Shock. It was an emotion that Cain hadn’t felt in a truly long time. So long, in fact, he almost hadn’t recognized the feeling when it crashed into him.
There hadn’t been even a millisecond where he had considered that Wynter might be responsible for the current fuckery going on at Aeon. He hadn’t even been sure anything was truly going on there.
Cain found himself staring at her again, conceding to himself that he’d sincerely underestimated her. Oh, he’d known she was powerful. He’d known she was essentially an alpha playing at being an omega. But he wouldn’t have guessed she could wield that level of power. No one would think it to look at her.
Seth scratched his head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Wynter, but how could one little witch infect the land that way?”
“I didn’t infect it, I cursed it,” she said. “There are ways to undo a curse, of course. But the methods are very intricate. You can’t undo one by simply combating the results. The people of Aeon are no doubt trying to tackle the decay because they haven’t yet realized the root of the problem. That’s why curses are often so successful—people don’t always immediately suspect that that’s what they’re dealing with, and so they don’t take the right steps to counteract it.”
She made the whole thing sound simple. Like hexing protected land was easy enough. It wasn’t. Not at all. But then, maybe it wasn’t as difficult for those who possessed dark magick.
Cain twisted his mouth. “So once the residents of Aeon realize it’s a curse and treat it as such, they’ll be able to undo it?”
She nodded.
“And to undo that, they’ll have to end your life, right?” asked Azazel. “You wanted to cause destruction, and so only your own destruction will undo it. That’s why witches rarely cast such curses, from what I heard.”
“The cost is often considered too high, yes,” she said.
“Not that I’m judging, because I think this is all fucking brilliant,” Azazel went on, “but why retaliate to this extent? I know they essentially betrayed you on every level, but for you to be prepared to die just to get revenge …”
Her eyes dulled, but then her expression shuttered … as if she’d severed whatever connection she felt to the emotions rolling through her. “When I was a child, they exiled my mother. Or so I thought until the day they did the same to me, and I realized she was dead.”
“Why did they exile her?” asked Seth.
She linked her fingers. “I died. Then I came back. The Aeons don’t take kindly to the use of forbidden magick.”
Azazel propped his hip against the wall. “How did you die?”
She looked down, her tongue poking the inside of her cheek. “When I was ten, two teenage boys lured me into the woods where they then paralyzed me with magick so they could have a little sadistic fun. They pissed on me. Spat in my eyes. Shoved sharp little stones up my nose. Tried making me choke on dirt. Stabbed me multiple times. Burned the soles of my feet with magick. Sliced my throat but then, bored of waiting for me to die, jammed the knife into the side of my throat.”
Cain ground his teeth as anger bubbled up inside him. She’d recounted the incident so matter-of-factly, but her words were laced with the helplessness she’d felt back then. There was also a pure predatory rage there—it was subtle, but he heard it. So did his creature, which was at this very moment utterly enthralled by her.
She swallowed. “I felt everything, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream. Couldn’t cry out for help. So being paralyzed by power yet again made the ‘exile’ so much worse. Especially since the keeper intended to dismember me on behalf of the angry families of the boys who were executed after what they did to me—oh, and he meant to gouge out one of my eyes for them to have as a souvenir. To put it simply, I was in a blind fury.”
“Anyone would have been.” Cain crossed to her, unable to do anything else when she looked so very alone. “It would be safe to conclude that the Aeons believe you’re behind the blight and intend to force you to fix it. They probably didn’t suspect you at first, since it wouldn’t initially seem like a magickal attack. But when the blight kept unnaturally spreading, they no doubt concluded that it had to be you who’d caused it, and now they want you to unravel what they will believe is a spell.”
“That would explain why they went from wanting you dead to wanting you alive,” Seth said to her.
Wynter’s brow creased. “You didn’t ask the bounty hunters?”
“We did,” said Seth. “They don’t know why the Aeons want you.”
She eyed Cain closely. “It’s possible that more hunters will come for me.”
“It’s unlikely, since I insisted that it be publicly known that you’re in my service—people are highly reluctant to harm the property of an Ancient. It’s a death sentence.”
“I doubt that will stop residents of Aeon from coming for me, though—they’ll be acting on orders from the Aeons; they won’t dare ignore said orders. Hell, you may even be visited by the Aeons themselves. If you’re not prepared to go up against them to keep me safe, I can understand that, but I’ll need to leave.”
She wasn’t going anywhere. His creature would never allow it, even if Cain would. He put his face closer to hers. “I told you I wouldn’t give you up. I meant it.”
“But can you speak for the other Ancients when you say that?”
“Oh, they won’t do the Aeons any favors. We loathe them even more than you do. The Aeons know that. So I doubt they would come for you personally. At least not initially. But they may send representatives.”
Pausing, Cain took a moment to study her face. “I see you’re skeptical that we’d protect you. I can understand why. I’ll be honest, it’s not all about you or our verbal contract. The fact is … nothing would please me and the other Ancients more than for Aeon to be uninhabitable. That was once our home, and they banished us much as they did you. For as long as you’re alive, their land will continue to waste away, and their people will continue to fall ill. For those reasons alone, we will never let them harm you.”
She glanced from him to Seth to Azazel. “You all want revenge, too.”
Cain nodded. “And together, we’ll get it.”
“One question,” Azazel said to her, raising his finger. “Will the curse only effect the surface of the town?”
“I can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that the city below will also suffer.”
A grin spread across Azazel’s face. “Best news I’ve heard in a long time. The other Ancients will be just as pleased to hear it.”
The four of them talked a little while longer but then, tossing Cain a look that said they’d at some point revisit the reason she’d originally come to the Keep, Wynter left.
As the solar room door closed behind her, Azazel smiled. “I like that girl.”
“You like what she did to Aeon,” Seth corrected.
“Same thing.” Azazel shook his head. “She really has no clue just how valuable she is to us. For the first time, we have something the Aeons want. We have a way to lure them here; a way to drag them into our path so we can kill them.”
Cain nodded. “And in doing so, we’ll finally destroy our cage.”
“We need to tell the others,” said Seth.
“We do.” So Cain called them to the Keep, and soon every Ancient was sprawled around the solar. He brought them all up to speed, watching as they went from bored to enlivened.
Grinning, Dantalion said, “You know what I love most about this? The Aeons actually brought this on themselves. They exiled her. They sent hunters after her. They drove her here, serving the key to our freedom to us on a silver platter.”
“Oh, the irony.” Lilith’s mouth curved. “It almost feels like fate or some higher power had a hand in this, doesn’t it?”
“Or this is some trick,” said Ishtar, her voice clipped. “She could be working for them. Could be a spy.”
Lilith frowned. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
“She lived at Aeon for years; she was one of its people,” said Ishtar. “She could still be one of them.”
Seth shook his head. “I felt her hatred for the residents there. It all but hummed in the air. Plus, the Aeons long ago ceased attempting to plant spies here. They got tired of us always sniffing them out and sending the bodies back in pieces—they hated giving us those victories. Wynter is no spy.”
“No, she’s not,” said Cain. “She’s someone who needs to be protected at all costs—for her sake, and for ours.”
Dantalion nodded and then sliced his gaze to a sulky-looking Ishtar. “If your ego is so fragile that you cannot bring yourself to protect a woman Cain fucked, you at least need to keep your distance from her.”
Ishtar’s face flamed. “Did I say I would hurt her? No. I merely said she could be a spy. I do not trust her.”
“You don’t want to trust her,” Azazel corrected. “You want her to be a villain to justify your distaste for her. Fine. But leave her be.”
Ishtar shot Cain a petulant look. “If I were you, I would stop sleeping with her. You’ll only end up hurting her, and we do not need the ‘key to our freedom’, as Dantalion called her, turning against us.”
Cain almost rolled his eyes. “I’ll take that on board.”
He had no intention whatsoever of keeping his hands off Wynter. His creature would put up a protest if he did. It currently regarded her as something it owned—how long that would last, Cain wasn’t sure. Probably only a few days. A week at most, because the monster didn’t prize her. It had never prized any of the women it very briefly considered its own. It had only ‘claimed’ them in its way because it didn’t do well at sharing.
In that sense, it could definitely be said that the creature was as selfish as they came. But the fact was … it wasn’t built to ‘care.’ Or treasure. Or protect. It was cold-blooded. Cruel. Insidious. And it was built to kill.
“How long do you think it will be before people from Aeon come to our doorstep?” asked Seth.
“Not long,” predicted Dantalion. “The Aeons will send others in their place. They won’t come here unless they absolutely have to.”
“There is no saying that the Aeons will come at all,” said Ishtar. “They will most likely continue sending others her way.”
“Which is why it is imperative that we ensure she is protected,” Lilith pointed out. “And we will.”
A short time later, after the conversation came to an end, the Ancients began to trickle out of the solar.
Lingering, Seth said, “I take it you’re no longer planning to Rest sometime soon.”
“Definitely not,” replied Cain.
Seth rubbed at his nape. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others; I was worried Ishtar would twist my words. Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s something not quite right about Wynter. Not in a negative sense, it’s just … I can’t explain it. To be fair, though, I’ve never before met someone who has an undead soul and possesses dark magick. It could simply be that.”
It could be. But truthfully, Cain wasn’t so sure. He’d suspected from the very beginning that there was much more to Wynter than there appeared to be. That suspicion had only grown. And while he didn’t usually care to know the secrets of others, he was nothing close to indifferent where she was concerned.
He had no right to demand she part with her secrets when he was unable to part with his own. He could certainly try to figure it all out for himself, though. Yes, he could watch, observe, and study her. He’d solve the mystery of little Miss Dellavale eventually.
He’d also keep fucking her until he was no longer so greedy for everything she had to give.
Although his monster’s possessiveness would fade fast, the creature nonetheless wouldn’t object to Cain having her in his bed—it didn’t particularly care how Cain chose to entertain himself. But until the possessiveness was gone, there was no way for him to undo what he’d done on his creature’s behalf. And how the fuck could he explain that to her when he couldn’t even admit to having a monster inside him?
*
Wynter was adjusting the position of her workbench when she sensed someone enter the shed the next day. Turning, she found that there were two someones.
Well, if it isn’t the berserkers.
“What brings you here?” Seeing that they weren’t holding weapons, she added, “You’re clearly not potential customers.”
Grouch folded his arms. “We’re here to make you a proposition.”
“A proposition?” she echoed.
“We were wary of hiring you when you first came to us,” Annette told her. “Trusting strangers ain’t our thing. Now that you’ve been in the city a few days, we’ve been able to see that you’re no asshole. You’re also good at what you do. We can agree to give you a chance.”
Wynter looked from one berserker to the other. “A chance to what?”
“Work for us,” said Grouch. “On a trial basis at first. We’re talking minimum wage, but I’d say that’s more than what you’re earning per day right now.”
Then he really had no idea how much custom she got. She might have been touched by the offer … if he and his daughter weren’t acting as if they were doing Wynter some grand, charitable favor for which she should get down on her knees and give thanks. They were very clearly expecting her to pounce on their offer and snap up this amazing opportunity.
She gave them a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’m good as I am.”
Grouch stared at her for a long moment. Then he puffed up his chest, his brows snapping together. “You’re not serious.”
“Uh, I really am.”
Annette perched her hands on her hips. “We’re the best blacksmiths in this town.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Wynter. “You must be super proud.”
“People come to us all the time looking for work,” Annette added.
“I’d imagine they do,” said Wynter. “Everyone wants to work with the best.”
“Except you? What, you’re bitter that we didn’t hire you before?”
“Bitter? Not at all. I was disappointed initially, but I’m now glad you turned me down. If you hadn’t, I might not have started this shop with my crew. It’s doing pretty well.”
Grouch glowered. “You’re cutting into our profits.”
Wynter shrugged. “That’s just business. You cut into the profits of the other blacksmiths, but I’m guessing you’re fine with it.”
His nostrils flaring, he snapped his mouth shut.
“Look, I understand your issue,” said Wynter. “People aren’t so bothered about going to the best blacksmith or purchasing the best weapons, when they can buy something cheap and have it enchanted to improve it. They also don’t need to buy a new weapon in order to have a different enchantment—I can change runes at any time. All this affects your business, I know.
“But I warned you that you’d lose custom. You didn’t listen to me. You laughed at me, insulted me, pointed a sword at me. And then you lied that I was going to hex your shop so that I’d get in trouble with Cain. All that considered, did you really think I’d jump at your offer? Really?”
“So you are bitter,” said Annette.
Wynter shook her head. “It’s not bitterness. I simply have no reason to like you. I don’t want to work for you. I don’t want to work for anyone. Like I said, I’m good as I am. But thanks anyway. I appreciate the offer.” Not really, but whatever.
Annette’s face hardened. “You’ll regret this.”
Wynter pursed her lips. “I don’t see how.”
“People think you’re all badass right now,” said Annette. “They’re forgetting what else dark magick can do. I’ll be happy to remind them.”
“Well, I wouldn’t dream of getting in the way of your happiness, so …”
Annette’s mouth tightened. “There’s something else you’re not considering. We’re not the only business owners who aren’t too fond of your little shop. Together, the group of us can cause you some serious aggravation.”
“That would be a very big mistake,” said a new voice.
Everyone momentarily froze, and then the rapidly paling berserkers spun to face the newcomer.
Annette took a step backwards and nervously wiped her hands on her thighs. “Cain, we … I mean, I—”
“No excuses, no lies.” He took a slow, aggressive step toward the berserkers. “Now listen to me very carefully. Every person in this shed wears my mark. That alone should be enough reason for you to watch out for each other. I see that it isn’t. So let me be very clear—if you make any trouble for Wynter, her coven, or her shop, you will pay for that in blood. Nobody fucks with what’s mine and escapes punishment. Is that understood?”
“Yes,” Grouch immediately blurted out while his daughter nodded.
“Good.” Cain carelessly waved a hand. “Now get out of my sight.”
The berserkers gave him a wide berth as they scurried around him and out of the shed.
Cain closed the door, his gaze fixed on Wynter. All the intensity in those unfathomable eyes hit her in her core.
“Pay for that in blood?” she repeated. “You don’t think that’s a little excessive? I mean, it’s not like they threatened to kill me or anything.”
“No, but they would have played games with you.” He stalked toward her. “The only person who gets to mess with your head is me.”
She felt her brow furrow. “I don’t even know what to do with that comment.” She didn’t know what to do with him in general. “You’re like no one I’ve ever met before.”
He trailed his fingertip from the hollow beneath her ear all the way down her throat. “I could say the same to you. I’m not easy to intrigue. I’m even harder to shock. You managed to do both.”
“Hmm, well, I appreciate you coming all the way here to take away that barrier thing.”
“You think that’s why I’m here?” he asked, his mouth kicking up in amusement. Amusement.
She felt her lips flatten. “It should be why you’re here. I want whatever you put inside me gone.”
“I’m only guarding what’s mine. Is that so bad?”
“Since when am I yours?” And since when did her body get all tingly over the M word?
“Since I decided.” He bit her lip before she could bark out a retort of any kind. “The barrier, as you call it, will fade on its own within a few days. Now, the reason I came here was to tell you not to make any plans for after tonight’s celebration. You’ll be coming home with me.”
Bold bastard. “Oh, I will?”
“You will. Because you want to.”
“So very sure of that, aren’t you?”
“We can pretend I’m wrong, if you’d like. But you don’t strike me as a game player, or as a person who has an issue with reaching out to take what they want.”
Ordinarily, no, she didn’t have such an issue. Nor did she play games. Life was too short for that shit—something she’d learned early. But this was … oh, who the hell was she kidding? Certainly not herself. The truth was that she had no intention of resisting him, whether it would be wise or not.
He stroked a hand down her hair. “I want to fuck you in my bed. I want you to break for me again.” He dipped his head and stared deep into her eyes. “You want the same thing. And so you’ll come home with me later, won’t you?”
Sniffing, she lifted an imperious brow. “I’ll expect more than one orgasm.”
One of his sexy-as-shit smiles surfaced. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
