Chapter 13
At least her sister sounded happy. Evangeline handed Bran the phone and closed her eyes. Was there a chance Neil shouldn’t be trusted?
He once worked for her father, after all.
“What’s going through that head of yours?”
“You’re making me question my sister and Neil.”
“Sorry. You’ve already admitted your father is working against you. I have to wonder why she stuck around.”
Evangeline sighed. “She’s not as strong as I am. She doesn’t see her worth. She believed his lies.”
“I hope that’s the truth,” Bran muttered.
Jay snorted. “Give them a chance. Especially the sister. I understand she’s been sick for years.”
Evangeline growled at him. “What makes you think you know anything about my family?”
He sighed. “I did my research. Wanted to make sure you really did deserve my mercy. And you did. You still do.”
Pouting, she leaned against Bran. “Wish I hadn’t watched you kill Jasper. Things would have been different.”
Jay snorted. “Doesn’t matter now. Figure this might make up for what you witnessed.”
“Thank you. So now, what do we do?” Evangeline asked.
Three mages appeared before them.
Preston’s eyes widened as he turned to stare at her. “What happened to you?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, the words dragged out.
“You’re different. Not exactly werewolf, not quite witch. I sense something else too. Like you’re blended.”
She shook her head. “That can’t be right. I was born a witch, but lost my magic when I was changed.”
“This happened recently. In the last couple days.”
“You said the dagger is supposed to change reality?” Bran asked.
“You have the Dagger of Change?” Tremaine prompted.
She lifted a shoulder. “Seems that way.” She reached her thigh and drew the blade from the hilt that wasn’t there.
“Shit, that’s like my mana-blades,” Preston said.
Tremaine nodded. “Close. I understand druids found a way to work mana-blades because they learned it from the Fae who created this blade, and others like it.”
“Why would the Fae teach the druids?” Evangeline asked.
Tremaine explained, “Same reason they taught witches. They’re descended from a nearly extinct type of Fae.”
“What?” Evangeline asked.
“Small groups of Fae came to earth long ago. They married the human casters. That’s how we got druids, witches, shaman, and mages, and other casters. Each group brought something different to human casters.”
“All right. So, this dagger, what do you know about it?” Evangeline asked, putting the weapon back where she took it from.
Tremaine tipped his head from side to side. “It’s ancient. From what Draecyn says, it’s extremely powerful and cannot be taken. Only gifted.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Apparently, it’s one of the relics needed for the Crimson Dawn, and for another ritual, but she refused to say what.”
“Why?” Bran demanded.
Tremaine looked at Preston and back.
Preston’s brow pinched as his head cocked.
Tremaine sighed. “I have a theory it’s something to do with finding Preston’s grandfather. And I’m willing to bet that Ceridwen won’t say anything about it until she knows he’s within reach.”
“Within reach?” Jay asked.
Tremaine nodded. “What I’ve gathered is that he was locked away, in some other realm by dark mystics because he was too close to ending HARP.”
“Look, I don’t know who that is, or why he’s important, but she can’t expect me to hand something over I don’t fully understand, but know it can be used to do horrible things.”
“It can also be used for good,” Tremaine offered. “But I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her trying to convince you to hand it over. Same as the Wolfssengen Pendant. Neither Draecyn nor Ceridwen plan to take either. They want to make sure the relics are kept safe. I’m sure she’ll be pleased with you having the Dagger of Change.”
Evangeline snorted. “Does she know who my father is, or what he wants? I doubt she trusts me much.”
“She believes you’re a victim. We all do, considering the story she told us.”
“And what was that?” she demanded, anger flowing through her veins.
Preston rolled his eyes. “That your father used you to gain information from Killian, then his son took you as a mate when you were still too young.”
“Wait, what?” Bran asked. “Your mate was Killian’s son? How many fucking brothers did I have?”
Her eyes closed as she nodded. “Trust me, this wasn’t the way I wanted you to find out.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
She spun toward Bran. “It was over a hundred years ago. I had no choice in the situation. Everything was different then, and I was just a girl who didn’t know better.”
He pushed his fingers through his hair, his brow pinched. At least his voice softened. “Did you plan to tell me?”
“Yes. Before we mated, but things didn’t work out the way I thought they would. I didn’t expect the dream to do that. And I haven’t exactly had a chance to tell you since we decided to take that step.”
“Does Nate know?”
She shook her head. “Not about Jasper being a half-brother. But he knows that you two aren’t the only children he had.”
Bran rubbed his face. “You don’t talk about your first mate, do you?”
A bitter laugh escaped. “I try to never think of Jasper. And he was nothing like you or Nate, for that matter. And no, Jasper was the only other Taggert I had been with.”
“I can live with that, but this discussion isn’t over,” Bran warned, his voice low. Though his eyes dulled with pain.
She swallowed hard. “And that exact reaction was why I didn’t have the courage to tell you before.”
He caught her chin, pulling her eyes to his. “I get it. But I want to know anything else lurking in your past that might make me pause. I want to get it all out and get over it.”
Anger shot through her, but she tamped it down. “Fine. Right now, I told my sister we’d go there.”
“You’re right.” Bran walked toward the entrance of the cave.
Evangeline watched him go and hoped like hell they weren’t over before they began.
“Where is there?” Robert asked.
“My sister’s new mate gave me coordinates. I think Neil or my sister may know more about the Dagger of Change. Not to mention, I need to ensure Genevieve gets far from New York. My father won’t be happy with either of us.”
Robert nodded. “I can help with that. And I only need the coordinates to find this place.”
“She said there were wards in place. I don’t know what kind, only that no one is supposed to be able to find it.”
“Give me the coordinates. Preston and I will check the area, then be back for you.”
She gave them the location and leaned against the wall.
Robert and Preston disappeared.
Jay rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought Bran knew about Jasper.”
“I told him the very basics. I didn’t discuss his lineage, or how I became a wolf in the first place.”
Jay held his hands up. “I don’t even know that story. Only who Jasper was.”
“Right, well, that’s a discussion I’ll have with Bran when the time comes.”
Bran moved in front of her, capturing her gaze. “Hey, whatever he did, whoever his father was, I’m still with you every step of the way. I swear to you. I’m sorry. The news came as a shock. I overreacted.”
“I’m sure other things about my past will shock you. Which is why I wanted to tell you before we went there.”
He captured her face in is hands. “Nothing is going to change the way I feel about you, Evangeline. I want you, all of you, every part of you. I’m sorry.”
She pressed her forehead to his. “Hope you still mean it when you hear the worst of it.”
“I will,” he promised, then brushed his lips over her mouth.
Evangeline felt as if her world would crumble. Could Bran accept the fact she’d been with another Taggert?
* * * *
The pain radiating off Evangeline tore Bran apart. He fucked up when he asked about the first mate, but damn it, that came out of left field. And yeah, part of the date, he hoped to get this kind of information out of her, before they mated.
She had secrets. Who didn’t? He sure as hell did.
And now, she felt like hell because he blurted out a stupid question—the answer didn’t really matter. Not in the long run. He knew she’d been mated to some asshole she wanted to forget. And he could imagine how easy it was for a son of Killian to be an asshole.
Luckily, he wasn’t, and neither was Nate.
“Evangeline, honest, the news took me by surprise. Same as my history with Meridian took you by surprise.” They had discussed that recently.
She snorted. “Makes sense that she awakened you. I have never liked her.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t think I had a chance with you, and it was before I became a werewolf. I’m sorry.”
“We need to talk about a lot of things.”
“We do,” he answered. “We both have secrets. And no matter what yours are, I’m not letting you go.”
“Shit, you haven’t even had her physically yet. How did a bond form?” Jay asked, annoyance layering his accent.
“Fuck off,” Bran snapped at Jay.
Tremaine shook his head. “You’re mated, but you didn’t have sex?”
Bran shook his head. “Not in reality. In a dream. The bond formed anyway. Maybe something to do with the dagger.”
“No, something to do with being her Sleepwalker,” Tremaine explained. “Usually, sex happens in reality before dreams for Dreamwalkers, but there are instances where this happens. I guess Savon never let Nate that close to her before the bond formed?”
“She didn’t, though if she had stopped running, I’m sure they would have,” Evangeline answered.
Tremaine chuckled. “I’m glad they finally worked their shit out.”
“Me too,” Bran added. “Now, hopefully, Evangeline will forgive my stupid reaction.”
She pulled him closer. “Forgiven.” Then she leaned up and whispered in his ear, “Soon, I want you, deep inside me.”
He growled low in his throat. “Want that more than you can imagine.”
“I can imagine,” she purred.
There was a pop, and she pulled out of his arms, turning to Robert and Preston.
Preston rubbed a hand over his face. “So, there’s a problem. That shadow creature you mentioned, it’s a dark mystic named Zariha. He’s on the outskirts of the property. He can’t get past the wards, but neither can we. We’re going to have to deal with the creature first.”
“And how do we do that?” Evangeline asked.
“Hurt it bad enough it goes away?” Preston shrugged. “Ceridwen says he won’t completely die.”
Tremaine shook his head. “No, but we should be able to destroy his body. Hopefully, that will be enough for now. We can figure out how to deal with the rest of him later.”
“Let’s go. I need to see my sister. I want to know she’s finally healthy, and prove to Bran she isn’t playing me for a fool, and Neil may have worked for my father, but his heart is in the right place.”
Bran almost said what he was thinking, but he kept his mouth shut. What if they were both playing them all? Okay, the sister probably didn’t make herself sick.
“I’m ready if you are,” Bran said.
“Yeah, I am too,” Evangeline answered.
Robert looked at Jay. “Are you coming?”
“May as well. What do I need to do?” Jay asked.
“Touch me.” Robert reached out to Evangeline’s and Bran’s shoulders, everyone else placed a hand on Robert, and then they were in the dense forest.