Chapter 31 Peter
PETER
During the afterparty in the bar at the back of the castle, competitors were celebrating or drowning their sorrows.
With everyone wanting to talk to and congratulate Faye, Peter hung back to let her enjoy her moment.
Lucy had disappeared, probably wanting to check out the library in the castle while Faye was busy.
But when Faye spotted him by the bar towards midnight, she came running, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen her so happy.
“Congratulations! I’m so proud of you!” he exclaimed as Faye wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him so tightly that it would’ve cut out his air supply if he needed it.
“Thank you! It feels too good to be true. I know I didn’t win, but I can’t believe I beat the others. I’ve so many ideas, and I just want to get my hands on a bag of flour and a cup of sugar!” Faye told him happily.
He ran his hands through his hair, pleased to see her excited but hoping her enthusiasm wouldn’t lead her to rush home.
He needed her to stay out of Foxford for another twenty-four hours until the fourteenth passed; only then could he ensure her safety.
Luckily, there was a brunch for the winners in the morning and a photoshoot, so he figured she would stay another night at the castle.
Tomorrow was her collection day. Normally at this point he would feel their connection grow stronger, as if her soul was calling to him, as it had with other collections, but he felt nothing, giving him hope that he had subtly altered her path enough to buy her more time.
Looking around, he caught Lucy heading for them through the guests with her phone pressed against her ear, her expression troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Faye asked.
“Nothing.” Peter forced a smile as Lucy joined them and handed Peter her phone.
“It’s Benedict. He’s looking for you.”
Faye stared between them, but Lucy congratulated her friend, distracting her.
Peter took the phone. If Benedict was calling her to get to him, then it must be serious.
He didn’t even get to say hello before Benedict shouted, “Ian is gone!”
Peter lowered the phone and looked over to Luisa at the next table, talking with Bethany.
Reading his expression, she excused herself and took Faye aside as he and Lucy headed back inside the castle so he wouldn’t be overheard.
He checked over his shoulder to make sure Faye wasn’t behind them.
He didn’t want her celebration to be ruined by Benedict’s disastrous news.
“What do you mean, Ian’s gone?” he asked Benedict, trying to contain his rage as he put the phone on speaker.
Lucy’s hand flew to her face in shock. “How the hell could this have happened?”
“One of the coven members was doing their scheduled sweep, and the door to his cell was open. Worse, the coffin was empty and there were empty blood bags in the coffin,” Benedict said. “Peter, I have to ask, did you have anything to do with this?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Why would I free the prick? I certainly wouldn’t be giving him blood,” Peter snapped, trying not to flip a table.
“I had to ask, considering you ripped out his fangs. I needed to check if you finished the job,” Benedict retorted harshly.
“You removed his fangs?” Lucy asked cluelessly. Clearly, Benedict hadn’t told her about it.
“It was months ago. I was angry,” Peter said, not having the patience to explain.
“We don’t have time to talk about that now,” Lucy said, directing her attention back to the phone to let Benedict finish.
“Rosie found a body in the woods drained of blood – a vampire. She was trying to track Ian,” Benedict informed them. “I’m sending you the photo. See if you recognise them.”
The phone pinged, and Peter didn’t need to look twice.
“It’s Ian’s friend from work. She was trying to feed from Faye when Ian brought her to the bar. She must have come looking for him… or he warned her what might happen if he suddenly disappeared.”
“Why wait months before coming to find him?” Lucy asked.
Peter shrugged. “Time moves differently for vampires, and they’re hardly the most reliable. Especially Ian. Maybe it was only when he didn’t show up to work after so long that she realised something was wrong.”
“He was starving – desperate enough to feed on his own kind. That will only further his insanity,” Benedict said. The fear in his voice sent a chill down Peter’s spine.
“Which means he’ll be delusional and even more dangerous. Feeding on other vampires is forbidden for a reason,” Lucy fretted. “He’ll be more volatile and stronger, but it’ll also burn out of him quicker, so he’ll be weaker and more vulnerable once the boost passes.”
“He probably didn’t even realise who he was feeding on,” Peter said.
“How did he feed without his fangs?” Lucy asked.
“She had a knife on her, and some bolt cutters to get past the chains. He used both.” The gruesome photos confirmed it.
“Why would she free him and risk her own neck?” Lucy wondered.
“She brought him the blood bags to restore his strength, so I doubt she thought she was going to end up on the menu,” said Benedict.
“One lawbreaker vamp would certainly want to free another; she didn’t see Faye as anything more than a blood bag,” Peter added.
“But how the hell did she get past our protections?” Lucy began to pace. Peter could tell she was itching to get home, but if they all disappeared, Faye would know something was wrong.
“I don’t know, but the coven and I have been checking all the warding, and everything is in place.
I’m worried she had inside help,” Benedict said.
Lucy paled. “The blood in the coffin was already dried out. It’s harder to tell how long the woman has been dead; draining a vampire to death isn’t quick, and she wouldn’t have gone down easy, but Rosie thinks it couldn’t be more than eight hours ago. ”
“If he looked for Faye, he won’t have found her.
He’s starving, but high on vamp blood. Maybe he decided to save his own skin and leave for good.
I’ll alert the Order and inform them of the high risk to humans in the area.
They’ll send a team,” Lucy said, already dialling Emerson – her point of contact with the Order – having snatched Peter’s phone from his pocket.
“I had Suzy from the Manor check out the surrounding vamp hot spots before I called up, hoping I’d find him before I had to call, but she came up empty.
He isn’t hiding with vampires. Rosie went to the packs in the woods and warned them about him.
They’re on high alert, so if he tries to get through the woods to Foxford, they’ll stop him,” Benedict said.
“The wolves are out sniffing in the woods for his scent, so hopefully they’ll lock on to him and the blood he consumed and track him down. ”
“I’ll warn Emerson not to send the hunters into the woods; the last thing we want is a war between the Order and the wolves,” Lucy added. “Hi, Emerson? We have an emergency.”
Peter wished he had just staked Ian that night he had gone to his cell. Letting him live wasn’t a mistake he was going to make twice. With a chill, he saw Faye walking down the hall towards them in the foyer.
“We need to go; I’ll be back as soon as I can. I don’t want to spoil Faye’s night,” he told Benedict, hanging up as she approached. Her wrinkled brow confirmed she was already suspicious.
“You’re acting weird. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine. We were just talking to Benedict,” Peter said, slipping Lucy’s phone into his back pocket. “He needs me back in Foxford.”
“Do you want me to come back with you?” Faye asked. Clearly, he wasn’t doing a good job of acting normal. He rested his hands on her shoulder and kissed her forehead to quell her worries. Lucy was still at the other end of the foyer on the phone to Emerson.
“No, it’s just a small wrinkle with the set for the Autumn Festival. Stay here, celebrate with the girls.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Faye asked, holding on to his jacket so he couldn’t leave.
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Everything will be fine by morning.”
“Okay. Take care of yourself. I’ll miss you.”
He was surprised when she didn’t press for more answers, and instead slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
“I promise I’ll be back in the morning, and I’ll tell you everything. I’ve got to go help Benedict.” He kissed her, savouring every millisecond in case the hunt for Ian didn’t end well.
There was a moment’s hesitation before she released him, and he wished he didn’t have to leave her. Her lips parted as though she wanted to tell him something, but instead she hugged him again.
“Ready for another drink? I’m thinking tequila,” Lucy said, coming over so they could exchange phones. Peter approved of her plan to get Faye drunk so she didn’t notice what hell had broken loose.
“You’re not leaving together?” Faye asked.
“Nope, I think the guys have everything covered,” Lucy said, forcing a smile. Peter caught her nod, confirming that Emerson would inform the Hunters Ian was on the loose.
Faye let go of Peter’s arm and pressed her lips against his cheek.
Something in her eyes made him pause, but he didn’t have time to dwell on her mistrust right now.
Not when saving her life was far more important than her suspicion.
Muttering a hesitant goodbye, she headed back to the bar, Lucy reassuring her that everything was fine.
Only twelve more hours, and she’ll be safe.
Peter’s orders would be voided, and she would be in the clear.
What are the chances of Ian escaping the day before she was meant to die?
I was an idiot to think he was really out of the way.
Faye’s file had stated she would die in a car accident.
That might’ve changed, but what if the timing hadn’t?
He cursed himself for hoping he’d succeeded in altering her destiny. Fate wasn’t so kind a mistress.