Wrath

“Alexis.” Charlotte paused until I returned my gaze to her. “You need to talk to her as much for yourself as for her.”

I glanced over at Vanessa, somewhat content to see the normally cocky vamp looking frightened. We’d been through so much together, and her hatred of Lucas and the Daemoni had felt very real, especially while we were struggling to escape Hades. We’d worked well as a team, and I had trusted her. Until we came home to a nightmare. Tristan and I had thought her desire to convert had been a trick, but we’d let Owen convince us otherwise. But now I couldn’t trust Owen. So maybe Tristan and I had been right in the beginning. I didn’t say this to Char, though.

I don’t think a little fear is a bad thing for her, I said instead. If anything, it’s humbling her, which she needs before she sees Rina. And I’ll feel a lot better after Rina assesses her.

Charlotte pursed her lips, but nodded. “I’ll be ready to throw a shield, but I think if Vanessa does anything, it’ll be more out of nerves than malice. As surprised as I am, I personally can’t deny what I feel from her.”

I wondered if she’d feel the same if she knew Vanessa’s amorous feelings for Owen . . . and that Owen had possibly felt the same about the vamp. But it wasn’t my place to tell her. Besides, I didn’t need to add any more drama to my already battered team. Even if Rina declared Vanessa clean of all evil, we had enough problems. No need to create more.

I closed my eyes, done with the subject of Vanessa and wanting to focus on my son instead. My heart ached with the pain of missing Dorian, but the ire swelled again, which was good. I needed that fire to remain fed because if it died, my heart would go cold and die with it, leaving only ashes of memories to blow away in the wind.

Mom met us at the runway although it was nearly midnight here, and swallowed me in a hug as soon as I stepped off the plane and onto the Amadis Island. The Island itself gave me a burst of positive energy I desperately needed, along with Mom’s love. I clung to her small body, happy to see her even under the circumstances. Even with her coldhearted demands of me. After all, I hadn’t seen her for nearly a year.

“We have a very short time and much to accomplish,” Mom said when she pulled away from me and eyed the rest of my team in the darkness. I didn’t know why Rina had insisted on us leaving so quickly when we’d arrive here in the middle of the night. “The matriarch has been anxiously waiting for your arrival. Come with me.”

Chapter 7

We followed Mom’s flash to the other end of the Amadis Island and into the matriarch’s mansion, where fires in the hearths and torches in the wall sconces threw an eerie dance of light and shadow onto the walls and everyone’s faces. Vanessa’s eyes bounced around wildly, her body tense as a tightly coiled spring ready to burst free. But if she’d truly had anything to worry about, she wouldn’t have come off the plane. Actually, she wouldn’t have stepped foot on the jet in the first place, because both the plane and the Island were shielded, meaning she had no escape. So either she was letting her guilt get the best of her—or she’d signed up for a suicide mission, knowing she’d die here if she attempted anything.

We stood in the grand foyer where the staircase swept upwards to the second and third floors, and Mom turned to look at us. Her focus fell on Vanessa.

“The matriarch wants to see you first,” she said to the vampire before looking at the rest of us. “You may wait in the sitting room. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Vanessa’s gaze found me, her eyes wide. “Is she going to do that mind-spying thing you can both do?”

I shrugged. Probably, but if you have nothing to hide, there’s nothing to worry about. Right?

Her eyes tightened, and her lips pursed. “It’s like letting her peer into my soul.”

If you’re truly converted like everyone believes, including yourself, then your soul is wiped clean.

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. My memories are still there.”

Mom had already crossed the foyer and stopped at the doorway to the corridor that led to Rina’s office. She looked over her shoulder at Vanessa.

“The matriarch is waiting,” she said.

Vanessa still hesitated, and unable to help myself, I reached over and patted her arm. “You’ll be fine. Go on.”

I didn’t point out that she should probably worry more about being alone with Mom than with Rina. After all, Vanessa had been taught to hate the matriarch, but she’d chosen to be a total bitch to Mom all on her own. Of course, if Vanessa was fooling all of us, this could be her opportunity to take Mom out. I ran a check for mind signatures and found Julia’s in the same hallway Mom and Vanessa headed down. So neither would be left alone with the other. Which was probably a good thing.

Tristan and I led Charlotte, Blossom, Sheree, and Bree through the doorway from the main foyer and into the sitting room. The room looked the same as it always had—a fire burning in the large stone hearth, two brown leather couches sitting perpendicular to the fire with a table between them, and tapestries hanging on the walls. Including the one that covered an entire wall by itself and depicted the Ames family vine, with silvery-green leaves for the daughters and brown ones for the sons.

My eyes zeroed in on Dorian’s leaf, which had not yet separated from the vine like the other sons’ leaves had. I didn’t know if that meant there was still hope for him, or if the tapestry simply hadn’t been updated yet. Obviously, I chose to believe in hope. In fact, if the leaf were to fall off the vine in front of my eyes this very moment, I wouldn’t believe it. I’d yank the thing down, wad it up, and throw it in the fire before I took that to mean anything.

None of us seemed to be able to relax enough to sit in the sitting room. Charlotte and Bree stood by the fire warming themselves, Sheree and Blossom inspected the images in the tapestries, I paced, and Tristan watched me, though his mind didn’t really see me. It focused on the same thoughts mine did—all about Dorian. Where was he? Who was he with? What were they doing to him?

Mom returned in a few moments, sans Vanessa. “Bree, Blossom, and Sheree, we have guest suites available for you. Charlotte, I assume you’ll be staying in your own place?”

“What do you mean, staying?” I interrupted. “We don’t need rooms or beds or anything. We can sleep on the plane on the way back.”

“Alexis, you’re not going straight back. Maybe tomorrow night or the next day. Rina has plans for you all, but for now, you may as well rest.”

What are they up to now? Another distraction? I stared at my mother for a long moment, into her deep brown eyes.

“She needs to assess Vanessa and wants to spend time with her,” Mom explained. “She wants to spend time with each of you. Please be patient.”

Patient? When my son was out there? Yeah, right.

“Alexis, darling,” Rina said in my head, “relax. I promise you will not regret your time here.”

My nostrils flared, but I bit my tongue. I regretted every single minute I wasn’t searching for Dorian, but I kept my promise to Tristan that we would do as they asked.

“I’ll stay at my place, of course.” Charlotte finally answered Mom’s question when she realized we had little choice in the matter.

Mom nodded. “Very good. Can you stay here for a minute, though? I’d like these three to get settled, but I have something to ask of you.”

Char cocked her head, questioning Mom, but no explanation came. Instead, Mom led Bree, Blossom, and Sheree out of the sitting room and up the stairs to the second floor guest suites.