“Ah, there they are,” Merc whispered as he tapped myarm.
I pulled an arrow out of my leather pouch and kept it at the ready. As the Carpe Noctem slowly descended on Derwin’s shack, I could not ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was far toodangerous.
“Do you see Lochlaan?” I asked Merc as my eyes continued to shift through each Carpe Noctemmember.
“Not yet. Why would it be that simple?” Merc’s tone was full ofsarcasm.
Octavia, Phoebe, Eve, and Derwin were sitting ducks in his shack. I watched the Carpe Noctem move to surround the shack and shook my head as Lochlaan appeared. My heart began to pound, and hate coursed through my veins at the sight ofhim.
“Merc, this was a bad idea to leave them in there,” I said and started to walkforward.
Merc grabbed my arm and pulled meback.
“If you go prancing out there, they will come atyou.”
“Then you can kill him, Merc. Then the curse will be lifted from you,” Iwhispered.
“River, the prophecy did not include me. It is about you. You are the one that needs to do it. You are the one the curse is intended to be liftedfrom.”
I do not know why I was suddenly hit with the thought that perhaps the prophecy was not about me at all, but was about Merc. Merc also had a vampire father and a non-vampire mother. He, too, could be ahybrid.
“There could be two hybrids, Merc,” Iwhispered.
Merc shook hishead.
“No, River. Stop letting that into your head. You had a witch for a mother, I did not. That played a part. There is only one hybrid. The prophecy has only referenced one hybrid. It isyou.”
Both of our heads snapped in the direction of a knock on Derwin’s door. I quickly glanced in the direction of the back of Derwin’s and counted twenty-four Carpe Noctem. Among them was Lucian, Merc’s father. The twenty-fifth Carpe Noctem, my father, had backed away from Derwin’s door and back down the steps to the porch. I held my breath as Derwin opened thedoor.
“Lochlaan, what can I do for you?” Derwinasked.
“Derwin, my old friend, I am on my way to Drishane. I have some unfinished business there. However, I had a prisoner that has gone missing. I thought I would check with you to see if, by chance, he stopped in,” Lochlaan hollered over therain.
I kept blinking my eyes to make sure my line of sight was perfect. The rain was not making this anyeasier.
“You have gone and lost a prisoner?” Derwin asked andlaughed.
“Bloody hell, Derwin. Now is not the time to poke him,” I said under mybreath.
“Derwin is not afraid of your father,” Mercmurmured.
“Nor am I,” I confirmed and lined the tail of the arrow against the thread of thebow.
“It would appear that I have, Derwin,” Lochlaan said and took a step towardDerwin’s.
“You always have been sloppy with things,” Derwinadded.
Merc and I looked at one another with wide eyes.What the fuck is Derwindoing?
“Do you mind if I take a look around, Derwin? You are rather ancient, and maybe you forgot if you had taken in any wanderers. You have been known to do that, from time to time,” Lochlaanspat.
I could tell that Lochlaan had lost his patience. The rain continued to beat down, and I did not feel that I had a clear shot of him. Just as Lochlaan put his foot on the step leading to Derwin’s porch, Klyn walked out from the trees and shrubs not too far fromus.
“What is he doing?” Merc whispered and loaded his bow to coverhim.
“Keeping them away from Octavia, Phoebe, and Eve,” Imumbled.
“Here I am,” Klyn announced, luring the Carpe Noctem slowly tohim.
