Allegiance (Causal Enchantment #3)(34)
Author: K.A. Tucker

Pivoting on my heels to stay between Wraith and Caden, I decided to try cordiality. “Can you please give us a moment alone, Wraith?”

Wraith only stared back at me.

Good luck with that, Max muttered sarcastically.

“Please?” I said again, the pleading in my voice that was really beginning to annoy me.

“I do not understand this ‘moment’ term,” Wraith finally explained.

“It means give us some space … don’t hover?” Still, only a blank look, and no movement. This was going nowhere. “Can you please leave the room!”

His head jerked to the side once in a half shake. “No, that is not possible. I am here to protect you at all times. You must never be out of my sight.”

Pausing to take a deep breath and temper my tone again, I spoke to him as if he were a child. “But we’re safe in here, just like I was in the bathroom. No one’s going to come in here.”

He pointed at the two-stories-high windows. “Those are entry points. The threat is there. Therefore, I stay.” End of discussion, clearly.

I heaved a sigh of frustration, knowing I would never win this argument. “Fine … can you at least step over there? By the window? So you’re not climbing on top of me? So I don’t have to see you staring at me?”

He blinked.

“Go stand over there!”

His neck turned mechanically as he glanced at the window and back at me, as if visually measuring the space. Finally, he walked over and sidled in behind the heavy silver-mauve drapery until all but his shoes were invisible.

I struggled to contain my grin. Turning back, I gave Max a knowing “get out” glare, silently promising I’d be nicer to him from now on.

Don’t have to convince me! I hear Santa delivered some Christmas goodies for me. He trotted off to the door and opened it with his giant maw.

Finally. I was alone with Caden.

Well, sort of. Not alone enough for what I wanted but … I threw myself at him, slipping my hands around him, nuzzling into his neck. “I can’t wait until this is all over,” I whispered in his ear.

“The feeling’s mutual,” he whispered, his hands sliding down the length of my rib cage to rest on my hips, pulling my body against his. “Damn it, Evie …” Strong fingers wrapped around my lower back, an index finger running along the waist band of my jeans. My breath caught. I closed my eyes, reveling as I felt his hands steal beneath my sweater and edge up along my spine, soaking up the warmth radiating from him. He was the one I was meant to be with. Why couldn’t the Fates just realize that and stop trying to keep us apart?

“Here,” Caden whispered suddenly, reaching up to grasp my hand and bring it down to his side. He placed something long and cool into my palm. A gorgeous diamond-jeweled dagger with an ivory handle. “I figured you were probably done with traditional jewelry.”

“It’s beautiful.” My other arm slid off Caden’s shoulder to handle the dagger with care, slipping the blade from its soft leather sheath. It was six inches long and thin. Dainty, though I could tell by the curve of the blade that it was anything but. This would carve through flesh—human or vampire, it mattered not.

“When did you get this?” I carefully sheathed it, visions of accidently disemboweling myself cautioning my movements.

Caden shrugged. “I’ve been out once or twice.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, studying its weight in my palm. “It’s beautiful … and dangerous.”

“Like you,” he chuckled softly, his lips pressing against my brow.

His joke, light and harmless in intention, drilled into my soul with its accuracy. My body stiffened in response.

“I’m sorry, Evie … not funny.” He pulled my body far enough away that he could see my face.

I sighed. “No, you’re right. Any day now, one little poke of my fingertip and you’re all dead.”

“No, you don’t know that.”

“Really, Caden? Who’s being naïve now?”

That exquisite mouth of his opened to speak—likely to argue—but stopped abruptly and he settled on biting his bottom lip as he paused to think. “It won’t happen. Sofie will stop it.” He traced my wounded lip with his fingertip and promised, “Everything will be okay again soon. Sofie will fix the spell, your lip will heal, and Bishop will eventually learn the truth.”

“I really want to believe you, Caden.” But I knew better. I didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe it, either. The tiniest shift behind the curtain refreshed my memory of just how dire the situation had become. “And then what? With lurky lurker hiding behind the curtains over there …” I mumbled, bitterness curling my nostrils. “He’s like herpes. He’s for life.”

Wraith took that as he cue to step out because the curtains ruffled and reflective blue eyes peeked out at me like glowing coins. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, I walked over to my nightstand and pulled the red satchel from the top drawer.

“I hope you like it,” I said, handing Caden his gift. “I did almost die getting it for you, you know.”

“Are we taking turns making tasteless jokes now?” Caden grumbled as he took it from me. “You shouldn’t have …”

“It’s nothing,” I lied. Inside, giddy butterflies fluttered about. “I just figured … this is our first Christmas together …” He unraveled the tie to the case and carefully tipped the bag. The watch slid out to fit perfectly in the center of his open palm. I waited in silence as he stared at it, not saying a word, his jawline shifting slightly.

“Amelie said you’d like it …” My voice betrayed my anxiety. What is going on inside his head? Does he like it? Is he wondering why I got him a freaking watch? What if Amelie confused things? She is a bit flighty …

“My father had one just like it,” he finally said, his voice turning husky. Tiny exhale … “I had it for years. Kept it in my pocket. When the war came and we fled, I lost it.” Beautiful jade irises lifted to absorb me and I could swear I saw them watering. But then I blinked and they were back to their perfect clarity.

He clutched the watch within his fist and, holding it to his chest, he whispered, “Thank you.” Stretching out to grasp my wrist, he yanked me toward him more forcefully than usual. My heart skipped three beats. With a hand cupped on either side of my face, his gaze lingered, a darkness growing in them that made my knees shake and my cheeks flush.

Finally, when I thought I might collapse under his consuming stare, he leaned forward to plant the gentlest kiss on my forehead. From there, his mouth skated down to the bridge of my nose and then the tip. Forcing my head back with his hands, his mouth caught the side of mine, right on the edge where it lingered. And lingered.

“I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through. It’s not fair, all that grief I gave you over Julian.”

“It’s okay,” I murmured, half dazed. With this new Bishop saga, I had forgotten all about that other lie.

Caden’s fingers slid under my chin and lifted my head to meet his eyes. “No, it’s not okay. I’ve dreamed about finding someone like you for seven hundred years. And now, here you are and …” His thumb moved to wipe away the fresh tear rolling down my cheek. “I won’t let us lose another second over this. I promise. It’s done. It’s forgotten. It’s—”

Amelie’s shrill screams cut Caden off midsentence.

He vanished before I could blink, his words to Wraith, “Keep her safe” hanging in the air. But I wasn’t waiting around with Wraith. Only one thing could make Amelie shriek like that.

Blood rushed to my ears as I ran across the hall, passing by Julian’s smashed door, my legs straining as if pushing through three feet of water. I dashed halfway into the room and came to a skidding halt. Amelie stood by the en suite, her ringlets sagging and dripping wet, hugging a white towel to her body, her face wild with confusion.

“How could he?” she whispered in a gasp.

I said nothing, rushing toward the bathroom. “Stay back,” I threw over my shoulder. I didn’t need to see him to know for certain that Wraith was on my heels. And in another second, he stood by my side, my demand useless.

“Caden?” I called out shakily.

“Eve!” Julian cried out instead, a strangled desperation in his voice.

“I’m coming in!” I announced, sucking in a gulp of air as I rounded the corner. Caden had Julian pinned against the wall, his forearm pressing across Julian’s neck. A puddle of water was forming beneath Julian’s feet, a byproduct of being ripped out of a still-running shower. At some point in the trauma, Julian had a chance to grab a towel. He held it against his lower front half, covering the part of him I had no interest in seeing.

“Tell me again why I shouldn’t kill you right now!” Caden growled through clenched teeth, fire in his eyes.

“No! You can’t!” I cried out, stepping forward. Wraith’s arm shot out from nowhere to shove me back to the opposite corner. “Is he a threat to Evangeline?” he asked moving forward.

“He’s a threat to all of us.” Caden’s tone was as icy as I’d ever heard it. He didn’t look in my direction as he released Julian from the chokehold and took three wide steps back. “Get rid of him, Wraith.”

Without further prompting, Wraith began closing in on Julian, his deadly hand lifting toward his shoulder. No, no, no! I choked back a sob. This wasn’t happening. I had to stop this… If Wraith attacked, there was no healing, no bouncing back. Julian would be dead. Another person close to me, gone.

“He saved my life. Don’t do it!” I screamed.

Wraith kept moving forward. It was as if I hadn’t spoken. He wouldn’t stop until Julian was dead. I needed to do something drastic, I realized, squeezing my fist tightly over the smooth hilt of my dagger, still in my hand. My dagger … There was one way to make Wraith listen.

I unsheathed the blade and lifted the point to my neck. “If he dies, I die. Right here, right now.” My hand shook so badly, I was afraid I might accidently slit my jugular.

My plan worked. Wraith’s hand dropped to his side. He took several steps back, giving Julian a wide berth. “You would kill yourself to protect this human?”

“He almost died protecting me, so, yes, I would. He’s my friend.” Looking at Julian—his face as white as a sheet, his body on the verge of collapse—I wanted to throw my arms around him.

Unfortunately, I had to contend with an angry vampire first.

Caden was at my side in an instant, tearing the dagger out of my hand, a violent storm darkening his irises to threatening levels. “I didn’t give you that so you could kill yourself with it!” he yelled.

He’d never yelled at me before.

I forced my chin up, my hand absently rubbing my neck. “You left me no choice! I had to protect him.”

“But you don’t know what he is!” Amelie moaned from the doorway, still huddled within her towel, agony pouring from her eyes as they touched Julian’s face.

And here it was. The moment. There was no denying it any longer. “Yes, I do,” I heard myself say, as if someone else were speaking. A liar, admitting her guilt. As soft as the delivery, the impact of my admission was enough to cause Amelie to stumble back, flinching.

“You … knew? You knew and I didn’t?” Her voice sharpened a notch. In that scary way. In that crazy Amelie way.

I nodded as unease stirred in my stomach. Swallowing, I admitted in a whisper, “I accidently saw the marking.”

“What?” Amelie exploded, now screaming. “You accidently saw the tattoo on his left ass cheek?” Her eyes bulged so hard, I thought they might pop out of her head.

“Yes! Accidently.”

“What …?” Next to his sister, Caden’s voice was so low I barely heard him. It scared me ten times more. My body as stiff as a poker, I turned to see the end of the dagger pointed dangerously close to Julian’s thigh, Caden’s eyes crushing me with an accusatory gaze. I knew instantly what he was thinking. Seeing that mark required seeing Julian without clothing. In what situation would I see him like that?

My mouth opened to justify my lies, but only a wheeze escaped. We stood still, our eyes locked, as I felt my curtain drop, unveiling the real me. Not the sweet, naïve girl Amelie carried unconscious into Caden’s life, the human girl he fell in love with. No … now he could see me for what I was. What I had become. A fraud and a cheat.

Caden’s next words, delivered with a biting cold tone, confirmed it. “Just kissed him, right?”

Before I could utter a sound, plead with him to listen to my explanation, he stormed off, launching the dagger across the room so hard that it embedded itself into a mahogany armoire with a loud thud, splitting the wood in half.