Katie's Hope (Rhyn Trilogy, Book Two) (8 page)

“Fine.” He no longer felt hungry despite the
scent of blood. While he didn’t care what happened to Kris, he did
care about Katie and when the demons would choose to attack. He’d
suspected Sasha was there for more than one reason and didn’t doubt
his brother had a plan.

Kris would never listen to him. The only
other brother ever to extend a hand to help him was Kiki, the
pragmatic half-brother who protected Asia. Rumor had it the Council
hadn’t agreed on anything in a few hundred years, and Rhyn began to
think the brothers he hated might be the solution to the
demons.

Or he could take Katie, disappear, and leave
Kris and the Immortals to their fate. He preferred this idea,
except that it would mean he’d be defending her from Dark One’s
minions and demons every minute of the rest of their lives
together. Reluctantly, he accepted the fact that he needed the
protection of the Immortals to keep Katie safe. If Kris didn’t call
the Council together, Rhyn would drag his bastard brothers kicking
and screaming to the castle, dangle them over the forest of demons,
and offer them a choice: him or the demons. Cynically, he suspected
all but Kiki would choose the demons.

* * *

“Lankha?” Katie asked, startled to see the
cowering healer in her room. She’d last seen him in Hell, where
they shared a cell together. “Are you okay?”

The healer was huddled against the door,
looking around with visible horror. His gaze settled on her, and he
ventured forward.

“What is it?” Ully whispered.

“He’s the oldest of the healers,” she
replied. She stood and crossed to the scared creature and took one
of his soft hands. He went without resistance. She led him to the
bed. “Rhyn brought you here to help our friend, Lankha.”

The healer sank next to her on the bed, large
eyes darting around the room as if he expected the furniture to
grow fangs and chase him. His gaze finally fell to Toby, and he
inched forward. Ully watched with alarm as the healer unwrapped the
angel’s bandage. She felt like petting the healer to calm him as
she might Toby’s cat but suspected it wouldn’t be welcome. She
grimaced when he peeled back the final layer of bandages to reveal
the gouge and broken bones beneath.

The healer clucked to himself, growing more
comfortable as he concentrated on his trade. Katie moved out of his
way. A tap at the door made Lankha pause, and she hurried to answer
it to keep the healer from being distracted.

“Madame, your sister’s car has just entered
the property,” Kris’s personal secretary said. “I thought you might
wish to greet her.”

Katie could think of nothing she wanted less,
but she nodded. She changed quickly into dry clothing before
hurrying down the back stairwell. With her arm bleeding, she
couldn’t risk drawing the attention of the Immortals by taking the
front stairwell even to meet her sister. She went the back way--
the servant’s route, as Kris had so kindly informed her-- to the
front door.

The white Hummer limo made it up the snowy
slope and slowed as it crossed the cleared cobblestone drive in
front of the castle. It stopped, and two footmen went to the doors
while two others opened the trunk.

Appearing refreshed and thrilled, beautiful,
blond Hannah stepped from the Hummer and looked up, awe crossing
her features. She was dressed in a long, white fur coat that Katie
had no doubt cost more than a small house. Hannah’s boots were
white, her cream slacks and camel turtleneck completing her
flawless look.

As usual, Katie felt a twinge of jealousy at
the sight of her sister that only grew when Giovanni-- Hannah’s
handsome fiancé-- circled the car to take her arm and lead her to
the stairs to the castle. Rhyn was about as uncivilized as Gio was
civilized. Katie despised Gio most days, but sometimes, she
wondered what a normal relationship was like. She didn’t hear Kris
draw abreast until the man stood at her side, staring at the
gorgeous woman approaching.

“
That’s
your sister?” he asked in
clear astonishment. “What’s this guy’s name?”

“Giovanni de Medici, descendent of the
Italian de Medici,” his secretary answered from behind them.

“Oh. I think I’ve heard his name before. How
did
he
get an invite here?” Both of them looked at Katie,
and Kris pursed his lips.

“I was going to ask you the same about
Hannah,” she said with a glare. “Another of your tricks, Kris?”

“It’s customary,” Henri said. “Social
propriety states that the immediate family of an Ancient’s mate or
high level Immortal-- ”

“You can’t tell me this was an accident!”

The smallest of smiles crossed Kris’s face,
but he refused to answer.

“You are the biggest jackass in the world,”
she hissed. “You drag my sister here? Why, to keep me here?”

“You forced me to bring Rhyn here,” he
reminded her. “I say we’re even.”

“Aren’t you sworn not to interfere with
mortals?”

“I’m not interfering,” he said with a sharp
look. “Even if I don’t need your blood, I’d be a fool to let you
go.”

“You swore an oath!”

“I take my oaths seriously, but I can’t let
you go for the demons to get you. They developed immunity blood the
last time they had you. Consider your sister-- ”

“A hostage!”

“-- a guest for an indefinite period of time.
Besides, she’s an Immortal’s mate. She belongs to me anyway.”

Before she could respond, Kris strode from
the doorway down the path, stopping in front of the two
approaching. Gio bowed deeply, but Hannah gazed up at Kris with a
look of such admiration that Katie suddenly realized Hannah wasn’t
likely to object to staying in such a place. Kris greeted Gio,
stepping aside to walk them up the path. Hannah’s gaze strayed
beyond Kris to catch sight of Katie. She gave an excited wave and
quickened her step. For her sake, Katie tried not to look as pissed
as she felt and trotted down the stairs to meet her sister. Hannah
enveloped her in a warm hug that smelled of expensive perfume.

“Is this your home now?” Hannah asked, her
glowing gaze going to the castle again. Well aware of Hannah’s
social ladder climbing aspirations, Katie couldn’t help her
retort.

“Don’t act so surprised your little sis did
something right for once.”

“Who is that handsome man with Gio?” Hannah
asked, gaze on Kris once again.

“The world’s biggest dick,” Katie
replied.

“Katherine!” Hannah exclaimed. “You don’t
want him to hear you. Come, show me around.”

Katie hesitated, then strode through the main
hallways, suspecting Hannah would be too star struck to notice the
looks they’d certainly receive from others.

“Where’s that wonderful man of yours?” Hannah
asked.

“Wonderful?” she repeated. “You mean
Rhyn?”

Hannah chuckled, soon distracted as her gaze
took in the entertaining parlor Katie led her to. She vaguely
remembered it from her tour of the castle and was relieved to see
several small groups congregated around all but one of the five
fireplaces in the room. She went to the unoccupied fireplace and
sat with her back to the wall, afraid of any Immortal who felt her
draw enough to approach. Hannah removed her fur coat with a
graceful flourish to reveal her snug clothing and perfect body. One
of the servants darted forward to take her coat, and she gave a
large smile before seating herself.

“So, tell me about this place,” Hannah said,
eyes bright.

“Where should I start?” Katie asked,
uncertain what her sister knew.

“Gio told me about the Immortals. I’m still
puzzling through that part. Who was the man who greeted us?”

“His name is Kris. He’s sort of the leader of
the Immortals. He’s a manipulative, lying jackass.”

“He seemed nice to me,” Hannah said. Her
familiar way of dismissing her opinion made Katie bite her tongue
to keep from saying what she wanted.

“You staying here long?” she asked
instead.

“Through the winter. I planned on going to
Seychelles to escape the east coast cold, but Gio said being
invited here was an honor. Then he told me about the Immortals. You
landed yourself a good one, Katherine.”

“I didn’t
land
anything,” Katie said
impatiently. “We’re destined to be Immortals’ mates, and it’s been
as far from a pleasant experience as I could imagine. You just wait
to see what Kris has in store for you. He’ll make your life a
living hell.”

“You’ve always been a little melodramatic,
Katherine. How can you still seem so negative when you’re
surrounded by all
this
!”

Katie clenched her jaw, realizing just how
sugar-coated the Immortals’ world around her would look to her
sister. Gio appeared in the doorway. He caught sight of them and
crossed to Hannah. He appeared more unsettled than Katie had ever
seen him. His gaze was roving, and his air distracted even as he
bent to give Hannah a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll catch up with you later, love,” he
said. “I’ve got some business to attend to with the other
Immortals.”

“Of course, my Gio,” Hannah said sweetly.
“I’ll be with Katherine, if you need to find me.”

Gio’s tight smile was fleeting. Katie
wondered what had called him away-- news of the demons in the
forest or some other awful plan by Kris? She watched him go,
frowning when he turned left down the hall toward the front door
rather than right to the stairwell or interior of the castle.

“Excuse me, sis,” she said, rising. “Just
tell one of the waiters what you want to drink.”

Hannah was happy to marvel over her
surroundings. Katie moved quickly through the room, refusing to
meet the gaze of any of the Immortals. She emerged into the hallway
in time to see a butler open the main door for Gio.

She trotted after him and stepped into the
evening chill. The hidden sun was setting, and the white snow
clouds glowed eerily, lit by the last rays of light. Hannah’s
fiancé hurried to the waiting Hummer. Hannah’s Louis Vuitton
luggage was lined up neatly along the path, and Katie skirted
it.

“Gio!” she called. “Where are you going?”

“Katherine,” he replied, turning. “You will
have to forgive me. Assure Hannah this was not my idea.”

“What wasn’t your idea?”

“Kris asked me to bring her here. He thought
she might be an Ancient’s mate like you.”

“Okay, so why are you leaving her?”

Gio hesitated before sighing. “He asked me
to. He granted me a position directly supporting the Council, if I
walked away from her forever.”

“So you traded her for your ego,” Katie said
and crossed her arms.

“The Immortal society is not like a human’s,
Katherine,” he scolded. “You cannot marry into a higher rung on the
ladder. You can only be granted special status by someone in a
caste far above you.”

“Don’t you care about hurting her
feelings?”

“Hannah used me to climb the social ladder,
and I did not mind, because she is a beautiful, sweet girl,” he
said. “I, in turn, used her to climb the Immortal ladder.”

Speechless, Katie couldn’t help thinking Gio
was as shallow as her sister. That didn’t stop her from being angry
at the man who would dump her sister off to deal with the hell
she’d gone through.

“Leave this be, Katie.” Kris’s voice came
from the doorway behind her. “Gio, go. Your service is eternally
appreciated.”

Gio bowed and got into the Hummer. The door
closed, and the long vehicle pulled away. Katie faced Kris with a
glare.

“What the hell are you doing, Kris?” she
demanded. “Isn’t it enough that I’m here?”

“I expected your sister to be as rough around
the edges as you are,” he said. “I’m glad she’s not, and she seems
to understand trading personal happiness for a social status. She’s
an Ancient’s mate, Katie, like you. How there were two of you born
into one family, I don’t know.”

“You can’t make her stay.”

“From what Gio says, she’ll
want
to
stay, and I doubt she’d consider mating with someone like me
abhorrent.”

“If you’ll remember, I didn’t choose which
Ancient to become my mate. What if she chooses one of your
brothers?” she challenged.

“We’ll know soon who she chooses,” he said.
His gaze went to her throat. “Two Ancients’ mates in the same
family. Maybe you are more like Rhyn than I gave you credit for.
Both of you are blemishes on your family.”

He walked back into the castle, leaving her
with burning cheeks. She looked up at the glowing clouds, from
which snow had begun to fall again. Tears stung her cheeks. As she
thought of Toby, she wondered how much of what Kris said was true.
He wouldn’t have been hurt if not for her, and Hannah may not have
been dragged into the Immortal world if she hadn’t hit the radar of
Kris.

She wiped her face, determined not to abandon
her sister as Gio had. She walked the short distance into the house
and down the hallway, stopping when she reached the doorway. Kris
wore a rare, charming smile as he sat across from Hannah, talking.
Hannah’s face glowed as she gazed at Kris’s handsome features. Kris
caught Katie’s gaze and shook his head ever so slightly, warning
her against coming in.

She watched for a long moment and then left,
defeated and frustrated. She returned to her chamber, where Lankha
still worked his magic on an unconscious Toby under Ully’s watchful
gaze.

The sight of Toby’s blood made her feel sick,
and her own blood loss made her dizzy. It was her fault he was
hurt. She was an awful foster mom. Maybe Gabriel taking her to
Death would make the lives of those around her easier.

Rather than join them, she paced the hall
before following it to its end and ascending to the roof. The night
was cold and the wind nonexistent. Snow soon covered her arms as
she crossed the roof to gaze into the well-lit courtyard. Too tired
to fight her tears anymore, she let them fall and stood shaking on
the rooftop.