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“All right. So what is the plan if you’re not going to murder me.” I needed to keep her talking because Eddie would show back up at some time and he would either figure out a way to deal with the magical bonds or pick me up like a piece of luggage and teleport me straight out of here to someone who could.
Fenrir wouldn’t have been in the apartment when Liv showed up, and he was seasoned enough to not freak out and come running in. Evan had been here, and Puff was proof.
But Evan was smart, too. She would know to hide and bide her time.
“Well, I thought you would tell me where that princess is and we can get out of here.” Every word Liv said gave me life.
She couldn’t find Evan. She’d likely come in with the most powerful locator spell she had, and Evan couldn’t be found because she was well protected. Evan carried charms and talisman and magical gems with her at all times. “I thought she was here. I’m surprised she’s not. I guess she and Fenrir went out for lunch since Eddie’s not here.”
“From what I can tell, Trent isn’t either.” Liv reached out and gave the puppy a scratch behind his ears. If it weren’t for the weird eyes and hair and the fact that I was tied up, it could have been any Saturday afternoon girl chat we’d ever had. “I’m surprised they left you all alone.”
Since she seemed willing to talk, I was going to ask her some questions. “What do you want with Evan?”
One slender shoulder shrugged. “I don’t want her at all. Myrddin does. I think he thinks she’ll work as well as her mom when it comes to activating your sword.”
“The sword he intends to use to close us off from the Heavenly planes?” I needed her to hear those words spoken out loud.
She stood, staring down at me. “The sword he intends to use to free us from the shackles of the Heavenly planes.”
“Shackles? You know they tend to stay out of what happens on this plane. It’s the demons who try to fuck things up here,” I pointed out and groaned because those bindings tightened as I moved to try to flip over.
“You see things from the wrong point of view. You’ve been indoctrinated by the king and his minions,” she said primly.
“From what I understand you don’t have the sword, so I’m not sure how the princess will help you.” I tried to stay still now. The bindings were cutting off circulation in my wrists.
“We’ll have it soon. I assure you my master is working on the problem,” she promised. “Then we’ll have the sword and the princess. I’ll be rewarded, and I intend to use it to my advantage.”
“Good luck with that. As far as I can tell, all Myrddin’s done for you is steal a piece of your soul.” I hated how cold she looked.
“It wasn’t a piece I needed, and I gave it to him. He didn’t have to steal anything from me. I have to go and look for the princess,” she said, glancing around as though trying to make sure Evan wasn’t here. She looked back down, her expression going as soft as I’d seen her since her transformation. “I’ve changed my mind about leaving you behind. I’m taking you with me but not to hurt you. I want you to see how thoroughly the king has lied to you. Myrddin isn’t bad. He’s just doing what he has to.”
This was what it felt like when a friend joined a cult. “He has to deliver the Earth plane to demons?”
“He has to elevate his people so that the vampires and wolves never subjugate us again,” she said with the surety of a believer. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “When we get to the Coven House, I can’t let him know how much I still love you. Not until he’s taken care of your doubts. You might not believe this but it’s what I meant to do with Casey that day. My plan wasn’t to kill him. I meant to bring him back with me so he could see the beauty of Myrddin’s ideas. Once you’ve spent time with my master, you’ll see, and we’ll get Casey and we’ll all be happy together.”
“Only if he manages to take control of my brain, sister,” I replied.
She smiled down like I’d said something that pleased her. “Yes. Then we’ll be happy.”
There was a knock on the door, and I heard someone remind Liv of the time and she sighed.
“I’m coming. The Hunter is secure,” Liv said as she walked past me. “Her only protector is a runt of a hellhound. We’ll take him with us once we’ve found the princess. I know she’s here. She’s using magic, but it won’t get her out of this apartment. I’ve locked us in tightly. The only way in or out right now is through those paintings. Did I thank you for moving them all in here? I thought we would have to sneak around.”
I growled her way.
She laughed as she walked out the door. “We’ll leave soon. Try to go in with an open mind and all will be well. It’s only a matter of time before we find the little bitch.”
They were still talking as they walked out and closed the door behind them.
Puff started licking my face again.
“Is she gone?” a soft voice asked.
Fuck. Evan was really here, and we were totally in trouble because I didn’t think Liv was lying about locking the place down. “I don’t know. Don’t you dare come out of hiding.”
Puff was up, two paws on my hip, sniffing the air and whining as he looked for a mom he couldn’t see.
“Sorry, buddy,” Evan was saying. “I tried to get him in my arms when I realized what was happening, but he was fast. Now I’m worried if I pick him up, I could screw up the charm. He can’t smell me or see me. Poor baby. He’s confused.”
