by Tamara White
“Um, why are you wearing tuxes that color? Why not black?” I ask, as I pull out the dress bag from the room’s closet.
When I open it, I’m surprised to find a pure black dress within, one that feels as soft as silk. “And why the hell am I wearing black if you guys aren’t?”
Nikoli chuckles as I unzip the back of the dress and let my robe fall. As I step into the fabric, he explains, “There’s a dress code, Em. Queen Maria is very formal with the events she holds. We have to adhere to the dress code, but it seems your grandmother decided to have you stand out a little.”
“What do you mean?” I inquire, as he turns me by my shoulders so he can do zip up the back.
“Well, the queen usually asks that her attendees wear a particular color then wears something bold and attention grabbing. Everyone in attendance blends together, while the main object of focus is the queen.”
Sounds like something a self-obsessed bitch like Queen Maria would do, but then why aren’t I wearing a dress of similar color to their tuxes?
“Then why give me a black dress? Shouldn’t I be in the same color as you guys?”
Once my dress is done up, I turn and admire it in the full-length mirror on the inside of the closet door. It’s a beautiful off the shoulder dress, which has a slit down the leg that flares seductively when I walk. It looks more like a cocktail dress than one that would be worn at a ball.
Devin comes up behind me, his eyes roaming over my ass. “I would imagine your grandmother is being a master manipulator. Since she’s no longer a queen, she can’t wear anything but this off-color white we were told to. However, while you haven’t been officially crowned as the princess, you’re entitled to a little leeway in what you wear to events.”
“So Jeannie is using my unofficial position in the coven to make a strike at Queen Maria?”
“Yes, Emerald, I am.”
My grandmother is standing in the doorway, wearing a long, elegant, grey silk dress that shimmers like silver when she walks under the white lights.
“We only have a little control at this event, so I wanted to ensure the queen understood that while she may be beautiful, you too are beautiful. She may be deadly at playing her little games, but you are deadly by nature. You will be wearing a dress that makes it clear you have no weapon on your person, so when you summon your blades, the people who will be watching the challenge will be aware just how powerful you are.”
I nod slowly, but don’t understand all the political reasons behind me being dressed in black. Or why she’s in silver instead of the off color white the others are in, but I trust she knows what she’s doing.
After a moment, a thought occurs to me. “You don’t think Talon would have told them of my powers? He did see me summon my blades,” I point out.
My grandmother smiles slyly. “He would have died before telling her anything important, and when she took his memories, it left nothing for him to reveal. What he saw earlier will be nothing but a trick of the mind to him. Besides, I’m hoping he will be a little more sympathetic to us since we informed him just who he was to you.”
“And what about her spies? Surely Maria has people reporting back to her anything and everything they can find out about me?”
“Oh, I’m sure her spies have told her a great many things but the only people we’ve talked about with certain aspects of your natures are the people closest to you. If she was dedicated to finding out the answers she wants, then she would find them, but she is letting jealousy rule her. And that will be her downfall.”
I nod, take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these games that are played between covens. I understand for the sake of diplomacy that they may be necessary, but doesn’t it get old for those who are involved? Do they not grow tired of pretending to be someone they’re not?
“Okay, I think I’m ready.”
My grandmother’s gaze is filled with pride as she looks over me. “No matter what happens tonight, Emerald, I am proud of the level of love you have shown. Not many of us would let others see such a thing for fear of being perceived as being weak, but somehow, you make love shine like a strength. It saddens me that I didn’t get to see such love while you were growing up.”
Jeannie’s eyes glisten, but she blinks back her tears before they can fall. I do what my heart tells me to. I walk into her embrace and wrap my arms around her tightly. “Just because we haven’t spent time together doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You’re my grandmother. You’ve given me something that I could only dream of. You accepted me, despite how different I am. You’ve taught me, trained me, and now you’re helping me in my quest to get Talon back. Love doesn’t even cover how much I care for you. Thank you for being everything I could have ever dreamed of.”
My grandmother pats my back awkwardly, but I hold on for a minute longer before letting her go and stepping back. She’s trying to look disgusted at such a display of affection, but I see the love shining in her eyes.
She clears her throat. “Well then, let’s go get Talon back.”
As I watch her turn away and leave the room, Linc suddenly appears before me. He cups my cheeks tenderly, and plants a heated kiss on my lips. When he breaks away, he presses his head to mine, sighing softly. “And that, right there, is why we all love you.”
Thirty-One
Nothing but Confusion
Brendan
The estate is very different from the training facility we were first brought to, but I was surprised when Queen Maria explained that they were linked by an underground network of tunnels.
Still, while Felicia and the queen are excited for tonight’s events, I can’t help but feel a pit of unease in my stomach.
I decided to take a quick tour outside rather than stay inside and listen to their banter over the ways my sister could die.
When they asked me why I was leaving their side, I simply said I was ensuring I knew the layout of the land in case my sister tried to escape from her fate tonight, but the real reason was to get as much space between Felicia and Queen Maria, and myself. The two of them are very much as evil as the other.
I understand what must be done to my sister, but the two of them seem to enjoy the pain of her death too much.
I once loved Emerald as I was supposed to, but as I grew older, I saw the effect she had on the man I always presumed was my father. She manipulated him to hate me, to only love her. Even my mother was pushed aside in favor of all things Emerald.
My sister was never fit to take over as Alpha. She never wanted the position, but my father was convinced it was always going to be her, his precious daughter, who would be better off taking over that mantle.
Me, I was simply forgotten. Xander took me under his wing when he saw how confused my life had become. He showed me what my sister had done. Even when I heard rumors among the pack that he had slept with my sister, I knew she must have thrown herself at him for him to give into her.
Some days, I wonder what would have happened if my sister was normal, if she was as nature intended. Would she be the Alpha? Would she have let me lead as I was born to do?
I curse inwardly at my stupid thoughts as I turn the corner back toward the door I escaped from. I pause at the sight of Talon on a bench seat, sitting on his own. He’s dressed in a white tux, much like mine, but his gaze is fixed on the massive building in front of him with a morose expression.
I don’t know what possesses me to do so, but I approach, taking a seat beside him. I don’t speak, simply enjoying the silence shared between us.
The sun has now set and the ball has already begun. My sister is most likely in that mansion, unaware that this will be her last night in this world. I’m not sure how Felicia knows, but she’s certain that if my sister is killed at the hands of someone she is meant to be bonded to, then she will remain dead. Queen Maria hasn’t questioned that knowledge which leaves me all the more frustrated by lack of explanation.
It’s one of tho
se things I’ve wanted answers to, but Felicia always says, “A girl’s gotta have her secrets,” and while that used to leave me with a smile, now it makes me wonder just how she would know such things.
“What are you doing out here?” The words leave my lips before I can stop them. I don’t want to get chummy with this vamp. He’s tied to my sister and is about to kill her.
His gaze leaves the building and scrutinizes me. I’m not exactly sure what he’s looking for, but he still answers the question.
“I’m out here because my queen told me to remain here until she calls for me.”
I nod in understanding. “Ah, yes. Well, Queen Maria does seem to like telling those beneath her what to do. Why have you not ignored the request and gone inside? It seems like you want to.”
Why the hell am I talking to this guy? Why am I sympathizing with him? What he’s about to do is the equivalent of me killing my mate, something I would never do. I would kill myself before ever hurting someone bound to me eternally by the fates.
“If I disobey the queen, I will be punished. She has spies everywhere and I guarantee many are watching me even at this very moment.”
My eyes go to the area surrounding us, but I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary. “If there was a vamp close enough to scent, I would have by now.”
“Vampires are not the only creatures that do her bidding. Tonight, I will be entering the challenge ring to kill her enemy, so I will be monitored until I am called inside.”
“And you don’t want to kill this person in the challenge?” I guess, unsure if he knows exactly who it is that will be inside. Does he know Emerald means something to him?
“I don’t believe in killing for the sake of it. I don’t understand how this innocent girl is such a threat to my queen, especially since she is the princess to a coven in America. There’s no real threat because my guess is that the girl will return home to her coven after her visit. So why is this challenge needed?”
“You’re really bothered about this, aren’t you?” For some reason, it troubles me that he’s so torn up by it. I assumed he would be a heartless monster, that he would simply do what the queen wished without even thinking about the effect it could have.
“Would you not be bothered if you were told to kill someone and were not given a reason why, apart from them being a threat to the person you serve?”
I study him, the tortured expression on his face causing me to doubt my own cause. Is killing Emerald truly the right thing to do? Am I just letting jealousy get the better of me?
Maybe there’s a way to strip Emerald of her nature rather than killing her?
“Tell me, what if I told you the girl you are to challenge tonight is a threat not only to your queen, but to every supernatural being in existence. Every witch coven, every pack, and every vamp coven—all of them are in danger as long as this girl exists.” He cocks his head in confusion and I go on to explain, “She is a hybrid, something that is not supposed to exist in this world, yet she does. That makes her dangerous. Unpredictable.”
Talon ponders my words, his eyes going back to the large mansion in the middle of nowhere. “If she’s a hybrid as you say, then I do not believe she would be a threat, but the coming of change for our world. Never has a hybrid existed before, and if the fates who watch over us decided to grant her existence, then I have to believe there’s a reason for it. Even if we don’t quite understand it yet.”
How is he so reasonable, so accepting of a person he doesn’t even know? How on earth did he make sense of something I have struggled with for months? I wondered why the fates had let my sister live, but he simplified it in a way I never could. There’s a reason she exists.
I stand abruptly, unsure how to feel as I walk away back to the house. I’m only two feet away from him when I turn back. “Disobey your queen this once and go find the girl. You will regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t.”
With that, I turn and leave him to make his own decision about whether to listen to me or not. One thing is clear, though, I’m leaving. I thought my sister was the big bad in this world, but maybe I was wrong all along. Maybe my sister isn’t the danger, but the world in which she was born into is.
Talon was right about our fates not allowing her existence without a reason. I just wish I hadn’t let jealousy blind me for so long.
As I walk up the steps into the party, I know it’s time for me to go home. I won’t try to warn my sister because I doubt she’d believe me after all I’ve done, but that doesn’t mean I need to stay and watch the night play out. I just hope the vampire is smart enough to seek my sister out before the challenge.
Maybe one day I can reunite with Emerald, but that day isn’t now. She won’t ever forgive me for the pain I’ve caused her, so maybe it’s time I put my determination to better use. Maybe it’s time to find out why a hybrid needed to exist. To find out what threats are going unknown in our world.
Maybe, with penance for my actions, she will one day forgive me for all I have done.
Thirty-Two
A Deal is Made
Emerald
As I stare out at the hundreds of people gathered in this large mansion, my palms start to sweat from the anxiety. My grandmother may have had a good idea by dressing me in black, but I stand out way more than I thought. The only people in the room not wearing a shade of gray are the queen and me, with the queen wearing a deep red dress yet again. I’m guessing it’s her go-to color.
With each body that presses against me, my anxiety grows, and I know I need to get somewhere private for a moment, somewhere I can just breathe on my own without an influx of different scents that tell me all the vampires in this room have fed on human victims recently.
I make a beeline toward the bathroom, slipping past the men, Britt, and my grandmother, who are all hovering around me as guards. The crowd is so thick that none of them have a chance to reach me before I make it to the bathroom.
The moment my hand wraps around the door, a hand lands on the small of my back and pushes me forward into the room, the person behind me following.
I spin, about to give whoever it is a piece of my mind, when my eyes lock on Talon’s. He clicks the lock on the very fancy powder room and stalks forward until I hit the vanity on the opposite side of the room.
“We need to talk. I promise I won’t harm you, so long as you tell me everything I need to know.”
Well, that’s better than straight up killing me, I guess. I open my mouth to tell him so when there’s banging on the other side of the door, and he presses flush against me as if to protect me, but it’s just Britt’s voice that filters through. “Mer, let me in or I’ll make Blaine blast this door open. You can’t be alone!”
“It’s okay,” I soothe Talon, gently patting his arm. “It’s my friend.”
“We cannot be seen together.”
I frown but send Britt away. “Britt, I’m fine. I’ll be out when I’m ready.” Then I put up a magic barrier around the room like Blaine performed with me at the meeting of all supes back in America. I’m not sure if I did it correctly, but hopefully it protects us for a little while.
“We’re safe to talk now. I put up a kind of soundproof barrier around the bathroom. It means no one will be able to hear us, I promise.”
He backs up a step and looks over me. “You’re beautiful,” he states, as his gaze roams over my dress.
I reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling awkward. “Oh. Thank you.” I look anywhere but at him. This encounter makes me feel out of place, because it’s like interacting with a stranger. “You said you wanted to talk?”
His eyes pierce me and he reaches out a hand to trace the name on my neck with reverence. “I have this feeling that everyone here is lying to me, that maybe what you told me could have some truth to it.”
I nod slowly, not sure what he wants me to say, so I remain quiet and let him speak.
“How long have we known each other?” he asks,
letting his hand drop to his side, but by the twitch of it, I can tell he didn’t want to stop touching me.
“A couple of weeks,” I answer honestly.
“How did we meet? Did I try to harm you then too?”
“God, no!” I exclaim, my eyes widening in shock. I have to wonder just what kind of person he was before he left the queen to think such a thing.
“You saved me, Talon. Before I knew the extent of what I was, my father had given me your number to call if I ever got in any trouble. When I came to town, a bunch of rabid wolves got my scent and almost killed me. I called you and you showed up with Devin and Nikoli, my other soul-ties. The three of you saved me and fed me blood, which woke up the vampire side of me.”
“Did you have sex with me then or later?”
I cough, choking on my own saliva. “What?” I gasp out through the burn in my throat. “We haven’t had sex.”
He cocks his head in confusion. “We’ve never completed the bond? Then how do you bear my name on your skin? Only through sex do most soul-ties form to such an extent, and sometimes not even then.”
“Uh, well, about that. When we returned back to your home, we all noticed the ties. Something about my unique nature made our ties form with nothing but the sharing of our blood. However, through shared intimate moments, our markings have grown darker.”
He listens carefully, nodding in understanding. “Then how are we not bonded now?”
I squirm with my back still against the cool vanity, unsure how to phrase this. “Well, I’m not entirely sure on the how, but our bonds were broken, most likely by a witch.”
“Did you want the soul-ties?”
“Of course I want the soul-ties. After they were broken, I wallowed, sure that none of you would want me, but you made me see that our relationship wasn’t just about a mythical bond. It was about the effort each of us put into it to make it complete.” I take in a breath and let it out slowly before moving into Talon’s space the same way I would if he was still the old Talon. “I’m here in this country for one thing only, Talon. You.”
