September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)

“Did he say that? How nice of him.” Kale tried to hide a smile. He and Willow had formed their own odd relationship while I was away. It definitely piqued my curiosity.

“He said that you’re my second. And that Shya’s been sending you to look for the scroll. Willow thinks we need to talk about that, and as much as I’d like to avoid it, I have to agree with him. So…start talking.”

An amused grin spread across Kale’s handsome face. Mischief shone in his eyes. It was a good indicator that he was slipping into that strange place where vampires go to hunt and kill, an inevitable side effect of being around the power I’d called. I really hoped we could just talk without me having to knock him out.

Kale seemed to be weighing his words, considering where to start or how much to tell me. Finally he said, “I stopped an assassination attempt on Arys while you were both out of town. A rebel group formed. They were plotting to kill him upon your return home. I made sure they never had a chance to try it.”

He stopped, allowing me a chance to process this information. It wasn’t easy to take in. I sat heavily on the end of the couch near Jez’s feet and stared at him, stunned. “Why?” I asked, taking a deep, calming breath. “Why would you want to help Arys?”

“Shya instructed me to do it,” he confessed, hanging his head as if ashamed. “But I didn’t do it for him. I did it for you.”

I swallowed hard, “Is this why I found one of your victims propped up by the front door?”

“Shya said I should make it clear to the city that I’m your second in command. The most powerful next only to you and Arys. It felt wrong when he said it. Once I started killing the rebel group, that changed. I guess not everyone is happy with that. I do want to back you, Alexa. Which is why I’ve been helping Shya find the scroll. You need to find it first.” The smile faded from Kale’s face, and he gazed at me with thinly veiled adoration. “It’s not just him though. The vampires, the rebels, they’re unpredictable. That incident at the Kiss when you got up close and personal with a stake…that’s not over. Now that Lilah’s gone, they’re feeling liberated and anarchistic.”

I was bombarded by thoughts and feelings. It was disconcerting to hear about the rebel group. I’d seen it before though, when a vampire had violently tried to plunge a stake in my heart while vowing to never be my slave. “I’m not Lilah. I don’t want to rule over them. I just want to maintain a sense of order. It would be nice to have just one week where someone didn’t want to kill me.” I was overwhelmed by everything he’d just said. He could have let the rebel group take their shot at Arys. I wouldn’t blame him for wanting that. “Shya must know that he can’t trust you. Be careful, Kale.”

“That’s just another reason why we need to keep our distance. He’s watching us.”

“I know. He proved that earlier tonight when he sent Brook to Father Andrew’s church. He’s going to make it tough to hunt this thing down.” I chewed my lower lip, lost in thought. There had to be a way to escape Shya’s watchful eye. “He thinks I’m going to die before he has a chance to use me as a sacrifice. Is it wrong that I kind of want it to happen?”

Kale frowned. “You don’t mean that. Giving in isn’t like you. Don’t you dare go down without a fight.”

I laughed softly. “If it wouldn’t drive you crazy, I would hug you right now. Thank you for caring in spite of everything.”

“Don’t thank me.” He waved away my gratitude. “I’m not a good guy. I wanted to let them try for Arys. Believe me, it was hard not to join in on that action.”

“I know,” I said, nodding in understanding. “But you didn’t. So you are a good guy. Still.”

Kale smiled then, a wistful action that reminded me of the sweet-natured guy he used to be. “Let’s not kid ourselves. I haven’t been a good guy in over five hundred years.”

Before I could tell him how wrong he was, Jez sat up suddenly with a loud gasp. She groped about in a disoriented stupor. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” she groaned, falling off the couch with a thud.

Kale and I both sprang into action. We got her up and moving toward the bathroom. Her balance was off, and she leaned heavily on me.

“It’s ok. I’ve got this,” I said, waving Kale away. “I’ll take care of the hair holding. Do you have something she can wear after I throw her in the shower?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll put some clean sheets on the bed too.”

No sooner had I gotten Jez into the bathroom and closed the door than she proceeded to vomit. I stood close enough to hold her hair back while she clutched the toilet.

Jez struggled to catch her breath. “Oh my God. Am I dead? Is this hell?”

“Not even close. It’s Kale’s bathroom.”