Chapter 15
Felix rushed toward Tess but stopped short of hugging her; Tess felt a sudden wave of gratitude that her large basket of apples stayed between them. She was wearing her musk oil as always, but she was sure that if Felix felt the warmth of her skin, she was done for. He was as handsome as she remembered, full-tilt Mr. Darcy in loose brown trousers tucked into tall boots, a white shirt unbuttoned over his broad chest, and a long dark overcoat. His golden-brown hair was disheveled from his run through the forest, and he was looking at Tess with deep concern.
“What are you doing here?” Tess rasped, gesturing for him to follow her behind a thick group of trees. “If anyone from the clan sees you—”
“I know, but I was so worried after what happened in the moonflower meadow—”
“You know about that?” Tess gawked.
“Know about it? It was all my fault.” Felix looked stricken. “I asked Thomas and Althea to stop by the meadow if they were in the area—in case you showed up, just to make sure you were doing okay.”
Tess was stunned. “I thought those vampires were going to kidnap me. Or possibly kill me.”
“ What? ” Felix’s face fell. “God, I should have known. You saw two strangers get in a violent fight, what else would you think? I thought you’d be on your own, and they’d be able to explain.”
“I was alone. But then Callum came…” To rescue me, Tess thought. Except he just told her that wasn’t true—he showed up to stop her from telling Felix what she knows.
“Of course he came,” Felix fumed. “He wanted to make sure you couldn’t leave his clan. And then he killed Thomas, all because I wasn’t there myself. Tess, I never meant for them to frighten you—that’s the last thing I wanted.”
“So then, what did you want?” Tess pressed. “I was on my own when we met in the forest, wasn’t I? Why would you need to send some minions to keep tabs on me when you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself?”
“You remind me so much of her.” Felix smiled sadly.
“Who?” Tess frowned.
“Isobel.” Felix sighed. “My lover, who died five years ago. You would have no way of knowing this, but…Callum’s the one who killed her.”
Actually, millions of people know that, Tess thought, but she didn’t think it would be wise to say so.
“He did?”
“Yes.” Felix took a step toward her. “She was like you, always wanting to see the good in people. I think that’s why she underestimated how violent Callum is. But I never have, because I know Callum better than almost anyone alive. We worked for the same vampire back on Earth, and Callum was always sent to do his most violent, dangerous bidding. Torture, murder, stuff that would turn your stomach. And he loved it. He can be charming when he wants to be, but Tess, I swear to you, if you should be afraid of anyone, it’s him.”
Tess bit her lip. Callum had seemed so genuine with her up in Octavia’s rooms—but what if he was simply ensuring Tess’s loyalty, to stop her from running away to join Felix’s clan instead?
“Look,” Felix went on, “I’m sorry for sending Thomas and Althea to check on you. But Isobel died because I wasn’t there to save her, and when I thought about the same thing happening to you…I couldn’t stand it. I needed to know you were safe. I needed to keep you safe.”
Tess felt dazed. “This is a lot for me to take in.”
“I know, I come on too strong.” Felix smiled sheepishly. “Isobel always said so. Her first birthday we were together, I got her this red diamond ring—rarest stone in the world because she was the rarest woman I’d ever met. She loved me for being so over the top, and I loved her for letting me. Now that ring is just sitting in her empty room, with all the other things that used to be hers.”
“It must be terrible for you,” Tess said. “Stuck on this island with all your memories of her.”
“It is,” Felix agreed. “But that’s true for all of us, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve all had terrible things happen to us here, and none of us can escape them. Not yet, anyway.”
Tess narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘not yet’? Are you working on a way off this island?”
“I can’t tell you that,” Felix said earnestly. “I’m sworn to tell only members of my own clan. But if you join us…Tess, I can show you.”
Tess’s heart sped up—was it really possible that this man she’d dreamed of, this gentle hero, was here to offer her a way home?
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
“I’m afraid,” she answered honestly.
“You should be,” a low voice growled behind her.
Tess’s stomach dropped. She whipped around to see Callum leaning on his cane, his fists clenched, his face lined with anger.
“Stay out of this, Yoo,” Felix warned. He moved in front of Tess, blocking Callum’s path.
“Me stay out?” Callum laughed coldly. “Mate, I think you’ve forgotten whose land you’re on. See, one word from me, and the entire clan will be out here to rip you apart. Might leave enough of you intact for your little friends back east to recognize you. But I doubt it.”
“Callum, please,” Tess implored, but he wouldn’t even look at her.
“Not one word,” Callum gritted. “I’ll deal with you when he’s gone.”
“Don’t you see how he is?” Felix turned to Tess. “This is why I’ve been so worried—”
“Worried about me ?” Callum scowled. “That’s rich, coming from a sadistic little fuck like you.”
“I’m not the instigator of violence on this island, and you know that,” Felix said calmly. He turned to Tess, a pained look in his eye. “Please, Tess. You don’t have to stay with him. We can leave right now.”
Tess looked from Felix to Callum, utterly unsure whom to believe. Felix certainly seemed more trustworthy than Callum — but he had no idea Tess was human, and Tess had no idea what he would do if and when he found out.
“Just go, Felix,” she whispered.
“You want me to leave?” He looked hurt.
“I want us both to live,” she clarified.
“Listen to your girlfriend,” Callum taunted. “Be a good lad and run along.”
Felix looked pained—Tess felt a sudden wave of doubt. Was she an idiot to turn down a chance to go with him, and potentially to escape this island?
“All right, I’ll go,” Felix said to Tess. “Just…please, stay safe.”
Tess nodded once, then watched as Felix sped away, easily hopping the orchard wall, then streaking into the distance.
“How long?” Callum asked, his voice low.
“What do you mean?” Tess asked, though she had a feeling she knew exactly.
“For fuck’s sake,” Callum fumed. “How long have you been talking with Felix Hawthorn behind my back? Or was I right all along that he’s the one who sent you here in the first place? Did he kill Octavia—then give you her necklace?”
“What? No!” Tess huffed. “I met Felix the other day, after you left me in the forest.”
“Oh, that’s perfect.” Callum laughed meanly. “All alone in the moonlight, abandoned by the big bad, who should show up but your handsome hero? Bet you thought he was gallant.”
“I don’t know how gallant he is,” Tess sputtered, “I don’t actually know him at all.”
“You’re right about that part,” Callum seethed. “Your precious book has him all wrong.”
“Why?” Tess scoffed. “Because it says you’re a monster? You killed Isobel, didn’t you? You don’t think Felix has a right to be angry about that?”
Callum frowned in confusion. “Bloody hell do you mean? I didn’t kill Isobel—no idea who did.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Tess guffawed. “It’s awfully convenient, the way you have an explanation for every negative thing the books say about you—and every positive thing the books say about him.”
“So that’s it, is it? You wanted to be with your hero, so you hatched a little plan?”
Callum stalked toward Tess. He was leaning heavily on his cane, and she could see sweat beading at his hairline—he looked feverish and sick, far worse than he’d been even an hour before.
“You’re not making sense. There isn’t any plan—”
“You wanted to go with him, but you knew I’d come after you if you did. It’s clever, really. Lure me to the moonflower meadow, Felix’s goons at the wait, two against one, just a quick stab to the leg and then goodbye, Callum.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Tess swore. “I staked Althea, I got you back to the compound, and I told Nantale and Sylvie how to cure you! If I wanted you dead, why would I have done any of that? I gave up my last chance to get off this island to save your stupid life!”
“What are you talking about?” Callum frowned. “You can leave this island whenever you like.”
“No, I can’t!” Tess exploded. “When you passed out in the meadow, I left. I was terrified, and I just wanted to go home. Except when I got to the crystal bridge, and I thought of you lying there unconscious, where anyone could kill you…”
Tess’s voice caught in her throat—why the fuck was she getting emotional over this man who’d shown again and again how little he cared about her?
“What?” Callum pressed. “What happened?”
“I couldn’t leave you there.” Tess swallowed hard, keeping her voice dull. “So I turned around. But when I was almost back to the meadow, I heard this massive explosion—half of the bridge blew up and fell into the river. No one can cross it now.”
“ What?! ” Callum looked genuinely shocked.
“If I hadn’t come back for you, I could have gotten across the bridge before it happened, and I’d be back in New York right now,” Tess spat. “So don’t you dare say I’m a threat—not when I traded my safety for yours. And not when it’s members of your clan who keep threatening me!”
“Rubbish. Nantale forbid anyone to touch you.” Callum dismissed her.
“Oh please, you’re deluded,” Tess retorted. “Hamish could barely restrain himself when I cut my finger, the twins look at me like I’m a snack their mom put on a high shelf, and Tristan straight-up told me he plans to murder me the second he thinks he can get away with it.”
“When did he say that?” Callum demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’re just like the rest of them!” Tess fumed. “In fact, you know what? I bet Tristan blew up the bridge! Trapped me here so he could drain my blood like he’s been wanting to do since the night I got here, when he knocked me unconscious and dragged me to this godforsaken compound because you were too drunk to come meet me like Octavia promised.”
“Tristan’s a nasty twat, but how thick are you? You want to know who blew up the bridge? It’s obviously Felix!”
“What?! Why would he do that?”
“Because that’s what he does.” Callum seethed. “He cozies up to people, makes them think he’s on their side, and they don’t realize until it’s too late that he’s trapped them like a rat in a cage. It’s exactly what he did to me—why shouldn’t he do it to you?”
“When?” Tess demanded. “When did he do that to you?”
“What does it matter?” Callum laughed coldly. “If it’s not in your precious books, you won’t believe it anyway.”
“I’m trying to believe you, Callum.” Tess’s voice broke. “I want to.”
“I haven’t lied to you once,” he said flatly. “But you’ve lied to me every day since we met. Different set of rules, eh, Tess? To think I came down here to make sure you were okay.”
With that, he turned and walked back toward the compound, his movements slow and ginger as he put weight on his injured leg, leaving Tess alone in the orchard.
Even when he had every right to be furious with her, she realized, he’d never laid a hand on her—never even threatened to. Was it possible that Blood Feud had him all wrong, that he really was the man he claimed to be?
In her entire life, Tess had never been less sure of what was fact and what was fiction.