Rae Rivers - The Keepers - Declan

“ Don’t you dare ,” said a low, insistent voice that sparked a flush through her.

Her jaw fell open and her head shot up to look at Declan. He wore a hat pulled low across his face. “Declan!” she gasped, glancing past his shoulder at the witch.

“She’s already gone,” he murmured, lowering his head to hers as strong hands gripped her arms. He had a thunderous expression, his eyes dark with fury and regret, and he glanced back at the woman. “I arrived too late.”

“Why hasn’t anyone moved? Why aren’t they helping –?”

“They’re all like him.”

“Let me go. I have to help her,” she breathed, the words coming out like a hiss. She tried to tug loose but he tightened his grip on her arm.

“You do that and you’re dead, Kate. She’s gone. He’s already absorbing her powers.”

Kate gasped, taking in the sick satisfaction plastered across Harper’s face. “Who are these people?”

“Scavenger warlocks and witches. They kill a witch and then scavenge her powers. Lara refused to offer hers willingly.”

His words packed a punch and the air whooshed out of her in response. Unable to stop herself, she gripped his arms as every fear her mother had ever voiced came to mind.

“This is the last place you should be,” said Declan.

Panic churned with hatred and, unthinking, she began pushing forward.

“Are you crazy?” Declan snapped, tugging her against him. “If Harper sees you here, you'll go the same way as Lara!”

Megan sidled up toward Harper. She wore a smirk, her dark eyes, heavily outlined, beamed with pleasure. Harper released the witch with an insignificant toss, flexing his jaw and inhaling as though he’d just had his fill of something delectable. Turning, he grinned at Megan and slid an arm around her shoulders. “Now this is a New Orleans witch,” he said, his voice booming across the courtyard, “that has some common sense!”

There was a low murmur of chuckles that spread across the room. The mood shifted as everyone began to relax, dismissing the murder as though nothing had happened.

Harper flicked an irritated glare at Lara before pointing to a nearby waitress. “Clean up this mess,” he ordered, dipping his head toward Megan as she whispered something in his ear. Her words triggered a flash of fury in his eyes, along with a tightened expression, and his head whipped up to scan the crowd.

With a swift movement, Declan tugged Kate behind a palm tree, pinning her to the wall. All muscle, all powerful. His presence made everything inside her snap to attention. Declan. Here.

Oh, God.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, her heart slamming against her chest.

“You really think I’d let you get away with stealing from me?”

“And you’ve picked now as the time for vengeance?” She gaped at him. “Are you crazy?”

“You’re the one who’s crazy for coming here in the first place!” He flicked a glance at Harper. “What were you thinking? You saw what they just did.”

“You know him?”

“He tried to kill my witches a while back. What do you want with him?”

“That’s none of your business, Declan. Why are you here? You’re going to blow my cover.” Something she clung to desperately now that she’d seen what Harper was capable of.

“Honey, your cover was blown the second you walked in that door.”

“What do you mean?”

“They saw right through you the moment you failed to flash your wrist tattoo to Beefcakes at the front door.” He grabbed her wrist, tapping the empty spot where the tattoo should have been, and gave her a fake smile. “Apparently, it’s a security thing. It shows that they follow Mason, something you neglected to factor into your crazy-assed plans.” She snapped her mouth shut and he nodded at Megan. “See the black-eyed bombshell beside Harper? She’s itching for trouble and just spilled the beans.”

Fear gripped her insides. “And you know this how?”

He tapped his ear. “Super hearing, honey. You'd have heard too if you’d been listening.”

But she hadn’t.

A shift of movement had Declan turning around, pushing her behind him as two bulky bodyguards crossed the dance floor, eyes pegged on them. The men had blatant tattoos on their left wrists and planted themselves in a muscled barricade, blocking any means of escape.

Harper’s menacing gaze met Kate’s across the courtyard, recognition flashing in his eyes.

Kate’s stomach rolled. Oh, no.

Declan didn’t wait for a greeting and bolted forward, his speed catching the men off-guard. With a swift kick and punch, he sent the two men skidding backward. With a vicious cry, he charged, and delivered a few more crippling blows. His movements were controlled, deliberate, and so fast that the two warriors were left gurgling blood. Rick and Max moved closer but hesitated, reluctant to challenge the Keeper. John, always itching to show off his fighting skills, smiled in anticipation as his arms flowed in smooth movements, readying himself to attack. Not waiting to see what the Chinese warrior was capable of, Declan spun around and yanked Kate into his arms.

The air slammed out of her lungs as he leapt onto the closest empty balcony.

Harper shot forward with such force that people scattered out of his path. “Don’t you dare let them get away!” he bellowed to his men and all chaos broke out. “Bring me the woman!”

Within moments, Declan had them on another balcony three stories up.

“How are you doing this?’ she gasped, breathless from the sudden movement.

“Same way you should be, but don’t bother helping on my account,” he drawled as he scanned their surroundings.

“And here I thought you lot lived in secret.”

“We do.”

“This is you in stealth mode?”

He moved toward the railing, scowling at her, and looked at the rowdy crowd below. He cursed and tugged her closer. “Exposing us is the least of my worries right now.”

She followed his gaze, her jaw unhinging at the sight of John and Max climbing the walls like eerie spiders while Rick and Megan jumped from balcony to balcony, hot on their tail.

“What are these people?” Kate cried.

Declan’s eyes flashed with confusion as he took in the creepy animal movements.

“You don’t know?” she screeched. “They’re from your world!”

“Honey, they’re nothing like me.”

A ball of fire came hurtling toward them and Declan shoved her out the way. More followed in quick succession and instead of retreating, he stepped to the edge of the balcony. He raised his arms over the rail and, with gentle flowing movements, created havoc below.

A fire warrior.

Fireballs flew across the courtyard, along with lashes of flame that sent two of the spider climbers reeling to the ground. The bar caught alight, going up in a flare of orange that sizzled through the alcohol, hissing furiously as it gathered momentum.

Shouts broke out, orders were given, and there was a flurry of madness.

Kate gasped as Megan landed in a blast of air on the balcony behind her. Dark eyes seared into hers as Megan began a repetitive chant that triggered Kate’s protective instincts. Despite her lack of experience, she knew witch crap when she saw it and drew on everything her mother had taught her.

Heat whipped through Kate as the spell began to take root. Drawing on her centre, she pinned Megan with a heated look of her own and focused on absorbing the witch’s energy.

Ignoring the unwelcome invasion of magic, she pressed forward. Megan’s eyes widened in response and her words faltered as she felt her energy succumb to Kate’s.

“So it’s true, you’re the Null,” Megan snapped in a tone wrought with disgust, her shoulders heaving as she sucked air. Not waiting for an answer, her arm lashed out. In her hand, she held a whip. With a flick of the wrist, the leather strands hissed at Kate.