Hunted (War of the Covens 1)

Nothing but confusion and terror.

Until eventually there was just nothing.

18

Unraveling

Lucien stared at the ceiling. Caia was upstairs, knocked out on her bed. Her reaction to the truth was worse than he could have feared; it bled all her usual strength from her, obliterated the cool tranquility of her character he’d come to find so soothing.

He was oblivious to the others and their conversation until Magnus asked Marion, “She’s still out cold. You sure she’ll be alright?”

“Yes. It was a pretty powerful spell. She’ll be out for a while, but she’ll be fine.”

Lucien’s gaze swept the room. “I knew she would take it hard, but I wasn’t prepared for that reaction.”

To his annoyance, Saffron snorted, shifting her weight on the arm of the chair she perched upon. “Yeah.” She shook her head, her eyebrow raised sardonically. “Man, was that an overreaction. I mean, come on, it’s not as if she woke up one day in a dysfunctional pack of lykans—who, as far as she was aware, were keeping her from the inner circle of the pack like she wasn’t really one of them—and then they tell her she’s only part wolfie because the rest of her is part evil witch, and oh, that’s ’cause her mommy and daddy didn’t die due to some weird hunter guy but actually her mommy killed her daddy and then tried to kill her too. Oh, and that while all of you were going about your daily lives, she was frightened to cry in case the house flooded … scared, not knowing what the hell was happening to her, when right next door, her Pack Leader had all the answers. Not to mention the icing on the cake, being prophecy girl an’ all …”

Lucien was proud of his restraint. Rather than lunging at her, he merely curled his lip and snarled. He wasn’t the only one.

The faerie wasn’t intimidated in the least. She merely shrugged her elegant shoulder. “What?”

Ryder beat him to the punch. “Can you shut up for just one second, never mind a minute?”

“Why would I do that when you so obviously love the sound of my voice?”

“One day you’re going to turn into something real small, and I’m going to be there to put a cup over you and trap you … forever.”

“Look, don’t push your weird sexual I Dream of Jeannie fantasies onto me, okay? I’m not interested.”

“Sexual f—” he spluttered, his face growing dark with anger.

Lucien raised an eyebrow. It really took a lot to get under Ryder’s skin, but obviously this faerie had the knack.

“I despise you,” Ryder growled.

Saffron clutched her chest. “I’m wounded. Really. My heart is breaking.”

“Would you two quit it?” Lucien huffed. “We have things to sort out. Like another faerie in town.”

Magnus pierced him with a fierce look. “Caia should know.”

“I don’t know about that.” Lucien shook his head. “I don’t think she can deal with it right now.”

“Try me.” Her soft voice caused a tingle down his nape. Turning, he found Caia leaning against the doorframe, exhausted, but seemingly calm. She refused to meet his gaze and he frowned, remembering suddenly that she’d treated him with a distinct chilliness before she knew he’d deceived her.

Huh.

“How did you …” Marion squeaked. “How can you be awake?”

“Caia, maybe you should lie down.” Ella stood and went to her, drawing her against her side. Lucien was disturbed at the way she held herself warily from Ella. If only she knew how much they’d all come to care for her.

“But how is she awake?” Marion cried, her hands flailing in frustration. “That is one of my very powerful sleeping spells.”

“Marion. Please,” he shushed her. To Caia, he asked, “How are you?”

“I’m not going to destroy the house, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No. It isn’t.”

“Just explain to me what’s going on. I think I’ve been lied to enough for one lifetime.”

“Caia—” Ella began, her eyes full of apology, but Caia shook her off to walk into the middle of the room.

She looked directly at Lucien, her green eyes so damn unreadable. “We should put this behind us and just get on with it. From the sounds of things, there’s more to this story.”

“Okay,” Dimitri spoke before Lucien could. “Then you should know there is another faerie in town.”

She frowned, rubbing her forehead in tiredness. Lucien wanted to reach for her and hold her close, but he knew she would only reject him. “What does this mean?”

“I felt another faerie’s trace here. It’s energy. The faerie is from the Midnight Coven,” Saffron explained.

“And?”

Lucien cleared his throat. “It can only mean you’ve been found. We all have.”

He watched her grapple with his statement. “I … I’m confused. I thought that what happened … that woman—” She seemed to choke on the word, refusing to call her Mother. “I thought …” She stopped, and her eyes widened in understanding. “Is Devlyn still after me?”