Air of Seduction (Elemental Enforcers #3)

Chapter 34

Lyn

I want to run. I want to run as fast as I can and disappear into the huge city of London. It would be easy. I would never have to see Markus again, and with time I might even be able to forget about him.

Pulling in a deep breath, I fill my lungs with air I don’t need. I can’t run yet. Not until the master is gone. But then…

I can see Aidan’s frown as I hurry toward him. When I saw his signal earlier, I turned to look at Markus. That’s when I noticed he seemed completely lost in his own head.

And whatever he was thinking about made his eyes heat when I touched him. I was completely mesmerized when he leaned in like he was going to kiss me.

Until he stopped.

I’ll never forget how his eyes filled with horror and the way he jumped away from me like he’d been burned.

But at least I have my answer to the question that’s been occupying my mind lately. Kate was wrong. Markus isn’t attracted to me. Because the person he was thinking about, who made his eyes fill with desire just now, isn’t me.

Aidan’s eyes narrow when I reach him. He glances behind me before his gaze settles on me. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I bite out more harshly than he deserves. He knows I’ve got feelings for Markus, and although he hasn’t expressly told me so, I’m quite certain he would be all for it if something developed between me and his team leader.

That’s no longer a possibility, though, so at least I don’t have to consider how a relationship between us would affect the team.

Aidan studies my face, his face a picture of doubt. “We’ll talk about it later.”

I hear footsteps behind me and know Markus is about to join us.

We won’t talk about it later, but there’s no point arguing with Aidan about that now, so I just nod.

Markus walks up next to me, and I try not to flinch. The urge to put more distance between us to protect my unbeating heart is almost overpowering, but I lock my knees and stay still.

Aidan’s expression is tight with disapproval when he looks at his team leader, but the black-haired man next to me doesn’t seem to notice.

“Have you found something?” Markus’s voice is neutral, without any trace of emotion.

“Yes.” Aidan nods. “There’s a hidden door like we suspected, but it wasn’t where we expected it to be.”

He backs up toward the wall where Gawen is standing, and we follow. And that’s when I see it.

A small section of the raised sidewalk by the wall is gone, and there are steps leading down beneath the church. It can’t be more than two feet wide and so cleverly made that it isn’t visible unless you’re within a couple of yards of the opening.

“It took us a while to realize that the door we were looking for might not be in the wall itself.” Gawen smiles.

“Let’s go.” Markus takes a step closer to the descending stairs. “We’re too exposed to keep standing here, talking.”

Markus starts down the stairs, and Gawen quickly follows. I hurry after Markus’s brother, and Aidan and Ronan are right behind me.

The stairs are much longer than I anticipated, and the strong musty smell suggests that whatever is down here isn’t in regular use.

We end up in a short corridor at least two stories below where we started. There’s no light down here, but as far as I know we can all see in the dark, so it doesn’t pose a problem.

There’s a single door at the end of the corridor, and Markus pauses and glances back at us before he slowly pushes it open.

The creaking of the old door makes my muscles tense in preparation, but nothing happens. The room beyond the door is dark and not a sound can be heard.

We file into the room. It’s bare except for an altar at the far end and a few chairs positioned in a half circle facing the altar. There are no other visible exits except for the one we just came through.

I start when Markus moans and sinks to his knees, quickly followed by Gawen.

***

Markus

Pain is everywhere, so debilitating my vision becomes blurry. It’s like a thousand knives stabbing into every part of me, robbing me of my ability to think and breathe.

But as far as I can tell, there’s no one apart from my team and Gawen in the room, and there are no physical knives cutting into my body.

Someone hooks their hands under my arms and starts dragging me across the floor, but I can’t tell who’s moving me or where we’re going.

As fast as it hit, the pain is gone, but my body still feels weak, like I’ve just fought an army on my own. I peel my eyes open as sweet air fills my lungs.

“Markus.” Aidan’s voice sounds from right next to me, but the one leaning over me and looking at me with fear darkening her beautiful green eyes is Lynette.

“Lynette,” I croak, my voice rough like I haven’t used it for days.

“I’m here.” She puts her hand on my chest. “What happened? Why did you collapse?”

The warmth from her hand spreads through me and helps clear my mind. “So much pain. It was…everywhere.”

“Yes, pain.” Gawen’s voice sounds from nearby. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

“I didn’t feel anything.” There’s a deep crease between Aidan’s brows when I turn my head to look at him. “It only affected the two of you.”

I take in my surroundings and recognize the short corridor outside the room with the altar. “It must be something in that room that affected us. Some kind of magic perhaps?”

“That’s possible,” Gawen answers. “But I’m curious as to why it only affected us. The only common denominator that I know of between us is our father.”

Putting my hand over Lynette’s to keep it on my chest, I push up into a sitting position. She doesn’t pull her hand away, but there’s apprehension in her eyes. Which I totally understand after what I did to her only minutes ago.

I give her a quick smile and force myself to let go of her hand. She immediately pulls it away, and the moment her touch disappears, it’s like the temperature in the room drops by twenty degrees.

Focusing my attention on my brother, I get to my feet. “I want to enter the room again to see if the same thing happens.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Gawen rises in front of me.

“No. And that’s why I want you to stay here. Aidan or Ronan can help me if I collapse again.” Or Lynette. But I purposely don’t mention her name. I don’t want her in that room again before I know what happened to Gawen and me.

“I don’t like it.” Aidan shakes his head. “I’ve never seen you drop like that.”

He’s right. I’ve been hurt in battle plenty of times, but no one has ever rendered me so completely useless. I’m too fast and strong for that, and I heal too quickly. “I need to know what caused it. It’s the only way to ensure it can’t happen again.”

“Fine.” Aidan sighs. “But let me go in first and wait for you there. Ronan can stay by the door and keep an eye on us.”

Ronan nods. “And move slowly. That way the effect might come on gradually.”

“Good point.” I nod.

After Aidan and Ronan take up their positions as agreed, I move one foot across the threshold.

Something brushes over my skin. It doesn’t hurt, but there’s a sense of fear and anguish seeming to swirl in the air around me.

I take another half step forward, and the fear and anguish suddenly cling to my skin and sink into my pores. There’s still no real pain, but the cloying feeling makes my skin itch.

Closing my eyes, I focus on what I’m feeling. I’ve never felt anything like it before, but there’s something strangely familiar about the person behind the emotions sinking into my skin.

My eyes fly open, the realization of what’s happening suddenly so clear. “He was here.” I turn around, meeting Gawen’s gaze. “Our brother. He was here. It’s his pain. They tortured him in this very room.”

Gawen pales, and his whole body goes rigid. “Fuck.”

I look at the altar, wanting to take a look at it to see if there are any signs of what happened to the person whose emotions are still coating my skin. But I know I can’t. I won’t even be able to get close before dropping to the floor in agony.

I turn to Aidan. “Check the altar. He was here last night, and we have to find out where they moved him. Any traces at all, blood or fluids of any kind, take a sample. And as soon as we get out of here, call Callum. Tell him to search for anyone leaving this place in the last twenty-four hours. He might have been moved during the day, even though that’s an unusual choice.”

Aidan gives a sharp nod. “I will.”

“And I’ll help.” Ronan walks past me and heads for the altar.

I don’t move while I watch them work. They inspect every surface of the altar, inch by inch, as well as the floor surrounding it. But it soon becomes clear there’s nothing there. Nothing apart from the emotions beating at my skin.

Aidan lifts his gaze to mine and shakes his head. “Nothing. Not even a drop of blood or a strand of hair. Whatever they did to your brother, they made sure to clean up all the evidence afterward.”

Ronan scans the room. “Do you want us to check the rest of this place?”

“No. There’s no need.” I shake my head. “I can feel where the emotions are coming from, and it’s from that altar. If our brother is anything like me, he heals exceptionally fast, and I doubt there will be any blood anywhere else.” I turn to look at Gawen. “How are your healing abilities?”

“Much faster than a regular shifter’s.” His lips curve in a semblance of a smile. “Another thing we have in common.”