Dark Redemption: Shadowsend Vampire Clan: 3, page 17
The bite mark was gone. Vanished, like it had never existed.
“You’re in Iceland, Aisling. In the realm of a powerful seeress. She was able to cure the bite, and neutralize the venom, and I believe it’s safe to say, there is no more poison in your system.”
“Cured?” I ran my fingers over the place where the puncture wound had been. “But…there was no cure. Acheron told me there wasn’t one…except for a spell in the book. Esme was looking…for an antidote.” I murmured, struggling to fill in the missing gaps in my memories.
Nikolai picked up the empty glass, filled it back up from a pitcher. “What do you remember?”
Everything was too jumbled. The last thing I remembered clearly was walking down a narrow street in Pompeii, hotter than Hades, dying of thirst. Then waking up here. My stomach growled, so empty it ached, and when he handed me the glass, I drank the entire thing.
“We should go.”
Nikolai looked like he always did, his proper, high-necked black coat buttoned all the way up…blond hair perfectly brushed, not a strand out of place. So why could I picture him naked from the waist up, those marks all over his body…glowing?
Why did a bone deep shudder of desire rock me to my core before I could stop myself?
“We…yes, we should.” I tossed the blankets off, realizing I was in someone else’s bed, and had no idea whose. Also, I was missing the sleeve of my favorite jumper.
This was like the worst morning-after-a-bender ever.
“Are you sure about the venom?” I asked, my scrambled brain finally catching up. “Wait. How did you even know about the venom?”
“You passed out in the heat, it was apparent there was something wrong, and you finally admitted what happened with Acheron and the snake. After which, I brought you here.” He indicated the cabin. “Where Sabine used her magic to cure you. How do you feel?”
“Better, I think.” I said cautiously. “I really told you what happened?”
Somehow, his version of events seemed…abbreviated.
“According to Acheron, I cannot be cured. Not by magic, or any other means. I have to be sure, Nikolai. If the venom is still inside me…my blood is poisonous. Anyone who touches me will die.” My gaze dropped to his hand, where he’d grazed my skin.
He put that very hand over his heart. “I swear you are healed.”
I swallowed. Why did I feel like there was an entire conversation contained in that promise? Why did I feel like there was far more between us that him bringing me here for a witch to cure me? “Who is this Sabine person? I’ve never heard of her.”
“An old friend who owed me a favor.” His eyes glittered. “You remember how much I enjoy making bargains? This one was made long ago, and now Sabine and I are even.”
Now that I’d gotten my bearings, I did feel slightly better. Rested, for once, like I’d slept soundly for weeks. “Where are we, exactly?” Please don’t let us be somewhere weird.
“Iceland, at the top of the Vatnajökull glacier.”
“Of course, we are.” Outside of the windows, what I’d assumed was snow were actually clouds.
“And where is this…old friend of yours?” Out of nowhere, jealousy stabbed me in the gut and I ordered it to stop its nonsense right now. There was nothing—nothing—between me and Nikolai, and there never would be. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What did you say her name was again? Sabine?”
“That is correct.” He nodded to the door. “Now let me take you home. I am quite sure the king and your males are arranging a search party to hunt us down. I have endured a long night and I have no wish to fight with Darrow. ”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the dream, the long hallway, the hidden room, but something stopped me.
Nikolai was not to be trusted and I’d do well to remember that.
27
AISLING
I followed Nikolai through the rifts back to Ireland. We made three jumps and were to the castle before breakfast, where he left me in the front hallway with a curt goodbye, then vanished upstairs.
I assumed to check on his brother and wondered how Wolf was faring.
Once again, that strange little sense of déjà vu went through me, as if I already knew the answer.
I went to find Rowan, but a foul tempered Darrow intercepted me before I took a single step. “Aisling. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Well, good morning to you, too, Lord Kane.” He slowly stalked over, keen eyes scanning my missing sleeve, my bed-rumpled hair. “No mo ghrá this morning?”
“Where were you, Ash? We’ve been searching for you all night; I just reported back to Rowan and was getting ready to head out again.”
“Pompeii. And Iceland. At the top of some mountain I can’t pronounce.” I rubbed my bare arm. Admitting I’d been poisoned and lied about it would go over like a ton of lead balloons, and right now, I didn’t exactly trust the fact that I’d been miraculously cured while sleeping by some random witch’s magic, who I couldn’t even remember.
Sounded sketchy even to me, and I’d lived through the experience.
“We were searching for the jars, but things didn’t work out and we ran out of daylight. Now I’m back. Needless to say, we didn’t find them, so it looks like the war’s still a go.”
Darrow just glowered, something he did a lot these days. “I tracked you to Pompeii. Then to the middle of the Atlantic, but I lost your scent over the ocean. Iceland, huh?”
“Iceland.” I said firmly. There was a whisper of sound, and we both looked up, in time to catch Nikolai moving away from the baluster overhead. “Is Esme around? I need to run something by her. About the jars.” I clarified. “I’d like to see if she can narrow the search areas down, save us some legwork.”
What I really needed was her to scan me for traces of venom, because until I was in the clear, nobody was laying a finger on me.
“Are you sure, Ash?” Rage simmered deep in Darrow’s eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want Esme to take a look at you, to see how deeply the venom contaminated your blood?” He reached for my bare arm, lips tightening when I jerked back.
“Yes, that’s what I thought. We know everything about what happened after we lost communications. We know about the snake, and Acheron.” His eyes glittered like ice. “Hell, we even know about the page in Katarina’s book that Acheron tore out.”
“I…” Dread curled in my stomach at the absolute fury in his face. “Okay, you got me. We weren’t looking for the jars in Iceland. Nikolai took me to see a seeress who could cure me.” I rubbed my arm again, Dar tracking the movement. “And yes, I need Esme to confirm the venom is gone, before I’ll trust myself around any of you.”
“So why the fuck couldn’t you just say that?”
“I don’t know. Because I’m used to having to cover my tracks so I don’t lose what little freedom I still have, without everyone breathing down my neck?” I shot back, instantly regretting my words, even if they were true.
“I don’t make the rules, Darrow, I’m just doing my best to work around them, because I figured once you, Rowan, and Finn found out I’d been bitten, I’d never get a chance to fight for myself again.”
“You walked straight into a trap, Ash, and you got caught. Admit it, you made a mistake and underestimated Acheron.”
“Okay, so I did, but it wasn’t a total loss. We know…”
“Ash.” Finn raced toward me, Darrow stepping between us at the last minute while I shrank back. “You’re back. Where have you been?” He demanded. “We’ve been looking for you all night, sweet girl.”
Darrow’s tone turned syrupy sweet. “I was just getting ready to tell Ash about Acheron. And Magnis.” I tremor of fear trickled down my spine at his tone.
Finn nodded in agreement, his blue eyes shining. “Oh, those arseholes really played us, but so did Nikolai, let me tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Acheron isn’t the one calling the shots, he never has been. It’s been Magnis, all along. The bastard’s been behind everything, even that bullshit with stealing the book and luring you to Greystone. He’s the brains of their operation, Acherons’ just…the muscle.”
Hadn’t I said pretty much the same thing?
“What do you mean, Nikolai played us?” I shook my head. “When I left, we didn’t know anything about them, now we’re experts?”
“Wolf spent the entire night filling us in on the inner workings of the Elder hierarchy. Acheron might have been Caine’s firstborn, but Magnis is the architect of our entire world, the clan structure, the High Council. He planned everything, right down to that incursion where Acheron ended up in your bedroom.” Finn stumbled over that last part, his teeth grinding together.
“Thanks to Wolf, we now have profiles on every single Elder. Scarlett’s finalizing them now, and when she’s done, Dar and I will work out how to best neutralize them. Some don’t even have magic, or not enough to stand against you.”
I glanced up at the balcony, wondering if Nikolai was still up there, listening. I hoped so, the lying bastard.
Finn’s face softened, eyes glowing as they raked me over once more, deemed me undamaged. “I want you in on this, Ash. You should know everything about our enemies if you insist on fighting with us. You want to be treated like an equal? Then stop keeping secrets and learn to be a team player.”
My heart nearly burst. That was the thing about Finn. He never held grudges, and always gave you another chance, no matter how many times you screwed up. Maybe I didn’t even deserve his kindness, but I was sure as hell going to accept it.
I blew out a breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry, that was just…force of habit.” I looked at Dar. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the snake. And the venom.”
“You made it a point to tell me about the spider, though.” Finn pointed out unhelpfully. “Several times. You were kind of an arsehole about it.” Even Darrow smiled at that, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Esme was working on an antidote. I knew she’d come up with something, eventually. But Nikolai, apparently, knows this super powerful seeress and she cured me with her magic.”
Although…something about the seeress using her magic to cure me didn’t ring true. But how else would the effects have been reversed? The bite was gone, and I felt…great. Like I’d just gotten back from a month-long vacation.
Yesterday, I’d been dragging ass, today…I was inexplicably rejuvenated.
There had to be some magic involved.
“I’d better find Rowan and explain everything. I’m sure he’s furious.” From the way the mating bond throbbed in my chest, I figured he was raving mad. I cocked my eyebrow, hoping to deflect their attention off my failings and onto the real problem—our enemies.
“So…Magnis, huh? He’s the one we have to worry about?”
“According to Wolf, he’s in charge. His magic is exactly like yours, Ash, taking on the specific traits of whoever’s power he touches. You know how you’re starting to amass a collection of badass tricks? Well, Magnis has been around so long, he’s unbeatable. No one’s magic works against him because he not only possesses his original power, he also controls a trace of every kind of magic our species possesses.”
“Okay, I see the problem.” I muttered, wondering why we were just now fucking hearing about this.
“Ah, here’s my esteemed brother now.” Rowan stalked toward us and Finn’s face lit up in anticipation before he leaned in close. “Good luck, Ash. My advice is, come clean and don’t try to change the subject, though that was a nice deflection. Points for trying.”
“Thanks for noticing.” I squared my shoulders, the mating bond squeezing my chest, an unforgiving vise around my thudding heart.
Finn and Darrow traded a long look. “We’re out of here. Good luck, sweet girl.” Finn muttered before they walked off, Darrow throwing me a pitying glance over his shoulder. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt more alone, standing there, my mate bearing down on me, his face schooled into an expressionless mask.
“You’re back.” Rowan stopped just short of touching me, his keen eyes scanning me from head to toe, frowning at my missing sleeve.
“Don’t ask.” I told him, and meant it, because…I didn’t remember why my sleeve was freaking missing.
“First off, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the snake and all that…stuff with Acheron. As for last night…I know you were probably freaking out, but since I still don’t have a phone, and Nikolai’s stuck in the Stone Age, a courtesy call was a no go.”
“Where were you, Ash? We thought the worst.” I clasped my hands behind my back because all I wanted to do was reach out and brush away those worry lines off my mate’s beautiful face. “We searched Pompeii and came up empty, but I wasn’t feeling well”—that part I did remember—“so Niklolai took me to Iceland, where a witch…healed me.”
Except, why did that explanation ring false?
“There’s a seeress able to neutralize the venom?” Rowan glanced over his shoulder as Finn and Darrow disappeared. “We were under the impression that it was incurable.”
“Apparently not, because I feel totally better.” I brandished my unblemished wrist. “The bite is completely gone. But I need Esme and Zell to look me over and give me a clean bill of health. Once they do, you can all yell at me to your heart’s content. I know I deserve it.”
“Now why would we yell at you, Ash?” Rowan’s deep voice was smooth as velvet. “It’s not like you…did anything wrong.” Hurt flashed in his green eyes, and my blood ran cold.
I’d fucked up. Again. And sooner or later, there would be a last time, where there’d be no second chances, because I’d have burned my very last bridge. I didn’t know why I couldn’t just come clean, but something kept me from telling the truth.
There’d been a time when I’d trusted everyone.
But after Damien and Marcellus, after seven years alone, I’d trained myself to never rely on another soul. Maeve and Brendan had certainly drummed that message into my head, into my very being—that my survival depended on never trusting anyone but myself.
Maybe I’d taken that lesson a little bit too much to heart.
I loved these males with all my heart and soul. I wanted to trust them.
I needed to trust them, now, more than ever before.
I blew out another breath, “Because I didn’t tell you about the snake or the venom. Because I was hoping Esme would find an antidote and I wouldn’t have to admit…” I licked my dry lips, “that I’d underestimated Acheron and was in completely over my head. He tricked me, and I walked right into his trap. The second he opened that book, I should have been out of there.”
Gods, why was admitting failure so fucking hard? Half of what happened wasn’t even my fault, and I’d gotten out of that shitshow mostly intact, and I’d stolen the book back.
“Why didn’t you just tell us that, right off the bat?”
“I don’t know.” I looked up at him helplessly. “Because I’m afraid you’re going to lock me away?”
“Oh, Ash, you’re going to be the death of me, I swear.” Rowan shook his head. “I’ll walk you down to the library. Zell’s waiting. I’ve had her on standby since last night.”
I swallowed. “I’m sorry.” I scanned his face again. “I really am.”
“You can make it up to me later, once we get confirmation the venom’s out of your system.”
“Good, because I missed you.” Out of habit, I reached for his hand, then tucked mine into my pocket, following my mate down to the library.
Halfway there, I remembered that strange dream, the door, the jars.
“I had this weird dream last night.” In front of me, Rowan missed a step. “About the jars. I found them, but not where I’d expected. They were in a room off a long corridor, with other treasures Katarina collected over her lifetime.” I winced.
Killed for was probably a more apt term.
“The point is, Pompeii was a bust. But what if the dream was somehow true?” There was no reason for me to believe that, other than a gut feeling that she’d plant something just like this in my head, to throw everyone off the trail.
“Any idea where this room might be?”
I shook my head, our footsteps echoing off the walls, the rich smell of the library already wrapping me in its familiar, comforting scent. “No, it could have been anywhere. A castle, maybe, or somewhere old. Gray stone walls, but that means nothing. Practically everything in this part of the world is built from gray stone, including this place.”
My nerves settled down with every deep, calming breath I took. I loved it down here, more than anywhere else on earth. The castle was my home, but this place…the Shadowsend library meant something special to me, and even though Acheron had violated the sanctity of my most favorite place, I hoped it always would.
“Once I stepped into this room, it looked exactly like an old cave, the walls were red rock, streaked with gold, like it had been carved right out of the side of a mountain. Completely at odds with the hallway, like the entire chamber had been supplanted there by magic.”
“We’ll see what Esme thinks. And Deston, he seems to be a wealth of information on Katarina.”
My nose wrinkled. “Only because he was sleeping with her. Ugh.”
“That was between him and her, Ash.” He glanced reprovingly back at me. “I wouldn’t be too judgmental, not when you don’t know the full situation.”
“Fine, but still…” We’d reached the bottom of the steps, the outer shelves of the library lining the walls as we made our way toward Esme’s office. “She was a monster. Any male who slept with her is garbage, in my opinion.”
“There you are.” Esme’s eyes were bright with worry, her lips pinched together. “The king sent word you’d been cured. I don’t know how that’s possible, but...” Zell just inspected me like I was the biggest disappointment in the world, but I didn’t care.
Not once I spotted who was behind the sour old healer.
