Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Sage

Once I got Luka into my cabin, he wanted to go straight to bed, intensifying the knot of concern in my gut. He fell into a deep slumber within moments, and I stood silently at the foot of the bed, watching his chest rise and fall with each labored breath.

Lyric and Erik’s arrival prompted me to finally venture into the living room. She told me about Vivi freaking out, though I’d heard most of it. Then proceeded to tell me about Drag finding his fated mate and how he rejected her.

“Kimber was so mad at Drag. She said he didn’t follow their normal traditions and now I want to know what that is,” Lyric said, finishing her story as I made one of the few things I knew how, iced tea.

“That’s sad.”

I wasn’t sure how the nexus bond felt to the wolven, but if it felt anything like the lenxus I had with Luka, I felt horrible for the girl.

I had just stirred sugar into the pitcher when the door opened. Glancing into the living area, my eyes widened. “Shayla?”

“Hello. We need to speak. May I have a seat?”

“Uh, sure. Give me one second.” I put the lid on the pitcher and quickly washed my hands.

“That tea smells delicious,” Winnie said, strolling into the kitchen like he didn’t just bring a witch into my house. “Can I have some?”

“What is she doing here?” I whispered, drying my hands on a towel.

Winnie shrugged, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. “I don’t know. I hate witches.”

I glared at him before tossing the hand towel on the counter and flipping him the bird, then headed into the living room.

Shayla had taken a seat next to Lyric on the couch and Erik had scooted himself to the edge of the recliner across from her, ready to bolt.

“I’m going to take off,” he said, standing. “Kimber is upset, so I want to check on her.”

He said his goodbyes and quickly left the cabin.

“How have you been?” I asked, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, crossing my arms over myself.

“Faring well. And you?” Shayla clasped her hands together, settling them on her lap and it reminded me of my mother.

“I’m good. Would you like a glass of iced tea?”

“Although it sounds pleasing, I tend to stay away from sugary substances.” Shayla wrinkled her freckled nose, then glanced around as if she looked for something specific. “I see everyone made it out alive. I’m glad the loose-tongue one made the right decision. The prophecy is right on track.”

I tightened my lips to suppress laughter, yet a slight tinge of concern gathered in the depths of my stomach since I had yet to have a private conversation with Marcus.

“Do not worry, my silver,” Shayla said, bringing my attention back to her from staring at the wood floor—I hadn’t even noticed my mind had wandered off. “The strong one loves and forgives. He is the trifecta, unlike anyone else. His new eyes will see the beauty this world has to offer. As yours will soon.”

I snickered, my face contorting of its own accord.

“Is something funny?” Shayla’s facial expression remained refined and polished.

Unlike mine.

“It’s just . . .” I looked upward, shaking my head as if attempting to pull thoughts from my mind. “You say the ‘beauty of the world’ like it’s just everywhere, yet all I’ve seen for months is hate, and lies, and blood, and tears, and . . . and . . .” I took a deep breath, blowing it out through pursed lips, attempting to control my emotions. “And everything evil. People I love have died, endured torture, or been forced to turn into a vampire. There’s no beauty there.”

“The stars guide us along treacherous pathways, my silver. The choice to walk or stumble upon those paths is entirely yours to make.”

I threw my hands up. “Then why did they choose to have Marcus get killed in the first place?”

“While the stars may offer guidance, our choices harbor the capacity to alter the predetermined trajectory of destiny. At times, it may be challenging, and occasionally, it is effortless.”

That did not answer my question.

I rolled my eyes, a jagged breath leaving me as I suppressed a laugh. “If fate controls everything, why doesn’t it just prevent evil, then?”

“There must be wicked things in order for people to learn and adapt. If true evil ceased, time would halt and the earth would no longer exist.” Shayla raised her hand, waving it slightly. “The absence of moisture is dry. The absence of anger is calm.”

I blinked, awaiting more of an answer, but she said nothing. “I kind of understand, but without evil the world would be perfect.”

“Nothing is perfect, my silver. Some flowers are big and stunning, while others struggle to bloom.”

I drew a long, heavy breath before releasing it in a sigh. “I understand the concept, but it doesn’t make sense. The reasoning behind it all just baffles me.”

“The lack of carnivores would lead to an imbalanced ecosystem, with herbivores prevailing and overpopulating the world. Earth would not be able to regenerate quickly enough to meet the demand for the amount of plant matter consumed. Then comes the extinction of flowers, bees, trees, and eventually life.”

“But the magic—”

“There are no buts. Only balance. The realm of magic, like everything else, operates under the guidance of rules.” She placed her hand over her heart. “The consequences will be harsh if I do not use my magic wisely.”

I slid my butt onto the edge of the recliner and leaned in. “Like what?”

“If I were to disclose the answers to the universe now, you would have no lessons left to learn.”

I darted my eyes to Lyric, and she raised her brows, telling me she had no clue what to say . . . and I was on my own.

“But—”

“There are no buts in the stars,” Shayla said, rising from her seat with more grace than a queen, heading toward me. “Give me your hand.”

At this point, I would take any info I could get from a witch, so I did as she said, holding my hand up in front of me.

Shayla grasped it, her brows furrowing.

“Your uncle is a powerful force now. Given that he shares the same bloodline as you, he will prove to be a formidable opponent. He is not a witch, a vampire, nor a wolven. He is a precise amalgamation of the three. A tercet among men.”

My eyes expanded, my jaw unhinging to the point of no return. “My uncle’s a witch?”

Shayla dropped my hand, glaring at me like I was an imbecile. “I have entertained you enough, my child. Good night.”

She strolled to the door with ease and left my cabin, leaving me completely bewildered.

“Winnie,” I screeched, jumping to my feet and pacing the small living room, my thoughts running rampant. One of them landed on the possible lies I was told.

Winnie finally weaseled his way out of the kitchen where he was hiding. “I’m glad she’s gone.”

My heated eyes darted to him. “You told me my uncle smelled like a vampire and a wolven. You never once said witch.”

“I tried to tell you that same night, but you shut us out. Then the next day you met the witches and I assumed you’d figured it out. You know, because you’re an Argentum witch and you and your uncle both have the same damn blood.”

“I was busy with the one million other thoughts in my brain.” With a huff, I slid my flip-flops off, plopped down on the couch next to Lyric, and put my feet on the coffee table, crossing my ankles. “What the fuck are we going to do?”

“Kill him.”

My gaze drifted from my unmanicured toes to Winnie. “Do you think he’s stronger than you guys?”

He crossed his arms, leaning back. “I’m not sure, but my gut is saying yes.”

I swallowed the tension building in my throat. “Do you think VRC made him?”

“Shit, I don’t know, Sage Stick.” He shrugged, his forehead clenched with tension. “Maybe.”

Lyric rubbed her hand down my arm. “Everything will be okay.”

A hard breath escaped me as I pondered another thought. “What was that word Shayla used? A ‘ter’ something. What’s that?”

“A tercet? It’s technically three lines in a poem, but I totally understand the resemblance between that and the three species he is.”

“Do you think Ben is the only tercet? Could there be more?”

Winnie’s thoughts seemed to wander off for a minute, his face unreadable, before he finally answered me. “Let’s hope not.”

Winnie and Lyric eventually left while Luka remained asleep, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

With only an hour left before the sunrise, I decided I’d do the dishes before bed, to get my mind off of all the fear I was harboring. I played some music through the Alexa Winnie had gotten me, but kept it low so I didn’t disturb Luka.

My kitchen wasn’t dirty enough to occupy my brain for long. It only took three songs and I’d finished the dishes, wiped the counters and fridge, and began contemplating reorganizing the almost empty cabinets.

The wood floor was cold against my bare feet and I was about to grab a pair of socks before I moved onto my next task when I heard a creak from behind me.

“How long was I in there?”

I froze, my heart fluttering at the sound of Luka’s voice, his question sinking in. My breaths were rapid, and I locked my eyes on the gray laminate counter, staring at the black and white speckles, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Six . . . six months.”

He sucked in a hard breath. “Holy shit.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” I bit my lip, the guilt eating at my veins.

“I already told you not to be sorry for anything. I’d happily be locked up forever to keep you safe.”

The wood floor creaked again as Luka moved in close, then slid the collar of my shirt over, sending chills down my spine. He placed soft kisses on my shoulder, his hot breath blowing across my skin.

I leaned into him, my eyes drifting close, completely enjoying the moment.

The song shuffled to the next one, changing to “Fade into You” by Mazzy Star, and he gripped my hips, turning me to meet his eyes.

“Kiss me,” he commanded in a way that sent shivers rippling through my body—through my damn soul.

I did what he asked and pushed up onto my tippy toes with lips parted. His mouth pressed against mine, warm and inviting, giving me a safe place to be on a cold winter’s night.

My heart raced, an aching settling in it. I didn’t know if the feeling was fear of losing him again, or if my heart had overfilled with so much love it hurt.

Silent tears rolled down my cheeks as I pulled back, staring into his bright blue eyes. He held my gaze, gently wiping them away with his knuckle.

He leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine, and we silently bonded back together.

The stars had destined our paths to cross because we were two halves of a whole, stronger together than we were apart.

He was the peace to my chaos, the calm to my nervousness.

The universe, that’s what he was.

He was life—my life—and I knew I couldn’t live without him. Which wasn’t something I was used to.

For as far back as I could remember, I kept most men at a distance, and I finally realized why.

As a small child, I was a daddy’s girl, following him around, awaiting the day I’d finally get his approval—one that never came. My uncle also made me feel unworthy, constantly reminding me of my inadequacy to hold my proud position as a member of Venom.

As I got older, I was afraid of becoming a victim, making the unconscious vow to never let another man hurt me. It mostly worked. I’d had romantic relationships with both men and women, none of them successful. When things ended, I’d blame them, saying they were too clingy or some other excuse, not acknowledging I was the real problem. With me came a giant suitcase of emotional baggage that I refused to unpack.

There were only a few men who’d made it through the stronghold I had surrounding my heart, and one of them was Marcus. He’d stepped up, slowly teaching me about integrity and showing me the fatherly love I’d never experienced with my real dad.

Another was Erik. Being born in the Venom society just a few years before me, we’d become family before my walls went up. He was a brother to me and a person I trusted with my heart.

Then there was Winnie. Our friendship had experienced significant growth over the past six months, making him my family now.

Finally, there was Luka. Despite all the hate in the beginning, he’d always looked out for me, sacrificing his own needs for the sake of mine. Somehow, he’d slowly inched his way across my thresholds without either of us knowing. And as I stood there, my forehead pressed against his, his scent once again gracing my nose, I knew he’d broken down my barriers and completely moved into my heart.

And I . . . had let him.

He shifted, letting go of me for a split second to gently guide my hands to his shoulders before dropping his own back to the curves of my hips. His body swayed gracefully with the music, mine naturally following . . . and it forever would. I’d follow him off a cliff without hesitation because he was a piece of me now. A piece of my heart and soul.

As the wood beneath our feet creaked, the cabin floor felt less chilly. His warm blue eyes stayed locked with mine while we swayed away the darkness.