Page 63 of Hitched to the Vampire King

“We’re safe, and Nash is dead. As for the rest, I’ll fill you in when we get home.” I reached for my phone, tucked squarely in my back pocket, and disconnected the call.

Turning back to the others, I found Elias’s gaze on me, still with that infuriating smirk that said he knew exactly how much he’d rattled me. I wanted to be angry, to yell at him for the heart-stopping fear he’d put me through, but I was too relieved to scold him.

“How on earth did you do that?” I waved my hand in his direction. “Just vanish like that?”

Gabriel chuckled, then slid his arm around my waist and pulled me close, clearly reveling in our two successes tonight. “Teleportation. That’s his vampire power.”

“Might have been helpful to know about that beforehand,” I muttered.

Gabriel at least had the decency to look a little chagrined. “Sorry, luv.”

“Never do that to me again,” I growled at Elias.

Elias just shrugged, the smirk softening into something more genuine.

I shook my head and couldn’t help but laugh. It was hard to stay mad, especially when I saw how ecstatic Gabriel was to have his brother back.

“Well, since you’re in such a helpful mood,” I sniped. “Care to tell us where Adrian is?”

“I can do you one better,” Elias replied, his voice smooth. “I can take you to him.”

“Wait, what?” I blinked, taken aback. “Are you serious?” Because that would be perfect. Maybe even too perfect.

“Dead serious,” Elias affirmed. “I know his exact location, and I’m offering to take you there right now, if you’d like.”

Gabriel and I exchanged matching looks of surprise. After everything we’d been through, for Elias to offer us exactly what we wanted at exactly the right moment—it seemed like a dream come true. But I couldn’t shake off the simplicity of it all. The last time I’d trusted a family member of a friend, I’d landed in a literal cage.

“Tell me something, Elias. Where does Adrian think you’re at right now?” I questioned.

“What?”

“Adrian. Where does he think you are? Why isn’t he with you right now? You two have been all buddy-buddy up until this point. Now you show up here alone, and stake Nash. You have to admit, it’s convenient. So, where does Adrian think you are?” I dragged out that last question.

“He thinks I’m meeting with Nash,” Elias replied. “He just thinks I came to talk to him, not kill him. And come to think of it, I might just keep that little detail to myself. Self-preservation and whatnot.”

“So, you’ve been playing both sides?” I probed. “Acting as a double agent of sorts?”

That damn smirk again. “Well, I am rather good at it. And as you recall, I can be very convincing.”

Yes, I was all too familiar with his deceptive skills. So much so that it had me questioning his motives here. What if this was another setup? A scheme to lure us to a specific spot. Maybe they planned this. Elias would swoop in and save the day, then guide us right into Adrian’s trap.

Thank you, but I’ve been there, done that, and unfortunately gotten the T-shirt. I had no desire to experience that level of betrayal again. I needed to be smarter this time. Adrian had paid the Academy to assassinate Gabriel, and when that’d failed, he’d hired witches to raise a demon—that was how determined he was to kill us. I would bet my last dollar that he would absolutely send his son into our camp as bait.

“So, you’ve been on Gabriel’s side this whole time?” I asked.

Elias chuckled. “Still don’t trust me, huh? That’s fine. Guess I played my part well.”

Too well. I honestly didn’t know what to think. All these lies and manipulations made my head hurt. How was I supposed to know which Elias was the real one? Was it the one who claimed to want Gabriel dead? Or the one who wanted to help us? I suppose he’d had every chance earlier to stake Gabriel himself. Of course, then I would have staked Elias. So maybe he was waiting until they were alone? Playing the long con?

“I know of one way to verify his story,” Gabriel offered.

I turned to him. “How?”

“I’ve compelled Elias in the past. I can do it again. Compel him to truthfully answer any question you ask, if that would make you feel better.”

Looking at Elias, I pondered the offer. “You okay with that?”

He shrugged. “Whatever gets this show on the road, little wolf.”

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