Emma wrapped her arms around him and held him as tightly as he was holding her, but she didn’t agree. “Together,” she murmured instead.
God. She was magnificent. He couldn’t help his huff of rough laughter. “Emma?” he murmured, too low for anyone else to hear.
“Mmhmm?” She settled down into his lap, soft and warm, generous and strong, his perfect match.
“I love you.”
Emma turned her face up to look at him, her eyes warm and clear. “I love you too.”
God. He tightened his arms around her, reveling in the scent of her skin, the soft silk of her hair, the way she nestled into his chest as if she never needed to be anywhere else again.
Kay turned to look at them from the front passenger seat and frowned. “Hey, you two, shouldn’t you be wearing your seatbelts?” She tutted. “Safety first, Zach. How many times do I have to tell you?”
Emma snorted and Zach grinned while everyone else laughed. Kay was never going to let him live that down. But then he settled Emma on his side and helped her with her seatbelt, just to be sure.
ChapterThirty-One
Gordon stoodin the center of his sacred grove, breathing in his rage, letting it settle in his gut. Using it as fuel. He knew how to take a beating—he’d had more than enough practice—and he knew how to get back up and turn the pain into triumph.
This was bad, but it wasn’t the end. He would prevail despite this setback. And when he got his hands on his fucking daughter, she would know the true meaning of obedience.
He’d already had to deal with the fucking useless police officers. He’d forced himself to stay polite—politeenough—while the norm explained that no one had broken in, and they would not be hurrying to arrest his daughter and her friends for going out.
He’d forced himself to walk away from his pathetic bloody Council before he murdered one of them. What the hell did they call the police for? They were Dru-vid. Arseholes.
Then he’d come up to his holy space and seen the depth of the defilement that Emma had wrought. She had destroyed years of work, years of sweat and dedication. The magnitude of what she’d done was staggering.
His store of blood Shadows was gone. All he had left was the single vial he carried in his briefcase for emergencies. It was not nearly enough. He was due to meet with Blayne in two days and he needed to be ready.
The Prime Minister thought he was meeting with the CEO of Oracle to discuss how the firm could help the security services predict violent attacks. In reality, there was no Oracle.
What did the Order need a grant for? They had access to years’ worth of accumulated wealth and investments. And they certainly didn’t need a security firm with a specialized algorithm to predict the future. They had Seers for that.
Oracle was a useful front to get the meetings and contacts he needed. And it had helped to have Kayleigh and Elizabeth running after an entirely irrelevant entity. But now, Gordon had the meeting he needed.
He would not be discussing security predictions with the Prime Minister. Instead, he would use the time with Blayne to apply the techniques he’d perfected on James—using blood Shadows to integrate hypnosis into the subject’s mind so seamlessly that they didn’t know the thoughts weren’t theirs.
Blayne would choose him as his Principal Private Secretary. Gordon would be involved in every meeting, every decision, and every important discussion the Prime Minister had going forward. And he would make sure that the Order—with him as leader—got the benefit.
Most importantly, Blayne would pass the carefully constructed set of laws Gordon had prepared. Laws that would protect and uplift the Dru-vid, granting them the powers that, in the past, had been reserved for the most senior British royalty. Exemption from taxes. Immunity from all laws. Private security. Exemption from the freedom of information act. And, of course, all the status and power that came with being set above the masses.
Prime Minister Blayne would introduce Gordon as his closest advisor on the morning of the summer solstice. Then, that evening, the Council—and the Order—would pledge their allegiance to him alone. As the shadows lengthened and power rippled over the earth with the setting of the sun on the longest day, they would accept Gordon as Archdderwydd.
By Samhain, his laws would be in place and he would be ready to reveal himself to the world. He would show the norms true power, with the full backing and protection of the British government. He would be higher than a king. He would be the Archdderwydd, and the Dru-vid would be revered once more.
But first, Gordon had to be certain that Blayne could be controlled. He had to hypnotize the Prime Minister and then keep him calm and focused until he was no longer needed. For that, Gordon needed blood Shadows. And those required Dru-vid blood.PowerfulDru-vid blood.
Gordon ran his eyes over the Council members cowering behind each other at the back of the glade. They’d followed him up here but then hid at the back like children. And they were of even less help. It took days to make the blood Shadows. Days that he didn’t have. And none of them had the kind of potency that would help him to speed it up.
“What are we—” Brayden started.
“Shut up.” Gordon scowled at the sallow Healer. “I’m trying to think.”
Who had he seen on the street? Emma and Zach, Kayleigh and Riley, some dark-haired man that Gordon didn’t know. But one person was missing. One person had been left behind without the support of his friends. One person whose blood might just work.
He’d been righteously furious that Elizabeth and Bryn had interfered. But maybe they’d done him a favor. Maybe they’d cleaned up the blood he was going to need. And maybe Emma had given him the weapon he needed to finally disable the only group of Dru-vid in the Order who might have challenged him.
Gordon narrowed his eyes at the Council. “Call everyone. Every Circle, every Custodian, every Guardian triad, here in Britain and across our allies. Tell them that David and his Guardian triad have revealed the Order in public.” Yes. This was the answer. Certainty settled over him as the plan formed in his mind. “Tell the Order that these Dru-vid were witnessed by the Council weaving Shadows in full view of the Duine.” He gave the Council a tight smile. “Explain that have been judged by our laws and found guilty of revealing our existence. Tell everyone that David, Elizabeth, Bryn, Kayleigh, Zach, Emma and everyone associated with them is to be Shadow stripped. Anyone who protects or harbors them will be stripped along with them. Do it now.”
