Warrior (Relentless #4)(145)

“I think you’re right.” His gaze swept the grounds. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m in. No one will get to our girl without going through us.”

“Thanks, Chris. I knew I could count on you.”

“Yeah. Besides, my life would be unbearably dull without you two.”

I smiled. “It’s hard to remember what life was like before Sara.”

“Very, very quiet,” he said, and we both laughed. The sound felt wrong after what had happened here last night.

Chris sobered. “Tristan called in three units to help with security until the Council sends more warriors. I’m going out on patrol until reinforcements get here. Want to join me?”

“Yeah.”

It would be good to go out and stretch my legs a bit. I didn’t need to get my sword. Like every other warrior here, I was wearing mine wherever I went today. Westhorne was still on alert. Although the chances of a daytime attack were unlikely, we were putting nothing past this Master.

It was late morning when we returned to find the stronghold a lot more crowded than it had been when we left. The twenty well-armed warriors were a welcome sight to everyone at Westhorne, and they immediately went to work, organizing themselves into patrols.

I was on my way to find Sara when Tristan stopped me in the hallway.

“I’m going to see Michael. He’s asking for Sara, so I’m going to ask her if she wants to talk to him.”

“Not without me.”

Michael had betrayed Sara and almost cost her her life. There was no way she was going into the same room with him unless I was there.

Tristan nodded. “I thought you’d say that.”

The medical ward was quiet after last night’s craziness. The healers had done an exemplary job of handling the dozens of injured pouring in here after the attack.

The worst were Sahir and the three who’d been attacked by the witch. I’d checked in on them this morning and found out they were all doing well. Ben had already been released, and Seamus and Niall would be good to go later this afternoon.

Only Sahir had to stay for another day or two. He had almost been killed by two vampires at the menagerie before he’d somehow managed to free the creatures. The wyvern had thanked him by saving his life.

I wasn’t surprised to hear Sara’s voice coming from Sahir’s room. Tristan went to get her, and I entered Michael’s room to find Celine there. We hadn’t spoken about what she’d said to Sara, and I’d decided to let it go with everything else going on here the last week, first with Nate and then last night’s attack.

I hadn’t forgotten it was Celine’s interference that was partially responsible for sending Sara right into my arms. I found it hard to be angry about that.

Michael sat on the bed, propped up with pillows, his wrist chained to the bed rail. He gave me a fearful look and ducked his head when I took up a position by the door.

It was hard to believe this frail young boy was responsible for the deaths of five people. If not for Jordan, Roland, and Peter, he would have caused Sara’s death as well. Sara thought he was mentally ill, but I wasn’t sure I could forgive him for what he’d done to her.

Sara entered the room behind Tristan, looking rested and recovered. Her eyes found mine, but she looked away when Michael spoke to her.

“You came? I didn’t think you would.”

“I wasn’t sure I would come either.” There was no anger in her voice, only sadness.

She walked over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“O-okay,” he stammered. “Sara, I-I’m sorry for what I did to you. I know you won’t forgive me, but I want you to know that I didn’t ever want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt just me, Michael,” she corrected him in an accusing tone. “Olivia and Mark are dead.”

“Oh, God!” Michael began to cry wretchedly. “No one was supposed to die. They said if I gave them you, they would give me Matthew.”

“And you believed them?” she asked in disbelief.

“I had to. I messed up everything else, and it was my last chance of getting Matthew back.”

Everything else?

Tristan stepped forward. “What do you mean? What did you mess up?”

Michael wouldn’t meet Tristan’s stern gaze. “I-I was supposed to scare Sara and make her leave. I did things to make her want to go, but she never did.”

“What things?” Sara stared at him. “Did you have anything to do with us getting attacked in the movie theater?”

He ducked his head. “I only told them what movie you were going to see. I didn’t know they would sic demons on all those people.”

My gut hardened in anger, but I stayed where I was. Losing my temper was not going to help us.

Sara looked a lot calmer than I felt. “What about the vampires at the party we went to? Did you tell them we would be there?”

“I didn’t even know you were going to a party. I swear,” he said.

“What else did you do?” Tristan asked.

“I gave Sara some drex venom,” Michael answered in a small voice.

He looked at Sara. “It was supposed to make you sad and depressed so you’d want to leave. It’s not supposed to make people sick. I didn’t know what to do when you got so sick.”