by Deanna Chase
My head started to spin, and I sucked in a deep breath. Someone named Asher was after me?
Allcot took his seat again and concentrated on me. “Asher’s the vampire you met in the cemetery the day you got home from California.”
“But if he’s a vampire, why would he want to stop such a thing?” Phoebe asked.
Eadric angled his head toward a painting depicting a family from what looked to be the sixteenth century. There was one man and three grown women, all very pale and all dressed in layers of ornate clothing, jewels at their throats. “That’s Tobias Sleford and his mistresses. He was the King of the Vampire Royal Court at the time.”
Some sensation returned to my fingers as I dug them into my palm. One thing I had learned during my run as a Void agent was vampire history. Sleford had been a man of the cloth before he’d been turned. His reign had largely consisted of instilling order in the vampire community—until he’d disappeared one hundred and fifty years later. It was suspected he’d been murdered, and the vampire royalty line was abolished. He’d been responsible for setting the groundwork for vampires, fae, witches, and humans alike to coexist peacefully.
“And?” Phoebe tapped her foot.
“Asher used Sleford’s teachings and twisted them into his own perverse reality. He believes he’s a prophet sent back by Sleford to segregate humans and vampires. In other words, he feels humans are superior to every other race and it’s his job to keep humans safe. Naturally, Asher feels daywalking vampires are a mortal threat to humans. His band of followers has been taking out all fae who are known carriers of the sunwalking magic.”
I gasped. “There are more of us?”
He shook his head. “Not that anyone’s aware of. It’s an extremely rare gift. I only know of one other family, and unfortunately that line was terminated about sixty years ago.”
Terminated. Goddess above.
“And he knows about Willow?” Phoebe started to pace, nervous energy flowing off her in waves. “We have to get her out of here. Out of the country, maybe.”
“Now wait just a minute—”
Allcot put his hand up, stopping me. “According to our intel, he’s only keeping an eye on you as a person of interest. If you have a son, Asher would want to know about it. Since you’re Beau’s twin and he’s unaware of Beau Junior, he has reason to believe you could pass the gene to your offspring. As long as he’s unaware of your ability, you should be able to keep living a normal life.”
“But what about the one that tried to jump me that night outside my shop?” He had been a vamp, after all.
“I suspect he’s one of Asher’s people. He may have been trying to impress his master or you might have snuck up on him. No way to tell. What we do know is if Asher finds out about your abilities, he will come after you.”
Phoebe stopped pacing and balled her fists on her hips. “She can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous.”
I stood, meeting her toe to toe. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a life here. I won’t live it hiding out somewhere. Plus, Beau Junior is here. He’s my family.”
Phoebe glanced from me to Allcot and gritted her teeth. “Fine. But first thing tomorrow I’m signing you up for those self-defense classes.”
“Deal.” I smiled. This time I’d go. After the week I’d had, I was dying to. Literally.
Phoebe eyed Allcot. “If you don’t think Asher will kill her, then why did you have David tell Maude there was a death threat?”
“It’s not a total lie. If he learns the truth he will kill her.” Allcot raised his crystal glass to his lips. “And I had my reasons for wanting one of my people on the inside.”
Phoebe snorted. “I bet.”
I started pacing again. “But you didn’t know about my ability then.”
“Willow.” Carrie grabbed my wrist, stopping me. “We knew about your ability to sense vampires. I was afraid for you. It was my idea to have Davidson look after you.”
I dropped to my knees in front of her, betrayal and hurt taking over my logical mind. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I demanded. “We were close. As close as sisters.” I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face. “You just… left, and took little Beau with you. How could you do that?”
Her eyes glistened with her own tears. “I was afraid. For my child, for you, for all of us. I knew about Beau’s ability. He told me, and deep inside I knew his death wasn’t an accident, but I didn’t know what to do about it. So I went to Nicola, knowing she had access to Eadric and his protection. That’s how I ended up here. They’ve been watching over us ever since. And now you. Since the day David walked into your shop a year ago.”
Eadric clucked his tongue in disapproval, and I gaped. I glanced back at Phoebe. “Did you know any of this?”
She shook her head, appearing just as surprised as I was. Though I don’t know why. As soon as we’d walked into the room I should have made the connection. It was too much of a coincidence to believe I’d ended up with David by accident. He’d lied to me for over a year. Bastard!
This was all too much. “I have to get out of here.” I turned to Phoebe. “Let’s take Maude home.” I glared at Allcot, daring him to protest. But he didn’t.
He inclined his head. “I trust you will not speak of Carrie or Beau to anyone?”
“I need to tell Talisen.” There was no way I was keeping this from him. Better Allcot understood that. “He’s been searching for answers to Beau’s death. If he keeps digging, he’ll call attention to himself unnecessarily. I can’t have that.”
The vamp leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. I almost thought he’d argue, but then he said, “That’s acceptable if you put a silencing spell on the information.”
I cringed. Tal would hate that. No one ever volunteers to have their free will taken away. But there were other people’s lives on the line. “Fine.” He’d understand. I hoped.
I moved to the open door leading into Beau’s bedroom. He sat in the middle of the room, playing with a giant soft puzzle. I met Carrie’s eyes and waved a hand toward him. “Is it okay?”
She gave me a small smile and nodded.
Thank you, I mouthed.
Joining my nephew, I sat next to him, handing him puzzle pieces as he worked out where they should go. His eyes and chin were the same shape as Beau’s, but his nose was wider and cheeks puffier. I wondered if he’d grow into Beau’s rugged good looks. I hoped so. Hoped with all my heart.
“Auntie!” he cried in exuberance, jumping to his feet.
“Yeah?” I laughed at his sheer joy as he ran around me in a circle.
He held out a brown-and-white plush dog. “Kiss.”
I clasped my hands around the softest stuffed animal ever made and gave it a hug. “What’s his name?”
“Mama named her.” He moved in, snuggling me close.
“Oh? And what name did Mama give her?” I smoothed his unruly red-blond hair.
“Willa.”
“Willa?” I parroted.
“No, like Auntie. Willa!”
“Willow?” I asked, choking back the emotion in my throat.
He laughed. “Yeah, like Auntie.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
When Phoebe and I returned to Allcot’s office, Maude was resting on a couch and other than visible exhaustion, she appeared as good as new.
“Looks like Talisen worked his magic,” I said, sitting next to her.
She placed a hand on my leg. “He did. Thank you for asking him to come here.”
“Of course.” I glanced around at the deserted room. “As soon as he gets back from wherever he went, we’ll get you home.”
She sat up, fluttering her newly healed iridescent wings. “He already left. Said he had somewhere to be.”
He left? What the heck was so important he’d leave without even checking on me? We were in a vampire den, for God’s sake. Was he that angry? Had I pushed him away with my no-dating mantra? I suppressed a frustrated sigh. I’d only been
trying to protect our friendship. Looks like I failed.
“It seemed important.” Maude patted my leg. “You’ll work it out.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I lied. Rolling my tense shoulders, I turned to my aunt. “But we do need to figure out what we’re going to do about Felton.” I paused. “Maude?”
“Yes?” She met my gaze with tired eyes.
“Why is he so obsessed with studying me?” What I really wanted to know was why she’d been so mean for three years, but now wasn’t the time to discuss my hurt feelings. In all likelihood the prolonged use of the tainted Influence was the main cause. “I mean, I’ve worked for the Arcane for the last two years. Why now?”
“Oh, honey. He’s always been obsessed with your abilities. It was my job to explore and exploit them to best further his cause.”
“Which is?”
She shook her head. “Eliminating vampires. Your ability to sense them is an odd, but useful, trait. As long as you were helping our agents track down their suspects, he was happy to leave it alone. But when he found out a vampire was interested in protecting you, he went a little crazy and started investigating our family history.”
“And he found out about my family line?”
She nodded gravely. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Who told him?”
“No one. He found top-secret records, I think. I’m not sure. After his discovery, he ordered me to take you in for extensive testing. And by then you’d already transformed David. He couldn’t stand the thought of any more daywalkers. If your friends hadn’t broken you out, I’m certain you would have been incarcerated for good.”
I sucked in a breath.
“Do you have any incriminating evidence we could use to bring charges against him?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, I think I have some memos written in his hand, and I could be drug tested. The Arcane Influence leaves traces.”
“And modifies personalities?” I couldn’t help myself.
She frowned. “Yeah, but it was more than that. I was controlled for so long, eventually Felton’s evilness started to weave its way inside me.” Tears glistened in her stormy eyes. “I was lost.” She took my hand. “Thank you for freeing me.”
I choked out a laugh. “I was trying to free myself. But I’m glad you’re back. Mom is going to be ecstatic.”
“Me, too, sweetie. Me, too.”
I stood. “Okay, then let’s go so we can start the legal process. The longer Felton’s out there, the easier it will be for him to manipulate the situation.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Nathan said from behind me.
I reeled, finding him lounging in the open doorway, one foot hooked over the other. How long had he been there? It couldn’t have been long. I would have sensed him. I shifted to stand in front of Maude. This was the vamp who’d tortured her. I’d be damned if I let him near her again. “Get out of here.”
Nathan raised his eyebrows and his lips quirked up in amusement. “I live here.”
I glanced back at Maude. She was staring at him with hate pouring from her blazing eyes. Every muscle was tensed and she appeared ready to pounce. I had to get him out of there before she snapped.
“What do you want?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Nothing. But you should know we have Felton locked up. He won’t be an issue.”
Realization dawned. “He was captured when they broke David out, wasn’t he?”
He nodded. “He won’t be a problem for you again.”
I stalked up to him. “I want to see him.”
“Why?”
“To find out…” Did Nathan know about all the details? I had no idea, but I wasn’t telling him. “I need to ask him some questions.”
“No one else knows. He only told Maude.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Knows what?”
“Your family history.”
My eyes went wide. Did everyone know? How was I going to keep this a secret when the entire vamp population was on to me? “Allcot told you then,” I stated in a flat tone.
“I’m part of Carrie’s security team. Only a handful of us know what’s going on.”
“Oh.” Well, wasn’t that peachy? “I’d still like a word with Felton. Take me to him.”
He leveled me with his neutral stare. “Sorry. Eadric’s ordered the prisoner isolated. You can request a formal visitation, but it probably won’t be granted.”
Shit. I glanced at Maude, now standing. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to back me up or bolt. The vamps had definitely tortured Felton, just as they had Maude. The thought made my stomach roll. Not that he didn’t deserve it. Felton would’ve done unspeakable things to me, and he’d kept Maude under the Influence for years. Still, I hated that the vamps had taken matters into their own hands as if we didn’t have a legal system in place.
Oh Lord. The legal system. This was New Orleans. On second thought, it was probably better if Allcot kept him in the dungeon. Or wherever they had the bastard chained up.
I stretched and winced, forgetting my wings needed time to heal. “Fine. Maude, let’s go.”
No one paid any attention to us as we left. Outside, I spotted Phoebe crushing a cigarette with the toe of her shoe. I swallowed the automatic admonishment poised on my tongue. It had been a bad week. Just as I approached her car, David appeared.
“Willow.” He stood behind me with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.
“What?” I demanded, so angry I could stake him right there. He’d known about Beau the entire time we’d been together. Listened to me talk about how awful it was to not know what happened to him. Knew how much it hurt. And he’d had the answers the entire time.
Asshole.
Everything had been a lie. He’d used me. Dated me after being assigned to me. Spent time in my bed. My skin crawled with the now-tainted memory. I couldn’t even look at him. “Go home, David. I don’t need your protection anymore.”
“Wait.” He glanced over at Phoebe, either not catching the venom in my voice or choosing to ignore it. “I’ll take her home.”
Phoebe met my gaze, her eyes raised and amusement tugging at her lips.
“No, you most certainly will not.” I scowled and pulled the car door open, glaring at David. “I’m not your property. Stop acting like you own me.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I never thought you were.” He sighed. “Please, Willow, I have a few things to explain.”
I huffed. “I don’t want to hear it.” Though I was more than mildly curious how he planned to explain away a whole year of our lives, a sudden breakup, and secret orders to keep an eye on me.
My aunt leaned in and whispered, “It might be better to get this over with now, rather than later.”
I stared at her, my mouth open. Was she kidding?
She shrugged. “It’s been my experience vampires don’t give up easily. If you let him have his say and then tell him to stick a stake where the sun doesn’t shine, he might start to get the picture.” Smirking at David, she climbed into the front seat of Phoebe’s car.
David shifted to move in front of me, blocking Phoebe and Maude from my line of sight. Regret and something close to shame flashed through his tortured eyes. “Please, Willow. One car ride, and if you tell me to get lost, I will.”
“Wil?” Phoebe asked, poking her head around David’s frame.
I stared at my ex, anger coursing red-hot beneath my skin. But when I gazed up at him, a piece of me softened. And I hated myself for it. I waved a hand at Phoebe. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”
“You’re sure?” She glanced up and down the street, eyeing the traffic jockeying for her spot. “We could wait.”
“And have that car block traffic for ten minutes?” I gestured to the red Mustang hovering behind us. “I don’t think so. Go on home. I’ll be right there.”
“If you say so.” A second later, the car squealed away from the curb, leaving a rubber trail on the road.
I turned to David. “Where’s your car?”
He started to say something, but my expression must have made him change his mind because he closed his mouth and started walking. “This way.”
I stayed a few steps behind him as I followed him down the block and around the corner to a small parking lot.
He pushed a button on his remote. A silver Mercedes beeped twice and then he opened the passenger door for me.
I wasn’t impressed. No amount of chivalry was going to salvage this fake relationship.
Once inside the car, David sat there, staring out the windshield, hands wringing the wheel.
“It’d help if you put the key in the ignition,” I said.
He clutched the wheel tighter. “It wasn’t a lie.”
“What wasn’t? That you happened to wander in my shop that day? Or that you were just a regular guy working the oil rigs? Or maybe that you weren’t close to your family and that’s why you never talked about them? Or was it that you were being transferred to Texas, and it was better we broke it off rather than have a long-distance relationship?” I sucked in a breath. “No, it’s none of those. Because clearly, those were all lies!”
He turned to me, his eyes swimming with regret. “I know I owe you an apology.”
“An apology? Do you think I could ever forgive the fact that our entire relationship was fabricated? That you knew the answers to my past but you hid them from me?”
Pain flickered over his features, then in one blink, he was stoic and controlled, exactly the way he always was. “I love you.” His voice came out strong and sure.
I jerked in my seat, ready to explode at the audacity of his statement, but he cut me off before I could get the words out.
“That was never a lie. The rest… Well, you know why I didn’t tell you the rest.” He shoved the key in the ignition. “I’m not asking forgiveness. I’m not asking anything. I only wanted you to be certain of that one thing.” He turned to meet my frozen gaze. “I never lied about loving you.”
Stunned, I sat there, speechless while he put the car in gear and finally took me home. I stayed silent the entire ride. I had nothing to say. What could I say? I’d loved him. More than I wanted to admit to myself. Even if he hadn’t turned vampire, his lies had canceled out everything we’d shared. Trust was everything, and he’d broken mine. Not to mention he’d turned into something I didn’t understand. Sadness slowly melted away the rage that had been feeding my resolve. When he came to a stop, he killed the ignition.
