Chapter 13 #2
“You guys are serious about that shit?” Rafe recalled waking up in Ilsbeth’s mansion, their words like a whisper of a dream.
“Of course I’m serious about the prophecy. And Zyaire is a huge problem.”
“Explain it to me like I’m five.” Rafe struggled not to look at Skylar. Her angry energy radiated over him, and he didn’t blame her for hating him. Submerged to her neck, she hid behind an oversized pair of sunglasses, her attention trained on the witch.
“Since I can see Greyson and Viktor have managed to tell you everything about being a vampire, I’ll clue you into the disaster that befalls us.
Zyaire is a very powerful witch. But once upon a time, she fell for a vampire who broke her heart in a thousand pieces.
” She kept her focus on Rafe as she spoke. “Then the fae spoke of the prophecy.”
“Kellan?”
“Yes. That’s the one. He’d predicted at a party once that a vampire shifter would bring about her power, would usher her into our world like a virus.
I’d nearly forgotten about her, but it was Thorn.
He reminded me of what was to come. You.
” She pointed at Skylar. “You were the entry. You’d met Rafe in New Orleans. ”
“The vampires in the desert. They said Zyaire,” Skylar recounted. “How do you know her?”
“I’ve known her for a very long time.” Ilsbeth glanced up to the sky which had turned dark. A lightning bolt streaked across the sky. A clap of thunder rumbled through the atmosphere, its vibration rippling the surface of the water. “She searches for you. Rafe. Skylar.”
“Why me?” Rafe asked, glancing to the black clouds coming in from the south. “I didn’t even know you before my accident.”
“You are the prophecy. One born in death. Kellan knew.”
“What did he tell you?”
“The hybrid would bring forth vermin to the world. Zyaire would once again wield a great magick. The hybrid, an Alpha, will slay the great witch. And in the meantime, she’d attempt to infect the world. Which it appears she attempted to do that night in the club.”
“Jesus.”
“It’s got nothing to do with him,” Greyson retorted as he floated with his head back in the pool. “It’s been years since I spent this much time in the water. I feel like a child.”
“Why does she want me?” Skylar asked.
“Because, dear child, he cares about you. You are his desire. You are his.”
“But I’m not,” Skylar protested.
Rafe’s heart pounded in his chest as Ilsbeth continued.
“It was foretold that a human would become both his death and his birth. You are that human.” Ilsbeth closed her eyes and sniffed. “You drank from her? She’s changing. We must commence the spell before it’s too late.”
Lightning splintered across the sky, this time striking an old oak tree. A branch cracked, landing with a thud onto the patio.
“We must go inside. She’s coming.” Without warning Ilsbeth turned and broke the circle and ascended the stairs out of the pool. Henri held open a robe, and she slid her arms into it, leaving without another word.
“Come,” Rafe told Skylar.
“I’ll go with Greyson,” she replied, still refusing to look him in the eye.
Jealousy stabbed at him as Greyson extended a hand to her and she placed her palm in his. Rafe had earned her anger, and there was no coming back from it.
Rafe stood in front of the fire, ruminating on every word Ilsbeth had spoken.
After they’d reached the safety of her mansion, the witch had seen to their every need, ensuring each guest had their own room.
Though earlier, she described Zyaire’s motives, something nagged at him, warning him she’d concealed the truth.
He also sensed a connection between Ilsbeth and Greyson and suspected they’d kept a secret together.
Footsteps broke his contemplation. Ilsbeth’s butler approached with a silver tray, a singular highball glass balanced on its well.
“Sir? Care for a cocktail?” Henri presented the amber effervescent concoction.
Rafe glanced to the tray, cautious. “What’s in it?”
“A Pimm’s Cup, sir.”
“That’s it?”
“Gin and a bit of lemon soda. Very refreshing after a day in the sun. We shall be having a Bordeaux with dinner.”
Rafe reached for the glass and brought it to his nose. He sniffed, unable to detect anything nefarious. He locked eyes with the butler. “Your name’s Henri?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Henri, you’re not lying to me, are you? No special ingredients? You know, like cat’s nails or some otherwise mystical specialty from Ilsbeth’s curio cabinet.”
“No sir. The high priestess is quite specific when she’s entertaining.”
Rafe eyed Henri as his lips touched the rim of the glass. He sipped the cool drink, the sweet citrus bubbles teased over his tongue. “Hmm. Yeah. Okay now. That is actually pretty good. Did you make this?”
“Indeed.” He gave a sheepish smile.
“Nice work, Henri. Very nice. Say, listen, did my mother happen to tell you when everyone is expected? I realize I’m a few minutes early to this,” Rafe looked around the empty parlor, “get together.”
“It’s nearly seven. Guests should be arriving any minute now. Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?”
“Do you happen to know which direction witchy momma put the woman I arrived with?” Skylar’s scent lingered in the air, but Ilsbeth’s magick wards within the mansion walls made it nearly impossible to identify her location.
Rafe considered going to her, to tell her he didn’t mean to hurt her. He wanted Skylar to know he didn’t have sex with the donor, that he’d choked down her blood. He wanted to tell Skylar…that she was his.
“I’ve seen to Miss Hemlock earlier, and she’s quite comfortable. I expect she’ll join us shortly. Is there anything else?”
“No. Thank you, Henri.” Rafe wasn’t surprised the butler remained tight lipped. The great high priestess kept only those she trusted implicitly, which was not a living soul or the undead.
“Darling, you realize whenever you think of me, I feel a tingling in my spine.”
Rafe whipped his head around to find Ilsbeth sitting in a large purple velvet tufted chair next to the fireplace. Dressed in a floor length hot pink satin dress, she held a Pimm’s Cup inches from her lips.
“How did you do that? You’re a slippery one. Just like the vampire.” He pointed at her with his drink still in his hand.
“Oh darling, Greyson’s not the only one with tricks.
My little trip to Hell and back? I paid dearly for it, but little did I know my power would continue to grow in this realm.
And grown it has.” She winked and sipped her drink.
“My, my, that is refreshing after such a hot Louisiana day. I do love summer.”
“Where’s Skylar?”
“She’s perfectly safe, though her energy is drained. Quite sad to see. The humans are so ruled by their emotions.” She gestured to the sofa. “Please have a seat so we can chat before dinner commences.”
Rafe glanced at the black leather sofa and back to Ilsbeth as he slid onto its cushions. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“She will be here within minutes. Enough. I need to know you are serious about this. I can sense your frenetic energy. What happened to my bathhouse is…not acceptable.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Hydrogen peroxide works well to get blood out.”
Ilsbeth blew out an audible breath, curling both her hands around her glass.
Rafe paused, carefully considering his words. “I accept your offer. I don’t know about this prophecy stuff, but I want to do the spell. No more vampire.”
Though Ilsbeth never smiled, a hit of excitement flickered in her eyes. “I have watched you suffer for nearly two years, my son. This does not make me happy. You see, while Greyson and Viktor are content as vampire, I am aware, more than most, that a wolf must be wolf.”
“The vampire consumes me. And this thing with Skylar? It’s difficult. I’ve messed this up.”
“You don’t need to explain your nature to me. We all make mistakes. I’m sure you are aware of the Acadian beta.”
“I am aware.” Dimitri.
“The allure of the wolf, the magick of the shifters can be consuming. It is not something the Goddess is likely to erase. But the vampire? The magick is used to transform a human in death. Only one vampire can give to another. Viktor gave you his. But it wasn’t enough to save a wolf.
You were much too strong to accept his gift of life.
But my magick is of the Goddess, no matter how much I tainted it with the darkness from the underworld.
And today I’m much stronger, more careful as to where I expend my energy. ”
Ilsbeth gazed into the fire. “My power will be used for good. The spell I’ve got will extract the vampiric magick, sending it back to the Goddess, and if willing, you shall live on as a wolf. But this brings me back to your lovely human. What are you willing to sacrifice?”
“Once Zyaire is gone, Skylar will be safe. She can return to New Orleans, and I will go back to Wyoming to the pack. Everyone will be happy.”
“Do not lie to me!” Ilsbeth slammed her palm onto the marble end table.
Rafe’s wolf growled, his attention trained solely on the witch. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me the truth. No lies.”
Rafe shook his head, restraining a storm of emotion that threatened to explode.
“The truth? I’ve tasted Skylar. My wolf.
This beast inside.” He pounded his chest with the front of his closed fist. “They crave her and no one else. I couldn’t feed right today, let alone fuck another woman.
I barely drank enough to keep me from losing control.
” Rafe’s expression flattened, sadness in his eyes.
“I think she’s mine. My vampire, it’s bonding with her. And I can’t control it.”
“You could stay vampire and possibly bond with her. There are not many hybrids, but it’s feasible. You’d have a lifetime. But once I do this spell, your vampire will be gone forever. The bond as well. You understand this?”