Page 40 of These Deadly Dreams

“What about other security?” Kai asks. “Alarms, cameras, locks. There is no way he has nothing to protect his office.”

“That’s where Cade comes in.” Sterling sits forward, leaning his elbows on his knees and looks to Cade. “You do your techy stuff to figure out his security camera and alarm system set-up. We’ll also rely on you to make sure there are no magical wards in place, which I doubt there are. Noah doesn’t play well with other races.”

“Has anyone heard from Thomas?” I ask tentatively. It seems strange he’s been so quiet.

“Yeah,” Kai says, rubbing his hand down my arm. “He called while we were on our way to the cabin. You were asleep.”

I swallow, nerves flaring to life in my belly. “What did he say?”

“He gave me the details for the next challenge. I played along, because we don’t have the proof yet we need to make this all stop.”

I whip my head in his direction, shock coursing through my veins. “He called to talk about the next challenge when we had just been attacked?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Cade chimes in. “I’m not sure how much Kennedy is aware of what Sam is doing. I mean, he might be. But I get the feeling, Sam is working behind Kennedy’s back for some other purpose.”

“What purpose do you think that is?” Kai threads his fingers through mine, giving a little squeeze. “You think all Kennedy was working toward was getting Ellis married to Sam because he’s a prominent mage?”

Cade nods his head side to side, pursing his lips. “I think Sam has played him. Everything I saw while working for Kennedy made me believe Sam was just sucking up to Kennedy, trying to get in his good graces. He played a part that Kennedy wanted to see. Someone who was desperately trying to weasel his way into the Kennedy family for the fortune. And Kennedy allowed it because he was desperate to marry Ellis off and find a powerful mage to carry on his legacy.”

“But you don’t think that’s really the case?” I ask, shifting so I can look at him better.

“Not at all. Nothing I saw from Sam while working would account for his attempts to get his hands on Ellis. If it were really a case of him trying to marry her for the fortune, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t just give up after she proved so difficult to get a hold of.” Cade pauses and rubs his chin, thinking through what he wants to say next. “After the accident, while I was healing Sterling, I kept my attention on Ellis. Sam’s reaction to her using my magic surprised him but not in the way it should have had he not known what she is.”

“You think Sam knows Ellis is a harpy?” Sterling growls, his knuckles as white as the arm rests of his chair.

“I think he had to have some suspicion there was something special about her. Maybe not necessarily a harpy, but definitely something powerful that he wanted to get his hands on.” Cade shrugs his shoulders and grimaces. “It’s almost like he was treating her the way he was to get some kind of reaction out of her. Like if he pushed her far enough, her powers would manifest. The day of the accident, she proved his theories right when she used my magic. Whether that means he knows she’s a harpy remains to be seen.”

“If he knows anything about harpies, he would have to know what he was doing to her wouldn’t make her powers manifest,” Kai muses. “My guess is he doesn’t know what she is. Just that he wants her. For what reason, I don’t ever want to find out.”

All this talk about Sam and what he’s done to me, has me withdrawing into myself. It’s been easy to forget about him, to sweep my memories under the rug when I have three men who are the exact opposite of him. The reminders tear off the scabs and reopen the wounds. What would have happened had I not found my guys? If my dad never created that stupid contest, I’d still be living in that hell with Sam. He’d still be trying to beat and rape my powers out of me.

What will he do now to get his hands on me? He knows I have powers now. He’ll stop at nothing to get me in his possession. My throat closes up as fear grips my spine. And then what? What does he want with my powers? How will he use and abuse me then? My heart beats rapidly in my chest, the rush of blood making my head spin. As the room tilts precariously, callused fingers grip my chin firmly, and the next thing I see is Kai’s gray eyes. They’re an anchor I grasp onto, holding myself afloat from spiraling further into my panic.

“Breathe, Ellis.” His fingers contract on my chin, digging in just short of pain.

I try. I really do. But I can’t get my lungs to expand. It’s like they’re frozen in my chest. As darkness creeps into the edges of my vision, I know I’m going to pass out.

Swirling luminescence gathers in Kai’s eyes and they take on an eerie glow. “Breathe, Ellis.” His words, softly spoken but with command, resonate inside my head. Echoing through my mind and into my bones.

The hold my panic had on my lungs releases, and I’m able to suck in a breath of air. I collapse against Kai’s chest, hearing his heart beat at the same quick pace as mine. Tears burn my eyes, and I squeeze them shut.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” he says soothingly to the top of my head. His arms come around me and hold me tightly, giving me the peace I desperately need. “We’re not going to let him touch you again. You have three Shields that won’t allow any harm to come to you. Trust us in that.”

I do trust that. I know they will keep me safe, but at what cost? Everyone of them would sacrifice their own life for mine, and that thought almost sends me into another spiral. But now is not the time to think about that. I can’t let my fear of them getting hurt rule my life. Instead, I nod against Kai’s chest, and his arms loosen enough for me to sit up.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on the task at hand. “So, we need to prove Thomas isn’t my dad so we can stop this ridiculous contest and take one thing off our plate.”

Sterling nods, eyes somber. “We do. And Drew and I have a plan. Tomorrow night, we’ll get the proof we need.”

We all fall silent for a moment, until Cade looks at Kai. “Have you talked to your dad? I’ve been wondering if he’s been able to link Sam to the attack on the estate. If he has, I would assume he would take this to the court. And if Sam is found guilty, it might solve some of our problems.”

Kai nods. “I called him earlier. While we all know it was Sam, there is no concrete proof. That bastard is too good at covering his tracks. My dad is currently questioning all of the staff, because the only way Sam could have gotten so far was with help from the inside.”

“Was anyone hurt?” I ask quietly.

“No. Luckily, the guests were all vampires, so no serious injuries. Although, I wouldn’t mind if Guilia had been hurt.”

I snort, because I agree. That bitch deserves something bad to happen to her.

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