King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(171)



There was a silent pause, then Cahal roared in Antonio’s face, slamming his fist into the headboard above Antonio’s head, cracking it. “Just do it.” He cursed. “Do the damn spell.”

Antonio’s chest rose and fell again, but he nodded. Swiped his thumb over Cahal’s forehead. I wasn’t in a position to see the dust appear and disappear, but Cahal jerked at the motion, telling me that it had and that he hadn’t liked the sensation. Antonio sighed again and grabbed the back of Cahal’s head, stating, “Open your mouth, and don’t pull away.”

Cahal’s Vampire growled, but he did as told and opened his mouth. Antonio lifted and pressed his mouth to his, Cahal like a statue as light erupted between their mouths. Cahal trembled, and he grabbed the top of the headboard when he jerked hard, Antonio’s grip becoming white-knuckled on the back of his head. But in the end, like Bindi, a deep, soft moan erupted from him right before his body relaxed and Antonio pulled his mouth away.

Like Bindi, Cahal blinked repeatedly and then shook his head hard for a few moments before lifting away from Antonio on steady legs. His heartbeat wasn’t normal, very much accelerated, but he still ran a hand over his face and turned to Elder Merrick and Elder Jacobs, saying, “It wasn’t that bad.”

Elder Jacobs snorted. “The hell it wasn’t.” He pointed to the top of the headboard, which was cracked not just where Cahal’s fist had hit it, but also where he had gripped it. “It might be okay for a Mage,” a head tilt toward Bindi, “because they’re used to that shit, but for another faction it didn’t look like a damn walk in the park.”

“We’re going to leave, if we’re not needed anymore,” Ezra stated slowly, his grip never having let up on my rib cage. “I’m sure Lily needs to rest.” If something was going to happen, he left unsaid, but it was heard nonetheless.

Cahal met his son’s gaze. “Go.”

Ezra stared at him a moment, then nodded, lifting me off his lap to the bed as Elder Merrick and Elder Jacobs started arguing about who was going to be spelled next. Ezra made his way through the debris to a dresser, opening it while I gingerly made my way off the bed, both Bonnie — now well enough to move slowly, too — and Clyde jumping off the bed. As Ezra put on jeans he found in a drawer, working them on underneath the sheet, I met Antonio’s woozy gaze.

“What happened to my Hummer?” I asked, not sure when I would talk to him again.

“I had to transfer it back here, which took forever,” Antonio rubbed his eyes, “It’s currently parked outside, and I gave the keys to Pearl.”

I rolled my shoulders. “Our Prodigies?”

Antonio yawned. “All four Prodigies are here. Safe.”

Ezra let the sheet drop, zipping and buttoning the jeans while adding to our conversation. “You do realize it wasn’t natural to have so many Coms in that town where I found the Prodigy Vampire, don’t you?”

“It was a trap for Ezra,” I stated firmly, grabbing my gun off the bed and my Cizano case from the floor, my body only creaking a smidge with the action.

Cahal nodded. “Yes, but you two left no survivors for us to question. We don’t know how they knew to take the girl and lie in wait for him. There were no clues where the girl was being held, and the two surviving Vampires of the battle had only been visiting with their friends who died that day.”

“Coms couldn’t have known what she was,” I said quietly, giving him and Antonio a look.

“Yes. We’ve deduced that much.” Cahal’s face wasn’t friendly. “It means there’s a traitor somewhere, but it’s most peculiar because the only person that should have known where to find her was Ezra, thanks to the spell.” He eyed me. “There is a reason for our madness.”

I nodded. “But couldn’t a Mage have done exactly the same spell to find her first?”

Antonio shook his head drunkenly, his eyes closing only to slowly reopen. “The spell is entrusted to only two — the original spell is in an enchanted book. If they die, the spell is to be passed on to the next two.” He paused. “Elder Harcourt has been questioned extensively. He is innocent. And so am I.”

I sniffed the air. Truth. And it was interesting to know that Antonio was the second Mage to be trusted with spell. One word: power. “So in other words, you’re stumped.”

“Exactly,” he muttered. “Although, Ezra still needs to be questioned.”

I snorted, glancing at Ezra as he unzipped a black duffle in the corner that looked like his and peered inside at its contents. “Ezra, did you tell anyone where the Prodigy Vampire was?”

He pulled out a shirt, which was his. His bag. “No.”

Truth.

“Did you have anything to do with your Prodigy being held by Coms?”

He put the shirt on over his head. “No.”

Truth.

I glanced to Elder Merrick, thinking it would be best to come from him.

He sighed and stopped long enough in his discussion to glance around the room at the occupants, and state, “He’s telling the truth.” Then he went back to arguing with Elder Jacobs.

“Questioning done,” I muttered, shaking my head. Duh. But irritation aside, I still glanced at Antonio, holding his gaze, wanting him to hear me. “I love you.”

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