Asylum (Causal Enchantment #2)(69)

“And who is this Ursula?”

I rolled my eyes. “Long story. Psycho jealous witch. I’ll explain later.”

“Speaking of jealous psychos,” Amelie piped up. “What do you think happened to Rachel?”

Mage and I groaned in unison. “I hope the witches finish her off,” Mage muttered.

“Yeah.” Though doubtful. That would be too easy for all of us.

“Now, will we be taking this plane the entire way? You said it was an island?”

“No. We have another three or four hours, then we’ll need to stop over and get a smaller plane, but one big enough to carry seven of us, plus Max,” I answered.

“You mean six,” Bishop growled from his corner, thinking I had accidentally and cold-heartedly counted Fiona.

“No, Bishop,” I answered as gently as I could. “There will likely be seven. I don’t imagine Leo sent the entire staff with Evangeline, given the tribe would not handle that well. But I’m thinking he might have sent Julian.”

“Julian?” Caden asked.

“Camila’s son—the woman you all killed on the first night? I sent him with Evangeline to the mountains at her request.”

Caden’s eyes narrowed. “And what’s this son, like . . . ten? Twelve years old?”

Oh-oh. I know where this is going. I hadn’t thought of this. “In his early twenties.”

“No need to worry,” Mage added, chuckling.

“I’m not worried,” Caden quickly threw back. He stood and began pacing. “So she’s been in these mountains with this twenty-something-year-old guy for the past month. After I tried to kill her.”

“Caden . . . ” Amelie said, rolling her eyes. “She’s madly in love with you.”

Caden scowled at his sister and marched off into the opposite corner. He was worried. And now so was I. A jealous vampire was an irrational one. Which made for a lethal one.

10. Untangle

“You said Sofie is coming to get us out of here?” I asked Max, my hand holding the cloth door back as I appraised the sleeping village. The tribe was nocturnal, Max explained, and so all was quiet except for the occasional stirring of a tiger, guarding the huts. Now, though, with the sun passing below the tree line, they would rise.

Uh-huh.

“When?”

Dunno. Max had resorted to one-word answers where possible, likely to conserve his energy. He was starving and he wasn’t permitted to hunt. Sofie had warned him against hunting while on the island. The tribe considered all animals food for their precious tigers. They’d kill Max if he dared deprive the tigers of food.

We stayed in the hut all day, except to get water from the basin a few times—and I wouldn’t have done that, if not for the sweltering tropical heat. I dragged Max along with me each time, clinging to him like a terrified child, constantly reminding myself to breathe as the tigers’ eyes lingered on me, their noses twitching as they sniffed the air, their tails writhing excitedly. Max said they wouldn’t attack. I wasn’t so sure.

“I hope she comes soon. This place gives me the creeps.” I dropped the curtain and wrapped my arms tightly around my chest.

Max sighed heavily. She’ll come as soon as she can, but I don’t know when that will be.

“And you’re sure she knows we’re here?”

Oh, yes. Leo would have made sure of it.

A sharp pain, at the mention of my dear old friend.

She doesn’t want you near these things any longer than necessary. It could be days, or weeks—

“Weeks!” I felt my eyes bug out at the possibility. “No, it wouldn’t be weeks. Not if you aren’t allowed to hunt here!”

I can last a few weeks without food.

“You’ve already lasted a few weeks without hunting because you were too stubborn to go in the mountains!” I reminded him.

She could be on her way right now.

“Really?” Excitement nudged aside my worry for Max momentarily, as a bubble of hope grew. Sofie, on her way? What would I say to her? What would it be like around her, now that I knew the truth? But more importantly—“Will she come alone?”

Max didn’t give his answer any thought. Likely. I can’t see why she’d be traveling with any of them. Too risky. They’re likely still uncontrollable.

And just like that, Max burst my bubble. Of course Caden wouldn’t be coming with her. Only a month had passed. It felt like forever but in the grand scheme of things, a month was nothing. A blink of time.

I heard rustling behind me. Julian, shifting in his sleep. Since I had discovered his dirty little secret, I refused to speak to him. It wasn’t too hard, given he slept most of the day, only waking to call out for water. I had the spiteful urge to withhold it from him, to let him know how angry I was with him, but I knew that would prove fatal, in this tropical heat and in his condition. Plus Max would suspect a serious problem if I acted so cruelly. In the end, I made sure my nails dug into his neck a little as I lifted his head toward the water bowl.

Julian was terribly weak but Max thought he would survive, thanks to whatever the tribe had done to him. That was twice now that he should have died but was saved with magic. If Max found out about Julian’s secret identity, I doubted magic could save him a third time.

I dearly hope she brings something for me though, when she comes, Max grumbled, interrupting my thoughts on Julian. Something warm and bloody.