Mark of Betrayal (55 page)

“
No, the council ordered you dead because Drake swore death to all Lilithians.”

“
So, he didn't really want me dead?”

“
Nope.”

The frown on my face deepened, disappearing with a sudden realisation. “Is that why Drake put
you
in charge of my torture—because he knew you wouldn't really kill me?”

“
Maybe.” He smirked. “I have a funny feeling Drake may have had his own agenda this entire time—perhaps one not even a high councilman like my uncle was aware of.”

“
So…wow. This goes so much deeper than I thought. I can't even begin to piece it together.”

“
Oh, trust me, I know. I've been trying. The only things I can deduce are that Arthur is here on Drake’s request but has an agenda of his own, and I believe Drake actually thinks David's dead—”

“
And that, what, there’s no hope of a prophecy child?”

“
I don't know. Drake wants your child. He doesn’t seem too concerned about which Knight it comes from.”

“
Really?”

“
Yep. But, you have to realise that, no matter who the father is, Ara, that child will be born of immortal blood. She will be very powerful.”

“
So, do you think he made the prophecy up—just to make me have a baby that he could kidnap and kill to steal powers from?”

“
Possibly. He may have even forged prophetic parchments to throw the Lilithians off his true plan all these centuries.”

“
And that’s his only plan—just to kill an infant?”

“
I don't know. There could be more to it. It seems like a great length to go to just for a bit of extra power. I…” He tapped his head. “I keep going round in circles with it—even storyboarded it and couldn’t figure it out. He's a master of strategy and deception.”

“
Okay, so let’s focus on the facts. One; Arthur is here for the dagger—on Drake's request, but we don't think he plans to hand it over?”

“
Yes, but if it’s true that the child can restore life to those who are immortal, then Drake would gain that power by killing your child, and it’s possible that’s what he offered Arthur in exchange.”

“
Would Arthur give up his own flesh and blood for his freedom? Does he want it that bad?”

“
I hope not.”

I went quiet. “I feel really unsteady now, Jase.”

“
Why?”

“
I don't know who to trust.”

“
Trust
me
.”

“
So…you're staying, then?”

He smiled down at me, gently brushing my hair back behind my ear, and I felt the closeness between us, the heat from his body alongside mine, barely two inches away. “Of course I am. Not only will it be impossible for me to leave you now, but the fact that Morgaine, who’s known about this dagger since the day after you were rescued, hasn’t told you, indicates there are several different agendas in effect here.”

“
And you’re going to help me figure it all out?”

“
Of course.”

“
How?”

“
We need to devise our own plan—draw out some of the motives of others.”

“
How do we do that?”

“
By redesigning the board at every move. We’ve got to analyse first, then discuss. We’ll figure things out as we go. But, to start with, I want to see what Mike knows.”

“
Mm, yeah, I don't see him having a sit-down chat and cuppa with you, Jase.”

“
I’ll read his mind.” He laughed. “It’s best not to raise suspicions by asking questions, anyway. We also need to know what Morgaine is hiding, and if David’s in on it or not. And we need to find that dagger.”

“
Arthur probably has it.”

“
Oh, without a doubt. But I need you to find it.”

“
Why?”

“
So I can destroy it.”

“
And then what? What about Drake?”

“
We have to find a way to kill him.”

“
Venom?”

“
Nope. He’d be immune now.”

“
My electricity?” I held my hand up and let a flash of blue spark my fingertips.

Jason grabbed it, smiling in wonder. “That’s amazing. Have you studied the full extent of this power yet?”

“
Mike puts me in a metal cage and makes me shoot things with it, but I get headaches when I do.”

His whole face screwed up. “A metal cage?”

“
Yeah, just so that I don't shoot anyone unintentionally.”

“
You're not a goddamn Tesla Coil.”

“
A what?”

“
Never mind.” He frowned, looking away. “Does Arthur know Mike’s doing that to you?”

I nodded.

“
Asshole.”

“
Who? Arthur?”

“
Yes. He didn't tell me. He didn't even tell me you had that power.”

“
Hm. Weird. I wonder why.”

“
Probably because he knew what I’d say.”

“
What would that be?”

“
Well, for starters, I would have been on the first plane back here, and when I found out they were forcing you to shoot things, I’d have shut Mike in a cage and made him run on a spinning wheel for ten hours, like a lab-born hamster.” His voice got gradually louder. “That’s just plain stupidity. I can't believe he did that. He knows nothing about science. Nothing! He could have really hurt you.”

“
What’s the big deal?”

“
We need to be studying your powers, Ara, not forcing you to use them as a weapon. Those headaches could be serious. You might not be able to die that easily, but you can get brain damage.”

“
I can?”

“
Yes. I'm not sure if it would be permanent, but being in that state, even for a few months, would be horrible for you—and for your people.”

I twiddled my fingers in my lap. “What if he’s right, though? What if I do need to be exercising this power?”

“
Then we’ll find another way—a kinder way.” He moved my hands apart and stole one, looking carefully at my fingertips and nails. “So, the light—it just shoots up out of your skin?”

I nodded, closing my eyes; his tickly touch felt so soothing, kind of relaxing.

“
And how often do you get these headaches?”

“
Pretty much every time now.”
Except when I have sex.

“
What’s sex got to do with it?”

My eyes flung open. “Huh?”

“
Ara, I read your mind. What has sex got to do with it?”

“
Oh, um. I light up when I have sex, and I can read David's mind when I get…”

“
Turned on?”

I nodded, feeling the pulse of extra heat in my cheeks.

He stared down at my hand, his eyes small with thought. “That’s just…that is fascinating on so many levels.”

“
Yeah, but, it’s also bad, because if I shoot anyone with it, like, if I accidently shoot vampires, they feel their hearts beat for a second.”

He folded his fingers firmly around mine and pressed my hand to his chest. “Do it to me. Shoot me.”

“
No way.” I drew my hand back. “I nearly killed Falcon when he was human.”

“
I don't care.” He took my hand again. “Shoot me. I want to see what it does.”

“
Forget it.” I looked into his green eyes, watching the morning shadows of leaves dance across his nose and cheekbones. “If I shoot you with it, I’ll have a headache for the rest of the day, and I'm really too stressed to deal with that as well right now.”

“
Okay.” He patted my hand, keeping it against his heart for a second, then dropped it into his lap. “Maybe we’ll work on it another day.”

I closed my eyes around the deep, smooth tone of his voice, feeling it melt through me; it was so different to David's—softer, kinder almost, like he’d never say a harsh word or speak ill of anyone else. “God, it is sooo good to hear your voice again.”

“
It’s so good to touch you again.” He squeezed my hand. “And even sweeter that we’re here, in our field, awake.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at our tree. “It doesn't feel that different.”

He placed his thumb to my chin and tilted my face up to his, then gently and so sweetly pressed his lips to mine. I let him do it; let him stay there for the single breath we both took through our noses, before he pulled slowly away, staying right in front of my mouth. “Does that feel different?”

I nodded, tasting him on my lips. It felt warm and loving and so real. “I really missed you, Jase. There's so much I've wanted to say—so many things I wanted to tell you. I just…” I cast my teary gaze to the wide field of grass, moving and dancing in the breeze, hiding the fluffy white dog chasing crows in the distance. “The thought of you being gone forever, I…now that you're here, alive, I'm sure I'm going to have nightmares about losing you again.”

He cupped my face and turned it to his. “I will never, ever leave you again. Not for anything. I promise.”

I nodded, placing his hand over my heart. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

“
It would only have been a matter of time before I came back.” He looked at his hand, then slid it up to my shoulder and, in one move, swept me into him, spine to chest between his legs, his arms wrapped tightly around my ribs. “I’ve missed you
so
much.”

“
I missed you, too.”

“
I know. And you have no idea what those words mean to me.” He leaned in, pressing his cheek firmly against mine, and I could almost feel that his eyes were closed, holding in everything that wanted to burst out from his soul. And I held my breath, trapping all the chaotic emotions inside; the desire to cry, to laugh, to jump up and down and to hold onto him tighter than I’d ever held anything before. All the things I wanted to say, all the regrets I had after losing him, none of them mattered now, because I got that second chance. And I wouldn’t waste it. I wouldn’t ever let him go again. I would use this chance to make his life right—to see that he found happiness, even though that happiness couldn't be with me.

“
Jase?” I rubbed his forearm. “You have to understand that what you're doing right now isn't right, though—holding me like this.”

“
Why not?” He ran his nose down the side of my face, breathing me in.

“
Because I'm married.” I laughed, working up the strength to believe my next words. “And, I mean, I know how things were before—in our dreams, but that was all due to the bind. That’s passed now. I don't love you that way anymore.”

He released me a little. “Ouch.”

“
And, besides—” I turned around to look at him. “
Your
feelings for
me
aren’t real, either.”

“
They’re not?”

“
No.” I ignored that sarcastic grin of his. “See, there’s this curse—the Curse of Seduction, and—”

“
You've got to be kidding me?”

“
Nope.” I shook my head. “It’s said to be passed down—”

“
No, I mean, I can't believe you actually think my feelings are because of the curse.”

“
You think they're not?”

“
Ara—” He grabbed my hand and placed it on his chest. “Tell me what you feel.”

“
Um, a chest.”

He chuckled once. “Precisely. No heartbeat, right?”

“
No.”

“
The curse only works on those with a heartbeat.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes.”

“
But, Morgaine told me—”

“
Oh, right, I see now.” He sat back against the tree trunk, shaking his head. “Ara, that girl knows nothing. She is beginning to really piss me off.”

“
So…she’s wrong?”

“
Oh, she is wrong on so many levels it’s not even funny.” He leaned forward, his elbows over his knees as I moved to sit beside him again. “Take the prophecy, for example; she’s got the whole nation convinced this child’s gonna come in and cure vampires of immortality. She hasn’t checked her facts, and no one seems to care that she's misinterpreted the scrolls or that they, themselves, haven’t actually seen them.
I’ve
seen them, so I know it’s not all based on some bogus lie, but I don't interpret them the way she does.”

“
Well, how do you interpret them?”

“
I don't know. I read them a long time ago when I was at college—studying Lilithian History as a minor subject—”

“
They study that at school?”

“
Not human school. Vampires have, well,
had
universities as well.”

“
Oh. So, you don't remember what the scrolls said?”

“
Never had any real reason to commit them to memory, and all my assignments were tossed out decades ago. But I don't remember there being anything about a child that could cure vampires, or I’d have been hunting it down.”

“
So, is that why no one else knew there was a prophecy until now—because there isn't one?”

“
Yeah. Well, the scrolls are there—for all to see. She's just the only one who would’ve interpreted them to be a prophecy.”