Crimson Dahlia (Book #3 of the Svatura Series)

by Abigail Owen

  Before she could say anything, the rest of the Louisianans followed Stephen’s lead and dropped to one knee.

  Lila felt tears burn hotly in her eyes and her throat tighten. But she knew this was right. Just as she’d heard Marcus’s voice telling her to get up and get moving a moment ago, now she heard him telling her to lead his people. To protect them. To honor him by taking on this responsibility.

  She knew what to say, a tradition in their clan that she’d heard a hundred times while she’d stayed with them. Forcing the tears back, she asked in a strong and steady voice, “Do I lead you?”

  “You lead us.”

  Lila looked over the faces of her new clan. Tear- stained and grief- ridden, and now… hopeful. She could feel it in their emotions. With a nod fully as regal as any Selene had ever given, she indicated that they should rise. And then gave her first order as their leader.

  “Those of you who can help here, stay. Those who can’t, take Marcus and any others we have lost to my room. Do what you must to heal yourselves and clean up. I will join you later, after I’ve done what I can here.”

  As they moved to do her bidding, Lila turned to face her parents. Lucy’s eyes were huge with tears. “You’re leaving us again,” she whispered.

  Lila pulled her mother into a hug. “Not yet. It won’t be safe for us on our own until Maddox is truly defeated.”

  Hugh frowned. “But I thought you—”

  Lila shook her head. “Maddox is still alive. I only forced him to sleep so that he’d shift out of the dragon. He can’t control it.”

  “That’s why he needs you,” Ramsey said, as realization struck.

  She hadn’t looked at him yet. She was a little afraid to after what had just gone down. But when she mustered the courage to glance up, she saw only his steady support staring back at her. “He needs me to help him control the dragon. As I did with Ellie the first time she morphed. There’s more. But we can go into that later.”

  Ramsey nodded.

  “Can you go with my people? Help them?”

  He took her hand and looked into her eyes. “I would lead them by your side if you asked me.”

  Lila didn’t answer. They had become so much closer through all of this. But now wasn’t the time to be making big decisions. At least… one huge decision was enough for now.

  Ramsey turned and followed her new tribe.

  Lila watched him go. Then she turned to her parents and took a deep breath. “How is Ellie?”

  “She’ll live,” Hugh said.

  Lila exhaled loudly. “Thank heaven.”

  Hugh nodded. “She was hurt pretty badly, and I had to save some of my power for others. So she’s still out. I’ll work more on her later.”

  “The others?”

  “No one else from our family is hurt. Charlotte is sleeping. She’s exhausted after all that teleporting. Dexter’s with her. Alex is with Ellie, of course. Griffin and Selene are doing what they can to help. Selene’s somewhere in here. Griffin is outside holding a shield over the entire castle in case Maddox thinks to attack while we’re so vulnerable.”

  “Adelaide and Nate?” she asked.

  “Nate is back with Talia. Some of the Council wants to arrest them now. Or worse. So his wanting to go to Talia was actually a good thing. Keeps him out of sight,” Hugh said.

  “Adelaide is also in here somewhere, helping bandage people,” Lucy added.

  “She’s okay?” Lila asked.

  Hugh shrugged. “She seems to be.”

  Lila frowned, but nodded. “Okay then. Let’s get to work.”

  Her head was already pounding with the mass of emotions beating at her. So many people were hurting. Not just from physical wounds, but from the pain of loss, and also the damage of horrors witnessed. She could at least help with that.

  Chapter 41

  Many hours later the worst cases had been dealt with, and everyone had found a place to sleep. But there was still too much that had to be discussed. And the sooner the better.

  Lila had yet to tell anyone what she’d seen in Maddox’s memories. So, one foot in front of the other, she managed to make her way to Selene’s room. The rest of the family, minus Nate and Ellie, were there. Even Alex had felt this discussion was important enough to leave his te’sorthene’s side for a short while.

  They didn’t dissect the battle. Not yet. The devastation was still too fresh. But Lila did need to tell them what she’d learned about Maddox.

  “Ellie and Griffin’s great-grandfather, William, killed Maddox’s entire family,” she began. She ignored the collective gasp of shock and continued. “When Ellie is all better, I’ll have her help show you what I saw. But here are the highlights… There weren’t many dragons in existence. Ever. But Maddox, his wife, and their two sons all had the gift. Together they were able to control it. But they preferred being dragons. People were just food to them. They’d go on rampages, massacring whole villages. I’m guessing that’s why your great-grandfather killed them, Griffin.”

  She glanced to where he stood beside Selene. “Maddox survived, but hasn’t brought out the dragon since then. Not until today.”

  “Jeez,” whispered Griffin. “That explains a lot.”

  There were murmurs and nods from the group.

  Lila nodded. “That’s why he needs me. To help him control it. He can’t without his family around. And he saw how I helped Ellie when she killed Gideon.”

  “I thought Ellie killed his brother though,” Ramsey said. “When she defended us against that first wolf attack on our homes? Isn’t that what Zara said?”

  “Adoptive brother,” Selene said. “Maddox met Kyle when he joined the Vyusher.”

  “There’s more,” Lila continued. “He’s completely insane. He’s determined to wipe out the entire race of Svatura-like people.”

  “But he surrounds himself with wolves?” Ramsey asked.

  “He’s building them to be his army and his slaves. He was behind Gideon’s madness. He slowly built the Vyusher from behind the scenes. And now that he can’t control them, he’s going to destroy them… and everyone else who doesn’t join him. He uses the pack’s hive-mind against them. We all saw how powerful he is. He’s just been biding his time.”

  “Did you see any way to defeat him?” Selene asked.

  Lila shook her head. “No. But we did manage to do something today that will slow him down at least,” she said.

  “What’s that?” Griffin asked.

  “Do you remember how we discovered that Maddox has a person who can make wolf-metamorphs?” Lila asked.

  “Yeah?”

  Lila grinned. “We brought her back with us.”

  *****

  Earlier in the day, Lila had been taking a short break. She’d just helped an overwrought young Vyusher whose new husband had been killed, and she needed to collect herself.

  “Lila?” a vaguely familiar voice had interrupted her thoughts.

  She looked up to find a woman with dark hair and eyes standing in front of her. “Yes… do I know you?”

  The woman had smiled. “Sort of. We’ve talked.”

  Lila frowned. “Are you…?”

  The woman nodded. “I was on the other side of that wall. I managed to hitch a ride back with you. I’ve been trying to escape Maddox for ages. Literally.” She held out her hand. “My name is Karin.”

  Lila grinned. “You’re some of the best news I’ve had all day. I’m so happy you got out.”

  “I need your help. I need sanctuary here,” Karin said.

  “I think I can help you with that,” Lila had told her.

  *****

  Now, in Selene’s room, Lila shared that meeting with her family. They looked thunderstruck. “She’s waiting to meet you. She wants to request asylum with the Vyusher personally. I’ve already given it with my clan.”

  “By all means, show her in,” Selene said.

  Lila opened the door to find Karin waiting on the other side. She gave the woman a reass
uring smile. “It’s okay.”

  Karin stayed close to Lila as she tentatively entered the room. Selene approached her with a welcoming smile. “Lila has told us of you. You are most welcome here.”

  Karin’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I would like to ask for asylum with your people – the Vyusher – personally.”

  “Granted,” Selene said without hesitation. “Can you tell us a little about your gift?”

  Karin’s shoulders tensed back up and her face darkened. “He made me use it to build him an army. I won’t do the same for you.”

  Selene nodded in understanding. “We would never ask you to.”

  Karin relaxed a little. “I can only change someone to a wolf, because that’s what I am already. But it only works if the person is willing.”

  “Oh!” Lila exclaimed. “That’s why Maddox asked me if I would join him. I had to be willing to be turned into a wolf metamorph.”

  Karin nodded. “He only asks those who possess gifts he wants to recruit for his army. Anyone else he kills.”

  “And if they’re not willing?” Griffin asked.

  Karin hugged herself, clearly unhappy about these memories. “It’s a dangerous procedure. Essentially what I’m doing is changing their genetic code. Even if someone is willing, there’s a fifty-fifty chance they won’t make it.”

  “What do you mean by not make it?” Selene asked.

  Karin grimaced. “They die. He used to have me force it on them. But we learned pretty quickly that if people weren’t willing, they died one-hundred-percent of the time.”

  “So if they weren’t willing, he put them in a coma instead…” Ramsey scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Karin nodded, looking miserable.

  “Would you change me if I asked you to?” Griffin asked in a low voice.

  “No!” Selene crossed the room and stood in front of him, hands on her hips. “You heard what she said. A fifty-fifty chance that you don’t make it. You’re not doing this!”

  Griffin took her hands in his. “We have so much to deal with right now. We could deal with it better if I was accepted as your te’sorthene and King. I can’t be that if I’m not a wolf.”

  Selene’s eyes welled with tears. “I’ll leave the Vyusher before I allow you to risk your life for this. You are the center of my world. If you died, I wouldn’t be fit to lead them anyway. Besides, my parents might wake up…”

  Griffin traced the path of her tears, drying them with the pad of his thumb. “Your parents may never wake up. We can’t wait for that. It’s worth the risk to me to be able to connect with you like that, through the pack mind.”

  Selene shook her head, too upset to speak. Griffin looked over her shoulder to Karin. “I can morph into a falcon through a link with my sister. Does that help at all?”

  Karin shrugged. “Maybe. I can’t say for sure.”

  Griffin looked back at Selene. “I must,” he whispered.

  Despair filled her eyes. “Then don’t you dare die on me. Or I’ll follow you to the grave and drag you out.”

  Griffin gave her a small smile. “I believe you.” He looked back at Karin. “Okay. How does this work.”

  Hugh stood up. “Hold on, son. Why don’t you think about it a little longer? Now might not be the best time. Don’t you want to wait for your sister to wake up? And what if Maddox attacks?”

  Griffin’s face clouded with a stubborn look that rivaled Ellie’s. “I’ve been thinking about this since Lila told us it was even possible. Now is the best time. Maddox and his forces are as devastated as ours. And Ellie will understand.” He glanced at Selene for support.

  After a moment she took a deep breath. “I can have Xavier move the castle. I think our Russian friends might give us some ideas of a good spot.”

  Griffin nodded at Karin. “Ready when you are.”

  Karin had watched the discussion with wide eyes. It had been a long time since she’d seen an eager volunteer for this procedure. “You’ll need to lie down. You’ll be unconscious for about a week. If you wake up… well…”

  Griffin looked at Charlotte. “You’d better take me back to my room.”

  Selene grabbed his wrist. “No. If you do this, you stay in my room. Either you’ll be dead, or you’ll be my King. Either way, this is your room now.”

  Griffin leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. He lay his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Selene whispered back.

  Griffin moved across the room, Selene’s hand in his, and lay down on the bed. “Do it.”

  Karin stood next to him and placed both hands at his temples. “This won’t hurt. The change happens while you’re asleep.”

  With that she closed her eyes to focus. Griffin kept his gaze on Selene’s face. After a few minutes, his eyes rolled back in his head. A good twenty minutes later, Karin stepped away from him. She took his wrist to check his pulse and nodded.

  “Now we wait and see,” she said.

  Chapter 42

  Lila followed Adelaide back to her room. Lila’s own room was full with her new tribe members, and she needed some sleep tonight. As they walked, all Lila could think of was the look on Ramsey’s face as Griffin volunteered to risk his life for the woman he loved.

  Ramsey hadn’t taken his gaze from Lila the entire time. The intensity of the feelings she saw there had taken her breath away. But still she held back. She didn’t even trust her own powers to sense emotion in this case.

  Ramsey had seen the confusion and distrust in her eyes. As soon as Griffin was out, he’d left the room. A slump of defeat settled over his shoulders as he walked away. And, just as it had for the last sixty years, Lila’s heart went with him.

  Lila and Adelaide arrived at Adelaide’s room and started getting ready for bed. She was just pulling up the covers when Adelaide tossed something on the pillow next to her. It was her cell phone.

  “Here. I’ve been meaning to return it. We found it in the swamp in Louisiana in your tribe’s abandoned camp.”

  Adelaide wrinkled her nose, and Lila grinned. “Sounds weird, doesn’t it? I have a tribe.”

  Her sister smiled and nodded. “Definitely weird. And totally awesome.”

  Lila rolled over and picked up the phone and turned it on. “Holy smokes!” she exclaimed. “Over two-hundred voicemails and text messages. Who the heck has been calling and texting me?”

  She checked the caller ID for the messages. Every single one was from Ramsey. Lila frowned.

  Pushing the buttons, she started listening to the messages. As she listened, her heart started beating faster and faster. Every single message was something along the lines of, “You’re missing, Lila. But I will find you. I can feel you, and I know you’re still alive. Hold on. I’m coming. I won’t give up.”

  She didn’t bother to finish listening. With the phone gripped in her hand, she bolted for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Adelaide called after her.

  “To Ramsey,” she called back.

  She ran all the way to his room, pulling up short right outside the door. Now that she was here, she was terrified. She looked down at the cell phone still clutched in her fingers and drew courage from the messages it contained. She lifted a trembling hand and yanked it back as the door opened before she had a chance to knock.

  Ramsey was obviously in the middle of dressing for bed. His jeans were still on, but his shirt was off. Lila’s mouth went dry.

  He raised his eyebrows.

  Lila didn’t even know where to begin. So she just stared at him, her heart in her eyes.

  “Thank God,” he whispered. He reached out, took her hand, and, with a sharp tug, jerked her into his room and into his arms. He slammed the door shut behind her as he crushed his lips down on hers. It was a kiss of desperate wanting and yearning. And Lila was in heaven.

  Every second of the horror of the last days vanished. Every ache and pain and that feeling of bone-deep weariness disap
peared completely. She could do anything when she was in his arms.

  With a hard kiss, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I felt you coming through our link. You believe that I love you?”

  “Yes. I think I’ve always believed you. I was just…”

  “Scared?” he asked. She nodded.

  He pulled her tightly into his arms and buried his face in her hair. With a shuddering breath, he breathed, “Me too.”

  “I love you,” she whispered in his ear. She didn’t think it was possible, but his grip on her tightened.

  And then he pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. And I was so angry. At the world, at myself. Because I couldn’t have you. It was too dangerous.”

  Lila smiled. “I know. And I wouldn’t leave you alone.”

  “You drove me nuts, you crazy girl. I was trying to be so honorable, and you wouldn’t let me. That night by the pond, when I held you willing and so gorgeous in my arms… Torture. I tried to leave after that, you know. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t leave you.”

  “So you forced me to leave you instead,” Lila said.

  Ramsey flinched. But when he looked at Lila, he didn’t see blame or sadness. He saw acceptance and understanding.

  She leaned in and lay a sweet, solemn kiss on his mouth. “We’ve put each other through so much over the years. But I think these last weeks have shown both of us what we could do, what we could be, together.”

  Ramsey tucked her head under his chin and just held her. “If you think I’m ever letting you out of my sight after this, you’re crazy.”

  Lila grinned. “Ditto.”

  And as they stood there, so completely secure in their love for each other, Lila felt something snap into place between them. She’d always felt something there, but until this moment, it had been vague…elusive. Hovering just out of her reach.

  “Te’sorthene,” she whispered, trembling with excitement.