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Of course, I had to actively control my natural power on a daily basis. The ability to counteract the supernatural powers of others, like Benedict’s lie detection, was an advantageous one, for sure, but I liked to keep the playing field even most of the time, so I normally kept it buried. That’s why that ancient hunter was able to blind and poison me, and why my fun little lies appeared on Benedict’s skin. But after everything? I may need to let down the walls I built every day to counteract it, and let my natural abilities work, if only to better arm myself against the ancient threat I never saw coming.
Something churned in his cool eyes, an emotion bordering on pity.
He shifted on his feet, jerking his head. “Come and get me then.”
My heart did a little flip, anticipation flaring along my spine. “You asked for it,” I said, gathering my energy, coiling it around my fists in two twin bursts of purple. I rushed toward him, fist drawn back, prepared to give him a simple little hit to prove my point, because in truth I didn’t want to hurt—
Benedict moved faster than a snake strike. One minute he stood all cool and calm, and the next his hand was around my throat and my spine kissed the mat beneath us. I glared up at him, gripping his flexed wrist in an effort to dislodge his tightening grip.
My powers fizzled, short circuiting like a drained battery. I recognized the feeling, the way my entire soul felt as if it were being drained of life.
I hissed at him, and he gave me a cold smile as he released me. He stood up, his chest proud and broad as he showed the now standing baby vampires what he’d concealed in his fist earlier.
“Ruby dust,” he said, scraping his hands together as he wiped the stuff off his palms.
I scrambled to my feet, still catching my breath and trying to shake off the Goddess-awful feeling.
The baby vampires chuckled from where they stood, now free of their bonds due to the super-fun powder, but Benedict silenced them with a look. He dismissed them with a jerk of his head, and they scampered off as Benedict came to stand in front of me.
“You cheated,” I snarled.
“As if there are rules to follow when it comes to our enemies?”
“I am not your enemy,” I whispered.
“Of course not,” he said, his eyes softening. “But we have them in spades. You are one of us now, for the time being, and our enemies will treat you as such.”
I swallowed hard, hating that I understood his logic.
“Everyone has a weakness, Jocelyn,” he said, and a warm shiver ran down my spine with how close he was, how damn good he smelled. “Remember that, even about yourself. It could save you in the end.” He took a step back, almost as if it took a great deal of effort to leave me standing there.
By the time he’d reached the training room door, I huffed out a laugh. “Is that your way of telling me you’re worried about me, Benny?”
He froze in the doorway, the muscles of his back tightening as he glared over his shoulder at me. “Less and less, witch,” he said before disappearing around the corner.
I swallowed another laugh, because if I’d had his power, I’m certain I’d have a fresh tattoo on my arm. Because Benedict had just lied to me, and knowing he had some sliver of concern for my well-being?
Well, that was sure as hell going to be fun to fuck with.
5
Benedict
“Not a single trace.” Zachariah rubbed the bridge of his nose and sat back in his chair in the war room. Somehow it wasn’t odd to me that the Hunters had only been here a matter of weeks and yet I didn’t blink an eye that they’d claimed seats at the table as their own. “We searched every mile of yycan territory to the Edgemont border and even some of the upstate lands. Short of walking into every house in the state, I’m not sure there’s much else we can do.”
Alek swore, the back of his head hitting the headrest of his seat as he stared up at the ceiling for answers that none of us had. This was a group of males used to fighting for what we loved and winning, but we’d never gone up against our own kind before.
There had been no ransom. No demands. No...body. She was simply gone.
“Same goes for the human land,” Ajax added in.
“Demon, too,” Dagon said in a low tone.
“Witch territory?” Lachlan asked Talon.
“That’s...complicated.” Talon’s brow furrowed. “Whatever we’ve been allowed to search has felt...off. Like there’s some kind of magical barrier that dulls our senses. We’re as useless as humans, knocking on doors and asking questions.”
