Page 38 of Never Run From An Immortal (Immortals #1)

If he hadn’t been paying so much attention to Rae, Aidan would have reached Gades long before Cormac revealed his little party piece.

Though Aidan knew Cormac hadn’t been trying to show him up, the opposite in fact, the lack of action on Aidan’s part would look like weakness to the council.

He needed them on his side tonight, everything he’d just learned bolstering the fact.

It’s Aera , he told Baelin. The human faction they’d disregarded. Find Tripp, now.

On it, Baelin replied.

Rae took a step back, Cormac offering her a hand, but Aidan couldn’t let her distract him any longer.

He let another fraction of his power roll off Gades, the Vampire’s mind almost completely gone.

He paused at Gades’ memories of a young Vampire being injected in the arm, her body convulsing and writhing in pain, blood spilling from her nose before she died.

Gades had stood by Sysmus’ side and watched calmly, considering how it had gone no better than the five tests before.

He deserved far worse than the fate Aidan was delivering him, but time wasn’t on their side.

With one more thought, Gades began choking as he believed his lungs to be failing, gasping for breath, his body flailing against the chains before he stilled.

“Gather the council,” Aidan ground out his command to Cormac. “Now.”

A few minutes later, twenty Vampires stood around the table of food, waiting. Thadlia was among them, but Aidan dismissed her attempts to reach out to him. He didn’t want to give her any room for misinterpretation. Rae was still talking with Cormac, and Aidan needed to focus on the task at hand.

Though the council members were all Providents, their Ascendants were not, so Aidan spoke to the room.

“I warned you all of this,” he said with lethal quiet.

He didn’t need to elaborate on the this ; they would have all known by now about the other factions’ involvement with the Liberalist Fae.

“Sysmus and Gades were working with Torrin and Aera. You have one week to amass as many Vampires as you can, at which point we will attack all remaining facilities and put an end to this. Information is being delivered to your PADs.”

Chimes and buzzes filled the room, some of the Vampires reaching into pockets to read the messages Baelin had sent them at Aidan’s instruction.

“They are coming for all of you, and your arrogance will see you dead if you do not act,” Aidan went on, his eyes falling over each of his council members in turn. “I’ve seen what they’re creating, and I assure you, we cannot match them. All we can hope for is that we’re not too late.”

“Too late for what?” Karina asked at Malik’s side.

“An army of those things taking out the entire city. There will be no Vampires, no Fae, no humans left. Only their creations will remain. Their hybrids.”

“That kind of power could serve us well,” Thadlia said on the far side of the table.

Aidan didn’t ask for permission, his Provident abilities slamming into all of them, showing them what he’d seen: the first facility with Rae, the test subject, and Gades’ memories.

Some of the Vampires gasped. “That kind of power will destroy us all. One week. If you don’t show, you don’t have a seat at this council. ”

A wave of, “Yes, my lord,” passed across the table, and with that, Aidan dismissed them.

Thadlia began to make her way to him through the crowd, but Aidan turned away, checking in with Baelin for a report.

Nothing yet, my lord , came his reply. Rae just got a message from Baxter.

And?

Forwarded it to you.

Aidan pulled his PAD from his jacket and scrolled through the message. She doesn’t have her PAD with her tonight.

I know, but she’s smart.

She doesn’t care if we see this. Have you figured out how she hid from you the other day?

I can’t fight her magic with tech, Aidan, it’s impossible.

Which means she wants us to ask her about it.

She wants us to follow him. Aidan thought of the ring she’d made for Bax, wondering when she was going to give it to the human.

He reached out for her, but she wasn’t among the crowd.

Shit. Amongst the music, the laughter, and the chatter of Vampires, Aidan felt it, felt her , and could have cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner.

She’d told him at the rutok kennel about her mother’s abuse, but he hadn’t considered what else it could entail; he should have warned her before bringing her down there.

He had to find her before any of the other Providents latched onto her fear.

Within the time it took him to realise it, Aidan had located which room Rae hid in, the feel of her on the door letting him know she’d sealed herself inside.

Unlock the door, Farren , he told her, knowing he’d draw attention if he tried a door that was locked.

He slipped inside the second she opened it, securing the door behind him.

No one would dare follow their lord into one of these rooms. Even in the dark, he knew Rae didn’t look up.

He flicked at a switch, and a soft glow flared to life above them.

Still dim, but better than letting her sit in the dark.

Aidan held a finger to his lips as she looked up at him, her eyes wide. They’ll hear , he told her, angling his head to the door. Rae barely nodded, twisting the ring at her thumb as she tried to smother her fear.

A warehouse full of Vampires, and she was afraid of herself.