“Vlad killed Patrice second,” Zephra said, as her eyes blurred. “Right in front of us. When Eva started having pains in her chest, we knew she was next to die and tried to counter it with Water magic. It helped for a few days, but his power was too strong. Eva and Aileen died a short time later, and then he summoned me.”
Bridget reached for Zephra and draped her arm over her shoulder. “But you survived, dear heart. He didn’t break you.”
“Vlad said each one of us would die until we told him your location. Our sister Wizards dying of heart attacks confirmed Caitlin’s suspicions. He, and other Earth Wizards like him, are behind the reason we die so young.”
Aisling reached out to touch Morgan’s arm. “But Vlad doesn’t know the true source of our loyalty or the depth of our strength.”
Morgan nodded. “Very true, my sister Wizards, yet soon he will find out. I sense Renegade nearby. He will help you leave the island. I have some unfinished business to attend. But first, tell me about the spell you gave Vlad and if you know how I can find him.”
****
With the battle raging all around them, Morgan located Vlad in his office.
His orderly domain looked as though it had experienced hurricane-force winds, not surprising, with the Air Wizards searching for him. One thing she shared with Air and Fire Wizards, and with the allies in the magical community who hadpledged their allegiance, was the certainty that Vlad must be made accountable for the destruction, mistrust and deaths he’d caused. A message must be sent. But, selfishly, she wanted to learn if he knew the location of her son first.
Vlad picked up a framed picture of a woman Morgan knew was his wife, Deborah. He brushed off the broken glass with a tenderness she would never have suspected.
Vlad removed the picture from the frame and tossed the frame to the ground. “At the end, you start thinking of the beginning, do you not? Did you find them?” His voice seemed far away.
It took her a moment to realize he was talking about the female Wizards. “They are out of your reach.”
“Nothing is out of reach. It was a lesson I learned the hard way. He folded the picture of his wife and put it in his jacket pocket, then turned. “Life is full of choices. One day you wake up and realize you crossed the line, but you can’t remember when it happened. After that moment, life becomes simpler. And lonelier. I expect you are here to try and kill me.”
She held onto her temper. How dare he try to mirror the human emotion of regret! It sounded as though he was asking her for forgiveness. She believed in forgiveness and second chances. It had been a long journey to realize that she was capable of both. He was the cause of so much pain, and yet, seeing him like this, saving a picture of his late wife, told Morgan that there was more to the man.
Morgan had come here to demand Vlad tell her the location of her son. Then she’d planned to kill Vlad. But that would have been too simple and, yes, would be treating Vlad like he had treated others.
“I have no intention of killing you, but you will stand trial for your crimes. I do have a question. You murdered femaleWizards. How many more died before you realized you’d crossed the line? Ten? One hundred?”
“One. My wife. Not by my hand, but I knew it would happen and I did nothing. I believed I’d find another woman like Deborah. It is the age-old cliché. I chose ambition over love. She told me we were to have a child.”
The reality of what he said hit her, and she pressed her hand over her heart. She had been starting to feel that Vlad perhaps had good in him, but that notion died with his revelation. Her heart ached. “You had both your wife and child murdered to clear a path for your ambitions? You are a monster,” she whispered.
“I do not dispute your assessment of me. Yes, my wife is dead. I do not know what became of our daughter.” Vlad touched the pocket of his jacket where he’d placed the picture of Deborah. ”You are struggling to say the words, and I will say them for you. I cannot forgive myself and I do not expect forgiveness. Therefore, I will not allow you to take me in for judgment. But this conversation leads me to believe you have come for another reason, otherwise you would have tried to capture me before now. Ask your question.”
She swiped at the tears gathering in her eyes. She had not known Deborah, nor that he had considered her his wife, which meant they had married in secret. For a Water Wizard to trust an Earth Wizard was extraordinary. But Morgan was also living proof of the power of love. She loved a Fire Wizard. Evidently, there had been something good in Vlad at one time, but he’d killed it the day his wife died. Yet she hoped that some spark of that man still existed.
“I once had a child, but he was taken from me. His name is Caden. I’ve searched but cannot find him. I was told there is a secret location where children were taken to be trained in your army. Do you know where it might be?”
His smile looked forced. “That is the reason you have not tried to kill me. Human or Wizard, we all have our excuses for why we compromise. You came here to kill me, but your love for your child is more important than seeking justice for my crimes. But once I tell you what I know, you will have no further use for me.”
Thunder shook the building and tiny cracks spread like spider webs over the walls. A chandelier crashed to the ground only feet from where she stood.
Vlad moved toward the window, peering toward the sky. An explosion of light torched the night sky crimson, as a shadow soared overhead. He snapped back to Morgan. “You have a Dragon as an ally?”
“Rowan’s brother,” Morgan said evenly.
Vlad swore under his breath. “The Talons did it. They theorized that the Oculist powder would awaken a Wizard with Dragon ancestry, and they didn’t care how many they murdered to prove their theory. I told them it was dangerous, like the ill-conceived notion humans had a while back when they believed they could domesticate a full wolf. It’s not that it can’t be done. It’s that the odds are not favorable. It’s nearly impossible to take the wild out of a wolf, and in this case, to tame a Dragon.” Vlad grabbed Morgan’s hand. “But this changes everything. The shapeshifting Dragon is Rowan’s brother, and I’m guessing that means it won’t want anything to happen to the woman Rowan loves. You will be my insurance policy for vacating this doomed island. You are coming with me.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Rowan slammed through the door leading into Vlad’s headquarters. The absence of guards took him by surprise. For the money Vlad paid his mercenaries, Rowan had expected more loyalty. The doors leading to an outdoor patio were blown off their hinges. Glass crunched underfoot as Rowan entered Vlad’s inner sanctum.
Days ago, the place was orderly. Now, there was a gaping hole near the desk, furniture and equipment were overturned, and shredded files were littered over polished wood floors like someone had blown up a confetti factory.
He overheard a woman curse somewhere outside.
Morgan!
