The car slowed, and we turned off the highway onto a narrow, two-lane road. The rain hadn’t let up.
“Yes, I’ve already encountered that,” I muttered, thinking of my engagement to Kellen. Braden confirmed my partner’s feelings about me and added to my guilt. I didn’t want to admit that Kellen’s resentment was justified, but maybe part of it was.
“Love is so inconvenient and has destroyed many lives throughout history,” the vampire said. “I’m grateful not to have it.”
I studied his features with a frown. That perspective hadn’t crossed my mind. I’d been without love and it sucked. But now that I had it, everyone used it against me.
“Yet you don’t hesitate to use it against me,” I growled.
“Of course not,” he said. “It’s an efficient tool.”
“Yes, and a stipulation I should’ve included in our blood oath,” I muttered.
He chuckled, and I glared at him.
“The first time I received word of Lily with your father, I thought nothing of it,” Braden said, starting the subject without asking.
I twisted in my chair and looked out the window, not ready to hear what he had to say. I hated confronting my mother’s rejection; I wasn’t sure I could handle my father’s as well.
“It was after her failure with Logan,” he continued, “and after her new arrangement with Jack. I kept tabs on her because information is power.” He shook a finger at me. “My men didn’t recognize Cedric for what he really was, they only saw a man the Magister was finally interested in. I thought it odd that she never took him to the palace, only setting up clandestine meetings with him.”
A prolonged silence forced me to look at him. I just knew he’d have that smug smile tugging at his lips. I was right.
“Just spit it out,” I hissed.
“I should’ve known she was up to something.” He shrugged, that stupid smile not leaving his lips as he turned his attention back to the road. “I don’t think Cedric realized what she was up to until it was too late.” He paused again and an urge to stab him swept over me. He was doing it on purpose, and I knew it.
“What was he?” I asked.
“He is a unique creature that is so rare, I haven’t seen one in centuries,” he replied.
I didn’t miss his correction. My father was still alive. I doused the drop of hope that wanted to surge. He’d never looked for me either.
“Stop being an ass and just tell me,” I commanded.
“No matter how hard you try, you cannot command me,” he said. “But I did promise information. He is a fae, or fairy, which in itself is not unusual, but males are. The females will mingle with humanity occasionally, but never the males. I’m not sure how your mother found him, but I believe her plan was to have an immortal child who she could use to find her own immortality.”
He paused, letting the patter of rain fill the silence. I knew nothing about the fae, but I didn’t miss his breadcrumb about immortality. It didn’t make sense, though. She could’ve had me at her mercy by just pretending to be happy about being united with her daughter. But she tried to kill me. Might as well ask, I thought. Wasn’t that the point of this stupid blood oath?
“I don’t understand,” I said. “My mother tried to kill me. It would’ve been easy for her to use me anyway she way she wanted. I would’ve done anything for her love.”
“She tried to kill you because she was angry,” he said. “By the time you entered her life, she was already a vampire. Though, she would’ve killed you regardless. She needed your blood for her immortality.”
I stared at him horrified, not able to think about what that meant.
“I’m not an expert in fae magic. None but the fae themselves know it,” he continued. “If memory serves me correctly, there is a ritual that would trade your life for hers.”
Tears welled in my eyes, and I looked out the window. I knew I wasn’t ready for this story. I’d accepted my mother’s rejection and thought I was past it. Apparently not. And I couldn’t even wrap my mind around being immortal. It sure didn’t feel that way. And how did my elementals not know it? Surely, they would’ve told me. Or maybe not. They hadn’t said anything about Spirit until it was forced on them.
“Where’s my father?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “After he stole you from your mother at birth, he was never seen again. Neither were you until a few months ago.”
“But I don’t remember him at all,” I argued. “If he stole me from her, he turned right around and gave me to the state.”
“Do you know how old you were when the state took custody of you?”
“Not more than a few days, according to their records,” I replied. I’d looked during that desperate time in my childhood that I thought I could find my parents.
“I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “The pieces I can fit together lead me to believe that your father placed the veil on you and created your binding.”
The car slowed and pulled off the road. I refused to look at Braden, giving all my attention to the water dripping down my window.
“Alisandra, I think he was trying to protect you from everyone,” Braden whispered even though we were the only ones in the car. “The only reason we found you was because the veil started to fade and for some reason, he hadn’t renewed it.”
My head fell against the cool glass, my finger tracing a droplet of water. I choked back a sob. “The binding was meant to kill me if it wasn’t renewed,” I whispered. “How does that protect me?”
“It protects all of us,” he replied. “If your fae magic is activated, I can only imagine the power you will possess.”
I huffed and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. “Which is why you want me as your ally.” I turned towards him, studying his reaction.
“Yes.”
At least he didn’t lie to me or try to make excuses. I was beginning to think the blood oath was worth it.
“Who else knows about my dad?” I asked.
“No one.”
“What about your men who found me and followed my mother?”
“The ones who followed Lily are dead,” he replied. “Logan found you, but he doesn’t know why your veil weakened or who placed it.” He shrugged and shifted to face me. “Unless Lily told someone—which is unlikely—no one else knows.”
I rubbed my hands across my face. Could he be lying to me? I didn’t think so. If my father was still alive, he must know I’d taken over as Magister. Would he look for me now? Did I want him to? Not really. He’d probably try to kill me, just like everyone else. My life sucked so bad.
“I have books at the estate about the fae,” Braden said. “You should read them while we’re there.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled.
“I fulfilled my end of the oath, as promised,” he stated. “There is no reason to thank me.”
“I disagree.” I curled up in the seat, facing him. “You didn’t have to include that in our oath, but you did.”
“I wanted your cooperation,” he countered. “Telling you the truth ensures I will get it.”
I chuckled and thought about my recent conversations with Logan and my elementals. “I’m not sure anything secures my cooperation.”
“Your love for Logan will be your undoing, little mage,” he said, his seriousness scaring me. “Don’t let yourself love Kellen, too.”
I sat up and wiped away my tears. “You would still use him against me?”
“If you think of betraying me, yes.”
“You know I won’t betray you to Jack,” I spat, “and you’ll get your twenty-four hours of pain, you sick bastard. Logan never needs to enter the picture.” I seethed at him. Just when I thought he might be nice, he proved me wrong.
“There’s my girl.”
He put the car in drive and pulled back onto the deserted highway. Sometime during our little chat, the rain had stopped. My mind mulled over the new information. I needed more information about the fae and poss
ibly my dad. If males were that rare, maybe I could find something about him. But if Braden couldn’t find him, how would I? I reminded myself I didn’t want to. His binding had intended to kill me.
I turned my back to the vampire and laid the seat back. I needed sleep, if my brain would slow down enough to let it happen.
Chapter 30
A slamming door startled me awake. I smashed my knee on the bottom of the dash and cursed. A bright light shined in my window, making me squint. The green and orange striped awning above me glowed with its fluorescent lighting. I sat up, pulling the back of the seat with me. A gas station. Braden stood beside the car on the opposite side, refueling the tank.
I stretched and pulled my phone out of my purse. Four-twenty AM and five percent battery. Had I been thinking, I would’ve plugged it in before I fell asleep. I dug around the center console, finding a smartphone already plugged into the charger. Luckily it was the same model as mine. I swapped them out and looked back at Braden. Still pumping gas.
I pushed open the door and stood, stretching again. The seat was not comfortable and my body was letting me know exactly how unhappy it was about it. My bladder also reminded me it was full. Turning slowly, I found the small store I hoped would be open. It was.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” I said, gingerly stepping across the pavement, the loose stones assaulting my bare feet.
“You could wait for me,” Braden stated. “You won’t want to go in their bathroom without shoes.”
“I don’t want to go to the bathroom with you either,” I countered.
He laughed, and I blushed.
“I imagine they will have some sort of sandal or touristy type flipflop,” he said.
“Oh.” My blush deepened. I should’ve thought about that. Most convenience stores in the US had silly souvenirs, including t-shirts and sandals.
A few moments later, he was by my side, picking me up and carrying me into the small store. An old man with thick glasses covering his wrinkled eyes waved at us. I waved back, smiling and still blushing. I felt like an idiot being carried around by the blond beauty.
Braden stopped at the wall nearest the door, the one covered in screen printed t-shirts with pictures of “Big Ben.” On a low shelf just beneath them was a crate of fluorescent green and pink flipflops.
The vampire slowly lowered me to my feet. “Stand on my shoes and pick something,” he whispered. “And make it quick. I’d like to be home before sunrise.”
I reached down and selected the smallest hot pink I could find that weren’t children’s and slid my feet into them.
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” I rushed to the bathroom, grateful for his help. My mind still lingered on his revelations earlier. Now that my brain was awake, I wanted more answers, but I wasn’t sure I’d get them.
Braden waited at the door with a bag in his hand when I finished, not even trying to hide his look of impatience. I quietly followed him back to the car assuming he paid for my new shoes.
“Take this.” He shoved the bag towards me as soon as we were back in the car.
I took it and unfolded the top. Two bottles of water, a wrapped sandwich, and several candy bars greeted me. Not the breakfast of champions, but food.
“Thanks, again,” I mumbled. “How close are we?”
“Fifteen minutes,” Braden replied, pulling away from the gas station and back onto a two-lane road. “There will not be any food for you at the estate, for obvious reasons.”
I unwrapped a chocolate bar and took a bite. My stomach rumbled loud enough for Braden to hear.
“How long will we be at this estate?” I asked, taking another bite.
“I need information and you need clothes,” he replied. “I want to be gone this evening.” He glanced at me, a deep frown crossing his face. “Hopefully, everyone will be in bed when we get there.”
I swallowed my chocolatey goodness and contemplated his increasingly bad mood. Was it because he’d fulfilled his part of the oath and didn’t find the need to be nice anymore? Maybe he was tired or hungry. I cringed.
“Is there anything I should know before we arrive?” I asked.
“Don’t speak to or look at anyone, and don’t leave my side.” He glanced at me, and I couldn’t help but notice the red ring around his blue eyes. “Don’t react to any threats. I mean it. You do not react. Keep your head down and stay with me.”
Fear crept along my spine. What the hell was I walking into?
“Should I just stay back at the gas station?” I asked.
“I thought about it, but no,” he replied. “My blood should keep you safe. The others will smell it and leave you alone.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Then why all the warnings?”
“Because you’ve demonstrated that you lack the common sense to follow quietly,” he snapped.
“I guess we’re definitely back to cold acquaintances then, aren’t we?” I asked, needing to know where we stood before walking into the lion’s den.
He jerked the wheel and skidded to a stop on the side of the road, slamming the shifter into park. My fear inched higher. I wasn’t trying to piss him off, but clearly I had.
“When a human is brought to the estate, it is for one purpose,” he said. “I’ve never brought home dinner. There will be questions and possibly challenges unless I get lucky and everyone has retired for the night.”
“I’m never lucky,” I mumbled. “I’m okay with waiting at the gas station.”
I could see the indecision in his eyes as they shifted from red to blue and back again. He picked up his phone and tapped it, then held it to his ear.
“Yes, Master Braden,” a man’s voice said on the other end.
He must have known I could hear his conversation.
“Who’s still awake?” Braden asked.
“The guards and I, possibly a few others who came in late,” the man replied.
“I need names,” Braden demanded.
The vampire on the other end spouted out six or seven names. Braden’s frown deepened.
“I want you, Bryce, and Paxton in the library in ten minutes,” he said, hanging up before the vampire on the other end could respond. He stared at me with his shifting eyes for several moments. “How do you feel about killing a vampire for me?”
“Not happening,” I replied. “If you have another traitor, you need to take care of it. If I attack one of your guys, I’m pretty sure I’ll have the whole place on me.”
“I’m going to give him the opportunity to submit himself willingly,” Braden explained. “He won’t, but I’ll make it his choice. The vampires at the estate know my stand with Jack. Paxton is trying his hand at blackmail. He thinks to make a new position for himself either in my clan or Jack’s. His self-importance will be his undoing, today.”
“And what do you accomplish if I kill him?” I asked, knowing there was something for him to gain. Always.
“Loyalty,” he replied, running one hand along the steering wheel. “My personal guard knows of my efforts to ally with you. If the others see the alliance, their confidence in our success will grow and prevent more deserters.”
I drew a deep breath. I could see his point but didn’t like the idea of killing a vampire in the middle of a vampire camp.
“Will you protect me if the others decide my murderous ways are unacceptable?”
“Of course, you have an oath to fulfill,” he replied, then smiled, the red in his eyes fading.
“And how would you like your traitor to die?” I couldn’t believe I was agreeing to this. Where were my elementals? Someone was supposed to keep me from these stupid decisions.
His smile widened. “How many ways do you know?”
“Only one that’s truly affective, but it’s gruesome and more than a little scary.” I bit my bottom lip and frowned. “Actually, I forgot. It doesn’t kill the vampire. It just leaves their hollow husk behind, still alive.”
Braden’s eyes widened, his smile waning.
“Forget it,” I said, waving a hand at him. “I’ll stab him in the heart and cut off his head.”
“You cannot throw that out there, then not explain.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Tell me now,” he growled.
“Let’s make a deal,” I suggested. Two could play the information game.
He leaned back against the door and looked at me. “Okay, little mage. What is your request?”
“Why are you Jack’s golden boy?”
“Not worth it,” he replied. “Try again.”
“I don’t believe you,” I countered. “I can see it on your face. You want to know how I could leave you a dried-out husk but not dead.”
“I don’t believe it’s possible.”
“There are dozens of vampires from the last battle who witnessed it,” I said. “Maybe some of your own have even heard the tale. I actually considered doing it to you in King William’s dungeon before I realized you were playing games with Thomas.”
We stared at one another, but I wasn’t backing down. I wanted to know why Jack’s Boy would betray him.
“Jack is my brother,” Braden finally said, his lips twisting in a sneer. “It used to be common knowledge, but too many of our clan were lost during the last hunt. Jack left England with our strongest warriors and went to America, leaving the leftovers to me. I made an empire out of the trash he left behind.”
“And you continue to provide him with information he needs for his plans,” I finished for him.
“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve proven myself to be the most cunning and resourceful in our council. I’ve also delivered several traitors to him in the past.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he winked at me.
“You delivered people who were made to look like traitors,” I corrected.
“Perception is everything.”
I didn’t stand a chance against this man’s brilliance. As soon as Jack was defeated and my oath fulfilled, I needed to run from him as fast as I could.
“I’ll demonstrate my technique,” I agreed. “It’ll be your decision to kill him or not. It’ll also be your decision to share the threat with your people or not.”
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