She turned, laughing hysterically. “It’s too late.”
“What have you done?”
“I went to the Ellises. They know everything. It’s time for me to do what I should’ve done years ago. Jonathan Ellis is right. That witch child never should have been born.”
“You won’t harm her,” Roman warned.
He heard the click of a blade, felt a sharp pressure to his gut, and then blood gushed from his side. He felt no pain, only immense pressure. A series of vivid images flitted through his mind. He’d witnessed this scene before. It was like having déjà vu. He’d predicted his death many times. The how and where always came to him in blurred visions. But the when and who hadn’t been clear until tonight when a weird premonition seized him and then Faydra showed up on his doorstep. As for the why, he always knew other’s would lead to his death.
Roman didn’t plan on fighting this because in order for those he mentored to succeed, he’d have to fall. He couldn’t wield the powers like he used to anymore, but there was one who could. And she would.
Each time Faydra’s evil laughter rang, his pulse grew weak. Blood trickled down the side of his body, and his life-force began to flow with it. Roman called the powers within him as a last resort.
A blaze from the fireplace burst into the room like a cannon-shot. The curtains and upholstery caught fire. Streaks of red and orange sparked bright before him as he telepathically bolted the locks on the door and windows.
“No!” Faydra screamed. She banged on the door and then on the windows in an attempt to escape.
“Would you die for your leader? The one who sent you here?”
Her breathing came in short huffs as smoke filled the room. “Let me out.”
Roman laughed. “You should never have come back.”
She jumped on him and tackled him to the ground. “Let me out now!” She coughed and dry-heaved as the thick, hot smoke flooded the room.
Roman fought to catch his own breath amid the thick smoke. Although the woman was small, she managed to knock the air out of him. He grabbed her by the throat and hurled her. There was a thud on the opposite wall and then a scream. Moments later the smell of burnt hair and charred flesh filled the room. A bloodcurdling scream moved closer and closer to him and she knocked his stuff to the floor.
Faydra slammed a knife into his chest. In the same instance, a blunt force broke the door down. Roman stumbled backward, the blade embedded in his chest. He couldn’t breathe now as the pain disbursed through him like a fast moving disease. When he opened his eyes again, he saw clearly. He saw everything. Vividly.
In wolf form, Dawson Caedmon hurled himself into the air and slammed Faydra to the ground. The animal that had taken control of the man and couldn’t be subdued. It only saw danger and marked Faydra as a threat. His large canines descended and ripped into Faydra’s throat. She didn’t have a chance and her body went limp instantly.
Almost thirteen decades Roman De’Santo Caedmon had lived, but for the first time, he could see. If it weren’t for the fire and black smoke clouding the room, the view would have been perfect. His body slumped to the ground, and his heart fluttered.
Voices echoed around him. Familiar voices. Music to his ears. He tried to reach for them.
Immense pain.
His vision was fading fast. His fingers met fur. He held tight onto a wolf.
Smoke rushed up his nostrils. He nearly choked on the smoldering heat. Water splashed his face and he swallowed some of it.
His chest burned. Painfully. End it. Now.
Someone with strong arms lifted him. He knew the scent. The scent of the Alpha. His nephew. Devin Caedmon.
Chapter Seven
They thought she was just a child, but she knew what to do. She knew what to do to bring Roman back.
“Elisa, you can’t keep him on your life support any longer,” Devin scolded her.
“I can do this! All he needs is time. Time to heal. He’ll regain his strength and then he can call to his wolf. I know he will,” she mumbled, clutching Roman a little tighter.
Her heart twisted and anguish ran through her veins. He said he would be there for her. She couldn’t let him go. Death wouldn’t take him away.
Elisa closed her eyes and focused. Her chest grew tight with agony as she kept her life-force bonded with Roman’s. There was energy in him. All he had to do was wake up.
He couldn’t keep lying on the cold ground any longer. Get up! Get up!
Roman was like a father to her. He was the only father she’d known. He taught her math, science, and social studies. He schooled her when no one else would because she had once been a lowly servant. He taught her to use her powers—how to use them for others and how to use them against others.
She was special. She was a Seer. That was what he told her when she insisted her gifts were a curse. But if she was so special, why couldn’t she make him wake up?
Elisa Caedmon rocked with Roman’s head on her lap.
“Elisa.” Dawson put his hand on her shoulder. “There is too much smoke for you to handle. Let’s move away at least.”
“No!” she shouted, and a tree split in two nearby and collapsed on top of what was left of Roman’s burnt home.
The Caedmon people were beginning to come out of their homes to witness the destruction, fire, and mayhem. The guards stood close, not letting anybody get within several yards of their circle.
“This isn’t what Roman would’ve wanted.” Devin spoke from behind her. “He wouldn’t have wanted you to bind your life-force to his. This is a dangerous thing you are doing.”
Elisa knew what he said was the truth. Even if she bonded her life-force to his, there was still a chance that he could succumb. And if he perished after the bonding, no one would be able to reverse it and she would die as well.
“Let him go,” Devin urged. “He loved you more than life itself, Elisa. He loved you more than any one of us. He wouldn’t have wanted this. Trust me.”
“No,” Elisa whispered. “I saw the visions. I knew my birth mom would come back for me, but I didn’t know she would…” She chocked on a cry.
Roman had told her that he’d have to fall so their Pack could rise, yet she refused to believe it. It couldn’t happen now, not when she needed him the most. Supposedly, this was the result of her convincing Roman she was an adult and she could wield her magic and contain her powers without his help anymore.
“I’m sorry, Roman,” she said, placing her hand over the wound over his heart.
A tear escaped a duct, trailed down her cheek, and fell onto Roman’s forehead. He blinked and opened his eyes.
“Roman?” Elisa gasped, and both Devin and Dawson came to kneel beside her.
Roman no longer stared with glazed-over irises. His eyes were the color of an evergreen, like the trees that once surrounded his cabin. “Beautiful.” He peered from Elisa to Dawson to Devin. “You are all how I imagined you would be.”
“Roman, I’m sorry,” Devin spoke. “I didn’t kn—”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I did this for you and our Pack.”
“We don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell us everything?” Elisa asked. “I asked you what I was seeing. The clues were there, but you told me not to delve into that.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference. These things would’ve happened eventually.”
“But you could’ve ruled this. All of it,” Dawson said sternly.
“Don’t doubt me, Dawson. Not now. I’ve known my place in this all along. Everyone has a purpose.”
“Nothing will be the same after this,” Devin replied. “How can I ask our people to have faith now?”
“I taught you better than this.” Roman coughed, choking on the blood in the back of his throat. “Never be ashamed of who and what you are.”
“We’re all tainted,” Dawson exclaimed.
“No, you’re not. The powers pass through the male bloodline. Nothing has been tainted. Like the A
lphas before Devin, there’s been one prime agenda: conceive a male offspring who could keep the Spirit alive. And you’ll keep it alive.”
Roman’s hand fell limply to the ground, and Elisa clutched him tightly. “I can heal you. I know it.”
“I want to go. Let me pass. I have to in order for you to help your brothers.”
Elisa sensed him trying to use what little power he had to sever the ties she used to bind him. She couldn’t let go. She just couldn’t. “I’m not as strong as you are. What good am I if I can only see the past?”
“Devin needs your help. We’ve had the same enemy for centuries. When we brought the lost powers of William Caedmon II home, this angered that enemy even more. The enemy knows they’ll never be able to get it back since the powers are now a part of us, and they’ll continue to attack us. Bring peace to the Caedmon Pack again and eliminate this threat.”
“How?” Devin asked.
“You must keep Caedmon united. If you let our history crumble, the enemy will succeed.” Roman’s voice came out hoarsely.
“We are united,” Dawson said.
“No,” Roman whispered. “To be truly united, the bloodlines must be one as they were before.”
Devin shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“There is one other whose blood is potent with the Spirit of Caedmon.”
“No. You can’t mean…”
“Listen to me.” Roman grabbed Devin’s arm and pulled him down. “I don’t have much time. You must—” His breath caught in his throat and he clutched his chest.
Elisa chanted a series of words. They came to her without thought, and they were the ones that would keep his Wolf Spirit in his body.
“You must,” Roman whispered. “If both of you refuse, your Packs will die out. There will be nothing left of us.”
“Why can’t we just eliminate the enemy?” Dawson asked. “We’re the strongest Pack. We don’t need territory to tell us that.”
“You might succeed in eliminating him, but that won’t stop his successors from regrouping as they’ve done before. Only through unity will you be able to fight them off.”
“What do they have?” Devin demanded.
Roman’s eyes rolled into his head until only the whites were showing, and his body went limp in Elisa’s lap. “Give me your hand,” he mouthed.
Elisa did as he said, slipping her fingers into his cold palms.
“I love you, Elisa. You’re no longer a child, but there is so much you have yet to learn. I’m so sorry I have to do it this way.”
She moved a closer since his voice was now a whisper. “What is it?”
“It will hurt but only a little.”
“What will you do?”
“I have a gift for you. I’ve been saving it all this time…just for you. But you must accept it.”
“Please…” Maybe she truly wasn’t ready to step up in the place of the greatest Seer there ever was.
“Quickly. You know what you’ve done, now undo it. Unbind my life from yours and release my Spirit.”
“How?” Her fingers trembled as they held onto Roman.
“You must drain my strength until there is nothing left, and all I know will be yours to keep. It’s the only way. Release me from this life.”
Elisa exhaled and nodded her head. “I understand.”
Roman gazed at Devin and Dawson and reached for them. “My duty is done; now let me rest. You two will carry on and you better not fail.”
“Yes, Roman,” Devin said.
Roman gripped her hand tightly and spoke in a language only she would understand. Elisa closed her eyes and did as he requested. As soon as their life-forces were unbound, his body went cold. He began to fade rapidly. She harnessed her powers and drew on his knowledge, drew his pain, and drew his life. Much of what she took was painful memories, wisdom, and burdens he’d carried for many decades. She took from him until she couldn’t take any longer. Just before his Spirit vanished, she captured it and allowed it to wrap around her like a rope. That final caress soothed her, but then a sharp wind came and the essence dissolved.
“Farewell, Great-uncle.”
Silence followed Roman’s death for a long while. No one said a thing. Roman’s old cabin became ashes, and the same wind that took his Spirit away finally picked up the ashes.
Devin lifted a finger and wiped her moist cheeks. She realized she was crying.
“What is it, Elisa? What does our enemy have?” Devin demanded.
“The power to expel the Caedmon Spirit in all of us. One by one.”
Chapter Eight
When Naomi entered the small cottage-style home, she heard the voices of her brother and father in the kitchen. They were deep in conversation and failed to notice she was inside. More than a day had passed, and the entire Crew 38 was being held on lock-down. E1s were stationed all over the main territories, enforcing the laws of Arnou as always, plus word had gotten out in the community about their suspension. As an E2 this was the first time she’d been reprimanded and forced into lock-down within Arnou borders but even before then, she sometimes felt like a prisoner being held against her will.
Something strange was going on. She felt it in her bones, and she sensed it in the way Tristan didn’t hesitate to reprimand them the other day. Yet, she grew tired of being stuck in the Elite Compound and longed to be free of their punishment. And she longed for the light and knowledge. In the Compound she was in the dark, and there was so much to discover.
Her attention moved to her brother and father in the small galley kitchen. She set her duffle bag on the floor but remained just outside the door and out of sight.
“How long?” her father asked Nathan.
“There was no definite sentence given. Arnou refused to see me afterward. One of the Enforcers from my Compound promised to find out for me. Ruby’s betrayal shocked us all. I feel stupid. She was under my control and I failed to see through her,” Nathan replied.
“It’s not your fault, son. She did what she wanted, and I doubt anyone would’ve been able to stop her once her mind was made up.”
“Right after the fight, she told us she thought the instigators were humans, but I knew who they were at first glance. I had the misfortune of crossing paths with one of them before. At the time we were in a human-led government building, so nothing ever came of that.”
Naomi’s ears perked up. They must have pressed Ruby for answers when she was on the roof with Blake. She leaned against the wall and waited.
“This is strange,” her father replied in a hoarse tone. “Ruby’s credibility is worth less than dirt at this point. How do we know she wasn’t lying about her mistake?”
“Good point.”
“We’ll put this behind us, starting now. It’s just one set back. I have no doubt Tristan will deal with her.”
Eavesdropping had never been her thing, so Naomi entered the galley kitchen. Both her brother and father fell silent and regarded her with undeviating scrutiny. Her father was standing behind Nathan, who was sitting in a chair with his back exposed. The welts were no longer raised, but the skin was raw and red. Senior Valentine frowned and tore his gaze away from her. He began applying a thick ointment to the scars. Naomi’s stomach began to churn again as images of Nathan’s punishment came to her full force.
“Don’t mind me,” Naomi said, heading toward the cabinets. She poured a glass of ice-cold water. She took long sips and let the coolness relax her throat. She lengthened the duration of her routine early morning sprints, knowing she had time to waste, given the fact she was forced to stay under watchful eyes. She ran until her lungs ached and her legs burned, almost hoping something or someone would confirm this was the life meant for her.
She’d served Arnou and complied with every one of his commands, whether direct or indirect, since she turned eighteen. Anyone else would have been honored to serve; so why did she feel like her duties were in vain?
“You know…you should return and apologi
ze,” Senior Valentine said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Apologize?” She didn’t have a clue as to what he was referring.
“For almost a decade we’ve earned and held honorable titles within our Pack. The family name should carry on that way.”
She set the empty glass on the counter. “If you’ve forgotten, I should remind you my title is Elite. E2.”
“I heard all about what happened during your meeting with Arnou yesterday.”
“Let me guess.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Did Nathan tell you?”
Nathan turned to scowl at her but winced in pain when his skin split again. “I did not.”
“I have ears and eyes…sources by other means. If you’ve forgotten, I should remind you my title was Enforcer. E1. Retired. I have some clout, yet, in the Compound. Your insult to our Alpha utterly embarrassed me.
“Insult?” she scoffed. “Are you serious? Do I look like a whore to you, Father?”
Senior Valentine turned with stone-cold annoyance on his face. “Me referring to it as an insult is a gross understatement. You’ve offended our custom. Why?”
“I call it what it is. If I wanted to lie on my back daily at the mercy of a greedy leader, trust me, I could have long ago,” she replied.
“Explain yourself!” Her father was so angry she detected spittle flying from his mouth.
She swallowed. “It wasn’t the first time he asked me to become Enola.”
Senior Valentine’s eyes widened.
Nathan turned in his chair, and the wooden legs scraped against the old floorboards.
“Years ago, when I talked about leaving the Pack, I almost did. I thought if I disappeared, it would be better than leaving the Pack publicly and on bad terms.” If she got this off her chest, that would be one less burden to carry. “Tristan Arnou, caught me crossing our territorial lines. You two both know Arnou plays a tough game, and everything is about numbers and territory to him. He gave me an ultimatum that involved a trade-off. The ranking ceremony was to be held the next night, and he knew Nathan wanted to serve. Nathan had failed some of the tests and didn’t place high enough to be considered for any ranking. I stayed so Tristan would rank you. I knew that’s what you both wanted. Either way, he had the power to tarnish the Valentine family name if I didn’t accept.” Her gaze shifted from a puzzled Nathan to a dumbfounded Senior Valentine. “He tried to commit me as Enola, but somehow I convinced him if I served, I wanted to do so as an Elite.”
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