Page 88 of Club Blood

“Carlisle, you must stop at once,” he warned. He was standing close to Warren, with Cecelia not far behind him. I refused to look in her eyes, fearing what I might see there. We had spared what words were left between us anyway.

Carlisle had fire behind his eyes, daring Henrik to defy him again.

“Stop what?” He asked, a frown forming from his eyebrows. “Mercy and I have cut a deal.”

My eyes snapped to Warren, and I could see the hurt and betrayal on his face. He was not used to being in the dark with me, and he knew I sent him upstairs with a lie.

“What kind of fucking deal?” Warren growled. His threat did nothing but make Carlisle roar in laughter.

“Down, dog,” he smiled, “Mercy has given me her kingdom. But don’t fret! You and your little human pet are safe, for now. I am a man of my word.”

Cecelia stepped forward then, I could feel her gaze on me as hot as a branding iron. My face stayed stoic, looking between Henrik, Carlisle, and Warren.

“What do you mean you’ve given up your kingdom?” She was only talking to me, like we were the only two people in the room. Her voice held so much heat, a reminder of how angry she was with me, but it was less of a burn. It was almost as if she was the Cecelia I had known before all of this. Full of fire, but cooled from curiosity.

“Oh, not so human anymore, are we?” Carlisle said gleefully as he stared at her. Her fangs were protruding from her thin lips, her stance that of a seasoned Known. There was a new light in his eyes again, and I worried at the joy he found in his voice, “What an honor to have you amongst our ranks, Cecelia. Mercy has told me so much about you. Congratulations on your new immortality.”

Cecelia ignored him, which made Carlisle’s frown deepen. He was unused to being ignored. Her eyes held steady only for me.

“You want to die, Cecelia,” Hearing me say the words out loud was enough to make us both wince. Our conversation from earlier was heavy in the air, and I could feel it weighing down on me like a ton of bricks. “And I cannot live without you. This city will survive…” I looked towards Carlisle, “without me. But I cannot survive without you.”

“Oh, what a sentiment!” Carlisle was practically bouncing. “Very Romeo and Juliet, or, rather, Julia and Juliet. To die with someone you love, that’s so poetic. Mercy, you never told me you were such a sap, but Narcissa did. Now I’m glad you didn’t take my earlier offer.”

I glared at him, my rage building, but Henrik stepped in.

“Carlisle, they know, sir.” The last bit was tacked on at the end out of habit, and I could see just how much his betrayal was making him nervous. Carlisle didn’t seem to understand yet. His voice was hushed.

“You are testing my patience, Henrik. Keep your damn mouth shut.”

“We know what you’re planning,” Warren hissed.

“Oh no, I’m shocked,” he raised his hand to his mouth in feign disturbance, “How on Earth will I survive, knowing a soon-to-be-dead vampire and her Second are pretending to think they know what I’m planning?”

“You’ll be less inclined to patronize us, when you know the police know about your involvement with Wade.”

“Who the fuck is Wade?” Carlisle narrowed his brows and the words came out as quiet as a whisper. I could see the wheels in his head turning; he knew exactly who we were talking about.

Cecelia crossed her arms, a beautifully inhuman smile on her face.

“Wade, the bartender that killed my friend? Yeah. The LVPD knows. And they’re ready to bring your crimes to the council.”

It was such a tiny thing, something Carlisle should never have been afraid of. But I watched as his breath hitched and a bead of sweat crafted on the side of his temple. He couldn’t kill the entire Las Vegas Police Department without the council knowing. And the council knowing about him planting Wade would tie him to Nathaniel. And even without proof, Carlisle couldn’t afford to be tied to that death. His gaze drifted towards Henrik.

“They know,” He repeated his guard’s earlier sentiment, his eyes murderous. Henrik shrunk back as he witnessed his High Lord’s realization come to fruition, “How thefuckdo they know?”

Henrik refused to answer. For such a large guy as he was, he was afraid of the man that promised to kill us all. Carlisle took a threatening step toward him.

“It’s a good thing Mercy knows the cop,” Cecelia said sweetly. We all turned to face her. That drop dead gorgeous grin was back, and her arms uncrossed to be placed delicately at her sides. She looked powerful, like someone worthy of a throne.

“Say more words, girl,” Carlisle hissed.

“New deal,” she said, a steely gaze locked onto him. She refused to look at me now— I guess I deserved that, “Mercy will not die today.None of uswill die today. And you will go back to wherever the hell you came from, and you leave us alone.”

“Seems like there’s nothing good for me in that deal,” Carlisle said with a sly grin, “Suppose I just kill the lot of you. Then what?”

Cecelia didn’t back down, “Then you kill us. I have a detective waiting in the crowd,” she gestured behind us. Did she really have Luca Forge out there? I cocked an eyebrow at her in question, but nothing about her stance gave me any doubt. I spared a glance towards Warren as well, hoping to get some sort of clarity, but his expression was unreadable. Had they both planned this without me? “I told him to wait for us. He’d either be going to the precinct with new information to take to the vampire council, to the precinct to report several newAmbrosiamurders, or, he’ll be walking away with nothing at all. But I suppose all of that is up to you now, Carlisle.”

You could tell that her addressing him so casually practically gave him a heart attack. His glower could pierce souls, and yet, Cecelia wasn’t phased by it.

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