Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

“Stop it,” a cool voice commanded, and they both whipped around to see Vanne. He clutched a terrified guard.

“What is going on?” Lucien spat.

“We’re taking the Center back. Marita has flown the nest.” His dead eyes sparked with hatred.

Lucien put aside enough of his worry to ask, “You’re in on this?”

He nodded stiffly and pushed the magik against the Plexiglas. “Blair, free them.”

As Blair worked, Vanne looked back up at Lucien and Ryder. “I’ve been working against Marita for a long time. Everything will be explained to you later.”

“Caia?” Lucien asked anxiously.

Vanne nodded. “She’ll be fine, but she’s badly hurt.”

The energy on the Plexiglas buzzed like a broken fluorescent light and then disappeared. Blair’s fingers shook as she hurried to open the door with a swipe card. As soon as it sprang open, Lucien rushed past and turned to his right. A large crowd was gathered at the entryway surrounding something … or someone.

“The Council and their families,” Vanne explained the crowd as he strode past him, still holding on to the witch. “Now we need to rescue the children from the labs.”

Lucien wasn’t even listening. Ryder gripped his shoulder in comfort and the two of them took off after Vanne.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you are needed upstairs where you can bring that riot back under control. Penelope, we would be grateful for your help with Caia once you’re done.”

She nodded, throwing Caia a sympathetic look.

“Marita is gone, then?” one of the Council members asked.

Marita’s husband—ex-husband?—nodded and ushered them all quickly out of the door. The sight they left sent Lucien’s heart plummeting to his stomach. His sister, in wolf form, sat rigidly, her eyes glued to Reuben who hovered over someone lying on the floor.

“Ryder!” Jaeden flew from her crouched position and launched herself into Ryder’s arms. Lucien brushed past them as they kissed, and his nose told him what he had feared.

“What the fu—” He grabbed hold of the vampyre and dragged him out of the way. Reuben hissed at being manhandled but stood back, allowing him access.

Caia lay on the ground, her T-shirt and jeans soaked with blood—his nose told him it wasn’t hers, thank the gods—but as his eyes swept the rest of her, his stomach flipped. Her shoulder had been turned into a chew toy. Bone and muscle clearly visible. Blood, her blood, spread on the floor around her. His eyes met hers. She smiled. She actually smiled. “Lucien.”

He dropped to his knees and grabbed her hand in his. “Holy—” he choked. She was so pale. “I can’t leave you alone for a second.”

She made to shake her head but hissed in pain at the movement. “Nope. I guess you can’t.” And then she grinned at him again. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he whispered hoarsely. And although she was wounded, he was so glad she was here, that nothing fatally bad had happened to her. He desperately wanted to know where she’d disappeared to. Why was Vanne working for them? What did Reuben have to do with it all? But instead, he croaked, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

He whipped around to look at the vampyre. “What’s happening? Can we get her up?”

Reuben nodded. “I had her under mesmerism. It stops her from feeling the pain. I’ll need to be the one to take her up to the infirmary so I can hold her mesmerized.”

The thought of some other guy’s arm around Caia sent his back up. “No,” he growled.

“Lucien,” Jaeden snapped, unlocking herself from Ryder’s embrace. “Let him take her to the frickin’ infirmary or I’ll stab you next.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. Had everybody completely forgotten he was Alpha? “What did you say?” he asked quietly, dangerously. Sudden realization dawned on her face, and Jaeden curled back into Ryder protectively.

His friend eased closer. “Come on,” Ryder pleaded. “Just let the guy do this. If you carry her, her shoulder will hurt the whole way.”

Lucien glanced back at Caia. She’d gotten even paler. “Please,” she whispered weakly.

That was all it took. He nodded jerkily and let Reuben take the reins.

Lucien concentrated on watching the gentle rise and fall of Caia’s chest. He sighed. He was never going to get used to this feeling. Even when she was right there in front of him, he worried about her. Her lids fluttered in her sleep, and he hoped to the gods she wasn’t having nightmares. What she needed right now was a dreamless sleep to help heal the shoulder that had been ripped open.

At present, she was lying beside him in a huge bed in one of the suites a council member used while she stayed at the Center. Penelope Argyros. She was a kind woman and seemed fond of Caia. Vanne had brought the magik straight to the infirmary, and she’d used some herbs and magik to seal Caia’s wound. She had then insisted they use her suite while the Council and Vanne brought the Center to order.