by Jody Morse
It would mean letting go of any hope that Lila wouldn’t be willing to let me go.
But a tiny voice at the back of my mind told me that if I knew the girl I loved as well as I thought I did, there was no way she would leave Deadwood without a fight.
Chapter 45
Lila
AS SOON AS THE RECEPTION was over, Zoe and I began to head in the direction of her house.
“Can any vampires smell me right now?” I asked as we passed the woods. After everything that had gone on in those woods, I wanted to avoid them at all costs.
“No. I have your scent hidden,” she assured me. “But don’t worry. We’re not going into those woods. You can get to my cottage by cutting through the woods, but I prefer not to take that path.” She opened a gate. “This path takes us into town. This is where most of the other members of the coven live.”
“You live near the other vampires?” I asked.
Zoe shook her head. “No, my cottage isn’t quite in the village. It’s sort of in between the village and the castle. It has a little path that takes me directly to the beach. I actually love it.”
“How did you end up here, anyway? In Deadwood, I mean.”
“It’s a long story,” she murmured. “One I would rather not go into right now.”
“Got it,” I replied, nodding understandingly.
A long, awkward silence passed between us. Finally, as we began on another path, Zoe complained, “I don’t even know what made Sebastian think this would be an ideal arrangement.” Her gold eyes darted over to meet mine. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t like you, because I do. It’s just that I’ve lived alone longer than I can remember. I don’t even know how to live with someone.”
My lips remained in a flat line as I followed after her. “He made it clear that it’s only going to be a temporary arrangement—just until he gets back from looking for his father.”
Of course, it felt like that was what my whole life was lately: a temporary arrangement; it had become a constant back and forth of where I was least likely to be killed at any given time, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could do this for—especially if I was going to be away from Sebastian more often than not.
“Well, you will be safe here, at least,” Zoe assured me. “It will take some adjustment on my part, but we will figure it out.” She paused for a moment and then added, “You can stay here for as long as you need to.”
“Thanks,” I replied. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate her offer to allow me to stay with her. It was just that I hated feeling like I was an inconvenience to everyone, Sebastian included.
Zoe stopped in her tracks, and her eyes scanned the length of my neck. Then her eyes drifted up to meet mine. “You aren’t wearing the pendant I gave you.”
My hands flew to my neck. She was right. The pendant was gone.
“It must have fallen off,” I realized out loud. I shot her an apologetic glance at her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lose it.”
“Don’t apologize to me. The pendant was to benefit you.”
“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. “What was it for?”
“It was for your own protection.” There was a dismissive tone behind her voice, like she didn’t want to talk about it. But I wasn’t willing to drop it that easily, not until she explained to me what was going on.
“How was it going to protect me? Tell me, Zoe. What do I need to be protected from? Besides the obvious.”
She sighed. “The pendant would have prevented any vampires from linking to your soul once they drink from you. It would have helped keep your emotions and, essentially, your location protected from them.”
“So now if a vampire drinks from me, they’ll always be able to find me,” I realized out loud.
“Bingo. Unless I’m able to make you another pendant before any vampires try to drink your blood.”
I frowned. “But what about the other girls?”
She narrowed her eyes at me questioningly. “What about them?”
“You gave them the same pendant, but Sebastian has already drunk from them. Why did the other girls need the pendant, Zoe?”
She sighed. “I don’t have the time to explain all of this to you right know, but it was for their protection, too.”
“How don’t you have time? We have all night,” I insisted.
“Actually, we don’t.” Zoe glanced over at me. Pulling her key out of her purse, she handed it to me. “This is my cottage.” She motioned to the little brick cottage. The yard was lined with a variety of colorful flowers. The cottage looked like it’d been taken straight out of a fairytale. “I need you to go inside. Don’t worry. You’ll be safe here.”
“Where are you going?” I questioned.
“To meet someone.”
“Are you seriously just ditching me for a guy right now?”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Zoe replied with an eye roll. “I’m not even dating anyone. I need to meet an old friend. I don’t know how long it will take. As soon as I get back, we’ll talk about everything,” she promised.
“Fine,” I grumbled as I unlocked the door. “Can you at least take this invisibility spell off of me?”
“Now?” she asked exasperatedly.
“I’d like to be able to look at myself in the mirror.” And if Zoe never came back, for whatever reason, I didn’t want to be invisible forever.
She focused her gaze on me in concentration. Moments later, I looked like my usual self again.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll be back.”
I watched as Zoe continued down the pathway. As I went into her cottage, I couldn’t help but think about how strange it was to be going into her home without her there. It felt like I was violating her privacy.
I promised myself that, no matter how badly I wanted to, I wouldn’t snoop.
At first glance, Zoe’s living room looked just like a human living room. She had two gray microfiber sofas, a large TV, and a lamp that looked like it was made of crystal. There was a wooden coffee table, which was covered in loose papers.
I was just about to sit down on the sofa when I heard movement behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder, and my stomach clenched.
“Well, there you are. I’ve been waiting.” Alessandra stepped into the room.
“How did you find me here?” I asked, swallowing hard.
“Did you think Zoe is the only witch around here? My coven has a witch, too.” She laughed and then took a few steps closer to me. “I knew you were still alive. I knew that Sebastian lied to me—that he was really protecting you. I just couldn’t figure out how he was doing it. But then it hit me: an invisibility spell. So, I had my witch do a spell of her own—a spell that would allow me to see anyone who was under an invisibility spell. I watched you leave the wedding with Zoe. I took the long way so I could get here unnoticed.”
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked. “Because if you are, I’d rather you just get it over with. Just remember that if you kill me, Sebastian will know it was you who did it and he’ll probably hate you forever for it.”
“Forever is a long time, my dear.” Her red lips curved into a smile. “And of course I’m not going to kill you now. I wouldn’t want to get blood all over my wedding dress.”
“Then what is it you want?”
“I want to get you far away from here. The best form of torture that I can think of for both you and Sebastian is to hide you somewhere he’ll never be able to find you. In the meantime, I’ll give him subtle clues that you’re alive.” She grinned. “It’s a brilliant idea.”
I fought back angry tears. “You’re sick. You know that, right?”
“So I’m told.” She smiled again. “Before I transport you somewhere Sebastian will never find you again and where I will personally ensure you will die a painful death, there’s something else I’ve just been dying to do.”
My stomach dropped.
I d
idn’t even need to ask what it was, because I already knew. And just the idea of what it would mean—that our souls would be linked, that she would be able to sense my emotions and my location—made me feel sick to my stomach.
Alessandra pulled her lips back, revealing her shiny white fangs. “I can’t wait to taste your blood.”
Chapter 46
Kade
“I NEED TO SEE CAROLINE.”
“What’s the secret password?” A redheaded man on Caroline’s ship asked me, staring me down.
I held his gaze as I firmly said, “Kill Sebastian.”
Though there was still a look of suspicion behind his brown eyes, he moved away, allowing me to climb aboard.
“Where is Caroline?” I asked, glancing around.
“Right here,” her familiar voice said from behind me. “Please come and speak to me in private.”
I followed her across the ship and into the captain’s quarters.
Closing the door behind us, she turned to me, anxious for an update. “Well?”
“Sebastian and Alessandra got married a couple of hours ago,” I told her.
“They really moved along quickly on the marriage front, didn’t they?” she noted.
I nodded. “Yes. Alessandra insisted on moving the wedding up so that you won’t be able to take control of the coven now.”
It was, quite possibly, one of the best things Alessandra could have done. As much as I hated the idea of having Alessandra as Queen, I hated the idea of Caroline being Queen even more.
“What do you mean so that I ‘won’t be able to take control of the coven now’?” Caroline asked. “What would Alessandra and Sebastian marrying have anything to do with it?”
“It says in the Stark Coven Doctrine that you can’t become Queen if they get married.”
“No. It doesn’t,” she replied matter-of-factly.
“That’s what Alessandra said,” I insisted.
“Well, Alessandra is wrong. I have studied that doctrine for years now. I know it like the back of my hand. It does not state that the marriage will give them the upper hand.” Caroline’s eyes locked on mine. “Poor Sebastian. He was played like a fool.”
“So it would seem,” I murmured. Her words had made my stomach drop. I should have known Alessandra had been lying. Why hadn’t Sebastian been smart enough to read that damn doctrine?
Because my brother was too trusting, too gullible. He always just chewed up and swallowed anything he was fed. It was pathetic.
And it also made me realize how unfit he was to rule our coven. The Stark would have been better off with anyone other than Sebastian. That only led to another realization.
It didn’t matter how I felt about my brother. I needed to push all of those feelings aside.
If I cared at all about the Stark Coven, about our legacy, about my father, then I needed to do whatever it took to become the next King.
“I know what Alessandra’s next step will be,” Caroline went on, pulling me out of my own thoughts. “She’s going to insist we hold an election.”
“She did mention an election,” I recalled.
My aunt nodded. “That’s what I was expecting. I’ll go along with it. I’ll pretend to have this election, but in the meantime, we’ll be planning our own course of action.” Her eyes met mine. “We’ll figure out a way to attack Sebastian without him even realizing what will hit him. I’ll need your help, of course.”
“Of course.” I paused. “One of the vampires from our coven mentioned that Sebastian’s going away for a few days, to search for my father.”
“Has he left yet?” Caroline asked.
I shook my head. “No. He’s about to leave soon, though.”
“I was afraid of that,” she murmured with a sigh. Then her eyes flicked over to meet mine. It was clear that an idea had come to her. “You should go with him.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Me? Go with him?” I chuckled. “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
“Just hear me out. If you go with him, you can try to steer him in the wrong direction—prevent him from actually finding your father.”
“Why would I do that?” I asked.
“If your father comes back, it means he will become King of the Stark Coven again. Is that really what you want? To live under your father’s rule?” She asked me pointedly.
I thought about it for a moment. As much as I wouldn’t have minded seeing my father again, she was right. I would have rather left our coven completely than live under my father’s rule again.
“No, it’s not what I want,” I admitted.
“Very well. Then you will go with Sebastian. And you will report back to me when you return home,” Caroline replied.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you for being so cooperative, Kade. In fact, there’s something I’d like to do for you.”
“Oh?” I was unable to hide my intrigue.
“I hear that your brother has temporarily discontinued auctions,” my aunt said.
“Yeah, he has.”
“That’s such a shame.” She shook her head sadly. “We’ve just gotten our newest arrivals. I’d like for you to choose one of them for yourself.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I already have a harem of my own.”
“I’m certain. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.”
“Well... if you insist.”
“I do.” She smiled. “Come with me.”
“Okay.” I shot her a smile and then followed her out the door we had come in through.
I followed my aunt across the ship and to a ladder that led to the upper deck.
Once we’d climbed up it, I spotted the slaves she’d spoken of.
There were twelve of them—all girls who wore identical light blue dresses. They were all handcuffed, their feet were chained, and they wore numbered tags from their necks.
Some of them were sitting on the floor, while others were standing against the rail of the ship.
A man stood in guard of them.
“Well?” Caroline asked, glancing over at me. “Do you see any you might like?”
“I think I need a closer look,” I replied. I could barely smell any of them from where I stood. Of course, I smelled human blood, but I couldn’t make out any individual scents.
I took a few steps closer and looked each girl up and down. The first girl who stood in line was a pretty blonde. She had fair skin, gray eyes, and a shapeless body.
Leaning in closer, I inhaled her scent and then immediately wrinkled my nose.
Too salty. I liked them sweet.
I walked to the next girl and then the next, comparing each of their scents. All of the girls stared back at me with an incredible look of fear in their eyes. I wasn’t sure if they knew what I was or if it was the fact they’d been taken prisoner scared them the most.
As I reached the end of the line, I spotted one more slave who I somehow hadn’t noticed before. She was standing a few feet away from the others. Her back was turned as she stared out at the ocean below.
There was something different about her, something that made her stand out from all the rest—something that just let me know I had to have her.
I turned to Caroline. “That’s the one I want.”
My aunt stared back at me, confused. “Are you certain? You haven’t even seen her face yet.”
“I’m certain,” I replied firmly.
“Brutus, please unchain Number Thirteen,” Caroline commanded.
“Yes, ma’am,” the man replied as he walked over to her. He pulled out a set of keys and began to undo the chains that bound her feet together.
“You’re lucky, Thirteen,” my aunt said to the girl. “You’ve been chosen by a prince! How lucky for you.”
Once the girl’s legs and hands were free, my aunt instructed, “Please turn to face your new owner.”
The girl slowly turned around.
As she revealed her face to me, I sucked in my
breath.
Julia’s emerald green eyes stared back into mine.
Chapter 47
Zoe
IN THE MIDST OF EVERYTHING going on, I had nearly forgotten it was the day I had arranged to meet with him. It was only as I was walking Lila home that the realization of what day it was had completely hit me.
I hoped he wasn’t already waiting for me. If there was one thing I knew about him, it was that he lacked patience more than most people.
Removing my shoes so that I could walk more easily in the sand, I stared up at the sky, which looked beautiful tonight. It had taken on hues of turquoise, aqua, and teal—colors that I had never seen for a night sky, not even in the human world. I had to remind myself that was the difference; as much as this world resembled the human world at times, it wasn’t the human world. It was so easy to lose sight of that sometimes.
The full moon hung big and full in the sky, casting its warm glow over the water and sand like a nightlight. As I walked along the shoreline, I scanned the sand that lay ahead of me. There were no signs of him.
I stared out at the Deadwood Sea. I knew it had earned its name for a reason, but it had never felt so deadly to me before. I knew it wasn’t the sea itself that had led to Rosie’s death, but the sea suddenly felt so empty, so vacant, to me now. My best friend no longer resided in the ocean that had once provided her with shelter.
I hadn’t even shed a tear since I had learned of Rosie’s death, and it wasn’t just because this world had taught me never to get too close to anyone. No, it was because I figured that I could do one of two things: either I could mourn the loss of my friend or I could seek revenge on whoever had killed her.
Of course, I knew that wouldn’t be an easy task. I may have been a witch, but I wasn’t a psychic. My predictive dreams came to me randomly, and I hadn’t had one yet. So far, I didn’t have even the slightest clue of who could have killed her. And the not knowing was killing me.
I knew it could have been any member of the Stark Coven. I only hoped it wasn’t someone who I cared about. As much as I felt retribution was necessary, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt someone who I actually liked.
