Caius could tell Sam was fond of the woman, and his submission was a sight to behold.
“Yes, Ms. Raven,” Sam mumbled as he closed the door softly.
“Call me Lenora,” she replied before turning back to Caius.
Sam stood next to the desk with a sour look on his face. “She is settled in the safe house. No one knows she is there, not even Adila.”
“How did you manage that?” Caius mused.
“No other inmates were scheduled to arrive, and the bunker was empty. We gave her a shapeshifting potion to alter her face in the event anyone saw her leave,” Sam replied. The thought of someone changing her beautiful face made Caius frown. “There will be speculation of why you have not made an appearance.”
The same thought occurred to Caius. “Perhaps you should start a rumor among The Capital that I am refusing to leave Vincula.” He tried to rub the tension from his forehead. “We need to keep her hidden until I can bring her back.”
“How is she?” Lenora asked Sam.
TheAngel’slips pressed into a thin line. “She remembers nothing.” Caius deflated. He’d held on to hope thatAeternumswere immune to the memory loss magic.
Sam turned to Lenora and looked…nervous. Whatever he had to say would devastate her. “She did not take the news of your incarceration well.” His eyes tightened when they slid to Caius. “She feels guilty.”
In trying to help her, Caius traded one hurt for another. He hated himself.
Lenora stared silently at the commander. “You tell her not to worry about me. I am better than I’ve been in years, and the only thing I want is her safety.”
Sam gave a small nod and walked to his bench to take a seat. “Lauren told her Vincula was nice, and that eased her worry a fraction.” He pulled an orange from his pocket and peeled it angrily. “We need to tell her everything.”
“No,” Caius snapped, his fury rising. “I am your king, and I’m telling you to not open your fucking mouth. The same goes for Lauren.”
Lenora swatted his hand. “Watch your language.” He yanked it back with an indignant look. She was a tough old bird.
“Give me one good reason we cannot tell her.” Sam ripped into the orange like a wild beast. “Because not telling her is what put her in this position to begin with.”
Caius wanted to flip his desk. “If you tell her and she believes you, nothing will stop her from going after Gedeon.Nothing.” He lost his battle with the shadows, and they swirled in the air.
Lenora looked around the room at the books and pictures falling to the ground. “Calm down.” Her voice was stern, demanding his obedience. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on reigning in hisoutward emotions. He could do nothing about his inner turmoil, but he could control his reactions.
She leaned forward and patted his hand again. The gesture was motherly, and his eyes flicked to hers. If they met under different circumstances, would she like him? Would she approve of his marriage to Rory?
“Caius is right.” She sighed. “Rory would have tried to avenge her sister, no matter the cost. Telling her should be a last resort unless we want her to be the one alerting Gedeon of her existence.”
“You knew,” Sam guessed.
Caius looked between the two. “Knew what?”
His friend smiled sadly at Rory’s mother. “Do you want me to tell her?” Caius opened his mouth to protest, but Sam stopped him. “I will not tell her about Vincula, but I will tell her this.”
“Tell herwhat?” Caius asked as his irritation grew.
Sam stayed silent, and Lenora sighed. “I was aware of herhobby.” She lifted her chin defiantly, the action so much like Rory that the aching inside of Caius intensified. “I saw it, but I also knew she wouldn’t stop, no matter what I said. And thank you, Sam, but I’ll tell her myself.”
Caius blinked.What?“She thinks you hate her,” he whispered. “Why didn’t you tell her? If only so that she knew you wouldn’t think she was a monster.”
Lenora’s face transformed to one of fury, and he sat back. “Do you have any idea what it is like to wake up and a month has passed? I only had one day to spend with my family, and there wasn’t a chance in the seven rings of hell I would waste it by telling my daughter I knew she was a murderer.”
Caius and Sam wisely stayed quiet. If he only had a short time with his mate, he would also do whatever he could to make her happy, not upset her.
“I still do not understand why you did not marry her,” Sam said, changing the subject. “She would have been immortal and able to switch between the realms once free.”
He looked at Sam incredulously. “If Gedeon finds out about herand I am not there to protect her, hewillkill her, if for no other reason than to hurt me.”
