Owned: Guardians at War by Bridie Henderson (3)

Deran stood and the crowd yelled abuse and insults, angered that they had been cheated. They had expected another kill and instead they witnessed a rescue operation… literally. Through the wire, Tracy could see Vendrell attempting to calm his guests as he sent his men towards the pit.

“Prepare yourself, Tracy. This is going to get worse before it gets better.” Tracy nodded and gripped the dagger tighter as she faced the locked wire gateway. Deran walked with purpose to the all but forgotten, lifeless Fae and pulled the short sword from his neck before taking his position facing the other gateway, back to back with Tracy. Vendrell’s men grew closer and closer and Tracy had only time to think, ‘well fuck… we’re all going to die regardless,’ before all hell broke loose.

Chapter Twenty-seven

“This is the place… call them,” Adalai growled, looking up at the warehouse. There were no lights, no noises, and on the surface it looked abandoned but, he could smell the blood and feel the emotions of hundreds from where he stood. He barely held it together as Chase called in reinforcements. They’d found it this time, he was sure of it. Chase had chipped away at his computer and produced three warehouses held under Linnear’s Wholesale Groceries and Produce and only one of those was seven blocks away from the warehouse they’d checked the day before. They were armed to the teeth and prepared with back up in the form of Anastasia’s coven… even Chloe had agreed to help, albeit begrudgingly. That meant that there was himself, Chase and five Witches to get through the hundreds of supes he could feel on the periphery of his mind. Their odds of survival were shit.

“Yep, Adalai’s certain. How long until you get here?” Chase put up his hands to show ten minutes and Adalai shook his head. He couldn’t wait that long.

“Ava, we’re going in. You’ll have to meet us in there, but be careful. We don’t know what we’re walking into… oh, well at least that’s something. Just be careful, all of you.” Chase hung up and Adalai looked at him expectantly.

“Clara got back from work. She’s coming too.” Hmm, six witches, a shifter and a demon… the odds were improving all the time, Adalai thought, wryly. Still, it wasn’t about to stop him. Chase pulled a small earbud from his pocket and pushed it into his ear.

“Ava? Alright, we’re going in.” Ava, a small witch with a punkish vibe, short spiky hair and a penchant for body piercings hadn’t spoken much over the past few days. In fact, she seemed to avoid both Adalai and Chase like the plague but she had expressed an interest in fighting beside them and had helped Anastasia rally the rest of the coven. Adalai didn’t trust her much but she hadn’t shown any signs of malice or nervousness around him when he had seen her. In the end, it didn’t much matter… he would be the one to get to Tracy and Deran and that’s all there was to it. Everyone else was just along for the ride. With that thought, Adalai started to stalk towards the warehouse and he was almost at the door when Chase threw out his arm and stopped him.

“Are you calm?”

“I’m the picture of serenity, now move out of the fucking way,” Adalai growled, his ruby eyes gleaming with a powerful rage. A rage that seemed unending, even to Adalai. It had been eating at him day and night since he’d lost them and now… now that he was so close to finding them, instead of relenting it had reached a crescendo. Add in the sharp pain in his chest caused by the separation from Tracy and he was at the end of his rope. Chase seemed to sense this because he wisely moved aside and allowed him to open the warehouse door. Adalai had barely made it three steps inside when he was accosted by a large man, probably a shifter and maybe a full foot taller than him which was saying something. He was no shorty after all.

“What are you doing back here? You need to either return to the arena or leave, Sir. Vendrell won’t be happy if he finds out you were back here.” Sir? Arena? What the fuck?

“I’m sorry, my friend and I got turned around. Could you point us in the direction of the Arena?” Adalai asked, trying not to ring his hands together as they itched to tear this guy’s head off.

“Of course, though I don’t think you want to go back there… its gotten worse. Vendrell’s gone and lost his fucking mind. The Arena is that way,” he gestured towards a closed door with a flick of his hand, “Do me a favour though, if anyone does find you, don’t tell them I was back here. I’m getting out of here while I can.”

“Wait… why?”

“Like I said, I always knew he was a psycho but a pregnant woman and a defenceless witch against a demon and a Fae. They don’t stand a chance and the baby… By the Creator… I didn’t sign up for that.” With that the shifter turned on his heel, his mouth set in a grim line as he stalked out of the warehouse without looking back.

“Pregnant woman?” Chase muttered raising an eyebrow.

“Hell if I know but I don’t fucking like it. Let’s go find out, shall we?”

“I’ve got your back, buddy. Let’s bring them home,” Despite Chase’s tendency to be a judgemental asshole, Adalai had grown to like the man over the past few days and other than his brother, and perhaps Kaleb and Alexa, he couldn’t have asked for a better supe to walk into battle with. And he was expecting this to be a battle. “We’re going in… stand by.” Chase muttered into his mouthpiece and together they strode towards the door the shifter had indicated. It opened into a corridor. A corridor that stank of piss and other forms of human waste but it was the sound of a crowd that was coming from behind a door at the far end of it that had captured Adalai’s attention. In his chest he could feel the pain recede a little and that was all he needed to know.

“She’s in there… Tracy’s in there,” he murmured, breaking into a sprint. He had just reached the door when Chase wrapped his arms around him, pinning his hands to his sides and preventing him from opening the damn door.

“I just started to like you Shifter, don’t make me hurt you,” Adalai snarled, his eyes glowing like hot coals in the darkened corridor.

“Just listen dammit! Listen to that crowd. We have one chance. Let’s not lose our heads and blow it… Demon,” Adalai growled again but Chase remained steadfast in his position. Adalai could have reached him, could have put him in a world of pain and fucked up his mind forever but the damn shifter was right. They had one chance. Stiffly he gave a nod and stopped struggling. Chase let go, albeit tentatively, as though he was working with a wild animal. When he was free, Adalai straightened up his jacket and rolled his shoulders, working out his agitation.

“Calm, okay? Let’s find out what we’re up against before we charge in half-cocked.”

“Come on Shifter, I’m never less than fully cocked,” Chase gave him a deadpanned look but after an exaggerated eye roll he pushed open the door and the scent of blood and death hit them both. There were men and women on all sides, some shouting in aggravation at something below, others looking positively green. He was trying to find out what they were looking at when a particularly large headed man with the exquisite ability to always be in the fucking way finally moved. He wasn’t expecting what he saw. Tracy was straddling his brother in the middle of a cage that was probably lined with silver and she had her hand inside him. Deran was groaning in pain but Tracy didn’t stop. Adalai was beginning to wonder if he would have to choose between them when she finally withdrew her hand, a thin silver rod coming with it. Adalai could feel Deran’s relief from the top of the Arena and he matched it with his own. No choice necessary.

“Dude… I totally thought she was killing him then. What’s she holding?” Chase murmured beside him but whatever it was it would have to wait. Right now Adalai was more concerned with the men he saw moving towards the cage, right towards Tracy and Deran. Apparently his Mate and his brother were just as concerned because they were on their feet within seconds, standing back to back, Tracy, indeed holding an odd white bundle, had a dagger the size of a toe nail whilst Deran held a blood soaked short sword. At their feet was a dead man with white blonde hair that he thought was a Fae and a woman staring eerily at the ceiling, her stomach cut open and blood everywhere. What the hell was going on here? It didn’t matter. He’d seen enough.

“Call them. Call them all. I’m going to get my family.” To his credit, Chase didn’t try to stop him this time. Instead he pulled up his mouth piece and shouted for assistance as Adalai began to sprint towards the cage. He rushed down the steep steps of the Arena, pushing people out of the way as he went, his heart racing and his blood boiling. Tracy and Deran were both covered in blood and both wearing white outfits, though Deran was shirtless. What the hell had they been made to do? Though, fuck or fight. That had been what that first shifter in the alley had said. Was it wrong of him to be grateful that they were just fighting? Or was it premature to celebrate that, even if it was just in his head. Hell, didn’t matter now. He made it to the bottom of the Arena and came face to face with a Fae.

“Sir… I’ll have to ask you to sit back in your seat. The fight will continue once we have contained this situation.”

“That where you’re wrong. I am the situation,” he muttered, as he was pulling his tomahawk from the small of his back, where he had hidden it in his waistband. With one swift movement he thrust it into the Fae’s neck, pulling downwards until he felt the silver blade scrape against bone. The Fae went down like a brick, a wide-eyed look of surprise and horror permanently etched on his face. From there, Adalai felt nothing, none of the pain he often felt when he killed, not the echoes of pain from his victims, not even the physical pain of the hits he took as he faced down two shifters and another Fae at the same time. He pulled his silver baton from his holster and clicked the end so that the spear shot out and then it was game on. Wielding his tomahawk in one hand and his spear in the other, he hacked and pierced his way through the onslaught of supes until he was in front of the opening to the cage. Chase wasn’t far behind him, his eyes glowing shifter yellow and his hands tipped with killer claws that he had personally witnessed cut through a man like butter. The man had skills. He raced inside to see Deran standing his own against a couple of shifters who had made it inside the cage from the other opening and Tracy backed into a corner, the little white bundle in her arms and only the tiny needle to protect herself with. A shifter took a swing towards her, a swing she could have easily dodged but instead she turned, protecting the bundle and took the blow to the ribs with a little yelp of pain. That was it. His sanity finally snapped and he threw his spear into the shifter, heedless of the consequences if he missed. Luckily he didn’t and the shifter went down with a grunt. Adalai roared in passionate anger as more of Vendrell’s men flooded the cage. Pulling free his dagger he charged at first one then another, taking shots to the ribs as he went but he didn’t care. He sliced his dagger up, cutting one shifter open from navel to chin as he brought his tomahawk down on another. Someone slashed his thigh with a silver knife and though he felt his blood dripping down his leg it meant nothing. Nothing mattered anymore except for the fiery vengeance that consumed his soul. His tomahawk was knocked from his hand when another blade slashed his wrist but the absence of the silver wasn’t a hindrance. In fact, he threw down his dagger and gave an excited, maniacal grin as he reached out and touched his attackers with his bare hands, sending his power into them, watching as their minds began to crumble under the weight of their memories as every bad deed came back to haunt them. They fell to the floor, grown men crying and begging for an end to the madness that was consuming them. An end that would never come. Again and again he did it until there was no-one left to hold on to. Until it was only him in the cage. Only he was left in the entire arena. Except he wasn’t alone. There were others. Others guilty and in need of punishment. He turned to find his own image staring at him, shaking his head. It was as though he was talking to himself but that didn’t make sense. Hell, it didn’t matter, he reminded himself. Vengeance was all that mattered; justice was all that mattered and if anyone deserved it, he, himself, did. He had caused the death of so many under the guise of punishing the guilty and he was the guiltiest of them all. Reaching out, he expected his own image to disappear, like it was a corporeal entity, a visual representation of his conscience, but it didn’t. He could touch it, feel it beneath his fingers, he could hurt it and by the Gods it deserved to be hurt. He felt his power stirring within him and with an inhuman roar he pushed that power into it. The man’s face, his face, crumpled in agony but he didn’t go down. He didn’t fall to his knees. He was a sinner, Adalai could feel it beneath his fingers, feel the wrongdoings he had done but still he wouldn’t fall. Adalai snarled, saliva dripping from his teeth as the burning vengeance inside him reached a melting point inside him. He pulled a hand back, balling it into a fist as he prepared to pummel his own image into the ground. If his own guilt couldn’t kill him then surely this crude form of vengeance could. Fitting for a vengeance demon to be killed by his own need for vengeance. Yes. It needed to be done. He deserved it.

“Adalai?” That voice… he knew that voice… that voice meant everything. But no… this… this was what mattered. Vengeance was all he had. “Adalai… please. Look at me.” There it was again. A sound so broken and beautiful, a sound that left him hot and cold and made him feel brave. Made him feel worthy. But it couldn’t be true. “For crying out loud, will you look at me you stubborn bastard?”

“Tracy.” He whispered the name before he even understood what it meant. The fog he had fallen under began to lift as he dropped his conscience on the floor and turned to the sound of that voice. It’s her. It’s her! A voice whispered inside his mind and slowly he began to return to himself. He took a step towards her but she stepped back. Not afraid but weary. She couldn’t be afraid of him… why would she worry though?

“Are you back, Adalai?”

“Where did I go?” he heard himself say though he didn’t consciously say the words.

“Hell if I know but you almost killed your brother and we need both of you right now,” she muttered, turning to the little white bundle she still held in her arms. “Deran? Are you alright?” Adalai turned in confusion. His brother was here? When did that happen? Sure enough there he was, standing in a white pair of shorts, a sharp slice across his chest with both hands gripping his head. “Deran?”

“Fine. I’m fine,” he mumbled, shaking his head.

“What happened?” Adalai asked, finding his voice.

“You happened, little brother,” Deran murmured, closing his eyes and massaging his temples.

“What? I… Oh… Oh Gods. Deran I- ,” he began as sudden clarity enveloped his senses.

“Guys… I lost Vendrell in the crowd. Anastasia’s lot have the exits covered so hopefully they’ll find him. I think it’s time to go,” Chase interrupted, his chin and cheeks covered in blood as though he had just chewed a chunk of flesh which he probably had, now that Adalai thought about it.

“No! They’ll help him escape, Chase. Anastasia is in on this, I’m sure of it,” Tracy started, her eyes bright with anger.

“She can’t be. She helped us find you. Without her, we never would have gotten here when we did,” Chase said with a frown as Adalai rubbed the back of his neck in confusion.

“Catrasia, let’s just find out what she has to say. We can either incriminate her and deal with it then or rule her out as a suspect.” Deran said, reasonably, though his voice was still thick with pain and bad memories. Memories Adalai had dredged up again. Tracy seemed to think about it for a minute until she eventually spoke.

“Fine. But she doesn’t come anywhere near Angel,” she murmured defiantly.

“Who’s Angel?” Chase asked and Adalai was curious as well, even if he was too confused and shaken to realise it. As if on cue the small bundle Tracy was holding began to move and cry. Fuck me, that’s a baby.

“How long was I er… out, exactly?” Adalai murmured, looking from Tracy to Deran in suspicion. Did they make a baby without him? Could they do that? Tracy rolled her eyes and readjusted the bundle before demanding his jacket. He shook it off, still frowning in bemusement and handed it over. She discarded the dirty white rag the baby was wrapped in and wrapped her inside the jacket instead. He had to admit, she looked good for someone who just had a baby. Maybe that was a mage thing or maybe it was just good genes. Anastasia was still fairly attractive and he was certain she was older than most dinosaurs so…

“By the Gods will you help him,” Tracy murmured to Chase as she shook her head at Adalai. What? What did I say?

“I’ve got him. Chase protect her and that baby with your life. I won’t feel safe until we’re out of here.” Chase nodded and took a protective stance in front of Tracy as he guided her out of the cage. He began to walk up the steps in the now empty arena but she turned and went in another direction.

“Erm… Tracy?”

“Come on dammit, before I change my mind.” She grunted, moving quickly, the baby curled into her side as though she was made to fit there. She led them through another corridor, similar to the one he had come through when he had first entered the arena. At least, he thought so. His mind still felt a little fractured. When they reached a door she looked expectantly at Chase who shrugged and slid back a locking mechanism before pushing the door open. He began to walk inside but stopped suddenly and backed out again.

“What are you doing?” Tracy demanded, frowning.

“Tracy…” She shook her head before pushing past him. Adalai followed, propped up by his brother who really should have been the one getting assistance. What they saw was enough to enrage the beast within him again but his brother’s sure grip kept him grounded. Barely.

“No… that son of a bitch. Find him, Chase. Find him and bring him to me. Please…” Tracy whispered as her eyes flitted over the carnage. The room was a stark white tile mottled in the blood of several women, some young enough to still be called children… just like the pictures on Chase’s wall in the precinct. By the Gods…

“He killed them all… this is all my fault.” Tracy muttered, turning on her heel and pushing past them in an effort to get out of the room as the baby cried harder against her. They made it out of the warehouse in silence except for the harrowing cries of the infant.

Chase stopped when a spiky haired witch approached him.

“Did you find him?” he asked her but she shook her head.

“We’re still looking but…”

“Alright, let me know if he turns up. Can you clean this up?” she nodded, a small smile gracing her face, making her lip piercing reflect the moonlight over her face.

“My pleasure. You left me some in there, right?” she murmured, looking over the rest of them with a raised eyebrow.

“Might be a couple. Burn it down when you’re done, I’ll check CCTV for any sign of Vendrell and then I’ll get rid of it,” Chase barked out his orders before turning to offer Adalai his arm so he was propped up between him and his brother as they made their way to the car.

Somehow, Vendrell, the bastard, seemed to have slipped away unnoticed. Or perhaps not. Tracy might have been right. Maybe they were working with the enemy all along. Well there was one way to find out. They climbed in the SUV and headed straight for Woodbury, making a pit stop at a Walmart on the way for baby supplies. Fucking baby supplies! Now that his mind was finally starting to return to him, Adalai had a lot of fucking questions. Still, as he looked over at Tracy cradling the little baby in her lap and feeding her a bottle of baby milk with a look of intense concentration, care and concern on her face, he couldn’t ask them. Hell, he was just happy he’d found her more or less in one piece and still her usual snarky, snippy self. Gods, he’d missed her. He looked up and his eye caught Deran’s in the rear view mirror. He was staring at him and Adalai couldn’t blame him. His guilt threatened to overpower him so he looked away before he could lose his shit again. By the time they made it to the Ascia estate, the baby was asleep and Tracy was geared up for a fight. Fractured brain or not, Adalai couldn’t help smiling at the fun they were about to have because this was, sure as shit, going to be entertaining.

Chapter Twenty-eight

“Catrasia! By the Gods, I was so worried!” Anastasia came running down the steps and threw her arms around her granddaughter with the passion Deran expected of a worried mother figure. Though, if what Tracy had said was true then Anastasia Ascia was a very good actress and she had just made a very stupid mistake.

“Take your hands off of me before I lose my temper and kill you,” Tracy growled in a hushed whisper. Anastasia withdrew at once, longing in her eyes as she looked Tracy over once more… as though she was checking she was really there. The strange thing was he could feel her intention clear and strong and it was… pure. She really was just worried.

“I- I’m sorry, I just… I’m so glad you’re okay,” she murmured, swiping a tear from her cheek.

“I am far from okay but that was the plan, wasn’t it?” Tracy challenged, jumping straight to the point as she so often did. No pussy-footing around when the female mage was involved.

“I don’t understand…” and she truly didn’t. In fact, though Anastasia had expected a measure of hostility she was pretty fucking bewildered by this line of questioning.

“Vamps, why don’t we take this inside? The baby will get cold,” by the Gods, was Adalai being the sensible one here? Who would have known he had it in him. Tracy glanced down at the sleeping bundle in her arms and cradled her a little closer. Anastasia, noticing the baby for the first time gave a gasp and quickly stood aside. Tracy looked at her strangely, a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. She hadn’t been expecting her grandmother’s reaction either. Sensing neither woman was willing to make the first move, Anastasia out of fear of upsetting Tracy and Tracy out of stubborn paranoia, Deran moved forwards and put an arm around Tracy’s shoulders, guiding her into the warmth. She came with him with little resistance, even leaning into him a little and despite the awkward circumstances his heart soared. All it took for his mate to warm to him was a few days as an Arena slave fighting like the gladiators of old, death matches and a makeshift emergency caesarean… who knew. Adalai followed behind them spearing his brother with a questioning look Deran could feel rather than see. Damn fool was jealous as hell. Not that he blamed him… it was how he’d found them after all.

“Clara, can you get us some blankets and perhaps some tea?” Anastasia asked the bookish looking witch, the one he had thought looked like a librarian the first and only time he had been to the Ascia estate. She nodded silently and spun on her heel, her ponytail swinging with each step as she walked away with Chase following close behind her, a frown on his face. Anastasia guided them to a sitting room, a different one to the first they had sat in. This one was much warmer, cosier… it had fluffy throws over the sofas and was painted in rich, chocolaty browns and creams with bookcases lining one wall and a large fireplace in the centre of another. Something about this room reminded him of Tracy. How she was underneath all the snarky comments and ice-cold exterior… warm, inviting but closed off and secretive. He liked it.

“Did you do this to us? To me?” Tracy asked once she had sat down, her eyes flickering over the room every now and then. Deran had the sense that she liked it too, not that she’d ever admit it.

“How could you- I guess I understand how you could think that… no. I had nothing to do with you and Deran being taken.” Anastasia sat back in her chair not bothering to wipe the tears away as they fell down her face. Tracy glanced up at him before looking to Adalai who shook his head. He could feel her emotions and it seemed there was no animosity there just as she had no ill intent.

“I believe you… They knew I was a mage. Of course, Vendrell didn’t believe it, probably still doesn’t but someone had told him that I claimed to be a female mage. I assumed it was you.” Tracy said bluntly, but then if Anastasia was expecting a better apology she’d be waiting a long damn time.

“I understand but I swear to you, as soon as Adalai and Chase informed me the two of you had been taken I have done nothing but help look for you,” Anastasia declared earnestly.

“Alright… well who the hell was it then? It had be someone here. One of your coven,” Tracy murmured, her eyes lingering over the babies sleeping face as she spoke. 

“I don’t believe it. None of them would betray me like that,” Anastasia said, obviously finding the mere possibility ridiculous.

“You betrayed my Mother. Your own daughter. My family betrayed me. Deran and Adalai have betrayed each other. I betrayed Meg… It doesn’t matter what you are, Witch, Mage, Human… people are all the same. They hate and betray in equal measure, just because they can,” Tracy’s words were a melancholic whisper but Deran couldn’t deny the truth in them. Most of them, anyway. Especially after Adalai had literally head-fucked him just a couple of hours before. Though it pained him to know she was blaming herself for Meg’s death. “There is Chloe, Clara and the other one… Erm, Ava? Chase and that human bartender in the Bump and Grind. Other than that, no-one in New York knows what I am or that I even have any abilities,” Tracy continued, laying out the suspect list. Hell, he was just glad neither he nor his brother were on it. “Unless you’ve told someone?”

“I don’t understand, Catrasia. Adalai told me you were both taken but Deran was the target,” Anastasia said, shaking her head at Tracy’s passive-aggressive accusations.

“He was, or at least, he was Vendrell’s main target but… someone told Vendrell where to find us. Where we would be and what I am. I want to know who and why… maybe they were working with him in some way or maybe not. I just want to know who it is I need to kill,” Tracy finished, looking up her eyes flashing from icy blue to fiery red to empty black. There was no pretence in her now. Since he had met the little mage she had hidden her intention and her emotion behind a mask of indifference but now… now he felt it loud and clear and being a Vengeance Demon had nothing to do with it. You only needed eyes and half a brain to see what her intent was. She wasn’t going to kill this person and Vendrell when she found him, she was going to fucking crucify them and shit if it didn’t excite his blood. He had a little revenge he wanted to exact as well.

“Let’s discuss this tomorrow. You need to sleep and by the smell of it, that baby needs a wash. Er… speaking of which, whose baby is it, exactly?” Adalai murmured with a frown.

“I don’t want to discuss this tomorrow, dammit! Whoever did this, Adalai… they will pay…” Tracy’s eyes were glowing brightly as she turned to the demon.

“Of course they will, Vamps. We’ll make them pay together, the three of us, but for now… let’s get that baby sorted. Plus, you really stink,” he had spoken so gently to her, Deran should have known he was about to put his foot in it. To his surprise his brother’s comment, though it stopped Tracy cold for a moment, actually managed to rouse a smile.

“You’re such an asshole, Adalai,” she scolded, shaking her head though he could tell she didn’t mean it… at least not completely. That demon could make a nun swear and a mime talk but he had a way of grounding people with his candid attitude that couldn’t be denied.

“I know but that’s why you love me,” Adalai murmured with a grin before widening his eyes as he realised what he just said. It would have been comical if Deran hadn’t been eager to hear Tracy’s response. As it was, she just rolled her eyes and allowed him to help her up from the sofa.

“Catrasia?”

“Yes?”

“I really am relieved that you’re safe now… if I may, I have some baby clothes and things you might find useful for tonight and I would very much like to buy some things in the morning to help you out… of course if you don’t want me to I… I understand,” Anastasia murmured, her heart in her eyes. Tracy looked down at the baby for a moment, her eyes softening, before she looked up and gave a short nod.

“Your help would be appreciated… but, I want you to know that though I believe you had nothing to do with our capture I still don’t trust you. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you for what you did to my Mother. Having said that, this baby needs all the help she can get and I’m at a loss. I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing… I promised her Momma I would protect her and if that means accepting help from you then that’s what I’ll do. Don’t for one minute think that it means I want you in my life.” Anastasia wept silently but she gave a resigned nod, as though she expected no less. In all honesty, Deran hadn’t even expected that much from the little mage. Apparently the pit had changed her more than he’d realised. He and Tracy followed behind Adalai as he led them to a bedroom. He had explained in muted tones in the car that he and Chase had spent every night at the Ascia estate whilst they had been searching. Though when he entered the bedroom they would be sharing, Deran thought it might not have just been for proximities sake. A large queen size four poster bed was centre stage with oak wardrobes built in to one wall and bookcases another. The last wall was made entirely of glass, allowing the night sky to filter starlight onto the midnight blue carpet and bed covering. It was a huge step up from Tracy’s squat, to say the least.

“Alright… who is the baby?” Adalai demanded, his feet planted firmly and his face adamant that he wasn’t moving until he got some answers. “Obviously she isn’t yours unless… is that some freaky Mage thing?” And any sympathy Deran had been feeling disappeared in an instant.

Chapter Twenty-nine

“Meg was the first friend I made that didn’t feel forced… you know? She didn’t feel sorry for me… she wasn’t afraid of me… she didn’t give a shit about my abilities. I told her I was going to look after her and I fucked it up…”

“You did everything you could, Catrasia. She knew that,” Deran murmured and she was sorely tempted to yell at him. Curse him for talking of things he didn’t know about but he had been there. He had watched as her friend took a blade that was meant for her… still, it didn’t mean he knew how Meg felt or what she knew. She was about to say as much when Adalai interrupted. It was the first time he had spoken since they had told him about their time in the pit, both individually and together and for some reason she felt anxious to hear his thoughts.

“So, little Angel has nobody? Nobody but us? You knew her Mother, Tracy… did… did she love her?” Deran frowned in irritation but Tracy understood the question. Understood where it had come from and what had motivated him to ask it.

“Meg loved her baby with everything she had inside her. She would have gladly given her life for Angel’s, if she had had the choice. She loved her so much, Adalai… I’ve only ever seen love like that once but I was too young at the time to understand it,” she murmured, her instinct taking over as she reached over and touched his hand. He looked down at it in confusion for a moment before grasping her fingers in his. Deran seemed to have finally understood because he awkwardly reached over and patted his brother on the shoulder. No sooner had his hand connected with Adalai’s body that she felt it. A connection deeper than anything she’d ever felt before. An electrical current running through them all, drawing them together like magnets to metal. It was stronger than it had been the last time she had felt it… then it had been a slight tug whereas now it was a force that couldn’t be fought. And suddenly… she wasn’t so sure she wanted to.

“Tracy, why did you believe Anastasia when she said she wasn’t involved? You seemed so sure,” Adalai murmured, his fingers running over the back of her hand in small, sensuous circles.

“Erm… well actually, she had nothing to do with it. It was you, the two of you… you both told me she was telling the truth and I trust you, I guess.”

“You trust us? Shit, can we have that in writing?” Adalai quipped but his voice was a low growl as he leant closer to her, so close she could feel his hot breath on her cheek and his scent burnt itself into her nostrils. She wanted to roll her eyes, give a quip back or something, dammit, but she was frozen. Stuck in place by the weight of his stare and the passion in his ruby eyes.

“You know, brother, I think that means our little mage has begun to accept that she is our Mate,” Deran whispered from behind her ear as he lowered his mouth to her neck. All at once, she had Deran kissing and licking up a storm on the sensitive place between her throat and her shoulder whilst Adalai’s lips brushed against hers. Her eyes closed of their own accord and she started to reach up to grip him, hold them both, but something in her lap was stopping her… A sharp, high-pitched cry broke them out of their self-imposed trance and Tracy realised what had held her hands captive.

“By the Gods! What the fuck are we doing?” Tracy yelled in anguish. “How the fuck could I forget about the baby? Gods… Meg would be so pissed! She’s probably screaming at me from wherever she is right now,” Tracy continued, working herself up into hysterics.

“Calm down, Catrasia,” Deran murmured, standing up from the edge of the bed they had been sat on. “Let’s get Angel sorted. Adalai was right, she really does need a wash. After that… well then we can talk. Okay?” Tracy slowly came back to her senses and gave him a nod.

“Good… can I take her?” Deran asked, holding out his arms, the picture of collected calm.

“I… I don’t know… I-,” she stuttered, reluctant to hand the baby over. Since she had been born and Deran had saved her little life in the pit, she hadn’t left Tracy’s arms and she didn’t want that to change. For all of her posturing about not giving a shit, every bone in her body was screaming to protect the precious little bundle with everything she had.

“It’s okay, Vamps… you trust us, remember? Besides, Deran’s done this once before.” Adalai encouraged though neither of them attempted to take Angel from her. It made her feel safe enough to hand the crying baby over, albeit with difficulty.

“Alright,” Deran murmured cradling the infant as he walked round to the other side of the bed. Adalai and Tracy followed after him with anxious curiosity. Deran laid the baby down, still swaddled in Adalai’s suit jacket and gently prized it open.

“By the Gods…”

“Fuck me…”

“It’s… it’s everywhere.”

They shared a horrified glance as they looked down at the filthy baby and Tracy felt so ashamed. As soon as they arrived at the Ascia estate she should have seen to the baby but instead she’d spent her time accusing her grandmother, telling war stories and canoodling with her Demons. What the hell would Meg say? Gods, what the fuck was she playing at? She couldn’t look after a baby. Hell, she could barely look after herself. She had no money, no livelihood… she squatted in an abandoned building for fucks sake. Maybe it would be better if she gave Angel to the human services… at least she would be looked after properly…

“Catrasia… I can feel your intention and I had the same thought once but I can promise you as long as you put the baby before yourself you won’t fuck it up,” like I did… she sensed the words he wasn’t saying. It must have been a strange relationship… to be brothers, two parts of a mating and yet still have a carer dynamic… still they seemed to have pulled it off. At least neither of them were dead and they didn’t fully hate each other. Maybe she could do it after all… with a little help from her demons. Sensing the shift in her, Deran gave her a small nod and a smile before he turned into the Sergeant Major from hell.

“Adalai, run a bath. Not too deep, just a couple of inches. Catrasia, go and gather the things Chase brought from the car and find Anastasia for the baby things she mentioned. Come on, people, let’s get this show on the road!” A little startled by the authority in his tone she snapped to it. Adalai disappeared into the en-suite bathroom and she raced out of the bedroom. At the bottom of the stairs she collided with Clara who had her arms full of baby clothes.

“Shit… sorry,” she muttered, unsure of the witch. She hadn’t even spoken to her before and yet Adalai had said she had been essential in her rescue.

“No problem… my Aunt said these are for you? I didn’t know you had a baby,” Clara replied with a polite smile.

“Oh, erm… thanks. I don’t. Well I kind of do… its complicated. Anastasia is your Aunt? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, well, my Father is her brother… kind of a dark spot in the Ascia family tree if you know what I mean?”

“Ha… yeah, actually, I do understand that at least. Erm, I’m just going to get the things out of the car,” she murmured, finding it surprisingly easy to talk to the witch.

“Oh, Chase brought them in earlier. They’re just by the door.”

“Thanks,” Tracy went to the door and picked up the three Walmart bags of baby goods that Chase had brought on the way back from the Arena. At a glance, she could see three different brands of diapers, two packets of wet wipes and a mixture of baby food. Hell, even she knew the baby was too young for food… apparently this was an area that the lumberjack cop did not do well in. She said as much to Clara as they headed back up the stairs.

“Yeah well, he’s good a lot of other things so I guess we should let him off,” she replied.

“Hmmm, sounds like you have a thing for the lumberjack?”

“Lumberjack? Even if I did, Chloe claimed him long ago,” Clara muttered with obvious distaste.

“They’re Mates?” Tracy asked incredulously. She hadn’t seen that coming.

“By the Creator, no. But that doesn’t matter to Chloe.”

“Yeah well, that girls a moron,” and pretty high on the suspect list of assholes who might have sent her and Deran into the Arena, she thought as they continued up the stairs in silence. “Thanks, Clara… I er… I appreciate your help,” Tracy muttered awkwardly.

“No problem. See you in the morning.” Tracy watched the witch go, pondering intently over the change she had noticed in herself. She’d been downright personable since she’d gained her freedom… at least by her standards. Was it Meg? Was it the human who had inspired humanity in her darkened soul? Was it the pit itself? The demon brothers, one she had missed and the other she had been grateful to have with her? Or some combination of the three? Or perhaps it was the little baby currently crying up a storm in the bedroom? Whatever it was, she wasn’t so sure she liked it, yet she didn’t want it to stop either. Regardless, she had made a promise and she kept her promises, even when they hurt her or scared the ever-loving crap out of her… even then. Her arms laden with the bags and clothes Clara had bestowed on her, she pushed her way into the bedroom to find it empty. Dumping everything down on the bed, she followed the soft voices of her demons and the quietening cries of Angel into the bathroom. There she saw Adalai gently cleaning the baby in the bath, whilst Deran held her in place and muttered instructions. It was cute… heart-warmingly cute, the way they were both fussing over her as though she was the most precious thing they’d ever seen. It gave her hope and terrified her at the same time. As she stood there watching them she realised she probably wouldn’t be able to do this without them. She needed them and she didn’t like it. It was made worse by the ache she felt inside her, the ache that told her she wanted them as well. Both of them. Some people were unlucky enough to want two people at once, to need them both in equal measure, and yet… here she was in that exact situation and she was able to have her Deran and eat her Adalai as well if she chose. The problem? She didn’t know if she’d ever be brave enough to make that choice. Though, she was beginning to think the choice had already made and she just needed to catch up with it.

“Hey, there she is… there was a baby underneath all that dirt and poop! Who knew? And what a beautiful little Angel she is!”

“She really is, isn’t she? You should have seen Catrasia, Adie. She was so brave… she did much better than I did when you were born. Shit, I almost killed you, you know?”

“Yeah well, you didn’t. I, on the other hand, almost fried your brain back there and I… fuck, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”

“I figured… do you… did you see my memories?”

“Bits and pieces, flashes mostly… why?”

“You still don’t know why I left, do you?”

“Because I’m a fuck up, right? That’s what you told me,” Adalai murmured. Neither of them had realised she was there and she felt a little guilty for listening to their conversation but… well fuck it, she wanted to know how Adalai took the news.

“I was… I played with your intentions Adie. Had been for a long time. Then it just stopped working. You rebelled against my ability and I… at first I was angry… you have such a gift and I just wanted you to use it. Then after a little while I was ashamed. I… I had no right to do that to you. It should have been your choice.”

“I know… I always knew. I wanted to help those people, I did. I just… it was so difficult, Deran.” Adalai admitted, holding his finger under Angel’s hand so she could grip it with her tiny ones. “You think it takes a toll on me, that it bothers me, and it does but not for the reasons you think. I enjoy it… It makes me feel powerful. Feeds me, I guess. The pain and the destruction… it makes me more powerful every time I encounter it. I played along with your meddling for a long time because it gave me an out, an excuse to use my ability and hide away from the guilt… but in the end I just… that last case… it was too much. I saw what I was becoming and I didn’t like it. Your ability worked on me because I allowed it to. When I stopped allowing it…”

“It stopped working… Shit, I wish I’d known that brother. I… I was… shit I don’t know what I was.”

“An asshole but that’s okay… even when we were getting along you were an asshole.”

“Always the fucking comedian,” Deran said with a chuckle.

“Watch your language asshole, there’s a baby in the room.” The two shared a look before descending into chuckles and snorts as Angel started to drift off in the bath.

“Alright you two, she’s falling asleep,” Tracy murmured with a soft smile at them as they turned to her in unison. Adalai grabbed a large fluffy towel from a cabinet beside the bathtub and held it out as Deran carefully held the baby out to him. She watched as they worked together, perfectly co-ordinated, as she supposed they were meant to be. She wasn’t surprised to hear that Adalai had known of his brother’s deception, he was a perceptive son of a bitch after all. They had just made it to the bed when there was a knock on the door. Tracy went to answer it whilst her demons tried to work out how to use a diaper. Anastasia stood before her, her talisman in hand and a large crib floating behind her.

“Wow… erm come in,” Tracy stepped back and allowed her Grandmother to float the crib into the bedroom. She set it down at the end of the bed with a thud and staggered back a little.

“Sorry, heavier than I remembered…” she muttered by way of explanation. Tracy nodded as she looked over the crib with interest. It was intricately carved out of a cherry coloured wood with a small mattress made to measure, fitted inside of it.

“It’s beautiful,” Tracy murmured to herself.

“It was your Mother’s. Your Grandfather made it. There should be bedding in that pile Clara gave you.”

“I had a Grandfather? I mean, obviously I did, but… er… what was he like?”

“He was a good man, kind and carefree. He was human, he passed many years ago when Sara was still a child. He would have loved you so much, Catrasia. I see a lot of him in you,” Anastasia said uncertainly as though she was unsure what the reception of such a comment would be. Tracy surprised them both with her reply.

“I don’t think that’s true. I’m not exactly carefree and I’m definitely not kind. In fact, mean, bitchy and uptight pretty much define my character.”

“There is more to you than that, my girl. Ask your Mates, they see it as I do,” with that Anastasia bid them goodnight and left the room. Tracy stared after her for a moment as the door closed behind her. Maybe she should cut the woman some slack. Everybody made mistakes, after all. Still… it was big fucking mistake that woman had made… best to think about that one later.

“Come on, Vamps. We’re doing all the work here. Get that bed set up and a bottle ready,” Adalai muttered, holding up a baby body suit with complicated buttons and frowning at it like it had the meaning of life etched on it somewhere. She might have laughed if she didn’t have exactly the same expression when faced with the ‘bedding’ for the crib. Looked more like a goddamn circus tent. Eventually, after a lot of whispered curses and muttered irritation she managed to get the crib almost habitable. It was safe, at least, even if it didn’t look as pretty as she thought it should. By the time she was finished, Adalai had warmed a readymade bottle of baby milk in the sink and Deran had dressed the baby in a clean diaper and some pyjamas… pyjamas without buttons.

“Would you like to feed her?” Deran asked and she nodded, scampering onto the bed beside him. Carefully, anxiously, she took Angel from his arms and cradled her close. Angel looked up at her, a large pair of blue questioning eyes boring into hers with the innocence and intensity only a child could manage.

“Hey, baby girl…,Tracy whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked upon the purity of Megara’s beautiful baby. “Gods… I… I don’t think I can do this… what if I fuck it up… she’s so small. What if I hurt her or… Gods, help me…”

“Stop being so melodramatic. You have a job to do, a promise to keep… so keep it,” Adalai muttered, climbing in beside her so she was cocooned between him and Deran with the baby in her arms. His words were harsh but his eyes were gentle and, though he was receiving a fairly dirty look from his brother, it was exactly what she needed. Nodding, and simultaneously getting her shit together, she took the bottle from Adalai’s hand and gently placed the teat against Angel’s lips. The baby greedily latched on and gulped it down like it was going out of fashion. It wasn’t long before she was snoring gently, her lips moving every now and then as though she was dreaming of more food. So freaking cute.

“Look at that, see… you did it. Now you just need to keep doing that every four hours or so and your set,” Deran whispered with a smile.

“Every four hours?”

“Yep. At least for the first few months anyway. Then she should sleep through the night if we’re lucky.”

“We?” Tracy murmured, barely above a whisper.

“Of course… you are our Mate. You have made a promise to care for this child, be a surrogate mother for her, as such we are bound by the same promise. Angel will have two Demon surrogate fathers as well.”

“You don’t mean that. Something will happen to you… I’ll start to care for you and then I’ll have to watch you burn…” she whispered, the words falling from her unbidden and unrelenting.

Adalai and Deran shared a look, conflicted and confused. “Why do you say that, Catrasia? Why would something happen to us? I mean, other than the obvious, because that sounds pretty damn specific.”

“That’s what happened before… Christopher. He was a human, quiet and cute and kind… he saw me when everybody else didn’t or refused to… I used to sneak out to steal food and stuff and I met Christopher when I was fourteen. I was a bitch to him at first… no surprise really, I’m a bitch to everyone.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Adalai muttered under his breath. Deran reached over and whacked him over the back of the head to silence him before nodding at Tracy to continue.

“You know I had brothers, right? Carl and James… both assholes. But I also had another brother. Jonathan, the oldest of all of us. He wasn’t like Carl and James or my father. He… he was kind to me. Protected me in his own way. Whenever father wanted to use me in one of his rituals, Johnny would make up an excuse, find some literature that said I’d be the worst possible candidate. He’d sneak me food and water and books… he taught me how to read, how to tie my shoelaces, how to fight… he did everything but set me free and I loved him. I loved him so much. When I met Christopher, it was because Johnny had helped me sneak out to get new books from the library. I didn’t tell him about Chris at first, I just kept on sneaking out. Chris had an abusive father, he would beat him whenever he was drunk so we kinda understood each other, as much as any human can understand the daughter of a mage. I fell for him… well I was fourteen so I thought I had fallen for him… whatever, I cared for him a lot… more than I had ever cared for anyone except for Johnny and my Mother. Then after maybe six months…” she stopped, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it. To relive it.

“Baby, we’re right here. You can tell us anything. We won’t judge, we just want to understand,” Deran murmured, putting his arm around her shoulders. Adalai placed his hand on her thigh and leaned in so his chin rested on her head. It was so intimate… their constant, surrounding presence lending her strength and warmth and safety.

“Johnny found out… he found us behind the library. He took me home and I was so ashamed. He told me he was disappointed in me, that I had let him down and I would have to suffer the consequences. When he locked me in my basement and didn’t come back for a week I thought that was my punishment. I thought it was over… I thought… well I was wrong. The last time Johnny came to see me he brought Chris with him. He bound my hands in silver and I didn’t fight him. I stood there and watched as he tortured Chris… even when Chris was crying out for me, when he was begging me to help him… I couldn’t move. Johnny sliced ritual symbols into him and then he held his hand over Chris’s left eye. I can still smell it… burning flesh… and his screams… he was in so much pain. I just watched… I watched as Chris was murdered in front of me… he was only sixteen.”

“There was nothing you could do, Catrasia… you were chained in silver-,” Deran began predictably but she shook her head.

“I’m not finished, dammit! Johnny turned to me, his hands covered in Chris’s blood and he told me… he said I had disgraced him. Didn’t I know that I was meant to be his? When I turned of age I was to be his wife… he said I owed it to him for everything he’d done for me, how he had taught me; how he had protected me. Our Father had promised me to him and as soon as I turned eighteen we would move and take over a new town, just the two of us. I would be to him what our Mother was to our Father but he said he’d treat me much better. I told him that it was sick. I said I was his sister and he just laughed. He said ‘what the hell does that have to do with it?’ Then he just turned on me. He started to undo my chains, said he wasn’t willing to wait anymore. I was scared. I… I… Gods… he started pulling on my jeans and his belt and I freaked out. My instincts just took over and I looked at Chris’s body… he still had a blade lodged inside of him. I couldn’t reach it so I just prayed for it. I begged it to come to me in my mind and then it was just there… in my hand. I don’t know what happened next but somehow I ended up on top of him, the knife buried in his heart. He looked so afraid… so… devastated… like I had betrayed him. He reached up and cupped my cheek with his hand and told me that he still loved me and that he would always be with me, then using a blade hidden in his shirt he sliced my face so I’d never forget him… Don’t you get it? He haunts me. And the worst part is… even after what he did to Chris, what he wanted to do to me… I loved him too. What does that make me?”

“It makes you a beautiful woman with the capacity to love even those who hurt her… he was your brother, your confidante, your only friend for a long time… how could you not love him?”

“It was all a lie… he was just… grooming me for the future.”

“His motives were impure and to be honest if he was still alive, I’d kill the son of a bitch myself, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t love you in his own way. Granted, it was a sick and disturbed way but…”

“Does that make me sick? I think it does.”

“Why? Why would that make you sick?”

“Because I still miss my brother,” she whispered brokenly, her heart hurting and her cheeks stinging from the tears.

“We can’t choose who we love, Vamps. It’s one of those awful yet beautiful parts of life that we just have to put up with. Could you have fought back sooner and saved your friend? Maybe… but we don’t know that you wouldn’t be dead now if you had tried. Should you hate your brother? Sure… but it’s a testament to your character that you don’t, that you can forgive him. Just imagine what the alternatives are, Tracy… if you had fought back and been killed who would have saved Angel in the pit? If you hated Jonathon as you think you should, you wouldn’t be the strong person capable of saving a baby either… or me, for that matter.”

“But… don’t you understand? Everybody dies. Everybody leaves me. First my Mother, Chris and Johnny and then Meg… If I let these feelings… I wouldn’t survive losing you… either of you. I’m not being melodramatic, I’m just saying that I… well, I’m scared, dammit!” She had never felt so vulnerable than she did in that moment. Something had definitely changed inside her since the pit, or maybe it had been changing since she had finally gained her freedom, whatever it was it was making her braver. Brave enough to bare her soul to her demons, to trust them with her darkest secrets… but not quite brave enough to take it any further. Not yet.

“Let’s get the baby into bed, we all need to shower and get into bed ourselves. Catrasia, you go first,” Deran murmured, though it didn’t sound like a suggestion and she was too tired to argue about it. Tracy gulped past the lump in her throat and after gently laying Angel into her crib and covering her with a blanket, she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Fuck… what have I just signed myself up for?

Chapter Thirty

“What do you think?” Deran murmured as soon as they heard the door click closed. Adalai puffed up his cheeks and blew out a long breath.

“I think if I used my ability on her and made her relive her worst misdeeds, she wouldn’t feel a damn thing… or I’d see flashes of rain and thunderstorms because she’d find a way to blame herself for those.”

“What the hell are we going to do, Adie? She’s so fragile… I don’t think my approach is our best option but I don’t know how to be any other way.”

“You always have been a forward son of a bitch but… I don’t know if you’re right to be honest. The more we treat her differently, the more she’ll resent us for it.”

“You feel for her?”

“Don’t you? By the Gods, Deran… when you were taken I… I’m just glad you’re back.”

“Could it really be we’ve found a woman we agree on?” Deran murmured with a chuckle.

“I think so… and hell, what a woman.”

“Yeah… and now we have a kid, for all intents and purposes.”

“How do you feel about that? I mean really?

“You mean because of you?”

“I know you resented me for Mother’s death, brother. You should know I never forgave myself for it either…”

“Adie… I was a prick. It wasn’t your fault. I just felt like I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to you and it was easier to blame you for that… I saw that too you know… when you did your mind mojo on me… I saw the way I made you feel, felt it… I’m sorry brother.”

“Yeah well… what’s done is done. Maybe someday soon you and I could talk about her… I really don’t know much about her.”

“You don’t, do you…? Fuck… worst brother ever. She loved you. Loved you very much before you were even born. She told me that you and I would fight and argue but as long as we had each other, we’d never be truly alone. It was almost as if she knew what was coming… Hell, maybe she did.”

“What did she do… for work and whatever? Hobbies and shit.”

“She met my Father in Corrill, back in the 1800’s. He was a bartender, a Siren so… good with bending people to his will and getting them to part with their money. Mother was a dancer… she danced at the bar he worked in and they, I don’t know, fell in love I guess.”

“What kind of bar?” Adalai asked, a little confused. What kind of bar had dancers? Oh… well that explained that. “She was a stripper?”

“No she was an exotic dancer.”

“So… a stripper.”

“She was a fucking Demon, Adie. Apart from you most Demons are promiscuous sons of bitches. She liked to dance, that’s all there is to it,” Deran muttered, aggressively. “Anyway, my Father was killed by a Guardian when he resisted arrest for running illegal substances.”

“Your Father was a smuggler?”

“Yep. Ironic isn’t it?”

“But you always wanted to be a Guardian. I don’t get it.”

“You and I… Vengeance demons who can sense the emotion and intention of those around us… I wanted to use that for good. I wanted to stop people who didn’t deserve it, from getting killed. I wanted to make things better.”

“You wanted to fix it. That’s what you always want.”

“Yeah well… I fucked it up instead, didn’t I? Tried to fix you and made you hate your gift instead.”

“I don’t hate it. Hell, I needed it this past week.”

“Well that’s something, I guess.” They sat in silence both leaning against the headboard with a Tracy shaped space between them. When she finally emerged from the bathroom looking much cleaner and much more nervous, Deran hopped off the bed and took his turn in the shower. Tracy lingered at the foot of the bed, her eyes set firmly on the sleeping baby. He let her be for a few minutes until the silence became too much for him. She had been right when she’d said he preferred awkward conversation to awkward nothingness.

“Come on, Vamps. You’re exhausted. Didn’t you miss me?” He murmured with a sly grin.

“Would you believe me if I said I did?” She whispered and he had to take a second to make sure he heard her right.

“Not for a second,” he muttered, his heart giving a thump in his chest.

“Well… I didn’t then…” she looked up from under her lashes, those ice blue eyes pinning him in place.

“Good… I didn’t miss you either,” he said when he could finally think straight and smiled.                                                         

“Did you mean what you said, Adalai? That you’d help me with Angel?”

“Why would you question that?”

“Well… Deran has always been pretty forthcoming with what he wants. I know he wants me, he thinks I am his Mate, your Mate too. But you… I can’t tell one way or another.”

He paused for a moment before saying the first thing that came to his head, “You’re feeling awfully brave tonight.” Wow… really! I’m a fucking moron.

                                                             *******************

“I guess I am. Meg… I didn’t even know her last name, you know…? She died in my arms a few hours ago and yet, human as she was, she wasn’t afraid to live. I have a lot of power, abilities I don’t know about yet, and I’ve been afraid of living my entire life. I don’t want to be afraid anymore, Adalai. That’s what I was trying to say earlier. I’m scared, but I don’t want to be.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being scared Vamps. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, its being afraid and moving forward anyway. Will you sit with me?” She chewed on her lip for a moment before nodding and sliding in beside him, though she still left a good foot between them.

“What do you want, Tracy?”

“I… I don’t know. A week ago, I wanted to run. The Seer showed me a vision of what my future would look like if I did and it was what I’d always wanted. I lived alone in the middle of nowhere and I owned a little roadside café. I had no friends, no family, I wasn’t bothered by anyone. It was exactly what I dreamed it would be.”

“But you were really upset when the Seer left?” Adalai questioned with a frown.

“She showed me the lives of everyone else as well. What would happen to everyone else if I swanned off into the distance to live my peaceful life…? Alexa and Kaleb had a child before they were overcome by the Resistance and left him an orphan. Aden was killed in the same fight and Teresa took her life shortly after, haunted by his spirit. You and Deran… you were both killed by the same weapon that hurt you… but that wasn’t the worst of it. You died hating me. You both hated me because I wouldn’t give in to our mating… I don’t want you to hate me, Adalai. I don’t know why but the thought of that was the worst of all,” she looked up at him, her eyes wide. She wanted an answer from him. Wanted him to tell her that it was all a by-product of Elena’s soul binding magic… that her feelings would go away. Yet, though she wanted him to say that, the possibility that it might all mean nothing in the end left her cold and on the verge of tears.

“I could never hate you, Vamps. Not even if you left. I might have thought I did but I never really could. Forget the rest. Forget about the others. You should live your life for you, not anyone else. So, tell me, if it was just you, just your life you had to give a damn about, would you still want to leave.”

“I… I couldn’t. Not now.”

“But would you want to?”

“I… I don’t know.” No. Why can’t I just say no?

“Well, when you figure it out, let me know,” he murmured, disheartened.

“What about you? You haven’t answered my question.”

“Would it make a difference?”

“It might,” she whispered.

“Well then, it is better that you don’t know. I’d rather you chose to stay with us because it’s what you wanted, not because you think it’s what I want,” he muttered, climbing off of the bed, doing his best to hide his frustration and hurt feelings but she could see them anyway.

“I’m sorry, Adalai. I… I care about you both. I just…” I’m confused.

“It’s okay. You’ll figure it out. We have plenty of time, Vampirella. Get some sleep, alright.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Chapter Thirty-one

Meg stood before her, her eyes wide and filled with pain. She looked down at the gaping wound in her stomach before pinning Tracy with hatred and betrayal in her eyes.

“You said you would protect me… you lied.”

“I didn’t… I tried, I swear I tried,” Tracy cried out, reaching for her friend.

“That knife was meant for you, not me. You killed me, Tracy. I thought we were friends?”

“We were… we are. I’m sorry, Meg,” Tracy murmured, feeling tears on her cheeks as she took a step back.

“Don’t believe her… she always lies. She told me she loved me and then she watched me die,” a young male voice called from behind her. Tracy whirled around to see Chris, his dark hair stuck to his head with sweat, blood dripping from the carvings in his flesh and smoke billowing from his empty eye socket.

“No Chris… I… I’m sorry.”

“You told me you would protect them… but they’re all dead. All of them. What, you couldn’t save one?” Amelia appeared beside her, incredulity, recrimination and disgust all over her face.

“I… Vendrell, he…”

“At least she didn’t kill you directly. She stabbed me in the heart at the same time that she broke it.” Another male voice. She didn’t need to turn around to know that Jonathon would be standing before her, the blade she had stabbed him with still protruding from his chest.

“I have the monopoly on betrayal here. She could have saved me and she didn’t. Her own Mother.”

“Mom, no… you were already dead.” Tracy was balling now, faced with all of her failures… all of the people she had let down. Rebecca, Saskia… the others, they all joined the circle, betrayal in their eyes.

“You really think you are suitable to look after my daughter… this is what happens to people that you love!” Meg cried out, reaching forward with a clammy hand to push her. Hands started touching her everywhere, from every direction… pushing and shoving. Her body, her face, her head… everywhere. Beating her, hating her… consuming every part of her.

“Tracy… Tracy… Catrasia, wake the fuck up!” what? Tracy jolted upright, her heart beating fast and her hands reaching out for a weapon. But it wasn’t a weapon that they grabbed, it was Adalai.

“Hey sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m right here. You’re safe,” she buried her face in his chest, the frightening nightmare leaving her shaken and ashamed. So ashamed. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Tracy. It was a nightmare. Everybody has nightmares.”

“They blame me…” it was all she could get out in between sobs as she clutched on to his shirt as though her life depended on it. It felt as though it really did. As though, if she released him, she would fall away, back into her nightmare only this time she wouldn’t be able to wake up.

“No they don’t. You just feel like they should. You were just surviving, Vamps. You did what you could, when you could. You saved Angel’s life… my brother’s life… my life. That’s three lives right there. If you didn’t feel anything for those that you’ve lost, it would mean that weren’t capable of love. And we both know that that isn’t true,” he continued to whisper words to her as he ran his hands down her back, wiping away the pain… it was the most intimate she had ever been with him and yet it felt natural. Something inside her healed a little that night. Something that had long been broken was knitted back together beneath his hands and his kindness. How anyone could think demons were soulless and evil was beyond her. Her Demons were the sweetest, kindest men she had ever met.

“Hmmm…” she pulled away a little, looking up at him. He’d thrown his head back a little, his eyes at half-mast, almost as if he were breathing her in.

“Adalai?” she whispered, uncertainly.

“That… is a very… intoxicating emotion,” he murmured, finally looking down at her. His eyes were bright, almost as though his crimson irises were dancing with flame.

“Tracy… I-,” right then, Angel decided it was time for another feed, her high-pitched keening breaking through the air… and their intimacy. So… this is parenthood, she thought, clambering off of the bed. Adalai was up too, gathering another pre-made bottle from the bag as she picked the baby up, cuddling her close and dancing around the room like a moron. A few minutes later and Adalai was back, testing the bottle on his wrist. Tracy took it and offered it to Angel, but the baby was not having any of it. Tracy looked up at Adalai, her eyes wide as he shook his head with a bewildered shrug. Throughout it all, Angel continued to cry.

“Check her diaper,” Adalai suggested and she nodded gratefully. She gently lay the baby down on the bed as Adalai hurried off to get the necessary equipment. They were like a well-oiled machine as the dirty diaper came off, the bum was wiped, powder was puffed and a clean diaper was put on with no extra fuss. And yet still, Angel cried.

“Where the hell is Deran?” Tracy snapped, picking Angel up and cuddling her once more, more frantically this time.

“wherever he is, I’m going to fucking kill him,” Adalai muttered, in between making smacking sounds with his lip as he tried to distract the distraught new-born.

“I hope you’re not talking about me,” the Jackass in question walked through the door with his hands full as though he hadn’t abandoned them in the thick of it.

“Where the fuck have you been?”

“Help us, I think she’s sick,” Tracy was practically crying, offering the baby to him before he could even set his things down.

“Alright, don’t panic. Adalai take these,” Deran handed his wares over and took the baby in his arms. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey,” he crooned as he gently rocked her, moving languidly with a grace that belied his size and a voice as smooth as honey. Adalai and Tracy could only stare as Angel calmed almost immediately, her cries turning into soft gurgles. Deran held a hand out for the bottle and Tracy handed it to him silently… feeling dejected. About twenty minutes later and the baby was once again sleeping contentedly. The little traitor.

“How did you do that?” Tracy demanded, keeping her tone hushed.

“Babies sense the emotions of those around them. You guys were upset so she was upset. You did everything right,” Deran murmured as he gently lay Angel back in her crib.

“Didn’t feel like it,” Adalai muttered, clearly just as upset as Tracy was.

“I promise you, it will get easier. Now, come on, the pizza is getting cold,” Deran said with a smile and shake of his head.

“Pizza?” Tracy and Adalai both said in unison. The next twenty minutes were silent except for the sounds of chomping and slurping cans of coke.

“Wow. I know why we’re hungry,” Deran muttered, gesturing to himself and Tracy, “but what’s your excuse?”

“Hey! I’ve been kinda busy myself you know?” Adalai mumbled around a mouthful.

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Dick”

“Douche”

“Idjit”

“Asshole”

“By the Gods, will you both shut up?” Tracy laughed, the brothers antics lightening her mood considerably.

“He started it,” Adalai pouted, his lower lip literally jutting out.

“And there was I thinking I only had one child to worry about,” she murmured, giving them both a pointed look. Adalai and Deran shared a look.

“We resent that,” Deran rumbled, his deep voice filled with humour.

She could only roll her eyes but she felt a sort of freedom she couldn’t remember ever feeling before. Safe. She felt safe.

“Look, I… I am not the easiest person to get to know and well… I just wanted to say that I’m glad I got to know you both…” she stumbled awkwardly over her words, frowning, not sure what she was trying to say.

“You seem surprised it was so easy,” Deran murmured, his eyes hooded and sensual.

“Well, yeah… I guess I am.”

“Don’t you understand, Catrasia? We were made for each other. We are three parts of the same being. That’s why you feel safe when you’re with us. That’s why when we touch you it feels like you’ve come home. It feels the same for us, you know?” Deran replied, open and candid as ever. She gave him a genuine smile, though she shifted uncomfortably. Still, despite Deran’s words of reassurance, she couldn’t help but glance at his brother. Adalai, the usually flamboyant and cocky demon was stoic and stony faced, though his eyes were bright and almost manic.

“Adie, stop being a dick and tell her,” Deran growled, apparently sensing something she couldn’t.

“Tell me what?” she murmured, ducking her head a little, peering up at Adalai through her lashes.

Adalai gave his brother a look that should have killed him, clenched and unclenched his jaw, opened his mouth and then closed it… “We are fated,” he muttered eventually and Tracy could barely contain her disappointment. Apparently he felt her emotions because he suddenly continued. “I’m not good at this and I don’t want to say anything that is going to pressure you to stay with us. You’ve been someone’s prisoner your entire life, every decision has been stolen from you … this has to be your choice.” He looked away then, apparently annoyed at himself. As though he still hadn’t said what he wanted to say. It didn’t matter though. He’d once again seen through her completely. Cut through every barrier and wall she had erected, even the ones she had used to hide the truth from herself. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, a small salty pearl of… shit, what was she feeling? She wasn’t sure. Adalai glanced up at her, confused at the emotions she was throwing his way but she could only shake her head that she didn’t know either. He clenched his jaw, misunderstanding, before clambering to his feet and stalking to the window, his long legs carrying him there in three strides. Tracy watched him go, her tears still falling. Deran, whose eyes had followed his brother, glanced back at her. He saw her tears and then he was on his feet, his hands clenching into fists as he stormed towards his brother. Shit. What had she done? What was she doing? She too climbed to her feet, though she didn’t take a step anywhere. She just stood there, like a goddamn melon, as she watched Deran shove Adalai’s shoulder and the two began arguing in hushed whispers so as not to wake the baby. She was confused, feeling things she didn’t know she could and couldn’t define. She didn’t know what she felt but she did know what she wanted. Them. She wanted them. All of them. Adalai, Deran and Angel. All of her dreams of living a solitary life and being left in peace had abandoned her at some point in the last few days to be replaced by a burgeoning need to have a family. And she could, she thought, they were all right here in this room. She only needed to reach out and touch it. Her mind wandered back to a darker time, a time when a beautiful woman who loved her made her promise to only believe in herself, to trust no-one but herself. She whispered an apology to her Mother under her breath, realising she had already broken that promise and that she intended to continue breaking it.

Padding across the floor, her bare feet making no noise as she approached them.

“…already made her choice, Deran!”

“So change her fucking mind, asshole,” Deran hissed, shoving Adalai’s shoulder once again.

“No, dammit! I won’t convince her to feel for me. It wouldn’t be real,” Adalai muttered, pushing Deran back with more force and vigour. She realised if she didn’t intercede there would be a full on silent brawl in the bedroom and all because she hadn’t found the right words to express what she felt. She still couldn’t say what she felt, but she could show it…

“Tamen torque,” she murmured, flicking her fingers out at both brothers. They stopped talking, there arms suddenly pinned to their sides as they stood frozen in position.

“What the hell?”

“Tracy?”

She took a deep, shaky breath as she stepped towards them, coming to stand between them. A female mage in a devilishly attractive Demon sandwich. She faced Deran, a faint smile on her lips as she reached up to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes against the contact, a deep purr resonating from his chest. Before she could give herself time to second guess her actions she leaned up, kissing his lips softly, sweetly, as her heart threatened to thud right through her chest. His eyes opened as she stepped away, following her as she turned around to face Adalai. She swallowed hard, her icy blue eyes meeting his fiery crimson ones as she reached out to him, wrapping her arms around his body, holding him to her. His form remained still owned by her spell, his body unrelenting. All hard muscle and strong plains. She pulled back, his eyes still fixated on her, a question within them. She leaned up, intending to answer it. With one hand behind his head and another planted firmly on his chest, she reached up on tiptoes, her lips touching his softly as she placed a sweet kiss against his unmoving lips.

“I want you… both of you. I want this. I do. I’m a little scared but I want to try. I just… can we… can we take it slowly? I’ve obviously never been with two men before… hell, I’ve only ever been with one guy in my entire life and it was just the once… I have no idea what I’m doing or what I’m supposed to do. I mean, look at you two! You’re both freaking huge and I’m… well, look at me! I mean, by the fucking Creator, what the hell am I supposed to do with you?” it had started off well and then, shit, she didn’t know what happened. One minute she was speaking sincerely, her heart in her words, before madness descended and she began panicking about the logistics of the three actually being together. She could feel them both straining against her magic, fighting for freedom and she knew she shouldn’t keep them there but she wasn’t ready to release them yet. Not just yet. “I want to be with you,” she murmured to them both, her eyes finding her feet. “I just don’t know how.” She felt ashamed admitting it. As though her confession somehow made her less than… less than what they wanted. Less than what they deserved. Shaking her head, sorrow and unworthiness filling her as she finally muttered, “Libertas”, releasing them from the hold she had on them. They both seemed to fall forward, their sudden freedom catching them off guard. When they had stopped staggering and righted themselves, she felt them turn towards her. Neither stepped forward, neither of them spoke… they seemed to be waiting. She chanced a glance up at them to find them both looking at her. One with confidence and triumph and the other with uncertainty and trepidation. She looked between them, so similar and yet so different. Balance, she thought, they balance each other. So what does that make me in this equation? She sighed, annoyed at herself for being such a goddamn coward. She didn’t question things, she’d never had reason to. She always chose the easy option but here, now, there were no easy options to take. If she turned and walked away from them, from what they offered and what they meant to her… she’d end up hating herself for walking out on the only people that made her feel… feel anything… feel everything. And yet, staying would also mean uncertainty, possibly pain and loss and heartache… still, she found herself wanting to take that chance. Needing to take that chance.

“Catrasia… we will take this as slowly as you need us to.” Deran finally spoke, his words soft though the shit-eating grin on his face took a little sincerity out of it. Despite that though, she found herself nodding, her hands wringing together nervously. It was Adalai that she really wanted to hear from. He was somewhat of a mystery. In the weeks they had spent together he had been abrasive, cocky and arrogant, annoying her at every opportunity. Insinuation, innuendo and sarcasm on a large, copper skinned plate. And yet, he withheld his real emotions, almost seemed to hide from them… she frowned, looking up at him, feeling herself getting angry at him for his hypocrisy. He’d said he wanted her to choose and she had and yet he still wasn’t saying anything. He wasn’t doing anything with her choice. Had she chosen wrong? Was it all his way of ensuring nothing happened between them because he didn’t want her in that way but didn’t have the balls to say it? Had she just put herself out there only for him to refute her now? She opened her mouth to shout at him, moved to hit out at his chest, her anger growing… and then he was there, he leaned down in one quick swoop, his mouth finding hers as though a gravitational pull propelled their lips together. She gasped against his mouth, her eyes wide as he kissed her passionately, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, warm and wet and tasting like cinnamon and candied apples. Where Deran had tasted dark and exotic, almost dangerous, Adalai tasted like Christmas… warm, sweet, comforting. She felt Deran moved beside her, felt her hair being moved to the side and her t-shirt being shifted as her leaned forward, gently kissing her in the crook of her neck. The moment his lips touched her neck, the moment she had them both against her, her body pushed up against Adalai’s with Deran’s warm chest pressed against her back, she was lost in them. She gasped again, inside Adalai’s mouth and he seemed to drink it in. his tongue played with hers as Deran’s traced, hot, sensuous circles on her throat. She had never felt so much sensation at once. Kissing Deran in Vendrell’s prison had been hot and heavy and heavenly but both of them together transcended it by a mile. Her skin felt like it was doused in ice and dancing on the pyre at the same time. Alive and awake and vibrant…

She kissed Adalai back with vigour, one hand reaching up to his neck as she pulled him closer and the other snaking into Deran’s hair. She felt the appreciative rumble in Adalai’s chest against hers. She felt her t-shirt being pulled up, forcing them to break their kiss as it was lifted over her head. She felt vulnerable for only a second and then she was back in the moment, Deran and Adalai surrounded her, held her in place and grounded her. Deran reached round, his fingers gently cupping her chin as he pulled her lips towards his. She kissed him fervently, as Adalai stooped down, laying gentle kisses over her breast, his hot, wet mouth dampening her skin beneath her bra as his lips closed around her nipple. A jolt of pure, unadulterated pleasure ripped through her as she once again gasped. She felt Deran chuckle against her mouth before he pulled back and dropped to his knees beside her. He ran his hand along the waistband of the jogging bottoms she had thrown on after her shower and quirked an eyebrow at her. He was asking for permission, she realised. Biting her lip, she gave him a shy nod but he didn’t just rip them down as she had almost been expecting. Instead he leaned in slowly, trailing down her stomach and leaving open mouthed kisses in his wake. As Deran worked his way down, Adalai stood and moved to stand behind her, removing her bra and cupping her breasts, kneading gently as he kissed down the side of her throat. She barely felt it when Deran slipped his fingers beneath her waist band and her pants slid down her thighs, her attention solely focused on the sensations they provided as they worked separately and yet perfectly in sync. Before she knew it she stood there in nothing but her underwear, her body humming with need and desire. But something wasn’t right…

“Wait,” she whispered, the sound of her voice like the crash of thunder in the otherwise silent bedroom.

“What is it?”

“Do you want to stop?” Adalai asked, tilting his head as though he were trying to read her emotions.

“I… I don’t think this is right,” she murmured, as both men stood before her. “I’m practically naked and you’re both fully dressed.” She bit her lip, fighting away a grin as a range of emotions flew over Adalai’s face settling on something between ravenous and primal. Before a haze of lust and animalistic necessity took him over completely, a soft gurgle interrupted them. Her eyes widened as she looked from Adalai to Deran and then over to the sleeping Angel in her crib. Nope… this is parenthood, she thought. Her body was awash with excitement and her most intimate of places felt like it was on fire with the need to be touched but… the baby…

“Hey, it’s alright, I got these whilst I was out,” Deran murmured, grabbing the bag he had brought home with him. He withdrew a box which had some sort of walkie talkies on the front of it. She gave him a questioning look, feeling a little exposed now that they weren’t getting down and dirty. What had she been thinking? Well, she knew what she was thinking with, at least, she thought, rolling her eyes at herself as she grabbed up her t-shirt from the floor and threw it over her head… Deran faffed around with the box for a minute. Pulling free two of the walkie talkies and laying one in the end of the crib before darting into the bathroom and shutting the door. She raised an eyebrow at Adalai who was shaking his head at the bathroom door.

“I have no idea,” he muttered, attempting to hide the frustration on his face bringing a smile to her face.

Deran opened the door less than a moment later and then motioned them towards him. Curious and a little irritated, Tracy followed after Adalai, opening her mouth to complain when Deran closed the door behind him.

“Shhh, listen,” he murmured, pointing at the white little walkie talkie. She frowned but did as he said and after a second she heard it. The soft breathing and sleepy gurgles of the baby in the room next door.

“What is it?” Adalai murmured and she looked at Deran with an eyebrow raised as well.

“It’s a baby monitor. It’s a human thing. Thought we could use one too, these rooms are all soundproofed because of the supernatural hearing so, I figured this would be the next best thing whilst we were here.”

“And you just knew that we’d need them?” Tracy asked, incredulous.

“Well, I already knew I was irresistible. It was just a matter of time until you got past Adie’s flaws,” he quipped, turning the faucet on the bath. She shook her head with a grin, though she was feeling a little uncomfortable now. Not regretful just awkward. It had felt natural before and now, here in the bathroom, she felt as though it was happening for the sake of it even though she desperately wanted it to mean something. A hand on her shoulder calmed her fears and she leaned into it.

“We can just go to bed, Vamps,” Adalai’s deep, husky vibrated in her ear and she felt herself quiver all over, the same intense heat she had been feeling just a few moments before returned with a vengeance.

“No we can’t,” she whispered, turning towards him, “Angel’s in there.” Her eyes were hooded as she looked up at her him, reaching up to wrap her hands around his neck. “Veni,” she murmured, smiling as his eyes widened and her magic pulled his face to hers. Before he could say a word she locked her lips with his, initiating the kiss with a passion. He groaned against her mouth, his hands reaching down to grip her ass as he lifted her to his body. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist feeling the hard bulge in his pants rubbing against her pussy in a tantalising promise of what was to come. Her body began moving against him, grinding her sensitive mound against the swell of his pyjama pants though she wasn’t consciously doing it. She was no longer afraid or nervous or worried… she was just hungry. She needed him, needed them both and she needed them now. Adalai growled against her, walking forward until her back hit the wall. Except it couldn’t have been the wall, it was too warm, her body moulded into it too well. Deran reached round, his hands gripping her shirt once more. He didn’t ask for permission this time, he just did it, clearly sensing the shift in her intentions. She pulled away from Adalai, lifting her arms for the shirt to be pulled free, then reaching down to do the same to the demon holding her. She couldn’t get his shirt off quick enough, getting herself frustrated enough that she was practically baring her teeth at the offending garment.

“Tolle vestimentum,” she muttered angrily, watching at the clothes on his body disintegrated before her eyes, smiling feverishly at the spells success. She closed her eyes at the feeling of skin on skin, as she finally felt his flesh against hers.

“You know, she’s kinda scary,” Deran mumbled from behind her, his bare skin heating hers at every point of contact.

“Mmmm, you ain’t seen nothing yet, Demon,” she murmured, her voice low and hoarse as she reached a hand back, gripping his hair and pulling him in for a kiss. She felt free, unbridled and so, so safe. Surrounded by her Demons in the throes of a passion so hot she thought it might burn her, yet it called her temptingly towards the fire. Deran broke their kiss, causing her to growl deep within her throat. He licked his lips, grinning like that damn Cheshire cat as he stepped away to stop the faucet on the bath. She had all but forgotten about the bath, turning towards it with a frown. She hadn’t used it earlier, she’d used the shower instead because the sheer size of it would have taken an age to fill. Now it was filled two thirds of the way, its square shape inviting and steamy. Deran turned away to get something and she caught sight of his bare back. A gasp of horror escaped her and Adalai looked up immediately, sensing the shift in her before the sound even left her mouth. Deran’s back was littered with silver scars, some thick, some thin… all looked fresh.

“Deran?” she whispered, releasing her legs from Adalai’s waist though she didn’t release him completely. Deran turned around slowly, cringing.

“Sorry, I forgot about that.”

“What happened?”

“Just a punishment for not doing as I was told,” he said with a shrug, though his eyes quickly darted to Adalai’s before he looked back at her. She could sense he was lying or at least not telling the full truth.

“You’re lying to me,” she accused, taking a step towards him. “This was because of me, wasn’t it?”

“I… I would take this beating ten times over if it meant that you didn’t have to take it once, Catrasia,” he whispered and she could feel the honesty in his words. It was a strange sensation… like a beacon inside her head that flashed and switched itself on every time a lie was detected.

“Oh Deran… I’m so sorry,” she murmured, moving towards him. He shook his head as he held his arms out for her, wrapping her in his embrace.

“Nothing to apologise for,” he whispered, kissing her head. She pulled away, moving to stand behind him but he started to turn, telling her to ignore it. Instead, she ignored him. Running her hands over his back, she murmured, “Sana, sana, sana, sana, sana,” over and over again. She sensed him giving his brother a questioning look, sensed Adalai shaking his head… “Sana, sana, sana, sana,” she murmured, focusing on the mage magic inside of her. She called on the blood inside her, felt it reaching out to the Deran. Felt the magic flowing from her hands as she closed her eyes. She heard Adalai shout her name, felt the world tilt… and then she was back, her demon’s holding her. One was whispering words of comfort and the other was angrily blasting her for being so stupid.

“What did you- how did you… by the fucking Gods, Catrasia,” Deran was muttering, shifting his back uncomfortably.

“Let me see,” she whispered, her eyes wide as her strength returned. He grunted but turned around so she could look upon her handiwork. His back wasn’t clear yet but all of the smaller and thin scars had lifted, leaving the skin beneath smooth and coppery. “It’s working.”

“No. It worked, you’re not doing it again, Tracy,” Deran said firmly, his eyes and the new beacon inside her head telling her he fully believed that to be the truth. Still, didn’t mean she was to going to obey him, did it?

“Uh-huh, the bath is getting cold you know,” she whispered, a grin filling her face. Deran grunted as Adalai snorted beside her. She looked up at him as he lifted her and himself into the bath and he gave her a conspiratorial smile as Deran climbed into the hot water beside her.

Chapter Thirty-two

Every time he thought he had her figured out, she surprised him. Deran sat beside Tracy in the bath that was big enough to fill the sitting room in Tracy’s squat. Didn’t she know he would have kept those scars as a badge of honour and remembrance? So he would never forget how close he came to losing her that day… she hadn’t even noticed the new silver scar on her stomach but she had almost passed out healing his… He stroked her leg beneath the water, running his fingers along her pale skin gently as he watched her smile at his brother. She really was a beauty. Inside and out. Something had shifted in the past hour or so, he felt it clear as day. The Mating bond had truly taken hold. It worked much differently for demon pairs than it did for others. It was a much more in-depth process, sometimes taking weeks to complete properly. Whereas with Shifters and Fae and most other supernaturals, the bond was sealed with intense sexual connection. For demon pairs, like he and his brother, the bond could only be sealed with a specific sexual encounter and he knew Tracy wasn’t ready for that just yet. Though, he was sure she would disagree whilst she was in this mood. Even now, he could feel her naughty intentions as her fingers curled in Adalai’s hair and her other hand reached towards him. Little minx. Even though he knew what to expect from the bond, how it made you feel and how it essentially linked the hearts of those it ruled inseparably, he knew he had given her his heart before the bond had even taken root. In truth, he probably started falling for her the first time she called him an asshole in that strip club. It felt like so long ago but it hadn’t even been a week yet. He was falling in love with her and judging by the look on his brother’s face, Adalai was too. The feeling was intoxicating… he felt invulnerable and unstoppable and yet completely laid bare for her. He took her outstretched hand and brought it up to his lips. She turned to him, her beautiful face open and inviting and he couldn’t resist. He moved through the water, leaning forward so he was placed between her legs, and gently kissed her mouth. She opened up to him immediately, so different from their first kiss in the cell where she had been tentative and shy. Now she was hungry and confident. He gently manoeuvred her, without breaking their kiss, so she was placed in between Adalai’s legs. Finally, he released her mouth, kissing downwards to her small but shapely breasts, his tongue flicking over her nipple as she bucked beneath him, her head falling back on Adalai’s shoulder. He moved lower still, placing his hands beneath her ass and pulling her up, out of the water. She gasped at the movement as he hovered just above her pussy. He glanced up to look in her eyes as Adalai moved forward a little, licking his lips at the glorious sight before them. They didn’t move for a second, their eyes locked on their targets. Almost predictably, Adie was the first to break.

“Taste her, brother,” he growled, his voice low and demanding. He didn’t need to be told twice. With one final look at Tracy, he bent his head and pressed the flat of his tongue over her little pink pearl. She shuddered around him, her thighs gently pressing against the sides of his head. She tasted perfect, sensual like vanilla and sandalwood with a sweet aftertaste he couldn’t define. He licked around her bud, sucked and flicked his tongue over it as a soft moan of pleasure left her and her thighs widened, allowing him closer. He took what she offered him with reverence and respect, gently loving her with his mouth. Her moans and heavy breathing grew faster and faster, reaching a crescendo but he wasn’t finished with her yet. He pulled back and she whimpered at the loss of contact, her hips bucking up towards him, demanding his return. Instead he licked his lips, tasting her honey once more before reaching up and kissing her, his tongue sweeping through her mouth so she too could taste. When he pulled back, Adalai took his turn, kissing her mouth and tasting her second hand. He growled low in his throat and Deran understood it perfectly… hers was a taste that had been made especially for them, it was addictive. Even now, he was tempted to dive back in between her legs and never come out. But that wouldn’t prepare her for what they would eventually need to do to complete their bonding. Still, she had said she wanted to take it slow. He glanced up to find those icy blue eyes pinned on him, a threat in them. He had no doubt that she wouldn’t hesitate to use her magic on him if he didn’t do something soon. He gave her a sh- no, a pussy-eating grin as his fingers travelled towards her pussy. The moment he touched her, her head fell back with a gasp and his grin widened. He gently rubbed against her little nub as he sucked on two of his fingers. When she was panting, bucking her hips against him he knew she was ready and slowly, gently, he entered her, his fingers sliding inside her warmth. She stilled then, her head whipping up and her eyes intense as they landed on him. He didn’t move other than to continue rubbing her sweet little pearl with his other hand in a circular motion. After a moment, she blinked and he took it as a sign that he should begin. And so he did. In and out in perfect rhythm with his other hand and Adalai’s kneading movements on her breasts. She moaned as she writhed beneath his hands, her head falling back. He could tell she was close and he wasn’t far from blowing his load either… still, he didn’t want it to end just yet. He wanted to see how far she was comfortable going.

“Do you think you could take me, baby?” he murmured, removing his hands and reaching for her in the steadily cooling water.

“I…”

“You can say no, Catrasia. I can carry on doing this,” he whispered when she glanced down at his cock, wide-eyed.

“But-,” she turned to look at Adalai who shook his head.

“Don’t worry about me, Vamps. I don’t need to be inside you,” she seemed confused yet somewhat relieved confirming Deran’s theory that she indeed would not be ready for the final event just yet. She turned back to Deran and gave him a shy, tentative nod that had his balls tightening. She was equal parts coy and confident and he loved it. He sat up on his knees and moved towards her, lining himself up but he didn’t enter her just yet. Instead he pushed just the tip of his cock inside her opening, his fingers once again finding that sensitive place on her pussy. She whimpered a little, needing more but he knew he needed to take this slowly. Knew this time, their first time all together would dictate how the rest of their sexual encounters would feel for her, for them all. It needed to be done right. She needed to feel safe at all times. If she were a little frustrated and in need of more for a while then she at least felt safe enough to feel that way. That was his logic and he was sticking to it… even if his balls felt bluer than a cowboy without a guitar. He felt sweat bead on his forehead with the need to slam home inside her, to bury his cock deep inside her pussy and never pull out again but he contained himself… barely. He glanced up at Adalai who moved round to kiss her mouth, distract her with his tongue as his hands continued to play with her breasts, pulling on her nipples as he toyed with her mouth. Slowly, inch by inch, he slid himself inside, gritting his teeth as he dropped his head back with a groan. Home, he was finally home. So many years of searching, giving up and searching again and he’d finally found the place he was going to bury himself in for the rest of his life. Her pussy held him tightly, a velvety glove that fit his cock perfectly. She gasped against Adalai’s mouth and his brother groaned in response. Possibly the one benefit of his brothers gifts were his ability to feel two certain emotions… lust and desire. Right then, he was certain, judging from the sweat beading on Adalai’s forehead, that Tracy was feeling both of those in large amounts; he knew he was. He began moving his hips, backwards and forwards, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her to meet him, slowly at first before picking up the pace. She moaned again when he began slamming inside her, his cock hard and heavy as he buried himself within her. She gave breathless pants as Adalai gripped her body against his chest, keeping her in place for Deran’s punishing rhythm, his head falling back as her emotions overwhelmed him. Deran continued to pump inside her, knowing they were all getting close, once, twice and… she cried out, a soft, keening moan that fuelled his lust filled haze even further, less than a moment passed and both he and Adalai were joining her, their shared orgasm plummeting through them as he filled her pussy with his cum. He leaned forward, sandwiching her between himself and his brother, using the edge of the bath so he didn’t crush her as the aftermath of his orgasm flew through him. It left him drained and satisfied yet, he was certain, given five minutes he would have been ready to do it all over again if only she’d let him. Pulling back, he looked down at her. Her eyes were wide, almost fearful and he bit his lip, wondering if he had pushed her too far, too fast.

“You okay, baby?”

“I… will it always be like this?” she asked, breathlessly, and the weight that lifted from him was almost tangible.

“It will only get better, Catrasia,” Adalai growled into her ear. Of course, he would say that. Still, he wasn’t wrong. This was just the beginning. He moved himself out of her slowly and came to sit beside her. The water in the bath was barely even tepid now and he murmured as much.

“Calor,” she murmured lazily, still leaning against Adalai’s chest, her eyes at half-mast. The water heated in an instant. He chuckled as he reached out, gripping her hand in his. They sat there for a further ten minutes until a soft cry came through the baby monitor and all three of them sat up in a rush.

“It’s alright, it’s my turn,” Adalai murmured, placing a kiss on Tracy’s head as he climbed out from under her. She seemed surprised by his insistence but he was out of bath, wrapped in a towel and out of the bathroom before she could say a word.

“Is he…?”

“He’s fine. If he stays in here with us, our emotions will be too much for him and he’ll cum again,” Deran said with a shrug, holding his arm out to her. She took it after a seconds hesitation, snuggling herself into his side.

“It must be hard for him,” she whispered sadly.

“It will be for a while but when our mating is completed, he’ll be able to turn off our emotions at will.”

“It’s not completed yet?” she asked, seemingly disappointed. It seemed the female mage was an all or nothing kind of girl.

“Not yet, baby. It will be soon but not yet.”

“What do we need to do to complete it?” she asked and he winced at the question. He didn’t want to scare her off, still, he’d been caught in one lie already this evening and it really wasn’t his way.

“We need to be truly together, the three of us,” he murmured, holding her a little tighter on instinct. She frowned in confusion until he saw the understanding bloom over her face and the fear set in.

“I… I’ve never-,” she began but he cut her off.

“Don’t worry about it baby. We have all the time in the world and it won’t happen until you’re ready,” he murmured, breathing a sigh of relief when she relaxed into him again.

“…Goodnight, my Angel, time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day,” Adalai’s rich voice came through the baby monitor as he soothed Angel with a bottle. Hmm, Billy Joel…

“You know, he threatened to sing to me the entire way to New York from Texas. I’m starting to think I should have let him,” she murmured sleepily, bringing a chuckle to his lips. His brother did have a lovely singing voice. It reminded him of his Mother. An odd moment to reminisce, whilst he sat naked beside his Mate literally bathing in the afterglow of hot sex but shit… He had been kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, found his Mate and essentially become a Father all in one week… odd didn’t even begin to cover it.

Chapter Thirty-three

“No… I didn’t… I swear I… Meg,” Adalai opened his eyes to Tracy thrashing beside him. Her fear, shame and guilt rolling off of her in waves. He reached over and hit his brother on the arm, punching him awake. The man could sleep through a nuclear war.

“Wha-,” Deran mumbled sleepily before sitting up in bed. “Angel?”

“No… Tracy,” Adalai whispered. “She keeps having nightmares.”

“Wake her up,” Deran muttered, turning to reach for her but Adalai stopped him. “I tried that already. I have another idea.” Deran raised an eyebrow, but a soft cry from Tracy had him agreeing to anything. Adalai reached over gripping his brother’s shoulder as he placed a hand on Tracy’s forehead. Taking strength from them both he concentrated on his gift, feeling her emotions as they slammed into him, unrelenting. He thought of how he felt when she’d kissed him for the first time, how he’d felt when she had literally disintegrated his clothes from his body. The way she had laid on him, so comfortable with him in a way he’d never thought she could be… he thought of the first moment he had laid eyes on her in the pit… the relief. He thought of how he had sung Angel to sleep, the instant connection he felt with the little hybrid baby… he pushed all of those positive emotions into her…

When Angel had cried earlier, clearly unhappy at being left alone, he had been so elated, he hadn’t even realised he was doing it. Hadn’t realised he was pushing positive emotions onto the little baby as he held her. She had calmed instantly, snuggling into him before he could even pick up her bottle or change her diaper. He had queried it then but as the night went on and he’d laid down to bed he had considered it further. Now he was willing to try it consciously. He felt the emotions… felt them hit a wall and refuse to go any further… he was about to give up and wake her up again when he felt the wall budge. He pushed harder, straining with all of his might until the wall collapsed and the positive emotions fell into her in a wild torrent of happy thoughts. She gave a shaky sigh in her sleep, almost a gasp before she settled, a soft giggle escaped her mouth as she turned over pulling Deran closer, her arm snaking back to touch his side; wanting to be touching them both even in sleep. He shuffled closer, spooning himself in behind her as she settled back into a deep sleep, with a small blissful smile on her face.

“The Mating?” Deran murmured, looking down at Tracy with a half-smile, one side of his mouth quirked up.

“I think so. I think it’s affecting her too. She saw through your lie earlier quicker than I did. That doesn’t happen,” he added.

“Mmmm, I did notice that.”

“So what happened?”

“Vendrell… he wanted her but she passed out and thank the Gods she did,” Deran murmured firmly.

“Yeah… do you realise how much power it takes to heal scars? She’s been hiding her abilities for so long… can you imagine, all that stored power?”

“I know… she’s pretty fucking amazing brother. I’d say we lucked out in the Mate department,” he said with a nod.

“Yep… speaking of, is the mating affecting you in anyway?”

“Other than the obvious? I don’t think so. My power doesn’t feel any different but then I haven’t been paying much attention to it lately,” he muttered sarcastically, lying back with a yawn. “Get some sleep Adie. I have a feeling we’ll need the rest over the next few days.” Adalai nodded, laying down as well though he was certain he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. Even so, a few minutes later he was sound asleep, dreaming of bathtubs and icy blue eyes.

                                                             ********************

“Hey… Adalai? Breakfast is ready,” Tracy’s soft voice brought him from his sleep with a smile.

“Hey you,” he said with a groggy smile.

“Hey you,” she gave him a shy smile as she sat on the bed beside him fiddling with the blanket. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did. You?”

“I…I did actually. I don’t think I’ve slept so well in a long time to be honest… that sounds cheesy as hell doesn’t it?” she laughed at herself, shaking her head.

“Not at all, come here Vamps,” he held out his arm and she leaned into it, lying beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. “Where’s Angel?”

“Deran took her downstairs.”

“Hmm, so it’s just the two of us, huh?” he murmured, a smile playing on his lips. “Look, I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. I should have just told you how I felt, I just… I didn’t want…”

“No, it’s alright… I mean, we might have gotten here faster but, you made sure it was on my terms. I didn’t realise how important that would be to me. You always seem to know me better than I know myself.” He pulled her in a little closer, relishing the feel of her against him.

“Well, I didn’t know we would end up like this. Hell a week ago I hadn’t even seen your real face.”

“Yeah well, you still knew what I looked like. Goddamn Vampirella.”

“Ha, that’s true. I guess it’s because this is where we are meant to be. Together.”

“Now you sound cheesy,” she chuckled and he curled his hand round to tickle her side in retaliation. She squealed, jumping about like a fish out of water as he laughed maniacally. Eventually, he tackled her on to the bed, straddling her waist as his fingers worked her sides unrelentingly. He was hovering above her whilst she batted his hands away beneath him, her cheeks pink and her eyes watering with laughter. He couldn’t resist himself, grabbing her hands when she batted against his, he pinned them to the bed on either side of her head and leant down for a long, sweet kiss. She opened to him immediately, her tongue meeting his with ardent fervour. When he pulled back she wouldn’t let him, pulling her hands out from beneath his and wrapping them around his neck, demanding that he stay where he was. He relented with pleasure, chuckling against her mouth as she turned the tables on him, captivating his lips and refusing to let go.

“Seriously? Leave you two alone for two minutes and you start without me,” Deran muttered from the doorway with a smirk. Tracy broke the kiss turning towards him with a guilty smile as Adalai chuckled into her hair.

“Sorry,” she murmured as Adalai extricated himself from her arms and pulled her from the bed.

“Don’t apologise to him. He’s just jealous,” Adalai whispered in her ear conspiratorially, picking her up in his arms playfully.

“I heard that, asshole,” Deran muttered, opening the door for them.

“You were meant to, jackass,” he replied, swanning past with a grin and Tracy chuckled into his chest. She reached out a hand to Deran as she passed and he took it.

 “Wait. Where’s Angel.”

“She’s with Anastasia downstairs. Don’t worry, I read her intentions before I left her,” Deran added as Tracy’s eyes widened. Adalai put her down as they reached the top of the stairs, albeit reluctantly, and they headed down towards the sounds of voices in the kitchen.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier, Chloe?”

“I only just found this last night, Grandma. Why can’t you just say ‘Good work’? Why am I never good enough for you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, child. Hand me the book,” Anastasia demanded. Tracy walked into the kitchen to see Chloe throwing a book down onto the counter, the loud thud startling Angel awake. Chloe turned towards the baby with an angry frown, her red lips curled into a sneer as she turned away and stalked past her out of the room. Tracy barely suppressed a growl as she turned and started after her, only for Deran and Adalai to hold her back.

“It was probably her that gave us up to Vendrell,” she hissed, attempting to shake them off.

“We don’t know that for certain. Let’s find out what she found, first, alright?” Deran murmured.

“Deran’s right. Besides, we can always interrogate her later,” Adalai added with a grin. She grunted in irritation but allowed them to lead her into the kitchen. Her eyes still riveted in the direction that Chloe had left.

“You should read this, Catrasia,” Anastasia said tentatively as she handed Angel over to Deran, his arms outstretched and waiting. Tracy found herself smiling at the sight before turning back to her grandmother with a raised eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“We have a lot of old books in the attic, passed down through generations of witches. Chloe and Clara have been going through them to see if there is anything there regarding the Flux or Ominex or the other Gods or anything like that-.”

“Really? Hmmm, I didn’t think you were that concerned about the Resistance,” Tracy murmured.

“You are concerned with it so therefore, we are.” Anastasia said simply. “But this isn’t about them, this is about you.”

“What about me?” Tracy asked, pulling the book in question towards her as Adalai and Deran hovered behind her so they read over her shoulder. The book was older than dirt, its dark brown leather cover was crumbling and the yellowing paper was as thin as shed skin. Anastasia opened the book and turned a few pages until she reached the bookmark about a third of the way through. She pointed at a paragraph and sat back at the counter chewing her lip nervously.

“In the fifteenth century, Rallus Calveri came across several half-breed supernatural individuals with unusual properties. Their gifts were unheard of amongst the rest of their communities, even other hybrid supernaturals, though it is possible that this is untrue due to the difficult nature of accessing these individuals. Hybrids have been shunned throughout history by upstanding communities because of the unnatural nature of their existence.” Tracy glanced up at Anastasia with an angry glare. “Seriously? This is what you wanted me to read?”

“No. Keep reading… please,” Anastasia said, pointing back at the book.

“The individuals Calveri identified possessed abilities that they should not have possessed. For example, the bastard child of a Shifter and a Covet Demon had the ability to shift into several different animals as well as shapeshifting into different human forms at will. A female child of a Mage and a shifter had the ability to shape shift into several animals of choice and access the blood magic that is only found in Male mages. In order to access these powers she had only to call on them. A talisman, the perfunctory form of accessing magic in Witches, was not necessary for this female. Upon further investigation, Calveri found several commonalities between the subjects he studied. Each had been shunned by their communities because of their status as hybrid bastards, however they had also been shunned by other hybrids in the community they were ostracised to. Each of the subjects resembled their female parent and each had power far beyond any naturally born supernatural in their society. When examining this in detail, Calveri completed several interviews with people in the community with yielded no new information, until he interviewed the ailing mother of one of his subjects. She informed him that her child was not conceived by choice. Calveri found that all of his subjects had been the product of forced sexual contact and he theorised that it was their unnatural and unwanted conception that led to their unnatural abilities. Calveri claimed that Fate’s will was subverted when these children were forced into the world and that these children were a by-product of Fate’s rage and would eventually lead to the demise of all supernatural societies because of their dangerous and toxic existence.” Tracy looked up at Anastasia, her eyes filled with tears and a burning rage. “Why would you show me this?”

“Catrasia, wait, there is more here.” Adalai murmured, pulling the book towards him and reading aloud the next passage. “However, acclaimed researcher and explorer, Alec De-Burgh, disagreed with Calveri’s theorem. De-Burgh argued that as many of these individuals and others that he had identified throughout his travels had been able to find Mates and conceive children of their own, living well with others in their communities, that it was possible that the extra abilities they had been bestowed with, were actually a gift from Fate and not a product of her anger. De-Burgh claimed that their abilities enabled them to take placements of power within their communities to ensure that Fate’s will was not subverted again. Indeed, De-Burgh documented evidence that these communities flourished under their hybrid rulers.”

“I don’t understand,” Tracy murmured, sitting herself at the end of the counter, still throwing murderous glances at Anastasia. “So, my asshole Father raped my Mother. What, am I supposed to be grateful?” She asked, slamming her hand down on the counter.

“Of course not, baby, but it does explain why you have so much power. It also tells us that you are not the only one.”

“Wait a minute… Angel?” Adalai murmured. “Who is her father?”

“We are,” Deran growled, cuddling the baby a little closer defiantly.

“I know that, brother. Was Meg pregnant before she ended up in Vendrell’s arena?” he asked Tracy hopefully. Maybe her biological father was human… maybe she would just be a human child.

“No… Meg said her Father was the Devil himself. It was Vendrell… wait a minute, if Vendrell knew about this, knew about the extra power his child would have because he forced himself onto their mothers, it would certainly explain why he didn’t want Angel to live. He made it sound like he had never let any of them live…” Tracy turned, stroking her finger down Angel’s cheek as she snuggled into Deran’s chest, her little hand clutching his shirt.

“Alright… at least we know what we can expect as she grows. She’s going to be powerful and we’ll be there to help her with that, make sure that she never feels the need to hide it,” Adalai said, putting the book down on the counter. “Thank you, Anastasia.”

“I didn’t want to upset you, Catrasia, I just didn’t want you to think I was hiding anything from you,” the Witch murmured.

Tracy nodded, considering her words. Would she have been angrier if she found out that Anastasia knew this and hadn’t shared it? Probably… “I’m sorry I shouted at you. You were right to tell me but… well, I already knew my Mother had not been willing when I was conceived. I’ve always known it, I guess.”

“I’m sorry Tracy, I have to ask… what about your brothers? Would they not have possessed similar abilities?” Deran asked gently.

“No. They were my half-brothers. Same asshole father. From what I can remember I think my Father conceived them with prostitutes or something before he and Mother got married. She told me once that that was why he hated her, because she couldn’t bare him a son but I could be wrong…”

Adalai nodded, his brow crinkled as though he were trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together.

“What is it?” she asked him, curious to hear his thoughts.

“I was just thinking… if your child was going to be so powerful, why would you want to destroy it? I mean, think about it. You’re a power-hungry self-entitled son of a bitch… why would you not rear the all-powerful child in your image? Turn it into your asset?”

“Fucks sake, Adie… have a little compassion will you?”

“No he’s right, Deran. I don’t think my Father knew what I was. My mother always made me hide my power and when she died… I promised her I would always hide it. But Vendrell, if he does know, which I suspect he does, why would he want to kill her?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know the whole truth? I had never heard of this before and I have been alive almost three centuries,” Anastasia offered.

“Maybe… or maybe he knows something we don’t,” Tracy murmured with a frown. “Do you think he’ll come after her again?” she looked up at Deran with a mixture of fear, anger and anticipation.

“He won’t get the chance, baby,” Deran murmured, leaning down to kiss Angel on her forehead.

“Deran’s right… because we are going to find him first and I think we should start by looking for the missing child. If he’s out there then he might be all alone,” Adalai muttered, before turning to Anastasia. “Can you call Logan? We need to speak with him again… actually don’t bother. It will be better if he thinks you’re not involved.”

Anastasia frowned but nodded anyway. She turned to Tracy with a nervous expression, “Will you… could I look after Angel when you go? I swear I will protect her with my life.” Tracy cocked her head, feeling the truth in those words despite the knee-jerk reflex that told her to tell her grandmother to fuck off and take a long walk off of a short pier. Perhaps the more pressing issue was whether or not the Ascia estate was a safe place for her… there was a traitor running about after all.

“You will call me every hour,” Tracy muttered, turning to take the baby from Deran. She didn’t want to leave her but she couldn’t take her with them either. Things might get hairy and she couldn’t put the baby at risk. She kissed her head, just as Deran had and reluctantly handed her over to her grandmother. She hovered there for a moment as Adalai pulled out a phone from his pocket and wrote its number down on a piece of paper for Anastasia.

“Chase gave it to me,” he murmured with a shrug when she looked at it.

“That’s good, I was thinking we should give Alexa a call, give her an update on what we’ve found so far,” she said, nodding to herself.

“Ah… I forgot to tell you about that. I tried to call her the day you were both taken. I wanted her help to find you. I couldn’t get through. No answer. I tried every day, several times whilst you were gone but…”

“Do you think she’s okay?” Tracy asked, her teeth worrying her lip anxiously.

“I don’t know, Vamps… she said she would be here if we needed her and I know she was telling the truth. I think we should keep trying to get hold of her, finish what we need to quickly and then get back there as soon as we can. Just in case…” he added the last part hastily, as though it would be a comfort but it wasn’t and he seemed to know it. He tapped on the screen of the phone for a moment, putting it on loudspeaker as it rang… and rang… and rang.

“Shit. Alright, let’s get this done… if she really is in trouble then we need to get back there,” Tracy muttered, giving Angel one final kiss before turning on her heel and marching upstairs. Clara was standing outside the bedroom door when she reached the second floor, her arms laden with clothes.

“Hey… I thought you might want these,” she said, the clothes obscuring her mouth.

“Wow, thanks. This is really nice of you,” Tracy said with an awkward smile, opening the bedroom door and taking the pile from her.

“It’s no problem. I’m heading out for a bit, did you want me to pick anything up for you?”

“Oh no, that’s okay. Adalai, Deran and I are going out as well.”

“Oh ok, what about Angel?”

“Anastasia will be looking after her,” Tracy muttered, shaking her head at herself.

“Wow, that’s a big step,” Clara said with a grin.

“Yeah, well… do you think it’s a mistake?”

“No… not at all. She’s not a bad person, you know? She’s just… ah, I don’t know. She’s just Anastasia I guess.”

“Yeah, I suppose. Thanks for these,” Tracy murmured, picking up a pair of black jeans that looked like they wouldn’t actually fall down on her with glee.

“It’s fine, I’ll see you later?”

“Definitely. Thanks Clara.” Tracy said again, watching her exit the room. Adalai walked through the door a minute later.

“Hey, nice threads Vamps,” he muttered with a smile, picking up a clean t-shirt from the cabinet. Apparently Chase had supplied him with some clothes as well. She hadn’t thought to ask where Deran had gotten the jeans and t-shirt he was wearing earlier. Clara and Chase would have made a cute couple, she found herself thinking. Both kind and compassionate, helpful and…

“Where is Chase?” she asked Adalai suddenly, realising the large shifter was conspicuously absent.

“I just called him. He’s at the precinct. He’s going to meet us at the Shifter office in an hour. He said he has something to tell us.”

“Sounds ominous,” she muttered, pulling a loose jumper over her head. It fell halfway down her thighs and was a pretty dark blue, the colour of midnight, as it hung a little off one shoulder. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and pulled on a pair of boots. They weren’t her DMs but they were functional. She realised that her DMs were probably lost forever, still in Vendrell’s arena somewhere…

“What’s the matter?” Adalai asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Nothing, I… I’m being stupid… I left my Doc Marten boots in the arena,” she explained when he persisted. “I loved those boots.”

“Women and their shoes… I’ll never get it.”

“Shut up,” she swatted his ass as she walked past, shaking her head as he chuckled at her. Two minutes later they were both downstairs, cooing over the baby as Deran pulled the car around front.

“You have the number and you will call me every 60 minutes, you understand?” Tracy demanded, questioning her decision once again but knowing there wasn’t really a better one.

“I will call you, Catrasia. You have my word.” Anastasia said for maybe the sixth time, though she didn’t seem to mind. Once again the truth in her words rang through Tracy’s mind. “I thought I might take her shopping?” her grandmother added hopefully and Tracy nodded slowly. It was probably safer to be out in public… then again she and Deran had been out in public when they had been taken. She paused, hovering a hand over Angel’s body and muttered, “Praesidio” watching as a soft pale blue glow settled around the baby before disappearing. Feeling a little more confident now that Angel had some form of protection she gave her one final kiss on the head and she allowed Adalai to lead her outside, Deran honking the horn impatiently as he waited for them. Time to get this over with, she thought, as she climbed in the passenger seat of the car, she and her demons had to get back to Texas and somewhere along the way, they had some serious mating to be getting on with.

Chapter Thirty-four

So… this was not what Deran had been expecting. The office was plain as fuck and the shifter in front of them, though he did look mighty pissed off, looked like a thug pretending to be a business man. 

“You. You’re the reason my son was taken,” Logan said stalking around the table when his eyes settled on Deran.

“Whoa, slow your roll, there buddy. This is my brother,” Adalai muttered, stepping forward protectively. If it hadn’t been so unusual, almost heart-warming, Deran might have laughed.

“This is your brother? If I had known that I never would have helped you,” Logan spat.

“You barely helped as it was,” Adalai sneered. “What’s your damn problem?”

“This demon was the reason Jason was taken,” Logan shouted, his fangs elongating in his anger. “I thought all you demons looked alike but now I see it,” he sneered, his eyes glancing from Adalai’s clean shaven face to Deran’s scruffier, rougher one.

“I don’t know your son,” Deran said, holding his hands up defensively in the face of the Shifter’s ire.

“You lie! You were looking into Vendrell’s business a few months back, right? Working with some girls in the sex trade?”

“Yeah, what’s your point?”

“You asked a reporter for some information?”

“Oh… shit, that was your son. I wondered what had happened to him… is he alright?”

“He’s fine. Now fuck off,” Logan shouted, the claws on his fingers drawing blood as he balled his hands into fists.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Tracy muttered stepping forward. “Deran didn’t hurt your son, Vendrell did. You can’t blame him because you failed to do anything about the man that threatened your family. Now sit down, we need to talk,” she said, facing up to the shifter without a fear. Deran moved forward at the same time as Adalai, both anxious at the Shifter’s murderous intent.

“Who the fuck are you?” Logan growled.

“Catrasia Ascia. Sit down.” She said simply. Balls of fucking steel, but then he’d known that already.

“The demon-loving witch… I see you found her,” Logan sneered at Adalai who growled in return.

“I’m not a witch.”

“Then what are you.”

“Sit down or I’ll show you,” she growled back, her voice dropping dangerously low as she lost her patience.

“I will not be spoken to like that by the likes of you. Your Grandmother may be respected but that buys you nothing. You willingly lie with these-,”his words were cut off as his body was suddenly pulled into the air, his arms and legs spread-eagled as Tracy muttered under her breath. She flicked her hand and the shifter was thrown into his chair, panting and spluttering, fear and apprehension clear as day on his face. Tracy then took a seat opposite him as calm as anything. Scary.

“I don’t care what you think about Demons but you will not insult me or my Mates… I will not allow it,” she warned, her voice cold as ice. “We are here to talk to you about Vendrell. We dismantled the arena. We know who Vendrell was working with outside of the city. We wanted to share this information with you and gather some in return. However if you would rather we left you to your guilt and inaction, we can do that also. But we will still need the information.”

“What information?”

“A couple of weeks ago, a shifter couple and their friend, a banshee, were murdered in their home. They had a child and that child is missing. What do you know of it?”

“Why would I know anything?” the shifter muttered, apprehensively shifting in his seat, as though Tracy might manipulate his limbs at any moment. She might well have, in all honesty, unpredictable as she was. Deran was just glad he was here to witness her in action.

“Don’t play games with me, I’m not in the mood. You are the chief of all shifters in this area, are you not?”

“You know I am.”

“And you should know that I do not have a lot of patience. Particularly with cowards. I will kill Vendrell and I will smile whilst I do it. That son of a bitch killed a friend of mine, snuffed her out like she was nothing. If you stand in my way I won’t hesitate to kill you too.”

“You’d start a war?” he asked, a smirk on his face as though he were talking to a child.

“A war has already started. It’s time for you to pick a side. And yes, even if a war hadn’t already begun, to get to Vendrell and protect the people I care about, I would kill you in an instant,” she spoke softly, the truth in her words so plain you didn’t have to be a reader to see it.

“That’s hardly noble, is it?” the shifter sneered, though Deran could see his fear. He didn’t blame the shifter at that point, had he been on the receiving end of Tracy’s cold and detached threat, his balls would have shrivelled to size of fucking peanuts.

“I never claimed to be noble. I’m just someone who is willing to fight to protect those I love. Can you say the same?”

The shifter stopped then, looking at her intently as though he were seeing her properly for the first time. “I could once,” he murmured thoughtfully. “I will answer your questions but I will need something in return.”

“What?”

“No. I need unconditional agreement before we continue.” Logan said, sitting back in his chair, unwavering.

“Fine. You have it.”

“What do you need to know?”

“What do you know about the shifter family?”

“Oleanna and David McKendry… they’ve been married for eight years. Good people.”

“And?” Tracy raised an eyebrow. Deran tried to concentrate on what the shifter was saying but his mind kept replaying something Tracy had said… ‘To protect those I love…’ was she saying she loved him? She loved them both? By the Gods, he wanted to stop the conversation right then, turn her round and demand to know the answer. He could feel the same intent coming from his brother. Adalai had noticed too.

“Look… this isn’t my story to tell,” Logan squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

“They are dead. Who else will speak for them?” Deran asked, finally getting his shit together.

Logan frowned, turning it over his mind before he released a long-suffering sigh and leaned forward on his desk, steepling his hands together in front of his mouth, as though he was attempting to shush himself. “Almost five years ago, David came to me. He was a mess. His wife had been attacked. She was in bad shape. She had been walking home from work when she was dragged into an alleyway. Two men dragged her into a van. She was taken to an abandoned building in the warehouse district… she was raped. Repeatedly. When they were finished with her they stabbed her and left her for dead.”

“Except she didn’t die, did she?”

“No… she managed to crawl over a mile until she made it to a street. Some humans found her, took her to the hospital. David was called and then he came to me. I have people in the hospitals, just in case, so we made sure she was taken care of.” So none of the humans found out she wasn’t one of them, Deran finished Logan’s sentence in his head. He didn’t want to be in this man’s position, emotion and feeling playing second fiddle to politics and ass-covering. He understood the necessity behind it but… shit, rather the shifter than himself.

“Did you find the men that attacked her?” Tracy asked, her hands gripping the arms of her chair, her knuckles a deathly white.

“We found one but he was already dead. We never found the other but I… I had my suspicions.”

“Vendrell.” Tracy muttered, disgust and disdain dripping from the name.

“It wasn’t long after that more people started to disappear. Just women at first and only shifters. Then I received reports that the number of missing people all over New York was on the rise. Not just shifters anymore, they were targeting anyone. Human, Fae, anyone… males and females… even children. Every time I acted on it… it was like they knew I was coming.”

“You have a mole?”

“I believe so. Someone or maybe several someone’s, have been working against me. When my son was taken,” he glanced up at Deran, “and they threatened my daughter… it was the last straw. I can’t move, I can’t do a goddamn thing without them knowing about it. I don’t know who I can trust amongst my own people. Do you know what that is like?”

“My Father murdered my mother. I know exactly what that is like,” Tracy murmured, meeting Logan’s eyes. The large shifter nodded thoughtfully.

“I don’t trust demons on principal but I can’t trust shifters anymore either… maybe you’ll be able to end this where I can’t.”

“Do you have any idea who might be betraying you?”

“No, but I would start in the police department. It was Chase who came to me about the missing humans and that he suspected Vendrell’s involvement but I should have been told a lot sooner. Check it out, you might find some answers there.”

“We will. I’d also like to speak with your son. He was held by Vendrell, its possible he knows something he doesn’t realise he knows,” Tracy said, standing up from her chair.

“I’ll call him but it will be his choice,” Logan muttered, picking up his phone with a shake of his head. Deran smirked, remembering the spunky reporter he had spoken to not so long ago. He had a feeling he knew what Jason’s answer would be. A knock on the door had them all turning as Chase poked his head round.

“Hey guys, what did I miss?”

Deran quickly filled him in as Logan finished on the phone.

“That’s… shit… where to next?”

“Missing persons would be a good place to start,” Adalai murmured, turning towards the door.

“Jason says he will meet you at Diner 66 on 25th and 2nd at 5’o’clock tomorrow. If anything happens to him, I’ll kill you myself,” Logan said putting the phone down and levelling an angry glare at Deran and Adalai.

“Thank you Logan. I understand the position you have been in and I know that sometimes it is easiest and safest to do nothing… but nothing changes when you refuse to change it. It seems we have both learned that lesson the hard way. My Mates may be Demons but they are kind and honest and more noble and honourable than I could ever hope to be. I will help you because it helps me. They will help you because it’s the right thing to do. They deserve more respect than you could possibly offer so threaten them again and I will have fun ripping you apart.” Without another word and without making eye contact with any of them, Tracy turned on her heel and walked out of the office. Her feet padding on the carpet as she went down the stairs was the only sound as the four men stared after her.

“Hell, Demon or not, I feel sorry for you. That female fucking terrifying,” Logan muttered, rubbing his hand through his salt and pepper hair.

“You have no idea,” Deran murmured with a grin as he followed after her, a stunned Adalai and Chase on his tail.

Chapter Thirty-five

“So this is Missing Persons huh?” Tracy muttered looking around the dismal little office with paperwork stacked high everywhere and the pictures of the lost littered on every surface.

“You should his office,” Adalai muttered, nodding his head towards Chase.

“Isn’t there supposed to be someone here?” Deran murmured, scanning the small office with a frown. There weren’t exactly many places to hide.

“I… I think there is,” Adalai said suddenly as he took a step further into the room. “I can… fear, so much fear…” He staggered, holding his arm out to steady himself against the room.

“What do you-,” Deran began as Chase sniffed the air, following his nose like the cat that he was.

“By the Creator…” Chase had walked over to the end of the office and stopped, staring behind the desk.

“Fuck… can you tell how long she has been dead?” Tracy asked, swallowing hard as she stepped beside him. There, twisted in an awkward position beneath her desk lay what remained of a plain looking woman, her skin was mottled and sliced open in places, her arms and chest were marked with familiar runes and her eyes were gaping black holes, burnt around the edges.

“Not long, she’s still warm,” Chase muttered, leaning down and placing his hand against the woman’s cheek.

“Who was she?” Deran asked, positioning himself under Adalai’s shoulder to keep him upright.

“Amy… I can’t remember her last name. She’s worked here for years though, longer than me.”

“She’s a shifter?” Tracy murmured, leaning down to look at the wounds a little closer.

“Yeah. Wolf, I think.”

“These runes, they’re a little different from the first ones,” she said, frowning.

“I’ll take some pictures then we need to get out of here. We can check CCTV on my laptop,” Chase stood up, anxiously pulling his phone from his pocket and snapping a few pictures of Amy’s prone body. Tracy was about to stand as well when a thought occurred to her.

“Adalai? Can you tell me what her attacker was feeling?” Adalai closed his eyes for a minute, the physical toll the scene was taking on him evident in the slump of his shoulders.

“Frustrated mostly, and angry… and guilty?”

“Guilty?”

“Yeah… he felt guilty. He didn’t want to kill her.”

“Someone forced his hand… us?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, Chase stand back…” Tracy closed her eyes, pulling on the power inside her, “Ostende Occultatum, Ostende Occultatum, Ostende Occultatum.” Tracy whispered the incantation, her heart thudding and sweat beading on her forehead. She opened her eyes when her hands wrapped around something cold and hard. Frowning she opened the drawer she held. It opened without issue but there was nothing inside.

“What’s in there?”

“Er… nothing… absolutely nothing.” She slammed the drawer with a growl, stalking away from the desk and the body that lay beneath it.

“What were you trying to do?” Chase asked her, wincing slightly when she settled an angry eye on him.

“I was trying to reveal anything hidden on the body, you know, anything the killer might have dropped. I’ve never done it before, I wasn’t sure if it would work. Looks like it didn’t,” she turned towards the door irritated at herself and their apparent lack of progress and took Adalai’s hand as she and Deran helped him out of the door. The rest of the precinct was bustling, manic almost… here they were, attempting to keep their city and their people safe and all the while, one of their own lay dead, mutilated on the floor in the next office. She sighed as the three of them made their way outside with only a few odd looks from police officers walking past. She wasn’t sure if that was because they looked like they were escorting a drunk outside inside of in or because the three of them stuck out like a sore thumb. Her with her dark hair, bright eyes and scarred face and the demon brothers in their red eyed, copper skinned glory. She was betting it was the latter. They made it outside and stopped at the bottom of the concrete steps for a breather as Adalai regained his composure.

“Where’s Chase?”

“Right here, let’s go,” Chase hurried down the steps and motioned for them to follow him. He climbed into his car and they followed him, Adalai up front and her and Deran in the back seat.

“What took you so long?”

“I checked that drawer again. You were right, there was nothing in there but there was this taped under it.”

“I should have known to check there. Teresa told me that was where they found the assassination orders in Halycon,” Tracy muttered, taking a large brown manila envelope from Chase’s hand before Deran could get to it. She pulled the paperwork inside free and leafed through with a frown.

“I don’t think Amy was the mole…” she murmured, showing the paperwork to Deran.

“Why not? What’s in there?”

“You are,” she said, her expression guarded as she reached for the knife in her belt.

“What?”

“She thought you were the mole. There’s notes in here about you and Logan working with Vendrell to cover it all up. That she had sent word to Logan about the missing people but he claimed not to know anything about it. Were you involved in this, Chase?” Tracy asked, her fingers running along the edge of her blade as she considered what she knew about the shifter… and what she didn’t as she eyed him in the rear-view mirror.

“Are you serious? Of course I’m fucking not.”

“Where were you today, before you met with us at Logan’s office?”

“What? For fucks sake, I was working. I have a job, I am a police officer, you know? Adalai, come on, you don’t think I’m involved in this, surely.”

Adalai glanced back at Tracy, a question in his eyes but he didn’t answer.

“Can anyone account for your whereabouts?” Deran asked, a frown on his face as his eyes skimmed the document Tracy was holding out to him.

“No I was doing surveillance, why?” He asked defensively

“Because I think someone is trying to set you up, we need to get out of here before they find the body,” Tracy murmured, waving her hand towards the car with a mutter. The engine roared to life, making Chase jolt in his seat.

“Wow… you know the money we could make with that particular gift,” Adalai muttered, eyeing the dashboard with a grin.

“Still a cop, asshole,” Chase muttered, pulling away from the curb. He drove them back to the Ascia estate in Woodbury, continuously sending furtive glances at Tracy and Deran in the back seat. As though they were playing nice now only to kill him later. She didn’t want to believe that he had betrayed them. Tracy could feel the truth in his words as though he had a neon sign pointing at him, specifying his loyalty in big bold letters, but when he pulled the car into park just outside the gate and switched off the engine putting his hands on the steering wheel, however, she couldn’t ignore the doubt that was wiggling through her mind.

“I didn’t do this. I swear on my life, I didn’t.” Again it rang true but still…

“Look, I don’t think you did, buddy. We spent four days together and you helped me find my Mate and my brother,” Adalai murmured, turning round in his seat.

“Of course, I would still like to be completely sure before we go any further. Will you allow Adalai to read you?” Deran murmured, cocking his eyebrow. They would know for certain whether the shifter could be trusted either way.

“Seriously?” Chase muttered again. “Will it hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Fucks sake… do it.” Tracy smiled in the back seat, feeling more certain in her conviction than she had just a moment before. Adalai reached forward, gripping the sides of Chase’s face, closing his eyes as he sent his gift out into the shifter. It took a lot longer than Tracy remembered it taking. Maybe because it wasn’t fuelled by anger? Chase gasped out, his hands coming up to cover Adalai’s in an instinctual attempt to pull away. Adalai didn’t let him, even as he growled loudly, his eyes glowing shifter gold as his fangs elongating. Then it was over, Adalai was pulling away as he tried to catch his breath and Chase was growling to himself in the driver’s seat.

“I’m sorry, man… its safe with me. He’s clean, but we already knew that, right?”

“Right. Let’s get moving, we have paperwork to look through,” Deran muttered awkwardly, leaning out the window to press the intercom. The gates opened and after a long suspenseful minute, Chase started the ignition and drove up the driveway. Deran climbed out and held his hand out for her, she took it with a sad smile, glancing back at Chase.

“I’m sorry, Chase,” Tracy said, placing her hand on the Shifter’s shoulder. Chase growled low and menacing but he didn’t move. Adalai nodded when she looked at him and she left him in the car with the angry shifter, though she didn’t like it. It wasn’t because she didn’t trust Chase, she did… to a point, but he was pissed off and her Mate was sat there beside him. Cats were unpredictable, at least that’s what she’d heard. She and Deran hovered outside on the doorstep, waiting. Almost ten minutes passed before Adalai and Chase finally joined them. Adalai looked awkward and Chase looked distant… but they were there and they weren’t trying to kill each other so she took it as a win.

Deran opened the front door and she walked in, followed by the two sullen men behind her… three if she counted Deran. It seemed he only smiled when they were alone… otherwise it was simply a smirk and not much more. Tracy called out for Anastasia but she wasn’t back with the baby yet. She’d called when they had left the precinct, so they had at least half an hour before Angel would be back. It gave them some time to sort through the mess they’d found. Adalai grabbed a few bottles of beer from the fridge and they each took a seat around the counter in the kitchen. She took a long swig, trying to get her thoughts in order. That woman… Amy… was it Vendrell who had killed her? Could he have possibly gotten access to her in a precinct surrounded by police officers… and why? What would he have to gain by setting Chase up? He’d get rid of one problem but she, Adalai and Deran weren’t planning on going anywhere.

“Chase? Are you with us?” Tracy murmured, lowering her head so she could look the shifter in the eye. He glanced up at her, his eyes still a little wild but he seemed to be coming back to himself.

“I… I’m alright, I just…” he glanced at Adalai who gave him a short nod. “None of us are innocent, right?”

“I’m sure as shit, not,” she muttered.

“Me neither… and I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of his particular brand of justice. It sucks buddy but you’ll be alright,” Deran said, raising his eyebrows in emphasis.

“Back to buddies, are we?” Chase muttered with a weak grin.

“Well, you can be mine,” Deran said with a smirk.

“Get the feeling like we’re missing something?” Adalai muttered, giving her an eye roll.

“Uh-huh, bromance…” she said with an unfeminine snort. The brief moment of levity seemed to snap Chase out of his melancholic mood though she could still see that he was a little fragile beneath those broad shoulders and honest eyes. But she had to be certain before she divulged what she was about to… it was dark and it was personal.

“So the runes… I know what they are and what they are for. I told you I had seen them before, Chase. When I was younger, my brother murdered my boyfriend in front of me and he carved those runes into his skin.” She paused, allowing that information to sink in.

“Tracy, it’s alright… you don’t have to say anymore. Clara told us that this ritual is for stealing power. You don’t have to go into it.”

“It’s not just for stealing power… I mean it is but it’s more than that. The runes act as a conduit and the eyes… the eyes are the window to the soul. The user doesn’t just take power from the victim, they take their soul… their abilities… everything.”

“So the mage responsible for this… he now has the abilities of three shifters and a banshee?”

“If he performed the ritual correctly… yes,” she said with a sigh.

“How common is this magic?” Chase asked with a frown, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Not very but I’ve been thinking about it, void magic isn’t exclusive to mages. Anyone with access to the right information and any form of magical ability could theoretically complete the ritual and take the power.”

“So we could be looking at a mage or a witch?”

“Or a Fae,” she added, with a shrug. “Shifter magic is confined to their bodies so that rules them out. I guess it could be a demon,” she glanced at Adalai apologetically but he just shook his head, putting his hand over hers on her knee. She gripped Deran’s hand as well… just in case.

“Well, I’d say this just widens the suspect pool, doesn’t it?” Chase muttered, flicking through the pictures on his phone with a look of utter disgust.

“Not necessarily… I mean, if it could be a witch, I know who I’m looking at,” she muttered quietly.

“Chloe, right?” Chase murmured with a frown.

“Yep, it makes sense.”

“Not to me it doesn’t. Chloe and I… she never used to be… we used to be together,” Chase murmured, shaking his head.

“Seriously?” Tracy asked, mimicking him from earlier even down to the disgust and disbelief on her face.

“Come on… she’s not that bad. She’s just… damaged. You know what that’s like,” he muttered spearing her with a look that dared her to refute him. She couldn’t. She did know what that was like.

“You don’t think its Chloe, fine, but based on what because if it’s simply that you used to dip your wick there it isn’t a good enough reason,” Deran muttered, frank as ever.

“Fucks sake, Deran,” Adalai muttered, his prudish reaction bringing a grin to her face more than Deran’s comment had.

“No, it isn’t just that. She was kind once, you know? It wasn’t until her mother died that she changed. I think she’s just hurting. Her Mother was killed as retribution you know? The grand coven deigned her actions to be non-redeemable and she was sentenced to death for it. Since then, she’s been… different.”

“What did her mother do?” Deran asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I don’t know… she never told me.”

“Well, I appreciate that you have faith in her but I don’t. Sometimes, when people go through shitty experiences it changes them. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. I still think it’s her.”

“Or it might be someone else. We don’t know all the witches in Anastasia’s coven. Someone could have heard from someone else… maybe Chloe, Ava or even Anastasia told someone what you were… let’s face it, realistically it could have been any of them or anyone they know. It could be that the person that betrayed us didn’t even know they were doing it,” Adalai said reasonably, earning himself a surprised look from his brother. “What?”

“Nothing… just… very rational of you,” Deran muttered with a smirk.

“I am capable of such things, you know,” he replied haughtily, his brow crinkling.

“Actually I didn’t…”

“Funny. Look, let’s figure out what we know so far. I think we should look at the murders and Vendrell separately and then see where they cross over, right? So, the three of us were attacked by Guardians in the Bump and Grind when we first got to the city. Why?” Adalai murmured.

“We weren’t attacked until after Deran turned up. The bartender tipped someone off and the Guardians came. My guess is he tipped off Vendrell and if the Guardians were there on his orders then it confirms he is with the Resistance and using their resources,” Tracy said with a frown.

“Alright. Next, we know that you and Deran were taken from near the murder crime scene by Vendrell’s men in broad daylight. How did he know where we were?” Chase asked.

“Someone told him.” Tracy said simply, emphasis on ‘the someone’.

“But why? There’s three reasons there could be. One, because someone knew Vendrell was targeting Deran and tipped him off. Tracy being taken was chance. Two, Deran, Adalai and I were targets because we are on the resistance hit list but the opportunity to take Deran arose and Tracy being taken was a bonus. That would mean that Vendrell went against the Resistances wishes by putting you both in the pit instead of killing Deran outright,” Chase continued with a frown.

“And third?” she asked him but it was Deran who answered.

“We were targeted because we were looking too closely at the murders. That would mean that someone was watching the crime scene and could have followed us to the diner.”

“Alright… maybe it’s a combination of all three or maybe it’s none of them… what the hell are we supposed to do with that?”

“Hmmm, let’s move on. We found you, with Anastasia’s help, but Vendrell managed to slip away. Someone warned him we were coming.”

“Yeah… that’s not all though… Meg,” Tracy paused, a pang of loss flooding through her before she took a breath a continued, “Meg told me she was in a night club and she was talking to a woman when her drink got spiked. A woman in a red dress. The next thing she knew she was in the back of a van.”

“Ok, when I read those guards in that warehouse, I saw a woman. I didn’t see her face though but she was with Vendrell. They looked… cosy,” Adalai muttered, with a disgusted sneer.

“So there’s a woman then? A woman who likes red dresses… look, I know that sounds like it could be Chloe-” Chase was cut off when Adalai whipped his head in the direction of the kitchen door just as it opened and a blonde, angry looking woman stepped in.

“What could be me? Hmm? What? Because I’m not nice and fluffy I must be a fucking traitor, right?”

“Maybe,” Tracy said with no discomfort whatsoever.

“Of course, you would think that, wouldn’t you? You turn up here and suddenly everyone’s bending over to kiss your ass. Some fucking chosen one you are.”

“I never wanted anyone to kiss my ass. As soon as we are done here, we’re gone. You can have your sad little coven back. Is that why you sold us out? Jealousy?” Tracy stood up and took an angry step towards Chloe but stopped in her tracks when the girl let out a muffled sob.

“You think I want this coven? Believe me, if I had anywhere else to go I would be gone already. So do what you have to, think what you like. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter anyway,” tears fell from Chloe’s eyes but she blinked them away angrily, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Tracy glanced over her shoulder in bemusement. Deran looked pensive, Chase looked pained and Adalai looked… determined. He stood from the counter, clearly straining with effort as he walked towards Chloe, his hand brushing Tracy’s as he passed.

“Chloe, I want to read your memories. It can be painful. Will you permit it?” he asked, more gently than Tracy was happy with. The girl might be crying now but that didn’t mean she wasn’t guilty. Hell, maybe she was crying because of the guilt. She hadn’t outright denied her involvement. There was nothing there to judge whether she was guilty or not, not really.

“Like I have a fucking choice. Just do it, Demon. Get it over with,” Chloe spat. And Adalai did just that. He reached out, his hands on either side of her blonde head and closed his eyes. A few seconds passed before anything happened. Chloe gasped out in pain, her knees almost giving out beneath her. Tracy had expected that but she hadn’t expected Adalai to go down with her. He groaned out in pain as he too fell to the floor. By the time she reached his side, Deran and Chase coming up behind her, both he and Chloe were out cold.

“Adalai! Adalai can you hear me? Gods damn it you asshole you better be okay,” her hands fluttered over his face as she called his name but he didn’t respond. Deran knelt down frantically besides her, checking on his brother and after what seemed like an eternity he sat back on his heels in relief.

“He’s just passed out, baby. He’ll be okay. Chase, help me move him?”

“Wait, I can do that,” Tracy said as both men started to gather the tall Demon between them. They both turned to her with a look of bemusement but she ignored it, raising her hands and murmuring, ‘Portare Excelsum” under her breath.

As though they were suspended by invisible strings both Adalai and Chloe lifted from the ground, raising to Tracy’s eye level. Deran and Chase looked at her stupidly, even as she staggered under the weight of them.

“Well?” she muttered, her hands beginning to shake with the strain. “Open the god’s damned door! They ain’t light you know?” she muttered, shaking her head as they scrambled to open the door. She manoeuvred them into the small sitting room, fighting against the urge to drop Chloe on the floor from a fair height… barely.

Chase went to retrieve some water as she sat herself down, panting. “This means she did it right? Her guilt or bad mojo or whatever is what knocked him out?”

“I don’t think so… There are only two emotions that have ever knocked Adie on his ass, sadness and grief. Guilt is what he thrives on.”

“Chase did say her Mother was killed… maybe she’s feeling both of those but that doesn’t mean she’s not guilty. Hell it could be her motivation.”

“Maybe… let’s wait until Adie tells us what he saw before we jump to conclusions,” Deran murmured reasonably as Chase returned with three glasses of water. He handed one to Tracy and then poured another over Adalai’s face. Tracy watched, a little amused and very impatient as her Demon yelped and threw his arms out ahead of him, attempting to fight away his slippery attacker.

“Adie?”

“Was that really fucking necessary?” he growled putting his hand up to his head with a groan.

Chapter Thirty-six

“Are you alright? What happened? Is she the one?” Tracy knelt beside him firing out question and question whilst he did his best to stay upright and conscious.

“Whoa, easy Vamps. I don’t know…”

“Don’t know what? Which one, dammit. You better be alright Adalai or I’m gonna kick your demon ass from here to Texas!” she growled, gripping his knee more forcefully than he had anticipated.

“Alright, alright! I’m okay. I promise Vampy. I’m alright. Just a bit…” he gestured to his head mimicking an explosion with his hand. “There’s some sort of mental block in her head. I could only flashes of memory but there was nothing to suggest she’s our mole.”

“But you can’t be sure? What’s causing the block?” Deran asked as all eyes turned to Chloe’s unconscious form.

“No, I can’t be sure and if I had to guess, I’d say it was magic. And it packed one hell of a punch, I can tell you that.”

“Maybe she did it to herself, just in case we got suspicious,” Tracy mused but Adalai shook his head.

“No, when I hit the wall she felt it. She was confused. She didn’t know what it was either.”

“So basically we’re no closer to figuring this all out,” Deran muttered. “Adie, the flashes that you saw… do you think she did it?”

“I don’t.” Tracy opened her mouth, no doubt to argue with him but she was interrupted by Chloe stirring on the sofa.

“Mmm… what happened? What did you do to me?” she asked groggily pushing herself up on her sofa before promptly plonking back down again.

“Chloe, did you set us up?”

“By the creator, this bullshit again.”

“Yes or no, dammit,” Tracy snapped stepping closer to her.

“No, I didn’t,” Chloe snapped back, finally able to push herself into a seated position.

“I can’t tell if that’s truthful or not,” Tracy murmured and Adalai had to agree. It wasn’t that he could feel nothing but more like the answer was behind a screen. There was definitely something in Chloe’s head that was affecting his abilities… and Tracy’s too apparently.

“I guess you’ll have to take my word for it,” Chloe muttered standing to her feet with a wobble, “now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed. Thanks to you I feel like shit.” With that, she staggered towards the door. Chase reached out to help her but she slapped his hand away telling him to go fuck himself as she went.

“That went well, I thought,” Adalai muttered, sarcastically leaning back on the sofa with a sigh. Tracy stopped mid-eye roll when she the front door opening and she was on her feet and greeting a tired and hungry baby before it had even closed.

                                                          *************************

“There she is! Are you okay? I missed you so much,” Tracy cooed, unclipping Angel from her car seat.

“I hope you don’t mind? I realised she didn’t have a seat so I took a cab and bought her one… I er… I also got a few other bits,” Anastasia shuffled from foot to foot, her arms laden with bags.

“No, I- I don’t mind at all. I’m… thank you,” Tracy mumbled awkwardly. She didn’t fully trust Anastasia and probably never would forgive her for her past transgressions but she couldn’t deny her kindness. And she sensed that’s what it was. Kindness. Perhaps there was an ulterior motive of gaining Tracy’s favour or forgiveness but, when she thought about it could she really blame her Grandmother? She had made a mistake, granted it was one hell of fucking mistake, but she regretted it now and she was trying to make up for it. Tracy thought the idea of letting her do so was worth some consideration.

“Oh you’re welcome, but could someone give me a hand bringing the rest in?”

“The rest?” Tracy muttered stupidly, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll help,” Adalai and Deran both walked past her and out the front door as she and Anastasia headed to the kitchen.

“I’ve ordered some Chinese food for dinner if that’s alright? I thought… well,” Anastasia paused, clearly unsure of what to say.

“That sounds great,” Tracy murmured, throwing the old woman a bone. How could she not? “So, what the hell did you get?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how many cute clothes there are for baby girls now! Let me show you,” Anastasia moved through each bag excitedly pulling out little pink, yellow, white and blue outfits, some plain, some flowery, some were dresses and others were little pant suits. Then she moved on to the equipment. A few complicated machines, a tiny little bath tub, a bin of some kind.

“What the hell are those?” Tracy asked in trepidation.

“This one is a bottle warmer. This one is a steriliser. When all the bottles have been washed, you stick them all in here and press the button on the front. When it’s done they are ready to use again. This one is a baby bouncer, you attach it to a door frame and Angel can bounce away but she won’t be ready for that for a while yet. I just saw it and I couldn’t resist-,” Anastasia continued to chatter about her purchases but Tracy’s mind had drifted to darker, scarier places.

“How the hell am I going to do this?” she murmured. “I didn’t even think about any of this stuff… I have no money, I have no home… what am I going to do?” she hadn’t been speaking to anyone in particular but Anastasia leant forward and placed her hand over Tracy’s giving it a squeeze.

“You will always have a home here, Tracy, you and your mates. No matter what and I will expect nothing from you in return. I failed my daughter, I will not fail my granddaughter… not again.”

“I… I appreciate that, I do. But, I can’t live like that. I can’t live on someone else’s dime, it’s not in me to do that.”

“Well then you can pay rent.”

“I have no money,” Tracy muttered again, feeling frustrated. She didn’t want charity dammit.

“Actually, that’s not true… I… I was waiting for the right time to tell you this and I didn’t want you to think that I was trying to buy you or anything but… well, you have a trust fund.”

“A what?”

“When your Mother was born, I started an account for her and her future children… you… Unfortunately, your father cleared out all of Sara’s money but he was never able to get his hands on yours because it requires my signature to access. It’s all there, waiting for you to claim it.”

“But that’s your money. I don’t want your charity, though I do appreciate the thought.”

“It’s not my money, it’s yours. Your Grandfather put some aside for you in there as well. I couldn’t take that money back without disgracing his memory… the money is yours, whether you like it or not.”

“H-how much is in there?” Tracy asked, morbid curiosity sweeping through her.

“Enough to keep you and little Angel on your feet for many, many years…” Anastasia reached inside a drawer and pulled out an unopened letter. “All of the details are in here. We just need to go to the bank and sign it over into your name fully. We can do that in the morning if you like?”

“Umm… can I think about it for a minute…? I…”

“Of course, take your time and let me know. Discuss it with Adalai and Deran… it is as much they’re money as it is yours now.”

“Right… Mates and all that,” Tracy frowned, of all the shit that had happened this was possibly the one that had thrown her the most. You don’t get anything for nothing in this world and she wondered what the price of financial security might turn out to be.

“I’ll get the table ready. Dinner should be here shortly.” Tracy nodded as Anastasia began getting plates out of a cupboard as Deran and Adalai struggled into the kitchen holding a large awkwardly shaped box.