Chapter 9
A Shade of Crazy
"You knocked me out?" Thad gripes when we walk into the Edgebrook hotel room where he's already waiting, obviously seething. "Are you trying to make your dad come after me?"
"Relax. Drackus maintained control and never knew we were back in there. You're safe," Gage says dismissively.
Thad visibly relaxes, his disheveled blond hair settling back into place after he runs his hand through it.
"Thank fuck."
I can't help but giggle at the distraught changer, and I go to sit beside him on the bed.
"What's wrong? You act as though Drackus scares you."
He rolls his eyes before narrowing them at me, and then he mumbles, "Funny. Real fucking funny."
I laugh harder as Gage starts flipping through his phone.
"Shit. I have to go."
"What? Why?" I ask a little pitifully.
"Because the Somage has been called in. Apparently there was a messy murder back close to my place in Pine Shore. It looks like a night stalker skimped out on discretion. I'll be back in a day or two. We'll have to decide if they deserve death or punishment."
Once upon a time, I would have said all night stalkers deserve death, but my bond with Kane is really messing with my head. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting him. What scares me the most is I'd let him kill me before I allowed anyone to touch him.
I shiver as that unbidden, morbid thought comes to mind.
"Okay. Should I be safe here? I've still got Castine's locator mark."
I hold up my wrist, and he frowns.
"By now, she's figured out Drackus was there solely for you. She won't mess with you until she's back at full strength. Apparently, that amulet she wears gives her the powers she's trapped from our kind that have used our magic against her. After fighting with Drackus, one who seems to be immune to its magical hold, she's been weakened."
"Why is he immune?" I grumble, feeling a little sick of my father's overwhelming heaps of power.
"Possibly because he's unaligned. The powers that forged that gem were light and dark. They created it directly after the division of magic. That's the only thing I can figure."
Then Thad chimes in. "I know when I called him to tell him Castine had nabbed you, he said he'd handle her with no problem. I don't think he was expecting her to be so strong."
"She had dark user help," I quickly add, filling Thad in on the part he missed.
"Well that's just fucking great. As if her horde of minions weren't diverse enough."
"Tell me about it," Gage growls. "Drackus called to inform me of that bit. Of course I pretended it was news. He wants me to find out which of my people would be dirty enough to involve themselves with her. The guy was a blur. All any of us caught a glimpse of was dark hair."
Speaking of dark hair, I need to find out who Dray is to my father and to Kane.
"I'll see you soon. I need to get going. Stay in Edgebrook and away from Kane's coven. Call me if you need me for anything," Gage murmurs, interrupting my thoughts.
I give him a small, forced smile. I don't want to tell him what I did with Kane, and I sure as hell don't want to tell him how much it has only fed my hunger now. I have to find a way to break the bond.
"Okay, dark boy. Be careful."
He smirks as he pulls me to him, and he plants a chaste kiss on my forehead before vaporizing his exit.
"How bloody cute," Thad snarks. "Leave it to the pierced, tattooed guy to get the girl."
