made you
soft.”

“Excuse me?”

“Where is the intimidating Wanderer I knew? The
man
I knew? Can you still lift your axe, or do you need help
with it?”

Ryker growled, grabbing her arm.

“There he is.” She let her head drop back, pushing
herself in. Her hand went for his cargo buttons. “Oh, it looks like
all of you are here.”

The impulse to lunge for her, ripping her away from
him, sawed my teeth together. My fists were always my first
reaction. And I struggled to not let the Avenging Angel come to the
surface.

Calm down, Zoey. Busting her lip and breaking her
fingers will not help the situation.

But I really wanted to.

“Stop.” He gripped her wrist tighter.

“Why?” She glanced at me and back to him. “She’s out
cold. Croygen has vanished. And don’t tell me you haven’t been
dreaming about this for the last month.” She pulled the first
button free. “My gods, do you know how many nights I dreamed you
were inside me, recreating the night we had in Rome?”

Ryker’s lids shut, squeezing them tight. “Stop,” he
whispered hoarsely.

“You want to fuck me, Ryker. Don’t deny it.” She
leaned up, her voice husky. “Right here.”

Frozen. I had no air. Not a muscle twitched.

Ryker inhaled and exhaled rapidly while Amara undid
the rest of his buttons.

I wanted to scream. To stop him, but nothing came
out.

“No!” Ryker barked, moving out of her reach. She
stilled, shock furrowing her brow. “Things are not the same as
before.”

“What are you talking about?” Amara’s head once again
flicked over to my “sleeping” form. “Are-are you telling me you
don’t love me anymore?”

“Mar, come on. You know I am not capable of loving
anyone. And you can’t say you ever really loved me. It’s what made
us compatible.”

“I didn’t love you? I was tortured for you!” She
shoved at his chest.

They both stood there, breathing heavy.

“Oh my gods... have you fallen for
her
?”
Amara’s voice rose in astonishment, like it was the first time she
considered the notion an actual possibility.