Warrior Fae Princess (Warrior Fae 2)

Emery handed the vial to Charity.

“We’ll talk about this on the road,” he said. “It could be a trap. But…”

“But what?” Charity said, searching Emery’s incredulous expression.

He laughed and shook his head. “But…it could be unicorn blood.”Chapter Twenty“Wait, unicorns are real?” Charity asked as Emery headed back to the camping site.

“Unicorns are real?” Penny echoed, hurrying after him.

“I don’t know.” Emery stuffed his thin bedroll back into his backpack. Devon stepped away for a moment to talk to Dillon. A couple of other shifters changed back to human and started grabbing up packs. From the way they were eyeing Emery, she suspected they’d heard the exchange with Vlad.

“In the years I spent wandering the Realm, I heard a million rumors,” Emery said. “Most turned out false, as you might expect, but a year or so ago I heard from a reliable source that the vampires were hunting someone who was smuggling unicorn blood from under their noses and selling it in the Brink. The blood acts as a sort of magical booster, I guess. It was turning witches into mages, and they were organizing. Or trying to. I heard whisperings about them…until I didn’t.”

Devon returned to Charity’s side and slipped an arm around her waist as Emery continued. “The vampires must have taken out the culprits and all of their followers. My source disappeared not long afterward, which suggests they didn’t just go after the people directly involved—they went after everyone who might know their secret. Now, here we are, with an elder vampire handing us a little red vial to help boost Charity’s magic and energy. I’m guessing there’s some truth to it.”

“So, if that’s what Vlad left for Charity…then we can expect to be hunted and killed by Vlad and his minions to keep their secret?” Penny asked.

Emery laughed, and Charity had no idea what was so funny. Sure, the vampires were unlikely to go after her, but Charity wasn’t sure Roger could protect Devon’s pack from being picked off one by one. Not from a vampire like Vlad.

“When he’s done with us?” Emery waved his hand near the ward and walked through without looking back to make sure everyone was following him. “Probably. Those he deems useless, at least. The rest will probably be given an offer they can’t refuse.”

“That dirty cheat,” Penny said, her fists balled up. “He can’t just throw a big secret at us and then blame us for knowing it.”

“It’s Vlad,” Emery said as though it was reason enough. He was probably right.

“Look—” Charity struggled to keep up with Emery’s fast pace. Devon kept by her side, clearly thinking this information exchange was more important than taking rear, a task that had been silently assigned to Dillon. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would Vlad help me? I mean, he’s basically rolling out the red carpet to get me to the Flush. This is the same guy that tried, on several occasions, to kidnap me and kill the man I love.”

“He told you why.” Emery peered through the trees on his right. A slip of movement caught Charity’s notice, but when she looked that way, only empty trees and still bushes dotted the landscape.

The path rose steadily up an incline. The rocks on the side of the path got bigger, the plant life sparser. They were heading up the mountain.

“He thinks Fate has plans for you, and he wants to bend your journey to fit his own design.” Emery veered to the edge of the path to look behind them.

“We’re being followed,” Devon said, clearly reading Emery’s movements. “Vampires. I smell them.”

Emery nodded. “I figured.” He turned to the front again. “He tried to snatch you and force Fate’s hand, Charity, but that didn’t work, so now he is trying to work his way into your life so he can manipulate you. This approach is infinitely more dangerous for you. And if this vial holds what I think it does, and what I’ve heard is true, then he’ll have one more hook in you.”

“Knowing his secret won’t change my situation,” Charity said.

“Unicorn blood is said to be ten times more addictive than heroin. He’s got the lure of your mother, and now the hook of a highly addictive drug. Not to mention the drop on all your friends. Vampires have no problem killing—it wouldn’t be a stretch to think he’ll blackmail you with their lives.”

“Vampires have always tried to kill us,” Devon growled. “This is no different.”

“Vampires have tried to kill you when you got in their way,” Emery countered. “But if what I’ve heard is true, they’ll kill for this secret. Unless Charity plays along, they’ll all target you. He’s backing you into a corner.”

“Jesus, babe, you have been studying vampire politics,” Penny said with wide eyes.

“I promised I’d keep us at arm’s length from the vampires, Turdswallop,” he said softly, and took her hand. “I keep my promises.”