Chapter 14

Carrow

Ten minutes later, I dragged our captive down the streets of Guild City. Mac and Eve helped me, each of us taking turns with the wagon we'd gotten from Quinn. Normally it was used to haul kegs. Now it was used to carry our captive. Seraphia had disappeared back to the library, and none of us spoke about the weird episode with the plants.

Behind us, the wagon rumbled over the cobblestones, the body of our captive unconscious inside. In London, you could never get away with something like this. In Guild City, it was a lot easier. We were still trying to avoid the police, but there were far fewer of them, and they didn't really do patrols like human police did.

"Why did your potion bombs work on him but not the truth serum?" I asked Eve, who'd just taken her turn pulling the wagon full of crazy.

She shrugged. "I've heard you can develop an immunity to truth serum if you train. Or he might be protected, like he said."

"It has to be a cult," Mac said. "I mean, look at the robe. They all wore them. And he did sound crazy as a jaybird on Sunday."

I had to agree. I hoped Grey could help us get to the bottom of it with his ability to compel people to speak. If he couldn't, we were almost right back where we started, albeit now with some baggage.

We passed a restaurant with a patio, and the diners leaned out into the sidewalk to inspect the contents of our wagon.

"Just a little performance art," I said.

"Uh-huh. "An older woman pursed her crimson lips and nodded, clearly not believing us. All the same, she didn't try to stop us.

We kept going, finally reaching Grey's tower. The shifter guards at the front nodded at me and opened the door, inspecting the unconscious man with bored stares. In the lobby, Miranda looked at us impassively. "What is that?"

"Something we need help with." I nodded toward the back hall. "Is he in?"

"Just a moment." She pressed her comms charm, never taking her gaze from the unconscious man. Mac and Eve stood by me, idly tapping their fingers against their arms. Miranda murmured into her charm for a moment, then met my gaze. "He'll see you in his office."

His office.

Of course. We were avoiding each other now, so of course he wouldn't invite me into his home. Which was for the best, not only because I came bearing terrible gifts, but also for our future.

We wheeled the wagon back to his office, where a guard stood, leaning against the open door. I wheeled the wagon into the office. Grey sat at his desk and, as soon as I met his eyes, there was something different about him.

"What happened to you?" I demanded, forgetting my friends and our captive and even the edict that we should maintain our distance.

"Carrow." He nodded, his voice strangely cold.

What the hell?

I looked at Mac and Eve to see if they sensed the change, but they were looking at me like I was crazy.

Shit. I needed to get my head in the game. I turned back to Grey, who was suddenly reminding me more and more of the Devil I'd first met. I shoved the thought aside and gestured to the unconscious man. "This is a member of the cult that is kidnapping Guild City's people. He's immune to truth serums, but we were hoping you could use your power to question him."

Grey nodded. "I can try." He gestured to one of the two guards who stood back by the wall. "Get him in a chair."

The two men approached, retrieving the unconscious man, and binding him in a chair. I couldn"t take my eyes off Grey as they worked, but he didn't look at me.

"What is it that you would like to know?" he asked, slipping on a thin pair of leather gloves. Why the gloves?

"If the victims are still alive," I said. My bet was that they were, but I needed confirmation so I could stop vibrating with worry. "And if Anat has risen."

"What else?"

I listed off all our questions, and he went to stand in front of the unconscious man, whose chin once again rested on his chest. I'd feel a little bad for him if I didn't know what he'd done. But kidnapping by a cult was the kind of trauma that didn"t just go away, and he was partially responsible.

Eve stepped up to the chair. "I have the serum to wake him. Tell me when you're ready."

"Now is fine," he said.

She poured a few drops of a potion on his shoulder, and the man jerked awake, his wild eyes traveling around the room.

Quick as a snake, Grey reached out and gripped the man's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. That was why he put on the gloves. No doubt he didn't want to touch the miserable bastard. As he spoke, power radiated in his voice, making me sway toward him.

I straightened, pulling back.

"Tell me if the kidnapping victims are still alive." His magic made the man's gaze go foggy.

Thank God.

"They're alive." The red cloak's voice was wooden and tense, as if he fought Grey's power. "For now."

"Will you kill them?"

"We won't have to."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?" Grey asked, as if reading my mind.

"They're meant to serve a greater purpose. They will be grateful when it is all through."

Grateful?

I highly doubted that.

"Has the goddess Anat risen?" Grey asked.

The man scowled and shook his head. "No. Not yet."

Thank fates.

* * *

Grey

I stared at the miserable little worm in front of me, working hard to keep my attention off Carrow. Looking at her made my brain feel like it was trying to tear itself in two. I could remember some of our interactions, but the blank spaces in my memory were screaming to be filled. A pounding headache had set up in the spaces where the memories had once resided.

I forced my attention back to the young man who sat in the chair, his chin tilted up defiantly.

Moron.

His voice had turned less wooden though, more passionate. He liked talking about his purpose.

"What's your purpose, exactly?" I asked.

"Our purpose. We are the Servants of Anat, and we seek to serve her will."

"So, you're a cult?"

"No, we are servants to the great war goddess herself."

"She is a goddess of balance," Carrow said.

The man scoffed. "Misinterpretation. Her desire is blood and war and destruction."

The fire of bloodlust gleamed in his eyes, and distaste seethed through me. I could all but feel his lust on the air, a slimy film that was exceedingly vile. "No, that is your desire. The goddess's true wishes don't seem to factor into this."

His face turned red, and rage filled his eyes.

"What are you doing with the kidnap victims?" I asked, squeezing his chin tight. "What role do they play in all of this?"

He tried to twist his head aside, but I gripped him harder and imbued my voice with all my power. "Tell me."

He spit out the words, unable to help himself. "The ones we've taken all have a purpose. The goddess has many magical skills—each person taken has one of those skills, and they will play a role in the final ceremony."

"What kind of ceremony?" That couldn't be good.

"Ritual killings. For every murder they commit with their power, Anat will regain that magical gift. When all of them are done, she will be powerful enough to rise again."

Well, bloody hell. I believed it was possible. Rituals like this had been performed throughout the breadth of history. If it worked and she returned to earth, no doubt she'd do so as the bloodthirsty half of an otherwise balanced god.

"Why don't you and your friends commit the murders?" I asked. "Surely you're not too squeamish."

"Hardly. We just don't want to die, of course. We need to be here to witness the rise of Anat. To receive our just reward."

"What do you mean, die?" Carrow said. "They're doing the killing, not the dying."

He resisted answering her, so I repeated the questioning.

"The murders must end in suicide," the man said. "The greater violence will provide the energy that Anat requires to rise again to the earth."

"And you aren't willing to sacrifice your miserable life for your goddess," I said.

"The Goddess Anat needs us." His eyes gleamed with passion.

"She doesn't need you. You're a plague." I shook my head, disgusted. "Have any of these murders been committed yet?" I could nearly feel Carrow's desire to have that question answered. Had we lost any of the victims?

"No. They must all be done at the same time. The board is not yet set, but once we have the final piece in place, everything will happen at once."

"It's not a game," I snapped. Carefully, I drew in a breath. My normal icy shell was harder to maintain while staring into the eyes of this lunatic, and it was made harder by my mind's desperate attempt to remember the parts of Carrow that I'd forgotten. "How many more people will you kidnap?"

"One more." He grinned widely, clearly pleased with himself.

"When?" I demanded.

He tried to fight, pressing his lips together, but I gripped his chin tightly, disliking the touch even though I wore my gloves. "When?"

"Tomorrow, we will make the request of Anton. He should find a suitable target that night and, once we have them, we will begin."

So we had a little bit of time. I looked at Carrow, my eyebrows raised. Anything else?

"We need you to get us beyond the barrier, into the temple," she said.

I repeated her command, and the little bastard laughed. "I can't. There are only two ways to get in. One of the transport charms given to the kidnappers, or via a lever that temporarily lowers the boundary. But that lever is located inside the temple."

"So you're useless to us," I said.

"I would never let you use me against my brethren."

If I were the sort of man to roll my eyes the way the youth did, I would have. Instead, I released his chin and brushed off my hands, rising and turning to face Carrow. Looking directly at her was like looking at the sun during the most beautiful sunrise. Painful, but I wanted to keep doing it.

"Do you have what you need?" I asked.

"For now. We just need to make a plan."

"You'll never beat us," the chained man said.

Carrow turned to him, spitting words. "We will, you little cretin."

She was a glorious, vengeful goddess, and something in my chest swelled. I pressed a hand to it, confused. In pain. I couldn't remember why I liked her so much, but I could feel it. I tightened my jaw and removed my hand, looking at the guards behind me. "Take him to a cell."

The two nodded and approached the cult member, dragging him off. He hissed curses as he was hauled from the room, his robe trailing the ground behind him.

Carrow rubbed her hand over her face. "God, this is a lot."

Instinct surged inside me to get her a chair, food, a drink. Discomfort followed in its wake. Why the hell did I care about that?

Yes, she was supposed to be my mate, but we'd broken that bond. I'd forgotten her—or at least, the things that might make me care for her. We should be nothing but acquaintances.

And yet . . .

The instinct remained.

I resisted.

"In a way, this parallels the ancient documents I saw on a desk inside the palace at Ugarit," Carrow said. "The ghostly remains of the palace appeared as soon as we entered and, thousands of years ago, the leaders were dealing with a similar cult who was attempting to pollute the will of Anat."

"Do you think they are the same people?" Eve asked.

Carrow shrugged. "He looked modern to me."

I nodded. "He was not immortal. I would have felt it. I think that the desire to misinterpret the will of a god to serve your own ends is something that never goes out of fashion."

"So we have a modern bunch of psychopaths holed up in a temple about to cause chaos," she said.

"That's what it sounds like." Mac began to pace the room, her short blond hair growing ever messier as she dragged her hand through it. "We need to get into that temple."

"The only way to do it is with one of those transport charms," Eve said. "Which only Anton's kidnapper will have."

"The security on Anton's casino has doubled, according to my sources," I said. "But I have found his contact in Guild City."

"The evil talent scout who finds the supernatural with the magic that the cult wants?"

"The very same. It's a weaselly mage who lives in Hellebore Alley. I put a charm in his flat that will alert us if Anton contacts him."

Carrow nodded, ideas flickering through her eyes. "We can't get the transport charm from Anton since his place is too heavily guarded. But we can get it from the kidnapper."

"But how do we know where the kidnapper will be?" Eve asked.

Carrow smiled. "We force the talent scout to tell the kidnapper that I'm the target."

Icy fear pierced my chest. "You're suggesting that you become bait."

She nodded. "Yes. They don't know my name. Those miserable weasels have no idea that I was the one to try to break into their temple. They saw me, but it will be Anton's intermediary who tries to kidnap me."

Something roared inside me. No. She couldn't take the risk. Pain shot through my head. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, frowning hard. I shouldn't care if she took the risk. She was nothing to me now . . . the spells had seen to it.

And yet . . .

I did care. Incredibly much.

I drew in an unsteady breath, forcing it to move smoothly through my lungs. I don't like it.

But I bit back the words. It wasn't my place to like it or not like it. I needed to move forward as if she were no different than anyone else. But it was maddening to still feel the dregs of the emotion while having no memory of the events that had created those feelings.

"I'm not suggesting that the kidnapper actually kidnap me," she said. "I'd be totally outnumbered and definitely screwed if he—or she—actually got me. But I'll be the bait and, once he arrives, you guys sweep in and grab him. We'll steal the charm, and then we'll all go to the temple together. Strength in numbers."

"It's the only way," Mac said. "You saw how many of them there were. If you end up actually kidnapped, it's over for you."

She nodded, her face slightly pale. "You'll make sure that doesn't happen."

I despised this idea.

But it didn't matter.

Carrow looked at me. "You've found Anton's talent scout. Tomorrow, when Anton tells him what magic they are looking for, can you compel the scout to tell Anton that I have it?"

It felt like pulling teeth, but I forced a nod. It was the only reasonable thing to do. And I'd be there to protect her. "Yes."

"Good." Carrow nodded. "We'll figure out the perfect spot for me to hang out tomorrow night so that the kidnapper feels confident approaching, but you guys can be hidden and waiting."

"Then we'll nab the transport charm and break into the temple and save our friends." Eve grinned. "I like this plan."

I still despised it.

"Well, I'd say that's that." Mac brushed off her hands. "We have a plan, and now I need a bath."

"Let's head home," Eve said. "Thank you, Devil."

I nodded stiffly, trying to keep my gaze off Carrow.

Her friends left, but she lingered. Her gaze burned into me, and it was no longer possible to not look at her. I turned my attention to her face, confusion ricocheting inside me.

I shouldn't want her. I knew all the reasons why, and everything I'd done to prevent it.

And yet I still did. . .

"The other night . . ." Her words trailed off.

Desire flashed through me, the ghost of a memory that I couldn"t catch. It left behind the strongest sense of . . . loss.

"The other night," I repeated her words. Should I tell her that I'd wiped my memory? "What about it?"

"What about it?" she asked.

I nodded. "What specifically concerns you?"

I hoped that the vague question would lead her into explaining to me what had happened the other night. My heart raced at the thought of what it might have been, like it remembered something I did not. An emotional phantom limb.

"I feel like that should be obvious," she said.

"I don't recall." My words made her eyes flash with hurt and anger. I'd definitely said the wrong thing.

"There's no way you don't recall." She frowned at me. "What's going on, Grey?"

"You call me Grey?" The words escaped before I could consider taking them back.

"What the hell happened to you?" she demanded. "You're the ice man again, and there are clearly gaps in your memory."

I nodded stiffly. No point in pretending I hadn't done what I'd done. "I asked Cyrenthia to erase parts of my memory."

"You what?"

"I retained the memory that we are—were—Cursed Mates. And, also, all memories of our work together on things like this. But it was too dangerous to keep feeling the way that I did about you, so I asked her to erase the good between us. The softer parts. They're gone."

Hurt flickered in her eyes, and she stepped back. "That was . . ." She swallowed hard. "That was smart. Maybe I could do the same."

No.

If she didn't remember, then it would be like it had never happened. Somehow, that felt unbearable.

"It was the safest way," I said, my words weak to my own ears. "I—"

"You don't have to explain yourself." She nodded, her eyes bright. "It was smart. Good thinking."

"Carrow—"

"I'll see you tomorrow." She waved and spun, striding from the room.

I reached out for her, my heart twisting in my chest in the strangest and most unfamiliar way. Seeing my hand stretched out in front of me made me feel lovesick and stupid. I clenched my fist and drew it back.

What the hell had I done?