by C. M. Owens
"Damn it!" he snaps, staring at the air devoid of any presence.
"She has dark users on her payroll? Why the hell didn't I know this?" he barks to someone I can't see.
"I didn't know she had dark users," a familiar voice says as he goes to join him.
I gasp when I realize it's Dray, Kane's friend. He's working with my father?
"If that bitch comes within a hundred miles of my daughter again, I'll rip his throat out for ever bringing his fight to her. Do you understand that?"
Dray nods, not seeming the least bit rattled by my father's presence. He apparently knows him, but if he knows him, then why doesn't Kane know who Drackus is to me?
"We need to go. Your dad seems to be unaffected by the toxins this time," Gage whispers against my ear.
"I want to talk to him. That guy knows Kane."
"Not now, Alyssa. Thad was supposed to get you out of here. If Drackus finds out he failed, he'll be punished. I was fine with you coming when I thought you might be the only one to bring him down, but he doesn't need to be brought down. Let's go."
Crap.
Thad better be glad my concern for him outweighs my need for answers.
Gage pulls me to him, and then we vaporize into the air, leaving behind the conversation I desperately want to stay and overhear.
"By the way, I know what this mark is now," I murmur as we materialize outside, next to his car.
He steadies me as the dizziness sweeps in without mercy.
"What is it?"
"Something you're really not going to like."
Chapter 9
A Shade of Crazy
"You knocked me out?" Thad gripes when we walk into the Edgebrook hotel room where he's already waiting, obviously seething. "Are you trying to make your dad come after me?"
"Relax. Drackus maintained control and never knew we were back in there. You're safe," Gage says dismissively.
Thad visibly relaxes, his disheveled blond hair settling back into place after he runs his hand through it.
"Thank fuck."
I can't help but giggle at the distraught changer, and I go to sit beside him on the bed.
"What's wrong? You act as though Drackus scares you."
He rolls his eyes before narrowing them at me, and then he mumbles, "Funny. Real fucking funny."
I laugh harder as Gage starts flipping through his phone.
"Shit. I have to go."
"What? Why?" I ask a little pitifully.
"Because the Somage has been called in. Apparently there was a messy murder back close to my place in Pine Shore. It looks like a night stalker skimped out on discretion. I'll be back in a day or two. We'll have to decide if they deserve death or punishment."
Once upon a time, I would have said all night stalkers deserve death, but my bond with Kane is really messing with my head. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting him. What scares me the most is I'd let him kill me before I allowed anyone to touch him.
I shiver as that unbidden, morbid thought comes to mind.
"Okay. Should I be safe here? I've still got Castine's locator mark."
I hold up my wrist, and he frowns.
"By now, she's figured out Drackus was there solely for you. She won't mess with you until she's back at full strength. Apparently, that amulet she wears gives her the powers she's trapped from our kind that have used our magic against her. After fighting with Drackus, one who seems to be immune to its magical hold, she's been weakened."
"Why is he immune?" I grumble, feeling a little sick of my father's overwhelming heaps of power.
"Possibly because he's unaligned. The powers that forged that gem were light and dark. They created it directly after the division of magic. That's the only thing I can figure."
Then Thad chimes in. "I know when I called him to tell him Castine had nabbed you, he said he'd handle her with no problem. I don't think he was expecting her to be so strong."
"She had dark user help," I quickly add, filling Thad in on the part he missed.
"Well that's just fucking great. As if her horde of minions weren't diverse enough."
"Tell me about it," Gage growls. "Drackus called to inform me of that bit. Of course I pretended it was news. He wants me to find out which of my people would be dirty enough to involve themselves with her. The guy was a blur. All any of us caught a glimpse of was dark hair."
Speaking of dark hair, I need to find out who Dray is to my father and to Kane.
"I'll see you soon. I need to get going. Stay in Edgebrook and away from Kane's coven. Call me if you need me for anything," Gage murmurs, interrupting my thoughts.
I give him a small, forced smile. I don't want to tell him what I did with Kane, and I sure as hell don't want to tell him how much it has only fed my hunger now. I have to find a way to break the bond.
"Okay, dark boy. Be careful."
He smirks as he pulls me to him, and he plants a chaste kiss on my forehead before vaporizing his exit.
"How bloody cute," Thad snarks. "Leave it to the pierced, tattooed guy to get the girl."
I just laugh, and then I lean against the dresser in the room.
"Well, this girl needs answers. The only place I can get answers is from the night stalker the tattooed, pierced boy just forbid me to see. Care to be rebellious with me?"
He lets out an exasperated gust of air as he drops back to the bed.
"No. Absolutely not. There's nothing you can say or do to convince me otherwise."
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Thad gripes as we pull up to Kane's house.
I let a laugh out at the easy-to-fold changer.
"Well, I need answers, and you have to admit you're curious, too."
"About a guy who ties your father to Kane? Not in the least. What I want to know is if your ex-night stalker has any clues as to how long it will take Castine to recover. Your dad will serve me to an ogre if I lose you to her again, so I need to be prepared."
"You didn't lose me, technically."
"He can't know Gage is involved, and I can't keep you safe without Gage's help."
We get out of the car, slowly making our way to the beautiful cabin full of enormous windows. I see Kane with his back to us, unaware of our approach, as he speaks to someone I can't see.
Butterflies form in my stomach, reminding me how much stronger the bond is when I'm around him.
"Why can't Gage be around me? He's only keeping me safe, not that Drackus really cares."
Thad glances around, checking our tails to make sure no one is following us. I'm sure he'll be paranoid for a while.
"It's a long story I've only barely been briefed on, but as far as your father goes, you're only alive because he cares. You need to stop viewing him the way the rest of your kind does. Drackus only stays in that hole because of you, and you know it. If he didn't care about you, why would he stay there?"
True, but then again, Drackus is as unpredictable and confusing as any male. He could have ulterior motives I don't know about.
We continue in silence as Thad tenses beside me. I've seen him shred a night stalker under the full moon, but he knows Kane is stronger, and he hates it.
I ring the doorbell, considering knocking would be pointless. The surprise on Kane's face says it all as he comes to open the door for me.
"Why are you here?" he almost snarls, shattering the small illusion I had.
He seemed so caring, so concerned in that dungeon, but now he's back to callous and cold, disgusted with the sight of me.
"I need to ask you about-"
I halt my words as the dark hair and tame eyes fall into view. It's Dray. He's here.
He plays coy as he walks toward me; his beautiful face disarming and misleading... just like all the dark wielders. His black, leather jacket resembles the long duster my father wore during the battle with Castine, a signature look for the oldest of fey creatures.
His dark denim jeans and black button-up shirt complement the darkness lurking within, thoug
h I can't pinpoint what he is. His eyes refuse to give me any inkling.
"Dray," I murmur softly, and Thad squirms a little more, feeling the dark aura exuding from the mysterious creature in front of us.
"Alyssa, right? How lovely to see you again. Can I ask why it is you're here?"
He's acting as though this is his house, and he's even going so far as to pretend not to know me at all, when he clearly knows exactly who I am.
"I came to speak to Kane."
"There's nothing to speak about, Alyssa," Kane murmurs very coolly. "What happened in that dungeon was out of desperation. I was starved, you were hurting. We both needed something from the other. That's all it was. You need to do what you have to and sever this bond."
I wince at how icy he is so shortly after I believed him to actually care about me. I knew better then, and now he's proving me a fool for wishful thinking.
I aim for pragmatic, though it comes off as more offended, when I say, "I get it. You're disgusted by the very sight of a witch now that you've had your fill. I'm nothing but prey, and you're just a heartless night stalker with a convenient conscience. This has absolutely nothing to do with us. This is about Castine and when she's coming back for me. I've still got her mark."
Dray covers his amused smile while walking away. I'm not here for that, Thad is. I want to know why Dray is friends with my father but pretending not to know who I am around Kane. I can't ask that here and now though. I also can't prod for information from Kane as I originally planned.
Kane settles back on his heels, seeming to shrink slightly. I summon up the courage to fight the intoxicating pull of his unintentional seduction.
"I don't know. Castine changes with every passing year, growing stronger. I guess it depends on how much Drackus will do to keep you safe. She's scared of him, always has been. Until now, I've never understood why she feared him as much as she does."
Dray's brow cocks up, curiosity seeming to form.
"Drackus was keeping her safe?" he asks, feigning shock.
How can he keep up such a convincing charade?
Deke shifts in the corner, making his presence known, as he sips on a dark ale. He stays silent, but his eyes study Thad, making sure my changer bodyguard doesn't feel the itch for a fight.
"Yeah. He had a thing for my mom once upon a time. Perhaps you've heard of her? Calypso Dubai."
With that release, Deke spews his drink all over the floor in front of him before coughing up the liquid lodged in his throat.
Kane pales, seeming a little less intimidating now.
"I thought you said your mother's name was Callie Coldwell."
"It is... to the humans. Coldwell is her maiden name. Dubai is her latest husband's name. She's had several surnames. Do you know her, Dray?" I ask, taking a step toward the unknown creature.
A small smile plays on his lips, suddenly realizing he can't play dumb with me.
"I've heard her name mentioned a time or two."
"A time or two?" Kane barks. "She's the most powerful of the light, and now I've... Fuck! I just want to stay off their fucking radars." Then he turns to me, venom staining his false green eyes. "Why did you have to come into my life? Everything was perfect before you!"
A tear threatens to fall, but I hold it back. I shake my head as Thad's hand rests on my shoulder.
"I want to talk to you," I say, my eyes moving to Dray.
He glances at Kane who suddenly seems confused, but I don't give a rat's ass. I can't stand here and let him berate me any longer. It hurts too much, and the ache I have for him leaves me hating myself more than he already hates me.
"I thought you might," Dray says, motioning to the front door. "Should we take a walk?"
"Yes. Please."
I take his hand, and Thad starts to follow us out. Dray raises his hand, signaling for him to fall back.
"This conversation is only intended for the two of us, changer."
Thad growls, a deep, deadly rumble coming from his throat.
"It's fine, Thad. Just find out what you can about Castine. Start with what passages Kane didn't want us to see when he deleted the pictures from Zee's phone," I murmur softly, sounding in control as my eyes find the green eyes of my night stalker heartbreaker.
"You're not going anywhere with Dray," Kane says in a low, threatening whisper, and then he turns to the mystery man. "What do you think you're doing?"
Dray shrugs, his smile of amusement still intact.
"Having a conversation with the little witch you seem to be overly protective of. You should know I'd never touch her simply because of your feelings toward her. This will be short."
Overly protective, my ass. If anything, Kane would be relieved to have my blood shed everywhere.
"Why do you want to talk to Dray?" Kane pipes in, blocking the doorway in a blur.
"It's personal."
"Do you know what he is?" he asks, his jaw clenching.
"Ouch. That's offensive," Dray jokes, not fearing Kane in the least.
I look at the deep brown eyes that give nothing away, and then I turn back to Kane.
"Something tells me I have nothing to fear. I'm pretty sure he knows exactly who I am."
A smile quirks up on Dray's lips, nodding directly after. "Clever girl. He doesn't give you enough credit."
"He never has," I mutter dryly.
Kane glares at us, not enjoying the feeling of being out of the loop.
"Dray, I assume you'll fill me in since she obviously doesn't intend to."
Dray laughs, though Kane doesn't understand why. No one is allowed to share my link to Drackus. Only his most trusted inner circle and my mother's inner circle know of my ties to him. All in all, less than fifteen people in a world full of immortals know I'm still alive.
No one is stupid enough to talk and expose me, especially since my father loves demonstrating why they should fear him.
"Sorry, Kane. You'll more than likely figure it out in your own time. Until then, just know it doesn't directly affect you. I've seen to that."
"What does that mean?" Kane growls, his eyes trying to fix Dray with a deadly glare.
Zee walks in, instantly sizing up Thad, and then he crosses his arms over his chest as he takes in the standoff.
"What's going on?" Amy snarks as she joins us as well, her eyes shooting daggers at me.
"Let's go. I'll tell you what I can," Dray says while stepping around Kane and opening the door.
"So she's after Dray now?" Amy snarks, a taunting laugh slipping through her lips.
I don't know if it's because of the trying few months I've had, the recent close-to-death encounter, or the fact she's pushed my buttons for too long, but I let my power slip free, and she's suddenly on the ground, screaming as her arm twists behind her back.
"That's all I'll take of your mouth," I caution, my voice dark and deadly. "You have no idea how pissing me off could affect your health. Consider this a warning."
The dark wrath of my father's power churns inside me. This bond with Kane is only driving me closer to the edge of insanity, and for once, I'm enjoying the feel.
"Alyssa, you can't do this," Dray says while stepping in front of me, killing my accidental trance.
I shiver as the darkness leaves me as quickly as it came. Kane's mouth is slightly unhinged as he studies me. The others all seem to be equally as startled, and Amy cries out her pain for the broken arm I've left her with.
"You bitch! I'll fucking kill you!"
As she hurls her body at me, Dray holds out his hand. A black smoke fills the room, grabbing her up and forcing her to the ground. Everyone just watches - no one moves. They all seem to know Dray won't hurt her.
"Amy, I'm only going to tell you this once. Do not ever try to touch her again, or I'll put you down myself. Believe me; I'd be doing you a favor."
Her mouth falls agape, and everyone else seems to be stunned into silence as Dray comes to rejoin me at my side. I look to see her arm is healed, completely, an
d then I realize Dray's secret.
"A dark angel. I should have known," I mutter.
He smiles, cracking his neck to the side. "There's a lot you should know."
"So spill it. How are you connected to my father, but yet Kane doesn't have a clue? Or is he just faking it?"
Dray laughs as we walk next to the lake, keeping our voices quiet. I shiver against the wind that is bringing forth the chill of early winter, but I deny my teeth their right to chatter.
"He has no clue, and he'll never hear it from me. Drackus would skin me alive, and I mean that very literally. My involvement with Drackus dates back centuries. He saved my life against a demon. I knew then the stories about him weren't true. Though he loves the fear he instills, he's not the monster he's notorious for being.
"The reason I'm involved in his circle right now is simply to keep him from killing Kane. Since Kane first started breaking his bonds to Castine, I've been there, guiding him. He's a good soul with a tainted past.
"Castine slaughtered his family before his eyes. One of his sisters was barely fourteen at the time. She even made Kane watch the show play out, keeping him helpless when she screamed for his help.
"Castine then turned him, and seduced him with her power for so, so many years. As he grew stronger, her hold over him weakened, and soon she lost all of her influence over his mind.
"That's when I came in to help him break free. I led him through the steps and helped him ease the pain during the worst of the breaks. Castine didn't come after him once she found some new toys to entertain her.
"I've helped others in the past. It's my way of giving back. If I hadn't had a helping hand early on in life, I wouldn't be standing here today.
"Your father knows about Kane, and he threatened to tear his heart out. As you can imagine, he meant it very literally. I explained Kane's situation, and I swore to him I'd keep you close to me, watch after you. I had Sierra tracking the scent you inadvertently left behind. Of course I lied to Drackus and told him it was your changer friend's scent you were trailing behind you. You're not supposed to be spending so much time with the dark user."
"Why is that?" I ask, growing irritated with all the vague warnings about Gage.