KnightForce Damian (La Patron's KnightForce Book 4) (25 page)

"You should inflict them again," Daphne said snidely.

"And after we saved your life," Gem said in a mocking tone. "What an ungrateful witch."

"Daphne, what's the matter with you?" Raoul said. "Apologize."

"Nope." The child closed her eyes, smiling, but never released Ivona's hand.

"
I'm sorry, none of this is going the way it was explained to me earlier,
" Raoul said, running his hand through his hair.

Damian nodded. "
Separate them. Have your mate sit with you and leave the child alone."

Raoul walked over to Ivona, took her hand and pulled her up.

"What?" Daphne said, glaring at him. "Where are you going?"

"Just over here," Raoul said, returning to his chair and pulling a slightly listless looking Ivona onto his lap.

Lips puckered, Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Raoul.

"So Daphne, why did you want to come here?" Gem asked, spreading her arms wide. "Is Tara on her way? Is there supposed to be some kind of show-down between your Mom and sister? Do you want them to kill themselves so you can be the gatekeeper?"

No one spoke.

"
What's going on?
" Raoul asked.
"Daphne's just a child, she can't be the gatekeeper."

"Gem's got this
," Damian said, leaning forward, arms on his thighs and hands hanging between them.

Daphne jumped up and extended her hand to Ivona. "I want to leave right now."

"But you haven't answered my questions," Gem said, watching the child closely.

"I'm not going to either. Let's go," she said to Ivona, who pushed against Raoul's hold.

"Where are you going now?" Gem asked in a conversational tone.

Daphne's gaze swung from Gem to Ivona and back to Gem. "Away." She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Far away. Let's go now, Ivona."

"Who the hell are you?" Ivona asked softly. "Daphne doesn't talk like that. What have they done to you?" She sounded confused and Damian had no intention of helping her understand how badly she'd been played.

"I'm Daphne," she insisted with a wicked smile.

"What's happened to you? When did you start being so...so...so mean?"

Daphne laughed and sat down. "I'm not mean. And you never noticed anything you didn't want to see. Mom said you were selfish and would never teach me anything the way she taught you. Now that's mean. You only think of yourself."

"What? No. I didn't want you to end up like me with no choices. You're smart, beautiful, and when you're older you can choose to be anything you want, and not be marked for this life. I only wanted you to have a chance to live first. If that's selfish, then I guess I am."

Daphne clapped and twisted her lips. "You're such a drama queen." She pointed at Ivona, whose face looked pale. "Why'd you come here? To steal my chance at being on top. You were jealous that I'd know more than you and would be more powerful, admit it."

Ivona frowned and took a step forward. "You sound just like Tara. She's really got you snowed." She shook her head. "I had no idea she'd been working on you all this time. If anyone's an actress, it's you. Because you had me fooled."

"Wasn't hard to do." Daphne crossed her legs and met Ivona's stare.

"So what now? You and mom are going to run the coven? Is that what all of this is about?"

"Yes, and other things. She wanted to control Lamia, and would've if you hadn't interfered.

"You're repeating yourself," Gem said. "Where's Lamia?"

Daphne waved her hand and dropped it next to her. "She's gone, tired, and didn't want to obey anymore." Pausing, she looked at Ivona. "Mom's worried about you."

"What do you mean?" Ivona asked. Raoul moved to stand next to her.

"You're stronger than her, that's why she ran when you arrived at her place. I'm hoping she won't wait until your friends leave to come after you. Now that she knows he's here, she may get careless." She tipped her head in Damian's direction.

"Who? Raoul?" Ivona pointed behind her.

"No. Him." She pointed at Damian. "You know she hated Gordon and his boy. She blames Gordon --"

"For the twins’ death," Ivona said, shaking her head.

"Yes, she loved them more than us, but they died and now she loves me." Daphne pointed at her chest.

"How'd you get his cross?" Gem asked.

"What?" Ivona said.

"Gordon's cross, it was in your bag, where'd you get it?" Gem asked.

"It's Tara's. I took it to use as a bargaining chip to get Daph."

Daphne snorted but didn't say anything.

Damian's brow rose. "
Seems like it's open season on me,
" he told Gem.

"You're just so popular these days. Are you buying this? The whole Agatha, Tara and Ivona BS?"

"Yeah, it makes sense and it smells right. You?"

"Yes, I just hate to be wrong about the kid. We got most of it wrong, Ivona told us Tara was her mother and Daphne her sister from the beginning, but we didn't believe her."

"Look at her mother, kid didn't stand a chance."

"My mother wouldn't win any prizes and you never had one, so it can't all be blamed on parents,
" she said.

"
True. If you'd met the men in my life growing up, you'd wonder how I'm standing, at least I wonder from time to time. The Goddess smiled and kept me sane, she sent Gordon into my life. It's a shame they blacken his memory with lies."

"He may have bragged about you, but I don't see how that's a killing offense,
" Gem said.

"Agreed.
"

Daphne stood, pulled her hands from her pockets while stepping forward. Dust flew everywhere. Damian coughed and everything went dark.

Chapter 34

Tara strode into Agatha's compound wearing a tailored white pantsuit. She was accompanied by a few servants. "Make sure guards are posted at the points on the maps and they aren't to move no matter what. I spent a lot of money on those body cameras, so make sure you're monitoring the screens at all times. I want no surprises."

"Yes, Mistress." The two men left and she continued down below. When she entered the code, the door opened and she gave her sister a mental high five on the modern dungeon.

"Mama," Daphne called, running forward and wrapping her arms around her waist. "I'm so glad you're here. You'd be so proud of me. I did just like you told me. We talked and talked until they were comfortable and then I used the dust." Looking up, the child laughed and it was a warm, delightful sound. "They fell like rocks; it was so funny."

Tara squeezed her and placed her arm around Daphne's shoulder. "What about the ones outside? Did you take care of them?"

"Yes, I pretended to be upset and when they came to the door, I blew the dust on them as well. Saffi was down the road with her servants and they came inside the gate and got them."

Pleased her plan had worked so far, Tara walked to the cells and looked at each person asleep in the cells. When she reached Damian, she stared at him for a few moments and then opened the door. She took a box from her bag. Inside were two metal cuffs she'd taken from Gordon's along with the cross she'd given him. She placed the cuffs on Damian's legs and stepped outside the cage.

"Get the bowl."

Daphne nodded and scampered to the cabinet.

Tara pulled out her gun and emptied a clip into Damian, hitting everywhere but his head. She didn't plan to kill him yet, just make him suffer. His body jerked as the bullets made contact. Blood ran from the wounds. Daphne took the bowl and placed it beneath the bench. When the blood slowed to a trickle, Tara's anger rose. "Damn wolf. Move it, we'll use it later. You can practice on him later." She waved to Daphne and relocked the door when the child left.

"Where did they put Ivona?"

Daphne placed the bowl on the table and pointed. "Down there. The first cell. I think Raoul's her boyfriend."

Tara looked toward the cell and smiled. "Really? There's someone the selfish bitch cares for?"

Daphne nodded.

"Good, I'll use that." She moved to the first cell and looked inside. Ivona lay on her side looking peaceful, reminding Tara of a time when they got along and had fun. Together they'd traveled, and when the twins came along, they were a family. In her heart she knew Ivona blamed her for the death of the boys, how could she not? Tara blamed herself. She'd told them about wolves and the pack. Over the years she'd pushed them to be as good as Gordon's projects, when no human could ever match the strength or speed of a full-blood. Gordon had warned her, tried to show her the differences, but she refused to listen. In the end they challenged a full-blood and lost. She'd told Ivona what the human police reported, that they'd been involved with a robbery, but the truth burned like acid in her heart daily.

She’d killed the two she loved most in the world, her grandsons.

"What are you going to do to her, Mama?" Daphne asked with a bit of excitement that concerned Tara. The child's moral compass had always been skewed, but lately she'd become too eager to see bloodshed and mayhem. Tara wondered if it had anything to do with the Lamia connection, or if the child had just been a bad seed.

"Who, your sister?" She reminded the child of their blood ties.

Daphne nodded. "She told them I was her daughter."

Tara sighed and looked down at Daphne. "Your sister had a daughter who'd be your age if she’d lived. The child died a couple days after her birth. Ivona was sick with fever, delirious, and when she came out of it, the child had been buried. She always assumed you were hers, as if I'd trick her about something like that."

Daphne shrugged. "I'm glad she's not my mother."

Tara wondered if the child lacked emotional empathy. And would she need to watch her back with this one as well.

They moved to the cage next to Ivona's. "This is her boyfriend?"

"Yes. Raoul. Kinda bossy, but nice."

"Hmm. I can see the appeal." She looked at his body with female appreciation. "She's got taste; I'll say that for her. He reminds me of the twins’ father, very handsome. And Ivona's daughter's father was a looker, too."

"Was Gordon my father?"

Tara started to lie as she normally did, but after today, it'd just be her and the kid. "No. He couldn't have children."

Daphne stared at her for a few moments and then nodded. "Okay." She pointed to the next cell. "What about the doctor? She was nice and helped when the Lamia was mean."

"Mean? You never mentioned that. What happened?" Tara held Daphne by the shoulders and was surprised when the child shrugged her hands off.

"Nothing, she wasn't nice, but she liked the doctor." They looked at the woman lying still on the bench.

"Well, that's something to consider."

"We should let her go," Daphne said.

"Why?" Tara wasn't accustomed to Daphne caring about anyone other than herself. Maybe there was some hope after all.

"She was nice to me."

"Okay, we'll consider that." Tara looked at her cell phone and read Saffi'smessage.
"
The equipment is her
e
."

Daphne cheered and ran toward the stairs.

Tara walked back to Ivona's cage and looked at her daughter one last time, wishing things could be different.

"Mom, come on," Daphne called.

Tara blew Ivona a kiss and left the room.

Damian heard the footsteps and released a low, rumbling growl. He couldn't shift to heal.
"Hawke
." He waited a few seconds.
"Hawke?
" Nothing. "
La Patron?"

A few seconds later La Patron responded, but the connection was weak and Damian barely heard him speak. "
We are being held somewhere by the witch Tara and Daphne.
" He told him everything he remembered.
"My wolf woke when the bullets hit, but I couldn't move or shift, and remained still."

"What kind of device did she put on you?"

"These cuffs she got from the Liege, they used them on those of us who'd been altered. It does something to the metal, locks them and prevents me from shifting."

"Damn, I had no idea those things existed. I need to talk to Hawke. Don't be surprised if your parents and Angus are on the next flight out."

Damian groaned. "
If there's a way to counteract the metal, I can shift and heal. One of the benefits of the metal is that I can't ever bleed out, it stops it somehow, but the bullet wounds are still open."

"Hang tight, I'll try to wake the doctor, and have Barticus wake Raoul and send reinforcements."

"Yes, Sir."

Damian breathed through the pain from the shots and tried to calm his beast.

"Damian?
" Gem sounded groggy. "
What happened? Are you in a cell too?"

"Yeah, probably next to you
." He told her what he heard.

"
La Patron said she shot you. Tara's here and she shot you while you were asleep? There's some kind of shackles on you?"

"Yeah."

"That witch. And Daphne? After everything we did to save her life... I... times like these, I don't know what to say. How can I help you?"

"Got anything for pain or that would help me heal?"

"A couple blockers in my pocket, but I don't know how to get them to you."

"It's okay. We need to act like we're still out of it anyway, to give Barticus' people time to get here."

"Right. Good idea.
"

A few moments later Raoul checked in.
"Barticus said Tara shot you while you were out."

"Yeah. Can't shift."

Raoul exhaled. "
This whole trip sucked. The kid... she did this, set us up. Unbelievable.
"

"
Yeah, she's a keeper, that one
," Damian said, remembering how cold Daphne sounded when she talked to Tara.

"
Anything I can do?"

"Remain still, let them think we're all still out of it, that'll buy some time for Barticus' people to get here."

"Yeah, he told me. I've never heard him so angry. Tara won't live to see tomorrow. He's declared war on the coven. La Patron contacted the other covens and explained they had better fix this or there would be nothing left standing in the next hour. If we can remain calm, ride it out…"

"I've got 12 bullets lodged inside and I can't shift, which means I feel each one. Don't expect calm from me, it's not going to happen,
" Damian snapped, and then arched his back in pain.

"Sorry, you know what I meant."

"Damian?"

"Sir?"

"Jasmine and I are going to merge with you to push the bullets out and start the healing. There'll be some warmth when we enter, maybe some tingling. First I'll connect with your beast and use his energy to help as well. There's pain involved and if it becomes too much, I'll put you to sleep."

"Yes, Sir and thank you, Sir."
Normally he wouldn't want help but the pain kicked his ass and made his beast miserable.

"My pleasure. We're starting now."

Fists and jaw clenched, he stared at the ceiling as the warmth entered his body. Once his beast calmed, the tension left his muscles and he relaxed his hands and jaw. He had no idea what to expect, so when the sound of metal hit the floor, it startled him. Small finger-like tickling sensations ran through his body. He bit his lip not to laugh as another piece of metal hit the floor, this time followed by some light burning.

"
Is that sound coming from you
?" Gem asked.

"
Yes, explain later."

"Oka
y."

He took a deep breath as metal pushed through his skin, burning and pulling from the inside. Squeezing his eyes tight and clenching his fist, he prayed the pain would stop soon. Sweat beaded on his brow as his chest lit on fire.

"Easy... easy now. A couple were deep and have a longer way to go
," La Patron said.

Damian took several short breaths while clenching and unclenching his fist. Three pings from the ground marked the end of intense pain for a moment. The door at the top of the stairs opened.

"Move quickly, we don't have much time, they are a few miles down the road. Toss those canisters to the side, I don't know why Agatha kept ceremonial water in those," Tara said. "Put the explosives here, near the steps and down at the end. Pity I didn't have a chance to play with Agatha's toys."

Damian heard the shuffle of feet and scraping sounds as something was drugged across the floor.

"Come, come. Release the dust, I don't want them waking anytime soon," Tara said.

"
Gem, take those blockers,"
he told her.

"
Already did, they won't get me this time.
"

He told La Patron about the dust falling on his face.

"We've got it and will push it out with the rest of the poison, don't worry."

"Raoul?"

"Barticus knows and is handling him."

Damian tried to relax but the explosives worried him. How would he help Gem and the others?

"Daphne, go to the boat while I get your sister."

"Why is she coming with us?"

"I can't leave her down here," Tara said. A door opened from above and then the cell door.

"Tara, come up here, now," Saffi yelled.

"Daphne, it's really important that we take Ivona with us, she can't be hurt from any of this, deals with blood-lines. I can’t explain it all now just know it'll go bad for us if she gets hurt from any of this. I need you to help her upstairs while the servants prepare the explosives. Just put her in this cart and take it to the elevator beyond the stairs. And hurry, we've got to get to the boat."

"Okay."

The sound of running feet and then silence.

"She always did like you more than me," Daphne muttered.

He heard Ivona groan and the sound of wheels moving on the floor. "You're nothing but trouble. I don't know why you have to come with us." A pause. "I'm done; you can set the trigger."

"
Sir, they set the trigger. I feel a lot better. I have to shift into my hybrid."

"Wait, let us get these last two and heal them, only take a minute."

Damian didn't think he had a minute.

Raoul and Gem had both shifted, he sensed their beasts and heard them slam against their cages repeatedly. His beast growled in anticipation of taking down their enemies.

"
What about the bands on your legs
?" La Patron asked.