Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

Sighing in remembrance, Kirios leaned against a tree, staring at the girl in her room. Perhaps it was his fault. He’d pushed Atia into the decision, settling her anxiety by using mesmerism. He’d never done that to one of his own before. With Saffron’s help, Kirios managed to convince them to sleep with one another.

But after a few years of arranged meetings between them, no child was conceived. Kirios’s frustration was the least of their problems. Devlyn was not as naive as Kirios would have liked. He was a jealous husband and had been tracking Atia’s movements through faeries, despite no sign of duplicity in her trace. By the time Kirios got wind of the information and warned Atia and Mikhail … it was too late. Mikhail, without giving the details, warned his pack, Pack Errante, but Atia panicked. She killed Mikhail, assuming that Devlyn would have mercy on her. He slaughtered her anyway.

His eyes glazed over with the memories. So much loss. And all for nothing.

Or so he had thought.

When it felt as if it was time to give up and give in, Saffron came to him with the news that one of the members of Pack Errante had arrived home with a magik he believed to be a member of the Daylight Coven. Saffron knew the girl was Atia and Devlyn’s daughter, Adriana; she was there to infiltrate the pack under her father’s orders. His instincts told him to let Adriana’s seduction play out, ordering Saffron to keep quiet.

Kirios smiled softly and raised his gaze back up to the window.

Caia was born.

A feeling of overwhelming anticipation rushed through him. He’d done everything to protect her, masking her trace when Adriana hunted her, ordering Saffron to keep a close eye on her, to make sure Marion was protecting Caia. For a while, his attention had been diverted by Devlyn and his growing tyranny—his unbelievable madness, his camps for behavioral modification for magiks, his desperation to have them under his complete control. Nikolai, the present son of the Petrovsky family, had grown so concerned that Kirios had masked his trace and sent Nikolai in to kill Devlyn. The Midnights had no clue as to who had done it, supposedly a member of Daylight, of course.

And now Caia was the Head of the Coven! He’d laughed when he and Nikolai realized the truth. But the laughter hadn’t lasted long. Devlyn’s irritating brat of a son had tried to continue his father’s work and was too preoccupied with finding Caia and destroying her. His distance from the coven had allowed Nikolai to solidify an important, authoritative position within the coven, but Kirios had worried over Ethan’s ever-increasing obsession with his niece. Not that he needed to worry, he thought smugly, watching her, remembering all that … mess … he’d found a few days ago in Ethan’s lodge. Now Nikolai was Regent of the Midnights and halting attacks against the Daylights under the guise that Ethan’s disappearance had weakened the coven. Not to mention he said he was close to completing the Septum.

But what of Caia, he mused, desperate to come out from the cover of the trees to reveal himself to her. He needed to know more about her. He needed to be able to trust her. Somehow, he had to insinuate himself into her life.

The girl. Yes, he thought. The lykan that Ethan kidnapped. Jaeden.

He watched her for a while, yesterday, wondering what on Gaia’s earth had happened to her down in Ethan’s basement. He could guess, he supposed. He scowled. She should never have had to go through that. And now … well … she had a secret too.

As he watched her, he saw her grow visibly upset and items in her room started flying around of their own accord. A telekinetic. Untapped magikal power in a lykan. She was like a two-for-one special. Not only would she be a useful soldier but he could use her to insinuate himself into Caia’s life. Another misfit to add to his crew. Yes. Tonight he would send a few impulses her way, suggest perhaps she run away from the pack. Then he would appear—Reuben the vampyre with his gang of hunters. Yeah. He’d make sure Jaeden wanted to join him.

And then he’d have it all. Jaeden. The Septum.

And Caia.

3

Just How Deep the Rabbit Hole Goes

Reuben—sorry, Kirios—was really old. Like … whoa old.

Caia studied him, trying not to appear intimidated. Of course she was.

But she had to maintain control of the situation. As much control as someone in a cage could.

“What I got from that long-winded tale of sorrow is that your family of hippies is responsible for this war, and you, my friend, are a ruthless son of a bitch. Not exactly endearing me to your cause. By the way, I still don’t fully have a grasp on what your cause is.”