Would she? The more she changed, the more I stayed the same. It could tear us apart. I feared this more than anything.
I left The Keeper to his work and found Aldric in the study. The sight of him was breathtaking. He had showered and changed back into his usual attire. He wore a pair of dark slacks and a gray cashmere sweater that fit tight over every muscle in his chest. His hair was combed back off his face, revealing his piercing blue eyes. He smelled of sea salt and sandalwood, mixed in with a bit of musk and tobacco. I let it fill my lungs as I entered the room.
He caught my eye and gave me a wink. A playful smile returned to his lips as I joined him by the fire.
“We need to talk, Gray.” His voice was warm, but full of anxiety.
My stomach tightened. Was this it? All my past indiscretions came barreling through my mind. He must be growing tired of me. With everything I’d put him through, I was almost surprised he hadn’t left me sooner. A lump formed in my throat as I waited.
“I’m all in, Gray. I am absolutely and ridiculously in love with you. I know you have a past and I know I’m not the only man you’ve ever loved, but I’m the man who is with you now. And…I’d like to be that man forever. If you’ll let me.”
I was stunned. My heart beat like a drum in my chest. I grabbed him and kissed him hard.
Aldric chuckled. “You seem surprised.”
I let out a deep breath. “I thought you were going to leave me. I wouldn’t have blamed you after all I’ve done.”
He took my hands in his. “Leave you? That would be like cutting off one of my own limbs. I could never do that. When I made the commitment to link with you, I made it forever. I told you, I’m never letting you out of my sight.”
My heart swelled and burst with happiness. I was so scared that I was pushing him away. I should have known not to doubt him. He was different. He loved me.
“Aldric, I choose you. I don’t want you to ever think any different. I love you. And I plan on showing you every day just how much.”
He grinned wide and pulled me onto his lap. His fingers rested on the small of my back, warm and tingly.
I winked. “Starting right now.”
Our lips locked in urgency as we clawed at each other like animals. His hands were hot, moving all over my body. He let out a soft moan. Our bodies swayed, up and down like a symphony, slowing down, then speeding up. I cried out as he burst into me.
Breathless and trembling, I nestled into his heaving chest. He wrapped his body around me tight, caressing my back. I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt warm and safe and loved. This was the only place I wanted to be. With Aldric.
We curled up around each other on the floor in front of the fire. I rested my head on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair.
“It will always be you, Aldric. Never forget that.”
He tilted my chin up so he could look into my eyes. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
We lay in each other’s arms for the rest of the night.
As morning came, so did a new dawn. Magic. It was all around us. It flowed down the hallways and twisted up into the cracks above us. My blood pumped fast through my veins as we walked to the ceremony room. It was time. Lycos and Valentina were waiting.
I furrowed my brow. “Are you nervous?”
Valentina giggled and shook her head. “A little. What if I’m a terrible wolf?”
I snorted. “Are you kidding me? You’re going to make a fierce wolf. Besides, Lycos worships the ground you walk on.”
Valentina beamed. “He’s great, isn’t he? I can’t explain how my heart feels right now. It’s like it’s…full.”
I knew exactly what she meant. I winked at Aldric who was across the room, chatting with Lycos. “You, my friend, are going to be one lethal wolf.”
“I have to be. Lycos is so strong. Resilient. I need to be that for him.”
I shook my head. “You don’t need to be anything but yourself. If he loves you, that’s all he’ll ask of you.”
Valentina smiled demurely, looking down. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not sure what’s happening to me. I’m getting soft.”
I chuckled. “That’s because you’re in love. It’s a sickness.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, I’m almost up. Any last words?”
I pulled her in for a hug. We held each other tight. “I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
She gave me one last squeeze and then disappeared with Lycos and The Keeper into the ceremony room.
I let out a deep breath. I had no idea who was going to walk back out. Valentina, my best friend and sole companion for the last four hundred years, or a stranger?
We were so used to only depending on each other, but now we had Aldric and Lycos helping us carry our burdens. It was wonderful, but at the same time, it made me nostalgic for the old days. The days where it was just us. I was happy for her, but I was also mourning an era that had passed and would never come again.
Valentina emerged from the ceremony room like a lioness. With Lycos beside her, they stood glowing in each other’s golden light. She looked different. Radiant. Strong. Powerful. Her eyes had changed to a shade of amber, mixed with flecks of gold. A shade that matched Lycos’s new eyes like a mirror.
They belonged together. Her prowess with his cunning would be unbeatable. They complimented each other like thunder and lightning. Valentina beamed with pride and love for him. My heart burst for her as I knew this was what she had always wanted. To belong to something. To be linked to someone the way I was with Aldric.
The four of us should be unstoppable. We had the Narcissus flower. We had a Bannister Witch, I was a Wynter Dhampir, and now, we had the power of Vulkodlak. Soon we would control the Lupi, the Sang Magi, and even Pythia herself.
The Consilium had no idea what was coming, but they were about to find out. Tonight, we would celebrate, but tomorrow we would have to prepare. Soon we would bring the fight to them. This war was just beginning.
Twenty-Nine
The Keeper burst into the study, his face covered in sweat. “Tobias has come out of hiding. He’s in London.” He doubled over, struggling to regain his breath.
My heart raced. “Are you sure? He hasn’t shown his face in centuries.”
“I’m sure. A trusted source saw him entering Lucien’s compound.”
I shivered, cold sweat dripped down my back. After all these years of living in the shadows, he’s resurfaced. Why now?
“I need to leave at once. Aldric, tell Seven to ready the ship.”
Aldric grabbed my hand. “Whoa, slow down. How do we know this isn’t a trap?”
“We don’t.” I had to see for myself. Without bothering to pack, I sprinted toward the ship.
Valentina stormed after me. “Gray, slow down. You aren’t thinking this through.”
I slowed my pace enough for her to catch up with me. “This is my chance, Val. I need answers. I have to do this.”
“You have no idea what he’s capable of. Let me go with you. If it’s a trap, you’ll need all the help you can get.”
I knew she meant well, but there was no way I was putting her in danger again. I just got her back.
“No. I have to do this alone. Val, he’s my father. I can’t run from him anymore. For Apollo’s sake, I don’t even know what he looks like.”
Valentina flew in front of me. “No, but I do.”
“What about Lycos? He’s not going to let you leave without him.”
She folded her arms and pursed her lips. “And you think Aldric is going to let you?”
“Let me? I’m four hundred years old.” I was seething.
Valentina cocked her head to the side. “Oh, and I’m not? Look, Lycos and Aldric are right behind us. They promise to stay out of your way. We’ll just follow you anyway.”
There was no use arguing with her. She was right. They would follow me, regardless. Why did they constantly insist on putting themselves in danger for me? At least Valen
tina would be there to point out Tobias.
“Fine, but once we get there, Aldric and Lycos need to stay back with the ship. If something goes wrong, they will need to get help.”
Valentina shrieked with delight. I didn’t know why she was so happy to risk her life again. A part of me understood. I knew I would do the same for her. Still, bringing them so close to Tobias made me uneasy. Valentina was right. I didn’t know what he was capable of.
Lycos and Valentina huddled in a corner for most of the trip. Deep in conversation, she giggled while he caressed her face. They were so easy around each other. Aldric and I were like that once. Until everything got complicated. I hoped for Valentina’s sake that they would always be that carefree with each other. There was a light in her eyes that wasn’t there before Lycos. I prayed to the gods that it would remain.
Aldric hesitated before coming over. I was lost in thought but saw him watching me out of the corner of my eye.
“I hope you aren’t angry with me for being here.”
Angry? It saddened me that he felt that way. I didn’t want my past to be a burden to him. I wanted to protect him from it.
“I’m not angry with you, Aldric. I wanted to go alone because I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to any of you.”
His eyes softened. “Darlin’, we are in this together. I told you, I’m all in. I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
He always knew the right thing to say. I nestled up against his chest. “If anything goes wrong, I need you to get Valentina out first. If anything happened to her…”
Aldric sighed heavily.
I turned to face him. “Aldric, promise me.”
His eyes glistened, beads of sweat dripping down his temple. “Okay, but if anything happens to you, I will kill him.”
The fog draped over London like a heavy blanket. It was dense and damp, and just as eerie as I remembered it. The thought of Tobias and I being in the same city, let alone the same room, terrified me. All this time, the monster I had been hunting was the father I never knew.
What made him so evil? Was he born that way? Or did someone hurt him the way he hurt me? I hadn’t let myself think about him in this way until now. I was too busy planning his demise and trying to put an end to his organization.
Aldric cupped my face in his hands. “Be careful out there. If you’re not back before morning, we’re coming after you.”
I squeezed his hands, giving him the best smile I could muster. “I’ll see you soon.”
Aldric and I embraced, tighter than we ever had. I broke away before I could change my mind and walked over to Valentina. Lycos was whispering something in her ear. She nodded and caressed his cheek.
She turned to face me. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
I took a deep breath. “Not at all, but I have to be.”
With one last look back, Aldric blew me a kiss right before we scurried out into the night.
Valentina and I crept through the streets like shadows. We dashed and darted down alley after alley, staying hidden. There were humans in our path, but no sign of the Consilium. If this was a trap, we would have to fight our way out, and dozens of innocents could get caught in the crossfire. Either way, I wasn’t about to let Tobias win.
As we rounded the corner, a block away from Lucien’s compound, the scent of blood hit my nostrils. Witch blood.
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Do you smell that?”
Valentina nodded, her eyes glowing. Flecks of gold flickered through them like flames.
The wind shifted, and the scent was gone. We exchanged a puzzled look. The back of my neck tingled. I spun around, and everything went black.
Thirty
The ground was cold under my cheek. My head throbbed. Where was I? I tried to move, but my limbs wouldn’t budge. Panic washed over me. Where was Valentina? Voices, soft and muffled, echoed from somewhere in the building. Forcing my eyelids open, I recognized the room. My heart dropped. We were in Lucien’s compound.
Valentina was crouched in front of me, her fangs out. “They’re coming back.”
The feeling returned to my legs, but I was still too weak to stand up. “Who’s coming back, Val?”
“He’s here. Tobias is here and he’s not alone. Samuel is with him.”
I shook my head, confused. “Samuel. Josephine’s son? Why would he be with Tobias?”
Valentina went rigid. “He’s helping him. He’s pissed off at us and blames us for his mother losing control of her coven.”
It was starting to make sense. Josephine set the trap. A very strategic trap that she planned from the moment she told us about Stonehaven. I should have known not to trust her. She wanted me to find that file. She wanted me to know who Tobias really was. I felt sick.
“Val, you have to get out of here. You knew Josephine couldn’t be trusted and I dismissed it. This is my fight.”
Valentina growled. “I am not leaving you. None of this is your fault.”
“Ah, I see our guests have awakened.” Tobias glided into the room as if walking on air.
I jumped to my feet, adrenaline pushing me up. I reached for my daggers. The sheaths were empty.
Tobias’s face lit up in amusement. “You’ll get those back when I feel like you can be trusted.”
He was mocking me. His eyes were as black as my hair, like two gaping holes of darkness. I shivered.
Tobias towered over us like a giant. He was slender, but with broad shoulders and a square jaw. Valentina hissed as he approached. He chuckled and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. It was bone straight and hung just below his ears.
“I have dreamed of this moment for so long. This is cause for celebration. Welcome back, daughter.”
Anger spread through me like wildfire. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this will not be the happy reunion that you were hoping for. You will answer my questions and then you will let us go.”
Tobias’s eyes darkened, but his smile remained intact. “I will oblige your questions, dear. But I can’t let you go. You belong to me. Your place is with the Consilium, at Infitum.”
I was shaking.
Samuel emerged from a dark corner of the room. “She’ll see things your way soon enough. She’s had her fun, running around like a rebellious teenager. Your havoc ends now, Gray.” He looked at me with pure hatred.
Valentina snapped, “Finally stepping out of your mommy’s shadow, I see. Only to step into another’s. You’re so pathetic, even your own coven wants nothing to do with you.”
Samuel’s eyes flared as he started toward her. Tobias threw up a hand and stopped him in his place.
Tobias glared at Valentina. “You, my dear, have something that belongs to me as well.”
Valentina snorted. “And what could that possibly be?”
Tobias smiled. “You have my wolf. You will return him to me.”
My heart raced. I should have known Arcadia would go to Tobias. Everything was unraveling. Nausea enveloped me.
Valentina drew in a sharp breath. “Lycos does not belong to you or anyone else. He has chosen to be with me and until he decides different, that is where he will remain.”
Tobias chuckled to himself. “I think you will have a change of heart soon.”
He snapped his fingers. “Bring him out.”
My breath quickened. What was he up to? Lucien entered the room as if on cue. He was not alone. Valentina cried out. It was Dragos.
With a snarky gleam in his eye, Lucien shoved Dragos over to Tobias.
“I have no more use for your brother. You may have him back, but only upon Lycos’s return. A fair trade, wouldn’t you agree?”
Valentina’s mouth dropped open.
Lucien erupted in laughter. “I told you two to never return here. Now the joke’s on you.”
I couldn’t wait to kill him. That spineless bastard was going to get what was coming to him once and for all.
In the blink of an eye, I sped toward Lucien. I
was behind him in half of a second. I wrapped both of my hands around his neck and squeezed.
Samuel raised his hands toward me, but Tobias motioned for him to stop.
I whipped Lucien around and thrust my hands into his chest. His heart went still. I ripped it out, holding it over my head as the blood dripped down my arm.
Everyone froze, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. Everyone except Tobias.
Tobias beamed with pride. “You see, Gray, we are more alike than you think. You did me a favor. Lucien has always been a nuisance.”
My whole body trembled. “I did not do this for you. Now let my friends go. All of them. I will do as you ask. You can take me to Infitum.”
Tobias grinned from ear to ear.
“Gray. No. Don’t do it.” Dragos’s voice was hoarse, his eyes glassy.
Valentina let out a low snarl and lunged at Tobias. With one flick of his hand, he sent her flying across the room.
I cried out. “Stop. Everyone, just stop.”
Tobias nodded at Samuel. He had Dragos pinned to the floor. “Only you can make this stop, Gray. Leave with me at once and your friends are free to go.”
I had no other choice. He was too strong. I couldn’t let anything else happen to Valentina because of me. I nodded and started toward him, my entire body numb. I glanced at Dragos as he struggled to get out from Samuel’s grasp. I had never seen him look so weak, so helpless.
Valentina whimpered. “Gray, please. Don’t go. We can find another way.”
I couldn’t even look at her. I feared I would change my mind.
Every fiber of me trembled as I walked closer to the door. Tobias and Samuel were flanked on either side of me. Valentina screamed. I couldn’t look back. I would find a way out, but for now, I had to give him what he wanted.
I was almost through the door when a loud crash erupted from behind. Tobias grabbed my arm as I spun around. There was another door. I hadn’t even seen it. It had been two feet away from us the entire time.
Blood and Magic (Blood and Darkness Book 1) Page 18