Blood and Redemption (Cassandra Myles Witch Series) (9 page)

“I don’t understand.”

“I love you. It hurts to see you sometimes and not be able to have you the way I want, but my eyes have been opened tonight. You may have my son if you want him. I need a partner who will enjoy the things I can give her and not a woman who will judge me at every turn.” He kissed my forehead and walked off.

I turned to Lucius. He was clutching his side and there wasn’t a patch of skin that wasn’t cut or bruised. I started to go to him.

“St..stop, Cass. If you come any closer, I will find the strength to get up from here and I will drink you dry. I’m injured and I need your blood very badly.”

“What can I do?”

“Go in your room and lock the door and don’t leave until morning. The old man will come back when he knows you’re gone. He’ll get me what I need.”

“Okay
.”

“I mean it.
Promise.”

I just nodded and left. I locked my door, although it felt silly
, considering who I was trying to keep out. I went back to bed. Soon, there were voices outside and then all was quiet again. I didn’t know if I belonged here anymore. I had to decide if I could accept them for who they were. I couldn’t expect them not to be vampires and if I couldn’t make peace with them, then I needed to go. The adrenaline leeched from my body and soon I was falling back to sleep.

Chapter
Eight

I was summoned to Quintus’ office later the next night. I had to force myself to go. I knew I was being a coward. Na’min was waiting there in one of the overstuffed chairs. He was doing something with his iPhone. He was going to have a hard time giving up all his newfound gadgets when he went back to the fae realm. He looked up when he noticed me enter the room.

“Cassandra, you look well.”

“Thank you, Na’min. Please tell me you feel better.” He looked fine, but I still couldn’t stop feeling guilty for what I had done.

“Yes, in fact
, you should know it took very little time for me to feel myself again. So if we are to use this against Mab, it will have to be done quickly.”

Killian and Lucius walked in together. That was weird
. We were just waiting for Quintus. As soon as I thought of him, he was there. He breezed past me without even a glance my way.

Out of the corner of my eye
, I caught Lucius staring at me. I wanted to ask how he was, but he looked a little evil tonight so I decided to stay quiet. I felt out of place being here. Like I had sneaked in and any moment someone as going to catch me.

Quintus cleared his throat. “There has been strange activity in a small town in Northern Alberta. High Level has reported ten people missing. The RCMP is investigating. Of course
, they won’t find anything. If it is Mab, then Na’min has told us the goblins will eat the evidence.”

A chill ran down my spine. That was a cold way to put it. “We have to go. It’s starting.” Panic was taking over my mind; all I could think of was rushing there right this minute.

“I agree we need to do something, but we are the only beings who know what is going on. We are the only beings willing to do anything about it. If we run in there without a plan and we fail, then there will be no one left to help.”

I wasn’t in the mood for logic
. “We could just go to the town. I’d feel better if we were at least close so if she moves again, we can stop her.” Na’min looked at me and I knew he agreed with me. He needed to do something to help his people.

Quintus clearly didn’t agree. “That will make it harder to get reinforcements if we need them. I know this is hard for you, but we must be patient and do this right.”

Killian smiled at me. “That, dear one, is brilliant. We will be able to keep our eye on the human population and we might even be able to capture one of Mab’s minions. Some good intel would be very useful.”

“Back off
, Killian, you aren’t in charge here,” Quintus snapped.

“No worries, Quintus. I am aware of where I stand here. It doesn’t mean I can’t have an opinion, or does it?” Killian’s face had smug all over it and I was a little frightened for his safety.

The look on
Quintus’ face made me feel better. He was still in control and already had mentally dismissed Killian. “We need a plan and we will need it soon. Mab may be just playing with us, trying to get us to move against her. Going to High Level may be exactly what she wants.”

“We need to act. What
few of my people who have survived are being tortured. They are being held against their will. I beg you to help me take action. I know I have wronged you in the past and I know you don’t owe me this, but these are people I love. They are all I have left.”

I reached over and took Na’min’s hand. He squeezed mine and seemed to take comfort in my touch. His pain was justified, but he had a part in the whole thing. He wasn’t an innocent bystander.

“Helping your people got us into this mess. You neglected to tell us that there were horrible creatures living in prisons.”

“They have been locked away in their own realm since I was a young man. I never thought that they could escape. We were fools
; we should have known that when the magic in our world start to fail that the locks on their prison would falter too. You have no idea what was unleashed when they escaped. The goblins are vicious things. The only thing that keeps them from destroying each other is their king. He rules with an iron fist and keeps them in line. Mab was the last of the unseelie to be put in the prison. She should have been the first. She killed so many of her own people. She tortured for the fun of it. Mab ruled through terror.”

“Imprisoning a people for thousands of years isn’t torture?” Killian grinned at the fae. He loved stirring the pot.

Na’min looked at Quintus. “I suppose it could be.”

Quintus rolled his eyes. “I am not getting into it
, fae. Not by a long shot.”

“I say we leave for this town tonight. I can’t wait any longer.” He stood up and he wasn’t the tech
-loving fae; he was a prince whose people needed him desperately. He wouldn’t sit back much longer and play the waiting game. I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to play it anymore either.

“You don’t think this many people rolling into a small town that just had
ten people disappear might be noticed?”

“That place is probably over run with
looky loos and reporters. We’ll fit right in.”

“No. She is experimenting. She is testing things to see how they work in this day and age. It buys us time.”

“What if they are still alive, Quintus?” I pleaded. We couldn’t leave that crazy woman to kill innocent people.

Killian leaned as far back as he could in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. His head swiveled to each one of us, considering something
, and then he spoke. “I say we go. We don’t have much to go on, but what will we gain in a week or a month? Even if we don’t do anything but investigate, we will be father ahead.”

“I agree.”

Lucius spoke for the first time. “I’m not risking my life for fae.”

“I agree
, Lucius. Let’s talk about this later in the week. We’ll decide then.”

“Why is he even here? He’s lost his mind and he gets input?” Na’min was desperate and my heart was breaking for him. He had risked so much to rescue his people.

When Quintus refused to say anything, Na’min stormed from the room and I didn’t blame him. Killian came over to me, smiling as if everything was right as rain. “Are we going to the range tonight, my dear?”

“No
, she is not.” Quintus glared at him. I turned to Quintus and shook my head.

“Yes, Killian
. I need all the practice I can get.”

“Then I will wait for you in the car
, milady. I know when it’s time to make my exit.” He gave me an exaggerated bow.

Lucius watched Killian leave and then followed closely behind him.

“What was that about? I assumed after last night you wouldn’t care where I went or who I went there with.”

“Last night was… terrible, but necessary.” He sat beside me and took my hand and kissed it. “You hurt me last night. It made me lash out and try to hurt you. I understand you don’t see me as a lover. I now understand that we wouldn’t make a very good couple. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love you. You are in my heart and always will be. If you chose Lucius after he is cured, then I will try to live with that, as long as you do so with your eyes open.”

I wrapped my arms around him. “I love you to
o. I hope you know that. I don’t know about Lucius and I’m not even going to worry about it anytime soon. Thank you for this.”

He pulled away from me. “I really wish you would reconsider going with Killian tonight. I don’t trust him. He is up to something and I can’t figure it out.”

“You set this up in the first place.”

“
I know and I regret it. I regret ever having him in my employ. I want him close, however, until I can figure out what he’s up to. He has become more and more unstable and I know he hates me. I’ve never harmed him, unless you call asking him to do his job harm. Lucius won’t be here when you return tonight. I’m having him confined tonight. I really hope he forgives me one day.”

“He’ll understand you had no choice.” I folded him in my arms and held him. I knew how much his son meant to him. They had kept each other safe, loved each other
, and witnessed so much change on this Earth that it seemed unthinkable that he had to do this.

“Maybe.”
He looked so sad, he was breaking my heart. I left now not wanting to go. Quintus was being gracious about everything and I felt like I should be here for him, but my sanity was screaming for a break from this house of crazy.

I was lost in thought as I made my way outside to Killian’s car. I was halfway across the foyer when I was slammed into a wall. Lucius
’ big paw came over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. “Are you going to be a good little girl and keep quiet if I take my hand away?”

I nodded my head as much as his grip would allow. He smiled
, showing me his fangs. I went cold all over. If he knew what Quintus had planned, he might see this as his last chance to have me.

“Did you enjoy
putting the old man in his place last night? Oh, it was so much fun seeing you throw him against that wall. It’s making me hard just thinking about it.”

“I’m not discussing that with you
, Lucius. Now let me go.”

“Why not?
”

“Stop this
, Lucius. You’re just being an ass.”

“I’m not being an ass. I’m being honest
. Your witchy mojo turns me on. Then again, everything about you turns me on.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but he didn’t deserve them.

“Please, just let me go.”

“I want you
, Cassandra, I can do things to your body that will make you worship me.”

“
As long as you don’t drain me of all my blood first.”

“I would never do that. I want you too badly. I would drink long and deep from you and I would savor every second. I fantasize about your warm, sweet, rich blood rushing over my tongue.”

“Please, Lucius.”

He grew still and his expression sent chills thr
ough my body. “Did you think that if you said my name and flashed me those sad beautiful blue eyes, Lucius the Brave would come to the surface and rescue you?” He grinned and it was menacing and smug.

I hated him
in that moment. If he remained like this much longer, I might never be able to love him again. “Fuck off.”

“That’s more like it.
I love it when you fight back.”

“
Let me go, because if you don’t, Daddy will kill you in a most painful way.”

He cocked his head and looked at me as if he was wondering if it was worth it. Then he was gone. It only cemented my resolve to go back to the wolf compound as quickly as possible.

Chapter
Nine

If Killian was curious as to why I didn’t say anything on the ride to the range, he didn’t ask about it. He just hummed along to the radio and pretended to be busy driving. I was grateful to have the time to gather myself after the incident with Lucius. Coming to terms with the fact that Lucius would likely kill me if he wasn’t locked away was hard, but necessary if I wanted to live.

When we were ready to start
, I turned to him and saw he was holding a box. “Okay, I’ve brought you a present. It reminds me of you. Strong, sexy, and well built.”

The compl
iment was so corny I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. I opened the velvet box. Killian was vibrating with excitement.

“The
Colt Diamondback is a good handgun to start with.”

“That is very sweet of you
, Killian.” I took it from the box and liked the weight of it in my hands.

He helped me aim the gun and he stood just as close as he did last time, but it felt wrong
after Quintus’ warning. I tried not to stiffen. “Relax, love. You can’t be so tense.”