“Yes, but if anything were to happen to them, it would destroy my beloved. The very same is true of Danny and Michael—Rico sees each of them as a father figure, a part of his family. And therefore, they must remain unharmed.” Then Godric paused. “I would gladly go years without him by my side, if that meant he did not need to ever suffer the pain of such a loss. I would trade my own happiness to keep him protected, if needed.”
The surprise was visible on Thierry’s face. “Huh. Well, maybe when we get back, I’ll put in a good word for you with Bryan and Tobias.”
“I suppose we shall see,” Godric agreed.
I don’t like this, Nicolas. I don’t like the idea of you going up against the guy who turned you. And I don’t want us to be separated. If anything happens to you—
It won’t.You and Sam will be well protected. By sunrise tomorrow, we will be together again. And without any threats from my past to keep us apart.
Do you promise?
I hesitated. I knew better than to make promises I couldn’t keep. But I met his gaze and nodded anyway.Yes, darling. I promise.
* * *
In the end, Thierry called Poppy and Simone. They took the first flight out, along with a vampire named Sadie, who apparently caught wind of what was happening and insisted upon coming as well.
“I will be aiding you,” she said flatly when Thierry called her and told her not to come. Her voice was openly disdainful through the tiny speaker of my brother’s phone. “It matters little to me whether you are wise enough to accept the help or not. I am coming regardless. Your input on this situation is entirely unnecessary.”
“But it’smysituation!” Thierry protested, sounding scandalized. He shot me a sheepish look and amended, “Or, well, it’s ours. Sadie, it’s not your business in the least!”
“You may protest the specifics after my debt is paid in full. I am preparing to board, and your theatrics will not change my mind.”
Thierry grimaced when the line went dead in his hand. He heaved a heavy sigh. “For some reason she thinks she owes me a favor. Goodness, she’s insufferable.”
Jeremy snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have decided to go and be the hero who changed the course of history for all vampires everywhere.” He paused. “You can’t deny that she gets shit done. Eli and his sister will be well protected.”
“They may need therapy afterward, but she’ll keep them safe until this is over,” Thierry replied grudgingly.
After that, it was a matter of checking Eli and Sam into the fanciest boutique hotel in town. My mate, of course, balked—not because he was being protected, but because of the price tag. If he fully understood how little money such an expense was to me, I wondered if that would make things better or worse for him.
“You can’t keep us protected in a Motel 6?” Eli demanded, looking around at the spacious suite I had booked for them. It was ultramodern, with pristine black-lacquer furniture that gleamed under the fully adjustable overhead lights, a massive bed, a full living room with a sleek charcoal couch, matching chairs, and a television that deserved its own zip code. The view through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Los Angeles skyline stretched out below in the gathering twilight, just before sunset fully set in, was stunning.
“Of course not,” I bristled. “You and your sister will be much more comfortable here.”
“This room costs ten thousand dollars a night!”
“It’s only money,” I replied. But that wasn’t his main concern—I could tell. I swept over to him and pulled him into an embrace. “We must destroy Magnus. Until we’ve done so, no one can know you are here—except for the select few I’m trusting to keep you safe until this is over. If anything happened to you—”
“I know,” he whispered, putting his arms around me. “And me too. I just—I hate this so much. It feels wrong that we’re separating.”
“It’s only for one night,” I assured him, feeling something in my chest twist at his words. “I love you, Eli.”
“I love you, too,” he replied, sounding ragged.
I could feel his fear and helplessness—his desire to keep me safe. But Magnus had threatened his life. I couldn’t risk Eli being anywhere near me when I confronted the vampire who had turned me into a monster.
He added, “Why does this feel like a goodbye?”
His lips were warm and deliciously masculine when I pressed mine to them—a promise of a future that was waiting for me. But not a future spent with Eli constantly in danger. And Magnus himself had set the stakes. I could never allow my mate to spend even a moment under the threat of a monster like my maker.
“I’ll be safe,” I assured him. “Thierry, Godric, and Jeremy will be aiding me. Magnus isn’t expecting that. No matter how powerful he is, there are four of us against one of him. This will all be over easily.”
“You’ll come straight here when it’s done?”
“Of course.” I pressed my lips to his again, trying to hide my desperation from him—my fear. But the sun was setting soon, and I needed to leave. “We will be together again soon.”
And then, without another word, I stepped back and turned from him. I left the room without looking back. If I did, I would lose my resolve.
