“Two thousand years of death would do that to you.”

He said he trusted Caia to make the right decision. The depth of his understanding had floored her, and she had taken advantage of him being in the same room with a bed numerous times throughout the night.

“Lucien, stop,” she giggled. “I have things to do. I have to check Desi and see if she’s alright before I head up to see the Council.”

“I know,” he mumbled and then bit down gently on her ear as his hand slid up over her ribs. She gasped, falling into the deliciousness that was being with him and knowing he was safe… and hers completely.

“Lucie-” she was cut off as he took her mouth with his, kissing her so deeply she thought she might faint. She clutched him tightly, stroking his muscled back as he strained against her, clearly delighted by every gasp that escaped from her mouth when it wasn’t being devoured by his lips.

“We really have-”

“We will, we will.” He groaned and then kissed her harder. “Caia.”

“Caia.”

Oh dear goddess, she blinked and then blushed as she came back to the present, shaking the outstretched hand of Penelope Argyros, the magik whose suite they had been using and whose bed she and Lucien had ‘christened’… several times.

“Are you OK, dear?” She asked sweetly, a crinkle of concern between her brows.

“Oh, I’m fine. Now. Thank you, by the way.” She gestured to her shoulder. Jeez, she had to start paying attention. Just because she had Lucien back did not mean she could forget that the Head of the Daylight Coven had fled and was probably gathering followers at that very moment to take back the Center. Then there was Reuben who was pressuring her into doing what he wanted because he’d helped rescue everyone, and had offered to show her how to bring her ‘super’ power under control. Not to mention the complication she felt buzzing in the trace. A Midnight faerie had been spying in Paris and somehow got wind of what was happening at the Center. She had had to warn Reuben, who had in turn warned Nikolai, who was heading out to stop the faerie before she took it back to the Midnight Council.

When had her life gotten this complicated?

“Oh, I am pleased.” Penelope nodded and then turned to gesture at the Council who circled the table at the other end of the room. Caia sighed. She had had strategic meetings there before when she hadn’t known Marita was a psychopath.

She wasn’t going to lie, the Council intimidated her slightly. But this was no time to show them that. They needed her help and she had to prove to them she was as capable as she’d promised. Helping break them out of prison was a start, but technically that had been Vanne – she was, after all, being eaten by a werewolf at the time.

“Caia, do you remember the rest of the Council?”

“Of course.” She nodded at them, glad to see them all in one piece. She smiled when she saw Vanne and Saffron sitting with them and they acknowledged the smile with a nod of their heads. They were both still grieving.

Marion.

Her absence, here, now, in this very room, was more gaping than ever. Caia missed her so much even her teeth ached with it. A fire erupted in the pit of her belly and suddenly Caia couldn’t wait to find out what the plan was to bring Marita down.

“Caia, as you can see for yourself this morning, we, the Council, have brought the Center back under control.” Alfred Doukas led her to the table, his hand on the small of her back, guiding her and giving her reassurance at the same time. “We’re getting the word out to the rest of the Coven about Marita and things are progressing smoothly. We want to thank you for the part you played in rescuing us from the containment center – which by the way will be called Prison from today onwards.” He rolled his eyes. Yeah, Caia had always thought it was a dumb name as well. “Anyway, we brought you up here to thank you and to let you know that we know about everything… Reuben and all that.”

She blinked. Shocked. Surely… they didn’t know everything? Reuben wouldn’t have allowed that right?

“Vanne tells us that Reuben has a very particular gift against trace magik.” Alfred was frowning as were the others around the table. “Now as much as we’d love to know more, we are not Marita, and Reuben is free to go. Vanne tells us although Reuben isn’t a very old vampyre, he is extremely apt at training and control. Apparently he has helped Vanne in the past and, what with the loss of Marion whom we know was your mentor, we think it only best that you do as Vanne has suggested and return home to the pack to train with Reuben. Not only will he serve as extra protection for the pack but it means we can get on with finding Marita and bringing her in.”

OK… so one: Vanne and Saffron have lied to the Council about Reuben’s age.

Two: they think he can train me in Marion’s stead like it’s nothing but an inconvenience she’s not here to do it herself!

Three: they’re politely asking me to stay out of their way.

She shook her head in shock. “I-I’m confused. I-I thought we had discussed before-”

“This is for the best, Caia,” Vanne spoke, his eyes asking her to trust him. “Marita drew you into this war selfishly. You needed more time, more training. And I know we discussed the possibility of making you Head of the Coven in order to begin peace negotiations with the Midnights, but the Council are not all in agreement on that account. You’re still so young and untried and… well we just don’t all agree that peace negotiations are a credible solution at this point. So for now no one expects anything from you. First, we’re going to deal with Marita, and then if the time is right we’ll call on your help with the Midnights. And if you do hear anything in the trace that concerns you, you’ll let us know.”

They were smiling at her like an adult to a child. If she heard anything? Yeah, she was hearing something alright. The Daylights wanted her out of their business until it was convenient for them, while the Midnights grew steadily more anxious and suspicious of Nikolai’s motives. And Reuben! Hah, he was a peach! This was his doing! He had told Vanne to convince the Council to let her go so she could concentrate all her time on killing innocent people in order to free them all from the trace!

She felt a twitch in her arm and held in a gasp. My goddess. She was so pissed off she was starting to change.

Breathe, Caia, breathe.

She had to get out of here before she lost total control.

“Caia.”

Startled, she whirled around at the familiar voice and immediately felt the change recede. “Vil?” She rushed forward, hearing the scrape of chairs at her back as the Council tensed at the intruder.

Vil was out of breathe, his pale eyes stark as he reached for her. “They told me to come get you.”

Oh gods, oh gods… what had happened now? She trembled, holding onto him. She didn’t want to know. She didn’t want any more bad things to happen.

Are you listening to yourself? You’re in a freaking war, Caia, bad things are going to happen. And people are going to come to you for help, so shake it off and be cool!

“Vil,” she said calmly. “Who told you to come get me?”

He shook his head, blinking back tears. Oh gods, now she was near hyperventilating.

“Vil?” she demanded.

“Ella… Mal… they told me to come get you.”

“Why?”

He shook his head again, his gaze so sympathetic she thought she might die of panic. “Marita… she attacked the house.”

Someone brushed by her and she blinked, watching Vanne grip Vil’s arm. “When? Did she get away? Did anyone get hurt?”

He nodded and his head dropped as he whispered, “A few hours ago. She and the magiks that were with her are gone. Six. Six members of the pack are dead.”

A sob erupted out of her throat like a wail and she felt someone holding onto her. It was Penelope. “W-w-who?” she choked.

He was crying now, wiping his nose. “I’m sorry, Caia. I’m so sorry. Laila felt something and I wouldn’t let her go but she begged me and begged me to take her to the house and when I finally gave in it was too late.”

“Who?! Vil, who?!”

“Mal’s parents – Morgan. Natalia. The twins. And Yvana. Dimitri.”

Oh gods no. No. No, no…

She felt the world fall away from her feet. Dana and Daniel were gone. Alexa and Malek’s parents too. Yvana and Dimitri. No, no, no, no, no…

“How?” she heard Vanne ask.

Vil slumped, holding his hand out to Caia. “They just want you to come back.”

A face appeared in front of her. Doukas. His eyes kind and sad. “Go get Lucien, Caia. And the others. We’ll have a portal ready and waiting to take you straight home.”

She nodded numbly and let someone escort her out. Saffron. She held Caia’s elbow lightly, as if afraid the slightest touch would break her. Caia was thankful for her grip. The corridor kept tilting under her feet.

“I’m so sorry, Caia. This is too much grief for someone so young.”

Caia shook her head numbly. “I’ll be OK,” she whispered hoarsely, her heart aching. “But Lucien… he’ll blame himself.”

And Jaeden. Oh goddess, Jaeden. Her dad.

“A good Alpha always does.”

13 – Broken

It wasn’t real. It didn’t feel real anyway. Well, he could feel Caia’s hand clasped in his tightly. That was real. His heart was thudding beyond crazy. But everyone was so quiet as they waited for the portal to be opened that a sense of unreality washed over him. He heard sniffles and then looked at Jaeden who stood pale and shocked, frigid against anyone’s touch. Ryder stood near her, watching her anxiously, but keeping his distance emotionally and physically. If Lucien looked close enough he could see the hurt her distance caused in his friend’s eyes. Ryder had lost his mother. Jaeden wasn’t the only one who had lost a parent today. Alexa stood off to the side, her face mottled with anger and he knew what she was thinking. She didn’t believe her parents were gone. She thought this was all some nasty trick. But it wasn’t. His pack were dead. And he hadn’t been there to save them. Dimitri. Yvana. Morgan. Natalia. Dana. Daniel. Hell, the twins were just starting out. At that thought he glanced over at Irini and Aidan holding Sunday and Kerianna. Aidan kept glancing at his brother, unshed tears in his eyes for his mom. And Christian and Lucia, Lucia holding tight to Jaela and Christian holding Ivan’s little hand in his. His face was taut with grief but he stood close to his wife and watched his daughter’s face all the time. At the forefront of the group stood Magnus, his eyes catching Lucien’s every once and a while, seeming to match his feeling for feeling. The grief began to ooze into him, replacing numbness with anger and pain so deep it made him tremble.