CHAPTER 14 #2
The dog trotted over to the king’s side. He eyed the platter of egg sandwiches, looking hopefully at Sera, like she might want to throw something else.
Finneas reached over, absently stroking the dog’s wooly head. “A direct assault is going to mean casualties. We need a way in.”
“We’re working on that,” Alex said. “And since we held up our end of the bargain, we need keys for the shackles my father is using to hold his prisoners down in the dungeons.”
“We’ve studied the pictures you provided,” Finneas said, gesturing to one of his advisors, who tapped a screen and turned it to face them. “These shackles, or really, they’re almost bracelets, given the thinness and presumed weakness of the magic they wield, aren’t the type we typically see.”
“So, you don’t think they’re fae in origin?”
“Oh, they’re definitely ours. The formation of magical artifacts of this sort is very dangerous and also highly restricted. While most fae can manipulate simple magic like setting up a personal ward or glamouring their appearance, this is very rare magic.”
“So you would theoretically be able to trace who might have made them?” Sera said.
“This most certainly did not originate from one of our registered artifact makers. All their work is highly regulated. Very few of these class of shackles are created and they’re used only for holding the most dangerous among our race, those who have been unwilling to adjust to modern-day norms and see no problem with things like, say, kidnapping and eating a human or two every month if it suits their appetites. ”
Alex grimaced. “Remind me not to wander around your meadows after dark.”
“We have our share of problematic citizens, just as you do,” Finneas acknowledged. “But our artifacts are not for sale, and certainly not to vampires, which means this is likely the work of someone with unregistered dark abilities, selling their wares on the black market.”
One of the fae seated beside the king murmured something in Elvish. Alex vaguely recognized every third or fourth word despite having studied the language for several years in school. Finneas nodded.
“We need a little more time to work on a solution.”
“Please hurry,” Sera said quietly. “People are dying down there, innocents our father has stolen off the streets. Perhaps that means nothing to you, but I feel responsible for them.”
The table fell silent.
Finneas looked down, mouth pressed in a thin line. “One day, Serafina, perhaps you won’t always assume the very worst of me.” As his advisors rose, he turned to Alex. “Give us two days.”
And with that, they were gone.
The moment Dani opened the door to her apartment, Alex could see from her red-rimmed eyes and pale complexion that something was very wrong.
“What happened?” When she stepped back to let him inside, he followed, quietly closing the door.
“There was a text this morning announcing that my worksite will be partially reopening next week. They wanted everyone to call in to get shift assignments.”
“That’s good news, right?”
“Well, it would be.” Dani folded her arms, leaning back against the kitchen counter. “Except when I called in, I was told I was being let go.”
Alex swore. Why hadn’t he seen this coming? “I’m sorry, Daniela.”
“And then, when I tried to call around this morning to a few job postings that said they were looking for workers, as soon as I gave them my name, they hung up on me.”
“There’s been a lot of biased coverage in the press the past few days. Lara hates that you made her look bad the day of the bombing and she’s doing everything she can to even the score.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Dani’s eyes flashed with anger. “She did that to herself.”
“You’re right.” He held up both hands. “It was a poor choice of words.”
“Now that she and her father have intimidated every business in the sector, it will be next to impossible for me and Evan to find work.” Dani was pacing now, blinking back tears.
“Lara Cavalieri won’t be satisfied until we’re thrown out onto the streets, and then she’ll be all too happy to arrange a terrible accident. ”
He drew her into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers. “Tell me what I can do.”
She slid her hands to his waist, letting him draw her close. After a moment, she pulled back, lifting a hand between them. Alex frowned when he saw her fingers were shaking.
“It started the other day. At first, I dismissed it. I thought I was tired. When it got worse, I assumed I was shaken up after Lara’s thugs abducted me. But last night after we got home from the borderlands, nothing I tried would get it to stop.”
Alex shook his head. “We don’t know that it’s blood addiction.”
“What else could it be?”
“I don’t know. We need to ask Sera.”
Dani pressed her lips together. “Evan said you’d deny it.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I’m saying we need more information. Like to talk to my sister who happens to be a doctor, before listening to your sister, whose only qualification on this subject is that she hates me.”
“Evan is worried about me.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “She said last night that she believes you care about me, but despite that, I’m the one who keeps getting hurt.”
“I’m sorry.” Alex lowered his head. “I know it’s taking too long for me to come up with a plan we can act on. I meant to talk to Dante and Isabella, but we needed to meet with Finneas this morning and I haven’t been able to catch them. Isabella is always busy and Dante is never home lately.”
“You’ve been trying to do so much. I feel sick at the thought of the other aberrants trapped in the dungeons. Were you able to get the keys?”
“Not yet.” Alex looked down. “Do you want me to go? Tell me to leave and I will.”
“I don’t want you to go, but I hate feeling this way.
” Dani hugged herself tighter. “I know it’s the bond, but I hate craving you.
I hate needing your bite and your touch, knowing that at the end of the month, if nothing changes, you’ll be hers and I’ll be left suffering constant tremors and cravings, just like my stepmother, until I slowly go mad.
I never wanted to care for you, Alexander.
And now I can’t bear the thought of losing you. ”
“That’s not going to happen.” Alex took her in his arms. “I’ll talk to Isabella and Dante today. I hope they’ll agree to come with us, but if they won’t, ultimately, they’re adults and it’s their decision. What did Evan say when you talked to her? Will she and Ava leave?”
“She’s… not happy about it. But what else can we do?
I’m terrified, Alex.” She drew a breath.
“You’re doing what you have to in order to protect us.
And I accept that. It just terrifies me, seeing the first signs of blood addiction, knowing that if I’m not changed soon, my fate will be the same as Nadine’s. ”
“Tonight,” he promised her. “Try to convince Evan and Ava to come if you can. Sera has a safe house. We can give you my blood there.” He kissed her gently. “It’s going to be okay, Daniela. I swear to you, I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Alex found Isabella in her lab, frowning at her laptop.
“Did you need something?” His sister barely looked up before turning back to curse at her data. “I have a lot of samples to run.”
“This won’t take long. I wanted to talk to you about Dad.”
That got her attention.
“Oh.” She pushed her glasses up and leaned against the counter. “Okay, shoot.”
He had to ease into this carefully.
“We’ve all noticed changes lately. I’m sure you have, too.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. Going over to the printer, she grabbed a stack of paper and began flipping through them. “Did Lara say something to you?”
“She’s… been concerned. We all have been.” Where was this going?
“You have a funny way of showing it,” his sister snapped.
“Do you have any idea the stress he’s been under, trying to calm the rioting in the sector, hoping you would step up and take some of the pressure off?
Instead, it’s been nothing but drama between you and Lara and that sanguine everyone knows perfectly well you can’t marry.
You may think it’s all fun and games, but it isn’t good for his blood pressure. ”
She was breathing hard, close to tears. Alex frowned. How had he not seen how much pressure Isabella had been dealing with lately?
“I wanted to talk to you about that. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel like I wasn’t listening. Certain things have just been unfolding really fast. And I didn’t realize how much stress you were under.”
Keep the conversation focused on her.
Isabella lowered her head. “How did you figure out he was really sick, that they weren’t just rumors?”
For a second, Alex could only stare. He quickly recovered.
“Sick. Yes, of course, the cancer,” he said slowly, the pieces falling into place.
I’ve seen him feeding more, at rates he shouldn’t need to.
And there have been personality changes.
I think we’ve all noticed those.” When his sister nodded, he went on.
“He’s not well, Isabella. He hasn’t been well in some time. ”
“You think I don’t know that?” Her voice turned cold.
“You’re gone every day volunteering at the legal aid center.
Dante disappears for days to wherever Dante goes.
And Sera was all too happy to abandon this family when she was caught being fucked by my boyfriend the night she was supposed to get engaged to the fae king. ”
“If I had the power, I would go back and throw Micah out of the castle.” Alex shook his head.
“You were all of eighteen years old and had just lost your mother. There is something very wrong with any man who would take advantage of a vulnerable girl twelve years younger than him, and one he was assigned to guard.”
“I was old enough to consent.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”