Allegiance (Causal Enchantment #3)(10)
Author: K.A. Tucker

Fine, he grumbled, taking the hint and reluctantly following her. They disappeared from the room, Sofie throwing a quick warning glare to Caden on her way out.

I stopped less than a foot from Caden and my breath hitched, feeling his proximity through my entire body.

Gently, he reached up toward my face. He wrapped a finger around a thick lock of my hair and pushed it back off my face. “How’d you sleep?”

“All right. How’s Bishop?”

Caden looked over to a spot behind me. I turned to find our broken friend in a corner, in exactly the same position that he’d been in last night. Same expressionless stare. Same lost Bishop. I felt my shoulders sag under the weight of his despair. Caden gave my arm a light squeeze before letting go. When I turned back, he was staring out the window again, his back to me.

“What else is going on?” I finally asked.

Caden turned back. “Not too much,” he sighed, adding with a chuckle. “Sofie’s gone a little overboard with the whole festive thing.”

I giggled. “I know … where is everyone else? Where is Amelie?”

His voice turned sober. “I haven’t seen Amelie. She’s been … busy all night.” I caught a hint of something in his expression—I don’t know what it was. Displeasure? Worry? It made no sense. He should be happy that Amelie had found someone new. He should be happy that she wasn’t alone anymore. He couldn’t be unhappy that it was Julian. He had no idea who Julian was … I cast my focus downward as my stomach constricted over the secret I was keeping from Caden, from them all. Could Amelie have discovered Julian’s secret by now? Had he listened to me and kept himself covered? Yes, yes. He must have. I would’ve heard Amelie’s screams, otherwise …

I looked up to see Caden’s brow knitted as he stared at me. He opened his mouth, hesitated, but then asked quietly, “I can’t help but feel like there’s something you’re not telling me … about Julian.”

“What? No!” The lie flew out of my mouth without any thought. I clenched my teeth together before I could say more, dropping my gaze to the floor again. Kittens and clowns … Kittens and clowns. The calming mantra began. Wait a minute … they can’t read me anymore. Caden knew that I was guilty and stressed over something, but he didn’t know what, thanks to the Tribe’s magic. I needed to relax!

Taking a deep breath, I looked up again and met his eyes dead on. Somehow, using every ounce of skill I had, I pushed a dazzling smile into my face and held it there, frozen stiff.

After a moment, his lips pressed together and he nodded. He hands slid to my shoulders and he spun me around to face the tree. He pulled me against him, his chest pressed to my back. Warmth spread through me from his affectionate gesture, the comfort of being in those strong, broad arms indescribable. Everything would be all right, as long as I could have those arms around me … forever.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” he murmured, his chin resting on top of my head.

“Yeah,” I answered breathlessly. “I never thought this day would come.”

“What, Christmas?”

“Well, that too, given my penchant for being attacked. But no. This … you and me, here. Safe.”

I felt his fingers dig into my shoulders. “I don’t know if safe is the right word, Evangeline.”

“You know what I mean. Remember how worried you were that you’d kill me the second you stepped foot on Earth?”

His tone turned deadly serious. “I almost did, Evangeline. If it hadn’t been for Max and Sofie, we wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But after that. Now. Everything’s okay now.”

He said nothing, leaning in to nuzzle his nose against my earlobe, sending spastic shivers through me. I half turned into him, brushing my mouth against his jawline. I felt a rumble in his chest as he groaned. Deft fingers under my chin tilted my head back and his mouth closed over mine. Normally he was so gentle. Now though, his lips forced mine apart, kissing me deeply, buckling my knees.

Just as suddenly, he broke away, directing my body back toward the tree, leaving me panting and lightheaded. “Bishop,” he whispered.

“Of course,” I whispered hoarsely. Here I was, ready to maul Caden in front of my broken, battered friend. Sighing, I reached up to pull Caden’s arms tighter around me, digging my fingertips into his solid forearms. We stood like that, in silence, our bodies close, until Sofie came back humming “Jingle Bells,” holding a glass of pale yellow opaque liquid. Mage followed closely behind with a set of sparkly pink and gold ornaments dangling from her fingertips. I don’t know how they could be so festive with the weight of the situation sitting on their shoulders. I noticed that my wayward werebeast was nowhere in sight. Probably hunting.

Mage gave a tiny gasp of delight when she saw the tree, her onyx eyes sparkling. “I’ve decorated hundreds of trees and none were as lovely as this one,” she said, offering me a pleasant smile.

Sofie bowed dramatically and stood, a grin of pride lighting up her mesmerizing face. “Well then, after you, my friend!”

Mage nodded her appreciation as she leapt onto the ladder, nimbly scaling the rungs to the top to hang an ornament.

“Here,” Sofie smiled, offering me a tall glass. “Eggnog. Freshly made. You need the fat. You’ve gotten too thin.”

I let go of Caden’s arms to take the glass, a silent thanks on my lips. Caden took that as his chance to help Mage with the other ornaments. I watched the two of them hang bulbs off the branches while I sipped the creamy concoction, relishing how much it reminded me of Christmas with my mother. By the time they finished, every branch held at least one bulb. Breathtaking.

“Ready?” Sofie called out, stooping to plug the light into the socket. The tree lit up, a thousand tiny lights reflecting off the ornaments for a dazzling display, even in daylight.

Mage clapped and put her arm around Sofie’s shoulder, the first sign of affection I’d ever seen from the vampiress. Even Caden’s face lit up with childlike excitement. Such a small thing as Christmas lights amidst the turmoil of impending doom could sparkle like a diamond embedded in mud. I peered over my shoulder, curious if the beautiful sight had caught even Bishop’s attention, not expecting it. I was astonished to find his attention riveted to the spectacle.

I smiled sadly. Bishop was still in there. Somewhere, deep inside his misery, our friend was there. Suddenly, the urge to bring Bishop back to the world of the living now—not later, not with time and healing—overwhelmed me.

“What do you think, Bishop?” I pulled my shoulders back and put on a brave smile as I walked toward him. “Beautiful, huh?” Even though he couldn’t talk or smile or move in any way, I knew he was in there and he needed to know we were here for him, that we cared and were heartbroken as well. Recalling with reluctance the weird sensations from the night before when I touched his arm, those overpowering feelings of despair when our gazes met, I gritted my teeth, preparing myself. If he can take it, so can I. I bent down to place my hand on his, to feel his cool flesh, to let him know that I would be here for him as best I could …

The next few seconds happened in a blur. The spine-tingling sound of shattering glass came a split second before I felt movement within my grasp. Bishop, moving! I heard Sofie shriek, “No!” just as I flew back. Something wrapped tightly around my neck, choking me. Strong fingers grasped my chin with thumb and forefinger on either side.

“Let me go or I’ll kill her,” Bishop’s low menacing growl turned my blood icy cold. He was now standing behind me, cool breath breezing against my cheek. I must have misheard him, trying to play the words back in my head. No, he didn’t say that. He couldn’t be threatening to kill me. This was Bishop!

I watched with terror as Mage, Caden, and Sofie all moved forward in even, cautious steps, equidistant apart.

“Think, Bishop,” Caden said slowly, his hands spread out in front of him. “That’s Evangeline you have there. You’re not going to kill her. You care about her.”

“Don’t tell me who I care about!” he spat back, and his pain coursed through my body like a live wire. “We’re all going to die. Evie’s going to die. Better now … quicker … than later and more painful.”

Caden crept forward with the others. “No, Bishop, it’s not—”

“Don’t come any closer!” Bishop’s voice cracked with the shouted warning.

Caden’s eyebrows raised, his hands moving up in a slow surrendering motion. “No, Bishop. Not better. Think about it. Think about how you would feel. Evangeline—” Caden turned toward me. “What do you want, Evangeline? Do you want to die?” I could see growing panic beneath the serenity. I had seen this look once before. Right before Rachel attacked me.

It took a few tries but I found my voice, as shaky as it was. “No … no, Bishop. I don’t want to die. Not by you. Please. I thought you were my friend. Please don’t kill me.”

“I am your friend,” Bishop whispered, agony lacing every syllable. “It’s because I’m your friend that I’m doing this.”

“What? Threatening to kill me?” I wasn’t sure if that would work but I instantly knew what might. “Fiona would be horrified, Bishop,” I added so softly, hesitant to even mention her name.

His grip tightened for just a moment, and then I felt myself flying forward, thrown into Caden’s arms, as if the aim were intentional. Caden was ready for it, pulling me in protectively, holding me upright as my knees gave way.

Cautiously, I turned back to find everyone else gone. A loud crash followed by snarls exploded from the hallway. I watched with trepidation as Mage and Sofie stalked back moments later, dragging an immobile Bishop between them. Max marched close behind, favoring his right hind leg. He must’ve ambushed Bishop from the shadows.

“What just happened?” Caden demanded to know, his tone low and menacing. “How …”

Sofie’s mint eyes shifted to me, studying me silently for a moment. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “Somehow Evangeline’s touch broke the binding spell.”

“No! No, I didn’t!” I cried out defensively. This wasn’t my fault! This couldn’t be my fault! Quickly remembering the night before, I threw out, “I touched him last night and it was fine!”

“It’s okay, Evangeline,” Mage said. “We know you didn’t mean it.”

Sofie sighed. “Are you sure you don’t feel any different than you did yesterday?”

She knows something. “You already asked me that, Sofie … and, no, I don’t. Why do you keep asking me that?”

Sofie ignored my question, looking at Max instead. “Max, do you sense anything different with her?”

You’re blurrier, Max responded.

I translated.

“Yes, that much we can all sense,” Mage said. The four of them exchanged a look.

Sofie stepped forward, closer to me. “I can sense something else. Something I can’t put my finger on. I don’t want you to panic, Evangeline, but,” she hesitated, clearly not wanting to continue.

“Tell me!” I demanded.

“You’re changing somehow. It’s like the Tribe’s magic is getting a stronger hold of you. Perhaps … morphing.”

My breath caught. “What do you mean ‘morphing’? Like morphing … into one of them?” Memories of jaundiced eyeballs and rotten teeth swarmed my mind. Their lethal touch … I stared at my hand, nestled within Caden’s. Would this simple act kill him one day? Would I not be able to touch Caden? Or anyone? “Oh my God,” I whispered, unable to catch my breath.

Caden squeezed my hand, his other hand cupping my chin to lift my face. “Calm down, okay?” he said softly and kissed my forehead.

No, no … he didn’t understand. He must’ve forgotten what that meant. I was now a ticking time bomb, the simple act of holding my hand soon hazardous. I tried to shake my hand out of his but he held fast, growling, “Don’t you dare.”

“But I could …,” I began, choking on the words. I turned to stare at Sofie.

She slowly shook her head, giving me a weak smile. “You don’t feel the same way that they do, so I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. I don’t know what’s happening yet. But for now, just … please stay away from Bishop.” With that, Sofie turned and strode over to the tree. She began piling the shattered remnants of an ornament into the palm of her hand, the shared exuberance over the festive season vanished. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear her shoulders were slouching under a terrible weight.

***

I hardly noticed the young, mousy servant—the one Viggo had leered at the other night—sneak in to the glass room with a large silver tray of sandwiches and fruit. My stomach reacted with a growl, as if to remind me that it needed food, regardless of what creature I was turning into. But I was too busy peering into anything reflective, searching for signs of yellowing eyes and brown spots on my teeth, to listen.