Chapter Thirty-Five

Dillan

Roll the Dice One Way

Dillan gulped a lungful of air, closely followed by coughing that sucked balls. He kept his eyes closed and groaned. His body hurt like a wrecking ball had just rammed through it. He rolled to his side and punched the ground several times, hoping to distract himself from some of the searing pain. No go. His breathing was ragged, sickening to his ears. It sounded like his lungs had holes in them. The burn on his shoulder pulsed and itched. He could still feel Bowen’s wicked teeth puncturing his skin. The coughs that wracked his body turned into gut wrenching puke. Acid climbed his throat and spilled out his mouth. At this point, staying dead seemed like the better option.

Dillan?

Sebastian’s concern rang in his head like a speaker at full volume. He covered his ears and flopped onto his back again. The pain ebbed and flowed with no sign of easing. Jesus H. Christ. Hellhounds had the ability to yank back a soul that had just left its body. As payment for the life returned, they ate a piece of the person’s life force. The pain came from ripping the fabric of the soul. Not the most pleasant of experiences. Since he was clearly alive again, it meant Selena had managed to whistle.

“Selena!” He sat up. Huge mistake. The world spun like he’d just chugged down ten shots of tequila. “Dammit, Sebastian. Remind me never to die again.”

The mutt laughed his barking laugh. I live to serve.

He shifted to his hands and knees and breathed in with his nose and out through his mouth. He had nothing left to puke out. He’d meant what he’d said about not dying again.

“Ah, shit!” Kyle gasped from somewhere. “Holy mother of hell.”

He laughed. And it cost him. The jarring motion of the laugh made his brain feel like a pinball in his head. Still, a part of him took perverse pleasure in hearing the other guy suffer.

“What the hell happened?” Kyle asked in gasps.

From the length of his pause, Dillan guessed Sebastian filled him in.

“Kiss my ass, hellhound.”

“My sentiments exactly,” he replied. As much as it grated on him, he had to agree with Kyle. Sebastian bringing someone back was a bitch to go through.

When the pain finally receded, his mind cleared enough to think. Still on his hands and knees, he looked around. When he spotted Selena unconscious a yard away, his heart could have drilled a hole through his chest. Crawling to her, he gathered her into his arms and checked for a pulse. When she breathed on his wrist, he heaved a great sigh of relief.

“What happened to her, Sebastian?” he asked, watching Kyle attempt to sit up and fail.

Sebastian trotted to where he sat with Selena across his lap. He touched his snout on her forehead and huffed, disturbing her curls.

I might have shocked her system when I revived you.

“Human speak please.” He gathered her closer.

She fainted. The hound turned toward Bowen’s body. I take it he was the Manticore in question.

“Bring him to Rainer. Tell him this was all the Maestro’s doing. He’ll know what to do.”

What about you and Kyle? Sebastian leveled his red eyes on him.

“Kyle? What? You two close now?”

You are still my favorite.

“Better be.” He shared a grin with his partner then sobered. He looked down at Selena and brushed away a stray curl from her face. “I have to bring her home, and maybe get some answers. Go. I have my car. Hilliard and I will drive the rest of the way to the Fallon farmhouse.”

Are you sure you are up to it?

He paused and checked. The previous nausea subsided. Only a dull ache remained in his muscles. When he was sure he could stand with Selena in his arms, he pushed up with one leg then balanced with the other. “I can drive,” he said. To Kyle, “Hilliard, you better get up. I’m not carrying you to my car, princess.”

…

Selena’s grandfather charged out of the farmhouse when he saw Dillan pull her body out of the backseat. Her grandmother followed after the large man, a serious look on her face. He expected panic. But they were calm. They vaguely reminded him of his parents.

“We heard the battle even from here,” Selena’s grandmother said in an even tone. “You two look terrible.”

“Thanks,” he said. When she threw a steely gaze his way, he dialed down the sarcasm. “I know it looks bad, but we’re fine.”

“Selena?” Her grandfather took her from his arms. “Why is she unconscious?”

“She’s fine,” her grandmother said after putting a hand on Selena’s forehead. “Bring her to her room. I’ll come up and check on her after I deal with these two.”

The big man grunted once and did what he was told. She studied Kyle—who’d been quiet the whole time—and then Dillan. She kept her hands on her hips.

“I’ve asked Rainer this question a dozen times,” he drawled, “but maybe you’ll give me a different answer. What exactly are you hiding here?”

“Sloan!”

He ignored Kyle’s shocked gasp and stared the old woman down. It had shocked him when Rainer asked Selena to speak with them. He suspected they ran the show.

Her lips twitched. “Let’s get you two cleaned up.” She turned on her heel and gestured for them to follow her into the house. Shrugging, he glanced at Kyle, who scowled at him.

“Don’t look at me like that, Hilliard. If it wasn’t for Sebastian you’d be worm food right now, too. Remember that.”

…

A shower, clean baggy clothes, and some food later, Kyle and Dillan sat at the kitchen table. Selena’s grandfather took the third seat while her grandmother washed dishes. He kept his eyes on David, trying to figure out who he was in all this. The old man leaned back until the front legs of his chair lifted off the floor.

“Look, we appreciate your help with tracking the Manti—” He stopped himself and cleared his throat then began again. “We appreciate your help with Bowen, but this is really none of your business, pup,” he said in a guttural voice.

“But what do you have to hide?” he pushed.

Caroline dropped a glass into the sink. “Why do you want to know?” she asked without facing them.

“Rainer asked Selena to speak with you about all this.”

“That rat bastard.” David cussed while Caroline massaged her forehead.

“Bowen was working with the Maestro,” Dillan continued.

Caroline leaned her hands against the sink. “I can’t believe he would harm a hair on that child’s head. He’d been part of her protection since she arrived in Newcastle.”

“A Maestro can be a persuasive bastard,” David said. “Bowen was young. He hadn’t come into his powers fully yet.”

“Where’s the body?” Caroline asked Dillan.

“My partner brought him to Rainer.”

“Good.” David shared a look with his wife when she turned around. “We will need to extend our condolences to his parents.”

She nodded, on the verge of tears. Dillan’s chest tightened. Selena was right. He had a weakness against the waterworks. He stifled the urge to comfort and stayed on topic. “Why does everything lead back to Selena?”

“That’s not important anymore.” David crossed his arms over his chest. “Right now we need to concentrate our efforts on finding the Maestro before the conjurer uses someone else to kidnap her.”

Dillan leaned in, not letting the old man off that easily. “If I know what’s going on then maybe I can help you. I want to protect Selena as much as everyone else in this room.”

“Dillan,” Caroline said in the gentlest of voices, “please trust us when we say it would be better for you not to know. Considering your connection with the Council—”

“What about my connection with the Council?”

“What my wife is trying to say is” —David glanced at his wife— “if we tell you, we have no guarantees the information will not make it back to your grandfather. You are the first son of the first son, in line to take your grandfather’s seat in the Council. You two are irrevocably connected. We can’t risk it.”

Dillan had to pick his jaw off the floor. “What does Granddad have to do with this?”

“He will want Selena,” David replied. “Trust me on this.”

“But why? What’s to stop Granddad from finding out anyway?” he challenged even if it seemed like a losing battle.

All three looked at each other before Caroline answered, “We have safeguards against your grandfather and the Council.”

This conversation got Dillan nowhere, but still he fought on. “What about Selena? Doesn’t she have the right to know?”

“It’s not that simple. Despite what Rainer wants her to do.” Caroline’s tone was filled with worry.

“Bowen just threatened to kidnap her. He was behind all those dog killings. And the Maestro is still after her,” he insisted. “What more do you need? Back me up here!”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Kyle answered.

“What of it, pup?” David grunted. “You were still in your mother’s belly when we settled here. We reserve the right to keep our secrets.”

“David, keep your voice down. You’ll wake Selena,” Caroline said.

Needing to move before he punched someone, he pushed his seat back and moved to the counter. He leaned against it and crossed his arms. “Does Granddad—”

“Dillan.” Compassion entered in the way Caroline said his name. “Our life here is outside of the Council’s control. And we would like to keep it that way.”

“What she means is, I will personally break every bone in your—”

“David!” she gasped.

“I think we’re moving off topic here.” Kyle finally spoke up.

“You must understand.” Caroline sighed heavily. “James and Lara didn’t want this life for her.”

“What life?” Selena asked.

Dillan’s heart dropped when he saw her standing by the doorway.