Zero to Love (21 page)

Then we’ll all fall.

Van Es turned from the window he stared out of and rested his gaze on Monroe. He looked older—more tired. “What I read in your mind could mean the end for us, Monroe.”

Monroe clamped his hands into fists. “For us? I thought the human lives were at risk, not those of the Mindchangers.”

Van Es sank to the window seat, deflated like a crumpled paper sack. His sharp attention lit on Monroe. “Father against daughter? Good pitted against evil? Mindchangers versus Free Wills? Both Magda’s and her true father’s minds must be…” He cast about for the right word. “Unfathomably powerful.”

“But she’s One. Surely her number must hold importance and power in itself.”

Van Es gave a faint nod. “Yes, yes, of course. But she’s young—she’s not ready.”

“She’s hungry. We can feed her.” Monroe couldn’t believe what he was saying, what he was considering. Building up Magda so she transformed completely and came into her full power—a weapon to be used against her true father, Arafa, who’d been in hiding all these years, concealed at the center of the Free Wills.

“It makes perfect sense to me too, now that we have the pieces of the puzzle,” Van Es said, his voice filled with exhaustion, and the worry etched on his features. “Arafa’s behind them, and he’s trying to get Magda. To bring her into their ranks would make them invincible.” Van Es eyed Monroe. “Also I think we both know that Magda is the only number One.”

Icy fingers trailed through his core. “More powerful than any of us.”

Van Es’s eyes gleamed with the first sign of excitement. “
If
we can unlock her mind.”

Monroe shook his head. “Her barriers aren’t as easy to break through as her uncle’s or her father’s. I haven’t tried to tear down Giovanni’s yet, but I know now that they’ll easily cave in. Magda’s, however…” He shook his head again. “I can’t see how.”

Now he realized Giovanni Brunelli was simply a good man, protecting Magda—a child who wasn’t even his blood—from a fate he most certainly knew after his spouse’s life had been taken.

“My guess is that Arafa himself took Magda and erected those walls. He cleaned out what he wanted and replaced it with barricades that would protect her from us until he was ready to make use of her.”

Energy back-built in Monroe’s muscles, and he strode across the room in a long, sweeping arc that did nothing to ease his tension and need to take action. He jammed his fingers through his hair and whirled to face Van Es.

“I won’t let him use her to bring down the Mindchangers and humans.”

“Then stay full, my friend. Don’t let yourself grow hungry. You need all your resources and power.”

“I know.” He made another circuit of the room. “What is Aric’s—I mean, Arafa’s—purpose in disclosing information to me? He told me about Magda and how her mother was cleaned out to the point of death. If he’s truly standing with the Free Wills now, why would he give me information?”

“He must have a reason, but I cannot see it,” Van Es said.

Monroe ground his teeth and circled the room again. His footfalls were loud with his anger.

Van Es watched from his window seat. “She’s fed off your emotion.”

Love bloomed in his chest. That tight ball lodged in his throat, and he turned to his friend once again. “She doesn’t know that’s what happened last night. She doesn’t understand.”

“Perhaps it’s best she remains in the dark. When the time is right, she will see.”

Yes, Magda recognized a new power surging through her system, but she had no idea that the juice and the women fed her. She went into her trances and later felt confusion and some guilt, which Monroe was determined to strip from her as soon as possible.

But what he’d said to her last night when he’d commanded her to say she belonged to him was a way to chip away at that guilt. If he told her to let Elise pleasure her, Magda wouldn’t feel as if she betrayed Monroe.

And besides, she was his—every delicate, silken inch of her.

“What do we do until she changes, Van Es?” The light of a new day touched Van Es. Daylight also made humans believe they were safe from the supernaturals, but a darker, more powerful force than the world had ever seen grew with Arafa in charge.

The man behind the evil would stop at nothing to see his daughter rise to power with him. He’d primed her for it all her life.

“We grow the ranks of our army, Monroe. And we find more women to feed her. A power like hers is going to require more food than any of us can think to consume in a day.” Van Es looked him squarely in the eyes. “She needs hundreds of worker bees to care for her until her transformation is complete.”

“And then?” Monroe couldn’t dare to hope, although he saw the idea bright in his elder’s mind. Monroe’s cock hardened at the mere thought of what might happen once Magda came into her power—it would be the hottest mind-fuck in history.

Van Es smiled. “Then she could feed from you, could she not, Monroe?”

Chapter Fourteen

“Magda?” Amy poked her head into the bedroom.

Magda waved at her friend to come in. The room was lonely without Monroe, but he’d asked her to stay here until he came back. For several hours Magda had flipped through her old artworks, wondering if her former life would ever matter to her again.

Amy came in and closed the door behind her. She stared at Magda. “You look…more radiant somehow.”

She felt the flush creep over her neck and face, certain if she wore a glow it was because of Monroe. Their reunion had been more than she’d ever hoped for. The warmth of his love embraced her even in his absence.

“Thank you,” she said.

Amy gestured to the overstuffed chair. “Mind if I sit?”

“Of course not.” Magda sank to the edge of her bed and watched Amy. After looking at her for a moment, she knew too much information about her. Had Amy related it to her, or was Magda at the point of simply knowing?

Fear took root in her belly, a dark vine growing out of control. She drew a deep breath and tried to calm herself. For a while, she’d understood she was transforming. But now that she
knew
things, she wanted nothing more than her old, boring existence.

Amy held an envelope, which she flattened on her thigh with her palm. Nervousness was apparent in the way her foot bounced.

“What’s going on?” Magda asked.

Amy smiled. Then it faltered, tipping right off her face. “Elijah asked me to give this to you, but I can’t help but feel that Keefe wouldn’t approve.”

No, he wouldn’t.

“Give it to me.” Magda extended a hand, and Amy placed the white envelope in it.

Magda tore it open and withdrew a sheet of folded paper written in her brother’s tight, angular hand. Before she skimmed it, she knew what was written there. An ultimatum.

She unfolded it and scanned the words. Sure enough, Elijah asked her to meet him at the local park to talk about her choices and their family. He said he loved her, and he and Dad wanted the best for her. If she didn’t meet him, they’d know she was lost to them forever and would no longer consider her a member of their family.

Her throat closed off. Not be part of their family? Growing up, she and Elijah had been so close. She never would have believed it would come to this—him shunning her.

She blinked back tears. “Do you know what this letter says?” she asked Amy.

The brunette shook her head. “I can guess from your expression that it’s not what you want to hear.”

Magda pressed her lips together and put the letter aside on the bed.

“He does love you and wants the best for you. I don’t understand anything that’s going on in your life—only that you’re involved with the Mindchangers, and Elijah disapproves.”

“He expects all or nothing. I’m not the same woman…” Her voice trailed off. She raised her gaze to Amy. “I’m not the same woman I was a month ago. You know that.”

Amy nodded.

“But I have to talk to him, try to explain in some way.” Since she’d returned home, she hadn’t seen her father. Whether Keefe and the other Mindchangers’ presence had driven her dad to leave, she didn’t know. But half the time her mind was too fogged to give it a thought.

She stood and drifted to the window. On the surface the landscape looked unchanged—same trees, brick homes, pavement, and grass that she’d stared at since childhood. But she wasn’t the same.

Hell, every minute she stood here gazing from the window, she felt slightly more changed than the minute before. The only constancy in her life right now was Monroe.

When she spoke, she didn’t turn. “Tell Elijah I’ll meet him in an hour. Tell him to come alone.”

“Of course, Magda.”

After a minute Amy’s footsteps sounded, followed by a soft click of the door closing.

With a sigh, Magda leaned her forehead against the cool glass. The world blurred as tears tumbled down her cheeks.

The best thing to do was to meet her brother and try to make him see reason. If he understood Magda wasn’t being hurt by the Mindchangers—that they helped ease her—then he could convince their father too.

Losing them wasn’t an option, but she wasn’t about to walk away from Monroe either.

To stave off the cravings, she scarfed down two bottles of apple juice. Then she brushed out her hair and slipped on the thought catcher pendant Monroe had made for her. If she was going outside, she’d need to remain undetected.

Getting around Keefe was going to be difficult…unless she had Chloe distract him. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of the petite blonde.

* * * *

Minutes later, Keefe had Chloe pinned to the wall, his rock-hard ass clenched as he fucked her, and Magda slipped out the door.

Toliver had gone home to Jenny. Adams had disappeared, and Hale lounged in the front of the house, guarding it from Free Wills and keeping watch in case Magda should try to leave.

Stealing across the backyard to the adjoining property, she crept along slowly. The neighbor’s small dog looked at her and opened its mouth to bark, then gave a yip and rushed back to the house. It lunged through the dog door.

Apparently it sees that I’m not the same too. Let’s hope Elijah accepts it.

Deep down she knew he wouldn’t, but she had to try.

Years’ worth of warm memories flooded her—crawling into bed beside Elijah every night and him holding her hand until she fell asleep again; having picnics she’d packed, the jelly from sandwiches dripping into their laps. In high school her twin had screened her boyfriends and protected her from those who might treat her badly. In college the two of them had finally gone their separate ways by choosing different majors.

“Mags.” His voice sounded low and urgent from the right.

She ducked around the hedgerow separating a house from the park. Stepping out onto the corner, she looked at her brother.

After rushing forward, she wrapped her arms around him.

He recoiled.

Stung, she searched his face. “What do you want?”

“You’re different, but we’re going to change that.”

“We—”

With lightning swiftness the hand clapped over her mouth. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose and caught the traces of Nick’s cologne. Kicking out, she fought to free herself from his strong hold.

When Elijah pulled a black cloth from his pocket and walked forward with it strung between his hands, she attempted a scream. Throwing her thoughts out wildly, she tried to get Keefe’s attention—Hale’s, anyone’s. But it was useless because she wore the thought catcher.

Elijah wrapped the cloth around her eyes, shutting her off from the world. Then the scent of cigar smoke filled her nose, and calm trickled in.

Her mind struggled to surface, but the darkness and smoke kept her subdued. Had her father been smoking all these years to quiet her? Suddenly it seemed everything in her life had an ulterior meaning.

She was bundled into the back of a car. The motor turning over sent her into a dead panic.

Monroe, help. Oh, Elijah, why?

When her thirst was upon her, what would happen? Without her juice and her people, she’d perish. Either that or go mad.

In the back of her mind, she recognized it was too late—and that she was going to starve just as Monroe nearly had before she ordered Deletta to go to him and feed him.

* * * *

Monroe eased the SUV along the curb, and Adams climbed in.

“She’s safe,” Adams said before Monroe grilled him.

Monroe pinned him with his gaze. “You sure of that? She’s wearing the thought catcher. No one can hear her.”

“I’m sure. Drive.”

Monroe put the SUV in gear and locked his boot to the gas pedal. In the daylight, humans filled the streets, and there was good food for the taking. He sucked up errant thoughts like a hawk caught songbirds out of the air.

Adams grunted. “Still averse to taking better food, I see. Or are you holding out for Magda?”

Monroe glared at him. “My business.”

“Where exactly are we going?” Adams asked, changing the subject.

“The pit. We’re going to catch them in broad daylight when their energy may be depleted.”

But Monroe guessed the leader of the Free Wills would have his Mindchangers feeding day and night to keep up their reserves. Before he left his elder’s presence, Van Es had warned him of this. Van Es had also sent Monroe into the battle believing that to catch Arafa unawares, it must be daylight.

As he approached the turnoff to the pit, dozens of Mindchangers began climbing out of vehicles.

“You summoned the army.”

“Damn right.”

“What ’bout Keefe?” Adams asked.

“He’s where he should be—protecting Magda.”
Our queen.

If Monroe could take care of Arafa on his own, he wouldn’t need to risk Magda. He had to try. Throwing her out there and hoping her power bloomed wasn’t an option.

Not yet.

Adams issued a low whistle. “Fuck, is that the reality of our situation?”

Monroe bit back a groan. He’d let down his guard, and Adams had just read his mind like a human before a fast-food menu.

Grimly he said, “It is.”

“Then she really is…”

Monroe nodded. “The One.”