The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) (42 page)

“Stop it!” I jerked forward, feeling the knife dig
into my skin. “Leave him alone.”

Maxen loosened his grip. The sound of Sprig choking
and gasping for air tore me in half as a small whimper hummed from
my chest.

“Then I would do the wise thing and keep still. Even
with powers you are still a human to me and easily disregarded.
Garrett is exceptionally quick with a blade.” For emphasis Garrett
pressed the sharp metal into my throat. Blood slipped over the
metal down to my top. My stomach already coiled with nausea. The
toxins slowing down my system made me feel feverish and weak. The
two men on either side of me gripped me tighter as the contaminants
seeped into my blood stream. “I am curious to see how quickly the
goblin magic will affect you and how slow and agonizing your death
will be.”

A loud snarl came from Ryker. His neck muscles
vibrated with tension. “If you want me to do anything, you will let
her go.” Vadik stepped away from me, a gratified smirk on his
mouth. “Like you said, she is human and has nothing you need. Let
her go first, and then we can talk.”

What the hell was he thinking? Once again, Ryker was
putting up the stone for me?

Vadik arched his frame toward Ryker. “I knew I picked
the wrong girl. Who would have ever thought a human girl would
captivate you so much?” The way Vadik’s top lip curved over his
white teeth was more threatening than the knife in my throat. “I
guess I should not be surprised with your upbringing you would have
a weakness for humans.”

“This is between us. She has nothing to do with
this.”

Vadik sauntered over to Ryker’s kneeling form. “The
human might have no value
to me
, but she stays where she
is.”

No value? Ouch.

“Then you will
never
get the stone.” Spit flew
out of Ryker’s mouth.

Vadik nodded at Garrett. His hand crushed down on my
throat, the knife nicking at my vocals, forcing a gasp out of me.
Ryker lunged forward, bellowing with anger. The men around him
sliced their knives into his arms and neck in shallow cuts. Veins
in Ryker’s neck pushed against the skin. His lids inched down as
his system took in more poison.

“No. Stop.” I shook my head, requesting him to end
his struggle. If either one of us were doused with any more, we
would be useless. I knew from my years of being a Collector how
much goblin metal a fae could handle before going into a coma-like
state. Ryker’s neck, shoulders, and arms were already dripping with
blood from the blade wounds. I would be affected even faster.

Our fight was over. We lost.

We stared across the dark space at each other, the
wind howling around us. Defeat shown in our eyes as we stared at
each other. For one moment it was simply him and me. It was then I
realized I did love him—hopelessly.

For so long, I didn’t want to, thinking I was
betraying Daniel. He was gone, and I knew Daniel would want me
happy. No matter who it was. Fae or human.

My love for Daniel was the past. Ryker was who I
wanted in my future, except we would probably never have one.

“I respect your tenacity. But I told you, I get what
I want in the end.” Vadik studied Ryker with an intent interest.
“And whatever leverage I have to use, I will.” He clicked his
tongue. “Believe me, you will wish I simply killed your human right
here. She will too. Because there are far bigger plans destined for
her.”

Bigger plans?

“What are you talking about?” Ryker’s eyes flashed
with fury.

Vadik smiled and flicked his arm, motioning to
Garrett once again. Cadoc and the other fae holding me up pushed
into me, seizing me tighter so I couldn’t even wiggle.

“This is the part I’ve been waiting for all day. The
irony shouldn’t be lost on you,” Garrett whispered into my ear.
Ryker thrashed against his captives’ holds as he watched Garrett
move something toward me.

A cloth came over my face. A slightly sweet but sharp
smell clogged my nose.

Chloroform.

Hell.

The exact compound we used on fae when we collected
them for DMG.

I twisted my head, but Garrett smashed the fabric
into my face, covering my nose and mouth. The substance trickled
down my throat as I gasped for air.

I wiggled free of Garrett’s hand, my blurring vision
finding Ryker. “Promise me.” The drug already slurred my words.

Ryker’s eyes widened, understanding my meaning.
“No.”

“
Promise
me.”

“Promise her what?” Vadik glanced between us.

Ryker and I ignored him. Our eyes fastened on each
other. Finally he nodded, keeping his expression guarded. “I
promise.”

His words hit me like a weight, crushing me.

“Shut up.” Garrett’s rag found my mouth again, the
chemical scratching my throat and watering my eyes as it moved down
into my lungs.

My neck fell to the side, no longer able to hold my
head up. Muscles bent under the influence of the drug. My eyes
rolled past the men standing to my one side, landing on a murky
alley behind them. Two dark eyes sparkled through the blackness,
spearing me. I blinked, trying to stay focused on the shape. I was
the only one who noticed him. Lightness captured my mind, making it
harder to know what was real and what wasn’t. The figure took a
step, his sharp features and almond-shaped eyes becoming clearer
through the shadows.

Croygen.

Our eyes latched on to each other before he gave me a
slight nod and drifted farther into the shadows, vanishing from
sight and becoming a part of his surroundings.

Croygen
. My mouth tried to call for him, but
nothing came out.

Of course he would leave us. He was a pirate. Only
out for himself.

Yo-ho
...

Darkness seeped into my sight, my body no longer able
to fight, the tune humming in my mind drifted me toward my own
Neverland.

“Zoey!” Ryker cried out for me, sounding far away,
almost like I was being called from a different time and space.

I tried to turn my head, to look over at him, but
each eyelash weighted my lids down. My legs bowed as lethargy
ripped me quickly from the world. Arms encircled me, holding my
body up.

Don’t fall asleep.
I thrashed my head back and
forth, fighting the inevitable. I struggled to keep simple thoughts
from muddling my mind. My body no longer could support me and went
limp. Cadoc’s arms turned into a dark twisted spirit in my mind,
pulling me under the soil, dragging me to the obscure depths of the
earth.

No.

Inside my head I grasped frantically for something to
hold on to, to keep conscious. But everything I struggled for
turned to smoke, evaporating in my mind.

Nooooooooooo
. I felt myself fall, slipping
away into the void.

The deep, murky black swirled, lighting into gray
overcast. My limbs and mind were weighed down, forcing me to
struggle through the sludge, hauling myself into consciousness. A
rhythmic beep continuously broke into my peace, dragging me out of
nothingness, and away from the place where nothing hurt and nothing
was wrong.

Beep... Beep.

The sound rubbed at my eardrum, grating on my nerves.
I felt my forehead pinch in irritation. A stab of pain darted
between my eyes, and an involuntary groan fell from my mouth,
startling me out of my slumber. My lids blinked, immediately
blinded by light. Another moan came out from my throat as I pried
my eyes open again. Slowly, my sight adjusted to the brightness,
taking in the off-white paneled ceiling. A zigzag pattern displayed
on the heart monitor next to my head. The smell of rubbing alcohol
and chemicals saturated the inside on my nose, coating my
throat.

I know this place...
but my mind felt too
jumbled to make sense of the warning flickering through me.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Memories seeped into my mind, recalling my situation
before the drug had stolen my consciousness. Vadik. Amara. Garrett.
Sprig...

Ryker!
The Viking slammed into my head, and I
tried to sit up, but my body disregarded the impulse
. Where was
he? Was he safe?

Was I?

Anxiety pulsed into my veins, pumping my heart
faster.

Beepbeepbeepbeep.

A hand came up and flicked off the monitor. Peaceful
silence. “You are awake.” A figure moved in front of the light
above my head, the outline of a man. I squinted, blinking until
familiar blue eyes peered down at me.

No. This can’t be happening.

Dr. Boris Rapava nodded his head; his face held no
warmth or friendliness. “Welcome
home
, Zoey.” His eyes held
a glimmer of excitement I had seen in him when we brought in unique
specimens. “You’ve been out for weeks. There is much to catch up
on.”

Panic choked off my air.

Home?
Weeks?

Not home! I wasn’t
home
. But I
was
back
in the place where I was created.

With the man who gave me life...

And could take it away.

Thank you to
all my readers. Your opinion really matters to me and helps others
decide if they want to purchase my book. If you enjoyed this book,
please consider leaving an honest review on the site where you
purchased it. Thank you.

Want to find
out about my
next book
,
Across the Divide, Collector’s Series #3
?
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www.staceymariebrown.com

The hunter is now the hunted.

Zoey Daniels is becoming the very thing she once
despised. Fae.

After Zoey and Ryker finally found their way to each
other they are torn apart by an ex-girlfriend, a stone, and
mortality. Ryker’s powers have fully adapted to Zoey, slowly
killing him.

Now the mysterious feared demon, Vadik, has
discovered their location in Peru and has taken Ryker and sold Zoey
back to DMG. The very place which gave her life now might take it
away. Or someone she loves… Dr. Rapava is so obsessed with building
an army against the fae he will do anything to control Zoey and her
new found powers.

Zoey’s is forced to become an unfeeling brainwashed
soldier to survive. But when her survival depends on torturing one
to keep another alive, she is forced to make the ultimate
sacrifice.

Acknowledgements

I can’t believe how lucky I am to do what I love for
a living. I feel so blessed and I couldn’t do it without some
amazing people.

To Rachel at Mark My Words P.R.: So lucky to have
you. Could not do this without you!

To Jordan: Your developmental help and editing are
crucial to me. Your insights have made me a better writer. Thank
you!