11. Chapter 11

11

Chapter 11

Soren

I ’m taken from my cell under the cover of darkness. Not that this is unusual. As a vampire, I wouldn’t be moved during the day, anyway.

“Get a move on,” a witch guard growls gruffly, shoving me between my shoulder blades. I barely feel it. Even weakened, my strength outstrips his by miles. It’s the indignity of it that gets to me. Being manhandled and pushed around…it’s meant to be demoralizing. To be honest, I’ve had better days, but their handling isn’t what’s bothering me right now.

Mia.

I can’t shake the feeling of her from my mind.

You’ll get used to it. Over time.

Part of me finds that hard to believe. Every time I sense her reaching out, I feel like every cell in my body is reaching back. The Maker’s Bond was just as compelling, but this is different. Harder to resist.

“Get in!” someone instructs, and I realize that I’ve been led to a parking bay and I’m facing a gleaming black vehicle. The door swings open, and I see Lucien in the back seat.

Surprise, surprise.

“Ah. Soren.” He smiles smoothly. “We won’t be needing those,” he says to the guard, flicking an eye at my cuffs. I try not to flinch as the silver is unshackled, freeing my wrists. My flesh is raw and bloody, welts and blisters flayed open. I ignore it. I’ll heal.

Lucien gestures into the car. “Come in. Join me.” He makes it sound like a cordial invitation. It’s not. I climb in, staring straight ahead.

“I’m sure you’ll be relieved to be home,” he says as the car glides out onto the road. I sense the group of vehicles falling in behind us. He brought backup.

“You’re trying to tell me you’re taking me home?” I shoot a quick look at him before returning my eyes to the road ahead.

“Well, home in the broad sense,” he says. “Back to vampire territory, where you belong.”

“Nice to see you’ve taken time out of your busy schedule to escort me there,” I tell him.

“Least I can do,” he responds.

“Sure. For the man whose head is about to roll in place of yours,” I grit out.

“Don’t be dramatic, Soren. Your head won’t roll. You’ll be ash,” he smirks.

I snort, not bothering to respond. We travel in silence for a while. I can feel his eyes on me. Cold. Assessing.

“You must be pleased you got her out,” he says eventually.

“Very.” I set my jaw.

“You know, it was all for nothing. I’ll get her back.”

My nails extend, leaving tracks in the leather of the seat. “I’ll die before I see that happening,” I growl.

“You’re going to die anyway, Soren.” Lucien chuckles. “But it doesn’t bother me either way. Even if you were around, you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

“You really believe that?” I turn to face him.

“Certainly.” He shoots a look at me. “I always get what I want. And right now, I want those Blackwoods. They’re like a fucking all-you-can-eat buffet.” His fangs have extended slightly. It makes my skin crawl.

I fight off a sense of futility. I’ve been pushing Mia away, blocking our connection, all to keep her safe. But she was never going to be safe, was she? Lucien’s going to go after her and her family no matter what I do.

“You really think the witches will let you anywhere near them now?” I keep my voice steady despite the rage building inside me. “They’ll have tripled their wards. Brought in extra protection.”

“Wards can be broken.” Lucien examines his nails with casual indifference. “Everything can be broken, given enough time and pressure. You should know that by now.”

He’s right. I’ve seen him systematically destroy everything that stands in his way over the centuries. The thought of him getting anywhere near Mia makes my blood boil.

“Besides,” he continues, “there are always ways around protection. People can be…persuaded to help. Blackmailed. Turned. You’d be amazed how many witches have vampire lovers these days.” His smile is razor-sharp. “Though I suppose you would know about that.”

Fuck. He knows.

Not that it means anything. We had one night. And that is all it could be. One night. Nothing more.

Lucien is still smirking at me, but I don’t allow myself to rise to the bait. I need to find a way to warn her, to help her. But how? The only way to reach her is if I let down the walls I’ve constructed. And that would only make her more determined to save me.

But maybe that’s not such a bad thing anymore. If she’s going to be in danger either way…

No. You can’t drag her into this.

There has to be another way to protect her, to stop Lucien, without putting her directly in harm’s way.

“You’re awfully quiet, Soren.” Lucien’s voice drips with false concern. “Thinking about your witch?”

I don’t respond. I know this is all entertainment for him.

“You know, you could have made this so much easier for yourself if you’d simply chosen to cooperate with me.” He watches me. When I still don’t respond, he settles back into his seat, his expression one of smug satisfaction.

Fucker.

I turn to stare out the window, watching the shadows of trees blur past. I need to think. Need to plan. Lucien might have Maxwell under his thumb, might have the High Council in his pocket, but he’s not infallible. There must be a way to expose him, to bring him down before he can get to Mia.

I can’t let that happen.

The idea forms slowly as I watch the darkness rush past. It’s almost elegant in its simplicity. If I confess to everything – all the witch abductions, the blood farming, everything – it would give me time. Time to gather evidence against Lucien while appearing to cooperate. Time to protect Mia by making her despise me.

The thought of her hatred twists in my gut like a silver blade, but it would be worth it. Better she hate me and live than care for me and die.

“Actually,” I say, turning back to Lucien with careful deliberation, “I’ve been thinking about your offer.”

His eyebrow lifts slightly. “Oh?”

“The High Council will want answers. About the witches. About everything.” I pause, letting him consider the implications. “I could give them what they want.”

Lucien studies me, his expression unreadable. “And what exactly would you tell them?”

“The truth.” I meet his gaze steadily. “That I orchestrated everything. The abductions. The blood farming. All of it.”

A slow smile spreads across his face. “How noble of you, Soren. Taking the fall to protect your maker?” His eyes narrow. “Or is this about the witch?”

“This is about survival,” I tell him coldly. “You were right. I’m going to die anyway. Might as well make it count for something.”

Lucien leans back, clearly pleased with this development. “Well, well. Perhaps you’re smarter than I gave you credit for.” He pauses, considering. “Of course, you understand what this means for your witch? When she learns what you’ve done…”

“She means nothing to me,” I force the words out, tasting ash. “She was just convenient. A way to break free of Maxwell’s control.”

The lie burns, but I see Lucien’s satisfaction. He believes me – or at least believes I’m desperate enough to betray everyone to save myself. Either way, it gives me what I need: a chance to bring him down from the inside.

“Smart man,” he says, eyeing me. “A decision like this could mean the difference between life and death. For you…and for them.” The implication is clear. As long as I cooperate, they’ll be alright.

I’ve done the right thing.

I turn back to the window, fighting the urge to reach out to Mia one last time. Instead, I focus on what needs to be done. I’ll confess. I’ll let her believe the worst of me. And then I’ll find a way to destroy Lucien before he can touch her.