The Fabled (33 page)

“I love you, father.”

“And I you, daughter.”

He released me and Roman took his place with
Tristan at his side. We walked out to Roman’s car and Aery was
quick to give me back Phae before we left. She agreed to meet me at
Roman’s house so we could discuss arrangements for the baby.

“I don’t even have a car seat,” I told Roman
as we got in the car.

“We’ll add that to the to-do list. For now,
I’ll be careful not that she couldn’t survive a car crash.”

“You never know. I wouldn’t want anything to
happen to her.”

“I’ll call Charles and ask him to get
one.”

I froze. He didn’t know. How could I forget
to tell him?

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It was Charles. He was following Desiree’s
orders.”

“What? What was…?” He paused as he put it
together. “He arranged your capture?”

“At Desiree’s demand. Didn’t you find it
convenient that she asked to speak with you and during that time I
was kidnapped? She planned the whole thing because she’s jealous of
us. She’s been working with Neil Niobe the whole time. Using
Charles to capture Vamps for his stupid experiments.”

“No. She would never hurt me like that. She
knows what you mean to me.”

“Exactly. I don’t know what your relationship
is with your sister but she feels more than any sister should about
her brother. She wants you to herself and she knows I’m her top
competition. It wasn’t about hurting you. It was about winning you.
Does Charles know you came here today?”

“No. I didn’t have time to tell him. Lucian
called last night and I met with him at his house. We spent the
night trying to locate this facility. Then today prepping. He only
knows that I received news about you. Not what the news was.”

“Then I think you should have a long
heartfelt conversation with Charles as soon as we get back.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“
Time for a history lesson”

Aery and Gabriel were waiting for us at the
gate to Roman’s estate when we arrived. It must be nice to be able
to teleport where ever you want. Sure Lucian could do it but that
didn’t mean he would be willing to take me where ever I wanted to
go whenever I wanted.

Roman had called Charles on the way home and
asked him to meet him at the house. He told him Lucian believed to
have a bead on where I might be and he needed Charles to help him
form a rescue party. Charles seemed to buy it and agreed to meet
Roman at his home as quickly as possible. Then he called Carly and
informed her of what was really going on.

Baby Phae had fallen asleep on the ride home
so I put her in one of the upstairs rooms. Boy, I’m going to need
to go on a shopping spree to get all the things needed for a baby.
I don’t even know if I can handle a baby right now. Hell, I haven’t
even had the time to consider the responsibility of taking on this
baby right now. Before I can really do any of that I have to take
care of the threat still out there. That threat being Desiree. My
sword hand was itching. I think I’ll use her head to scratch
it.

Twenty minutes later Charles pulled into the
drive. Aery agreed to watch the baby while we took care of
business. So I went downstairs to greet our guest. As I came down
the stairs I noted how odd it was to be in Roman’s home for the
first time under such unusual circumstances. I would have much
rather been invited here instead of brought here for my own
protection. Oh well, I guess life seldom goes as planned.

Charles entered the foyer as I descended the
last steps of the stairway.

“Hello Charles.”

“Sunny.” He turned to Roman. “So I guess
this isn’t as much about trying to find her as it is you punishing
me for following my mistress’ commands.”

“Punishment? There will be no punishment.”
Roman sounded unnaturally calm as he spoke.

Carly entered the door behind Charles.
Effectively cutting off his means of escape.

“Ah, so you intend just to kill me.”

“Not so fast,” I interjected. “Tell me where
she is.”

He laughed. “Why would I do that?”

“She has been having you target young Vamps
to be tortured by Humans. Surely you see how insane she is.”

“I don’t question my mistress’ orders.”

“Like when she ordered you to come spy on
Roman.”

“If it is my mistress’ wish.”

“Why didn’t you turn me over before? Hell,
you could have driven me home while I was drunk. I wouldn’t have
been able to put up much of a fight.”

“My mistress was waiting. She had planned to
have the incubus finish you but he couldn’t get you alone. Not that
he really tried. When she heard of your union at the wedding she
couldn’t wait any longer. As I said, my mistress’ wish is mine to
follow.”

Roman nodded to Carly and she grabbed
Charles by the throat. He led them down a set of stairs that I
could only assume ended in a basement. I didn’t follow. Charles
wasn’t the one I wanted to hurt. Desiree was the center of my
vengeance. She would hurt like I have hurt. I would make her pay
for every life her selfishness has taken.

Roman joined me a minute later. He wrapped
me in his arms and I breathed in his scent. After a minute I pulled
back and looked at him.

“Call Desiree and arrange a meeting.”

“I already tried but she’s not
answering.”

“Do you know where she lives?”

He nodded.

“I guess it’s time to pay dear little sis a
visit.”

“Perhaps you should stay here and rest.”

“Why? So you can let her feed you some sob
story about how it wasn’t her fault. She is a ruthless killer
Roman.”

“I know she is but it isn’t her fault.”

“Like hell it isn’t. I don’t see anyone
forcing her hand.”

He walked over to a window and looked out
into the evening. “It was her sire that made her like this.”

“You mean your sire.”

He turned back to look at me. “No, I mean
her sire.”

I shook my head. I thought he said she was
his sister. “Okay, I think it’s time you told me what the hell
happened to your sire. Killian said you killed him. Now you’re
telling me your sister didn’t have the same sire as you. I need to
know what happened.”

“Judas Severus was not my sire. He was my
sire’s brother. My grandsire, Nero, had created two children. The
first was Judas and then many years later he made my sire, Titus.
From what my grandsire has told me, Judas was always jealous of
Titus because where Judas was a scholar Titus was a warrior. Judas
knew his brother could best him and there was nothing his knowledge
could do to change that. Anyway they had went their separate ways
centuries before I was made.

“Titus had found me on the battlefield. He
later told me he had watched me for some time. I was the
unstoppable Roman. There was not an opponent alive capable of
besting me. My sire knew it was only a matter of time and all it
took was an arrow from an archers bow to bring me to my knees
during battle. Afterward he scoured the battle site and found me
barely alive. He made me his child and showed me another way to
live. Where I was used to brutal warriors who were just as likely
to kill you as help you Titus was different. He actually cared for
me.

“It was only two years after I was turned
that Judas found us. He killed my sire in his sleep and took me as
his own. He knew with me he could eliminate any foe. I was his
champion and that is how he treated me. Not like his child but like
his possession. After a couple of centuries I could not continue. I
didn’t want to carry on. That is when he created Desiree. She was a
working girl at one of the bordellos. He claimed to have made her
for me but I know it was to control me. He knew I would care for
her as a sister and I would want to protect her. That is why he
created her.

“He didn’t treat her as a sire should treat
his child. She told me once that when she first opened her eyes
after her turning he was finishing inside her. He often used her in
such a way and he is the one that taught her to use her body as a
means to get what she wants. What he wanted. For centuries he would
send her to various men to obtain whatever he wished and she would
do it. Gathering information or possessions. It didn’t matter to
him. She was a tool for him to use and because of this I stayed as
his tool as well.”

“Is that why you killed him?”

He nodded. “Lucian came to me. He told me of
Judas’ plan to kill Augustus and rule the Vampere. Lucian did not
want that. As bad as Augustus is, he is nothing compared to my
sire. Lucian gave me the means to kill him once and for all. To
free my sister and myself. It was after that task was finished that
Lucian gave me the elixir I used on you. He told me he had a vision
I would meet a Human who would become important to both of us and
that I would know her when I saw her. He did warn me to make sure
you were in agreeance but you already know how that turned
out.”

“I can understand why you killed Judas. He
sounds like a monster but he isn’t controlling Desiree any longer.
She is a centuries old Vampere capable of making her own choices
and she made the wrong ones. Do you know why she began turning over
her own kind to the Humans? Because Neil promised to make her ruler
of the Vampere once he rid the race of the weak ones. It sounds
like she’s following in Judas’ footprints.”

He shook his head. “I tried many times to
get her to leave with me but she wouldn’t. She said she loved him
and he couldn’t live without us. I told her he loved no one but
himself but she wouldn’t listen.”

I hugged him tight. “It’s not your fault
Roman. You did all that you could.”

“She told me she hated me after I killed him
but then she came to me in the dead of night and begged me to
forgive her. She just wants to be loved. I believe perhaps our
father’s death hurt her more than helped.”

“I don’t know about that but I do know she
needs to be stopped. She turned me over to people she knew would
torture me. She turned over young Vampere that weren’t able to
defend themselves. All because she wanted power. I have to stop
her, Roman. I understand if you don’t want to be a part of it but I
can’t have you interfering. I’m going to see if Doyle can arrange a
meeting with her.”

He pulled back and looked at me. “You will
not! That demon cannot be trusted. You think he has changed but it
is just an act he plays for you. You don’t know him truly. You
don’t know the things he is capable of. The things he did when he
was at my sister’s side.”

“Roman, I have known Doyle for the last
fifteen years. I know he will never betray me.”

“I refuse it.”

“You don’t control me. I think this would be
the best way.”

“No. I will bring you with me to her home.
We will end it there.”

“Fine. But if that doesn’t work, I’m calling
Doyle.”

He said nothing.

An hour later we knocked on Desiree’s door.
She lived in the penthouse of a high-rise apartment building in New
York. Why doesn’t it surprise me she lives in New York? She’s
definitely got the cut-throat attitude for it. When she didn’t
answer Roman pulled out a set of keys and let us in. I raised a
brow and he looked at me questioningly but I moved on into the
apartment without saying anything.

She wasn’t in the open living room/kitchen
area so I moved down the hall to the spacious bedroom. There were
clothes thrown on the bed and shoes scattered in the closet with
several empty spaces where pairs had been.

“I’m pretty sure she won’t be coming back
here. It looks like she packed what she needed and left.”

Roman nodded. “Her car was in the
garage.”

“She probably figured you could track it so
she left it behind.”

He sighed.

“I’m sorry Roman. This should be the final
confirmation for you. She is running because she knows she’s going
to be hunted down by the council.”

He nodded again and we left. I had Roman
stop by a baby supply store to gather the basics of what we would
need to take care of Phae. It felt wrong somehow to be baby
shopping while we were hunting for Roman’s sister to kill but
babies need diapers. There’s no avoiding it.

After dropping the supplies off with Aery
and Gabriel we went to Lucian’s so I could bring him up to speed on
everything. Brennan practically knocked me down as I walked through
the door.

She hugged me until my ribs cracked then
pulled back to look at me. “You stupid bitch. You had me so
worried. How could you do that to me?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose I assure
you.”

“I’m done being stuck here with Mr.
I’m-not-going-to-tell-you-anything. Take me with you.”

“Well the problem with that is I’m at
Roman’s right now because I don’t think it’s safe at my house.”

“He’s rich. I’m sure he has a big enough
house for me too.”

“And he has several other people he’s taken
in right now. There’s baby Phaedra and Aerystasia and Gabriel. Plus
Tristan’s still there.”

“Whoa. What about a baby? And isn’t
Aery-whatever supposed to be that super powerful, crazy
oracle.”

“She’s still super powerful but less crazy
these days. I helped her find her soulmate and in return she helped
me escape and now she’s helping me with the baby. She’s a Phoenix
by the way. The whole reborn thing. It’s super cool.”

“Damn. I miss all the fun.”

“Listen. After this is all over I will take
you to meet your grandfather like I promised. You are more than
welcome to come live with me if you’d like or you can give your
gramps a try either way you are always welcome with me. But if you
come to Roman’s now, I can’t promise you won’t be on baby duty with
the ex-crazy oracle.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, since you put it
that way. No, on second thought I still want to come. Someone’s got
to keep Tristan company while you two go at it or hunt down some
evil.”