Anomaly (Causal Enchantment #4)(41)

I admitted to something that I knew I probably shouldn’t, even as the words tumbled out. “And she isn’t feeding anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Mortimer turned completely in his seat.

“She wasn’t feeding when I left. She said she was satisfied.” I wasn’t lying, technically.

Mortimer’s eyes flared with a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Like him?” He jutted a chin toward Julian.

“Yeah, basically.”

“That means …” I knew what he was thinking without the need for him to speak the words. That meant the feral woman he left hours ago was sitting in a dark mine, waiting for him. “I can’t wait around here. I’m going to her,” he announced, standing.

“You need to stay here for now, Mortimer,” Sofie insisted without turning around. But Mage was moving in, taking slow, even steps into the sunken living room.

“Veronique needs me!” he argued.

“We need you more right now,” Mage said.

“To do what?” He threw his arms in the air. “To sit around here, waiting? I can do that as well over there.” Mortimer reached down to collect his jacket. Even on the brink of a human apocalypse, the nine-hundred-year-old vampire still made an effort to minimize unsightly creases in his clothing. He would never survive the world we were heading into.

Sofie seemed too absorbed with the skyline to pay attention to Mortimer. Watching, waiting. For what?

“No, you must stay.” Mage stepped forward, her own black eyes shimmering. “I insist.”

Mortimer’s head fell back with a bitter laugh. “What are you trying to do, compel me? You can’t, remember? Because I know about your secret.” The words had barely left his lips when his giant frame went sailing backward, crashing into the flat screen television.

“You’re right. I can’t compel you,” Mage admitted, not a hint of humor on her face. But she could physically keep him here if she needed to, and she didn’t need to admit that out loud. We all knew her power was unrivaled.

With a roar, Mortimer flew at Mage. She easily sideswept him, sending him careening through the opposite wall. He picked himself up and brushed the drywall dust from his chest.

And then, in a move so fast my human eyes would never have seen it, he bolted for the door.

Unfortunately for him, Mage was faster.

“Why … are … you … fighting me?” He pushed out through clenched teeth as Mage shoved him to his knees.

“Because you must stay here, with us. For now,” Mage hissed, her naturally serene demeanor cracking as her death grip on his neck prevented him from fighting back. Her black eyes shifted to Sofie and then to Lilly. “How much longer will this take?”

I had to believe that Sofie and Mage were keeping him here for good reason. I stood and calmly strolled over, kneeling in front of him. “Mortimer, Sofie has our best interests at heart,” I began, hoping I didn’t sound like an idiot. More importantly, if this didn’t work, I hoped no one would figure out what I was trying to do. “You need to listen to Mage and stay here for now. You’ll see Veronique soon.” I could see the tension in his shoulders release, Mage’s fingertips relaxing their grip.

Until there was no fight left in him.

With wary eyes, Mage released him. By her stance, I knew she was ready to spring again, if this was some tactic on Mortimer’s part. Not until he made his way over to the couch and laid down his jacket did her stance loosen.

That’s when her black eyes shifted to me.

I ducked my head to keep my secretive smile from showing. Had she figured it out? Would it matter if she had?

These questions were floating around in my head when Caden, Bishop, and Fiona barreled through the door, their clothes covered in blood and ash, their eyes quickly marking every figure in the room, as if suspicious of a threat.

I didn’t falter for a second, meeting Caden halfway. I launched myself into his arms and pressed my face against his chest. For just a few moments, I pushed all my worries and fears away and reveled in his presence, in the feel of his strength against me.

“Are you okay?”

I closed my eyes. “Yeah.”

His grip tightened. “You shouldn’t have come. But I’m glad you did.”

I peeled myself far enough away to tip my head back so I could peer into his curious jade-green eyes. I’d rather die than lose the feel of them on me. “It wasn’t exactly my choice.”

Before I could explain, Julian was next to us. “Where is she? Have you found anything useful?”

Caden’s brow arched at me, a silent reprimand.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I defended. “It’s a long story.”

With a heavy sigh, Caden dug into his pocket and tossed a simple pink leather band to Julian. I recognized it immediately. Amelie was wearing one just like it. “We found it on the sidewalk outside the subway station where she went missing.”

“Is that it? There’s nothing else?” Julian pressed.

“It’s hard to find anything down there. The place is swarming with cops.”

“Plus the army’s in full force now,” Bishop added. “They’re using bullets that ignite. Burning up the fledglings. It’s nuts.”

“We saw those,” I said.