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She departs, carrying the cake, while I stare down at the flower, wondering how I am going to get them to agree to the plan.
It’s the only way for us to be rid of each other.
SEVEN
T
We keep our discussion internal, not daring to speak out loud. Who knows what or who is eavesdropping here? Secrets can never be shared. They are dangerous.
We cannot fail our mission. Word would get out, and we would be worthless. Without our contracts, we would be forced to return.
Never, I hiss, and Kitt nods. We would all rather die than go back.
But if her mother is truly the only one? Bram frowns, looking between us. We might have no choice.
We’ll lie, Raiden suggests with an elegant shrug. We’ll tell her we agree, follow her back, save our boss from this contract, then get them to break the bond and leave her to her own mess.
Would that work? Emrys muses.
It’s the only choice we have, Kitt admits. We cannot spend forever searching for someone to break it while the mate bond grows stronger by the second, and every day we waste means our name is sullied and not trusted.
She appears suddenly, eyeing us for a moment before heading outside. She’s our prisoner, so we have little choice but to follow, our plan formed. We’ll betray her and get rid of her like we promised, and then we will be free once more.
She moves through the coven like she has a purpose. We follow, and people seem to jump out of her way rather than ours. It makes for an easier time as she follows the winding pathway up the mountain, stopping above the rest of the coven where a lonely cabin sits. Opening the door as if she owns it, she leaves it ajar behind her as she steps inside. After sharing a look with the others, I plunge into the unknown behind her, but all I find is a two-storey cabin. A fire burns in a wood burner at the back, and there are sofas covered in bedding and blankets. Several open doors reveal bedrooms. Clearly, this is meant for guests, as there’s no personalisation anywhere, just a flower on the table, the same as she was given.
“We can stay here for the night. This is for guests,” she calls without looking at us. Opening the screen door, she steps out onto the wooden balcony and leans into it, looking out at the world below.
I leave her to her musings as I assess the place then divide and conquer. Once satisfied, we gather in the living room and watch her. Anyone else would think we look like silent statues, but internally, we are debating the best course of action.
We have no other choice, I state, finally silencing their arguments. We were going to kill her anyway, so we will simply go to her mother, get her to break the bond, and bury them. Our contract would be fulfilled, and we can restart far away from these people.
Is anyone curious what she did for her mother to desert her like that? Bram asks, nails flickering in agitation as he watches her. He, more than others, seems to be softening towards her, thanks to this bond. I should have expected it. No one sympathises with a tortured, captured monster more than he does.
No, and I never will be. What is done is done. We have a duty, I remind them, looking into every single eye until they focus on me. She is simply a way to achieve our goal. She has a pretty face, and there is the bond, but remember, it isn’t real and neither is she. I hook my thumb in her direction. She would gut us as easily as she would smile. She needs us right now for some reason, so let’s make sure we win before she does. Understood?
Their agreements flood my head, and I ignore their personal thoughts about the matter as best as I can.
We weren’t always like this, able to speak and feel each other’s minds. We were once individuals, just monsters tossed into cages alongside each other. It’s thanks to the collector that we are this way. I cannot change that or go back, and honestly, I don’t know if I would. I wouldn’t have survived without them, and I know they feel the same way. We are one now. We are family, and I will never let them fall back into the collector’s hands, which means we must keep moving.
It’s my job to keep them alive.
Not yours alone, Emrys says.
Turning away, I focus on her, not wanting to discuss my darkening thoughts and the memories nudging at my mind—memories of cells just like hers.
For now, we need her to work with us and let her guard down so when it’s time, she will be compliant when we betray her. Slipping outside after Ferol, I stand silently by her side. I can admit it’s beautiful here, and I bet after spending so much time stuck in darkness, it must be hard to look away from nature. For years, I watched the sun rise and set and let the breeze wash over me. I would even sleep outside no matter where we were. It felt too confined inside, too close to the horrors of our past.
“We will do as you said,” I tell her as she stares out at the coven and the pink sky. “We will journey to your mother.”
When she glances at me over her shoulder, there is a strange smile on her lips. “One day, you might wish you chose differently.” She turns forward again, dismissing us. Leaving her to her musings, I settle down for the night. We will each take watch just in case and set off early again in the morning.
The quicker we break the mate bond, the better.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
It’s dark by the time I head back inside, not wanting to miss a single ray of light. I have seen enough darkness, however, to last a lifetime, even with the beauty of the stars and moon. I’m not particularly tired after napping all day, but with little else to do, I head to one of the bedrooms. It’s the one with a room on either side occupied by them. They’ve boxed me in, but I don’t care. I’m used to being surrounded by creatures that want my death. I meet Emrys’s eyes as I head into the room. He’s sitting at the small kitchen nook, cleaning his guns, and he tips his hat at me as I slink past. Kicking my shoes off, I crawl into bed and wrap the covers around me. I’m used to being extremely hot, so everything out here seems cold, which is good, but it also means I struggle to relax.
