Raven
“You’re lying,” I said. “Noah hates demons. There’s no way he would do that.”
“Why would I lie about this?” He gave me an innocent look that I was positive meant he was enjoying this.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I know Noah. He wants to get to Avalon more than anything, so he can join the Earth Angel’s army and defeat the demons for good.”
“Are you sure that’s why he’s going to Avalon?” he asked.
“Why else would he be going to Avalon?” I clenched my fists, getting angry now. Thomas was talking about Noah like he knew him. But he didn’t. I was the one who’d been traveling with Noah for over a week. It didn’t sound like much, but during that time, we’d barely been apart. Noah was honorable and good. Despite how frustrating he could be, he’d proven that his heart was in the right place on multiple occasions.
But he was also secretive. He never talked about his past, and whenever I asked him about it, he clammed up.
He was hiding something from me. I couldn’t deny it.
But surely it couldn’t be something as awful as what Thomas had claimed?
“He could be going so he can take Avalon down from the inside,” Thomas casually threw the idea out there, like he wasn’t also saying that he thought Noah was a terrible person. “The Earth Angel’s army is the best chance we have at defeating the demons. Take down her army, and once the demons strike, they’ll be unstoppable.”
“Noah wouldn’t do that,” I insisted. “Destroying the demons is everything to him. And even if you were right—which you aren’t—one man couldn’t take down the Earth Angel’s entire army from the inside. It would be a suicide mission.”
“You’d be surprised by what one man can do when he has enough drive to succeed,” Thomas said knowingly. “And from what I’ve heard about the First Prophet, he’s quite skilled at influencing those around him. Look at him now—he has you and Sage believing his every word. If he were human, I’d think his ability of influence was a gift from the gods. But as a born shifter, it’s simply a honed skill. An impressive skill, but only a skill.”
“You’re lying,” I said again.
Unfortunately, the more Thomas told me, the more I wondered what exactly Noah had been keeping from me. It had to do with where he was from. I knew that much.
But it couldn’t be what Thomas had said—about Noah helping a witch open the Hell Gate. That was too awful to think about.
“You don’t believe that as strongly as before,” he observed.
I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed at him for reading me so well. “If what you’re saying is true—which I don’t think it is—then it doesn’t make any sense,” I said, trying to work through this logically. “The demons want to kill all supernaturals—including shifters.”
“They do,” he confirmed.
“So why would Noah release the demons from Hell when they want to kill his entire species?”
“I don’t know.” Thomas glanced at his watch. “But I requested this private audience with you because I thought you were Princess Ana. Since your memory has been wiped, there’s nothing more I can learn from you now. So it’s time I leave for my date with Sage. We’ll be gone for long enough for you to confront the First Prophet yourself.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “You think Noah is this evil First Prophet who released the demons from Hell and is going to Avalon to destroy the Earth Angel’s army from the inside, and you’re just… letting us hang out in your penthouse?”
“Yep,” he said.
“Well, you must not think he’s that dangerous if you’re leaving him alone here,” I challenged.
“The Bettencourt is more secure than a prison.” He stood up and adjusted a button on his suit jacket. “No one’s getting out of here unless I let them out.”
“So you’re trapping us here.” I stood up as well, not wanting to let him tower over me. He was tall, so he still towered over me, but not as much as he would have if I’d remained sitting.
“That’s one way of looking at it,” he said.
“There’s another way?” I didn’t bother keeping the sarcasm from my tone.
“There’s always more than one way of looking at things,” he said. “In this case, it’s that I’m keeping you here for your own protection.”
“That’s a load of crap and you know it.” I scoffed. “If we can’t leave without your permission, then we’re prisoners here, plain and simple.”
He watched me for a few seconds, neither of us saying a word. I pressed my lips together, determined not to stand down.
“I like you, Raven,” he finally said. “I didn’t think I would, but you’re fiery. You say what’s on your mind. It’s refreshing.”
I hadn’t been expecting that, and the sudden turn of the conversation left me speechless.
“On that note, I’m off on my date with Sage,” he said. “Enjoy your time with your boyfriend while we’re gone. I’ll send him in. You clearly have a lot to discuss.”
The door opened without Thomas having to touch it, and he zipped out of the room before I could say another word.
I stared at the open doorway, nervous to see Noah. Up until now, I’d never doubted that he was the good guy. A hero.
But after what Thomas had said, I had an awful feeling that whatever Noah was hiding from me was worse than I’d imagined.
And that maybe the line between good and evil wasn’t as clear as it had originally appeared.
Thomas
The information I’d gotten from Raven was fascinating, to say the least. It made me wonder—had a vampire royal been working with the Earth Angel to assassinate Laila, the previous queen of the Vale? The timing of Princess Ana infiltrating the palace and Laila’s assassination couldn’t have been a coincidence.
With some digging, I could likely get to the bottom of which royal vampire was behind this. Then I could use what I knew to my advantage.
For now, I’d keep the information where it was safest—to myself.
I passed Noah on my way out of the media room. “You’re free to go to your girlfriend now,” I told him. “She’s going to have lots of questions.”
Noah nodded and made his way to the room where Raven was waiting.
I couldn’t wait to see how that discussion would play out. Like everywhere else in the Bettencourt, each room in my penthouse was outfitted with microscopic cameras. I wouldn’t be able to watch Noah and Raven’s conversation live—I had more important matters to attend to—but I planned on watching the recording later.
For now, I entered my bedroom. When the door shut behind me, I reached for my cell phone to call Flint.
Sage’s brother knew that Sage, Noah, and Raven were going to be arriving at the Bettencourt. How he knew was another question—one I didn’t know the answer to—but he knew. And he’d insisted—no, begged—that once they arrived, I did whatever it took to get Sage back to the Montgomery compound in LA. He’d given me this whole story about how Sage had been brainwashed by the First Prophet into following him on his mission to kill demons, and that if she didn’t get back to LA soon, she’d be left out of an important alliance that Flint was making to ensure the safety of the Montgomery pack.
It sounded compelling, especially because I’d do anything to ensure Sage’s safety. I’d bring her back to LA myself in a heartbeat if I thought Flint was telling the truth.
There were a bunch of clues that made me suspect he was lying. But mainly, I knew Sage. She wasn’t the type to be brainwashed, even by the First Prophet. She was traveling with him for a reason.
I was taking her on our date tonight so I could discover exactly what that reason was.
But first, I needed to talk to her brother.
I waited as the call went through. Every room in my penthouse was equipped with the best sound blocking technology on the market. Some that wasn’t even on the market yet. No one would be able to hear what I was saying in here—not even a supernatural.
Flint picked up on the third ring.
“You have my sister?” he asked.
“I do,” I confirmed. “She came straight to my doorstep, just like you told me.”
“Of course she did,” Flint said. “My source wouldn’t lie.”
“What source is that?” I asked casually. Truth be told, I was dying to know what sort of intel Flint had at his disposal. But I knew better than to act like I cared too much, which was why I kept it casual.
“That’s for me to know,” Flint said. “And for you to maybe find out if you get Sage back to LA safely.”
It was a good thing this wasn’t a video call, because I needed to roll my eyes after hearing how childish Flint sounded.
“She only just arrived,” I said calmly. “I’m working on it.”
“What’s there to work on?” He sounded just as erratic as he had the last time we talked. “Can’t you just drug her, stick her on that plane of yours, and have her here in a few hours?”
I frowned at the notion of drugging Sage and sending her anywhere against her will.
The fact that Flint wanted me to do that to her made me question again what he was truly up to.
“Be patient,” I said. “You told me you had a week until you needed her back. If you want her to come to you willingly—which you should, since Sage can hold one hell of a grudge—you’ll let me do this my way.”
“Once Sage is back, she won’t care how she got here—she’ll just be grateful she’s safe.” Flint growled. “You better stick to your promise to get her home. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“Are you threatening me?” The question was rhetorical—he obviously was. And I had no intention of letting him think I was going to let that fly.
“If you don’t bring Sage to me within a week, I’ll be forced to go through with this alliance without her, due to a blood oath I made,” he said. “If that happens, Sage won’t be safe and the demons will come for her sooner rather than later.”
“You’re not making sense, Flint.” If I was a less patient man, I might have lost my temper on him by now. “What do the demons want with Sage?”
“Once I’ve made this alliance, the demons will hear of it,” he said darkly. “They’ll go after any member of the Montgomery pack who remains unprotected. If Sage isn’t protected, she’ll be first on their hit list since she’s so close to me.”
“Sage is protected,” I said, since I’d do anything to keep her safe—even if that meant giving up everything I’d built here in Chicago and going with her to the Haven. “Or do you doubt me that much?”
“If I doubted you, I wouldn’t have come to you,” he said. “Speaking of, how’s it going with the First Prophet and his pet human? I assume they’re already taken care of?”
“I’m in the process of it as we speak,” I said.
“How is that not done already?” Flint growled again. “The First Prophet is dangerous. He should have been killed immediately.”
“You must not know me if you think I’d kill anyone before squeezing all the information out of them that I can.” I chuckled. “They’ll be handled soon. No need to worry about that.”
“Don’t take too long,” he said. “And don’t underestimate them. The longer they’re there, the more chances they’ll have to escape.”
“The only person who decides who comes and goes from here is me,” I said. “They sealed their fates the moment they walked through my doors.”
“True, true,” Flint agreed. “Kill them at your convenience. But bring Sage to me before the week is up. If you don’t you’ll regret it.”
He hung up, and I stared at my phone in shock.
I was doing Flint a favor by getting Sage back home. Who did he think he was by hanging up on me?
My initial urge was to call him back, tell him just that, and call off our agreement.
But I took a deep breath, centering myself. Giving into emotional urges might feel good in the moment, but I didn’t get to where I was today by acting on impulses. I had to stay in control. Sage’s involvement in this stirred up emotions I wasn’t used to feeling, but control would allow me to play the long game and come out on top.
So I set my phone to the side. After all, I had a date to get ready for.
And alone time with Sage Montgomery would be the perfect opportunity to talk with her and determine who to believe in this situation—Sage, or Flint.
I knew which one of them I wanted to trust.
Now, all I could do was hope she proved me right.
Sage
After Thomas had left to talk with Raven, I’d told Noah that I didn’t have to get ready for the date yet. I’d sit with him and wait to make sure Raven was okay.
He’d insisted I go ahead and get ready. Apparently he wanted the time alone to think and to prepare for telling Raven about their imprint bond. I also needed time to think—being around Thomas had affected me in ways I was hoping it wouldn’t—so I was happy to take some much needed alone time.
I knew the way to the second bedroom. I knew my way around the entire Bettencourt hotel.
Growing up, Flint had sent me to Chicago for a few weeks each summer to solidify our alliance with the Bettencourt coven. In return, Thomas had sent his most cherished vampire—a cousin he’d found and turned—to stay in the Montgomery compound. It was abnormal for vampires and shifters to work together, so this was an exercise in trust to show we had faith in our alliance. By the leader of each group sending their closest family member to the other’s territory for a few weeks each summer, it showed that we trusted that the Montgomerys and the Bettencourts would always keep one another safe.
Thomas’s idea, of course.
I’d started coming here when I was twelve. At first, I’d stayed in a private guest suite. Those initial summers had been lonely, since the Bettencourt vampires weren’t particularly interested in spending time with a twelve year old. So I was constantly exploring the hotel and getting into all kinds of trouble.
The other vampires had scolded me, but Thomas always seemed amused by my antics. He also always made sure I had enough games, movies, books, and such to keep me entertained. He’d even set aside nights to take me out of the city so I could change into my wolf form and run.
Our relationship wasn’t romantic when I’d been so young, but I’d had a crush on him and knew I trusted him. I think that time he spent with me when I was young allowed him to feel freer than he allowed himself to be when he was at the Bettencourt, responsible for the safety of his entire coven.
We started dating the summer when I was sixteen. I’d gotten a car a few months earlier, and that had been the start of my “rebellious phase,” as Flint liked to call it. Honestly, I don’t think that phase ever ended, but whatever.
The moment I’d arrived at the Bettencourt that summer, Thomas had looked at me differently.
He’d looked at me the way a man looks at a woman he’s attracted to, instead of like a kid he has to take care of.
The tension between us grew like a wildfire. The first night he took me out to run that summer, I was quick to kiss him and show him that his feelings were returned.
In that instant, everything between us clicked. Like we were meant to be.
After that night, I switched from staying in the guest suite to staying in the second bedroom in his penthouse.
He didn’t allow me to stay with him in his room until I was eighteen. Because of that, much of the time that I’d spent in the Bettencourt had been in the bedroom I was heading to now.
The room was exactly as I remembered it. Furniture in shades of gray, an upholstered bed that I knew was heavenly to sleep in, mirrored nightstand and lamps, and a crystal chandelier fit for a princess. Normally, the curtains were open to a spectacular view of the city, but like all the shades throughout the penthouse right now, they were currently closed.
The remote to control the curtains was inside the top drawer of the nightstand closest to the window, exactly as
I remembered. But when I pressed the button to open them, they remained closed.
Someone who didn’t know Thomas might have chalked it up to faulty technology. But I knew him, and I knew that the remote didn’t work because he either didn’t want us seeing outside, or he didn’t want to risk anyone outside seeing in. I suspected the latter. I tossed the control back into the drawer, knowing it wouldn’t work until Thomas deemed it safe to open the curtains.
Then I took my time in the luxurious shower, cleaning off all the dirt and grime from fighting that red-eyed wolf shifter in the alley in Nashville. I still had no idea what that creature was. I should have been thinking about it—trying to figure out why a shifter had the red eyes of a demon.
Instead, all I could think about was Thomas.
Being in this room where I’d spent time with him brought back memories I wished would remain buried. Now, as I scrubbed myself clean, all the memories came to the surface again.
Especially one in particular, from the final night I spent here during the summer when I was sixteen.
I was zipping up my final suitcase, preparing to head back to LA in the morning. As much as I hated it, I cried the entire time I’d packed. I hated seeing my stuff all packed up—I hated knowing that soon, this incredible summer with Thomas would only be a memory.
Suddenly, the door opened. Thomas. His jacket and tie were off, and the sleeves of his button-down top were pushed up to his elbows. He watched me with tortured sadness—like he was seeing me for the last time.
He’d been looking at me like that a lot the past few days. Like I was going away and never coming back.
“You’re crying.” He tilted his head, watching me in that curious way of his—like he was studying me and trying to figure out how my emotions worked. He always ended up asking. I wasn’t one of his machines or political alliances, and I apparently surprised him more than he liked to admit. “Why?”
“I don’t want to leave here.” I wiped a tear from my eyes and forced a smile, despite feeling as far from happy as ever. “I don’t want to leave you.”
The Angel Trap (Dark World: The Angel Trials Book 3) Page 5
