by Liz Schulte
“Maybe those other people who have been helping her got her out,” Leslie said.
“How?” Sebastian said. “Security is tighter than ever before. They wouldn’t know where the dungeon is, and my key was stolen at some point after we spoke with her yesterday. There’s a limited pool of suspects.”
“What about Corbin?” Frost said. “The vampire could have taken the key and he was already in the castle. He’s also the only one who was downstairs alone with her.”
“Corbin has no reason to release Jessica,” I said. He may be a lot of things, but Corbin wouldn’t hurt me. I was positive about that. If anything he might kill her to save me trouble. Actually that thought worried me quite a bit. Surely if he had, though, there would have been a body…
“No offense, but we don’t actually know that,” Leslie said. “I know none of us did it. Kat and Frost were with me the whole time. I don’t believe for a second that you did it.” She nodded at me. “I get it that you and Corbin have been through a lot together, but what if Jessica’s offer was too good to pass up? Are you sure he wouldn’t take it? Are you positive there’s nothing that could tempt him to betray you?”
He nearly betrayed me in purgatory, but didn’t. He resisted. I knew Corbin better than anyone else in the room did, and I couldn’t come up with a single thing he wanted, other than to locate some rogue vampire. Jessica would have no idea about that though.
“Corbin didn’t do it,” I said. “I mean, Jessica doesn’t know him at all. Can any of you think of anything she could offer him? I can’t.”
The room went silent. That’s what I thought. Someone else had to have helped her escape. Maybe she got to the guard somehow.
“You,” Sebastian said.
My eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me?”
He shook his head. “She could have offered him you. I mean that’s what Corbin really wants, isn’t it?”
“Jessica doesn’t choose who I love. Only I do that,” I said, taking Cheney’s hand.
Cheney looked down, winked, then gave a little smile just for me—but it didn’t hide the concern in his eyes. “No matter how she escaped, she has to be dealt with.”
“You mean captured,” Katrina said.
“I mean dealt with,” Cheney said, not breaking eye contact with me. “She is coming after my family. I don’t care how we have to do it, but she will never lay a finger on my wife or my child.”
I rubbed my thumb over the back of his hand. Sebastian didn’t go down to “check” on Jessica. He’d gone to kill her. They figured out why she wanted my child and Sebastian went to end it, but he wouldn’t have done so without Cheney’s approval.
“You can’t kill her. You promised,” Katrina said, looking back and forth between Cheney and Sebastian then desperately over at me. “You know I would never let anyone harm you or my godchild. You know that. But you have to believe we can still get Jessica back. Please say you believe that.”
“I hope for all of our sakes it doesn’t come down to the baby or her,” I told Katrina.
She nodded slowly. “We won’t let it get to that point. We’ll keep working on the spell. This time we have her blood. We can summon her. She won’t be able to resist.”
She stood up. “Looks like we have a lot more work to do.” Katrina left the office with renewed energy and Leslie went with her.
Frost stood up and stretched, rolling her shoulders back. Her nearly black eyebrows arched over her extremely pale eyes. “No one knows the value of unwavering loyalty better than I do. But make sure the people you are loyal to deserve it.”
“Jessica is possessed. None of this is really her fault,” I said.
“I wasn’t talking about the witch. At least speak to Corbin,” she said then closed the door behind her.
Cheney sat next to me. I laid my head on his shoulder and Sebastian dropped down into Cheney’s usual chair.
“So you know,” Sebastian said.
I could have pretended I didn’t understand what he was talking about and made him confess to going to the dungeon to kill one of my best friends. That was what a fae would do. “I know.”
Cheney’s arm went around me, strong and comforting as he pulled me in closer. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said.
I couldn’t find it in me to be angry with him. He was protecting us from a threat when perhaps I was too blind to do so myself. “How did you figure out why she wanted our daughter?”
“Olivia—and our talk was sort of odd. There’s something different about her now.”
“Maybe Sy will have an idea about Corbin.” I traced the buttons on his shirt. “I think I’ll go see him.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said.
“You can’t,” Sebastian said. “We have four campaign stops today. Selene can miss because she is so near her due date. You, on the other hand, are expected.”
“They’ll get over it. I’m not leaving her,” Cheney said.
I sat up. The gesture was sweet, but I wasn’t going to rob Cheney from his birthright. “Go. We’ve come this far. All of this will eventually pass, but the election affects the rest of our lives. I’ll be safe at the Office. I promise I won’t go anywhere else. It’s not like I have the energy anyway. You’ll regret it if you don’t go today and we lose the election.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I’ll never regret the time I spend with you. I don’t care about the election. I don’t care about the fae. What I do care about is right here sitting beside me.”
“And if you really care about them, you will not leave their futures in someone else’s hands,” Sebastian said.
Cheney rolled his eyes and I smiled. Sebastian for the win. “Go. We have the rest of our lives to be together.”
“Promise?”
“Always.”
He took a deep breath. “Straight to the Office and straight back here. Don’t give her an opportunity to trap you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I flashed another smile and he shook his head.
“That’s it. I’m staying.”
I laughed. “No. Go. I promise. Nowhere else.”
He helped me up and walked me to the door. “Have I told you how radiant you look today?”
“You lie. I looked tired and awful, but I love you for saying so.”
As soon as I was out of the castle, I transported directly to the Office as promised. Sy nodded to me as I entered. “Hey, cousin,” he said at the same time his phone started ringing.
I rolled my eyes. “Tell Cheney I said hi.”
He laughed then answered. “Yeah, she’s here.” One side of his mouth twitched up. “Understood. I’ll take care of her.”
I sat down across from him.
“It appears your husband is worried about you.”
I shrugged. “That’s not really new.”
“Good point. But, then again, when Cheney thinks you’re up to something you normally are. What brings you here?”
“Can’t I just want to see my family?”
He gave me a dubious look. “You want to see your family? Great, let’s go visit mom. You hardly ever drop by. I know she would love it.”
“I promised Cheney I’d only come here or go home.”
Sy gave me the grin that too often as a kid meant one of us was going to get into trouble. “Since when are you scared to break the rules?”
“You’re a bad influence.” I stood up, happy to be off of the uncomfortable stool.
He tossed the towel in his hand down on the counter. “Meet you there.”
I went outside and transported to Aunt Lorelei’s house. I hadn’t been back as much as I should have. It wasn’t that I was avoiding Aunt Lorelei, but I wasn’t the same person anymore and I didn’t know where that left us. She raised me as a young half-elf, was a mother to me, but I never appreciated it. All I could see were the things I didn’t have and I resented them so much. Then I faked my death and didn’t tell her. To make matters worse I came back and onc
e again started causing trouble and dragging her son into it. And finally her brother, my father, died because of me. It seemed awfully presumptive to just show up and expect her to be okay with me.
I tugged on my ear and stared at the house, an old-fashioned thing with sharp peaks and tall narrow windows, nestled amongst trees and flowers. I could picture her inside, trying to teach me and Sy (there had probably never been two more unruly students) or baking or humming or in general being saintly—so very opposite of either of us.
Sy nudged me. “You just going to stare all day, or are you biting the bullet this time?” He walked backward toward the door. “You’ve come too far to go back now.”
I smiled though my stomach fluttered. She came to my wedding, so she couldn’t be that mad at me— but then again, that could have been more for Sy than me.
“Hey, Ma! Guess who I brought with me?” he called as he entered the house.
A moment later they both reappeared in the doorway. Lorelei was, as ever, gorgeous. Sy had her blond hair and large silver eyes. Her hair fell in soft curls all the way down her back. They weren’t natural of course, but she always dressed and looked as human as possible. I thought it was to make us feel better about being half-breeds growing up, but she never stopped even after we were gone.
I waved, trying to smile, but not quite making it.
She approached me slowly, eyes glittering as she looked me up and down. I waited for it, that moment when she would reject me like everyone else. I slowly blew out a breath, steeling myself.
“You look like you could use a good meal,” she said, gently clasping my upper arms and kissing my cheeks.
My shoulders sagged and tears sprang to my eyes. “I’m as big as a house.”
“That’s the baby, not you.” She took my hand. “You have circles beneath your eyes and your cheekbones are too sharp. Come on in. I’ll make you something.”
She led me into the kitchen where Sy was already digging through the refrigerator. She swatted him with the kitchen towel. “Go sit with Selene and the two of you fill me in on what’s happening.”
Sy sat in the chair next to me. “You know, same old. My life is boring.”
Lorelei’s laugh bounced off the walls. “Son, do you think I’m slow? I taught you everything you know. But I’m going to let that slide because I already know what you’re up to. Who I really want to hear from is Selene.”
I swallowed against the dryness in my throat and she put a cup of tea in front of me, then stroked my cheek. “It’s been a long time since we had a heart-to-heart, little girl, and you’ve been busy.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Shhh. Never apologize for being who you are, Selene. You have lived an amazing life and have done amazing things. I never expected less from you. Just as you shouldn’t expect less from your daughter.”
I looked down at my stomach then back up at her. “Did Sy tell you?”
She laughed and went back to the stove. “No, I can just tell—just like I sense the darkness you’re carrying with you. Drink the tea. It will help with that.”
“Can you see it?” My heartbeat sped. “No one else can. Everyone keeps saying I’m fine.”
She nodded and the pot she was stirring beginning to steam. “I see it. Drink the tea, Selene, and we’ll see where we need to go from there.”
I took a sip and glanced over at Sy who was smiling at me. “Good instincts.” He shifted toward her. “Too good,” he said louder. “But she won’t admit to anything.”
“Like you’re one to talk,” I said.
“Oh, we’re a family of secrets, no doubt. Like why you really came to the Office today.”
Lorelei put bowls of soup in front of each of us. “Don’t stop on my account.”
I filled them in on everything that had happened, including Frost’s suspicion of Corbin. “That’s why I came. I need to see Corbin, but Cheney would come with me and then Corbin wouldn’t be honest.”
Sy raised an eyebrow. “Corbin wouldn’t be honest with you anyway. You want answers, talk to Paolo. He likes you. He’ll get to the bottom of whatever Corbin is up to.”
“Will he meet me at the Office?”
Sy shook his head. “No, but I’ll take you to him. I swear you will be safe.”
I looked at Lorelei. “And what about the darkness?”
She glanced at my cup to make sure it was empty and then had me stand. Her hand hovered over my stomach as she spun me in a circle, inspecting me.
“You’re under attack. Maybe from your friend or maybe from someone else. But whoever it is wants you to be weakened.” She shook her head and opened a cabinet over the stove. “You aren’t going to like this, but if you continue to lose strength, the birth will kill you.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”
She handed me a brown bag. “Tea. Drink it all day every day—and bed rest until the baby is born. No spells, no magic, no stress.”
I snorted.
“I mean it, Selene. I’ve seen enough women give birth to recognize the ones who will make it versus the ones who won’t. If you continue on as you are, you won’t. Take care of yourself and the rest will follow.” She looked over at Sy. “Make sure she does.”
“You know I will.” He kissed his mom’s forehead. “But we’re going to see a vampire first.”
Lorelei shook her head. “Sometimes I don’t want to know.”
****
“Whatever you do, don’t mention Frost,” Sy said as we approached the house.
“Why?”
“Vampires hunt necromancers. Obscurity is her only safety.”
I nodded.
Sy didn’t even knock on Paolo’s overly cheerful front door. He opened it and ushered me inside, then led us to the basement stairs.
“Paolo,” he called out as we started down.
Paolo’s head popped around the corner and he smiled at us. “Selene, what a pleasant surprise.” He took my hand and kissed it. “It’s been too long. But I take it this is not an entirely social call.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re right. I do need something.”
“Please have a seat.” He gestured to a gorgeous rocking chair. “It’s my latest piece. A gift for the child.”
“I love it. Thank you.” The smooth, soft wood hugged my body as I sat back—the first time I’d been comfortable in far too long. I allowed my eyes to close for just a few seconds as I rocked back and forth.
“Shall we?” Paolo asked, drawing me back to reality.
I took a deep breath. “I’m here about Corbin.”
He crossed his legs. “Has he acted inappropriately again?”
I shook my head. The first time I met Corbin, he fed from me and Cheney and Paolo had taken exception. It had been so long and we had gone through so much since then, however, it hardly seemed important anymore. “No. Corbin and I have become quite good friends.”
His eyes narrowed. “How good?”
“Very.” I told him the story of purgatory and everything else Corbin had done to help me. Paolo simply listened, occasionally grimacing in response to my story. “So we’re still bonded even though I’m married and I don’t know that there is a way to ever break it.”
“You have come to me to break the bond?”
I shook my head. “No.” I felt like a traitor even bringing this up. “Something happened last night. Now I don’t believe Corbin had anything to do with it, but my other friends do. I was going to talk to him, but Sy suggested I speak with you instead.”
Paolo smiled. “He was quite right. What happened?”
“We caught my friend who has been possessed. Corbin spoke to her briefly alone—then later, when we realized it would take longer than expected to safely free her, he left. Minutes later someone helped her escape.”
“And what does the entity want?” Paolo asked.
“To possess my child. I don’t think Corbin would help and I’ve said as much, but—”
“But you can’t be cer
tain?”
I shook my head. “Not one hundred percent, no.”
Paolo recrossed his legs in the opposite direction. “If he is guilty, what would you like done?”
I frowned. “Nothing. I mean, I’d like to know why, but I don’t want him punished. I just need to know where we stand.”
“Because you are bonded?”
I hadn’t even considered that. “No. Because he’s my friend.”
Paolo stared at me completely silent. “Good answer.”
The cold bite of metal against my skin was a hell of a wakeup call. Movement in any direction would cause the blade to slice through my throat, which didn’t exactly mesh with my plans for the day. I opened my eyes to see Paolo above me, patiently holding the blade. I should have known. No one else could have made it in here without me sensing it.
“What?” I asked. Just saying a single word had a trickle of blood streaming down my neck.
“You’ve been keeping secrets, Corbin.” He tsked at me. “You know how I feel about that.”
I blinked, waiting for him to remove the knife. This wasn’t a bluff. The carefully controlled rage in his eyes was genuine. Vampires everywhere trembled at the thought of Paolo. It wasn’t because he was the oldest vampire, it wasn’t because he had been a dictator and warlord at various points throughout history, and it wasn’t because he had killed more people than anyone had bothered to count. It was for the simple fact that once you were on his radar, he owned you. And anyone he owned who failed to live up to the standard he set died. No talking. No trial. No second chance. How did I know? Because I was the blunt instrument. I killed anyone he pointed at. In fact, only one vampire had ever escaped his rage.
I lifted an eyebrow and the left side of his lip curled. He hadn’t killed me, which meant he wanted to talk.
He stepped back enough for me to sit up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“That I sleep in the nude? I didn’t think I was your type.”