The Collective leader motioned toward the queen of the fae. “I believe you’ve met Rhyannon?”
Frederick nodded, and Rho resumed her cheek biting. God, what she wouldn’t give to get out of this room and away from the poisonous stare of that woman.
Cadence didn’t bother introducing Costel, Frederick’s boss and uncle, as she settled into a seat and swept her hand in front of her. “Please, do sit down.”
Right. Like now was a good time for a cup of tea or some shit.
Rho plopped into the seat next to her boss, anxious to get the show on the road. Besides being incredibly uneasy about the amount of power held by the people in this room, she still had a job to do. The team needed her, and they were burning important time sitting here in this powwow.
“Madame Collective,” Frederick started, his voice respectful but firm. “Perhaps you could tell us why you called us here today?”
“Certainly.” Cadence tapped her fingers on the table. “How should I begin?” she asked, the question rhetorical.
“You can begin by charging that girl with theft.” Rhyannon pointed a finger across the room, directly at Rho. “I demand her death.”
“Absolutely not.” Frederick’s response was sharp.
Everyone had to know Rhyannon’s accusation was baseless. This very Council had assigned Rho a spot on the team sent to retrieve the Kamens, and she’d done as they’d asked. One of her teammates already had the werewolf’s Kamen in his possession. They hadn’t exactly reported the one they’d found, which happened to belong to the fae queen, but that wasn’t important right now. What was important was proving her innocence.
Although she had no idea how to accomplish that, considering she was guilty as hell.
Rhyannon folded her arms across her chest. “She’s stolen from me. Everyone knows that’s punishable by death.”
In a brave move, Cadence reached over and patted the queen on the shoulder. “Every fae creature knows this, yes, but she isn’t subject under your rule. And you cannot prove she has stolen it.”
“I no longer possess it,” the queen scoffed. “What more proof do you need?”
“You are well aware there are many Kamens missing already,” Costel spoke up. “Perhaps your efforts would be better founded by seeking out those targets.”
Rhyannon flung a hand up in protest. “Ridiculous.”
The forerunner cleared his throat, the mere sound enough to draw everyone’s attention. “This girl is a child with no magickal abilities of her own. How would you expect her to infiltrate anything you wished to protect?”
The fae queen snarled. “She does have powers. You know she does.”
What?
Rho’s gaze snapped up. No one should have known about her abilities. Only Nick and Rhyannon had even witnessed what had happened, and one of those people was sworn to secrecy. Eldon had caught a glimpse, but she’d bet her life he’d never tell a soul. Neither would his best friend, Nick. And she wasn’t sure why, but she’d never in a million years expected Rhyannon to tattle on her like this. What could possibly be in it for her? And what did she mean by they knew she had powers? Did she tell them before Rho got here?
Silence stretched as she waited for someone to clarify the statement. Surely they couldn’t have said what she thought she’d heard. Rho caught Frederick’s expression, a combination of surprise and dread that chilled her to the bone. Had she been exposed for what she truly was?
“Your abilities are no secret to us, Rhowen,” Costel said quietly.
Every muscle in Rho’s body tensed. She stared around the room in shock, Eldon’s words reverberating through her brain. Half-breeds aren’t well received. In the old days they were exterminated. He’d told her to keep her abilities a secret, and other than her team, she hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone. How could they know?
“What abilities?” Frederick’s brow furrowed. “What are they talking about?” He turned to Rho expectantly.
Rho didn’t dare answer the question. She planned on letting this one play out for as long as she could. Speaking up would only fuel the fire, and she didn’t need to give them any more intel on her than they already had.
No one spoke for a moment before Cadence cleared her throat. “She’s not entirely vampire. We’ve been observing her for years.”
Rho’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?” Surely she couldn’t have heard that right. They’d known about her abilities for years? And no one had thought to tell her about them? “What the hell are you talking about?”
“It would do you well to remember your audience, child,” Costel snapped.
As if his words slapped her across the face, she turned away from the group. Her mind was reeling, her chest tight. Tears burned in her eyes, but she wouldn’t dare let them fall. Not here. She’d been violated in the past, but somehow this betrayal cut far, far deeper.
Costel knew. He’d probably always known, and yet he’d never said a damn thing. She needed to understand the truth about herself. Her life to this point had been a series of traumatic events and karmic hiccups, and the people in this room had known it all along.
Well, maybe not Frederick. His eyes were too wide for this not to be a surprise. “What are you talking about?” he asked the panel.
“Please,” Rho added. She had to know.
Cadence continued to strum her fingers on the slick surface of the table. “Your father was a siphon, your mother a human. You, by nature, were both.” She lifted a hand through the air as she spoke. “Our usual policy is to exterminate half-breeds. They dilute the abilities of their kin and their magick tends to be erratic. They’re more of a nuisance than any good.”
Rho’s stomach flopped and she fought to keep down her recent blood meal. This woman spoke as if being a nuisance was an excellent excuse for genocide. As if executing a child for her DNA was no big deal.
“In your case, however, we made an exception.” Her gaze leveled on Rho. “Siphons are extraordinarily rare creatures. Almost extinct. The Council decided to let you live.”
Rho was half expecting them to break out into applause or pat themselves on the back for a job well done. They’d allowed her to live. Like she should be grateful for the opportunity to survive. Her knuckles were white as she clenched the front of her chair, trying to reel in her anger.
“You were not, however, intended to be turned into a vampire.” Cadence’s gaze met Costel’s, the accusation hanging in the air between them.
Costel shook his head slowly. “We didn’t know it was possible. I only sent Frederick out to watch over her. When he turned her it was…not something I expected.”
“You…you…” Rho sputtered, barely able to comprehend the words coming out of the king’s—her king’s—mouth. “That’s why you had Frederick track me?”
Since the beginning they’d been there, hiding in the darkness. For years she thought she’d gone insane. Every night had been a new exercise in absolute terror. She’d sworn to her foster parents that she was being watched, and they’d sent her to shrink after shrink, trying to figure out the source of her paranoia.
No one had been able to handle her, and once they’d told her she was schizophrenic, no one wanted to take her in. People didn’t want to foster older kids anyway, and certainly not ones with those kinds of issues. All of those years she’d been alone and afraid, and these people knew. They’d been the cause of her anxieties all along.
She gulped and drew a deep breath, allowing the elaborate framework of fear from her childhood to click into place. It all made sense now. Frederick shot her a sympathetic half smile, but it didn’t make a dent in her emotions. The sense of betrayal ran much too deep.
“We had to see if you exhibited magickal abilities the Council could use,” Cadence said.
Rho wrung her hands together, trying to get a grip on herself. “You planned to use me?”
“Siphons have proved to be valuable assets in the past.” Cadence lifted a shoulder. “If they can be found.�
�
Rho ran a hand through her long mane. “This is just too much…”
“We cannot allow this.” Rhyannon shot up from her seat.
“With all due respect, your majesty,” David, the quiet, small man at the table, spoke up. “She doesn’t appear to be harming anyone.”
Rhyannon drew a sharp breath. “I saw her use her magick! The night she stole from me, she siphoned my power.” She pointed a finger to her own chest. “Mine. The queen of the fae.”
“But—” David started.
“She is now both a siphon and one of the undead.” Rhyannon motioned toward Rho in a grand gesture. “She wields magick but is impervious to death. Tell me how that is not a threat to every one of us.”
Silence fell as they reflected on the statement.
Rho hadn’t even considered that part of her condition, and yet she couldn’t deny it. Her vampire half meant she’d be virtually un-killable, just as all vampires were. Her siphon half meant she might be able to rob people of their magickal gifts, even if she’d only done it once. And even if she didn’t mean to.
“Sit down, Rhyannon,” Cadence ordered. She paused before saying, “We’ll take this new information into consideration, but you know policy dictates there must be a formal hearing.”
“You can’t kill her for who she is,” Frederick said softly. “She’s been this same person since her turning, and you allowed her to live this long.” His expression was grave, which told Rho everything she needed to know. He knew she was going to die.
Her heart sank further into the ground and she gulped. She’d always known she would die, but she’d errantly assumed it would be in a fight. Or an execution gone wrong. Possibly even on a mission to retrieve the Kamens. But she’d never considered the possibility that she’d be exterminated simply for being who she was. She’d been born into this path. She’d never chosen it. How could they kill her for something she couldn’t prevent?
“She has now used the power we’d hoped she’d never be able to access. She’s a liability to everyone in the DarqRealm,” Rhyannon growled as she settled back into her chair.
Oh, God. Was she a liability? Eldon had been trying to teach her how to use her magick, but they hadn’t been successful so far. No matter how many hours they’d worked at it, she couldn’t repeat what she’d done before. But she could work harder. Learn to control herself. Prove to the others she wasn’t a danger.
“You can’t do this,” Frederick pleaded.
“We are the leaders of our people. We’ll do as we wish.” Costel’s jaw was as hard as his personality, his dark brows drawn over even darker eyes. His black hair had been slicked back to his skull, showing off his tan skin—an unusual feature for the undead. Perhaps his Spanish heritage transcended death. Regardless, the Lamia King only cared about himself and Danielle, his mate, and ensuring they retained their power in the DarqRealm. Everyone else was secondary, at best. Even his nephew.
Frederick lowered his voice and stepped toward their king. “Costel, I beg of you, please see reason. She’s my creation. She’s only done as the Council instructed.”
“She’ll have her chance to speak at the hearing,” Costel answered.
Rho ground her teeth, trying to keep from arguing. There would be no point in disagreeing with anyone in this room. Of the people in attendance, she was the lowest on the totem pole. No one would care what she said, if they bothered to listen at all.
Rhyannon sat up straight in her chair. “Speaking of which, I demand my Kamen be returned at once.”
Rho lifted her eyes to meet the queen’s and scowled. “I don’t have it.” That was a half-truth. They’d hidden it, so technically she didn’t have it. And she’d rather die than give that woman any of the Kamens. They hadn’t figured out why Rhyannon was after them, but whatever the reason was, she’d been willing to attempt murder to get what she wanted. Whatever she needed them for couldn’t be good.
“Lies! You know you took—” Rhyannon started.
“Stop it! Both of you will be silent or I’ll shut you up myself.” Cadence’s voice echoed across the expanse of the room, hushing them instantly. Her gaze narrowed as it fell once again to Rho. “In light of your newfound abilities, the Council must decide what to do with you.”
“What to… I’m sorry, what do you mean ‘decide what to do’ with me?” Rho asked.
“I mean exactly that. There will be a trial to determine whether you are a threat to the DarqRealm. Don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to defend your right to live,” Cadence said.
Don’t worry? How the hell could she not worry? “But I haven’t threatened anybody! I didn’t even know I could—”
Cadence cut her off. “You’ve had your opportunity to speak.”
“No, I haven’t! You haven’t listened to anything—”
“Enough.” Cadence lifted a hand. “Frederick, take her home.”
“But—”
“Do not make her tell you again, Rhowen,” Costel barked.
Rho shut her mouth and swallowed hard. As much as her anger burned in her throat, Costel was probably trying to be helpful for once. Her best bet on surviving right now probably involved getting the hell out of this room.
She glanced around to find an exit just as Frederick grabbed her elbow. He shuffled her out of the room, and despite his excessively tight grip on her, she didn’t resist. She was too numb to argue with anyone anymore.
It wasn’t until they got back to the car and peeled out of the driveway that Frederick spoke. “I’m going to try to appeal to Costel. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”
She nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. The king was the king. No one of their kind was above him, and he’d obey nothing but his own conscience. Which could be a problem, seeing as how he didn’t have one.
“I’ll start researching the Council’s policies to see if there are any loopholes.” He slammed a fist against the steering wheel, making her flinch in surprise. “I can’t believe Costel never told me. Our world has no tolerance for half-breeds. None.”
“I didn’t know.”
“It’s not a common problem because they’re not allowed to exist. And why didn’t you tell me what had happened with Rhyannon when I came to see you?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry. I should have. I just… I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to bring it up until I knew more.”
He shook his head and refocused on the road. “I’ll figure something out.”
A thought dawned on her. “Why me, Frederick?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why me? Why did Costel pick me for this mission? We both know I’m not really even old enough to be the executioner, let alone represent the vampire nation.” She’d accepted the position, but she’d never understood why she’d been chosen. With only two undead years under her belt, she didn’t have the experience to be given such responsibilities. What could Costel be thinking? What was his motive?
Eldon shook his head. “I don’t know.” He gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t say anything else.
With a deep sigh, she buried her head in her hands. Her thoughts drifted to Eldon then Preshea and Tim.
She couldn’t tell her teammates about any of this. They couldn’t afford more distractions right now. Not when they had so much on their plates. She already had a death mark on her arm, courtesy of Rhyannon, and while her vampire nature might prolong its effects, she couldn’t avoid death altogether. It was coming for her.
She shook her head. Between finding the Kamens and trying to find a remedy for her death mark, she wouldn’t let her teammates shoulder one more burden on her behalf.
“I need you to do something for me,” Frederick said.
“Name it.”
He flipped his turn signal and sped into the curve. When their path straightened, he shot her a level stare. “Get out of town. Immediately.”
CHAPTER THREE
Rho popped her knuckles and shook out
her hands. “It’s not working.” She’d been standing with Eldon in the field outside the safe house for hours, and her patience was starting to wear thin.
February nights were damn cold in Austin, even if she was a vampire. Or at least partially one. Her toes and fingers were sore from the chilly night air, no socks or gloves thick enough to keep out the blasts of wind. Just because she couldn’t get hypothermia didn’t mean she enjoyed freezing her ass off. She tucked her nose inside the top of her jacket.
Time to suck it up. The only hope she had of surviving the Council’s trial would be if she could learn to control her powers. She had no idea how long she’d be able to keep the team in the dark about her predicament, but she needed to figure out a diversion quick.
Even though the safe house was locked down with more magick and security features than she’d ever seen before in her life, the sooner they left the better. The Council had resources. If they wanted to find her, they would.
“You’re not trying hard enough.” Eldon took a step closer to her and held up his hand again. His brilliant blue eyes crinkled around the edges as he focused on her, the cool breeze rushing along his coffee-colored hair and forcing a section to stand on end.
If he wasn’t so impossibly good-looking, she’d be inclined to slug him for that last comment. “I am, too!” With wishful eyes, she glanced toward the house. “Why do we have to do this outside?”
“Because my homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover damage caused by magick flames.”
“I only blasted someone with ley line fire once,” she snapped.
He’d been unconscious by the time she’d slammed Rhyannon with enough emerald energy to level an office building. Much to his dismay—and hers—she hadn’t been able to duplicate the action since.
Eldon shook his head, his shaggy hair framing his captivating eyes as he lowered his hand. “If Nick says it was green fire, it was green fire.”
Nick, on the other hand, had seen exactly what happened that night, green fire and all. As Eldon’s best friend, he’d filled him in on every detail of what he’d witnessed. But regardless of how she’d wound up here, freezing her ass off, she needed to learn how to control her powers. Her life depended on it.
Fate Forsaken Page 2
