Chapter Twenty-Seven

I'd spent long nights before. Cold nights. Dark nights—and not just literally. Nights where I thought morning would never come. Nights when I didn't want it to come. I'd spent nights sitting outside my mom's door while she screamed and threw things if I came in, and tried to wander off if I wasn't close by. I'd spent nights lying awake, listening to her tremble and cry—those were worse. And worst of all, that one night when she'd been sectioned, locked up somewhere alone. The night I'd met Cole. The night I thought they'd never let her out again.

This was worse than them all. Because while I was locked away in this tiny cell, listening to the shouts and cat calls of my fellow inmates, my mom was out there somewhere. And she wasn't alone. Because there was no way she'd left the pack by herself. Not willingly. She'd been settled at the Iron Shadow clinic. She'd been happy. Truly happy for the first time in such a long time. Sure, Kallan and his little band of assholes had freaked her out, but the pack doc was taking good care of her, making her feel safe again.

No. There was no way she'd gone willingly.

Which meant someone had taken her. And I couldn't rule out Kallan and his pack being behind it. I didn't even know if she was alive, dammit!

My only sliver of consolation was that Cole was out there, right now, looking for her, and he'd probably had no more sleep than I had. But not even Cole could bring back the dead.

No. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. She just…couldn't.

I slumped against the wall with a sigh. The cold concrete bled through my clothing—a prison issue plain white tank top, and black sweatpants. No shoes, presumably so I couldn't kick anyone, which meant my pacing had left me with cold feet. I'd live.

Anti-magic, anti-feed, and anti-shift runes were embedded into the walls, I suspected immovably so, which might have mattered if I had the slightest control over any of my supernatural ‘gifts'. And if I was dumb enough to think that attacking anyone would bring me even one inch closer to getting out of this place. There were about twenty separate defenses between me and the way out—not to mention dozens of highly trained guards. Also, I had a shit sense of direction. The only way I was getting out was if they let me out. And the only way they were letting me out was if I played nice. And if I was lucky.

I shivered. The idea of spending months or even years in here, no contact with my family, with Cole, not knowing if my mom was dead or alive… It was more than I could bear.

I sank down in the corner of the cell, ignoring the cold that traveled up my spine from the bare concrete floor, and buried my head in my arms.

I wasn't sure how long I sat like that—long enough that my ass had gone totally numb—when a small viewing window in my cell door opened. I lifted my head to regard it, and then the door swung open, revealing two figures standing in the doorway. The first wore a guard's uniform, and it took me a second to place the other. And then he sneered at me.

"Well, well, dhampir. Fancy seeing you again."

"Brennan," I returned coldly, peeling myself from the floor and trying not to let my stiffness show. "Now my morning really is perfect."

"You remember what I said would happen if I had to come looking for you?"

"I remember some vague threats," I said, shrugging as casually as I could—which wasn't particularly casually, given that I couldn't actually feel my shoulders. Or any other part of my anatomy.

"I'm going to make sure they leave you here to rot like the abomination you are. That specific enough for you?"

I shivered and clamped my mouth shut, because honestly I had no clue if he had that kind of power, and I was in no hurry to find out. Playing nice. That was my plan. And I was going to need to stick to it for more than thirty seconds if I wanted to get out of here—even if Brennan was a total asshole who clearly got off on trying to scare people.

"That's what I thought. Turn around."

I stared at him, and he arched a brow. "Resisting an enforcer's instructions already? You saw that, right, Pierce? I'm going to have to use force to ensure compliance."

"Alright, alright," I grumbled, turning around. I heard him step into the cell behind me, and the metallic clink of handcuffs. Like he needed them. I was powerless here. I grit my teeth as he stepped right behind me, and I didn't need to see his face to know how smug his expression was right now.

Pain exploded through my ribs and I doubled over with a cry of shock and pain. Fucker had punched me while my back was turned. What an asshole! I spun around, ready to defend myself.

"Ah-ah, Ellis. Give me an excuse."

I glared at him for a long moment before shuffling round to turn my back on him again. But if that prick tried it a second time…

He took hold of my wrist and snapped the cuffs shut round first one, then the other. I ignored his touch, which was easy enough because my whole side felt like it was on fire. Definitely a cracked rib or two.

"Move," he said, grabbing hold of my arm and towing me along beside him. The guard walked behind us, presumably in case the tiny, warded, handcuffed not-quite human managed to get to drop on the big burly enforcer.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he led me through the corridor. I kept my eyes forward, and tried to ignore the gaze of the guard I could feel boring into my back. Neither bothered to answer me, and as we reached a studded door at the end of the corridor, Brennan jerked me to a halt. The guard pressed his hand to the wall on our right, and a second, plain, door appeared next to his hand. Right. Because why would the door really be a door, and the wall really be a wall?

"Don't want to go through that one, dhampir. There are creatures worse than you there."

I cast a glance at the studded door. Yeah, I so did not want to know what was on the other side of that. But I did want to know where the hell we were going. The guard opened the plain door and when Brennan made to steer me through, I planted my feet.

"Resisting again, prisoner?" Brennan said, his voice laced with barely suppressed glee. I lifted my chin.

"I'm not moving until you tell me where I'm going. Prisoner or not, I have rights."

"You have whatever I say you have. Now move."

I stayed where I was.

"You're trying my patience, dhampir. Last chance. Move, or I'll make sure your clothes have an unfortunate mishap right before you go into gen pop for social this afternoon."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Move, or find out."

I held his sneering gaze for another second before whirling on my heel and marching through the door, hoping I didn't look as sick as I felt. Because I hadn't even considered that they would dump me in gen pop. How the hell was I supposed to protect myself against hardened supe criminals? Worse, it meant they planned to keep me here, and I needed to get out—and not just to save my own skin. My mom was out there, and no-one knew her as well as I did.

I didn't bother resisting again as the pair of them led me through several more doors, the last of which took us into a small room with four empty chairs and a table, all of which appeared hewn from the ground itself. The supe version of furniture bolted to the floor, I guess.

Brennan marched me round to the far side of the table and pushed me into one of the chairs. I bit back a hiss of pain because fuck him, and shifted my weight to take the pressure off my damaged ribs as best I could with my hands still cuffed behind my back. Brennan settled into one of the chairs on the other side of the table—not the one opposite me—and proceeded to ignore me. Fine. Two could play at that game. We were clearly waiting for someone, and it was just as clear that he wasn't about to tell me who. I'd find out soon enough.

We waited in silence for a few minutes before someone knocked on the door. The guard slipped outside, pulling it to behind him, and I couldn't quite make out the hurried, quiet conversation that took place. Then the door opened again and I stared, not quite believing what I was seeing.

"Cole?"

"The fuck is he doing here?" Brennan demanded, lurching to his feet.

"He's her mate," the new guard, the one who I guess had escorted Cole here, said.

"I know who the fuck he is, what the fuck is he doing here?"

Cole met his eye. "She's my mate, and it's my right, under section seven of the Shifter Hierarchy and Mating Act of 1124, as I'm sure you're aware, being a fine, upstanding officer of the law."

He leaned round Brennan and shot me a wink. I guess he'd been chatting with Ling.

"Five minutes," Brennan snapped, moving to stand against the wall and let Cole past. "We need to interrogate the prisoner."

"I'll speak to my mate alone," Cole said, his eyes darkening as he glared at the enforcer.

"Don't push your luck, Bryant."

"You're breaking the law, Enforcer. So get the fuck out before I make sure every pack in the country hears about it. Your bosses will hand you over for pack justice faster than you can blink. My justice."

Brennan narrowed his eyes, but I could see the fear lurking in them. He grunted something, glared at Cole one last time, and then I was alone with my mate.

I made to lurch to my feet and pain lanced through my side. I sagged in my chair with a pained hiss, and he was by my side in an instant.

"Cali, princess. Are you okay? What did those fuckers do to you?"

"It's nothing."

He crouched beside me and lifted my shirt a fraction. His jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding together.

"That's not nothing. I'm going to rip them apart."

He was already halfway to his feet before I remembered that would be a bad thing.

"Fight later. Tell me what's happening with my mom." I searched his face anxiously, trying to read the news from it. "Did you find her?"

He sank back into his crouch with a soft sigh. "Not yet. I'm sorry. But we'll keep looking."

"What's going on? Did anyone see her leave? No-one here will tell me anything!"

He pressed his lips together like he was debating how much to tell me.

"Don't you dare," I ground out. "Don't you dare even think about holding back. I need to know, Cole. All of it."

He nodded. "There was a raid."

"A raid?" And despite my insistence, the cold creeping up my spine told me I didn't want to know what he was going to say next.

"The Black Wind pack," he said, and my stomach fell. Kallan's pack. "They led a full-scale attack. Four of our pack are dead, dozens more injured."

My hands jerked in the cuffs. "Oh, my God. Cole…"

His expression was haunted, and he could barely bring himself to meet my eye.

"I'm sorry, Cali. If I'd challenged my father sooner, I could have prevented this. Your mom would still be safe."

"No. None of that shit. This is not your fault, Cole, and you will not beat yourself up over it."

He opened his mouth, but I shook my head, not giving him chance to speak. "This was your father. This was Kallan's pack. This was not you, do you understand me? You are not responsible for other people's decisions."

I wished I could reach out and comfort him, but the stupid cuffs denied me even that much.

"I'm going to find her," he said, shaking his head and his melancholy with it. "I promise. You just need to worry about you now."

Like that was going to happen. I wasn't the one who was important here. "Did anyone see if they took her? Maybe she got scared by the fighting and ran off."

My hope died in the second he spent holding my eye. "I scouted the whole area myself. I couldn't pick up her scent."

"Maybe it was masked by the others. All the fighting, and—"

And this was the man who'd scented a fae I'd barely been able to see, and been able to tell him apart from every single fae in the academy.

Fuck.

I slumped in my chair, and then hissed as pain shot across my ribs again. Fucking Brennan.

"I'll get you out of here as soon as I can," he said.

"No." I shook my head. "Focus on my mom. I'm fine here. It's nothing I can't handle."

His jaw clenched again, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by the door swinging open.

"Time's up. Fuck off so I can interrogate the prisoner, unless you want me to find you a cell here."

The way Cole was glaring at Brennan I thought he might just be about to take him up on that—which was the last thing we needed.

"Go," I told him and he reluctantly rose to his feet. "And Cole? I love you."

"I love you too, princess."

He ducked back down to kiss me softly, and for a moment it was just me and him, together.

And then the moment was over.

"Soon," he promised me.

"Yeah, yeah, very touching. Fuck off, Bryant, before I have you up on conspiracy."

Cole glared at him one last time before allowing the guard to escort him from the room. As he left, another figure I recognized walked in, and a surge of relief flooded through me.

"Councilor Verena," I said, lurching to my feet.

"Sit down, Ellis," she snapped, taking the seat opposite me and opening a manilla file in front of her. I sank back into the chair behind me, watching her warily. Her demeanor seemed different from last time I met her. That time, she'd seemed like she was on my side.

"I don't suppose you could have the cuffs removed?" I tried. "I, um, seem to have injured myself, and it's pretty uncomfortable."

She glanced up at me from the file. "No."

Brennan sneered at me wordlessly from across the table.

"O…kay. Then can you at least tell me why I'm here?"

"We'll be the ones asking the questions, Ms. Ellis," she said, setting the file down and giving me her full attention, "and I'll thank you to remember it."

Yeah, she definitely wasn't on my side today. And I wasn't sure if she was insisting my cuffs stayed on because she was pissed at me…or because she really thought I might be a danger. I hoped like hell it was the former though, because if they truly thought I was dangerous, then there was no way I was getting out of here any time soon. Cole might be heir to one of the most powerful packs in the country, but the council weren't likely to be impressed by that. Astor maybe held enough sway, but that was a big maybe…and firmly in the irrelevant column, because there was no way she was in my corner.

But it did occur to me that it would be very nice to have someone in my corner.

"I want legal representation," I said.

"I'm sure your pack will send someone in due course. Alternatively, if you provide us with the name of your preferred legal representative, I will have them summoned." She arched a brow. "Do you have a name for me? Or shall we continue?"

"Continue," I mumbled. Because I couldn't have named a supe lawyer to save my life, and I was pretty sure it would be a cold day in hell before Cain sent someone to help me. He'd been trying to kill me even before he'd fallen out with Cole, and I was pretty sure his feelings hadn't warmed any.

"You are under arrest for violating a council directive to remain under preventative custody in your stipulated facility. Do you deny it?"

I hesitated. Admitting to doing wrong was hardly going to help my cause.

"There's no point in denying it. We have witnesses."

I blinked at her, because I was pretty damned sure there weren't.

Brennan curled his lip. "Told you I'd be watching, dhampir."

"If you'd been watching, and if I'd left the academy, then I'm pretty sure you would have dealt with it at the time," I said carefully.

Brennan leaned forward over the table, his expression darkening. "Did you really think you could open two portals right outside the academy within an hour and I wouldn't detect it?"

Fuck. It had been Aodh's portal that tipped him off. Just my luck. There really wasn't any point in denying it. I was totally screwed. Better to just get it over with, I guess. I opened my mouth, but before any sounds could make it out, the door swung inwards.

Verena and Brennan both twisted round to the newcomer, a tall, impeccably dressed man who I felt sure was fae. His expensive-looking charcoal gray suit (for all I knew about suits) fit his lean frame perfectly, and he carried a briefcase as naturally as if he'd been born holding on. Chestnut hair was swept back from his forehead without a strand out of place, and his slate gray eyes were sharp, assessing, and confident as they sized up everyone in the room.

"Alder Blackwell," he introduced himself curtly. "I do not appreciate you questioning my client without me being present."

"Client?" Brennan said, his eyes narrowing.

"We were unaware Ms. Ellis had retained representation," Verena said.

So was Ms. Ellis, for what it was worth, but I just about managed to keep from gaping.

"Apology accepted," Blackwell said, striding round to my side of the table and sitting in the remaining chair.

I wasn't one to look a gift attorney in the mouth, but who the hell was this guy?

"Did the pack send you?" I asked quietly.

"No," he replied, his voice utterly toneless.

"Then…who?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Well, that's not disconcerting at all…"

"Do you accept my representation, Ms. Ellis?"

I searched his face for all of a second. Something was better than nothing, right? "Yes."

"Good." He looked me over and scowled. "Handcuffs, Councilor Verena, really? I hardly think my client represents a threat to your good selves. She has an impeccable record, and no prior convictions."

Verena looked annoyed but gestured the guard to come and remove the cuffs. I could get to like this Blackwell guy, I decided, pulling my hands in front of me and rubbing my wrists.

"If she makes a single aggressive move," Brennan said, "I won't hesitate to take her down."

"Yes, I'm quite sure," Blackwell said, sounding unperturbed. "If you have no further idle threats, then perhaps you could bring me up to speed on the charges."

"Leaving a secure premises in direct violation of council orders," Verena said.

"And your proof?"

"There were two portals opened right outside the academy a little over two weeks ago," Brennan said, leaning back in his chair smugly and crossing his arms over his chest.

"So let me get this right," Blackwell said, sounding confused—not, if I was honest—a great start. "Two portals opened in the vicinity of Darkveil Academy, and you have concluded that my client, who is not a fae, and has no access to fae magic, is the only one who could have opened said portals, and not, in fact, one of the several dozen fae currently enrolled in said academy?"

"Well," Brennan said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"If that's all the ‘evidence' you have, then I'll expect all charges dropped and expunged from my client's record. And I expect her released within the hour."

"Not so fast, Blackwell," Verena said, turning a page in her manilla file. "She's also being held under suspicion of aiding or encouraging another person of interest to abscond from an appointed facility."

"Ah, so you believe my client, who you have no proof left the academy, and has no way of contacting anyone outside the academy, somehow encouraged this subject to abscond. I'm disappointed, Verena."

"The suspect is her mother," Brennan blurted.

"Well, how pleasant. But not at all relevant to the case. Do either of you happen to have any actual evidence?" he enquired politely.

"Suspicion doesn't need evidence," Brennan said.

"No, but it does require reasonable grounds, which you have not yet demonstrated. Further, I note that the Iron Shadow pack, in whose custody the absconded suspect was being remanded, was the subject of a territorial conflict last night, during which time my client was attending a moon hunt reserved for the academy's most exemplary students, as witnessed by the academy's alpha."

Wow, this guy had really done his research. He continued, not giving the councilor a chance to speak.

"Are you suggesting that my client was somehow able to influence the actions of someone several hundred miles away, whilst partaking in a moon hunt, in a form that is incapable of actual speech? Because I think we can all agree it's far more likely that the pack responsible for the attack are also responsible for your suspect absconding. Perhaps you might like to stop wasting my very expensive time, and question the members of that pack, instead?"

"Her father is a vampire," Brennan said coldly.

"Yes, so I surmised from the fact she is a dhampir and her mother is a human. Have you taken a recent interest in genealogy, or is there in fact some point to this line of questioning?"

Damn, this guy was good. Smarmy as fuck, but I kinda liked that, seeing as how he was on my side, and he was really pissing Brennan off. The enforcer opened his mouth, but Verena shot him a look and he closed it again without speaking.

"Ms. Ellis," she said, addressing me directly for the first time since Blackwell had arrived. "Cali. We want to help you. But for us to do that, we need you to be honest with us."

"I hope you're not implying my client has been in any way dishonest with you, Councilor."

Verena shot him a frustrated look before composing herself and forcing a smile.

"Of course not. But Cali, seeing as we're now no longer able to get the information we need from your mother, it is imperative that you tell us anything you might know about your father, or his whereabouts. Anything at all."

For a moment, I wondered if I should tell them. Gods knew it would be nice to have one less headache to deal with right now. But they'd just been made to look like absolute amateurs by a guy wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. I couldn't help but feel Ezekiel would make mincemeat of them.

"That wasn't a question, Councilor," Blackwell observed mildly.

"Cali, have you seen your father?"

"No need to answer that, Ms. Ellis," Blackwell said cheerfully. "Councilor, seeing as you established yourself last year that my client had no knowledge of her father, and we've established here between us that she has not left the academy since then, I think it's clearly that she has had neither the means nor the opportunity to meet with any fugitives from justice. Unless you're suggesting that perhaps Domina Astor is in the habit of hiring criminals?"

"No." Was it just me, or did Verena sound just a little bit sullen?

"Excellent. Then unless you have any further allegations to bring, I would suggest you release my client. Immediately."

Verena pressed her lips together but closed her file. "You're free to go," she said with an air of defeat. "The guard will sign you out and return your belongings."

"I'll be watching you, Ellis," Brennan ground out as I scrambled to my feet.

"I sincerely hope not, Brennan," Blackwell said, rising from his seat, "seeing as doing so would be highly illegal. I'd hate for such a promising legal career to be snuffed out so prematurely."

He turned to me with a polite, professional smile. "This way, if you please, Ms. Ellis. I'll oversee the enforcers signing you out and returning you to the academy."