The headlights slow down just a mile down the road, and I tilt my head when they stop completely.
“Oh, brother,” Gavin’s voice says from somewhere above, and I jerk around to look for him. “Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out your little setup?”
His voice moves with every word, and I smirk. That was always his specialty. He would lure men out of their spots by sounding like he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It’s a tactic to instill panic. But I can do the same thing.
“You really think your tricks can work on me?” I ask him, letting my voice carry around. “We were trained by the same women, Gavin.”
“Tricks? You’re one to talk, brother. That illusion of your girlfriend’s pretty little head being tossed aside like a discarded child’s toy was rather crafty. It’s been centuries since I was fooled, so I admit I was very impressed. That’s the last time I underestimate you.”
So he thinks I’m capable of an illusion that powerful? No one is supposed to be able to do that. He’s overestimating me. That’s not good.
Kimber kneels down to one knee, watching the road through the thick of the forest, and she takes aim with a crossbow.
“Why come if you knew it was a setup?” I ask him.
Silence envelops the forest for several long minutes. Until it’s shattered.
“Because I knew you’d bring her.” My eyes dart to the middle of the road where Gavin is standing with his hand wrapped around Ella’s throat. Her eyes close as she winces against his grip.
Her hands and feet are shackled by the enchanted cuffs meant for a creature goddess. He came prepared.
“You see, your little plan to trap me involved bringing the most powerful creatures out that you knew. So… Well, you’ll learn your creatures can’t shift here,” he announces smugly.
Kimber grips my hand tighter, squeezing it to the point of pain.
“Now where the fuck are my weapons really?” Gavin snarls.
Kimber starts to move, but I pull her back, not letting her jump the gun. Gavin will snap her neck before she has time to do anything.
“Who wants to know, Gavin?” I ask, still transferring my voice around the forest.
“Who do you think?” he taunts, holding Ella like a shield in front of him.
It doesn’t matter that he’s surrounded. If one weapon is fired, the person pulling the trigger will die the second the sound ripples the air, and he won’t be touched. He’s too fast and too strong.
I know I have to stall until his army tries to sneak in from behind us, flanking all our blind spots.
“I’m not sure. I know a blonde who seems to think you’re the puppet instead of the puppeteer.”
I expect an instant laugh or snarky remark, so I’m surprised when I see his smile falter instead. Tilting my head, I study the odd expression on his face, and for a brief moment, I see something that resembles… hope.
No. Fuck no. He’s toying with me. And I know that’s the truth the second his sinister smile comes back with all the menace of a calculated killer.
“You mean your girlfriend that I happily tortured? The one who cried and begged for mercy even though she knew I wasn’t capable of it? The sweet little piece of ass that I generously took?”
Kimber jerks her head toward me and shakes it, telling me that never happened. But I don’t fucking believe her.
“She must have really enjoyed it if she’s trying to convince you I’m good. It sure as hell wouldn’t be the first time a girl chose me over you.”
The ground rumbles with my anger, and I ignore Kimber when she begs me to stop by tugging my arm, keeping her lips sealed so as not to give away our location. Fury courses my veins as the skies darken, but so many times of the past come back to me. My brother would never do what he just claimed, but why the hell would he lie about it.
He’s tempting me to kill him. He wants to lure me out. And he’ll get his wish as soon as everything falls into place.
Then I feel the power wash over me, and a smile spreads over my lips. It’s almost time.
“Nothing to say, brother? Silently seething in your puddle of fury?” Gavin taunts.
At exactly the wrong moment, Drackus Fucking Devall appears in front of Gavin, and I yell at him to stop without throwing my voice around.