by Tina Folsom
“Pain will do that to a person,” Maya agreed as they crossed the foyer and walked toward Cain’s office. “I did a little research on the practice of defanging a vampire.”
Cain looked at her from the side, curious. “And?”
“It’s been employed sporadically over the centuries, but lately the practice has been largely banned. It’s considered cruel and unusual punishment.”
“Well, it hasn’t stopped the Mississippi clan from using it on those two unfortunates.” Cain entered his office and motioned Gabriel and Maya to take a seat on the couch. He took the armchair opposite them.
“What do you know about that clan?” Gabriel asked.
“Precious little. My understanding is that we’ve been at war with them for decades over border disputes, but that they’re seeking a peace agreement. I’m afraid I can’t see how making peace with a clan that treats its own people so cruelly is in the interest of my kingdom.” Calling it his kingdom still sounded foreign in his ears. “Wouldn’t it mean I condone what they’re doing?”
Gabriel contemplated his answer before he spoke. “Maybe it could become part of the peace negotiations. You’ll make peace with them if they abandon certain practices.”
“Sure, but who’s going to enforce those rules? The only reason we know about their crimes is because those two vampires managed to escape and survive long enough to find shelter with us. Had Faye not tended to them and given them what they needed, they might have perished and we’d never be the wiser.”
Maya smiled at him. “And how is Faye? I can’t wait to meet her.”
“She’s charming.” More than that, Faye was everything he’d ever dreamed of and more. Every minute he spent with her made him want her more. And what she’d done to him in the shower the previous night had been out of this world. To feel her mouth on him had been more than amazing, it had been mind blowing.
Gabriel chuckled and exchanged a look with his wife. “It seems our friend is quite smitten with her.” Then he looked back at Cain. “I’m happy for you. How about your memory? Is anything coming back?”
“I’m afraid not. Which makes certain things difficult. I don’t know who I can truly trust without knowing what my history with them is.”
“That’s understandable,” Maya agreed. “But it’s also an opportunity.”
“An opportunity for what?”
“To see everything with fresh eyes.”
Cain sighed. “Right now, I’d settle for remembering just a few essentials, rather than having to worry every moment of the day that I’d trip myself up and make people suspicious that things aren’t the way they should be. I can’t afford to appear weak.”
“And you’re not weak.” Gabriel’s words were reassuring. “I’ve always told you that you were an exceptional bodyguard when you were in our service. We’re sorry to lose you.”
Cain laughed. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m fired?”
“I believe by taking on this job here you were subtly trying to tell me that you quit,” Gabriel joked. Then he turned serious again. “You were a skilled bodyguard. You’ll be a great king.”
Cain looked toward the window. “Would you believe me when I told you that before I became king here, I was actually the leader of the king’s guard? I guess that’s why I did so well with Scanguards. I had prior experience.”
“Doesn’t surprise me at all. From the start you knew what you were doing. You didn’t need much training at all. Though your willingness to take orders did lack toward the end,” Gabriel said and winked.
“Must be the fact that I’m not meant to take orders.”
“Guess so.”
Maya sat up straight. “Hate to interrupt your reminiscing, but I’d like to see my patients as soon as possible and examine them.”
“Of course.”
“Is there a place where we can do that in private? I’ll need access to water and blood, and a surface to turn into an operating table. My guess is that the operation will be painful, and without any means to sedate them I’ll need help restraining them. Maybe strap them down.”
“The old plantation kitchen may be suitable for it. There’s water and blood supplies, and it’s a little separate from the rest of the palace. It’ll provide some privacy. I’ll be happy to assist.” Cain looked at Gabriel, who nodded instantly.
“I’ll help with restraining them,” Gabriel agreed.
“Cain, I’m sure you have better things to do,” Maya said. “Why don’t you get Thomas to do it. He might even be able to calm them down a little with mind control. He’s the only one who can safely use his skill on another vampire.”
Maya was right. Thomas was a master of mind control. “I’m afraid Thomas and Eddie had to go into New Orleans to follow up on a lead. They won’t be back for twenty-four hours.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
“What kind of lead?” Gabriel wanted to know.
“We’re not sure yet. Just a hunch. I’ll fill you in later.” Cain rose. “Let me introduce you to David and Kathryn and have my staff set up the kitchen for you to use.”
Both Maya and Gabriel also rose when the door was suddenly ripped open. Cain whirled his head to it and saw Faye storm into the room.
“How could you!?” she yelled at him, her face a mask of fury, her eyes glaring at him.
Stunned, Cain froze. What had he done now? “Faye.”
She marched toward him, when she suddenly seemed to realize that he wasn’t alone.
“Faye, these are my friends: Gabriel and his mate Maya. Maya is the doctor I told you about.”
Faye took a deep breath and nodded toward them. “Nice to meet you.” Then she looked back at Cain. “Can we talk? In private.”
Her tone told him that this conversation couldn’t wait. He glanced at his friends, but didn’t have to say anything.
“We’ll be unpacking in the meantime,” Maya suggested and took Gabriel’s hand. “Shall we, baby?”
With a concerned look on his face, Gabriel followed his wife and shut the door behind them.
Cain waited another few seconds, before he looked back at Faye. He’d never seen her this furious. “What’s wrong?”
32
Looking at Cain’s clueless expression, Faye fumed even more. As if he’d already forgotten what he’d done!
“You locked up Robert! As if he were your enemy! How could you?”
Cain stiffened visibly. “I’m afraid that’s my business. I have to protect myself.”
Faye felt tears of frustration well up and pushed them down. “Robert is my friend! He’s an honorable man! He’s not your enemy.”
Cain widened his stance, bringing his hands to his hips as if he wanted to intimidate her with his physicality. “Then why was a copy of the palace’s blueprints found in his possession, together with an envelope with an address in Mississippi?”
Faye instinctively took a step back and pressed her hand against her chest. “You think he’s a traitor?”
“What else am I supposed to think given the evidence?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Robert would never do that. He’s loyal to you. It’s all a mistake.”
“The evidence doesn’t lie.”
“Robert wouldn’t betray you. He was my support all this time. He was there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. He’s not a traitor. You have to believe me. Somebody must have set him up.”
“You sound like him. He claimed that somebody planted the blueprints.”
“You must believe him,” she pleaded.
“How can I do that when in the same breath he admitted to having addressed the envelope himself? Thomas compared the address with Robert’s ledger. It’s his handwriting. Without a doubt. He did this, Faye. You’re wrong about Robert. He wanted to sell sensitive information to the Mississippi clan to help them attack me. Most likely assassinate me.”
Faye shook her head, trying to drown out his words. “No! You’re wrong. Robert hates the Mississ
ippians. He despises their practices. No way in hell would he sell information to them.”
“Please stay out of this, Faye. Clearly, it upsets you. Let me handle this.” He reached for her, but she shrank back.
“Stay out of it? So that’s how it’s gonna be between us, is it?”
Cain narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Are you really that blind?”
He clenched his teeth and took a step toward her. “What is going on, Faye? Why are you behaving like this?”
“Because of how you’re behaving. This relationship is a farce.”
An expression of shock spread over his face as fast as wildfire engulfed a forest during drought season. “You can’t mean that. You and I, we are amazing together. We have great—”
“Sex?” Faye spat, interrupting him. “Oh yes, we have great sex. But that’s all we have.” She scoffed. “We have fabulous mind-blowing sex and then you turn away and close yourself off as soon as I want to talk to you. You don’t share anything with me. What happened to you while you were gone?”
Cain evaded her gaze. “It’s complicated.”
“See!” She pointed her index finger at him. “You’re doing it again. You’re shutting me out and refuse to answer any of my questions about what happened during the year you were gone.”
Cain sighed. “Faye, please, baby—”
“Don’t call me baby. It clearly means nothing to you. Because beyond sex, there’s nothing between us. You don’t give a damn about my feelings. You make no effort getting closer to me, and you thwart every single one of my attempts to understand you. What do you want from me?”
“Faye, you’re my fiancée.”
“I don’t care about being your fiancée. I want to be the woman you love. I want to be your confidante again. But you’re shutting me out. And I can’t pretend any longer that I can live like this.”
There was a hitch in his breath. “What are you saying?”
“I can’t come to your bed and have you make love to me when you don’t mean it. Hell, you can’t even say that you love me, can you?”
Cain lifted his hand as if reaching for her, but dropped it again. His lips parted to speak, but no words came out.
“I knew it.”
“But you must know how I . . .”
“What must I know? I know nothing, Cain, nothing at all. Because you’re not telling me anything. All I know is that you can’t tell me that you love me.” And that thought hurt the most. Despite the physical intimacy they’d shared in the last few days and nights, emotionally they were farther apart than ever before.
“You’re overreacting.”
“Am I?” How dare he marginalize her concerns? “Release Robert, and I’ll give you another chance to explain, but don’t expect me to warm your bed again. I’m not going to marry a man who doesn’t love me, no matter who he is. If you can’t tell me that you love me and mean it, then you and I have no future together. Make your choice, because mine is made.”
She turned abruptly and marched to the door. Her hand on the door handle, she hesitated for a moment.
“Don’t do this,” Cain pleaded.
“Those are the wrong words.”
Her heart aching, she opened the door and left the room. Only once she had reached the stairs leading to the lower floor did she dare breathe again. By the time she reached her suite, tears were streaming down her face.
Cain didn’t love her.
33
Cain had contemplated running after Faye the instant she’d charged out of his office. But what would have been the use? He couldn’t say the words she wanted to hear. Not yet, not when he had to continue to lie to her about himself. Only when he could tell her about his amnesia and what had really happened to him could he confess his feelings for her. Doing it while he was still hiding the truth from her would cheapen the moment. And he didn’t want to tarnish the one real emotion that he was finally certain of. The prospect of losing her had made it clear to him once and for all: he was in love with Faye.
How could he tell her that he loved her when in the same breath he had to continue to lie to her?
When he got word from Gabriel that everything was set up for the procedure on the two fugitive vampires, Cain was glad for the distraction.
The old plantation kitchen was set up like an operating theater—complete with sterile linens, stainless steel bowls, and sterilized instruments Maya had brought with her from San Francisco. The only thing missing was anesthesia. Unfortunately, vampires couldn’t be put under with the drugs that worked so well for humans.
“Who wants to go first?” Maya asked and looked at David and Kathryn.
David had his arm around the girl, hugging her to him. “Do me first. But don’t make Kathryn watch.”
Kathryn clung to him, frightened. He looked down at her, his voice softer when he addressed her. “It will be all right, little one. You’ll be safe with them.”
Cain pointed to Blake who stood near the entrance door. “Blake can take her to the library in the meantime.” He figured that since Blake was human, the girl would be less frightened of him than if somebody like Gabriel would guard her.
Kathryn glanced in Blake’s direction. Cain noticed how Blake smiled at her encouragingly.
“There’s also a big screen TV in there,” Blake coaxed. “We can watch a movie, or play Xbox.”
Cain rolled his eyes. He doubted Kathryn was into playing some stupid game on Xbox.
“Xbox?” she echoed.
Blake grinned. “Yeah, I’ll teach you.”
“Go with him, Kathryn,” David encouraged her. “You’ll be safe with him.”
Hesitantly, she left the shelter of David’s arms and walked toward Blake. When she reached him, she looked over her shoulder, seeking further encouragement from her friend, who nodded. A moment later, she left the room with Blake by her side.
Gabriel closed the door behind them.
“Lay down on the table, please,” Maya instructed David. “It will hurt, I’m afraid. But there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“I know that.” David glanced at Cain and Gabriel. “I suppose that’s why you have two men assisting you.”
Cain approached. “We’ll be strapping you down on the table. I’ll be holding your head immobile, and Gabriel will make sure you don’t escape from the straps. We don’t want to use silver.” Though it would assure that the vampire couldn’t move, Cain had no intention of inflicting even more pain on him than he’d already endured.
Nodding, David climbed onto the table which had been covered with a white sheet. While Maya slipped on some latex gloves, Cain and Gabriel proceeded to put leather straps across David’s legs, thighs, and torso, and tie them underneath the table. When he was secured, Cain looked at the patient.
“Ready?”
David swallowed hard. “Ready.”
“I’ll make this as quick as I can,” Maya promised and picked up stainless steel pliers from a tray next to the table. “I’ll first test how tightly the ball is lodged in your gums, okay?”
David blinked his eyes in acquiescence, while Cain placed his hands to either side of his head and gripped him firmly to hold him in place.
Maya bent over her patient. “Open wide.”
Suddenly the door was ripped open and everybody snapped their heads in its direction.
“Wait!” Wesley stormed into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. “I’ve got something to numb his pain.”
David tried to rear up from the table, but the leather straps prevented him from lifting anything except his head. “Witch!”
“Stay calm, David,” Cain assuaged him. “Wesley is a friend. He means you no harm. He’s here to help.” However, Cain had his doubts that the witch was capable of what he claimed.
Wesley walked to the table. “I put together a potion. It should work on a vampire.”
“Should?” Maya asked skeptically.
&
nbsp; “It will,” Wes corrected. “It’ll put him into a bit of a trance and make him less aware of what you’re doing.”
Maya exhaled. “And if it doesn’t work?”
Wes shrugged. “If it doesn’t, then it just doesn’t have any effect. It can’t hurt him. Promise.”
“It better not tint him red,” Gabriel interjected.
“What?” David asked, confused.
Wesley stared at the patient. “Don’t listen to him. Some people here will just never let me forget my mistakes, no matter how much I’ve improved my witchcraft.”
“Improved?” David tossed a quizzical look at Cain. “He’s an apprentice?”
Cain shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Pointing out to David that Wesley wasn’t exactly an expert in his field wouldn’t help in this situation. Maybe for once it was better to cut the kid some slack. “Wesley is an accomplished witch.”
Suddenly a smile formed on the older man’s face. “You’re a terrible liar, Your Majesty.” Then he glanced at Wesley. “Well, do your thing then and let’s hope it won’t kill me.”
Triumphantly, Wesley removed a vial from his shirt pocket. “You’ll all need to step back for a moment, so you don’t inhale it, too.”
Cain took a few steps back, as did Maya and Gabriel. Then Wesley opened the vial and held it under David’s nose. A green colored mist rose from it.
“Just inhale deeply,” Wes instructed in a soothing voice.
The vampire did as told and pulled in a deep breath. His eyes closed and suddenly his head rolled to the side. He was unconscious.
“Oops.” Wes looked up, a sheepish look on his face.
Cain charged at him. “What the fuck did you do now?”
“I suppose the potion was a little stronger than I thought. Don’t worry, he’s just out for a little while.” He motioned to Maya. “Better start right away. I have no idea how long it’s gonna last.”
“That’s just great,” Gabriel grumbled. Then he pointed to the door. “Better get out of here. He might not be too happy to see you when he comes to.”
“If he comes to,” Cain added.