Page 32 of V for Vilified (Hunter V #4)

Motivating My Darling

Cassius

S etting aside my pride for my darling girl was one of the more difficult things I’d done over my long existence, but it was worth the smile on her face.

It was worth the relief and joy that filtered through our connection all night long.

Those filthy brutes might not deserve her, but they did make her happy.

I’d been rather uncomfortable with the notion of sharing V, and still was if I were honest with myself, especially with this hotchpotch group of barbarians, but the bond had settled some of my anxiety where the others were concerned.

She and I were bound together forever no matter how they felt about it.

But I must admit, their willingness to do whatever it took to find and protect her was all that mattered in the coming days.

V needed everyone she cared about, that she was determined to protect, in her corner to combat the bond with Aram.

Because what Jo and the others didn’t know was I sensed the strength and influence of it on her.

Sensed her weakening will and fascination with Aram.

She didn’t know the Nether Royals like the devil woman and I did.

She didn’t know what lengths Aram had gone to in order to secure his hold over the realm, who he’d destroyed, what communities he eviscerated to hold dominion over everything and everyone, and that it was likely his portal her two Hunters entered to get here.

I hadn’t been able to confirm any of my theories until Phillip and Sloan came through a portal despite Lyra’s block on realm travel, but now I was certain—the Organization was created and run by the Nether Royals.

Lyra’s capture and imprisonment wouldn’t have been accomplished any other way.

Only they had the power to do it. Aram, Rayis, and Dagon were no doubt the reason V existed at all, and I could only fathom their true agenda behind hybrid creation.

If not for what I’d learned the evening before, I’d suspect the bond another clever fabrication performed for that very same agenda, but Aram was far too crafty. He’d never weaken his position willingly.

It was one of my greatest frustrations.

Until now, the God of the Realm never left even the briefest of openings to exploit, not since the very first one.

Perhaps it was the genius of the thing in this case.

Even with an opportunity, I didn’t want to risk any danger to my love.

But I didn’t have much choice. My bird was a dangerous woman, and I couldn’t pretend otherwise.

Better that I lift her up than do anything that would drag her down.

Her Evilness and I shared a look when the brute indicated they suspected Fae intervention. As much as I despised that bastard and his aggressive methods, he wasn’t daft. He’d come to the same conclusion we had.

But now that the bond existed, simply returning V to the human realm wouldn’t do us any good. We needed to end this here before they had any ability to sway my dove to their side.

Which was the entire reason that, with no limit of self-hatred, I celebrated the two Hunters crossing into the realm.

If we were to keep V from losing herself in the bond with Aram and his powerful coercive tactics, she’d need to remember everyone who could be hurt or worse if she were to ever give in, even for a moment.

Because the she-demon wasn’t wrong, her access to Aram could be used to our advantage.

What she divulged after he forced her to freeze us along with the rest boggled the mind.

It wasn’t anything like our bond; it appeared their access to each other was on another level, and in a way that was wholly imbalanced.

As long as she wasn’t swayed by him, V could be the key to defeating him and his brothers—a tidbit of information that no one in the realm was aware of outside of a powerful few. It confirmed her access to his head.

Despite looking vastly different, the triplets were born of the same womb at the same time.

It was why their bond was so powerful and impossible to replicate.

They were the last of their kind, their origins dating back as far as the Originals.

But it was solely because of them that they were all that remained.

The Nether Royals wiped out their own Fae kind, then they went after every other powerful Fae to pose a threat, forcing many underground, particularly Hands of Death and Royal Sirens. The rest were subjugated and bent the knee to the Nether Royals reign.

Defeating them was no small feat. They’d toppled armies of powerful Fae. Their battle prowess knew no bounds. I’d be using every trick I knew, and even that might not be enough. It was the only reason I’d left Lyra alive.

I’d considered destroying her and risking the final altercation without her, but it was no longer an option I could consider with V’s bond to the most terrifying of the three.

We’d need every bit of power and cleverness on our side to ensure we entrapped them quickly and cleanly, then destroyed their prison.

It was one of few ways I could devise where V didn’t cause physical injury to Aram or those he cared about. I was rather proud of it, in truth.

It wasn’t clear how the bond would affect her when everything came to a head, but at the very least, she was still able to use some of her power on him and held at least some influence over a god.

That much had been made clear after we came out of the second encounter unscathed. She said he gave her a choice.

The Nether Royal was a great many things, but merciful wasn’t one of them. It confirmed our bond theory, and thank the bloody gods for that. It was another advantage we could exploit when the time came.

I’d spent the better part of the last few days devising a plan that didn’t mean that undeserving twat was injured , quite possibly agitating the bond in the process. It was rather fortunate I had so many powerful Fae in my debt.

But more so that I’d kept those.

My gaze shifted to the pouch near my hand containing the only thing in existence that could hold someone as powerful as a Nether Royal. The Void Gemstones. They’d contain them for minutes at most, but hopefully all we’d need to destroy them.

I never once thought I’d get an opportunity to use them.

I’d stolen these rare stones on a whim a long time ago and quicky regretted it.

It put a target on my back with the Nether Royals.

I might’ve survived my first real encounter with Aram, but it was only because I knew when to retreat.

After, I made it so we never encountered each other again, and the Dark King I became.

Each stone needed to be activated and surround their target to draw them into its prison. The power we used to trap them couldn’t be mine. The Nether Royals were too powerful to be held by my death magic with their bond. Only the five stones were strong enough.

We’d need to trap Aram first to effectively break the bond’s influence on the other two, which meant we’d have to do them one at a time. Another feat that, in practice, posed a whole host of variable obstacles. Everything needed to go according to plan, or we risked not trapping any of them.

V was paramount to our plan. She’d ensure Aram was captured. With her power, we could set the stage before he ever suspected what occurred. Perhaps entrap all of them that way. She couldn’t lose focus or fall victim to his influence over her.

It bothered me to keep anything from her, but I wouldn’t tell her the plan until it was time to act. I couldn’t risk Aram discovering it through their connection. We’d simply continue her training to hone the powers she could use on him.

I stared down at the other stone sitting on the table, toying with whether or not to bring the human back. It might serve V more to have someone to motivate her beyond supernatural monsters capable of protecting themselves. She’d need her weakest ally to protect.

I tapped the stone I used as a direct line to Big, contemplating my next move.

My dove might never forgive me if I put her friend in any kind of danger, and the mere thought of her being upset with me twisted my insides to bits.

But Lyra was in a corner as it was. It wouldn’t matter what she knew about our previous plan, nor Aram.

He’d already seen what she could do. He’d be aware of that much, but hopefully not how to combat it.

We no longer had the advantage of surprise. The only thing we had was V’s access to their bond—something he didn’t appear to be aware of—and the ability to reverse time, quite possibly fast forward it. But if she lost her motivation to help us destroy him, we’d struggle to defeat them.

“Thinking about summoning the human as extra motivation?” a voice asked, the devil herself appearing out of the shadows.

I clicked my tongue in agitation, annoyed I hadn’t sensed her before she spoke. “She needs motivation that can’t defend itself.”

Jo nodded, a dagger dancing around her fingers. “Because the bond is affecting her, and you’re worried she’ll forget herself.”

“Precisely.”

“You don’t think we’re enough?” she asked, sarcasm absent for the first time in a question she’d directed at me. “You think the human will tip the scales and keep her from falling prey to him?”

I glanced at her, sighing. “That’s precisely it.

You’re not daft, woman, loathe as I am to admit it.

You see how much she cares for the human.

A bond forged from more than magic. It’s a different kind of love and connection, but one we can’t dismiss.

The human is vulnerable and incapable of protecting herself against supernaturals. If she were to become their target—”

“Ah, but that can backfire, too. V will blame you if anything were to happen to Kate,” she rebuked. “And something tells me you’d never recover if she iced you out.”

I crossed my arms, affronted. “If you truly believe I would put her friend in any real danger, someone she cares for so deeply that she entered a portal willingly without the faintest notion of what lie on the other side, then you’re an absolute twit and you’ve completely underestimated my feelings for her. ”

Jo’s head tipped to one side, her calculating eyes studying me. “You mean to protect the human? You, the Dark King, watching over something as useless as a human?”

I huffed and tossed my hair back. “I’m no longer that monster. My darling has made me better. And yes, I’ll protect her friend because making V happy is the only way I’m happy.”

The dagger stopped, and she grasped it. “Good. I’ll do the same.

We have the Hunters now, and they’re not completely useless if they can destroy a building full of Mean Greens, Reds, and escape the Hollow Fae gang.

I’m guessing you’ve taken in account that Lyra will read all the plans we’ve made from her weak human mind. ”

“Will it matter when everything’s been blown to bits by that self-proclaimed god bastard?

Besides, she’ll know what we want her to know.

Wiping a human’s mind is easy enough, and I could even…

fabricate memories to help our plan along with that ancient hag.

Doubt she’ll suspect anything when she thinks I’ve attempted to protect her mind with the necklace she wears.

I have another plan, but it’s better we focus on keeping V out of Aram’s grasp and her powers trained. ”

“Damn, I hate to say I’m impressed, but I’ve heard enough about the Dark King not to be totally surprised you’d come up with a plan even Lyra couldn’t anticipate.

Okay, I’m in. I’ll back you up when you explain it to her.

” She didn’t bother to wait for an answer. She was gone when I glanced back over.

The Daughter of Shadows was a formidable opponent, and while I’d never admit it, I was grateful she was soft on my dove and willing to fight for her.

All things considered, it was better to have that sort of devil on our side rather than against us.

Gods knew we were already outmatched with the Nether Royals and this bond to contend with.

Her shadow ability could give us an edge if there was any lapse in V’s power.

With that in mind, the stone levitated in front of me with a flick of my hand and my voice echoed inside the study. “Big, I have a request.”

“I don’t like your requests. Is my little vampire there with you? Have her make it instead,” he griped.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. My dove was too bloody charming.