Faelan took the satchel, opened it, and looked inside. He closed the satchel again.
“Aren’t you even going to look at it?” Brodie asked.
“That’s for Sean to do,” Faelan said.
“They’re all dead,” Marcas said. “What are we going to do with him?” He nodded toward the vampire.
“Take him to the castle,” Ronan said.
“Sure we want to do that?” Duncan asked.
Cody tucked his dagger back inside his boot. “This is our chance to find out what these things are and what they want.” He had to save Shay.
“Whatever we do, we need to do it fast, before someone sees him,” Marcas said. They bound the vampire with so much rope, his clothing couldn’t be seen.
“He looks like a damn mummy,” Brodie said.
“No one in sight except a few kids over by those houses,” Lach said. “They’re not paying attention.”
They loaded the vampire into one of the Range Rovers. “I’ll meet you back at the castle,” Cody told them.
“Where are you going?” Marcas asked, his eyes narrowed.
“I’ve got something to do first.”
***
Shay stood at the French doors, looking over the driveway. The night was beautiful. It should have been like a thousand others, but it wasn’t. Both vampires and an ancient demon were after her for God knew what reason, the same demon who killed her parents and tried to kill her as a baby. Michael the Archangel had told her she was assigned to destroy the demon. Twenty-six-year-old Shay, versus a nine-hundred-year-old demon, and vampires, one who marked her for God knows what. Not a normal night.
From what she overheard of the meeting, Cody wanted to take on Malek, but the others were trying to talk him out of it. Shay wouldn’t let him do it. A warrior couldn’t destroy a demon as powerful as Malek, unless the warrior was assigned; otherwise, he would die. She wouldn’t let Cody die. The whole thing seemed ridiculous. Cody, a seasoned warrior, revered by his clan, killer of an ancient demon, couldn’t touch Malek, but Shay, with no experience whatsoever, who never killed anything except Ellis and one vampire, was expected to take down a demon who was nearly a thousand years old. What was it about God working in mysterious ways? Maybe he was bored and wanted to stir things up.
On the other hand, she wasn’t a complete weakling. She killed that vampire at the cabin, and Cody claimed she’d moved just as fast as the vampire had. Maybe she should have gone to Beauly Prior with the warriors. They were powerful, but their talismans didn’t work against vampires.
She watched the dark shadows of the guards, pacing first one way, then another, bodies alert, watching. She glanced at her watch. Cody and the others had been gone for two hours. The warriors suddenly halted, and Shay heard vehicles coming down the driveway. She watched as two Range Rovers parked. The doors opened, and the warriors piled out. She searched for Cody, but he wasn’t there. Had he been injured?
She ran downstairs and met Bree in the hallway. “They’re back,” Bree said. “And they’ve brought a vampire.”
“Where’s Cody?” Shay asked.
Bree frowned. “I don’t know. He didn’t come back with them.”
“He’s okay?”
“No one was hurt.”
“Bree,” Faelan called, and Bree moved away.
Shay held on to the wall for support, breath wheezing through her lungs as she remembered the look on Cody’s face, the desperation in his kiss, urging her to remember that he loved her.
He was going after Malek alone.
***
“Shay, darling, how are you?”
Shay stepped inside the adjoining rooms that her aunt and Matilda shared. “Good. How’s Matilda?”
“The most somber I’ve seen her. The vampire thing really shocked her.”
“She believes it was a vampire?”
“We tried to convince her otherwise, but I think she knows.”
“I have something to say to you, Nina. I should’ve said it years ago, but I was so focused on my pain, I didn’t stop to think about how much it hurt you when I left. I’m sorry. I know you were trying to protect me. You always wanted what was best for me.” Although attempting to kidnap Jamie was a little extreme. “You gave up your way of life to help me, and I never considered that. Please forgive me.” Shay wrapped her arms around her aunt. “I’ve been so selfish.”
“No, you haven’t.” Nina stroked Shay’s hair. “We took your life from you. We just didn’t have a choice. Or maybe we did. I’ve wondered so many times over the years whether I should’ve told you.” Nina’s eyes moistened. “When you came into my life, I thought my world had collapsed. My husband had died a few months before, and I had nothing to live for. Until you. You became my life.” Nina hugged Shay and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry about everything. Not telling you, trying to kidnap Jamie so you could be with Cody.”
“Nina,” Matilda called.
“She just found out about Nick’s death. I feel so terrible.”
