19. Chapter Nineteen

Ifollowed him in silence through the expansive mansion or castle…whatever it was. Was there really that much of a difference between a castle and a mansion? I let it distract me because it was easier than thinking about the conversation I had to have.

We stopped at a set of double doors, which my escort knocked on three times. They opened on their own, and he led me into a large room with two desks on one end and a mini library or study on the other. The desks were clearly an office space, letting whoever sat there look out the large windows over the grounds. The library space on the other end seemed more relaxed, like where they would take a break between important meetings or hold serious discussions. They being the Lord and Lady of the land.

Cassius and Sorcha were in the library section, surrounded by books I felt more comfortable thinking of as tomes—big, leatherbound things, filling every space. The colors of the room were warm, warmer than both of the sidhe. The carpets were a deep red, the couches a cozy brown—I still hated brown, but they looked soft—and the matching throw pillows and blankets were in burnt orange. I stopped in front of a couch, both of the sidhe watching me enter.

"Lord, the midday meal will be arriving shortly," my escort said, bowing. With a single nod from Cassius, he left us alone.

"Take a seat, Jacqueline," Cassius ordered softly. He was seated as well, but Sorcha was behind his couch, keeping a hand on his shoulder. Their relationship seemed cold.

I sat down, trying to maintain my posture.

"Get comfortable," he said, eyeing me.

I let my legs sprawl out and leaned back into the softness, which made me realize something was wrong.

"What?"

"Someone used a persuasion spell on you recently," he said mildly. "I'm powerful enough to take advantage of it. Would you like me to clear you of the effects?"

"I knew about the spell, but I thought it had worn off or stopped working. I would be grateful if you removed it, but what would you like in return?"

"The whole truth about why someone would bespell you, then send you here," he said simply. "The whole truth about those with you. The whole truth about the intentions of everyone in your little party."

"I can give you that," I said, nodding. "As much as I know, at least. I don't know their minds."

"Done." He got up and walked across the space between us, then stared me down. When he touched my face, I felt the small magic finally leave my chest, but Cassius frowned. "I could remove that. You've been touched by fae magic before. I can't remove all of it. Why can't I remove all of it?"

"I have," I confirmed. "And you weren't supposed to try. That wasn't the agreement."

He gave me a sharp smile. "You're right. It wasn't the entire agreement. So, feel free to begin your story however you wish, daughter of Hasan."

"Thank you, Prince Cassius."

He stiffened, but he went back to his seat, keeping his eyes on me.

"I'll start at the beginning. Nearly three years ago, I was called to Duty to protect Carey Everson, a human daughter of a werewolf Alpha, dealing with a coup in his pack." Cassius seemed as though he was interested but didn't interrupt. It probably wasn't where he expected me to start the story of how I ended up in his domain, but he wanted the whole truth. I needed to tell him how I met Brin and what had been done for any of the rest of it to make sense. "I ended up having to take her on the run, and we found a motel and gas station run by a fae, his human wife, and their three sons."

Cassius narrowed his eyes.

"An odd place to find a fae."

"I thought so, too."

"And? What type were they? I could see a goblin or a gremlin choosing that lifestyle." He looked away thoughtfully, but I knew he wanted my answer quickly.

"They were sidhe, like you, though I didn't know that term at the time," I said. "Fiona, the human of my group, was the wife. Rian is the youngest of the sons."

Cassius' eyebrows went up. "So, about three years ago, you met them, and now you're protecting her."

I continued to explain Brin, the magic he'd done to me, and what happened after the full moon, how I had been shot several times, and that family saved my life.

"How did you get from there to protecting her now?"

"Back in April, I was dealing with some werewolf problems. I'm a werecat; it happens. Alvina was standing in as mediator to keep Hasan, my father, and Callahan happy. The werewolves learned of my ability to use something like pack magic and thought I might have stolen the ability from werewolves."

Cassius was nodding. "Or that maybe your mother did and gave it to you," he said softly. I was surprised. He gave me a rueful smile. "Subira is well known among those of us who have lived a very long time. I was around when the Tribunal was formed, and I know why she doesn't sit next to her mate. Inconvenient, those rules about purebloods ruling. It's the only assumption the werewolves would have about you having something like pack magic."

"Well, Alvina went into my mind to gain proof that it had been a fae who did it to me, and…she discovered something…more." I had already revealed to Fiona and Rian who Cassius was, but telling him was a scarier prospect. "She discovered who Brin was and told me."

Cassius' eyes narrowed. "I see."

"He didn't," Sorcha spat. "That—"

"Brin is King Brion of the fae," I declared, getting it over with. "Rian is your half-brother. Fiona is his current wife."

"My father…" Cassius stood and walked to the large windows. "And now you're here with them."

"Well, you may know more than I would about how this happened. My family has been tracking some rumbling among the fae, but we decided not to get involved. On Saturday night, which was only last night for me, King Brion and Fiona showed up. He's blackmailed me and Heath Everson into protecting Fiona, then Fiona called me to Duty, just to make sure it was official."

"Archaic," Sorcha hissed. "That lousy—"

"He's still the king, Sorcha," Cassius said, his words blank of emotion.

"We were attacked, and Rian was able to make a portal. He was trying to find his father or his brothers, and we ended up here, on your land. He found a…brother. During that attack, one of the assassins tried to persuade me to hand over Fiona. Because he's an Alpha, Heath was able to break it and get me moving through the portal."

"The magic I can't remove from you is my father's," Cassius said, nodding, but he didn't turn back to me. "Well, it seems you did have something I needed to know."

"Fuck him," Sorcha growled, and I saw a flash of inhuman teeth. "He walked out. He left. Fuck him and the horse he's riding back in on. He gave up the throne and expected you to break your back to keep everything perfect for his return."

"Darling…" Cassius turned to her. "I know."

"We made a promise," she hissed. "We made a promise that we were done. We were going to hide out here to protect our friends from this and never get involved with the mess your father turned the family into."

"I know," he murmured, reaching out to her as he crossed the space.

I had thought they had a cold relationship, but I was very wrong. The tenderness in his touch, her fierce protectiveness of him—they were in love. They were a beautiful couple who would go to the ends of the earth for each other. It was clear in the way they held each other for a moment, his hands on her face, his eyes locked on hers, her hands on his hips, holding him so he couldn't walk away from her.

"He hurt you, and for that, I will never forgive him," Sorcha whispered.

"We weren't even together when it happened," he countered with a smile.

"That doesn't mean I can't hold him accountable. I'm one of three who can." Then she eyed me. "You have brothers again and don't believe they deserve to be abandoned to his schemes. That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Cassius declared, releasing her and going back to his cool, professional persona. "Rian, the youngest, is he a good man?"

"He's protective of his mother, and his magic is a bit out of control from my understanding. I don't have a reason to dislike him," I said.

Cassius nodded slowly. "Let's eat and talk about what happens next. We'll tell you about our place in the current goings-on with our people. You have been pulled in and made a pawn by my father. He likes to do that to people he thinks will be useful. He's also capable of lying, so anything he said to you could have been a clever misdirection to keep you from his true motives. We'll discuss it all, and I'll find a way to…get you out of this alive. The last thing we need to do is enrage Hasan." He sat back down, and this time, Sorcha sat with him. He was the one who started pouring tea for us and dividing the sandwiches. He was the one who handed me my plate as he gave me a tired smile. "What's the blackmail?"

"Sorcha figured it out," I said, nodding to his wife. "I'm a werecat. My lover is a werewolf. He's here with me. Heath Everson."

Cassius winced. "And your position would make that a dreadful revelation. You run the risk of your lover dying to your family or your family casting you out. The werewolves might react violently as well."

"It's like Romeo and Juliet," Sorcha said with a teasing smile. "We're going to help them, then? Even though it's your father?"

"Especially because it's my father," he replied. "If it were just him and Oisin, I would let them battle it out. That was my intention. My father would win, and things would be better for the fae. I wouldn't have to get involved, and he would smartly leave me alone now that I'm married to you. But he's dragging in other supernatural species, and…and I have brothers." He looked away, his gaze distant. "Rian…the youngest of three. I know how it is to be the most powerful and also the one who is out of control. He'll be the one our father hurts the most before this is over."

"What?" I frowned. It wasn't my place to pry, but it sounded as if there was something other than unlucky coincidence here.

"My father always wanted a daughter," he explained. "But his mother, Titania, told him he was destined to have sons. Sets of three, always three. The oldest would always be his most loyal. The middle would be his smartest. His third would be the most powerful, but it would always be its own curse."

"Did he really think he could find a new wife and have something different?" Sorcha asked with a snort. "Titania doesn't lie, and her words aren't something that can be worked around. Once she makes a proclamation like that, it's final."

"When I was born, he wasn't hunting for a daughter anymore," Cassius replied, his eyes only for his wife. "He said he disabused himself of the notion once Titania spoke, really. At least, that was what my mother always said. I don't think he went out looking for a way to have a daughter." There was no hiding the momentary hurt that passed over his face. "He did run away and had a secret family, though."

I wanted to tell him more. About how Brion kept him a secret from them. How not even Fiona knew his name.

"Fiona and Brion have told me—"

"I would rather hear it from my father," he said softly. "But since he's not here right now, I'll talk to the boy and his mother about that further. Don't concern yourself with the drama of this, please. You are sworn to protect her? I'll help you. Sorcha and I will also uphold the bargain my father made with you. We won't reveal your relationship with the werewolf. It's not our business or our place."

"I would think most fae would try to use that information for their own gain," I said, eyeing him. "You won't?"

"I don't play the same games as other fae. I don't need to. I get no joy in it. My wife loves a good bargain, an honest one where the cards are on the table. It's a skill of one-upmanship to get the better deal. It's about playing the long game and fooling the other person into thinking it's an equal trade of usefulness."

"And I know how to win," Sorcha said, looking over her nails with a smile. "But Cassius doesn't enjoy those games, and neither of us like to wrap up blackmail in it. Brion must have been desperate to do so."

"Well, he wanted more than just a werecat. With the blackmail, he got Heath, who is also sworn to protect Fiona. With Heath comes his son, a strong werewolf and his second who will help as well, but he's divided between supporting us and making sure our lives don't fall apart in the meantime."

"What about your family?" Cassius asked.

"They don't know."

That surprised both of them, and I sighed.

"Hasan is protective, especially over family. I'm his youngest, and I have a…knack for getting into trouble. Earlier this year, a werewolf Alpha schemed to have me killed. At the same time, I was dealing with human authorities figuring out what I am. Werecats are now public, and I'm the only one the United States knows about so far. I'm the working liaison. If he knew I was dragged into a fae battle over the throne, he would get involved. He's a member of the Tribunal, and it's for a seat on the Tribunal, so he can't get involved."

Cassius nodded, accepting my reasoning. "Well, you're not what I thought you would be, Jacqueline."

"Really?"

"No," he murmured, a small smile forming. "I don't think I can even put words to my initial impression before we met. Your true names told me much about you, but I'm glad to see you put all of them to use."

It felt like a compliment.

"Right…" I ate the "midday meal" in silence. It was just lunch.

"I would tell you, but it's dangerous knowledge. Many people are safer because they don't know their true names."

I saw a way in, something to exploit, and went for it.

"That you stole from me in your home when I could have given you the information you had requested."

He started to laugh. "Yes," he said between the fits of laughter. "Yes, I did. What would you like in return for it?"

"I…" Well, I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"We'll leave it as an unpaid debt then," he said, shrugging. "A favor for the future. I am good for them. Before we part ways, I'll give you the means to contact me in case you ever need to call in that favor."

"Acceptable."

"Good," he murmured, his smile growing. He joined Sorcha and me, eating lunch quietly. For some reason, I had a strange sensation that I was with friends. These two were solitary and dangerous but good, noble people. I didn't know if I could trust that feeling because if it had been caused by magic, it was cleverly hidden in the magic of the world. Everything smelled like magic, so why would a spell stand out?

After the meal was complete, Cassius escorted me back to my rooms, where Heath waited.

"You were so angry when I got here, but you're not now," I commented lightly. "I'm glad we haven't upset you."

"You were a surprise, and mentioning my father was a foolish, rash choice on your part." He frowned as we stopped in front of the door. "I wasn't truly angry with you. I could kill you, your werewolf, and them,"—he nodded to the door across the hall—"without even being in the same room as you. You're in my house. It wouldn't be hard." He gave me a predatory smile, and anger filled the hall—white-hot anger with an undercurrent of pain. "My father, on the other hand…" He shrugged, and his expression softened, but the anger remained. "I'll see you at dinner this evening. We'll discuss how to leave this realm and return you home. Well, maybe not directly to your home, but we'll aim for your territory and see what happens. If I'm going to help a werecat, I might as well get her to a place where she can best help herself."

"You know a bit about my kind."

"I've rubbed elbows with your kind over the centuries and make it a point to know about as many supernaturals as I can," he said with a strange expression. "I'm a Tribunal Investigator. At any point, I could be looking into one of them and preparing to make an arrest, so I need to know who and what I'm dealing with. Werecat territory magic is not a secret." He opened my door. "We'll talk more at dinner."

I stepped in, bowing my head in thanks, and he closed the door behind me. I stood there for a moment, listening closely, then heard a soft knock on another door.

"I have learned we might be more important to each other than I thought," Cassius said softly to someone. "May I come in? I would like to talk to you about…our father."