by K Loraine
“You can’t leave this room looking like that.” I had to fight to push the words from my throat. Fuck, I wanted to lock her in here with me and keep her, not take her downstairs and release her to the wolves.
“Why?”
“For starters? That dress is one well-placed flick of a claw away from being on the floor.”
She grinned. “True, but I need to be able to move.”
“You’re going to be in the middle of a ballroom filled with unmated shifter males. You might be a vampire, but you’re a shifter too. They’ll try to take you.”
“They’ll fail.”
I chuckled. “Oh, I know. But if you attack either side while the councils are here to witness, it could go badly.”
“What do you suggest I do then?”
“Tread carefully. A hundred years may have passed, but these creatures are still as ruthless and untrustworthy as ever.”
One brow lifted as she trailed a finger between her breasts and down the silk bodice of the dress. “Worried about me?”
“Of course I am. Every single moment. I already lost you once before.”
I crossed the floor in three strides, catching her hand and tugging her to me.
“Marry me, Briar.”
I waited with my heart at her feet. I waited for seconds that seemed like lifetimes, until the moment she shook her head.
“I can’t.”
Everything came to a standstill as she crushed me. “Why not?” I could barely get the words out.
“Because we’re already married. We have been since Gabriel brought us together.”
She pressed our palms together and, with her free fingers, traced the matching scars in the centers of our hands. I’d never fully healed from the blade that ran through both of us that night.
“Palm to palm,” I whispered.
“I was yours even when I didn’t want to be. There’s no way to deny it.”
Relief hit me like a metric tonne of bricks, nearly buckling my knees. This woman had the power to destroy me, but she’d just given me a reminder of exactly what we were. Destined. I hadn’t needed her to tell me she’d marry me. She already did that in our first life together. Once you were stabbed through the hand by an archangel, there was no going back. We were bound in a way that transcended her mating mark or my vampire bond.
I threaded my fingers through hers and pulled her close. “Then, shall we attend this ball and prove to all of them you’re not a danger? Because I’d quite like to put all this behind us and show you exactly what I want to do to you in that dress. We have a century to make up for.”
She took a moment, collecting herself. Then she locked her violet irises with mine and smiled, but there was a spark of fear in those depths.
“It’s going to be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.” I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. The one that had me spellbound from the first time I saw her.
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
I understood how afraid she was. Even if I hadn’t had a link to her, I would. She was broadcasting tension and anxiety about seeing her mother, that my family would start a war, that her uncle had something to do with her father’s death. So many things swirled in her mind that she wouldn’t say out loud. I needed to do something to ease her.
“I’ve got a surprise for you. Something a little…theatrical.”
Brows raised, she assessed me. “What are you up to, vampire?”
“You haven’t said the words, but I know you think your uncle had something to do with your father’s death. I thought we could give him a little…nudge.”
“How?”
I smirked. “You’ll see. My family has a flair for the dramatic.”
“I’d never have guessed that.” The playfulness in her tone made my chest light. Once this was over, we’d be able to move on with our lives together. She leaned in and brushed her lips over mine, just a wisp of a kiss with a promise for more, but even that chaste bit of affection was enough to take my cock from half to full mast.
The sound of a throat clearing stole my attention from the woman in my arms. Martin stood in the doorway, dressed in his finest uniform. We’d told the man he could wear whatever he wanted, that we didn’t require him to dress the part of butler any longer, but he’d never change. “Master Lucas, the king has requested—in his exact words—for the two of you to stop shagging like feral cats and join them in the ballroom to greet our guests.”
“Tell my brother he can bloody wait until we’re finished.” I grinned at Briar and winked. “I have half a mind to smudge your lipstick just to get a rise out of him. He’s become so…domestic in his role of husband.”
“You clearly don’t have any idea what happens behind closed doors, brother.” Cashel’s amused words preceded his entrance to my chambers.
“Trying to catch us in the act? You seem to like doing that.”
“Hardly. I’ve come to fetch Briar. There are a few things I need to discuss with her before she’s announced to the guests. You, Lucas, will attend to Olivia in the ballroom. Martin is about to open the doors, and I’m still uneasy about leaving her alone with Knight as her only protection.”
“Don’t trust her?” I shrugged. “It’s understandable since she married me instead of you the first time.”
Briar stiffened, but I squeezed her hand and sent assurance through her. She was and always would be the only one I wanted.
“You’re a fucking arsehole, you know that?” Cashel’s eyes narrowed in my direction. “Thank fuck she never let you in her bed. I would have killed you before you had the chance to redeem yourself.”
The air around me turned frigid, cold enough the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Briar cocked her head, just slightly, and I pushed into her mind, unable to keep myself from her thoughts.
Callie’s voice echoed in my ears, coming from what Briar was hearing. Something is draining me. Stop them, Briar. Figure out where it’s coming from.
Briar’s hand clenched on mine. She knew I was in her head. I wouldn’t have gotten through her walls if she hadn’t let me.
Lucas was attacked by a coven. Maybe I was wrong all along and they’re the ones behind all of this. My father’s death might have been the first step toward turning us all against each other. What if they’re staging a coup?
I spoke before thinking. “They might be.”
Cashel cocked a brow. “Talking to yourself again?”
“Callie is here. Can’t you feel her?”
He nodded. “The room gets colder when she’s here. Why can’t she show herself to us anymore?”
“Someone, or something, is draining her. It takes considerable energy for her to take shape.” Briar’s words were strong, determined.
“We have to figure out who it is and put a stop to it. Vampires don’t cross over when they die. They stay here, or they go to purgatory.” I grit my teeth against the harsh confession I had to make. I’d kept much of my time working with Azriel a secret, but the angel of death had taught me many things. Chief among them was exactly how damned we were, soul or no soul.
“How do you know that?” Cashel asked.
“Did you forget my banishment? My time with the angel of death? Born vampires might have souls, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less damned. If we’re lucky enough to escape Hell, all we can hope for is an existence as a spirit or a never-ending imprisonment in purgatory. Better to never die than either of those.”
The room grew colder. “Sorry, Callie,” I muttered.
“Then let’s do what we can to ensure none of us die today.” Cashel held out a hand and waited for Briar to leave my arms and go to him. It was symbolic almost, watching the one woman I loved most in the world go to him. He’d had to do the same with Olivia not so long ago. Turnabout was fair play, as they said, but it didn’t make watching her go any easier.
21
BRIAR
“What could you possibly have to say to me that d
oesn’t concern Lucas?” I stared at the handsome vampire whose hand was locked tight to my elbow.
“Not here,” he hissed. “Too many people could intercept us.”
I sighed. I hated all the intrigue and secrecy of royal life. The Blackthorne vampires were bred upon secrets and lies. I wasn’t. Or was I? I didn’t know. Not really. All I had was my sheltered upbringing. I had been the pampered, protected princess of the Dumond pack. A hundred years ago, all I could have brought them was the security of a strong marriage. The man I married would have led the pack eventually. Instead, I shunned them and everything we stood for because I fell for a vampire. But perhaps there was more to the story. More that I didn’t yet grasp.
Cashel tugged me with him down the quiet hall and up a set of stairs, not stopping until we reached a panel with an intricately carved tree decorating the wood. “What is this?” I asked.
“The King’s rooms.” He lifted his thumb to his mouth and pricked the flesh, causing a dark red bead of blood to rise to the surface. The sharp bite of copper and bergamot hit the air, my own fangs filling my mouth at the scent.
“Why are we here?”
He pressed his thumb to the roots of the tree, and I watched in wonder as the blood filled every last curve of the carving. The panel in the wall opened, revealing a beautifully decorated apartment complete with an office, bedroom, and living area. The king had his own secret hideaway. It made sense. Somewhere the leader could secret himself away in case of attack.
“No one can get through these walls. Not with their body, nor their minds.”
“So…you have a bunker?”
“Of course I do.” He shrugged as though it were completely normal for a man to have a hidden bunker that no one could access unless they had his blood.
“Why are we here?” I asked again.
The door sealed shut, and I felt the hum of magic as a spell locked us inside. “I’m the one draining Callie’s power.”
My chest tightened. “What? Why?”
“As soon as I found out she was here, I made contact with my cousin Silas. He’s mated to a witch from the original line who created sun sickness in Salem.”
“Okay, and you decided to fuck your sister over because?”
“Natalie is trying to find a way to give Callie a body. She’s tapped into her essence and is siphoning it until she can transfer her, but it’s going more slowly than it’s supposed to. Something is blocking her.”
I laughed. “Are you fucking kidding me? Callie deserves better than that. She’s terrified she’s going to be lost in the void.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t tell her. What if it doesn’t work?”
“What’s your plan?”
“Natalie is collecting her energy until she has it all stored. Once a suitable body is vacated, she’ll transfer Callie’s soul into the vessel so my sister can live the life she was meant for.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know Callie at all, do you?”
His eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Excuse me?”
“Callie will never accept another form. She’s completely herself. To try and make her wear another body would be an insult. What she needs is to accept her new self.”
The heartbreak written across his face nearly took me down. He loved his family. I could see it in his topaz irises. The devotion and pain he bore weighed on him.
“She died because of me.”
“No. She died because of sun sickness and Eliana.” He looked at me as though I was privy to information I shouldn’t have had. “She told me. Or…showed me.”
“So…you know everything then? All of the secrets she had to hide from my father?”
“You mean that she loves women?”
“We didn’t make her feel safe enough to be who she was meant to be.”
This was not what I expected to be talking with Cashel about. But the pain in his words was palpable. He carried so much guilt about his sister.
“She doesn’t blame you.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “She should.”
“Why did you bring me here? I’m sure it’s not because you wanted to pour your heart out to me.” I shifted from foot to foot, something in his eyes sending dread twisting my belly.
“I need your blood.”
“Excuse me?”
“I need you to give me your blood. The tests we’ve run have concluded your blood not only cures sun sickness…it eradicates it instantly.”
I nodded, still not understanding why this needed such secrecy. “Of course. You can have it whenever you need it. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You don’t know that, Briar.”
“I do. Lucas is my mate.”
“That won’t keep you from dying if things go bad at the ball, will it? My brother has stars in his eyes over you. He’s blind to the fact that you’re important to more than just him. There are still vampires dying of sun sickness. Nothing, not even Olivia’s blood, has done what yours does. I can’t take the risk of letting you leave this room without a significant donation.”
“How significant?”
“I’ll stop before you’re dry.”
Brow furrowing, I backed away from him, trying desperately to open the door behind me. “I don’t…Lucas should be here for this.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
My heart hammered, thoughts racing as I reached out to Lucas in my mind and came up blank. “No. Not especially.”
“Lucas can’t hear you in here. I’m sorry for the secrecy, truly, I am, but I have to protect my people and my family. That is something you can do for me. My brother loves you too much to ask this of you. You know it as well as I do. I did the same thing with my little bird. I was too selfish to sacrifice my bond with her.”
“It has to be now?”
He nodded. “If not now, when?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I paced the room, exploring the space while mulling over his words. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes bound in leather. I ran my fingertips over their spines, all of them untitled.
“How do you know what they are?”
“They’re our history.”
“Like Callie’s journals?”
He stiffened beside me. “You shouldn’t have read those.”
“I know.”
“These are written by the king. They go back two thousand years.”
“The Blackthornes have been around that long?”
“We’ve been around since before then, if not by name, by blood, at least. My grandfather began keeping a record long ago. The tradition has carried on. I’d like to ensure it continues, Briar. I need you to help me do that.”
Sighing, I made my way to the rich leather chair across from the fireplace. “If you kill me, Lucas will never forgive you.”
“I won’t.”
LUCAS
“Where the bloody hell are they?” I asked, staring daggers at Knight. “Some guard you are. You don’t even know where your king is.”
He snorted. “I’m not here for him at the moment. He’s put me on your detail.”
“Me? Why me? Why wouldn’t he place you on Olivia duty? She’s the human.”
“Maybe he thinks you’re a risk. You aren’t known for your cool-headedness.”
Rolling my eyes, I took a seat on the throne. Knight opened his mouth as though he thought he could stop me. Then closed his lips and turned his focus to the closed door.
“Where’s Olivia? Logan?”
“Coming.” He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a thin silver chain, tossing it to me as his skin sizzled from the contact. I caught it and slipped the chain into my own pocket. “Cashel instructed me to see that you were armed and ready for them in case they try anything.”
“Which they, exactly?”
A smirk turned up his lips. “Either. If this goes badly, I’m to take Olivia away immediately, and you’ve been instructed to fight like hell.”
Tension curled in my gut, churni
ng with unease. We were planning peace talks but preparing for a bloodbath.
The doors opened, and my brother strode in with Olivia at his side. She was striking in a gown of ice blue silk that hugged her form, proudly showing off the fact that the Blackthorne line was continuing on within her. Cashel’s expression was stormy, brows drawn, lips pressed into a sharp slash across his face, but more than that, I could smell blood on his hands. Briar’s blood.
“Where is she?” I hissed.
His gaze locked on mine. “She’s fine.”
“Why do you smell like her? Did you…” I couldn’t bring myself to ask the question, but I had to know. “Did you feed from her?”
Olivia’s head whipped to the side, focus on her husband. “Cashel, you didn’t?”
“I took a donation.”
“Now?” Shock and confusion rolled through me. Why now? We had a donation from her, enough to study.
“Her blood destroys the disease. It’s why she wasn’t infected by Callum’s.”
“When did you discover this?”
“This morning,” Olivia said, her eyes soft and apologetic. “After we confirmed Logan is infected.”
“What?”
“He’s deteriorating rapidly. Knight first noticed his ravenous hunger a week ago. It got worse from there.” Cashel cast his gaze to Knight.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Natalie has him caged with a spell for now. Once we have the right dosage of Briar’s blood for him, we will administer the cure.”
“How much do you need?”
“We aren’t sure. The power her blood holds destroyed the sample, but Olivia is confident that with Callie’s help we can get the dosage right before long.”
The doors opened again, this time revealing Briar, escorted by Martin. My veins hummed with the urge to have her safe in my arms. She was so pale, her eyes tired and pained. Something was wrong.
“Briar,” I called, standing and rushing across the floor to her. I pulled her against me, gently, carefully. Had my brother hurt her? Had he violated her against her will just like our father did to Eliana, to Olivia? “What did he do to you?”
