CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Astrid
A meeting is called, and not one with the whole council. This meeting has the people Rave trusts with his life. Joining us in a circle in the throne room is Soren, Sinda, Cove, Nico, Elios, and Drake.
“If we agree to align with him, we’re putting a lot of trust in his words,” Nico comments, frowning at the Vampire Prince. His brown tunic is open in the front, exposing more chest than usual. He crosses his arms over his chest and turns to his king. “And how do we know the information he gives us is correct?”
“We could bring Vera in,” Rave comments, eyes narrowing slightly. “She can tell us if his words are true.”
Drake stands up straighter, squaring his shoulders. “Yeah, there might be a problem with that, considering she’s the one who let them in. But if you know another truth-sayer, I will happily prove myself.”
The room goes so still and quiet you could hear a pin drop, but the atmosphere gets so thick I feel like I will suffocate. It’s like the power seeping off Rave consumes all the air in the room.
“What did you just say?” The words are calm and controlled, but the surge of shadows that begin to fill the room lets us all know just how angry he truly is. No, this is more than anger. I can’t imagine how hurt, angry, and betrayed he must feel.
Vera, the mother of his child, let the vampires in.
She is the reason Rave lost his father.
Drake turns to me. “I will tell you the truth, even if you don’t take my deal, because I owe you a debt for saving my mate. After this, consider us even, Queen Astrid.”
“You never owed me anything, but I appreciate that,” I reply, gesturing for him to continue.
“It was her,” Drake nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, but I saw her meeting with my father with my own eyes. She broke the wards and opened the gate for the vampires to enter.”
The room darkens around us. Through the bond, I feel snippets of what Rave is experiencing, and it hurts.
It fucking hurts.
The betrayal cuts him like a knife to the gut.
I’m going to kill that bitch.
“How could she break the wards?” I ask in a soft voice, swallowing hard.
“She was there when we set them… she knows…” Rave trails off. “Fuck! I knew I couldn’t trust her, but I didn’t think she’d do anything like this! Not with Vale…”
His magic seethes from him, and everyone takes a few steps back while I touch his shoulder. There’s nothing I can say that will help, but I let him know I’m here for him. I send my love through the bond, and he takes a long, deep breath.
“Soren, go! Bring her to me. Make sure Vale doesn’t see,” Rave commands, and Soren nods once and zips into thin air. He turns to Drake. “We accept your deal. But if you and your mother betray us, we will hunt you all down and kill you both.”
Shadows peek out and stroke Drake’s face in such a way it makes him flinch.
“Do you understand?” Rave questions, his irises bleeding pitch black. His fingers twitch like he wants to beat the shit out of something.
Drake swallows hard and nods. “I do.”
“And what do you know of this Rion? Is he working with your father?” I ask, wondering where Rion and his band of mercenaries fit in.
Drake’s eyes widen in surprise. “As far as I know, he is doing my father’s dirty work for now, but not out of loyalty. The Vampire King has something he desperately wants.”
I see. “So he asked him to kidnap me?”
“A queen for a queen,” he murmurs, running his hand through his hair. “He thinks King Tane was keeping my mother hostage.”
A queen for a queen.
He wanted to kidnap me and then trade me for the Vampire Queen.
The one who doesn’t want to return to him.
“We will be in touch.”
Drake zips out, and Rave pulls me into his arms. With a bow, the rest of the men disappear.
Before Sinda leaves, Rave calls out, “Sinda, please ask Celeste to prepare Vale’s bedroom for him. He will be living here as of tonight.”
Sinda nods, bows again, and closes the wide brass doors behind him.
“What are you going to d-do?” I ask him, clearing my throat when my voice cracks a little. At the end of the day, Vera is Vale’s mother, and he does love her. I’m sure a part of Rave will always love her too.
He strokes his big hand down my back. “I don’t know, but I will put her in the dungeons until I figure it out. What do you think I should do?”
I can’t answer this for him.
This is his family and history, and he will have to live with his choices.
He’s the one who will have to look his son in the eyes every day.
If it were up to me, Vera would have been gone after the last stunt she pulled.
I’m saved from answering when Soren appears before us, his gray eyes dark like storm clouds. “She’s gone and taken Vale with her. We must have just missed them.”
Well, if that doesn’t prove her guilt, I don’t know what does.
“I can’t track her when she’s next to Vale because he blocks her magical trace,” he explains, a muscle working in his jaw. “The second she moves farther enough away from him that his void magic doesn’t block her, I’ll be able to find her location.”
The temperature in the room drops.
I didn’t even consider the fact that as a void, Vale would block her signature magic trace.
That sneaky little bitch.
Rave squeezes the back of my neck. “Stay here,” he orders and then vanishes into black smoke.
“Fuck,” I whisper, sharing a look with Soren. He rakes a hand through his blond hair. “What a mess.”
At least she won’t harm Vale, so we know he is safe.
Soren soon wraps his arm around me, his warmth comforting. “We’ll find them, don’t worry. She can’t have Vale glued by her side forever. You know, I never fucking liked the bitch. I told him not to dip his dick in crazy—”
“You told him that? That doesn’t sound like anything that would come out of your mouth, pet,” I tease, calling him what I’ve heard him call his casual dalliances.
“Okay, maybe it was something about boning and bailing without leaving any trace of evidence,” he adds, smirking.
My lip twitches. “Now that sounds more like you.”
“And don’t let Rave hear you call me that, even as a joke. He will snap my neck without a thought,” he groans out.
“What? Pe—”
I don’t get the complete word out before his palm covers my mouth. “You want me to die, don’t you? Come on, let’s go outside. Your entire crew is still out there, wondering what the hell is going on.”
He’s right. Bane, Axe, Kai, August, and Pandora are all standing in a circle, looking stressed. Bane’s arms are crossed over his chest, and his dark eyes scan me from head to toe when he sees me.
“Is everything okay?” Axe asks, stepping toward me. They are all bare-chested, and my eyes can’t help but do a little wandering.
“What happened?” Pandora asks, touching my shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Sighing, I give them the short version. “Vera let the vampires in and now she’s run off with Vale.”
Bane’s eyes flicker to amber. He straightens his broad shoulders as if bolstering for battle, and he shares a dark look with Kai and Axe. “Anyone want to go hunting?”
They all disappear, and Pandora, Soren, and I are left standing.
And that’s when the vision hits.
Vera is crying, pleading with Rave to spare her. Soren is standing next to him, watching Vera with cold gray eyes.
“I love you, Rave. I am the mother of your son! You can’t harm me… please. I won’t try to take him away again. I won’t betray you ever again.”
Rave hesitates, his sword trembling in his fingers. But he doesn’t lower it. He’s about to attack when Bane zips behind Vera, sword at her neck. He slices in one smooth motion, Vera instantly falling to the ground.
Bane looks at Rave. “Now, when your son asks you who killed his mother, you won’t have to say that it’s you.”
Fuck.
I’ve always been told how ruthless Bane can be, but this is my first time witnessing it.
Bane is going to murder Vera.
In front of Rave.
And I’m going to let it happen.
Maybe I’m more of a monster than Bane is.