Chapter Eduard #2
Eduard could see the anger boiling in his father’s eyes once he took note of the bruising on Sawyer’s face and the slight limp to his walk. Sawyer was trying to be strong, but even the small amount of attention seemed to be overwhelming.
Luckily, his father didn’t need to be told. He gave Sawyer a quick hug then wrapped an arm over his shoulder and guided him the rest of the way up the dock. A row of three golf carts stood waiting. They all piled on and the carts carried them quickly up the path to the cottage.
Cecil stood waiting on the steps, holding Pearl’s collar in his hand to keep her from bounding forward. The cart had barely stopped moving before Sawyer was off of it and kneeling on the ground beside her. He had his arms around her neck and she frantically licked at his face and ear.
“Let’s take this inside,” Eduard said quietly. He rested his hand gently on Sawyer’s back and encouraged him to stand. Once they were through the cottage door, Eduard gently lifted Sawyer into his arms. “Okay, tough guy, off your feet time.”
“Thanks,” Sawyer replied. “It’ll be nice when it doesn’t hurt to walk again.”
Eduard carried him up the stairs and to his suite of rooms. “Dr. Jerrick said it’ll take a couple weeks. You have some really deep bruising.”
“I know. Doesn’t make it any easier.”
He sat Sawyer down on the sofa and Pearl immediately jumped up beside him.
She had her nose in his eye within seconds, and Sawyer laughed as he scratched behind her ears and rubbed his face into her fur.
Once she’d received what she determined was an acceptable amount of affection, Pearl laid down with her head in Sawyer’s lap and sighed.
Eduard couldn’t help but laugh and give her a head scratch of his own. He’d never wanted a pet before, but he could see why Sawyer loved his dog so much.
“Hey, where’d everyone else go?” Sawyer asked.
They’d come upstairs on their own and Eduard appreciated his other mates giving him a few minutes alone.
“They’re downstairs. They’ll be up in a few minutes.”
Sawyer sighed and ran his hand over Pearl’s back. “Go ahead and tell me.”
Eduard sat beside Sawyer on the couch and reached for his free hand. Sawyer linked their fingers together and gave him a sad smile. “I’m going to go deal with Magdalen,” he explained. “I’ll be gone for a few hours, but I’ll try to be back in time for dinner.”
Sawyer stared into his eyes for a long, quiet minute. “Okay. Don’t go alone.”
“Andvari will be accompanying me.”
“Good.” Sawyer closed his eyes and leaned in.
He pressed a kiss to Eduard’s lips, barely there, but so sweet and hopeful that it took Eduard’s breath away nevertheless.
Then he touched their foreheads together.
“She’s scarier than you think,” Sawyer whispered, his voice so low even Eduard’s advanced hearing had a hard time picking out the words.
“She’ll hurt you if she gets the chance.
And… she wants what you have, wants your power and prestige.
She’s desperate. It makes her more dangerous than you probably want to admit. ”
“I’ll be careful. I’ll have Andvari beside me, and her hellhound guard will be in the room as well as my father and his guard. We aren’t taking any chances when we confront her. Please tell me you understand what has to happen.”
“Draco explained. She hurt me and that’s like, the absolute worst thing she could do. Well, killing me would have been the absolute worst, but yeah. Hurting a clan member’s mate is… well… yeah.”
“It’s a death sentence,” Eduard said, unwilling to pull any punches. It was the most basic tenet of their culture. Mates were precious and sacred. The worst offense imaginable was attacking someone’s mate. It was never forgiven and never ignored.
Sawyer remained quiet, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He breathed and Eduard inhaled alongside him. “Come back soon,” Sawyer finally whispered.
“I will. I’ll send the others up now. I love you, Sawyer.”
“Love you, too.”
Eduard hurried back downstairs and found Cecil waiting in the foyer.
“I sent an additional change of clothing to your father’s earlier,” Cecil said. “I have a suit for you in the guest room if you would care to freshen up before you go.”
“Thank you, Cecil. Andvari will be with me so if you could arrange a change of clothing for him as well.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure it is there waiting for you when it is done.”
The entire clan knew what would happen that afternoon and Cecil was no exception. He’d also realized that Eduard was likely to come away bloody, and that Eduard wouldn’t want to risk Sawyer seeing it.
After changing into one of his better suits, Eduard returned to the foyer and found Andvari waiting on him. The vampire had changed into a formal robe, embroidered along the edges with green and gold threads. He’d also pulled his hair back and wrapped it with leather straps.
“Ready?” Eduard asked.
“I am.”
They arrived at his father’s house with no fanfare.
Most of the staff had been redirected elsewhere for the time it would take to complete the questioning of Magdalen.
His father met him in the foyer with one of the werewolf bodyguards at his side.
They went upstairs, where two vampires stood outside the door.
Inside the room, only Magdalen and Calliope were present.
Calliope bowed her head quickly to Augustus, and then stood as they made a semicircle around Magdalen.
“Eduard,” Magdalen said softly, “I’ve been so worried.”
“Sawyer has been found, Cousin.”
There was only the slightest glimmer of panic in her eyes before it faded. “I’m sorry for your loss, Cousin.”
“I lost nothing. My mate is alive.”
And there was the panic again. She looked frantically around, suddenly realizing the precarious position she was in.
Eduard remained calm and focused, staring at her intently. “You know the penalty for harming a clan member’s mate, Magdalen, but I will show mercy if you tell me what brought you to take such drastic measures to hurt me.”
She gasped then, eyes wide and surprised.
“No, Eduard. I didn’t hurt you. I tried to help.
He’s not really the chosen one. You must see it.
You’ve been poisoned, cursed… I don’t know but he isn’t really your mate.
The spell must be broken and the only way to do that was through Sawyer’s death.
Uncle, please, believe me. Your son is not himself. He’s been lied to and misled.”
Augustus stepped forward and took the hand Magdalen held out pleadingly to him. “You’re the one who has been lied to and misled,” Augustus said softly. “We need to know who fed you such lies.”
“No,” Magdalen cried. “It’s not a lie, Uncle.
He said it. He showed me the truth. Sawyer is a charlatan and the real chosen one is somewhere else, someone else.
Someone who can fulfill the prophecy. A human could never do that.
Don’t you see? He can’t be the chosen one.
You’ve all been fooled, tricked by this human into thinking he’s something he could never be. ”
Augustus sat on the edge of the bed, perfecting the role of comforting uncle. Eduard could never have been so kind. His entire body tensed, ready to strike should she make one move against his father.
“Who told you this, Magdalen? Who is he? Maybe if he could explain it to me himself I could see the truth.”
She blinked, her eyes growing hazy and distant.
Andvari reacted, pulling Augustus away as Magdalen let out an ungodly shriek.
“Who is he?” Eduard demanded, even as Calliope leapt forward and held Magdalen down. Between Andvari and Calliope, they were managing, but only barely.
“I… I can’t…you’re wrong.” She screamed again, thrashing against their hold.
“Who, Magdalen? Tell me!”
Suddenly, she stilled and locked eyes on Eduard. Her mouth curled into a smirk even as her eyes flickered to a fathomless black. For a moment, Eduard thought she’d shifted her eyes into her griffin form, the eagle taking focus. It was only a moment, though, before he realized the truth.
Magdalen was no longer in control. Something else was inside her, a darkness that seemed fathomless and frightening
“Fuck,” Calliope cried as Magdalen began to successfully push her away. The other guards stepped in, but Magdalen had grown strong, stronger than she could possibly have been on her own.
“You will not succeed,” Magdalen said, although the voice was no longer hers, and the deep echoing threat created a ball of fear in Eduard’s stomach. Her eyes began to flicker, movement within the black depths that Eduard had never seen before. “The prophecy will not come to pass.”
“Reveal yourself,” Eduard demanded.
Magdalen smirked in reply. “Tell the Mother I’m coming for her.”
She began to fight harder.
And she was winning.
No matter how many of their guards attempted to restrain her, she managed to push free. She lunged forward, reaching for Eduard, but he was ready. He’d shifted his hands, his talons sharp and deadly on the end of his fingers.
With one swipe, he struck, slicing her neck through to the bone. Blood splattered, drenching everyone within reach even as the life faded quickly from her eyes.
“Fuck,” Calliope said again. “What the hell was that?”
“Hell, indeed,” Augustus said. He was the only one of them who wasn’t covered in blood. He stared at Eduard, fear deep in his eyes.