Chapter 16
“He was following me. What else was I supposed to do? It was either kill him at the market where anyone could find us or bring him here. I chose here.” Castor’s quiet whispers reached my ears, the sound muffled by the cloth bag over my head. My wrists were bound to a chair by rope, the tiny fibers chafing against my skin as I tested out their hold.
“Or you could have simply let him be? Gods above, Castor! Does your grudge hold no bounds? What if his companions saw you? You could have been followed! You could have jeopardized our location!”
I recognized the second voice but could not place it. An ache bloomed at the base of my skull and at my temple. I wondered if Castor had gotten some of his retribution while I was unconscious. The man always had the worst temper, and his distaste for my family ran deeper than others.
Not that I could blame him for that.
“I would have noticed a tail,” he spat. “Give me some credit, Ballard.”
That fucking bastard.
The coven leader must have refused to help because he was already in league with Castor. But what were they doing together? And how did that affect his ability to help bring my mother to justice?
“Did you not think about what bringing him here would mean? She will find out, and when she does, I will be far out of reach,” Ballard hissed.
Castor laughed. “Mighty selfish of you, witch, thinking of your own skin. Leave her to me.”
My blood ran cold, a chill running down my spine. Perhaps Ballard had not wanted to align himself with us because he was the one working with my mother, but that did not explain Castor’s presence.
Surely, he would not have stooped so low as to collude with her. Everything that set the wheels in motion—the death, destruction, lies, and half-truths—was because of Leonora. Her greed and lust for power decimated not only my life but what I thought was the life of Calia’s family as well.
If he betrayed us, I would secure his head on a pike outside my home.
“We should not even be speaking about this in front of him. He could wake at any moment,” Ballard said, followed by the sound of shifting feet.
“By all means, continue,” I drawled. “It is a bit late for secrecy.”
The bag was ripped from my head, giving my eyes no time to adjust to the light. Castor stepped in front of my seat, followed by Ballard a few paces behind.
The walls were bland, concrete by the looks of it. There were no windows and no immediate sign of an exit. Water droplets fell into a bucket in the corner, giving the room a faint smell of stagnation.
“Such a nice place you have here,” I smirked. The punch Castor threw into my jaw was worth it if only to see the thin hold on his resolve crumble. I spit my blood at his feet. “That was not very kind.”
“Why were you following me, D’Arcy?” he questioned, crossing his arms. “Did you know I was going to be there? Who told you?”
“If you would let me get a single word in without asking another question, perhaps I could tell you.” I waited, testing to see if he could keep his mouth shut. “Our meeting was purely coincidental; however, I will not say it was not fortuitous. The only reason I had not sought you out myself is because Jasper had said it was not wise.” Not that it would have stopped me in the end. This was always my plan, even if it did not come about as I hoped.
“You should have listened to him,” Castor growled.
I cocked my head to the side. “But then, I would not have had the pleasure of your hospitable company.”
“I remember saying that I would kill you if I saw you again. Were you so eager for your own death that you sought me out? Because I will gladly deliver on my promise,” he said, reaching for the blade behind him. He stepped forward, running the tip along the column of my throat. “It will not be quick, and I will ensure you suffer. Just as Calia did.”
“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” I bared my teeth at him, showing the elongated canines ready to rip out his throat.
“Your wife?” he spat. “Don’t be ridiculous. She was my niece. My blood. My family. You have no claim on her, not with the secrets you and your mother kept.”
“I may have kept secrets, but so did you. And do not throw me in the same category as my mother. I admit I was na?ve; I should have caught on to her machinations and did not.” Because I had been distracted by a beautiful red-haired goddess with green eyes. She had taken over everything I was, consumed my every thought. In losing myself to her, I had been blind to my mother’s intent.
In one swift moment, I broke apart my restraints and dove toward Castor. His back landed against the wall with a heavy thud. I lunged forward, my fangs grazing his neck, as I let anger take hold of my body.
Castor’s eyes shifted, alerting me of a presence creeping from behind. Fucking Ballard, likely. I could no longer see him in my periphery, and I would not put it past him to use this moment to attack.
“I will not die today,” I hissed, slamming Castor’s head against the concrete wall. His body hit the floor as I spun, using my speed and strength to pin Ballard’s body against the opposite wall.
But it was not Ballard I held in my arms.
“Hello, husband.”