The Sacrifice (20 page)

Oz
shook his head, heat flooding his face. “
No, I don’
t think I
will.”

Vind
’
s
head tilted toward him. “Now Oz, we both know you
’
re
a boy scout and must do everything by the book. Besides, my people know exactly
where I am. I
’
m meeting them here. If you care anything for the
humans in this town, you will let me go.”

“Not
a chance, asshole. I can call in enough Protectors to keep this town safe.” As
the words left his mouth, Oz
’
s gut continued to nag him that this was a set-up.
“We need to finish this at the compound. Kam, go find Declan and notify the
others to start searching for whoever
’
s with Vind. Miles,
you come with me.”

Oz and Miles transported Vind out of
the alley. Once they were inside the compound, they took him to the cells and
locked him in.

Miles glared at Vind with disgust. “I
still think we need to kill him.”

“Trust
me,” Oz growled. “He
’
ll get what
’
s coming to him.”

Cy
woke to his phone ringing. Riana lay asleep in his arms. He looked at the dim
light peeking around the curtains. It was barely dawn. Who
’
d
be calling this early? He didn
’
t want to wake her. They
’
d
only been asleep for a couple of hours. Last night was everything an engagement
should be, and more. Well, except for the unexpected dip into freezing lake
water.

He eased from the bed, grabbed the
phone, and headed into the other room. He answered without looking at caller
ID. “This better be important,” he growled.

“It
is,” Oz said. “We captured Vind last night. He
’
s locked in a holding
cell.”

Cy
didn
’
t reply.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Are
you sure it
’
s him?”

“Yes,
I
’
m sure it
’
s him. Do you
actually think I wouldn
’
t know him? I practically helped raise the two of
you.”

“Of
course you would. I
’
m sorry, Oz. It
’
s taking a minute for
this to sink in. After all this time it
’
s hard to believe we
have him in custody.”

“I
know. That
’
s what bothers me. We need to talk. Can you meet
me in my office?”

“I
’
ll
be there in five.”

Cy eased back into the bedroom to grab
his clothes. He hesitated by the bed and took in the sight of his beautiful
life-mate peacefully sleeping. Her hand rested on the pillow. Her long, slender
fingers adorned with his ring. “I love you,” he whispered.

He
took a pad from the drawer and left a note on his pillow. He didn
’
t
want her to wake alone and worry.

Five minutes later Cy entered Oz
’
s
office. “You look like hell.”

Oz
scrubbed his hands over raspy whiskers as if to wipe away his fatigue. “Yeah,
well, you should see it from this side. I
’
ve been up all night
notifying the other chapters. Once Vind
’
s people realize he
’
s
missing, they
will
attack. We need to be ready. On a lighter note, how
did your night go? Are you going to be my son-in-law?”

Cy smiled. “It was perfect. And yes I
am.”

“Good. You both deserve some
happiness.”

Cy lowered himself into the chair
across from Oz. “How did you end up capturing Vind?”

As
Oz shook his head, his lips thinned. “That
’
s what I
’
ve
been asking myself all night. Miles and Kam found him hanging out downtown. The
weird part, he was completely alone. They called me, and Vind practically
walked right into my hands. He hardly put up a fight. It almost felt as if he
were trying to get caught.”

Cy
’
s
brows drew together. “Where were his guards? He couldn
’
t
have been alone?”

“
I don’
t know. He said he was meeting some of his men. And made some idle
threats about them knowing where he was. I called in the west coast Protectors
to guard the compound while our guys searched the entire night. Everyone came
up empty handed.”

“If
Vind walked into our town alone, without backup, something
’
s
definitely going on. All hell
’
s about to break loose.”

“My
thoughts exactly,” Oz said. “We need to get this class out of here and let them
come back later to finish their last week of training. It
’
s
the only way to ensure their safety.”

“I
agree. Everyone needs to be out by noon. I have a meeting with the council this
morning. I
’
ll let them know we have Vind. They can set up a
time to charge him with his crimes.”

Oz
stared with unseeing eyes at the center of his desk. “You know they
’
ll
vote in favor of execution.”

“He
deserves no less. I
’
m just worried what this will do to mother. Even
though she knows everything he
’
s done, issuing an order to kill your child would
be hard for anyone.”

“And
what about you?” Oz asked. “What
’
s this going to do to you?”

“Just
because he
’
s my twin, doesn
’
t mean I give a shit.
The last time I cared what happened to him, we were kids. Even then he was
cruel to me. I would
’
ve given anything if he had shown me an ounce of
kindness. The day father named me as his successor was the day I gave up and
saw Vind for the jealous, petty brat he
’
s always been.”

“That sent his jealousy into
overdrive,” Oz said.

“I
’
d
dealt with it my whole life. But when his cruelty became focused on others, I
realized he
’
d eventually have to die. As Protectors, we swore
to keep Sivadians and everyone else on this planet safe from his cruelty. There
’
s
only one way to do that. Destroy Vind and his followers. Now that I
’
ve
found Riana, we
’
ll have children someday and I
’
m
more determined than ever to rid this planet of him.”

“I
’
m
sorry, Cy.”

“No
need to be. Vind brought this on himself. He started this war, and stopping it
is
way
past due. He’
s ended thousands of lives, for no other reason
than to satisfy his sadistic addiction to blood. It backfired on him with the
witches. If he
’
d been able to compel supernatural beings, a lot
more would
’
ve died so his army could gorge themselves on
blood of the innocent.”

Cy
paced the office as horrible visions of the past flooded his mind. “So yes, I
will
execute my brother. If for nothing else, then for the atrocities he inflicted
on all those people. Not to mention the lives of our females and the families
he
’
s destroyed by abducting them.”

Cy
stopped, realizing the more he talked the angrier he became. Almost to the point
of raising his voice, something he seldom did. “I
’
ll
meet you back here in a few hours. After the council meeting, I
’
ll
go tell mother what
’
s going on. She
’
ll need to increase
security at her palace.

Getting the girls out of here is my
top priority,” Oz replied.

“It
may take longer, but we should send a Protector to escort each girl home. If
Vind
’
s people are watching the compound, it
’
d
be easy for them to follow and abduct them.”

Cy
hesitated and ran his hand through his hair. He needed to get Riana home, but
he didn
’
t trust her safety with anyone other than himself
or Oz. And Oz needed to remain here to oversee everything. If he cut the
meeting short and made a quick trip by his mothers, he
’
d
be back within two hours.

“Oz,
would you tell Riana to stay inside her quarters until I get back? Then I
’
ll
take her and Elle home myself. I want to check out her place and make sure it
’
s
secure.”

“She
’
ll
be fine. I stationed Protectors throughout the property
’
s
perimeter. And there
’
s more on the way.”

Oz released a heavy sigh and grabbed
the phone on his desk. “I sent Analae home last night after we returned with
Vind, not thinking about feeders watching for females leaving.”

Oz
’
s
demeanor changed when Analae answered the phone. “When you get home from work,
I
’
ll come by to check out your security system.” Oz
laughed at something she said. “I
’
ll see you this evening.”

“Sounds
like she
’
s fine. If there
’
s trouble before I
return, call.”

Cy
had time before his meeting to go by the cells. He
’
d
dreamed of seeing Vind behind bars since his coronation day when Vind had
attempted to kill him. Afterwards, they discovered Vind had led raids on
villages to feed on humans, which started the war. Since the day his brother
buried his dagger to the hilt in Cy
’
s back, he
’
d
never had the chance to look into Vind
’
s heartless eyes.

 Cy
entered the building used for temporarily holding prisoners and told the guard
to take a break. What he had to say to his brother was private, and he
preferred to keep the truth about his identity quiet for as long as possible.
Even though they were identical twins, Cy figured Vind turning feeder had
changed his appearance some. But it wouldn
’
t be hard for someone
to realize how much they favored and put it together.

Vind
stood as Cy stopped outside his cell. “Hello, brother.” The last word was
filled with venom. “I was beginning to think you wouldn
’
t
be brave enough to face me during my stay.”

Cy
’
s
lip curled of its own accord. “Well, it does turn my stomach to look at you.
But I decided it was worth it to see you behind bars. You sound as if you
’
re
on a short holiday and leaving soon. Trust me, Vind. This is no holiday,
although I do plan for your stay to be as short as possible. I
’
m
headed to the council now to ensure a speedy trial and execution.”

Vind
’
s
eyes widened and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. “Why, brother.
Are you planning to end my life? I
’
m not the one who
forced our race to live off of dull, lifeless, blood all these years. It is you
and mother who should be punished. I never understood how you could turn your
backs on your own race, and for what, to protect humans? They
’
re
a worthless species. Every motive they have is self-serving.”