MY HAND LINGERED in front of Ash’s office door, hesitating.  I needed someone to talk to about this whole connection with Kye, and my choices were limited.  My mother was biased.  My father wasn’t even an option.  And Rex, well, there was no way I was ready to tell him. 

I dropped my hand and groaned.  What was I doing?  I never used to talk my problems out.  I’d just punch them out. 

The door suddenly opened, revealing a surprised Ash.  “Kory, what are you doing here?” 

I swallowed hard and shifted awkwardly on my feet.  “I was just wondering if I could talk to you about something.”  I shoved my hands in my pockets and chewed on my bottom lip.

A warm smile melted over his face, and he motioned me in.  “Of course.”

I slipped into his office and dropped into a chair.

Ash came around his desk and took the cushy leather chair.  “Want a snack?”  He took out a canister of mixed nuts.

My stomach was too queasy.  “No thanks.”

His head tilted as he surveyed me.  “What’s on your mind?”

I lifted my palm.  “Before I say anything, just promise me you’ll listen and not freak out.”

He nodded.

Words tumbled out of my mouth, spewing all the unbelievable and yet believable crap the groundskeeper told me.  I kept out the fact that Kye was Cassius.  I didn’t want that unnecessary truth weighing on his shoulders.  The headmaster already had enough trouble dealing with missing ferrums and The Council on his ass. 

Ash sat there as I blabbed, emotionless and still.  The only change was the darkening of his eyes.

When I finished, I let out a deep breath.  “That’s why Kye has such an interest in me.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” he said, drumming his fingers on the desk.  “Why can’t you tell me who told you.  Maybe it would help if I knew this was from a reputable source.”

I shook my head.  “It is.  Trust me.  And I believe them.”

“But Kye’s done horrible things to you.  When you first visited Amarose Academy, you were terrified of him.”

“I know.”  I had an embarrassing episode when I first met Ash, momentarily freaking out at his resemblance to Kye.  He could have been an older brother.  “But he’s different.”  I mentally rolled my eyes.  I sounded like a pathetic girlfriend stuck in a toxic relationship.  “It’s hard to explain.  Ever since I came face to face with him when I was turning, things slowly started to change.”

Ash grabbed a pen, deftly twirling it between his long fingers.  “Do you think he’s turning good?”

I grimaced.  “I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but I think being in contact with me has made him feel things he hasn’t since he was a ferrum.”

“Do you think he loves you?” he asked, his expression unreadable.

I shrugged.  “Maybe in his own, weird, twisted way.”

He stopped twirling the pen and pierced me with a hard, unreadable look.  “Do you love him?”

My head snapped back, slamming into the chair.  “What?  Of course not.”

One brow arched.  “So you don’t have feelings for him?”

“No.  I mean, I don’t know.”  My cheeks were flaming.  “I’m not as repulsed by him as I used to be.”  My insides were a mess.  This whole situation was a mess.  Listening to the words coming out of my mouth made me want to punch myself.  I was talking about a demon who’d done terrible things.

“But he took your friend, and he tried to kill Rex, your actual caetera.”  His brows dipped.  “It just seems like you should hate him for that.”

“I don’t think it was Kye,” I admitted.

Ash blinked.  “I don’t understand.  They both identified him as their attacker.  Why would they lie?”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on his desk.  “I don’t think they’re lying.  I think someone out there was trying to make it look like Kye had done those things.”

Ash couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.  “Why would someone do that?”

“Maybe it has something to do with Kye’s loss of interest in this crazy new world of super demons.  Maybe they don’t like how close we’re getting and want to turn me against him.”

Ash steepled his fingers on his desk, his gaze pensive.  “Interesting theory.  You could be right.”

I slumped back in the chair and rubbed my temples.  “I should talk to Rex about this.”  I should also tell him what Kye told me about the second part of the trifecta.  Kye had been alive since the beginning.  He may not have been around Aurora much after turning into a demon, but he could be our best shot at figuring who the descendent of the lastborn is.  “Maybe he can tell me if I should or shouldn’t let Kye see the book.”

“What book?”

My head snapped up, blinking.  “I-uh…”  My skin prickled with a warning.  No one besides Rex and my parents knew I had the Book of Blood and I wanted to keep it that way.  People would get hurt over this.  “Just a book of notes I’ve been keeping.”

I kept the wince from my face.  Shit.  I couldn’t have thought of a better lie?  Since when did I take notes?

Ash grabbed a handful of peanuts, staring down at them in his palm.  “I think it would be wise to tell Rex these new developments before you make any rash decisions.  This demon is dangerous.  Don’t forget that.”  A warning lingered in his voice. 

He didn’t trust Kye.  I couldn’t blame him.  I barely did.

 

∞∞∞

 

I flipped through the pages of the Liber de Sanguine, searching for the last ferrum directly born from Aurora.  The name at the top of the last tree was Penelope.  Long lines followed it, branching off.  I traced the one closest to the center with dark black print.

The last family name on the list was Garrison.  Of course the book had been missing for twenty plus years so the name could have changed.  I could be looking for anyone.

And Penelope might not even be the last child of Aurora.

I sighed and leaned back on my pillows.  The Council had to have some information on bloodlines and families.  This book couldn’t be the only thing.  It was just the only thing Lorne could get his hands on. 

Rex could probably do some digging.

My phone buzzed on my bedside table.  The number on it made me pause.  It was Kye.  Should I tell him what I found out, that I was once supposed to be his soulmate?  I wasn’t sure how he’d react. 

I snatched the phone and pressed the answer button.  “Hi.”  Geez.  I was talking to an evil demon like he was my friend.

A pause sounded before he spoke.  “That was different.”

“Um, yeah.”  I rolled my eyes.  Learning that bit of information about us was already screwing with my head.

His chuckle was deep and silky smooth even over the phone.  “What are you doing?”

“I’m searching for the last living relative of the lastborn.”  I tossed the book aside, debating on whether I should tell him or not.  “Or trying anyway.”

“And how are you doing that?”

“I have my resources.”  I sat up, crossing my legs.  “If you knew who this person was, would you kill them?”

“No.”

A sense of relief settled over me—until he continued. 

“I’d turn them.”

I scoffed.  “You can’t do that.”

“Yes, I can.  Lorne can’t use that person if they’re a demon and if I kill him or her, the last born could revert back to the parent if still alive.”

I rubbed my temples, trying to push away the headache forming behind my eyes.  “You can’t kill or condemn someone else just to save me.”

“Yes, I can.  You’re more important than anyone else.”

He sounded so certain.  How would he feel if he knew it was because we were supposed to be caeteras?

“Kory?  Are you there?”

I sighed.  “Yeah, I’m—”

“Thanks for finding that.” 

A gasp slipped from my mouth as I stared wide-eyed at Lorne.  He snatched the book from my bed, the hint of a smile curling his lips.

The shock of his sudden appearance wore off, and I dropped the phone, scrambling from my bed.  “You son of a bitch,” I hissed.  “That doesn’t belong to you.”  My fists clenched by my sides, itching to yank the knife from my boot even though it would do no good.

Kye was frantically calling my name from my phone, his voice frantic.

“There’s nothing you can do to stop me,” he said.  “I’m going to be a creature of the light again.”

I sneered.  “Killing me in some crazy ritual might turn you back into a ferrum, but you will never be what you were.  And she’ll never forgive you.”

Those eyes like the sun burned into me.  “We’ll see.”  Darkness began to swirl in his irises, and the pressure of his compulsion descended over me.  Kye’s compulsion hadn’t worked on me, but Lorne was a different story.

“Your birthday is close enough.  I think it’s time to take you.  I wouldn’t want to risk Kye turning you any longer than I have to.”  His gaze flickered toward the now silent phone.  “It seems you’ve even grown fond of him.”

I spun around to bolt out the door.  Or at least I tried.  My feet were suddenly glued to the floor.

Shit. 

Panic slid through my veins as Lorne approached me, the book tucked under his arm.  “You’re not getting out of Amarose with me.  I don’t care how much compulsion you use.  Someone will stop you.”

“Who?  Rex?”  He tsked.  “He’s one of the best hunters I’ve encountered in a while, but he’s still not strong enough to take me.  No one is.”

“Who said anything about Rex.”  My nostrils flared as I uselessly fought against his invisible hold.

The jerk laughed.  “You’re not going to hurt me, Koralein.” 

Before I could utter another word, cold air rushed across my body.  I stumbled as grass met my feet.  We were outside of the building, Lorne clutching my arm and dragging me across the nighttime grounds.

Son of a bitch.

“Don’t make a sound,” he murmured, his compulsion slipping over me again.

It was that easy.

Panic erupted through my insides as I tried and failed to dig my feet into the ground.  Nothing was stopping him.  He was like a machine.  He was going to drag me all the way over the damn wall, and no one would ever find me.

And if they did, it might be too late.

I was as good as dead.

Or not.

I was unexpectedly ripped away from Lorne.  Rex snarled as if he were a demon himself, his fist smashing into Lorne’s face. 

My heart shuddered.  I wasn’t sure if I was happy or terrified Rex was here.  Maybe both.

Lorne licked a dribble of burgundy blood from his lip.  “You arrived faster than I expected.  Too bad it won’t stop me.”

“We’ll see about that.”  Rex swung at him.

Lorne dodged the hit and grabbed Rex’s arm, twisting.  I gasped, anticipating the pop of a broken bone.

Instead, a figure blurred toward us and barreled into Lorne.  Rex twisted out of his grasp, and I yanked him to me.  We turned to see Kye slamming Lorne into the brick wall of a building, dust raining down from the hard impact.  The book thudded to the ground at their feet.

“Didn’t I tell you she was mine?” Kye snarled into his brother’s face.

Rex stepped forward, but I hauled him back.  “Don’t be stupid.”  Thankfully Lorne’s compulsion had worn off. 

Rex’s nostrils flared.  “I can’t just sit here and do nothing.  He tried to take you.  And what is Kye even doing here?”  His hand formed one massive fist capable of demolishing almost anything.  “I’d like to kill both of them.”

He’d probably want to kill Kye even more when I told him he was my original caetera.  “I think you should stay out of it.  Kye might be the only one who could actually take Lorne.”

The original demon snarled.  “And I told you she was going to be my salvation no matter what.” He shoved Kye off.

They circled each other, ice blue eyes against fierce gold.  Chills ran down my spine.  The amount of power streaming from them thickened the air. 

A humorless laugh exited Kye’s mouth.  “You’re a fool if you think Aurora will take you in her open arms if you sacrifice Kory to regain your light.”

“And you’re a fool to think creating your own race of demons will get her attention.”  Lorne snickered.  “Yes, brother.  I know you too well.  You’re still dying to have her come down and answer for abandoning you, for forcing me to abandon you.”

A lump rose in my throat as a flicker of hurt passed through Kye’s eyes.  I knew that feeling of abandonment. 

I shook it off as my gaze landed on the object a few feet away from the two demons.  “Kye, the book!” 

Both brothers lunged for it, Lorne snatching it first.

I cursed and ran toward them.  Well, I tried.  My jacket was yanked back, Rex clutching it.

“No way in hell are you going near either one of them,” he growled.

“We need the book,” I hissed.  “If Lorne gets it, he’ll be one step closer to having the trifecta.”

“If you get closer, he might have you too.”

I hated when he was right.

Kye and Lorne were now rolling on the ground, fighting for the book.  They were going to tear it to pieces.  Maybe that would be for the best.  I should have destroyed the damn thing the moment I knew Lorne was looking for it. 

How did he know I had it?  Had he been watching me?

Lorne suddenly sent Kye hurtling into a tree.  A loud crack resonated through the air, and his body hit the ground with a thud.  He didn’t get up.

Oh shit.

My mouth turned dry, and I stepped toward him.

Lorne blocked my path, his face riddled with cuts and bruises.  His arm was tightly curled around the book, and a deadly smiled split his lips.  “It’s time—”  His words halted as his eyes lifted above our heads, narrowing.

I whipped around.  My parents were marching through the shadows, their faces hard and eyes slick onyx.  This was the first time they looked like demons.  And they were scary as hell. 

“Get away from my daughter.”  My mother’s voice was more of a growl than anything.  If I’d met her in a dark alley, I might have turned the other way.

Lorne’s nostrils flared.  “Cordelia, I didn’t expect you here.”

“We expected you,” she snarled, brandishing an iron knife. 

“You can’t kill me.”  Lorne’s voice was full of confidence.

But my mother wasn’t backing down.  “Sure about that?”

Apparently he wasn’t because he disappeared within the blink of an eye.

I cursed, searching the darkness in vain.  He and the book were gone.

A groaning echoed, and my head snapped around.  Kye was slow getting up, grabbing his shoulder and popping it back into place with a loud crack.

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed.  His blue eyes turned on me, softening.  “Kory, are you—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence.  Rex moved faster than I’d ever seen him, pinning Kye against the tree.  His knife was arcing toward his chest, moments away from delivering a death blow. 

“STOP!”  The word exploded from my mouth, my heart in a panic. 

It was a good thing Rex’s reflexes were on point.  If not, the knife would have penetrated Kye’s heart.

Rex whipped around, lines creasing his forehead as the gold flecks in his eyes blazed.  “Why are you protecting him?”  He dropped the knife and stepped back.  “He’s ruined so many people, and he tried to ruin you.  He tried to kill me just the other day.”

“No, he didn’t,” I admitted, slowly making my way toward them.

“Kory, stay away from him,” my dad snarled.  “He’s a monster.”

My mother shook her head, knowing what I was doing.  “Don’t.  It will only make things more complicated.”

“Of course he tried to kill me.” Rex’s hand trembled with the effort it took not to jam his knife into Kye’s heart.  “I saw him.”

“It wasn’t me.”  Kye peeled himself from the tree and stood next to Rex.  “The demon you saw carve that crux into you either looked like me or compelled you to believe it was me.”  He held his hands up.  “It wasn’t me.” 

Rex scoffed.  “That’s a load of bullshit.”  He looked at me.  “Please tell me you’re not falling for this.”

“It’s true, Rex.”  I swallowed hard.  “There’s something I need to tell you.”  My gaze flickered between them.  “Both of you.”