Chapter 34

Ieased Brien's boat out of the cavern under a hazy third-quarter moon. When we were away from the cliffs, I set course for the island on the map, increasing speed until we were running wide open, the pointed bow cutting through the waves like a knife through butter.

Brien and Cain were concealed below deck in the small cabin. At the bow, Twilight frowned into the night, the wind whipping her black braid around her shoulders, oblivious to the sea spray hitting her face.

She'd realized something was up and demanded to know what. When she'd heard a rescue mission for Eden was underway, she'd insisted on coming even before she knew they'd demanded her in exchange. At that point, not even Brien could've stopped her from coming.

She'd dressed in something similar to Eden's Catwoman outfit, although her sleeveless top was blood-red and her black leggings included hidden pockets for weapons. Her eyelids were done up in some sparkly shit, her lips the same red as her shirt. Trust Twilight to wear makeup to an ambush.

Although when I thought it over, I understood. It was camouflage, just like her cover as a social media influencer had masked her activities as a slayer.

"We'll get her back," she told me, unconsciously echoing Brien and Cain. "That's a promise."

I grunted. I wouldn't relax until Eden was safely back at the castle. "You want to go over the plan?"

"I think I've got it." Twilight turned so her back was to the rail. "When we're five minutes out, you're going to put those fake silver cuffs on my wrists."

"I'll have to let them take you." None of us liked this part, especially Brien. "If they suspect this is a setup, we'll never see Eden again."

She pointed a thumb at her chest. "Former slayer, remember? I notched a dozen kills—before I was turned. Those assholes don't know what they've gotten themselves into."

My brows climbed. "Okay, then."

"Yeah." She flashed a hint of fang. "Anyway, you'll refuse to let them have me until they hand over Eden. We make the exchange, and Brien and Cain will follow me in the shadows. But if these bloodsuckers won't give you Eden, then you have to leave, Talon. I know you don't like that part, but unless we can figure out where Eden is right off the bat, they have to think they've won. It's the only way they'll give away where Eden is."

I scowled. Twilight was right, I hated that part of the plan. I wanted to tear apart the whole damn island the instant we landed. Unfortunately, this scheme was the best we'd been able to come up with limited intel and on a short timeline.

Twilight's expression softened. "Eden will be okay. She's smart, and she knows vampires."

My fingers tightened on the wheel. "I don't care how smart she is, she's seven months pregnant. What kind of SOBs kidnap a pregnant woman?"

"SOBs who want me," Twilight said. "Their mistake, right? Because we will get Eden back, and then we'll rain fucking hell down on their asses."

Guilt clogged my throat. Eden had been targeted because she was carrying my spawn. They must've guessed I'd do anything to get her back safely.

"But I'm the bastard who got her pregnant. I'm the one who brought her back to the island. If I hadn't, she'd be safe right now."

I hadn't forgotten what Rio had said. The knowledge that this was all my fault pressed on my chest like a hundred-pound weight.

Twilight was silent for a long moment. "Have you told her you love her?"

I just stared at her. Because of course, I loved Eden.

Admitting it even to myself was like a full moon suddenly emerging from behind the clouds, dazzling me with its radiance.

Sweet Lilith, I was an idiot. I'd had my head up my ass for too damn long. My gaze slid from Twilight's.

"No," I admitted. "I didn't know myself. I didn't want to know."

The ocean grew rougher as we neared the other island, the waves threatening to swamp us. I was forced to focus on keeping the small boat upright and on course.

"Need a hand?" Twilight asked, leaving the bow.

"I've got it," I said as we climbed a wave and slammed down on the other side. I gave her a grit-toothed smile. "Here's betting Brien and Cain are cursing me out down in the hold."

But they were vampires. They probably wouldn't even bruise.

"Do vampires get seasick?" she asked. "Because I feel fine."

"Nah. But Cain and I never got seasick, even as kids. And Brien is a born sailor. I've never seen him get sick, either."

She nodded, and we continued talking about not much of anything until suddenly, the island loomed before us, a hulking shape in the night. I eased back on the throttle.

"Time to cuff me." Twilight held out her arms, wrists together.

I took the fake cuffs from a small bag attached to my belt loop and snapped them around her wrists. "You sure you can break out of them?"

"Yep." She grinned and gave me a double thumbs-up. "Let's kick some ass."

Despite my worry, a corner of my mouth twitched up as I retook the wheel.

"There's the inlet." She indicated it with her joined hands. "To our right."

"Got it." I was already turning the boat to starboard.

As we entered the island's lee side, the wind died. We continued up the narrow inlet. Up until now, we'd been running with all lights off. Now I flicked our navigation lights on, getting as close to shore as possible before dropping anchor. We'd have to take an inflatable dinghy the rest of the way in.

"Brien?" I asked under my breath. "You guys up here?"

"He's here," Twilight said.

I nodded, not questioning her certainty. She must've sensed him through their mate bond.

A single figure appeared in the shadow of a cliff. A man, the darkness masking his features. He couldn't hide his gleaming eyes, though, or his faint, supernatural shimmer.

"Not a human," murmured Twilight.

"Yeah. But there's only one of him."

"That we can see," she muttered.

The plan was for me and Twilight to go ashore in the dinghy. Brien and Cain would swim in our wake, still in the shadows, to observe the exchange. If the SOBs hadn't brought Eden, Brien would stay with me and Twilight while Cain slipped off to search the island.

I lowered Twilight into the dinghy. She pretended to resist, keeping up the fiction that she was my prisoner. I gave her a small shove and jumped in after her, undoing the tow line and tossing it onto the deck. The short distance wasn't worth firing up the dinghy's small motor, so I rowed us to shore.

The man had moved closer. He waited on the rocky shore, legs braced apart, his long black hair pulled into a ponytail, his sinewy body clad in an expensive suit.

I stiffened in recognition. "It's Pascal," I said in an undertone.

"You know him?" Twilight said.

"Yeah—a QCS soldier."

"Lemaire," she breathed.

"Looks like it." Our intel had linked Pascal to Lemaire and Fleur, but since he hadn't been part of their coven, we hadn't followed up on the connection. I'd been racking my brain, wondering who wanted Twilight so bad they'd go to so much trouble. "Although I didn't think Lemaire would be stupid enough to go up against us after we destroyed his lair."

I palmed a switchblade and hopped into the surf, dragging the dinghy onto the rocky shore. Taking Twilight by the upper arm, I pulled her out of the boat.

Pascal came forward. "I'll take her."

I pressed the switchblade's catch, released the long silver knife. "The thrall, first. That's the deal."

Pascal flicked me a look. I had the impression of a sharp mind, ticking through the possibilities. "You're not in a position to bargain."

"Then we'll leave." I moved backward toward the dinghy, bringing Twilight with me.

A pointed silver dagger jumped into the other vampire's hand. "I don't think so."

I flashed my fangs. "Try and stop me."

Cain would already be searching the island. The longer I kept this asshole engaged, the more time he'd have to find Eden.

"The thrall is pregnant," Pascal said. "With your spawn. Oh, yes, we know. Even if you feel nothing for the thrall, I imagine you won't want your spawn harmed."

It was as I'd thought—they knew too much about me and Eden. My guilt turned to a cold fury. "Then you know I won't leave without her."

Without warning Pascal lunged at me, dagger out. I knocked it aside and released Twilight. He stumbled past me and I lowered my shoulder and slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. I straddled his waist, pinning the hand holding the dagger to the beach. With my free hand, I ripped open his coat and dug my own blade into the sweet spot beneath his rib cage. One hard shove, and the sharp silver point would be in his heart.

"Where is she?" I said between clenched teeth.

He had the balls to sneer at me. "Stake me and you'll never find her."

Twilight grunted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw she'd broken the cuffs apart.

"Key's in my back pocket," I told her.

Pascal's gaze darted between me and Twilight.

"No worries." She already had the cuffs open, an open switchblade in her hand. She dropped the cuffs on the beach and crouched beside us. Wrapping an arm around Pascal's head, she touched the knife point to his right eye.

"Tell us where we can find the thrall or I'll carve your eyes out. They'll regenerate, but I hear it's a long, painful process." She pursed her lips in mock sympathy. "Meanwhile, you'll be blinded. I wonder how long you'll last if we toss you to the sharks."

Pascal was no longer smiling. He moistened his lips. "You'd risk your spawn?" he asked me.

I growled and pressed the point deeper. Blood oozed, staining his white shirt. "If Eden dies—hell, if you motherfuckers even put a bruise on her—I'll carve off your goddamn balls. Slowly."

Pascal paled but he managed to curl his lip at me. "What makes you think I came alone?"

"Yeah? Then where are they? Looks like they left you to twist in the wind."

Brien stepped out of the shadows, dressed like me in a long-sleeved Henley and tactical pants. He kicked the dagger out of Pascal's hand and scooped it up. "Want me to take over?"

"No."

I needed to do this. Needed someone to vent my rage on.

Meanwhile, Pascal's gaze had shifted to my primus. "Fuck," he mouthed.

"Yeah," I told him. "Turns out, I didn't come alone either."

On cue, Cain appeared to Brien's right, his pale hair shining in the moonlight. At my hopeful glance, he shook his head.

"I thought I caught Eden's scent, but as far as I can tell, there's no one else on the island." He considered Pascal with a jaundiced eye. "This prick hasn't told you anything yet?"

"No." My patience evaporated. "Talk." Jerking up the other vampire's bloody shirt, I screwed the blade deeper into the hole I'd made. "Where's Eden?"

Brien and Cain came to stand on either side of us. It seemed Pascal had finally grasped the hopelessness of his position because he erupted, fighting to break free of me and Twilight.

I released my switchblade and grabbed his wrists, slamming them to the beach on either side of his hips. "Where…is…she?" I demanded between gritted teeth.

Pascal glared up at me, thin-lipped.

Cain had drifted down to Pascal's lower body. I heard a couple of muffled, crunching sounds, and our prisoner shrieked in pain. When I glanced over my shoulder, his feet were turned at odd angles from his legs.

Twilight sighed. "You should know I'm not a very patient person. It's a fault."

That was the only warning before she sliced her blade across his eye. Blood spurted, leaking down his cheek.

He sucked in a breath, throwing himself from side to side, trying to break free of me. He was strong, but I had a killing fury on my side. I quickly subdued him.

Twilight bared her fangs. "Ready to talk yet, bloodsucker?"

Brien dropped down on Pascal's other side. "I'd talk if I were you," he said in a conversational tone. "She's a former slayer, and she still has this thing about vampires who don't play nice."

"Fuck this. Restrain his wrists," I told Brien.

"Good idea." He produced a pair of silver handcuffs.

"Give me a minute with him," I told Twilight.

She released Pascal's head, and I rolled him onto his side while Brien snapped the handcuffs on him. He hissed as the silver burned his wrists.

Retrieving my switchblade, I nudged Pascal onto his back with my foot. "She's not kidding about your eyes," I told him. "But let's make it more interesting for the sharks, shall we?"

I kicked his legs open and crouched down, ripping the crotch of his pants open with my blade.

Fear tightened Pascal's face. He glanced down, then back at me. "You sons of bitches," he spat out.

"Talk." I tapped his balls with the knife.

Pascal's lungs heaved. He cursed, then said, "Lemaire has the thrall."

"Where?" demanded Twilight.

His mouth set. "I don't know."

"Not good enough." I pressed the point into his scrotum.

"No…" He thrashed on the rocky ground.

I shoved my face into Pascal's. "Talk, you sonuvabitch," I said, putting all the force of my dominance behind the question. "I'm through playing games."

He was desperate and close to me in dominance, but I was fighting for Eden. The woman who meant more to me than anything in the world.

He wavered, then caved. "The south side of the island. There's an old fishing shed—that's the lair entrance."

Cain growled. "Try again, mofo. I already searched the shed. There was no sign of a lair."

"The entrance is hidden."

I rose to my feet. "Then I guess you'll have to come with us and show us where it is."

"I've got him." Cain slung Pascal over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. "You guys go. I'll be right behind."