12. Full Disclosure—Evangeline
Thump, thump, thump … A man with a drum had taken up residence inside my head and he was pounding on his instrument as if it kept his heart beating. I groaned into my pillow. What’s that … ugh! My mouth tasted terrible. Something may have died inside there last night.
Why are humans so bloody stupid? The sound of Max’s low rumble in my head only made the pain worse. You know that alcohol will make you sick so, what do you do? You guzzle an entire bottle as if it’s going to spontaneously combust if not consumed in record time!
I groaned feebly again. “Don’t give me that daddy werebeast lecture. Just make it stop! Please!” I moaned, gripping my forehead with both palms and squeezing tightly.
It could be worse, you know, Max continued, not at all sympathetic to how his special telepathic ability was torturing me at that moment. At least you threw up last night. That got most of the alcohol out of your system.
I felt my face screw up as I raked my brain. “I threw up last night?” I didn’t remember throwing up. I didn’t remember … much of anything.
Yeah, Caden and Bishop took turns carting you back here. What a train wreck! You weren’t in here thirty seconds before you stumbled for the bathroom. Of course you plowed into the wall but …
The pain in my head instantly dulled, replaced by another excruciating pain—mortification. I gasped out load and my hands flew to my mouth. “Oh my God! Max, did Caden see me puke?”
“Only enough to make sure you hit the bowl,” a male voice called out. I lifted my head to see Caden leaning against the door, jade eyes sparkling, looking as striking as ever in an untucked dark blue button-down shirt and dark jeans. It made the entire situation ten times worse.
I flopped down into my pillow and pulled the covers over my head, intent on hiding for the rest of the day, praying that the man with the drum would bash my brains in and be done with it.
“Merry Christmas!” Caden’s voice boomed from somewhere above me.
“Bah humbug.”
“Don’t be silly.” The bed sank under Caden’s weight and I felt him tugging at the covers. My fists curled around the folds, resisting, but he finally won out, yanking them clean from my grip. With my face exposed, I noticed his gaze briefly skim my jaw. I wondered what it looked like today. It didn’t hurt nearly as bad but maybe that was because it now had competition with an unruly hangover.
Did something die in here? Max murmured and noticed his black nose twitching. You can shower anytime, you know.
“Oh my God, this is getting worse by the second,” I cried, curling up like a possum, burying my face in my arms.
“What?”
“Max just told me I smell like a corpse …”
The bed began shaking, sending waves of nausea through me. Caden was laughing. “Here,” he said, “take this.”
Suspiciously, I peeked out over my arm to see Caden’s hand cradling two small blue pills. A glass of water sat on my bedside table. “They’ll help with the pain.”
“Just the words I want to hear right now.” Without thinking, I reached for the pills but then froze midair. His hand, his skin … my touch. Was today the day that I transformed? Was today the day I’d kill Caden?
Before I could pull back and ask Caden to place the pills on the counter, his hand lifted to stroke my cheek. Jerking back, I held a gasp, waiting …
Nothing.
I wouldn’t kill Caden today.
A lifetime of air released from my lungs. I greedily snatched the two pills out of his hand and threw them back. Caden sat quietly while I polished off the tall glass of water. I had never been so parched before in my life. “Why on earth does anyone do this to themselves more than once?”
Caden’s hand found its way to my knee and kneaded gently, sending electricity through my body.
“Where’s Bishop?” Can’t forget about my fake relationship! It would look bad to him if he were to walk in on this …
Caden offered a tight-lipped smile as he pulled his hand away, pulling my heart out of my chest with it. “Last-minute Christmas shopping.”
“Shopping? I thought stores were closed on Christmas Day …”
“He’ll be back soon, but he’s not here right now. Why don’t you go have a long, hot shower? You’ll feel better, I promise,” Caden said.
A shower sounded like a fantastic idea. If a giant werebeast thought I smelled bad, the hot guy sitting next to me couldn’t be overly impressed … I stumbled out of bed, on a mission to get to the en suite faster than the fastest person in the world. I may have made it too, had it not been for a still figure in my peripheral vision distracting me. A tall, dark man sitting in the corner.
Wraith.
He stopped me dead in my tracks. “What are you doing here?” I asked in a low, wary voice. How could I have forgotten about him?
“He’s been here all night,” Caden explained before Wraith could answer. “I tried getting rid of him,” he grimaced, as if remembering an unpleasant experience. “It didn’t work so well.”
I rubbed my nose, digging into my foggy memory. “Oh … that’s right …” Blurry patches of the prior night fluttered past. I tried losing Wraith several times. I don’t know if it was his stellar Evangeline tracking skills or that I was louder than a herd of buffalo in a church, but there was no getting rid of Wraith. He was like an annoying little brother. Everywhere I went, he was one step behind. Only he killed for me …
“Whatever …” I decided I was more interested in a hot shower than dealing with my grim reaper at that point. I turned back and continued toward the bathroom.
“Wait.” The word—though flatly delivered—had the effect. I stopped midstride and turned to find Wraith marching toward me in that stiff way of his.
“What?”
He didn’t answer. He just kept moving, his eyes trained on the bathroom.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked sharply. He didn’t think he was …
“I am accompanying you to your next destination,” he answered in the weird, robotic language he used.
I shared my panicked look with Caden and Max. Caden’s eyes filled with fury. This bothered him, I could tell. But he was helpless and that made it worse. Interference led to dire consequences and no one wanted that. Max leaned back to settle onto his haunches, clearly not interested in being put down again. I’d have to manage my grim reaper on my own. I turned back to level him with a stare.
“My next destination is right in there … for a shower,” I said slowly, enunciating every word. “Thanks for your help, but I won’t need you in there.”
Blue orbs shifted from the door to the en suite to me, and then back to the en suite, as if weighing options. “That is not for you to decide,” he finally said.
“Oh, yes it is!” I snapped, waggling my finger at him. “You are my guardian … not my captor!” This was feeling all too much like Max’s wishy-washy servitude. “I will have some privacy! Please!” The last word came out a little shaky, like I was pleading. I couldn’t be pleading with this thing. Pulling my shoulders up straight, I crossed my arms and set my jaw.
“I do not feel the same desires as a human—” he began to say.
A mental image of that placid face, those mirror balls drifting over my bare body made me shudder violently. But he was likely telling the truth. He probably didn’t desire that. Only one desire motivated him—to kill for me, without discretion, without remorse. It’s why he existed and I couldn’t fault him for that. Putting all else aside, I needed him right now. I needed all the help I could get to keep me alive until I turned into Walking Death and jumped off a cliff …
I tempered my tone. “That’s great, Wraith, but guess what? I’m human and I do have desires—the desire to shower without an audience.”
He stared blankly at me for a long moment, so long I was sure my words hadn’t register with him. I decided to test him, and so I stepped into the bathroom. Somehow he managed to get in front of me, his broad arm sweeping me back and out of the way as he stepped into the little room.
“Hey!”
“No windows. No doors. No other occupants. It is empty,” he assessed, as if reporting on a crime scene.
“Yes, that’s because it’s a bathroom. They’re generally not party rooms. Now get out!” I snapped, gritting my teeth against the resulting stab of pain in my head. I threw my hands up to Wraith’s chest and gave him a hard shove out. Surprisingly, he moved without much effort. As soon as his toes crossed the threshold, I slammed the door shut and locked it. A tiny triumph tickled my confidence, though short-lived. If he wanted in, I was sure a stupid little metal lock wouldn’t stop him.
I sighed. Finally alone … I walked over to the large rectangular mirror and stared at the sallow reflection. I look hideous, I grimaced, taking in the dark circles accentuating my already puffy eyes, and the cowlick of wispy front hairs sticking out and off to the side of my forehead. My jaw wasn’t much better. At least my lip was back to its original size, though still purple. All in all … far from appealing.
Shaking off my rumpled clothes from the day before, I climbed into the shower. I stood under the hot water for what felt like an eternity, allowing it to soak into my pores and clean the toxins out as I thought about all that had transpired in twenty-four hours. When I’d woken yesterday, my life was in shambles. Then it slapped on a pair of skis and hot-dogged down the side of a mountain. Attacked by witches and Sentinel, I came home to a freed Bishop who’d been lobotomized by the Fates and now had the hots for me. To top it all off, I released the ghost of Sofie’s true love because of my toxic magic and now I had him closer to me than my own shadow, granting me permission to go to the bathroom on my own.
Yes … my life was better when it was just in shambles and not doing a full nosedive into hell.
I hadn’t connected with Veronique last night, though, from what I recalled. I hope I hadn’t! Would I have been drunk if I had? Either way, if they weren’t torturing her, then I had bought myself some time. Now, as long as Viggo and Mortimer didn’t find out about her, and, worse, that I knew about her predicament, then maybe I wouldn’t die a slow, horrible death at their hands. Lilly had to have some information for me soon …
Once sufficiently scrubbed, cleaned, and primped—and feeling marginally better—I cracked open the door and peeked out. Three sets of eyes watched me. I knew asking any of them to leave so I could get dressed was a hopeless cause. Ducking out in my robe, I reached into the dresser near the door, discreetly assembling an outfit down to underwear and socks, silently wishing I were alone with Caden. What I would do to be alone with Caden …
Once dressed, I took a giant breath and stepped out. There they were. Still. The three of them. Caden, Max, and Wraith, forming a narrow triangle in my room. Wraith was closest to me, his gaze weighing me down. Sidestepping around him with a wary eye fixed on his movements, I made my way to Caden’s side.
“Feel better?” Caden smiled, wrapping himself around my upper body, enveloping me into him.
I nodded. Surprisingly, whether it was the hot shower, or the two little pills, or Caden’s arms around me, the pounding had subsided. I may even be a little bit hungry …
You certainly smell better and … Max began.
I rolled my head within Caden’s chest to throw Max an evil stare. He didn’t finish his sentence. “Yeah … I’m never drinking again,” I said. My head shook against Caden’s chest as he chuckled. Warmth exploded within me. I loved the feel of his happiness. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt it.
Pulling back slightly to look down at my face, the back of his hand grazed over my lip gently. “Does this hurt?’
I shook my head, melting. He leaned forward and placed the lightest kiss on my lips. “Does that hurt?” he whispered.
Blood rushed to my ears as my heart hammered against my ribs. Whatever resentment or hurt held him back before, it wasn’t present anymore. On impulse, I grabbed hold of his neck and drew him down for another kiss. He responded without restraint. If my lip still hurt, it wasn’t registering at the moment, too overjoyed by being in contact with Caden’s mouth to complain. Once Bishop returned, we’d be back to the twisted delusion. Until then …
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled suddenly, an eerie feeling sweeping through my body, ruining the moment. On instinct, I broke free of Caden’s lips and checked over my shoulder. Wraith had slinked in behind me, no more than three feet away from us. He didn’t do anything or say anything. He just stood still, waiting expectantly. I knew exactly why—to level Caden if he felt I was at risk. That bugged me. Greatly. The only thing I was at risk of now was losing precious time with Caden.
Pivoting on my heels to stay between Wraith and Caden, I decided to try cordiality. “Can you please give us a moment alone, Wraith?”
Wraith only stared back at me.
Good luck with that, Max muttered sarcastically.
“Please?” I said again, the pleading in my voice that was really beginning to annoy me.
“I do not understand this ‘moment’ term,” Wraith finally explained.
“It means give us some space … don’t hover?” Still, only a blank look, and no movement. This was going nowhere. “Can you please leave the room!”
His head jerked to the side once in a half shake. “No, that is not possible. I am here to protect you at all times. You must never be out of my sight.”
Pausing to take a deep breath and temper my tone again, I spoke to him as if he were a child. “But we’re safe in here, just like I was in the bathroom. No one’s going to come in here.”
He pointed at the two-stories-high windows. “Those are entry points. The threat is there. Therefore, I stay.” End of discussion, clearly.
I heaved a sigh of frustration, knowing I would never win this argument. “Fine … can you at least step over there? By the window? So you’re not climbing on top of me? So I don’t have to see you staring at me?”
He blinked.
“Go stand over there!”
His neck turned mechanically as he glanced at the window and back at me, as if visually measuring the space. Finally, he walked over and sidled in behind the heavy silver-mauve drapery until all but his shoes were invisible.
I struggled to contain my grin. Turning back, I gave Max a knowing “get out” glare, silently promising I’d be nicer to him from now on.
Don’t have to convince me! I hear Santa delivered some Christmas goodies for me. He trotted off to the door and opened it with his giant maw.
Finally. I was alone with Caden.
Well, sort of. Not alone enough for what I wanted but … I threw myself at him, slipping my hands around him, nuzzling into his neck. “I can’t wait until this is all over,” I whispered in his ear.
“The feeling’s mutual,” he whispered, his hands sliding down the length of my rib cage to rest on my hips, pulling my body against his. “Damn it, Evie …” Strong fingers wrapped around my lower back, an index finger running along the waist band of my jeans. My breath caught. I closed my eyes, reveling as I felt his hands steal beneath my sweater and edge up along my spine, soaking up the warmth radiating from him. He was the one I was meant to be with. Why couldn’t the Fates just realize that and stop trying to keep us apart?
“Here,” Caden whispered suddenly, reaching up to grasp my hand and bring it down to his side. He placed something long and cool into my palm. A gorgeous diamond-jeweled dagger with an ivory handle. “I figured you were probably done with traditional jewelry.”
“It’s beautiful.” My other arm slid off Caden’s shoulder to handle the dagger with care, slipping the blade from its soft leather sheath. It was six inches long and thin. Dainty, though I could tell by the curve of the blade that it was anything but. This would carve through flesh—human or vampire, it mattered not.
“When did you get this?” I carefully sheathed it, visions of accidently disemboweling myself cautioning my movements.
Caden shrugged. “I’ve been out once or twice.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, studying its weight in my palm. “It’s beautiful … and dangerous.”
“Like you,” he chuckled softly, his lips pressing against my brow.
His joke, light and harmless in intention, drilled into my soul with its accuracy. My body stiffened in response.
“I’m sorry, Evie … not funny.” He pulled my body far enough away that he could see my face.
I sighed. “No, you’re right. Any day now, one little poke of my fingertip and you’re all dead.”
“No, you don’t know that.”
“Really, Caden? Who’s being na?ve now?”
That exquisite mouth of his opened to speak—likely to argue—but stopped abruptly and he settled on biting his bottom lip as he paused to think. “It won’t happen. Sofie will stop it.” He traced my wounded lip with his fingertip and promised, “Everything will be okay again soon. Sofie will fix the spell, your lip will heal, and Bishop will eventually learn the truth.”
“I really want to believe you, Caden.” But I knew better. I didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe it, either. The tiniest shift behind the curtain refreshed my memory of just how dire the situation had become. “And then what? With lurky lurker hiding behind the curtains over there …” I mumbled, bitterness curling my nostrils. “He’s like herpes. He’s for life.”
Wraith took that as he cue to step out because the curtains ruffled and reflective blue eyes peeked out at me like glowing coins. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, I walked over to my nightstand and pulled the red satchel from the top drawer.
“I hope you like it,” I said, handing Caden his gift. “I did almost die getting it for you, you know.”
“Are we taking turns making tasteless jokes now?” Caden grumbled as he took it from me. “You shouldn’t have …”
“It’s nothing,” I lied. Inside, giddy butterflies fluttered about. “I just figured … this is our first Christmas together …” He unraveled the tie to the case and carefully tipped the bag. The watch slid out to fit perfectly in the center of his open palm. I waited in silence as he stared at it, not saying a word, his jawline shifting slightly.
“Amelie said you’d like it …” My voice betrayed my anxiety. What is going on inside his head? Does he like it? Is he wondering why I got him a freaking watch? What if Amelie confused things? She is a bit flighty …
“My father had one just like it,” he finally said, his voice turning husky. Tiny exhale … “I had it for years. Kept it in my pocket. When the war came and we fled, I lost it.” Beautiful jade irises lifted to absorb me and I could swear I saw them watering. But then I blinked and they were back to their perfect clarity.
He clutched the watch within his fist and, holding it to his chest, he whispered, “Thank you.” Stretching out to grasp my wrist, he yanked me toward him more forcefully than usual. My heart skipped three beats. With a hand cupped on either side of my face, his gaze lingered, a darkness growing in them that made my knees shake and my cheeks flush.
Finally, when I thought I might collapse under his consuming stare, he leaned forward to plant the gentlest kiss on my forehead. From there, his mouth skated down to the bridge of my nose and then the tip. Forcing my head back with his hands, his mouth caught the side of mine, right on the edge where it lingered. And lingered.
“I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through. It’s not fair, all that grief I gave you over Julian.”
“It’s okay,” I murmured, half dazed. With this new Bishop saga, I had forgotten all about that other lie.
Caden’s fingers slid under my chin and lifted my head to meet his eyes. “No, it’s not okay. I’ve dreamed about finding someone like you for seven hundred years. And now, here you are and …” His thumb moved to wipe away the fresh tear rolling down my cheek. “I won’t let us lose another second over this. I promise. It’s done. It’s forgotten. It’s—”
Amelie’s shrill screams cut Caden off midsentence.
He vanished before I could blink, his words to Wraith, “Keep her safe” hanging in the air. But I wasn’t waiting around with Wraith. Only one thing could make Amelie shriek like that.
Blood rushed to my ears as I ran across the hall, passing by Julian’s smashed door, my legs straining as if pushing through three feet of water. I dashed halfway into the room and came to a skidding halt. Amelie stood by the en suite, her ringlets sagging and dripping wet, hugging a white towel to her body, her face wild with confusion.
“How could he?” she whispered in a gasp.
I said nothing, rushing toward the bathroom. “Stay back,” I threw over my shoulder. I didn’t need to see him to know for certain that Wraith was on my heels. And in another second, he stood by my side, my demand useless.
“Caden?” I called out shakily.
“Eve!” Julian cried out instead, a strangled desperation in his voice.
“I’m coming in!” I announced, sucking in a gulp of air as I rounded the corner. Caden had Julian pinned against the wall, his forearm pressing across Julian’s neck. A puddle of water was forming beneath Julian’s feet, a byproduct of being ripped out of a still-running shower. At some point in the trauma, Julian had a chance to grab a towel. He held it against his lower front half, covering the part of him I had no interest in seeing.
“Tell me again why I shouldn’t kill you right now!” Caden growled through clenched teeth, fire in his eyes.
“No! You can’t!” I cried out, stepping forward. Wraith’s arm shot out from nowhere to shove me back to the opposite corner. “Is he a threat to Evangeline?” he asked moving forward.
“He’s a threat to all of us.” Caden’s tone was as icy as I’d ever heard it. He didn’t look in my direction as he released Julian from the chokehold and took three wide steps back. “Get rid of him, Wraith.”
Without further prompting, Wraith began closing in on Julian, his deadly hand lifting toward his shoulder. No, no, no! I choked back a sob. This wasn’t happening. I had to stop this… If Wraith attacked, there was no healing, no bouncing back. Julian would be dead. Another person close to me, gone.
“He saved my life. Don’t do it!” I screamed.
Wraith kept moving forward. It was as if I hadn’t spoken. He wouldn’t stop until Julian was dead. I needed to do something drastic, I realized, squeezing my fist tightly over the smooth hilt of my dagger, still in my hand. My dagger … There was one way to make Wraith listen.
I unsheathed the blade and lifted the point to my neck. “If he dies, I die. Right here, right now.” My hand shook so badly, I was afraid I might accidently slit my jugular.
My plan worked. Wraith’s hand dropped to his side. He took several steps back, giving Julian a wide berth. “You would kill yourself to protect this human?”
“He almost died protecting me, so, yes, I would. He’s my friend.” Looking at Julian—his face as white as a sheet, his body on the verge of collapse—I wanted to throw my arms around him.
Unfortunately, I had to contend with an angry vampire first.
Caden was at my side in an instant, tearing the dagger out of my hand, a violent storm darkening his irises to threatening levels. “I didn’t give you that so you could kill yourself with it!” he yelled.
He’d never yelled at me before.
I forced my chin up, my hand absently rubbing my neck. “You left me no choice! I had to protect him.”
“But you don’t know what he is!” Amelie moaned from the doorway, still huddled within her towel, agony pouring from her eyes as they touched Julian’s face.
And here it was. The moment. There was no denying it any longer. “Yes, I do,” I heard myself say, as if someone else were speaking. A liar, admitting her guilt. As soft as the delivery, the impact of my admission was enough to cause Amelie to stumble back, flinching.
“You … knew? You knew and I didn’t?” Her voice sharpened a notch. In that scary way. In that crazy Amelie way.
I nodded as unease stirred in my stomach. Swallowing, I admitted in a whisper, “I accidently saw the marking.”
“What?” Amelie exploded, now screaming. “You accidently saw the tattoo on his left ass cheek?” Her eyes bulged so hard, I thought they might pop out of her head.
“Yes! Accidently.”
“What …?” Next to his sister, Caden’s voice was so low I barely heard him. It scared me ten times more. My body as stiff as a poker, I turned to see the end of the dagger pointed dangerously close to Julian’s thigh, Caden’s eyes crushing me with an accusatory gaze. I knew instantly what he was thinking. Seeing that mark required seeing Julian without clothing. In what situation would I see him like that?
My mouth opened to justify my lies, but only a wheeze escaped. We stood still, our eyes locked, as I felt my curtain drop, unveiling the real me. Not the sweet, na?ve girl Amelie carried unconscious into Caden’s life, the human girl he fell in love with. No … now he could see me for what I was. What I had become. A fraud and a cheat.
Caden’s next words, delivered with a biting cold tone, confirmed it. “Just kissed him, right?”
Before I could utter a sound, plead with him to listen to my explanation, he stormed off, launching the dagger across the room so hard that it embedded itself into a mahogany armoire with a loud thud, splitting the wood in half.
“Caden!” I cried, running to the doorway into the hallway to catch him. But he was gone. Gone from the room, maybe gone from my life. I turned back to the room slowly, deflated and dazed over the sudden turn of events. Two minutes ago, Caden had all but professed his eternal love. Now, he was gone, Julian’s dark secret exposed.
And I couldn’t forget about Amelie.
“What is Caden talking about, Evie? You kissed Julian? You told me nothing happened …” The cutting sound of Amelie’s voice set my neck hairs on edge.
Without thought, my hands lifted in front of me in a sign of surrender. “I didn’t kiss him. That was a lie. I—”
But Amelie was already talking over me. “You knew what he was all this time and you didn’t tell me? You let me fall in love with the enemy?” Each word came out crisp and knife-sharp, a hysterical edge creeping into them.
“Please, let me ex—” I began, stepping forward, my hands outstretched.
“Liar!” Amelie hissed, recoiling from my approach, her pretty face twisting into an altogether hideous sneer as she backed into a dresser. Amelie—my best friend—hated me. Amelie, the seven-hundred-year-old vampiress who just had her heart emotionally ripped out of her chest, now glared at me like I had betrayed her to the depths of her soul.
The trouble was, I had.
“How could you? How could you hurt us like that? Lie to us like that?” Each accusation was delivered like a swing of a sword.
“I never lied! I mean, I did lie, but …” I sighed, my hands flying to cover my face. “I did lie. Totally. Completely. I lied about anything happening with Julian. But I swear to you, nothing happened!” I was talking to myself, though, as her emerald eyes drew along my frame, as if deciding how best to quarter me.
I wanted to explain, I did, but fear choked the words. I had never seen Amelie—sweet, bubbly Amelie—like this before. Even with Rachel, even with Jethro, there had been a small semblance of the Amelie I knew. Now, though, it was as if someone reached in and switched around her spark plugs, making her go haywire. Unpredictable. Dangerous.
In my peripheral stood a pale Julian, in only a towel, and Wraith behind him. I hadn’t noticed them there before. I could use Wraith right now, as a barrier.
“Evangeline, is this person a threat to you?” Wraith’s even tone was a welcome change to Amelie’s trills and ice.
“No.” My hand shot out to stay him. He was too close to her. He wouldn’t form a barrier for me. He’d simply kill her.
Julian spoke then. “Amelie … I wanted to tell you, I did. Eve thought it best …”
Great, Julian … throw gas onto an open flame in a parched forest. Another flash of anger, searing hot, shot through Amelie’s eyes as they bored deeper into me.
“Oh, did she now …”
I almost missed her next movement. With the slightest flick of her hand, the solid wood dresser beside her soared in my direction. I don’t know if she was intending to hit me or just scare me with it. Either way, I managed to dive out of the way. It crashed into the wall behind me, taking chunks of plaster and molding with it.
I struggled back to my feet to face her again. She took a step forward. “Were you looking for a way to win him back after your little thing in the mountains?”
I felt my eyes widen. What?
Accusations spewed hastily from her as she edged forward, as if cornering prey. “You had to have them all, didn’t you … you weren’t satisfied with Caden. You had to have all of them. First my brother, then Julian … and now Bishop.” Her voice trailed off as a distant look glazed over her face—a far-off, wild stare. I recognized it immediately. I’d seen it reflected in mirrors countless times. The dark chasm of loss, of losing everything that mattered. There was no logical thought in this gloomy place.
“Is this friend a threat now, Evangeline?” Wraith asked calmly for a second time.
She just threw a dresser at me! What do you think? I wanted to scream. My eyes flickered to Julian and I saw the pleading in them. It was a death sentence if I said yes. It could be my death sentence if I said no. Soon enough, Wraith wouldn’t ask me. He would just kill.
Amelie didn’t even acknowledge Wraith, didn’t care that she had an unstoppable grim reaper ten feet away from her. “Were you laughing at me? Stupid, silly Amelie who had no clue?” Another step closer.
I sucked in a breath of air. “Amelie! It’s me. Evie! The one who pulled you out of the river! The silly, na?ve human!”
Another step. Her eyebrow arched. “Oh, but you’re not so na?ve, are you, Evangeline …”
And then she pounced.
She threw me back against the wall, her hands landing on either side of my shoulders, her fingers digging painfully into my joints, her teeth bared and glistening. I heard Julian’s shouts in the background but I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. I shrunk back, trying to gain some distance.
I can’t die yet. I’m not ready to die yet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wraith closing in quickly. He wouldn’t simply stall her this time. He would kill her … I needed to make her understand! “Amelie, don’t do this. Please, listen to me.”
Her fingers dug in further and I cried out in pain. Crazy Amelie wouldn’t listen. She was too far gone. I needed normal Amelie back for five minutes so we could explain everything. I just …
Suddenly, Amelie’s face froze in horror. Her skin began withering, the veins along her cheeks and forehead protruding. Much worse than what Wraith had done to Sofie.
“No!” I screamed, my hands rushing to her wrists to hold her up. “Stop!”
Wraith was killing her.
She crumbled to the ground, her towel puddled around her decrepit body. My hands flew to my mouth in horror. “How could you … You …” Rage burned inside me as I lifted my gaze, about to scream obscenities at my guardian. I faltered. Wraith was six feet away from us.
He hadn’t reached us yet.
Wraith didn’t cause that. There was only one person who could have. Me.
Julian’s screams snapped me out of my trance. He was already on his knees beside her, collecting her withered head in his lap, pulling her towel over her body to cover its frail nakedness, tears streaming down his cheeks. In shock, I started down at my hands. What just happened?
“But, I touched Caden just minutes ago …” I mumbled, stunned.
I had killed Amelie.
I dropped to my knees beside Julian, sitting on my hands to avoid touching anyone. “I’m so sorry, Julian. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t …” My voice cracked. I expected violent sobs to follow, but they didn’t. I was hollow. He didn’t acknowledge my apology, hunched over and cradling Amelie’s head.
And then a small groan changed everything.
Julian unfurled his body and I saw that life was returning to Amelie. I hadn’t killed her!
“Help me, Eve …” he pleaded, begging me with his glassy eyes. “Make her understand, please. I can’t lose her.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’ll try.” We sat in silence as Julian gently stroked Amelie’s forehead, waiting for life to flow back into her limbs, for her face to round out again, for her lips to plump up, for her vibrant emerald jewels to shine. Most importantly, we waited to see which side of Amelie would greet us—Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde.
“Oh, Julian,” she suddenly murmured, blinking. “What just happened …”
I recognized the gentle lilt of her voice. Whether temporary or not, whatever had snapped inside her had reset itself and the old Amelie was back. I needed to take advantage of the moment.
“Amelie,” I struggled to keep my voice calm. “Just hear me out. It’s not at all what you think, I promise! Amelie.”
Her head rolled to the side, peering up at me with beautiful catlike eyes. In that split second, I knew exactly what she looked like when she was five years old. Innocent and confused. The words tumbled out of me.
“There has never been anything more than friendship between Julian and me. Caden sensed my tension around Julian and he guessed it was because something happened between us. I didn’t correct him. I let him believe it because it was safer for Julian that way. And I didn’t tell you guys he was the Sentinel because it wasn’t his fault. He was forced into it. He isn’t helping them, Amelie. I promise!”
“It’s true, Amelie,” Julian jumped in. “My parents forced me into it. I didn’t think anything of it back then. I was a stupid kid. I didn’t care. I only knew Viggo and I wanted him dead, so what did it matter?” He leaned in to lay a gentle, lingering kiss on her forehead. “I would never let anything happen to you. I’d kill them all before that happened.”
I could see she was listening, processing our words, and so I continued. “I found out what Julian was when we were at the Tribe and they were healing him. He was undressed and he moved and the blanket moved and then … that’s when I saw it. I swear to you. A complete accident.”
Amelie’s gaze shifted from Julian’s face to mine and back to Julian’s again. I couldn’t read anything from her look—was she weighing our words for the truth or plotting our deaths? And then a tiny quirk of her mouth changed everything. “He does have a cute butt, doesn’t he?”
The air rushed out of my lungs as I exhaled in relief.
“I’m so sorry, Amelie. I didn’t know how to tell you. I was so scared you wouldn’t forgive me,” Julian finally whispered, his fingers running along the length of her cheek. “I don’t want to keep any secrets from you.”
She offered him a small, weak smile. “Maybe you should start talking then …?”
“Talking about what?” Bishop’s deep voice boomed suddenly from the entrance. He appeared in Julian’s room so quickly, I yelped.
Julian, Amelie, and I shared a knowing glance. A silent agreement passed between us. The fewer people who knew about Julian’s marking, the better. There was no need to divulge everything to everyone. While Amelie was willing to listen, not everyone else would. Thank God Max was busy hunting …
Amelie gave the slightest shake of her head. “I just went a little crazy about Julian’s friendship with Evangeline for a moment, that’s all.” I raised an eyebrow and looked at the pile of kindling that, just moments prior, had been a beautiful antique.
She let out nervous giggle and an apologetic shrug. “You know me.”
“I can see that,” Bishop said, eyeing the mess. His attention shifted warily to Wraith. “And what … did he put you in your place?”
She frowned. “No … Evie did.”
A flash of worry pierced Bishop’s beautiful charcoal irises and I shrugged. “I might have, though I don’t know how.” Inside my head, the voice screamed at me. It’s happening! It’s real!
“Evie,” Amelie’s airy voice grabbed me and I focused on her remorseful expression. “I don’t know what came over me. I wasn’t myself … I’m so sorry.”
I smiled and winked, though it did nothing to dislodge the stiff rod of tension rammed along my spine. “I deserved it. Well … maybe not the whole dresser-launching part.” Amelie’s lip curved into a pout. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. But in her defense, if she’d kept something like that from me, I’d be angry enough to launch furniture too.
“And you decided to play darts with fancy daggers as well?” Bishop added, pointing at the protruding ivory-and-diamond handle of my Christmas present. In an instant, he was across the room and yanking it out. “What’s this from?”
“It’s mine!” Suddenly desperate to reclaim my gift from Caden, I stalked over, my palm out in front of me. “Hand it over.”
He gave me that wide grin of his as he tossed the dagger into the air, letting it spin before catching it in his fingertips by the blade. “You sure you should have a weapon? You’re bound to hurt yourself with it.”
I snorted. You have no idea how right you are. “Yes, I’m sure. I need it.”
With newfound caution, he carefully gave it to me handle first, his fingertips grazing mine. I sucked in a gasp, my eyes widening as I peered up at him, watching, waiting. Nothing happened. No shriveling, no collapsing, nothing. My breaths started to pass a little easier.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, averting my gaze to Amelie and Julian. They were a thousand miles away, communicating through glimpses and caresses and whispers. If only I could get Caden to listen long enough for me to explain. “Come on.” My feet slid backward, heading out. I need to find Caden. I need to explain.
“See you two … much later?” Bishop grinned at Julian, oblivious to the near tragedy—how close I had come to being a dresser pancake, Amelie a shriveled corpse, Julian dismembered—now only something the three of us would know. And Wraith.
I followed Bishop and Wraith down the stairs to the foyer, my movements sluggish, my spirit hollow. I barely registered the delicate sound of holiday harps or the scent of cinnamon wafting through the air. Neither did anything to fill the void in my heart. Caden thought I’d betrayed him. I did betray him. I lied to him, allowed his imagination to torment him over something that wasn’t true.
We trailed along the empty, cold halls. A feeling of … absence lingered in the air. Mortimer and Viggo had to be in New York by now, along with Lilly and her crowd. Caden was … I don’t know where. I prayed he was by the tree, cooling off. I don’t know what I expected for Christmas morning in Nathan’s chateau with a bunch of vampires, werewolves, and a wraith, but I’d had higher hopes than this.
Bishop and I walked side by side in silence to the glass room, our arms briefly nudging but otherwise without contact, much to my relief. When we stepped in, when I saw that Caden wasn’t here, my heart plummeted further. Mage was there, though, looking out over a blizzard. “Have you seen Caden?” I blurted. With a furtive glance at Bishop and a check of my tone, I added, “He was worried about Amelie. I wanted to tell him that everything’s fine.”
Mage whipped around to face me, surprise touching her brow. Studying me with arms crossed over her chest, her black eyes narrowed. “Evangeline … do you feel different today?”
That infamous question. It meant something monumental had changed. “No, I don’t,” I answered truthfully. “Well, I feel crappy after all that port last night. Why?”
She shook her head, her gaze traveling down the lengths of my limbs. “I can see magic on you. It’s weak but it’s there.”
I help up my arms in front of me. Still long, still skinny, one still stitched up. No magic. “Is that bad?”
She sighed. “I don’t know yet. We need to ask Sofie.”
I nodded. Another surprise. Maybe this so-called magic was what I had inadvertently used on Amelie earlier. Brushing that problem aside, I focused on the bigger one at hand. I forced a smile and told myself to act indifferent for Bishop’s sake. Inside, my organs were roiling.
“Come! Enjoy the festivities!” Mage exclaimed, striding toward me with her arms held out. Her feet faltered suddenly, her black eyes landing somewhere over my left shoulder. On Wraith. She must’ve weighed her options and chose not to test him because she stopped where she was, instead gesturing to a side table laden with silver trays of pastries, deviled eggs, a well-stocked shrimp tree. In the center sat a small roasted pig surrounded by baked figs and assorted cheeses.
“I’m sure you must be hungry after last night,” Mage said, a tiny hint of disapproval in her voice.
I patted my vacant belly. “This is a little excessive, don’t you think?”
“Not with a pack of hungry wolves. Sofie wanted you all well fed for Christmas morning.”
Speaking of which … “Where is Sofie?” She should’ve appeared out of thin air by now. I looked around, expecting to find minty eyes watching me from some unseen corner. Then I remembered that Wraith was here. Maybe she couldn’t handle being near me.
“She was pulled away for an … urgent matter,” Mage answered cryptically.
Yes, definitely avoiding me. Disappointment piled onto my anxiety. “Will she be back today?”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” Mage picked up an enormous platter as if it were an empty paper plate. “Eat!”
I used to be hungry. Before Amelie discovered Julian’s secret, Caden all but condemned me, and Amelie tried to squash me. Anything going into my stomach was going to come right back up. “I will … soon. Thanks.”
Bishop helped himself to a carafe full of red liquid, filling a wine glass with it.
I cringed, memories of the thick, sugary port still fresh. “Please tell me that’s nonalcoholic, Bishop.”
He grinned, taking a sip. “It’s not port.”
“Come,” Mage’s cool hand slid into mine. She led me to the twinkling Christmas tree where a myriad of pretty paper-covered parcels filled the space beneath. “There are a few things under there for you,” she said with a smile, prodding me with nimble fingers. “Go on. It’ll be a good way to distract you while you wait …” I didn’t miss the wink. For Caden, she meant. How did she always know? I nodded and gingerly walked over to the tree, more because I needed a diversion than because I was expecting or wanting Christmas gifts. The end of the world was coming, I was turning into a hideous goblin, and Caden hated me. Sitting here and unwrapping pretty little boxes seemed silly in comparison.
And yet, there was tiny flicker of hope within me, some tiny bud of simple delight in this act. I forget what Christmas morning feels like … Kneeling down in front of the tree, I let my attention drift over the colorful packages.
“Oh, here,” Mage swooped in to grab a tiny black box. She thrust it into my hand. “This is from Sofie.”
My hand partially recoiled, panic rushing through me. The last time Sofie handed me a tiny box, a hundred-and-twenty-year-old curse bound itself to me.
Seeing my hesitation, Mage chuckled. “This one isn’t cursed.”
Inside was a piece of paper. I unfolded it to find Sofie’s beautiful scrawl staring back at me. Filled with those who love you. S.
What did this cryptic little note mean? Had Sofie exhumed my mother’s bones and cremated them to fill the box? Brushing the morbid thought aside, I lifted the note and unfolded the soft velvet cloth. Déjà vu rocketed through me as I found the heart-shaped pendant sitting inside. The shape was the only similarity. This one was twice the size as the original, and thick, made of what looked like platinum, encrusted with a coat of crushed, multicolored diamonds.
“Wow,” I murmured, lifting the chain to let it hang in the light. Its brilliant sparkle danced along the walls, even in the dull incandescent light from the lamps.
“You’ve got to be f … you’re kidding me, right? Another heart-shaped pendant?” Bishop crouched down to study it. “Is this supposed to be funny? What will this one do to you?”
“What more could it possibly do to me?” I answered. Still, I placed the pendant back into its box and set it on the coffee table. I wasn’t in a rush to put on anything heart-shaped again …
Bishop let out a mock sigh of exasperation. “Well … way classier than what I got you,” he said, sliding a long, silver package across the floor in one fluid motion. I caught the mischievous smile and my senses started to tingle. This can’t be good … When I peeled the paper back and spotted the Victoria’s Secret logo on the top of a pale pink box, my wariness increased tenfold. I lifted the top cover and upon seeing the hot pink lace, I slammed the box shut, my face matching the color of the seductive outfit.
“Bishop!”
“What?” he answered, shrugging. “You had no issues with that stuff before. Remember, that one night you wore it and we—”
I gasped. “That wasn’t me! That was—” I bit down on my tongue to stop myself just before I said her name, breaking Bishop’s delusion, setting him back into his dark place of misery. It had been Fiona wearing her trademark hot pink outfits for Bishop. As if it weren’t bad enough that the Fates had implanted Caden’s memories of me into Bishop’s head, now they had taken some of his memories of Fiona and swapped her out for me! Bishop’s brain was a hot mess of delusions.
“Glad I’m memorable.” He frowned. “Of course it was you … You think I would’ve forgotten something like that?” His eyes widened suggestively as they grazed my body, setting my cheeks on fire again. “God, Evie. I know you’re worried about this Tribe thing, but relax a little bit!” He leaned in to graze the side of my face with his hand. “Sofie will fix it.” I froze, unsure of how to respond to his affections without hurting him. He leaned in and pressed his mouth against my ear, sending shivers through my body. “I miss you …”
I couldn’t help it. I slinked back, my body as stiff as a corpse with the unsolicited closeness. Turning to Mage, I whispered, “I don’t know which is worse …”
Her face smoothed over. “Definitely the alternative.”
Bishop’s charcoal eyes shifted from Mage to me, narrowing slightly. “What are you talking about? First, Amelie … now you. Why does it feel there’s a giant secret that I’m not a part of?”
Oh, but you are part of it, Bishop. You’re at the center of it … We needed to be more careful. I needed to distract him.
“No secrets,” I said, smiling as I forced myself to reach forward and pat his knee. I held the box up in front of me. “Thanks for this. I’ll be sure to model it for Max later,” I offered with a sly wink, trying to make light of the situation.
Bishop made a stabbing motion to his chest. With a deep groan, he fell to the floor with dramatic flare. If my flippant rebuff wounded him, I couldn’t tell. Either way, his focus was off the secret.
I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to find Caden lingering in a corner. No one but Wraith stared back. My shoulders sagged. Where could he be?
“Here’s another one. From Amelie.” Mage shoved a large box in my face, temporarily distracting me from the inner turmoil that must’ve been splayed across my face. Oh, Amelie … I peeled the wrapping to reveal an oversized brown shoebox. Inside was a beautiful pair of soft brown leather riding boots, similar to the pair I’d brought to her on Ratheus. As I admired them, I noticed a narrow inner pocket. Hmm … Sliding the boots on over my jeans, I tested my dagger’s fit in one of the pockets. “Perfect!”
Bishop snorted. “You think you’re ready for war now?” When he processed the severity of his words, the grin slipped off his face. He picked up my diamond pendant from its box, and tossed it up and down as if were loose change. “I hope it never comes to that.”
“It’s only a matter of time, isn’t it?” I whispered sadly. Would it be before or after I miraculously freed Veronique? Before or after I turned into a jaundice-eyed freak? Before or after Caden told me to drop dead?
Caden …
I searched the room again. Where the hell was he? I need to explain, damn it! Just five minutes to talk openly, freely, without guarding my words, without onlookers. Impossible … The word became real as I spotted my dark-haired warden loitering in the shadows. Watching me. Always watching.
I folded my face into my hands, the urge to scream overwhelming. I wanted to run as fast as I could; through the door, into the snow, into freedom. Would Wraith chase me? Would I have five minutes to myself so I could drop to my knees and pound the earth, to pity myself, to plead with God or the Fates or whomever was running the show up there? So freaking ironic. Before, I was disappointed that Caden couldn’t turn me. Now, all I wanted to do was remain human. Was that too much to ask?
I stood, bile churning the meager contents of my belly, and moved toward the hall. Wraith was instantly on guard, mirroring my steps. “Bathroom,” I grumbled, my irritation growing with each second. I anticipated the upcoming argument.
As expected, he barged into the bathroom to inspect it, shoving me out of the way. “It is empty,” he announced.
“Wow. If this grim reaper gig doesn’t pan out for you, you could always take over for Sherlock Holmes.”
“I do not understand your suggestion.”
“Of course you don’t,” I pushed past him with a loud snort.
“I will wait outside,” he added, unfazed by my snippy attitude. That only made me feel guilty. He was doing his job. He stepped out and turned his back to me. I shut the door and flipped on the fan, wanting added background noise given I had an audience.
Finally, alone. The treacherous girl with more deadly secrets than the Secret Service, deceiving her way through her days, misleading those she cares about most. All for the greater good. I had no right to get angry with any of them ever again! Everything they were doing was for the greater good of something. Whether it coincided with keeping me alive or not was irrelevant.
I sighed, my hands rubbing my eyes fiercely. “Caden, where are you …” I whispered, more acutely aware of the emptiness in my chest than ever before.
A slight breeze kissed my cheek and then a hand fastened onto my elbow and yanked me backward into darkness. My jaw dropped, a blood-curdling scream rising in my lungs but someone’s palm muzzled me, stifling it.
“Shhh …” I heard, the source only an inch from my ear. It was enough for me to identify Caden, though. All of my anxiety expelled with a breath.
“Shhh,” he warned again, his proximity all the more intense in pitch dark.
I nodded slowly. His hand slipped from my mouth. “Where are we?” I whispered, pawing through the murkiness , my fingertips grazing cold rock behind and in front of me. The space was narrow and held a musty chill. “In the secret passageway,” I answered for myself, suddenly remembering. I waited for him to acknowledge my guess, to say something. Anything.
But Caden wasn’t speaking. Dread tore away at my insides. This is it. He’s going to tell me he hates my guts. Or… I ran into the wall as I took a step back, feeling my eyes widen in sudden alarm. He was a vampire and he was angry and jealous. I had already experienced an angry, jealous vampire earlier. She tried to kill me. And now I was in a dark, hidden passage with another one …
My hands trembled, my heart pounded in terror. Was Caden about to kill me?
There was a moment’s pause where I couldn’t find a single appropriate word, fear swallowing me whole. Then too many words started tumbling out all at once. “Nothing happened between Julian and me! I swear it. I—”
My words died with a hard swallow as his hands found their place on my shoulders, pinning me against the wall. His mouth trailed lightly over my cheek, my ear, down to my neck, setting fire to my body. Speak, Caden! Say something! Please! But he remained silent. Not a word. It was the most unbearable form of torture.
And in that torture, my spirit, my resolve, my everything broke. “It’s okay, Caden. It’s probably for the best. I’ll be dead in a few days, anyway,” I sobbed, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, a flood of angst and heartache splintering the dam that had kept me together up until now. “Just know that I tried my best to do the right thing. But there’s no way. Someone always gets hurt. I’m so sorry it was you this time. I still lo—”
Caden’s mouth suddenly covered mine, ending all words, all thought. All ability to breathe. Pressing his body against mine, the level of self-control I had come to know about Caden disintegrated, his lips consuming mine with a new level of hunger. Not even my injured jaw mattered anymore. Caden was what I wanted. This was what I’d wished for. And this was probably the last time I’d ever have him.
Taking pleasure in the taste of his lips, I let my hands wander over his chest to his arms, memorizing every ridge, every muscle. Sliding up to his shoulders, my fingertips pressed into the deep ridges of his collarbone. With a groan, his fingers began to snake through my hair until they were tangled up near my scalp. Clenching his fists, causing a small bite of pain, his mouth slid to my neck. I let my head fall back, gasping with abandon, sinking further and further into Caden’s passion, drowning in him.
“Take me away from here,” I pleaded hoarsely. And suddenly I was cradled in Caden’s arms and we were moving. Running in darkness, running to freedom, away from Wraith, away from Bishop. Away, together. I burrowed my face in his chest, relishing the fleeting moment. I knew it was wrong, I knew it was dangerous, and yet it was the perfect last wish granted before I fully morphed. And died.
Biting cold seized my body as we burst out of the secret passage and into daylight. Through the blizzard conditions, up and down hills, with me in his arms as if I weighed nothing, Caden continued running at that impossible speed that only his kind could manage. I didn’t care where he was taking me. I didn’t care about the cold. I buried my face in his soft sweater, inhaling his clean musky smell. Bliss.
Abruptly, the harsh wind vanished, replaced by a smoky aroma and a crackling fire. Caden lowered me down onto a cushion of blankets and furs. With arms on either side of my head, he hovered over me, gazing down at me with those intense jade irises that I wanted to bind myself to forever. I had no idea where we were. I didn’t care, my eyes marveling over this being in front of me. My body trembled beneath him. I reached a tentative hand up to trace the line of his jaw. Quick, raspy breaths escaped my parted lips, creating a cloud in the still frigid air.
“You were worth waiting seven hundred years for,” he whispered, his words unraveling my last shred of self-control.
***
A faded, timeworn glass pane revealed the horrendous winter scene outside. I shuddered with the sight, quickly pushing it aside in favor of sheer ecstasy. Enfolded in countless blankets, reveling in Caden’s arms, my cheek resting against his bare chest, I let my eyes roam through the small building for the first time. “What is this place?”
“Looks like an outpost on the back of the property,” Caden answered. “I found it the other day. They probably used it for hunting. I don’t think anyone’s stepped inside here for fifty years.”
I could see what he meant. A hovel of wood planks, the shack’s roof was caving in and riddled with holes, allowing enough snow through to form a thin layer over three quarters of the space. Aside from walls to buffer the wind, a simple woodstove in one corner provided the only comfort. Without it, we may as well be laying outside in the snow bank.
“They won’t think to look out here for a while,” he whispered, his hand smoothing over my forehead.
I shifted forward so we were chest to chest and stared down at his beautiful face, adoration swelling inside me. And yet sadness too. The corners of his eyes pulled downward and underneath them was slightly purplish. Weariness crept into his features. I’d never seen Caden look worn out before.
“I’m so sorry that I put you through all that, Caden,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut before a fresh batch of tears spilled out. I didn’t want to cry. Not now. Not after …
“Hush,” Caden lifted his head enough to plant the gentlest kiss on the corner of my mouth. When he lay back down, his mouth twitched into a smile. “So you let me believe that you guys—”
“I’m sorry!” I cried, burying my face in shame. “I didn’t know what else to do!”
His arms enclosed around my naked back, pulling my face into the crook of his neck. “I would have done the same thing, Eve.”
“Really? Why?”
He shrugged. “There was no other way to explain why you seemed so guilty and you couldn’t tell any of us without risk to your friend. I get it, Eve …” His fingers traced circles over my shoulders and down my spine. “You’ve gotten pretty good at lying, you know.” My stomach churned, suddenly nauseated. But then strong hands slid down to sit on my thighs, instantly sparking renewed excitement. “You’ll make a good vamp when Sofie figures this all out.”
And out of nowhere, a heavy cloud obscured my happiness. Nausea. Elation. Despair. My emotions, bound to a yo-yo.
“I wouldn’t hold out hope,” I muttered.
“I have to,” he whispered, lifting his hands to caress my cheek. “I can’t last without you. I don’t want to …”
I pressed my ear against his heart, dreaming about what it sounded like when Caden had been human. Solid and strong, like he was.
A hand ruffled my hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I don’t want to spoil this for you.” He kissed the top of my head. We lay in silence for a long moment as I luxuriated in the feel of my skin against his.
“Nice boots,” he said out of the blue.
I glanced over to my clothes, strewn across the floor. “A gift from Amelie. She put them under the tree before she tried to kill me …”
“Hmm … maybe you should put them on. Now.”
I couldn’t stop the whine from creeping into my voice. “I don’t want to go back there yet.”
“We don’t have to just yet …”
“Well, then …” I lifted my head to look at him. “Why do you want me dressed?” A tiny but fierce spark of insecurity grabbed hold.
Flames danced in his pupils. “I don’t want you dressed. I just want you to put your boots on.”
“Oh!” Heat exploded in my cheeks. “Well …” Two could play this game. Taking a deep breath, casting away all timidity, I stretched out to grab one, goosebumps instantly flaring over my entire body from the chill. Sliding my hand inside the boot’s inner pocket, I pulled out the dagger.
“They’re perfect for hiding things.” I held the knife to Caden’s neck in a teasing way. “Put out or else.”
With a throaty chuckle, he leaned in, letting the blade push into the tender skin of his neck. My hand recoiled, my face marred with horror. That earned a bellow of laughter. “I’m definitely questioning my choice in Christmas gifts now,” he said, peeling my fingers from the handle. He pulled me back down against him forcefully.
“I love you,” I blurted out and then realized it was the first time I’d ever said those words to him out loud. I had meant to a thousand times and yet …
Now, though, it was time.
I heard the sound of my dagger clatter against the floor as he tossed it away. His hands gently cupped the sides of my face as he lowered my lips to his, our mouths finding each other, as if they were a matched set. “So …,” he murmured, suddenly somber, “about that demand.”
***
“Wraith is going to freak out when he realizes you’re not in the bathroom,” Caden stated, his fingers resting on the small of my back. I felt his Adam’s apple bob against my forehead as he swallowed.
“I don’t care,” I grumbled childishly.
“You will care when he’s handing you your toilet paper from now on. And it’s going to be hard to explain to Bishop why I needed to sneak you away.”
Too quickly, back to reality. I swallowed my sadness. “What are you going to tell him?”
Caden heaved a sigh of frustration. “I don’t know, Evie. This is so messed up. He’s my best friend and I want to put him through a wall every time he looks at you. Things are getting so damn compli—”
Suddenly, Caden’s body went rigid.
I knew before he told me. He rolled off the blankets and was pulling his jeans on before I could register his movements. “Get dressed. Quickly,” he ordered, yanking on his shirt.
The moment was gone. Our brief, intimate time together—incredible and surreal—dissolved as my snare tightened. I would do anything, give anything, swear anything, to freeze time for another hour so I could rest on Caden’s broad chest and listen to his voice lull me into false safety.
I was up in a heartbeat, resentfully yanking my sweater over my head, not wanting Wraith to find me lying naked in a pile of blankets and animal pelts. Or Bishop … That familiar gnawing of guilt attacked my insides with renewed strength. Seeing me here with Caden would send Bishop spiraling back to that dark world of misery and pain, tarnishing his false memories of our make-believe relationship.
But then I’d be free from another lie. Suddenly, selfishly, a part of me ached for Bishop to walk through that door. This whole nightmare circus would be over and I could go back to being with Caden again. Until I killed him …
Caden swept up the suspicious mess of blankets and threw them into a corner behind the wood stove. I barely had the zipper to my jeans pulled up before the door splintered open, bringing with it a gust of wind and snow. And Wraith. Soulless blue orbs rolled over me—calm, unperturbed, void of all emotion—so inhuman. They locked on Caden and I could almost see the order register in his head. Enemy. Attack. Kill. Behind Wraith, four wolves and Max watched curiously. I briefly wondered what they thought of this. Then I realized I didn’t care.
My demon guardian began closing the gap between him and Caden, arm outstretched, his long fingers stretching forward like deadly tentacles. I dove in between them and slapped his hand away.
“I waited for you by the bathroom,” he stated with what might have been a glare, if his normal look could be any more sinister.
“Sorry,” I grumbled, peeking over his shoulder in search of Bishop. When I didn’t see him, my guilty conscience swelled with relief.
“I waited and then realized that you were not in the bathroom anymore.” He stopped talking, waiting. Waiting for what? What could I say? Apologies meant nothing. And was I sorry? No. Not for a single second would I feel sorry.
“There are a million other bathrooms you could’ve used. You didn’t have to wait for mine,” I offered with a slap-worthy smirk.
“I do not require the use of restrooms,” Wraith explained in all seriousness, not getting the sarcasm. I shook my head with annoyance.
Max finally sauntered past Wraith into the outpost, the floorboards creaking under his paws. Some of us aren’t dead idiots, you know … you can’t just take off like that! Do you know how close Wraith was to killing every single one of us in that place, looking for you? Unlike Wraith’s monotonous tone, Max was perceptibly upset. Guilt tightened around my already fragile heart. I knew Wraith would feel nothing beyond his call of duty. I hadn’t thought of Max and the others. I thought of no one but myself. Selfish, selfish, selfish.
No—no! I hadn’t just “taken off.” This wasn’t just a whim. This was my life. Caden was my life and all of these lies were suffocating me! I quashed the guilt with a bolt of anger, gritting my teeth defiantly.
“Where’s Bishop?” Caden asked. “I’m surprised he’s not with you.”
Gone, Max answered.
The word screamed with wrongness. “What do you mean gone, Max?” My voice cracked and suddenly all kinds of thoughts whirled, making me clutch my stomach in panic. Had he seen us? Had he figured it out? I felt the blood seep from my face and I had to take a step back to lean on Caden.
“What’d he say, Eve? Tell me,” Caden whispered, his hand closing over my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.
He just took off, Max explained.
“He just took off? Where? What are you saying?” I pressed. “You let him leave?”
I mean he’s gone! One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. Like you!
Before I could push for more information, Caden lifted me into his arms and ran out the doorway, yelling, “See you back at the house!” It felt like only seconds before we were back in the glass room, finding it empty except for Julian and Amelie. A heavy-pawed Max was right behind us. Thankfully Wraith couldn’t match their speed.
“Where’s Bishop?” Caden asked coolly, all business.
Anguish blemished Amelie’s perfect features. “He remembered Fiona!” she cried out. I gasped at the sound of her name—Fiona. The forbidden name. “And then he ran screaming out of here. Mage went after him. That was over an hour ago.”
An hour. Not long after I had gone into the bathroom and disappeared. My blood ran cold. “How?” I whispered.
“I don’t know!” Amelie was hysterical. Julian’s hands rested on her shoulders, trying to soothe her.
I turned to Caden. “Who could have told him?”
His face had to equal mine in shock. “There’s no one left except a couple of wolves, and they don’t know about Fiona. Did you see what he was doing before you left?”
I frowned, squeezing the bridge of my nose as I tried to remember what had gone on before Caden kidnapped me from the bathroom.
“Think, Evangeline!” Caden pushed.
“I don’t know! We were sitting down here,” I said as I walked over to the couch, retracing my steps from earlier. The Victoria’s Secret box holding the provocative pink lace lay on the cushion, exactly where I’d left it. “I opened his present and I got up to go to the washroom …” I mimicked my motions, sitting down in the exact spot. Then I stood and took several exaggerated steps in the same direction I had earlier, my eyes scanning the area. A sparkle on the floor caught my attention. I stopped.
And gasped.
“Oh no, no, no, no,” I moaned as I dove to where Sofie’s gift lay, now cracked open. “Damn it!” Sofie’s note finally made sense. Full of those who love you. It wasn’t cryptic. It couldn’t be more obvious. “No, no, no …” I pried the locket open the rest of the way to find four tiny pictures inside, with an inner leaf for two of them. My fingers shook as I flipped through them. One of Sofie, one of my mother, one of Caden, and the last … a picture of Fiona, Amelie, and me, smiling.
“I didn’t know!” I yelled as I looked up at Caden, the evidence displayed in the palm of my hand.
Caden’s hands pushed back into his hair. “This is a disaster. We need Sofie. Now.”
“Sofie’s gone too,” Amelie answered, her lip trembling.
Caden’s hands dropped to his sides with a loud slap, his face filled with incredulity. “And where the hell is she gone to now?” he yelled.
“Mage is pretty sure she went to see the Fates,” Amelie said.
My jaw dropped. “To see them?” I didn’t think that was possible …
“And when will she be back?” Caden asked, his voice rigid and unimpressed.
After a long pause, Amelie’s mouth twisted into a frown. “Mage doesn’t know. Possibly … never.”
Her words sliced through me. Sofie … gone. Just like that. No warning, no goodbye. Nothing. “How could she risk that?” I cried out. But I already knew the answer. She was risking everything to fix me.
The room started to spin. Bishop, gone … Mage, gone … Sofie, gone. No. Not Sofie. Not yet! Sofie was my one constant in all of this. Always there, always caring, always trustworthy, even when her actions appeared counterintuitive.
“So what do we do now?” I asked, hunching into a ball on the ground, my voice hollow.
“Do you think Mage can catch Bishop?” Julian asked, wary eyes on Caden, as if unsure that he should make his presence known after the earlier bathroom incident.
“I don’t know … Bishop’s fast,” Amelie answered.
“Bishop’s fast when he’s not possessed,” Caden added. “Now? Faster. Way faster.”
Terrible scenarios cycled through my head. What if Bishop killed a bunch of innocent people to get away? What if Mage had to seriously hurt him to stop him? But worst … “What if Bishop makes it to Manhattan?” I heard myself ask.
“He can’t get into the building,” Caden assured me, pulling me toward him.
“No, but …” My brain wracked the possibilities. “He could … torch it!” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I was positive that’s exactly what he’d do.
“Then the witches will have to come out and he would kill them,” Caden countered without missing a beat. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
My head was already shaking. “No, it’s too dangerous for Veronique.”
“But Veronique is safe in a stone statue,” Amelie turned to stare at me, eyes narrowed. “Right?”
I shifted my weight, my latest deception unmasked. “No … she’s out.”
What? When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me? Max hammered me with a barrage of questions that I couldn’t focus on, given the volume of Amelie’s voice.
“Out?” Amelie repeated. “As in, not safe … not in the statue?”
My head spinning, I put my hands up to silence them all. First, Max. “I’ve known for a long time, Max. Since the jungle. I could’ve told you, I guess. I just didn’t want you worrying. Or doing something stupid like running off to New York and getting yourself killed.” Turning to Amelie, I said, “That’s right. No one else knew except Caden. Not Sofie, not Viggo, or Mortimer or Mage …” In the moment of silence that followed, I explained what happened when the Tribe spell took effect, how I had an out-of-body experience.
“Wow, so … that means she’s been their prisoner all this time?” Amelie said slowly. “Do we even know if she’s still alive?”
“Yes.” I bit my bottom lip while I gathered the courage to divulge my last bit of deceit. The last bit before I was completely free. “I connect with her in my sleep every night.”
“What?” Caden and Max’s combined explosion made me jump.
“I was about to tell you!” I said to Caden, my cheeks flushing, “But Wraith found us too soon.”
He answered me with a stern glare. “Why didn’t you tell me before? I mean, God!” His hands flew above his head. Then he froze, remembering something. His nostrils flared. “That night. The one where you woke up screaming. Complaining about fire.”
I swallowed. “They’re torturing her and I feel it when I’m there.”
Caden closed the distance. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The sudden iciness of his voice threw me off balance.
I turned away, unable to face his anger. “I was afraid you’d tell Sofie and then she’d fly there and start a war. I figured two people suffering was better than millions. They’ve stopped torturing her, anyway. They must’ve realized she’s more useful alive than dead.”
Pulling my face to his chest in a nurturing hug. “Oh my God, Eve! You could’ve told me! I get why you didn’t tell anyone but come on!”
I took a deep breath. “I did tell someone. I told Lilly.”
Caden’s body went rigid. “You told her and not me? Why?”
“Because she’s in Manhattan now and she’s going to help us get Veronique out!”
Amelie dropped to the couch in defeat. “How? The place is fully bound by magic. No one’s getting in there.” I watched a thought unfurl on her face. She turned to somewhere behind me. “Except him.”
I looked over my shoulder to find Wraith standing in the doorway. He must have just gotten there. He didn’t have superhuman speed. He took his time before he sucked the life out of people. But Amelie was right! Wraith was immune to magic. Wraith was unstoppable. The only problem? He wouldn’t go anywhere without me. But he didn’t have to …
“And me. I can get in there.” I could do something. All this time, I thought I was helpless in getting Veronique out. But, for once, I wasn’t a weak, useless human. With this Tribe magic coursing through me, no witch’s magic could touch me. I was like Wraith in that way. Almost dead.
“And me,” I heard Julian’s voice behind me. I turned to see Julian’s slow smile building. “Let me help. I can help. Not only will their magic not affect me but I can get in with my tattoo.”
Tattoo? What tattoo? Max suddenly chirped.
Oh, crap. “Nothing, Max.”
Caden exploded before Max had a chance to question further. “Are you two nuts? We’re not sending Evangeline in there! She’s not immortal, remember? She’ll die!”
“If we don’t get Veronique out of there before they do something drastic, no one is safe. No one at all, Caden,” I reminded him softly. “Think of what Viggo and Mortimer will do if the witches kill her.” He began to shake his head but I was already talking again, my jaw set defiantly and a huge weight lifted off my chest as I committed myself to what I knew was right.
“I’m not asking you. I’m not asking anyone. I can do this. I didn’t realize it before but now that I know, I have to do this. I need to do this for Veronique and for myself. Because I want to, not because I’m cursed to.”
Caden turned away from me. I ignored him, instead turning to Amelie. “How are we going to get there?”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she simply said, “Easy.”
Wraith spoke up then, unruffled by anything. “Where will we be going?”
I felt my pulse quicken. Back to the start of it all. “Back to New York.”