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Startled puzzlement painted across his best friend’s features, but by the time he understood what was happening and attempted to fight back, the energy in his body was already depleting and funneling into Kaien’s. Siphoning off his lifeforce was child’s play, but Kaien rarely had occasion to practice the unenviable talent.
“You’ll understand when you’re mated,” Kaien whispered.
Remmus opened his mouth as if to yell, but he merely managed to sputter before his knees failed him and his body plummeted toward the floor. Catching his best friend’s falling form with a whispered apology, Kaien dutifully lowered the unconscious Raeth to the floor.
The entire process took mere seconds.
“What did you do?!” Blair’s panic sounded across the armory’s stark white walls behind him, the vampire immediately moving to crouch by Remmus’ prone form on the cement ground.
“Healers can take or give energy, Blair.”
Kaien teleported the object into the concealed hand behind his back. He was already regretting what he was about to do to his mate—and what he had already done to Remmus.
“I can’t have Remmus up and about.”
“Why not?” Confusion sparked behind her eyes, but thankfully, Kaien didn’t see the suspicion he’d been anticipating and dreading.
“Because he’ll tell them where you are.”
“Where I—”
Blair’s words were cut off as Kaien’s hands suddenly cinched around her wrists, holding her immobile with his tremendous strength. The vampire’s startled cry cut into him like a bandsaw, but when the metal snapped shut around her wrists, he felt nothing but relief.
With eyes as wide as saucers, Blair gaped at him, already feeling the effects of the obsidian cuffs that rounded her forearms above her hands. “What are these? Why do I feel so—”
“Human?” Kaien supplied. “They’remerjhacuffs, Blair. They’re created to remove all aspects of supernatural nature while they’re worn.”
Nearly all of themerjhahandcuffs had been destroyed in the purge centuries ago, but Kaien and Nina had kept this set on hand should they ever need it. Used rarely, his sister wouldn’t notice it was missing from the vault in her home until after Kaien had accomplished what he needed to do.
And Blair couldn’t be allowed to interfere.
Securing the cuffs to the reinforced tether on the wall, Kaien stepped back to ensure she couldn’t escape or injure herself. Blair, furious, bared her teeth at him—thankfully not boasting any fangs given the nature of the handcuffs linked around her wrists.
“Release me this instant, Raeth, or I swear I’ll kill you!” Infuriated, Blair tried in vain to sweep his legs out from under him.
Sighing, Kaien stepped away, showing her the gleaming obsidian key as he placed it on the table opposite her and well out of her reach. “The key is here. Remmus will wake within the hour. By that time, he’ll release you and you can begin the evacuation of Luc’s House.”
“Why are you trapping me here?” Spite heavy in her tone, his would-be mate was positively seething, her face flushed in anger and apprehension. “We need to warn Lucius!”
“I can’t risk you, Blair.” Honesty rang true in his sober voice. “You mean more to me than life itself, and I won’t put you in danger. I won’t watch you kill yourself. I can’t.”
Shock played across her beautiful features, and for a moment, his resolve faltered. Moving to kneel where she sat, he brushed his fingertips across her cheek in an intimacy that he’d likely never feel again.
“I can’t watch another person I love die.”
Kaien had been powerless to aid his loved ones before, his strength ripped from him as he was forced to watch others battle in his stead. The forbidden memories surged into his consciousness before he could deny the impulse.
He wouldn’t leave Blair to the same fate.
Seeing her powerless and shackled before him filled him with guilt, knowing that it was her greatest fear. In keeping her safe, he’d destroy all hope for their future together—and that even if he did finally prove himself worthy, he’d still fall short of having what he most desired: Blair.
And just like that, he knew he had to pull away, or he’d lose his will to leave her.
“I love you, Blair.” A sad shake of his head, despair overwhelming him. “I always have.”
Her lips parted as if to say something, but all she managed was a forlorn sob. It didn’t matter if she didn’t love him or could never return his feelings. Kaien loved her, and he’d do anything to preserve her life.
Resolved, he stood and teleported to the location he’d pulled from Remmus’ mind just moments before: Torrin’s home.
