Chapter 33
Ireland was pretty much the same as last time—guards with guns, secret drives through the city, blindfolds. Tori yanked off the offending silk the second she entered the same damn energy-riddled building as before. She followed Adam through a labyrinth of hallways lined with stone walls. A red carpet that looked old and expensive showed the path. Guards with guns were in front and behind them.
“Stay on the red carpet,” Adam ordered, seeming all right after sleeping. “Weapons discharge from the walls if you don’t.”
“I’m starting to hate witches,” Tori retorted.
Adam chuckled. “We get that a lot.”
She couldn’t believe she’d slept the entire plane ride. Well, after she’d had sex with Adam and then bawled all over him like a loser. Yet now she felt centered. In control. At peace. “Are they going to kill us?”
“No,” he said.
She waited for an explanation. None came. Sometimes he seemed to say things just to put her at ease. There was probably a decent chance the Coven people would order their deaths since they hadn’t mated. At the thought, her heart thumped like she’d been kicked by a horse.
Adam didn’t want to mate her.
Sure, he liked her. He definitely liked sex with her. But not once had he even considered making it permanent. She glared at his back. To save his own life, you’d think he’d at least think about it. But no. He was all sweet and let her cry, but when it came to getting serious, the guy would rather have his head cut off than stay with her forever.
“Jerk,” she muttered, trying to keep from crying again.
He stiffened but kept walking through the creepy underground tunnel. His movements were a little slower than normal. Was the Apollo still hurting him? “What?”
“Nothing.” She fought the very immature urge to stick her tongue out at his too-broad, sexy, and muscular back.
He kept moving, and soon the guard in front rearranged a bunch of small rocks on the wall into a pretty design, and the wall slid open.
“I’m so tired of invisible doors,” Tori groused.
Adam kept moving, his gait graceful. But she’d seen his eyes. They were bloodshot and streaked with an odd purple from the Apollo darts. “Are you healed?” she whispered.
He gave a short nod. “I’m fine. Sleeping on the plane helped.”
They entered the same big stone chamber as before, and Adam led her over to the same big stone table. “Have you guys ever considered a decorator?” she mumbled.
Adam stood, his hands on the rock. Two armed guards took positions on either side of the chamber.
Yet another invisible door opened behind the wide raised bench, and the three judges walked in and took their seats. Tori studied the guy in the middle. Peter Gallagher had an arrogant tilt to his chin that she really didn’t like. The Sal guy had big bags underneath his brown eyes, and he fiddled with his tie as he sat. The one woman, Nessa, looked at Adam with concern in her violet eyes.
This didn’t look good.
Tori stiffened her back to keep from dropping to the floor. She was in witch land, and if they wanted her dead, she’d be dead. What she wouldn’t give for a green gun right now.
Peter actually banged down an ancient-looking gavel. “Enforcer Adam Dunne. You have disregarded the orders of this Council and have assisted known fugitives in avoiding the law. You are hereby relieved of your duties.”
Adam didn’t so much as twitch.
Nessa held up a hand next to Peter. “Wait a minute. Adam is responsible not only for destroying an exorbitant amount of the Apollo drug but also for cutting off the distribution chain in Seattle. That has surely kept Dublin and our people safe for a while. His actions must be taken into account and acknowledged.”
Peter cut her a harsh look. “As the newest and most inexperienced member on this Council, perhaps you should listen more than speak, Miss Lansa.”
What a douchebag. “She has every right to speak,” Tori piped up.
Adam cut her a harsh look.
She quelled and again fought the need to stick out her tongue. Girl power needed a serious lift in the Coven Nine. She leaned over to whisper. “Their tenors are odd. Gallagher’s is kind of thick and dirty, while Nessa’s is pure, if that makes sense.”
Adam nodded. “He’s lying while she’s telling the truth, probably.” His breath whispered against her ear.
Whoa. That was a good new talent to have. “I’d trust Nessa,” Tori whispered.
Adam nodded.
“Stop whispering. In addition, you have not mated the human, as you promised,” Gallagher said grimly. “I know you’re a criminal, but I have to admit I’m surprised to see you break a vow.”
Adam stood taller. A tremor went down his right arm, and Tori’s eyes widened. He’d hidden it from the Council, but she’d noticed. How much Apollo was still in his system? “Adam?” she whispered.
He ignored her and continued facing the Council. His jaw was firm, and his shoulders back, giving no indication of the battle his body was fighting. “I have not broken any vow, as I did not agree to any arbitrary timeline. When I mate the human, it will be on a timeline that is none of your fucking business, Gallagher.”
That was it. That was so it. Tori lost it. “You don’t want to mate me. Don’t sit here and call me a human and go on and on about damn timelines.” Her temper burst through her so quickly she could barely breathe. “It’s all complete bullshit.”
He turned and seemed to forget all about the Council. “What in the hell?” he snapped, his eyes burning.
She planted both hands on her hips. As far as she was concerned, they were the only people in the whole stupid world. “I love you, Adam Dunne. Even though you’re stubborn, difficult, and sometimes caught in the last century.” She sucked in air. “But you’re also strong, sweet, and totally trustworthy.” She cut a glare at Gallagher, remembering the slimeball existed. “He’d never break a vow, you moron.”
Adam stepped toward her. “Victoria—”
“No.” She stomped her foot. “That’s it. You’ve had the chance to mate me, and you didn’t want to. I get it. You probably want a badass witch who has eaten crumpets with a queen or two. I get it. I’m from the wrong side of the tracks, and that’s the truth.”
“Crumpets?” He looked at her like she’d completely lost her mind.
She didn’t care. “But you’re wrong.”
“I am?” he asked mildly.
His tone caught her off guard. Provided a sense of warning. Yet she couldn’t stop. “Yes. Dead wrong. I’m the best thing that ever happened to you. I make you laugh. I make you see life in other terms than your rigid plans. And you like my music.” She wound down, her heart hurting. “You always hold back, because you don’t realize I can handle all of you. I want all of you.”
“Victoria—” He reached for her, and a huge crash came from behind them. He pivoted, putting her to the side.
“What was that?” she whispered, as the air popped all around them. Magic was freakin’ scary sometimes. Or physics. Hadn’t Adam said it was really physics?
“I don’t know.” The muscles vibrated down his back.
Another crash, and the entire rock wall shimmered and rolled. What the hell?
Gallagher smashed his gavel down again. “Interlopers.”
Tori bit back a totally inappropriate snort. Seriously. Who used that word? “What’s happening, Adam?” She wanted to be brave, but being stuck underground where rocks collapsed sped the adrenaline through her.
He tilted his head. “It’s familiar. Signatures.” He breathed in through his nose. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“What?” Tori asked, moving closer to him.
He shook his head. “Family. Damn it.” He looked down at her, his eyes darkening and his lips pursing. “You said you could jam that gun?”
She nodded, her throat too dry to speak.
“Good.” He pointed to the wavering wall. “If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a cadre of witches on the other side, probably a vampire and demon as well, and they’re trying to unravel the physics that keeps the wall in place. Why don’t you help them?”
She blinked. “Me? Get rid of a wall?”
“’Tisn’t really a wall,” he said, crossing his arms. “It’s not real at all. And there’s a lot of power coming from the other side.” Flames flowed naturally down his arms. “I’ll aim high for the corners so I don’t burn anybody, and you go for the center.”
She gulped.
“Stop it. Stop this right now,” Gallagher yelled from behind them. “Guards!”
Adam threw a fireball into the top right corner, and the wall morphed and stretched.
Tori shut her eyes and held out her hands, trying to focus all of herself into her fingers. A tingle started inside her. She pushed harder, energized by the now-familiar feeling.
“Kill them,” Gallagher yelled.
Panic rushed through her, and she added it to her strength. Something shot from her fingers, something she felt like fire. A huge crash sounded, like windows upon windows of glass being shattered. She opened her eyes to see the wall collapse, hit the ground . . . and then disappear.
She swallowed air like it was water.
Kellach, Daire, Simone, and the king stood facing her, along with a dark-haired man with a scar along his jaw and another guy, this one blond with sharp black eyes.
“The cavalry?” Tori asked, her voice shaking.
“Aye,” Adam said with a resigned sigh. “You know everyone except Zane Kyllwood, the leader of the demon nation”—he pointed to the large dark-haired man—“and Nick Veis, his second-in-command and Simone’s mate.” He nodded toward the blond.
Tori gave a weak wave. “Hi, demons.”
“What the hell was that?” Kellach asked, twisting his neck to look where the edges of the wall had been.
“That was Victoria,” Adam said proudly. “Now that’s power.”
Armed guards rushed in from both sides, guns pointed. Kellach started to form fire.
“Wait a minute,” Nessa yelled.
Tori turned.
The stunning woman was standing, her face red. “Enough of this. What is it with your family? You keep coming in and blowing up the Chambers.” She shook her head, her dark hair spilling out of its knot. “You can’t just keep showing up here with guns and blowing things up.” Her arms gestured wildly. “We need better blooming protection.” In full temper, the witch was truly gorgeous.
Adam held up a hand. “You’re right. Everyone bank the fire, and let’s talk.”
“I sentence you to death,” Gallagher thundered.
Nessa punched him in the arm hard enough to knock him sideways. “You, alone, can’t pronounce that sentence. Now everyone relax, and let’s figure this out.” She retook her seat, regal as ever.
“I kinda like her,” Tori murmured.
Adam turned to face the Council, and the group from the other side of the wall formed a barrier around him and Tori. “I have proof that Peter Gallagher was the person to set up Simone Brightston.”
Nessa gasped. “Excuse me? Where is this proof?”
Adam faltered. “In the States.”
“No it isn’t.” Kellach moved forward and tugged a manila file and a flash drive from behind his back. “Adam traced the money and the paper trail, and we found a couple of videos. The evidence is here, and it’s damning.”
Peter shook his head. “This is ridiculous.”
Adam cleared his throat. “In addition, we’ve discovered that Peter Gallagher is working with or for the manufacturer of Apollo. We don’t know why, but we do know he engineered the release of Parker Monzelle for the sole purpose of distributing the drugs.”
“That is crazy,” Peter yelled. “Why would I do that?”
Adam lifted a shoulder. “We don’t have the motive as of yet, but I believe it’s all about power. Whoever is behind Apollo promised you the world once the rest of the Council was taken out, now didn’t they?”
Peter’s face turned so red his eyes bugged out. “These are all lies. I’m innocent.”
Nessa eyed him. “Yet we must investigate. I’ll set our best investigators on the matter right now.”
Rage distorted Peter’s face. “That’s your choice, and it’s the wrong one.” He turned back toward Adam, hatred in his dark eyes. “Regardless of any investigation, I’m the head of the Council at this very moment, and our existing orders still stand. Guards? Take Kellach, Daire, Simone, and the human to cells to await death. Arrest everybody else.”
Tori glared. “Stop calling me ‘the human.’ My name is Victoria Monzelle, and you can use it, dickhead.”
Adam’s lips twitched. “You’re correct in that the current Council’s orders stand while any investigation is taking place.”
Gallagher shook his head, triumph lifting his weak chin. “There will not be a stay in the orders while we await any silly investigation.”
“I’m no’ asking for a stay,” Adam said, his brogue out in full force.
“No?” Gallagher asked, his gaze narrowing.
“No. I, Adam Dunne, Enforcer for the Coven Nine, hereby challenge you for your seat on the Council of the Coven Nine, Peter Gallagher. The challenge starts now.”
Kellach moved forward and grabbed Adam’s arm. “You can’t do this. The Apollo poison is still in your system. You’re nowhere near full power.”
Adam shrugged. “It’s done.”
Tori trembled, just from the tension emanating from the two men. “Wh-what does that mean? The challenge?”
Adam looked down at her, his face stoic and no emotion in his eyes. “It means we fight to the death. Right now.”