“Mindlessly killing people is not the way to end a war, I don’t care how you try to justify it.”

He laughed, his eyes dark cuts of jet that reflected scorn in the light. “What was that you just said about being naïve? All wars are fought with death, Caia. Or haven’t you been listening in history class?”

Nikolai hastily interrupted before she could retort, “Caia, if it helps, most of the Septum are very old now. A few of them would probably willingly sacrifice themselves for this.”

Her chin lifted at the suggestion. “Fine, get them to agree to it and I’ll think about it.”

“Caia-” Reuben warned.

“No! You can’t just expect me to kill innocent people!”

“It must be done!” He flew out of his chair towards her, and Caia shrank back, remembering her magik would do her no good with him.

“Reuben…” Nikolai made a move towards him, watching him very carefully.

The vampyre towered over her, his hands braced on the arms of her chair, his face inches from her. “Stop acting like a child,” he whispered, clearly trying to gain control over himself. “There is no choice, Caia. Seven people over millions. Don’t you want to be free of the trace… don’t you want all those voices out of your head?”

Bleakly, Caia nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I don’t know if I can do what you need me to do.”

He sighed wearily and pulled back, scrubbing his hands over his face. “You need time,” he told her emotionlessly. “Think it over.”

She knew then she wasn’t getting out of here without conceding to at least this request. Both men were determined. One of them had been planning this for a loooonng time.

“Fine,” she snapped. “But I want a change in scenery. For a start I want windows.”

The Russian smiled like a kindly father. “Of course.”

“And I want the pack informed I’m alright.”

“No-” Reuben began, but was cut short when Nikolai’s hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“I know that you are impatient to get on, but I think we can accommodate Caia in this.”

To Caia’s surprise she watched Reuben relax a little. “I apologize. I have to stop treating you as if you were an enemy. We need this, Caia. Please take your time.”

“Putting aside the moral magnitude of what you’re asking me to do… I don’t even know if I have the capabilities to take that many people out in one go.”

Reuben smiled softly. “You incinerated four magiks only a few weeks ago… simultaneously.”

“You think that was easy for me?”

“I think some were misguided magiks – not truly evil – and you killed them without thought to protect those closest to you. Think on this as the same thing. Killing the Septum will protect the people you love.”

She flinched at the reminder of what she had done, knowing he was deliberately playing on her guilt. “You are a horrible person.”

He gave a huff of laughter. “Perhaps I am.” He turned then and opened the door. Quietly, she followed as they led her out of the stone room and down a narrow, dank corridor. She might be imagining things but she could have sworn they were in a castle.

“I don’t sense fear from you, Caia,” Reuben mused as they strode through the maze of dimly lit halls.

“Should I be afraid?”

“No. Should I?” He grinned.

“Definitely.”

Finally, they came to a stop outside one of many doors they had passed. Nikolai pushed the door open and a stream of light blinded her as Reuben nudged her inside. She blinked, adjusting to the light, and her eyes widened at her surroundings. “Wow, this is not what I was expecting at all.”

The circular room looked as if it might have once been a tower room. Now a panoramic window spanned a good portion of one wall. The mahogany hardwood flooring contrasted sharply with the soft buttercream walls. The room was filled with modern furniture, including a corner sofa and a four poster bed.

Involuntarily, Caia moved towards the window, her eyes soaking up the stunning countryside. “That’s fake, right?”

Nikolai chuckled. “Yes. But why have windows without a view to go with it.”

“Well I like it.”

He smiled smugly and shared a triumphant look with Reuben.

“Doesn’t mean I like you all.”

That wiped the smirk off their faces. Good.

Reuben cleared his throat. “We’ll leave you alone with this.” He handed over the Septum.

As soon as they left, Caia flopped down on to the sofa and held on to Nikolai’s trace as he and Reuben walked through the building. A building that no longer resembled a castle. Glamour. Damn Nikolai. He was way more powerful than she’d like. The building now appeared to be more of a large, stylish mansion than an old castle.

Caia frowned. Nikolai’s trace was different. Usually his thoughts were covered in thick smog, and she could only ever get surface thoughts. Today she could feel him more deeply, clearly, in the trace. She remembered what Reuben had said about manipulating Nikolai’s trace, and wondered if perhaps he had relaxed his control on it in order to appease her. Hmm.

The two men entered a large reception hall that paid court to a grand antique staircase; a staircase that descended towards them before pausing briefly in the shape of a small landing, a landing that then branched off into two more staircases like wide welcoming arms. Almost immediately a tall, broad figure appeared at the bottom of the far right of the stairs.

“Vanne.” Reuben frowned, heading towards him.

Caia gasped, feeling Nikolai’s anticipation at Vanne’s appearance. He was thinking something must have happened at the Center.

Vanne! Caia began to sweat at the implication. Nikolai was familiar with Vanne? Friggin’ Hades! Vanne was one of them?! Just how deep did Reuben’s infiltration of the Coven go?

“We have a problem.” Vanne looked frantic.

“We know about the Council.” Reuben shrugged him off.

“Do you know Marita is going to have them executed in a week’s time?”

Reuben’s jaw dropped, an expression Caia was guessing was rare to him. “Is she insane?”

“She is completely unraveling. She won’t listen to anyone. She’s told Marion that Caia has betrayed them, that’s her excuse for holding Lucien and Ryder prisoner. Marion has refused to believe her but was met with a threat of imprisonment herself if she didn’t stop her ‘nonsense’.”

Reuben swore. “We need the Council if our plan is to succeed. They’re too powerful to lose.”

Vanne nodded. “There’s more. Marita has Caia’s pack under guard. They’re all holed up at Lucien’s home surrounded by magiks. Lucien, Ryder and the pack children were all taken. I know Lucien and Ryder are in the containment center but I have no idea what she has done with the children.”

The blood pounded through Caia’s ears. That witch had Lucien and the kids and Ryder! Without thought Caia burst out of the room, racing with an ever thrashing heartbeat through the mansion towards the trio. She burst out into the reception area. “We need to get them back!”

Annoyance flickered across the vampyre’s face. “I might have known you were following Nikolai’s trace rather than doing what we asked you to do.” He gestured towards the scroll crushed in her hand.

At the direction of his gaze Caia tucked the Septum behind her back. “I’m not doing anything for you unless you help me.” She turned pointedly to Vanne. “Fancy meeting you here.”

He at least had the decency to look sheepish. “Hi.”

“The children,” Caia addressed them all abruptly, “She is experimenting on them. When I was at the Center I followed her into the altar of Gaia. She has a secret basement lab underneath the altar. I know she’s experimenting on lykan children because I saw it for myself, but I suspect she’s also experimenting on vampyres.”

“What?!”

“Aah, something you don’t know Mr. 479 B.C.”

“Oh good, you were listening.”

She grunted at him in annoyance before continuing, “We need to get back to the pack and save them, and then somehow we need to get into the Center and free Lucien, Ryder and the Council. And we have to get those kids out of there. I don’t what she’s up to but I have a feeling it’s connected to the fact that Jaeden has particular abilities after being tortured by Ethan.”

Nikolai looked aghast. “You don’t think she’s torturing the children, do you?”

Caia sighed. “It didn’t look like torture exactly. There were chemicals and test tubes… look, who knows, we just have to get in there.”

Reuben sighed. “You’re giving me a headache. If you calm down I will come up with a plan.”

Her eyes widened hopefully. “You’re going to help me?”

“I don’t have much of a choice do I.”

4 – Prisoners

The ugly truth is a magik could take a lykan in human form anytime, anywhere. Hence why he was here now, staring at a bright white ceiling, clenching his teeth and fists in rage. When Lucien had woken up in this cell with Ryder by his side he had not been surprised to see Marita glaring at them from the other side of the Plexiglas. He had been surprised by the first words out of her mouth, however.

“So the little monster is missing?” she hissed in outrage. “And unless you two are extremely good at hiding things from me, you don’t have her.”

“Why don’t you let us out of here, you insane bitch, and then we’ll talk.” Ryder had shrugged.

Marita’s eyes had narrowed to dangerous slits. “I want to know where Caia is now, or I won’t be so kind in my experiments on the pack children. Stop shutting your minds to me and tell me everyone who has been in touch with you.”

If Lucien hadn’t been so shocked by her line of questioning he would have pounced at her (an idiotic mistake since the Plexiglas was magikally electrified). His frown of deep concern was unmistakable. “You mean you don’t have her?”