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He weighs his answer for a few moments before responding. “Westcott is out of his goddamn mind, and it’s only gotten worse over the years I’ve known him. I might not like the way the vamps run things, but I can’t imagine giving that prick more power than he already has would be much of an improvement. And if no one’s here to be a voice for everyone outside of those boundaries, they’ll get more fucked over than they already have been.”
Cam has a certain talent for tiptoeing around what he actually means, disguising it in harsher words as if that will distract from what he’s saying.
He cares about the people outside of these estates. Outside of the regions. He’s here for them.
Even after his pack went behind his back, he’s looking out for them and people like them. And despite how hard he fights to keep up this image of someone else, it doesn’t surprise me at all.
“I’ve told them everything I could,” he continues. “I didn’t have access to much information, just a few different pieces that didn’t make any sense together, but hopefully some of it will build on what they already knew.” He grabs a set of dumbbells and starts doing biceps curls as he talks. “He’s big on making connections, that much was always clear. Whether it was voluntary or not.” He gives me a meaningful look. “I have a feeling that’s why a few of your estates dropped off the map.”
“Wait, some of the estates are workingwithhim?”
“I don’t know for sure.” He exhales heavily and sets the weights at his feet. “But you’ve had some pulling out of your alliance for years now, haven’t you? Seems like something he would do—swoop in and collect the people pissed off enough to work together, even if it is only over a common enemy.”
That would make how many estates on his side? China and Brazil have been out for as long as I can remember, and the Faroe Islands and Sweden pulled out this year. Vasiliev has never been reliable. I can’t even begin to estimate how much that would increase his numbers if that were true.
“You heard about the wendigo attacks all those years ago, didn’t you?” he continues. “It’s been decades at this point. I don’t know much, but with how similar it sounds to what’s happening now, I think Westcott tried to make his move back then, and it didn’t work out. So he’s been revising his plans and biding his time. I don’t think he’ll accept failure this time around.”
“What do you know about the wendigo experiments he has going on in the basement of his compounds?”
His expression noticeably darkens. “Just that the people who went down to that lab never came back. Not the same, at least. Apparently they were all voluntary, but from what I’ve gathered, the process requires something similar to a blood deal, so once they’re in, they’re in.”
That would explain how Westcott has managed to keep control over them all.
He shakes his head again. “I was never involved in that side of things. He didn’t tell me much, and I don’t understand the science behind it. But those experiments have been going on for as long as I’ve known him. But back then, I don’t think he’d figured out how to do whatever the hell he’s doing now yet, because it didn’t seem like many people who went down to those labs survived. I was with my dad at one of his compounds—I think I was fourteen?—as they brought a new group of humans in. When I asked Westcott why they were all tied up and being forced downstairs, he’d said they were sick. They needed his help.” He looks away as a muscle jumps in his jaw. “I saw their bodies getting taken out in trash bags later that night as my dad and I were leaving.”
I can’t help it. A shiver runs up my spine, a million images I don’t want to remember flashing behind my eyes.
Fog and cloaks and claws ripping through flesh.
I chew on my lip as I look down at my feet. There are plenty of more important things to talk about right now, but I can’t help but play back the moment Cam and I met after I’d killed Rome in the control room. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, far too preoccupied with needing to warn Reid and being caught red-handed.
Halfling. A daughter then, I’m assuming.
“Out with it, princess.”
My eyes snap to his, and he raises his eyebrows.
“You knew who I was the second you saw me. You knewwhatI was, and you knew I was Westcott’s daughter.”
His shoulders slump with his exhale.
“What do you know about us—all of us? Why does he have so many halfling daughters?”
“I can’t imagine any scenario where it’s not on purpose. Just statistically, it should be impossible how many he has. Halflings are so rare, let alone a single bloodline having them so frequently. And they’re all daughters, as far as I know. Maybe he has other children that aren’t halflings that we don’t know about, but I think it’s telling that he’s been gathering you all like collectibles and keeping you close.” He frowns as he meets my eyes. “I wish I had more for you, I really do. But Idoknow that your mother is the only mother of his children that he was ever married to. Whether that was because they were in love or for some other purpose, your guess is as good as mine. Your mother doesn’t seem like the type to be easily manipulated though. Are you sure she’s not in on his plans?”
I open my mouth to deny it, but something stops me.AmI sure? I’m not sure of much of anything these days. I was too young to remember much from before Westcott left us, to remember if my mother has always been like this, or this is what she became after being betrayed and abandoned by someone she thought was the love of her life.
A door flies open behind me and slams against the side of the estate with a bang. I jump as a few Marionettes in uniform cut across the field in the opposite direction, clamoring voices inside the hall spilling out until the door shuts again.
I crane my neck, trying to see what’s going on in there. I’m not even sure where that hallway goes, let alone why it would be so packed at this time of day.
“Valerie.”
I blink back to Cam, the sound of my name in his voice a bit startling. His eyebrows are dug in, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he looks from me to that door.
“I wouldn’t…if I were you.”
Well, now I’mreallycurious.
