Page 9

Steam billowed up from the tub I soaked in. Five amethysts the size of human skulls sat on each point of the bathtub and one at the foot of it. Chamomile, sage, and lavender floated on the watery surface, easing the stress of discovering Rhys outside the chateau. Clusters of the dark, rainbow filled smoky quartz sparkled from the windowsill and counter. Twelve lemongrass scented candles perfumed the air thickly.

In my chamber, dragon sage warded off the dark, toxic energy. Silently, I rested my eyes as everything Rhys stated continually repeated inside my head. It ruined the entire cleansing theme I had gone for, but it was hard to ignore the truth of his words.

It wasn’t me they wanted. I was merely the vessel carrying the prize they sought. A child they meant to enslave and then wield as a weapon against all immortals.

A kingmaker .

Not a babe who’d wronged no one or never asked to be born. No, to the cold, cruel bastards hunting us, Bullet was merely something to remove immortals from their perspective thrones and give their power to the order.

Honestly, I hadn’t even considered that I wasn’t the target. Several attacks felt wrong. If they had been more heartless, they’d have easily murdered me. Instead, they hesitated. It had inadvertently gotten them killed. It should’ve made me stop and think, but I’d been oblivious to their end goal.

It had taken Rhys’ words for me to finally connect to puzzle pieces. Rhys had been able to deduce what their goal had been without seeing the entire picture. It should’ve irritated me, and honestly, it did. I couldn’t be mad, though. Not when he was working to protect our child, too.

Had I missed the exceptional qualities in my child? No. I wasn’t as stupid as everyone assumed. Bullet was the first child ever born to the Silversmith and Van Helsing bloodlines. A child with the strength and prowess of a warrior, who also held the capability and magic to wield lethal silver against immortals.

That was the purpose behind Roslyn seeking out Rhys initially. For a Silversmith to murder an immortal, she’d require the aid of a Van Helsing full-blooded knight. Rhys, along with the others, had united, intending to murder the Silversmiths. They hadn’t managed to kill a Silversmith who’d reached immortality. Only innocent lives had been lost to the fires they’d set ablaze.

It was how the balance of power had been created. To take down another house, two houses needed to work together. A feat that had never been accomplished until Rhys unknowingly led his mother to my grandfather who killed her along with the other things he did to Verity.

Now Bullet? He wouldn’t need anyone to slaughter the heads of the immortal houses. There’d be no balance or check for a child born of the most powerful bloodlines.

Had I been oblivious to what Bullet was? No, I’d simply stuck my head in the sand and did my best to ignore the truth.

A unicorn. One worth killing to own.

But so, the fuck, was I!

If they thought I’d be easy to kill, they’d grossly failed to consider how malicious a mother would become to protect her young. Rhys had also forgotten to add that to the equation. Then maybe he wouldn’t have come to the sad conclusion that I was a liability or a weakness.

Rhys’ words of enslavement had driven the point home. He made it abundantly clear that I was foolish for ignoring his warning. Maybe I was, but my sense of safety around him was gone. I should feel different around him.

My sense of safety here also ended because of him. I couldn’t escape from town. I couldn’t hide here with my family. My options appeared more dismal with every passing moment.

I could either trust in Rhys’ ability and need to protect Bullet, or chance our child being used to kill him, along with everyone I loved. Why did he have to destroy everything we’d created together? I’d trusted him before he’d turned on me. If I were honest, I still trusted him to protect me. I just couldn’t trust him with my heart.

There was also the fact that he’d changed since then, too. He’d chosen to allow his demon-half out of the cage he kept it restrained in. Rhys had long ago forced that part of him to live only within the dreamscape.

Now that he’d allowed it to perceive his emotions and react to them. At the House of Witches, he’d fought for control to protect me from it, but he’d struggled to regain that control back.

Talia perceived it in the room, thus explaining her unexpected and unannounced arrival in the chamber. She’d intervened to prevent any harm from occurring beneath her roof. She was smart enough to know it would end in bloodshed.

Talia’s intervention on my behalf was welcome, but also unexpected. Rumors suggested that Talia safeguarded those under her protection by being savagely unpredictable.

There were stories around town about her bloodline and their antics. All were spoken in whispered silence to prevent Talia from catching them gossiping about her line. Not that I blamed them. Since I’d heard she’d once removed the lips of a gossipmonger who’d slurred her daughter’s name.

Morgana was her mother’s pride and joy, if a bit more audacious than most. The girl was carefree and lived life to the fullest. I envied her mindset for being that bold.

Raven, Talia’s niece, was someone I admired and respected. She’d been unafraid of helping us with wards and runes. Of course, she was skirting danger with the incubus twins, Ezekiel and Enzo. The twins were notorious for being savagely ruthless. They owned a gentlemen’s club. One I’d soon be competing against.

Raven had expressed her worry about doing so multiple times. A fear of them harming me or looking to destroy the club before it could ever become fully functional. I’d laughed it off and told her I’d weather whatever storm as we did every obstacle in our path. Falling face first right into it, because we were graceful like that, after all.

Now Raven, on the other hand, was the one who should be worried about the twins. They had a heavy dislike of witches, older than Rhys and my mother’s feud. Raven had inadvertently walked into their club, kicking up a hornet’s nest.

It left them focused on her, leaving Nyx free to teach the dancers how to buy favors with the male clients. That was, if she could stay away from Acyn long enough to manage the job I’d tasked her with.

Nyx was free to do as she chose with Acyn. I’d given her my blessing to be with him. However, she spent more time inside the Van Helsing mansion than she did anywhere else. If I weren’t certain, I’d assume they were mates. Ones who were too stubborn for the truth, which were currently staring right at them. Of course, they’d have to stop fucking long enough to realize it as well.

I knew Nyx would find me when ready. I wouldn’t worry about her love life. Not when my own was a colossal mess. Technically, it was nonexistent, but who was pointing out the minor details? Well, besides me.

Submerging beneath the floral scented surface, I listened to the resonating sounds of the chateau. The moment my lungs burned, I pushed my nose and mouth up through the surface. With the scent of lemongrass and sage filling my nostrils, I sucked in the air before falling beneath the water again, staring up at the pentagram painted on the ceiling above the tub.

Knocking sounded on the chamber door, causing my eyes to slide toward the connecting door. The skin between my brows creased together as I counted along with the footsteps Winchester made as she crossed the room.

“Remi?” her soft, honeyed tone called from the other side of the door.

“Drowning myself in the tub.” The melancholy in my tone irked me more than my choices.

She leaned her head against the door before pulling it back, speaking in a sterner tone. “Well, when you’re done with self-pity, breakfast is being served in the sunroom this morning. I thought you’d like it, as you always preferred the porch to the dimly lit, dour front room of the cabin.”

Knowing she wouldn’t leave until I replied, I did so in a sour tone. “I’m not hungry right now.” Who’d be hungry knowing they had to slink back to their ex with their tail tucked between their legs? Groaning as the door opened, I gasped as Winchester strode in.

“You’re eating for two, Remi,” she argued as she perched on the toilet, frowning.

Spluttering, I crossed my arms over my chest before glancing down to ensure the bubbles covered everything else. With a curious look at Winchester, I opened and closed my mouth, unsure what to say about her intrusion.

Observing the assuredly horrified look on my face, she waved it away. “I know you’re not a child anymore. Obviously,” she said before rolling her eyes. “It would be a very different conversation if you were. Now, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess?” This was going into my vault of shit I’d never speak about again.

“You seem more downtrodden today, Remington. Rejoining your family shouldn’t lead to depression. A Silversmith doesn’t get depressed. Not that I’ve ever been aware of, anyway. They face shit head-on without fearing the unknown.”

“Not everyone is as stone cold as you are, Winchester. I’m still mortal. Remember? Plus, I’m pregnant,” I uttered, needing to know if she comprehended the gravity of it all.

“You’re carrying the fucking antichrist of the immortal world. We’re all very aware of the magnitude of what we’ve agreed to protect.” Blinking slowly at me, her eyes widened. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

“Yes.” The skin between her eyes pinched as her eyes narrowed on me. “Who warded the house?”

“What happened?” Winchester was astute at times. I’d never been able to bullshit her.

“You mentioned that you had a witch who’d cast spells on the house for protection. You had overseen the runes, wards, and spells being cast yourself, right? Yet, I wasn’t safe last night. Rhys Van Helsing was inside my bedroom.”

Winchester stilled, her eyes thinning on me. “You didn’t let him into our house, did you?” The hesitancy in her tone caused a heaviness in my chest to form. “Of course, you didn’t,” she whispered with a heavy exhale, following the words.

“I wouldn’t place you or the others in danger,” I assured, grimacing as she stood with the cold persona she wore when handling family business. “I promise, Winnie. I can leave if you want me to.”

“I don’t want you to leave.” The tone she spoke in was sharper and held an edge of anger. “However, the witch who reinforced the spells on our house knows better than to cross me. She’ll be dealt with before the sun sets tonight.”

“Raven?” I squeaked out in shock. No way would I allow her to murder Raven Thorne. She’d been the only witch willing to help me when the others had flat out refused to hear anything I had to say. “You can’t hurt Raven.”

“It isn’t Raven I speak of,” she muttered, with exhaustion weighing on her. “Miss Thorne worried her wards and runes wouldn’t be enough alone to keep Rhys or other Van Helsing out. I called in a few favors from a coven I know. One I should’ve known better than to trust. Sure, they’re self-serving bitches who’d sell their own mother’s soul if the price were right. I should’ve known better.”

My shoulders sagged, and the air left my lungs as the fight drained from my veins. Winchester’s head tilted to the side as she slid her regard over my face. With one hand on her knee, she tapped a finger from the other against her cherry-red lips.

“You thought I’d start a new war when we’re already fighting an old one?” she asked with hurt, pinching her delicate face. “I’m not new to being the head of the Silversmiths, Remington. Who do you think she forced to rule the empire as she hid? I assure you, not one of us came here without knowing the facts of what it would mean to return from the grave.”

“I didn’t know shit, Winnie! No one told me anything. You all treated me like I was a liability.” The irony of what I said wasn’t lost on me. “I am considering everything that happened. You don’t have to point that out.”

“You’re not at fault here. I shouldn’t have stolen the truth of who our mother was from your memories. That’s on me. If I hadn’t done that, you’d never have been blind when you rushed back here to save her. You’d never have met Rhys Van Helsing or have become pregnant. None of this would’ve happened.”

Sadly, I couldn’t argue with the truth of her words. I’d have run in the opposite direction from my mother. I’d have realized how close we were to the Van Helsings. There would’ve been no curiosity about them at all. It wouldn’t have come as such a surprise that my mother was a monster.

“I guess we’ve both made questionable choices. Hmm?” she asked pointedly.

Laughing sadly, I wrapped my arms around my knees in the cold bathwater. “I guess we’re not as perfect as she ensured we were in the end.”

An unladylike snort escaped her lips. “I don’t think she made any of us into what she sought. She was a shitty person who enjoyed destroying everything she touched. We’re hardened individuals who aren’t afraid of taking what we want. Except for you, Remington Alaina. You came out with a light within you that none of the rest of us have. I’d do anything to prevent it from burning out. I hope you know that.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it light anymore. It’s actual flames now.” She chuckled at what I’d said, causing warmth to flow through my chest. Without thinking about it, I reheated the water until it boiled, forcing Winnie to her feet.

A nervous laugh bubbled in her chest, causing heat to creep up my neck. “That’s new, huh?” she asked in a tense tone.

“Yeah, I guess,” I admitted, shrugging. “What do we do about the protection spells?” At my question, her face dropped. “Without them, I’m placing everyone under this roof in danger.”

“We’re Silversmiths,” she stated, as if that was enough explanation. At my skewered face, she elaborated further. “We’ve always lived beneath a cloud of impending doom.”

“This is different. Rhys said that this order of knights has been waiting for a child of both lines to be created. Biding their time and preparing for it to happen. They’ve had a lot longer than we have had to prepare to fight them.” Uneasiness forced the skin on her forehead to crinkle.

“What order of knights?”

With a slight lift of my shoulders, I bit my lip, unable to answer. “Rhys wouldn’t tell me who they were. He recommended that I go with him, where I’d be protected from them. They want Bullet, not me. I’m merely the incubation pod for the future kingmaker.”

Winchester’s face scrunched up in thought as if she were replaying what I’d said inside her noggin before she finally replied. “You don’t think Rhys is trying to scare you into walking into his hands? Or that he can see the true potential for what you’ve created together? That child you carry. It will be the most powerful piece on any board.” Her eyes crinkled in the corners as her mouth tugged down into a frown. “It’s born of not two, but three major houses. That child houses the blood of three of the most ancient, powerful creatures within it, honey. You are powerful, but you only hold two.”

“You know how to beat a girl when she’s down, don’t you?”

“Fire’s an amazing thing to have, but it burns hot and fast. That doesn’t leave much time to fight an opponent. Not to mention, the cold is your kryptonite. We’re in the north, where winter’s quickly approaching. The Silversmith magic within you also has limitations. Hence why two houses need to unite to fight against one opponent. Limitations aren’t something your child will ever need to worry about.” Offering me a tight lipped smile, she continued. “Tell me Rhys hasn’t done that math and decided he prefers those odds to be in his favor.”

“I’m aware of who he is. He’d never use his child as a weapon. Rhys is a lot of things, but he isn’t a monster. He’s hurt and lashing out, sure. Rightly so. No one saw the truth coming. Hell, she was our mother, and we didn’t see it coming, either.”

“Do you trust him with your life, Remington Alaina? Because that’s the question that matters most. At least, it’s the one that matters most to me right now.” Winchester’s eyes watered with the threat of tears, but she blinked repeatedly to prevent any of them from falling. “Answer me.”

I fought back the lump in my throat and gave a truthful response. “I do. I trust him with my life. If it came down to it, he’d do whatever it took to ensure I’m protected from harm.”

“After everything he’s done to you?”

“I do.” I noted the subtle nod she offered, but also the strain lining her face at my reply. “Rhys is hurt and being forced to relive what happened all over again, Winnie. I don’t blame him for his anger or his emotional state. Roslyn didn’t merely fuck with Rhys, she treated him like a dog whom she used to sic on her enemies.”

“That sounds like a ‘they’ issue, not yours or mine.” Her sharp rebuttal had my eyes rolling.

“Our mother made Rhys into her sword, one she used to cut her enemies to the quick. Roslyn played him like a fiddle, promising him the world for Van Helsing’s protection. Of course, he never gave her protection, but he’d come damn close to offering it to her,” I admitted. Letting out a shuddering breath, I continued in a gentler tone. “She did a number on him.”

The dagger used to murder his mother had been in his bedroom, encased in glass. It still held blood on the blade. Blood, which I assumed belonged to Verity Van Helsing. Why else would he leave a blade to rust, while also having it out on display in his bedroom? As a reminder of what it had cost him, that’s why. He carried it like he carried his guilt.

Snorting, she rubbed her temples as if she were getting a headache from my explanation.

“They murdered innocent Silversmith children to avenge her.”

“And our mother was a sadistic bitch who got off on helping her father rape and torture their mother! If it were your mother, what would your reaction be?” Winchester’s entire face went blank before she burst out with a loud clap of laughter.

“Clap? Cheer them on? That’s not something I can answer, considering who my mother was. I doubt you or any of our siblings could give you that answer.”

“That’s . . . Okay, yeah, so that’s fair,” I snorted, slowly releasing a deep groan from my lungs. “I nearly regretted my actions toward her. Luckily, Rhys’ rejection hurt too badly to have remorse for the wicked bitch.”

“You shouldn’t regret your actions. Remington, you think this child is rare, but so is its mother. You’re not merely a Silversmith. You are your father’s daughter. He always knew how to make you smile, even after Roslyn had done her best to extinguish the beautiful spitfire. A child who, according to her, laughed too loudly, smiled too much, and refused to be tamed.”

“Do you think he’s still alive?” I asked quietly, as if voicing my hope loudly would hex the chances of it being true.

“I don’t know, honey.” The lines on her forehead strained as she looked at me. “It’s more likely he’s dead. I think if he were alive, he’d have moved heaven and earth to come back for you. Honestly, I spent as much time praying that he’d come for you as you did. Not because I didn’t want you, of course. I merely prayed he’d save you from Mother.”

“She did a number on everyone she pretended to care about.” Winnie nodded in agreement. A knot formed in my throat at losing the hope I’d clung to that I had a father somewhere out there.

“That she did.” The strained tone she spoke with exposed her own emotions running the gamut alongside mine.

“Rhys isn’t a bad person, though. The man I fell in love with was a true gentleman. He had his moments, but our relationship wasn’t black and white. Rhys and I lived outside the two. Somewhere in the gray. I was his prisoner, even though I never truly felt like one when I was with him. He ensured I was safe while under his roof.”

“He also took advantage of you, Remington.” When I parted my lips to argue, she held her finger up in the air. “You won’t convince me otherwise. He took you to his bed during Lá Bealtaine. You were the May Queen, he the Forest King. By declaring you his queen, then lighting the candle to strengthen the union, Rhys ensured it would be you who became pregnant with his child.” At my wide eye stare, she exhaled. “Damn, Remi. I forget how young you are sometimes.”

“You know, the more people say that to me? The more it begins to sound like a polite insult.” Chewing my lip as I considered what she’d stated, I had a sinking feeling fluttering through my belly.

“He was the Green Man, or as he termed it, Forest King. He planted his seeds. Rhys didn’t plant those seeds of his in the ground, though. You were the May Queen, who received the seeds to grow. Hence, you’re now growing his seeds. He bathed you in the right herbs to appease the old and new gods. He’d already begun feeding you the right food to ensure his garden would be fertile. That meant he wouldn’t have plowed it before that night. Rhys would’ve refrained, ensuring the gods noted his sacrifice in doing so. Then, he’d have played hard to get with you, seemingly just out of reach, no matter how much you wished it otherwise.” As she watched my complexion turn ashen, Winchester slowly shook her head.

“With your hope devastated, you’d have gone to bed alone. Only, you wouldn’t be there alone. At that moment, you realized he was there in your room. The gods felt that, too, promising Rhys Van Helsing a child.”

“How do you know what happened? You weren’t even there!” Her description of the night’s events, right down to me leaving the celebration alone, had shocked me. It left me flabbergasted, without an answer to how she’d known what occurred between Rhys and me. “Answer me, Winchester!”

“Because people have used that ritual since the first Beltane celebration was held. The Green Man tricked the May Queen into birthing new life into the world. Metaphorically or not, Rhys used the same steps to lure you to that bedroom. Then, he renounced any ties to you or the child he created through less-than-noble means. You’ll excuse me for not being his biggest fan, right?”

I deflated as confusion and a bevy of other emotions enveloped me. Words refused to escape my lips as the shame of being played by Rhys sank in. He’d known we would create life. It left me believing I was foolish to have blindly let him lead me through the entire celebration, clueless about his true intentions.

“Could I finish my bath . . . alone?” Emotions threatened to choke off my words. Words that caused Winchester’s face to fall in regret.

“I didn’t tell you that to hurt you, honey. Few realize it’s the dance of the Green Man. Hell, I didn’t know it either until I spent an entire year in Ireland, chasing after who would be the Green Man that year.” One eyebrow shot up higher than the other on my forehead. She continued talking. “In my defense? I was piss-face drunk. Hey, did you know how that term came to be?”

“I will throw up on you if you continue speaking. I’d like to get out of the bath before I turn into an actual living prune.”

I adored my sister, but I didn’t want her to see me in my birthday suit. Hell, half of the time, I didn’t want Rhys to see me in it, and we’d been intimate with one another.

“Unfortunately, we’re not that close, Winchester.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I stuck up my finger. “I don’t give a rat’s ass how many times you changed my diapers. Things are not the same anymore!”

“Good chat. We’ll discuss how best to manage your safety once you come down for lunch.” The hopeful note in her tone had me nodding in agreement.

I had to eat if I intended to keep myself safe. That wasn’t something I could do, no matter how much she’d diminished my appetite by telling me Rhys had intentionally knocked me up.

“Right after my nap, I’ll come downstairs.” Because that asshole had some explaining to do. I wasn’t waiting for those answers, either.