Page 23 of V for Vindictive

Teeth gritting, I took a moment to calm down. “I’m not running away.”

“Could’ve fooled me. But if you die, I don’t think she’d recover from the guilt. So whatever you do, stay alive and come back.”

I’d forgotten how obnoxious the Brit could get when he was determined to make me see reason. It’d been a few decades since I had to deal with his stubbornness.

“Phil…”

“I heard you. Keep her safe and I’ll think about it.”

Before I could get dragged into another argument, I hung up the phone and destroyed the device. Throwing a bag over my shoulder, I left the small cabin I had stayed at the last few days and headed for the rendezvous point Cash described in his last message.

Cassius stood beneath a large tree, dressed in expensive name-brand clothing and sporting a face marred by ancient runes for every life he’d stolen.

The Dark Fae hadn’t been too much trouble to track, because he could never remove the tracing bug I’d imbedded into his skin after he became my informant.

When Cassius turned tail and ran after leaving us for dead, he’d gone underground with a group of on-the-run targets of the Organization. Many who owed me a favor. So, his own turned on him and kept the Dark Fae conveniently restrained while I traveled to come have a chat.

The glowing purple Fae eyes glided over to me, and the lines of his face deepened with genuine disdain. “You’re late.”

“Payback for escaping after we were blasted with magic.”

Cassius clicked his tongue and ran fingers through his platinum hair, which was highlighted with lavender strips. “You’re a real shite. Do you have what I need?”

Smirking, I grabbed the silver Truth Cuff from my pocket and offered the other man another look. “You know I won’t trade until you give me what I want, Fae.”

Cassius’s eyes dropped to the object in my hand, and he stiffened. “Do I really have to?”

“Guess you’d rather I keep the location of the Fae portal to myself, then…”

“No!” he yelped, coming forward. His eyes dodged left and right before he offered one of his arms in surrender. “Let’s get this over with. I want to cross over the second we’re done here.”

“The information you have needs to be worth the USB. If it isn’t, I’ll end you right here,” I warned, wrapping the string around his proffered wrist tightly. “Everything you know, or no deal, Cash.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the Dark Fae grumbled. His dragon-slit pupils thinned. “What I tell you will make you rethink staying on this plane yourself. It’s not pretty. Your little girl is going to change the tide, and I don’t want to be here when she does.”

I’d never show it, but his words unsettled me greatly. Anyone who met V and knew what she could do would already conclude she was a game-changer. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me what sort of future was in store for her. I hated to admit it, but if what I found today meant even Sloan couldn’t protect her, I’d have no choice but to return to her side.

And I was conflicted. Could I return and keep my distance? Or would I succumb to her devastating charms and let the world burn to taste her lips again?

“Get on with it,” I barked angrily, already put out by my own thoughts. “I’m sure it won’t be long before the dogs catch our scent.”

Cassius’s eyes widened, and he panned the area with fear seeping into his expression. “You want to know what she is and what it means, right? Well, it’s ancient. What’s in her blood hasn’t been seen in over two-thousand years.”

I stared at him, determined to keep my face from giving away my thoughts.

“Pure Chaos Fae. The original Apophis, if you will. The first Fae created Egyptian lore, as you well know. And really every ancient lore. They loved to be viewed as gods when they crossed the planes.”

The first Fae lived for being adored, and it was no secret that many of the “gods” in mythology were based on Fae who crossed the planes to wreak havoc on humans.

“Anyway, their powers were dangerous and violent, I’m told. Nearly wiped out every creature in every plane they traveled to. Unfettered power like that comes at a cost, Hunter. It’s the definition of chaos. Every time she uses it, it will grow harder and harder to control. She’ll become less herself.”

I took a step closer, and Cash flattened against the trunk of a tree. “What do you mean? Are you implying she will slip away to darkness, Fae?”

The Dark Fae’s vibrant eyes glowed in terror. “She’s a hybrid, so who knows. But that sort of power unchecked can only lead one place. The more she uses it, the harder it will become to control it.” His lips tilted for a second. “Oh, and this infatuation you have for her, that’s part of it. They were often called Royal Sirens. No man or woman could refuse their charms.”

Lies.

He lifted his wrist, as if knowing what I was thinking. “I can’t lie with this, Hunter. Your invention is a bitch to deal with, and you know better than I do it works. I don’t know how they obtained ancient Fae blood, but I suggest you get out while you can.”

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