Bittersweet Blood (The Order #1)

“And think,” Piers said. “What sort of life could you ever have if the fae are always after you?”


Tara opened her mouth to say she didn’t care when there was a tap on the door. It swung open. Jonas Callaghan stood there, and Tara realized what they meant to do. They were going to cast some sort of spell on her to make her forget Christian. She jumped to her feet, putting the chair between her and the warlock. She glanced around the room. Graham looked sick, Jamie alarmed, only Carl seemed unaffected. She sidled to stand beside him.

“If he comes anywhere near me, shoot him,” Tara said. “In fact, if he does anything at all, shoot him.”

Jonas smiled at her. “Don’t be so melodramatic, my dear. I only have your best interests at heart.”

“Jonas is our newest employee,” Piers said. “I see you’ve already met.”

“Keep him away from me.”

Piers sighed. “I knew you were going to be trouble. Here read this. Perhaps Christian will be able to persuade you.”

He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. Tara stared at it, could hardly make her fingers work enough to open it. She tried to focus on the handwriting.

Tara,

Do what Piers says. It’s for the best. We will not meet again.

Christian.

As love letters went, it was sorely lacking. She crumpled it up and threw it on the floor. How dare he make decisions about her life? How dare he presume that he knew what was best for her?

“So,” Piers said. “Are we on?” He glanced round the room, his eyes settling on Jamie, then back to Tara. “You’re going to have to say goodbye to your shifter friend.”

Jamie moved a step closer to her.

“What?” Tara asked blankly.

“No ties with our world, remember.”

Tara shook her head; Piers actually believed she’d let them go through with this.

“Perhaps I’ll keep him myself,” Piers continued. “Shifter blood is always a pleasant change. And you might as well say goodbye to your red-haired friend. If Christian doesn’t come back, he’s finished as well.” Graham looked even sicker.

“At least,” Piers said, “we’ll have proof that Christian is well and truly dead.”

“I thought he was your friend,” Tara said.

“He is my friend, and I’ll abide by his wishes.”

“Well, I won’t just sit here and wait for proof that he’s dead.”

Jonas moved into the room and the door swung shut behind him. Tara watched him warily.

“It doesn’t matter, Tara,” Jonas said. “Even if Christian defeats Asmodai, he has agreed that he will no longer be a part of your life. Let us do the spell as he wanted.”

No way.

She wouldn’t let it happen, would fight against it with everything she had. But glancing from the Warlock to the vampire, she knew her wishes wouldn’t be enough. They were going to steal her very memories from her. She would rather die than let them take her time with Christian away from her.

“Tara.” She turned at the sound of Jamie’s voice. His eyes were wide and panic flashed across his face.

“What is it, Jamie?”

“Asmodai?”

“That’s the demon who’s been going after Christian. His people took Chloe.”

Jamie looked sick, and a wave of alarm washed over her. She didn’t want to hear what he was going to say. She wasn’t capable of any more shocks tonight, and she had a feeling, from the look on Jamie’s face, that this was going to be a whopper.

“Asmodai is your father.”

She swayed. Carl’s arms came around her, holding her steady, and she leaned against him as shock thundered through her.

“What?”

The question came from Piers. He stared at her, but she couldn’t define the expression on his face.

“Oh, this is so good,” Jonas murmured.

Tara pushed at Carl until he released her. She licked her lips.

“Say that again,” she ordered Jamie.

“Asmodai is your father.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded.

“You said you didn’t know who my father was.”

“I lied. I promised your mother I wouldn’t tell, and besides, I didn’t know Asmodai had a vendetta against Christian. I would never have sent you to Christian if I’d known that. Oh God.” He put his head in his hands. “It all makes sense. That’s why he hates Christian.”

“Well, I’m glad it all makes sense to you,” Piers drawled. “But it makes absolutely none at all to me. Why does he hate Christian?”

“Christian was head of the Order. He defeated Asmodai, banished him back to the Abyss. Lillian was fae—she couldn’t follow him. She was left stranded on earth, pregnant and alone. He would never forgive Christian for that and would blame him for Lillian’s death.”

“I thought he kidnapped my mother. I thought she hated him.”