Page 27 of Temptation Unleashed (Talaenian Fae #3)
“I suspect. ’Twould be pointless to trace his energy, since he can erase any sign of his presence, bloody bastard. I’ll ask the others if they noticed a shift in the air when they left. Alas, we must be careful when we discuss certain topics. What have you found?”
Cecir shifted on his feet, evidence of discomfort. Whether ’twas realizing Thaddeus had been hiding in shadows and cloaked in magic, or if he witnessed something unsettling in the mortal realm, Grison couldn’t be certain. The Fae cleared his throat, obviously disturbed.
“The relationship between Cael and the mortal woman is as we feared. There is a high chance of a child coming from their union.”
“Thaddeus, Cecir. Not Cael. ’Twas never Cael I cared about.”
Cecir’s gaze bounced around the room before finally coming back to Grison.
Grison’s blood had chilled from the residual energy lingering around the door, but froze as he witnessed Cecir’s concern.
’Twas the first time his stomach knotted as he realized what his man had discovered would change the path he’d hoped to follow through to the end, with him conquering the throne of the Seelie realms.
“Cecir. Time between these realms runs differently. He’s had plenty of time to investigate his brother and come to a conclusion to act upon, yet he hesitates.
I fear he may refuse to complete this request. Should that be the case, we’re at risk of him turning against us.
Saving him had been our biggest risk, but the benefits of possessing control over him certainly outweighed those risks, at the time. So, what have you found?”
“Um, an unexpected complication may have arisen from sending him to handle Cael.”
Grison leaned forward in his chair, bracing a hand on his knee as his eyes narrowed. “An unexpected complication? Do embellish.”
“The woman whom Cael engages with is not Cael’s anam cara .”
Needless information at this point. “And?”
“She has a friend.”
Grison’s heart fluttered. He stared at Cecir, dread weighing heavily in his gut. He knew where this was going, and Cecir’s behavior merely confirmed his worst nightmare.
“And?”
“Cael has become overly protective of the friend.” Cecir stilled, finally meeting Grison’s gaze. The Fae rolled out his shoulders, his eyes clouded. “This friend. She’s Thaddeus’s anam cara . Thaddeus has not admitted to it, but his behavior toward the woman implicates him.”
Our worst nightmare .
Minutes passed as Grison turned this news over in his mind, working through all possibilities for how to regain control of the situation.
If he lost Thaddeus, everything was at risk.
The Fae held no loyalty to anyone other than Daeanna, but now Grison questioned that.
He’d yet to land a lethal blow to Cael, and as more time passed, Grison knew the chance of Thaddeus proving his loyalty to their movement grew slim.
He shook his head, recalling his last encounter with Thaddeus.
“If we can’t control a wild beast, he’ll need to be eliminated.
He’s too great a liability to the movement, our plans, to hold reckless power if he refuses to align with us.
A creature with no conscience nor heart is a lethal weapon that can turn on us as quickly as it can work with us toward our goals. ”
Cecir rubbed a hand over his face. “I can attempt to manipulate the retaliation spell I wove into his healing. I can try to restrict more of his power until we can bring him under our control.”
Grison shook his head. “Do not take him for a fool, Cecir. If I’m to guess, he suspects we’ve tampered with his power.
We must, under any and all circumstances, keep our hands as clean as possible.
Should we fail in our mission to obtain power over the realms, we must be certain naught can be traced back to us.
Everyone else here is disposable. You and I, together we can rebuild our movement in the future, if need be.
We mustn’t be found guilty of any association with this movement, should it come to that. ”
“Tampering with Thaddeus will not bring attention to us. He’s wanted by the Court, by Dagda himself for high treason. Should he be detained, his words will fall on deaf ears.”
Grison cut Cecir a hard look. “Do not discount who has taken a seat on Dagda’s Council.”
“Shaye?” Cecir scoffed. “What would he do?”
Grison held Cecir’s gaze for a few seconds more, then lowered his chin to his fist. “Thaddeus may hold no kinship for the half-breed, but I would not trust the half-breed to place a word in Dagda’s ear that allows Thaddeus a hairsbreadth of self-defense.
Should Liam get ahold of Thaddeus’s mind, we’re doomed.
Forget not, we are dealing with the very Fae who thrust Dagda’s own dagger through his heart. ”
“He’s ruthless.” Grison snickered at Cecir’s obvious observation, lacking any humor in the sound. Ruthless was a kindness. “What would you suggest we do to handle this matter?”
“Eliminate this newest problem. Then we’ll bring Thaddeus back. Remind him what our vision is, and in whose name.”
Cecir blinked, lifting his chin slightly. “The mortal woman?”
Grison’s lips tightened as he pierced Cecir with his hardened gaze. “Kill her.”
Thaddeus might become their biggest threat, but ’twas the Council, Liam specifically, who had the potential to drive their guilty verdict forward to their deaths.
None could close their minds to the powerful Council member.
Grison had a story prepared, playing words and situations to benefit him and Cecir.
A single look into Thaddeus’s mind—a mind that frightened even Grison—would demolish all of his careful planning.
Should Shaye hold even the slightest bit of compassion for an old friend?
Grison lowered his head and sighed.
He was beginning to regret saving Thaddeus.