“I know how hard this must be for you, but we can’t do this without you.”
“You know nothing, boy.” There isn’t venom in his voice, only resignation.
“I know what it’s like to care about someone so much, you’d do anything for them. Lie. Steal. Kill. Even lay down your own life.”
Cassian regards me but doesn’t snap back. I take that as a good sign.
“If Aurelia were here, what would she want you to do?” I ask quietly.
His face crumples.
“You lost her, and maybe it’s not fair of me to ask, but I’m doing it anyway. If you don’t care about saving this world or the other, at least help me save the woman I care—” I cut myself off as something simple slips into place. Something enviable and right.
Haven isn’t just someone I care about. It’s more than that. And if I want Cassian’s help, I have to lay it all out on the line.
“Help me save the woman I’m falling in love with.”
I shut the door behind me to let Cassian gather anything he wants to take with him.
“We have a guest,” Talon says, and when I look over, Kade steps out from behind him.
“Didn’t take you as one to go rogue,” he says, a frown pulling down his features.
I cross my arms over my chest, assessing the Order leader. “You have a mole in your organization,” I say bluntly.
Kade nods, his thick locs swaying with the movement. “I know. We found him. He’s been handled.”
My eyebrows shoot up my forehead and I glance at Talon, trying to read what he thinks of this news, but his face is unreadable. That in and of itself tells me all I need to know.
Talon isn’t willing to take Kade at his word any more than I am.
I like the guy, despite the fact he imprisoned me when we first met, but I’m not taking any chances with Haven’s life.
“Who was it?” I ask, acting like I believe him.
His face hardens before he says, “Ares.”
“What?” I ask, dropping the pretense. The powerful fae seemed as loyal as they come, practically Kade’s second. To say I’m shocked is an understatement.
Talon manages to keep his reaction mostly in check, but I notice a slight widening of his eyes, betraying his surprise as well.
“Yeah,” Kade says, suddenly looking tired.
“How did you find out?” I ask, still reeling.
Kade sighs. “We realized one of the vampire clans had his sister. They held her hostage, threatened to bleed her dry if Ares didn’t provide them with intel they then passed on to the demon. Ares is being held in the subbase floor of the Order.”
I’m familiar with that level. That’s where they held me. If they put magic-blocking cuffs on him, I’m confident he’s not going anywhere until they want him to.
“And his sister?” I ask.
Kade’s features pinch and he shakes his head. “We tried to get her out, but once they realized Ares was compromised, they killed her. Her body washed up downriver yesterday.”
Talon cusses under his breath, and then asks, “What do you plan to do with him?”
“I don’t know,” Kade says. “Ares has been loyal to the Order for so many years, but something like this can’t go unexcused. People died because of this betrayal.”
I want to be mad at the redheaded fae for his deception—and I am; Haven and I were almost killed because of his actions—but they had his sister. I can relate with letting the world burn to protect the ones you love, even if it’s wrong.
