Revelation (The Forever Series Book Three) (9 page)

I glare at Nico and spit out, “No, I said he said to call
him Cade.”

Looking unapologetic at his betrayal of my confidence Nico
says, “From what you described to me, he is a very dangerous man, Liv. To your
kind.”

“What do you mean? He seemed harmless enough. Rude to be
sure but I didn’t sense a threat.”

“Possibly because he either didn’t know you are a Vampire or
maybe and more likely because he does know but is damn good at keeping his
emotions in check,” Nico says.

“Liv, my sweet, we think this man is a Vampire Hunter,” CK
says.

Silence.

I blink at him for a moment, “A what?”

“A Vampire Hunter,” Eloise enunciates each word for me like
I am dense. Well I suppose I did set myself up for that, really.

Ignoring her I focus on CK, “A Hunter? How come I have never
heard of them before?”

He sighs, “They are humans but with magick backing. We have
kept the information from the public at large so as not to cause panic or for
those more inclined to act to go hunting the Hunters.”

“Oh. I suppose that makes sense in a way, but wouldn’t it
have been better if we knew so we could be on an alert for, I don’t know, say,
someone trying to kill us?” I snap the last part. Before he has a chance to
respond I continue knowing I am stepping into a big pile of crap while I’m at
it, “We were talking, having a coffee together and you’re telling me now he
could have whipped out some magick device that could have finished me off?”

“I don’t think that would have been likely in a crowded
airport, Aefre,” CK says using his “you are being irrational Aefre” tone with
me. “But it does seem that the man you were talking to is Cade Sinclair, the
best Vampire Hunter in the history of the Hunters.”

“Holy shit. Well how can we be certain?”

“You told Nico that he said he lived in New York. So here we
are,” CK says as if it was obvious.

“I think what he means is ‘Go Fetch,’” James drawls at me
with a chuckle. I look from him to CK with questioning eyes and CK shrugs. “You
have run into him twice. It doesn’t seem a coincidence, and as a result, you
are the only one of us who has seen him.”

“And you want me to what? Wander the streets of Manhattan
until I “run into” him again? And then what if I do find him, or he finds me?”

“You kill him,” Gregor speaks up for the first time.

“What? I am not killing a human, Vampire Hunter or not.” I
stand now to make my point and Cole stands with me.

“Aefre,” CK says patiently, “we are not asking you to kill
him.” He looks at Gregor in annoyance. “We need to find out if he is the Hunter
first, and if it is confirmed, then we will act. Together.”

Feeling slightly calmer now that I am not some poor human
executioner I sit again. “Fine. Although, how am I supposed to find that out?
It’s not like he’s just going to blurt it out. Christ, the man is as taciturn
as that lamp.” I gesture at said lamp.

“We just need you to glean a bit more information out of
him. Anything.”

“Of course you do. So I’ll just go ask him, shall I? Right
before he sets me on fire.” My three boys look alarmed at that thought and
pointedly ignoring Eloise’s look of delight I turn back to CK. “Can we speak
privately please?”

“Of course.” He looks at everyone and they stand to leave
except Cole and Devon.

I open my mouth to speak once they have exited the suite but
CK holds his finger up and I shut it.

A couple of minutes later he nods, “Okay, they’re gone. It’s
clear, now you may speak freely.”

“First things, seeing as we are all here right now, I want
to finish what we started. Today, tomorrow, we need a plan and second, I don’t
like the idea of seeking out this guy if he has the power to kill me.”

“First things, I am in agreement with you. It is ideal and
we will arrange a plan. Second, I don’t think he has the power to kill you,
Liv. I don’t think anyone has the power to kill you. Remember your own Powers,
my sweet.” He motions his hands out at his sides, palms facing outward to
indicate my virtual armory.

I had in fact forgotten my own Powers under the threat of
being sent on a suicide mission. It slipped my mind.

“Every weapon ever created means theirs as well. You just
need to do a bit of mental digging. See what you can come up with. Be prepared.
Not only that, I am certain that
She
hasn’t put you through all of this
without somehow protecting you.”

“That’s a big leap of faith,” Devon says heavily. “I am not
prepared to just accept that as fact.”

“Neither am I,” Cole says in agreement.

Yeah, me either, I add silently.

“We know that you aren’t vulnerable to
Gladius Infernus
,
which leads me to believe that if the fires of Hell aren’t going to set you
alight then I am sure regular earth fire won’t either,” CK says, full of
confidence.

Huh. A working theory.

“Okay, let’s just try and set her on fire then shall we?”
Devon sneers and I look at him in inspiration. “Oh hell no!” he yells,
standing. “Not a chance. Don’t be insane.”

“Dev, it’s worth looking into. I don’t want you to set me on
fire per se but there might be a way to test it. Safely,” I add. “But enough
about that, I am more concerned with the first plan and what we are going to do
about it.

“I say we do it now,” Cole speaks up and we all look at him.

“Now?” I frown. “We have no plan.”

“Yes, we do. Same plan, different setting. Devon and I will
go and find Eloise, granted now that James is here it may be trickier, and you
call Gregor up here. Once it’s done you and Constantine can Teleport and Astral
or whatever to us and finish her off,” he says decisively and I am so proud.

“I’m in,” says Devon. “Once it’s over, the next phase kicks
in and we find out once and for all what this Power of One is really supposed
to do.”

“Agreed,” says CK and all that’s left is for me to say is
“Okay.”

“Great. Let’s go,” Cole says to Devon and he stands.

“Wait,” I stand as well and they both turn to me. “Be
careful, and don’t let her make you do… stuff…” I say with a slight frown and
they both laugh at me.

“Stuff is kind of implied but I will look after your
husband. If we get in trouble, will you sense it?” Devon asks.

“Yes. I will stay focused. As soon as I finish him she will
feel it so distraction is key until we get to you.”

“How do we stop her from Teleporting out?” Cole asks
suddenly.

“Even just a slight nick from from the sword will weaken
them enough that they will lose the ability. That’s why I need you to distract
her until I can get to her with it,” I say and receive three interested looks
at that little nugget of info I was keeping to myself.

They both nod and with a swift kiss from each they head off
with grim faces to execute our plan.

Shit, this is kind of moving a bit quicker than I’d have
liked but strike while the iron is hot I suppose.

“Ring him,” I say quietly and he does.

Aware of CK’s eyes on me, I start to pace as he talks
quietly into the phone. He stands behind me and trails his hands down the silky
sides of my shirt pulling me against him. I can feel how much he wants me and
all I want is to turn to him and forget everything else but I focus and the knock
at the door distracts me. “That was quick,” I mutter as I go to open it.

Gregor’s eyes smoulder at me as he sees me. He steps into
the room and I step back to let him pass. Closing the door with a quiet click I
take a deep breath and square my shoulders. It’s show time.

Not saying a word I sashay over to CK who has made himself
more casual by removing his suit jacket and tie. I take his hand and with a
look back at Gregor and lead him over to the bed. Gregor is quick to follow and
is at my side in seconds.

With a quick glance at CK to step back just a bit, I call
the sword to my hand and spin so quickly to thrust it into Gregor’s gut. I want
words with him before I finish him off. He grunts in surprise and pain. His
angry eyes snap to mine as he drops to his knees and I follow, hand still
gripping the sword.

“What do you think you are doing?” he croaks out.
“Constantine?”

“Ending you,” I growl at him as I twist the sword and pull
it out. He gasps in pain as the wound is leaking blood and isn’t healing but is
in fact getting bigger. He is weak now and unable to Teleport. CK pulls me back
before he bunches his hand into a fist and punches Gregor so hard in the face
his head snaps back, all but breaking his neck. Not that it will finish him
off, but it had to hurt. “That is for daring to go anywhere near what’s mine,”
he snarls, picking him up by the throat and throwing him against the wall.
Gregor sneers at us. “Told him finally then, did you? Told him that I fucked
you. Did you tell him that you loved it? That you couldn’t get enough of it?”
he rasps, picking himself up off the floor with great difficulty.

A vicious punch to the face breaks his nose but CK doesn’t
stop there. Another one and another. So much for my words, this is so much
better. I go to CK. “Stop, my love. We need to end this.”

One more punch so hard it would have knocked the head off a
regular Vampire. “Finish him,” he orders.

Lifting the sword, the flames licking the air, I can feel
its Power weakening him even more. A quick check on CK to make sure he isn’t
affected, I say to Gregor, “Just so you know, as much as I hate you for
everything you have done to me, this isn’t for me, this is for Fraser.” And his
shocked eyes go dead as I sever his head from his body and it disintegrates
before our very eyes.

I stand stock still as CK grunts next to me, doubling over.
“We need to get to Eloise,” he says, “Now.” And without further ado I grab his
arm and we Astral to Eloise.

We swirl into Eloise’s bedroom to find her also slightly
weakened, gripping Devon by the arm. But she looks bewildered as if she doesn’t
know why. This is good. Eyes finding Cole as well, they both look slightly
dishevelled but alive and well, I nod at them. James is nowhere in sight,
thankfully. I spin to Eloise and run her through, cutting off her ability as I
want words with her too.

“What have you done?” she gasps at me in agony as the wound
cuts through her, expanding slowly.

“Killed Gregor. And you are next,” I say blandly and she
looks scared for a split second.

“You can’t kill us,” she says confidently.

“Oh, Gregor would disagree, if he were here to,” I say
twirling my new best friend in the air closer to her and she winces.

“You okay?” I say as a sidebar to CK, who nods. It is taking
everything I have now to keep the sword under my divided control to both
protect CK and destroy Eloise. A slight sweat breaks out on my forehead and I
grip it tighter.

“Just fine,” he says.

“Just so you know, I am going to take great delight in
this,” I say to her pleasantly and now I can see the fear in her eyes. She
tries to make a dash for it but she is weak and all CK has to do is reach out
and he has her by the throat in an instant.

“You’re helping her do this?” she says to him, big green
eyes all sorrowful. “After everything we’ve been through, you are choosing her
over me?” 

He scowls at her, “I will always choose her as she means
everything to me, you mean less than nothing Eloise. I have put up with you all
these centuries because you were chosen, as was I. Don’t pretend it was any
more than that.”

“But I love you. You know that I have always loved you,” she
begs. “I know you feel something for me.”

Listening with interest to this I tilt my head, wondering
how he will respond.

“No Eloise,” he says. “The only thing I feel for you is
contempt. You are a manipulative bitch who has gone out of her way to destroy
the happiness of my love and I too will take great delight in seeing you
finished.”

He grabs her by the wrist with his free hand and twists her
arm up behind her back as he releases her throat. “Whenever you are ready, my
sweet,” he whispers as he forces her to her knees. Needing no more
encouragement than that I slice the sword through the air--mindful not to touch
CK with it--and with a savage grin that is the last thing she’ll see as I
remove her head as he steps back releasing her, and she too disintegrates to
nothing. Letting the sword disappear back into my virtual armory, I go to CK’s
side as he has dropped to his knees, weakened briefly by her demise.

“Are you, okay?” I whisper.

“Never better,” he replies with a soft smile. He helps me up
and my two boys are looking at me warily, seeing the destruction I have just
caused.

Devon recovers first and crosses to me arms open. “Are you
okay?” he asks as I step into his embrace. I nod, having gone into a bit of
shock. I step back and Cole is there with his support. “Christ, Liv. That was
badass,” he says quietly and I chuckle.

I turn to CK and say, “So how does it feel to be the last
one standing?”

He laughs, “Strange. I can feel that they are gone. We have
been connected for so long…” he trails off. “I wonder what this will do to the
Vampire population at large,” he says, then concerned.

“What do you mean?”

“I think he means that as he is the only Initial Vampire
left, he is the only one now that can create new Masters. The hierarchy is
going to collapse if you aren’t careful,” Devon says, as ever one step ahead.

“Fuck. I never even thought of that,” I say. “CK, what the
hell are we going to do?” I ask, not at all pleased at the thought of him
breeding new charges left and right.

He looks at me blankly, completely at a loss for once in his
long life. “I don’t know,” he says eventually.

“Restructure,” comes Ahmed’s voice from behind me.

We all turn towards him and he is there with Corinne.

“What?” I ask stupidly.