Page 99 of Blood Match

“He won’t,” I assure him, my voice firm. “We’ll make sure of it.”

A silence descends as we all consider this for a moment.

Selene breaks it. “So what’s next.”

“That depends on you, Lady Nightshade.” I smile. “I’m hoping you’ll agree to my proposal.” I look at Elias. “Both of you. And with any luck, we’ll add more to our ranks.”

Selene taps her bottom lip with a manicured fingertip, mulling this over. “I’m in,” she says at last.

“I’m on board, too,” Elias adds. He looks concerned, but I think we’ve put up a compelling argument.

I exhale a heavy breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Excellent.” I continue, eager to get started now that we’re in agreement, “Our first priority should be gathering concrete evidence of Lucien’s activities. We need more than just suspicions.”

Selene nods, her eyes sharp. “I can put some feelers out, see what my contacts can dig up.”

“Good,” I say. “And Elias, that report…?”

“I’ll have something for you within the week,” he assures me.

Marcus clears his throat. “What about the Grand Elder? You mentioned bringing her evidence that Lucien planned that attack on the ceremony.”

“Yes,” I acknowledge. “But that’s not going to be enough to stop him.”

“Why not?” Selene asks, her brow furrowed.

“Because not all the clan elders oppose the idea of forcibly taking witch blood,” I explain. “Lucien’s already proposed a task force. Even if we proved he was behind the attack on the vigil, he could easily claim he was just…pre-empting a move he thought would be accepted. She might rap his knuckles, keep an eye on him…but if she doesn’t see him as a threat, I doubt she’ll do much more.”

Elias looks troubled. “So without proof of his plans to usurp Arabella…”

“Exactly,” I nod. “We need more than just suspicions to truly bring him down.”

We hit another silence, and eventually, Selene stands. “You’ve given us a lot to think about, Lord Drake.” She puts a hand on my shoulder. “My brother had better hope he hasn’t dragged me into a mess.”

“Can’t make any promises,” Marcus says unapologetically.

“Typical.” She gives a delicate little snort. “Get your ass out of here before I change my mind.” She softens her words with a wink. “For the record, I think we’re doing the right thing.”

As Marcus and I leave Selene’s penthouse, my mind is racing. We have a plan, allies, but it still feels like we’re playing catch-up.

And then there’s Rowan…

I pause in the hallway, causing Marcus to look at me quizzically.

“Everything alright?” he asks.

I nod, but I can feel a strange tightness in my chest. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this…uncertain. This protective. And it’s not just about securing a blood source anymore. The thought of Lucien getting his hands on Rowan fills me with a rage I can barely contain.

Part of me almost wonders if I’ve been galvanized into action against him because I’m afraid of what he might do to her. I shouldn’t be behaving this way. Should have my eye on the big picture. There’s more than just one little witch at risk here. But somehow, I can’t see beyond her.

What is she doing to me?

31

Chapter 31

Darick

I’m drifting, weightless in a sea of mist. Something’s wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it. The fog swirls around me, obscuring my vision and muffling sounds.