Allegiance

by K. A. Tucker

  Sofie’s voice broke into my silent scolding. “They’re safe. Kiril and Ivan got them out of there before they froze to death.”

  I felt my face squish up. “Kiril and Ivan …?”

  “Yes. The two property keepers who helped keep the cabin running.” Sofie’s brow quirked in amusement.

  “Oh …” I finally realized who she was referring to. “Yeti One and Yeti Two.”

  A soft musical laughter filled the kitchen. “Is that what you called them?”

  I replied with a smile. That was a little joke between Julian and me. Little jokes like that kept us sane while in isolation. But my smile dropped when the memories pushed forward.

  “What would be more appropriate? Werewolf One and Werewolf Two?” I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm. Max had divulged that little tidbit of a secret randomly on the same day, just before discovering that Valentina was possessed by Ursula.

  If Sofie sensed my displeasure, she didn’t let on, grinning broadly. “The wolves owed me a favor, so I asked them to watch over you. They know those mountains better than anyone.”

  A favor. Everyone owes Sofie a favor. I sipped my coffee as I pondered that. Sofie was like the Godfather. Everyone owed her a favor and she wasn’t shy about collecting. Leo had owed her a favor for saving his wife, and look where he ended up … I bit my tongue before I said something I might regret. Sofie genuinely hadn’t intended such a tragic end for her friend. All the same, it had happened.

  “What’d you do for the wolves?” I asked, pushing my sadness away, replacing it with curiosity.

  “Werewolves were all but extinct from the world for a time. They had existed for centuries—another Causal Enchantment gone wrong.” Of course … Sofie slid my plate toward me, reminding me that I should eat. “They’re rare. New wolves are created by the bite of the alpha male. There’s only ever one alpha male for the entire race. He leads the entire pack and, basically, he creates his pack. When he dies, the role passes on to the next male in succession, the oldest of the alpha’s offspring.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Well, the vampires knew how fragile the race was. If you take out the alpha male and its offspring, the entire race will dwindle. So the vampires went after them. They succeeded in killing the last male wolf about three hundred years ago.

  “About a hundred years ago, a young woman tracked me down. She was a descendant of the last alpha male and was determined to reclaim her lost heritage. How she found me, I don’t know. How any of them keep finding me to solve their problems …” Sofie rolled her eyes.

  I giggled. “You’re famous. You’re like the Madonna of the supernatural world.”

  Sofie snorted. “Maybe … I used my magic to isolate the werewolf gene and create a male replica, thus turning her into an alpha and bringing the species back.” She explained it so matter-of-factly that it sounded like a basic “baking soda plus vinegar equals cool fizz” science experiment. I gaped at her, my mouth hanging open.

  “What?”

  “There’s nothing you can’t do!” I said.

  A glimmer of despair sailed across her face. “I hope you’re right …” Then, as typically mercurial as Sofie was, the sadness disappeared, replaced by a stubborn set of her jaw. “Eat!”

  I finished the food, thinking about Yeti One in wolf form. A beautiful, fierce creature standing stock-still, quietly observing us in the mountains that day, just before Ursula attacked. He didn’t growl or snap at us; he didn’t attack. He was just there, peacefully watching.

  “Why would the vampires care about werewolves?” I asked with a mouthful of flaky pastry. “They seemed pretty harmless to me.”

  Sofie chuckled, shaking her head in that Oh-Evangeline-you’re-so-naïve way. “I wouldn’t call them harmless. They aren’t immortal or as super-powered as vampires, but they’re tough as titanium. And if they get a bite in beforehand … it’s fatal.”

  “Really? I thought the only way to kill a vampire was to take their heart out or burn them. Or burn their heart …” I tried to remember what Amelie and Fiona told me. “Something involving burning and hearts.”

  “Yes … and a werewolf bite. It’s so rare that we don’t normally even worry about it, and no one worried about it once they were extinct.”

  “Well, if it’s so rare, why would the vampires bother? Sounds risky …”

  Sofie smirked. “Did I forget to mention that Viggo was the one who did the eradicating?”

  My forehead dropped to the counter dramatically. “Oh …” Now it made sense. Anything maniacal involving Viggo made sense.

  “Of course, if Viggo hadn’t, I’d imagine the witches would have sooner or later,” Sofie added.

  “Why? Does a wolf bite kill them too?”

  Sofie shook her head. “They don’t like anything they can’t control. Wolves aren’t easily influenced by their magic.”

  I sighed heavily. So much hunting and killing for both the witches and the vampires. If they spent less time trying to kill and more time minding their own business, maybe we could avoid this entire war! A new thought dawned on me. “What did Viggo say when he found out you brought werewolves back?” Surely he couldn’t have been happy about Sofie undoing his work.

  Sofie smiled, defiance twinkling in her eyes. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough. They’re on their way here to help us … Eat up!” Sofie slapped the counter as one of ladies slid a bowl of cinnamon-laced, creamy rice pudding in front of me. “Giselle has been stirring that pudding for two hours!” Sofie hopped off her stool and rhymed off another sentence to the ladies. On her way out, she threw over her shoulder, “Caden’s in the glass room, when you’re finished.”

  At the mention of Caden, I scrambled to my feet, ready to dash off after her. With remarkably swift movements—as though expecting my reaction—the two plump ladies moved to stand opposite me, arms folded across their chests, morphing from sweet French cooks into stern-faced food sentries, guarding over me until I finished my breakfast.

  4. Transformation—Sofie

  “It’s getting worse,” I proclaimed to Mage the second I spotted her jet-black hair in the hallway. “I just left her in the kitchen and … it’s getting worse.”

  “How so?” Mage’s soothing voice, normally a godsend, sparked fury in me.

  “Because she has started to change!” I screamed. Mage didn’t even flinch at my reaction, as if expecting it. I immediately felt guilty. “I’m sorry … I didn’t mean to …”

  She lifted a hand to quiet me, shaking her head, brow furrowed, dismissing my apology. “That’s all right. What exactly has changed since last night?”

  I took a deep, bitter breath. “When I went to see her in the kitchen, when I got close, something started pulling on my magic. Draining it. Only slightly. Not to the extent of the Tribe’s people completely sapping my magic, but it was there.”

  Mage nodded slowly, as if registering my words. “Did you tell her?”

  “No!” I exclaimed in horror. “There’s nothing to tell yet. We don’t know ... I don’t know …” But I knew. Deep down, I knew. How could I tell her that her touch might soon be lethal to all those around her? This was exactly something that the Fates would do! “We can’t tell her yet …” I stalked off toward the glass room. “But I do need to warn Caden.”

  5. Break—Evangeline

  Three poinsettia-covered corners and one set of garland-lined stairs later, Max and I stepped into a room entirely made of glass—glass walls, glass ceiling, glass doors. Tasteful furniture in light suede and wool sat in the center, illuminated by an enormous crystal chandelier. Off to the left stood the largest evergreen tree I’d ever seen indoors, its fresh woodsy scent filling the room, the branches covered in beautiful antique-looking ornaments. Boxes of empty packaging and bubble wrap lay scattered everywhere.

  “Wow,” I murmured under my breath. Sofie teetered on one four-inch-heeled foot on a ladder rung, reaching up to hang a dazzling bronze bulb, her face set with deep con
centration.

  I watched her precarious position for just a short moment, quickly shifting to the most important element of the room: Caden, leaning up against the white frame structure that held this room of glass together. He had changed into dark blue jeans and white T-shirt that revealed the muscular curves of his shoulders and back. An angel against the snow. An angel deep in thought, based on his side profile; trouble furrowed his brow.

  “Caden?” He didn’t respond. “Caden?” I asked again, this time my voice a little shaky, a touch uncertain.

  His head snapped in my direction, those jade eyes widening slightly before settling on my face. Slowly, he shifted his body toward me.

  With some hesitation, I walked over to him, forcing a smile when everything inside me screamed worry. Again, that inkling that something was not right between us. I cast a wayward glance in Sofie’s direction. She took that as her cue. “Now, where did I put those seventeenth-century nutcrackers,” she exclaimed, leaping from the ladder to give Max a smack on the rump.

  Fine, he grumbled, taking the hint and reluctantly following her. They disappeared from the room, Sofie throwing a quick warning glare to Caden on her way out.

  I stopped less than a foot from Caden and my breath hitched, feeling his proximity through my entire body.

  Gently, he reached up toward my face. He wrapped a finger around a thick lock of my hair and pushed it back off my face. “How’d you sleep?”

  “All right. How’s Bishop?”

  Caden looked over to a spot behind me. I turned to find our broken friend in a corner, in exactly the same position that he’d been in last night. Same expressionless stare. Same lost Bishop. I felt my shoulders sag under the weight of his despair. Caden gave my arm a light squeeze before letting go. When I turned back, he was staring out the window again, his back to me.

  “What else is going on?” I finally asked.

  Caden turned back. “Not too much,” he sighed, adding with a chuckle. “Sofie’s gone a little overboard with the whole festive thing.”

  I giggled. “I know … where is everyone else? Where is Amelie?”

  His voice turned sober. “I haven’t seen Amelie. She’s been … busy all night.” I caught a hint of something in his expression—I don’t know what it was. Displeasure? Worry? It made no sense. He should be happy that Amelie had found someone new. He should be happy that she wasn’t alone anymore. He couldn’t be unhappy that it was Julian. He had no idea who Julian was … I cast my focus downward as my stomach constricted over the secret I was keeping from Caden, from them all. Could Amelie have discovered Julian’s secret by now? Had he listened to me and kept himself covered? Yes, yes. He must have. I would’ve heard Amelie’s screams, otherwise …

  I looked up to see Caden’s brow knitted as he stared at me. He opened his mouth, hesitated, but then asked quietly, “I can’t help but feel like there’s something you’re not telling me … about Julian.”

  “What? No!” The lie flew out of my mouth without any thought. I clenched my teeth together before I could say more, dropping my gaze to the floor again. Kittens and clowns … Kittens and clowns. The calming mantra began. Wait a minute … they can’t read me anymore. Caden knew that I was guilty and stressed over something, but he didn’t know what, thanks to the Tribe’s magic. I needed to relax!

  Taking a deep breath, I looked up again and met his eyes dead on. Somehow, using every ounce of skill I had, I pushed a dazzling smile into my face and held it there, frozen stiff.

  After a moment, his lips pressed together and he nodded. He hands slid to my shoulders and he spun me around to face the tree. He pulled me against him, his chest pressed to my back. Warmth spread through me from his affectionate gesture, the comfort of being in those strong, broad arms indescribable. Everything would be all right, as long as I could have those arms around me … forever.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” he murmured, his chin resting on top of my head.

  “Yeah,” I answered breathlessly. “I never thought this day would come.”

  “What, Christmas?”

  “Well, that too, given my penchant for being attacked. But no. This … you and me, here. Safe.”

  I felt his fingers dig into my shoulders. “I don’t know if safe is the right word, Evangeline.”

  “You know what I mean. Remember how worried you were that you’d kill me the second you stepped foot on Earth?”

  His tone turned deadly serious. “I almost did, Evangeline. If it hadn’t been for Max and Sofie, we wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

  “I know,” I said softly. “But after that. Now. Everything’s okay now.”

  He said nothing, leaning in to nuzzle his nose against my earlobe, sending spastic shivers through me. I half turned into him, brushing my mouth against his jawline. I felt a rumble in his chest as he groaned. Deft fingers under my chin tilted my head back and his mouth closed over mine. Normally he was so gentle. Now though, his lips forced mine apart, kissing me deeply, buckling my knees.

  Just as suddenly, he broke away, directing my body back toward the tree, leaving me panting and lightheaded. “Bishop,” he whispered.

  “Of course,” I whispered hoarsely. Here I was, ready to maul Caden in front of my broken, battered friend. Sighing, I reached up to pull Caden’s arms tighter around me, digging my fingertips into his solid forearms. We stood like that, in silence, our bodies close, until Sofie came back humming “Jingle Bells,” holding a glass of pale yellow opaque liquid. Mage followed closely behind with a set of sparkly pink and gold ornaments dangling from her fingertips. I don’t know how they could be so festive with the weight of the situation sitting on their shoulders. I noticed that my wayward werebeast was nowhere in sight. Probably hunting.

  Mage gave a tiny gasp of delight when she saw the tree, her onyx eyes sparkling. “I’ve decorated hundreds of trees and none were as lovely as this one,” she said, offering me a pleasant smile.

  Sofie bowed dramatically and stood, a grin of pride lighting up her mesmerizing face. “Well then, after you, my friend!”

  Mage nodded her appreciation as she leapt onto the ladder, nimbly scaling the rungs to the top to hang an ornament.

  “Here,” Sofie smiled, offering me a tall glass. “Eggnog. Freshly made. You need the fat. You’ve gotten too thin.”

  I let go of Caden’s arms to take the glass, a silent thanks on my lips. Caden took that as his chance to help Mage with the other ornaments. I watched the two of them hang bulbs off the branches while I sipped the creamy concoction, relishing how much it reminded me of Christmas with my mother. By the time they finished, every branch held at least one bulb. Breathtaking.

  “Ready?” Sofie called out, stooping to plug the light into the socket. The tree lit up, a thousand tiny lights reflecting off the ornaments for a dazzling display, even in daylight.

  Mage clapped and put her arm around Sofie’s shoulder, the first sign of affection I’d ever seen from the vampiress. Even Caden’s face lit up with childlike excitement. Such a small thing as Christmas lights amidst the turmoil of impending doom could sparkle like a diamond embedded in mud. I peered over my shoulder, curious if the beautiful sight had caught even Bishop’s attention, not expecting it. I was astonished to find his attention riveted to the spectacle.

  I smiled sadly. Bishop was still in there. Somewhere, deep inside his misery, our friend was there. Suddenly, the urge to bring Bishop back to the world of the living now—not later, not with time and healing—overwhelmed me.

  “What do you think, Bishop?” I pulled my shoulders back and put on a brave smile as I walked toward him. “Beautiful, huh?” Even though he couldn’t talk or smile or move in any way, I knew he was in there and he needed to know we were here for him, that we cared and were heartbroken as well. Recalling with reluctance the weird sensations from the night before when I touched his arm, those overpowering feelings of despair when our gazes met, I gritted my teeth, preparing myself. If he can take it, so can I. I bent down t
o place my hand on his, to feel his cool flesh, to let him know that I would be here for him as best I could …

  The next few seconds happened in a blur. The spine-tingling sound of shattering glass came a split second before I felt movement within my grasp. Bishop, moving! I heard Sofie shriek, “No!” just as I flew back. Something wrapped tightly around my neck, choking me. Strong fingers grasped my chin with thumb and forefinger on either side.

  “Let me go or I’ll kill her,” Bishop’s low menacing growl turned my blood icy cold. He was now standing behind me, cool breath breezing against my cheek. I must have misheard him, trying to play the words back in my head. No, he didn’t say that. He couldn’t be threatening to kill me. This was Bishop!

  I watched with terror as Mage, Caden, and Sofie all moved forward in even, cautious steps, equidistant apart.

  “Think, Bishop,” Caden said slowly, his hands spread out in front of him. “That’s Evangeline you have there. You’re not going to kill her. You care about her.”

  “Don’t tell me who I care about!” he spat back, and his pain coursed through my body like a live wire. “We’re all going to die. Evie’s going to die. Better now … quicker … than later and more painful.”

  Caden crept forward with the others. “No, Bishop, it’s not—”

  “Don’t come any closer!” Bishop’s voice cracked with the shouted warning.

  Caden’s eyebrows raised, his hands moving up in a slow surrendering motion. “No, Bishop. Not better. Think about it. Think about how you would feel. Evangeline—” Caden turned toward me. “What do you want, Evangeline? Do you want to die?” I could see growing panic beneath the serenity. I had seen this look once before. Right before Rachel attacked me.

  It took a few tries but I found my voice, as shaky as it was. “No … no, Bishop. I don’t want to die. Not by you. Please. I thought you were my friend. Please don’t kill me.”

  “I am your friend,” Bishop whispered, agony lacing every syllable. “It’s because I’m your friend that I’m doing this.”