Chapter 235
Chapter 235
“No. No, I don’t believe you.” Ember said after several seconds of silence.
She turned around, her face turned towards the door as though she might storm through it and leave Brandon and I to our own defenses. She didn’t, though. Her hesitation wasn’t just written across her face but was also in her posture. In the way she stood with her arms folded over her chest, her foot tapping incessantly against the concrete floor.
I needed to say something, because if Ember left, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be here when she finally returned.
“Why would I lie?” I asked her, truly wanting to understand.
She scoffed, shaking her head at the door.
I was met with a scathing eye roll when she spun on her heel. “Are you really asking me that? What a stupid question.
You’re lying because you want me to turn against Freya.”
“As if that would work.” Brandon muttered.
I sent him a warning glare which he attempted to shrug at, but it was hard to do so when you were bound to the wall by the fiery touch of silver.
“If that was even a possibility, wouldn’t I have started with that the second you came into the room?” I countered, pulling Ember’s attention away from her idiotic mate and back onto me.
“It doesn’t matter. Tessa’s probably rotting away in one of your cells, being tortured for information.” She snapped, her eyes flaring with magic.
There was a hint of vulnerability in her voice, a crack in her armor that I could use to my advantage. Clearly, she and Tessa were all one another had. Ember was stubborn, that much I could tell up front. She’d never believe me outright.
“You’re wrong, but if it helps fuel your hatred for us, you can go ahead and keep thinking that.” I replied indifferently.
The air in this dingy basement began to heat, radiating from Ember like she was our personal fireplace. Instead of the crisp scent of a bonfire, the air smelt of charred apples and burnt cinnamon.
“You’re insane, then. She’ll slit your mate’s throat in his sleep.” She replied.
If she was trying to goad me, it wouldn’t work. I was running on limited energy as is and I wasn’t nearly foolish enough to waste it screaming at her.
This was my one and only shot, and I needed to take it.
I chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, I doubt that. She’s got her hands full already with Zeke. Unlike you, she hasn’t explicitly stated what she wants, but I have a feeling she’d like to keep her mate too. I’m not saying she hasn’t seen the inside. of a cell. She has, but that’s not where she is currently. Oh, and we didn’t torture her. Actually, I gave her a choice.”
Ember narrowed her eyes into two small. slits. “A choice? What kind of choice?”
“I told her to pick a side: mine or Freya’s.”
“What did she say?” She pressed.
“She said she’s on the side of life.” I replied, regurgitating Tessa’s exact words.
Ember nodded once, tilting that slender chin of hers towards the floor. A look of understanding crossed her elfish face.”
That’s Freya’s side. She’s going to give our kind a home, a place where we can live in peace.”
“What Freya’s fighting for isn’t peace, it’s domination-total control. What makes you think she’ll stop once the Vampire’s and Werewolves fall into line?
She’ll go for the humans next. It’s only a matter of time. Tessa knows that, and something tells me you do too.”
“How exactly is that a bad thing?
Humans have been running things for centuries.” Ember shot back; venom laced in her voice.
Passion and fury fueled the fire in her eyes, but there was another layer hidden beneath the surface. The ground that fire burned on wasn’t stable. It was cracked- eroding under her feet.
I never got the chance to reply because Brandon beat me to it.
“A witches magic comes from nature, right?” He asked, his eyes on Ember.
“Yes.” She replied stiffly. “More or less.”
“Then witches would know better than any of us that there’s a balance that needs to be kept. Can you honestly tell me that what this Blood Witch is doing doesn’t fuck with that balance?” Brandon said, effectively stunning me into silence.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. Ember glowered at her mate but said nothing. That was definitely going to take some getting used to if we survived this. I couldn’t help but wonder what Asher would
think if he could see his brother now. Honestly, it was a bit scary how well he and Ember fit one another.
They both had stubborn and hotheaded. down to an art form.
Brandon’s voice took on a tone I’d never heard come from his mouth before. It was soft and warm in all the right places, both soothing and heavy with a dire plea. “You know as well as I do that she’s destroying that balance, Ember. She won’t stop until there’s nothing left. You think the witches won’t suffer from that, but they will. I promise you, they will.”
With each word the tension in Ember’s body seemed to ratchet higher, reaching it’s peak when she whirled on him. Her cheeks were flaming nearly as bright as her eyes as she snarled.
“As opposed to what, Brandon. You’re telling me to give up my life’s mission for –for her?! What’s so great about her plan?” She spun around and let out a
cynical laugh that slapped me right upside the face. “You can’t tell me you think Vampire’s, Witches, and
Werewolves are going to be sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya instead of killing one another. Please tell me you’re not that delusional.”
“You think it’s impossible for our kind to get along and I’m telling you, you are wrong. Your twin is mated to an Alpha, Ember. Do you think that’s a coincidence?
She was meant to rule, and you-you’re mated to an Alpha’s younger brother. Did you know Brandon here was the one that planned all of the protection detail for the Vampire’s safe haven? He wanted to take charge, and he did an amazing job. That is who you’re mated to. That is where your destiny lies.” I urged, all but begging her to believe me.
There was such anger on her face, such disbelief in her expression that I truly wondered if Ember had ever trusted anyone before in her life. I didn’t have it in me to feign indifference anymore. She needed to know how important this was and how much we needed her help.
“I want to create a world we can all live One where Witches and Vampire’s don’t have to answer to Wolves – a world we all rule. We can do more than just coexist, Ember. Your Brandon’s mate. You’re meant to help us. We have a chance at actual peace, but it won’t happen without you on our side. How could you not want that?” This time, I was begging. I let every broken, shattered piece of my soul shine through my eyes, brightened by the sheer hope that she would step up and do the right thing as her twin had.
Ember turned away, a scowl on her face as though she couldn’t bare to look. Her eyes drifted to the door and my heart crashed, falling to the floor in a million charred pieces.
“What would you do if I were to let you go, Lola?” She asked in a low voice.
“I’d go home, find the second witch and I’d kill her. Then, I’d find a way to stop Freya.”
“You’d put everyone you love in danger just to murder the other witch we sent into your pack?” Ember frowned, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
Didn’t she know we’re already in danger?
“Once Freya does the spell to enslave me, she can kill every werewolf in the world. They’re in danger no matter where I am.” I countered, just a tad confused.
Ember turned away from the door, her eyes growing wide as she cocked her head. “Wait, you think she’s enslaving you to kill all of the werewolves?”
“Well, yeah?” I stammered. “What else would she be doing?”
Out of the handful of time’s I had the displeasure of setting eyes on Ember, never had I seen her look like this. Her eyebrows were pinched and the fire in her eyes was nonexistent. She looked… worried, and I wasn’t at all prepared for how unsettling it was.
“Something worse. Something so much worse.” She whispered, her lips barely moving. “Enslaving you is only the first part of her plan. There’s another spell, one she’s been working on for years.
“What is it? What’s the spell?” I croaked as what little spit coated my throat evaporated.
Brandon’s chains rattled as he tried to step closer. “Tell her, Ember. What is it?”
Ember’s eyes slid shut as though she didn’t want to see our reactions. A wave of nausea hit me in the chest, and only grew worse when she spoke.
“She’s going to bring your father back to life, and you’ll never guess whose body his soul is going into.”
My stomach was empty, but that did nothing to stop the bile from rising in my throat. I clamped my lips shut, swallowing it back before I vomited all over the floor. Brandon’s eyes were heavy on my face, but that could’ve been the shock setting in.
“That’s not possible.” I barely recognized the sound of my own voice.
Would it change once my father’s soul was forced into my body? Would he use my magic to change the way I looked and sounded? Goddess, it was wrong on so many levels. An act that only went against nature, but one that would destroy it completely.
“Isn’t it?” Ember’s voice dropped an octave. Within her eyes was a knowing light that made my face heat with absolute shame. “What exactly were you doing when you were captured, Lola?
Wouldn’t you say something like that is impossible?”
“What was she doing?” Brandon butted
Ember didn’t break her stare from my face as she said, “She was trying to bring her brother back from the dead.”
“Did-Did it work?” Brandon asked.
Even after seeing Sean, I hadn’t yet let reality sink into my skin. Keeping it at an arms length was the only thing holding me together. If I had to face the truth- that I’d never again see my brother in this life-I would break completely. This side of Brandon, the one that wasn’t a raging dickhead, needed to back off a little bit.
“If it had, she would’ve been consumed by dark magic. Seeing as she’s not, I’d say it didn’t work.” Ember drawled, inspecting me from head to toe.
I gritted my teeth and tried not to snarl at her.
“Jeez, Ember. Harsh much?” Brandon muttered.
Clenching my eyes shut, I sucked in a sharp breath and forced it out through my nostrils. Once the prickling sensation faded from behind my eyelids, I relaxed.
Ember folded her arms over her chest, not at all bashful as she grunted, “Sorry.
It’s been…awhile since I’ve talked to anyone. My people skills are rusty.”
I wanted to tell her I could think of a few better words than ‘rusty’ but shoved the urge down. Pissing her off wouldn’t coax her into helping us. In fact, there wasn’t much more I could say. Ember alone held the power here, and it was high time to make a decision.
“Are you going to help us, Ember?” I asked without hesitation.
This time, she looked nervous. She twisted her fingers and picked at the skin around her nails.
“She’ll kill me.” Ember whispered.
I shook my head. “She won’t, because you’ll be coming with us.”
“Let me guess, you have a cell waiting with my name on it?” She laughed dryly. Her discomfort was a tangible force that skated along my skin and set my jaw on edge.
Looking into her eyes, I forced what little power I had left into my voice, and hoped it was enough to show her how serious I truly was. It was a risky promise to make, but if it meant stealing yet another powerful witch from Freya’s side, I’d bend over backwards to make sure it was kept.
“You have my word as Luna and Queen of the Vampire’s that you will not be imprisoned or harmed in any way. You will be reunited with your sister and will be treated with the same respect and dignity as a member of my pack. Whether we win or lose, my promise stands.”
As my words sunk in, Ember ceased her fidgeting. Her shoulders lowered an inch and a fire flared to life in her eyes.
“Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of this shithole.”
