Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(146)

Louis looked like he wanted to disagree, but he needed that alliance and he was a practical man. After a long moment, he nodded. “Trent, escort the Fae healer back to my companion’s rooms. He may examine her there. Stay with her and make sure she comes to no harm.”

He wouldn’t allow anyone else to hurt me. He claimed that pleasure all for himself.

Trent nodded and began to escort me out. Over my shoulder, I heard Miria speak.

“Declan, go with the healer and bring me news,” Miria said.

Declan was suddenly at my side. He spoke quietly. “I’ve been wanting to get you alone for a while, Zoey.”

The walk back to my apartments was one of the longest of my life. I was crying openly by the time we reached the hallway that contained my rooms. Looking at Declan hurt. It was an actual physical ache in my body. His jaw had relaxed and the arrogance in him had softened, leaving me looking at my husband. He looked so much like Dev it was hard not to believe it was him walking beside me. I wanted to reach out and grab his hand and hold it against my stomach, urging him to feel our babies growing inside.

I hadn’t really said good-bye to him. It was over so quickly I hadn’t properly had a chance to really process the fact that my husband was gone. I needed something from Declan and he would probably make me feel like a fool for asking, but I was going to try. He’d cared for me once.

I was hustled into the front room of my apartments and when I heard the door slam behind me, I turned to face my brother-in-law.

“Zoey,” he said, but I heard Dev’s voice.

“Don’t,” I started, unable to stop the tears from flowing. “Just let me talk for a minute and then I’ll submit to any test you want me to take. I have done you service, Prince Declan, and asked nothing in return, but now I need something from you. I need ten minutes. Just ten minutes where you pretend to be him. Ten minutes, Declan. I need you to hold me and pretend. I didn’t get to say good-bye.”

The blood left Declan’s face, his skin turning pale. He turned and I saw he looked at Chad, who must have joined us at some point. I hadn’t noticed or I would have protested. I was about to launch myself bodily at the vampire, but Declan’s words stopped me.

“You didn’t tell her.” It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation.

“I made a call,” Chad said, sounding saner than I had heard him my entire time in the catacombs. “You don’t understand what it’s like in here, Dev. If she’d given us away he’d kill us all. She almost f*cked it up as it was. She announced plainly to Marini that I was a spy. Luckily, my insane act provided me with some cover. It was a good illusion. It certainly fooled Marcus.”

“I’m going to kill Marcus when Zack finds that coffin of his. He’s supposed to know things like this. Shouldn’t he have been able to see through the illusion?”

Neil was standing beside me suddenly, holding me up. “It’s all right, Zoey. Guys, I think she’s going to pass out.”

“Oh, my sweet goddess,” Dev’s voice said from Declan’s body. He lifted me up. “I am so sorry. I had no idea they wouldn’t tell you. I would never have left you knowing you thought I was dead.” He looked back at Chad. “Daniel will be furious.”

“Daniel isn’t the one stuck in here.” Chad relaxed a little as his gaze found Neil. “Neil knew.”

“No, I didn’t,” Neil replied. “I just had faith in you, baby.”

Chad’s eyes were full of tears he wouldn’t shed. “Tell me this means it’s almost over, Dev. I want to go home.”

“But Chad killed you.” I stared at my husband, wondering if I’d gone completely insane.

“Did I, Your Highness?” Chad asked.

“Sweetheart,” Dev said, sitting us down on the sofa. “It was an illusion. Once he realized how Marini intended to use my magic, he made the call to get me out of here. He knocked me out and when I woke up Daniel was staring down at me. I am so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you, but they decided it was too dangerous to leave me here.”

“I couldn’t risk it,” Chad explained. “I know what that magic did for my master. I couldn’t risk Marini allowing every vampire in the catacombs to feed from it. They would all be able to daywalk. They would have been stronger, faster. I couldn’t let that happen. I’m sorry it hurt Zoey, but her grief sold it.”

“You had no right to use her like that.”

“Do you have any idea how complex an illusion that was?” Chad asked, his voice low but full of indignation. “It’s one thing to hide a couple of people, to make something disappear. It’s another thing entirely to craft an illusion so real you can touch it, smell it and taste it. I had to concentrate. Zoey’s grief gave me the chance to do it. If she hadn’t distracted Marini with her tears, I would have failed and then we would all have been dead.”

“You could have told her afterward,” Dev complained.

“A—she wouldn’t let me near her afterward, and B—I couldn’t risk Marini figuring out she was lying,” Chad argued.

The healer, Callum, walked up to Neil. He threw his arms around him and enveloped him in a brotherly hug. When he spoke, his voice was familiar. “I would love to hang around for the rest of this little drama, but I got a job to do. Neil, it’s so freaking good to see you, man. Saves me a trip to the Hell plane to retrieve you.” He turned to me. His eyes were soft and sympathetic when he looked at me. “It’s good to see you too, Zoey. We’ll talk later. I have to go let Marcus out so Dev can kill him.” He walked to the door and turned around. “And, Zoey, this counts. That’s like five to nothing now, sister.”