CHAPTER TEN
Micah looked down at his sleeping mate and quietly rapped on the arm of the platform bed. He hoped the swaying motion would keep her asleep until dinner. She had used a lot of magic today and needed time to recharge.
He eased the door shut behind him and looked over to where Hawthorne had made himself at home in his living room. His feet were propped up on the coffee table and he was on his iPad.
"Thanks again for watching after her."
Hawthorne grinned. "It's the easiest assignment I've had all week. Does she know where you'll be?"
"Yes, I told her I'd be on Level One in a meeting with Kendrick. I don't imagine her waking any time soon though."
"I felt what she did at the hospital, she deserves a break."
"She did even more during that Founding Family meeting." Micah glanced back at the door leading to the garden. "Maybe I should stay here."
"You said that you needed to talk to Kendrick while the kids were knocked out before it got crazy again," Hawthorne reminded him.
"Shit. You're right."
"Go, on. I can manage here while you're gone."
"Okay, okay, I'm going. Thanks again."
"Anytime," Hawthorne said.
Micah left the house and jogged to the transport tunnel. He jumped down to Level One and headed straight to the Royal Garden. When he asked Kendrick if they could speak alone, Kendrick arranged for them to meet here to avoid being interrupted.
Kendrick was waiting for him by the door. "Right on time," he said and placed his hand on the door.
"You have access?" Micah asked.
"I pretty much have access everywhere except the vaults." He motioned with his hand. "After you."
Micah entered the garden and smiled. He always loved plants, a byproduct of being raised by an earth witch. They walked over and sat at the picnic benches the twins installed.
Kendrick folded his hands in front of him. "So, what did you want to see me about?"
Micah closed his eyes and cast the strongest soundproofing spell he could. Kendrick's eyes widened. "Micah is everything okay?" he looked around as if assessing any potential danger.
Micah took a deep breath. "After mating with Serenity, I told her some things about my family. She pretty much begged me to come to you for your help."
Kendrick's eyebrows snapped together as he frowned his concern. "I know I tease Serenity terribly, but there isn't much I wouldn't do for her. She's the bratty kid sister I never had."
Micah hesitated. The next question would determine a lot. "What do you know about the massacre that happened five thousand years ago?"
Kendrick blinked. "What do you need to know?"
Micah stared. "You know of it?"
Kendrick slowly nodded. "Yes, but how do you?"
Micah shook his head. "Please, it's important. How do you know?"
Kendrick watched him for a moment before he answered. "My father told me about it. I was out of the country at the time."
"And how did he know?"
"He was there that night."
Micah exhaled. "So few remember the actual events of that night. I was fully expecting to have to peel back centuries of false memories before I could ask for your help." He wanted to lay his head on the table. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you're one of the very few who know."
"Micah, how do you know? You're not that old and you were raised in Storm Keep," Kendrick asked.
"You know about the mental manipulation."
Kendrick nodded. "But not exactly how it works."
"The most accurate theory I've read is that whatever magic was used that night permeated the stone of the Stormhart castle turning it into a broadcast tower constantly sending out the false narrative."
Kendrick leaned forward looking excited. "I never even thought about the castle itself, I thought it might be a powerful stone housed in one of the towers."
Micah shook his head. "One eye witness account reported that, for just a moment, the entire castle seemed to glow a faint red color, as if stained by the blood spilt that night."
"I have a copy of just about every book written about magic and the history of Storm Keep, I have never read any theories about the massacre or eye witness accounts." He eyed Micah closely. "Where are you getting your information."
Micah met his eyes, he didn't know if it was Serenity's influence, but he trusted Kendrick. "I am the bearer of the Veritas Book. It is a compilation of testimonies from different witches before their memories faded. We even have some accounts where the witch agreed to a type of regression therapy. They remembered long enough to tell us what they knew then they'd forget again."
Kendrick's hands started to visibly shake. "I need to read that book."
Micah shook his head. "I'm the only one allowed to read its pages. I have to read the entire thing at least once every other day or so, or even I start to forget some of the stories."
"Micah, you don't understand..." Kendrick started.
"I'm sorry Kendrick but my answer is no. Ever since that night five thousand years ago my family has worked and died creating this book. I'm not trying to be difficult, but my family swore an oath to our true king and queen and I won't be the one to break it. My duty is to not only reveal to the world what happened but to also make the ones responsible pay for what they've done."
Kendrick blinked back tears. Micah felt terrible. "I know it's overwhelming to hear at first..."
Kendrick stood and walked around the table. Micah thought for sure he was going to take a swing and was shocked when he was pulled to his feet and into a massive hug.
"Uh, Kendrick. We're both mated..."
Kendrick began to chuckle. When he stepped back Micah could see tears on his cheeks. "Okay. Great meeting, I gotta go."
"My name is Julian Stormhart. My parents were driven from Storm Keep five thousand years ago and the only ones who could have possibly have accomplished all you've said are the supposedly murdered members of the Whiteoak family. The intelligence agency my mother created," Kendrick drew in a shaky breath.
Micah's chest constricted and his throat closed. For some reason he couldn't seem to get any air. He grabbed at his throat and looked up at Kendrick in a panic.
Kendrick's hand went to his back forcing him to bend in half. "Easy, shallow breaths. In. Out. In. Out," he said softly.
"D-d-dyin-n-g," Micah gasped. He turned to look up at the man allowing him to die.
"No, you're not dying, you're having a panic attack," Kendrick said grinning down at him.
Kendrick eased him back onto the bench and sat down next to him facing the opposite direction as he leaned against the table. "Better?"
Micah kept a hand on his chest. "I think so." He glared at him. "Why aren't you dead?"
Kendrick raised a brow. "How do you exist? My mother was certain that her closest friends died giving them time to escape. She said it was as if the castle rose up to fight off the attackers, but it wasn't enough."
Micah blinked repeatedly. Kendrick said mother, but he was talking about their queen, his queen! Kendrick nudged him. "Right. Sorry. My gran was training with a unit and survived. She's the one who started the book.
"My family started serving yours before the end of the Great War. Your mother used intelligence they gathered to avoid bloody battles. After the war ended, they followed the royal couple and took up different positions in the castle.
"The Ashleighs became the sword and the Ironwoods the shield. They were meant to be seen, respected and feared to do their jobs. But my family had to blend in to do their jobs, so they became the maids, the cooks, the stable hands and every other possible position that would give them the most access to the kingdom.
"The Ashleighs and the Ironwoods lost the elder generation the ones who lived in the castle, but the younger ones survived because they lived together on larger estates next to the castle.
"Your mother was right. One entry in the book said, that on the night of the attack, the intruders were engaged at every turn. Nearly every servant, my family, took up arms and it was barely enough to get them out alive."
Kendrick shook his head. "That book. The missing piece of the puzzle. The only thing in existence that could prove to others that something did happen five thousand years ago."
Micah spun on the bench to face him. "Why haven't you done anything? You could have taken back the city..." He stopped Kendrick just smirked at him. "Right, it's hard to take a back a city when they don't remember who you are."
Kendrick gave a one shoulder shrug. "And I was protecting something very important." Micah frowned. Kendrick continued. "My brother Keelan."
Micah felt his chest constrict. Kendrick whacked him a few times. "We're not doing this again."
"Keelan is hurt!" Micah shouted. Keelan was one of his princes. The last of the line he was sworn to protect.
"Yes, I know. Though, technically he isn't hurt at all, he's just not in his body at the moment."
"Can't you put him back in?" Micah asked.
Kendrick nodded then shook his head. "He's busy at the moment acting as the intelligence portion of the perimeter protecting Lycaonia."
"The purple fireworks," Micah whispered.
Kendrick chuckled. "In the centuries that Keelan served as a unit warrior I had no idea the craziness and fun he experienced in his day to day life. Do you know that Aiden thinks little human girls are ninjas?"
"Why?" Micah asked feeling thoroughly confused.
"He listened to Colton," Kendrick explained.
"You do realize that those two are the highest-ranking unit warriors in the country, don't you," Micah pointed out.
Kendrick smiled. "Amazing isn't it?" His smiled faded a bit. "You should see those two fight. Never in all my years have I ever seen anything that comes close to how beautiful they look when fighting in hand-to-hand combat, standing back to back with each other."
"Beautiful?" Micah asked skeptically.
Kendrick just nodded. "I think it's because they were raised side by side. Before they even received any training, they were toddling around together in diapers. It's almost like Colton is an extension of Aiden when they're fighting. They just know instinctively where the other is." He looked Micah in the eye. "Without magic, there's no way I could take them and I've studied different fighting techniques for thousands of years."
"I really want to see them fight now," Micah confessed.
Kendrick stared into the distance. "They're also the best because they never leave a man behind. The day Elder Airgead tried to kill us, the council building was coming down, I had given up, but the Alpha Unit was waiting for me in the hallway." He shook his head. "I owe them much."
Micah's mouth dropped. "What in the hell do you mean when Elder Airgead tried to kill you?"
Kendrick winced. "Oh yeah, you only heard the edited version." He took a deep breath and began retelling him the actual events of that day and the ramifications of what it all meant.
Micah swallowed hard. "Your parents..."
Kendrick's jaw clenched. "Still trapped."
"I swear to you on my life, I will not rest until they are free," Micah vowed.
Kendrick just stared at him. "Thank you. I've long since forgotten what it felt like to have the loyalty of such a dedicated family." He tilted his head, reminding Micah of Meryn. "Why didn't you go to the Ashleighs or the Ironwoods?"
Micah just stared. "They know?"
Kendrick held up his finger. "So far, only Marshall Ironwood and Lily Camden know. The truth kinda came out at dinner when they were visiting Amelia. In fact, the entire Alpha Unit knows." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't told the Ashleighs yet."
Micah barked out his laughter. "Thane is going to kill you," he predicted.
Kendrick winced. "Yes, I'm not really looking forward to that conversation, though I know it's coming soon. I pulled Marshall off his mission to find my parents. The Ashleighs listened to Marshall when he reported in because they respect him, but I know they sent multiple agents to check to make sure Marshall and Lily aren't under any influence or being coerced."
"Have they met Lily Camden?" he joked. That woman was a force of nature.
Kendrick gave him an evil smile. "You mean Meryn's biological aunt?"
"Who in the hell is this little human?" Micah asked. It seemed like every time they turned around Meryn was at the center of things.
"Believe me, I know exactly what you mean. She is under my protection at the moment, if only because Anne simply adores her."
"And she adopted your cousins," Micah said slyly. He took great satisfaction in the way the blood drained from Kendrick's face. He owed him after his identity reveal.
Kendrick was now the one standing with a hand on his chest. "What! No! That's impossible. They-they-they..."
"Breathe. In. Out. In. Out," Micah teased.
Kendrick took a moment to collect himself. "It's not true."
Micah nodded. "Actually, it is. Remember, my family deals in truth and secrets. Your father's cousin was murdered that night, but his mistress lived. She gave birth and the child lived happily in ignorance and ambiguity. My gran kept tabs on that line thinking they were the last of the Stormharts. The twins' parents were assigned out and never returned to Storm Keep so the boys were placed in the orphanage. There were a few times when she almost yanked them out, but decided it was safer not to bring attention to them." Micah pointed up at Kendrick. "You helped raise your cousins and didn't even know it."
Kendrick sat back down abruptly returning to his place on the bench. "It's been just me and Kee for so long, then Kee..." His eyes narrowed. "Is that twisted son of bitch still in charge at the orphanage?"
Micah nodded. "Why you gonna kill him?" he asked flippantly. When Kendrick turned to face him, his eyes held such murderous rage that it shocked him. Micah shook his head. "Poor bastard doesn't even know he's already dead."
Kendrick growled. "Like your gran, I didn't interfere because I didn't want to make things worse for them and legally I had no recourse, but now that I know..." he trailed off.
Micah saw Kendrick grinding his teeth. He reached over and patted his leg. "Look on the bright side. At least that red hair stayed in the family."
Kendrick gave a sad smile. "It was the reason why I left, the court nobles said I didn't look like my father. They didn't really know about recessive genes back then." He chuckled. "After my parents were driven away from Storm Keep my father loved tending his garden. Over the years, that much time in the sun turned his hair auburn. I finally saw where I got my hair."
Micah rotated on the bench so he could lean against the table as well. "What do we do now?"
"Eventually I would like to read your Veritas Book." He rubbed his jaw. "For now, we concentrate on curing this virus. Once we're able to leave the city I think a sit-down meeting with the Ironwoods and the Ashleighs is long overdue." He turned his head. "Our enemy is still out there. That level of mass mental manipulation..." He looked around. "Gods! That's why you're here isn't it?"
"Taking my warrior exam was one of the hardest things I had to do. I had to score high enough to be placed with Eta, but low enough that they wouldn't keep me in the city."
"Have you found anything?" Kendrick asked.
"Loads, but nothing concrete enough to explain what happened five thousand years ago. Unfortunately, I've found that vampire abilities are very subjective.
"For example. One day a vendor on Level Six could hear the thoughts of those around her. She described it like her mind had tuned into one station for the day. The following day the ability was gone. In another case a woman was assaulted by her own mate. Unbeknownst to him his anger at her lashed out in her mind. He was absolutely guilt-stricken but swore up and down he had no idea he was doing it.
"The older vampires have more control, but even then, they have to concentrate solely on a single person. Unless we're talking about a vampire with extraordinary abilities, then you would need at least a couple thousand vampires to pull off what happened in Storm Keep."
"Did you only talk to women?" Kendrick asked curiously.
Micah nodded. "Women were easier to get close to. Sadly, most of them simply wanted someone to listen to them." He looked down at his hands. "I've been lying to my unit brothers all these years. My true purpose in getting assigned to Noctem Falls was to learn as much as I could about vampire abilities. I feel like I've betrayed their trust."
"That's not necessarily true. You never outright lied to them and according to Adriel you're the best unit witch in the city. I believe that you have gone above and beyond in carrying out your unit warrior duties. You just had things you couldn't tell them to not only keep them safe, but many others as well. A single mission can carry two purposes Micah," Kendrick said in a firm, but kind voice.
In that moment Micah knew that he was in the presence of his king. "What would you have me do?" he asked. Kendrick could ask him to pretty much do anything that wouldn't put Serenity in danger and he would do it. By asking that question he wanted Kendrick to know that he had his undying loyalty.
Kendrick looked startled at what the question implied, then composed himself. "Flirt. Enjoy being mated. Protect your warrior brothers and the city you serve. There will come a time when I will need your help, but until then, live each day to the fullest. We have dark days ahead and we will need these days to carry us through."
"I can definitely flirt," Micah admitted trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Don't let your mate hear that. She can literally tie your nuts in knots. I taught her the spell myself."
"Can I tell her about you?"
Kendrick grimaced. "She may end up tying my nuts in knots. But go ahead anyway. There shouldn't be secrets between mates." He looked over at him. "What about the Alpha Unit? Technically they don't have to know that you exist, but since they know everything else it might work in our advantage to have their help later."
"Meryn knows about you?" Micah asked.
Kendrick smiled smugly. "She figured it out on her own based on the last name I chose to return to the city with."
"Ashwood. How did I miss that?" Micah felt like it was obvious now that he knew. "If we tell Alpha about me, can we tell Eta about you?"
Kendrick was silent for a few minutes. "If the men turned out to be anyone but who they are I'd say no. But Adriel is related to Gavriel. Declan is a member of the most political savvy shifter Founding Family in the world, Grant's brother leads the largest wolf pack in the country and he's an Alpha Born, and Etain's family has always served Queen Aleksandra who already knows who I am." He clapped him on the back. "Then there's you. One of the last surviving members of the family my parents trusted the most. I believe I will let you use your judgement on whether to tell Eta and the others or not."
Micah groaned as Kendrick placed that decision in his lap. He started going over everyone else holding up fingers as he went. "It's a given that if the men know, their mates will know was well. Which considering those special ladies I don't think it will be a problem. Magnus of course is a given, along with Caspian since he is a royal, so Broderick will be told. Rex for the same reasons as Declan, probably even more so. Marjoram won't care one way or another she'll still fuss at you and make you cookies." He frowned. "We may have to shackle Law beforehand though, so he doesn't strangle you." He put down his hands having run out of fingers. "Avery, Warrick, Pip and the twins haven't been eating with us at night very much. I'd trust Warrick with my life and I know Avery would never betray us. It just isn't in him. I trust the twins, but they are young. The only ones I'm unsure of are Laelia and Radclyffe Juniper, Pip and whichever guard will be in the room at the time."
Kendrick turned to him. "Laelia and Radclyffe will be fine. They are dedicated heart and soul to the people of Storm Keep. They may actually be needed to act as points of contact in the city, along with your gran of course." Kendrick ran a hand over his mouth. "The twins would rather eat glass than do or say anything to hurt me. They are young, but everyone always underestimates what they've lived through."
"What about Pip?"
"I am going to trust Fate. She brought Pip into our circle for a reason and according to Meryn, he's family now. You didn't mention the squires," Kendrick pointed out.
Micah rolled his eyes. "I have never met better squires in all my life. They would break a confidence right after they killed their charges."
Micah stood and took down the sound proof spell. "Well, dinner will be fun."
Kendrick rose and chewed on his lower lip. "So, shackles for Law, right?" Micah laughed. Kendrick continued. "And you must keep your mate from twisting my nuts, Anne is fond of them."
"You're the big, bad, witch. I'm sure you can handle them," Micah said as they walked out of the garden.
"Go ahead and joke, you've never seen your mate pissed. I have. She is terrifying," Kendrick shuddered.
"You're more scared of my sweet Serenity than you are of Law Ashleigh?" Micah asked.
"You have no idea," Kendrick warned.
In that moment Micah realized he had a new goal in life. To never, ever piss off his mate.
*****
Micah looked down at his mate and wondered what she had done in the past to make Kendrick so afraid of her. All he could see were soft dark curls and creamy skin. Her mouth as moving slightly as if she was talking in her dreams. He loathed to wake her, but in an effort to avoid her getting mad at him he decided to wake her, so she'd have time to get ready.
"Serenity, my one and only, time to wake up," he said gently.
"No," she murmured and turned her face way from him.
"I made you a fresh pot of coffee," he said, enticingly.
"Fresh?" she asked, her head popping up.
"Yes. In fact, you have enough time to enjoy a cup before getting ready for dinner." He wanted brownie points for his efforts.
Her bright smile almost had him throwing his good intentions aside, she was so damn beautiful his body was making its own demands.
"I love you so much," she said in a breathy voice. She stretched and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Where is that wonderful coffee?"
"On the counter. I left a cup out for you."
She pecked him on the cheek. "Coffee, coffee, coffee," she sang as she walked into the house.
Micah could only hope she'd keep her happy mood after tonight's revelations. Something told him it was going to take more than coffee to calm her down later. He shrugged. Like he told his mate earlier, at least they weren't bored.