Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(45)

His instinct, however, refused to dismiss the wild claim.

He couldn’t afford to overlook any possibility.

God knew his blind assumptions had already led to near disaster.

“No, but even at the time I knew that the Telos didn’t completely explain Mackenzie’s furtive habits,” his voice thickened with self-disgust. Maybe if he hadn’t ignored the vague doubts about Mackenzie all those centuries ago, he could have stopped Briggs before he managed to acquire his black powers. Then he gave a shake of his head. There was no going back, only forward. “Those who are committed to death devote their last years performing small rituals to easing the grief of those they’ll leave behind.”

She squeezed his hand, as if sensing his inner torment. “What sort of rituals?”

“They give away their belongings, they travel to visit the burial grounds of their ancestors, they surround themselves with the pack.”

“Grim, but understandable, I suppose.” She wrinkled her nose. “What did Mackenzie do?”

“He hid in his lair, refusing my pleas to return to his throne, even as the Were packs fractured and turned on each other.”

She considered his explanation a long moment, then astonishingly, cut straight to the heart of the matter.

“Did the Weres begin losing their powers beneath the previous king?”

Salvatore surged to his feet, hating the knowledge that he was stumbling through the dark, constantly one step behind.

Dio. The fate of the Weres depended on him.

If he failed, they all failed.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact moment or even decade, but it was whispered that the decline started shortly after Mackenzie’s reign began.” His wolf prowled just below his skin, needing a tangible enemy to rip into shreds. “Maybe he sensed the encroaching weakness and turned to desperate measures.”

Harley crossed to his side, her brow furrowed. “Or maybe he used the black magic to become king, and that started the troubles.”

Salvatore gritted his teeth, wanting to deny that any king would be willing to put his own ambitions ahead of the good of his people, but the lies wouldn’t pass his lips.

Magic couldn’t force the throne to accept a Were as king, but a corrupt Were could certainly use it to clear the field of contenders.

“It’s possible that Mackenzie used black magic to dispose of the true heirs ahead of him.”

“Wait.” Her eyes widened, as she was struck by a sudden thought. “If he sold his soul to the devil, why wasn’t he offered the Lazarus treatment that Briggs got?”

Salvatore shrugged. “Maybe Briggs made a pact with the same devil to make certain Mackenzie couldn’t rise again.”

“Honor among thieves, and all that?”

“Briggs is desperate for the throne.”

Harley shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist. Salvatore didn’t blame her. Briggs was shudder-worthy.

“So how does Caine fit into all this?”

Salvatore felt another pang of self-disgust. He’d been following Brigg’s false trails for years. Like a particularly stupid hound hunting the chickens and allowing the fox to escape his notice.

“A distraction,” he gritted.

She snorted. “He wasn’t much of a distraction considering he spent most of his time cowering in his various lairs.”

“Actually, you and your sisters were the true distractions,” he corrected. “Briggs knew that I would follow your trail anywhere in the world, and that I wouldn’t rest until I’d found you.” He scanned her beautiful face, his heart whispering it was worth every sacrifice to have at last discovered his mate, while his sense of duty rebelled at having endangered his people. “By dividing the four of you into different locations and constantly keeping on the move, he did a bang-up job of making sure I wasted my time chasing my own tail.”

“Distract you from what?” she demanded.

His lips twisted as Harley once again pounced on the most significant point.

He would be a fool to ever try to deceive this woman.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

“What do you suspect?”

“I think I was lured from Italy to America for a very specific purpose.” He lifted a hand as her lips parted with the inevitable question. “And before you ask, I don’t have a clue what the purpose might be.”

“Inconvenient.”

His humorless laugh echoed through the room at her stunning understatement.

“A little more than inconvenient.” He shook his head, resuming his impatient pacing. Tonight he felt every one of his numerous years. “Cristo, for all I know, I’m completely wrong about everything. In the past I’ve blamed the troubles of the Weres on the gods, on the changing societies, and even on the vampires. Perhaps I’m seeking another evil force to accuse so I don’t have to admit that my people are destined for extinction.”

Silence filled the room, the distant din of Santiago’s unruly guests thankfully muffled by the heavy door.

At last Salvatore halted his pacing. He could sense Harley standing just behind him. She hadn’t tried to slip away while he was distracted. And so far she hadn’t stuck anything in the middle of his back.

Which meant she was thinking.

A dangerous activity.