It happened so fast I didn’t see it coming. Sven dropped me in a heap as a raging force of nature threw him across the room and embedded his body violently into the wall. Crawling to my feet, I tried to assess what the hell was happening. I’d taken such a blow to my head when they dragged me out of the cell, maybe I was hallucinating.

I wasn’t.

Holy shit.

“No,” Ethan roared as he attempted to pull Gareth off of Sven.

Gareth was in full on killing machine mode as he yanked Sven to his feet, put his hands around his neck, and slammed him into the wall once again.

“Don’t you ever lay a hand on her again, you fuck. I will kill you. Do you understand me?”

Sven’s windpipe was being crushed and the words he tried to speak in his defense came out like garbled gibberish. Gareth was killing him and didn’t seem to realize it.

“Stop him,” Ethan commanded to the other guards who were so shocked by the violent turn of events they simply stood there.

No one had a chance against Gareth as unhinged as he was. Each man that approached was hurled just as violently across the room as Sven had been. This had to stop. Now.

Without a thought to how dangerous the enraged Vampyre was, I flew across the room and wrapped my arms around his waist. Laying my head against the tensely bunched muscles of his broad back, I followed my instincts—as broken as they might be. He wanted to kill Sven because he’d hit me, but Sven was only following my orders. He would not die for obeying me.

“I’m okay,” I cried out as I clasped the furious man in my arms. “He didn’t hurt me. You have to stop. Please. Sven is my friend. He’s your friend. Gareth you have to stop. Let him go. Please.”

The rigidity of Gareth’s body slowly began to relax as he registered my words. He dropped Sven’s body to the floor with a thud and Gareth’s hands gently covered mine. He pressed his head against the cool wall and kept a tight grip on my hands at his waist.

“Take Sven to his quarters,” Ethan ordered the stunned and silent men. “Now.”

They other guards quickly and efficiently removed Sven and quietly exited the badly damaged corridor. Gareth stood motionless and rested his head against the wall. However, he held fast to me. The only three left were me, Gareth and Ethan.

“I’d ask you what the fuck that was about, but I think I know. Venus, you will come with me to my office. Gareth, you will cool down and meet us shortly,” Ethan said tersely.

“Yes,” Gareth mumbled as he reluctantly let go of me while staying in the same position.

“Come Venus. There’s much to do before you leave.”

I nodded to my Prince and moved away from Gareth. Everything was starting to make sense… yet it also wasn’t making any sense at all.

* * *

“Penus!” Samuel squealed with delight as Ethan and I entered the office.

My favorite little boy in the world launched himself at me and covered my face in wet kisses. He was the miracle child born of two Vampyres. This was impossible. However, if the Vampyres in question were Astrid and Ethan, it clearly wasn’t. There had been prophesy in our teachings that The Chosen One would come and save us. She would also, against all odds, bear a child.

The child would be one of unimaginable power and would encompass all the attributes of each of the True Immortals—a very heavy load to carry. The sturdy little man in question also had an adorable lisp and loved me hard.

“Hey, baby,” I said, retuning his kisses and burying my nose in his soft blond curls.

Samuel was an anomaly in so many unimaginable ways. He was barely over a year old and had the intellect of an adult and the body size of a six year old. Thankfully his maturity level was still one of a little boy. He grew so quickly, I was always afraid a day would pass and he’d suddenly be a teenager.

“You wanna play wif me?” he asked with grin that made me think the world would somehow be okay.

“Maybe for a bit. I have a job to do.” I held him tight and let his pure aura wash over me.

“Me know,” he replied in a very serious tone for someone so small. “Me fix things up for you.”

“No, no, baby.” I looked him straight in his big blue eyes to make sure he knew this wasn’t a game. “You don’t need to worry about this. I’ve got it covered.”

“Yessssssss!” he sang as he wiggled out of my arms and ran to tackle his father. “Me no go wif you. Me just fixed up Uncle Garif, so he be safe.”

I nodded and glanced over at Astrid. With no clue what Samuel was talking about, I figured Astrid would be able to translate.

“Yes, about that,” Ethan said as he swung a giggling Samuel up onto his shoulders then turned his focus on me. “I was quite surprised you recognized Gareth. Maybe it didn’t take.”

“It take, Daddy,” Samuel assured him. The little man was making ponytails with his father’s hair.

In my centuries of serving Prince Ethan, I never would have pictured him laughing like he did with his son. Astrid and Samuel had brought a very serious and hardened man back to life.

“But Venus recognized him,” Ethan pointed out as he angled his head so Samuel had better access.

“Of course she do,” Sammy said with an eye roll as his slid off his father’s shoulders and hung off his neck. “Penus will always see the weal Garif. Always.”

“So Venus doesn’t see the blond haired, brown eyed man you glamoured Gareth into?” Astrid questioned, retrieving the little monkey from his father’s neck.

Color me confused. What the Hell were they talking about? Gareth had black hair and blue eyes.

“Nooooooooo!” Samuel explained, cuddling close to Astrid as she sat down on the couch with him. “Penus see him cause…”

“Because she’s very powerful,” Gareth quickly interrupted his nephew, entering the room and keeping a fair amount of distance from me. “That’s why she can see through the glamour you placed on me. Nothing more.”

“You be Pinocchio,” Samuel said, pointing a chubby finger at his uncle.

“And you’re about to be Sleeping Beauty,” Astrid said, tickling a laughing Samuel. “You want The Kev and Gemma to put you to bed tonight?”

“Ohhhhhhh, yes!” Samuel clapped his little hands and bounced in his mother’s lap. “He do stowies wif lots of voices and faces. I wuv The Kev and my Gemma.”

As if on cue The Kev and Gemma entered the office. If looks could kill, The Kev would have been a goner from the glare Gareth was sending his way. The Kev just waved and winked at him.

“Who you be today?” Samuel demanded as he marched over to The Kev and yanked on his shirt.

“Billy Ray Cyrus,” The Kev answered as he scooped Samuel up into a hug. “Tonight I will sing for you.”

“Heaven help us all,” Gemma said with a wince and a laugh. “Does anyone have any ear plugs I could borrow?”

Gemma and Astrid had been best friends since childhood. When Astrid had been turned two years ago, Gemma had discovered she wasn’t quite as human as she’d always believed. She was a Fairy just like The Kev and she was about to assume the throne in Zanthia.

Gemma was exquisite and while she didn’t take on different faces like The Kev did, I knew she muted her looks with magic. I was the lucky third in the trio of women and I counted myself blessed to have such loyal and amazing best friends.

Her icy silver eyes grew wide with pleasure when she spotted me in the room.

“God, I’ve missed you.” Gemma grabbed me and held me tight. Her fragrant scent of rain and orchids calmed my soul. “You will be very careful on this mission. If you die, I will yank your sorry ass out of wherever you land and drag you back.”

Grinning and tucking a lock of curly golden blonde hair behind her ear, I rolled my eyes. “I’m already dead, dork. However, I have no plans of turning to dust in the near future.”

“Roberto has been told the traitor is Rachmiel,” Ethan said, bringing all of us back to the matter at hand.

“Did you hear everything Juliette said?” I asked.

Ethan’s nod was curt. “The silver aspect is interesting. I’d highly doubt that a touch to his skin would kill Vlad, but he might perish if he were chained in it.”

“Explain,” The Kev said as he took a seat and cuddled the barely awake Samuel in his massive arms.

“Juliette said that Vlad was deathly allergic to silver—that a touch would kill him.”

“A mere touch?” Gemma asked doubtfully.

Astrid closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the couch. “It’s Juliette we’re talking about here. She’s not the most stable or reliable source.”

“True.” I nodded and pushed down the irrational pangs of sympathy I felt for her. “But she seemed sure.”

Ethan stared at me for a long beat and then shrugged. “Best case scenario, it’s correct. My guess would be that his allergy is more severe than most Vampyres. How would she know it could kill him? As far as I know the bastard is still alive.”

“Not for long,” Gareth muttered.

The Kev glanced over at Gemma and gave her a small nod.

Gemma reached out her hands to me and Gareth. “Come here.”

We both approached warily while trying to keep as much distance between us as possible. It didn’t go unnoticed by the occupants of the room. I ignored the snickers as did Gareth. He and I were going to have a serious talk. Soon.

“Give me your hands.” Gemma’s musical voice danced around the room and her eyes literally sparkled silver. “This will hurt like a bitch, but it’s worth it.”

“Like a bitch,” Sammy mumbled right before he fell asleep.

“Whoops. Sorry,” she apologized to Astrid and Ethan.

“Dude, relax,” Astrid replied with a shrug and an embarrassed laugh. “My son’s potty mouth is the least of my worries at the moment. What are you gonna do to them?”

“Just a little magic,” she replied easily.

My Fairy friend was loaded with magic. I’d even seen her morph into a monster roughly the size of an SUV when seriously pissed—rather frightening, but very impressive. However, she was also a giver. Gemma hated that others weren’t as safe as she was and was constantly handing out little extras to those she loved. The extras usually did hurt like a bitch, but that was the way life went.

Tilting her head to the side she stared at Gareth for a long beat. “You really look weird. I can tell it’s you because of your aura, but it’s still wonky.”

“Thank you,” Gareth said with a chuckle. “I’ll choose to take that as a compliment.”

“It’s meant as one,” she said as she glanced down at our hands and wrinkled her nose in thought. “Put your left hands in.”

We did.

“No.” Changing her mind, she her lips pursed and closed her eyes for a moment. “Take your left hand out. Put your right hand in.”

“Should we shake it all about?” Gareth asked, bemused.

My giggle escaped before I could swallow it. I’d been thinking the exact same thing.

Glancing over at The Kev with concern, Gemma sighed loudly. “Wanna help me out here, babe?”

“Right hand,” The Kev confirmed, seeming unconcerned that Gemma was about to do some kind of painful voodoo on us and wasn’t quite sure which hand to use.

“Umm… dude,” Astrid cut in. “Is this just gonna hurt or could you mistakenly blow their asses to Kingdom Come? Cause that would be all kinds of not good.”

“Of course not,” Gemma huffed, indignantly. “I would never risk the lives of those I love. It’s just that one hand is silver and the other is gold.”

“Should I?” Gareth asked, peeking over at me with a lopsided grin.

“Yep,” I replied feeling giddy.

“Make new friends, but keep the old…” he sang, much to the confusion of all present except me.

“You done?” Gemma asked him.

“Depends on what else you say,” Gareth quipped.

With an eye roll and a giggle, she took our hands and began to chant something melodic and beautiful. Tears pooled in my eyes and I felt like I was falling off the edge of a stunning cliff.

“Don’t let go,” she whispered in between the lyrics.

Peach and silver sparkles blew gently through the room as I felt my insides tickle and tingle. My head swam with vibrant colors and my body involuntarily swayed with the rhythm. Lost in a beautiful storm in my mind, I wondered why Gemma had said it would be painful.

And then I screamed.

Silver fire engulfed our hands that were clasped in Gemma’s. The haunting melody continued, but my stomach now felt like burning knives ripped through my gut. Gareth didn’t scream, but his displeasure was abundantly clear.

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed, jaw clenched and body tense. “The result better be worth it.”

I couldn’t have agreed more. I’d been pummeled by The Kev, head-punched by Sven and now lit on fire by one of my best friends. It took everything I owned not to pull my flaming hand away from hers.

Swearing profusely, Gareth stayed as still as I did. He was a tough Vampyre—but then again, so was I.

“That’s it,” Gemma announced. The fire extinguished as quickly as it had started.

The sparkling mist remained and the melody she had sung still floated in my head. But thankfully the pain disappeared with the flames.

“What in the ever loving hell did you just do?” I asked, examining my hand. It was completely normal. No evidence that it had just been engulfed in silver fire.

Looking extremely proud of herself, Gemma preened and curtsied. “You’re immune to silver.”

“Completely?” Gareth asked, shocked.

“Sadly no,” she replied. “Your right hands are. You can handle the metal and not burn.”

“Forever?” I was truly amazed. Silver was our kryptonite. I’d barely touched it in over two hundred years.

“Again, sadly no. But it should last a month or two at least,” Gemma said. “It’s just a precautionary measure. If what Juliette said about Vlad and silver is true, this will make it easier for you to use it against him.”

“You are so scarily brilliant and I am mother humpin’ glad to be on your good side,” Astrid said, checking out our hands with awe. “If only this could be permanent, we’d be in business.”

“Working on it,” Gemma said. “But I do have to say, it would probably suck big butts to be totally engulfed in flames.”

I shuddered at the thought having just experienced only one hand on fire, but I’d go through it willingly if it meant silver wouldn’t affect me.

“The little one is snoring,” The Kev whispered, planting a kiss on Samuel’s head. “Come Gemma. The Vampyres have plans to make and we have a child to cuddle with.”

With hugs all around and a loving threat to be careful, Gemma and The Kev quietly left the office.

“All right, let’s get down to business. Martha and Jane will be accompanying you,” Ethan said. “You leave within the hour.”

My laughter filled the office and Gareth joined in.

Astrid and Ethan were not laughing.

Oh. My. God. My Prince wasn’t joking.