Page 31 of Wicked Dove (Institute Thirteen #1)

TWENTY-FOUR

KAEL

Istep into the elevator and the doors creak closed instantly, sealing me in with my fate.

The whoosh in my ears confirms I’m moving and I take the few moments of reprieve that I have to shake off the hold Elodie had me trapped under.

I don’t know what the hell that was, or what possessed me to chase after her and blurt stupid fucking words at her, but I can’t take them back now.

Instead of focusing on her, I should be shifting my attention to the fact that Rion is on the hunt for her father.

This just keeps getting messier and messier, despite my best efforts.

Rolling my shoulders back, I tilt my head to the ceiling as I take a deep breath, refocusing my attention on what’s to come.

I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to summon me.

Usually, I’m called upon most mornings, but to let me get back into the swing of things without the constant control like this is very un-Sanctum-like of them. It weighs heavily on my chest.

The way they allowed me to walk back in was already suspicious.

There’s something more at play here. I’ve already decided on that fact, but I still haven’t managed to catch their angle.

I know why they want me alive, really. I’m a tool in their never-ending box of weapons, but Elodie doesn’t make as much sense.

Not when no scythe before her has never made it out of The Sanctum headquarters alive.

I’m intoxicated by the mere thought of her, so much so that I can almost smell her sweet scent in the air around me. It reminds me of when I was a child, running through the flower meadows without a care in the world. That’s what she smells like, sweet freedom, yet she represents everything but.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I ball them into fists, willing my cock to subside as her perpetual intrigue continues to overwhelm and taunt me.

She’s absolutely under my skin. From the moment she opened her eyes in our glass cell, I knew she was a fireball, and when I honestly thought death might be upon me, upon us, I had to know if her sweetness runs all the way to her core.

It does.

Tenfold.

I’ve never lapped at anything sweeter, and I don’t think I ever will again. Unless it’s her, which is exactly what my body wants. Except, it’s never as simple as that, definitely not in The Vale, and especially not at Institute Thirteen.

It’s more than how she’s got me mesmerized; it’s the fact that she’s had both Rion and me using our fists in her defense.

My mind goes back to earlier, stumbling over the fact that Laurie mentioned Rion wants to know about Elodie’s father.

I’m not surprised he turned to her; he always does.

Elodie, however, was startled at the mention of her father, but not shocked.

I wanted the answers there and then, but I’m not asking her.

I need to speak to Rion. I just have to make it through this first.

As if sensing my mind shifting back to my current situation, the elevator chimes, and a moment later, the doors open.

My eyes widen in surprise at first glimpse when I realize we’re not at the main headquarters. Well, we might be, but The Sanctum hasn’t summoned me to their usual chambers. Instead, a small corridor stands before me with a single door sitting slightly ajar at the end of the hallway.

I stride toward it, fixing the lapels on my jacket as The Sanctum members come into view on the other side.

My eyes land on Anya’s first, Willow’s mother.

The sneer across her lips reminds me of the look her daughter gives me when she doesn’t get her way, which is all the time when it comes to me.

As a member of The Sanctum, you would expect Willow’s mother to warn her away from me, but instead, she seems to encourage her infatuation.

She purses her lips as she assesses me, her tongue slipping across her bottom lip, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at her. She’s a damn viper.

Cordelia sits beside her, a surprising sight, since they usually occupy opposite ends of the table to spread out the feminine power.

While Anya sneers, Cordelia remains stoic, her fingers curled under her chin with her elbow fixed on the table before her as she observes me.

Her only tell is the rage in her eyes that burns freely.

Saken sits at the center of the five of them like always.

He looks tired, almost bored, but I know that’s far from the truth.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s a show, to appear weak and mellow when actually, a monster resides beneath the surface.

I’ve seen what he’s capable of, the things he’s done, and I know better than to think he’s not a threat.

Toman leans back in his seat, arms folded across his chest as he stares at me with his lips set in a firm line.

His black hair makes him look edgier than he actually is.

He always seems like the most by-the-book Sanctum member we have.

It doesn’t mean he’s any good at it. If anything, he’s the worst, but there’s always got to be some poor dog holding up the back of the race.

Finally, I turn my attention to Rikard, who immediately squirms in his seat, lacing his fingers together so tight his knuckles whiten as he tries to match my stare, but fails miserably.

He was once important to my family, my father at least, but just as many things happen in life, the shattering of their friendship remains eternal.

“Take a seat, Mr. Forrester,” Toman orders, waving at the single seat across from them. The desk they’re leaning against serves as some kind of power play, but all it actually does is hold Saken’s glass of water. How delightful.

Instead of saying anything, I oblige, keeping my mouth shut as I wait for someone to get to the point.

Saken clears his throat, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he blinks at me. “Multiple witnesses have confirmed there have been a few incidents with you settling back into The Vale,” he states, giving me a pointed look.

“What incidents are you referring to?” I ask. It’s always better to get the specifics before I admit to anything.

“A scene was caused in the dining hall on your first morning back,” Anya declares, pursing her lips as she tilts her head at me, and I scoff.

“A scene was caused in the dining hall because of your daughter, don’t pretend otherwise,” I snap back, and she scrunches her nose in distaste.

“You abused another student yesterday,” she pushes, eager to get under my skin, and I huff.

“I protected the girl you have insisted I take guardianship of,” I reply, watching the frustration sizzle in her gaze, but it’s Saken who responds.

“And now, I have professors concerned about your influence on others.”

Laurie. I should have known.

I shrug. “If we were all a little more concerned by the fact that she’s a cougar preying on vulnerable men, then we wouldn’t be discussing the matter,” I retort, and Toman sighs, wiping a hand down his face before settling his attention back on me.

“We’re getting off track,” he grumbles, running his fingers through his hair as he tries to gather himself. “We must discuss the matter that is Miss Elodie Blackwood,” he explains, and I pause.

“What about her?”

“Her testing showed her magic to be latent. Is that still the case?” Cordelia asks, and I nod without missing a beat.

“Yes,” I add for good measure, and Rikard clears his throat.

“You’re sure?”

I sneer at him, but turn my attention back to Saken before I speak.

“What do I gain from lying to you? A place here in The Sanctum? We all know I’d rather not,” I grunt, and Cordelia snickers, but the sound is even more hollow than when it leaves my lips.

“You can take back whatever gift you believe yourselves to have given me when you forced me into this deal, if that’s what you’re after. ”

“And give you what? A place with your brother? Your parents? Or far worse, a date with your ancestors?” She makes it sound like a promise, but she hits the mark, triggering the anger inside of me.

Instead of giving in to the rush of adrenaline that courses through my veins, I force myself to tamp it down.

“What is their relevance to this conversation?”

Toman taps his fingertips on the table. “It’s integral for The Sanctum to remain alert to the fact that you are the son of Yvette and Franco Forrester, and the younger brother to their prodigal son, Jude Forrester, the successor to The Obsidian Circle.”

My pulse quickens, thrumming through my veins like lightning. True, true, and true.

“Am I not my own person?” I ask, slouching in my seat slightly, but my spine stiffens when Rikard speaks next.

“Not when you’re marked as a blood member of the most feral rebellion to ever exist.”

I know he’s trying to get a rise out of me, but he won’t get one, not until it’s on my terms. “I am an Institute Thirteen student first and foremost.”

They don’t believe me, not for a second. I expect Rikard to call me out, but to my surprise, it’s Cordelia.

“For now, but when the time comes?”

I let her words linger in the air for a moment, tilting my face slowly at her. “For what?”

“For your brother to come out of hiding, for when he attempts to rescue your parents and comes for The Vale?” Saken snarls, his face reddening with the fury he can no longer contain.

“You think The Vale matters to him?” I retort with a scoff, sensing the unease rippling through them, but Rikard sees right through it, or he at least thinks he does.

“I think you matter to him.”

Ice washes over my body from head to toe as I stare him dead in the eyes. “Then you don’t know the Jude Forrester I know.”

Rikard purses his lips but doesn’t say a word. The silence grows heavier with every inhale I take and I bask in it, letting the discomfort fuel me.

“Are you a friend or a foe to The Sanctum, Kael?” Toman asks, and I shrug.

“Neither. Like I said, I’m an Institute Thirteen student. That’s where my loyalties lie.”

Saken pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose again. “If that’s the case, then we need more from you.”

“How so?”

Toman glances at Rikard on his left before casting his gaze to his right, making eye contact with every member of The Sanctum. “Miss Elodie Blackwood, we hope her magic will come to fruition.”

My heart threatens to go wild in my chest. “Why?”

“Don’t be obtuse. We hear the rumors about the rebellions,” Anya snaps, banging her fist on the table, and Toman clears his throat.

“We need something to fight back with.”

“You mean someone,” I clarify, since they clearly don’t see her as a person, just a weapon.

“Sure,” he mutters as Saken sighs.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Anya bites, and I fight the need to roll my eyes.

“What significance does she bring to the table if her magic forms?” I felt the wait of her power first hand, but I don’t understand what difference that would make to a whole entire war.

What do they want us to do? Line the enemy up one by one and place them in front of her in hopes her magic will work?

That sounds like a long ass day and a lot more messing than letting me go straight for their throat.

“That’s none of your concern,” Saken insists, folding his hands together on the table. “Any information you can gather on her will be paramount,” he clarifies, nipping my curiosity before I get too far, and I know when not to push.

I nod. “And what do I gain from this?”

“Time out of jail with your parents,” Saken offers, and I cock a brow at them.

Rikard breaks first. “How about this? You help us, and when Jude Forrester does come knocking, we’ll let you go without question.”

I snicker at their disillusioned thought process.

“If my brother wanted me at his side, that’s where I would be right now.

” Brushing my hands over my pants, I sit tall in my seat, ready to get this over with now that it’s clear they’ve revealed their hand.

“How about I keep you updated on her and you give me immunity.”

“From what?” Toman asks, and I shrug.

“You can’t really be considering his ridiculous demands,” Anya snarls, and I grin, pushing to my feet as I toy with the button on my blazer.

“I already have something to offer.” I’m nothing if not observant.

The five of them glance at each other, and I give them the moment they clearly need to see they don’t really have the upper hand anymore.

“Be specific with your request,” Cordelia orders, and roll my shoulders back as I nod.

“No consequences for my actions while I’m at Thirteen, and when the end of the year rolls around, I leave.”

“Just like that?” Rikard asks, and I hum.

“Just like that.”

“Deal,” Saken calls, reaching a hand across the table. I consider not taking it, but if I want to seal the deal, then a handshake it is.

His palm is sweaty in mine, the shake poor, but I don’t care as I release his hold and turn for the door.

“Wait, what have you observed of Miss Blackwood so far?” Toman asks, hurrying to his feet, and I pause in the doorway to glance back at them.

“She’s showing signs of immunity to supernaturals.”

“How?” Cordelia asks, her mouth slightly wide in surprise, and I shrug.

“A fiery redheaded wolf cut her face,” I state, glancing at Anya, who grins with pride until I proceed, watching her eyes widen with trepidation.

“She didn’t scream with pain, nor did she need much healing from the shadow prince himself.

” Unease fills the room. “And when feeling the pinch of a vampire’s fang, she doesn’t writhe in horror. ”

“That is interesting,” Saken murmurs, glancing at his fellow Sanctum members before returning his attention to me. “A witch? A fae?”

“We can make that my next assignment if you like,” I offer, and he nods quickly.

“Deal.”

I turn, ready for this meeting to be over, but I don’t make it two steps before Rikard calls my name, forcing me to stop once again.

I can sense his words the moment my gaze meets his. “Train her just like you were trained. Like your life depends on it.”

Without a word of confirmation, I saunter out with only one thought running through my mind: they have no fucking idea what they just asked for.