Born of Fire

Shahara swallowed at the desperate longing in the woman’s voice. “No, Mistress. Talia killed herself a long time ago to escape her father.”


The overseer took a deep breath. “And what of you, seax? Why do you defend the son of Idirian Wade with such vigor?”

She answered with the one single truth she couldn’t deny. “I love him. Deeply.”

“Does he know this?”

“I’m sure he doubts me.” Especially given the way she’d been forced to act in the hotel, yet had she shown any weakness, Merjack would have killed them both. “But I intend to make sure he believes in me again.”

The overseer nodded. “We all make mistakes that torture us the whole of our lives. Unfortunately, fate doesn’t always allow us a second chance. I hope you get yours, Shahara.”

“Thank you, Mistress.”

The overseer smiled sadly. “He must truly be a noble man to inspire the loyalty of a seax.”

“He walks with nobility and honor.”

She nodded. “Now go, seax. See to his safety.”

Numb to everything except the throbbing pain in his skull, Syn sat huddled in the corner of his icy cell. He swung his chains at one of the rodents that had strayed a little too close for his liking.

At times like this, he really cursed his eyesight. He was able to see every tiny crawling, slithering creature that eyed him as either a meal or a host.

But worse than the insects and rodents was the deadly chill that caused his broken jaw to ache unmercifully. He wasn’t exactly sure when it’d been broken. There had been so many blows as he was interrogated by Merjack that he could barely recall which one had caused what injury.

If he didn’t hurt so much, he’d have laughed at Merjack’s panic as the man had tried to find out what Shahara had done with the real chip.

He really had to give her credit. She’d betrayed them all. First she’d turned him in, then she’d run off with Merjack’s money and the chip.

She was some piece of work.

He closed his eyes and let the agony of betrayal ravage his soul.

How could you have done this to me? He would have given her his life had she asked for it. But to have it taken like this . . .

He wanted to kill her.

The door to his cell opened, ushering in another stinging wind. Syn mentally prepared himself for the beating to come. Maybe this time they would finally succeed in killing him.

He listened to the footsteps approach and, though his first instinct was to fight, he didn’t move. He just didn’t have it in him anymore. His fighting days were over. Now he just wished his life would end, too.

Instead of rough hands seizing him, something incredibly soft and warm was draped over his shoulders. Stunned, he looked up into the golden eyes that had haunted him every moment since Merjack had taken him.

“Hi,” she said with a smile.

Rage clouded his sight. He tried to speak, but his jaw and the cold made it impossible. Disregarding his pain, he reached for her, intending to tear her lying tongue out.

Shahara noted the hatred in his eyes as he sprang at her. “Syn, please don’t. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

As he lunged toward her again, Nero appeared to pull him back. “Easy, buddy. You don’t want to do any more damage to yourself.”

A man wearing the green and gold uniform of an overseer’s guard stepped between them. “C.I. Syn, born Sheridan Digger Wade?”

His breathing labored from his pain, Syn stopped moving and eyed all of them warily.

When he didn’t answer, the man looked to Shahara to confirm his identity before he continued. “C.I. Syn, you are being remanded into overseer custody pending a full investigation and trial of your case.”

Confused, he stared at the guard. How?

“I went to her,” Shahara explained as if she’d read his thoughts. “She’s agreed to hear everything.”

Oh, that was fucking great. He’d be lucky if his mother didn’t have him offed two seconds after his arrival.

The guard who’d spoken knelt down to release his chains while Nero handed Shahara his clothes.

“We’ll wait outside while you get him dressed.”

Shahara looked at Syn, who still hadn’t moved from his crouched position on the floor. “Thank you.”

He appeared so defeated and hurt that it choked her with remorse. His wounds were so much worse this time than they’d been before. It was obvious Merjack had been a little ticked off over her subterfuge with the chip.

She couldn’t imagine how Syn even managed to breathe, let alone move.

“Here,” she said, closing the space between them. “Let me get you dressed and—”

“I don’t need your help,” he snapped between clenched teeth as he shoved her away with a strength she found shocking given his physical condition.

She wanted to argue but was afraid to try. The last thing he needed was a struggle that would only injure him more. “Here’s your clothes.”

Syn snatched them from her and tried to dress by himself, but with one broken arm and all the other brutal injuries, he could barely move.