Chapter 17

Eve

My body buzzed as I walked into the main room of the Shadow Guild tower. I reached the middle or the large room before I had to stop and suck in a deep breath.

"Everything all right?" Carrow asked.

"Is he still out there?" I turned to find my four friends staring at me.

Seraphia went to peek out the window. "Yes." She looked back at me. "And he's staring at this place like there's treasure inside. Treasure that he doesn't really like."

I grimaced.

She leaned against the window and gave me a sympathetic smile and a thumbs-up. The gesture of support lit a little fire of warmth in my chest. Now was the time to confess, and she knew it. I'd promised her the truth, and there was no better time.

"I'll be right back," said Mac, then raced up the stairs and returned in twenty seconds flat with a chocolate bar. "You looked like you could use this."

"You're a genius."

"I'm going to get the wine," Carrow said.

"I don't have time for a drink."

"I do." She gave me a long look. "And you might find you want a little sip."

"Yeah." I shoved the chocolate bar in my mouth as she waited, chewing with the fervor of an accountant crunching numbers on tax day.

She was back with the wine in a flash, and I nodded toward the floor above. "I've got to make this potion, but I need to tell you guys something."

"I figured." Carrow gripped the wine bottle and headed up the stairs.

I followed, feeling the words start to spill out as soon as I reached my workshop. I'd intended to get started on the potion while I spoke, but once they began flowing, I couldn't do anything else except tell the whole damned story.

As I talked, Carrow passed around the wine. I took a small glass and gulped the whole thing, then put it aside. I couldn't afford another if I was going to keep my wits about me.

When I neared the end of my story, I held up the pendant around my neck. "And this is what keeps my true species hidden." Finally, I trailed off. "So, that's that. I've been lying this whole time."

Carrow hopped up onto one of my worktables and swigged her wine. "Sure have. But…whatever."

Mac nodded. "Sounds like you had good reasons."

Seraphia and Beatrix nodded their agreement.

Relief flushed through me.

"You didn't expect us to be mad, did you?" Carrow asked.

"Not really. You guys are too great not to understand. But I still feel like shit." I walked toward the window and looked down at Lachlan, who stared up at my window. His gaze snagged on me, anger flashing in his eyes' depths. I ducked back behind the wall. "I'm pretty sure he thinks I am shit."

"He wouldn't think that," Carrow said. "I mean, he'd be pissed as hell and maybe not forgive you—"

Mac hissed at her, clearly not liking that.

"What?" Carrow said. "It's fine if he doesn't forgive her. She doesn't want to be with him, anyway."

"She's right. I don't." I grimaced. "I mean, I don't know. It's not like I'm imagining some future where I ride off into the sunset with him. But I do feel horrible for what I said to him."

Mac shook her head. "It was a dick move, yes. But the seer was very clear that going down the fated mate path would lead to your death. It was the only reasonable thing you could have done."

The rest of my friends nodded their agreement.

"Lies suck," Carrow said. "But you had decent reasons." She frowned. "I will say that prophecies don't always turn out how you expect, though."

"I hope you're right about that." I smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"Now, how can we help with this potion?" Seraphia rubbed her hands together.

The other three nodded, and gratitude welled within me. "You're the best."

I pointed out ingredients and set them to chopping and measuring. On the other side of the room, I got the little cauldron heating and began to add everything into the pot, measuring twice to make sure it was all correct.

I couldn't help but think of Lachlan as I worked, but none of my thoughts made sense. They were endless circles of confusion and desire and regret. Everything was a mess between us, and the only thing I was certain of was that it couldn't be fixed.

Finally, the potion was nearly done. As the final ingredient was stirred in, my friends joined me, watching.

"It should only be a few more minutes," I said. "Can someone go check the courtyard?" The idea of him being out there still made me twitchy.

Beatrix went to the window. "He's gone, but there are two dozen shifters out there, and they're all dressed in the security uniform."

Mac joined and whistled low. "That's quite the crowd."

He wants to protect me.

The thought started to soften me, but I shoved it away. For our sakes, I couldn't go down that path, especially since the person he had to protect me from was himself.

When the cauldron stopped smoking, I drew my bag from the ether and removed the cloth-wrapped dagger. I could feel the avid gazes of my friends as I unwrapped the bloodstained weapon. Just touching it made my stomach turn. Quickly, I dipped the blade in the cauldron, grateful when the red blood was replaced by the gleaming purple potion. I could feel the magic vibrating up through the hilt. "It's done."

"We need to take it to Lachlan," Carrow said.

I frowned.

She held up her hands. "No arguments. I know you don't want to see him, but we're not hunting this murderer ourselves. It's shifter business."

She was right. He deserved to know. It had been a passing, cowardly fancy of mine to finish the job on my own.

Anyway, the killer was strong. I wouldn't risk my friends for this. Not when Lachlan wanted to handle it himself.

"I'll take it to him." I wrapped it back up in the cloth and put in the bag, which I returned to the ether.

"We'll come with," Mac said.

"Thank you."

"Duh." She grinned.

Together, we left the tower and headed down into our formerly quiet courtyard. Twenty-four pairs of eyes stared at me, and I smiled weakly.

I looked for the leader, planning to tell them where we were headed, but they all looked of equal rank. Didn't matter. They didn't have any say over me.

My friends and I pushed our way through the crowd, the shifters parting reluctantly to let us pass. They followed us single file down the narrow alley and out into the main part of Guild City, then all the way down the High Street to the shifters' tower.

Lachlan came out to the main steps to meet us, no doubt having already heard about the mass of shifters making their way through town.

"It's done," I said, unable to make eye contact. I knew I should try to further prove I wasn't a shifter, but I just couldn't bear to look at him.

"Come inside." His voice was stiff. "Do you need anything to make the spell work?"

"A map."

He nodded and turned around, heading back in. I could almost feel the anger he left in his wake, and I looked at my friends. They all gave me identical forced smiles, their eyes too bright. Everyone could feel how awkward this was.

"You guys look crazy," I whispered.

"This feels crazy," Mac whispered.

"True story." I turned back to follow Lachlan, and my friends joined us.

The main room was only about half full, but the occupants cleared out when they saw Lachlan. A few moments later, Kenneth appeared, a collection of rolled-up maps clutched in his hands.

"Thank you." Lachlan took the maps and spread them out.

"Let's start with one of London," I said. "Surely he didn't stay in Guild City. It's too dangerous."

Lachlan nodded and unrolled a map. My friends crowded around, along with the same twenty-four guards who'd been standing in my courtyard.

Carefully, I removed the dagger from the bag and unwrapped it. I held the very end of the hilt gently and dangled the dagger over the map. The blade began to spin in a circle, seeking our target.

It finally stopped moving, right over Guild City.

"Still here." Lachlan unrolled another map and laid it out.

The familiar streets of Guild City appeared, and I held my breath as I dangled the blade over the map. It spun in circles for a few moments, the entire group watching with anticipation.

Finally, it stopped.

Right on the Shifter Guild's tower.

"He's here," I whispered, fear shivering over my skin.

Lachlan's head shot up, his gaze meeting mine. "Could this be wrong?"

"No. It can't be." It pointed right at the tower. Not at a specific room because of the way the map was drawn, but it was clear he was somewhere within these walls.

"Do you have a plan of the tower?" I asked.

"No. The building's never had one that I know of. We'll have to search it ourselves." Lachlan turned to his guards. "Clear the tower of all civilians. Get them into the city center, and use as many forces as you need. The rest will stay here to help us look." He turned to me. "You need to leave now. It's too dangerous."

"No." I shook my head. "No way in hell. I want to help catch this guy."

I knew I should go. It was the safest thing. Cut out now. My job was done, right? I'd cleared my name.

But as much as I stood by my secrets, I felt a little guilty about all the lies. They'd been necessary, but I hated what I'd said to Lachlan. I wasn't going to bail now. "I'm going to help you find him, and it will take you more time to fight me on that than you can afford."

His jaw tightened, but I could see it in his eyes when he realized I was right.

I looked at my friends. "You guys should get out of here, though."

Carrow laughed in my face, Mac joining her. Seraphia and Beatrix just looked at me like I'd grown two heads.

"We've got your back, dummy," Mac said. "And it will take you longer to fight us on that than you can afford."

Despite my terror, a low laugh escaped me. "Oh, you bitch, using my own words against me."

She hugged me quickly, then pulled back. "Come on, let's go find a murderer."

After Lachlan's troops scattered, he turned to the five of us. "My men are spreading out. We're going as a group."

He probably had some chivalrous idea about protecting us in his head. And truth was, I appreciated it. I didn't think it was entirely necessary, but I still remembered the grip of the killer's arm around my neck. So I wasn't going to argue. I wanted my friends safe, and grouping up would help ensure that.

Carrow frowned. "We can split up into two groups. It'd be faster, and we'll be okay."

I nodded, fine with it. As much as I wanted to wrap them all in cotton wool, it wasn't my call. Carrow was the leader of our group, and she was right. Besides, Seraphia was a damned goddess, and Carrow was so powerful, it made my eyes cross sometimes. Mac and Beatrix were no slouches, either.

Lachlan was wise enough not to argue until Carrow gestured for Beatrix and me to join her. He growled low, then grimaced. This time, he didn't even try to pretend that it was something caught in his throat.

Carrow looked at me, and I shrugged. "It's fine, I'll go with him."

"All right." She nodded. "Mac's with me, then."

Mac nodded and joined her. I couldn't help but notice that Carrow had put the goddess with me, as if she knew I were at greater risk.

I rubbed my throat, still feeling the grip of the killer. Maybe I was.

Didn't matter. We were going to catch this bastard and end this.

"We'll take the third floor, if you want the fourth," Lachlan said to her. "You'll see my security team as you search. There will be about twenty of them combing the tower."

Carrow nodded and took off, her team behind her.

"This way." Lachlan turned and headed to another set of stairs.

Seraphia caught my eye. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'm a big girl."

She grinned. "Then let's go."

I might have been a big girl, but I decided to let her take the middle of our little pack. Being too close to Lachlan distracted me, and I needed all the focus I could get.

As we climbed up the stairs, I removed a stunner from my bag in the ether. The potion bomb was a comforting weight in my hand as I climbed. I offered one to Seraphia, but she shook her head, raising her hands to show two tiny vines resting in her palms. In the blink of an eye, she could make them big enough to strangle a man.

We reached the third floor and moved silently down the hall, checking the various rooms and closets. Every now and again, I heard the little charm at Lachlan's wrist emit a tiny voice announcing various cleared spaces.

Together, we searched room after room. Bedrooms, sitting rooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, every kind of room one could imagine—and they were all empty. I kept thinking that I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye, but whenever I turned, it was gone. The feeling kept getting stronger and stronger, until my hair was on end.

When the attack came, it happened so fast that I couldn't even scream. One second, I was looking at Seraphia's back, and the next, a hand was around my mouth, yanking me toward the wall.

Only there was no wall anymore.

A doorway had appeared.

It hadn't been there before.

Panic tore my mind in two as the killer yanked me into the secret passage and the door disappeared. Everything went black as I heard the sound of Lachlan's shout.

Frantic, I slammed my potion bomb toward the body that held me in an iron grip. Quick as a snake, he slapped it out of my hand.

It shattered uselessly against the ground.

I thrashed, trying to break his hold, but he just tightened it.

"Calm the fuck down," he growled, his voice barely human. It sounded almost like he was about to shift.

Totally feral.

Oh, fates. What would happen if he did shift? Would he lose his mind entirely and tear me apart?

I had to be clever. How to play this? No one was coming. If they could have found the entrance to this secret passage, they'd be here by now.

I stopped fighting for the most part, needing to get to my leather cuff. There were potions there that could help me. As he dragged me down the hall, I reached for one, my hands trembling.

"What are you doing?" he growled, clearly sensing that something was up.

I made a muffled noise, trying to sound panicked. It wasn't hard.

Instead of responding, he knocked my head against the wall so hard that pain exploded like fireworks behind my eyes. A half second later, everything faded away.