Tyrant (Scars of the Wraiths #2)(96)

“No,” Keir said, shaking his head.

“I can—”

“Delara!” Jedrik ground out. “You need to stay clear of that bastard.”

I’d learned something about Liam by sleeping with him—he was clever as hell, persistent as a badger, and patient as a lion. The Lilac I knew nothing about, except Lilacs were Waleron’s worst enemy.

“Anyone hear from Damien?” Keir asked. When no one said anything, he continued, “I’ll call Waleron and find out what is going on with Abby. In the meantime, we keep quiet. I don’t want any yahoo shit like with the Ryker scenario, so keep Kilter calm. We take turns watching him.”

“He’s going to blow his lid,” Jedrik said, whipping a ball across the green felt into a corner pocket.

“We’re going to have to lock him up with Ryker,” Tye said. “None of you were there when he came back from Ulrich’s clutches. He can’t lose Rayne. He’s already f*ckin’ unstable.”

“We find out what Liam and the Lilac want,” Keir said. “Then we get her back.”

“Even if it means sacrificing Abby?” Damien said as he strode down the hallway toward us.

The only place that hallway led to was the sub-basement where Ryker was held. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be with Abby. Shit, was Abby dead? Liam would kill Rayne if Abby died. I had to talk to Liam.

“Damien,” Jedrik said, then winced. “Whoa, man, you look like shit.”

He ignored Jedrik’s comment and stood to the side of the room, back to the wall, so he could see all of us. He did look like shit—black lines under his eyes, pale, and his cheekbones more prominent as if he’d lost weight.

“Abby is below,” Damien said. “Waleron is with her.”

Relief poured through me. Abby was alive.

“We don’t sacrifice one for another, Damien. Even if Abby isn’t a Scar,” Keir said. “We find another way. How is she?”

I wasn’t so sure about that. Waleron might think differently, but I remained quiet.

“She Turned,” Damien said.

Oh f*ck.

“Fuck,” Jedrik muttered, rolling a stripped ball back and forth under his palm. “Trinity is going to have a spell-fart.”

Keir nodded. “Abby is a witch. We all knew her chances were slim at best to fight the vampire blood. And now that we know who she is and what she’s capable of, well, she can’t live with vampires with her gift of turning water to blood. With Liam alive, the moment she is released, she will go to him. Ending her life is—”

Damien’s eyes flashed with fury and he raised his hand, sending Keir backward into the wall.

“Damien.” I dove in front of his line of sight to Keir. “Save your anger for Liam. If he dies, Abby won’t be drawn to him any longer and she may have a chance.”

Damien opened his mouth to say something when a door slammed. Then Waleron walked down the hallway toward us.

And, Jesus, he looked furious, eyes a pale ice blue and brows lowered over them. My eyes landed on the crushed cell phone in his hand. Oh, God, something happened. I lived in perpetual fear that Liam would call Waleron and tell him.

My throat closed up as my nerves clamped down on me.

Waleron nodded toward the bedroom door. “He lives?”

Keir nodded.

“Good,” Waleron said. “I need him functioning by tomorrow night.”

“Damien told us Abby Turned,” Keir said.

“Yes. Simian is with her.” Waleron turned to Damien. “I gave Abby animal blood and she’s calm and sane. I need you to call Simian to you. Then you’ll return to Florida. The jet is waiting at Pearson.”

“I’m not f*ckin’ leaving,” Damien stated, eyes unwavering from Waleron’s.

Oh shit. This was not good.

“It’s unwise for you to be here, Damien,” Waleron said. “You’ve done more than could be asked to help this witch. You must let her go, as must Simian. She’s a vampire now.”

Damien glared at Waleron, his hands curled into fists, cheeks with deep red splotches on them. He suddenly smashed his fist through the drywall.

I held my breath, waiting for him to do more, but he brushed past Waleron and went upstairs. I heard the front door slam.

“Waleron, there must be a way to help Abby,” Jedrik said.

“There is nothing we can do,” Waleron stated. “Liam wishes to negotiate for Rayne’s release.”

“We don’t negotiate. Ever,” Keir stated. “It’s out of the question. We go after him. Simple.”

I watched Waleron. He was off. Something was really off. He was steady. Calm. Face unemotional, but it was the hint of uneasiness in his stance. Probably no one would pick up on it except me.

A shiver went down my spine as I realized what was different. He’d not once looked at me.

“We will meet Liam tomorrow evening,” Waleron said and tossed the busted cell on the side table. All eyes went to it then back to him. “I will inform Trinity.”

I didn’t imagine Trinity would be pleased that one of her coven girls had f*cked up so royally. She liked debts paid to her, never vice versa, and she’d owe the Scars after this.

I stiffened when finally Waleron’s gaze settled on me, and it was far from a good settle. It was so fierce and filled with unadulterated fury that I actually felt that my life might be in danger.