Page 66 of Birthright

“Bites.”

“Bites?”

“There are several stab wounds, but the bites are definitely Gremlin.” She started to pace again. “Jordan will give me a full report later. I’d ask you to join us…”

“I can manage this, Doran. I have to be part of this.”

“I can’t have this investigation fumbled because you can’t control your—” She took in a deep breath. I looked down, embarrassed that she knew about it already as well. I hated the fact that everybody knew every fucking thing about my life at that moment.

“How does everybody know about this?” No one answered. It didn’t matter. “I’ll control it, Doran. I can’t sit back and let this go. I have to be a part of it. I have to help Manus.”

“You can’t control it, Keena.” She held my gaze. “You’ll help Manus by being at his side. I’ll take care of the investigation. You are not to go off and take this into your own hands. I’ll not have you endangering anyone else as you did on your little trip to Thule.”

“He’s hurt because of me, Doran,” I said.

She spun and stepped closer, the blank gaze gone, replaced with anger, maybe disappointment. I couldn’t tell. “He’s hurt because he left your side in public. He’s hurt because he was trying to placate your sensibilities to sex.” She turned away again.

I was stunned. He should have left the club with me. He didn’t because he thought Jordan and I had left together. Fuck. Abbey hugged me tighter. Her face was buried in my shoulder and I felt her start to shake. I rubbed her back, more for my comfort than hers.

Doran turned back to me. “I’m sorry, Keena. That wasn’t fair.”

“But it’s true.” I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and closed my eyes. “I’ll figure out what to do about my…sensibilities.” I didn’t exactly know what. I couldn’t continue this way either. My body running my mind was unacceptable. Things were too messed up. Feldema and I still had to fight on All Hallows’. I had to deal with the fact that I couldn’t fulfill my bargain with Karackos, and the Slaugh were getting restless without their king or Nessum. All this—and all my brain could concentrate on was my libido. I had to get myself through this.

We were all quiet again, listening to the soothing chants of Bevin and her coven.

I thought back to my human life, to my old job. I led a large group of computer geeks through impossible deadlines and months of overtime and stress. I was the organizer, the motivation for the group. I was the one who held everyone else together. Why was it that now I felt like I was the one who needed to be held together? I had lost my ability to manage and control.

Here, things were life and death instead of the threat of a loss in the stock market, but the situations called for the same leadership and skills. Stop and analyze the situation and put together a plan of action. I could do that. I had to have the same faith in myself here, as Keena, as I had in Mary Hughes in the business world.

I had to…for Manus and for myself. I had to take control.

CHAPTER 28

The door to Manus’s room opened slightly, and Bevin shuffled out. Her huge gray bun was tousled and hanging so low to one side that it covered her ear. Tendrils of hair fell to the other side of her face. She looked up at us and gave the smallest of smiles. Not a happy one that would have made her eyes sparkle, but a tiny twist at the edges of her lips. I let out a big breath.

Doran went to her. They embraced hands. “He’ll live.” Her voice was soft and tired. “He got cut from chin to belly. More on the back…but I think he’ll live. If he’d gotten here much later…” Doran shushed her gently. “He lost a lot of blood.”

“The bites, Bevin?” Doran was still being gentle. Bevin was tired, and it showed. I’d never seen her look as old or fragile as she did at that moment. I had thought the old Witch was invincible. Then again, I’d thought Manus was invincible.

Before she could answer, Jordan came through the door, buttoning up the black silk shirt. It was untucked and he had a hat pulled low on his head. Doran gave him a questioning look and then shot a quick glance my way. She rolled her eyes back to Bevin. I just sat there cradling Abbey. Her small hand gripped my arm when Jordan arrived.

“There’s one big bite on his shoulder. It’s definitely Gremlin.”

Jordan turned to face Doran, leaving his back to me as much as possible. He was trying unsuccessfully to be as unappealing as he could. It was cute. My body wasn’t responding through the grief and concern over Manus.

“Deirdre was taken to the holding area.” His tone was soft as he spoke to Bevin. Deirdre was one of Bevin’s apprentice Witches. I heard Bevin take in a lot of air, and Abbey dug her nails into the skin on my arm. “Someone saw some of the Slaugh just before the attack, but no one saw the actual ambush.”

Doran took hold of Bevin so she could stand. Jordan continued in a very formal way. “Manus was walking Deirdre home because he’d thought she’d had too much to drink. The attackers must have thought she was Lady Keena.”

I started putting the pieces together as he spoke. The holding area must be the morgue. Deirdre must be dead. I felt my stomach lurch.

“I’ve had extra security put on the manor, and there’s a unit searching the area for any Gremlins who were seen in or around the club who can’t account for their whereabouts tonight.” He was all business, tall and straight.

He turned to me. “No more runs alone in the woods for a while, please. I’ve put guards outside your room, and you need an escort when you leave the manor for any reason. I have to assume this was meant for you, not Deirdre.” He was looking at my feet and not my face, still trying not to upset me. “I mean it.” His eyes darted up to meet mine. “No impulsive actions. Stay armed as much as possible.”

I was starting to get offended. But then again, I had run off to Thule without asking for any help or backup. I had earned his mistrust on this matter. I thought of Manus and just nodded my head. I wondered how mad Jordan would be if he knew about Karackos…

His face changed dramatically after that thought. Shit. He was reading my mind. I slammed up the wall that blocked my thoughts. He started to say something but I interrupted him. “Bevin, may I see Manus?”