Taliesin Ascendant (The Children and the Blood) (32 page)

“You going hiking?”

Heart hitting his throat, Cole spun. On the other side of the pump, the driver of the minivan grinned at him before returning his gaze to Lily. A Cubs baseball cap shaded his eyes and a souvenir t-shirt for the North Cascades stretched across his belly.

“Eh?” the tourist persisted, bending to catch Lily’s eye. In the van behind him, his children began arguing, their voices carrying through the open door. The man gave no sign of noticing the noise.

Clenching the staff tighter, Lily ducked behind Cole.

“She’s pretty shy, huh?” the man asked, smiling as he straightened again.

“Something like that.”

The pump clicked to a stop as the tank finally reached capacity. Attempting not to look anxious, Cole returned the nozzle to its slot.

“Nice talking to you,” the tourist said cheerily.

Working his face into an approximation of a smile, Cole nodded as he pulled the girl around the vehicle toward the passenger side door.

“Where are we going to–”

Lily cut off with a whimper. He looked over as she slumped to the ground, a small dart protruding from the pale skin of her neck.

His gaze snapped from the girl to the gas station, while his body dropped to grab her. Across the parking lot, he saw the bikers rise from their motorcycles in alarm.

“Hey, she alright?” one called.

Ignoring them, he pulled the door handle and then scooped Lily and the staff from the concrete. Peering around the gas pump, the tourist stared.

“What happened?” the portly man sputtered.

A woman and a man emerged from either side of the minivan.

“Hello Cole,” the woman said. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Her dark red lips curved into a polite smile as she tucked the tranquilizer gun back beneath the smooth lines of her jacket.

Cole froze. His gaze darted to the tourist and his kids as the two people calmly circled the gas pump and sedan. Crisp black suits with starched white shirts covered them both, and the woman’s heels clicked sharply on the pavement.

And no one gave any sign of noticing them.

“Come with us,” the woman said in the same courteous tone.

“Hey,” the biker called, coming closer. Concern fought with intense confusion on his face. “Is the kid okay?”

“Tell them she’s diabetic,” the woman instructed.

Magic crackled around her hand in implicit warning when he didn’t answer. He fought to keep from wincing, and watched her lips curve into another smile anyway.

“Now, Cole,” she pressured. “Or she dies in your arms.”

A second passed. The magic strengthened.

“She’s diabetic,” he called, not looking away from the wizard.

Brow furrowing, the biker paused before glancing back toward his friends. “Hey, call the paramedics, okay? Kid’s diabetic. And see what they got in the first aid kit inside.”

“I think we have some juice,” the tourist volunteered, hurrying back for his minivan.

The woman smiled again. “Now put the little human girl down and come with us.”

“No.”

“Do it, Cole,” she warned pleasantly. “We’d hate to have to force the situation.”

“Go to hell.”

The woman gave the man a brief look.

“Fine,” she said, razors edging her pleasant tone. “Keep the child. But move.”

Gritting his teeth, he glanced around, desperate for a way to draw attention back to them.

The other wizard made a low growl. “We will not ask again.”

Cole studied him. There was nothing in the man’s eyes. Bugs probably qualified for more compassion than the little girl.

His face like stone, Cole hefted Lily and the staff higher in his arms, and started away from the car. Smiling slightly, the woman took the lead while her counterpart fell in behind.

Reflexive cursing ran through his head as they rounded the minivan. A black limousine sat by the curb, its length obscured by the bulk of the bumper-stickered vehicle. Arms crossed, the driver leaned on the hood, and his mouth curved at the sight of them. Shrugging away from the limo, the man crossed to the door and held it open as they approached.

“Welcome back,” the driver said dryly.

The woman’s hand on his shoulder pulled Cole up short. Amused expression unchanged, the driver stepped forward and patted him down swiftly, and then jerked his chin at the staff.

“Lose the stick.”

Cole shook his head. “It’s hers.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m not leaving it.”

The woman made a small motion. The driver gave Cole a disgusted look. “Whatever. Get in.”

Jaw muscles jumping, Cole lowered Lily into the vehicle and then climbed in after her. Shifting the little girl on the seat and pushing the staff back into the corner, he put himself between Lily and the wizards as they joined him inside.

With a dull thud, the limousine door shut, sealing off the noise of the gas station. Through the smoked windows, he could see the bikers looking around while, clutching a juice box, the tourist circled their sedan in bafflement.

The seats vibrated slightly as the engine turned over, and a moment later, the vehicle quivered as the driver put it into gear. Crossing her legs delicately, the woman regarded him with a hint of a smile as the limo returned to the country road. No expression dared come near the face of the man beside her.

Anger and frustration beat a throbbing duet in the back of his head as the gas station disappeared in the distance. Still eyeing the wizards, he eased over and tugged the dart from Lily’s neck. A droplet of blood welled from the small wound, making his hand tremble with rage. Drawing a slow breath, he fought to keep his face from giving any sign.

“Here,” the woman said, extending a tissue to him.

He didn’t move.

“Oh, come now,” she chided.

With careful control, he took the tissue and then wiped Lily’s neck clean.

“Your concern is touching,” the woman told him. At her side, the other wizard snorted.

Cole ignored them. Gently, he felt for the girl’s pulse as he wracked his mind for ways to wake her. Between Lily and the staff, they just might stand a chance of getting out of here.

He struggled not to grimace, hating himself for the thought. One instance of the kid going nuclear and here he was, thinking of using her like a weapon all over again. It was sick. Stupid. There had to be a better plan.

It’d still really help to have her awake.

“You know,” the woman offered conversationally. “She’s going to be out for hours. The sedative is quite strong.”

He said nothing. Resting his arm across the girl, he began gently rubbing her shoulder, hoping the minor contact would draw her back.

“Whatever tie you have to this little human,” she continued. “You really ought to think of how much safer she’d be if you let us leave her somewhere. Considering our magic could accidentally hurt her and all.”

His gaze flicked up to the woman. Smiling pleasantly, she raised an eyebrow at him.

“What do you want?” he asked quietly.

“Just your cooperation.”

When he didn’t respond, she sighed. “The council wants to help you, Cole. They understand you’re more aware of what’s going on, though some of the intricacies might not be clear just yet. But they appreciate you’re an adult, same as them. They’d like to work with you.” She smiled again. “For all our benefit.”

He glanced between her and the other wizard. In spite of himself, a humorless laugh slipped out.

“And how’s that work? I don’t listen, you kill me like you did my dad?” He paused. “The king of Taliesin?”

She hesitated and then her gaze dropped to her lap, a hint of ruefulness in her expression. “What happened with your father was regrettable, Cole. More than you can possibly know.”

The cold laugh escaped again. He was having trouble stopping it, and wasn’t sure he cared.

“Regrettable,” he repeated. “What? Murdering him? Shooting my mother in front of me? You regret that?”

“We didn’t kill your mother, you stupid boy,” the other wizard interjected disgustedly.

Cole’s gaze darted over to him.

“Your loving father took care of that. And as for Victor…” the man scoffed. “You think we whacked our own king, is that it?”

“Quinton,” the woman warned. “The council should be the ones–”

“Screw the council, Vivian. Edmund’s dead because this kid went off to find answers about mommy and daddy.”

The woman’s face took on an icy cast at the mention of the man who’d pretended to be Cole’s counselor for years. Wordlessly, she turned away.

“We had no magic, moron,” Quinton continued to him. “Nothing to defend ourselves against a bunch of Merlin who’d be out for blood if we dared kill any of their own. Kidnapping’s one thing, but murder? We tranked your mom, same as your little human there. We just wanted to take you, not start a war. Honestly, you really think we’d risk what those Merlin would’ve done, just to make a point to your daddy?”

“And what point was that?” Cole asked quietly, watching the man.

“Not to go out of control,” Quinton answered. “Though obviously, he didn’t get the message. The man was a loose cannon. He wanted power and he’d do anything to get it. Victor assassinated the Merlin king and his whole damn family just to get his magic back, and when that was done, he went ahead and eliminated your mother simply because he didn’t need her anymore. He only married her for information on Merlin, and probably only had you in the hope that mingling his bloodline with a Merlin’s would break the spell.” He gave a mocking laugh. “You should thank us for getting you out of there before he killed you too.”

Barely breathing with the effort of not ripping the man’s throat out, Cole shook his head. “Bullshit,” he whispered.

Quinton scoffed. “Whatever, kid. Doesn’t change what’s true. Your dad murdered your mom, and the Merlin royal family to boot. He sided with insurrectionists hell-bent on overthrowing the council, just to gain more power than he’d had to start. Your dad was a monster, boy. And he made himself and his buddies into something even worse when he killed the Merlin king.”

Cole realized some hint of expression must have shown through, because the man paused. “Oh, you’ve seen them? Yeah, we don’t spread that around much, you cripple’s ability to somehow spot what your daddy made. What those insurrectionists became when they blew up the Merlin royal family on Christmas Eve. And before you think of scampering off to join the bastards who killed Ethel, Edmund and half our damn team in this past year alone, you ought to know that once your dad’s buddies had their magic back, they decided they didn’t really want a ruler after all. They got rid of Victor too. Big bloodbath, that was. Disgusting. And in the end, your daddy was toast.”

“You’re lying.”

“You wish. We couldn’t have gained shit from killing your mom, and even if we’d wanted to, we never had a chance to take out your dad. But you believe whatever you want.”

He was shaking, though Cole was fairly certain his motionless body gave no sign. But tremors vibrated through his stomach while his mind spun. He’d known his dad. Victor had loved Clara. Loved Cole. If there was only one thing left in the world of which he was unequivocally certain, it was that his father would have moved earth, heaven and hell for his wife and son.

And as for the rest, there was no way… just no way at all…

His head felt like it was going to explode every time his heart beat.

“So why keep me around?” he asked, his voice still quiet. Controlled. Careful. Because this was garbage from beginning to end, and the minute Lily woke up, the bastards would regret every word.

His conscience whispered at the edge of his rage, but he shoved the noise of it away.

“Why do all this?” he finished, glancing illustratively to the limousine.

Quinton chuckled again. “Because unlike your daddy’s friends, we’re
not
monsters. Merlin and Taliesin, we’ve both got one bloodline with the ability to bind magic and recreate what was done five hundred years ago to your ancestors and mine. And guess who that trait belongs to? The royals. King Patrick, his lot, and you. Now your daddy’s friends, they’d probably do God knows what to make a cripple like you share those genetics around. Maybe you’d get the chance to enjoy it. Or maybe they’d put you in a coma till they didn’t need you anymore. They’re not the nicest folks, after all, and they just want to get their hands on that power and keep it under their control. But us? We were more interested in giving you a life worth living. Family, friends, all that rot. And while you grew up in luxury, we risked our lives to keep your ass safe, hoping that if you turned out smart enough, you’d side with us when we brought you into the loop, rather than the folks who made your daddy into charcoal.”

Silence fell over the car. With a glance to Quinton, Vivian leaned forward. “You saw what they did to Edmund, didn’t you?”

His gaze snapped to her, his rage mounting higher at the faux concern in her voice. As though she knew that’d been hard, and actually cared.

“We’re trying to protect you, Cole,” she continued. “The council. All of us. You’ve only seen the barest hints of what the Blood can do.”

Unable to stand her tone, he looked away, and his gaze caught on Lily. Daughter of King Patrick. Last of the Merlin royal family.

The trembling grew stronger.

They were liars. Every day of his life they’d lied, starting from the moment they took him. Believing anything they said now would just distract him and make him a fool.

He closed his eyes, fighting to push everything from his mind but the goal of escape.

“We’re here to keep you safe,” Vivian said. “So cooperate with us. With the council. Leave the girl and let us–”

“No.”

The word slipped out before he could stop it, and it took everything he had to keep his expression controlled as he looked back at her.

“She stays with me.”

Frustration tinged the woman’s face as she glanced to Quinton. The man had no such problem, and just rolled his eyes in disgust.

“I watched her family get killed,” Cole said, spinning the tale without looking away from Vivian. “A couple of fighting wizards who didn’t care who they hurt. I promised I’d take care of her.” He paused, forcing himself to speak the words and stomach the lie, even if only for now. “So fine. I’ll work with you. I’m not too interested in dealing with the folks who put Edmund through a car. But you make me a liar to this girl, and I’ll make sure no one has a hope in hell of getting their hands on my bloodline. You understand me?”