And I’m afraid we’re going to have to resort to extreme measures to deal with it.
I check my phone again and see the group has stopped at some location close to the water. Kai and I ride for one more stop and hop off. We level onto the surface and walk two more blocks. I keep checking their location, but they haven’t moved.
We round the corner, and I see our destination is a rather secure-looking storage facility.
“What is going on?” I whisper as we walk through the gates. I keep an eye on the phone, guiding us as we wander through row after row of storage units.
We turn a corner, and the both of us freeze.
All of the doors to the units on this row are open, except two.
Down the aisle, I see Lexington, Ian, Aleah, Duncan and Po-Sun.
And Killian.
And a dozen others I don’t recognize.
Immediately I shove Kai back, tucking him around the corner, out of sight. “Don’t you dare come out,” I whisper as I hold his eyes. I hope he can read from them that I will not forgive him if he steps into view and gets himself killed.
Without another word, I step back around the corner, quietly listening.
“This would be far easier if you all just told the truth,” Killian says calmly. He grips the handle of the rolling door and yanks, breaking the lock and flinging the door open.
“What…” I breathe, but my voice doesn’t quite want to work. I take a step forward, and then another. “What’s going on?”
Every eye turns in my direction, and the color drains from Ian’s and Lexington’s faces.
“You’re quite a brave little thing,” Killian says with a smile. “So fragile—even by human standards you’re quite tiny and frail looking. Yet you choose to tie yourself to our kind, always putting yourself in danger.”
“They’re my family,” I say as I close in on the group. “Of course I’m not just going to walk away.”
I stop between Lexington and Ian, and both their eyes are locked on me, looks of absolute terror on their faces.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Lexington says, pulling me into his side protectively.
“Should have stayed missing,” Ian growls under his breath.
“Your timing certainly is impeccable,” Killian says with a little smile. “This afternoon I was paid a visit by one Charles Allaway. The poor fellow, he didn’t look so good. Seemed rather distraught. He told me a story about how someone from the House of Martials,” he says the title with a tone of sarcasm and disrespect, “has indeed been curing the Bitten. Helping them.”
Killian crosses his hands behind his back and steps forward. “I think the poor fool thought giving me information would persuade me to save him. He thought it would grant him forgiveness for his lack of leadership. I told him he would have to do better than just give vague information.”
Killian steps forward once again, his eyes locked on mine. Ian takes a step forward, and I can practically hear every one of his muscles tense.
“I informed Charles that I had already investigated the lead he’d given me. That I had visited your little shop and been to its hidden underbelly and that there was nothing to find. Charles told me he had done more investigating into the matter, and that if I promised to give him more time to redeem himself, and promised not to kill you, but rather take you prisoner, that he would tell me where I could find infallible proof.”
Lexington’s grip tightens on me, and fear creeps down my spine.
“Which led me to this address,” Killian says with a smile that is growing chaotic and wild with satisfaction. He can see the fear he’s causing in me and all those around me. “And I am quite excited to see what we shall find behind door number sixteen.”
He turns quickly and goes to the last door on the row. The Born I do not recognize tighten around the House members, and I have little doubt they have stakes hidden in their clothing, ready to take every one of us out.
Killian’s hand closes around the handle, and Lexington stops breathing as he yanks it open.
“Well, well,” Killian says with a satisfied smile. “It seems we have hit the jackpot.”
He steps inside, and I take a step forward to see.
Inside is my locked cabinet, which Killian immediately breaks open, scattering vials all over the concrete floor. He unearths the sharps container. There’s the cot lying against one wall. Killian grabs the stack of envelopes lying atop it and pulls out a sheet of paper and begins reading.
“By the time you are well enough to read this, you’ll have been fully cured. You are one-hundred-percent human once more. Please exit through the same door you came through. Do not return to Boston, do not come looking for me ever again. Don’t speak of what has happened to anyone, unless it is another like you who needs my help. Good luck.”
Killian looks up, a darkness creeping into his eyes. His hand curls around the note and he crushes the page, flinging it aside.
“I am a very calm, evenhanded man who does not get upset very easily,” Killian says as he takes two slow steps forward. “But what I cannot stand, is a liar.”
Everyone tightens around me and my instincts go into overdrive. I step forward, knowing I have to do something, now. “I never lied to you that day about this,” I say, tilting my chin up a little. “I said very little that day, if you recall. You never once asked me if I had been curing the Bitten.”
“There is no difference between omission of information and a lie,” Killian says as he takes another step forward, his dark eyes fixed on me.
“But she never lied to you.” Lexington suddenly steps in front of me, coming face to face with Killian. “She isn’t the one who’s been curing them. It was me.”
Killian gives a little humorless laugh. “Ah, how beautifully romantic. The lover taking the blame to protect the mother of his child. I won’t fall for your grand gesture.”
“The basis of the cure is cisplatin, folinic acid, and arsenic trioxide,” Lexington suddenly blurts out, stepping back into Killian’s path as he tries to skirt around him. “It takes a full month to create a batch and it’s really freaking hard to get it right.”
All of my insides freeze and panic rises in my blood.
No.
He can’t do this.
“That note you just read?” he says. “The original document is on my computer back home.” Lexington continues to lie, sounding absolutely confident, not skipping a single beat. “The contract for this unit is in a fake name, Sammy Peppers. I moved all of my stuff as soon as I heard you were in town.”
I’ve finally found something that I hate about Lexington. That he so easily lies in stressful situations. That he’s so quick to spin tales to manipulate the tight and hot moments that keep popping up.
The words are on the tip of my tongue, ready to scream out that he’s lying. That it has been me all along.
But my hands come up to my stomach, and there’s a protective instinct that keeps my lips sealed shut.
And Ian’s hand on my shoulder squeezes tighter, begging me to let Lexington do this for me.
“You are then guilty of treason,” Killian says quietly as he leans forward, his nose only two inches from Lexington’s. “You are under arrest, and will be transported to Roter Himmel tomorrow night for trial.”
Killian’s guards leap forward, chaining Lexington’s hands behind his back, pressing a stake to his back, and dragging him away. Killian walks toward the exit without another word.
“No!” I snap, darting after them. “No! It wasn’t him. I swear, he had nothing to do with this. It was me!”
“Elle!” Lexington calls back as he trips over his feet, being dragged away. “It’ll be okay. Ian!”
My brother grabs me around the waist, stopping me right there.
But Killian halts, turning back for just a moment. “This is quite a sweet scene to behold,” he says, though his tone says he’s not enjoying it whatsoever. “But do not lie to me. Logic clears you, my sweet little human.
You would not survive the work. A Bitten would have turned or killed you long ago had you put yourself in harm’s way.”
He begins to turn back, but pauses for just a second.
“I am not a heartless monster. You may quickly tell your child’s father goodbye.”
The breath stills in my chest, pressed out with a little huff. Emotion instantly springs into my eyes.
“Elle,” Ian whispers, but he doesn’t know what to say. His grip on me loosens, and the second it does, I dart forward.
My hands wrap around the back of Lexington’s head, our bodies crashing against each other. I bury my face into his neck and he tucks his face into me since he cannot embrace me with his hands secured.
“Why?” I begin sobbing into his neck. “Please. Please don’t do this.”
“It’ll be okay,” he says quietly. But there’s a note in his voice that tells me he knows the likely outcome of the situation I’ve put him in. “We’ll figure this out.”
A sob rips from my chest and I squeeze him to me tighter. “I’m so sorry,” I breathe. “I’m so sorry.”
“Time is up,” Killian says impatiently.
“Take care of our baby,” Lexington says, but it’s so quiet, I know it isn’t for show and the ruse we’ve been putting on. He pulls back, staring into my eyes with a plea.
And something snaps inside of me.
I stare at him utterly frozen.
“It’s time!” Killian yells and I hear his footsteps retreat.
My panic sets in and I pull my fiancé’s face to mine once more, crushing my lips to his. Telling myself to savor every millisecond of this. But internally screaming that this won’t be the last time I kiss him.
Suddenly Lexington is yanked away from me, and the guards drag him away.
“Take care of our baby,” Lexington calls again, his eyes begging me to understand.
A sob rips from my chest as the guards drag him around the corner, and he disappears from my view.
I drop to my knees, my hands flat on the concrete as another cry rolls up my chest and the first tear breaks from my eyes.
Multiple sets of hands come to my back, attempting comfort. But I can’t move. I can’t breathe.
They’re dragging the one and only person I’ve ever truly loved away, to take him to a horrible place I’ve visited myself, to stand trial for something I did.
“Elle,” Ian whispers. “We’ll figure a way out of this. We’ll get him back.”
But as my anguish threatens to overtake me, a spark of fire flashes through my brain. A light at the end of the universe’s longest tunnel flickers.
My fingers curl on the concrete, forming little cuts in my fingers. A hard ball forms in my stomach.
I pick myself up off the ground, many hands supporting me, even if I don’t need them now.
My eyes fix on the place I last saw Lexington. I take three deep, slow breaths in and out.
“Elle?” From the shadows Kai steps out, looking around that the coast is clear.
I straighten myself, lifting my chin.
“Oh, hell yeah,” Aleah says, catching on. “There she is. Does nothing keep this woman down?”
“Elle, what-”
“I need to call Alivia,” I cut my brother off. I grab my phone, walking toward the entrance, watching as two black SUVs drive off into the night. I press the phone to my ear and wait as it rings.
“Elle?” Alivia asks. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” I tell her with wrath. “I need you to find me a phone number.”
I quietly tell her a very brief version of my plan as I continue walking to the car Ian has been using.
“Elle, are you sure about this?” Alivia asks with a tiny quake in her voice.
“Positive,” I confirm as I slip into the passenger seat to wait for Ian and the others. “Can you get me the number, or not?”
“Yeah,” she says. “It’s going to take me a few minutes to track it down. I’ll call you back in just a little bit.”
The doors suddenly open and the others climb in.
“What the hell is going on, Elle?” Ian asks as he starts the car.
“I’m not going to let them kill Lexington for this,” I say, staring out the window. “Take me home.”
“Not until you tell me why you just called my wife,” he growls.
“Let us help you,” Duncan implores softly.
I shake my head. “You’ll try to stop me.”
“Elle,” Kai says.
“I said take me home!” I explode, smacking my hands down on the dash.
Every one of them is silent, frozen still at my outburst.
Ian starts the car and pulls onto the road. Silently, he drives us across town, back to my apartment.
None of them say a word as we park in front of my building, but every one of them climbs out and follows me up the steps, through the door, and up to the top floor.
I walk through the door, a tight, wound up spring, ready to snap.
My phone rings and I answer it immediately.
“I’ve got it,” Alivia says. “You have something to write it down on?”
I dash into the kitchen and open a drawer to pull out a pad of paper and a pen. “Ready.”
I write it down as she rattles it off.
“Thank you,” I breathe, the tension in my chest lifting just slightly as the first step in my plan comes into place.
“Elle,” Alivia says. “Are you sure this is the only way?”
“I’m sure,” I say. I stand with my back turned to everyone. I can’t look at them right now, can’t handle the idea of them trying to talk me out of this.
“Please be careful,” my sister-in-law whispers.
“I will.” I hang up without a goodbye.
My fingers dial the numbers Alivia gave me and I wait while it rings.
For a stomach-sinking moment, I’m afraid no one will answer. I have no idea what time it is there.
But finally, after twelve rings, the line connects.
“Hello?” a smooth voice answers.
“King Cyrus,” I address him without so much as a tremor in my voice. “This is Elle Ward, and I need your help.”
Keary Taylor is the USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen novels. She grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now splits her time between a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest and Utah, with her husband and their two children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night.
To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visit www.KearyTaylor.com.
Keary Taylor, Garden of Snakes
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