Fifty-Four
THORNE
“You will kneel and she will rise. Her inevitable end bought by two, not one heart.”
The witch's prophecy rings in my ears while my mate backs away from me and runs. I don’t know what the right play is. Am I her end? That seed of doubt has grown in me since Jazzy gave me the prophecy and the roots of it keep me where I am. It makes me hesitate while Cassidy rages because what if this is me setting Cordelia free? I’ll do anything to keep her safe. Kneel a million times over broken glass if she asked me to. I almost do fall to my knees when she turns her back on me. Time slows when Cordelia runs and I know I’ve made the wrong decision. Letting her go is wrong, I don’t care if it’s only because I’m selfish, I’ll stand with her until the end even if it means I’m the one that meets the inevitable end. I’ll take her place no questions asked.
“Cordelia!” I yell and all hell breaks loose. Cassidy is tackled by her mother and dragged from the stage. I almost chase after my mate except for Morgana yelling for me.
“Enforcer!”
Hells.
This is fine. My mate is strong and capable. She’ll be fine. I’ll just keep a hold of the bond and track her after whatever this insane shit is with Cassidy. Even as I think the thoughts, they sound wrong to me. This is all seriously fucked.
“Gods fucking damnit.” I give Cordelia one last look and then grab Clover. “Find her.”
She nods. “Of course.” She grabs Piper and the two head out after Cordelia. I force myself forward even if my heart is screaming at me to go with Clover and Piper. Suffice to say, by the time I get to Morgana, I’m pissed.
“What thefuckwas that?” I ask. It’s not just our Beta. There’s a group now around her and Cassidy. They’re both on the ground and Morgana has her daughter’s hands behind her and has a knee planted in her back to keep her down.
“Mom! Get off of me. You don’t understand!”
“You’re spoiled and I did this. Are you-why would you do that? How could you, Cassidy?” Morgana looks close to tears but she doesn’t let them fall. She takes a deep breath and looks up at me. “I’m sorry, Thorne. I never thought she’d do this. I should have squashed her feelings for you. I never knew they’d become an obsession.”
“He loves me!” Cassidy screams.
The other Defenders around us shift uneasily and look at me. We’ve all known how Cassidy feels about me but never in a million years would I have thought she would have done this. I’m angry, fucking disgusted at what she’s done. How she turned the magic of what Cordelia and I had into chaos, but there’s no time for that.
I put my feelings aside and do the job I’m meant to as the Enforcer. “What do you know about the Frostclaw Heir?”
“She’s fucking him! You know that, right? She’s trash!”
“Where is he?”
“He told me everything about her!” That makes the crowd uneasy. Frostclaw means death and dying, it means destruction of our homes and the loss of our loved ones and Cassidy’s been talking to their Heir.
“You’ve been in contact with the Frostclaw Heir?”
“Yes! How else was I going to get that bitch out of here? She thinks she can takemylife?”
My wolf wants blood. The howl he lets out shakes the windows. Everyone that wasn’t already quiet falls silent. A few fall down into a crouch. I’m dimly aware of Ronan arriving. He doesn't say a word, just comes up beside me.
“Where is he?” I ask again. Ronan puts a hand on my shoulder. “Not answering me is treason. You’re harboring an enemy. Someone who means harm to this pack and to my mate.”
Cassidy squirms, tries to get up but Morgana keeps her down. “I’m not telling you.”
Morgana’s shoulders drop. “Cassidy, please don’t make me do this. Please.” We all hear the silent plea of a mother to a daughter in Morgana’s words but the Beta is just like me. Bound by duty to the pack she serves.
“Mommy, I’m right. You know I am.”
The Beta takes a deep breath. “Answer him, Cassidy.”
“No! I won’t do it.”
“Lock her up,” Morgana says softly. “Take her now. She’ll stay in the holding cells until her trial. Until that day, she’s shunned. No one sees or speaks to her.”
“What?” No, mommy! What are you doing?” Morgana moves off her daughter and lets the Defenders take her. Two of them pull her to her feet and start to drag her away. “You can’t do this! I did it for you, Thorne. I know you love me. You always have, stop lying!”
