"I feel like I'm in a prison. Every lie I tell is another door that I've shut around me. I can't talk to anybody about this."
Gregory didn't say anything for a moment. "Roane is building an army. All those vampires have declared their loyalty to him. He is going against the Roane Family line."
"What?"
"The Roane Elders are coming with their Family of vampires. They know the Immortal is here and they're going to fight their way in. Roane has declared war against them. He is no longer a part of the Roane Family. He is doing this to protect you."
"I'm the Immortal. No one can hurt me."
Wariness flashed in his eyes. "Yes, they can. They can torture you. They can imprison you with magic. No one knows how powerful you are, even us, but there's always a way to contain something. Roane fears that Lucan is with the Mori, that he is studying their ways to find a way to take the thread from you."
"Who are the Mori?"
"The ancient vampires. They have magic in them. Roane said you had an encounter with them earlier. He thinks his brother is with them."
"The ones who can have baby vamps. Oh—oh! That's not good."
I didn't know how magic could affect me, if I was immune, or if there was something that could be used against me. I knew that the Immortal thread no longer existed. It had dissembled when my body molded to the Immortal.
"Why are you telling me this? Why didn't Roane?" And could I still call him Roane if he wasn't with that Family anymore?
Gregory smiled. "You talk out loud sometimes. You should not do that so much."
Oh, yeah. My smile felt a bit foolish. "Why did you tell me this?"
"Because you should know. Roane chose not to because he is trying to let you live as normal a life as possible. If he needs to take you away from this place, you would never be able to be a normal human again. You would be on the run for the rest of your life."
Which would be forever. I shuddered.
Then he continued, "You can always call him Roane. His given name is Lucas, but he prefers his Family name even if he is no longer associated with them. He has their standards in his blood. It is why he is making this stand against them."
I felt his trust and belief in Roane again. It was so powerful; it was almost stifling to me, but I could sympathize. Roane had a way of pulling that loyalty out of everyone, human or not.
"Okay." I nodded and reached for my door. "I know what to do. Be normal. Right?"
"It's what he wants for you."
"Then I will do that." And I needed to put a cork in my self-pity talk. Seriously. People had worse problems than mine, like Brown. Everyone would think she was crazy.
As I got out of the car and walked around, Gregory wound down his window. "If you really need to talk to someone, here's a number you can reach meat. I warn you that Roane will be told every detail that we discuss, but I can be a sounding board for you."
I took the piece of paper he offered and tucked it away. "Thanks, Gregory. And tell him thanks too. I know he said you could do this."
He jerked his head in a nod, a sign of respect from him. "He cares more for you than you might think."
When I finally went inside, I was a mass of emotions. I'd been rejuvenated, but when I heard Emily in the bathroom, guilt flared in me too. Pippa rushed out of the bathroom. "What's wrong with her? She won't stop puking."
"She had too much to drink. I should've stopped her." But I'd been distracted.
Pippa rolled her eyes. "She's actually green from vomiting so much, but she still says she had fun tonight. What did you guys do?"
"Nothing. We stayed there and drank. That was it."
"I can smell vampires all over both of you. It's disgusting." She wrinkled her nose and then went around me. "I'm going to grab some medication for her."
When she left, I went into the bathroom and found Emily in a back stall. She was bent over the toilet and gave me a weak grin. "I feel horrible."
"I'm sorry, Em." I patted her back as I sat beside her. I drew my knees against my chest.
As she felt another spell coming on and bent forward over the toilet again, I closed my eyes and drew some of her illness into me. It was there—ugly, slimy, icky stuff. Along with it remained some of her lovespell from Bennett. It still hadn't fully left her system. As it flowed into me, I felt Pippa's presence and then I felt her surprise. She knew what I was doing and I could sense that Emily was starting to feel better. After a few more minutes of drawing the illness into me, Emily was able to sit up straight and she sighed.
"I feel much better." She panted and gave us a stupid grin. Sweat soaked her hair. Some of it clung to her forehead in clumps and she brushed it back. "Much better."
I smiled and squeezed her hand before I stood up.
Pippa helped me up and met my gaze for a brief second. She studied me hard. Then she murmured, "You're not even affected."
I turned away from Pippa. It wasn't any of her business. "Emily, you want to watch a movie to end the night?"
"Pippa, you want to watch too?"
The wolf stood with a dazed look. Her mouth opened and closed. "I…uh…"
"Grab your blanket. We'll crawl in our beds and fall asleep. You can have the couch." I made sure there was a welcoming tone in my voice, but my eyes sent their own message. She knew not to say anything.
Then she closed her mouth and nodded in surrender. "I'll get my stuff. I have a stuffed animal."
"You do?" Emily mumbled as she cleaned her mouth.
"Let me guess? A little wolf?"
Pippa grinned before she went out the door.
"How'd you know that?" Emily asked, but she didn't care. Now that I'd taken the illness away, the exhaustion was evident in her. She was going to be asleep before her head hit her pillow. And as I put the movie in and she crawled into her top bunk, she was snoring before I even curled up in my own blankets. Pippa came through the door and stood in the doorway with her hand on the doorknob. "She's already asleep?"
"Yeah."
She fidgeted with the door handle. "Do you think should I go?"
Emily's snores roared through the room.
I gestured to the couch. "I already put the movie in. If she wakes up and doesn't see you on the couch, she'll wonder why you didn't come. She's going to swear that she never fell asleep and watched the whole time."
Pippa grinned. "I guess I can stay a little bit."
Then I pressed play and nestled back.
Twenty minutes into the movie, she asked. "What are you?"
I'd been tired, but I jerked awake now.
She hesitated. "I mean, you're not just empathic."
"I can't tell you and if you ever find out, you can't say a word to anyone."
Pippa didn't comment for
a
while. "The wolves know you exist. They know there's something different about you. I'm sorry. We don't have an open channel for our thoughts with each other, but we're highly in tune with the other wolves. The matriarch knew about you. She sensed my unease."
At her words, everything froze inside of me. I knew about the mother wolf, but I hadn't given her enough thought. First Brown had distracted me, then Roane came, and then Saren.
"Are they going to do anything?" My heart stopped.
She shook her head. "No. They're just waiting and watching right now. If you do something against us, then they'll act. They're protective of Emily, you know. Her kindred is important to the pack. They consider her one of us already."
I grinned at that thought. "Can you imagine when Emily finds all that out?" I whistled under my breath. "I'd like to be a fly on the wall that day."
She giggled. "I think everyone in the pack will feel her kindred's emotions. I'll tell you how it goes."
I shook my head. Emily's world was going to split wide open. She was still uneasy about the possibility of witches. I had quieted her questions about vampires, but all the folklore was going to become real to her soon. Except me. I wasn't in the folklore.
I settled back and tried to watch the movie.
Wren paused in his doorway and saw Roane with his back to the desk. He gazed over the club below him. She couldn't see from below, but she knew he'd be there and he was.
Gregory had passed the message that Davy was there. The ones who knew what she meant to Roane felt her presence immediately. They understood why a sudden intensity swept around the club and most of them waited. They watched warily to see what might happen next. Wren knew that her master wouldn't be leaving this spot for the rest of the night.
"Are you going to stand there and watch the whole night?"
Roane didn't turn around. He'd known she was there before she opened the door.
When he didn't answer, she took a seat on one of his leather couches and swung a leg over the armrest. "So what's the plan? Are you going to kick her out? She's here with her roommate and a wolf. She's here under her cover. Sneaky little bitch."
He tossed his drink back. "Gregory is going to watch her."
Wren snorted. "I bet he loved that assignment. Let's all watch the Imm—"
Roane was in her face before she finished. He grabbed her jaw in one hand and lifted her in the air. "You do not say that word. Ever."
Wren's eyes flashed in anger, but she managed a tight nod. She couldn't speak.
Roane placed her on her feet, but he didn't let go. "I get that you don't like her. I don't care. You will treat her with respect or you will be sent away. Let's not forget the last time you tangled with one of them. Talia wasn't as forgiving, was she?"
She shrugged of his touch. "That wasn't about you. Let's not forget that
either
or what I lost to be loyal to you."
He rolled his eyes and moved to refill his drink. "If that's how you think of this, you can leave. You made your choice long ago."
She growled, but didn't move. Her hands
remained
against her sides as she clenched and unclenched them into fists. With fevered eyes and a tight jaw, she struggled not to lash out and then gave up the fight. She burst out, "Tracey's coming here! She's marching with the new Roane hunter. I found out from some soldiers who defected to Gavin's Family. What are you going to do when they get here? We aren't ready for an entire army."
Roane glanced back. "Am I supposed to be surprised by this? We've known they would send an army. We've always known. They
already
captured you with a small clan, but Davy released your bonds. Did you know that?"
She froze for a second,
and then shrugged. "So what?"
He turned back to the window and found Davy below; laughing with the girl who'd had a crush on him. Then he murmured as he sipped his drink, "I'm sorry that Tracey is coming here. I truly am. I know what she meant to you."
With those words, her anger was gone. She groaned. "Why do you do that? You make me so mad and then, nothing. It's all gone. You're a dick sometimes."
Roane grinned, but didn't look back. "We will deal with the army. Look around, Wren. Everybody here has come to join us. We're not powerless."
"She should be testing her powers. She should be figuring them out so she can control and use them. We will need her in the end. We won't win without her."
His jaw hardened. "She's living a normal life. That was the deal. We stay and hold this off as long as possible and she can be normal. It's what she's always wanted."
"We should be running."
He whirled back to her and pinned her against the wall. His face was inches from hers. "You didn't want to run before. You wanted to fight. Wish granted. This is what we're doing. Now you're going to bolt? Are you going to go to Tracey when she gets here?" He waited a beat. "Are you going to betray me, Wren?"
"NO—I—" She closed her mouth and looked away. "I don't think we'll win, Lucas."
His eyes softened and he let her go. "Trust me?"
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and hung her head. "I always have."
"Then please continue."
It broke her and she lifted her eyes back up. A renewed determination was in them. "Until I die."
Roane didn't respond, but clenched his jaw. It meant more than he had expressed to her, but he knew that Wren was terrified. She wanted to fight, even when the odds were against them. For her to come and request for them to run meant others were scared as well. Fear was dangerous. It was intoxicating and maddening. And he knew he'd have to do something to diffuse it.
"For the record, the reason why I don't like her isn't because she took Talia's place." Wren moved to the door.
He lifted piercing eyes to her and waited.
She finished, "Because you don't think clearly when it comes to her. And for god's sake, if you want to see her, just go! Make up some excuse."
Roane didn't tell her that he already had.