“Everything I do has a purpose, Ragna,” he said smoothly. “I don’t have to disclose my reasons to you.”
“But you disclosed them to Nathaniel?”
She didn’t need to speak that sentence. I could already feel one emotion radiating off her body and hit me like a sack of bricks. Jealousy. She was insanely jealous. She must have thought Tobias preferred Nathaniel. That he trusted him more than her.
“I placed Harper in my protection by giving Nathaniel orders to keep her safe. Nathaniel knows nothing more than you do and I prefer to keep it that way. You may be my left hand but you are still not entitled to know the reasons behind all that I do. Now release her if you intend to remain at my side and not among the lower ranks of the coven.”
She let go of my neck and I barely caught myself with my hands before crashing into the floor. Then I scurried up as fast as I could. There was no chance in hell I would be caught in a bowing position before a vampire. No matter who he was.
“You’ve been keeping so many secrets as of late,” she accused.
“Such is my choice. Mind your place, Ragna. You are far below your depth.”
Ragna stiffened her posture and took a couple steps back, probably wondering if she should take a knee again to show Tobias the due respect she owed him after questioning his authority.
“You’re getting sloppy,” he said to her, passing me as if I wasn’t even there and walking directly over to her. He took her chin in his hands and commanded her attention. “Don’t allow yourself to fall beneath your dignity by prying into my private business. There are so few vampires with enough control over their impulses for me to allow them inside my trusted circle. Don’t force me to allow you to fall. Because if you so much as look at Harper in a way that displeases me again, I won’t hesitate to strip you of your position. Is that clear?”
His voice was frightening. It made me shiver. The hairs on my arms stood up. And if he could have that effect on me I didn’t doubt Ragna was at least a little intimidated.
“I’ve been at your side for centuries,” she said softly. “I wouldn’t dream of betraying you.”
“But you doubt me.”
She went silent.
I sneered at her. Another emotion pierced through her body and right over to me. Dishonesty. She was lying. She would betray him. If she thought she had to. If it was for the good of the coven. She was lying to his face. Did he know this about her? Did he know she was capable of betrayal?
He gave a small smile and let go of her chin. “We live in trying times, Ragna. I must do what I feel necessary to protect the coven. And that often means protecting it from our own recklessness.”
I saw her eyes flicker from side to side, not quite believing what she had just heard. Tobias had accused her of being reckless.
‘They really do consider themselves above other vampires.’
I could only imagine the sort of loyalty one might feel if they had been side by side for over a century. It begged the question if, at some point, Ragna had meant something to Tobias. Something more intimate. If that was the case, he didn’t show it. Nor did she show that her loyalty to him was breaking. If it wasn’t already shattered. She lowered her eyes in submission, allowing him to believe the matter was settled.
I knew better.
“Now go,” he ordered her. “And don’t speak a word to anyone about Harper if you value your place.”
“Master, I-”
“Leave!” He said with more force.
She turned around, walked down the hall and out of the manor. I listened to her leather boots echoing as she stomped out, enjoying the sound they made as she was farther and farther away, eventually walking out the side door and out of sight. There was only one downside to that. I was alone with Tobias.
Chapter 2
As Tobias turned around to face me I saw that my magic was still flickering in my hands. I nervously shook them to get it to go back inside my body and stay the hell there.
Tobias snickered at me.
‘What? Do you find this funny? This kind of problem has gotten many kruxa killed, asshole!’
Tobias took a few cautious steps closer to me, perhaps sensing my embarrassment.
I shut my eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath.
‘Go back in. Go back in!’
A pair of impossibly cold hands wrapped around my fingers. I opened my eyes and jerked my hands away.
“Don’t do that,” I warned him.
“I’m actually quite good at this,” he said with an almost tempting allure to his voice. “I can show you how to control it so that won’t ever happen again.”
Yeah, right! The man could walk in the daylight. Meaning he had murdered kruxa in the past. I wasn’t about to trust his word.
“Too bad you weren’t good at keeping Samantha and Emily out of trouble,” I snapped. I had been dying to say those words to him for over two months. To gauge his reaction. To see if the man had any remorse whatsoever.
His face didn’t falter. “I was very sorry about what happen to Em-”
I raised my hand to silence him. “Don’t. Don’t say her name. Don’t even try acting like you care. We both know you don’t. They were just a means to an end for you. Emily was my friend. I loved her. And now she’s gone because of what you involved her in.”
I turned around to show him my backside only to find that he was standing in front of me a second later.
Damn that stupid vampire speed! Humans didn’t stand a chance once a vampire had them in their sights. There was no way to escape them. The only reason certain witchlings could was because they could control their magic. Unlike yours truly.
“Not a single human that I’ve ever intended to keep alive has ended up dead until now,” he said. “I go to great lengths to ensure they are never caught and they don’t meet a bad end unless I personally will it. And I only will it if they betray my trust. I want to know why this happened perhaps even more so than you. The brand was meant to protect them both. This is the first time it hasn’t.”
“But why her?” I hollered. “Emily never did anyone harm. She was quiet. She was young. She had her whole life ahead of her.”
“And I never meant her harm.”
“She was in harm’s way the moment you decided she was useful to you. You led her on. Don’t act as though you didn’t. I saw the puppy love in her eyes when she thought of you. It must be convenient that women fall at your feet like that when you want something.”
I moved around him to walk away. He reached for my arm and took it into his hand with a gentleness that even I found astonishing. He wasn’t commanding me to listen. He was asking.
“Being owned by my coven was the only way to protect her, Harper. It was the best possible protection I could give the Congressman’s daughters.”
That got my attention.
“What are you talking about?”
I squirmed my arm out of his hand. He might not have latched onto it but his touch was still like ice. Much more so than Nathaniel’s touch had ever been. Proof of how old he was.
“Congressman Larsen knew that his daughters would be safer under the protection of my coven with brands on their sides than they were without them. He knew about vampires. He knew how dangerous we can be. He knew how frightening we can be. And he knew that times are only going to get worse in the coming years ahead. He asked me to brand them as a sort of insurance policy to keep them alive. That way no other vampire could harm them.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “No. That’s not possible. Nathaniel said he lured the Congressman the night of his evening party months ago. He didn’t know anything about vampires.”
“Because the Congressman asked me to take away the memories and replace them with something else. Something that would help protect him. He doesn’t remember anything. He was very much aware that having knowledge of vampires and witchlings put him in danger. If a vampire were to lure him, he could easily be forced to reveal a great many thi
ngs that I can’t afford to have anyone know.”
“That doesn’t make sense either. Isaac said the night he tried to kill me that the Congressman was standing in your way.”
Tobias snickered. It sure made everyone around me feel smug to know that they were far more aware of what was going on than I was. It seemed like they enjoyed being two steps ahead of me. Or they found my ignorance amusing. Maybe it made him feel better about his status as a vampire. Or maybe I was a fool not to show him adequate respect. Only time would tell.
“The Congressman had to be convinced over the course of several months to help me out,” he explained. “It was only after I proved to him the level of influence I have that he agreed to help. He and I both hoped that over the course of time we could be of mutual use to one another.”
“Mutual use?” Was he speaking in code? “Mutual use how?”
He took a moment to think. To consider my question. And maybe even to question if I had become worthy of answering it since I clearly wasn’t months ago.
“Oh, come on,” I grumbled. “I did as you asked. I found out who committed the murders. It was Brian Stockard. And you still can’t tell me what’s really going on here? I have to know if I’m going to take the stand in the Congressman’s trial.”
He smiled. That weird side smile that men do when something has tickled their sense of humor. Caleb would do that same smile when I said something a little too sassy in public and he had to pull me back a bit before I embarrassed myself.
‘You’re a southern lady,’ he would say to me. ‘Don’t act like a Yankee. You’re classier than that.’
I never felt much like a lady but I sure didn’t want to embarrass Caleb. He meant too much to me.
“I have a feeling this isn’t over, Harper,” Tobias went on. “We know Brian is involved but to what degree remains a mystery.”
“What do you mean?”
He took a step closer to me. I wanted to move away. I wanted to tell him to back off and not to come even an inch closer. I had plenty of time by myself to stew over Emily. Over how things went. Over the pain she endured and ultimately succumbed to. Over the grief she felt. Over the agony she went through when her chest exploded. Over the mysterious way she appeared to me and saved my life not long after she died. It made no sense. I searched through gran’s grimoire for answers but only found various potions she had experimented with and exercises for relaxing her magic when she had anxiety.
“Have dinner with me,” he said in a low voice. That smooth voice that made other women weak at the knees. That made them feel like his attention was the only attention they would ever crave again.
“Why?” I asked.
“I’ve stated it more than once. I have a proposition to share with you. But first I need to know if you’re willing.”
‘Willing? On what level?’
“Willing to what?” I asked nervously.
“To listen. To relax. To stop looking at me as though I slaughtered your firstborn.”
It didn’t occur to me that I had let a rather large amount of tension gather on my forehead. I must have looked like a grumpy school kid to him. Even so, I could sense the sincerity coming from his emotions. He wasn’t being deceitful. He didn’t have ill intentions.
“What does a vampire eat at dinner?” I asked. “I don’t know if I really want to witness you feeding.”
“You will eat. I will have a drink. Pre-prepared of course. I have a special chef I occasionally use when I entertain human guests for an evening. He can make you anything you like.”
I stared at the floor for a moment as I considered his offer. And my other options. I lived in his house. I was eating the food he was paying for. I was given a new wardrobe. He was rebuilding my house back in Dilton. He even provided me with a chauffeur.”
‘The chauffeur! Christophe! I didn’t even mention what Ragna did to Christophe.’
No sooner than the thought cross my mind I heard the door Ragna exited being opened and slammed shut. Christophe came walking in with his hand rubbing the back of his neck.
“How are you-”
“Alive?” Christophe finished my sentence. “Ragna neglected to tear my head off. Breaking my neck won’t kill me.”
“You’re lucky,” said Tobias. “Knowing Ragna as of late she might have done far worse if she felt so inclined. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”
‘Jealousy, apparently. Wait…is she jealous of me? Of the attention Tobias is giving me? Honey, no thanks! You can have him.’
Something in my gut told me that wasn’t it. There was something else driving her to jealousy. The sort of jealousy that makes women do crazy things. Insane things. Things that make men fear women. I also sensed that I hadn’t seen the last of Ragna’s temper.
“Call my room should you need a lift in the morning, Miss Ashwood,” said Christophe as he headed for the stairs. “Otherwise, I’ll be resting for the night. This pain in my neck won’t subside at least until dawn.”
Once more, I was left alone with Tobias. And from the looks of it, I was going to be seeing a lot more of him. At least if he had his way.
Given Tobias seemed to like it when we were a little bit closer in proximity, which he may have liked with any attractive woman, I took a step closer to him before speaking. Not that I liked it. I would play to his vanity to get what I wanted. I wasn’t beyond such things now after all I had been through. And Tobias clearly had a vain side.
“If I agree to this,” I said. “And that’s a big if, you have to promise me that you won’t leave me in the dark anymore like everyone else. I want to know exactly what’s going on. I can’t stay safe and know the right thing to do unless I know what’s happening around me.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll tell you all that I can.”
“All that you can? Meaning all that you think necessary or all that you know?”
He stifled a small laugh, admiring my boldness. “I’ll tell you what you need to know to remain safe.”
I slumped my shoulders.
‘Yeah, right. Meaning you’ll tell me just enough to keep me coming back to ask more questions.’
“Alright,” I said a bit defeated. Beggars can’t exactly be choosers. I’d take what small victories I could get.
He smiled. A sly smile once he realized he was getting exactly what he wanted.
“Seven o’clock tomorrow evening,” he said. “Meet me in the dining room.”
“Okay.” I turned around to start making my way back up the stairs and on the long trek through the house to my own private wing.
“And Harper,” he said just as I walked up the first few steps.
“What?”
“Do be careful,” he urged.
I kept my face as straight as possible. “With what?”
“You know what. Don’t do anything that would get me into trouble. I don’t fancy the vixra showing up at my house any time soon. I try keeping my contact with them on a very limited basis. We only get along when we absolutely have to. And soon I have the feeling we will absolutely have to.”
‘More riddles.’
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He made a face at me. One that was entertained by my lack of acting skills.
He edged closer to the staircase. “Harper, I’m trusting you in my home and doing all that I can to make you comfortable. Do me the honor of appreciating the gesture and don’t get into trouble. You’re free to explore my home and use your wing as you wish. Just do so with discretion. Do you understand?”
‘Busted.’
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow evening at seven o’clock.”
I turned around to huddle up the stairs as fast as I could. My cheeks were starting to blush from the guilt written all over my face.
“Oh, and Harper.”
I stopped in my tracks but refused to turn. “What?”
“I meant what I said. I have connections. If you find yourself
needing anything in particular, anything out of the ordinary, please ask.”
I didn’t answer him. I walked up the stairs as fast as I could to get away but slow enough to hopefully make it appear as though I wasn’t making a run for it. A run for it that would imply I was guilty. Which, by the way, I totally was.
I walked down the long hallways. Tobias’s taste was deceiving. The outside of the manor looked like an ode to an old Gothic style of architecture. The inside was modern with various original pieces of art dating back to the 16th century displayed throughout. A metaphor for Tobias’s old age in a modern world if I ever saw one. Almost like he was trying to force himself to live in the present but needed a steady reminder of who he was. It was the older pieces that gave him away. He was a man who had lived to see these pieces of art created when that particular style was popular.
The mansion had three libraries. From what I could tell anyway. I hadn’t seen Tobias’s and certainly never desired to. The one in my wing was enormous enough. And full of, wait for it… more original artwork! Only this one was decorated mostly with photography. Both modern and old.
When I looked closer at the shelves, I saw copies of books that were older than the farthest genealogical record my family kept of our bloodline in gran’s books. There was even a ladder that attached to the wall so I could climb up and push to slide to the other end. Then the corner. The very corner to the left of my personal library to the side of the large fireplace. I discovered by accident that this particular corner had a door. One that was hidden. One that looked like another shelf but pushed inward toward a large closet where anyone could hide just about anything. I only found it by mere happenstance. I climbed down from the ladder a little too fast one day and grabbed onto the shelf to stop my fall. Not only did it not prevent me from falling, but it caved inward, revealing the room and causing a rather large bruise to form on my elbow.
‘Totally worth it,’ I thought as I pushed it open and edged inside.
I shut the door as quietly as possible, even though my wing was far away from other parts of the mansion. And even though it seemed like Tobias most definitely knew my secret.
Witchling Wars Page 35
