The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) (4 page)

Another freak in our messed-up family.

Ryker took a shower while I changed into the clothes
he bought: cotton army green shorts and a black tank top. While I
waited for him, I stuffed myself with churros and orange juice. I
tried to ignore when he came out in only a towel, grabbing his
clothes before heading back in. I shoved my head into a pillow and
groaned. A man’s body should not look like his.

I teased him by calling him a Viking, but there had
to be some truth to it. Dark blond hair, white-blue eyes, broad
shoulders, and toned arms only magnified his massive frame,
creating an image of a Norse god coming to life. His fair skin was
covered with tattoos, rolling down his arms, back, and ass. The
man’s rear end was a godsend itself. And I couldn’t deny my fingers
wanting to trail down the ripples of his abs.

Ryker’s presence demanded impure thoughts to enter my
brain. This was typical fae—their appearance was the perfect bait
to lure in humans. Fae were the perfect hunters, and humans would
willingly take the bait. They used humans and consumed us for our
life essence, whether it was through dreams, sins, or sex. For me,
it was different. I knew what they were and how they used us. I
appreciated their amazing physiques and faces but never saw past
the true form or the fae killer inside.

Until now.

“Are you all right?” Ryker’s voice came from behind
me.

No.
“Yes.” I turned over and leaned against
the headboard.

He moved toward the bed and changed his mind halfway,
grabbing a chair. He turned it backward and sat, folding his arms
over the top. He wore army green pants with a bunch of loops and
pockets down the sides and a navy blue T-shirt. He definitely
bought our stuff at the same store. It was odd picturing him
leafing through the women’s department, picking out my clothes.

His hair was wet and slicked back. The braids on the
side of his head glistened with water. His beard was trimmed to a
sexy scruff. He naturally had an enticing scent, but now it mixed
with fresh soap. I took in a deep breath, almost tasting the stormy
sweet fae smell on my tongue.

“We need a game plan,” he said.

Right. Business. I sat straighter, folding my
legs.

“A lot has happened the last couple of days...”

“Yeah. You could say that.” I nodded. I sensed him
waiting for me to continue.

“Zoey...”

“Wait.” I held up my hand. “I had a thought
earlier.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Funny.” I rolled my eyes and continued. “I know you
don’t want to hear this, but your fae powers might be the one thing
keeping me alive.”

“What do you mean?” Ryker shifted on the chair.

“DMG’s first notion wasn’t all bad. Fae DNA saves
human lives from diseases and the flaws in our own genetic
material. I don’t know for sure, but what if your powers have
corrected my defect?”

He leaned back, pondering the idea. “You think it’s
possible?”

“Yeah, maybe. It’s a stretch, but I’ve stopped
getting headaches since I acquired your magic.”

Ryker’s head went back as he looked at the ceiling,
his hand scratching at his scruff. “What about the nosebleeds?”

“Yeah.” My shoulders sank. “I didn’t say it was
definite. Merely a possibility.”

“Let’s hope there is a reason for all this.”
Skepticism sounded in his voice, but a glint of hope hinted in his
expression. We stayed quiet. Confidence in my theory dwindled from
when I first thought of it. I wanted to believe I was right, but
many things were telling me not to grip too hard.

Ryker cleared his throat. “Our game plan... what do
you first want to deal with?”

“No matter what, you need to get your powers back.
That is first... finding someone who can transfer your magic to
you.”

“Not merely someone. A man named Regnus.”

“Regnus?”

“He’s someone I met through Amara. He is an extremely
powerful shaman, the head of the shaman leaders. If there is a
person who could help us, it would be him.”

Amara’s name always drove daggers of reality back
into my heart. Reminding me our little bubble here was
temporary.

“He won’t be easy to find. He’s a major recluse and
uses spells to hide from people.”

“But we’ll do it.” I nodded. “We will track down this
Regnus, get your powers back, and then I will go after DMG. Even if
it’s my last act, I will take them—”

“Zoey.” He tried again to cut me off.

“I need to try and stop DMG from creating more like
me. More babies who will die because the one thing Daniel begged I
keep from them, those files with the information needed to take DMG
down, are now in
their
hands. I failed him.”

Ryker scrubbed roughly at his chin.

“He has done so much for me. He risked his life for
me and for what?” I shook my head, my teeth scraped over my bottom
lip. “Without him in my life, I am not sure what would have
happened to me. He saved me from myself. Brought me out of the
gutter.”

“No.” Ryker shifted in his chair, irritation twisting
the tendons in his jaw and neck. “
You
saved yourself.”

“You don’t understand. Daniel—”

Ryker slammed his hand into the chair. “Daniel,
Daniel, Daniel... he’s not a fucking saint, Zoey.”

Warmth pooled in my chest like gasoline. A single
spark would ignite the rage building.

“Yes,” I seethed through my teeth. “I know he’s not.
But Daniel asked two things of me, and I botched one of them. What
he’s done for me... I can’t... I won’t let him down again.”

“Jesus! Shut up about Daniel.” Ryker pushed out of
the chair, his head rolling back in annoyance. “Daniel is dead. You
can’t disappoint him or please him. He’s gone, Zoey. You need to
deal with it.”

Spark. Flame.

Fury zapped through me and stood me on my feet.
“Excuse me?”

“Daniel. Is.
Dead
.”

“Fuck you!”

A strange emotion twitched over Ryker’s features but
disappeared too quickly for me to comprehend it.

“How dare you? You have no right to tell me what to
do or how to feel,” I spat. “You know nothing about him or
me
.” I stabbed at my chest.

“I don’t know you? Are you kidding me?” Ryker’s
mocking laugh chafed my nerves, pushing my head up higher in
annoyance. “I’m probably the
only
one who does.”

Stormy rage thundered in my chest. A part of me knew
he was speaking the truth, but it only drove my fury higher.

“You think Daniel knew the
real
you?” He
pushed the chair out of his way, moving closer to me. “Did you ever
tell him how you enjoyed the taste of blood? Or you liked fighting
because it made you feel alive? It was the only time you finally
felt you were living your own life. Not for Lexie. Not for Daniel.
But for yourself.” He loomed over me, his eyes growing iridescent.
I wanted to retreat, to hide in the corner—away from the truth. But
I held my ground, looking up as he towered over me. “Did he know
stealing gives you a high? It’s your way of saying fuck you to all
the people who have better lives than you? And when you fight, deep
down you feel you are getting back at the man who raped and abused
you?” Breath caught in my throat. “It’s your way to control. Of
taking back the times you couldn’t protect yourself. You still
don’t think I know you? I can go on.” He threw up his arms. “Let’s
start with your abandonment issu—”

“Stop!” I put my hands over my ears, fighting back
the rage billowing inside. Ryker saw every one of my deepest fears
I thought I kept tightly tucked away from view.

It pissed me off.

I dropped my arms, stepping up closer to him. “Like
you should talk? You hate humans because the only family you ever
loved, and who probably ever loved you, died. And you couldn’t save
them. Instead of ‘dealing with it’ you turned your anger around on
them. Blamed them! When in actuality you hate yourself for not
being able to protect them. Your family, your little sister burned
to death in a fire, and you couldn’t help them. They
died
.
Why don’t
you
deal with it?” I leaned forward, my hands on
my hips.

His mouth clenched so hard, muscles along his jaw
jumped and twitched.

“Do you want me to start on
your
abandonment
issues? What about Amara?” I jabbed my fingers into his chest. It
rose and fell deeply, pushing back into my fingers. I knew I was
going too far, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “If you
really
loved someone, there is nothing you wouldn’t do to
get them back.
Nothing
. Even give up the stone. But I don’t
think you actually love her. She’s easy and convenient. You can’t
love anyone. You won’t let yourself.”

Even I cringed at my words. Way, way too far.

Ryker’s face turned a deep purple, and he took a step
back. I waited for the tornado of fury to erupt my way. Instead, he
turned away from me and went back to the table. He leaned over it
and took in a heavy gulp of air.

“So, we’re agreed. We start searching for the shaman
tomorrow?” he said evenly.

I blinked several times before responding. The switch
in emotion and subject unnerved me. “Yes.”

“Great.” He picked up the chair and slammed it in its
place at the table, waking Sprig.

“Is the leprechaun dancing on the bar again?” Sprig
mumbled, raising his head. “Huh? What?”

Ryker stomped toward the door.

“Where are you going?” I suddenly didn’t want him to
go. How could we fight so horribly, and I still wanted him to stay
next to me?

“Out.”

“Okay. Where?”

He yanked open the door. “I don’t have to answer to
you,
human
.” He slammed the door, shaking the room.

“Is Daddy mad again?” Sprig sat up, already munching
on a cold churro.

I stared at the door. “Looks like it.”

“Do we know why this time?”

Yes.
“Nope,” I answered instead.

“Okay, so normal.”

“Yep.”

After a while, I couldn’t handle sitting another
moment in a room dripping with angry words, throttling me. Sprig
and I departed the cramped space. I needed to get my mind off Ryker
and our fight. I also wanted to do a little more “shopping” for
some clothes and personal items guys didn’t think about.

Walking through the village at a slower pace,
tourists seeped into the already clogged streets of people and
stands. Lines of cramped stalls carried duplicates of heavy llama
wool blankets and trinkets at exorbitant prices. I read that
despite its magnificent setting, surrounded by tall peaks and
magical dense forest, Aguas Calientes was not the most pleasant
town. The influx of tourism caused the settlement to grow fast and
callous. Maybe it was why I was attracted to it, why I felt a
connection to the place. It was a lot like me. But the thing I
didn’t like was the locals looked at the tourists only as dollar
signs, shoving knickknacks in their faces as they walked by.

A train whistle blew, and the rumble of a departing
train permeated the air, signaling the last train to Machu Picchu
for the day. I wandered along the main square, finding a tiny store
with the items I needed. There were few places to shop not filled
with tourist crap. I focused hard as I gathered the items I needed
and watched the storekeeper place them in a bag.

“You know me well, so put it on my tab, under Ms.
Daniels,” I stated, keeping my eyes locked on his. The merchant put
my stuff in the bag and waved to me as I left. Another place on our
list to repay. We needed to get money. In Seattle, not paying for
things had been a matter of survival. Here it felt wrong.

Sprig stayed on my shoulder and no one batted an eye.
I didn’t want to use my glamour unless I had to. Then Sprig forced
my hand into the “had to” category.