Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats) Read online

  Kiarra blinked. “Naughty?”

  Neena gave Jaxton a sly glance. “He may not be able to control himself around such a beautiful woman.”

  “Neena,” Jaxton growled in warning.

  Neena laughed and blew him a kiss. “No worries, Kiarra. I wouldn’t leave you with someone dangerous, although I think a little danger makes life interesting.” Neena moved her gaze to Jaxton. “Of course, others just need a kick in the posterior once in a while to keep them in check.”

  Ignoring Neena, Jaxton looked Kiarra straight in the eye and motioned forward. He could only imagine what she thought of him now.

  She hesitated, but after Neena gave her a gentle push, she came a little closer. The unsure woman now in front of him was the exact opposite of the woman who’d stabbed him. There was strength in there somewhere and he would have to extract it the only way he knew how—by pushing her boundaries.

  Jaxton put out his hand. “We’ll start training tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter Five

  The room swayed back and forth as Kiarra struggled to stay upright and focus on what Neena and Jaxton were saying to each other. Between shaking off the aftereffects of the tranquilizer, her lack of food, and an overload of new information, Kiarra was exhausted.

  She’d contemplated sitting down on the nearby bed, but then Neena had given her a push and now Kiarra stood in front of Jaxton, his hand out, telling her they’d start training tomorrow.

  Taking his hand would make things easy. Yet due to her exhaustion—or maybe fueled by her newfound hope, Kiarra didn’t know—but she ignored his proffered hand and blinked to bring his face back into focus. “I haven’t agreed to stay with—let alone work with—you yet.”

  He retracted his hand. “It’s not open for discussion. I’ll train you, and when you’re ready, you’ll work for DEFEND. Think of it as the price for rescuing you from the AMT.”

  So bossy. “I never asked you to rescue me…” She paused as the room started to spin. Kiarra closed her eyes, hoping that the lightheadedness would pass.

  Lights danced across the inside of her eyelids. She took a deep breath, smelling a familiar combination of soap and clean male, but the dizziness didn’t go away. She knew what was coming. This had happened before, a few months ago, after a grueling three days of medical tests.

  She was going to faint.

  Kiarra opened her eyes, but ignored Jaxton’s outstretched arms and tried to take a step toward the bed. If she could just sit down a minute and put her head between her legs, she could regain her composure and avoid showing any more weakness in front of Jaxton and Neena. For some reason, she wanted to show them that she could be strong if she tried hard enough.

  She took another step toward the bed, but faltered, her knees buckling. Warm hands grabbed her arms before she blacked out.

  “Kiarra, lovey, focus.”

  The darkness around her gradually faded as light came over the horizon, highlighting the trees of the surrounding forest. Birds chirped in the distance, their song joined by the bubbling creek somewhere behind her.

  Kiarra looked around and realized that she was standing in the middle of a forest, with no memory of how she’d gotten there. She heard a whistle and looked up to see Neena perched in a tree, her blue cape swirling in the nonexistent wind.

  “Neena?”

  Neena smiled. “Do you like my cape? It makes me feel a bit like a superhero.”

  The woman swung down from the branch and flourished her cape before taking Kiarra’s hand in hers. “Yes, my dear, it’s me, Neena. You fainted, but a little unconsciousness is nothing to me.”

  Kiarra frowned. She didn’t remember fainting. Was she dreaming?

  Neena said, “Of course you are, my dear. Few people can converse with the unconscious. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Neena tilted her head. “But let’s get serious for a moment. If you ever need to talk to me, you can contact me through your dreams. It will take a little training to learn how to do it properly, but if you think of me whilst dreaming, I will try to get in touch.”

  “How can you—”

  “That explanation is for another time. Just remember, think of me in your dreams and I will try to answer.”

  Neena snapped her fingers and the forest disappeared.

  Kiarra opened her eyes. She was back in the blue bedroom where she’d first woken up, except now the room was low-lit, with shadows on the walls. “It was only a dream,” she said with a sigh of relief.

  “Was it one of the good kind of dreams where you wake up all hot and bothered? Those are my favorite.”

  A light turned on, Kiarra shot up in the bed, and her head exploded with pain. Her hands flew to her pounding head, but after a few deep breaths, she was able to focus again. She opened her eyes to see a man with light brown skin and short, spiky hair sitting across from her. He seemed vaguely familiar. “Who are you?”

  The man picked up a blue covered cup with a straw and walked toward her. He was shorter than Jaxton, but broader through the shoulders. “It figures that the boss forgot to mention me. He doesn’t like the competition, especially since women prefer me ten to one.” He grinned and winked. “I guarantee a good time.”

  She frowned. His wink and full-on grin made her suspicious. “Are you teasing me?”

  He whistled and shook his head. “We’re going to have to work on your sense of humor.” He held out the covered cup. “I’m Marco, the boss’s right-hand man.”

  She gingerly took the cup, but didn’t drink as she eyed the easygoing man. Marco’s manner was definitely different from the guards and researchers inside the AMT.

  Marco held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. “If you’re worried that the smoothie is poisoned, give it here. I’ll drink first to prove that it’s safe, and then when you take a sip, I’ll revel in our indirect kiss.”

  Blood rushed to Kiarra’s cheeks, and unsure of how to respond to that, she held out the cup to Marco. He winked at her as he placed his lips around the straw and took a deep pull. He sat back, smacked his lips and said, “Tasty. Try it for yourself.”

  Kiarra took a few sips; the tart, fruity taste was almost too much for her taste buds.

  Now that her stomach was no longer rumbling, she eyed Marco and decided that a man with laugh lines around his mouth and crinkles at the corners of his eyes probably wouldn’t strike her for asking questions.

  She cleared her throat. “Where are Jaxton and Neena?”

  He waved his hand. “Neena’s gone home and Jaxton is busy. I’m here to take care of you and make sure you eat something.” He stared pointedly at her cup.

  Kiarra took another sip to avoid replying right away.

  She needed to continue her earlier conversation with Jaxton, but had a feeling he would call her bluff. While she was trying her hardest to be the woman she was inside her head, things weren’t going to plan. No doubt Jaxton would use her fainting and display of weakness to his advantage.

  Aware of Marco’s gaze, Kiarra pulled the straw from her lips and decided to work on at least one of her weaknesses with this man by trying to talk to him. “Will Jaxton be stopping by later?”

  Marco placed a hand over his heart, an exaggerated look of pain coming across his face. “You wound me, madam. Are you that keen to get rid of me?”

  Kiarra nearly spat out her drink at his absurdity. Marco winked and said, “No worries, boss man should be around later today.”

  But she was anxious to know what her immediate future held. Kiarra was about to press further when a man’s scream reverberated down the hall, making her jump. “What’s that?”

  Another scream rent the air and Marco sighed. “If he keeps this up, we’re going to have to drug him unconscious again.”

  Kiarra remembered the man she’d glimpsed during the escape, the one unable to hold himself up. That’s where she’d seen Marco before; he’d been the man standing in her doorway, struggling to keep her cell neighbor upright. “Are you talking about the other person yo
u rescued from the AMT?”

  Marco shrugged one shoulder. “I see no reason to lie. He’s not doing as well as you.”

  Another scream and a chill went down her spine. The sound reminded her of some of the other AMT inmates.

  A man clawing his own face, blood running down his cheeks; a pregnant woman throwing her belly against a counter and then the floor; a catatonic child being led down a hallway.

  And many of their screams had been identical to the ones now echoing down the hallway.

  There was a possibility that the screaming man was too far gone to ever fully recover. But there were techniques to help ease his pain and bring him some measure of peace. Jaxton and his men, however, probably didn’t know what they were or how to treat him.

  Kiarra had always wanted to help the tortured prisoners she’d seen inside the AMT, but had never been allowed the opportunity. Yet she was no longer inside the AMT, meaning that those restrictions didn’t exist here. She could finally reach out and ease someone’s pain. Most of all, she could be useful.

  She didn’t care if Jaxton would get angry at her or not—she had to do something to help.

  Kiarra jumped up from the bed, faltered a second before finding her balance, and headed for the door. Marco grabbed her wrist and Kiarra prevented herself from flinching as he said, “Whoa, wait a second. Where do you think you’re going?”

  Kiarra made a fist and pointedly looked at his grip on her arm. “Let me go.” She raised her gaze to meet Marco’s eyes. “I know how to calm him without the use of drugs.”

  Marco stayed silent, the grins and winks gone. He might like to joke around, but it was obvious that he took his duty seriously. Kiarra opened her mouth to try and convince him some more, but he beat her to it.

  “Fine. But if this is a trick, just know that I will handle you myself. Are we clear?”

  The command in his tone surprised her, but Kiarra nodded and Marco directed her down the hall. She heard another scream, but this time it was louder, coming from the door to her right. Marco made a gesture with his hands, indicating for her to go inside. Kiarra took a deep breath and opened the door.

  The screams were high-pitched, but she resisted the urge to cover her ears. She took in the scene in front of her and instantly understood the root of the problem.

  Jaxton stood next to a bed, trying to hold down a thrashing man, but every time Jaxton touched the man, he screamed again. The sound went straight to Kiarra’s heart and something inside of her clicked into place. She wasn’t defenseless any longer. This time she had the power to help.

  She gathered her courage before shouting, “Don’t touch him!” and charged straight at Jaxton.

  Garrett was screaming again.

  Jaxton rushed to his brother’s side and tried grabbing his hand, but Garrett started to scream louder at the contact. Garrett bucked and nearly punched Jaxton in the face with his free hand, forcing Jaxton to pin both of Garrett’s sweat-covered arms to the side.

  What the fuck happened to Garrett inside the AMT?

  At this rate, he was going to have to drug his brother again. Jaxton racked his brain for some other way to calm his brother and break through his wild haze. Jaxton and Garrett had been best mates growing up. Surely he could think of something.

  His brother continued to squirm, but Jaxton refused to pity Garrett’s condition. The Ward family were always blunt and honest with each other, and Jaxton hoped that business as usual would bring Garrett back from the edge. Jaxton struggled to keep his brother in place as he said, “Garrett, mate, you need to calm the fuck down.”

  Garrett only bucked harder. With his arms restrained, Garrett kicked out with his legs and Jaxton grunted when a kick landed on his thigh.

  He maneuvered to pin Garrett’s legs when he heard a woman yell, “Don’t touch him!”

  Jaxton turned around and saw Kiarra barreling straight for him.

  Stunned at the sight, Garrett managed to kick him in the stomach right before Kiarra’s shoulder impacted with Jaxton’s chest. Jaxton lost his balance and landed on his arse on the floor.

  “Kiarra? What the fuck?”

  There was a flicker of fear in her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. She stood in front of Garrett’s bed and raised her arms in protection.

  “Touching him is the last thing you want to do. It’ll only make it worse.”

  Jaxton slowly stood up, never taking his eyes off of Kiarra. “Make what worse?”

  “First, tell me who he is to you.”

  He bit back his first reaction, to call her out on insubordination. But then he realized that Kiarra had spent a good chunk of her life inside the AMT and might know something he didn’t.

  Garrett’s screams had morphed into a mixture of mumblings and quiet outbursts, but he was still writhing on the bed in obvious pain. Jaxton would do anything to make it stop. He took a step toward Kiarra and growled, “He’s my older brother. Tell me how to help him.”

  Kiarra lowered her arms and looked from Jaxton to Garrett and back again. Luckily they shared the same deep eyes, solid chin, and dark blond hair. Judging by Kiarra’s expression, she saw the resemblance. She raised her index finger into the air and said, “Give me a second.”

  The woman who had fainted, fucking fainted, less than an hour ago was giving him orders in his own house. Jaxton clenched his jaw to prevent himself from saying something stupid.

  He watched Kiarra bend over Garrett, hovering close to his ear, but careful never to touch him. In a quiet voice she said, “Shh, it’s okay. No one’s going to take you to the experiment wing today, or ever again.” She motioned for Jaxton to come closer. “Your brother Jaxton is here. See? He’ll protect you.”

  Garrett’s murmuring stopped, but his eyes were still wild, darting around the room. Kiarra stood up and whispered to Jaxton, “Talk to him. Remind him of who he was before the AMT, but just remember not to touch him.”

  Jaxton motioned for Kiarra to leave, but she shook her head and stood her ground. He didn’t want to share such a private moment in front of an audience, but yelling at Kiarra might send Garrett into a relapse, and he wasn’t about to risk it.

  Jaxton crouched down next to Garrett’s bed. “You’ve missed a few pub nights and everyone’s been asking after you.” At least they had for the few first months after Garrett’s capture. “You’re their favorite tone-deaf karaoke regular. Without you, hard liquor sales have dropped. Your singing is bloody awful, but good for business.”

  His brother said nothing, but some of the wildness cleared from his eyes, so Jaxton decided to keep talking. “You know how much I hate singing, but if you pull out of this, Gary, I’ll sign up for the first amateur karaoke contest you can find. This is a one-time offer, so you’d better take advantage of it, mate.”

  For a second, Garrett met his gaze. Jaxton held his breath until Garrett mumbled, “Jax.”

  Jaxton resisted the urge to grip his brother’s shoulder. “I’m here, Gary, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

  Kiarra began to hum a familiar tune he couldn’t name. Jaxton maintained eye contact with Garrett, hoping for more, but his brother didn’t say anything else. The longer Kiarra hummed, the more his older brother’s eyelids drooped. Soon he was out, his face calm and finally free of pain.

  There was nothing more Jaxton could do for Garrett until he woke up again. Jaxton turned away from his brother’s sleeping face and switched his mind back into work mode.

  After his brother, his top priority was to address the situation with Kiarra. Jaxton was in charge of her training and it was time she accepted that and gave him the information he needed.

  He motioned toward the door with his head, took one last look at Garrett, and headed into the hallway. Marco was nowhere to be found. He’d have to deal with the young man later.

  Jaxton waited for Kiarra to close the door behind her and gestured down the hall with his arm. She avoided his gaze, but took the hint, and they headed down the hall toward he
r room. He noted the goosebumps on her arms as she passed and decided he needed to find her some clothes. Not that he cared that she was cold, he told himself, just that she couldn’t fight properly wearing her baggy AMT uniform.

  While Kiarra had a long way to go before she’d take orders like a soldier, he was more concerned about her mention of an experiment wing inside the Cascade AMT compound.

  That was as good a place as any to start finding out about Garrett’s altered state. His brother had never been abhorrent to touch growing up.

  Jaxton entered Kiarra’s room and closed the door.

  Chapter Six

  Kiarra was huddled in an oversized chair, hugging her arms to her chest, staring at the floor. The bold woman who’d shouldered Jaxton aside a few minutes ago was gone. It was almost as if she were waiting for him to punish her.

  Jaxton knew that the AMT compounds had strict sets of rule and regulations, recently made stricter by the current members of the AMT Oversight Committee. But reading about it and seeing a woman ready to submit to punishment for doing the right thing, without putting up any kind of fight, were two different things.

  His regular training program, which stressed the importance of following orders and strict discipline, wasn’t going to work with Kiarra. Without confidence and the ability to make decisions regardless of consequences, she wouldn’t be of any use to him, let alone DEFEND.

  He needed Kiarra to become the woman who’d stood up and tried to protect Garrett from a man twice her size. He was going to have to create a new regimen on the fly, one that would coax out the woman hiding behind the AMT’s conditioning.

  Kiarra started to shiver in her chair, but she didn’t reach for any of the blankets on the bed next to her. Determined to show he was different than the AMT guards, and to start gaining her trust, he plucked a blanket from the nearby bed and tossed it into her lap. She blinked a second before reaching out to touch the blue material.