I didn’t even know where to begin with half of it and I was sure there was much more for me to learn about yet. But one thing was for sure. I really hadn’t known what I was letting myself in for when I’d taken the vow and tied myself to this goddess and her laws. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to just accept my lot and go along with it. If she could fight dirty then so could I. She’d pushed me into making this decision without understanding it when my grief was at its fullest. And now I intended to use her gifts to get my sister back and bring down the monsters who had stolen her from me. She might have found a way to bind me to her rules but if there was any way for me to fight against them then I would.
I wasn’t going to leave my destiny in the hands of some deity. My fate would be my own.
I rose from the deepest slumber of my life, leaving the presence of my sister behind. I knew now that the man she was with was a slayer. Magnar Elioson. The same slayer who'd left the deep scar on Erik's midriff. His sworn enemy.
As the haze lifted from my mind, I was left with a lump of solid ice in my chest. Grief weaved through my body like a hungry snake, devouring any happiness it found.
Though I knew I could finally leave this dark sleep if I wanted to, I kept my eyes clamped shut, knowing when I woke I'd have to face the fact that my dad was dead. Truly gone. The person who had been a rock for me to cling onto through the stormy sea of my life.
“Callie,” I murmured, tears squeezing from my eyes. For the first time since arriving in New York City, I missed our apartment in the Realm. I wanted to wake in our tiny bedroom and curl up in my sister's bed. I wanted to go back to a time when Dad was alive and a life outside the Realm was nothing more than a dream.
At least there were a few things to hold on to in this new life. And though I wasn't yet free, I felt closer than I had been before. Callie had escaped. Dad would have preferred it that way, I was sure.
A hand encircled mine, cool and soothing.
You have to get up. You can't let this break you.
I took a breath and forced my eyes open.
Erik sat on the edge of the bed, blocking the room from view, but I could tell I wasn't in my usual bed in the castle. To my right was a wooden nightstand with a cup of water sitting there.
“You've been out cold for an entire day,” Erik said and I took him in properly. His brow was etched with lines of concern and his eyes flickered with emotion. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and sweatpants, looking like a completely different person to the last time I'd seen him. When I’d fallen on the staircase at the ceremony...
I sat up, searching myself for injuries. I couldn't find any. I was dressed in similar clothes to him and wondered vaguely who'd changed me.
“I fell,” I said and my voice was raspy from a lack of moisture.
Erik promptly handed me the cup of water and I gulped down the whole lot. “I caught you.”
I nodded once, dropping my eyes to the empty glass and feeling as hollow as the space inside it.
“What happened?” Erik asked urgently. “I had a doctor try to wake you, but he couldn't. He said you needed time, but you have no idea how hard it's been to wait.”
I nodded, my thoughts still realigning. The weight of what I'd learned descended on me again so sharply, I wasn't remotely prepared. I unravelled, dropping my face into my hands and sobbing into them.
Erik's arms surrounded me and he dragged me into his lap, hugging me against his shoulder. “What's wrong? Is it the ceremony? I told you you're safe with me. I promise you won't have to do anything you don't want to do.”
I circled my hands around his neck and released my grief, letting it flow and flow until it finally died away enough for me to speak. “No...it's not that.” But I couldn't make myself go on. I couldn't say the words. Speaking them would make them so utterly true, I could never take them back.
Erik pushed me away a little, his mouth dropping into a flat line. “I found the blade.”
Nightmare!
My heart screamed and I opened my mouth to explain but Erik spoke before I could.
“No one else saw it,” he said in a low tone. “I've hidden it for now but I acted without thought when I found it...” He turned his hand over and I spotted the same runes from Nightmare's hilt branded into his left palm. “It’ll heal eventually.”
I looked up at him with concern.
“I'm not angry,” he said quickly. “But I was initially. Now I'm just confused and hoping you can explain this all away because I'm not sure what's going on, Montana. Were you planning on using that blade?”
“No,” I whispered, pushing myself out of his lap so I could stand.
I gazed around the expansive bedroom we were in. A glass door led out to a balcony and a glimpse of the night sky was visible beyond it. I was surrounded by wooden furniture and soft rugs lined the floor. A cream armchair sat before a table full of food. My stomach growled but I didn't make any move toward it. My legs were shaky with anxious energy. I was sure if I stopped to think again, I'd fall apart once more. I started pacing the way I had back in the Realm when the world became too much to bear.
“Please talk to me,” Erik begged from the bed.
An ache was growing in my chest, expanding more and more until the words bubbled up and burst from my mouth. “My dad's dead. When I passed out my mind sort of...connected with my sister's. I saw her with him. His neck was torn. He had so many bite marks and there was so much blood-” I choked, shaking my head as I continued pacing, but I was sure nothing would ever get rid of this desperate energy. “I don't know how our thoughts connected or why. It just is what it is. But I know what I saw is true. I know it like they were my own memories.” Tears spilled over again and I wiped them hastily away on the back of my hand.
“It was Wolfe,” I forced out, my grief turning to rage. I held so much hate in my heart for the General. I wanted to storm from this place and find him. End him with Nightmare. Cut out his heart and turn him to dust.
Erik moved toward me in a blur of motion, his arms seizing me from behind and wrapping tightly around me. “Wolfe killed your father?”
I nodded, unable to say it again.
I took a shaky breath. “He's dead because of the vampire you sent to free him. The monster you trusted to bring him here.” I tried to break free but he didn't let me go.
“I didn't know,” Erik growled, his tone deadly. “I will deal with him, I swear it.”
“No.” I shoved his arms and he released me. I turned to him with my upper lip curling back. “I want to deal with him. It was my father he killed. Bring him here on his knees and put Nightmare in my hand.” I practically spewed venom and Erik gazed at me with a flicker of concern in his expression.
“Take a breath,” he said softly and I did, my chest rising and falling as I dragged in some air. “I know you want revenge, but we have to be careful. No one can know what you are.”
I released a dry laugh. “Tell that to Miles. He already figured it out and I'm sure he's telling the rest of your siblings right now.”
Erik's eyes turned to stone. “He knows?!” he bellowed and a shudder ran through me at his tone, but I didn't back down.
“Yes,” I breathed. “He tried to blackmail me into picking him at the ceremony.” I scrubbed at my cheeks again as more tears fell. “I'm sick of playing your family's games.”
“I'm not playing games with you. Not anymore,” Erik said, harnessing his tone. He stepped toward me and I lifted my chin, assessing what he might do. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?”
I blinked firmly to stop any more tears from coming. “Because I didn't know if I could trust you.”
“You must trust me,” he said, his tone even and demanding.
Anger boiled inside me. “I trusted you to free my father and you sent a monster to kill him instead! Why would I ever trust you again?”
Erik shook his head, looking desperate. “I didn't know what he'd do, Montana. Wolfe may be a cold man, but he is supposed
to be a loyal one. I didn't suspect for a moment he would go against my orders.”
Heat simmered in my veins. “But you must have known my father was being tortured! You can claim ignorance to the Realms, but you know about the blood banks. You know what happens to humans inside their walls.”
“I'd never let anyone hurt your family intentionally,” he growled, moving toward me, but I backed up.
My features skewed with rage. “Just because you treat me better doesn't change how the rest of my kind are looked after. Do you care for humans at all? Do you think it's acceptable to treat me differently just because I'm here in front of you? Because you care about me a fraction more than you do any other human in the country?!”
He reached for me and I slapped his hand away.
“Montana, please,” he begged, scraping his fingers through his hair. “I know how it seems, but I'm trying to make up for what's been caused under my family's rule. I am trying to change things, but I need more time.” He stepped closer and my heart tripled its pace. I held up a hand to keep him back but he kept coming, trapping me in his frantic gaze. “And you're wrong. I do care. I fucking care, alright? Maybe I didn't before. Maybe I turned a blind eye, but I'm wide awake now. I'm damn-well paying attention and I will do whatever it takes to make this right.”
My breathing increased as I stared at him, my barriers beginning to fall. I could see the truth in his eyes. I could feel it burning through him like a forest fire. Maybe he had made a mistake. Maybe he had wrongly trusted Wolfe. And I couldn't place blame on him for my father's death if that was the case. Why would Erik have intended for him to die?
Pain bloomed in my chest, taking me hostage and dragging me down towards despair again. My legs grew weak and Erik was suddenly so close, I let myself lean against him for support.
“Please trust me,” he murmured in my ear. “I will do everything I can to earn that trust. But you must place it in me now. There is no one else for you to turn to and I can't bear to think of you feeling so alone when you're dealing with such loss.”
I clutched his shirt, knotting my hands in it as I fought back the urge to cry again. I wanted to trust him so much. It scored a path through my body and lit a flame in my chest. I gave in to it, all the way in. Because my soul told me to trust him. My instincts screamed it. What other choice did I have?
I dropped my eyes to the fluffy cream rug beneath my feet. “I do trust you,” I breathed. “Even Nightmare seems to trust you.”
“The blade?” Erik guessed and I nodded. He sighed, taking my wrist. “We have a lot to talk about. There's so much you don't understand about those blades or me, the curse too. I'll tell you all of it, but first...” He guided me toward the table of food, planting me down in an ornate wooden chair. “Eat. Please. Stay here and rest. I can provide anything you need. Anything at all. You need time to grieve and I'm sure you want your space.”
I took his hand as he went to move away. “Where are you going?”
His jaw ticked and a dangerous look slipped into his eyes. “I must deal with Wolfe.”
His fingers intertwined with mine and I squeezed them, stealing an ounce of comfort from him. He leaned forward, placing a feather-light kiss to my temple. “I will make the arrest as uncomfortable as possible for him. And then I will interrogate him for his crimes.”
“I want to be there,” I said, determined that he wouldn't deny me this.
Surprising me, he nodded. “You're not just a Courtier anymore, Rebel. You're my fiancée. And if you want to be there, you will be.” He headed toward a door across the room, leaving my heart pounding frantically in my chest.
Fiancée?
A breath staggered past my lips as I absorbed that word.
Erik opened the door and glanced back. “This house is yours. Go wherever you please. You are no longer a prisoner.” The door shut between us and I stared after him, unable to believe so many things had changed in one night.
A single thought filled my mind: if I was going to be there when Wolfe was interrogated, I wanted Nightmare back. But where the hell had Erik put it?
I forced down a few bites of fruit and bread, knowing I needed to keep my strength up. When I was finished, I headed to the balcony and slid the door aside. For a second I'd wondered if it would be locked, but Erik was true to his word. I was no longer a prisoner here. Or at least, I had less walls surrounding me. I doubted I'd be able to go anywhere alone, but at least I wasn't caged within the castle anymore.
As I stepped onto the balcony, I took in the beautiful view stretching into the distance. New York City stood on the horizon under the silver light of a full moon. I guessed I was several miles outside of its borders. The house I was in sat atop a hill and beyond a large garden was a huge stretch of land which had small shrubs growing on it in perfect lines.
I drank in the fresh air and found an inch of calm to hold onto. Callie was out there somewhere, safe. And even though we couldn't be together through this pain, it was better this way. She had the freedom we'd always dreamed about. And I prayed she held onto it.
I clutched the metal railing as grief threatened to overwhelm me again. But I had to be strong. I had to be ready to face Wolfe. Because when I did, he wouldn't see me cry. He wouldn't see the pain he'd caused. I'd only let him see the strength in me. The strength that had always lived in my family. And no one, least of all a disgusting monster like Wolfe, was going to take that from us.
I flinched as a knock sounded on the door. I’d been lost in my thoughts, trying to sift through the information I’d gained from Montana while our minds had been connected. Her pain at the loss of our father had been most present but I’d gleaned some more from her too. The worst of which was what the vampires wanted her for.
“Callie?” Magnar’s voice came from beyond the closed door. “Are you decent?”
“I’m dressed if that’s what you mean,” I replied irritably. I knew he was upset with me for forcing him into this situation but I was upset with him too. He knew why I’d done it. And if he’d been so against the idea of me taking the vow then he should have made the implications clearer. How was I supposed to have known this would happen if he didn’t tell me?
He pushed the door open and walked towards me holding out a steaming bowl of food. I raised an eyebrow as I accepted it, the rich smell making my stomach growl.
“I thought you were angry with me?” I couldn’t work out why he was being so nice in some ways like the bath, new clothes and now a meal. It grated against the general pissed off vibe he was giving out.
“I told you I’d never see you go hungry while you’re with me.” He sat on the other end of the couch, keeping a foot of space between us and not looking at me. Half of me wanted him to leave me alone again. The other half wished he’d move closer.
I took a mouthful of the stew and it danced over my tastebuds. I couldn't remember the last time I’d tasted something so good. Magnar really knew how to cook. I felt my anger with him melting as I quickly spooned more into my mouth, satisfying the dull ache in my stomach.
“Besides,” Magnar added. “You’re my responsibility now.”
I bristled at the implication. “You make responsibility sound a lot like burden.”
Magnar grunted in a way that seemed like an agreement and humiliation washed over me. If he wanted rid of me so badly then that was fine. I shoved the half-eaten bowl of food back at him and got to my feet.
“I’ve never been a burden on anyone in my life and I won’t be starting now.” I strode away from him and out of the room, heading straight for the front door. I didn’t have my coat or boots but I was too angry to care. A nagging voice in the back of my head told me I was being childish but I stamped it out. My head was too full of everything that had happened to me and I needed some space and fresh air to clear it. I didn’t want to be close to Magnar if all he was going to do was make me feel worse.
The mare poked her head around the kitchen door as I passed by but I ignored her. It w
asn’t like I knew how to ride anyway. Although as that thought crossed my mind, I was gripped with the sensation that I did know how now. My ancestors had ridden horses and their skills were mine if I wanted them. But my anger drove those thoughts out of my head again as I walked away from the horse.
I grabbed the door handle and wrenched it wide. Cold air washed over me and I spotted the protection runes scratched into the ground outside. The sky was clear and the waning moon hung low in the sky. Frost lined the grass and my breath rose before me in a cloud of vapour.
I took a step forward and slammed into something, almost falling back on my ass. I caught the doorframe to right myself and swore as I tried to push past the invisible barrier again. It was like shoving against a brick wall. I couldn’t leave.
I looked over my shoulder and found Magnar watching me as he leant against a wall.
“Turn off your stupid wards and let me go!” I demanded.
“It’s not the wards,” he replied lightly.
“Then what is it?”
“The vow. You can’t leave me or abandon your oath. Unless you wish to die to get out of it.” He folded his arms as I fought against the urge to scream. I slammed the front door instead, casting out the freezing winter air.
“So I’m stuck with you?” I growled.
“It would appear so.”
I hated how calm he was. I’d have preferred him to scream at me. To tell me all of the reasons why he wouldn’t have chosen this situation and to at least share in my anger with the goddess over it. But his face was blank, betraying nothing of the writhing emotions which must have been eating at him just as mine were consuming me.
Part of me wanted to break down again. At least tears gave me an outlet for these feelings. Holding them in made me feel like I was going to break in two. My mind swam with memories of my father and the brief moments I’d spent connected to Montana.
“He’s going to force her to marry him,” I whispered, the true stem of my outburst finding its way from my lips.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 49