by Eva Brandt
“We still have Cardinal Vaughn. Most of The Pure Inquisition is under my sway now. It’ll be easier to come up with—”
“Oh, do be silent,” a familiar voice cut me off. “You’ve both started to repeat yourselves. I have a good opinion of you, Bjorn Lindberg. Don’t make me change my mind.”
I turned, only to see that at one point when we hadn’t been paying attention, Mathias had entered the room. I tried to not let it show how much it disturbed me that he could sneak underneath my guard like that, but I was pretty sure I failed. “I think you’d have an even worse opinion of me if I outright accepted that you’ve had a sudden change of heart, with no evidence.”
“That’s true. I would have lost all respect for your intelligence if you’d just accepted me. Then again, that might still happen if you keep saying foolish things. Face it, Inquisitor Lindberg. Your hold on Cardinal Vaughn is slipping. He isn’t nearly as useful as he could be. He’s opposing you. You might have to kill him so that people will not find out what you’ve done.”
“We’re aware that’s what we’re headed for,” Malachai replied, “but we’re not there just yet.”
“Probably not, no, but it’s still something you need to consider. You can’t rely on him to help you with a long-term project. Even if you don’t kill him yourself, he’ll die out of sheer mental strain, and where will that leave you?”
Right back where we’d started, and with only Mathias in Darius’s body to back us up. And Mathias damn well knew it.
I glowered at him and he glared right back. “I’ve looked into the cardinal’s mind, Bjorn. I know what I’m talking about. Besides, I think this doesn’t come as a real surprise to you. This was always a risk, from the very beginning.”
“All right, look,” Lucienne intervened, “fighting about this won’t help us. Stop, all of you. Cardinal Vaughn isn’t the issue right now, we are. I think we should give each other a chance to work together. Bjorn, Malachai, be reasonable. This whole scheme is a little too convoluted for Mathias to be anything but honest. Give it a chance and we’ll see where it goes. And Mathias, for God’s sake, stop baiting them. Be a little less... you.”
“Who should I be if not myself, Lucienne?” Mathias asked with a teasing smirk. “Do you want me to be—?”
Lucienne cut him off with a single, sharp glance. “No. You understand what I mean. No more games. If you’re here, you will at least be civil and you won’t insult my soulmates. Is that clear?”
Mathias took the command in stride. “Crystal clear. I’ll do my best, although be warned. I might want to clean up the mess Bjorn and Malachai made. Perhaps not now, but in the near future.”
“That’s fine. Just be careful and don’t get us arrested for high treason.” Lucienne turned toward me and Malachai, her expression just as stern and cool. “The same goes for you two. No more trying to sabotage my marriage. We have to learn to get along. We don’t have any other choice except to move forward. If we constantly doubt ourselves and our allies, we won’t get anywhere.”
I should have been upset at Lucienne’s refusal to listen to reason, but instead, I found I was relieved. Ever since the battle at the club, Lucienne’s condition had been worsening. She seemed far better now than she had been at the trial, her magic more stable, her temper less likely to explode and kill us all.
It was still hard for me to accept that Mathias might have been the cause for the change, but I’d told her the truth earlier. I might be jealous of Mathias’s sudden relationship with Lucienne, but if he was truly good for her, I wouldn’t get in the way. “I’ll always support you, Lucienne. If this is truly what you want, I won’t say another word to question the wedding. But it might take a little more time for me to trust Mathias Vandale.”
“Trust doesn’t appear overnight, especially under these circumstances,” Lucienne said. “I just want you to try.”
“Okay, Lucienne,” Malachai agreed. “We’ll do our very best.”
“Good. At the risk of repeating Lucienne’s words, we desperately need to work together. Lucienne is more stable, but she’s not out of the woods yet, and neither are you. It’s actually a good thing that you showed up since I think I should lend you a hand in stabilizing your psyches.”
My immediate instinct was to refuse Mathias’s offer. I knew what that would involve and the thought sent a shiver down my spine. I could easily become a slave to Mathias, just like Cardinal Vaughn had become a slave to me.
“Don’t look so worried,” Mathias said. “I’m not going to ask you to let me in your head. That would be a recipe for disaster. I simply ask that you consider anchoring one another. Don’t think I don’t know that you’re not getting along at all.”
“How can you possibly...”
He arched a brow at me and I begrudgingly shut up. Malachai had not displayed any overt hostility toward me since he’d been free from prison, but the tension was still there, and Mathias had obviously noticed.
“I know a lot of things,” he said cryptically. “Believe it or not, I have no intention of keeping you from Lucienne. The marriage rite is only a tool that will help us solidify our position, but for this to work, you have to participate as well. You are her soulmates and you cannot shy away from what that means. That is to say, you can’t continue being at each other’s throats when you don’t have me to glare at.”
I narrowed my eyes at Mathias, not liking the direction this conversation was headed in. I couldn’t change Malachai’s feelings toward me, not when I knew his dislike was perfectly justified. I had bigger things to worry about. “And what exactly would you like us to participate in?” If he thought Malachai and I would suddenly fall in bed together and he could exploit that, he had another think coming.
Once again, Mathias seemed to see straight through me and laughed. “Not everything is about sex, incubus. You know that better than anyone. Emotion is far more powerful than simple sensation. Sometimes, it doesn’t take intricate spellwork to achieve a positive result. All you need is an open mind and an open heart.”
An open mind and an open heart. How laughable. “I’ve been trying to do that since I first found out Lucienne is my soulmate.”
“Yes, but how successful were you? You’re all very resentful of one another. I’m sure Declan and Darius will set their differences aside. You must do the same.”
The irony of Mathias Vandale of all people advocating for the necessity of us getting along didn’t escape me, but once again, I was not spiteful enough to disagree with him on pure principle. “What do you suggest then? We’re already together.”
Mathias cheekily grinned at me, his eyes glinting in a way that made me want to punch him in the face. “I don’t really think that you are. What’s your take on this, Lucienne?”
She glowered at him, obviously not appreciating him putting her on the spot like this. “I couldn’t possibly begin to make a guess,” she said between gritted teeth, “but if there is anything wrong and I’m the reason, I hope you know that I’ve always made my own choices and there’s no point in resenting each other for anything. And like I said, we all need to work together and not antagonize one another.”
The way she stressed the word ‘all’ suggested that she was even more displeased with Mathias than she was with us. He didn’t seem too put out by this. “I’m working on it.”
“Well, try doing it in a less obnoxious way,” she said. “And for the millionth time, stop playing games and being cryptic.”
I couldn’t have agreed more. “Just tell us. What do you want us to do?”
“Oh, it’s very easy. I want you to hug.”
I didn’t know who was more shocked by Mathias’s words, me or Malachai. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the benefits of a simple hug, because I did. In fact, I understood it better than anyone. Even for a human being, a friendly touch had positive effects on the body, by increasing the levels of oxytocin, the so-called ‘love hormone’ that a person’s brain produced. It was this hormone and o
thers like it that my powers affected.
The problem was that I didn’t really think Malachai hugging me would induce any kind of positive response in either of us. We wanted to try to get along for Lucienne’s sake, but it would take a while until we could adjust.
“Don’t be so skeptical,” Mathias chastised me. “I’ll help out, I promise. In fact, I’ll even join in.”
“Wait. So your brilliant strategy... is a group hug?” Malachai asked in disbelief. “I’m not sure how that will help us.”
“It can’t hurt,” Lucienne pointed out. “Hugs are always a good thing, at least when they’re honest.”
The comment made my heart clench. I remembered the photo I’d found in the residence of the Garniers and hated knowing how much those damn twice-blessed had hurt her. I didn’t hug Malachai. Instead, I did something better. I walked up to Lucienne and hugged her.
We’d done far more intimate things, but somehow, the simple embrace felt special. When I tightened my hold on her and she hugged me back, the tension that had been pulsing in my heart and in my head started to slowly drift away. Malachai joined us, and he oddly chose to wrap his arms around both me and Lucienne. His hand landed on my back, and it felt reassuring, instead of annoying.
When Mathias approached as well, I tensed. I couldn’t help it. It still felt so wrong to see the man who’d stabbed Darius walk around in his body.
But as much as I wanted to reject Mathias, I could never reject Lucienne. I didn’t move from my spot and focused on her heat, on her scent, on the sound of her heartbeat. It kept me from pulling away when Mathias joined our hug.
I still expected it to feel unpleasant or perhaps even painful. It didn’t. It was mostly... normal? Familiar? I couldn’t provide a perfect description, but I certainly didn’t hate it like I’d believed I would.
“There you go,” Mathias murmured slowly, his voice mellow, calm, almost reverential in tone. “Now, take a couple of deep breaths. Yes, you too, vampire. Then relax. This will help you, I promise.”
Believing him was pure folly, but we’d come this far, and like Lucienne had said, this scheme was much too complex for him to embark on if he hadn’t actually intended to help us at least a little.
Mathias didn’t cast any spell or ritual. He didn’t use his magic at all. He just stood there, forcing us closer through his sheer presence.
Maybe that was what made the whole thing so comforting, the fact that it was a simple hug, just the four of us together, taking a moment to breathe. At that moment, I could pretend we were only regular people, three men and a woman struggling to bypass a difficult episode. In a way, it was true. Leaving aside all our powers and the complicated nature of our background, we were just four persons fighting for our lives and our loved ones. Even Mathias, despite all his faults and crazy history, was no different.
When I broke away from the embrace, I felt a little more reassured and clear-headed. I still wasn’t comfortable with trusting Mathias and I probably wouldn’t be until I could see Darius for myself. Still, I could give him the benefit of the doubt.
“All right, Vandale,” I said. “We won’t push the point further. For Lucienne’s sake, we’ll work together.”
“For everyone’s sake,” Lucienne corrected me. “I’m not the one who is truly most at risk here.”
“For everyone’s sake,” Malachai agreed, clearly not wanting to argue with our soulmate.
Mathias smiled, apparently pleased with our reaction. “Good. Now, there’s one last thing you need to know about.” His expression sobered and the dark look on his face sent shivers down my spine. “What I’m about to tell you will perhaps be a little shocking, but you need to be prepared for the threat that is headed our way. Lucienne’s father will eventually come for her. He is the worst possible foe you’ll ever have to face and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”
Right. I’d gotten so distracted by Lucienne’s wedding, that I’d forgotten about the new information she’d received about her father.
“What does he want, exactly?” I couldn’t help but ask. “It can’t be Lucienne, right?”
The man had had unhindered access to Lucienne for years. He’d had plenty of time to accomplish his goals before we’d stepped in the picture and intervened into his life. On the other hand, Clara Garnier’s letter had suggested that Lucienne’s father had kept an eye on her all this time. For all we knew, he was genuinely concerned for his daughter’s well-being and I couldn’t exactly blame him for it. She had been kidnapped and mentally assaulted by Alarians. “Is it some form of twisted parental protectiveness?”
“Yes and no. Louis de Hastingues has a very specific view of what Lucienne’s life should be like. Right now, I’m not sure about the details of his plan, but he’s always wanted to control Lucienne, and he seems to have decided her soulmates are in his way.
“He did help Lucienne during the issue with Declan’s trial, which suggests a secondary motivation, but even so, I suspect that ultimately, he’s going to hunt all of you down. And when that happens, you will literally have to face your worst nightmare.”
When we left Lucienne’s quarters, much later, I felt even worse than before. There was no way to stop Lucienne’s wedding, but if the information Mathias had given us was correct, that might be the least of our problems.
Soon, we would probably have to fight a battle more dangerous than all of our past conflicts with the scavengers put together. I didn’t feel ready for it in the slightest.
Thirteen
Nightmarish Bonds
Lucienne
Once upon a time, when I’d still been in college, Diane had asked me what I thought my wedding would be like. I had, of course, responded that I’d never given it much thought. I wasn’t really a romantic, so I’d never daydreamed about the white dress, the lavish party, and the honeymoon bed with rose petals on it.
In the end, those were just romantic clichés. The white dress always stained the easiest and the party was more about the guests than about the grooms. The honeymoon ended too quickly, and before you knew it, real life hit you in the face with its absolute and utter suckiness. “Do you know that almost half of the marriages in the United States end in divorce?” I’d asked my friend.
She’d thrown a bottle of ketchup at my head and said, “You have no real sense of romance. I’m sure you’ll get married one day and when that happens, I’ll be by your side and say I told you so.”
Diane had been both right and wrong. I was indeed getting married, but I hadn’t changed my opinion about the levels of romance involved. To top it off, she was not the one by my side. Instead, it was my future mother-in-law—one of the people I most despised on the planet—who was helping me prepare for the event.
“You look wonderful, Lucienne,” she said as the servants finished zipping up my corset. “You will bring great honor to the house of Alarisson today.”
“Thanks,” I replied, far less politely than I should have. For once, the rudeness wasn’t on purpose. I walked up to the mirror and stared at my reflection in a daze. I found in dismay that I barely recognized the person who was looking back at me.
The dress wasn’t white, but silver, embroidered with discreet red threads that seemed to change shades every time I moved. Supposedly, its color symbolized Darius and his specific abilities. Either way, the effect was quite striking, considering the sheer amount of material that had been used for the gown. The train alone was easily thirteen feet in length, if not more, and the way it rippled and flowed made it look like I was setting the floor on fire wherever I walked.
A diamond the size of a small fist dangled from my neck and the circlet in my hair was undoubtedly worth more than a small country. My makeup was a little more discreet, as the servants had mostly decided to hide my pallor behind a tasteful addition of pink blush.
Queen Sarai was right. I looked nice. I just didn’t feel like myself.
Where had the Lucienne who’d argued with Diane gone? Had she ever
been real, at all? Who was I?
I took a couple of deep breaths and forced myself to calm down. I had agreed to this. Mathias wouldn’t have forced me if I’d said no. He’d have found a different solution. Even if the marriage rite was as helpful as he’d said, he would have likely been able to find a way to anchor me without us needing to be married. But I didn’t regret my decision. I knew in my heart that I’d made the right choice.
This might not be romantic, perhaps not even enjoyable, but it was practical and it was something that would ensure my survival and that of my soulmates.
I turned away from the mirror and faced the Alarian queen. “I appreciate your words and your assistance. You honor me by accepting me in the royal family.”
Queen Sarai smiled and not for the first time, I noticed how empty her expressions were compared to Darius’s. I didn’t understand her. The Darius I’d met at the club had never hidden what he was and neither did most Alarians. Queen Sarai did. She smiled and pretended she could feel, even if she obviously didn’t have the ability.
“We always do what is best for The Pure Kingdom of Alaria and for the world,” she said. “I have faith that you will be the one to give us the edge we need in the battle against the scavengers.”
I didn’t have to be a mind-reader to guess she was talking about the child they still wanted me to have. No matter how untrained and sucky I might be at wielding my magic, I was still very powerful. Otherwise, the curse wouldn’t have turned on my soulmates at all. Darius was known to be one of the strongest Alarian mages alive. Logic stated that whatever baby he and I conceived would be magically talented as well.