“Ya’ won’t, Cade. Mara’s a strong one. Ya’ know that. She’ll fight. For herself and for yer pup.” The beta wolf rose and slung his arm around Cade’s shoulders. “Sit down before ya’ fall down. Ye’re no use to her if ya’ don’t rest.”
“I’m not resting until she’s safe.”
“Stop.” The single command, delivered in a tone Farren couldn’t ignore, even if her life depended on it, turned her muscles to stone. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the muscles in Eli’s neck straining and his eyes darken.
Regulus cleared his throat. “This fighting accomplishes nothing. As you are now aware, I can easily glamour those within the sound of my voice. I will release you momentarily, but first, you will listen. It is close to midnight. The Thirteen were last known to be not far outside of Glasgow. I can arrange a flight for all of us and a safe place to stay. One that is well warded. I can show you to the Thirteen’s stronghold. But what I cannot do is protect you between here and my home or between my home and the castle you must break into. That will require Eliziam to understand his heritage and accept his deepest fears. I suggest—though I will not use my glamour to do so—that you all sit quietly and listen.”
“Let...us...go,” Eli managed, to Farren’s shock. How could he move? Her wolf was howling and straining against the vampire’s compulsion, but getting nowhere.
“Ah. Perhaps there is hope for you yet, practitioner,” Regulus said. “Not many are wise enough to find the weak point in my glamour.”
Eli’s free hand rested on his thigh. A strangled groan escaped his lips, and one of his fingers twitched.
“Enough. I release you.”
Farren sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “Fuck me. I never want to feel that again.”
“I give you my word, Farren Denair. I will not glamour you a second time. Now that I have your attention, may I continue?”
“Hurry the fuck up,” Cade ordered. “Because if I’m separated from my mate when the moon rises, I may not be able to stop myself from tearing you apart.”
* * *
Eli
He didn’t know what to make of this vampire. The man—creature?—was almost preternaturally still, even when he spoke.
“The Thirteen did not start out as the vile organization you know them to be. In truth, several of them wanted to use the power of the spirit element for good. They had aspirations to end war, fight disease, and spread prosperity across the lands. However, it soon became obvious that not all of them shared the same vision. A group of nine believed this power would allow them to force others to bend to their will.”
Eli linked his fingers with Farren’s and drew strength from the connection between them. They hadn’t mated formally, and already he knew that he’d do anything for her. What must Cade be feeling right now? With a quick glance at the alpha wolf, he cringed. The man looked like he’d lost everything in the world.
“What about the others?” Farren asked.
“The remaining four protested and were marked for death,” Regulus said mildly. Did the vampire feelanything?“Two joined with the nine rather than be killed. One man and one woman, however, refused. They fled, using what they’d learned to keep themselves hidden. The man, Eliziam, was your father, Paulo Ruiz.”
Eli tightened his grip on Farren’s hand enough that she hissed in his ear, “Careful, luv. I may be a wolf, but my bones do break.”
Regulus shot them a look of mild irritation, and Eli whispered his apology and signaled for the vampire to continue.
“I learned all of this fourteen years ago. Rumors of the Thirteen began when they did. A quarter century has passed since their inception, and during that time, I have done my best to stay far away from them. Vampires, though some of the strongest creatures in this realm, have few protections against magic. We are very fast, can influence minds—even read them if we choose—and our memories are nearly flawless.”
“How does this help us find Mara?” Cade snapped. “Or Eli’s father?”
“Patience, wolf. This tale is nearly done.” The vampire smoothed a hand over his sleek black hair and continued. “In my centuries of existence, I have always endeavored to stay far away from practitioners. However, I have occasionally failed in this task. Either by accident or through a rare,unwisedecision. One of these such choices allowed the Thirteen to capture me, bind me in silver, and bring me to the place I will soon lead you. They kept me for weeks in a cell with silver bars and silver rivulets all through the walls and floor.” The vampire shuddered, the only emotion he’d shown the entire time he’d been speaking, and closed his eyes for a long moment.
“I do not wish that agony on any creature. Ever. I believe I had only days left. Too weak to fight or even move, I had resigned myself to a painful, terrible end. Until shortly after nightfall, the cell door opened.”
“Bloody hell. Are you pausing for dramatic effect with Mara out there somewhere?” Eli asked, pushing to his feet and swaying slightly. “Get to the fucking point.”
“The man who came to my cell door was your father, Eliziam. The Thirteen had found him a few years prior. He entered my cell and offered me his wrist. His blood. He did not speak—I am not certain he could, for the Thirteen had bound him with their words and half a dozen magical symbols burned into his skin. But as I fed from him, I saw into his mind. Paulo Ruiz excelled at protection spells. He’d hidden himself, his wife, and his son for many, many years. And then one day, he was careless. I do not know what he did, only that he carried so much guilt inside of him, he believed he deserved every horror the Thirteen visited upon him.”
“Shite.” The strongest memories Eli had of his father were of the man’s easy smile, the way he and his mother would look at one another. True love. A bond that could never be broken.
“That is an appropriate response, practitioner. I cursed many times as I strengthened. Paulo wanted to die that night. Though he could not speak, he begged me to end his life. I would have. But one of the Thirteen called for Paulo. If he had not gone to them, we would have been discovered. I gave him two drops of my blood—enough to replenish what he had given me—and used the knowledge I had taken from his mind to escape those cursed tunnels under their lair. I ran, and I have not been back to Scotland since.”
“He could still be alive.” A strange mix of emotions curled in Eli’s gut. Hope, dread, joy, and fear. He had a chance to see his father again. To free him. But what state would the man be in? And how could Eli find the strength for another casting? Fuck. He didn’t even know what he’d done wrong the last time.
“I sense your questions, Eliziam, son of the man who saved me from a savage and horrible end. And I have answers for you. My blood will enhance your strength. With only a few drops, you will be more powerful than you could ever dream. I also know why you failed earlier tonight.”
