On Wicked Ground (Solsti Prophecy Book 4) (23 page)

Arawn stared hard at her, then looked toward Sebastian. Alina’s heart thundered in her chest at what she’d just said. To the Lash leader, of all people.

“True, we did vow to protect the Solsti. We can at least hear what her father has to say. Sit.” Arawn gestured to the room. “Sheath your blades.”

The room obliged. Arawn studied Sebastian with lethal scrutiny. “Explain, vamp. And this better be good. I don’t want to hear I’m harboring the enemy.”

Alina leaned forward, nearly leaping out of the seat, indignation heating her skin. “He’s not—”

Caine grabbed her shoulders. “Shh. Wait until—”

“Why? I won’t let my father be insulted—“

“Alina.” Sebastian turned to her. “I never told you about her because she and I are estranged. Have been for almost a century. Eighty years. There was no point.”

“Estranged? How convenient.” Sarcasm laced Arawn’s voice. “Why the hell should I believe that?”

“Because it’s the truth.” Sebastian looked Arawn in the eye and Alina felt a burst of pride that her dad wasn’t cowed by the Lash leader’s size or power. “Alina and I have been upfront with you about how we do business. And yes, our business can involve certain degrees of deception. But this?” He gestured around the room, looking at each of Alina’s sisters and then at Arawn. “This isn’t business. This is family. True family—not the one I was born with, but the one I chose to share my life with. Alina and her sisters are more important to me than any treasure I could ever steal. And war is coming.”

Arawn folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels. His scowl softened to a grim line and he nodded. “Go on.”

Sebastian shoved his hands through his blond hair. “She was always smart. She stole discarded textbooks from schools and read them constantly. She especially loved the science ones. Biology and botany. Though how she got the resources to bring back a dead plant species, I don’t know.”

“Did you know she was behind these kidnappings?” Arawn glared.

“No! She’s not strong. You know vampires are a weak species. She’s a full vampire, so she’s weaker than me.”

“What do you mean, full? You just said you’re siblings.” Alina said.

“Half siblings. We have the same father. My mother was a wood nymph who was charmed by some jewels my father stole for her, but she died giving birth to me. Later my dad met Elegia’s mother, who was a vampire like him.” He sighed. “Elegia has weak lungs and has trouble breathing sometimes, sort of like human asthma. Her mother thought human blood would help her, but we can’t get it here. Obviously. So she drank animal blood but never liked it. She always talked about getting human blood, though. But because of her lungs she can’t go to Earth. She can’t breathe the air there at all.”

“But you can, because you’re only half vampire? That’s how you were on Earth and found me?”

He nodded. ”Yes. I was…looking for some quick easy jobs, detected the unusual ley line activity and—”

“You’ve always been a thief?” Arawn asked.

“Yes. My dad was, and taught me everything he knew. It’s not like it’s easy for us to get by, or have real jobs. Food was always a problem and money? Forget about it.” Sebastian shook his head.

Alina wondered if any of the Watchers had ever had to scrape by like they did, moving at the slightest threat, living in the shadows. They were all so large and menacing. Could they possibly understand being powerless? Sebastian had raised her the best way he knew, and she’d defend it to the end. “So… you can eat other food, because you’re only half vampire?”

Sebastian nodded.

“So you’re saying you haven’t had any contact with Elegia in eighty years?” Arawn growled.

“Yes.”

“Okay, so if I can interject a biology question.” Gin leaned forward. “Elegia’s physiology prevents her from traveling to Earth, so I’m guessing that’s why she had Xavier taint the water supply? I mean, he was a Deserati. He passed for human.”

“That makes sense,” Brooke murmured.

“Who knows how many other goons she has on Earth?” Kai asked.

“But why give the lily essence to humans? I still don’t get why making humans stronger would help her, if they stay on Earth and she stays here.” Alina’s attention bounced from Brooke to Gin.

Gin drummed her fingers on the table. “What if she changed it?”

“Changed it? How?” Brooke asked.

“You mean like genetically modified crops?” Nicole tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

The room fell silent. Alina eyed her sisters. Arawn stopped pacing and focused on Gin. “Go on.”

Gin’s face brightened and she sat up straighter. “If she re-created the plant, or brought an old one back to life…who’s to say she didn’t, you know, make it stronger? More potent? On Earth, scientists tinker with plant genetics all the time. They add vitamins to crops and ship it to countries where the population doesn’t get proper nutrition in their diets. They even made a strain of corn that’s blue.”

Mathias rubbed his mate’s back. “And they add cells and enzymes that make plants resistant to insect predators.”

“Exactly,” Gin said. “So what if Elegia did the same thing? The lily gives long life, extra speed and stamina, and accelerated healing. What if she increased what it can do? What if she can exert some kind of control over those who ingest it?”

“And what if she’s giving it to all of her victims?” Brooke said. “When we fought Xavier, he had the advantage for a while, right? Sorry Mathias.” She glanced at the Hunter, who shook his head. “He moved faster than any of us expected, and healed faster when he got stabbed. We figured he had taken the extract. But what if everyone under her control is taking it too?”

“And those explosives that were hurled at our house? We tracked Deseratis. They could have thrown them. The extract could potentially give them the strength and accuracy.” Mathias scowled.

The room rumbled with the sounds of low voices debating the speed of the explosives, and the potential behind an enhanced version of the lily extract.

Arawn held up a hand. “Those Deseratis knew exactly where to find you.”

All conversation stopped and all eyes swung to the tall Lash leader.

“We know Elegia has used Deserati demons in the past.” He placed both hands palm down on the table and looked at Alina and Sebastian. “And we know your little magic mirror alerted someone to both your location and that of the other Solsti.”

“Dad.” Alina squeezed Sebastian’s hand, fear and dread filling her voice. “You said the counter spell on the mirror would show the images to the person who would be most threatened by them. If Elegia is using a biological weapon to create an army…”

He faced her, and his expression told her he put the puzzle together just as she had. “Elegia is the one who saw the images. Her plan is threatened by you girls.”

“She’s the one who came looking for us at our hotel in Halice,” Alina said.

“She’s the one we need to defeat.” Brooke’s voice took on a hard edge.

“Is she coming here?” Dread weighed on Alina’s shoulders and she hated to ask the question, but needed to know how well prepared the compound would be.

“Oh, I’d love for that bitch to knock on my door.” Arawn snarled, and looked like he’d relish carving the female into bits. “Just let her try it. I can’t fucking wait.”

Alina looked at him. “But the wards…she can’t find us here, right?”

Arawn leveled a thoughtful gaze at Alina, then turned to Sebastian. “How exactly is she tracking you, vamp?”

“The mirror gives a vision and creates an energy trail. That’s how she tracked us to Halice.”

“And now she might come here?” Gin whispered.

“Not if she’s knows what’s good for her,” Kai muttered, but his face was grim.

“She might try. We need to assume so,” Arawn barked. “You four. It’s time to get ready.” He walked around the whole room, boots thudding on the stone floor. “She’s taken every type of creature, from peaceful fae to predatory demons. Sea creatures. Winged creatures. I need each of you to explore your ability to its fullest extent. Think of possibility on top of possibilities. We need to be prepared for anything that a sick psycho bitch can think up.”

“But … I shouldn’t do anything on a large scale here, right? I could cause an earthquake and collapse the building,” Alina said.

Arawn rubbed the back of his neck and huffed out a breath. “Yes, I bet you could. And I like this place. I don’t want it wrecked. You’ll go to an isolated area and practice.”

“We should all go,” Nicole said.

“No. All four of you in one spot is a vulnerability. Except for right here.” Arawn’s tone left no room for argument.

“Are you serious?” Nicole’s eyes sparked with irritation. “The four of us can—” 

Gunnar laid a hand on Nicole’s arm and she quieted, but glared at Arawn. “My mate is one hundred percent confident in her sisters’ abilities and what they can accomplish together. Sir.”

Arawn slammed his hands on his hips. “Well, then you can sing it from the fucking rooftop. But until we know where Elegia and her group of lily-enhanced junkies is, I’m not risking anything. Especially not the Solsti. Can you imagine if she captured even one of you?” He glared at each girl in turn.

Alina swallowed and leaned into Caine.
Just like he had suggested before.

“Remember how I killed Cale?” Brooke challenged.

“I do. The reports were impressive. But we may be talking about an
army
. And you passed out immediately after dehydrating
one
demon.” Arawn stopped across the table from Brooke. “I’d like you to try and do that on a large scale, and keep doing it without losing strength.”

Brooke sighed and folded her arms. “I know I’m stronger now. I can breathe under water. But…” she looked at Kai. “More practice can’t hurt.”

“I’d like to keep you all here to work on your skills if possible, but that may not be viable. I know it’s not for you.” Arawn turned to Alina. “I’ll send you out with a group later, when we’ve determined the safest location. For you, and for the…” he cleared his throat, which Alina thought sounded a lot like a stifled laugh. “For the local landscape. You can take pre-spelled transportation amulets to get back if you get into trouble.”

“Sir?” Caine asked. “A large group may draw attention. Maybe a small group would be better.”

“No. I said I’m not taking chances and I mean it. Not that I doubt you’d try to save her again. But it’s too risky.”

Alina’s heart gave a little flip at the gruff leader’s words.
Save her again
. She knew Caine would. And she would be forever grateful that he had. Then she mentally smacked herself. Her heart had no reason to flip, and no reason to feel anything
forever
about Caine.

Her heart wasn’t hers to give.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

C
AINE
SLOWED
HIS
PACE
AS
he and Alina walked the smooth halls after the meeting, partly for the benefit of her short but sexy legs, and partly because he wanted to draw out the time they had together, since it sounded like he wouldn’t be taking her out to practice alone. Who knew how many Watchers Arawn would send with them? At least the whole compound knew she was
with him
, thanks to the healthy dose of each other’s scents on their skin.

“So,” he drawled as the last Watcher from the meeting room passed them by, “look at you, turning out to have a crazy aunt?”

She stifled a snort. “Thank god I’m adopted. Though I feel bad for Sebastian. He never even mentioned siblings, and the one he has is a nut job.”

“Yeah. Sounds like he realized that a long time ago.”

She sighed. “Then again, it’s not like he and I have been citizens of the year.”

“Hey.” He stopped her and slid a hand into her silky hair. “No one here judges you. You did what you had to do to survive. Believe me, you’re not the only one here who’s done that.”

A smile tugged the corners of her mouth upward. “I kinda picked up on that. There’s always more than what’s on the surface, isn’t there?”

“Yep.” He dropped his hand to her hip, bumping the small sheath he’d found for her new dagger. “Glad you brought this.”

She scrunched her nose. “Why? Am I going to need it?”

“Maybe.”

“I thought we couldn’t leave until Arawn finds a safe location. And I totally didn’t appreciate that crack about wrecking the landscape.” She folded her arms across her chest, but her mock-indignation didn’t reach her twinkling eyes.

He chuckled. “You’re damn cute when you’re ticked. Or when you’re pretending to be. And Arawn’s sense of humor is so rare it’s practically non-existent. That
crack
was actually a once-in-a-blue-moon joke.”

“Oh.” She shook her head. “Then I don’t know if it’s good or bad that I was the cause. And you didn’t answer my question.” Her green eyes glinted with amusement.

“Thought it’d be more fun to keep you guessing.”

“Oh yeah? Two can tease, you know.”

He took a step closer, crowding her against the wall. “I’ll take you up on that game. After we go swimming.”

“Swimming?” Her word came out as half whisper, half broken, and the pulse point at the base of her throat sped up.

Unable to resist, he dipped his head to kiss her there. Her body was throwing out flares that being near him did the same to her as it did to him.

“I don’t have a swimsuit,” she whispered.

“Don’t need one.” He licked at her neck, loving how her body shuddered under his mouth.

Tiny hands clutched his biceps. “Okay.”

That breathy little word nearly undid him, both her trust in giving him her body and in taking her to an unknown locale. He gritted his teeth and pulled back before he ravished her right there in the hall, but not before he wondered if her cloaking ability would extend to him. That could make for some interesting alone time. He shook his head. “One quick stop in my room to grab transportation amulets. Then I’ve got a place to show you.”

She held his hand tightly as they hurried through the corridors and, for once, the elevator was right there waiting for them when they reached the rotunda.