Blood Betrayed

by Gabrielle Bisset

  Saint stood stunned for a moment as the news of what Solenne had been shouldering all on her own sunk in. As she turned to face him, he saw the toll Vasilije's questions and the Archon's command had taken on her. Her eyes, filled with tears, searched his face for some sign he still believed in her. Taking her in his arms, he held her tight.

  "You're one class act, Vasilije. She told you what you wanted to know, so get the fuck out. You three know where the door is."

  Solenne quietly sobbed against his chest as Saint stroked her back. As he led her to toward his room, Vasilije asked, "How long have you known Marc Verrater, Solenne? Is he the one you left Saint for all those years ago?"

  Saint's limbs felt like led at the sound of the name Marc. A memory buried for so long was suddenly unearthed and exposed to the world. Solenne looked up at him in horror, understanding Vasilije's words instantly.

  "No! You're wrong!" she cried.

  "Are you saying you didn't leave him for someone named Marc?"

  Solenne grasped at his arm as Saint backed away from her. "No, you don't understand. Declan, it's not what they're saying. Please! Listen to me. Don't listen to him!"

  "We have the letter you wrote him saying you were leaving him. Marc was the man's name."

  Solenne's eyes pleaded for Saint to believe her, but everything seemed to swim in front of his eyes as she reached out to take him in her arms.

  "Declan, don't do this! Don't believe them. It's not what it seems. Declan!"

  Saint pressed his back to the wall, sure if he didn't he'd slump to the ground. Every word Vasilije uttered brought back the pain of losing Solenne and his punishment soon after, and every word that came from her mouth inflicted new pain on top of the old.

  "Solenne, we need you to come back to the monastery with us," Terek said as he took her by the arm. "Don't worry."

  Tears ran down her cheeks as she frantically struggled to free herself from Terek's hold. Like something from a nightmare, the scene seemed to play out in silent, slow motion in front of Saint. Solenne's outstretched hand reached for him but fell short as she was led away. And then he was alone, consumed by the thought of another betrayal and Teagan's promise that she'd leave him again.

  He looked up at the night sky full of clouds that obscured the stars. In minutes, the woman who filled his every waking thought would return to his arms and he would once again taste her on his tongue.

  Forced to meet in secret now that Teagan had decided to return, they cherished every stolen moment, knowing the danger if they were caught. For her, he would've risked sun and stake to once again be buried inside her. For her, he withstood the torture of living in the same house, never able to touch her for fear of putting her in danger.

  He watched other couples stroll through the park, out in the open with their affections, and a spark of jealousy ignited inside him. He wanted the world to know how much he loved Solenne, wanted to shout it loud for all to hear, but she wasn't his to love. That privilege fell to his brother, who treated the gift like a task he occasionally remembered to complete.

  Minutes turned to an hour, and he began to worry she'd been caught sneaking out to meet him. Teagan's return just a week earlier had been a surprise even to Declan, and since then the only time he shared with Solenne came through stolen moments and always with the risk of Teagan finding out their secret.

  The park emptied of people, and he left disappointed and concerned for her safety. As he walked over ancient cobblestones through the old town, he cursed his brother's good fortune of having sired Solenne and his bad.

  Vampire law allowed for no reprieve of the sire-vampire relationship as long as the sire wished it to continue. Unfortunately, even though Teagan had chosen to abandon Solenne for all intents and purposes, preferring to enjoy his time with his own sire and as many women as could be accommodated each night, he hadn't formally released her from the physical bond they barely shared.

  Declan entered the house, his eyes searching for any sign Solenne had been caught, but he saw nothing to indicate anything out of the ordinary had occurred. On his way to the sitting room, he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see his brother.

  "Enjoy your night out, Declan?"

  He stared into his brother's eyes wondering if his tone had been intentionally taunting. "Not really a night out. Just went for a walk."

  "You should find yourself a woman to sire. I can tell you from repeated experience it's something you'd enjoy."

  Nothing Teagan said was on its face proof that he knew anything of where he'd been or who he'd waited to meet, but something inside Declan told him he knew. "I think I'll go to my room now."

  He turned to make his way up to his second floor bedroom, preferring to avoid any more discussion of siring as the only woman he wished to call his own could never truly be his if Teagan continued to hold her to their legal relationship.

  On his way, he hoped to see Solenne, but except for Teagan and himself, the house was empty. As he entered his room, he saw on his bed lay a letter. He raised the envelope to his nose and inhaled the familiar scent of flowers that seemed to surround Solenne no matter what time of year it was. Tearing it open, he anxiously pulled the letter out and read the words that tore his heart out.

  "Forgive me. I can no longer live a lie. Teagan has released me, and I've met another named Marc. Goodbye."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Solenne closed her eyes to avoid the accusatory looks from everyone around her. Vasilije and Dante, joined now by Sion, talked just a few feet away, whispering about her supposed crime and looking at her with sideways glances every few minutes. But closing her eyes only made her feel worse for all she saw was Declan's stunned face frozen in her mind.

  "If it's meant to be, it will be."

  Turning around, Solenne saw Terek sitting behind her. "Are you the one chosen to guard me? You don't have to bother. I won't go anywhere until they understand what they think is wrong."

  Terek stared back at her with green eyes like emeralds shining in the sunlight. His expression was the same he wore all the time—perfectly calm—but his eyes seemed to penetrate her.

  "I am not your guard. Think of me more as your advocate here."

  "Advocate? Do you believe me that I've done nothing to harm Declan?" Solenne waited for his answer and then added, "At least not this time."

  "I believe you believe you've done nothing against him now."

  Solenne turned back in her seat to face those who accused her. Vasilije glanced over at her again and the look of indictment was written all over his face. Crossing her arms, she kept her gaze on his and said to Terek, "I need you to help convince them. Vasilije and Dante are sure I'm guilty."

  "Perhaps it's time the truth came out."

  Solenne sighed, hunching her shoulders. The truth Terek referred to wasn't just something she could say. Vasilije was her sire's sire and unlikely to want to see him as the man she knew he was. Also unlikely was Teagan admitting he was that man.

  "The ties between sire and vampire aren't easily overcome. Why is that not true for you and your sire?"

  Turning back to face Terek, she answered, "Because the ties of love for Declan are stronger. Teagan can't accept that. He never could."

  The thought of Declan believing she'd betrayed him again made Solenne wince in pain. She had to make the rest of the Sons believe her and then all she could do is hope he would.

  "Terek, why do they think I'd turn against Declan and the rest of you?"

  "Because you've done it before," Vasilije answered behind her.

  Solenne faced forward and met his cold stare with one of her own. "He forgave me. That's all that matters."

  "I'm afraid not, love," he said in a voice full of smugness.

  "I can understand why he hates you. And just to set the record straight, I didn't do what I did alone. Teagan played his part."

  "Your sire isn't the issue here. And you should show more respect for the one who made you."

  "God, you
can't see anything when it comes to your precious Teagan! Where is he? Bring him here and let him explain what happened back then."

  "Unfortunately, for you, he's not here at the moment, so you're on your own, love."

  "I'm not one of your women, love, so treat me with more respect."

  Solenne turned to Terek, who was quickly becoming her only hope. "I'm guessing you read minds. Tell them what you see in mine. They won't listen to me."

  Terek stood from his chair and approached the others. "There are things we don't know that may show you're wrong about Solenne."

  Vasilije shook his head in disbelief, but Terek's words had some effect on Dante and Sion whose faces showed interest in the idea that she might not be guilty of the crimes Vasilije seemed so sure she'd committed.

  "Like what?" Dante asked.

  "Vasilije, your vampire seems to be far different when it comes to his brother."

  "What does this have to do with Teagan? If anything, he was the victim of this one's treachery."

  "Why did you want me to work with you, risking my life to spy on Verrater, if you think of me like that?"

  "I didn't know of your past until recently, love."

  Solenne leaped out of her chair in exasperation. "Of course! Teagan comes back from the dead and can't wait to tell you about my treachery, as you call it."

  "Vasilije, why would he tell you that?" Terek asked.

  "He's concerned about Saint's safety."

  That was too much for Solenne to handle. "Are you kidding? Do you even know your vampire? He hates Declan. He couldn't give a damn about his safety!"

  Terek placed his hand on her shoulder. "We've obviously got a problem here. Did Teagan accuse his own vampire of working with the Archons?"

  Shaking his head, Vasilije explained, "No. He merely expressed concern that Saint had obviously become quite close to Solenne since going to her house."

  "And two people who have loved each other for years shouldn't find happiness together, even in times like this?"

  Dante cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I'm confused. I thought Saint only liked human females."

  Solenne sat down in the chair and hung her head. "That's because of me. I admit I hurt him then, but I didn't do it because I wanted to. Teagan found out about us and forced me to break it off with him."

  "As he should have," Vasilije chimed in. "You were his at the time."

  Looking up, she saw his blue eyes flashing his condemnation of her behavior. "Vasilije, we can't help who we fall in love with. Did you choose to fall for Sasa? I fell in love with Declan and I'm sorry Teagan got hurt. But that doesn't excuse what he did to his brother when he turned him in to the Archon for interfering in a sire's relationship. He had his own brother shunned to punish him for loving me."

  Vasilije stepped back in surprise but didn't argue against what she'd claimed. She saw in his eyes somewhere deep inside he knew she wasn't lying.

  "He spent ten years away from our world, shunned because Teagan needed to hurt him because I loved him. He tore us apart, threatened me that if I didn't write that letter that he'd kill Declan. I had no choice. I thought he'd be satisfied, but he wasn't."

  "Vasilije, she doesn't want to hurt Saint. Let her go home," Terek said to Solenne's relief.

  Seated behind his desk, Vasilije dialed the phone. "I need to know Saint's safe." Someone on the other end answered as he put the phone on speaker. "How's it shakin', Vasilije? What can I do for you?"

  "I want you to go to Solenne's house in Valence and make sure Saint's okay. Let me know if you see anything suspicious."

  Solenne listened to the conversation, sure she'd heard the man's voice before but unable to place it. The fact that someone was making sure the Archon wouldn't get to him made her feel better, but unless he planned to give him his blood, she needed to get back home before sunrise or she'd be forced to wait until nightfall. And Declan would too.

  Vasilije hung up the phone and walked around the desk. "Dante, I want you to keep an eye on Solenne's house during the day. Someone's gone to a lot of trouble to convince Arnie that Solenne is the one who'll get Saint."

  Solenne's mouth dropped open in surprise. Dante was a clyten?

  Dante saw her shock and winked. "Your boyfriend's not the only interesting one of us. Don't worry. If I see anything fishy, I'll take care of it. I like to ride him, but it's all in good fun."

  "All this doesn't change the fact that Solenne's supposed to kill Saint for the Archon. That's still a problem," Terek said, reminding her that even if she was back in the Sons' good graces, she still had to figure out what to do about Verrater's order.

  Vasilije nodded in agreement. "Solenne, I think it's time you two left Valence."

  "Great. You make him hate me, make him think I'm his personal Mata Hari, and now you think we should go away together. I'll be lucky if he ever wants to see me again."

  Dante smiled at her. "Trust me. He'll want to see you again. You're the only one I've ever seen him happy around, if what he shows us can be called happy. But something tells me when we're not around, he's a much nicer Saint."

  "Perhaps I should contact one of my vampires and arrange somewhere for the two of you to stay. Do you like warm or cold climates?"

  Solenne thought about Terek's question and closed her eyes to imagine Declan on a gorgeous white sandy beach just after sunset. The thought of making love right there on the sand made her smile. Opening her eyes, she said, "Warm."

  Now if only she could get him to speak to her again.

  "Warm it is. And have some faith."

  "That's easy for a former monk to say."

  Terek leaned in toward her and whispered close to her ear, "Not as easy as you'd think."

  As the Sons discussed who could be behind the web of lies and misconceptions aimed at making Solenne look the part of the villain, she remembered the time when she'd been just that.

  Teagan held her arm tightly, crushing her wrist in his hand. Tears welled in her eyes from the pain as it radiated through her fingers and toward her elbow.

  "Going somewhere, my love?"

  His voice sounded hollow, as if the one who'd asked the question was devoid of emotion. But Solenne saw clearly from her sire's stare that he was enraged. And calling her "my love" only signaled his belief that she was his to do with as he wished.

  No matter how much it harmed her.

  "I thought I'd go for a walk," she answered, wincing from the pain his grip on her continued to inflict.

  "Alone?"

  Solenne knew he'd found out about her and Declan. She had no idea how. Since he'd returned, they hadn't spent more than minutes in one another's company, with both of them careful to show nothing of their feelings. No lingering glances had been exchanged. No behavior that would make anyone believe they were more than mere co-inhabitants in her house.

  But somehow Teagan knew. Solenne felt it deep inside.

  Maybe it was for the better. Lying about her feelings for Declan made her feel wrong. She wanted to yell that she loved him from the rooftops, not skulk around like a thief in the night. She longed to reach for his hand when he stood close to her, feeling its strength envelop her own as it cradled it protectively. She wanted to lean in next to his ear, not matter who was near, and whisper how she loved him.

  "Please let go of my arm, Teagan. You're hurting me."

  Teagan's eyes grew wide for just a moment and then he squinted angrily at her. "And just how much do you think you've hurt me?"

  "I never meant..." she began and then stopped as his face began to show the true emotion he'd concealed.

  "You never meant to make a fool of me with my own brother? Or did you never mean to break vampire law and disobey your sire?"

  Solenne lowered her gaze to the floor to avoid the anger in his eyes, but Teagan roughly pushed her chin up to force her to face his questions.

  "Please, Teagan. It was never anything we planned."

  Releasing her wrist from his iron grip,
he cradled her face in his hands. The rage in his expression frightened her, and she closed her eyes in the hopes of blocking out the vision of such anger.

  "Open your eyes, sweetheart. It's time to face your crimes."

  Eyes open, she forced herself to not look away. No matter what he said, no matter what he did to her, what she and Declan had done wasn't a crime and she wouldn't cower as if she were guilty.

  "Where is your co-conspirator now, Solenne? Waiting for you in the shadows somewhere to rendezvous?"

  Solenne remained silent, knowing Declan would soon begin to wonder where she was when she didn't show up at the park.

  "No answer? Let me guess. A cafe? No, that's not my brother's style. Too busy. Somewhere on the grounds? No, at least not while I'm here, but I imagine when I'm gone, he's fucked you up and down these beautiful gardens."

  She tried to shake her head, but Teagan's hands held her face firmly straight ahead. "Don't do this. Please, Teagan."

  "But since I'm here, he'd want somewhere as beautiful as our grounds but away from here, of course." Stroking her cheekbone with his thumb, he paused and smiled. "Perhaps a park, my love?"

  Solenne's eyes opened wide, and she knew her expression had guilt written all over it. He knew, and obviously for longer than either she or Declan had suspected.

  "Your face tells me what I already knew. Did you honestly believe I wouldn't find out? Neither of you would be a very good poker player. Would you like to know your tell, Solenne? What gave you away?"

  "Teagan, it isn't how you think. We didn't mean for this to happen."

  "Your tell, my love, is that you leave a room every time he enters. You've never been a very good liar, have you? You didn't think I'd notice one day you couldn't even be in the same room as my brother?"

  Declan had warned her that her behavior would appear odd, but she couldn't help it. Every moment the three of them spent together held the danger she'd make a mistake and let something slip.

  Teagan dropped his hands from her face and smiled. "I think it's time for you to go, love."