Guilt seeped from her like poison, and again, I wondered what she was hiding.
“If Ravok knew you existed, he would tear through every protection Riordan and Marten and your Commander Nash have erected around Crimson House and to reach you. And trust me, none of Crimson House’s fortifications—mighty as they are—can stand for long against my Maker.”
Her face went white. “Why the fuck would he want me?Why?”
“Because your magic has been a carefully guarded secret for centuries.”
“I’m twenty-eight years old, asshole.”
“But you are not the first Bloodmoon witch.” I couldn’t keep the sorrow from my voice, couldn’t keep my heart from breaking as I stared down at her. “There were those who came before you, guardians of the magic who spent their lives in hiding so Ravok—and Caine—could never access their power.”
“Why?” She croaked. “What’s so special about my magic?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered bitterly. “I’ve spent centuries searching for that answer, but then I contained Ravok, removing the threat to your coven and thought this was over. Now he’s loose, and if Ravok ever discovered your existence, he would hunt you to the ends of the earth.”
But Vicious wasn’t even looking at me, she was staring into space, as if some part of her was dying inside.
* * *
Time was the real enemy.
Something I was used to having in spades, and now it was running out while we driveled on about the king, and Marten’s precious hurt feelings over her staying with me. Well, good fucking riddance, because fuck him.
Vicious remained mired in guilt, when I needed her at her vengeful best.
And why the fuck now?
Why, after I’d rid the world of Tyrell and was so close to achieving my goal of destroying everything he’d ever built, why did Ravok decide to rise from the deadnow?
His shitty timing, as usual, was impeccable.
As of a few months ago, the High Council was gone. Lilith—Katarina was dead, Caine, too, if the rumors were to be trusted. And though they’d tried to keep those rumors quiet, the Thirteen were no more. All of the remaining Elders were dead, in a supposed coup against an ancient, powerful Irish clan, although my sources were tightlipped on the details.
In truth, I’d been so focused on my own conquests, I hadn’t spent time looking into either matter, but if there was a shred of truth to the rumors…Ravok could very well be the oldest vampire on this earth.
Yes, his timing was impeccable, if he meant to fuck me over.
And if Vicious didn’t get on board, this fight would be over before it started.
“I’m assuming you need proof of some sort?” I demanded, my tone harsher than I’d like it to be, but I couldn’t keep my frustration contained. “That I’m telling the truth about your magic?”
She swallowed, and my eyes were instantly glued to how delicately her pale throat moved, “There’s nothing you can say that will make me believe you. Nothing. You’ve lied too many times, Malachi. Burned too many bridges. Come up with a plan to get me close to him, teach me how to control my magic enough to kill him and then…” she shrugged, “we’ll go toe to toe and see who’s faster.”
Part of me shuddered at the thought of having her anywhere near Ravok. The other part at the thought of letting her dark, dangerous magic roam free.
Both were inevitable, but first Evangeline had to understand.
I couldn’t tell her everything, but maybe…maybe I could show her enough to convince her this fight was hers, even more than it was mine. That I was a villain in someone’s story, but not hers.
Never hers.
“I’ll let you into my mind.” I swallowed at the thought of how intimate this would be, how vulnerable I’d make myself.How many secrets I was giving away. “You will see everything I know about your history, then you can decide.”
I watched her weigh this option—like she weighed everything—on her scales of truth. Evangeline didn’t even realize she did this, but everything in her life came down to black and white, right and wrong, good and evil, where, in my experience, the world was simply a haze of gray.
“No. You’ll just lie again.”
I blew out a long breath. We were wasting too much goddamned time.
