by Rye Brewer
“I couldn’t say,” he replied. “I don’t know the all specifics of witches. They’re a mystery to me.”
“As they should be,” I reminded him.
“Excuse me?” He glanced askance at me.
I was sure it wasn’t my words but, rather, my tone that sent his eyebrows high up on his forehead.
I forged on. “Witches should be a mystery to us because it’s against the law to consort with them. Or did you forget that, being away for so long?”
“Who said I consort with witches? Sirene is my contact, as I already told you.”
I took a step toward him, then another. “You might be Fane now, but you’re still my father, and I still know how you look and sound when you’re telling me a half-truth. You wouldn’t know so much about her powers, and she certainly wouldn’t have given any of her powers to you unless you were more to each other than contacts. I’m not a child. Don’t go thinking you can satisfy me with a few excuses.”
“And don’t go thinking you can speak to me that way and get away with it,” he warned. “Do not forget who you’re talking to.”
“I don’t know who I’m talking to. That’s the problem. Are you my father right now, or are you Fane? Either way, you’re someone who left me for a long time and forced me to take on a responsibility I wasn’t ready for. But I did it. I held on to the clan even when Marcus Carver did everything he could to rip us apart. We grew, and we flourished, and I think that earns me a little bit of respect and a little honesty.”
He eyed me up and down, thinking. “So, what is it you’re asking me, Jonah?”
“I’m asking if you’re consorting with a witch, though it’s taboo. Is that what you’ve been doing all this time?” I couldn’t keep the disgust and disappointment out of my voice. When I thought about my mother—my beautiful, sweet mother—it seemed unreal he would ever stoop so low.
Instead of answering me, like I’d expected, he threw himself at me and pushed me against the hard, cold marble.
With his face inches from mine, he snarled. “Who are you to judge what I do when you consort with a half-blood fae?”
When I was a kid, years earlier before he went away, he might have been able to get away with this. But I was much stronger now, and I shoved him away from me with my own fangs bared.
“Don’t you call her that,” I warned.
“Why? It’s who she is.”
“She’s more than just a half-blood. And it’s not her or me we’re talking about right now. It’s you, and the choices you’ve made.”
He advanced on me again, like he was going to attack, when the fog swirled around us.
I felt another presence—calm, peaceful energy surrounded me.
I turned, as Fane did, to find Sirene walking toward us. With the fog around her ankles, it almost seemed as though she floated.
“Jonah. Please, don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what? Ask my father what he’s doing with you?” I glared at her. “That’s a little too much to ask.”
“It’s never been my intention to take your mother’s place in Fane’s heart,” she murmured softly in reply.
“No, only in his bed.”
“Enough,” Fane snarled, cutting off anything Sirene had been about to say.
It didn’t matter, because something else registered on my senses.
Another presence.
It couldn’t be. I looked around, but there were only three of us standing here. I cocked my head to the side and listened hard.
I heard it. Another heartbeat. Small, fast, but strong. There was only one place it could be originating from.
I turned to Sirene. “You’re carrying a baby.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t tell me I was wrong.
I turned to Fane. “It’s your baby.”
They glanced at each other, then at me.
Fane nodded.
It felt like the world came crashing in around me. Not so much the baby, but the knowledge of all that had happened between knowing him as my father and meeting him again as Fane. He was a totally different being, no longer someone I felt I could trust.
What was worse, he’d become a hypocrite, which was never who he’d been before.
I wanted to yell at him and accuse him and reduce the monuments around me to rubble.
Instead, I scowled at him. “And you have the nerve to call Anissa a half-blood. To think I left her behind to help you find Gage.”
I regretted it bitterly as I stood there glaring at him. He was a stranger. A stranger I couldn’t trust.
“I’m outta here.” I turned to leave—how I would get out, I had no idea, since I didn’t know how to throw a portal. I just needed to get away from him, and her. I couldn’t stand her eyes staring into me anymore.
“Jonah.” Fane grabbed my shoulder, stopping me cold. “Have you forgotten the brand? What about the danger it could pose to your girlfriend?”
When he mentioned it, I felt the stinging on my arm, radiating up and all through me. It was like the brand pulsed along with my heartbeat.
In my anger, I had almost forgotten it.
I turned toward him but couldn’t bring myself to look at him again. He disgusted me. I couldn’t stop thinking about my mother and what he was doing to her memory by being with a witch.
How could he? He had told me he and my mother were in love, that their love was strong enough to destroy a lifelong friendship with Lucian and change our destinies. How could he forget all of that?
And he had the nerve to act as though he had the moral high ground. Calling Anissa a half-blood when his own half-blood baby was growing inside its mother’s womb—a witch’s womb.
“Jonah. Look at me, please.” Something in Sirene’s words, or maybe it was her gentle tone of voice, made me raise my head to meet her eyes.
There was kindness there. More than I had seen in a long time. Peace washed over me.
“Your father loves you,” she said in the same soft, gentle voice. “He loves all of you. Let him, let me, let us both help you with your brand and to find your brother. Don’t let what’s happening now, between us, make you lose sight of what’s important.”
“And what’s important?” I asked.
“Valerius. He’s a powerful vampire. There’s a reason he’s put the brand there, and we need to find someone who can translate it.”
She was starting to get to me, untying the knot of anger and betrayal deep in my chest.
I felt it loosening, softening. I wouldn’t forget it—there were too many questions unanswered—but I was willing to let it go for the time being.
She was right. There were more important, immediate concerns.
I nodded grudgingly. “All right. What do we do now?”
7
Philippa
I went back to my room and locked the door before Sara could come back. Was I going crazy? If I wasn’t, I would be pretty soon if things didn’t start making sense.
I had never felt so alone, not even in the days after our parents had disappeared. For all I knew, Sara had cast a spell over Scott and he would never be able to help me.
There were vampires like that, ones who’d learned how to control the minds of other vampires. I had never met one as far as I knew, but they existed. Was she one of them? It was possible—her sister was a half-blood, after all. Who knew who else their mother had consorted with?
I shuddered at the thought of exactly whom I had allowed into my home, the heart of my family.
And here, I was supposed to be leading the clan and taking care of us all. What a joke. I had never felt so out to sea with nothing to hold on to, and nobody to help me. Jonah was gone. I had no idea how to find him. Scott might be a lost cause. And Gage. Where was Gage? I was no further along with finding him than I was before, and I couldn’t risk leaving the clan now. Could I?
My head spun with a myriad of thoughts.
And Fane. Our father. Whoever he was. I could’ve used his counse
l about then. I could’ve used anybody, someone to listen and help me understand. I wasn’t ready for any of this, but here I was, right in the middle.
I threw myself on the bed, wishing I could sleep. I missed sleep. I always used to feel better after a good night’s rest, even when I was young and human and my problems had seemed so monumental. They always seem monumental to a kid, don’t they? Like the world was ending because my hair wouldn’t curl properly or the boy I’d set my cap for didn’t return my affection. I chuckled half-heartedly when I remembered the quaint terms we used to use. So much time had gone by since then.
The whole world had changed, but some things stayed the same. Mother always used to say a good night’s sleep made everything better, and it did. Until it didn’t anymore, after she turned me.
What would she say if she was here? I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought of her. I had been so hopeful for a second when I saw Father—if he was alive, could she be, too?
But no. I couldn’t be that lucky.
All I had was a father with more secrets than he’d reveal, one who acted like my very touch burned him.
What could’ve happened to change him so drastically? I’d heard stories in the past about vampires forced from their clans, who had to forget everything they’d ever known for the sake of their safety and their loved ones. I had imagined more than once my parents were going through a situation like that.
Nobody wanted to believe their parents would leave of their own free will. It was the fantasy of every abandoned child that their parents were out there, loving them, wishing they could all be together as a family. I wiped away a tear.
Was that what happened to him, after all? Or had he just found something he liked better?
My phone vibrated, and I reached into my pocket and pulled my cell out to see who it was.
An unknown number.
I frowned.
Normally, I wouldn’t bother picking up… but then again, it could be Gage.
My heart leaped when I answered, my fingers crossed. “Hello?”
“Philippa?”
I knew the voice, but it wasn’t Gage.
“Vance?” I whispered, sitting up.
“Yeah. I have to see you.”
“Where?”
“Downstairs. The alley.” Outside the tunnel, he meant.
I remembered all the times we’d met there back in the day, before he broke my heart. How many times had I run out to the elevator and jammed my finger on the button, like it would get me to the basement faster if I did?
“I’ll be right down.”
I hoped Sara and Scott wouldn’t see me. I was more certain than ever Sara was bad news—I had only disliked her before, but after that little show she treated me to, I would avoid her like a plague.
She didn’t need to know anything about what I was doing. I only hoped Scott didn’t get in too deep before I figured out what she was really all about.
I opened the door slowly, as quietly as I could. I didn’t hear either of their voices in the main room. Maybe they were still outside, or maybe they’d gone to his rooms on the other side of the hall. There was a light shining under the closed door. I assumed they were in there and hoped it was so as I tiptoed down the hall and out to the front door.
Once I was outside the penthouse, I dashed to the elevator and took it straight down to the ground floor.
Minutes after his call, I met Vance face-to-face outside the secret entrance.
He was pacing when I stepped out the almost-hidden door, but he stopped when he heard me. He wore all-black—turtleneck, jeans, work boots, and a long coat which swept the tops of the boots. It suited him. He looked more handsome than ever.
I couldn’t believe how good it felt to see him—funny, since seeing him had only recently turned my stomach. All the conflict I felt over him dissolved in the face of what was on my mind, so much so I went straight to him with my arms open.
He let out a little gasp of surprise. “Hey, hey. What’s the matter?” Still, his arms closed around me. He didn’t push me away.
This was exactly what I needed.
“I’m sorry. I’m so very confused and need a friend,” I murmured, my head against his chest.
“I guess things aren’t going any better than they were, then.”
“Good guess.” I straightened and shook it off. “Par for the course lately.”
He looked me up and down. “If things are bad, it doesn’t show on you. You’re looking just as good as ever.”
“Thanks.” I folded my arms. “Do you ever switch gears?”
“When it comes to you? No.”
“Is this why you wanted to see me? To make thinly-veiled come-ons? You could’ve done that over the phone.”
“But you came running the second I called, didn’t you?”
When I didn’t smile, his smile faded.
“I was in the area and wanted to check on you. That’s the truth.”
“I guess that’s pretty nice,” I admitted. “Maybe. So, how are things going for you?”
“Pretty well. It’s not easy work.”
“I can’t imagine.” I remembered him telling me about joining the Vampire League’s Special Operations team, and the top-secret nature of the work he’d be doing. I knew he couldn’t tell me much. It was enough to see him safe. “Hey,” I said, as a lightbulb went off in my head. “You’ve met lots of different vampires, right? I mean you’ve traveled a lot because of your father’s work. Isn’t that true?”
“Why?”
“Have you ever met a vampire with elemental skills?”
His brow furrowed as he frowned. “What do you mean?”
“One who could work with the elements. You know what I mean. The way some witches and other creatures can.” I couldn’t shake the memory of Sara and the lightning bolts. It made me shiver a little.
“Yeah, but it seems a strange question, that’s all. No, I’ve never known any personally. I’m sure it’s possible.”
I could almost feel the electricity setting my hair on end. “Yeah. I’m sure it is.”
More like, I know it is. All I needed—something else to be concerned with. one more thing to add to the list.
I had to change the subject before he asked more questions. “You’re safe out there, right? You’re not taking any big chances?”
He looked more mature, somehow, though it hadn’t been that long since the last time I saw him. He’d changed. It had to be the responsibility he’d taken on.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” He grinned. “Dare I believe you actually care about me?”
I cocked my head to the side. “If I did, you just ruined it.”
“Can I do anything to change that?”
“Probably not.”
“What if I tell you I’m on a big, important, secret mission?” He took a step toward me, and I backed away until I was against the wall.
“Oh, am I supposed to get worried about you and realize I’ve loved you all along? Maybe beg you to come back to me in one piece?”
It was tough, sounding hard and cynical when he was this close to me. He left me breathless, weak-kneed, even with the entire world crashing in on me the way it was.
“That all sounds pretty good,” he said with a little smirk—one that made him hotter than ever. There was no humor in his eyes, though.
“What is it? You’re not really in any danger, are you?”
“It’s Special Ops. There’s an element of danger to it no matter what.”
I wasn’t used to him not being playful or flirty or sarcastic. Yes, he had changed.
“Don’t take any unnecessary chances, okay? I’m being serious.”
He snorted. “Yeah, well, when you’re hunting for somebody like Fane, it’s not easy to play it safe.”
There is no way.
If he had told me that an hour earlier, I wouldn’t have felt icy fear spread through my chest.
Life couldn’t be this unfair, could it?
; “You’re hunting for Fane? I thought he was more myth than anything else.” I fought to keep my tone normal, nonchalant.
His face hardened. “He’s definitely real, and he’s committed crimes against the league.”
I gulped and fought to swallow around the lump that had appeared in my throat. “Like what?”
He frowned. “What’s with the sudden interest?”
“Why wouldn’t I be interested? It’s sort of a big deal.”
“You have no idea. I have to find him… and kill him.”
Kill.
Double-gulp. There went that icy feeling again. I couldn’t breathe. “What’s he done, exactly? All I’ve ever heard are stories, you know? Legends.”
“They’re not merely legends. They’re very real. He’s been feeding on humans for years.”
“You’re sure about that? That’s a pretty big accusation.”
I couldn’t be too obvious. He’d see right through me—he always could. But I couldn’t let him kill my father, either. No matter what he’d done, he was still my father.
“There have been several deaths,” he said. “Not to mention the fact several missing persons have been noted. The entire agreement we have with the humans revolves around keeping up our end of the agreement. Without that, we might as well go back to the days when we were at odds with each other.”
“You think killing Fane will somehow strengthen the agreement?”
“It can’t hurt. Not if he’s unwilling to follow the rules.”
“How do you know for sure he’s guilty?”
“Tips from reliable sources. He’s been spotted.”
How could I help my father? How could I keep him from dying? I tried standing up for him. “If he’s gone rogue, he doesn’t have a choice but to feed on humans, does he? When there aren’t any options but to either feed from humans or die, what can you expect him to do?”
He was quiet for a moment. His frown deepened. “Why does it sound like you’re defending him?”
“I’m not.” I totally was, but he was my father for heaven’s sake.
“It seems as though you are.”
What could I say? There was no excuse.
Vance would never believe I had suddenly developed a soft heart for others—that was never one of my strong points. He knew me too well to believe that.