Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets #3)(108)
Author: A.M. Hudson

He grabbed my hand and held it softly. “It’s okay, Ara. I tortured you, beat you, made you cry—” His voice quivered. “Anything you said or did to me after that was fair.”

I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t. You helped me. You…you saved me from so much worse.”

He stroked my chin with his thumb. “It’s all over now, sweet girl. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again.”

I nodded, cupping my hand over his against my cheek. “Does Arthur know you’re alive?”

“Yes.”

My mouth fell open, dry, my lips numb.

“He couldn’t tell you, Ara.”

“Why?”

“A few reasons.”

“Like?”

“Well, for one…” He let out a breath. “I’ve not even shown you a quarter of the things I’m capable of. Drake knows many of my powers, many of which could have, all this time, helped him get to you. If I was alive, he would’ve compelled me to grab you.” He looked over his shoulder, motioning to the field. “Look how easy it was for me to get in here. No one has a clue. I could’ve come here many times, and no one would’ve known.”

“Did you? Come here, I mean.” I wiped my nose with the back of my wrist.

Jason shook his head. “No, sweet girl. I wanted to, but that would, and I guess has, ruined Arthur’s diabolical plan.”

“He has a plan?”

“He always has a plan.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Has he asked you to have a child with him yet?”

“Um…” I blinked a few extra times. “Yes. Why?”

He laughed, shaking his head, and wandered over to our tree. “How did you react to that?”

“How did you know he was going to ask?”

“Because that’s one of the reasons he’s here.” He slid down the bark and sat in the long grass, still kind of laughing.

“To have a baby with me?”

“Yep.”

“Is that just because he wants to be free—you know, ‘cause he wants the prophecy to happen?”

“That’s one of my conclusions, but…I suppose he never told you he was sent here by Drake, did he?”

“No. He left that bit out.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

“Are you serious? Was he really sent here on a mission to impregnate me?”

Jason laughed. “For one, yes. But also to find something.”

“What?”

“The Dagger of Yahanna.”

“Death? Yahanna means death, in the ancient language, right?”

“Right. You’ve been studying.”

“No.” I sat down beside him. “I just know a few words.”

“Well, yes, he’s after this dagger—forged from the bone of an original and spelled on the Stone of Truth.”

“What does Drake want it for?”

“It’s the only way to kill your child.”

“What?”

“If he kills this child created of two immortals, all the power the child is born with will negotiate to him.”

“And, so, he asked Arthur to father this child, then hand it and the dagger over so he could kill it?”

Jason nodded, grinning.

“Arthur would never do that!”

“I know.”

“Then…why did he ask me to have a baby with him?”

“My only conclusion is that he wants to see if this myth that a child can set vampires free of immortality is true—or he wants to be king by right of heir.”

“By right of heir?”

“Yes, your first husband is always the only true king that can rule in your absence, unless he fails to provide an heir. In that case, the father of your child would become rightful king.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I know.”

“So…what if he had a baby with me, but then that child died?”

“Then he would no longer be king.”

“Wow. So, how is your presence here ruining Arthur’s plan to impregnate me?”

“Because, if I was alive, you would never give yourself to him.”

“Er!” My lip curled. “And you just…you were just going to allow that?”

“God, no.” He sat back, straightening his shirt. “Of course not. I knew you wouldn’t do it with him.”

“You did?”

“Of course, Ara. I know you. There’s no way you’d have sex with Arthur, even if David were actually dead.”

“Huh?”

“What’s huh?”

“What did you just say about David?”

“Ara, come on—you don’t seriously expect me to believe he actually died, do you?”

“Wait, so…you know about immunity?”

“Of course. Why do you think I let you bite him?”

I covered my mouth. “I thought you were ordered to do that.”

“Ordered. Not compelled.”

“So, you would never have killed him?”

He rose to his knees right before me, taking my cheeks in his hands. “No.”

“But…I thought you hated him.”

“Not enough to kill him, Ara.”

“Oh.” I looked down, feeling pretty bad about that assumption. “So, how did you figure out the immunity thing?”

“I didn’t. It was you.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “You, with that beautiful mind of yours.” He kissed it again. “You tried to keep the thought from me, about you and David having shared blood and bitten each other, but I saw it, and it was all I needed.”

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe you saw that thought.”

“Yes.” He smirked. “That could have been very dangerous information for me to have.”

As everything that happened down in that cell flooded back through me, I stared blankly at the day. “So, was it you who told Arthur about immunity?”

“No. Does he know?”

“Yes. He said I slipped up. But I didn’t,” I said, sitting taller, shaking my head. “I went through it, I really didn’t. I swear.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Does he know about David, then?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I’ve not heard any thoughts. But then, I haven’t seen him for some weeks, either.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been out of the country.”

“Why?”

“Needed to get away.”