Afterward, we remained tangled together in the sheets, bodies slick and flushed and vibrantly alive.
“I’m sorry.” He buried his head in the crook of my neck. “I hurt you.”
“Yeah, you did, but you stopped. You pulled it back.”
“She’s under my skin, and I hate it.”
“So, we purge her. We make love until every inch of your body yearns for nothing else but my touch. Until every erogenous zone cries out only my name.” I shoved him onto his back and straddled him. “And we start now.”
The smell of bacon pulled me from sleep, and calloused fingers brushed tendrils of hair off my forehead.
“Morning, sleepy head.” Taylem’s voice sounded gruffer than usual, overly used and hoarse.
“You been shouting?” I rolled onto my back. Azren’s side of the bed was empty, but his scent clung to the sheets hugging me.
“Troll blood gatherings tend to get rowdy,” Tay said. “Sit up, I brought you breakfast.”
I sat up. “Breakfast in bed?”
He placed a tray across my lap. Bacon, eggs, toast, and beans. “Okay, I could so get used to this.”
“And you should,” Taylem said. He parked his butt on the edge of the mattress. “You’re going to need your strength.”
“That’s what I have you guys for.” I kept my tone flippant, but there was no denying the flutter in my belly. “This looks great, though, thank you.”
Taylem’s gaze was hot on my face. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”
I put down the knife and fork. “I know. I just ... I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about all the stuff that could go wrong, and how the people I love most in the world could get their arses kicked, or worst-case scenario, killed.”
Taylem’s expression hardened. “We all have to die someday, Wila, but it won’t be tomorrow. I’ve recruited over twenty troll bloods to fight alongside us. When we cross the border tomorrow, we’ll be going in in force.”
Good, that was good, because Elora’s forces were vast, and when she saw us coming at her, she’d throw everything at us. We’d have to keep Azren out of sight. She couldn’t know he was alive; if she found out he was alive, then she’d know the troops were a distraction, she’d know we were gunning for the key. Did she realize Valance knew about the key? Best to keep him out of sight too.
I stared at the food, my appetite suddenly gone. “We need to plan who’s going to be doing what.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Tay said. “Seb’s sorting it as we speak.”
A stab of annoyance pierced me. “Without me?”
Taylem sighed. “Wila, you’ve been through so much the last few days, he’s just trying to shoulder some of the burden.”
“And when did you become such a diplomat?”
He grinned, and his face lit up. He was looking better, more in control, calmer.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m good. It’s strange, but this connection …” He touched the back of my hand. “It’s not just with you. It’s with the others too. It’s like having a door in my mind, one I can open if I need the assist and close when I don’t.”
So, the troll was under control. “I’m glad. I’m glad to have you back, babe.” I caressed his face, grazing his stubble with my fingertips. “I’ve missed you.”
His eyes fluttered closed. “When this is over ...”
“Yes.”
He took a shuddering breath. “Eat your damned food, woman.”
He stood and headed for the door. “I’ve run you a bath too. You can wash the scent of Azren off.” There was no judgment in his tone, but there was a slight flash of crimson in his eyes. Yeah, it looked like it was going to take the troll some time to get used to sharing.
Seb sat at the head of the table, Valance to his right and Azren to his left. Quinn was seated on the same side as Valance and Noir took the seat next to Azren. Taylem hung back, leaning against the countertop. Gilbert and Trevor were absent.
“Where are Gil and Trev?”
“Gilbert’s entertaining Amber,” Seb said, “and Trevor’s taking a nap.”
Another nap. I bit the insides of my cheeks. “Okay, let’s get on with this. Tell me what you have so far?”
Valance pointed at the map on the table. “The only way in or out of Draconi territory is the Bridge. So, we have no choice but to go in hot and go in fast, which is good, because we want them to react. We want Elora to send her troops out, to be frazzled. Meanwhile, a small troop of us will travel by boat, and come up here.” He stabbed the map with his index finger. “While Elora’s troops are distracted by the rogue Shedim, troll bloods, and others, we’ll slip into the city and head for the Keep.”
“On foot?”
“It’s the only way to go unnoticed.”
“I can get us through the district to the Keep,” Azren said. “I know the quickest routes, the hidden passages, and the blind spots for the Draconi sentries.”
If Elora found out that Azren or Valance were alive, she’d know we were gunning for the key. “Neither of you can come with me.”
Azren and Valance shared a look.
“If Elora finds out that—”
“It will be fine,” Seb said. “Noir will be with you, and he’ll use his Arcane power to cloak you as much as possible.”
“No.” I locked gazes with Noir. “You can’t come. Amber needs you. If anything were to happen to you ...” He opened his mouth to object, but I held up my hand. “Please, Noir. I already feel like shit for dragging the Shedim mothers and fathers to war. I need to do this one thing. I need you to stay here, to stay safe.”
“Sentiment noted, but no,” Noir said. “Nowhere is safe if you fail to get the key. You need me. You need your mates. None of us are sitting this one out.”
The temptation to argue fizzled away, because he was right. If we were going to succeed, then we needed to be all in, because if we failed, nothing would matter.
“Amber goes in the basement with Gilbert and Trevor while we’re gone,” Seb continued as if I’d never interrupted. “Quinn goes with you, his blurring through walls will be invaluable. Taylem and Leopold will be leading their troops on the battlefield, and I’ll be playing you.”
They’d be on the front lines, right in the thick of it, up against Shedim and Draconi who’d be fighting to kill them. The air was suddenly too thin.
“We’ll be fine,” Taylem said. “Troll bloods don’t go down easy.”
“And Others have their tricks.” Leopold’s smile was a cunning slash across his perfect face.
“And you know me.” Seb winked.
Okay, okay, they’d be fine. They had to be. “We can do this.”
“Yes. We can. And we go in tonight,” Seb said.
My head whipped up.
Seb was watching me levelly. “We can’t risk waiting any longer. We have our troops. There is no more preparation.”
He was right, again. No point waiting till the last minute if we were ready. I nodded. “Okay, get your shit together. We leave at sundown.”
The foyer beckoned, empty, safe, a place to take several deep breaths before climbing the stairs to the second floor. Hours would fly by, and every moment was precious, and things that needed to be said had to be said now.
Trevor chuffed in his sleep as I stroked his head. He opened one eye and looked up at me. “Wila? Is it morning already?” His pupil was smoky grey. He lifted his head off his paws and opened his other eye. “Is it time to plan?”
“We’re all set, Trev.” I sat by his bed. “Why didn’t you tell me what was happening to you?”
He growled. “Damn Gilbert and his big ghost mouth.”
“Trev ...”
“You got enough on your plate, girlie. My issues can wait, and they’re not issues, they’re life.” He gave me a doggy grin, tongue lolling. “I finally get to rest.”
Rest? Is that what he was calling it? “I can’t bear it.”
He placed his paw on my thigh. “Be happy for me, Wila.”
I closed my eyes, imagining this spot, empty without him, his special cushion, his spot at the table and the Daily Vine ... Who’d read out the headlines to me over tea in the morning? Who’d berate me when I made a dubious decision? Who’d congratulate me on a job well done with a sniff and a twinkle?
“Ach, stop inner monologuing,” Trevor said. “How can I be gone when I’ll be in your memories?”
“It’s not the same.”
“No, I suppose it isn’t, but it’s what I want, what I’ve wanted for a long time. Wila ... I’m tired.”
A tide of emotion rose in my throat, making the words hard to say. “I know.”
“And you’re no longer alone. You have your mates; you have your father.”
I looked up sharply. “You know?”
He chuffed. “I have very sharp ears, Wila.”
“Does he know?”
“No. But you need to tell him, now, before you go into Draconi territory. He deserves to know.”
“I can’t. Liana said it could undo him. I can’t risk losing him.”
“You need to trust that he has the mental and emotional strength to cope, because if, God forbid, you fail, if you don’t return, then he’ll be left alone, trapped in this prison of brick and mortar with no one to call family. Yes, it’s a risk, but I know Gilbert and he’d want to take it.”
The thought of Gilbert trapped here, lonely, confused was too much.
“I can’t stay, Wila. It’s time for me, and I’m ready and there is nothing you can do for me except promise me you’ll fight to survive. But you can help Gilbert. You can give him his dignity back. Give him answers. Give him direction. You can give him his identity.”
“Always the smart one, always ...” My voice cracked, and I pressed my lips together. “I’m going to fucking miss you, Trevor.”
He chuffed. “I’ll be here when you get back, and then we’ll have a proper celebration—a celebration of life, second chances, and freedom in all its forms, but you need to tell Gilbert now.”
“Tell Gilbert what?” Gilbert materialized behind his desk.
My pulse kicked up. “Hey?”
He looked clearer and more solid than he’d ever looked before, his hair was dark, like mine, and his eyes were an eerie gray color. His face, his beloved face which had always been a little out of focus to me, was in sharp relief today, and the lines bracketing his mouth and radiating away from the corners of his eyes spoke of years of laughter and frowns.
“Wila ...” His gaze flicked to Trevor, and his mouth turned down. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, pfft,” Trevor said. “We’re good.”
“I need to speak with you, Gil.” I patted Trevor’s head and stood.
Gil frowned. “What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”
“I know, but this isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
“Me?”
“You’ve wondered about your past, how you got here and why you can’t leave. If you could find out the truth at the risk of losing what was left of yourself, would you want to know?”
Gilbert studied me steadily as comprehension dawned. “I love you, Wila, and yes, I’ve said the past doesn’t matter but ... But if you know the truth, if you have answers, then I need to know. I want to know.”
Oh, God. It felt like sitting on a rollercoaster, right at the pinnacle just before the drop. The next words would send us hurtling down that track together. The next words could either shatter the enchantment holding him in a fugue state or splinter what was left of his psyche. Fuck Liana and her meddling ways.
I took a deep breath. “Gilbert, your real name is Ivan. You’re a Draconi, and you’re my father.” The words came out in a rush, leaving me breathless.
Gilbert froze, his mouth parting in a soft O, and then his form splintered into a thousand shards melting into the air like dying embers.
My cry of alarm pierced the room but was cut off by the press of my fingers over my mouth. What had I done? What the fuck had I done?
“Wila, look,” Trevor said.
The air was shimmering, and then a figure stepped out of the haze, forming before us from atoms torn from the atmosphere. Gilbert stood before us, taller, broader, his eyes no longer gray but a piercing silver, and then color bloomed across his skin—deep, full color—ebony hair and tanned skin.
“Oh, God.” Trevor’s tone was a reverent hush.
He was here. Alive, well, not alive but not torn asunder like Liana had said he’d be. His soul was whole, and his regard was like the dawn.
Gilbert smiled. “I remember, Wila. I remember me.” His smile wavered. “The prophecy, I remember the prophecy.”
“What about it?”
He blinked at me. “She doesn’t know. I never had the opportunity to tell her.”
I stood on shaky legs. “Ivan?”
He swallowed and then shook his head as if to clear it. “No, Wila. I’ll always be Gilbert to you, and you ... You will always be my Wila.”
He held out his arms, and I stepped into them, allowing his presence to wrap around me and hold me safe. This was my father. Mine. And then he was pulling away, his expression somber.
“I’m coming with you.” It wasn’t a request. “I know the Keep. It was my home. I can help.”
“Can you leave this house?”
He smiled. “My mind is free, Wila. There is nothing that can hold me here now, nothing but my desire to stay.”
“In that case, I would be honored to have you by my side.”
“Yes, Matron, you need to get them into the shelter. That’s right. Yes. I’ll call you when it’s over.” I hung up on Matron and dialed Loraine.
She picked up on the fifth ring.
“I know,” she said curtly. “I’m essential personnel. I’m on my way to the Institute now. We’re about to lockdown.”
“And Giselle?”
“She’s safe.”
“Okay, I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Bastion?”
“Yeah?”
“Good luck.”
Next call was Eloise. “Hey, babe. How you doing?”
“Good. Just about to head to work, actually. Hey, you want to meet up this evening? Friday night drinks?”
“I’d love to, babe, but I have to work. The reason I was calling was to tell you about the storm.”
Telling her the truth right now wasn’t an option. She’d insist on helping, on coming with me, and when I turned her down, she’d worry herself sick.
“Storm?”
“Yeah, there’s gonna be a big one Saturday evening, it’s due to hit around six in the evening.”
“I haven’t seen anything in the news.”
“That’s because it isn’t an ordinary storm, it’s ... supernatural.”
“Wila? What’s going on?”
“I promise I’ll tell you everything, but can you promise me you’ll make sure you’re in the basement when it hits?”
“Wila, babe. You’re scaring me.”
“Eloise. Please, babe, just trust me, okay. I promise once the storm is over, we’ll go get shit-faced.”
She sighed. “I know when you’re lying, but I know how stubborn you are too. I’ll make sure I’m in the basement, but I swear, if you get yourself killed doing whatever it is you’re planning on doing, then I’m gonna be super pissed at you. I may even employ a necromancer to bring you back to life just so I can tell you how pissed I am.”
“I love you, El.”
“I love you too, Wil. Please be safe.”
“Always.”
I hung up and stared at the phone for a long beat. There was no one else to call, to warn, to lie to. The general public would die quickly and suddenly if we failed. Would the basement protect Eloise? Would the shelter under The Gables save Matron and the kids? No clue. But it was all we had.
“Wila?” Noir gently took the phone from my fingers. “Are you ready?”
I blew out a breath and offered him an overly bright smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Taylem had left to gather his troops at the Hunter and Prey, and Leopold was at the Petting Zoo picking up the Other troops. Seb had taken my form and was with Liana and the Shedim forces. Azren, Valance, Noir, Quinn, and Gilbert were coming with me, and Amber, Trevor, and Daria were already ensconced in the basement with snacks, books, and board games. The Draconi ambassador had wanted to come with us, but there would be limited room on the boat Noir had managed to commandeer.
It was time.
The swish of water against the paddles as Azren and Valance rowed and our steady breaths were the only sounds under the gloomy bridge. The sharp, briny smell of the river was heavy in the air and tension was a knot in my belly. Quinn and Noir played lookout, their eyes on the dark waters around us, steering us ever closer to the opposite bank where the huge cement pillars holding the bridge up dove into the inky black water. Gilbert was a reassuring presence at my side. Yeah, it was hard to think of him as Ivan, or dad, he would be Gilbert to me for the foreseeable future.
Are you ready? Sebastian asked in my mind.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
We’re about to cross the border now. The guards are in panic. I can smell the testosterone.
“We’re halfway across the river under cover of the bridge.”
Wila ... whatever happens tonight, I want you to know that I love you.”
Damn him for saying it now. “Hell, no. You don’t get to say that to me now. You can say that to my face once this is over.”
None of the guys even batted an eyelid at my one-sided conversation.
When this is over we can—
His words were cut off, and a distant cacophony of sound filled the night air above us, shattering the silence. Our boat began to move faster, flying over the serene waters, cutting through like a dagger with a deadly purpose.
City of War (Chronicles of Arcana Book 4) Page 17