Rise of the Fae (24 page)

“He’s okay.” She faked nonchalance, taking a piece of candy back out of Lorcan’s hand and crunching it.

Lorcan’s eyes bore into her. “You can’t lie to me. I heard what you said on the train. For you, that was as much as saying you loved him.”

She crushed a handful of popcorn between her fingers. “I never said that.”

“The tension in your voice betrays you.”

She swallowed and tried again. “What do you want, Lorcan? Why are you here?”

“Me? What are
you
doing here? I told you that you were supposed to contact me. You’ve been in Coven House for almost three days. When are you going to be delivering Danika?”

“It’s not that easy—”

“It is that easy. You get her, you bring her, Maelstrom follows. We go home.”

“I’m doing my—”

“It would be sad to see Neeman hurt because you couldn’t fulfill your orders.”

Selene refused to look away but her body shook as her inner beast clawed at her stomach to be let out at the thought of Lorcan hurting Neeman.

Lorcan popped another candy in his mouth. “I have taken matters into my own hands. Things have been set in motion. You’ll see your opportunity to strike and grab Danika soon enough. Just stay close to her and Maelstrom and you will know when to make your move.”

His gaze locked on hers again and he brushed her hair behind her ear. “I know you think I hate you, but I don’t. With that said, I won’t hesitate to fulfill your mission if you won’t and kill everyone you care about in the process.”

She resisted the urge to pull away.

“I’ll see you soon, and remember, to honor your family is to love your family.”

“Hey! The movie’s starting.”

Selene whipped around to find Neeman coming back into the row. Her heart stopped and then thundered. She looked back over her shoulder. Lorcan was gone.

The seat next to her groaned as Neeman sat. “Are you all right?”

Her gut told her to tell him the truth. To tell him about why she’d come and what Lorcan wanted her to do. To tell him that he was in danger if she didn’t betray her brother. But the words stuck in her throat like a lump of cookie dough.

“I’m fine.” She sipped the new soda he’d brought.

“Are you sure? You look frightened. Was it the organ player? Did he do something?” Neeman scanned the theater.

“No. No,” she said. “The boy didn’t do anything.”

He stared at her hard, searching her face.

She planted a smile on her face and patted his arm. Then she turned to the movie screen.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Neeman still looking at her. She hooked her arm in his and laid her head on his shoulder.

Her mind whirled. She didn’t want to see him hurt, but she couldn’t do what Lorcan wanted her to. It was wrong. The fae were wrong. But she didn’t want anything to happen to Neeman... Question was, who did she care about more? Mason or Neeman?

Selene spent the entire movie staring at the screen but seeing nothing, Lorcan’s words played over and over in her head.

“Did you not enjoy it?” asked Neeman as they walked out to the exit.

“I haven’t seen a movie in so long. It was just like I remembered.” She threw out the popcorn bag.

“Do you want anything before we go?”

“No thanks.” She patted her stomach. “I’m ready to burst.”

He stared at her for a moment. “We should do this again. Gus is running a Star Wars marathon in a couple of weeks.”

“Huh?”

He chuckled and his smile hit her heart and made her knees wobble.

Neeman held the door for her. Gentlemanly kindness wasn’t something she was used to.

They waved to Gus inside the booth and Neeman walked to an awaiting vehicle. Riley sat in the driver’s seat.

“How did they know where to find us?”

“I called him while I was in the lobby,” said Neeman. He smiled at her again.

She nodded and he opened her door for her.

His countenance had changed. He seemed lighter, less stressed. It chafed her that Lorcan was ruining her life once more.

“How was the movie?” Riley asked as she slid in.

“It was great, just I like remembered them.”

Neeman hopped in his seat and gave Riley a hard look. “Drive.”

There was no small talk as they made their way to Coven House. Selene found herself more tired than she could imagine. With everything she’d been through she’d hardly taken a moment to really think about where she was or what was going on. Watching the buildings whiz by, with the rhythmical sounds of the road pulsing through her body, lulled her into a hypnotic state.

Things were so much more complicated than she had anticipated. If it was just the Earth being destroyed, she might be able to carry that burden on her shoulders, but the torture of Neeman... Strangely that wasn’t something she thought either she or her demon would be able to handle.

When she’d lived here previously, it had just been her, her mother and Mason. No one else had mattered. She’d gotten soft. Possibly because of the loneliness she’d been subjected to for the last two decades. But Neeman... He’d gotten inside of her soul somehow. He’d opened her up, made her feel, care, hope. Hope was the worst of what he’d done. He’d made her hope that there could be a chance for them. But once again the fae were determined to make her life hell.

The car halted and she opened her eyes, recognizing the exterior of Coven House. Maybe if she ran, joined one of the human enclaves and stayed away, maybe they wouldn’t find her. Would leave her and Mason and Danika and Neeman alone. But how could she be sure? Lorcan wasn’t an easy man to dissuade. And if he ever found her... His anger knew no bounds.

“Are you okay?” Riley’s voice broke into her thoughts. He stared at her through the rearview mirror.

Neeman turned and his eyes lit on her hand, which gripped the door handle. She swallowed and tried to force herself to smile, but couldn’t seem to make her cheeks work.

“Get out. Run. Leave. Keep him safe.”

She looked down at her hand. Her nails lengthened and her head buzzed.

No. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.

She fought to keep her demon at bay, but her vision blurred and she felt herself fading to sleep. The gate finished opening and the car rolled up the driveway. Neeman stared at her till they stopped.

She bolted out of the car. The feel of his gaze was stifling. She’d made it to the front steps when he caught her by the arm.

“What’s going on?” His voice was flat and emotionless, but his eyes searched her face.

The words once more stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him. To let him in and have him tell her he’d keep her safe. That they’d figure it out together. All those loving words people who cared about each other and were in relationships said to help console and support each other in times of need. The words danced on her tongue, willing her to say them. To tell him the truth.

“Let me out. Let me handle Lorcan. I’m the strong one.”
Her inner demon raged on and on.

Selene’s gut clenched as her inner demon tried to pry her way out.

“When I’m free I’ll protect loverboy. I’ll protect all of them!”

“I’m tired,” she managed. “It’s been a long night.” She could barely see him through the haze in her vision.

“Your eyes are turning purple again,” he said. “Is that her? Is Seraphine trying to get out? Why does she want out? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired and she can feel it.”

“You’re lying. You’re as pale as I am and have been since the theater. Something happened at the theater. Or was it what I said on the train?”

“Tell him. Then let me out so he and I can go destroy Lorcan together.”

The front door opened and she was grateful for the interruption. Mason stood in the doorway. For once, Neeman didn’t pull away. He actually moved closer to Selene, his body pressing closer.

Mason looked between them. “Is your phone off?”

Neeman removed his phone from his pocket. “Yes. We were at the movies.”

Mason nodded. “Sherman’s here.”

“Let me out!”

“Who’s Sherman?” Selene rubbed her temple, trying to stave off the incessant screaming in her brain.

Neeman slipped his arm around her waist and she was glad for the support as she almost passed out.

“What’s he doing here? Are the others with him?” asked Neeman.

“You need to come in,” said Mason. He looked at her. “And you need to hide.”

“I’ll take her upstairs and join you in a minute.”

Mason nodded and moved out of the doorway. Neeman slid his hand from her waist and ushered her toward the door. She pulled out of his reach.

“I’m not a child, loverboy.” Her voice wasn’t her own and she slapped her hand over her mouth. Seraphine had gained too much control. She cleared her throat several times.

His eyes were like cold steel. “Sometimes I’m not so sure.”

“And what does that mean?” Seraphine spat. “You have no idea what’s going on—”

Selene slammed her lips closed and regained control of her vocal cords, ending Seraphine’s rant.

“It means...” He sighed and looked to Mason.

Mason walked further into the house.

“It means that I know something’s going on with you and you won’t tell me what. When I got back from the lobby, you were terrified. Something or someone happened in there. Why won’t you just tell me?”

“I—”

“Yes, tell him. Tell him everything. Why you came, what your plan is. You do have a plan, don’t you?”

She took a deep cleansing breath and closed her eyes, centering herself.
Go to sleep,
she commanded her demon.

Her demon grumbled but complied.

When she opened her eyes again, she could see clearly and the headache subsided.

“I can’t,” she said.

“I’m not stupid, Selene. You may have convinced Mason about why you are here, but from what you’ve told me about your experiences in that other place, I know they wouldn’t just let you go. You’re here because they want you here. They need something from you and I can only assume it has to do with Mason and the other demons.”

She pressed her lips together in a tight line.

Neeman’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But I won’t help you if you aren’t honest with me.”

“I understand.” She walked past him into the house. Tears flooded her eyes and she raced up the stairs toward her room. She was so screwed. But it didn’t matter. Saving Neeman and the others was all she could do now. Even if it meant they hated her for it.

“There’s one way to keep loverboy safe.”

Selene stopped in her tracks, her hand on the knob to her bedroom door.

“One thing that you could do to ensure he’d stay away. A way to push him away for good.”

Selene’s heart pounded. She bowed her head and fat tears fell on the stairs below her.

“Let me out and I’ll do it.”

“No,” she whispered. “I can do it.” But she wasn’t sure that was necessarily true.

Selene turned back around and wiped the tears from her eyes. It was to keep him safe. Only to keep him safe.

* * * *

Neeman held back the anger threatening to swallow him. He’d opened up to Selene more than anyone in the world and now she was shutting him out harder than ever. It was obvious he’d hit a chord with her about why she was here. The question was, why was she here? Should he say something to Mason about it? Doing so would put Selene in even worse danger than she was already in. If demons looking for her didn’t make her flinch, he couldn’t imagine what was being held over her head.

He stepped into the house. Coven members hung around the upper landing whispering and looking down. The arrival of Sherman, one of the three kings of America was unsettling at best and a bad omen at worst. Sherman wasn’t even the king over the Chicago area, which led Neeman to wonder why he had come.

Neeman knocked on the door to the back study where Danika held her smaller meetings. William opened the door, his expression grave.

“Ah, there he is.” Sherman stood. His tall, thin stature had inches on Neeman. He was the epitome of a New York banker. His dark suit and polished shoes screamed success.

Neeman shook Sherman’s hand but looked to Danika. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She gave a tight smile. “It’s fine. Have a seat.”

Mason loomed behind Danika, ever the guardian protector.

“I’d prefer to stand if you don’t mind,” he said.

“It’s fine,” Sherman replied. “As I was telling Lord Danika, I’ve come to warn you all.”

“What’s happening?” asked Neeman.

“The High Council is coming. They heard about the bombing of the Tracking Squad training center and they want to investigate.”

“The High Council?”

The High Council lived in England and oversaw the entire society from the old Buckingham Palace. Neeman found it pretentious but that’s how things were done in the society.

“There has been mention of moving the trackers to a more secure location, from what I’ve been told,” said Sherman.

“With all due respect,” said Neeman. “That was the most secure location. The best minds in the world had been employed in creating it.”

“You misunderstand. They don’t mean that the training center wasn’t secure enough, they mean Coven House isn’t secure enough.”

“And what makes them think that?” asked Mason.

Sherman blew out a breath. “Let’s be honest here. There’s been more upheaval here in Chicago than in the entire society in the last decade. Danika’s parents, murdered. Danika, almost murdered. Traitors in the midst, humans in an unsanctioned blood factory, underground blood market, rogues, demons. Mason is the only reason the High Council hasn’t asked Danika to step down as lord. If it was anyone else, she’d be gone already.”

Sherman’s words rang true. Without the fear of Mason and what he might do, Danika would have been ousted a year ago.

“So what do we do?” Danika asked.

Sherman’s gaze moved to Neeman. “They’re scared of what is coming. They’ve heard of the demons returning. They want to make sure their security is assured.”

“You mean they’re cowards who want to hide behind my men’s coattails.” Neeman ground his teeth together, once again struck by the sheer selfishness of Vampires.