NINETEEN
CAZ
I burst into the manor, ready to storm up the stairs until I hear an abrupt and familiar voice.
That’s when I feel the static in the air, the weird crawling sensation going up my arms like a million tiny bugs.
“Over here, Monarch Harlow.”
That voice. It sends ice down my spine. I pause on the middle of the staircase just as someone steps around the corner in a silver cloak.
Arie.
At the bottom of the staircase, Cerberus growls at him, baring all his teeth.
“Cerberus, go,” I command.
My wolf continues growling but slowly retreats, ducking out the front door.
I take the stairs slowly while Arie slinks away and disappears into my office. I’m ready to kill him and anyone else willing to fuck with me in my home, but as soon as I step into my office my heart drops.
The entire Council is here—Callista, Arie, and Vassilis. So is Willow, only she’s not standing by herself. Vassilis is right behind her, one arm strapped around her chest and the other hand holding a double-edged knife. The sight of that blade pressed to my mate’s throat sends a bolt of fury through me.
To make matters worse, Silvera is lying on her side in a corner, hardly breathing. She likely tried to attack and they hurt her. Fucking bastards.
“You have one second to let her go,” I growl, pressing my thumb down on the hammer of my gun. I aim for Vassilis’s head as my anger broils.
“Lower your weapon, Caspian,” Callista demands. She’s sitting in my chair, her fiery silver eyes focused on me.
I work my jaw, looking from Vassilis to Willow, whose eyes are full of terror. They ripped her out of bed in only her gown. Fucking monsters. I’ll kill them all.
“You have one second to lower the gun or we’ll kill her.”
I work to swallow before cursing under my breath and lowering it.
“Drop it,” Callista insists.
I toss the gun and step deeper into the room. Vassilis lets out a throaty, wicked chuckle. I glare at him as he presses the knife deeper into Willow’s throat, drawing blood. I feel the slice on my own throat as Willow whimpers.
“Just let her go.” I shift my gaze to Callista. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Monarch Harlow. If not for her, we wouldn’t be able to get you to corroborate with us.” She puts on a wolfish smile.
“Just tell me what you want.”
“You know exactly what we want.” Arie sighs like he’s bored. I glance at him as he peruses the books on the shelves.
“You have the ship. It’s at your local port, but if you’d like us to bring it closer to the manor, we can,” Callista says. “You’ll take it and ride to Inferno Isle to awake Selah. No exceptions or excuses this time.”
“If I do that, The Regals will have my head,” I grumble.
“Sure, they may have your head, but would you rather they have yours or for us to have hers ?” Callista gestures to Willow. I have every urge to run across the room, rip Vassilis’s head off, and then stab the other two in the heart.
But I can’t. One wrong move and he’ll likely snap her neck. The blade to her throat is just a visual warning.
“The Regals plan on doing nothing about our creator. They’ll go on living while Selah rots in a tomb. I mean, what kind of sisters are they, really? I figured while you are also doing nothing, you can take the voyage to wake her.”
“You know I can’t just go , Callista. The Regals could easily stop me.”
“That may be so, but you always have little tricks up your sleeves. Oftentimes, you’re a step or two ahead of everyone else. Even us.” She peers around the room. “With the exception of this moment.”
“Please,” I plead, stepping closer to the desk. “I don’t ever beg, but if you let her go, I’ll go to the island. You have my word.”
Callista’s mouth twitches as Vassilis laughs again. She starts to say something, but immediately freezes and snaps her gaze to Arie.
“Arie!” she yells.
Arie is out of the room in a flash. A door slams, and a deep grunt echoes through the corridor. In a matter of seconds, Arie has returned, but he’s not alone.
Wrapped in an invisible restraint is Killian. His bottom lip is bleeding as well as his nose.
“What is with you lot always fucking with us?” Killian barks, his eyes wild and deranged as he tries to break out of Arie’s grasp.
“Kill, please.” I lock eyes with him and shake my head.
He gives me a confused look, panting raggedly.
Callista walks around the desk, dragging a finger along the glossed dark wood. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Mr. Harlow. You will take the voyage to Inferno Isle. You will awake Selah with your presence and your blood so she can be restored. You will do all of this in a way that doesn’t alert the other Regals.” She stops several inches away from me, her silver gaze flicking up and down.
“Even if I get that far, which I won’t , what makes you think The Regals won’t come for you first?”
Callista’s eyes flare, and for a split second, I see the fear in them. She’s terrified of Hassha and Korah, yet she’s going through with this plan. It makes no sense to force my hand when it’ll take me days to get there.
“You clearly haven’t thought this through.”
“None of that matters!” Callista shouts at me. “Selah has grown impatient and it is now or never. You will go to the island and wake her yourself because if you don’t, we will kill your mate and this angry little bulldog of yours. And we won’t stop there. We’ll kill everyone and everything you care about until you concede. And if that’s not enough, we’ll burn all of Blackwater to the ground so you are left with nothing but ash! Do I make myself clear?”
I clench a fist, staring at Willow again. If you go there, you’ll die, Caz. Don’t agree to this. Please .
Her voice is loud in my head, the only voice I can hear. I have no reasoning within me. They’re threatening to kill her over a trip to bloody Inferno Isle.
I lower my gaze, trying to think of a way out of this, but I can’t. My hands grow hot and I feel something surging within me. All that power Hassha mentioned I have, yet none of it is coming to the front.
I lift my hand, hoping it’ll bring a spark like it does when I have a nightmare. It doesn’t. My palm is muted, not even a speck of color.
I look at Willow again. I have to.
Her mouth parts, and her eyes fill with more tears.
“Why can’t you just take my blood and go?” I ask, brows furrowing.
Callista scoffs. “Believe me, if it were that simple, you’d have been dead a long time ago.”
I work my jaw.
“It’s not just as simple as drawing your blood and using it, Monarch Harlow,” she counters. “The tomb Selah rests in requires your presence—your energy . Even we can’t tamper with that.”
“Plus, it’s a horrifying island,” Arie adds, waving a flippant hand. “One we prefer not to lose our lives on.”
Yet they want me to lose mine.
I sigh. “Fine. I’ll go. Just set Willow and Killian free.”
“Ah, ah, ah.” Callista presses her palms together, and her head goes into a slight tilt. “Who is to say you agree to go and then try to run off to Earth or some other place where we can’t reach you…like Kessel , perhaps?” Her eyes flicker as well as the candles in the sconces on the wall. “No, Monarch Harlow. We’re not idiots. While you fulfill this mission, we will take your mate to Council Castle where she will remain until Selah has risen.”
“No! You can’t do that!”
“I can and I will ,” Callista snarls.
I reach behind me for the gun tucked in the back of my waistband and point it at Vassilis. “I’ll blow his fucking head off, Callista, and I promise you I will not miss.”
“Not before I twist her pretty little neck with one finger,” Vassilis hisses, tossing the knife and gripping Willow’s throat with his bare hand.
“Caz,” Killian calls. I steel my jaw, cutting my eyes at him before glaring at Vassilis again. “I’ll go with them. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Killian, no! Fuck that! This is just a game to them. We know this. You go there and they’ll kill you.”
“It’s fine, brother.” He tips his chin when I look at him, his jaw setting. “I know you want to save her right now, but there’s no way out of this one. Not even for us.”
My eyes grow hotter. I stare at him so long he becomes a blur. I blink, focusing on my mate again who watches me with utter despair.
“How noble,” Callista tinkers.
I lower the gun, hands shaking, frustration settling in my veins. “If any harm comes to her, I’ll kill you all. That is my word.”
“I’m sure you’ll try.” Callista sighs. “Right. The ship is at Blackwater Port. The sooner you leave, the better. Your mate will be in Council Castle with us while you fulfill your end of the bargain. Once you do what needs to be done, we’ll set her free.”
My breathing grows louder and my anger blinds me completely. All I can see is red.
I want to wrap my hand around her throat and strangle her. But how will that save Willow?
If I wake Selah, Hassha and Korah say we’re all dead. But if I don’t go, Willow dies. There is no winning here. Both options lead to fatality.
I cut my eyes to Vassilis, who grips Willow tighter by the throat and smirks at me, knowing it’ll piss me off. That fucking bitch.
“Stop holding her like that!”
Callista looks sideways at her brother. “Release her throat, Vassilis.”
Vassilis grimaces but follows instruction. Just like a fucking pet.
“Let’s not make this hard, Caspian. Get to Inferno Isle, wake Selah with however much blood of yours it requires, and come back to your mate,” Callista goes on.
“It’s okay, Caz,” Willow whispers. I’ll be okay. Another tear slips down her cheek. My heart feels like it’s splintering in my chest.
I haven’t felt an ache as intense as this since she left Vakeeli the first time to return to Earth.
This is that moment all over again, only she’s not going anywhere safe. She’s walking right into the mouth of a beast. I don’t know what The Council will do to her or even Killian for that matter.
“How do I know she’ll be safe?” I ask, trying to mask the defeat in my voice.
“You won’t.” Vassilis backs away with Willow as if he’s the one running the show—as if he can’t wait to torment her.
I stare into his eyes, thinking of all the ways I can kill him until Killian clears his throat.
“I’ve got her, brother,” Killian says. “Don’t you worry.”
Fuck. I haven’t felt at a loss like this since my mother died.
“Let’s go,” Callista orders, taking a step back.
Arie guides Killian to the center of the room as he remains in those invisible restraints. His feet are a few inches above the floor as he grunts, still trying to break himself loose.
Vassilis holds on to Willow’s arm with a vise grip. I want to chop off his hand, gouge out his eyes, cut off his fucking head. I want to murder that son of a bitch in every way imaginable, and I will . I mean that.
“Everything will be okay,” Willow calls as Vassilis wrangles her backward.
“I’m so sorry, Willow. I’ll get you out of there as soon as possible. I promise.”
She gives me a weak smile, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I love you so much,” she breathes.
I want to reach for her, beg them to at least let me hold her again.
Let me hug her.
Kiss her.
Be with her for just a second.
But it’s too late.
The Council vanishes from the room, taking my mate and my cousin with them.