by Denise Lynn
Caitlin groaned and sank as far back into her chair as possible, wishing it would just swallow her. “I didn’t invite him.”
Sean sat down in the chair next to her. “I didn’t think you had.”
Cameron leaned against the desk and asked, “Someone care to clue me in?”
Before she could explain, Braeden said, “Hoffel is Ms. St. George’s betrothed.”
“How cozy.” Sarcasm dripped from Cameron’s voice. “Can anyone explain how he found his way here?” He stared at her as he asked.
“I don’t know.” Caitlin shook her head. “It’s not like I could, or even would, give him directions.”
Without another word Cameron left the office. She presumed it was to escort their guest to the meeting.
The silence in the room as Braeden and Sean stared at her while waiting for Cam to return with Derek, was thick and heavy with unasked questions. It was all Caitlin could do to draw in breath. She sank her nails into the arms of her chair, hoping the act would lessen her worry.
While hell would freeze over before she married Hoffel, she didn’t relish the idea of having to explain his death to the High Council, or her parents—or his own parents for that matter.
Sean placed a hand over hers and leaned closer. “If you don’t kill him, he’ll leave here whole.”
She’d been so caught off guard by Derek’s arrival and so worried about how the Drakes would react, that she hadn’t even noticed Sean’s mental intrusion.
But at the moment that was the least of her concerns. There’d never been any intention of marrying the baron, regardless of what her parents or the council thought. However, her plan had been to string everyone along until her son was safely back in her care. Then she and little Sean would leave—before the marriage and well before anyone else could take him away from her.
But her success with getting away from her parents, Derek and the High Council with all of their antiquated rules and stifling expectations depended on her ability to not become the target of their suspicion.
After Derek’s attack in the cell and the subsequent blame laid at her feet for his atrocious behavior, it had been all she could do to retain the appearance of civility. In reality she wanted nothing more than to slide her sword through his neck.
“Bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”
The voice racing through her head didn’t belong to Sean. Nor did it feel anything like him. She shot a glare toward Braeden. He raised his eyebrows then silently added, “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”
Sean’s fingers tightened slightly over her hand. She drew her attention to him. Apparently, by the way he glanced from her to his brother, he knew something was up. And when he tried to force his way into her thoughts, Caitlin closed her eyes and dropped a solid wall between both of the men and her mind.
The last thing she needed right now was for Sean to discover what she planned after they rescued her son. He’d demand she stay at his side, where he could protect her and little Sean. She didn’t need nor want his protection, and she wasn’t about to run away from her controlling family only to go straight into his arms. For reasons she couldn’t quite pinpoint yet, that idea felt as if she’d simply be trading one set of chains for another.
A knock at the office door made her heart race. Hoffel was here. Why he’d come to Mirabilus was beyond comprehension. It was one thing for her to walk into the beasts’ lair—she had a very good reason for doing so—but for him to follow her defied logic.
Sean briefly tightened his hold over her hand before releasing it and then leaned closer to whisper, “He can’t hurt you.”
“I know.” She was well aware that Sean’s dragon wouldn’t permit Derek to lay one finger on her. But she wondered what his beast would think, or do, when he saw her greet another man as if she welcomed his presence.
Chapter 9
Sean couldn’t help but stare at the man who’d entered Braeden’s office. It was impossible not to, considering he appeared to be dressed up for Halloween—entirely in black. From the theatrically swirled cape as he strode through the door, to the tailored suit—tie, clip and cuff links included—down to the wing tips, not one speck of color broke the darkness.
He’d seen funeral directors who dressed less somberly than this.
It wasn’t just his attire. The man couldn’t be more than five and a half feet tall. Which would be fine if he had either the build or the attitude to go along with his stature. But he didn’t. His flamboyant entrance made him appear to be more of a low-budget character actor than anything else. And his beady-eyed glare would be more appropriate for a teenager of about sixteen.
His bearing and appearance would make him look like a child standing next to Caitlin. Sean wondered how old Hoffel had been when he’d been turned. Perhaps he hadn’t yet been an adult at the time. If so, it would explain quite a bit.
Braeden stepped forward to shake the baron’s hand in welcome. “Baron Hoffel, what brings you to Mirabilus?”
“Caitlin shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. I came to see that she had the support of her husband-to-be.”
His claim on Caitlin, while stated in a thin, reedy voice, couldn’t have been made any plainer.
Sean watched silently, curious to see Caitlin’s reaction as she rose and went to the baron’s side. “Thank you. I’m certain my son’s father and his uncles appreciate your added assistance as much as I do. After all, this could turn out to be a bloodbath, and every hand could prove useful.”
Obviously, Hoffel wasn’t the only one who saw fit to stake their claim. Caitlin had just done a pretty good job of it herself by making it plain that these men were her son’s family, not Hoffel. But that wasn’t what surprised him the most. It was the baron’s reaction that had caught his interest.
Granted, Hoffel was a vampire, and his complexion was on the pale side to begin with, but Sean was positive the man had turned a rather ugly shade of white at Caitlin’s words. If ever there was a time when he was torn between outright laughter and pure blood rage, this was it.
For all of Hoffel’s theatrics, for his great bravery in abusing a woman, there was nothing alpha about him. In the end, the man was nothing more than a coward and a bully.
Sean had little use for either.
Braeden returned to his desk and waved the others toward the chairs.
With as much restraint as he could muster, Sean let the baron claim the chair closest to Caitlin. It wasn’t as if the man could hurt her—if he so much as thought to lift one finger to cause her pain or harm, Sean would basically rip his head from his body and serve it for brunch.
Caitlin looked at him and gasped softly. Sean felt her warm touch brush across his mind. He frowned. How had she done that since he’d been intent on not letting Hoffel in and had put a secure lock on his mind?
Her hand, inside the pocket of the jacket she wore, moved slightly. A slow touch trailed up his spine to linger at the base of his neck.
How in the hell had she gotten a hold of that pendant?
No sooner had he asked himself the question when he’d come up with the answer—before they’d left his suite he’d given her a hug for encouragement. The snitch had obviously pilfered it from his pocket without him even realizing it.
He quickly checked his pocket. Sure enough, only two of the pendants were inside. This meeting could turn out to be more interesting than he’d ever imagined.
Obviously tired of waiting for Braeden to ask, Cam barreled ahead. “Care to tell us how you got here?”
Hoffel shrugged. “Luck, I suppose.” He smiled sheepishly, adding, “I became lost and followed a small fishing boat into shore.”
Surprised his brother left the brazen lie alone, Sean asked, “And what do you plan to do to help in my son’s rescue?”
The baron quickly covered his sneer with a cough before offering, “I’ve had the occasion to meet the Learned once or twice. I could be in a position to mediate the boy’s release.” He reached over and clasped
Caitlin’s hand in both of his own. “After all, Cait and I need to make sure he arrives at his parents’ house safe and sound.”
Braeden’s eyebrows rose. Cam’s eyes widened in shock. Sean leaned forward in his chair. “I can assure you that isn’t ever going to happen.”
Hoffel placed a light kiss on the back of Caitlin’s hand and held Sean’s stare. “That isn’t up to you, is it?”
Sean resisted the urge to rise and tower over the man. Instead, he forced himself to remain seated, but warned, “If you want to turn this into a pissing match, feel free. But you aren’t going to win. That is my son and he will be raised here, by me.”
Danielle Drake chose that moment to waltz unannounced into the room. “Gentlemen, let’s keep this civil, shall we?”
She breezed past the baron to reach out and take Caitlin’s hand. “You and I need to get acquainted. Why don’t we let the men have their little discussion and we’ll rejoin them soon?”
Without another word, she led Caitlin from the office, but not before issuing a silent order to Sean and he was sure his brothers. “Get rid of him. I don’t care if you toss him in the ocean or kill him. But he’s up to no good.”
* * *
Caitlin didn’t release her breath until they were outside the castle. She hadn’t been aware of holding it until she gasped for air.
“Thank you.” She studied the other woman then said, “If I remember correctly, you’re Sean’s aunt Danielle.”
“Yes.” She laughed. “Guilty as charged.” And then she led Caitlin to a stone bench. “Please, take a seat. We really do need to talk.”
Once Caitlin was seated, Danielle pulled a wooden cube from the pocket of her brightly colored dress. “And this—” she lifted the cube before her “—is Aelthed.”
“The druid from the grimoire?” Caitlin marveled at the concept. “He’s real?”
“Yes, and you’re the second person to meet him other than me. He met Ariel, Cam’s wife, a while back out of necessity.”
“What about your nephews?”
“There’s been no reason for them to be introduced.”
Amazed, Caitlin asked, “Why me?”
Danielle set the cube on the bench between them. “I’ll let him answer.”
Before Caitlin could question the woman, a voice floated up from the wooden box. “Because, my dear, you are going to free me and my nephew from our prisons.”
Caitlin stared at the seemingly inanimate object a moment then asked, “How am I going to do that?”
“I’m not quite certain yet, but we’ll find a way while you’re rescuing the dragonette.”
Danielle placed a hand on her leg. “You really aren’t going to marry Hoffel, are you?”
Seeing no reason to lie, Caitlin said, “Not in a million years.”
“Good.” The older woman frowned. “And you aren’t giving the child away, either, are you?”
Caitlin smiled and shook her head. “No. It would be easier to tear my heart out with my bare hands.”
“Excellent. Then it’s settled.”
A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach urged her to hesitantly ask, “What is settled?”
“All of you will figure out a way to rescue the baby and kill Nathan. Then you and Sean will wed—”
“No. No. No.” Caitlin raised her hand. “Hold up. I have no intention of marrying your nephew.”
“Yes, dear.”
Oh, no! She’d forgotten Sean’s warning about not arguing with the woman. She was supposed to have hedged. Sean would have to deal with this on his own. Right now her only concern was her son. “If none of you will give me the items the Learned demanded, how am I going to ever get my baby back?”
“What items would those be?”
Was it possible that nobody had told her yet?
Caitlin lightly tapped the cube. “He wants this cube and the grimoire, along with the emerald and sapphire pendants.”
Visibly flustered, Danielle Drake waved her hands before her. “No. He can’t have those things. It would mean the end of everything. Literally, just everything.”
Sean had said something along the same lines, in a less frantic manner, making Caitlin wonder exactly how much magic these items held.
Danielle picked up the cube and held it tightly to her chest. “No. He is not getting Aelthed.” Tears shimmered in the woman’s eyes.
Had she known the older woman would get this upset she never would have said anything. Caitlin patted the woman’s shoulder. “Shhhh. It’s okay. I’m sure it won’t come to that. Please don’t worry.”
Now the woman was rocking side to side on the bench. Caitlin’s heart fell. What had she done? She glanced over her shoulder toward the castle. “Please, let’s go back inside.”
“No.” Danielle pulled away from her touch. “They’ll take him away.”
“I won’t let them. I promise.”
“You can’t stop them!” Danielle flapped a hand at her. “Go away. Just leave me be.”
Caitlin rose and looked again toward the castle then back at Sean’s aunt. “I don’t want to leave you alone like this. Come in with me.”
“No!”
Seeing as how urging her only made the woman more agitated, Caitlin turned away and headed back to the castle. She’d let Sean and his brothers know what she did as soon as she got back in the office.
“Danielle, beloved, really. Was all that necessary?” Aelthed chided.
Danielle sneaked a peek over her shoulder to ensure Caitlin had indeed gone back inside before she sat up, straightened the skirt of her dress and then put the cube back down on the bench beside her. “I got what we wanted, didn’t I?”
“While traumatizing the poor girl.”
“She’ll get over it. It’s not like she’s not hiding things, too.”
“Did you notice her hesitation when she mentioned the pendants?”
“Yes, I did. Do you think she found another one?”
“No. That would be impossible. Lady Rhian’s amethyst one was shattered into a million pieces. By now it would be nothing more than dust and memories.”
Danielle sighed. “True. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could somehow re-create that needed key and set you free once and for all?”
“Perhaps.”
“Yes, well, right now I’m relieved to know the woman isn’t working with her family, Hoffel or the Learned. At least I don’t have to worry she’s only here to hand the boys over to Nathan.”
* * *
“Sean!” Caitlin burst into the office without pausing to see if she was interrupting anything or not.
He immediately came to his feet and met her halfway across the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I did something stupid.”
He led her over to the chair she’d vacated earlier—the one right next to Hoffel, who to her dismay was still present. “Sit down and tell us what you did.”
Catching her breath, she explained in a rush, “I said something to upset your aunt, and no matter what I did she only became more and more flustered. I think she’s having some sort of panic attack or something.”
All three Drakes stared at her a moment before exchanging an odd look with each other. Finally, Braeden rose and addressed Hoffel as he headed for the door with Sean and Cam on his heels, “We’ll have to continue this discussion later. I’ll have one of the men show you to a room you can use.”
He paused at the door. “Caitlin, come with us, please.”
His voice was so stern and commanding that she didn’t question him. She simply followed the three men from the room.
Once they walked outside, the three of them ducked around the side of the castle, pulling her along.
Cameron broke into laughter first. Then Sean. While Braeden’s only show of amusement was a half smile and shake of his head. At her frown, he explained, “Our aunt has a bad habit of engaging in dramatics. She apparently wanted some information from you, got it and then chased you away.”
/> “You have got to be kidding me!” She would strangle the woman for wasting her time in such a frivolous manner.
“Oh, no, that’s Danielle Drake. What did you tell her that upset her so?”
“I told her about what was demanded in exchange for my son.”
Braeden sighed. “She apparently hadn’t believed me when I relayed that information and wanted to hear it directly from the source.”
The other two started laughing again.
Caitlin glared at Sean. “I’m glad you’re so amused. Perhaps you’ll find this just as funny. Our marriage has been planned and, oops, I forgot to hedge.”
With that, she turned and stormed away.
“What a bunch of jerks.” Their amusement grated. Especially Sean’s. There was nothing funny about any of this. Her son’s life was in danger, and they were guffawing over some prank their aunt played?
Fine. They could laugh and waste all the time they wanted. She, on the other hand, wasn’t going to sit here doing nothing any longer.
Tonight, after all of them were in bed sleeping, she was going to make her way over to the Learned’s stronghold with that damn grimoire and the pendants. It was doubtful she’d be able to get her hands on the cube, but she could tell him where it was—in Danielle Drake’s possession.
She stomped into the elevator and punched the button for the third floor. In the meantime she needed to make sure she could pick the lock to Sean’s desk, so she could more easily get the items. And then she would have to find a way across the water—even if she had to steal a boat to do so.
* * *
Terror ripped her from the nightmares chasing her. Caitlin reached across the bed, finding only empty air where she’d instinctively thought to find Sean and the comfort just a touch would provide. She gasped at the chilling stab of loss and sat up, hugging her arms about herself in an attempt to dispel the shivers racking her sweat-soaked body.
They’d argued after he had returned to the apartment about his finding so much humor in his aunt’s trick. He didn’t appear to be taking any of this seriously enough for her satisfaction. His easy manner and mirth had been the last straw of her temper and patience. The rest of the day and evening had been spent in fuming silence on his part, and focused planning on hers. Finally, when she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him any longer, she’d gone to bed. She’d been so certain that sleep would elude her, but it hadn’t. She’d quickly fallen into nightmare-laden rest.
