Again, he scrubbed his hand over his face before answering. “Because you do not understand the situation, and while I am somewhat loathe to tell you all our secrets, I realize now that I must tell you some if I am to gain your help. You remember the memory I showed you? Where I knelt before the Emperor and Empress?”

“Yes.” I trembled where I stood, but knew if I sat down I might not get back up. So I stayed where I was, hoping that what Faris had to tell me was actually of importance. And for the moment, it kept me focused on something other than Berget’s death.

“There are two factions of vampires. Those of us who wish to remain in the shadows. To control the humans as we do, puppeteers with tasty little puppets jumping with our every wish. And then there are the others, those like the Emperor and Empress.”

“Who you killed.”

“Who I killed quite happily and would have killed their child, who they have raised to believe as they do. That the vampire nation should be unafraid of the world and should show themselves.”

I stared at him, forcing the words out. “What has this got to do with Berget?”

“I’m getting there.”

He stood and started to pace, his hands clasped behind his back. His blond hair was blood crusted, but otherwise the wounds he’d carried when he’d first entered the clearing had healed. Vampire perks at their best.

“The Child Empress is a jealous creature, and not prone to realizing the ramifications of coming out to the world. Not just for us, but for the entire supernatural community.”

I closed my eyes and did my best to follow. “I get it and I agree. The humans aren’t ready to know what they’ve been living next to. Maybe one day, but not yet. There is too much violence in them.”

“The Child Empress is not the only one who feels that way. There are factions of witches, Druids, and shifters who would agree with the Child.”

“Still not seeing how this affects me, Berget, any of it.” I looked up at him, felt the hollow emptiness of everything in my heart spill into my eyes.

“Rylee.” He stepped closer, lifting his hands to place them on my shoulders. “We all lose the ones we love. You are no different than any other supernatural.”

The hollowness continued through me, cooling the pain of my grief, making me hard. “That supposed to be a f**king pick me up?”

“No. It is the truth. The Child Empress will take everything we love in an attempt to break us, to make us fear. That is the goal.”

I pushed his hands off my shoulders and backed up, feeling strength sweep through me with the emptiness. I would feel nothing and that would get me through. If I felt nothing there could be no grief, no pain, no guilt and hurt.

“What are you saying?”

His perfectly sculpted face saddened. “The Child Empress brought about the death of Berget. With her death, the Child Empress sealed the throne and took control of the vampire nation and is preparing to announce to the world that the supernatural exists. If we’d stopped her death … .”

“Don’t lay the f**king guilt trip on me,” I said, my words icy. I stared over his shoulder at the darkened hallway, remembering too clearly being here for India, wrestling a demon, O’Shea helping me.

Life had gone downhill fast since then. I had a moment of understanding. The problems had started when the black coven had called up the demon.

“Rylee, will we stand together on this?”

“When we first met, you tried to kill me.” I slid my gaze across to his. “What has changed? Now you want to be my ally, but you have never been a steady constant. Kill me or don’t, you can’t have it both ways.”

I wasn’t taunting him, I was being serious. I didn’t understand him and his motives, which continually confused me.

“I have watched you for some time. Years. You side with the humans, finding their children. Keeping them safe. From what I know of Trackers, I assumed you would be on their side when the decision came down to this.”

I snorted. “You tried to kill me based on a f**king assumption?”

He stared at me. “I’ve killed people for less. It was not so much of a stretch combined with the information I gained from your so-called best friend.”

Ahh, now that made more sense. Before I could say anything, Faris went on.

“I want you to trust me; we need to trust one another to survive this.” His eyes were deadly serious. “I acted on my assumptions and information from Milly. It is obvious to me now that she was not being truthful. But I did what I did, based on my knowledge of Trackers and her assessment of you. She fed my assumptions with her lies, padding my already skewed understanding of who you are. I realize that I, too, bear guilt for Berget’s death. For if you’d trusted me, we would not be here now. We’d be celebrating with your sister in Venice.”

“And O’Shea would be dead,” I whispered.

“Which would you rather lose?”

Fury lit through me, an anger so bright and intense I shook with it all the way to my fingertips. “I would lose neither! They are my heart!”

Faris’ icy blue eyes widened and he gave me a slow nod. “I see.”

I took a deep breath, but didn’t try to still the anger. Better than that empty hollowness that had been quickly consuming me. I glared at Faris, but he didn’t seem bothered by my anger.

“The Child Empress has done this. Will you stand with me against this threat?” He stood in front of me, his eyes searching my face. There was no question, not really.

No, that wasn’t entirely true. There was one question I needed answered.

“Are we going to kill the Child Empress?”

Faris gave a slow nod, his eyes full of sorrow that seemed out of place. “Yes, that will be the plan. Kill the Child Empress; prove that I am the better leader. Take the throne and seal vampires and the supernatural away from the world.”

“And the memory you showed me? What of that? You need me to prove you are the one to lead the vampire nation, right? I have to find something for you, don’t I?”

Again, he nodded. “Yes, but once I take the throne, that will be the last step.”

“So doesn’t this Child Empress need me too?”

He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. “You are not the only Tracker left alive, Rylee.”

What was left of my strength slipped out of me and I dropped to my knees.

“Jack.”

Chapter 15

FARIS TOOK ME back to the clearing, but only after a huge argument. I needed to get my two wolves, regardless of what the vampire thought. He suggested going back to London via the Veil first, to start planning. I was still arguing that we should strike now, while the Child Empress might still consider herself safe because she’d only just been set on the throne.

My argument won, at least the part about going back to the clearing where O’Shea and Alex were frantically pacing. One wolf was f**king terrifying, the look on his face enough to scare the piss out of anyone. The other, just … well, just looked like a lost little boy waiting for his mother to find him.

I stumbled out of Faris’ hands and toward the two werewolves, catching O’Shea around the neck and burying my face in his fur. Alex shuffled forward and I put a hand on him too, felt him sigh under my fingers. O’Shea sniffed my hair and then stepped toward Faris, a low growl rumbling through his chest. I held him back, with difficulty. “No, we’re working together now. You have to play nice, Liam. You have to.”

He snorted, stopped straining against my hold, and glared at the vampire, who just stood there, hands clasped behind his back.

“Are we quite done collecting your pets?”

“Really, you think today is the day to piss me off?” I spat over my shoulder.

Faris chuckled. “Yes, yes I do. You need to be reminded that death is not the end. Not to mention that you fight better when you’re angry.”

I clenched my fingers into O’Shea’s thick fur. His cold nose slipped under my chin and he pushed my head up. He was right. Chin up, we could do this.

I would avenge Berget, save Jack, and then … then I would grieve. Just like with losing Giselle, there wasn’t time to breathe, never mind feel sorrow over the loss. I didn’t have the f**king luxury.

I didn’t realize that I was staring into O’Shea’s eyes; he gave me a lick on the side of my face. At least I had him back in my life, even like this was better than nothing at all.

“Let’s go.”

Faris opened up the twist between this world and the Veil. Alex made a move as if to go first until O’Shea growled at him.

“Sorry, Boss. Alex forgets.” He settled in behind O’Shea, letting the alpha wolf go first. Except that O’Shea paused at the threshold, staring into the scene beyond him. Maybe he was remembering our time there? The demon we’d fought?

No, that wasn’t it at all. He made a move as if to go forward, but stopped again with a grunt.

He couldn’t cross the threshold. Shit, this was going to make things interesting.

“Perfect.” Faris muttered, and again I was struck by how very un-vampire-like he seemed.

“Looks like we’re going the long way.” I turned away from the opening to face the other side of the clearing and saw what was waiting for me there. We were upwind, which explained why the two wolves hadn’t smelled the Beast.

“Oh. Shit.” I pulled my sword out and the Beast roared, running toward me on three paws, its balance off. That’s why it had taken so long to get here. Three legs left to go. That was the key, take his limbs and he could be killed, or at least maimed like any other creature.

But before I could reach him, O’Shea leapt in front of me, tackling the Beast to the ground even though he was only half the size of the panther.

They tumbled through the snow, but the Beast wasn’t interested in O’Shea; he didn’t even try to fight back. He just wanted to get to me.

Faris grabbed my arm. “We have to go, we have to get you out of here.”