by K. G. Reuss
“Ever, listen.” Marcus pulled me to a stop. I shot him a quick look as I noticed Nev standing a few yards away from us near a small building I’d never seen before. “You need to give a shit.”
“Why?”
Marcus held his hand out. “Come with me. We’ll tell you everything.”
I looked down at Marcus’s hand then at Nev who’d taken a step forward, his brows furrowed. Fear and foreboding unfurled within my guts as I swallowed down the anxiety that was quickly bubbling up within me.
“We have the answers you seek, Ever,” Marcus murmured. “I swear we do. But you need to be brave enough to want them.”
I placed my hand in Marcus’s, my heart in my throat. I wanted answers. I’d wanted them so much that I’d hung myself for them only months ago as Amara had been kind enough to remind me of. This seemed infinitely better than that time. With Shadow saying goodbye, I had nothing left. No one to go to for answers, not that he’d ever given me any. With a gentle tug, Marcus pulled me toward Nev who greeted me with an uncharacteristically sweet smile.
“I’ve been waiting forever for you to get here,” Nev said the moment we reached him. “Come. I have something you need to see.”
And just like that, I let Nev and Marcus take me into the building on the edge of the property, away from the prying eyes of the student body. If Shadow wouldn’t tell me what was going on, then I’d do whatever needed to be done to get answers—even if it meant following a vampire and warlock into the depths of the unknown.
Twenty-Seven
Everly
“What is this place?” I asked as Nev led me down a dark, narrow hallway. There was barely room for two people to pass. Marcus was at my back, so even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t.
“It’s our headquarters,” Nev answered as I stumbled along behind him through the dark.
“Did someone not pay the power bill?” I grumbled, reaching out on instinct to grab Nev. His hand found mine and clasped it firmly. His touch was warmer than its usual coolness.
A bright bluish glow surrounded us, and I turned to see Marcus smiling at me, a blue and white swirling orb of light in his hands illuminating his face.
“Witch light,” he answered my silent question.
“Good to know,” I muttered.
Nev made a turn down another hall, or maybe it was the same. I couldn’t tell. A moment later, we came to a door. He pressed his hand to it. A faint blue glow spilled out from beneath his palm before it swung open revealing a furnished room with plush couches and chairs. There was a table along one wall with a few wooden chairs around it. Doorways were situated off to the side. There were no windows, which I found strange. The lighting in the room was dim, only a few candelabras on the walls casting a soft glow throughout.
“Where are we?” I spun in a small circle, taking everything in.
“We call it The Place,” Nev answered.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “How creative.”
Marcus chuckled. “It’s actually a good name for it. We can refer to it, and no one has any idea what we’re talking about if they’re not already privy to it. It could be anywhere.”
“Interesting.” I ran my hand along the top of a red velvet chair. “How come I’ve never seen it before? I don’t even recall it being on the campus map.”
“That’s because it’s not, sweetheart,” Nev approached and steered me toward the couch.
I realized I was in a place all alone with the two of them. I hadn’t been thinking. My heart kicked up a notch, the worry I was about to be hexed or worse—eaten—hitting me. Sure, I’d spent the night with Marcus, but maybe he didn’t want to hex me alone.
“Hey. Hey, look at me,” Nev commanded softly as he pulled me down to sit next to him. Marcus perched on the coffee table in front of us.
My breathing had kicked up. My palms were sweating. I was about to have a major panic meltdown.
“Ever, I swear it’s OK. You’re safe here. We won’t hurt you,” Nev cooed.
“T-tell me what’s happening.” I needed to get it over with so I could get out of there.
“Remember the photo Marcus showed you? The one of your grandmother?” Nev rushed, looking at Marcus as I nodded stiffly. Marcus pulled the photo out of a folder on the table and handed it to Nev who handed it to me. “We’re with the same club she was in.”
“You are?” I let out a deep, shaky breath.
“We are,” Marcus said solemnly. “We sort of have a bad rep, so we keep it hidden.”
“Marcus has charms cast around this place. In fact, we built it the first year we started school here,” Nev added. “No one even knows it’s here.”
“How do they not know?” I whispered, looking between the two.
“I’m very good at what I am, Ever,” Marcus explained. “No one will ever find this place. I promise you that.”
I didn’t doubt him. I’d seen some of what he was capable of with his charm. Marcus was the best warlock around. Probably even in existence.
“Listen, we want you to know what’s going on. We think it’s important you know, Ever.” Nev gave me a sincere look, his eyes blue. He must have fed. We’d learned that vampire’s eyes changed colors depending on their level of hunger. When they were black, it meant they were near bloodlust. Red meant they were in bloodlust. Some vampires could control the lust, others could tear through a small town and drain its residents within only a few hours. The thought made me shiver but relaxed me. Nev’s blue eyes meant he wasn’t hungry which meant I was probably safe, at least for the moment.
“How can I believe you?” I swallowed down my panic. “Everyone is afraid of you or in love with you, both signs which scream stay away.”
Marcus and Nev both laughed easily.
“I’ll swear on a blood oath if you’d like.” Nev gazed back at me, no signs of malice on his face. “I promise you that everything we say will be the truth.”
I eyed him cautiously, my body calming down. “Fine. Tell me. I want to know.”
“Not to be the harbinger of bad news, but we will need a blood oath on your behalf,” Marcus cut in. I bristled. “It’s really for our protection, Ever,” he continued in a rush. “What we’re about to tell you could be terrible if it got out. The blood oath makes it so you won’t tell anyone. It’s for our safety and your own. We’ll blood oath anything you want if you require it.”
I looked between them before nodding. I wanted answers. I needed answers. “I’ll do it.”
Nev reached out, confusing me.
“What?” I looked down at his hand, then at him.
“A blood oath means I need to drink from you.”
“You mean you’ll bite me?” I squeaked out.
“To be fair, we’re both going to enjoy it.”
I shook my head vigorously, the idea sickening me. There was no way in hell I’d let Nevron Blackburn suck my blood.
“It won’t hurt, Ever. I can control that. I daresay you’ll enjoy it quite a lot.”
“It’s illegal to drink blood directly from a Special,” I repeated the law I knew. The professors practically beat it into our heads. “You’ll be forced into the Xanan dungeons and punished by Conexus for it.”
Marcus and Nev laughed again.
“I don’t fear the general, Ever. Come on. Seriously. I swear on my life I won’t harm you. You want answers. I have them. This is the price. I’ll tell you all you want to know. Stake my heart.”
I bit my bottom lip, contemplating it. There was really no other way for me to get the answers, or at least no way I knew of. And damn it, I wanted them.
“W-will I get turned? Into a vampire?” That was definitely not on my to-do list.
“No, sweetheart. That’s not how it works,” Nev explained.
“Humor me.” I rubbed my sweaty palms onto the training pants I was still wearing from last night.
“It takes more than a simple bite to turn you into a vampire. We’re born, not created. Usually. For me to turn you i
nto a vampire, I’d have to damn near drain you of blood before giving you my blood. After that, if the vampire venom doesn’t kill you, you’d have to be buried in the ground with me for three days. It’s a grueling process. And a lot of work.” Nev looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. “I swear a simple bite won’t turn you.”
“Promise?”
“I’ll blood oath it,” he shot back with a half-cocked grin.
“I-I can’t. I won’t let you feed on me—”
“To be a part of who we are, it’s a necessity,” Nev interrupted.
“I don’t want to be a part of who you are. I’m here for answers. I’ll let you prick my finger if that’s what you want, but I’m not letting you bite me. No way. I don’t give two shits if that’s how you do things. It’s not how I do things. It’s clear I must have something you want, or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Are you trying to negotiate with me?” Nev chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief at me.
“Yes,” I sniffed. “I am.”
“You’re something else.” Nev sighed and looked at Marcus who was eyeing me with humor. “Fine. But the blood oath stands. I taste you, and you get answers. If you decide to join up with us, I get to feed. Deal?”
“D-deal,” my voice wobbled with the word as I shook Nev’s hand. I let out a squeak when he tugged me over to him, my hand still clenched in his firm hold. He pulled a dagger out of his cloak and pierced my finger before I could blink, causing a drop of blood to bubble out.
His eyes locked on mine as he brought my finger to his lips. My spine rippled with a shiver as sucked my finger into his mouth. A tingle brewed in my stomach. My breath hitched. He suckled hard, pulling as much blood from my finger as he could. Dizziness swept through me, Marcus threading rushed, mumbled words together around us.
“D-don’t feed on me,” I whispered feebly, my voice shaking beneath the euphoria that blossomed in my chest.
Nev released my finger. The building euphoria faded away, leaving me to whimper.
“It could’ve been great.” He sighed, wiping his mouth. “You’re a tasty treat. We’d have had fun,” his voice was gruff, his body shuddering.
“Nev—” Marcus started.
“Not enough, but it’ll do,” Nev grunted.
Marcus shot me a look and nodded. I lay back against the sofa cushions, my insides twitching with want. Damn it. Who would’ve thought having a gorgeous vamp suck your blood could feel so damn good? Then the exhaustion took over. My energy was low, but that delicious memory of the euphoria was enough to keep me awake.
“You liked it, huh?” Nev looked at me knowingly.
I turned away from him with heavy lids, not wanting to admit it.
“It’s OK to like it, Ever,” Nev continued. “I liked it. And I want to do it again.”
“Not likely,” I snapped, glaring at him. I couldn’t let it happen again. While it felt amazing, it was far too weird. Too intimate. And way too exhausting. I could barely keep my eyes open. “Just tell me what I came here for.”
“Fine,” Nev sighed, looking over to Marcus.
I scooted away from Nev, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. Marcus rose from his seat and stepped to the table on the edge of the room. He picked up a folder before returning to us.
“Look.” Marcus handed me a photo from inside the folder.
I scanned the black-and-white picture. There were two women in it, both smiling.
“Grandma,” I whispered, touching the photo with shaking fingers. She had to be about my age.
“Do you know the woman with her?” Nev pressed. I stared at it for a moment. She was beautiful. Long, blonde hair, eyes that seemed to twinkle through the dullness of the old photo, full, pouty lips. She did look familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“No, I’ve never seen her before.” I looked between Marcus and Nev. “Should I know her?”
“Probably not.” Nev cleared his throat.
“Who is she? S-she’s beautiful.”
“Her name is Helena Delacourt. Today, you’d know her as our beloved Queen Helena.”
“The queen? You mean, my grandmother knew the queen?” I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the news. “How can that be? I-I thought the queen might be Raiden’s mom. If that’s true, that wouldn’t make sense with the age—”
“True,” Nev continued delicately as Marcus handed me more photos. There were many of the girls laughing. Some images showed them serious. Other pictures were of their entire group. I stopped when I came to a photo of Helena with a dark-haired man.
“The queen was fae. As is your grandmother. All Specials age slower than Natties. My father is nearly a hundred years old and doesn’t look a day over forty—”
“What? You mean we can live forever?” I squeaked. I pictured my grandmother in my mind. She’d been beautiful. Mom used to talk about how young she looked.
“I wouldn’t say forever,” Marcus replied thoughtfully. “We aren’t immortal. We age more slowly. Vampires are the ones with the longevity for immortality with fae coming in at a close second followed by witches and locks. However, we’re in a war and have been for many years. Many of us don’t make it past our twenties nowadays. Conexus and now F.I.R.E. Catch what I’m saying?”
“No,” I intoned, placing the photos on the coffee table.
“He’s saying Conexus is bad. The Order is bad. Real bad. They’re killing any who oppose them. There’s a shift in power on the inside of the Order. The king is too blind to notice it. Or maybe he’s a part of it. Whatever it is, we know it’s happening.”
“Who are we?” I asked softly, not entirely sure I wanted that answer.
“Cipher,” Nev answered, his eyes locked on mine.
I jumped up from my seat, my heart beating madly in my chest. “Y-you’re Cipher?”
“Yes and no,” Nev replied, sitting forward in his seat, his elbows resting on his knees as he surveyed me. “So were your grandparents. And the queen. And Marcus. And many others I cannot say the names of just yet.”
“There’s no way. My-my grandmother would’ve never taken part in something like this. Never!” I wrapped my arms around myself. “The Cipher is bad. They’re killing people. They’ve attacked me!”
“No, they haven’t.” Marcus shook his head as Nev continued to watch me. “Those weren’t Cipher. Not real Cipher. They were imposters. They’re what the Order has created to use against us. We’ve chosen to be the Dyre in order to separate from the imposters. We aren’t the bad guys—”
“I need to go.” I backed away from them, not wanting to hear another word. I eyed the doorway and let out a yip of panic as it slammed shut on its own.
Turning around, I was face to face with Nev, who seemed to move at lightning speeds without a sound.
“Sorry, love. We believe you’re what we’ve been looking for. You can’t leave. Not until we’re done with you.”
Twenty-Eight
Everly
I didn’t waste a moment. I lashed out, kicking Nev in the chest, sending him flying onto his back, a groan of pain falling from his mouth. I rushed to the door, banging my fists against it.
“Help!” I hollered, casting a look over my shoulder at Marcus who wore a look of boredom.
“No one can hear you scream in here since technically this place doesn’t exist,” he commented, raising a brow at me. “You’re wasting your time.”
“Why are you freaking out?” Nev demanded, climbing to his feet and rubbing his chest. “You’re acting like we kidnapped you. Calm down. We’ll let you leave after you sit down and hear us out.”
I dropped my hands to my side. “Y-you’re not holding me captive?”
“No.” Nev rolled his eyes. “I mean, we are, but just until you listen to what we have to say.”
“And if I do, I get to leave?”
“Simple, huh?” Marcus chuckled, leaning back in the seat he took.
“You have questions. Ask them. We’ll do our best to answer. We’ll tell you w
hat we know. You need to promise to relax and listen. Deal?”
“Deal.” I glanced between the two guys. “But nothing funny or you’ll be sorry.”
“Stake my heart,” Nev promised.
Reluctantly, I moved to sit on the edge of the sofa, waiting for them to speak.
“We are Cipher,” Nev began. I flinched at his words but didn’t move. “You are the Mancer, the one who can raise the dead and create an army to take out your enemies.”
“You’re nuts.” I snorted. “I’m no mancer.”
“You’re a whisperer who survived death.”
I frowned. “H-How do you know about that?”
“Do you think we just ignored the fact Conexus seems so interested in you?” Nev asked with a scoff. “They don’t associate with anyone on campus and suddenly, Craft is taking you to dances and back to his place—”
“How did you know about that?” I demanded.
“I was curious,” Nev shrugged. “I pay attention. My curiosity led me to watching you and looking into your past. I wanted to know why you were greeted with open arms. What you are is the reason why. They’re trying to either induct you or keep you close for when all hell breaks loose.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Had Eric really not been my friend? Was this just to watch me?
“There’s a reever, and he knows you.” Marcus shifted in his seat, his eyes on me.
My breath caught in my lungs.
“Shadow,” I murmured. Both guys nodded. “And what about my grandmother?”
“Alive,” Nev confirmed.
“Not possible—”
“It is possible, Ever,” Marcus said. “I showed you.”
“She died—”
“There was no funeral. No body. Don’t you think that’s odd?” Nev pressed. “That’s because she wasn’t dead. Your family had a memorial ceremony and a dinner after.”
“But why?” I whimpered. A memory of photographs of her on top of a long table flashed through my mind. “Why would she want that? Why would she do that?”
“To protect you. She did everything to protect you—”