Seduced by Darkness (The Seduced Saga)(4)

The priest glanced at the bishop. "Welcome back, Alaric. I trust things will go more smoothly from now on?"

Alaric creased his lips but nodded. "I understand more of what you're trying to do here. I can't say I agree with all of your decisions, but I'm not trying to destroy the sanctuary you've built. The Pope still wants me here, so we're going to have to learn to work together."

Everyone turned when a grazing deer shifted into an ancient man with many animal parts. Kids playing outside stopped and stared. Talon walked up to us.

"This is Talon," I said. "He's here to help me learn my new abilities."

Father Patrick studied the old druid with a curious look. "I've not seen your kind since… well, since a long time."

"We shall have to exchange stories," said Talon. "I've not seen my kind since her." He gestured at me, and Father Patrick nodded knowingly.

"So that is where her path lies," he said. I thought I saw sadness in his eyes. Did everyone fear my new abilities?

Once all the greetings were finished, we went into the dining hall and ate until our stomachs were ready to burst.

Sam sat across from me and kept looking at me oddly.

Alaric asked about the murders. "Has anyone come any closer to finding out who has been killing paranormals?" he asked.

It must have been a relief for him to know Ryder wasn't a serial killer, though the fact that he had targeted Ana as well made me cringe. Still, I had my doubts he could have done it. Going after Drake was one thing, but a child? I'd seen into his soul. Just a glimpse, but I knew he wouldn't have hurt her.

I looked over at the little girl sitting between her parents, her cheeks red and rosy from playing outside, a twig still in her long hair. No, he wouldn't have hurt her.

At the end of the lunch Sam pulled me aside. "Rose, I have to talk to you. Privately. It's…" she looked around, her eyes landing on Derek who stood talking to Drake, "…it's about Ryder."



A cool breeze ruffled my hair as I followed Sam outside and toward the bench under the weeping willow. I had several questions running through my mind, but I knew she could hear them all with her mind reading, so I figured she'd answer them when she was ready.

We sat and looked at the lake. I pulled my jacket tighter around me. The sun hid behind clouds and shadows from the trees cast the lake in an ominous darkness.

Finally, she turned to me, her face pinched in worry, her aura pulsing in oranges and reds. "I debated about telling you this. It's not really my business and I shouldn't even know this, but then I thought if it were me I'd want to know, so…"

My heart hammered in my chest like something horrible was about to happen to me, but I couldn't imagine what. "Sam, just say it. You're freaking me out."

She twisted her hands and looked down at her lap, breathing deeply. This didn't help me feel happy and calm.

"Sam." I put more force in my voice as my stomach dropped.

"I didn't mean to do it," she said.

"Do what?" I stood and she stood, both of us tense and agitated.

"I didn't mean to dip into Derek's mind. It was when I contacted him to tell you about Drake and what they discovered about Ryder not being the killer."

My pulse quickened, chest tightening.

She cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

"What!" I was at my edge.

"After the battle, I saw it in Derek's mind, after it, when Ryder was released…"

"What happened?" Oh God. What did my husband do?

"Derek followed him."

No. Please no.

"And killed him."





THREE





Demand Me Nothing





DEREK





Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.

— William Shakespeare, Othello




DRAKE AND I were discussing his transformation when Sam came in first, her face sad as she communicated something with her husband.

"I gotta go, dude. Sorry. Let's catch up later," Drake said as he walked out of the dining hall with Sam, who cast me a look I couldn't quite interpret.

When Rose came in, I knew.

Her face was the color of her name and she stormed toward me, anger flashing in her eyes. "You killed him?" she hissed. "After everything we went through, you killed him? How could you, Derek? He was innocent!"

"I didn't know that at the time," I said. "And he wasn't innocent. He still almost killed Drake and would have killed Ana. Do you think someone like that should live?"

"He wouldn't have killed a child, I saw that in his soul. As for Drake, he's my friend too, but he didn't die. And Ryder had his reasons for hating Nephilim."

A growl formed in my chest and I stomped down my wolf nature. "So you and Ryder got close while we were there?"

"Not close," she said, her hazel eyes full of tears, caramel hair windblown from being outside. "But while I was out walking I found him in the bathing hall and he told me something of his story. At least I think it was his story. You don't understand what he'd been through."