CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE || THIERRY #2
The list was too long. Foolish of me. I’d thought I was keeping them all at arm’s length. But I hadn’t been, had I?
“Are you certain he lives?”
Godric sighed. “Three hundred years ago, we came to the New World. We settled in the colony of Virginia. There, Magnus met a young man named Henry, the son of a powerful witch, the queen of her coven. He had renounced his powers—a common enough back act then. Magnus, unaware that he circled the son of a witch queen, destroyed him.” His voice was clinical, detached.
“What he did to your brother, he did to many others for centuries after. I protected some innocents. But far from all. He turned Henry into a creature exactly like Nicolas.”
The words chilled me, but part of me was startled that he remembered my brother’s name. It had been so impossibly long ago. But then—he remembered me too, didn’t he?
His smile faded as he studied me.
“I remember everyone I couldn’t protect, Thierry.
” His gaze darkened, and for an instant, grief flashed across his expression.
Then it was gone. “At long last, I saw my chance to rid the world of Magnus for good. I helped the witches entrap him. They wanted him to suffer for what he had done to one of their own. I tricked him, as they asked. He was locked away for three centuries.”
“Was?”
“Now he is freed. Thanks to your spell. When it spread through our bloodline, it ensured each vampire would meet their destined mate. And it cleared away anything that might prevent that from occurring.” He paused.
“Your redheaded witch possesses a level of power I have not encountered in centuries.”
“I’ll pass that along,” I said reflexively.
But fresh horror crashed over me as I realized what he meant.
Poppy and I had unleashed a thousands of years old psychopathic vampire on the world.
The same vampire who had already destroyed my life.
Now he was walking free because of the spell I had forced her to cast.
Godric gave me a grim nod, reading my expression with ease. “Actions have consequences, Thierry.” He sighed. “And it pains me to admit this, but I require your help if we are to destroy him once and for all.”
That was when a massive wolf burst from the shadows and launched itself at Godric, jaws spread wide.
Godric whirled, catching Jeremy around the ribcage.
The momentum drove them both to the ground.
Jeremy lunged for his throat.
Godric struck him with a brutal blow that would have taken off a human head. Jeremy barely seemed to feel it.
Snarling, he lunged again.
Did I trust Godric not to harm me? He hadn’t yet, but that meant little. Still—I needed to hear the rest of what he had to say.
And if all this really was my fault…
“Fuck,” I muttered.
I darted forward and wrenched Jeremy off him.
My wolf didn’t stop—he lunged again, jaws gaping for Godric’s throat.
He was strong. Stronger than I’d realized. If I’d been a younger vampire, I wouldn’t have held him for even a moment. Jeremy hadn’t truly unleashed himself before, apparently.
“Stop!” I ordered when he slipped my grip. “He’s not a threat to us.”
Jeremy froze instantly.
Godric pushed himself upright, shooting me a dirty look. He clearly didn’t enjoy being labeled “not a threat.”
“Stay down,” Nathaniel snapped, appearing beside me in a blur. He leveled a crossbow at Godric.
Simone arrived an instant later, wooden stake in hand, Poppy tucked in her arm. Magic crackled visibly around the witch.
Poppy stepped away and immediately began chanting, sparks of purple light flaring like a supernova between her hands, her gaze locked on Godric.
Jeremy stood between us, ears back, body trembling with tension, golden eyes fixed on the ancient vampire. His voice echoed through the bond, sharp and clear: You okay?
Yes. He says he just wants to talk.
Jeremy growled low, baring his teeth.
“Thierry, would you mind calling off the hounds?” Godric’s tone was mild, though his gaze lingered uneasily on Poppy. I didn’t blame him. Whatever her spell would do, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. “Your witch in particular. Before she kills me, if you please.”
Poppy shot me a questioning look. I nodded. Scowling, she let the spell sputter out.
“Where are Danny and Michael?” Nathaniel demanded, glaring. “If you’ve harmed them—”
Godric sighed theatrically and gestured toward the back door.
“Come!” he called loudly.
Footsteps pounded toward us. The door flew open.
“What the fuck was that?” Michael demanded—then froze, staring. No doubt it was a bizarre tableau: an ancient vampire with jet-black hair, surrounded by half a dozen of our most powerful allies, with a massive werewolf in tow.
“It was just a bit of thrall,” Godric replied smoothly. “No harm done.”
“You weren’t even inside .” Danny appeared beside Michael, wary. “We just… froze. We couldn’t move.”
Godric shrugged, amusement tugging at his lips. “Trust me, young ones, the alternative was far worse. I was actually rather gentle with you.”
“Thierry, please do be a darling and tell us what is going on,” Simone said, never taking her eyes off Godric.
That would be good, Jeremy agreed gruffly, his voice brushing my mind.
“Um, hi!” Rico chimed brightly before I could reply.
I hadn’t even noticed him appear beside Danny.
“Being frozen was super weird. Like, I could think, but I didn’t even want to move.
” He bounced on his toes, practically vibrating.
“Also, just saying, but this is so awesome! My first ever real-life battle with an ancient badass vampire.” He paused, glancing around.
“Wow. Pretty much everyone’s here, huh?”
Against my will, something swelled in my chest. My friends had come ready to fight. I had trusted them—and they’d come through for me.
And I had trusted Jeremy. He had come through, too.
Always, he agreed.
I gave him a sharp nod, my eyes prickling in a decidedly unseemly way as I realized: if Godric had been evil—if he’d tried to kill me—they would have saved my life.
Godric climbed to his feet, his gaze locking on Rico.
“It’s you,” he breathed, eyes wide.
“Hi.” Rico gave him a fearless wave. “Yup, I’m definitely me!” He cocked his head, then added, “Err, no offense to your general badassery or anything, but you’re way less scary than I thought you’d be.”
Godric didn’t answer. He just stared at Rico, lips parted, eyes wide, looking dumbstruck—as if Poppy had enchanted him, after all.
“Uh—why is he staring at me like that?” Rico stage-whispered. “Is he okay?”
Jeremy, still in wolf form, let out a sound halfway between a growl and a bark. Amusement rushed through the blood bond, and I interpreted it as the wolf equivalent of laughter.
“Um,” Michael said, breaking the silence. He shot Danny a look. “Huh. Well. This is awkward, isn’t it?”
Godric stepped closer to Rico, prompting Danny to move in front of him, eyes hard. “Back off.”
“All this time, and it’s been you ,” Godric murmured, ignoring him. “It’s always been you.”
“Is he for real?” Michael demanded.
“I mean him no harm,” Godric said, gaze still fixed on Rico. “I swear it.”
Poppy’s eyes widened, as if the ancient vampire’s strange behavior clicked into place for her. “Wait. Is this—did he—is Rico—” She sucked in a breath, her gaze sliding to meet mine. “Is this my spell again?”
“Godric is of my bloodline.” I sighed. “Therefore, it would seem so. And it’s always irritating to watch, I might add. Every single time.”
On the plus side, Jeremy said slyly into my mind, this is way tamer than how you and I first met.
I ignored that—clearly the only sensible response for a dignified vampire such as myself. Never mind how vividly my body remembered the details of our first encounter.
“I would never harm him,” Godric repeated, transfixed by Rico. “You must know that.”
“You’re about a million years old. And creepy. And evil.” Danny’s voice dropped to a growl. “So. Back. The. Fuck. Off.”
“If it helps, he might not actually be evil. Especially if we’re grading on a curve,” I offered mildly. “We may have had a misunderstanding related to Godric not knowing how to use a phone like a normal person. Apologies for alarming you all.”
Before Danny could reply, Rico frowned at Godric. “Wait—why does he smell so good?”
A happy smile broke across Godric’s face, his dark eyes lighting up. “Tell me—what is my scent to you?”
“Um. It’s like empanadas?” Rico said hesitantly, brow furrowed. “Like what my abuela used to make.” He paused, sheepish. “So, uh. Weird question, since you’re ancient and evil and whatever—but what kind of body wash do you use? It smells amazing.”
Michael snickered.
At the same moment, Jeremy let out another braying wolf-laugh. It’s actually sort of sweet. I’m expecting Danny to go get a shotgun any moment now.
He owns one. Not beyond the realm of possibility.
Danny glared at both Jeremy and Michael. “This isn’t funny! This is very serious.”
“What’s serious?” Rico asked, blinking. He frowned, his brows knitting. “Did I miss something?”
Despite myself, I smiled.
And for the first time since Godric appeared in my bathroom mirror, a crashing sense of relief washed over me.
Though I had always been arch and superior—with good reason—toward these insufferable optimists, I somehow, impossibly, found myself believing that everything might actually work itself out.