Bianca reaches out a hand to steady him, but he doesn’t need her help. “I don’t think you should be going anywhere near her right now, Harold, you need to heal.”
“There isn’t time for that.” He turns his focus to me. “You’re coming with me, I presume.”
I nod. Even though I no longer have plans to kill him—there is no way I could do that to Cate at this point—I need to see to it for myself that Lady M doesn’t come anywhere near the candidacy. Her, I would have no problem killing.
“I’m coming too.” Cate holds up a hand to stave off the arguments coming at her from all sides. “Our only chance against the Gifted is to reason with them, to make them see who Lady M truly is. I’m the only one who can get through to them. And I’m not letting you go in there alone.” It’s unclear if her final words are for me or for Harold.
Harold nods, like he knows there’s no point in arguing with her. “We should meet there tomorrow morning, at first light.”
“Why not tonight?” Alex asks.
“I need to go back to the club. There is something I need to do there before I go to see her.”
“Will you go with him?” I ask my uncle. He might be the only one I trust to protect Harold.
Alex nods, heading to the bedroom to gather his meager pack of things.
I cross the room to where Bianca sits, having shifted her attention to Andra. “I’m going to take Cate to another location for the night, closer to the fortress. I think it might be safer for you if we are not here. Do you know how to use a dagger?”
She nods, her eyes weary as they dart to Cate’s.
I hand her the knife tucked in my boot. “Don’t leave the safe house, and don’t let anyone in.”
She nods again, taking the dagger from me and setting it at her side.
Cate waits for me to cross to the door before she heads toward Bianca, whispering something in her ear before embracing her. She sends a last worried look in Andra’s direction before joining me at the front door.
She didn’t argue when I said the two of us needed to leave, whether that’s to protect her sister and her friend, or because she knows we have much to discuss, I’m not sure. But even with the inches of space separating us, I can feel the heat of her. It licks at my skin, and the urge to take her in my arms, to meld our mouths together, to enter her and claim her, is nearly overwhelming.
I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves before speaking. “We should go.”
She nods, reaching for my hand instinctually.
I pull it out of her reach.
Her mouth flattens into a straight line, and there’s hurt and determination shining from her eyes.
I swallow thickly, open the front door, and head out into the darkness of the night. The air is cool, but the stench of the river is thick. I don’t check to see if she follows me, but I can sense her presence, trusting me as I guide her through the shadows.
I thought the girls would be happy to see me when I showed up at La Puissance. I knew—of course I knew—from the moment I saw them that they were my daughters. Well, two of my daughters anyway. I spent the past years of my life collecting Gifted girls with nowhere else to go as if they could replace my babies, and my own little Gifted girls were right there all along.
But my reception wasn’t exactly warm. I suppose I can blame that on Andra. She saw too much, right from the beginning. It’s clear why Diana wanted to keep her away from me, though it doesn’t make her betrayal sting any less.
Andra is useful, but weak. Cate, on the other hand, is strong. Formidable, even. Too bad she’s found herself Bonded to that waste of a man. At least it will make it fun to toy with her. It’ll be almost poetic. Harry and I were separated for so long, we’ll see how well Cate deals with being apart from her one true partner. I had hopes of working alongside both of my remaining daughters, but Cate has made it clear she wants no part of my plans.
I’ll have to make her regret that.
—from the journal of Grecia MacVeigh
29
Cate
Callum leads usto a ramshackle building on the opposite side of the river, much closer to the stone fortress we’ll have to deal with tomorrow. Calling it a cabin would be generous, it’s more like four wooden walls with some slats piled on top, but inside there are some blankets and a potbellied stove and plenty of wood and outside there’s a water pump and a bucket.
Cal fills the bucket with water and lights a fire in the stove and all the while neither of us says anything, the unsaid words between us like a companion on this little trip.
“I should have thought to bring provisions. I don’t think there’s anything around here we can eat,” he says after checking the space, not that there are many places a stockpile of food could be hiding. “We stopped keeping the safe houses stocked once the Uprising ended.”
