“Dad’s inside,” Simon says, placing a hand behind my back.
I nod, understanding. “Cyrus?” I ask.
“Alive, but we don’t know where.” He pushes me gently toward the garden entrance. “We have a plan.”
……
Gideon Ward is standing in the middle of Cyrus’s living room. His presence is as large as his body. He smiles as we enter. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you,” I answer, unsure why he’s here. “Thanks to David. He’s....”
“Yes, he is.” He motions to the familiar couch. “Please, sit.”
“I’d rather stand,” I refuse, feeling more obstinate than usual. “Where’s Cyrus?”
“No one has heard from him since the night he left. However, we know where Callum is, and we have word that there was another man with him.” His face softens slightly. “The description fits Cyrus.”
“Was he with him on purpose?” I don’t know what I’m asking.
Simon moves to my side. “We don’t know. The report said that the man was badly injured, being led around by silver rope.”
Stubbornness leaves, and I sit heavily on the couch. “Oh, my God. He’s hurt?”
“It seems that way. Cyrus is the strongest vampire I know,” Simon answers. “There’s no way in hell he’d allow Calum to lead him around if he weren’t being weakened by the silver.”
“Why are you here?” I ask Gideon.
“Cyrus is a friend of the pack. He’s given Simon solace and friendship through difficult times. For that, I owe him.”
“Where were they seen?” I ask whoever knows the answer.
“New Orleans,” Stella speaks for the first time.
I stand. “New Orleans? If we know where he is, then why are we sitting here, doing nothing?”
“It’s not that easy,” Simon answers. “We can’t just show up and take Cyrus. Callum is powerful.”
“Why not?” Anger fills me at the lack of information.
“Violet, Callum is the strongest vampire in America, hell, possibly the world. We can’t just waltz in there and overpower him without a plan.” Simon steps closer as he speaks.
“Then I need to find someone who will.” I move toward the door at vampire speed.
“If you walk out that door, you’re signing Cyrus’s death certificate.” Gideon stands with his arms crossed over his chest. “You can’t fight him, Violet. You will be no good to anyone dead.”
I close the door, realizing Gideon’s right. I’ll be walking into instant death. Or worse, Cyrus’s death. “Why torture him? Why force him to walk around wrapped in silver?” My words sound sad, even to me.
Gideon shrugs. “Power, control, arrogance, because he’s an asshole…it’s hard telling.”
“Tell me the plan.”
The Alpha wolf sits, taking up most of the space on the couch. “We’ve enlisted the help of someone in New Orleans.”
Without asking, I know he’s talking about my maker. I close my eyes in response. “Harrison doesn’t do anything to help anyone except himself.”
“That’s where I come in,” a man says from the second-floor landing. Wearing abright blue-turquoise suit, Lucien Creed looks down on the rest of us with a smirk that makes me want to slap him. Next to him is the immortal child whose protection caused this.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I spew. “You’re the reason this whole thing started.”
