Unraveled

Anything. Even…betray my allies.”

Was she saying what Mary Ann thought she was saying? That she would betray the witches in exchange for information about her brother? That she would help Mary Ann rescue Aden?

“That’s why you’re coming with me, Mary Ann.”

She shook her head. She couldn’t afford to trust this being. “No. I told you. I’m staying here.”

Brendal arched a golden brow, ever the picture of calm acceptance. “If I told your father to kill himself, he would. Happily. Your ability to dull my influence might stop him, yes. I know that’s what you are thinking, but I can call others of my kind. They can drag you away. Then…”

For a split second, Mary Ann imagined flying at the fairy, a catapult of fury, nails bared, teeth ripping. No one threatened her dad. No one. Only Brendal’s promise to summon others stopped her. One on one was manageable. More than that, iffy. “How, exactly, do you expect me to help you?”

Frustration bloomed, the first true emotion to touch the beautiful female’s face. “I told you. You will come with me. You will weaken the witches while I obtain the boy.”

“And that’s all?”

“Yes.”

Did she know Mary Ann could drain the witches of their power or did she simply mean for her to mute their abilities? “And what will you do with Aden?”

“As soon as he tells me what I want to know, I will release him.”

Or try to kill him. Because Mary Ann knew the answer this fairy craved, and knew she wouldn’t like what she learned. Her brother was dead and Aden was the reason. “You’ll free him? No matter what?”

She nodded. “No matter what.”

“How can I trust you?”

“Do you have any other choice?”

God, she wished Riley was here to tell her whether or not fairies kept their promises. “And what about the witches meeting?”

Triumph replaced the fairy’s frustration. “I cannot force them to call a meeting to order.”

At least she’d been honest. About that. “All right. I’ll help you.” After that…

THIRTY

THE KISS ON THE COUCH, when he’d tasted blood. It hadn’t been his own, Aden realized now. It had been Victoria’s. She’d given him several drops—accidentally? purposely?—but that had been enough. Now he was inside her head, hearing her thoughts, seeing the world through her eyes. Feeling her pain.

And oh, was she in pain. There was a burn in her chest, directly over her heartbeat, as if the skin had been singed away. She barely seemed to notice, though.

She stood in front of Riley, gaze cutting through the darkness. They were in the woods, wolves and goblins fighting all around them. Snarls rent the air, as did shouted commands and groans of agony.

“—found him,” she was saying. “He’s in a cave, an entire state away.”

Riley swiped at the blood dripping from his hairline. “I know. We can feel him, too. We just can’t leave this forest until this swarm of goblins is taken care of. Otherwise, they’ll hunt humans.”

“Well, I need a few of your men to follow me to the cave—after they return to the mansion and gather as many vampire warriors as possible.”

Riley shook his head. “You’ll get the wolves and the vampires, but you aren’t to enter the cave alone.”

Stubborn. As always. “I can move faster than you can.” To prove it, she grabbed a goblin racing past by the neck, swooped down and bit, hard, sucking him dry in seconds. The body fell, and she tried not to cringe as she swallowed that last drop of blood. Goblins’ blood always tasted like bile. “You’ll just slow me down, and Aden could be…hurt.”

“You’ll be distracted by the witches, Victoria.” Riley’s gaze was pointed. “You know you will. You’ll do more harm than good.”

No. She wouldn’t. Aden was priority one. “As you just saw, I ate. I’m not hungry, and this conversation is wasting precious time. I’m only here to tell you not to let your wolves or the vampires inside the cave while I’m in there. They’ll ruin everything. Okay? They are only to fight the witches outside.”

Now he frowned, suspicion dancing in his eyes. “Why? What will they ruin? What are you planning?”

What’s necessary. She didn’t say the words aloud.

“And anyway, I need you to listen to me. Your father—”

Is dead. She already knew. “Goodbye, Riley,” she said, and rose on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Then, before the shape-shifter could grab her, she teleported. The ground abandoned her feet, wind rustled her hair and she spun…spun…darkness closing in, sounds fading away. When she reached her new destination, the darkness gave way to beams of light. Panting breaths disrupted the quiet.

Suddenly, Aden was looking at himself.

“Aden.” Her voice stroked his ears. “Aden. Wake up.”

A sharp sting lanced his cheek, then another, as he watched Victoria slap him. Slowly he blinked open his eyes. The cave seemed coated with Vaseline. He blinked again, once, twice, his own image fading and Victoria’s taking its place.

She was here. With him. “Leave,” he croaked. If they found her… “Now.”

“Shhh.” She tugged at the ivy around his wrists, but when she cut one vine, another quickly grew in its place. “Was the meeting called to order?”

“No.” The admission shamed him. “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight. The true countdown has begun.” Still she tugged and clawed. “They kept us busy or I would have been here sooner.”

“Leave me here, and try to get the witches to return to me. That’s the only way.”

“No. I won’t. If I don’t do this now, I may not…I may…”

Be dead, he finished for her.

“And you’ll be stuck,” she whispered, still chopping at the vines. “I can’t allow that.”

He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t. “Do you know where the witches are?”

What are you planning? Caleb asked, speaking up for the first time in what seemed an eternity.

Aden ignored him. When it came to the witches, the soul had no objectivity.

With a screech of frustration, Victoria grabbed the vine, pulled herself up and slashed the root with her teeth. Aden’s arms fell heavily to his sides as she spat the leaves onto the ground.

“The witches?” he prompted, trying to rub feeling back into his shoulders.

You’re not thinking about hurting them, are you? Caleb demanded.

And if he is? Irritation pulsed from Julian. What if it’s them or us?

Guys, you need to— Elijah began, only to be interrupted.

“Couldn’t get enough of me, princess, and decided to find me?” Jennifer asked. “I’m touched, really.”

“Yes, thank you for joining us,” Marie said. “Now I won’t have to go to the trouble of sending you an engraved invitation to the night’s festivities.”

The witches had returned.

At the sound of Jennifer’s voice, Victoria had spun around, arms splayed to act as Aden’s shield. He shoved her behind him. They wanted him alive. Victoria, not so much. When she tried to return to her position in front of him, he reached back and squeezed her wrist.

“Do you think we failed to realize the exact moment you had stepped onto our land, tick?” Marie said. One by one, the witches marched to their boulders, claiming their spots around him. They still wore red robes. “Now we can watch you die and revel in the knowledge that we have one less bloodsucking enemy to contend with.”

“No,” Aden barked. Despite the cold, sweat beaded over his skin. “Call the meeting to order. Now.”