Seduced by Lies (12 page)

The room suddenly felt too small, too claustrophobic. Drake choking on blood. Alaric gloating over his win. Toby, Sam and Father Patrick looking ready to cry if this didn't work. Beleth bleeding out blood too dark to be human.

I walked to the door, Rose with me, when Sam's voice filled my mind.

Make sure he pays.

Give me that man


That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him

In my heart's core, ay, in my heart of heart,


As I do thee.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

"MAYBE DEREK IS
right. Maybe we shouldn't be leaving Drake and Sam right now." Clothes littered my bed as Ocean tore through my closet and dresser looking for something 'decent' for me to wear in Rome.

Basically, she packed my skimpiest, more 'indecent' clothing, while I unpacked them and packed more reasonable choices.

Hope, the only remaining puppy of my loyal companion, Sandy, and my wedding present from Derek, jumped onto the bed and licked my face vigorously, forcing me to stop and pet her.

Ocean cocked her hip, her long red hair falling down her chest in spirals. "That husband of yours is most definitely not right about this. Not only do you need to make sure Ryder is punished for what he did, but you two also need some time alone. This is a perfect opportunity to steal a mini-vay while away."

"A
mini-vay
? I don't think that's a real word." Despite my mood, I couldn't help but smile at my best friend, who always put a positive spin on everything.

"A mini vacation," she said, rolling her eyes as she threw more clothes into my suitcase.

Hope found a new distraction across the room, and I tossed out a skimpy sundress and packed another pair of jeans. Ocean scowled at me and shoved the dress back in. "You'll thank me for this, I promise you. Hope and I are going to have grand walks while you're off on your vacation."

Since she had been the one to dress me for my first dates with Derek, I gave in to a few of her demands, but still kept my jeans.

"I think Derek wants to kill him." My hands froze over my carry-on as I spoke my fears out loud for the first time.

Ocean sat on the bed and looked at me, her green eyes wide and serious. "So do I. But does that mean he deserves to die?"

"That's what I want to figure out," I said.

"You do that," she said, grabbing my makeup case. "I'll do your makeup."

We pulled up to a private airstrip after an uncomfortably quiet drive from Elysium. The Church had sent an armored truck to transport Ryder while Derek, Bishop Alaric and I sat in the back of a limo avoiding eye contact with each other.

Armed security, also from the Church, escorted Ryder to the jet first, locking him away in a small room and standing guard outside while we boarded. Derek and I sat as far from everyone as we could.

Given the circumstances, I felt bad for being impressed by the posh interior, leather reclining seats and space allotted us. I'd never actually flown anywhere before, but I knew from watching television and movies that this was not the typical experience.

Sam and her friends were used to this, from their assignment travels with Rent-A-Kid. This is how she grew up, in secret, flying all over the world as a paranormal spy. It made my life raised on a farm with my coven seem so ordinary, though I was sure that also wasn't true.

I sucked in my breath as the jet took off, my stomach dropping as we rose in the air. Derek stared out of his window, lost in his own thoughts.

We'd argued again about Ryder before we left today, and I hated the divide I felt between us. Being in conflict with him churned my gut, and I needed to resolve it somehow, to get us back to being 'us.'

I reached for his hand, but it lay limp on his leg, so I pulled away. "Have you ever been to Rome?"

He didn't turn to look at me. "Nope."

I forced my voice to be chipper. "I've always wanted to go."

"Cool."

"How about you?"

"Don't know. Maybe." He turned his body further away from me, and my heart sank, but I didn't give up.

"We'll get him, Derek. No matter what, we know he attacked Drake. He won't get away with that."

"And how would you punish him?" he asked, staring at the clouds, his voice monotone.

"Lock him away."

"For how long?"

I thought about it. "Years. Life, maybe."

Derek finally turned to face me, his jaw locked and eyes hard. "What if this council lets Ryder go? What would you do then?"

"I'm not sure."

"You'd let him go?"

"I don't know," I said, knowing we were digressing back into our fight. "What gives
us
the right to decide his fate?"

Derek turned back toward the window. "What gives anyone the right?"

I didn't answer. I didn't have an answer.

"Power," he said, answering his own question. "Power allows us to decide. He attacked our friend. He lost. Now, his life is in our hands."

"Power gives us the ability to decide," I clarified, "not the right."

"And yet it's ability that I care about," he said as he shoved his earbuds into his ears and drowned me out with music.

With Derek silent, I walked over to the bishop, who sat with a black book in his hands.

"You know Ryder is guilty, right?" I asked.

He closed the book and motioned for me to sit down.

I did.

"I know he made a mistake—no, no, not even that," the bishop corrected himself. "I know he is in trouble, and I must stand beside him." His eyes were the heavy eyes of a man tired with life. If he were younger, would he look like…. no he couldn't, but…

"Is he family?" I asked.

The bishop grumbled. "In a way."

"How? I'd like to know."

He stared at me, as if judging how serious I was. "Why?"

"I'm about to decide a man's fate. I think I should know as much as possible about the man."

He scratched his chin, grunted, and finally sighed, resigned. "I can't tell you much. It's not my place to speak of his past. But I can tell you how we met."

I nodded. That would have to do.

He spoke quietly, softly, as one does when they pull a story from the edges of memory. "Many years ago, when the Romans still commanded—no. Not that long ago—when the Roman Empire had faded, yes. I had gone hunting for a Nephilim and followed his tracks to a city of outcasts. I found my prey dead in the snow, which was unfortunate, for my superiors wanted him alive, and decided to scour the city for another criminal to bring back. Instead, I found Ryder, sleeping on a stone floor, half mad with grief. He had a hatred in him, as sure as the seasons and hot as flame. He'd lost everything to the Nephilim, and on the few nights he slept, he told me he dreamt of revenge.

"Sometimes, I wonder if things would have been better if I'd left him to die. Sometimes I wonder—no, no wondering. I offered him a new home, and he accepted, and I taught him to hunt his enemies. For years, across the slopes of Italy and the hills of France, we hunted together. That is what he knows. That is what he does. He is what I made him, and I must defend him, for his actions are my doing."

"He should pay for his own decisions," I said.

The bishop nodded. "And he will, but I will be at his side. As I was at the beginning, I shall be at the end."

He turned away then, and I returned to my seat, occupied with thoughts of Rome and the bishop. But mostly I thought of Sandy, my Husky. You may wonder why, but there is good reason. You see, I'd raised that dog, taught and trained her. If she ever hurt anyone, I was the one responsible, and I knew it, like gravity, I knew it was right. Some may say that a dog and a person are not the same in this. But I would disagree.

When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

THE GROANING WOKE
me from the shallow sleep I'd fallen into. On autopilot, my hand reached for the washcloth soaking in cool water and placed it on Drake's head, mopping up sweat, cooling off his feverish body. A lock of blond hair fell over his eyes, and I brushed it away, willing him once again to wake up, to look at me with his beautiful, kind blue eyes.

His normally tan skin had paled, his strong face sunken in by the poison sucking his life away. Somewhere inside of him, Beleth's angel blood and Ryder's werewolf poison were fighting a battle for his life.

I'd been by his side all night and all day, only sleeping when my body dozed against my will. But nightmares lived inside my eyelids, in the crevices of my mind, and I didn't need to dream about death.

Drake's body convulsed, shivering and shaking, and I choked back a sob and held his hand, whispering to him, telling him stories of Ana, of how much I loved him. Reminding him of why he had to fight this. Why he had to live.

The door opened with a soft click and Lucy and Luke came in. I released Drake's hand, throwing myself into a three-way hug with my best friends. "You came!"

Lucy glanced at Drake, then turned her eyes to me. "Of course, we came. I'm just sorry we weren't back in time for Curtis's funeral. How's Paul doing?"

I felt guilty for having forgotten about his grief in my own. Drake could live, but Paul would never get back his love. "He's not well. He keeps to his room, deep in mourning. We're trying to give him space."

Lucy nodded. "And how's Drake?"

I shrugged. "Alive. He's fighting." I'd already filled them in on Drake's shocking heritage and transformation. Though, maybe shocking is an overstatement. We'd had so many shocks over the last few years; this was par for the course in our lives. Luke and Lucy had found out about a mother they never knew they had, only to lose her within hours of talking to her through my telepathy. She'd died saving me and my unborn child.

I'd found out I was the genetic test tube baby of an evil genius who then mated my genes with Drake to create the ultimate weapon in Ana.

We'd all had shocks.

They sat with me, telling me about their travels, Lucy mooning over Hunter and their exciting love, while I listened. I might have been jealous, if I didn't love my life so much. It wasn't as exciting as theirs, not usually, anyway, but it was beautiful, spending my days with Ana and Drake, helping the kids here learn to express themselves through their art, using my Seeker powers to find new kids to help. I wouldn't change anything.

A tear leaked down my cheek as I thought about how much would change if I lost Drake.

The door opened again, this time with Desirai and Ana. My daughter ran to me on her chubby toddler legs. "Mama! I miss you."

Desirai gave an apologetic smile. "I tried to keep her distracted, but she insisted."

"It's okay, Des. Thank you. We'll watch her for awhile."

Desirai spared a glance at Drake, then slipped out of the room quietly as I pulled my daughter into my lap, smelling her strawberry scented hair and relishing the feeling of her little hands gripping me. "I missed you too, baby."

She turned to look at Drake, her face a small, puckered frown. "Daddy still dying, but…" Her brows creased. "But he's less dying than before."

I didn't know how she knew, but she had powers we hadn't yet figured out. She leaned into him, touching his hand. "Get better, Daddy. Mommy too sad without you. Me too."

I sucked in the sob stuck in my throat. She was too young to know such things, but then, I'd been too young when my powers interfered with my life as well. We couldn't change who she was, only help her live with those gifts and use them well.

When she noticed Luke and Lucy, she jumped off my lap and ran to them. "Uncle Luke, Aunt Lucy, did you come to see Daddy and Mommy?"

Lucy smiled and hugged Ana. "We sure did. But we also came to see you. And, we brought you presents. Want to go see?"

Ana looked around uncertainly, not wanting to leave me, but very much wanting new presents. I smiled at her. "Go ahead honey, you can come back when you're done."

The air seemed to leave the room when they closed the door behind them. I'd been alone in here for hours, but it felt lonelier now that the recent surge of love and energy had gone.

I could hear Luke and Lucy's thoughts as they showed Ana her new presents. Worry for me and Drake. Joy at seeing Ana.

Shutting my mind to them, I rested my head on Drake's chest, listening to the erratic heartbeat through his hospital gown. "Drake, wake up. Please, wake up. I can't do this without you. I don't want to."

There was a time I thought I'd have to raise Ana alone, when Drake lost his powers because of me and left us. I'd found my strength then, and I could do it again, for Ana, if I had to. But I didn't want to. Drake had grown so much since then. He wore his new abilities well, allowing them to mature him into an amazing man and father. We'd fallen in love even more deeply since our wedding.

My tears soaked through his shirt, the heat of his body burning my face.

When Tammy walked in, I swiped at my eyes and tried to smile. "Hey, what's up?"

She sat next to me. "You okay? I can stay here with him for a bit. Why don't you get some food and rest?"

I shook my head. "I can't leave him, but thank you."

"I understand. But you're not alone in this. We're all here for you." Tammy and Dean didn't live here full-time, but they'd been spending more and more time here, and had become good friends. The kids loved the Druid shifters and enjoyed 'playing' with their wolf forms.

"I came because something's happened. Have you seen the news?"

"No."

Tammy reached for the remote and clicked on the television. A newscaster flickered to life on the screen, with the image of a body in the woods behind her. "…body found late this morning in the shallow waters of Lake Osmead. It appears to be another animal attack like those that took the lives of three teens earlier this week. The question on everyone's mind, of course, is what is causing these deaths, and how do we keep our children safe?"

I muted the television. "So, Ryder didn't do all the killings? He's not the Beast?"

Sun glinted through the leaves of the tall trees reaching toward each other above the dirt road as we made our way to Lake Osmead. I drove with Tammy in the front and Dean in the backseat leaning in to talk to us.

"What's the plan when we get there?" He smiled and the dimple in his chin deepened. All three O'Conner siblings had black hair with too-blue eyes, but the twins looked most alike with their dimpled chins and mischievous smiles. You would never know by talking to Dean that he'd spent time in a demon dimension enduring unspeakable torture. He carried joy with him, and was a flirt with everyone. You'd also never guess that Rose had been the one to send him there. He loved his sister-in-law like a sister and teased her like he did his twin.

I adored him and was grateful both had chosen to accompany me to the scene of the crime. "I'm going to do some mind-snooping," I said. "I need you two to sniff around and see what you can find. We need to find out when this murder happened. If there's a chance Ryder didn't kill the other kids, then we have a huge problem."

As we pulled up, I scanned the area and spotted agents in familiar black suits that I hadn't seen on television.

The red police tape kept us from getting too close to the scene, but my mind picked up a mental signature I knew well.

A handsome man with green cat-like eyes and dark hair streaked with silver walked up, a smile on his face. "Sam!"

He held the tape up for us and I hugged him. "Hi, Hunter. Lucy didn't mention you were here."

"She doesn't know. I didn't know until we actually got here. So it'll be a surprise." His thoughts flickered through my mind, tender thoughts of Lucy and their time together. I blocked him before I got too many details of their 'time.'

I introduced Tammy and Dean and followed Hunter to a more remote area for privacy. "So, IPI is investigating the paranormal murders?"

Hunter had come into our lives when IPI helped take down Rent-A-Kid. As an international paranormal investigator, he was uniquely skilled to help track down whoever was doing this, if it wasn't Ryder.

I told him about Ryder and Drake and our suspicions.

"God, Sam, I'm so sorry. Is Drake going to be okay?"

His concern was real, but I didn't want to go into the whole Nephilim thing, so I just nodded.

"When did you take Ryder into custody?" he asked.

"Last night. He's been under lock and key since then." Minus a few minutes, but Beleth had taken care of that.

He shifted his eyes uneasily. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but the body suffered some decomposition, though not a lot. They'll have to do more tests to get a specific time of death. Water always makes it harder. Right now, it looks recent, which would eliminate Ryder as a suspect. But, if it turns out it happened a few days ago, then it could be him."

"I really hope it's him." I shivered despite the warm afternoon. "We don't need another serial killer running around targeting paranormals."

Something rustled in the leaves, and we stopped talking.

A tall man walked up to us, his midnight skin in stark contrast to his pristine white suit. He looked to be in his 50s with life lines etched in his face as he puffed at a cigar. "We're wrapping up the scene and we need you, Agent Riley."

The man glanced at me and smiled, his teeth as white as his suit. "I see we have visitors." He held out his hand. "I'm Agent White."

"Sam Davis. Nice to meet you." His eyebrow rose in surprise. "I know you. I read your report at IPI after you helped destroy your old school."

"And what did those reports say?"

"Strong willed, compassionate, and manipulative. Hard to keep things from a girl who reads minds." He chuckled.

"Secrets are overrated," I said.

He dropped my hand. "So they are."

"How are things going with that little school you and your friends started? Have you found a name yet?" He had a gentlemanly way about him, but it came across as slightly condescending, which didn't settle well with me.

"We picked one," I said. "Elysium."

"How'd you know they were picking a name?" Dean asked, posturing with his shoulders pumped and arms crossed.

"Because IPI's been keeping tabs on us," I said, reading Agent White's mind as I stared at the agent, reminding him I wasn't one to lie to or try to keep secrets from.

"Good, very good," Agent White said, seeming impressed.

Tammy stood closer to her brother. "What do you think is causing these deaths?"

"Something animal-like," he said. "Something that makes a home nearby." He turned to go, but changed his mind and turned back to us, pointing his cigar.