by Kim Schubert
The Vampire Council looked down upon me in their dank cave.
“You killed Tate,” Eduardo said.
“Yep,” I answered.
“You killed Zachariah,” he continued.
“Yep,” I repeated.
“You left hundreds of vampires Masterless,” Eduardo continued on.
I stopped answering him, because technically he wasn’t asking questions. He didn’t find it amusing, sneering at me, one side of his lip drawing up to reveal his fangs.
I smiled.
Stop poking the hornets’ nest, Logan sent to me.
Make me, I responded.
He grunted, shifting his hands in his jeans pockets. Technically, Logan had killed both of the Master Vampires, but believe me, if he hadn’t, I would have. Tate had joined Houses with Zachariah; granted, Zachariah had starved Tate’s House, but Tate had known of his plans to kidnap my unconscious ass from the hospital.
That just wasn’t cool.
Zachariah, his list of transgressions was too long to recite, but I’ll give it a shot. Kidnapping and torturing Logan, funding shifter experimentation with Sage, not to mention Nari, and releasing eighty rogues loose on the city, killing hundreds of humans.
We had done what we could, protected our house and as many humans as possible, but even we lost. Grams’s memory blasted across my mind and I felt the pain all over again. Even though we hadn’t been on speaking terms, her death, well, it sucked.
I blinked, feeling Logan’s answering emotions along the mate bond as he warmed me with his love, his annoyance taking a back burner.
“Give us one reason not to destroy you and your pathetic Council,” the woman next to Eduardo commanded.
I laughed. “You really want to reconsider that statement,” I told her.
“You will show us respect!” she hissed at me.
I groaned. “Look, you archaic excuse for a Council, you fucked up. Whether you knew of Zachariah’s plans or not, shit didn’t work out for you. The Council and the Shifter Nation are united. The humans are terrified of vampires now after seeing the horror the rogues unleashed, so I feel confident they’ll come over to my side. I’m not scared of you. I’m not intimidated by you. I am however, exceptionally annoyed, and I want my bill paid for cleaning up your fucking mess!”
The four them just stared at me. I’ll admit it, I stomped my foot. I’m pretty greedy, and I expect to get paid when I clean up other’s messes.
All their eyes glowed amber. I chuckled, good, they were pissed off. So was I.
“You will fall,” Eduardo threatened me. Logan growled next to me.
“Say it again,” Logan hissed.
Eduardo looked at me, not blinking, not moving, probably trying to judge just how fucking crazy we were.
“Let it go. Own your mistakes and move on,” I told him, shaking my head. I had no use for this or him. “I have shit to do.”
Garrick and Declan had been silent in the exchange, until now.
“If that is all, we will be taking our leave,” Garrick said, turning to leave.
I was still staring daggers at the Council, seriously questioning the consequences of killing them all.
“No,” whispered Declan. My head whipped over to see Angelina holding a silver blade in Garrick’s heart.
The moment dragged out, her deranged and unhinged smile, the cracked teeth. She pulled the blade from Garrick’s chest with a sucking sound.
Declan tossed magic, restraining her, and we both rushed to Garrick, catching him as he fell into my lap. Declan shoved his hand into the wound and I felt the raw outpouring of magic flowing through him. With hardly a thought, I placed my hand on his wrist, pushing up his suit sleeve, the blood staining the pristine white.
“Take what you need,” I whispered to his surprised gaze. He didn’t hesitate, pulling instantly, deeply. I felt the vertigo and closed my eyes for a long moment before looking down at Garrick.
Which I had been trying not to do.
“Don’t leave me,” I whispered, my right hand cupping his face. His dark eyes were clearer than I had ever seen them.
“All beings die, Olivia,” he said with a small smile.
“No, you aren’t going to die,” I whispered, bending down to kiss his forehead. “Please, Garrick,” I begged.
He reached a bloody hand to touch my cheek. “It has been an honor to fight alongside you. You have grown into an incredibly powerful, beautiful woman.” He coughed, “Always trust those powerful instincts, Olie. I love you.”
He reached down and pulled out Declan’s hand. “Do well, apprentice, the Western Council is now yours. I have lived a good life.”
Dust. I was holding dust, and it spread over my legs. Into my lungs I sucked it, my mind trying to reconcile what had just happened. Garrick had been my first ally. The first one who acknowledged my power and status. The first one who had believed in me and my Council. He had been a listening ear and a source of help on so many occasions.
Now he was gone, slipping through my fingers. This was all my fault.
“No, no, NO!” I screamed, fisting the dust, feeling it slip between my fingers.
“We were guaranteed safety,” Logan said softly.
“Angelina escaped from our dungeon. You have our deepest sympathies.” I turned to see Eduardo smiling.
“You bastard,” I whispered.
Declan was silent, except for the bunching of his jaw muscles. I watched him closely before turning to Logan.
“He is yours to avenge, Declan,” Logan whispered.
“You can do nothing,” the weasel stated. “We kept our bargain, we can hardly be responsible for a crazed woman escaping and attacking you. Especially since you made her Houseless.”
“Incorrect,” Declan said, steadily standing. I hesitated, looking back to the pile of dust that had been Garrick. “You granted us safe passage. We require a death for a death.”
Eduardo sneered. “He trained you well. We will convene on it and get back to you.”
“No, you won’t.“ I said, standing next to Declan.
“Then I suppose you won’t be leaving,” Eduardo said. I felt his fear rising, along with Declan’s power. It was impressive. I had been pretty sure he was holding back earlier.
“We claim you, Eduardo,” Declan said. He shed his glamour and I stood in awe of him. Shirtless in worn leather pants, his right eye white with only the faintest impression of a pupil and iris, a thick scar beginning on his forehead and continuing past his cheekbone, he stood as tall and almost as broad as Logan.
I whistled, admiring his brown hair, long and decorated with beads and feathers.
His hands moved and Eduardo looked terrified. Good, I thought. He should be.
“Let this be your warning, Vampire Council,” I said softly.
With a flourish of fire, Eduardo went up in smoke, screaming the entire way.
I tried to blame the misting in my eyes on the smoke, but my heart hurt. First Grams and now Garrick. Logan’s arm went around my shoulders as we left, the Council behind us screaming for our heads, none daring to make good on those threats.
Garrick’s body had turned to dust, forever to reside in the dark tunnels. That felt wrong on so many levels, but what could be done?
“Angelina,” I said softly, stopping.
Declan snapped his fingers and I heard her screaming as the scent of burnt hair drifted up to us.
I stopped, wondering if it was enough. “Come, Olie,” Logan whispered at my shoulder.
“Should we just leave? Should we kill the rest of them?” I asked Logan and Declan.
“It’s taken care of.” Logan ran a soothing hand over my shoulder and down my arm, taking my hand. I nodded, trusting him completely.
We exited the cave and I blinked, adjusting my eyes. Logan stopped, turning to the dense foliage. It took my eyes a moment to focus on the hulking chocolate bear hiding in the shrubbery.
“Holy geez,” I muttered, taking a step back.
The bear huffed and I looked at Logan. “No way,” I muttered.
Logan smiled. “Yes, that’s Bear. Since he’s the Western Compass Alpha, I called for him.”
I nodded. “To do what?” I asked.
“To be sure they understand exactly who is in charge here.”
I smiled and nodded. “Hey Bear,” I called out, my voice dripping with sadness. I heaved a breath, turning away, not having it in me to tease him as I normally would.
…
Logan drove away from the caves, his phone GPS chirping out directions, although for the moment it was only saying “head south” repeatedly. He scowled at the device, needing to take his anger out on something. Looking in the rearview mirror, he tuned into Oliva’s emotions; she was shocked, horrified, and blaming herself, as she always did.
“Where do we start?” Olie asked, more of herself than of anyone else, her eyes unfocused.
Declan’s face was drawn, his real face. He hadn’t bothered to re-glamour or whatever precisely his trick was.
“We need to know who is supplying them with power, how they tracked me, why…” Her voice trailed off. “…Why would they kill Garrick?” she whispered.
“He saved us,” Declan stated.
“What?” Olie asked, leaning toward him, elbows resting on her knees. She tilted her head to the side, her hair spilling over her right shoulder.
Declan turned to her. “We could have saved him, Olie. We could have healed his heart, repaired the damage and brought him back from death. But we would have used all of our magic, all of our power, and been worthless after.” Declan turned to look at Logan in the rearview mirror. “I’m certain they had more vampires at hand, more than enough to handle both of you as well.”
“They wouldn’t have dared,” Olie whispered.
Logan shifted his attention back to the road as he turned onto pavement.
Silence filled the back of the car.
…
Declan was hurting. Loss, betrayal, and just as much blame as dominated my heart were overwhelming his. I reached out for his large hands. He didn’t grate on my nerves in this form.
He looked over at me, one green eye and one white searching my face.
“Let me help,” I whispered softly.
He looked at my hands, and to his own, both crusted with Garrick’s blood. It broke my heart. He reached out with rough fingertips, brushing over my palm before intertwining out fingers.
I just held on to him for a moment, analyzing and absorbing. I sectioned off his grief, pain and self-blame, wishing I could do the same with my own, and pulled. His head tilted back, an inhale of surprise on his lips. I coiled the raw and volatile emotions down deep, storing them as I always had, but knowing I could draw upon them now in a way that killed Fae.
I closed my eyes, seeing only our magic, only our power. I sectioned off the blame again, merging it with my own and releasing it. I let it go, it was too heavy to keep, too weighted.
I opened my eyes to find Declan’s arms around me.
“Thank you,” he whispered into my ear.
I nodded, pulling back, needing Logan. His touch would soothe.
“I need to make a few phone calls … to … to make, to make arrangements…” Declan’s voice trailed off.
I nodded, slipping into the passenger seat next to Logan. He reached out to grip the back of my neck. I leaned into his strength for just a moment. I wanted to fall into him and fall apart, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. We still had a Fae Queen and a Succubus Queen on the loose.
“Call Tommy,” I asked of Logan. He hit a button the on steering wheel, issuing the voice command. I didn’t even bother trying to listen to him. I was slowly condensing Declan’s and my own emotions, until I would be left with nothing, yet again.
You will always have me, Logan silently whispered, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.
My sigh was broken. I did. I had love.
“Hey, boss,” Tommy said over the car speakers. Logan adjusted something to limit the volume just to the front seats.
“Tommy,” I said, blinking back my tears.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Garrick’s dead,” Logan said, and I squeezed his hand, silently thanking him.
“Blake was able to track me. I need to know how.”
Tommy was silent for a few moments.
“When was the last time you saw them in St. Ann?” he asked.
I turned to Logan. “At Eduardo’s?” I said.
Logan nodded. “You had your phone on you?” Tommy asked.
I shrugged, “Probably.”
“Toss it,” Tommy instructed.
I didn’t even hesitate. I pulled it from my pocket and threw it out the window.
“Logan, you too. Get to town and get burner phones. I’ll see what I can dig up.”
“Understood.” Logan tossed his phone as well and ended the call.
“Your phones?” Declan questioned. “That’s how he tracked you?”
“It’s our best guess. We didn’t even know where we were going until we got there,” I said with a sigh.
I rubbed my temples, the pieces not fitting together. “That doesn’t explain how they got to the caves, though. If we didn’t know we were coming here, how did they?”
“And how did Luharposn know where we would be?” Declan asked.
I sighed, looking at Logan. “There’s a mole in the Western Council.”
…
Declan denied our accusations vehemently. I was too tired to fight with him, waiting outside the phone store while Logan took care of the details.
“Impossible,” he said again.
“I’m not arguing this point anymore,” I told him. “We need to get back in contact with my house for updates. We still have the Queens to find.”
Declan sighed, “They must be here.”
“I’m open to ideas on finding them.”
“Enough,” Logan said, jerking our attention to him with a slam of the door.
“Let’s go,” I muttered at Declan.
…
Logan watched Olie and Declan, still fighting over the damn mole at the high-end hotel Declan insisted they book. He was grateful Olie had relented about accommodations. He hated the flea-infested motels she preferred.
He had already texted Tommy and Becky to have them hack Garrick’s information structure.
He tuned into Olie’s emotions again. She was worn, and needing something to kill or fuck. He was fully hoping it was the latter.
“So you can track her with my blood?” Olie asked Declan.
“I can,” he responded, relief easing over both of their faces.
“Great, when can we start?” She was excited and pushing ahead without thinking through what she was doing. What else could he expect?
…
“Wait, what are you two planning?” Logan asked.
“We can use my blood to find the Succubus Queen.”
“I’ll need—” Declan began.
“You only need blood?” Logan interrupted.
“Yes, and some other magic,” Declan continued.
“Will this hurt her?”
“No, Logan, I’ll be fine.”
“I didn’t ask you, Olie, you will do anything to see this done with. Including taking insane risks,” Logan reprimanded me.
I didn’t have anything to say, since he was right. Seriously annoying trait.
“It shouldn’t harm her,” Declan said. Great, now Logan was REALLY was going to be right.
I sighed, leaning back against the headboard, waiting for Declan to expand upon the risks associated with tracking down my mother.
“Because the connection to the Queen isn’t strong, it may take a great deal of blood,” Declan admitted.
“See? No biggie,” I tried to minimize it to Logan.
“Olivia, do you not remember when you drained yourself in order to hunt down the puppet master?”
“Of course I do! How could I
forget all the bonding we did?” I said with a smile.
Okay, so it wasn’t so much bonding as being in a half-drunk stupor from being exceptionally low on blood so I could track Logan’s grandfather in his undead state. That’s when I had first used my power, to strip control from the sleazy Steven and free Lawrence. If only I had known then what I knew now.
Logan smiled fondly at me.
Had the hots for me even then, huh? I teased him.
His smile widened.
“I knew it.”
“Like you didn’t have them, too,” he answered, pulling me onto his lap.
I leaned against him, my hands slipping under the back of his shirt to the warm skin I needed.
I’ll always love you, I sent him, surprising myself.
Stop it, we will see this through.
Logan, the eternal optimist. But as Garrick had said, all things die.
Chapter 14
And so we were back in the woods. The pedestal had more decorations this time, but the main one was me, bleeding into a copper chalice.
“This brings back memories,” I groaned.
“The witches,” Logan said, watching my crimson blood pool and drip off my wrist.
“Yeah, they were a fun bunch,” I commiserated with him.
“That’s enough to start,” Declan said at my side, handing me a bandage. I wrapped up my wrist, turning to Logan. He slung an arm around my shoulder while we watched Declan work.
“Do you need another map?” I wondered, stifling a yawn. Darkness had fallen and it had been a long day. I was done.
Declan didn’t answer, so I shrugged. Logan’s head tilted, looking out over his shoulder and away from me. I waited a moment, expecting him to turn back to Declan’s chanting. After another moment, I leaned forward, looking around his massive shoulders.
“What the fuck?” I whispered. “Do you think Declan is doing that?”
“I hope so,” he replied.
Yeah, me fucking too. The growing darkness was a perfect circle, perfectly black, sucking the light in and spinning. My arm tightened around Logan. I was curious to probe the circle with my magic, but not crazy—well, not at that moment.
We both looked back to Declan, his eyes open as he manipulated the portal with his words, fierce determination etched on his face.