Blood and Redemption (Cassandra Myles Witch Series) (8 page)

“If you were not my son
, you would be dead by now.” His grip tightened and he flailed him around like a wet towel.

“Quintus
, please, stop this. You’re hurting him.” Lucius looked down at me. Fear filled his eyes. I couldn’t take this anymore. It was just too much; they were father and son and they hated each other now because of me.

“He could have raped you.” Bloody tears streamed down Quintus’ face. He dropped his son to the ground. Lucius didn’t move or speak.

I remembered I was naked and quickly wrapped a towel around myself. “He didn’t. I don’t think he would have harmed me. Really I don’t.”

Lucius started to laugh. It was an insane cackle and despite the heat of the room
, I started to shiver.

“Don’t be stupid
, Goldilocks. I was going to take you and fuck you until you screamed my name and begged for more. Then we would do it again and you’d still want me more than you’d ever want Daddy Dearest.” He started to laugh again.

Quintus roared and every piece of glass in the room shattered
, raining tiny flecks on us all. He was vibrating with power and Lucius just glared at him. Terror gripped my voice. It was so hard to watch. They both felt like strangers. Quintus kicked his son in the side. I heard bones crack. Lucius spit blood on the bathroom floor and smiled up at his father.

“You think she wants a bloodthirsty monster. She may have had feelings for Lucius, but you are just what’s left
over after that poison killed everything else… my son is dead.”

“Lucius is here. That other man was just a set of rules to hide behind. I take what I want. Don’t fool yourself
, old man. She drips every time I walk in the room.”

“Leave
, Lucius. Go to my study and wait for me there. I won’t ignore your behavior any longer.” I could see my boss physically tucking away the powerful vampire he had let loose. He was becoming the man I was used to. Only now, I knew what lay underneath.

Lucius got up in all his glory. He was beautiful and terrifying. He made sure to brush my arm as he passed
. As soon as Lucius was gone, Quintus had me wrapped in his arms.

“I’m sorry
, Cassandra. I will lock him up. I don’t have a choice.”

“Please don’t do that.”

“I may not be here next time, Cassandra. I’m the only one in this house strong enough to control him. Do you care so little for your own life?”

“Don’t you understand
? This is another mess I created. Why does anyone even want to be around me? I’m like poison.”

I thought he would hold me or soothe me. He got very still. Then he let me go. His anger earlier was hot and unbridled
; this was cool and it exuded from every perfectly formed pore. His eyes that always held a little something extra when he looked at me were flat crystal pools.

“If I could go back in time and erase Declan Langois from ever being born
, I would do it. He did this. He lied to you for five years while I loved you and took care of you. He demanded things from you that I wanted myself, but knew it was your decision. He took you from me, Cassandra. He took you and I thought you might be lost forever. When I came to rescue you, that heinous wolf was still the one you chose. Now he is still here, making my life hell. He has created this mess, he and his kin. Make no mistake, he put you in that field, in the line of that evil woman’s fire, and yet you blame yourself for his death every day. He played as large a role in releasing Mab as anyone else, including you, and then left you holding the bag.”

I was beyond stunned. I tried to take his hand and he moved further away.

“No. I have been patient long enough. You need to hear this. He is not worth your tears, Cassandra. He is a curse and that man who walks around here looking like my son isn’t worth your sympathy either. He will kill you if I don’t lock him up.”

He threw his arms in the air and screamed. In a blink
, I was left crying all alone. He had never talked to me that way before. I was more stunned than anything else. I had to think about what he said. Throwing on some clothes and grabbing my purse, I ran from the mansion. I had to think about what he said. I needed to decide for myself if any of it was true. I couldn’t do it here. I had to be on my own.

I drove around until I found Killian’s beautiful home. I had been here once before with Quintus. He lived around the corner from my favorite restaurant and we
had dropped papers off before we went to eat. Why I was here was another story. I was a pretty pathetic person, when the only other person in all of Vancouver who I could call a friend was my weapons instructor, a man I barely knew.

I buzzed the intercom. “Cassandra
, what are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, I… some bad things went on at the mansion and I needed to get out of there and I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Come in. I’ll be in my study.”

Did all vampires have a study? It seemed like a rule. Wood or silver through the heart will kill you, you will need blood to live
, and at your earliest convenience, you must make yourself a study.

A tall
, thin, very old man answered the door. He was a butler right out of a Hollywood film, right down to the white gloves.

“You must be Ms. Myles. Please come in
. The master speaks very highly of you.”

“Please call me
‘Cass.’”

“My name is Giles.”

I looked at him, trying not to laugh, but he was the one who ended up laughing. “I’m just kidding. It’s William.”

“You have my sense of humor, William.”

“The master is in that door. Please ring if you need anything.”

Killian was sitting on a chaise in front of a stone fireplace; he had his
Kindle in hand. He gave me one of his charming smiles and patted the space beside him. I sat and he turned to give me his full attention.

“Cass, you look frightened to death. You’re paler than usual.”

“I am. Well, I was.” My voice was thin and shaky.

“What happened? I will avenge whatever wrong has been done to you.”

He was trying to joke, but he looked concerned.

“Can I just stay here for a little while?” I struggled not to cry. I came here to get away from the madness
, not rehash it all. Killian seemed to sense my inner struggle.

He nodded. “I had booked this time off anyway. Did you want to watch a movie?”

“Yes, I’d love that.” Doing something as mundane as watching a movie was what I needed.

Killian had a media room. It looked like a real movie theatre, but with leather seats. There was even a pop fountain and a popcorn machine. We watched a comedy and he thought my laugh was much funnier than the movie. I’ve never had a dainty laugh and if I find something funny
, it comes flying out before I have a chance to stop it. Most people find it irritating. Tonight, I didn’t care.

“I have never heard anyone laugh like that. You just vomit laughter. It’s loud and unapologetic. I love it.”

“You’re embarrassing me.” I blushed.

“I don’t mean to
, Cass. I just love how much you enjoyed that movie. You have to come again and watch a movie with me.”

“I’d like to. I had fun. I guess I should get home
, though. My problems won’t go away by running away.”

“You can stay here
, Cass. William can make up one of the guest rooms. It would be nice to have someone else in this big house.”

“I’m sure you have girls stay over all the time.”

“I won’t lie, Cass. I enjoy women. I do have the occasional adult sleepover. It isn’t the same as having someone you look forward to seeing when you wake up again.”

“I had a really good time, but
avoiding the problem never helps.”

“
My door is always open. I hope you come by again.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m afraid I’m no match for the old man, but if you ever feel really frightened, I would hide you.” It touched me that he would even offer such a thing.

I finally broke away. “Thank
you for tonight, Killian. It was just what I needed.”

“My pleasure
. Drive safe, Cassandra.” 

Chapter Seven

I quietly entered my own home, like a thief in the night, slipping in the backdoor, trying my hardest to remain undetected. I held my breath until I got to my room. Quintus and Lucius had fallen into a constant Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine and it was just too much to handle tonight.

I wasn’t surprised that all traces of what happened earlier
were erased from my bathroom. Quintus would tell his new assistant to make sure my bathroom was fixed as good as new. I barely kept my eyes open while brushing my teeth. The stress of the day was gone and now I just wanted my sweet, soft, comfy bed.

Quintus was right about Declan. He and his pack had forced my hand. He had lied to me for years and then asked me to open the fae door. Lucius was only alive
because I agreed to be Declan’s mate. In my heart, I knew these were all horrible things, things he would have had to answer for if he was here, but he died saving my life. He had loved me, I know that was true and he had been a great friend and that was how I was going to remember him.

As for Quintus, I wasn’t going to hide behind Declan any longer. Quintus needed to know that we weren’t ever going to be together and Declan had nothing to do with that. I just didn’t have those feelings for him.

The fact that Quintus was powerful enough to shatter glass just by being angry was terrifying, but I was much too tired to worry about that tonight. One epiphany a night was all I had the energy for.

My bed had never felt so cozy. I snuggled into my down duvet and by the time I settle
d in, sleep was already pulling me under. I hadn’t been asleep very long when a loud bang knocked me back to the conscious world. It happened again and this time the wall bordering the hallway shuddered under the impact of something very heavy.

Knowing it wasn’t a good idea, but doing it anyway
, I opened my door to see Lucius flying through the air with Quintus running close behind. I ran after them both. When I caught up, Quintus had Lucius raised in the air with a hand around his throat and was smashing his head against the wall. Lucius wasn’t even fighting back. He was limp yet conscious.

“Why are you doing this again?” Panic strangled my voice.

Quintus released him and he collapsed to the floor. Lucius rubbed his neck and glared up at both of us.

“Cassandra
, where did you go? I was frantic. I thought…” He looked towards his son. “I thought Lucius had done something to you.”

I didn’t see that coming. I never thought he would think Lucius had harmed me.

“I went to Killian’s. He invited me to stay for a movie.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just needed to get away. I only went to Killian’s because I’m such a loser that he is the only other friend I have besides the two of you.” I was on the verge of tears. I was sick of the fighting.

Lucius started to laugh
. “She’s even picking him over you. Don’t you get tired of being second, old man?”

Quintus started kicking him in the side, sending him in the air into the wall
, throwing plaster dust in the air as he made a man-sized dent.

“Stop it, just stop hurting him. He can’t help this. If you kill him
, you can’t take that back.”

It was like he didn’t even hear me. He continued to attack his son and I knew each blow could be the one that Lucius couldn’t recover from. Anger gathered inside me, whipping up like a hurricane hitting warm waters. I wasn’t losing Lucius. I felt something pop inside me like a cork
, giving the anger somewhere to go.

“Stop this now
; you’re going to kill your son over a woman who doesn’t even want you.” A wave of magic carried Quintus away and into the opposite wall.

We all looked at each other with shock. I couldn’t believe I had done that and apparently neither could they. It was ages before anyone moved.

“Quintus, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said it like that. Did I hurt you?”

He had regained his composure and had his vampire mask firmly in place. “It almost makes me laugh that you think you could hurt me. I could bring this house down around you if I wanted to. I could send such desire into your body that you would
lie at my feet and beg me to fuck you. I could drink you dry before you even knew I was beside you. So, no, little girl, you did not hurt me.”

My heart was in my throat. In a blink
, he was right in front of me. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Do I really deserve this terror? I have saved you and taken care of you. I placed you above all others.” He caressed my cheek.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that or say what I said. I just thought you were going to kill him.”

“Yes, I may have. I doubt it though. I have been patient with you
, Cassandra, and my reward is this insolence. Do you think my son is such an innocent? Is that who you want? Sweet Lucius? Grow up. We are vampires; we are powerful and very old. You must stop judging us by human standards. My son and I are not sweet little puppies; we are tigers, we are the panther.”