by Rachel Jonas
“Liam, stop!” Evie screamed, shaking against the wall as the two of us did our best to make sure only one walked away.
At her words, he squeezed harder, cutting off my air supply completely. A white glow filled his eyes and the fury that came out of him filled the room.
“I should’ve ended you months ago,” he panted, crazy with rage as his fingers sank deeper. I was lowered just enough for the tips of my shoes to scrape the ground, bringing us eye-to-eye. He was unaffected by the grip I had on his wrist as I tried to pry his hand loose.
A sickening smile came before dark words. “Not so hard to remember you’re just a boy once you’ve been put in your place by a man, is it?” he laughed, taunting me for sport.
“Enough, Liam!” Evie called out again—louder, more confident. This time, when her voice hit his ears, he blinked and I could see she got through. There was probably nothing and no one else who could have.
He released me and my body crumpled to the ground as I struggled for breath, coughing, wheezing.
Evie stared, concern heavy behind her eyes as I clutched my chest. To emphasize how little Liam considered me to be a threat, he proceeded to turn his back and walk away, not worried in the least that I might succeed if I retaliated … which was exactly why I did.
I rushed him with a perfect shot to slam his back with my shoulder, knocking him off balance, proving why it was never smart to get cocky during a fight. He should’ve been alert, ready. But instead, he was going to her, letting his guard down way too soon.
I quickened my pace, grateful for supernatural speed because it enabled me to get to him without making a sound, without him knowing what was about to hit him. I dropped low, positioning myself with those last few steps and then … I hit my target, sending a body crashing to the floor.
Only … it wasn’t Liam’s.
Evie cried out, writhing on the ground, clutching her arm as her face reddened. Tears were soon to follow, streaking her cheeks. At the last second, she noticed me coming for Liam and intervened, putting herself in harm’s way to protect him.
“Evie!” Instinct sent me rushing to her. “I didn’t mean … I’m …” Words failed me. This was all a mistake.
I took a step in her direction, but never got the chance to apologize. An elbow to my temple sent a wave of pain shooting through my skull. Dazed by the blow, I staggered back, clutching chairs and anything else I could grab hold of to keep from falling.
Through blurred vision, I watched as Liam knelt at Evie’s side, checking her over with worry overtaking his expression.
But that only lasted a few seconds.
The next, the room quaked beneath his heavy steps as he charged toward me again with Evie struggling to call out from behind. But this time, I knew she wouldn’t be able to stop him.
With the hit I’d taken, I couldn’t get my bearings straight and wasn’t able to get out of his path. I was lifted, nearly touching the ceiling, before being slammed to the table. Pain radiated through my back and limbs as the stone surface cracked beneath me. The room spun and Liam’s angry face was all I could make out. My shirt was knotted in his fist, the front of my pant leg in the other. He lifted me again and, just as I was about to be dropped to the tile, a large body swooped in from my left, placing arms beneath my back to catch me.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” came a familiar voice.
Dallas.
Liam heaved, sweat coating his face as he kept his eyes locked on me. Nearby, Roz’s gaze darted back and forth as fear left her shaken, bewildered.
Dallas took note of all the damage we’d done to the small room, and then of Evie in a heap on the floor. He pointed, sending Liam her way.
“Get her to Elise.”
It took Liam’s feet a moment to move in response to Dallas’ command, because he wanted to finish what we started. But I saw the moment his priorities realigned, the moment tending to Evie became the most important thing.
She winced when he lifted her from the tile to cradle her against his chest. She was hurt and, accident or not, that was on me.
I knew it.
Liam knew it, and would likely never forget.
His cold, hard stare was set on me until he exited.
“I swear, I leave the room for two minutes and all hell breaks loose,” Dallas mumbled to himself. “Stand up.”
He offered me a hand. I hurt everywhere and probably would for a few hours until my healing mechanism kicked in. The same would happen with Evie, but I was positive whatever damage I’d done to her body wasn’t what would take a while to heal.
This, hurting her, was what I’d been trying to avoid all this time. And yet … here we were.
“Come with me,” Dallas commanded.
“Where are you taking him?”
He paused and sighed before answering Roz’s question. “To a cell where he can’t hurt anybody, and nobody can hurt him,” he breathed. He knew like I knew, Liam wasn’t going to just let this go.
“And if either of you wants to give me trouble, we can do this the hard way,” Dallas added. Right after, he tapped his pocket where a taser and the butt of a syringe showed. “Choice is yours.”
“But he didn’t do anything!” Roz’s rationale was falling on deaf ears.
This went beyond the authorities thinking I was a loose cannon, went beyond their sudden lack of trust after seeing the video footage. With what I knew about Evie, with what had inadvertently been revealed in class about her true identity, what I’d just done was no small offense.
Because, technically, she was queen. Even if the rest of the supernatural world wasn’t aware yet.
I turned and took Roz’s shoulders, forcing her to focus.
“Listen to me,” I said as calmly as I could, knowing she was on the verge of losing it. “It’ll be fine. This’ll blow over in a few hours and I’ll come find you.”
Empty promises. That was all I had to offer.
She stared, wanting to believe me, but unsure if she should. Eventually, she nodded. Dallas took my arm right after and led me out of the room to the elevator at the end of the hall. Something dawned on me at the last second and I turned to Roz in a rush.
“My bag!” I couldn’t leave it behind.
Without hesitation, she doubled back and retrieved it from the room. When she returned, Dallas had just shoved me inside the elevator, getting ready to take me God-knows-where for God-knows-how-long. But wherever it was, Roz wasn’t allowed to go. This was where we had to part ways.
“I’ll come find you,” I promised again.
There wasn’t much hope in her eyes, but she nodded, never blinking as the doors of the elevator closed between us. I had no idea what lie ahead for me, but I did know one thing: thanks to Scarlet, I now had leverage.
Soon, the game would change, and for the first time in a long time, I wouldn’t be in last place.
—Chapter Twenty-Six—
Liam
Fewer things wear on the nerves like the sound of a ticking clock in a silent room.
I’d been in this spot for an hour, sitting, waiting. The second Elise emerged from her bedroom where Evangeline rested, I was on my feet.
“How is she?”
The brief hesitation was pure hell. “It’s broken in two places, but she’ll heal in a few hours.”
Broken.
Nodding as I let that sink in—that the bastard managed to break her arm—I came up with a quick plan and took steps toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
An answer flew from my mouth without having to think about it. “To make him pay.”
Elise’s fingers splayed across my chest when she stepped into my path, blocking me from the door to exit her quarters. But she didn’t understand. I needed to make this right. Nick broke Evangeline, now I was gonna break him.
“He’s in a cell and Dallas is keeping an eye on him. He won’t be able to get to her,” she promised. “And, from what Dallas reported, this was all just a huge misunders
tanding.”
I was shaking my head in protest before she even finished her sentence. “I’m done with all the excuses. Done giving this kid passes when we all know what he really is; all know his mission is to end your daughter’s life,” I forced out, hating that those words had to leave my mouth.
“Don’t you get that? If I end him now, Elise … I’ll spare us both from ever mourning her loss again.”
She was silent, staring with wide eyes. I could only hope she was finally considering it, finally seeing the logic in my plan. I’d seen the first Liberator in action—his speed, his strength. I couldn’t guarantee that, once Nick fully turned, I’d be able to stop him. Which was why we needed to act now.
It was time to be completely transparent.
“I won’t survive losing her again,” I confessed.
The first time, I spiraled, leaving a trail of blood and carnage in my wake. I couldn’t afford to shoulder more grief. And, being honest, the world couldn’t afford for that to happen either.
Elise backed off when she saw I was behaving sensibly … for now.
“We’ll just have to be more vigilant in our efforts to protect her. We’ll—”
“What was your plan?” My question ended her babbling. “When you gave her dad that bogus promotion, when you dropped her in that town, in that house beside Nick’s … what was the plan?”
Elise’s eyes searched mine for several seconds before having to turn away. She blinked, settling her gaze on the ground while she organized her thoughts to explain. However, instead, she simply said a name.
“Noah.”
My brow twitched at the mention of her late husband, our king.
“Before us, no one would have ever thought it possible for our species to coexist. To thrive together, to experience love for one another,” she sighed. “I knew firsthand how love and respect could triumph over myth.”
Breath rushed in and out of my lungs at record speed as I let that sink in. It sounded like she was admitting to putting Evangeline in eventual danger based on a hunch.
“You were … experimenting with your daughter’s safety? Her life?”
“Keep your voice down,” she whispered, glancing toward the closed door of her bedroom where Evangeline was resting. “I did no such thing.”
“Didn’t you, though? Intentionally putting her in Nick’s path? Hoping for the best?”
“The first time around, we had no idea who the Liberator was, or even that he existed until it was nearly too late,” she reasoned. “This time, we were able to get out ahead of the situation, position ourselves to ensure he wouldn’t go off the rails.”
“You know as well as I do, there’s no ensuring anything when it comes to him. He’ll act on instinct alone,” I reminded her. “We still don’t even know what sets him off! Look what happened today!” I gestured toward the bedroom door. “She’s injured because Nick controls himself so well.” The sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed.
Elise crossed both arms over her chest and took a tone with me I was very familiar with, that of a mother scolding her son. I’d been in that position with her enough times to recognize it.
“From what I saw on the security feed, you were just as much at fault for this incident as he was.”
My blood ran hot. Was she serious right now?
“You had one job,” she hissed. “Show him the footage and get him to explain. We discussed nothing about you roughing him up.”
“You weren’t there,” I seethed. “He was losing his head and I just beat him to it.”
“The point is, I expect more of you than I do of him. More than I do of most people,” she added. “We’ve all got a role to play and, yes, one of yours is to protect her, but you have to stick to protocol in the process.”
She had my attention; I heard every word she said, but there was one thing wrong with her statement.
“My only purpose is to protect her,” I corrected. “I never signed on to be anybody’s puppet in whatever this plan is you all concocted. I will always do what’s best for Evangeline,” I made clear. “Even if what’s best for her isn’t best for everyone else. Myself included.”
“You want him dead and I can’t let that happen,” she asserted. “I’ve already told you, I have to act in accordance with what the Council allows and keeping him alive was one such stipulation.”
“Yeah, well maybe it’s time we say screw the Council and their agenda and start doing what’s right for her.”
Elise didn’t answer and it only irritated me more that she had nothing to say.
“What do they have on you that makes you bend to their will so easily?” I stared down on her, remembering how brazen she once was.
Brown eyes that looked so much like Evangeline’s peered up at me and she breathed the only answer she had.
“My life,” she revealed. “If the Liberator dies, if they can trace it back to me in some way or if evidence even suggests that I did nothing to stop it … they’ve made it abundantly clear I won’t live long to explain myself.”
I took a step back, trying to think of a loophole while my head reeled. “I thought you were taken in as a member of the High Council, seated above even the Elders?”
She nodded. “I am … but, like we’ve discussed, there are rules, checks and balances. I answer to them and they answer to me. It just so happens that, in their opinion, the Liberator is one of our greatest assets, a secret weapon we may need to employ in the very near future.”
“And here we are again, making our plans around the idea that he’ll even be on a side when all hell breaks loose.”
“It’s not my call and there’s nothing I can do,” Elise asserted.
She stared me down and, if I knew her as well as I thought I did, she was only standing firm to mask guilt. She knew I was right, knew we were playing chess with Evangeline’s life.
I didn’t break my gaze, wanting her to know I still thought this whole game was rigged, and not in our favor.
“Well, I guess we’re done here.” I dismissed myself whether she was finished speaking or not. Arguing with her was futile and taking my focus from where it really ought to be.
I knocked and then heard Evangeline’s voice coming through the door.
“Come in.” She sounded weak, like she was in more pain than she wanted any of us to know.
Laying eyes on her I wanted to mangle Nick all over again. There was no need for a sling or cast because she’d be better soon, so she lie there with the arm propped up on a pillow to keep it still.
“I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I can see it all over your face.”
I hated not being able to do more to help her. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she was trying to be strong, trying to keep them in.
“I’m okay,” she forced out through gritted teeth. Elise had given her meds, but that kind of thing was hit or miss with us. With such fast metabolism, they were usually out of our systems before they even had the chance to work.
Which seemed to be the case now.
“This shouldn’t have happened.”
Shifting to get comfortable, she winced and my fists squeezed tight. The only thing keeping me from going down to that cell was the fact that I didn’t want to leave her side.
Otherwise …
“Have you heard anything about Nick? Where is he? What’s gonna happen to him?” She didn’t bother trying to conceal her worry for him.
Air rushed from my mouth when I took a seat on the bed, hating that she even cared, but understanding somewhat. They were close once.
“He’s in a cell and he’s breathing, which is more than he deserves.”
She stared at nothing in particular, keeping some of her thoughts to herself.
“Is anyone contacting his family? They check in on him often. They’ll worry.”
It didn’t surprise me that this would concern her—with what she’d been through with her own family, it made sense.
“Dallas is working out the details, but I’m s
ure it’ll be handled by the book.” Whatever that meant around here. “Can I get you anything? Do anything?” I offered. “I hate seeing you like this.”
One corner of her full lips turned up and a small space on my thigh warmed when she placed her hand there. “I’ll be healed and ready to kick your butt in the gym by morning.”
Somehow, feeling as pissed about all this as I did … she made me smile. That shouldn’t have surprised me either.
“I think we’ll take it easy for a few days.”
Her hair warmed my fingers when I pushed it away from her face, letting my hand settle against her neck. I stared at her often—dazed, silent—yes, because she was beautiful, but mostly because she was my reason for living. Even when she was gone, it was the memory of her that kept my heart beating.
Being careful not to injure her further, I leaned in for a kiss. A surge of tension left me the moment my lips were to hers. No one else could bring peace to my soul like she could.
Pulling back, I watched as her bright eyes fluttered open again. She’d been different since our talk the night we lost power. Before, I was always aware of how she held back, aware of all the things she didn’t say for fear of where it might lead. Now, she was open and vulnerable, allowing me to see her heart, allowing me to see I wasn’t in love alone.
As if she heard my thoughts, her hand moved from my thigh and soon our fingers were entangled—hers delicate and soft. I loved this side of her, reveled in the fact that I no longer had to live in fear of my strong feelings causing her to run. Discovering that we were linked beyond our tether, finding out that we’d exchanged vows and were bound in the traditional sense as well as the supernatural, it didn’t scare her like I expected. No, we hadn’t picked up where we left off centuries ago, but with a little time, I was hopeful we’d get there. I had no problem waiting.
“I think you should stay here with Elise tonight. I’ll run down and get you something to change into.”
Her eyes lowered to the jeans and fitted, black tee she wore, and then she nodded. “Okay, but just pants. I don’t feel like struggling to get a shirt over my head.”
