The party is still raging outside. But inside our cabin, the atmosphere is far from jovial. Grayson is standing with his hands in his pockets as Gabriel stands firmly by my side with his arm holding my waist. Hendrix and Billy linger by the door but we’re both just focusing on Grayson.
‘One call. That’s all it would take for me to end Amara’s life.’
‘You think I didn’t know what you were planning?’ Gabriel retorts. ‘I’ve had people coming up to me all evening asking about you two. They were clearly under the impression you two were romantically involved. I went to your cabin and imagine my surprise when I saw the box you kept the ring mother made you open and empty on your table.’
I look at Grayson and Gabriel both in turn.
Gabriel looks down at me. ‘He was going to publicly ask you to marry him tonight.’
The sharp burst of laughter I produce isn’t shared with a single other person. They both look ready to kill each other.
‘Hold on.’ My head is turning side to side as it sinks in. I settle on Grayson. ‘You can’t be serious? Were you going to ask me to marry you?’
He doesn’t say a word. But the expression he wears tells me he was.
‘You were going to force me to marry you?’ Now, I’m not laughing. I grip onto Gabriel tighter and fill with gratitude at his performance earlier. ‘How dare you.’
‘So you got engaged to prove a point?’ Grayson asks Gabriel, ignoring me.
‘I saw your ring while you were showing her off. We got engaged this morning. Because we love each other. Unlike you, who was going to propose to claim her as property.’
‘Careful, little brother. You forget what’s at stake.’
‘And so do you. If I go out there and tell them all what you did to her, that you branded the Arcane, you’ll have a goddamn mob out for your blood.’
‘And if I think for even a second that you would dare go out there and tell them that, I will have Amara’s head cut off. And your future wife will watch as I carve you up and serve bits of you up to her on a plate,’ he spits with venom. ‘Do you hear me?’
I grip onto him tighter, hoping that he won’t say another word. They continue to glare in silence.
‘I have a deal to put forward. A truce, of sorts,’ Gabriel says. I watch him and try my best to look like I know what the hell is going on.
‘Go on then. What’s you “Deal”?’
‘Once the spell is done, we agree that we will stay involved in your coven for as long as it takes to secure our peoples safety and freedom. Willingly. With conditions.’
‘I will not hand over her Bloodstone. No way.’
‘Our conditions are that we want Amara and Collins back. Safe and unharmed. Immediately. She wants her best friend back and I want Collins here to teach Lilly how to heal others and herself properly. You know as well as I do that having her skilled at healing is advantageous. We also want to do the first stone as soon as possible. Lilly doesn’t want to wait for more bodies to pile up. And thirdly, Lilly will get her Bloodstone back-’
‘No.’ Grayson shakes his head. ‘No deal. No way.’
‘What will persuade you to hand over her Bloodstone?’
Grayson looks between us, grinding his teeth. ‘A child,’ he responds. ‘I want her to give me a child. Then, and only then, will I give her back her Bloodstone.’
We’re back to that. I inwardly groan because I know that that’s never going to-
‘Fine.’ Gabriel’s agreement is a punch to the gut. ‘One child. After the spell is done and we are safe from Hunters.’ Gabriel looks straight at me. My mouth is open and a betrayed frown has etched over my face.
‘You can’t be serious.’
‘I am. If it means your freedom and safety, I am absolutely, serious.’ He draws out the word absolutely. It’s our code-word. When something isn’t as it seems. When there is danger and lies surrounding us.
‘Lilly?’ Grayson asks. ‘Do you agree to those terms?’
I’m at a loss for words. Gabriel raises his eye brows expectantly.
‘Y-yes,’ I stutter. ‘I agree.’
‘Great. Do we have a deal?’ Gabriel holds out his hand and waits. ‘Let’s put this pettiness aside. You do not need to threaten us. We want to stay and Lilly wants to save those people out there. Nothing negative can come from having our friends back. This way, everyone is happy. Agree to it, Grayson, and put your energies into saving thousands of lives instead of ruining ours because your pride has been hurt. What do you say?’
Gabriel keeps his hand outstretched.
Grayson slides his hand into Gabriel’s and they shake. I hadn’t realised I was holding my breath until the moment I let it out.
‘But know this, if you betray me… I will end you all.’ Grayson warns. ‘You still do as I say, when I say it. The only thing that’s changed, up until that Veil is down, is that you two are public and you will have your friends back. One foot out of line, you will regret bringing them home.’
‘Understood.’
They shake hands. A little violently.
‘Congratulations on the engagement,’ he says hatefully, gripping his hand so tight, Gabriel’s knuckles go white.
‘Thanks,’ he replies coolly, prizing his hand back.
‘It will never last. She can’t love anyone. Not really. Not after Toby. And you, you couldn’t be faithful if your life depended on it.’ He laughs at us and turns to leave. ‘I look forward to watching you both crash and burn in your pathetic excuse of a relationship, and then watching as Lilly falls in love with me instead.’
‘And I look forward to marrying Gabriel and living every single day not giving a shit about proving a single thing to you,’ I tell him. He stops and turns. Why can’t I keep my fucking mouth shut? His eyes threaten me just enough that he doesn’t need to say a word. And then, he sends a stream of lightning straight to Gabriel. I run to stand between them, but with a wave of his hand, I’m sent to the other side of the cabin and land in a heap on the floor. He continues his torture as I scramble to my feet. He tosses me back again with a wave of his hand.
‘I KEEP TELLING YOU. BEHAVE, OR THE ONES YOU LOVE WILL PAY THE PRICE,’ he roars angrily. He releases Gabriel from his torture and straightens his cuffs while breathing heavily. He’s so angry. He’s almost shaking with rage. We’ve backed him into a corner. ‘You’re like a stubborn bitch that refuses to come to heel.’
‘I may be an untrainable bitch, but you’re a rabid dog with serious anger issues.’
He charges forwards and raises his fist. No one is more surprised than me when Hendrix grabs his wrist and throws him aside before casually standing in front of me as a blockade.
‘What in the hell do you think you are doing, Hendrix?’
‘Sorry, Boss.’ He shrugs. ‘I’m done watching you beat the kid. And besides, you ordered me to keep her alive and in one piece. You, caving her skull in, would mean me failing in my duties, and you don’t take failure.’
I swiftly run to Gabriel and help him to sit as Hendrix stands between us looking so calm, I wonder if he’s completely insane.
‘Move aside, Hendrix.’
‘No-can-do, Boss. I got my orders.’
‘They were my orders. And now I order you to move aside.’
Hendrix shakes his head and folds his arms across his chest. ‘We need her, and the people out there love her. And she’s done trying to run. She’s promised us all that she will stay and see this through. You gotta let her do that now. I’m doing you a favour. Leave her be, and if in the morning you still want to dish out some wrath? I’ll step aside.’
‘I have to say I agree,’ Billy adds from the door. ‘Please, sir. You don’t want to upset the Nomads. The engagement has made them very happy. And Miss Hooper really has been through enough.’
After some long and very cold stares from the livid Coven Leader, he leaves.
‘Thank you,’ I tell both Hendrix and Billy before they leave.
‘Don’t mention it, Little Witch,’ Hendrix tells me.
Billy looks up at Hendrix as they both leave. ‘Is it me? Or does Grayson seem to be getting a little… err…’
‘I think the word you’re looking for is unhinged. And yeah… I think that about sums it up,’ Hendrix says.
‘Should we be worried?’
‘Probably,’ Hendrix laughs. ‘But ain’t shit we can really do about it, is there? Except protect her.’ He looks at me one final time. ‘I got your back.’ He glances at Gabriel. ‘Both of ya.’
The door shuts behind them and I quickly turn all my attention to a very winded Gabriel.
‘You and that bloody mouth,’ he laughs painfully, resting his palm on my cheek and trying to hide how much pain he’s in. ‘Are you alright?’
‘I’m fine. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I should have known better.’ I lean forwards so my forehead rests on his. My fingers glide through his dark, tousled hair as I let out a long and heavy sigh. ‘What’s going on? What are you planning?’
‘I asked you to trust me. The more you know, the more danger it will put you in. Please, trust me.’ His smile grows. ‘They’re coming home. Amara and Collins are coming back to us.’
‘Is that wise? It will put them in danger. Grayson will just use them as a weapon against us.’
‘He already is. Trust me, we need them here with us. Did you see? Hendrix and Billy are starting to doubt him.’
‘I saw.’ But that does little to settle my nerves.
‘You will never have his baby, Lilly. I absofuckinglutely promise you that. I just had to say it, to make him agree to bringing them home and doing the spell.’
‘I know. I know.’
‘You look so good in that dress,’ he says, his fingers playing with the hem. ‘I knew it would look good on you when I brought it.’
‘Don’t you change the subject.’
‘Don’t be mad,’ he whispers longingly, his lips going to my neck. ‘I did what I had to do. You’ll understand soon. You do trust me, don’t you?’ His fingertips move from the hem of my skirt, to my inner thigh. All the while, his lips kiss and caress my neck. I cover in goose bumps and feel him smile at my bodies reaction. ‘Do you trust me?’
‘Of course I do,’ I breathe.
His hand glides upwards. His other hand slides behind my ear and gets lost in my hair. I find his mouth with mine and he pushes me down onto the floor.
