by Eve Newton
Chapter 23
Lilith
“Lilith, wait!” Axl calls to me as I skid toward the front doors.
“What is it?” I ask impatiently.
“You can’t go out there,” he says.
“I have to.”
“It’s daylight out. I can’t follow you. I can’t protect you,” he says urgently.
“Don’t worry,” Mason says, coming up behind me. “I’ve got this.” He grabs my elbow and steers me out of the doors.
Axl makes a noise of frustration, but I have to go and see what it is. It could be another refugee.
Unfortunately, it’s not a supernatural creature seeking asylum, it’s Philip and a band of Hunters so large, my eyes ache taking them all in. I gag when I see the macabre sight hanging in front of the gates.
“About time you showed up, girlie,” he calls to me and points upwards at the dead Wolf hanging in midair. “I brought you a gift.”
“Fuck you!” I shriek, marching towards the gates, ready to stab this fucker until he bleeds out all over my shoes.
“Lilith,” Jacob says to me calmly, appearing by my side. “Think this through.”
“It’s past time for thinking,” I snarl, pulling out of Mason’s grip.
“That’s it,” Philip taunts me. “Come out here and show me that revolting beast inside you.”
“Lilith, stop,” Mason says. “You can’t open those gates. As much as I want to kill him myself, we are vastly outnumbered.”
“I don’t care,” I hiss.
“I told you I would speak up if I felt I needed to. You said you’d listen,” he points out.
“He has killed a Wolf and is flaunting it. What would you have me do? Walk away?” I ask him bitterly.
“No, we mourn the loss, regroup and come back stronger. You go out there now, we all die, do you hear me?”
“Fuck you,” I choke back the sob. “I can’t just stand here.”
“Yes, you can,” Lloyd says. “Mason is right. We have thirteen Coven members on site and you two. Even with your dad, we are outnumbered. They have fifty or more, half of which are mages. We break those wards, we all die. You have creatures downstairs that are too scared to fight. We need to protect them. We need to protect you.”
“Dammit,” I mutter, clenching my fists, knowing in my head he is right, but my heart is breaking for the poor Wolf strung up, dangling from a magick rope in front of my home.
“Aww,” Philip says, flicking his magickal silver daggers at the ward. “You not coming out to play, little girl? And here I thought this would get you to make a move.”
“Don’t worry about those daggers,” Jacob says. “He’d have used up all of their power breaking through the wards last time. He needs a full moon to recharge them, he can't do that for another two weeks.”
“And in the meantime, we just sit here?” I ask.
“No,” Mason says. “But you rushing out there without a plan is suicide.”
“Then we need a plan,” I state grimly.
“Here’s a plan,” Philip says, his blue eyes glinting. “I will bring you a gift every day from now until you meet me on this side of the gates…alone. How does that sound?”
I growl at him and take a step forward.
“Think it through, girlie. You have twenty-four hours until my next offering.”
He backs away, letting the Wolf drop to the ground in a bloody, messy heap, which makes me choke back the bile. I stand there helpless as he and his Hunters disappear into the forest, blending into the foliage with magick.
“If you hate the supernatural so much, why do you hide behind magick?” I scream at him, turning away from the morbid scene at the gates and finding comfort in Lloyd’s arms. “This is ridiculous,” I snap after a moment of self-pity, which will do no one any good. “Lloyd, please go and speak to my Dad. He will fill you in on what he knows. Mason, we need to talk,” I decide, firmly taking the Wolf by the tail. We do this joining thing now. No more messing about. Philip wants a fight? Oh, we’ll give him one.
“Wait,” Lloyd says, taking my hand. “You need to take a minute. You haven’t slept properly in days. Lily, you need a clear head to think about what we’re going to do next.”
I sigh. He’s not wrong. I’m exhausted, but I can’t let that take me out of the game, not when things are heating up.
“Please, just come upstairs and rest for an hour and then after dark, we can talk about this,” he says.
I catch Mason’s eyes. His jaw is clenched, his fingers tapping his thigh impatiently. “I’ll come and find you in an hour,” I tell him, giving in to Lloyd’s request.
He nods briskly and stalks off.
“This is all so fucked up,” I mutter. “I wasn’t ready for this to escalate as much as it has.”
“I know. That’s why we need to take a minute, yeah?” Lloyd says.
I nod and let him teleport me upstairs to my bedroom. He undresses me and tucks me into bed.
“Just an hour,” I say, squeezing his hand. “Don’t let me sleep any later than that.”
“I won’t,” he says. “I’ll go and see your Dad like you asked, and then I’ll be back, okay?”
I nod and turn onto my front, closing my eyes and hoping that Philip doesn’t enter my dreams and haunt me while I’m asleep. I hate that I’m so tired, but this has all happened at the wrong time. As soon as I’m up, I will be able to think straight and then I’m going to find a way to kill Philip and wipe out the Hunters once and for all. If that means accepting the Wolf inside me and joining with Mason on that level, then the Vampire in me is just going to have to lump it.
Chapter 24
Lloyd
I hesitate to leave Lilith. The effects of the black magick are making themselves known. Her silver eyes are going a dull gray, which tells me it is wrapping its way around her tighter than she is letting on. Whatever she wants me to speak to Draven about, I’ll go, but I can’t leave her alone.
With a sigh, I leave her bedroom and knock on the door next to it.
Axl opens it and leans on the door, his other hand on the jam, blocking my way in. Not that I was going to barge in anyway. Asshole.
“I need you to watch Lilith while I’m talking to her dad.” I get straight to the point.
“Seems you keep coming to me,” he drawls. “You sure you’re up for being in a relationship with her?”
“Don't be an asshole,” I grit out, resisting the urge to punch that smug look off his face. “I’ve got shit to do around here to ensure Lily is safe, instead of lounging around at Her Majesty’s pleasure like some of us.”
He lets out a loud guffaw. “Touché, Warlock,” he remarks. “I’m happy to help.” He slips out of the door, moving in a fluid motion that has him past me before I can blink. “You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” I say, seeing no point in lying. “That magick is getting to her.”
“I won’t take my eyes off her,” he says quietly.
“Yeah, I know you won’t,” I reply with a sigh. “Look, she wants you and I accept that. But make no mistake that if I feel you aren’t taking care of her, I will drive a stake through your heart myself.”
His eyes go slightly pinched. “That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?” he asks.
“Not where Lily is concerned,” I grit out. “I don’t take her well-being or her safety lightly.”
“Neither do I,” he says, the guileless blue eyes fixed on mine.
I draw in a deep breath. I trust that he will keep her physically safe, but it’s going to take me a bit more time to trust him with her heart.
“Your life depends on it,” I say and spin to head down the stairs. The sooner I get this over with, the quicker I can be back with her.
The sense of dread I have increases when I hit the bottom of the stairs and see who is waiting in the entrance hall.
“Hannah,” I say shortly, glaring at my ex. “What are you doing here?”
She turns to m
e, her blonde hair flicking over her shoulder. “I came to see Draven. You know, my cousin,” she spits out.
There is no love lost between us. Our break-up was messy, mostly because I wanted it and she didn’t.
“He and Ember live out in the cottage now, but I’m on my way there. You’ll have to wait,” I say.
She folds her arms across her chest. “Fine. I’ll wait outside.”
“Good idea,” I inform her.
“Ugh,” she mutters and turns to head outside. She stops at the door and turns back to me. “Heard you’ve moved on,” she says nastily.
“As is my right,” I point out, trying not to lower my tone to her level.
“She’s a child,” she hisses.
“No, she is a woman. A Queen, and if you knew anything about me, you’d know that I would never have pursued her unless that was a fact.”
“So you went after her like a horny dog the minute we split up?” Her face is furious, but I don’t let it get to me. Me and Lilith are none of her business, but someone has gossiped and gotten the wrong end of the stick.
“Actually, she came after me. I relented when I realized we belong together. Which, by the way, is fuck all to do with you, so if you don’t mind taking your nose out of our business. If I hear you, or any of the Coven, gossiping, I will be forced to dish out some discipline.”
She grits her teeth and takes the threat seriously. She is my subordinate within the Coven, so she knows her place.
I turn from her and march off to the cottage that is on the left side of the grounds. I pass the hot spring and wish that Lilith and I could take a soak in there right now. But it’ll have to wait. Shit is about to hit the fan and I need to know why Lily wants me to speak to Draven so badly.
I knock on the white door and stare up at the ivy that is growing around the doorway. The cottage is set back a bit, out of the shadow of the immense mansion in the afternoon. Ember has potted some flowers outside and made it look bright and pretty.
Draven whips the door open almost immediately. “Lloyd,” he says. “Lilith sent you?”
I nod when he steps back to let me in.
“Sit,” he says, indicating the white sofa in the sitting room.
Lowering myself down, I do as he says and wait for him to start.
“There is a lot to catch you up on, so stay quiet until I’m finished. Do not fear your role in her life, just know that you aren’t the only one she needs, right now,” Draven states.
I ignore the ‘right now’. I get the distinct impression that it wasn’t so much a case of time but rather about me; that at some point I will no longer be needed.
I try not to let the paranoia set in, setting myself up for whatever Draven is about to tell me.
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect it when he informs me that she is also part Wolf and with that comes a destiny that is far passed just being the Vampire Queen. It makes no difference though. I will be by her side for as long as she wants me, which is hopefully a lot longer than my paranoia is currently telling me.
Chapter 25
Lilith
I wake up with a start, sensing eyes on me. I turn my head on the pillow to find Axl sitting next to me.
“Ugh,” I spit out. “You’re watching me sleep? And why you? Where’s Lloyd?”
“Had to go do something Warlock-y,” Axl says.
I frown. I asked him to go and speak to my dad, but he obviously isn’t back from that yet. “How long was I asleep for?” I ask. It doesn’t feel like long enough.
“Twenty minutes or so,” he replies.
“Humph,” I mutter and pull the thick duvet over my head. “Not long enough.”
“Lily?”
I wait for him to say more from the safety of my den. When he doesn’t, I huff and throw the covers back. “What?”
“This magick, it’s taking its toll on you…” He gives me a worried frown.
“No, I’m fine. I just haven’t slept enough, and that whole thing outside…I feel sick.”
“Your eyes,” he says. “They’ve changed.”
I blink at him. “What do you mean ‘changed’?” I lick my lips, concern seeping into my essence. I can feel the darkness, but I thought I was pushing it away.
“See for yourself,” he says, gesturing at the mirrored closet doors.
I glance at them, then back at him. I climb steadily out of bed, conscious of my naked body, and glare at myself in the mirror.
“Oh,” I say flatly when I see my eyes have turned a dull gray instead of their usual sparkling silver. “Oh.”
I turn and run into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind me, tears welling up.
“This isn’t right,” I mutter.
“Lilith,” Axl says, knocking on the door.
“Go away,” I mumble, not wanting him or anyone else to see me this way.
“No,” he intones. “You aren’t pushing me away.”
I throw my hand up to lock the door with magick just as he turns the handle to open it.
“Oww, fucker,” he grumbles as I’m guessing, the sparks hit his palm.
“I said, go away,” I grit out, staring at myself in the mirror.
“And I said no,” he retorts and kicks the door.
It holds steady, so I tune him out. I run my fingertips under my black-ringed gray eyes, seeing my bottom lip trembling in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. “What are you doing to me?” I whisper.
I turn from myself in disgust, knowing that Lloyd will feel the same about me. He is all about goodness and light magick. This filth inside me is probably why he keeps palming me off on Axl. A creature of the night who thrives on darkness. I choke on the sob that bubbles up and step into the shower, turning it on hot and steamy so I can just stand under it for a few moments drenching my hair and body as a feeling of utter desolation descends on me in the suddenly, too-bright bathroom. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, my body racking with my silent sobs. Nausea washes over me, bile rising in my throat. I dart out of the shower just in time to lean over the toilet and throw up an oily black pool of sheer darkness.
“Fuck,” I mumble.
Panic sets in and I shake. “Axl!” I cry out weakly, feeling my knees buckle.
A couple of seconds before I hit the floor, he kicks the door in with such force, he breaks the hinges, and it swings loosely, narrowly missing knocking me over as he rushes in. He grabs me as I fall, picking me up and cradling me.
“I’ve got you, love,” he murmurs. Holding me awkwardly while he reaches into the shower to turn it off, I wonder how he broke through my magick. It must be weakened by this evil crawling in my guts, twisting itself around my essence, corrupting me, claiming me, making me its bitch. I try to lift my head off his shoulder to be strong, to show the magick it doesn’t have me, but it lolls back like a rag doll’s.
“Let’s get you to your uncle, all right, pet?” Axl says softly, sitting me on the bed. I can’t even move myself now. I don’t want to. I just want to stare into nothingness and be left alone.
Quietly, he opens the closet and searches through for some clothes. I barely notice as he dresses me in sweats and a tee, then wrapping a blanket around me. He picks up my brush from the dresser and untangles my soaking wet hair, squeezing it out in a towel he grabbed from the bathroom in a flash of speed.
I note his worried expression, but I can’t say anything to reassure him that I’m fine. I just…can’t.
“Can you walk?” he asks, taking my hand.
I nod. I want to walk; I don’t want to be carried like a weakling. This brief surge of strength gets me on my feet, but it is soon crushed under the darkness again, so I just stand there.
My heart pounds and I start to sweat. That heady, fiery feeling that happens to me when the Wolf is around.
“Mason,” I mutter.
“He’s outside the door,” Axl says with irritation.
I nod and wait for him to go and open it.
“What do you want?” he
asks rudely.
“Lilith. She said we’d talk,” comes Mason’s reply.
“Well, she’s tired. See ya,” Axl says and slams the door shut.
“No,” I say, shaking my head, hot tears tumbling down my cheeks. “Let him in.”
Axl doesn’t say anything, he just drags the door back open and stands there. My eyes lock with Mason’s. His horrified expression stabs me in the heart, forcing me to drop my gaze in shame.
“Lilith,” he says, pushing past Axl to get to me.
“We’re going to her uncle,” Axl says firmly. “So, if you don’t mind…”
“I’m coming,” Mason says.
Lloyd returns, entering the room with a swirl of blue magick that burns my eyes. He takes one look at me and lunges forward grabbing my arms. “We need to get this out of you now,” he says.
“No fucking kidding,” Axl says.
Lloyd shoots him a dirty look.
Axl sighs and says, “We are on our way to see Jacob, so if everyone one would stop halting this process so much?”
“Yes, of course,” Lloyd says, wrapping his arm around me and leading me out of the room.
I swallow and force myself to put one bare foot in front of the other, my feet sinking into the plush carpet.
“I can help,” Mason blurts out, causing Lloyd to stop and turn around.
“This is a magick thing,” he says shortly. “There is nothing you can do.”
“No,” Mason says. “There is.”
“Why don’t you enlighten us then?” Axl asks, folding his arms across his chest.
We all wait, the Wolf’s eyes fixed on mine again, and this time I can’t tear my gaze away as he says, “She’s my Fated Mate. Isn’t that right, Lilith?”
Chapter 26
Mason
Hating having put her on the spot, I had no choice. If I’m going to do what I need to, they are going to have to believe that I can. She stares at me, the look in her dull eyes is confused and upset.
