Bite the Bullet (Bitten Book 5) Page 16

  “So we don’t need Rhys’ help at all?” I couldn’t believe it. He had been sincere every time we spoke. I hadn’t sensed that he was lying to me.

  “No. I don’t understand why my truth amulet didn’t pick it up. Surely he knew about the ritual his maker had created.”

  Typically, I was the skeptic, but I couldn’t believe that my instincts could have been so wrong. “Could it just be that he didn’t know about the spell?”

  Kerry paused. “Maybe, but I doubt it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because in the history of Gaius, also in the book, his creations revolted and consumed him. Or at least one of them. He would have tried to perform the ritual in order to protect himself.”

  “Have you told Finn yet?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to see what your take was, because my first thought was the same as yours. I thought maybe he didn’t know.” She paused. “But what if he does? What if he’s a part of Cornelius’ convoluted plot?”

  “Talk to Finn. I’ll talk to Asher and Conner. We’ll figure out what we should do.”

  “I should have known. The truth amulet I made should have picked it up.”

  “Kerry, I could say the same. I’m like a living lie detector and I never thought for a moment that he was lying to us. Don’t blame yourself.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Finn and call you back.”

  After we hung up, I sat at the desk for a few minutes, staring blankly at the papers in front of me. I didn’t understand why I saw Rhys standing with us in my visions if he intended to betray us all along.

  When I realized I was brooding instead of doing what I needed to do, I took a deep breath and went in search of Asher. He and Conner were supposed to be on a conference call with an ally in the northwest.

  I’d locked myself in the library for the afternoon, going over my ideas to strengthen Conner’s security for the fourth time. Okay, so maybe it was really the sixth. I may have been confident in our victory, but I wasn’t going to take a damn thing for granted.

  The safety of the people I loved was the most important thing. Even after Cornelius was long gone, other enemies might want to hurt Conner and Donna. These plans would make my friend safer in the long run.

  I walked downstairs to the study. I paused in front of the door, but didn’t hear anyone speaking, so I knocked.

  “Come in.”

  At Conner’s invitation, I opened the door and stepped inside. “I just got a call from Kerry. We need to talk.”

  I told them everything that Kerry and I had talked about and also about the visions. The longer I spoke, the more neutral their expressions became. Their emotions were anything but bland though. I could feel their anger and betrayal beating at my skin from several feet away.

  Conner picked up the phone on his desk and hit a button, lifting the receiver to his ear. “Send a group to the house where we met Rhys. If it’s empty, search it, then bring anything you find to me.” There was a pause and I could hear the person on the other end asking what to do if the house wasn’t empty. “If Rhys is there, bring him to me by any means necessary.”

  He slammed the handset down and I heard the plastic crack. When he looked back up at me, his eyes were frightening. Donna always said they were electric and now I saw why. Sparks of neon blue fire seemed to snap in their depths. I wouldn’t have been surprised if his gaze burned my skin.

  “I don’t care what you see in your visions. Rhys hid this information. Now I have questions that he needs to answer.”

  “He may not have known—”

  “Shannon, no,” Asher snapped.

  My eyes went to him and I knew they were wide. I imagined I looked surprised. And I was. He’d never spoken to me like that before.

  I was also pissed.

  “I’m not a fucking dog, Asher. Don’t you dare speak to me as if I am.” I looked at them both, my eyes going back and forth between them as I forced myself to stay calm. They were angry. No matter what I said or did, it wouldn’t penetrate right now. I’d have to wait until they weren’t so enraged. “You know what, neither of you is in the mood to listen anyway. We’ll talk later.”

  “No, we won’t,” Asher stated. “Conner and I will take care of this. You’re my mate, not a Council member. You don’t have a say in the final decisions.”

  Of all the times for my mate’s misogynistic side to come out, this was the worst.

  “So why in the hell am I combing over security plans upstairs? Do I have no say in this plan we’re building? Or are you just keeping me busy to keep me out of your manly hair?”

  My sarcasm pierced his anger and his eyes flared. “Your input has been helpful,” he answered, his words slow and biting.

  I glanced up at Conner to see that he no longer looked enraged. I could still feel his anger, but he had calmed down considerably. In fact, he almost looked amused.

  Seeing that he wasn’t going to interfere, I crossed my arms over my chest and returned my attention to Asher. “From what I’ve seen of the plan, you’ve used every single suggestion I’ve made. I think that makes me an integral part of this operation, which means I have a fucking say.” I leaned forward slightly. “Don’t you agree?”

  I could see my point was being made because Asher’s jaw went tight. His frustration was so thick it was almost tangible.

  “This isn’t the time or place for this discussion,” he replied levelly.

  “I’m sure it isn’t. Especially since you’re losing the argument,” I shot back. “Now, if you need me, I’ll be upstairs, painting my toenails. Clearly, that’s all you think I’m good for.”

  I marched out of the office and across the foyer. Donna peeked out at me from the mouth of the hallway. I moved straight toward her.

  “I need tequila and a bat.”

  “A bat? Are you sure?”

  “You’re right. I’ll need something sturdier to knock some sense into his sexist pig-headed skull,” I agreed.

  “How about we start with the tequila and you can fill me in on what’s happening?” she suggested, putting an arm around my shoulder.

  “Sounds good. Maybe you can help me beat some sense into them.”

  As we walked down the hall toward the living room, Donna asked, “Manly hair?”

  I shrugged. “It sounded good at the time.”

  Donna grinned at me. “It always does.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Shannon, I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Conner and Asher on this one. I don’t think Rhys can be trusted.”

  I sighed at Donna’s words and tossed back my tequila shot. “That’s fine. You don’t have to agree with me. I know it’s hard to believe since you haven’t seen what I’ve seen.”

  “Then why were you so mad at them?”

  “Because they completely discounted my thoughts without even listening to them. All because I’m just Asher’s mate,” I lifted my hands and mimed air quotes as I said it.

  Donna scowled. “No, they didn’t.”

  “Oh yes, they did. That’s why I was so mad. Since when does having a vagina make my knowledge and experience invalid? You at least listened to what I had to say before you chimed in. Asher tried to shut me down without even hearing me out. You know that shit doesn’t fly with me.”

  “It doesn’t fly with me either,” she mumbled, pouring herself her own shot. When nothing came out, she lifted the bottle. “Well, damn, it’s empty.”

  I was surprised I only felt pleasantly buzzed rather than smashed. If I’d drunk this much tequila as a human, I would have been puking by now.

  “I think I like this aspect of being a vampire,” I said, stretching out on the couch. “We just killed a bottle of tequila and I feel nice and relaxed rather than one step away from alcohol poisoning.”

  Donna laughed. “Yeah, it is pretty cool. We could win some money betting frat boys we could drink them under the table.”

  I giggled as well. “That might be fun.”

  I saw a movement at
the doorway and twisted my head around. Asher stood just inside the entrance. I took in his appearance—charcoal slacks and light grey shirt. The material must have been expensive because there was a sheen to the fabric that off the rack shirts didn’t have.

  He looked proud, wealthy, and sophisticated. There was no indication that a beast lurked beneath the surface, one that could rip your head off if you made him angry.

  He also didn’t look as though he belonged with someone like me. The closest I came to being sophisticated was a little black dress I’d bought on clearance at Nordstrom Rack.

  “Can I talk to you privately?” he asked quietly.

  I nodded and rose to my feet. “Thanks for listening, Donna.”

  “No problem. Come find me later if you still need to talk.”

  I smiled at her and followed Asher out of the room. He was silent as he led me upstairs to the room we shared. Once we were inside and he shut the door, I moved away from him. My anger wasn’t as hot now, but I was still frustrated with his refusal to listen to me earlier and I needed some space between us.

  Asher noticed it and his jaw flexed.

  “I’m sorry that I spoke to you as I did.”

  As far as apologies went, it wasn’t the best I’d ever heard, but it was a start.

  I nodded. “Apology accepted.”

  He shoved his hands in his pocket and waited. When I didn’t move closer, he sighed. “You are an important part of what we’re doing here, Shannon. Your input is invaluable. I was wrong to say otherwise.”

  That was a lot better.

  “Thank you.” I took a deep breath and dove right in to the deep end of the conversation. “Asher, I don’t expect you to agree with everything I say or do, but I would at least like to know that you’ll listen. I can’t promise that I’ll always be rational when you don’t agree, but I do know I won’t be as angry as I was this afternoon. I may be female and I may be your mate, but I was Shannon first. I’m not the kind of woman who stands back and lets the menfolk handle the hard shit. I’m also very, very good at what I do. Becoming a vampire and your mate didn’t magically change my personality.”

  Asher nodded, but didn’t speak.

  “I don’t like fighting with you,” I murmured.

  He took a step forward and I did the same. That was all the invitation he needed. He came across the room and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into the embrace and hugged him back.

  “Your independence is what makes you who you are,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s also the thing that drives me the craziest about you.”

  I grinned. “I think that’s the way a marriage is supposed to work. All the things you admire about a person usually end up irritating you to no end at some point.”

  “I’m ready to listen now if you want to talk.”

  I leaned back and looked up at his face. “Actually, I think the reason you’re all having problems listening to what I have to say is because you haven’t seen what I have.”

  Asher’s brow furrowed as he gazed down at me. “What do you mean?”

  “I think that you need to see my visions in order to understand what I do.”

  “Not all of us can have visions, Shannon,” he said teasingly.

  “But I think I can share mine with you,” I responded. “We have a connection and I think I can use that to show you what I’ve seen. Or at least my memories of the visions.”

  “That sounds…interesting,” he answered.

  I grinned at him. “Let’s sit down and try, because I think it might change your mind about Rhys.”

  Asher looked skeptical.

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Just keep an open mind, okay?”

  “I can do that,” he answered.

  We moved to the sofa and had a seat. I took Asher’s hands in mine.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He closed his eyes.

  I did the same and took a deep breath. I tried to relax and lower my mental shields, reaching for the connection between the two of us.

  It snapped into place easily, and I realized that it was always there, just muted by the walls Asher and I kept erected to keep others from reading our thoughts. I wondered if we could somehow maintain our connection this vividly but still keep our shields up.

  I took another deep breath and pushed the thought out of my mind. It was an issue for another time.

  I focused and pictured the living room of my apartment as clearly as I could.

  Can you see that?

  If he couldn’t see what I was picturing, this might not work.

  Is that your apartment?

  I grinned.

  Yes. Now, I’m going to call up the visions I had after you turned me. It’ll be difficult to focus at first because they’re bits and pieces of time. I’m going to try to focus on Rhys. Okay?

  Okay.

  I inhaled, deep and slow, then exhaled, bringing Rhys’ face into the forefront of my mind. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

  The vision slammed into me like a truck, tossing me into the center of the moment. I wasn’t just viewing the events. I was experiencing them.

  I looked around me and realized that Kerry stood shoulder to shoulder with me, our friends behind us.

  When I faced forward, I saw Rhys. Not just one Rhys, but two. I blinked rapidly and felt fear fill me. They were locked in combat, not physically, but with magic. I could see it swirling in the air around them.

  “Back up,” Kerry whispered. “One stray incantation and we could be killed.”

  As a group, we backed away from the battling brothers.

  “I should have killed you centuries ago,” one Rhys snarled.

  “I’ve often thought the same thing about you, brother,” the second Rhys replied.

  “As if you had the strength.”

  “Can you tell which is which?” Kerry asked me softly. “Because I can’t.”

  I focused on the brothers, trying not to let my concentration falter when Rhys One knocked down Rhys Two. I could sense Cornelius’ evil. From this distance, it was so thick that I almost couldn’t breathe.

  “Not yet,” I replied.

  “Time to die, little brother,” Rhys One sneered. “You were always the weak one.”

  I reached out with my mind, trying to get a taste of his thoughts. I was almost certain that he was Cornelius, but I wanted to be absolutely sure.

  Suddenly, his eyes snapped to mine. They were pitch black, but unlike Rhys’, they were filled with hatred and evil.

  “It’s him,” I gasped, my throat closing up as I tried to utter the words.

  “Shannon!” Kerry cried.

  I pointed at Cornelius. “Him,” I choked. “Kill him!”

  Kerry didn’t hesitate. She yanked the leather strap around her neck and pulled a pouch out of her shirt. After she dumped the powder into her hand, she lunged forward and blew it in Cornelius’ face.

  It broke his hold on me and I collapsed as air filled my lungs, my throat burning.

  I couldn’t understand what Kerry was saying, but I knew it was Latin. She spoke in measure, rhythmic tones. With each verse of the spell, her voice grew in volume. Then I heard another voice join hers as she repeated the spell and looked up to see the real Rhys standing before his brother, power swirling around him.

  As Kerry reached the end of the spell, I could feel the air around us changing, almost as though it was tightening.

  “As I will it, so shall it be!” Kerry cried, lifting her hands above her head.

  Cornelius’ eyes widened as the power of the spell hit him. Rhys stepped forward and laid a hand over his brother’s heart.

  “No, Rhys!” Kerry screamed.

  I could hear him whispering faintly above the strange wind that tore through the room.

  Then the vision was gone.

  My heart stuttered in my chest as I lifted my eyelids to find Asher staring at me, his face pale and eyes burning.

  “What in the hell was that?” he aske
d.

  “A vision,” I answered breathlessly. “But it wasn’t like any other vision I’ve had before.”

  “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” he muttered.

  “Most of my visions are like watching a play. You’re there in the room as a spectator, but you aren’t involved. There’s a separation between the events in the vision and me. But that…” I trailed off.

  “What?”

  “I was in it. I felt fear, triumph, and the snap of power against my skin. Did you?”

  He nodded.

  “Do you see now why I trust Rhys?” I asked.

  “Yes and no,” Asher replied. “He was helping you, but what happened there at the end? We can’t know.”

  “I know,” I stated. “I’ve seen us all, years from now. We all survive, have families, have a future. I wouldn’t lie about it, Asher.”

  He was silent for a long moment. “I know you wouldn’t.” Then he shook his head. “I don’t envy you your abilities, Shannon. That was—” He blew out a breath. “That was intense and frightening.”

  “So what now?” I asked.

  Asher got to his feet. “I’ll go talk to Conner. Tell him what you showed me.” He hesitated. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you should rest. You’re very pale.” When I opened my mouth to argue, he continued. “I promise we won’t make any decisions without you. Lie down for a half hour and I’ll bring you a cup of tea. Please.”

  It was the please that did it. That and the fact that he wasn’t telling me to do it, but suggesting it.

  “Okay, but only for thirty minutes.”

  I got up and walked over to the bed, surprised at the weakness in my legs. I hadn’t felt like this since going so many days without feeding. Maybe a short nap would help after all. If I still felt this way when I woke up, I’d tell Asher I needed some blood.